Newspaper Page Text
Cotton Market:
Following was ruling
prices here yesterday:
Middling, 15 3-8 cts.
Good mid. 15 1-2 cts.
VOL. 1 1. NO. 4
COVINGTON HOTEL
DESTROYED BY FIRE,
ICE COVERS CLOTHING OF THE
FIREMEN AS THEY WORK.
Coldest Night of the Year Brings the
Firemen Out to Work On Biggest
Blaze Since Organization of That
Department.
At an early hour Wednesday night
fire was discovered in the Covington
Hotel and the alarm was turned in.
Although the weather was extremely
cold the fire department respondent
1 and did some splendid work in ex
[tinguishing the flames.
By the time the boys arrived on
[the scene the fire had gained con-
3iderable headway, the roof being in
gan almost solid mass of flames, and
the fire boys saw they had a job.
They got the hose working all right
- and in a short while ice was hang¬
ing from their clothes and hats, but
they worked on, ignoring the cold
when duty called them. After a fight
of something like an hour and a half
the boys had control of the situation
and succeeded in saving part of the
building. They have been receiving
the congratulations of the people all
over town for their promptness and
beyond the shadow of doubt
there is not a building in the city
which cannot be saved from fire.
The Covington Hotel is one of the
oldest buildings on the square and
is in the nature of a landmark. It
has been used as Covington’s leading
hostelry for a half century, and at
the time of the fire was being suc¬
cessfully conducted by Mrs. L. P.
Reeves, she having had it leased from
Mr. W. C. Thompson, formerly of
this city, who owns the property.
The part of the structure which
was not burned will in all probabil¬
ity be moved and a handsome brick
building erected in its stead.
The building was insured in the
sum of $5000 and the loss is consid¬
erably more than half. We under¬
stand that the furniture was insured
for a small amount and the loss on
that is practically total.
On the night following the original
fire, a blaze started again in the same
building, but was soon extinguished.
Regular Annual Meeting
Of the stockholders of the
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
is called for the Second Tuesday, the
14th day of January 1910.
The meeting will be called to order
promptly at 10 o’clock at the offices of
First Nationa
Covington, Georgia.
”(Tim @wingfim Ntmfi
SPECIAL TAXES THAT
MUST BE PAID.
DOGS MUST BE GIVEN IN AS
PART OF YOUR ASSETS.
The Ordinary’s Office is Now Open
For taxes and Business Registra¬
tion. All corporations Must Reg¬
ister and Pay the Tax.
The ordinary’s office is now' open
to receive the 1910 business registra¬
tion. Hie law ? requires that this work
be d(| p on or 'before the first of the
year and the ordinary’s office has an
id ready for this work thus
early in order to avoid the great rush
which comes with it.
The operators of the following bus
inesses are required to register aud
pay a fee of $1.00:
Moving picture shows, dealers in
mowing machines, insurance agents
and solicitors, skating rinks, dealers
in cash registers, dealers in adding
machines, photographers, loan agents,
auctioneers, keepers of pool tables,
flying horses, ten-pin alleys and also
shoaling galleries, venders of patent
medicines, immigrant agents, shows
and exhibitions, circuses, dog and po
^ ny Shows, social clubs, dealers in pis
tolsj etc., peddlers of stoves and
clodts, peddlers of patent articles,
agents for packing houses, itenerant
doctors and specialists, manufacturers
of *jda beverages, pawn brokers, com
mercial agencies, slot machines, de¬
tective agencies, cigarette dealers,
owners of play grounds and parks, ab¬
stract companies, fortune tellers, etc.,
defers re^. estate agents, bicycle dealers,
in typewriters, domestic cor¬
porations, dealers in scales, soda foun
tains, bottlers of beverages, compilers
of city directories.
There is also a tax of 1$ each on
dogf, but this has to be returned to
the :ax receiver and paid along with
other taxes in the fall.
The Baptists will have a visiting
preacher next Sunday morning in the
absence of the pastor, who had to
leave Saturday for some business de
mancing attention. We understand
Dr. 2 . jyu Brittian was asked to come
or smd a substitute. No services at
night.
COVINGTON, GEORGIA, JANUARY
NEW ADMINISTRATION BEGINS THE YEAR
WITH EVIDENCE OF BUSINESS ABILITY.
COMMITTEES APPOINTED AND
POLICE OFFICERS ELECTED.
Meeting Monday Afternoon Was One
Of the Most Harmonious In the
History of City Government. Im¬
portant Matters Discussed.
The new city administration took
up the reins of municipal government
Monday afternoon and if their first
meeting bears any significance, the
present year will mark a nevf system
and new methods for handling the
vast amount of important business
coming before that body.
