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PLOT TO SPREAD BALL Laid Bare By Governon-Elect Hoke Smith. WROTE HIM AND MADE PERSONAL VISIT Original Pair, It Seems, Has 100,- 000 Insects They Aim to Intro duce Into This State and South •Carolina—Olficlals Will Seek to Prevent. Atlanta.—An alleged plot to in oculate the cotton fields of Georgia and South Carolina with 100,000 of the dread boll weevil has been dis covered and made public by Gov ernor-elect Hoke Smith. Information of this caibe to Mr. Smith, according to a statement he gave out Saturday, in a letter from a man in New Orleans,., who later went to Atlanta and had a personal interview with Mr. Smith, corrob orating the facts contained in the communication. According to the st@ry given out by Mr. Smith, he received this startling letter on February 1. He at once communicated" with Com missioner of Agriculture Hudson and State Entomologist Worsham. In'accordance” with the suggestion contained in the letter of the New Orleans man, Mr. Smith inserted a want ad in the New York .Jerald on February 5. .On February 10 the •Jvjswv Orleans-•mail .^veut. 'to-Wto- ianta and conferred with Mr. Smith, rcitofating' the statements in his let ter. My. Smith says he cannot di vulge the name of his informant, but hag^; every confidence in his in tegrity. Here is the original letter disclosing the plot: “Hon. Hoke Smith, Governor- elect of Georgia. “Dear Sir: In writing this letter I'do so because I feel it my duty and I know you well enough by reputation to know you will appreciate/it fully. I will be as brief as possible and get right to the point. “There are two men, one from Texas, and I am not just sure where the other is from at this writing, but I should say Chicago from his talk, who are going to distribute boll weevils in every cot ton-raising county in Georgia and South Carolina in the next ninety days. They claim to have 100, •O00 live insects now, and they showed me a box containing (I should say) 5,000 of them. “Their object, in discussing it with me, was to get me to help them distribute the .weevil and share in vthe profits—that is, I was to buy ' 1,00(0 bales of October cotton think from the talk that one man has already gone to Augusta with several thousand in small boxes. “How I happened to be able to •write you this information came about in this way: I met one of the men wliom I have known for several years and we had two three drinks together and the con versation drifted to cotton. lex- pressed a belief that cotton would decline 100 points or more. Finally he said if I would give him my word as a man he would tell me some thing out of which I could make a ^fortune. I promised him and this was the scheme he disclosed to me He gave me a mass of Setails, etc. that are for the present worthless The second man seemed afraid to trust me, or anyone elsfe, in this case the man whom I knew assured him I was all O. K, hence the confidence. I felt it was my duty to do something, so I thought I would write you and let you advis® the officers and farmers to bo on tjie lookout for suspicious people. I am. a business man here and do not want any notoriety, so I must make this an anonymous letter. Am leav ing for New York tonight. If you are interested-, insert a pcrsbnal in the New York Herald and sigh it ‘Georgia’ in next Sunday’s (Febru ary 5) paper. I am willing to come and see you and do anything you think best. I promised upon my honor I would not disclose anv names, but I might help you anu your officers intercept the insects and arrest the men with them. “New Orleans, January 31.” After Mr. Smith had consulted with Hudson and Worsham the personal was inserted in the New York Herald and the writer of the letter conferred with the governor- elect Friday. It is said he corrob orated the facts he had written, bu l would not divulge the names of the two men implicated. Just what plan will be agreed on to apprehend the two men and pre vent the scattering of the weevil has nit been divulged. Some believe that the whole thing is a fake of some sort, but just tvhat the game is does not appear. Mr. Smith and others, however, take the matter seriously and warn farmers to be on their guard. The planting of the boll weevil in Geor gia vAuld .j'.ym (t.i n: i m 1 Liens' dol- Much Interest Being Shown In The Progress’ Contest Many Names Being Nominated By Their Friends in the Various Districts. Others Will Probably Enter in the Next Few Days. To the Farmers of Grady JCounty Thursday. Great interest is beirg shown in The Progress’ Great Popularity Voting Contest. The first week brought