USA > Georgia > Floyd County > Rome > A history of Rome and Floyd County, State of Georgia, United States of America; including numerous incidents of more than local interest, 1540-1922, Volume I > Part 35
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This outfit arrived just before the
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annual "Green corn dance," which was held at Major Ridge's. The coach was ordered to convey Sarah to the dance. The horses were harnessed to it and the negro driver stood ready. Chief Ridge inspected the outfit, even shak- ing the wheels to be sure they would stand up.
Sarah came out in silks and feath- ers; her father assisted her to climb the folding steps, closed the steps and door, then walked around to the driver, took the reins and ordered the driver to go back to his field work. Chief Ridge then mounted one of the horses, with the gathered reins in his hands and galloped away to the "Green corn dance."
DAYS THAT ARE GONE .- Maj. Chas. H. Smith (Bill Arp), sent the following letter to the Rome Tribune of Sunday, Sept. 2, 1894:
"Cartersville, Ga., Sept. 1, 1894.
"To Mr. W. Addison Knowles,
"Editor The Tribune,
"Rome, Ga.
"Dear Mr. Knowles: 'Illium fuit- Illium est,' Rome was-Rome is, but it is not the same Rome we old Ro- mans used to know. Everything is changed but the rivers and Bill Ramey and old father Norton.
"I moved to Rome in 1851, but for several years before that I used to visit there and prospect for a place to move to. I had a brother there practising medicine. It is nearly 50 years since I made my first visit. The Rome railroad was finished to Eve's Station, and the hacks met us there. There were no bridges across the rivers and the ferrying was done at the junctions. All down town was in the woods. What magnificent timber covered the bottom where down town is now!
"I went squirrel hunting there with Joe Norris. Joe was clearing the low ground for Colonel Shorter and had deadened the timber. The road from the ferry was awful. I have seen six- mule teams stall in the gulch that was where the Lumpkin block was after- ward built. But you don't know where that is. It is the block opposite the Denson building. But you never heard of Denson. Well, the lowest part of the gulch was right in the middle of the street that comes down Cooley hill and crosses Broad.
"Maybe you have heard of Hollis Cooley. He was an unpretending gen- tłeman; as honest a Yankee as ever
lived. I went to school to his sister in Lawrenceville when I was a lad. Hol- lis Cooley never had a lawsuit in his life, and always declared that there was no necessity for anybody having one.
"Old father Norton said, 'But, Hol- lis, suppose some rascal was to come along, and knowing your mind about going to law, should lay claim to your house and lot, when then?' 'I would give up to him before I would go to law with him,' said Hollis. 'Yes, and you would play the fool,' said Norton. 'By George, I would law him till his heels flew up.'
"I was remarking about that awful pull up the little steep hill from the gulch to where Major Ayer's store was. But I forgot. The major hasn't got any store. Well, it was about op- posite Morrison's livery stable, or Flemming's saddle shop, or Tom Per- ry's law office, or somewhere there in the middle of the road. It's bothering me awfully to locate things. Bill Ra- mey will show you where it was. The hill was short and steep and sticky, and I have seen strong teams stall there and the wagon cut back and nearly turn over. Norton's store was then away down town. It was right where it is now, but it was down town, the lowest down of any, and was a lit- tle, low, long, narrow, one-story house with the hind end stuck in the hill so deep that you could almost step on the roof.
"There were no houses down town. Old man Crutchfield was building the court house. The Western Bank of Georgia was doing a busting business in that office back of the Choice Hotel -that same little office on the corner as you go up the hill to the court house. Yes, it was doing a busting business, and it busted. Not long after it closed its doors I went there with $7,000 of its money and knocked at the door and demanded payment in bi- metallic currency, but there was no response and nobody opened the door. I had to make the demand at the bank's last place of doing business be- fore I could sue. But the dog was dead and my client never realized a dollar.
"By the time we moved to Rome down town was looming up. C. T. Cunningham had a big cotton ware- house on the river bank, and Rhode Hill and Bill Cox were clerking for him. The first time I ever saw Rhode he was having big fun by hiding an egg under Jack Shorter's shirt collar,
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and he bet Cox a dime that he couldn't find it. Cox felt all about Jack's clothes, and accidentally broke the egg, and it ran down Jack's back. But Jack got the dime and that satisfied hin.
