The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-09-30
A RURAL VIEW OF IT.

A RURAL VIEW OFT.
How the Earthquake Affected Low Coun-
try Neighborhood.
Dare Tucker, IN Clarendon Enterprise.
Lam calm and serene now, for the
present; aud if we don't have another
one of those Shaking ups" before l am
done, 1 think can tell you all about it.
We have had some very curious times
over here of late-more payer meetings
and preachings the past week than ever
knew of at any one time in my life.
This is all right; and the times since last
Tuesday night week looks like something
of this sort should be going on. / hope
it will make US all better, for goodness
knows there is powerful room for i'm.
provement here abouts. This earthquake
business seems to be new thing among
our people, and they don't take much
liking to- it. The trouble. is they can't
get used to it, and I don't blame them.
AS for me, would rather invest in a
small cyclone every time. Cyclones do
what they are going to doin hurry, and
are over with it, but an earthquake keeps
up ones activity too much for comfort
a dashing in and out of doors all times of
nights. It's like an unwelcome visitor,
coming upon you unawares and unex.
pected. 1T struck my house about 10
O'clock at night when all were abed and
sleeping. Beckey noticed it first, and
asked what it was shaking the house so.
Isaid Cyclone. and made a dash for the
yard, but when / got to the door and
looked out I saw I was wrong and hol.
lered to her that it was an earthquake, to
let us get the children into the ysrd.
She took the twins and the baby, and
put them in the cartin the yard. About
this time the first shock passed off, and
1 heard the baby squalling in the house.
I ran in and found I had put her in the
wood box and had carried out 8 pillow in
her stead, aud sure enough, there it lay
in the cart. Notwithstanding all this, I
wasn't scared bit, for knew what the
thing was. Now don't tell any one about
the pillow matter, for I wouldn't have it
to get out for the world. We were all
sadly demoralized except myself about
this time. Beckey says she was just
scared almost dead, and when I tell her
that through it all I was calm and serene,
she persists in asking me, chow about
that pillow ?" This knocks my boasted
courage higher than kite, and on such
occasions I feel that / am the worst hen.
pecked husband in the world, and &C
lonesome. After I had got things sorter
righted I remarked that believed l
would blow the horn and see if our
neighbors had felt the shock too, when
Tommy said, "No, pa, don't do that for
goodness sake. If you do that they will
think judgment day has come, and that
Gabriel is blowing his horn" A thought
full suggestion, and I didn't blow it. The
boy takes things in physiological way,
and if he don't miss it he will be presi.
dent yet, if 1 do say it,
People are wondering what caused this
rumpus, and most everybody have differ
ent ideas except myself. All I know
about it is that it has come and gone,
and I am glad of it. Sam Springs says
"it is judgment sent on the stock law
men," while old Morris Hare says it is
"a warning to the candidates for pester.
ing and botheriug of the people," but
Sim Coaler says that "it is punishment
sent on the people for lying so to the
candidates )" that he ran for county
commissioner and was promised eight
hundred votes, and when the primary
came off he only got thirty nine all told.
Now, Jim Sombo believes this, and I
reckon he is about half right. A good
many Of my nabors came to me to find
out what the things was. So just
memorized what Maury says about earth.
quakes, and would just roll it out to them,
and how my bones would swell with
pardonsble pride when they would ex-
claim in wonder and amazement, "My
Ne! What smart man" We have
had repeated shocks since the first one,
aud are snr,er got use to them, except
Robbie. He made dash for the potato
path every time-says that is the best
place. We had to run SO often Wednes.
day that he became suspicious of those
rumbling sounds, when he found out
that vehicle crossing over ditch bridge
at the beud of the road near the bouse
caused them. H. ,l"ppc' that earth-
quake hy Tearing up !in bridge and
fi:il.g NJ. Tie ditch. He is now calm and
happy
;,.rr i, much rrrDchinc g"ing on and
many have jnined lhe church, among
them old Bill Wnyusn; bat am fear
full that it will take about MI earthquake
a day to keep him straight, for he Is the
beatenest fellow ever saw.
On the whole think the earthquake
has done some good. 1t has shown us
poor mortas how utterly dependent we
aro upon kind and protecting God. 1t
has given US m opportunity to reflect
upon our faults and sins and how to make
amends. For instance, this morning
Jake Simmons rode up and paid me seven