Newspaper Page Text
OLD BOOK CONTAINS
$50,000 IN SIGNATURES
Autograph Of Button Gwinnett,
Found by Mi Ruth Blair, Stata
Historian, in Dusty Volums of
Land Grants.
(By Westley Wailes Thomas, in
Atlanta Journal)
Signatures said to have a commer
cial value of approximately $50,000
are contained in an old volume at
the state capitol, in which Miss Ruth
Blair, state historian, recently found
an autograph of Button Gwinnett,
worth probably $25,000 to $35,000.
Button Gwinnett, former governor
of Georgia, president of the execu
tive c&uncil, member >of the con
stitutional convention of 1777, and
one of the singers of the Declaration
of Independence* attached his name
to so few documents that his auto
graph today is the most expensive in
the history of the world.
In January', when the Colonel
James H. Manning collection was be
ing sold at auction, a signature of
Gwinnett which appeared almost
faintly as a witness to a will was sold
for $22,500. Last year a Bible re-,
puted to have been once owned by
Gwinnett and which contained what
was supposed to be his autograph,
was put up for auction. It had been
freely predicted that the Bible and
autograph would be sold for as much
as $50,000, but the authenticity of
the signature was questioned and the
owner of the Bible temporarily with
drew it from sale.
There are fewer Button Gwinnett
utographs in existence than sets of
signatures of singer of the Declara
tion of Independence, and therefore
several sets need only a Gwinnett
signature to complete them. Sev
eral of the Gwinnett signatures are
lield by museums, and are not for
■sale.
- ■—'' How Signature wa* Found
Following the public awakening of
interest in Button Gwinnett after
the purchase of his signature for
$22,r>00, Charles Jenkins, well
known historian of Pennsylvania and
and author of a life of Gwinnett
which will be from press in October,
expressed regret that “not a single
ClVinnett autograph was to be found
in the state of Georgia.”
Miss Biair, state historian, had
been searching for a Gwinnett signa
ture long before Mr. Jenkins made
>us comment, and had about given up
hope of finding one. But his critic
ism spurred her to new efforts.
Every volume that would likely
contain a Gwinnett autograph had
been carefully examined. An old,
dusty, yellow-with-age book labeled
•‘Confirmation of Land Grants. Me
morials of Lands Entered in the Au
ditor’s Office in Georgia from Sep
tember 22nd, 1758, to the 20th of
October, 1772,” was brought up from
the basement of the State Capitol
building. This v> ’ume contained
-several rare signatures of Constitu
tional Governors of Georgia, but
seemingly there was none of But-
ton Gwinnett, inasmuch as his name
had not been included in the index,
i The old book may have been in
teresting, but Miss Blair, who had
been suffering with a severe cold,
was pot especially pleased with her
task that day. The old book was so
permeated with dust that even after
frequent brushing each closing of
the book would throw off clouds of
stale air that caused a constant fit
of sneezing.
■ She was looking on page 489, to
verify a signature stated in the in
dex to be that of John Martin, a
former governor; she had checked it
off and had "tlasped the following
page with her lingers to verify an
other signature. One does not al
ways notice, perhaps, what is under
one’s thumb when turning a page,
but fortunately Miss Blair did that
day. For almost under her finger
was the most legible signature so far
found of Button Gwinnett! It was
.appended to a confirmation of a land
jgrant, and evidently jhe actual gran
tee was unable to write, for the sig
nature reads “Button Gwinnett for
John Barber.” The item is dated
June 30, 1767. It is indexed in the
volume under the name of John Bar
ber. Hence the failure to discover
the Gwinnett signature earlier.
Snt to Regain Signature
Gwmnett evidently had signed his
wune for a'-'neighbor, because the
Sgrant covers land located in a sec
tion of St. John’s Parish near St.
Catherine’s Island, where Gwinnett
was reputed to have owned a planta
tion.
This signature is very distinct, con
ttiderably more so than the one on the
will which sold for $22,500. It is
*o legible that there is no doubt of
Gwinnett’s first name being* “But-
ton,” rather than “Bulton,” as sev
eral writers have Ihis
signature should be especially desir
able for the reason that it contains
five words. Based on the price paid
I for the will signature, this last one
1 should be worth about $25,000 or
$35,000. But, of course, the signa
ture is a state record and cannot be
sold.
