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TIFTON GAZETTE
Publiihed Weekly
Zntmd at the I’ostofficc at Tifton, Gcorjio, ae Second Claa
Matter, Act of March 3,1870.
Gazette Publishing Company, Proprietor*.
j. l. Herring Editor and Manager.
Official Organ City ct Tifton
end Tift County, Georgia.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Twelve months $1.50
Six Months - -•• : 75
Four Months > - .50
THE TASK ACCOMPLISHED
Our Country’s President is on his way home
from France, his task across the water accom
plished.
No matter what may have been our opinion
of his trip abroad, all of us know now that had
not Mr. Wilson attended the Peace Conference
the League of Nations will have failed at
the beginning and the peace that was signed
Saturday would hav e been only a temporary
makeshift until the world could again make
ready for war.
We know now that Mr. Wilson set aside all
precedent and went to France to make sure that
the peace which had been bought with the blood
and sacrifice of America’s best and noblest
should not be an empty thing. The men he
sent across had made a perfect job; he went to
see that they were not robbed of the fruits of
victory.
We know now that had not Woodrow Wilson
■gone to France, the Peac e Conference would
have again left the weak nations of Europe at
th e mercy of the strong.
We know now that had he invited members
of the American Senate to accompany him,
they would have added to the confusion an<
multiplied the difficulties.
We know now that the attendance of our
President secured for the world the opportunity
to insure peace for all time by the manitain-
ance of the League of Nations.
Woodrow Wilosn returns from Europe
an older man, hue with his name secure
ly written on the pages of history. He met
there the best trained diplomats of the leading
nations of the Old World, and he won from
them practically every point which he crossed
the ocean to secure. He won, not alone because
of his personal ability, but because of his sin
cerity and disinterestedness, and because he
went as the representative of a nation which
asked nothing for itself, but all for Humanity
and World Liberty.
Having won hi a battle for these abroad, Mr.
Wilson comes now to carry th e fight for Hu
manity and Universal Liberty before his home
people. And here ha will win overwhelmingly
because the people of America want the things
he represents.
“High wages have not helped workers much.”
says Miss Edith P. Nash, of Washington, Spec
ial Agent for the Department of Labor, stopping
over in Savannah on a trip South securing statis
tics from industrial workers concerning matters
of income and expense. Miss Nash is of the
opinion that while industrial workers are draw
ing higher wages than ever known, they do not
follow the teachings of thrift and spend the
money about as fast as they make it. She noted
in one instance where a shipyard worker had
paid $12 each for three silk shirts while the pro
prietor of the shipyard bought his shirts at the
same store for $1.50 each. Which just about
tells the story, and illustrates the truth of the old
adage that it is not what a man makes but what
he saves that makes him rich. Miss Nash is
quoted by the Morning News as expressing the
opinion that there will be no reduction in wag
es so long as the cost of living is increased, al
though this increase is not as great as some may
, think.
SATURDAY
The Palling of the Weed Burner.
With the passing of the pine forests, it was
inevitable that the wood-burning locomotive
should go. Many years ago it disappeared from
the main lines of railroad in this section. Thirty
years ago the through passenger trains in Wire
grass Georgia discarded wood fuel for coal as a
schedule time-saver; later, coal was used on all
passenger trains; then on through freights; and
last, as wood grew scarce and high, it was dis
carded altogether for locomotive fuel, even on
the local freights and King Coal’s reign was un
disputed. A few short lines converted from log
ging roads continued to use wood, but now comes
the news that the Georgia Northern, the last of
these to operate wood-buming locomotives, has
discarded them and the wood burner has passed
as a means of railroad motive power, in this
section at least.
But in the old days the wood-burner was a
favorite, for the very good reason that we knew
of nothing better—indeed, with the railroad of
forty years ago, with its train of a dozen freight
cars; its 30-pound iron rail and its pepper-box
locomotive, wood was good enough. We didn’t
need so much speed then, for we had more time
—in fact, we had more time and pine than we
had anything else.
Not only was wood used for fuel in locomo
tives, but the box heaters in the passenger cars
on winter days were filled with it. If anything
went wrong with the heater—and it often did—
the blazing pine-knots filled the coach with
smoke and soot and added to the interest of
travel.
