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S. B. Burr,
Knoxville, Ga., Sept. 1st, 1880.
Editor Mirror:
The writer has no recollection
of any year that has been so bless
e 1 with Barbecues. Picnics etc., as
1180, which is certainly an exhibi¬
tion of advancement financially, of
our citizens and country, generally
.—of all that your correspondent
Ills attended, none lias equalled
the one in your comity; on the 25tli
of last month .which took place in a
beautiful grove in front of the
Idence of Mr. Thomas Hardisor,
and which might be called the Har
dison dinner.’ The intention of it
was that all the members of that
(Hardisons) family might bo to
getber as it’s not often, when there
are so many of one family, all
shall ever be present on any occa¬
sion.
In 1824 Mr. Frederick Hardison
settled in the Ctli District of Craw
fo d county. His family consisted
of himself, wife and five children
viz; James, Thomas,Elizabeth, Fan
nie and Julia. Ho was blessed
with three more, Hardy, Saliie and
George. He, like most of the oth
er settlers, had to labor very hard
to raise his children, but with their
help raised them all. The chil
dren all lived Jong after their
parents had fallen by old age into
their long sleep* and all are living
yet but one, Mrs. Elizabeth Giles,
who died on tile 11th of July last
past. James Hardison was mar
ried three times, 1st, Miss Eliza¬
beth Jones, 2nd, Miss Annie Dir
<Ien, 3rd. Miss LouAmos.
Thomas Hardison was married
twice, 1st, Miss Hirriet Garble,
2nd. Mrs Elizabeth Gray. William
Giles married Miss Elizabeth Har¬
dison, Solomon Aultmaa married
Miss Fannie Hardison, Jno. W.
Williams married Miss Julia Ilardi
son; Hardy Hardison married
MiS sAlcuy Weaver, Goorga W
Thames married Miss Sa’lio Hardi¬
son, George W. .Hardison married
Miss Walton.
The number of descendants is
about two hundred. There were
at this re-union 182.
They all felt how pleasant it was
for all to meet together one time
and perhaps the last.
The day passed on and near mid¬
day the table that had been arran¬
ged for the occasion was loaded
with the best viands that could be
afforded in our country, until if
possible it fairly groaned with its
weight and yet the cries from the
meat pits and bakery’s were that
there were more yet. There were
185 to eat and enough was on the
table for fully one thousand per¬
sons. Ice cold lemonade was in
abundance. Buckets of this de¬
lightful drink were at every turn.
It was remarked by an old gentle¬
man not a member that he had
never in his life seen so much car
ried away after tho tab’e being
kept spread all day. The write-,
when be looked around upon the
beautiful faces of the girls present,
and in addition to this if there
would be a re-union every year,
could not help hut wish ho was a
member of this noted family, and
if unmarried should certainly spare
no time in trying to become one of
the number.
V SH.
Editor Mirror:
The Legislature Aug. 26th, 1872,
passed an act-relating to Fences
and stock, or to give the planters
of Houston county, or any other
county in this State; the privilage
of fencing Stock in, instead of fen
cing out. With your f ermission I
will write a few short articles to be
published in the Mirror, I am a
planter, and reside in the Oth dist.
I will state in the first place, that
a neighbor of mine who runs from
a nine to ten horse farm, and
a very close calculation it requires
one hundred thousand rails to fence
his plantation, and it requires
thousand rails every • year to
liis plantation in good repair,
what is tr*e of this plantation,
true of every other one in
county, which is kept in good
pair, to make them a lawful fence,
w d I will assert, without tho
of successful contradiction, that i
costs the planters of Houston coun¬
ty, more money or labor which if
equivalent to money, to keep their
fencing in good repair than their
state and county taxes cost, and if
I would say fifty per cent, more I
would comenearer the true amount.
A. neighbor of mine, who rents a
two horse farm, said it required
from 12 to 15000 every year to keep
his place in good repair, which cost
at least $12 to split, haul and put
up, and his State and County lax-,
es was about 5 to $G per year, and
why is this heavy expense every
year to keep a few poor vicious
hogs, cattle and broke down mules
and horses from dear eying crops,
for there are but few valuable stock
suffered to run at large.
