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THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION. TUKBDAY, APRIL 25. 1882.
THE CONSTITUTION.
Entered At the Atlanta Post-office as second-das
mail matter, November 11,1878.
Weekly CorfUUn, price #W# per «■»«■».
Clubs of twenty. $20, and a copy to the getter up
the club.
WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, SIX MONTHS.81.00.
ATLANTA, GA., APRIL 25, 1882.
simultaneous attacks on the King’s English ota desire to serve the party, aa it emanates with a
and the friends of Garfield. Such men can- 1 JommI that gave all the aid and influence within
, . ... Its control to securing the election of the present
not long command a controlling follow ing In iocumbent ’ Governor Colquitt has the good of
any party—not even in the rather vindictive he democratlc pa-ty Bt Ueart he shou i d either re .
and unrelenting and not altogether pure re-j nta this or he should .make It public and give his
publican party. They are doomed to unpop- reasons therefor.’ i
AMONG THE PINES.
AT EASTMAN WITH ITS TURPEN
TINE INDUSTRIES.
Over 50,000 people now read
THE WEEKLY CONSTITU
TION. -
Our aim is to have it go to
every fiieside in the state'.
Do you take it ? If not, send
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force your family to borrow it.
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better we can make the paper.
We promise that it shall be bet
ter, brighter and fuller than ever
before this year. Send in your
name.
Baptists are an important part of our body
]K>litic. Their clergymen arc able, active
and intelligent They are a credit to the
state and their meeting at Americus is one of
the events of the year L
Albany's artesian well is the sensation of
the day in that town. The example set by it
in lairing the well should be followed by
nearly all south Georgia towns; and several
are preparing to do so. Whatever the cost
may be it will be as nothing compared to the
benefits to be derived, especially if they are
such as the Albanians claim.
Sewnan is one of the Georgia towns which
have taken a great start since the war. The
necessity for energy and thrift has developed
until now Newnan is one of the most prosper
ous towns in the state. It is out of debt and
lias money in its treasury—a fact not many
towns can boast of. Its enterprises are re
markable and well worth reading of.
Goobers, pindars, gronnd-nuts, ground
poas, peanuts; or whatever you may choose
to call the leguminous plant which is so la
miliar under one or another name, form the’
subject of one of Miss Juliet Corson’s enter
taining gastrononiical articles which are to be
recommended to Hie curious in such things.
A complete bill of fare from soup to sweet is
more than most people, we fancy, would
think possible to make from the peanut; yet
M iss Corson does it and in a way so appetizing
the Georgia housekeepers may like to learn it,
Tiik Mississippi improvement bill is still in
the senate, and the senators who have spoken
on the subjtfct give no indication of the re
sult. Some want to raise the levees, while
others think the channel should be deepened.
Others would do both at the expense of the
people, and nothing short of the final votes
will show what the preponderance of senii-
ment is. Mr. McPherson, of New Jersey, is
iu favor of a lnrge expenditure of money, and
he does not seem to care whether the most of
it is put in levees or in channel improve
ments. Mr. Vest, of Missouri, takes the
brond Missouri ground that it-is the duty of
the general government to keep its big stream
off of adjacent lands, but Mr. Morgan, of Al
abama, failed to appreciate Mr. Vest's law of
the case. Mr. Harrison, of Indiana, does not
think the government should go into the
business of reclaiming lands. None of the
eastern republican senators. have expressed
their views; and the debate of this week will
doubtless be very interesting. The effort to
have a vote taken to-morrow* failed, and the
bill will be called up day by day as unfinished
business until the tide oI i discussion is-ex
hausted. • • * '
VAGRANCY.
We desire to call attention to the loose
manner that our vagrant laws are enforced,
It a great wrong to society and a fruitful
source of crime. To this cause as much as
anything else can be traced the presence of
small-pox in our midst. The’number of va
grants are increasing, and we never hear of an
arrest even for this crime. We call upon the
authorities of the city, county, and state to
enforce the law against vagrants vigorously.
The law is as explicit as it can be made, and
applies to any person, black or white, who
wanders about leading an idle life who being
aide to work does not work and lias no visible
means of living. The law treats vagrancy as
an offense on account of the moral wrong and
for the harm it does the vagrant as well as in
jury that results to society.
If a person has a settled home without
means of subsistence, and cannot get work
he is a pauper, and not a vagrant, and it is
the duty of the authorities to aid them to
live, and it should be done. A vagrant is no
better than a thief, and should be treated as
such. If the law was enforced, ns it should
be, there would not be so many violations,
and we earnestly appeal to those whose duty
it is to press this law so as to put J a stop
to it. Vagrancy has been a statutory offense
from a very early day and was probably
offense at common law. It is a crime that
grows because the ignorant and vicious see
vagrants living without work, leading an idle
life, strolling from place to place, and they
follow the example, and while living from
hand to mouth, generally steal everything
that comes in their way. They have no ambi
tion to keep themselves clean, and generally
their haunts arc the filthiest places in the city,
and they breed disease and death. Work is
plentiful, and any one wanting it can get it,
and the idle part of the community should
be put to work at once. Will the mayor and
police commissioners take this matter in
hand at once? The grand jury could do no
better work than to thoroughly sift the crime
and shake up vagrancy in ail its ramifications
TWO PRESIDENTIAL POSSIBILITIES.