"Rhode found bigger game later on and is now a Peachtree nabob in At- Ianta. Cunningham built a nice resi- dence at the end of Howard Street. It is the Woodruff place, and Wm. E. Alexander built the Rounsaville house, and Dr. Battey built where he now lives. Alexander was Norton's partner for a while, but he moved down town and took in Colonel Shorter as a partner. Mr. Norton never moved -neither his dwelling place nor his store. He improved both, but never moved. Before I moved I bought me a very nice home over there on the hill where DeJournett and Treada- way and Omberg lived. You know where that is. No, you don't, either, you are too young to know much about anything-anything antiquated, I mean. Well, it is not far from father Norton's house, the third house from the corner as you go down towards the river. Dr. Smith, my brother, lived in the first and Nicholas Omberg in the second. Old Mother Ragan lived right in front of Norton's, and Sumter & Torbet's machine works were down in the corner of his garden.
"Jim Sumter was one of the best men I ever knew, the best mechanic, the best magistrate, the best mayor, the best alderman, the best citizen and the truest friend. He made for me a large and beautiful walnut book case. We have it now in our sitting room, and I prize it for his sake. It is the only piece of furniture the Yankees left me. It was so big they couldn't move it. They did move the books. They loved to read, but they didn't read their titles clear to my books. About that time the people who were the best off made their homes on the hills. Andrew M. Sloan, who was a big merchant and banker, lived in a one-story house on the hill where Hiles now lives. Dr. P. L. Turnley lived nearby. Mr. Thomas D. Shel- ton lived where Shorter College stands. Rev. J. M. M. Caldwell and his wife lived and taught school in the house adjacent to the old Methodist church. Old Judge Underwood lived on the Caldwell college hill with his daugh- ter, Mrs. Wilson. The First Baptist church was nearby, on the same hill, and the old graveyard is not far away.
"I shall never forget that graveyard, for one time I was a Masonic pall-
bearer there, and I did not stoop low enough as we passed under some limbs of the crowded trees, and one of them took off my hat and my scratch with it, and my bald head showed no hair apparent to the crown, and ex- cited too much levity for the solemn occasion. I put the hat on my head with much alacrity and put the wig in my pocket. I have never worn one to a funeral since, nor anywhere else. It is one of the comforts of old age that a man is not expected to have a great profusion of hair, but when he is young a very small vacancy hurts his feelings mighty bad.
"James MeEntee had been keeping hotel midway of the block next above the Choice House in 1849, I think, and Colonel D. R. Mitchell acquired the Buena Vista soon after. Old Jesse Lamberth was one of the pioneers, and lived in a little house back of the Odd Fellows' hall building, but he built a better house in front afterward, and lived there for many years.
"Sam Stewart was a very notable character in those days, and had the reputation of being a cool and daring man. His brother, Virgil, helped to give Sam reputation, for it was he who ran down and caught John A. Murrell, the notorious horse thief and highway robber. Sam was city marshal for many years, and kept all evil doers in subjection. He was a good officer, but it is said that every man will sooner or later meet his match, if not his superior. One day Nicholas Om- berg broke down the gate of the city pound and took his cow out and drove her home. Somebody had opened Om- berg's gate and let his cow out so as to put her in the pound and get the fee for taking up stray cattle. Omberg was dreadfully mad when his wife told him about it, and, as he didn't favor the anti-cow ordinance nohow, he took the shortest way to recover his cow.
"When Stewart found what Omberg had done he got mad, too, and forth- with went to the merchant tailor to arrest him. The Norwegian never winked or quailed, but seizing an enor- mous pair of shears, he rushed at Stewart like a mad man and ran him out in the street. Stewart said after- ward that he had either to run or kill him.
"The city council fined Omberg $50, but he carried the case to the supreme court and gained it. Nic Omberg was a very superior man, and was highly esteemed as a citizen and a Christian gentleman. About the close of the war
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الأديب :ط
MISCELLANEOUS VIEWS RECALLING ROME.
Here may be seen: a 1921 group of girl High School graduates emerging from the Auditorium with their beautiful nosegays; Billy King, 9, Rome's youngest and most famous cartoonist; tho Second Avenue (E. Rome) Methodist Church; views around the courthouse; a group of young players; Gay Jespersen's Lindale band; and a tiny glimpse of Rome.
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some lawless scouts visited old man Quinn's house one night to rob him. The old man cried for help, and Om- berg ran over to defend him and was himself shot down and killed.
