The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-10

table with his knuckles, hummlDg low
tune. "I beg pardon" said he, suddenly
running his hand in his pocket, ~ came
by the postofice and brought a letter from
Cousin Betsy, and by your permission
we will see what she has to say about
her
TRIP TO TALLADEGA.
HILLABEE, .TALLADEGA Co., ALA,
March, 1SS4.-Dear Cousin: Mex morn
in by daylight Pap he riz and fetched
veil that walked the whole camp. Then
old man Simpson he gin what they call
the Indian war whoop, and we'uns all riz.
The boys had flung on hickry logs and ID
light'ood knots and KEEP up good fire all
night, so we mighty quick got our break
fast and pitched out for town. The rode
was strobe plum full of waggins, and
ther was a big drove of US walkin'. Its
SO hard on the critters to pull the wag-
gins % hill I'd druther walk as to ride.
Old Miss Strong driv her own steer
that day. He is old one-eyed, muley
steer, and turribly hard headed and on.
ruly, he KEEP buddy or Pap one or tother
watchin' of him all the time. Once't we
hearn somebody holler, and looked back
and 10 and behold old Muley had slipt
the yoke and was jist tearin' through
the woods hard as he could stave, and
thar sot old Miss Strong hiked up on her
waggin yellin like she was burnt. Buddy
'lowedif he hadn't seen what was the
matter he'd a swore she was shoutln',
for she souealed pine blank like she done
in meetin' Sunday. Right smart Of
folks oyertuck us fore we got to Talla-
degy, and it made sich string of wag.-
gins. and ther was so much hollerin' and
gee-hawin' gwine on Pap he lowed it
minded him of when he was boy, time
his folks all moved to Texas in wagons,
and it tuck 'em up'ards of six weeks to
git thar. That was fore go many rail-
roads was made, and jist to think now
you can go to Texas so quick, as Buck
Simpson says, like you was shot cut OF a
gun. Cousin Pink had never been to
town in her life. Caledony had been
thar right smart of times, and SO Cousin
Pink and me flowed we'd watch Caledony
and see how she done. mind mighty
we'll the flst time I went, Pap tuck me
longer him, and I was skeered so bad |
pinned my hankercher under my belt
and held on to Caledony's hand all the
4 time. T don't know what I'd done if
], it hadn't been for Caledony. Me and
: her went everwhars, and we got SO tired
q traipsin around we set down on Miss
Wilman's steps to rest, and folks gazed
at us: like they never had saw nobody
afore. Pap he bought us whole passel
of pinger-cakes, and we went all over,
town a chawin' of 'em and totin' a red
apple in our hands. And Caledony she
hope me pick out Sunday -to-meet..
s in caliker frock that day. Nav she had
told me to git blue un and you mought
bile it and it wouldn't fade, but sot my
eye on 8 red un. The store man he cut
us off s.whole passel of scrops to see if
they'd fade. Some highfalutin school
gals was standin' thar talkin' and gig
elin' longer the clerk, and says / to Gale,
dony, says I, "See here, Cal, chaw this
here rag and see if it will fade, " and
when she spit in her hand it.was as blue
as indiger, so I tuck the red un; and
them gals liken to took a fit. Cal
& Flowed she didn't keer, she was jist as
good or better'n airy town gal herself.
3 That was a long time ago when l was
little gsl, and tother day when we went
to town We Flowed to 60 thar to Miss
Wilman's agin and git US some more
ginger-cakes. We had hearn about the
new a. & A. railroad, and we crossed
the. track of it fernent Bozzle's, aud when
we driy. in town what should we see sot
right thar whar Miss Wilman's old cake
shop used to be but great big 1ne house,
the a. & a. depot. 1t putty nigh fetched
the tears tony eyes when thought about
the time me and Cal sot on the steps aud
rested and ct our cakes. Pap he was a
tryin' to stop old Lou-i-zy and old Ball,
and hollerin' so loud you could hear him
all over town, "Whoa, come here, Ball
gee-whoa-ho-ho / tell you. Blast
my buttons eff I ever try to work old
blind mar longer hard headed steer
agin. Woo-hoI Look here Timothy"
saws he to buddy, ~ know I haint drunk,
/ haint seed drap, but it pears to me
the town or me one or t'other is turned
around wrong side foremost, or mebbe
we've tuck the wrong road and come in
at t'other eend of town, for l wisht l may
hang eff that ar amt whar we alters got
our ginger bread"
Nav she axed in minute who liYed
thar, and old Miss Strong she pinted at
the Court House and axed who lived
thar.
tell you the new depot is fine. I
hearn 'oman say it ensembles q
nChinese gopada," and I reckon it do. 1
never have saw one.
The railroad is sorter like them ciclome
harrycanes, it tars everything out'n it's
way. 1t tore >off the eend of Miss Hay
denses garden, and tore down Miss Ba-
ker's hen 'ouse, and tore down them big
planks that had all them show pictures
on ,'em, too, to let it through town, but
they are all monstrous proud Of it, and
they are fxin' to run another'n from
thar to Newman, Georgy, that will blaze
right through our tater patch. They'd a
done made it fore now, but two of the
men got to quarrelin' about which one of
'em thought of it fust, and so now they
are ewine- to run two roads one right
spang side of t'other Caledony hope
Nav sell her chickens and aigs and
things but she was mighty besot about
her saf soap. 1t never fetched much.
Nav. she wanted we'uns to stick close to-
gether feared some of us mought git
lost.
Old Miss StroHg never got two inches
from Nav, and July Ann Crabtree KEEP
up with us all day luggin' her yearlin'
baby on her hip all over town and hit q
squallin' loud as it could bawl. She gin
it gi1ger-cake, and she gin it apple, and
she gin it water, and she most kivered it
with brown sugar and sot it up on the
counter, and still it yelled and kicked
and thar stood Crabtrce with his hands
crammed down in bis breeches pockets
and never hopo her nuss it a minute. Old
Miss Strong lowed, land he hearn her
too, says she, l lay if hit was my young'n
he'd nuss it or it would 60 on-nussed." "
Nav she was tradin' of her saf soap