The Arthur-Keifer-Robeson combination is
losing ground daily, and in the course of
another year its nhscrnpulous methods and
inherent unsoundness will have put its chief
altogether out of the range of the presidential
lightning.' There is nothing in Mr. Arthur.
He is a snob socially, a wirepuller of the New
York variety politically, and a light weight
intellectually. As for morals or conscience
lie probably does not lay claim to anything of
that nature! Mr. Robeson who speaks for
hint in the house is a man who jnst meets his
notion of a political leader, and Senator Lo
gan in the senate wins his approbation by his
ularity first and overthrow in 1884. But they
may be strong enough, chiefly on account of
the power of federal patronage, to prevent the j
nomination of Mr. Blaine; and this may result
a compromise candidate. The republican
party has heretofore been controlled by good
jKjliticians—men whocould be depended upon
put the best foot foremost; and there are
not lacking wise men who think they see in
the situation the nomination ot Mr. William
Windom as a candidate who would be ac
ceptable alike to stalwart and half breed—to
Blaine and to Conkling.
On the democratic side many eyes are cast
towards Graystone, where lives an ol,d man
ho deserves well of his country, but whose
tenure of life is by no means to be depehded
upon until March 4, 1889. Then, too. Mr.
Kelly remains in control of Tammany hall,
and iiis determination to fight Mr. Tilden re
mains as firm as it ever was. Mr. Bayard and
Judge Field have their friends; but the same
old limitation will exist in 1884, namely,
New York is to be the president-making state,
and a man will be needed who can carry it.
Possibly Mr. Tilden could, in spite of Mr. John
Kelly, but it is almost certain that Mr. Abra
ham S. Hewitt could carry the state against
Windom, Arthur, Blaine or any other man.
He could unite and enthuse the. party, gain
the support of heavy interests that have here
tofore fought under the enemy’s banner, and
bring out the vote of a state that on a full and
fair division lias always been democratic,
PARTISANSHIP IN POLITICS.
Our esteemed contemporary, the New York
Times, which is severe, dogmatic or liberal as
the wind may happen to set, has had its at
tention called to certain comments in the
Georgia papers in regard to the murder of
young Walter Rountree, and it says that the
position of The Constitution in respect to
this murder, in view of its usual fairness and
liberal tone, is inexplicable. After giving an
account of the murder, the Times recurs to
the remarks of The Constitution, and says
they are inexplicable “on anything which
would not leave the most liberal organ of the
Georgia democracy open to the charge, of
having forsaken its advanced stand to wal
low with its less enlightened contempora
rics in the ancient slough of bour“bon-
m.”
With respect to the position of The Coxsti
tution we will say this to the Times, that
every liberal sentiment that has ever lound
utterance in these columns—every protest
against the spirit of sectionalism which the
republican leaders are still ready to invoke—
has found a ready and hearty response in the
democratic party of Georgia. This has been
made manifest in a hundred different direc
tions, so that the editor of the
Times must necessarily have observed at
least a few of them. There was a time when
even the Times was wont to toy in its humor
ous column with the sentiments of fraternity,
threatening, indeed, to make a serious mat
ter of them at some time in the near future.
We remember, however, that the liberality of
the Times vanished whenever the bosses
cracked their whips.
In regard to the comments made in these
columns on the Rountree murder, we are
frank to say that they cannot be explained to
the editor of the Times. Having no sort of
conception of the difficulties by which the
people are surrounded, or of the nature and
extent, of the problem which must be
solved, and solved peacefully, and in the in
terest of both races, it is not possible for the
editor Of the Times to even faintly appreciate
the situation with which we have to contend
In New England the problem would long
ago have been solved by force of arms, just as
sonic unfortunate spirits attempted to solve
it-in the south; but we have chosen a longer,
a juster, a more peaceful way. We have
chosen a way that will eventually bring the
most important factor in the problem to a full
understanding of the nature and duties of
citizenship, and then the problem will no
longer be a dangerous one,
But, in the meantime, to return to the sub
ject of liberality, why should The Constitu
tion be airing its liberality, or discussing the
necessity of unity and harmony between the
sections, in the presence of the preparation
for restoring republican fraud and corruption
in the south by an administration which drew
its power and patronage in the lottery of as
sassination? Even a few republican papers
are deploring the humiliation of Virginia,
which has been accomplished by cor
rupting the federal civil service, and
similar movement is on foot
in Georgia—a laughable movement, to be
sure, but still of sufficient importance to show
the animus of the administration. No; the
liberality of The Constitution will keep until
the country has disposed of this renewal of
blackguardism and partisanship ia the white
liouse-has been effectually disposed of. In
the meantime, as the Times must perceive,
partisanship in politics, when it endeavors to
crawl in at the back door, must be met by
partisanship.
