Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

mi r\ 1 'll ri 4, A ' Ihp ( nrtprsivi p ( onrnnt- A niprimn k #4 y j B /ff I! P 111 ]l i 1 $ gj e B i \ % fig S3 | | I I / $ g k 1 7• 1 and i | i I | V fji \i / / Vi 5y A / Vw *5 *? \ * f & 3t ,3 W ; i m am wk L UL l? m! B V aft fift "V, .JBL- —JBL*. V —V x_/ ft-'ft'JL X_y -M-~ rx_y ¥ .-BL.-JaL. v,y w VOL. VIII. A VISIT TO MRS. FELTON. Home-Like Pictures by a Fair Correspondent. Thought h of *t Practical \V'’inan _ \ Look at Carteravllle —Some of its Noted Wen —It I*rouilincr Future. Hiss Mam! Andrew*, the charming porietv editress of tin* Constitution, thus .rniphieally describes a late visit to Car tersvilU* and the home of Mrs. Felton: ‘•J found Mrs. Felton waiting for ine at tl„, station, and lier bright face, with its halo of snowy hair, was like an early primrose ’mid the snow. She gave me a clioory greeting and said : •‘We will drive around the town a little before going out home. And there’s Sam tone’s house,” she said, as we drove up one of the principal streets. It was a handsome home, surrounded by pretty grounds. “I wish you could see his Shetland ponies,” sin* said. “He lias a lot of them that the children drive.” g “How many children has he?” “Seven. Then he is educating two young girl relatives with his own daugh ters. He does a great deal of charity.” “What do you think of Sam Jones?” “I’m very fond of him, indeed, as are most of tin* people who have known him all his life. It’s a good sign to see a man beloved by his home people. Sam Jones Inis made a great deal of money, and he does good wit li it, too. I can’t begin to tell you of the charity lie has done among these poor people around here. There’s a store of his,” as we passed a large brick building, “and further on there’s one of his large plantations.” As we neared Mrs. Felton’s own farm, she pointed out another large planta tion, adjoining her own, that belonged to the great Georgia preacher, and from these indications, and other accounts of plantations, it seemed that Sam Jones had about gotten what Henry George wanted. The horse we drove was a mule of twenty-four summers, but sturdy and strong, and able to kick if necessary. Ho went at a lively gait, and his mistress said that she preferred him to any of the homes, because there was no danger about a good, steady mule, and she was right. L never felt liable to be run away with by a mule yet, and as I watch their heels closely, I’m ready to draw back at the flicker of a fetlock. When we drove in that wide old farm house gate we were greeted with wel comes from barnyard and pasture. 1 was a child again in a minute, ready to put on my litt’o sun-bonnet and go out and hunt hen nests and milk cows and ride colts. A beautiful collie came bounding out to meet us and gave us a hearty greet ing as we entered t he cosy house, with its noble old host. What a bright cheery home it was! What a hearty crackling welcome the great hickory fires gave! There was a big fire in every room and the hearths and fireplaces were all white, like those 1 remember at my grand mother's—the kind they were that chil dren were scolded about dropping grease on. We sat down and chatted till dinner was announced. Then we went in and partook of corn bread made of home raised meal, turkeys from the poultry yard and homo raised sweet and Irish potatoes, and butter and buttermilk fresh from the churn. There in that simple farm-house sat one of the ablest men and the most brilliant women of the South; a man and woman who had been feasted by Presidents ‘ and diplomats. They sat and laughed at the grand State dinners, at the bad dishes people pre tend to like and the rare game and un eatable entrees that had been set before them, and in their very homely simplicity lay the highest beauty and power of their natures. The talk fell on Washington life and I asked Mrs. Felton who she considered the most Charming and brilliant woman she had known in Washington society. “Mrs. John Logan,” she answered. “She had a manner that made all classes and conditions of people welcome. Dur ing the years I was in Washington it seemed to me that many of the South ern families sent there were cold and con strained because of the Republican ad ministration, I never had that kind of feeling, and met the advances of the Northern Senators* wives with a warmth equal to their own. I learned to love and admire many of them. “The saddest slander that I ever knew in Washington society was that concern ing Kate Chase Sprague and Coukling. 1 believe it was utterly false, 1 remember t he day tliatthe story was published that Mrs. Sprague was said to be throwing notes to Conkling during an assembly. 