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Grady County Progress
ROBERT H. HARRIS
ROBERT L. KINCAID
Associate Editors.
Entered as mail matter of the second-class at the Cairo, Ga.,
Post Office, July 22, 1910.
WHAT ABOUT EDUCATION?
That was the subject-of our leading editorial, las?
week, It is the subject of our leader, again, this week.
For this, we offer no apology. The twicer-treated ques
tion is the most important—of a secular character—about
which cur people can be concerned. And it is not.easy to
exhaust the subject;—howsoever readily the patience of
some of our readers may become exhausted by its repeated
presentation.
The conclusion of our former article was expressed
in these words: Let us be willing to educate; let
US SANCTION COMPULSORY LEGISATION LOOKING TO THAT
end; LET US CHEERFULLY SUBMIT TO LEGITIMATE TAX
ATION FOR THAT PURPOSE.
In the present article, we shall consider a different
phase of the question. And we feel sure that no fair-
minded reader will adjudge us guilty of a breach of good
taste, because of a few personal references to ourself, in
making clear our objective point.
This editor was a school-boy at the opening of “the
war between the states." Leaving school, a lad in his
teens, he joined the first command that left his state, the
Newnan Guards, as lettered, “Co. A, of the 1st Ga. Regt."
He served in the Confederate army, without a lapse, until
the end of that war; and refusing to surrender, at the
:close, he made his way attended by two of his “men," on
foot, through the country, to his home in Thomasville.
Mrs. W. C. Barrow, of this community, is the daughter
and Mrs. J. L. Mauldin, of this town, th? niece of one of
those men—Mike Stephens.
By the time named, this writer had become a grown
man. The little “smattering" of “book learning” he had
acquired at school was. practically, a vague memory, of
no available service to nim, and he found himself under
the necessity of “going to work" to take care of a little
girl to whom he had been then recently married.
Thus, he never did “go to school" another day, after he
“left for the war." And, thus, you readers may form
some conception of the terriffic battle that youth was com
pelled to wage with adverse and often hostile circum
stances, (which will not be even hinted at, here) to even
imperfectly qualify himself for positions that he has since
been called to fill, as a teacher, in schools and colleges.
Will it not be conceded, now, that our experience
•gives us some right to speak upon the subject or educa
tion?—and schools? We have suffered the want. We
have felt the need. We have realized the imperative
necessity. We believe we have some conception of the
proper remedies for hurtful conditions that have long
existed in connection with our public school system—or
lack of system.
Therefore we speak.
The particular phase of the educational question we
desire to call attention to, in this article, concerns THE
IMPROVEMENT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
There is nothing before our legislature, now"in session
more important than this matter and we are glad to be a-
ble to say that we believe measures have been and will be
adopted which will vastly improve the situation.
We long for the youth of the on-coming generation to
have offered to them opportunities and advantages that
we did not enjoy and that thousands of others like us
lacked, in the^ea ’s agone.
And we are hopeful.
Both branches of our legislature have evinced a
laudable disposition to improve heretofore existing very
defective conditions. Several important bills are pend
ing which, if passed, will greatly ameliorate, if they do
not completely correct great evils. We mention some of
the principal subjects-matter of those bills.
They are:
First, To provide for a more thorough and and up-
to-date plan of organization in our public school system.
Second, To give the state board of education actual
and not merely nominal influence.
.Third, To require a more a more-careful supervision
of rural schools than has'been possible, under the- here
tofore existing system.
change the name, county school COM
MISSIONER, to SUPERINTENDENT, imposing upon
S: aild au thoricy corresponding to that title.
f lfth, To preclude hitherto prevalent delays in the
payment of public school teachers’ salaries.
We wish our people, throughout the state, would.
AVD^DEFTOTEACTIOlf. 81 ^^’ URGING PR0 ^ PT
An Excellent Woman Gone.
Mrs. S. M. Spooner, the moth
er of Mrs. L. F. Butler of Cairo,
died at the home of one of her
sons near Iron City, on the 8th
ins ., and her body was laid away
to rest, in the family burying
grounds on the following day.
Mrs. Spooner is an excellent
woman and her death is sincerely
lamented by many warm friends.
Mrs. Butler, the devoted wife
of one of our most prominent
citizens and highly esteemed in
her own person, has the heart
felt sympathy of numerous
friends in her sad affliction. £
ABOUT FARMING.
What do you know about farm
ing? asks someone.
Well, probably not nearly so
much as our interrogator. But
possibly we may know some
things that he has not yet found
out. We are going to write
about those things.
The census report on “Farms,
Farmers and Farm Lands,”
for 1910, was published in the
telegraphic dispatches of Tues
day, last week. As our pages
were about full, at that tim**, we
have deferred j reproducing that
report until we have space in
which to call special attention to
three of its most salient fea
tures;—and to add some com
ments that may prove of soi
inWest to our farmer friends?