Most of the planters of Houston
county fence in their stock, and
why, because this county is not a
grazing county, the larger portion
of the lands fire under fence and
the wood land has grown up with
a thick under' growth, and grass os
are shaded out, and the principle
place stock have for grazing is in
I in is audfeaoe corners, and break¬
ing in neighbors fields. I will ven¬
ture to say that if all the stock
suffered to run at large were sold
for cash the sales would not amount
to one tenth dollar of the cost of
keeping the fencing in good repair,
to say nothing about crops destroy¬
ed and hard feelings, and some¬
times difficulties of a serious char¬
acter between neighbors, "but an
objector would say what are poor
men to do who owrt no lard, and
freedman who cultivate land on
shares, or rent land, this law fflys
shook must bo fenced in and
not allowed to run at large. E v
ery farmer can fence in as much
land as he chooses for pasture land
for any other use, and laborers
renters would have the same 1
Labor is too scarce ftr
ownei-s hot to bo willing to
renters or employees the priv¬
of pasture land as much as
might need and would be
to fence.
In my next communication, I
show some of the benefits aris
to the farmers of Houston by
this law. ,
Farmer 9th Dist.
Judge Warner’s Letter
Judge Warner is a grand old
man. He has long held high sta»
lion in Georgia and honored it.—
Ho has asked for no \indications.—
entire stale acknowledges his
purity and uprightness. Be¬
low we publish his iettir written to
the Burnsville people. The leading
Colquitt organ has the grace to pub
it. The communication lias no
uncertain ring. It speaks the sen¬
timent of a true Georgian, who has
nobly illustrated hia state. His
words burn into the Colquitt admin
as a coal of fire. We ad
that they be read and pondered.
-’ come from one who has served
c mn< nweiltb ably and with
fidelity, and has never attempted
an act which was not for the welfare
of his .state. Read his letter which
follows;
Greenville, Ga., August 30, ’80
Messrs, j. R. Jenkins and olhors,
Committee, etc.— Gentlemen :—I
am in the receipt of your letter in¬
viting me to address the people of
Barnesville on the political i-sues of
tho day, on Friday, tho 3d of Sep¬
tember. My prior engagements will
prevent r compliance with your re¬
quest, but you can say to my Barns
ville friends that I am for Tom
Norwood and good government.—
I know him to bo both honest, and
capable, and too good a lawyer not
to know that a’though the governor
may make a contract with lawyers
to represent the state,yet that officer
cannot touch a dollar of the people’s
money to pay such contracts until
the general i a ;emb!y shall have had
an opfortunily to judge of and
upon the reasonableness or
sonableness of such contracts, and
to appropriate tuffi an amount in
payment therefor a* in their judge
mint ti e so vices oro reasonably
worth, and tho governor can draw
h s warrant for tk • amount so »ppi
FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1880.
mated, and no ra ire—for the consti
ration expressly declares that “no
money shall be drawn from the
treasury except by appropi rations
made by law.” Tom Norwood is
too good a lawyer not to know that
it the governor of the state can
make contracts with lawyers to pay
them $10,000 for their services, and
can then thrust bis bands into the
treasury and clutch out that amouut
and pay.them without an appropri¬
ation having been made tlieiefor,
as required by the constitution, that
he could make contracts to pay law¬
yers $500,090 for fees, and thus
bankrupt the people’s treasury w ith
out as much as saying by your leave
or the leave of their representatives.
