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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.