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) fOVER 100,000 the SUNDAY AMERICAN'S | net paid circulation 7 he National Southern Sunday Newspaper The Atlanta Georgian Read for Profit—GEORGIAN WANT ADS—Use for Results VOL. XH. NO. 119. ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1913. Copyright. 1906. o OU\ Tf TC PAY NO By The Georgian Co. ^ X O. MORE. HOME EDITION PROBERS GRAPPLE WITH MILK EVILS C5& C*3 raw CSKl C*3 Congress to Tal^e Up U. S. Wire Ownership S *2, [DEATH BARES SECRET OF RICH CITY HERMIT Mayor Sees Corporation Plot Against Him I ivises Destructor aru) Fire Alarm Companies Against “Spend ing Money to Beat Him,” Mayor Woodward practically placed himself squarely in the race for re flection Thursday when he told of re- , ,rtg of sinister efforts to oppose him. I have been informed from several good sources that the Destructor ■ ompany of New York, the builders of the crematory, and the Okonite - ompany of New York, the builders „f the new Are alarm system, don’t intend to try to make any settlement with the city during my administra tion. but are endeavoring to get out some other candidate who would ap prove the contracts. Then, when my administration is over they would get their contracts approved without friction. His Advice to Companies. T have not said whether I would or would not run for Mayor. I can toll those companies, though, that if they will use the money it would take to heat me with a candidate who would approve their contracts, in re ducing their prices I will approve the purchase of their plants at once, and everything would be settled without further worry of taking any chances.” Mayor Woodward said that while the last crematory contract had been approved, no effort had been made by the Destructor Company to get a final settlement with the city. He said tie plant was not coming up to speci fications and it would do no good to apply to him for money until it did. The plant is completed and has been burning garbage for several months. Likely To Be Big Issues. Mayor Woodward has refused to recognize the $106,000 moral obliga tion contract for the fire alarm sys tem. has intimated that he -would pay a lump sum of $85,000 for the system, but the Okonite Company refuse* to make a greater reduction ’-ban 2 per cent. Unless these two contracts are set- Lerl before the next election they un doubtedly will be important issues in the Mayoralty election, without re gard to the reports heard by Mayor Woodward. r ouncll will attempt to make agree- men!« when the new budget is made U P in January. Record Shipment of Turkeys; 1,200 Birds Weigh 10,000 Pounds The biggest single consignment of turkeys ever received in Atlanta is expected about next Sunday morning by a South Broad street dealer. A solid carload of turkeys from Rogersville, Tenn , composes the shipment—10,000 pounds, which means between 1,000 and 1,200 live birds. “Atlanta will consume that in no time,” said the dealer. “Why, the big hotels for which we dress turkeys take 1,000 pounds a day, and one grocery company will use more than a ton a week.’ The annual holiday demand for turkeys is rather heavier than usual, it was said, and the supply was hard ly sufl^cient to meet it. Wilson Will Spend 3 Weeks in South Three Stamps Found In Garret Bring $150 OSSINING, N. Y.. Dec. 18.—Three rt *rn stamps, 80 years old. found in a P a . r . rot by FTlliott B. Bunt, were sold for •loo. WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.—Presi dent Wilson will take a Christmas va cation of about three weeks, begin ning probably next Tuesday. He w T ill leave Washington for the South as soon as he signs the currency bill. “The President has not yet decided where he will spend his vacation,” said Secretary Tumulty to-day. “He will stay away from Washington all of three weeks, but his plans will largely depend upon what Congress does.” President Wilson was feeling some what improved to-day, and took an automobile ride. WASHINGTON. Dec. 18.