The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-11

days We need to know of the hearth stones. History teaches little in the record of dates the recital of events, the calling of names of officeholders.
 The first crop after the paroled soldiers came home and after the freedman's bu- reau began to interfere with the planta- tlon negroes, was planted, cultivated and harvested under adverse conditions of all kinds. The result was general crop failure. The cotton seed was old and failed to germinate well and produce a vigorous growth, the dtches were grown
 over and filled. The teams were worn out and feeble. Thus crop liens remained on
 the records unsatshed. Commercial con- hdence was shaken to the center. The burden of federal taxation was punitive as well as onerous. Every crop lien filed had paid a heavy tax. Every check drawn on the deposits of sale in the
 bank was taxed. Every receipt for debt discharged was taxed. Tobacco in every form was taxed. Every pound of cotton
 purchased was taxed before sold to pay | the taxed cost of production The tariff was enormously heavy. It was estimated | that the cotton tax for 1S65-66-67 amounted | in Alabama to $15,000,000, and this was $90 per capita of registered voters. The burden of federal conquest went tNtll lltl. Iut utllldilutu luc
 scanty supplies of food the farms had produced. Time after time petitions went forward to Washington praying the with drawal of the destructive garrisons. Citi- zens petitioned, town councils petitioned, the legislature petitioned, protested and argued.
 But the masses kept their course with out varableness or shadow of turning. Clanton and his committee never pre- termitted an opportunity. They kept steadily before the people the hope of better times.
 President Garland went to New York with the S70000 state bonds loaned by the legislature to the university and nego- tiated them. Howard college at Marion reopened it's doors to find every vestige of furniture gone. Prof. D. c. B. Galloway, with great eclat, opened his school for youths at Summerfleld. pr. Tutwler held his own at his famous Green Spring shcool. F'lourishinf female schools opened at Marion. Tuscaloosa, Tuskegee, while the historic Barton academy at Mobile
 began anew. Youths who left school to grow to manhood in the Confederate mill itary service returned to complete their courses-returned to find less than half the earlier roll pesent because of the
 war.
 To divert public attention and add zest to life. Col Joseph HIodgson, commander or the seventh cdNdlTN, fOf- rests corps. accepted the agency in Ala bama for the approaching Paris worlds fair
 Governor Patton's message to the legis- lature declared:
 The amount of destitution in our state
 has been and is not only distressing, but appalling. The federal government has
 been bountlful in its supplies charitab ble associations and private individuals have
 heen liberal in their contributions. and the state has done its utmost, but with all
 this, there has not been a sufficiency fur nished to meet the necessities of our des- titute people," Meetings were held in various parts of the upper counties to promote emigration to Texas as the last resort of the poor
 | Soon little white top wagons drawn by | two or even one scrawney pony or lit tie mule or a single OK strewed the roads
 running westward. The small children ! rode, stored among the quilts and feather
 be6s, the grown or half grown walked be-
 side the wheels, men, boys, wives daugh- | ters.
 l More than two whites to one negro
 drew public rations
 l MT Prewett of Tuscaloosa county owned
 359 slaves on several thousand acres Jan
 uary l. 1861. and owed no man anythin. | The property was supposed to be worth
 S4000o0. The land and original estete ex- | ccpr slaves was presently cold at public
 auction at Tuscaloosa for sono cash. | Besides the flow of white emigration to
 Texas the laborng population was sensi- | hly reduced by the hockirg of negroes
 frcm the plantations to Mississippi It