The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-28
BY J. H. ESTILL.

ington in New York. which was then
the national capital.
The Scotch-Indian, with a party
of lesser chiefs of the Creeks, trav-
eled overland from Georgia to New
York, and doubtless had, what the boys
CALL "a good time" on the trip and
while in New York, and possibly
painted the town red" After MAX
ing a. treaty with the Indians, Wash
ington, wishing to impress upon them
the greatness of the government, sent
them back to Georgia on a war vessel,
which landed them at the town of St
Marys, from whence they were sent
by boats up the st. Marys
river. When landed in their native
forest McGillivray and his band doubt
less thought Charlton county Git was
then a part of Camden) the loveliest
spot on earth. We all feel that way
when we return home after an out
ing.
In 1896 the Indian title covered
all the country, with certain excep-
tons, south Of the Altamaha river,
and the treaty made with McGillivray
made it good land the territory north
of the Oconee was by the same agree
ment confirmed to the white settlers.
There is no doubt that McGillivray
made good trade for his people, but
they did not think so, and kept UP the
agitation, mixed with a little fighting.
until they lost all their lands, and the
visit of the Scotch chief of the Creek
Indians to President Washington was
of no benefit to his people.
Charlton is the southernmost county
OF Georgian fact, it actually extends
into Florida, it's southern boundary
being on line with the city of Jack
sonville. The reason of this is that
long ago the st. Marys river was sup
posed to flow due west, and so it does
for many miles, but suddenly it turns
directly south for thirty miles and
then west for ten miles, and then di-
rectly north, giving the lower part of
Charlton county the shape of the letter
u" The crookedness of the river
boundary was for many years a source
of trouble to the United States.
Until the building of the Atlantic,
Valdosta and Western Railway and the
short line of the Atlantic Coast Line
from Waycross to Jacksonville a few
years since, the first traversing the
lower, and the last the upper part, the
county was about as far away from
every other place on earth as it could
we'll be.
Fifty years ago a steamboat made
weekly trips from Savannah to Trad
er's Hill, and there were a few wagon
roads into the county from points in
Georgia and Florida, but for all that a
very few outsiders ever ventured into
Charlton county, excepting peddlers
with packs on their backs. The in
crease in population was entirely To-
cal question.
In those days considerable lumber
was cut and f1oated down the river to
the town of ST. Marys, and OCCASION
ally cattle buyers visited the county
and bought stock, which they drove
through the woods to the nearest mar
ket town or railroad station, but even
such trading was limited to a few peo-
pie, and it was not until the advent
of railroads that Charlton county be-
gun to increase in wealth and popula-
ton.
There was once popular impression
that the Okeefinokee swamp about
covered the entire county, and that
idea was encouraged by map makers,
but the truth is, over one-half of Charl-
ton county is high pine land. The
soil is sandy loan and very fertile,
though from it's small cotton crop, 302
bales, it might be thought otherwise.
There is a reason, however, this SEEM
ing lack of agricultural development
population are engaged in getting out
timber and raising cattle. They are a
plain, rugged Woodworking people and
hoSDitable to a fault.
The climate of Charlton is mild in
winter, and the gentle breezes of the
Atlantic ocean, which is from twenty
to thirty miles distant, make it de-
lightful in the summer. There is no
malaria, which, with an abundant sup
nj nf iron and CIIlnhIIr XUa fnr mo 10
it one of the healthiest regions in the
world.
The st. Marys and st. lila rivers,
and Buffalo creek, bold stream in the
upper part of the county, provide good
drainage, as well as a bountiful supply
of fish.
The soil will grow sea island cotton,
sugar cane. tobacco, potatoes. corn,
melons, and all other products that
thrive in sub-tropical Georgia. The
finest peaches brow in this county and
diseases to the fruit or trees are I'M
known. Pears do well, and it is the
country of the orange and the fig. The
woods and clearings abound in deer,
bear, wild turkeys, cartridges, wood
cock, snipe and other game.
There are number of saw mills
along the margin of the Okeefinokee
swamp, and they give employment to
a large number of people.
Traders Hill, Folkston, Moniac, Cut
Ter. Winokur and Uptonville are
places of considerable trade.
The census of 1900 gives Charlton
county by civil divisions the following
population:
Folkston, including FoIkston town. 1893
F'olkston town OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 167
GalneyVllle OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. l94
Traders Hill ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 49f
Thick Branch ...................... 461
WilliSVille Observation-Disclosures. $50
SAUNA .s.s..ss'..'s..s minimum" f5t
TOLEDO ....................... zoo
Total population 1882
The census shows, white. 2,S49, and
colored, 419. From this il will be seen
that there is plenty of room for popu-
lation, and that IL is a white mans
country. The area of the county is
1.O6S square miles $3.50, 800 acres). which,
leaving out that part of the Okeefino-
kee swamp, which in is the county,
makes Charlton about twice the size
OF Chatham county. The county was
laid of from Camden in 1854.
There are twenty-four schools in the