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| Talks U)ith Farmers
Conducted By C. H. Jordan
d» Subscribers are requested to ad- ♦
+ dress all Inquiries for Information +
+ on subjects relating to ths farm. ♦
♦ field, garden and poultry to tho ♦
♦ Agricultural Editor. All Inquiries •*
♦ will receive prompt r_nd careful at- +
♦ tentlon. No Inquiries answered by ♦
♦ mall Please address Harvle Jordan. ♦
+ Agricultural Editor. Monticello. Ga. ♦
•••111 I 111 IIIIWI »!*♦♦♦♦
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.' ,
January is the month in which prepara
tions for garden work must begin. The soil
composing the garden plats should have
been deeply turned and subsoiled sixty
days ago. but the majority of farmers
nearly always wait until the last minute
before doing any work in the garden, and
. exen then the land is only broken and pre
pared to meet immediate demands for such
seed as are to be planted. There is no
piece of land on the farm which gives a
larger profit on the* area planted and culti
vated than the small piece of ground us
ually devoted to the growth of vegetables
for the family.
Except in the neighborhood of the sea
and gulf coast there cannot be planted
during the present month many vegetable
seed, but if the weather is open and pleas
ant the garden area can be gotten into
good condition for considerable planting In
February. Stable manure should now be
broadcasted heavily over the soli and then
the land broken deeply and harrowed over
several times to secure perfect tilth con
dition. I have never yet heard of an In
stance where to* much barnyard manure
was spread on the garden, or where the
vegetables had been overworked. •We
shbhld therefore fertilise as heavily as
possible, prepare the land thoroughly and
then stir the soil around the growing veg
etables as often and as rapidly as possible.
A Common Hot Bed.
Tn those sections where it is yet too
early to expose the tender plants in the
open soil, we can obviate the difficulty by
mutldlng a cheap hot bed in which the
seeds of different plants may be germinat
ed now aod transplanted out in the garden
when the condition of the weather per
mits. I have for many years used an in
expensive hot bed with good results for
growing early lettuce, raddtsh. salad, cab
baged. etc. The best place to locate a
common hot bed or cold frame. Is on the
rear of an out building facing the south
Get either a southeastern or southern "ex
poaurw with protection from the cold
western and northern winds. Lay off a
place six feet wide by 18 to 9> feet long
and fork the ground up deeply.
Then spade off about four Inches of the
to|> soli and spread on about three inches
of well rotted stable minure. pressing the
same down firmly by stamping. Next
throw on the soil which was tirst remov
ed and build a cheap plank wall around
the whole, having the northern or western
side two feet higher than the front. Al
low to stand for two days before planting
the seed. Glass can be used to cover the
_ frame, but I have had excellent success
with a plain Osnaburg sheet, so arranged
that it ould be turned back pleasant days
or drawn over the frame during freezing
nights. To a person who has never plant
ed a variety of quick growing early veget
ables on a small patch of soil prepared in
this way it will be astonishing to know
what an adjunct to the table it will give in
a very short period of time.
In such a bed cabbages, tomatoes, pep
per and other vegetables of like character
can be early germinated and successfully
transplanted to much better advantage
than the common plan of using little boxes'
to be carried in and out of the h6use at
every change of the weather during our
fickle season for the next two months.
There is but Utile work needed to have a
good hot bed of the kind named, and there
Is so much more satisfaction in making
a proper effort to have the kitchen garden >
a success, than in depending upon the
usual shiftless and indifferent methods
pursued by so many men wbo follow the ;
noble profession of farming. Any man
who has the proper regard for his wife
and wants to aid her In the management
of her housekeeping duties, will always i
prepare and (urwish a good garden.
A Necessary Adjunct.
There is nothing mysterious about the
ability of some people to have a luxurious
garden during nearly every month in the
year, while others only have a few stalks
of collards in the fall. The man with a
first class garden is also apt to have an
abundance of home raised corn and meat
on hand also. It is simply the difference
between thrift and success on the one
side and carelessnex’ qnd Indifference on
the other. At this time when provisions of I
all kinds are so high in price, the garden
becomes a necessity, Whether It be a
pleasure or not. yet there is no part of the
farm which should give more genuine
pleasure to the owner, and to all members
of his family, than a garoen filled with
luxuriant growing vegetables all nicely
worked and in inviting condition. There is
no vegetable superior to asparagus and
get there are but few asparagus beds to
be found on the average farm. A splendid
dinner can be served with a small piece
of racon and a variety of vegetables. Man
was ortginallv a vegetarian and the hard
est worked men would require but little
of the expensive breads and meats usually
found on our tables through the spring j
and summer if the kitchen garden re- 1
cel red the care and attention It ought to
have. We need a revival of interest along
this line of our agricultural work. A first
class garden this year on every farm in
the «outh would mean the saving of mill
ion* of dollars, which wilt otherwise flow
Into the pockets of western meat and
grain d-alers. The size of the kitchen gar
den spot may look like a smali affair
from the outside, but to the man who has
to foot the table bills the year round it
should mean a regular savings hank.
HARVIE JORDAN.
EXCHANGES.
Experience With Fertilizers.
Rural New Yorker.
