V
The Henry County Weekly
VOL. XLV.
THRIVING HAMPTON
Henry County’s Industrial
Center Rapidly Forging
to the Forefront. Some
Interesting Fadts.
The following splendid write-up
of West Henry county’s thriving
city, Hampton, from the pen of J.
Archie Willis, in last Sunday’s
Journal, with handsome illustra
tions, will be read with interest by
home people, and The Weekly is
glad of the opportunity to repro
duce the reading matter portion
of the article in full, though un
able to handle the cuts : ■
I have visited older cities, I have
visited larger cities in my trips
throughout the southeast, but
never in all my journeyings have
I found a city in which the spirit
of progress was so manifest as it
is in Hampton, Henry county,
Georgia. I found this town bound
into a compact team-work for
growth and advancement. Every
factor for progress seemed to be
alive, alert and forward-marching.
Laggards, grouchers and knock
ers I found not at all. There is
no place for them in this thriving
city. If in the past they have hap
pened to be there, they have found
such uncongenial surroundings
that they did not stay long. And
if they should go there now they
would find their room and place
in this city needed for the builders
and boosters, and would hence
forth depart.
Location
Hampton is located on the Cen
of Georgia road about 30 miles
south of Atlanta. This is one of
the most important of the Cen
tral’s lines, as can be judged by
the fact that there enter and leave
Hampton each day 12 passenger
trains, while the freight traffic is
also large, both for through trans
portation and for local shipping,
for a large and prosperous section
is thereby served, in fact one of
the most productive parts of Geor
gia.
Manufacturing Enterprises
One of Hampton’s chief lines of
development is in its facilities and
possibilities as a manufacturing
center. Already a splendid start
has been made in this direction.
The tow'll possesses three as pros
perous and progressive cotton
manufacturing plants as can be
found in the entire south. These
are the Henderson Manufacturing
company, makers of cotton yarns;
’ the Henderson Manufacturing
company, makers of ladies’ knit
underwear, and the Hampton Cot
ton mills, madufacturers of cotton
yarns. Another one of Hampton’s
big concerns is the Hampton
Guano company, which annually
handles large quantities of fertiliz
ers, supplying all this part of Hen
ry county and counties adjacent.
City Government
At the head of the city govern
ment is Geo. S. Malaier. He is
and has been closely identified
with all the town’s various steps
of progress. He is a man of splen
did business and executive ability
and Hampton is prospering under
his administration. I was delight
ed with the way in which he keeps
Hampton cleared of loafers and
idlers of all kind. He, indeed,
goes after them with gloves off
and they make themselves as a
consequence very scarce. Hamp-
A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of McDonough and Henry County.
ton is no place for loafing. Every
man, every citizen is busy —busy
making a success for himself and
helping his town grow. The loaf
er must make way for men of
more worth to the community.
Mayor Malaier has been con
nected with the Hampton Mills for
the past 12 years. He was elect
ed to the mayoralty last December
without opposition. He has also
served Henry county for the past
several months as food adminis
trator and has helped to place
Henry county on the list of coun
ties in Georgia who are 100 per
cent patriotic.
The Hampton Cotton Mills
One of the largest and best of
Hampton’s industries is the Hamp
ton Cotton mills. These nulls
were organized in 1900 with a cap
ital stock of $50,000. Today its
capital is $150,000 and it has a
surplus of SIOO,OOO and undivided
profits of $173,000. That will give
some idea of its growth and im
portance.
The success of this mill has been
due in a large measure to its able
management. The officers are
W. M. Harris, president and. gen
eral manager; W. P. Wilson, vice
president; R. M. Harris, secretary
treasurer and superintendent.
Mr. Harris is one of Hampton’s
foremost citizens. He is a splen
did type of the men here who are
making of this place a real city.
Mr. Harris is a man of progres
sive ideas and public spirited and
patriotic to the last degree. He
has had three sons In the service
of his country in its great fight for
world freedom : Lieutenant Ray
mond L. Harris, in the aviation
corps in France; Lieutenant Henry
H. Harris, in the signal corps in
the states, and Manley Harris, af
fectionately known as “Sport,” in
the engineers’ corps in the states.
Mr. Harris is largely interested
in a number of other important
enterprises in Hampton. He is
the president of the First National
bank and also president of the
Crescent Mercantile company.
This latter firm is one of Hamp
ton’s leading mercantile concerns,
which annually does a tremendous
business in general merchandise.
