Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

The flowers collection “THE YOKE,” AN ABSORBING SERIAL, STARTS NEXT WEEK—SEE EDITORIAL VOLUME XLII— NUMBER rORTY. . • • ••• • '•* • ••• • ••• \ m i 8 Atlanta, Ga., Week Ending December 3, 1904. ••••• 50c PER YEAR—SINGLE COPY 5c. * • • ••§■••# •#' • *•* • *•* • • •! Tallahassee ®, ‘"Tallahassee Country, Noted . j& JZ? f • •••*• ••• By PAUL LINCOLN. TVr-far for Zo*>c ,?unny Sou i ,-v HE staid old capital whi h. in anti? Ibellurn days. was the seat of such renowned wealth and culture. «n«J which. iJesrpite the chaages going on In every direction around it, bat? never lost Its original character, threatents .it lost to suc cumb to the spirit of prog ress which has the whole state in its grasp and sub mit to the invasion which is only another name for it.novation and the demolition of the old regime that ha's so long held sway. New people from 1 he west and north have brought new methods and ideas into tii - Tallahassee country, and their capi tal. which is hull ling up the old planta tions, Is changing the aspect of the sub urbs where modern homes are going up. and even within the city Itself the recent ly erected buildingis have a. modern loot: strangely at variance with the old-time architecture aid generally “before tiie war’’ appearance. In tie old days Tailaha-ssee -was pos sessed of an all pervading comprehen siveness that 'Was as delightful as it 'was ■fital to any central growth. The people who made mi its society were scattered throughout Leon county a red even into .Ioffe; son and Gadsden. Around the bor ne:.-. of hikes. Jiio.ostrkee, Jnekuon, Hall, i. mo h , Bradford and Lafayette were |o. a ted the large plantations, privates es~ t ;ies and hunti’.'.g preserves of tin- old - Tin- lane-. Lake La Li yet t e. wax on the grant of 10.000 acres malic by the government io named for him. unty Centers of Ante-Bellum Hospitality. Succumb to Modern Progress Ft the o their General La fay e 11 o, and Some of the best names vere of members of the -turn 'y .-hi h ettled here. still living in do-cendanli; bout. Tallahassee. HER LORDLY HOSPITALITY. - In view of the final revolution Whie! » li.- o i ity’s inevitable fate, a loo _ J& J& ■ m 0-*- 9—9-*-9—m-~9—9-—9--9-»-9—•.••«... .......... • ..#•••#• back at her social life; is most interest ing. tin? more that she has never, even up to the present time, permitted her character of dignified culture and lordly hospitality to be touched materially by the rush anG sortl lid ness of the time?. What Tallahassee was when she enjoyed t ue height of her glory and reputation she lias ever remained. In all the south ern country there was perlwtr * not ;ln ~ other community more thoroughly repre «.■’ntative of the south’s 'best realization in xi.cial life and the boundless gener osity which ied lie. to keep open house the year round, berseL a most gracious arid seif-forgetting hostess. That broad way in which they speak of the “Talahassee country” is itself sug gestive of the scope of lfijr far reaching society, and the generous conditions which prevailed throughout the. section made up of tlio hest blood of A irginia and the Carolinas, and of sturdy Scotch settlers, who brought all the best of the excellent qualities of l he race. Society in fhe thirties and thereabouts was made up of such people as the families of General R. K. Call, Judge Thomas Randall. Governor W. P. Duval, the ceie- b rated William Wirt, Colonel Bird Lewis, Prince Archille Xlurat and others, some making their residence in the town and others on their large planta tions. The Prince and Princess Murat (Murat was a nephew of Napoleon Bona - partem, divided their time between their two plan tations. one in Leon and the other in Jefferson, and at either place entertained lavishly, being very popular throughout the three counties. Tallahassee Signified in the Indian tongue “Beautifu! Land,” and it might lie supposed this ideally beautiful spot had received its name from the very auggestiveness, yet not so, but in honor of a noble young Seminole chief whom tin? first white settlers found living there. When ill 1821 iedoral commissioners were sent to survey the newly acquired territory of Florida and select a location for a seat of government, many natural advantages led them to settle on this sin’, in tills hill country with its superb Court House, Tallahassee Postoffice at Tallahassee. forests, fertile, loamy soil, and sparkling waters, with its game, fruits and food stuffs; and most of all, its pure, exhilrat- ting air, choice fell all naturally enough near the wooded shores of one of the numerous little lakes, two miles to the eastward of where Talahassee now stands, and occupied at that time by bands of Seminole Indians. DEALING WITH THE INDIANS. A recent eloquent historian gives the following account of what threatened to he a