Newspaper Page Text
The Camilla Enterprise.
VOLUME XXIV.
UNITED MOVEMENT
TO SPEED PAVING
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MILL
CO-OPERATE WITH TRADE
BODIES IN MOVEMENT.
As a result of an understanding
reached here Tuesday, when represen¬
tative of the chambers of commerce
of Baconton, Albany, Pelham and Ca¬
milla appeared before the board of
County Commissioners of Mitchell
county, concerted action will be taken
right away to secure the completion
of the paving on the Dixie Highway
from a point near Flint to the Dough¬
erty county .line at the earliest possi¬
ble date. The completion of this gap
will assure an unbroken stretch of
paving and hard surfaced road on the
Dixie Highway extending from the
northern line of Sumter county to
Thomasville, a distance of approxi¬
mately one hundred miles.
The delegations came here Tuesday
to meet with the County Commission¬
ers at the regular monthly session of
that body. Invitations had been sent
to all of the towns between Albany
and Tomasville to send representa¬
tives. Baconton sent the largest dele¬
gation, headed by Mr. H. U. Jackson,
and among the others coming down
from Baconton were: Dr. R. P. Jack
son, R. M. Tiller, John R. Pinson, E.
B. Mullins, G. P. Jackson and T. S.
Jackson. Albany was represented by
Mayor E. H. Kalmon, J. M. Patter¬
son, J. S. Etheridge and W. B. Haley.
The Pelham Business Men’s Club was
represented by H. L. McDonald and
L. D. Hand. The Camilla Chamber of
Commerce was represented by F. A.
Brown, president; E. M. Davis, P. E.
Bailey and J. D. Gardner.
Col. Davis opened the discussion by
stating the object of the meeting. He
praised the County Commissioners
for the progressive policy and efficient
business methods which have charac¬
terized their work in handling the
paving projects in this county and for
the very favorable contract entered
into between the county and the State
Highway Deparratnet for the comple¬
tion of the paving in this county by
January 1st, 1929. Col. Davi3 stated
that he was not willing ot see the
commissioners sacrifice the advantage
they have gained by reason of this
contract but that conditions have aris¬
en since that contract was entered in¬
to which make it imperative that this
stretch of paving be completed at an
earlier date if possible, and that the
business organizations along the high¬
way in this immedia vieticnitd|.A8Wtt
way in this immediate vicinity wish
to tender their services in helping to
speed up this work.
Mayor Kalmon, of Albany, stated
that his delegation had not come to
this county to offer any advice in the
matter of road improvement; that
Mitchell county’s record in this res¬
pect is so much ahead of many other
counties that no suggestions along
this line were needed. He said that
the Albany Chamber of Commerce
would co-operate in any way possible
to help secure the completion of this
important stretch of paving. Mr. Kal
tisticians land booms come only once
won remarked that according to sta¬
in a life-time: that a very decided
boom seems to be headed toward
Southwest Georgia and it is up to us
to make the best of it or let the op¬
portunity pass.
Mr. H. U. Jackson pointed to the
necessity of taking every advantage
of the present movement toward
South Georgia which is certain to
bring many new citizens and a great
deal of money to be invested in our
lands. Good roads, he said, is one of
the most important factors in attract¬
ing these people to Mitchell county
and the completion of this short
stretch of paving is a vital matter.
Dr. R. P. Jackson, Mr. H. L. Mc¬
Donald, Mr. J. M. Patterson and oth¬
ers spoke along the same line and all
seemed to think that this project can
be put through with the aid of the
State Highway Department if the
proper amount of interest is shown
by the people of this section.
The County Commissioners were
unanimous in their approval of the
plan and promised co-operation of the
official board. The board decided to
constitute itself a committee of the
whole to appear before the State
Highway Commission with represen¬
tatives of the various trade bodies of
this section and urge the completion
of the road.
It is planned to arrange for a meet¬
ing with the Highway Commission at
G. C. Singleton Hurt
By A Falling Limb
Mr. G. C. Singleton was painfully
injured Wednesday afternoon when he
was struck by a falling limb which
rendered him unconscious for a time
and inflicted a severe scalp wound.