A man acting for himself in his indi¬
vidual capacity may make a con¬
tract with a lawyer for fees, and the
lawyer will have a lien upon the
money collected, for the simple rea¬
son that the money belongs to him
wbo made the contract, ho having
the power and authority to ereate a
lien upon his own money by bis own
contract, but Tom Norwood is too
good a lawyer not to know that the
governor has no power or authority
whatever to make a contract with a
lawyer and thereby create a lien on
the people’s money, and that the
lawyer acquires no lien by any such
contract until the general assembly
shall approve ami ratify it. Making
contracts with lawyers toy the gov¬
ernor, at extravagant foes, is one
thing, but thrusting his hands into
the people's treasury and clutching
oat their money to pay such fees
without an examination or appropr¬
iation ha-ing boon made therefor
by the legislature, is a oilier and
very different thing which Tom
Norwool will never do. Tom
Norwood has not held the office of
for tho last four years, and
did not leave his seat in that high
and travel all ovav the country
with all power and patron¬
age of the state govern men t, for the
purpose of stocking a convention by
tt.c Boss Tweed process of primary
with a majority cf dele¬
to vote for bis nomination
and for nobody else; he did not
crack his executive whip over that
convention of stocked delegates and
compel them to remain and vote for
bis nomination, and nobody else, on
the assumed ground thsrt his stocked
delegates represented a majority of
the people, whereas not one-tenth
of voting population of the state had
spoken at tho Boss Tweed primary
election. No, Tom Nor .rood has
not forced himself on the people by
any such proceedings as that to
vindicate himself from the ollodged
persecution of the lcr’isla'lire and
and judicial depavtm nits of the
government worse than Lattiacr
ever endured, and it is to be hoped
he never will. If his official record
won’t vindicate him, no frantic ap¬
peals to the people can. Very re¬
spectfully your obedtent servant,
Hiram Warner.
Lye Hominy
make A it. correspondent Fill largo asks kettle how half to
a
full of hard ashes, then fill up with
water and boil until the lye is v ery
strong; put it one side to settle;'
draw off the lye; return to the ket¬
tle and when it is boiling as fast as
possible for five or- ten minutes, or
until the hull is eaten off. Skim
the corn into a cullender and rinse
and rub it in a pan of cold water, af¬
ter which it must be boiled in clear
water lor three or four hours, or un¬
till tender. Be careful not to burn
and put no sal tin it wbilo cooking.
Have the tea-kettle full of boiling
water and add to tho com occasion
requires. Daring tho last hour
let the water boil away so that
when done it will bo with almost dry.
It may be eaten cream or
warmed up with milk and butter,
or fried tri bacon’ greas. gait to
suittho taste In either case.
Ladies are like watches--pretty
e lough to look at; sweet faces and
dolic tto hands, but somewhat diffi"
cult to ‘regulate’ after they aro set
a-going.
An old lady says she never could
imagine where all the Smiths came
from until she saw, in a Now Eng
laud town, a largo si«n: ‘.Smith
Manufacturing Company.'
THE STEP-MOTHER.
BY MRS. AMELIA V. PURDY.
‘Children are like
—every < n i wants their own,
and I have no ambition to be wet
nurse or nursery governess for an
other woman’s brats. Dr. Wyjit
is all yon say, I suppose as men g.
—he is personified perfection.—
Nevertheless ho must go elsewhere
for a mother for his children.—
That is my sole objection, but it
insurmountable.’ And the
er, a girl on tho shady side
twenty, rose from her seat and
strolled to the piano and began
piaying low symphonies as if to
soothe her perturbed feelings.
Judge Dixmont laid down his
paper, grave and dissatisfied of
face, say ing:
‘ As a rule, the suitor whom the
parents consider particularly eligi¬
ble, the child considers peculiarly
objectionable. Of all the men I
k now, Dr. Wylie stands pre emi¬
nent as talented and progressive,
has a large and lucrative practice,
is popular and handsome. The
only drawback is two little g'lrls of
two and four, whose very helpless¬
ness and innocence would appeal
strongly to any one’s sympathies.—
I will tell you a story, Ida, and
when it is done, if yon still consid¬
er the children insurmountable
objections, I will never revert to
the subject again.
‘Once upon a time there was a
domestic Eden, in a certain town
in this State. The family consist¬
ed of father, mother and one child,
a boy of five.
‘The mother, was young, beauti¬
ful and talented, a natural sunbeam
full of vivacity, and the admiration
qf all who knew her, and her bus
band was idoiatrously fond of 'Tfcr.
Wherever these rare unions exist,
death may be safely predicted
standing' near,- sceptre in hand.
‘The Yellow fever swept through
the town ; the brason demon that
destroys so many fair homes, and
all that was left of her was her
wedding dress, her jewels and tiny
slippers, over which the crazy hus
band bended for hours. In liis
grief he forgot his little son, as his
mother would never have done,
and the child would steal softly up
stairs and peep in at liis father,
who, with bowed head and aching
heart, sat in the room where N she
died, bathed in wearied moonlight*
and oblivious of all around him.
