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Cffonttfg
Vol I. No. 18
FARMERS’ MEETING
Was Decided Success-—Speakers
from State College of Agricul
ture on Hand.
COMMISSIONER PRICE
MADE GOOD ADDRESS
Notwithstanding the fact that the
thermometer took a decided drop
during Monday night, making driv
ing through the country somewhat
uncomfortable Tuesday morning,
there were a good many farmers
present at the court house to hear
the different scientific men from the
State College talk about crops, crop
diseases, and other matters interest
ing to them.
The meeting was not called to order
until 11 o’clock, owing to the fact
that city court was in session and a
case delayed the adjourning of court
for an hour.
Judge J. W. Quincey presided and
in his happy manner opened the
meeting and first introduced Com
missioner of Agriculture J. D. Price.
Commissioner Price, in preluding
his remarks, stated that it was the
first opportunity he had had of speak
ing to the farmers of this countv, and
that he was mighty glad to have the
opportunity offered at this time.
Commissioner Price said that he had
not come to wave the bloody shirt
before the eyes of the farmers of
Coffee County, nor to tell them that
they were hopelessly lost if the boll
weevil hit the County. He did say,
however, that the weevil would cer
tainly be here not later than 1915 and
that he hoped the farmers of the
county would be prepared to meet
the pest in such a way that the said
pest would find other diggins’ instan
ter.
Commissioner Price cited an ex
perience he had while in Mississippi,
telling his audience that there he saw
great, broad fields of cotton that
stood so high that the topmost twigs
were beyond his reach with not a sign
of a boll on the stalks. He said that
this condition would prevail here un
less the farmers planted the proper
sort of cotton and went on to oxplain
the duties of the State Department
of Agriculture in helping the farmers
in their selection of seed to plant,
the preparation of the soil and other
methods of warding off the blow that
the weevil would strike when it
reaches Southeast Georgia.
Besides treating the subject of the
boll weevil,Commissioner Price spoke
at some length on the subject of
raising more and better stock. He
had a happy faculty of pertly illus
trating his remarks and on several oc
casions his words met with hearty
laughter. While telling the farmers
and others before him of the value
of better stock he said that while in
Mississippi he saw a herd of Herfords,
some of the cattle being so broad and
fiat across the back that a person
might pour a half bushel of oats along
the spine and not one of the oats fall
off. “Of course, you don’t believe
that statement,” laughed the com
missioner with the crowd, “neither
would lif I had not seen it. But Pll
bet any amount you can't- pour a
handful of oats on the ordinary cow
of Coffee countv and have any of
them stay on. You will believe that,
A. B. & A. Odered Sold
Holders of Bonds Win tight.
The entire property of the Atlanta,
Birmingham & Atlantic railroad and
its allied interests having been or
dered sold April 22, by Judge Don
A. Pardee, sitting in the Federal
District Court at New Orleans. The
allied interest is the Georgia Ter
minal Company in Atlanta.
The first financial embarassment
of the Atlanta, Birmingham &
Atlantic came in 1909, and stirred
the Southern business world to a
considerable extent. Several re
ceivers have been appointed to take
charge of the property since that
time. The first were H. M. Atkin
son and Preston Arkwright, of At
lonta. When Mr. Arkwright resign
ed, S. F. Parrott was appointed in
his place and later, following the
death of Mr. Parrott, S. J. Schoon
maker was appointed to fill the va
j won't you, because you see that
; sort of cattle every day.”
The Commissioner explicitly ex-
I plained the part that the department
i of which he was head was playing in
j trying to make Georgia the leading
| agricultural state in the South, and
his remarks on the whole were so
simply stated and remarkably com
monsense the audience was pleased
with the speaker and better under
stood the department and what it
meant to the farmers.
Mr. Price was followed by Prof- E.
L. Worsham, State Entomologist,
who spoke at some length on the boll
weevil stating among other things
that the weevil traveled from fifty
Sto sixty miles a season and that it
was now within six miles os the Geor
gia line. He showed maps of the
travel of the pest and declared that
at the rate it was coming, the w r eevil
would be in this section with ail its
feet, wings and egg-laying apparatus
not later than the season of 1915 and
that some might show’ up during this
year. He said that the only effective
way to deal with the weevil that he
had discovered thus far, was to plant
an early maturing variety of cotton,
thereby starving the weevil out.