The wood-burner locomotive was a little giant
in strength and while no comparison to the lev
iathan of today, accomplished wonders in the
way of speed and pulling power. Its smoke
stack was shaped like a funnel, about half roof
ed over, and shared with the glittering sand
dome, the ear-splitting whistle and the polished
bell, in exciting the oggle-eyed wonder of the
half frightened small-boy, who always gave the
team escape-valves a wide berth.
Thirteen cars were considered a load and even
with these, when approaching a grade, the fire'
man would pile in the lightwood until the smoke
would roll in billows from the stack as the pull
became heavier. He was a busy man for a while,
with no time to wipe the streaming perspiration
as the locomotive coughed, slowed, and strug
gled up the grade. Often it was necessary for
the engineer to take a turn at throwing in wood
while the fireman and brakeman, on either side
>f the locomotive, with shovels threw sand on the
rails, that the slipping wheels might take hold.
n hey approached the grade at full speed but this
soon slacked to half, then to quarter, and finally
a man could walk beside and keep up; then to a
crawl; but if luck betided and the load was
not too great, they would ease over the grade
point, and then all hands climbed on in a hurry
as speed was gained on the down grade. If, un
luckily however, the wood-burner stalled, there
was nothing to do but to back to the nearest sid
ing, cut off some of the cars and put the train
:ver in sections. As passenger cars were attach
ed to nearly all freight trains in those days, the
struggle of the train crew against the grade had
a strong personal interest for each passenger.
Supplying the locomotive with wood was
great industry all along the line. There was a
woodrack every ten miles and contracts to keep
these filled were eagerly sought,
■■n -uuring uie war aia Imonnrfoirtia
more unselfish work under greater difficulties •,
more unselfish and monr patriotic work under e.cajSwJe; of
greater difficulties than the local draft boards. ** *»•
The Allies have taken measure that Germany
following from the'
A prodigal pr<
honor, but it ia,h
plan to bestow
generals and the
ive boards of the
build and equip a mighty navy. Her gun works
reproduce and endorathe a <» d munition plants have been turned to indus-
his sincerity and loyalty at heart that the work —^rmsof tt.e treaty because they wili be com-
of ‘h e thousands-of draft boards the country P
over was don^in^ way that reflected credit on
the boards, the army and the nation.
Now these bo;
of their work. wggsarg"* “• trial uses and the conditions of both armistice
_ .. and treaty are such that an army cannot be
’'■gress Wifi carryout the raised or a navy built wlthout the consent of the
a governors, adjutant nations with which Germany was at war.
(f .the various select- While these provisions were wise, it is very
. . -~f j _59, und f B , 0 t the Uni- probable that they will not be necessary with
m^dfl8 a fhW hlve r s 0 o P ricfly earoeT 06 ^?. ftomo "^ Germany is through
It would be difficult tff overestimate the self- , , imp , enallam and despotism, although the
sacrifice of the members of these draft boards " unl f er element may still entertain hope of re-
who gave up practically all their time! for many turning to power. What was onc e an empire| ,orm '‘ were i,lk ' d wi,h • h “ d u«
months to operate the'machinery by which 4,- is now a republic, and a republic it will remain u'V' WM „ 1,id “JJ* ,orm aad
i— •« tii.
It was an ungrateful task Nobodv wanted from the mlnds of a P eople in a few weeks, and ““»*'• ™ clMr - aMt « d cl « n - Mr.
it. The pay;wa^ S o smainhat%d y nre^eni tbe r e * «“• d »ubt b »t that with a large element ££
The very nature of the work made it especially I “ never popuIarw ‘ th the corrected culpi^how-
trying, and its fail
the eternal credit statesmen signed the peace treaty becaoselhere
^ was no recourse - Germany's people will fulfill
ul, l,! *!?,!??! J , m . e ™ an ?} lzen ’. , and ,? roof °, f the terms of the treaty because they will be com-
ever much it may be deserved.
