Newspaper Page Text
THE TIFTON GAZETTE, TIFTON, GA^
■i ■ 1 . "
Entered at ^tfie Postofflce at Tifton, Georgia,
as mail matter of the second class.
Organ City of Tifton
Tift County, Georgia.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
A Deer Drive in the Old Days.
‘Hold him, boys; here it comes!”
And seeing that it was useless to struggle,
with two sinewy hands grasping either arm,
the youth submitted to be “blooded” with the
life fluid of his first deer.
Early that morning, the four had started for
the “drive;” three veteran hunters and the re
cruit. Two carried rifles, in themslves no light
load; long of barrel and small of bore, the bul
let molded from bar lead bought in the distant
town, the powder carried in a gourd swung
from the shoulder, each load to be carefully
measured, packed with the ramrod, and the
bullet, set in its square of cloth, driven down on
it. Loading was a slow process, but not many
loads were wasted. One carried a shot-gun,
with its charge of nine buckshot in each barrel,
while the recruit had a short carbine, a relic of
war times, immense of bore but short of range
The hunt had been planned for several
weeks. Its object was “Old Sam," a buck with
spreading five-point antlers, who had lorded the
range for many years, despite frequent and
carefully planned expeditions to trap him. He
had earned his nickname in many encounters
with canine pursuers, in which the dogs always
came home in shape for the hospital—if they
came home at all.
It was a six-mile tramp to the headwaters of
Lola creek, where the drive was to start, but
the hunters thought little of that. They were
accustomed to walks of twenty miles or more
during a day’s hunt and the early breakfast was
usually the last bite (except plug tobacco) un
til night. The trip was across streams, pine-clad
and wiregrass-carpeted, gently sloping hills and
vales, through a virgin trackless forest. Before
leaving, Uncle Den had sounded the horn which
hung at his waist and his seven hounds, ears
flopping and mouths agape; howled and leap
ed around him in answer, suspending in the ex
citement their regular job of scratching fleas,
Now on the trip they were kept carefully in
lease, lest their baying give the alarm, or they
get away on a premature chase.
Those older men knew all the habits of the
deer, and Old Sam had been seen on the range
the day before. The dogs were to be put in
where the big bay, rich in its store of juicy cane
shoots, joined the swamp of the creek proper.
/ They would drive up the head or bay, a man on
either side, to its head and there the deer would
almost surely break cover ahd run across the
range of hills to another bay which emptied into
the Warrior. (These “bays” were short
branches from the main stream, thick with un
derbrush.) The deer usually fed along these,
either on the tender grass outside the brush, or
en the cane shoots when the growth was young.
It was always possible that the deer would
break cover before reaching the head of the
bay, but their "runs” were well known, anil
they usually followed the same path.
One of the men with a rifle was sent to the
east side of the head; the recruit with the car
bine to the west. The other two came up either
side of the bay, opposite the dogs, whose deep
baying soon announced a fresh trail. The re
cruit took the “stand" assigned him, between
two towering pines, which gave shade and
cover. The others had waited until he had
time to reach the place, and now he had noth
mg to do but wait.
Afar off came the indistinct baying of the
dogs; now growing near, then more distant as
the trail was doubled. The sun slowly climbed
toward the zenith, the malignant yellow Hies
kept one hand busy; a few ripe blue huckle
berries on a bush near by afforded a pleasant in
terlude. For hours he stood; would they never
come? The dogs must have lost the trail, for
he heard no baying now. Tired of standing he
was easing down to a squatting posture when
the sharp crack of a rifle rang out far down the
bay. A moment or two later, the double boom
of the shoot-gun sounded.
Pshaw! and then some! The deer had broken
cover and Uncle Den and Lum had them! The
sport was over for the day. A moment later
he heard a halloo. It was one of warning but
he thought it a call to join the others, and turn
ed and hurried toward them.
His mind intent only on what he thought they
had killed, he paid little attention to a rustling
in the bushes near. A moment later he almost
ran, face to face, against a giant buck! The
animal had run from the screen of bushes and
deer and youth saw each other about the same
moment. He stopped for the time motionless;
tile dew the same, with head ejwct and nostrils
dilating. The animal recovered-first and wheel
ed to run; which reminded the youth that he
had a gun. Hastily bringing it to bear, his knees
knocking with the well-known “buck-ague,” he
took Sight at the rapidly moving deer, running
straight from him, and fired.
