The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-06
ALMANAos 1MIsTcR7.

Prof. OtaS AShlOre. teac1er OF natural
science in Chatham Aademy and astrono~
rner for Grier's Almsac, has in his posses
sion q collection of I'D almanacs printed
long before the war. The date Of the Oldest
IA 1885. He has u numbers for nearly
every year from ien up to 1854 These
old almauacs contai great deal OF inter
esting matter upon ommon topics of ante
belInm DAYS. and i fact are valuable for
historical referencdn local matters.
The almanac &c 1885 has on its front
cover, "The George and Carolina Almanac
for 1SS5-by Robot Grier of Butler County,
Georgia" In appearance it differs very
little from the GreT's almanac of the pres
ent day.
Besides the caleldar of the month, it con-
tains directory d general information for
the whole state, alist OF the counties and
country towns, with their population, dis
lance from Milledseville, then the capital OF
the state, and the names of their tax re-
caivers. tax collectors and clerks of the
courts. There was at that time an inferior
ne we'll as superior court. Wilson Lump
kin was governor of Georgia, William A.
Tennille was secretary Of state, Thomas
HAYNES. treasurer; w. W. CRrnes, con-
troiler, and Gen. John Bahune, surveyor
general. o..
court, Of from seven to ele1en counties each.
The Eastern circuit, to wlich Chatham be-
longed. contained nine cdInties-Bulloch,
Camden, Wayne, Glynn, 1cIntosh, Bryan,
Liberty, Effingham and Chatham. William
Law was Judge and w. ]. Stiles solicitor
general Only two term of court were
held in each county, the tgms in Chatham
beginning on the first Moaday in January
and the third Monday In Nay.
M. d{uidad Inn furalura militia
districts, each under the command of a
MAJOR general. Each district was divided
into two brigades, with lrigadier general
each. This gave the stat eleven major
generals and twenty-five bigadier generals
in active service and doubtless a large
number Of colonies. This era doubtless
originated the Georgia col,nel."
There were militia days fixed by law
then, and every able bodied man between
10 and 60 years of age had 70 turn out and
drill
Among the trustees Of franklin college,
the state university, were Hon. John NJ
Berrien Howell Cobb, Richard W. Haber-
sham, Gen. Edward Harden, Henry Jack
son, William H. Jackson, Col. George w.
Owens, Hon. William Sehley and James
NJ. Wayne. The rate of tuition at the col
lege was S3S per annum, payable half
yearly in advance, and il vas stated that
coca DOdTQ COul0 NC ODthluoA ab AICLA 90 W
$l2 per month.
The city government of Savannah in 1885
was as follows:
Mayor, William Thorne Williams; alder
meu. g. w. Owens, George Z. Ash, N. j.
Bayard, Thomas Clark, James Eppinger,
Joseph w. jackson, w. w. Gordon, Will
lam Robertson, P. NJ. Kollock, A. J. c.
Shaw, Thomas Purse, Jacob Schaffer, A
Scudder; clerk Of council. M. Myers.
- a A
Fannin collector of customs.
The South Carolina railroad was the only
railroad in the country then, and had just
been built. Its schedule and rates appear
to be published as information. The first
two lines after heading read: Between
Charleston and Hamburg, S. c., opposite
Augusta; distance 1855 miles, performed in
daylight-from a. m. to 6 p. M" The
fare was cents a mile, or Sc 70 from
Charleston to Hamburg. There was only
one train day each way. The rates OF
freight were IA cents per foot and so cents
per 100 pounds.
A steamboat line ran between Savannah
and Augusta. Some of its rates Of freight
We're: Barrels Of pork, beef and fish, 81 /; OF
-four, rs cents; Of liquor, 81, and all light
barrels IS cents; carriages on four wheels
S25; on two wheels, 80; grindstones, 40
cents per 100 pounds; hogheads of spirits
and molasses, "a each, and the same for a
hogshead of hardware and go on through q
long list.
A directory of South Carolina similar tc
that of Georgia is published. On the lasl
page is printed the names of the officers OF
the federal government. Andrew Jackson
of Tennessee was President, Martin Var
Buren, Of New York Vice President, John
Forsyth of Georgia Secretary of State. Lev
Woodbury. of New Hampshire Secretary OF
the Treasury, Lewis Cass Of Ohio Secretary
Of War, Mahlon Dickerson of New Jersey
Secretary of the Navy, and William T.
Barry Of Kentucky Postmaster General
John Marshall of Virginia was chief justice
Of the supreme court.
A most remarkable feature of the old
almanac is that it contains only one adver.
tsement, and that Of the printer who pub
ilshedit. Business men had not then learned
the road to wealth and fame.
The almanac for 1887 contains list OF
the banks of Georgia and their directors
the large capital OF the banks showing the
wealth that the state possessed over half G
century ago. The Bank of the State OF
Georgia had capital of 81 500, 900, with
headquarters at Savannah and branches al
Mllledgevtlle, Augusta, Macon, Washing
ton, Eatonton and Athens. w. B. Bulloch
OF Savannah was president
The Marine and Fire Insurance Bank
~ ~ odYanuan had capital or &4UO, COO
The Central Railroad and Banking
Company had capital of $3,000,OO0. w.
". Gordon was president. The Planters
BANK OF Savannah had capital Of 81, 900,
UuU. The Bank Of Darien had as
capital stock paid in of $780, 900, the
Bank of Augusta 100000, the Mechanics
Bank Of Augusta $500, 900, the Augusta In.
turance and Banking Company $500, 900
me Bank Of Columbus $500, 600 the Bank
OF Mlllsdgeville 100000, and several others
with $500, 600 capital each. Some of the
smaller places mentioned cannot boast a
oank of any kind now. The Georgia Insur-
ence and Trust Company Of Augusta had q
capital of 100000.
The Steamboat Company of Georgia,
operating between Savannah and Augusta,
mad capital of $4,000.
table of the rates of dockage, wharfage
ana storage at Savannah is published, with
aataole of the customary freights between
view York and Savannah. The freight
Tates appear to have been very moderate.
barrels OF freight were carried at from 6213
cents to 81 each, according to character and
weight OF contents, and boxes, bales and
bundles at from 1919 cents to 90 cents.
HeaVy iron materials were charged at 81
per ton, and brick and tiles at Sc per ton.
me rate by measurement for general
freight was 1215 cents per square foot.
Grler's almanacs have been published
regularly for the last sixty years. They
were usually given away, except dnring the
war, the almanac for 1864 selling for sc
cents.