Newspaper Page Text
®be Mlaiiia So u viral
VOL. XXIII. NO. 29.
SPECIAL DIVISION
OF CDm WILL TRY
GfflUG CASES
Solicitor Says Atlanta Man
Is Head of So-Called Syn
dicate Judge Thwnas
May Preside
The calling of an emergency di
vision of the superior criminal court
for the week of December 13 to take
care of a large number of cases as
a result of the crusade against gam
bling, wire-tapping and loitering
about the city, and an announcement
by Solicitor General John A. Boykin
to the effect that a local man is
the head of the so-called gambling
syndicate, are the outstanding fea
tures of the investigation being con
ducted by the solicitor general.
Judge John D. Humphries said Sat
urday afternoon that he would re-;
quest Judge W. E. Thomas, of Val
dosta, Ga., to come to Atlanta for
the week of December 13 and assist
him in the trial of a number of
cases. There are over thirty vagrancy
cases set for trial as a result of
the crusade and more are yet to
come. These cases will not be placed
upon any one calendar, but will be
divided, with other cases, in both
divisions of the court, Judge Hum
phries says, y
Solicitor General Boykin said that
he would have a session of the grand
jury for every day this week, begin
ning Tuesday, and that he intended
to place matters before the inquisi
torial body that wHI lead to the in
dictment of a large number of At- ,
lantians. \ 1
“It is my purpose to stamp out •
gambling, swindling, loitering and
other forms of lawlessness in the
city before I am through," Mr. Boy- (
kin said, "and because my whole ,
time is needed in this matter Judge
Humphries has kindly agreed to ad- t
journ court for the week. s
“Brains” of Syndicate
Mr. Boykin would not say whether (
he intended to attend the meeting (
of the special committee of the board
of police commissioners Tuesday *
night which has been called to in
vestigate the controversy between t
the chief of detectives and the so- (
licitbr general, but he did say he
was very busy in his work and would
not allow anything to deter him j
in his investigations. It is the pur- t
pose of the police commission to
find the cause of the alleged breach «
between the two departments, but t
no definite plan of procedure has
been outlining for the meeting.
Mr. Bovkin said the report that a
the "brains” of the so-called gamb
ling syndicate is an outsider is ail
bosh. The real brains of the syndi- «
cate, he says, is a local man aaa a
a nation-wide search is now being
conducted for the man. XV hen asked ,
to name the man, Mr. Boykin said
he was not ready as yet to do so.
but he said he would do everything ■
in his power to bring him back to
Atlanta for trial and he said he was -
confident he would find him
"There are going to be some start-
Ung developments in this cruaa^. e
during the next few days, Mr. Bo>-
kin said, ‘ar.d the newspaper men
wiH not’ have to come to me and
ask for something new. They a “ 8
going to find enough to keep them ]
busy for a.time at least when the 0
grand jury gets into action. It i
evident that gambling has been go- c
1J on in Atlanta in all forms for t
such a length of time tha -
got to a point where drastic c
action is necessary and I am -
to take that action to clean the }
city of the scum that has collect
ed In to the man. alleged I
to be the brains of the syndicate.
Mr. Boykin said he is alrea .^ y . t
ed for vagrancy, but. realizin., h
danger, he skipped town when the
existence of the ring was laid bare
bv the fleecing of two men from .
Aiken S. C.. and another from In
diana. This man alone, in the opin
ion of the solicitor general,
the syndicate and it was he that
employed out-of-town professionals
to assist him in hrs schemes, t
Through the operations of the syn
dicate, the solicitor general says, ap- «
proximately 5300.009 has been sec-ir- t
ed from victims, many of whom have
suffered their loss in silence. J
How Game Worked t
"The ‘big-time’ game was work- r
ed,” Mr. Boykin says, “at the West r
Peachtree place, while some of tne
smaller fry were fleeced x ’P the -
gambling dens at 49 1-2 Central ave
nue and 35 1-2 South Broad street. «
In the West Peachtree establish
ment the victims were worked by the
fake horse racing game. The place
was fitted up with telegraph instru
ments. operated by dry batteries con
cealed in desk drawers, and witn
blackboards, printed race cards and
all the necessary paraphernalia.
