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GEORGIA REWS
Epitomized Items of Interest i
~ Gathered at Random. j
gsearet Orders to Celebrate.
The Fourth of July will be celebrat
ed by ‘he secret orders of Atlanta at
Ponce de Leon Springs. Arrangements
for the celebration have already been
made, and it is probable that it will
be the largest Fourth of July celebra
tion that has ever been held in the
South,
* B %
Commission Urges Reformatory.
Strong reference to the necessity for
a state rcformatory for youthful crim
inals is made by the prison commis
sion in its annual report, which has
just been sent to the printer.
There is a measure now pending be
fore the legislature providing for an
investigation of the reformatory ques
tion, with a view to taking some ac
tion at this sesion. .
i * *
Slaton 1s Commuted.
Governor Terrell, on recommenda
tion of the prison commission, has
commuted from the death penalty to
life imprisonment the sentence of
Jack Slaton, colored, who was convict
ed of the murder of a negro woman
in Wilkes county, and sentenced to die
on the gallows. This case has been
pending for some time and one or two
respites have been granted in order to
allow time for a proper consideration
of the case. .
W " sk
New Electric Line Prcposed.
The latest railroad talk is that the
clectric company of Gainesville will
run a line to Homer, Banks county, via
White Sulphur Springs, Gillsville,
Commerce to Homer. A meeting has
been held at Homer and the people
there are e€nthusiastic over the pros
pects of securing railroad facilities.
They stand willing to pledge large
subgceriptions and to secure the right
of way for the line,
* * *
Still Waiting for Their Money.
Can a dead man be adjudicated a
bankrupt? This is a question being
freely asked by attorneys interested
in the affairs of the late R. H. Plant’s
estate, and an answer to this question
will determine just about when the
hunidreds of widows and orphans, poor
people and rich will get what is com
ing to :hem from the I. C. Plant’s Son
Bank. :
Since the ccllapse of the two banks
the depesitors of the private institu
.tion have waited patiently for the af
fairs of the dead banker to be straight
¢ncd out by the receiver.
L * *
: Raided Treasury First Day.
Members of the legislature, or at
least some of them, swooped down
upon the state treasury on the first
day of the session and drew there
from the sum of $2BO. Some of the
members apologized to Treasurer Park
for seeming eager to get their pay,
but stated that they needed the mon
ey. Another delegation of solons call
ed at the treasury on the second day
and drew two days’ pay. From now un
til the close of the session there will
be lively times in the treasury de
partment, and the officials there will
be busy paying out money and keep
ing a record of it.
* * *
Qucta of Troops Cut Down.
An order recently isued cutting
Georgia's quota of soldiers from 2,209
to 1,500, and cutting the time of their
presence on the Gettysburg battle
field 15 to 16 days is‘the obstacle
which seems now to stand in the way
of the Georgia troops, and which will
likely debar them from participation
in the maneuvers. :
Much correspondence is now going
on between the adjutant general’s of
fice and the different commanders in
the staie and the war department at
Wishington in an effort to have a
contingent from the Georgia state
troops present.
Farmers' Institutes. |
An’mterestlng and valuable meas
ure that has made its appearance in
the house is that by Mr. Leigh, of Cow
eta, providing for the establishment
and maintenance in Georgia of a sys
tem of farmers’ institutes. This meas
ure provides that a farmers’ instl
tute shail be held in each senatorial
district in the state annually, anc
that the sum of $2,506 shall be appro
priated in addition to the $l,OOO now
guaranteed by the state university to
pay the expenses of the director and
the lecturers at these institutes. Thesa
institutes are to last not less than two
days in each senatorial district.
Last year for the first time, farm
ers’ institutes were held in each sen
atorial district of the state.
* * sk
) State Owes Teachers $60,000.
~ The $60,000 which is due the teach
;ers of Georgia by the state cannot be
paid for some time yet. The governor
has informed State School Commis
sioner Merritt that no more payments
can be made at present, as the condi
tion of the treaury is very much de:
pleted, and with the legislature in ses
gion, it will take mneearly all the
money that is coming in to meet the
‘demands of the solons.
~ On that account the teachers will
‘have to wait until the treasury gets
an overplus before they get that $60,-
000, Many of the pedagogs have be
gun a complaint to the sfate school
commissioner, but he is powerless in
the matter.
