The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-06-26
THE CHARCOAL BURNERS OF THE
PASOAGOULA."

An inventive and romantic indi.
vidual who signs himself "Thomas
Colquitt" wrote an article to the
Sunday New Orleans Times. Demo
crdt under the above title, that is
notable as an imaginary rroduc-
ton, passing under the guise of
truth. To the Inhabitants of the
section visited by Thomas, it is a
matter of wonder what manner of
heterogeneous individual he can be.
He leaves the train at Scranton, he
says, but it is hard for usto believe
it when We read the description he
gives of our town, which is as fol.
lows:
"We left the cars at Scranton, a pretty
Coast town of perhaps q thousand inhabi-
tants, crowded into an ObIong nook be-
tween the railway aud the Gulf shore.
The streets are well shaded by spreading
live oaks and orange trees but there are
no pavements, and the soft, yielding san
is ankle deep to the dOorsteps. Tit it,
habitants, like all the Oyster-loving, fish
eating people who dwell on this long, low
sand-bank from New Orleans to Mobile.
are indolent, careless and happy"
He proceeds by stating that he
had a companion by the name of
Hardness, aud that they are both
artists, as one would suppose by
his idea OF the town being shaded
by orange trees, but nothing but "a
bad quality of "tangle-leg" could
originate the impression OF sand
"ankle deep to the door-steps," with
indolent, careless and happy" in.
habitants.
He comes TO hear TIE mysterious
" singing river' aud spend a
mouths vacation among the
"grimy charcoal burners"-fnds a
handsome, dissipated youth whom
he calls Ulman, who is familiar
with tue country and is going to
COaltOwn to get married-takes
him along, and he with n whom
Thomas calls tour guide got on a
spree at Moss Point-they go out
near this town and have their ears
filled with emusic of ravishing
sweetness" at 2 O'Clock iu the morn
ing. The same morning they pro
coed up the river to CoaltOwm, pass
through a vast pine forest "not yet
reached by the axe of the coal
burners" They walk for miles
without meeting a human being,
and yet the houses by the roadside
are "Small but pretty, with flowers
before the doors and surrounded by
gardens neatly kept. They find an
old woman sitting on a door step,
who gives her version of the mys-
terious music. She thinks "its
some kind of frogs in the water,T
but "Capt. McRae, Le says its In
jun speerits." Pretty good for Capt.
McRae, and his Indian legend.
Thomas then visits Mr.. Harry
WOOdmau, while Ulman goes in
search OF his intended bride, who
is the daughter a Mr.. Avery, and
who has been induced to marry this
drunken fellow by her mother, con
trary to the will of herself and
father. Hell name is Ozella, ga
tall slender girl, pale, with light
hair and large, timid brown eyes,"
Preparations are being made for
the wedding, when u artists aud
Mr.. WOOdman appear on the scene.
Ulman, still drunk, climbs on a
ladder to pound a coal kiln, over a
dangerous sink in the top. Then
comes a tragedy, as follows:
ave were making our way more slowly
up the slender ladder when-with a wild,
mccarthy shrek that echoes IN my ears
to this day-Ulman threw up bis hands
and instantly sank from sight into the
depths OF the kiln. The flames leaped to
D great height thrOu "a the opening, |
scorching and blistering our blanched
faces and driving us back"
Now, this is given to the world
or truth, when, in fact there was
10 such person here as UIman, no :
Mr.. Avery" at CoaltOwn, aud no :
'uch unfortunate accident has hap .
'ened as that related, at Coaltown :
n twenty-five years, while Thomas !
description of the country is entire.
y imperfect and fictitious. s
If the Times Democrat will send G
his ingenious artist to the classic 1
hores of Bayou COSotte he may a
urnISh the world q startling Darra. (
of his Rip Van Wrinkle adven. o
nres. b