USA > Alabama > Butler County > The history of Butler County, Alabama, from 1815 to 1885 > Part 11
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CHAPTER XXXIX.
Sardis, Box 2, Beat No. 4.
THIS post-office is on the Andalusia Road from Greenville, and is about ten miles from the court- house. The land here is not entirely a pine land. Some of the wells and springs afford freestone water and some lime-water. There is not much wealth in this section, yet everybody makes a good living. The schools here are, as they are nearly all over the county, of a low order of excellence. The people are generally pious. The Baptist de- nomination is very strong.
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There are three stores on the road from Sardis Church to Oaky Streak; R. D. Shell, R. C. Shell and A. C. Van Pelt are the owners.
Van Pelt keeps the poisonous liquid as well as general merchandise. The others sell goods or- dinarily kept in common country stores. R. D. Shell is the postmaster ; the post-office here being called Pigeon Creek.
The health of this place is very good. Young Dr. McCane does the practice when there is any to do.
Nothing is known of the early settlement of this place. It seems that those who settled it, have either moved away or died, never relating the growths of the village or the difficulties of the pioneers. The land here is worth from $3.00 to $5.00 per acre, and is not as good as it is at Oaky Streak. Most of the people here live in small houses built of logs, there being but few frame houses in the whole neighborhood. It is a sad fact that the citizens are not as hospitable as they might be, a stranger having often to ride in to an- other neighborhood before he can get a meal or a night's lodging. This fact will give the general reader a very good idea of the general tone of so- ciety at this place.
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CHAPTER XL.
Toluka, Box 1, Beat No. 4.
TOLUKA is in the open piney woods near the Crenshaw line. There is no store here at present, business having been suspended some time since.
Jackson Thornton and John Thomas settled in this neighborhood about 1830. The other citizens moved in slowly, but it is not now known in what order. They erected a church near Pigeon Creek, about 1840, naming it the Damascus Baptist Church. The church has since been torn down, and rebuilt on the same spot. It is now a very spacious house of worship, and accommodates a large congregation on the regular days of service.
The land here is generally level, and produces well when properly fertilized. All the land in this part of the county is level, and is worth from $7.00 to $15.00 per acre, according to the amount of im- provements and locality. Dr. T. A. McCane is the most influential man in this neighborhood. The people are tolerably well up with the times, have very comfortable homes, and are making a good living. Toluka is on the Lower Troy Road. Some of the neatest farms and dwellings are to be seen on this road from Toluka to Greenville.
Land on this road is more valuable than on any other road in the county, except the land at Forest Home. One of the prettiest farms in the county
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is on this road, two miles and a half from Greenville, owned by W. R. Thagard, Esq., who is well- known as one of the best and most successful sci- entific farmers in the county. He farms on a large scale, and is always successful in his plans of farming.
CHAPTER XLI.
Mc Bride's.
THIS place is known as McBride's, Yellowshanks, and Zinn ; but more generally known throughout the county as McBride's. It is located in a very beautiful section of level, sandy soil, with long-leaf pine and oak as the natural or virgin growth. The people here have well-cultivated farms, which re- pay them for their trouble by the average yield of the stuff planted.
Land is worth about $5.00 per acre, and is very fine farming land, being easy of cultivation, and well adapted to the different kinds of fertilizers now sold for use.
This neighborhood, being on the Upper Troy Road, enjoys a superior locality for good roads to the different markets. There are two churches in this neighborhood, but no schools of any conse- quence. The people through here are generally Primitive Baptists and Campbellites, and it is not
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necessary for me to say anything of the higher circles of society and prevailing styles in vogue here, as these denominations have had almost a uniform style since 1826.
The people here are known throughout the county for their honesty and promptness in the way of discharging their duties in every respect.
Elias McKensie came here from Tennessee in 1836, and found Maxy Armstrong and William Taylor already here, having been here probably ten or twelve years.
Jesse McBride opened a store of general mer- chandise here in 1858, but there was a kind of store and grog-shop here as early as 1845. There has always been a blacksmith-shop here in connec- tion with a wood-shop. Elias McKensie and Jesse Mc Bride are the most prominent men in this place, both being men of general information and some property.
