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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1907.
“PRIVATE JOE” COBB TELLS THE HISTORY
OF CARROLL COUNTY AND HER PEOPLE
William Springer
Evolved the Idea of
Building State Road.
Joseph L. Cobb, affectionately known
among his comrades and a large num
ber of friends throughout the South as
"Private Joe Cobb." has conferred upon
the reading public great benefit and
much pleasure by publishing his book
let “Carroll County and’ Her People,"
an' Illustrated history of Carroll from
1826 to 1906.
from him we learn that:
County Organized.
By an act of the Georgia legislature
In 1825 Carroll county was organized,
and laid out In 1826. It was the very
first county In Georgia organized west
of the Chattahoochee river. It extend
ed from the line of the Cherokee nation
of Indians on the north to West Point
to the Chattahoochee river.
It was V shape, forty miles wide
and nearly 100 miles long. On account
of Carroll’s Immense size and the prim
itive notions of Its first people. It was
given the unique name of "The State of
Carroll." Because of there being few.
or no slaves In this territory for several
years. It was also known as "The Free
State of Carroll."
Before any of Its territory was taken
Carroll was fully as largo as the state
of Delaware, or twice the size of "Little
Tthody.” The present sites of Buchan
an and Tallapoosa In Haralson county,
and nil of the city of West Point, and
various other Important places were In
Carroll county, giving It a domain of at
least 200,000 soiujre miles. Parts of
Heard. Troup. Douglas, Campbell and
Haralson have been cut off at different
times.
Settlers Were Busy.
In 1826 In all this vast territory there
were scarcely 1,000 Inhabitants and
scarcely ten negroes, but with strong
arms and hopeful hearts the little band
commenced the labor of changing an
unbroken forest into habitable homes of
plenty and rude refinement. Land was
cleared, swamps drained, stores, school
houses and churches built, courts or-
ganlzed. officers appointed, and all the
machinery of home government set In
motion.
In this connection It Is Interesting to
state that in 1825. when Carroll was
organized, Georgia was the leading cot
ton state of the world. Georgia had
forty settled counties, and In . these
counties were raised about 45,000 bales
of cotton—at that time the wonder of
the world. Last year the territory
which originally embraced "The Free
State of Carroll” had to her credit
r.o.000 bales of cotton. 6.0000 more than
had all the state of Georgia In 1825.
which led the world In raising cotton.
Today the present Carroll county,
although a little over one-fourth the
size of Its original limits, produces
about 30,000 bates of cotton.
Resources.
In 1890 there were In the county 1.278
horses, 2.407 mules, 11,903 swine, 159,548
of the various kinds of poultry, 9,055
cattle, 3,542 milch cows, 57 working
oxen, 1,897 sheop with a wool clip of
2,761 pounds. There were produced
1.097,167 gallons of milk. The butter
production of the county was 401,133
pounds, the honey 28,111 Bounds and
the eggs 63,500 dozen.
The timber growth Is chiefly oak and
hickory: on streams ash, maple, walnut,
poplar and gum. The timber products
amount to about $10,000 per annum.
Manufactures.
Ninety-three manufactories have an
annua] output of $342,445. Along the
Mule Tallapoosa and tributaries nre
17 mills (flour and grist), and along the
tributaries of the Chattahoochee 16
mills. The water is pure freestone. The
climate Is delightful. Gold, copper.
Iron, pyrites, mica and asbestos are
found, all In working -quantities. The
gold of this county Is said to be very
line. Near Villa Rica, In the northeast
ern part of the county on the Sputhern
railway, there Is an extent of country
six miles long and one mile wide. In
which are numerous mines yielding
large amounts of gold. Quartz and
granite are also found.
Health.
There Is no more healthful region
anywhere. Among other attractions to
home-seekers are good schools and
churches. Baptists, Methodists and
Presbyterians are In the lead, the two
former being the more numerous.
There nre 75 white schools apd 16 col-
ored, with an average attendance of
3.423 white and 929 colored pupils.
