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THE FITZGERALD LEADER. WEATHER REPORT. From Noon Sep. 22<I to Sep. 29tl» In¬ clusive. [REPORTED EXPRESSLY FOR THE LEADER BY DR. COB.] Temperature. Itatn- Pre’v’g DAYS. fall. wind. II A M 12 M. M Wednesday Thursday. 4H ne 4(5 r.;> se Friday..... 40 74 ne Saturday... Sunday..... 75 ne 50 '76 Tuesday... Monday.... 51 77 06 ne Wednesday cs No rainfall. Sun shone 5 days. CITY AND COUNTY. The leading business town is the place for the court house. Mr. M. J. Paulk, of Ocilla, paid this office a pleasant call last Tuesday. A vote for Fitzgerald is a vote for the development of Irwin county. Ed Stallings, that bright and shining star of the G. & A. railway, was in the city Wednesday. Editor Brown, of the irwinville Dis¬ patch, pulled The Leader latch¬ string Saturday. If the court house is moved to Fitz¬ gerald every one can reach it easier than any other point. Fred J. Clark, the furniture man, sold a large bill of goods to parties at Ocilla on Wednesday. The removal of the court house to Fitzgerald is the fight of the masses of the people of Irwin county against a few. The Misses Ida and Ada Whitley, daughters of Hon. Wiley Whitley, of Minnie, are the guests of Mrs. J. T. Boyd this week. Fitzgerald pays more money to the farmers of Irwin county than any other place. They should nurse a goose that lays golden eggs. Mr. L. Paulk and N. Paulk, two of Irwin county’s most influential farmers and good citizens, were in the city Wednesday on business matters. Since Chattanooga found it was a res¬ ident of Georgia she threw open her gates to the yellow fever sufferers. Nothing like belonging toagood State. With the court house at Fitzgerald, there will be a new shuffle, and all the boys in Irwin will have a chance. There is nothing like a new deck, and a square deal. _ Talk is cheap, but it takes money to buy grub. Whatever helps to mike money in Irwin county should be sus- tained. Fitzgerald will lead the list in this respect. _ We trust our readers will bear with us for a few weeks on account of not be¬ ing able to run more local news, The court house question is the absorbing question of th.- day. A vote for Fitzgerald will be the means of putting more money in the pockets of the people of the county than a vote for any other place. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Mr. A. M. Bowen, one of the old stand¬ bys of Telfair county, was in the city last Tuesday, and in company with Mr. Reason Dorminey, his son-in-law, paid The Leader a pleasant call. St, Paul’s Lutheran church. Rev. H. F. Long, pastor. Services in the Pres¬ byterian church on S. Grant street, every Lord’s day at 10:30 a, m. and 7’30 p. m. Sunday school at 11:30 a, m. I. D. Morse left at this office last Tuesday a magnificent speciman of oats raised on 5-acre tract No. 1251, belong¬ ing to W. A. Porter, of Central City, Neb. Raised ou new ground and not fertilized. _ It is said that the chainless bicycles will be the thing for next year. It keeps the manufacturers pretty busy to invent something different, so that a man has to buy a new bicycle every year or be out of the fashion. The colony picnic was a big gather- ing. Fully 1,800 people were present, while others place the attendance at 2,200 during the day. The projectors of the enterprise deserve much credit for their untiring efforts to make the picnic so grand a success. Mr. J. R. Green left at this office last Monday a magnificent speciman of rice grown on bis 5-acre tract. We do wish our northern friends could see this fine speciman ot rice as well as hundreds of other products of the farm this section of country is c apable of p roducing. A Kansas farmer took a halter out into the pasture to catch a horse and changing his mind used the halter on himself and was found a few days later hanging to a tree. Whether he had missed connection with prosperity or it had come too soon for his sensitive na- ture is not stated. Each Sunday-school in Irwin county is asked- to furnish five delegates to at- ten d the county convention to be held at the Christian church in Fitzgerald, Ga., on Tuesday and Wednesday, Octo- her 12 and 13, 1897. Said delegates to have full control of all the business of the convention. Superintendents please take notice. BRICK BLOCKS GALORE. Two Handsome Blocks Will Be Built and Possibly Two More. A regular brick block boom has struck Fitzgerald in earnest, and the beauty of it all is, that the brick has been ordered and the excavation has been commenced, so