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Store your Headquarters when in our City. Always a Fine and Full Stock ot Best Groceries and Provisions. Best Goods, Best Prices, and every thing Gi We cordially invite you to FOR READY MONEY. ATHENS, GEORGIA, liiMs, Pres., James White, GaSi. B^ITAL, 100,00000. Hplub, 100,000.00. IWln 1806 being over twen- I. LOWRY, h Banfec, Shoes, Groceries, Provision, Etc. Comer Broad and Wall Streets, v ■A.'JEEEia-S. "OEOaaiA. ' : > 8®“Will not be undersold. .§ A Merry Christmas and a TO A1.I. OF'OUR JACKSON « We are at onr old stand on College Avenue, and would like for one and all to call on ns and see our stock. New Year THE FINEST STOCK OF We have 4 stores adjoining, stocked with complete lines of -OF ALL KINDS IS AT . aka, 'vatlona and.Indlvidui us'-peelal attention give to colleo- i an part ofthe United 8ta tea and do remitted or day of payment veot rates. We also have a Safe iite for the safe keeping of valua- i of all kinds entirely under the control of the owner, both lire and burglar proof, with fine lock attach ment. Boxes rented on reasonable terms (Successor to W. A. Talmadge,) dealer w Watches, Bianwads^welry, Silver and Plates®!' ire, jBrTour months in^ , ' (Hoebs, Fancy tiMna, Ac. FINE WATCH AN© JEWEL1Y iFtZEF^XIRIIISrCS- -A. SPECIALTY Corner of Broad and Wall Streets, ATHENS, GEORGIA. (MAX JOSEPH’S OLD STAND.) Eplinun, my son, mind what your fad- der says: Oar’s no use talkin’, dem Boots amt Dfews -Branded- Hi & FLEMING THE OLD SYSTEM OF PL ANT ING AND THE NEW-FAR- MERS AND FARMS. is de best in de worl’. I knoze wliat I’se tollin’ you am true. ALWAYS BUY DE BEST. Shun all de outside brans, and vou git do woif of your money shor’s you lib. BALDWIN & FLEMING. Athens, Georgia. Taylor. A. B. Lons- DRUGGISTS AND SEEDSMEN. ATHENS, OEOE5IA T'-A-ITCS - -AJOTXCXjES- Celluloid Cases, Brushes, Combs, Mirrors, Cologne Bottles, etc SEIEnDS- We are the headquarters on Buists Seeds. and be convinced. Gives us a call ST. LOUIS LEAD, PAINTS, OILS AND WINDOW GLASS. ac © Also, the ONLY CARPET STORE 1ST ATHENS. Dave a Beautiful Line @2 Christmas ani Holiday Deeds. Our Groods are o± the Best, and Brices to Suit the Times. Zfev/£. CO. OGLETHORPE. A PEEP INTO THE COUNTY- ITS Land and people. abandonment. Instead of unloading on-' remunerative capital and cutting up cum bersome farms in small, crisp tracts, they have clung to the large estate and bank ed on the credit system—a schedule which full crops can hardly maintain, and which a short year must show up disastrously. MOT HIKE ALONE. Readers of the Banner-Watchman will realize that this picture is not true MILLS AND WATFR COUR SES—GUANO FACTO RIES GOING UP. GOOSEPOND AND WOLF SKIN DISTRICTS— SOME FINE PLANTATIONS. ob a, T! o es rs r. — .3,2 S* » x . p p — ^ ® o rt rt J o eS.ti & R © umimnn ll-l Is 55 53 SP3 IB 1 mi 11 iii fSlt’IsS.’si’ = IS. 30 Is | S5 3,, tx wLa Tiitvd inadh a most creditable* i his only reason for withdraw- at l\e has been offered a lucra- ition, and he could not have filled mm illtfel £ JgiV-.F* w- I cript ■a- day edI is th ■ ham Oglethorpe county is richer in history probably than any county in the Sate. She is not yet as abounding in prospect. This is one of the counties where the blight—not of slavery, but of the sum mary removal of slavery hu rested— and which has buffered severely from the effects of the war. It was a large negro county. In 1845 there were 3,338 white and 6,663 colored people in the county. In 1860 the preponderance of blacks was greattT, and when that confis cation of property took place which Dr. Beecher, of New York, safe must be made good by the government, and which the Northern papers took Dr. Carlton to task for endorsing, Oglethorpe was impoverished in a way ehe has not yet recovered from. TIIR CODXTT. The county was laid out by the hand of the Creator in the granite region sub sequently the surveyors processioned off 28 miles by 16, and called it Oglethorpe, Since the eurvey in 1796 portions have been added to bmoe, Madison and Tal iaferro—and now it lies 448 sqsnre miles, with the Broad River dividing it from Elbert and the Oconee Rirer from Greene. the boil. i> It has s gravelly soil, parts of it light and sandy; in the eist is a mulatto stra tum and in the west a rich footprint of red clay lies along the border, ipxtendieg fromOglethorpe and trending down into Greene. This vein dips into i W inter- rille, lies along the railroad near Franklin Pope's holds the trumps crop-making. Outside of thus, soil is not rich. Land lij easilo worked and responsive, put stout, deep rooted, bold sprout' is