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THE DAWSON NEWS.
LRY
By E. L. RAIE\I‘E{???F"
MAINE IS BUT ONE BIG POTATO PATCH
e ’ .
This Year’s Crop Will Be a Tre
mendously Enormous One.
IS WHAT GOTTON IS TO OGA.
Areostook County Alone Will Pro
duce 20,000,000 Bushels. Aver
age Price Does Not Exceed 20
CUents a Bushel. The Buyers and
the Farmers Are Both Tricky.
Tor many years Aroostook county
has been known as the potato patch
0f Maine, and according as the price
0f potatoes goes up or down the
farmers grow rich or poor. Last
‘ear owing to an acreage larger
than usual and a prolific yield the
farmers expected to do well; but be
tveen floods and drouth, frost and
rot, the crop was for the most part
fiined, and gloom settled upon the
florthland. It was freely predicted
that many of the farmers would this
\“ear turn to other crops, but instead
LnA»;;;; have “stuck to spuds,” and now,
With an acreage only 15 per cent. less
than that of 1907, and a remarkably
vorable season for growth and free
fn‘::n from blight of every kind,
;,\ YOStook promises to produce 20,-
'"00 bushels of the finest potatoes
Mt the world. Of this crop 10,000,
00 or 12,000,000 bushels will be
_Pbed out of the state for food
Ilj"“l'(’*‘“\ _between September and
o While the remainder will be
gosumed at home, made into starch
I‘L f‘:“d 4s seed-—much of the seed
I 8 shipped to the southern states
in I};(. N’Nn;’,‘.
I,ql Pon the prices received from this
”‘1;:11'1'“‘.‘1‘ ‘rop will depend many
blans o he size of the acreage to be
;m'?']*“l next year, the number of
I'amn Xtl;l(ls.uf phosphates which hthe
I'lanlr(:“-“-[” order for next spring’s
‘iaUinn:' the purchase by wives and
Mai’;”fl"'h’ of Aroostook farmers of
'winti, .‘-‘_"“1"-‘!1 or silk dresses for next
d”‘d%l 5 Wear, the investment in hun
the 'l,m"‘*»‘“' planos before spring,
arns . D€T and size of the new
in tpe 4 houses that will be built
Number CUBtY within the year, the
oent;,r. °f young men and women
han ,i,'l tollege next year, and, more
un,,..““]‘('lse the immediate fate of
~omp'm( I of young couples who have
F moroted matrimony for years
* Monthg, \
»
Im:u‘,,.; at 20 Cents a Bushel.
y ;h;:' 18 10 marketable commodi
rom t; Varies so widely in valuation
most(l)me to time as the potato in
‘itieg V:.)é{ County, lln the large
1 whepe o, i€ demand is constant
Otatoeg e the population consumes
rice, th Tegularly without regard to
€ rates charged by the re
ANNOUNCEMENT.
g\z.ith pleasure we beg to announce the arrival of our new line of fall aml winter merchan
dise; a most complete line of all things good and desirable. We extend to the trade 2
most cordial invitation to call and inspect same. Thanking you for past favors, and
trusting a continuance of same, we are Yours to serve,
* Davis-Davidson Company.
tailers rarely are less than 50 cents
a bushel, and frequently reach $1
and $1.50. In Aroostook, however,
if there is no uotside call for pota
toes the rate at once drops to the
regular price of 20 cents a bushel
paid by the starch factories, and it
remains there until orders for ship
ment arrive. For the last 12 years
the average rate has been about
$1.30 a barrel, a barrel holding two
and a half bushels when headed up.
From this medium rate the prices
at times go as high as $2 or $2.25
a barrel, and hold there for several
weeks, though these enormously
profitable rates seldom hold long.
The buyers often work schemes
on the farmers. Sometimes late in
the afternoon when a buyer receives
an order for a trainload of potatoes
he sends messengers through the
country informing the farmers that
he will pay $1.26 a barrel, for in
stance, for a trainload of potatoes
delivered at a certain siding, first
come first served.
As the messenger dashes by on
horseback, crying out the news, the
farmers light lanterns and get busy.
The first arrivals are able to dispose
of their loads, receiving the stipu
lated price. The excitement begins
when the late arrivals, who have
driven furiously for hours, come in
and find the train loaded and gone,
and the buvers expressing deep re
grets and offering 40 cents a barrel
for their loads, ‘‘sooner than have
them disappointed by having to carry
the crop home again.” Some of the
farmers accept the terms, but others
are too indignant to sell and drive
to the nearest starch factory where
they dispose of their loads for the
same rate offered by the buyers.
Farmers Are Tricky, Too.
The farmers, however, sometimes
work a little secheme of their own.
