The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-12-22
THE GEORGIA HUMORIST
AN INSIGHT INTO THE EARLY HISTORY
OF GEORGIA.

Counties Named For Governors---some In
teresting Facts About Old Bulloch and
| tho Man for Whom the County Was
Named.
Just one hundred years ago Bulloch
county was laid off and named for
Governor Archibald Bulloch-no, not
governor, but president of the execu-
tive council of the province. He was
the last man who held this office under
the king and the first who ever read
the declaration of independence in
Georgia. On the 10th of August,
l776, Mr.. Bulloch received this decla-
ration from John Hancock, and imme-
diately convened the executive council
in Savannah, and after reading it to
that body they proceeded to the public
square and read it to a great concourse
Of people. A liberty pole was erected
near by. The soldiers came out in
dress parade, and after the reading
they fired their guns in platoons, and
the people cheered long and loud.
From there they marched to the bat
terry and the declaration was read
again by Mr.. Bulloch. Then they
dined under the cedar trees and drank
to the united free and Independent
states Of America. That night the city
was illuminated and they had a solemn
funeral, for, with mutfled drums, they
buried an efigy Of the king, and Lach-
ian Mcintosh acted as priest, and said:
"We commit his political existence to
the ground-corruption to corruption
tyranny to the grave-oppression to
eternal infamy. May he never obtain
resurrection to rule again over these
United States Of America"
No doubt but that Bulloch would
have been governor, for he was great
and noble man: but he died not long
after, and Burton Gwinnett became
the first governor of Georgia under the
constitution of 1777.
l was Illuminating about this scrap OF
history, for I have recently visited
Statesboro, in Bulloch county, and my
reverence for these grand old heroes Of
the revolution was revived and re.
freshed. DR.. johnson said: "That
man is little to be envied whose patri-
otism would not gain force on the
plains of Marathon" And 80 it is well
for us all, both old and young, to read
about these men and about the excl.
ting, perilous times in which they
lived. There is something amusing a.
we'll as heroic in these old records.
While John Martin was governor in
1882 and the legislature was in session
the house passed a resolution direct
ing the governor to purchase for the
use of the assembly twenty-thres
pounds of coffee, $40 pounds of sugar
and forty-two gallons of rum. !
thought of this when I met our distin.
guished citizen, Bob Berner, on the
train hurrying on day behind to his
seat in the legislature. ''Why are you
so late?" said I. ''Well, there was a
very interesting Baptist meeting go.
ing on in our town, and I wanted to
get spiritually prepared fors the hard
work that is, before u.s. If I had not
known his long settled temperate
habits I would have informed him
that some of his colleagues thought
that Atlanta was good place for
spiritual refreshment. One hundred
years ago Jamaica rum was the uni.
versal spirit, and the members of the
Legislature had to be furnished at pub.
lie expense. Berner is a good and
true man and I hope will be our gov
ernor some of these days.
But about Bulloch county and about
Statesboro, the county seat: For half
century and more this town has been
hid out in the woods unhonored and
unsung, but within the last decade it
has taken on new life and is now one
of the prettiest and most prosperous
little towns in Georgia I did not ex.
pect much of pinywoods town and
so was a0reeably surprised to see their
fine new courthouse that cost 800, 900
and their fine brick storehouses with
large plate-glass windows, and their
inviting hotels and commodious town
hall. And 1 saw the round, hoopless
bales of sea island cotton that the
farmers bring into that market from
the adjacent country. There is a wide
belt of chocolate sandy land that Cir
dies good portion of the county and
produces the very best Of long staple
cotton. The farmers are making money
out of this and don't propose to move
anywhere. They are content. A more
delightful and healthy climate can
hardly be found, and the records show
that the people live to great age,
especially the women. From ninety
six to 106 is not very uncommon age
for them. That same sandy, chocolate
land makes the finest cane | ever saw.
and the syrup from it is said to be
better than Florida syrup. A friend
has promised to send me few gallons
put up in bottles and packed like beef
in barrel. They say it keeps better
that way than any other. Ny mouth
waters for it right now and I shall hide
some of it when it gets here, for these
hungry grandchildren will lick it all
up in a week and their grandma will
encourage them in it. Solomon sayi
'the glory of man are his children's
children" but they are the glory of a
woman at my house.
But it was the little railroad that
gave the start to Statesboro. 1t is only
ten miles long and it takes nearly an
hour to make the trip, but it beats no