1 was sitting near Mrs. Chase that day, nnd Mrs. Don Cameron threw a note over Mrs. Sprague’s shoulder to her husband, nn<l that was the groundwork for the falsehood. “Now you mustcome out into my barn yard and see my fowls” said my hostess shortly after dinner. She showed me her fowl house and said mites were unknown to it. “Nobody need have mites in their fowl houses,” she said. All they have to do is to ventilate the house. See this one ; s ventilated on every side. I cover the floor with oak leaves. Now come down to the pasture and let me show you my colts.” The farm house is in a valley and on this perfect day onecould view the moun tains for miles around. The atmosphere was a clear, tranquil blue, such as the turn toward spring time always brings. The warm grass beneath our feet was soggy with frost moisture. The pasture a square of half a mile, was sown half in bermuda and half in clover. “1 believe ben'nuda is to be the salva tion of the Southern stock farm,” said my-hostess, casting her fine clear eyes over the field. Clover will fail us in dry weather, but the bermuda is fresh all during the parching season and my stock thrive upon it. There are my horses, now. Aren’t they beauties?” She gave a soft call and the pretty things lifted up their heads, arid a young colt came trotting toward us and nestled her face up against her mistress’s shoul der. She was a beautiful animal, half percheron, four feet tall, and only eighteen months old. There were three other colts in the pasture and four mares. Mrs. Felton raised all the colts herself, and bought the mares with money made by her own industry. “This mare,” she said, laying her hand on a pretty bay animal, “represents in part thirty dollars from the Forum-. I received that much for a short article, and put my brains in a horse.” If the horse in question had possessed a white and a blazed face I might have suggested that one’s brains might be taken out by the same quadruped, but this gentle animal was of a mild and amiable countenance, suggesting no evil propensities. “I am going to turn my attention to stock raising now,” said Mrs. Felton, “and I believe I can make it a success. The people of our country would do bet ter to plant less cotton and raise stock and supplies.” “Wouldu’tyou liketo move to Atlanta? Don’t you want to give up your life here?” I asked. “No. I could have moved to a city, but one’s interest is where one’s property is. Then I like the out-door life. If the women of our country had more of it there would be less bad health and fewer sallow complexions. Half of creation needs more fresh air than it gets. While Dr. Felton was at the legislature this winter I managed the farm entirely. I rode from one end to the other of this large plantation always once, and often twice, a day, and felt better for the exer cise. Yes, I like farming, and should be content to have my son farm all his days. I believe a man can serve his Maker and walk in the path of peaceful power more completely as a farmer than in any other calling. I love thecountry people. I think of them, their lives and their interests. What lives of untold sacrifice some of these simple people lead! See that farm house over yonder? It contains a widow and seven children, the only one able to do much work being a boy of about twenty. That young fel low took hold of the farm when his father died and supported the whole family by his successful industry. His mother is a great invalid and he is ten der as a woman with her. I tell you, these rich people know nothing of the sacrifice and noble beauty of humble lives.” We went on and had a look at the Jerseys, soft, velvety creatures they were, with great dark eyes like those of women who had loved and suffered in silence. There were some pretty little calves, the image of their mothers, save in solemni ty of deportment. “Now we are at the great water basin for miles around,” said Mrs. Felton, as we came to the end of the valley. “These springs would be a fortune to any one able to make a summer resort here. There are fine springs of lime, iron and freestone water right here. The Indians knew the value of these springs and used to come to them from miles around. Now, we will go back to the barnyard.” She called and the fowls came flocking to her. There were a large flock of tur keys, pure registered bronze, whose scale like feather armor, glistened in the sun light. One, an immense turkey cock, spread his feathers and strutted for our especial benefit. He was a big fowl, but he did not seem half as big then as a little old strutting turkey cock that, used to fill me with terrors in childhood. There were Bramahs, and Plymouth Rocks, and Cochin Chinas, everything, in fact, that ever clucked in a barnyard. After our view of the chickens we mounted steeds and rode over the plan tation. We had an attendant, one Solo mon Jackson by name, who rode a mule most