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THE DAWSON NEWS.
E; E. L. Rainey.
pASSING OF THE PINES.
RECKLESS WASTE DENUDING TIM.
BER LANDS OF GEORGIA,
et ;
Uader the AXxe of the Lumbermen anad
Tarpentine Men the Magnificent Pineries
Are Fast Disappearing, and Will Soon
Be Only a Memory. Has Caused Marked‘
cnavge in Climatic Conditions.
Despite the repeated warnings of‘
those who have an eye to the protec
tjon of the forests of the state at heart,
the old wasteful methods continue
qmong the magnificent pineries of the
southern part of Georgia, which are
eing denuded rapialy of their natural
wealth.
A quarter of a century ago there
was a belt of about 100 miles north and
southand more than 200 east and west,
that was an almost unbroken forest
of the most magnificent yellow pine
timber in the world. It was a sparsely
settled region for the most part, and
except what had been used 1n building
and fencing tiris vast body of timber
land had not been broached,
Then came the various railway
lines and with them the merchant
mllls of the lumbermen, and the ex
rravagant and reckless wastefulness
began. Then great flocks of sheep and
herds of cattle rcamed at large and
grew fat on sthe native grasses, and
hog-raising was a profitable industry,
as the animals lived and grew fat in
the woods and swamps. But the axe
of the lumberman sounded the death
knell to these industries. As the tim
her was cut away the grasses, exposed
to the burning heat of the summer sun
and the protracted droughts, began to
disappear, and now the useless dog
fennel and ragweed flourish on the
poverty-stricken barrens, and the
flocks and Lerds have disappeared,
Thatls one of the immediate effects
of the cutting away of the forests.
Another is the marked change in the
climatic conditions. A few years 280
~a disastrous freeze occurred which
| wasunprecedented in the history of
this part of the country. On Cumber
land Island, the former home of Gener
érai Nathaniel Greene, there was a fine
srove of olive trees that had flourished
there for g century. Every tree was
&illed, as well as the orange and lemon
trees in the same locality.
Last October the most violent storm
that ever swept the Georgia coast
burst over Brunswick, Savannah and
the islands along the coast, and the
Idestruction of the timber inland was
Inestimable. 1t had all been cut for
turpentine, and so greedy were the
‘berators that they had cut the trees
“odeeply that they were unable to
Withstand the gale, and after the storm
lt)he forests were one mass of fallen tim
er,
In the fipst place the lumbermen
have neyer considered the economic
duestions involved in the cutting of
timber. When an order came for & lot
of lumber of certain dimensions the
irees were felled, logs of the requisite
length cut off and the remainder of the
ee was left- to rot on the ground.
When the logs arrived at the mill they
Veresawn to the proper dimensions
4 the remainder of the log was
Ditched inte the slab pit and burned to
Prevent the accumulation of waste.
These slabg might have been easily cut
into Material for building, barrel-mak
ing or other useful industries, and a
YBt amount of valuable timber saved.
But the 'umbermen seemed to think
that the Supplv was inexhaustible, or
¥ere heedless of thefuture, and in con
ence millions of dollars worth of
Wber hag been destroyed.
Me turpentine men invaded the
Piltries g faw years after the lumber
len and hoxed the trees right and left
for Wrpentine, When they had bled
the trees ag long as they furnished sap
“00ugh vo make it profitable, they
¥ere abandoned to their fate, and for
&t fireg Swept through the abandoned
Tgion anq Jefr groves of charred and
blackeneq trunks and stumps as ghast
y ‘Xtonents of the methods of the
Oberators,
In the glq days before the coming of
the limbermen the rail-splitters often
‘Ut down trees that proved too tough
W yielq readily to the maul and wedge
4 they were left to rot on the
Sround, 4 tew years ago the atten-
Uon of the architects, builders and
m&nuracturers of inside finishing ‘ma
‘e_“i&l Was attracted to the “curley‘
Pl thay variety which takes on
such a beautiful natural polish and
shows the grain of the wood in such
artistic penciling. This is what was
rejected by tne rail-splitters of the
olden time, and it is now used exten
sively in the interior fimishing of
buildings all over the country,
Because of Its beautiful grain, bright
coloring and durability, as well as the
ease with which it may be wrought
into building material, Georgia yellow
pine has become one of the favorite
woods for building purposes, ana is now
recognized as one of the most desirable
in the market. But the pine is pass
ing away, and the saddest feature of
its decadence is that the forests do
not reproduce the same species, The
;growbh that succeeds the yellow pine
is the valueless scrub oak and sap pine
‘that 1s of little use except for firewood,
and is of an inferior quality even for
that purpose. At the present rate the
pine forests of southern Georgia will
have become but a memory within the
next fifty years. But the men who are
destroying the timber now care little
about the condition of things half a
century hence, preferring to profit by‘
the present hour.
