ANDERSON COUNTY NEWS
June 23, 1928
“Old Age”
W. J. Smith
Sitting here all alone this morning in a little hot house, I think of the changes this little hill has seen since it was thrown up by God. A hundred years ago, the land that I now see was covered with tall oaks, poplars, sugar trees, and walnuts that God caused to grow for the use of man. And also Poplar Creek filled with fish. They were all kinds of game; deer, elk, buffalo, bear,raccons, squirrels. You did not have to step out of your yard to shoot almost any kind of game.
The old hewed log house that was built by Samuel Galbraith is still stanking on the same corner stone that he laid down. The same floor that he laid is still on the same old sleepers that he hewed with a broadax, and pinned down with wooden pegs. The winding stairway is still in use. The old corn crib still speaks of its builder. Even the dirt about the house, methinks, has not forgotten the former master. His old falling ax, and his broadax, think of the one who handled them over a century ago.
Samuel Galbraith did not think of growing old, after so many years of hard work and toil. He sat down to rest, and began to use a wooden comb. His wife was sitting by him in an old-fashioned rocking chair. He began to comb his hair, and turned to his wife and said, “Do you see that handful of hair, white as snow?”
“Yes, Samuel, you are getting grey and bald. Yes, Samuel, I can see the change. When we were married we were both young, and our hair was as black as a crow. When we moved in this house we were alone; now look at our boys and girls. When we married, you were 20 and I was 18; now you are 70 and I am 68. We have grown old so quickly. We have worked so hard and have everything in good shape to live, now we have to die.”
“Yes, the family circle will be broken. There will be a change.”
The old folks begin now to plan to divide up and make the children happy. But you cant satisfy your children: Satan steps in and stirs up trouble. The old man divided up his land and slaves and is now lying under a rock tomb.
The old house cannot speak, but I love to look at it and imagine its story. One corner of my land is called the Samuel Galbraith corner. But the tree that marked the spot is gone. Did you readers ever think about growing old when you were young? no, I was old before I ever thought of it. Thus, when we get old, we look back to the cradle and say, “Lord, you have kept me to a good old age and I am worthless”.
I dont think it would be anything wrong to mention my good friend, J R Barnett. Oh, how I miss him. Clinton will miss him, too. I have known Jim more than fifty years. He was always ready to shake hands with all whom he met and always had a smile on his face. He was a good lawyer, a good citizen, and a good neighbor. But Jim is gone; he did not think he was getting old until he became old. All who knew him will remember Jim. And there is another place to see him.
ANDERSON COUNTY NEWS
A local newspaper
In the 1920′s, Jasper Smith wrote articles for the Anderson County newspaper about the different areas of the county. They are being shared with you because of the genealogy that was written in some of the articles.