In her investigations, Miss Blair
discovered that the will containing
the Gwinnett signature which sold for
$22,500 had been taken from the
state archives. The state has already
instituted legal proceedings to re
cover this original wi!’ maintaining
that original wills of the colonial
period, after they were probated, are
'he property of the state. The signa
ture in question was purchased by
Mr. Rosenbach, of the RosenbaclfcGal
leries of New York. It is possible
that the purchaser may have to re
turn the complete document to the
state. *
In many of the old volumes carry
ing dates corresponding to the time
of Gwinnett’s public career, there is
evidence of signatures having been
cut out, and in one instance of having
been torn out; and basing her opin
ion on the wording of the context,
Miss Blair believes that these spaces
contained signatures of Gwinnett
that have been stolen. It is stated
that wherever possible the state of
Georgia is intending to attempt to
recover by legal means all such sig
natures as are a part of the state’s
records.
Man of Mystery
ButtQn Gwinnett, whose signature
has become of such value, died in
1777-from wounds inflicted by* Gen
eral Lachlan Mclntosh in a duel. With
his de&th, all written record of the
man seems to liave perished.
Gwinnett was one of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence,
from Gf .gia, was governor of his
state, i esident of the executive
council, and prominent in affairs
generally, afod there are only thirty
four of his signatures in existence,
and only one original letter written
by him. He held public offices that
required his signature on official do
cuments, yet few such’ signatures are
khown to exist today. He was a very
brilliant man, capable of writing in
teresting letters, and he lived N in an
age when letterwriting 'was a favor
ed means of expression. Further
more, the meager knowledge which
we have of Gwinnett indicates that
he was a man whose expressive tem
perament would incite him to even
profuse letter-writing.
Button Gwinnett is truly a man of
mystery; not so much because his
life before his death was in any way
mysterious—the-few graphic accounts!
of his actions in the frequent con- [
that he so often experienced
leads one to believe that his feelings
and his actions were in no sense a
mystery—but because there is today,
and there has been since the year of
[ his death apparently, so little known
that is authentio about the man’s
life, his habits and his family.
His adversary in the duel that re
stilted in his death, and his antagonist
throughout most of his public life,
was General Lachlan Mclntosh, one
of General Washington’s most trust
ed officers. It has been suggested
that General Mclntosh felt that some
of Gwinnett’s letters contained dam
aging statements and that he scrup
ulously saw to it that all papers bear
ling Gwinnett’s name were destroyed,
but this theory is withfiut proof, and
k hardly seems jeasonable since one
could scarcely imagine anything in
criminating in a mere signature to a
public document. Certainly we would
not eypect a person of so imperturba
ble a disposition as General Mclntosh
has shown himself to be to resort to
such action. v
Button Gwinnett was a prominent
man when he died, but today no one
has the slighest idea where he is
buried. He has been dead one hun
dred and forty-nine years, and he has
remained dead in that word’s truest
setise, until recent years, when col
lectors, in an effort to secure his
signatures, have revived interest in
trts life.
The autographs of all of Georgia’s
governors since 1754 have been col
lected, collated and photographed
by Miss Blair, state historian. All
the originals of these autographs, ex
cept that of Provisional Governor
James Johnson, are on file in the
department of archives and history, 1
and that is found in the archives of,
the supreme court, Governor John
ton having served as judge of)
the Chattahoochee circuit from 1870
to f875. In the case of several of |
these governors the state department
of archives and history has only one
signature. The signature most dif
ficult to locate was that of Governor
Richard Howley, chief executive in
1780; chief justice of Georgia from
1782 to 1783, president of the ex
ecutive committee,,, and member of
the Continental cojigress. Photo
graphs showing the signatures of
Georgia’s governors are on sale at
the department of archives and his
tory.
A Lesson From a Tramp
Last sping, I, who am commonly
known as a bum and an idler, stop
ped- at a mountain farm in Tennsee
to work for a few days to help pay
my way to arfbther city.
