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CORHBSPONDBMCB.
Correspondence aoliclted; but to receive stten
-1 ion, letter* must be accompanied by a rueponsl
bla name, not for publication, but as a guarantee
Of good faith.
All letter* should be addnswed to
J. H. KSTILL. Savannah, Ga.
An Important llechion,
A dealer in Western supplies calls the
Attention of the Augusta Chronicle to a
rocent decision of an Ohio court, which
ia of interest to the commercial commu
nity. The case was tried in Cincinnati,'
and was a suit brought by a commission
firm of Baltimore against an Ohio railway
to recover the value of one hundred bar
rels of flour for which the railway re
ceipted, but which the commission men-,
chants never received. A party in Ci*-
cinnati received a bill of lading for two
hundred barrels of flour, and forwarded it
to the Baltimore firm, who matte
large advances on the strength of
it to tha Consignor. Only one hun
dred barrels were delivered, and the
railway proved that only this, num
ber same fit to their i-osMMMt* TIVf
eon signor becoP"i*>£ trifle > p*.
uo*W fivitf brought suit against the rail
wad company upon the bill of lading.
The Ohio Oourt decided in favor of the
defendant on the grounds that a bill of
lading “is not negotiable in the commer
cial sense of the term,” and that it is not
within the scope of the authority of a
railway employe to sign bills of lading
for goods which he does not receive. A
case similar to that reported in Cincin
nati is pending in Maryland, and in that
Htate the lower court held that the rail
way company was responsible upon its
bill of lading whether the goods were
aotually received or not.
The Ohio case will probably be taken
to the Supreme Court of that State,
where the decision will bo looked for
with interest. Wo believe that railroad
bills of lading are by custom regarded as
proper basis for advances on shipments
of cotton and other produce. If the de
cision of the Cincinnati court is sus
tained tho merchant making advances
would, in tho case of the insolvency of
the shippers, have no recourse against the
*ailroad. Such a final decision would, of
course, necessitate a change in the existing
Custom of trade.
lion. Julian ilurtridtre.
A correspondent of the Now York
Tribune, having undertaken to furnish
that paper with personal sketches of the
newly elected members of Congress,
closes a very brief and imperfect sketch
of our immediate representative, Hon.
Julian Hartridge, with the complaint
that that gentleman “declined to inform
the compiler when and where he was
born, or to give any particulars respect
ing his education.” Our cotemporary
of the Augusta Chronicle comes to the
relief of the enterprising Flibbertegibet
of the Tribune in the following para
graph:
"Mr. Hartridge, we understand, has a
constitutional aversion to interviewers
and bores, and hence, doubtloss. the curt
ness displayed in his receptjon of the
Tribune biographer. We have no doubt
that before he has been many months in
Oongross the Tribune and the country
will find out something more about the
Representative from the First Dis
trict. Mr. Hartridge is a leading
and one of the ablest lawyers in
the State, and, though comparatively a
young man, is a veteran politician. The
law firm of Hartridge <fc Chisholm, of
which he is the senior partner, does a
heavy practice, and ranks among the first
In the Forost City. Mr. Hartridge was a
member of tlio Confederate Congress
serving from 18(12 till the close of the
war. Since the war ho has taken an ac
tive part in politics. In 1872 he,
with many other distinguished Geor
gians, favored tlio Greeley movement,
and was an elector for the State at large
on the Greeloy ticket. He could have
been eloeted to Congress tbnt year, but
did not care for a nomination. Last year
the people of the First District demanded
his services, and he cnrried his district
by a magnificent majority. He is an
admirable tactician, a fine scholar and an
eloquent speaker, and, along with Ste
phens, Hill, Norwood, Gordon and Fel
ton, will make Georgia famous in the
Forty-fourth Congress.”
Prospective Federal Legislation.
Many of the new members of Con
gress, says the New York Express, are
already loaded up and weighed down
with propositions for repealing old laws,
making new laws, changing and amend
ing the constitution, etc. Among the
propositions already suggested are the
following:
Be it enacted, etc., That on and after
the 4th day of March, 1877, the Presi
dent of the United States shall receive in
full for his services during the term for
whioh he shall have been elected $25,000
per annum, to be paid monthly, and all
laws and parts of laws inconsistent here
with are hereby repealed.
Here is another proposition to amend
the constitution :
No person shall be eligible to the office
of President of the United States for
more than a single term.
It is also proposed that no Supreme
Court Judge shall be eligible to the office
of President of the United States; that
“the Secretary of State, the Secretaries
of the Treasury, War, Navy and Interior
Departments, the Attorney Genera] and
Postmaster General shall be entitled to
ooeupy seats on the floor of the House of
Representatives, with the right to parti
cipate in the debates upon matters relat
ing to the business of their respective
departments, under such rules as may
be prescribed by the House.
"The several Secretaries, etc., shall
attend the sessions of the House of Re
presentatives during the morning hour,
immediately on the opening of the sit
ting, on Mondays and Thursdays of each
week.”
In the tariff both the President and
Secretary of the Treasury propose a re
imposition of duties on tea and coffee.
Among the miscellaneous topics to be
considered are the resumption act, the
baying of so much silver from the Pacific
States, the abolition of over two thou
sand national banks, the interest of four
or four and a half per cent, to be allowed
on the next convertible bonds, the war
premium on the Alabama claims, with a
revision of the custom laws that will
secure final liquidation, the abolition of
the Naval Office, etc.
the only
- yj| jfiß&HragKjg-gllfc
' Ht
J. H. ESTILL, PROPRIETOR,
Proposed Change in the Mode of
Coanting the Vote for President,
The proposed new mode of eounting
the electoral votes for President and
Vice President will engage the attention
of Congress during its present session.
At the last session Senator Morton in
troduced a bill repealing the joint rule
of the two houses, under which the elec
toral votes are now counted. Tne bill
was passed by the Senate, but was not
reached by the House. On Wednesday
Senator Morton again introduced his bill,
whicu was laid on the table for future
reference. Under the operations of the
twenty-second joint rule, when the two
houses come together to count the elec
toral votes, and a Senator or Representa
tive objects to receiving the electoral
vote of any State, the houses separate
and vote without debate upon the objec
tion presented. If the objection be sus
, tamed by the vote of a majority of either
house, the electoral votes objected to are
thrown out. When the electoral vote
wm last counted, in 1873, four votes of
Georgia and aU the votes of Arkansas and
Jhouiaiana war*' thrown out. The objec-,
kw* . WhxW ' la the
’"Swof A&an£ :* ft was to theformoF
the seal upon the certificate. It is in the
power of the House or of the Senate,
under the joint rule, to throw the elec
tion for President into the House, the
Constitution providing that if no person
receives a majority of all the electors ap
pointed, the election must go to the
House, where the vote is taken by States,
each State casting one vote. Senator
Morton's bill provides that no electoral
vote shall be rejected except by the con
current vote of the two houses, and per
mits a short debate upon the validity of
the objection urged.
While the twenty-second joint rule is
defective and liable to abuse, it is a mat
ter of doubt whether Senator Morton’s
bill will remedy the defects of the pres
ent method of counting the votes for
President and Vice President, or offer any
better security against the dangerous
machinations and usurpations of an un
scrupulous faction. Under the existing
rule it is in the power of either house to
exclude the electoral vote of a State upon
a mere technicality, while under
Senator Morton’s bill it would be
in the power of either house to
prevent the exclusion of the electoral
vote of a State for the most flagrant ille
gality or fraud. Any legislation that
may bo adopted on the subject should
tend to the limitation and restriction
rather than to the enlargement of the
power’of Congress to control the election
of President; and it would be safer and
more in accordance with the princi
ples and spirit of our Republi
can system, for Congress to confine
its action in tRe matter to such legisla
tion as will strictly define what shall con
stitute the legal vote of a State, leaving
to the States the proper authentication
of their respective electoral colleges.
The law should be definite and explicit,
and the voto of a State should only be
or.Vuhbi tor non conformity witn the
distinct letter of the law, and not by the
vote of a jartizan House or Senate.
Grunt’s Third Term Cainpaigu Mes
sage.
Ia our telegraphic columns this morn
ing will b found a synopsis of the salient
points of President Grant’s message to
Congress. The topics to which he gives
promineute are those which it was ex
pected he would discuss, and neither in
his view# and recommendations on
specific subjects, nor in the general tone
of the dcoument has he disappointed
the generid public. The country was
prepared 'or a display of bluster about
Cuba, a flourish about Church and State,
and a baclrng up of the contractionists.
