Newspaper Page Text
PEARSONftTRIBUNE
VOL. 3—A0.12.
PROPOSED ATKINSON COUNTY
Some Reasons Why
The Tribune has already stated I
that a-great number, if not a ma
jority, of the people living in the
Coffee county territory within the
boundaries of the proposed Atkin
son county reside from 1(1 to 30
miles from the county site —Doug-
las. They have the choice of
three routes to Douglas when they
have to transact anj kind of.busi
ness: First, by private convey
ance over much neglected and
miserable roads. Second, by At
lantic Coast Line railroad to Wil
laeoochee and then the Georgia
and Florida to Douglas—a distance
of 30 miles; the morning connec
tion at Willacooehee to Douglas is
fairly good, arriving at 10:30, but
you have no connect ion the saint'
day to reach home and you are
forced to remain all night at either
Douglas or W illacooehee. Third,
by Atlantic Coast Line railroad
to Way cross and the Atlanta,
Birmingham and Atlantic to Doug
las —a distance of 73 miles, and
you reach Douglas about 10:00 at
night; returning home by this
route the connect ion at Way cross
is the except ion to the rule, you
almost invariably have to spend
the night at Way cross. All these
routes are undesirable, thoroughly
miserable and expensive, and
really not much choice between
them. Besides 1 hose living soul h
of the Atlantic Coast Line rail
road —fully one-third of the popit
lation —have to walk or drive to
the railroad before entraining, some
a distance of nine miles, 'this is
a burden these people should not
be forced to bear any longer; such
miserable condit ions do hot exist
any w here else in ( leorgia.
There is another condition in
this territory which calls for a
remedy such as the county would
provide; and it is an ugly, menac
ing condition. Many misdemea
nors are committed against the
people, their property or proper
ty rights. The cost of prosecut
ing the offenders are so enormous
that those offended can't afford to
have them arrested and carried
before the court. So the guilty
parties go un whipped of justice,
because the parties aggrieved
haven't the money with which
to pay the expense of going the
great distance, back and forth, to
attend the trials. This lack ol
prosecution and punishment em
boldens law breakers to violate
the law with impunity. The
remedy for this evil, this menace
to the good order, peace and
dignity of society, is tp place the
source of punishment so easy of
access that all the people can af
ford to prosecute and punish
crime. The cheapest trip to
Douglas from this territory is not
less than £5.00, if you have to
hire a conveyance,
Among the general objections
to the creat ion of new counties is
that (leorgia has more counties
than any other State in the
Union except Texas, and Texas
has three times the territory of
Georgia. Upon investigation this
argument will be found to be
baseless. By referring to tin
map of Texas you will find that
seven eighths of the counties of
Texas are on the east side and
covers a territory not larger than
Grorgia. You will find further
seme very small counties, viz:
Aransas. 240 square miles; Camp,
208; Delta. 201; Galveston, 305;
Gregg, 312; Hood. 505; Marion,
391; Morris, 295; Grange. 303;
Bains. 207; Rockwall, 149; Somer
vell, 184; Titus 398: The proposed
Atkinson county w ill have approxi
mately 400 square miles of terri-
lory; and will be larger than
any one of twelve of the foregoing
, Texas counties.
The state of Rhode Island, liav
mg 1,007 square milesof territory,
is smaller than tin-present Clinch
county, and a very little larger
than the present <'offee county.
It has long since been divided in
to five counties, viz: Bristol, 24
square miles: Kent, 171: New port.
114: Providence. 430; Washington.
Georgia is not the only State in
the Union engaged in the creation
of new counties. The census re
port of 1910 shows that all the
States bounding Georgia created
new counties between 1900 and
1910, and the next census will
show that they are continuing
to create new counties when and
wherever the convenience, wel
fare and happiness of their people
make it advisable. That seem to
be the policy of all the States —to
afford their citizens every possi
blc advantage in transacting their
business, husbanding (heirlime
and resources.
As to the creation of Atkinson
county; its bitterest opponents
will admit every proposition ad
vanned in favor of its creation;
that ii will have abundant terri
lory, population and property
values to make if abundantly
self-supporting. They will admit
that I lie people within the new
county boundaries are laboring
under inconveniences that are
unreasonably burdensome.