Mr. Singleton, with several other
men. was engaged in cutting timber
stock for the Dison & Hudson saw
mill about eight miles west of Camil¬
la. One of the trees in falling had
broken loose a large limb which hung
in the top of another tree. The men
did not notice the limb and a few min¬
utes later it fell, striking Mr. Single
ton on top of the head. The injured
man was brought to Camilla for med¬
ical attention. Dr. Luke stated after
attending him that he did not think
his injuries of a serious nature.
P. A. GRAYKILLED BY
FALL FROM WAGON
WELL KNOWN FARMER OF
GREENWOOD MET DEATH
WHEN MULES RAN AWAY.
Mr. P. A. Gray, a well known farm¬
er of Greenwood community was fa¬
tally injured Wednesday afternoon
about five o'clock and died about two
hours later, as a result of a fall from
a wagon when a team of mules ran
away. Mr. Gray’s neck was broken
and his skull fractured by the fall,
according to the physician who was
called to attend his injuries, but in
spite of these injuries he lived about
two hours.
The accident occurred at the home
of a son-in-law, Mr. G. C. Smith. Mr.
Gray and his youngest son, Willie,
hud gone over to Mr. Smith’s to get a
hog. After loading the hog in the
wagon Mr. Gray took his seat on the
back of the wagon and his son was
driving. In some way one of the
lines gave way and the team of mules
broke to run. After young Mr. Gray
bad made several attempts to regain
the line and stop the team and had
headwhich he did, but fell and struck
on his head. The mules ran only a
.short distance and stopped.
When the injured man was picked
up it was found that he was seriously
injured and a hurry call was sent to
Camilla for a physician. The messen¬
ger had some trouble in locating a
physician' and when one finally ar¬
rived Mr. Gray was dead.
The accident has saddened a whole
community and many friends through¬
out the county deeply sympathize
with the bereaved family. The de¬
ceased had lived in Mitchell county
for about fifty years and was highly
regarded as a citizen.
Mr. Gray would have been 70 years
old next March. He was born in
Dougherty county and moved here
when a young man. He married Miss
Sallie Gaulden, a member of a promi¬
nent Mitchell county family, who sur¬
vives him. They raised a family of
ten children, all of whom reside in
Mitchell county, as follows: Mrs.
Offie Howell, of Sale City; Mrs. Pierce
Crosson, Mrs. Zach Worsham, Mrs.
G. C. Smith, and Messrs. Cleveland,
Earl, Tom, Paul, Dewey and Willie
Gray.
The funeral services were held at
Hopeful Thursday afternoon at three
o’clock, Rev. J. I. D. Miller, pastor and
old friend of the deceased, conducting
the services.
Camilla City Court
In One-Day Session
The regular December term of the
City Court of Camilla convened Mon¬
day morning and was in session only
one day. The necessary absence of
three members of the local bar nec¬
essitated the passing over of a num¬
ber of cases that might have been
tried. As it was several cases were
disposed of, default judgments and
non-litigated matters constituting the
majority.
Mr. I. Maples Is
Quite Seriously 111
As The Enterprise goes to press
Mr. I. Maples is lying desperately ill
at his home in this city and the fam¬
ily entertain the gravest fears as to
the outcome. The relatives have the
sympathy of many friends in their
anxiety.
an early date and it is expected that
a large delegation will attend this
meeting.
CAMILLA, GA., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 3925.
FLOYD GANG CAMPS
FLAYED BY SPENCE
COMMITTEE OF LEGISLATORS
FIND BAD CONDITIONS IN
NORTH GEORGIA.
Dr. J. M. Spence, one of Mitchell
County’s representatives in the leg¬
islature, recently returned from North
Georgia where as a member of a leg¬
islative committee he visited several
counties in that section of the state
inspecting conditions in the county
convict camps. Among the counties
visited was Floyd, of which Rome is
the county seat, and the Tribune of
that city carried a story about the
committee’s visit and a lengthy inter¬
view with Dr. Spence, in which the
Mitchell county representative des¬
cribed the camp in that county as “the
dirtiest I have ever seen in my life,”
and “not fit for a hound dog to sleep
in.”
Judging from ;Dr. Spence’s outspok¬
en attack on conditions as found in
Floyd county, they must be eception
ally bad, for having served as county
convict physician for a number of
years the Mitchell county representa¬
tive is naturally not expected to be
as easily shocked as would the aver¬
age citizen who has never seen inside
a prison stockade. County authori¬
ties are not required or expected to
provide first-class hotel entertain¬
ment for prisoners sent to the gang
but there are certain standards set
up by the law requiring humane
treatment, sanitary quarters and
wholesome food which even a convict
is entitled to. It seems that even the
limited requirements of the prison
law were not lived up to in Floyd
county and the committee scatchingly
denounced the officials responsible for
the conditions found there.
