The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-05-07
BETSY HAMILTON.
Betsy and Her Gang at the Worlds Expo
sition.
atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
"Wonders will never cease" as pap
said when old Arminty Pendergrass got
married, and I know in reason you'uns
will say so too when You hear that we'uns
has hanted away down here to the big
show at New Orleans.
Caledony she sot her head to come
when she fust hearn about it; [ sot my
head, too, but its easier to set your head
than it is to get the money. [ didn't
know for the life of me whar the money
was to come from. "Whar thar's will
thars way" ingennerly speakin, 'cept
when "the way" means money, but !
scratched and scrimmaged around, and
sold this, that, tother, and made the
money. My dried apples and goobera
and ingon buttuns, and chickens and
aigs, fetched good price, but my taters
was sorter stringy, them and my punkins
never fetched much, and I pretty nigh
give away my chit or miss" quilt, and
my double wove cat track counterpin,
but let 'em go kase was obleege to
have the money. When t'other gals in
the settlement hearn that we'uns was q
gwine, they'd er come then or broke
trace, and they all come over to see what
weuns was gwine to wear and tried to
trim ther frocks like owr'n. Me and
Caledony bought owr'n off'n the
same bolt and they let us have it
cheaper by it; they was orange yaller
kaliker, trimmed in white terpentine
braid and made jist exactly alike; Cal
she won't have q Sunday frock that
hain't pine blank like mine. Aunt Nan
cy she lowed, Goals, you'uns will out
shine ever body at the show; I know in
reason them yaller frocks will take ever
body's eye," and pears like they have,
from the way folks gazes at us. Some
gals down here told US not to wear our
best out thar to the show, we'd git it
ruint, but Cal lowed they was jist tellin
US that to keep we'uns from out shinin'
thern, and Cal she would er wore her
Sunday frock then or died.
But must go back, like Aunt Nancy,
and tell you from the beginnin'. When
we'uns got thar to Talladegy town we
seed sight of strangers perusin
around, and pap he gee hawed the steers
up thar fernept Mister DR.. Vandiver's
drug store, and made enquirements about
who they was, and whar they all come
from, and what it all meant, anyhow /;
and they lowed it was the Albany press
association, and we'uns knowed about as
much then as we did afore. Buddy he
let on like he knowed all about it. I
and Caledony and Cousin Pink and sister
Flurridy Tennysy and pap Has in the
waggin and buddy walkin, and some
chaps sot in to clappin ther hands and a
hollerin, "Here comes Betsy Hamilton !
Here comes Betsy! Here she comes I"
Buddy he was beatin and cussin of
the steers, and when he hearn it he turn
ed around and was fxin to war his OK
whip bardaciously out on them little
boys when pap be hollered out, "Bets,
honey, jist look at that thar steam engine
with your name on it that's what them
younguns was yellin about" Cousin
Pink was gittin terrible mad she low
ed she thought they was making small
of me, kase I.was ridin in waggin,
and she knowed I was as good as airy
one of 'em, or any of her folks.
Well, we'uns has been here to New
Orleans q week and haven't saw all, but
we seed powerful sight of things-we've
most looked our eyes out, and in or about
trotted our feet of, and we've rid on a
heap of different sort of things, too.
First, the dummy" hits steam street
kar without any FIRE; then the horse kar
hits pulled by one poor, little old
mule, loaded down with three or four
dozen folks; then we rid on the steam.
boat on the Massyssippi river, and we rid
on the electric railroad; that's the kar
whar they use lightning instid of fire,
and we rid on the railroad out to West
End, and then ona sailboat on the lake
to Spanish Fort, and at the Exposition
we rid up stairs in the elevator, and we
rid in roller cheer showed around by
great, big, double-isted white man that
had orter been put to plowin. So you
see that was eight different things we rid
on after we lit outn pap's OK waggin
thar at Talladegy town. They say you
can walk fifteen or twenty miles day
out at the exposition and not know it
but you may pend on it we'uns knowed
it, when night come, by our feet. 1
pity folks that haint got no better sense
than to wear ther new tight Sunday
shoes-and that's just what we'uns done,
and the fust night they hurt US so bad
we couldn't skasely sleep, and while We
was bemeanin ourselves for not havin
no better sense, Cal she lowed: "Hush,
gals, listen-mizery loves company
and the crowd in tother room was q
gruntin and a groanin with ther feet, too,
and we over hearn 'em say: II am
mighty glad to git off these new shoes,
they are hard and stiff and just KILN
my feet" "Come over here and put 'em
in this salt water, its hope mine aready."
"SalL water nor nothin else haint gwine
to do mine no good, l've walked and
walked tel they are plum blistered and
sore and if I live tel mornin bound l
git me pair that's big enough not to
hurt. Oh, my head That old machinery
hall is enough to addle body's brain" +"
"Don't talk; that old Mexican band
is wusser'n all that machinery put. to.
gether."
cob! I don't think so. 1 like music" "
IT don't; I've been mad all day bekase
I couldn't find Gitteau's skeleton"
ri don't know, for the life of nae, what
you want to see mans bones for.
Why'nt you go and see them bones Of
that critter that was 55 feet long? Laws
did you'uns see that dog and them pat
ridges in that glass case and did you
see the burial of Cock Robin? (? Did
you'uns let that woman weigh you 2"
Eyes; thought she was advertising the
scales, didn't you % 'Yes, thought it
was free, and lit up thar and she handed
me paper with l40 pounds marked on
it, and when I jumped down and started
off she said, mighty sweet, with her head
turned to one side, you owe me nickle.
And she fooled one or two out'n every
crowd that same way. Less all go to
Sleep" 81 can't sleep. am awful
tired; I could do mighty we'll if it wasn't