it can’t be said it is campaign argument. Major M. Buice, one of Fitzgerald’s old stand-bys, and a truer friend to Ir¬ win county never lived, was the first to commence work. His building will be 28x65, on the northwest alley corner on Pine street, between Grant and Main streets. The building will be two story with a handsome plate glass front. Work on the same was commenced Wednesday morning, and the brick work will commence as soon as it ar¬ rives from Albany. The brick was bought through T. W. kayde. The second block will be erected by that prince of good fellows, John A. Phillips, of Tifton, who, together with his associates, have done more for the upbuilding of Fitzgerald than any ten men, has let the contract for the exca¬ vation for his handsome block on the corner of Pine and Grant streets, on the old hotel Margaret site. The block will be 48x170 feet, two story for 65 feet. Two handsome rooms 65 feet deep will tace on Pine street, the corner room to be occupied by a bank. Four store rooms will face on Grant street, which will be 48 feet deep. All of the rooms excepting one have been rented. Bowen & Shepperd, whp, it will be remembered, were to build a bank building just west of the Fitzgerald block, have, we understand, made a proposition to M. Buice that if he would build another building on Central avenue, that they would go in with and erect a double room. Mr. Buice told them that he was ready to build with them at any time. More develop¬ ments will be reported next week. P. H. Fitzgerald arrived from Indi¬ ana last Sunday evening, and is busy every dav at colony headquarters. He is also taking considerable interest in our county seat question. The Fitzgerald nine defeated the Dorminey Mill hoys on Tuesday by a score of 27 to 7. The Dorminey Mill hoys were handicapped by not having some of their best players with them. About eleven hundred people have been registered in the Fitzgerald dis¬ trict for the coming county seat elec¬ tion. Fitzgerald gains votes every day, and the business men think this city is certain to win._ Our county authorities advertised that September 27th would be the last days for registration, but still they are keeping it up oyer at Irwinville. This is not treating the native farmers in the right manner who are supporting Fitzgerald. __ New residents are arriving every day with families and household goods, and taking possession of various tracts out¬ side of the city, and a marked improve¬ ment is the result. A large number of the new residents who will come this winter will locate on lands outside the city. The engine for the Pearson steam tram has arrived and was taken to the mill several days ago. Some of the mill machinery has also arrived and is being put in place. A large force of hands is employed and the work of building the mill and cottages for the hands is being pushed. _ Mr. C. R. Taylor, of Tallapoosa, is spending several days in the city in the interest of a cigar box, crate and basket factory. Tho colony officials are hope¬ ful of inducing him to locate his plant here. It is expected that a considera¬ ble amount of fruit will he shipped from this city next year. Hundreds of dollars worth of pictures of residences and business houses in this city and on colony grounds have been sent North in the past six weeks, and have done not a iittie to advertise this section. A vegetable and fruit display is being arranged to be exhibited in the North in a few weeks. The petition of J. B. Paulk, J. T. Boyd, F. J. Clark and D. W. Paulk, asking for a charter to do business un¬ der the firm name of the Fitzgerald Mercantile company, will he found on another page of The Leader. Their location will be on Grant street, and the Paulk building will be enlarged by building an addition 40 feet back. The enrollment of the city schools increases so rapidly that is thought an¬ other school building will be necessary. Miss Maud Stewart, who was ill during tho first two weeks of school, is again at her desk as principal of the high school and is much improved in health. On her return to her room she was given an ovation by the pupils who greeted her with enthusiastic cheers. The Gray steam tram, which con¬ nects this city with the river, and which is but three miles from the city, is also being rushed, and will soon be ready for ties and rails. It will enter the city near the Georgia & Alabama and Tifton & Northeastern depots. Its completion will be of great benefit to cotton farmers between this city and the