Newspaper Page Text
The Cartersville Courant-American.
VOL. IX.
WORK OF OUR LAW MAKERS.
What the Legislature of Georgia
Is Doing.
.jlie XV. £ A. Railroad Leaso Bill—Gordon
Speaks for the old Confederates—lta -
portant Loral and General Bills,
Xlie varions committees have now a
considerable amount of business in shape
for the two houses and the body is get
ting down to hard work.
The usual large number of local bills
are coming in and a number of bills of a
general character, and of great impor
tance are already in shape for work. Of
course the most important of these are
the lease bill and the education bill —
both of which were originally introduced
bv the senior member from our o\i
county.
The lease bill is the special order for to
day, and it will provoke a lively discus
sion. We give below the main features
of the bill as reported by the committee.
There is a strong opposition to some of
the features of the bill, and to a number
of the amendments proposed by the com
mittee.
FEATURES OF THE BILL.
The following are the main features of
the bill:
The Governor is authorized to lease the
Western and Atlantic road with all its
appurtenances, to any company or cor
poration, or to any party or parties.
There is no restriction as to monopolies.
Bids are open to all.
As to terms, the lease must be for not
less than twentyyears, and not less 1 ban
|35,000 a month; or for not less than
thirty years and for not less than $40,-
000 per mouth; or for not less than fifty
yea's, and for not less than $45,000 per
month.
The Governor is to advertise within
ten clays after the passage of the bill for
bids, for four weeks, in four newspapers
in Georgia, and in one paper each- in
Chicago, Cincinnati and New York.
CONDITION OF THE ROAD.
The new lessees shall receive the road
bed in its present condition, subject to
natural wear and tear, the personality
as per inventory on file in the secretary
of sfate’6 office. The present lessees
must deliver the property in as good con
dition as received, or must pay an equiv
alent in money.
If lessees fail or refuse to pay the
monthly rental within twenty days after
the end of the month, they shall forfeit
six months’ rental as damages, to be
collected out of bonds deposited by them.
A deposit of the value of $500,000 in
United States or Georgia bonds must be
deposited with the treasnrerof the State.
Lessees must make good any deprecia
tion in value of such bonds. These
bonds are to be held as collateral securi
ty by the State for the faithful perfor
mance of the terms of the lease.
The inventory of the road property
will be made by five citizens appointed
by the Governor.
The leasing company shall be a body
corporate under the name of the Wes
terly aud Atlantic Railroad Company.
The principal office and place of business
of such company must be in this State.
AS TO BETTERMENTS.
As to betterments, it is provided that
all improvements, betterments or ame
liorations whatever shall be made at the
expense of the lessee or lessees, and no
claim for such will ever be entertained or
allowed by the State.
If lessees shall depreciate the property,
a sufficiency of all the bonds deposited
shall be applied to restore the road to its
previous condition.
Discrimination is especially provided
against. The lessees shall not discrimi
nate agahist any railroad company or
persons, or parties or places.
Rids must be submitted in writing
within ten days after expiration of the
time provided for advertising, accom
panied by a certified check for $25,000.
It bidder fails to comply with his bid, the
$25,000 shall be forfeited.
Bonds to the value of $500,000 de
posited are to be regarded merely as col
lateral security.
The lessees must pay all taxes and
assessments in.Tennesseeand in Georgia,
and to Georgia also such further taxes
on their income as is now paid by the
Central railroad. All payments must be
made in gold or its equivalent.
Another important matter is brought
before the body in the following message
from the Governor:
Executive Department, Atlanta,
Ga., July 17, 1889.—T0 the Senate aud
House of Representatives: The expe
rience of the executive department in the
administration of the law extending aid
to disabled ex-Confederate soldiers, in
duces me to suggest some amendment of
the statute.
Up to this time payments for the year
have been made to 24G0 applicants,
amounting to an aggregate sum of
$154,000. Others are applying, and
many more will doubtless be allowed.
Th e department has been compelled by
the terms o f the law to refuse a large
number gf applicants whose proofs did
not meet the requirements of the statute.
In many instances these applicants were
not less meritorious, and far more ne
cessitous, than some whose eases came
distinctly within the provisions of the
law. Such cases have taxed the sensibil
ities of those charged with the execution
of the act to a degne which can only be
appreciated by those who have witnessed
the disappointment and distress of ap
plicants who, confidently believing in
the justice of theirclaiuis upon the State,
have been necessarily turned away with
out its bounty.
