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BUTTS COUNTY PROGR ESS.
VOLUME 27
ITHIS SECTION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING THE EQUAL OF NEW ENGLAND
IN MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES ON ACCOUNT OF POWER BEING SO CHEAP
“If You Haven't Enough Power We Will Build Another Plant"
SAYS MR. A. B. LEACH OF NEW YORK
Two Hundred Million DoUars Worth ol Capital
Visits Butts County. Great Barbecue is
Enjoyed at The Power Plant.
Northern Capitalist Well Pleased with the Outlook. Great Possibili
ties Pointed Out by Bankers and Capitalists.
Two Promoters Meet.
* ‘This section has the opportu
nity of being the greatest manu
facturing center in the country
on account of cheap power,” said
Mr. A. B. Leach, of the firm of
A. B. Leach & Company, bank
ers of New York, during his re
cent visit to this county. Con
tinuing he said, ‘Tail River,
Lowell, Spokane and Minneapo
lis are what they are as a result
of cheap power at their feet and
che power they have do not com
pare with that being developed
here. I consider the possibili
ties of this section unlimited. If
you have’nt enough power we
will build you another power
plant and see that you do have
enough. The development of so
much power should be the mak
ing of Macon and your own
Jackson.”
“Yes,” he said in answer to a
question, “the site is an ideal
one for a plant such as this one
will be. One feature that strikes
me particularly is the immense
body of water that will be con
tained in the reservoir. Just
think of a body of water four
teen miles in length, and what
power there is behind it.
Appreciate Georgia Barbecue.
“I have you good people of
Georgia to thank for a splendid
day,” he said, in way of appre
ciation of the barbecue and uie
pleasure of meeting a large num
ber of business men of Macon
and Jackson and surrounding
county, who had assemcled to
revel in the hospitality of the
Central Georgia Power Company.
In one way and another Mr.
Leach has had much to do with
the building of the immense dam.
He has visited this section be
fore and was acquainted with
the work going on there before
his visit of last week. He evinc
ed the keenest interest in the de
tails of the work as they were
pointed out to him by those in
immediate charge. The laying
of concrete was in full swing the
day of the barbecue, and this
feature proved full of interest for
the large number present.
When Promoters Met.
And one of the interesting
events of the day was the meet
ing of promoters one who
has put large sums of money in
to the undertaking and the other
years of study. Suave and affa
ble Mr. A. B. Leach, of New
York, land plain Captain W. F.
Smith, of Flovilla, were present
ed to each other, and the pleas
ure each one felt in the introduc
tion was evident. The day would
not have been complete without
this meeting. “Yonder stands
the man who has made all this
possible, who has labored for it
for twenty-five years and I want
Mr. Leach to meet him, ” remark
ed one familliar with the situa
tion. And without Captain
Smith to plan and devise and
scheme the three million dollars
now being expended would
doubtless have been tied up in
the coffers. He was the first to
interest Mr. W. J. Massee in the
proposition, and he in turn inter
ested capitalists of the north and
east and the result. is the most
magnificent undertaking in the
south.
Was Large Party.
It was a large party that en
joyed the hospitality of the Cen
tral Georgia Power Company.
From Macon Mr. W. J. Massee
brought along almost one hun
dred and fifty people on a special
train. At Bibb they were met
by Mr. Leach and his party from
the north, who also traveled on a
special train. The combined
parties were taken to the power
plant over the Bibb short, line.
From Jackson and Butts county,
and other adjacent counties came
a number more, and the party
assembled at the site of the big
dam was a large, congenial and
interesting one.
Inspect the Plant.
