Feature Friday: Two Marriages from the Franklin Observer, 16 March 1860

The following two marriages were extracted from The Franklin Observer, published in Macon Co., NC, and edited by C. D. Smith and L. F. Siler. Only two issues of The Observer are known to be extant: the March 16, 1860 issue, held at the Duke University Library in Durham; and the June 22, 1860 issue, held at the University of North Carolina Library at Chapel Hill.

Both marriages were taken from the March 16, 1860 issue (Vol. 1, No. 34). The first marriage deals with the first licensed marriage among the Cherokee East.

Married, On the Raven Fork of Oconalufta, in Jackson county, on the 17th of February, by Rev. W. W. Smith, John Ool-stoo-ih to Gin-she, grand-daughter of Standing Wolf. The ceremony was interpreted to the parties by Jefferson Hornbuckle.

This marriage may be worth of note from the fact that it is the first licensed marriage that has ever been solemnized among the Cherokees East. Under an Ordinance passed some months since, by a full council of the nation, a marriage to be made legal, must be licensed by a native Clerk, appointed for that purpose. This is the first marriage under it. The same ordinance abolished bigamy.

The second marriage was a little more run of the mill.

[Married] On the 11th of March, 1860, by M. Rhodes, Esq., Mr. Jackson Frady to Miss Caroline Scroggs, all of Macon county.

I apologize for not including page and column numbers. I transcribed the two issues for inclusion in a genealogical society publication, but the editor and I could not agree on terms. (He wanted me to place the surnames in all caps. I refused, politely.)

These issues are available on microfilm, for those interested.

Feature Friday: Serenading, December 1897

Christmas customs vary from place to place. One custom practiced in Rabun County up through at least my father’s generation was serenading. No singing here. Instead, groups of young people would go around to their neighbors on Christmas Eve and play practical jokes.

In the 16 December 1897 issue (Vol. 2, No. 20) of The Tallulah Falls Spray, the Wolf Creek correspondent cautions his fellow readers.

Christmas is coming. You may look[?] out—the serenaders will be around till you can’t rest; the Christmas bells will ring. Look careful; they will be here before you know it.

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Quotation excerpted from my upcoming volume Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899, expected to be released in 2012.

Feature Friday: Christmas Novelties, 1897

One hundred and fourteen years ago today, Taylor & Sweet, merchants whose store was then located in Tallulah Falls, published the following advertisement in The Tallulah Falls Spray (16 December 1897 issue, Vol. 2, No. 20).

Notice.

We have bought a complete stock of Christmas novelties, comprising a nice line of Chinese and Japanese dolls, toys, Christmas cards, etc., which we will sell at a sacrifice. We have a few dozen taffeta and serge silk umbrellas for 50 cents each worth two dollars. Also a line of overcoats for $2.25 and $2.50 worth three times that amount. Buy before they are gone. Taylor & Sweet.

I wonder how many boys and girls found Taylor & Sweet goodies in their stocking that Christmas?

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Quotation excerpted from my upcoming volume Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899, expected to be released in 2012.

Feature Friday: Cincinatus Taylor’s Estate, April 1, 1897

The following item offers a wealth of information and suggests both other records to include in one’s research for this family and possible relationships amongst those mentioned. It was published in the 18 April 1897 issue (Vol. 1, Number 38) of The Tallulah Falls Spray, which served as Rabun County’s legal organ (or paper of record) probably from just after its inception in 1896 to January of 1898, when The Clayton Tribune assumed that function.

Georgia, Rabun County: At Chambers, April 1st, 1897—Samuel Taylor as executor of Cincinatus Taylor, having filed his petition for probate of Cincinatus Taylor’s will in solemn form, and it appearing that citation should issue to be served personally on Jane Taylor, Mary Wellborn, Catharine Page, Jesse Taylor, Sarah J. Stancell, William Jiles, Nat Jiles, Andy Jiles, Rachel Lawin, Nancy Eller, Susan Littleton and Mary Burrell, ordered that the usual citation issue, to be served on them ten days before the May term of this court, and as John Taylor, Mary J. Brinkley, Martha Gaines, Gus Ledbetter and Susan Ledbetter not being residents of this state and their residence unknown, and can only be served by publication, that they be cited and made a party by publication once a week for four weeks in The Tallulah Falls Spray, a newspaper published at Tallulah Falls, State of Georgia, before the May term, 1897, of said Court of Ordinary, and that this order so published constitute such citation.

