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THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, TUESDAY, APRIL 25. 1882.
STRAWBERRIES. ,
HOW THEY ARE IN THOMAS COUN
TY, GEORGIA.
TIicLfcrKMt Strawberry J»rn to the state— A Pleas
ant S.’cht— rho Berry Ftekera-In the Sorting
Boose-Shipping the Berries—How the
M.rkat Stand*—The FroSts, Eto. — -
Sq-cdel Correctxindetioe of The Constitution.
Tiiomasvim.e. Ai.jril _15.—“Drive direct to the
strawberry farm.” .saBT Judge Hopkins as we 'set
tled ourselves behind a pair of handsome hays.
•‘Mr. Hlackshcar, you must understand," said
Judge Hopkins, "is a man who has made a fortune
by farming. Everything he touches turns to money.
He has tried many special experiments, but the
most interesting, perhaps, is planting strawberries
dll a large scale." “ * ■;
He certainly locked like a man who could com
pel success*—as he sal squarely on the seat before us
—hi* resolute face turned once in awhile—alert,
thoughtful and observant.
He has studied the soil as other men study the
law or the sciences. ‘ He knew its secrets, its needs,
its promise and its fulfillment. It has never de
ceived him, or gone bock on him. In four years he
made $20,000 on one farm, and has trebled that as 1 a
total, lie is still young, and has never made a dol
lar except that made ont of the ground. He is a
farmer, and nothing else, but he’s a farmer who
.think* fanning is a science worth studying. The
ride was a delightful one. We bowled aloug a level
road on either side of which w.ere truck farms, or
chards of the LeConte pear, melon patches, green
house-, li di ponds, with Rouses set. well back from
the dust and noise, in umbrageous groves. In the
ride of miles I do not think wo taw hue loot of cot
ton.
“Thomas county has always raised her own food,”
said Mr. Blaokshear. “and she’ll do it this year
cleaner than ever.”
After we had gone about three miles we turned
in a broad gate and halted by the side of a roomy
house. This was the home of Mr. McVay, the
partner of Mr. Blockshcur, of the strawberry farm,
and its manager. Leaving the carriage, we went
through a. side gate, and the largest strawberry
patch in the state was before us. The sight was a
pleasant one. The rows of plants were laid out
with perfect regularity, and stretched away until
they were misted iu a solid green. They were
loaded with berries and for several feet away there
were flashes of red beneath every plant. A few
acres away was a Jittle house, dotted right down
in the middle of the patch. To the left of this was
the force of ‘•pickers.” As the work of getting the
berries ready for market began with these, we
passed down the rows till wc reached them,
a'CHAT WITH tint BEICBY PICKERS.
There were forty or fifty women and children
engaged in the work. Each one had a separate
row wt ich he or she walked, half bent over with a
IlnttUh basket suspended from the shoulders. This
basket held four quart boxes placed two by two.
The “picker” continued work until tho four boxes
were tilled, when it was either taken or sent to the
"sorting bonse,” which stood in the center of the
field. .Along with the •■pickers” went the overseer,
holding a long slender stick in his hand. His' duty
was to see that the pickers ate none of the fruit, left
no ripe berries on tho plant and took none that were
too green. lie watched'each nrehin with lynx-eyes
and contiuunlly turned up leaves with his pointer,
showing unsuspected berries, or poking it at an un
ripe burry in some basket with a severity of expres
sion, that should have made the immature fruit
blush Itself red.
“How are you paid for picking?" I asked a fat
girl who looked strangely top-heavy as she bended
forward.
“We git a cent and a half a box—a box holds a
quart.” }
‘‘IIow many boxes can you pick iu a day?”
"Forty or fifty boxes. After a good rain, when
there’s a heap of berries on the plants, I can pick
more.'',
The work is quite tiresome and I found that
many of the pickers work only half- a day, make 30
to SO eents.nnd x quit. I noticed onctold woman who
seemed to be easier wlien -bent up than when
straightened out, and who was very nimble fin
gered. As she put her skinny hand to a plant, the
leaves .(Iu tiered bellies up, disclosing the rich fruit
beneath, which she clutched, four or five berries at
a time, and transferred to her boxes. There was
scarcely a hint of color left in a row after her fingers
had challenged its leaves.
ix Tin: soktjxo house.
Following a youngster who passed me. .with his
basket piled full of berries, 1 brought up at a small
,new house about twenty by thirty feet, fitted all
round with counters. Behind these counters sat
the girls who assorted .the fruit. At the head of
these were the daughters of Mr. McKay. Tho eld
est had a singular sweetness and frankness of man
ner, and made a dainty picture as she sat there
half In sunshine and half in shade, her pretty
hands stained with tho crimson berries, all ab
sorbed in her work. On tho. counters the boxes
filled with the fruit just as it came from tho field,
were placed iu rows. The “sorters" taking the
boxes, rapidly examined each berry, transferring
the sound ones to boxes for shipment, and throw
ing those specked by bird or bug into a waste box.
As each picker came up with his basket full, bo
whs giveu a ticket as an evidence of tho work he
had done, no was then supplied with new boxes
from an immense pile, aud sent to the field again.
“What is tho proportion of damaged fruit?"
asked Miss McKay.
“About one box in ten. But all this is not wasted'
as we feed the speckled berries to the chickens,
will not do to ship a single damaged berry in a box.