A familiar way of fooling the buyers
is to drive up to the potato house
to unload, with two barrels on the
front end of the long body empty,
but covered on top with blankets and
robes, as a seat for the driver. If
a farmer brings in 16 barrels of po
tatoes he puts 18 barrels on his cart,
two abreast, and leaves the two in
froht wunfilled. The drivers wait
their turn in unloading, and as soon
as a cart backs up to the door the
driver passes his barrel to an em
ploye of the buyer, who takes it in
side, empties it, and brings it out.
In making payments the buyer comes
out and counts up the empty barrels
on the long cart body—‘two, four,
six,” etc.—and pays the price agreed
upon for the lot. The two empty
barrels in front which had never left
the cart are counted in and paid for
with the rest, and the buyer pays for
two barrels of potatoes he has never
received.
Digging is now performed by
horse-power almost exclusively. Men
hired by the day go ahead of the
digger, pulling the potato tops and
shaking the tubers from two rows
DAWSON, GA., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 190 S.
into the gully or trough between.
The digging machine drawn by two
active horses comes along and delves
and shakes and sifts the potatoes
from the soil.
The real labor comes in the pick
ing up. A man with a smart pair
of horses attached to the digger can
unearth from 8 to 10 acres of pota
toes in a day. This is as many as
12 active men can pick up and put
in crates or barrels.
As a by-product of raising pota
toes for food the conversion of smail
potatoes into starch has become a
notable industry in Aroostook coun
ty, where there are more than 40
starch factories. One starch man
ufacturer, who is, however, interest
ed in many factories, supplies more
than 15,000 tons of potato starch to
the cotton mills of New England
every year, all of it being used as
‘“‘sizing” for glving body to new
cloths.
ELECTION IN CALHOUN.
C. B. Weaver Was Nominated for
Clerk of Superior Court.
At a primary election in Calhoun
county for the purpose of nominat
ing a candidate for clerk of the su
perior court to fill the vacancy caused
by the death of the late S. T. Clay
ton C. B. Weaver received 198 votes,
J. O. McNeil 130, and W. A. Man
ry Bi.
B.’J Bass, J. T. Stewart, R. K.
Collier, R. L. Perryman and G. W.
Eubanks were nominated for county
commissioners, and H. V. King for
coroner, W. A. Manry, who was nom
inated for the latter office having
declined to accept.
Calhoun county will be without
a surveyor unless some one runs in
the general eleetion, as nobody has
asked for this office in either of
the primaries held in the county this
vear.
FOR PERMIT TO ERECT WOODEN BUILDING
There Was a Lively —;lg:l—:t FE;efore the City Council. Both
Sides Had Lawyers Employed.
The request of Mr. E. B. Freeman
for permission to erect a wooden
building on his residence lot, on the
corner of Stonewall street and
Fourth avenue, which is in the fire
limits, brought on a lively fight
when it came up for consideration at
an adjourned meeting of the city
council.
The city charter, as well as an
ordinance, prohibits the erection of
a wooden structure of any character
in the fire limits without the unani
mous consent of the council.
Some of Mr. Freeman’'s neighbors
who have adjoining property entered
a decided protest against his request
being granted, and when the matier
came up both sides were represented
by lawyers and vigorously contested.
Unanimous consent for the build
ing to be erected could not be ob
GRAVE OF BENJ. HAWKINS
WAS DISTINGUISHED GEORGIAN
DURING EARLY DAYS.
Now Overgrown With Bushes and in
Ruins in a Remote Spot in Craw
ford County. Was a Maker
of History.
While strolling recently over his
uncle’s plantation in Crawford coun
ty N. F. Walker came upon the grave
of Col. Benjamin Hawkins, for many
vears agent of Indian affairs in Geor
gia, but now long since forgotten.
Mr. Walker writes that the brick
wall protecting the grave has fallen
down; that it is all grown over with
bushes. He expresses the opinion
that a monument should be erected
marking the burial place of so dis
tinguished a citizen,
Mr. Walker’'s discovery led to in
quiry regarding the history of Col.
Hawkins, and a brief account of his
career has been dug out of an an
cient volume by former Gov. Allen
D. Candler, compiler of Georgia’'s
Colonial and Revolutionary records.
Benjamin Hawkins was superin
tendent of Indiam affairs, under ap
pointment from President Washing
ton, from 1789 to 1795. He had
charge of all the vast territory south
of the Ohio river and between the
Savannah and the Mississippi. Col.
Hawkins was born in Yates county,
North Carolina, Aug. 15, 1754. He
acquired a splendid education and
spoke the French language fluently.
Being with Washington at the battle
of Monmouth, he was retained by
him as interpreter, and through him
all communication with the French
tained. Aldermen Shields, Lowrey
and Hollingsworth went on record
as opposed to allowing wooden build
ings in the territory embraced in
the fire limits, and Aldermen McLain
and McNulty voted in favor of grant
ing the request. Alderman Hamil
ton did not vote.
