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BUTTS COUNTY PROGRESS. VOLUME 27 CHANCES GOOD FOR BUILDING JACKSON TO BE ON THIS EXTENSION The Railroad And What It Means For This Section. Great Possibilities 0! Jackson And Butts County Pointed Oat In Interest ing letter By Mr. Smith. The Work Now Going On Between Bibb And The Camp Ground Is a Part Of The Electric line To Griffin. What will Jackson Bo In Granting Privileges Etc ? Will Our People be Forced to Let This Line Benefit Them ? Editor of The Progress:—l read your editorial in last week’s issue headed “Jackson’s Oppor tunity. ’ ’ I thank you for the in terest manifested, and I want to make some explanations and sug gestions. The work I am now doing be tween Bibb and the Camp Ground is a part and parcel of the interurban line to Griffin. What I am doing now is to pre vent the destroying of crops la ter. I don’t expect to see the line built to Jackson in time for ‘this season’s business, but I do expect to see it built this year. I have my heart set on building that electric line to Griffin, and I am continually at work at it, but I know there is going to be a good many heart-aches before it is done. Do you ask me why? Then I will tell you that I know we have got to force some peo ple to let us benefit them. And again we have got to get the consent of the people to lay our tracks through the streets. Then when that matter cmiesup some good meaning fel low will make a move to grant the privilege, provided we will guarantee to have it done in twelve months. So it goes through with that restriction tied on to it. As I have said before, the great development now going on out at the river is the result of a farichise givtm to me while Char lie Beauchamp was mayor of Jackson. He secured for me a franchise to lay tracks in the streets, and also a franchise for lighting. But it was burdened with that time limit, and now it it is dead. Had I had other en terprises connected my work would havs been entirely lost. Mr. Beauchamp begged them not to put on that burden of a time limit, but his counsel did not prevail, and it is not known yet to what that short-sighted ness may effect Jackson. I have been invited to go north to confer with the largest pro moters of interurban railway en terprises in the world, and they have asked me to bring all of our maps and profiles, showing for right-of-way, municipal fran chises for right-of-way and ter minals, etc, but I have been afraid to ask Jackson for a fran chise until I was sure the line could be completed inside of twelve months, for fear that someone would bob up and tie that limit on again. When I was trying to show up all the things that would help to interest cap ital to make the development on the river I could not use my fran chise in Jackson on account of the time limit, because they would say at once that it was no good to us, because we can not possibly put in that plant and build the track in twelve months. I just simply allude to these things to show how little the in fluence of Jackson has helped me and how greatly it could have been if properly directed. With no one in town agreeing to take power, and with a dead franchise killed by the time limit, you can see how it effected me. My own good little town of Flovilla drove away the best opportunity ever offered them because some of my good friends would not allow me to double the value of their prop erty without paying them a cash premium to do so. lam glad you have said that Jackson could help me very much. You are on the right line and your paper has the true ring about it, and I expect the hearty cooperation of Jackson later on. In developing any great enter prise for our section, there are certain things we have to do be fore we can.get outsiders to join us with the bulk of the cash, and these things I am now doing. There are a lots of people ready to help you when you are at work at the big end of a thing, but very few who are willing to take hold while you are at work on the little end. My purpose is to go on through Jackson and to Griffin with as much certainty as to go to Bibb. I don’t invite any man to put a dollar in it that don’t believe it will pay, All I ask is, if you can’t help me, don’t roll any stone in the way-just step aside and let me go* by. Remember “Large streams from little fount ains Alow; and tall oaks from lit tle acorns grow.” W. F. Smith. * * * The above card from Captain W. F. Smith makes plain his po sition on the matter of the rail road extension to Jackson. There is every reason to believe that not only the line will be built to Jackson via of Bibb, but that the trolley line to Griffin and Monticello via of Jackson, will follow in the course of a few months. Those who know Cap tain Smith best are acquainted JACKSON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1909. ELECTRIC LINE FROM GRIFFIN TO MONTICELLO with the fact that he always knows more than he tells His plans for the building of the iti terurban railway are well defined and are being worked out now. The prospect for a railroad from Indian Spring to Jackson has caused general rejoicing here. It is regarded as one of the best things that the city has ever had. The prestige and the busi ness it will bring Jackson f om the thousand of summer visitors at Indian Spring is the matter that causes the proposition to be looked wpon with enthusiasm. As soon as the rights-of-way can be secured, the work of ex tending the line to Jackson will be taken up. Captain Smith is now figuring with this end in view. The work of extending the line to Bibb has already been taken up and is being pushed. Well known real estate men, and those in position to know, say that property along the line of the proposed road from Jack son to the Camp Ground will be doubled and trebled in value. It is almost certain that the terri tory between here and the Camp Ground would be developed and put in condition for building lots. A boulevard would naturally fol low, and there would soon be a solid stretch of cottages from Jackson to the Camp Ground, filled with tourists . who come to this section to bo woed and won by the delightful