One of those features is the
marvelous increase in the value
of agricultural lands, since A.
D. 1900.
Another feature of interest is
the reduction in the size of farms.
And the third is the large in
crease in the number of negro
farmers who own their home
steads.
As to the first point,
the census shows an advance in
farm values of 166 per cent! A
correct statement of increase in
values,'up to this date,, (1911),
would probably show a much
larger per cent, of enhancement
than is indicated in the census
repdrt. We remember the time,
not a thousand years ago. when
some large holders, were called
“land poor.” There are no
such persons NOW>{ (Those who
own lands that they are willing
to sell and those who want to
purchase lands may, each class,
profitably reflect upon the facts
herein set forth.
As to the second point, we
consider the reduction in the size
of farms an encouraging symp
tom. It seems to us to indicate
two things; First, That more
people are owning farms; Second,
That there fewer tenants
Let us consider these points,
separately.
First, While there are a.few
men who, like James M. Smith,
of Oglethorpe, are able to suc
cessfully conduct planting
operations on a vast scale, most
farmers do better, on a small
scale. While the small farmer
handles fewer hundreds of dol
lars than the large planter han
dles, a larger percentage of what
he does handle is left in his
packet, as profit. As profits ac
cumulate, the small farmer who
has not owned land,to start with
soon finds himself abla to buy a
farm.
Second, The increase in the
number of small farms owned
by their operators, implies a cor
responding decrease in the num
ber of tenants. That ’means
more “intensive” farming. While
many a renter will merely skim
the surface, so to speak, extract
ing everything possible from the
soil and giving little or nothing
in return, the man who owns the
land he cultivates will endeavor
to improve its fertility, to re
move stumps and other impedi
ments, to stop “washing.” etc.
Now, as to the third point. \ve
state the facts and leave our
farms in Georgia. At that time
the percentage of white farm-
owners in the state was 63 and
of negro farm-owners, 37. In
1910, the number of farms was
290,000—an increase of $66,000.
Of farm-owners, there were, at
the latter date, 58 per cent, of
whites and 42 per cent, of ne
groes.. A little figuring shows
29.5 per cent, increase within ten
years, in the number of farms in
Georgia; an increase of 13.5 ip
the number of negro owners;
and a decrease in the number
of white owners, of oyer 8 per
cent!
Sit down and cogitate, people!
OUR WORD KEPT.
We were mildly twitted by
some of our friends, last week,
because we “failed to keep our
word to have the paper published
Thursday.”
The “jollying” was entirely
friendly and jocular, resulting in
no irritation to us, as we are
sure none was meant But, as a
matter of fact, it was a broken
engine and not our broken
word, that delayed our issue.
We went to press before 2 o’clock,
Thursday, and the whole edition
would have been out, three hours
later, but for the fact that our
motive engine ‘ ‘went dead on us, ”
when we were about half
through; thus delaying us until
Friday morning., H.
ENCOURAGING.
The Georgia and Alabama In
dustrial Index, published in
Columbus, Ga., said, a few days
ago:
“Georgia-Alabama Cities con
tinue to set the pace for progress.
The mayor of Savannah, Ga., is
to recommend this week an elec
tion on issuing $600,000 of bonds
for drainage purposes. Mont
gomery, Ala., is to vote on issu
ing $325,000 of funding and im
provement bonds. Birmingham,
Ala., is inviting bids on $1,300,-
000 of bonds, recently voted.
Lawrenceville, Ga., is to vote on
the issuance of $50,000 of water
works and sewage bonds. Wash
ington, Ga., voted electric light
and waterworks bonds. At-
talla, £Ia„ is inviting bids for
extensire > sidewalk paving.
Blakely, Ga., awarded contract
for the construction of $20,000 of
sewers.
. “A large ice factory is reported
for Augusta, Ga., and a similar
plant will prubably be established
at Valdosta, Ga. Plans are be
ing prepared for a large lumber
manufacturing plant at Tusca
loosa, Ala. New railroad shops
are to be built at Thomasville,
Ga , at a cost of $80,000. A fur
niture factory is reported for
Gainesville, Ga. A saw manu
facturing plant at Atlanta, Ga.,
is to be enlarged.” .
We suggest 'that the live sec
retary of our Board of Trade fur
nish The Industrial Index with
facts about some of Cairo’s vari
ety of important new enterprises.
. : H.
The Civic Sword.
A copy of this publieation has
reached our desk and we take
pleasure in calling attention to
it. It is a neat octavo monthly
of sixteen pages, issued by
“Sword Publishing Company,”
at Camp Creek, Ga., Culberson,
N. C . P. O., and our junior edi
tor, Mr. Robert Lee Kincaid, is
in charge of its editorial depart
ment. His seat, for sometime
past, upon a tripod from which
he could look with the naked
eye upon the mountains of four
states, his-native Georgia", North
Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee, has qualified him for
a good many things that our
readers will find out, in due time.