It was about ten o’clock when
the special train arrived and the
guests detrained and began the
inspection of the works. After
a general survey of the surround
ings from the Butts county side,
which strikes one with its immen
sity, the party crossed over on
the railroad dam, inspecting the
work as they went. Some hun
dreds of questions as to the
width of the dam, its heigth and
length etc., were asked by those
who never gazed on the proposi
tion before. Quite an interesting
spectacle to watch is the laying
of concrete, the swinging of the
great weight-defying derricks
carrying stone and cencrete, the
making ready of the foundation
for another layer, the activity of
a small army of men. The in
spection of the works over, the
rock crushers looked over, and a
general survey of the reservoir
JACKSON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1909.
and the basins of the surging Oc
mufgee taken, Mr. W. J. Mas
see led the way for the party to
an eminence on the Jasper coun
ty side of the river where the
barbecue was being prepared.
Barbecue Was Great.
The barbecue was a grand suc
cess. “Everything passed off
just fine,” said Mr. Massee, the
genial host, after ample justice
had been done to the occasion.
And a Georgia barbecue>the real
article, was a revelation to the
northern guests. They had
heard of a Georgia barbecue all
lives—and have recently read of
’possum suppers—but not until
last Wednesday was it given
them to look upon one in all its
inviting details. The barbecue
was in immediate charge of Mr.
George Collier, and he did him
self proud in preparing the large
number of carcasses, consisting
of pigs, lambs and kids.
The menu was great, magnifi
cent. Northern capitalists do
not sit down to a barbecue like
that every day in the year, and
some of them doubted if their
digestive apparatus was equal to
the task before it. “Takedown
the address of my wife, and you
can put my body in a plain box.”
said one of the northern party,
who was doubtful of the outcome
after he had partaken of the re
past for some time and was be
ing urged with true Georgia hos
pitality to eat more.
Return to Macon.
Immediately after' the barbe
cue was over Mr. Massee mar
shalled his party and left for
Macon where the northern capi
talists were guests of the Macon
chamber of commerce Wednes
day night. The Jackson party
wended its way homeward full
of enthusiasm for the Central
Georgia Power Company, and
mindful of the fact that it had
been royally entertained.
Much Wealth Represented.
It is estimated that two hun
dred million dollars were repre
sented in the northern party.
Among those in the party from
the north and east were Messrs.
A. B. Leach, of A. B. Leach &
Cos., New York; F. B. Scheck,
president of the Liberty National
Bank, New York; Robert Shel
don, capitalist of New York; J.
I. Buchanan, president of Pitts
burg Trust Company, Pittsburg,
Penn; Paul Beardsley with A. B.
Leach & Cos., New York; J. E.
Aldred, vice president Shawini
gin Water & Power Cos., Mon
treal; H. S. Holt, capitalist of
Montreal; Fayette Brown, man
ager of Mutual Life Insurace Cos.
Montreal; F. N. Benham, presi
dent Bridgeport National Bank;
E. N. Sperry, president Monu
mental Bronze Cos.; Bridgeport;
H. D. Forbes, vice president
National Shawmutßank, Boston;
H. Staples Potter, capitalist,
Boston; O. C. Fuller, Wisconsin
| Co., Milwaukee; Merl B.
Moon, manager Bond Depart
ment First National Bank, De
troit; F. R. Kennedy, banker,
Newark, Ohio; F. R. Firline,
with A. B. Leach & Cos, Chicago;
S. M. Kitzmiller. bond dealer,
Shippenburg, Penn.: J, D. Hich
man, capitalist, Mt. Pleasant,
Pa.; A. C. Schiller, J. B. Hill
and W. F. Slaufer, business men
Scottdale, Pa; Rufus Patterson,
New Castle, Pa; A. E. Masten,
broker, Pittsburg; W. W. Golds
boro and Lester Ussing, bond
House of X I. Buchanan, Pitts
burg; George Montgomery, bus
iness man of Washington, Pa.;
W. F. Scharfe, capitalist, Wash
ington, D. C.; H. W. Stephens,
president Hartford National
Bank; W. S. Glenn, banker,
Spartanburg. S. C.
Mr. Massee Ideal Host.
Much praise is due Mr. W. J.