in quite a few nominations, many of same starting out with the determination of winning one of the valuable prizes offered by this paper. Now fellow citizens, it is up to you to help these ladies win theit prizes by subscribing or renewing your subscription to this paper or giving them such advertising that they might solicit. Prepare for a call for they are going to call on every person in The Progress’ territory. Ladies if your name doesn’t appear among these nominated, and ■you wish to nnter this contest, fill out the nomination coupon published elsewhere in this issue and send same in to this office at once and ge an early start with the others, for its going to be I he lady that gets the lead at the start that makes the others hustle to catch her. Nomina tions continu to come in and will likely be 2 or 3 .weeks before all the nominations are in. So don’t wait. Send in your name or the name of some friend that you would like to see win one of these grand prizes. DO IT NOW. Below is published a list of nominations up to date, which shows there is considerable interest being shown among the citizens who would like to see their favorite win. The names of the ladies that appear below have their credit: COWS, HORSES, ETC Large Urowd Met Train Here- Doubled Las! Year’s Crowd- Improved Farm Machinery. The “College on Wheels” vis- + lafeirf damage to cotton grinder's. Entomologist Is Worried Over Boll Weevil Report. E. Lee Worsham, sliate entomol ogist, is considerably worried over the report that unknown parties have planned to distribute the boll weevil over Georgin and the Caro- linas. * ‘Of course I know nothing of the eport except that contained in the statement issued by Governor-elect Hoke Smith and in which he stated information has come to him that unknown parties have planned to introduce the boll weevil into this state surreptitiously,” said Mr. Worsham. “It is possible that such a thing Sb contemplated by persons who de sire to reduce the supply of cotton and thus run up the pi ice and it could be done very easily with dis astrous results. A few handfuls of weevils dropped from"a train would soon over-run the state with the pest. ‘Under ordinary conditions the boll weevil is not due to reach Geor gia until probably the latter part of next year, but should it reach Geor gia before that time and when we are not prepared to fight it success fully, the damage would be incal culable,” Mr. Worsham recalled the fact that-about six years ago the boll weevil suddenly appeared upon the farm at the Mississippi experiment station and that government experts reached the conclusion that the pest had been introduced there by some person or persons desiring to dam age the cotton crop. Miss Sallie Belle Cooper " Nelle Denton “ Addie Lou Powell \- “ Lucile Stringer “ Mary Bell “ Ora Brunson “ Clyde Griper “ Annie Lee Dekle “ Viola Blitch “ Lela More “ Maggie Rehberg «. ;• Rc«jcft;(lle Morrison ^ Mrs. J. W. Jones 1,000 votes to Cairo, Ga. Miss Maggie Pearl Lee ~ elle Estelle Herring Carrie Autry Callie Vickers Mattie Butler Winiford Harp er Bertha Powell - ty/higham Spring Hill Pine Level Woodland Pelham J. L. Smith, of Eldorendo, Deca tur county, is said to have a can ning industry at his place that is paying handsomely. This is a bit of news that 1 will be of considerable encouragement to a large number of people who have been somewhat shy on the canning business. A VERY DELIGHTFUL OCCASION EPWCRTH LEAGUE SOCIAL AT MB POWELL’S The Epworth League exists for the training and the develop ement of the young people of the church in in all things that will fit and pre pare them for futur e usefulness in the Kingdom of Christ. It recog nizes not only the spiritual and in tellectual sides of young life, but it also seeks to provide for the social nature as well, It believes in cul tivating our relations as individuals one with another; it believes in the mingling of the Sexes in the social side of life and in the orginazation of the League, this side of our lives has been recognized in providing a social department, with a vice pres ident in charge. Miss Addie Lou Powell fills this office for the pres ent year, having charge of the social activities of the young people. No more competent person and no one more interested in that which makes for the social welfare, the clean, pure enjoyment of the young life of our community,, could have charge >f this very important part of the League work. It was a “Valentine Social” and -so the invitations were written on paper cut in the shape of hearts and this old idea of Valentine Day was also used very successfully