H.
Local Affairs.'
Judging by the way ,in which
my friends continue to report to
me, local happenings, many of
them overlooked the notice given
last week, that l am not attend
ing to that department of the
paper any longer. I did so, cheer
fully, the first'threo weeks; but
since Mr. Johnson’o assumption
of the local tripod, he is looking
after and will continue to provide
well for that, important detail of
our business. My articles will
all show my patronymic initial
subscribed and. my clippings will
either give the name of the pu
blication from which taken, or
be marked, Ex.
Robert H. Harris.
Application for Charter.
GEORGIA—Grady county.
To tho Superior Court of said county:
The petition of J. J. Coppage, W. T.
Crawford, Walter L. wight, K. P.
Wight, D. F. Oliver, J. D. Holman, W.
G. Baggett, Ira Higdon, Wight &
Browne, Joe Ilighdon. J. E. Hall, Wal
ter Davis, W. B. Roddenbery, Walter
Harper and C. G. Stephens, all of the
County oi Grady, and Camilla Cotton
Oil & Fertilizer Company, of the Coun
ty of Mitchell, and State of Georgia,
respectfully shows:
1. That they desire for themselves,
their associates and successors to be in
corporated and made a body politic un
der the name and style of
GRADY GINNING COMPANY
for a period of twenty years.
2. The principal office of said com
pany shall bo in the city of Cairo, State
and County aforesaid; but petitioners
desire the right to establish branch
offices in the State or elsewhere, when
ever the holdeJS of a majority of the
stock may so determine.
3. The object of said corporation is
pecuniary gain to itself and its share
holders.
4. The business to be carried on by
said corporation is that of ginning cot
ton, to include the buying and selling of
seed, and the manufacture of cotton
seed oil, and the transaction of ail busi
ness incident to the ginning of cotton
and the manufacture of cotton seed oil.
5. The capital stock of said corpo
ration shall be Six Thousand ($6,000),
dollars with the privilege of in
creasing the same to the 'sum of
Fifty Thousand ($50,000) dollars by
a majority vote of tho stockholders,
said steck to be divided into shares of
Twenty Five ($26.00) Dollars each.
Ten (10) per cent of the amount of capi
tal stock to be employed by them has
been actually paid in.
Petitioners desire the right to have
the subscription to said capital stock
paid in money or property to be taken
at a fair valuation.
6. Petitioners desire the right to sue
and be sued, to plead and be impleaded,
to have and use a common seal, to
make all necessary by-laws and regula
tions and do all other things that may
be necessary for the successful carrying
on of said business, including the right
to buy, hold and sell real estate and
personal property suitable to the pur
poses of the corporation, and to execute
notes and bonds as evidence of indebt
edness incurred, or which may be . in
curred in the conduct of the affairs of
the corporation, and to secure the same
by mortgage, security deed or other
form of lien under- existing laws.
- 7. They desire for said corporation
the power and authority to apply for
and accept amendments to its charter
of either form or substance by a vote
of a majority of itB stock outstanding
at the time. They also ask authority
for said corporation to wind up its af
fairs, liquidate and discontinue its bun?
ness at any time it may determine to-
do so by a vote of two-thirds of its stock
out-standing at the time.
8. They desire for the said cor
poration the right of renewal when and
as provided by the laws of Georgia,
and that it have all such' other rights,
powers, privileges and immunities as
are incident to like corporations or
permissible under the laws of Georgia.
Wherefore, petitioners pray to be
incorporated under the name and style
aforesaid with the powers, privileges
and immunities herein set forth and as
are now. or may hereafter be, allowed
a corporation of similar character under
the laws of Georgia.
— M. L. LEDFORD,
m Attorney for Petitioners.
Filed in office of Clerk Superior Court
Grady County, Ga., July 25th, 1911.
J. M. McNair,
Deputy Clerk.
GEORGIA—Grady County
I, J. M. McNair, Jr., deputy clerk of
the superior court of said county, do
hereby certify that the foregoing is a
true and correct copy of the petition for
charter of Grady Ginning Company, as
appears of fiie in my office.
Given undea my hand and seal of
office. This July 25tfi, 1911.
. J. M. McNaIr, Jr.
Deputy Cierk Superior Court Grady Co.
Travelers Alabama ward.
Effective July 31st, connection
between trains 185 and 187 at
Bainbridge will be made. No. 187
will leave Bainbridge 6;40 PM.
and will arrive Dothan 8:40 P.M.
it is Appetizing
to see our bread and pastry as it comes
from the oven. It not only looks good
but is
-Very Healthy
because it is made of the very best ma
terial and well baked. Let us be your
Bread and Pastry cook thit summer and
you will find it a saving of money and
ubor. 1
CITY BAKERY
TELEPHONE NO. 173.