Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17
CHAPTER XVI.

! LEGREE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
The new government was now in full
swing and a saturnalia began. Amos
Hogg was governor. Simon Legree speaker
of the house and the Hon. Tim Shelby
leader of the majority on the floor of the
house.
Raleigh, the quaint little city of Cakes
/ never saw such an assemblage of law
makers gather in the gray stone capitol.
| Ezra Perkins, who was a member OF
the senate. was frugal in his habits and
! found lodgings at an unpretentious board
/ ing house near the capitol square.
| The room was furnished with six iron
/ cots, on which were placed straw mat
] tresses, and six honorable members of
/ the new legislature occupied these. They
were close enough together to allow a
bottle of whisky to be freely passed from
| member 10 member at any hour Of the
night. They thought the beds were ar
ranged with this in view and we're much
pleased.
Ezra was the only man of the crowd who
| arrived in Raleigh with valise or trunk.
He had a carpet bag. The others simply
/ had one shirt and few odds and ends
tied in red bandana handkerchiefs.
Three Of them had walked all the way
to Raleigh and kept in the woods from
/ habit as deserters. The other two rode
| on the train and handed their tickets TO
| form OF the car they boarded.
Whats this for?" said the stranger.
"Them's our tickets. Amt you the door
keeper"
"No, but there ought to be one to every
circus! You'll have one when you get to
Raleigh"
The landlady. Mrs. Duke, apologized
for the poor beds when she showed them
| to their room. I'm sorry, gentlemen,
can't give you softer beds"
That's all right. ma'am; them's fine.
| Us fellows been sleeping in the. woods and
In straw stacks so long dodgin' ole Vance's
officers, them white sheets is the finest
things we've seed in four years er more"
They were humble and made no COM
| plants. But at the end of the week they
gathered around the Rev. Ezra Perkins
for grave consultation.
when are we goin' to drawn" said one.
Air we ever goin' ter drawn" asked
another with sorrow and doubt.
What are we here fer eff we CANT
drawn" pleaded another. looking sadly at
Ezra. .4.t
Gentlemen" answered Ezra, ut will be
all right in a little while. The treasurer
is just cranky! We can draw our mile
age Monday. anyhow"
At daylight they took their places on
the banks steps, and at 10 O'Clock when
the bank opened the doors were besieged
by mob of members painfully anxious
20 draw before It might be too late.
Next morning there was a disturbance
at breakfast table. The morning paper
had in blazing headlines an account of one
James Mileage" who was a member OF
the legislature from an adjoining county
81 miles distant. He had sworn to a mile
age record of s107!
That's an unfortunate mistake, SIR"
said Perkins.
Ten ter yer own business" answered
James sfMileag e' .'f- -f - T
Il call it err purity sharp trick" grinned
his partner.
81 call It stealin'." sneered an honorable
member evidently envious.
And James Mileage" was his name for
all time, but Mileage" shot a malicious
look at the member who had called him
thief.
The next morning the paper of the OPP
position had another biographical sketch
on the front page.
Il see your name in the paper this
morning, Mr.. Scoggins." remarked Mrs.
Duke, looking pleasantly at the member
who had spoken so rudely to James mile
age" the day before.
We'll, reckon I'll make my mark down
here before it's over" chuckled Scoggins
with pride. What do they say about me.
ma ann"
They say you stole a lot of hogs" tit
tered the landlady.
'Oho, is there another thief in this hon.
able body?" sneered James Mileage"
That's all a lie, maam, bout them
hogs. I didn't steal 'em. just pressed
'em from a secessiner."
"Jes So, said James Mileage" ''but
they say you were deserter at the time,
and not exactly in the service of your
country!"
I'VE can't pay no 'tention ter rebel lies
ersin Union men? explained Scoggins,
eating faster.
Yes. that's So" said James Mileage
but there's another funny thing in the
paper about you.
whats that?" cried scoggins with new
alarm.
THAT Mr.. scoggins met sherman's army
with loud talk about lovin' the Union, but
that mean Yankee officer gave him a
cussin' fur not fightin on one side or the
other. took all that bacon he had stolen,
hung him up by the heels, gave him thirty
lashes and left him hanging in the air.
ITS lie! It's lier' beloved Scog-
gins.
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! we must not
have such behavior at my tabler' exclaim-
ed Mrs. Duke.
And Hog" scoggIns was his name from
that day. 4e
BY the end of the week another painful
story was printed about one of this group
of statesmen. The newspaper brutally
declared that he had been convicted of
stealing a rawhide from a neighbours tam
yard. It could not be denied. And then
sad thing happened. The moral senti-
ment of the little community could not
endure the strain. It suddenly collapsed.
They laughed at these incidents of the
sad past and agreed that they were jokes.
They began to call each other James
Mileage" Hog Scoggins. and Raw
hide" in the friendliest way, and dared
a scornful world to make them feel.
ashamed of anything.
But the Rev. Ezra Perkins was panied
by this breakdown. He felt that being
safely removed two thousand miles from
his own past he might hope for a future.
Mrs Duke" he complained to his land
lady, II will have to ask you to give me
room to myself. I'll pay double. 1 want
quiet where 1 can read my Bible and med
itate occasionally"
Certainly. Mr.. Perkins, II you are will
ing TO pay for it."
1t was so arranged. But this assumption
OF moral superiority by Perkins grieved
Mileage" Hog" and "Rawhide," and
GOODNESS sprang up between them. until
they found Ezra one night in his place of
meditation dead drunk and his room on
fire. He had gone to sleep In his chair
with his empty bottle by his side and
knocked the candle over on the bed. Then
they agreed that forever after they would
all stand together, shoulder to shoulder.
until they brought the naughty low and
exalted the !lowly and the loyal