Newspaper Page Text
ill
Editor
t ],e Land of
plovers.
^Sights of the Land
frees Shaded,
Summer Ever
irsintheAir.
■ ' ^ „ .
nomical too, and are not ashamed to be
t«een at work, I noticed one in an
bringing in a singleJiale of long staple
cotton in a two-wheeled cart. He rode
the little mule, that drew the.veliicle.nnd
the turnout was a most comical looking
tight. Idid not-imagine that tliedrt-
yer was worth a hill of peas. Judge
my surprise to learn that he wa* one of
the solid farmers of Lowndes county,
owned several valuable farms, with* a
big bank account. Down here you can
not judge a farmer’s financial condition
by bis looks. They live plain, make no
pretentions at display, and only spend
money ; for the absolute necessities of
iife. They pay cash, too, for all they
buy, and this, is another secret of their
success. lU
I talked with several farmers this
morning, and their favorite question
lHENS, GEORGIA. TUSEDAY MORNING, OCTOBER lo, 1889.
'
U Back {o the Readers
LbaNNER Brief Glimp-
f of Sunlight from
‘ Unceasing Sum-
pier Skies.
Ijjpical Floridian Described—
A Girls Fair Types of South-
C,ty-Our Editor Makes
LJourney through Sun
ny Plains on a Con
struction Train.
The scenery through which I am
traveling is decidedly' tropical. The
long-leaved pine and cypress trees are
draped in moss—the woods are covered
wit h saw mills palmetto and wire grass,
interspersed with lovely flowers of
every’ hue.
This Is a splendid stock-raising coim-
rry, and you see large Herds of long-
hftt ii.;d Florida Cattle and vast floods of
sheep. , The wire grass not only sup
plies not only a summer but a winter
pasture,as thegreeu grass Is ever sprout
ing under the withered hay that covers
the earth. . *
This is ^.paradise for the sportsman,
l'lie forests are, filled with wild game of
all kinds, ajul the echo of the steam
whistle wakes immense coveys of quails
Squirrels, turkeys, and every, kind of
small game is
... numerous, while some
was, “What is the. Alliance doing up distance from the railroad deer are
the country?” I find this organization | found. A gentlemen at Valdosta has
Fields and Fra
grant Flowers.
juiMBwiOT-
m,G*., Oct. 10.—-Dear Bax-
Afier’n refreshing night’s sleep
morning feeling that I
iMother climate, there was such
hence in die weather. Heavy
L» is uncomfortable, and for once
Ly that l did not burthen myself
Iwovereoat on leaving home.
is a very prosperous and
phnith Georgia city, and is only
liilesfrom die Florida line. Its
jare broad and straight, being
with white saml ankle deep,
wry house I noticed an or-
icf LeConte orSanil pears—that is
jfimi*ortant crop down here, being
li Georgia what oranges are Flor-
| These pear trees are beautiful
ms of the vegetable kingdom,
|lio not know a prettier or more
[sight than a grove of these
111 trees. They bear .shipping as
liioninges, ami remain on the trees
pfrost, the last of the crop only be-
hered this week.
ia prohibition standpoint Val-
liwringing wet. You see bar-
jl%n» o;i every block, and yet the
ssay a drunken man is a rare
Every town on the G., S. and
Ifroin Macon to Valdosta has
|i«i the liquor tradio, as it would
Bible to govern the saw mill
|#rpentine Hands if they had easy
Btottre water.
tods said to be no dull season with
Iordants of Valdosta. In this di-
M with its manifold resources
fkicr p is coming into market all
f*. The business season of the
F'tvhen vegetables and watermel-
[fipen, and the business done in
*®®*b> s almost incredible. Then
:he pear crop, followed by cot-
then with a constant trade in
^rnui turpentine. The mer-
"•Wl us it is hard to say at wliat
^ftht year most money is ill cir-
Jon ’t r as fast as one crop goes
Father is ready to take ics place,
^eertainiy » happy state of affairs
leial class,
receives about 10.000 bales
f !on !l y^v, but a greater part of it
* 0n S staple, that sells at from 23
»pound.
just as determined here as with us.They
are not so numerous, however, but the
movement is growing rapidly. I did
not see a single bale in cotton bagging
—jute being rltogethcr used. It takes
new jute, too, for the long staple, a*
pieced bagging will not answer. A cot
ton buyer, however, tells me that a
few farmers use anti-trust bagging,
one man refused to sell his cotton here,
and hauled it back home, because he
heard his cloth would be recovered with
jute by the compresses. Thin g *n;h -
man tells us that all the cotton liiyeia
in the large cities re-cover every uaus
where jute is not used by tbcfarn.er.