—Senator Hoke Smith, of Georgia, to-day pre sented to the President and Mrs. Wil son an invitation to attend the un veiling of a Civil War monument at Savannah, Ga., next April. Scores in Peril When Floor Sags at Feast Less than a dozen of the several hundred persons attending the din ner after the installation of officers ot the W. D. Lurkie Lodge of Masons, in West End Wednesday night, were aware of the fact that they were in danger from the near collapsing of the floor of the lodgeroom. The supports of the floor gave way and sagged a slight distance, but few noticed it The information was com municated to officers of the lodge, and the room was emptied without al lowing anyone to become aware of the danger. Suffrage League to Probe Atlanta Vice Headed by Mrs Amelia Woodall, the Atlanta Equal Suffrage Associa tion soon' will prosecute a searching probe into vice conditions in Atlanta. Prominent vice crusaders and po lice officials will be called upon to as sist. NEXT Sunday’s American IS BARRED FROM THE » Atlanta Penitentiary Because it contains an expose of that insti tution, written by Julian Hawthorne, but Atlantans can secure this great story by or dering from a dealer, or by phoning Main 100. There are dozens of interesting features in it. Noted Suregon Declares Eugenic Test Will Soon Rule All Marriages. The coming of a virtually 'love less” age, when the doctrine of eugen ics will be in general application and when marriage contracts will l.e based more on the laws of health than on sentiment, was predicted Thursday morning by Dr. A. J. Oseh- ner, of Chicago, one of America’s most noted surgeons, who is in At lanta attending the convention of the Southern Surgical and Gynecological Association at the Georgian Terrace. “Mankind is unmistakably drifting toward an era when health will play a most important part in marriage," said Dr. Oschner, "and it is not im probable that there will come a time when sentiment will be a minor fac tor in the formation of marriage con tracts. The doctrine of eugenics is rapidly coming into greater favor 8.11 over the world, and the trend of mod ern thought is certainly toward its general application." “Is it not possible that there will coma a time when love will be elimi nated altogether as a reason for mar riage?" Dr, Oschner was asked. Tells of Stride of Eugenics. "That is something I can not an swer," he smiled, “because I do nut know. It would seem only logical, however, that such would be the ul timate result of the doctrine, in view of the strides it is making. "Eugenics,” Dr. Oschner continued, "is but an outgrowth of the health awakening which is general through out the world. It is a recognition of the fundamental principle that an ounce of prevention Is worth a pound of cure, and an admission of the truth that the health of a child is deter mined largely by the health of its parents.” Dr. Oschner declared that the "loveless” age will be accompanied by the “operatfon-iess” age, the ar rival of this latter era being wholly contingent upon the progress of man kind in acquiring jts education, in becoming thoroughly acquainted with the fundamental laws of health and in applying these laws to its daily life. “Surgical operations for the cure of disease will decrease in the ratio that the knowledge of mankind in creases,” said Dr. Oschner. “The more knowledge mankind has of how to prevent disease the less disease there will be, and consequently the less need there will be for the use of the knife. It is but logical to suppose that man will continue to enlarge his knowledge of the fundamental laws of health as he progresses in civiliza tion, and it is probable that there may cofnc an age when a surgical op eration will be rare, as there will he few diseases that will require the knife. Operations for Disease Decrease. “This decline of surgical operations does not, of course, include those that are the natural and necessary con sequences of accidents or wounds. There are some surgical operations that will always be necessary as long as there are accidents, and as long as men shoot and stab each other. But the number of surgical opera tions for disease is certainly decreas ing, and this decrease certainly must continue in at least the same ratio as man progresses." Kenly New Head of Atlantic Coast Line NEW YORK, Dec. 18.—J. R. Kenly, of Wilmington, N. C., to-day was elected president of the Atlantic ('oast Line to succeed the late Thom as M Emerson, whose unexpected death last month followed an attack of illness while near Waycross, Ga., on a tour of the system. Mr Kenly has heretofore been third vice president in charge of the operating department of the Coast Line. - _ - — . Hearst Bill of 8 Years Ago Urged U.S.Wire Control EIGHT YEARS AGO almost to a day Representative William Ran dolph Hearst introduced in the Fifty-ninth Congress “A bill to enable the United States to ac quire, maintain and operate elec tric telegraphs,” etc. The bill pro vided a specific method of fair, legal purchase of “any or all ex isting lines,” and their operation for the benefit of the people as the postoffice is operated. A standpat Republican Congress regarded