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*,<.•***' . - \r. ' > • 1 WWJ 11 WPWW I ——, ■* OUR NEW ROAD. KST NEWS PilON THE G. VTKST NEWS t Jtu.\ j r c> lt x. railroad. k « J|I« »*« Tren»nrer «f th« Kond- THE LIFE OF MR. DAVIS! i<r ‘l>ii>hiB|C TUI« Way Very HnyiiHy. Hull $pr*br in <» o«ing •f the l‘i *S«»»» M*ae— is Ti.e latest in in ,jri,i}jin the extreme. ^■i> 'ulesire of givingjthe full account "';"progress of tbja construction of M"* *| jn^vhich c.ery reader of The ^ r I,. i» interested, a reporter culled Mr* A. L« Hull yesterday in the ' ;; it 'v bank, the efficient Secreta- sl ", xii a.'urer of the company, and f s ’l‘ I about the work on the road. u | lU is the latest from the G., C. & •• [i»- reporter inquired. ' Tht . latest is that the road is boom- fc.eii'li'lav with increasing rapidity, Vi. gradually winding its way fim-li ^tIn* fertile liehls of the Pal- ^tate to our side of the l iver. The joes rapidly pn, and the road is toa shape most beantifully,both jj, the {trading and surveying de- «%%* are the grading hands sta- ^lJ*, v are pushing on from Clinton Grceiiwootl, and are making as good W e could have hopetl for. I Sn’t Viiosv exactly how many hands h , v , at work in the grading corps, it there are several ’ thousands aim a |Li many more will be put on at au Jlv date. The managers are detef- u, ,-tisli the grading ahead and r[l t ] 0 all in their power to have it Ke as quickly and substantially as tide. They are sparing nothing to | wn ,j,li>h this end, and judging from t month's payroll, I should think tX are employing a larger number of ,i!> than ever before.” What was your pay roll last month ?” (reporter asked. It amounted to $80,000, and the next path's will probably be more, as they » gein^ to add more bands. This j;, sum of money paid out each pad, will show to you in part what ivgo'ss they must be making with the ruling. How far have the rails been laid?” ii-il the reporter. The track is in order up to joaii river in Carolina. Here they en compelled to stop for awhile t: il the bridge is finished to let the instruction train carry the rails and over to the graded track on the tier side. The contractors are at work on the ridge at present, and will soon have finished. Then the rails can be put itcn rapidly up to the grading force, intention of the chief engineer, is tve tlie rails put down as fast as *ro.nl bed is ready for them.” What are the engineers doing? 'There one corps between Elber- nand Savannah river, and one be- r,n .lug Tavern and Atlanta. All the surveying on the Carolina side is impleted. and nothing is in the way the graders. It is rumored that a force grading hands will he put onthis iwoftlie Savannah river, soon,and ti-h the grading on to Athens.” "The fact is just this,” said Mr. Hull conclusion, “in looking back over the ork that has been donein the few KHithstime that the road has been taken p,we have much to he thankful for,and Hie—very little to regret. The road a dead certainty; it will soon be lilt, and will be one of the best lines n«»g southern railroads.” Mr. Hull is right. The news from if Georgia, Carolina and Northern lilruad is most gratifying, and will be wl wiih interest by every citizen of heii' and of Northeast Georgia. The ,C. A X. has sprung up and issun ed raderful and phucn’x-like proportions summer from the old scheme* that d almost faded out. Within a few ►rt months the surveying lias almost •I finished, the grading has been shed forward almost to Greenwoo'd, id tlie't rack has been laid to Broad <w. Contracts for bridges have been and the work is going rapidly on fverv department. The new road Will be running to lifus within a year, and let it be Med with no adverse factions as it vs near. "elcon.e to the G., C. & X. INCIDENTS IN THE CAREER OF THE LA^E CONFEDERATE LEADER. Historical O'd Abbeville in South Caro lina—The Birth Place of Sec.ssion and the Tomb of the Conf.d- eracy. THE WORLD ON GRADY. WHAT THE GREATEST PAPER OF THE METROPOLIS HAS TO SAY ABOUT A Son of Athena—He tVa» the l.ion of the Evening. TWO NOTED DAE KIES. '• followed Their Masters Through the Civil War Faithfully, <Tc is an old darkey inAt.iens known tvery citizen by the fact that he al l's "cars upon bis head a military >r rather the fragments of one, for fits worn to a mere frazzle now. 1 *'• name of this old darkey is not so 1 known to the people for bis name ■!'»t as famous as himself. If he were "nvd to by any citizen he would be tied **tlie old darkey with the old Meliorate cap on.” i t' it is a history about this cap, tch is :i credit to* the old darkey. [' re G»tn twenty years ago he came in ■ v, 'jion of that cap, and on the field "‘tittle, it was oko of those bloody '■•'lets which characterized the war ‘Veen the States. A dying officer of confederate side gave the cap to the n «.?ro and he has worn it ever since, "fie it during the war and has had n °iKed from his head by