Carrollton,
Carrollton, the county site, a thriv
ing town of near 2,000 Inhabitants, has
a good trade and Is growing In busi
ness and population. Here the Chat
tanooga, Rome and Southern and a
branch of the Central railroad meet.
Here Is also a flourishing cotton fac
tory. with a capital of $100,000. and a
cotton ell mill. Carroll la one of the
most properous counties of Georgia.
Its area is 486 square miles, or 311,040
acres.
Its population in 1900 was 26,576:
school fund, $17,903.34. By the comp
troller general's report for 1900 there
nre: Acres of Improved land. 282,-
181; of wild land. 6,775; average value
per acre of improved. $5.12, and wild.
$1,26; city property, $378,574; value of
shares lu bank. $113,300; gas and elec
tric lights, $4,000; money, etc.. $333,851;
merchandise. 3134,499; cotton manufac-
lories, $89,000; household furniture,
3140,333; farm and other animals,.$270,-
555; plantation and mechanical tools,
$71,578; Jewelry, $6,883; value of all
other property. $35,805; real estate,
$1,831,994; personal estate, $1,214,296.
Aggregate property, $3,046,290.
Indian Springs Treaty.
In Carroll county lived General Wil
liam McIntosh, a half-breed of the
Muscogee or Creek nation. He com
manded a force of friendly Creeks In
the war of 1812-1815, and was greatly
distinguished in the battles of Autos-
see, the Horse-Shoe Bend, and later In
the Florida campaign. Chiefly through
his agency was effected the treaty
with the Georgians at Indian Springs
on February 12. 1825. by which the
Creeks ceded to the whites the balance
or the lands owned by them in Geor
gia. The faction of the Creeks op
posed to this treaty came in large force
to the house of General McIntosh, set
It on fire and shot the general. They
also killed the son-in-law of McIntosh,
Colonel Samuel Hawkins, and another
one of his chiefs, Etommee Tustun-
nugge, who had signed the treaty. Out
of these troubles came the controversy
between Georgia and the general gov
ernment, with regard to the Indian
lands. In which Georgia, through the
firmness of Governor Troup, maintain
ed successfully her position.
In his “CarroU County and Her Peo
ple,” Private Joe Cobb devotes ten
pages to a very interesting account of
General McIntosh and his assassina
tion. which he copies from The Consti
tution. published in 1893, as “being the
best historical account of the tragedy
and trade that we could find.”
Evolved State Road.
"William Springer originated the
Idea of building the state railroad, his
Idea being to secure a charter for a
road from Augusta to Carrollton and
one from Macon to Carrollton, where
they would unite and build together to
Chattanooga, then known as Ross
Landing. In 1837 he ran for the senate
with that as the main plank In his
platform. He was opposed and defeat
ed by Johnathan Haynes, whose con
stituency reasoned that the building of
the line would destroy one of their
main sources of ready money, namely,
that made by hauling freight from Au
gusta. Macon and Columbus to country
merchants all along the line.
“Before the building of the road from
Augusta to Atlanta merchandise of all
kinds wns hauled by farmers from the
former place to all points West.”
Famous “Pony Club.”
From “Private Joe” Cobb’s book we
learn about the Pony Club and Captain
Slick. The Pony Club was an organ
ised band of horse thieves in the early
settling of Carroll.
The Pony Club was so numerous and
so well distributed over this portion of
tho state that frequently It was impos
sible to convict one of them In court,
however strong might be tfr.e evidence.
“Private Joe” also tells us, “not being
able to convict the thieves in court, the
good farmers determined to take ven
geance In their own hands, defend their
property and punish the thieves. They
organized Into companies and called
themselves Slicks. The writer knew
well two of the Captains Slick, both in
north side of the county.”
The following interesting account of
a battle royal Is taken from a letter
written by Hon. L. P. Mandeviile and
published in The Carroll County Times
of March 26. 1897:
Pony Club Licked.
“Excitement was Intense and bitter
hatred existed between the two par
ties. It finally culminated in a street
fight at an election held In 1832, as near
ns I can learn. The Pony Club were
In Carrollton In full force that day and
a regular ‘knock-down-and-drag-out*
fight wns waged between them and the
Slicks. No knives or pistols were used
In those days. Men fought with their
fists, rocks and sticks. Both sides
fought desperately, but the Slicks, led
by the Intrepid Giles Boggess, then
sheriff, were victorious and the reign
of terrorism wns practically ended.”