The above was submitted to Governor Colquitt.
We preface what he had to say with the simple
statement that while the Telegraph and Messenger
did aid in *he election ot Governor Colquitt the
present management and the present editor bitterly
opposed him before election and have lost no
chance to criticise him since. The governor said:
“I have not seen the articles to which yon allnde,
and do not care to dignify them with a reply since
you have brought them 10 my attention.”
“You have nothing to say?”
“I do not like to answer even in response to an
inquiry such absurd and ill-natured insinuations.
You may say, however, that I have never said one
word to Judge Simmons on the subject of the race.
have never written him one word or had a tine
from him. I have never authorized any one else to
consult with him. I have never spoken to Governor
Brown or General Gordon on the subject. I have
not seen Governor Brown since he came to Georgia
and don’t know when I shall see him
While' Jadge Simmons is my friend and
gentleman whom I esteem most highly I have
never expressed a preference for him. Is this a full
enongh answer? If not make it fuller, if possible,
'here is no use answering these rumors. First, it
was Mr. Stephens to whom I had offered the suc
cession. That failing, it was Judge Simmons,
This falling, it will be some one else.”
You may say further,” said the governor earn
estly, "that while I do not claim from my position
any single right that the humblest voter does not
have. I shall never admit that it restrains me from
the rights of the proudest citizen. When the candi
dates for the nomination are before the people, if I
have a choice I shall not hesitate to express my
preference, and to emphasize that expression by
all legitimate means. This is my right as a citizen
It is inv duty as a citizen, and I shall net be back
ward in asserting it when the proper time comos.’
FEWER FERTILIZERS.
We present below a table of guano receipts at
depots all over iho state. The figures are furnished
to The Constitution by the railroad agents at the
several stations, and lnay be retied on as correct.
While only part'of the ’ground is covered, the re
turns come from so wide a territory that we are sure
the average is a true one. Some of the returns are
made as follows: “Acworth—Received 1881, 533
tons; 1882, 275 tons; estimated will'sell, 130 tons;
R. W. Mitchell, agent.” IThe heavy increase
at certain points is explained by the fact that new
railroads have been built At Roswell,for example,
there are about 400 tons increase—which Marietta
would doubtless decrease if we had the Marietta
returns. These points tend to increase the differ
ence between the two years rather than diminish
It will be seen $at the decease in north. Georgia
is about forty per cent; the decrease in middle
Georgia is about forty-two per cent; the decrease in
south Georgia is hardly perceptible: the percentage
of decrease in the state is about twenty-five per
cent. .The heavy returns from south Georgia lower
the general per cent of decrease very much. After
a careful study of this table we should estimate the
percentage of decrease over the state at thirty-three
percent. The heaviest decrease is shown in the
strip of territory between Athens and Union Point,
and in the section between Cartersville and Dalton.
We give the table below, properly summarized
and divided:
NORTH GEORGIA,
GOVERNOR COLQUITT EXPAINS.
The following extract is taken from the Colum
bus Enquirer of a late date:
A short time ago the Macou Telegraph and
Messenger stated in direct terms that Governor Col
quitt had made a bargain with Judge Simmons o
that circuit, by which the latter was to succeed Gov
ernor Colquitt in gubernatorial honors. In the
same paper of yesterday we find this statement:
It is more than suspected that Governor Colquitt
is anxious to barter away his succession, if, indeed
the contract be not already closed with one or more
persons. He never denied that he had specially
offered it to Mr. Stephens, nor has he or any of his
friends taken occasion to refute the more than
rumor, that he had made a similar offer
to Judge Simmons, -of this circuit. Gover
nor Brown has been purged of any connection
with this affair. The rumor is and has been rife for
a long time that more than one gubernatorial aspi
rant holds a sort of parol contract with the gov
ernor and his friends, or both, for the succession
and many very good people put faith in it. It has
created some discussion, one of the results of which
has reached us in a very authentic shape, to the
effect that there is a written contract to the same
effect still in existence, or rather a copy of it; that
it was drawn up by a very enthusiastic adherent of
the governor, when the latter was in great political
stress, and that a prominent politician has a copv
•f it.*
“If this is not true, it will be an easy matter for
the governor to set himself right in the premises.
The charge cannot be taken as an attack upon the
chief executive prompted by any motive save that
Witn the Turpentine and Timber Ken—95,000 Acre*
of Land Occupied by 13 8tlll»—A 300,000,000
Feet of Lumber Shipment—Pouring Ho
ney into Carolina—A Great Mill.
Place.
18SI
197
1882
568
Maxey’s
200
M0
90
531
301
175
228
133
100
120
221
136
100
50
1,800
15
375
475
Logan Valley
9
35
3
208
96
135
50
110
20
Duluth
800
30(
867
S7^
810
27-!
