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6he LEADER-ENTER PRISE
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Congress of March 18, 1879.
Official Organ of Ben Hill County and City of Fitzgeralid l
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Local Readers 10 cents the line ‘or each insertion. No ad taken for
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Fair Association And Chamber Of Commerce
Attend the meeting of The Fair Association at The Court House !
tonight. Matters of vital importance will be discussed and disposed of. ‘
The Chamber of Commerce will meet at the same time and several im
portant propositions to the interest of the city will need your attention.
Meeting will be called to order rt 7:30 and a full attendance is urged,
What Your Paper Does For You
One of our leading Statesmen in speaking of a Newspaper’s
value to the community says:
Every year each local paper gives thousands of dollars worth
of free space to the city in which it is published in boosting praising
public enterprises and for lodges, churches, schools and societies.
No other agency can or will do this. The kiditor in proportion to
his means. does more for his town than any other man and he ought
to be supported, not because you like and admire him and his style
but because a local paper is the best investment 2 community can
have. Today the local papers are doing more for less pay than
anything on earth, and its a fact in many cases of free notices they
are not even thanked for what they do.”’
Evidently human nature is pretty much alike. everywhere.
Every ragtail wants his rame in the paper and gets it there by
hook or crook and when you lpok for his name on the subscription
list, he is either several years in arrears or not on it at all, but the
worst of'cnder is be who will have you print long screets free and
the first time he has a littie job wolrk sends it out of town
The Ocilla Southern In Rochelle
The business men of Fitzgerald should urge the manage narto
the Ocilln Southern Railroad, to put a passenger schedule on by the
twentieth or at least a day or two before Christmas. The road is com
pleted to Rochelle and there seems to be nothing to hinder this schedule
being put icto effect, Thousands of dollars worth of trade could be
brought to the city during X’mas week from this territory and it is
our duty to try and get it.
Here is some practical work of immediate beacfit that the Cham
ber of Commerce could take up, and we see no reason why the road
being finished, the schedule could not be inaugurated. It’s worth go
ing after, we have our money invested in the stock of the road and
this is an opportunity to get an indirect dividend on the investment
the first year.
. President J. A J, Hender-on of the Ocilla Southern is in the
City today in the interest of his road, Mr, Henderson informs us that
the lirst passenger train will be run over his line to Rochelle on the
twentieth, when the stockholders will have a meeting at Kochelle and
will be given an opportunity to inspect the entire line from Nashville
to Rochelle.
China Suppressing The Opium Habit.
I'he establishment of the Chinese Republic has led manv occiden
tals to change their opinion as to the lethargy and inertia they sup
posed churacteristic of the inhabitants of the celestial empire. There
is another story of accomplishment in China, 1 owever, during the
past tive years, which makes it even clearer than the recent revolution
that theve are undreamed of springs of energy in the Chinese peopie.
About five years ago the Chinese government decided that opium
swoking, which had become the national vice ot China, even to a
greater extent than alcoholism is of the Western nations, must stop,
and that within ten years. It is scareely to be wondered at that when
this government edict was issued it was greeted with smiles every
where: five years have passed and now the world knows that success
in the great national crusade seems almost assured, -
The method that China is pursuing is interesting. Five years ago
China and Great Britain made what is known as ‘‘the ten years’
agreement,” by which the British government undertook to reduce
the amount of opium sold in Calcutta on government account for ex
port to China by 10 per cent. every year until the traflic had ceased.
On her part China agreed to diminish her own production in a corres.
pouding way. Measures were to be taken to reduce the growih of
epium in Uhina 10 per cent. each year until at the end of ten years no
more would be raised, With supplies from India cut off and the home
erop reduced and eventually suppressc.d aiwgether. the opium habit
must necessarily disappear. The results accomplished thus far are
premising. Travelers report that it is no longer common to see men
smoking opium at their own doors. Even two vears after the edict,
those who smoked did so in secret. The edict is being enforced. The
agricultural map of China shows after five years that there has been
an actual reduction of 50 per cent, in the production of opium. There
bas been as great a reduction in its use. All the world will watch
with interest this other awakeniag of China, and the oriental method
of solving a great social question, says The Journal of the American
Medical Association. In the West we have the Liguor problem nm&i
Chiuw’s vxamyle may prove iifuminating and helpfal. 3 "
THE FITZGERALD LEADER-ENTEBPRISE, FUE3D 'Y, DECEMBER 10, 1912,
A Letter From Mr. P. H. Fitzgerald
The Founder of the Colony and the City of Fitzgerald, Ga.
The Situation as He Sees It After Being Away
For Some Nine Years. _
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., Deec. 4, 1912.
