The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1885-07-30
DEAR JOURNAL

one OF the most desperate battles
of the western army and thou
sands of souls on both sides were
precipitated into eternity without
efecting the capture of the city.
This is the battle in which Gen.
W. H. L. Walker, of Confederate
fame, and Mcpherson, of the fed
eral army, fell dead near Fort
Walker in Grants Park. But as
the war is over and I, q civilian
and a business man, will leave
war history for military aspirants
to write up and I will deal with
more congenial subjects; but per-
nit me to state that tourist who
might chance to pass this way
would not suppose that Atlanta
had ever met with any resistance
to her progress from the way eve
rything booms and shoves now.
Ii all the buildings which have
been erected since | moved here,
TX years ago, were burned or torn
down in one night it would look
like Sherman had Quilted it again.
Hard times, breaking Of banks,
short crops, breaking of country
merchants who owe Atlanta, nor
anything else seems to check its
onward progress. [ frequently
allow my mind to go back to dear
old Terrell with her genial eli
mate, her fertile soil and last, but
not least, her genuinely hospita-
BILE people, and contrast the pleas
ures of country life situated as |
was at that dear old home, Bron-
wood, with all the combined inter
ests which | had around COM
Portable home, and wonder, as all
my friends did, why man will
change a certainty for an uncer-
tainty, and | concluded the old
man who, by industry and frugality
had amassed a fortune, was right
when asked on his death bed what
it took to satisfy man and h. re-
piled ga little more" That GOV
ers all. While it was a sad thing
to tear loose from hor1e, friends
and relatives, yet l see now that /
did not make a mistake, as I now
have my boys as firmly fixed in a
wholesale business as [ had in the
retail there. | regret to see SO
many leading citizens taken away
by death, but these thirgs must
be SO.
l have been delighted at Che ev-
idence of thrift and progress in
your city, county and the whole OF
Southwest Georgia. l read The
local paper with interest and
take particular notice of the pro-
gress in farming, especially as We
are all dependent on the farmer
after all. And | note with mucll
pleasure the building boom that
has seized upon Dawson and
Bronwood and hope it will boom
and boom till they meet half way
and passers by will not know any
distinction, but consider it all one
city-not town
Well, we feel sorter like vie
were in Dawson when we get in
your colony here. You should
be proud Of your representatives
here, but [ believe you would have
just cause to be proud of them il
they had been selected by con.
scription or drawn from your jury
box, Ell? for that's the sort of folks
you have there. Well, l guess
may as we'll get on the brightest
side of all and tell you that this is
our silver wedding day and has
been fruitful of many pleasant re.
collections.
First of all, early this morning
[ caught on to trick OF her who
has blessed my life for twenty
five years and made me what
am, trying to conceal something
and with Adams curisoity
sought it before she clearly got il
into my sock, and it proved to be
a tirst-class double-cased silver
watch, which she had bought by
stinting herself, just like all good
wives do (don't know whether you
Know it or not but most editors
do.) Well, [ felt good, and have
watched all day and expect to tl1e
balance of my days till twenty-five
years later, when shc swaps it fora
gold watch.
But this is not all, Lille MRS.
W. $. Parks) presented US with a
boy last week, and yesterday a
dispatchfrom Stevie, at Americus,
had melons and boys mixed up,
and letter to-day revealed the
| fact that | was another grandpa.
Well, SO many conflicting comet
dences poured in at the same time
that we don't know whether to feel
old or young, but I guess we had
better be young as long as we can.