The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-14

Some sad and some sweet memories
came over me as l journcycd on the
old Georgia Railroad from Atlanta to
Augusta 1t was the first railroad
ever saw aud travelled on. My good
old father was one Of The original
stockholders. lie subscribed $1,000
and paid it as it was called for. In
those days roads were not built on
bonds or questionable, mysterious
schemes. There was no preferred
stock or Income bonds or first and
second mortgages, but everything was
simple, plain and honest. l have
great reverence for that road. lived
in Lawrcnccville while it was being
built. Stone Mountain was our near
est depot, and it was there | first ven
tured to board a train as I journcycd
to Athens to enter college. How
solemn, how inspiring was that ride.
remember that it seemed to me that
the trees and fences and farms and
habitations were al moving swiftly
backwards, while the train seemed to
be still and quivcring on its track.
had the same feeling the first time /
ever went up in an elevator. 1t was
at the Gilsey House, in New York,
and was not conscious Of going up,
but thought the hotel was rapidly de-
scending into some subterranean cavi-
ty. Young people nowadays have no
such experience. They do not rcmem-
Der the time when there wcro no rail
roads or tclegraphs, nor sewing ma
chiucs or cooking stoves, or matches
or steel pens, and therefore they can.
not appreciate or be grateful for the
blessings they enjoy.
AS we neared Stone Mountain and |
looked upon it's bald, majestic summit
[ was carried back in memory to the
delightful days Of my youth, when
nearly sixty years ago that mountain
wcs our trysting place, and boys and
GIRLS journeyed there sixteen miles
from Lawrenccville and spent happy
day and while there and on the way we
revcled in loves young dream and
eyes looked love to eyes that spoke
again. remember when there was
tower on that mountains top-a tower
160 feet high, whose slender top did
sometimes touch the clouds, and it
was built by Aaron Cloud, whose very
name made him fitting architect. 1t
was the first sky-scraper ever built in
Georgia. remember the delightful
day when brunette lassic with hazel
eyes and Indian hair ascended those
winding stairs with me, and as we sat
together on its dizzy pinnacle 1 thought
1 was little nearer heaven than I had
ever been before. Under pretcnse of
shielding her from harm, I half en-
closed her with my arm and the palpi
tating lace upon her bosom told me
how fast her heart was beating, and
there almost in the clouds wo plighted
our troth, remember when one win
ter night the storm came and the rain
descended and the winds blew, and
that tower fell and great was the fall
of it. I remember when there was
fine hotel at the base Of that mountain
and one night there was ball in the
spacious dining room, and bright
the lights shone Ger fair women and
brave men" and for the first time I saw
that queenly girl whom the boys called
Becky Lattimer, and whose dashing
beauty drew them to her as molasses
draws flies. Her father lived not far
away, substantial farmer, and few
years later "our Becky" became Mrs.
Rebecah FELTON,, the wife Of the learn
ed and eloquent doctor of Cartersville.
remember when that great solid
mountain Of granite seemed larger
yes, much larger-than it looks to be
now, for / was young then and nature
had not begun to shrink with me.
Everything is smaller now and every
year gets smaller still. AS Pope says
Of the dying Christier, "The world
recedes-it it disappears" aud so it will
to those who die Of old age. Tom
Hood expressed it beautifully and
pathetically when he said:
II remember, remember the fir tree,
dark and high,
l used &C think their slender tops we're
close against the sky,
But now Pm growing older and find it
little joy