I see that you call for the experience of I
those who have used commeroial fertil- I
tiers to maintain the fertility of land in
farming. I have used fertilisers as the |
chief source of plant food in my fanning (
for twenty-five years, and have used meet '
of the time from ten to twenty tons per :
year. As the result of jny experience I I
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should have no hesitation in undertaking
to grow crops and maintain soil fertility
with fertilisers under almost any condi
tions where I should be willing to attempt
the same results with stable manure. To
secure success with fertilizers one must
inform himself as to the qualities of fer
tilizers and select such as will do the
work he desires. If properly selected and.
used 1 think the results are as lasting
with fertilizers as with manure, and I
have tested them side by side for the pur
pose of observation. When fertilizers arc
used sufficient provision must be made to
maintain the supply of humus in the soil,
and also to correct soil acidity, which is
more likely to occur with fertilizers than
stable manure. This is especially true of
fertilizers as they have been compounded
heretofore. It may be possible to so com
pound them a» to obviate their tendency
to produce soil acidity. In the present
light on the subject I have concluded to
discard the use of forms of potash con
taining chlorine, hoping thus to attain
that result. I think many cases of sup
posed soil exhaustion by the use of com
mercial fertilizers are only soil acidity.
My own experience leads me to this con
clusion. After I had used fertilizers sev
eral years I found the results were not as
good as at first. Neither would crops grow
as well when stable manure, was used.
From statements about liming land to
correct soil acidity, given out by the agri
cultural stations (more especially the
Rhode Island station) I was led to test
my soil with litmus paper for acidity. I
found the soil was quite sour. I then
sought to find the least expensive way to
supply lime for the cure. I live where
lime cannot be obtained cheaply: the best
I could do was about $9 per ton for caustic
lime at the railroad station. If I bought
air-slaked lime.the increase of weight for
actual lime and the consequent increased
cost of freight made the coat of actual
lime just about the same. I found upon
investigation that wood ashes were about
one-th Ird lime, and allowing for the value
of potash and phosphoric acid in the
aches, and considering also that the
are already in good condition for spread
ing. I decided to use Canada ashes. I ap
plied about.one ton per acre with good
results, and the next year I repeated the
dose.
The result is. my land, some of which
never had as much as one good dressing
of manure In the 18 years I have culti
vated it. now grows fine crops of hay. One
lot produced three tons per acre at first
cutting, and one ton per acre of rowen
this year which has been very favorable
for hay in this vicinity. I use each year
in spring on grass a dressing of fertilizer
costing from $5 to 17 per acre. One great
reason for the belief that the use of com
mercial fertilizer produces exhaustion of
the soil is the fact that users do not gen
erally apply enough. Farmers who do not
think of applying Jess than five cords of
manure per acre for corn, and spread
most of it broadcast, will expect 400 to SuO
pounds of fertilizer per acre dropped in
the hill to produce equally good results
without exhausting the soH. If they should
rot down the manure Io make it fine and
quickly available to the crop, and then
try to grow corn by using only a small
shovelful to each hill, they would find
soil exhaustion approaching Just as rap
idly as by the use of 400 to 600 pounds of
fertilizer per acre. When using fertilizer
for corn I try to get one that will yield
up its plant food gradually throughout the
growing season, and apply 1.000 to 1.500
pounds broadcast: then use a small quali
ty of some more quickly-acting fertilizer
in the hill. Such an application will be
likely to bring a good crop of corn and
leave the soil improved instead of ueplet
-ed. For potatoes I use a more active fer
tilizer. 1.200 to 1,804 pounds per acre, and
apply in the drill. Potatoes have only a
short growing season, an need their food
near bqr and ready for use. So in all cases
the farmer who aims to get best results
must cons.der the needs of his crops and
select the fertilizers to supply those needs
and make the supply abundant. 4 former
ly kept 12 to 15 cows and three horses, but
a few years ago I sold all my cows but
one. and now rely almost entirely upon
fertilizers to keep up ti.e fertility of the
t&rm. My reason for selling the cows was
inability to attend to the dairy and also
to the fruit growing, which I now make
my leading faftn crop. I still cut as much
Jiay as ever, but -sell it. This present
year I cut about 55 tons. 1 will recapitu
late the points which I consider neces
sary to secure success with
Select such fertilizers as will supply the
needs of the crops, and use them Abund
antly. and mainly broadcast. Watch for
acidity of soil, and corect it by applying
lime in some form. Keep the land cov
ered with some crop all the time, summer
and winter, which will go far to keep up
the supply of humus, but if humus be
comes deficient plow in a crop of some
kind, preferably some legume.
M. MORSE.
Massachusetts.
R. N. Y.—Mr. Morse gives a very clear
statement of the method of farming that
is followed by many eastern farmers. We
do not consider that further argument is
needed to demonstrate the possibilities- of
fertilizer farming. Still it must be admit
ted thal this system Is a matter of local
ity. convenience or inclination. A younger
man or one naturally inclined to stock
raising might do better with sheep, or
hogs—obtaining his supplies from manure.
That is a matter which each farmer nrv*t
settle for himself. The yearly profit on
these fertilizer farms will probably aver
age higher than that from farms employ
ing equal capital In stock raising or gen
eral farming. That is our conviction af
ter going over many farm figures care
fully. If a man decides to use chemicals
a« his chief source of plant food he may
well keep In mirrn the points made by Mr.
Morse. Only high grade chemicals should
be used and enriuijh of them must be ap
plied. The supply of humus in the soil
must be kept up and this can usually be
done by means of "catch crops.” or crops
grown between two money crops. The
tendency of thia sort of farming is to
sour the land and lime or ashes should
he used at intervals. .Mr. Morse finds
wood ashes best for his locality but this
may not be true in all classes.