The Banker’s suggestion. for plan
ters to makeup the difference in jari
by using more ties to the bale L. stead
of six is taking, like wild-fire, aud v.e
believe the idda will be generally adopt
ed. It is the only sure and practical
way for our cotton growers to defeat
the jute trust and not do so at a loss to
themselves. Every cotton buyer I have
seen says it will work all right.
I write this letter while sitting in the
depot at Valdosta, waiting for the con
struction train on the Florida end of
the G., S. and F., to pull out. There is
a break in the road at Jasper, Fla., and
it is a matter of doubt if I can get
through to Lake City. The distance by
this new line is only 05 miles, but to go
a p>ck of deer on his lot. The numer
ous streams and ponds are
locked wltfl fish and the hook
«c rcely tOnilhes the Water before it L
r nken by a trout, bream, or some other
edible fish, and they grow here, too,
very large. Mr. Dorsey tells lis that lie
shot two trout th-t weighed 15 pounds
n a short time. This is a popular way
f fishing down here with a rifle.
I passed Ocean pond just now—the
s-.**:ne where last surnn er a gay party of
Athenians went on a hunt. Tbis is not
■.he .cenc of the battle of Oiustce, where
Jen. Colquitt and Col. J. II. Huggins
immortalized themselves by their valor,
nit the fight took place about two miles
fi-om|Lake City. 1 will try and write up
this historic field, and describe to th»
old veterans what changes 20-od<l years
of peace have wrought.
There is a chain of ponds here and
tne train passes in plain view of them.
One is several miles long, wl.ile others
form a perfect .circle. They are aM
named, one of them having been chris
tened “Circus King Lake” by Conduc
tor Holliday. It is most appropriately
named. In the centre of tbis pond is
a perfect circle formed by pond lilies,
and they are as regular as if placed by
t to hat.d of a^gardeuer. It must be a
sluggishly flow onward to the briny
deep. In mid-summer this must in
deed he a lovely land—-and yet I have
thus far only penetrated the outskirts;
of it.
NOTES. , ; v
I never saw such large and flourish
ing umbrella china trees. The shade of
several I have seen will cover an acre.
This region is just being opened up
to the turpentine man, and miles of
trees are topped. The average dura
tion of a pine is three years, when the
flow of rosin ceases and the satv mill
men follow. The lumber made from
turpentine treeijis not as good as from
nntopped pines.
The railroad boys SaV the can’t get
in speaking distance of a sweet Florida
belle, as they have been taught to be
lieve tuat railroaders are all gay and
festive deceivers.
.My train has just reached JasDer,
w here I take the opportunity to mail
cuis letter. I find that the train on the
3., F. & W. will not pa3S beforejto-mor-
row, and so decided to go to White Sul-
pimr Springs, where the road|now stops,
uid try ami woyk our way t« Lake
City through the country. It is 12
miles distant. Will write iii my next
how we succeeded. I am thoroughly
convinced that railroads are badly
needed in Florida. T. L. G.
aroun t by the S., F. and W. would he J lovely sight when in bloom. The waters
99 miles and I would not reach my *1 es
tination until to-morrow. I shall take
the chance and board the coustruetiou
train. ~ t. l. d;
ON CONSTRUCTION TRAIN IN FLORIDA,
Oct. 10.—Dear Banner : At IT o’clock
sharp our train pulled out from Val-
dosta, and were soon steaming through
the laud of the leaf pine and wire grass
I am very comfortably quartered in a
caboose, and while my seat is far from
a downy bed of ease, I will not com
plain.
