The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-06-28
For the Marietta Journal
The "ANTIOuIIIES" OF MARIETTA

1t has been the purpose of the writer to
give the present generation some of the
earliest OF his recollections Of our beautiful
and attractive little city. These reminis-
cences necessarily go back to his childhood
for the men of that period have, with very
few exceptions, passed away. More than
fifty years ago lin fact nearer sixty during
Gen. Jacksons administration FIRST term
this county was surveyed and then the town
of Marietta was laid off, and there is debt
OF gratitude due its projectors for their wis
DON, forethought and taste, in the selection
of such a lovely spot for their county seat,
and especially for giving ample room for the
public square, Our county and town, as is
generally known, was named for an honored
citizen OF Georgia, Thomas W. Cobb and
his excellent wife. The great orator, How
ell, and the greater orator and jurist, Thos
R. r. Cobb, had not yet risen to the zenith
OF their fame.
All lands lying west of the Chattahoochee
river, (which was the boundary between the
whites and Indians in those days. in this
State we're what was known as the "Chero-
kee purchase. The purchase" we are
inclined 70 think, was something like that
of the mule by Mark Twain's western-fellow
traveller, (which said traveller had purposely
killed by accident He didn't want the
mule, had no use for him, but the owner
emerged from his "Shack" in nick of time
and influenced him to buy, through the per
suasive entreaties of double-barre shot
gun. Any way the purchase" was made.
and no casuist will deny that il was a more
honorable trade than the famous and much
Landed one consummated by the pious VIM
Penn. Instead OF paying IN perishable
cloth and ephemeral blankets it was an
honorable and open and above board deal
in barefoot dirt for dirt, little dirt beyond
the Father Of waters for much dirt in
Georgia; however "a rather singular feature
of the trade was that neither party had ever
seen the land that was given in exchange
for this cody section, that was not deemed
necessary, of course not in trading with
Indians, but we digress
When first the childish eyes OF the writer
beheld the rising town it could boast of at
fractions and novelties but little inferior to
those of the average budding metropolis of
the tar west New corners were constantly
arriving or passing through from the older
settled states The swish of the jack.plane
or smoother, the lively stroke of the hand
saw. the rattle of numerous hammers, the
clear ringing crack of the ox-teamster
whip-a thing on which each lumber hauler
took special pride in those days-gaye the
new town an air of activity and Importance
On the Streets where wild flowers still grew,
the stOlid and taciturn Cherokee brave and
his solemn and unloquacious squaw were
by no means Fase sight
The lapse of moro than half century has
not eHaced from his memory the picture of
the brighteyed petite pappoose perched
high up between his mothers shoulders and
held snugly in place by diHgy blanket
with picturesque border. Notwithstanding
their pncany appearance, these poor crea
lures were very ingenious, especially in
making cane baskets the canes we're split
and shaved by hand until thsy closely re.
sembled the rattan, with which chairs are
bottomed, in Marietta at this time They
were eolofed in various shades, of black,
yellow and red and worked into regular
mosiacG of different patterns which gave to
their baskets very pleasing etfect. These
baskets were real treasures in that line, and
were surprisingly durable. We would
doubtless be accused OF INDUCING in a snake
story were we to tell how long one or TWO OF
them had seen active service. But the red
man has long since passed away, and his
noble heritage has gone to other hands
Even his traditions are lost and but for the
euphonious and significant pane of stream
here and mountain there, not even a
memory would remain of the once ggeat
race of Cherokees of the south, a people
that held in possession a large portion OF
five states. How poetic, beautiful and de-
scriptiye wers ell their names OF natural
objects" kennesaw,' twin mountain).
"Chattahoochee," (rocky bottom). "Aquan
eustee' little river) But We are gsowing
garr9lous and have hardly entered the field.
II this meets with favor we will endeayor al
another time to give something more ger
main to the subject By far the better part
remains, bad we trick TO tell it
Pso&EEB.