The Rome Tribune quotes Dr.
Spence as follows: “Unless steps are
taken immediately to remedy the un¬
sanitary conditions at the Floyd coun¬
ty ehaingang camp, I will recommend
to the Prison Commissioners of Geor¬
gia that all state prisoners be remov¬
ed to other counties. I am surprised
that your prisoners have not all died
of cholera. In all my experience as
a physician I have never set tny foot
in as unsanitary place as that where
you keep your prisoners. I wouldn’t
let a hound dog sleep on the mat¬
tresses you provide for your men pris¬
oners to sleep on.
“They have nothing to sleep in and
nothing to sleep on. There is not a
single night shirt or pair of pajamas
in the place, no sheets and you don’t
know what a pillow ease is. The
stench is awful and you house 15 to
17 men, human beings, in hese steel
cages, with the only protection from
the weather a board fence built around
it and a bit of canvass.”
The above is only a part of what
the Doctor said. According to the
Rome paper, Dr. Spence was talking
to a representative of the paper and
the Chairman of the Board of County
Commissioners. It seems that no per¬
manent sleeping quarters are provid¬
ed for the convicts in Floyd county,
as is the case in a number of other
counties and it is impossible, to prop¬
erly take care of the prisoners in the
cages used for sleeping quarters. The
officials of Floyd county assured the
committee that steps would be taken
immediately to remedy conditions
there by building a stockade. This
improvement had been neglected, the
officials stated, because the county
is in debt something like $125,000.
The legislative committees which
have been touring the state investi¬
gating conditions in convict camps
have found deplorable situations in
several counties, and quite a scandal
has come to light through the discov¬
ery that in several counties methods
smacking of the old Spanish Inquisi¬
tion have been employed in punishing
prisoners, in lieu of the lash which is
now forbidden by law.
So far as known no such conditions
have been found in this section of the
state. The committee that visited
Mitchell county had only commenda¬
tion for the officers here and the sit¬
uation they found in the three con¬
vict camps in this county.
Pine Bloom School
To Give Box Supper
There will be a box supper at Pine
Bloom school Friday night, December
11th. The proceeds will go for the
benefit of the school. Everybody is
invited to attend and help out in this
worthy movement.
PECAN CRACKERY
OPENS IN CAMILLA
MILLER BROS. OF BACONTON, TO
OPERATE PLANT. EMPLOYS
100 COLORED WOMEN.
Messrs. J. R. & J. B. Miller, of Ba¬
conton, who are among the largest
dealers in pecans in the South, have
established a nut cracking plant in
Camilla and began operating on a
small scale Thursday. The plant is
located in the old printing office build¬
ing on Scott street, next to Taylor’s
Garage. A lease on the building was
secured several days ago and the
shelling company began moving in
equipment this week. The plant will
employ about 100 colored women and
be operated at full capacity if a
full force of hands can be secured.
Mr. O. L. Williams, manager of the
Miller crackery at Baconton, will also
be in charge of the business here. He
expects to employ a white woman to
superintend the plant here and look
after the business during his absence.
Mr. Williams was here Wednesday
looking after the installation of the
plant and stated that in all probability
he would be ready to begin cracking
nuts the next day.
Mr. Williams is advertising for 100
colored women to begin work at once.
The women will work on the piece¬
work basis and their earnings will de¬
pend upon their aptness and energy.
Mr. Williams states that a good wor¬
ker can easily make from $1.50 to
$1.75. Beginners will not make so
much at the start but will quickly
learn the business and their earnihgs
will increase in proportion to their
efficiency,
Mr. Williams states that he expects
to crack from 4,000 to 5,000 pounds
of nuts a week in the plant here. For
the present, at least ,he will not buy
nuts here but will ship cracking stock
down from Baconton. The company
is pretty well stocked up with nuts at
present, according to Mr. Williams,
having in storage in Baconton be¬
tween 400,000 and 500,000 pounds.
The nut crackery will afford a big
payroll which will be felt by local
business concerns and the working
people of this place. It is hoped that
the Millers will at an early date es¬
tablish a regular cash market for pe¬
cans here so as to take care of the
nuts grown in this section. The many
large pecan groves around Camilla
are just beginning to come into full
bearing and in a few years the pecan
market will be an important factor in
the business life of the community.
