Pearson tribune. (Pearson, Ga.) 191?-1955, August 18, 1922, Image 1
PEARSONftTRiBUNE VOL B—NO. 1G NEWS OF OUR NEIGHBORS. Gleanings from All Sections of South Georgia. Members of the "Arabi Dairying Association" are receiving month ly returns of $2,500 for their cream shipped to the Ash burn creamery. The bond issue of $15,000 voted by Omega school district of Tift county, to build and equip a school house, have been sold for above par. It speaks well for the finan cial solidity of that community. Thomas county, along with her sister South Georgia counties, has a slump in tax returns. The de crease amounts to sl-10,000. There is a shortage in every district iu the county except the Thomas ville district. Mayor Cowart and the Barber Shops of Waycross whose licenses he had revoked, out of which grew some stiff litigation, have reached an agreement. The licenses have been restored and the Shops are being conducted as open shops. The “No Fence” election in Brooks county, August 3rd, result ed iu favor of "Fence ” Stock owners of that county evidently are not in favor of passing up their ranges. The counties of South Georgia ready for the “No Fence" law are few, if Any. The Commissioners of Roads and Revenues of Brooks county have levied a tax of $23.75 on the SI,OOO for county and school purposes which, with the state levy of $5 on the SI,OOO added, makes the state, county and school tax for Brooks county, year 1922. $28.75. It is stated that the Lucile Oil and Gas Co., of Quitman will com mence drilling the experimental well for oil on their Brooks county property about September Ist. Nowley Bros., of Shreveport, La., has the contract and will bore to a debth of five thousand feet if necessary. Several South Georgia small cities are depending upon the pres ent legislature to hand them the foundations for “City Manager” forms of government. Among these are Albany. Cordele and Waycross. After all it is the citi zens of the city who make or mar successful governments. President Harding has sent to the Senate postmaster nominations for South Georgia points: John F. Curran at Savannah, Charles W. Barnes at Valdosta, Sadie G. Cro rnartie at Pavo, Eli Waughted at Homeland and James A. Griffin at Cordele. Watson will fight the confirmation of Curran and, per haps. Barnes. The several tobacco markets of South Georgia are sources of great optimism. From all them goes out. the reports that the quality of the weed is much better than ever and the prices are better. It is report ed from the Hahira section that already SIOO,OOO have been receiv ed by the growers for that part of the crop already sold and that the amount will be increased to SIOO, 000 by the time the season closes. ! The county scat election to be ; held in Camden county next Thurs day, the 24th, is growing rather hot as the day approaches. Efforts have been made heretofore to move the county seat of Camden county from St. Marys, and all have failed. St. Marys has been the scat of government since the county was created, it will take a two-thirds vote to turn the trick. It is con fidently stated that no such vote can be secured at this time. Furth ermore the condition of the county finances does not warrant a change of eounty seats at this time. 666 quickly relieves Colds, Con stipation, Biliousness and Head aches. A Fine Tonic. The Negro in Dixieland. It is now' close on to 60 years since the negro in the south be come a free man. President Lin coln’s emancipation proclamation was issued in September of 1852, though it did not become effective till January 1, 1863. Thus by the stroke of the president's pen bond age was struck from upwards of four million of black people. What has the negro done through the years following his release from bondage? Certainly the flight of more than half a century has brought about a considerable change in the char acter of the negro as well as his conditions of living. The old time negro of the south, with his digni ty, his courtesy, his gentleness and his devotion to his white peo ple has almost entirely disappear ed. Only here and there does one now T come upon one of the old mammies (negro women) about who still lingers the charm, the at mosphere of the "quality” negroes of the old plantations. Two generations of negroes— of the “new" negroes—have ap peared upon the scene and grown to maturity since the close of the civil war. So, too, they have ar rived to meet far different eondi lions to those surrounding their ancestors in slavery days. While thousands of the “new” negroes have realized their opportunities and eagerly seized upon them, other thousands have not, showing an apathy, a shiftlessness alto gether unaccountable save that it must come from an inherent strain running back to the old days of childhood dependence. Yet the facts show that never has a race made better progress mentally, economically and spiritually in a half a century than the negro people in the south in the years since freedom was given them. Events have demonstrated clearly that the uplift, the salvation of the negro has laid in his roeogni tion of educational, industrial and