whizzing Pe shots more than once. He has */ ‘. iu! c i'i> ever siuae'thc war and has 'l 11 ttatil it now has but little shape 7,V a l‘■ lie says lie will wear it until y, K ‘ s wants it ’juried with him. "re i s another darkey in Athens •mi been through the "war and stood •is master through many a bloody •"ouient. lie has also served a in the legislative halls oi our ii,. I* having been the late Benj. H s body servant. His life during nines is replete with many an in— ’.’"tg narative and he tells with en- ‘ kSla of his experiences to almost .e who occupies his chair in the J*JVop, while he plies the razor to "tecs. Many a one has . sat cn- Diit ' :i “ S0U T stirring naratives Abbeville, in South Carolina, before the war was the home of wealthy and cultured planters, of statesmen like Calhoun, McDuffie and a score of pub lic leaders more or less known to local and national fame, and nestling as it does almost in the shadow of the Blue Ridge, is to-day a favorite resort of those who seek among the mountain breezes a change from the sultry sum mer heat along the coast. But Abbe ville will be best remembered in history as at once the birthplace and the tomb of the Southern Confederacy. Here, on the 22nd of November, 18(50, was held the first public meeting that gave official voice to the sentiment of seces sion. The speakeis’ platform was situ ated at the foot of the hill, a portion of which forms an amphitheatre, and on the ascending ground the audience sat or stood among giant oaks. The a sem- blage was oue of the largest ever known in the district. The election of Abra ham Lincoln had caused great excite ment, and nowhere was the feeling more intense than in this particular neighborhood. After the delivery of a number of fiery speeches a committee of twenty-one was appointed to nomi nate delegates to a Stato Con vention, and the example being follow ed elsewhere in South Carolina, just oue month, on the 20th of December, 1S60, the lion. D. F. Jemison, Presi dent of the Convention, holding up the f..teful Ordinance of. Secession, pro claimed “a free and independent com monwealth.” Jefferson Davis, on the first day of May, 1S65, within a few rods of the very spot above described, practically dissolved the official Government and its members there separated. It was about ten oelock in the morning when the little town, the country quiet of which had already been disturbed by noisy groups of cavalry and infrantry who made the place, a rendezvous in their journey home from the army to points further southward, was thrown into a new ferment by the arrival of a a mounted escort with Jefferson Davis and his Cabii.et A eompanying the chief were Gen. John C. Breckinridge, Secretary of War, Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of State; John H Reagan, Postmaster-General; Stephen R. Mal lory, Secretary of the Navy; Cols. F. R. Lubbock, of Texas, John Taylor Wood, William Preston Johnston, members of the Presidential staff’, and a number of officers of the army. Mr. Davis was met by the lion. Armistead Burt, a stately old gentleman who had known him in Congress many years before, and accepting his proffer of hos pitality, the party proceeded to Mr. Burt’s mansion. Here after a briol period of refreshment, the last meeting of the Confederate officials took place. Naturally Mr. Davis presided, and, as they gathered around the centre table in the great library to discuss the most vi tal question that ever entered their councils, the impressiveness of the oc casion was marked upon every face. Outwardly, the Confederate chieftain was calm, perhaps more self -possessed than any oi the gentlemen present ;but, when in the eouase of the conference, he unfolded his plans for further action, all the enthusiasm of the man came to the suiface and he talked like one in spired. Eloquently he portrayed the situation and with hopeful words dwelt on the possibility of recovering all that had been lost, the line of retreat he de clared, was open; thousands of strag glers only awaited a leader: Maury,For rest, and Taylor still had armies in the field, and the Southwest, with its abun dant supplies invited a prolongation of the struggle, or at least one more ef fort to overcome the depression that was spreading throughout the country. In the worst view of the case it would be possible to cross to the traus Mississippi Department, and there, uniting with the armies of Kirby Sinity and Magru- der, iu a country deficient in rivers and railroads, continue the war until the \nemy, foiled in the purpose of subju gation, should agree in accordance with his repeated declaration, on # a basis of return to the Union,to acknowledge the rights of the States and guarantee secur ity of person and property. The little company listened to the stirring words intently, but they were like seed s attereil on barren ground. In the discussion that followed, it was apparent