The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-19
CONFINEMENT AND WEALTH.
EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY on
EVERY HAND IN COCHRAN.

The Town Made Up of Busy Enter
| .prising PcopIe-Its Location Near
the Center of a Rich Farming Sec
ton Commands Trade Some
of the Mon Who Are the Life and
|. Backbone Of the Place.
There are two railroad routes from
! Savannah to Cochran. one via the Plant
system to Jesup, and thence by the
Southern Hallway, distance of 1859
miles, or by the Central and Wrights-
willie and Tennille Railroad via Tennille
and Empire. distance of 2O6 miles. 1
made the circuit. going one way and
returning the other. In an air line
Cochran is just 125 miles from Savan-
nah. 1t is thirty-nine miles by rail
from Macon. Taking a very early
breakfast in Savannah, you can get to
Cochran in time for dinner, though you
have to wait two hours at Jesup.
On the train / had the pleasure of
meeting my old friend, Hon. George
Odum of Odum, the largest
planter and one of the most influential
citizens of Wayne county. He owns
seven plantations, which, with his
woodlands. comprise $4,000 acres. The
town of Odum, ten miles west of Jesup,
is owned by Mr.. Odum 1t is an i'm
portant station on the Southern Rail-
way, and the center of considerable
trade.
The country on the line of the South
ern Railway shows the same indica-
lions of transition that all of wiregrass
Georgia does; 1t is passing from the
lumber and rosin period to the
farming epoch, and it seems to me that
the change is beneficial with the i'm
provement of the country and develop
ineht Of farming and other industries
the towns increase in population and
business.
l noticed daring the short stop 1
made at Bailey, the county site Of
Appling county, that the town
is iuxuriating in brick stores,
nice hotel and handsome homes 1 met
quite a number of friends and the
friends OF old acquaintance on the
train, which made the distance to
Cochran appear quite short and the
journey very pleasant.
Cochran is situated in about the CEN
ter of Pulaski county. and is surround
ed by prosperous farming commun-
ity, from which It's merchants receive
a large and lucrative trade, not to
mention 5000 to 10000 bales of cotton
annually The business thoroughfare
of the town is lined with substantial
stores and warehouses, and it's mer-
chants have that look which indicates
"contentment and wealth.
The Cochran Banking Company is
the financial institution of the town.
It's officers are DR.. J. J.. Taylor, ptesi-
dent; j. A. Walker, cashier, and j. p.
Peacock, assistant cashier. Though an
off week, as IL were; due to- many citi-
zetis being in attendance at court in
HAwkinsyille, business seemed quite
brisk with the bank.
There is q large cotton mill in oper-
alton, which was built and is owned
by the citizens of Cochran. The other
enterprises of the town are the planning
and variety mill, owned by W. l..
Poole; the saw mill Of Jenkins & Co.,
several ginneries, grist mills and other
Industries.
Cochran has many handsome modern
paiatively new dwellings of Messrs.
c. E. Taylor, j. H, Mullis, j. c. Dun
ham, w. w. Poole j. j. TAYLOR, E.
Cook, ]. P. Fausett, J. B. Peacock,
K A. Thompson, c., Pace, p. l.. Pea
cock. and j. F.. Oberry and the Bap-
tist and Methodist parsonages.
The location of the town is on high
ridge. and the climate is noted for its
salubrity The people are enterprising
and courteous.
The county dispensary system pre-
walls and l was told worked very sat
isfactorily, inasmuch as 1t controls the
liquor traffic, and keeps the profits of
the business at home. The dispensary
store is a neat establishment. and
looked like a drug store, having the
appearance Of Latin labels on the bot
ties.
Peter L. Peacock. ESQ, president of
the Peacock. Hunt & West Company of
Savannah. lives in Cochran. He was
absent from home when l made my
visit, but his son, DIR. j. b. Peacock,
did the honors of the occasion and In
troduced me to his fellow citizens.
BY the census of 1900 the population
of Cochran and suburbs was 2,3S5, and
that of the town proper, 1881.
Cochran's population is now placed at
2.oeo.
A fiourishng public school, the Bap-
fist, Methodist and Christian Churches,
and other advantages. make Cochran
an attractive place for those who are
looking out for new homes.
Among other citizens of Cochran l
had the pleasure of meeting messrs.
w. N. Wynne. Bright Gilbert, W. Il.
Durham. DR. c. r. Taylor, J. Il. Taylor,
Henry Bullard. B. F. Middleton. Chas.
Cox. w. w. Poole. T. S. Ninson. w. b.
Watts, Peter Alderman, Rev, Lamar
Sims, George Gilbert of Eastman, Jno.
l.. McCreary Of Macon, DR.. T. d. Wal
ker.