The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-01-25

P''So w oShu ouo uhrhSSS tO, lOr Ln9
trees arc small and the chickens roost
low, but the new negroes don't seem W
banker after chickens like the old
fashioned negroes. They had rather
snatch lady's pocketbook and run. 1t
ls astonishing how many chances they
will take to get something for nothing,
and will take the risk Of arrest and
punishment and yet have never heard
of one being turned out OF church for
stealing.
War will make white folks steal and
whisky would. The old.time lawyer
used to tell how he was broke of tax
log too MUCH. when he was on the
oench Of the Northern circuit. A man
oy oeme of Sterrett kept dirty saloon
near the hotel and the judge patroniz I'd
dim every morning before breakfast
and by court time was pretty mellow.
One col Id morning the mischievous
awyers'' borrowed half dozen silver
'poons from the landlady' Of the hotel
and clipped them into the judges over
;oat pocket. He never discovered
hem until court adjourned for dinner
md was drehdfu!ly;puzzled and per.
licked. He recognized the spoons, for
they had his landlady's mark and were
ancient heirlooms in her family. He
'ent for her to come to bis room and
gave them back with abject apology
and said it muss have been Sterrett's
whisky that done it. It sobered him
up end made HIM very serious all the
afternoon. Next morning q tritl ,ng
fellow WAS put on trial for stealing
package Of pocketknives from q store
In town. He was easily convicted and
thing to say for himself "Nothin,'
iudDa ~ aai6 ha fhat ,,os
drinking an don't remember about it,"
The judge leaned forward and said,
Young man, whore Gid you &c. your
liquor ?" "At Sterrett'e:" said ha.
.c6afga sfs Fan ss: psrieotly eaSsinas awars
that Sterrett's whisky will make any.
body steal"
We; soldiers didn't steal much dur
Ing the civil war, but sometimes We
si%ss Were sUselS 5ssSfSS Sa SaSa is lss
member that Wien: &s ea&ped near
Orange courthouse there was a lovely
little shote that took up where our
horses were tetberd. 1t belonged to
-cross old man who lived on q hill near
by:ahd MajSr Aver rode up there one
evening and tried to buy it. The old
man refdsed In an insolent manner, for
he was union man and was mad be-
cause our army had camped ON his
land and WAS cutting his timber. Cap
tain Cothran; Was 8 good shot with q
pistol and was proud OF. bis Skill, and
so the next evening" Major Aver bet
that pigs eye out: He took the bet
and won, ana our faithful servant TIP
dressed and baked 1t, and we feasied.
The. old man came ptowling around
eFery. day hunting Tor that pig and it
was harder: to lie. Qit of 1t than 1t was
to steal it. But tbs morning we broke
camp we sent Tip up there and paid
the old woman two dollars and quieted
our conscience. A fat shote was almost
irresisti ble,,
One time George Burnett and Tom
Aver killed one under similar circum-
stances and sent quarter to our mess.
time, anc whom he inquired of Burnett
If they had seen ID; around, Burnett
whispered 10 him that Captain Still
wells mess had fres6 pig for dinner
yesterday but he mustene tell who
I told him. I belonged to Stillwell's
mess and the first thing we knew
Colonel Yeiser had US summoned be-
fore him to be- tried on 8 charge OF
stealing the old mans pig. II was d
kind Of mock trial and resulted in con-
voting Burnett and. Aver, and they
had to pay for the pig But l am
pleased to say Of our Confederate
| soldiers that l never knew case of
Aagrant cor 'Gruel robbery or pillage,
nor did l ever know of but'one instance
Of a soldier violating the sacred rights
OF mans family. At Centeryllle the
Louisiana Tigers, as they were called,
committed @ shameful, outrage in the
country nearby and we're, immed diately
arrested and tried that evening and
shot the Aext'nornlng at sunrise. O!d
tJ5e 'Soh bst1h beat lynch law out Of
sight whom he had Sure case.
There are various kinds Of stealing,
but the most aggravatlng to writer's
for the press 10 the stealing by tho
press. Two 'friend9-44one lin Birming.
ham and the other in Los Angeles,
California-.hhye Recently sent me
copies OF papers published In their
towns In. which the said papers have
copied from The QhiqegoaInter. Ocean
the letter l wrote for Tho Constitution
about Pelzer, South .Qarollna. MY
name is not mentioned, nor ia the let.
ter credited to The Constitution only
lew immaterial changes have been
made, just enough to make It appear
mat Inc Inter.Ocean sent o REPORTER
down there to write up the town,
nave known petty thieves sent to the
chalngang for doing things not half s(
mean @s shat' BILL ARP.
------@zsae- . e.
n crf Nh, III