climate and balmy air that acts like a tonic. It is estimated that the build ing of this line and the construc tion of the trolley line to Griffin and Monticello will put Butts in the forefront of all the counties in the state. This is a develop ment that will naturally follow the building of the immense power plant on the Ocmulgee river. Captain Smith says in his card that all he wants is a little help from the people of Jackson. It is believed that he can get all the help and cooperation he desires. The people of Jackson are wide awake to the importance of this road being built. When so much depends upon the building of this line Jackson can not afford to sit idle. The matter has been taken up with the Chamber of Commerce, and some action will be taken to try and land this line for Jackson immediately. BASE BAIL PARK WILL BE ENCLOSED AND Grand Stands To Be Ruilt .. Fans Preparing To But Out Good Team. Schedule Will Include Games With Lead ing Teams In This Section. As the warm days follow the cold of the past several days, the thoughts of the fans turn to the great national game, and the lo cal enthusiasts are .preparing to put on one of the best teams in the history of Jackson. A baseball park has been se cured near the' residence of Mr. J. T. Warthen and the grounds will be enclosed and grand-stand built. The total amount to be expended will be between two and three hundred dollars. This will give Jackson one of the best ball parks in the country. Manager W. L. Etheridge will being soon to arrange the sched ule for the coming season. This will include games with the lead ing teams in this portion of the state. The fine showing of last season will be surpassed, if pos sible, and that will take some going to accomplish that much. At the Central Georgia Power Company’s plant, on the Ocmul gee river, a team will be put in the field. There are a number of good players at the camps and they opine they can make it in teresting for any aggregation in this section. The camp physi cian, Dr. S. D. Brown, a native of Royston. the town made fa mous by Ty Cobb, is some chunk er of the sphere himself, having been with the Augusta team of the Sally League at the same time Cobb performed there be fore going with Detroit. He is a pitcher, and held down the rub ber for two years with Augusta before giving up* base ball to sludy medicine. It is likely that this team and the local bunch will clash this season. The line up of the locals has not been worked out yet, though it will be doubtless be something like the following: Thurston c; Maddox p Etheridge lb; Edwards 2b; Patrick ss; Finley 3b; Nutt rf; Mallett If; Biles c f. STREET PREACHERS CENTER OF ATTRACTION A street preacher and evangel ist, who gave his name as John Elen burg, together with his wflfe and several children, occupied a liberal slice of the center of at traction Saturday. Their method of conducting street meetings were much the same as that of a Salvation army. Meetings were held on the streets in the morning and again in the evening. They left the city Sunday morning to prosecute their work in other fields. Mr. Leveritte to Fill Impartant Engagements. Rev. Z. M. Leveritte, of In dian Spring, financial secretary of Locust Grove Institute, will speak on Christian Education at the Worthville Baptist church Saturday, February 27, at 11 o’clock. He will also speak at Bethany church, Henry county, Sunday, February 28, at 11 o’clock. Everybody is cordially invited to be present and hear these addresses. It will be interesting to the friends of Christian education to know that Mr. Leveritte has not had a single church to give less than one hundred dollars since he has been in the field. It ! is a matter of general interest I and rejoicing that the people are 'waking up to this important ENTHUSIASTIC SESSION S. S. WORKERS HELD In McDonough last Week Sixth District Sunday School Institute Has Three Days session. Prominent Work ers Present. By Miss Bessie Bloodworih. A Sunday School institute was held in McDonough on the 25-26 and 27 by Dr. Henry B. Mays, of Atlanta, and Mr. Vaughn, of Kentucky, who are sent out by the Sunday School Association of Georgia for three weeks, to help organize Georgia for Sunday School work, in order that the three hundred thousand children now outside of the schools, may be brought to Christ. Mr. Vaughn is one of three laymen who have done field work in Kentucky, the best organized state in Sunday school work in the south. The International Sunday School Association was organized in 1832. but only in recent years have there been a forward move ment in Sunday school work in the south. Many northern states have been organized fifty years. Dr. Mays gave a talk on “All- Round Sunday School Work." speaking of the organization of Sunday Schools First —It should be Graded Second —Have Teach ers’ Committee Third—A Sun day School Committee." Then, under the educational head he spo|ce of “Bible Study—Teacher Training and Temperance Les son—Under the Extension—Cra dle Roll—Home Department and House to House Work," origina ted by Durham of Kentucky. Under Evangelism—Decision Day and Missions, he spoke of the fact that 85 per cent of the church members came from the Sunday schools, and said on one of his Decision Days he was given ten minutes after the Sun day school and thirty members ; made their decission for Christ and joined the church. Mr. Vaughn gave an instructive talk on the work in different de partments. In the House to House work he was asked if it paid, and he said yes, “if any one was brought to Christ and the church it meant so much spiritually to the worker. A Sunday school could not do with out it. ’ ’ Dr. Mays then gave a talk on how to teach and the teacher’s aim, and in the afternoon Mr. Vaughn taked on the Child and its training. Flovilla has had the pleasure of having Mr. Vaughn for sever al days, and his Institute work was both inspiring and instruc tive and was indeed a rare treat for Flovilla. phase of Christian work. Rev. Mr. Leveritte is one of the ablest young ministers in this part of the state, and his work is being watched with gen eral interest. NUMBER 9