Ringgold..
150
275
.. 500
143
MIDDLE GEORGIA.
90
800
200
1,010
310
199
-Norwood
.... 367
_ 319
322
Crawford ville.
350
125
597
1,342
732
70
100
Milner .T
875
!50
75
295
30
1,015
1,169
1,891
900
: 1,253
623
Lovejoy
425
-1.000
625
600
460
290
210
105
700
150
900
190
East Point
272
160
Senoia - LhjO
"arrow - 800
Union Point 375
Perry - -1.4£0
Puckett's Station - 230
SOUTH GEORGIA.
Blackshear. ®
Walthourville - 2a
Walker Station 29
Arlington -1*2P9
Ilawkiusville 2,510
Isabella ?
Albany <9o
Onseley 49
Winchester 02
Talbotton 0
Leesburg- 21o
Brown's 192
Longview Jo
Valaosta 500
Graham’s- J 10
Americus. 4,600
Cochran — .1,039
Waycrqss- „ 20
Dawson— 2,000
Hollywood 30
McVille. 176
Cuthbert 1.130
A NEGRO LOVE SONG-
780
600
135
1,006
230
240
20
16
1,000
2,220
110
575
55
105
700
245
275
95
510
30
1,570
755
100
2,009
15
100
1,570
From the Century.
Track in de paff whar rabbit bin play’n’,
(Hey, my Lily! go down de road!)
Han’ me down my walkin’ cane,
(Hi, my Lily! go down de road!)
Hey, my Idly! de cow done lowed,
(Go down de road—go de down road!)
Hit’s wet on de grass whar?le jew bin po’d,
(Hi, my Lily! go dowa de road!)
Mighty long way froo de narrer lane. ,
(Hey, my Lily! go down de road!)
Eu KlUdee holler tike callin’ up rain,
(Hi, my Lily! go down de road!)
Hey, my Lily! de chicken done crowed,
(Go down de road! go down de road!)
Sun gone down, en moon done showed,
(My Lily! my Lily! go down de road!)
Han’ me down my walkin’ cane,
(Hey, my Lily! go down de road!)
Big owl holler: No use stay’n’!
(Hi, my Lily! go down de road!)
Big nigger tote de little gal load,
(Go down de road—go down de road!)
’Kaze too big a turn, make ntgger leg bowed,
(My Lily! my Lily! go down de road!)
Han’ me down my walkin’ cane,
(Hey, my Lily! go down de road!)
De boys an sing en keep on say’n’:
(Hi, my Lily! go down de road!)
Nigger will drink fum ’n’er nigger’s go’d,
(Go down de road—go down de road!)
En some folks git w’at dey ain’t never growed
(My Lily! my lily! go down de road!)
One man los’ w’at ’n’er man gain,
(Hey, my lily! go down de road!)
You git yo’ shawl en han’ my cane,
(Hey, my Lily! go down de road!)
—Joel Chandler Harris,
J (“Uncle Remus.”)
Special Correspondence of The Constitution.
Eastxan, Ga., April 20.—This tittle village is sit
uated In the heart of the turpentine and timber
region. About it are clustered mills and stills, and
sitting on the piazza of its hotel, em
bowered in perfect masses of honeysuckles, one
can gather a deal of interesting information on
these two great industries. I was so stimulated by
the stories 1 heard, that under the invitation of
Hon. John B. Johnson 1 left a most charming com
pany and took a turn through the forests.
WITH THE TURPENTINE HEN.
A drive of three miles brought us to the still of
Peacock, Manning <fc Co., the largest or second
largest in the state. This company is working
sixty lots—over 12,000 acies-and last year
sold 990,000 worth of turpentine and rosin.
The process by which they work is so simple
that it scarcely seems worth while to ex
plain. The crude gum os it comes from the boxes
emptied into the stilL From one
side of the still come a flow of
water, bearing ill its volume the spirits of
turpentine. This falls into a barrel, and the tur
pentine separating it9elf from the water by its
greater tightness floats to the top, whence it is
drained into another barrel and sent to market.
From the other side comes the bulk of the gum
mixed with the debris. This flows into long boxes,
bottomed with sieves. The clear fluid drops through
the sieves into lower boxes, whence it is ladled into
barrels. When it has cooled this fluid solidifies and
becomes the rosin of commerce.
It ia not with the process, however, but with the
result of the turpentine industry that I wish to
deal.
Here is one still that saps the trees of 12,000 acres
of land. The gum exuding from every tree of this
large area is fed to this one concern. In
three years it will have exhausted this 12,008 acres,
as it does not pay to work a tree after the third sea
son. Mr. Royal, one of the proprietors of this still,
informed me that there were thirteen stills in
Dodge county alone. These stills are draining 95,000
acres of land, and in three years will have exhaust
ed them. In every three years the stills now run
ning in this county will strip 100,000 acres. As
Dodge is said to furnish one-eighth of the “crop” of
the state, there are about 800,000 acres now
•boxed” and will be exhausted in three years. It
is easy to sec that in a few years the whole terri
tory will be exhausted. I asked Mr. Royal what he
would do then.
