The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-06-06
..eaw Team and Hot Weather.

In a general way know that Josiah
Jernigan is a mighty good mana plan,
honest-hearted, debt-payin man, who
.gorships God and loves Lis country
and serves his day and generation to
the best of his feeble ability. He is a
man of few words and full of business.
He never did do any talkin to speak OF,
but he most in generally always means
what he says. He never was man to
dabbie in futures, you understand. 1t
IS all spots with him. And takin him
up one side and down the other, there
amt better father or better husband,
or better neighbor, or better citizen
anyWheres in the Rocky Creek settle
ment than that same Josiah Jernigan.
But Josiah went to town one day last
week. He went in his wagon and driy
a yoke of steers, and Blew Seroggins he
u cent with him. 1t has since leaked out
through Blew that one of the deaeons
of Bark Log church bad rough and
tumble rucus with his steers that day,
wherein his religion got tremendous
bad shock and strain and shakin up.
And you must keep in mind, long
fering reader, that Josiah was drivin
woke of steers and the weather hit was
swelterin hot. | maybe mought be
svrong-I wouldn't make out like | was
always right-but l have always helt
to it that il a man can drive yoke of
steers in hot weather and at tile same
time confine his remarks to pure Bible
language he has got more genuine re-
iigion than the man that built the first
church and lined the first hymn and
preached the first sermont.
From the way in which Blew Scrog-
gins has let the cat out of the wallet it
would seem like Josiah and his steers
had been moYin along smooth and
peaceable enough till they got down
there to Caney Branch swamp. BY this
time, you understand, the steers had
got good and hot and leg-weary, and
soon as they caught sight of the cool
and refreshin waters of Caney Branch
they curled their tails and reached
their backs and quit the road and tore
off down through the swamp at fast
ana IuIlOuS iith. div Ht I1iHpFh llc
game and lit out right then and there,
hut Josiah froze to the ropes and fol-
lowed his ''cow team" through three
acres Of canebrakes and bamboo briars,
and he was still with EN- when they
went down into the water. In maxim
the return trip from the swamp back to
the big road it seems like Josiah man
aged so as 10 git his foot caught be-
tween a wagon wheel and the couplin
pole, and conscquentially in the general
confusionment he got the heel of his
shore tore off and three of his toes I'M
tinted. 1t was somewheres along there
from the way Blev tells the news
that Josiah give up the fight, rs it were,
and let loose and fell and spoke out:
81 don't want to say il would
Iuther not say itr-God knows do raley
bate to say it, and ! hope he will for
give ne-but if l must-if | have got to
lay it-dam these steers!"
There has now been some talk around
amongst the members of Bark Log to the
extent that a church Taeetin will socn
be helt, wherein Josiah Jeringan will
have to 'fess up" or either take ont
and quit. Of course it is none of my
business in regards to that. But l do
hope they will all remember that Jo-
siah was driyin "cow team while
the weather hit was scandalous hot.