9
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Surprised They Were Surprised.
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
"I see the Boers won another victory. British
forces were surprised again."
That's funny. I should think they'd be
used to it by this time."
THE SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY. JANUARY 10, 1903.
LEWIS NIXON, YOUNG VIRGINIAN,
SUCCEEDS CROKER AS “BOSS”
NEW YORK. Jan. 12.—Richard Croker,
at his own reqest. was not reappointed
chairman of the finance committee of Tam
many hall Saturday afternoon. Lewis
Nixon was named for the position at the
instigation of Mr. Croker. Custom de
crees that with the chairmanship of the
finance committee goes the leadership of
Tammany, and this unwritten law was
observed when the district leaders hailed
Mr. Nixon as chief.
Deputy Leader John F. Carroll was
dropped from the finance committee, of
which he was the second member, and ac
cording to precedent ceased to be an im
portant factor in the Tammany organi
zation. Carrol! has been credited with
having been the “friend at court" of
the element that had tor its acknowledged
head Frank Farrell, and it was accepted
at Saturday's meeting that the gambling
combine had been hard hit.
Mr. Croker declared he was sincere
and would never resume the Tammany
leadership.
FIFTY-ONE MEN PRESENT.
Fifty-one men, all directly connected
with the Tammany political organization,
were present in Tammany hall at the
meeting of the executive committee, at
which Mr. Croker, leader for sixteen
years, declined reappointment to the chair
manship of the committee on finance.
After the meeting of the executive com- i
mittee Mr. Croker gave out the following
statement:
I took this step today because I believe
it to be the wise one. I believe that it
will result in the introduction of new I
blood in Tammany hall and restore it to
Its great pace among political organiza
tions. I have been connected with the or
ganization for thirty-five years. I think
I am entitled to a rest. .
In casting about for a man to succeed
me as chairman of the finance committee
I selected Mr. Nixon because I believe him
to be worthy of the responsibility. I told
you once that leaders have to make them
selves. No man can become a leader be
cause he was made chairman of affy com
mittee. That simply gives him an oppor
tunity to prove his right to lead. If he
is found worthy he is made a leader in
fact. I have every confidence in Mr.
Nixon.
I do not know when I shall leave New
York to look out for my racing interests
in England. I have not made any active
preparations to do so as yet. You can say
that I am as good a Tammany man today
as there is on Manhattan Island. I could
not be anything else if I tried.
I shall take an active interest In the af
fairs of the organization, and when it is
necessary for me to bear my part of the
fighting I shall be, found on hand. I
deemed it wise to invite you as the repre
sentative of The World to attend the full
meeting of the executive committee in or
der that the people of New York might
be instructed as to the actual proceed
ings.
I am extremely gratified at the compli
ment paid me by the members of the
Tammany executive committee. I wish
that you would thank them for me.
Mr. Nixon, the leader, made the follow
ing statement:
This thing came as a surprise to me. I
did not know until half an hour before the
meeting of the executive committee that
1 was to be selected chairman of the fi
nance committee._ It came to me then in
the form of a suggestion that Mr. Croker
might ahsh to retire and he desired me to
succeed him.
Nothing was said to me at the time
about'succeeding him as the leader of the
Tammany organization.
I have explained my views to the mem
bers of the committee and I have nothing
to add to It. I cannot frame a policy for
so great a political organization as Tam
many Hall In fifteen minutes. 1 shall need
the co-operation and assistance of men
who have the interest of the Democratic
organization of New York at heart. That
is all I care to say at the present time.
TAMMANY'S NEW LEADER
A YOUNG VIRGINIAN
“God helps those who help themselves,"
is Lewis Nixon’s motto, and he has ex
emplified it in his own career.
He was born in Leesburg. Va,, in 1860.
Possibly the germ of the interest which
ise has manifested in social reforms was
implanted in his mind through his early
surroundings, for his parents lived in the
official residence connected with the coun
ty jail, of which his father had charge.
Thus in boyhood he was brought in con
tact with criminals and unfortunates.
His parents had neither wealth nor high
social position, but they did their utmost
to encourage the love of scientific study
which their son manifested. In early boy
hood the lad developed a bent for inde
pendent investigation. A Virginia woman
who has known him since childhood re
cently said of him:
“Lewis Nixon never was like any other
boy in Leesburg. From the time he could
toddle he was a personage. Almost from
babyhood was an enthusiastic natural
ist. and soon knew the name of every
animal, insect, tree and plant tn the woods
about his home. He used to go on solitary
tramps in search of specimens when the
other village boys were at play.
At the Head of Hiz Class.
“At school he was always at the Jbsad
of his class. He had a talent for drawing
and designing and before he was ten years
old began to build toy boats which were
the wbnder of the neighborhood.
“When he was fourteen he went aione
to General Eppa Hunton. Congressman
from the Eighth Virginia district, and
asked for an appointment to the naval
academy at Annapolis. His appearance
so pleased the congressman that he won
the appointment over several boys who
were hjneked by political and social in r
fluence."
Mr. Nixon was graduated at Annapolis
in 1882 at the head of his class, and was
sent by the navy department to the Royal
Naval college, at Greenwich, England, to
take a special course in naval architec
ture. In I*B4 he was appointed assistant
naval constructor in the United States
navy.
