Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-10
UnpDritten Facts in Georgia History.
BY GEORGE c. SMITH, D. D.

We know from the collections OF the
Georgia. Historical society and from
the JOIN als of John Wesley and
George whiteheId, something of the
social condition of those who came
over with Mr.. Oglethorpe. There were
none of them from poorhouses or pris-
ons. There were but few of them in
dependent of all help from the COM
pany's stores. They were generally of
that class who might be called the
respectable poor. They had issued to
them for the first year regular ra-
ton. which consisted Of one pound OF
beef or pork, a third of a pound Of
both rice and meal. about the same
quantity of -four, one pint Of beer each
day. a quart of Tnolasses a week, II
pounds of butter, II pounds of sugar,
f1ve gallons of vinegar. "a pounds Of
salt, u quarts Of oil, 20 pounds of soap
for year, and one pound of spun cot
ton They were furnished with hatch
ct, a hapdsaw, a shovel, three hoes,
gimlet. a drawing knife and a frying
pam For these supplies they were to
work under the direction of the trus-
tees for one year The houses they liv-
was the pole cabin with a dirt floor.
1t was covered with clapboards, and
lU6 EOOA was hCAN It's BAcA~0 W NCAohN
poles. 1t was not ceiled or plastered.
The chimney was made of sticks laid
on each other aud daubed between
with clay or mud. The houses were
generally Is to is feet square. The door
was made OF split boards, or perhaps
of plank sawed by a whipsaw. These
were the colonial mansions of which
our school girls so delight to write.
Mr.. Oglethorpe himself lived in
little plank cottage not much more
pretentious. The furniture of the cab
in was all home-made-a bench or two
made of split logs, stools made with
three legs, and after a while chair
made with bottom of rawhide, a ta-
BILE made of rough plank or puncheons,
and bed frame in the corner Of the
cabin, an oven, a pot and a frying pan,
made the furniture Of an average fam
fly
After the time when the issue OF ra-
tions ceased, the early settlers in the
low country we've dependent for sub
sistenee upon the product Of their la
bors IN the field. They made no wheat
or rye or barley. they were dependent
upon the rice patch and the. corn field.
Corn and rice were both beaten in
mortar, and corn was sometimes
ground in hand-mllls such as were in
use in Palestine Clothing was woven
at home. II was almost entirely of cot
ton. The long staple cotton was the
only cotton raised and the seed was
picked from the lint by the fingers.
Nearly all the people out of the VII
lagos and many in lem, for the first
20 years, went barefooted in summer.
The country people had no schools nor
churches, and the Sabbath was largely
spent In moral sports, especially Ash
ing and hunting. The first corners to all
this low country south of Scriven were
of European origin. They we're English,
Highland Scotch, Lowland Scotch and
Germans. The records in Savannah
only go back to the formation of the
county, in 1777. but in the secretary Of
states office we have. records back to
1854. The condition Of the first COM
ers in the years preceding this last
date are derived from other sources
than the wills and inventories. but
those which were made after the days
Of record amply sustain the descrip-
tion have given, 10 show how mar
row were the circumstances, Mr.. Ste
phens says that on one boat there were
two sows and some turkeys and three
shoats, and itlwould have been a great
disaster If they had been lost.
This was the condition of things till
about 1850 Then there was improve
ment IN conditlOns ana aIter the cOn-
Ing of the Dorchester colony and the
better business conditions in Savan-
nah after 1862 life was much changed,
but when in the low country there was
comfort and even luxury in the from
tier counties of Wilkes and Columbia.
everything was in state of forma-
ton. These people, unlike those on
the coast, had no access to markets
and had no products that could be