river, and no doubt much cotton will be shipped outof the city via that route. THE COUNTY-SITE QUESTION. A Logical and Convincing Letter From Ex-Gov. Northern Fitzgerald More Accessible by Railroads and Covenient For The People to Transact their County Business! Editors Fitzgerald Leader. Whilst I have not been in position to keep myself fully posted on the details of the campaign now in progress in your county for and against the removal of the court house, I must confess to some sur¬ prise that there should be any special opposition to the proposed re¬ moval to Fitzgerald. The public business of any community should be discharged always at the convenience of the greatest number of citizens. The center of population, and not the geographical center of the county, therefore should determine the location of county public buildings. If this proposition is not true, the people of any given county would be sub¬ jected to great inconvenience, without the least possible public ben¬ efit therefrom. The view I am presenting is especially true, when the convenience of travel from the more sparsely settled sections are desirable and satisfactory. The contest, as I understand it, is between Irwinville, the present county town, and Fitzgerald, the proposed location for the county business. Fitzgerald and the country immediately contiguous, and easily accessible would be far more convenient for a large majority of the people of the county. Irwin county is now entirely traversed - by railroads leading directly to Fitzgerald, while transportation to Irwinville would involve the necessity for hack lines that could not be expected to be sufficient for the demands, on public occasions, be¬ cause the business occurring during the interval of regularly ap¬ pointed public days would not authorize a proper outfit and regular engagements with the trains. Of equal importance with the fact just presented, it is no reflection upon the good people of Irwinville to say, that hotel accommodations for the entertainment of the peo¬ ple attending upon public days, are far better at Fitzgerald than they can ever be made at Irwinville. The people of the county can¬ not afford to neglect this consideration as a prime element in de¬ termining their choice between locations. I am sure the citizens of Irwin county have already awakened to the fact that there is a great and unusual development awaiting them in the near future. The prime, if not the sole factor in this remarkable opportunity has come through the large and desirable interests built in and about the city of Fitzgerald. In my candid judgment, the public spirited people of Irwin cannot afford to deny to this opening prosperity any condition that would advance the common good. What helps Fitz¬ gerald helps Irwin county and, indeed, helps the State. The peo¬ ple who have built Fitzgerald have already put into the county more than one million dollars worth of taxable property. If prop¬ erly encouraged and given their share of opportunities, this large sum will feel the benefit. I cannot believe the intelligent people of the county will vote away these chances. Whilst the developments in Irwin, brought about by the good people at Fitzgerald, are un¬ usual in the history of the State and, certainly in the history of the county, they have, by no means, reached their ultimatum. Irwin county, the State of Georgia and the South are now inviting desirable settlers upon our unoccupied lands. To get them, we must not only offer land upon which they can squat, but we must recog¬ nize every element of good citizenship they bring with them, and open up to them, without qualification or restriction, the same con¬ ditions of growth and profitable settlement that we claim and exer¬ cise for ourselves. The question, stripped of all undue considerations, is simply this: Shall the public business of Irwin county be transacted, hereafter at Irwinville, a small community, centrally located, with limited hotel accommodations and away from the line of railway; or shall it be located at Fitzgerald, a large and thrifty city, with abundant hotel facilities, easily accessible from all points of the cdunty by rail, and the center of population ? This is a simple business proposition, submitted to intelligent busi- ness people, who should look to the common good, and not to any personal preferment or local honors. If this is done, I do not see how a good citizen can hesitate a moment in determining his choice. I trust that I will be pardoned for this