Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-02-13
FORTUNEFAVORS THE BRAVE

have always believed that an unseen
Power shapes our destinies. and leads
US, ofttimes, by strange pathos to hap-
piness. And in support of this theory
l expose leaf from the book of a life
the story of = cotton picker:
1t was in the fall of 1878, that l
found myself, one crisp morning. stand
ing on the left bank oI the White river,
Arkansas, my sole capital voracious
appetite. Now, while an appetite is
portable, it Is liable to become Insup-
portable, and l am beginning to feel the
effects of this truism. However, let
me introduce myself:
My name is James Smith, (peculiar
nams, too,) and If L haven't been misin
formed, l was born in the city of New
York fraction over twenty-five years
ago. AT the age of one-and-twenty,
quite snug sum of money passed into
my hands, but it quickly evaporated.
Rather disgusted, 1 migrated TO Ar
kansas, expecting to be made legis-
lator, at least, in a few months In
stead of that, L am dining on raw river
air this morning. Don't laugh! 1 am
too poor even 10 afford joke.
'Hellol my esteemed friend AMI
BROTHER CRED out to solemn visaged
negro, who had been gradually ap
preaching, is there any work TO be had
around here?'
'5pect dar's plenty Oh cotton plckin'
oDer der rlbbe-, boss. Use 10 pick
cotton myself, befo' 1 relied. And
giving his solitary suspender hitch,
this artistic son of Ham sauntered
majestically away.
After making some further inquiries
about town, l concluded that 1t was
either pick cotton or starye, and pre-
Cfossing the river, l followed road
through the rich bottom lands until
found cotton to the right of me, cotton
to the left of me, in fact, the who.e
earth seemed dressed in 1t, and pro-
claimed it king indeed.
/ finally stopped in front of log
house that was nearly surrounded 10y
huts and outbuildings. A tall, raw
boned man was standing in the open
doorway, smoking cob pipe. and in
answer to my salutation he looked me
over critically and laconically answered:
'IA1wdyp'
DO you want to engage a cotton
pickerP' L asked.
But, instead of answering my ques-
lion, ne cohuieHCeu CaCeChlSlIB uc III
turn.
'Yank, amt yer?'
Yes, am Northern man.
Thought SO. And you think you
Gin pick cotton?'
Il would like to try
He shock his head savagely. and
quiei ly resumed smoking,
We'll, do you mean to give me job
nr \ raH r.ath inn nl
Il guess not, Yank,' he answered
Slowly. Firstly, a Yank KANT pick
cotton; secon'ly, you'd be gettin' the
hands TO strike for higher wages;
thirdly, you'd fool with the scales IL
make 'em weigh heavy; fourthly,
| you'd
oh, shet up, II ah Banks, you tarnal
| old ioolp shouted a shrill voice, and q
rather comely woman came bouncing
| out OF the log house. Cum in, stranger.
| and if you want to try your hand al
| cotton, I'd like to see who's gwine tC
| hinder you'll My old daddy cum frou
the Moth. and 1 reckon his money
bought this plantation, hey, 'Ziat
Banksp'
To all of which Mr.. tanks silently
assented. In fact, l soon discovered
that the amiahle Mrs. Backs wore tn,
breeches' with a vengeance, and that il
was largely owing to her thrift and
| management that the plantation Wa.
| made to pay at all Her tongue Gu
| like a two-edged sword, at times, bui
kindly heart beat within her bosom
| nevertheless, and more than one poo
wretch In the time of sore need founC
her both staunch and true.
In spite of Mr. Banks assertion tina
ank couldn't pick cotton, l sool
| acquired the art, and was coIsicer
rather an expert hand, and, strange a
it may seem, some of the happiest day
of my life were passed in following tn
bent OF a cotton picker My co-laborer
were a source OF never-failing amuse
ment, and, from the ''poor whites
down to Sambc, whose laugh was tb
most human part about him, a vas
field of study opened up before me.
The majority of these people, bot
white and black, ~Iere unable to reai
or write, and theh ignorance was onl
too frequently taken advantage of b
the planters. But what they lacked i
education they amply made up for b
superstition. They thought me
strange scritter' because L had neve
seen a ghost; and / must confess tina
at times their stories, told 50 earnestly
caused me to wonder seriously II
bridge hadn't recently been built owe
I the river Styx, making travel 10 an
from the spirit land matter OF inc!
nation.
Before Christmas the cotton on th
Banks plantation was gathered an
baled, and was beginning TO map ou
something TO give me employmer
during the winter, when an ever
occurred that changed the tenor Of Il
life.
1t was on Saturday afternoon
cloudy and misting rain, that 1 bo
rowed a shot gun and started for
swamp some three miles distant,
quest of ucks. L knew the route con
pdratlvely well, but absorbed in though
l wandered from my course, and whe
too late. discovered that l was lost in
vast body of woods that 1t might tai
me several hours to thread. SeatiI