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D CHAPTER 54 1876 1ARIST S. P. Richards took pen in hand on New Year's day, 1876, and wrote: "The gentlemen have been calling upon their lady friends today pretty freely and Dora [eldest daughter of S. P. R.] went to Mrs. Belle Abbott's house to assist her in receiving and they had some 60 callers. The first batch of visitors (some half dozen) they treated to coffee with salt which Sallie Kendrick had filled the sugar bowl with by mistake. And so we have entered upon the centennial year of American Independence." On December 1, 1875, an election was held for one alderman-at-large, and for one member of council from each ward. Democratic candidates swept the field over Independents, resulting in the election of Oliver H. Jones as alderman-at-large for a three-year term. New councilmen were: first ward, George H. Gramling; second ward, E. P. Chamberlin; third ward, William Gray; fourth ward, Dr. Samuel Hape; fifth ward, Dr. Stephen T. Diggers.1 In connection with this election the Constitution commented:2 "The results of yesterday's election are of serious import. They mean first that this city has not only passed entirely and forever from the control of the Republican party, but that that party itself is hopelessly divided. It means, also, that many of our freedmen are learning wisdom, and the difference between real and pretended friends. They voted to suit themselves yesterday, and many of the prominent ones among them say that they mean to do it in the future." An ordinance was adopted November 20, 1876, regulating the election of municipal officers. It provided that the regular annual election should be held on the first Wednesday of December of each year and every year, at which time there should be elected one alderman-at-large, and one councilman from each ward in the city. It also provided that at the next election held under the foregoing provision, and biennially thereafterward, there should be elected a mayor of the city.3 Ministerial officers serving Atlanta for 1876 were: clerk, Frank T. Ryan; treasurer, J. H. Goldsmith; recorder and auditor, J. T. Pendleton; attorney, W. T. Newman; engineer, H. T. McDaniel; tax receiver, J. O. Harris; superintendent alms house, W. F. Stewart; sexton, L. G. Holland; keeper city hall, J. W. Roberts; magazine keeper, J. C. Thurman; marshal, W. H. Holcombe; assessors, N. H. Turner, M. T. Simmons and N. R. Fowler.4 Twelve years had passed since the terrible war year of 1864, yet Atlantans were constantly being confronted with grim reminders of that trying time. On April 1, 1876, the Constitution inquired: "When, indeed, shall we cease to confront the evidences of our late civil war? We cry out against the renewal of this unfortunate strife in the arena of politics and we meet upon each other's native soil and shake hands in renewed fraternity to the glorius music of the union. But, every day nearly, we are brought face to face with some relic, some lasting effect, or some before undeveloped horror of those days of bloody and destructive war." 926 ATLANTA AND ITS ENVIRONS All of which was the prelude to a long news story relative to a grisly discovery made on the afternoon of March 31st. A man named Hokes, who resided in the square bounded by Rawson, Fraser, Martin and Clarke streets, employed a Negro man to plow his garden. When nearly through, and on a slope in rear of the yard, the Negro felt a certain spot of earth yield somewhat. At about the fourth crossing of the spot, the horse's foot very nearly broke through the soil, and a moment later the point of the plow struck under and lifted up a rotten plank. Thinking he had uncovered an old unfilled well, the Negro so informed Mr. Hokes. The latter secured as axe and began to pry up the planks so as to ascertain the depth of the supposed well. But the boards did not yield easily. They proved to be an inch thick and spiked down with large nails. After much labor sufficient planking had been removed so that, with the aid of lanterns, the men could look down into the excavation. A ghastly sight met their eyes. A room had been cut in the side of the hill of sufficient size to accommodate two persons comfortably for sleeping. It had been walled in with plank and the board roof...

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