W. S. Long, Ordinary.

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Quotation excerpted from my upcoming volume Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899, expected to be released in 2012.

Feature Friday: “The scene of battle seems to be changed from Chicago to Pine Mountain”

The following items follow a story about a dispute that happened in the Pine Mountain area of Rabun County during August, 1894. The first item is from the 3 August 1894 issue (Volume 1, Number 7) of The Clayton Argus.

The scene of battle seems to be changed from Chicago to Pine Mountain. We hear that one day last week a number of boys met at or near the post office at Pine Mountain and by some means a dispute arose which precipitated a fight the result of which was knives. It is also stated that the boys had been taking on some tangle foot. We are sorry that so many of our young men participated in this useless habit of drinking. Boys, quit it, and you will certainly be glad of it.

In the subsequent issue, published 10 August 1894 (Vol. 1, Number 8), the editor names two of the subjects.

We hear that Guss Billingsley and Wood Bryson, the chief sufferers in the riot at Pine Mountain in our last week’s issue are getting considerably better. It was thought that Bryson was fatally wounded, but we are glad to hear that he was not.

I guess those two thought better the next time they were offered “tangle foot.”

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Quotations excerpted from my upcoming volume Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899, expected to be released in 2012.

Feature Friday: Bleckley Family Cemetery, August 3, 1894

The following was taken from The Clayton Argus, Volume 1, Number 7, August 3, 1894 issue:

While on a business trip to Chechero last Saturday we were invited by Mrs. F. A. Bleckley to visit the family cemetery, which invitation we cordially accepted, and of which we are by no means sorry. This sacred city of the dead which is on top of a high hill overlooking the family residence on one side and the Methodist church on the other, is the final resting place of the family and its nearest relatives and dearest friends. We were greatly impressed by the good condition in which this hallowed spot is kept. It is enclosed by a nice lattice fence and the grounds within are most beautifully laid off and most scrupulously clean. What prevents the citizens of Clayton from paying the same homage to their departed loved ones? Let us not omit this sacred duty longer.

The Bleckley Cemetery is beautiful, and has some very old burials marked by well-preserved stones. It is located about two and a half miles from Clayton off of 76E going toward South Carolina.

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Quotation excerpted from my upcoming volume Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899, expected to be released in 2012.

Feature Friday: Upper Warwoman, January 20, 1899

One of the most useful features of newspapers from the latter part of the 19^th century and well up into the 20^th century was the local community column. These items were sent to the editor of the paper by people who lived within the community. Many columns were signed not with the person’s actual name but with a nickname or nom de plume, if they were signed at all. Local columns reflected the comings and goings of citizens, young and old, and generally commented on any number of items important to a community’s residents.

The following is a typical community column from that era, as published in the January 20, 1899 issue of The Clayton Tribune.

Upper Warwoman

Mrs. Fannie Beck has her foot seriously burned.

Miss Lillie Beck is real sick at this writing.

Mr. William Ramey, of Chechero was on Warwoman last week.

Mr. Jeff Beck had the misfortune to get his hand badly cut while butchering a hog last week.

Miss Mary Beck returned home last week.

Eva

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Quotation excerpted from my upcoming volume Rabun County, Georgia, Newspapers, 1894 – 1899, expected to be released in 2012.

Feature Friday: Tribune’s Publication Day Changes from Friday to Thursday, January 1899

The Clayton Tribune was first published beginning in January 1898 by J. A. Reynolds, who established the paper and edited it for several years. Until the January 20, 1899 issue, The Tribune was published on Fridays, but beginning with the first issue of the second volume, dated January 26, 1899, Mr. Reynolds moved the publication day to Thursdays.

Feature Friday: Honor Roll, March 30, 1899

For the past year or so, I’ve been working on compiling a volume of items published in the early newspapers of Rabun Co., GA, namely The Clayton Argus (1894), The Tallulah Falls Spray (1897 – 1898), and The Clayton Tribune (1899). I finished the main body of the volume several weeks ago and am now working on an index. I have applied for a publishing grant through the R. J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation and, if accepted, I hope to have this volume published within the next few months.

To incite interest in the project, I decided to publish small excerpts every Friday from now through November, or possibly longer.