Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-14
A GEORGIA LECTION.
In the pincy woods IL Means Plenty
of WhoopinG Excitement.


of Whooping Excitement.
Down in the piney woods of southern
Georgia they have ways Of doing things a
little different from anywhere else on the
habitable globe. This year, for the first
time under the new law, state and county
lnlcers were elected at the same time.
There was a lot of fun over this election.
The average Cracker cares very little about
the presidential candidates his interest be-
ing contored on the success of his favoritc
among the local aspirants for official honOrs.
He may know whether Andrew Jackson or
Grover Cleveland is running, but he doesn't
care a rap.
| was down In that section Of the state
a few days ago, says a writer in the Times
Herald, looking after some wild lands, and,
riding along one of the dim trails that lead
through the interminable pine barrens, ! was
attracted by a large crowd gathered at a
point a few hundred yards from the trail,
and turned aside to investigate. There We're
about 25O men in the gathering, and they
were whooping and yelling like demons.
Riding up to a little knot apart from the
main crowd | drew rein and addressed the
most important looking individual in the
party.
Good morning" said l. "You seem to be
having big time out here; what's the
OcCasion?"
"W'y, this is lection day. DO you'ns live
in this beat?'
mo; live in another part of the state.
Who are you trying to elect?"
"We'uns is a-holdn Of a caukiss. Big Bill
Branch is a-runnin' fur the legislator, an
Black Jim Fletcher is a-runnin' fur the
snnit. Some of us IS fur Big Bill an some
of us Is ag'in i'm. Then, ag'in, some Of US
what's fur Big Bill aire ag'in Black Jim,
an we're a-tryin our durndest to make
complymise. Light an have drink,
h,f IN N n
sch llcker as this in a coons age 1t hain't
never seed no reyynue stamp" and he
hauled out one of those old Ong-necked red
bottles that hold full quart.
| declined, with the explanation that, not
being a voter, / did not feel that 1t would
be right for me to drink the liquor that was
doubtless intended to win votes with
"Oh that's all right. This 'ere's Big Bll's
treat, an there amt a stingy bone in his
hide Whoopee!" he yelled, "hooray fur
Billie Branch. the bull o. the woods!"
"Hooray fur Black Jim Fletcher! cried
one of his companions, "the boss dog o.
the boneyard!" and then we all started to-
ward the crowd gathered around the polling
place.
peculiar voting place that l ever came
across in all my experience with politics
In the early settlement of the country that
region was infested with wolves, and the
pioneers resortcd to all sorts OF schemes to
methods was by trapping them in pits
These pits were dug in the open pine woods
care being taken to remove every bit OF
the fresh earth as II was taken from the
hole. They were about fifteen feet In di-
ameter and twenty feet deep, and a little
knoll some five feet across was left In the
center of the pit for the bait The eXca-
waited portion was then covered lightly with
reeds so as to conceal the pit beneath, and
the trap was complete.
A Young pig was tied on the knoll in the
middle of the pit and its cries attracted
the wolves, but when they attempted to
cross the chasm the reeds gave way and the
thief was precipitated to the depths below
The space was so narrow between the walls
of the pit that the animal had no room for
a spring and when the atockman visited
the trap he had no trouble in di2patching
his prey.
The militia district in which the election
was being hCld-all Georgia is divided into
such districts" or beats" as they arc
sometimes Called-wGs a very large and
sparsoly settled one. There being no other
house within two or three miles OF the center
of it. the citizens, by common consent had
selected the old wolf pit as the most avail
able place for holding elections.
aye see, We 'uns Is in favor OF hayln
fair lection" remarked my conductor In an
explanatory tone, observing my puzzled eX-
preston 1--WE puts the managers an
clerks In thar on the knoll, whar the haln't
no danger of crowdin', an only one feller
kin vote at a time. Then ef the boys gifts
up a leetle Tucus, which they most alters
do, along bout the shank O the day, the
ballts is safe"
They had laid a fattcned log from one
side Of the pit to the knoll and each voter
took his turn, crossed the log, handed his
ballot to the manager, who called out the
name OF the voter and deposited the slip
OF paper In a hat, WHICH was covered by