There are some very fine farms on the road from Greenville to McBride's.
The people on the Upper and Lower Troy Roads seem to have the neatest and best kept up farms of any in the county.
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CHAPTER XLII.
The Press of Butler County.
THE first newspaper was established in this county in 1834, edited by John W. Womack, and published by Thomas J. Judge. This was in the days of the Whigs, and these two gentlemen being strong advocates of the principles of their party, named the paper the Greenville Whig. They were both energetic and intelligent men, and soon made their paper a success. Thomas Judge afterward became a leading politician in the State. The first printing-office was over the store of Gafford & Co., afterward owned by John K. Henry & J. C. Cald- well.
The Mirror soon after put in its appearance, and was edited by Watson. It was a paper of lit tle influence, and soon suspended.
In 1845, Curtis took up subscriptions for the Alabumian, and was afterward assisted in its pub- lication by Moody. John S. Davies was their foreman, and subsequently bought the paper, and was both editor and business manager.
By this time, a number of persons in the county began to think that journalism was the most at- tractive occupation of the age, and the Southern Messenger was accordingly established, with Liv- ingstone and Steele on the editorial tripod. Each
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editor of the town papers was very eager for the success of his own paper, often forgetting entirely the interests of all other journalists. This brought on a bitter rivalry between the newspapers, which grew into personal abuse, and came near ending in bloodshed.
When the Southern States seceded from the Union, the officers of the Government thought it more expedient to have the printers and editors employed shooting the Union soldiers, than to have them at home to spread the news of the de- feat of the Confederates in the different battles; consequently, the voice of the press was hushed in many counties in the State during the unfor- tunate struggle of the South to protect her un- questionable rights.
In 1865, when the Greenville Advocate was estab- lished, there was not a printing-office in Butler County, nor a piece of type, except at Judge B. F. Porter's residence, where he had a job press for printing legal documents for his own use.
In 1864, the Southern News was irregularly pub- lished by Captain George L. Henry, and in a part of 1865-66 by W. W. Beasly, assisted by Hon. Benjamin F. Porter.
In 1869, the South Alabamian was revived, with J. R. Thames at its helm. Its pages sparkled with the burning thoughts of Mrs. I. M. P. Henry, the following year. In 1871, this interesting writer was a member of the editorial staff of the Mobile Register. Dr. J. M. Jennings made his
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salutatory in 1872, but unfortunately his obituary was written in the same paper three weeks later. J. R. Thames resumed his seat in the editorial chair in 1873. The paper was purchased the fol- lowing year and published by Porter, Drake & Harbin, with J. D. Porter as editor. Later, Per- due purchased the interests of Drake and Harbin, but soon sold his interest to Porter, who continued to publish the Alabamian until August, 1876, when he retired to enter the ministry. The name of Dr. T. J. Parmer then appears as editor, until the paper was suspended in October of the same year.
The Independent Thinker made its appearance in 1872, with Colonel J. M. Whitehead at its mast. It was short-lived.
In November, 1879, George D. Reid started the publication of the Spirit of the Times.
In the hotly-contested county campaign during the summer of 1880, the Echo budded and bloomed in favor of Hon. John L. Powell, for Judge of. Probate, and was edited by J. R. Thames. At the untimely death of this earnest quill-driver, Mrs. I. M. P. Henry lent her glowing pen for a few months, until Rev. B. H. Crumpton purchased the outfit and assumed the responsibilities of its man- agement; but his active ministerial duties prevented him from continuing its publication long, and it died in 1882.
In the same campaign that brought the Echo into existence in 1880, the Voice was heard to pro- claim to the people of the county in favor of J. C.
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Richardson, Esq., for Probate Judge, and was en- couraged in its work by Colonel J. M. Whitehead. It did not have such a long life as the Echo, but died a natural death after the election.
Colonel William C. Howell made his polite bow to the people of this county in 1883, in the form of the Butler County Citizen. Colonel Howell has edited a number of papers in different parts of the State, but his experience was to no effect in this county, as he had to compete with the Advocate. The Citizen was suspended before the end of the year.
