The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-10-30


which so far as anybody knows he was
the last of his generation and died with
q bad case of the dropsy in the feet.
The Man and the Occasion.
There was considerable singin and
cryin and carryin on at the grave
yard that day, but l raley couldn't see
how the people made it fit the case. /
don't see how anybody could feel sorry
jest simply because old man Steve was
dead and gone. l wouldn't be half way
bonest if I even sorter made out like /
was sorry when heard the news.
People have to die and be buried
somebody somewheres-eve year and
every day and every hour. And when
the news come that there would be
singin and slow wallxin ut Pilgrims
Rest, and who it was for, l thought to
myself if there ever was q time when
the man and the occasion met Steven
Hasseltine was the name of the man.
Now don't you take bad brealin out
at the mouth and tell it around that
the gentleman from Rocky Creek
talked unrespectful of the dead. He
didn't do it. From the bottom of my
unhollowed feet to the top of my
tangly head, I respect the dead. Even
to old man Steve Hasseltine, respect
ed him when he was dead-which that
was a whole lot more than could say
and more than anybody else could
say-whilst he tarried around and re-
mained over amongst us in the flesh.
In life he didn't respect himself, and
other people were most in generally OF
the same opinion. In the natural stage
of life he never was known to do any
thing for the good of anybody. But
when the last summons come he died
for the good of his country and the
whole entire human race.
I use to sometimes go over to the
poorhouse induring of the campaign,
whilst burning the woods and siftin the
ashes for votes. And 1 never went
there but what I found old man Steve
Hssseltine at home. His mother she
had died there about the time he was
Lorned into this vale of years and
tears, and it was always home to him.
ManY and many's the time have heard
the old man say he was sick and tired
of livin-that he was nobody and no
account to himself or any hvin crea-
ture, and the old home want what 1T use
to be nohow.
"I have been sick and pore and help
less and q general drug on creation
from the cradle up, Rufe, and raiey
can't see why ever was borned into
this world" says old man Steve to me
oncst upon time. II amt only sick
ly, but am likewise also too internal
lazy to breathe free and easy, and as
you know I jest have got sense enough
to come in the house when it rains.
am like unto a knot on log. don't
give a durn for nobody and nobody
gives a durn for me. So what's the use
of livin?"
Well, as for me, 1 didn't git into any
red-hot argyfcation with the old man
along that line. 1t looked to me like he
was about three-thirds right land had
the nerve to tell him so. 1t amt for
me to give the wherefores and the
whenceness, and it is none of my bust
ness how it come to pass that old man
Steve Hasseltine was horned and
brung up to be such a tremendous big
blank in creation. 1 didn't make him,
and you can't put the blame on me. He
didn't create himself, and raley don't
see how you could put the blame on
him. The good Lord don't make any
mistakes, and don't see how anybody
is to blame in regards to old man Steve.
But anyhow. if he was too pore and
too sickIy, and too lazy and too trifiin
to live-if, as he was won't to tell IT, he
didn't give durn for nobody and no
body didn't give durn for him in the
fesh-then what was the use of all that
cryin and singin and slow walkin
over at Pilgrims Rest? If the poor old
thing was raley glad to die, it looks to
me like other people mought agree with
him-"rejoice with them that rejoice"
accordin to what the Word says.
The last time was in town Bill
Simpkins told ne that the latest crop
news had powerful "bullish infu-
ence" on cotton. I didn't know for
certain what he was drivin at till he told
me the news had throwed the price up.
Now / can see how it is. Death had
powerful "bullish influence" on old
man Steve Hasseltine. The last time
saw him-over at Pilgrims Rest that
day-he was as smart and as rich and as
good as any dead man in all the round
created world.
But TO my dying day never will see
any use of sll that cryin and carryin
on and singin and slow walkin when