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VOLUME XXXIX
Atlanta., Ga., Week Ending January 25, 1902
NUMBER 49
Miss Martha's Will
By VALUE GRESHAM
u
j .
“Bill Evans and Si Coggins %ere having
Written for J5Z>e Sunny South
(An Honorable Mention Story in the Prize
Series, with Plenty of Character and
Local Color.)
HE usual crowd of loungers
had collected around the
only store in the little vil
lage of Kawson. Pill Evans
and Si Coggins were having
their nightly game of
checkers by the light of the
smoky store lamp, while
the rest of the crowd
watched the game, smoked
their pipes amul discussed
“craps,” politics, religion,
the weather and local news.
“Have any of you all seen
the city visitors?” asked Squire Boswell,
after a pause in the conversation.
“Why, no, Squire, who are they?” asked
several.
“Well, I ain't seen ’em neither.” re
plied the Squire, “but T heard that Dr.
Edward T.ynton's wife and chillun was
stoppin’ at ole Judge Dynton’s and will be
there all summer."
“Ts that so?” drawled John Thomas.
“Well, Rav.-son is got some distinguish
ed vistors. then.”
“Well, T don’t know about that," said
the Squire; “them I.yntons ain’t what they
used to be. Tha f old rotten down house
and land, too, is done et tip by mortgage
and the two old people Is almost poverty
stricken *n their old age. More'n that,
young Lynton, In spite of his high no
tions and fine education, died without a
penny and left the poor young widow with
two babies to raise.” - ?
“Edward Lynton, let me see,” said old
Deacon Jones, reflectively. “Why I re
member the boy well and a handsome lad
he was. and proud, too."
“Tell us about him. deacon,” spoke up
several of the younger members of the
■ crowd. Most bf the people of Rawson
knew the Lvntons by reputation only.
their nightly game of checkers by the light of
cro'had watched the game.”
They were northerners who had come to
the little southern village when Deacon
Jones was a voung man, which was more
than forty years ago.
“Well I will,” said the old man with an
air of importance as well as condescension.
He was proud of the many winters that
had whitened his venerable locks and
proud of the experience and knowledge
they had brought him. He knew the his
tory, the pedigree, the skeleton in the
closet, of all families in the county, and
when he chose to, could make an interest
ing story from almost any one.
He laid down his pipe, blew bis nose,
cleared his throat and began.
“Utile Edward was about 6 years old
when they came here, and I never saw
a boy so much like a girl in all my born
days. He was pretty as a picture and I
used to sty to mvsalf that he would break
some girl's heart some day, but 1 don’t
reckon be cid, after all. Anyhow, be
never give our Rawson girls a chance
to look at him. if I remember right. His
mothtr and father, strange people that
they are, seemed to think he made the
moon. Couhln't watch him enough. I
don't suppose he ever played a game
of hall, marbles or leap-frog in all his
life. He went to the' village school for
about two terms when I was teaching
there, but he never mixed with the other
youngsters like any ordinary hoy would
have cone. He used to come and go with
Marthy Brown, but that was only be
cause they lived on the same road. The
Brovins were just as peculiar as the
Lyntons and didn't seem to want to
neighbor with one another, although they
lived almost opposite. His mother was a
helpless invalid then, just like she is now,
and his father has always been distant
and indifferent in his way, just like he
is now. They spent a sight of money on
young Edward, sent him through two col
leges, and when he finished and was a
Wide-Reaching Results of a. Sunny South “Ad” Re
counted b» Henderson, the Southern Cartoonist
4 4 I have advertised my book, 4 The <Art of Newspaper Illustrating, *
in papers with large guaranteed circulations, north, south, east
and west. I hdbe disposed of almost the entire first edition, and
nine-tenths of my orders came from two smalt one inch 44 ads 44
in The Sunny South. I consider that the paper reaches the most
intelligent class of people in the country—a coribiction to which I
have been led by the tone of the many answers received from my
advertising. W. T". Henderson, ,r
the smoky store lamp, while the rest of the
fire doctor tbey couldn’t keep him in this
dill! little place. He went away at the
end of one summer to some big city. I
don't know just where, and never came
back. I reckon he write to his parents
and sent them money every now and then,
but the poor old people never saw him
from that day to this. He married about
six years ago. Married a slip of a gfc-I
abcut 20. and he must have been 40. And
you all remember when he died last win
ter during that heavy snow and left his
wife penniless, if rumor is correct, with
two babies on her hands. Poor fatherless
little ones." The old man ended with a
sigh and settled into meditation.