"The victim was led to believe that
information was being received di
rect from the race tracks several
hours before the regular bookmakers
were informed of the results and,
therefore, by placing a bet on a horse
that had won. the bettor was led to
believe that he was able to collect
from the bookmaker on a sure thing.
In the other establishments it was
said the victims were fleeced
through the aid of marked cards and
crooked dice.
Abe Powers, who was convicted
during the past week of larceny,
after trust, it being alleged he flleced
Wade Lamar, a farmer from Aiken
S. C., out of SII,OOO and who was
sentenced to five years on the chain
gang, is bel’eved by the solicitor
to have been one of the profession
al employes of the local head of the
svndicate.
Powers, through his attorneys,
John S. and Ralph McClelland, and
Samuel D. Hewlett, filed a motion
for a new Saturday and Judge
John D. Humphries assigned the
case for a hearing on December 13.
Mrs. Powers, wife of the convicted
mat. who wad arrested when she
appeared in court to attend the trial
of her husband and who has been
confined in the Fulton county Tower
in default of SI,OOO bond following
her indictment on a charge of va
grancy, will probably be tried dur
ing the week of December 13.
Solicitor General Boykin said Sat
urday that if counsel for Mrs. Pow
ers would show positively that the
woman was legally married to Abe
Powers he would order her ’-eleasa
on her own bond The woman’s at
torneys said they intended to show
the marriage was legal, but were
unable to do so at the present time
Mrs Powers was indicted under the
name of Mrs. Abe B. Powers alias
Mrs. P. J. Monette. The latter name,
the woman claims, was her maiden
name and she says she registered un
der that name at a local hotel after
she had been refused admittance at.
another hotel under her married
name, owing to the publicity caused
by her husband’s arrest.
It is the plan of the solicitor gen
eral to try Pbwers on another .n-
(Oontmued on IP ago 7, Column 4)
AnGEWTIWA’S PACT
AMEWIVIENTSIO
I BE RECONSIDERED
i Delegation, However, Plans
to Leave Geneva in Few
; Days—AttempttoSmoothe
Difficulties Fails
i
GENEVA. Dec. 6. — (By the Asso
ciated Press.) —Argentina’s amend
ment to the covenant of the League
of Nations, rejection of which caus
ed the delegation of that country to
leave the assembly on Saturday
morning, has been referred to he
assembly for consideration at its
next meeting. Honorio Pueyrrdon.
head of the Argentine mission, told
the Associated Press today that his
delegation would leave for Paris on
Wednesday or Thursday.
The resolution of the Argentine
delegation provides that all sovereign
states, unless they remain outside of
their own will, shall be recognized
as members of the league *
Consideration of an amendment to
the covenant of the League of Na
tions which would eliminate article
ten, also, has been postponed by the
assembly of the League of Nations
until the next meeting. This amend
ment, which was proposed by C. J.
Doherty, a member of the Canadian
delegation, has been referred to a
committee, which has been instruct
ed to submit a report when the as
sembly holds its next session.
Assembly Receives Better
It was planned if possible to take
up today the report prepared by Rene
Viviani, of France, and N. W. Rowell,
of Canada, on the relations between
the assembly and council of the
league.
After today’s session had opened,
Paul Hymans, the president, present
ed Senor Pueytredon’s letter to the
assembly, and said he had expressed
personally to the head of the Argen
tine mission his deep regret at the
step it had taken.
Lord Robert Cecil, delegate for the
Union of South Africa, then took the
floor, saying: “If other delegations
should be allowed to take the same
step when their proposals are not
accepted, it would be impossible for
the league to make any progress.”
"The act of no single country,”
Lord Robert added, "can diminish our
faith in the success of the league, aft- :
er the great strides that have been
made toward the object in view. All •
that is needed are courage, candor
and consideration for one another,” I
It is declared here that virtually i
every delegate regards Argentina’s <
action as an error in tactics. <
' ' , 1
Wine 100 Years Old Is ‘
Found Under Old House
Brought by Spaniards 1
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 4. J
Workmen today dismantling an old j
structure at Port St. Joseph, a vil- 1
lage on gulf coast, deserted in 1840 ’
after an epidemic of yellow fever, un- *,
covered a case of wine thought to 1
be more than 100 years old.
The wine* was placed there by j
Spaniyds, according to persons liv- <
ing at Port St. Joseph, before Florida 1
became a part of the United States. !