These points in his third term campaign
programme had been sufficiently fore
shadowed in his Des Moines speech, so
called, and by the outgivings of his per
sonal organs. But we apprehend that,
with the exception of Parson Newman
and a few of his especial oonfidants, no
one anticipated his onslaught on Mor
monism and the Chinese women, or his
recommendtion of a national compul
sory school Bystem, with an educational
qualification for voters.
That portion of the message relating to
Cuba, while it explains the recent myste
rious naval preparations and is likely to
increase the existing apprehension of a
collision with Spain, is nevertheless
vague and indefinite. It reads very
belligerent and defiant to Spain,
but, after all, does not amount to
the absolute recommendation of a warlike
policy towards that government. It
looks very much as if the President had
at length come to the conclusion that a
war with Spain might be popular, but
that he either distrusts the support of
the Democratic House, or prefers that
the Democracy shall take the respon
sibility of inaugurating the experiment.
The President gives no reason for inter
ference on the part of this government
in behalf of the struggling Cuban “rebels’
that has not existed during the last six
years, and it is to be hoped that Congress
will wait for his promised development
of an existing necessity for the step be
fore it plunges the country into an unnec
essary and expensive war that may lead
to embarrassing complications.
The President's views on the currency
question are new only to himself, and
will be popular with the money monopo
lists and stock gamblers. It is true he
has discovered anew short-cut to specie
payment, by “unlimited inflation,” but
“honor” forbids its adoption. So that
the solution of the vexed question of the
ourrency is left to the deliberation of
Congress.
On the whole the message, as we judge
of it by the telegraphic synopsis, is, in
its leading features, an ad captandum
campaign document, designed more for
political effect than for the enlighten
ment of Congress or the promotion of
the general interests of the country.
And after all his denials and protesta
tions of innocence, General Babcock has
been indicted for complicity in the St.
Louis crooked whisky frauds. One
would have supposed that, having been so
long the cup-bearer for the President, he
would have learned to take his whisky
straight. Poor Bab, he is evidently the
victim of evil associations and misplaced
confidence.
A New York man has cured himself of
the habit of tobacco chewing by tasting
an apple every time he felt inclined to
partake of the weed. He had been a
constant user of tobacco for seventeen
years, but the fruit worked an effectual
Affairs in Georgia.
Speaking of running races, we saw a Sa
vannah man yesterday who wanted to bet
sixty-six dollars against a basket of chips
that any member of the Atlanta police can
beat Dexter’s best time. He found no
takers.
Tamp Fonder’* roan mule took the dim
ples out of another colored brother in Mon
roe county last Sunday. It is said that
when she feels for a nigger she reaches
twice her own length.
Hog cholera is prevailing in Upson and
Monroe counties.
The colored cottOD-stealers are not doing
such a thriving business in Southwestern
Georgia as they were a few months ago.
The best evidence that Columbus ia a
manufacturing town is the fact that tha
girls in the best society are inveterate
chewers of gum.
The Macon policemen have a curious
habit of chasing colored burglars into the
adjacent swamps.
Colonel June*, of the Macon Telegraph,
was in town the other day. He came dowa
to purchase a bunch of toothpicks.
Theatrical people say that a Columbus
audience will get away with as many as five
bushels of goober-peas in one night.
The Coant Johannes B’Gormanne has
been picking the bugs off his orange trees
on Dunn’s Lane. The Count has serion*
thoughts of going to Texas for the purpose
of establishing a * tone-quarry, this u one
>t the street ueeda of Xew, *e • y* i
la u* “ IUMomV ’Sflia-.U,” Cut Or* 1,
o£ the MmtldgW w&it * mU account of me
escape of Wiley Redding, together with a
picturesque desertion of the manner in
which the police ran home to get their bows
and arrows when they heard of it.
If a Macon policeman isn’t caught leaning
against the railing of the Brown House
basement during the day, he is deemed in
capable of service aDd is discharged. Pro
gress is one of our national characteristics.
The Forsyth Advertiser is cautioning its
readers against burglars. Well, how can
burglars make a decent living if aU the pa
pers turn against them ? It would not be
going too far to say that what is right is
right.
The grand jury of Glynn county reauest
Governor Smith to remove Duncan Nelson,
the tax collector, owing to his ignorance
and incompetency.
Clarke and Pendleton are still m swampo.
Mr. W. F. Symonß, of Brunswick, was
married the other day to Miss Eliza R.
Dart, daughter of Major Urbanus Dart.
Col. Cabiniss, of tbe Forsyth Advertiser,
has managed to get on the outside of an
eight-pound home-made cabbage. He is
now prepared to make affidavit that cabbage
in any shape is little less than cold
slaugh-ter. How quickly we learn lessons
from experience.
Judge Schley, of this city, was in Augusta
on Monday.
The Augusta policemen are not surgeons.
They discovered a negro the other night so
badly wounded that his intestines protruded,
but when the doctors came they discovered
that he had succumbed to John Barley
corn while endeavoring to carry home a
string of sausages.
Augusta is bragging loudly over tho pros
pect of another flouring mill.
The Forsyth Advertiser wants the offices
of tax receiver and collector and of clerk of
the Superior Court and county treasurer
consolidated.
The Atlanta Commonwealth thinks—and
we cordially agree with it—that tho card of
tbe Board of Directors of the Young Men’s
Library does not give satisfactory reasons
for the sudden and altogether uncalled for
deposition of Mr. Charles Herbst from his
position as Librarian.
Wild turkoys are so plentiful in Wilkinson
county that a colored man killed ono the
other day. This seems to us to be carrying
the provisions of the civil rights bill too far.
Tbe Toombsboro Appeal has been marged
into the lrwinton Southerner , and the com
bination will be called tho Southerner and
Appeal, with Mr. C. E. Carnes as
editor. Mr. Carnes is a graceful
and industrious writer, who pays
great attention to home affairs,
and he has only to keep the paper np to its
old standard to bo successful. Our Savannah
merchants will find the Southerner and Ap
peal one of tho most available advertising
mediums within reach of this market.
Mr. Jack Butler, of Wilkinson county, has
a patch of cotton on which he will make a
bale to the acre. Why, in the name of com
mon sonse, doesn’t Jack run for Governor?
A negro was found dead on the railroad
near Forsyth tho other day with his body
dreadfully mangled. Foul play is sus
pected.
A Glynn county jury “hung” the other
day on a case of simple larceny, notwith
standing the prisoner pleaded guilty. The
point of difference was whether the colored
man should be recommended to the mercy
of the court, and yet they gay Southern
juries are indisposed to do justice to the
colored man.
Thus the Irwinton Southerner .- “Speak
ing of large corn stalks,” said Deacon
Smith, of Wilkinson county, the other day,
to a party of farmers, “speaking of large
coin stalks reminds me of the crop I made
on my new ground in Commissioner swamp,
in 1872. That was a powerful year for tfuck
to grow, and my new ground was the rich
est spot in the county. I planted it with the
Thompson gourd-seed, and, gentlemen, it
would a done ye good to seen that corn. I
aint gwine to tell you how big the stalks
was, for ye might dispute it, but one
Sunday me and Mehaly went down to
look at it, and old Rat, my old hound, went
along with us. Rat fooled around ontweli he
started a rabbit and into the field they
went. Presently I heard him barking and
I says to Mehaly ‘Ho’s treed.’ Me and her
got over into the field and went to him,
and, gentlemen, he was barking up a corn
stalk, and scratching at the root. I ex
amined the stalk and found that the wood
ants had gutted it, and that it was hollow,
so I jest jerked out my knife and cut a hole
into it, and reached my arm down and
pulled out three big old swamp rabbits, and
I am able, with the help of God, to whip
any son-of-a-gnn who disputes it.”
Sam. Small in the Atlanta Constitution :
At the late municipal election the negroes
soon found that they were being out-voted
by the whites, and they began to fall back
upon old expedients. Old Jones met a
young, dandified hotel waiter shortly after
noon, and confidentially inquired : “Wil
liam, has you voted dis morning so fur ?”
“No, sah; de truf is dat my business so re
sorbed my ’tention aster pervent my goiu’
ter be registratod.” “Dat’s a mighty great
mistake what you made den, boy, when
de nigger hab laid derselbs out fur
to carry dis ’lection, don’t you kno
dat ?” dolorously urged old JoDes.
