Omaha daily bee., 1893-12-10
DOWN IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA
Where Martial Memories Are Preserved in
Marble andin Municipal Life,
HANDSOME End HEROIC IN SAVANNAH
Lovely city Reared on Hnnowed soil and
FittIngiy Framed with Tropical LuNuri-
ance-worthy Honors to Revoiu-
tionary Heroes.

ttonary Heroes. |
SAVANNAH, Ga, Nov. 4-lEditorial Core
spondence of The BEE. AS the crow
flies, and crows arc just now on
the fly in vast numbers in south
ern Georgia, the distance from Augusta to
Savannah is about 1870 miles. For perhaps
one-third the distance the Georgia Central
railroad skirts the Savannah river, which is
navlgablo all the year around for more than
200 miles. Below Augusta many. rich cotton
plantations line its shores, and further down
are broad rice fields, succeeded by wiord
swamrs, whose live OAKS arc hung
with gray moss. Tho whole re-
gion travcrsed by river and railroad
is heavily timbcred with evergreen pines,
and as we approach the Atlantic seaboard
we pass several largo ponds and dykes,
cross and recross large streams and run
over trestles that span what seems a success
sion of bottomlcss swamps. With all these
drawbacks the country appears to be thickly
settled, Large two and threo-storied plan
tation mansions with lofty double-deckcr
porticocs and vcraudas, thanked by carriage
houses, barns, bins and cattle sheds, are en-
countered quite frequently, and as a compile
ment nearly every planters mansion has its
cluster of negro cabins. AS the train speeds
past n varied assortment of colored women
and children grouped in front of these
cabins affords a bras eye view of the rcla-
ton subsisting between landlord and tenant.
The owns and villages along the road have
an air of thriftlessness and Incidence, quite
natural to southern climates. but in marked
contrast with the go-ahead spirit of our
western railroad towns.
Beauties OF Savannah.
Coming in sight of Savannah at sunset
we get a dim outline of one of the hand
soonest cities on the continent, as it crowns
the low bluff overlooking the Savannah
river, which at this point forms n crescent
nearly six miles long.
Now the train winds along slowly through
the suburbs, over viaductsa and bridges and
when it comes to a dead stop at the union
depot pandemonium breaks loose.
Half a hundred negro omnibus and cab
drivers, shouting, yelling ami bowling like
demons, fall upon each other and savagcly
bounce upon the passengers and almost tear
their clothes off their backs: In all my
travels in this country and abroad | never
encountered such a mob. 1t was all a mans
life was worth to elbow his way through.
AS / descended from the carriage in the
glare of electric lamps before the grand
archway entrance to the De Soto / realized
that l was now in a semi-tropical country.
A row of palmettoes, or dwarf palms, lined
the sidewalk and a cluster of
banana trees stood In the open
court yard that faces this superb hotel. A
stroll through the city this morning was a
delightful revelation. This city is literally
a grand park embellished with EMPOWERED
public squares and subdivided into avenues.
In the streets camelias and oleauders grow
as trees and the sidewalks are overhung
with orange and banana trees, evergreen
| - tv,fIn ~ rlncc Lon NnI tin Ali nrl Bup
onet-leaved palmettoes. Everywhere roses,
honeysucklcs and vlolets abound. The cot
tage and ~palatlal residence vie with each
other in evergreen decorations and flower
ing plants adorn and beautify almost every
home.
Historic Memories.
| am constantly reminded that I am tread
ing on historic ground. The heroic strug-
giles of the first settlers of Georgia In colo
NAL Gays and the precious memories of the
war for American independence and the
late rebellion are recalled at every turn.
Colonial history tells US that the foundation
of Georgia was due TO the benevolencc o.
General Oglethorpe, who procured parlia-
mentary grants to found a colony where IT,
solvent debtors and other unfortunates
might begin the world anew, and
where religious freedom should be
accorded to all Except Catholics).
landed in 1888, and three years later the
founders of Methodism, John and Charles
Wesley, came over with a party of their
creed. They were joined two years later by
another apostle Of Methodism, George
Whitfield. who founded the Bethesda Home
near Savannah. For a brief period Georgia
was a Tree colony. According to early his
torians two causes worked against the sue.
cess of the colony. Oncrous military duties
were demanded, which caused many to
migrate to the Carolinas, and the prohibition
Of slavery kept away many investors. BY
1850 slavery was fully installed in Georgia,
however, and continued to flourish for liz
years.
The whirligig Of time brings its revenges
Georgia started out by proclaiming tolerance
and religious freedom TO MEN of every creed
except Catholics. When the revolutionary
war broke out men of all creeds, including
Catholics, enlisted and fought side by side
for independence, civil liberty and religious
freedom.
Revolutionary Heroes.
Within a stones throw of the "De Soto" is
n beautiful square, lined with live oaks and
magnolias. The center is occupied by an i'm.
pressive monument. Upon a PEDESTAL of cut
graaite stands a bronze figure Of an Amer
lean soldier of the revolution. In his right
hand he holds aloft the American flag, while
his posture indicates that he is wounded
and his facial expression is that of a mar
suffering mortal agony. A bronze card be
meath bears the following inscription:
TO THE HEROIC MEMORY OF {:
SERGEANT WILLIAM JASPER, I:
) Who, though m~ortally wounded In the:
assault of the British lines about this city,
- n ITTn A.-..@ aIA ola. - -