confined to the red lands, no lack of bottom, but the heav; of the pest five years have washi ' badly and stuccoed t' sand deposit For this rear on the creeks and rivers has mo been abandoned for planting, it some good land in the county! and many fine farms, and while the p_[ justnow are suffering froth snoft crJpt, ■ the instances of successful planting are not hard to find. The wet spring and dry fall have left many planters in debt this season. For this reason the outlook is not near so en couraging as usual, bat I have been care ful not to take the disappointments of one seaaen ss an indication of the aver age year. , THE EE0PLE. Oglethorpe county holds some cf the best people in the SUte. With their tra ditions and their instincts this is conspi cuously true. They are honorable, hard working people, who have always en joyed full credit, end many of them have used it to their hurt Emerging from the war with broad acres and big ideas, they have planted too largely, and cov ered too much ground. There is still a taint of “Confrcerate exuberance,” as a prominent citizen tells me, and the high character of the people opened up indul gences which have b Many of alone of Oglethorpe, but likewise of Hancock and of Greene and of other appealing. “What plan would be most popular?” “To have a fund for indigent children, and let people who are able, cducato their own.” The sections along the Glade. Roav- erdam, Pleasant Hill, Woodstock an ! along the raiload are most intelligent. Philomath is building up a good school, under the care of Miss Noble an accom plished Athens young lady. But in some potions of the city, the school sen timent is fist; Children work on tke farm, and a compulsory law might be necessary if schools sre opened. GOOSE POND. Tne western point of the county is most fertile. White’s Statistics mentions the Goose Pond district as especially so. This is the section which is now sup posed to rest under some sort of blight, and which has been the object of some dim tradition, and sensational accounts. I asked abont this unfavored section. “Well,” responded my host, “Goose- OGLETHORPE. counties in Middle Georgia. Nothing but unconquerable spirit and perennial hope and genial skies have maintained the old Southern farming system so long from utter decay. This thing I have also noted in Ogle thorpe. Wherever a farmer "works with system and with business princi ples. he has succeeded splendidly. “Nine out of ten men,” said s prominent mer chant in the county, “do not give their farm the attention that ‘ merchant gives , d ig 29 mil ' s from th ’ „ U re»d. That na-nigethemjel.w,Ibe, must Iom. B.l , .w', n d w,T,, h U t iUl. ti p- r?r- M r‘. of , , .• ir l- i ’ r ^ «■ been divided up ana is tenanted by ne— hand himself on his place who raises hm Is is no P t , 3 easily worWed thc own corn and wheat and I wdl .how f jght soil ln other p , rts / f the counly an<1 you men wb- have been mmN m n “ t sq productiTe £ red u n ds. planting, and who in spite of the Und or There is the old Richard Huff place the seasons, have money in bsnk to-day ’ I d ^ GjImer ^e^th were h / ld „ “There^mA D Mathews below Sandy finef „ ms in Oglethorpe. The Gilmer Cr S S t w ! l place was the first one that ever produc- and bought £hat was considered one of V * loo pounds the poorest planUtions near Sandy Cross; . cou , d be ickei ’ went to work with energy and Indus- ; try; looked after every detail and made every edge cut. To-day he owns 2000 acres and is worth in money. Then ithero are Angustns Dozier end Thomas Calloway and Frank Mathews, and the Stephenses, the Edwards, Ar nolds, Huffs, Stokelys and others. All these things show that no blight rests upon Oglethorpe county, and that in spite of gray lands and bad seasons “there is wealth in the old farms if it is only shoveled out.” THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CONDITION. But the majority of the people are not so prosperous, and unfortunately the mer chants are absorbing the farms. Men are paying 8’£ cts on time for bacon which they conld get for cash at 6 cts. These time premiums are eating up the WHERE HISTORY AND TRA DITION BLEND IN HAP PY NARRATIVE. THE DAYS OF OLD AND KNIUIITS SO BOLD, RE VIEWED. LEXINGTON AND CRAW- FORD-THEIR BUSINESS AND PEOPLE. HALF MILLION DOLLAR’S TRADE IN THE COUN TRY STORES. THE NEW SHOE R I. SMITH & CO., TALKADGE’S OLD JEWELRY STOKE,- ATHENS, GEORGIA. For the reason of its remoteness and the peculiarly sticky nature of the soil, it has been mostly given up by white farmers,'” Gov.cMatVws is varied here and some of the GiltSfr family.