The sun., 1890-01-05
OKEEFENOkEE PEOPLE
Life on tho Border OF the Great Georgia
and Florida Swamp.
From the Atlanta Contribution

|
| From the Atlanta constuut,on
The Okeefenokee swamp, commonly called
the "Okerfeenoke," Is one OF natures anoma.
a, lies; since the days Of the Indian war in
south Georgia and Florida Ii tie has been
lines and missionaries and civilization shun il
as they would n death eXhnling upas. But
there are people there-people VINO chew To.
pacco and pit red. and say thar" and "cuss'
arc ma cut each others throats at brief Intervals.
| iliZed men. and never crossed by men of any
| Kind; beginning In an unsettled portion OF
souih Georgia the swamp extends for over a
florlda 1t Is from ten to fifty miles vile 1t
m, iS IN ocean OF cypress. mo'ass. and tropical
unuergrowth. 1t II ut once u mud and q quick
sand and to venture lar in it is TO perish.
over This miassmatic void ever-collocting
tropical clouds hover like ii-omened birds
from day TO day and, lazly turning their VIC ct
nlanks they burst In drenching showers upon
the already flooded swamp. The Okeeienokee 30
itseif Is territorial menngerle. more iull OF
hooied and horned creeping things than the
lowered sheet which the dreaming Peter saw
ON Its outer edges deer walk. c9ons, crawl and
catamounts and panthers climb. while inside
over its oozy, inky bosom. huge ten-foot sauri-
ans. with IRON; graspfng Jaws, aud serpents OF
and hottomless slime. and feed upon intrnders
ana upon each other. For many miles in width
finest cattle ranges ia the world. Ii is in this
,.oEerleen9ke people, i've. They fyH live We ON on
honey I anu hunt benrs ami don't have any tops
70 thelr houses to speak OF. The increHse OF
their herds they drive to the nearesl shipping
rougher han they are roor Still thoy have
thelr redeeming qualities and their ideas OF
hos spitality but you have t" draw them out.
III was on the second day OF November that
| lande'i Mt the nearest railway station to the
locality wanted TO visit l hired a team ami
Myervllle on the Okeefenokee. Mylerville was
m! destination. | paid the driver the morning
ner M we got there i1t anu HI drove away and let
my life Mylerville was not town. 1t was Il
settlement." ind extended for many miles. the
Of from one to lour miles between each house
l. | engaged board for three week with Jack
old man dressed in osnaburgs and looked
ike bear. he had wife ana daughter anu
Elk, grown sons. His wife was a diIIridated-
twang to her voice. The one event in her jfe
which she spoke OF constantly. was u thirty
the yonr she was married. But her husband
generally threw a damper over the ooasting
that when she boarded the steamer they had
to 6lindfold her and back her on board like u
ia man jacks sons we're all single and lived
with MIN. They were the ruling srrlis and
. society leader," Of the negnborhood. They
pany unless they were accoutrcd with ro-
yolNer dirk. and IA bottle Of collie cure Be-
yond these indsl ensables they cJIed very little
ABOUT what else they wore.
One day young jack told us OF a party he had
just attended in the ,neiGhhorho4d 1t had
gin out az 10 0 oclocE and thar weren't but two
fights durin' oil the hull eyenin'. The party was
q failure ogton, and our. But; he conlinUed.
Miller gwne to marry upon Black Crock. ana
you must 90 long with, MS 10, the weddin;
OF grog; thevll dance all night: and long
lords daylight there's bound to be some O. the
syST apd s9S y2 S
And young Jacks ace Iairy glowed with an |
antIsiraed pleasure. ldIdn't, eaten the spirit |,
EI you want TO take II hand that night you |
sail In. Y s six will SOC you out"
y, The following Sa urday night and the six
hyler brothers sci on. on horseback Tor the !
wedding on Black eek;
] cit little !sGneamsh over the fact that |
hrs wedding to which | had ever gone unin-
Vited. But the six brothers said it didn't
would whip the entire wedding party i any
thing WAS said about my not being welcome
the essTd %d on Mss ATyHs
Found a doublc-pen one-story og house al
gov with light. around which horses were
around gigantic lump Of sugar At least 100
guests were present. and outside OF my own
parry o. seven every ,Ll man hnd come on horse
saddle and g RI or, behind him. was anxious
hat no one should knooW wa1 uninyited. But
bride, was introduced To me- h" carried me into
he house In front Of the guests. and. calling
hem TO order, excia med:
This Is Mr.. -: treat him we'll. He amt
invited here tonight, but he's Jest as welcome
sincerely wished that "victorees" father
lnd never been born. Soon afterward the
magistrate performed the, caremopE The
'alr oI Ieuns pants. The bride wore spotted
aco dress. She was barefUoted. and had
,lus ribbon bow tied on to eaen big toe. They
md ceremons the dancing began. At that
ime | We ghrd about a hundred pounds.
,er nine shoes. and weighed at least 10
'ounds The dance grew fast and furious,
er M she would grab me by tho hand. and swing VIM
ne round SO whirlingy that the toes ul my
hoes would Just tough the floor like the feet
n dancing Jack tied to string. At last In
he midst Of the dance. somebody sterued on
omebody else's foot, and general IN i g on,
card as many ohlhs and saw rs many dlrk4
nd rry"iy"is drawn in the same sam length OF
noeked M srRsoiess the " women sc serea@sd S W and
cd. and al tho candles were blown out but
wo. Men we're Yelling like panthers aud
est thsS would think i was stuck up
10 M excitement Of the moment diyed my hand
ITO my oyercoat pIcke, Snd ui drew what !
OsE ne m eksrng "nh sh 2uFlfnsa mmodaS se
very man in the room made toward me with !
l,h., thought my time had come. ried to :
nd IL. At last the men got to me. but instead ,
striking me they begsn to pat me me on tho
% frst Sh OF every barrel Of II into me-" I
or the first time looked at my, weapon and 8
as amazed. lnmy excitement had drawn a
g TO holl the crowd AT bay with 1t. Ishot them b
ith II till the ammunition CAV" out. The draw !
" OF this unu ual weapon put an end to the q
acas. and tho dance continued In peacs till q
iyliGht When left tho groom gave mo |,
,arskin that tho Dair had received IA a bri-
II present And the brides father announced y
q intention Oi sending me four hound nun.
o. and Jug Of butte milk when he went Is
wn the next tims 10 sell his cattle. During T.
o remainder OF my three weeks stay my !
,sitlon In 0Keefenokee was unauestionable. q
The flask had been put In my oyercoat y
ket by young Jack, through mistake. while :,
WAS hanging up. And being qnaeeustomed 2