Produced by Bill Tozier, Barbara Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Note: This version preserves the irregular chapter numbering scheme of the original printing; ignoring the first and last chapters, the rest are numbered I-II, IV, XI, XV-XXIII, XXVI-XXVII, XXIX-XXXV. Also, many variant and alternative spellings have been preserved, except where obviously misspelled in the original. LIFE GLEANINGS Compiled by T. J. MACON RICHMOND, VA. 1913 W. H. ADAMS, Publisher Richmond, Virginia PREFACE My Life's Gleanings is not intended to be a technical history chronologically arranged, but a reproduction of events that my memory recalls. By retrospecting to occurrences that happened during my journey of life. To those who were contemporaneous with the gleanings alluded to they will recognize them. To the younger reader he will glean what happened in the past. The incident and anecdote is founded on facts. I launch the book on the highway of public approval, hoping the reader will not be disappointed. THE AUTHOR. MY LIFE'S GLEANINGS COMPILED BY T. J. MACON CHAPTER I. The author of these pages first saw the light of day at the family home of his father, Mr. Miles Gary Macon, called "Fairfield," situated on the banks of that historic river, the "Chicahominy," in the good old County of Hanover, in Virginia. My grandfather, Colonel William Hartwell Macon, started each of his sons on the voyage of life with a farm, and the above was allotted to my respected parent. Belonging to the place, about one or two miles from the dwelling, was a grist mill known as "Mekenses," and how the name of "Macon" could have been corrupted to "Mekenses," is truly unaccountable, yet such is the case. The City of Richmond was distant about eight miles to the South. This old homestead passed out of the Macon family possession about seventy years ago, and a Mr. Overton succeeded my father in the ownership of "Fairfield" and the mill. Later a Doctor Gaines purchased it. My highly respected parents were the fortunate possessors of a large and flourishing family of ten children, all of whom were born at "Fairfield."