The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-16
A Plnav Woods Cracker.

! The state campaign that closed few
days ago brought into national prominence
| Mr.. Fl. w. J. Ham, who, when quite a
| young man, was citizen Of Savannah.
Among his friends he has always been
! known as a man Of energy and originality.
In his speeches during the state campaign
he gave to the third partyites a name that
has become famous and which promises to
have as lasting place in newspaper htera-
ture a. the words "scallswag" and carpet
Dagger" The word is "snollygoster."
/ According to Mr.. Ham the third partyites
are snollygosters, and that Is the name they
are likely to be known by as long as their
| party has an existence. II a man doesn't
want TO be known TO his descendants as a
snollygoster he should get out of the third
party at once. According TO Mr.. Hams
definition snollygoster is a man who, In
politics. does not so much desire intelligence
and principle as the advancement Of his own
interests at the expense Of others.
The New York papers speak Of Mr.. Ham
as IAN orator from the mountains Of Geora
gia." 1t is true that he is now a resident OF
the mountain section Of the state, but, as
matter Of fact, he is a genuine piney woods
cracker, and was born within a days wagon
ride Of Savannah. The abiding place Of the
genuine Georgia cracker is not far from
Savannah. No better citizens or truer
Americans ever trod the free soil of this
iano than the Georgia crackers. They are
the descendants of revolutionary sires, and
Ia the war OF secession they Furnished no
foes to the cause OF the south. Their ances-
tors settled the country between the OSee-
chez and Altamaha rivers, and maintained
the nselves against the Indians who made
that section Of the state their hunting
ground during the first quarter of this cent
ury. Frugal and industrious, they have
ever had fruitful fields and comfortable
homes.
Before the railroads crossed and recrossed
that strip Of land on which they dwell they
produced at homo about all that WAS neces-
sary for their wants. Their fields and gar
dens furnished their table and the spinning
wheel the cloth from which their clothes
were made. Their surplus products they
brought TO Savannah in their cracker carts
and sold. Those primitive means of trans
portaton are still TO be seen In and around
the market house in this city, but the num-
Der Of them is steadily growing less.
1t was IN one of these cracker carts that
Mr.. Ham came to Savannah when yet a
boy. He grew TO manhood In this city, and
many Of Savannah's citizens remember
what an unusual and original character he
was
He did not find his surroundings entirely
satisfactory, and he returned to the cracker
country aud began the publication of
weekly newspaper. That occupation seemed
to satisfy him, aud he improved the oppor-
tunities which it presented to make himself
known, not only in his immediate locality,
but throughout the state. Self-educated
and with no assistance from outside sources,
he became known as a natural orator and a
strong writer.
An opportunity for lettering his material
condition presenting itself in North
Georgia, he moved to that section OF the
state, where he took charge Of a news
paper, became interested In politics, aud
was elected to the legislature.
The MORNING NEWS cannot let this brief
reference to Mr.. Ham pass without saying
that the Georgia cracker OF the low country
should not be COMPOUNDED with those who
are classed under the head OF Georgia crack
ers. The genuine cracker, the piney woods
farmer, who almost without exception is an
energetic and thrifty man, and law-abid-
ing and God-fearing citizen, brave and hos
pitable, is wholly different from the cracker
spoken of so lightly in the newspapers.
Some of Savannah's best citizens are either
Georgia crackers or their descendants, and
they are justly proud of the fact