The owner of the farm and his or
phan grandchild, a tiny, unhealthy,
yet Very pretty boy of eight years,
were planting corn. The old man
made furrows, the little boy dropped
the corn and I followed with the har
row*to cover the seed.
The sun was boiling down on the
boy’s bare head, the sand was so hot
that I knew it was burning his bare
feet, yet he worked on uncomplain
ing. The old man fussed and grum
bled at him every time they passed
each other. First he was dropping
the corn too far apart, then he was
dropping it too close together, then
he didn’t get it down in the bottom
of the furrow. And at last when we
had almost finished the field he said,
“Billy, right there you’ve dropped
two grains together, and you know
that this poor ground won’t make
two stalks of corn in one place. I’ve
a notion to j?et a whip and see why
you can’t drop it right.” Then he
passed with his plow.
The little boy stood for a moment
looking after the old man, then down
dropped the bucket of corn and his
his dusty hands covered his pretty
face, and he sobbed as one sobs who
is, entirely without hope.
I went to him, took his frail body
in my arms, and I hope you will not
think me weak when I say that my
tears mingled with his, as I •aught
of the time when I was left without a
-mother and the hard, unkind words
of a relative drove me from the only
home I knew into the path that I am<
now following.
“Don’t cry, Sonny,” I said, “don’t
pay any attention to the old fool.
He hasn’t got a bit of sense.”.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have told him
that, but it expressed at least a part
of what I thought of such a man.
“I’ve been trying my best to plant
it right,” the little fellow sobbed,
brokenly.
I!
Yes, I’m a roamor—a bum and an
idler, but if in later years, I should
find some good woman who would be
willing to risk her happiness by be
coming the wife of such a man as I
am, and help me to keep my wayward
feet upon that straight'and narrow
path, and we should have a son or
grandson like Billy—Oh; God forbid
that I should ever by word or deed
cause such a look of discouragement
or utter hopelessness upon his face
as I saw on the face of little Billy.
What was one stalk of corn, more
or less, compared to the happiness
and love and respectyf that little boy,
[who had no mother to pet and love
' him and who’s God seemed so far
'away?—The Progressive Farmer.
INDIVIDUALITY
The fiddler wise -s he could sing,
The writer longs vo paint,
The subject wishes to be king,
The devil would be saint,
But wise is he who plods along
And leaves the singer to his song.
Oh, lot the dancer dance, say I,
One job’s enough for me,
I’Twere nice to paint a summer sky
And take the’ artist’s fee,
I’Twere nice to do another’s work,
| But I’ve a task I mustn't shirk.
I have no voice with which to sing,.
I’m clumsy with the dance,
' I could not to a canvass bring
Life’s beauty and romance,
l My job, as far as I can see
J Is just to make a man of me.
,So though my task be commonplace,
| I’ll find what joy I can,
|The tests of life I’ll try to face
iAs well befits a man;
I’ll do my best and plod along,
And leave the singer to his
EDGAR A. GUEST*
i
A RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS
Take a large quantity of Gheer
fulness and let it simmer
stopping. Put with it a brimming
basinful of Kindness, then add a full
measure of Thought for other peo
ple. Mix into these piling tea
spoonful of Sympathy. Flavor with
essence Charity. Stir weli to
gether and then carefully strain off
any lumps of Selfishness. I.et the
whole be served with Love sauce and
Fruit of the Spirit.—Ex (
Home made meal, made
from Jackson county corn.
—Boggs Bros. & Dadisman.
———;
Four O’Clock Tea
a FTERNOON tea in the shad-
A ow of a summer porch is a
r7k delightful way to entertain
through the warm months, but the
hostess only enjoys it completely when
the menu has cost her little effort.
A simple menu of tea sandwiches with
pastes made of canned foods, or easy
salads from prepared foods, f’ 'it
drinks, and wafer-like slices off- it
cake, which also comes in cans, t
resent small effort and excellent - -
suit*.
