Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-03-19
CRACKER COURTSHIP.
How "Pop" " on the Hand Of an
Industrious Widow.
Love-Maiing as Practiced in an Unhnown
Nook of Florida-The Way I'm which
Old Man sOmers Presented His
Case to Mrs. Legare.

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, y,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 '3Os, wht Osceola
and his Seminoles were captured by the
regulars or driven to the gators, moccasins
and miasma swamps Of the Everglades.
Incidence, ignorance, shiftlessness, cour-
age and pride are their more prominent
qualities.
Some miles back from this lake is
fertile tract of high hhmmock" land on
which stands particularly heavy and
luxuriant growth OF pine, magnolia and
lve-oak. In 1t are several clearings which
were made some four or FIVE decades since,
ny the first "crackersn who came to this
'ectlon, at the me Of their arrival a wild
md virgin country, which foot OF white
man may not have trodden since Ponce de
Leon ranged the peninsula in his quest for
he fabled fountain OF youth.
Three OF the clearings are clustered close
Y together, one owned by the Widow
Legare pronounced Legree), one by "Popr
Somers AMI the third by "Uncle Billy"
Thomas. Uncle Billy has contrived to pass
lxty-three years in single blessedness, but
Turing the last eight years he has found
engrossing charms in the society of the
widow. On the other hand Pop" has had
three wives, the last in the sequence having
a &c To-
hat Pop" 10 a man Of individuality, not
1ven to inaction and vain replning when
'e has suffered loss. Misfortune has
'racing effect on him and stimulates him to
repair his losses. Consequently l was not
surprised at the turn a conversation took
which held with him fortnight after the
leath OF his third wife. Replying to some
expressions of sympathy on my part, the
I'D man said:
"Yes, Yank, I've done lost er good house.
1eeper. So my cabin his In mighty pore
ways. So of cose I've done bin reckonin'
or ernuther wife. haint settled on none
lit, as I've done bin right tollerble busy"
For moment was speechIess. Then,
lcting on mlschievous impulse, l sug-
yested:
"Have you thought Of the Widow Leeare?
She's capable as housekeeper and isn't q |
lay more than forty y-fve.'
Il lowed" was the reply, "that rnout |
settle on the widder. But thar amt no
Use in bein' in sich powrful rush. Purity
soon I'll take er day to hunt fer er woman.
fittin' er wife is like glttin' er mule, and |
r man should be Seerful to git un that'n |
asst and is stiddy and don't low fur ter |
kick"
"Better speak to the widow right away.
Uncle Billy may cut in ahead of you"
''pll resk it, Yank," said the old man.
Their widder haint brought Uncle Billy ter
mite in much as nigh eight years. But I'll
peak ter her come week"
Exactly a week later Pop" saddled his !
mule and rode to the widows. He found |
he buxom matron mending the gourd that |
lung in her well and-but ! will tell the |
ale in his own words:
"'Mornin', widder. Howdyi' sell
"'What do you-uns wautP said she-uus, |
$50 1 done come right down to 1t and |
and: I'm reckonin' l low fur ter git |
rnuther wife, and l want ter to take you |
ms, if you-uns don't low otherwise. What |
10 you-uns thlnkp seq l, in my peartest.
81 dunno, sez she-uns. 'Ain't this sud |
entl Lemme think. Thar's dis yere |
Jncle Billy
"'Durn Uncle Billyp snapped out, hot |
ike. 'Er right smart critter he is. Hes |
lad eight year the start on me and he hain't |
ever done nothin'. I'm a live man VII four |
cres cleared land, and three COWS and |
wenty orange trees and er mule. Better |
ay yes, wilder. 1 tgger it out that you
ms will like it,
"Wall, she wouldn't just then, but she
id two minutes later. Just then the cir
uit rider done come long, and done told |
he widder that we'd hitch our hands to- |
ether right thar and save time and be !
through VII it. But she SAID that thar |
wasn't no way to be married, and lowed |
he wanted to ride 'roun by Uncle Billy's |
light away and be married much as higher |
ortnight after. Wall, ther widder done |
lounted ther mule behindt me and we rid |
er Uncle Billy's, who was so 'gasted |
that he couldn't even cuss-"
The wedding took place next day, the cir
uit rider officiating. My present to the
ride was an engraving picturing the st ry |
4 Young Lochinvar. The bridal journey |