Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

w.3 i V'0 Q :' r ■ « ♦ 5 A f b ■<, t V VOL. XVI. EDITORIAL NOTES. Commissioner Henderson pays for the well water used by the depart¬ ment of agriculture fifty cents per month. He is not the first officer to drink at the state’s expense, but we believe he is the first to bring in an itemized bill of it. Brother Blaine has written a letter to Chairman Jones declining to have his name placed before his party for the presidential nomination, So ac ceptable has his decision proven to the republicans that the >^ly politi¬ cian doubtless regrets that he failed to add the postscript, “Burn this letter.” The Journal is issued late this week and under difficulties. Our boss printer has been down with the mumps since last Friday, and a very heavy pressure of job work that had waited its turn as long as possible and had to be finished, arc causes of a short harvest of opinions and little local mention, as well as the omission of much other matter. So if you see that you miss what you are look¬ ing for, look out for it next week. — ■ ■ ■ ———--—— The democracy of this state very objected to the internal rev enue laws under a republican at} ministration, but under a democratic administration they are quite differ ent. A few slight changes, to pre vent trouble should the republicans again come in power, and they will be entirely unobjectionable. There has seldom been a more forcible il lustration of Pope’s celebrated line, u what’s best administered, is best.” For the Hamilton Journal. CURRENT EVENTS. The Blair educational bill is still before the Senate and is much dis¬ cussed in Congress and by the press. It ought to pass. * * * Hon. T. W. Grimes will be the member from Georgia on the next Democratic national executive com¬ mittee. An excellent selection. * * * G Blaine has written a let- JOSEPH L.DENNIS, PROPRIETOR. ter to Jones, chairman of the Repub¬ lican national executive committee, declining to be a candidate before the Republican national convention. Blain doesn’t want to be beat in a second race. * * * Quite a boom #as started in Bos¬ ton for General Sheridan as a candi¬ date for the Republican nomination ror president. * * * Atlanta claims to to have 7,5joo children in her sublic schools. A good showing and the chance good citizens would be much multi¬ plied if whiskey was absent. * * * The latest snake siory: A gentle¬ man was traveling in Mexico and stopped with a family who had a pet rattlesnake. A viloent storm on and the lightning flashed The snake seemed to take in the sit- 1 uation and the danger. He ran up to the roof of the house and stretched his body straight up for a lightning rod. The lightning struck the snake, tore it into shreds and burned up the house, * * * The White Sulphur Springs gun club one day last week bagged 500 doves in one morning’s sport. Who can oeat this? We wait for an an¬ swer. * * * The record of marriages this win¬ ter has been far in advance of any for many years. Many of them are of the Gretna Green variety. It demonstrates the fact that two can live cheaper than one and much more happily. * The Grange is being revived to a large extent. A number of lodges have been reorganized in Harris and other counties. The Patrons Husbandry are awake to the situa¬ tion and are taking on new life. Peace within her borders and pros¬ perity within her homes. * Railroad circles are quiet, but the coming of the Chattanooga, Rome & Columbus railroad is expected surely. « •—1 HAMILTON, GA„ FEBRUARY 17,1888. the Brunswick & Albany railroad, representing 162,400 shares, was held at Frankfort and resolved unan¬ imously to sell the road to the Savan¬ nah & Florida company. Reader. EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE Our Associate Editor iu South Georgia —Fort Valley, Albany and Quitman Written Up. The thought of my promise to you being still unfulfilled has been haunt¬ ing rne for three days past, and to exorcise the accusing spirit I will at once indict you the promised letter. Nearly two weeks since I left your little mountain city for this south-west Georgia town. No incident worthy t of note occurred enroute from Ham¬ ilton to Fort Valley, where I stopped over and spent the night. I secured comfo table quarters at the Harris house and remained com pari tively contented until 11 o’clock the follow¬ ing morning when I boarded the train for Albany. The country along the route to Alba ny presents an almost unhroken jevel and I missed the pretty outline of blue hills and fine mountain scenery, Near Smithville the railroad struck the pine belt and these tall sentinels of the forest line the track on either side to Quitman, with an open field or town here and there along the route. At Albany 1 had the p’easurc of , meeting Rev. Bascoin Anthony, for mer pastor of the Hamilton circuit, and spent the hour of waiting for the next train most pleasantly in his so ciet). He made many inquiries about old friends at Hamilton and I plied him with numerous questions about his present work and future prospects. As Albany is one of the principal cities of south west Georgia his ctiurch has a large membership and his labors are heavy. This con stant exercise of talent naturally of a high order is evidently developing him mentally and spiritually and I believe his career will continue to be upward ; and marked by an unusual degree of, success. I I came straight through from Alba ■ ny to Quitman and about 8 o’clock ONE DOLLAR A YEAR, STRICT*.V IN ADVANOE. in the evening was receiving the warm welcome of loved ones. Quitman is surrounded by forests of pine and the whole face of the country looks green and fresh as if it had been only lightly touched by the hoary hand of winter. Many of the shade trees have not lost their last year’s foliage and the budding forth of the fruit trees denotes the early approach of spring. The weather since I came has been more like April than February, with sunshine and showers alternating and the air filled with the musical notes of spring birds. The climate, though, is said to be very changeable and while to¬ day the atmosphere may be soft and balmy to morrow the chill of winter may prevail. Numbers began gar¬ dening a month since and expect a supply of early vegetables as a re¬ ward for their industry. . Quitman has a population of over 2,poo. The town is spread over a large area and the people certainly show no disposition to economize in space. Many lots extend over an entire block and almost e/ery resi dence has its orchard and garden at tached. The LeConte pear is grown to perfection in this climate, but this is essentially a grape and melon country. Wine lfc made by the quantity and most homes are well supplied with the vintage of the grape- It is not a prohibition tow§, but I am told that drunken ness is not as prevalent heie as in many places where wine is not made, Howeve, I would recommend the old Scripture proverb, “Look ; ot upon the wine when it is red ” There are three neat church edi fices here where white congregations worship and every church has its p.ir souage. Judging from the nice ex terior of these residences, the people their pastors and provide hand for their comfort and support, town seems to be a unit on th; question and there is the best here now they have had in The Quitman academy is a story brick building surrounded by a large plat covered with grass. A music room « ands conveniently in which a lorge class receives ©