Newspaper Page Text
VOL. XXIV.
The Cartersville Express.
Established Twenty Years,
IIA.TES AND TERMS.
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
One copy one year $1 50
One copy six mouths 75
One copy three months 50
Payments invariably in advance.
ADVERTBIING RATES.
\ Ivertiseincnts will be inserted at the rates
ol One Dollar per inch lor the first insertion,
and Fifty Cents for each additional insertion.
Address CORNELIUS WILLINGHAM.
BA&TOW COLYTY —OFFICIAL DIRECTORY.
County Ollicers.
Ordinary—J. A. Howard—Oilice, court h ouse.
Sheriff—Jas. Kennedy.
Deputy sheri 11— A. M. Franklin,
Clerk ol Superior Court—Thus. A. Word.
Treasurer—Humphrey Cobb.
Tax Collector—\V. W. Itich.
Tax Receiver— W. W. Ginn.
Commissioners—J. 11. Wikle, secretary; A.
Knight; W. I. Benham ; A. C. Trimble; T.
t , Moore.
LIT V OFFICERS—CARTERSVILLE.
Mayor—lt. 15. Trippe.
Hoard ol Aldermen—J. C.Woffford, E. Payne;
L. A. Chapman, A. L. Barron: Jno. A. Stover,
M. H.GiLreatb; W. C. Edwards, it. W. Satter
lield.
Clerk —George Cobb.
Treasurer— Benjamin F. Moun teas tic.
SJarshals- John A. Gladden, James D. Wil
kerson.
CHURCH DIRECTORY.
Methodist—Rev. I*. M. Ryburn, pastor.
Preaching every Sunday util o’clock a. in. and
B o’clock, p. m. Sunday school every Sunday at
9 o’clock u. m. Prayer meeting on Wednesday
night.
i iesbyterian--Rcv. Thco. E. Smith, pastor.
Preaching every Sunday at 11 o’clock, a. m.
Sunday school every Sunday at 9 o’clock.
Prayer meeting on Wednesday night.
Baptist--Rev. li. B. lleaden, pastor. Preach
ing every Sunday at 11 o’clock, a. m., and 8 p.
m. Sunday school every Sunday At 9 o’clock,
Prayer meeting on Wetinesday nignt.
Episcopal—A. W. ltees, Rector. Services oc
casionally
SECRET SOCIETIES.
‘ KM(,HTS OF lIOXOR.
Bartow Cos. Lodge, No. 148, meets
' jlftK every Ist and 3rd Monday night
/ n Curry’s Ilall, cast side ofthe
| m" —
square, Cartersville, Ga.
W. L. Kirkpatrick, A. C. Smith,
Reporter. Dictator
AMERICAN LEGION OF HONOR, Carters
ville Council, No. 152, meets every second
and fourth Monday nights in Curry’s hail.
Geo. S Cobb, J, W. Harris, Jit.,
Secretary. Commahder.-
POST DEFACE DIRECTORY.
Mails North open 7:30 am 4:52 p m
Mails South open 10:10 a m 9:04 p m
Cherokee R. li. open 6:55 p m
U alls North close 7:00 a m 4:00 pm
ails South close 9:45 am B:3upm
Jaerokee li. R. close 7:30 a m
Rock Mail, via Fairihount,
leaves Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at
5:00 am. Arrives Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays at 5:00 pm.
jJs2Jr“Money Order and Registered Letter
Oilice open from 8:45 a m to-6 pm, v
Jsl3y“General Delivery open from 8 a m to 6
pm. Open on Suuaay from 9am to 10:30 am.
J. R. WIKLE, P. M.
WESTERN & ATLANTIC R. R.
ON AND AFTER June 20th, 1880, trains on
this road will run as follows:
'northward.