"Oh, we Will go into new territory. We came
from North Carolina, where the supply had been
practically exhausted. When this is used up we
will go into Alabama or elsewhere. We buy no
land, but merely lease it, paying the owners one
dollar an acre for the turpentine rights, our lease
covering four years.”
“Are the most of our turpentine men Carol!
nians?”
“Almost entirely. Of the thirteen stills in this
county there is but one owned by Georgians, I sup
pose this proposition holds good through the state.”
Here’s an interesting state of things. In Georgia
we own immense and valuable forests of pine.
They stand untouched until there is an irruption
of strangers, and then every tree is scarred and
pours out its riches, not into the hands of its owners,
bu t of strangers. Let us see how it works by taking
the still we arc discussing.
This company of Carolinians occupy 12,000 acres
of land owned by Georgians. In one year they
sold S90.000 worth of turpentine and rosin taken
from this territory. In the four years for which it
is leased they will get 8250,000 from the sale of its
products. In return for this they pay the Georgia
owners 812,000 rent Most of the superintend'
ents and hands they employ come from Carolina-
all that I saw. The company has a store of its own,
from which its hands are supplied. Their busi
ness is done in Savannah by a Arm (Peacock, Hunt &
Co.) that came from Carolina. But tittle of the money
made by the proprietors of the stills is invested here
the most of them say frankly that when they
have exhausted this territory they will seek now
fields. The surplus of wages received by the hands
above their actual expenses, is presumably sent
back to their homes in Carolina. So that the 812,000
rent is abou t all of the 8250,000 taken by this compa
ny off its leased land that is left with the Georgians,
except the investment made by one of its proprietors
Mr. Royall says there are 95,000 acres of land oc
cupied by the thirteen stills in this ebunty. Omit
ting the 12,000 acres drained by his still, there are
say 80,000 acres held by the other twelve stills in
Dodge. If he gets $90,000 a year from his 12,000
acres, as he did last year, the other 80,000 should
yield 8640,000 more, which, added to his 890,000,
gives 8730,000 as the value of the turpentine and
rosin taken out of Dodge last year. Of this the land
owners get—33 cents per acre being one-third of the
81 paid for four years’ rent—about 832,000 on their
95,000 acres. I was furnished with an estimate
showing that Dodge furnishes one-eighth of the
turpentine crop of the state. If this is so, there
was taken out of Georgia forests last year nearly
86,000,000 worth of stores, from about 750,000 acres,
on which there was paid to the owners a rent of
about 8250,000. The bulk of this enormous income
goes to strangers who come for three seasons and
are gone, while the pittance goes to the Georgians
who own the land, who must improve it and de
velop it alter the visitors have gone.
I do not blame the enterprising “tar-heels” for
taking advantage of the situation. On the con
trary they deserve all praise for their enterprise,
only state the case that Georgians may understand
it Our forests are being robbed of immense riches,
of which the men who own them get the smallest
fraction. The 12,000 acres worked by this one com
pany yields in three years (for the fourth year is
practically valueless) 8250,000 at least At eight
bushels to the acre (the average corn-yield in Geor
gia) this is as much as they would
give if planted in corn for three years. If
the land was rented to make corn or the owner
would charge one-third or one-half of the crop as
rent To the man who makes the turpentine crop,
of equal value, he charges less than one-twentieth
Every barrel of crude rosin rolled on the platform
was worth five dollars to the turpentine men—of
this, the land-owner got twenty-five cents. The
business of turpentine making is very profitable,
Mr. Johnson informs me that Mr. Peacock said his
still made 835.000 clear money last year.
There are several Georgians who, noting the prof
its made by the “tar heels,” are going into the bus
iness themselves. I heard of a half-dozen large
stills put up by Georgians lately—notably, one by
Captain Bill Tumlin, in Clay county.
WITH THE TIMBER HEN.
About a mile to the left of this still is the saw
mill of Colcord, Bacon & Co. It is an immense
establishment With the new mill just completed
its capacity will be 55,000 to 60,000
feet a day. Two years ago Mr.
McDonough at Surrency led the Georgia mills with
an average record of 31,000 feet a day. Mr. Dodge
has, on St. Simon’s island, a mill that cuts 60,000
feet a day. His lumber camp, near here, employs
over 100 mules and hall a hundred hands. Mr.
Keppard is building a mill on the Satilla that will
equal in capacity any of these. The timber-cutting
business in Georgia is increasing very rapidly.
Around the Colcord & Bacon miU is settled a vil
lage of about 50 honses. The company has its own
railroad penetrating the forests about eight- miles.