that all present b»t the leader realized the utter hopelessness of furth er effort, and in the drooping eyes and half averted faces around him, Jeffer son Davis then read the doom of the Southern Confederacy. Finding him self overruled in the conference, be took no furtl er part, but covering his face with a handkerchief became silent, "if he did not weep. Mr. Burt soon af terward suggested that he should retire to a chamber for rest and the meeting dissolved. Gen. Breckinbridge, accept ing the invitation of Mr. Perrin, a neighboring resident, turned that gen tleman’s library into a temporary war office, and until midnight was engaged in writing discharges and passes for such officers and men as desired to pro cure them. Judah P. Benjamin alone of the distinguished company preserved the serenitv, and might have been seen a few hours after the trying ordeal walking through the elegant grounds with the ladies of the household, poeti cally discoursing of the beauty of the fruits and flowers. HS RESISTED ARREST- OUR FARMER FRIENDS. MILLIONS IN IT. TOBE MAYFIELD, TnE DESPER ATE BURGLAR, SHOT BY THE POLICE. . -.Hardinghis master’s money from ankees, and heard the many other , . '-vitr times which **° tell altout himself. tllaanlntlnn, e lirni of Lucas & McDuffie Is this ved by mutual consent. Mr. ohen buying ,he stock and ac- Dec. 4th',889. ' % H w4t, its. The New’ York papers which reached our office yesterday are full of praise of the magnificent speech of Mr. Henry IV. Grady in Boston a few nights ago. The New York World says in its news columns: ‘•Grover Cleveland aTul Henry W. Grady were the lions at the annual ban quet of the Boston Merchant’s Associ- tion this evening. More than four hundred guests crowded the apart ments ana dining hall of the Hotel \reildonie and hundreds of others would have paid double or treble prices for tickets if they could have got them. Naturally Mr. Cleveland was the lion, but the brainy young Southern editor, Henry Grady, of Atlanta, won a large share of the honors, and his speech on* “The Race Problem,” ap pealed to the Northerners who heard it not less than did his spec** 1 ', of three years ago at the New Englaud dinner in New York. Mr. Grady started off blithely by say ing that the task before him recalled the dilemma of the little maid w hose mother permitted her to go out to swim, but strictly inhibited her from going near the water. He paid a glow ing tribute to the spirit and achieve ments of New England, from which had sprung the embodied genius of hu man government, and added : “1 be lieve the best product of her present life is the procession of 17,000 Vermont Democrats who for twenty-two* years, undiminished by death, unrecruited by birth or conversion, have marched over their rugged hills, cast their Democrat ic ballots and gone back home to pray -for their unregenerate neighbors, anti awake to read the record of 2t>,000 Re publican majority. May the God of the helpless and the heroic help them and may their s’urdy tribe increase!” With masterly strokes the orator next pictured the wealth and attrac tiveness of the Southland.” Then follows the text of the address as published in the Baxx’eu of Thurs day. Iu its editorial columns the World comments at length on the ad dress, a few of the extracts from which we give below: Mr. Henry W. Grady has the inspira tion of eloquence. His strong and manly appeal for the South, made be fore the New Englaud Society in this eitv three years ago, is still remem bered. Last night he addressed the Merchants’ Association of Boston, and his speech will doubtless ring as rrue as the other to the honest mind and heart. If the race question were not parti san. it would not exist. It lives be- 'Cause Republican politicians find their profit iu its antagonism. Mr. Grady’s appeal is to the patriotism of the coun try. He frankly recognizes the ills which have followed the enfranchise ment of the negro; lie admits that the whites will never permit black su premacy. At the same time he reveals a state of things iu the 5outh w hich must aston ish those who have permitted them selves to be deceived by selfish politi cians. He shows how the people who are denounced as oppressors of the black man are doing more than the North for his education—are mitigating his congenital disadvantages and are teaching him to make his living b/ the practice of arts and trades from which lie is excluded by those who pretend to be liis best friends. He shows that all this iias led to the material advantage of the negro, and that he is a better and more thrifty citizen than the negro of the Northern States. It is not strange that this should be so. Southerners have a liking for and knowiepge of the ‘negro much greater than his self-appointed friend: can possibly have. They are born with him and must contitide to live with him. They are deeply interested in his advancement. The