The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-10-17
Place OfZackary Taylor.
(From the Louisville Courier Journal

tFrom the Louisville Courier JOurnall
| Between five and six miles from the
| city, on an obscure neighbOrhOOdr road, a
| quarter of mile from the BrOwnsbOrO
road, rest the remains of the twelfth
| President Of the United States-Zackary
| TaylOr-whOse name was once upon all
| lips, and whose praises sounded from
one end of the country to the other.
| The grave is situated in the northeast
| corner of the Taylor farm, and it is
mortifying to relate that it is in a sadly
neglected condition, underbrush, weeds
and ailantus trees rendering it very
difficult of access. No monument has
ever been erected to General TaylOr's
memory. The remains lie there in a
marble slab over the door bearing the
inscription:
z. TAYLOR,
Born November 24, 1884,
Died July 8, 1850.
The services rendered by this brave,
gOOd-natured old soldier deserve mOnu-
| mental recognition. A gentleman who
recently visited the grave said to a repor-
ter of this paper: GAS stood there with
head uncovered my mindreverted to boy
hood days, and remembered a solemn
funeral cOrtege at Philadelphia, the city
in mourning, public buildings and priv
ate residences draped in black, hush
all over the city, sadness depicted in
every face, for great, brave old General
Taylor was dead. The whole nation in
fact mOurned his loss. Twenty three
years after this find myself at his grave
near Louisville, and am impressed with
4hn Go Ero% hA
forgotten"
The place does indeed appear forgotten.
A stone wall encloses the little grave
yard, and rusty and unused iron gate
frowns upon the visitor. 1t evidently
has not been opened for years. Colonel
Richard Taylor is buried to the right of
General Taylor. An obelisk, eighteen
feet high, is erected over his grave,
bearing the inscribtion: Colonel
Richard Taylor, soldier of the revolu-
tiOnary war and a native Of Orange
county, Virginia; born April 3, 1744;
died January 10, 1899"
Colonel Taylor came to this State
while his son, Zachary, was an infant,
and settled on the plantation where he
is now buried.
What, asks an exchange, becomes of
all the men, who in youth exhibit high
talents, and give promise of a brilliant
future? How suggestive the question,
and how much truth there is in the state
ment that they may be seen envelOped in
white aprons, with hair parted in the
middle, and squirting behind diamond
clusters, dealing out mixed drinks, as
bar tenders. The voices that once gave
evidence Of CicerOne talentare now heard
selling cheap jewelry or prize candy on
the street corners. They command
canal boats and street cars, and occa-
siOnally one with more ambition than
the others, becomes manufacturer of
root beer, lemonade and other pleasant
and refreshing summer drinks. Ten
chances to one the boy who left school
at the head Of his class, astonishing the
faculty, and making proud the parents
by the brilliancy of his genius, has not
found his real level in any one of the
high positions their hopes had assigned
him. More than likely, he is keeping a
peanut stand, or is employed in some
menial service, at poor compensation.
The girl that is always correct, prompt
and studiOus at school, seldOms marries
we'll, nor fully meets the expectations
Of her friends. On the contrary, she
connects herself with man who cannot
appreciate worth, and the duties and
cares of her position gradually usurp
the intellectual and elevating tastes and
| associations Of former years. The rough
hands, bu ky form, careWOrn features
and commonplace remark, all belong to
| the one who graduated with such high
h0nOrs at atthe--Semlnary. There is
| something wrong about this way our
promising young men and women are
turning out. The brilliant genius with
which they have been credited must
have been mistake, and their acquire
ments as scholars a purely mechanical
education, SO far as they are concerned
is q failure. Which is it? Is the brain
taught to store up useful knowledge by
the systems in vogue at our schools, or
| is it used like slate-rubbed out
when filled? We believe this to be the
fault. All the essentials of a perfect
education have been traced upon the
brain, but when the recitation or examin-
alton has passed, all these impressions
have been rubbed out or forgotten. We
feel safe in saying that large portion
of our modern graduates are no better
| fitted for successful competition with the
world than those who have had the ad-
vantages of q country school for q few
terms, and we point to the fact, undispu-
ted and melancholy as it is, that three
| fOurthS OF the young men and women
who graduate never fulfill the hopes
and expectations entertained of them
| They promise well, but don't pay worth
o cent. 49,.
A STRANGE story comes from Ohio.