The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-11-29
SARGE PLUNKETT
Il PLEA FOE THE OLD RED HILLS
OF GEORGIA.
Better than Going to the West is 1t For tho
Young Men TO Stay in the Old State-The
Carosinas Coming to the Front.

grants, people leaving the dear old
homes in Georgia and the CarOlnas to
try the uncertainties of a new life in the
west. Some of these were old people
old fathers and mothers going along to
be with their children. There is mighty
little hope for these old folks in the new
homes to where they will go. The
change of climate and water pretty gem
orally sends these older folks to their last
home, and that settles it so far as they
are concerned. How natural is it for
these old people to desire to cling to their
| children, but how unnatural does 1t seem
for these young, vigorous sons and
daughters to drag these old people away.
One group of these emigrants-some
| three or four families-impressedm me more
| than the rest, for the reason that they
were trying hard to be cheerful and
thankful in keeping with the spirit of the
| day. The morning was crisp and cold and
| so the warm waiting room, at the carshed,
| was comfortable and caused us all to lin
| ger there. These Carolinians, for they
| were from Abbeyille and Lawrence cOun-
| ties, had opened up their provision boxes
and We're feasting upon the cold chicken,
ham, etc, they had brought along. While
| this whole group seemed determined to
make the best of the situation, there were
an old couple, who sat over in corner,
whom | knew were suffering agony from
| leaving the old home behind them. These
| old folks got the best Of attention from
their groWn-up sons and daughters, and
| especially did the little tOddling grand
| children vie with each other i'll giving
grandma and grandpa something of all
4I,1 hut CoI1A Il
| toddle over to them and place q sweet
| cake, or what-not, into the Old wrinkled
hands, / could see the tears trickle down
the furrowed cheeks. These old folks
! knew they We're leaving the old home
where their children had played about
the doOrs-the Id home with all its happy
associations; leaving Carolina, their dear
| old state, to try q strange land and u
| new people. But so is life, and these
young people did not intend to be cruel
Another class of these emigrants who
always call for my sympathy the
mothers-the young mothers-mOthers
| whose children have not grown to the
station of being comprehensive fell
| lows too young to cheer the mother with
words and yet loved with all of Il moth
er's love and burden the heart with all
the pain of a mothers anxiety for their
|
| nook of the old-hOme burial place, or
the country church yard-this is another
| source of sorrow for these young mothers.
| They hate to leave these little graves be-
! hind and the rich west can never cause
| them to be aforementioned
| But l would not strive against the dis
| position to go west from the older states
| for purely sentimental reasons. Gcorgias
old red hills are as good as the rich prai-
! rieS, is my notion. Not u day, hardly,
! but what / see these emigrantS returning.
! Many more would return than does, but
! they get too poor to do 50. They OK
! h1ust their substance in getting to the
| west and have to stay there. They shake
with chills and burn with feycrs, thus
! balancing up matters, so that when you
| come to size the whole thing, there is no
| more profit and far less comfort than is
| to be had in Georgia. And if you will
take Il trip out on any one of the spran-
| gle of railroads from Atlanta you will see
| that there is no good reason for Stagna~
| ton in youthful ambitions The old towns
| of Georgia and the Car0linas are taking
new life and new enterprises are spring
! ing up everywhere. The young men who
| have settled down on the old farms are
| living Illustrations that there is life in
| this old land yet, and as a rule they have
| succeeded in accommodating worldly goods
| and have as sweet little children aud as
happy homes as will ever be builaed In
| any wild west country. 1t is wonderful
| to me that this disposition to go west
| does not stop-for state pride if nothing
| else.
I could not tarIy with the emigrants
| longer, for I had an invite to eat a
| Thanksgiving dinner and never lose such
opportunities.
! promised not to mention names. but
I can tell of few Of the things |
noticed during the day. On my way out
| fOr / walked different localities showed
| the different observance by as many diff
! fercnt people. ono little bright fellow
| passed by me on the sidewalk with Il hop,
skip and % jump. His face was joyous
and he was swinging his arms vigorous
| ly. | heard the quarter he had held in
his hand strike the stone pavement with
| {; ring, and bounce away through Il sewer
| grating. The little fellow stopped short
| and an expression of blank establishment
together with Il flush of disappointment
| passed over his face us his quarter went
! out of sight. / thought the quarter was
| gone, and the little fellow did, too. but
| q kind policeman raised the grating let
| the little fellow down by holding to his
! hand and draWed him up again with the
| lost quarter restored. No happier-lO0king
| boy could have been found than this one
as he got upon his feet with his money
in his hand. While | assisted the police
man in putting the CRATE back the little
! fellow rushed away to "a neighbOring
store, got the money changed, and came
| back with a generous offer to divide with
us OF course, none OF his money was
| taken, but am sure that the policeman
went away feeling well paid for his kind
ness to the little boy-I did, would not
you?
lust little way after leaving the little
! boy with his quarter, L came upon some
more boys going my way. They walked
along leisurely and took no notice of me,
but + could hear them as they talked
One of the little ones was telling of the
dinner they were to have. The other one
listened with his eyes cast to the pave
ment and his mouth, l think, watering
for some of the good things, but he sud
| denly raised his head and smiles bcamed
| over his face as he remarked that they
| had put off their fine time to Christmas.
! His papa would be Outen debt then,'