Charged with its administration, I am
impressed with the belief that the re
strictive clauses of the present law ex
clude from its benefits many who richly
deserve the State’s benefaction. I am,
therefore, impelled I >3 a commanding
sense of duty to earnestly recommend
such amendment in this reirard as both
gratitude and honor demand, and as
you, in your wisdom, may deem proper
to enact. Although a quarter of a cen
tury of stirring and momentous events
has passed since they laid down their
arms, you have not forgotten, nor will
you forget, that host of great hearted
men who rallied at the call of the State,
lost in her service the power of self-sup
port. Widespread desolation, brought
by the war, prevented for a time any
adequate provision by the State for her
maimed and disabled heroes. But,
thanks to a benignant Providence and
the recuperative energy of her people,
Georgia is no longer unable to discharge,
in some degree at least, her obligations
to the men who so bravely responded to
her summons and have so patiently
waited for some proper recognition of
their services and sufferings.
But there is another class—the widows
and orphans of our dead soldiers —who
have been deprived both of their natural
protectors and the means of support,
and whose cases are therefore commend
ed with special emphasis to your thought
ful consideration and sense of justice.
Inasmuch as nu amendment to the con
stitution will be necessary in order to
them within its purview of the
statute provision, I respectfully and
most earnestly urge that the present
general assembly inaugurate this move
ment without delay. It requires no ar
gument to establish the justice of these
claims. Inability to pay has hitherto
been the State’s justification. This ina
bility no longer exists. Considering the
State’s available aud convertible assets,
her public debt is nothing. Let us then
prepare to discharge, without further
postponement, this debt of honor—as
sacred an obligation as ever rested upon
an enlightened aud Christian people.
J. B. Gordon.
The Olive bill, which has for its object
the prevention of railroad monopoly, is
another question that will occupy much
of the time of the body. It will be
strongly opposed, and present indica
tions point to its defeat —not because of
opposition to the principle involved, but
because it is claimed that the constitu
tion already meets the ends sought to be
met by it, rendering the bill unnecessary.
Then there are many who believe that it
carries restrictions that will check the
building of new roads in the State.
JULY 19.— THE SENATE.
The Senate passed the House bill for
the relief of Samuel Morgan, one of the
sureties of the bank of Home. There was
no debate on the bill.
A bill prescribing what the briefs of
evidence shall contain ii. applications
for new trials was passed.
A bill to prescribe how cases shall be
carried to the Supreme Court was passed.
A bill to enlarge the rights and powers
of the county commissioners of the sev
eral counties of this State was passed.
Mr. Standford introduced a bill to af
ford additional protection to the farmers
against fraud in the sale of fertilizers.
After the passage of several local bills,
the Senate adjourned to Monday.
House.— The following were among the
new bills introduced:
By Mr. Jones, of Chattooga—to repeal
present road laws of Chattooga county.
Also, to prohibit the sale of liquor
within three miles of Subligna school
house, in Chattooga county.
By Mr. Calvin, of Richmond —To es
tablish a farmers’ institute in the State.
By Mr. Herrington, of Emanuel—To
amend paragraph 1, section 1, article 7,
of the constitution so as to provide for
the pensioning of Confederate soldiers
aud their widows.
Also, to make drunkenness a crime.
By Mr. McDaniel, of Carroll—To put
a tax on dogs, the proceeds to go to ed
ucational purposes.
By Mr. O’Neil, of Fulton—To provide
a State board of health and sub-boards
in each county for the collection of vital
statistics.
By Mr. Twitt.v. of Jackson —To declare
void all obligations to pay attorneys’
fees in addition to the interest specified
therein.
By Mr. Harrell, of Decatur—To author
ize the Governor, Treasurer and Comp
troller to sell certain property of the
CARTERSVILLE, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 25. 1889.
State and apply the proceeds to the pub
lic debt.
The speaker announced the conimitte
of twenty-five to consider the Governor’s
message urging that pensions be granted
to widows and orphans of Confederate
veterans. The members are as follows:
Messrs. Lofley, Foute, Huff, Gordon,
Harrell of Decatur, Candler, Rawls, Tur
ner, Rankin, Hart, Duggan, Twitt.v,
Johnson of Jones, Hill of Meriwether,
Hand, Berner, Mustin, Lawson, Calvin,
Humphries of Brooks, Brady, McDonald,
Harrell of Webster, Glenn and Olive.
JULY 22— SENATE.
Mr. Boyd offered a resolution provid
ing for a joint committee of two from
the Senate and three from the House,
which shall prepare a bill for a public
road system, as asked for by the recent
road congress.
