The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1884-02-28
An Interesting Letter From
Baker.
Editor Dauson Journal.

Editor DduSon Journal:
l have received two copies of
your paper, and | am much pleas
ed; you are doing good work for
your town and county, and for
South West Georgia, and l hope
you will meet with a rich reward
for your labor in building up this
section of the state. You have a
live town, and no people I have
ever met are more deserving than
the people of Dawson. They
ought to, and will succeed in build
ing up a town or city, second to
none IN the state for enterprise.
Your people are willing and able
to set on foot any enterprise that
viii be conducive 10 the welfare Of
your town.
AS Tor our county, away down
in the dark corner, we are still
plodlng along much after the same
old style, we SOW and plant, reap
and gather, and live at home and
stay at the same place; neverthe-
less, we are improving some. The
county has become self-sustaining.
and the people, as a general thing,
are getting out of debt, and all are
looking forward to better times in
the near future. While the peo-
pie as general thing are not
blessed with SO much of this
worlds goods, as some other sec
tons, they are contented and hap
Ply with what they have.
Now is the time to commence
the planting of the crop of corn
for the year 1884; and, it is time to
make preparation for the cotton
crop; just at this point l would
like to call attention to few facts
that have been more fully develop
ed during the past season. don't
desire to offer any advice; there
has been enough of that. But
just now, while we are making
preparations and planting, would
it not be well to remember that
last year was the most disastrous
to the production of cotton of any
year in many, and that while this
is true, that the crop was not re-
duced sufficiently to increase the
price of the product; that the pro-
duction of cotton is not now con-
find to what was understood to be
the cotton belt q few years ago;
that by the use of the chemic Il
fertilizers, they are producing as
much or more cotton to the acre
one hundred and fifty to two hun
bred miles north, as they are in
in the old original cotton belt. In
other words, the cotton belt ex-
tends from one hundred and fifty
to two hundred miles further
north than it did fifteen years ago;
that the great West and South
west are rapidly being opened up
for the culture of cotton, and in
all probability, the product of 'S4
will be one-fourth, and more, per-
haps, larger than the crop of 'S3;
and, if it is a favorable year for
the growth of cotton throughout
the cotton growing sections it is
very probable that this years
crop will be fifty per cent larger
than that of last year. If such
should be the case cotton would
not bring five cents per pound
Can it be produced for that? Not
in this country. Again, would it
not be we'll 20 remember that had
it not been for the abundant
amount of homemade supplies
this country would be to-day in,
nearly, a starving condition? I
think / have given facts in the fore
going, and surely it would be no
harm just to remember-this is
not advice.
1 notice with much pleasure that
the South Ga. Male and Female
College is in a fourishing condi-
ton. This institution has had
very rapid growth, and it will con-
tinue to grow. True merit is sure
of success. The President is one
OF the best educators in the state;
he is not content in slowing the
minds of his pupils with all neces-
sary and useful knowledge, but he
takes good care to train them in
morals also, and the power for
good, he has welded over those
he has educated, will live forever.
His life's labor has not been spent
in vain, and his reward will be
sure. All success to South Ga.
Male and Female College.
Respectfully,