Mrs. George Patton, owner of the
property, claims the wine. . Officials ,
there are in doubt if the wine is con- J
traband. (
Baby’s Heart Is I
Outside Its Body :
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 4. —A I
babe born with its heart outside of 1
its body, fitting in the depression 1
of its neck just above the breast !
bone, today is puzzling doctors who !
are considering an operation to place 1
the heart in the place should func- 1
tion, according to information here •
fbom Limestone county, where its 1
parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. C. McCur
ry, resided. 1
The infant is apparently healthy, i
with the exception of its heart and
circulatory organs. \
A Personal Message About our Astonishing 25c Offer
Here are some remarkable facts. They surprised and impressed
us far more forcibly than they will surprise and impress you. Just
three weeks ago we decided we could afford to make our great sacri
fice offer. And we announced on this page that we would send The
Tri-Weekly Journal for three months to any reader who sent us Twen
ty-five cents. Almost before the paper was off the press, so it seemed, x
the orders began to pour in. It was totally unexpected. They kept
pouring in all week. So we repeated the offer in' the next week’s edi
tions. The rush of orders swelled to the size of a flood. We were
surprised again. But we felt, so nehow, that there might still be
some readers who had neglected the chance. So we repeated the of-
BARGAIN NO. 11
By SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, and for a SHORT TIME ONLY, this .big MONEY
SAVING chance is open to you. :<ead it! and then ACT!
Send us TWENTY-FIVE CENTS (25c only),' hi pennies, stamps, silver, money %
order or check. We will send you The Tri-Weekly Journal from NOW until March
15. That’s practically THREE MONTHS! And for the trifling sum of “TWO
BITS!”
CLIP THE COUPON!
The Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, Atlanta, Ga.; Enclosed find 25c, send Me Tri-Weekly
Journal until March 15.
Name
P. 0...................................................................................
State
R. F. D. No
■MOKES
U. S. SECTORS KS
I COMESS MEETS
; Senate Adjourns After Ad
dress Until Message Is
Received From President.
Galleries Are Crowded
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.—The third
and final session of the sixty-sixth
congress began today with President
elect Harding forecasting a new era
of co-operation and friendly relations
between the White House and con
gress in a short address from the
floor of the senate. Though disclaim
ing any desire to cricitize the present
administration. Mr. Harding declared
it one of the ambitions of his four
years ..as chief executive to insure
better team work between the two
branches of the government.
The speech, which did not touch on
detailed questions of policy, was de
livered by the president-elect in re
sponse to an ovation that greeted
him when he went to the senate
chamber in his capacity as a senator
and answered to the opening roll call
of the new session.
Senator Harding spoke briefly and
the senate then adjourned without
transacting any business, to await a
communication from President Wil
son.
Harding’s Speech
Senator Harding walked up to the I
rostrum and after bowing to Vice ,
President Marshall, faced around to ■
his colleagues, and said:
“I am pleased at this greeting by ,
my fellow members of the senate. :
There is still greater satisfaction in '
having this opportunity to say to.
you informally some of the things
in my heart which I would utter in
no other way. I recognize that 1
am here today under somewhat un
usual circumstances, and there is a
delicacy about it that one in my po
sition can not escape except through
some form of self-effacement which
does not seem quite possible. ‘
"No member of this body could
be more reluctant to leave It. I may
say to the senate that I came here
with very high respect for this body
and I am leaving it with greater re
spect than that with which I came.
If one would always direct his own
political fortunes to his liking. I
should have preferred my member
ship here to any office a citizen may
hold in this republic or elsewhere in
the world. '
I like the freedom, tne associa
tion, the patriotic sense of respon
sibility which abides here. I am
conscious of the greater place which
congress holds under our constitu
tion and particularly sensible to the
obligations of the senate. When my
responsibilities begin in the execu
tive capacity. I shall be as mindful
of the senate’s responsibilities as I
have been zealous of them as a mem
ber, but I mean, at the same time,
to be just as insistent about the re
sponsibilities of the executive. Our
governmental good fortune does not
lie in any surrender at either end of
the avenue, but in the co-ordination
and co-operation which becomes the
two in a great and truly representa
tive popular government.
