The Indianapolis journal., 1898-01-26
AN OLD GEORGIA SLAVE MART.
1t Recalls the OId-Time Life Back 10
Revolutionary Days.
Atlanta Journal.

<Allduld JOURNAL
There stands in the center of the principal
street of the quaint old town of Louisville,
Ca, queer structure. 1t was built so long
ago that those who have grown old and
gray In this former capital of the State
cannot tell of its early history. Somewhere
in the early days before the "Yazoo specu-
lation'' this old slave market was erected,
and although built of wood, 1t has stood
the storms of time, and the hewn post oak
beams and pillars are as sound now as 0a
that day when the Wrought-irOn nails were
first driven into them. and the bell, which
now hangs cracked and tonelesS a Curl
osity pealed forth it's hrazen tones, calling
the dealer to bid at the 'nigger sale
A very few people know that Louisville
was ever the capital of Georgia. The star
first to Savannah, then Augusta, and on the
18th day of May, 1895, the seat of govern
ment was changed from Augusta 70 this
little island village, and here remained until
1S04-after which Milledgeville was selected,
and at cost of $4,000, a capitol was
erected
1t was at Louisville that the papers and
documents connected with that giant swim
die, the "YaZoo frauds, We're burned by
Gen. James Jackson.
The story of the Yazoo frauds is long
and intricate history. 1t is stated that more
than one hundred duels were fought about
1t. The pith of the story is about as fol-
lows:
During the first years subsequent to the
revolution few wealthy and unscrupuious
was known the Combined Society.
Their scheme was to bribe the Georgia
Legislature ana 10 DuX from the state Iulf-
ty-five million acres os land in western
Georgia. Alabama and Mississippi, and the
price for all this territory was only TO be
$500, 600.
This purchase would have taken in what
is now the best part of three populous
States. These old-time swindlers only
have been deed to all Atlanta, Chatta-
nooga, Memphis, to say nothing or ten
thousand ,1 smaller towns. The arch swlndler
a man of wonderful parts. History tells how
the giant speculation failed principally
through the courageous efforts OF Gen.
carried their bill through both houses of
the Legislature and the Governors sigma
on Jan. p. i79S, the General Assembly
met and rescinded the action of the former
body. General Jackson, formerly United
States senator, resigned his seat in the Sem
ate, came home and was elected a member
of this Legislature from Chatham county.
He engineered the resembling bill through.
ON the day following by the order Of both
houses a fire was kindled in the square and
all the records and documents were publicly
burned.
The clerk of the House was required to
cry in a loud voice, God save the State and
long preserve her rights, and may every at
tempt to injure her perish as these wicked
and corrupt acts now do.
This occurred in the year of our Lord
l7ss, ninety-eight years ago, yet there can .,
spreading shades the shallow excavation ia
the ground into which the papers were piled
away last year, the capitol disappeared
many years ago, and the old slave market
which inspires this sketch win soon, too,
give way before the march of nineteenth
century push. A water tower will probably
take the place of this hoary sentinel of
time.
An old gentleman whom l met on the
streets of Louisville, and whose gray hair
and tottering form could not help compar-
ing to the ancient landmark, said:
81 know I've seen a thousand niggers bid
off here. The bell which hangs inside you
will notice bears the French coat of arms
and is stamped 1772 / have heard that the
bell was captured in colonial days from the
deck of a French privateer. 1t has only
been cracked since a few years before the
war"
The strangest part of the story is the
wonderful preservation of the timbers in the
old structure. They are all hewn oak, put
together with wrought-ron nails, and the
wood is so hard that / don't believe it would
be possible to drive nineteenth-century
nail into ii with ak.
Louisville of to-day is still dnpretentious.
1t is the county seat of Jefferson-named for
that great father of Democracy and decla-
ratiOnS.
Louisville has one-gallus railroad. which
blows IL long blow fifteen minutes before the
train starts back to the Central Railroad
connection at Wadey, Ga. The old town has
many beautiful homes and quiet. aristo-
cratic families which trace their lineage to
colonial times.