Prof. Worsham said that his de
partment stood ready to give advice
to the farmers at any time about the
weevil and how to protect themselves
from it, and urged that they join the
department in the effort to combat
the evil.
He stated that there was no doubt
but that the weevil would do millions
of dollars of damage to cotton in
Georgia, but that the case was not
hopeless and none need go hungry
if they would prepare now to meet
the “bug.”
At the conclusion of Prof. Wor
sham’s remarks, it was time to ad
adjourn, as court had to reconvene
at 1 o’clock. In order therefore, for
Mr. Lewis to heard, Mr. Jarnigan
announced that the meeting would
adjourn to meet on the street at 3
o’clock.
At 3 o’clock Mr. Lewis addressed a
large crowd in front of the Union
bank and spoke at some length on
matters vitally important to the far
mers, urging that they take the Cot
ton Breeder club up and become ac
tive members in it.
That the meeting was one which
will benefit the farmers of the coun
ty, and all others, for that matter,
there is no doubt. Even though only
one suggestion was offered by the
eminent men who spoke, be adopted
the seed sown by them here will pro
duce a crop that will reward them
for their offorts.
As the party were about to board
the A- B. &A. train for departure
from the city, Prof, Worsham was
asked by a representative of The
Progress how the meeting here com
prred with others they had held
over the state. Mr. Worsham stated
that he and the rest of the represen
tatives of the department were very
much pleased with the meeting; that
there was more interest showm here
than they generally found, and that
that meant a great deal, because
where there was interest in the work
that the department was trying to
could be accomplished uore quickly
than in the communities where less
interest was taken.
DR. D. It. MEEKS WILL MAKE
RACE FOR REPRESENTATIVE.
There will be two at least in the
race for representative in this county,
Dr. D. H. Meeks having declared
that he would run.
Dr. Meeks, whose home is in
Nicholls, has a host of friends in the
county who are anxious that he win,
and he declared that if elected he
would represent the whole of the
county, and embodies in his platform
several things which he thinks would
be for the good of Coffee County.
The entrance of Dr. Meeks in the
race makes that part of the coming
primary ticket the more interesting.
It is not known at this time whether
any others will announce for the
place.
cancy. Mr. Schoonmaker was later
succeeded by E. T. Lamb, who is now
sole receiver.
The sale of the road is ordered on
the application of the Old Colonv
Trust Company, of Boston, Mass.,
trustee for the bondholders of a
mortgage debt of $14,442,000; wfith
interest to July 1913 amounting to
$3,430,715, and also receivers’ certi
ficates to the amount of $4,700,000,
a total indebtedness of $22,573,715.
There is much speculation in rail
road circles as to the probable pur
chaser of the system, The most like
ly one to buy the road in is thought
to be the Louisville & Nashville, as
the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic
territory would form a desirable ad
dition to the present Louisville &
Nashville field.
Douglas, Georgia, Friday, February, 27th 1914
Scientific Agriculture Men
Are Much Impressed 14 ith
Col.' Hatfield’s Chicly ens
Tuesday afternoon after the scien
tists from the State College and Ex
periment Station had finished speak
ing they w r ere invited to visit Col.
J. I. Hatfield’s chicken farm.
They accepted the invitation, all
except Mr. Lewis who was busy tell
ing the farmers about cotton clubs,
and through the courtesy of Mr. 0.
F. Deen who tendered the use of his
large Buick, the party left for the
farm.
The car was driven by Mr. John
Deen and the party was composed of
Commissioner Price, Prof. Worsham,
Prof. Jarnigan and Mr. J. Dana
Jones of The Progress.
The farm was soon reached via a
fine piece of road and the sight that
met the eyes of the scientific agri
culturalists brought forth unmis
takable words of surprise at finding
such an enterprise in this section of
the State.
First the party was taken to the
main house where hundreds of full
blooded leghorns and white wyandot
tes were seen. The sight was mag
nificent. There they were, all spot
less white, as happy and contented a
family of hens and roosters as one
could wish to see. The inside of the
house was looked at and found to be
a model of cleanliness and arrange
ment.
From here the party proceeded to
another house and on the way a
young man was met carrying a large
lard bucket, with a capacity of at
least a bushel, full of the prettiest
white eggs one ever encounters.