dilatory in movement. Solomon said that mule “didn’t want to go, nohow, an’ when mules didn't want to go dey was pestiterous, sho ’nough.” He rode up to the top of the CARTELSVILLE, GA., THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1889. highest mountain for miles around. Below us lay the valleys sleeping in the evening sunset like children beneath a mother’s good night kiss. To the north came the slow grey smoke from Gover nor Brown’s iron mines. Afar in the distance lay the city of Cartersville, a village destined to become a great city in days to cotn.e The furnace, which is now being erected there for the manu facture of iron will make bessemcr pig as cheap as ordinary pig iron and it will be the first manufactory in the South to make steel from native ores. Mr. Mar tin, the energetic vice-president, says he expects to have the furnace in full blast by the first of next January. Truly our North Georgia country is full of riches and the people have only to use their hands in gathering it together. TURN ON THE WATER. Mr. Jeter Arrives to Begin Work on Car tersville's Water Works. Mr. W. A. Jeter, of the Jeter & Board man Gas and Water Company, arrived in the city Monday, with his engineer, to locate the site, and begin the work on our water works. The company is offered inducements in the matter of location, but will not de termine on the site definitely until the engineer has fully investigated the sur roundings, and then tnis important plant will be located with a view to per manent adaptability. Mr. Jeter says the idea is to begin with a view to supplying a city of twenty-five thousand people with water, and then let the city grow up to the system. He has located and put in operation water works in several other Southern cities, and knows exactly what he is doing. When a city begins to grow, and ex pects to make manufacturing a promi nent feature —and manufacturing is mainly what builds American cities —the first thing needed is a good system of water works. Nearly everything else that comes wants plenty of water. The moving of the first dirt in prepar ing for this enterprise will be an impor tant event in the history of Cartersville. One of the most important items in the consideration is the question of fire insurance. Few people have any idea of the large amount of money which goes from here every year to the insurance companies. The small additional tax necessary for introducing water works, and preparing for protection against fire will be saved to property holders in reduced rates of insurance, thus offering greater iducements to build houses, shops, etc. The rate on central property can be reduced at least one-half by a proper course of action. The company who have the contract is a live concern, and should be afforded every possible facility for hurrying on the work. It will be a red letter day for Carters ville when we turn on the water. THE COUNTRY’S GRAIN CROP. Department of Agriculture Report oil tlie Corn, Wheat and Oat* Yield, i Washington, Jan. 12.— The December report of the Department ot Agriculture, which publishes in detail the estimates of some of the more important crops, makes the production of corn 1,987,790,000 bushels, grown on 75,072,703 acres, valued on the tarm at $077.561,580, or 34.10 per bushel, against 44.4 for the crop of 1887, a decrease of 23 per cent., the product of 1887 being 27 per cent, less in value than that of 1888. The yield of the commercial belt of the seven corn surplus t Sates averages 33.2 bushels per acre; the Atlantic coast south of the Potomac averages 11.2 bushels of comparatively poor quality. The wheat aggregate is 41.4 868,000 bushels, grown on 37,336,138 acres, valued at $384,248,030. The average yield is, therefore, 11.1 bushels per acre; winter wheat 11.6 bushels, and spring wheat 10.3 bushels .per acre. The average farm value is 92.6 cents per bushel against 68 1 cents for the pre vious crop, a difference due more to foreign than domestic scarcity. The aggregate for oats is 701.737,000 bushels grown on 269,982,87 acres, and valued at $195,424,240. This is 27.8 cents per bushel against 30 cents for'the crop of 1887. A comparison of the aggregate values shows that tliepreseut corn crop is worth only $31,000,000 more than the previous one, and wheat $74,000,000. The oat crop is worth $5,000,000 less. See About This. You will find it to your interest to read the new advertisement of R. H. Garwood, which appears elsewhere in this paper. Thev mean business when they propose to have a closing out sale, without usual profits on prices. They have no old shelf-worn stock to work off, but a lot of choice seasonable goods. The ladies, especially will be surprised to find how cheap they can get beautiful late style dress goods, and many other things