As much to his astonishment as that of the
deer", the buck turned a somersault at the crack
of the gun, and lay sprawling. Shouting for
Uncle Bulk (the man on the other side of the
head) the youth ran up with drawn; knife to
cut the deer’s throat. He seized the antlers and
started to-cut, but at the touch of thro knife the
buck, with a flirt of his head, sent 1 - the_ youth
spinning,, and sprang to his feet. The. ball had
struck him. back of the head, betweenthe horns,
and while turning him a somersault^ did Uttle
further hurt
As the youth caught his balance and turned,
the buck, bis eyes blazing, came at him in full
charge. Well the lad knew that once those
sharp hoofs or keen-pointed antlers reached
him, he would be cut to ribbons. Tbo many
dogs had he seen riddled with the same wea
pons. for the buck was too large to be anything
but Old Sam.
His gum empty, the youth sought safely in
flight; but the deer was quickest. The antlers
almost touching him, the youth dodged around
a tree, and then for a minute—a minute as long
as a lifetime—they had it; both circling the
tree, the deer almost at the lad’s heels, but
he with straining muscles and bulging eyes put
ting ever ounce of strength into an effort to es
cape with life.
The race would soon have been over and the
youth’s career as a hunter ended had not at that
moment the lend dogs, Queen and Rover, burst
from the bushes at full cry, just as Uncle Bull
having heard the shout of triumph, came
around the head.
At the buck the dogs dashed, and as he turn
ed to paw them, the youth struck him with all
his force across the forehead with his carbine
Stunned, the buck fell, and before he could re
gain his feet Uncle Bull ran up and drove a
long, spring-back knife behind his shoulders.
While the youth was still gasping for breath
Uncle Den and Lum, whose shots had slightly
wounded the animal, came up just in time to
be in at the death.
It was after the buck had been strung up and
disemboweled, that the youth had to submit to
be “blooded.” a ceremony considered absolute
ly necessary when the first deer was killed.
But the prize was worth the price, even the
scare and narrow escape, for the antlers went
down through the family as an heirloom, to
gether with one of those strange stones called
“bezel” only rarely found in the stomachs of
old deer, and which were supposed to have the
power of curing rabies.
There are no deer there now, for what was
then a range is now cultivated fields; Uncle Bull
and Uncle Den, Lum, Queen and Rover, are
long since gone to their different rewards; the
youthful hunter is a grandfather and hunts no
more; but still many times in the silent watches
of the night, when the nightmare rides, he sees
those blazing eyes and dilated nostrils, and
again he “hot-foots” for his life around the
bole of a slender pine.
FRIDAY, JULT M, 1916:
SPARE US, PLEASE*
Now the Legislature is monkeying with the
primary election law-again, and we are threat
ened with an amendment under which a sec
ond primary will be necessary where neither
candidate receives a majority vote.
In mercy spare us from any more primaries
or elections. Perhaps our present law Is' de
fective; if so, remedy the defects; but let us
have no second: primaries. We have too many
elections now. They disrupt business and in
terfere with “the worship of the Lord and the
peaceful pursuit of happiness.” More are not
only unnecessary, but would be harmful and
expensive. Let us have-- no additions; we have
troubles enough now.
If more than two candidates offer for an of
fice, and neither receives a majority of the
votes cast, let the man with the highest plural
ity have the nomination. We are opposed first,
last and all the time, to any more primaries or
elections. Instead of more, lets dispense with
some we now have.
WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE BEEN
GRATEFUL?
THE MERCHANT SUBMARINE.
The ocean-going submarine, the new mari
time wonder of the twentieth century, twin
brother in scientific and technical achievement
to the flying machine, would have caused aston
ishment had not previous marvelous feats of
German builders in a measure prepared the
public for its advent.
For three weeks advertisements in eastern
newspapers had notified Germans in this coun
try of the coming of the submarine and that it
would be ready to carry letters or money
friends at home. For more than a week there
had been reports that such a submarine was
lying off Newport News.
What the lighting submarine has done to naval
warfare, the companion U-boat promises to do
for the port blockade—revolutionize it. If one
undersea craft can cross the Atlantic with n
cargo, another can cross, and while the tonnage
must of necessity be light, these boats can bring
to this country many things we need from Ger
many and carry back many things that country
needs But when all is said and done, the traffic
will be attended with so much danger and the
element of loss will be so large that it cannot be
expected to seriously affect the present status of
trade.
