| [These sketches
were taken from the Journal
of George Henry Babbitt, grandson of Champion
Carter Meriwether Marable, Volume II, pages
255-266, December, 1904:] I
thought I would try and write a description of
the people that mostly are mentioned in this
book, meaning the nearest of kin. While it is
better to have a photographs of these we would
like to remember as they appeared at some past
time, still, these not being at hand. the next
best way according to my idea would be to have a
written description of just how they appeared me
at this time, their personal appearance, their
peculiarities, their looks and manner, and their
aims in life so far as I know them. I shall
endeavor to write only what I know on good
authority and to be as accurate as I can.
I shall start this
"photograph" gallery off with the
portly and highly intelligent gentleman,
Jno. S.
Marable
(Brother of Annie Marable Babbitt)
Uncle John
who is the oldest in point of years, of any of
the immediate kin on my mother's side. He
is now a resident of Bernice, La., and lives
there with his wife and daughter the latter whom
is married to E. B. Robinson of that place. He
was been at this place some ten years, having
moved there with his wife from this place, where
he had spent the greater part of his life.
I saw him last in the spring of 1901. He
stopped off here for several days on his way home
from the Confederate Reunion at Memphis. and
spent the night with us on the lower place, where
we were then living. He had not changed much. He
is now about 60 years of age, and beginning to
turn gray. I should say about half white. In
stature he is about 5 ft. 9 inches and weighs
about 190 pounds, a square built, small hands and
feet, short neck and what is known as a Dimlin
head. He wears a short beard and mustache and has
a pleasing countenance and the width of his frame
and its roundness gives him the appearance of
being low in height.
He has one of the best dispositions among all
the relatives, yet not free from certain vanity
and love of bragging and which hurts no one as
bad as himself. He is courteous, friendly and
generous to a fault, even working discomforts on
himself to help others and the best fellow in the
world to have as a companion.
He is true to his friend, and has the power to
make one out of almost every chance acquaintance.
He is always in a good humor and such an artist
in knowing how to talk well and entertainingly
that no one in a bad humor comes away without
having his humor improved.
He was an old Confederate Soldier and as such
made a record for himself that is known and
respected by all of his old comrades. His
business talent is sadly wanting owing wholly to
his easy ways and generous nature, and lack of
firm resolve, though he has always succeeded in
life owing to this characteristic, which made it
possible for him to always command a good
position through his influence in drawing
trade.
He is a great hunter and fisherman and nothing
pleases him better than a days sport at fishing,
he being now too old to hunt much. This gift of
relating tales and incidents of his army life and
his loud and happy laugh is remembered by us
all.
He expects to die in La. and no doubt doesn't
look on the resting place of his mortal bones
with much favor, as he still has many lasting
recollections of the many friends and comrades
and kinsmen he has left behind him here.
He is a great lover of the flowing bowl and
while he lived in Okolona, took regular times
which to fill up, these sprees sometimes lasting
as long as two weeks. Some years would pass
entirely without his touching a drop of whiskey,
when maybe the next year, he would get on a half
dozen sprees. He claimed to have contracted the
habit in the army.
Now, the next man in the line
for his picture, is a very refined and elegant
gentleman, a gentleman, who does not think as
well of himself as he ought to, being what might
be termed hen-pecked. and the old saying is amply
verified In his case, being, that a man is looked
upon by others as he looks upon himself. This
gentleman is -
Richard
William Marable
(Brother of Annie Marable Babbitt)
Uncle Dick
June 3, 1845 - January 18, 1912
said to have been quiet handsome in his
youthful days. He stands about 5 ft. 9 or 10
inches and has round shoulders, and weighs
probably 135 pounds. His head and neck are well
shaped and features clear cut. Prominent eyes,
small nose and mouth, over which he wears a black
mustache, and prominent ears. His face Is
inclined to be keen but not sharp. He has very
black hair and blue eyes, with small feet and
hand, a characteristic of the Marable family and
has the look of gentility and good breeding about
him. In deportment he is very quiet and reserved,
hardly ever having any humor in what he says and
then of a very droll sort.
He is a man of good sound judgment, sensitive
feelings, and very affectionate nature. He is
slow to both action and speech and lacks
confidence in himself and is probably too easy
and forgiving, which means he lacks firm
convictions. His most prominent characteristic is
his methodical ways. About all of his home
affairs, his garden and chickens etc. he has a
certain way to manage each and everything and
always a reason to hand you out just why he does
it that way, which reason is always good and
would do others good if delivered with more force
and conviction, but therein lies one of the
things nature has denied him. He lives now in
this town and is the night watchman at the old
mill, though he has lived in Jackson, and Laurel,
Mississippi within the last few years.