It would spoil the whole box.” >
“I notice that in some boxes the berries are riper
than in others.”
“That is because of different methods of ship
ment. If we ship In refrigerators we ship ‘inly the
ripest fruit, as it never grows riper in the ice box,
If wo ship, without ice we use berries not perfectly
ripe, as they sweeten and redden while in transit.'
While talking I noticed the extraordinary size of
some of the berries. There were many more than
an inch in diamctei and half os long again. The
little house, while it was open on ail sides above
the couutcrs, was filled with tire exquisite odor of
this best of berries. Asking Mr. Blackshear as to
his arts moments for shipping, he said:
as to smrriso the beriues.
“To begin with, we built us a shipping depot just
there, the Savannah, Florida and Western road
running right by our farm. Back of our straw
berries we have about twenty acres in watermelons,
which I can make pay $50 an acre clear year in and
out. For shipping the berries we have refrigerators.
We fill one of these with crates of ripe.berries, pack
the ice about them, and the train stops at our depot
and takes on the refrigerators. When we ship with
out ice. as to near markets, wc simply have the
crates filled and piled up and ready tor the train.
The Savannah, Florida aud Western railway is very
accommodating. They Wop daily to take on our
freights, and give us low rates.”
“Where do you find a maiket?”
“We have been shipping heavily to New York,
bu t tills year have shipped more to the west than to
the east. The west is our best market, if the mil-
roads would o„ly give us living rates and accommo
dations. All the coast truck and fruit farms ship
to Sew York, and as a consequence the eastern
markets are often glutted. Why, last season thous
ands of crates of early cucumbers were thrown over
board in New York harbor, simply because there
was no demand. So many crates were chocked
over that Incoming nearness, seeing them floating
atrout, thought a steamer must have been wrecked.
At that very time the great western cities were need
ing these early vegetables, and were willing to pay
good prices. They could not be re-sbipped, how
ever, after this long voyage, and hence were thrown
away. Our true market certainly—after the first
two weeks of the season—is the west.”
For example, I have reports from four shipments
to day. In Cincinnati my berries brought -10 and
:» cents a quart, in Louisville 40, in Xcw York 20
and in Savannah 10 cents. I shipped all my melons
o the west last year and made heavily on them
over eastern prices. I can get from 20 to 40 cents a
quart for berries in the northwest for six weeks yet.
This will cany ns nearly to the end of our season,
which closes in June.
“You have been shipping berries west?”
“Yes. Thebulk of my crop this season has gone
'‘Tb Louisville.*'We fln<TBbetter demand there and
better prices." '
“Why don't you ship there altogether?”
“Because we can’tgctlalrrates and accommoda
tions. I can ship 500 quarts of strawberries to New
Y'ork in a refrigerator and have the refrigerator
returned to me atlesis than ft costs me to ship the
same berries in refrigerators to Atlanta, Go. I can
pnt berries irito the New Y"6rk market at three cents
quart, and It costs over three cents to put
them into Atlanta in ice. If we could reach
Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati and SL Louis by
fast trains at reasonable figures tor refrigerators, we
could leave the eastern market tp the coast farms
altogether; and get better prices and better demand
for our fruits. Chicago will pay more for a luxury
than New York, and will buy it more freely. If the
railroads and express companies would combine
and open the western and northwestern markets to
the fruit and vegetable farms of southwest Georgia,
it wOn!d give both us and them a bonanza. It will
be done,"I suppose, afterawhile.”
THE PEOFIT9 OF A BERRV FARM.
“What is the profit of an acre in strawberries?”
“That’s hard to telL If I did not think it would
pay handsomely I wouldn't be in it—but it has its
chances. An acre of strawberries properly cared
for ought to give 1,500 quarts of good fruit. Mr.
McKay has averaged one hundred bushels; of ber
ries to the acre In Kentucky and Mississippi. This
is 3,200 quarts to the acre. I have heard of larger
yie'da Ilian this. In making business calculations,
however, we should notcount on more than half this
In a large farm it will be safe to count on 1.000
quarts to the acre with any sort of season.”
“What will the berries bring?’,’
That depends on the market and the time. We
aold berries for a dollar a quart at the first of the
season. It dropped.gradually, until it now averages
about 30 cents a' quart. We sell them here at the
farm now at 25 cents a quart in crates. Those con
signed to commission merchants can hardly be
counted on to bring any fixed price. What the
fruit farmers cf this country need worse than any
thing else are commission merchants on whose
judgment and energy and ability they can rely.
Shippers are almost completely at their mercy.
Many merchants who are square are slow or with
out judgment, and mauy who are smart are not
square. But we manage to do pretty well.
Our crop will average us 20 cents a quart, net, this
season.” ,
“That will be, then, $200 an acre?”
Yes. We have already sold $1,300 worth of ber
ries off our twenty acres, ana the season is just fair
ly opened. We will hardly get $200 an acre this sea
son in berries, as we have had bad weather, and we
have experimented with many varieties of plants,
some of which have not done well. Bnt $100 an
acre will do very well, and will beat this considera
bly this season.”
“What is the cost of this?”
“We have our land, and SI,000 worth of plants in
bearing. It costs little more to. work an acre of
berries than an acre of cotton.- But I will give you
the exact figures of our season when we arc through
with it. and have balanced our books. I will
show what it cost to run -it, how many berries we
gathered, and what they netted tis. Then the peo
ple can see precisely what it pays to own a straw
berry farm in Georgia, and how much it will beat
cotton.”
