The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-20

in the state in point Of territory, and has a
very large frontage on the water line The
expense Of guarding it has been heavy.
Gov. Gordon is absent from Atlanta, and
Judge Nesbit, of the executive department {,
has written the ordinary in reply that IL
would be altogether unnecessary for an
order to be issued exempting the county
from taxes, as the tax collectors have until
Dec, % for the collection Of these taxes,
and that before that time the general assem-
bly, will meet, and that body can take
proper action
The railroads Of the state pay into the
state treasury 100000 in taxes. OF this
amount 500, 900 is in the hands OF the treas
urer and $50, 900 Is still due. The taxes are
! PAYABLE Oct Ist of each year, but even big
! c jrporations are tardy in paying uD. If
| tie taxes are not forthcoming by Oct. l
the comptroller general is invested with the
! power to hold the railroads liable for three
! times the amount of the tax. But the
comptroller general is leuient and
| gives the corporations a chance. One of
the largest railroad corporations in the
south was delinquent until notice was
issued by the comptroller general on Oct.
-. 1t tGen paid up its tax, amounting 10
$4,000. When this notice was issued on
Oct Is notifying delinquents that unless
taxes were paid up by Monday, Oct. %, fl.
fas. would be served upon them, there were
fifteen railroads in the state that had not
paii their taxes. Since then four have
paid up. The last one to pay was the Buena
Vista and Ellaville, which planked down
1924 90 Thursday. This is the last re-
turn that the Buena Vista and EllaVlle will
make as a distinct road, it having been alb
sorbed by the Central.
TIE first school census of Georgia since
1852 has Just been completed. The total
numb r Of children Of school age in Georgia
is $50 2Sl, against 50s, 722 in 1882, an in
crea e Of 81. 059 in six years, or a trihe more
than 10 per cent. According to the late
DR.. Orrs rule, this means an increase OF
about l60, 900 IN the population Of the state.
One Of the most remarkable things about
ths enumeration is the fact that in the
country districts there are more boys than
girls, and in the towns aud cities there
are more girls than boys. There are
some curious things about the proper
tons of the sexes in adjoining neighbor-
hoods. AT Augusta, for instance, among
the white children, there are 2,460 males t.
2,49l females, while at Summerville, not
far off, there are 1913 males to IS females.
There might seem to be something virile in
the climate of SummervIlle, but for the
fact taat among the blacks it is just the
other way-only l57 males to $50 females.
At Brunswick, by the sea, the girls largely
out number the boys, both among
white and black. There are of tho
whites 396 males and AIT females,
and of the colored 403 males to 474
females 1t is just as bad for the boys at ,
Savannah, where there are 900 males and
l,9S3 females, white, and 1929 males and
2, 343 females, colored. Strange to say, how
ever, Chatham county, as q whole, reverses
this proportion among the whites, there be-
ing 2,32S white males and 2,270 white
females in the county. This means a still
larger majority of males in the county out
side the city
The Griffin NetUs tells an exciting bear
story from Erin. A negro name1 Smith
had some hogs in a pen not far from bis
house that he had been fattening with the
intention Of killing them this winter. He
heard a terrible noise out near the pen the
other night that sounded as If some one was
tearing down fence. He quickly jumped
out of bed, lit lamp and hurried out to the
hog pen. Just before he arrived there he
heard the hogs set up terrible squealing,
as if they were being dragged from the pen.
Upon nearer approach he discovered
what he thought to be man with
a hog upon his shoulder, making his
escape across the field. He called to
his wife 10 bring him his gun. She has
tened to obey the command and sHatched
up "a butcher knife also that was upon the
table. Armed with the guu and knife he
proceeded lfnlneuldUely 10 take nearer
route and thereby overtaks the thief. His
wife carried the light and followed in the
rear, bent on assisting in the capture of the
intruder. Before they had gone very far
they came to a dense thickst of woods,
where they lay in ambush, surmising that
the thief would be apt to come in that direc-
ton. They had not waited long before they
heard n loud crashing in the bushes near by,
and to their surprise a large bear suddenly
appeared before them with his prey thrown
across his shoulder. Upon seeing the light
and negrors bruin turned to fee. AS he did
so Smith emptied both barrels of his gun
into his body. The bear threw down
the hog as soon as the gun fired and
with growl turned upon Smith, and be-
fore he was aware of it, had clasped him
around the body, and was hugging him so
tight that he almost lost his breath. Not
losing his presence of mind, however. he
quickly ran his hand into his trousers
pocket, where he had placed the knife, and,
drawing it quickly forth. stabbed the bear
twice. This caused bruin to loose his hold
upon him and make off into the woods
During the scuffle, the bear managed to
give Smith some pretty severe wounds.
His arm and neck were lacerated severely.
He, in company with his wife, who having
become paralyzed with fright. had taken
flight into the field near by, went to the
house and proceeded to bandage up his
wounds II Is thought that this is the same
bear that not long ago created some excite
ment in Butts county.