Several local bills read third time aud
passed.
House.— After the introduction of new
business, the Senate resolution inviting
Dr. A\ arren A. Candler, President ot Em
ory, and Dr G. .A. Nunn ally, President
of Mercer, to address the legislature
Tuesday night was taken up and con
curred in.
Among bills read third time, we notice
the following:
By Mr. Rankin, of Gordon—To incor
porate the Fort Payne and- Eastern
Railroad Company was read the •third
time and passed.
By Mr. Foute, of Bartow—To alter
and amend paragraph 2, section 18, ar
ticle G, of the constitution so as to
abolish the distinction between grand
and pettit jurors was made the special
order for Wednesday week.
By Mr. Latham, of Cherokee—To pre
vent the sale of liquors within two miles
of Salem Baptist.church in Holly Springs,
Cherokee county. Passed.
A resolution by Mr. Foute, of Bartow,
to increase the pay of the chaplains from
SIOO to S2OO. The committee offered a
substitute thatthechaplain of the House
and Senate receive $2 per diem. The
substitute was adopted, and the resolu
tion was passed.
Most of the day’s session was taken up
with routine work.
Among the hills favorably reported by
committees and read the second time
was the House bill to pay General
Toombs’ executors $3,000 for the Gen
eral’s services to the State in the case
which tested the constitutionality of
the railroad commission.
Senator Boyd called up his resolution
to appoint a joint, committee to prepare
a bill for the construction of good public
roads and moved its adoption. The
resolution was unanimously adopted
and immediately transmitted to the
House.
House. —Mr. Atkinson’s bill to make
the Commissioner of Agriculture elected
by the people was made the special or
der in the House for next Tuesday.
It will be remembered that at "the last
session the bill passed the House by an
overwhelming majority, buff was tabled
in the Senate because of a provision to
cut off two years of Commissioner Hen
derson’s term. The Commissioner had
been elected for four years, and the act
was to become operative two years be
fore that term expired.
The special order was the educational
bill introduced by Mr. Alexander.
This bill provided a special ad valorem
tax for school purposes when two-thirds
of the freeholders at an election held for
the purpose should so decide; the money
so raised to go to the county school
commission to be ti.ved—first, to lengthen
the school year; second, to perfect and
make better the school system.
The discussion on the bill was long
drawn out, but this was to be expected.
The measure is one of great importance,
and the members who had studied it had
a good deal to say. Mr. Gamble wanted
to amend by restricting the voters to
freeholders, but this was opposed by
several members and was lost. Mr. At
kinson, of Coweta, bad an amendment
providing that the’election should be
recommended py two successive grand
juries. This was but the bill
was tabled after receiving 85 votes upon
the roll call.
Grand and Traverse Jurors.
The committee on general judiciary
has agreed to report favorably the bill
of Mr. Foute, of Bartow, which abolishes
all distinction between the class of grand
and traverse jurors.
This bill goes back to the constitution
of 1868, which provided that “upright
and intelligent” men should be selected
to serve as jurors. The constitution of
1877 provides that upright and intelli
gent men shall be selected as jurors, and
the most intelligent and upright of these
shall be selected to serve as grand jurors,
Mr. Foute thinks that this provision
of the constitution keeps the best men
from the traverse box. He wants both
grand and traverse jurors placed in the
same box, as it were, so as to have bet
ter men on the juries.
Fine stationery, tablets, novelties,
picture frames, mouldings, etc., just
received at Wikle’s book store.
A FEW DAYS IN BARTOW.
A Trip Through the Land of Hills
and Valleys
Where Nature l>i<l Her Best—% Section
111 eh in Replete with Minerals
and Natural Resources.
Oglethorpe Echo.
'As hinted in the last issue of the Echo,
tho editor spent last week among the
hills and valleys of North Georgia. It
was the occasion of the meeting ol the
Georgia Weekly Press Association, of
which we are a member, and which held
its third annual session on Wednesday
aud Thursday. In this our readers are
not sufficiently interested to demand a
recital of its work, but it they will go
with us we will take them through and
show them what may appropriately be
termed God’s favored country as we saw
it.