‘Sp ha sat for months, till grief
had become disease. Grief is the
least liberal and most selfish of our
emotions, and the pain is the per¬
sonal suffering the loss occasions.
We shall be lonely, miserable, un¬
dated for. No one will misis ns
when absent, and long and watch
for oar return. The first person
is a paramount in giief, and Mr.
Holmes, blind to a sense of his pa¬
rental responsibility, bestowed no
thought upon the child, who natur¬
ally gravitated to tho kitchen. *
The African race have had superior
advantages in tho shape of moral
instruction and churches from
time immemorial in the South (Jjut
they remain as uncivilized and
beastly to-day as their cousins in
African solitudes. Under such ed¬
ucators, John Holmes at eight was
notorious, a little swearing ruffian,
who was tho terror of the town
childven. Once in a wbilo Mr.
Holmes woke up and gave him a
terrible cowhiding, but it was pro
duotive of no good, and did not at.
rest him an instant in his headlong
career to destruction. Ope dav an
indignant neighbor ’presented ft
heavy bill for a fine French-plate
show-case which Master John had
broken and a council of
ted and long-suffering citizens reg
ularly impeached the boy, in
father’s presence, misdemeanors' of sundry
crimes and
poor father’s eyes suddenly
od to the enormity of bis own
d uct, the culpable neglect
had ruined the gentle and
child his dying wife bad
j ! od with tears to his charge;
John, who confidently expected
j uvnereiful whipping, stood
when his father leant his sorrowfi
head on tho table and cried.
‘ ‘I don’t know what to do wit.
him,’ he wailed in the bitterness o
bis heart. ‘Oh, Lily, if you could
see the boy you were so proud o’,
nice, and who was to be judge auc
president some day!’ ’
‘ ‘Marry,’ suggested
tome bright, clear-headed
'—a widow, large-hearted,
thetic and humane. Having
dren, she will bring valuable expe
Hence into the management of
an d household. .
‘ John is notorious,’ he re¬
monstrated: ‘no woman in her
senses would undertake such a kur
cal eon task.’
‘ ‘Try Mrs.- Clarke,’ suggested
the good angel. ‘She is like oxy¬
gen and sunshine, and possesses
great administrative ability—a nat
ural ruler, as others are natural
poets or painters-’
‘Sunday came, and Mr. Holmes
went to church, for t\ie first time
in three years, and escorted Mrs.
Clarice home, asking and receiving
permission to call again. She had
bewitched him in ten minutes’ walk
from church. Her very laugh was
infectious, and she had the rare
tact to draw out the best in each.
She soothed and strengthened him.
When he went to church, he did
not see that he was walking through
sunshine ; at leaving her, he won¬
dered at the golden glow and beau¬
ty of the sky. She was to his mind
what iron and strychnia are to the
nervous system. Some people
draw out the good that is in us,
and elevate; others weaken and
depress where they do not actual
ly degrade. We feel like purring
softly under the benign, refined,
silky influence of this one ; and we
are wolfish, tigerish, full of discord,
discontent and bitterness, as the
coarser nature strikes all too sus¬
ceptible chords of self. It would
be a safe rule in life to dismiss any
friend who has not power to teach,
improve and benefit, and to steer
clear of the callous and tho coarse.
She went on a visit to New Orleans,
and a pleasant correspondence en¬
sued, and on the Ides of November
Mr. Holmes went for his bride.-
Dinah, an ancient negress who oc¬
cupied the responsible position of
housekeeper, was telegraphed to
get the house in readiness, and
Master John also, ponding their
arrival, and gleefully imparted the
information in this wise :
“Now you’ll git it, Mars. John !
Can’t tell me ’bout stepmothers:
I’ve seen ’em, I has; an’ dat wo
man yer pa done married is noted
for her strictness. She’ll lift yer
ha’r, I till yon 1 Oh, Lord, but she
will fan yer with a fence rail! Euty
I done tole you yer pa would mar¬
ry some day. But I’m sorry for
you, po’ chile ! Sure, don’t tall her
I said anythin’ agin her, ’cause I
didn’t; I’m comprehendin’ step¬
mothers gineraliy.’ She breaks
out singing :
“Oh, de day am cornin’ when we'll
go home,
Jews screws do Cdum 1
An' eat pies an’ cakes by do great
white throne,
Jews screws de fidtim !'