“Well, it are too late now,” said Wil
liam, as though very penitent. “Dat ’pends
.upon you; fur yer see,” replied old Jones,con
fidentially, “yer see dar’s Ceeze Smif whar
wurks down hyar in Mister Grant’s brick
yard —he’s gone down to Stone Mountain
ter see his grandmudder die, and ef you jes
go down to der polls you kin vote in his
name; don’t yer see how dat works, eh ?”
“Smif! Smif! Dat’s jig like a common ole
nigger like you, to tink dat I weuld ’pear in
public uuder de name ob Ceeze Smif. I’m a
cullered gemman, I'd hab you kno’, and de
name of Smif is ’ne&th my notis—yer under
stan’ dat? I’m high tone and war a standin’
collar, you might persebe 1” And William
moved grandly off, leaving old Jones dumb
founded with wrath and surprise.
Irwinton Southerner: Matt Kemp, and the
other prisoners charged by Rack Beall with
an attempt to murder him’on the night of
the 22d ult., was permitted by the magis
trates to make their statement at the close
of the commitment trial. Matt Kemp is
an educated colored man—has been acting
as church clerk—and is looked upon by his
colored brethren as a perfect Solomon.
Matt was the one who wanted to tie
Rack to Mr. Hughes’ fodder stack
and burn him, but this Methodist
way of getting rid of a man didn’t
suit the Baptist notions of the Rev. Moses
Brazeal, who insisted upon Rack’s taking
the water route to the other world. But we
ar. digressing. Well, Matt was permitted
to make his statement, and took the stand
and bestowed upon the bench, bar and
spec ators a look of innocent indignation.
Daring the progress of the trial, every time
he could catch the eye of Magistrate McCnl
lar, he would tip him a wink, and now in pan
tomime he seemed to say “listen at Matt, and
he will convince yon of his perfect inno
cence.” “Proceed,” said the magistrate. Matt
scratched one of his s bins with his foot, re
flected a moment, and said in substance: “I
had been working all day Monday; came
into supper; my wife was sitting by the lire
with her jaws tied up; she had the jawache;
she says to me, ‘Matt, the meat’s out, and
you must git some more, there ain’t a
mouthful for supper;’ ‘well,’ says I, ‘aint
you got nothing to give me to eat;’ says she,
‘there’s a bucket of peas on the table;’ I told
one of the children to bring me the bucket,
and I smelt of them, and tasted them, and I
didn’t like them ; I never did like peas ; I
studied a long time what I should do to
them to fix them so I could eat them ; I
concluded I wou’d try a inynn ; so I told my
boy to go to the garden and get a inynn ;
when he brung the Inynn I cut the inynn np
in the peas, and managed by the help* of the
inyun to worry them down ’; I then went to
bed ; I like Rack Beall; always treated him
as a gentleman ; never did have anvtbing
against him, and God knows I didn’t want
to tie him to the fodder stack and burn him;
I wouldn’t sarve a dog that way.”
SAVANNAH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1875.
When an Augusta man goes crazy one of
the neighbor* is expected to give a candy
pulling m honor of the event. Nothing but
a sugar-coated pill could be sweeter than
thts custom.
Count Gormanne is evidently flirting with
us. He never calls when he is in town. The
Count is inclined to be coquettish.
The charges of the directors of the At
lanta Library against Mr. Herbst are some
thing immense. They are too funny for
anything. Herbst doesn’t want any better
vindication than that absurd publication.
Further on in this column we print what
“Old Grizzly” of the Rome Courier savs
about it.
It is understood that Willingham is now
editing the Cnrtersville Express, but that
paper hag suddenly ceased to visit us. We
speak for back numbers.
We received a note yesterday from a
Prominent Director of the Young Men’s
Jbrarv, of Atlanta, enclosing tbe card of
the Directors, and complaining that we had
been misled by the Commonwealth. Perhaps.
Bat if Mr. Herbst wa* not deposed on account
of his Confederate sympathies, or becaase
he hated the Yankees, what in the name of
©ommou sense was he deposed for ? We
look upon the card of the birectors as one
of the silliest and most absurd publications
that ever appeared.
Tbe Athens Watchman, going over the
Senatorial probabilities, remarks : “Mr.
Norwood may, after all, become his own
yidcasaor.” hit funny now the minds of
fiSp' T 52 <**, making IbfZL ?!
mu*.
In Atlanta the little negroes begin to
burgle before they are weaned.
“Who,” asks the Atlanta Constitution,
“shall bo our next Librarian ?” Why
Herbst, of course. The method of his re
moval is intolerable in these times, and he
should be reinstated at once.
To the confusion of the Columbus critics,
the Atlanta Constitution remarks: “Milt.
Barlow ie the finest delineator of every
shade of negro character on the American
stage.”
Columbus is bragging about ripe straw
berries grown in the open air. This is noth
ing. Down here the weather is so propi
tious that even the hat-racks are in bloom.
Mr. Wm. M. Gay, formerly of North Car
olina, died in Rome last Saturday.
Mr. Dick West, of Rome, is the father of a
fine pair of twins.
The Altamaba is overflowing its banks,
and numerous lumber rafts are taking ad
vantage of the occasion to swim down to
Darien.
Wild ducks are so numerous in the Alta
maha swamp that the raftsmen kill them
with sticks.
Mr. Joshua Smith, an old oitizen of Bryan
county, is dead.
Avery interesting religious revival is pro
gressing in Athens.
The Trustees have not abolished batter
cakes at the Btate University, but they are
thinking about it.
Dalton is complaining of dull times.
The Newnan Star makes a very tierce at
tack upon Governor Smith for respiting
Brinkley.
They are continually bragging on late
strawberries in Fort Yalley. In fact, they
don’t allow one to open its eyes before they
hire a wagon and carry it around to the edi
tor of the Mirror.
The Macon Telegraph says that dnring
the latter part of last week Mr. J. J. Clay,
of Joues county, employed a negro, who
gave his name as William Edwards, to work
on his farm. The negro remained until
Monday night, when he stole a mule, four
quilts, the entire contents of the pantry,
including four pieces of meat, a hatchet,
knite and number of other things. He came
about as uear cleaning out the premises as
one man could come in a single night, and
succeeded in getting away with his booty.
Fort Valley personal in the Mirror : “Mr.
Wesley Houser left yesterday for Atlanta to
attend the session of the State Grange. He
wore a shuck collar and a cotton blossom in
his hair; also two buckeyes in each coat
pocket.”
Mr. D. B. Freeman, of the Calhoun Times,
was married in Rome the other day to Miss
Sallie Goodwinn.
A Crawford county lady has a cat which
she takes out rabbit-hunting.
Col. Marcellus E. Thornton now has a
sister-in-law.
Thus the Fort Yalley Mirror: “The Mon
tezuma Weekly gets its foreign news from
this paper.”
Thuß the Rome Courier : As might have
been expected, the removal of Charles
Herbst, the popular Librarian of the Young
Men’s Library of that city, is creating the
greatestexcitn meat and dissatisfaction in
Atlanta. In justification of their action the
Board of Directors publish a card to the
public, setting forth quite a number ot
charges against Mr. Herbst, among which
is that of making improper entries in his
ledger opposite the names of delinquent
members, to illustrate w hich they publish ex
tracts fromjthe ledger reflecting scandalous
ly upon a number of Atlanta dead beats. The
publication has created quite a flutter, and
is highly disreputable to the directors,
whose sense of propriety should have made
them suppress the entries which were only
made for their private information and ref
erence. A set of men who have no more
sense than to parade before the public eye a
matter of this sort, intended solely for pri
vate use, are, in our judgment, utterly un
fit for the position of directors of a great
institution.
Newnan Star: We are informed that our
farmers have finished harvesting their
crops, and are busily engaged sowing wheat.
We are truly glad to hear it, and hope they
will go to work with renewed energy and
persevere until we become a self-sustaining
people. Farmers are beginning to awake to
a sense of their duty. They comprehended
the great importance of improving their
lands and of arresting deterioration, evi
dent signs of which may be seen on almost
every plantation in the country. Now is the
time to work. Fences ought to be repaired,
ditches cleaned out, flat lands draiued and
out-houses recovered. We do desire to see
our people prosperous and happy once more,
and nothing short of prudence, economy
and faithful, energetic labor will bring it
about. f
Hinesville Gazette: We had the pleasure
of meeting in our village Mr. James R. Hall,
of Bulloch, who has just returned from
Texas. Mr. Hall left Bulloch with his family
two years ago, to make his home iu the
West, and located himself in Middle Texas.
His experience, which ,was on a par with
that of many others, was a sorrowful one.