To my Old Comrades and Colony Friends:
I assure you all I was truly glad to meet so many of my old
tima friends, to shake hands with you and look again into your kind
and honest faces, it brought back to me those early struggling days
when we were all huddled around ‘‘Shack Town, each struggling
to bring about a final settlement of the plans. How we worked
both day and night with a double shift at the saw mill to get out
lumber! The long row of men and wagons waiting to grab every
board and even slabs that came from the mill! The long midway
with its pine knot fires running from ‘‘Shack Town Avenue’’ with
hundreds of men lined up on either side! My visit recalled all those
early days when every member put his shoulder to the wheel to
‘help the cause. Behold what a transformation I found upon this
{visit. I was at a loss to get my bearing, nor did I realize where I
;was until I reached the hotel entrance. It was difficult to realize
'the growth of the city. The large, beautiful buildings erected
along the main drives and center of the city were truly wonderful
to me; and the fine wide streets were curbed and brick roadways
lit up with electric lights forming a beautiful White Way. The
fine court house and city buildings, new brick churches and large
school houses, things I did not expect to see for some years yet to
come. Then, too, the well improved streets and drives extending
far out into the colony domain, all speak well of the good work you
have done since my last visit. In fact the whole work has been
a marvel, and hard for you to realize how much you have done un
til you go away a short time and return. ' :
' Your work is far ahead of northern towns of many more
years of age. The clearing up of the lands, the néat home-like
|cottage houses erected thereon, all showed the good and substan-
Itial work and the stability of the place. It would be hard for the
outsider to realize what you have accomplished in so short a time.
Then again, few communities enjoy the peace and harmony that
'prevails among your people. Everyone I have talked with appear
‘ed to have his whole heart in the work and enjoyed what had been
’done and all anxious to continue the good work and do more. This
harmonious feeling is the key to the situation, for a house divided
[ within itself cannot stand. This was DEMONSTRATED in our
LAST NATIONAL ELECTION.
| I also must speak of the fine crop of heaithy looking, bright
Ffaced children I met on Childrens’ Day at the Fair. They cannot
be surpassed by any community and they are the ones we must
ook to for the perpetuation of the city. It wiil not be long before
i'they must take up the burden and carry on the grand work found
ed by their fathers and grandfathers.
; Now let us go back to our earliest davs when I visited the
various lands in the various parts of the state of Georgia with Ex
iGovernor W. J. Northern. I visited many sections of the state and
‘was very much disappointed until we struck the little town of
Swan. I sized up the location and at once told the Governor it was
the spot if we could only get a railroad outlet, and if a railroad
would come to us we would have nothing to fear, for the country
was good, the timber was fine, the soil the best we had found, with
no large city for miles in any direction to hamper us. This is why
we made the location. Then came our struggle. Few will ever
know what I had to contend with; for it was one continued hard
struggle for the first three years—first to get the members settled
by allotment. This once accomplished, then came the question [so
long feared, which was the railroad concessions that had to be made
and few of you know what a hard task it was to get them started.
They did not have faith in our stability. I wish to say right here
I had one good friend who had faith in me and one who did more
to help the undertaking than was ever known to the colony mem
bers and that man today deserves the thanks of every member of
the coluny, and that man was R. V. Bowen, of Lulavilie, now a
resides:t of Fitzrerald. This man owned alittle turpentine road
running from Abbeville to Lulaville. I had exhausted my efforts
in trying to get the then Georgia & Alabama R. R. to run a track
down from either Rochelle or Abbeville but failed to impress them
until we threatened o take over with Mr. Bowen his little road andi‘
complete it south to Fitzgerald and on north to Hawkinsville. It
was then I forced them to act and in this action instead of Mr. 1
Bowen getting what he should have had they paid him not over
half of its value. Yet Mr. Bowen consented to that, saying to Mr.
Fitzgerald, ‘I have faith in your uadertaking and the loss I sustain
in this sale | hope to make up along other lines,”” and he virtually
took half price for his road,so he should have due credit for what
he did and for all he has done since. He ualways stood by the
Colony and had faith in me, and while he may have made money,
he has spent his money freely to maintain and build up the place.
The railroad question once settled gave us new life and hope.
My hardest efforts and which gave me most worry was in
trying to satisfy each member with a suitable allotment. To havel
them go before the board and be refused an exchange, they would
drop the matter until my next visit when I would be besieged with
members to change allotments. I could readily see how important
and just it would be to give them something to satisfy them, some
thing they could live upon and keep them with us, and I did it in
every case [ could, but it was a GRAY HAIR TURNING job. Yet
I enjoyed it and was glad to please them, for the land was theirs
and not mine.
| . Now upon my last visit when we all gathered around in a
group to have the picture taken, I looked into the kind good natur-‘
ed faces of those old boys and it brought back to me the early days
of our struggles and the enjoyment of many happv days, for
cculd look them in the face and know I never wronged one ofthem,
nor did I make any money by the undertaking; while on the other
hand my losses were large. I did not speculate amonz them: how
ever, it was the speculating class that gave the most trouble. It was
hard to judge them from the real settler, but rather than injure
an honest settler we had to be imposed upon bv the speculator. I
have said enough along these lines except you'all give me too much
credit. Remember that without I had the hearty co-operation of al
the good members it never could have been done, so you are all a
part of the good work and its final success. I only wish I were an
‘able speaker that 1 might more fully credit you with the good work
'you all did and your present situation and your future as I see it.