Then, the legislature must
reach the conclusion that there is
some sinister motive behind the
opposition. The Willacooehee op
position is because that city
stands no possible chance at any
time of being the county site.
The people I In-re w ant a new
county, but they would keep Un
people from the ad van I ages of the
new county unless the county site
goes to Willacooehee. That is t In
spirit tln-y manifest. So determ
ined wore t hey last summer that
they made an active canvas of
Clinch county, spending money
lavishly, to proven( the noniina
lion of Senator Dickerson, who is
and has been favorable to this new
county. In Coffee county tln-y
induced the candidacy of the
strongest man in the county to
defeat Representative Stewart,
who was running on tin* new coun
ty platform. They failed in both
instances because* the people are
in favor of ‘ Atkinson county,
with Pearson as the county site-."
The people of both old counties
realize that it would be advanta.
geo us to tin-in to have some of
tln-ir territory cut off and tin
old count ios made smaller.
The Hon. Daniel Gaskins, of
Douglas, writes: "I served one
term as sole county commissioner
of roads and revenues for Coffee
county, and have lived for many
years at and in the vicinity of
Douglas. My experience in ad
ministration of the county com
missioner’s office convinces me
that Coffee county, with its 990
square miles of territory, is much
too large for the good of tin- peo
ple I heartily coin
mend the Rearson New County
Proposition, and will do all in my
power to assist in getting the re
lief that is so righteously deser
ved.”
Hon. W. W. Southerland, ex-
Sheriff of Ccffee county, says: "1
served three terms as Sheriff of
Coffee county and now live with
out the territory of which 1 shall
PEARSON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, .JULY 20, 11)17
COEFEE COUNTY PROTEST
A Douglas correspondent to the
Savannah News, under date of
July 17th, says: “At a mass meet
ing of citizens of Coffee county in
the court house to-day, arrange
ments wen- made to make a streng
tight against the creation of the
proposed new county of Atkinson,
with Pearson as the county site.
The bill as drawn lakes practical
ly all the territory for llie new
county out of Coffee, which will
be about one third of the present
area of Coffee and about one-third
of the tax values of Coffee, and
w ill leave a debt on Coffee of SBO,
000. and the northern line of the
new counly will come williin seven
miles of the court house in Doug
las, while it will only take two
strips of land lots from Clinch
county, which is poor, sandy hind.
“The business interests of Doug
las and the heavy tax payers of
the county were represented, and
a committee was named to raise
funds to defray t.lieexpenses of t he
fight. A delegation was sent to
Atlanta tonight and will remain
thereuntil tin- matter comes up
before the committee of'he House
Friday.”
The above plaint is amusing to
one who has been in this new
county tight from its inception,
who has seen it in all its phases,
and the various kaleidoscopic chan
ges presented by tin* opposition.
In 1905 Ihe plea was one of
pure unsolicited guarilianie soliei
tilde for the welfare of the people
who wanted the new county.
Members of the opposit ion actual
ly made the statement before the
com in i t lee t hat tin* lauds of tin
proposed new county was not
Avbrfh 3f>c an acre and too poor
lo sprout cow peas. Tin- sympa
tin-tie committee decided not to
recommend for creation a new
county that would not be self-sup
porting. This is one of the ph
iltres presented by the kaleidos
cope.
Fight years Later two new conn
ty propositions went up from this
territory. One wanted \\ illaeoo
dice for the county site and Kn
ot her Pearson. The poor land
feature had been forgotten. It
was conceded that the new county
would be prosperous ..ml self sup
porting. It was purely a question
where tin- comity site should be,
and the commit tee sent both par
ties back with the injunction —
settle your differences at home.
Another view from the kaleido
scope.
In 1915 two new- county propo
sitions again went up from this
territory, went with the same
yearnings for the eoulity site.