I have always looked upon Florida
as a God-forsaken land, whose princi
pal products were mosquitoes <md sa
lamanders, and that the nations depend
ed for their support on fish and stran
gers. But the further I travel in the
Land of Floweis the scales of prejudice
begin to fall in my eyes, and instead of
a barren and miasmatic jungle or pine
region I see a healthful land, that only
needs the developing touch of industry,
thrift and capital to make it blossom as
the rose and transform it into an Arca
dia. There is a new and vast field for
development here, and no State in the
Union is making more rapid strides
than Florida. With the new roads pen
etrating it in every direction—bringing
near to market its great wealth of tins
hew; throwing open to settlers its pro- | cal * p^rfdian was
ductive lands that only require care
and skill to transform it'nto a vast t uc';
garden and fruit farm: and last, but far
from least, its magnificent, invigora
ting and life-giving winter climate, the
State is destined, in the near future, to
be one of the richest and most populous
sections of our continent.
The conductor of our train, Mr. Hil-
liday, kindly gave pie'up bis seat in the
i y ' f , ..>** 15 packed \ n s ky-light of the caboose, where I found I the scales at.over 200.
of about 300 pounds each, ^ . . .. I TIia knna^s. how^vt
Market
^ them i
ut ties. Farmers tell us that on
and they can make a bale of this
^ to two acres, hut it is hard to
i costing 75 cents per hundred.
A; 4 n' u "'here it is prepared for
- 1 ' ft requires an entirely differ
ed 1 for t},is variety of the staple,
Ur J °f the lint in remov-
! ,eed being being almost as clean
i* ^ M black. For seed purpo-
CS 14t ^ P er bushel, but when
is supplied the oil mills
u P*t from 20 to 22 cents.
! Vet T touch pleased with South
•untf is au entirely different
to what many of we up-coun-
iecii,!*' ma J?*ne. The water is good,
delightful, the land easily
Btj-. Sl,c «ptible to a high state of
lilij on,an<1 with the large number
Te, j, ■ nt erops tnatcan be grown
ri^ ’ 4 Ver y easy matter to ^hiake a
n» 11 (i f * 1 rmers are said to be in a better
leor than those in Mid
tectrai eru Georgia. They are, as
H not 4 Uun ”’ in dustrious and thrifty
toe- r '° 1,1 IC * 1 r °ft #ne3 * 8 placed in
* ' The people are more eco-
in the lakes are as clear as crystal, anil
abound notouly in fish, but also alliga
tors. -~These' animals are freqm8rttly
awaked from their slumbers by the
shriek of the locomotive, anil will dart
through the water at lightiiiug--peei].
These animals have not as yet become
accustomed to the march of civjUizatio...
These fresh water lakes have neither
inlet or outlet, and a drought has no ap
parent aftect upon them.
At Ocean pond an enterprising land-
owner has laid off a town and is giving
away lots to parties who will build on
them.
At Turkey creek the train stopped at
a spring of excellent water, onlj* it was
coo warm for my taste. In sight ol
this road here a lime sink was pointed
out, where a short time since the earth
sunk in for a circle of about 15 feet and
12 feet deep forming a natural well
Into this cavity a bold stream pours, |
the water of which is lost to sight, prov
ing the presence of an underground
cavern. These lime sinks are common
here, and a story is told whire the
earth yawned and swallowed up a farm
er and the mule lie was plowing, and
they were never heard of again.
We have always heard that the typi-
a dwarfed, cadave
rous worm eater and dirt-begrimed
specimen of humanity. There never
was a greater mistake. The natives I
have seen are in every way equal in
statue and appearance to our up-coun
try people. The girls are all rosy
cheeked, fat and hearty, and appear the
picture of contentment. I noticed
to-day several women who would pull
a comfortable revolving chair anil en
joyed a splendid view of the country on
all sides.
THIS SECTION |OF FLORIDA
with the exception of au occasional
cleared patch, is as fresh and inviting
as when that intrepid explorer JPonee
de Leon and his band of adventurers
treaded their way through a trackless
wilderness in quest of the mythical
Fountain of Youth. We find here the
vanguards of civilization to he saw
mills. As fast as the track is laid an
enterprising piner wilVMgin to cut the
magnifleont pine and : cypress timber
millions in
into lumber. There .are , . , .
this business. Heavily timbered land I upon the inviting landscape
can be.bought at from $1 to $10 per | quent intervals the railroad crosses
The houses, however, are cheap and
rough affairs. I have not as yet seen
the first sign of paint or whitewash.
