Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-18
THE ALrAMAHA COUNTRY.

{ - - 4 - VI u II "a ~ ~ b
Plea for Improvement of Georgia'I
Great Rivera Chance for Industri'
Gus Poor Men to Get = Competsncy.
! DOCTORIoWN, Ga, Jan, u.s. 1886,
Edtor -HorniHg Nccs: Having read
with much pleasure the able article from
my friend Capt. William Hughes, and
also the valuable information copied from
the HinesviIle Gazette in reference to the
proposed Improvement Of the Altamahs
river, / think it but right That we, on the
Indian side of the river. should give the
good cause helping band, and before go
ing iurtner perhaps it may be interesting
20 many of your readers 10 know that he
pilots, as they drift Their RATS along this
stream, designate the wesl ern as the ON
! dian" size. and the eastern shore as the
~ biie' side of the river; and this very
place Was the abode OF "A great Indian
medicine man. While eXcavating with
some hands but short Time ago we dug
into quite a number OF Indian graves IN
which we're deposited beads, skulls. bones
and many other trinkets, showing that
the great old doctor was fully as eminent
in his profession as the most celebra-
ted physlcian Of the pres
ent day, and to perpetuate his fame,
this place has been chrstened Doctor
town.
strangers passing through this section
are atruck with the spGrseness OF the set
Elements. Everything looks as primitive
as when the why aboriguese were drly-
en- from the land by the hardy, enterpris-
ing, determined Scotchmen, and others.
fne pioneers who followed the brave
Macintosh did not come TO a new cOun-
nNnHpfInU tn ind thnfr and hR
trees all growing and ready tor them TO
~ under and smoke their Scotch pipes.
No sir. Tney were OF the same metal
as those who crossed the plains, and as
Malcolm OF DObOy would say, "fought the
buffalo Those ScOtchmen came here
with full knowledge that many Difficult
ties were before them, and like brave
men that they were, stood their ground
and fought them through. and by so do
Ing accumulated large fortunes. The
only trouble was that there were so few
OF them IN comparison TO the vast cOun-
try which has renamed here even
to this day almost unnh2bited.
Ihe cause OF this, in my opinion, has
been the lack OF the ereaestof all civil
lzers and developers, viz: good. relia-
bic spOrtation, and % secure this we
call the attention Of our Repre-
in Congress TO put their shoulders to the
w AAti anu ECU eAo Ll4C lfNt07niN app AtAl-
alton to pat GeOrgla's LARGEST ami finest
river, the Altamaha, in complete order.
We nave at present 2 good staunch
steamer, the William N. WadleY, com
manded by descendant of one of GeOr-
gas pioneers, full OF the vim and enter
prise that prompted his iOrcf&thers to seek
home In the wilderness of Georgia. This
good steamer plies regularly from this
place to where the Altamaha meets the
Ocmugee and OcOnee, but the great diff
Guilty lies in the shOal places and other
instructions men the river is low. which
prevents boats from running at the very
season Of the year when turpenfine aud
resin IS most plentiful and should got
market without any DELAY This mSkulf-
icenJ river should not be neglected longer
for IT runs through the best poor mans
NOuntry that 1 know OF. Toe lands are
high and rolling and the soil is gOo6 well
watered with spring branches, excellent
rance for sheep, cattle and hogs; pl oduces
cotton. corn, oats, sugar cane. fruit and
vegetables in abundance, and as for tim
Der, The world cannot beat it, consist
ing OF pine, cypress, ash, oak
poplar, gum, and numerous others,
la fact. the writer had in Atlanta during
the cotton exhibition 81 different varieties
of woods selected from tnls river country.
many IF Them susceptible Of the highest
polish and well calculated tor the manu-
facture of furniture. We hope the govern
ment will furnish the necessary means to
put this nObls river in good order. We
also want about a half million more such
citizens as the MacArthurs, Hughes.
HOwes, Parkers and Barretts; and, by the
y ay, there is an example OF what poor
and industrious man can do in this vast
country through which the Aliamaha
runs The writer knew honest John Bar
rett, above alluded to. something over %
Years ago, when he worked for the Central
railroad as laDOrer, and earned by mis-
constant toll. but scanty living for him.
self ana young family. Bot John was
reared a farmer, AMI lOngvd TO be one
again, and with this intention efc the city
without capital, but win his iudomitable
energy and determination to strike out
from the city and geta farm II possible.
lie accord nglV wandered and worked I'M
til he reached Liberty county, and there
found an opportunity Of buyng a piece of
land and paving for 1t by his labor, which
he succeed ed in dong in very short time,
and from that time until now John has
been his own boss and is now the owner OF
a large body Of land and number Of cat
tie, horses ana hogs. his grOWn-up chill
dren settled around him, and, to use his
own expression. would not he willing TO
exchange places with the president of the
Central railroad.
All industrious men of small means, If
they want TO be independent OF all strikes
and strikers. should 60 INTO the piny
woods country and DO like honest john
Barrett and they VIII never nave cause
TO regret il and in a few years Will place
themselves and families in a position OF
true Independence. "ALTAMAHA.'
UNTOUCHED BY FROST.