they need. Don’t fail to price their goods. BARTOW SUPERIOR COURT. The Spring Term Opens Last Monday. Judge Mi lner’s First Appearance on the Bench—A Notable Charge to the Jury—The New Solicitor. The spring term ol Bartow Superior Court opened last Monday. When the usual hour for opening ths court arrived, the new judge, Thomas W. Milner, of this city, sat serenely in the stqnd, and with an easy, yet stern man ner set the machinery, of the court in motion. After the several officers had been in structed and the several juries had been organized, the grand jury filed out into the court room and received the usual charge, and never was fuller, more i borough instruction given to a like body, upon their general duties, in Bartow’S temple of justice. Judge Milner charged in an impressive way the law as prescribed as his duty generally, on numerous lines, by Georgia’s code, and there was none of the hum drum, too frequently observed, about his maimer. Everything was lucid, expres sive and full of meaning. Then he touched specifically upon theimportant questions of the prohibition law and its proper en forcement, the road laws and the law in regard to our educational affairs. He congratulated the people of Bartow county on the prevalence of the prohibi tion law and presented some statistics in!regard to the relative existence of crime in places where the law does and does not prevail. “There are” said he, “two hundred and fifty thousand whisky criminals in the 1 nited States. Judge Gilpen. chief justice of the State of Delaware, says that one tenth of the crime was directly traceable to intemperance. Judge Noah Davis, of New York, says that more than seven- eights of the crime committed in this country which involves personal violence, are traceable to the use of intoxicating liquors. The United States Commis sioner of Education in his report, says that in the New Hampshire State Prison 65 inmates out of 91 admit themselves to insure beau intemperate; again, in the Connecticut State prison it was found that more than 90 per cent, had been in the habit of drinking. Rhode Island also estimates 90 per cent, in the cells of her prisons as drinkers. Massachusetts authority says of the 14,314 inmates of her prison, 84percent, were intemperate. Carefully prepared statistics show that more than two-thirds of the murders committed can be laid at rum’s door. That 75 per cent, of all our criminals become such while crazed with rum, and that 96 per cent, of the tramps and worthless youths of our land swarm from drunken homes —nests of crimes—made such by rum. Kansas has one hundred thousand more people than Texas. Kan sas has one penitentiary with 990 pris oners. This is the result of prohibition.* Texas has one hundred thousand less people and the liquor traffic Texas has two large penitentiaries with three thousand criminals, and the spring courts will add about five hundred more. It is easier for society to crush out this monster than to take care of its fruits. Crime has lessened in Bartow county—no one can deny that —but the evil still ex ists, for occasionally we see evidences of the use of liquor. Where does it come from? Is it being sold or furnished by some person in some dark corner? If so, you should find it out, gentlemen.” Upon the laws regarding the public schools and their management through out the county, his remarks were burn ing truths that appeared in the light of revelations, and found a response in every thinking mind. “By tlie general appropriation bill passed by the General Assembly last December, the public schools are fully put on the same plane with the other departments of the State Governimjnt. The time had come for this. The cause of education was lan guishing except in certain centres of pop ulation and wealth. The public schools were starved to death for the want of support. They proved practically worth less, and their crippled existence affected most injuriously the practice of main taining schools by private patronage. On account of the lack of proper educa tional advantages, the people have been leaving the country to settle in towns and cities where they could obtain proper school facilities. One of the most serious dangers tending to disturb the founda tion of our civil institution, is the in fluences of the illiterate vote. This vote is controlled in small part by the advice of intelligent men; in great .part by the management of shrewd men. The most dangerous element in the vote of the il literate is not simply that ignorance dis qualifies for rational judgment upon pub lic questions, but it fully qualifies the voter to become the ready tool of bad men. In Georgia in 1880, the total white illiterate vote was 28,571; in 1870 21,849. In the colored vote in 1880, 116,516 illiterate, and in 1870, 