The men st'emed unusually affected by
the story of one they had never know#
and rarely seen. Nobody spoke for a
mi- ute and then John Thomas drawled
out.
“Yonder comes Dr. Harris. Wonder
where lie is been.”
“Where you oeen. Die, and what
is the news with you?” asked several, as
the rider dismounted and joined the
group.
"I’ve been to see old Miss Marthy and
she is mighty sick, boys,” replied the doc
tor, "I'm afraid she won't pull through
tliis summer.”
"Mighty sorry to hear it. It is too bad,
too bad,” were the expressions of sympa
thy from all sides.
"But what will be some of her property
and money!” asked 'Squire Boswell. "She
ain't got a kith nor a kin in the world.”
“She has made her- will long ago,” said
<t'he doctor in such a knowing tone that
none could doubt it.
-Made her will/’ exclaimed every man
at once.
The game of checkers stopped, the pipes
went out and all waited eagerly for par
ticulars.
“Yes. sirs, made her will long ago,
repeated the doctor emphatically. “Made
It during that heavy snow last winter,
and on -that day Rube Hinnlon's fin* jer
sey cow died. Sent over to H and got
two city lawyers to come out lfere during
that bitter weather. Made her will, and
rrom that day to this, it can't be got out
of her or them lawyers either, as to
what’s in it.
Having delivered this important news
the doctor settled back in his chair to en
joy their surprise and a gdOd smoke.
•T have an idea in my head,” spoke up
- the deacon again, “ that our good sister
wil leave her worldly possessions to tne
Lord, and may be suggest that w<T build
a new church, buy an organ and some
new hymn books.”
“Yes, sue might,” assented several.
“But maybe she will leave it to fit
up a new school house and got a good
teacher,” suggested the Squire, who had a
whole house full of tow-headed, weak-
eyed children to be educated.
“Well, I should say.” put in the all
wise Dr. Harris, "that she had enough
for a school house and a church, too, anil
thin have enough left over to build an
orphans’ home or an insane asylum or
something of that sort.”
yes, and the Rawson folks what is
tendin’ and waitin' on her while she is
sick wouldn't mind bein' remembered for
their trouble,” said Bill Evans, who had
lost all interest in checkers and listened
with awe to the discussion of a fortune,
the fate'of which was so uncertain.
The men finally decided among them
selves that Miss Martha must be worth
about ten or twelve thousand dollars, be
sides the property, but each man had his
own private thoughts as to how she would
dispose of it, and each decided that it
would be kind and Christian-like to pay-
some attention to the lonely old maid,
who had passed her life among them in
seclusion and solitude.
And now let us leave the little village
store and walk down the winding country'
road about a mile. On the western side
looms up the great weather-beaten, tum
ble-down mansion known as the Lynton
nomestead. A ghost of its former self,
it stands like a silent sentinel, solemnly
watching over the dead glories of its
past.
For has a century this was the sum
mer home of this northern family. Dur
ing the fifty years of its prosperity it was
a place of beauty' and enchantment. Its
numerous rooms and spacious halls were
richly and sumptuously furnished, but the
chief charm lay in the grounds.
The clear brooks laughed and babbled
like happy- childfen, the tall pines moaned
like old women, the graceful willows
w l ept like broken-hearted mothers, the
wind sighed and whispered like dreamy
lovers.
