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NAKED, EUNGRY, COLD,
STATE'S CONVICTS IN A MISERABLE
: CONDITION.
s ¢ A : TRET v——
The Committee’s Report Shows a Lament
“)‘_ able State of Affairs--The Looking
‘ Glase’ Artictes
On several occasions the press of Geor
gia has taken the pains to call attention
to the miserable condition of the conviets
‘ka}i’the several camps throu:hont Goorgin,
#s shown in the reporvof the peaitentiary
«~(})ommittee.
¢ ‘Misery, want, immorality, iohuman
treatment, and physical suffering is the
vart of the state's prisoners.
The Looking Glass, published in At
.+ata, in an article showing the true ¢on
dition of these human beings, says:
“The report submitted to tlLe senate
by the committee appointed to inspect
‘the cendition of the convict camps of
the state was more deeply interesting
reading between the lines than other
wise, The generalizing axd attempted
glossing over of facts was a decided fail
ure, and it does wot require a seventh
50D ot a seventh son, nor the diyine gift
;" a second sight to understand the true
uoport of the report.,
“In plain English it means that the
condition of the convicts is in-xcusable;
it means that a ten years' sentence at
bard labor means death, or if the convict
lives to be discharged hLe leaves the camp
a physical wreck; it means that the
‘essees who pay the stateless than s7per
+2ar for each convict make in certiin in
stanzes over 4,000 per cent. on the bar
gain by sub-leasing. Naturally the sub
lessee endeavors to get even by extract
ing the utmost limit of labor from the
poor wretch and treats him incidentally
worse than the poorest farmer does his
cattle.
“For instance, the committee says:
We found the camp at Cole City in good
sanitary condition. The convicts are
well fed, but we do not believe they are
furnished with sufficient clothing. |
“*The real facts show the report to be
but half right, if it be that, The state
ment that the convicts are insufficiently
«<lothed fails to express the true condi
tion. The truth is that the convicts are
today working in the same clothing they
wore last July and August. From sun-up
until sun-down they are forced to work
in mines which are damp and the atmos
phere of which is laden with the germs
of comsumption and pneumonia. The
mines are not drained at all, and it is
not uncommon for tha men to work in
the water to their knees, Let the hu
mane reader ponder for a moment on
this kird of lavor pertormea in a cotton
shirt and a pair of cotton trousers, ani
he will be able to fairly realize what
saffering exists in these subterranean
shambles, :
¥ Phe roof of the tunnels are not bridg
ed, and there are today a number of mon
in the convict hospital suffering either
from total or partial paralysis eaused by
falling slate, which with proper bridge
works, at a slight expense, would have
been averted.
“In other words, human life is of sec
ondary importance to sweating the last
penny out of the lease. If a private con
tractor of freelab)r endangered the lives
of his help in this fashou he would be
sent to prison himseif. The convict con
tractor is just as guilty morally.
“At Camp Pitts, in the turpentine dis
trict, the men are fed on fl inks and jowls,
which the committee considers an inferi
or kind of meat. ‘Jutts,” as the pieces
are familiarly called, are portions ecut
from a carcass during the trimming pro
cess. It is a refuse, hardly fic for soap,
much less for human beings. "
“At Kramer camp the convicts were
found shivering at their work in the same
apparel worn during the sweltering sum
mer months. When questioned as to
the whys and wherefores, the principal
keeper shows a bill of lading for the win
ter c'othing which was ‘on the way.’
Possibly this humane keeper thought it
would be perpetual summer at Kramer.”’
Speaking of the female convicts, the
article says: ‘¢ * » * *
“Theoretically these wom«:n are sent
to prison to be reformed. Their moral
status when they emerge fiom such a
den may be imagined. Oeccasionilly a
girl of some comeliness has been taken
to the camp. This was the case with
\lice White, a much talked of prisoner
‘om Chatham county, and what she
suffered cannot be decently told in print.
This, please to remember, is among a
civitized commanity and in the nin.
teenth century.
