Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-29
HAPPENINGS AT MACON.
An Interesting Collection of Fresh Bits
OF Legitimate News

HAPPENINGS AT MACON.
An Interesting Collection of Fresh Bits
Of Legitimate News
Corvssp9adeaee Qf tie Morning. yetos.
MACON, August 25-The only thing
disturbing the general quiet Of Macon last
week was the coming OF the Dixies and
Browns To contest for the championship as
base ballIsts. Considerable interest had
been awakened among our people be-
fore the contestants reached the city. and
when the boys put in an appearance the
feeling ran high as each one selected his
fayorite between the two clubs The
boys made "a fine impression upon our
citizens. And, while the DiXies went
away defeated. they carried the same
good opinions of our people with them.
They lad many warm friends and hackers
i'm Macon. The Browns were held in
equal high esteem. Macon will ALWAYS
welcome these gentlemen.
our neighbOring county. Twiggs. is
gaining an unenyiable reputation in the
maltreatment OF negroes. if all reports
are true. SUCH conduct as Is reported OF
whipping two colOred men by masked
white men Injuries the county a thousand
told more than the evils which they try 10
correct.
The new cotton compress OF Messrs.
English X Huguenin Will soon be COM
pleted- and Macon can be classed with
the nrst-class cotton shipping points in
the state
The Willingham block on the site Of the
old Baptist Church. on Second street. is
nearing completion. II viii be one Of the
most substantial buildings in the CITY.
There are four StOre-rOOms below. and
rooms for officers and bedrooms above.
All but one. l ann told. are already rented.
such X the demand for buildings Of this
character.
RECENTLY I MET WITH REV. W. H.
TIFFANY.
of New York. He was very solicitous 60
know how the '-Ogeechee cOOus'' below
savannah were prOsperin-. He claimed
20 have done wonderful things for them
during the Federal occupation of Sayan-
nan. By the commandant Of the post he
was placed i'm charge Of the negroes on
the rice plantations Of DR.. Patterson. Col.
>creVen and others along the Ogeechee
river. He had military. political and
religious control Of them. He organized
battdlions. schools and churches among
them. He taught them military tactics.
the spelling book and catechism. and was
satisfied. i'm his own mind that great GOOD
had resulted 70 the country from his
lab0rs. l was not prepared to dispute
his conclusions, but only assured him
that there was great room for improve
ment Yet in that immediate locality.
But when he told me that he had. bv the
authority of the Post COmmandant. mar
ried sixty couples Of these high-t0ned col
ored people according 10 law. and that so
far as he was able 10 learn. but one single
l became doubtful as 10 his SANITY. The
old gentleman no doubt was honest i'm his
convictions. however defective his iudg-
ment. Like great many other Northern
people 1 met. Mr.. Tiffany pointed with
pride TO the increase Of the cotton crOp as
an evidence Of the improvement of the
negro As labOrer under freedom as COM
pared with his former condition as a
slave. There never was a greater delusiOn
indulged in than this fancy Of our North
ern friends. True. the crop has increased
from four TO seven million bales since
the war. but in no way can it be Justly
attributed 70 the labor Of the negro.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
the war two-thirds Of the negro women
left the cotton fields, and also about five
per cent Of the negro men. They have
not returned since. In fact. there has
been Il depletion Of the army OF field
hands. The children have been taken
from the pl0w handles and sent 10 school.
aud with all the rapid increase Of the race
the available cotton force today does not
excel that Of 1>66-7. An educated negro
does not take % the cotton field. and all
the gush about the negro labor growing
more intelligent is the most arrant
nonsense. He knows nothing more about
the cultivation Of corn and cotton than he
did thirty years ago, and the present
generation Of negroes know less about
these matters than their fathers. The
very absence Of the negroes from the
cotton nel6. and the inefficient labor
rendered. made an increased cotton crop
possible. The planter. seeing he could no
longer depend upon negro labor. began
searching for "a substitute. This he found
IN improved agricultural implements. in
deeper plOWin-. in better and closer cul-
Jivat.on generally. He found this substi-
tute also In the intelligent application Of
commercial and homemade fertilizers.
one acre was made % produce what two
or three did under the old regime.
and one hand under this improved
system was enabled % produce whatthree
formerly did. II was the skill and inge-
nuity Of the white man that increased the
crop. Again. before the war the Gotten
area was comparatively circumscribed
There was scarely a bale Of cotton made
in North Georgia. OF North Alabama.
Now these are among the most fertile cot
ton growing sections: and Tennessee has
become famous for her ieecy staple, and
even in Virginia considerable amount OF
cotton l. being cultivated. The greatest
increase has been in Northern Texas. and
In nearly all the new cotton growing
sections the fields are cultivated bv
white labor. Much Of this crop
= produced by the small far
mers- from one TO five bales:
80 that the increase Of the cotton crop.
instead OF being attributable 10 the negro
as an improved labOrer. is due 10 tue in
creased acreage and the white labor en-
gagged in it, cultivation.
NIEssRs. LUDDEN BATES, OF SAVANNAH.
have bought out Messrs. L. D. Irvine a
Co.. OF this city. and viii run branch Of
their immense business here under the
name of The Georgia Music House." If
anybody can make such a house pay. this
energetic firm can.
Another Sayannahian is doing a pros
porous business heTe-MT. John r. West,
Of West Bros, Of your citv. Being
one Of the most genial Of gentlemen. as
well as a nan Of rare business qualifica-
tiOns. he stepped 10 the front at once
among our produce brokers, and has been
holding his own ever since.
Mr. Mungin :. Baker is another >ayan-
nah boy in business here. He IS the
Junior member OF the firm Of Smith, CUl-
yer & Co.. hardware merchants. They
are doing a splendid business. In fact
savannah has no reason TO be ashamed Of
any Of her representatives here.
Mr.. Peter Solomon. one Of our oldest
and most highly esteemed citizens, is lying
quite III at his home in Vineyille. He Is
among the few landmarks left Of the olden
time.
have met with d number Of the return
ing pilgrims from the Louisville ExpOsi-
tiOn. Many Of them express disappOint-
ment and say they went Just one month
too soon. september Will be better time
10 visit TINS great show, although most Of
our people have already been there.
JACK PLANE.