Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-01-09
UNCLE TOM
BARKER'S FIGHT
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THE following story by Bill Arp"
celebrated writer for the Atlanta
Constitution, is sent us for publica-
tion by 5. p. Sampley, Tatesville,
Tenn.
Uncle Tom Barker was much of
man. He had been wild and reckless
and feared not God or regarded man.
but one day at Il camp meeting while
Bishop CASTOR was shaking up the sin
ners and scorching them over the in
fernal pit, Tom got alarmed, and be-
fore the meeting was over he professed
religion and became a Jealous, out
spoken convert, and declared his inten-
tion 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 Il rough talker, but he was
good one, and knew right smart of
'Scripter, and good many of tire old
fashioned hymns by heart. The CON
ference thought he was pretty good
fellow to send out into the border
county among the settlers, and so Tom
straddled his old fea-bitten gray, and
in due time was circuit riding in
north Mississippi.
In course of time Tom acquired no
toriety, and from his strong language
and stronger gestures and his muscular
eoquence they called him "Old Sledge
Hammer, and after while sold
Sledge" for short. Away down in
one corner of his territory there was
blacksmith shop and wagon shop and
a whiskey shop and postoffice at Bill
Jones Cross Roads, and Bill kept all
of them and was known far and wide
as ''Devil Bill Jones, so as to distin-
gush him from Squire Bill, the mag
istrate. Devil Bill had sworn no
preacher should ever toot horn or
sing hymn in the settlement and if
any cussed hypocrite ever dared to stop
at the crossroads he'd make him dance
hornpipe and sing hymn and whip
him besides
And Bill Jones meant just what he
said for he had mortal hate for the
men of God. 1t 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 I'm
Gle Tom was advised to take round
ance and never tackle the crossroads.
He accepted this for time, and left
the people to the bad influence of
Devil Bill" but it seemed to him he
was not doing the Lords will, and
whenever he thought of the women
and children living in darkness and
growing up in infdelity 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 long
er any doubt--he must 20. Uncle Tom
never dallied about anything when
his mind was made up. He went right
at it like killing snakes, and SO next
morning as "nabor'' passed on his
way to Bill's shop Uncle 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
Saturday at II O'clock and | am shore
the Lord is willin'. Tell him to please
'norate' it in the settlement about and
ak the women and children to come.
Tell Bill Jones | will stay at his
house, God wilIin' and I'm shore he S
willin' and I'll preach Sunday, too, if
things git along harmonious.
When Bill Jones got the message he
was amazed, astounded, and his indig-
nation knew no bounds He raved and
cursed at the consult, as he called it
the Consulting message of Old Sledge,
and he swore that he would hunt him
up and whip him, for he knowed that
he wouldn' dare to come to the cross
roads
But the majors 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 Mr. Murrell's gang, who said he
used to know Tom Barker when he
was a sinner and had seen him fight
and he was much of man.
SO it spread like wildfre that Old
Sledge was coming and Devil Bill was
"gwine to whip him and make him
dance and sing a chime and treat
him to a gallon of peach brandy be
sides
Devil Bill had his enemies, of course
for he was a hard man, and one way
OF another had gobbled up all of the
surplus of the "naborhood' and had
key, and these enemies had hoped for
somebody to come and turn him down.
They. TOO circulated the astounding
news, and without committing them
selves to either larty, said that HI
would break loose on saturday at the
cross roads, and that Old Sledge or the
devil would have to 20 under
On Friday the settlers began 10 droI
into the crossroads under pretense OF
business, but really to get at the bot
tom facts of the rumors that were a.
float
Devil Bill knew full well what they
came for and he talked and cursed
more furiously than usual. and swort
that anybody who would come expect
ing % see Old Sledgp tomorrow wa
an internal fool for he WASH { coming
He laid bare his strong arms and
shook his long hair and said he wishet
the wing. deceiving hyuocrite would
come. for il had been nigh on to four
teen wears since be had made a preach
er dance
saturday morning hy o'clock th,
settlement began to gather They
came on foot and uu horseback, aud IN
cart men. women and children anC
haforr 10 O'Clock there were more peO
no ar the crossroads than t'' eve
1,.an --a-t before
Bin Jones was mad 80 '.r.- r. iul