Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-10-21
CRACKER COURTSHIP.
How "Pop" W on the Hand of cn
 Industrious Widow.
Love-Maktns as Practiced in an Unknown Nook of Florida-The Way in Which Old Man Somers Presented His
 Case to Mrs. Legarc.

Down in this unknown nook characters may be met who would delight those ap- preciative of the fresh and distinctive in human nature, writes New York Tribune correspondent from Lady Lake, Fla. Here in the deepest recesses of "the piney woods" are ''crackers" who have never penetrated ten miles from the smoky cabins in which they were born, and whose domes- tic life has been bounded by the ive-oak logs, clay walls and palmetto thatch of their cabins. Here they have lived since the time, back in the '30s, when Osceola and his Seminoles were captured by the regulars or driven to the 'gators, moccasins and miasma swamps of the Everglades. Indolence, ignorance, shiftlessness, cour- age and pride are their more prominent qualities.
 Some miles back from this lake is fertile tract of "high hummoclz'' land on which stands particularly heavy and luxurian growth of pine, magnolia and live-oak. In it are several clearings which were made some four or five decades since, by the first ''crackers" who came to this section, at the time of their arrival wild and virgin country, which foot of white man may not have trodden since Ponce de Leon ranged the peninsula in his quest for the fabled fountain of youth. Three of the clear1ngs are clustered close GOScGuSt, OuS OHuCu Uy luc w iuOW Legare (pronounced Legree), one by "Pop'' Somers and the third by "Uncle Billy' Thomas. Uncle Billy has contrived to pass sixty-three years in single blessedness, but during the last eight years he has found expressing charms in the society of the | widow. On the other hand ''Pop'' has had | three wives, the lastin the sequence having died month ago. It is in order to state l that "Pop'' Is man of individuality, not k~ he has suffered loss. Misfortune has bracing effect on him and stimulates him to repair his losses. Consequently I was not l surprised at the turn conversation took | which held with him a fortnight after the death of his third wife. Replying to some l expressions of sympathy on my part, the | old man said:
 "Yes, Tank, I've done lost CT good house keeper So my cabin his in mighty pore ways. So of co'se I've done bin reckonin for ernuther wife. haint settled ion none yit, as I've done bin right tollerble busy" l For moment 1 was speeches.. Then, | acting on mischievous impulse, sug- gested:
 sHave you thought of the Widow Leeare? She's capable as househeeper and isn't 8 day more than forty-tive.''
 q 'lowed," was the reply, ''that mout settle On the wilder. But thar ain't no ! use in bein' in sich a pow'rful rush. Purty I soon I'll take CT day to hunt fer CT woman. Gittin' CT wife is like gittin' CT mule, and CT man should be keerful to git un that'il last and is stiddy and don't low fur ter kicA.''
 .Better speak to the widow right away. Uncle Billy may cut in ahead of you"
 sI'n resk it, Yank," said the old man "Ther widder haint brought Unclo Billy ter time in much as nigh eight years. But I'll speak ter her come week."
 Exactly week later ''Pop' saddled his mule and rode to the widows. He found the buxom matron mending the gourd that hung in her well and-but I will tell the l tale in his own words:
 "sMornin', widder. Howdy?' sez L
 "sWhat do you-uns want?' said she-uns
 suspicious-like.
 "So done come right down to it an6 ! sad: I'm reckonin' I low fur ter gi
 ernuther wife, and want ter to take you | uns, if you-uns don't low otherwise. Wha
 do you-uns think9' sez I, in my peartest.
 "I dunno sez she-uns. sAin't this sud dcnt9 Lemme think. Thar's dis yere
 Uncle Billy
 "'Durn Uncle Billy!' I snapped out, ho like. 'Er right smart critter he is. He's ] had eight year the start on me and he hain' never done nothin'. I'm live man vii foul
 acres cleared land, and three cows anC
 twenty orange trees and CT mule. Better say yes, widder. I fgger it out that you
 uns will like it.
 "Wall, she wouldn't just then, but she
 did two minutes later. Just then the cir
 cult rider done come Hong, and done tolt | the widder that we'd hitch our hands to
 gether right thar and save time and be
 through wi it. But she said that thai
 wasn't no way to be married, and lowee
 she wanted to ride 'roun by Uncle Billy:
 right away and be marrled much as higher fortnight after. Wall, ther widder dont
 mounted ther mule behindt me and we ril l ter Uncle Billy's, who was so 'gastet (amazed) that he couldn't even cuss" e The wedding took place next day, the cir
 cult rider officiating. My present to thu
 bride was an engraving picturing the stor.
 of Young Lochinvar. The bridal journe,
 was taken on muleback.