Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-21
ATLANTA's MIME.
Judge william Ezzard Tells Some In
teresting Things of Its Early His
tory.

Judge William Ezzard Tells Some In
teresting Things of Its Early His
tory.
William Essard in Atlanta Constitution.
| was very much interested the other
day in reading an account of the inter-
view which you or your reporter had
with DIR. Thompson, and have no doubt
the doctor is right with regard to the way
Atlanta received its name, but was sorry
that he did not recollect how it got the
name of the "Gate City," and have no
doubt there are many persons now living
in Atlanta who have heard it called Gate
City who are ignorant of the reason of its
being so called, and as it so happened
that l was present when it received the
name, will state the circumstances. In
the year 1886 / think it was), when the
Charleston and Memphis Railroad was
finished, the citizens of Charles
ton were very much rejoiced
and manifested their Joy by
getting up large excursion party, and
taking with them a quantity of water
from the Atlantic Ocean and shipping it
on the cars to the city of Memphis and
enSbtying it into the Mississippi river,
and some short time thereafter, think it
WAS Ill Lu6 uUnlu VI may Tue mdNOt VI
Memphis with number of her citizens,
after procuring from the Mississippi a
quantity of Mississippi water, loaded it
on the cars and took it to the city OF
Charleston, which, with appropriate cere-
monies was emptied into the bay Of
Charleston, thus showing by the mingling
of the waters of the Atlantic with those
of the Mississippi that new channel Of
commerce had been opened up between
those sections of country which would be
of material benefit as long as time shall
last.
As the party from Memphis were on
their way to Charleston they arrived in
Atlanta about noon, and were waited on
by the Mayor and some other citizens,
who invited them 20 spend the night in
Atlanta. and upon their consenting to do
so, the Atlanta folks went to work imme-
diately and got up an imprOvlsed recep-
ton, with which they-the Memphis peo-
ple-seemed to be much pleased, where
upon they insisted that the writer, who
was then the Mayor, and such other clti-
zens as could conveniently do so, would
join them in their excursion to Charleston,
and they consented to do SO. The party
spent some three or four days in Charles.
ton and were treated with great kindness
and hospitality. One day they took
steamboat ride to Sullivan's Island, and
ut night had q splendid exhibition of
fireworks, and the next evening
were invited to most sumptuous
dinner, accompanied by the reading of
toasts prepared for the occasion. The
tOasts mostly had reference to the towns
and cities lying along the railroad be-
tween the two terminal points. and were
responded to, generally, by some one re-
siding in the place mentioned. l recOlect
when Marietta was toasted, there being
no one present from that place, it was re-
spOnded to by the Hon. N. j. Hammond,
who was then quite a young man, and
when Atlanta was read out it became my
duty TO respond, and out Of this toast
originated the name, the "Gate City" It
was as follows: "Atlanta, the Gate City.
The only tribute it requires Of those who
pass through it is TO remain long enough
to partake Of the hospitality Of its citi-
zens."
think Dr.. Thompson is laboring under
mistake about the citizens Of Decatur
being opposed to the building Of the rail
road, but it was understood, when the
upper end of the Georgia Railroad was
being built, that it was to be built to some
suitable place to make a connection with
other rail- Dads, no particular place being
newfoundland the present site Of Atlanta
being at the upper cad of a ridge extend
ing all the way down to Macon, was
thought TO be a suitable place, and it was
50 near ID acatur it was feai ed that the eff
| feet would be to cause the removal of the
curt house from Decatur, and this was
the cause Of the opposition. But when
the citizens of Atlanta determined to
build a court house of their own and laid
out new county, their apprehensions
ceased and they became satisfied.
l cannot say positively with whom the
toast originated, but know it was with
one Of the party from Memphis, rs they
were the persons who partOok Of our col
| latiOn.