Newspaper Page Text
COURSER
Devoted to the Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Interests of White County
v r OI, XXYI 1 II, No.
Gonstitution and Highways
Several hundred people from all
sections of north Georgia, western
North Carolina, and along the bor¬
der lines of Alabama and Tennes¬
see, combined at a great barbecue
at Neel Gap, on the top of the Blue
Ridge in Union county Thursday
to pay tribute to The Atlanta Con¬
stitution for its work in inaugurat¬
ing the great highway program
that has since featured mountain
development. The occasion was
the fifth anniversary of the nation¬
ally famous Constitution-Govern¬
ment expedition into a large sec¬
tion of Georgia that was at the
time almost inaccessible. In the
expedition were the chief federal
road and forestry officials, members
of congress, and a hundred or more
leading Georgia citizens. It was
raining during the entire week of
the expedition, and frequently it
took several hours to negotiate a
single mile of the trails traveled.
And yet every feature ol the pro¬
gram was carried out without a
break due to the undivided cooper¬
ation, and to tile enthusiastic spirit
of everyone as to the possibilities
for development and for showing
to the world one ol the most beauti¬
ful scenic and recreational areas in
America.
On Thursday hundreds of people
for the first time traveled over the
great Blue Ridge range on asphalt
paving at 30 miles an hour, and
viewed from their automobiles the
most gorgeous mountains and val¬
leys, witli oceans of blooming flow
■ ers spread out in every direction,
that are to be found certainly in
r «&rtibh of ..the Appalachian.
any
That great highway one of the
marvelous engineering feats of the
age, was one of the direct results ol
The Constitution expedition. The
chief of the United States bureau
of roads, by whom all federal aid is
administered, declared on that oc¬
casion that no finer scenery could
be found even in the Alps, and that
the Georgia mountain country
should have roads.
On Thursday there was read to
the great throng of people at Neel
Gap the following telegram from
him -.
Washington, D. C.
June 1, 1927.
Editor Constitution :
Very sorry that 1 can not join in
the celebration of the filth anni¬
versary of our mountain expedition
which is still fresh in my memory.
You have my best wishes for the
fruition of your plans.
The foverument stands ready to
cooperate with the state in further¬
ing these plans to the full extent of
legislative authority.
A more complete assumption by
Georgia of rightful state responsi¬
bilities with consequent relief of
overburdened counties would has¬
ten the attainment of the object in
which we are all interested.
Thos. li. MacDonald,
Director United States
Bureau of Roads.
With the aid of liberal govern¬
ment cooperation the state of Geor¬
gia in five years has performed a
good work in the mountains. With
a very faulty system by which the
county and not the state is the
building unit, it has done a good
service in all sections. As Mr.
MacDonald suggests, in his volun¬
tary telegram, however, far more
could have been attained if tiie state
had assumed "rightful responsibili¬
ties,’’and relieved the overburdened
counties.
The state needs and wants a sys¬
tem of connected paved highways
touchiug and linking every county
in the state and this can only be
accomplished by a system that will
permit tire state to drive its ribbons
of concrete through poor and rich
When Rhododendron Blooms
The good sense and good spirit
of the plea, presented elsewhere in
these columns, on ‘‘Georgia’s
Flowering Mountain.,” will strike
home to every reader who lias a
heart for the beauty of nature and
a desire that it shall not perish from
our commonwealth. Written by
Mr. James P, Davidson, editor ol
the Cleveland Courier, the article
addresses itself alike to patriots
and to landscape lovers.
Though the wild flowers seem in
their present profusion inexhausti¬
ble, it will not be many years, il
the motorist pillage continues,until
their wealth ol living loveliness is
reduced to a poverty of ‘‘stubs and
stumps of bushes ” If only a few
came to strip tiie roadside of tiiese
blotsums, bearing them away soon
to wither and die, tlie matter would
be ot no great moment; but when
thousands come in a day and hun¬
dreds of. thousands in a season, it
grows to be a problem of a grave
concern to the people of our high¬
land country and an injury to the
entire state. Mr. Davidson writes,
not on'y as a loyal spokesman foi
that picturesque region, btit as out
having all Georgia’s good at heart,
when lie appeals for cooperation in
saving the mountain ivy, the rho¬
dodendron and other flowering
shrubs and trees that make beauti¬
ful our highways and forest walks.
