Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-04-09
Abingdon in the Days Agone.
Wolf Greek so Years Ago.
T Number 2. l

In my last, / neglected to state that
Mai. Bradley was for many years an
acting magistrate of this county, in
the good old time when our magis-
trates were elected by the court for
their worth, and received their ap-
pointments without the l0g-rOlliug
AID electiOneering attending such eltc-
tions now. The only remuR Grafton
then received Was after long term
OF service the oldest magistrate be-
came High Sheriff, and either sold it
to some other person or performed the
duties of the office himself. MsjUr
Bradley lived TO be high sheriff.
Leaving Maj. BrAdley's, we come to
Eli McCalebs, the blacksmith, living
Oh the bank of the creek. He erected
a large tilt-hsmmer and shop for the
purpose Of putting up wagons and
cRrryRIIs, and employed conside rs
bic nun Der of smiths aAd wagon
makers, and nsade things quite lively
for several years. 4 night the
thUmp, thump, Of the huge hammer
could he heard for miles around. The
hammer and bellows were driven by
water. Mae. wss bacbelor-a good,
generous, kind hearted fellow. I have
4lEGEd INN lAt1 LSL-b1E bAi'+I W Ai'-ti
he went to sch col that he had
studied the multiplication table hard
fer nine mouths, and nj The eud Of
that tine was not graduate. u Ia wa-
industrious and well To Do, but whis-
key was his besetting sin, and finally
brought him to ruin and bankruptcy
On the opposite bank Of the creek
lived Mrs. Amanda Craig, u widow
lady, who, at the time OF which we
write, taught a school for many years
at her house, assisted By one Of her
SONS. She had large and finurishiDg
ochool-numberIng frequently from
so to go scholars.
Passing Mrs. Craig's, we come next
to Mrs. Montgomery an old widow
lady, who kept house with her three
daughters Mrs. Montgomery was
remarkable woman in some respects.
Her recollection of dates and events
were superior to those of any other
person that | ever knew, seeming by
intuition never to be at loss to locate
the positive dates and events of the
past. One of her daughters about
this time married man named RO-
per, who came from Kentucky here
and commenced the cotton spinning
business IN connection with Mr.. Zim-
norman, After carrying on this buai
ness for 81 few years, and not proving
remunerative. it was abandoned.
Crossing the road to the bricl, house
(nOw occupied by Mr. Floyd Hurt,
lived William Smith. citizen of Au-
gusta, Ga. who spent his summers
here and his winter in Augusta. This
house was built by Capt. Robert Craig,
who gave it TO his daughter, the wife
OF Mr.. Smith.
Next, on hke opposite side Of the
road, where Mr.. Mcconnell now lives,
we find Capt. Henry Parrot. Here
he lived until his death, i'll 1850. He
was Il saddler hy trade. Capt. Parrot
was mau Of warm and generous i'm
pulses energetic 10 = great degree, he
carried on quite an extensive trSde
with bis wares in Russell county. 4
fact connected with this
branch OF his business was that for y
years he never missed attending but
two of the courts of that county dur
ing this long period OF time. Often,
when the North Fork of HOlston was
swollen with freshet, has he swan his
horse by the canoe. He was always
to he found as regularly at his post as
were the lawyers at the bar. No man
wac fOnder Of O fine horse. lie al
ways kept lis horses as fat and slick
as it wac possible to keep them. He
raised a family of 10 children, and
lived to see them all grown. lie lad,
by Industry and economy, eCcumula-
ted quite q handsome property. |
have frequently heard him say that
when he came from Fincastle to Alb
ingdOn, that be walked the whole dis
tance, and carried ali his earthly goods
in his pocket-hsndkerchief, and had
but twenty five cents when he reach
ed Abingdon.
We now pass down the creek to Mrs.
Sarah Hamilton a widow, aud
daughter Of Capt. Rob't. Craig with
her Capt. Craig lived for many years
before his death, which occurred in
1884. He was Cne of the first settlers
of this county, coming from Pennsyl-
vaniR about the same time of Rev
Chas. Cummings, Jas Piper, and 9TH
ers Of those hardy pioneers of frontier
Cart. Craig was in the
Revolutionary war. He was q man OF
fine conversational powers, and pos
sessed OF sn almost inex haustable fund
Of anecdotes. 10y which he made him
self most pleasant companion TO the
young. lie raised family of Is chill
dTen, and lived to see them all grown
and married. He was able to settle
and provide for them all comfortably.
Mrs. Hamilton owned The farmed now
occupied 10y Messrs. Sutton & Yaies.