Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1909-03-04
COLLEGE HILL community.
leGnIIecllGns Of lis Early DAYS and
First Settlers, b. an Old eitizHn.

These hrst settlers enjoyed life;
they had an abundance Of good.
wholesome food cooked BY an
expert in the culinary art. whose
head wrapped in a bandannaf.
proclaimed her 4 past master in
the kitchen. and none dare dis
pute her authority, whether the
dish vas ash-cake. hoe-ca!se.
pancake or pound cake, she
rareiy ever made a mistake.
Many Of the dishes which sac
prepared ara now q lost art. waf-
Hes for instance She ought 10
have a monument for all the
good things sne cooked, and the
old NANNY who nursed Us so
patiently, she should have one
too, and the boys and men OF
that eo0ny-hued race with whom
we used to hunt the possum ard
the coon. and with whom we en-
sHgec m all sorts % sports. and
VINO 80 loyal.y stayed by tie stuff
when tie men went 70 war. vino
was the support and protection
~ the helpless women and chill
iFen; they deserve some such
memorial.
These were the servants that
these nrst settlers had. 70 supplv
every want. and thus thew had
leisure for visiting and all kind
I social enjoyment Their wants
were few aud simple. They had
the very best saddle horses. ard
sometimes they undertook Ion-
journeys on horseback. Since
this day Of railroads such i91r-
ueys are never thought Of. unless
some crank undertakes b do
somsthing Ike that. that he nav
draw all eyes - himself. You
know that tHe President has late
" treated the country to such an
exhibition. / remember when
about sixteen years old to have
made the journey from College
htH 30 Ashvucd, IN Maurv coun-
tY tennessee, IN six days on
horseback, starting from home
douday morning and reaching
ny grand-father's Saturday sve-
nIng. The distance i about two
hundred miles. averaging 80 -
miles . day. On this trip / pass
e. through Holly Springs. Bolt
var, Purdy. Savannah. Wavues-
1oru, ana Mt. Pleasant. 4 rood
part Of the way was through a
NId, unsettled aLderuess. but 7
lett no uneasiness for my safety.
as there WIS not so much lawless-
ness a. now. During the civil
var Buell. marched bis army "a
forced march / imagine). over
TINS SAFE road from Ms. Pleas
ant to Savannah t. reinforce
Grant who was fighting Albert
Sidney Johnson at Shl.on.
Mention this horseback iour-
ney 70 let you see how diff rent
things are now compared with
sixty years ago. After spending
my vacation o a month or more
must delightfully."-. I returned
ZONE IN company Of Uncle Ms
sRort cor oresimGs, a servant ef.
grandfsther's; who would visit
SinfoiN belonging 10 nv mother
l Mention this % let you see that
me slave was kindly aad humane
" treated by the owner. UncI-I
Ms stayed IN Mississippi visit
ing as long as he wished r.
WITH his fellow-servan.s wefeI
gwen their freedom by the will
9t my uncle. with the choice ii
gong 70 Liberia Or selecting their
own master. Many of them chose
their masters rather than free
ION.
This shows that slavery was
not 50 barbaroGs ar institution -
aunt Harriet Beeeher Stowe
would have you believe. Well |
every now and then | gel axav
rom College Hill. and must ask
me reader 10 excuse my Wander
ings- trust that these sketcbes
Fave been sufficiently persnien-
Gus To give the reader the uronar
icea OF the early settlers an
1per mode o. life. There nava-
vas 4 pu-er, sweeter civilizafio,
than that enjoyed BY those FOOD
people when We have chosen tel
car ne hrst settlers Of ColIera
uAi, Mss. Ties Of kinshiD AL
ues that bind one 10 his cary A.
soeiales no doubt units him roi,
Judge lmparIally. but maIa~
al due allowances for this ms
Always credit ne with a ~levai
heart 70 -Oie Miss.
TANK your kind readers Who
nave 50 quietly and SO p~ariapflv =
listened % ne as / have en,Ieav- {
9Fed 70 tell the simple story If !
your fathers and mothers sar,,-
experience. Now il 7 80 :
awakened in your breast a EEL i
o. pride hat you have such v
worthy ancestry my obieetin ar
-e@Pahg these rambling sketches +
; accomplished. and I pIaea ;
-hese leaves as | would the ever
green and forget-me-not on the Q
;lst resting place Of College HIS a
lfst settlers Goodbye. t,
OCCASIONAL.