Can’t berries b3 raised at ten cents a quart,
profitably?”
Yes. I would want no better business than that.
We could have sold our entire crop 1 on the vines
this year at that to one man. At ten cents a quart
land would pay over $100 an acre right along. Be
sides the fruit, you know you can sell the “run
itera” to poisons who want plants. Wo sold a great
many last year. The sale of “runners” or new
plants ought to pay the expenses. of running a
strawberry farm, leaving the gross sales of berries
as clear profit. But if we can get into the north-
w;est with refrigerator shipments, we can get thirty
to forty cents for all we-can raise. Yon see, in
shipping without ice, as wo have to ship to the
west, we take the chances of the fruit spoiling in
hot weather.”
I hear that your berries ripened'lierc before the
berries in Florida were ripe?”
That is true. We shipped the first berries
of the season into Jacksonville. We made several
shipments to that city, as we knew they had hone.
I had perfectly ripe berries grown on our farm in
open air in October. From October to Jnntj there
has not been and will hqt be a day when we do not
have ripe strawberries on dur place, grown in the
open air. Bishop, Beckwith, ate as fine a dish of
strawberries as he ever saw in this city on Christmas
day from our place. .There is uo better country for
berries in the world. Mr. McKay had a berry farm
of 100 acres in Mississippi, which he sold to his
brother, and he. says this country is the best. Of
cou rse Florida ought to ripen berries earlier than we
do, but we took careof our place, and wchave a
very early and very fine variety. We plant the
Champion of Kentucky, a berry propagated by Mr,
McKay, and I never saw such fruit as it brings.
Did you?”
Strawberries ripe iu the open air from October
till June—nine months of tho twelve, when the sub
is warm enough and the air balmy enough to ripen
and sweeten so delicate a berry as this. Souldany
better formula than that be demanded by the men
who seek a gentle clime!
As we turned to leave the farm there were hun
dreds of quarts of berries piled up in crates ready
for shipment They were being tucked into re
frigerators or sent in open cars to distant markets.
A GREAT ROUSE ENDED.
A. T. STEWART* CO. ANNOUNCE
THAT THEY WILL RETIRE.
Tne 2nd of the Greatest Dry Good* Boose In
the World—A History of Stewart and tti«
Store*—-Judge Hilton’s Views—Tho Whys
and Wherefore* for the Closing Ont.
As I gazed on tho busy scene, and vaguely wiped
Irom my fingers the stains that had gathered ther
in a leisurely saunter down a well-filled row. I fe
that 1 bad fulfilled the mission ol my trip. I drank
a gallon of artesian water In Albany, ate a gallon
of berries in Thomasville, and now here spilled a
gallon of ink.
The le Conte pear next! H. W. G.
CROP REPORTS.
“How many crop reporters are connected
with the department?” asked a Constmrriox
reporter of Judge Henderson, commissioner
of agriculture.
“Wo have four hundred and .fifty crop re
porters in various counties of the state.”
“When will they make their first reports
this year?”
‘()n the first of May.”
‘What will-they give you information oja?.
‘On the acreage in com, cotton, small
grain and the conditions of labor, especially
as compared with last year.”
“When will these facts be published?"
‘They will be printed in the monthly crop
report which will be issued about the 15th of
May. We will have all our information in
by the 5th or 6th of May.”
“How many of these reports will be print
ed?”
"From five to ten thousand. They will be
sent to all the newspapers and to enterprising
men in different localities. The newspapers
could do much good if they would review the
reports and thus give the information a wider
circulation. TnK Constitution has done a
great work by its editorials on our crop re
ports.”
“Tell me something about the work of the
department in the distribution of seeds?”
, “To date we have distributed 5,400 packages
of improved cotton seed of theMcKibbon,
Jones's improved and lowers varieties. They
have been distributed in nearly equal qnan
tities. We have distribed 7,200 paper?
and packages of garden and grass seeds;
mainly egg plants, lettuce, cantaloupes, sev
eral kinds oi musk and watermelons, okra,
pepper, tomatoes, several kinds of cucumbers,
buncombe cabbages, beans and Monroe grass.
We have also sent out 1,200 packages of im
proved com, and the same number of packages
of rust proof oats.”
“What is the condition of the erops?”
“Promising in the highest decree. The
com crop can’t be judged yet, but small
grain is doing well, and a very large increase
over last year has been planted. I regard the
situation *as exceedingly gratifying.”
The retirement of A. T. Stewart & Co. from
business has been expected for some time by
those well informed as to the dry goods trade.
Since the death of A. T. Stewart the business
of the house has, according to the assertions
of others in the trade, been steadily con
tracted. The house first practically withdrew
from the jobbing business, then from the im
porting, and almost entirely from the whole
sale business. On Saturday it was advertised
that their whole business was for sale and the
firm was to end. When Mr. Stewart died
there was at ' least $22,000,000 in the business
of the concern. The house had on an average
a balance of at least $1,000,000 in the Mer
chants’ National bank, of which Mr. Stewart
was a director, and about $500,000 in -each of
the three other banks in which the -house
kept accounts—the Chemical and tho Mechan
ics’ National and the National Bank of Com
merce. The aggregate was about $2,500,-
000. Tha stock and property of twelve mills
owned by the concern, the goods intheCham-
bers street and Tenth street stores, and the
stock in storehouses in Paris and elsewhere,
as well as in transit, made.the estimated total
mentioned. Up to within ten days of Mr.
