Taliaferro County GaArchives News.....A Visit to Crawfordville May 14 1874 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Margie McDonald mmargie21@hotmail.com January 29, 2005, 11:22 pm The Atlanta Consitution, Historical Newspaper Collection image database - Ancestry.com The Sage of Liberty Hall ------------ His Views on Various Topics and Physical Condition ------------ Courts, Crop News, Etc. ------------ CRAWFORDVILLE, Ga., May 12, 1874 [To] Editors Constitution: For the second time in my life I have had the pleasure of visiting this ancient village to-day. I say "ancient" because it is one of the oldest villages in the State. The Court House, which stands in the centre of town, in a beautiful park of [unreadable] oaks, bears the inscription, "Erected in 1828." That was a long while ago, and many changes have taken place in the "Land we Love" since that time. But the town of Crawfordville is one of the rare places which the great civilizer - the railroad - has not built up and transformed into a city. Still, she is a prosperous village, and her people are as clever and intelligent as can be found anywhere. The Superior Court of Taliaferro County met yesterday at 12 o'clock, Judge Gibson, of Augusta, presiding. At the request of the Grand Jury, however, the Court was adjourned to-day. This morning, in company with a representative of the Chronicle & Sentinel of Augusta, I had the pleasure of calling on Hon. A. H. Stephens at "Liberty Hall," his home in this place. Upon entering his room, we found this wonderful little man sitting in his cushioned chair, reading Senator Norwood's recent speech on the Civil Rights Bill, which he pronounced to be "very interesting reading." In reply to our inquiry after his health, he stated that it was much improved; that he had in a great measure, gotten over the fatigues of his trip from Washington to his home; and he thought with the coming warm days of spring he would be restored to his usual health. We found him suffering from a somewhat distressing cough, which gives him considerable annoyance. While his afflictions are somewhat complicated, he thinks an affection of the kidneys the cause of his present illness. He is much more emaciated and wasted in flesh than he has ever been before, and we learned that his weight was only seventy-two and three-fourth pounds when he returned home. In answer to our inquiry if his arduous labors in Congress had not broken him down, and brought on his present sufferings, he laughed quite heartily and said, "No, that his health had improved while in Washington, and that he never felt better in his life than he did the day before he was stricken down." We could not but feel impressed with the wonderful acuteness of his undimmed and unequalled mind as we sat and gazed in astonishment at the contrast of his wasted and emaciated form, reposing in an easy chair, totally unable to move without assistance. We were also impressed by his remarkable cheerfulness for one so sadly afflicted. His talk on commonplace affairs is full of liveliness and anecdote. When the conversation turns upon national affairs his eagle eye flashes and his whole frame seems animated with new life. In reply to our inquiry, if the Civil Rights Bill, now pending in Congress, would not pass? he said he did not think it would. If passed at all, it would probably be in a very modified form. While he thought Mr. Norwood's speech upon that question a very able one, yet he feared it would irritate the Northern members, when "conciliation" ought to have been his aim. Fearing to tax his strength further, and after wishing he might soon be restored to health, we took our leave of him and retired. Considerable damage has been done by the late rains in this county. Much of the cotton planted before the wet weather ceased is being plowed up and replanted, and the farmers are very much behind with their work. More corn will be planted than usual, while the oat crop is larger, in acreage, than any since the war. Should the seasons be suitable the grain crop the present year will be a large one. Your many readers in this section congratulate you upon the marked improvement you have made in THE CONSTITUTION during the past few weeks. But you must hurry up that new type. Hastily yours, [unreadable] TRAVELER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taliaferro/newspapers/gnw534avisitto.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb