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& WINSOME WOMAN-EDITOR
T is always an inspiration to look at suc
cess in any worthy enterprise; but when
that success is achieved by a plucky
little woman that inspiration becomes
positively delicious as a tonic quaffed
from the hand of an uncrowned heroine.
Such a heroine in real life can be found
up at Buford, Georgia, a busy manufac
turing town of some twenty-five hundred
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people. She is Miss Alma E. Kirby, owner and editor
of The Buford Journal. Though barely more than a
school girl now, she has made a conspicuous success
as manager of the paper since she purchased it in
April, 1909 —a paper which she helped to establish in
October before. She started all alone, actually doing
all her work until she put the paper on a firmer
financial basis. And now The Journal can boast its
own printer, pressman and the regulation “printer’s
devil.”
But Alma Kirby is proud of the fact that she was
trained to work. Born at Cumming, Forsyth County,
Georgia, March 4, 1888 (she don’t care if we do tell
her age, since she is too independent to have to
marry), she learned the printer’s trade “between
times” in the office of her father, J. E. Kirby, who
was for many years editor of the North Georgia Bap
tist.
Securing her education under such distinguished
teachers as Prof. John G. Harrison and Prof. A. E.
Booth at the old Hightower Institute, at Cumming,
Yes, it’s grand up on the mountain
top, its views ever widening as you
climb, range after range coming up
one behind the other, until double,
triple, quintuple heights appear in con
trasting hue. But we are down in the
dell now, the “shady dell’’ of song
memory. The wooded hillsides all
covered with carpet of dead leaves,
slope and converge to the mountain
spring that finds its outlet from an
abrupt rocky wall built above its na
tive rock.
And oh! the wonders of the little
trickier, the only sound as we sit here
under the motionless trees except dis
tant twittering in the branches.
For the breezes blow not forever in
our midst, but when they come with
penetrating coolness, and peculiar
rarity from the mountain-top, we live
all fresh and fair until the next. O,
the stream! Let’s follow its flow for a
few paces below, where the wonders
of man’s thought and energy have it
in tow, and have harnessed its speed
as a veritable steed and made it to
carry water up the hill. Yes, to be
the water supply of surrounding
homes.
It is carried through a two-inch pipe
dowm the glen and up the hillside to
‘ its own level” where it flows into a
tiny reservoir two-feet deep and
square, built of rocks and cement.
Crystal clear and ice cold, this seems
a veritable Jacob’s well of Bible times
as we meet it in our walks; and it is
a resort for the summer climbers that
drink in new life with its draughts,
and rest on the rustic benches nearby.
This is “the power house” for the
working of the hydraulic ram some dis
tance below, placed in a large deep
» basin of cemented rocks.
Down a fall of 25 feet the water
flows with such pressure, as to force
the ram to propel the water with
never-ceasing throbs to the distant res
ervoir 100 feet above on Pine Hill.
This is the water supply for the
magnificent new school building now
in process of erection on this height
over looking Clayton. The rock foun
dation was built of rocks from the
mountain sides.
Miss Alma Kirby Wakes Splendid Success as Editor and Proprietor of The Buford Journal.
Clayton County and the Early Home of ‘Bleckley
The entire summer, wagon-loads of
lumber for the large building, have
been passing, drawn by yokes of oxen,
around and up the steep incline of the
commanding eminence where it
stands.
A fitting memorial is this school to
the granite-like character, and moun
tain peak grandeur of the man whose
birthplace was amid these hills, and
who spent his choicest hours of rest
upon their heights, Judge Logan E.
Bleckley.
Its name is, The Logan E. Bleckley
Memorial High School. It is being
built by private subscription, and is
,«ah low»
under the direct espionage of his
widow, Mrs. L. E. Bleckley, who in
duced the movement and who has con
tributed largely for its beginning and
completion. The plan of the superb
building was given by his son, and it
is of unusual proportion and beauty,
combined with strength. The lower
story comprises large recitation rooms,
corridor, and cloak rooms, the upper,
a huge auditorium and smaller rooms,
The Golden Age for December 8, 1910.