interference, when it may be said I have no local interest. I do not believe the people in Irwin county who know me and my purposes will make any such undue criticism. My identification with them in the past, I feel quite sure, has obtained for me their confidence, and I cannot but believe that they will accept my statements as made from the standpoint of the public good. W. J. North en. Atlanta, Ga., September 23, 1897. A Nebraska editor visited the village school and was greatly impressed with the schoolma’am. On reaching his sanctum he penned the following of her: “She is the pride of the town, the star of the west, mother of invention and a jewel of rare brilliancy. She drew a picture of an iceberg on the blackboard. It was so natural that the thermometer froze up solid. With rare presence of mind she seized a crayon and drew a fire place ou the opposite wall. The prompt action sayed the school, but nearly all the pupils caught a severe cold from the sudden change.—Ex. The following was written by an old maid, and shows in what estimation the “lords of creation” are held by ;them. “Man is a two-legged animal that chews tobacco and walks on the forked end. Most men are born, we never heard of but one that wasn’t, he was made of mud for a sample. Man’s life is full of disappointment, growls and pipes. He goes forth like a lion in the morning and leaves the wood for his wife to chop, and in the evening sneaketh home with his pants ribbed and his heels gone and raising Cain about hard times. He has the grip on road-working days and walks twenty miles to a circus, fie will chase a jack rabbit four miles through the snow, and then borrow a horse to ride a half mile to the postoffice. Fitzgerald Cotton Market. Thursday, September 30, 1897. The market is quoted as follows: Good middlings 5 13-16 Middlings...... . 5% The colony picnic, held in this city last Monday, was a large and happy gathering, the object of which was to organize an “ Old Settlers’ Associa¬ tion,” as will be seen from the secre¬ tary’s report to be found*jin another column. The gathering was a success from start to finish. Mr. I. B. Allen, president of the association, is deserv¬ ing of great praise for the meeting. He is a faithful, worker in whatever he un¬ dertakes, and the members of the asso¬ ciation can rest assured that the in¬ terests of the society will not lag while he is at the head of it. Heavy frosts throughout the northern states reminds the people up there that winter, with its sleet and snow and 30 below zero will soon be there with dis¬ tressing severity. Hundreds of colony members write us that they are getting ready to “fly with the geese” and will be with you on or before January 1st. Many others who are not colony mem¬ bers are writing “can I secure a cottage of five or six rooms;” “can I secure board in a private family,” or “are your hotels ready to receive boarders,” etc.? These and other questions would indi¬ cate a large emmigration to the i^agic city this fall and winter. In fact, the prospects The Ohio were never more brighter. bring full excursion, November 16, will a train load of at least 800 or 1,000 people, to say nothing about the large number from other States. It behooves the people of Fitzgerald to clean the city of all loose rubbish in and about there premises. Business men and others should re- member that to-morrow is the 1st o! the month and that The Leader collector will be on hand. “When talking court house” is the heading of Fred J. Clark’s advertise¬ ment in this week’s issue. Look it up and read the prices. W. L. Parker, who is stopping at the Grand Central hotel, wishes to buy a good 5-acre tract with good house or a residence in the city. See him. M. E. Church, South. A cordial invitation is extended all to be present Sunday, October 3d, at 11 a. m. and 7'30 p. m. In the morning a special sermon will be delivered to the children, and in the evening a sermon on Christian education. F. and A. At., Attention. The regular meeting of Pine Level lodge, F. & A. M. meets Saturday, Oc¬ tober 9, ’97, at 2 p. m. sharp. All mem¬ bers requested to be present. J. W. Pearson, Sec’y. A Big Edition. The Leader next week will issue 3,000 extra coDies, all of which will be distributed among the farmern of Irwin county. Advertisers should make a note of this fact and have their copy for change in advertisements at this of¬ fice no later than Saturday afternoon. Resolutions of Respect. Headquarters Colony Post, Ga. &S.C. No. 14, l f G. A. R, Department of