Notwithstanding her humble begin
ning and the stirring times through
which her people have passed, Carroll
county commenced at the very first to
prosper and such has been her contin
ued success that today she stands
among the very foremost counties of
the state. It is to be hoped that many
good men In other counties will follow
"Private Joe” Cobb’s example; or what
Is better, why should not every county
appropriate a reasonable amount and
have her history and resources written
up as "Private Joe” Cobb has written
“Carroll County H* 1 ***^.
WHERE HOURS ARE WEARY
AND WORK IS A BLESSING
How Convict 1287
Killed Time in
Prison.
A miniature wood-sawing nnd chopping
outfit placed in n Ixtttle through the neck,
nnd carefully pieced together ill a mauuer
to cause meclinn!t>* to wonder «t the pa-
tieiii-p and skill of the maker—that Is the
memento a convict nt the
Just left of his pn»senee
for three years.
And it was doue in spare moments—mo
ments when the convict wns not busy nt
work In the carpenter shop of the Institu
tion.
8o perfect is the work that nt first glance
one believes the bottle wns made around
the suw-horse, cross-cut saw nnd axes, bat
the convict will show how he made ench
piece nnd then with infinite patience plnccii
that piei*e through the ueck of the Ixittle
nnd by the old of instruments nnd tools he
made himself put nil the pieces together
Inside the bottle.
This specimen of a convict’s skill Is the
work of convict No. 1287. who hns Just fin*
began serving out his sentence nnd he
llnl.shed it tin* day befure be was set nt lib
erty.
His name will never be known to the
world unless he sees fit to tgll Ills story.
For a convict loses his identity while In the
big institution in South Atlanta nnd Is
known onjy by n number, nnd the officials
try to help him overcome the stigma of n
term In prison by ki'eplng his Identity
want to help him nlpng In the world if be
wants to lie on tho level.
Tills particular convict rande n good ree-
M. His conduct wns excellent nnd he per
formed his work in the carpenter shop faith
fully. And to keep hlmsidf busy nt spare
moments he turned out this wonderful
piece of work.
Not only does It show the skill of the
maker ami stand ns n monument to his pa
tience. but It tells a pitiful tnle of long
days and nights behind bars, lost to the
world nnd separated from friends nnd fam
ily. For this convict wns n innu of family.
tating Uncle Shm*
the secret service
queer.”
The day this three years* tusk was com-
It took patient work to fit this
tiny saw and sawhorse into a
bottle, but No. 1287 had plenty of
time.
the bureau of Identlflcuthm at the Federal
prison. The next day No. 1287 was freed,
* ns he bade Mr. Nye farewell lie auhl
no one would have cause to question his ac
tions in the future.
IM444HHI*46M6M»666MIMHH6MIIMMI$WWHII
Attention—Not Admiration
By IRENE GARDNER.
W'
•BY IS IT THAT A WOMAN nlwnys
thinks when a man turns to look
nt her the second time that he is
doing so in udmlrutlon?”
This question was asked by a - .
to stare at her. Immediately she showed
that she was conscious of this fact, and
complimented by it.
She didn’t know that he wns staring nt
er because of curb
The man’s remark
for lie could uot but see that the woman
felt flattered by the attention she had at
tracted.
Then the man went on to say: “Just look
at that woman. Everything about her, botfly
In dress and manner, is affected. She 4|«k*s<
admiration. There nre some women who
nre discerning enough to discriminate lx»-
tween the two, nnd they’re the ones that
win out in the end.
“Thu mail who goes about with n con
spicuous woman nnd shows he’s proud of
Is put In a class by himself by other
woman must never be affected. Most men
couldn’t be hired to be seen lu public with
her, b4»cnuse they object to going nlmut
with women who are merely conspicuous.
