Oxford eagle., 1902-06-19
HE ENJOYED SOCIETY.

81 think" said the drummer,
that it would do us all good in
several ways, if we could Ocea-
slonally see ourselves as others
see us. | used to be in the habit
of Dragging nightly on my home
town and county. / would tell of
our business growth, educational
advantages, and above all the
dear good people who made up.
the community, and 1 honestly
believed everything told. But
.one day / had an eye opener. l
was sitting in front of one of our
grocery stores, when covered
movers wagon drove up. Two
lean rabbitlik mules pulled the
rickety conveyance, and an un
kempt, lantern, ,jawed man sat on
the drivers seat. A weary look
ing woman, Juggling a baby, and a
dozen or so barefoot boys and
girls, ranging from four to eigh-
teen years, trailed on behind.
"Here mister,n called the man
to the clerk, gimme some good
- .---~.soIPPt 10. hs-SrSA I~--~''.
Amt had er decent cbaw scnce l
left these diggins last fall. Don't
none of us know er good thing
till we lose it. You see | was well
fixed here, an enjoyin life fine,
but | tuck up an idee | would 60
west, and have some real fun. |
Just pitched in Arkansaw. but
Great SCOTS ! it didn't hold can
die to Mississippi"
"You didn't find it any better
place to make money, did you -
/ inquired, feeling that here was
blazing ad for our county.
"Never cared nothin' bout max
IN money" replied the traveller,
it was sciety and enjoyment | was
arter. In Arkansaw and Texas
ef you can't make er livin yo'sef.
folks heps you out, but thar want
no excitement and nothin' lively
goin' on. ] staid nigh two months
in Arkansaw, thar wernt a fight,
a klllin', or anything more than a
'casional drunk, the whole time.
"Then we'uns moved down into
Texas, expectin' to strike things
lively, but l jest tell you them
open saloons don't git up half The
scraps our blind tigers does, and
as ter the stillin' business, them
boys and wild western gang
amt cut their eye teeth even.
"Folks could go to church and
set out whole sermon, and not a
shot fired through the winders.
They had plc.nics and not a drop
of white lIghtenin to be bought on
the ground. They all played pok-
er and seven-up in broad open
daylight, and there waIn't no
chance ter set up all night in an
out house and shoot craps. My
ole 'oman and the gals gin dance
and bless you, thar warnt a shoot.
in iron to be seed, 'ceptin my ole
derringer, an the gals wouldn't
let me shoot it off in the crowd,
ease they How'd it had gone out
of fashion to shoot at worrees.
| soon seed them chilluns NV
mine was gettin demoralized, and
wouldn't have no more sperit in
'em than mice, eff things kept on,
so / jest put out fer these dlggins.
| know in reason whar tbar'S blind
tigers f1ourishin and whisky stills
er goin', thar's bound ter be ex-
citement, and folks will gin you
somethin' ter talk erbout Git up
/ Beck, git up Brlndle, we must be
gettin on to the still circuit 10
night tsets in. EveIin' pardner.
That's powerful fine terbacker
you's sellin."
As he drove out of town,
hung my head" continued the
drummer, and men.aliy sought to
solve the problem of how much
is an enlightened community bene.
fitted by going dry as to saloons,
but harboring blind tigers and
Illicit stills by the dezens Ii aay
one can tell me I'd like to know