Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1915-09-23


harmony. you just tell 'em that my
door hain't never locked, an am at
home all the time.
''By gum. got guns that shoot
moro lead than they can carry in their
ydadblamed carcasses and l know how
10 use 'em."
Thus did Zachariah Taylor Elliott
defy the ku klux khan of the noun
tains when they sent him word that
they intended paying him an official
call.
Up to the present writing the prom
ised visit has never been made.
@Uucle Zach,' as he is affectionate-
ly called by all who know the once
mighty hunter OF the Cumberland
plateau, is unlike most men of the
Aaountains He has good deal to say
nd he cares little who be says it to.
He is as outspoken as he is fearless
and he condemns the various forms in
which mountain lawlessness appears
whenever 1t becomes apparent
He is not only one of the most in
fuential but one of the most prosper
GUS men in the community. Compar-
atively he is a mountain Croesus. Not
only does he own many acres of noun
tain land, much cattle and hogs, but
he owns one Of the best and largest
farms 10 the fertile Sequatchie valley.
Yet he prefers to live on the noun
tain, and in true mountain style be
maintains the reputation Of the Cum
berlands for hospitality, if it needs
any sustaining. which it does not,
''When l moved up here" he said,
'deer was plentiful and I made my
start in life as deer hunter l have
killed rs high as 14O in one season.
and always got good prices for the
yenison and better ones for the hides.
In nv time / reckon have killed
more than thousand deer. Most OF
them were shot with an old fashioned
loading single shot rifie. 1t was not
often that one got away, when got
bead on him.
tSometimes I had to shoot 'em with
salted bullets, by hammony.'
Curiosity concerning salted bullets
prompted inquiry.
$50 dad blamed fur away l was
afraid they'd spile afore ! got to EN-
Eyes, I've hunted bears, too. Used
to hunt them mostly with my old dad
when was not grown. / have kept
pretty accurate account of the bear 1
killed. and if made no mistake the
number is forty-six
lone time, by harmony. one got
me in close place, but I'm here to
tell about it, and the bear hain't.
~ found a hole or cave in the side
of old Bear Pen mountain, where l
thought a bear had gone 1t, but 1
could not figure where he come out,
so went in on my hands and knees to
see about it. The place was narrow
and there was not room for me and
the bear in the entrance at the same
time. Pretty soon found he was at
home. for could see his eyes a-shin'
in. That was all could see except,
that, by nammony, the boy was in
close place. If / missed that bea'
there in the dark, it was dad biam'
ed certainty that the bear would mol
miss me. | showed old Betsy forward
and cut down at what seemed the
right place, and as good luck and 9
steady nerve stayed with me, l just
lifted the top of bis head off.
"Now, if 1 had had gun like this
one" said Uncle Zach, exhibiting a
splendid automoatic Remington ritit
of the latest model. "no tellin' how
many I'd a-killed.
1t was plain that the old man wal
proud of his new gun, for he handief
it affectionately and kept it carefully
slowed in cotton flannel gun case.
aThat shootin' iron. - said th'
speaker was a present from my
friend Judge Nathan Bachman' OF
Chattanooga. The judge is one fin'
man and a mighty good friend o
mine. When I was over to Chattanoo
ga 'tendin' the federal court. be tool
me ont to his house fol- visit, ant
Allowed me the new courthouse and al
tSe fine buildings about there And
saw, do you know the judges wife
Well, she's just the finest that you ev
er did see. No foolishness no airs
lust the sort of wife that the Judg
ought to have. And they are liked III
nice at their home, too. l understand
that the judges father is some sort o
preacher and breaches at oil
Oh over there somewhere. WELL
amt often that parsons boy turn
out all that he ought to be, but hop
4 that the old man is credit to his So
this time"
When asked about his own children
~ Uncle Zack' modestly confessed {
being the father of some seventeen
with quartet of grandchildren clam
oring for recongition.
"How old am T. Say. stranger, =
run von foot race from here to to