It will not be out of place to give the Greenville Advocate, with its editor and associates, a more ex- tended notice in the history of the county than we have given any other paper, as it has, un- doubtedly, a much greater reputation for general information than any of the other papers ever pub- lished in Butler County.
James Berney Stanley was the founder of this newsy journal, the prospectus of which appeared in the Montgomery Advertiser in the latter part of 1865. He had not long returned from the war, and was a young man of considerable energy, but had never had any experience in journalism. After canvassing the county soliciting subscrip- tions for the paper, he bought the outfit for its publication, paying $150 in cash and giving his note for the remainder, which was paid three months afterward. Under these disadvantages, the Greenville Advocate, a six-column weekly, made
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its appearance before the public, published by Leatherwood and Stanley ; subscription, $5.00 per annum.
The people, immediately after the war, were not especially interested in any particular kind of liter- ature, but gave their time and attention almost en- tirely to the adjustment of their financial and domestic affairs. The different journals conse- quently received but little encouragement from them for some time.
Mr. Stanley managed to save up enough money to buy out the interest of Leatherwood in 1867, paying that gentleman $2,500. The Advocate has been directly under his management ever since that time. In 1876, he issued a four-column daily, then a tri-weekly, then a semi-weekly, and subse- quently enlarged the Advocate to an eight-column weekly, which has the largest circulation of any paper in the State of Alabama.
This paper is not only regarded as a good paper by the intelligent and competent people of the county, but the whole South, it being awarded the First Premium of $100 and Gold Medal, at the Southern Exposition, Louisville, Ky., October 23, 1883, for being the best county weekly printed in the Southern States. This is no ordinary com- pliment ; however, it simply confirms the earnest convictions of its many readers. The Advocate now goes to over 500 different post-offices, from Canada to Mexico; the circulation in some towns reaching as high as 150 copies. Thousands of
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dollars are annually distributed to its many sub- scribers, and yet the manager makes more money from the paper than any other journalist in the State. The Advocate owes a great deal of its literary success and reputation for containing mat- ter of general interest, to the associate editors. We will now notice these briefly.
In 1880, Lucien J. Walker, a young man from Lowndes County, who had shown a decided liter- ary talent, made his bow to the public. The col- umns of the paper soon sparkled with the news as it was recorded by his glowing pen. It was while he was connected with the Advocate that it at- tained its reputation for sprightliness and origin- ality. He left the Advocate in the summer of 1881, to take a position on the Daily Times, at Selma, but did not remain on that paper long be- fore he accepted a position on a paper in Eufaula. In the fall of 1883, he went to Washington City, as a special correspondent to several of the Southern papers, and was soon appointed secretary to an important committee in the House of Representa- tives, a position which pays him very handsomely for the amount of work done. He is still at Wash- ington, engaged as secretary of the committee and correspondent of the different papers, and is generally regarded as a very interesting corre- spondent as well as a young man of much promise.
In 1881 the responsibilities of associate editor fell upon the shoulders of Charles R. McCall, of Bullock County, who was graduated first in his
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class at the University of Alabama in 1879, and was an assistant professor in that institution for the next two years after graduation. As this in- experienced youth ascended the tripod and made his unpretentious bow, it was generally conceded that the interests of the paper would flag; but greatly to the surprise and pleasure of the many readers, the interest grew with each edition of the paper after his connection with it. He did a great deal to raise the general tone of the paper, and put the editorial department abreast with the other papers in the State, and succeeded admira- bly. He remained with the Advocate two years, and resigned to enter upon the duties of editor of the Troy Messenger, a weekly published in Pike County, which position he still holds, to the great satisfaction of the many readers of his paper. Few writers wield more scholarly and gifted pens than the accomplished McCall. He still enter- tains fond hopes for Greenville (?), and pays her (?) a number of visits each year, thinking, probably, that he may yet make Butler County his home.
Since the summer of 1883, Mrs. I. M. P. Henry has been associate editor. A short sketch of the useful life of this accomplished lady will be found in another chapter of this book.
