The Osceola times., 1885-08-22

tCommunicated.l
CLEAR LAKE, Aug. l8, 1885.

EpIroR TlMEs-Dear Sir: Your
correspondent has been under the
weather so long that by failing to
make crop returns, the back country
has got ahead OF him.
Several things, such as a reporter
would delight in, have occurred:
First, they had a barbecue out on
Big Lake, which was a very nice af-
fair, or would have been, had it not
been for couple of accidents. A
revolving swing broke and injured
a couplcof persons; one Mr.. Brown,
quite seriously. Then they also had
fight, which, according to the sto-
ry teller who was there and saw it.,
was dreadful affair.
He says that he was surrounded
and apparently cutoff from all es-
cape sixteen different times, and al
though only about three hundred at
tended the dinner, he, lthe story
tellerl thinks there were about FIVE
thousand engaged in the fight, and
the clubs they used waived in the
air eight feet above the iron weeds.
1t just looked like killing snakes.
At Clear Lake, the hunters are
in the ascendant. Squire Jones and
Perry Miller killed q bear in Elisha
Sawyer's corn field. Don't that
sound like old times? The bear pro-
badly misunderstood the game law,
and no doubt thought that, along
with the turkey, he would be pro-
tect,d in his depredations upon the
farmers corn patch. 1t was large
bear, measuring six feet eight inches
in length. Eleven buckshot were
found imbedded in its body and
healed over.
| Daniel Mann and George Miller
discovered "a beaver dam in Bear
bayou, about mile from Round
Lake, week or so ago, and several
Of us, in the interest of science, nm
dertook an expedition to it. The
party consisted of w. II. Landers,
Of Ohickasawba, Elisha Sawyers, G
| w. Miller, Walker Conley, Master
Joseph Paterson and your cores
pondent.
Our arrangements for the trip were
well nigh perfect; but then, nothing
can be quite perfect in human affairs,
+ as the company sadly realized when
they discovered that the three gallon
Jug containing the usual mosquitoe
mixture was empty.
The sylvan banks of Round Lake
was set as a place of rendezvous and
the party divided into two squads in
order to kill game turkeys excepted,
between the settlement and tina;
point. ! was detailed to watch over
that portion of the party consisting
Of Messrs. L. and 8, | rode along
4 behind these gentlemen and listened
(, with delight to their tales of the ear.
ly days of the county. Both had
> been here many years, Mr., S. coming
7 here when quite young. They talk
/. ed of the great changes that had ia
, ken place, even in the lakes and ba
r yous; and from them | learned that
the first settler found the Mississippi
but little larger than sluice, ant
. crossed it on rail. The rail is still
kept in the family as an heirloom
: From them / have learned still more
of the legend. 1t seems that the
. first settlers bereavcd friends find
ing he must go, and would take the
rail, carried him half way to thu
river on it, in order to show tho
; depth of their feelings, When h,
t arrived on this side, he pulled up The
rail and the Mississippi began to rise
In a couple of hours we came out
Of the tall cane into the little open
ing made by Round Lake. Nothing
; is so pleasing to swamp dwellel
b as the sight Of Lake. We rode W
to pretty place on its wild banks
, and dismountlng, tied one of oul
horses near yaller jackets family
residence. Then we all sat dowr
S under tree and awaited our friends
!!!!#*A& sheol sx**!!!,
2 The horse was removed and tieC
/. just one hundred and fifty yards du'
east.
t,n returning TO our friends, whon
, the little episode with the Jack el
r family had in no way disconnected
were still talking OF old times, found
, that they had got to point in theil
"reminiscences down tothe time Of th,
late war. The death of Grant ha,
) drought out a great many anec,l"te'
and "reminiscences Of the war, but Ii,
ela