Cox Receives Good
Committee Places
In the assignment of committee
places to new congressmen, Hon. E.
E. Cox, the new representative of the
Second congressional district of Geor¬
gia, appears to have fared about as
well as could have been expected for
a new member. According to press
reports he will be a member of the
following committees: Public build¬
ings and grounds, flood control and re¬
vision of laws. The Albany Herald
in commenting upon the assignments
thinks that no new congressman could
hope to fare better than did Judge
Cox. Regarding the priority method
followed in making committee assign¬
ments, The Herald says:
“The rank of members of the im¬
portant House and Senate committees
is determined almost invariably by
their periods of service. The older
members hold the most desirable po¬
sitions—the positions of influence and
opportunity for service. Should the
Democrats gain control of the next
Congress, as now seems to be not
impossible, members of the Georgia
delegation will be in line for some
highly important committee places—
probably for a chairmanship or two.
It is in the committees that the con¬
structive work of Congress is done,
and a member’s opportunity to serve
his immediate constituency and the
country as a whole is largely deter¬
mined by his committee influence.
Small Fire At The
Davis Commissary
The fire department was called to
the J. B. Davis Co. commissary
Thursday morning about eight o’clock
to put out a small blaze. The stove
pipe from the heater set fire to the
wall of the building. The fire was
put out before any damage to speak
of was done.
School Closes Dec.
18 For Christmas
Camilla Public Schools are now
rounding up their last days before the
holiday vacation begins. Announce¬
ment has already been made that the
schools will close a week from today,
December 18, and the boys and girls
are highly elated over getting out a
whole week before Christmas day,
which may account for any undue dili¬
gence in dispensing with school work
for the next few days. The school
plays Monday night, “1750-1926” and
“Coats and Petticoats,” will mark the
close of school and later in the week
grade celebrations and festivities in
every department will wind up the
fall term of school.
GEORGIAB APTISTS
MEET IN SAVANNAH
DR. J. D. MELL, AGAIN PRESI¬
DENT. MODERNISM IS SCOR¬
ED IN OPENING ADDRESS.
The Georgia Baptist Convention
opened its one hundred and third an¬
nual convention in Savannah Wednes¬
day morning with more than 500 pres¬
ent at the opening session. The key¬
note address at the opening was de¬
livered by Dr. William Russell Owen,
pastor of tbe First Baptist church, of
Macon, giving a strong appeal for en¬
deavor among Baptists of the state
toward the great work that needs to
be done.
Rev. John D. Mell, D. D., of Athens,
was for the 14th consecutive term
re-elected to preside over the body.
Rev. Arch C. Cree Executive Secre¬
tary, gave a review of the year’s work.
The convention sermon was delivered
by Rev. W. A. Hogan, D. D., Lin
colnton.
In his annual address, Dr. Mell
scored the prevalent evolution topic,
the discussion starting, he said, after
the Southern Baptist Convention’s
adoption last May at Memphis, of a
statement of faith; that the conven¬
tion had no right to make creeds or
issue statements of faith. Discus¬
sing modernism and evolution, he
said, “I will believe the Bible if it
makes every laboratory in the land a
liar,” and stating that he did not want
anything modern in his religion, that
he would reject anything less than
1900 years old. He made a strong
appeal for Christian homes.
The work of enrollment and organ¬
ization was perfected and reports from
committees heard, and other prelimi¬
nary work of the session disposed of.
Rev. J. G. Graham, pastor of the
First Baptist church, left Monday for
Savannah to be present at the open¬
ing of the convention Wednesday
morning, and will remain throughout
its sessions.
Highway Paving Is
Being Laid Rapidly
The Davis Construction Co., the
concern which is laying the concrete
paving on the Dixie Highway north
of Camilla, chalked* up one of the
biggest records last week that has
been made since the work was begun
in this county. Something over
three-quarters of a mile of paving
was laid from Monday morning until
Saturday at noon, according to one
of the workmen. At this rate, with
continued fair weather, the contrac¬
tors will finish this job in about four
weeks more. As the paving is laid
toward Camilla the distance materials
have to be hauled is lessened and the
work proceeds with greater speed.