He resigned his commission in 1894. but
for some time afterward remained in
charge of the construction of government
ships as superintendent of Cramps' ship
yard at Philadelphia He designed and su
■perintended the huilding of the battleships
Oregon. lowa, Massachusetts and Indiana.
In 1895 Mr. Nixon established a ship
building plant of his own at Elizabethport,
N. J., taking over the business formerly
conducted by Samuel L. Moore Sons.
The concern has grown rapidly under his
direction, and is now building a large
number of torpedo boats and doing other
work for the government.
Soon Intimate With Croker.
Since 189 b Mr. Nixon has resided in this
city. On coming here he joined the Tam
many hall organization of the Twenty
fifth assembly district and soon became an
intimate friend of Richard Croker. At
the latter's suggestion. Mayor Van WycK
appointed Mr. Nixon chairman of the New
East River Bridge commission. The duties
of that commission have now devolved j
upon Bridge Commissioner Lindenthal,
but before he retired from office Mr. Nixon
had the satisfaction of being the first man
to walk across the temporary structure
over the East river. He performed this
feat at considerable risk on August Bth
last.
When Bishop Potter's famous letter
aroused a storm of indignation against
Tammany In November. 1900, Croker
turned to Mr. Nixon to save the reputa
tion of the organisation, and appointed
him chairman of the committee of five.
The vigor with which Mr. Nixon prose
cuted the work made many Tammany
leaders his enemies. He declared that
Devery was responsible for the protection
of gambling and other forms of vice, and
in his first raid he caught Maurice F.
Holahan. president of the board of public
Improvements. When Devery was re
appointed by Police Commissioner Mur
phy Mr. Nixon threw up.his task in dis-
| Old and New Leaders Contrasted
¥—' z 1
♦
•
♦ V Jai K
♦I U D
♦ RICHARD CROKER.
+ Fifty-eight years old; born in Tre-
♦ land. His father was a blacksmith,
+ and afterward employed In Harlem
+ car stables. Derived his education in
+ public schools and in the streets and
♦ political headquarters of New York
+ city. |
For twenty years he has male and
«(• unmade political fortunes as leader of
+ Tammany hall.
<• Always a stanch friend of William
+ S. Devery.
•fr In politics all his life, and always a
♦ dominant force among his fellows.
+ Executive ability demonstrated in his
+ marvelous grip and control of the most
<• thoroughly disciplined political organl
-4» zation in America.
♦ ' u
gust, but did not desert the organization.
On the contrary he said: -
“I am a Democrat, and there are not
enough crooks in the party to drive me
out of Tammany.”
Croker’s Choice for Mayor.
It |ls generally believed that Mr. Nixon
was Croker's real choice for mayor last
fall. When the Tammany Hoss returned
from England he was particularly warm
in his greeting to Mr. Nixon, while he
gave Devery the cold shoulder. But Dev
ery's friends in the organization served
notice that they would not stand the nom<
inatlon of Nixon, and they had their way.
In 1891 Mr. Nixon married Miss Sally
Lewis Wood, of Washington, a daughter
of the late Colonel Wood, U. S. A. They
have one son.
CROKER ALWAYS A FIGHTER
AND USUALLY WINNER
Richard Croker’s last public appear
ance as the boss of Tammany was at the
Democratic club on'l’hursday night, when
he beamed upon his last mayor, Robert
A. Van Wyck, thpn being presented with
a “vindication” in the shape of resolu
tions, superlative and alliterative, pre
sumably emanating from the club, In real
ity from Richard Croker, who has of late
years had a staff of literary men for just
such occasions.
The first Croker house in America was
a very humble two-story structure, sur
rounded by high rhek and a growth of
trees and rubbish. There were many other
squatters and it was a neighborhood of
fighters. Richard fell in with the rough
and-tumble life and laid the foundation
for the physical prowess and nerve which
placed him at the head of Tammany Hall
years afterward.
Os early education Croker had about as
little as any self-made man can boast.
Three years were given to this duty—be- |
tween the ages of twelve and fifteen—ln
the public school in East Twenty-seventh
street. The real alma mater of the Tam
many leader was the streets of New York,
and he became adept# ii. the ways of Its
tuitjon. '
He was at the head, of the first class
In pugilism while in his teens and won a
series of prizefights in early manhood. He
defeated "Reddy” Haskins in a formal
set-to in the cellar of a house owned by
one McAnearney, and later he met and
vanquished "Pat” Kelly in a saloon at
Third avenue and Thirty-fifth street.
The most memorable fight, however, in
which Croker was a principal was fought
one Sunday morning in 1860 in Jones's
Wood. "Dickie" Lynch, who faced him,
was a famous fighter, but Croker pound
ed him so that he was parried away from
the ring badly battered. Matt Grteen and
Denny l#eary also fell before the prowess
of Richard Croker.
With his prowess and growing prestige,
he naturally drifted into politics, and soon
had little use for the machinist trade
which he had learned in the machine
shops of the New York Central railroad.
As a blacksmith he could swing a sledge
in each Hand. Mr. Croker is credited with
having been quick to grasp the intricacies
of machinery, and many say that a good
master mechanic was spoiled when he left
the forge and bench for the byways of
politics.
