The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-07-16
"The Devirs quarter section"


For fears somebody else will come
along and tell you all the news in re-
CARDS to the new church which they
never built down there in the Devil S
Quarter Section, maybe | mOught a S
we'll tend TO the job right now" says
Aunt Nancy to mother and me the last
time she come up from the old settle
ment to bless us with her brief and
smilin presence.
You have been down there in the
forks of Murder creek, Rufus, into that
skirt of country which everybody calls
the DEVILS Quarter Section. Well,
somewheres right around in there you
will find the church which they never
built AS you know full well there amt
but mighty few people that even sorter
half way make out like they have got
religion, and from what | can pick up
on the range some of them that have
got the genuine stuff have Been sayin
most anything and everything here
lately eXceptin their Sunday-school les
sons.
1T is a scandalous bad messment they
have got over there, Rufus. and that
tom of it. You know Web Gardner-or
at any rates, you know him by name,
and you know where he lives. And you
know there are some people in this
world-as pore and needy as the best of
us-that jest naturally don't have to
work-which that is one of the most
strangest things in creation to me. But
it so. And Web Gardner is one of them
sort. He don't even do like julie Nabors
go around huntin for work, but hOpin
and prayin all the time that he won't
find what he is loOlSin for. l have no
doubts but what Web Gardner is under
a heavy Bible oath that he never will
scarrify the fair bosom of the earth
with lick of honest work so long as
life shall last.
CONSEQUENTLY when Web rid by our
house before sun up one mOrnin about
three weeks ago, and told Andrew Jim
that he was bleedged to go down in
the DEVILS Quarter Section that day on
some pressn business, l lowed right
then that there must be somethin dead
up the creek. Only two days before
that l had met up with Webs wife over
at the Cross Roads and she was tellin
me how much bad luck had been comm
their way of late and what hard time
they was havin to make tongue and
buckle meet. We had already got the
news that old Parson Weston was run
min of a big bresh arbor meetin down
in the DEVILS Quarter Section, and
when Web rid by that mornin-so pipin |
soon and in SIGH a tempestrous big
hurry-and told where he was headed |
for, says l to myself, the human race
was horned and brung forth unto sin
md sorrow and sufferin, and some |
Oody's time is comm next.
"Well, what did Web Gardner do |
Town in the Devils Quarter Section? |
lie done good gracious plenty, Rufus.
don't know where he got the neces- |
,ary materials, but he turned up at |
hat big bresh -arbor meetin the first |
lay drunk-pluperfectl bilin, roarin,
,oakin drunk. He had three fights
light there on the grounds, ripped and
'ussed till the free and native air was
lot and blue in streaks and patches for
niles around, and oil but busted up the
neetin. But old Parson Weston helt
he first base and stood by his guns.
lie called Web Gardner by his full name
nd preached a short sermOnt to him
n the first person, single number
Preached hell fire and birthstone and
,verlastin damnation-and called on
Web to flee from the wrath to come be-
ore it come.
by the next day Web had slept it
if, or flung it up. and when he put in
is appearments at the brush arbor
leetin for the second time he was
alleged sober. The old parson
reached forth another powerful and
tirrin sermont-they tell me it was a
eglar heart-thumper and soul rouser.
md when they sung 4 song and called
or mourners that day Web Gardner
-as the very first man to come forth in
ickcloth and ashes, as it were-meat
item for repentance. Right then every
Cdy thought the dead was alive and
he lost was found oncst more. There
as shoutin and singln and weepin for
~.