Massee, for the way in which be
entertained the guests. He left
nothing undone that would make
for the entertainment of those
present. He proved an ideal
host. For bringing so many dis
tinguished visitors to Butts coun
ty is no small thing to do. All
the praise belongs to Mr. Massee
in this as well as other notable
accomplishments in connection
with the barbecue.
Capital Coming.
It is reported on reliable au
thority that one purpose of the
visit of the northern and eastern
capitalists to this section was to
look into the matter of establish
ing a number of manufacturing
plants here. It is stated that
cotton factories from the east
seeking a location will locate in
this section where cheap power
is available. Whether this re
port is true or not cannot be told
at this time. It sounds reason
able that there was something
more to the trip than a mere vis
it of pleasure. That thirty cap
italists, representing two hun
dred million dollars would take
several days of time to visit the
power plant and partake of a
barbecue and attend a meeting
of the chamber of commerce
shows that they feel a keen in
terest in the work going on in
this state, and better things are
sure to follow in the wake of
their visit.
Death of Young Lady.
Miss Bessie Lane, the 16 year
old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.
L. Lane, died near Jenkinsburg
Friday morning at 7 o’clock, her
death was due to pneumonia. She
had been ill only a week and her
death was unexpected. The fu
neral was held at Fellowship
Church Cemetery Saturday morn
ing at 11 o’clock, the services
being conducted by Rev. J. A.
Dodson. Miss Lane was a lovely
young lady of many accomplish
ments and had a large circle of
friends to whom her death came
as a severe shock.
Let’s make this a banner year
for Jackson. Do your part and
get in line.
TAFT’S I
INAUGURAL
ADDRESS
Outlines Policy of
Administration.
PRAISE FOR ROOSEVELT
Speech Begins With Advocacy
of Predecessor’s Reforms.
MANY QUESTIONS TOUCHED.
Incoming President's Ideas on
Trusts and Other Matters.
My Fellow Citizens—Any one who
takes the oath I have just taken must
feel a heavy weight of responsibility.
If not, ho has no conception of the
powers and duties of the office upon
which he is about to enter or he is
lacking In a proper sense of the obliga
tion which (lie oath imposes.
The office of an inaugural address is
to give a summary outline of the main
policies of the new administration so
far as they can be anticipated. I have
had the honor to lie one of the ad
visers of my distinguished predecessor
and as such to hold up his hands in
the reforms be lias initiated. I should
lie untrue to myself, to my promises
and to the declarations of the party
platform upon which I was elected to
office if I did not make the mainte
nance and enforcement of those re
forms a most important feature of my
administration. They were directed to
the suppression of the lawlessness and
abuses of power of the great combina
tions of capital invested in railroads
and in Industrial enterprises carrying
on interstate commerce. The steps
which my predecessor took and the
legislation passed on his recommenda
tion have accomplished much, have
caused a general halt in the vicious
policies which created popular alarm
and have brought about in the lmsi
ness affected li much higher regard for
existing law.
Further Action Needed.
To render the reforms lasting, how
ever, and to secure at the same time
freedom from alarm on the part of
those pursuing proper and progressive
business methods further legislative
and executive action are needed. Re
lief of the railroads from certain re
strictions of the anti-trust law have
been urged by my predecessor and will
be urged by me. On the other hand,
the administration is pledged to legis
lation looking to a proper federal su
pervision and restriction to prevent ex
cessive issues of bonds and stocks by
companies owning and operating inter
state commerce railroads.
Then, too, a the de
partment of justice, of the bureau of
corporations in the department of com
merce and labor and of the interstate
commerce commission looking to effec
tive co-operation of these agencies Is
needed to secure a more rapid and cer
tain enforcement of the laws affect
ing Interstate railroads and industrial
combinations.
I hope to be able to submit at the
first regular session of the incoming
congress in Uecembcr next definite
suggestions in respect to the needed
amendments to the anti-trust and the
Interstate commerce, law and, the
i Continued on page 6
NUMBER 10