CHRONICLE OF EVENTS FROM 1829 to 1837.

A few facts were put down as they occurred, and as will be seen only a few.

1829.

February 17.—Large fire at Savannah, loss 40 to $50,000.

March 26.-Corner stone of Factory laid at Athens.* August.-Alonzo Church elected President of Franklin College and in November, James Shannan Professor of Ancient Languages.

February and April.-Large fires in Augusta. The latter burned near 200 houses. It commenced on Ellis street and extended to the river; strong south wind.

1830.

February 1.-Judge Cobb died.

June 3.-The Governor issued his Proclamation, requiring persons to desist digging gold in the Cherokee nation. October 18.-Legislature is called together by Proclamation, because of intruders on the gold mines in the Cherokee nation.

October 30.-New College at Athens burned.

December.-Dreadful Tornado in Oglethorpe, killed one person, wounded several, and tore down houses. Tassels, the Indian, is hanged, notwithstanding Judge Marshall's reference to the United States Court.

1831.

Winter. Cherokee country run off into sections. Spring.-Messrs. Worcester and Butler, missionaries in the Cherokee nation, imprisoned in the Penitentiary. It was a matter of deep regret to all the friends of religion in the State that they should have persisted in what was considered obstinacy. At the gate of the prison yard they were met by one in the confidence of the Governor, and begged to say they would leave the Cherokee county, and they would be released; but, no, they would not be advised.-[See remaks, page 144.]

*This is about the commencement of Factories in the State since the This building was burned, but since re-built.

war.

April 13.-The Baptist convention resolved to establish

a manual labor school.

June.-Heavy failures in Macon. Solvency of the Macon bank questioned, but soon the stock is sold out at a premium of 25 per cent. The bank finally failed to the loss of many honest persons. Cotton which had sold in the fall from 9 to 11, now worth 5 to 7 cents.

May 2.-Penitentiary burned.

May 8.-Dreadful tornado in Greene. Began on the Appalachee, in Morgan, and crossed above Colham's ferry, destroyed many buildings, and much timber and fence.

August 3.-Anti-tariff convention at Athens, and delegates appointed to meet those from other States, at Philadelphia, in September. Seaborn Jones and Eli Shorter attended at Philadelphia.

September 26.-Railroad convention at Eatonton, attended by delegates from several counties. Resolution was passed to petition Legislature for a charter for a railroad from Augusta to Eatonton: this was secured and survey commenced. Afterwards, by compromise, the charter was altered, and the road to be constructed first to Athens, and branches to Eatonton and Madison.

December 19.—The convention of school teachers was formed in Milledgeville; it lived about three years only. December.-Legislature abolished the Penitentiary system of punishment and restored it the next year. Ordered a survey into lots of the Cherokee country.

1832.

January 23.-A manual labor school commenced near Eatonton, with eight pupils; first of the kind in the Southern States. This was to test the experiment.

November. Capt. Thomas Cobb died; a native of Buckingham, Va., aged 110-grandfather of Judge Cobb. November 12.-An anti-tariff convention meets at Milledgeville, consisting of 134 delegates.

November 20.-The Legislature pass resolutions submitting a plan of a Southern Convention.

Macon bank failed this year.

1833.

January 14.-The missionaries, Worcester and Butler, discharged from the Penitentiary.

February 12.-Centenial celebration at Savannah of the settlement of the State.

March. Two pillars of the Macon bridge carried away by a boat getting loose and swinging against it. A new bridge was built.

Winter. Heavy failures in Augusta.

April. Merchants' and Planters' Bank, of Augusta, stopped payment, to the loss of many persons. The charter was finally annulled by the Legislature.

October 22.-Died at Cedar Point, McIntosh county, Mrs. Ann McIntosh. Her parents came to Georgia with Gen. Oglethorpe, and she was born at Darien soon after their arrival. She was about 100 years old.

1835.

November.-Outrage of the Georgia Guard on the person of J. H. Payne, in the Cherokee country. This was strongly censured by the Legislature, but the Guards had been disbanded, and therefore not punished.

