The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-07

County. One of his grandsons was James s. Hogg. late Governor of Texas. that preux chevalier who was ready in the time of the si1very moonsliine some dozen years ago to ride with spear couched and visor raised. along with that other gallant plumed knight. the late Governor Waite of Colorado, ''up to his bridle bits in blood" in defence of Free-ah Silvah. that lovely and greatly wronged damsei. If you read this aloud to anybody, I beg you not to put too strong an accent on that last named word, "damsel." If you should do this. you might be charged with using profane language. More- over. you might gall and make to bleed afresh the chilblains that are still smarting on the heels of the late 'ador- CTS of the fair Free-ah Silvah; for you must have discovered by this time that, as Mrs. Sairey Camp would say. 'The Silvah have settled on the lungs" of these same admirers, frozen the genial current of their souls, lowered their temperature. developed highly neurotic conditions, and otherwise impaired their general political health. But they ought to feel more comfortable by this time. Has not the great high priest of the modern. new-fangled Democracy recently discovered in the increased output of gold a convenient scapegoat which he has turned loose into the dream wilderness, bearing on his bow ed head the past political sins of the Democratitc populace,-or Father. if you will permit me to use the more truly descriptive epithet.-the past po- litcal sins of the Populistic Democ- racy.
 But. as my old friend. Burt Atkins. the cigar peddler of Tuscaloosa. used to say: 'This is very nice sidewalk S. tnu snto Yaak us come back to the main question: Who was the first settler? This Is a serious historical problem. The au- thorities seem to be about equally ball. ance5. In one scale stands or lies, as the case may be, Thomas Hogg. whose claim is avouched by the respectable Dickey Jones, a colonel of the Georgia militia. In the other scale stands or lies, as the case may be Arthur Moore, who is backed by that none too trust worthy historian of the early days. Gen. Tom Woodward, the founder of Tuskegee. Amid this clash of conflict ing claims I prefer to leave the Ques- tion in state of stable equilibrium. If you are anxious to know who was the first settler, I advise you to walk down Coosa street some bright afternoon, when the weather Is not too hot, cross the ravine at the foot of the same, and climb the hill on the other side. Then walk out to the brow of the bluf on which Thomas Hogs or Arthur Moore. as the case may be. put up the first shanty. Stand ing there facing the river ask with loud voice of the passing winds this question: The honor of having built the first shack on this spot is due to wh om?" Sportive echo from her aery shell on the opposite bank of the river will answer you with sweet, low voice: ru-whoo." If you are not satisfied with this answer, walt till after nightfall and then ask of the white owl that sits in the church belfry, warming his five wits this question:: The credit Is due to which of the two?" The white owl, turning his head slowly and cycling you with one big eye, will probably shriek out the same answer that so greatly mys- tiefied the English poet long time ago; "Tu-whit! To whoo-"
 If after this, you are still wa1ow- ing in the mud-puddle of doubt and uncertainty I suggest that you refer the whole matter to J. Culpepper Es- quire, the occasional correspondent of The Advertiser. J. Culpepper Is philosopher. He has been through several robustious political cam paigns of education" He has consid- cred the ways of Populists, Democrats,
 
 to be wise. From him. if he is as "5udgmatical" in matters historical as he is in things political, you may safely hope to get a salient. sound, sober, unselnsh, unbiased and unan- imous opinion, which ought to settle once for all the momentous question. Who was the white man that chinked with mud the first log shack ever erected on the sacro-sanct soil of Montgomery
 wish you to observe, in conclu- sion that call this soil "sacro-sanot" with deiberstion; for the price of 1t has scared so high of recent years that it strains the muscles in the back of ones neck to look up to 1t and comprehend it in all its expansive d. mensions. It beats Ekan-a-chah -ka." the Holy Ground down wonder in Lowndes county all hollow.
 Yours truly,
 ". S. Wyman.
 Post Scriptum.-After mature re- aection have reached the conclusion that Thomas Hogs and not Arthur Moore was the original squatter at Montgomery. The name of Arthur Moore is justly subject to suspicion. It is not q name that nts G hardy