^ WOLF-SKIN. In contrast to the Goosepond, is the Wolfskin district. This is to the west of Crawford, and is named for the fact that the covering of the last lupine vagrant killed in this section was hung np on an old Indian trading post. Here are fine lands. Beginning at the Oconee river is a red soil, trailing through this Cherokee Corner. It is the home of wealth and in telligence—and the families are good and solid. Mr. L. F. Edwards and W. D. Arnold are vigorous young scions of old Ogle- men farms, no planting system can sand over thorpe families. These young four per cent. Many of our Southern * on,, l_ b “j!? "P wh *‘i h !. y . b *r planters pay 20 or 30. “This is the kind of tariff that is eat ing up thc people,” said a well-known farther at Lezington, “and this is the rest reason why the people are every year growing poorer. M r. Stephens was right in his satement, although he gave out the wrong reason." THE LANDS AND VALUE. Lands near Lexington hare been sold recently for $12.50 on acre, Red lands are valuable. Elsewhere, tracts can be' bought up more cheaply. 1 asked a well posted lawyer if much and was mortgaged to foreign companies? He said he did not think over $10,000 had been put oat in Oglethorpe in that way. Interest as heavy was paid to the merchants however, and “too often,” said he, “the store owns the farm.” Fne need of the farmers here, as else- H>*m . where, is that of money loaned easily w hh | a , nd readily on land. State banks should land , aJie the place of the hide-bound Nation- of it jj system. “Suppose outside corporations should get large blocks of lmad, what would happen?” • --AnThtatigBat former replied that in such an event, it would be to the inter est of such holders to turn the tide of im migration to Georgia. IMMIGRATION. done in this God-favored section may be imagined. They own about 7,000 acres of land, three public gins, a grist and saw mill, and Edwards is putting up a fertili zer factory. The store and steam gin can be seen from the railroad,4 miles this side of Crawford. These young men make about 700 bales of cotton a year. Mr. Frank Edwards is an extraordinary young fellow about 31 years old. At 21 his father gave him $350 and a pair of mules. He is the invent* r of a corn and i Lexington is more full of historical in terest than any town in Georgia. It is impossible to enter its hospiuble gates without reverting to the old days when the giants moved among each other on the hustings or in the forum. The place is fragrant with such memories. It is enchanting to listen to the old men tell of those times, and what accepted history fails to record or personal recollection to suggest neighborly tradition fills in. Oglethorpe county rings with such itera tion. Memory of illustrious men is in spiring. The younger scions of Ogle thorpe have much to revere and to imi tate; but the days when men were great only in the bar or on the stump are pass ed. The next decade of distinguished men will be remembered because they built up the waste places in the field, in durated the county with railroads dot ted the hills with schools aad planted the manufacture in the va ley. But thc noble lives which are linked with Oglethorpe are glorious portions of her history. Bright be these examples as long as biography lives. “We shall never have such another set,” remarked our venerable friend. Judge Lester. His eyes burned and he wiped the mist from his glasses. “No,” answered another, “thc glory of Israel has departed.” Well,” we have some mighty good pea planter, which can be fitted on any plow stock, and which has done thorough and satisfactory work. He has a cotton I thorpe than ever, and unless I am mis- material now,” remarked a youger man. I ‘There are more active politicians in Ogle- seed oil mill, and' his guano factory, which will soon be completed, will be a useful enterprise to this section of the county. Mr. Edward’s sorghum mill is also an important fadtor on his farm. The Edwards liou^p cost $12,000, is fitting up with water and all ornaments and luxuries, and would be attractive in any city in Georgia. \ WATER WAVS AND INDUSTRIES. OglethoTpe is well watered. There re the Oconee and Broad' riven on the boundaries, and a network/if creeks in- been freely used. them have cultivated too extensively, and held on to unproductive acres when wise economy would hzTe dictated an “Do the people want immigration?” “That depends. Good classes of peo ple would be welcome. Indiscriminate immigration would be disastrous. We are not prepared to accept immigration unreservedly. There are dangers right there." EDUCATION. “How