Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-06-23
THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.

a. y I
coochee was u dead-alive village with n
single street climbing from the ferry
landing on the river bank up TO the
weather-beaten courthouse ON the first
slope OF Johns mountain. lit differed
from other inland county seats i'm
northern Alabama il was on the side
of drOwsjness and shabby incous,-
quence. Its reason for existence was
purely geographical; the Chiwasscc
valley divides Chilmath county into
cs, and the ferry was a point ac-
ccsSible 10 the farmers in the valley
aud TO the dweilers ON JuEal noun
tain on the east and Johns mountain
on the west. Ia the spriukling OF
weother-worn buildings strewu upon
the hillside facing the river. but three
were relatively notable. One was the
courthouse. wooden, two-storied. with
classic porch out of which tumblcd
cataract of steps flowing down 10 the
head of the street. Another was Cat
ron's store. low and windovless i'm sh"
rear and Sclf-assertive and pretcntious
in front. with n high forehead of
Notwithstanding rising above the
wooden awning over the sidewalk
The third was the Mountain house. lust
across the street from Catrou's thad
been planters mansion in the DAYS OF
masters and slaves, and I'm falling from
SIS better estate the square bricl, house
had brought down some reminders of
ancient statcliness and soliditv. There
was suggestion Of comfort I'm its deep
veraudas roomy Railways aud v1dc
t'replaces. but the hint was lost i'm the
-stI 1
End the Mountain house. together with
everything else i'm the village. pointed
toward gradual and painless relapse
into condition Of moribuud disusc.
In the nature of things, the old ALA
coochee saw few visitors. II was 20
miles down the valley To PrattviIlc.
the nearest railway town. and Abel
French's blackboard was the only means
of communication. French drove down
twice week for the mail. but he sell
dom brought back a passenger. and.
save on First Mondays" and other
court days the Mountain house was
usually without guests. One pleasant
evening in February. however. French
broke the record. He brought two
strangers up with him from Prattvillr.
and there was a consequent dir of spec
ulative curiosity among the Iouurcre
whose raIlying point was the shelter
of Catron's awning French. being
promptly interro"atcd. confessed rcluc-
family that he had been unable to find
out his passengers business: and. hay
ing run a 20-mile gauntlet with the i'm
quiSitive mail carrier. the strangers
had no trouble in cvadiug the less skill
A'ul approaches of the townSfolk. For
Two weeks they spent their DAYS driv-
ing up and down the valley. and tbc.-
evenings sitting upon the veranda of
the Mountain house. asking Questions of
everyone and contrivinn TO dodge all in
Duirles aimed AZ the object Of their visit.
One evening when the sun had gone
down behind Johns mountain the new
comcrs took their accustomed places
on the veranda, drawing their chairs
together and lighting their aftcr-sup-
per cigars in fun view of the opcn-air
court In session under Catron's avn
ing. One of them was a hcavv-sct man.
with a smooth-shaven face. hard but
unreliable. lie had the mauucrism of
quiet aggreSsiveucSS which belongs To
physical superiority. but the bully iu
him was a force rather than an expires
sion. Certain little idiosyncrasirs. such
as the habit of slipping his hands into
bis pockets and rocking his chair gen
tly on two legs as he talked. suggested
the lawyer cros~-cNaminiug q witness.
and the hint pointed truthfully TO the
gcntleman'S profession. Among his
legal associates i'm New York. Lawyer
Sharplcss was respected as am able at
torney and one whose loyalty TO III
clients was never hampcrcd bv iucou-
ycuieut questions of conscience. hi.
companion was yiry little man whose
clothes were shabby with the wear of
aractivity. he talked yolubIy. puuctuat-
ing his speech with % Jean finger luid
in the palm OF the opposite hand. and
throwing one leg over the arm of his
chair as be- warmed 10 his subject His
calling was not So obvious, but that
was because he had followed -1 MANY
occupations that none of them had Icft
its impress upon him a prttifoppinp
lawyer % land agent for % railway conn
pauy "a broker boo real estate. and late
tcrly professional boomer. Jeukius
Fench was man of many parts, well
qualified 30 bear his share iu the enter
prise iu which bee was at present a--
sociutcd with the New York lawyer
Shorpic-- enjoyed the first inch OF
his cigar Don silence before hc nodded t1
the group across the street "TLe
Fucsscr, are harsl az it again over there:
YOU don't suppose they have heard any
thing. do you?"
Hardly" replied Fcuch. "tbere
hasn't been anything they could get
hold off, yet"
"No-uot unless Gates bias been talk
ing
He hasn't aoything to talk about
All be knows is that we went to buy
his land. and that proves nothing
Perhaps not, TO these people" rec
Joined the lawyer. tipping his chair Go
the cross examination angle. what do
they say about the engineers camp up
on the Little Chivasscc2"
Fench chucklcd They think it's am
exploring party for "a new railroad; even
Gates don't suspect that the men have
anything 10 do with us"
Its been pretty carefully worked.
- FAR. Portheroe's "a sharp fellow. and
W knows how 30 keep his mouth shut