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THE AME1UCUS DAILY TIMES-RECORDER: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2», 1891. COL. SAM HAWKINS. A HISTORY OF A SUCCESSFUL LIFE THAT READS Uka a Bstatasa-BIs Ufa Identified with a Great Railroad Entarprlta-Enamr, I Judgement aad Datarmlnatlon Are Wla- nlnr Card.—A Para from Rlitory. To-day the flnt train will pant over the Savannah, Americas <t Montgomery railroad from Americas to Montgomery. * This event marks an .important era in the history of Amerieus. Seven years ago Americas, though at that time a city of considerable commercial impor tance, was really only a way station on the Southwestern division of the Central system of Georgia. It was not even given “a habitation and a name" on the ap of the Georgia Central, being known in the freight business of that company as “No. 0" on Southwestern division. At that time the commercial prospects of Amerieus were dark indeed. The Central had already aided in building a road from Buena Vista to Andertonville, a station on their line ten miles north of Amerieus. A charter had been obtained and company formed to build a road from Preston to Smitbvllle, ten miles south. Appreciating the gravity of the situa tion; seeing that Americas was In a fair way to be “bottled up," deprived of her legitimate trade, which she had held by her peculiarly favorable geographical sltuatlomln spite of the burden of local freight rates upon all her. commercial business, a few of our leading business men held a conference to devise ways and .means to avert the impending trouble. A committee waa appointed to gp to •Savannah and see If permission could be obtained from the management of the Central road to divert the terminus of the Preston A Smithvllle road from SmlthviUe to Amerlous. Col. Hawkins was one of this committee. This wai his first appearance upon Georgia's rail road chess-board. The result of this committeo’s visit to Savannah was the reference of the ter minal question to the local directors of the Preston A SmlthviUe road, with authority to act. Through the influence and active exertions of Col. Hawkins, Judge D. B. Harrell and the other Pres ton directors consented for the road to oomo to Amerlous. In conformity there to the Amerieus, Preston 'A Lumpkin railroad waa chartered in 1884. git grew In Importance and waa ex- tended eastward and westward, had Its nanlh changed to suit the changed con ditions, till now it extends from Lyons to Montgomery, 200 miles, and is one of the moat Important east and west rail road lines of the South. The history of this enterprise la thus briefly told Chartered June 1884 to build from Americas to Lumpkin, a distance of thirty-eight miles; road opened to busi ness Amerieus to Lnmpkln March 1886; road extended and opened to business to Lours!e, ten miles west of Lqmpkin, April 1887; charter amended and author- Ity granted to extend road to Abbeville, In Wilcox county, October 1886, and work commenced thereon November 1886; road opened to business to Abbe ville, sixty one miles east of Amerlous, In November 1887; charter amended in September 1887, granting authority to operate boat lines in connection with road, and also to extend to Savannah; five substantial boqte built and put In successful operation in 1888, which con nect the railroad with the ports of both Brunswick and 8avannah; December 1888 charter amended by act of the Legisla ture of Georgia, changing the name from "The Amerieus, Preston and Lumpkin Railroad Company” to “The Savannah, Amerlous and Montgomery Ballway” and authorising the directors to apply to the Legislature of Alabama for a char ter to extend this road from a point on the Cbattnhooohee River, In the county of Bussell, to Montgomery, which ebsr- ' ter having been applied for waa granted by the Legislature of Alabama In Feb ruary 1880. Who has been the oontrollng power in shaping and carrying to fruition these grand results. Our whole people with one voice would answer & H. Hawkins. His masterful financial genius has led our people from the Egypt of commer cial bondage to their present independ ent position in the financial world. To detail fu)ly how and by what meana be accomplished these grand results would be too tedious to publish. But a few tacts will serve to prove the truth of the When the Uttle narrow gauge road bad been built front Amerlous to Preston tiiely by local money, and graded to Lumpkin, an effort was made to sell some bonds to obtain funds to oomplete the road. Northern capitalists, who had been applied to, wrote to certain finan cial firms in Amerieus to know some thing of the basis of security of the bonds offered. The answer was returned: “It is a Uttle road that begins nowhere and ends nowhere.” This, of oonrse, de feated the sale of ths bonds. Something must be done to obtain money or ma terial to continue the work