The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-12-08

them that didn't have no particlar ac-
quaintancc with him in the hesh-have
all heard tell of him and could give you
the general facts in the case: The good
Lord has made a heap of men, and
many various and sundrry different
sorts Of men; reck9n ne tb mS S5s,o of
for it at any rates-but he never made
any more like him. Maybe he was SO
sick of the job till he busted the moulds
and took out and quit.
"Borned On The Wrong side.''
Now it amt for me to seat myself
with pen in hand and put slandera-
ton on any man Twin or dead. but more
particlar dead, whereas I will give out
nothin but the naked, unwashed truth
with regards to old man Jordan Big
gers.
seems as if they didn't have any partic-
lar business livin, but was horned and
brung up to all out a gap in the general
heard tell Of men I reckon no doubts
that looks like they was jest naturally
built up on the wrong side and never
could fall in and take up with the ways
of the common human family.
Well, that was Jordan Biggers all
around and all over. So far as anybody
this world. It seems like he sorter hap
pened in and sloshed around till his
time come and then Petercd out. If he
ever did have anything to do it was to
wards the wrong way. If old man Jor-
dan Biggers had of fell in the creek and
got drownded and the settlement had
of turned out to look for his body no.
body wouldn't of went down stream
huntin it. He wouldn't of fioated that
way. He would of floated up stream
dead certain.
was young man IN the first prime
Of life whilst he was KNOWN along to-
wards the sixties, but if do say SO my
self I reckon I was about the onlyest
+1,@ bat
quainted with Jordan Biggers. And
yet still at the same time he didn't hide
out any. Anybody could see him and
miles around could teil who he was
whed they saw him comm. But with
all that they couldn't scrape up any ac-
own dear father and mother didn't to
say know him exceptin only by sight.
And then it was only durin the last
remainin days of his life that come to
1t seems like he sorter tuck up with
me. as he would put it, and in his old
age he use to send for me and talk with
me right free and plentiful. And whilst
his senses. like everything else he had,
took the wrong side every clatter and
run up stream, never heard tell of
musl<et and shoot Jordan Biggers for a
fool.
''A1ost StrcnEest Card In the Pack"
Lie Is SO 1n1erndl snort ana vain and
feetin. and am too alfred busy to
write a book, whereas l don't make out
like l can tell You all about old man
Jordan Biggers. But to the best of my
reInen brance and ability / will give
out some of the mainest facts in the
case. He was way yonder the queerest
and most strangest card in the pack.
He never was known to take a drink
with any Twin man on the face of the
earth. and vet it was a positive fact
known Of everybody in the settlement
had managed to climb up around more
whisky, good better and otherwise,
than any three men in all that pleasant
strip of country; He would see you
dead and hauled of feet foremost be-
fore he would let you take a drink with
him. and then YOU couldn't run him
down and rope him and throw him and
make him take drink with you. He
would nominate his own pizen and pay
for it and drink it and you had to do
likewise also the same.
clean, and yet he didn't wear whislSers
like anybody else. He used to shave
around and about, here and yonder, in
little dabs and patches till his face
looked like the shattered fragments of
ruinat ton. In his old age he use to dive
his hair in streaks and spots with every
shade and color from a charcoal black
to a Poleberry purple. AS good luck
would have it Jordan was the onlyest
Twin child his father and mother had
and when they died they left him there
Will d poOo ana NOBODY
live on it but him and the niggers.
And whilst he never did suffer for any
thing he wanted bad he never was
known to wear anything but the plain
est of clothes and but blame few of
them. I recollect oncst upon a time
went over there to pass off a, little time
with old man Jordan and before I
knowed what was comm he lit in and
preached me a little sermont on clothes,
which the same was SO full of good
common sense till it stuck and stayed
with me.
Tho "Scrmont On Clothes"
'You have seen clothes chests and
clothes lines and clothes pins, Rufe, but
did you ever see a clothes fool ?" says
he to me. ''Well I have The very
woods is plum full of 'e1n. There is a
whole durn big passle of clothes fools
right around here in the Rocky Creek
but you are one of 'e1n, and not a single
blasted bit better than the rest. What
makes me say what do? Cause peo-
pie act like they do-that's all. What
makes you buckle up in your store
bought clothes and put on your fried
shirt and your tight boots when you
start to town on Saturday or go to
meetin on Sunday? You say it is be-
cause that is the right and proper way.
I say it is because you are clothes fool
and a general public coward You are
s<eered other people would have some
thin to say about it if you went along
thin dressed and cool and pleasant with
your plain clothes on. when other peo-
Don't you have to buy your own clothes
and nav foy. -ern and then -er1