The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-08
GEORGIA SCENES
THE GANDER-PULLING

tice, stuck upon one of the pillars of the
building:
reimbursement.
''Thos WOO wish To be inform hearof is
heareof notyfide that edwd. Prator will
Civ a gander-pullin iis this side of harris
burg, on Satterday of thes presents
munth to All WOO mout wish to partak
tharof.
"e Prator, thos wishn to
purtak will cum yearly, as the pullin will
begin soon. e. p"
II l am asked why Ills this side of
harrisburg" was selected for the promised
feat instead of the city of Augusta, l
answer from conjecture, but with some
confidence, because the ground chosen
was near the central point between four
rival towns, the citizens of all which
"mout wish to partak tharoff; namely,
Augusta, Springfield, Harrisburg and
Campbellton. Not that each was the rival
OF all the others, but that the first and
the last were competitors, and each of
the others backed the pretensions of its
nearest neighbor. Harrisburg sided with
Campbellton, not because she had any in
terest in seeing the business of the two
states center upon the bank of the river,
nearly opposite to her, but because, like
the Union Democratic Republican party
of Georgia" she thought after the adop
tion of the federal constitution that the
several towns of the confederacy should
no longer be separated by the distinc
ton of local party; but that, laying down
all former prejudices and jealousies
sacrifice on the altar of their country,
they should become united in single
body, for the maintenance of those prin-
ciples which they deemed essential to the
public welfare.
Springfield, on the other hand, espoused
the state rights creed. She admitted that,
under the federal compact she ought to
love the sister states very much; but that
under the social compact, she ought to
love her own state little more. and she
thought the two compacts perfectly rec
oncilable to each other Instead of the
towns of the several states getting into
single bodies to preserve the public well
fare. her doctrine was. that they should
be kept in separate bodies TO preserve the
private welfare She admitted frankly
that, living. as she always had lived
right amid gulies, vapors, fogs. creeks,
and lagoons. she was wholly incapable
of comprehending that expansive kind of
benevolence which taught her to love
people whom she knew nothing about as
much as her next-door neghbors and
friends. Until. therefore, she should learn
It from the practical operation of the
federal compact. she would stick to the
oldfashioned Scotch love, which she I'M
derstood perfectly and go in for Au-
gusta. live or die. hit or miss, right or
wrong AS in the days of Mr.. Jefferson
the Springfield doctrines prevailed, Camp
bellton was literally nullif1ed; insomuch
that ten years ago there was not a house
left to mark the spot where once -four
ished this active. busy little village.
Those who are curious to know where
Springfield stood at the time of which I
am speaking have only to take their po-
sition at the intersection of Broad and
Marbury streets, in the city of Augusta.
and they will be in the very heart of old
Springfield. Sixty steps west and as many
east of this position will measure the
whole length of the Jeffersonian republic
san village, which never boosted of more
than four dwelling houses and Broad
street measures its width, if we exclude
kitchens and stables. And, while upon
this subject. since it has been predicted
by a man for whose opinions I entertain
the profoundest respect ESPECIALLY since
the prediction that my writings will be
read with increased interest a hundred
years to come, and as / can see no good
reason, If this be true, why they should
not be read a thousand years hence with
more interest, ] will take the liberty of
dropping word here to the curious read
.er of the year 1888. He will certainly wish
to know the site of Harrisburg (seeing 1t
r. doomed. at no distant period, to share
ton.
g. Supposng then, that if the great fire
in Augusta on the Sd of April, 1929 did
not destroy that city nothing will, | Sc
iect this a permanent object.
In 179S Campbell street was the western
verge of Augusta, a limit to which it had
advanced but few years before, from
jackson street. Thence to Springfield led
a large road, now built up on either side
and forming a continuation of Broad
street. This road was cut across oblique-
ly by a deep gully the bed of which was
an almost impossible bog which entered
the road about 100 yards below Collock
street on the south, and left it about 30
yards below Coloek street on the north
side of now Broad street. 1t was called
Campbells Gully, from the name of the
gentleman through whose possessions and
near whose dwelling it wound its way to
the river Following the direction of
( Broad street from Springfield westward,
1347 yards will bring you to Harrisburg,
which had nothing to boast of over
Springfield but a warehouse for the stor-
age of tobacco, then the staple of Geor-
gia. Continue the same direction 700
yards, then face to your right hand, and
follow your nose directly across Savan-
nah river. and, upon ascending the oppo-
site bank you will be in the busiest part
of Campbellton in 1898. Between Harris
burg and Springfield and 1143 yards from
the latter there runs a stream which
may be perpetual. At the time just men
toned it flowed between banks ~ or IA
feet high and was then called, as it still
IL, Hawks Gully"
Now Mr.. Prator, like the most success
full politician of the present day, was on
all sides in a doubtful contest; and, ac-
cordingy, he laid off his gander-pulling
ground on the nearest suitable unappro-
priated spot to the center point between
Springfield and Harrisburg. This was
to the south of the road and embraced
part of the road, but within 100 yards of
Harrisburg.
munth'' rolled round, | determined to go
to the gander-pulling When I reached
the spot a considerable number of per-
sons. of different ages sexes, sizes and
complexions, had collected from the
rival towns and the country around. But
few females were there, however and
those few were from the lowest walks of
life.
A circular path of.about 40 yards diam
eter had already been laid out, over
which, from two posts about ten feet