religious advantages, and his readi ness to lay hold upon them for knowledge. Thirst for knowledge has been manifested in the attitude of the negro of the last two generations, not only has he sought to obtain an education for himself, but has eagerly siezed upon every oppor tunity to have his children educat ed. Negro children do not have to be pursuaded or driven to school —they go eagerly. It is rare that there is a truant among them- They may be seen in the rural as well as the city sections on their way to school like a flock of joy ous, chattering blackbirds. The statistics show that the illiteracy of the negro race has decreased at least 75 per cent, since their free dom was proclaimed. The “new” negro has shown, too, that he can be both industrious and thrifty. Fully 300,000 negroes of the south today own the farms they culti vate. A large percentage of these 300,000 have comfortable, well furnished homes. The statistics show that fully 15,000,000 acres of cultivated land are owned by the negroes of the southland. Other negroes are in business and profes sions. The property owned by these negroes runs well up into the millions of dollars. The “new” negro, too, has made creditable, some of them remarkable, advance in industrial progress. Yet despite these gains the means to an uplift that the better class negro of the south has made of his freedom, his right of citizen ship, there are throughout the section other thousands of idle, shiftless negroes, devoid of ambi tion, living amid the most degrad ing surroundings and born to crim nal tendencies, as the cesspool breeds flies. It is this class of ne- Official Newspaper of the County of Atkinson. PEARSON, GEOIKtIA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1922 PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL Short Stories About People and Things of Interest. The many young friends of Miss Mac Curls in Pearson and vicinity will learn with interest of her marriage about a month ago to a Mr. J. W. Davis, who was reared near Pavo and whom she has known for years. They are resid ing at Havana, Fla., where he is engaged in business. Messrs. Win. Pafford and Ben Smith, of Militown, have entered the race for the legislature from Lanier county. They are running on “dipping” and “anti-dipping” platforms and the Campaign is said to be “red hot and still a heating.” Mr. Lueien J. Knight was the first to announce for the place making the race a triangular out'. Messrs. J, T. Rowan and J. 11. Kennon arc the announced candi dates for State Senator from the Sixth senatorial district, composed of Berrien, Cook, Echols a n d Lowndes counties. These gentle men are from Cook county, it hav ing been conceded that Cook eoun ty should furnish the senator this time. Both gentlemen are compe tent and the one elected will give the district satisfactory service. Hon. Geo. W. Lankford, of Lyons, has been appointed, by Gov. Hardwick, a member of the Board of Trustees of the South Georgia State Normal school at Valdosta to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Dr. R. C. Woodward of Adel. It is supposed that Dr. Woodward, who lias been a member of the Board from the inception of the school, lias resign ed in view of his intention to re move to Florida. Mr. Charlie Minshew is at his home near Pearson. The Moultrie ball team disbanded last Thursday after, owing to its crippled condi tion, it had lost a series of three gainjes to Arlington. There is some talk of his entering school in September to touch up his educa tion some. If this is his program he will go to Norman Park. The Tribune thinks it would be a wise decision for him to enter school and finish his education. groes, insolent, insubordinate ene mies of law and order, with vicious instincts, unbridled, which have been the cause of most of those horrible occurences that have shocked a nation and placed so dark a blot upon the fair name of the south. A distressing feature of the ne gro question in the south today is the appalling conditions of poverty and the utter absence of cleanli ness and sanitation in the midst of which so many of them live. The miserable shanties crowded togeth er along narrow streets or alleys in the worst districts, surrounded by piles of filth infested with flies, without sewerage of any descrip lion or garbage service, and often without necessary drainage. No. wonder the water supply becom ing contaminated and the negro death rate is high. The figures of the iatest procurable census re port gives the death rate of the negroes of the south as 31 in every thousand, while for the whites it is 17 in each thousand, bnt little more than half as much. Much of Ibis poverty and lack of cleanliness is due to the negro’s own shiftlessness and indifference to his surroundings; but in other cases conditions beyond his con trol are -accountable. Asa gener al thing the negro of this class is carefree and happy-bearted. If he has a good full meal today it matters little about the morrow'. He shies away from work as long as hunger does not pinch him; and he is constitutionally opposed to allowing himself to be hurried. He