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7. NUMBER 24. BAINBRIDGE, DECATUR COUNTY, GEORGIA FRIDAY, MARCH 20 1903. $1.00 YEAR IN ADVANCE, Official ©voan of Decatur Count? ant> tbe Cit? of '-' atnbriboe. SS-iS-J^SS*®®®®®**®*®®®®®*®®®®®*®®***®*®**®®®®**'* DONALSONVILLE, JUNIOR. Buried In Ashes a Ydar Ago; A New Town Arises. old time Donalsonville was I in the ashes of the great i the summer of 1902 and we in the western part of the y a little 'City rejuvenated urified by the fire. A per ishing Donalsonville at this i last year saw two rows of ie story frame buildings with e walks and no show win- The only redeeming feat- bout the town then was the ng worth of its merchants lave since, made the present :tive little citv. day we find tbe most up to wo story brick stores, where once the wooden fire traps, venture the assertion that is scarcely any other town size in South or North Geor- lat can boast such splendid intile buildings, the order in which the build- come on Woolfork Avenue, ill glance first into the store e Benton, Shingler Co. This nagnificent two story struct 1 - f immense dimensions. Large glass show windows are id from the macadamized side which is about eighteen feet The office of the company atly fitted up and we find at ashier’s desk the efficient and ar J. F. Brown, A splendid tor is in use Mr. A. R. on is general manager and owner of the company. He niversally liked. This com- buys produce and meats all the farmers of that sec- Their immense store is with a twelve thousand do!- lock. In rear of the main ture is a buggy and wagon house owned by the same era They also operate a gin. Across Second street handsome structure owned essrs. Chason and Spooner, building is seventy feet long is the first of the long brick with the excellent cement side S' This two story structure be occupied bv the first of July prominent merchant of Iron Dr. Minter is the fortunate r of the next two story build-. n w hich the Crawford, Kitch- & Co., general merchants, iheir home. The gentlemen e concern are all young men ,om the success with which are meeting one would imag- hat they were veterans in the 'cial world. Dr. Minter’s den- arlors are on the second floor ' s building, while next door is Donalsonville post office over h Miss Agnes Donalson pre- Miss Donalson by her ""ng personality has made f>ends for herself, and the )ffi ceisoneof the most at- ; lve P'aces in the town. • have rarely 8ee n « drug s-o handsomely fitted out as me * hlch Dr. Thomas Chason The cases are of a„- °ak and the show cases are * lth a most select stock. Both taste and means are evident throughout the store, while the proprietor, Dr. Chason, is fortu nate in possessing the highest esteem of every person in the community. Two one story structures owned by Chason & Co., stand between Dr. Chason’s drug store and the Bank of Donalsonville building, The pride of all the citizens. These buildings will be completed in a few days. The bank building is one of the handsomest it has ever been our good luck to see. It is made of pressed brick bought in Washing ton, D. C. It is commodious and will have a glass front. At present the bank has temporary quarters in Dr. Chason’s drug store. Mr, M. W. Thurmond is the cashier, and though he has been in Donal sonville only two months, he can number all acquaintances as friends. This bank can make one of the best showings in the state considering the leugth of time it has been organized. Further down the street is the wooden stable of Messrs. Oliver and Woodbury. The firm has just opened for business and they have a splendid establishment. On the opposite side of the street the brick market building of Mr. W. G. Kirkland is nearly completed. He will have an ex cellent refrigerator service during the summer. Messrs. Butler and Spooner, and A. A. Subers are still occupy ing wooden struc'ures but this does not seem to militate against them, for they are among the most popular merchants of the commu nity and business with them is most flourishing. The dispensary is a highly sat isfactory business enterprise. We could not close a sketch of Donalsonville without mentioning two of the most potent factors in the upbuilding of the town. The Chattahoochee Lumber Co., and the Donalsonville school. The former is under the management of Mr. W. L. Powell, one of the most deservedly popular men of the community. The recent fire which destroyed the large saw mill has of course lessened the output of the mill, but in a short time it is rumored that the old mill will have a more thoroughly equipped suc cessor. The school is in the hands of Prof. E. W. Anderson, a graduate of Emory. His roll has reached 150 and it will be with sincere regret that his most successful two years connection with the school will end in June., He goes to Tulane University to study medicine. * Mr. J. F. Brown is mayor of our thriving neighbor, while Mr. Wilf red Adams has recently been elected city treasurer, a fitting tribute to tbe yopng man’s ability. Death of Mrs. Donalson. After an iil.iess of several months Mrs. Caroline .Donalson died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Agnes Graves, in this city, Friday evening. Mrs. Donalson had for many years suffered from total deafness, but her affliction never shook her faith in an all-wise and loving Father. Through her entire life she was a devoted and devout member of the Presbyterian church and her last thoughts were that of joy at being able to go into the realm of rest and peace and divine love. She was the mother of Hon. John E. Donalson and Mrs. A. D. Graves, of this place, Mrs. J. H. Boozer, of Quitman, Mr. J. A. Donalson, of De Funiak Springs, F!a„ and the late Mr, W. O. Don alson. - * Surrounded by all her surviving children and a number of close friends whose affection she had won during her many years of useful service in this community, she drifted out into the spirit world at half past eight. For years she had prayed to be re leased from her suffering here and it was a relief to her much tried soul when she was able to go to a sure reward. The remains, followed by a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends, were interred in the cemetery on Saturday afternoon. The Old Court House. While so much discussion has been stirred up about the future of the old county