Misfortunes came thick and fast; his wife
and two of his children sickened and
died. With the remnant of his little
family he made his way back to
his former home in Bulloch county, where
he arrived a few weeks ago. He does not
represent Texas to be the Eldorado which
many have pictured it. Lands are high,
timber scarce, chill and fever and typhoid
lever scourge the country. The physicians
are the only ones who make money. Quite
as many are coming back to the old State
as are moving in. Mr. Hall says he is con
tent to spend the balance of his days in old
Georgia.
Athens Watchman: Tho bill introduced
during the last session of the Legislature
proposipg to submit the question of calling
a Constitutional Convention to a direct rote
of the people was adroitly killed off by a
threat of Federal interference. Since that
time, however, several of the Southern
States have held conventions and amended
their Constitutions, and not one word
has been heard of Federal in
terference, and nobody supposed
there would be any such interference.
This bug-bear having been disposed of, the
question recurs, and will come up at the
approaching session of the Legsilatnre—
“Shall the voters of Georgia be permitted
to express their opinion for or against a
convention ?” Those who prefer the pres
ent instrument, which is the work of a con
vention composed chiefly of aliens and ne
groes, to one framed by and for the people
of Georgia, will, of course, oppose all meas
ures looking towards the call of a conven
tion. The present constitution contains
some very good features, but many
which are objectionable. One of
these is the unreasonably large
homestead exemption, whipb, V / left the
great mass or our peoj * \ ' /^without
credit and forced the? yCi.t to the un
reasonable exactions jo hungry land
sharks, who absorb" at. their clear profits
and bring them in debt every year. Let the
amount of homestead be reduced to the
proper standard, and prosperity will return
to our hard-working farmers. They will be
no longer compelled to mortgage their
growing crops to purchase supplies at such
rates of interest as will absorb the profits
of any business in the world. We have
no need of annual sessions of the Legisla
ture. A change to biennial sessions will
save upwards of one hundred thousand
dollars per annum. A farther large saving
may be effected by reducing the number
and pay of members of the Legislature. We
have not time or room to point out the
many changes desired, but a convention
could make all the needed alterations in a
session of ten davs or two weeks. There is
one other matter of importance connected
with this affair—we me vn the location of the
capital. The people voted under duress in
adopting the present constitution. We
want them to have a free, nntramelled vote
on this question. Let a majority settle it.
If they say Atlanta, let it be so—if some
other place, let that place be established as
the capital.
Gregg Wright, of the Augusta Cfuronide—
he of the marble heart—seems to have a
red-bug somewhere in bis pantaloons in
regard to the removal of Hereat as Librarian
of the Young Men’s Library, and a little
paragraph of ours gives him an excellent
opportunity to play some rather ancient airs
upon the gush-horn. We have a note lrom
Mr.Julius Browu to the effect that Mr.Herbst
was not removed because he“hated vankees,”
though precisely what he was removed for
nobody seems able to tell. We intended to
give Mr. Brown’s statement to the public,
and the editor of the Chronicle gives us an
excellent opportunity to do so in a con
densed form; and it we knew whom to
apologize to—Gregg or Julius—we would
cheerfully make the customary disclaimer.
The Register iu Bankruptcy at Griffin is
having a lively run of business.
Mr. Elij.u Angling, a former engioeer of
the Macon and Brunswick Railroad, fell
dead in Macon on Wednesday.
A colored girl was accidentally burned to
death in Newton county the other day.
We have been guilty of a great njusti e.
We said yesterday that Clarke and Pendle
ton were still in twampo. This was a
slander. Coiouel Clarke has bien in Atlanta
for some weeks and Mr. Pendleton has never
missed a Sunday in Savannah. Our para
graph of yesterday was a typographical er
ror.
Griffin looks forward to a bad year.
Mr. Giles Driver, Jr„ of Pike county, cut
ps/ss
The editor of the Fort Valley Mirror is
running either a carpenter-shop or a saw
mill. He says: “Bring in that wood you
owe us.”
Po k county has raised an eight-pound
turnip.
The Thomson Journal says: Now that
the Legislature is soon to assemble, the
question of a Constitutional Convention is
again attracting the attention of the people
and the press. Our readers are familiar
with our opinions on the subject. The
Journal has ail the while earnestly and per
sistently advocated such a measure. Our
reasons for so doing have been given
so often that we will now give only
a synopsis of the most important.
We want the homestead exemptions
reduced within the bouuds of reason and
common sense, so that a man’s property
shall be liable for his honest debts, and his
credit, may have a better foundation than
bis simple promise. We want the bogus
State bonds, issued by Bullock and his
gang of thieves, forever repudiated, so
that the time of the Legislature and
the money of the people may never
again be expended in their considera
tion. We want the numbor of our legis
lators reduced at least one-third or one
half, to assemble biennially, so that, instead
of the present unwieldy, expensive body,
we may have a General Assembly which will
transact all necessary business iu the short
est time, without making havoc of the Code,
and return home, thereby saving the hard
earnings of the tax-payers. We want
a Court of Appeals, or some other
intermediate j dicature, established for
the relief of tho Supreme Court,
so that cases may be appealed,
decided and returned promptly. And above
all, we want to see the present constitution,
the offspring of aliens, scalawags and
negroes, consigned to eternal oblivion, and
another instrument, which shali embody
the sentiments and command the respect
of the virtue and intelligence of our grand
old Commonwealth erected in its stead.
These are a few of the reasons why we
should have a conven’ion. Now, let every
county in the State, through its grand jury,
or by conventions of the people, ask its rep
resentatives to pass an act, not calliDg a
convention, but giving the people a chance
to say whether or no:, they will have one.
The grand jury of Wilkes county, at the late
Superior Court, set the example which we
hope her sister counties will promptly fol
low.
The Atlanta correspondent of the Augusta
Chronicle doesn’t find it necessary to toot
the gush-horn in regard to the library mat
ter. He says: The action of the Board of
Directors of the Young Men’s Library in
removing Mr. Charles Herbst, the very effi
cient Librarian, has created ■ gr3v. deal of
excitement, and has elicited some warm
censure. Indeed, it bis been too occasio.S
of difficulties and personal altercations be
tween gentlemen, so heated has been the
controversy. It is quite safe to say that
seven-tenths of the members of the Library
Association disapprove of the action, and
that nine-tenths of the public generally,
who are at all interested in the institution,
are ready to reinstate Mr. Herbst without
asking him a question. The seven
members who voted for his removal
have published a communication setting
forth their charges against Mr. Herbst,
in which they complain of the peculiar
manner in which he keeps the account with
the members, especially of written com
ments concerning the financial standing of
certain members and their derelictions to
the library; also intimating that some of
the funds, fifteen or twenty dollars, have
been mil-appropriated. The statement,
however, does not satisfy the public and
there is a great deal of’feeling which re
mains to be appeased before many former
friends of the library will become recon
ciled to the affront givon Mr. Herbst. It is
strongly believed by many that Mr. Herbst’s
strong Southern sentiment contributed to
his removal, as there are among the Board
of Directors a few gentlemen who have been
known to possess political feelings strongly
antagonistic to the South. In the mean
time, however, there are numerous candi
dates for the position made vacant by the
deposition of Mr. Herbst, who will be disap
pointed at the election on December 21.
Florida Affairs.
The Jacksonville Union is now published
as a daily.
Mr. John E. Hartridge, of Jacksonville,
one of the most promising young lawyers in
Florida, has been admitted to practice in
the United States Courts.
We dou’t hear anything nowaday# about
Purman’s band-wagon. He is probably ne
gotiating for a wnip that will reach the
“leaders.”
How about the Live Oak Times libel
case ?
A horse in Manatee county died recently
from the effect of a rattlesnake’s bite.
Alabama is contributing immigrants to
South Florida.
Gainesville plumes herself on anew mar
ket.
Magbee says that the “Bismarck cabbage”
is not a fraud.
Codritigton, of the Agriculturalist , esti
mates the annual sale of Florida curiosities
at SIOO,OOO. He has known one large,
polished alligator tusk sold at twenty-five
dollars. What is known as the sea-bean is,
he states, the product of a West India vine,
washed into the sea by freshets, and car
ried by currents to our coasts. This will
be a piece of information to the most of our
readers, and dispels a generally received
opinion upon the subject.
The Jacksonville Press says: Lying on
the wharf of the Lollie Boy are several fine
logs of magnolia. They are intended, we
learn, for a New York house, who design to
test them for >he purpose of engraving.