takes his “slow' time” even when going for the doctor. The Enforcement of Law. Editor Tribune: Well meaning people in every part of the state interested in the enforcement of law, especially in the observance of the prohibition laws, seem not to understand that neither Federal officers, nor local officers, arc mind readers and there is no detective or spy system avail able for every community and every report of violation of the law. It is not the practice nor is it practicable for the officers of the law, especially the Federal officers, to discover violations that occur constantly in all parts of the state. Sometimes an officer detects a crime and discovers unaided a still or a blindt iger or a bootlegger’s cache, but ninety percent of the information is furnished by inter ested local people. There are thousands of them to every officer and it is easier for a private citizen to get information than it is for an officer of the law, unless the officer is in league with the evil doers. Let me say to your readers: There are no mind readers employ ed in the state or by the Federal government, no miracle workers, and if an officer finds a still and detects other crime, it is done on information furnished by people who happen to know the facts and who are willing to give the inform ation to the officers; that can be done either direct or through the office of the Georgia League oroth er agencies actively interested in the enforcement of the law. There seems to be a general impression that the government may send several men into a commun ty to work several days as detectives to secure evidence of violations of the law'. It would bankrupt the coun try to do that. It is much harder for the officer, even if one should be detailed to your community to secure facts, than it would be fora private citizen to discover the facts, and it is binding on your honor, and pressing on your inter ests to assist the officers in appre hending lawbreakers in backing courts and juries in convicting those who resort to this means for making money or their living \yhile you and all good citizens are de voting yourselves to useful em ployment. In a republic like this, the peo ple arc sovereign; there is no higher authority than you and your neighbor and you cannot escape the responsibility you owe to your government. Every officer is en titled to your sincere support, and every law breaker should under stand that you are not in sympathy with him and his program. # If the press of the state will undertake to inform the public of the necessity, first of local interest, and of the importance of furnish ing information of lawlessness to the law officers, we should be able to do much more than has been done in the past to discourage the lawbreaker. It is a simple process after the law-abiding citizen in his community understands that he is responsible and that he must be willing to do something of a defi nite nature if the spirit of lawless ness is to be overcome and a safe condition established. It is an easy matter to furnish definite in formation to the law officers, and perfectly safe if the information is furnished a federal officer or fur nished to this office of the Georgia League. While no good citizen should fear to have his name mentioned in connection with any movement for suppressing crime and discour aging criminals, it is true most of them prefer not to so expose them selves, and for that reason we are very careful not to say or do any thing that will disclose to the out law the identity of the informer. Information furnished should be of EDITORIAL OPINIONS. The Brethren are Discussing a Number of Live Topics. Think of a man named Corn be ing beaten in a state-wide political race in Ohio, with the wet-and-dry issue prominent in the campaign! It is almost too good to be true, from the point of view of the face tious. —Savannah News. Figures from the tobacco market are proving two things very con clusively. One of them is that the lands which formerly grew the yellow pine forests to perfection arc better than North Carolina lands for producing tobacco. The other is that tobacco is going to be the great money crop of this sec tion, making the farmer much richer than cotton could ever make him. Tt takes more care than in cultivating cotton, but the differ ence iu returns is worth more. — Valdosta Times. Friends of both tin* unions and the railroads hope that the strike will soon be settled agreeable to all parties concerned. Big strikes have a tendency to hurt business throughout thp country. They seldom help the strikers and hurt millions of people who are not in terested whether a man belongs to the un ion or not. But they do have an interest in passenger trains running on schedule time aud the prompt movement of freight. The farmers suffer as much from strikes as any class of people, in the delay of shipments of their products.