Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-23
AUNT JULIA.
The Country Home
A Mania For se1f-psatruction
BY MRS. w. 81. FELTON,

Why so many people should take
che suicide route to get away from
the disagreeable things of life has
always been puzzling to the people
who philosophize upon such mat
ters, and as the self-destroyed can
not come back to tell why they
chose to kill themselves, the real
causes must remain mystery.
AS I have lived during the war
with Mexico, through the Civil war
and an eye witness in my old age to
the Worlds war so far as this coun-
try is concerned, I am entirely sat
isfied that it is the reflex action of
war and the disregard for human
life in armies and the cheap
ness of human life in everyday
life, during war, and the failure to
which always engenders rabid dis
taste in morbid people such as are
thrown violently against these
things, and who are become dis
heartened as to the future of them
selves and those connected with
There is such a thing as emotion
al insanity, without a doubt. When
the human brain slips a cog and
the wild brain fails to function,
something is bound to happen. These
insane spells may be only tempo
rary or they may be permanent.
The suicide mania, like mob vio-
lence, is contagious. 1t finally. de-
thrones reason and when the suicide
cannot pull himself or herself up to
the point Of homicide for those who
have injured them in bushes or
social relations, the only recourse
is self destruction.
Some of the brightest inte1lects
in our history have taken the sui
eide route, with no apparent reason
for this violent method of self-de-
struction.
INDIAN "REMINISCENCES
1t was very interesting article
which appeared in the magazine Sec
ton of The Atlanta oJurnal on SUM-
day, August IA, on Indian history in
Cherokee, Georgia, and of the homes
occupied by Indian chiefs before the
Cherokees were for2ibly removed to
Indian Territory in the year 1886.
There was an Indian chiefs home
In Gordon county, near Fa1rmont, e
little town now reached by the L. &c
N. r. r., just few years ago.
The same chief had another resi-
dence on Coosawattee river. The
story goes that the two wives did not
agree very well and the chief to pre-
serve domestic quiet erected two
homes and divided his time between
the two places, as residences.
This old house near Fairmont was
owned for a great many years by the
Ramseur family, well known in Cher
okee, Georgia., for their wealth and
general prominence.
1t was a very comfortable house
forty years ago. The frame was
pins, and the joists overhead were
smoothly dressed by hand. The To-
cation was admirable, overlooking
one of the finest bodies of valley
land known to the state of Georgia.
The chief knew how to pick a choice
location for a spot to build upon.
The head men Of the Cherokees
understood matters we'll enough to
name all the creeks and rivers in this
part of the country where I have
lived, nearly sixty-eight years. They
still bear the names.
I once visited Rossville, nearly on
the line separating Georgia from
Tennessee, at the northwest corner
In due course Of time Rossville
will become suburb Of Chattanooga,
if 1 mistake not. Only four miles
separate Rossville from the central
house erected and occupied by John
Ross. Cherokee chief, was in excel
lent preservation. The big, bold
spring near by is worth a trip for
any Georgia tourist. Although Chat
water from the fast-flowing Ten
nessee river, it is quite possible that
this great spring will be utilized by
progressive "influentials" in the near
future.
AS I sat on a big flat rock and
saw the never-ceasing volume of
water flowing on Ito towards the Ten e
light of the Indians when they
reached home from big hunting
season and could camp around the
big spring, "to eat, drink and be
merry"
Chief John Ridge desired to sell
this Cherokee section to the state or
the U. S. government. John Ross
opposed the sale and removal Of his
tribe. The feud was terrific.
The story is not sufficiently we'll
known 20 the people of the state OF
to those Of US who occupy the lands
once in ownership Of the Red Men.
When I was married and moved
to Cass, now Barlow county, in 1858,
Indian graves were thick!y sprinkled
all over and around and there are
Indian mounds a few miles from the
town of Gainesville that Will still
be here when the youngest living
child Is older than 1 am today. we
cut down a big tree that stood IN
my back yard some years ago, ana
we found a handful of marbles i'm
bedded in or near the center with
new growth several inches around
them. How old the old tree was no
body could imagine. wish some
body would come along and write up
the story Of the Cherokee Indians
for those of us who still know so
little Of them.