The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-23
KIsER AND GORDON.
The Major Tells of Visit to the Home
Where He Was Born.
Eron the AtLdnta Cd Jolr7laI.


From the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal.
Among tae visitors 10 Gov. Gordon yes
terday was Maj. Marion c. Kiser, the we'll
known dry goods merchant.
The major and the governor were boys
together, and never have their friendly re-
lations been broken.
As the major walked into the governors
Office he carried in his hand crooked cedar
stick.
You see that stick, JohnT' he said, as
the general welcomed him to a cushioned
chair.
YES, where did you get itF'
''IJ came fro nv fathers old home In
Campbell county. l cut it Saturday from
the old cedar iree father planted in 1881.
I'll tell you why l brought II to you.
Don't you remember wnen your father
stopped at our house 10 1910, the time he
preached in the Baptist church close by
homer
''YAs. ramernber the time; both of US
were little boys then"
%, Nc Wee DO6n little Fellows, Out you
had plenty of grit.
Zone of our neighbOrs had loaded a gun
with salt 10 shoot an OK that kept getting
into his corn field. His lltUle boy was fool
ing with the gun about his sister when 1t
went off and blew the top of her head off.
He was SO scared that he ran Oft into
the woods and hid and the neighbors
looked for him all day, but couldn't lind
him.
That evening you and l weut out to
look for him, John, and found him asleep
under an old clay root in a wornout field.
"1e tusselel like everything, but you
hung on to him, and we both brought him
to the house. stopping to rest and cool off
under the cedar tree"
II remember it as if it were yesterday"
excla med the governor, taking up the
crooked stick and turning it over tenderly
in his hand, "and III keep this stick and
prize it for the memory of the good old
days when, as a boy, | went around with
my ather aud heard him preach the word
of Life to sinful men,"
This morIing Maj. Kiser sat in his Of
fee surrounded by a number of his old
friends.
Ii his hand ne held little, worn coat,
oll-fashioned in cut, faded in color, but still
strong and servlceable.
Boys said he, that little coat was
made Tor my rother. John, in lS49. The
cloth was woven to make my mother a
dress, but she diel before it was made, so
my sister used it il making a coat for John.
1t was his Sunday coat and you see this
Ii tile velvetc JllAr ID Ch5 lit 9 velvet lffs?
They were ina ie from the scraps of .lvet
left from the plece used in lining mothers
colfin.'
The major here stopped to cough and
wipe q sp5ck from MS eye, aud thea con-
tlnued:
Il have Just returned from a four-day
visit to my sisters, Mrs. Matilda Davis,
Mrs. Mary a. Ba'ge and Mrs. P. A. Nc
Villa II, in Campbell county. where l was
reared. All tue res5o of the family are dead
but just US four, and can't describe my
feeli Igs on seeing tae Id place for tue first
time in seventee years. went to the old
church where | was converted, with my Sis
ters / weno down to the creek where |
was baptized, and, boys, 1 just couldn't
help crying, and l amt ashamed of it,
either.
"My sister loaned me JohrAs little coat,
and | cut some sticks from e Old cedar
tree that father planted fIty-niue years
ago.
Il went to the fields where l used to plow,
and before left [ went down to the spring
aud got down O 1 my knees like did whel
was a boy, aud got a good, old-tims drink
water, and las Of all l went 20 the little
coultry graveyard and saw the grave OF
my mother aud faCuer, and then | cried
again; bd5 ain't a'ha ned of that, either,
but l j .st can't talk any more about it, it
makes me feel too sad"