Uartersvilie, our first stopping place, is
one of the most important towns on the
State road, Fp to a lew years ago it
was but a mere village, but recent devel
opments of the mineral deposits in the
hills overshadowing the town has given
it a solid boom, and it now numbers
three thousand inhabitants and is on a
rapid increase. If is situated only a few
miles from the Etowah liver, along the
banks of which and between the hills, al
most mountains, are some of the richest
and most productive valley lands to be
found on the globe. In these valleys
corn grows in all its verdure. Think of
a hundred-acre field of corn which is esti
mated to produce from eighty to one
hundred bushels of corn per acre. When
we take into consideration *he average
yield of the best land in Oglethorpe, this
would seem an exaggeration, but when
one sees the corn growing in rows only
three feet apart, and standing two and
three stalks in hills only eighteen inches
apart, the stalks averaging from eight
to ten feet high, and three or four ears
to the stalk, we are not surprised at the
claimed yield. Wheat and oats grow
upon the lands equally as well, and upon
the knolls and high places good yields of
cotton are procured.
It would seem that a town surrounded
by such a farming country would have
sufficienUad vantages to make a growing,
prosperous town; but Cartersville has
more. Mother earth, even within the
borders of the place, is rich with her de
posits of minerals and ores. The moun
tains and hills in dose proximity are but
beds of iron and. coal, lime and the pre
cious metals. The development of those
is only yet in its infancy, but they are at
tracting capital and prospectors, and
buyers are almost daily upon the grounds
and it will be but a short while ere Car
tersville will be the center of one of the
most active mining sections in the State.
Cartersville gives evidence of the pros
perity that has come and is coming to
her citizens. A large aud well appointed
hotel has recently been erected, new aud
commodious business houses are to be
seen on every hand, and there are any
number of new and palatial residences to
be seen in the resident part of the town.
The business of the town is simply im
mense, it being the trading center of
many miles around mid far up into the
mountains and valleys before mentioned.
There are about thirty business houses,
some of them pretentious enough to do
credit to any of our larger cities.
One thing more than anything else
that contributes to the business pros
perity of the town is the East and West
Railroad of Alabama, which traverses
for miles the ftrtile valley of the Etowah
river,, and connects with the Western and
Atlantic at this place. This road is now
a narrow gauge, but so great is its busi
ness becoming that within a few months
it will be made a standard gauge to ena
ble it to do its work. To the manage
ment of this road are we especially in
debted for courtesies shown us. We
would that space -would permit of a
more elaborate write-up of Cartersville.
She and her live, progressive people cer
tainly deserve it. They realize the future
that is before them, ami see looming up
a city full of life and business energy,
peopled by a prosjierous and contented
population. She is a typical Georgia
town and we are proud of her. and will
watch her future developments.
When we had seen Cartersville and tlie
duties of our convention were over, we
availed ourselves of an excursion tender
ed the association over the W. & A. and
Rome railroads to Home, leaving Car
tersville at 3:20 Thursday evening and
arriving at Rome at 5 o’clock. It is
worth a trip from any part of Georgia
to take a ride over the Rome Railroad
from Kingston, where it connects with
the Western and Atlantic, to Rome. No
more picturesque scenery or lovely views
can be found anywhere. In its entire
length—eighteen miles—th.s road tra
verses the valley of the Etowah, ar.d at
no time is it more than a stone’s throw
from the river. As one of our party re
marked, it runs through a corn field
eighteen miles long. In this valley it
verily looks like living. It is here eighty
PORTER & VAUGHAN’S
Great Closing Out Sale!
S^SS^^S^SSSSSSSSSSSSISSmSm
Our Buyer Leaves Next Month
For the Eastern Markets to Purchase
An lipnse jitoclt of Foil Goods.
To make room for them, we must e’o-e cut every do'lars’
worth of Summer Goods in our house.
TREMENDOUS REDUCTIONS.
Genuine Bargains! Note a Few Prices :
Ginghams, worth 10c, reduced to B£c.
Gingham.*, worth 12£e, and 15c, reduced to 10c.
Satines, worth J2£c, now 81 e.
Satines, worth 15c, now 10£c. •
Finest Satines, worth 25c. cut to 18c.
Muslims, worth (jo, cut to die.
Muslins, worth 12ic, reduced to 9c.
Muslins, worth 15c, now 10c.
Imported Muslins, worth 25 and 35c, now 18c.
We ate going to close out. our White Roods at prices never befor,. offered in N< rib.
Georgia. This ia the way w T e cut th°m :
Checked Muslin at sc, worth 7 he.
Checked Muslin at 7c, worth 10c.
Fine Sheer India Linen Plaids, worth 12 l-2e and 15c, cut
to 10c.
India Linen Plaids worth 20c, now 12 l-2c.
