Newspaper Page Text
The Camilla Enterprise.
VOLUME XXIV.
“BN nr TOBACCO COMPANIES SENDING BUYERS TO (MIA
CAMILLA TOBACCO MARKET WILL OPEN TUESDAY, JULY 28, WITH TWO BIG WAREHOUSES
GROWERS ASSURED
OF 100 PER CENT
COMPETITION HERE
Otd Experienced Warehousemen
Known Wherever Bright Leaf
Tobacco Is Grown, In Charge
Of Camilla Warehouses. AD
Conveniences For Growers.
The Camilla tobacco market
will open for the second season
on next Tuesday, July 28th. Ev¬
erything points to a successful
season, both as to the volume of
business that will be handled in
the local market and also as to
the prices the growers will re¬
ceive for their tobacco. At this
time several hundred thousand
pounds of tobacco are already in
storage in Camilla and will be
marketed early in th(e season,
and reports reaching local ware¬
housemen from growers in this
and surrounding counties bring
assurance that the Camilla mar¬
ket will get a large share of the
tobacco that is being grown in
this territory.
Camilla will have two large
warehouses this season, operated
by two of the best warehouse
men from Wilson, N. C., which
is a guarantee to the growers
that they will receive the best
possible service here. The fa¬
cilities for speedily handling the
tobacco have been improved in
many ways and the growers will
be accorded every convenience
and courtesy that it is possible
to give.
The tobacco men here feel
that Camilla will have an advan¬
tage in the close competition for
the sale of the growers’ tobacco
due to the fact that this is a sec¬
ond-year market and will have
buyers representing all of the
big companies who buy tobacco
in the Georgia belt. Camilla
had a good market last year and
made a very satisfactory aver¬
age, despite the fact that a large
part of the tobacco sold here was
grown by people who had no pre¬
vious experience in growing to¬
bacco, This year with a large
number of second and third-year
growers, and with added ware
nouse facilities and a corps of
experienced tobacco warehouse
men and buyers, there is every
reason to expect a much higher
average price and a much more
profitable business for all con¬
cerned.
Buyers on Camilla Market.
Reservations have already
bGen made at local hotels for
buyers representing several of
the larger companies, and it is
known that there will be others
representing manufacturers and
exporters. Those who have al¬
ready made reservations are:
Imperial Tobacco Co.—W. T.
Lipscomb.
Export Tobacco Co.—C. A.
Crews and W. S. Walton.
American Tobacco Co.—L. O.
Clark. /
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.—
E. J. Fowler.
Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co.
—D. V. Bullington.
These are the companies us¬
ually referred to as the “Big
Five” and where they are
represented a good market is
assured.
With these buyers assured
and several others that are ex¬
pected, Camilla warehousemen
feel justified in asserting that
growers who sell on this market
will have the advantage of 100
per cent competition.
“Bill” Smith Here Again.
Mr.'S. W. Smith, known to tobacco
growers as plain “Bill" is in Camilla
and will be on the floor of the Plan
tern Warehouse again this season in
actfrve charge of the sales. Mr.
Smith’s reputation as a tobacco ware¬
housemen in the Wilson, N. C., mar¬
ket, where he has led the sales for a
number of years, is well known. His
ability, fairness and courtesy is also
known to a large number of the grow¬
ers in Southwest Georgia who sold
tobacco on this market last year, and
he is receiving word from these
friends every day that they are com¬
ing back with their tobacco this year.
The sale of tobacco is a complicated
business. No other product grown
has so many different classifications
and grades. Each manufacturer is
out to buy certain grades and is not
interested in any other. To the av¬
erage person the distinction between
the various grades is an absolute mys¬
tery and only an expert can recog¬
nize them. It is on this account that
growers like to sell with a warehouse¬
man who knows tobacco and is fa¬
miliar with the grades the various
companies buy, because he is in a po¬
sition to protect the grower if the
price offered is not in line with the
-market. Mr. Smith's experience and
success as a warehouseman will be a
big drawing card at the Planters
Warehouse. Mr. Smith will have with
him again this year Mr. F. S. Langley
as auctioneer. Mr. Langley was the
big end of the show at the Planters
Warehouse last year and people mar¬
veled at his inexhaustible flow of ap¬
parently unintelligible words. He
j s °Id the tobacco, however, and the
prices he secured made him popular
J with the growers. Mr. H. N. Beas
j ky and Mr. J. G. Beasley will be with
the Planters Warehouse again this
year in charge of the office and book
I keeping.