Germany's generals signed the armistice be-.
drew H. Turner,
Turner, the present
the Valdosta
Editor W. It.
terprise. It was
Pioneer. 3j
Mr. Tui
enough to
fit from
monej in'
coult not
tion of
strong table
foundation,
framework. A n
slab wta used foe
type, fastened in ft
on this stone bed
made by a huge w
cut off a big Popl
covered with a ct
sheets of newspaper
brie bo as to give"
surface, and rested on
bearers on both sides
approximately compensate men of that calibre tJle German populace, Kaiserism, its traditions
for their time. They were keel-hauled and and associations, will long linger in affectionate
bedevilled from every quarter. . J remembrance. Also must be taken into account
wo^k^with^a smife susteine^offiy'by th^thought 1 war^ntTiMDeciaH'"^'th * ! nev ^ ab * y following
that they were rendering a high and indispen- * ar , and especlally m tbe hear ‘ a °f people on
sible service to their country in a period of g!reat “* e * osin ^ sl ^ e - But with all these to reckon
crisis. j with, Germany is confronted with such great
The success of the war and the speedy defeat ! *roblems of rehabilitation ‘hat the future instead
of Germany was in a measure due to the efficient' °*- pas * must largely fill the minds of the Ger-
work of the draft boards of this country, in ex- j man P e °Pl e -
amining, classifying and inducting into service I The Germany of today is not the Germany of
an army of two million men. When the history 1 1914 - T he first problem of its leaders is to res-
of America’s participation in the war is written, ! CUe tbe * r country from the fa‘e of Russia. If
the boards will not be forgotten. they succeed in doing this they will hav e neither
A COUNTY FARM DEMONSTRATOR.
time nor opportunity to remember or pay off old ,wo or thrM 7 “”’ Mr - p,rk ' r taTta * b *-
grudges— the present will be all they can hand
le. As for the great war debt, the sums once
spent to maintain an immense military and nav-
The County Commissioners of Tift, at their
meeting on the first Monday in July will pass al organization and the imperial dynasty will
.. ... * • mnro tVinn moof floiimonir'a til....i
upon the matter of employing a Farm Demon- i mor ® than meet Germany’s obligations without
strator for this county for another year. I add ttional * ax on ,be people..
The State College of Agriculture and the! There need be no fear that Germany will cov-
Federal Government pay about half the salary crt * y pre pare for another war, this time for con-
of this demonstrator. This is a direct contribu-i qu aad rev enge. She would not be allowed
tion toward the agricultural development 0 f i to do |" ls shcmld she want to—and she will not
Tift county, and the fund should not be lost! want to -
through failure of the county to provide for its
use.
No progressive agricultural county can afford
to get along wihout the services of a County
ENFORCE THE AUTOMOBILE LAWS.
the paper. The Mipport of the paper was
too meagre for it to survive. Egbert was
the oldest son; soon after leaving Pear
son he went with Geo. P. Woods on the
Hawkinsville Dispatch and then with
the Valdosta Times, where he has been
for twenty-five or more years and is the
best all around newspaper man in South
Georgia.
The plant was taken over by Willard
H. Love, a Washington hand press pur-
hased, and the Coffee County Gazette
was born. Mr. Love was succeeded as
editor by Warren P. Ward. James M.
Freeman looked after the business and
mechanical end of the enterprise. Ward
was succeeded by William Parker. The
name was changed to Headlight After
come the leader of the religious organ*
ization known as “Parker’s Glass,'* he
moved to Wascross and carried the Head
light and Uncle Jim Freeman with. him.
Then several efforts were made to es
tablish a newspaper at Willacoochee.
Z. Vasco Newbern started the “The Willa-
coochec News.” It began to change
hands very rapidly, and was owned in
succession by E. L. Vickers, Dr. Jeff
Wilcox and D. E. Gaskins. It died on
Mr. Gaskin’g hands. An Army press
was used to do the printing. Several
year 8 later Mr. 8. 0. Fackler, a practical
printer, tried his hand at publishing a
newspaper at Willacoochee, but it was
a failure.
