The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-05-14
ARP AT HOME AGAIN.
BILL HAS Some REMARKS TO MAKE
ONPOLITICAL RINGS.
He Has Not Heard from the Judges-a Mon
ument to Eli Whitney, the Inventor
of the Cotton Gin.

of the Cotton Gin.
1t is worth going away from home to
return again and find welcome from
kindred and friends. 1t was long, weary
ride, but every mile stone was a comfort
and every station gave hope and faith that
no accident would befall us. We had one
alarm when nearing Palatka, for the woods
were on fire and the wind was blowing the
leaping flames across the track. The engi-
neer halted his train and heSltated Alter a
brief interview with the conductor the train
was backed quarter of mile, the WIN
dows were all put down, the vestibules
closed the steam put on to its full power
and away we went to run the fiery gauntlet
at the rate of a mile a minute. But 1t was
hot-intensely hot. Though the glass kept
out the flames, it did not keep out the
heat. If the run had been a little longer
every pane would have shivered and the
cars would have caught on fire. but still
every passenger was willing to make the
race. Who does not like to ride mile
minute and take the chances? Even the
engineer will do it if he is permitted. How
proud he is to be pointed out as the man
who took the lightning train from Jackson
vile to New York. He is a hero-he is.
We reached home at 10 o'clock at night
and found the family mansion all lighted up
and the kindred on the verandah and old
Aunt Ann and Uncle Sam in the background
and the big dog and the little dog alert, for
they, too. seemed to expect us, and
for a while there was a shower OF kisses
and howdys and welcomes and barkings and
waggings of canine tails.
But it was sad to see the havoc that the
great freeze had made. Intense heat ana
intense cold must be close akin, Tor all
along the route from Jacksonville the dead
and withered leaves the treetops and
among the shrubbery gave an appearance OF
fire instead of a freeze and when we sur
fN1rr,6j mo n
found not a green leaf left-no fruit, no
plums, no garden coming on strawberries
paralyzed raspberries killed to the roots,
grape vines scorched, for what the freeze
had left of vegetation the hail that came
a week after finished the work Of destruc-
What a wonderful power is in nature to
restore herself and make good her losses.
1t has been but three weeks since we reach
trees are all in leaf again-the grass Is
green, the Strawberries are giving us some
fruit, the garden has beans in bloom ana
peas in the pod and potatoes big enough to
steal few. L always steal few before
breakfast, just as a surprise, you know.
Just to hear my wife eXclaim when zen Aunt attna
We had been luXuriating on all these things
for months in Florida, but there is moth
mentioning Florida, for have been adj
monished to let up on Clear Water. [ am
at home in old Georgia now and we are
happy. We came from spring to spring,
over a long. hard winter We had straw
berries from the 10th of January to the
good Lord spares our lives and our people
make another good crop and congress pass
es the tariff bill and that CoXey gang don't
bust up the government, we calculate on
spending the next winter in Florida just to
save winter clothes and blankets and coal
and horse feed if nothing else. But [ beg
pardon-I am on FLORIDA again. Senator
Harris says that he thinks now they will get
to a vote on the tariff within five or six
o;,,lr- tlo doh 70 will
not take longer than six weeks. Merciful
heaven--oh, for a Cromwell to dissolve that
senators all made up their minds? Do they
expect to change a single vote by debat-
ing? Is taare a constituent in all the land
who wants more talking done? Is there
anybody who will read another speech?
Then why debate? Why not vote and be
done with it? Verify, Nero is Kidding
I had n letter yesterday from friend
who says there is no truth in the charge
among the people that there is courthouse
ring in Georgia and that If there is it is not
ring for Atkinson t,i9son 70 for sd tW9-
t tors are for t5ie Evans Evans We'll, we are
gratfied to have it denied by somebody.
would deny it for the sake of their own
reputation, but they have not done so in
public l had not heard that the ring was
committed to Atkinson, but that it was
ring for themselves and do know that
there is some foundation for the charge.
Maybe it has bursted L hope so. AS for
General Evans and Mr.. Atkinson, | know
many good men who would be perfectly
content with either as our governor, and
who lament the bitterness of the canvass.
Can't these 2X4 editors and politicians con,
duct the canvass in d gentlemanly way ana
be proud that we have two such men IN
Georgia? In the grand old days when Pat
rick Henry and John Randolph ran against
each other for congress the people focKeo
to hear them from far and near and at
a of
speaking and their overwhelming eloqnence
had thrilled and charmed the multitude,
their arms and carried them on their
shoulders round and round, shouting as
they went: These are NIrglnlaS sons, OF
whom we all proud, ana they snall not
separate US" Cannot a Georgia patriot say
the same about our candidates? Has either
done anything. of which we are e., ashame 4di
and vituperation. After all, IS
not a matter of life or death or of any great
either, and it is a comfort to know that
we have SO many men in Georgia VINO
Of Mot them ma There IS not county and hard
ly a town that could not turnlSA one or
more statesmen in whose hands the CON-
! political adversaries is unworthy of any
gentleman, and [ wouldn't trust the man
who is. He is a machine politician, and IS al
catch the ignorant and unsuspectlnS. IT is
just such men who keep good men from rom
scandal that would follow.
And now to change the unwelcome subject
and to do justice tho the heavens fall, will
you please publish the following letter
which | have received from a true and
noble woman--a Georgian now living at
Winston, N. c. I have investigated such
histories as at my command, and find
nothing that reflects upon the honor and
good faith of Eli Whitney. l find that in
Georgia it was asserted that he was not
the inventor, but that it had already been
used in Switzerland and that he had sixty
law suits before he Secuerd favorable
verdict. South Carolina, however, did pay
him 50,000 and North Carolina gave him
royalty every saw used in the state.
But still Miss Boggs may have CLEANED the
true history of the cotton gin, which Ma
caulay said, ''dd more for the power and
progress of the United States than Peter
the Great did for Russia" II Mrs. Greene
was really the genius who suggested 1t and
the patron whose means perfected it, then
let the monument be built to her, as Miss
Boggs suggests. Then let the truth come
to light. Our great historian, G. G. Jones,
is dead but Judge Richard II Clark stu
lives. BILL ARP.
The following is the letter:
"Major Charles H. Smith, CartersVllle, Ga
Dear Major: Born and bred in Georgia,
your contributions to literature have Deen d
source of pride as we'll pleasure l. re
Gently obtained from the publishers, copy
of your History of Georgia. While heart
lily join your effort to have our ch1ldren
taught own history as seen by ourselves