The officers of this company are
W. M. Harris, president; E. R.
Harris, secretary and treasurer
and Charles Westmoreland, assist
ant secretary. It has a capital
stock of $12,000.
The First National Bank
I have already made mention of
the First National bank, of Hamp
ton, but the importance of this in
stitution and the part it is playing
in the advancement of Hampton
and Henry county deserves fur
ther comment.
The bank has a capital of $30,000
and a surplus of $3,000. Its total
resources, as shown in its state
ment of December 31, amount to
$180,967. It has deposits amount
ing to $98,690.64. Its net profits
for 1918 amounted to $5,400.
The officers of this bank are W.
M. Harris, president; A. M. Hen
derson, vice-president, and E. R.
Harris, cashier. They are all men
whose worth and ability are wide
ly recognized. The community
has entire confidence in their in
tegrity and financial ability.
Bank of Hampton
The Bank of Hampton began
business on October 1, 1902, with
McDonough, Georgia. Friday. January 24, 1919.
a paid in capital of $25,000. if
had no surplus to begin with. To
day its capital stock and profits
amount to $60,000. The first year
of its operations it paid a dividend
of 8 per cent. It has paid a divi
dend every year since, never less
than 8 per cent and sometimes as
high as 20 per cent. Its statement
of December 31 shows total re
sources of $215,141.50.
The officers of this bank are W.
P. Wilson, president; R. J. Arnold,
vice-president, and J. O. Ruther
ford, cashier. These men would
do credit to the financial power
and prestige of any city. Nowhere
are to be founc men who have
the interest of their town and
community more at heart. They
have helped in a most distinctive
way the progress of Hampton and
Henrv county and they are mak
ing their banking institution sec
ond to none in the country in the
way of service, financial sound
ness and progressiveness.
As showing the work of devel
opment the men of this bank are
doing I want to cite the cattle in
dustry which J. O. Rutherford,
cashier of this bank, has estab
lished.
He was the first man to bring
to Georgia a breeding herd of
Aberdeen-Angus cattle and has
demonstrated that as fine cattle
can be produced and raised in
Georgia as there can in the mid
dle west or anywhere else. He
was very careful to have none but
the best as foundation stock and
conseouently e\fery calf on his
place has been a good one. He
has sold young animals to breed
ers in different sections of the
state and they have ail done well
and their owners are more than
pleased with them. The cattle he
has on hand now are as good as
can be found anywhere in Ameri
ca —both as to blood lines and in
dividuality.
In fact, he has a yearling heifer
that has met the strongest compe
tition in the biggest show in the
world and was among the win
ners. It would be worth any
man’s time to run down to Hamp
ton and see such animals. They
stand on very short iegs, set wide
apart, elegant head, bodies deep
and thick, smooth as an egg, beef
from lung to heel of the very
highest quality and quantity. This
breed of cattle is very hardy and
will thrive and do well under al
most any conditions, and if given
a chance, will astonish one by
their rapid gains and develop
ments. Mr. Rutherford has rais
ed calves that weighed as high as j
six hundred pounds at six months
old. He has on hand now, a yearl
ing bull one and a half years old
that will weigh about 1,500 pounds,
and is in just good growing order.
This bull promises to exceed a ton
in weight when grown.
The Henderson Manufacturing Com
pany
The Henderson Manufacturing
company is Hampton’s pioneer
manufacturing concern. It is f he
oldest industrial enterprise in the
city and one of the most impor
tant. The products of this com
pany are cotton yarns and ladies’
knit underwear. It yarns and its
underwear are considered to be
among the best of their kind man
ufactured anywhere. They find a
ready sale upon the markets, in
fact, are eagerly snapped up.
This company has a capital in
vested to the amount of $272,000
with sales that run to $600,000.
It employs 125 operatives who
are skilled laborers, well paid and
content.
The company was organized 20
vears ago by the late A. J. Hen
derson, and the business is now
continued by his sons. The offi
cers of the company are W. Z.
Henderson, president; A. D. Hen
derson, manager, and A. M. Hen
derson, secretary and treasurer.
These men have made a tre
mendous success of this enter
prise. This has been accomplish
ed by untiring effort and a policy
characterized by breadth and
progress. The advancement of
this enterprise is their cheif con
cern and to see that it prospers,
they devote their time and energy
which are given as likewise to the
interest and well-being of their
operatives.
The Henderson-Arnold Company
One of the best and biggest gen
eral merchandise firms in Hamp
ton or this part of Henry county
is the Hendson-Arnold company.