— Adel News. The rains that we have been having iu South Georgia this year have all been on the local shower plan. Indeed, it appears from all reports, that it has been the same throughout the state. And the showers appear to have been very partial. In some localities there has been too much rain, and in others perhaps in the same county not enough. That the showers cover small areas is evidenced by the fact that in a drive of only eight or ten miles in an afternoon one may pass through the zones of two or three showers with dry areas intervening —Albany Herald. Whether one agrees with or dis agrees with the conviction of some on religious convictions, it must be admitted that firm religious conviction is a steadying influence in times when strong men are needed. The past few weeks in Waycross have demonstrated to all close observers that the religion of some men has made them stronger in a crisis than they would have been without the sup port of a keen conscience. Facts are facts. Some men in Waycross have lived up to their faith. Religion has proved of practical value in troubled times when there was needed not only a sense of right but the courage to follow the right as it was seen. —Way- cross Journal Herald. a definite nature. It is not suffici ent to say that they are selling whiskey in a certain community or making whiskey on a certain creek or in a certain county. You can certainly say how many miles north, south, east or west of the court house or the church or some other land mark, and give names even if you fail to give your own. The Georgia League is anxious to be of definite service in every county of the state. We constant ly receive and furnish information that is valuable to the officers and have contributed to the cleaning up of some very ugly situations The people who want the law en forced in their county or commun ity should not hesitate to write the Georgia League, I’. O. Box 1802, Atlanta. Jesse E, Mekieb, Sec’y, 81.50 A YEAR Birthday Dinner. Numerous relatives, neighbors and friends of Mr. J. T. Henderson, met at his home two miles north of Pearson last Thursday and cele brated his 84th birthday. There was quite a hundred people pres ent, and they enjoyed themselves in meeting each other, renewing acquaintance and engaging in soci al conversation. It had been planned to serve the magnificient dinner under the large oak trees with which his home is surrounded, but the tre mendous Hood of rain that fell, be tween 11:30 until past 1:00 o’clock, made it necessary to serve it under shelter, and a long table was im provised, the diuner spread, aud all invited to partake of it. There was plenty for all and then —some. “Uncle Jack,” as Mr. Hender son is familiarly called, is in per fect health, except his hearing. It was with difficulty he could hear the drift of conversation. However, lie was up and met all comers and bade them welcome. He is still able to do light manual labor and works some every day in the garden and arouud the home, making himself generally useful. He works until begets tired and then sits down and reads a book or newspaper and, he says, the Tribune is his favorite because it bring to him the news of his neighbors—people ho knows. "Uncle Jack” was a gallant Con federate soldier, and followed the lead of Col. Carey W. Styles, Maj. Philip C. Pendleton, Capt. Win, McDonald, and Lieut. W. L. Evans, all of whom went to the war from the vicinity of Wares boro. He speaks specially of the bravery of Capt. (afterwards Col.) William McDonald. It was he that lead them in all the battles of Northern Virginia. He is a state pensioner and greatly appre ciates the annual tribute for his services to his country. He says it pays his taxes, pays for his coun ty paper, buys his tobacco, etc.; it is small but it comes in powerful handy. At the close of the war he came home and plied his vocation as a “blacksmith and wheelright.” First at the sawmills of this section, but about forty years ago he bought the land upon which he now lives and made comfortable improve ments on it; erected a blacksmith shop and, until his strength gave way from age, he earned a suffi ciency, in connection with his farm, to raise and educate his children fairly well. "Uncle Jack’s” family is a large and interesting one, all its mem bers are intelligent and good citi zens of their several communities. There were a number of the child ren and grandchildren who could not be present on this festive oc casion. In departing his guests gave him a hearty handshake and good wishes for health and many happy returns of his natal (lav. River and Harbor Fund. A news item from Washington, D. C., brings the information that Gen. Lansing H. Beach, chief of army engineers, has announced the allotments for rivers and harbors from the lump sum appropriation made by Congress for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1922. The Georgia items are as follows: Georgia: Savannah harbor, $900,- 000: Savannah river, above Augus ta, $2,000; at Augusta, $2,000; be low Augusta, $10,000; Sapelo har bor, $12,000; Darien harbor, $8,000; Fancy Bluff creek, $1,200; Satilla river, $2,000; Altamaha river, SB,- 000; Oconee river, $19,000; Ocmul gee river, $15,000; Brunswick har bor, $200,000; Flint river, SIO,OOO. For the waterway from Beaufort, S. C., to St. Johns river, Fla., $55,- 000 is alloted.