Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-04
LETTER FROM QUITMAN.
Brooks cOunty-Her Farmers-Her
CrOPs-Her WatermelOns-Thrf
EdiTors--Her Library-Her school
And Her Cotton Factory.

EdiTOPs--Her LibFaFy-Her school
And Her Cotton Factory
QuITxAN, GA, July 2.-Editor Morning
Ne.Us: A visit to Quitman brings me among
such old friends as Captain J. @. Mccall, A. P
Perham and W. B. Bennett. men who, starring
poor few years ago. made fortunes in Brooks
county, and are, therefore. competent wit
nesses in trial of her prosperity. Bennett
would probably demur to this statement, but
your correspondents now has the floor. All
three are greatly indebted to the county for
popularity and thrift, and with W. f. Barnes,
W. d. Rountree. DR.. JeIks. Joseph TiIlmsn,
DR.. Mabbit, H. w. Sharpe. d. r. Creech and
long roll Of successful farmers and energetic,
enlightened citizens. comprehend the age in
which they live and appreciate the advantages
of their surroundings. am under special
obligation to them for information, courtesy
and hospitality.
BROOKS COUNTY
has more good. productive soil in proportf IN To
aggregate area than any other county I'm the
State. and is one of the foremost In aeric,,ItII-
raj industry, as she has more than once illus-
trated in contests with her neighbors at the
Thomasville and State fairs. She does NOT
claim ANYTHING like the Mississippi bottoms,
but her OkOpelk0, W1tnlaCOOc1eo and Mule
Creek valleys, extending through the county
from north 70 south. her high hummocks, pine
levels and gentle slopes, are all fertile and
covered with valuable timber where not
cleared for cultivation. / have no accurate
data at hand. but think about one-sixth OF her
lands are under cultivation, showing abundant
room still remaining for immigration to a fine
country, as healthy and productive as any in
the South.
HER FARMERS
nfV a.
farms Sh0JO thrift are in splendid order, we'll
fenced intelligently cultivated, having proper
tools and conveniences, orchards and nurseries
OF valuable fruit. fat stock, abundant poultry,
etc, while civilization and refinement shine
forth in neat churches, school houses. hand
some residences, beautiful flower gardens
and polite social intercourse. The men
who built up these waste places and are NOV
ing on to higher conquest STILL deserve a
triumphal arch for their steady courage, faith
old acquaintances and friends Of ante beItum
days-who sacrificed the accumulations of
years for the lost cause and set out afresh
amid the gloom and doubts Of disfranchise-
them are T. j. Denmark. Wiley Groover,
Thomas Grower Elijah Wade, James Morrow,
Q. X. Denmark, r. J. Denmark, West Nc
Mullen. Major Davis, DIR. Hitch DR.. Briggs
Neill Hendry, @. Y. Gaulden. John C. Spell,
William Spain, John Brooks, J. o. Morton. J
M. Sirman, A, w. Grower. J. T. Perdu, T. j.
j.. ~. u. A
Cutter and DR.. Mccall. Brooks is a county of
small farms, but some of her ctizers have
grown wealthy. while q large proportion of
them are 'wellto-do" and on the highway to
opulence.
HER CROPS.
The cotton crop Of the county last year was
reported at ten thousand bales, with a corn
crop. in spite of the drought, sparing fifteen
thousand bushels to the markets abroad ffter
leaving ample supplies for home consumption.
inc arnra fo lxo1fz a.
best ever produced. Cotton, of course, is
still liable to be cut short, but the corn
fields present most prospect for the new
harvest while the barns throughout the
county are filed with the finest oats ever
seen in the country. To these must
be added unusually fine crops Of sugar cane,
sweet potatoes; field peas, rice, melons, and
vegetables OF all kinds which have impaired
great faith and activity to the business of
truck farming in the county.
THE WATERMELON BOOM
While Brooks has derived much profit |
from the shipment of other fruits and |
is the watermelon trade. There will prosablv |
be shipped from here during the present season |
one hundred and fifty car loads Of fine melons. |
whlch, ADDED 60 the two hundred and forty re- |
ported Tor Lowndes county, make a very re- |
spectacle showing for locality that, four |
years ago. had just begun the experiment of |
truck farming carload is about one thou |
sand melons, OF from eighteen to forty pounds |
weight showing the aggregate for the shipping |
season to be about three hundred and ninety |
thousand Every well cultivated acre of land |
is considered good for at least one carload |
The first shipment from the South this season |
was made by Mr.. Moore, Of Ouslev |
station, between Quitman and Valdosta. of one /
carload, which netted him $50. The prices |
range from this down. as the season advances,
to less than 800 per carload, when the profits |
cease with the shipments. Successes In this
line nave created a fresh demand for Brooks /
county lands. and though prices range high
especially in favorite localities, frequent sales
are made and new fields added 70 the truck
farm area. One Of these new farms especially
of country editor" who also ahlv s1InnoTtc
the dignity Of Judge OF the Court Of Ordinary.
OF course allude to A. P. Perham, of the
Quitman Free Press.
PROSPEROUS EDITOR.
have known Perham all his life, nearly
for years a clerk-moved to Quitman-a mar-
chant-the war-"fdt''-left Ouitman-melr |
ing brick-back to Quitman-Ordinary, editor
and farmer, He drove me to his little farm of
one hundred acres in the suburbs and exnlained |
things with that accuracy and freedom which
ever distinguishes the craft. He had a nice
cottage and grounds which we would have
ttr entered. but the independent 'lady he boards
with was absent, and so we contented our
serves with look over the farm. Fifty acres
Ia cultivation, two acres in sugar cane two In |
cashaws, several in LIE Conte pears and
which he had shipped over 1000 melons.
several IN cantaloupes and vegetables,
ana tne next in as fine corn
ss any we saw In the county. All this with
fifty acres of frst-class pine timber. a earn
pond, herd OF fat swine, another OF fat COWS.
enabling the lady aforesaid to sell one hundred
dollars worth or butter per annum: noisy
1ocks OF poultry further increasing her reve-
nues, aud big interest in a big orange grove
down In Florida. But must hasten forward.
Through the same courtesy visited
BROOKS COUNTY LIBRARY.
Il l NV, was g. suggested but two years ago by Miss
Lilly PIerpopt. advocated by the Free Press |
organized, built handsome hall of brick sec. |
ond story on the Free Press building orns-
mented and provided with numerous popular
valuable books, paid itself out of dent holds
surplus In the treasury and is ably provided
over oy MRS. FIerpont. 1t is generally visited |
and popular-doing splendid work in mind
cultivation. N
Hon. H. g. Turner, member of Conoraes
from the Second district, resides In Onitnsn
ana recently donated to this library a most
artistic and beautiful map Of the United STATES |
OF immense size,
The BTee Press establishment beneath is
SIMPLE, plain and substantial and as the hasis |
Of the progressive institution above NOT an
napt Illustration Of the support given bv that
sensloly conducted journal to the indI1strial
enterprises Of the county, '''
QuITMAN ACADEMY.
Mr.. Stirling g. Brinkley has long conducted
popular school here, which now numbers I15
pupils, and assisted by Miss Alice BripkIev and
.ilss ids %. que norman. Is laying solid founda-
lon Tor the future prosperity and happiness of |
ne community. l had the pleasure through |
he courtesy of Col. W. B. Bennett himself |
earned and experienced educator, of making
ne acquaintance OF Mr.. BrinkleV, and hear
ng some OF the preparatory declamation ax
.rcises of his pupils. He Is evidentIv veil |
ltted Tor the work. and deserves the hieh con- |
lderatlon and esteem that should ever be ac