The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-25
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1374-J901
No 65-Absorbing Spring Events of 1886
Edward A. 0'Neal, Governor

The spring months of 1856 were made
memorable in Alabama by several discon-
nected circumstance. that lost nothing
in interest because none depended ON the
others
F, The appointments of democart in the
presidency had revived the tone of the
Federal government in the state and re-
stored the Federal authority to a normal
relation to the public. An Irish born
New York low -ated lawyer Richard
BJsteed. was appointed to the state, then
one Federal judicial district, to be Judge
year before Appomattox. He came iul-
| mediately after the war, promptly fell 70
the level of a vulgar political PARTISAN
| besmeared the office he held for several
| years and resigned to escape Impeachment
Th judicial district stiIl covered the state
Busteed was succeeded by a native Scot
Jehn Bruce by name, of the most ad-
varced carpetbagger type retired law
| yer when selected for the bench, with
even less standing at the bar than his
! predecessor in the exalted office The
district was divided and to the judgeship
| in the southern division President Cleye-
land, with singular wisdom, appointed
Harry Toulmin. a native of the state, in
full sympathy with the character of the
| people.
| The appointment of Toulmin district
| judge was accompanied by the appoint
!, ment of famous officer Of Wheeler's
cavalry, Gen w. w Allen, clerk of the
federal circuit court A brother of Con-
gressman James Taylor Jones, Richard
Jones' was appointed chief inspector of
elections. Paul Raveses, Castor Rob
| bins, later a congressman, and George G..
Lyon were among the United States COM
7 fmissioners appointed under these changed
| conditions william II. benson, later a
! congressman, was appointed first the
| Marshal of the middle district and nest
district attorney of the northern district.
| All of these appointees of the Federal jul
dietary department were southern men
aid substantially all were Confederate
veterans.
| At Birmingham DR.. ii. J. Winn, a ma
| tive of the state, was made postmaster.
| At Montgomery, @. c. Clsby; at Mobile,
| Leslie E. Brooks; at Selma, Mrs. Mary
| Mathews Force, native of Marengo and
| widow of the adjutant of Morgans Fifty-
\ first Alabama, Wheeler's cavalry. AT
| Greensboro, j., w. Locke was made post
|
Clay; at Talladega, r. r. Henley; at
lsufaula. E. d. Brown.
| 1t became universafy known that IN
ardent friendship had sprung up between
| the President and Senator Morgan. The
| Senator was a favorite at Informal din
ners at the White House; Mrs Cleve-
land and the senator's daughter, Miss
Mary, were fast friends; the President
gave the Alabama senator handsome
! walking stick, upon the gold head a suit
able inscriptions, testifying to the close
PERSONAL relations OF donor and receiver
! of the gift.
The winter had been favorable and the
| cotton fields were prepared for another
crop. With the advancing days of March
the rains came in excess Before the
month closed the state was inflicted with
] the greatest foods ever known. Branches
| became creeks. reeks rivers, rivers i'm
merse, rushing inundating waste of
waters, Incompatible to any scene of
:, the kind within tie memory of man.
| The Wetumpka bridge over the Coosa
was lifted like il cork from its pillars
1 and cast away: TIE water rose into the
penitentiary yard. The cotton mill at
Prattville was undermined by the creek
and fell, a mass OF ruins. Farms never
before molested by high water were npsv
entirely submergeh: live stock swept of.
\ buildings undermined lives of tenants
| loSt. FOf several SUCCESSIVE udyS ~
| trains ran on the nain railroads aud no
mails reached the main cities
| Instances OF personal daring are inter-
esting yet. Col. Warren S. Reese was
| then mayor of Montgomery. The river
| was well advanced up Commerce, Lee
and other streets All the northern suo-
| urbs were deep covered with water that
still rose angrily This thickly settled
suburb was entirely cut off from dry
land. The inhabitants were all negroes
incapable of organizing themselves to find
relief. The hazard of small boating upon
such wild waste was extreme. vet the
mayor in person undertook the rescue of
| the denizens of She flooded district He
collected canoes and batteaux, he led
oalsmen to the houses of these poor folk
and got them all Off to dry land.
| Mr.. b. b. Conner was a merchant in An
niston and merchant and cotton plan
| ter in Barbour county The time came
| for him to visit his Barbour county busi-
ness from Annistcn. He reached Bir-
minghan. 10 train stood there to go
through to Montgomery. The railroad
| bridges were gone upon the waters, the
| track for miles in various places was ont
of sight. uuder water. Some of the way
| from Birmingham Mr.. Conner rode on a
train Where the train stopped. he con-
| tirued ON foot, stepping from half: sub
merged tie to tic. Arrived at a point
| 20 miles from Montgomery, he hired a
dug-out and a negro to continue on mis-
way. The fields were all deep in water,
| the cabins along the railroad right Of
| way sat in water.
| The passenger in the dug-out and tie
negro boatman finally swung into the
| Alabama and turned down stream to
make for Montgomery. Presently cries,
| Help! Help.' rang out over the waters.
fThey came from a negro man hanging to
| q projecting limb cf tree on. the bank
This refugee from a submerged cabin
| was taken into the dug-out Continuing
to float along upon the raging tide. OTHER
cries of Help rang out but the dug
out was already loaded to its capacity
| The passengers, observed five rabbits
perched npcn an cverhanein~ limb.
| The Conner dugout was finally tied to a
post far up Commerce street
But the most heroic incident OF the flood
was found I'm the conduct of Reginald
II. Dawson president of the convict
bureau.
ARRIVED at his chamber in the Exchange
hotel III with a chill He had come In from
the McCurdy plantations in Iowndes,
where convicts were hired. In his he'd
| he received messenger from Governor
O'Neal at the capital. In instant response
to the call OF the governor he threw on
his overcoat. and with umbrella raised
started to walk the distance Electric
cars were tkSN unknown except the one
| for trial that had just been put on the
track. The raging storm had driven the
hacks to shelter and the mule cars were