He became interested in the Fourth
Avenue Tunnel Gang, a power in politics
and physical force. Its members weije
idle mechanics, unemployed hackmen and
street roughs, the terrors of the Twenty
first ward. James O'Brien was in 1867 the
political leader of the district. He had
been chosen aiderman by a large majori
ty. ayd when Richard Croker decided that
he would be an aiderman 100 it was deem
ed necessary that Leader O Brien be con
sulted. This was done, and Mr. Croker
was elected to the office he coveted.
As Coroner in 1873.
In 1873 Croker was elected coroner.
Showing his inflexibility of purpose when
*onee his mind is made up this story is
still told about him as coroner:
A little Italian child had died in a
charitable institution after brutal treat
ment by the acting superintendent and
an Inquest was held by Coroner < roker
Among the trusteees of the institution
were several of the most prominent citi
zens of New York who were extremely
anxious for the exoneration of the acting
superintendent, whom Croker had placed :
under grrest and who was present at the ,
Irquest as a prisoner.
Under the lax methods of the coroners' |
courts these citizens were very demonstra
tive and so impressed the jury that the
latter, against the weight of evidence,
brought in a verdict clearing the prisoner
from blame. Croker received the verdict
without comment and giving it to the
clerk said: >
"The prisoner is committed to the
Tombs without bail.”
Instantly there was a hubbub in the
room and the coroner was surrounded by
indignant philanthropists, to whom he
listened •without reply. When all were
through he turned his head and indicating
the prisoner by a nod said:
"Officer, take him away."
Croker joined Tammany in the latter
part of the 60s and his election as aider
man and coioner whs under the auspices
of the organization. In 1876 he was re
elected coroner. He early attracted the
attention of John Kelly, who saw in Cro
ker the forces which would make him a
leader of the hall, at times a very stormy
position. One of the early offices Croker
held, that of marshal for the collection of
arrears of personal taxes, was a gift from
the old boss. In ISB3 Croker was made
Are commissioner by Mayor Edson.
Fell Heir to Kelly’s Mantle.
The mantle of John Kelly really fell
upon Richard Croker in 1886. Tammany
had lost prestige by the victory of Cleve
land in 1884 against its vehement councils
the power of Kelly was broken and his ,
J. '
If
LEWIS NIXON. ♦
Forty years old; born in Virginia. +
His fatlfer was a sheriff, rural judge +
and colonel of state militia. Av as hon- ♦
or man in class of ’B2, Annapolis naval ♦
academy, and then studied in the best 4»
normal schools. ♦
During last fifteen years he has de
signed, supervised and built some of +
the best ships of the navy. 4"
Hostile to Devery, as an incubus on ♦
his party. ♦
In politics only since four years ago. +
when Mt. Croker made him East river ♦
bridge commissioner. +
Executive ability of high order, indi- +
cated in handling large bodies of em- ♦
ployes and conducting big mechanical ♦
enterprises to successful results. +
health became affected. When Kelly died
Tammany was without a leader. Croker
at’the time was a member of the executive
committee and he advised, “Let us man
age our affairs in full council, giving
preference to none."
Out of this arrangement sprang the big
four of Tammany—Croker, Grant, Gilroy
and Cockran—but Croker’s faculty for
leading men soon made him the recognized
boss and in a short time the organization
acknowledged him as its master. Those
who opposed him were driven into obscu
rity and shorn of their power and patron
age, while men on whom Croker could
rely were put in their places. He thus
built up a powerful house.
Mr. Croker held an office while he was
boss. Mayor Grant appointed him city
chamberlain in 1889. He resigned that of
fice before the expiration of his full term
and went suddenly to Europe. That ended
! his office holding.
In the Fassett Investigation, then In
progress, Patrick H. McCann, a brother
in-law of Mr. Croker, testified that Mr.
Croker had received in the guise of gifts
to his daughter Flohsie sums aggregating
125.000 from Hugh J. Grant, whom Croker
had made sheriff several years before.
Both Messrs. Croker and Grant admitted
that the amount was SIO,OOO and the expla
nation given by Mr. Grant was that Flos
sie was his godchild and he felt he ought
to do something for her because Croker
had a large family and was poor.
Sudden Rise to Wealth.
That was the last time that Richard
Croker was rated as a poor man, and the
year was 1890. Two years after he was
able to buy the Belle Meade farm for
s2so,fiQO and besides this, he had paid $30,000
for the horse Longstreet, $24,000 for York
ville Belle, $20,000 for Dobbins, his favorite:
$15,000 for Red Banner: SIO,OOO for a half
interest in Demuth and SIO,OOO for Fairy,
in all SIOO,OOO. He offered $50,000 for the
stallion Thorn and $30,000 for the three
[ year-old filly Helen Nichols.
Then came a new home tn East Seventy
fourth street worth $200,000; a carriage
wjth the Croker crest, an estate at Rich
field Borings, a London establishment, an
English country estate and a stable.
Driving Out the Enemy.
These are the days of colds, sharp and sud
den, attacking throat and lungs, and leading
to consequences one does not like to think
about. Avoid further exposure and fight the
enemy of health .4Vid comfort with Perry
Davie’ Painkiller, the family stand-by for
sixty years. It conquers a cold in a day.
See that you get tho right article. There Is but
one Painkiller, Perry Davis’.
Where Arrow Heads Grow.
San Francisco Wave.