Every citizen, purticul irly if a
motorist, should lend infiueuce and
example to this good cause.—Eiii
tonal in 'The Atlanta journal.
•- i r qw --
The following letter is reassur¬
ance that it always pays to he kind
to Strangers :
Atlanta, Ga.
June 6, 1927.
Mr. A. L. Dorsey,
Cleveland, Ga.
Dear Mr. Dorsey :
Just a few lines to let you all
know how much we enjoyed being
with you and your friends in yom
delightful mountain city.
1 certainly felt honored to be so
fortunate as to be one of the guests
invited to meet you and spend the
day with you in your own home¬
town. ,
I have been telling everyone how
royally we were entertained in true
old fashioned southern style. The
entire occasion, including the old
soldiers, town-folks, speeches and
the wonder ftp dinner served under
the shade of the trees as we march¬
ed into the tune of Dixie will
always be remembered, i wish 1
could shake hands with and thank
everyone personally lor tlie very
royal manner in which vve were
treated, and when any. of them
come to our town, tell them not to
lorget the way to the Pension Of¬
fice for the latch will always be on
the outside and a warm welcome
on the inside.
Sincerely,
Cynthia M. Lindsey.
counties alike.
The (great highway across the
Blue Ridge. could not have been
built had the counties tlnough
which it traverses been required to
advance the full 25 per cent of the
costs of grading and paving.
The Atlanta-Macon stretch ol
concrete paving could not have
been completed had not Bibb and
Fulton counties gone to the rescue
of weaker counties.
The county unit system is wrong,
and is wholly responsible for the
crazy-quilt paving conditions we
have on the Georgia state high¬
ways.
The director ot the United States
bureau of roads knows precisely
what he is talking about.
CLEVELAND, GEORGIA, JUNE 10 1927.
Confederate Soldio
Reunion Great Success
The Confederate soldier’s recnion
held in Cleveland last Friday was
well attended by a number of the
old veterans of the 6o’s.
Col. C. II, Edwards welcomed
the veterans and presided. ‘‘IIow
Firm A Foundation” was sung by
the audience. Rev, S. S. Crumley
gave the invocation. George \Y.
Westmoreland, a formet”-,citizens of
White county, now a very promis¬
ing young lawyer of Jefferson,
made a very forceful and able ad
\lress on Americanism, stressing
the three cardinal principals, rever¬
ence lor God, equality of birth and
freedom of government, that holds
and makes our government the
greatest in the world, lie paid
deserving tribute to the Confeder¬
ate soldiers gallantry. Col. Sam
W. Wilkes, director of public re¬
lations of the Georgia railroad,
whose father was a Confederate
officer and killed at tiie battle ol
Manasses, praised the chivilry ol
the Confederate soldier and paid
deep respect to live citizenry of
White County. Col. John W.
Clark, pension commissioner of
Georgia, a venerable old gentle¬
man, told of his personal experi
encee with President jeff'erson
Davis and other interesting and
touching happenings he had dur¬
ing the Civil war. We will pub¬
lish his speech in full at a later
time. Col. A. 11 . Henderson told
of his love for the Confederate
sofiiierand their hardships and his
loyalty tor them.
I'. Y. Glover, Commander of
White Comity Post, and A. L,
Dorsey arranged for a luncheon for
the veterans and gue-ts at Mrs. R.
L. Henley’s which vv.as very much
enjoyed by all.
ASBESTOS BUZZING
Mr. Martin, one of (he highway
men, was out this way recently,
lie is a most pleasant man to meet
and does not deal in personalities,
but is very enthusiastic on the sub¬
ject of belter roads.
Messrs. Brown and Nunmtlly, of
Baldwin, who are superintending
the building of the road here are
going home every night. So by
the aid of electricity people can go
a long distance and do a day’s
work.
