The Dawson journal., 1883-02-22
COMMUNICATED

give 10 Gno readers OF the JOURNAL
an account of the pleasant trip
that I took to Savannah last week,
l shall proceed briefly to mention
some of the many interesting
phases of this most agreeable Wis
it to the Forest City. AS you
know, the occasion Of my trip was
to be in attendance upon the cele-
bration Of the sesqui-centennial
anniversary of the founding of
Georgia, as [ had been appointed
a member Of the legislative COM
mittee that was to be present at
the commemoration of our states
150th birthday. Ii your readers
have reviewed their studies in his
tory they need not be reminded
that this sesqui-centennial was
celebrated just one hundred and
fifty years after the establishment
of the colony of Georgia by Gen.
James Oglethorpe. Monday and
Tuesday, the 18th and 18th insts.,
were gala days in Savannah, and
will long be remembered by the
thousands of visitors and citizens
aided in the celebration of great
event in the history of Georgia. |
don't wish to be understood by
any of your readers, (not familiar
with the history of the event, as
endeavoring to create the impress
sion that Georgia, (great as she
now is, can boast of two birth
days; for this would be to do vio-
lence to the memory of her dis
tinguished founder and would be
perversion of the truth of histo-
ry The fact Of the business is,
that the whole-souled, progressive
and liberal-minded citizens of
Savannah, had prepared such an
extensive programme for the oc-
casion, and had provided so boun-
tifully for the entertainment of the
multitudes that thronged the
streets of their hospitable city,
that it was discovered that one
day could not contain the num-
berless enjoyable features of this
historic celebration, and SO two
days were dedicated to the observ-
ance of Georgia's natal day. I
was aroused from my pleasant
slumbers, early in the morning of
Monday the 18th inst, by the
ringing of bells, and it seemed to
me that all the bells in the city of
Savannah were pealing forth the
joyous notes that the youngest
state in the original galaxy of
thirteen, was now about to cele-
brate her 150th anniversary. The
bells were each rung one hundred
and fifty times, in commemoration
of the event. When l had break
tasted at the bountiful board of
mine host Senator p. w. Meldrim,
our party sauntered towards the
centre of the city, the objective
point being the Legislative
Headquarters" on Bryan street,
which had been specially fitted up
by Senator Meldrim and his wor-
thy associates on the committee of
arrangements, and set apart for the
use of the visiting members of the
General Assembly. On our way
we were reminded Of the fact that
this was an unusual occasion. The
public buildings, stores, and many
residences were ablaze with bunt-
ing and elaborately decorated with
the national colors, red, white and
blue. | can't more adequately
describe this gorgeous panorama
than by reproducing a descriptive
article from the columns of that
staunch old journal and excellent
paper, the Savannah .News. The
editor of that paper thus speaks of
the scene:
Hammer and saw and the deft h and
of the decorators transformed plain gray
and brick buildings into gay hol ,day
attire, and dressed hOmely pillars and
poles into handsome shafts of evergreen
and colors, Everybody decorated or
watched their neighbors perform the
task. Thousands of yards of bunting
we're hung from roofs aud cornices, and
flags and banners Aoated from every
point
One cf the most couspicous attrac-