Atlanta And Its Builders, Vol. 1 - A Comprehensive History Of The Gate City Of The South. Thomas H. Martin
now Decatur street, where John Silvey's store now is, and I saw John White leap out of the front porch on Coleman Brown and bring him to the ground, where he called lustily for peace. In a vacant house nearby I saw the only cock fight with gaffs I ever saw, and saw men freely betting on the gamest chicken. There was only one marshal and no policemen. On the day of the election I heard there were sixty fights. In the second election old Jonathan won the prize. He began at once to put on the pressure, and the gamblers began at once to assert themselves against the mayor. One of them was arrested and ordered to the calaboose, a little log pen on the made land near the passenger station. His comrades secured a lever and raised the log sufficiently to give their comrade exit. There was an old cannon, and they dragged it to Decatur street and banged away again and again. They were arrested, and when old Jonathan ordered them to the calaboose, one of them whipped out his bowie knife and struck at the mayor across the table, fortunately missing him. A vigilance committee was organized, with a young Virginian, a teacher, Wilson, at its head. The insurgents were now promptly ousted. A court was held on Sunday, so important was the exigency, and they were sentenced to the calaboose. They stayed in jail until they were legally released. Few worthier men have lived in Atlanta than that typical 'down-easter,' Jonathan Norcross.
"W. L. Wright was the manager of the large grocery concern of Scott, Carhart & Co., and one of the largest cotton buyers on Whitehall street. Terrence Doonan kept a large grocery, and James T. Doane & Co. a large dry goods and grocery store on that street. There was one drugstore kept by Dr. Angier, afterward treasurer of the state. Then came a great many small establishments. Steinberger was the leading Jewish merchant, and Mayer & Haas came afterward with a large stock of cheap clothing. The MacDaniels, Mitchell & Hulsey had a large store filled with general merchandise. They did not sell whiskey, but sold all kinds of heavy groceries, dry goods, hardware, etc. Ira O. McDaniel and Philip, his brother, were members of this firm. They were already in Atlanta when we came. Ira O. McDaniel was a man of fine education, of high character, and of great energy. He was on Whitehall street what Jonathan Norcross was on Peachtree. He, too, was once mayor of the city. He was the father of Governor H. D. McDaniel. Cousin John Thrasher, the genial boniface of after days, was a merchant on Whitehall then, with a Mr. Scaife as partner. The bookstore was in a little house next to Dougherty's bakery. It was kept by James McPhenan, but I do not think it was opened until 1848. There were a great many small, cheap shops, and many grog shops.
"The leading doctor in Atlanta — certainly the most popular — was the genial, warm-hearted Josh Gilbert. He rode on horseback and carried a whistle with him, with which he made his presence known as he galloped his steed through the streets. He kept no books, collected no accounts, and, I think, paid no debts. He was "a natural-born doctor," the people said, and was a universal favorite. Dr. Martin, my father's partner, was a reserved, cynical and well-read medical man, who looked with amazement on Dr. Josh and his ways. My father was the other member of the faculty. I do not think the practice of any of the fraternity was extensive, nor were the incomes of the doctors princely.
"The lawyers were few. John Collier was a young fellow then. He was the partner of William Murphey. Sober, sensible, reliable, he was then as he continued to be till his death, in every respect a valuable man. His brother George was the postmaster, who was very steady at his work and very courteous, though brusque in his manner. The post-office was on the corner of Peachtree and Decatur streets. Richard Peters was then running" a line of stages from Atlanta to Montgomery. He was then, as he always was, a gentleman of the finest type, quiet, dignified, reserved, considerate and polite. He was a mover in everything that looked like progress. George W. Adair was a popular conductor on the Georgia Railroad. These were some of the leading men of the town. On the outskirts lived Uncle Neddy Payne, whose little farm is now in the heart of Atlanta. He was a sturdy, sensible, worthy man, as was Samuel Walker, who lived in what is now North Atlanta. These two men were famous Methodists, so J knew them well. Among the people we found in Atlanta was Reuben Cone, who lived in a great comfortable cottage on Marietta street. He was. I think, a New Yorker. He had a lot of land in the heart of Atlanta.
