The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-07
TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
The Present Generation Differ
ent From Their Ancestors.
CRACKERS" PASSING AWAY
Bill Arp Writes About the Days
When He Was Young.

7
| are discussing, but the progress of the mind in
developing material things the enlargement
| of mental capacity to discover, TO invent, re-
fine and enjoy. These Chautauquas that are
being established all over the land are the last
and best sign of our advancing civilization
The eager steps that the south is taking in
that direction illustrates her appreciation of
the good, the true and the beautiful. How
quickly she saw the golden fruit that grew
upon the tree that was planted at the New
York Chautauqua, and now within three years
has planted her own at MonteaGe and Lake
Weir, and Defuniak, and Salt Springs. What
refined luxury Of thought and
emotion abounds in these gather
imgs for the diffusion OF knowledge
How they do broaden the mind and lessen
prejudice and enlarge charity. / said to a
friend who had just returned from tour
around the world, "What effect has your tray-
els had upon you?" With grateful expression
he replied: "They have given me new views of
life and nature and humanity. They have
taken away many of my prejudiccs and made
me more tolerante as to government and laws
and religion, and yet return with profounder
respect and deeper love for my own country
her freedom, her institutions and above all,
for the blessed influence Of Christianity upon
Cur advancing civilization" When that no
be-hearted Englishnan, James Smithson, be-
queathed to the United States a million of dol
las for the. diffusion of knowledge
of the Smithsonian Institute. which
was in fact the first Chautauqua, and began
its good work Just forty years ago. 1t was the
first normal college, college whose purpose
was to educate the educated, the learned, the
savans in science and in art; and so the high
purpose of this Chautauqua is to diffuse
knowledge among men and advance them to q
higher plane than can the schools. What q
contrast do these surroundings present to the
minds of those who half century ago strug-
gled for knowledge. How gratefully conscious
we are that our children and grandchildren
live in better age than that i'll which our
youth was spent. The world is assimulating-
knowledge is being diffused. Half a century
ago it was within reach of the privileged few.
l remember when my father was merchant,
and | was lad behind his counter, about
half his customers made cross
But few of them could tell whether they had
signed for ten dollars or an hundred, but they
signed and trusted. Honest and true they be-
lieved that others were. We love to tell of
the honest simplicity of those good old times,
but still every man has yearnng for his chill
dren, a longing desire for their education.
Not long agoI called at an humble cottage for
drink of water and found little barefoot girl
reading astory to her grandpa. TWAS Sunday
school paper and the old man was proud to
tell me that Sarah Jane could read 81 had
no larnin," said he, 'but this child has been
to school and now she comes and reads to the
old man and it does me power of good"
KNOW oil IaJuef WHO goes regularly TO SCnOOl
with his two little boys and studies the same
lesson and stands up with them at recitation.
The humble country people, the toilers, arc
advancing in knowledge, i'll ideas, in language.
The time was when most every family and
their kindred had dialect of their own. Their
language and tone of voice was handed down
from some rude ancestor and spread around
among the children to the third and fourth
generation, there was a whole settlement in
Gwinnett county who said wall for we'll
vooc' for and added oh tO brpnIy in
their sentences. HE told me ell that he was
gwine to town eh, and l axed him eh to
bring us some coffee en-" There was another
very numerous family who enclosed their sem
fences with $50 it wus'' or $50 he did, or $50
1 will" have bought me a COW, so I have,
and gave fifteen dollars for her, so I did.
There are still people living among the hills OF
north Georgia who say you uns and we'un's,
country woman was telling my wife about one
Of her Majors falling in the fire and she said,
''as soon Us hearn it l sont after jim for to
come for to so for to git some inyuns
to make poultice for to put on
the burn for to draw the fire out of hit.
/ knew good woman who called her daughter
Thella, and when l asked what the childs
name was, said, ''her name is Othello but call
her Thella for short" But the children and
grandchildren of these good old fashioned peo-
pie make no such mistakes. The school mas
ter is abroad in the land and the press is circu-
lating knowledge every where. Miss Murfree
cannot now find the people nor the dialect in
Smoky mountain that she writes so charming
ly about. Betsy Hamilton can't find her
quaint and curious characters in north Ala
bama. Colonel Newman can't find the north
Georgia cracker around Canton. That genera
ton has well nigh gone. Even the negroes
have ceased to use their old time folk lore, and
bre'r rabbit and bre'r fox have ceased to dis
cuss their private affairs l remember when
my grandfather used to set the big
milk pail under the. COW. and
,,,t1l Urith hnfh o11A
"Ah, my laddie, 1 kin git more milk from this
| ere COW than We can from half a dozen down
| in Georgia" He was rough old man just
| like the times he lived in. He moved hay
and laid stone wall for a living; but the next
age was better one and so my father got q
good share of schooling and became well
versed i'll the limited literature of his day.
| Next came my own age, which was better
| still and was sent to college, which was sup
| posed to be the goal, the finish, the complete
| ness Of education. The difference between
| the dialect tone and accent of the up country
and low country people is still. very marked
| and distinguishing. remember that forty
| years ago little girl OF one of the best Savan
nah families would say to her brother James,
| Berlin, mama say come dare 20 he" and they
still pronounce mama and papa long with
the accent on the second syllable,
while our up country people pronounce
it broad with the account on the first
Simplicity was the marked characteristic of
| the past age-simplicity i'll habits, manners
| and customs. The people lived and acted the
| truth of Pope's couplet;
"Nan wants but little here below
Nor wants that little long"
| They were honest; they were faithful and
/ true in their domestic relations; they earned
| their daily bread, and had no respect for
money gained By trick or hazard or specula-
J ton.
Their sports and pastimes were rough and
| rude, and their quarrelS were settled without
| pistols. Court week and the general musters
were their semi-annual holidays. An old
! fashioned muster was equal to a mod
| em "Mardi Gras." The governor was
the commander in Chief. but as
he could not be personally present,
the militia were reviewed. by proxy. Every
county had an aid-de-canp with the rank Of
| colonel. lie held his rank and title as long as
the governor held his office, and he was ex-
! pected to holler for him and talk for him and
! boom him, and if necessary he must fight for
! him on a suitable occasion. Ii the governor
failed of reelection, these colonies had to re-
| tire too, and new set were appointed, but the
old set never lost their title, and so the state in
course Of time got pretty full Of colonies. On
muster day the colonel wore a cockade hat and
/ Yn1 ,,1uft,p and ppa1lpfc aud 1ppur bra SS