The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1901-05-22


ment is a race for bottle of this
stuff. When the guests are ap
Iproaching the house of the bride
two of the young men most in
4 trepid in horsemanship, are Gin.
| gled out to run for the bottle
| The victor in the race is met al
the door by some one of the fami-
ly who confers the prize. He
hurries back to the cavalcade who
are halting about mile off, and
gives first to the bridegroom then
to the other company dram,
then after forming again they
ride on to the destined place,
Our steeple. chases are no more
trials of fearlessness and good
riding than these bottle races,
seeing the competitors do come
Through mud, mire, woods, brush
and over hill and dale.
Great mirth prevailed at Joe
iNaseby's, though the wedding
table was only n rude board,- -
this was spread with pewter and
QHeensware, and covered with a
substantial repast of meat and
vegetables and fowls and bread.
The company sat down to it as
soon as the wedding ceremony
was over, and there was little
m ore ceremony of any kind.
[ wished to take leave at din.
ner and bring Alice away. [ do
not like her to iOin in these vul-
gar sports, but she begged, and
her father said better wait and
see the end, and L felt some cur
iosity myself to know what rare
thing will at last befalI. These
new world manners are making
queer innovations among our
people.
AT dark l knew l was wanted
here, so Alice agreed to come,
though Thomas stayed dancing,
and John Lewis went back after
conveying us home. He tells me
that shortly after he returned, a
deputation of young girls stole
the bride off and conducted her
to her bed in the loft. BY and
by some young men took away
the bridegroom and safely deposi-
ted him there also, and late in
the night refreshments of bacon,
beef and cabbage and such like
things were sent up to them; aud
along with all this-Black Betty,
which meaneth bottle of
whiskey.
BY this tune Burden settle
ment is fast filing up. There be-
ing some of the Established
Church among them, but mostly
our neighbors are Scotch Irish
Presbyterians. 1t soundeth like
the gathering of the clans to call
over the Mixes, M'Cues, Nc
Campbells, M'Clungs, M'Kowns,
Carutherses, Stewarts, Wallaces
and Lylcs, together with the
Browns, Prcstons, Paxtons and
Grisbys with them associated.
| am led to think OF them the
more now by an accident which
occurred here the last night
About sun down II traveller i'll hot
haste, tricked ont in rough COS.
tune of the country, rode up and
asked lodging. This was readily
granted, together with such en-
tertainment as we had at hand.
lie was an ungainly looking per-
son, though setting his horse well.
An hour afterward other horse
men came Gathering up and rush
ed afoul of this first stranger, who
happened then to be without
doors looking after his horse, for
there was quite good light from
the moon
[ heard from my seat by the
fireside hilarious voices and the
words "Confess! confess!" echoed
in roughly7jocose way. owe
have been seeking you some
days!" 1 then heard, and knew
mot what to think, but this story
which the pursuers told as they
cam G into the house, and to which
the cuIprt did good-naturedly at
test,-with somewhat of shame
too, explained all.
When Ben Burden, the young
cr, came to make uceuS 10 Sucn Ol
the settlers as held cabin rights
the name Of MulholIin so Otter
did appear as to be a matter OF
wonder to him. He set about
making inquiry, and SO found thai
Mulhollin had been a person most
efficient in deeds of enterprise
among them. So far it was well
Inquiry was now made for one
| Polly Mulhollin, who, to pay hcl
passage from Ireland, had SOLD
herself to James Bell, who al
vanced the money for here. She
served his family in all honesty
the time out, then disappeared.
Now it turns out that this same
Polly Mulhollin did put OH mans
gear, hunting shirt, moccaslns,
&c, and go into Burdens gran