Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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