The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-05-15


stands away up yonder in the church
but in the main time he is a full-blooC
member of the human family.
Cow Team" and Hot weather.
In a general way know that josiah
Jernigan is a mighty good mana plain
honest-hearted, debt-payin man, who
worships 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 tall1in to speak of,
but he most in generally always means
what he says. He never was a man to
| dabble in futures, you understand. 1t
is all spots with him. And takin him
up one side and down the other, there
| amt a better father or a better husband,
or a 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 driv
yoke of steers, and Blew Scroggins he
went with him. 1t has since leaked out
| through Blew that one of the deacons
| of Bark Log church had a rough and
tumble rucus with his steers that day,
wherein his religion got q tremendous
bad shock and strain and shakin up.
And you must keep in mind, long-suf-
fering reader, that Josiah was drivin
yoke of steers and the weather hit was
swelterin hot. 1 maybe mought be
wrong-I wouldn't make out like I was
always right-but / have always helt
to it that if man can drive yoke Of
steers in hot weather and at the same
time confine his remarks to pure Bible
language he has got more genuine re-
Hgion 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 movin 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
and furious lick. Blew he jumped the |
game and lit out right then and there, |
but Josiah froze to the ropes and fol- |
lowed his "cow, team" through three |
acres of canebrakes and bamboo briars, |
and he was still with em 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 to git his foot caught be-
tween a wagon wheel and the couplin |
pole, and consequentially in the general /
shore tore off and three of his toes un-
jinted. 1t was somewheres along there
from the way Blew tells the news
that Josiah give up the fight, as it were,
and let loose and fell and spoke out:
Il don't want to say it--I would
Iuther not say it,-God knows do raley
hate to say it, and hope he will for
give me-but if I must-if have got to
say it-dam these steers!"
There has now been some talk around
amongst the members of Bark Log to the
extent that church meetin will socn
be helt, wherein Josiah Jeringan will
have to "fess up or either take out
and quit. OF course it is none of my
business in regards to that. But do
hope they will all remember that Jo-
siah was drivin a "cow team" while
the weather hit was scandalous hot.
Some .'secOnd-Hand Cussin."
That makes me think of the time
when me and Sam Nettles and Elder
went to town together, and
Tor the first time in my life / heard
some secondhand cussin.
Sam and the Elder went in with their
wagons heavy loaded with cotton, and I
had took seat and went along with {
he elder. {
Mind you, it was then in the dead of {
winter. The rains had fell heavy and {
requent, and the roads was sloppy and s
oft enough to bog the shadow of buzz G
ard. 1t was but only ten miles to o
own, though at that time it took
.ood team to make it through in a day. 4
Now Sam Nettles was bad and wick /
d man, and every time his wagon and a
cam got stallded and stuck in the mud, s
r struck a steep hill he would put in to
ussin the mules and poppin his whip S
Ill he made the air blue and they went II
ut in a storm. a
Understand me now, I don't sayitwas
he cussin that got the wagon through. Y
nd / know Gs well as anybody thst-it a
Tas wicked and wrong for Sam to be c
DIN on in that reckless way. Buts some
ow or somehow else he was so handy -
nd so furious with his whip and his o
louth, and kept up such roarin big e
xcitement till the mules jest naturally c
OF skeered and took the wagon and "
1re out of there Il
Now as to Elder Newberry. he was Il
ne Of the hest and most peacefulest of h
len in the round created world for sl
ommon. lie wouldn't carry on very al
luch talk with his mules. and when he m
"a It was with q smooth and gentle