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BUTTS COUNTY PROGR ESS.
VOLUME 27
WHAT OTHER COUNTIES
ARE DOING FOR GOOD ROADS
UK BIIHS COUNTY SUPPORT I CHAIN GANG WITH FINDS
At Present Available ?
The Experience of Other Counties
Says She Can.
The Comparative Cost of
Free Labor aud that of
Convict a Striking Com
parison.
Can Butts county maintain a
chain gang with the present
funds available? This is a
matter worth looking into. The
experience of other counties says
she can. The comparisons of
free labor with convict labor
brings out some striking facts in
the good-roads movement.
Take, for instance, Bullock
county with an area of more than
900 square miles of territory to
only 179 in Butts county. For a
number of years Bullock county
has supported a chain gang. She
has at present a total of thirty
five convicts at work on her 900
miles of public roads. Recently
eleven convicts were secured
from Meriwether county. She
will secure 23 felony convicts
from the state on the first of
April, making her total number
of convicts well over fifty. There
is invested in mules, machinery
and equipment about twenty
thousand dollars. Yet Bullock
county has never found it neces
sary to vote a cefit of bonds, the
income from the advalorem and
commutation taxes being suffi
cient to support and maintain the
chain gang in that county.
Rockdale, a county no larger
than Butts, supports a chain
gang. At the end of the year,
after paying all expenses, she
had in the treasury, approx
imately, eight thousand dollars.
She supports a chain gang. She
spent on the chain gang and for
road improvement last year
$7,955.38.
A comparison of convict labor
and free labor in that county
shows the following:
December expenses—convicts,
Feeding all convicts, two
guards, sup’t and blood
hounds, including fifty
pounds snapper fish for
Christmas $ 75 77
Salaries for sup’t and
guards for Dec 102 00
Total $ 177 77
Nine free laborers at price
have been paying, $1.25
per day, would have cost
for 26 days. .$292 50
Salaries for 2 bosses 1 mo. 75 00
Total $ 367 50
Difference of $189.73 of con
victs, including snapper fish for
Christmas dinner.
If Rockdale county can sup
port a chain gang of eleven con
victs at a cost of a little over
seven thousand dollars, can’t
Butts, with a larger income for
road improvement, maintain a
chain gang? It would seem so.
But the opportunity for securing
convicts this year has slipped by.
The date was out on the 10th.
It will be some time now before
Butts county has a chance to se
cure convicts.
Personally, a bond issue of
SIOO,OOO for road improvement
is preferred.
The grand jury of Floyd coun
ty has gone on record as favor
ing an issue of $200.000 worth of
bonds for road building. Other
counties are going forward in
the matter of improving their
thoroughfares. Butts county
simply cannot afford to lie idle
when this great question of in
dustrial development is so im
portant.
Large Sum Raised for
Emory Endowment.
Following the addresses of last
week and the sermon of Presi
dent J. E. Dickey of Emory col
lege Sunday at the Methodist
church a large sum was raised
for the Emory endowment. Be
tween SI,OOO and $2,000 was the
total amount raised in Jackson.
A good deal of interest was
shown in the meetings and the
addresses were largely attended.
During the week, addresses were
made by Dr. T. D. Ellis of Macon,
Rev. J. T. Daves of Altanta and
Dr. Dickey, all the remarks be
ing along educational lines and
being a plea for the Emory en
dowment fund. The meetings
were productive of great good
and created a lively interest.
Death of Mrs. Wright.
Mrs. B. A. Wright, one of the
best known women in the coun
ty, died at her home at Indian
Spring Sunday night at 8 o’clock.
Her death was due to old age
and a complication of diseases.
She had been in failing health for
some time and her death was not
*
unexpected.
The funeral was held Monday
afternoon at 3 o’clock at the In
dian Spring cemetery, the serv
ices being conducted by Rev. W.
H. Arnold.
Mrs. Wright is survived by one
son, Mr. B. A. Wright, of Indian
Spring; three daughters, Mrs. F.
M. Lawson of Flovilla, Mrs.
Watkins of Texas, and Miss Mary
Wright of Indian Spring.
Death of Infant.
The two-year-old child of Mr.
