Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-11
on THE CENTRAL AGAIN.
WAYNESBOR AND IFS EARLY
HISTORY.

=
derful Transformatton-A New De-
pArture - Present Statistic Cotton
Receipts - Business Men-Personal-
w. A. wilkins Artesisn Well - Nil
Desperandum-A Splendid stock Farm
Confederate Record-CoI. j. X. Stur-
gis-MiIIen-Prospe and Business
Places of the Town-A Divided City
Does Prohibition Prohibit?
Downing his ''seven league boots" the
writer would again invite mis- friends to
accompany him down the track of the
Central railroad from Macon to Waynes.
borO.
1t was on Dec. u, 1912, that the Legisla-
ture passed an act incorporating the town
of WaynesborO, the county seat OF Burke,
and to create board OF commissioners
named In the bill to effect an organization.
On the 7th OF the following month (Janu-
airy, 1879 these commissioners, present,
William stone, George Poythress and
Alexander Carter, assembled at the resi-
dence of Mr.. Stone and chose Geo. POy-
thress their chairman. On motion Mr..
SouthWorth Harlow was appointed secre-
tary.
The board then proceeded to order an
election for tive commissioners OF the town
TO be held in the court house at " agnes
bOro, under the usual superintendence
of the law, on the Ito OF the same month.
The day after, Jan. IL, 1913, the board OF
! incorporators again convened, all OF them
being present, viz: Alexander Garter,
samuel Sturges, William stone, John
/ Carpenter, and samuel Garlick.
| Upon receiving the returns of the cleo
! ton ana counting out the votes, it APP
| peared that Samuel Garlick had II votes,
/ oOuthwOrth Harlow IA, A, Carter IA,
! Samuel Sturges Is. William Stone IA, and
/ john Carpenter 3. The hrst five were
| declared duly elected, and it. Was ordered
! that William Stone, Samuel Sturges. and
| SOuthwOrtn Harlow be appointed com
mittee to prepare rules and regulations
Tor the government OF the board.
This original charter, with but few
! changes, has remained in force until the
present time. and the same individuals
| were continued in office for many years.
Afterwards Hon. Thomas NJ. Berrien, a
| brother of the great Senator, Stephen w d.
! BiOunt, }. W. Reynolds, } ohm A. Roberts,
| b. d, Hill, and others, served as members
| of the Town Council, all men OF mark.
SLOW GROWTH.
! For a half century or more Waynes-
| bOro remained ali Insignificant village,
/ deriving its chief support from the fact
/ tnat it was the seat OF Justice for one OF
the most powerful and af1luent counties
! in the State.
Its trade, however, in amount, was
/ mere bagatelle. All the wealthy slave
| owners and large cotton planters trans.
/ acted their business through commission
merchants either in Angus IA or Savannah.
! To one or the other of those cities their
produce was shipped, and with the re-
| turns every article for family or planta-
! ton use was purchased. In those days
! the factor was practically the financial
! agent and banker of the planter, and in
many Instances long years interviewed
without any definite settlement between
the two.
The factor, simply content with his
commissions and the interest upon cash
! advances, literally managed the money
| matters of the ''lOrds OF the soil" who led
lives OF ease and independence at home.
! Ofcourse, thus clrcumsLanced, Waynes-
| borO and other county capitals only re-
ceiVed few crumbs Of patronage during
tue sessions of the Superior Court, on
muster days, and at political gatherings.
With the disastrous results of the war
came a
WONDERFUL TRANSPORTATION,
: Stripped OF tnelr slaves, their lands in
| many instances encountered, and un-
| trained in the other avocations OF life.
many of the noblesse of the county lapsed
iutO ruin, and not few sank into prema-
! ture graves.
those who could do so abandoned their
! desOlate homes and sought refuge in the
towns and villages. A majority of the
| plantations changed owners or were
tenanted out TO the freedmen. Hence the
rapid growth and increased trade OF
WaynesborO. Burke is the largest cotton
producing county In the State, and nearly
/ every bale is marketed here.
Many of the young men after the war
went into mercantile pursuits in their
own town, and others moved in also from
abroad. The people do all their trading
at home, and as consequence the streets
and often the very sid walks, are crowded
with cotton bales, and at this season OF
the year the hustle and business notice.
able equals that OF place four times as
populous.
IMPROVEMENTS AND STATISTICS.
The business portion OF the town il
handsomely built of brick. 1t contains
LOO inhabitants, six churches, one
academy, several private and two colored
schools, tour physicians, and ten lawyers
The cotton receipts vary from 5000 to
20, 900 bales per annum,
The principal firms are, in general
merchandise--S. A. Gray, WIKI ns, Neely
Il Jones, j. IL. Mackenzie, W. McCathern,
ii. Franklin, ;. A. Corker, and FuIcher d
Co.
Tinware and stoves-H. Harp.
Drugs-A. &. Whitehead & Co.
Millinery and fancy goods and notions
Mrs. L. j. Underwood.
Harness and shoe snOp-L. s. Foster.
WHeelwrights and carriage and wagon
shOps-Mr. Sanders, who does an eX en-.
sive business, and James Prescott. There
are others not remembered. Tnese are all
readers of the NEWS. The town is also
graced by fine brick hotel and news
paper,
THE TRUE CITIZEN,
ably conducted by Sullivan Brothers, aud
| held justly in high esteem.
OF the merchants, Mr.. 5. A. Gray has
been in business here ever since 1854 HIS
store is divided into four separate depart.
ments, embracing dry goods, heavy
groceries, drugs, and buggies and wagons
His annual sales foot up $4,000. Mr..
Gray is also one of the largest planters
in the county, running nifty plows and
owning 5000 acres OF land. His crop Will
yield between 400 and 500 bales.
The biggest mercantile establishment
in WaynesbOrO, however. is that OF
! wilkins, Nicely Il Jones. The latter two
are sons in-law OF the hes0 OF the firm.
These gentlemen sell 100000 worth OF
goods a year, and handle 5000 bales OF
/ cotton. Every article known IN the Vari.