STATIONS, j No. 1. | No. 3, j No. 11. J
Atlanta, 2 50pm 5 20am 7 50am 5 10pm
Marietta, 3as “ 606 " 843 “ 609 “
Cartersv’e 436 “ 723 “ 949 “ 722 “
Kingston, 500 “ 7 51“ I 1018 “ 800 “
Dalton, 628 “ 926 “ 12 03pm
Chatta’ga. 825 “ 10 56 “ | 140 “
SOUTHWARD.
STATIONS, j No. 2. No. 4, No. 6.
ChaUa’gu. 5 25pm 7 05um 6 45am
Dalton, 715 *• 837 “ 1013“
Kingston, 843 “ 10 16 “ 107 pm 5 30am
Cartersv’e 907 " 10 46 “ - 202 ** 604 “
Marietta, 10 12“ 11151 “ 429 “ 733 “
Atlanta, 11 00 “ |l2 40pm 6 1 850 “
CHEROKEE RAILROAD.
ON AND AFTER Monday, October, 11, 1880,
trains on this road will run daily, except
Sunday, as follow's:
westward.
STATIONS. NO. 1. NO. 8.
Leave Cartersville, 10:00 am 2:05 pm
Arrive a.. htileaboro 10:36 a m 2:51 p m
“ Taylorsville... 10:57 a m 3:17 p m
Rockmart 11:36 a m 4:07 p m
Ccdartown 12:35 pin 5:30 p m
EASTWARD.
STATIONS. NO. 2. NO. 4.
Leave Ccdartown 3:10 pin 6:40 ain
Arrive at Rockmart 4:06 p m 7:58 ain
“ Taylorsville... 4:45 pm 8:48 am
*• Stiiesboro...... 5:06 pm 9:14 am
Cartersville— 5:45 pm KfrlO pPI
ROME RAILROAD COMPANY.
On and after Monday, Nov. 17, trains on this
Road will run as follows:
MORNING TRAIN—EVERY DAY.
Leaves Rome 6 30 a m
Arrives at Rome 10.00 a m
EVENING TRAIN—SUNDAYS EXCEPTED.
Leaves Rome 5:00 am
Arrives at Rome .. 8:00 pm
Both trains will make connection at Kings
ton with trains on the W. and A. Railroad, to
and from Atlanta and points South.
Eben Uillyer, Pres.
Jas. A. Smith, G. P Agt.
TANARUS, W. MILNER. J. W. HARRIS, JR.
MlLNlblt & HAIUUS,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
CARTERSVILLE. GA.
Office on West Main street, above Erwin.
ST. JAMES HOTEL,
(CARTERSVILLE, olA,)
mUK UNDERSIGNED HAS RECENTLY
B taken charge of this elegant new hotel. It
ha* been newly furnished and is first-class in
all respects,
SAMPLE ROOM FOR COMMERCIAL TRAVELERS,
Favorable terms to traveling theatrical coui
oompanies. L. C. HOSS, Proprietor.
XAXIOXAL HOTEL,
DALTON, GA.
J. (J. A. LEWIS, Proprietor.
mHE ONLY FIRST CLASS HOTEL IN TIIE
A. City. Large, well.ventilated rooms, splen
did sample rooms for commercial travelers,
polite waiters and excellent pure water.
Jl^* 1 Rates moderate. seplOtf
A., w. FITE
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
CARTERSVILLE, GA.,
Office:—With Col. A. Johnson, West side
Public square. When not at office, can be found
at office of Cartersville Express, Opera House.
The Cartersville Express.
CABIN PHILOSOPHY.
February Scribner.
Jes’ turn de back-log ober, dar—an’ pull your
stools up nigher,
An’ watch <?at ’possum cookin’ in the skillet
by de fire;
Lemme spread my legs out on de bricks to
make my feelins flow,
An’ I’ll grind you out a fac’ or two, to take
befo’ you go.
Now, in desebusy wukiu’ days, dey’s changed
de Seripter fashions,
An’ now you needn’t look to mirakuls to fur
nish you wid rations;
Now, when you’s wantin’ loaves o’ bread you
got to go an’ fetch ’em,
An’ ef you’s wautm’ fishes, you mus’ die your
wuins and ketch ’em ;
For you kiu put it down as sartiu dat de time
is long gone by
When sassages au’ ’taters use to raiu frum out
dc sky!