"And that causes me to think of Tom Perry, at whose house poor Om- berg died. Tom Perry was perhaps the best known and most beloved cit- izen Rome ever had. He was raised poor and hard, and had but little ed- ucation. He used to haul wood with steers in the cold winter with his toes sticking out of his old shoes. He mi- grated from Lawrenceville to Rome before anybody, and when I first visit- ed Rome Tom was keeping bar for a free negro, Wm. Higginbotham. Next he hired to old William R. Smith to sweep out the store and knock around. Next he got to be clerk in the post- office for Nathan Yarbrough. Next he was postmaster and then a steam- boat captain. Next he was elected J. P. and held that office for many years. He was the chief promoter of the Masons and Odd Fellows. He was United States commissioner. He was the best friend the widows and or- phans ever had in Rome, the best chairman of the street committee. He was always at work doing something for somebody. He wrote much for the Rome Courier and pasted everything he wrote in a scrapbook, and would read it on Sundays. When he had planned any public thing he would write a piece and sign it Vox Populi, and then call a meeting at the court house to put his measure through. If nobody came he called himself to the chair and acted as secretary, and pass- ed a string of resolutions and had them published as the sense of the meeting. He never lost any space in his manuscript. If there was not room for an 'and' at the end of a line, he would divide the word and put the d at the beginning of the next line. He worked up to the full measure of his capacity and was everybody's friend. He looked like a Democrat, for he was pigeon-toed and loose-jointed, and chew- ed cheap tobacco, but he was an un- compromising Whig.
"When your good father was edit- ing the Rome Courier, Tom gave him aid and comfort as best he could. I remember your father well. He was a courtly gentleman. His company was always welcome, for he was a good talker and never indulged in slang or vulgarity or intolerant assertions. His gold spectacles became his fea- tures and added grace to his individ- uality. You were not then in the land
of the living where peace may be sought and pardon found. May you emulate your good father's Christian example and make the world better with your presence.
But I must not monopolize your space. It would take a book to tell of ancient Rome and the citizens who have gone to the undiscovered country. Of William R. Smith and Wm. Smith (Mrs. Dr. Battey's father) and Johnny Smith, a good man who for the love of the beautiful planted water oaks and elms around the churches and along the down town sidewalks. The trees are there yet, and men and women walk and children play under their shade. Then there was McGuire and Hardin, and Quinn, and T. S. Wood, and Isham Wood, and Cohen, and Dr. Pat- ton, and Dr. Starr, and Dr. King, and Dr. Geo. M. Battey, who kept the drug store under the Choice House. Ram- sey Alexander was a leading lawyer there when I moved to Rome. Tom came later and so did Judge Under- wood. I formed a partnership with Colonel Underwood in 1852 and it con- tinued for thirteen long and pleasant years.
"Then there appeared some lesser lights who kept the little town lively. Old Jake Herndon, for instance, the town loafer, who never lied from mal- ice, but only from habit. He used to tell about the big freshet that came in June, 1840, and covered all the country save the top of court house hill, and how he tied his batteau to a gum tree on top of that hill, and seeing no place for the sole of his foot, he untied it and paddled to Horseleg mountain, and it was hot, devilish hot, and his ther- mometer rose to 240 in the shade. He always said thermoneter for thermom- eter. Old Jake had told that lie so often that he believed it. I think he has a son now in the United States navy. If folks do 'laugh and grow fat,' I think that big John Under- wood took on his fat from his daily intercourse with old Jake Herndon.
"And there was Old Man Laub, the inimitable cuss who was created just to fill up the cracks, like spralls in a stone wall. He was a little sassy, loud- mouthed rascal, who kept a bakery and cake shop, and some blind tiger and oysters, just below Dr. Battey's drug store. He had two front doors. Over one was painted "Laub's here." Over the other was painted "Laub's here, too." He drove a pair of calico ponies, and was always in a fuss with some- body, and especially with his wife. She would run him out of one front
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door wth a broom and he would dodge into the other. Big John's grocery was right opposite across the street, and it was a good part of his business to watch the antics of the Laub fam- ily and shake his fat sides with laugh- ter. When I first saw Laub's name and sign I thought that Laub's was something to sell-some kind of fish like oysters or shrimps. I had no idea that it was a man's name.
"Of the notable men who moved away and still live, Dr. Miller was chief. He lived in a cottage where your new court house now stands, and his office was on Broad Street, near the McEntee house. He had a very smart cur dog named Cartouch, who laid in the piazza of the doctor's of- fice and watched for country dogs as they came to town behind farmers' wagons. Forthwith Cartouch would run to assault him, and would whip him if he could, and hurry back be- fore the waggoner could punish him. If the dog was too big and showed fight, Cartouch would hasten back to Dailey's house, which was next door, and get Dailey's big dog and away they both would go and jump on the country dog with irresistible violence. The doctor enjoyed it immensely, and declares to this day that dogs have a language and understand each other. Cartouch would say to Dailey's dog, 'Come and help me, come quick, there's a big country dog out here that I can't manage by myself.'
