New-York tribune., 1900-07-22
GENERAL GoRDON'S BorHooD.
LIFE IN GEORGIA IN THE OLD DAYS "BEFo, DE |
WAH."


wAH."
From The Youths Companion
MY MY birthplace was my fathers plantation IN
River and there my early boyhood was passed in
roads. no telegraphs no daily newspapers. and few
s nnets IN Inat portion OF the country The OF
ing Ing to its size and the distance it was TO 60
horseback and between important towns in STAGE @
S SSoacnes. As the coaches, drawn by teams of four
ntoIseS. win Duges sounding their approach swept
along me roads they aroused in the country people
finest train of Pullman cars The dri1e neeed oy tas
on I thelr Iofty seats, were the envy of aspiring
st The building Of the first school that attended
way 1t was built of hewn logs but was We'll an
lsHeu INSIDE and out At each end OF the room there
places during the winter months great ior 9r 4re
cut and brougbt G bne In ogs for this purpose were
ne schoolmaster was Irishman named D5Stsr
as black as raven He was man of Ine ne5ITm haIP
OF aoi 0g ~hen Zen ENGAGED In his favorite amusement
ms seat was near the centre OF the room and he
students were seated at desks arranged abouf fbe
ten5aG f- ne @ snlan ooys sat on bench which ex-
80 Al speeied hours all the small boys were required
pen and ink The pen was goose quill co1vsrtsd
into proper shape by Dosters sharp penknIfe DIR
ing t9e time given TO writing lessons little pen
men turned our faces 10 the wall in order to use
our backs were turned toward the teacher. mus
instead of requiring to write words and SEN
tongs scissors and other Objects Of u,S SnhO2ks 2I
master moved quietly behind This lopg I, me ne
youngsters and peeped their Shoulders n
ne discovered boy forming his hshhook upside
storm at him from Behind What aTe yo ne o1 mould
6ze0 e0uFsf the eTRs pen and the pens OF half
9Hrring splotehing and spelling the whole page
Doster with the opportunity for teaching greater
Skull SELF poise and economy by the rod.
long bag was hung under patForm n5o vial 91Ies The
through he lint
tI ION was thrown by hand into the swinging bag
and stalwart negro on the place. who stood inside
the bag and tramped the cotton with his feet as ~
he packer fathers pantatioR a on 1E9s Tas 9fF hc
m6resTe ta TnS ana as very
whiskers and Of austere bearing He seemed to
everything on the plantation He would come OUT
OF this packing process covered from head to fool
man of snow with a black face His habit iiSs :. =. d
TO get rid of that fine heecy lint by burning it
of. Applied near his ankles. the flames ran over
him In second cleaning or the lint with no per-
When about six years old / was standing by the
hre. when Captain came out of the cotton bag COW
me Touch me of now" obeve5 ana Tb or1gsed b1ss
swept over him cleaning off the lint from foot to
head-and the sdewhiskers. too! This cured him
nSe, Several years after this my, father moved TO
North Georgia. Although plantation life there
differed somewhat from that peculiar 10 the cotton
relations OF the white master 10 his blsc a SnHy
the same free intercourse between the white and
masters felt themselves responsible for the pro
lection OF their black followers in case OF Conflicts
companions OF my boyhood drew me into larger
st 9i PitShed battles In their defence than
HIteFwaTd fought In my four years OF service IN
the Confederate Army.
The smaller boys black and white. hunted rae
bits in the daytime and possums and coons AZ
night with dogs, The larger boys rode In the fox
In the exhilarating pursuit OF wolves when these
ib, EeouS peas5s mad stolen into the sheepfolds
pert riders.