‘At the Chattahoochee camps the I
fprisoners are worked from sun up to sun ,
y'own, or from 16 to 18 hours 1n the win
. At night they sleep in Lu ks ahuutt
\ 2 feet long and 18 inches wide. Toin
{Hlge in a stretch implies geiting up
fdm the bunk or rather box. The san
iy conditions at all the camps need
g?rment. At Kramer there are no’
‘#ter closets for perhaps 40 feet in one
d of the sleeping building, and those
iwho were farthest off could not get to
‘ 'the c]c?sets without waking other sleep
ing prisoners,
‘‘Each year the legislature appropriat
ed $1,500 to pay inspectors to visit the
camps, but they failed to notice any of
the glaring abuses laid bare in the re
port. That a certain clique of men have
become rich through the abominable
lease system s easily explained when the
fizures are examined,
*“The state received $32,535 during the
last fiscal year, or about the rate of less
than $9.50 per year for each prisoner.
The expenses of the venitentiary depart
ment of the state was $9,205, leaving a
et to the state of $14,325, or less than
$6 50 per prisoner, and these prisoners
are sub-let at from 89 cents to $1 per
day.
*The state of Tenness leased 1,500
convicte last year for $lOO,OOO. The ex
peuses counected therewith was $6,000,
leaving a net balance of $94,000, or
$63.834% for each prisoner.
“The report of the committee is un
doubtedly the strongest argument yet
preseated for the abolishment of the
lease system, and legislation to that effect
will be positively expected from the
members of the sassion of 1896-7." ‘
FARMERS ARE STARVING. |
Need Proyisions For Themselves and Their
Animals. '
An Omaha, Neb | special says: A staff
correspondent of the World- Herald sent
into the western part of the state to in
vestigate the reports of destitution
among the farmers, sends from North
Platte a most distressing story. Most of
the renters have left the coun ry and but
few of the owners of land are in a pros
perous condition. There have been two
successive crop failures, The animals
are suffering, and unless feed is sent for
them they will not be fit for work next
spiing. Some of the farmers are really
ino want and others starving. Sme sup
plies are coming in from the east, but
much more is needed. Some of the
farmers are living on wild fruits. There
are fifty families of squatters on the Mec-
Pherson military reservation in desper
atestraits. The people of North Platte
bave given away all they can spare to
aid the settlers.
An Old-Time Preacher.
The oldest member of the South Geor
gia Conference, recently held at Way
cross, is Rev. W. H., Thomas, of Way’
croes. He is eighty-three years old,
and is hale and hearty. His interest in
church work has always been great, and
today he is very zealous in every work
that has to do with the gospel. He is of |
the “old school Methodist,”” and for
many years in his early ministry he was }
a member of the North Georgia Confer- {
ence. It was his custom to visit his
churches on horseback, rain or snow not ‘
detaining him. The churches were scat- }
tered here and there over the old North
Georgia llls, and several rivers were to
be crossed in reaching them. There
were no _bridges jaross the rivers then,
and Mr. Thomas swam his horse across
many times when freshets came. The
Cherokee Indians were about the only
inhabitants of the region where Mr,
Thomas' circuit was, and he came to
understand their language and manners
fair y well. He is familiarly known in
and out of the conference as ‘‘Uncle
Thomas,”” on account of his venerable
age and service in the ministry.” His
rriends throughout the state will long
remember his peculiar notion about the
center of the world, which he claims is
at Waycross.. ‘‘Here is the center,” he
says, *‘and religion will spread hence to
every part of the world.”
Carlton Zornwell, foreman of the Ga
zette, Middletown, N. J., believes that
Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy should be
in every home. He used ic for a cold
and it effected a speedy cure, He says:
“Itis indeed a grand remedy. I ean
recommend to all. I have also seen] it
used for whooping cough, with the best
results.” 25 and 50 cent bottles for sale
by Farrar & Fairar.
————————" ——————————
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Awarded
Highest Honors—World’s Fair,
‘DR
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CREAM
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40 YEARS THE STANDARD.
MERCER ITEMS.
A Student From Terrell Takes Notes.
An important feature has recently
been added to Mercer Uuiversity in the
organization of a newspaver correspond
ence club by President Gambiell. Cor
respondents have already been assignad
1o a majority of the important papers of
this state and to some in other states,
and the clnb promises to be a big suc
cess. Dr. Gambrell is a man of muéh
experience in the newspaper line, he
havirg been an editor for fif een years.
