USA > Indiana > Monroe County > The new purchase : or, seven and a half years in the Far West > Part 22
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" The very kind in which the Philadelphia Storm-king delights: but he did not raise ours.
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like demon-serpents, around and up the mighty trees that sustained the pyres! Here and there sheets of flame thrown forth horizontally, and seemingly by an intervening body of smoke, detached from the mass of fire, resembled clouds on fire and burning up from their own lightning!
.
No breath of life could any longer be drawn in that field of fire! It was abandoned as a wide tumultuating flood, where un- seen and dreadful spirits held a terrific revel amidst the roar, and crash, and thunder of flaming whirlwinds !
Far and wide the forest was grandly illuminated; and in re- turning home I ofteni looked back and saw the noble trees at the pyres, tossing their mighty arms and bowing their spreading tops for mercy and succour-ay! like beings sending forth cries of agony unheard in that fiery chaos! Our home was several miles from this clearing, but the next night, on ascending the bluff on the creek, we could yet see in that quarter a lurid sky, and now and then fitful gleams of brightness; and even a week after, as I passed that clearing, the arena was yet smoking, although nothing remained of that part of the primeval forest, save heaps of ashes and a few blackened upright masses that for so many centuries had been the living bodies of the lately martyred trees!
CHAPTER XXVII.
"A merrier man
Within the limit of becoming mirth
I never spent an hour's talk withal, So sweet and voluble is his discourse."
READER, will you be asked a question ?
"Certainly."
Do you ever go to the post-office?
"What a question !"
Well, but are you thankful for a daily mail?
"Pshaw! I never think about it."
Just as I supposed. I was such a thoughtless person myself, once. Now, however, I am thankful to Uncle Samuel every time I walk to the post-office.
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In our part of the Purchase the nearest office to Glenville was at Spiceburgh, always nine miles off, sometimes two or three more. To that office the mail-if such may be called a dirty, famished, flapping, scrawny pair of little saddlebags, containing three or four letters in one end, and half a dozen newspapers in the other --- the mail came regularly (in theory) once a month, till the Hon. J. Glenville exerted himself in favour of his constituents, and then it came very irregularly once in two weeks. Sometimes there was an entire failure in the saddlebags' arrival. And this was occasioned by the clerk at Woodville office, who, whenever he discovered no letters for Spiceburgh retained the papers for private edification, and to be forwarded next mail: at least Josey Jackson, our post-master, said so. Sometimes our mail failed because of high waters; although our post-boy, Jack Adams, a spunky little chap, would often in such cases swim over: but then the half-starved wallet was twice washed away, and when recovered, the news in both letters and papers was too diluted and washy for any practical purpose.
Reader, it was truly sickening, after waiting four endless weeks with the most exemplary impatience, and after toiling, not over, but through a road always nearly impassable, and when passable full of peril to learn that no mail would arrive till next month; or what was even worse, that it had indeed come, but with only one letter, and that maybe for the Big-Bear-wallow settlement!1 The faint hope that sustained one in the lonely and wearisome path now became despair ! and yet, all that wet, long, tangled way to repass! and no mail again for four other hateful weeks! No wonder we finally ceased from all correspondence, contenting ourselves with hiring a man, with a remnant of sole leather, to bring our newspapers when he could get them: which luckily he did as often as once in three months! No wonder during all our western sojourn, if the world never heard of us: although in this we had a very ample revenge, as in that time, we heard nothing of the world, and I think, even cared less.
But this autumn, I expected a letter from my old friend Clar- ence; and so, on a delightful September morning, off I started,
1 All things out there are big: if two things of the same name are to be distinguished, one is called big, and the other powerful big.
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confident of finding his letter. The road, also, was less bad, and with diligence we should get home about the middle of the after- noon. And Dick, too, was in high spirits; for he always re- garded as a holiday, the exchange of the bark mill for such a jaunt; and he now trotted among the bottomland with voluntary and most uncommon speed till of a sudden the old fellow scented, or saw, or heard something which made him very fidgetty and uneasy.