The committee saw the merit in
t In- proposition and with a mind
single to doing the greatest good
to the greatest number of people
recoin mended “The creation of
Atkinson county w ith Pearson as
county site. ’ It passed all tlu
ordeals of legislation except one, it
failed to get a constitutional ma
jority' vote in the Senate- Sena
tors were astounded at the result
—because they knew that I lie
Senator from the Fifth district,
who lived at Douglas, had been
speak and. therefore, I feel that
what I shall say will be directly
disinterested and thoroughly' un
biased. Coffee county, with her
960 square miles of territory, is
too large for one counly with her
imputation, and no one man can
fill her shrievalty wit h justice to
all parts of the county. This can
be remedied by the making of a
new county from her southern ter
ritory and tin* northern part of
Clinch county I speak of the ter
ritory embraced in tin* Pearson
New County proposition.
PROGRESS OF THE WAR
The news from the war zone lias
been meagre this week. There is
continued activity' on the eastern
front although the progress made
by t in- Russian army has not been
so pronounced. The Germans
rushed reinforcements to that
front to stay the Austro German
retreat, and temporarily stopped
the Russian advance. However,
the Russians have brought up
fresh troops and are now slowly
making their way along the rail
roads leading into Lomberg, the
capital. Galicia.
However, an uprising in Russian
capitol. Pet rograd, has caused con
siderable disquietude, its effect
upon tin- Russian army is not
known. The provisional govern
meiif continues in control of the
city. The ad visibility of moving
the scat of the provisional govern
ment to Moscow, where it could
perform its functions amid quiet
surroundings, is under discussion.
The western front has been the
seem- of lierec light ing —t he ad van
tage being with the British and
French. The French has re
captured all the positions north
west of Verdun, which cost the
Germans a great toll in men and
munitions to capture from the
French last year. The affair cost
the Germans not only the loss of
tln-ir former conquest and about
500 prisoners, but more losses in
in the counter at (acts made to
recover the last grounds.
elected upon the issue of creating
(his new county, otherwise he
could not have been elected.
Third picture from the kaleido
scope.
The- proposition to create “At
kin soil county, with Pearson as
the County sHc,” is before the
legist-,ture again. The people of
the territory are still insisting
that they need and are entitled to
the conveniences which this new
county would give them, lifting
from tliei r shoulders a burden in
I lie performance of (he duties of
citizenship without a parallel in
the Slate of Georgia. From the
above except i! will be seen that
the opposition al solutely aban
dons the “poor land’’ argument
except that sn-.all s' rip of I r< in
eighty-live to an hundred square
miles of territory taken from
Clinch county. They now admit
that the new county will have the
area, the population anil the tax
values necessary to be prosperous
and self support ing. The plaint
now is. “Coffee county is £BO,OOO
in debt,'’ and “Hie northern line
runs too near Douglas.” These
conditions have existed from the
inception almost of the Atkinson
new county movement, but this is
the first time they've thought of
it. The northern line is no nearer
Douglas than it was in 1905, and
Coffee county has been in debt all
the while, perhaps no! 880,000,
for it has increased wonderfully
since the November election —if a
reputable member of the Board of
<'minty Commissioners can be re
lied on, a commissioner who con
sistently opposed the creation of a
new county with Pearson as the
county site.
The Tribune has no vitriol to
throw at anybody, but. desires
equity and justice to bo done in
this matter. The people of the
proposed new county should not
he called upon to pay any part of
the original indebtedness of near
860,000, because the old county
and Douglas will retain the goods
purchased with it, and the benefit
will accrue to them. The new
county, if created, w ill have paid
before the final dissolution lakes
place its prorata share of the cur
rent expenses. They have no ob
jection to that because it is good
citizenship.
PEERLESS PEARSON
Her History and Growth.
From the granting of the new
charter in 1900 Pearson began to
move out of the lethargic rut it
had been in for a number of years.
It was. as it were, the beginning
of a new era for the town.
As has already been staled Pear
son Banking Company, the finan
cial institution of the town, was
organized in 190(5 immediately fol
low ing t lie new charter, and opened
itsdoors for business on the first day
of October. 1906, with the follow -
ing officers: 11. F. Sears, president:
Jelf Kirkland, vice-president, and
James S. Roberts, cashier. There
were many doubling Thomases
whether or not it would succeed,
but it did a good business from
the start and lias grown to be at
the top notch of financial institu
tions of (lie county. file gentle
men who have handled its affairs
have done so carefully, but with
liberality towards its customers
and the public generally, and has
attained public confidence beyond
measure.
