The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-01-18
on A MlssissIpPI HIGHWAY.
An Old Party Imparts Some In
formation TO a Stranger.
Detroit Free Press.

A stranger passing through Pos
sum Ridge met with an old part.
driving a yoke Of oxen. aud stop
ped TO inquire The way 10 Beckett
mill. The old party was a nativ'
OF The Itidga-a tall, raw bone'
specimen, wearing n pair Of coitoI
overali's "gallused" up almost al
TO his arms and lacking at leas
six inches of reaching his shoes.
"Gond morning, uncle" tn
stranger said.
"Humph! What yer call M
uncle forg" The native replied. :"
hain't no uncle o Yorn. I'm oil
Perry Jacks"
"Mr. Jacks, can you direct me Il
BecSett's millE"
Il reckon | kin. I've been er
goin' thar with er turn for nigl
sixty years, an | s'pose | orter Il
know the way by this time. All
yer g0in thars"
"Yes, will you be bind enough Il
direct me? Z"
"Sariinly, sartinly. What mout
yer name be, Stranger
smith"
"Yes; wal, thar nse to be Ell
family err Smiths Twin on theI
Ridge. Ole Bige an his boys. Yer
didn't know EN-, | reckon :"
"No; | never heard of them"
Didn't? / lowed mebby vel
he'll. They was burned emery Gus
ses, lei me tell you. Wusn't wulh
shootln', none of 'em. Ole Bye
drunk hisselt Ter death, an two 0i
Their boys is done up for boss steal
in, an tothern was hung out west
fer sumpun. You hain't none O
that set, | ledge, though you dc
look some like 'em. Whar mout
yer hail frumG,'
kansas City"
500, Ell? Pve hearn right smart
o. that place, tusl and last. Right
peart town, | reckon. l'ye been a
lynn off fer er good bit ter 90 up
thar, but Their ole woman she STAINS
squar' ont ergin 1t. Say, by gum,
yer never see sech derned criiier
as Their ole oman is. She's con
t~rairierner mule, an hes The ding
eldest temper yer ever see."
Il am very anxious TO be going"
the stranger suggested.
"In sum'at of a hurry, ell 2 spose
yer hev business with ole Beck
ett!'
Yes"
"Wal, yer go ercrost Their crick
down thar, an then sorler skin err
long erIoun' Their hill. Say, TIERS
moL.slrous poor lam over thar. 1t
b'long to my wile's dad, an il amt
with shucks, but the dinged old
fool paid IS cents ali acre for it.
| told my wife that he didn't hev
er hex err sense. Wouldn't you
say So. toOT
Certainly"
Then yer go on erroun' the
the ridge I'LL yer come tother pore
house. Say, l'vc got two cousins
in the pore house. You didn't
know, Uncle Bill, | reckOnE"
mo, | never had that honor"
''Humph, it wouldn't a been no
great honor, | gneSs. But them
TWO cousins over thar to the pore
house was Uncle Bills children,
but they wusnt never wulh
shucks."
allow do | go from The poor
hOuseg'
wall, yer kinder slide erlong
down ter hill Till yer come ter my
house. You'll know my house
when yer git thar, If yer notice a
red steer tied in Their lot, and see a
pillar an other traps stuffed in Their
winder next to theI road. Say,
yer don't want ter buy a steer, do
yer? He's er fine animal an cheap
at $40. He's wuth $40"
II don't want him."
Don't ehg I'd like Ter sell him,
fer he's err power er trouble am is
Is years old. l could trade i'm
once fer er jack-plane, but l wus
too big er burned fool to do it.
Wouldn't like Ter take I'm fer $2!'
''No. Please go on"
"Well, yer foller rOun' Their new
groun'lill yer come ter a road lead
in off down rher crick 10 Beeson's
place. Don't know Beeson'I reck
on. Wall, sir, he's been squire now
ter goin' on twenty year, an last
week when / had er case aiore i'm
he went squar ergin me, an that
arter I'd loant i'm my oxen ter haul
fodder with. What do yer think
of er Teller what 'ud do that :
You wouldn't say he knowed much
about law an justice would yer 7
l made him change his decishun
poorly quick, though, after | gin
i'm a lickin."
"How shall l 60 from the
squire'sp
"Yer don't go frum Their Equire's
er tall. When yer come 10 the
wall leadIn' 10 Their squire's yer go
straight on TO Their school huus'.
Say, ding my buttons eff they hain't
gone an hired ole Dock Perkins
ter teach ergin. He's Their dinged-
est fool yer ever saw, an the ole
woman1l yer so Ell yer stop an az
'er."
"I'm willing to believe you"
"Air ehq That's right. Now
yer go on over by their meetin'
house what my uncle's building.
M " " - - -