Commissioner Price remarked as he
saw them that if Bill Jenkins was
to see that bucket of eggs and didn’t
buy them he’d (Col. Price) quit stop
ping with him therewith. Indeed
they looked good enough for any one
and Col. Hatfield informed his guests
that he didn’t have to go to Atlanta
to find a hotel preprietor progressive
enough to know the value of .fresh
eggs for he disposed of from fifty to
eighty dozen a week here in Douglas
to one hotel.
“Which one?” asked Commissioner
Price.
“The New Douglas,” replied Mr.
Hatfield.
“No wonder our dinner tasted so
good, then, is it Bro. Worsham?”
said the commissioner.
The second hennery was found to
be of the same size as the first visited
and the arrangement equally as
clean and comfortable. Here only
full blood leghorns were seen.
Col. Hatfield was asked how many
hens he had and he stated that he
had something over a thousand lay
ing hens, he did not know the exact
number of fowls he had altogether.
“But,” he said. “I have not as many
now as I hope to have next year.”
The incubator house was visited
next. This building is heated by hot
air and the appliance is model in ev
ery respect. It is so constructed
that tne temperature is automatical
ly kept uniform. Each compartment
can be set for a particular tempera
ture and it is kept there so long as
the furnace is properly attended to.
There were 2,400 eggs incubating,
some almost hatched out and the
sound of the hundreds of little fea
thered fellows breaking their way in
to this world was a peculiar one hard
to describe. In a few of the com
partments, the chicks were out of
the shells, scratching about, and
peeping for dear life.
The next visit was to the fields
where the party saw alfafa in a
healthy state as well as vetch,cabbage
and other crops which could be used
to advantage in feeding the fowls.
As the fields were being left be
hind, Commissioner Price remarked
to the host.
“Col. Hatfield, I can’t see that you
need to fear the boll weevil?”
“No,” answered the gentleman ad
dressed, “I am of the opinion that
that fellow would find poor picking
around here.”
The brooder house was arrived at
and the sight here was equally inter
esting. About 1,500 chicks, from
ten minutes to ten days old, are
housed here. The place is heated
with the same sort of apparatus as
the incubator house, but the tem
perature is not quite so high. The
chicks are kept in separate com
partments, each setting or incubated
lot being kept by itself until the
chickens have reached the age where
they are able to take care of them
selves, so to speak, when they are
put in coops and kept until about
frying size.
A freak of nature was seen in
the brooder house. Among all the
chickens found there there was one
as black as jet. Col. Hatfield ex
plained that he could not tell why
the chicken was black as all its an
cestors he knew anything about were
pure white. But there it was and
he, she or it, whatever you like,
made a striking contrast.
When the party learned that the
time for returning to the city and
departing for other parts had come,
they were loath to leave.
Before leaving, Commissioner
Price and the other gentlemen com
plimented Col. Hatfield on his farm,
saying that it only w’ent to show
wfyat could be done down here in
Southeast Georgia if tried. Com
missioner Price stated that the farm
was a revelation to him; that he did
not expect to find such an institution
in Coffee County and that he would
not have missed seeing it for any
thing.
The opinion of the Commissioner
was seconded by the rest of the ex
perts in the party and w r hen they
learre 1 that Col. Hatfield had only
been in the business about a year
they were the more surprised at the
size and completeness of the plant.
Col. Hatfield modestly stated that
he was glad that the party had been
so see the farm. That he had but
little knowledge of the business, but
that he hoped to some day have a
chicken farm second to none in this
section of the country.
“•You have that now,” said Com
missioner Price, as he entered the
automobile, “as far as quality and
appointment goes, and if you keep
on as you have started you will soon
be the richest man in Coffee County,
notwithstanding the boll weevil.”
Judge C. A. Ward
Enters Senate Race
The voters of the County have been
so insistent in their demands for the
entry of Judge C. A. Ward into the
State senatorial race that he was
forced to make up his mind one way
or the other with out further delay
and in discussing the matter with a
reporter of this paper on yesterday
he stated that he will be in the race.
Judge W T ard is no stranger to any
one in Coffee county, he having sever
al times represented the County as
Representative in the lower house
and was sent to the Senate the last
time Coffee furnished a senator for
the sth. As a lawmaker he has al
ways stood for the right and has been
a success in that capacity and no one
doubts that if elected, he will again
represent the county with honor and
distinction.