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MISS ALMA KIRBY.
BLECKLEY MEMORIAL SCHOOL.
tiers of windows above and below, 20
on each side, insure its light and ven
tilation. A wide porch and vestibule
form entrance. It is to cost SIO,OOO,
and it is open to the boys and girls of
Rabun County, to whom it should be
an inspiration and help, as bearing the
name of the distinguished Chief Jus
tice who has made his native county
famous, and to all others.
It is located just above the site of
his early home, marked now by two
rock chimneys over 80 years old, sol
emn sentinels of the past. Screamer
Mountain, too, is in full view, Judge
Bleckley’s cnoice “In the matter of
rest,” where he spent his hours of rec
reation in a two-story log-cabin on its
summit, entertaining his friends some
times, too, in hermitage, and where
this diamond of poetic merit may
well have been found.
But oh! a veritable bird’s nest on a
mountain crest is the summer home of
Mrs. Bleckley. Its site is a promon
tory ledge jutting half-way from the
side of Baby Screamer Mountain, and
and learning the compositor’s art and breathing in
the editorial passion from her father’s companion
ship, she became seized with the conviction that she
could do the thing “all by herself,” and she is now
giving the world an “ocular demonstration” of that
conviction. Besides being a woman-editor she en
joys the distinction of being the youngest editor in
the state, and the business men of Buford show their
loyal pride in their editorial treasure by giving The
Buford Journal their unanimous, enthusiastic sup
port.
“Editor Kirby” makes The Journal stand for every
thing wholesome that will build up the youth and
homes of the community.
Three cheers for Georgia’s youngest, pluckiest
editor, and congratulations, hearty and unlimited, to
the booming town of Buford for having within her
borders such an inspiring “citizen” as EDITOR
ALMA KIRBY!
•? *
EPIGRAMS.
By Elam F. Dempsey, B. D.
Adversity has slain its thousands; Prosperity its
tens of thousands.
Love itself is Love’s best gift.
He who prays in truth sways the sceptre of God.
We can not expect smooth sailing through a rough
world.
It is a shame to be court-jester when one could be
Prime Minister.
standing distinct above the sea of corn
below.
By crossing a stream that winds
around tne foot of the mountain hill,
a circuitous ascent is reached that
leads to the top of this projecting
ridge.
A lovely little two-story building of
six rooms perches out upon the ridge.
It is, green, in color scheme with the
mountains.
The front veranda is a sun-parlor,
enclosed in a wall of windows from
floor to ceiling in glass and wire
gauze, twelve in all, including two in
a small sleeping room right L., cor
responding with a narrow open porch
in left.
The afternoon of our visit to this
lovely spot, as we climbed the path,
the charming hostess advanced to
the steps to welcome us.
She gave us seats in full view of
the entrancing landscape of wood and
sky and mountain.
From this sunshine and air apart
ment is caught a commanding view of
Black Rock range in its entire length.
A huge fire-place within a rock chim
new, adds to the beauty as well as
comfort cf the room.
Nor can we forget the sunset stroll
to the mountain spring up the moun
tain side in the rear of the house. The
path led directly alongside the steep
cliff overlooking a stream below. Up
ward, onward it led to a horse-shoe
bend of sloping hills, from the center
of which issued the tiny spring which
is itself the reservoir supply for the
home.
The pink of the sky seen through
the lace-work of green as we walked
through the wood was a picture—a
background indeed of rarest richness
to the picture that lingers in memory
of Pine Ridge Camp.
To leave Clayton without a descrip
tion of Earle House were to leave out
half the town, for the hospitable host
and hostess have a home-hotel on the
hillside that can not be forgotten once
entered and enjoyed.
The wide three storied white frame
building with verandas around entire
(Continued on Page 15.)