‘Mass John, is you gwine to h.ab
on your clean close ’an git washed?
You ain’t? Well it’ll be a sorry day
for you when de bride gits yah, an’
you lookin’ like po whito folks’
chillun. You yer my miration,
John Holmes?’
John swears and throws
hatchet at her - ho l ,in S wi!1 stl ’ ike
her ; and dirty and forlorn, with a
fierce sense of injustice in his
brhast, he wends his way down to
the wharf, unheeding the pitiless
sleet- A blue norther is
-a norther deeply, clarkly, horri
bly blue, and tho tears that well up
intheir’founts hot, freeze as
fall from his rounded cheek.
vHuufss deserted, and the
coming over the turbulent b»y.
a « keen as a newly ground
Ho croud e; on the south side
too building and waits.
fiua! j ie *’ » <*ae. He glances t
. w tho Ron< N Qlhl thoro Bil °
j the mi Mbxico, soon the rocking dreaded in the
ith whom it will be war to the
aife and the knife to the hilt, will
3 tho presiding divinity of tho
nly pdace he can call home.—
Drays rattle along the strand and
rat upon tho wharf, the drivers
with red noses and gloved hands,
their months converted into minia¬
ture smoke-stacks and some of
them curse the weather as they
the wretched child. It is
strange, but when man, woman or
child are in trouble— deep, scath
ing trouble —surroundings impress
themselves upon the mind even to
the minutest detail, forming, as it
were, a picture Rsmbrandtain in
light and shade and bold in pros
pective. John sees here and there
a broken plank; and wonders why
it is not repaired; then his deso¬
late eyes fall on a crab, who, re¬
gardless of the day, is probably
going to see a particular friend.—
He glances again at the steamer.—
The cannon is fired, and she touch
es the wharf. He sees his father
hand a lady into the rockaway :
afterwards a little boy of three,
and with a child's uneering per¬
ceptions, divines her character. It
is a pleasant genial face, but firm
as adamant. He rises • and looks
over the gray waste of waters, sol¬
emn as the sleep in death and ex¬
claims :
“It can’t he no worse anyway,”
and the tender God looked pitying¬
ly on the small misanthorpe, with
his heart, that should have been as
stainless as showy fleece, scarlet
with sin.
Ha reaches home and darts into
the parlor and creeps under the
sofa. The room is chcerfa! and
bright, with that best of all furni¬
ture in bitter weather, a big fire.-—
Soou his father and mother e iter.—
Says the lady :
“I shall send one of the servants
to find John. Thii is no day for a
little child to be out-doors. ’
“The negroes say lie is perfectly
fractious to day,” Mr. IIolme3 an
su ers : “My dear, I am afraid John
will give you a good deal of trouble.
I have whipped him until I had to
give it up in despair.”
“I do not believe in whipping,’ ro
plies Mrs. Holmes dryly, “and shall
try moral suasion. Any sensible
child can be goverone.l without
blows.’’
‘ I wonder what moral suasion
is?” queried Master John. “If I
hadn’t played hockey so much I’d
know. Catch me waiting time that
way again.”
They leave the room, and John
follows in a little while, and stands
boldly on the threshold of the diu
iug room. His bold, bright, black
eyes arc redolent of defiance, but
when tho lady rises and kisses him
and leads him to the fire and actu¬
ally holds him in her lap, it recalls
the fair young wither for whom
liis child heart is still sore, who was
rudely snatched from him never¬
more to return, and though ho
makes a brave effort to keep back
his tears—be who would not cry
when, in bis almost daily fights,
hand if ul of hair is torn from liis
head -breaks quite clown and cries;
and though his blurred eyes he sees
the little child lie saw in hie father’s
lap draw near and say sweetly:
“Is it my little brother, mama?”
“Yes,” answers Mrs. II >lmes.—
‘‘And John, when Willie is with you
I want to icol perfectly safe and ■ sc 1 -
cure in the be’ief that you' will 1 not
let him hear bad words or let' him
gat hart. I want to bo proud of iriy
two boys when they are men. ’
“A step-mother talking like that!