We carry in this issue of the Prog
ress also an open letter from the
friends of Prof. J. R. Overman, re
questing that he enter the race for
State Senator, so that it looks as
though there is to be a lively tilt for
that office.
Manning Kirkland Seriously 111
Mr. Manning Kirkland, who lives
about 4 miles from Nicholls, was
suddenly stricken Monday by an at
tack of acute indigestion. During
Monday morning he seemed to be in
his usual good health, about 1 o’clock
the attack, which his people thought
to be fatal, came and his relatives
were called to his bedside. His con
dition is improved however, and his
speedy recovery is looked for.
Progress Delayed on Acccount of
the ice Storm
Owing to the fact that the ice
storm broke down many power and
light wires in Douglas, the Progress
has been delayed in issuing this week.
The damage has been repaired, how
ever, and we trust the we will have
no reason to make excuse for being
late again soon.
BLIZZARD HITS HERE
ON SCHEDULE TIME
Not Severe in This Section as in
Some Part of the State, But
Freezing Weather Was
Experienced.
For the first time in fifteen years
a blizzard hit Douglas Wednesday
morning. Residents awoke to find
their windows covered with ice and
later in the day, as the rain kept fall
ing, trees and wires hung heavy with
ice which formed as the rain drops
landed on them.
The blizzard was not as severe here
as in most sections,especially through
out the northern part of the State.
The damage done here was principal
ly to electric light, telephone and
telegraph wires. Lights throughout
the city were not burning Wednes
day night, and where the motive
power was electrical, plants had to
stop operation.
Travel on the country roads was
made dangerous by falling ice and
trees and railroad trains were several
hours late throughout Wednesday
and Thursday.
The storm has passed, however, and
the sun is again shining, much as if
there had been no blizzard.
Another storm of the same nature
is predicted for the second week in
March.
THE CITY COURT AD
JOURNED THURSDDAY
Judge J. C. McDonald, of Way
cross, was here this week to try the
cases in the City court in which
Judge Lankford was disqulified.
Court opened Monday morning and
was in session until Thursday after
noon, when it adjourned to recon
vene next Thursday, March, 5. The
following Jury will serve at the ad
journed term:
T. J. Tanner, C. H. Ross, Micajah
Paulk, H. F. O’Quinn, A. L. Wood,
A. D. Crooker, Charles Anderson,
James Harper, John M. Hall, C. H.
Pearson, H. Mancil, Jr., G. L. Bush,
George Corbitt, E. S. Talley, Warren
Carter, C. C. Smith, D. Kirkland, C.
N. Fieiding, J. C. Moncrief, David
M. Douglas, Lee Deen, DanCourson,
Silas Hall, Deleslie Waldren, Elisha
Meeks, Jesse Roberts, T. J. Woodard
Dan Paulk, W. D. Graham, Jeff Fus
sed, J. T. Relihan, W. M. Meeks, M,
F. Head, R. J. Taft, W, D. Demery,
J. M. Wooten, W. M. Wooten, J. J.
Carter, Joe. F. Perry. Dan Metts.
The following cases were disposed
of during the two weeks of court
just passed:
Alfonza Henry vs Ga. & Fla., Ry.
Non-suit granted.
D. H. Peterson vs W. S. Patterson &
Co. Verdict in favor of the Plaintiff
for the sum $175.00.
J. L. Shelton & R. J. Vibbert V 3 1. C
Bryant etal verdict in favor of Defts.
A. W. Haskins vs Peterson & Patter
son, verdict for plaintiff $160.(X)
Douglas Oil & Fertilizer Co., vs Dan
Metts, verdict to pltff, $217.18.
Addie Squires vs James Mitchell, ver
dict for plaintiff.
W. F. Sibbett vs D. P. Gaskins,
judgment in favor of the plaintiff.
International Harvester Co., vs Lacy
L. Sul ton, verdict for the plaintiff.
Georgia Oil & Fertilizer Co., vs J. M
Lott, Jr., judgment for plaintiff, $233.
Ambrose Mercantile Co., vs J. J.
Dorminy, verdict for plaintiff $75
Arthur Williams vs Sam Story, ver
dict in favor of the illegality.
State vs Sullivan Shepherd, verdict
not guilty.
State vs Travis Davis, selling whisky
discharged on demand.
State vs Charley Williams, misde
meanor, plead gulity, 3 months or S3O.
State vs B. L. Davis, misdemeanor,
noil prossed.
