The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-16
The Errant steer.

The first thing a stranger does in the pine and wire-grass country Of South Alabama and North Florida Is |" learn a wholesome respect for the roads of the country. They are no better than a labyrinthian puzzle to the un- initiated. The new man in the coun- try yields an unqualified admiration to the driver who can unerringly direct his horses through a Chinese puzzle some thirty or more miles in extent
 The chief trouble of the wiregrass roads are that they do not bite into the earth like the roads of Middle and North Alabama. These roads usually passing wheels make but little impress sion upon them. If it was not for the open way cut through the pines, the stranger could not follow them under any condition.
 The main travelled road in aspect diff fers not in the slightest from the road which crosses 1t at right angles. and which may lead from one neighbours house to that of another. Unimportant roads are constantly running in and running out of the main road, and which is an invariable puzzle to the stranger. The puzzle, the similarity of the roads are the features which first impresses the stranger in the wire grass.
 There be many tales of lost drivers, of people who have gone astray and some of them have a distinct touch of humor. There Is, for instance, the story of the tobacco drummer who got lost on the road to Geneva. At that time they were building the Yellow River Railroad out from Pensacola to- wards the Alabama line. The drum mers had a way of going up from Pen- sacola as far on the new railroad as they could, and then drive through the country to Geneva and other places.
 There came to the end of the new line one day a man who wanted to go over to Geneva. He had no trouble in get ting a team, but a driver could not be had for love or money. He was adVised to wait until a driver could be had, and warned against making the trip alone. But this maan sold tobcco and was not, therefore, to be dismayed by any ordi- nary circumstance that might be over come by nerve, and so he started alone.
 In the early hours of the night. how ever the tobacco man found himself hopelessly lost, shut in by pine trees and apparently miles from his true course In the distance light flicker ed through the trees. The drummer guiding his horses through the pines. found that the light came from the one room shack of a settler. He found. too, that he had been indebted to mud and stick chimney. for the beacon lighe for the chimney had a big hole burned through 1t by years of service and the fireside blaze could be readily seen through the rear of the chimney.
 The owner of the unpretentious homo received the wayfarer cordially, and for the night gave him the bed while the entire family spent the night upon the floor.
 In the early morning hours the to. bacco man awoke to find high and awful form standing above him. Tho outlines of this figure. dimly seen. were more weird and awful than the drummer had ever before seen in any nightmare. The thing had hot breath and shining. terrible eyes. It was no vision. The thing was plainly alive.
 "Great God. man, wake up" scream ed the drummer to his host, comforta- bly sleeping on the floor. What IS this. man? What Is this?'
 Don't be askeered, stranger" said the host. soothingly. Its that plague talked steer He will come in through that hole in the chimbly every time 1t rainS"