Among the curious characters who used to travel the pike was a wagoner named John Carr, best known as “Devil” Carr, who was very much of a bully. Once, while driving over Laurel ridge, about a mile from Picking’s hotel, Carr met a peddler on a large flat rock, which covers the road for some distance. After they had greeted each other pleasantly, Carr induced the peddler to leave his wagon, on some pretext or other, then holding his whip threateningly, asked him if he could dance. The peddler said he could, and Carr, standing by with his whip, kept him dancing until both were tired of the sport. He then ordered the peddler to get upon his wagon and proceed, and to tell every person he met how “Devil” Carr made him dance. But the peddler, going to his wagon, produced a revolver, and pointing it at Carr’s head, commanded him to dance. Carr complied, seeing no other way out of the unpleasant trap in which he was caught. Finally the peddler said, “Now you get on your wagon and ride on. Don’t look back; and if you meet anybody tell them you saw a peddler who was a match for you, and made you dance.”
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