The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-22
PROSPEROUS cLINcH COUNTY.
NAMED IN HONOR OF THE FATHER
OF COL. J. Fl. VI. CLINCH.

and surplus I'm the County Treas
ury-sOme of the People and Insti-
buttons of the County-HomerviIIe
Boast the First Applicant for
an ONCE Under Col. Estiu ms Gov
ernor.
Clinch county. of which bonneville
is the county seat, was laid OF from
Ware county in 1852 1t was named
after Gen. Duncan L. Clinch, United
States Army, who was commander OF
the army of observation. stationed on
the Southern boundary of Georgia,
when the Spaniards owned Florida.
and who also served with distinction
in the Seminole war. He command
| ed at the battle of Withlacoochee. He
was prominent also in other fields of
action, and was member of Congress
lS4S-45. Our distinguished and cour-
teous fellow citizen, Col. j. II. NJ
| Clinch, is his son.
An examination of the history of
Georgia shows that many of it's cit
liens in olden times were North Car
olinians and virginiansIl and Gen.
Clinch was native of the old North
State. North Carolinians are still
prominent in Georgia affairs, but Vir-
ginians, it seems, have turned their
faces towards the West.
Clinch county may be said to be-
long to the plains country of Georgia.
The land is almost dead level. 1t
is fertile. however, and produces sea
island &c
potatoes, etc. There is still consider
able timber in the county and saw
milling, turpentining and tie-c cutting
are still paying occupations. 1t is.
| also good cattle country, especially
along the margin of the Okefenokee
Swamp.
The people are intelligent and WELL
to-do, taxes are low, and there is a
surplus of $1,000 in the county treas
ury. The court house was built in
1892 at a cost of $1,000, is a large and
substantial brick structure. The pop
ulation of the county, according to the
census of 1900, is 1892. The officers
of the county are: Hon. w. T. Howell.
ordinary; S. A. Sweat, sheriff; Frank
Dickerson, deputy sheriff. S. w. Reg
ister clerk of the court M. M Monk,
tax collector; J. C. Jones, tax receiver.
bonneville, the county seat, is the
center of considerable business. 1t
was settled in 1858, soon after the
building of the Atlantic and Gulf Rail-
road (now the Plant System) to that
point. Its population, by the last
census, was 434 for the town, and
LOBE for the district.
Next to the court house, the most
prominent building is the "duBignon
Polytechnic Institute" instituted in
Fleming G. duBignon of Savannah.
The faculty is Prof. S. P. Settle and
Miss Ola LastingeT and Miss Annie
Mattox. In addition to graded
school, the classics, science, and a
business course are taught. The peo-
pie of Clinch county are justly proud
OF the college. There are now 152 pu-
| pills in attendance. :,
The Clinch County News is the old
paper of the county. 1t has Just
moved into new building and office.
1t is edited by GIN. Dane, Esq, the
| proprietor. -s1,s
The bonneville Journal is new can
| didate for public favor. 1t is edited by
! Messrs. S. w. Register and M E.
Tison. am indebted to Mr.. Dame and
also to Mr.. Tison for kindly courtesies
There are three churches, the Metho-
dist, Rev. J. NJ. Boland; the Baptist
Rev. ]. NJ. Smith, and the Primitive
Baptist.
The Crump House, kept by Mrs
Seward Smith, is the only hotel in the
town. 1t is pleasantly situated in a.
growth of live oaks and other trees
and the garden in front makes 1t a. very
cosy stopping place.
Hon. r. M. Crump is Mayor OF
bonneville, and Hon. Frank b. Sir
mans, chairman of the Democratic Ex-
ecutive Committee.
While l was in bonneville I had the
first personal application for an office
in the event of being elected Governor.
The applicant was the colored barber
Except during court week, that is
twice year. the tonsorial necessities
of the male population are supplied by
opening the shop twice a week. In the
| interim the barber changes the razor
for the broad axe, and hews out rail-
road crossties for living. However,
he is a good barber and bonneville is
| fortunate In having him. Some towns
I have been in have no barber.
There are a number of large business
houses and neat residences in Homer
Vile and the town has prosperous
appearance. The Bell Telephone Com
pany is building a. line through that
| county, which will be of great advan-
tage to the people.
Among the gentlemen I met in
bonneville, besides those ALREADY men
toned. were Messrs. John T. Dane, r.
j. Phillips, j. L. Morgan, VIM. Dane
N. j. Guest, F. M. Guest, Charles Gill
| iican, Freeman F. Walker, Sidney
barley. Jake Corbitt. Hiram Danforth,
Moses Smith, T. Mcmillan; Mr.. McMil-
Ian has been a resident of Clinch coun-
| ty ever since the county was laid off;
r. NJ. Lee, William, Barlow, j. A Jones
of Thelma, Rev. j. A. Osteen, John
Osteen, Dan. Osteen, o. P. Register Of
| Dupont, G. c. Register Of Edith, J. C.
Dix, Jasper Hughes, one of the largest
| farmers in the county, Chas. w. Curry
| of Clinch, Harris Tomlinson, Richard
Corbitt, M. nj. Carswell of Valdosta,
w. H. Penland of Stockton, L. S. Ma
lone, J. r. Dickerson, w. B. North, ].
c. Kirkland; Mr. Kirkland is rs years
old, and one of the five oldest citizens
in the county; DR.. T. E. Pennington;
S. r. Smith of bonneville raised q
barrels OF syrup this year on his farm;
W. B. Grinis, W. ]. REEVES of Argyle,
II. G. Peagler, who is the wealthiest
man in the county, c. F. Brack of Sir
mans and others. ]. H. ESTILL.