Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-14
The Cold Saturday

--hars are very few people living VINO
IAN tell us anything about the cold Satui
a.v from living experience l was oori'
,be same wear, but the terrible SATURDAY
came along before my birth, for my oir'h-
day was June 10. So.
Az mother often talked to me OF uaA'
time. because she never forgot tne Sc
we're blizzard or its experiences -
Il happened some time IN FeoFuarS' A''''
possibly on or near the lStn- -,
Nv parents were married early IN lSst'
.1d NV Young mother came 10 Dekalo
rountv TO live soon afterwards Aheli
bor,e was ten miles south Of Decatur on
the road leading southwark TO AUGUSTA
Ca -
as far hack as I can recall. there wa
q Stare stand at my fathers place (tnsy
we're stationed ten miles apart VIC.
1,orSaS we're changed. and recoileSt
,r,tb vivid distinctness the magnificent
seams that came there with those Ilne
sfsgs coaches. I remember in my child
hood memories the stage horn when al
wavs sounded a mile away that the most
1ers should be ready 20 throwsOff the mar
ness worn by the smoking horses IN eoio
weather and quickly fling them on 1he
rested ones that no delay might Occult.
INT N return 10 what my mother tolc
- ~ the famous cold Saturday. The
weather begun TO change thursday n'gft
,,rev-fo,,s Friday was exceedingly raw,
perhaps rainy.
Mother told me that il was her custom
20 have floors secured every Friday 10
be ready for Sunday and although II was
very cold the young hOusekeeper olsFe-
rarsed her house servants entreaty ana
the floors were cleaned as usual
she laughingIy told me to learn wis
son, nv her mistakes because the ice re-
rDained on the nail heads and floor cor
uers until next Monday
There was a regular court day In De-
eatur on Saturday. My father had bus
mess with the court and started on morse
hack early Saturday morning to ride ten
miles and return. He wrapped himself
Vel with Iegzfngs. oversocks. etc, but
the cold grew more intense As soon as
court adjourned ne started home, and he
often spoke Of that ride. His horse
breath froze from it's nostrils. and he had
IN 20 cautiously lest the horse might fail
him. He was a fne-blooded animal and
mettleSome.
II was an hour after dark. my mother
told me. when the horse with its beloved
rider came TO the gate The servants
helped my father from his seat, and into
the house. where he could not approach
the fire at first. his hands were so numb
and painful as they thawed out.
The horse was rubbed down quickly and
carried into his comfortable stall and
survived the exposure.
Mother said they bathed my fathers
hands and face I'm ice water to restore the
proper feeling. and il was plainly evident
that he narrowly escaped freezing to
death
They told me they slept but little. as
, the house kept up a constant cracking
noise and forest trees. with loud re-
ports. were split in twain by the intense
cold With roaring fires In the freplaces
they put over that awful Saturday night.
and no matter how often we yOugsters
complained OF cold in later years the dear
mother would reply. You don't know
what cold is. as you didn't know the cold
Saturday -
Ny correspondent desires to know the
date. as Il was her own fathers birth
day. and he died a few months ago. AS
nearly as can place IL. IL came i'm Feb
ruary. ISS5. perhaps on the 18th. / can
not be positive as 10 the day OF the
month. but am as TO year and month.