The new mill is fitted up with improvements by
which the logs are taken automatically from the
saw and the debris moved by an endless chain over
the platform and dumped into the fire-pit It also
hasan engine that burns the saw-dust as fneL The
company has 12,000 acres of land, on which
owns the timber-rights. Like the turpentine men,
the timber cutters lease the land, paying about
81 an acre for the right to ent the timber.
The Hon. Clint Bacon told me last year that Geor
gia shipped 300,000,000 feet of lumber. This was
sent all over the world. Some went to
3pain, a good deal to South America
and a great deal up the coast. As
the rate of 3,i 00 feet to the acre—a fair average I he-*
Hove—100,000 of Georgia Umber lands W0re stripped
to supply one year’s shipments. All the mills run
ning then fttc HtithttiS KCaV I suppose: The huge
mills that ttfb being added will therefore swell the
above amount. The one new mill of which 1 now
write will strip 4,000 acres a year or more. It is lair
to say that the taw mills ot Georgia will take the
timber from 125,000acres of land during the present
year. The demand for cross-tics atone is enor
mous. The pineries of Florida and Alabama
are drawn on by the southwestern and Mexican
roads, aud this section is largely supplying the ties
for the new roads built in and about Geor
gia. As pine sections fail, elsewhere—
and they are failing everywhere—the de
maud on the Georgia barrens will increase. It
requires little foresight to see that in a
few years, our timber-lands will be almost entirely
denuded and that on which the forest is left will
be very valuable..
tion of the old fort and the magazine. The
brick arch over the latter is remarkably well
preserved.
BINDS OF PROFT.
THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR FORESTS.
Talking to Dr, Bacon, to whose courtesy we
are indebted, he said:
“When we have once eut over an acre of land, it
cannot be retied on;for timber again. We cut all but
the small trees. It Is uncertain as to when these will
be large enough to cut, and even when they are, it
will be found that they stand too few to the acre to
pay for the cutting. So that the acreage we strip
annually may be considered as acreage gone, so
far as timber is concerned.”
You usually cut trees that the turpentine men
have already worked?”
Yes. We cannot lease land any other way.
The owners understand that the turpentine rights
will bring a dollar an acre, and leave the timber
rights just as valuable as ever. They, therefore, let
the turpentine men have the trees first. We usually
follow them about one year."
“Is the timber as good after the turpentine has
been taken out es before?”
“There is probably no difference. Some persons
hold that as a tree stands looser on its base after it
has beeu ‘boxed,’ it is swayed more easily by the
storms, splits or strains. They call it ‘wind-shaken.’
But there is probably no difference in the timber."
“How long will the forests lost in Georgia?"
“I am unable to tell. They are being cut very
rapidly and the cutting is increasing. We aie
fixed here for enough timber rights to keep us run
ning many years after our present acreage is ex
hausted.”
Of course the direct advances of the tim
ber cutters make fearful holes in the
forests, but I’m inclined to think equal ravages are
made by the “still” men. As follows: In boxing
the trees, a large portion of the lewer inner surface
is exposed and covered with thick rosin. The stock
men set fire to the woods every year for the purpose
of buruiDg off the wire grass, and letting a fresh
young crop come up for their cattle every spring.
As long as the turpentiners work the trees they pro
tect them from the fires by keeping a space cleared
about their roots. When they quit them the grass
grows up close, the exposed surface of rosin takes
fire, and the tree is killed. Therefore, where the
timber men do not follow the turpentiners closely
there is a terrible loss of trees. It
is manifestly impossible that the timber men
can keep up, as there is about seven acres occupied
by stills to one occupied by cutters.and the propor
tion between the two is being widened yearly. The
loss from fires may therefore be expected to in
crease, even over what it has- been.
We saw in a short drive hundreds of pines thus
ruined—many of them large enough, as Governor
Brown reflectively remarked, “to make thirty rails
to the cut—more if it was a butt cut.”
On every side there is waste and lavish habit.
There seems to be tittle appreciation of the
value of the pineries, or of the haste with
which they are being denuded. In
fact many of the people wish that the process could
be hastened. Mr. A. B. Purdom. of Wayne, said to
me, “As soon ns we can get rid of these pine forests
we will become prosperous. Already we are feel
ing the effects of the clearing off process.”
Mr. Johnson said: "The turpentine and timber
business demoralizes our people. As long as money
grows on trees they will not look for it in the
ground. When the pines are gone and the lauds
cleared into farms we shall improve. Our soil is
good, our climate perfect, and even now we arc at
tracting settlers. We have a fine colony here from
Gwinnett county who are pleased and prosperous.
Dr. Bacon said: “The soil from which we are cut
ting the timber is good. While it is not very rich it
is capable of high improvement. It has enough
clay to hold whatever is given it. This section has
many special advantages that will attract atten
tion.”