When vacation comes. Dr. Branner, the
head of the Stanford geological department,
hies himself far away from all things peda
gogical to the remote fastness of tho moun
tains. and there studies the formation of
the rocks and reads the life history or earth
in the deposits of the ages. Last vacation
he was in the Sierras. He had as his guide
a man indigenous to the soil, who had never
been 20 miles from the home of his child
hood. He looked with much amusement
and scorn upon Dr. Branner and his as
sistant! and saw nothing in their work that
was of interest. To hhn the students seemed
more like good men gone daft. One day
Mr. Branner located an old Indian burying
ground. In digging he came upon some
choice arrow heads. Thinking to test his
guide’s geological as well as his ethnological
knowledge, the doctor said:
"Elijah, do you know how these arrow
heads came here'.”’
"Growd thar,” said the native with great
positiveness.
"Nonsense. If you were to take an arrow
head and put It on your table and leave It
there for a year’s time, do you think it
would grow?”
"Taln't no nonsense, nuther." said Elijah.
"If you was to take a potato and put it on
your table and leave it there fur a year,
do you think it would grow?”
DEAD YET LIVING.
The ol«l year gone? Nay, friend, you do mis
take;
The old year lives as truly now
As months ago; the records which we make
Live! aye. and always; that is how
That history transmits unchanged the deeds
Which day on day by us are done.
Bo that to every following age that reads
The year can never die, but yet lives on.
Where are the golden deeds of love you
wrought.
The lasting friendship firmly made?
Where are the lessons your example taught.
The song« you sang, the prayers you prayed?
Are they not living, breathing, working e'er
In memories, hearts and Ilves? Then how
I Are we to think because the new is here
I The old Is dead? ’Tls living now!
—D. <3. BICKERS.
Have you arranged for your reading
matter for the next year? If not sub
scribe at once for The Semi-Weekly
Journal, which reaches you regularly
twice a week, containing all the latest
news of the world and many articles
from prominent contributors.
Go to your postoffice, purchase a
money order fcr SI.OO or register it to
us, anefc we will.,send you The Semi-
Weekly Journal one year, and in addi
tion the American Agriculturist, or
Home and Farm, or the Stockman, or
the Western Poultry News or the Tri-
State Farmer, or the Conkey Home
Journal, or one of the best wall maps
cf the state of Georgia. On the reverse
side is the map of the United States,
with the 1900 census in bold, red type
across the face of each state, or the
two McKinley pictures. Now is the
time to get your reading matter for
1902.
One dollar and fifty cents pays for
five papers per week, The Semi-Weekly
Journal twice a week and the New
York World three times. Send your or
ders direct to The Journal, Atlanta, Ga.
SUGGESTIONS FROM
OUR CORRESPONDENTS
DuPONT GUERRY CORRECTS
TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
BARNIN STATION. Jan. 8, 1902.
Atlanta Journal:
I notice the following typographical er
rors in your publication of my commu
nication day before yesterday. The
ence in valuation of main stem of South
ern Railway company in Tennessee and
Georgia was $16,500 instead of $15,500, and
its entire mileage in 1«99 was 5.968 Instead
of 6.968. I never said 1 had contended in
newspaper “denunciation?." etc, but news
paper "communications." etc. I am not in
dulging in any denunciations at all. 1 am
glad to see you write more respectfully of ,
my "partial presentation" of railroad tax
ation In Georgia than your Augusta cor
respondent. With thanks, in haste, yours
truly, DUPONT GUERRY.
PATHS THAT ARE OPEN
TO SELF RESPECTING NEGROES
ST. ELMO.
COLUMBUS, Ga.
To the Editor of The Journal:
A southern newspaper in a recent lead
ing editorial uses tne following language:
"The doctrine that is preached into Amer
ican boys, that the office of the presidency
of the nation is open to the humblest
citizen, provided he fits himself to dis
cbarge with credit the vast and burden
some duties of this responsible office, is
absurd.”
This paper commits the folly of deny
ing this historic political axiom for the
purpose, clearly demonstrated in its ex
tended dissertation, of saying something
sweet and palliating to the- negro, whose
hopes and aspirations, outside of manual
labor, meet checks and thwarting at every
turn.
Why dispirit the white boy over bls
presidential ambition, a birthright, just
to save the negro's feelings over the tact
that he can have no such and like ambi
tion*?
If that paper had not rounded its edi
torial on the following quotation from The
New York Evening rost, it would have
passed, to use his own term, as an "icon
oclastic” homily to mollify the sorrows of
disappointed youth generally and to turn
worthy but grieving ambition into use
ful channels.
Here is the quotation: "A man of pol
ished speech in excellent English, a man
of means, a graduate ofc ene of the great
English universities, and a s.udent of
French and German schools. He is a
Haytlen, of about thirty-four years of
age, a negro. Thll .man sullenly blaxes
out. But what has it done for me? I am<
a black—it is in my blood, in my soul!
All that I know, all that I have seen, is
a curse to me. What my widened hori
zons but a mockery and the bitterness
of death! I envy with all my heart the
ignorant, naked, happy semi-beasts upon
those hills there, who lie in the sunshine
all day long, all their lives long, knowing,
nothing, wanting nothing, at peace. There
they should have left me—or killed me!”