Peanut butter combines well wi* K
other foods for sandwich pastes. I’
is packed in cans with tops that ca
-I>e replaced on the can. Use pcantn
butter with white, graham, and whole
wheat bread to secure variety. The
peanut butter may be mixed in equal
quantities with cream cheese for one
filling. Another®sandwich, a “three
decker,” is made with one layer of
neanut butter, the other of Russian
dressing and a leaf of lettuce. The
Russian dressing is made of one half
A Dollar Dinner for Four
An appetizing dinner that does not require long cooking
over n hot stove is a boon to the housewife in summers If in
expensive, it is doubly welcome. Here is a menu costing SI.OO
which will serve four people.
Sirimjless Dean' en Casserole Whole Wheat Dread and Butler
Egg Salad
Raspberry Souffle Cofee
st’-iogl'-ss-rbcan” that come in
1 can?, already cooked, are ex
ceedingly convenient on a hot i
day. At this season they can be had
a bargain rate of 2 cans for 25
c.-nts, or 13 cents a can. Mixed with
a white sauce and cooked for a few
in unites in a casserole, with bread
crumbs arid grated cheese sprinkled
!>v?r the top, /they make a delicious,
nourish irtg.- and inexpensive main dish.
A I'Ut i whole wheat bread costs 10
Cents. E'g salad for four people re
:(;-.lrc.-. 4 eggs at about 3 1/3 ceqts
•ach. er 14 cents altogether. A head
cA ItUxce car. be bought for 12
Raspberry souffle for four people
would take a can o i raspberries at 29
TRAIN SERVICE TO AND FROM ATLANTA
SEABOARD AIR UNE RAILWAY
Leave Jefferson G. M. 9.03 a. m. 4.53 p. m.
Arrive Athens G. M. 10.10 a. m. 5.50 p. in.
Leave Athens S. A. L. 2.45 p. m. 6.15 p. m
Arrive Atlanta S. A. L. *4.10 p. m. *B.OO p. m
Leave Atlanta . S. A. L. *6.10 a. m.
Arrive Athens S. A. L. 10.00 a. m.
Leave Athens G. M. 11.15 a. m. (Ex. Sunday)
Arrive Jefferson G. M. 1.00 p. ’in.
•Atlanta, Central Time
For further or other information, write or call on
C. G. LaHATTE, T. P. A., S. A. L. Ry., At
lanta, Ga.
H. E. PLEASANTS. Asst. Gen. Passenger Agent.
S. A. L. Ry., Atlar.ta, Ga.
FOR SALE
Small Farm, 20 80-100 acres, good
house and barn, cheap. See Col. H.
W. Davis.
—■■■ -
See us for your needs in the
Grocery line. We try to car
ry a full line at all times.—
Boggs Bros. & Dadisman,
Phone 245.
cup mayonnaise and three tablespoons
canned chili sauce. , For sand
wiches, use peanut butter with grape
or currant jelly or with chopped
dates.
Tuna fish may be used in good salad
combinations. Uae it with Russian
dressing or witj mayonnaise and
sprinkle chopped green olives over it.
Those good looking cans of mixed
fruits for salads should not be for-\
gotten. Also excellent salads, may be
made of canned pears or Hawaiian
pineapple with halls of cream, pi
i mi-mto, or neufcbatel cheese. When
fruits are used, save the juices in the
I can for fruit drinks.
The most delicious fruit drinks may
be made from these canned fruit
juices. The juice of mixed! fruits
With lemonade makes 'excellent fruit
lemonade, the juice of pineapple
flavors either tea or ginger ale, and
canned raspberries added to lemonade
make a remarkably delicious summer
drink.
cents, the whites of 2 eggs costing
about 7 cents, and a heaping table
spoonful of powdered sugar. Beat
the eggs, add the raspberries and sugar
and as much of the raspberry liquor
as the eggs will absorb. Serve boiled
<?ustard with the souffle, using the
yolks of the eggs for the custard.
Enough coffee for four people, at
an average cost of 40 cents a pound,
is abcut 4 cents. The total cost of
the various iteijjs of this menu is
about 89 centrfT This would allow
11 cents to cover the cost of butter
and sugar for the meal, milk, flour,
and cheese for the casserole dish, in
gredients for the salad dressing, sugar
and milk for the souffle and custard.