puzzling situation confronting the commissioners: “Suki, Xehamathia. Tiger -Tail, .lumper and Talahassee were conspicuous among chiefs whose villages and people were scattered through the woods of the immediate region. "The federal commissioners, recogniz ing the im nmpai ible presence of these hunter bands with contemplated settle ment thereabouts of incoming whites, negotiated and concluded a treaty with the chiefs. l>r which the latter and their followers agreeq j 0 vacate the precincts of north Florida and repair to a reserva tion to be made for them to the south ward, beyond Tampa Bay. The govern ment agents contracting that by a day then made certain and within a year, a nothin of eight draught vessels should assemble in the harbor of St, .Marks bard by, to transport the natives’ be longings down the coast, and the In dians, on their part, stipulating that no clearing of the forest should com mence until after their departure. "Time approaching for the assembling of territorial delegates ;to organise a government, with the following spring came a corps of contractors among these -southern hills to construed a council house for purposes of proposed conven tion. “Somewhat to their surprise and dis way, they found the Indians contented- fy .loitering among tlieir accustomed haunts. Upon inquiry as to why they had not gone .as agreed upon, these worthies somewhat indifferently pleaded the non-arrival of the promised flotilla, but emphatically insisted upon a strict observance of the treaty stipulation re garding the clearing of lands, etc., until after their departure. Here was an awkward dilemma. “Communication with Washington City in those days Involved the coming and going of many moons, and in the mean time the appointed date of the conven tion was drawing rapidly on. The vii- •ciges of Nehanucthla and Tiger Tail were in immediate vicinity of the site chosen during the year before by the commissioners for the location of the new capital, while ttieir somewhat chill ing reception of these intruding chop pers and builders made the situation pe culiarly .forlorn The embarrass mfcnt was finally relieved by a ; MT’*o-T.'tIiahas.see. whose town, or set tlement, was situate across a valley two miles to the westward. “ 'Come there.’ said this young diplo mat. ‘you will find a great spring and cascade of swi-e-t waters, and alongside lx a clearing ready made by a people before us here. Set up yoni wigwam— there in the open—and avoid violation of your agreement not to clear.’ ‘This solution of the difficulty was eagerly accepted by the puzzled build ers. and so it came, about that the first council house was erected on the west ern side of a. little stream having a head a, little way up the valley, and in com pliment to the amiable brave dominat ing the locality, the place was named Tallahassee.” About this time the large numbers of slaves held by slave owners threatening to exceed available areas for their profit able employment, the acquisition by the government of fertile agricultural lands opened up to the large planters of Vir ginia, Maryland and the Carolinas new and inviting fields, and straightway num bers of them moved down and proceed- vigorously to lay hold on the wide ter ritorial opportunity thus offered. They iirouglit with them not only their slave- and bountiful habits of living, but the culture which they saw no reason to forego the pursuit of simply because in a frontier country. The elegance and refinement which had characterized the homes they had left were the very foun dation of the ones they now built; and from that time until the ruin following Ihe civil war— though Tallahassee was the only southern capital never captured —there was no finer society anywhere to be found. LEATHER-SWING COACHES. The people being mostly planters, the .nrtfi customs of ‘southern plantation life, au abundance /o4 leisuv entailed » boundless hospitality and round of visit ing and entertainment which was prac tically endless, find this among an edu cated and icultureid people tended to the propagation of a high social status. >•••«.#■••••*•• • • The ,-ainc writer (from whom we have quoted rays, in speaking of the social life of the Tallahassee country: “Leather swung stage coaches bumped arid rocked their weary way along, up through the lowland pine Delt. over the Appalachian hills, a. ross the Potomac to Washington tiri.i beyond or staunch sailing packets piled biiioiwy depths from at. Marks to Sandy Hook, and yet our grand dames and their travail eri'sii men managed it all seemingly as well as now. Great, hampers of personal harness, gear • and lingerie went with them to Berkley, White Sulphur, Old Sweet anti Saratoga further away.” And there amid the ga-ltii.s of the rich and leisurely they h'..i ; .