Stewart’s death the house bought for cash.
Ten days before his death it stopped buying.
Hence it is inferred that the businessjjtood
worth $22,000,000 more or less at the time of
Mr Stewart’s death. Mr. Hilton, soon rafter
tire funeral of Mr. Stewart, assigned to Mr--.
Stewart the,$1,000,0-^0 cash to which he was
entitled, under the will of Mr. Stewart for the
entire business of A. T. Stewart & Co., which
—its willed to her.
When Mr. Stewart, after a few yeare* expe*
rience as a school teacher, started in the dry
goods business in 1822, in Broadway, near
Chambers street, he had between $1,206 and
$1,500 capital, and his store was 22 feet wide
by 30 deep. When on April 10,1876, hie died
his retail store, which cost $2,750,000, occupied
a city block and covered an area of 2% acres,
making, with its eight floors, a total of 18
acres under one roof devoted to the retail
dry goods business. The running expenses of
the establishment were over $1,000,000 d year.
It was the largest store in the world, nothing
in London or Paris approaching the building
in size or in amount of business donq in it.
Besides this, lie had the wholesale-store
covering the Broadway end of the block, be
tween Chambers and Reade streets. The
combined sales of the two establishments ag
gregated $50,000,000 a year. In connection
with the business, he owned a number of
woolen, silk aud thread mills—the Mohawk,
the Elbceuf at Little Falls, the New York
mills at Holyoke, the Woodward mills at
Woodstock, the Yantic mills in New Jersey,
the Washington mills near Utica, the Cats-
kill woolen mills, the Waterville woolen
mills, the Glenham woolen mills and the
Glenham carpet factory. He had also large
factories at Nottingham, England, and Glas
gow, Scotland. He had branch houses at
Jradford, Manchester, Belfast-, Paris, Lyons,
Merlin and at Chenmitz in Saxony.
This great business was built up by assidu
ous attention to details, exact habits and rigid
adherence to fixed principles of conduct.
When he started out in his little Broadway
store, he and his wife lived in a room above
it. He was his own bookkeeper, salesman
and porter, and ho worked from fourteen to
eighteen hours a day. He haunted auction
rooms, picked up cheap lots, and spared no
rains to present his goods attiactively He
xmght for cash, sold quickly, and kj^ibis
money turning. A principle thatlay^'TO?
foundation of his success was the rigid hon
esty of his dealings. Goods were represented
to, he exactly what they were. The price
fixed was as-low as possible, and there was no
deviation from it. In his wholesale operations
he gave only short credit, and no indulgence
of tardy payments was shown. Collections
\were rigorously pushed, and compromise of
‘claims refused. An embarrassed firm must at
least pay Stewart in full, whatever might be
the arrangement it could get with other credi
tors. He was rigid and- exact in the discharge
and demand of every obligation, and he died
worth about $30,000,000.
la the retail store 520 horse power was re
quired to heat the building, run the elevators,
and work .the sewing machines. There was
an army of, 2,000 employes under pay. The
store was as well known out of town as in the
city, and much of its custom came from tran
sient visitors. It was . frequented by all
classes, front the wealthiest to the very poor.
A constant line of ladies thronged in and oat
of the blue-shaded doors. Carriages lined the
curb, and liveried coachmen of the firm open
ed their doors. Inside the store it was diffi
cult to get about because of the crowd. It
attracted so many people to that part of the
city that the value of neighboring property
for store purposes was greatly increased. It
checked the up-town movement of trade, and
caused a great many other retail houses to es
tablish themselves in the vicinity.
JUDGE HILTON’S VIEWS.
Judge Hilton was interviewed by a Herald
reporter as follows:
“We have no objection,” said he, “to satis
fying the rightful curiosity and natural inter
est of the public, which has known so long
the house and name we represent, and of
course has been the great passive factor in
making them what they are. The step now
about to be taken was not contemplated until
about six weeks ago, when it suggested itself
for the first time in the intercourse between
Mr. Libbey and myself. I had felt for a long
time the excess of the burdens which I bear,
but having assumed them in accordance with
the wish of Mr. Stewart and With the contract
of friendship which existed between us for so
many years,! did not before see that 1. Could
lay them down withont evadinga sacred trust.
I have long had enough care and responsibili
ty to suffice for the strength, energy and vigi-
lafice of Any ten men. I have managed .to
live-under it, but it would not have been sur
prising if I had succumbed.”
“You expect to sell the business intact?”
“Frankly, we. hardly expect to do that. It
would perhaps be difficult to find any one
with sufficient'capital who would desire to in
vest it in the immense stock whioh our trade
defnands. We shall sell what-weea'n in what
way we can. I cannot tell yoa.exactly what,
how and when. Briefly stated, our deaire '
to close up the concern. Mr. Libbey is old,
and as for me I am tired. We both want rest
and a relief from caxe.‘ I do not hope soon to
find either, for besidefthis business. I 'have
oth«<r great matters on -my hands. • What do
yon think of one man sharing in the direction
of a great dry goods house, with its tributary
mills, and at^§esatne time having the wliole
management? oi five hotels and millions of
dollars’ Worth of other real estate? Think of
the multitudinous duties which such a posi
tion imposes! I have bad too mnch of it, and
I want a change. That’s all there is of it.”