peace and prosper ity of their .communities depend upon it. They would be purblind fools if the charges of Republican partisans were true. Such a speech as that: of Mr. Grady must do good because the conscience and intelligence of the North are w ith him. The majority of Northern men are not deceived by appeals to passion The South asks for a patient waiting until she can work out the problem which the country has imposed upon her. Federal interference in behalf of negro supremacy must keep the South solid and the races politically divided The true union between the sections and the natural division between the parties will come with the adoption of the patriotic view of Mr. Gr id} - and the rejection of the sordid and traitorous policy of needy partisans whose greed t»f power is not deterred by the good of the country. * ' . They Chase Him Orer the Cily and Fi nally Mhoot Him Near the C. and IU. Trestle- He Hakes bis Escape Again—A-Desperate Char* alter. Tobe Mayfield is a notorious charac ter among the courts and tribunals of this section of Georgia. He has often been brought before the bar of justice to answer to charges as grave .as could be brought against a man in this re fined and civilized part of the moral vineyard. Tobe has just been turned loose from the chain gang where he served a long term as payment for some of his vile and criminal deeds, and it seems that lie is again a candidate for the stripes of tlieGeorgia convict camping grounds Tobe is a bad nigger. Last Friday night lie broke into the house of Mrs, Bob Mathews, an esti mable lady of East Athens, and stole a great quantity of clothing and provi sions. Among his spoils he carried away about twenty gallons of good old domestic wine, which Mrs. Mathews had made and which she was keeping among other good things in her pantry for a rainy day, for she is not a wealthy 'iuly. J fist how Tobe managed to secure such large and varied plunders cannot be imagined unfess he had a band of burglars to assist him. But: any how he managed to get oft' with nearly half of Mrs. Mathew’s belongings, and was never discovered until several days later. LN THE IIAXDS OF THE POLICE. Mrs. Mathews placed the matter in the hands of our oillcient police, and gave them all the points about the bur glary that came withig her knowledge. Things went quietly on until night be fore last when the police got upon a clue that led to the suspicion that Tobe Mayfield was none other than the bur glar. Further developments served to be more convincing that this was the man to arrest, and Chief Oliver and Messrs. Mackie and Hill decided to ‘look the fellow up.” They at once proceeded to arrest him, but here came the rub. Tobe was not willing to go back to the chaingang, and smelling a good sized rat he made escape. The police followed him around the city, and about eight o’clock yesterday morning overtook him at the and M. trestle near the cemetery, and demanded him to halt. Tobe was desperate, and began violently abusing the police in terms that were not be coming a burglar to say the least of it. He resisted arrest and escaped again, but as the police were determined to have him tney demanded him several times again to stop, and as he flew fas ter from them they fired on him, crip pling him slightly, though not suffi cient to stop him. He continued his escape and from last accounts had evaded the police. Tobe Mayfield Caught at Last.— The police men have been on the move ever since it became known that Tobe Mayfield was the burglar of Mrs. Bob at at thaw’a hniinA in East Athens and Matthew’s house in East Athens and nave been keeping an eye open for him ever since he was shot at and made good his escape, Tuesday morning nerr the C. & M. depot. Tuesday night they traced him until a late hour at night, and discover^.that he was still lurking around East Athens. About daylight yesterday morning Messrs Moon, Hill,and Mackey Went over to a cabin where ho was harbored and arrest ed him. He again resisted arrest aud the nolica were forced to maul him over*the head several times to tame him. Tobe is a wild bird and has been put in the station house to be tamed. A Timely Qneation. Editor Banner As you have inter ested your readers iu the struggle of the cotton farmers against the Jute Trust, and have made suggestions on uumberof ties and other points, please tell us why the cotton farmers should buy material outside of their business to prepare their bales to travel thous ands of miles. Some of their cotton is used near their home, a large part uev er crosses the ocean. Most of the farm ers are now now a days near some de pot. It would seem sufficient for them without ties or hogging, with a few wires on a bale and a wagon cover or loose sheet to keep oft’ dust and rain, to bring their bales to their home market: and leave to the purchaser and compress the preparing for longer journeys. Farmer. ' We understand that the Alliauce will adopt this plan, next year. The cotton will be. packed in small bales like hay and will be wrapped with wire. Cot ton is a legitimate article of commerce and must be marketed ready for ship rnent to any part of the u orld if neees sary. If .tlie wires prove a sub.