"But I will now forbear until the spirit moves me again, for I do not suppose there are a dozen men living who will enjoy these memories. This generation is moving forward, not backward.
"Yours truly, "CHAS. H. SMITH."
A PROLIFIC BUILDER .- A news- paper squib of 1888 says:
"Jos. B. Patton builds court houses, but does not patronize them, never having sued or been sued on any con- tract."
Court houses he had erected up to that time included Trousdale County, Tenn., Benton County, Tenn., Russell County, Ky., Chattanooga, Tenn., Cen- ter, Cherokee County, Ala., Anniston, Calhoun County, Ala., LaFayette, Walker County, Ga., Gainesville, Hall County, Ga. In the same year he built the buildings near DeSoto park for the North Georgia & Alabama Exposition. Prior to that time and afterward he erected many other public buildings
and residences, notably at Rome. In 1892-3 he built the Floyd County court house, one of the most substantial structures anywhere. His work and materials were of such a high order that he made little money. He died comparatively poor, but he has left buildings which for a century more will silently sing his praises.
* *
"GRANDMA GEORGY'S" "PEN PRATTLE."-Mrs. Naomi P. Bale contributed these reminiscences to the Rome News of Oct. 3, 1921:
One by one they are passing away to give place to new structures, these old landmarks of Rome. When the old Bradbury house on the corner of Broad Street and Sixth Avenue was built, I don't know, certainly more than seventy years ago, such a thing as a "filling station" was not known in the wide world.
This old building has stood the storms of more than three score and ten years. About forty years ago Col. Stokes (grandfather of Misses Estelle and Addie Mitchell) came in possession of it, put the old house in repair. At that time the name "Dolly Varden" was prominent-how it originated I don't know, but the name was stamp- ed on dry goods of every bright color. Col. Stokes had the old house painted and trimmed in bright colors, and it was called "The Dolly Varden."
Later, Mr. J. L. Bass came in pos- session of it and added the "L" that jutted out toward Sixth Avenue. Neither Col. Stokes nor Mr. Bass ever lived in this house. All these years it has been occupied by tenants. The passing of this old Bradbury house brings to mind other localities of homes now passed into the "yesterdays" of Rome. Just across Broad Street from the Bradbury house, where the Audi- torium now stands, lived Dr. King (I think his name was Joshua), a den- tist and medical practitioner combined.
The Carnegie Library occupies the old home place of Mrs. Fannie Moore, maternal grandmother of Miss Battie Shropshire.
The west corner of Broad Street and Seventh Avenue, where a "filling station" has been recently built, was once the home of a Mrs. Mitchell. I think she was a dressmaker.
Northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Broad Street, part of the R. S. Norton lot, once stood a large furni- ture factory operated by Mr. Sumter. Mr. Sumter made everything from a
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pin-tray to a coffin. He was also an
undertaker. Made the coffin and buried the people. Coming back down Broad Street where there is another "fililng station" southwest corner Sixth Avenue and Broad Street, stood the home of Mrs. Pierson; later, Col. W. S. Cothran, also Dr. J. B. Underwood and until a few years ago occupied by Mrs. Isham J. Wood.
Mr. Waring Best's garage is where Col. Thomas Alexander lived right after the Civil war. On the enclosed lot adjoining the Best garage stood the old McEntee House-the first hotel in Rome. Sev- eral years ago this old building was sold to Dr. Robert Battey, who con- verted it into a hospital and it was known as the Martha Battey Hospital. I think the property is now owned by the Kuttner Realty Company. The old Buena Vista is yet fresh in our minds. This at one time was the lead- ing hotel in Rome, with Mrs. Choice proprietress. The Curtis Undertaking Company (colored) occupies the oldest brick building in Rome. I have been told that the oldest wooden house in Rome is the corner of Fifth Avenue and East Second Street, now occupied by Mr. Ward. Probably Misses Om- berg on West First Street are the only residents who occupy their ancestral home of ante-bellum days. The Spul- lock home on Broad Street, now occu- pied by Dr. Shamblin, was built about 1857. Judge D. M. Hood's home, ad- joining the Spullocks, has been moved nearer Broad Street, the lot divided and a bungalow built. Col. A. T. Har- din also lived here.
Judge J. W. H. Underwood's old home has passed into stranger hands -the house raised, and the homes of Dr. McKoy and Mr. J. M. Lay have been built.
