The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-28
IN THE BARBECUE REGION.
nY JOEL CHANDLER HAnn1s.


Where Is the barbecue region? 1t is easy to
give you an inkling. Ii you will take down
your map of Georgia, put your finger ON Eaton-
ton, and imagine 1t to be enclosed by a circle
the circumference of which is fifty miles dis
tant,the region thus enclosed NAV be prop
ery described as the barbecue region.
Naturally, the centre of such region ought
to be very smart place, and this is one OF the
characteristics of Eatonton. 1t is perhaps the
hvehest country town to be found in the Unit
cd States of North America. 1t has caught
prosperity as a boy would catch June bug and
the air is full of the buzz of it.
untll you have had the actual experience of
the thing, you can't imagine the delightful
sensation of visiting place where every-
thing that was wholesome and charming in
the old civilization OF the south still tourishes,
and where everything that is hopeful and
stimulating in the new conditions is Seized and
assimilated. Here is old-fashioned refine
ment and hospitality using new-fashioned en-
ergy and enterprise as a motor and the combi-
nation is very powerful one indeed. Here
are dignity and manliness instead of preiu-
dice and provincialism, and the outcome is
rs substantial as could be wished for. Here
the eagerness and the ambition which look
forward to the material development of the
community have not been allowed to obscure
tho elements that made the civilization OF the
old south famous all over the world.
Here the patriarchS do not sit i'll the seat Of
dispair and scowl at the present and the future.
They have tender memories of the past, and
lllHy litVb bncH GnikUTen 10 lSl0eln Der lt
tenderly; they have no favors to ask and
they arc not begging anybody's pardon
for the part they took in the late unpleasant-
ness; but they smile with pride and approval
~ they see Their sons passing and requesting
the beautifully Shaded streets, engaged in
building up the town us it was never built up
before.
And the town Is thoroughly representative
OF the county. Tho farmers complain as
other parties complain, but they go on raising
their own supplies just the same. There is
probably not more prosperous agricultural
community in the state than that Of Putnam;
certainly there is none that Dis
plays more energy and enterprise Tho
relations between the town people and
the farmers arc of the closest. Between the
two there has been for many years a continual
swapping Of interests. The town-rased boys
go out on the farms and tho country raised
boys go into town and keep store and it fire.
quenty happens that the town boys make the
best farmers, while tho country boys make
successful business men.
Just what Putnam can do in an agricultural
way was demonstrated at the Atlanta exposi-
ton last year. The exhibit was not by any
means complete on account of the lack Of
space, but it made a Tremendous impression
on tie minds OF all who saw it, and. to the
very last, 1t was one OF the principal features Of
the exposition.
This Is q very pertinent depression, for the
same forces that made the Putnam exhibit
possible are still at work in the county, and
Is great competition among the farmers in re-
gard to their products, and this competition is
made profitable to all through the medium OF
the Putnam County Agricultural club, which
is probably the most successful society Of the
kind ever organized.
The club Is social as we'll as agricultural,
and, as 1t covers the whole county, IL has sue
ceedod in infusing into the farmers a degree OF
enthusiasm not at all characteristic OF tho
farming class. After tho crop is laid by the
club has monthly reunions, and the feature Of
eac ia reunion is barbecae--not tho ordinary
barbecue made up Of halfcooked meats and
stale bread, but the. genuine old fashioned
barbecue that dilfuses its aroma for miles and
miles around, causing the stranger passing
by to sniff the odorous air and
thank God that he has at last
reached land of plenty, where the milk aud
honey is supplemented by something IN ore sub
stantial
One Of these barbecues occurred In west
Putnum last Friday. There was no limit TO
tho invitations and the entire county was rep
resented. There were probably fifteen hum
dred people in attendance, and to say that
they enjoyed themselves is to employ a con-
ventional expression to describe a delightful
occasion.