Perhaps one of the most noticable results
will be to disarm the argument of those pro-Ger
mans who accuse this country of being partial to
the Entente Alliance and abuse it for inhuman
ity because it sells them war munitions. Now
that Germany can buy munitions here if she
wants them—as she could have done all the time
had she possessed the means of getting them
home—ami transport all she has carriage room
for, we expect to hear less complaint of Unde
Sam’s friendship for John Bull.
The Thomasville Press thinks that extremes
meet in the two candidates for Solicitor-Gener
al of this circuit. Perhaps its viewpoint has
Uttle bias, but this is what it says:
It would be a difficult job to find two lawyers
of a more opposite turn of action in the trial
of a case in the court room than the two candi
dates for solicitor-general in the Southern eir
cuit. Judge Wilkes was born with a case of
fidgets and has had a bad relapse several times
since. Col. Mitchell is as slow, cool and sure
as a heavy yoke of oxen drawing a log cart
on a cold day. When Judge Wilkes speaks he
makes a noise, when Col. Mitchell speaks he
says something.
From The Azilian.
We have never been able to understand
why the people who were brought to Geor
gia by Oglethorpe had any cause for grat
itude to the trustees or to anybody else.
There are probably few Georgians who will
share this opinion, but consider the reasons
for their coining.
England was glad to get rid of them, and it
was expressly stipulated that “only such as
having large families and arc, in a measure,
dependent upon their respective pnrishes,”
were to be taken. The best of the material
at hand was selected, “all drunken or vicious
persons” being excluded, and the inducements
offered seem small when we consider what
was expected of the colonists-to-b*. They
were subjected to many restrictions and ex
posed to dangers not shared by any other
colony.
History makes it very plain why these
people were sent to America; but, in extoll
ing the philanthropy of the trustees, and oth
ers who furnished money for the “humane
design,” individuals and near historians over
look the actual reason for their coming.
They were sent to act as a kind of buffer
between South Carolina and the Spaniards
in Florida. To quote: “Finding that the
Spanish authorities in Florida still continued
their acts of aggression, ^he people of South
Carolina, alarmed at the danger to which
they were continually exposed, endeavored
to protect their property in the future
by placing an efficient barrier between
themselves and their imperious neighbors
in Florida. With these views, they ad
vocated the formation of a now colony
between the Savannah and Altamahn rivers;
and encouraged a number of gent’.emen of
wealth and station in England, to embark in
the humane design of sending over s number
of poor people who had no means of support
ing themselves and families in the mother
country.”
Unlike other colonists, Oglethorpe band
were not allowed to have slaves, because they
(the Georgia colonists) were to serve as a
barrier to keep South Carolina's slaves at
home; no rum was allowed in Georgia, be
cause it might incapacitate *he men for their
duty as guards to South Carolina; only a very
limited area of land was allowed e«ch man,
because “each lot of land was to be considered
as a military fief,” and “the ’ots of land must
be kept within a small compass.” It was well
know’n in England how the women and chil
dren had suffered in America, but only “inrgo
families” were allowed to come with Ogle
thorpe.
Acting as a military frontier for South
Carolina, forced to fight the Indians to pro
tect the “large families,” obliged to build
houses, clear land and cultivate crops, having
no assistance /rom slaves, the colonist? of
Georgia probably wished themselves back in
debtor’s prison. Like the Israelite -f old,
when rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem,
“every one with one of his hands wro ight in
(Continued from Page 1.)
the work and with the other hand held a
weapon.”
And they must find time for drilling. They
were often reviewed in the preser^o of the
Indians, in order to impress the ?avag*:s with
an* idea of the colony’s strength, and “they
were found not greatly inferior to the regu
lar troops.”
Verily Georgia’s first settlers ?arned all
they got—and tonsiderably more—and it is
small wonder that they complained. Ungrate
ful, they could not have been, and if they
were a “shiftless lot,” as sometim »s charged,
they left some fine descendants among our
rural population, supposed to be their de
scendants of almost undiluted blood. If
what is charged concerning the colonists is
true, then they seem to have left behind them
comparatively few chips of the old blocks.
South Carolina was at the bottom of all
their troubles: the “laudable plan” and the
“humane design” originated there, and the
trustees—good and benevolent gentlemen
that they were—had acted with misplaced
zeal.
It was South Carolina, that *hould have
been filled with gratitude—e gratitude that
ought to reach all the way down to the pres
ent day. Of course. South Carolina has nev
er felt this. She is too self-sufficient for
anything of that sort.