There is no reason, however, why the
millions locked up In these trees should
be wasted—still less why it should
be left to strangers to take them out. If the profits
made in handling the turpentine crop of Georgia,
and the wages drawn by those who handle it, could
be kept in the country on which the trees grow,
and left in the hands of those whoowu the laud,
it would furnish all the capital needed to develop
it. Some of the best of the tar-lieels, notably Mr.
Peacock, will settle here when they are through, and
invest their profits. This is some compensation,
even while the most of them frankly admit that
they can make more by going into new territory and
taking from the forests the treasures the natives
never suspected them of holding, or suspecting
lacked the energy to go after.
Mr. William Pitt Eastman, after whom the town
is named, said: “It is a pity that all our forests
could not be managed with the prudence and
foresight shown by the Dodges. They own 300,000
acres to which no turpentiner is admitted. Thev
use only the largest trees and protect the smaller
ones. The people have had' so litttle experience,
however, that they naturally made mistakes. Ten
years ago 1 told the people in Liverpool that not
a tree in these forests had been cut. This was true.
There were then 400 people in this county. Now
there are 7,000. We will keep several of the Caro
linians who arc here iu the turpentine business.
While most of them will leave, many will build
here. We aim to get a strip of five or ten miles
along the railroad cut out for farms. As soon as
the trees are cut the land can be cultivated. The
pine root shoots straight down like a beet root, and
the plow can run within a foot of the stump. In a
short time the stump is tightwood and can be bum
ed. Iu ten years this section will be the Flanders
of America as Mr. Fort predicted long years
ago. Its progress already has been wonderfnL
It is worth noting that these lands on which the
turpentiners pay 81 for four years rent, and the
timbermen 81 for one years rent, or in other words,
from which the turpen tine and timber alone Eells
for 82 without expense, are returned at a valuation
of 81 per acre to the tax assessor. So the owners
may not lack enterprise after all! H. W. G
Where Wesley Preached.
From the Brunswick Advertiser.
On Monday we went over to St. Simons
Mills to attend the funeral of Jessie, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth. After the service
the body was carried to the burial ground at
Frederica. While at the burial ground, a
huge oak tree was pointed out to 113 as the one
under which Mr. Wesley preached. This
monarch of the forest certainly bears the
marks of great age. It evidently has with
stood the storms of many years, but it is now
fast going to decay. We noticed also a house
in the grounds formally used as a place of
worship, whose age we are afraid even to
guess at. The roof has rotted away, but the
walls are still standing, and strange to say,
while the wood is perfectly decayed, the
plastering, though considerably tarnished,
is as sound and free from cracks as the day
it was put on. On returning to the Hamilton
(the boat that carried us over) some of our
party not yet being ready to return, we had
an opportunity of examining some of the
A SeW ttuatilCM In Atlanta, Combinin* Eatbetlctam
ftnd UiMlueMu
Birds with fine feathers sell well,” said a
Wall street dealer in the tiny creatures, “and
the demand for them is steadily increasing.
Cultivated people delight m the companion
ship of birds, and nothing is more calculated
to call out a lady’s latent enthusiasm than the
sweet notes of a canary.” ...
How long have you been in the business?*'
Like so many o'thcr good tilings we were
gathered here by the exposition, and pleased
•is others have been, we have concluded to
stay. Atlanta we find to be a fine point to
sell from, as well as a good point in which to
concentrate supplies. »Ve make ready sales
and obtain good prices.”
•riiE different frathebs.
What varieties of birds have you got?”
We have first, canaries at $5 a pair; a good
singer will bring $3.50. Then we have mock
ing birds at $10: Java sparrows at $5 a pair;
larroquettes at from $10 to $15; red birds at
: rom §3 to $5, and a large variety of native
forest birds at almost any price we can get for
them. These latter we get mostly from Ala
bama.” „„
Whence do you get your supplies?”
Through Charles Reiche & Co., of New
York. These birds though belonging to very
different sections of the globe are really all
raised in Germany.”
THE SOURCES OF DEMAND.
For which variety do you find the greatest
demand?”
“Canaries have the best sale, as they are the
best singers and the best understood. After
them comes the mocking bird, which is capa
ble of higher cultivation than the canary, the
greater demand for which, however, comes
from northern tourists, who take them home
as a curiosity and a surprise. Then there is
occasional demand for the fancy birds. Yes
terday a well known Peachtree lady purchased
ra pair of beautiful white Java sparrows, and
ordered a pair of gray Javas. A McDonough
street lady purchased through us a magnificent.
red bird,”
Who arc your heaviest customers?”
The ladies of the wealthier and middle*
classes. Often young men buy birds to*
present to their lady friends. A victim
of “Rejected Addresses” the other day, sent
the false but fair one a parrot—for the pur
pose of talking her to death, I suppose. The
canary, however, generally fills tne idealized
measure of the young man’s souL Negroes?'
No; negroes never buy birds, the barn-yard:
fowl possesses charms enough for them.”
AS A BUSINESS INDUSTRY..
What is the prospect for developing the"
bird trade in Atlanta?”
“The sale of birds is an assured success.