The coming year it is hoped that sev
eral of the leading editors of the state
will address the club. Why should not
Mercer send out several great journal
ists? ;
The city of Macon has recently appro
priated $7,500 for the imoprovement of
! the twenty acre park in front of Mercer.
l Work has already been begun on it, and
itis to he made the prettiest vark in
Georgia. When finished, it will have a
nicely graded ball park for the boys, a
large fountain in the center, a lake cov
eriug three acres, a conservatory, and
many other things for the pleasure of
the people The students are attempting
to have it named ‘Mercer park.”
Dr. Gambrell says that every one
should help tosapport his county paper,
because the paper helps to support the
CUllD(y.
The opening of the school of theology
for pastors, on the 9th of January, is
‘being looked forward to with interest by
the students. As the lectures are abso
lutely free, it is thought that a large
number of preachers will attend. It wiil
be something new for the boys to have
s 0 mauy of the older men in school with
them, i
The Wesleyan young ladies "attended
our Founder’s Day exercises in a body,
onthenight of December 17ch. Of course
their presence added much towards the
success cf the occasion, The boys declare
that never betore have they seen so many
pretty young ladies in one crowd. The
young ladies all say that they are all
well pleased with their new president,
Dr. Rowe.
School closed on last Friday for the
holidays, and by Saturday most of the
students had gone home to see their pa
rents or their sweethearts. That is,
those of them who are so fortunate as to
possess the latter. Some of the boys
will not return after Xmas, but we hope
that Jannary Ist, shall see many new
ones ready to take their places.
The second term begins January Ist.
This is a good time for new students to
enter, especially such as need to haye
their studies evened up in order to get
in regularly next session. ;
Dr. Chapman is very active on the field
for Mercer and is much encouraged.
During January it is hoped that every
church in Georgia will contribute to the
fund for expanding Mercer, N. L. S.
The Sweetest of All Darlings.
From the Dalton Argus.
The sweetest of all women live in
Georgia, Of them the New York Record
er says:
“Down in Georgia they don’t want any
political w :men. They want the other
kind of women—household womzn, do
mestic women, artistic women, women
that sing, and paint, and dance, and
laugh, and c¢ry; women that fall in love,
women that idolize Charlie, and Tom,
and Pete, and become ecstatic over alove
of a bonnet. Every man must admit
that this is a delicious type of woman,
but she can never complete with Mrs.
Grannis as a watcher at the polls; and
it is doubtful if she could save a state—
a thing that even live geese could do in
Rome. Butthe Georgia men are pre
pared to take the consequences. They
would ratter the scate should perish
than 1o have some other type of woman
substituted for the type they like.
Therefore, they have voted in their leg
islature by a large majority against the
proposition to give an office to a wo
man.”’
The New York Recorder is right. We
don’t want any lecture platform women
down here, with pants that bag at the
knees, and a voice that would torn the
edge of a blacksmith’s rasp; we don’t
want any cross zetween a dude and a
cavalry officer, with high-water collar
and rubber leggins, sloshing around in
mud up to her knees, yanking voters
bald-headed, and cussing the election
workers on ‘he other side. No, we don’t
‘want them.
- We want just what we have got—sweet,
‘gentle. womanly women, with modest
mien, soft musical voices, tender solici
tude, true devotion and blessed com
panionship. [hat’s wh t we've got in
Georgia, and that’s what we want to
keep We love her so'ely because she is
womanly; and we are not willinz for her
to lose our love and respect by becoming
mannish.
When our legisiature tries t 5 poke her
into public hfe, we move the legislature
be taken out and iynched.
Purify yourblood, tone up the system,
and regulate the digestive organs by
taking Hood’'s Sarsaparilla. Sold by
all druggists,
Barqains for the Farmers!
Plow Stocks Cheaper Than Ever Before.
The X Taiman for 75 cénts- ;
The Grecorgia Raclzet for G 5 cents,
We also handle the “Boy’s Dixie" and Dixie Points, Wings,
and Slides and a full line of Plows, Back Bands, Single
Trees, Hames, Traces, Hezl Bolts, Clevises and
h : Plow Line. § :
Don’t Fail to See Our Line of the Above
-- -~ Goods. “le
HIS 300 ANXIOUS BRIDES.
Shouid the Ameer of Afghanistan Die
They Must All Die, Too,
From the New York Advertiser.