Mr. Hearst’s bill as dan gerous, if not revolutionary. ] Mr. Hearst’s bill of EIGHT YEARS AGO was reintroduced in substance in the Sixtieth and Six ty-first Congresses TWO YEARS AGO Postmaster General Hitchcock, a Republican, recommended it in a report to President Taft and to Congress. TO-DAY a Democratic Postmas ter General makes the recommen dation the principal feature of his annual report. BILLION, SAY LEADERS Burleson Calls Acquisition by Nation Only Method of Solving Monopoly. WASHINGTON, Dei 18— Govern- ment* experts estimated to-day that the cost of taking over the operation of telegraph and telephonic lines, as recommended by Postmaster General Burleson in his annual report, would be more than $1,000,000,000. The Postmaster General's recom mendation projected into Congress an issue over which there is already marked difference of opinion and Chas. B. Gaskill is shown with one of his pets and com panions, a chicken. Below is his flock of pigeons, which now coo mournfully about their silent home. AG Y [XPERT’S The sensational report of Dr. IS. A. Visanska’s committee exposing milk supply evils in Atlanta was still th* object of careful and even cautious consideration by the directors of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Thursday. After another meeting Wednesday afternoon and a prolonged discussion, in which Dr. J. P. Kennedy, of the City Health Office, and Dr. Claude Smith, City Bacteriologist, took part, the following information was given out Thursday morning: It. was agreed that additional milk inspectors and a City Veterinariamaro needed. In view of the fact that the present city force pf milk inspection consists of two dairy inspectors, one sampler and no veterinarian, and that this force is expected to look after the 6,000 gallons of milk furnished A Man- Children Beg Police To FindTheirMissing Papa ‘for Christmas' Chief of Detectives Lanford has been appealed to by two little chil dren to find their missing papa be fore Christmas, so he can tell Santa dla us to come to their home. They are the 3 and 4 year old daughters of S. C. Harrison, of No. 4 Kirkwood avenue, a clerk in a Decatur street store. The children came to Chief Hanford’s o^ice with their mother Thursday morning to report the dis appearance of the father. “Please.” said the eldest of the chil dren, "won’t you find my papa by Christmas time? Mamma says Santa Claus won't come to our house unless papa is at home. I wrote Santa a letter, but mamma says he won’t get it unless papa malls it.” Mrs. Harrison told Chief Lanford j her husband has been missing since j last Sunday, when he left home say- j ing he would return in a few minutes U.S. Employees to Get: Month's Pay Dec. 23 i WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 A merry j Christmas to Uncle Sam’s thousands of { employees is assured by the issuance ol ■ n order permitting them to draw full December nay on December 23. THE WEATHER. Forecast for Atlanta and Georgia—Cloudy and cooler Thursday night; Friday fair. which President Wilson himself may hkve to determine. A party caucus may be held for the purpose of get ting the exact view of the President and a majority of the party leaders, Burleson’s report follows conferences j ont he subject between e Postmaster; General and President Wilson, and j reports that the President was about to make Federal ownership of the two utilities an administration pol icy. Mr. Burleson points to the suc cessful inauguration and extension of the parcel post system as a guar antee that the Postoffice Department is capable of handling further coun try-wide business of great magnitude and importance. U. S. Should Control. The report asserts that there is a j surplus in his department for the year ended June 30, 1913, estimated j at $3,841,906.78, and that this is the; first real surplus since 1883. In regard to taking over the tele graph and telephone systems. Mr. Burleson says, in part. “A study of the constitutional pur poses of the postal establishment leads to the conviction that the Post- | office Department should have con- j trol over all means of the communJ- ; cation of intelligence. The first tele- j graph line in this country was main tained and operated as part of the postal service, and it is to be regret ted that Congress saw fit to relin- ! quish this facility t<> private enter- . prise. The monopolistic nature of the ; telegraph business makes it of vital j importance to the people that, it he i conducted by unselfish interests, and I this can be accomplished only Continued on Page 4, Column 1. A mystery