The times., 1897-11-19
'POSSUM SKETCHES.
Zeb White Tells of the Trials of Of
fcehoIding in Tennessee.

ice ilt lGtDE III lCnncSSFp.
Ono evening, as / sat smoking with the
old 'Pcssum Hunter of Tennessee. / asked
him if ne haC never held public office,
aud, after smiling over the matter for
rhirute he replied:
Yes l had one fur jest month aud
since then never wanted another Bout
five vars arter the wah the folks around
yere wanted me TO be jestice of tue peace.
The times was full of trubbIe, and didn't
want the Offs but they went at it and
voted me in, 80 was jestice. When ]
got home ana told the ole woman, she said.
= Zeh White, I'm proud to know yo've
got to be d mighty big man, but yo'n be
p, Eerful weary of this inside OF a week
Looks 10 me like an sfflickshun sent by the
LawG, and I hope it won't end in no fu-
neral
Eve was talkin' it over as she fried the
bacon for supper when along sum 4 stran-
ger, who stops at the doah TO say:
. Zeb White, I'm callin' on ye to sarve
out the law and gin me iestice. I'm Iiyin'
seven miles up the hill, and my name is
Dobbs One O my hawgs has bin niSsin'
fur over five months, and, durn my hide il
don't believe that jim Sawten has ml,ie
pork Of him. I'm demandin' that Jim 0e
sent to Jail fur three months, and that sum
body pay me S3 fur that hawg.
II had to tell him that 1 was no jeStice
yit, and couldn't move in the case, and he
flingshis hat down in his madness and jumps
OF, IL and calls me names and performs
around till l bev to pick him up and
throw him over the fence, and l had jest
finished supper when in walks Mary Steb-
In r. in IN NalA A;Ya Ir
below. she had snnthin on her mind and
sh don't stop to say 'Howdy?' before she
sez:
+" 'zeb White, I've cum fur my divorce.
Jim has bin cuffin my ears agin, and It
fur the last time
II was tellin her that 1 had no power
ia the case, aud she was cryin' and scoldin'
when in walks her husband, and sez
Zeb White, can't abide this woma n
no longer. Jist gimme a divorce, and II
go down 30 Bristol this very night
Then sot out TO tell him that had no
power, and they both turned on ne and
called me liar aud abused me Till !
had to order em off. Nobody else showed
up till along about midni ght. I had jest
got to sleep, when sumbody stops in front
of the CABIN anG ghoops and cracks his heels
together and yells:
I've bin a-cryin' fur jestice fur the
last fifteen vars, and now I'm goin' to hey
it OF bust; Zeb White, cum off yer roost and
tell fel!er-critter that tnar's sich a thing
as far play left in this vain and wicked
world
Who is il and whatd ye want?" sez
/, as gits up and opens the doah.
lin Cy Green, of Sugar Cove, and I'm
wantia' jastice agin the old man Watkins.
Durn his hide, but he sold me a nlewl blind
of one eye and all tied up with spavinsl
I've waited fur fifteen vars fur an honest
man to be lected Jestice Of the Peace, and
now want squar deal.
II goes out and tries to soothe him, -
said Zeb, "but he wouldn't be soOthed.
He jests jumps up and down and hollers
fur squar' deal till he wakes up folks n
nile away. I promises to do what kin
when I gifts my papers, but he wants the
the cid man Watkins arrested and sent to
Jail that very night. / has TO deny that,
of course, and he let's off an awful whoop
an6, sails into me. l wasn't lookin' fur il,
and he rolls me all over the yard befo' 1