The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-09

St. Mlcnaels parish. advertised In a Iln- den newspaper that he as administrator of the Christian estate would sell some property, negroes included, on the plan tation two miles from Woodvile. The state auditors report of 1861, acknowl- edges the return of SIG, 3S6 s3, which the state had loaned to 'the Cahawba and WoodVille Plank Road company, the enterprise of construction having been abandoned. It was several years after the new dispensation that people of the vicinity ceased to go to "Woodville"
 Tn 1928 Philip J. Weaver, young Mary lander of trading instinct, came over from Selma, hamlet, and bought Henry l woods and John Murphy's town property.
 lie laid off streets and called the place fniontown. in memory of his native will fage
 In 1860 the principal merchants of the village were Ware & Hudson. Ten years before they built imposing two-story brick store house, with stone window sills and Iron shutters, stone steps and 1 iron doors. This was the only alleged freproof building in Alabama perhaps. It was a department style of business and very profitable They carried about 900 in stock. The trade was mostly In fine goods. No cash sales were made Planters settled their accounts largely the bills of wives daughters and sons for conveniences of the residence and dress at any time from January to March by draft on the cotton factor at Mobile. There was no bank or exchange office, Houston was also merchant with good trade. There was a frst-class tailor shop, a blacksmith shop and hotel The Episcopal church of Holy Trinity; the Methodist church were there; possibly another one or two "Westwood," the | nf Mr. To T0~ta the head of the main street, on the bor- der of his large plantation and this was the most imposing house In the village. I There were several other residences and one or two doctors offices. Drs. Clarke and Langhorne were notable practitioners of medicine, with wide circle of pa- tients.
 One of the notable events in the history of Uniontown was the protracted politi- cal meeting held there in the great na- tional campaign of 1856. These presiden- tial tickets were in the field at least in the northern states, namely Buchanan and Breckinridge, national democrat; Fill more, whis, and Fremont, abolitionist, or republican, as 1t called itself. The democrats claimed that Fillmore and Fremont were allies and that the cleo ton of one would be tantamount to the election of the other, on the proposition that things equal to the same thing are equal to each other Thus the cam paign in Alabama, where many of the strongest men of the state were for Fill more, became exceedingly animated Fillmore from his youth up had been an advanced abolitionist. He had come into the presidency, however, from the office of vice president years before, and pos sessng 1t when the mob of Boston at- tackled the United States court and re- leased the fugitive slave from Charles ton, s. C.. Sims, from it's presence MT. Fillmore sent a strong and patriotic mes- sage to Congress denounclng to insult to the government and recommending prompt legislative revenge. Subsequently he visited the south. including Mobile in his itinerary. Ills handsome per- son and unaffected manners and sensi- ble conversation served to moderate in this section the prejudice which his ear Her political attitude had created
 The protracted political meeting assem- | bled to continue three days densely shaded grove was found on the northern limits of the village and there a rough 1 plank platform of wide dimensions, cov- cred with bush, was erected, at the foot | of the slope. Along the ascent benches
 were arranged in semi-circle. row above row, amphitheatre like. The occasion had been advertised by announcement of the | expected orators, Yancey among them, the observed of all observers. Visitors came from Huntsville and Mobile, from Montgomery, Selma, Cahawba Eutaw, l Greensboro and from hundreds of planta- tions. No railroad as yet reached the place. Acres of private carriages, bor- dered the benches and scores of black | slave coachmen and servants listened to the democratic. pro-slavery eloquence As the sinking sun closed each days enter tainment. the beautiful, smooth dustless roads were filled with rapidly driven ve- l hicles, carrying the planters families and | their guests home for dinner and an even ing of dancing and music. Yancey's speech of three hours closed the pro- l tracted meeting, except that just as he I turned from the audience MT. Ben Whe- Ian. young lawyer from Greensboro | stepped upon the stage bearing a large bouquet of flowers from the famous gar | den of The Cedars, the home of Mrs. Pegues and her daughters. Mir Whelan | made the speech of presentation. With the bouquet in hand the orator walked to l the front of the stage to deliver one of | his characteristic econiums upon the women of the south. And yet after that several prominent whigs from different parts of the state. one by one, stepped | to the stand to make public change of mind. Having heard Yancey they would now vote for Buchanan and Brecxinridge. PHILIP J. WEAVER.
 
 there; nor did he ever live on the match less estate of 5000 acres of canebrake land. owned by him, in the vicinage of the place. It happens that I have seen the best agricultural lands of the United States, in various states. but the majestic forests and fields of the Weaver estate | surpass any of the others in fertility and | beauty. MT. Weaver was born in 1797 of respect | able and prosperous percentage, at Union- | town, near Manchester, Md At the age | of IS years he was dispatched by a mer- | cantie house in Baltimore, to which he | had been "articled," to superintend the | trade of the firm with Cahawba. That was at the early period of 1915, when George Gaines was United States Indian agent at St Stephens, across the coun- try on the Tom Bigbee. So apparent was the energy and tact of the youth in trad | ing with the aborigines that he was soon admitted as a. partner in the f1rm Later he purchased the entire business About | this time he received from his father $2000 in money, a gift the parent be- slowed on each of his sons who had dis covered capacity in affairs. Next he mar ried Miss Gardner of the vicinity, who | brought to him some additional fortune I