The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-24
The Largest Southern Tree.

The "big tree" in Washington, Ga,
is probably the odcs, and largest in Tie
Southern States. The town - Wash
ington has always been the home Of
culture and refinement, and Robert
Toombs, Alexander Stephens and other
Georgia celebrities have lroi, It's bord-
ers, passed their names into history In
visiting various point, Of interest round
the place..wc walked mile or 50 through
the beautiful unbrokcn forest. crossed Il
valley meadow with its winding stream,
and asccndcd IN cmincncc, the topt,t0ol
of the forest monarch. Some distance
from the big tree is giant brother,
which, towering broad and high above
its ncigbbors, and cnnccalc,. at IL dis
tancc by foliage, inprc-scs you on its APP
pcarancc rs being the monarch himself,
but when you reach the little knoll, with
its open space, on which stands the com
pact mass of bark and timber, and gaze
nloft on the huge limbs, themselves
larger than surrounding trees, yon stand
before the largest representative of the
vegetable kingdom in the Southern
States. The big tree" which is ON the
grounds Of Mr.. Adam Alexander, a
prominent citizen and devoted elder of
the Presbyterian Church, is a Tulip
bearing Poplar (Liriodcndron TnEpifcral
with height If lj5 feet, diameter of .
feet, n circumference Of about % feet,
and its lowest branches are 55 feet from
the ground. Mr.. Alexander told me
that ono day, while riding, he and Mai
Anthony Porter drew up their horses
sidcwise on the opposite sides Of the tree
anu could not, around it, see even the
tips Of each others horses heads or
tails.
This grove was Gods first Prcsbytc-
rian temple in Georgia, for about the
year 1870 the South Carolina prrsbytery
sent delegates, who held n meeting and
ordained RS. William Springer, the
first Presbyterian pastor in Georgia, un-
der the branches of this tree. Among
the officiating members of this open mir
Presbytery was Rev. John Brown, ID. d.,
tho first President Of Franklin College,
now the University of Georgia.
DR.. Brown and his friend, DIR. Lorenzo
Taylor, of the Baptist Church, were both
eminent for their piety; both were full
OF animal sp.- .ts. and both were great
musicians. DIR. Taylor being able to
play any instrument from all organ to u
Jew's-harp. Being together on one &C.
casion, DIR. Brown called for music,
whcreupon DIR. Taylor seized his fiddle
an asked what he would have. "Wcll,"
replied DIR. Brown, 81 suppose something
devotional" "All right" answered DR..
Taylor. striking up jig, 81 can &c, just
as much dc. .tion out Of Scotch reel as
any other style ofmusic."
In the month of July, 1865, the big tree
was struck by lightning, shivering its top
and blasting its vitality for some distance
below, and occasionally limb, which
the blight of decay has reached, comes
rattling and crushing down. But still
the gnarlcd and powerful branches
stretch their shade over the ground of
sacred associations; still men approach
the massive trunk with reverence, and
gaze up into the frondcd spire whose
annointing has not been by cruise of oil
but storm and tempest, and OH whose
tresses the lightning flung its glittering
| cUTonet.
Trees spring up and die beside it;
companions of its youth have all faded
and fallen away. But summer and win.
ter, seed time aud harvest, it stands
grandly and pcerlessly on it's ccnturied
foundation, and will long retain its dis.
tinction-the leafy monarch of the
Southern forcsts--Nc,o York Observer.