Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-03
COURT WEEK IN DARIEN.
Trials Of Trnvel--JumpiDg for q
Train Night on the Altamaha--
The HarmOn-Bryan TragedY-A
Legend OF OglethOrpe-Wher FAM
ME X enable ReSgned-HIInor Notes
A Delayed Letter.
From a stef eorrespondea.


DARIHN, November % There are doubt
less many readers of the News who will be
surprised to learn that the traveller taking
the 'soverland route" for Darten has three
changes to make before reaching his desti-
nation, yet such Is the case, and IN good
weather no objection can be found, as much
can be seen to interest and amuse, thus civ
ing variety to the trip.
The shortening of the schedule on the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railwsy
had been advertised, and was to 90 into
effect on Sunday, the 9th inst, the fast
train leaving for Jacksonville at II a. m.
instead Of 1920 p. m, as heretofore. On
reaching the depot few minutes before
the hour named, your correspondent found
Judge Tompkins, Col. Lester, and other
members OF the legal fraternity, bound for
Darien (where the Superior Court Of Nc
Intosh was convened Monday, and then
learned that the train would not leave
until at least IL o'clock. The inability
Of the company to carry cut the schedule
announced being due to the failure of the
Charleston and Savannah Railroad to change
their schedule to connect, and hence there
was nothing to do but to wait until the
arrival of that train, which came in at
11:35, and which was to carry the southwark
ward bound passengers. presume from
the advertisement / have since seen In the
Charleston paper that the new schedule
goes into immediate effect on the Charles
nd nd
ton with the IL o'clock train for jackson
vile will be made at Savannah. The changes
and transfers were quickly made, and few
minutes after IL the Irain, under the charge of
that clever conductor, LoVick Dupont, Esq,
rolled cut of the depot and was soon speed
ing rapidly over the smooth steel rails OF
the splendidly laid track. The hour lost
had to be made up between Savannah and
Jacksonville, and the pluckY, skilllul eEgi-
neer, Macauley, gave full rein to his iron
horse. When we reached JesBp it was
found that fifty minutes OF the lost time had
been made up, an evidence that the train
was ''fast" not in name only. at this point
we left the Savannah, Florida and Western
Railway, and prepared to utilize the two
hours before the departure OF the train for
Brunswick by destroying some ''cold
victuals" at the Altamaha Hotel, and in such
other manner as the opportunity offered to
hour and half the train on the East Ten.
nessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad came
in from Macon, bound to Brunswick.
A half hour or more was spent by this
train in drilling and shifting cars, and we
waited patiently on the platform until the
conductor should announce ''au aboard, !"
and give US time to reach our seats in the
coach where our Craps" were. In this case,
however, we "reckoned without our host"
as 1t were, as the conductor on this train
proved to be one of those
SMART YOUNG MEN,
whose official station apparently gave him an
exalted idea of his importance, and caused
him to lookwith supreme contempt upon pas
sengers who were so ignorant as to presume
that the train would pull up at the platform
again and stop long enough for them to get
on, as Is usual under such circumstances.
Whether his gigantic intellect so regarded
the ST uation or not. it Is certain he deter
mined that the passengers must take the
risk Of not knowing as much as he did on
the subject. Without a word Of warning or
notification he jumped on the cars. and the
train moved off. But for the impulse born
of the inspiration that blesses the veteran
traveller, the party would have been cleft"
AS it was, they had 10 maze a rush and
scramble to get on the cars of the swiftly
moving train, at the imminent risk Of per-
sonai injury, in which event the smart con-
ductor might have been instrumental in
presenting his road with healthy suit for
damages. "Ali's well that ends well"
however, ard as there were no legs broken
no one ''got left.n We will say no more
about It further than to express the hope
that this knowing young conductor may be
speedily brought to q realization of the i'm
portance Of imparting little of his knowl-
edge on occasions when the travelling pub
lie have right TO expect 1t, and not permit
an innocent passenger run the risk OF break
ing his neck.
Jesup soon passed from sight, and we
made ourselves comfortable for o ride OF
forty. three miles, our next destination being
the
TOWN OF STERLING,
a collection of several houses at the station,
No. l, ten miles from Brunswick, and about
eight miles from the landing on the Alta
maha river. There is public house at this
point, kept BY John A. Phillips. where good
meals are furnished the belated traveller. In
the winter season the place Is well patron
ICED, as the numerous timber cutters, who
raft their logs down the river to Darien and
Doboy, always return By the railroad and
stop at this house for the trains. Here were
found conveyances, Phillips running reg
dlar hack line to the landing and about
O'Clock we started In comfortable wagon for
Harmon Smiths Landing. The road passes
through q thick pine forest, (Which has
already been invaded by the turpentine mem,
and the hardy mules that constituted the
team covered the distance 10 something over
an hour. Reaching the landing just as the
shades of night were closing in we found
the steamer Sapelo, little craft about the
size Of small tug, but with cabin capable
of accommodating a dozen or more, with
steam up and ready to start for DSrlen,
twelve miles distant. This was the third
and last change. The transfers were quickly
made, and in a few minutes the little
steamer, putting and blowing, gliGed off
from the landing, emitting from her smoke
stack mYriads of sparks, which formed into
a continuous tail, and fioated of beautiful Y
into space. A run of quarter Of mile up
the creek and we entered the
BROAD ALTAMAHA,
a beautiful, grand river, which is dotted
with numerous rich and fertile islands. The
scenery along the banks, in the soft tight OF
the stars which studded the heavens, pre-
sented q picturesque and magnificent APP
pearauce, aud when the few hszy clouds
which, for a time, o5scured the horizon,
shifted and floated away, revealing the face
of the lovely moon, additional attraction
was lent to the scene, the picture, in its
completeness, calling forth many express
sions Of admiration, and SO .enthusing
| one of the party that his legal, practical
mind succumbed to his poetic fancy, and,
in voice mellow with pathos, he gave ut
terance to beautiful apostrophe to the
"full, RI and mooD," enhancing his hearers.
The sight was certainly grand, and with me
It will long be a pleasant recollection.
Passing from the Altamaha into DArien
river, the gallant Sapelo had steamed only
few hundred yards, when our ears were
greeted with deep, sonorous tones of a
church bell, and we knew the town was not
far distant, and bend in the river shortly
afterwards brought the lights OF the houses
to view, and we were soon at the landing,
having made the run Of twelve miles within
an hour. Proceeding at once to the
MAGNOLIA HOUSE,
we found gathered, among many others,
the members of the Savannah bar
who had come down the
afternoon previous on the steamer. The
house is kept by Capt. Thomas White, for
merry commander of the steamer Reliance,
and who was on that Inflated steamer at
the time she blew up. Mr.. r. w. Grub, OF
the Darien Timber Gazette, was one Of the
first to greet US as we entered. He is In
fine health, and looks as though fortune was
dealing kindly with MIN.
GLAD TO SEE HIM.
This is the first court Judge Tompkins has
held at ID Arien stree his reappointment, and
the many expressions of satisfaction have
heard from different people at his coming
strikes me as evidence that his previous al