The people Igreatly believe in small
frame or log buildings, many without
glass windows, and with plenty of air
holes. But in the mild and delightful
climate it is not necessary to build as
close and substantial residences as are
required in the region of sleet and
snows. While 1 have no doubt but that
Athenians are today shivering over
fires, I have shucked nay coat and vest
and the breeze fanned by the morning
train is very refreshing.
I never grow weary of looking out
At fre-
a
acre, according to distance f.om the
railroad. It doesn’t seem to me that
South Georgia need fear $ tat her stock
of timber is in danger of exhaustion for
a century yet, for I have seen, since I
left Macon, nines enough, apparently,
small swamp, the dreary s;ene of hang
ing moss relieved by gigantic magno
lias, bays and other tropical trees and
shrubs that are so highly prized and
carefully cultivated at hom$, while tlic
aarth is carpeted with all manner of
to supply the market of the world for “ llowers ant j the different shades of
centuries. I notice in South Georgia fo]iatre
and Florida that hroail-tireil vehicles 1 in the rivers and streams
are used as it is easier for them to travel j ^ cr0S5 are almost as black as ink, and
the sandy roads. -v.
Jasper, Fla., Oct. 10.—I am back
again here, where I will spend the night
and go on to Lake City to-morrow.
We stopped at the construction camp,
had an enjoyable dinner of fried bacon,
corn hr. ad anil raw onions, with a stalk
of sugarcane for desert, and I. don’t
know when I ate a heartier meal.
After dinner we boarded the con
struction train again, and had proceeded
something over a mile when another
1 >c«motive was soon meeting ui. As it
has often been tried, and found to be a
a disastrous impossibilityfor two (rains
to pass oh the same trackVour engineer
halted, and soon began Lto wake the
woods with shrill whistle^, which were
answered by the other train. After
earn ing on this animated conversation
for some time, the two engines appar
ently understood, one anot^jferperfectly,
when our train begjjn. to"oackj toward
Jasper. We then learned that ft would
Ite an impossibility for us to go any
further, and there was nothing left but
to stojrover here and take the morning
train oiAhe S'., F. & W for onr desti
nation.
***
The engineer of our construction train
is a little Englishman and an old sailor,
having travelled all over the world.
He is a very intelligent mau and a close
observer, and while at dinner gave us a
most interesting account of his jour
neys to strange countries. / He has been
on a voyage to Alaska, doubled Capes
Horn and Good Hope,, .looked upon
Mount Hecla, and served iq.the Peru
vian navy, in which couit&y he once
lived. He says the loveliest women are
the Spaniards and Caucasians, but they
lack a great deal of being modern edi
tions of Caesar’s wife. The Peruvian
ladies are also lovely to look upon but
are liked whited sepulchres.
In speaking of countries, our engin
eer said that there was a peculiarity
about both Spain and Kussia that he
notice about no other land on the globe
—you c m smell both countries even
before land is in sight. The odors from
the shores of Spain are like those of
Araby the Blest, and act like an intox-
eant on the traveller by sea. With Rus
sia the same peculiarity is detected,
only' the smell is of a most offensive
character, which increases as the land
is neareil. An acquaintance with the
inhabitants does not improve matters,
and even when you are in company
with the most refined ladies you can
readily deteet the source of this natural
odor. This is a discovery we have never
heard travellers touch upon.
I have just been over the town of Jas
per, and of course called at thenewspa
per office, which I found in charge of a
very clever man from Illinois, who is
editor, printer and devil combined. He
said lie came South a republican, hut
couldn’t stand the complexion of that
party here, and is now a dyed-in-the-
wool Democrat. He says F : orida is a
very* good country, hut it is a hard mat
ter to make a living from a newspaper
on account of the large number of igno
rant people. He says the negroes here
are nearly all armed with carbines and
Remington rifles, and there is no tell
ing when serious trouble may break
out.
