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The Banner-Messenger.
VOLUME VIII.
* BUCHANAN
' AND HARALSON COUNTY, GEORGIA.
/ LEADING CITIZENS
✓ AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
The history of all great nations shows
tliat at some period there was an event
upon which the weal or woe <>f the whole
nation hung, and the turning point of
victory or defeat was a mere incident
The building of great towns and cities
have in many instances grew out of the
actions of a single man—the erection of
one brick block has caused the building
of a dozen brick blocks.
An event is just now upon us that
means more for Buchanan and Haralson
county than anything that has ever oc¬
curred during the history of the county.
(Wo would put iu here, if the people
would eml)race the opportunity, but
there are no “ifs” about it; they are go¬
ing to do it.)
This is the one opportunity for Buch¬
anan, and the right blow must be struck.
Her citizens are now begining to awaken
to the fact that “now is the golden op¬
portunity," and an earnest manifestation
of this fact is beginning to kindle within
the breast of every citizen who feels that
interest iu the welfare of Buchanan that
he should, and they arc now on the alert
to i mo rove and build up the county seat
of the grand old county of Haralson,
whicli town every citizen should feel in
terested in.
The event we have reference to is that
of the building of
A NEW CO CUT HOUSE,
a representation and description of which.
we give «.,r rcadt iu tin, Ha: Niii Mei
sender to-day. The court house ques
tion has retarded the growth of
an, from the fact that some thought it
possible for the county sent to be moved.
But this question is settled, and Buchan
an will remain the county seat of Ilaral- 1
son county, as the building of a 820,000 :
court house goes to prove.
BUCHANAN AND HARALSON COUNTY.
Since the relcmmendation of a new court
house for Ilaralson county by the grand
jury, Buchanan lias manifested a deeper
faith in her future prosperity than at any
other period in her history, and since the
work of our Ordinary and the committee
■that was appointed by the grand jury to
assist him in getting on foot the erection
of a new court house, Buchanan has put
on new life. The weather-beat¬
en front of the old wooden building is
being relegated to the rear and already the
clinking of the stone cutter’s chisel is
heard while he is placing down the foun¬
dation for the handsome two story brick.
Like a mist before the sun’s rays these
old buildings will soon vanish befor the
mason’s trowel.
There is not a town in all Western Geor
gia beautifully located . than . Buch- ,
more
anan, and for good health, good water
and a salubrious climate generally,Buch
anan is not to be beaten. The health re
Bucltauan will tear compa.i.o,,
\vi,L that *it any town iu Western Georgia,
a section fames for its health record.
Pure free sroue water B 0 sl.es on. from
tile many bilbside, that hover aronnd
her and trickles it. way down the snnn,
slopes into the fertile valleys of the Tab
lapoosics, Beech Creek, Walker’s Creek
and many other large streams upon whose
banks all the rich viands of a southern
soil are harvested in great profusion.
The premium corn of the Piedmont
States, shown at the great Exposition in
Atlanta, was raised by Mr. J. F. Aldridge
in two miles of Buchanan. The soil of
Haralson county doesn’t only produce
premium corn, but premium grain of all
HUGH.WAN, GEORGIA, THURSDAY JUNE 4, 1891.
kinds, cotton, vegetables and fruits.
Haralson county, as is known everywhere,
is the home of the celebrated Golden ap¬
ple, the best and most extensive winter
fruit in all our markets, and it is said
that the pebbly bills of Haralson produce
grapes equal in quality and quantity to
grapes produced upon the sunny slopes
of Italy. But we haven’t the space to
enumerate and describe the fullness of
all the cereals adapted to our soil, but
suffice to say that anything from a pea¬
nut to a mule colt can and is being suc¬
cessfully raised in Haralson county. All
the grasses do well here. Clover itself
can be seen growing within the incorpo
ate limits of Buchanan that would com¬
pare favorably with Tennessee and Ken¬
tucky clover fields. .Stock farming is a
new enterprise here, but some of our
farmers are making a success at raising
stock, and all Haralson county needs to
make her the banner farming county in
Georgia is diversified fanning, for her
soil is specially adapted to such farming.
The progress of Haralson county is
phenomenal indeed. .She is one of the
youngest counties in the state. In 185(1
Haralson was made a county, and Pearce
ville, now Buchanan, was laid oil as the
county seat, being on land lot No. 48,
which is near the center of tho county.
Thompson Moore, a Justice of the Peace
administered tho first oath of office to!
Kinneth Merchison and Martin Hoi-j
combe a< Justices of tie Inferior court. !
who then swore in the following officers:,
T. Speight and Jas. II. Murphy
Justices of the Inferior courtj^Van A,
Brewster, clerk Superior court; Geo. It.
