The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-06-10


talk science with the scientist and
practical farming with the humblest
farmer. He had charge of both these
departments in the first Atlanta expo
sition. He has travelled mule-back
over Mexico, inspecting the silver
mines for their owners. He has more
recently invaded the homes of the set 4
tiers in Colorado and Kansas and other
northwestern states and communed
with them about our climate and lands
and laws, and they listened to
him gladly, and the result has
been the location of 1,5OO fami-
lies along the line of this railroad from
Nashville to Atlanta. Fifteen hun
dred families within the past Two
years, and the cry is, "Still they
come" He is the most ardent and
the most successful colonizer in all
the south. He is the best talker
ever listened to, the most earnest, con-
vincing and entertaining; and yet he
has no land for sale nor any interest
in the sales. His work is for the
railroad and for humanity. The
condition of thousands of those west I,
ern settlers is most pitiful. Think OF
1OG horses selling at auction for S87,
less than 81 head. Think of LOCO
selling for less than $1,000. And so
these people are closing ont and COM
ing to Tennessee and Georgia and buy
ing small tracts of land within easy
reach of the railroad, and in fyy
wears time these 1,500 families will
probably ship their products of grain
and hay and meat and mules to an
amount that will give for each family
an average of s1OO in freights to the /.
road, This alone will make $50, 0G0
per annum to be added to the freight
business of the road. This is Mr..
Thomas's far-seeing policy. Within
five years time it is expected that
10, 900 families will be located-trans-
ferred from the cyclones and droughts
and billiards of the west to the gs.5ss
climate of the south.
We see that the SeabcsEa line is
now pursuing the sans policy. The
Georgia Southern and Florida railroad
began it years ago, and improved
Cyclonetta as an object lesson to emil
grants to show them what could be
done. It was successful experiment,
lad Mr.. Sparks showed his wisdom
and sagacity, but the roads creditors
forced it into the courts and crippled
its resources, and even made war upon
Mr.. Sparks for his so-called extrava-
gauce.
But had only day to spare at the
centennial, and all of that was spent
in one building, for could not get
away from it. 1t is thing of beauty,
as we'll as of interest and instruction,
for the Ornamental work that graces
the arches and pillars and cornices is
most lovely and elaborate-a masters
hand has planned and executed. There,
too, is the plaster bust of Mr.. Thomas
and his handsome portrait on the
wall, that were presented to him by
his employees as graceful tribute I
and an evidence of their devotion to
him. What blessed thing it is In
these days of strikes, and wrecks, and
receivers and of war to the knife be-
tween capital and laborer, to find Q
man-a magnate-who controls thou
sands of men, doing it so peacefully
and considerately, and at all times
sharing their respect and their devo- {
tion.
1 shall return again next week and
take in the exposition. I wish to
spend one day in that Parthenon, the
most exquisitely beautiful gem of
architecture ever saw, and its walls
are adorned with paintings-great
works of art by the modern masters,
and that many of them that cost thou
sands of dollars, have been loaned by
their owners to encourage the exposi-
ton and implant love of art among
our people. Let everyone who can go
visit this admirable exhibition. Let
every family man take his wife, or his
son, or his daughter, for it will pay In
the long run. Sidney Smith said that
the companionship of beautiful and
yirtuous, woman was classic educa-
ton. Just so it is an education to
visit the exposition and study these
object lessons and listen to the sweet
and soothing music and rest under the
shade of the trees.-BLL ARP in At
lanta Constitution.