Daily Republican., 1889-09-30
A "CRACKER" CoURTsHIP.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
Down IN Florida characters may be met
who would delight those sppreciative OF
the fresh and distinctive In human ma
ture. Here In the deepest recesses OF
'the piney woods" are "creckers" who
have never penetrated ten miles from the
smoky cabins in which they were born,
and whnee domestic life has been bound
cd 10y the liye-oak logs, clay walls and
palmetto thatch OF their cabins. Here
they have lived since the Time, back In
the '3Os, when Osceola and his eeminoles
were captured by the regulars or driven
TO the gators, moccaslns and miasmal
swamps of the Evereiades. Indolepce.
ignorance, shiitlessuess, courage and
PRIDE sre their more prominent quali,ics.
Scme miles bAck from this lake is u
lefiiie tract of "Aigh hunmock" land, on
which stands particularly heavy aud
lu1ur!aut growth Of pine, magnolia Aad
live oak. lu II are several cleArings
which were msae some four or i've de-
cades since, By the iirat Crackers" who
came to this section, at the time OF their
arriyel a Wild and virgin couutry, which
ipot OF man may not have trodlen since
Ponce de Leon ranged the Peninsula In
hts quest for the iRuled fountain OF youth.
Tnree Of tue clearings are clustered
closely together, oEe owned by the
Widow Leg2ra pronounced Lagree)
one by Pop" somers and the third by
Uncle Billy" Thomas Uncle B.l v has
passed G3 years il single bies.einess
but during the last eight years he has
found engro. sing charIIs in the society Of
tue widow.
On the other haud "Pop" has had
three wives, the last In the sequence nav
Ing died a month ago. 1t Is in order to
STATE that Pop" is mau Of Individual
ity, not given to inactlon aud vain repin-
Ing when te has suffered loss. Misior-
| tune has hracIng effect on him and
stimuli ates him to repair lis losses Con
sequently | was not surprised at the turn
conversation took which ! held with
him fortnight alter the death of his
thiid vile. Replying to some expressions
sad;
"Ies, Yank, I've done lost er good
| hausckeeper. So my cabin his In NIL hty
! pore ways. So OF co'se I've done bil
Icckonln fur erEuther wife | haiut set.
tied on none vi, as Fye done bin right
| tollerble rusy"
For moment l was speechless. TheL,
Sctlug on miaclie1Ous impulse, | sug
I geStel;
"Haye you thought of the Widow Le
gare2 ehe's capable as housekeepeI
aud isn't "A day more than 45."
81 'lUw-d," was the reply, THAT
mout settle on ther widder But thai
amt no use In bein' in sich powerful
rush. Purity soon III take er day t. hun
fur er woman. GiLtin' er wife Is lik,
! . tf,B 4
k-eriul to glt uu thapll last and is 1t DID,
a 4 dDa't low iur t-r kick"
"Better speak 10 the widow right away
Uucle Bill ma7 cut in ahead oi you.H
"I'll risk It, Y4nk, +" said the old man
The widl ha!ut brought Uucle Bill
ter time In much IS nigh eight years. Bu
II speak ter her come week"
Exactly week later "Pop" saddlei
his mule and rode to the widows. Ill
found the buXOm mstron mendiug thl
gourd tia; hung iD her well, and but
sill tell the tale in lis own woras.
"'Morn'n', widder. Howdy? sez /.
"'What do you uHs wanti said she
urs, susplcious-!ilkc.
80 dOde come right down to 10 ant
said: Pm rgclsonin' l low fur ter gi
cruu'ber wile, ard | want ter to tax,
you-uus, Il ylu-uas don't log otherwise
What do you uns tt:nkP ssz 1 in my
peartest.
~ dunno sez fhc-uus. 'Aint tblt
sudacn4 Lemme think. 1hsr's dis
ycre Uncle Billy
"'Duru Uncle Billyp | snapped out
/ hot ike. 'Er right smart crlller he is
He's had eight year the start on me and
Ii Ia Mt never done nOthin'. Pm l!y,
man WI four acres cleared land, and
three cows aad twenty orange trees and
or mule. Better say yrs, wilder.
| h.ger out that yeu-un4 viii like it,.
"MAll, she wouldn't just then, bat she
did two minutes later. just then The
circuit ri or done come long, AMI |
cone told the wilder that we'd hitch oui
hands together rght thar ard save time
aud be through vi it. But she ssil that
thar want no Hay to be married., and
lowed ste wanted 10 ride 'rouud by
Uncle Billy's right away anu be married
much Us CHER fgrtu ght after Wall.
ther Willer done mounted thsr null
behlndt me and we rid ter Uncle Billy's,
who WIS so 'gast.d (amaAed) that h,
couldn't even cufs."
The Wedding viii take place to-mor
row, the ci cult rider ctllciatIup. NJ,
p esent 10 the bride win ba an engrayln.
plcturing the story Of Young LochiuYar
Tie brd-l journey will be taken OF
Muicback.