Dan W. Taylor In Charge of New
Camilla Warehouse.
The New Camilla Warehouse, re¬
cently completed on a lot near the
“Gas” Line depot, will be under the
management of Mr. Dan W. Taylor,
another Wilson, N. C., warehouse¬
man who is accustomed to conducting
sales on a large scale and can take
care of himself in the fastest com¬
pany. Mr. Taylor looks more like
a Georgia “Cracker” than a North
Carolina hill-billy and he has already
“taken” with the people of this sec¬
tion. He spent several months here
earlier in the year and he knows
where every patch of tobacco is with¬
in a radius of fifty miles of Camilla,
not only that but he has had assuranc¬
es from a large number of these
growers that they will sell tobacco
at his warehouse this season. Mr.
Taylor found when he began to stir
j around in the county ‘friends that a consider
from North
had moved down here ahead
j „ ,. . ^D^Taylor , ,,
•
and his
,
■
New Cami!la Warehouse is .
large and commodious buildifig, well
lighted and ventilated, and conven¬
iently located near the business sec¬
tion of town. Mr. Hicks, a well
known auctioneer in the North Caro¬
lina belt, will act as auctioneer at the
New Camilla Warehouse. Those who
know him say that he is one of the
very best men in the business and is
popular with the growers. Mr. W.
L. Morris and Mr. Yarbrough, of Wil¬
son, N. C., will have charge of the of¬
fice at the New Camilla 1 Warehouse.
Mr. Morris was here last season and
made' many friends who will be glad
to learn that he will be connected with
the market again this year.
Warehouses Open Day and Night.
The tobacco sales will be held every
day except Saturday and Sunday.
The warehouses will be open day and
night and people arriving here during
the night will be able to unload their
tobacco in the warehouse out of the
rather where it will be protected
by a night watchman while the grow¬
er goes off to get a nap.
The growers have worked hard to
produce this crop of tobacco. They
are entitled to every penny that it
will bring on the best market. The
warehousemen at Camilla believe that
they are in position to get the top
price for the tobacco sold on the
floors of their warehouses. They
realize, however, that this claim is
easy made. So, they invite you to try
j what them the and advantages see. Learn for yourself the Ca
are at
nsilla market.
CAMILLA. GA., FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1925.
DECIDES PELHAM
PAVING ILLEGAL
INJUNCTION AGAINST COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS IS MADE
PERMANENT BY JUDGE.
In a hearing held before Judge W.
V. Custer in Bainbridge Saturday af¬
ternoon, on the petition for an in¬
junction brought by citizens of the
county to restrain the county commis¬
sioners from participating with coun¬
ty funds in a streetl paving project at
Pelham, the court decided against the
county commissioner’s and made the
injunction permanent. Judge Custer
held that the commissioners are with¬
out legal authority to appropriate
county funds for a project of this na¬
ture.
In the petition for an injunction,
which was brought by Pope & Ben¬
nett, of Albany, in behalf of G. M.
Cochran, of Flint, and J. G. Kirk¬
land, G. P. Jackson, L. C. Fleming, H.
U. Jackson, J. C. Cowan and R. P.
Jackson, of Baconton, it was alleged
that the county commissioners were
preparing to spend approximately
$15,000 on a street paving project at
Pelham which formed no part of the
state highway system; it was further
alleged that the commissioners had
entered into a contract with the Davis
Construction Co., to do this paving
without first advertising for bids, as
is required by law.