If a loan is made by the state, it is
likely that -the teachers will be paid,
but the governor do<s not want to
borow any money unless it is abso
lutely r.ecessary.
» No Increase in Pensions.
Commissioner of Pensions Lindsay
announces that it will not be neces
sary for the legislature to increase
the appropriation for pensions for the
year 1905. This statement is regarded
as significant, as it tends to show
that the pension appropriations will
rapidly grow less from year to year.
Not that the state of Georgia will re
joice over the fact, but it does not
stand to reason that the old heroes
who wore the gray will live much
longer, and every year now will wit
ness their gradual passing away.
The amount needed for next year
will be $85,000. Commissioner Lindsay
is busy with his rolls for next year
and will be engaged in getting them
in shape for some time to come.
* * %
Corporation Tax Bill.
The feature of Frday's session of
the honse was the passage by a vote
of 125 to 3 of a bill providing for the
appointment by the comptroller gen
eral of a board of state tax asses
lsors.
The Lill, in substance, calls for the
appointment by the comptroller gen
eral of three disinteftested pdrsons
whose duty it shall be to assess all
corporation property in the state which
is ncw returned to the office of the
comptroller general. The assessors
shall have the power to summon wit
nesses and to examine books, and the
valuation which they shall place on
any corporationu property shall be
final and not subject to appeal
It is the purpose of the bhill to ap
ply only to the property in the state
owned by corporations.
® & »®
The Georgia Educational Association.
The Georgia Educational Associa
tion at its closing session in Warm
Springs elected cfficers for next year
as follows:
G. F. Oliphant ,of Barnesville, pres
ident: M. M. Park, of Milledgcviile, first
vice president; Miss Ella Mitchell, of
Sandersville, second vice president;
M. L. Brittain, of Fulton, treasurer.
E. B. Mell, of Athens, the present
secretary, was elected for a térm of
three years. .
The time and piace of the next
meeting will be selected by the exec
tive committee. |
‘ The committee on legislation for the}
summer school at Athens was contin
ued in office. It is composed of J. C.
Woodward, G. F. Oliphant and W. M.
Slatcn.
The educators heartily €¢ndorsed the
local school taxation amendment pro
posed for the constitution of Georgia.
® ¢ B
Want Negro Trops Disbanded.
Inspector General William G. Obe»r,
Georgia state troops, in his report, just
filed with Adjutant General Harris, rec
ommends the mustering out of all the
negro {roops in the state. He deals at
length with the subject and thinks
that the question should be determin
ed once and for all, The mustering out
of the negro trocps has been recom
mended from time to time for the pas.
several years, and the Georgia Officers’
Association in Sav:nnah some time
ago made a similar recEmerndation.
The negro troops drill fairly well,
but they do not come up to the other
standards of efficiency. Besides it has
cost the state about $20,000 to equip
these troops and it costs abcut $1,200
a year to maintain them.
A bill passed by the legislature
would le necessary to muster the
troops, as the state law now says
that there shall be a battalion of col
ored troops. These 4roops, Colonel
Obear says, are absolutely useless to
the state as the governcr is unable
to order tkem out anywhere when the
services of troops are needed.
* * £
County High Schools.
Perhaps the most suggestive recom
mendation of Governor Terrell in his
message to the General Assembly was
that providing for county high schools.
Our educational system has never been
completed. We have a common school
course of seven years and a univer
sity system, but between the two
there is a gap of at least three years.
Thousands of boys complete the rural
school course and seeing nothing
ahead are satisfied and begin life
poorly prepared for its duties. Others
have heard of the college and its val
uable trainings, but find several years
of preparation needed and no school
in the county that can help them. lua
the common school the boy learns his
toois, the arts of reading, spelling, of
accounting and of language. In the
high schcel he gets breadth of view,
technical training, cultural knowlelge.
On their completing the elementary
course as prescribed by the state
board the pupils will enter the county
high school driving in daily or on Mon
day and returning home on Friday. Co
operative bhoarding facilities will be
provided so that board should not ex
ceed $7 a month and much of this
can be provided from the products of
the home. English, history, agriculture,
physical geography, physics will be
given their proper place in the cur
riculum while the classics and math
ematics will retain their just relation
to the whole.