Not following that paper into its pecu
liar sympathies, we suggest to that Hay
tlen that there are two paths open to his
despairing, morbid self-accused soul, one
paced and glorified, now and often before,
by following the impossible, by blinding
the reasoning faculties with hopes ann
ambitions impractical, but gloriously de
luding—striving to accomplish that which
reason and nature nullify, but which hope
of notoriety and martyrdom or other fan
tasy illumine and inspire. The only course
for this despairing soul is either .to be
lead to the truth, to a practical view of
duty, which will revive hope and restore
happinbss real and abiding, or be lead into
fanaticism, blinded by a false view of
duty, having deception stamped bn every
energy, -talent, mortis, character and en
terprise, seeing the false for the true, sor
row for joy, violence and wrong for mercy
and love, reason for God, license and con
fusion for justice and law.
The lusty negro with all his cultivation
cries out, am black. It Is in my blood
—in my soul!” If fanaticism can lay hold
upon that black, that curses his color,
and who writes it truly, whose color
curses him, he may forget his curse in
his enthusiasm. If he will come to our
shores and cultivate the acquaintance of
those who are enthusing the negro with
the ambition to keep a foothold on Ameri
can soil and in the southern state?, re
gardless of his destiny, regardless of na
ture, he can forget his color temporarily
by a visit northeast, and to Chicago, on
a lecture tour. He will find helpers and
stimuli enough in the northern press and
not a few just now in thd southern press
advocating the negro’s fixedness on our
soil, nursing with positivism the ultimate
survival here of the fittest negro, in prop
erty and cultivation, to equalization with
white society. They will show him the
gradual process, advancing from indus
trial education to the highest reach of
educational progress, which, like the
driven wedge, is to finally split society
•wide open and let the color in. This ag
gregation of power gradually advancing
along the lines of efficiency, property and
polish is to become irresistible. What
door dare remain closed to its knocking?
Now if this colored, cultivated, grievnig
son of Ham will take on the above en
thusiasm of race adherency to the soil
and citizenship ofc this country he wIH
grow as jolly and contented as most of
the northern press and a'goodly number
of the southern can inspire him to he.
with their fanaticism of this peculiar ad
vocacy.
And. if he. can be induced out of the
practical vein, that makes him curse the
great objection which he raises, and pro
nounces most sanely and painfully upon
his natal peculiarity, he can -be as hap
py. and drink the flattery which others
of his color swallow ravenously. But, it
he is as clearheaded as his lamentation
and bitter words uttered against his own
body and soul indicates, there is the oth
er way honestly, and with soul absorbed,
to cultivate happiness, and spend a life
cf usefulness, covering aW his lawful
hopes and ambitions.
To attain this attitude, he must visit
Bishop Turner, colored, and throw his sou!
and heart Into th' isfigration scheme for
h«s race, help -T '-is own color to It
self. where he v. no longer suffer the
disadvantage of contrast with the white
race, to whose plane and friction less, un
obstructed association he and his color
can never successfully aspire. His great
grief, and it is utterly typical, must and
will continue as long as the one sunrise
and successive sunset lights and closes
day upon his and the white man’s habitat.
Ho is not a single isolated instance of
grief and broken hope and ambition. The
woods ara full of them. Education, culti
vation and property increases their num
ber. and intensifies their self-reflective
curses. The more fitted they grow, by
reason of educational elevation and pe
cuniary leverage for social equalization,
nay, by moral adaptedness to fraternity,
the intenser will grow the bitterness of
those curses, which the English university
man poured out on his back blood. If no
other racial feature were a repulsion to
the white race, to the pride of the sons
of auch men as gave a name and value to
southern (shame to differentiate) —to
American—glory, to the refinement and
polish of 2.000 years of history building,
the simple color, that the negro so touch
ingly cursed in blood and -soul, stands a
fcpellant that mars every social sympathy
and shuts the gates of equality against
the negro. He saw it. had felt and could
not round the painful issue, and honestly
told the tale of his race when brought
in contact with the white. •
The door cf happiness, however, is open
to him and his like, if he will enthuse
himself first, then his people, to a depart
ure to where his ambitions are not. in
any way. to be thwarted by the white
man. either his longings nor desires to be <
nampered by checks the white man's pride •
and instinct may, and will,» put upon
them.
“Out of sight, out of mind." Away
across the Atlantic, unification and con
genral circumstances will foster content
ment. (If any whites want their asso
ciation they will hunt it up.) Whatever
desires spring in their breast will there
have free play for enjoyment within nat
ural bounds.
Everywhere the strongest will rule, and
the weakest will go to the wall. If this
is the lavt of individual economy, more
so must It be. when uncongenial, antago
nistic racial instinct form factors in po
litical economy.
It is lawful and right ambition, for ev
ery scion of unstained ancestry, to aspire
to the highest honors and alliances of
fered in our land. Such are incentives to
the loftiest effort at character building.
This coupled with personal virtue, and
moral, nay Christian integrity, produces
the noblest, worthiest candidates for
place and preferment, and presents in th®
event of necessary failure, necessary, be
cause but few can attain the highest pub
lic honors, the noblest characters that
adorn society, the very base and sub
stratum of purity and nobility, that con
serves a nation's worth, the great body of
law abiding, law loving citizenship that
preserve the state, when evils beset th®
commonwealth.
Should there be a class of citizens to
whom the above does not apply? If not.
why not? but there is. and it is in part
irreconcilable, incompatible with the great
body of the people, with which it flnds no
sympathy in its affinities and aspirations.*
and instead of assimilating, and so influ
encing traqullity and civic rest, it serves
by its very God-marked peculiarity to em
phasize difference, unrest, even antago
nism. And it takes all the power of mor
als and religion coupled with the Stren
uous hand of law. backed by the most
magnificent pdtienee ever displayed by
any lordly people, to preserve the status
of quiet and tranquility In the body pol
itic.
