Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-29

| fired to get rid OF it. The owner
| planted corn over the several acres
which included the outer stockade.
| The corn would grow outside Of the
| pen, but inside of the Is original
acres not d blade of corn would grow.
| The stockade grounds remained as
| bare as the back of the hand. Finally
underbrush began to come up along
| the marsh of the stream which flowed
| through he grounds and trees spfouted
! in the rlnlp2rts of the forts. Oaks
| and pines left to themselves grew tall
and straight, and to-day many CT
| these are Is inches through. Finally Il
| sparse stand of corn came Oh the
stockadc grounds, but died cut. Cot
ton thrived no better The owner
began to believe that the land was
cursed in very truth, and when the
| Department of Georgia wanted to buy
| IT he was glad enough to make price
| that would tempt them The &. \.
X. OF Georgia put a fence about the
grounds, cut down the brush and
| trimmed up a little, but failed to make
grass grow in the stockadc and only
vile weeds came up. Then the w Il.
c. took the grounds and tried to make
grass grow, Not spear of green
would the land produce. Year after
year Tor i've of them We sowed diff
ferent grass seeds that would not
grow. Then from Bermuda sod was
brought to us, and grass that was
| foreign to the soil ana ignorant Of the
crimes it was covering took root and
feetly responded to our coaxing.
Blind Daughters of the Confederacy.
At last the curse lifted. God smiled up
ON the stockade. and today Audersonvile
the horrible is Andersonville the beauti-
full. made SO by the ". L. c. 1t has been
long, wearying, unpleasant, difficult
bit of work, There have been discour-
asements without number The Daugli-
tiers of the Confederacy, In blind fetch
worship of ideals which never existed
sentiments that sap the heart OF loyalty.
and disregarding the published history Of
the confederacy, set up false standards
and paid them such homage as to disgust
the Confederate veterans and embroiled
every body in a senseless wranglc over
the preservation of Andersonville These
same daughters objected to having even
the name left upon the maps of the eaun-
try. and would blot it from the pages of
history. They objected in angry parle TO
the placing of the various placards about
the stoekade, giving the facts about the
extremity of those who suffered in parti-
eular spots. They reviled the splendid
women of culture and wealth who gave
expression To their loyalty to Old Glory
by helping to preserve the historic spot.
and finally they concluded to halo old
Wirz. This last ridiculous proposition
nearly brought final rupture between
them and the veterans of the Gray, who
objected i'm no very polite language to this
foreign beast being set up as type of
Southern chivalry and manhood. These
daughters of a discredlted flag forget
THAT the Moving Finger writes; and.
having writ.
Moves on: nor all your pietv nor wit
Shall lure 1t back to cancel half line.
Nor all your tears wash out word Of il.
But this is another story.
The .AndersoHvlle of today brings TO
the tired soul much of the surcease of
unrest that comes when one walks in the
path that the great Washington trod at
Mount Vernon. The pines in the old
forts are stately and strong. and
Those green-robed senators of mighty
woods, tall oaks branch-charmed by the
earnest stars, dream. and SO dream all
night without a stir
over the sad earth. once so sodden and
vile that even Mother Nature refused
her solace, the grasses creep in loving
forgiveness of the sorrowful tragedy en-
acted there. They cover with soft green
the burrows of our stricken boys, and
robe with their velvet the marsh and hill
sides once so foul. They line the poor
little wells dug by clawlille hands in
hours of desperation, and among them
ivy has laid her twining tcndrils, star
like in the shade of the oaks that stand
like sentinels of old above. The plying.
tender leaves lie softly about little
mounds where dust to dust has melted,
and the long blades wave gently in the
soft winds which ever sing requiem to
| the trees
"E'en like the passage of an angels
| tear that falls through the clear ether
silently"
And This Is Andersonvllc.
This is the place of their sorrow. Soft
With a reverent tread
Let me walk as one walks in a minister,
with uncovered head;
! For this Is a ground that is holy, this is
q sod that has grown
Up from soil which the bloodless battle
of heroes has known.
| Round about, while the grasses CLEAN
White markets tell where the cruel course
of their bondage run;
Faithfully here though sweet Nature
has healed with her tenderest touch.
, The record remains of their durance
who weltered in Horrors clutch.
Passing strange, now | think of II.
strange that the grasses can grow
From the sod of this soil, since their suf-
fering blighted it so.
Was it a mockingbird's gamut | heard
on the quiverins air?
Strange there could be notes of gladness
yea. that the Sky could be fair.
Yet naught on earth could outriyal this
earth where grandly they lie,
Nerdure green their laurels, and
brcezes as soft as a sigh:
| Horror turned into beauty and suffering
| changed To surcease,
While here Glory enfolds them forever
1 with infinite peace.
| Isabel Worrell Ball.
CHiNAS POPULATION.
/ According to the latest official re-
Il turns the number of iDha hitantS of