V
Only last month, at the railroad camp
about a mile below Jasper, two negroes
were shot dead and three badly wound
ed by men from Jasper, while they were
gambling at night. The murderers,
who were three noted negro gamblers
w'anted to loin in the game, hut w’ere
refused, when they’ stepped outside and
opened fire upon the unsuspecting men
in the car, with fatal effect. The fiends
escaped in the darkness, but one has
since been captured, and is in jail here.
Since the killing, it is impossible to get
a hand to occupy the car where the
tragedy took place, as the negroes say
it Is haunted, and so it remains side
tracked. We were shown the bullet
holes, made by carbine balls, while the
inside is sprinkled with buckshot.
•V.
I am writing this letter from one ve
randa of one, of (he cosiest little hotels
in the “S.yreet Sunujf rJ^mth.’ ’ It is
shaded by gigantic live oaks,-while the
yard and piazzas are embraced in hardy
flowers and exotics. I never saw such
a collection of geraniums, colens and
all manner of flowery and foliage plants.
The rare bushes, cape jessamines and
other bushes are in full flower, andthe-
air is laden with their perfume.
*.*
It is a rare sight to see a four-wheeled
vehicle in Florida. Most of the travel
is done on horseback, and the crops
brought to market in carts drawn by a
small pony or a steer. The stores have
good stocks, and seem to do an excel
lent business, most of it being cash, as
the credit system has not much of a
foothold here as yet.
A RAILROAD RUMOR
• A -L +*
WHIGH IS NOT ALL A HU>TOK
, RUT A REALITY.
The Rome Railroad Extended to Ath
ens—An Important Outlet for
North Georgia and Tennesee— *
The Bill has Passed and the* ; ,
- i’. Gorernor will Sign It.
I stopped a farmer at Jasper and ask
ed him about the Alliance movement
here. He said he hadn’t heard much
about it, and didn’t know any of his
neighbors who hail joined. Nqsuch
thing as cotton bagging is known here.
A1I the farmers use new jute. This is
necessary, for as I stated in a previous
letter, the long staple bales are not
bound in hoops, hut. sewed in a solid
bag. This cotton has not so much elas
ticity as the short staple, and springs
but little after leaving the press. Buy
ers here pay $16 per ton for the seed,
which are all exported. There is a
ready demand lor them. Jasper receiv
ed last year 1,800 bales of cotton, a part
of which was shipped In the seed.
***
The long st iple cotton s altogether’
raised here. I noticed a number of
fields, and they appear to produce about
as much per acre as good land around
Athens, Some of the stalks are taller
than my head, but will average about
thigh high. The crop is mostly open,
but the bolts do not burst as wide as
with us, aud the fields not of such a
white coat.
I never in my life saw so many buz
zards and carrion crows as to-day. You
see great flocks of them like blackbirds,
and at one place, where a train had
killed a pig, the engine was upon the
flock before they moved, and flew baek
to their revolting feast before the last
car had passed. I also noticed a great
many blue and white cranes, while
many of the pouds were covered with
wild ducks. A gentleman tells us that
squirrels hre so tame and plentiful that
some of the natives hunt them with
rocks.
*#*
There is no doubt about Lake City
being the coming metropolis of this sec
tion. Everybody I meet is talking
about the great things in store for it
and it seems to have taken on a regular
Birmingham boom. I shall reach it
to-morrow at 11a. m., and mustconfess
that my curiosity is considerably
wrought up to see the place. Will write
you my impression. T. L. G.
DROPPED DEAD.
Charlie Shaw Dies from Heart Disease on
Yesterday.
Coroner Pitner was out early yester
day morning getting up a jury to hold
an inquest over the body of Charlie
Shaw, a negro who had dropped dead
in front of Mr. Jesse Allen’s house
while on his woy to work.
The jury was soon summoned and
*hey found the negro lying on the side
walk dead.
Chief Oliver was chosen as foreman,
and the body of the negro taken to bis
home, where the testimony was taken
Charlie Shaw’s wife was the first in
troduced, and testified that he slept
well Wednesday night, and left home
in good health. Charlie had before
complained of his breast hurting him
Wm. Wingfield met Charlie as he came
out of his house and as they walked
along Charlie told a joke and laughed
at it heartily. Just as he stopped laugh
ing lie said, oh! threw up his hands and
sank to the ground, when lie died in ~
very few minutes without uttering
word.