Where Joe Jenkins and Mr. McKew now live was Judge Underwood's gar- den. Mr. Max Meyerhardt lives on the Quinn lot. The Quinn property was divided into building lots after Mr. Quinn's death and sold. Linton Van- diver, Mr. Keith and Mr. Berry have homes on what was once the Quinn garden. The large brick house now occupied by R. L. Morris was built by Mr. Crutchfield and given to his daughter, Mrs. J. H. Lumpkin, as a bridal present in the early forties. The homes of Mr. A. S. Burney and Mr. Fuller occupy the site of the Chero- kee Female Institute, built and man- aged by Col. Simpson Fouche. Later this building passed into the posses- sion of the Presbyterian church, and was known as the Rome Female Col-
lege with Rev. and Mrs. J. M. M. Caldwell as president and dean. After the suspension of the college, Dr. J. B. S. Holmes converted it into a san- itarium. The building was burned and the property divided into lots and sold for residences.
The First Baptist church, organized in 1835, yet stands on the corner of Eighth Avenue and West Fifth Street and is now an apartment house owned by Mrs. Griffin. My own home, 601 East First Street, was the cradle of the first newspaper published in Rome -Samuel Jack, editor and printer. It was called the Rome Enterprise. This item was given me by Miss Amanda Jack, a daughter of Mr. Samuel Jack. My home was also the Methodist par- sonage before the Civil War. In 1906 the old house went down in ashes and the
I had it rebuilt on practically same foundation. My husband pur- chased it from the estate of Mr. Mc- Guire about thirty years ago. There are yet many old homes in Rome of historical interest. Col. Alfred Shorter, Daniel R. Mitchell, C. M. Penning- ton, Major Ayer and other prominent men did much in laying the foun- dation on which Rome now stands. Some of the statements herein given were told me by my father, Wesley Shropshire, Sr., and my uncle, Mon- roe Shropshire, both of whom came to Rome in 1835. Other items are from my own observations, for I have been in touch with this city for 71 years.
"GRANDMA GEORGY" RECALLS STAR BOARDERS. - "Thank you very much, Judge Branham, for a copy of 'Sketches and Reminiscences of the Rome Bar,' compiled by your- self. After reading it with the aid of a reading-glass a reminiscent mood laid a canny hand on me and I began to count the faces of some of these lawyers who sat at my table three times a day when I kept boarders on Fifth Avenue where the courthouse now stands. Col. W. H. Dabney was an inmate in my home for several years. He was a quiet, unassuming, pleasant gentleman. When court was in session he ate sparingly-sometimes only a bit of bread and a glass of milk. He often asked me where to find certain passages of Scripture, saying he had need for them.
"Capt. C. N. Featherston and Cols. E. N. Broyles and Dan'l. R. Mitchell were regular table boarders, Judge A. R. Wright a dinner guest when court was in session. All of these gentle-
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A FASHIONABLE WEDDING AT A ROME COUNTRY PLACE.
The picture shows the guests at the marriage June 24, 1896, of Miss Josephine VanDyke Inman, of Atlanta, to Hugh Richardson, of Vicksburg, Miss., at the summer home of the Hugh T. Inmans, which was later the home of Jos. L. Bass and now is "Maplehurst," the home of Mrs. A. W. VanHoose. Robt. W. Graves and Miss Julia Bayard, of Rome, are on the bench to the left. Rev. Edward H. Barnett, of Atlanta, the officiating min- ister, is at the extreme right.
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men were very courteous to me and my housekeeper, Miss McCauley. Thir- ty-two young men sat at my table reg- ularly-business men and clerks. All have passed the Great Divide and 'left me counting on this spot the faces that are gone.'
"In my young days I was often a guest in the house of Judge Wright. He was fond of music, and would lie on a sofa while I would play and sing for him. Sometimes tears would creep through his closed lids, especially when I sang 'Bonnie Doon'-sometimes he walked to and fro in the parlor and called for his favorite songs.
"The curtain of years now veils my eyes, and the drum beats of time have sadly dulled my hearing, but memory lingers and I see again many beautiful pictures, and many sad scenes that have come into my stren- uous life of three score and eighteen years.
"God is my Father and He leads me on daily nearer to the City that hath foundation.
"Very truly, "NAOMI P. BALE."
-Tribune-Herald, June 22, 1921. *
LOVE FOR OLD SLAVES .- The tender bond of sentiment existing be- tween master and slave in the ante-bel- lum days is an old story, and it has plenty of verification in fact. While it is quite true that there were oc- casional instances of cruelty and op- pression, as a rule master and mistress treated the slaves with great consider- ation. Few people would want slav- ery re-established, yet it is interesting to take note of instances in which slaves were treated almost like mem- bers of the family by the "white folks."
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