No thoughtful man can look upon
the destruction of the magnificent
timber without deploring the waste.
So far the state authorities have given
the matter no consideration. The lav
erage Georgia legislator has his mind
occupied with some dog law, or statute
governing the fiishing in some insig
} nificant stream, rather than with such
‘momentous questions as the protection
of forests and timber lands.
} In alluding to the climatic changes
caused by the?denudation of the forests
iI did not mention another marked
change that has taken place within
the last twenty-five years, In a re
cent trip through that section I was
struck with ghe fact that many of the
streams supposed to be perremal, and
many of the lakes and pools that con
tained water all the year round, had
dwindledg down to mere riv
ulets and sloughs, dry half the year or
more. Never-failing springs of former
days have disappeared entirely, and in
talking with old citizens who were fa
miliar with the topography of the
country from boyhood I was assured
that the shrinking of the water courses
was coincident with the cuiting away
of the timber.
Itls strange, in view of these plain
facts, that no effort has been made to
stop the vandalism that is slowly but
surely reducing that fair section to a
desert. Now and then some far-sight
ed old settler has refused to sell his
timber, and such green spots are jike
oases in a desert of destructiveness,
and in coming days will demonstrate
the 'wisdom of those who saved them
from the axe of the lumberman,—At
lanta Correspondence of the New
York Evening Post. ;
THE “BEAUTIFUL” SNOW.
More Impurities in a Flake of It Than
Any Other Production of Like Size,
The adjective ‘‘beautiful’’ has been
used as a proper descriptive word for
snow since the poet first assayed to de
scribe it 1n fitting rhymes. And so it
is in appearance, But perhaps it is
interesting to remember that possibly
a flake of snow contains more impuri
‘ties than almost any other production,
of like size, of nature’s great work
shops. By means of that mysterious
physical force, known as capillary at
graction, the hundreds of little tubes
ina flake of snow are filled with the
impnre vapors and gases which rise
from the earth, given off by decayingi
vegetable matter. i
~ These areal impurities are imprison
ed in the snow fiakes’ cells, and thus
‘the air is literally cleavsed and puri
fied. It is a benediction to the lungs
to breathe the pure air after a snow
storm. And still another beneflcent
work it done by thesnow flake. Many'
of those vapors and gases which the
snow flake bring back to the soil are
rich in food necessary for plant life,
and the soil is made more productive,
—Columbus Sunday Herald,
Bueklen’s Arnica Savle.
The best Salve in the world for Burns,
Bruises, Sores, Ulcers, Salt Rleum, Fe
ver Sores, Tetter, Chapped Hands, Chill
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and Lpositively cur.s piles or no pay
required. Itis guaranteed to give per
fect satisfaction or money refuned
Price 25 -cents per box, For sale by
Sale Davis Drue Co.
Dawson, Ga., Wednesday, March 8, 1899.
GRIGGS’- RESOLUTION. 1
IT COMMENDS LOYALTY OF SGL-i
DIERS AND SAILORS,
Democratic Congressmen Meet in Cnucus‘
and Azrée Upon Party Policy Rezardlnx!
the Philippines. The Racon Resolutlon}
Adofifed. . ‘
At a meeting of democratic members
of the house of representatives, held in
Washington a few nights ago, the fol
lowing declr&ation of policy and resolu~
tions as to the Philippines were adopted:
‘‘We hold that the constitution of the
United States was ordained and es
tablished for an intelligent, liberty-lov
ing and self-goveraing people, and can
not be successfully applied to a people
of different virtues and eonditions. We
therefore hold that a colonial policy is
contrary to the theory of our goyern
ment and subversive to those great prin
ciples of <ivil liberty which we have
been taught to cherish. We believe
with the declaration of independence
that all governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned, and we are unalterably opposed
to the establishment of any government
by the United States without the con~
seat of the people to be governed, and
in conformity with these principles we
instruct the minority members of the
foreign affairs eommittee to introduce
and urge the following resolutions :
“Resolved, That the United States
hereby disclaim any disposition or in
tention to exercise permanent sover
’eignty, jurisdiction or control over the
;Philippine islands and' assert their de
termination when an independent goy
‘ernment shall have been erected tberein
%to transfer to said government, upon
‘terms which shail be reasonable and
just, all rights secured under the ces
sion by Spain and thereon to leave the
government and control of the islards
to their peuple.”’
Another resolution, by Mr. Griggs
of Georgia, was adopted as follows:
“We, the democratic members of the
house of representatives, in caucus as-~
sembled, commend the signal loyalty
and valor of our soldiers and sailors in
the performance of every military duty
to which they have beep assigned by
proper authority, however much we
may deplore the poiicy of the adminiss
tration directing their movements; and
we pledge to them our hearty supvort
and sympathe under all circumstances,
wherever engaged.”