Ef you tliiuk about it keerfully an’ put it in
de tes’,
You’ll diskiver dat de safes’ plan is gin’uly dc
bes’:
Ef you stumble on a hornet’s nes’ an’ make de
critters scatter,
You needu’t slau’ dar like a fool an argefy de
matter;
An’ when the yaller fever comes an’ settles all
aroun’,
’Tis better dan de karantcen to shuffle out o’
town !
Dai’s heap o’ dreadful music in de very fines?
fiddle;
A ripe an’ meller apple may be rotten in de
middle;
De wises’ lookin’ trabeler may be de bigges’
fool;
Dar’s a lot o’ solid kickin’ in de humbles’ kind
o’ mule;
De preacher ain’t de holies’ dat w’ars de meek
es’ look,
An 1 docs de loudes’ bangin’ on de kiver ob de
Book!
De people pays deir bigges’ bills in buyiu’ lots
an’ lan’s;
Dey scatter all deir picayuucs aroun’ de pea
nut.stall’s ;
De twenties au’ de fifties goes in paying orf
deir rents,
But Ileben an’ de organ-grinder gits de copper
cents.
I nebber likes de cullud man dat thinks too
much o’ eatin’;
Dat frolics froo de wukiu’ days, an’ snoozes at
de mcetin’ ;
Dat jines de Temp’ance ’Ciety, an’ keeps a
gittin tight,
Au’pulls his water-milious in de middle ob de
night!
Dese milerterry nigger chaps, wid muskets in
deir ban’s,
Perradin’ froo de city to de music ob de ban’s,
Had better drop deir guns an’ go to marehiii’
wid deir hoes,
An’get a honcet lib bin 7 as dey chop dc cotton,
rows,
Or de State may put ’em alter while to drillin’
in de ditches,
Wid more’n a single stripe a-runniu’ ’cross
deir breeches!
Well, you link dat doin’ uufnu’ ’tall is mighty
sof au’ nice,
But it busted up de renters in de iubly Para
dise!
You sec, dey bofe was human beins, jus’ like
me and you,
Au’ dey couldn’t rcggerlatc dcirselves wid not
a thing to do.
Win plenty wuk befo’ ’em, an’ a cotton crop
to make,
Dey’d nebber thought o’ ioafiu ’roun an’ chat
tin' wid de snake!
COL. W. H. SPARKS.
Personal Recollections of Every Pres
ident but Washington—Jeffer
son, Madison and Story.
“H. W, G.” in Philadelphia Times.
Almost any day, sunny or wintry,
there can be seen on the streets of
Atlanta a short, thickset, sturdy old
gentleman, bearing erectly on uu
usually broad shoulders an immense
head surmounted with a crown of
white hair. A trifle reserved, hold
ing himself like a gentleman and
man of affairs, with ruddy face, and
quick, penetrating eye, holding a
stout cane in his hand, less for sup
port than for a deference to an old
habit of the southwest, the stranger
who sees him usually inquires of
some one for his name. Any by
slander will inform the inquirer that
it is “Col. William 11. Sparks, an old
veteran, who has known more dis
tinguished people than any man liv
ing.” Ido not think there is so re
markable a link between the past snd
present to he found anywhere. Coi.
Sparks is not a centenarian, being
only about eighty-three, and he has
none of the querulous weakness or
vagueness of o.ld age. He is still
good for a ten mile tramp; is a deeis
ive, brilliant talker, and altogether a
compact, vigorous old gentleman.
He has been prominent in politics
and society all his life and as a legis
lator, writer and wit has been fa*'
mous for more than half a century
throughout the west and southwest.
