The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-23

We knew there could be no better
place to see the one hundred and
thirty>ninth birthday of Robbie Burns
celebrated than among his own coun-
trymen at the granite quarries Of the
lower part Of DeKaEb. Going there
for this purpose and listening to the
songs Of the poet as sung in his own
tongue, we truly felt as if strolling
along the banks and braes of bonny
Doom" or listening to the murmur of
"Aftan's Sweet Waters We could no
more describe the sweetness of this
occasion than we could picture the
merits Of the hardy men and. bonnie
lassies who have been drawn into this
section by Che granite industry every
where so abundant. We were carried
to the grave of the first Scotchman
who came here for this purpose, and
the FIRST man to cut block of stone
now SO common upon streets He is
remembered most affectionately by his
country people, and they have decora-
ted his grave in the cemetery of Lith-
oaia in most artistic and appropriate
manner. This man was James r.
Wilson, Aberdeen, Scotland. The
Gate City Bank, Of Atlanta, once paid
this man $5,0OOsoo much in cashing
check, which he discovered after
arriving at Lithonia. He at once
telegraphed the bank to save them
worry, and the next day carried the
money back. The bank official re-
ceiyed it without even thanking Will
son or paying his car fare or telegraph
expense, whereupon he only remarked
that they should do the travelling if
the thing ever occurred again.
At Stone Mountain We had look
at the crown head Of the Confederate
monument 60 be erected at Chicka-
mauga battlefield. This monument
will truly be wonderful piece Of
work, and was performed by Scotch
man-a Dir. Potter, Mr.. Beacon and
another gentleman whose name | have
forgotten. The base Of the monu-
ment is constructed of Solid granite
then comes four pillars six feet in
diameter then the crown head with
a horse head from each side and end
1t being square; then another tier
Of smaller pillars, and upon these will
appear bronze statue Of Confeder
ate soldier. The statue. when placed
ia position, will measure eighty feet
high.
Before leaving Stone Mountain, for
the sake of diversion, will give the
story Of strange old man who pays
frequent visits to these granite fields,
and whose belief in the efficacy Of
prayer would be an ornament in many
others far more cultured than he.
Long, long ago, before the hammer
Of the Scotchman was ever dreamed of
and before these rocks ever had a
scar, this strange old man owned lands
and lived little northeast of the
steep side of Stone Mountain. He
had raised family here perfectly
beautiful in their innocence and happy
In their backwoods seclusion. The
old man himself was rated an in6del,
bat his family we're strict members Of
little log Church which had been
organized near the foot of the noun
tain. The family had long sisce des-
paired of ever getting the old fellow
to attend Church. and nothing was
thought of it when upon every Sab
bath morning, he filled his bow-basket
with corn, got small sack of salt
ready and went to the woods to find
his hogs and salt his cattle-this had
been his custom for years upon the
Sabbath day, and he scoffed the idea
Of there being any good in religion or
in Churches.
So things were moving when man
By the name Of Cloud-Aaron Cloud
visited the section, bought Stone
Mountain for little Of nothing and an
nounced that he was going to build
fine hotel and tower on the mountain
ard make it a great summer resort for
pleasure seekers. This all transpired,
and our strange old man soon saw his
shildren departing from the back
woods simplicity and taking on the
irs Of the fashionable people who
ssembled at the hotel on the noun
ain. His girls were no longer con-
ent with plain homespun goods, and
lis boys failed to see why they should
YORK so hard, and that under the
pund of string bands FROM the dance
hills or brass bands from the great
twer that reached above the clouds.
7 was soon pIain that the dissipation