Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-08-30
LETTER FROM BIG BUD

INhpbdln OcOIRS, DlllhIu up ChVNEH ~ mnAC AAh1 tn
his long and much regretted silence. / was glad to
see his letter, for | knew, after reading 1t. he was the
same old impulslve. emphatic George billiard that we
used to know. He seems to have a lot Of the old
fire In him vet that enabled him to stand the perse-
cutions Of the Yankees when In prison, for / have
heard Billie Rife say that he could ride a Yankee
horse with a weight on each foot for hours without
complaining. A Yankee horse was a device the Van.
KEGS had for furnishing prisoners. It was a plank
1x12x18 with four legs to 1t about IL feet long and a
man was placed upon this plank with the edge turned
up and kept there until they thought he was sub.
dued.
Macon owes him a debt Of gratitude, for it was
George billiard, way back in the '7O's, when mayor
of Macon, that made Macon a moral and law. abiding
little city. We had the machine shops here then
and some of the employees were kinder rough and
some of the country boys, who hardly realized that
the war was over, used to come to town, tank I'D on
mean liquor and proceed to paint the town red.
George billiard was a law unto himself those days
and a terror to evil doors, and they soon found out
that they had to keep straight when they came to
Macon. If one of the young bloods got drunk and
cut up billiard would have him arrested and put in
Jail, and If he went home and sent a challenge to
billiard the next day for coffee and pistols for two
the usual custom in those day when a man felt that
he had been wronged) George would simply put the
man who brought the challenge in jail and this gen
orally ended she matter.
He made one of the most efficient representative
that the state ever had, was among the very first to
start a crusade on leasing the c~onvicts, I reckon his
prison experience made him have a very tender feel.
ing for the unfortunate. He kept the fight up until
this p%erniciOus practice was abolished and the pres.
ent splendid management Of the convicts is due a
great deal to George billiards. steady fight for this
reform. When he was elected to the legislature he
went to Jackson and stayed at this job until the ses
sion ended. This was a characteristic of his-devo.
ton and attention to duty.
Yes, George was always a loyal Democrat but he
was a 'kinder'' of a bolter at the time he was .stear-
ing up Big Bud and John Madison's Nominations,
for we represented the regular Democrats, i being
chairman of the executive committee, and George
was one Of the disgruntled because the convention,
presided over by that sterling old democrat, Hon.
Henry M. Hunter, had done as the conventions had
always done, combined the minority and beat The
man. So he, Capt. billiard. Robert Patty,
DO6'l nj IAACh IL q iOU VI OUuCT SJTODX men. |
with old Tack carrying the banner, appealed to the
people and beat us and killed old fashioned conven.
lions in our county forever. 1t is a source of great
to me to know that l was mainly instru.
mental, as Captain billiard can testify, that negroes
were not brought into>this election and the matter
was settled as it should have been-by the white
of the county aloue.
by the way, Roosevelt also feels that he was
cheated out of the nomination and he is appealing to
the republicans to right this wrong and history NAV
repeat itself by him defeating Taft and thus enable
our splendid candidate, Wilson, to grace the presi.
DENTAL chair for the next four years.
After l was elected to the legislature and told
that | was from Noxubee nearly every one met
would have something favorable to say about Cant.
Dlllard. All recognized his ability and devotion tn
duty, and he would have had a strong following for
governor had he chosen to ''cast his hat in the r;no -
Sallie was glad to hear from the old man too. and
wanted to know how he was getting along spirituallv
for she and | were in the big PRESBYTERIAN meet;n.
when old George was baptized anew in the faith. oct
happy ana went to shaking hands with the men and
hugging the sisters. Some one said, .sLook. Emmett
D'llard is hugging your wife," | looked but Sallie
did not seem to mind it and I kent on s;no;n.
who'll be the next to follow Jesus" Gas Long as
the Lamp Holds Out to Burn" etc.
Let us hear from you again, George. We b.ve
not forgotten you in old Noxubee vet. Come r. soo
us; you will fluid many a vacant chair, for a oroot
many OF your old comrades are not here whom -,
made this your home you
some have gone to lands far distant and with
strangers made their homes.
BON nave gone to tairer regions, Longer here
they might not stay,
:" nus d US VINO are left will give you a warm
welcome and the latch string on every house in ola
Noxubee will be found having on the latch .strin. -
YOU. suing iOr