Jimmie Davis, living a few miles
west of Jackson, died Sunday
night The funeral was held at
-County-line church Monday, the
services being conducted by Rev.
Mr. Vaughn.
Mr. J. A. Joyner, for many
years in the newspaper business,
and recently in the grocery bus
iness in this city, has accepted a
position with the Butts county
Progress. He is a royal good
fellow, and has hundreds of
friends who will welcome him
back into the ranks of newspaper
work.
JACKSON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1909.
ROAD COMMISSIONERS MEET
With Jackson Chamber of
Commerce—Are Favorably
Impressed with Idea of
Having a Road
Expert
TO BUILD MILE OF MODEL ROAD.
The Committee on the Promo
tion of Public Interests from the
Jackson Chamber of Commerce,
composed of W. E. Watkins,
chairman, Wm. T. Powers, J. D.
Jones, A Homer Carmichael and
R. J. Carmichael, appeared be
fore the County Commisioners
Monday afternoon in the interest
of good roads in Butts county. At
the last meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce this committee was
instructed to take up with the
county commissioners the matter
of having an expert on good
roads come to Butts county for
the purpose of giving a demon
stration in the building of modern
highways. At a called meeting
of the county commissioners, the
entire board being present with
the exception of Mr. W. L.
Wilder, the matter was taken up.
The commission'ers heard the
proposition with attention and
interest and received the com
mittee most cordially and evinced
the keenest enthusiasm in the
question of good roads. No ac
tion was taken in the matter,
probably due to the fact that one
member of the board was, not
present. The commissioners
took very kindly to the sugges
tion that a road expert be secured
to build a mile of sand-clay road.
It is probable that favorable ac
tion will be taken on the matter
at once.
A letter from Roswell H.
Drake, chairman of the county
commissioners of Spalding coun
ty, stated the approximate cost
of sand-claying a mile of road
after it had been graded was
$250. Including the topping and
grading of a mile of road under a
road expert will cost between
S3OO and SSOO, it is believed.
E. L. Smith Will Build
Handsome Residence.
Mr.' E. Lee Smith has let the
contract for a handsome ten-room
house, corner McDonough and
King streets. Mr. P. E. Dennis
of Macon, is the architect and
Mr. H. F. Gilmore the contractor.
Work will'begin at once and the
contract calls for the work to
be completed by the first of
August. The architect was in
the city this week and drew the
plans for the building.
The work on the building will
be done by Mr. G. L. Maddox,
Jackson’s popular and efficient
contractor. This residence will,
when completed, be one of the
hondsomest in Jackson and this
section. It will be elegant in all
its appointments. On the Mc-
Donough street side will be a
porte-cochere or driveway. This
residence will add much to the
appearance of that part of the
city and will be a substantial ad
dition to the attractive homes of
Jackson which is noted for its
beautiful residences.
AROUND BANQUET BOARDS HON. JOSEPH M. BROWN
TOASTS JACKSON AND BUTTS COUNTY.
r
DISTINGUISHED GEORGIAN GUEST OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
A LARGE CROWD HEARS
Address in Court House. Fa
vorably Impressed With
Jackson Mr. Brown Sings
Its Praises.
Hon. Joseph M. Brown was
the guest of the Jackson Cham
ber of Commerce Wednesday and
Wednesday night, being the
guest of honor at a banquet at
Hotel Buchanan. Mr. Brown ar
rived in the morning from Macon
and was met at the depot by a
committee from the Chamber of
Commerce and escorted to the
hotel where he received a large
number of his friends. At 11
o’clock Mr. Brown made an ad
dress in the court house.
He was introduced by City At
torney W. E. Watkins in a few
well chosen and appropriate re
marks. Mr. Brown spoke for
little more than half an hour.
He discussed important issues in
a plain and business-like manner,
making no attempt at oratory or
eloquene. He said he would
track the law while governor and
that he was the tool of nobody on
earth except the tool of the whole
people and that the three bran
ches of government, exective,
judicial and legislative, would be
kept separate while he was at the
head of the state. The superior
court room was well filled, quite
a number of ladies being in the
audience, and a number were left
standing.
