Cornelius Rowan (Nashville, Georgia)

Cornelius Rowan married my father's half sister, Lena Belle Outlaw. She was born (1897) and she and Uncle Cornelius lived on the farm she inherited from her maternal grandfather, Steve Lewis. (The log house in which she was born stands about 50 yards from the mill.) On turn-of-the-century maps, this farm is listed as the L.G. Outlaw Place, in reference to my grandfather. I feel fortunate to have known Uncle Cornelius, and, I think, he favored me as much as he favored any of his own blood kin of my generation. The reason is rather simple. If anything, Uncle Cornelius was devoted to a life of labor. No man then or now worked harder. When he and I worked together, I worked as hard as he did, and he liked that beyond compare. If I write a book on colorful people, Uncle Corny will occupy the bulk of the space. Though he has been gone since 1973, rarely passes the day that I do not think of him standing there in his overalls. (If your imagination exceeds your devotion to the truth, you can pretend that I said, "overalls, underwear, shoes, socks, shirt . . . .")

Slides 1 and 2  show different views of a Columbus No. 12 mill.