What could it be? Dick, it was known, had some finical ways, but he was now manifestly alarmed, and made some desperate attempts to wheel-when, sure enough, a strange figure emerged from the tall rank weeds into the road before us, and continued to move in front, and apparently never having noticed our ap- proach. This figure was undeniably human; and yet at bottom it seemed a man, for there were a man's tow-linen breeches; at top, a woman; for there was the semblance of a short gown, and, indeed, a female kerchief on the neck, and a sun-bonnet on the head! Then again the apparition wore enormous masculine leather boots, and under one arm carried a club; although both of the hands seemed to be holding above the hips, rolls of woollen cloth, very much like a furled petticoat! Whether the affair would turn out a man dressed in woman's upper articles, or a woman, in man's lower ones, was yet to be discovered. The suspense, however, was not long; for at the noise of Dick's sneezing (who saw how matters stood, and gave warning by way of delicacy), the hands of the figure instantly relaxed their hold on the linsey rolls and down dropped a sudden curtain all around over breeches and boots, in the shape of a veritable petticoat ! and before us walked a genuine daughter of the woods!
The universally favourite attire of females (indescribables) is not, we presume, to be traced to French milliners, male or female. It originated in the necessities of a new country, where women must hunt cows hid in tall' weeds and coarse grass, in dewy or frosty mornings. And to that is owing brief frocks; although out there, such when allowed to fall to the natural hang of the articles, shut from view the indescribables-or very nearly so. Dressed thus in the husband's boots as well as his thingamies (the limbs of which are worn as our fathers wore them within,
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and not without the boots), our fair lady this morning, bade de- fiance to wet grass, running briars, snake-bites, ticks, and all and every evil incident to cow-hunting!
1
Of course we exchanged compliments on passing; but Dick was so dumb-founded at the miraculous transformation on the sudden fall of the screen, that he shyed and passed without a word: the truth is, I was all but frightened myself!
I need not tell all the silly things that entered my mind at the thought of such an exhibition in certain places and assemblies- but I was fairly recovered on reaching Spiceburgh; and the event had perhaps rather increased my good-nature, and encour- aged the hope of finding a long-expected letter. On approaching the cabin-office, and while hanging Dick to a gate post, a glimpse caught of Josey trying to escape out of a back door into the woods gave me a sudden pang ; for this was Josey's way of getting off, when there was no letters for his friends, and leaving the matter of explanation to his wife as he "naterally hated," he said, "to see folks so powerful disapinted." But I was too quick, and so hailed :
"Hillo! the house, Josey !" -
"Ah! hillo; how are you? come walk in-I was a sort of steppin round the other way-powerful fine day."
"Very-Well, Josey, anything this time"?
"Well-there was three letters and some papers kim day afore yesterday-but I wan't in-and Polly, she put them away-and I ain't heern her say that thare was anything for your settlement up thare."
"Why, Josey, one must be for me; it can't be possible the let- ter, that a month ago was to be here, is not come this mail!"
"Well-I should a sort a think one of them mought be the letter. Glenville's goin a-head most powerful in this part of the district-Jerry's a clever feller-but we go tother way down here: if Glenvile gits in, we'll try old Uncle Sam, and have the mail twice a month in these here diggins."
"Yes, but if they manage no better at Woodville or some other place, we shall only be disappointed twice a month instead of once."
"He! he! he !- yes-well, let's go back, Mr. Carltin, and take a look."
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Josey's wife now appeared en dishabille,2 being occupied with her wash-tub in the space between the cabin and the kitchen; when Josey, to prepare and smooth the way to my disappointment, said to his lady :
"See here, Polly! don't you think one of them thare three letters mought be for Mr. Carltin ?"
"Nan!" (she heard well enough.)
"Don't you think one of them thare three letters what kim day afore yesterday, mought be for Mr. Carltin?"
"Well, no, I don't jist exactly mind-(remember)-but I a sorter allow maybe perhaps two's for the Snake Run Sittlemint's folks"-(washing away as if the article was very hard to get clean)-"and tother was tuk out more nor an hour ago."
"Which way, Mrs. Jackson," said I, eagerly, as a glimmer of hope arose-"which way did the person come-perhaps it was Tommy Robison, as I asked him the other day to call here, and -"
"Well-I kind a sorter think as maybe perhaps the man said the letter was hissin-and I actially seed him a readin on it !"
"Well," said Josey, very tenderly-"let's go into the back room anyhow, and overhaul the bureau-maybe some how or nother we mought a overlooked last month-or may be arter all one of the two's yourn."