Messrs. Boyd Allen and Roach
were up from New Holland last
Lunday •
Mr. G. A. Vandiver, of Helen,
was down this way one day last
week hunting milch cows.
There weie 100 new words added
to our language last year so it now
is a hard matter to get a dictionary
containing all the words.
The most of our land here is so
poor that when a grasshopper starts
across it lie always carries his ra¬
tions, but when they begin to build
a highway it at once gets very rich
arid the road looks to be 100 feet
wide. And yet when it rains it
goes away from here like a snow
back would in August and some of
the migratory birds are slowly
carrying it away. She legislature
shoulp do something to stop these
birds from carrying away so much
of our valuable grit in their craws.
In ten million years they may carry
away the hune rock cliffs on our
mountain sides.
NOTICE.
Shoe repair work done at my
home.
F. W, Skelton.
Murphy Meeting And Celebration
At Neel Gap Splendid
The meeting in Murphy on
evening of June 1st of the Nacoo
chee-Ifiawasiea Road and
ation association wrs well attended
and enjoyed by all.
At this gathering it was
imously decided to widen the scope
of activities for roads and general
recreation and there was perfected
an organizaiion, The Mountain as¬
sociation for Roads and Recreation,
which embraces the territory from
Atlanta to Chattanooga, thence to
Knoxville, thence to Asheville,
thence to Greenville to Atlanta, of
which Bunnell H. Stone, of Blairs
ville, was elected president; Col.
O. L. Anderson, of Hayesville, N.
C. ; A. J. Nitzschke, Blue Ridge;
and W. O. Sparks, Hiawassee;
first, second and third vice-presi¬
dents, respectfully. Jas. F. David¬
son. ,was named secretary and J.
F. Holden, Blue Ridge, treasurer.
A particular feature of the meet¬
ing was the naming of the high¬
way from Birmingham to Blatrs
vilie as the ‘‘Hollotnon highway,”
honoring James A. Ilollomon, as¬
sociate editor of The Atlanta Con¬
stitution, for his untiring and in¬
defatigable work for construction
of highways and recreational de¬
velopment in the Georgia moun¬
tains. W. P. Forster, manager of
the Rime Chamber of Commerce,
presented the project to the associ
tiou and was unanimously adopted.
Don Witherspoon, a leading at¬
torney of Murphy and president of
the Chamber of Commerce, made
the welcome address and Jas. 1 ’,
D, :. dsttn raspauiled. B. II. Slone
presided at the meeting.
A number of addresses were
made praising the marvelous de¬
velopment of roads since Mr. 11 o 1 -
loinon made his famous Constitu¬
tion-government tour through the
mountains of northeast Georgia in
1922.
A motorcade was made from
Murphy to Hayesville and lliawus
then to Young Harris and
Biairsville to Neel Gap on the
morning of June 2, where an elab¬
picnic dinner was served in
Vogel state forest park by the ladies
from the surrounding towns. Ow¬
ing to rain and road work the
motorcade was not pnacticuble
be made over Unicoi gap.
B. II. Stone was master of cere¬
at the picnic. Hon. James
Ilollomon made the principal
and a number of prominent
were on the program.
program was cut short on ac¬
of rain.
LOUDSVILLE LINES
The Children’s Day at I.ouds
ville will be held the third Sunday
in June. All are cordially invited
come and bring well filled bas¬
also your song book. The
are Cols. C. II. Edwards,
A. II. Henderson, Thos. F. Under¬
wood and Prof. S. S. Allen.
The Children’s Day at Yonah
attended by a large crowd and
was a splendid success.
Several from here attended the
Soldiers’ reunion at Cleveland
Mr. Albert Sims and family, of
were visitors in this
recently.
The baby of Mr. and Mrs. Char¬
Reed has been very sick.
Mrs. Lula Clark, Mrs. Charlie
and Miss Laura Ashe
Sunday with Mr. VV. C.
and family.
People in this section are very
witli their crops.