When thoroughly dried they are said to be
very slightly, if at all inferior to box-wood.
If this be so, Florida can furnish an inex
haustible supply of the material.
Rev. Josephus Anderson, of Tallahassee,
has been transferred from the Florida to
the South Georgia Conference of the Metho
dist Church South.
The Jacksonville Press says that the for
eign lumber business is still very dull, but
the up-river trade seems to demand all the
lumber that can be furnished. The large
number of settlers going up the St. John’s
river, and the scores of houses building in
that section, accounts for this.
The Floridian says that on Friday night
the westward bound freight train was thrown
from the track by a loose rail four miles
east of the Junction. Six box ears and ths
coach went off, but were not much damaged.
The conductor, Alfred Mundee, stepped oa
the rear platform of the coach to signal
down the engineer and was violently thrown
off against an embankment, receiving pain?
ful injuries about the face and leg. He waa
carried to Montjcello and attended by Dr,
Palmer, bat was able to reach his home in
Tallahassee on Saturday. This is the second
time young Mundee has been injured on the
road.’
Col. B. F. Wardlaw, who has done so much
to forward the Grange movement in that
State, represented the Florida State Grange
in the National Convention of the order re
cently held in Louisville, Ky. The Farmer's
Home Journal, published in that city, pays
the Colonel the following compliment: “M*r,
B. F. Wardlaw and his excellent lady bring
flowers from Florida to strew upon the
altar, around which they love to gather.
The Grange Lias two devoted members in
these, and Mr. Wardlaw becomes the “Sun
set Cox” of the Grange by the sparkle of
wit by which he produces so much merri
meat amid the most serious discussions.”
St. AugQitine Press: The old fort on
Wednesday nigbt last was suddenly aroused
from its seldom disturbed peace and tran
quility. The Indians were informed that
they might participate in a dance, subject
to their own discretion. It was to have
taken place on Tuesday night, but the
w< ather was not favorable, and it was post
pone.# until the next night. Early in the day
Tuesday, the Indians commenced thir toil
ettes, by putting on their variegated paints,
plumes, and numerous decorations, so that
when the sun went down, they were ready
for the dance; but when told it would be
postponed until the next night, they were
much disappointed. Early Wednesday night
fires were lighted within the fort, which
soon began to bnrn briskly, and the flames
to ascend far above the fort. As the fires
increased, so did the gathering of spectators,
aod when the Indians, in lull war array,came
forth from a darkened dungeon the crowd
was complete, ground the court yard they
were seated, and upon the parapets looking
down, were more. The fire, reflecting upon
their interested and amazed countenances,
together with transpiring events, presented
a novel scene. The Indians danced earnestly
and for about two hours, after which they
were addressed by Colonel Hamilton, to
whom the chiefs responded. The Colonel,
on the eve of his leaving St. Augustine, told
them, through the interpreter, that he
felt some regret at leaving them and the
city, and that they should live and
follow in the way of the white man. In
answer, they evinced sorrow at his leaving,
and said that it was the desire of the Indians
to live as the whites did, and regretted that
they had ever opposed them. Everything
passed off admirably, and tho Indian'danoo
was a success. There were a large number
of strangers present, and to these the affair
was something new and exciting. Captain
Pratt informs ns that these dances will be
of frequent occurrence dnring the winter.
They will certainly attract many to the city,
as a genuine Indian war dance has not been
witnessed by all.
CITY AR’KAIIRS.
the STOCKHOLDERS of the cen
tral railroad.
No Quorum at the Dleetinjt, but Some
Action Taken—The Annual Reports.
The annual meeting of the stockholders
of the Central Railroad and Banking Com
pany was held in the rooms over the bank
Wednesday morning.
About half-past ten o’clock quite a num
ber of the stockholders had assembled,
when President Wadley suggested that, in
or ler to ascertain if there were a quorum
prosent, it was necessary to elect a chairman
and secretaries.
On motion of Mr. R. N. Gourdin, Judge
Knapp was called to the chair, and on mo
tion of Mr. Wm. Hunter! Mr. T. M. Cun
ningham was elected Secretary, with Mr.
Daniel G. Purse and Gen. Sorrel as assist
ants. Both the latter gentlemen desired
to be excused, but the meeting declined to
excuse them, and they were unanimously
cajled to those positions.
The first business was to obtain an ac
count of the amount of stock represented,
and this occupied about half an hour, when
the announcement was made by the
Secretary that 10,558 shares were repre
sented in person and by proxy, and
that 37,501 were necessary to constitute a
quorum. Other stockholders coming in
about this time, the registration was con
continued for some time longer, when a
count being taken it was found that 16,473
shares were represented, short 21,028.
This announcement being made by the
Chairman, Mr. Gourdin, alluding to
the fact that a committee had been ap
pointed at the last annual meeting to in
vestigate the aflairs of the company, stated
that the work had been completed, and
printed copies were upon the table at the
disposal of the members.
The Chairman inquired what action should
be taken in regard to the report, when the
following resolution was oflefed by Dr.
Arnold and adopted:
Resolved, That this report be received and
referred to the Board of Directors for their
consideration, and that a copy of the same
be sent to the principal stockholders for
their information.
Mr. Gourdin here requested that the com
mittee be discharged from further consider
ation of the matter, having performed their
duty, which was, on motion, done.
Gen. Gilmer stated as there was not a
quorum present, no -action could be bind
ing, but he desired to bring a matter of
*■ me bcters the stockholders
present, whose sanction he wished to re
ceive on the subject. He then offered the
following resolution which, on motion, was
adopted:
Whereas, the adjustment of fair rates of
freight, and their maintenance, is the only
immediate means of making railroads re
munerative to their stockholders;
Resolved, That the chairman of this meet
ing be requested to appoint a committee of
three to communicate with the stockholders
in the lines of railroads and steamships,
members of the General Association of
Southern Railway and Steamship Compa
nies, urging them to exercise their influence
to establish and maintain such rules and
regulations for the management of the rail
ways in which they may be interested, as
will secure ibe preservation of such propor
tions and obtain reasonable dividends to the
stockholders.
Under this resolution the chair appointed
General Gilmer, Mossrs. R. N. Gourdin and
Wm. Hunter.
Dr. Boynton offered the following, which
was adopted:
Resolved, That though there be no quorum
present that the stockholders be requested
informally to give their views on any mat
ters that they may wish to bring before the
meeting.
President Wadley here called attention to
the annual reports of the officers of the road,
c ipies of wilich were ready for distribution,
and stated that if it was the desire of the
meeting he would read the reports.
On motion the reading of the reports was
dispensed with, and the Secretary requested
to distribute printed copies among the
stockholders.
President Wadley then offered the follow
ing resolution, which was unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That the thanks of this conven
tion of stockholders is hereby cordially ten
dered to the committee of investigation,
appointed by the convention of stockholders
last year, for the able and intelligent report
presented by them upon the affairs of the
company.
Mr. Gourdin here took the floor and stated
that in behalf of himself and colleagues he
would tender thanks for this appreciation
of their labors, and the more keenly did
they feel this appreciation on account of the
source from which the resolution emanated
—the President of the company. The com
mittee had endeavored to perform their
duty faithfully and conscientiously, and it
was extremely gratifying to know that their
labors were so kindly appreciated.
No other business offering, on motion the
meeting adjourned.
THE ANNUAL REPORTS.
We may in this connection make extracts
from the reports of the several officers of
the road. The President’s report has already
been published in full in the Mobninq News,
and its contents are therefore familiar to
our readers. As the most important of the
other reports, we present in full the report
of the Superintendent, Col. Wm. Rogers :
supebintendent’s bepobt.
Superintendent's Office, Centbal R. R.)
Savannah, Ist September, 1875. j
Wm. M. Wadley, Esq., President:
Sis— Herewith I submit a report of the
earnings and expenditures ef the Central,
Southwestern and Upson County Railroads,
for the year ending the 31st ult., which may
be stated as follows :
Earnings Central Railroad, Sa
vannah Division $1,552,119 72
Earnings Central Railroad, At
lanta Division 555,262 96
Earnings Southwesternßailroad 770,736 22
Earnings Upson County Rail
road ~ 8,427 71
$2,886,536 61
Expenses Central R.
R., Savannah Div $825,952 92
Expenses Central R.
R., Atlanta Div ..., 347,277 95
Expenses Southwest
ern R. R 504,129 00
Expenses Upson Cos.