He has known, personally, every
President since Washington and has
the most entertaining gossip about
each of them. He was the intimate
friend of Henry Clay, Prentiss,
Crawford and the most of their con-
CARTERSVILLE, GA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1881.
temporaries; sat opposite Aaron Burr
at table for three months; heard the
story of Andre from the lips of the
man who superintended it; heard all
the small talk of the meeting of the
signers of the declaration of indepen
dence from the mouth of John
Adams, and is, in short, a perfect
treasury of gossip and personal his
tory.
Y r our correspondent asked him this
morning if it was true that, he had
been personally acquainted with
every President of the United States,
except Washington.
“Yes, air,” he replied, “I have had
the acquaintance of every man who
occupied the presidential chair since
George Washington left it; the
friendship and confidence of most of
them.” %
“Where did you meet John Adams?
He must have died when you were
very young.”
“There is a story connected with
that. I was at Cambridge with three
young southern chums. We were
discussing the best way to spend our
fourth of July, and determined to
spend it with ex-president Adams
I wrote a letter soliciting the privi
lege of calling on him, and destroy
ed a quire or two of paper in framing
the request. Mr. Adams replied
that he would be happy to see us and
instructed us to stop at a certain ho
tel in Boston. As soon as we were
registered the landlord informed us
that Mr. Adams’ carriage was await
ing us. At the door we found his
coach, drawn by four horses and
equipped in great pomp. We were
rapidly driven to his home, where
he welcomed us cordially, being
touched, I think, of respect shown
him by southerners. He gave us a
most graphic acccuut of the signing
of the declaration and the election of
Washington as commander in chief.
While we were with him he received
the first of those letters from Jeffer
son that led to the correspondence be
tween them. He read it to us, and
said: “This is the finest letter ever
written by an octogenarian.”
“Did you know Jefferson inti-?
rnately?”
“I knew him well. 1 was once
traveling through Virginia with a
young friend and stopped at a small
tavern. As we were sitting in the
tap room four distinguished looking
young men passed up stairs and en
tered a small room. I inquired as
to wiio they were, and was informed
that they were ex-president Jeffer
son, ex-president Madison, chief
justice Marshal and . lat once
determined to see them, and knocked
at the door of their room. Mr. Jef
ferson came to the door and I stated
that we were Georgians, who de
sired to pay our respects to himself
and his friends. He took us cordially
by the hand and introduced us to the
company. Mr. Madison was sitting
in a corner with his h ad tied up in
a handkerchief, and merely grunted
when we were presented. We soon
secured attention as we had just left
Washington and bore to these dis
tinguished gentlemen the first news
of the Missouri compromise. When
we left, after an hour’s stay, Mr.
Jefferson followed us to the door. He
took our hands in his and bending
his head forward—it was as flat as a
board on top—he said: “Go home
young gentlemen, and prepare to de
vote your talents and lives to the
service of your country. The com
promise has only scotched the snake,
not killed it, and it will yet tear this
country asunder. The south will
need your services.” How prophetic
were these words. I have since giv
en the lives of my sons to the cause he
then and dicated me.”
“Was there much open talk of se
ce siou then?”
Let me tell you of a scene in Mr.
Crawford’s room, just prior to the
passage of that compromise. William
H. Crawford, of Georgia was then
the most powerful man in Washing
ton. His rooms were the rendezvous
of a band o: lofty and ardent spirits,
such as Loundes, Calhoun, Clay,
Troup, Randolph, Forsyth. He
would have been the candidate of his
party to succed Madison had he not
declined to oppose Mr. Monroe. He
was sent to France to succeed Mr.
Livingstone, who was hard of hear
ing. Crawford could not speak
French, and Napoleon said after a
reception. ‘America has sent me
two senators, one of whom is deaf
and the other dumb.’ On the night
I speak of there was a meeting in
Crawford’s rooms to discuss the Mis
souri question. Mr. Holmes, of
Maine, was present. Mr. Crawford
was lying, as was his wont, upon a
s ofa. Addressing the southern men
present he told them that if they held
slavery of more importance than
the Utdon the time had come
for them to secede, but if they
thought the Union of more impor
tance than slavery they must go
home and begin gradual emancipa
tion. He added that the slave States
were strong enough then to go in
peace and preserve their institutions,
hut that they could never hope to
maintain slavery in the Union.” At
this Mr, Randolph jumped up and
said:
“Then let us go, and at once. Mr.