To establish these high schools, we
must have united community effort.
The state should appoint a high school
commission composed of the chancel
lor of the university, the state school
commissioner and one representative
citizen in each congressional district,
to have general supervisicn and to
act with the local authorities in high
lschool matters. The state should set
aside $250 for each county to he given
to that high school matters. The' state
should set aside $250 for each county
to be given to that high schol, select
ed by the commission, which will best
meet the requirements in curriculum,
equipinent, management and provisicn
for boarding students from the coun
try. The selected high schod! would
become an accredited school-of the uni
versity, subject to inspection. The
plan would assure a high schoo! in
each county, it would prevent loss
of time in the rural schools and con
cenirate the work so that it could
he done suécessfully. The appropria
tion would be sufficient inducement for
acceptance by any progressive com
munity when the prestige and added
hoarding students are taken. into con
gideration. It weould develop self help
on the part of the communities and
knit the parts of our educational Sys--
tem together, carrying out the orig
inal plans of our fathers. The plan
has the endorsement of the county
gchool commissioners, of the teachers”
association, of Dr. True of the agricul
tural department at Washington and is
‘in successful operation in several of
ithe states. J. S. STEWART.
BEDROOM FURNITURE.
The mewest wrinkle in dedroom fur
nishings for summer is the use of the
rrgwu tapestry canopy for the dresser
and bedstead. The chief thing to
recommend the tapestry canopy is its
economy. Any old bedroom suite can
be used as a foundation, or even a
pine framework, painted white, for
the dressing table and washstand.
The latter iz draped with figured tap
estry along the simplest lines to give
the valance effect. The dressing ta
ble has a crown foundation overhread,
from which the tapestry falls in grace
ful folds and extends to the floor.
The background for the mirror is also
of the tapestry, and in this frame
work is set an oval beveled glass at
2 height convenient for a woman to
sit when making her toilet. The en
tire dressing table is envelopad in the
tapestry, over which a white point
d’esprit frilled dressed scarf is spread.
A bedstead painted white, or a brass
one, has a draped crown fasaioned to
correspond with the dressing table,
an< also has valances of the tapestry.
White ruffled point d’esprit pillow
shams and spread give the little dain
ty touch and tone down the brilliance’
of the floral coloring. A slipper ot
terman, upholstered and lined with
) plain sateen, which has pockets about
the sides for the footwear, goes with
this set. A chair which is the epitome
of comfort is an addition to the set.
It is called the “Thirty Winks,” “For
ty Winks,” or “Fifty Winks,” accord
ing to its size. It nearly envelopes
¢he occupant, as it has not only a
high back, but high side pieces which
extend out to the padded arms. A
box couch upholstered in the tapes
try, with cushions, is offered as an al
ternate to the chair.—-Kansas City
Star.
The Unsocliable Englishman,
If there are three Englishmsn and
three empty railway carriages the
train will leave the siation with one
Englishman in each carriage. It has
always been held that this proves thé
unsociability of the English. It really
proves their gcod feeling. They do
not resent the presence of strangers
in the very leasi, they wonly feel if
they are in the pousition of a stranger
to other people they will be lowering
the tone, spoiling the manners and
blasting the intellect of the other peo
ple. The most social train—that is to
say, the ftrain best devised in the
interests of society—would consist
largely of cells, made to seat one
'[,erson oanly. It has often been sug
gested that when.two strangers m Jet
in a railway train they might become
temporary acquaintances and spzak
to one another. But this is absurd.
' One never wants to make the ac
iquaintance of people one does not
tnow.—Loadon Sphere.
OVERHEARD ON THE PIER.
“Is this all?”’ demanded the Cus
tom House Inspector, as he finished
up Binks's trunks.
“Well, no,” said Binks. .“I got &
new wife over in Paris -that little
! woman over there withA the pink
| cheeks is she”
! YA right,? e=aid the Inspector.
| “We’'ll have her aopraised. She looks
i like a work of art.’—life,
‘ If he asks you, “Ain’t ft hot?” let
| your answer bc a swat, with your
i hammer for his grammar, and his neck
| Is just the spot!