Whereas, At the roll call of Colony Post one more comrade’s name is silent, the angel of death having again en¬ tered our post room and taken from our ranks our beloved comrade, Joseph Waldron, and transfered him into the grand army above, where the trials and cares of this camp life are forgotten, and peace and joy reigneth forever. Comrade Joseph Waldron was a true and faithful member of Colony Post No. 14, G. A. R., and a worthy citizen of Fitzgerald, a kind husband and indul¬ gent father, and we earnestly believe that our beloved comrade has but passed from death into life. Therefore be it Resolved, That in the death ot Comrade Jo¬ seph Waldron Colony Poet has lost one of the pillare of the order, a comrade tried and true, and always ready to do his duty. May we emulate hie sterling: character and manly vir¬ tues, and may we ever hold in greatful re¬ membrance his name as a worthy comrade of Colony Post. Be it further Resolved, That the comrades of Colony Post No. 14, G. A. R., tender their earnest and heartfelt sympathy to the comrade. bereaved Believ¬ widow and family of our deceased ing ithat God, in His loss providence, he the doeth all things well, and our will comrade’s gain. Also that a copy of. these resolutions be delivered to the family of our deceased comrade; also placed upon each the of records city of the Post and a copy sent to our pa¬ pers for publication. G- E. Whitman, J. w. Huggins, H. C. Smith. How to Kill a Town. Buy of the peddler as much and as often as possible. Make out your town is a very bad place and state it every chance yon get. Rejoice in the downfall of a man who has done much to build up your town. Denounce your merchants because they want to make a profit on their goods. Refuse to unite in any scheme for the betterment oj the material interest of the people. If a stranger visits your town tell him everything is overdone and predict a general crash in the near future. Keep up a divided sentiment and knife every man that disagrees with you on the best, methods for increasing business and the inflow of visitors... Patronize outside newspapers to the exclusion of your own and denounce yours for not being as cheap and as large as the big city paper. If you are a farmer curse the place you trade as the meanest place on earth. Tell this to your neighbors and tell them the hotel and business men are robbers and thieves. It will make your property of much less value, but you don’t care. Down every man who is trying to do something._ Old Settlers’ Association. At a meeting of the old settlers of the American Tribune soldier colony at Fitzgerald, Ga., for the purpose of hold¬ ing a picnic, after listening to short ad¬ dresses by the chairman, I. B. Allen, Mayor Goodnow and Mrs. Nettie C. Hall.the meeting adjourned for dinner to assemble at 3 o'clock p. m.. at which time the meeting was called to order by the chairman, who made a report of the action of the committee, A motion was made by G. E. Whit¬ man, seconded by W. J. McAfee, that we do now proceed to form a perma¬ nent organization to be known as the old settlers’ association oi Fitzgerald, Ga., and elect a president, secretary, historian and executive committee of five, and that we perpetuate this happy meeting by holding an annual reunion at such time and place as the officers and executive committee may select. The motion unanimously prevailed. The following officers were then duly elected: President—I. B. Allen. Vice-President—E. S. Childs. Secretary—G. E. Whitman. Historian—Mrs. Nettie C. Hall. Executive Committee—Messrs. D. C. McCollum, W. J. McAfee, J. M. Tal¬ bott, E. Nicholson and Dinsmore. On motion of Mr. Tibbetts a commit¬ tee of three was appointed to take up a collection to defray the little expenses of the committee in arranging lor this picnic. They collected 83.14, which was turned over to the chairman. The meeting then adjourned subject to the call of the president, one year hence. G. E. Whitman, Sec’y. j A Problem. | We will give six months’subscription J to The Leader to nny citizen of Irwin county sending us before November 1, the simplest correct solution of the fol¬ lowing problem: A conical flag pole 100 feet high, 2 feet in diameter at the base, and taper¬ ing evenly to a point at the top, stands in the center of a level meadow. A rope 1 inch in diameter is fixed to the top and wound around the pole, fold touching fold, to thd base, the end of the rope being four feet from the center of the pole. How far will a man travel, who taking