The following resolution, by Mr Liv
ingston, of Georgia, was lost:
“Resonlyed, That the United States
congress, as soon as the treaty between
this government and Spain is ratified,
give notice to the inhabitants of the
Philippines that it is not our desire or
purpose to hold them under permanent
military control or as a colonial subs
ject, and as soon as practicable to aid
them to establish a republican fotm of
government and become independent
and self-sustaining, with such commer~
cial and military privileges from the
United States as may be agreed on be
tween us, In the m®antime we shall
protect both persons and property with
the largest liberty to citizens possible
under the circumstances.”
The meeting began at 8 p. m. and
lasted until nearly midnights The at
tendance was large, and little division
of sentiment was manifested on the
general features of the resolution.
SUICIDE AT BAINBRIDGE.
An Ex-Representative Severs Arteries and
' Windpipe.
A Bamnbridge special says: At 2
o’clock this afternoon Dr. M. N. Paul«
ett, who lives two miles in the country,
attempted to commit suicide by cut
ting himself to death-with a very dull
knife,
He first cut the artery in his left
thigh, then the artery in his left arm
and, finding that 1t was* rather slow,
cut his throat, completely severing
the windpipe. He is still living at 9
o'clock this evening, but the attending
physician says that it is only a ques
tion of a few hours; that 1t will be im~
possible for him to recover. He was a
bachelor, 61 years old, and was just re
covering from an illness of three weeks.
It is thought that this last illness un
balanced his mind. He represented
this county 1n the legisiature in 1896
and 1897, and was well thought of.
Horrible agony is caused by piles,
burns and skin diseases. These are
immediately relieved and quiékly
cured by DeWittls Witch Hazel Salve,
Beware of worthless imitations. Sale- |
Davis Drug Co. R
SOUTH AMERICA’S MUD STORMS.
Blows the Cars From the Tracks,
Sails Put on Freight Trains.
_A correspondent in South America
gives the following account of the great
dust storms which prevail there at dif
ferent periods of the year:
‘“Amoung the discomforts of riding in
the Argentine are those which come
from the wind. It blows on the pampas
at times with all the force of a Kansas
blizzard. lam told that while the road
from Buenos Ayers to Mendoza was
building the cars were sometimes blown
off the track, and that it was customary
to put sails on the freight trains and al~
low the wind to pusb tbem along over
the rails. This, however. I doubt, as 1
am prone to do with other stories told
here in this land of luxury, laziness and
lies.
*“I do not doubt, however, the stories
as to the dust. There is vo land vhere
the dust blows more than it does here.
The dust storms are thicker than snow
storms. They sometimes stop the cars,
filling the grades jand cuttings so that
you need a plow to get through, Dur
ing a storm a few years ago it took
2,000 men a week to clear -the track of
one of the roads.
“Such dnst storms sometimes cbscure
the sun and if a rain comes whiie the
dust is in the air it brings down a show
‘er of mud, which paints the houses and
fences and everything else with a sticky
mass, If the rain cuntinues the wood is
scoured clean by the mud, but if not it
18 left in a most deplorable condition.
“I have heard of dust storms which
have filled the floors of the cars, the
/dust being so fine that it went through
‘the windows and doors, and I know to
‘my sorrow that such a gtorm will coat
'your face and clothes in ten minutes
‘with a thick coat of dirt, and mike
white man and Indian, African and Cau
casian of the same gray complexion, [t
will cause your lips to crack and coat
your tongue so that you feel as though
you had been biting into one of the ap
ples of Sodom, aud had gotten there.
I from a mouthful of ashes.”
WHITE CAPPERS AT WORK.
A Gang Terrorizes a Portion of Early
and Miller Counties, ,
A special to the Atlanta Journal from
Colquitt says:
A white-cappers’ league has been or~
ganized in Miller and Early counties,
and the gang is terrorizing the law abid
ing people of this section by their
threats and deeds of outlawry. The
gang have issued an order that no negro
shall live in the section in which the
white-cappers are at work, and the white
people bave been notified that negroes
shall not remain on their places under
penalty of violence,
The’tate of anxiety is intemse in this
section, and the law-abiding people
have asked Governor Candler to take
steps o suppress the outlaws, who con
tinue to threaten and intimidate the
people of this secti. n,
‘lt will be remembered that only a
short time ago a gang of men went to
the home of J. P. Rustin and there shot
him and his son Virgil Rustin dead be
cause they were prosecuting a man who
had wronged Miss Rustin. A muvmber
of the members of this gang have been
sent to the penitentiary, and it is ex
pected that other arrests will be made.