Advertising lias now become a custom so e:
tensive in its application and of such vital im
portance that it is difficult to realize that it was
ever possible to do any trading without it. Yet
before the advent'of the printing press and the
newspaper there were many hundreds of years
when there was no such a thing as advertising as
it is known today.
One of the first newspaper advertisements
of which there is authentic record was printed
in the Merurius PoIIiticus, London, in January,
1652. It was a publisher’s announcement and
read as follows: “ ‘Irenodia Gratulatoria, an
Heroick Poem,’ being a congratulatory pane-
gyrick for my Lord General’s late return, sum
ming up his successes in an exquisite manner.
To be sold by John Holden, in the New Ex
change, London. Printed by Tho. Newcourt,
1652.”
Here is anorther example of early London ad
vertising : “Two men beg to acquaint the pub
lic in general that they keen the cleanest barber
shop in all London, where the people can have
their hair cut for two pence, dressed for three
pence, and be shaved for one penny. One of
these men can bleed and draw teeth very well.
He bleeds both in the English and German
method and is exceedingly careful.”
More careful, it is assumed, than are the Eng
lish and German bleeders of 1916.
Baltimore,
first submarine^®
German, underwater lj)
land, anchored below
night after coming safely
Atlantic,, passing the allied)
ing squadrons and eluduq
cruisers watching for her
American coast. She
and a cargo of 750 tons ol
chemicals and dyestuffs
carry back home a similar ami
nickel and crude rubber sorelj
cd by the German army.
Fifteen days out from
haven to Baltimore, the sul
reached the Virginia capes
o’clock Sunday morning, pi
on the surface covered by dl
which settled over the enl
the bay with (tho setting
moon-
Once inside, the visitor thi
tion aside and began shriei
siren, signalling a pilot am
same time attracting the alt
[of the tug Thomas F. Tfc
which had been waiting in tf
That is an excellent bill to remove the Supe
rior Court judges a little further from politics.
Pass it and couple on an amendment to require
them to rotate, and we will have something
worthwhile. '
While we are taking the Superior Court
judges out of politics, lets take our county af
fairs out of the Legislature. Give the Superior
Courts jurisdiction, and so many citizens won’t
have to spend a month or so every year in At
lanta trying to learn how to be lobbyists.
A short time since, Tifton “came in out of the
woods” by voting bonds for paving and other
imprevementa.'. Now she is taking on city airs
by putting bow off the i
TAX IN KIND.
From The Azilian.
History tells us of the battles of the Confed
erates fought against fearful odds, of the
brave stand the men made in that war which
was “fought without shame," and the cause
“lost without dishonor;" but we are seeking to
gather up the stories, in danger of becoming
mere legends, that tell about the larger army
left at home to contend with a situation un
like any that has ever confronted a people.
In an earlier number, the Azilian told how
country people in the South obtained their
supplies, such as could not be produced at
home, and the cost of these supplies. It was
these same people and their wealthy neighbors
who were called upon to pay the “tax in kind"
which played so large a part in provisioning
the Confederate army.
We were recently shown by Mr. Hardman
Wade, of Hillsdale, a receipt for taxes in kind
paid by his father-in-law, H. P. White, of
Madison county. It is Mr. White’s old receipt,
printed on the coarse brown paper of Confed
erate times, that supplies all the information
at hand on this subject.
The “tax in kind” called for one-tenth of
all agricultural products. It wa9 explained
as an “Estimate and Assessment of Agricul
tural Products which are taxed in kind, agreed
upon by the assessor and the tax payer, and,”
the receipt goes on to state, “the valve of the
portion thereof to which the Government is
entitled, in accordance with the “provisions
of the Act of Congress, to lay taxes for the
common defence and to carry on the Govern
ment of the Confederate States.” * « *
“Said estimate to be returned to the District
Quartermaster on or beforo the first day of
January of each year.”
Mr. White had made 499 bushels of corn,
“quality, good,” and 20 bushels of "com
(short)”; also 700 pounds of good fodder, and
120 gallons of sorghum syrup. The Govern
ment’s share of this was valued at $203.60.