The back room was a closet boxed off with poplar boards, its junctures pasted over with strips of deceased newspapers; and it held a bed for the postmaster and mistress, and-a bureau, of which two drawers were Uncle Sam's Cabinet, the top drawer for living letters and papers, the second (descending), for dead ones. Into this sanctum I was now invited out of compassion, with the privilege of rummaging for myself.
First, then, the live drawer was jerked out, and Josey and myself began our search with great system and good judgment, collecting, as a preparatory step, all the living newspapers into one corner, and which amounted to nearly two dozens, two or three with envelopes and directions : the rest, naked, and thumbed and dying :- all destined I fear to the dead drawer. This com-
2 French, for being caught "in the suds."
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pleted, one letter only remained, instead of two, and that sure enough for-
"Missus Widder Dolly Johnsin, head at Snake-Run-kere of . her brother near Spiceburg"-(on one corner)-"case he's gone to Orleens, p. m., send it to the Widder herself."
But what had become of the other letter? Josey here was much disturbed, as he knew it had not been called for. At my suggestion, a shaking of each newspaper was commenced, when pretty soon out tumbled the second one,-and that too, for Snake Run. A very scrutinizing search was next instituted under, and into, and around a half-knit stocking, and some little calico bags nearly full of squash or calabash, or cucumber seeds; and even a square box half full of roasted store coffee-but no chance letter for me could be discovered. I was about, therefore, to go away much chagrined, when it occurred, that as a living letter had been concealed in a dying paper, maybe, a letter might have been buried alive among the defunct articles of the next drawer : and accord- ingly a request was made for a peep into that tomb. To this, Josey, after a momentary hesitation, replied : "Oh! it's no use no how-still, if it will satisfy a feller crittur, let's have the over- haul:"-and with that forth came the repository of departed news written and printed, and with such a vengeance-(for it stuck a little)-that the dead things, many of them, bounced into the middle of the room, like criminals' carcasses when galvanized.
Ah! painful sight! that drawer like other graves (in some cities) was too full !- it contained more than the living world! And the frightful way that papers and letters were huddled, must soon have killed a delicate and sensitive thing-a love letter, for instance, if by any mischance it had come down from the upper drawer alive! Well, we rummaged-and shook-and tossed-and pitched for a good quarter of an hour, till out leaped a letter,-a real living letter-folded in a civilized way-and actually susperscribed :
"Robert Carlton, Esq. Glenville Settlement, &c. &c."-and post-marked-"Princeton, N. J."
Josey was, of course, completely mystified, and began twenty awkward apologies; but, although not a little provoked, I was so rejoiced at the resurrection of my letter, and Josey was so
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sorry, and after all, so clever a fellow, that he was cordially forgiven : 3-and that, reader, argues me not spiteful.
I now prepared to return home: and just then, a young chap rode by on his way to Johnson's store; for Spiceburg was a large village, containing, first, Mr. Johnson's Store; second, a black- smith's establishment : and third, Josey Jackson's post-office, which last was also a tavern, and now becoming a kind of opposition store : although an opposition post-office would have been more ยท serviceable, both to town and country. The chap named, im- mediately hailed me, and made a proposal for me to wait till he had done his purchases, when we could ride home in company. As Sam lived in an adjoining settlement, and I really wanted company (to say nothing of political news),-I readily agreed to wait, although we well knew it would be some hours before the bargains were concluded.
In a New Purchase country, "going to store" is as much for recreation as business, and preparation is made as for any other treat or amusement. The store is, too, the place for news, re- cent and stale-for gymnastics, wrestling, pitching quoits, run- ning,-for rifle shooting. for story-telling, &c .- and hence, a purchaser's stay is not in direct ratio to his intended bargains, but rather in the inverse ; a fellow having only six cents to spend, will sometimes lounge in and around a store for six hours! Nor must even that be wholly imputed to the fellow's idleness. It is in part, owing to his unwillingness to part with-cash; and when it is considered how very difficult it was then, and maybe now, in the New Purchase to get hold of "silver," then it will appear that to lay out even a fippenny-bit must have become a matter for very . solemn reflection, and very lengthy chaffering. In my time, rarely indeed, could two cash dollars be seen circulating together ; and having then no banks, and being suspicions of all foreign paper, we carried on our operations almost exclusively by trade.' For goods, store-keepers received the vast bulk of their pay in produce, which was converted into cash at Louisville, Cincinnati, or more frequently at New-Orleans. The great house of Glen- ville and Carlton paid for all things in-leather. Hence, oc-
3 My friend, R. Carlton, was not at all influenced by the consideration that Josey intended to vote for Glenville. C. CLARENCE.
