The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1910-06-03

pleasure, "reminiscences OF Greenvllle,
collected by men who know better
than others the minds of their readers,
and what will please them most.
1t has occurred to me that | could
contribute some points that have not
as yet been reached, and which, pei
haps, [ alone can give. My memory
carries me back to the early part of
the century. and covers all the story
Of GrcenviIes earliest life, and now
in my S9th year, [ find myself able to
transmit the facts, and feel it to be
a pleasant duty, as some slight return
for the many acts of kindness and iet-
erence shown me by residents-some
new and some old-of my home place.
The place where Greenville stanos
was a cane brake. Rattle Snake Ba-
YOU took its name from its inhabi-
tants. On sunny day hundreds of
snakes would crawl up onto the logs
and piled high above each other, lie
basking, squirming and sleeping, until
night came and they slipped into COW
erts
Washington county was part of land
bought in 1923 from Choctaw Indians,
and was a hundred miles long. The
chief of the nation hal reserved, when
he reIinquished to the government, a
floating claim of mile square. This
claim was to be located wherever they
chose on unoccupied land Mr.. Ben
iamn Roach, ST., bought one of these
'Ef0ats' as they were called, and laid
it on the ground now owned by Dea-
ton and Skinner. He did not however,
make any improvements upon it for
many years after. Next to this claim
the cnterprising William w. BlantOn
bought 16 acres of the rich creared
land Of SIG Here the first house was
built 1t was a double log house with
broad hallway, a great hOspitable
chimney and wide porch. This porch
was the storing place for tools and
saddles, the stores as well, and soon
gained the name of FstOre house, it
never afterwards lost. There was a
rail fence Of three or four rails high
about the clearing On March %,
1923. Mr.. Blanton with his family ac-
| companied by A. W. McAllister, took
possession of the place. He had
brought farm hands and utensils. The
work of redemption began at once.
The cane was cut and stacked. When
sufficiently dry, fire was set to it. Such
glowing, cracking flames leaped up as
one rarely sees. Planting was a sim
! pie process. A hand spike was driven
| into the ground a few inches, the
corn dropped in and the dirt pressed
upon it with the foot. AS the grain
! grew and cane sprouted, the only cul-
, tivatiOn was the cutting with heavy
hoes of the burnt stubbs of cane. And
such corn as it was! High above
! heads. and richly laden. Bears were
plentiful, and were counted on in the
planting as unweicome pensioners or
tax leviers upon the settlers. I have
seen a bear walking off with arms full
of yellow grain. Sometimes Bruin
met a worthy foe. I remember, later
| than this, when some others had come
to the wilds, a neighbor woman, he
role and muscular, saw bear raiding
her hen coop She took a hand spike
and with five blows killed the brute
at the gate
Mr.. Blanton brought with him a
pack of black and tan hounds. Hunt
ing was the gentleman one unalloyed
sport. Who can describe to those who
never felt it. the thrill Of excitement
and pleasure "when the huntsman
winds his horn ana the pack leap out
OF the scent in full cry To the isolat-
! ed settler there was a bond between
i him and his dogs They were a JOY by
/ day and guard by night. No modern
music ever made my heart leap as the
sound of the cry in a spirited chase
| has done.
This first house deserves special men
ton. Besides sheltering the family, it
| was for years the only stopping place
| for land hunters and travellers across
| the country. 1t was also the meeting
house, For years a faithful circuit