I will try to say a few words more, and if I get too strong when I
again call, call me down.
THE PRESENT
- I found all I could have expected, a neat, nice, clean well built
city. A credit to the state of Georgia. Fine streets, brick road
ways. stone curbing, nice large, well built brick and stone build
igns, fine water plant, electric lights, sewers, good honest people
and in fact everything that goes to make up a good city. Good
substantial banks, elegant stores filled with costly goods. What
more do you need or want? From my views let me tell you:
First: Cast you eyes over the surroundings. You will see that
many things from which you have received your support in accom
plishing this great work have passed away. Your vast forests of
fine pine timber from which yo reaped heavy benefits have dissam
peared. Your turpentine industry is a thing of thepast, the tim
for speculating in City lots upon a basis of large profits and quick
salee is pa.s~d. The large money made in sale of land tracts at
high price has ¢me to a stand still, because prices of both city lots
and lands have reached a uniform high price and from now on
must be sluw sale and smaller profits. Therefore your situation
vou might say is at a stand still. You must take up another work.
You must do something now to maintain your standard prices to
uphold support and advance those prices. Your present support is
not enough. You have your cotton mills, your railroad shops, you
may sell some ice and cotton. OQOutside of this you have but little
to bring what you really need and that is a sufficient amount of
circulating cash. You have been trading and selling among your
selves and increasing values until you reached a standard where
Isa‘.es will be slow and profits smaller. Every bank, every store
and in fact every business man wants these prices to continue at
’their present standard. You cannot afford to letthem deteriorate at
[this stage. Then how can they be maintained. There is but oné
tway. You must cease to be consumers ond turn to becsme produc
ers. Furnish something to sell, something to bring back some ready
cash to go into ecirculation. Did you ever stop to think how your
city turned the farmer of your section from consumer to producers
Very few of them before yotir city was built made enough from
farming to support them. They eould sell no produce. They had
no ready cash. Itis now, everyone has something to sell and
you bhave given him a market and he is no longer a con
s imer, he is a producer. He brings you the produce and takes
the money back hom3. Now your city must do the same thing.
You must bring to your city some industries that will produce
something, to seil something, to employ labor and produce the
means to pay that labor. Even if it is small get some factories.
I think of many little things that could be brought there for good
fi I spoke to a few about a Cane Syrup Factory. You have
a splendid opening for a large plant of this kind. Besides if it was
there it would help the small land-man if he knew he had a market
he wou'd raise a few hundred pounds of cane and it would furnish
him that muach cash., Other things could be worked in the same
plant. There is a ready sale for all the peanut butter you could
put out and your sweet potatoes could be worked into something
that would sell. You still have some good soft timber which could
support a box factory and a butter dish factory. A Cabinet Faec
tory which would produce what is known as a Kitechen Cabinet.
They sell steadily all over the North. Then too I noticed you have
an excellent quality of sand, tha would support a bottle ractory.
You raise a spledid plant of cotton and nothihg sells better all
over the north than a well-made cotton top matress, There are so
many small things if started there would bring day labor and make
pay rolls and that is now what you must look forward to. Of‘g
course it would take some money but you haye reached the point
where you may expect to do this. Your fine large buildings must
have customers, your well built stores must have customers. You
can only hope to continue the prices by getting people and labor
and paying that labor. This is what supports a city after it is
once built.
If 1 could only spare the time I would liketo be with you just
one year at the head of a well equipped Industrial Bureau. With
such an agency there is no reason why you should not bring all these
things to you. Well, I have said enough, I had a fine visit and will
come again before long. Best wishes to all,
I am as ever, .
e P. H. FITZGERALD.
7
TAKE A HOLIDAY TRIP
Attractive Excursion Rates between ail stations'
and to points on connecting lines. Electric Lighted
Sleepers on night trains between Wayeross, Thomas
ville and Atlanta. Tickete on sale December 13, 14, 2,
19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 21 and January 1, 1913, with
return limit January 6, 1913.
Take advantage of the Low Excursion Rates to visit
your friends during the Holiday Season.
W. . LEAHY,
: Gen, Pass. Agent,
: ; Atlant, Ga.