Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-28
ALBANY ITEMS.
a Progressive Town-succcss Of the Ar
tesian WeIl-Winter Visftors-Crops'


Etc.
CorresDondenes Of the Morning Selos.
/ ALBANY, Ga MAY 26.-The hot atmosphere
has given way to a most delightful breeze
| since the shower on Saturday. The rain came
| opportunity, although too late for mueh o.
| the oats. It has put the ground in excellent
order for the sweet potato draws-thousands
OF them are now being put in the earth.
/ Last week Albany had the Knights Tenn
| plar here. There was q very full turnout q
/ Inc "Plumed Knights" and they maze me
/ impression on the people.
/ bridge question discussed before the BOARD OF
| County Commissioners. Many years ago Col.
/ y. Tiff endeavOred TO get the county 70 put
/ bridge across Flint river at the Point Dut the
/ authorities declined to take any action IN lhe
matter. Col. Tiff applied to the Legi5ilattuTrf'
\ and was granted a charter 70 Duli9 Toll
/ bridge. In order to secure hlmselI ne puT-
/ chased the land on both sides Of the river some
/ distance above and below the present DIluBe'
/ The bridge Was not put IN Ilne 81 any strbSt'
/ bat about half way between Broad anu Iine
/ streets. Perhaps no one at that time thought
/ that Albany would reach Its present ullhen-
/ siOns at 50 early a day, and Col INT was IeIt
/ 10 enjoy the profits Of his Investment. fouF
/ or We years ago Albany discovered that mueh
/ Of her trade from Worth and Mitchell was
seeking other markets, and the cause
! the farmers were cenpeueh 70 pay
! in order TO reach the merchants OF Albany.
| = a
Tiff proposed 70 sell out to the county Tor ~
/ 900. The people took vote on u ana ratlheh
/ the contract by a small majority. Inc county
/ was dcbarre1 from issuing the necessary
| bonds Nv a legal process Thus the.questiOn
stood at the beginning o. tins wear now sun
! dry citizens on the east side Of the river peu-
| ton the County Commissioners 70 open rom
| from the main wagon road leaning from llt
| bridge TO the east bank Of fllnt river. oppp-
| site the foot Of Broad street. THIS road would
/ run through Col. Tits land, ana When opened
/ tfsef HTl0Wn
! RENDER NJ Of Cob Tits reseryation. TINS IS
| the subject discussed to-day, both parties hay-
/ ing employed attorneys T. manage their ~
! tcrcsts. IL has not been decided at TINS writ
| ing. One thing. however, IS certain. Albany
| will have a free bridge.
/ 30 far advanced, with the exception OF oats.
| This crOp suffered greatly by the cold during
| the winter, and then by the recent drought
| which has prevailed in this section. The truck
! is looking well, and especially watermelon
| vines. They are very promising.
FARMING N DOUGHERTY
| does not receive the attention thatit deserves.
| Some plantations like Col. Jordau's. DR.. Hart
| wells. Capt. Forts, and Jake FeDtlletts. are
| kept in splendid order, and show what might
| be done with proper care and attention. The
| soil yields readily to fertilizers and cultiva-
| ton, and yield equal to the best quality
| Of lands in portions of the State. The county
| is cursed, however, with what Is known
| as the cropping system" and some OF the
| finest plautatiO in the county have been
| utterly wrecked ana ruined. Inc process Is
10 rent from ten TO sixty acres 70 q Wlnte man
| or a negro who can command an old horse,
| mule or OK. for so much cotton. These "crop-
| pers" have no means to purchase supplies
| and they 90 to merchants mortgage their
| ''stOck" and give lien on the crop they are
| going to raise. Many Of them get small sup
| ply and 90 TO work. scratch over the ground
| and put in a small crop, but they soon run out
| or provisions. They 90 back to the man who
| had helped them, and he, feeling that he
| would lose all that he has advanced If the crop
| wasn't made, advances a little more on the
| crop 1t Is not unfrequent along IL july or
| August, when the grass is more abundant
! than corn and cotton, that some who have had
| liberal advances abandon the whole thing and
! leave the merchant in the lurch. But even
| when they do 20 through they have nothing
| left after the nominal rent and provision bills
have been pad. During all these years the
| fences have been DESTROYED. the cabins dilapi-
dated. and everything wears the appearance
| of desolation ana ruin.