The officers of this company are
R. J. Arnold, president and R. E.
Henderson, secretary and treas
urer.
It carries one of the largest and
most up-to-date stocks of goods
that I have seen for some time. I
call this a most successful mer
cantile enterprise both from the
viewpoint of service and stock
and the wide and growing patron
age which it enjoys.
In addition to its general line of
merchandise this firm is represen
tive in Henry, Clayton, Fayette,
Spalding and Butts counties for
the famous Chevrolet automobiles.
They carry in stock also splendid
line of accessories and parts and
will fill orders for accessories and
parts on short notice. They are
equipped in an up to-date manner
to furnish the quickest and best
service. They operate also in con
nection with its automobile busi
ness a garage and furnish the best
of garage service.
The firm is likewise agent in the
counties above mentioned for the
Western Electric farm lighting
equipment.
a n Af t
/V. u. i lamci auu hvcij
Stable Owner
One of the most genial men per
sonally, and one of the most pro
gressive citizens that I met in
Hampton was A. B. Mitcham, who
is an extensive farmer and also
conducts a big livery and sales
stable. Mr. Mitcham annually
does a large busines in horses and
mules, supplying Henry county
and adjoining counties with best
grade of live stock.
Mr. Mitcham is 100 per cent
progressive and 100 per cent pa
triotic. F. A. Mitcham, his son, is
associated with him in the busi
ness, but is now in Uncle Sam’s
service as lieutenant. His other
son, A. B. Mitcham, Jr., is also in
service in the navy.
Mr. Mitcham is a thorough be
liever in Hampton and Henry
county, and is always a worker in
the interest of their progress and
advancement.
Hampton Warehouse
J. M. Tarplev, proprietor of the
Hampton Warehouse, conducts an
up to-date cotton storage concern
and handles in addition hay, grain,
provisions, shoes, groceries and
hardware.
The fact that Henry is a great
cotton producing county means
that Mr. Tarplev’s cotton business
CORPORATION TO
HOLD COTTON IS
TO BE FORMED
Capital Stock of $12,000,000,
With Shares Selling as Low
as Ten Dollars Each, Planned,
Says J. J. Brown.
ATLANTA, Ga., January 23.
A SI2,(XX),OCX) cotton corpora
tion with stock selling as low as
$lO a share, will be in existence
as soon as the charter can be pre
pared and approved by the courts,
according to J. J. Brown, commis
sioner of Agriculture and a mem
ber of the committee, which met
Monday afternoon with Daniel J.
Sully to formulate plans for the
new organization. Tiiis will be
the biggest corporation ever or
ganized as a basis of cotton oper
ations.
As described by Mr. Brown the
corporation will be an immense
marketing and financing agency,
a medium between the producer
and the spinner of cotton. It will
function similarly to the Georgia
Fruit Exchange, only in a wider
field. It will provide a cotton ex
change for the farmers of the
southeastern belt and will event
ually stop, the commissioner says,
short speculative selling on the
cotton exchange.
The directors will lease, buy or
build warehouses, gilt-edge in
their security, in which farmers
may store their cotton, paying a
small amount per bale for the
privilege. If it is necessary, mon
ey will be advanced on the staple,
but marketing advantages will ho
afforded all. The cotton will be
held until such time as the mar
ket price reaches the figure set by
the owmer.
is large and the further fact that
Henry is a populous and growing
county means also that Mr. Tar
pley’s mercantile business is pros
pering, showing as it does a
healthy increase each year.
Mr. Tarpley is a leader not only
in his line but in all measures and
movements that have for their
object the progress and advance
ment of Hainoton and Henry coun -
ty. Mr. Tarpley is a booster, al
ways enthusiastic wLerever his
town and county are concerned.
He is regarded as one of Hamp
ton’s most substantial and most
valuable citizens.
The Hampton Hardware and Furni
ture Company
A leader in its line is the Hamp
ton Hardware and Furniture com
pany, who, in addition to conduct
ing an extensive business in the
lines indicated are licensed em
balmers and afford excellent fun
eral service. So extensive is their
stock that their motto, “Every
thing from the Cradle to the
Grave,” has pertinent significance.
The firm handles hardware, tools,
implements furniture, jewelry,
paints, oils, brushes and the like.
The head of the firm Luther J.
Copeland, one of the ablest of
Hampton’s leading business men.
The City of Beautiful Homes
Hampton is indeed a city of
beautiful, attractive homes. One
is impressed with this upon even
(Continued on last page.)
$1.50 A YEAR