Something like a dozen trucks are
used in hauling the materials to the
mixers. These heavy machines have
played havoc with what used to be a
good sand-clay road. Practically
all other traffic has been shut off this
stretch of road and the trucks are
having it all to themselves.
One More Week In
Which To Pay Taxes
A very serious obstacle between
many of us and a merry Christmas is
the necessity of paying state afod
county taxes. The tax books will
close on the 20th, which is little more
than a week off. After that date
those who have failed to pay their
taxes will be subject to 15. fa. costs.
Our information is that the number of
people paying taxes probably exceeds
that of previous years, but there is
still a great many who have not yet
paid.
NUMBER 35
COMMISSIONERS IN
SESSION TUESDAY
BOARD FIXES SALARIES FOE
THE YEAR. SETTLES WITH
THE TAX COLLECTOR.
The regular monthly meeting of the
County Commissioners was held last
Tuesday, with a full board present.
After hearing from a delegation
which appeared before the board in
reference to the early completion of
the paving on the Dixie Highway, an
account of which will be found in an¬
other column, the board settled down
to routine business.
An application for a new road in
the northern part of the county, ex¬
tending from the Dixie Highway in
an easterly direction to the Albany
and Sale City road, was presented to
the hoard. The following names ap¬
peared on the petition: Chas. W.
Ward, James Ward, Rupert Irvin, J.
E. Hatcher, J. H. Crosby, H. F. Wil¬
liams, S. K. Richardson, L. R. Jen¬
kins, H. B. Taylor, Illinois-Georgia
Pecan Co., G. M. Bacon Pecan Groves.
The road will come into the Dixie
Highway near DeWitt. The Commis¬
sioners agreed to open the road as
soon as reviewers had made a report
and the matter has been advertised.
The board went into executive ses¬
sion to discuss the question of salaries
for 1926. The minutes show the fol¬
lowing scale agreed upon, which is
practically the same as the present
salary scale. The salaries are as fol¬
lows: County Warden, $175.00 per
month; Clerk of the Board, $140.00
per month;' County Convict Physician,
$1.00 per man per month with the
understanding that the physician fur¬
nish a regular substitute to act in
his absence; County Physician,
$100.00 per annum; Deputy Wardens,
$75.00 per month; Foreman of Trac¬
tor Gang, $75.00 per month; Night
Watchmen and Guards, $40.00 to
$50.00 per month.
County Warden A. A. Maples was
authorized by resolution to consoli¬
date all of the men and equipment of
the county in one squad to be worked
wherever necessary, but work to be
distributed in various districts of the
county according to the spirit of a
previous resolution dividing the men
and equipment in three groups. Ap¬
parently it is the idea of the board
that with the new tractors recently
purchased and other improved road
machinery that the road work can be
handled more efficiently by grouping
the forces and working as one unit.
The work will he apportioned out ac¬
cording to an agreement reached
some time ago and which is supposed
to give each commissioner the work
he is entitled to in his district. The
basis of this apportionment is the
same as was followed in apportioning
men to the three camps in the county.
A settlement was made by the
board with County Tax Collector W.
H. Taylor, for 1924 taxes. Mr. Tay¬
lor’s report shows $3,086.69 insolvent
taxes for the state and county for last
year. This amount was divided as
follows: State $1,020.13; County $2,
066.56. The following statement was
submitted to the board covering tax
collections for 1924, the statement
covering only the county's part and
does not include taxes collected for
the state:
General tax on Digest $5,-
712,836. at 18 mills____$102331.05
Service Corporations,
$697,277. at 18 mills____ 12350.98
N. O. D. Collections__i____ 1,150.73
Interest _______________ 416.95
$116349.71
Insolvent Tax ft. fas______$ 1,705.14
Errors and Relief--______ 361.42
Paid to Jonah Palmer, -
Treasurer _____________113,139.39
Stamps and Post Cards-- 50.22
Tax Collector’s Commis¬
sion ________ 1,693.54
$116,949.71
The Jloard passed a resolution rec¬
ommending Ed Wise, a white convict
serving time in this county, to the
State Prison Board for clemeney.
Wise has served five years in this
county and has made a model prison¬
er, according to the officers, and the
board took this action, in recognition
of his good record in this county.
Mr. Emory W. Cochran returned
borne the latter part of last week
from Chicago, 111., where he has been
spending the past several months at
work. He stopped in Virginia to vis¬
it relatives for a few days before
coming on home.