The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-09


Charles F. NJ. Garnett, then chief engi-
neer of the state, to designate the loca-
ton of the terminus of the road.
The site of the present city of Atlanta
was selected after careful examination
of the surrounding country and con-
scientious consideration of all its advan-
tages and disadvantages. 1t was then 6
wild, unbroken forest, without habita-
tion or even fence in sight, and the
two gentlemen upon whom the selection
depended had not the slightest knowl-
edge of the ownership of the land they
chose. They found afterward that it
belonged to Samuel Mitchell of Pike
county, and Governor Lumpkin opened
negotiations with him for the purchase
or the necessary land for depot buildings
and other purposes. That gentleman,
however, refused to receive any compen-
sation from the state, and, as Governor
Lumpkin has left on record, claimed
as right and urged that he should have
the honor of making the state dona-
ton of all ground that might be neces-
sary for public purposes free of charge,
although / urged HIM to receive fair
compensation"
Mr.. Mitchells public spirited generos-
ity will be the better appreciated in the
light Of the knowledge that the land
sharpers and speculators had already
been after him, and he was consequently
not without knowledge of the value of
the property he SO freely gave away.
That his very generosity should ulti-
mately have the effect of hampering the
growing city could not then, of course,
be foreseen, but it certainly did have
that effect.
Governor Lumpkin, with very made
quate notions, as he afterward con-
fessed, of 1.-The vast importance of this
spot of ground" took only what was
absolutely necessary at the time-five
acres. He lived to see the utter insult
ficiency of this and to express his regret
that he had not secured more land for
public purposes from the generous Mr..
Mitchell.
When the town came to be laid out.
Mr.. Mitchell wished it to bear the name
Lumpkin, in honor of the governor, but
the latter objected, because we already
had in Georgia county as we'll as beau
tiful and fourishing little village called
Lnmpkin, in honor of myself" He
thought, too, it would be indelicate, con-
sidering his connection with the matter,
and advised Mr.. Mitchell to give the
town his own name. This Mr.. Mitchell
would not hear of, and he and Colonel
Garnett finally compromised the matter
by calling it Marthasville, in honor of
the governors daughter.
The city was called Marthasville for
the first four years of its existence, and
the governor said in the letter quoted
above: 1T would have borne that name
yet but for the predominating low vice
of envy" History has failed TO record
anything that shows the reason for Gov
ernor Lumpkin's entertainment of this
belief, and his daughter, who still lives
at the old family seat near Athens, hal
no remembrance of that phase of tn.
subject.
J. Edgar Thompson, an engineer OF
the Georgia railroad, first suggested tn,
name Atlanta In letter TO Richart
Peters, resident of Marthasville, ant
Mr.. Peters was active in securing sigma
tures TO the petition for new charte
in which the name was changed. bu
nothing appears to show any ulterio
motive.
''Miss Matte Lumpkin,' as she is still
called in Athens, though she is widow
and her legal designation is Mrs. Marth
Lumpkin Compton, is a pleasant oil
lady Of 66, whose face still possesse
great sweetness of expression and show
traces of the beauty that half centur
ago gave her rank among the most fas
cinating girls in her native state. Sh
ID very fond of joke, very proud {
her family history, extremely proud {
the fact that the metropolis and capits
Of Georgia was once named for her. an
not az all captious about the change {
the city's name.