about education?” “Not as promi.ing as I would like to report There is strong prejudice in many quarters ogainst the Sate school system. It is useless as an educational system. It is just enough to demoralize the private schools and not ample enough :e their places. The amount ap propriated here is from 60c to $1.20 per month per pupil. The schools last about 3 months, or 65 days. There are schools in f Many of them have bought goods which about 80 public schools in the county, they ought not to have bought; many of The consequence Is that outside of the villages there are but few good private schools. The towns have fine schools; in the country the wai t is appalling and taken, some of these younger men are made of the material the old fellows OLD BUILDINGS. The first- house the writer entered in Lexington was a small brick structure, known as the Dupree Bank Building. Hamilton McWhorter has his office here and some of the county archives are kept there while thc courthouse is build ing. It was here that Mr. L. J> Dupree carried on all his business. He com menced in a wooden house and put up his brick building later. Deep into the wall-the old vault is indeniti. Mr - , Dn * pree died, with about five hundred ihou- In 1845 there wore 4 flour mills, 4 saw sand dollars—all made right here, mills and 10 grist mills in this county. “He was a worker.” remarked Mr. Joe There are now three guano factories ' Baughn. “Many’s toe time I've heard going up in Oglethorpe. L. F. Edwards ; him tell, of jumping upon his horse with has one in the Wolfskin district, Jesse \ a roll of hides and riding 15 miles to the Jarrell one at Crawford and James M. ■ tannery, in his younger days. Few Smith one on his place in the upper part business men now realize this sort of of the county. Any number of mills and , work. Mr. Dupree was the clerk of the gins are humming through the county , elder Eerdinand Fiuizee and made his There are Watson’s Mill, on the Oconee, ! money by hard licks and wise saving. Anderson’s Mill on South Broad: Fuller’s I “He left the finest property and one of Mill on the Broad River; Amason’s Mill 1 the loveliest families in tiie Sate,” said on Long Creek, Barrett and Binn’s, on I Judge Lester. Buffalo Creek; Rayle’s on Dry Fork; I Such an example of industry and bus- Brook’s Mill, on Long Creek; Arnold’s ■ iness is one of the value heritages of the and Brook’s, on Big Creek; L. Martin history of Oglethorpe. Johnson, on Town Creek,nearCrawford; The little brick bank where honesty Hayes & Arnold’s, on Cloud’s Creek; lived and wealth was accumulated by Echol’s on Millstone, and Riley’s, on “slow degrees of toil," would be ewal- Big creek. There are steam miila at San- lowed up in the vault of the Metropoli- dy Cross, Lexington, Crawford, Smith’s ton bank building in New York, where and other places in the county. i railroads are reared or rained once a There is a fine carriage and wagon facto- year; but the picture ofthe former some- ry at the Glade,of Tiller Bros; tine Passes how has a more solid settingin my mind at Millstone, has a good one, and Tucker than the magnificent charnel houses in Bros^ at Crawford, have a superb one. New York. THE MESON ACADIMT. Another old building strikes the eye as one enters town. It is the venerable Meson Academy, bnilt in 1806. Mr. Joe Baughn, whose memory goes back 500 years by common consent, told us all about it Francis Moson, an honest Irishman, who had made his money in Lexington, as Wn. Martin did in Jeffer son, endowed the Academy early in the century. It was called after him and still enjoys the $11,000 endowment which he generously left it Prof. Thomas B. Morse still teaches at this Academy. He commenced in 1849 and has continued ever since. The ven erable Dr. Cummins was once rector of this well known school. A new build ing and increased endowment, with an enlarged corps of teachers woold be a great improvement to Lexington aad the school. In 1845 the educational fund of Ogle thorpe county was $135. At that time about $12,000 bales of cotton were raised and Lexington sold about $70,000 worth of goods a year. NEW COURT HOUSE. The most commanding improvement made in Lexington in fifty years is the new court house. It will give the place new life, and revive building for forty miles around. The work of tearing down the old court house commenced on the second Tuesday in February last The corner stone of the new building was laid May 16th, with appropriate ceremo nies and a speech by Col. Joel Abbot Billups. On the first of February, 1887, the new building will be comploted, and