Buy Butterfly Bread anc|
save your wrappers. We get
it fresh every day.—Boggs
Bros. & Dadisman, Phone
245.
HOME FOR RENT
Nice Home For rent, 7, 8 or 11
rooms to rent, furnished, or unfurn
ished.—Address P. O. Box 64, Jeffer
son, Ga.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
JOE COLLINS FOR CONGRESS
To People of Ninth District:
/ lam a candidate for Comgress,
subject to Democratic primary.
•Born in log cabin in Union county
poverty compelled doing without edui
cation or making my way. Taking
provisions from home, I did my cook
ing and laundry nearly three yean
at Hiawassee. After graduating
there, at Mercer and Virginia Uni
versity, have practiced law in Gaines
ville since 1902.
I have never held office excep. 8
years ago I carred 8 of 9 coundes
for Solicitor General, served four
years, retired without asking re
election.
I favor more Federal aid for roads.
I favor bettering farm conditions and
labor. I believe Congressmen from
South could exert more influence co
National legislation by being mon
outspoken.
Will appreciate your help.
Joseph G. Collins.
FOR CONGRESS
To the People of the Ninth Con
gressional District of Georgia: I am
a candidate for Congress from the
Ninth Congressional District of
Georgia, subject to the primary to
be held in September. My candi
dacy for this high office is based up
on my experienpe in farming and
business, and upon my record as a
citizen and legislator. I was born
qnd reared in the Ninth District. It
was the home and birth place of my
father and mother. I am bound to
this district by ties of interest and
affection which can never be broken.
It is the desire to serve my people
and to advance the welfare and pros
perity of district which prompts
me-to seek the honor and privilege
of representing you in Congress. If I
am given this opportunity of service,
I shall di&gharge the duties of the of
fice faithfully and conscientiously*
always having in view the best in
terest of all the people. I shall ap
preciate your vote and influence.
Respectfully,
Herman P. DeLaperriere.
FOR CONGRESS
To the People of the Ninth Dis
trict: In announcing my candidacy
for the Democratic nomination to
Congress, to be determined at the
polls on September the Bth, I wish
to say it is my purpose to visit all
the counties in the district -at as
early date as possible and give an
account of my work as your public
servant. I must at the same time
keep up with my official duties, which
I have never neglected. It will be a
pleasure to me to meet all the peo
ple, and shall make it a point to do
so. In the meantime, I shall appre
ciate very highly anything done by
the people in behalf of my re-elec
tion. If re-elected, the people, one
and all, may depend upon me to
continue my offorts for them in all
matters in which they are interested,
and to do my duty in the future as
I have in the past.
~ Sincerely yours,
Thomas M. Bell.
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
I hereby announce my candidacy
for Representative of Jackson coun
ty, subject to the rules and regu
lations of primary election Sept. Bth,
1926. I am 'serving my first term
as Representative, and hope that my
record and experience will be re
garded by the people of the county as
entitling me to an endorsement, by
re-election, which is usually accorded
officials who have served only one
term. In this connection, I wish to
express my gratitude to the people
of this county for their kindness, co
operation and help during my term of
office. Your interest and continued
support will be highly appreciated.
Respectfully,
W. B. Rice.
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
I hereby announce my candidacy
for re-election to the next General
Assembly of Georgia from Jackson
county, subject to the action of the
Democratic primary. Having served
only one term, and having given my
best efforts for' the interest of the
county, I am asking for an„endorse
ment. My experience in the sessions
of the present General Assembly
have fitted me for greater and more
effective service to the people, and
if elected I pledge tb look carefully
after all questions that touch upon
the welfare and economical admini
stration of State affairs.
Respectively,
Homer Hancock.
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
Having been urged by friends, and
having a desire to be of service to
my people, I announce myself *
candidate for Representative of Jack
son County, subject to the action of
the Democratic primary to be held (
September Bth, 1926. Earnestly
soliciting the votes and influence of
the good men and women of Jackson
county.
1 am, yours for service,
3 ; J. E. J. Lord.