Hamilton, ordinary; Alfred II. Green, tax
collector; .lessee M. Jeans, clerk Inferior
court; John K. Holcombe, Sr., sheriff;
Hiram Ray, tax receiver and John Mc
Clung, coroner. The following is a list
of the first grand jury:
Thos Philpot, Henry R. Goodwin, Jack
sou Chandler, Richard Jordan, Dudley
Rowell, .Sandy Merchison, J. B. Gentry,
Albert G. Story, Jas. II. Rogers, John
Lewis, Adam Steadliam, Jefferson Dean,
Wm. Clements, Austin Ayeis, Mark A.
Wimpee, John Aldridge, Jas. Hales, Ran
some R. Thompson, Lewis Price, Jas. M.
Holcombe, Jas. Wadkins, Martin Ayers,
Sr., II. J. Mann and W 111 . Walton. These
were among the pioneers of Haralsor
county/anil as • death has claimed many
of them, they are being held more and
more in reverence.
The old court house was erected in 1857
and 58, and torn down in May. 1801, and
a handsome new house, as shown in an
other place, will soon take the plact. of
the old one, which is an example of the
true inwardness . of Ilaralson county
thnmo . hout V. . ...
”
-* county ‘ officuks. ‘ '
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a tet.rr „a„,o «,a„ a rleaa, .„b,ta„.
«*■ •» >“»' »*•"*•
b™»'- - *“>' “ -V
admrmstratlon, Haralson count,
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ever on tb. alert to her host interest.
.tudob s. M. haven-pout..
Here is a name, if not a man, familiar
to every household in Haralson county.
Judge Davenport was a resident of Har
alsoncounty atthetnneofherorganiza
tion, .and with the exception of about two
vea rs, he has lived within her borders
ever since. He was born in Munroecouu
ty Tennessee in 1882. moved to this conn-1
in 1850 and is 50 of '
try now years age. At
haralson county court house.
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The following is a description of the above new court house for Haralson
county as given by Bruce & Morgan, architects:
The dimensions on tie ground are 64x92 feet, arranged as follows:
The front central enbame into broad vestibule is tiled with Georgia marble
from which we enter fourteen foot corridor extending through the h
On each side of the corridor are the several offices of the county, large and well
lighted. The largest rc»m is given to the Ordinary for business and court pur- |
poses. Joining the On inary and Clerk's offices are the fire proof record rooms,
amply large, well lighted and fitted with iron shutters, vault doors, iron floors
and ceilings. From t ie first entrance vestibule are wide, easy stairs built of
oak leading to secono •i- entering a large lobby from which we enter tj, e 5,).
perior Court room; ste$* 44x60 inches in the clear, only 22 i'cet. high. Large
space is given to the bar and jury boxes and the balance in seating, on raised
floor, from 250 to 800 persons comfortably. The Grand jury room, Solicitor’s,
jury and Judge’s rooms are conveniently located with the bar, fitted with all
modern conveniences, The rear stairs are located so as to reach the bar and
jury rooms without coming in contact with those in the seats and lobby. The
Judge’s stand is large and conveniently airanged for the dispatch of court busi
ness. C’ourt and jury rooms all wains cotted. Wood ceiiings to the first floor
rootns.
The exterior, as shown by the above picture makes a very neat and attractive
building with large corner tower about 110 feet high, and on other corner a
small round turrett, and the several ’stairway landings arc neatly finished up in
good taste and proportions. The construction is convenient and substantial in
'
eve.y department.
the expiration of his present term, Judge
Davenport will have served eight years as
ordinary of Ilaralson county. He repre¬
sented the county in the State Legislature
in 1884 and 85, and has never been defeat¬
ed in a single race for any office. He has
also been a member of the council of
Buchanan a number of times, and is at
present Mayor pvotem. As long as the
financial affairs of the county are placed
in the hands of Judge Davenport we leel
that they will he economically and judi
ciouslly administered.
wm. .Johnson, „„ JR., ... shemfk
One of the most important and respon
Bible offices of any county is that of the
sheriff The very name itself carries
witI , H ,„ e ira|H)r „„c, „f tei„ s a man
, )ut How
th „ C( „„,. dI L „ imlnora l law breaker must
sl „„, lim . t v er, name. UR W.
h!>y0 Haralson count, just
t|l0 VVm . John
^ slle ,.„ ............. „ ,
county mau by birtU . H e was raised on
the farm and owns a good farm in the
coun t ' v at this time. lie served as depu
^ she rilf under Ml , vv> A . Goldiu , whe n
doubtle “ he concluded that he ^ ldd
like to be high sheriff of Haralson
ty, and when he asked the people for the
««?«. they gave it to him by n huge ma
jority.