court house site why is it nothing has been said about the possibility of having a government building on this site. Wt are convinced that by strenu ous effort Decatur coulfi procure a national appropriation for the purchase of the plot and erection of a building which would be the home of the postoffice. A reader of the papers cannot help being impressed with the number of appropriations that have been mad. for the southern cities this year, Valdosta received a goodly sum. Macon succeeded in pro curing $300,000. Athens procured $100 000 while Atlanta was given $200,000 to purchase a site for a new structure. Everyone is cognizant of the fact that the present postoffice buildng is too small to handle the thousand letters that arc daily mailed here. Tallahassee has a magnificent public building and we need one too. We can get it. Will we get it? Let us get it. Sellers- Donalson. Mr. Joseph E. Sellers was hap pily married on tbe fifteenth in stant to Miss Martha’Carrie Don alson, Rev. J. T. Ryder of the ftetbodist church officiating. The bride is the attractive and accom plished daughter of Mr. Carter Donalson while the groom is one of our most esteemed citizens. We wish the two all bapiuess in what we hppe will be a long life. An Able Presentation of a Very Important Question. While the “Greater Georgia” j the state until.the counties begin spirit is in the air no subject can I to spend mon^y in large amounts be of more importance to all parts for permanent work. Many coun- of the state than that of improving the public roads. Ih all parts of the state, and in Florida, there appears to be the strongest sort of sentiment for better road work. The papers in all parts of the state are talking about the plans that are being adopted in various places and suggestions as to road work are being made by prominent men and experts in the ■ road making line. In Cobb county a few days ago a mass meeting of citizens was held and there was much enthusi asm over the subject. The meet ing resulted in the purchase of a lot of road-working machinery for the purpose of beginning active work for better roads. Among the speakers at the meeting was Judge Geo. F. Gober, one of the largest property owners of the county and one of the heav iest tax-payers. He advocated the floating of bonds by counties for the improvement of public roads now in existance and the building of new ones. Judge Gober said that in his opinion the legislature should pass a law allowing coun ties to hold elections for this' pur pose, and that these bonds should when so issned be non taxable, placing them on the same footing in this respect with state bonds. The exemption he said would have to be authorized by an amendment to the Constitution. He said that he was a firm believer in well built public roads, that they enhanced the value of farming lands of the section through which they ran, and that for this reason the people would not feel the additional tax placed upon property to raise the interest on the bonds and to pay them off when they fall due. Judge Gober is not far from right. No very great improve ment will be seen in the roads of ties in Florida have already issued bonds for road-paving, and now there is a movement on foot to belt that entire state with paved roads. The trouble about the work which is done by the road machine is that the rainy weather undoes it about as fast as it is done. Of course, there can be. no wonderful improvement without paving, but when the cost cf road-paVing is compared with the benefits deriv ed, and also with the cost which the bad roads entail upon those who travel over them, it will be found that paved roads, even at a cost of $1,500 a mile would be in the interest of economy. Lowndes county could afford to put $100,000.00 in public roads in the next two years. It would be better if she should put in double this amount. Such an expendi ture would add two million dollars to the taxable property of the county before the work could be finished; and would prove the best b d we could offer to home seekers from other sections. A system of paved public roads would put Lowndes county in the forefront of southern counties and would insure a period of prosperity that would make us forge* all about what Toads cost. Let us aim high and let us not be satisfied iintil,we hit the mark—in road building,'as well as in other achievements.— Valdosta Times. To what The Times has sattf of the importance of public road im provement we most heartily sub scribe, and trust that it may awak en those who read it, and that they will fall intotfighting line for good roads in Decatur county The Search Light has spoken out on this importantquestion before, and often. It will continue in the fight. Saint Patrick’s Day. Tuesday, March 17th, was St. Patrick’s day and it wa3 celebrated throughout the land by all loyal Hibernians. The people of this country, as a whole, know practi- tically nothing of tne Patron Saint of Ireland, except the legend that he freed the island of snakes. He was born in England during the days of Roman rule. He was stolen by a piratical king of Ire land and was a slave for a number of years. Finally escaping, he re turned to England, and began to study for the priesthood. He pro cured a commission from the Pope to go as a missionary to the land where he was held in bondage. He found Ireland pagan and left it a Christian land. In symboliz ing the trinity he used a species ot three leaf clover known as- the Shamrock which is now the na tional flower and is held in as much veneration by the Irish as is . the thistle by tbe Scotch. Mrs. S. Brash Dies. After a 'brief illness Mrs S. Brash died in this city Thursday morning at the homh of her daugh ter, Mrs. I. Kwilecki. Mrs. Brash had been in failing health for some time ahd at the advanced age of seventy death came as a relief to her. She died of a dropsical affliction. The t remains were interred Thursday afternoon and a number of friends accompanied the b$dy to its last resting place. The sympathy of the commu nity is with those who uorrow. Notice. All persons are berebd warned not to pigk up, sell or otberwiae dispose of our Cypress logs on Flint river nor to alter, change or define oar brand on same. All peisene are al so warned net to bey uy ef nor logs. Tbe Cypress LdbberCe- Apalaehiotln Fin.