In the answer to the petition, which
was filed by Col. J. J. Hill, of Pelham,
and who later had associated with
him Col. E. M. Davis, of Camilla,
when the latter was elected county
attorney, the commissioners admitted
that they were without legal authori¬
ty to enter into a contract for paving
without advertising for bids and the
hoard announced its willingness to
hold up the contract until the adver¬
tising could be done and the contract
let in proper form. The commission¬
ers contended, however, that the
county had a right to co-operate with
the Town of Pelham in the paving
prtoject because, the commissioners
contended, the streets'" to be paved
form part of the public roads in
this county. It was this last proposi¬
tion which came up for a decision be¬
fore Judge Custer Saturday,
After hearing the arguments of
the attorneys on both sides of the
question, Judge Custer ruled that the
participation of the county in a pro¬
ject of this kind is illegal, and the in¬
junction against the commissioners
was made permanent.
It is not " definitely known yet
whether or not the case .will be ap¬
pealed to a higher court.
The paving project at Pelham was
undertaken in pursuance of an agree¬
ment that had been entered into be¬
tween the members of the board some
time ago to do as much paving in
Pelham as was done in Camilla, in
connection with the road paving pro¬
ject on the Dixie Highway. The
highway was paved through both
towns, but due to the fact that the
city limits of Camilla extend a mile
in each direction from the court house
and the city limits of Pelham extend
only three fourths of a mile in each
direction from the center of the town,
there was actually more road paving
done in Camilla than in Pelham. The
commissioners then decided to lay suf¬
ficient paving on other streets of Pel¬
ham to make up for this difference.
Objection was made to this arrange¬
ment on the ground that although
the commissioners have the authority
to pave a state highway through an
incorporated town they are without
authority to participate in a street
paving project that does not form &
part of such a highway. ■»
Union Services On
Sunday Night, Aug.9
Rev. H. W. Joiner, the Methodist
pastor, will hold services in the Pres¬
byterian church on Sunday night, Au¬
gust 9th, at which time the Metho¬
dists and Presbyterians will worship
together. This is a mutual exchange
for Mr. Deans holding services in the
Methodist church when Mr. Joiner
was gone. Remember the date. Au¬
gust 9th instead of August 2nd.
L.C. BULLARD MEETS
DEATH AT PELHAM
WELL KNOWN CITIZEN OF THIS
COUNTY KILLED BY NEGRO
THURSDAY NIGHT.
Mr. L. C. Bullard, a well known citi¬
zen of Branchville community of this
county, was shot and almost insipant
ly killed last Thursday night at Pel
!ham. Willie Barrow, a negro boy
said to be about 16 or 17 years of
age, who is charged with the crime,
was arrested in Albany Friday by
Sheriff Crow and County Policeman
Mart Poore and lodged in the Dough¬
erty county jail to await action by
the grand jury of this county.
The killing occurred in the south¬
ern part of Pelham near the tobacco
warehouse where a dance was in pro¬
gress which was attended by hun¬
dreds of people from this and sur¬
rounding counties. Due to the crowd
and the confusion following the shoot¬
ing, the officers who arrived at the
scene of the tragedy a few minutes
after the fatal shot was fired
unable to learn who Bullard’s assail
ant was or any of |.he details of the
tragedy until the next morning, when
they they located located parties parties who claimed to
have witnessed the killing.
The story of the shooting and the
events leading up to it, as told the
officers, is about as follows:
A party of Albany people attended
the dance, coming down in a closed
automobile driven by a negro boy. As
they were driving up to the tobacco
warehouse their car stuck in a bog
hole and several people who came
along about that time helped them to
get the car out. Mr. Bullard was
among those who rendered assistance
and it is said that he later became ac¬
quainted with the parties in the car
and had a drink with them. The
white people in the car went into the
tobacco warehouse, leaving the negro
to guard the car. It is said that one
of the white men gave the negro a
pistol and told him not to let anyone
bother a jug of whiskey which was
left in the car.
