Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-02-13
FELTON, GILL AND HIS BRIDE.
Fifty Years of Happy Married Life and the
Golden Wedding Day,

Clarksvlne Correspondence, Nashville Amer
lean.
The Gill family have been distinguish
ed in the Allensvllc, KY, community
the past hundred years for their inteli-.
gcnce, industry, thrift and unbound
hospitality They are all prosperous
farmers, but have not made their for
tunes like the model Georgia farmer so
much commended by the press for bis
beastly endurance and money-worship-
ing Notwithstanding eighteen
hours per day and spending nothing
for human comfort. First OF all, the
ellis will have something good to ext
and plenty Of it. They will have their
sport and recreation.
They occasionally turn out 100 or
more strong for a rabbit hunt on horse
back, no dogs allowed in the field, and
no one allowed to carry gun or throw
a stick or stone. The land is level and
generally laid off in fifty and 100 acre
fields. They enter one of these large
wheat fields where a great many rabbits
are found, riding in breast, and they
rarely go many steps without Jumping
a rabbit, and then the sport begins.
The nearest man to the hare bushes Of
at full speed, yelling at the top of his
voice, which scares the hare and excites
the horse II "a good horse (1nd the
ellis have no other kind) he soon run.
over the game, and the rabbit dodge,
taking another direction, when hal
dozen other horses will take after him
Presently the hare finding itself sur
rounded and scared nearly to death
drops down, and then the race is whC
shall first dismount and bag the game
The chase has, perhaps scared up
half dozen more rabbits, which start
the whole company in chase, and the,
go dashing helter-skelter in every di
rection, under the widest eXcitemen
1t is the grandest sport ever conceived
and no man can witness the scene with
out partaking of the enthusiasm The.
catch sometimes as many as 100 rab
bits day, rs it is rare that one ever es
capes. They raise rabbits for the pur
pose, and don't regard man as goo.
citizen who will go out and murder tn
poor little things with shotgun. The
are also fond of bird hunting, and keel
several packs of hounds and have ex
cellent sport in fox chasing.
The ellis are religious people; the
all belong to the Christian church, the
worship God, sleep sound, work hard
make money and live happy.
Fifty years ago Jan, %, post, Felto
D. Gill, handsome, athletic, in the prid
and prime of bright young manhood
led to the hymenial alter Miss Cinthi
| Watkins, whose modest demeanor an
r many graces of lovely womanhood mad
her the center OF attraction.
t The wedding took place at the res
dence of the brides mother, near A
lensyllc, the home still known as tn
Watkins place, and now owned by NJ
James Watkins, who married the onl
daughter springing from that hapr
union. There were NUMEROUS frienC
: present to celebrate the event in roy
! style for that day and generation
It After the festivities ended, the your
e couple--two hearts beating as one-fu
Of hope, love and courage, mounte
their horses and started for home.
people didn't ride in buggies and ca
. riages in those good old days
- Mr.. Gill had owned buggy he won
not dare to take his bride home tn
way, because the neighbors would ha
said he was "stuck up" They we
horseback, but the animals were req
n lar chargers like the horses we re
d about in the revolutionary war, IKE
l. lucky bloody. The brides horse we
+ prancing with head in the air, blown
hot steam from his nostrils like YOU
10 locomotive, proud as Luclfer, seemir
ly conscious OF the precious burden
bore. Two and a half miles ri
III brought up at the residence of t
to bridcgroom's father, and there W
ri found another grand feast, after t
style of oldfashioned Kentucky hos
II tahty, and guests crowded in and q
40 to do honor to the occasion. TIL
started FELTON, and Cynthia hand
hand, their young hearts overflow
lit with devotion, the blessings Of piren
ce all the Gill family and commun
resting upon their heads, their pathw