The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-22

Thirty years ago man by the name
Of James Wilson came into our coun-
try from Aberdeen, Scotland, and
when he caught sight Of the granite
along the Georgia railroad he said,
there I stop-this is the land =
This Scotchman was an expert IN
stone cutting and knew the value that
should be placed upon rich fields OF
granite. He settled down in Lithonia
and cut out the first stone now SO
common on the streets Of Atlanta and
other cities. He is buried in the
cemetery at Lithonia and his coun-
trymen have decorated his resting
place in most suitable manner by
the erection in granite Of Unique
statutes in the place where he sleeps.
Long before this man Of Aberdeen
died he saw a yeri6cation Of his good
judgment on the coming Importance
Of this granite. In few short years
he had gathered about Lithonia a col
ony Of Scotch people so numerous as
to make one feel in strolling there
that they we're along the "banks aud
braes Of bonny Doom or listening to
the murmer Of CATIONS Sweet Wa
ters.''
Before Wilson's death experiment
had been begun to find something to
take the place Of granite but re al
ways toldihis friends to never mind,
that they might go off for while but
that they would return to the use OF
granite, as nothing could take its
place. This prediction has been full
filed. For some time the world has
been struggling to find something that
would take the place Of this granite,
and 80 successful did the experiments
seem at one time that the industry
was dead and many people fed the
region, and capital was withdrawn,
but return to granite has begun, the
industry has taken on life again, capi-
tai and people are returning and De-
Kalb now gives promise Of being
speedily what she should be, the
richest county in the world from Lat
ural resources.
One has but small conception OF
this granite supply who confne their
ideas to Stone Mountain and the
region thcreabout. Miles away from
Stone Mountain to every point Of the
compass stretches great fields Of gran
ite and hills of granite only called
1shills' because of the great Stone
Mountain itself which overshadows
everything Of its kind and stand as
one of the greatest wonders Of the
world. Away down on the line of
Clayton from any vantage ground look
ing into DeKalb, miles upon miles OF
granite can be seen, sometimes stretch
ing in fat acres like gray pra;ries, then
rising in 'hills'' like grim sentinels
keeping watch over world that is
passing, to tell the tale when all else
has passed away.
Never touching the great mountain,
enough granite could be had to build
Chinese wall around the world, and
then seas Of rock, if it be proper to
call them seas, would remain unscar-
red by the hand Of progress, only
waiting to be turned into channels OF
usefulness and to things Of beauty.
Along with the predictions Of the
man from Scotland, there is another
story of man and his faith that these
mountains are to be scattered to the
four winds, but it will be remembered
that in Wilson We had the judgment
Of a clear, strong man Of travel, an
expert in rock work, in the other we
have the delusion-if you SO choose to
call it-of an old man bent with age
and smartiDg under what he tyok as a
wrong which crept upon him in the
garb of progress and opened the eyes
Of those whom he wished to ever keep
in the stumbling path of darkness.
Long, long ago, before the hammer
Of the Scotchman was ever dreamed Of
and before these rocks had ever had a
scar, this strange old man owned land
and lived northeast Of the Stone
Mountain. He had raised family
here, as innocent as they were igno-
rant in their backwoods seclusion.
The old man himself was rated an
in6del, but his family were believers
and members of a little log church
which mad been built very near the
foot Of the mountain, on the steep
side. His family had long since de-
spared of ever getting the old man to
enter their little church, and nothing
was thought of it when the old fellow
l