*tontia binding we see no reason why it will not suffice. The prettiest line of fancy parloi lamps at Huggins’, Athens, you ever aw. dS-25. ABUNDANT CROPS HAVE BEEN STORED AWAY. And Every Hearthstone Is Bright-* The Immense Cotton Crop and How It Is marketed—A Fruitful Year Will Close with it .Season of Kejoicing, AN ATHENS MAX DISCOVERS THAT OKRA HAS MANY USES. Which Hare Hitherto Been Undreamed oT in the World of Commerce—It Will Take the Place of Jnte and HemD-^Dkra OH Will Equal Linseed. The harvesting will soon be over and the weary farmers will ‘‘hang up the shovel aiid the hoe” for a brief rest. As Christmas and the holidays draw nigh at hand we are brought to cast a glance all over the country and see what the farmers have done and what they are still doing this year. To look out upon the streets-of Athens all crowded with farm wagons loaded with cotton and filled with farmers who have come to do their Christmas tra ding, our first note is that the farmers have gathered a most abundant harvest from every field and are happy over the waning days of so bounteous and fruit ful a year as this has been. Cotton pours into our city each .day with increased proportions and the cot ton men are as busy as bees in their warehouses, stores and at their com presses. Athens was never so blocka ded with the fleecy staple and in spite of the city ordinance which Mayor Hunnicutt has proclaimed ordering all cotton to be removed ftom the streets ,a number of cases have been made out against the cotton men who could not get their cotton stored as fast as it rolled in. All of this goes to show what an immense crop the farmers are making. The fall has been a beautiful one for the harvesting of the crops. In fact the entire year has been extremely fa- orable to the farmers. Providence seems to have smiled down a peaceful benediction upon the honest tillers of the soil, and blessed them with propi tious seasons and golden harvests. Most of the farmers have finished gath ering their cotton crops, and a full fledged crop it was. Cotton has ma tured and opened from the bottom of the stalk to the tip-top and has done its level oest this year. The fields that have been gleaned are black with the empty stalks, though there are still a great many fields that are white with the fleecy staple; the stalks being cap ped in white to the very top. The Aanner editor was recently ajvisitor to the immense farm of Col. James M. Smith, of Oglethorpe county, and was amazed at the sight of so much cotton that was still spread out in the large fields as far as the eye could see, All of the cotton had matured, a great deal of which was planted after the grain was reaped, but which has fully matured and opened under the influ ence of the glorious autumn weather we have had. A MINISTER’S KIND MENTION- Dr. C. W. Lane Recognizes With Thought fulness the Banner’s>Misslon Following is ah extract from an able sermon preached by Dr. C. W. Lane at the Presbyterian church Sunday, Dec. Let us seek a spiritual as well as material boom for Athens. Let us show as much zeal tor the improvement of ouls as is shown for the improvement of souls, as is shown for the improve- of the city—for a great increase in the membership of our churches as for the building of a great hotel. Let us apply the principles so zealously and steadily used by our Banner, to-wit:“all work ing together,” and “small industries” to briug about a spiritual boom here in our city. Let me urge, among the small spiritual industries, upon all praying people (over and above their regular devotions) 15 minutes daily for prayer for the editorial staff and rnana gers of our one newspaper, The Ban nek, that it may exert a mighty influ euce for good, may be kept a clean,pure sheet, and by issueing the uap- r in the evening,or by some other method,avoid all Sabbath issues, and remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. And thus work and pray for our Banner till shall have a deeper and wider influence for good than all the great dailies to getlier now exert. Also another small industry—give 15 minutes at another time in the day for prayer for the University and all our schools. Aud work on and pray on for our University till its members shall excel those of the Mahometan Univer sity at Cairo,with its 300 professors and its 10,000 stutents, and till every year hundreds of its graduates shall go forth as ministers and missionaries to pro claim the everlasting gospel, as well as hundreds more to fill stations of honor and of usefulness Also another small industry—give 15 minutes at another time in the day fc> prayer for your