Newspaper Page Text
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
EXTRA
EXTRA
VOL. 1. NO. 21.
Copyright, 1913, by
The Georgian Company.
★ ★★ ATLANTA, GA., SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 1913.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
Senator Smith of South Carolina
Secures Government Expert’s
Figures on Total Estimated
Ravages During Last 17 Years,
Shows How $107,539,127 Yearly
Cost of Proposed Remedy Could
Be Counteracted by Diversified
Crops and United States Aid.
(The zone strip to which Senator
Smith refers as a remedy for the
boll weevil, as proposed, would begin
in Tennessee and run down through
Alabama and part of Florida.)
By ELLISON D. SMITH.
(United States Senator From South
Carolina.)
WASHINGTON. Aug. 23.—A few
Keeks ago I asked some of the offi
cials in the Department of Agricul
ture to give me an estimate of the
losses the farmer# of the South have
suffered as the result of the boll
weevil. The figures furnished me are
startling. Prom the report I make
the following extract:
“The only adequate way of arriving
at the losses due to the boll weevil is
by studying the average production
per acre by States, comparing years
of non-infestation with years of infes
tation. It is quite noticeable that every
State by the third year of infestation
has shown a decided reduction in
the * ■
average yield per acre.
“This average production is used in
connection with the acreage planted
to obtain an estimate in money value
of the loss from the boll weevil to the
producers. This is only the primary
lo.'<s and is turned over and over again
as it reacts upon ginners, oil mill men.
merchants, bankers, property values,
manufacturers of the textile and the
final consumers.
“The total loss to producers ob
tained by this method from 1895
through 1912 is $841,521,135, or an
average during the 18 years of $46.-
751.174 per annum, with the loss now’
reaching over S100.ft00.000 per annum.
These Only Obvious Losses.
"Only the more obvious losses from
the ravages of this pest can even be
estimated*. These are the losses in
productivity suffered by the producers
and the losses in business of the first
processes in manufacture.
"Figures are presented to show the
losses to the planter, the ginner and
the oil mills as follows, for the period
from 1895 to 1912:
Loss to the planters ....$841,521,135
Loss to the ginners 17.446,295
i,oss to the oil mills .... 72.270.421
Total $931,237,852
“To these must be added losses in
business suffered by cotton buyers and
brokers, merchants, bankers and cot
ton mills, the loss in property values,
the ultimate effects upon the con
sumer."
In other words, officials of the De
partment of Agriculture estimate that
the loss to the South from the boll
weevil between 1895 and 1912 has been
considerably more than $1,000,000,000
This is staggering.
The Government has spent hundreds
of thousands of dollars to stamp out
the boll weevil, but without avail. The
government experts, entomologists,
farm demonstration agents and others
have done splendid work in teaching
the farmers better methods of culti
vation rotation of crops, etc., but so
far as checkmating the boll weevil is
concerned they themselves admit that
their work has been a failure.
Moves Eastward Steadily.
*The weevil continues its march
sastward at a steady pace each year,
ind in no section where it has made
ts appearance has any method been
Siscovered of minimizing the damage
Sone by it.
Unless something is done it will
aot be very long until the entire cot
on area of the South is infested.
Of course, some cotton can bo
frown in the area infested by the
i»oll weevil, but the yield per acre
tnd per farm is greatly reduced, while
Ihe cost of production is greatly in
creased. I am told by a member of
Tongress who owns a large plantation
n an infested section that it costs just
ibout twice as much to produce a bale
if cotton now’ as it cost before the
loll weevil came. Many others have
riven me testimony to the same ef
fect.
When one undertakes to estimate
:he loss to the South during recent
’ears because of this little insect, and
hen tries to estimate the probable
oss in the future, the result must
appalling.
. I have been deeply interested in the
loll weevil for a number of years. 1
lave watched its spread from the
ime it made its first appearance in
Continued on Page 6, Column 4.
New Cancer Cure
Arouses Germany
Kaiser’s Subjects Have Cornered
Supply of Mesothorlum, Found
In U. S. and Brazil.