Some time later Bullard returned
>ts the car where the negro was on
guard. He was accompanied by Wil¬
lie Layton, a young white man, who
had been with him all the evening. It
is said that he told Layton that he
was going to take the liquor and the
pistol away from the negro, and that
Layton tried to persuade Bullard not
to do it. Bullard is said to have ap¬
proached the car and ordered Layton
to take charge of the whiskey while
he took the pistol away from the ne¬
gro. Witnesses state, according to
officers, that Bullard then drew his
own pistol and went around to the op¬
posite side of the car from Layton
and opened the door of the car. As
Bullard leaned into the car the ne¬
gro fired one shot at him, the bullet
penetrating his body in the region of
the heart. Bullard fell to the ground
and the negro stepped out over him
and disappeared.
Help was called for and in a few
minutes Dr. D. P. Luke, of Camilla,
and County Policeman Mart Poore
arrived on the scene. The physician
pronounced Bullard’s condition be¬
yond medical aid, and in a 1 few min¬
utes the wounded man expired with¬
out having spoken after he was shot.
In the confusion that followed the
shooting the officers were unable to
learn who, if anyone, had witnessed
the shooting, but Friday morning it
was learned that several parties were
eye-witnesses and a' short while later
the negro, Willie Barrow, was arrest¬
ed in Albany. It is said that Bar
row was identified by Layton ag. the
man who shot Bullard According
to information received here the ne
gro denies his guilt, but upon the ad¬
vice of his attorney has declined to
talk about the affair.
The unfortunate affair came at the
end of the big tobacco jubilee celebra
tion at Pelham Thursday and
to cast a shadow over the splendid
event which had been carried out
with perfect order and with nothing
to mar the success of the occasion,
except for this sad incident.
L. M. Shiver Makes
Record Melon Yield
Mr. L. M. Shiver, who is managing
Mrs. Blanche Bush’s farm at Laney,
reports returns from his watermelon
crop this year which we believe is
a record. He kas shipped thirty cars
of melons off of sixty acres of melons,
the total sales amounting to $5,200.
On account of dry weather the first
crop of melons was a failure and prac¬
tically nothing was realized from
them. A good rain came and Mr.
Shiver had all of the old stunted mel¬
ons cut off the vines and in a short
while a second crop came on that ma¬
tured fine and hit the market just
right.
COUNTY AGENT TO
| BEGIN WORK AUG. 1
O. L. JOHNSON UNANIMOUSLY
ELECTED BY COUNTY BOARD
OF EDUCATION MONDAY.
j
\ At the meeting of the County
Board of Education Monday, Mr. O.
1 L. Johnson, former teacher of voca
I tiotial agriculture in the Sale City
| High School, was recommended for
\ appointment as county agent by the
County Agricultural Advisory Com
mittee, and he was unanimously elect¬
ed by the Board of Education.
Mr. Johnson is a graduate of the
State College of Agriculture and his
appointment has been approved by
the extension department of the State
College. Mr. M. H. Metcalf, who act¬
ed as spokesman for the advisory
committee, stated that in recommend¬
ing Mr. Johnson the committee had
taken into consideration his ability
and experience and also the fact that
he has been a resident of the county
for two years, and is acquainted with
the people and conditions here, which,
he thought, would make it easier for
him to take up the work where the
previous county agent left off.
Mr. Johnson will take up his duties
here August 1st. He has rented a
residence in Camilla and will move
his family here as soon as possible.
The Board of Education made a
special request that the County Agri¬
cultural Advisory Committee con¬
tinue to function in co-operation with
the county agent and the board, as
it was felt that the work of the coun¬
ty agent would be made much more
effective through the assistance the
committee can give him. This com¬
mittee is composed of M. H. Metcalf,
Chairman; E. M. Davis, Camilla; B.
U. Curry and W. C. Cooper, Pelham;
J. B. Akridge, Sale City; R. P. Jack
son, Baconton and W. M. Faircloth,
of Hopeful.
Old Negro Found Dead
Here Friday Morning
An old negro named Archie Wil¬
liams was found dead in his home on
Furlough street last Friday morning
when his neighbors made a search for
him after he had been missing for
several days. When the door of his
home was broken in he was found lay¬
ing on the side of his bed as if he hal
just retired when death overtook him.