R. R 9,344 83
Leaving a balance of .$1,199,831 91
In consequence of the change made in the
closing of the year’s business of this com
pany, the report submitted last year em
braced only nine months. That a compari
son may be made between the operations of
the year just closed, and the previous
twelve months, I beg to lay before you, also,
a statement of the earnings and expendi
tures from Ist September, 1873, to the 31st
August, 1874, which is as follows:
„ 1873-1874.
Earnings Central Railroad,
Savannah division .$1,676,560 14
Earnings Central Railroad, At
lanta division 638,151 65
Earnings Southwestern Rail
road 771,560 24
Earnings Upson County Rail
road 9,614 13
♦3,095,886 16
Expenses Central
Railroad, Savan
nah division $943,877 56
Expenses Central
Railroad, Atlanta
division 544,076 26
Expenses South
western Railroad 589,701 90
Expenses Upson
County Railroad. 9,2% 4ff- 2,086,952 12
Leaving a balance 0f....51,008,934 04
From the statements submitted, it will be
seen that the earnings of this year have
fallen short of those of the previous twelve
mouths $209,349 55, while the exponses this
year, compared with those of the previous
twelve months, show a decrease of $400,-
247 42, making net earuings this year over
that of the previous twelve months $190,-
897 87.
The heavy competition for business to
and from Atlanta and Augusta, and the
cutting of rates by competing lines working
to aud from these points, may be fairly con
sidered as the cause of the decrease in earn
iugs on the Savannah and Atlauta Divisions,
as shown in tables A aud B.
The decrease in expenses is in conse
quence of reductions in the force and pay
of employees in the various departments,
and is also due to the fact that rigid econo
my has been used in the purchase of ma
terial for keeping up the road and ro’ling
stock. But nothing has been neglected
which was necessary to keep both m good
condition.
The reductions in the various department*
daring the year just closed, compared with
the previous twelve months, may be stated
,u rouud numbers as follows:
Transportation $ 68,904 00
Motive 166,947 00
Cars 61,585 00
Repairs of road 71,490 00
Incidentals 22.595 00
Buildings 8,688 00
Making in all $400,209 00
The great decrease m motive, compared
with other department*, is doe to having
paid in the previous twelve months for sev
eral engines, amounting to about >90,000,
while only one has been paid for the past
year.
On the Ist of April last G. J. Foreacre,
Superintendent of the Atlanta division, re
signed his position, he having been appoint
ed General Manager of the Washington City,
Virginia Midland and Great Southern Rail
road. Asa matter of economy it was deter
mined to operate the two divisions uuder
one organization, and from the Ist of April
last this has been done—tho Roadmaster of
the Savannah division having immediate
charge of repairs of road, and the entire
responsibility of the transportation depart
ment devolving upon this office. This plan
has, so far as is known, worked well, and it
is believed with considerable eoonomvinthe
way of expense. •
Having recently examined the road on
both divisions, I have no hesitation in say
ing that it is in better condition now than at
any time since the war.
From the Road Master’s report can be
gathered all information in detail respecting
his department, to which I respectfully re
fer you.
It will be seen that we have received from
the Roane Iron Company at Chattanooga
and the Scofield Rolling Mill Company at
Atlanta 2,958 tons rerolled rails, 1,955 tons
of which have been laid on the Savannah
division, and 1,003 tons on the Atlanta
division.
There has been repaired at the saw mill
at Gordon 1,378 tons old rails, of which ,876
tons have been used for repairs on the Sa
vannah division, and 502 tons on the Atlanta
division.
For the coming year it is estimated that
fifty miles of new rails will be necessary for
the Central and Southwetern Railroads :
Central (Savannah and Atlanta divisions)
thirty miles ; Southwestern twenty miles.
The supply of ties and string timbers on
the Upson county road, has not been equal
to the decay for some years past, and we
shall therefore require a considerable quan
tity of both for the ensuing year, in order to
keep that road in a safe condition.
Tlie track from the main lino to the wharf
on Vale Royal Plantation was laid on trestle
work, which had Degun to decay rapidly.
Iu order to avoid any repairs to the trestle,
it was deemed more economical to fill it in
with earth, thereby completing a permanent
roadbed.
The embankment on which the warehouse
track is laid, leading from theMip freight
warehouse at Savannah, was cut some years
ago (at the expense of this company) to
enable the city to make somo repairs to a
sewer which passes under it, making it ne
cessary to span the cut by a trestle bridge.
The deSay of that structure made it necesg
sary that anew bridge should be built, or
the cut tilled up. After some correspondency
on the subject, between the President of
this company andjhe Mayor of the city, the
latter authorised the filling up of the cut,
at the same time agreeing that if it became
necessary at a future day to make any re
pairs to the sewer at that point, it would be
at the expense of the city.
At No. 3, on the main line between Savan
nah and Macon, there has been built an
open shed for tlio protection of passengers
and freight, and on sections 22 and 24 sec
tion masters’ houses have been built.
Oa the Savannah division, there has been
consumed during the year just closed 20,GG5
cords of wood, costing in the racks $66,-
285 90. The mileage of engines has been
885,537, making 42 85-100 miles to a cord of
wood, at a cost per mile run of 7 4-10 cents.
The system ot furnishing wood for en
gines on the Atlanta division is the same
that was in operation when that road was
consolidated with the Central, viz: to pur
chase wood delivered on the liue, the com
pany hauling to stations and having it cut
and piled in the racks ready for use. This
renders it almost impracticable to arrive at
the exact cost per mile run by engines, but
as nearly as we can arrive at this cost,
taking into account the amount reported on
hand at the beginning of the year, it is
10 85-100 cents per mile, as will be seen by
the Roadmasters report. This is consider
ably more than it costs on the Savannah di
vision, and if, after a further trial, no better
results can be reached, I think it will be ad
visable to change the system and contract, if
possible, for the wood delivered on the
tender.
The main building connected with tho
passenger depot at Savannah was not fin
ished during the war for want of material.
Upon examination at the close of the war it
was found that the timbers, from exposure,
had so mush decayed as to render their re
moval necessary. The necessity for waiting
rooms to accommodate the traveling public
becoming daily more urgent, it was deter
mined to renew the decayed timbers
and roof, so a* to put the waiting rooms in
a condition to be used, and for this purpose
the carpenter’s force was brought from tho
line of road, and they have made considera
ble progress in removing the decayed tim
ber and replacing it with new. To'suit the
new order of thiDgs considerable changes
had to be made from the original design,
and when finished will, I think, come fully
up to the demands of the traveling public.
The Master Machinist’s report shows the
number and condition of engines belonging
to the S ivannah division. Last year he re
ported 58, one of which, the Delaware, has
been condemned, cut up and sold as old
scrap, making 57 to be accounted for this
year. Of these the Athens, Clinton, Ten
nessee and the Mac arc on the Southwestern
Railroad; the Henry McAlpin is on the
Upson County Road, and the Arkansas is
rented out to Wadley & Cos., leaving 51 as
the number for all work on this division,
three of which, the South Carolina, Virginia
and Pensacola, being old, are used for
switching in the yard and at the wharf.
In last year’s report the Master Machinist
recommended the building of a freight en
gine every year, using in the construction
of the same any parts that are suitable from
such engine or engines as may be condemned
in consequence of being unfit for service.
By this means it is thought the stock of
engines can be kept up sufficient to do all
the business that may offer, and it is be
lieved the force necessarily kept for repairs
could turn out one engine a year with but
little additional cost, over and above the
now material that it would require.
Accompanying the table of engines for the
Savannah division, will be found the table
of engines for the Atlanta division, showing
their condition and operations for the year.
During the year the roofs of the black
smith s,nd boiler maker’s shops have been
repaired. It is apparent that some atten
tion wili shortly have to be given to the roof
of the machine shop, as it now shows signs
pf leaking in several places.
The Master Car Builder’s report shows
the number and condition of all cars be
longing to and controlled by thig company.
Last year’s report showed the number of
cars of all be 1,704. During the year
just closed, there have been condemned as
Unfit for service 28, making our present stock
of cars of all kinds 1,676.
Some of our passenger cars are old and
very much worn, and in order to replaoe
those which will soon be unfit for service, I
would recommend the construction of at least
two new ones the present year, and there
after I think one a year will fully keep up our
stock and meet all demands for this service.
I would also recommend the building at
once of a passenger mail and baggage car,
such as are now running on the day passen
ger line, to be used as a relay, in the event
of either of the cars of that class needing
repairs or being disabled from any cause.