“This brings me to the thought
particularly in my mind. Something
has been said about the senatorial
oligarchy. Os course every one here
knows that to be a bit of highly
imaginative and harmless fiction. But
I do recognize how essential is the
helpfulness of the senate in the mak
ing of a successful administration. I
want to express today the wish of a
colleague for the confidence and the
co-operation of the members of this
body in the four years which begin
next March 4.
"I do not limit this sincere re
quest to this side of the aisle. One
can not promise agreement in all
things with an opposite party which
is sometimes insistently wrong, but
we mya find common ground in the
spirit of service, and I hope for that !
agreeable and courteous and oft- :
times helpful relationship with the .
opposite side which has added to the .
delights of fellow service during the
past six years. (
“We are facing no easy task. We ■
have our full part in the readjust- 1
ments of human affairs, after the i
(Continued on Rage 7, Column 5)
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1920.
SCOUT WINS HIGHEST HONOR
♦
i JSiB
i I ' ''Wt
i ! ....
i u- V
; w |4
??• .. ’WS
First-Class Scout Jack Wilkins, of Troop 15, Atlanta Council,
Boy Scouts of America, who has qualified for the rank of Eagle
Scout, the highest grade he may attain in scout work. He was
presented with his Eagle badge at the big scout rally in the Second
Baptist church Friday evening. The inset shows the sleeve of his
uniform, which contains twenty-one merit badges. . He Is a son of
Dr. John G. Wilkins, a city physician.—Staff Photo by Winn.
Expansion of Scouts
Makes Quick Progress
Over Rural Districts
The great success of the Sixth
district field conference of Scout of
ficials, which was held in Atlanta
Thursday, has made the outlook for
the extension of scouting through
Georgia and the southeast very en
couraging, according to the men who
attended it. The execution of the
programs outlined at the meeting
will mean a great deal to southern
boys. J
Stanley A. Harris, of Memphis,
National Field Scout Executive, when
seen regarding the conference, was in
very high spirits and said: “The
meeting in Atlanta was significant
for 6. number of .reasons. First, the
attendance was considerably larger
than we had hoped. A number of the
men present had traveled between
two and four hundred miles to reach
the meeting. They were in most in
stances exceedingly representative
business men of their communities.
“Secondly: It was significant be
cause of the interest shown in the
discussions. Not only did the men
present indicate a desire for the de
velopment of the scout movement in
their own town, but Unmistakable
evidence of the determination to
place the boy scout movement, under
the highest class leaedership, with
in the reach of every boy in the
southeeast.
“Thirdly, it was significant because
of its definite action. The committee
was instructed to go forward with
the development of twelve congres
sional district councils in Georgia,
authorizing the securing of not only
volunteers but at leeast one paid
BOMB DAMAGES
HOME OF RICH
N.Y. CONTRACTOR
MONT KISCO, N. Y.. Dec. 6.—A
bomb explosion early today wreck
ed the front porch of the home of
Michael Ptrello. a wealthy building
contractor. Pitrello. aroused by the
detonation which shook the neigh
borhood. dashed out of his house
and fired five shots after a fleeing
automobile.
Many windows in the vicinity
were shattered but so far as is
known, no one was injured.
Later the head of a local labor
union was taken to police headquar
ters and questioned.
leader for each congressional district.
“On a whole it was another indi
cation of the splendid interest being
shown by southern people and es
pecially business men of
Georgia in the growing generation.
Georgia has multiplied its scout coun
cils by four since January 1; going
from two to eight, and the scout
troops have increased from 178 De
cember 31 last year to 283 at the
present time. In the face of these
facts and in consideration of the busi
ness ability and interest of the men
elected to the executive committee.
I am most optimistic as to the future
of scouting in the southeast.”
fer again last week. And listen to this! In one day last week more
orders came in than we received during the entire first week! The
total for last week fairly swamped us!
Here Is the Double Offer
Such an amazing response can mean only one thing. It means
that this special sacrifice bargain exactly suits the needs of our readers
when money is scarce! We feel it is our duty to give everybody a
chance. The offer still stands. Read the conditions. Tell your friends
about the opportunity. Act Today!
———
BARGAIN NO. 2!
Here’s the SECOND tremendous opportunity to SAVE! Tell the GOOD NEWS of
The Tri-Weekly Journal’s GREAT TWENTY-FIVE CENT offer to FOUR of your neighbors.
