74 THK FOGY DAYS AND XOW ; 



out, "Thar now, Sally, yoiiVe played h — 1 agin," and for one 

 time in his life our great Statesman seemed at a loss for a 

 reply. Mr. Calhoun made frequent visits to these mountains 

 with my father, examining the topography of the country in 

 view of a railroad crossing the Blue Ridge, and could often 

 be seen cracking rocks in search of minerals. He was first to 

 discover the indications of gold in that section, and afterward, 

 my father and others, worked extensive gold mines there. 



Mr. Calhoun was noted for his wonderful forecast of coming 

 events. Many are still living who remember his predictions 

 about Marthasville, now Atlanta, the coming city of the South. 

 Nearly fifty years ago he said it would become a great 

 railroad distributing point and a great city. He greatly 

 desired about that time a railroad connection between Charles- 

 ton, S. C, and Knoxville, Tenn., which enterprise was finally 

 undertaken before the war, and after an expenditure of sev- 

 eral millions of dollars, under bad management, was abandoned 

 for want of further means, the failure proving a great misfor- 

 tune to South Carolina. 



As a boy, I have often heard Mr. Calhoun discuss with ray 

 father the great approaching crash between the North and 

 South, and its certain fearful results. He would sho\v the 

 continual encroachments of the Abolitionists upon the con- 

 stitutional rights of the South, and pictured the troubles that 

 would be unavoidable. He feared that our people did not 

 fully appreciate the gravity of the situation. I have often 

 heard him say it must come if these aggressions continued, 

 and from his intimate knowledge of our opponents and their 

 unrelenting and selfish character, he feared the worst. 



My father was devoted to Mr. Calhoun, and when he died 

 was in the deepest grief and gloom, for he felt that the greatest, 