“Then the htftels and some of the other
real estate belonging to the late' A. T. Stewart
are also for sale?”
“Are yon looking for such property? Do
vou want to buy?” asked the judge with
laugh. “They are for sale, at their value,
yes,” he added. “And that reminds me of
an anecdote of an old woman who wanted
dispose of her farm. She put up a sign, ‘For
Sail.’ Herspelling was a little eccentric, and
a young man came along and who considered
himself a wag. Said he, after reading it,
‘When do you set sail?* ‘Whenever you can
raise the windr’vras the reply. And so, I say,
whenever you can raise the wind you can
buy us out.”
“Gan you say about how long it will be
before your dry goods business will be closed
out?”
“Icannot; probably, however, from six to
eight months. There is a great mass of goods
here. Can you guess howmuch?”
‘Ten millions?”
The judge smiled but did not reply.
NO DECREASE OF BUSINESS.
“Is it true that the business has. largely de
creased since Mr. Stewart’s death?”
“The volume of the business has increased,”
replied Judge Hilton, “while its compass has
been ' narrowed. In striving to lessen the
labor of maintaining it we have gradually
reduced its scope, lopping off’departments
andliranches wherever we could.”
“Was the abandonment of the old Cham
bers street store a part of this police?”
“It resulted from the eonvietion'tliat it was
too far down town. We found that it was
generally the last house to be visited by buv-
ers in making their rounds and that our
wholesale trade suffered in consequence. The
change was made without actually encroach
ing at all on the space previously devoted to
the retail trade at the Broadway and Ninth
street store, for the reason that the work
which was formerly done on the top floor was
traBsterred to the Lafayette place factory.”
“Was not the Chambers street store vacated
because the business, both wholesale and
retail, was at that time beginning to lose
money?”
“No, sir; the house of A. T. Stewart has
never seen a year when it did not make
money. I know that the contrary has been
said by many persons who can know nothing
at all about it; that it is now losing monev
and has been since the death of Mr. Stewart,
and that'this is the cause of the closing up’of
the business. Nothing could be further from
the truth.”
“Has your retail trade declined?”
“Not at al, except in so far as we have re
trenched its ramifications.”
“Have you any Hebrew customers now?”
“Yes, a great many. Of course we lost
many by reason of the exclusion of the race
from the Grand Union hotel, but that failed to
entail any injury on our business. In fact, the
year when that happened was marked by a
considerable increase in our profits. I re
gretted the necessity which led me to make a
rule against tiie admission of a certain class
in the hotel, hut the measure would never
had so sweeping an effect had I not been
driven to widen its application by the conduct
of many respectable Jews. Originally in
tended to apply only to a class they forced me
to extend it to the whole race.”
THE CREDIT OF THE HOUSE.
“May I ask whether the credit of the house
as good as ever it was?”
“It is, undoubtedly. I am aware that re-
iorts have been printed to the effect that we
tave borrowed money largely, and that our
notes have been heavily discounted. Now I
do not care a snap for such reports as these.
They do not affect me in the least, and it is
not worth my while to take the least notice
of them. For your information, however, and
that you may not be led astray, I will say that
they are utterly false. No paper of the house
of A. T. Stewart & Co. has ever been issued
since I have been a member of it. I have
never put my name to a note for a dollar.”
“Do you speak now for Mr. Libbey, too?”
“Yes, sir. A morning paper said that the
amount owed in this way was about $2,500,000.
Such a statement is nonsensical, as no such
amount would be required as working capital
in any buateess in the world-”
THEI^ITHFUL EMPLOYE’S FATE.
“What iskft become of your employes?”
“Ah! that is the worst of it all. It is sad,
sad, sad. I lay awake all of last night with
that very though. It is otie that was most
constantly with Mr. Stewart in the latter
years of his life. People ttsed to say to him,
‘What will become of this grand establish
ment when you are gone, Mr. Stewart? It
will be apt to go to decay and fall into
ruins on top of those you leave behind you
and who have been dependent on you so
long.’ Then he would reply, ‘I have pro
vided for all that Hilton will look out
for that.’ The idea of servering the personal
connections which had grown up around
the house was most painful-to him, and it
was the principal reason which determined
him to leave the bnsiness in such a condition
that it could lie continued after his death.
Mt. StCWArt and his successors have always
exercised a great care over their employes.
If any of them becomes sick or dies destitute
we provide for the subsistence of the sick and
the burial of the dead. This has always
been the practice of the house. We do not
make a boast of it, bnt we do it. At one
time the house bad at least twelve thousand
persons in its employ."
“And now?”
‘The number is about half of that. In
Mr. Stewart's lifetime it had fifteen mills, as
follows: The Mohawk, Elboeuf, Utica. Wash
ington, Columbia, Waterville, Catskill, Wood-
stock, Holyoke, Yantic rand Glenhan woolen
mills, the Catskill thread mill, the Glenhan
carpet mill, the New York silk mill and the
Nottingham underwear mill. Now there are
but three—the Glenhan carpet and woolen
mills—in active operation. The others have
either been sold or discontinued.”
“What will you do with this great building,
Mr. Hilton?”
“I do not know. It would make a mag
nificent hotel, but the expense of altering the
interior for that purpose would be very great.