own minister and all ministers. Also 15 minutes at ^another time the day of prayer for church members— especially backsliders, who are neglect ing Christian duty to themselves and to their children, and do not leave out the unconverted. Aim high in the strength of Christ Rest not till the smallest church in Ath ens has at least 500 members; that the early future, as the city grows, 20 more new church edifices will be needed to meet the wants of our people. Let us seek to make Athens the best place the world to live in, the best- place jn the world to die inland the best place in the world from winch to go to heaven. And thus work-on aud pray on till all Christians everywhere shall be aroused to similar work ana prayer for the com munities where they dwell, and till the sun of righteousness shall shine with noonday splendor on a redeemed and regenerated people. A MEXICAN MERIENDA. A Delistful Evening for the Young People The young folks will enjoy a novel and charming entertainment tonight at the residence of Mr. G. H.' Yance3 r , on Dearing street, from 5 to 10 p. in. The occasion will be a Mexican mer- ienda given by the Sunbeam society ol the First Baptist church, and will be to work wohders in tbo commerce. r than the simple use of a e for .table fare the okra plant has never been thought of as a great and .important plant for farmers to cultivate in the'r 'farms.ins'd of their gardens, and to be stored in their barns iinstead of in their pantrie*, where it has remained tobe . c tt -redin the soup on rainy days in w.'n er time. Okra Is no longer in;the soup 1 Mr. W. H. Thurmond who has charge of the Athens nursery and truuk farm, has matin a discovery which promises to unfold many secrets hitherto un known to the w r orld of commerce—and the okra plant is the key to the dis covery. We finds that the bark of the okra plant can be make into the finest kind of a fibre for making rope, trigging cloth or anything for which jute or hemp are now used. He has made sev eral samples of the fibre, and brought a- bunch to the Banner office yesterday which is as fine a fibre and as substan tial and strong as any we have ever seen from hemp or jute. It is of a pretty straw color and is as glossy as silk. * It spins out with ml ease, ami while it is coarse and strong, it will permit of a great deal of twisting anil weaving, We firmly believe it is a good thing and will at once take its placet as an importaut article of commerce. IT IS EASY TO RAISE. Okra is easy’ to raise and requires but little attention to grow it, and owning to the fact that its period of growth is very brief, it will commend itself as a good crop for every farmer to raise, so soon as its usv s are adopted by tlie man ufacturers. Okra will grow on almost any kind of land, and will reproduce very rapidly. It is a very prolific plant, and for this reason, also will commend itself to the farmes. Mr. Thurmond says that one acre of okra will yield ac least fifty bushels of seed, and that the seed are as useful as the stalk, if not more so. The cotton that has been marketed as a rule has been of excellent quality, and lias generally brought good prices. But the cotton buyers say there is much camplaint among them about a great deal of the cotton being gin-cut and containing a number of moates and faul ty seeds in it. For this reason the price is cut down in many instances where it might have been avoided by a careful ginning. The buyers say that the cause of this is perhaps due to the fact that the public gins have been run too fast to keep bp with the great (tot- ton crop that has been gathered. But the farmers have done very well with their cotton this year anil most of them have paid their debts and bought £ great many supplies for the next year They are happy over the close _ of i year of plenty and will make this the merriest Christmas season ever known to their home circles. The other crops have been propor tionately plenteous, and every corn crib is filled to the rooff, every grainery is bursting with a full supply of wheat, oats, peas, barley, rye, and everything of its kind. The sweet potato crop has been especially plentiful and large hills can be seen on the premises of every house that may be passed by the road side. The farmers will live at home next year and will revel in the “glorious privilege of being independent,” They have by the lessons of the Alliance been taught to arouse to their interests and have determined to live from their own labor henceforth. They have raised their own meat, and with a large cotton crop have enough to live com fortably next year. In looking back oyer the year just past, one can but think that all of this bounty that the fields have brought forth has been sent as an encourage ment to the Alliance. It is the first year of the Alliance’s existence and that it should be the best and the first good crop year for nearly a decade indeed