the end of the rope and keeping it taut unwinds it by walking around the pole._ Fruit Growers’ ami Shippers’ Association Growers and shippers’ association met at appointed time, and was called to order by I. B. Allen, who was elected president pro tem. Minutes of last meeting read and approved. Secretary gave report on strawberries best adapted to one another and this local¬ ity, and, with other members of the committee, was requested to give a further report at next meeting. O. L. Jay called up the question of amending article 5 of the constitution, and after a full discussion the same was amended by inserting the word “white,” making said article read “all white persons, etc.” An interesting discussion was held relative to becoming a local branch of the American fruit growers’ union, and upon motion the secretary was request¬ ed to prepare a concise statement of the requirements of said union, with cost of membership, and the benefits to be derived, and report fully at next meeting. Still more names were added to list of members, and upon motion as¬ sociation adjourned to meet at colony headquarters Saturday, Oct. 2, at 3 p. m. sharp. The above named meeting promises to he one of unusual interest, as matters of vital import will be discussed and acted upon. There is a surprise In store for all, and as the season for setting strawberry plants is well advanced prompt action should be taken as to kind and quantities wanted. You can¬ not afford to miss this meeting. Respectfully, E. S. Child. “Some of the citizens of south Geor¬ gia have discovered regular gold mines in their old sawdust mines,” said Mr. W. F. Combs, the well-known railroad man, in conversation with a party of friends a few days ago in Montgomery says the Advertiser. “I have just seen the crops of Mr. B. H. Moody, at Bron- wood, and I’ll declare I never saw finer corn in my life. It is simply wonderful, and his other crops are almost as good. I was at a loss to understand what brought about these great results and I inquired into the matter. The land was not what you would call the poor¬ est land, but it was not the kind that a man would look for to raise such crops as I saw. In reply to my questions Mr. Moody said that for vears he had been trying to get rid of the great piles of sawdust on his place. He had been running saw mills there for vears, and after the timber was gone from the land he decided to cultivate it. Of. course the only thing that suggested itself was to burn the dust. But this proved to be a herculean task. The stuff was so abundant, and being moist, it would take always to get it out of the way by that process. He finally abandoned that idea and went on cultivating the ground around tho piles of sawdust for years and years. Finally he discovered that the stuff had rotted until it had no body to it. He thought he would ex¬ periment with it scattered broadcast on a piece of land lying near by. The re¬ sult was so astonishing that he resolved to broadcast his entire plantation with it and to make it as thick as possible. He now considers the sawdust the best fertilizer he ever saw, and old, worn- out land will produce as much when stimulated by the sawdust as will the richest new ground.” Prosperity has surely arrived. In one week lately the editor of this paper was invited out to dinner twice and to supper once, got four new subscribers, collected an old account ot $3.80 that had been charged off the books, was presented with a basket of grapes, a sack of apples, a bouquet of flowers, a rooster about the proper age for frying, and a watermelon, found a quarter in the pocket of an old vest, was asked out to take a buggy ride three times, and had one narrow escape from getting a licking. _ Two farmers in Polk county, Messrs. D. J. Lowry and NV. O. 'Wray, have been making syrup outof watermelons. They found the market so glutted with melons that they concluded to turn them into syrup. So they procured an ordinary cider press and pressed the meats of the melons into watermelon cider, and boiling this down, they make a splendid syrup. Out of 3,000 melons, they made over 100 gallons, which sold at 60 cents a gallon. The Cedartown Standard says that the syrup is very fine and predicts a great future for watermelon syrup in the coming year. The Citizens’ Reform League will hold a public mass meeting in the G. A. R. opera house, on Tuesday, October 5, at 8 p. m. Music to inspire the occa¬ sion and addresses pn live subjects of the day will be' given. Everybody come. Com.