Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-13
ROBERTSON COUNTY.
An Interesting Trip and It's Incl
dents.
Mrs. Mahala Darden Converses Enter
tainingly of Her Trip Here To See
General Lafayette Years Ago.


tive, in company with John Allen
Gum, paid a visit Monday to
Adams Station and Cedar Hill, Rob-
ertson county, for the purpose Of
viewing the grounds where historic
and most intensely thrilling events
were enacted seventy-five years ago,
and of interviewing several old peO-
pie who were then living and famil-
lar with the wonderful phenomena
that awakened such a widespread
sensation, which continued for seve.
raj years, and induced people to
travel hundreds of miles to witness
the strange freaks that were then of
daily occurrence.
The trip was exceedingly interest
ing. After taking in Adams Station,
mixing with the clever people of that
thrifty village, we procured a horse
and buggy from Squire Ogg and set
out to view the interesting scene
then left for Cedar Hill.
The farms along the road from
Browns Ford TO Springfield exhibit
a great improvement within the past
twenty five years. Poor lands have
been brought up to fine state of cul-
tivation, producing fifteen or twenty
bushels of wheat per acre and the
finest quality of tobacco. The people
credit this improvement to the liber-
al use OF commercial fertilizers. They
say it is just the thing for these white
clay lands, and aids in giving size
and body to the weed, while the nat
ural soil is peculiarly adapted to
making fine fiber and producing
tough, elastic leaf. The land around
Adams Station is naturally good,
lies well and produces all crops well,
The wheat crop has not suffered
much damage from rain and the crop
is very fine, little or no complaint OF
smut. The thrt shers were started
again yesterday, though the wheat
was rather damp. Many had thresh-
ed before the rain.
Tobacco is growing rapidly and
looks promising. The corn crop also
looks very promising.
Rev. Joshua FeathCrstone and his
excellent wife were visited. Mr..
Featherstone moved to that neigh
borhood in 1881, when he was a
young man, aud Knows much about
old times in Robertson county.
We arrived at his house just in the
nick Of time. Dinner was on hand
and we were ready to sit down to the
royal feast. 1t was an excellent din
ner, composed Of all the model coun-
try home affords. Mr.. Featherstone
lives one mile north of Cedar Hill, in
cottage on a high elevation, sur
rounded by cedars and forest trees,
and it is from this place that Cedar
Hill took its name. Many years ago
a store was located on this place. 1t
was run by Abe Gaines and brother
more than fifty years ago, and was
then given the name of Cedar Hill"
Mr.. Featherstone retired from the
ministry many years ago on account
of some defect in his speech, and
he and his wife are living there all
alone in perfect happiness, attended
by a consciousness of a we'll spent
life, enjoying all the luxurie5 they
desire, and it is good to meet with
them.
Mrs. Mahala Darden was the next
person visited. She lives with her
son, Charlie Darden, fine man, two
miles South of Cedar Hill, who owns
n splendid farm and Il good home,
well located, surrounded by cedars,
fine shade trees and beautiful flow
ers, all of which give the home a
happy, cheerful appearance. Mrs.
Darden is now So years of age, but
very active and bright in intellect.
She is one of the most entertaining
old ladies that we have ever met.
Her memory is as clear as a crystal,
and her tongue has lost none of thai
visor OF her girlhood days. She re-
members with remarkable clcarncSs
events Of seventy five years ago, and
can detail them in the most interest
ing manner. She became an inter
viewer herself, and we had to tell her
all about the old people of Llark5.
vile, what had become of this and
that family; if such aud such houses
Were still standing, etc. Mrs. Oar.
den then described in most thrill
ing way her last visit to GAINESVILLE,
in 1926. Said she: "Gen. Lafayette
visited GAINESVILLE in 1925. All the
country round gather d to pay trib-
ute of affections and to honor the
great Frenchman." GAINESVILLE was
then very small village, not so
large as Cumberland Town, since
named New Providence. The court
house stood on the side of the hill
and was built OF logs. This WAS on
The 10th of March, 1925, her 18th
birthday Ga woman is sure to
remember her 18th birthday