or ths. im portant enterprise would prove a failure. Colonel Hawkins was president of the company. He called a meeting of the directors. Several propositions to raise the necessary funds were discussed and abandoned. The board adjourned dis heartened. Colonel Hawkins did not know the word—Faili.In the vocabulary of his youth which fate h for a successful manhood there was no such word as—Fail! As President of the Bank of Americas He had personal credit in the commercial world. This he used. Alone be con tinued the work, pushed forward the enterprise until he was able to engage the attention of capitalists and effect the sale of bis bonds. The final grand result we record the completion of the “Sam" road to Mont gomery, to named by common consent in noble recognition of Sam Hawkins' services to bis city and bit section. Probably we should not have written “final result,” for we feel safe in assert ing, though not authorized to do to, that the work will speedily' he pushed for ward from Lyons to Savannah, a gap of only sixty miles. Surely no road in the south can show such grand results en tirely from local effort. The road thus far has been built, is owned and successfully managed by home people and borne capital. Not dollar of stock was subscribed away from tlio road's line of progress. Not a share of stock is owned outside of the state of Georgia, and the original stock of the company It worth par. Surely no other railroad in the South, probably no other road in the United States can make such a showing. The average capitalized account of dividend paying roads In Georgia ranges from (35,000 to (55,060 per mile, while that of the S. A. M. railway does not ex ceed $14,000 per mile These results are directly due to the superior financial ability and able man agement of S. H. Hawkins. He has had able assistants in Col. H. C. Bagley, P. C. Clegg, J. W. Sheffield, his son, W. E. Hawkipt and others, but each and all recognize and place Implicit trust in the unerring financial judgment of Col. Hawkins. A glance at the map will show that the “Sam" road is built on 32nd parallel of latitude, where Hon. A. H. Stephens many years ago predicted would be built a great through line east and west across the American continent. The publio would probably like to know something of the history of the man who has accomplished these won derful financial results from such small beginnlpg. * Who is Sam Hawkins? We will try to answer. He Is 55 years old, was born in Jones oounty. His father, Ezekial Hawkins, moved to this oounty and' settled near the Plains of Dura, now a station on Sam road when Sam waa only two years old. Ezekial Hawkins was a plain fanner, frugal in life, honest In all finan cial dealings. Sam grew up between the plow han dles, attended the schools of the neigh borhood in the fall after “crop time.' At 16 years of age, we find him going to school to Dr. Bansou at Magnolia Springs, near his father’s home. Here occurred one of the first publio exhibi tions of one of his. leading. character istics, perseverance under difficulties. He was one of the speakers at the commencement exercises, a fair repre sentative of an overgrown oountry boy. He spoke Patrick Henry's oration. When he readied the well known sentence, 'They tell us we are weak!” he lost his me. Three separate times be asserted— They tell us we are weak!" and as often was commanded by Dr. Bansom to “sit down.” But Sam would not sit down; like the boy on the burning deck, he stoodJiis ground. Finally, as if by In spiration, he continued, “Butwben shall we be stronger?" passed safely over the grade, and finished his speech and received thq plaudits of the assemblage Leaving Dr. Bansom’s school, he fin ished his eduoation by a six months’ term at Mars Hill academy in Stewart county, a school taught by a well known teacher of that day by the name of Grubbs. At Mars Hill, as a school mate, he met Miss Cordelia Mathews, whom he, some years after, wooed and won. She is now his devoted wife, and mother of his eight oblldren. In this selection he ly one of 1 She William ooanty, Either# In 1855. location mn try- lad (van her con- He sent went by benoeto it Mont- ik at the bis boat ble that 1 faclli- line his acted' “gone, d, when ake no t.tosae -oonneo- ;tom bo le river i, stand ing upon Canal sweet viewing with won- of the Betook mer for vor, at a slum- upon the deck, the steamer struck a log, the rebound rmwittled some oi ths veto eel's foretimbers—they fell, and killed one man, the bead of a large family, movtng to Jexas. Our Sam, whom we assert Is not the hero of the book “Sam Simple," written by a former resident of Amerieus, was knocked senseless, but recovered without serious hurt. He traveled over a great part of Texas, re turned home, told his father that Texas was a good land for young men to go, but an old man with family had better abide upon the “old homestead." Sam wanted to go to Texas; bis father would not consent; Sam was an obedient son, so to Georgia Is saved' one whom would undoubtedly have proved a conspicuous citizen of the “Lone Star State.” Sam came to Amerieus, read law. The war came, Sam went Was he true to the cause? Let us see. In the retreat from Missionary Ridge, the cavalry company In which he was lieutenant, was rear guard, his friend, Moses McUarrab, was killed, shot through th» bead. They camped for the night, with this dead friend between the linen. Lieutenant Hawkins wanted to recover his body, that It might be sent home. He went through the company in searoh of two— of one—who would join him in risking their lives to recover the body of bis friend. There was not one with suffi cient temerity to join him—he could not go alone. At the eud oA the war he was with Johnson In North Carolina. There was distributed to each soldier upon the sur render of General Johnson's army $1.17 in silver. Three dollars and fifty cents was given to Lieutenant Hawkins and two comrades. They could not change the fifty cents so they out “the high card" for the half dollar. Lieutenant Sam cut the ace and got the half dollar, the only time in .bis life that he ever staked a cent upon a game of chance. He still has that $1 50, a souvenir of the war. In this connection I will state that only a short while ago one of my old schoolmates oalled at my office to see me. He has lived all his life in thirty- five miles of Americas and is now a grandfather. In speaking of the war he said: “What has become of Sam Hawkins? 'He was lieutenant in my company. Wasn’t he from Sumter county?" Only one other ease of such blissful Ignorance Is on rec ord. Daniel Webster after he had reached the United States senate and acquired fame that extended beyond the borders of his county visited the homestead of his youth np in New Hampshire. Ae he neared the hallowed spot of his childhood he met an old man in* the road and questioned him about the Webster family. What had become of the old man,-where was this boy and that? The old man was dead, told what be knew of this boy and that, but would say nothing of Daniel. Finally the dis tinguished statesman said: “There was a boy named Daniel, what beoome of him?” *The old man scratched his bead, then said: “I don’t know, the last I beard of him he went down to Boston, aad waa trying to make a lawyer." Sam came home from the war, prac ticed law, went into the banking bual- k* Has been successful in all finan cial ventures, 1s a consistent Christian, amembor of the Baptist oburoh. In fact he Is “every inch a man.” W. P. Bubt. A BIG ENTERPRISE. THE AMERIOUS GROCERY COMPA NY'S Vast business. A Corporation of Power aad Importance. Which Is a Pride to the City and to the State- 4 Glimpse of Its Mammoth Store house. We can’t begin to tell you of all the beautiful things we have that are suit able for Christmas presents. Call and see them for yourselves. James Fbickzb a Bbo. Notion to the Baptist Sunday-School. Mr. M. Callaway, superintendent, de sires us to give notice that the Baptist Sunday-school will not meet this morn ing. Teachers and soholars are request ed to call on Dr. J. J. Ford to-morrow at the drug store and get the lesson papers for next Sunday. i Borneo the monkeys are caui considerable sxoitement by pillaging the houses of the inhabitants; but the bavoo is not so extensive as that made by colds and consumption before Dr. Bull's Cough Syrup was Introduced, whioh is now the great life-saving remedy. It you have found someone who knows how to scratch your back Just where it itches you have come pretty near finding your affinity. Got the Mittoa Every Tim*. “I can marry any girl I please," was his sxclamation, but unfortunately then he did not please any: and there was a plain reason for it He bad contracted catarrh of the worst form, aad, although a wealthy, edueated, attractive person every other way, be was positively re pulsive to his lady friends, a number of whom rejeeted his offers of marriage. A friend advised him to use Dr. Sage's Catarrh Remedy. He took his advice, aad now is the most popular beau In town, and ha really can “many any girl he pleases” to ask. It mads his breath pure and sweat, he has no hsadache, no offensive discharges from the noee, In short, Is In perfect health, and all from using a jew bottles of Dr. Sage’s Catarrh Remedy. We have more novelties this season than aver before. We invite everybody to look them over. James PnicKEn A Bbo. Wood! Weed It Chambliss Bros.will deliver wood any where in-the city, oak and pine, out any length desired. Orders left at their linnery, near Central depot, or at Davis ires.’ furniture house will receive prompt attention. Satisfaction guaran teed. novl2-sun-tuesAfri-lm. It you want your house painted with I aint that is guaranteed to be more durable aad more