The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-12

1Tecldh III architecture ne did not fol-
low 1t exclusively. On the other hand
an overwhelming majority of the old
homes that have down in good condi-
tion to the twentieth century from
ante-bellum days are not of that type
Montgomery is and has ever been
the heart OF the South. She has been
the heart, which pulsated with loyal
ty to the South and alo * every art
cry Of trade and communication than
went to the outer world there travel
cd the life blood of the South in VIC
tory. in defeat, In happiness and in
sorrow.
She has been the physical center of
the old South and the physical center
Of the new South. In ways. in habits
an in customs she has been OF the
South and Southern. She has more
than that. been the center OF the Black
Belt where the institution of slavery
with all its merits and denerits held
It's greatest sway and where it's pic
turesqueness found its greatest cx-
preston.
Montgomery and the Southern coun-
tryt hat lies around 1t are richer IN
| the memories and mencnto.s of the
old order than any other portion of
the South II we except the Virginia
valleys. The epoch of the old South
closed full forty years ago IN blood
and suffering. The curtain was rung
down on the scene of ;:s romance,
with all its color and pcturcsqueness
-rung down at the signal of the cam
non and the musket. Var wrote the
decree that what was, was never to
be again.
visible mcmentots show. forty years
after? What were the old houses? How
did they look? How much OF truth
is there In the ideal, that is built up
by romance and by memory? What
was the ante bellum home of the slave
owning Southerner?
Montgomery Can Answer.
n any county below Mason and Dix
on's line can answer that question,
that county Is the county OF Mont
goniery. Her settlers were OF English
descent. with Scotch ana Hugenot
notifications, branching out original
ly from Virginia or the Caro!inas. For
| a generation or so. many of them
tarried In Georgia. But they came into
the new country with English ideas
and English customs Chef among
family estate ideal with its manor
house and its retinue Of retainers
them. They brought m the wagon
trains that followed the wealth to es-
tablish and support the old ideals in
new and virgin country
The generation born and bred since
the war and whose lives were lived
out under far different conditions
know nothing Of ante belluri life. the
estate and manor house life lived by
the slave owner and the large land
owner. There are of course. many who
lived under It and who in kindly
frosty old age love to dwell upon It's
beauties and its pleasures. They never
tire of talking OF it. they who weie
fortunate in the enjoyment of it's PEE
culiar privileges. Memories of joys
that are past are not always accurate
records of conditions as they actually
existed Memories fond and pleasant
gild all. upon which their light is
thrown.
But there are tangible, visible mon
uments of the past that endure forty
years after and to these tho twcnti
eth century Alaba mian may turn to
study In the search for an accurate
picture Of the picturesque past. Mont
gomcry. thoroughly and essentially
Southern, for the future presents some
OF the enduring monuments of the
vanished epoch. The old houses endure
many OF them. Fire and decay haze
been at their remorseless task, but
the task Is far from completed. But
their work continues
To present a few OF the old time
Montgomery county homes as they APP
pear today, with a few words OF de-
scription and history when they are
obtainable Is the purpose of this pre-
sent series. For the present. at least
only the country homes now standing
about the city OF MONTGOMERY VIII
be shown. And not all of these,
because of the limit Of space and
time, will be dealt with. The photo
graphs done by Mr.. Spangler are OF
houses that represent type whlch
are invested with some interest of the
historical or unique.
1t is the purpose Of the few articles
that will appear to show the real
houses as they are--to show them
without the retouching of fond
memory of the gliding of an imagin-
alive romance. The interest of all
visitors to, the South in those houses
Is appreciated and the pride Of many
Southerners in them. a pride not os-
tentatiously worn. but no less care
fully nourishes Ia at the same time
given consideration in the handling
csting
The men who comes South.
from the East from the North. wants
first of all to see and study the ante
bcllum home about which the play and
the story has aroused his interest. TIL"
man who was reared in one or whose
family lived in one is in another way
as deeply interested in any treatment
of the subject
To feed this interest representations
of some of the older Southern homes
will be presented and "A few words
written of them. No history Is being
attempted. There is perhaps not one
of them but that could furnish a Yer
acious chronicler with the material
for a story of absorbing interest, but
the gathering of material presents a
task that Is all but impossible. In
newspaper way the disappearing
memetoes of a vanished md picture.
sque order will he presented while
they yet endue and before Time and
Decay have demanded their forfeit.
The first of tho detailed letters will
deal with some of the remaining
homes along the Mt. Meigs Road, at
one time the great highway and the
main Travelled roads leading to the
city 1t was the first road that came
to Montgomery in pioneer days and
Here first the we1lthiest settlers came
when tie Indians had been moved and
when the government was selling the
land of the new StPte.
The land that is pierced by the road
was peculiarly the abode of the slave
owning planter. 1t had practically no
other settlers than the owner of slaves
ana their wards. 1t was n road upon
which only the wealthy lived and six
ty years ago there dwelt along that
road a considerable portion Of the
weelth and the brains Of Montgomery
county. The land sold for perhaps
more dollars than il would bring at
the present high price and the COM
munity knew an Importance that 1t
has never known since.