Newspaper Page Text
Clothes and Furniture
What tilt well dressed man and
a-oman wore and with what fumish-
they did beautify or make their
N.ncs livable during the decade
L,m 1817 to 1827 is int.restingly
. ld in the collection of old Georgia
journals of Milledgeville now in the
library of the Georgia State College
lor Women.
Even so soon after the defeat of
Napoleon in 1815. the Hat and Bon
not Warehouse of Milledgeville was
advertising January 6. 1817, "Ladies
Waterloo Beaver Bonnets—bloc!;,
gold, trimmed, white beavers, light
blue, brown, and drab.
The same store offerd “chips and
straws with trimming, plumes and
leathers for beaver hats; the newest
northern fashion* taken from Eng
lish and French samples, extra super
fine beaver hats, superfine ditto, and
common ditto; rorum. castor, fine,
common, coarse; w. te Russian beav
ers- children’s fancy black, white, red
green, yellow, morocco.
S« much for head pieces.
••Hie New Variety Store" in the
*ame issue of the paper announced
temptingly: “silk shawls, tortoise
shell combs Gentlemen were advised
of superfine black and blue Water-
loos. surtouts, readymade overcoats,
linen and silk vests. Materials for
making things were listed as fol
lows: broadcloths, cassimeres, flan
nels. bombazetts. cambric, figured
muslins, linen and cotton shirtings
and sheetings. Ribbons, gloves, hand
kerchiefs. hosiery, blankets and linen
damask tablecloths were also ad
vertised. This company also .car
ried mahogany secretaries, as well
as ladies’ and gentlemen's portable
A jewelry announcement listed
sold and silver watches, gold chains,
seals and keys, ladies' gold watches
with necklace chnins. indispctisa-
bles. a bag women wore for a pocket
ear drops and brooches set with
pearls, beads, lockets and tortoise
shell combs.
The same dealer had to offer:
elegant silver mounted and plated
gig whips, brackets, cigar and snuf'
boxes, silk and cotton umbrellas.
boots were advertised in ’19 and '20.
Some idea of household goods is
obtained from the sale notices, of
which the following is typical:
"Notice—Will be sold on th« 28th
of December next, at the late resi
dence of William Lord, sen'r. late
of Wilkinson county, dec'd. all the
perishable property of said dec'd.
consisting of horses, hogs, cattle.]
sheep, and crop of com. fodder and j
cotton. 1 still, stands. 8tc. some peach
brandy, i riding carriage, household
and kitchen furniture, and other ar
ticles too tedious to mention.
"Also at the same place will be
sold the negroes belonging .to the
estate, and the land whereon said
dec’d liv»d. with the exception of the
widow's dower. The sale to continue
from day to day until all is sold.
Terms made known on day of sale.
“JOHN LORD.
“WM. LORD.
"STEPHEN LORD,
Adm'rs.
had to hire for one year from the
same estate.
Fleming Grantland had been In
partnership with his brother, Sea
ton, in the publication of the Geor
gia Journal since 1809. His daughter,
Sarah, married Miller Grieve, who
later became a famed editor of the
Southern Recorder, and was the
grandfather of Mrs. David Fergu
son of this city.
Recovering in 1825
A more complete list of household
furniture and other property is given
in a foreclosure zale notice from
“Greenesborough. Greene county”,
in 1B25. as follows:
"8 negroes, 2 horses, 1 small wag
on. 3 beds and furniture, 1 doz. -ush
bottom chairs. 1 doz. Windsor chain,
1 sideboard. 1 set of dining tables,
1 sopha. 1 looking glass. 1 tea table,
3 bedsteads and cords, all the kitchen
furniture, lease of one house in town
of G. now in occupation of Thos.
J. McClesky as a Cabinet Maker’s
Shop, together with all the tools for
carry’ing on the said business—
levied on as property of T. J. Mc-
Cle'-ky to satisfy 3 executions found
ed on mortgages held by Geo. Dil
lard. Nicholas Howard, Sheriff."
Particularization of i.he kitchen
utensils gives interest to this court
house sale notice from Madison
rounty in 1827:
"1 smnning wheel, 1 pine table. 1
hand box. 1 trunk. 1 small chest. 3
feather beds, bedstead and cords. 1
chum, 1 white knotted counterpane.
1 checked do. 1 oven and lid. 1 spider.
