The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-09-17
BILL ARP.
TIE GEORGIA CRACKER
atlanta Consultation.

venture upon somo ,inoccupicd territory
and tell how Cherokee, Georgia, became
tho homo OF that much maligned and
misunderstood individual known as the
Georgia cracker. Ihave lived long in his
region and am close akin to him.
There is really but little difference be-
tween tho Georgia cracker and the Ala
bama and Tennessee cracker. They have
all had the same origin, and until the
Appalachian range was opened up to the
rest Of mankind by railroads and the
scIoolhouse these crackers had ways and
usages and d language peculiarly their
own.
It will be remembered that until 1888
the Cherokee Indians owned and occu-
pied this region of Georgia-the portion
living west Of the Chattahoocheo and
north of the Tallapoosa rivers. They
were the most peaceable and civilized of
all the tribes, but they werc not subject
to Georgia laws, and had many conflicts
and disturbances with their white nabors.
It seemed to be manifested destiny that
thew should 20. "Go west, red man."
was the white mans fiat. They went at
the point of the bayonet, and all their
beautiful country was suddenly opened
to the ingress of whomsoever might
come. Georgia had itsurvcyed and divi-
ded into lots of forty and l6O acres, and
then made lottery and gave every man
and widow and orphan child chance in
the drawing. But the cracker dident
wait for the drawing. The rude, untamed
and restless people from the mountain
borders of Georgia and tho Carolinas
flocked hither to pursue their wild and
fascinating occupation Of hunting md
fishing for livelihood. They came. ~
arately, but soon assimilated and s''
common interest. There are such
spirits in every community. There IRE
some right hero now who would rather
20 up to Cohutta mountains on
bear hunt than 90 to New York or Paris
for pleasure Ialmost would myself, and
remember the earnest cravings of my
youth to &c west and find wilderness,
and with my companions live in hut
and kill deer and turkeys, and sometimes
a bear and a panther.
But fer my town raising and old field
school education, too would have made
a very respectable cracker. This was the
class Of young men and middle aged men
that first settled among these historic
hills and valleys aud climbed these
mountains and fshed in these streams.
BY and by the fortunate owners of these
lands received their certificates and many
of them came from ell parts of the State
to look up their lots and see how much
gold or how much bottom land there was
upon them, but &c ! was the principal at
traction. The Ind. d.ans had found gold
and washed it out Of the creeks and
branches and traded it D the white man
in small parcels, and it was believed that
every stream was lined with golden sand.
This proved an illusion, and SO the
suuatters were not disturbed or else they
bought their titles for song and then
sang s'swect homo" Of their own. They
built their cabins and cleared their lands
and raised their scrub cattle, and with
their old-fashioned rifles kept the family
in game Many Of these settlers could
read and write, but in their day there
was but little 10 read. No newspapers
and but few books were found by the
hunters friends. Their children grew
up the same way, but what they lacked in
culture they made up in rough expert
ences and hair breadth escapes and fire.
side talk, and in the sports that were
either improvised or inherited. Pony
races, gander pullings, shooting matches,
coon hunting and cuttings had more at
fractions than books. How they got to
using such twisted languages as you'un
and we'uns and Inguns and mout and
gwine and all sich is not known, nor was
such talk universal. When such idioms
began in a family they descended and
spread out among the kindred, but it was
not contagious. know ono family now
Of very extensive connections who have
folklore of their own, and it can be trac-
ed back to Tho old ancestor who died half
a century ago. But these corruptions Of
language arc by no means peculiar to the
cracker, for tho English cocknoys and the
genuine yankee have an idiom quite as
eccentric, though they do not realize it
and would not admit it.
The Georgia cracker was merry
hearted, unconcerned, independent crca-
ture, and all he asked was to be let alono
by tho laws and the outside world.
The Justice court Of his beat was quite
enough for him. He had far more respect
for the old spectacled Squire than for the
highest court in the nation. From this
homemade tribunal he never appealed
until the young lawyers began 10 figure
in it, and seduced him into the mysteries
Of the law and the wonderful performance
of the writ Of 'Sasheray." Nevertheless
they looked upon lawyers as suspects and
parasites, and their descendants have the
same opinion still. The old squire was
"fo-nont" then, and looked upon the
sasheray as all insult to his judicial ca
| JOCllJ. dO hOo1V 4CO wv
young limbs Of tho law argue a case be-
fore him for half an hour, and then quiet
ly remark, Gentlemen, I judgmentica-
ted this case last night at home," and
would proceed with his docket. That
old squire and the preacher were quito
enough to pilot these people through life
aud across the dark river.
A few years after they had settled
down as the successors TO tho Indians
class of more substantial citizens began
to loo in upon this beautiful country.
They purchased the valley lands and the
river bottoms, and soon tho forests began
to fall before the AK Of the pioneers.
Some Of them brought slaves with them
and erected sawmills and framed houses
with glass windows to 1.-Two in, and tho
school master camo along, but the crack
crs wcro in the majority and lived along
in the samc old primitive way. AS late
as ISl7 they had gander pullings, and one
that l witnessed that summer lasted two
hours and the original Bill Arp was the
victor. ] could havo seen more Of them,
but l did not care to just for the samo
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