a strange coincident. - We can but believe that it meaus success to the Alliance, and foretells prosperity aud freedom for the over-burdened farm ers! OUR GLORIOUS CLIME- It Cannot be Surpassed on Earth. Talk if you may about the “glorious climate of California,” hut speaking about climates, how is this .for mid winter? We have heard of the eternal summer skies of lower California, and have read ode upon ode about the sunny hills and green fields of Southern France but for an all-the-year-round climate v we put North East Georgia and Athens against the world. This winter has been unusually mod erate and delightful, and the vegetable kingdom has almost been undisturbed by killing frosts and cold blasts. Dan delions are blooming on the suburbs of the citv and the woods are full of wild violets aud pretty flowers of endless variety. We have hail no snow this winter, no winds—nothing but one con tinued spell of sunny bright weather. Blue birds are plentiful and their merry carrolling is au unmistakable evidence of an early spring, so the prophets say. In fact there is no better weather nor a more bounteous climate to be found anywhere than in middle and North East Georgia, especially such as has been witnessed this winter. Where is the clime that beats our own Sunny South. There are millions in okra! would have thought it, and t fancy if left. alone, how asbioned okra plant TnE BI-PRODUCTS. Besides the stalks which may be fraz zled into a fibre as stated above and which make as good a twine as hemp or jute, the seed of the okra plant has many uses. It may be fed to horses and cattle, and Mr. Thurmond says it is a very nutritious food for them. He says that cattle will soon graw fond of it and-will eat it with as hearty a relish as corn or eats. The seed will make a good oil too, and this perhaps will bo the greatest success that will spring from the discovery made by Mr. Thur mond. He says the oil from the okra seed is as good*as any to be found from seeds, that is equal to linseed oil in every purpose. The fibre from the stalk will be ex cellent for making twine, rope, bag- a , bags, and carpets. It is a beauti- bre and is as substantial as it is pretty. Who knows but there are millions in okra, and that it is destined to take the place of jute and hemp in every partic ular. A MUSICAL IUDDLE- Tlie Gilmore Sunday Concerts Cause a Great Excitement In Augusta. Augusta lias' a great sensation, it seems over the Gilmore sacred concerts given last Sunday afternoon in the "Fountain City. The concerts were given out St the Exposition building by Gilmore’s fa mous band, and were largely attendejl by many of the best people in Augusta. In the afternoon, the cars were kept busy transporting the passengers to the grounds inspite of the fact that the ministers had preached against it in their respective churches in tlie.morn- ing before the concert. Since the concerts were given the ministers have held a meeting and con demned the business with forcible terms. The meeting was opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Brittain, after which Mr. T. M. Lowry stated “that the object of the meeting was to take action as to the so called sacred concert held in this city Hist afternoon «and night, ” and urged andasked that the opinion of the differ ent. ministers present be given on the subject. They responded as follows: Dr. Lovejoy: I have no hesitation in saying that the tendency of such a per formance is towards the breaking down, of our observance of the Sabbath day, and, from what. we learn, the music played last evening was not sacred, but only such as would have been played on any other night. Dr. Borrows: I can only repJat what I said to my congregation on yes terday morning, when I asked that they stay away from the performance, tell ing them that it was a sin, because it could not be done without the musicians performing their regular vocations, and the object of the concert being to make money. No one could say its tendency was toward praising God "any more than a performance given by skillful actors who correspond exactly with this concert,both being master pieces of their kind, but not in any sense sacred any more than a lecture on tlie sacred cow in India would be sacred, and I think something should be done in the matter, although I do not think that the Christian sentiments of the com munity would allow the opening of the theatre hereon Sunday. Other ministers made pinging speecl>- es against the concerts. There .is a great deal of talk in that city about the affair, and the ministers will make it hot- for their congregations, 'so. it seems. GOO cords wood Weatherly Bros. for sale. Apply to 13-dlw. Holiday Goods.—A most coin pie to assortment of Christmas goods, consist ing of dolls, tea sets, doll furniture, bells, cradles, carriages and in fact ev er; hiugin the way of toys can be found at*Miss Rosa Von der Leith’s.