which has puszled many Atlantans was somewhat cleared Thursday by the death of Charles B. Gaskill, the eccentric and wealthy old bachelor who lived a hermit in the heart of busy Atlanta, and who was found dead 1n the bathroom of his solitary little home at No. 126 South Forsyth street Wednesday afternoon. The Coroner’s jury returned a ver dict of death from heart failure and complications. His death was sim ple and not unexpected by those who knew him but his ways of life had been one of the city's strangest mys teries for many years. Lived Alone in House. Alone he had lived in his little house until the steps had decayed and the ever closed green blinds at the front began to rot and fall apart. People saw him walk out to the gro cery store and, with a few packages under his arm return. Sometimes he would extend his Journeys to a stroll about town, but the secret of the in side of that silent house and the cause for his queer ways he kept a mys tery. Some knew him well enough to know that he was quite sane, but that was all. It took death to draw back the veil. He was found dead on the floor of his home by Mr. Derracote He was fully dressed. That was cause for the few who knew Ids history to talk and for the curious to look into the house Around the eaves of the little house a huge flock of pigeons hovered and moaned—one would vow—In sorrow. In a corner- of the living room of the house sal several cats in uncanny silence, their green ^: c s gleaming at the empty fireplace. They were the mourners The people there were obeying curiosity. An acquaintance explained that those birds and the cats had been Mr. Gaskill’s only intimate associates They, he added—thev could reveal his confidences—could recite a poem of sorrow and cynicism And they did tell a story. Between the cooing of the pigeons and the sinister tread of the cats in the half light of the house one felt that there must have been some tragedy to drive a man to endure such loneliness. Gaskill Was Wealthy. It was well known that Gaskill was rich. Besides his home, which is a valuable location, he had other cen tral property. He was a lawyer, but had retired a number of years ago. He did not have to worry about his needs, hut it was unusual that he did not surround himself with more com forts and a better home. He even cooked for himself, which is not so bad.on a trail in the woods, but rather monotonous in a city like Atlanta, especially when one has money. One of his acquaintances revealed why he live 1 this life. As a young man he liad gone to old Oglethorpe College He was a class mate of ex-Governor Joseph M. Brown IBs instincts there were so cial and toward good fellowship. He was a charter member of the chapter of the Phi Delta Theta Fra ternity there, and founded the cha*p- ters at the University of Georgia and at Mercer. No matter what his views of the world became later, he held to that bond of brotherhood. When he avoided almost all mankind his inter est in his fraternity still lived, and Continued on Page 4, Column 6, ta daily by 700 dairymen and handled by 235 dealers and 41 dairies In. the city, the foregoing attitude does not appear startlingly revolutionary. New Committee Named. But further than that the famous milk report continues to he shrouded in mystery. By way of clearing up the situation, it was decided to try another commit tee on it, and these were named: Ivan E. Allen, chairman; J. R. A. Hobson. V. H. Kriegshaber, John S. Owens and B. M. Hood. This combination is now scheduled to grapple with the milk report, w hich, dealing with so presumably in nocuous a fluid, appears to the cas ual outsider to contain considerable “pep.” judging by the gingerly way it is being bandied. Since the submission of the report last summer, meeting after meeting of the directors has approached that for midable document, and, so far as all publicity is concerned, has rebounded in disorder from the attack. From the known circumstances it might even be fair to Infer that the energetic Dr. Vlsanska Is in danger of deportation for revolutionary- politics, should the unexpurgated report be made nubile. Certainly the original Continental Congress spent a good deal less time considering the Decla ration of Independence. The new committee, by the way, is expected to bring in its flTst batch of recommendations devoted largely to the additional inspection force, which is one phase of the subject not calcu lated to cause a rumpus, as everybody In Atlanta, including the milkmen, is pretty well agreed that ad ditto nai in« specUon is needed, ... ...... . +