Dr. Owens Finds A Veteran of Chilton 112 Years Old.

The first reports of county tax assessors on the statistics of surviving Confederate Veterans in Alabama have been made to Dr. Thomas M. Owen, Director of the State Department of Archives and History. Tax Assessor W. M. Hendon filed his statistics late Monday afternoon with Dr. Owen.

Second to comply with the law was Tax Assessor L. B. Pounds of Chilton county. He reported with his book carefully completed.

The facts contained in these reports to the Department of Archives and History are numerous and rich for the study of the historian. The number of old soldiers now living in Macon county are reported to be 113 and the number in Chilton county is 109. There are several in each county whose births date back to the 20's of the last century while the majority of the veterans were born in the 30's.

It is believed that one Charles Driggers, an old Confederate soldier who is an inmate of the Old Soldiers' Home at Mountain Creek, Chilton county, will take the prize for advanced age. His years are given in officially as 112. He is certainly the oldest soldier in Chilton county. He was born in Marlborough county, South Carolina, and was a member of the Reserve Artillery, having enlisted in Eufaula in the summer of 1862. Another Confederate figure in Chilton county is Andrew W. Eaton, who resides at Thorsby. He was born February 3, 1815, in York District, South Carolina, and enlisted in the fall of 1862.

The oldest veteran in Macon county proves to be Coleman H. Tucker, who was a private in Company A, in Major Ready's Battalion. He was born January 1, 1819, in elbert County, Ga.

One of the general observations of the records filed in the last two days is that many of the veterans living in the counties mentioned emigrated originally from the Carolinas and Georgia and Virginia.

Director Owen said yesterday he expected that from now on the reports of the assessors will be coming in rapidly. The officers have until August 9, 1908, in which to file the reports, but it is not believed that all this period will be taken up with the work. It is hoped, at least, by Dr. Owen, that the assessors will complete their enumeration and file the records long prior to August.

These new duties of the tax assessors were required by an act passed by the last Legislature and when finally performed will give an accurate compilation of the names, ages, style of service, births date and places of enlistment and how much service terminated, whether by parole, discharge, imprisonment, etc. To make their duties plain and facilitate the work Director Owen several months ago prepared and mailed to the assessors a circular letter which has served as an excellent guide for making the enumerations.

Object of Census

The objects of this census to be taken by the sixty-seven counties of Alabama are both practical and instrumental. Hundreds of inquiries are arising, involving the whereabouts of surviving veterans of the War of Secession. When the enrollment is completed these inquiries can invariably be answered. The records, moreover enable many a needy survivor to make proof of service, upon which to secure relief by pension or otherwise where it cannot now be made.

Two of the records prepared by each county assessor will be kept on file, one with the county and one with the State Department of Archives and History.

[Source: Montgomery Advertiser - March 18, 1908 - Transcribed by C. Anthony]

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Chilton County To Erect Dipping Vats Under State Law.

(Special to the Advertiser.) CLANTON, ALA., March 15--Dipping vats are being erected in Chilton county. Strongly opposed to the dipping of cattle, Chilton County had never taken any steps in this work, until the State-wide law was recently passed by the legislature. The county was under a cattle quarantine for a year. Now more cattle is being raised than the local markets can handle.

Given Up for Dead.

Marsa Smith, veteran soldier of French battlefields, who was wounded four times in battle, has just returned from France to his home here. He was reported in the casualty list several times, and his family had almost given up hopes of his returning.

Gerald Appointed .

Lawrence F. Gerald, a young lawyer of Clanton, who took a prominent part in promoting war enterprises until the armistice was signed, has been appointed to the Federal Rural Farm Loan Board for Chilton county.

Moves To Montgomery.

B. E. Jones, prominent lumberman of Clanton, sold his residence here and moved with his family to Capitol Heights, Montgomery, where he had bought a residence. Mr. Jones will enter business in Montgomery.

New Firm At Clanton.

George Edwards, of near Clanton, has bought a stock of goods in the Headly block in Clanton, and will conduct a general merchandise business there. With him is associated Mr. Culp. The name of the new firm is Edwards and Culp.

[Source: Montgomery Advertiser - March 16, 1919 - Transcribed by C. Anthony]

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An Unlucky Tumble

At a mill near Stanton, Tuesday a son of R. H. Lawrence fell off a chain used to carry lumber from the saw to the dry house, and a piece of scantling falling on him, broke both bones of one leg, just above the ankle.

[Source: Hamilton News Press, Marion County, AL - March 21, 1895 - transcribed and sbmitted by Veneta McKinney]

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