It is thought that he had been dead
since Tuesday night before. Coron¬
er E. P. Lastinger summoned a 1 jury
and held an inquest. The verdict was
that the old negro came to his death
from natural causes.
Mr. L. V. Harrison
Loses Tobacco Darn
Mr. L. V. Harrison had a new to
barn and contents to burn Wed
nesday night at 10 o’clock on his
farm, with no insurance. The negro
firing the barn gave the alarm as
soon as he discovered that the barn
had caught and in a few moments it
was reduced to ashes. Mr. Harrison
had just recently built the bam to
supplement his larger ones and was
trying it out with the first load of to
bacco.
Dr. C. L. Roles has returned from a
visit of several days to Atlanta.
NUMBER 15.
M’ELVEY iS T0
HEAR FROM PEOPLE
INVITES EXPRESSIONS FROM
PEOPLE OF COUNTY ON
COMMISSIONER BILL.
Last week The Enterprise carried
a story about a bill, which it had
learned would be introduced at this
session of the legislature, under the
provisions of which the present boand
of county commissioners would be
abolished and a new board of three
members created, and providing for
a change in the method of electing
commissioners so as to allow the peo¬
ple all over the county to vote for all
the members, both in the primaries
and in the general elections.
In, that article it was stated that it
was understood that both of Mitchell
county’s representatives in the legis¬
lature favored the bill, which was in
accord with the information we had
at that time. It now appears, how¬
ever, that there was a misunderstand¬
ing in regard to Representative O. B.
McElvey’s position on this matter and
he has written a letter to this paper
in 'which he states his attitude in re¬
gard to the proposed legislation. Mr.
McElvey favors a reduction in the
number of members composing the
board, but thinks it would be more
satisfactory to the people of the coun¬
ty to have the commissioners elected
from their respective districts, as at
present. Mr. McElvey also favors
attaching a referendum to the propos¬
ed bill so as to permit the people to
vote on the proposed change in the
county government.
Mr. McElvey says that whatever
the nature of the bill introduced, he
will oppose it unless it meets with
the favor of a majority of his consti¬
tuents, and he invites expressions
from the people of the county so that
he may determine what the attitude
of the people is toward this bill.
The Enterprise is glad to give space
to Mr. McElvey’s letter below and
we hope the people of the county will
accept his invitation to express them¬
selves on this matter.
His letter follows:
Atlanta, Ga., July 18, 1925.
Camilla Enterprise,
Camilla, Ga.
Gentlemen:—
In view of an article carried in The
Camilla Enterprise in its issue of July
17th, this letter is addressed to you
for the purpose of acquainting you
with my position on the proposed re¬
organization of the present system of
Commissioners of Roads and Reve¬
nues in Mitchell County, which I
trust you will publish. To be brief
and to the point, I will oppose any
bill which may be introduced for this
purpose which does not seem to meet
with the favor of a majority of my
constituents. I will be glad to hear
from a representative number of peo¬
ple from each of the districts in the
county on this question by petition or
otherwise. When my colleague re¬
cently approached me with reference
to this proposed legislation, I stated
to him that it might be best for the
county to cut down the number of
commissioners by redistricting the
county, but I thought it would be
more satisfactory to the people to
permit each proposed district to elect
its own commissioner. I further stat¬
ed to him that I thought best to at¬
tach a referendum to any legislation
which might he introduced seeking
to change the present county govern¬
ment. So far, with one or two ex¬
ceptions, no one has requested me to
sponsor any legislation seeking a
change in the present county govern¬
ment. Inasmuch as it will be some
days before this proposed legislation
can be introduced, pending the ex¬
piration of the period of posted no¬
tice, I will have ample time to hear
from the people of the county on this,
measure, and the purpose of this let¬
ter is to invite expressions from the
people of the county.
Yours very truly,
O. B. McELVEY.
Mr. Carroll Spence is leaving Sat¬
urday for Miami, and Key West, Fla.
and Cuba, on an extended vacation
trip.