Before the final decease of the “New*"
at Willacoochee some patriotic citizens of
, Much is said about the enforcement of the pro- £*& ^
Agent, or Farm Demonstrator. Every county! “tuition law, but little or no effort is made to en- b««m.” The Br«xe ™ edited at w
where farming is carried on needs one, and Tift! f° rce the automobile and speed laws. Yet a 11 00 !..''”' 5 . by C ;.. A '**_ 8 f “i 1
county especially needs the services of such a ; reckle83 driver on a public highway is ten times
man because here is located the Second District • more dangerous than an intoxicated man on a ita demise arose the present “Douglas
Agricultural School, and with the coming year. ! crowded street—and equally as much of a nui- j Entupitoe." Bi«i new.piptr., were
i * .... . ® * , BorifP fr o“ time to time, started but none of
here will be located the Coastal Plain Experi- sance *
ment Station. The work of a County Agent isj Georgia needs no more laws for the protection
co-ordinated with that of the agricultural I >£ her People from auto-intoxicated speed fiends,
schools and agricultural experimentation. Hav-'T bere are laws regulating the age and character
ing secured these two excellent institutions it! the driver, the speed at which a car may law-
would be a short-sighted policy to dispense with|^ u ^ y be dr ‘ ven > and regulations for traffic cal-
a County Agent. j culated to insure safety on the highways. But
Tift county is fortunate in having the services j ^ beae ' aw ® are openly and flagrantly violated
this year of County Agent Dickson, who is enter-1 f very day ‘ n Tifton and Tift county, and perhaps
Wood was to j prising and energetic and has strictly made !‘ n every town and county in this section,
be had for the cutting—little account being good. It would be unfortunate if we should! When an intoxicated man commits a crime,
taken on whose land it was cut—and as labor lose him. |the victim is usually a fellow imbiber; the victim
E&The average condition of the cotton crop is
£n as G9.9 per cent in the report issued by J
lay and Company, who place th e decrease
^acreage this year at 12.5. The percentage
eorgia is given at 72.9 and that for Texas as
68.7. While the condition of the crop in Cali
fornia is given as 95.2 and that of Arizona as
90.1, of the states really growing cotton th e per
centage is highest in North Carolina, with 7S.4
and lowest in Louisiana, with 63.1
Senator J. B. Clements, a veteran of the House
hut who is serving his first term in the Senate,
is a member of the Committees on Agriculture,
Appropriations, Banks and Banking, Congress
ional and Legislative Reapportionment, Con
gressional Amendments, Game and Fish, Gener
al Judiciary No. 2, Public Library, Public Print
ing, Public Roads, Railroads, Rules and Corpor
ations.
£
Senator Parker has introduced a bill in the
Legislature to repeal the act of August 18, 1917,
abolishing the fee system in the Southern Judi
cial Circuit, as it applies to the ofike of Solici-
tor-General.
was cheap and plentiful, fuel was one of the
least items of expense of operation. The long
racks, on platforms about the height of the loco
motive tenders, were divided into eighths of a
cord. Surmounting the rack was a wooden box
with a slot and into this the fireman and porter,
who had the task of piling the tender with pine,
put tickets showing the number of eighths tak
en, and for these tickets the wood contractor
collected his money on the monthly visits of the
pay train.
The stop for wood consumed ten or fifteen
minutes, and was a period of recreation. The
conductor and engineer exchanged news, tobac
co and jokes, the passengers got off and stretch
ed their legs, took fresh chews and the drum-
niei —if there was one, for they were very rare
—told what was latest from the distant city.
The pocket flask—always a flat, brown quart
—was passed around, and when at last the pile
Df pine on the tender had reached the point
where it would pile no longer, everybody climb
ed back on, with a brighter viewpoint and more
congenial feeling all around. Of course, travel
by rail was a comparatively slow business, but
there was plenty of time and having never been
in a hurry, nobody minded a little delay.
For its association we have an affection
for the little wood-burner and for the many
things it recalls, see it go with a tinge of regret.
There is more hurry and more science perhaps,
in railroading today, but there is not so much
human nature—and by no means as much fun.
The Gazette trusts that the Board of County! ? f the s P eed fien d may be the innocent tot cross-
Commissioners will see that the services of a! in 8 the street, a peaceful citizen in the pursuit
County Agent are retained.
Speaking of corporations to develop home en
terprises not paying, a subject which we dis
cussed at some length last week, it is refreshing
to note that the Mutual Milling Company, in li
quidating its assets paid its stockholders $1.15
for each $1 they invested in the enterprise.
This Company was organized for the purpose
of putting in a rice mill here, to convert another
Tift county product into a marketable commod
ity. It was only in operation a little over a
year but its usefulness was extended to the mill
ing of corn and other grain as well as rice. It
not only accomplished the object for which it
was organized, but the plant was sold to an ex
perienced mill man, who will continue to make
t useful to the public. For the organization and
success of the enterprise the people are indebt
ed to Secretary Fulwood, who gave much of his
personal attention to its development.
The Valdosta Times wonders if “the Macon
Telegraph will recognize the National Highway
in the capital-removal campaign, or will it look
to the Dixie Highway to ‘put it over?’ ”
of his business, or the casual traveler.