10,551. These figures show that illiteracy in our State between the years 1870 and 1880, increased and doubtless the next census increases in the same or greater propor tions. But what has the grand jury to do with all this? We will look into the matter and see. The public schools are regulated by law and those whose duty it is to enforce the law are subject to the rigid investigation of the grand jury. Under the law this county comprises an entire school district. The board of edu cation which controls and manages the system in the comity, is elected by the • . . grand jury. This makes the grand jury responsible for the efficient management of t he schools.” On the duties of the grand jury in re gard to tin* public roads Judge Milner dwelt at length. “No country,” said he can prosper and advance in material “growth as it should where the public roads are almost impassable during a larger part of the time. The law of this State aims to give us good roads as a result of theenforcement thereof. The law requires the roads to be worked in the best possible manner. What does this mean? I will be so extreme as to say that this means that the foundation, the drainage, the materials, the proper slope to be given, the merits of the hill side or valley should be up to the stan dard oi requirement of a skilled engineer in the construction and repair of our country roads by the force and skill which we have to apply under our laws. To be worked in the best possible man ner does not mean that the road hands under the supervision of the overseer of roads assemble along the roads in their district one or two days in the year with shovels to throw the dirt from the sides to the middle of the road and scoop out shallow ditches to carry off the water and put earth brakes at intervals or declivities so that after heavy rains the dirt is washed away, the ditch made deeper and if any dirt remains in winter it freezes and thaws and horses and mules plow through it up to their knees almost. He strenuously recited the fact that justices of the peace are ex-officio road overseers. In cities or in towns where the main streets go unworked three months, then it becomes their duty to summons hands and apportion fliein out the same as the regular overeeer might N . -•- '■ 1 ' V do. He admonished the jury to look dili gently into the way that, not one, but all of thecounty'sofficials had performed their duties and to avoid the stereotyped presentment, “we find the books of so and so neatly and correctly kept,” unless it truly expressed what it said. In closing his charge he said: “Gentle men, this is agoverntnent of law and not of men. Lot us do our duty. Then we may expect the plaudit: ‘ Well done good and faithful servant.’” Col. A. W. Fite, the new solicitor, goes about his duties in a way that would in dicate that that part of the law’s admin istration involving on him will be prop erly seen to. He is a live man, and it witt not be long ore his praises are sung as one of the best officers in the State. The grand jury got down to business at once and will rush everything in their jurisdiction. It is splendidly officered in H. J. McCormick as foreman, and Charles McEvven as clerk. The court's business is confined to civil work this week, and next week the crimi nal docket will be taken up. COURT NOTES, Wesley Roberts looks natural in bis old position as sheriff. * The grand jury is a fine looking body of men. Judge Milner is a hustler on the bench, and believes in pushing business. Solictor-general Fite startes out for a brilliant career in that important of fice. The State’s interest is safe in his hands. AYe never saw a better corps of bailiffs than those on duty in this court. The fact that comparatively few law yers from elsewhere attend our court, speaks volumes for the ability and reli ability. of Cartersviile attorneys, especial ly when we consider the large amount of business transacted in this court. The grand jury is a hard working body, and they are making thorough investigation of all matters that legally comes before them. Their general pre sentments will doubtless be important and interesting reading matter to the people of the county. Air. W. M. Graham has received the appointment of stenographic court reporter for this circuit. He is eminently qualified for the position, and we con gratulate our friend upon his appoint ment. The puffing, rattling, rolling and blow ing of the railroad engines greatly inter feres with the transaction of business. * EH The Judge and attorneys are on a strain much of the time to understand each other’s remarks. Couldn’t we have the railroads removed? Out of three women living- in one hous.e in Walker county, there are two wives, two mothers-in-law, two daughters-in law, three mothers, two grandmothers