Your Subscription Now i
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When in need of any of these things, there is no
guessing to do. Just come straight to our store,
buy what you need, keep what you save and be
assured that you have turned a square deal.
Whitmire & Head
Always at Your Service
Cleveland, Ga.
Georgia’s Flowing Mountains
By James P. Davidson, Editor
ot the Cleveland Courier
To those who visit the mountains
at this season of the year, unaccus¬
tomed to the profusion of flowers
and shrubbery, the supply appears
inexhaustible for they see vast areas
of (lowering shrubs on all sides.
The flowers are beautiful, enticing,
and hundreds, yea thousands, of
persons have ruthlessly broken the
branches from the bushes in great
quantities.
If this invasion upon the flowers
of the forest continues for a few
years the natural beauty so lavishly
bestowed upon tliq mountains by
the hand ot nature will become a
scene of stubs and stumps of bushes,
and a man will again have succeed¬
ed in destroying one of the great
attractions the mountains possess
for tde tourist, as well as for those
who reside amongst them.
Nature in her generosity gives
beauty to poor and rich alike. She
has covered the mountains with
plants and snrubs that everybody
may enjoy (heir beauty—and who
knows but that the animal and bird
life also share our joy in this re¬
spect ?
, Then why should not man, with
ids money and intellectuality add
to rather than diminish the beauties
of nature amongst these rugged
mountains?
The destruction of shrubbery
and young evergreen trees is not
one of wilfulness, but rather ol
thoughtlessness, for we believe that
ninety-five percent ol those who
indulge in such wantonly destruc¬
tive practices need only their at¬
tention called to their error to cor¬
rect it.—Atlanta Journal.
Gainesville Study Club
Beautifies A. S. Highway
Another attractive spot lias been
added to Gainesville. Through the
earnest efforts of Mr. A. C String¬
er and County Commissioners
I’umlin and McMillan, the little
plot at the intersection of t lie
Cleveland road and Riverside
Drive was given by Hall county to
the Gainesville Study club to beau¬
tify and cultivate.
The ladies of the club had it
cleared, planted with grass and
shrubs, and now it stands at the
edge of the city on tlie Appalachian
Scenic highway, a welcome and a
farewell to the many tourists who
pass that way.—Gainesville New*.
JUST IN PASSING
By James A Hollomon, Editor
The Atlanta Constitution
This is just a word of appreci¬
ation for the hundreds of letteis
and telegrams that are pouring in
upon me personally from all sec¬
tions of Georgia and the United
States by reason of the action of
citizens from all towns and hamlet*
along the route in naming tlie great
east and west highway, from Bir¬
mingham to Asheville, the "Ilollo¬
mon highway.”
Several hundred people gathered
to do me that honor, and from the
depths ot my heart I love every om .
I am interested in good roads be¬
cause 1 believe they induce high, r
ideals of citizenship, higher ideals
of civilization, greater economic
independence, stronger ties of fel¬
lowship, a more marked human
democracy, a more intelligent
understanding of each other’s prob¬
lems and an easier way to solve
thobe problems.
I have no excuses to offer for my
interest in the mountains of Gem
gia.
Born and educated in the sister
state of North Carolina, I am a
Georgian by adoption, but we me
all one and the same people—just
plain old Anglo-Saxons who be¬
lieve in God, in our country and in
our fellow man.
\Ve believe in law and order, in
the constitution of our nation, and
in its observance.
We believe, as did the cavalieis
the Virginia shores, in progress
in the strict observance of pei
opportunities for human
rather than in the pun
ideals of human decadence.
Again—appreciation !
A rule nisi requiring the Nacoo
and Cleveland Telephone
to show cause why a
penalty suit should not be
against il was issued
Tuesday by the Georgia public sei
commission.
Complaints as to the telephone
in the territory covered by
company have been received by
commission, but the telephone
have thus far failed to
inquiries or obey orders of
commission, it is stated.
The law provides that failure to
the mandates of the public
commission is punishable
a penalty of not more than
in the discretion of tiie trial
before whom the suit is
Atlanta Journal.