The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-12-05
AN DER TRUE TALE.
A Characteristic Sketch of a City on satur-
day Nights.
".sargc," IN atlanta Constitution.

a characteristic SRetcn Oh City on SotuT-
day Nights.
| Sarge" IN atlanta Constitution.
"Brown knows more folks and more
folks names than any other fellow in
Georgia." said Plunkett.
"You're right" said Brown.
"The reason say this erbout Brown
is from what I seed of him up at Atlanta
last Saturday. We bad little truck of
one kind and another, and so we hitched
up our team and driv up and driy from
house to house till we sold out big
wagon body of such things as my old
'oman and his old 'oman had gathered
together for us, and he knowed every
| house we come to and everybody's name
and what they all followed for living,
| and everybody knowed him and the chill.
| dren all knowed his voice when ne driv
up and followed"
"You're right" said Brown.
might overtook,us and ne decided
that we would stay and see the ways of
| Atlanta on Saturday night. We were
on the back streets ct the beginning Of
dusk and the men were coming in to their
homes from theiwork of tie week. We
watched the brawny fellows, some with
little buckets and some with baskets,
some with arms piled up with good things
and some with the grocerman's delivery,
and it vas a joyful sight to see the gleeful
children run and open the gates and kiss
and hug their papas."
"They knowed it was pay day" said
Brown, with wink.
"The homes where these kind Of
things we're going on seemed so cheerful.
The lights blszed brightly and the ring
of the children's voices sounded like
Christmas times, and we sold all sich a
pound or two Of butter, and some honey,
and some potatoes, and chicken or two,
and know that sich folks have good
eating on Sundays if they don't at any
other times"
"Day after payday" said Brown.
':But there were houses on the back
streets where we didn't sell these sort Of
things, and we didn't sell nothing, aud I
know they wanted it, for the children
would climb over our wagon wheels and
look wistlully at what we had, and we'd
hear 'eul say don't you wish our papa
was here Brown took note of these
papas and they were the men We seed in
the city that night, and these are the men
/ want to tell you erbout, and I'll not
tell you narry lie and can prove what I
say"
"You're right" ".said Brown.
Nothing would do arter supper but
we should knock Ground the town, and
as we went from place to place Brown
took notes."
"Jack Simpson was the first fellow
we noted, too," said Brown with show
of pride for his good memory.
eyes, Jack WAS the first fellow we
struck, at the first little store. he was
on q trade with the storekeeper, and arter
good deal of parleyiDg he paid for
peck of meal and quarters worth Of
meat to be sent to his home, and swore
that flour. was too high for poor folks to
eat, as he passed out of the door and
started back into the city. / remember.
ed his home, when Brown hunched me,
remembered that biz wife was setting
on the steps of dimly lighted house
looking wistfully towards the town for
Jack to come, and 1 remembered the two
little girls who were swinging on the
gate with the same longing look of their
mother, and remembered his little boy,
who was setting square up on the gate
post, and, ss be looked up the street
said: Our papa never does come home
early Saturday nights"
aThat boy wanted a nickel" said
Brown.
"Well, we followed on behind Jack
into the city and kept right up with him
till We come to store where the sign
read:
"'Sweet Mash Corn Whiskey.'
"We went in when Jack did and watch.
ed bis capers. He didn't parley min.
ute, but called for quart of the corn
and paid more money out for it than he
had paid for everything he sent home
put together; then he throwed out fifteen
cents for a plug of tobacco, and then,
darned if he didn't step right outside
where four or FIVE fellows we're sitting on
box and handed 'em the bottle and
they drank it up right there and then,
and then Jack pulled out his plug of
tobacco and give 'em all chaw and
started on to his home thinking he WAS
mighty smart, but I thought you're the
darndest fool ever seed
"You was right" said Brown.
"We went on then-further up town
Ito 6ne place, a place with big mir
rors and pictures, and tables and chairs.
We took seat and Brown went to tax.
ing notes; he punched me with his Ell.
bow and told me the name Of every fel-
low Shat come in or went out He know.
ed where they lived and what they fol.
lowed.
ga group of young. since the war fel'
lows were just over at o table and WE
could hear them talk. Somehow they
talked mostly erbout girls.
"I wish was er girl said one o.
'em.
"'If you was you wouldn't be respec
table, answered another.
"Then they all laughed, and the fellow