The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-27
THE OLD HABERSYAM MILLS.
MOST FAMOUS or ITS gTME-A CEN
TURY AND A QUARTER OF
HISTORY.

Clay That Did Not Come OG-Mr.
blake and His Private Art Gallery
in the savannah Theater which
He Bought for Five Thousand
DoIIars-Fhe Enormous Capacity
of the MiIIs-TrOops Supplied Dur
ing the War-LoYy Prices Mt which
Rice Sold in the Early FOrtfes.
The Mills Shut Down for Want of
Rough Rice Enough 10 Pay for
Milling.
The closing of the old Habersham
rice mills, called generally the Upper Rice
Mills. and located on what were formerly
lots three and four west Of West Broad
street, has recalled to the minds of those
connected with them in times past. many
interesting historical facts connected with
the early days Of Savannah.
There were in all, three of these mills.
Min No. 1 was built about 1898. and is now
/ standing on the west-side Of the yard
/ Mil No was built in 1894. and was de-
/ stroyed by fire in 1855, but rebuilt two
| years later in 1857. Mill No. 8 was built
I some tine in the forties, and was burned
/ several years before the destruction of
No. ?, but REBUILT in 1854 or 1855. The mills
were all large three and four story struc-
/ lures, built in a plain old style, of brick,
/ and with sIoping roofs terminating in
/ ridge.
The interesting history attached to this
/ old property has been a wen 10 the Morn
4 ing News by Mr.. william Neyle Haber-
/ sham, in the possession o. whose family
the mills have been for mor.e than CEN
\ fury. The property upon which the pres
/ ent buildings stand was gram ed by the
/ crown in l76l to John Gordon, ana was
/ sold first to James Graham, and al terward
! in 1863 to John Rae, whose sister, Il'abella
/ Rae, married the postmaster general
under Washington, the Hon Joseph Ha-
I bersham. From the Raes, who lived at
splendid country-seat three or four
miles above Savannah, the property went
/ 10 Gen. Ebert, who married a Rae, and
| tradition says he was buried at Rae's
Hall. MIR. Habersham when boy saw
the tombs of the RAGS on the bank of tho
| Savannah river, opposite the head OF
/ Hutchinsons Island. In 1928 the mills
/ passed to Daniel Blake and the Haber-
! shams jointly with Mr.. Blakes sons,
| Daniel and Arthur and are now in pos
session Of the Understands and Mr.. Dan
iel Blake's widow, so the property has
been in the hands of the Understands
now for more than a century and quar-
| ter
described as a prince of man" In
1884 he bought the present Savannah
theater and lot on which 1t stands for
$4,000, which he used a private gallery
of paintings, and like prince he opened
ii to the public. He had his piano there,
and on one accession after being entertain
ed with music by young lady, he sent it
around to the young lady's house Many
of the paintings kept there We're after
ward sold at auction and some of them
adorn the houses of citizens of Savan-
nah now living. One very valuable pic
ture from this collection now hangs in the
home of Gen. A. r. Lawton. 1t is known
as the Andromeda, and represents her
chained to the rock where Perseus came
and released her.
The Blakes and Habershams built three
mills at different times on this property,
and Nos. ], and are now standing, but
two of them have been dismantled The
mills were entirely separate from the
storehouses The storehouses in the lower
yard held more than 10000 of rough rice,
besides clean rice, and on the hill on In
| dian street were warehouses storing sew
eral thousand barrels of clean rice, and
several thousand empty barrels. There
! was also miller's dwelling, and a cooper
yard where all the tierces were made to
supply the mill. In the lower yard were
separate buildings running from to K
The business done was the largest of any
and 1865 turned out more clean rice than
the entire annual crop of Georgia and
Carolina in the last year or two, besides
: large shipments from the mill for the New
} York rice mill and to other points. No
wonder, Mr.. Habersham says, the mills
were closed last June for want of rough
rice enough to pay for the milling
The same Mr.. Blake was an enthusiastic
admirer of Henry Clay, and at one time
when he thought he would be elected presi-
dent, Mr.. Blake fitted up the mill that
stood on the site of the present No. ,, on
River street. and intended to give a ball
( to the citizens of Savannah. But Mr.
t Clay was not elected, the paint faded
away from the walls and ceiling and the
ball never took place.
When the mills came mainly into the
l hands of Robert and William Neyle Hab-
t ersham, they drew almost all the crop
D from the surrounding territory by ad-
r vancing the planters, and buying rough
a rice from the Satilla river, both sides of
I the Savannah river, New river, Combahee
! river. and even from North Carolina.
: Along in 1885, the receipts were so large
! that besides furnishing all the rice con-
I sumed by John Howier's rice mill in New
York, some to other Mills and q large
portion to the lower rice mill in this city.
the three mills turned out 1O0O 900 barrels of
, clean rice which was more than the pres
ent yearly crop of Georgia and Carolina
combined.
e The price of rice varied from 5-s to rs
= of a cent pound in 1912 and lS4S for fair
2 to prime. When rice was ga to rs of a cent
e pound for the primest other products
' sold at corresponding figures Mr. Haber-
: sham bought the finest government lava
coffee at six cents by the single bag: i'm
: ported corn from the Mississippi at 20 to q
e cents there, brought it here and shipped it
e to Boston at profit. Western sea island
e bagsing was bought in Kentucky at to 8
/ cents yard, and brought to Savannah
q where 1t was sold before many months at
0 l6 to II cents yard. Rice before the end
: of the season of 1912, also rose to PIP ia
S 2 81 cents a pound. The mills were filled
!, to the extent of their capacity and yielded
: a very large profit.
= The history of No. mill standing on
: River street is full of interest. 1t mainly
/ made the fortune of the late Mr.. ARK
: wright and the regulations of the I'll
e tons as millers, Maj. N. o. Tilton beina
I then and now considered the best miller
s in the country and his son not one of IN,
1 least. Mr.. Arkwright, by industry. intep
rity and capacity made a fortune hr,,1L4