Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-09
MACON avn HER suBURBs.
Melon Growers Not Discouraged, ant
the City Echoing with the Hammer.

MACON AND hEIl6 - Iii khNSJ.
Melon Growers Not Discouraged, and
the City Echoing with the Hammer.
MACON, August The drought which
troubled our people greatly during the
past month has been superseded by fire.
quent and heavy showers, and many of
the croakers are crying. "Hold, enOughW
The late corn has been greatly damaged
by the dry weather, and now that the rains
have come many apprehensions are in
dulged in as to the fate of the cotton crop.
The rust has made its appearance in many
places, and the caterpillar is slowly wend-
ing its way to Middle Georgia.
The melon season is now closing with
hundreds still on the market and many
more in the field. Some men have made
money by this crop, and others have had
good time in eating and giving away
theirs. The spirits OF the truck farmers
are not broken, and many an acre VIII be
cultivated next year that was not this.
Several farmers claim that melons at five
cents apiece will pay better than either
corn or cotton per acre.
Our Academy of Music" grows slowly,
being able to keep up the supply 1t will
be long time yet before the doors Will
be open to theatre-gOers. 1t VIII never
theless be a magnificent structure When
finished.
The Baptist Church building progresses
well, and will be the finest in the city
when completed. The Episcopalians have
completed the repairs on Christ Church IN
this city. and have been wOrshiping III
hn ma fo1 w
| The Mulberry street Meth0dists formally
! took possession Oftheir remodeled building
on last Sabbath, DR.. j. 5. Key officiating,
/ the pastor, DR.. Hinton, being absent. IL
was used a month ago, DIR. W. Z. Harrl-
son preaching the commencement sermon
/ of Wesleyan Female College IN 1t.
| Really it is not entirely completed yet.
/ The steeple is to be covered with slate,
( and the altar and pulpit carpeted. The
/ organ has not yet been put in condition to
/ be used, and several other smaller matters
| have to be finished. The people, however,
! have been wOrshiping in Masonic Hall
/ for something over year, and they were
/ anxious to get back home, and were will
/ ing to subject themselves to some incon-
| venience to get into their own church
/ building again.
| The city looks lonely. All the colleges
and schools have closed and the pupils
/ scattered over the State; and it is said
/ that more people have gone away on re-
1 creative trips than ever before. Some few
/ have returned. and are telling of the de-
! lightful seasons abroad, while the can't
4 getaways are assuming phllosOphic airs,
I and say that the present has been one of
/ the most pleasant summers IN many
/ years.
/ The Legislature comes in for some pref
/ ty sharp criticism. Their work is not
/ near done and yet the heated term is get
| ting toward the close. They may have to
/ order their winter clothing before they get
/ through. Hon. n. f. Harris, one of our
/ members, was down and spent Sunday
with his family.
The building boom has had no let-up
even during the dog days, and many more
| structures are contracted for to go up
this fall. The sidewalk ordinance, which
caused considerable cOmmOtiOn among
/ some of our citizens, is being complied
with pretty generally, although many per-
sons do so under protest. This question
has been raised: ''What right has the
City Council to force a citizen to improve
the city's propertyT' The sidewalk as
we'll as the street belongs to the city, and
they claim jurisdiction over it and are re-
spOnsible for its defects, for if any one
| should be injured on any sidewalk they
| never think of suing the owner of the adj
Joining property, but the city, for dam.
ages. And why should A be compelled
/ by city authority to eXpend out of his
scanty earnings S75 or 500 to construct a
| walk for the benefit of B, { and d? BY
the same parity of reasoning the city
fathers might call upon each property
| owner to grade and keep up the streets in
| front of their property and build sewers
/ along their lines. In point of equity
I they might as well demand all this as to
demand the keeping up of the sidewalks.
The one is just as much the clty's prop
! erty as the other. These and kindred
questions are discussed by our citizens
these hot summer days. Another subject
I is also claiming public attention, that of
| a market house. 4 bill is before the Leg
islature, granting the city authority to
issue $4,000 worth Of bonds for the pur-
pose of erecting a market house. OuG
/ past experience with bonds has aWak-
/ ened quite an antagOniStic feeling among
our people. If the bill should become a
( law, the judgement of some of our shrewd-
est men is, that the people would vote it
down when they come to express their
opinion upon the subject. The truth is,
the bond question is a sore one with our
citizens. All agree that a market house
is needed, and that it is disgrace that a
city of this size has not one already,
but they are divided as to
/ the method OF getting one.
There are a number of gentlemen in
| the city with ample means who say they
! will build a market house equal to the
1 demands of the city for $4,000 il theScity
| will only furnish the ground to build
upon, and at the end Of twenty years turn
over the whole structure to the city au-
thOrities unencumbered. Others contend
| that with JudiciOus management of the
finances the Council viii have sufficient
means to erect a market house ample for
the wants of the community without any
additional tax. If necessity required in
the future more room the buildings
could be added to without increas-
/ ing the city's Indebtedness. Others,
upon what grounds | know not, claim
that they see a job in the issuing of
$4,000 worth of bonds. At all events
there is a great diversity of opinion on the
subject and the bonds will be doomed if
they are ever submitted to a popular vote.
The ides of November will tell.
The Ecening Graphic, which succumbed
to the pressure of adverse surroundings
about two months ago, was sold to-day
by the Sheriff on foreclosure of a mortgage
held by DR.. w. II. Cummings, of Atlanta.
/ 1t brought only 81 200 and was knocked
off to the mortgage, DR.. Cummings.
| What will be done with the material is
not known. 1t was rumored on the streets
that an attaclte OF the Atlanta COnStitu-
ton was going to purchase 1t but he did
not make MS appearance GO-udy. II WAS
also stated that Mr.. j. T. Boifeuillet, the
former editor, was going to get possession
! of it. He was not present at the sale,
( and it is now supposed that it will be dis
posed of by DR.. Cummings at private
sale.
Mai. A. W. Reese, formerly of the Ma
con telegraph, has returned from a Eu-
rOpean trip somewhat improved in health.
JACK PLANE.
The Alexander II. Stephens Monument.