Take their orders at 25c each. Send us ONE DOLLAR ($1) only. We will
fill their subscriptions. And as payment for your trouble, we will extend Y"OL’R
OWN subscription up to March 15 without cost.
CLIP THE COUPON!
The Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal. Atlanta, Ga.: Enclose find sl. Send The Tri-Weekly
Journal until February 15 to the following four addresses. Also extend my subscription to
March 15, as per your offer.
Names Postoffice R. F. D.
\
I
Put your own name and address here.
STATE TO OUTLINE
GISE IK SHEPIBD
. POISWEBY
Its Theory Will Probably
Charge Conspiracy, the
Conspirators Disagreeing
Over Shepard’s Property
BY ED H. BRADLEY
(Staff Correspondent of The Journal)
MACON, Ga., Dec. 4. —Interest in
the Shepard case, which has devel
oped during the past few days into
one of the most sensational in the
history of this state, now hinges on
the outcome of the hearing to be
held here Tuesday on the application
for bail filed by three of the four
persons under arrest charged with
the murder of the wealthy Fort Val
ley peach grower, who died very sud
denly on June 1 and, who, it is
charged, was the victim of a poison
plot.
Mrs. F. E. Elmer, of Jacksonville,
Fla., former wife of Shepard; her
sister, Mrs. lone Henry, of Perry,
Ga.; her son by her first marriage,
Ernest Hopson, and Mrs. Annie
Cutts, are the four persons now in
custody. Through their legal rep
resentatives Mrs. Elmer, Mrs. Henry
and Ernest Hopson have applied to
Judge H. A. Matthews to admit them
to bail. The state, represented by
Solicitor~General Charles H. Garrett,
of the Bibb superior court, will op
pose the petitions.
The evidence introduced at Tues
day's hearing is expected to disclose
the outline of the state’s case and
it is indicated by the authorities that
sensational developments may be
looked for. That affidavits from
several persons in Fort Valley,
Perry, Abbeville and Fitzgerald will
be produced at the hearing, is antici
pated. For several days attorneys
on both sides have been busy gath
ering evidence in the form of affi
davits, in order that a showing may
be made to indicate the strength of
the prosecution. .
State’s Theory
According to officials closely con
nected with the solicitor general’s
office and active in the investigation
of the case up to this time, the state’s
theory of the case may be outlined
substantially along these lines:
That a group of persons conspired
to accomplish the death of Fred D.
Shepard in order to obtain posses
sion of his property, which amount
ed to about $300,000 in his own right
and a half interest in the estate of
his father, the late Mr. Alfred Shep
ard. which is estimated at between
$2,000,000 and $3,000,000, being still
intact and undivided.
That: the conspiracy was success
ful, causing the death of the wealthy
Fort Valley peach grower by poison
ing.
That after his death the conspira
tors disagreed among themselves
over the distribution of his property,
this disagreement becoming so acute
as to cause one of the conspirators
to disclose the whole plot to a near
relative of the victim, the animus of
this disclosure being to place the re
sponsibility for the crime on the
shoulders of the member of the
group to whom the property reverted
and A%ho later refused to carry out
the original plan of distribution.
The solicitor general has announced
that no arrests other than those al
ready made are anticipated by the
state unless a much more extended
array of evidence is developed than
is expected. That Solicitor General
Garrett is satisfied with the progress
made thus far with the investigation
has been indicated in his own state
ments and those of other officials
connected with his office.
An imposing array of legal talent
will appear at the hearing before
Judge Matthews. Solicitor General
Garrett will be assisted by Attorney
W. A. McClellan, of this city, one
of the best known members of the
Georgia bar. Mrs. Cutts will be rep
resented by Robert L. Berner, noted
criminal lawyer, Judge C. L. Bart
lett, dean of the Macon bar;- Ross
Williams, Hal Lawson and O. C.
Cannon, of Abbeville; D. B. Nichol
son, of Fitzgerald, and Eldredge
Cutte, husband of the defendant.
Mrs. Elmer has retained Charles M.
Durrance, of Jacksonville, Fla., Gen
eral Walter A. Harris and Ellsworth
Hall, both of this city. Judge John
P. Ross, of Macon, and E. P. Brun
son, of Perry, represent Mrs. Henry
and Ernest Hopson.
Police Trail Thief
By Odor of Perfume
PORTLAND. —Police believe some
dapper, dressy chap robbed the Mun
ger drug Store. He took one bottle
of perfume and the cops hope to get
on his scent thereby.
