The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-08-13
VISIT FIFTY YEARS AFTER,
Or Old Times Down In Georgia.


(ConcIuded.)
Prom Atlanta, on my way home from
Florida, / made detour OF Danielsville
where had spent two years Of my life
fifty years before In the function of ped.
aeoque. The nearest point TO the place
By rail, was Athens, fifteen miles distant,
and as there was no public conveyance,
and the roads horrible from recent rains,
made the trip on horseback. had trav-
eled the road before, and was anxious TO
see what changes had been wroughtin the
pleasant overhead-the sun shining-the
birds singing, ard everything ex.
cept the mud contributed TO make the
ride enjoyable.
The general appearance of the country
gave evidence OF Improvement. The
plantations looked clean-the fences in
good order and the standing cotton stalks
told that the last crop was abundant. Mile
stones alongside the road was n new fea-
ture to me in that country. Immediately
after passing the sixth, / was confronted
by a saloon. 1t then occurred to me, that
as had not seen saloon IN Athens,
town containing ten thousand inhabitants,
nor any on the way coming out, Clark
county must be Prohibition, and now am
in Madison where they evidently have
free whiskey, for here Is the sign. The
mile stones did not extend any farther,
and Madison county Is paying the penalty
in additional taxesljmposed to defray the
expenses OF criminal prosecutions. The
day passed the saloon, 1t and the grounds
around were filled by a motley crowd of
black and whites drawn together as l af.
terward learned by crime committed
there few nights before.
Another new feature which struck me,
was the appearance OF signs posted at
every plantation, warning persons not
to trespass upon the grounds. During my
residence inthe South nothing was thought
of coon and fox hunters running over any
body's grounds, tearing down fences and
cutting down trees, The owner OF the
house at which l stopped at noon for
lunch, proved to be descendent OF one of
my coon hunting associates, From him
/ learned that since the war, every land
owner was obliged to protect himself in
this way against negroes trespassing.
Before the war, the patrol system was the
protection.
Approaching the town from the South,
the first building that caught my eye, was
the Griffith tavern, II looked Just as it
| did when saw II last, fifty years ago.
Has been in the family ever since, and Is
now kept by the widow of a grandson OF
| the landlord OF my day. Just beyond In
an open space of ground stood the Acad-
emy Of which i bad charge. That had
/ been removed and converted into n cotton
| warehouse. A two-story acadamey with
1 q cupola aud other external fixtures occu-
| pying the ground. Next was q new Pres
l byterian Church in place of the old one
attended, when there was service, which
Il was not often, as the congregation was
weak, Evidently they have increased In
l numbers. A Baptist and q Methodist
Church, both OF respectable dimensions,
have been built since my time, which iu-
dicate a healthy religious growth. Imme-
diately across the street from the Presby
| terian Church j observed an inclosed
burial ground. II was not over on acre In
size, yet well studded with monuments
l and slabs. 1t was somewhat sinSE'ar,
i that was unable TO recall any Tecoilec
ton Of that ground, nor in thinking about
4 IL afterwards, was 1 able 10 remember d
single death or burial during my two
years residence in the place. ltbrou9ht
| TO mind a frequent saying, tn II if persons
i were tired of life and wanted 10 die, they
must remove to another country.
l rode slowlyup towards tue Square,
taking in all TO be seen on both siues oi
| the street. Much was new. A printing
| office, lawyers office and II doctors office
all "come since be Roue.n The cour
i house, the most prominent building in
| town, looked just as il did, with the ex-
ception of au outside stairway leading
l from ,hs srcond story.
Turning the corner | came to the hote
1 where put no my horse, and as 1t wal
yet early in the afternoon. started out tC
reconnoiter. In looking abo, tt le square
missed several well remembered Duid-
logs, and what surprised ms more, the
ground upon which they had stood wal
vacant. On inquirinR learned they had
been destoyed Uy fire and not rebuilt. The
town has no organized fire department
and when a fire gets anything OF start
there Is no hope for the building.
walked up the Gainesville road, to reyis
Il 70.
tom, the familiar sound of pounding
1 clothes on the bank OF the creek caugh
my ear, when IL occurred to me, that hat
never heard that sound in the North, al
they never wash clothes Ia that way. The
I familiar residence of Captain Long on thI
hill, had changed hands many years be-
fore and presented dilapidated appear.
ance. the blacksmith shop In whlcl
Oliver worked, was still standing. Olive
was slave belonging to Captain Long, {
/ man of fine physical develoDement ent
who in the North would have passed for
white man. After the war he continued
to follow his trade at the same place ant
| died only few years ago having, accumu
lated considerable property.
Passing the court house on my return
and obervipg the front door open as wal
usual, walked In. Court had been II
session the week previous, and the debri
yet remained. Scraps OF paper and lega
blanks we're scattered around. and saw
dust covered the floor. The sticky natur,
necessary to sprinkle the floor with saw
dust or sand. stepped up into tn,
1 Judges stand, occupied In my time b,
Hon. Garnett Andrews of Washington
lWilkes county, whose dipnified name
always reminded me of Judge Hullock
the first Judge knew on the Stark coun
ty bench. afterward became acquainted
l with Judge Andrews at his home, and OIL
the occasion of visit to the state In 1860
took dinner with him. The war cloud wa
then rising. He expressed himself will
much feeling on the subject-deprecate
a. separation and deplored the idea o
i civil war.
But must not forget to tell the seaue
OF my school, which was the main objec
/ OF my visit. From all the information
could gather, by interviewing the oldes
Inhabitants, men and women, this was thu
substance of what learned.
Or the thirty or more / had in charge
only two had met since left the schoo
la brother and sister, living in the sam,
place, but In another part OF the State
4 The brother attained prominence anC
wealth, as physician, and died last year
The sister is still living, the mother OF al
interesting family and tho widow of dis
L tinguished member of the legal profeE
sion. One of the older boys, who rode L
l the Academy on horseback, a distance o
Ave miles, 10 still living where his father
| lived, and to carry out the simile, will di,
where he died-has lived happy-will di,
happy, and be saved, because he loved hil
God. The son of the only physician IL
town, whose christian name was Wade
studied the profession of his father, anC
is now In active practice In northeastern
| Georgia. Two sons of my landlord, bott
| precocious, one named Patriot and tn,
other Statesman, of distinguished blood
and Of whom great things were expected
/ could learn nothing. The shifting sands
of time had buried them la oblivion
i SayarAl were known 10 have died in thI