King Hardware Co., vs G. M. Tom- j
berlin, verdict in favor of the traverse, j
Mr. Lindsey Announces.
In another column of The Progress !
will be found the announcement of
Mr. T. G. Lindsey, who is in the race I
for tax receiver. Mr. Lindsey is j
well and favorably known in Coffee j
County, being one of the successful
farmers of the Willacoochee section
and a man who has the respect of a
large circle of friends in his home
district as well as the county at
large. _
Notes From The Hospital.
Mr. Fred Gray, who was operated on
last week, was able to go to his home
Tuesday.
Mr. B. A. Wells, of this city, was
operated on successfully Saturday and
left for his home Monday.
Mrs. J. W. Morris, of Pearson, was
operated on two weeks ago and is getting
along very nicely.
Mrs. John McLean was successfully
operated on last Monday and is rspidly
improving.
$1 Per Annum
LAST TEACHERS’
COUNTY INSTITUTE
Will Be Held in the Auditorium of
G. N. C. & B. I. March 7.-~
Interesting Program Ar
ranged.
On Saturday. March 7th, there
will be held in the auditorium of the
G, N. C. & B. I. of Douglas, Ga., be
ginning at 10:00 o’clock, a. m., pro
bably the last teachers monthly in
stitute of Coffee County for the
year 1914.
Miss Lilia Forrest, of Moultrie,
the canning club agent of this sec
tion, will deliver an address on the
canning club work.
Nelson Supervision Miss Bertie
Stanfield.
What a teacher should do the week
after her school closes H. C. Roberts
Suggestions to pupils for spending
their vacation Miss Minnie Jones.
How a teacher should spend her
vacation R. Y. Touehton.
All these subjects and others wilt
be taken up in general discussion by
the institute.
Complete arrangements will be
made for the district contests and
the Field Day program.
On the evening of the 7th, a pro
gram will be rendered in the audito
rium for everybody but especially
for the entertainment of the teachers
and all who can are invited to re
main for this program.
The principals of all the high
schools in the county together with
all their assistants are especially in
vited that they may assist in arrang
ing for the district contest in their
respective towns.
It is hoped that no teacher of any
rural school will ask to be excused
from this institute since this is the
last institute of the year and since
the final arrangements of the Field
Day program are to be made. We
are exceedingly grateful to all the
teachers for their kindness and co
operation in previous institutes and
trust they will be as faithful in this
one. J. Gordon Floyd, C. S. S.
Wants Col. Overman to
Announce For Senate
Editor Coffee County Progress.
I notice in last weeks issue of the
paper that some friends of Col. C. A.
Ward mentioned him in connection
with the Senate race. Ido not know
whether the Col. intends to become
a candidate or note. He is a good
man and I am sure would do us good
service but I have in m'nd a good
man who will measure ui to him in
every particular, and I am £U”e
could not be induced to do what
he thought was wrong in this or oth
er matters. He is a good speaker
and could stand for anything that he
thought his people wanted, and I am
sure that he is as close to the people
of his county as any man in it, He
has given quite a lot of the best of
his life to the uplift of the people
educationally and morally and if sent
to the Senate, I am sure would re
flect credit on his people. We have
nothing to say against Mr. Ward.
In fact, have supported him in all his
races, but he has already had this
honor, Why not give it to some oth
er deserving man this time? Quite
a lot of the people in my section of
the county have thought that Prof.
J. R. Overman would be the proper
man for the place this time. So, Mr
Editor, I hope you will publish this
in this weeks paper, and lets see if
this suits the voters of the county.
I am yours very truly.
A Voter of Douglas Disr.
Freak Wreck Occurred on The
Georgia & Florida.
What is known among railroad
men as a freak wreck occurred at
the head of the G. & F. yards in this
city Monday, when the rear truck of
the seventh car of the Broxton local,
inbound, split a switch.
The train was proceeding at a slow
rate when the trucks left the main
track and started to go down a side
track. As the truck split the switch
the coupling pin broke releasing the
rear car which remained on the track
as did the cars ahead.
The train went about 100 yards
before stopping and in the meanwhile
the truck left the rails and plowed
up the roadbed, finally landing cross
ways of the ditch between the main
track and the switch.
Fortunately the train was not mov
ing rapidly and no one was hurt.
The main track was blocked for
some time but trains were passed
around bv way of a sidetrack with
but little delay.