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14 "MY SIXTH YEAR.” I began my sixth year’s newspaper work in better spirit than I ever began any important undertaking in my life. The truth is, I dearly love my work and am egotistical enough to believe that I have struck my talent. Previous to my entry into the news paper field a lack of self-confidence was at all times a great drawback to me. True, I went to Mercer Universi ty, the greenest boy ever raised in Ben Smith’s district, and took sec ond honor over men like Congressman Hardwick, Judge Ramsey, of Louis ville, and Hon. P. A. Brown, of New York, and I taught a pretty good school down here at Auburn, and have done moderately well here at Lawrenceville as principal of the local school and as county school superintendent, but none of this work afforded me any pleasure. In my editorial work I have been complimented by the people of my own county and by distinguished Geor gians in the various walks of life so far above my just desert as to lead me to believe that I am a pretty good hand at running a country newspa per. For instance, Watson’s Jefferso nian Magazine, for January, contains editorial clippings as follows: The Railroad Service —Royston (Ga.) Rec ord, Paid Dear for Their Titles— Gainesville (Fla.) Elevator, Honesty and Honor —Gwinnett (Ga.) Journal, Sacred Prosperity—Collier’s Weekly, Trial for Murder —Saturday Evening Post, The Negroes—Collier’s Weekly, The Labor Famine —Pensacola News, Cotton and the Negro—Gwinnett (Ga.) Journal, The Railroad Power — Omaha (Neb.) Investigator, Populism —Nevada County (Ark.) Picayune, Sense —Cordele Rambler, A Lesson in Rusion —Missouri World, A Significant Vote —Journal, Abilene, Texas, Where He belongs—Journal, Abilene, Texas. There are many who disagree with Tom Watson politically but precious few, if any, who do not proclaim him the most brilliant writer of the state and to know that my editorials are scissored out by this genius and pub lished along side of Collier’s Weekly and the Saturday Evening Post is indeed a great encouragement to me in my work, especially in view of the fact that nearly every one of the three hundred Georgia papers has had something to say recently about Immigration. But my editorial on Russell’s S3OO scheme was commented on more favor ably all over the state and copied by more papers than any article I ever wrote. In several counties, U was published in pamphlet form and sent out to all the voters of the coun ty. Judge J. H. Thomas, of Baxley, told me in Macon that the Hoke Smith club of that county did this. Recently, Judge Reagan’s Mistake, Rose’s Purity and a Work as to Rap ists have been most favorably compli mented. In all my work heretofore, I have tried to follow my conscience in the discussion of every article that I have written and I promise now to ever hereafter do the same. I own The Gwinnett Journal, lock, stock and bar rel, no collar around my neck, no foes to punish, no friends to reward, no close kins to shield. I can publish the best county paper in Georgia and 1 am going to do it. —J. A. Bagwell, in The Gwinnett Journal. •t n n The celebrated medium rapped three times on the black cabinet. “And now, kind sir,” she said in a spooky voice, “what shade would you like me to tell you about?” “Why,” replied the lit tle man in the audience, “I would like you to tell me the shade my wife told me to match when I started down town today.”—Chic, frs. RAILROAD OPERATION IN GEORGIA. Extracts From the Speech of Hon. Hooper Alexander, Given at Atlanta Freight Bureau Banquet. “They talk to us of efficiency and wisdom. Efficiency! What a girm satire on the credulity of man! Effi ciency! Lives and property destroy ed by a juggernaut as merciless as war; delays and dangers too absurd to catalogue; passengers and mails de layed, not hours, but days; remorse less overcharges deliberately made; discriminating rates, bold, impudent and undefended; excuses offered but for one offense. When travel is de layed for days and the delivery of freights has ceased, till commerce halts uncertain before conditions worse than war, and labor is com pelled to stay its hand, they prate of some alleged phenomenal increase in traffic which they say they could not have foreseen. “No such excuse is offered or al lowed in private contracts, as the price for doing this -work we have paid them in advance, dowering their undeserving hands with the priceless heritage of all the ages, and we have armed them with the attributes of sovereignty itself. They plead their charters as a contract; let them perform the covenant. We did not bargain with them for excuses. Their answer is demurrable in any court of honest conscience, but I will not cavil with them, and here prefer, rather, to traverse its truth, and do tender their own sworn statements to rebut their plea. In eleven years the volume of their traffic in Geor gia has increased 118 per cent per annum, a gradual and natural in crease. For 1906 it was 11.6 per cent. The only unusual increase was in 1903, and then only 21 per cent if that were phenomenal. They have had three years in which to recover. In dull times they want to increase their rates; when business is brisk, they cannot handle it. If, under such conditions it is a harsh judg ment to pronounce them driveling incompetents, surely they ought not longer to pose as the sole exemplars of efficiency and wisdom. If the rec ord of today does not convict them of wilful disregard of their duty and the rights of the public, it sets upon them the blistering seal of incompe tence and failure in a public trust, and the time is ripe for a robust race of men to snatch from their puny fingers the dishonored insignia of their privilege and power.” * at M VARIED AND INTERESTING. We are in receipt of the first num ber of il Watson’s Jeffersonian Mag azine,” a new publication just started by that distinguished Georgian, the Hon. Thomas E. Watson. The new monthly is beautifully printed and splendidly illustrated. The contents are varied and interesting and those who subscribe for it will get a mag azine chock full of interesting mat ter. Mr. Watson is a vigorous writer and he couldn’t be dull if he tried. The subscription price is $1.50 per annum. It is published in Atlanta,— Gazette, Darien, Ga. nun The average yield of an oltve tree is two bushels, which gives two gal lons Os Oil, | • t '; 1 , THE WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. SF,E o S FORIO CTS - 300 cinds of Flower seeds and 5 packages Garden seeds — Radish, Tomato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onim —all for only 10c., with our new 1907 Catalogue, full of good things for the Garden, Field and Flower Garden. lowa Success Seed Corn, the best that lowa soil can grow. Package free. Address to F*. C. Graves Seed Co. Dept. V. - Des Moines, lowa New Years Gifts ON TAP/S Grand Clearance Sale Preparatory to Taking Stock Trunks, Valises and Suit Cases A FEW BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY NOVELTIES. Every article has its “Walking Ticket.” No reasonable offer refused on any article. The Augusta Trunk Factory 851 Broad St. H. M. Cleekly, Prop. Wrong Side of Street. AUGUSTA, GA. The McDuffie Bank THOMSON, GA. A STATE BANK OF LOANS AND DISCOUNTS. J. F. Watson, Pres. W. S. Lazenby, Cashier. H. T. Clary, V.-Pres. J. Glenn Stovall, Attorney. CAPITAL STOCK $25,000.00 Modern Equipment, Conservative Management, Courteous Treatment. Accounts Solicited. DIRECTORS: J. F. Watson, H. T. Clary, W. A. W atson, 0. S. Lee, B. T. Bussey, Thos. E. Wauon, J. C. Fanning, W. R. Hadley, J. Durham Wat- son, W. S. Lazenby, J. Glenn Stovall. JAMES W. GREEN. J. d. WATSON. GREEN & WATSON ATTORNEYS AT LAW THOMSON, GEORGIA Consulting Counsel: m '” '| ' ! | .•* THOS. E. WATSON Will practice in McDuffie and surrounding counties. Loans negotiated and I t * collections made on good terms.