economical than other paints, buy I* A M. paints, sold by Da, Eldbiuoe Sixty thousand square feet of floor room! and even that hardly adequate to the demands made upon Its capacity by the enormous stock of goods constantly carried by the Amerieus Grocery Com pany at Its warehouse near the A. P. A L compress; and the piles upon piles of valuable goods stacked to many feet In height impress the observer with the feeling that he must have reached the storehouse of some feudal chieftain who has gathered for his thousands of followers provender to sustain during a long and bloody war. And yet tbls great stock, if unreplen- ished by fresh invoices, would, so great Is the trade the company commands, soon melt Into nothingness. Covering a large territory and counting among its regular customers many of the firmest and most extensive business bouses In the state of Georgia, there must be constant arrival of additions to the stock to supply the ever-increasing demand for the unimpeachable class of goods which tbls firm handles. Standing upon Its sidetracks are sel dom less than ten can, some being un loaded Into the warehouse and others loading for shipment to surrounding towns and cities. So it goes on continually, goods ar- reiving and goods departing, the estab lishment forming the distributing point for heavy groceries, which afford suste nance to hundreds of families through out Southwest Georgia. The consolidation of both branches of the business at its railroad warehouse is one of important significance to its custo mers, the $000 which was before ex pended in drayage monthly being now saved to the buyers. To see the meat one would imagine the quantity displayed sufficient to pre vent for years any scarcity, and yet in only a few days it is completely ex hausted. It would be unsafe to state how many thousands of feet of lumber are used In making boxes for its trans portation, at which work several men are always kept busy. Everything is bought in oarload lots. Just think of a carload of matches and make an approximate estimate of the number of single ones there are In this quantity. Flour by carloads, meat by train loads, corn, oats, sugar, coffee, molasses, canned goods, tobsoco, cigars, ties, bagging and everything In the same line in like quantities. It is no unusal thing for this concern to pay a draft of from $15,000 to $25,000 for a single in voice. Their sample room holds more than many another grocery store, and In It the reporter saw In one lot 40,000 cigars. The offices are in the northeast corner of the building, and are most comforta bly and conveniently arranged, ample light, well heated and carpeted, and within easy observation of the outer warehouse. The house Itself is full Iron-clad, and with two hydrant fire' hose within the building a conflagration can be easily and quickly controlled. Without the most complete and smoothly working system, suoh a busi ness could not be successfully bandied, and this system, both in the executive and clerical departments and in the smallest of minor details, is fully and methodically carried out Besides the hca*ds ot the firm, Messrs. G. W. G'.over, president; Fraqjc Lanier, Jr., vice pres.; R. L. MoMatb, Secretary and Treasurer; there are in the office, Messrs. Will Mauk, stenographer; W. C. Sullivan and Roy Balsden, shipping clerks. Eaoh of these gentlemen has shown himself thoroughly familiar with and fully competent to discharge bis partic ular duties, and their mutual oo-opera tion In working for the good of the firm, when coupled with the unusual directing ability of Ita heads, has gained for the Amerieus Grooery Company a reputation for reliability and business integrity second to none in tbs South. That such an institution exists In our midst is a pride to the city of Amerieus, and goes to demonstrate the undeniable fact that business, pluck, energy and uprightness may accomplish a great deal In these days of commercial competition and rivalry. And the steady and rapid extension of the influence of the Ameri eus Grocery Company is erecting for tbs men who oompoee it and direct Its af fairs, a monument to the enterprise and progress of themselves and the city, which will be enduring and unshaken. To just such solid Institutions is owing most of the prosperity whioh the (city now enjoys. The Amerieus Grocery Company is only eighteen months old, and slnoe Its organ!cation its growth and progress has been remarkable. Already having attained commercial proportions seoond to none In msgnltude arte credit in the Amerieus Grocery Company, uaderthair management, Is In the hands of men. who doeth all things well. They are busi ness all the way through wh*n the occa sion demands; yet they do not allow themselves to become so absorbed in the management of their Interests as to for get sociability and companionship, but enjoying life, they individually form the