1836.

April 22.—Aurora Borealis very bright in Georgia, especially at Crawfordville. Unusually bright at Philadelphia. It is not recollected to have been seen in this State prior to this, and it was supposed to be something else.

January and February.-Volunteer troops march to Florida to suppress the Seminoles; they were murdering the citizens. Of the young men who left Putnam and other counties, some never returned, others returned to die in the arms of their friends.

May 6 to 20.-Disturbances among the Creeks, in Alabama, they have murdered several families, and burned Roanoke, in Georgia. Troops volunteer and march, to prevent more injury.

RAILROADS.-HISTORY.

There was a great deal of talk about railroads, as early as 1822 and '3, but in talk it ended. A Railroad Convention was got up at Eatonton in September, 1831, through the exertions of Charles P. Gordon, Wiley W. Mason, and others. Col. Cumming, from Augusta, Major Prince, from Macon, Judge Nichols, of Savannah, and distinguished men from many counties were present. Now an impulse was given to the subject. At the next Legislature a charter was granted for a railroad from Augusta to Eatonton, but at the session, in 1832, the charter was so altered as to run direct to Athens, with branches to Eatonton and Madison. This was afterwards extended to the Chattahoochee. Operations were commenced in May, 1835, and in November, twenty-five miles more were let out: this is called the Georgia railroad. Prior to this, Mr. Davis had obtained a charter for a railroad from Darien to Brunswick, and by the help of the State, had succeeded in cutting down the trees and clearing out the path; but his interest was purchased, and in 1835 the charter was so altered as to make a canal instead of a railroad.

The charter of the Central railroad, i. e. from Savannah to Macon, was granted December, 1833, or '4.

The railroad from Macon to Forsyth, twenty-five miles, was begun in the winter of 1836.

In December, 1835, the Legislature granted to the Georgia and Central, and some other, railroad companies, the right to establish banks and issue bills.

In December, 1835, Col. T. Butler King obtained a charter for a railroad, from Brunswick to the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee-this was surveyed in the winter of 1836-7.

Several miles of the Central railroad, from Savannah, was completed in the spring of 1837, and cars were running: so also of the Georgia railroad, from Augusta. This latter is intended to be finished to Crawfordville by Christmas

In December, 1836, the State determined on preparing a railroad from the Tennessee line, say, in Murray, to the Chattahoochee, in De Kalb, and pledged a large portion of the surplus fund allowed to the State, to construct it. At same session a charter was granted for one from Macon to Columbus, and thence to West Point; also, from Forsyth to West Point, &c., &c., and others more than ever will be constructed. Engineers are at work on the one through the Cherokee country: this no doubt will be constructed.

The Savannah and Macon railroad crosses the Ogechee, one and a half miles below Jenk's bridge, crossing Jenk's road, and leaving it to the north some eight miles from the city. It crosses Lot's creek and Canouchee just above their junction, and the Ohoopee at the mouth of Pendleton's creek, and the Oconee at the mouth of Turkey creek. The way is cleared to Ogechee, graded for thirteen miles, and operations are going on for six further.

The Georgia railroad depot is at the corner of Jackson and Watkins streets, in Augusta, two squares south of the Baptist church. It crosses the Milledgeville road about fifteen miles from the city, first time, and six times more before it gets twenty-seven miles distant. It leaves Warrenton four miles south, passes through Crawfordville, and bends up towards Athens eight miles east of Greenesboro ; here a branch diverges for Greenesboro, Madison, &c.

Let it be recorded here, to the honor of the South Carolina, that the cars on her railroad do not, as a general thing, run on the Sabbath. During the short days in the winter of 1836-7, they went out as far as Aiken on Sabbath afternoon, because it is difficult at that season to make the trip during day light: but this practice was not in vogue till lately. It is hoped they will remember God's command, if they would prosper in temporal things.

Will the Directors of the Georgia railroads remember the Sabbath?