Then show me the man who will undertake
to run a hotel like this. The Chambers street
building could be more easily converted to
Property 25 per cent Higher Than for Ten Yean
Fast—The Proposed Bailroad to Locust Grove
or Jackaon—The Woodruff Plateau—A
New Idea—A Good Circular.
that use and it has been empty these many
months.”
You would not start another hotel your
self?”
“God forbid. Enough for the day is the
evil thereof.”
GRIFFIN.
IDEA FOR DEVELOPING
GEORGIA.
Special Correspondence of The Constitution.
Griffin, April 17.—I ran down here yester
day on A flying jaunt and was not a little sur
prised to find Griffin on such a regular
•high." Everything seems to be looking up
and values are increasing every day. I am
told by a prominent citizen that property
here is almost twenty-five per cent higher
than for ten years past. There is not a vacant
dwelling in town, every store is occupied and
the cry is for more. As stated by your local
correspondent in to-day’s Constitution, the
people are much interested in the building
of a road that will tap the Macou and Bruns- -
wick extension somewhere on its line, cither
at Locust Grove or Jackson. It is twenty
miles to the latter place, and the Griffin,
Monticello and Madison road is already
graded to that point. Locust Grove is four
teen miles distant, and is six miles from the
nearest point on the Griffin, Monticello and
Madison road, which will necessitate only six
miles of new grading in case the branch is
built. I really think Griffin would, have a
spasm of joy if this little road were built. Mr.
Julius Brown owns the Griffin, MBnticello
and Madison, having bought it from Judge
Lochrane, and some time ago stated that he
would build it if the people would give him
$100,000 subsidy money. I was living here
then, and Mr. Brown’s proposition met with
a cold reception from the fact that the people
had already sunk $150,000 in the road when it’
was originally corporated and started. I have
never been able to know just koto or
why that enterprise fell through, for there
can be no doubt but that the road would have
raid well had it been completed to Madison.
’ came over from Indian Spring one day last
week, aud was surprised to see the road in
such a good state of preservation. The bed is
somewhat washed, in places, but it would not
require such a vast deal of work to put it in
order now, as one would imagine, after these
long years of exposure and neglect. The city
of Griffin alone put $40,000 worth of her bonds
in the road, a debt which has hung over the
city ever since like a pall. This,{however, is
being rapidly lifted, and by 1S90 the city will
be free from dent. The county of Spalding
better condition, having no
debts and having money in her treas
ury. I would not be understood as
intimating, by my remark above,
that Griffin is in any trouble about her condi
tion of finances. Indeed, few Georgia cities
can boast of so good a showing. Griffin bonds
cannot be bought for less than one hundred
and two, and none are offering at that price.
Those who hold the now outstanding bonds
could not have a better investment, as . the
interest is regularly aud promptly met twice
every year.
THE WOODRUFF l‘I. ATE A U
I took a ride e trly this morning out to the
Woodruff fruit plateau. I found Mr. Wood
ruff at home as usual. It occurs to me just
here that I might add a line to the effect that
possibly tiie greater portion of Mr. Woodruff’s
success is due to tho fact that he remains at
home and minds his own affairs. His business
sagacity lias taught him that personal atten
tion is worth more than having half a dozen
agents. After taking a view around the place
I sat down on the ^ront porch with little Mark
Huson, the son of the late lamented Mark
Huson, of lower Georgia, and chatted, Mr.
Woodruff’ about fruits, as this seems to be his
life and living. As has already been stated
by me a number of times, there is a boom
started right here, so I asked:
.“Does the boom continue?”
“Oh, yes,” he returned, “everything out
here continues on a regular ‘high,” so to
sneak, and we are thoroughly alive to the.fact
that no section in the state promises such
wonderful resnlts as this in the fruit-growing
industry.”
“Can you give me anything new?”
“Yes, I am very glad yon came, as I have
an important item to give you. You see, we
are trying with all our might to bring^people
which would fill these Cars at reduced, rates of
freight on every return trip. I think Mr.
Woodruff’s ideas so sound that they deserv
some consideration at the luiuds of the legi
laturc.
points.
A petition is being signal for a post-office
at the Woodruff place, to be called “Vine-
land.” This is certainly a suggestive and an
appropriate name.
A platform has beeu put up by the Central
road, so that now the expense of hauling fruit
three miles to Griffin will be obviated. This
is a great convenience, and the fruit growers
are aue’Mr. Wadlev a world of thanks.
C. T. L.
It Was a Game Cock.
From the Kome Bulletin.
• No one knows, unless he has served one
term as clerk of council, the amount of quar
reling that goes on among the negro women
of this city, and in nine cases out of ten the
origin of rill these quarrels is some exceedingly
trivial matter. Mr. Nevin, the present clerk,
says these ignorant women believe it their
solemn duty to seek redress for all their imag
inary wrongs through him, and as a specimen
of the complaints he related the following:
A few days ago a negro woman entered the ’
office and asked if that was the place to lay in
a complaint. Upon being answered in the
affirmative, she said: “Dorcas Bean, she kilt
my rooster yistidy."
“How did she kill it?”
“She wrung his head off, data zactly how
re kilt him."
“What was the rooster doing?"
“Why he wusent doing nuthin' butsernieh-
in’ ’round iu her garden 'long wid her pullets.
Dorcas and me lives next to one ampler and
she alius did ’spisc me, and date do resun she
rung dat roosters head off.”
‘ ‘Well she ought to pay you for the chick
en.”