-e'd the summers away. Not far away, near the largest of the lakes, ar e seen Immense mounds where Genera] Jackson fought his last battle with the Indians. In the live oak groves here are trees with trunks measuring 7 feet iii diameter and magnolias shedding their blooms 40 feet in midair. in the city library, among old relies and curios, is a piece of Spanish armor, - n id to have been found near St. Marks. It Ls a solid iron helmet of the rudest make, w&lgldng many pound's, so heavy it i s inconceivable how a man could have supported it. The railway to St. Marks, 2! miles dis tant. on the. gulf, was one of the first to be built, in the United States. It con veyed to this port quantities of cotton, lumber, grains, sugar and tobacco. Be fore the civil war tobacco was a staple nop. In i32S Governor Duval started the planting of a certain small leafed variety of Cuban tobacco which came to be known a* the Little Duval,” and in I860 the county of Gadsden, adjoining Leon, Is said to have raised 12.000 pounds. Since the Cuban w. creased tariff duties there b return, to the production of tobacco, a number ■■>-’ plantation- r tv -an ed and a“e successful.y cultivated, large cigar factories at Ybor City a gpet-h deal of the Florida grown CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE and in- been a i be to- Florida’s State Capitoi. Uhe Ubiquitous Mollie ^ By Alary M Alears Sunny South’s Series of Short Stories by Prominent Authors T was a little after i o'clock arid the barn and the house cast short, black triangles ol - shadow. Norman Ei- wood'e handsome, Hushed face wore a look of utter bewilderment as he slowly let his eyes travel from the ancient tnare, with down-stretched neck, nib bling at a bed of nastur tiums. to the equally an tique vehicle to which she was harnessed. To.; don’t propose to go In this rig?” lie gasped. Wlnnefrod Penn nodded, though she flushed pink as one of the hollyhocks glowing against her grandmother's barn. Indeed, in her green muslin dress, she had the look of one of those flowers, plucked stalk and all. "And drive her?” and lie made a ges ture toward the horse, who was foun dered and had not been harnessed for years. Her foretop. mane aqd t«il were white with agf* Now, with a nasturtium trailing from her mouth, she looked around, reproachfully, at her mistress. VVinneTred avoided that milu, old eye. T thought, of course, we'd row down.” he continued, "otherwise I’d have ^brought my horse. I’ll get him now.” For answer she gathered up the reins. "But why won’t you l«t me get him?” he exploded. Sit* turned full upon him. it was as If rhe petals of the hollyhock fell wider • « •* ••• « • .»-e • ••• 9 • •« apart. "Because 1 want K> drive Mo.ilie —that’s why!” ”G«'t up. Mollie.” chirruped Winnefred. stealing a glance at the house, blit she was obliged to reach for the whip be fore she was heeded. Then, wltf. a strange preliminary movement, in wli.-ca every leg shot out at a different angle, the mare gathered herself tojreiner. El wood reached for the reins, but he was too late. They went curveting into the main street. Unmindful of the jeers that followed them, on went Mollie. The stiff side curtains of the buggy stood out in the wind like ears. It swayed from side to side like a drunken thing, it dogged her closely, and WTnnefrcd's laughter but tended to increase her ex citement. But as they neared the out skirts of the village, the conviction grew upon Mollie that she could not get away from her pursuer. She gradually came to a standstill, trembling in every limb. Winnefred covered her face. “And yon thought she couldn't go.” Her companion stared straight ahead. She leaned toward him. It was as if a 0 very wind of penitence swayed her. "Please forgive me,” she whispered. ”1 never dreamed of her attracting so lnuoli attention. But if we’d gone the other way, grandma would have seen us from her window. You see. she's threatened to have Mollie shot, and 1 couldn’t leave her home.” "She ought to be shot." It was as if a counter-current swept the girl in the opposite direction. "Oh!” she cried, “you’re barbarous. You should • ••••*»••’+*# *•* 9 ••• • 9 *•* # ••• • ••• • • ••• • • ••• • ••• • • ••• • ••• •••*••« • • • ••• •-•••••■• 9 *•• • ••• • ••• • have heard .Mr. Wharton’s last sermon.” Harry Wharton was a young theolog ical student who carried himself in in nocent imitation of a Catholic priest During the summer lie had been reading tiie service in the Episcopal church and introducing the full ritual. He was pop ular among the girls of the village, but Norman El wood disliked him fiercely on account of his attentions to Winne fred. Now her sh.»t told. \t*‘] 1. when 1 go and listen to thai idiot you’ll know it.” “Oh. you can t go now. Didn’t yon know that he was sick?” Tiie note of anxiety, reai or. assumed, was By no means lost upon Elwood. He relapsed into an angry silence. An hour’s laborious plodding brought them in sight of the slirlne. which