The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-06-04

So many letters come to me of late ask
ing about The Confederate veteran 'tha'
I am constrained to answer through tHe
press. 1t is monthly published III
Nashville by Captain S. A. Cunninghafn-
This reminds me to say that sam laws
is not the only hero of his kind w iiiiaii
NJ. Formby writes me from Le"lsNii,e'
Ark. that there is in Little Rock the
grave of David c. Dodd, who when only
eighteen years of age was arrested near
there as spy and important papers
found on his person. General steer was
in command of that post and offered MN
a pardon If he would disclose the names
of those from whom he got the informal
ton Like Sam Davis, he refused anu
said he would die first and he dId uie'
He wrote letter to his mother, WHO thei
lived in Atlanta Cass county, Tex, tell
ing her of his untimely fate. My FRIEND
saws he has q copy of that letter ana mas
seen the grave in Little Rock. which
some friends have marked with pam
white shaft l have written to him 20
send a copy of the letter to The veteran
and if possible a photograph OF the mar
BILE shaft. Such loyalty and fidelity must
be preserved and put on record.
We are all demOralized at our mousse
and home for the maternal ancestor mas
there, 1 reckon until ! write to her that
Jessie or her little children or some other
member of the family Is sick Then she
will come on the first train. She mas got
kindred and friends over there, lotS Oh
them, and they will keep her until she
goes the grand rounds. for she lived theTe
twenty-seven years. She and were
among the pioneers of the Hill city. In
fact, we are the only living persons VINO
were living I'm Rome when we mover
there fifty years ago. Just think OF IL
and ponder IT, How surely and stealthily
a population passes away. How insidi-
Gus is Time. the unrelenting old ras-
cal. Only fifty years. and not man
or woman left but my wife and L. There
were then about 1900 people in Rome anu
now there are ten times that NUMBER
Every old settler is dead save Colonel
r W. Alexander, and he came three
years after I did. Every lawyer. every
doctor. every preacher and teacher. every
merchant and mechanic are dead Oh"
Judge Underwood. j. W. II. Underwood.
Judge Wright. General Black, Alexan-
der, Sloan Shorter DR. Battey. DR.. Tn
derwood, all strong and notable men.
could write a book about each of them
And then there was Old Jake Herndon
and Big John. the Munchausens OF the
town who We're ready to swear that
when they first settled there away back
I'm the thirties the CoOsa river was lit
tie spring branch. Old Jake declared he
had seen a fTcshet that rose to the gum
tree on courthouse hill, and the Their
mOmeter was go in the shade. He al
ways said thermometer and accented the
first syllable. My little boy had an old
fashioned rubber ball and showed II to
Uncle Jake and he remarked that he
once had a ball made out of shore enuf
injun-rubber, and 1t would bounce out
OF sight, and one day be bounced 1t on
common hard and 1t never come down TIL
next day, and then his little dog grabbed
II and ii rebounded ana took the dog up
with it and he had never seen the dog or
ball since. Old Jake believed his own
lies I heard him say once that when
hog killing time came round he heated
rocks on each side of his millDOnd and
threw them I'm and drove the hogs
through and they came out clean on the
other side Big John kept the only sa-
loon in town. \ saloon was called gro
Gerry then and Big Johns grocery was
landmarlS-the loafing place-for he kept
a comfortable bench on each side of the
front door They were outside on the
sidewalk and we're generally occupied
OLD Jake Herndon could be found there
half the day and Big John gave him his
whisky free as an attraction He was
drawing card and drew the thirsty men
like molasses draws flies. Sometimes l