BlankPat Lowe poses some questions about several of the individuals mentioned in this newspaper article below re the Buena Vista Railroad Barbecue. Does anyone have the answers? "Mr. R.O. Woodall, a prominent merchant of Buena Vista" is this Robert Olive Woodall, 1859-1920, son of Robert Baugh Woodall and Cornielia Thornton?? "communication from Captain Persons"....who is this? I have a large group of Persons relatives in Monroe county and some of them came down to Talbot county. My direct line went on to Texas and thus my dad was born in Texas. He used to tease my mother about being from the piney woods of Georgia, not knowing that his family was deep in those piney woods too. My Persons ancestress is Holly Berry Persons, b 1765 in Bute co NC, died 1846 in Warren co GA, dau of John Persons and Prudence Jones. She was the wife of Joel Walker, revolutionay war soldier. They had 6 daughters and one son, Persons Walker, who died in Taylor county. Her brother Jones Persons came to Monroe county. There were lots of descendants throughout Georgia and Alabama. ", O.C. Bullock"--is this Osborne Cordy Bullock or his son Osborne Bullock who were from Marion county? My John Cyle Cook ancestor married Mary Liza Bullock, grdau of Osborne Cordy Bullock and Jane Richardson Coombs. I am also wondering about Abb Wooldridge---since I have two Wooldridge girls Sally and Cinthia who married Coalson and Wood Moreland, who were brothers. I have suspected that Sally and Cinthia were sisters. Pat Lowe [email protected] THE BUENA VISTA RAILROAD BARBECUE >From the Columbus Times Tuesday was a big day in Buena Vista, it being the occasion of the railroad barbecue. About three thousand people were present and rousing speeches were made by Colonel Edgar Butt, of Buena Vista and Hon. B.B. Hinton and Dupont Guerry, of Americus. The dinner was the grandest affair ever gotten up in Marion county, and ample to satisfy the vast crowd. The orators built the road with perfect ease, and Americus pledged the necessary funds to finish it to that point. Ellaville has subscribed $25,000 to carry it by that place and though little real business was done at the meeting Tuesday, it did much to inspire the people to renewed effort. Americus was represented by a delegation of seventy-five or eighty of her prominent citizens. From Columbus were Messrs. John Booth, J.C. Anderson, O.C. Bullock, Abb Wooldridge, John Shepherd and Hal Hilman. At night the festivities closed with a ball, which was largely attended. The following communication from Captain Persons speaks for itself: "Geneva, Ga., August 29, 1883--Editors Times: An attendance at the Buena Vista railroad festival of yesterday convinced me that the road will be built and that Americus will secure its terminal, unless Columbus quickly interferes. All the people of Marion appear to be resolved upon a road, and quite a majority of them with whom I discussed appeared to favor Columbus as their point of trade, if they can have railway communication with her. I was told that half the sum offered by Americus would carry the road to Bostick, and not only secure the trade of the past but greatly increase it with Columbus. I know that Columbus knows her interest quite too well to need any advice from me, and I propose no advice, but thought to furnish two facts which may not be so well known to all of her merchants as to myself, namely, that Marion means to build a road, and second, prefers to point it to Columbus if she can command the means. Mr. R.O. Woodall, a prominent merchant of Buena Vista, is in the city representing the railroad company, and will call on our business men to day in the effort to induce them to take some interest in the matter. It would not require a large subscription to secure the road for Columbus, and if a few prominent men will take hold of the matter it can be raised within the next forty-eight hours. We bespeak for Mr. Woodall a careful hearing and such aid to his enterprise as can be extended.