The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-09-24
SARGE PLUNKETT.
DAYS WIEN n RACE TRACK WAS AT
EVERY CROSS ROADS STORE.
The OId-time Wagoners aud How They Used
to Gather at Hamburg Across the
River from Augusta.

In these gloomy moods an old man soon
finds himself travelling along the paths
of his early life and it is hard from COM
pairing candidates then with now. Brown
has been trying to keep out of these ruml-
nations by looking at the show pictures
which fill the papers, but even these show
pictures flashed his memory backward and
before ne knew it he was talking about
old Joe Sweeny, the greatest old-ime ne
gro minstrel and banjo picker. Before ne
could convince me that old Joe was the
man who invented the banjo, he was sing
ing as he patted his feet:
"Old Joe kicking up behind and befo',
Pretty girl kicking up behind old Joe!'
No use trying to keep old folks from
going back into the past. Brown ana L
give it up after the morning was nearly
gone and sit down by the fire, lit our pipes
and went at it right.
Brown caught himself pulling the line
for a gee pull as We talked OF the ola
wagoning days to Hamburg, ANA couid
seemingly hear the bells tinSlng on the
leaders" they stepped proud down the
streets of an old town that is no more.
Hamburg was town just across the
river, in South Carolina, from Augusta,
and il was there the oid-time Wagoners
used to journey and gather together from
two states-Georgia ana Carolina. The OLD
town has long since lost its Importance,
but there are yet a few living who USED
to market there and can remember the old
time wagoners who gave the place it's pros
perity. The young cannot understand what
this great wagon trade was to a town nor
what an important factor the olf-tine WaS-
oner was in the commerce of the coun-
try.
Hamburg, Charleston, Richmond, these
places used to be named together, ana
perhaps the price of building railroad
bridge swept Hamburg from the charts OF
business and gave to Georgia the proud
city of Augusta. Little did the old Ham
burg people think that little sdueaking
engine could divert from them the trade
of the old wagoners-of course 1t vas
never dreamed that the day would come
when these wagonerS were not necessary.
People were crazy about cotton in those
days as they are now. They raised cotton
then to buy negroes. More negroes more
regroes, and cutting and a slashinS of
the land to raise cotton for the purpose.
This is where Richmond came init was
the great negro market. Negro 'specuIa-
tors" were as common at old Hamburg as
the horse drovers ara in Atlanta today
The Spectators" hurried the money back
to Richmond to replenish their stock Just
as the horse drovers send their money back
to Kentucky for more horses. Richmond
survives-on war record, | suppose-and
even an earthquake could not wipe out
Charleston, but old Hamburg is a thing of
the past, and all because it took n bridge
to make it the terminus of a railroad.
With the old wagoners has gone much of
the pride in good horse flesh. good team
was something to be proud Of in old times.
Railroads killed the usefulness of these
teams and made the old wagner a back
number" by laying down the goods right
at our doors The railroad men have no
such feeling for their engines as the OLD
WAGNER had for his team. Shovel IN me
coal! Burr her out! Make the schedule!
All business with the railroaGer. Ihefe
was a warm affection between the OLD
wagner and Ibis horses. After hard hill
the team was rested and the old wagner
would walk round and pat his horses and
stroke them down and talk good to them.
They lived together on the road and knew
each other as well as people know.
Salt, sugar, coffee, bagging was the prlh-
cipal freight with these old waSonerS. sun
day clothing was about all tine trade in dry
goods II was never thought Of to haul
corn. meat, hay. The country was fun of
corn. full of meat and plenty Of rough
ness" Every settlement had its lanyard,
its shoe, wagon and blacksmith shops.
Many settlements had their own hatmak-
ers gunsmith, harness and saddle makers
Fine saddles and English twist guns were
thing Every young man must have
nice saddle and the girls must have side
saddles, and how these young people did
like their saddle nags. There is none OF
this now; ) cents on the street car 'Or a
spring upon a bicycle and away they go.
Hang the horse-he eats-ani hang the
lorg trailing riding skirts which tine girls
wore in them days-old foSyism, these
things. They don't want no trailing skirts
on these bicycles, and while the boys have
adopted loug stockings they tell rue that the
girls are soon to adopt socks, and ] guess
it won't be long till they will be having
their "sockless" among them.
This leads me up To where it should be
plain that the horse needs a friend or he
is soon to be thing of the past. The fact
is the horse is no longer needed. Condi-
items have so changed that he. the horse,
stands u back number" but who is there
that can lay their hand upon their heart
and say that the country has been benefited
or the people made happier?
There is but one place left for the horse
to fill where he receives anything like
admiration for his powers. The race track
is all that can keep the horse trom pass
ing away L know there are those who
VIC uld throw up their hands at this, but
The race tracks must become popular
and as common as they used TO be or the
horse is gone. Georgia farmers are just
row beginning to throw their best energy
INTO carrying. 10 teilSc CJllS OIL Oh luc
surplus milk would make dairying in Geor-
gia the more surely success. What is
the use to raise them if there is not some
thing done to create a pride in them and
make a market for them? In old times ev-
cry country crossroad store had a level
stretch for racers somewhere near. The
moral of horse racing is no worse than
baseball, prize fights or many other things
that could be mentioned. L have retro
spected the whole way, and for every old
time game" suppressed there has rose up
a worse one i'll its stead. l don't know
how l will feel about this when the east
wind quits blowing, but just now, as /
ruminate, L can't see that the country has
Ter by "A single restraining law. When
chickens were fought In every back yard
on Decatur street in Atlanta, there was
no more apparent wickedness on that street
than now. When the Big Bonanza"
Girl of the Period" and other such places
PLAYED with open doors along the most
public thoroughfares there We're good peo-
Die and bad people, and it Is the same at
this time-there are good people and bad
people now.
The church is the thing 1 keep my eye
upon as the great standard for good. 1t
is a question with me whether the church,
with all the restraints of law that has
come upon us, is any stronger, purer or
simpler than in old times. 1t used to be
mighty easy to draw the line-it was the
church or the devil The line is not so
definite now-many bad places are very
respectable places. Ii used to be the beast
of the common people that the judiciary
of this country was safe, nonorable. Just
beyond reproach-though the heavens fail
Now it is common to hear Nof some judge
,l,, xxrith frart