“Data jist- what I say, and dat what makes /
me come here-for to make her do. She dontj
offered me a quarter wid a hole i n it, anr
when I ’fuse ter ’cept it, she says, ‘dats all yo
ole donunernecker rooster's wuff, an’ hits ifll
I’m gwine ter pay.’ Mr. Nevins lie want no
dommerhecker rooster. He wus er game
rooster, an’ had great long spurrurs on his
legs. He was one oh dese here reg'ler Georgy
cloaknecks what fights tox kill. He was a full
haf brudder to Mister Will Pentercosi’s big
rooster what he fights down on de riber banks
ebry Sunday ebeniug, an’ he was wuffer dol-
ler; an’ I wants yer ter make da-; yaller nigger
pay er doller fer him.”
A Quick Marriage,
com the Americus Republican.
Not long since a coupie presented them
selves to a Dooly comity justice of the peace,
intimating that they desired to be married as
soon as possible, as tho girl’s parents were
opposed and would soon be present to stop
proceedings. The justice looked at the cou-
] >le, and turning to the persons who were with
lim first said: “Hold on, boys, till I hitch
this team;” then to the anxious pair, “John,
you want to marry Mollie?” “Yes, sir, quick!”
was the reply. “Mollie, you want to marry
John?” “That’s what I am here for, and the
sooner the better.” The justice then asked
all parties present to rise. “Now, John, ketch
hold of Motlie’s hand; Mollie, ketch hold of
John’s hand. • Now you are hitched, and in
the power gin me by the state of Georgy and
the United States, and by the goodness of
God, I pronounce you man and wife; and
what this court has joined let nothing bust
asunder, if so let him be maranatha. <io
forth, multiply, bring forth and replenish'
upon the faith of the earth. Amen!”
Rome Will Have Two Ice Factories.
From the Rome Courier.
The buildings and machinery for manufac
turing ice, which were erected on Bridge
street last summer by Messrs. Leopold &
Beocbk, of Cincinnati, were sold at sheriff’s
sale yesterday, Mr. J. A. Bale being the pur
chaser. We are happy to announce that the
machinery will be perfected in a few days, so
that by the 1st of Slay the frozen luxury will
be turned out by the ton from the Bridge
street factory. Sir. Henry Watters will b;
the superintendent of tins factory, and be
will immediately begin work to put things in
ship shape.
In the meantime work is progressing rapid
ly on Major Sam Slorgan’s factory, which is
being erected on Elm street, and from present
appearances both establishments will begin
operations about the same lime.
The Death of Hon. F. A, Frost.
Atlanta, Ga., April 19, 1882.—Editors Con
stitution : The simple announcement in your
jnoming paper of the death of .Hon. F. A.
Frost, of LaGrange, Ga., brought sadness to
many hearts, for he was indeed a noble, gal
lant,' generous man, successful as a legislator,
E lanter and banker. He always made home
appy, and his presence brought sunshine to
all. After the battle of life he sleeps well.
_ D. N. 8.
A Bomb’s Work.
Yesterday Ordinary Calhoun put his cane
upon the corner-post in front of James’s bank
and remarked: “During the war a shell
struck this post, tore the top off as you see,
one piece struck and killed a white male in
the middle of Alabama street and another
piece struck a negro on the leg in front of
that barber shop, producing a wound from
which he bled to death.”
A FRAGMENT.
For The Constitution.
Smile sunset sea of summer eves
Over the fields of com;
For all thy golden glory leaves
But promise of the mom.
The shining sun of honest toil
Above the brown earth’s mold.
The fruitage of the noontide soil
Outshines the sunrise gold.
Manhood is more than youth and joy
in God’s eternal plan:
Ah! it is much to beJfioy
But more’*) Be a man r
The good ship hath her argosies,
When mom is young and fair:
Brighter in sunset smiles the seas.
For land and port is there!
; . —E. 8. L. Thompson.
here, and we think we have struck
note to success. Mr. John Keller left last
week for his home in Ohio, carrying with him
several thousand circulars, setting forth the
advantages of this section. Here is the cir
cular; you can read it at your leisure.
The following is the circular which is so
strong in its tone and so suggestive of a proper
spirit that I deem it proper to produce it in
full so that other people in Georgia may go
and do likewise. It is one of the wisest steps
I have yet seen taken towards the practical
development of our state, and the example
set by these enterprising and representative
gentlemen is well worthy of imitation.
Griffin,Ga.. March 25.—We, the undersigned.un-
biased by any sectional feeling, send this greeting
to northern fruit growers aud others, believing
that middle Georgia presents as many advantages
as anv other section of our southern states, and
that there are many at the north who are desirous
of seeking a more congenial climate, if they could
only have some of the facts brought to their notice,
and that a cordial welcome would be extended to
them, and below are given some of the many in
ducements for presenting this.
Signed— M. L. Bates,
President Griflln Banking Co.
D. D. Pkder,
Cashier Griffin Banking Coi-
W. W. Woodruff, ’
Proprietor Woodruff Pratt Farm.
W. W. Woodruff, Jr ,
John Keller,
Proprietor Fairview Vineyard,
James Beatty,
Fruit Grower.
E. S. Leavenworth,
of St. Catherines, Canada.
