The Van Buren press., 1897-07-10
ARP All CENTENNIAL.
Barlow Man Pleased with His
Trip to the Tennessee Show.
VIII Go Back Again soon-Trip
Taught Him Much and lie Tells
of 1t In an Interesting
Manner.

Man never gets too old to learn, and If
be is good learner he is good teacher.
Shakespeare says knowledge is tie
wing with which we fly to Heaven"
and. as Heaven is where we all wish to
go, 1t becomes us to acquire knowledge.
Lord Bacon said knowledge is power
and so it was day well spent, for |
learned much in one day at the Tennes-
see eentennial--so much that | am 60
ing to return very soon and take more
time and acquire more knowledge. l
sometimes think it u great pity that by
the time a man becomes fit to live his
time is out and he has to die. Ii the
old men who have made good use of
their time and talents were given new
lease-another three score years and
ten, and had the vigor of their youth
restored-what q world of wisdom
would they accumulate. We would all
be Solomons and write proverbs. What
farmers we would make; what invent
ors; what teachers; what preachers:
what scientists. Maybe Providence
cut us down to 70 years for fear we
would learn too much of His mysteries
and once again eat the fruit from the
tree of knowledge.
l was Illuminating about this while
listening to the earnest discourse of
Col. Killebrew, who has charge of the
Nashville, Chattanooga & st. Louis and
the Western g. Atlantic railroad eXhib-
it's at the exposition. Now there is a
man who, as Paul said to Timothy, mag
nifes his office. 1t is like going to
school to hear him explain and expatiate
and philosopher upon things that ordi-
narily would attract no special atten-
ton. If every man in charge of spe-
cial exhibit had his enthusiasm the ex-
position would not only be grand sue
cess, but would diffuse more knowledge
among men than any similar display
has ever done.
Now, for instance, when we paused to
look at some tobacco that was hanging
from the rods he said: "That tobacco
grew on very poor land. The best to-
baceo always grows ON poor land In
deed it seems providential that poor
land is good FOR something.
The sandy, gravelly land of Gran
berry county, in north Georgia, grows
the finest tobacco In the world, and it
commands the highest price. The soil
is not rich enough to give it dark
color, and hence it is pale and sickly,
and has the consumption, so to speak.
This tobacco grew upon land that is so
per cent. silica-sandy land-poor,
white land, as your Barlow county
farmers call it-you have lots of it
down there. / have seen it, and it can
be bought for a song, but there is more
money in it than in your valleys and
river bottoms. The sand that is in
Florida soil will make tobacco growing
a success there. / have been expert
menting in tobacco growing and cur
ing for years, and know whereof
speak. There are thousands of acres In
north Georgia that are just suited to it,
and all those poor white lands in Cobb
county are Just waiting for it. Some Of
that land along our railroad that will
not grow corn high enough to shoot an
ear or make n tassel, would grow the
most aristocratic tobacco.
We paused again to look at some
| little pyramids of broken rock, and l
learned that 1t was phosphate-a recent
discovery in counties contiguous to the
railroad. There are millions of it and
millions in it," said the colonel. "As is
usual, these discoveries were accidental.
Some mineral experts were prospecting
for zinc, and were at loss to account
for these singular deposits. They have
had them analysed, and they are pro-
nounced by reliable chemists to be the
very finest grade of phosphate rock,
running from GA to S5 per cent, and
some of the strata are IL feet thick, and
underlie thousands Of acres. There are
no phosphates in Florida that will COM
pare with them, and most Of it can be
mined with a pick-a single hand TAX
ing out six tons day"
After inspecting many kinds of ores
and minerals, such as iron, manganese,
bauxite, gold, silver, ochre, corundum,
etc, much of which was from our coun-
| ty of Barlow, we were shown the great
est variety of useful and ornamental
woods that has ever been exhibited in
this country. And also the variety OF
| farm and garden products is admirable.
| just think of one farmer on little plat
of 25 acres exhibiting 7s specimens that
were grown upon his farm. Seventy
eight different products, useful for man
or beast. And another man sends speci'
mems of 60 different woods that grow
upon his land. Then there are several
| hundred botanical pictures of the flora
of Tennessee that were gathered and
painted and framed by Gen. Kirby
Smith. But il would take too much
space to describe or even to catalogue
the hundreds of interesting things in
this magnificent railroad show. II
would make good exposition of itself
OF course ii has cost money-much
money to get up such an extensive col
lection, but it indicates the far-seeing
policy of Mr.. Thomas, the best railroad
magnate of the south. For two years
past he has had in his employ Col. Kille-
brew, who is without doubt the most
efficient and best educated teacher and
/ promoter of agriculture and mineral
ogy in the state, a man Of large and lib
oral enterprise, a cultured scholar who
can talk science with the scientists and
practical farming with the humblest
farmer. He had charge of both these
departments I'm the first Atlanta expo
sition. He has Travelled muleback ovei
Mexico, inspecting the silver mines fol
their owners. lie has more recently
invaded the homes OF the settlers IL
! Cnl..-.Ln n,l Enr-na nd nthnr r,nrt 1,