to ;be interest and the mirth of the guests. The home was attractively lecorated with the League colors, festoons of crape paper hanging from cornor to cornor, all gracefully ’gather on the electric light chan- Hicrs. The guests, nearly fifty in number, filled the double parlors The hostess, assisted bv her mother and Mrs. George Wight, was un tiring in her efforts at interesting her fiionds and the tide of social enjoyment was not allowed to ebb, till it reached its full in the use of that old game, borrowed from our ancesters back in old England, in ■which each young man chose his ‘ ‘valentine. It was innocent, amus ing and novel. All present voted Miss Addie Lou Powell not only charming, but also a very sucessful hostess. Just before the happy guest turned reluctant feet homeward, tl.e double doors between the parlors and the dining room were thrown open and they were invited to partake soirie elegant and abundant refresh ments. The social was a delightful succes in every way and the you ng people hope that the rule of the League, “a monthly social,” will NTERESTING EXHIBITS WERE SHOWN be carried out henceforth. One of the Young People. Carrying Coals to Newcastle. From Cotton and Cotton Oil News. Importing cotton into this country would seem to be like carrying coa to Newcastle. However, last year the United States imported two million dollars’ worth of cotton. Oyer two-thirds of this came from Egvpt. The Egyptian Cotton is used in those manufactures wh ere a fine grade of cotton is required. Cotton-gro Ayers of this ocuntry might do well to impro ve the staple and to experiment with sea island and Egyptian cotton along the coast country with a view to growing long staple cotton to meet the increasing demand for such cotton. ited Cairo Thursday at noon. A large number of farmers from every section of Grady was here to see and hear. The train, on its arriyal, was greeted by the Cairo Concert Band. Much interest was displayed by the citizens in the various lec tures and exhibits. The school children were per mitted to visit the cars and in spect the exhibits. The exhibits on the second edu cational train are tastefully ar ranged, and present in graphic form data of interest on every , phase of agricultural practice in’ the state of Georgia. The car oi live stock was very attractive. • Some splendid specimen^ of' horses, cattle, sheep,’ swine’ and poultry are carried on the car. They were exhibited on a flat’car, and this enabled all to-se^ them to advantage. The car • of farm machinery proved interesting ot .many . ’ There was a gas ggine which drives a motor, showing liuvv ligin: for the farm may be. provided; various grinding mills and a gin such as farmers might use to delint their choice selected seed, and prevent them being contaminated by pressing through a public gin. a manure spreader, deep tiling plow, and various other implements the use of which means better preparation , of the land and larger and more profitable crops. In the baggage cars many of the exhibits shown were behind glass and presented a very at tractive sight. Everything had been labled with the utmost care, and one taking time enough to pass through the car gathered much valuable information with/ out the aid of a guide, though some fourteen experts accompany the train for the sole purpose of giving information to visitors. The boys’ corn club exhibits, showing methods of germinating and testing seed, interested many. The soil analyses shown were certninly as important as anything could be to the farmers of the state. The exhibit of cot ton grades prove instructive to all who studied them for a few minutes. The model farm show ing how the land should be divided to enable the practice of an eco nomic rotation is one of the most instructive features of the train. The workin dairy furnished many valuable lessons. Artifical cot ton plants and charts had been prepared to illustrate the effect of a deficiency in certain elements, such as potash on plant growth. A section of plants just as they grow in the field forms a feature of the cotton exhibit and illus trates a yield of about two and a half bales to the acre. This is one of. the selected \ strain-5 of cotton produced on the farm w'-ich is resistant to anthracno je, a disease which causes millions of dollars loss in Georgia. In addition there were exhibits of spray machinery and spray ma terial for controlling injurious insects and plant diseases. The State Department of Ento mology has a very attractive dis play. Valuable ds.ta waspresented relative to fertilizers and ferti- Continued on last page. w