One of the most noticeable features
of the first meeting was the perfect
harmony which was apparent all the
way through the session, and the
business-like demeanor of all the gen¬
tlemen present. You seldom find a
more progressive lot of men than the
municipal board of Covington con¬
tains, and the fact that they are all
endowed with an unusual ainount of
intelligence and good business judg¬
ment, means that this city will have
a strictly business administration dur¬
ing the year 1910.
A number of important matters
discussed Monday afternoon, among
them being the advisability of draft¬
ing a new r charter and codifying the
ordinances of the city., some of them
being all out of place at this time.
This work will be done dufing the
year. Another thing discussed was
the best plan for placing the city’s
financial affairs in a practical and
simple system in order that everyone
can readily understand it. The new
system will he put into operation at
once.
At the meeting police officers were
elected for the year, and are, Brad¬
ford Bohanan, chief; Wick Willing
barn and J. M. Rutledge, marshals.
Mr. Bohanan has been the chief here
for a number of years and has made
the city a splendid officer. Mr. Wll
lingham was also reelected and a
ter man would he hard to find.
Rutledge is practically a new citizen
of the city, he having recently come
here from South Georgia, from which
place he came well recommended.
Mr, John J. Corley was reelected
City Clerk and Treasurer, and was
highly commended for his services
during the past year.
The standing Committees appointed
by the Mayor from the Council are as
follows:
Electric Light—Jas. R. Stephenson.
Finance—Phillips, Stephenson and
Robinson. *
Street — Robinson, Callaway and
Lester.;
Public Buildings—Phillips, Everltt
and Callaway.
Fire Department—Stephenson, Rob¬
inson and Phillips.
Parks—Callaway, Phillips and Les¬
ter.
Health—Robinson, Lester and Ev
eritt.
Cemetery—Lester, Everitt and Phil¬
lips.
Relief—Everitt Stephenson and
Lester.
Mayor Smith read to the council a
paper in which he recommended sev¬
eral things for which he has stood
since he first took the Mayor’c chair
and is a very clear-cut and
address. We publish it below:
“Gentlemen of the City Council:—
“In assuming the office to which
you have been called by the voters
of the city by an almost unanimous
verdict, we have great cause for re¬
joicing in the fact that our city has
enjoyed so great a degree of growth
and prosperity during the year just
closed. In every section of the city
we note that our people are beauti¬
fying and improving their homes and
thereby adding to the material worth
of the city. New homes are going up
new' citizens are coming to us con¬
stantly, new enterprises are being
talked and a greater Covington spirit
has taken charge. The activity in
real estate circles and the demand
for property at good prices only goes
to show' that other people are appre¬
ciating the great advantages our town
has to offer home seekers. I
that you gentlemen will give the que
tion of publicity some thought
j that it will be possible to adopt
: adequate means to advertise and
I I sent our advantages to people of
er sections who are to become
! seekers and those wishing ta edu
cate their children.
The past year has been the
successful in the history of the
REPRESENTATIVE HITE WAS
IN THE CITY LAST WEEK
People of This County Will Gain A
Large Amount of Information if
Convention is Held Here During
Month of February.
The State Agricultural College al
Athens proposes to hold this year in
each congressional district of the
state an itenerant agricultural school.
The school as they propose to hold
It will last three days and the pro¬
gram will consist of about six lec¬
tures a day on the following sub¬
jects: Soil fertility, including the buy
ing, mixing and application of com¬
mercial fertilizers; farm-yard manure,
its preservation and utilization; cot¬
ton selection and cultivation, Ihe far¬
mers’ orchard and trucking crops,
corn improvement, the dairy herd and
the handling of dairy products, live
stock farming and its many features,
such us breeding pure bred stock,
feeding for commercial market, and
the management of all classes of ani¬
mals. Tho live stock section of the
program will be especially empha¬
sized.
Hast Friday Mr. J. E. Hite, who
has charge of the Extension Depart¬
ment of the State College of Agri¬
culture, was in Covington to see what
interest the community manifested in
a school of this kind. He could not
at this time give a definite date for
the school, but thought it would be
sometime between the 15th and 25th
of February. He assured us that the
program which they furnish will be
handled by speakers who are entirely
experienced in their lines both from
the practical and scientific point of
vicVw. (
It is the first time that schools of
this nature have been offered to the
state and Newton county farmers will
consider themselves very fortunat if
e y ara a j,i c s ,,< ur0 the one for
the Fifth district. The schools are
entirely free to the community in so
far as any outlay is concerned, but
the college in offering them feel that
it will take a good attendance to Jus¬
tify their effort. The farmers of this
It witnessed the beginning and com¬
pletion of a system of water and
sewerage that is second to none in
the state and that is adequate to ihe
needs of a city of 15,000 population.