We will next turn our attention to Colonel James B. Stanley, the successful editor and pro- prietor of this well known paper. He was born in Hayneville, Lowndes County, August 9, 1844, and was the fourth son of Robert H. and Emma
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W. R. THAGARD'S RESIDENCE.
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Stone Stanley. His father was a Carolinian, of English parentage; his mother was the daughter of a British officer, and was born in Paris.
He attended but few schools until after the age of fourteen. His first work, of which we have any record, is his connection with the Southern Messenger, a weekly paper printed at Greenville, his father's family having already removed to that place. He entered the office of this paper as an apprentice in 1858, and remained here for three years. He was then entered as a student of the Glenville Collegiate and Military Institute in Bar- bour County, but did not remain here long before the whole college, aroused by Southern patriot- ism, entered the army in defense of the Southern Confederacy. The subject of this sketch joined the celebrated Seventeenth Alabama, and re- mained in its ranks until the close of the war. Although he was in active service all the time, and witnessed some of the bloodiest of the fights, he was wounded in but one battle. On the mem- orable field at Franklin he received two severe wounds, which disabled him for several months, and the marks of which he will bear while life lasts.
Immediately after the war, the people of the South were financially embarrassed, and those who wished for early prosperity entered the first employment which presented itself. On Mr. Stanley's return home he took all the money that he had in the world, which was only $100, and in-
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vested it in a family grocery and notion store in Greenville, and by close attention to his business, and strict compliance with the laws of economy, he soon saved enough hard cash to invest in a paper, which was unfurled to the breeze in 1865 as the GREENVILLE ADVOCATE.
Mr. Stanley started the publication of this paper against the advice of many of his friends, who thought it useless to attempt such an enterprise while the country was in such a condition. For- tune smiled upon the proprietor, and the Advocate flourished as the green bay tree. Day by day the paper grew more and more in the favor of the people, and new names were constantly added to the subscription list, until to-day the newsy sheet is welcomed in thousands of families. Mr. Stan- ley deserves special recognition as one of the first newspaper men after the war who fostered home talent by the substantial encouragement of remu- neration.
Although he is a stanch Democrat, and a strong advocate of the principles of his party, he is not particularly fond of politics, and has never shown any desire for office. If he should ever wish to enter politics, he is too honest to resort to the various schemes by which the majority of the officers of our Government now receive the nomi- nation by the Democratic Conventions. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but is a man of views too broad to believe that there i's but one church, and that all that is good and
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holy is in that church. As all earnest Christians should be, he is constantly striving to impress the minds of the young with the sacred teaching of the Holy Scriptures, and is rarely ever absent from the Sunday-school.
In May, 1882, on a steamboat on the Alabama River, the editors of the State unanimously elected Mr. Stanley President of the Press Association of Alabama. The members of the press showed their appreciation of his abilities as an officer by re-electing him the following year at Selma. At Eufaula, in May, 1884, he was made President by acclamation. He takes a great interest in the brotherhood, and does everything in his power to make each meeting of the Association as instruct- ive and pleasant as possible.
The success of his paper and the noble qualities of his character have won for him a wide reputa- tion and given him a high rank among the differ- ent journalists of the country. Many of the Southern papers have tendered him positions on their editorial staff, and several persons have, at different times, offered to buy his interest in the Advocate, but his sound judgment tells him to "let well enough alone."
He was united in marriage to Miss Lulu Reid December 17, 1867. His wife is indeed a help- meet, whose worth is only rivaled by her modesty. His happy family consists of one son and four daughters. Being energetic, persistent, painstak- ing and scrupulously honest, he deserves all the
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success that he now enjoys; and may peace, hap- piness and prosperity abide with him the remain- der of his days.
CHAPTER XLIII.
Bear's Store.
THIS little village might be very appropriately called Burkettville, as every other house you pass is occupied by some descendant of the Burkett family.
Thomas Burkett came here about 1830, and pitched his tent southwest of where the store now stands. He was soon followed by John Hood, Joab Coleman, Manuel Burkett, Davy Grason and Evans Burkett, who settled near each other, and were the pioneer settlers. Thomas Burkett built a house where the present store now stands. Of course, there was no town here for some time after these men entered the land. The land being of a poor variety, the people did not care to cast their lot in this section of the county.