. 2 sad irons. 1 pair pot hooks. 1 bread
looking glass, magnifying ditto. i )a ker. 6 framed chairs. 3 sheets. 1
Reflection of the panic of 1819,
caused by the dumping of English
goods on the American market is seen
in the news and advertisements ap
pearing in the Georgia Journals of
that time.
"Darien money taken for a limit
ed time. only", is a phrase occurring
in the advertisements of 1823, as
confidence was reaching out tentati
vely before its complete restoration.
A letter from Thomas Spalding,
president of the bank of Darien, and
builder of the famous Spalding s
sion on Sapelo Island, to Governor
Troup, states that he "expects
to place its bills on equali£v with
any in the state." This bank has
administered largely to the wants
of the community during t^T period
of very- general distress." he reports.
The Darien Bank conducted • branch
in Milledgeville in the building
occupied by the Darien Hotel.
ladies’ and gentlemen’s portable
liquor cases, mahogany secretaries,
hats, knives and forks.
There were, also, in the same ad
vertisement gentlemen’s white top
"Suwarrow and half boots, ladies'
and gentlemen's leather and morocco
For the benefit cC those elegant
ladies n-ho wanted their gowns made
in the latest stvles or richly em
broidered. Mrs. Davidson and daugh
ter bad lately coine from New York
to engige in embroidering and
"nantua making”. Their shojj was
■ the court hou.’<
Musical tendencies, probably most-
martial airs, long before the
te playing of Sidney Lanier, and
vanity of military gentlemen are
caled in the insertion of L. Perk-
. advertising:
Hutes. fifes. flageolettes and
Silver candlesticks, snuffers and
Gold and silver mounted sword
Fine gilt and plated scabbard
Epaulettes, belts, laces, plumes, in
number for companies.
Stars, cockades, cord, plate gilt and
plated eagle and ball buttons.
Umbrellas, pistols, dirks.
Coral oar rings and pins, minia
ture rettingS.
Duelling pistols and brass heeled
club axe. 1 decanter. 2 black bottles,
1 doz. earthen plates. 1 earthen
pitcher. 1 large bowl. 1 pewter bason.
1 pewter dish. 6 sheets. 5 knives and
forks. 1 bay mare—property of Wm.
B. Dudley—levied on by virtue of
’fi.fas—Nathan Bond and Rachel
Richards, admnr’s of Reuben Rich
ards, dec'd vs. Wm. B. Dudley. Wil
liam Bond. Joel Bond."
If these latter furnishings did not
represent the grand manner in which
some of the more wealthy landown
ers lived, they do give a picture of
the daily lives of the great majority
of the population, and of the monied
few cn a somewhat reduced scale.
Property of Joel Crawford, levied
on by Thompson Formsby in Madi
son county, consisted of:
•Set of wagon wheels and irons. 1
cow. 3 beds and 2 steeds. 1 old desk.
1 table. 2 trunks. 6 chairs. 2 pots.
1 pair books. 1 grindstone. 4 screw
augurs. 1 band saw. 2 squares. 3
chisels. 4 plain;*. 2 drawing knives.
1 foot adze. 1 claw hammer. 1 pair
compasses. 1 washtub, 1 clock. 1
1 spinning wheel. 1 water pail. 1
In the county records of Baldw
we find a more accural'* pre : en1
lion of the household effects of the
finer homes, where alioundcd hand
some mahogany furniture, silver,
glassware and art objects of the
prosperous
capital.
residents of Georgia';
Schools of ’l7-’25
That education
exceed
ingly rtern and uncompromising
matter for both teacher and pupil
in Millrdgeville's earliest schools is
evinced in a notice of the Milledge-
v,,i - Academy appearing in the
"Sia Journal of January 5. 1817.
in the library of the Georgia State
Ci liege for Women.
‘ All students are directly and con-
nder the observation of the
principal instructor." it ran. This
' .mures exact discipline and punc-
V"; 1 Performance of duty from every
^dividual” was the corollary.
in the biography of Dr. ttohn P.
F ^ a famous citizen of Milledge-
Vl " e - noted for his eminence in his
P r, 'fcs<ion, his peerless record as an
of'in- (t f Confederate Army, his
Perfection of artesian wells, "horti
cultural exploits ant j i,j s j ove an d
° np ou-i ?f . m ent of bird life, it is re-
1-ated that a student was whipped if
10 n, issed as many as two words in
Tin
urse of study at the old
*n.y included mathematic:., med-
chemistry, electricity, galvan-
Frcnch, drawing, and painting,
"same books os used ih the
celebrated and successful»North-
r eminaries” were studied here,
somewhat milder view of teach
ing *he young idea how to shoot
without mauling it was tal^n b:
"rector” B. B. Hopkins of the Mai*
and Female Academics of Madison
Morgan county, in the followinj
prospectus o»* this school publish
ed Nov. 29. 1825:
“ T n the police of this school, it ha-
been his endeavor, to combine
strictness with paternal mildness, be
lieving that a more salutary
flucnce is excited by securing the at
tachment of the pupils, than by
spiring them with terror."
The educator points out the
perior advantages of the "interroga
tory system” and of inculcating” self
respect as well as a respect
others.”
“The great end of education,
continued in very modem veir
his time, “is to qualify its subjects
for increased enjoyment and useful
ness in those stations in which they
arc destined to act.”
The Eaton ton Academy in 1817
anrounced that it was expecting
r rcm London a “philosophical appa-
ratus" costing 500 pounds. Older
scientists may remember seeing such
marvelous devices for use in
teaching of physics and allied
sciences, which were then called
natural philosophy.
Eliza Grantland’s Sale *18
Bee
ause of the prominence of thr!
1 "iv in the affairs of Milledge-
'1 is interesting to note the
^JvcTtisement of Mrs. Eliza Grant-
an tb just after the death of her hus-
' and - Fleming Grantland, of the
quet given that year for William H.
Crawford, was the LaTayette Hotel,
situated where the Catholic church
stands. It was operated by W.
F. Scott, and managed by Mrs. Allen.
as advertised as being “large
and commodious," and offering ac
comodations for members of the
legislature at Si a day. Elsewhere,
it has been recorded that the build
ing cost $25,000.
The Planter’s Hotel, operated by
Jeannette M. Wallace, guaranteed
"everything calculated to insure
comfort and convenience.” It prom
ised that the “house would be well
supplied and the stables well at
tended." Miss Wallace was assisted
by her brother-in-law, Jacob Bar-
a member of the legislature.
She offered separate rooms to legis
lators for their respective representa
tion.
In the same issue, it was an
nounced that the boarding house
formerly kept by Miss Wallace had
been taken by Mary Robertson.
Hotel keepers advertising in
issue of Oct. 8, 1827, were John
Downer. Samuel Buffington, and
John Williams; and Oct. 22, M.
Brown.
The LaFayette Hotel was maintain
ing its prestige in 1832, for on Dec.
6 it advertised a Jackson Bail.
Many hotels in other cities adver
tised in the Milledgeville papers, in
cluding hustelries in Tallahassee,
Columbia, S. C„ Augusta, Warren-,
ton, Clinton, and the Mansion House
of Macon, “a large commodious
establishment, operated by Bullock
and Wells. Oct. 4, 1825.
Pictures of the groups gathered
in these ancient “houses of enter
tainment" intrigue the Imagination
of many of us modems. Up rumbled
a stagecoach loaded with passeng
ers and luggage, its horn resound
ing. and it* driver and helper hal
looing. Or. in sauntered a handsome
span of bays drawing an elegant
carriage of some "oyster eating."
"bifurcated coat-tailed”, somewhat]
jostled land baron of Glyn or 1
Intosh county. Or perhaps it ’
the lone rider, from the wiregi
or gig or sulky of the "apple bound
and chestnut ribbed", decidedly
jostled law maker from Union. May
be there were travellers from the
far north, or those breathing the
salty air of the sea coast, come with
talcs of a suipwreck of a boat from
Smyrna, loaded with fruit, nuts and
wines. The papers of that day
ried some astounding yams.
Certain it was that some of the
most important discussions and de
cisions on topic* of the day took
plac* within the walls of these Mil
ledgeville hostel ries.
Tariff Convention ]
A great many interesting side
lights on the anti-tariff convention
held in Milledgeville are contained
in the Nov. 15 and 17, 1852 issues
of the Georgia Journal.
It is recorded there that Gilmet
as elected president of the conven
tion, anti Hanfcell, Torrance 1 , and
Mosely. secretaries.
Then came the lengthy and heated
argument about the validity of the
represer" ition by the delegates, ob
jected to by Forsyth, who offered a
resolution that an investigating com
mittee be appointed. Rockwell offer-
substitute. and Berrien bitter
ly opposed Forsyth’s measure hold
ing that it was nothing less -than an
insult to question the representa
tion of any delegate.
After a lengthy debate, Berrien
seems to have won out, as he was
appointed on the committee to frame
the “address by the Anti-Tariff
Convention to the people of Geor
gia.” Other members of the com
mittee were A. L. Clayton. Robert
Aug's Beall. Jr- Wm. H. Torrance,
and Charles Gordon.