J. li. REEVES, DEPUTY SHERIFF.
The business of the sheriff of Haralson
county requires the assistance ofadepu
ty. I 11 selecting his deputy, Sheriff
Johnson could not have found a man bet
ter qualified to render him such assist¬
ance as he may need. Mr. Reeves is a
man well versed in the duties of a sheriff,
and is known far and wide for his detec¬
tive ability, and courage in hand cuffing
any anil all foes to law arid order. Mr.
Reeves has and will render Haralson
county much good service as a peace of
fleer while acting as deputy sheriff.
DR. F. R. SMITH, TREASURER.
The public funds of no county ever res¬
ted in the hands of a safer nuffi than Dr.
F. li. Smith, and the county has just
cause to lie proud of him as an officer.
Dr.Smitli has met with many reverses dur
inglife.He was shot in the knee at the hat
tie of Chicamauga in 1863, which vender
ed him a cripple for life, and in 1884 his
house was consumed by fire, then in 1886
he lost an arm. But with these cripples
and losses none were so severe as that of
losing his companion last March. Dr.
Smith commenced the practice of medi¬
cine in 1872, but lmd to abandon his pro
fession on account of being so badly evip
pled. He was elected ordinary in Octo
I ber 18S7 to fill the unexpired term of
j : Judge tion of Miles Ins term Edwards, of office and as at ordinary the expira- he
NUMBER 20.
ran for the tcasurer’s office and was t leo
ted. llisfirst term as treasurer rohilt reil 1
him more popular with the people 'than
ever, as the vote he received for a second
term, which he is now filling, goes to
prove.
J. S, M. tlldOKHS, VI.EUK.
We find hut few men with more energy
and a business tact to grasp anything that
may present itself than .1. 8. M. diggers,
clerk Superior court of ilaralson county.
Mr. 1 Jiggers is now serving his second
term of office as clerk, and we have never
know n a man to give more general sntis
faction, not to have any more experience
in this important office, than has Clerk
Bigger*, even during his first term. Mr.
diggers is a “home-raised” hoy if you will’.
allow the expression. He w as reared in
a pioneer family of Haralson county, and
is known to he among the very best fami¬
lies of the county to-day. Like a goodly
number of our great and good men he
first learned to wield the hoe and pV \v.
lint while doing this lie never neglected'
the important duty of cultivating his
mind, vis has been shown in the school
room as teacher and is now being shown
in the clerk's office as clerk of the Supe
rior court of Haralson county.
HENRY t . HEAD.
No better proof can be found as to l ,1c \
prosperity and upbuilding of Marais ’*
county than that of the work that is K
ing done in the clerk's office. Besides a
steady application to his business, the
clerk has an assistant in the person of H
C. Head, whom Georgia knows no b
clerk. Mr. Head lias served as cl
the Superior court of Haralsor.
ten years. He was elected to thi
in 1875 and served eight years in si
He was again elected and se
another term in 1885 and 86. It gi
without saying what Henry Head don
know about the clerk's office is not w •
> gnd honest,
kmnvinj, amove •
cer never graced the clink's oi vai ttiiv
county. Honesty and right between man
and man have been the great crowning
traits of his private as well as his. public
career.
.TOE W. KKI.I.EY, VAX OOM.KUTOR.
Fora model of honesty, qunlificatic
and of merit there lives not a man to
honored more for these traits than
Collector Joe \\. Kelley. Mr. Kel
raised a poor farmer hoy, and •
i his own exertions he has obtaine®
| ularit >' am011 * the voters ,,f 10
county unexcelled by no man wjj
limits. IIis first election to the
: tax collector was a sweepping viefj
tl’ e ability to fill the office was,
whclmingly endorsed when he offei
name for a second term having rec
more votes than was ever received by a.
.
one man for office in Haralson county.
and that over a good man in the field
against him.
JIAUVY I>. I.ASSKTKU, TAX RECEIVER.
1 lie election of an officer the second.
01 . tbinl or fourth time as the case may
bo by an intelligent people, as those of
Haralson county, is evidence sufficient t
show clearly that such an officer has ’
faithful to bis trust. The same car.
' )C truthfully said of Havvy T). Lasseter.
I'ax Receiver of Ilaralson county. Mr.
Lasfleter is a yoimg man of sterling elnu
actor, and upon receipt of his “digests
tl |C Comp troller Gen. never fails to con.
j pliment him for the neatness and accn
j racy of his work. Harvy is a ehristia
I gentleman and his friends arc niimhon •
by the scores in Haralson county.
GEO. W. GENTRY. SURVEYOR.
For a genuine Haralson county man wl
would point you to Mr. G. W. Gentry
surveyor. As an officer he is the embody
moat of every qualification that goes to
make a good and faithful officer, and a
a citizen and neighbor the golden run!
(Continued on fourth page., ^