The fire limits in Dawson are:
From the south side of Hill’s ware
house up Main street to Fourth
avenue, north of the Dawson Inn;
from Vine street at the corner of
the old Baldwin residence east to
Stonewall street at the corner of E.
B. Freeman’s residence lot; from
Vine street along Lee street to Or
ange street at the corner of the New
Commercial Hotel; from Vine street
along the south line of the old Cobb
place to Stonewall street at the cor
ner of the residence lot occupied by
J. N. Cook.
officers in the American army was
carried on. ;
From 1781 to 1787 Col. Hawkins
was a delegate in congress from
North Carolina, and subsequently
United States senator from the same
state. The territory over which he
had control as superintendent of In
dian affairs was occupied by the four
great tribes—the Creeks, Cherokees,
Choctaws and Chickasaws. Under
his care and management the south
ern Indian made much progress in
civilization. Many of them built and
lived in good houses, and there are
in certain sections of this and othet
states substantial brick houses stand
ing today which were constructed by
Indians nearly a century ago. There
were among the Indians those who
owned large and well -cultivated
farms and some of them had many
negro slaves. There were also some
churches and schools.
Col. Hawkins was a man of su
perior ability, lofty character and
fine literary attainments, having
been educated at Princeton College,
and when he died he left some val
uable writings on topography and In
dian character. While in congress
he voted to locate the seat of gov
ernment of the United States on the
Potomac. '
He owned a large and well-stocked
farm in the midst of the Creek na
tion, on which he always lived and
on which he died and was buried in
1816. This farm was on the Flint
river in what is now Crawford coun
ty, Georgia, It was there that Mr.
Walker recently came across the
grave, and now suggests that some
provision should be made for its
care and preservation.
TWO “NEXT” HE SHAVES BOTH.
Barber Averts Dispute by Working
With Both Hands and Turn About.
Two men were shaved at one time
in one barber chair by Barber
Wright at Milton, Del. When he
called ‘‘next” two men made for the
chair and crowded into it together.
Without the least -hesitation
Wright slapped the lather on both
faces, and while rubbing it in on
one man’s face started to shave the
other with his other hand.
Both men grasped the novelty of
the situation, and allowed the work
to continue.
Shaving each man with alternate
strokes, he was soon combing one
man’s hair with his left hard while
his right hand was drying .2e other
fellow’s face. Both were satisfied.
N e B L
SARGENT’'S BODY CREMATED.
The Funeral of Late Commissioner
of Immigration.
Following a brief service in Wash
ington the body of Frank P. Sar
gent, late commissioner general of
the bureau of immigration, who died
some days ago, was cremated. The
ashes were placed in a silver casket,
and sent to Philadelphia, where the
funeral services were held.
VOL. 26---NO 51
COST OF EXTRA SESSION RUNS
/ THE TREASURY DRY.
Treasurer Park Notifies Governor
Smith Money Is Needed to Pay
Important Obligations,
The special session of the legisla
ture, with its cost of more than $35,-
000, has convinced the state authori
ties that the state must make a bor
row of $200,000 to tide over until
the tax money begins coming in.
State Treasurer Park has notified
Governor Smith that it will be nec
essary to secure the loan in order to_
pay in full the state’s important ob
ligations, like salaries to state offi
cials, the attaches of their depart
ments, the judges, solicitors, etc.
At the present time there is only
$60,000 in the state treasury. This
sum is being eaten into at the rate
of nearly $2,000 a day by the special
session of the general assembly.
Other demands are being made upon
it daily, and it is not expected to
last long. The tax money will not
begin coming in before December.
It will require several hundred thou
sand dollars to meet the state’'s ur
gent obligations between now and
that time.
While it is probable that a borrow
would have been necessary regard
less of a special session the same
has contributed no small part to the
necessity for the governor exercising
his full borrowing power and prob
ably wholly to the need of such being
exercised this early.
WELL-KNOWN COUPLE MARRIES.
Dr. Hendry and Miss Fannie Shelley
| Are United.
I The following from the Cuthbert
Leader will be read with interest by
ithe friends of the couple throughout
this section. Dr, Hendry is well
‘known in Dawson and Terrell county,
and many here wish for him and his
fair bride much happiness:
““The marriage of Dr. J. H. Hen
dry and Miss Fannie Shelley was
solemnized yesterday afternoon 4n
this city, at the home of the bride’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Z. H. Shelley,
Rev. John W. Martin officiating. It
was a qulet affair. Soon after the
ceremony they left for their home
near Fountain's bridge.
“Dr. Hendry is a well-known eciti
zen of the county, having an exten
sive practice and a host of friends.
‘“His bride is the younger daughter
of our popular tax collector, and is
one of the county’s prettiest and
nicest young ladies.”
Foley’s Honey and Tar affords im
‘mediate relief to asthma sufferers in
the worst stages, and if taken in
time will effect a cure. Dawson
Drug Co. and People’s Drug Store.
Quick Relief for Asthma Sufferers.