Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-02-24

t#HE~EEF 9@ VOW1I4MXA VIM
se.1rplF * Nv "a fpddqk fof IA tssm'
UAdes a. mn M fehdss lad bronrhi
NTH eUNn no barrels Of wildcat whjekv
- 10l1er did not dream d II having been
sppated - hat ussful purpose until Re had
teAsned morn pf tbs vile and puiles ths,
Iu1k In the moonshinsr's breask
They davelsd ~ aay ard slept q might
q = great tenA-like wagon. The fUllows
iinN dAy they pursuod thsif jourxey until
lAee n tAe afternoon, which the wagon drew
mp bet0fo Z tWo>fuofAed loR house beside
+ TUeA Mr.. Ponder AliRhted among 4
dCGsn delighted children and half - msny
apparently delighted dogs and invited
Homer TO @Come into the housess
tits impossible y describe the poverty
and squalof n which these people live.
Hxsncr, however, possessed the great art
Of pleasing and seeming pleased, Of being
instantly ut ease himself, wherever ho
might b placed, and causing others 10 feel
20. He wa not, therefore, long treated Al
: stranger BY MI. Ponder's cheerful family.
Pear to mo I've seen you som'ers be.
forc," Squire Ponder had several times
unmarked over their bottle. aEvef been
round here2 No; well, fwan't you, then,
'couse I've never been outin Buncombe
County" But there was o ring Of suspicion
~ his Q until hc come to know his guest
better.
Mr.. Ponder's house contained two small
rooms. and his family consisted Of his
large, oonely. buxom wife, two grown
daughters and other children ranging in
size and age down 10 the infant in it's
mothers arms. Accommodations were so
poor that komer determined 70 seek q bet.
Ter place; but the houses in that region are
All man RnlA nnA rlA~
tour Of the neighborhood, he returned satis-
hed be could do no better than remain where
he was.
Nj. Ponder and his wife were extremely
kind and good naiured, ind the entire
family seemed perfectly happy and ron.
tented with their lot-ail except the Oldest
daughter, Miss Lyb. She was, an Romer
soon Uncovered, far above the other girls
around her In intelligence. refinement and
every giriish accomplishment, including
beauty Of face and form.
The men In that section all use to excess
their homemade tobacco, and drink a great
deal Of the vile whisky they manufacture.
II may also be said that with rare excep-
tions, the M all 'tchew, smoke, or
Dip snu6, but Miss Lyb was innocent OF
either Of these disgusting habits. As a
rule, these women are oil tall, angular and
or ~sssunburnt, until they are dark
10 Arabs. Miss Lyb, on the contrary, wal
very fair, with rose tinted cheeks and large
dark eyes, while o pleasant smile disclosed
to view " rows Of snow white teeth, and
her plain but neatly made dresses showed
graceful form TO advantage.
The moonshiners' daughters On Sundays
themselves In gorgeous calico apparel
would be considered extremely loud
Cheap brass gew-gaws and
ribbons are thrown together in
combinations Of colors, red pre-
In striking contrast, Lyb wore
plain, dark dresses with frills of white lace
o flower at her throat, and narrow white
at her wrists, and the bloom on her
,heeks AZ she smiled and talked to Romer
of nature and Cupid's painting. She
evidently enjoyed his society, and, TO state
/. great fact simply, he was sincerely in
The Commissioner Of Buncombe County
lad located q public school at Wild Cat
Chapel several years before, but none had
'ver been taught there. Squire Ponder,
,eing, as he expressed it, the boss of the
Board OF Trustees for that district, insisted
Romer should remain and teach the
lchool during the coming summer. Seeing
Lyb's eyes sparkle with pleasure as she
heard her fathers proposition. he promptly
accepted it MS ar excuse for remaining near
Until Romer came, Miss Lyb had been
lnnoyed very much by the persistent atten-
ions Of q notorious young moonshiner and
uwdy named Sandy Lunmnx. Now. how
'ver, he rarely came to the house, though
4yb and Romer often met him afternoons az
hey returned from school. He always
arried his gun on these occasions, and
moved past them without speaking. but
nth q sullen frown upon his bloated face.
Lyb was detained from school one after
loon, and about the time when Romer
hOuld have returned, she heard a gun shot
lown the road, apparently near the spot
vhere Sandy Lummux had SO often been
cen OF late. A few moments later Mr..
'Onder came in and inquired for Romer in
N anxious tone that did not escape the
iris ove-sharpened ears. She noticed.
discharged. A terrible fear almost
made her heart stop beating. Without a
rord she passed through the gate and
Valked rapidly down the road toward the
chool- house.
A few moments later she was standing
the unconscious Romer tearfully
her hands and sobbing. Most
Tor the wounded man, DIR.
Iee-an excellent physician aud surgeon Of
xtensiye army exp~erience-came driving
long the road in a covered wagon. The
of the Doctors wagon was straw aud
odder, as had been Mr.. Ponder's the day he
ad first met Romer. The Doctor COM
ined moonshine and medicine, it seemed.
Ie sood revived Romer, who was not dan
wounded, and helping him TO q
lace in the wagon carried him out to his
wn place on Rock Creek. There he at
ended upon Romer faithfully for several
'eeks until he was again able to travel.
Nov, my boy" the Doctor said, IL adj
ise you to leave this country-or the moon
Diners viii remove You. know what l am
about"
Romer was not q revenue officer, but, in
he became an informer. A CON-
any Of United States Deputy Marshals, o
ew days later, raided the country
round Wild Cat Chapel, destroyed a num-
er Of Illicit distilleries. and carried away
risoners-among them Sandy Lummux.
Romer also held several lengthy inter-
Jews with Miss Lyb. which resulted in the
with which this story commences.
She would not say yes, however, until
be had confessed to Romer her terrible
eur N0at ~ was nef IAtner u hAQ at
to assassinate him; but Romer
new better. He had seen Ilummux point
lg his gun that almost fatal afternoon, but
late to entirely escape the bullet.
Doctor Lee had probably advised Mr..
'onder to make u trip across the line into
be historic mountains Of North Georgia
here the moonshiners dwelleth and the
Iarshals hunted him in vain. At any rate,
Q was out when the Marshals made their
Wildcat raid. Nor did he witness the mar
age Of his daughter or bid her farewell
hen, at the close Of the drowsy sermon,
vt soft, sultry hummer day, she left the
tile church to find a carriage in waiting,
ito which she and her husband were
uickly whirled beyond the sight Of the
lie moonshiners loaang among the graves
bout the church door.
Washington Correspondents.
A number OF the Washington cores
ondents dictate their dispatches to
horthand men, and these transcribe
R~~ AIN ~.x, - 4