was on the sum mit ota hill. In Uye immediate vicinity of the shrine was a spring which was said to have been blessed by Father Marquette, and at the conclusion of the service the peo- plo moved off in groups toward it. "They’ge going to got bottles of the holy’ watery” she explained. Alike had to he back in time for the milking, and she waited only for him to be gone. Then: “I’m going down there.” she announced. ”1 want to see If any crutches and cones are thrown away.” THe young man watched her scornfully. Presently he saw. her returning and a jealous suspicion flashed across his brain. Ke put off down hill. Norman helpetl Winnefred into the buggy and then stood back. “Oh. I understand.” cried the girl; “you prefer to walk.” Elwood flushed. “Yes. I do prefer to walk.” !P» returned, “and when you want to get any more holy water for your sick CatHollc priest, you can get some one else to go with you. 1 won’t. You did get a bottle of the stuff, didn’t you?” he iinlsheff, quickly. But he got no answer. Driving off she invested the old buggy with as much state as a Roman chariot. Hers was a sweet nature, which here tofore had accommodated itself readily to her lover’s stronger, more dictatorial’ one. She had' never quarreled with him before. She wept most of the night and Mollie’s danger was forgotten. The next day. however, the sight of a boy with a rifle, speeding down the lane which led to the pasture, caused her to rush to the door. Her rheumatic old grand mother was asleep in the next room. I nit she never lowered her voice. "Stop. Tommy "Watkins!” she called loudly. "Stop. I say.” The boy wheeled about and Winnefred wenT panting up to him. "Where are you going with the gun?” she demanded. He stole a keen glance at Tier. "Oh. 1 ain’t goin' far.” She caught hold of his sleeve. “Did Mike send you for the gun?” she asked. “Has he got Molly down there?” “No. Mike didn’t send me for the gun." “Who did, then?” “Mr. Elwood. He said Mike’s old flint lock wa’n’t no good; that I was to run up to the hotel and get his, I must go long now," and he twisted away from her. “Give it to me,” she commanded, but he shook his head. “I wouldn't come. Miss Penn, if I was you." he panted. “You can’t do nothin'.” But Winnefred, with a strange look on her face, was close at his side. They sped down the lane together. In the pasture, three boys stood near Mike O'Neil and the old horse. Alike had broken AT..L1 e as a colt. The pasture ran through to a back street, and Nor man Elwood leaned against the fence. He gave a great start and a flush when he turned and saw Winnefred. She walked straight up to the mare, and her flashing eyes swept the group “Come on. Alollie.” she said, in a loud, clear voice. She caught hold of tiie dangling halter. Mik.- had been in Mrs. Allen’s service forty years, and it had never occurred to him to disobey an order. He turned and looked at Norman appealingly. The young man strode forward. The mingled fury and misery in the girl's face touched him. He completely forgot Ids anger toward her. "Look here, Winnefred.” he said gently. T wouldn't interfere if I were you. It’s bv far tiie most humane Ray when a horse is in the condition she Is. But it’s no place for you. dear. “And is it your place?" she interrupted. “Since when has the killing of old horses been your business. Norman Elwood?" He reddened “You’re right. It isn’t my affair. But I was passing and I hap pened to notice Alike’s gun. It’s an old flintlock; it might explode, it, Winnefred, I knew how eared for tiie horse, and so thy rifle and was going to how to put tiie poor beast misery in an instant. Hi And. hang much you 1 sent for show him out of her avens!” he finished, “I hope you don’t think I’d mix ut> in an affair of this kind from choice.” “Take your rifle with you,” she called, but he swung on unheeding and vaulted the fence. “Take it to him. Tommy.” she ordered, and the boy started to obev. But at the fence he faced around o“ Alike. “Ain’t you goin’ to want it?” he asked in a protesting vole.e. The old man stared from one to the other, helplessly. Tommy flung himself over the fence and the two other boys followed, but once on the other side their disdain found expression. "Fore I’d be such a ninnyhead as to be seart out by a woman;” they yelled. But Mike feared a sterner disapproval tiutn theirs. “What’ll I be after sayin’ to Airs. Allen?” he quavered. “Jest lell me that.” AA’innefred looked at him in a strained way as if she did not fairly see him. "Don’t say anything.” she said dully. “I’m the one to blame. Don’t say any thing.’ Then suddenly she dropped her head against the mare’s neck. She was unconscious of the sympathy in a pair of boyish eyes peering at her over the fence, and not until Tommy Watkins touched her arm waa she aware that he had returned. CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE.