The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-07-26
UNCLE TOM BARKER.


and feared not God nor regarded man.
but one day at camp meeting, while
/ Bishop CASTOR was shaking up the
sinners and scorching them over the
internal pit, Tom got alarmed, and
before the meeting was over he pro
fessed religion and became a Jealous,
outspoken convert, and declared his
intention Of going forth into the
world and preaching the gospel He
was terribly in earnest, for he said
he had lost a power of time and must
make it up.
Tom was rough talker, but he was
a good one, and knew right smart or
"scripter," and a good many OF the
old-fashioned hymns by heart. The
conference thought he was pretty
good fellow to send out into the Dor
der country among the settlers, and
SO Tom straddled his old fea-b1tten
gray and in due time was circuit rid
ing in North Mississippi
In course of time Tom acquired no
toriety, and from his strong language
and stronger gestures, and his muscu-
lar eloquence, they called him Old
"Sledge Hammer" and after awhile,
old "Sledge," for short. Away down in
one corner of his territory there was
a blacksmith shop and a wagon shop
and a whiskey shop and a postoffice at
Bill Jones's crossroads; and Bill kept
all of them, and was known far and
wide as Devil Bill Jones" so as to
distinguish him from Squire Bill the
magistrate.
Devil Bill had sworn that no preach
er should ever toot horn or sing
hymn in the settlement and if any Of
the cussed hypocrites ever dared to
stop at the crossroads he'd make him
dance a hornpipe and sing a hymn,
and whip him besides.
And Bill Jones meant just what he
said, for he had a mortal hate for the
men of God It was reasonably sup
posed that Bill could and would do
what he said, for his trade at the an
vii had made him strong, and every
body knew that he had as much brute
courage as was necessary. And SO
Uncle Tom was advised to take
roundance and never tackle the cross
roads. He accepted this for time,
and left the people to the bad infiu-
|. ence of Devil Bill; but it seemed to
him he was not doing the Lords will,
and whenever he thought of the wOm-
en- and children living in darkness and
growing up in infdeIity, he would
groan.
One night he prayed over it with
great earnestness, and vowed to do the
Lords will if the Lord would give
him light, and it seemed to him as he
rose from his knees that there was no
longer any doubt-he must go. I'm
Gle Tom never dallied about anything
when his mind was made up. He
went right at it like killing snakes;
and so next morning as a "nabor'
passed on his way to Bills shop I'm
Gle Tom said:
"My friend, will you please carry
a message to Bill Jones for me? Do
you tell him that if the Lord is willin'
will be at the crossroads to preach
next Sunday at IL o'clock, and l am
shore the Lord is willin'. Tell him
to please 'norate' it in the settle
ment about, and ak the women and
children to come. Tell Bill Jones I
will stay at his house, God willin', and
am shore he's willin', and I'll preach
Sunday, too, if things get along har-
monious"
When Bill Jones hot the message
he was amazed, astounded and his in
dignation knew no bounds. He raved
and cursed at the consult" as he
called 1.-THE Consulting message of
Old Sledge' and he swore that he
would hunt him up, and whip him, for
he knowed that he wouldn't dare to
come to the crossroads.
But the "nabors" whispered it
around that "old Sledge" would come,
for he was never known to make an
appointment and break it; and there
was an old horse thief who used to
run with Murrels gang who said ne
used to know Tom Barker when he
was sinner and had seen him fight,
and he was much of man.
So it spread like wild fire that "old
Sledge" was coming, and Devil Bill
was "gwine" to whip him and make
him dance and sing a "hime," and
treat to a gallon of peach brandy be-
sides.
Devil Bill had his enemies. of
course, for he was hard man, and
one way or another had gobbled up
all of the surplus of the "naborhood''
and had given nothing in exchange
but gEiskey, and these enemies had
long hoped for somebody to come and