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casionally when a wood-chopper must have shoes and yet had no produce, but offered to pay in "chopping," we, not needing that article, and being indebted to several neighbours who did, used to send the man and his axe as the circulating medium in demand among our own creditors, to chop out the bills against us. In- deed, it was out there some wise statesmen of hard currency memory, learned to do without banks, and therefore, wished to let the neighbours in here have a taste of their experience : although cash seems difficult to find anywhere, for we of the New Pur- chase supposed the scarcity owing to the non-existence of banks, while we of the Old Purchase, attribute the scarcity to their existence. For my part, I must ever think the leather currency better than the mere paper one; and that the latter although not so often tramped under foot as the other, yet still more de- serves it.
My friend Sam to-day had come to town with two silver-fip- penny-bits, and a roll of tow linen; and he intended to buy four panes of glass, 8 by 10's, half a pound of store-coffee, eighth of a pound of store-tea, one quarter pound of gunpowder, and a pound of lead : also, if they could be got cheap, a string of button moles and a needle. Sam prided himself on being a hard hand at a bargain, and Mr. Johnson, I well knew, although an honest man; was a prudent dealer and, therefore, I determined to remain in the store and witness the trading. The colloquy opened thus, after Sam had deposited his roll of linen on the counter :
"Well, Johnson, you don't want no tow linen to-day, I allow -do you?"
"If 'tis good. What do you want for it?"
"I allow to take half trade and half silver as near about as we can fix it."
"Sam, you're joking-we don't give cash for anything but pork and lard."
"That's powerful stingy-well, what's this piece worth-it's powerful fine."
"This;" (examining)-'tis pretty good-'tis worth ten cents in silver. We give twelve in trade."
"Ketch a duck asleep .!- if that 'ere tow linen thare aint worth fifteen cents in store-tea or coffee ither, I'll bet old Nan-(his
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rifle)-again two-shot gun! Howe'er I'll track round a little-I wants any how to go over to the post-office, maybe thare's a paper come."
Now this, reader, was all gum; Sam could not read a word. He intended this as a threat to deal in the opposition store, and Mr. Johnson so understood it: in fact he had anticipated such a move, and for that purpose had underrated the linen, intending to raise the true value as if induced so to by Sam's superior dexterity, by which the linen would be secured and his customer pleased. And therefore, Mr. J. thus answered :
"Sam! Sam! you're a hard Christian : but I've large payments at Louisville, and you've been a pretty good customer, and a cent or so aint much-and rather than let you go to Josey's, I'll give you thirteen cents."
Now this Sam thought just one cent higher than the linen was worth; yet it was in reality precisely half a cent less-and that other half cent Johnson intended finally to give him. Hence when Sam replied, "Well! I raythur allow as maybe perhaps Josey would a sorter give fourteen cents; but I don't like to d'sart old friends, and so says I, jist gimme thirteen and a half .cents, and it's trade!" it was what Mr. Johnson was prepared to .hear. Accordingly, after affecting to consult a book of prices, (I think it was an old counting-house almanac) and after figur- ing away at the double rule of three in vulgar fractions, at all which Sam stared as at a magical operation, Johnson at last looked up, and scratching his head, said :-
"Let's see-eight-sixteenths is four-eighths, and that is one half-and half is two-fourths-and five per cent-and tow linen at a discount-why, Sam, you'll break a fellow some day or other-still I can't lose more than a fraction of a cent on a yard, and I must not let you go to Josey's. Well, I'll give thirteen and a half, and it's a bargain. Now, what will you have?"
"Well, I'm goin to see how the new skow's comin on-and you may measure the linen till I get back, and then we'll take it out in something or nuther."
And with that away went Sam, leaving Mr. Johnson to meas- ure off the piece; for while he affected to fear the storekeeper would cheat him in price, he never dreamed that he would either
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lessen the number of yards or miscalculate the sum in his own favour. Nor was his confidence abused, for Johnson was an honest man, and had only used indirection to come at the true price, because of Sam's perverse sagacity in bargains. I did not, however, stay to watch the measurement, but buying a sheet of foolscap, I retired to a back room where I answered Clarence's letter, so unexpectedly rescued from the dead, giving him among other matters a condensed statement of its resuscitation.