The erection of a handsome church
edifice at a cost of more than $10,
000. The completion of an audito¬
rium by the city and adjoining the
public school building with good seat¬
ing capacity and at a cost of nearly
$10,000. The opening of a sixty-foot
street and the erection of fifteen or
more handsome residences on that
street and the erection of more than
fifty during the year. Jn this way
you see the straws which point the
way to Covington’s future progress
and achievements along industrial
lines. In assuming the responsibility
for the year, I look forward to it with
pleasant anticipation, believing that
with your wise counsel, the year will
close with a clean, progressive and
economical administration, and that
we’ll be able to give a good acount
of our stewardship.
“Under the charter of the city the
offices of clerk, treasurer, tax-receiv¬
er, and tax-collector have been held
by the same person. He has kept the
minutes of the meetings and the ac¬
counts of the ciy. For a long period
these books have been in the hands
of the clerk and treasurer and for
ten years or more they have not been
audited or subjected to the scrutiny
of a disinteresed person to be check¬
ed and audited. Not that 1 think any
wrong has been done or any account
is short but for the protection of
those who have handled the city ac¬
counts in the past and those to fol¬
low, 1 think it best that these books
be audited to date by a competent
man. These accounts have been ac¬
curately and correctly kept, so far
us I know, but it is a lack of busi¬
ness methods to allow this condition
ex *®t longer In a city where her
citizens pay taxes on more than
million and a quarter of property,
"I further recommend that we in
] struct our city attorney to prepare fo
(the city a new charter in as much
as we have established a system of
electric lights, water and sewerage,
and many other improvements and
changes have been made. The city
has outgrown the old charter and we
need a new one enlarging her pow¬
ers. There should also be compiled
all the old ordinances and many new
ones are needed as well as amend¬
ments to the old ones.
“The health of our city has been
excellent for the past year. A few
cases of Bmall pox which we have
had were confined to the colored race
and we were fortunate in being able
to arrest the spread of tho disease
with us little alarm to the citizens
and as small expense as possible.
“Covington stands today in need of
a government building and I urn in¬
formed that the government stands
ready to appropriate a sufficient sum
towards its erection provided the city
shows its willingness in the matter.
This great work comes under the
public building committee who should
take it up with Congressman Livings¬
ton at once and report the progress
of this investigation to the city.
“Another matter that I shall call
your attention to relates to the ap¬
pointment of a Sexton for the city
cemetery. I made an effort to make
this appointment self sustaining last
year but on account of a failure of
some few it was abandoned for the
time being. I most respectfully ask
that the cemetery committee take up
this matter and report its findings
to the city.
“Another live question that you will
be called upon to pass judgment on
in all probability will be a proposition
from the Central Georgia Power Co.,
to light the streets and residences of
the city and turn the wheels of her
varied Industries. The big dam will
be-completed by June 1st and should
the city be able to enter* into an
agreement with these people whereby
our operating expenses will be re¬
duced, I would certainly favor such
a plan.
“Another question which will be
up for settlement by you gentlemen
ai| d which I trust will be settled to
j b© st interest of the city. I refer
the fire department headquarters.
1 have likewise created a committee
J which shall be known whose as the duty fire is de
I partment committee, to
. make a thorough investigation into
'be needs of the city and make such
j (Continued on page two.j
f E invite your attention to a statement
of the Bank of Covington at the
year, 1909‘ shown on another page of
this issue.
Wishing you a happy and prosper¬
ous New Year, we are
The Bank of Covington.
CAPITAL $ 100 , 000.00
We solicit your banking business.
If 65%. It Is Prinzfng‘ mam :
We The a
pleases the (mmérs. ‘
Estimates furniéhafl and
work quickly executed.
m
$1. A Year In Advancifhg-xglg
The fire alarm was turned in Sat¬
urday night at twelve o’clock to ex¬
tinguish a fire in Venable Hros’. fur¬
niture store. Before the department
reached the building the flames had
spread almost the entire room, which
was filled with smoke, making it a
hard job for the boys to handle, but
in a very short time they bad it
under control before very much dam¬
age was done to the building.
The stock of furniture belonging
to Venable Bros, was practically all
damaged, some of it being almost
wholly burned. Mr. Venable slated
to a Nows reporter that their loss
was between twenty-five hundred and
three thousand dollars, with insurance
to the amount of $1,000.
Mr. N. Kaplan, whose store ad¬
joins that of Venable Bros., was also
slightly damaged, caused by water
and smoke, but has Insurance to cov¬
er.
Getting Back to Work.
Several of our citizens were out of
the city for the holidays, but they
have about all returned and are back
at business. They all report having
|had a Jolly good time and are all
ready to put in another year boost¬
ing their business and Covington.
county should in some way extend to
the college of agriculture and that at.
an early date their hearty approval
of holding the school in Covintou and
give them every assurance of sup
port.
It certainly would bo no more than
proper for the farmers and business
men of the community to get togeth¬
er and send to Mr. Hite a list of a
hundred or so names of those who
want tho proposed school and are
willing to work for Us success.