As with the violators of the prohibition law.
people usually wait for some public tragedy be
fore an outburst of indignation flares up and
there is wholesale condemnation of the speed
fiend for awhile and for the failure to regulate
them; the nthings settle back into their old ruts.
Why not start in now with a demand for the
enforcement of the automobile and traffic laws,
without waiting for the usual tragedy?
them succeeded. The laatest in this
line iz the Coffee County Progress.
In 1903 the writer assisted A. Z.
Wesley in establishes the ,a The Willa-
coocee Sun.” It started out under the
most favorable conditions and probably
would have succeeded had not Mr. Wea-
ley’s wife became a hindrance. The par* , >
chase of the plant by Mr. G. F. Me*
Cranie for Mr. T. B. Hartig relieved the
writer from a great burden and loss ofjraj
money. It was finally incorporated and^l
leased to a Mr. Wright who changed the |
name to “The Willacoochee Record.”*
After a checkered career it died. ■\u3
In 1915 the “Pearson Tribune” waa
started by L. W. Herrin and operated in
n desultory way by such employees as he
could get. In the latter part of April, £■
1917, the plant was purchased by the
writer and it has greeted its readers week
ly with the best possible service. The
creation of Atkinson county found the' 1 ^
Pearson Tribune here.
“Save the birds,” says a South Georgia jurist
in an article printed elsewhere. The destruc
tion of the little feathered songsters is wanton
and the laws make it criminal. Much of this
senseless killing is the act of thoughtless boys
and could be prevented by a little wholesome
admonition. Parents should tell their boys of
the good the birds accomplish and warn them
that the law prohibits their destruction. It
would be a good idea if the teachers in the pub
lic schools did the same. There is an instinct
Senator Parker has made a good start for con-,* n tke * ad *° something; perhaps this came
structive legislation. On the opening day of the 1 from his cave - ma » ancestors, but it can easily
session he introduced four excellent measures:
A bill to amend Section 876 of the penal code,
as to compensation of jurors and bailiffs in
Superior and City Court. A bill to amend sub
division 1, of Section 5858 of the code of 1910,
on subject of competency of witnesses in state
courts. A bill to prescribe rules for execution
of powers of sale contained in security deeds
and conditional sales where a vender dies prior
to exercise of such power of sales. A bill to re
peal sections 678-689 Code of 1910 as to damag
es to land owners by building of new roads.
be counteracted by a little timely advice. Say
a good word for the birds; especially the mock
ing-bird, and perhaps at the same time save the
boy from getting in trouble with the officers of
the law.
Ware county voted an issue of $700,000 in
bonds Friday, near 2,000 balldts bering cast
in their favor, with less than 100 against. Of
th e issue, $630,000 will be spent for paved roads « “t other mt ot insectivorous
and $70,000 for school building and equipment. “ " —
Two wise provisions.
DON’T SHOOT THIS U1KD3
The Gazette:—At a little boy I was
a shooter of birds, any sort, character
kind and a robber of birds’ “nests.” I
repented and reformed while still very
young, but there remains with me yet ft
vivid recollection of the joys of the
sport, coupled with a deep regret thft
my band was ever raised against onr
little feathered friends. People general
ly did not then realize; as they now
know, that these tiny fellow citizens of
ours not only please the ear, and delight
the eye, but Btand guard over the food
supply of humankind to protect it against
the vast and ever increasing army of
insect pests. I hope that all of the boys
of this section have finally resolved to
kill no more birds and rob no more nests
of their eggs or young and to aid, as
sist and strengthen their resolution I ad
vise them to read Section 594 of the
Penal Code of Georgia; it is as follows:
“It shall be uplawful for any person in
this state to kill, catch, or have in his
possession any wild non<game bird, or to
take or to destroy the nest or eggs of
any non game bird, or to have the tame
in his 'or her possession; such person
violating the provisions of this section
•hall be guilty of a misdemeanor.** The
only kinds of birds which may be law-
folly killed are: English sparrows, owls,
hawks, eagles, crows, rice birds and
field or meadow larks.
So it is against the law to km robins,
jay-birds, mocking bird* woodpecker*
1
or lingtaz bird, con-rime, except thow
uuntd In the pueinph above.
Tifton, Ge. B. EVE.