The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-10-12
THE LOSS OF AN OLD FRIEND
HAD KNOWN HIM FIFTY YEARS,
Bill Arp Pays "a Finc Tribute to an
Esteemed Fricnd-His Oiiice Was
n FavOritc Place In Atlanta,
Friend after friend departs.
Who las moi lost q fricn02N

"Fricnd after friend departs.
Who has not lost a fricnd?'
[ don't know what word tho next
mail will bring, but expect that my
old friend Is dead. For moro than
fifty years George Aduir and | have
been friends.--good friends. lie was
always glad to meet me and hold my
hand tight and long, and smiled a
pleasant greeting. OF late years we
have drawn closer together, for we
knew that We were approaching the
goal, and that but few Of Ms were left.
The memories Of old men arc sweet,
but they arc sad, and it was " comfort
to George and to nc to get close to-
gethcr as 1;it as | visited Atlantis ana
commune about old times and the old
people who have passed away. lie
was mover gloomy NOR did ho ever
bring y cloud to darken tho sunshine
Of our meeting. Where shall | go
now for comfort WHOM | visit tho Gate
City Where will Evan Howell 20 ?
Yes, / was g college boy when
George Adair Was conducting the first
train that ever ran into Atlanta.
Travelled with him sometimes, ana
since then our warm friendship has
been unbroken. His warm Scotch
blood boat more kindly to his fricnQs
as the years rolled on. He was as
frank as he WAS genial. He hau'0piniOns
and convictions, and did NOT suppress
thcm TO curry favor With anybody.
His life was an open book, ana evcry-
body who knew him 2t all know him
we'll. a stranger would diagnose him IN
!! half an hours conversation. Sincerity
: was his m,,5t striking characteristic
Scotchmen are always slncere =, they
never dodge responsibility. L don't
know whether George carried any
Ipdian. blood or not, but his uucles did.
The Adairs of Cherokee wore close
akin to him, and they wore hull-brocds
or quadroons, and all went west with
the be in 1896 Their descendants
are out there now, for take an Indian
paper and SEQ their names among the
leaders. 1t Is singular how those
Scotchmen mated with the Indian
maidens carly in this century, aud
every ono Of them wantei n chiefs
daugh hter, and generally got her
When the old chiefs died these Scotch
mon just stepped into their piaco6 anc
groomed the tribes, and 80 did thcll
sons after them. There was no EN-
glish or Irish or French in it; the
Scotch alOnc had secured the Indians
respect and confidence. There wa,
Ross and Ridge and Mcintosh and Nc
Calvary and barnard and Vann ant
many others who became chiefs OF
sub. chiefs end governed all or u divi
sion OF the tribe. Osceola was the Sol
of q Scotch trader. | suspect tina
>. George Adair had q strain OF Choroket
blood in his veins, and it mado gOot
.cross-my wife thinks it does, and Il
proud to trace her Indian blood bacl
to Pocahontas through the Holts ant
Bolings and Itandolphs; wherever yol
q 10, | 4 h
by myself and my sOns-iD-law--" WO
man rules here" is what the roosto
says when he crows in this family, bu
she rules we'll. | told Uncle San
yesterday to clean out tho pit whcl
he got through cutting wood. Whcl
/ got back from town 1T was almOs
night, and he was raking all arount
the back yard and burning up the &C
cumulated litter and trash. Uncl
Sam" said |, | told you to clcan on
the pit, for [ must put some OF tn
flowers in thcrc, Pm afraid it will fros
tonight" The old man rakod on an
said: "She tolo mo to do dis" an
he never got to the pit at all. But M
wife camc out and explained, an
said the back yard looked so dread
fu) bad and sho know that the pi
could wait day or two and 1t waser
going to frost no how, and 90 forth
and OF course | surrendered--I alway
do, but I've got to clean out that p
myself.
Yes, remember whom George Adai
and j. Henry Smith started a now
paper In Atlanta, called The Souther
Confoderacy. | wrote for it somAtirht
just to give our boys somo comfdftB In
our enomies some SASS. When III
foul invader ran my numerous VII
and offspring out OF Rome wrote
1t on the wing, or the fly, and told no
We passed Big John" On tho wa
and he was driving q steor with tt
steers toll drawn through a hole
the dashbUard and tho end tied up
knot. | indicted o small poem to h
memory, and gave tho mournful elcl
to my fricnd Smith, and he publishI
it; George had got all fired up befol
this and joined General Forrest
cavalry. He proved to be grc
favorite with Forrest, and as tho q
miratiOn vas mutual ho named h
next boy after the general, and
aticks to him yot / told George son