It was a full hour before Sam's return; and then the quantum suff. of tea, coffee, glass, &c. being furnished, the balance of trade was found against him, and he owed the store precisely nine and a quarter cents. In lieu of this Mr. J. offered to take one of Sam's silver fips, which although a liberal discount in Sam's favour he regarded as right down Jewish usury ; and the storekeeper was obliged to book the nine and a quarter cents, to be paid in "sang." Nor was this conduct of Sam's so very surprising, when it is recollected that for one hundred and twenty-five cents could be bought a whole acre of land! bottom land! trees! spice bush ! papaws! and all: hence to ask for six and a fourth cents, was asking a pretty good slice off an acre! Sam was, therefore, really indignant.
He now was getting ready to start home, when spying a spring .of button-moles, he remembered he was to buy a fip'sworth; and supposing a prime bargain was to be had for cash, he proposed to pay right down one of his silver pieces for the half of the string, worth in all twenty-five cents.
"Come now," said he, "Mr. Johnson, here's the silver cash money, right slam smack down, for one half jist of that 'ere leetle bit of a string-"
"Oh! no, Sam, we can't go that-I'll give you so far," replied Johnson, measuring a minor third.
"Well-I've traded a most powerful piece of linin here this mornin-and I'll be teetotally darned if I won't try Josey, and see if he won't give me more moles for silver cash money."
Our storekeeper well knew Josey had no moles, and so after a feint to retain a customer, he let him go; but no sooner had he got out of hearing, than our merchant took down his string of moles, and laughing as he slipped off nearly half into a drawer, he
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said to me, "Sam will be back directly, and then I mean to sell him a little more than the worth of his fip." He then suspended the diminished string in its former place, and shortly after Sam came back, and began :-
"Well, I don't like, arter all, to d'sart old friends, and so says I, jist gimme one half of that darn'd leetle string-for it's time me and Mr. Carltin was making tracks home."
"Ah! Sam, how shall we live these hard times? but I suppose if I must, I must-so down with your dust. And here's a full half-and now take which end you like."
Sam chose; and then the dealer stripped off the half, amount- ing to a good eight cents' worth; while our man of cash pulled out a small dirty deer skin pouch, and untying its mouth, he emptied all the contents on the counter, viz : two silver fips, three "chaw'd bullits," a damaged rifle wiper, four inches of pigtail tobacco, and three worn gun-flints. But he was evidently yet scarcely determined to part with his cash; for he took up first one and then the other fip, apparently more than once about to return both to the pouch, and offer more "sang:" till at length, believing he had got nearly double as many moles as he could obtain for "trade," he handed over, with the air of one making another's fortune, the worse looking and more worn fippenny bit and then the other articles, together with the button-holes, being put into the pouch along with the widowed fip, he was ready to ride, and we in a few moments more were on our way home.
My comrade was in high glee at the way in which he "had make it off o' Johnson," i. e., the way he had just got the worth of his money, and which the storekeeper would have readily given him at once, without so much plague to his customer's wits, if Sam's own dexterity had not seemed to make the indirection necessary. I too was in high glee, hoping to secure an additional vote for our candidate; and we, therefore, jogged along very harmoniously. Nay, as it was now becoming dark, I yielded to a proposal for the sake of company, to go all the way round by the Indian grave, that being the proper path to Sam's settlement. This reminds me of my promised tale of the Indian grave; to which, after ending the present chapter with a pleasant little ad- venture of our own this night, the next chapter will be devoted.
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Not long after our quitting the three blazes, and turning into the unblazed trace at the grave, it became quite dark; and we were compelled to ride in Indian file, Dick and myself in the van, Sam and his quadruped in the rear. Be it remembered, part of his purchase was (or were?) four small panes of glass, intended to illuminate their new cabin, and make its native darkness visible in the day. A sort of window had, indeed been made by skipping a log in the erection ; but our friends had begun to be richer, and it had been lately voted to have a sash of four lights at ten cents each, it being most specially for this, the twelve yards of tow- cloth had been woven, and this very day sold at Spiceburgh. And, even now, Sam, the eldest son, twenty-one years old last Spring, was actually riding homeward with the long coveted glass, done up in two sheets of coarse demi-paper, and tied across two ways, with strong pack-thread-yes, all safe under his arm!
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