J. R. Smith, his campaign
manager, a native of Butts coun
ty, having moved from Jenkins
burg to Atlanta several years
ago, was present and made an
appeal for good roads and good
schools for this county. “The
church and schools follow good
roads which have the effect of
putting the country in town,’’he
said.
Governor-elect Brown was en
tertained at luncheon at the hotel
by the Chamber of Commerce
and in the afternoon a committee
from that organization took the
distinguished Georgian for a
drive over the city. The drive
included a trip to the Pepperton
Cotton Mills, said to be the larg
est and best equipped plant of
the kind in the South.
He shook hands with quite a
number of the mill operatives
and chatted pleasantly with
them. He evinced the keenest
interest in the workings of the
machinery and was taken into
the engine room where the gov
ernor-elect was introduced to the
“governor” that keeps the map
chinery of the big plant running.
The banquet given by the
Chamber of Commerce was a
pleasant and brilliant affair,
probably surpassing everything
of the kind ever attempted in
Jackson. Given under the
auspices of the newly organized
Chamber of Commerce it reflect
ed great credit on the young or
ganization and gave promise of
still greater things to follow.
President T. H. Buttrill of the
Chamber of Commerce was toast
master and presided with grace
and tact over the gathering.
Mayor S. O. Ham welcomed
Mr. Brown to Jackson in behalf
of the city. He made a few ap
propriate remarks that had for
their keynote a greater Jackson.
Mr. F. S. Etheridge pointed out
some of the things Jackson needs,
a trolley line and new industries
being in the number. Rev. Rob
ert Van Deventer spoke of the
moral and social life of Jackson.
Mr. J. H. Carmichael responded
to the toast, “The future of
Jackson. ’ ’ Governor-elect Brown,
won by the cordial hospitality
that had been extended to him,
sung the praises of Jackson and
Butts county in a few happy and
catchy remarks. James R.
Smith responded to the call of
his numerous friends and made a
hit in pointing out the possibili
ties that lie before Jackson and
Butts county.
Those present at the banquet
were: Governor-elect Joseph M.
Brown,, T. H. Buttrill, Miss Ella
Sheppard, Hon, and Mrs. S. O.
Ham, Miss Alice Maddox, W. P.
Watkins, Mr. and Mrs. R. N.
Etheridge, Dr. and Mrs. H. W.
Copeland, Mr. and Mrs. J. H.
Carmichael, Mr. and Mrs. S. H.
Thornton, A. H. S. Davis, W. W.
Wilson, T. G. Willis, Dr. Robert
VanDeventer, Mr. and Mrs. F.
S. Etheridge, C. M. Compton,
Miss Bertha Carmichael. Jack
Dempsey, Miss Rosa Newton,
A. Homer Carmichael, Miss
Cleo Carmichael, W. E. Wat
kins, Miss Bessie Ham, J. D.
Jones, Miss Jane Ham, Mr. and
Mrs. J. T. Warthen, Miss Tallie
Jolly, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Settles
Misses Grace and Estelle Jarrell,
John Hacking, S. H. Mays,
Judge B. P. Bailey, Judge J. H.
Ham, C. Whitehurst, D. J. Thax
ton, J. W. Robbins, Dr. J. B.
Hopkins, J. G. Ward. R. J. Car
michael, C. S. Maddox, Mr. and
Mrs. H. L. Daughtry, Mr. and
Mrs. B. F. Watkins, Dr. J. Lee
Byron.
Mr. Brown expressed himself
as being well pleased with Jack
son. ‘‘You have some fine people
and some fine residences," he
said. “This is one of the best lit
tle cities in the state. I hope to
be able to visit you again when I
can have more time to spend
with you."
He visited the Jackson school
Thursday morning, and left on
the 9 o'clock train for McDon
ough, where he spoke to the peo
ple of Henry county on that day.
Jackson Baptist Church.
Feb. 14.—Dr. VanDeveater
will preach at 11 a. m. Subject:
“The Missionary Significance of
the gift of Tongues." 7p, m.— *
“The Second coming of Christ
and Our Future Life." 9;30 a.
m.—Bible school. Good music
and good teachers. 3 p, m.
Meeting for boys and girls.
NUMBER 7