and one great grandmother. CAS3VILLE PEN-PICTURES. Christmas Time* Then and Nun Some BetlectioSH, We are sitting by a blazing, sparkling, cheerful wood fire, ruminating on the Christmas of to-day pud the Christmas of the past, and in contrast we are led back in retrosj>eetioii to the halyeou days when CussviHe was the empire town of North Georgia, and was the home of sixteen hundred of as happy people as were ever congregated in a village. The old square brick court house, with its little park of trees, grasses, flowers and walks, was the grand center from which, radiated down the well* ordered streets, happy homes, in every one of whi> h were heard the merry, silvery voices of joyous children. Christmas times was but the harbinger of good dinners, parties, music ►and the tripping of the fantastic toe. Bird and rabbi* hunts were the order of the day by the boys, and the nights were made luminous with fire works, and the shooting of guns. Everybody seemed to be under the benign influence of old St Claudius. The learned and dignified would throw off their dignity for the time and become children again. The old grandfather would frequently forget his rheumatism, and for the purpose of the encouragement of some bashful swain lead out a blushing damsel and head the first cotillion, throwing in a few fantastic steps to show how the thing was done in his day, while the <jrand mother would sit complacently in the corner and induct the younger ones into the mysteries of “Bound the rosemary bush,” the farmer and his jug of cider, consequences the selling of the pawns, etc., and the house would be brought down with joyous laughter when a bash ful youth was commanded by her to bow before his sweet heart and say : Hickory bark and whiteoak filling, I’ll marry you if mam and dad are willing. Christinas was considered then to last a week, and everything was bent and made subvervient to the full joy of the occasion. The young ladies and gentle men assembled in parties every night of the week, and it mattered very little whether the Christmas moon gave her light or whether old Boreas unlashed his wind dogs and sent them howling through the streets with spashes of rain or drifts ofVnbuv the party was an es tablished fact. And oh ! what a joyous good time they had, for their minds, souls and bodies were in the occasion. But that oasis of supreme joy was de stroyed at last, and the boys and girls of that period were scattered to the four points of rise compass. Some of them are living however, to-day, and, like my self, are ruminating and easting back ward glances down the vista of tlie past, and bringing out in bold relief upon the tablet of memory the names of the boys and girls of the old town from 1850 to 1860. Though the old town isbut in memory, it is like the shattered vase in which the bouquet of roses has been garnered, there is a faint but lingering sweetness of the good old times. The boys and girls still have their par ties, as of old, but there seems to us that there is a false staudard of.etiquette that has crept in that destroys part of the joys and loses to them two precious hours, to say nothing of the worry to the good lady of the house. J refer to the custom and practice of going to par ties at nine o'clock at night. I know that it is not agreeable to the father and mother of the household, and 1 am sorry that the young ladies and gents have caught this city etiquette. I am proba bly an fogy in this, but I will die with the belief that 7 o’clock is more appro priate‘than 9 o’clock for the occasion. But innovations will creep in, and new fangled notions get into the heads of our boys and girls, but they are all right. I will make a favorable comparison in morals, shrewdness, modesty and beauty with the balance of the world, and our girls, as far as knowledge of household affairs are concerned, they are far supe rior to what their mothers were, and our boys are willing to take hold of the plow-. So we are gradually making improve ments on the old stock, which is putting the thing in a very strong light. * * Wliat We Would Like to See. Snide shows give us the go-by. Everybody owning structures use paint to freshen up their looks. Our new city government wisely, fearlessly yet judiciously look after our municipal interests. The baneful cigarette banished. All our new enterprises prosper. The CourAnt-American liberally sus tained and its usefulness in consequence enlarged. The county roads properly worked. The prohibition law continuously and completely enforced. Governor Gordon’s salary raised. All our merchants do a good business. All our farmers prospering. Everybody contributing to Carters ville’s growth in all essential particulars. Cartersville’s people using Cartersviile manufacf ured ice this summer. NO 32.