The sweet fragrance of the creamy
magnolias, the soft splash of the mur
muring fountains, which sparkled like
diamonds in the golden sunlight, and
shimmered like pearls in the silver moon
light, all this and ten thousand other
beauties made the place a veritable par
adise.
During the summer season large house
parties were entertained and the grand
old place seemed to throb with life. Hap
py children played and frolicked about the
grounds, dreamy lovers dreamed their
dreams of love among the roses and
honeysuckle, while peaceful old age
smiled and only- wished to spend their re
maining years beneath the sunny south
ern skies.
And when its hundred windows were
ablaze with a thousand lights, and music
and laughter floaited upon the midnight
air, the Kawson villagers could only stare
and wonder if this were fairy land. But
during the long winter months that fol
lowed it was closed and as desolate anil
deserted as a mighty- sepulcher.
More than forty years ago the present
master, forced by necessity, made it his
home.
His onlv child, little Edward, was then
about six years old. '
One afternoon, soon after they had set
tled in the old home, Colonel Lynton,
seated on the broad verifida, was enjoy
ing a good cigar and the long summer
twilight, when he was surprised by sw
ing little Edward come lip the walk lead
ing a little grl by the hand. The pair
came straight up to him and Edward
said: “Dada, this is little Martha, and
we're going to lie playmates.”
"Martha who, little girl?” without look
ing at her.
"Dess little Marpher,” came the baby
lisp, as she looked at him with wide-open
wonderful eyes.
The big man smiled and asked again:
“And where do you live, Martha?”
“On Sunset Hill, sir, in the little Sun
set cottage,” and the baby finger pci me i
to a. hill just a little further up the road.
“And who lives with you there, papa
anil mamma?”
“No. sir, dess Zannip,” wonderingly-.
“And haven't you a mamma or a
Continued, on last page
Stirring' Memories and Details of the
Yazoo Fraud
By Calvin M Hitch
MONG all the old records
stored away in the archives
of the Georgia capitol. some
of them dating far hack into
1700, none are more interest
ing than those relating to
the. famous Yazoo fraud.
These old records are not
only interesting from a his
torical standpoint, but they-
portray to a remarkable de
gree the sturdy character
and peculiarities of the
men of those times. In 17S9
snick companies were formed, known
as the Georgia Company, the Georgia-Mis-
sissippi Company, the Tennessee .Company
and the Upper Mississippi Company, for
the purpose of purchasing from the state
<if Georgia a large portion of its west
ern territory-. At that time the state of
Georgia extended westward to the Mis
sissippi river and embraced nearly all
of the present states of Alabama and
Mississippi. These stock companies were
called Yazoo companies from the Yazoo
river that flows through a portion of the
state of Mississippi and empties into the
Mississippi river just above Vicksburg.
The Yazoo act, passed by the legislature
of Georgia in 1705. authorized the sale of
35,000,000 acres of land west of the Chat
tahoochee river for $500,000, which was
about IK. cents per .acre.
The first act, which was passed by the
legislature in December, 1794, was vetoed
by- Governor George Mathews. His mes
sage to the legislature vetoing this act
bears date of Sunday, December 28, 1794,
and is addressed “To the Honorable, the
Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of
Representatives," and recites that "I
■have received a bill which originated in
your house, entitled an act, declaring the
right of the state to the unappropriated
territory- thereof, for appropriating a part
of the same for., raising a fund for the
extinguishment of Indians claims; for the
protection and support of tlie frontiers of
this state, and for other purposes, which
I feel myself constrained to dissent to,”
etc.
I was impressed with the fact that this
message was dated on Sunday and during
the Christmas holidays. Judging from the
records that Sunday- was a very- busy-
day with his excellency, Governor
Mathews, for he approved and vetoed
many hills and issued several executive
.orders. Tt .must not he supposed for a
moment that the legislature was idle on
that Sunday, or that the members had
gone home for Christmas or were attend
ing divine services, but they- were in ses
sion, passing hills and hearing argu
ments just as though it was Monday-.