A Dutch peddler, named Lewis Bear, opened a few dry goods in connection with his dram-shop here in 1857. It was quite a profitable business for several years, as there were but few stores in this part of the county at that time. He sold out
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to John Coleman in 1861, and joined the Con- federate Army. The place was named in honor of him, and still retains his name. There has been some kind of a store here ever since he left, but the business was not very profitable until 1882, when Joseph Sellers took charge of it and has worked up a considerable trade.
There never was a post-office here, there being no mail line along either of the roads passing the place.
Although there is plenty of pine timber here, the people live in houses built of hewn logs. The land is a kind of sticky, rotten lime, being difficult to cultivate properly. There are but few springs that afford water from one year to the other. The water is not good, containing lime in very per- ceptible quantities.
The schools are very ordinary at this place, and the people do not use much starch. All of them are law-abiding people. They have a church in the neighborhood, and have preaching twice each month.
There is not much demand for land in this place, hence it can be bought for $1.50 to $2.00 per acre. This is a very healthy locality, and could be made a very desirable one.
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CHAPTER XLIV.
Rocky Creek, Beat No. 16.
JAMES CAMPBELL pitched his tent in this pleasant locality about 1855, and found James Prewhitt and Allen Lovet enjoying the blessings of its pro- ductive soil, they having immigrated here about 1845. These, with a few neighbors, were the only persons living here until about 1870, when the land got on a boom. So many families coming in, soon gave the place the appearance of a country village. The people established a voting precinct here in 1874. There are two churches here, both in a very flourishing condition. There never was a store here; Bolling is the nearest point to pur- chase goods, it being about five miles. The peo- ple have tolerably good common schools here, and patronize them very well. Most of the timber near this place, has been used by Flowers, Cald- well & Co., for making planks. The soil here is similar to that at Shackelville and Bear's Store ; for particulars see Shackelville.
The locality of this neighborhood is very beau- tiful. It is supposed, by some that have their imaginative powers well developed, that the red men often assembled in the neighborhood to cele- brate their different festivals, and pass a few hours in innocent sports appropriate to the customs and
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the occasion. Many pots, beads, arrow-heads and other Indian relics have been plowed up in the fields in the course of cultivation.
The land is not very good for farming purposes, yet the people manage to make a very good living by earnest and untiring energy. The land sells for $2.50 per acre, and is sometimes sold for as much as $5.00, being worth much more now than ever before.
There is no post-office here.
CHAPTER XLV.
Roper Wells.
THESE wells are located about two miles east of Greenville, and are owned by E. B. Roper. In 1875, he had a well dug in his yard for drinking purposes. Water was obtained after digging 42 feet, but proved to be entirely unfit for ordinary use. The water seeps out of a kind of iron-rock at the bottom of the well, and gives everything a deep yellow color with which it comes in contact. There is a stratum of blue marl, fifteen feet in thick- ness, just above the iron-rock.
The peculiar properties of the water were reported to different persons living in the neigh- borhood, and many opinions were expressed con-
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cerning its probable mineral ingredients. An experiment in 1877, upon a long sufferer from dyspepsia, established its healing properties. In the spring of 1878, the water was sent to W. C. Stubbs, Professor of Chemistry in the A. & M. College, at Auburn, Alabama, who gives the fol- lowing as a complete analysis. The amount of water used was one litre, which is a little more than one quart.
Sulphuric Acid, 843 grs. Magnesic Oxide, 43 grs.
Ferric Oxide, 274 Sodium, 4
Ferrous 173 Chlorine,
Calcic
Silica, 23
Potassic 21
Carbonic Acid, 576
The Roper Well water was thoroughly adver- tised, and put on the market at 50 cents per gal- lon for the first year, and sold for $1.00 per gallon the next year. Fifty cents is the regular price now. This water has cured many cases of different kinds of diseases, when all other appli- ances had failed. It is highly recommended by the medical profession as being a good remedy for all skin diseases, burns, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, and especially for all chronic diseases. The water is for sale in all the principal cities in the State, and is sometimes shipped to other States.
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