The new charter of 1906 also
begat a public school system for
the town, providing for local taxa
lion for school purposes. The sys
tern was put in operation in the
fall of 1907, and closed its tenth
year this spring. This charter al
so provided for bonding the town
to build and equip an adequate
school building. This was com
pleteil in 1915. A cut of the new
building was published in these
columns last week. This build
ing provides live literary class
rooms, a music roofn, art anil ex
..." i h
TIIIG NEW HOTEL MALONE
pression room and the largest, and
most up to dale auditorium in the
county. Should the new county
of Atkinson he created it will
furnish ample iaeilitics for tin
holding of the courts until a suf
ficient sinking fund can be had to
build necessary comity buildings,
and at no cost whatever to the
people.
In 1940 Mr. L. L. Sutton con
ceived and established a local tele
phone exchange, and in 191 I it
was incorporated as the .Merchants
and Farmers Exchange. Its wires
reach every section ol the terri
tory and, with ils "Bell system"
connect ion for long distance ser
vice, brings all the people in close
touch with the social and business
affairs of the world.
Pearson, from her beginning,
has been the centre of religious
influence for all I his great teri
tory. Baptists, .Methodists and
('ongregat ionalists, predominate.
The home of the Methodist preach
er in charge of the Pearson circuit
is here, and has been for more than
half a century. Baptist ministers
live here and preach to churches
located in easy reach of their
homes. There is one .Methodist
and two Baptist churches for
whites and three Methodist and
two Baptist churches for colored
s 1.00 A YEAR
people within the city limits.
Two miles north of the city, at
Sweetwater, there are Methodisb
and Primitive Baptist churches;
the latter is a new and capacious
building. Four miles southeast
of the city is a large and nourish
ing eon gregati on a 1 church. Within
a radius of eight miles of the
city there are numerous other
church buildings, Baptist and
Methodist.
Pearson has long been the cen
tre of influence for fraternal and
benevolent orders Masons, Knight
of Pythias, Odd Fellows and Wood
men of the World, with their
usual degrees for women, and all
in a prosperous condition. Satilla
Lodge, F. & A. M., which is loca
ted in Pearson, and the only one
in the county owning a lodge
building- separate from other inter
ests—a splendid two-story frame
structure, most eligibly located.
Its history in an interesting part
of tin- history of Coffee county,
going back lo 1858 or soon after
the organization of Coffe -county.
It was first located just south of
tin- Satilla river; a little later, for
convenience sake, it was moved
further south to what is now
known as "Sunnyside.” <>n the
advent of the Brunswick and Wes
tern, now Atlantic Cows LiiU'j
railroad the location was again
moved lo Kirkland station, three
miles west of Pearson. Later,
when (he towns of Willacooehee
and Pearson sprang up —the first
eight miles west and t he ot her t hree
miles east of Kirkland and each
claiming a goodly portion of the
membership, it, was divided. The
parent body came to Pearson
and the Willacooehee contingent
organized a new body.
Speaking from t lie viewpoint of
the proposed new county of
Atkinson, Pearson would be tlie
centre of the territory, centre of
populal ion and centre of wealth.
The militia district, (1130th), in
which Pearson is located, is the
largest in territory and the
second largest in populat ion (Dou
glas lining first) in the county.
Prior to the creation of Mora
(1713th) district from a good por
tion of its territory, it had approx -
mately 675 registered white voters
and 144 square miles of territory.
Since then the registration list
shows 525 white voters. The tax
valuation of the district is near
8750,000.
Pearson has always been the
centre of commercial activity for
this section. Stacks of various
merchandise are sold from her
business houses, and an immense
quanity of freight goes to market
through her railroad office. Her
commercial foundation is on a so
lid basis.
Subscribe for the-Tribune. < >u
ly 81 a year in advance.