The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-04
A TOUGH TOWN.
Some Old Pioneers Who Be-
longed to Murrells Gang.
AFTER TWENTY YEARS.
A Cemetery as a Factor of
Civilization.
BY WALLACE P. REED.

BY WALLACE p REED.
For the Constitution.
Twenty years ago Blue Rock was known all
over Georgia as the toughest and toughest
town in the state.
1 struck it on a business trip, when it was in
all the glory of roughness and ,toughness. One
glance down the business street satisfied me-.
There were eleven saloons, one general store
and postoffice.
At the general store found crowd of
loafers sitting around a whisky barrel. The
postotiice was closed, and was in formed by a
small boy that the postmaster was at home,
wrestling with "the monkeys" All this did
not surprise me. i had heard all about Blue
Rock, and, notwithstanding the fact that my
business would not detain me there longer
than a couple of hours, it was with great re-
luctance that had stopped over until the next
train
My business was settled in less than five
minutes, and l began to wonder how 1 was to
ass the time with some degree of safety and
Imfort until my departure. A small row was
progress at the upper end of the street be-
tween two old-timers who were lighting out q
ng-standing feud, but as no pistols were
drawn it attracted very little attention. The
idlers about the saloons looked at me with
keen interest, and it was evident that they
my general appearance.
zone Nv them burned Atlanta lawyers I
heard one of the deniZens say as passed him.
Fortunately old man Baxter, the party of the
second part in the affair which had brought
me to Blue Rock, took it into his head that he
would show me the town and make my stay
as pleasant as possible. Baxter was q clever
fellowswithout all enemy in the world, and his
conpanionship no doubt saved me from i'm
pertinent curiosity and the insults with which
ctr fvsp51 hn nj yvora l1xy
ceived.
"Our town boys air rough" said Baxter,
"but they air a good-hearted set NV feliers- a
little too peart, mebbe with strangers, but
they're all right. Thet Teller, now, who
spoke when we passed him, the one with the
red nose an shaggy gray beard, did you see
him?"
1 replied that had picked him out on &C.
count of his strong face and reckless look.
"Well, he is sorter reckless" said Baxter
San he has right to be- Tibet man, sir, used
ter belong to John A. Murrell gang-he did,
fur fact!'
"That was a long time agosas remarked.
II thought MurrelPs robbers were all dead"
"Thar's some Nv EN- still on deck" answer
ed my companion, "but they're gittin' old
now, an they air most Nv en reformed men.
In course, they can't cut up now like they
used ter, but they git pow'ful lively some
times
"Do many of your citizens belong to that
mighty few was the reply. "Thar's only
three Nv the old Murrell crowd left, but some
Nv the other boys wake up the town urcasion-
ully.
''Thars chap who lives here" continued
Baxter, as we passed small cottage, that
wuz man in his day. He wuz one NV the
crowd that knocked a New York man off
train near here just after the war They
killed him, yer know, an robbed him Nv ten
thousand dollars"
T told Ray+ap that bad hoard NJ tho fair
and asked him if no steps lad ever been taken
to punish the man and his fellow robbers.
"Hush" whispered the old man, 1--WE
don't talk SIGH things out loud here. 1t wuz
no use to perceed agin 'eIn. They're kin ter
well nigh everybody in the county, an the evil
dence would hev been only the guess work Nv
certain parties. But we know all the same
tibet they did the work an got the money.
One NV the boys go, killed fur it year ago."
"The others sorter suspicioned him, an so
they called him ter his door one night an shot
him dead. The man thet spoke ter me jist
now at the corner did the shootin'."
"And you good citizens stand all this!" 1
exclaimed Indignantly.
"Stand it? in course we hev to stand it. We
amt goin' back on the boys, yer know, so long
they behave themselves. They will hev a lit
tie racket wunst in awhile-they will jist hev
it.
"That fellow over thar by the postoffice,"
Baxter went on to say, sis the town marshal,
He's good one. He wuZ a-study-in fur the
ministry last year, but he had difiikilty with
another studyent, an plugged him through
the head. After his aequittal he commenced
readin' law, but he killed another man,
saloonkeeper who wouldn't credit him for o
drink, an 80 we made him marshal ter keep
him straight yer see."
"And how does it workP" l inquired with
some curiosity.
"Splendid! He will hey some amoosment
with the niggers when he gifts funny, but thet's
all. Fact Is, he's only killed two niggers since
he's been marshal, an thet's about six
months"
"You had bad murder here last week." 1
said by way of a feeler.
faint heerd NV it," replied Baxter. 'Thar
wuz q KILN scrape. Them Bagwell boys had
row over game NV keerds an lump Bag
we'll, we'll he cut Bill inter doll rags, didn't
leave nothin' tall Nv him. Wuz tibet the fra
cas- yer speak uv2"
l admitted that it was, and expressed regret
that had been misinformed.
Eyes, thet wuz all lie," Baxter said very
gravely. They're alters a glttin' up some
thing agin lump Bagwell, but it is list as I
said-nothin' but KILN scrape
That's our new sammytary," said Baxter
pausing suddenly, and calling my attention to
an enclosure of several acres on the outskirts
of the town.
"I see no graves" was my comment.
"None-thet is, none as yit, Pow full healthy
town, but they'll DO thar, an don't yer fur
git it. Some nv the old pioneers air bound ter
go pretty soon, an then it'll look like grave
yard. It'll be the maxim Of Blue Rock yit!'
looked at my watch and found that still
had three-quarters of an hour to wait for my
train, Much to my relief, Baxter was called
off by friend just at this junoture, and,
smilingly accepting his excuses, l entered the
new Cemetery. There it was not likely that
anybody would disturb ME wanted to DO
alone where I could speculate upon the future
OF Blue Rock, and digest what l had heard
about Murrell's old comrades, the town mar
shall lump Bagwell and other prominent and
leading spirits in the community.
saw Blue Rock again, the other day, and
hardly knew the place. The saloons had dis
appeared to make room for score of pros
porous looking stores. A handsome school
house crowned the hill at the end of the
street. saw thrift neatness and order every
where in this model village.
AS l stood on the platform of the car, think
ing of the changes that had been wrought in
twenty years, heard familiar voice, and
looking down saw old man Baxter.
hurriedly expressed my gratifed surprise
at the changed state Of affairs.
"What has caused il ALI inquired.