The practicability of artesian wells for
| Southwest Georgia was clearly demonstrated
by Capt. John p. Fort on his Hickory Level
plantation. near Ducker's station, on the
| BlAkely Extension Railroad. His success thus
prompted the City Council of albany to try
the experiment in this city. and the result
was the famous well No. ]. which now has a
national reputation. and visitors from various
parts of the United states come hither to en-
/ joy its health giving properties. The county,
| the Central Railroad. and the Artesian House
! Company all have wells OF their own. Capt.
! Richard Hobbs is having one sunk near his
I
others 10 different parts OF the city.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACT
has been demonstrated by Capt. John P. Fort.
He had o large pond on his Hickory Level
place. which rendered the premises very
sickly. The digging OF the arteslan well re-
veals the fact that from 70 to 100 feet below
the surface the earth is hOneycOmbed with
| subterranean passages. He conceived the
idea that II he could penetrate the earth to
one OF these passages he might be able to re-
| move the surface water from this pond
through such passage. He went to work and
succeeded. Aside from the labor. which he
hired by the year on the farm, the whole trap
pings did not exceed SIS in cost. He sank
| a pipe, after the manner OF sinking an arte-
sian well. in the lowest point IN the pond. At
a point between fifty and eighty feet below
the surface the drIll struck opening and
the water commenced TO disappear with a
rush and roar. The pond has been emptied Of
/ nearly adj the water, and he has rich cover
ing Of MUGS, which is equal TO the best class Of
fertilizer. He VIII plant the basin with corn
and peas and make an abundant crop. 1t Is q
/ singular sight that withia 200 yards the artc-
{ sian well sends uD stream or pure and deli
/ ciOus water, and here the stagnant and i'm
l pure surface water bearing disease and death
is going down into the bowels Of the same
I earth from whence comes the hfe giving
| stream. Mr.. Fort deserves the thanks Of
/ Southwest Georgia for these discoveries.
The Board Of Trade, and the grand jury Of
I D0u gherty county have a hard time to con
/ troll the railroads and the railroad pools at
I This point. / have no disposition to crltlcise
their action, but 70 mere looker-on' il Is
[ Interesting. X not amusing. These organlZa-
/ tiOu- are composed Of some Of the best men Of
the community. but when men are guided BY
/ self-interest alone. they see things very dif
ferently from what they would otherwise.
/ The warehOusemeu and shippers clamOred
| for a railroad commission They got it. and
/ that commission put down rates 10 q ruiuOus
/ low figure, but they are not content with
| that; they want lower rates still, no matter
| what becomes Of the railroads, and hence they
have tackled the railroad pool, the only safe
| guard left the roads. It seems. according TO
their theory, that organization for seif-prO-
/ lection is right IN every other department Of
/ business except FailrOading. and then il be-
comes exceedingly wicked. There will be an
/ interesting fight on this question in the near
future. and the result viii be looked for with
great interest upon the part Of the people.
THERE IS A MOVE
in reference to the new hotel project. which.
! il is thought. viii prove more successful than
any former one. An offer was made last sat
urday for tbs lot on which the Jewish Svna-
gogue now stands, and it is thought the offer
viii be accepted. If ii is a new hotel is as
sured. Several Chicago gentlemen will be
interested IN Its erection, and operations viii
begin ~ az early day.
I ne Northern visitors who have been spend
ing the winter here have about all left. Many
Of them, before leaving, engaged quarters for
next winter. The outlook now is that lbany
viii have more people than she can take care
Of, unless her hotel facilities are greatly en-
larged. There are several people here from
Florida. and others coming to secure the ben
efts of the artesian water.
albany has a bright future II her citizens
Will only measure up to Rer opportunities
and possibilities. Her magnificent water
power lies untitled, and many other natural
advantages seemingly but little priced 1t .
said that land owners by holding property at
too high figure. drive away those who seek
investment. Property Of every kind is appre-
I eating, but, because of this fact, owners
should not come 70 the conclusion that they
can secure any price that they might ask.
1 There are other places where energy and
capital can find profitable Investment. BY
judiciOus course immigration and enterprise
can be induced to locate in and around this
thriving city. and Albany become what nature
seems 10 have lntended-the great distributing
point for Southern and Southwest Georgia.
5. l..
GuytOn District High school.
GUYToN, Nay 27.-The late session Of the
Savannah District Conference, held at tins
place, had before it the question Of estab-
fishing district high school. OF the history
Of this movement you viii allow me to say it
/ did not originate with the Conference but
/ with gentlemen Of the community, who,
/ while they are not members of any church,
I are deeply interested. every good citizen