The Monroe journal., 1910-09-20


miles east Of Monroe, on the east
side OF Richardson creek and almost
under the shadow Of an ancient oak
tree, stands a hewed log house,
relic Of the young manhood Of my
| father. In this house eleven chill
dren were born-nine brothers and
two sisters.
In November, 1851, brother Thorn
as, u years Of age, and brother Ira
10 years Of age, and some negroes
and young hired white men were
sent as an advance force to build
houses and open up a farm in Baker
now Dougherty' county, in south
west Georgia, then a new and prom
ising section. In March, 1852, my
| father and mother and remainder OF
the family followed the advance
forces to Baker county, Georgia.
Two years ago, in an idle moment,
| began 10 think
How dear to my heart are the scenes
of my childhood,
When fond recollections present them
to view,
and | dropped a card to the postmas-
ter in Monroe and asked him who he
was and the name of a leading news.
paper in Monroe. As result | wrote
a number Of letters for The Journal
and thought more and more of child
hood days. | am now the last re-
naming one in this immediate Sec
ton Of what was once large and
influential family. Brother Ira is
ten years my senior and lives 30C
miles south of me, in Bushnell, Fla,
and neither Of us had seen Union
county since we rolled away in 1851
80 until we met at Henry McCol-
lum's, on Richardson creek, the 18th
of July, 1910. | had been told
would not know anyone or anything
there, but had not accepted this
and was not disappointed, although
Mrs. Margaret McCollum was the
only adult person Of the years agone
who remained to remember me. She
was then young married lady.
| reached Monroe at 6 a. m, July
18th. was not expected at that
early hour and there was no one to
meet me, and | was really glad there
was not. | wanted to be alone, and
that was an easy task, for | could
not have been more Of a stranger in
London. | walked from the depot
straight to "the corner" where Tom
Winchester merchandised in frame
building and where my mother ira
ded. | expected to find a brick store
occupied by strangers and that they
would treat me courteously. / was
not disappointed, and left my suit
case there and walked TO the south
Of the store where once were some
small frame law Offices, and / saw
bank. looked for Tom Winches-
ter's dwelling, and | saw large
brick church. | looked to the east
for the Blackjack flat, the old jail
with the whipping post, pillory and
stocks, and | saw a solid brick bust
ness block,
| went straight 10 the house my
father occupied IN 1850 and boarded
the school teacher and many pupils.
rang the bell and explained my
presence and purpose, and the gen
tleman told me his name was Bob
Houston, a son of Hugh Houston,
and | remarked, "You have changed
that flight Of stairs" Yes" he
said, Il had them turned around"
And what went with the oak tree
near the edge of the yard?" He said,
1t blew down across the fence and
broke up a mans buggy, and | paid
him for it"
There was nothing about the house
and lot that was there in my child
hood but was as familiar to me as my
cap. Mr.. Houston showed me his
fathers photograph, and | am salts
fled | would have known who it was
if had found it on Texas prairie.
Mr.. Houston was the first person
in Monroe to whom | had made my
self known. He walked with me to
the business centers and pointed out
on the way the old court house, now
serving as livery stable. 1t looked
perfectly natural. | asked him where
were the corner stones that marked
the court house square. They had
Just been taken down to make room
for improvements around the ground.
| saw one of them and its dimensions
and height above ground were so in
accord with my recollections that il
seemed to me but yesterday when ]
measured it with rule-just sixty
1 a