In this man, my father had the highest
confidence both in his integrity and his judgment
on all practical questions and since my earliest
remembrance, he has been the best friend to us
all, always advised us on the management of our
affairs, and whose advice was always followed by
us against that of guardian and courts. I shall
always remember him a quiet, patient little man,
always ready to listen to the statement of any
question and give you advice on that question if
such advice is requested. He is always the
listener and never makes a sorry one, as he has
been schooled under a very strict lady to pay
close attention and heed what she said to him. He
is a good manager of small affairs, good
gardener, poultry man etc. He is now about 55
years old and well preserved for his age.
He made a good soldier in the Civil War and
was severely wounded, being shot through the body
at Brice's Cross Roads.
(R.W. Marable was murdered
Thursday Night - January 18, 1912 at the Old Mill
in Okolona Mississippi.)
Mariah Louisa
Gates Marable
(Wife of R.W. Marable.)
Aunt Lou
June 9, 1855 - April 7,1939
And my wish in the premises is that she may
never rest her eyes on this page, for if she did,
what would be doing, would be enough. To begin
with she is an exponent of that great and
forceful, awe inspiring kind of the geniler sex,
- The strong minded woman and she is largely. in
the majority. Not what is termed a new woman,
what wants to hold political office and vote with
men at elections, but one of those red-headed
creatures that forces their opinions, especially
on their husbands, by word of mouth and if
necessary by force of arms, so to speak.
A good woman at heart however a good, though
rather firm mother, and inclined to be
overbearing, and a good help-meet, in so far as
housework and above enumeration's are considered.
She is the wife of R. W. Marable and I guess she
reminds him of it often enough. Where two
natures, in marriage or any other walk of life,
come together to live or work or do business in
any sort of way, the strong one always shapes the
course for both and as in this case, where the
strong will happens to belong to a woman, and the
weak-willed to her husband, then the world at
large gives the man the tiile of being
hen-pecked.
Aunt Lou is now pretty close to 50 years of
age and well preserved for her age. She is about
medium height and weighs and 140 pounds. In
stature or better in form, she is all that could
be wished, having a well developed and shapely
figure not showing age any more that would a
woman of ten years younger. She has light hair,
small pin-back ears, blue eyes and regular
features. Her head and neck are shapely and well
proportioned and set evenly on his shoulders.
Very small hands and feet and the marks of good
breeding evident in her entire make-up. In
disposition, she is kind and thoughtful for the
good of others but of a high, and when fully
aroused, an unquaveriable temper.
She is high strung, impetuous, self-willed and
accustomed to having her own way. Extravagant but
industrious and good manager. She reminds me of a
person who to take care of herself under all
circumstances and she has stamped her personality
indelibly on her family, from her husband
down.
She is well thought of by all the
family, who admire her open and straight forward
character, and her way of always fighting a
battle in the open, saying her piece in the
presence of him who has offended her, and never
taking unfair advantage. Aunt Lou, when taken as
a unit is better than the average latter day
woman.
Curt
Ivy
(Husband of Hettie Marable)
Uncle Curt
Another of the very
popular members of the family, though by
marriage, and a gentleman in more than one sense
of the word. I have known this kinsman from my
earliest recollections, and know nothing of him
what calls up the most pleasant of
recollections.
In my young and
tender youth, I looked upon him with an eye of
reverence, often wondering if my own father had
been as great and grand and If so what a man he
must have been. At his fireside, I was always
welcome, and in the knick knacks and small
presents be brought home to his children, I
always had a share.
Uncle Curt is close
to 60 years old and well preserved. He is near 6
feet high and straight up, large frame, and well
rounded out, weight about 175 pounds.
His hair which circles above his ears, he being
partially bald, is unchanged by the hand of time
and his beard and mustache are still dark brown,
inclined to be curly and very thick and heavy. Of
massive features, regular and prominent, a square
jaw and brown eyes he is still a fine looking man
and has an erect and almost military
carriage.
As to business
qualifications he is endowed above the average,
though lacking in the most important attributes
to succeed in life, self confidence, and energy,
but in a social way, his equal would be hard to
find and as a consequence he has many
friends.
He is now in Dumas,
Arkansas working as a clerk in a general
furnishing house in that town and getting a good
salary. He, too, is fond of the little brown jug,
but is temperate in it's use.
[The materials on this page
were provided by Bonnie [Caven] Tsurudome of El
Segundo, California.]
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