The list of articles taxed was made up of
corn, buckwheat, rice, Irish potatoes, cured
fodder, sugar cane syrup, sorghum syrup, cot
ton, peas, beans and groundpeas. It is curi
ous that buckwheat, hardly known as an agri
cultural product in the South should ap
pear on this list, while sweet potatoes, among
our commonest articles of food, should be
omitted
The tax in kind was, of course, only a small
portion of the taxes property owners had to
pay. The price allowed for the corn was four
dollars a' bushel; the price country stores were
charging at that time fur corn meal was six
dollars a bushel. (The receipt was dated Dec.
13th. 1804.)
“Special Exemptions” from this tax were:
“1. Each head of faamily not worth more
than $500.
“2. Each head of family with minor chil
dren, not worth more than $500 for himself
and $100 for each minor living with him, and
$500 in addition for each minor son he has
living, or may have lost or had disabled, in
the military service.
“3. Each officer, soldier or seaman, in the
army or navy, or who has been dishcarged
therefrom for wounds, and is not worth more
than $1,000.
“4. Each widow of any officer, soldier or
seaman, who has died in the military or naval
sen-ice, the widow not worth more than $1,000
Provided, the farmer or planter shall not pay
tax in kind upon corn, when he does not pro
duce more than two hundred bushels, or upon
Irish potatoes when he does not produce more
than fifty bushels, or upon peas and beans
when he docs not produce more than twenty-
five bushels, or upon molasses of cane or sor
ghum, when not more than thirty gallons are
made; and the forage derived from the corn
plant shall also be exempt in all cases where
the corn is not taxed in kind, neither shall any
farmer or planter who does not produce more -
than fifteen pounds of ginned cotton to each
member of his family, or ten pounds of woo!,
be subject to said tax in kind.
“5. Such portion of said crop as may be
necessary to fatten the hog* of such fanner,
planter or grazier for pork.”
4 is somewhat mixed, especially right at the
start: “Each widow of any officer” was not
intended exactly as it sound*.
The distinction between farmer and planter,
so pronounced in the o’d days and. act notice
able la the foregoing, U seldom made now.
Church advertising is of comparatively recent
development. Many pastors now recognize that
the use of printer’s ink is effective in drawing. er bay for nearly two week* i
crowds to the houses of worship, but no minister j the Deutschland and convey li
words his announcements in the style of this ad-' port,
vertisement which appeared n the official cat
alogue of the Lafayette county, Missouri, fair
a few years ago:
After the Races Don’t Forget
That The Christian Church,
Higgingsville, Mo.,
Has a Wide Awake Sunday School
To which the whole country is
Invited. Classes for Everybody.
The Preaching Services Are Not So Bad
The undersea liner la abi
feet long and 30 feet beai
propelled by two great oil (
She is as large If not largi
any of the German naval I
lines.
Six months ago came first j
that Germany was preparing)
into the transatlantic trade j
of submarines that would dtj
size' and achievement the
which have been Germany’:
reliance in her conduct of
sea. London cable reports
the organization of a compai
augurate such a service and
experts were quoted as sa;
felt no surprise at the anno:
of the plans.
HER LEFT SIDE HI
Mrs. Laura Beall, Pis
Miss., write: "Last April Ijj
bad health; my left side hut
time. I had symptoms ofS
disease. I took Foley kidl
and feel all right now.” Ti.q
ly relieve backache, rhe’
aches and pains. Bladder
too. are corrected ty thi,
LET THE BOOZE GO-!
Chief of Police Thrashd
morning emptied two gallons j
feetly good booze, one rye
corn, in the sewer at the ct
Main and Third streets, in
W. H. Parker’s store.
He attracted quite a good
attention while doing this, i
colored man in the crowd i
forth, took his hat off and]
some of the corn liquor as i
ing poured out. He drank i
nounced that it was a shan
such good stuff go to the :
There were a number of \
in the crowd who seemed
the same.
Constipation and ,
"I have used
lets and must say I
I have ever used
and indigestion,
them for indigestion
her good,” write* !“
Wilmington, N.
Tablets arc mild
action. Give the;
certain to be plea
nbtr laxative effcq
duce. Obtainable
NO
Savannah,
are no snakes I
land of St.
this fine bit
The staten
snakes on Oatl
authority of
the island, who I
pay a reward for ’
there. Mr. Smith
to assign a rea
snakes have,
be that thq
stroyed.
there,
snake I
pic of
land isll
tie proj
fie pi
erty
it along
■ If your*
excitable; i.
depressed, l
Bmulsion a
It]
■ element* 1
strengthen the t
and build afa
Scott’s la i
mothers—and v
0 fiecu&t
TheRorio