Superior court will be held there on the third Monday in April, It is a handsome building, put up with a great deal of style, at a cost of $22,900. The front and facings are patents of the Queen An ne architecture, stone facade, tubu lar towers, arched doorways faced with granite, deep vestibules. The house is 100 feet feet high and commands a view for miles around. The court room on the second floor is 46 by 56 and in front'arc small rooms for the sequestration of witnesses, while to the rear are jury rooms and apartments for lawyers and clients to consult The lobby will be filled with open chairs and a gallery sweeps half way up the room with a large seating capacity. The large win. dows fall to the floor and the light is softened with tinted glass. Down stairs are the county offices. The fire-proof vaults of the Ordinary and Clerk of Superior Court are covered with cast iron roof and floored with cement A convenient room has been ar ranged for a voting precinct, and a clock will be placed in the tower. The build ing committee of this superb structure is Hamilton McWhorter chairman, J. T. M Hoi re, T. P. Calloway, S. Bailey and C. M. Witcher. Our friend J. J. C. McMa han, was a Commissioner and had much to do with its practical planning, before he decided to move from the county. The granite which is planted in the door arches and polished in the front columns is quarried near Lexington, and is a suponor kind. The ornamental parts are in oolitic stone. W. W. McAfee & Co, of Atlanta, are the architects. The new $10,000 jail was built in 1879, by McGinty of Athens. It is strong and superior structure. The old court house will be remem bered as the red brick structure, with the long double row of steps reaching to the door. It was built in 1819 by Pleas ant Robinson, and cost $14,000. There was but little lime used in its construc tion as this material had to be carted from Philadelphia. It served its purpose well and stood a faithful servant and ’sentinel 67 years. It was found when tho wallt were torn down, howevr, that the chimney had WOTS wd the timbers were charred. la tact the old court house bed been on fire, unknown outside, several times. The loss of county records by such a catastrophe could never have been re placed and this danger, added to the want of room and lame of business con venience were enough to warrant the building of the house, had it cost $100,000. The old court house was classic ground. It was the central point where the titans from Middle and North Georgia met and measured swords. The North Georgia bar never went lower down than Lexing ton. The Middle Georgia lawyers did not come any higher np. Hence the Cobbs, Lumpkins, Stephens, Gilmer, Hill, Toombs, Hillyer, Cone, Dawson and P1AN STRUCK. Skew®: ssY m 1 Deal Squarely! Sell on S AND ORGANS OTTOYI AT LAST. mad <lamUtf ®£ Heeds ImpieYed. Terms! Sell for Small Profits! and Sell Every Time! T. FLEHRIP, & SOUS, Wholesale and Retail Sash, “ OLD HICKORY ” Wagons, Doors and Blinds, FAIRBANK’S SCALES, BS^TRY FLEMING’S RAZOR AXE. Oa.Il at the Old Reliable JEWELRY OF A. So MAWDE'VILLE AND EXAMINE THE BEAUTIFUL Jewelry, "Wedding Presents -AJtTXD 33ECOEA.TBD CHIUA aad -g-N/U A g* GOODS BEAD AND PONDER. ATHENS PAYS MORE for COTTQR STOVES CHEAPER Than any of the markets ln thla lection. led drey & Joses Are headquarters ln Northeeat Oajfor Stoves, Tinware and HOUSEFURNISHING GOODS. Call and see our immense stock at No. 6 Broad st., Athens, Ga, SOUTHERN MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY. Organized. 184=7- AssetsMay 1st, 1006, $061,554.45. Profits Divided Among Policy Holders. Losses Paid Since Organization Profits returned to Policy Holders.. ..$$5&.678 .. 2,088.397 OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY. YOUNG L G. HARRIS President and Treasurer STEVENS THOMAS Secretary and General Agent WILLIAM W. THOMAS .Assistant Secretary and Adjuster ARTHUR E. GRIFFETH T. Book-Keeper RESIDENT DIRECTORS- YOUNG L. G. HARRIS, STEVENS THOMAS. JOHN A. HUNNICUTT, JAMES S. HAMILTON. MABCELLUS STANLEY, JOHN H. NEWTON, FERDINAND PHINIZY, LEON H. CHARBONNIER, EDWARD S. LYNDON, RUFUS K REAVES. Some of my Leaders: Knabe, Hallet & Davis, Mathashek & Son, Emerson Peace Pianos. Smith American, Shon- ingcr, Chicago Cottage, Willcox & White Organs [ 5E3. B'USKS, Athens, “.1 u.miisi nii if iif h rrr JACKSON COUNTY! HOW TO SAVE MONEY. I Have a New and Fine Stock of WATCHES, CLOCKS, SILVER AND SILVERWARE, jiwslhy, amos, ms, etc. conn: AMI) GET PRICES BEFORE YOU BOY IT WELL PAY YOU. . a* ATHENS. Watches and Jewelry Repaired. A. SCUBBER, JEWELER, . V Yv... jOYV •