Too good to hold out,” whispered
Uicevd nature
But as weeks wore on and it was
proved that she was not only wise,
bat good, John’s nature began rad
caliy to change. She was a fairy
as potent ns Quern Mab, and •hem;
ty and order sprang up in' her foot
steps,. The house was refurnished
and a beautiful ai d l»ndionu J>
furnidied room assigned to John—
The grounds were laid off testtfdly
—rustic scats andI urns and statu*
ary introduced. I be wall* of bis
ru0in W0IC with "chromon rich
iu bright colors, and vases fill, d
with flaw, rs were placed upon bis
Vol.-io No. ii
mantle. “Anything is good enough
lor a boy,” is the common exclama
ation. Well, it is, if yon want to'
animalize him—not unless. If you'
want him to be high-toned, gentle¬
manly, refined, let his surroundings
be perfectly reft, d, the refinement
extending clear through from stir
roundings to acts and utterances.
He saw that he \va3 coarse and rude,
with a sense of humiliation, and
strove to get rid of bis kitchen'
habits and conversation. Once he
forgot himself and swore in her
presence, and the trouble her eyes
expressed, smote him with keen'
pain.
W ell dressed, well fdl, taught tor
consider himself a boy who would
some day be a leader among men.
tho angles rounded beautifully-’
He began’to’learn rapidly, and' ac¬
quired, in place of the bold effront
ery a graceful self possesion and
self-respect, without which no man¬
or woman be a success. Theoret¬
ical humility is beautiful, and exalts’
while it abases; practical humility,
a sense of ttnworthiness, will make’
and keep a man a clod for others
to walk upon. It is as important ’
to inspire as it is to respire, and
we who bate a dog if it cringes, •
have little patience with tho Uriah
Ileepish trait, of which there is
cpiite too much in this old world of
otws.
Mr Holmes looked proudly at his
wife as his reconstructed son bora
off the prizes at school and his
merry songs rang through tho gar¬
dens and halls. Ah! the grand Se¬
cret is this: make the evil happy
and you make them good.
For Mrs Holmes, John entertained
a love that could not be estimated,
weighed or gauged, while her child
was his idol. So tire' Hippy years •
wore on. At twenty-one he grad¬
uated and was admitted to the bar.
At 35 was Judge of the Supreme
Bench, and had been M. C., three
times.
“Ida, I was another ‘woman’s
brat’—a low outcast and social Pa¬
riah, and yet your grandma made
my reformation a labor of love
“Oh! papa,’’ cried Ida, tearfully,
“I thought dear grandma was your
own mother; but will love her bet,
ter than ever now, because she was
so brave and good, and' only for
her, the brightest judge on the
bench would have been lost to tho
world.”
The door opened, and a stately
old lady entered iu rich black silk,
with rich lace ruffles at tho
throat and falling over tho small,
snowy jeweled hands. Ida flew
to her an cl hugged her roughly,
crying:
“Ohlyon dear old precious grand¬
ma! Papa has been telling mo
what you have been to him.”
Tho Indy dropped her hands on
the black hair of her stalwart son.
“My son, you should have waited
till I was gone ere telling that
story. But,” smilingly, “he was
too modest to toll yon, Ida, that it
was a fine nature all run to weeds,
and had so little root that a touch
drew them up, and in their place
sprang up a rare flower. He gavo
me no trouble. Take any ehil J and
place it among educated, refined, •
bright people, and it will be all the
most fastidious can desire.”
Says Ida presently:
‘Papa I have reconsidered my de-'
vision. I am sorry for Dr. Wylie's •
motherless children,and will try’
atid be as good a -mother to them 1
as grandma was to you.”
And ere he could frame a reply, ■
she sbpped from the room.
The Washington Star (tnd. Rep.)»
concludes nnfoditoria! on - the p 0 .
litical contest in-Georgia with tho ‘
remark that “the wedge that will
split the solid South politically, has
been entered in Georgia, Virginia, -
Tennessee and Arkansas, and -it
wil be driven home in less than a
year.” It remains to be soon
whether the Democracy bf Georgia
will permit the glorious old party
that has given peace, prosperity
and security to the State, to bo riv
on and destroyed simply to gratify
tho aspirations of discontented f iv
office