The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-01-10
JOHN MAZE.

If you go TO a tree and examine it's
leaves you will find no two Of them
exactly alike. The spice Of variety is
nowhere so excellent as in human
character. These sketches concern
those who We're once real flesh and
blood, who contributed their part in
the upbuilding of the greatest COM
mon wealth on earth. For good rea-
sons the real ame are not given,
the parties being designated by words
akin in sound to the real name or IN
dicating some Office. Few people ever
called the Squire by his real name.
The object of this sketch was a
man we'll known in his own county as
also in other sections Of the State, a
man of fair education, good business
Equalities, a successful farmer, an ex-
~cellent neighbor; honest, plain, ener-
getic, wise and witty, we'll descended,
with a plenty Of this worlds goods,
but utterly free from purse pride,
kind hearted, ever ready to help the
needy.
A stranger meeting him would new
er have dreamed that he was a mar
of means so common was his attire.
In these days Of show it is difficult to
imagine a person of such abundant
wealth in such shabby dress. Only
his house, his daughters and his
stock where an index to the financial
strength. You may be surprised when
tell you that he never wore a fur
| hat. that he clung to the wool n I'M
I'll i event to seed" but as long as II
would cling to him, substituting for
the real band when it vas gone any
thing that came in his way, a bagging
string answering as we'll as anything
else. He never drove a chariot, sell
dom a buggy; eve a horse, but like
Baiaam he strobe an ass. Il anything
was needed from town, any business
to be attended to, the said ass was
brought forth. as plain as his mas
ter, who in plainest jeans and bro
gans mounted him. Man and beast,
as often as otherwise, as they were
and rode away post haste, his bare
Sims showing between his Topped
socks and the bottom of his pants.
The story is told that on n occa-
sion, gcinG to Charleston unannounced
ne asked his cotton broker to whom
he had sent a considerable lot Of cot
ton to advance him some money on it.
That gentleman could not believe that
so plain a man could have SO much
cotton n refused wlereapon Mr..
Maze in a rage turned it over to
another party.
He claimed to have Travelled much
4 tie West, even as far IS Texas, but
! sooi authority said he never got
.,arther than Alabama. He was quite
a~zourceful and told of many adven-
ares and hair-breadth escapes. I
viii relate two: Down in Mississippi
the country was alive with bears.
One night my travelling companion
and I struck camp nea to a swamp
on the edge Of which by a footpath
which the people called a road was a
spring. Would you believe it that
while I vas frying meat in q pan Q
bear was on the other side of the Gre
trying to rake it out? Presently, Bill.
whom I had sent to the spring for
water, returned without it, saying the
bears were too numerous for him.
Then Istook the bucket and went down
and to be sure they fairly lined that
path so that I had to elbow my way
through them, nudging them in the
side to make them give room. On
another occasion I "a travelling alone
in an immense forest down in Texas
and had gone several days without
SSCl4iS q 4IQ11iot 1oSO. OiS Ia =
came upon an immense stump and
While looking at it I discovered a di-
minutive fee barking up it. The con-
trast in size between the two was real
ly amusing. While looking on ! was
a bit surprised to hear a voice in
commanding one say knock that
stump INC having done SO heard
something within clanboring toward
the top. When suddenly after the
sharp report Of a rifle it dropped back
with a tnud. It was a white man who
had retired to the solitudes of the
forest. He told me to remain there
a bit and after a While he returned
With two stout negro bucks who pro-
ceeded 10 fell the stump with axes.
When the stump was down besides
the old bear, they had captured four
cubs. ! got over into the stump, and
while walking out in one Of its roots
-. ,,-op n holt Cr0u-n hear which