The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-10-17
aPowerful selaom Tlmeu..

VIII go out amongst ne boys IN a rev
days and see what 1 a pick up.
"Poworful seldom Times"
Don't you forgititw 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.
~sThe crops are mighty spotted and sor-
ry for a common thing, and money is
skeerce as hen teeth. But yet L don't
reckon the times are so scandlous and
outrageous hard as you hear some peo-
pie maxim out hat they are.
"Jest to set around and hear folks
talk you mought think the whole dis
covered country was tremblin and tot
term on the ragged edges of starvation
and ruination. / have been stirrin
about and visitin aEoun considerable
and keepin up with things as best I
could, and to the best of my ability and
belief the country is safe for a l-e-e-tle
while longer anyhow. We have had
about the usual run of sickness in the
settlement, but as yet amt heard tell
of anybody that got down for the pure
want of somethin to eat and wear. 1
did hear that one Of the Tanner boys
had to go to bed one day lastweekwhilst
his wife washed out his brooches, but
he vas up and about the next day as
healthy and happy as ever.
4But we amt had but only three
funerals in the settlement this summer
which you recolIect we had four by
this time last year-and so far as I
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 snme it IS q Blessed pity he didn't
20 dead 90 years before he was ever
horned into this world. He was too
farnal rotten mean and stingy to live
in Gods country and amongst the chill
dren of nature. He had a big chance of
money loant out in the settlement on
high intrusts and when the seasons
rall hit wrong and the crops put in
TO failin, and provisions went up whilst
cotton went down, and the general APP
pearmcnts of things got blue and squat
ly 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-
ceDtum on his money the sicker he got
till finally at last one day he keeled
sOyer and pegged out and went on-well,
of course it amt for me to say for GER
tain which way he went and / would
some ruther not spend my personal
opinions on that pint. But at the same
time it Amt much probable to my mind
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 Giddins I reckon
maybe there would of been one death
in the settlement from starvation,
cause he is too lazy and trihin to make
a livin for one, let alone two. But his
wife she was a Simpkins and a good
peart woman, though / always thought
she. must of been in powerful good M
ton to marry when she took and tied
herself up with little Sim Giddins. AS
II was, h~owsoever, she never suffered
4 day nor a minnit for somethin to eat
and wear and that which was nice.
What she couldn't rustic up for herself,
with her butter and her eggs and a
little extry SEWN, her own folks put
1T 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 a MEM
Der 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 washin
s0ff to some furren country. / reckon
BY this time he has either jined the
chain gang or put up at the poor house.
and then Of the Rutherfords-
/ forgit which one it was now-lost a
baby, and it had the measles, though
from all I could see and hear / have my
doubts as to whctlIar it, died with any
disease. Irnther think It was doctored
30 death. But anyhow il didn't die from
hard times and natural starvation. 1t
had all the mile It would take. not 10
mention the dead oodles of medicine
which they stuffed it with. No, they
amt dyin up with starvation as yet
down 10 the old settlement. Rufus,
though sou mought think 50 jest 10
ride thrOugii there md hear people
talk.