From other evidence it was clearly
shown that he had been subject to
heart disease, and the Coroner t s jury
rendered a verdict accordingly.
Charlie Shaw was one of the best ne-
gtoes in the city, and lias been working
for the Carlton family for years.
A most important hill. Jias passed
both houses, of the Legislature
and is now awaiting the Governors sig
nature _ It a' bill which interests
Athens materially and our citizens will
watch with eagerness the results of the
law when the Governor’s signature:
makEs it of force and effect.
Tile bill provides for the building’ of
very important railroad to Athena
hich will give a most desirable dutlet *
to North Georgia and Tennessee. It is
the extension of the Rome railroad.
In speaking of the advantages of this
road and the prospects of its being
built, the Rome Tribune grows enthu- r
siastic and gives the following:
ROUTES OF EXTENSION.
“There is a rumor afloat that the ex
tension will be westward as well as
eastward from its termini at Rome and -
Kingston,
It is generally supposed (hat Presi
dent John D. Williamson apd his asso
ciate who own the controlling interest
in the Rome railroad are backing the .
scheme. This may or may not be true.
It is certain however that the matter
is being kept still with “Williamson- *
like” quietness. .yr
The rumors about the extension are .
that the road will be built to Gaines
ville from Kingston by one of the routes
originally proposed.
From Gainesville the extension will
be made to Athens, connecting there
with the Seaboard and Roanoke rail
road, or the “John Robinson” railroad,
as it is familiarly known.
This would give an
OUTLET TO NORFOLK
by a system entirelv independent of
the Richmond Terminal system.
Then from Athens it is possible that
the extension may be made to Port
Royal, one of the finest deep water har
bors on the Atlantic coast.
The charter granted bjr the Iegisla-^"
ture authorizes the extension to the
State-line of Alabama on the west.
It is probable that the road will be
built to Montgomery and Mobile, or
perhaps Birmingham and New Orleans.
AN IMPORTANT SYSTEM.
Whether this he the true direction of
extension or not, and the Tribune be
lieves it is from its best judgment and
all rumors heard, the system is bound
to he an important one . when its con
necting branches are taken into consid
eration.
And furthermore, it is probable that
when the Borne railroad wakes from,
its Rip Van Winkle sleep at the com
pletion of the extensions that it wont
know itself.”
This is the extension which the Ban
ner called attention to more than a
month ago. and predicted that the ru
mors about its consummation would as
sume practical shape and become bright
realities. We feel that our prediction
is being fully realized aud we firmly
believe the road will he built.
IDN’T SHOW DP.
A. T. O'Dell, the Redmond of North Geor
gia in Trouble.
“Come up in my office,” said Tobe
Murray the deputy collector for this
district, “and I will show you a capture
that I have just made.”
Collector Murray conducted us up
into the Booth huilding to his office
which hehas fitted up in the latest
style. In the southeast corner is a.
beautiful maliogony desk where the
business of the collector is done. Around
the room is fine plush’bottom.chaire for
those who have business with <the office
to sit in. A sofa also sits where the
breezes from the slopes of the Blue
Ridge can fan the brow of those
who call. The sofa is a little out of re
pair, but it is good.
“See that keg? I captured that from
A. T. O’Dell, audit is filled with peach
brandy, and O’Dell has been carried to
Gainesville. O’Dell had made 219 gal
lons, and this keg is all that he could
show up for his summer work. I got
the tax on the 219 gallons and have been
laying around several days t o get it.”
Collector Murray is determined to
break up illicit distilling in Madison
and other counties, and^it is to he hoped
that those who do such things will stop
it and not give the collector the un
pleasant duty of arresting them.
The couple that marries ’ in cotton
bagging “trousseaux at the Fair will
show their loyalty to the Alliance’s
warfare against the jute monopoly.
Moreover they will get many a pres
ents from the spectators. Who will the
couple he?
All of the railroads are offering won
derfully reduced rates to the Piedmont
Exposition, and great c-owds will take
advantage of the excursion days and
flock to the Gate city while the great
•ihow lasts.