Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-02-24

their trip home The government did not
furnish very stylish transportation; the,
were given freight box car, into which
they packed themselves and a scanty sun.
J ply of household goods, for news reached
them through the lines that their house
had been sacked and its contents scattered
to the four winds
Ihey reached Atlanta the next morning
ana were switched Off on a sdetrack, to be
taken in charge by the officials Of the
western and Atlantic railroad, and young
Il went out TO interview these parties.
IheY now made the acquaintance of what
was afterward known as the carpet bag,
gentry.
The town Of Atlanta was then hardly
more than sort Of camp, inhabited by
rev Oh the old citizens, a Yankee garrison
ana lot Of what might be called miscel-
laneous adventures.
Inc post commandment was an old Dutch
man OF autocratie proclivities. Indeed.
mad he been an eastern pasha under the
vlceroy OF Egypt he could not have had a
keener eye to exacting "baeksheesh. AT
inns time o few enterprising parties had
established little shops. that went by the
name OF 'sheebangs,V the contents Of
Whleh could almost be stored away in a
urummer's trunk, so tiny were they. But
ehe Duteh pasha kept an eye upon them,
and constantly levied tribute. Seeing one
in rather fourishing condition he al
manded quite a sum Of "baeksheesh !
The owner plucked up his courage and re-
fused to pay it,
Den" cried the Dutch pasha, II shut
up dis sheebangl'
And it accordingly was shut.
Another source of profit was to levy
tax on every carload Of refugees that
passed through the town. II thev refused
they We're detained until they Maid n
which they finally did rather than he
turned out Of the car and left ia Atlanta
minus funds and shelter.
Young c. now had the pleasure Of in
tervlewing these cormorants After vainlv
refusing demonstrating and entreatinp
ne, by the advice OF friendly citizens, paid
the tax, some $50, but it seemed an enor-
nous sum to the ruined refugees.
In his absence one of the robber crew
came down to the car to inspeet the family
and their belongings, and then calmly de-
manded his tribute. Mr.. c. was fiery
Old man, and he scornfully refused to pav /
~. A hot alteration ensued 1t must be /
allowed that the Yankee, a tall, raw boned |
man, preserved his equanimity which only /
served 70 exasperate the other.
III pay you nothing cried the old /
man. Il have Gen. Croxton's transporta- /
ton papers that take me home, and not 4
cent will pay you.
Then you don't leave here said the
other coolly
You have no right to demand money
from me over your superior officers orders.
) ust show me your authority STRIP
1T is the rule here for all refugees to
pay sad the man calmly, "and you
The rulel Who gave you any right to
make ruler III bet YOU can't show mo
any proof Of your authority for so doing
Il don't bet" said the righteous thief
with an indescribable drawl: 4 have con
scientious scruples about it,
"1oul" cried the old man, now badgered
into a fury. You have conscientious
scruplesl You'll God bless NV soull
4oni II He dropped back in his chair
speechless with anger.
Having thus spiked his enemy's guns.
the blackmailer, after again calmly assur-
ing him that he should not leave without
pay, took himself Of
Young c. soon after appeared and
stated that he had paid the tax, as thev
could not stay over in Atlanta and camp |
BY the railroad track. and it was not worth |
While resisting when resistance was use
less.
They soon after started on their journey
lYer the toughest road on earth, for it had |
leen torn up many times by the contend
ng armies, and a legend was in circula-
ion that when the iron rails had been so
visited as to be unfit for use. saplings had
been improvised into rails and nailed to
he crossties so as to take train over the
gaps. The road was so rough that the !
tory did not seem incredible.
Marietta their next stopping place
eemed deserted. The only people they ,
aw were lot Of men busy with a ma
hine strengthening railroad rails. so as to S
use them again. And they had certainly
,een twisted into the most wonderful
hapes in the world
The travellers route lay now through
ireary country and endless scenes Of desc
alton. They failed to recognize it. It was |
he 'Shermanized district, " and only Chin
leys and heaps OF ruins marked the sites
4 what had been smiling villages
At last they reached Resaca. and then
ome. II had been, in army parlance {
sacked and Quilted" Every window was i
one soldier, it was said had tried his
rowess with a pickax to see if he could |
estroy a window at a single blow He +
ucceeded, the Gaping holes causing the
ouse to look like blind thing
but the roof was there TO shelter them, | 4
nd it belonged to them, and that was a
reat thing. So they set to work to make Z
themselves comfortable
Before great while they had 10 canvas :
5indow glass, which, If it kept out most Of /
he light, also kept out most of the wind. Fl
Reminders Of the battle were scattered
bout. The lock Of the front door having s.
cen broken, it was kept closed by the aid 4
q weight made out Of half torpedo :
nth which Gen. Wheeler had blown nm X
ne railroad track near their house Old !,
arrot shells were used to prop open the !
indows, and the fire was stirred with a :
ayonet, and empty cartridge boxes were !.
sed as troughs to feed the cows il. SO :.
nat there was a warlike flavor about II
lings.
But in years time the returned refu-
ees had got SO to rights that there was n
title TO tell that the house had been in the | y
inter OF the battlefield and been a holly | I
infested spot-only the grave Of a Confed- 8
ate soldier, who slept peacefully in the | Z.
over garden, whore the roses waved above
Is head and scattered their perfumed =
stals over his grave.-Paul Grant in At II
nta Constitution. =