There is a certain village in the mid
lands where the illness of the Ameer of
Afghanistan has been followed with
painful anxiety. ‘The reason is to be
found in the following curinus, but I be
lieve perfectly authentic, story: Some
years ago an enterprising young tailor
lef: the village in question and went
abroad to seek his f rtune. He eventu
ally found his way to Cabal. Here great
luck awaited him. [e obtained the pat
ronage of royalty and became the Poole
of Afghanistan. He had left a sweetheart
behind in Eaziand, and as soon as he
found himself on the road to fortnne he
sent for the damsel to join him. She
came, but here fortune deserted the tai
lor. His intended bride in her turn
obtained the patronage of royalty,
with the result that she eventually be
came one of the 300 wives of Abdurrah
roan.
This, howevar, is only the first act of
the tragedy. It is understood by the
laws of Afghanistan when the ameer dies
the whole oi his 300 wives must be shos.
The laws of the Afghans are as immuta
ble as those of their ancient neighb s,
the Medes and Persians, and the whole
of the little midland villaze, where the
ameer’s English wife was born and where
her parents are still living, has been
during the past week or so in a high
state of exciteme.t over the possible
fate of the young lady. Fort inately the
aneer seems better now, and it is to bhe
hoped, if only for the sake of his wives,
whatever their nationality, than the im
provement may continue. In the mean
time cannot diplomacy do anything for
the young woman? At this tim: of life
and with a gouty habit w 0 b ot [ shoald
have thought Abdurrahmn might have
been induced to get along with 209 of
them. If, however, he must have a round
number in the family circle, perhaps an
exchange might he negotiated.
How to Get Rich.
An exchange gives the following sen
sible advice, ,which our readers might
try. Itis certainly a quick way to be
come rich: ‘“Money makes money. - No
one is 80 poor that he cannot take up a
penny to start on. Now upon the first
day of the month depcsit a cent in a
bank, and on each of the succeeding
thirty days of the month double your
deposit. Follow this programme faith
fully, and at the end of the month you
will be surprised to find that your account
will show the sum of $5,368,709 t. your
crelit. With that little sum all you
have to do is to retire and let the other
fellows hustle.”
For Rent.
A good five horse farm within two
miles of the city. Apply to
J. H. GUERRY.
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=S e
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mailed free.
THE BRADFIELD REGULATOR CO.,
Sole Proprietors, = ATLANTA, GA. fij |
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Right Arm Paralyzed!
Saved from St. Vitus Dance.
“QOur daughter, Blanche, now fif
teen years of age, had been terribly
afflicted with nervousness, and had
lost the entire use of her right arm.
We feared St. Vitus dance, and tried
the best physicians, with no benefit.
She has taken three bottles of Dr.
Miles’ Nervine and has gained 31
pounds. Her nervousness and symP
toms of St. Vitus dance are entirely
gone, she attends school regularly,
and has recovered complete use of
her arm, her appetite is splendid.”
MRS. R. R. BULLOCEK, Brighton, N. Y,
® , B
Dr. Miles’ Nervine
Cures.
Dr. Miles' Nervine is sold on a %ositive
guarantee that the first bottle wi'l benefit.
All druggists sell it at §1,6 bottles for §, or
it will be sent, prepaid, on receiEt of price
by the Dr. Miles Medical Co., Elkhart, Ind.
—80" D BY
Farrar & Flarrar
" é
Money Lioaned
uN
PFarm Lands
AND CITY PROPERTY
At lowest rates of interest. Old loans
rene ved.
R. F.SIMMCNS
Attorney at Law and Agent for Georgia
Loan and Trust C¢
A 1)
B, G o
AT ORNEY AT LAw,
AMERICUS, GA.
Will practice in all the courts ot
the st te and in the United States
courts
: N TIDIy i) ¥
ATTORNEY Al - LAW.
"DAWSON, “A.
(Office in Baldwin Block. Main St.)
Will practice in all the courts of the
Pataala circuit, and elsewhere by spe
cial contract.
M. C. EDWARDS, Jr;
LAWYER.
Room 4 B Jddwin Block, Dawson,
Georgia
Businessy espeetfuliv solicited,
James G. Parks,
Attorney at I.aw.
DAWSON, GA.
Prompt and careful attention given to
all business. Specialties : Commers
cial Lew and Collections.
J. A. LAING',
ATICRNEY AT LAW.
DAWSON, GA.
Prompt atttention te ali business
s S ek e iBN =S
EED OATS,
EED RYE,
EED BARLEY,
T. O. WHITCHARD. & CO.