Correspondence solicited. All communications
will be answered by enclosing stamp to John Kel
ler, Griffin, Ga, *
This is real, solid work, and speaks for itself
more than I can for it. I saw Mr. Keller just
before he left, and heard him say that he felt
sure he would bring at least fifteen or twenty
fruit growers with him who would buy land
and settle near Griffin with their families.
Already he said he could count on six men
coming with whom he had been in corres
pondence for some time.
a new idea.
Mr. Woodruff, seeing the * possibilities of
Georgia, has for a long time had a pet scheme
in his head which lie wishes the legislature
to carry out. He says that if the state of
Georgia would appropriate a part of tiie fund
which is brought into the treasury by tire
fertilizers, to the benefit of the agricultural
and horticultural interests, the planters
would soon be educated to diversify their
crops and make fainting pay ten times what
it does at present. The state agricultural so
ciety for years past has asked the legislature
to a*ppropriate enough money to run an ex
perimental farm, as many other states have
done. Mr. Woodruff now proposes a step in
advance of all the #other states, and would
establish an horticultural experimental farm
and show by actual test how our Georgia
farmers might enrich themselves by raising
fruits and vegetables for the north
ern markets. He says
a burning shame that the farmer’s money
should be so wasted. -About $7,000 of the fer
tilizer fund goes into the fund every year
which is appropriated to educational pur
poses. Give a portion of this money towards
educating onr farmers, in the common rules
of good sense of which many of them are ig
norant. Mr. W. believes in a liberal educa
tion of all classes, and his plan is thoroughly
in keeping with all of his solid, practical, de
veloping ideas. No state has as yet an horti
cultural farm, and no state needs it so much
as our own, because no state has such local
advantages as Georgia for producing fruits
and vegetables. The cars that bring us the
com and bacon now -go b.-ck empty,
but this would not be if wt
only adept a plan oi farming down here ^
Mr. William Bacon’s Duster.
From the McDuffie Journal.
Mr. Hardaway is no longer entitled to the
glory and proud distinction of being the
owner of the greatest duster known to history.
No more will that once haughty summer
gown straddle over the multitude and wave
in triumph through qur dusty streets. Its
prestige has departed forever; and he had as
well to fold up his tent like the Arabs and
quietly sneak away. Mr. William Bacon, of
this place, has invested his surplus shekels in
a garment which, in the way of promiscuous
vastness, has no equal on the face of the earth.
Viewed from the rear, with Mr. Bacon inside,
it looms upand spreads out in every direc
tion, a wide, towering, endless, tiresome, wav
ing wall of brown linen. It requires two men
and a boy to see all of it at one time. One
looks till he breaks down, and another com
mences where the first left off. It looks like
a night gown for Stone Mountain.
A Happy Family.
From the Brunswick Advertiser.
Captain Allen, of the bark Norwcll, had on.
board his craft last week what Mac Haywood
called a “happy family.” Finding a nest of
young rats on boardship, tie brought them cut
and threw them, nest and all, on to the deck,
expecting to see Mrs. Pussey feast. Instead,
however, her catship took them up one by
one and laid them in her own bed along with
her only kitten, and then quietly coiled her
self around them. The little ratships ran.
about over her perfectly-at home.
A Large Tooth.
From the Americus Republican.
One of the most formidable weapons ia
the way of a hog’s tooth to be seen is on exhi
bition at the store of Messrs. Buchanan &
Bro., on Cotton avenue. It is a boar’s tusk
eight inches long, taken from an animal
three years old, weighing four hundred and
twenty-five pounds, killed by Jack D. Davis,
of Marion , county, Ga. The animal could
have snapjied a dog half in two at one cut of
this dangerous looking weapon.
MAD RIVER IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS
[This poem is Henry IV. Longfellow’s last, aud is
publishcu iu the Atlantic Monthly for May.]
traveler.
Why dost thou wildly rush and roar.
Mad River, O Mad River?
Wilt thou not pause and cease to pour
Thy hurrying, headlong waters o’er
This rocky shell forever?
What secret trouble stirs thy breast?
Why all this fret and flurry?
Dost thou not know that what is best
In this too restless world is rest
From over-work and worry?
the river.
What would’st thou in these mountains seek.
O stranger from the city?
Is it perhaps some foolish freak
Of thine, to put the words I speak
Into a plaintive ditty?
traveler.
Yes; I would learn pf thee thy song.
With all its flowing numbers,
And in a voice as fresh and strong
As thine is, sing it all day long,
And hear it in my slumbers.
the river.
A brooklet nameless and unknown
Was I at first, resembling
A little child, that all alone
Comes venturing down the stairs of stone.
Irresolute and trembling.
Later, by wayward fancies led,
For the wide world I panted;
Out of the forest dark and dread
Across the open fields I fled,
Like otje pursued and haunted.
I tossed my arms, I sang aloud.
My voice exultant blending
With thunder from the passing cloud.
The wind, the forest bent and bowed.
The rush of rain descending.
I heard the distant ocean oall,
- Imploring and entreating;
Drawn onward, o’er this rocky wall
1 plunged, and the loud waterfall ■
Made answer to the greeting.
-Men call me mad, and well they may.
When, full of rage and trouble,
I burst my banks.of sand and clay.
And sweep their wooden bridge away.
Like withered reeds ol stubble.
Kow go and write thy little rhyme, •
As of thine'own creating.
Thou seest tho day is part it* prime;
’ X can no longer waste my time:
The mills are tired of waiting.
INDISTINCT PRINT