Clay will be here to-morrow. I have
not spoken to the fellow in years, but
I will go to him to-morrow and beg
him to go to his people, and urge
them to quit the Union. I will go
and uive mine to do the same, and I
will follow his leadership to the
last.”
“Can Mr. Randolph be in earnest”
asked Mr. Holmes, of Maine.
“Intensely so,” replied Mr. Craw
ford, “and the course of your people,
Mr. Holmes, is forcing Mr. Ran
dolph’s views upon the people of the
whole south.”
The next day Mr. Clay arrived
from the west. The greatest anxiety
was felt as to his course. His in
fluence was tremendous and the
wist especially was training under
his lead. I shall never forget the
scene when Mr. Clay entered the
House the next morning. He was
dressed in a suit of spotless black,
and pale and majestic he walked
down the aisle with the slouching
stride of the race horse. By an in
voluntary movement every member
rose to his feet, in courtesy to the
great man. Mr. Randolph ster ped
into the aisle to meet him. When
Clay saw him he appeared to grow a
foot in height, but his face never lost
its tranquility. Mr. Randolph was
very much excited and said: “Good
morning, Mr. Clay.”
Mr. Clay bowed politely. Ran
dolph then went on excitedly:
“I have a duty to perfotm—so
have you, sir. Leave your seat here,
as I will leave mine. Tell your peo
ple as I will teil mine—that the time
h is come, when, if they would save
themselves from ruin and preserve
the liberties for which their fathers
bled, they must leave these people of
the north. Do this, sir; although I
never did before, I will follow your
lead in the effort to save our people.”
Mr. Clay listened quietly and with
out apparent surprise. When Ran
dolph had concluded, he said with
out raising his voice:
“What you propose, Mr. Randolph,
requires more than momentary con
sideration,” and passed on. In a few
days his famous speech on the com
promise vv'as made, and the trouble
passed over for a time.
“President Jackson was a remark
able man. Did you know him
well?”
“I did. I married the daughter of
Abner Green, at whose house Jack
son’s wife lived, await
ing her divorce. I and she and our
child spent the night with Jackson
at the white house. I remember
that there was in the corner of the
fire place a box full of corn-cob pipes,
out of which the stems protruded.
I asked the president why he was so
fond of cob pipes. He replied, “For
the simple reason that they burn out
before they begin to stink.”
Col. Sparks was eloquent in his
praise of “Old Hickory,” and devel
oped two points that are interesting
and new. Said he: “It is not at all j
c: rtain that Jackson was born in :
South Carolina; indeed, the special
proofs seem to go to show that he
was born in Ireland. Judge Alex- j
ander Porter, of Louisiana, was an
Irishman, and his parents lived in
the neighborhood of where Jackson’s
parents lived. He visited Europe
shortly before his death and made
diligent inquiry into the history of
the Jacksons, and learned enough to
satisfy him that Andrew was hern in
Ireland and brought to America
when two years old. Judge McNary,
who had investigated, held the same
opinion, and always contended that
Jackson was four years older than he
thought he was.”
He says, further, “Jackson once
told one of the advices his mother —
a little dumpty, red-headed Irish
woman—gave him when he left her
for the last time. ‘Andy,’ she said,
‘you are going into a wild and
strange country and among rough
people. Never tell a lie or take what
ain’t your own, nor sue anybody for
slander nor assault and battery. Al
ways settle their case yourself.”
“Jackson was a negro trader, de
spite the proof to the contrary, made
by his friends. He had a small store
at Brainsburg, in Claiborn county.