RETURN DF FORMER
KING CONSTANTINE
. VERDICTOFPEOPLE
Election Clerks Stop Count
ing Votes to Take Part in
Great Demonstration for
Former Ruler
ATHENS, Dec. 6. (By the Asso
ciated Press.)—Great Britain will
extend no further financial aid to
Greece in case former King Constan
tine returns to the throne, accord
ing to a note presented the Greek
government today by Earl Granville.
’British minister in this city.
The French minister also present
ed a note to the government, demand
ing the payment of outstanding
loans.
Both the notes forbid the issu
ance by the National bank of paper
money already printed against a loan
of 400,000,00(1 drachmas? which was
arranged during the regime of for
mer Premier Venizelos.
"We can only do what the people
want,” said Premier George Rhallis,
in speaking of the two communica
tions. "The regent has received no
word from Constantine. I will reply
in a few days to the British and
French notes.”-
The wild scenes which marked the
departure of former Premier Venize
los on November 17 were again -en
acted last evening in celebration of
the result of the plebiscite, which
was known before the vote was taken.
A crowd estimated at 200,000, in
which there were babies, children,
women, civil servants, girls, peasants,
women from court circles, sailors and
soldiers, gathered in Place de la
Constitution near the king’s palace,
converging on that square by all
streets. Some were walking, some
riding in carts and automobiles and
all Worked themselves into a perfect
frenzy, waving flags of all nations,
olive branches and paintings and
photographs of Constantine.
A large part of the crowd was com
posed of tYomen, who clamored for
permission to vote. As they marched
along, they chanted madly: “Constan
tine has promised us the vote.”
A demonstration was made in
favor of Princess Anastasia, and a
handsome woman gowned in pale yel
low satin appeared on the balcony
above the famous Case de Bresil.
While* the people applauded she
/clapped her hands and cried: "Con
stantine is coming back!”
"Long live the dollar princess!”
was the answering shout.
The* votes cast in the plebiscite
probably will be counted in detail to
day. Those engaged in counting
them quit work last night in order
that they might join in the carnival,
in which soldiers and women formed
rings like children dancing "Ring
around a rosey,” the women throwing
confetti over their companions.
It is planned that the liner Patris
will meet Constantine at Brindisi
late this week.
Panic in Brooklyn
When Shells Explode
And Bombard City
NEW YORK, Dec. 6.—Hundreds of
homes in the Fort Hamilton section
of Brooklyn virtually were unfler
heavy artillery bombardment Sun
day, resulting from intermittent ex
plosions of six-inch and ten-inch
shells on a steam lighter which
caught fire while moored to the army
reservation wharf.
Gathering together their belong
ings in a belief that the naval ar
senal at Fort LaFayette, a small
island near Fort Hamilton, was
ablaze, terrified scores fled their
homes for safer zones, driven to
frenzied haste by the series of de
tonations which were heard for miles
around. / . t-.
An official statement from Fort
Hamilton last night said no lives
had been lost, and that only four
persons had been injured, and these
slightly. i
Walks 211,000 Miles
In Thirty Years
LONDON. —After walking, it is es
timated 211,000 miles during his thir
ty years as a postal carrier. Charles
Denly, Cobham postman, has re
tired.
5 CENT* ▲ con.
sl.s<> A YEAR.
CROP HKE IS
LATEST DEPARTURES
WINESMLO
Hartford Fire Accepts Risks
on Farm Products Along
Certain Restricted ( Lines. .
How Experiment Worked '
BY RALPH SMIT>
If this were the usual sort of a
newspaper story it should, and prob
ably would begin with the reassur
ing recitation that all clouds have
a silver lining, by which token the
unhappy conditions in the agricul
tural districts are really a blessing
in disguise.
There is no mistake about this
being a news story, in the truest
sense. But it isn’t the usual sort of
news story. It is, indeed, the first
public announcement of an experi
ment in economics of vast ramifi
cations, that promises to revolu
tionize rural life In America and
raise agrarian pursuits to the high
est level of business enterprise. It
is the unusual character of thedM
story that justifies the beginning
it at the beginning, instead of be- I
ginning it in the middle or at the W
end and trying to tell the whole 1
thing in the first paragraph.