THE NEGRO JOHN BROWN KISSED,
He Is Still Alive, and Has Never Per
formed a Day’s Honest Labor,
One verse of a poem by Whittier, the
abolitionist poet, runs:
John Brown of Ossawatomie, they led
him out to die,
And lo! a poor siave mother with her
little child pressed nigh,
And the bold blue eyes grew tender and
the vid harsh face grew mild,
As he sBtood between the jeering ranks
and kissed the negro’s child.
What went with the pickaninny that
was kissed by Joun Brown? A corres
spondent of the Pittsburg Dispatch says
that he (for it was a boy) is still aliye;
and he lives in Charleston, W, Va., th at
that his name is Owen Carter. aged 43
and is as black as the ace of spades. The
correspondent fur ther says that Carter
never performed a day’s honest labor ip
his life, and that he never will; also, that
th e spot on the cheek which John Brown
kissed has neyer been washed since,
S —— e@ e e -
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0. ‘ e i oy e ‘
Vol. 15.—N0. 26.
SITUATION IS SERIOUS.
A LONG AND COSTLY WAR WITH
FILIPINOS CERTAIN.
Conducting the Kind of Warfare Against
Us That They Did Against Spamn. Islands
Cost a Great Deal More Than They Will
Ever Be Worth.
We might as well make up our minds
that we have a very seriohs situation in
the Philippines to face. When the
treaty with Spain was signed in Paris
the impression prevailed in this country
that the Filipinos, lecognizing our be
nevolent intentions, would welcome our
rule until such time as they were pre
pared to /ssume the management of
their own affairs, That impression was
a mistaken one. The Filipinos are not
going to permit us to manage their po
litical affairs, and if we do so we must
establish our authority by force. That
is so evident that there is no room for
question,
And it looks as if the war which we
are waging against the Filipinos would
be a long one. It would be a short one
if it were possible to meet all ot the
forces ot the Filipinos in open battle,
but they nnderstand the sitnation too
well to come out into the open and risk
their cause io one or two great engage
ments, Tbey intend to conduct their
war against us just as they conducted
their war against Spain. They hope by
their guerrilla methods to flnally tire us
out and drive us trom the country.
We have already quite a large army
and a very considerable navy in the
Philippines, and there is a call for more
troops and more vessels of war. There
need be no surprise if these calls should
be repeated, The sickly season is rap
idly approaching, and when it comes
the hospitals .will be filled with our
troops. They will not be able to con
duct a vigorous campaign in the jungles
and swamps to which the insurgents
will retire when they are vigorously pur
sued.
The admimistration has decided upon
a vigorous campaign, with the hope of
ending opposition to our rule before the
sickly season begins. That is undoubt
edly the proper course to pursue, but it
is doubtful if the result hoped for will
be attained. The insurgents are in a
position to carry oo a long war, and that
is the kind we are likely to have. What
it will cost no one can predict with any
degree of certainty.
One thing can ve depended upon, and
that is that the Philippines will cost us
a great deal more than they will ever be
worth to us. We have agreed to pay
Spain $20,000,000 to retire from them,
anu we have also agreed to pay the cost
of sending the Spanish troops in the is
lands to their homes. It is pretty safe
to say that the Philippines have already
cost us $40,000,000, net countiug the
lives that have been sacrificed there,
And yet our control in the islands is
practically confined to Manila.
We are disposed to accept the state
ment of the President, made in his
Home Market speech at Boston, that he
has no policy in respect to the Philip
pines, and that he stands ready to carry
out whatever policy eongress sees fit to
adopt. Assuming that such is his posi
i n, and that he speaks for his party,
it seems to us that the wiser course to
pursue is for congress to tell the coun
}try at once what‘ its policy in respect to
the Philippines is.
1f we are in for a long and costly war
in these islands—a war which may in
volve us in complications with one or
more of the powers of Europe—it is
important that the country should be
united, and that the Filipinos, as well as
our own people, should know just what
the issue of the war is, "~ As long as
there isB room for the charge that im«
perialism is aimed at, and that the war
is intended for the benefit of capitaligge,
the difficulties in the way qf raising
men and money for establisning our au
thority in the Philippines will increase.
If, as the prospect now is, the waris to
be a loug one, the exact purpose of it
ought to be made, clear, %oubt means
confusion and hesitation, and while
they exist a vigorous campaign is practi
cally impossiole,—Savannah News,
| Somewhat Luxurious,
: Democracy is growing somewha’ lux.
‘urious in New York city. It is annouane
ged that Mr, Crokei’s Democratic Club
‘has acquired a wine cellar +nd stocked it
'with the choicest of vintages, brews and
distillations. There are said to be nine
‘teen kinds of champagne, fourteen kinds
of whiskey and $lO,OOO worth of other
liquids in the cellar, including some of
the rarest and most costly wines from
European stocks. In former days dem
ocracy took its dram from the jug.
To restore the clear skin, the bright
eye, the alert gait and sound health, use
Dr. M. A. Simmmons Liver Medicine.
