The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-11-14
Two Georgia Stories.

Some time during 1884 Colonel. A.
w. Toombs, Of darlington. Ky, OBJ
tained possession Of an old pipe, which
was curious and attractive. 1t was in
the possession of negro tramp, who
came to that town, and Colonel Toombs
purchased it from him for mere trife:
The pipe was a handsomely carved
affair with long stem, around which
was silver band containing the fol-
lowing inscription: ''Found on the
body Of an officer in the Thomas corps,
on the battlefield Of Chickamauga,
Sunday, September IL, 1864, by Lieu
tenant Will Frazer, Third Confederate
Infantry, Folks brigade, Cleburne's
division" !" Some time afterward Col
onel Toombs, being anxious to learn
something more concerning the history
of the pipe, inserted a card in the
Courier-Journal concerning descrip-
tion of it and asking for information.
He was rewarded by receiving a letter
from Lieutenant Frazer, Of St. Louis,
whose name was mentioned in the in
scription on the pipe. The letter con-
tanned an account Of how the pipe
came into his possession, and the story
is an interesting one. In his COM
munication Lieutenant Frazer says:
"In that terrible struggle on Sunday
at Chickamauga my brigade (Polk.s,
Cleburne's division), in making the
| final charge about sunset, carried the
| works in it's front, which were held
| if I mistake notify Boards division
| of regulars. As l stepped over the
| breastworks federal officer lying near
a battery, apparently in the last ago,
| MES Of death, motioned to me. j.!
knelt beside him, raised his head and
| gave him drink of water from my
| canteen. he feebly pointed to his
breast pocket, from which I saw the
stem of pipe protruding, and taking
it out he pressed it into my hands,
and with his eyes expressed his desire
for me to keep it. He was speechless.
How I managed to keep the pipe
| through the mutations of war that
followed that bloody Sunday | hardly
| know, butat the close, when settled
down in New Orleans, l found that
| the pipe had stuck to me. In 1869 l
presented the pipe to a friend Of mine
in New Orleans, and he had it enclr-
cled with the silver band and engraved.
How it got out Of his possession into
the hands of the party from whom you
obtained it is, Of course, matter OF
conjecture, and / regret its career
should have been SO inglorious.'
On the land Of farmer FIVE miles
east of Crab Orchard, KY, near the
village Of Gum Sulphur, is a well
which is a great wonder to those who
have visited it. 1t is known as the
burning well, name appropriately
given, for its waters, though clear,
limpid and drinkable, are as inaamma-
BILE as naphtha. This well is about
fifteen feet deep, extending down
through a stratum Of slate rock: 1t
contains wooden pump stock and the
water, as it comes cold and sparkling
from the depths Of the we'll, has no
odor about it. 1t has mineral taste
and is exceedingly pleasant to drink.
Yet dipper full Of it coming in con-
tact with fame will take fire, blazing
up like gunpowder. The wells dis
covery, if the natives tell true story,
was remarkable. A party Of excur-
sionists from the springs went out in
that section in quest of ferns, fossils
and the like. On their return they
found the well and stopped to get a
drink. An old lady living near by
brought a bucket and filled it with the
refreshing fluid for the thirsty ram
blers. After they had drank she
poured the remainder on the ground
near the well. just at this instant a
young man of the party lighted 3. ciga-
rette and threw the match heedlessly
to the ground. It chanced to fall
into the poured out water, which took
fire and flashed up, amazing and fright
ening the whole party. At the sug'
gestion of one of the onlookers more
water was drawn, and to the wonder
of all it took fire as readily as an ex.
plosive, screening the face and eye
brows Of the rash experimenter who
held the match. The old lady's family
had for years been using water out Of
the well, perfectly ignorant OF its
properties.