India Linen Plaids worth 25c, now 18c.
Cut Prices in Embroidery anil Laces.
Ladies’ Silk Gloves worth 50c, now 35c.
Ladies’ Silk Gloves worth 75c, now 50c.
Ladies’ Silk Gloves worth 1.00, now 00c.
Ladies’ Berlin Gloves worth 35c, now 20c.
Ladies’ Berlin Gloves worth 25c, now 15c.
IT arts at Half Price.
Don’t forget our Closing Out Sale ! The Grandest Bargains
in the city now being offered at
PORTER & VADC-HAN’S,
Leaders' of First-Class Goods and Lowest Prices.
to a hundred bushels of corn is grown
per acre and other products in propor
tion. To one who lives upon the red
hills of Middle Georgia, these fields
grain lpok almost as if they belong to
ethereal regions rather than our own.
Our Representative!).
Bartow county occupies a piominent
position in the present legislature, because
of the ability aud influence of her imme
diate representatives in both houses.
Besides being chairman of the special
judiciary committee Senator Harris is a
working member of several of the most
important Senate committees, and is
making a splendid record as a Senator.
In the House Dr. Felton is recognized
as a leader among the strong men of
that. body. He is chairman of the com
mittee on Lunatic Asylum, and one of
the most active and influential members
of the committees on.W. & A. Railroad
and appropriations. No man in the
House has more undivided attention
when he rises to speak,
Maj. Foute is a man of few words and
much thought and hard work, but when
he does speak he drives right to the
point, and is always heard. Besides the
chairmanship of the committee on tem
perance, he wields a great influence as a
member of the committees on general
judiciary, penitentiary enrollment, and
public property. His resolution express
ing the sense ol the House in favor of the
lease of the \\ . & A. Railroad passed by
a vole of 1 29 to 21.
Bartow county and our Senatorial dis
trict did well in selecting their represen-
Ia fives.
Auotlifi Fa|.r
The Cherokee Advance is told that a
negro professing to have supernatural
powers and attempting to impersonate
Christ is attracting considerable excite
ment and a number of followers among
the more ignorant negroes a few miles
below Canton.
The Advance says: “We will take
occasion here to warn this impostor that
the sooner he leaves the couutv or quits
holding his meetings the better it will be
for him.
“Cherokee does not want and will not
tolerate any such stuff as we are told he
is trying to make his negro hearers
believe. The negroes hud better quit
going to hear him, too.”
THE E. & W. RAILROAD.
Return of Col. Bui!— TurrliHKC of No w Hot
ting Stock—To Putili tlu* Improvement*.
Col. C. P. Ball, the live manager of the
E. & W. railroad, returned from the
North last week, where he had been for
some time, negotiating for new rolling
stock, etc., for the improvement of his
line,
Crossties are being bought as rapidly
as possible, and the work on the road
bed will be pushed rapidly. Six thous
and tons of first-class steel rails have
already been purchased, and the delivery
will begin next month. Col. Ball also
closed contracts for brondgauge engines,
to be delivered in November and Decem
ber. He is also negotiating for the nec
essary cars, etc., to put on as soon as
the road bed is ready.
The company will soon begin the erec
tion of extensive shops in this city, hav
ing secured splendid terminal facilities.
The E. & VV. of Alabama is destined to
be one of the most important roads in
the country. Audits improvement will
add much to the importance of Carters
ville as a railroad point.
Cartersville has no flimsy, inflated
“boom. ’ but gradually and surely th**
solid stakes are being driven ip r ~ .ip ■ i
will steadily support a real , llt d
a healthy prosperity.
* ' ■ S'*' - . *■ tb* .I-lillJlOM,
1 his hiis long sintt? f*stab-
United a reputation as a physician and
surgeon that any aspiring to a credita
ble notoriety might envy. He is pains
taking. efficient, prompt and reliable and
is now I'iijii; T>g a practice-commensurate
with his deserts.
W Idle he lias in no wise given up the
general practice of medicine, he will
henceforth devote himself specially to
the medical and surgical disease's of
women. For this specialty he has at
tained a |pecial knowledge and is thor
oughly equipped iu every way, and suc
cess can but attend his efforts.
An East Tennessee lady is under sen
tence of death in the capital city of far
away Corea, charged with teaching the
doctrines of Christianity. The lady is
Mrs. Hattie Gibson Heron, wife of the
Rev. David Heron, recently of Jonesboro.
Fruit jars at Wikle's drug store.
NO. 7.