Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-27
nailp Asnnebee suurnal.
Augusta, Saturday Morn'g, Sept. 81, 1879
No Use For Yankees I'm the South.

Yankees We're in demand III tne Soutl,
and they Ont there in considerable num-
beers, taking families and property with
them and intending TO make their homes
in that section of the country. This, how
ever, did not last long, and now there are
few Yankees who care to 60 South at the
sacrifice of manhood which is required OF
them, and those who went there TO remain
are returning to the North as fast as they
can conveniently dispose of their prop
erty and get away.
An instance has just been made public
which shows how Yankees are treated in
the South when they cross the track OF the
bulldozers politically.
In the Spring of 1870, n benevolent old
gentleman named Taylor. who had accu-
INFLATED competency in business pur-
suits in Philadelphia. went to Greenbriei
county, West Virginia, and purchased
200 acres of land. with a view to making
his home upon it. Two years later he
closed up his business in Philadelphia and
removed with his family to West Virginia,
where he had in the meantime begun an
extensive system of improvements. lie
built a fine residence. large grist and saw
mills, a shop with extensive woodwork
ing machinery, store. post-ofiice, church,
school-house and several dwellings, in
short, established the village of Salem.
Greenbrier county, West Virginia. He
constructed roads, bridges, etc, and
seems to have expended literally for any
purpose which promised to promote the
material or moral well-being of his neigh
borhood, without, as he declares, receiv-
ing one cent of benefit himself from the
investment. His total outlay exceeded,
by considerable sum, 100000.
Mr.. Taylor took no active part in poll
tics whatever. Notwithstanding this, he
experienced at intervals considerable an
noyance from a number of his ex-rebel
neighbors, because it was limited that he
was "A ID Yankee and they had no
use for him." Mr.. Taylor has written a
letter to the Attorney General, from which
the following extract descriptive of his
late experience is taken:
On Dec. 7, 1873, 8 p. NJ, while myselfand
family were attending divine service in the
5. s. room over my saw mill, my residence
was fired and it and contents totally destroy
ed. Loss $4,000
On March 6, 1879, they fred and utterly
destroyed my mill, and almost its entire con-
tents. Loss about $4,000. No insurance
on either.
On the night of the burning ofmy house an
anonymous letter was dropped in the Post
office box at my store, protesting friendship
and warning me of certain individuals with the
palpablepurp ofthrowing the onus ofthe fire
upon them. On Wednesday, April 90, re-
ceived the following drop letter ''Mr. TAY-
LoR: am sorry to hear of your late burning
OF to-day. Carpenter shop tools, lumber,
carriages, shedding, ETC., etc., accidently
caught from burning brush: loss about one
thousand dollars. Now for yoor house if 700
don't be getting away. | warned 700 the
night that your house catched but 700 did not
take heed. Now 700 have nothing left but
yoor house and barn, which will not take
longto go. ] have but few words this time.
A lover Of Truth. Take heed from me 1879"
Mr., Taylor says that he traced the au.
thorship of this letter to one of his neigh
bors, and made the facts known to the
authorities, but was unable to secure the
slightest assistance towards the arrest of
the suspected person or the protection of
his property. He continues:
Since the burning of my mill, and failure
of my application for help to the authorities,
/ have been obliged at considerable expense
to guard my buildings with armed watchmen
Have been closing out my personal property
as rapidly as possible, but it would seem by
the last communication not fast enough for
them. Succeeded in renting my store and ar
ranging for the transfer of the post-office to a
native, rendered my resignation as Postmaster
to the Department, and named my successor.
Before the requisite papers came, the new in
cumbent became frightened and threw up his
lease and his position. packed up his goods
and left, leaving my stock again in jeopardy.
Immediately packed my store goods, which
are now in wagons out in the weather await
ing opportunity for disposal and abandoned
the store and contiguous dive ling to its fate.
As my life had been threatened ! arbitrarily
transferred the post-office to a neighbor and
informed the Department of my action"
Since making this report, Mr.. Taylor
has been in Washington and talked with
the officials Of the Department of Justice
and the Post Office Department After
making due allowance for the prejudices
which must have been produced in his
mind by his inhospitable experience, those
who talked with Mr.. Taylor were con-
WINGED of the truth of the above statements.
The Attorney General was compelled to
say that nothing could be done by the Gov
eminent. The Post Office Department
had not received any reports of the occur
Fences, aud had therefore done nothing.
Mr.. Taylor became convinced before he
left Salem that one of the principal motives
for the later atrocities was the fact that he
had made report of an assault committed
by neighboring postmaster. a democrat,
upon republican mail carrier This re-
port was mailed at Salem, and had to pass
through the hands of the postmaster whom
it implicated. 1t never reached the De-
partmapt