All men have hnd disagreeable experiences
lu this respect. I well remember Inviting n
young lady to go to the theater with me
ouc evening, nnd when she came down
ready to start I -found she wss attired lu n
scarlet gown. I would Jast as soon have
taken her out dressed In the American flag.
“I hadn’t the sand then I have now. so I
took her to the theater and suffered misera
bly nil evening. She was the most consplc
nous woman there, nnd I think she believed
1*<) be pleased tbnt this wns so. It’s possi-
bio tbnt she wondered afterward why I did
not take her out to supper.
“I piloted her straight home, nnd never
4>ffered to take her out again. I know she
didn’t understand why. for she wore that
same dress many times afterward. Now,
if I were to run up against an experience
of that kind. I’d simply tell the woman
so liable to make the mistake of offering
attention to a woman who’d bo apt to do
such a thing as when I was youuger.
Now, take that woman who Just paused
here in the office. Kite is uot extreme
enough to be called loud, but Jnst enough
to be conspicuous. The large majority of
men would fight shy of her, while n certain
strips of man would chase her around the
globe. And there are plenty of men who
would l>e on friendly terms with her as
long ns no oue knew It, ami yet would
drqp iter quick enough If put where they
mnst needs acknowledge her as s friend,
gtill others would draw her out Just to see
how far she’d go sud all the time be criti
cising her for the very qualities which they
nre bringing out.
“Ami of all places for a woman to make
herself conspicuous, n hotel Is the Inst. If
she goes about ami tries to attract atten
tion nu'n always kmfw that she’s getting so
little of It she a ready to take it from any
body. Hhe doesn't understand men well
enough to know that moot of those who
will lead her on arc ths very oues who will
throw her over the quickest.
•*I*d like to tell some women that they’d
get more attention from men If they’d try
less to attract It. And l*d Ilka to tell them
also that attention doesn't always mean
’ The_
think, but they think It.Just the same.*
It was at this point that the man Innghcd
ns he addeii: '’Well, it’s funny that tho
passing of a woman through a hotel office
drew this lecture from me. But I’m sorry
only one woman 1ms board what I’i
Much Tea Consumed.
While tho United 8tutes Is known to all
tho world as the great coffee drinking na*
tlon, the consumption of ten hern Is also it
large Item. In the year ending June 30.
1906, the Imported tea amounted to 112,905,611
pounds, nt a value of $18,119,310. The mime
year the tea farms of the United States
yielded ouly aix tons. While the amount
was small the flavor and strength of the
American product compared most favorably
with the foreign brew. It bus proved Its
adaptability to the climatic conditions of
certain sections, and when It can In* raised
at a moderate cost and marketed nt the
same price as the products of Japan, China,
Ceylon and India, It suggests Itself as a
profitable enterprise for those willing to
undertake its culture.
Tea Grown in ths South.
The first tea plant In America was set out
In Middleton Barony, near the Ashley river,
fifteen miles from Charleston, 8. C„ by none
other than the fnmous French botanist,
Mlchaux. This has grown Into a sinitU tree
since Its planting in 1804. In 1882 the de
partment of agriculture undertook experi
ments In Sooth Carolina, though It gave up
tho work at many stntlona before definite
conclusions were reached. As early as 1843
Dr. Junius Smith bad a succcsaful plant
ing of tea, but the first marketable tea
was from the plantation of Dr. Charles 17.
Shepard, of Humuiervllle, S’. C., who sold
some In Baltimore In 1892.
Duty on Lemons.
The duty on lemons Is alxjiit 86 cents n
box, bnt os the cost of picking In this coun
try Is from $L26 to $2 a day. and In Hlelly
from 6 cents to 46 cents, the American prod
uct enters tho market on abonl equal terms
with the foreign. California, Anurrha'it
lemon district, began sending oat the fruit
in noticeable quantities lu 1902, shipping
east about 2,000 carloads that year. Her
effect on the market had been felt some
what before, for in 1892 the value of Im
ported lemons was $4,648,283. amt In ten
rears it dropped to $3,000,000. Much of Call*
.’ornia’s profit from her lemon Industry
comes through ber by-products, such as
lemon oils and extracts.