BOSTON, Aug. 23.—Mesothorlum.
the new cure for cancer, is causing
great excitement in Germany, accord
ing to Dr. F. D. Donoughe, of Bos
ton, who has just returned from the
Cancer Congress at Brussels and the
Medical Congress In London. Ger
man towns have subscribed large
sums for the purchase of mesotho
rlum, which is found in Colorado, the
Carolinas and Brazil.
A rayless product of therum, it be
comes active through transformation
into radio-therum. The price, for
merly one-sixth that of radium, re
cently has become higher. Hungary'
and Germany have purchased the
supply of mesothorlum available until
1915. It Is said to be a dependable
cure for certain forms of cancer.
Sir Herbert Tree’s
Cast Stirs British Ire
L EO M. FRANK as he appeared in court yesterday. The defendant was calm under the
terrific denunciation of the prosecutor and watched Mr. Dorsey intently through the many
hours that the Solicitor consumed in declaring the defendant one of the greatest of criminals.
He seemed scarcely more moved than the spectators. *
Buildings Are Blown Up by Heavy'
Dynamite Charge and Then
Torch Is Applied.
Americans in ‘Joseph and His Breth
ren’ Win Noted Playwright’s
Praise.
Special Cable to The American.
LONDON, Aug. 23.—Antagonism
has been aroused in London theatri
cal circles because Americans are tc
play the principal roles in Sir Her
bert Tree’s production of "Joseph and
His Brethren.’’
Sir Herbert said:
"The Americans are wonderful in
whatever they attempt to do. I have
the greatest faith in their powers,
and, without wishing to enter on a
comparison between American and
English methods, I must say I think
Maxine Elliott will be a peerless Zeu-
lika, and George Relph a most ro
mantic Joseph.”
Caruso Sadly Says:
‘My Star Is Dimming'
Tenor Thinks Public Soon Will De
sert Him for Young and
Brilliant Star.
Special Cable to The American.
ROME, Aug. 23.—Caruso, who is
taking the cure with his eldest son
at Monte Catini, is in a philosophical
mood. To a newspaper man he said:
"It is about time the public ceased
to take an interest in me. There are
plenty of young stars rising who soon
will shine with dazzling brilliancy in
the firmament of art. Mine is dim
ming; don’t you think so?"
Then he sadly shook his head and
walked slowly away.
HEARTHSTONE 200 YEARS
OLD FOUND IN MINNESOTA
ST. PAUIMINN., Aug:. 23—The
hearthstone used by early French
voyagers who made their headquar
ters in the stone house at Taylors
Falls, in Interstate Park, was found
by workmen excavating in the foun
dations for relics. The house is
thought to have been built 200 y
ago.
CASUALTIES REPORTED
Attack of Merchant on Young Man
Cause of Outbreak—Black
Makes Escape,
MOULTRIE, Aug. 23.—Greenough,
a negro village Just over the line »n
Mitchell County, has been partially
destroyed by a mob of white men.
No deaths have been reported.
It appears that John Davis and his
brother, young white men, had ad
vanced some money to Bradley Broth
ers, negro proprietors of the leading
store of Greenough. The negroes
failed to return the money, and wh-»n
the white men went to collect, a dif
ficulty arose, in which one of the
negroes struck John Davis with a
scantling, knocking him unconscious.
The Davis boys escaped to their home
and reported the difficulty and the
action of the negroes. At night a
mob of white men asesmbled and
marched on the village, armed with
dynamite and such firearms as could
^>e procured.
When the village was reached, it
was found the Bradleys had escaped.
A charge of dynamite was exploded
under the store and it was complete
ly demolished, together with the stock
of goods. Other stores were fired and
many shots emptied Into negro
houses. The fire was returned by the
blacks for a short time, but without
effect.
The Bradleys have not been seen
s , me the outbreak, and further trou
ble is not expected by the whites.
NO
Solicitors Scathing Address Halted
by Adjournment—Had Spoken for
More Than Six Hours—Cheered by
Big Crowd Outside the Courthouse.
