St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-10-17

WAyNMN ' on m' ii. return
back home dismounted and afoot and
totin of his saddle. In q general on
hand way Andy give it out 70 me that
he had sold his horse and come out
thirty dollars ahead Of the hounds.
But Andy's mouth amt .anybody's
prayer book. and my private rotion is
that he struck snag down there and
got his socks snapped of of him. l
will 90 out amongst the boys in few
days and see what can pick no.
&Powerful Seldom Tfnes."
"Don't you forgit it we have been hav-
in some powerful seldom times down
in the old settlement this summer.
Rufus" says Aunt Nancy Newton to me
after dinner when she got her pipe load
ed and fired and runnin on full time.
ssThe crops are mighty spotted and sor-
~ for q common thing. and money is
skeerce as hen teeth. But yet l don't
reckon the times IRE 30 scandlous and
outrageous hard as you hear some peo-
pie maxim out that they are.
jest to set around and hear folks
talk you mought think the whole dis
covered country was trenholm and tot
term on the ragged edges of starvation
and ruination. l have been stirrin
about and visitin aroun considerable
and keepin up with things rs best /
could, and to the best Of my ability and
belief the country is safe for l-e-e-tle
while longer anyhow. We have had
about the usual run of sickness in the
settlement, but a. yet 1 amt heard tell
of anybody that got down for the pure
want of somethin to eat and wear. /
did hear that one of the Tanner boys
had to go to bed one day last week whilst
his wife washed out his breeches, but
he was up and about the next day as
healthy and happy as ever.
but we amt had but only three
funerals in the settlement this summer
which you recollect we had four by
this time last year-and SO far as
know marry one of the three didn't die
from pure hard times and natural
starvation. Old man Seth Wallace died
along in the first days of July. which
the same it is blessed pity he didn't
go dead 20 years before he was ever
horned into this world. He was tao
'tarnal rotten mean and stingysto live
in Gods country and amongst the chill
dren of nature. He had big chance Of
money loant out in the settlement on
high intrust, and when the seasons
ell hit wrong and the crops put in
to failin, and provisions went up whilst
cotton went down, and the general APP
pearments of things got blue and squat
" all around, the pore old thing took
sick and went to bed. And then the
more he thought about the hard times
and sorry crops and that mighty per-
centum on his money the sicker he got
till finally at last one day he keeletl
over and pegged out and went on-well,
Of course it amt for me to say for cer-
tnin which way he went and would
some ruther not spend my personal
opinions on that pint. But mt the same
time it amt much probable to my mimi
that Seth Wallace had ever pestered old
Saint Peter like he did the good people
in the Panther Creek settlement.
"Little Sim Giddins LOST his wife
about the last of June. which the same
he didn't deserve no better and she died
with the slow fever. Now If it had
been left with Sim Ciddins reckon
maybe there would Of been one death
In the settlement from starvation,
cause he is too lazy and triflin to make
livin for one. let alone two. But his
wife she was a Siinpkins ard gOod
peart woman, though / always thought
she must of been in. . powerful good mo-
ton to marry when she tick and tied
herself up with little Sim Gidldins. As
It was, howsoever. she n yer suffered
a day nor q minnit for sor ethin to eat
and wear and that which was nice.
What she couldn't rustic H., for herself.
with her butter and her eggs and a
little extry SEWN, her own folks put
It down there for her, and whilst she
was sick the neighbors Clipped in to-
gether and waited on her and done for
her the same as If she had been . MEM
her Of every family in the settlement.
Then after she died and was put away
decent and proper Her old daddy and
brothers got right in behind Sim Gid
dins and het the ground so hot and made
the track so heavy for him till he had
to pack his wallet and move his washia
of to some furren country. reckon
by this time he has either 3ined the
chain gang or put mp at the poor house.
"And then one Of the Rutherfordr
forg;t which one 1t was now-lost .
baby, and it had the measles, though
from all / could see and hear have my
doubts AZ to whether IL died with any
disease. Iruther think IL was doctored
to DEATH But anyhow it didn't die from
hard times and natural starvation. It
had all the milk il wonid take, not 10
mention the dead coolies Of medicine
which they stuffed il with. No. they
amt dyin mp with starvation as vet
down in the old settlement. Rufus,
though you mought think ~ jest to
rice through there and hear people
talk.
.Aassls 40 BsnssA"
"Talkin about hard times and skeeIce
money and starvation. Rufus-it is .
thousand wonders to me that some peo-
pie don't starye to DEATH" Aunt Nancy
went on. after scratchin match on the
seat Of her chair Ind strilkin fresh
light. II have been loohin and listenin
all the summer to hear some starvation
news from Mister and Misses william
Lumkins. You recollect William Lum-
kins, Rufus? Tell, he married Sarah