Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-05
In THE PINE WOODS.
A Lost Tourists Experience in the
Wilds of Southern Florida.
A PEEP AT CRACKER HOME LIFE.
One Neck of the Woods Where the Girls Can
Hoe Their Own Row.
HOW THEY MANAGE TO ENJOY LIFE
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH. ]

A dejected-looking straw hat shaded his
sallow and pinched features; brownish
shirt, over the shoulders of which a piece of
string did duty as trouser supporter, was
noticeable because Of its rustiness; faded
jean pants covered his neither extremities.
1t was in the southern part of De Soto
county, one of the most southerly inhabl-
table sections Of Florida; the sun was set
ting and the aforesaid queer looking fellow
lazi]y piled his hoe in the sandy loan as
the writer, who had lost himself in the pine
woods. sought for information as to the
exact spot he occupied on the earth just
then.
"Can you tell me the road to the nearest
village?" was the query that commenced
the conversation.
The disheveled man ceased his work for
moment, looked at the questioner, pondered
q second and answered with great deliber-
alton: "The road to Arcadia, eh?"
Emphatic demonstrations OF assent on the
part of the stranger, and gradual absorption
of the idea by the one first addressed.
Wal (meditativeIy), it's about two looks
ahead, reckon"
1.-Two looks2 Is that one, two or three
miles?"
"Just about" said the countryman,
gravely.
about one mile or two miles or three
miles?" with an efort).
''It's one O. them three, and the indefinite
gentleman proceeded to hoe in the most
selt-satis6ed manner Imaginable.
do u0r1ld hro
a person to walk there?" asked the desperate
stranger calmly.
Fright smart o. walkin'," explained the
informant with a brow indicating deep
thought, and then added: "Are ye lost?"
well, not exactly lost, but can't find
the way; the roads disappeared"
"Ye'd best stop over" suggested the
cracker (for he was Florida native.) 81
don't go much to town myself Once a
month does me, and then gifts bacon, and
grits, and coffee and all the stuff need"
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
The prospect was not inviting either way.
To continue the journey meant probably a
night in the woods or a reposeful sleep with
the moccasin snakes and other Cheerful COM
panions to be found in the "hummocks" of
Florida. To stay over was almost as bad.
The hospitable native was the proud pos
SCISSOR OF a hut in little clearing. 1t was a
log hut with interstices between the logs
that the builder had never found time to fill.
A tumble-down clay chimney held its tot
tering frame against the wall of the shanty,
and threatened at every moment to topple
over. A thin curl OF smoke circling over
the roof lead the hungry traveller to believe
preparations for supper were under way.
Have you accommodations?" ventured
the man in distress.
"We'll manage" was the reassuring re-
ply, and he lead the way to his domicile.
The steps were small boards laid on inse.
cure blocks; porch stretched its 3 by
dimensions before the front door, and a
sparsely furnished interior presented itself
to view. It was bare of carpet, mating
and almost furniture, the unpaintsd pine
not being even protected with coat of
paint. With all due respect for the lady of
the mansion, she was not belle. She
wore an ornameuted yellow sacque with
glittering steel buttons, but the glory OF the
sacque was gone. Sundry grease spots
doomed up prominently on it, as well as on
the calico skirt that had in some
mysterious manner become unfastened at
one side, and looked the pennant of
vessel in distress. She had the appearance
of being worried, and was engaged, when
first seen, in rubbing her face with small
piece of dampenedNcloth. It is painful to
remark that her dirt colored hair hung in
luxuriant stats" about her brow, while her
hands were not clean, and a particular per-
son would have shuddered to see her man
ipulate the cooking utensils.
ENGLISH AS SHE IS SPOKEN.
"Would you like to squent your thirst
with glass of water?" asked this cracker,
who certainly possessed the redeeming
quality of hospitality.
Having "squented" his thirst the stranger
went into the kitchen and had an opportu-
nifty of seeing with what limited supply of
household goods native Floridan can do. |
A rickety stove held tremblingly together
in one corner; an unplaned pine table, con-
sisting of two boards, occupied tine central |
position, while chair and three-legged |
stool were the articles ranged along the |
wall. Everything was extremely simple |
and when the meal was served no unneces-
sary furbelows and fubdubs introduced by |
artificial custom, were to be seen. An iron |
fork and knife were laid at each plate and
the banquet soon began.
"Have some tea?" kindly inquired The
host. He was unaware that be was perpe-
trating humorism. The tea was pale, very
pale; in fact if 1t had not been called tea no
one would have suspected the fact, but the
man and woman drank the decoction with
evident delight, and appeared, by the de-
pressed enthusiasm, to consider it an ambro-
ufaf1 naosA bon |
and hominy, called in this section grits.
The light supper was soon dispatched, and
in its course the host told some of his lie
history. He had been living there 20 years.
The hut was built soon after he settled on
the spot, and it has not been disturbed since.
A chair and three-legged stool were all
the articles of the kind he had in the world
Zone of us sat on box), and his clearing
his vegetables, and for the other things he
worked an occasional day at more pros
porous neighbors. Thus he and his wife
lived year in and year out. He gracefully
admitted neither could read nor write. Both
dipped" snuff, both looked very unhealthy,
Ind both were, as to their persons, dread
ully unclean.
The next morning, after a night spent on
! heap of corn husks on the floor, the road
o civilization was found and the good peo-
,le who knew no better, nor wanted to know
my better, were bade good-by.
SOME FLORIDA HUsTLERs,
But not all the natives OF Florida are
ike these people. There are some bright,
Intelligent fellows, who have received the
dvantage of limited education, who are
nxions to push ahead, and who are doing
t, too. For instance, there's Major -.
lie has an enormous nose of bright car
nine tint that swaggers down street with
he Major in the most effusively jocular
ray imaginable. This nose has the appear
nee of being able to whip any two poll
icians in the county, and as it bounds
long it seems to exult in its bushes, and
aughs and leers and asks: "Ain't
orker?"
Well, the Major and his nose are we'll
.nown characters in certain place, and
othing pleases them better than to get into
arnest discussions in which the law Is laid
-, ,,osv h. |