The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-10
NO END OF PIETY THERE.
a GEORGIA TOWN WHERE ALL rs
PRAYER AND PRAISE.
viii Hands Must Pray BEFORE Going to Work.
Hotel Guests Must Attend Family Prayers
Might and Morning, and There's Nothins

town In Worth county, in the heart OF the piney
woods region, about sevcnty.lve miles below
Macon, on the Georgia southern and Florida
Railroad. 1t now has the reputation of being
the most intensely religious town In Georgia,
and 1t Is doubtful II n state Of affairs similar
to that existing in Ashburn can be found in
any other town in tho country.
A short distance from the present town is the
site of old Warwick. once VIGOROUSLY the
toughest town In southern Georgia. 1t was
held up as a reproach on the ~quietude Of the
wireGrass towns, where. but for an occasional
lynchinE, matters moved monotonously along
all the year round. Warwick consisted of a
single store conducted b. n man named
Warwick. h daredevil. who built his log house
of two apartments and a shed room just at the
junction OF the counties, Worth, Irwin, and
Dooley, SO that one-half the main building was
In Worth, the other half in Dooley, and the big
shed room in Irwin. Warwick carried In stock
everything from grindstones to cambria nee
dies, and his customers rode horseback from
twenty-five to thirty miles around to barter
small produce for his goods. In the buck room
he kept the moanest quality of liquor that ever
emansted from the skilled hands of a country
r%ectifer, and this was ono of the main attrac-
tons on Saturdays and Justice Court days for
the crowd that generally Assembled there to
drink and carouse. to witness pitched battles be-
tween country DULLES. to hold the elections. and
to try cases of sheep stealing and other small
infractions Of the law.
Warwick had an Unborn antipathy to perform.
ing his share of road duty or paying taxes, and
for that reason he built his house so that when
the Worth county officials threatened to swOop
down upon him he would move into the other
end OF his shanty, and when the Dooley county
Sheriff threatened to levy on his stock in trade
he would move over into the shed room in Ir-
win ana defy them. He managed to keep on
the good side OF at least one Of the three sets
Of officials, 30 that they never found 1t possible
to make a concerted raid OIL him, and he re-
manned in business there until about ten years
ago. when the railroad was surveyed through
that country, and the stakes were set not far
from his shanty. Then he pulled up and moved
away to a more congenial atmosphere.
Meantime a great tidal wave OF temperance
had swept over the State, and Worth, Dooley,
Irwin, and al the adjoining counties adopted
the local option law, which amounted to q prohi-
bition of the liuuor traffic. Ashburn wa near
the site Of old Warwick. and fell heirSo all War
wick's wild and wicked ways. 1t was noted for
the amount of blind tiger liquor sold there.
the crack of the rifle might be heard at all hours
of the night. gambling ran riot, and the gam
olers defed the county Grand Jurics and the
municipal authorities, and the scum of the tur.
peptine and timber region congregated around
the big lumber mill erected there by J. s. Belts
81 Co.. wealthy operators, who employed about
500 hands. Ten or o dozen stores sprang up,
and the population soon amounted TO bet eeu
1900 and 1000. twothirds OF the male inhabi-
tants being engaged either in the turpentinc or
timber business. and VIGOROUSLY the hardest
class OF citizens in the State. Murder and rob-
berry were not infrcqucnt, and the name of Ash
burn became Synonymous with all sorts OF
wickedness. Travelling men dreaded to go
Z here and nNnpla lnpL.el ,,pnp II os n nj 4, "A tln.
nan oeen given over TO the devices OF the evil
one.
About two years ago there appeared in Ash
burn a nleek'Iooking country newspaper man
named Smith. He decided 10 start "a weekly
.herc, and the first copy Of the Ashhurn 1drance
was hailed with delight BY the progressive men
of the town. Smith became u hail fellow well
met, and he could tell the best story OF all the
crowd that nightly assembled in the rear of a
he was voted . Jolly GOOD fellow by the ,oushs
change came over the spirit Of his editorial
dreams, and the Adrnnce blossomed out as one
in the state. smith Fad BEEN converted. His
editorial columns fairly blazed with warnings
band liquor traf,in and other varictics OF Wick
edness prevalent in Ashbnrn. and his local
of the deviltry going on from week TO week. to-
gether with the proceedings In detail Of every
! sunddsyy SCHOOL gathering dnar a,,, in The county; lie
!. the more law;abiding element soon became
0 nightly wrough: up over his uticrances.
$ The rough clement threatened 20 drive him
/, out, but Smith was a fearless fellow and dct!cd
=. were embo!dened by his example and they took
up the cry OF reform. AT about that time a
n spark from a passing locomotive fell In Il pile
. OF resin refuse and in q twinkling n Irry tor.
i nado had swept over the business portion of
: the town, leaving 1t but u heap OF smoking EN-
Z bcrs. Smith seized he opportunity and preached
a judgment through the oolGmns OF the ,Adrdncr
! and hurled ,nyettivcs against the goddess ways
r Just then there arrived on the scene an timer
mt Methodist, preacher, who began u hold ser.
hearers and there came a change. People pro-
= fessed conversion and soon the entire town was
I smith AS one of the leading spirits. The
. gamblers and blind tiger, liquor dealers were
Z driven out Of tom. the bad woinon received
twenty. four hours notice to 60 ana n now Coun.
!. eli was elected, consisting Of the strongest pro.
i the town. Alter being The most goddess place
v in Georgia, Ashburn hccnlnc the mo, religious.
Q burn a few weeks ago and SCI, JUS, how far the
change had gone. Late In the afternoon he
9 took his way from the station to the Aslburn
himself took his place AT tho head Of tho table,
9 ana o,h wH'f ,Tay wHra .c' VIII seE a gas; ,irn"t cnm,.
: handing silence the landlord proceeded 10 say
!, o "Now, my trion's,", said no after concludine
. leave you TO LOOK alter thu house. You'll sous,
Il me, jcst make yosclvcs at home. 1hcr'6 II
protractcd ruoctin' agwine on nt the albor u
ANY o, You y inclined that way" lie rose and
- silence, as the company felt oppressed by the
y piety and propricty OF the house.
But another surprise was IN store. The
writer having finished his supper. walked ont
on The sandy streets 10 see what was gong on
The town was very quiet. Every business
house had closed ito doors ats O'Clock, and only
tho glimmGr OF the watchman's lantern and tht
glare OF the fire in the great llGb pits, where
d the refuse lumber y burned, indicated tho exist
n soon from the direction Of the crush nrbol
d came the sounds OF prsocr and praise. From
10 the cabins in the quarter w!iGrC TIC negro mil
nj songs and at intervals tho fcrvid oratoly Of I
colored eyhorter.
- the writer returned to the hotel prepared tC
y retire to his room. The black porter met hin
ID at the door and with Il grin invited him in.
RI DE boss Ii des waitin' 10 20, sub. TO come
In 10 pra's.'".
u ITO family pr'ar. sub. We has dat heal
ey'y night and ma wnin.'
In In. main room the other guests were en-