At this trading point he received the
negroes sent to him by his partner,
and sold them into his neighborhood
and into Louisiana. I have now sev
eral hills of sale of negroes signed by
Jackson in which his signature runs
clear across the page. He quit # ne
gro trading because he sold an un
sound negro into Louisiana and had
to stand a loss on him. He and his
partner quarreled on adjusting this
loss and he quit the business.”
“Were you acquainted with any
intimate friend of Washington?”
“I knew intimately the man who
knew him, perhaps, better than any
other man ever did—Col. Ben Tal
magp, who was Washington’s fa
vorite aide. The circumstances un
der which I knew him were inter
esting, I passed the old gentleman
one day as he was mending his gate.
I was then a student. 1 raised my
hat and bowed profoundly. He was
struck by my evident respect, and
asked Judge Reeve who I wa3 and
why I had been so resppctful. I re
plied: ‘Say to him that I could never
walk into the presence of a man who
has had the confidence of our great
Washington with my hat on my
head.’ This reply pleased him so
much that it gained me a place at his
fireside.”
“He was full of reminiscences of
Washington?”
“Oh, yes; and very entertaining it
was to hear him talk familiarly of
the Father of his country. He said
that no character in history had been
so consistent as Washington’s. He
was stern, slow, reserved and cold.
Even Hamilton, whom lie loved and
trusted above all men, never ven
tured upon the slightest intimacy. I
never saw General Washington laugh
and only once or twice did I ever spe i
him smile. I never saw him exhibit
the slightest surprise or impatience.
I was with him when he received in
formation of Arnold’s treachery, and
he received it as impassively as if it
were an orderly’s report. Of all the
officers of the army Greene was his
favorite, and he was right, for Greene
was a superior military man to
Washington. I hekrd Washington
say that Greene was the only man
who could retrieve the mistake of
G ttes and save the southern country.
Mrs. Washington was less amiable
than her husband. She always re
membered that she was wealthy
when she married Washington and
she never let him ferget it. One of
Washington’s strongest points was
the quickness with which he read
men. He mistrusted Burr from the
first, and was rarely deceived in men.
In this strain have I heard Col. Tal
mage talk about Washington by the
hour. And let me remark here that
I have known many women who
knew Washington. I never yet saw
one that liked him. Gov. Wolcott
told me that he had heard Mrs.
Adams say she never believed that
Washington had been more than po
lite to Mrs. Washington.”
“Was this Talmage the same who
superintended the execution of An
dre?”
“Yes, sir, and I’ve heard him tell
of that sad story a score of times, and
always with tears. It was he who
begged Washington to at least allow
Andre to die a soldier’s death. Said
he: “The saddest duty I have ever
had to perform was communicating
his refusal to Andre. He saw my
embarrassment and feeling as I ap
proached, and rising, said: ‘I thank,
you, Colonel, for the interest you
have taken in my case, but I see that
it has proved of no avail; yet I am
none the less grateful.’ He paused a
moment and said: ‘lt Is hard to die,
and to die thus. I have only a short
time which I must employ in writ
ing to my family. Shall I see you
to-morrow, or is this our last part-
ing?’ I told him it had been made
my duty to superintend the execu
tion. ‘We shall part then at the
grave,’ he said, and covering his face
with his hands, sank sobbing in his
chair. When we met at’the scene of
execution the next morning, he
asked me to secure his watch, which
had been taken from him at head
quarters, and seud it to his family. I
made the promise, but never secured
| the watch. As he saw his grave a
shudder ran through his frame, and
he said: ‘I am to be hurled there.
One more word, colonel; mark it, so
that my friends may find it when
this cruel conflict shall have ended.’
These were the last words he ever
spoke to me. He pressed my hand,
turned and ascended the scaffold with
unfaltering steps. In a few moments
all was over. Many a time have I
heard Colonel Taira age tell this story,
and a precious privilege I esteemed
it to hear from the lips of the man
who had superintended it the story
of the execution of Andre.”
“Who is the most eloquent, man
you ever heard ?”