Returning to Atlanta, after an
absence of several days, Governor
elect Thomas W. Hardwick lamented
to friends upon the deplorable state
of his farm, in Washington county,
whence he had been to salvage whaD\
he could. k
“It’s a total loss.” he said, am.'
might have completed the vernacu
lar phrase had he not been inter
rupted by John D. Little, his per
sonal and political friend, who 1
also a farmer.
“My crdps were insured and I
havent lost a cent,” interposed Mr.
Little.
A look of incredulity that swep'
the faces of the governor-elect an i
others present gave way to one o”
interest, punctuated with admire
tion for the speaker, as Mr. Litt'
enlightened them with the state
ment that he had been protecte
against loss on his plantations by
“crop investment” policy in th
Hartford Fire Insurance company.
New Thing in U. S-
Mr. Little's complacent recitation
of how his crop insurance had re
lieved him of worry during a trip
to Europe and protected him against
the vicissitudes of the weather and
the ravages of the boll weevil is’
the Genesis of this story.
“Crop investment insurance”'is a
new thing in America. Not one per
son in a thousand had dreamed of
such a thing in its practical as
pects. Not one in a million had the
faintest idea that in the state of
Georgia, throughout the south, and,
in fact, all over the country today
farmers are cashing in on crop in
vestment policies they bought in
the spring and summer of 1920,
when the skies w r ere bright and
"everything was chicken.” , Hundreds
of farmers in Georgia and thou
sands scattered over the cotton belt,
from the lowlands of Texas and
Florida to the highlands of the
Carolinas, are realizing on crop in
surance they took out months ago
when the farmers were the favored •
class.
Among the relative few in widely”
separated sections of the country
who are farfniliar with the Hart
ford’s experiment, the insurance is
popularly known by different names.
In the south, it is called “boll
weevil insurance:” in the west,
where wheat and corn and pats are
the money crops and the grasshop
per a pest, it is known as "grass
hopper insurance:” and in the
northwest, where long dry spells
are as common as they are deadly
to growing crops, they refer to it
as "drought iusurance.”
As a matter of fact, it is neither
boll weevil, grasshopper nor
drought insurance at all. It is
what the Hartford calls it and
what its name implies—crop in
vestment insurance, designed to
protect farmers of a type (mod
ern, energetic and conscientious)
against the loss of labor and ln- x
vestments in the soil by reason of'
the elements or the ravages of
parasites.
Others Protected
The introduction of crop invest
ment insurance, all things consider
ed, in the year 1920, is less remark
able than the failure of some such
loss-indemnifying insurance to make
its appearance years ago to guar
antee the creators of the nation’s
wealth, against the uncertainty ot
their pursuits. There has been for
many years fire, theft, burglar, plate
glass, amusement, automobile, live
stock and scores of other kinds ot
insurance that have protected mer
chants and manufacturers against
the hazards of business. But the
farmers, whose labors feed and
clothe the world and whose pursuits
ever have been subjected to the un-’
certainty of the elements, have of ne
cessity risked their all. year after
year, without a scintilla of protec
tion.
But the ice is broken. The business
of crop insurance is an unchartea
sea, but the Hartford’s initial experi
ment admittedly has opened up a
field of underwriting enterprise ot
limitless possibilities and potentiall- *
ties that cannot be estimated.
The success of crop insurance In
America will forever indemnify the
farmers of the nation against the
loss of their labor and investments
and will relegate to oblivion the sug
gestion of government guarantees on
the price of stable products. The talk
of a moratorium in rural districts.
In such times of distress as are now
experienced will be as absurd
as fits suggestion even now is pre
posterous.
The Hartford Fire Insurance com
pany embarked in the business ot
crop insurance without ostentation
No public announcement was made of
the new enterprise. No campaign fm
business was inaugurated. It wa« ob
vious to the insurance company, as
it may be to every thinking person,
that in a country, wnose crops ap
proximate in value $ J 6.000,000,000
and embrace everything that will
grow in the ground, it would be
foolhardy to engage either generally
or extensively in a business whose
results had not been established by
e x perience and the law of averages.
29 Cars Are Userl
To Haul League Papers
GENEVA.—It required a train ot
twenty-nine cars to transfer the.
“mountain of' documents" of the
League of Nations from London to
Geneva, it is revealed in a report by
Sir Eric Drummond. <