The demand is constant and growing. The
breeding of birds for the market is a subjec
worthy of attention. Everything in the cli
mate is favorable to such an industry. To
show you the possible money that is in it. I.
have, in the last breeding season, made ironi-.
the product of one pair of canaries $30; and.
found ready sale. At the same rate $000 could!
have been made from 20 pairs. Now if some
one would take up bird raising, there is no
doubt hut lie would find in it abundant profit.
Careful handling and watchfulness will give
the same return here that it does in Ger
many.”
A BIRI* COLONY.
A few miles from Atlanta there is an old
pine tree where birds of widely different
feather congregate. On the highest (mint of
the tree a yellowhammer has established its-
nest; immediately under it a sparrow-hawk is
providing for its young; whilestill lower down
a white-headed wood-pecker has made itself
comfortable. They seem to think that the tree
is wide enough for all,and work with a zeal and
industry which might well be imitated by
some human drones.
Farming in the Wiregrass.
From the nawkinsville, Ga., News.
During our rambles in the lower country
recently, it was our pleasure to spend a night
with Mr. Allen W. Smith and family, in Wil
cox county. We arrived at Mr. Smith’s about
sunset, and hearing a terrible popping and
cracking in the woods, we asked the cause.
“Oh,” said Mr. S., “that’s the boys penningthe-
cattle.” At this season, and until fall of the
year or “turning out time," Mr. Smith pen
about six hundred head of cattle on his place-
every night, and he is now using the milk and
butter from about thirty or forty cows. By a
system of cow-penning Mr. Smith manages to
thoroughly enrich about 4 acres of land yearly,.
and tlie effects of the manuring can fie seen
for twenty years or more. He has one of the
most productive farms in Wilcox county,and-
the finest corn we saw on our trip was grow
ing on his place. Besides renting out several,
small farms on his place, he runs a two-mule-
farm of his own, and his is one farm that is-,
made self-sustaining. Seeing evidences of a
large quantity of butter milk about Mr.
Smith’s place, we asked him how lie disposed
of it. “Why, I make my meat with it. and:
my mules are foolish about it, and will drink
all they can get. The mules ‘whicker’ for it,
and I am compelled to watch them to keep -
them from tearing down the pens while the-
hogs are being fed. I tell you my muleskeep
fat on butter milk.”
She Wanted a Squeeze.
From the Americus Republican.
She spit out her wad of gum and entered a.
store on Jackson street. The esthetic clerk
laid aside his “What Oscar Wilde Knows-
About Sunflowers,” which lie had been pe
rusing with diligence, and giving the tips of:
Ins moustache a twirl with his spotless fin
gers, gracefully approached the fair form,, .
and, leaning over the counter, articulated sil
very phccnetica interrogating as to whether he-
could be of any advantage to her in breaking
the monotony of tiie situation. She gazed on
the fair-haired apostle of the beautiful for a
moment, and reaching down, drew a bundle
from under her arm and said: “Well, here is
a pair of shoes that mother sold eggs and-
buyed for me. But I’ve learned about girls-
being squeezed to death with corsets, and I
tv ant ter swap these.slioes for one to see how it
would seem to be squeezed once.”
„ Un organized System of Stealing.
From the Savannah, Ga., News.
A very large quantity of cotton seed in
sacks has been kept stored at the old Balti
more steamship wharf by the Savannah oil
company. Frequently during the past two
months, when the clerk came to work in the
morning, he would find a number of sacks
missing, and the seed which they had con
tained scattered over the ground. Notwith
standing efforts were made to find out who
were perpetrating these thefts, no clue could
lie obtained until Saturday night last, when a
colored man was arrested on suspicion This
fellow, it is believed, is one of a gang of
thieves that have been systematically robbing
the place. In all some five hundred sacks
have been stolen. It is hoped that this arrest
will lead to the capture of several others.
That Affectionate Hog.
From the tarnesvllle, Ga., Gazette
Monday morning last, Mr. W. B. Johnson,,
of Atlanta, rode into town on horseback.
Following his horse was a half-grown red hoc.
Everywhere the horse went the hog would
follow, and at no time would he allow the
horse to get out of his sight. Mr. Johnson
says the hog took up with his horse in Carroll
county, and has followed him for over one
hundred and twenty-seven miles. When the
horse stops the hog lies down near him On
being turned into a lot or stable together the
,S runtin S language just as it
he thought the horse understood everything
he was saying^ When Mr. Johnson rode off
Monday aftefnoon the hog followed just as a
colt would its mother.
Dodge County’s Choice.
From the Eastman Times.
r v?° n ." O' ® acon > of Bibb, has -a strong"
following for governor in this county. In-
aeeu. from recent conversations with several
prominent citizens of the countv, we are led-
xow, lei n, see .ton! the supply o! tlmbe, tonne. deleSSofoSeiS SSXonS-Stoioundk?' te Sun Ihfn oSmI?! elment 2S-* ""
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