“I have heard nearly every promi
nent man that has figured in Ameri
can history, and never heard any
man to equal S. S. Prentiss. He and
I were very close friends for many
years and up to his death. His speech
in Faneuil Hall, Boston, was the
grandest effort ever made in that
body perhaps. A venerable judge of
New Jersey told me a strange story
concerning Prentiss’ power. He said:
“ ‘I never believed any living man
could enchain my attention for three
hours, as he is said to have done the
audience at Faneuil Hall, so I took
the first chance of hearing him. I
found an enormous crowd gathered,
and was unable to get a seat. As he
began to speak I took out my watch
to note the time. The first words
that he uttered arrested my atten
tion. There wa3 something in his
eye that startled me, and the words
came bubbling up so full of power,
eloquence and originality, that I
found myself enthralled. His flights
of passion were so heart-searching
and superb that I found it impossible
to take my eyes from his face. At
one time i thought I should faint
under the intense feelings he pro
duced. I forgot the presence of the
crowd—l forgot my seventy years of
age, although I was standing—and
when at last his physical powers fail
ing under the enormous pressure
they were subjected to, he sunk back
in his seat completely exhausted* I
found that I was still holding in my
hand the watch I had taken out
three hours and fifteen minutes be*
foie. My attention had been so coin*
pletely absorbed that I hid failed to
return it to my pocket. At my side
there stood an old man—a minister
of the gospel. He was livid with
excitement and he said, ‘Will you
ever doubt again that God inspires
man.’ ”
“Did you hear Prentiss speak of
ten?’ ’
“Frequently. The greatest speech
I ever heard him make was in a court
room. It was in the prosecution of
a prominent man for fraud. Pren
tiss spoke for hours, producing the
most wonderful effect. I returned
from the court house with him and
remarked that his conversation
flagged. He said at last, ‘I never
was so much fatigued. I feel as if I
did not have an idea in my head.’
“You have poured out enough to
day to empty any head,” I remark
ed.
“ ‘And yet,’ he said, ‘I have made
a signal failure. I exhausted my
quiver in the effort to pierce that
man’s armor and reach his vitals,
but his integuments were proof
against my shafts and I failed.’
“‘Failed! Why you made the most
powerful and telling speech of your
life.’
“ ‘Yes, upon the audience, perhaps,
but not on the victim—he escapes
uncrushed. I care nothing for the
crack of the rifle if the bullet flies
wide of the mark. I wanted to reach
his heart and crush it to remorse and
confusion—hut I have learned that
his obtusity is superior to my invec
tive,’
“This w’as Prentiss’ way. He al
ways had a terrible and earnest pur
pose in his oratory. Poor fellow.
His greatness was his ruin. His ge
nius burned so fiercely that it wore
his system away and created the de
mand for artificial stimulants. The
mere fact that liquor ruined one man
like Prentiss is sufficient to have It
banished entirely from the world.
He said to me once: ‘The great mis
take of my life was in leaving my
northern home. There home in
fluences might have restrained me,
before this fearful habit got a hold
upon me.’ Prentiss was a chivalric
man in the highest sense of the word.
He and H. S. Foote had a bitter feud
that at last culminated in a duel, in
which Foote was wounded. A short
time afterward Prentiss was with
some friends in Cincinnati, and a
toadying fellow sought to curry favor
with Prentiss by abusing Foote. At
last he went so far as to denounce
him as a dog. At this Prentiss turned
sharply on him and said : ‘ Stop, sir!
You shall not abuse Mr. Foote in my
presence. If he is a dog he-is our
dog, and he shall not be abused!’ ”
But space fails for a further recital
of the reminiscences of Col. Sparks.
I have only written down a tithe of
the graphic and entertaining things
he told me, and he only drew casually
upon his enormous fund ot personal
information. He has embodied much
of the gossip and history of the cen
tury in a charming book called “The
Memory of Fifty Years,” but when
he dies there will perish with him
more information concerning the
great men of this country than was
ever before locked up in the heart of
any one man.
Atlanta, January, 1881.
NO. 5.