The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-01-08

Devils Swamp, alter visit to civ
iliZatiOn in New Orleans, discharged
my indebtedness to Hiram Smith
$l2 for a months board.
Betwsen the snakes and the mo
nOtOny OF Smiths | bad been unable
to study law, but there was va
cant school at YamacTaw in the
upper end of the county. which ]
determined to get if possible. The
time was the latter part of April
and as tho school year began on
the LIST Of August | reasoned that
could put in eight continuous
months, by which time | would
have mastered Blackstone, Green
leaf, Kent ana all she elementary
works on law. Yamacraw was
twenty-five miles from Devils
Swamp, aud the walking was bad
Ny efforts to borrow or hire a horse
proved Intellectual so l made a
virtue of necessity, aud took what
the natives called "ShankS mare
Attired in new suit of blue fan,
mel which | had purchased from a
s'clOding tealer." l trudged the
twenty-five miles in mud and water
varying from ankle to knee deep.
On every side there we're evidences
in the swollen streams of spring
freshets. At Dead Tiger and Turtle
Skin, the two principal creeks l
crossed, l was fortunate enough
to find pirogues, and had no hesi-
fancy in using them. How the
owner crossed aflerward l have
never been been informed, but |
imagine he swan. | reached Col.
Kimball's, on Habolochilto, at
abont Q O'clock in the afternoon.
Yawacraw was just on the other
side of Ihe stream, bpt old "Roly',
was away above food tide, aud the
cLusewav through the swamp was
covered with three feet of water.
There was no boat to be had, but
Col. Kimball sat IN his stOre-the
only one within twenty miles-and
encOnragingly SAID: "It wont catch
you above the forks" L walked
over the bridge spanning "BOly,"
aud found the water in the road
through the swamp was just waist
deep. Iu order to make it as sbal-
low as possible walked on one of
the edges Of the submerged road,
where II ridge of dirt bad been
mp in building the cause
way. l missed my footing after
waaing quarter of mile, and in
a twinkling was in wafer over my
head among the swamp trees. The
current rushed along with the i'm
of cataract, and after
humping up against Il number of
trees, | anchored on a cypress
stump. | was good swimmer, but
the current was so strong had to
practically plunge from one tree or
stump to another, until l reached
the elevation of the causeway.
Another quarterOt a mile brought
me to dry land. l found Trustee
Seals house without much difficult
ty, and had u pleasant and favOra-
BILE chat with him. Jim Anderson,
trustee, lived on the far
side of Lots creek, aud, without
losing tine, | started to see bin,
one OF Mr.. Seals sons padding me
over the swollen creek, all the foot
logs having been carried of in the
rush of water. | found Jim sitting ]
on the front gallery of his cabin,
lttired in hickory shirt aud home
spuD trousers, and smoking corn
,ob pipe. The Anderson mansion I
Eas situated on knoll much high
II than the surrounding country,
lnd from the root was presented
me of tue prettlest scenes ever
yazed upon. Five miles away rolled
he Pearl river, the intervening
pace being wooded with swamp
rees aud occasional clumps of piue.
The river seemed a twisted rope of
,old glitterIng in the red southern
un, winding its sinuous way
through fields Of green aud blue.
Twelve miles distant, the blush
ops OF the pines on the Louisiana
Dlue stretched toward the intermin-
bile horizon until lost in cloudy |
zure.
Mr. Anderson did not ask ME to |
light" the customary SALVATION to |
bnt he dId Whit all deni- |
ems of the Mississippi backwOOds |
lO-instfucted his wife to me make |
ne n cup of coffee. The custom OF |
coffee to q visitor is geu-
raj throughout the back counties |
lmoug the poor, aud the sOrest an-
Ioyance 70 the family, when a
tranger stops at the house for in-
even, is felt when there
& no coffee TO give him. Jim aud
ipped our coffee as explained my 1
mission.
"Did yer evah teech afore r. be
Isked.
/ nenti5ued my recent expert
nee, aud nodding apprOvingly be
Isked T: s.What speller do you use Z
b'leve in ther ole Webster speller.
larnt outer ii an l don't think
har'seunything kin cum nigh it
ar good sOun' book laruin'. What
nount be yer name, did yer say 7
Aell, ther las teacher we bad IN
lamacraw was or blamed fool. He
Iidn't know no more what ter do
With er spellin' book than CT coon
log on er COZ track" I