happy combination which avoids ex tremes and compels the liking and re spect of those with whom they are thrown in eommerciaT intercourse. The interest of the Grocery Company, like that of other large business enter prises In Americas, is identified with the interest of Americas, as the firm are purely of and with the city In all its im provements and progress. Ever liberal in aught that will redound to the com munity’s welfare. Isn’t it about time to look about for Christmas presents? Call and see what an elegant line we have. James Fbickeb A Bbo. OBDEB or COURT. Court will Coutlaae la Session Until the Docket Is Cleaned. On Monday, the 20th Inst, civil busi ness will be attended to in the superior court, continuing the entire week until Monday, the 6tb, when the criminal docket will be opened up. This docket is a heavy one, and Judge Fish has as signed two weeks to clearing it up. Three murderers will be tried and al most every other crime in the calendar will be represented. The court will then take a recess of two weeks during the Xmas holidays, oonvening again on the first Monday in January, when the civil docket will again be opened con tinuing until it Is cleared. Judge Fish will move his family to Amerlous this week,-where he resides In the future. Did I understand you to say that could get single and split zephyr, Ger mantown and Saxony wool at Allen’s? Why, of course; any shade you like? No Baptist Meeting To-dajr. The Baptists will not have ohnrch ser vices to-day. The city hall has not yet been cleared of the booths, furniture and other appurtenances of the Military fair. Mr. William T. Price, a Justice of the Peace, at Bichland, Nebraska, was con fined to bis bed last winter with a rare attack of lumbago; but a thorough application of Chamberlain’s Pain Balm enabled him to get up and goto work. Mr. Price says: “The Remedy cannot be recommended too highly.” Let any one troubled with rheumatism, neural gia or lame back give it a trial and they will be of the same opinion. 50 cent bottles for sale by W. C. Russell, Ameri eus, Ga. novl-lm. Tuesday night In the Odd Fellows’ hall, the new Lodge of the Golden Chain will be instituted. Let all be present at 7 o’clock. (4 MOTHERS’ IEND” To Young Mothers Makes Child BMh Easy. Shortens L&bor, Lessens Pain, Endorsed by the Leading Physician* Rook «• •‘Xotkero”maUed FREE. BRADFIELD REGULATOR OO. For sale by J. B. DUNN, Amerieus, DOMESTIC • COAL I For Silo this Season. I shall be p re pal red to furnish a Ugh grade Lump Coal for Grate purposes, in any quantity this fall and winter. b. R. SIMS. Sept. 8, tf Registration Notice. The excellent business capacity of the company’s president, G. W. Glover, and vioa-president Frank Lanier, Jr., has gone far towards making the present aoooess. These gentlemen have devoted years to the grocery business aad every detail is familiar to them. They have eoeoeeded in all their pri vate and publio enterprises, 'aad the ™ optMfl Ilonas j. November 2nd, sna will be kept open as ths law regains unlU Hat- unity, December Utb, lSui, when they will be dually closed. Hour* for recUtralton are from S o’clock a. m. to U m. aad from 1 o’clock to0p.m. D. K. Brinson, „„ . Clerk and Treasurer Nov O.lltl. till dee UL Lime, Cement Brick, Plaster Paris, Hair, Laths. For aale tor cash by A. J. H A M I L , IB ^OoWon ^avenue. New Bam BaUdlsg A Great Oiomity! f N consequence of my con templated removal to the two large and elegant stores recently vacated by the Bee hive and Amerieus Grocery Company, I will, during the coming week and until remov al, make an in the prices of all goods. Now is the time to buy your suits, either for Men, Youths or Children, as we will show you prices never before seen in Amerieus. Our great sale of now in progress, and we hope to close out the entire stock by January ist, if low prices on good goods consti tute any attraction. We have had an immense trade the past week in Over coats, but in consequence df new arrivals in this deparment, we are still prepared to offer you a stock that cannot be equaled in variety, and at prices that you will be sure to find agreeable to the times. We have some special at tractions in We want to close out a big lot’of these before removal,and will offer at prices that will be sure to move them rapidly. Bring on the boys and fix them up. It is predicted that we are to have an unusually severe winter, so I give you good advice: Take care of the boys’ comfort and save big doctor's bills. “An ounce of prevention is worth about a ton of cure. Remember we are closing out several lines of and will give you prices never before seen in Amerieus. The above notice on all bus iness and no buncombe. Give me a call and you will be con vinced. Thanking you for your very liberal patronage during the Pall and Winter season, and soliciting a continuance of the of the same, I am, as ever, iMoa Me;.