In my last report mention was made of
having’frames for fifty cars ready to set up.
They remain as last reported, but it is pro
posed to finish them during the present
year, so as to keep up our stock.
The Auditor’s report and tabular state
ment attached show in detail the expendi
tures of the road.
The financial condition of the company is
shown by the report and balance sheet of
the book-keeper.
The annexed tabular statements give in
detail the earnings, passengers carried,
number of bales of cotton, and fertilisers
shipped during the year,
Respectfully submitted.
William Rogi:i>B,
General Superintendent.
From the several tables appended to the
report we culled the following statistics of
especial interest:
Baies cotton, 456,795; bales Georgia cot-
ESTABLISHED 1850.
ton yarn, 3,706; bales Georgia domestic
2,814; wool, 143,996 lbs.; hides, 419,030 lbs •
leather, 95,588 lbs.; paper, 94,549 lbs.; feath
ers, 1,901 lbs.; tobacco, 1,383,115 lbs.; cop
per ore, 2,916,567 lbs.; lard, 290,175 lbs.; ba
con, 2,659,818 lbs.; turpentine, 460 bbls •
rosin, 2,037 |bbls.; corn, 102,209 bu.; flour
38,012 bbls., 574,779 lbs.; cattle, 2,961;
hogs, 1,067; horses and mules. 1, 174-
timber and sawed lumber, 8,608,500 feet ;
wheat, 15,447 bu.; firewood, 3,574 cords’
number of passengers, way and Augusta’
up, 46,079; down, 55,793; through passen
gers, up, 5,287; down, 8,014; total number oi
passengers, 115,173, against 113,328 the pre
ceding year; guano. 56,404,646 lbs., an in
crease of 2,937,452 lbs. over last year; salt,
10,250,190 lbs., an increase of 3,041 749-
lime, 344,419 bu.; decrease, 167,823. ’ ’
Cotton transported over the Central and
branches to Savannah, 449,067 bales, against
472,087 bales last year; to Augusta, 7,728
bales, against 3,794 last year; over the
Southwestern Railroad from stations to Ma
con and Columbus, 29,387 bales, against -
19,899 last year ; over the Atlanta division
from stations to Macon and Atlanta, 7,588
bales, agaiust 11,610 bales last year.
A statement by the auditor of the expen
ditures of the railroad shows the following:
Transportation, $481,004 69; motive power
$472 816 07; cars, $137,238 59; repairs oi
road, $499,698 84; stock killed, $18,751 30;
incidentals, $55,349 45; repairs of buildings,
$21,845 76, making a grand total of the ex
penditures, $1,686,704 70.
In view of the report of the investigating
committee, a full synopsis of which ap
peared in the News on Tuesday, the affairs
of the Steamship Company, iu which the
Central is concerned, assume unusual im
portance and interest. Wo consequently
present in full tho reports of the President
and the agent:
president’s report.
Office of the )
Ocean Steamship Company of Savannah, [
Savannah, Ga., September 1, 1875. )
To the Stockholders :
In accordance with the charter of your
company, approved August 26, 1872, sub
scriptions to its capital stock of five hundred
thousand dollars having been made, an ad
vertisement was published from the 26th of
September until the 6th of October, 1874,
announcing that an election of directors to
manage the affairs of the company would be
held on the 6th of October, 1874.
The election resulted iu the choice of Gen.
A. R. Lawton, Col. E. C. Anderson, Wm. R.
Garrison, Esq., Wm. B. Johnston, Esq., and
Wm. M. Wadley as directors. Subsequently
the Board elected the undersigned as Presi
dent and T. M. Cunningham, Esq., Secre
tary and Treasurer.
The organization of the company having
been thus perfected, and the charter allow
ing an increase of its capital stock by the
Board of Directors, it was
“ Resolved, That the capital stock of this
company be increased to one million of dol
lars, and that subscriptions to said stock be
received at par until the full amount has
been subscribed for.”
It may here be remarked that this increase
of capital stock was necessary to carry out
the objects of the company, and to render
it practicable the Central Railroad and Bank
ing Company of Georgia increased its sub
scription three hundred thousand dollars,
making the whole subscriptions to the capital
stock of tho Steamship Company, eight hun
dred thousand dollars. With this amount
of capital the company were enabled to ac
cept a proposition from tho Central Rail
road and Banking Company of Georgia to
sell six steamships, including all their assets
aud liabilities, for tho sum of six hundred
thousand dollars ; and, also, the Vale Royal
property, including wharves, warehouses,
sheds, and all other improvements attached
thereto—except the track from the main
line to the river, with the rigdit of way and
sidings connected with it—Tor the sum of
two hundred thousand dollars. By this
purchase the company became possessed of
property valued at eight huudred thousand
dollars.
For the immediate management of this
property, Wm. R. Garrison, Esq., of New
York, was appointed by tho Board Goneral
Agent of the company. The Central Rail
road and Banking Company of Georgia
being the virtual owner of the entire stock,
and tho President, Secretary and Treasurer
of that company, the
organization was folmed without compen
sation to its officers, exX* at to the General'
Agent and bin tuber lie '““TGfctfß
The affairs of your company !if, ,
managed under this
result of operations, as will be seen b'yT&e
General Agent’s report, published herowith,
have been for—
The ships, net earnings $47,878 44
To this add net receipts from the
Vale Royal property 15,588 39
Making $G3,4G6 83
as the net income from tho pioperty of the
company. Every voucher for both earnings
and expenses which produce the above re
sults ror the ships have had my personal
examination. The income trom the Vale
Royal property is kept by the offioors of the
railroad, and have the same scrutiny as tho
other accounts pertaining to its operations.
I can, therefore, vouch for tho correctness
of these results.
But for the deterioration of the ships,
this would be a fair profit upon the invest
ment. They are, however, in good condi
tion, and if they could have full employ
ment at fair paying rates, it is believed their
net earnings would be equal to seven per
cent, on their value, after providing for re
newals as they become unfit for service.
It will be seen by the General Agent’s
report that the gross receipts for the past
year have been $62,231 70 less than for the
previous year. This iB only the experience
of all transportation lines within my know
ledge, and it, therefore, becomes an abso
lute necessity to practice the most rigid
economy, in order to overcome, aa far as
Sossible, the falling off in business. The
oard, realizing this necessity, will make
every effort to obtain the best results, and
it is not doubted that they will have the
cordial co-operation of the General Agent
in thoir endeavor to accomplish this
object.
By the Treasurer’s balance sheet it will
be seen that there is to the credit of profit
and loss the sum of $196,231 44. This con
sists of one hundred and ninety-five first
mortgage bonds on the Central Railroad and
Banking Company of Georgia, the Macon
and Western, and the Southwestern Rail
road companies, at a cost of $180,283 93
$15,588 39 due by the Central Railroad, and
$357 12 due by Wm. R. Garrison, General
Agent.
The question of building new shij s has
had the consideration of the i:oard, and if
two of the old ships could be disposed of at
a fair price the company would be in condi
tion to build at least one from the funds
now in hand. If built, it should be on a
cash basis, so as to obtain the work at the
lowest possible price.
Respectfully submitted.
Wm. M. Wadley, President.
BEPOBT OF STEAMSHIP AGENT.
New Yobk, Ist September, 1875.
Wm. M. Wadley, Esq., President Ocean
Steamship Company, Savannah:
Deab Sib —Herewith I beg leave to hand
you the accounts, vouchers, etc., for the last
quarter of this year (ending August 31,
1875), and a general account, showing the
result of the workings of the steamship de
partment for the whole year.
It will be observed from our figures that
we have made seventy-four regular and
throe extra voyages this year, against
seventy-eight regular and five extra voyages
last year.
The net receipts of the line from August
31st, 1874, to September lsr, 1875, (with a
decrease of gros-i receipts amounting to
$62,231 70) were $47,878 74.
The steamers have transported 14,297
bales of cotton less than were carried the
year previous, and the outward freight lists
show quite as large a proportionate reduc
tion.
The Steamship Sinking Fund has now on
hand in the custody of the Treasurer $195,-
000 in first mortgage bonds on the Central
Railroad aDd Banking Company of Georgia,
the Macon and Western and Southwestern
Railroad Companies of Georgia.
Taking into consideration the extreme
dullness of the ocean carrying trade during
the whole year, and the large ' losses that
have resulted from the working of steam
ship property generally, our experience
must be regarded as very satisfactory.
The steamers are in fair order for busi
ness, and I apprehend no extraordinary out
lay for repairs will be required.