Hie address favore da Southern
Convention, whose voice the manu
facturing states would, no doubt, at
tend. and "whilst solemn m appeal
would not be in vain."
Thomaston in 1825
LIntcresting to the bibliophiles of
Upson county is the notice of a sale
ot lots in Thomaston in a Georgia
Journal of Nov. 2. 1825. The men;
advertising this sale, justices of the'
Inferior Court, are: John Turner. ]
Samuel Black, and James Persons. ■
Of the thriving atmosphere of this
garden spot of the “up-country", ■ the
notice says:
"Thomaston is improving fast. It
is situate in a beautiful plain, with
many delightful springs around; the
water equal or superior to any in the
up country: the lands are generally
very good, beautiful farms around;
for health it is believed it will not
meet with a rival in the purchase.
who are desirous to engage in
merchandise or to settle in town and
have a farm in the country will do
well to attend on the day.”
No wonder the ancestors of at
least one Milledgeville citizen fell
for this alluring propaganda.
Theatre ’25-’35
The theater in Milledgeville was
enjoying a heydry as early as 1825.
it appears from the old newspapers.
An astounding performance is de
scribed in the Georgia Journal of
Dec. 6. 1825, after an expression of
thanks for the “liberal encourage
ment” given it in substance, as fol-
"New Experiments in Natural
Philosophy "Expert in gunnery—
Any gentleman may bring his own
pistol, powder and ball, discharge it
at the performer, who will catch
the identical ball on the point of a
dirk", etc.
The doors would open at 7:00 and
the performance begin at 7:30.
By 1832. a dramatic company,
headed by Mr. Sol Smith was furnish
ing a variety of offerings. His an
nouncement. October 11. was direct
ed to "Citizens of Georgia, generally,
who may be drawn to the seat of
government by the racer., lottery,
legislature, or convention" (anti
tariff?).
Editorial opinion, Nov. 8 1832.
averred that "Tnc Theater Ls de-
cidcly popular” in its presentations
of "Orphans of Geneva.” "Rob Roy”
and "The Gamester.”
• William Tali' and a comedy.
•Family Jars", were produced Nov.
12. with Mr. and Mrs. Smith in the
leading parts, and a skilful villian
adding interest After the presenta
tions of "Paul Pry”, “Hunter of
the Alps" and "Iron Chest” with
.he farce. “Snectre Bridegroom".
Shakespeare's "Richard III" was
played. "Lady of the Lake” was an
other classic presented.
The presentation of Scott's “Ladys
of the Lake.” Dec. 17. 1832. came a
little over two weeks after the re
port of his death and funeral in a
paper of Nov. 22. 1832. He was a
very popular writer of the time. To
his novels was attributed the revival
of interest in things mediaeval and
the reappearance of hoop skirts.
The gala performance, judging
from these notices, and a general
'favorite with the public was another
presentation of “Orphans of Geneva.
Dec. 10. 1832. in which Mrs. Smith
reappeared. “No performance ever
gave more satisfaction." the paper
reported, and a “Complete circle of
ladies graced the boxes.”
Hotels 1825-27
'ale of part of her personal property Hotel advertisements cf 1825-1827
n a Georgia Journal of February, reveal the character of the accomo-
1818. It includes “valuable house-1 dations offered Georgia's solons in
hold furniture.” kitchen utensils, that day.
horse, gig. some cattle, hogs and 1 ^ One of the more important, since
other articles." Negroes
Make Our Store Your Store
Which Simply Means That It Is Owned And Operated By
People Who, Like Yourself, Live Here And Have The
Interest And Growth Of This Community At Heart.
EVERY PURCHASE YOU MAKE HERE IS A BOOST
FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Phone 401 Milledgeville, Ga.
Purchase & Sale Company
It’s the
Farmer
We
Serve
It is the Interest of the Man of the Soil
We Seek to Serve
SEED OF ALL KIND
Bought and Sold
FERTILIZERS
For Every Farm and Garden Need
GINNING
Modem Gins to G r ive You Bsst Service—Cleanest Sample and Best Market
Value.
WAREHOUSE
We Have a Modern Warehouse for Cotton Storage
Q. E. Smith Gin & Feed Co.
AT THE GEORGIA DEPOT
Farmers Warehouse
GREEN STREET IN FRONT OF TELEPHONE OFFICE
to be it was the one selected for the ban-