If our negro that has felt this annoy
ance in England, Germany. France, and
his home. Hayti, sees it, and because he
is black wishes he were like the careless
cattle sleeping on the grassy slopes and
hills, or dead and forgotten, will enthuse
with Bishop Turner's instinct of reason
and wisdom, he can find plenty of peace
and rest for his soul, and help reap what
the bishop is sure to. a harvest of historic
glory, by exerting his pent-up energies,
in freeing his nation as welt as ours from
the body of death fastened upon us, by
those, who, havlhg sold out to us “lock,
stock and barrel,” took a cool, disinter
ested moment to “cultivate a conscience,”
and formulate against us a crusade as
soulless and as bloody as their hands de
layed in the Calms of Cancer and th®
Sargasso sea became used to, mid th*
“horrors of the middle passage age.”
Very truly, your obedie'nt servant.
JAMES J. SLADE.
For $1.40 we will send The Semi-
Weekly one year and the Five Vaseline
Toilet Articles and any one of the
premium papers offered with The
Semi-Weekly at SI.OO. This is the
greatest offer ever made and you
should take advantage of It without
delay.
. Fire Insurance Losses.
New York Times.
The Insurance Tress pubUshes in its current
issue a series of tables showing that within
the past twenty-five years the fire loss tn the
United States has exceeded S2,BW, 000. TOO. Os
this startling total the year 1901 has contrib
uted losses aggregating over >170.000,000. In view
of these figures we are prepared for the further
statement that in this country nearly 1.200 fire
insurance companies with fully paid capitals,
which, of course, does not include the mutual
companies nor the so-called fire Lloyds, which
are not companies at *ll. have failed or given
up business to avert inevitable bankruptcy by
voluntary liquidation. A majority of these
companies have been swamjied by losses in
curred In the conduct of their business on
usual lines.
The remedy for conditions so serious lies with
the insurance companies, if anywhere. Ex
l>erience has shown that legislation can touch
this business only hurtfully, and that the
policy-holder now enjoys all the protection the
law can give him. which is against fraudulent
schemes of underwriting without' security.
Nothing but the courage of their convictions
can prevent the fire underwriters from swelling
the volume of their business by the acceptance
of risks which every one connected with the
business should know cannot be taken at pres
ent average rates, if at all. without imperiling
not only the capital of the companies taking
them, but the large sums of premium pay
ment* for which they arc trustees.
If your subscription has expired and
you wish to get our next issue send us
a money order or register us sl, select
your premium, and your subscription
will be renewed for one Don’t
delay.
Rent Collecting in the Middle Ages.
Fall Mall Gazette.
Readers who are Interested In problems of
politics I economi' and the relation of rent to
property and labor will find an interesting de
scription of mediaeval methods in an ancient
record, edited by M. Giart in the "Revue des
Questioas Hlstoriques." The commune of
Borest in the thirteenth century was ownsd
bv the Canons of St. Genevieve. The manner
in which these monastic landlords collected
their dues was sufficiently simple. Their
steward proceeded toahe farmyard, when ths
farmer brought homff his harvest of wheat;
the farmer mounted «he cart, unfastened the
rope, and in the pfcsence of the collector
threw down the sheaves eleven at a time. Out
Os the eleven three were set aside. Os these
the collector took two—one for rent and one
for tithes. The third went as wages to-the
reaper. The remaining eight were retained
bv the farmer. Thus the latter was charged
some 20 per cent, of his produce for his land,
while something less than 10 per cent, went to
the laborer. On the whole, the proportion was
not a verv unfair one, and the method had at
least the merit of being selfadjusting in a bad ,
season, and made the church and the land
lord share the losses of the, farmer, while
the reaj>er was happily paid—not by time but
by results. In modern times our systems of
rent and wage assessment have become more
complicated, possibly less equitabid. than when
the Canons of St. Genevieve owned the little
village of Borest. with its surrounding prop
erty. '
Three grains of alum wfll purify a gallon
of water. Let it stand for a time, and if no
filter can be had strain it through a piec*
of calico.-
Wtn bay a fsjoq it you buy the right kind. Th
ELECTRIC wacon
lists that long under ordinary condition*. First the life
of a wagon depends upon the wheel*. This one 1*
equipped with our EleetrleSteel Wheel*.with straight
or stagger spokes and wide tires. Wheels any height
from 24 to (M In. It lasts because tlree can’t get loose, no
re setting, hubs can’t crack or spokes become loose, fel
loe* can’t rot. swell or dry out .angle steel hound*.
THOUSANDS MOW USE. *
Doo’i wuy a wagon omU Tea re: ccr tr-« book, “Fans Sariac*.*
KUCtIUC WHIIL CO., BekfrOl Qnlncy, lUa.
t! . 1 .. 11 T—RW
Sell Fruit Trees.
" We want energetic men all over the j
southern states to sell Nursery Stock. Our
terms are liberal and our prices low. Our
stock is fine and will please the salesman
and the planter. No trouble to sell our
trees. Write for terms. SMITH BROS..
Proprietors Concord Nurseries, Concord,
Ga.
STAR PE AHU LLER ™
10 to 15 bushels per hour. Write for circulars
and prices to the star Pea Machine Co., Chatta- '
nooga, Tenn.
5