Your own familiarity with the system of
the management of the company’s vessels
renders it unnecessary for me to make a
detailed report on that subject, further than
to say that by dint of economy so strongly
urged by the “times” and your good self;
the expenses of the ships have been reduced
fully twenty per cent, during the past year,
and that their efficiency has not been im
paired by the reduction.
I beg again to call your attention to the
fact that the steam fleet of the company is
but partially employed, while it is fully able
to do at least three-fourths of the through
business of thp Georgia Central Railroad
Company and the local business of the port
of Savannah; and, hoping that it may seem
wise to you to recommend the active opera
tion of all the steamers under our control,
I am, your obedient servant,
Wm. R. Gabbisos, General Agent.
The Cincinnati Gazette speaks sneer
ingly of “the rebel Congress at Wash
ington.” We thank thee, Jew, for that
word. It has been about a hundred years
sinoe we had a “rebel Congress” in that
vicinity, and as this is the Centennial
Congress the appellation is truly felici
tous. —NashviUe American. i
LETTER FROM JACKSONVILLE.
A Tale f Wla* Rome once Rath Borne
—Tho Irroproo*lble African— Plugging
Teeth— Gloomy Ending of a Fearful
Day—The Little Plntol In lta Various
Applications — A Sea of Mod—Marine—
Sunday Chips.
[Special Correspondence 6£ the Morning News.]
Jacksonville, December 6, 1875.
WHERE PHOEBUS WEPT.
The Mobnino News “investigator” at
this point grants a temporary respite on
this occasion to the Badical freebooters
who are scattered like the leaves
that fall profusely at dull Autumn’s
birth. This is in consequence of
intense intellectual preoccupation in re
gard to another soulless subject—the old
dismantled market-shed that obstructs
the foot of Ocean street. The same ro
mantic associations which clung to the
-uins of the Pantheon are not conjured
"P by a view of this cenotaph to the
‘m tohers who perished in the vain en
deavor to exist under its roof, yet it un
doubtedly presents equally as antique and
decayed an appearance. It con
flicts with the proprieties of
art in being all foreground and no per
spective ; its scraggy pillars jar upon our
aesthetic predilections and we lament the
desuletude of brick sufficient to repair the
pavements of an entire street. Unthink
ing visitors seem to labor under the delu
sion that the bleak structure is valuable
and that it has been permitted
to remain for some purpose, and
when informed of their grevious error
their surprise exceeds that of the Tbane of
Cawdor under the apparitionswhich arose
in obedience to the incantations of the
witches. Undeniably virtuous people
invariably make certain occult references
to the vocabulary of profanity at sight of
the wreck, and even the policemen
ceased to rub their clothes out leaning
against the pillars; and why it is not at
once removed from the middle of a pub
lic thoroughfare, is a conundrum which
belongs strictly to the arena
of city governments. The brick
could be speedily utilized in manufactur
ing a few improved sidewalks, and as a
measure of economy it should be carted
away instanter. It will, perhaps, remain,
notwithstanding all the objections that
can be raised against it, as nuisances are
generally perpetual.
THE GREAT AMERICAN PEST.
It is questionable whether any
individual other than a native of
Deutchland ever fully comprehended
the import of Schiller’s expression,
“hiruuter steigen.” I am nftt
certain that I have succeeded in elucidat
ing the matter, but it seems to me that
the German bard meant the higher they
get the lower they are, and intended a
prophetic allusion to the present free and
enlightened status of our fellow citizens
of the nigger gender. Negro adolescence
is becoming peculiarly pestiferous in this
section, aud adopts a heinous method of
wreaking vengeance upon any one who
is not in favor with it. This consists in
smashing the glass fronts of doors after
dark, and a number of citizens have suf
fered by this trick lately. The youth of
the black variety are fast getting to be
unendurable plagues, and their new-fan
gled amusement may be suddenly checked
by a load of hot lead. The use of “Ala
bama slings” is also a nuisance, and the
Council could not render the community
a better service than by interdicting
them.
NOT A TRIANGULAR DUEL.
Huffy informed Boanerges that he was
a consummate scoundrel and then
branched off and told him what he
thought of him. The wounded honor of
Boanerges demanded a sanguinary satis
faction ; a challenge was let loose and
the belicose parties met at mid
night on tho 3d instant. The
weapons were pistols, distance thirty
paces, Boanerger was as valorous as a
conquering hero, but his legs, like those
of Lieut. Talbot, were confoundedly
cowardly. At the first fire he fell with a
heavy thud to the earth in a state of un
consciousness, and Huffy departed under
the delusion that he had mortally wound
ed his antagonist. Both of the duellists
lingo s’’try .atffffgjjjjriWijljl’J.f they will
fill'll he ~.y illfis gs het their
A
ing the deadly blanr
charges. The trembling warriors can
now come forth into the light of day.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.
Florida is just now infested by an im
posing army of mountebanks, who go
about swindling transportation lines on
the strength of a chimerical connection
with the press. This class of impostors is
daily becoming more numerous, and it
devolves upon railroads and steamboats
to demand proper credentials. No bona
fide representative of any newspaper
would object to such a plan, and it would
protect the press and public from thhL
systematic imposition. A more persist <dj|
callous and hardened Het of 1 villfl
than these self-constituted newspaßj
correspondents, etc., does not exist any^
where outside of a well conducted peni
tentiary.
A dental OPEBATION.
Nig Wedding would persist in bawling
out at passengers on the wharf Saturday
in utter disregard of the city ordinance
against such a proceeding. A vigilant
guardian of the peace arrested the dis
turber, but Redding quietly extracted three
of the officer’s masticators with his fist and
ran off while the policeman’s teeth
down his throat. On Sunday the officer■
again encountered Redding, and took ■
him into custody, despite his determined 1
resistance and a contusion produced by i"
the policeman’s baton. Redding will \
ruminate at the city’s expense for a few
days over the decadence of the freedman’s
privilege to violate ordinances at pleasure.
ST. JAMES HOTEL IMPBOVEMENTB.
Mr. Campbell is displaying a commend
able spirit of enterprise in the additions
now being made to his famous hostelry. J
The dining-room will be extended sixty ]
feet, making it, when finished, one hun- *
dred and sixty feet in length and thirty
two feet wide. It will be heated by str
and lighted with gas. Over the exteD
will he eighteen sleeping apartments,
comfortable in every respect, and sup
plied with every convenience. The new I
building ia three stories high, and will b*> I
entirely completed by the Ist proximo 1
and ready for occupancy. ■
AWFUL PLEASANT.
A somewhat notorious amazon, who
sometimes lectures, had a renoonter with
a party of the opposite sex at one of our
hotels the other day. He engaged in an
altercation with her, but the belle went
after her little shooting iron and pre •
Rented it to the astonished optics at- hr
insulter with her compliments. The
man looked at the pistol and then at the
virago, and conoluded, in his discretion,
to terminate hostilities by an humble
apology, which was complacently ao--
| cepied.
AN EMENDATION.
I committed a slight error in stating
that the Tax Collector for the fiscal year
ending April 1, 1875, was still in default
to the city. An inspection of his receipts
under date of October 21, 1875, estab
lishes the fact that he had at that date
balanced accounts with the City Treas
urer. I make the correction cheerfully,
as the Mobning News does not desire to
misrepresent even a Radical.
change of schedule.
The new sohedule of the railroad train
from Savannah, to arrive here at 7:45
a. m. and leave at 5 p. in., went into
effect yesterday. The freight was off the
track near Sanderson yesterday, and de
layed the mail until 11:45 a. m. This
morning some other delay was occasioned,
and the mail reached here an hour and
fifteen minutes behind time.
THE STEAMEB ÜBBANA
ut into port yesterday. She is a small
e ssel and is destined for some purpose
r other as yet undeveloped.
GEXEBAL J. J. FINLEY
departs to-morrow for Washington to
attend to the contest for bis seat as Con
gressman from the Second District.
General Finley will remain in Washing
ton until the matter is determined, and
the prospects for a Democratic member
of Congress in place of the darkey
barber Walls are cheering to say the
least.
A TOTAL WBECK.
The schooner Kate S. Cook, plying be
tween this port and New Smyrna, ground
ed last Wednesday, near Mosquito Inlet,
and became a total wreck. The vessel, 1
believe, was owned in New York.
NEW POST OFFICE.
An improved Post Ofuot-, boasting
twelve hundred boxes, of the latest style,
will be a fixed fact afeout the end of the
week.
AnmivTia