At first Governor Mathews seems to
have been very much opposed to the sale
of these lands, hut a committee of un
scrupulous agents repre-
Governor senting these companies,
Mathews prevailed upon him to ap-
Prey of prove the sale, provided
Designing they would make; certain
Agents changes in the bill. Ac
cordingly in January,
1795, a new hill, with certain unimportant
changes, was introduced and passed,
which was approved by Governor
Mathews. Governor Mathews' secretary
was violently opposed to the governor
approving the act and dipped all the pens
in oil,- so that when the governor went
to sign the bill the pens would not write.
However, it was only the work of a few
moments to get another quill and new
pens were soon made for that purpose.
As soon as it became known that the
hill had been passed by tTie legislature
and approved by the governor a veritable
whirlwind of excitement and indignation
swept over the state. It was openly-
charged that the governor and the legis
lature had been bribed and its repeal
was demanded by- the people.
When the young and gallant James
Jackson, who was at that time a mem
ber of the United States senate from
Georgia, heard of the passage and ap
proval of t'his act he immediately- resigned
his seat in the senate and returned to
Georgia to defeat what he characterized
“a conspiracy of the darkest character
and of deliberate villainy-.” The Yazoo
companies knowing the power and popu
larity of Jackson with the people used
every means in their power to get him on
their side. They even tried to bribe him,
and he was told that “he might have any
number of acres lie pleased, to half a mil
lion, without paying a cent, provided he
would put his name to the application.”
This he indignantly refused and told
them that “he, not they, had fought for
Georgia and the right to that territory:
that he fought for the people, and it was
their right, and the right of future gen
erations, and if they did succeed lie shoiil 1
hold the sale void and would resign his
seat in t'he senate, come home and head
his fellow citizens, and either lose his
life or have the act annulled."
Jackson was elected to the legislature
in 179<> anil introduced a bill known
the “rescinding act.” which was pass .1
by the legislature and approved by Gov
ernor Jared Irwin, who had been elected
Burning the Yazoo <Act, (Bv couriats Evans' History of Georgia.')
(By courtesy Evans’ History of Ga.)
Governor fared It win, Jvho approved {he
“ Rescinding cAct"
to succeed Governor Mathews. So deter-
- mined was this legislature to rid the state
of this ‘‘infamous” law. they not only re
pealed it. but “enacted that within three
days from the passage of this act. the dif
ferent branches of the legislature shall
assemble together, at which meeting the
officers shall attend with the several rec
ords, documents and deeds in the secre
tary's, surveyor general's and other pub
lic offices, and which records and docu
ments shall then and there be expunged
from the face and indexes of the books of
record of the state, and the enrolled law
or usurped act shall then be publicly
“burnt” in order that no trace of so un
constitutional. idle and fraudulent a trans-
a'cTion, other than the infamy- attached io
it by this law, shall remain in the public
offices thereof."
It is then declared the duty of all clerks
of the courts in the state, where any deeds
or papers pertaining to the sale were re
corded. at the next term of the court, in
the presence of the judge, to cut them out
of the records, and in default that they
be fined $1,000 and forever disqualified to
hold office. In this act the legislature
declares that it “is opposed to all pro
prietary- grants or monopolies in favor of
a few, which tend to build up that de
structive aristocracy in the new which
is tumbling in the old world.”
It further recites that “from the self-
evident proof arising from the rejection
of $SCO,000 and the acceptance of $500,000
as the consideration mon-
Corruption ey for which the said ter-
Openly ritory was sold. that
Charged to frauds and corruption
Legislature were practiced to obtain
the said acts and grants,
nnd that a majority of
those members of the legislature who
voted in favor of the aforesaid act were
engaged in the purchase, and a majority
of one vote only appeared in favor of the .
said usurped act in the senate, and on
which majority- in that branch the same
was passed, and corruption appears
against more than one member of tha#
body, which exclusive of the many decep
tions used would be sufficient in equity,
reason and law to invalidate the con-
Contlnued on iast pag e
Vi '