Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-13
LETTER FROM THE INTERIOR.
A Week of Festivity-MacOn In Her
Holiday AtIIre-The Oemulgee Far.
mers, CIub-SOme Reflections.

MACON, May 11.-Editor Morning Nelcs: Dur
ing the past week this city has been given up
to its yearly festivities. For many years the
first week in May has been devoted to pleasure
and recreation, and no season has been more
brilliant or varied in its amusements and enter
tainments than this. On Tuesday last, May Sd,
several private parties were off to the woods,
and to this accustomed round OF enjoyment
On Wednesday the Sunday schools of East
Macon-the Methodist and Baptist-had day
of feasting and entertainment. On Thursday
was the grand union Sunday school anniver-
sary at the City Park. On Friday the colored
Sunday schools occupied the same grounds in
their grand yearly entertainment, and
on Saturday the young ladies of the Wesleyan
Female College excurted to Adams Park on
the Brunswick Railroad, about twenty miles
from Macon. and on the same day the Ocmul-
gee Farmers Club gave their annual picnic in
the magnificent grove attached to their club
house. on the plantation of CAPTAIN R. E Park
about ten miles above Macon, on the Ocmul-
gee river Prior to last week we had the fire.
mans parade, Decoration day, Macon Volun-
teers and Floyd Rifles annual celebrations
Taken altogether, we have had an unusual
amount of reveling, establishing our reputa-
ton as a pleasure-loving and pleasure-seeking
people. Taken in moderation, there is no evil
in it, but when carried to excess, which fear
has been the case in some instancrs, it is a
waste OF time and money as well. Your cor
respondent has INDUCED in but three dayS
of the festivities, and is fully salts
fed with his portion. These occasions
afford opportunity for business men to un-
bend themselves and rest from the harassing
cares or the business whtrl, and enables the
young people to mingle unreStrained in the
social circle. The formalities OF the drawing
room and the parlor were entirely ignored
and the rule of go easy-as-y you-please substi.
tuted. 1t may have aroused the apprehen-
sion of some veranxious parents, bat it was
a great relief to the social world, and, so far
as have been able to ascertain, aside from
MANY aching heads and overIoaded stomacbS
no harm has been done.
The grand union celebration of the Sunday
schools, as far as know, is a popularity to
Macon alone There Is something attractive
about it. and doubtless has proven beneficial
to the Sunday school cause in some degree
The gathering into one line of fifteen hundred
children is q grand sight, and the scene has
brought out the highest commentators from
interested spectators, yet to one who
has watched closely the movement
for many years, it presents another
has eliminated in one grand dress parade, one
which intiicts heavy burdens which are
grievous to be borne. Instead of clothing
the children in simple and plain attire, each
school and each parent vieS with the other as
to who can dress the finest and who can pre-
pare the most expensive and abundant repasts
for each school has it's own table. l saw last
week some wardrobes in the park that would
have graced the court circles of Europe
The finest silks, and satins, displays
Of diamonds and iewelry' that would would
Of homer" The workingmen and the
poor are crying out against the heavy tax that
is placed upon them in order that their chill
dren may enjoy these festivities The aban-
donment of this union feature for five years
would destroy these unhappy rivalrIes, and
common sense would demand a return to more
simple methods and ways, and the Sunday
school cause would be a great gamer thereby.
If the amount of money that has been unne-
cessarily expended had only been given to the
proper use, there would be enough to eStab-
lish a Sunday school, with all necessary equip
ments, in every destitute section in Georgia.
l know this is not popular sentiment, but it
is an honest conviction, nevertheless, and as
honestly expressed.
The exercises at the park were unique and
exceedingly entertaining, but they were too
long. The children, for whose benefit these
weary of them They go for frolic. and
ought to be turned loose within fifteen or twen-
ty minutes sitter reaching the ground.
The colored people, in imitation of the whites,
have adopted the same union programme,
ana they make much larger display. There
were between two and three thousand chill
dren on the grounds last Friday. so far as
there is grandeur in numbers, they excel their
white brethren. The same objections to the
one class holds good to the other. and if the
whole thing was broken up it would be better
for the schools and the children.
The Ocmulgee Farmers Club had their pic
mic upon the old country plan and was very
enjoy able. There was very large crowd, but
it was manageable They spread an elegant
dinner and invited everybody to partake, and
there was abundant supply. They had
capital address delivered by Hon. r. J. Red
ding. of the State Department of Agriculture.
1t was wise and suggestive. 1t was requested
to he published in the Farmers Monthly and
will be forwarded to the editor in due time
This is the oldest farmers club in the State,
having been in xistence for over forty years,
and is now one of the liveSt organizations in
the South. Its influence is apparent through
out this section. 1t has some fifty or sixty
members, and they are constantly making ex-
periments in agriculture, and labo ing to ele-
vate the vocation to its proper position in the
estimation of the world. Some of its members
demonstrated last year, with its dra wbacks,
that farming will pay. One large plantation
cleared over and above the expenses l2 per
cent. upon the entire investment. and others
experience was almost as satisfactory This
society has annual exhibition on their
grounds every August.
Last Saturday was a pleasant day, and one
that will long be remembered by the people of
Howard district, and those from Macon, who
were fortunate enough to be there.
JACK PLANE