PRISONER CALM, WIFE SOBS
AS STATE CHARGES MURDER
Slain Girl’s Mother Breaks Down, but
Defendant Faces Spectators With
Hint of Smile—Case May Go to
the Jury by Monday Noon.
Insisting upon the application of the Mosaic law of “an eye
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” Solicitor General Hugh M.
Dorsey demanded the life of Leo M. Frank yesterday in expiation
of the murder of Mary Phagan on April 26.
Nothing less than the death penalty would satisfy justice, de
clared the Solicitor in one of the most bitter and impassioned ad
dresses a Georgia courtroom audience ever has heard.
It was the closing argument of the State before the fate of
Frank is placed in the hands of the twelve jurors. It was inter
rupted by adjournment at 1:30 o’clock in the afternoon. The So
licitor had been speaking since 9 o'clock in the forenoon and was
exhausted by his efforts. His address had begun at 3:30 the aft
ernoon before and had consumed a total of six and a half hours.
Crowd Greets Him With Cheers.
When, weak with fatigue, he asked for a recess and court ad
journed until Monday morning at 9 o'clock, a great crowd awaited
him outside to cheer him and rend the air with their yells because
of the magnificent fight he has put up to send Frank to the gal
lows for the murder of the little factory girl.
The demonstration was spontaneous and was of greater mag
nitude than that of the night before. He had aroused to the high
est pitch the admiration of the populace for the earnest and de
termined battle he was conducting for the conviction of the man he
deemed guilty of the murder.
Men in front of the courthouse cheered with all their might as
Dorsey came in sight from out the courtroom doors. Men fromi
across the street took up the cheer and the little Solicitor was given
the demonstration of a governor or some other popular hero as he
quickly tucked his books and records under his arms and escaped
through the crowd into his law offices in the Kiser building.
Hurls Charge Directly at Frank.
If his tongue was tipped with venom and bitterness, it can
hardly be said that the Solicitor was not sincere and in earnest*
Every word and every pharse that he uttered during his long speech
—the longest of the trial—carried with it the conviction that the
speaker was in deadly earnest.
Much of the time he was talking directly at the prisoner and
was accusing him of murder and other crimes unmentionable. He
looked Frank right in the eye. He leveled his finger at the defen
dant sitting calmly between his mother and his beautiful wife. He
called him a “red-handed murderer’’ and a pervert. Frank did
not flinch.
During a brief intermission, Frank even walked in front of
the spectators with the suggestion of a smile on his face. If there
was any fear of the verdict in his heart, it was kept buried there,
far out of sight of human eyes.
Likens Frank to Oscar Wilde.
Dorsey compared the defendant with that prince of per
verts, Oscor Wilde, and there was never a flicker of Frank’s eye nor
a change in his quiet, speculative expression. Dorsey told of other
| men who had possessed good reputations and yet had been guilty
I of the most heinous offenses—Theodore Durant, of San Francisco;
I Pastor Richeson, of Boston; Mayor McCue, of Charlottsville, Va.;
Henry C. Beattie, of Richmond; Dr. Crippen, and others. In the
: same connection he mentioned the name of Judge Iscariot and Ben
edict Arnold, both of whom, he said, were supposed to be of good
character until they had become traitors and betrayers.
“Character isn’t worth a cent when you’ve got the evidence
before you,” shouted the Solicitor after he had compared Frank
with some of the most infamous persons he could call to mind.
Prisoner Encourages His Wife.
His denunciation at times was so unsparing and his words so
i like a physical blow that it seemed that the prisoner must quail be
j fore him. But Frank maintained his composure. In fact, during a
lull in the storm of invective he occasionally would lean toward
his wife or his mother and whisper a few words, accompanying
them with a smile. For all that his manner betokened, he might
be talking of some amusing incident that had just occured to him.
If the Solicitor’s words failed to affect Frank, he was prob
ably the only person in the courtroom who did not feel the inten
sity and the grim determination behind each sentence and each ac
cusation that came from the lips of the State’s representative.
So overcome at Dorsey's blunt and grewsome description of
the torturous manner in which the pretty little factory girl had