"I remember that a fourth of an acre on Marietta street was then worth $250. Reuben Cone's only child married Julius A. Hayden, who resided with his father-in-law. When we came to Atlanta, Colonel Hayden's gentle wife was one of the few who had a piano and a musical education. Without charge, as I remember with gratitude, she gave my little sister musical training. There was a motley people in the city then. Much the larger class were rather poor specimens, but there were not a few most excellent people, and some very few people of cultivation. Among the most striking memories I have is of old Painter Smith. I do not claim kinship with him, but there is no question about his being a distinguished personage. He was always drunk — not drunk enough to be still, but drunk enough to be noisy.
" 'You are a fool and I am a fool, but I am a fool to do as I do. and you are a fool for the want of sense,' he would yell out, or —
' I ain't afeard of nothin' sence I killed them two men."
"Every now and then he would select some man as an object of abuse, and presuming on Stephen Terry's Methodism he began on him; but old Stephen forgot his peace principles and wore out a hickory cudgel on old Painter's back.
"Little Toney was a mite of a Frenchman who kept the first restaurant in Atlanta — a poor affair under Wheat's store, where he served oysters, and ham and eggs, and where, when the gamblers wished, they could have a quiet little game of seven-up.
"Of all the queer characters who were in Atlanta when we came to it, I think Dr. Fruerden was the queerest. He was a duck-legged, bristling Baptist parson. He came of a good Maryland family and was first a printer, then a Methodist preacher, then a botanic physician, then a Baptist preacher, then an editor, then a school-teacher. He married an elegant lady and lived in a log cabin. He was a great temperance man in principle, but now and then he was a little off in his practice of total abstinence. He was always a leader in everything, and while he had his derelictions, was, in the main, all right.
"Stephen Terry, who gave old Painter the caning, was a stern, substantial old citizen who was a candidate for mayor and 'persona lion grata' to old Painter, who undertook the office of 'cussing him out.' This was a favorite practice of some of the early citizens. The offended man. with his coat off and his sleeves rolled up, would go to the shop or store of the one obnoxious. He would then began a tirade of abuse and pour forth a volley of the fiercest and vilest and most blasphemous oaths. It was really astonishing that any genius could find as many ways of using the divine name in vain as these experts could. He was only waiting to be "clared" of the law, and he would wipe the earth with his foe.
"I once happened at the depot when a little short man vending watermelons was 'cussing out' a rival in trade and daring him to fight him. The angular, long-legged watermelon dealer was averse to a fight, but some Athens college boys urged him to stand to his guns. At last the chips were put upon each shoulder, and the brave little fellow knocked off his rival's chip. The other came to time, there was one blow, and then a foot race, for the little man ran at full speed around the car-shed, his long-legged antagonist in vain pursuit.
"Calvin Hunnicutt was the handsome, genial clerk of, I think, Mayer & Haas, and Jep Rucker, afterwards a leading banker, was clerk for Sternberger. Wash. Houton clerked for Mel. Wright. Dick Venable, father of the Venable brothers, for James Loyd.
"I wonder how many can remember Bill Durham and his basket of ginger cakes. His mother lived in a log house where Broad street joins Mitchell, and made her living with her gingerbread. There -was then no market, and fresh meat was hawked about town in a cart. About 1848 Gresham C. Rogers opened the first meat stall.
"Alexander Luckie, who gave the name to Luckie street, lived on the Peachtree road, on the outskirts of the town. Walton street was named in honor of A. W. Walton, one of the first merchants; Loyd street after James Loyd; Peters street after Richard Peters; Mitchell street after old Samuel Mitchell; Doane street after John T. Doane; McDaniel street after Ira O. McDaniel; Spring after Walton's spring.
"We had preaching every Sunday. Now a Catholic priest had mass, now a Methodist circuit rider, and now a hard-shell Baptist preached. I remember one who called himself a corn stalk preacher, and whose tears and humility touched hearts deeply. Dr. Wilson had a regular