The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-19
ATLANTA
AND HER LEADERS
BY WALLACE PUTNAM REED.

Voked bitter opposition from those who
did not understand him and his methods.
Mr.. Atkinson met and overcame his OPP
ponents with so much good temper and
liberality that they soon became his
friends. Even the Atlanta councilman
who was well pummelled by him on the
street for his abusive and insulting per-
sonalities in the council chamber, after
wards remarked publicly IN regard to
his drubbing that he Thought more of
Mr.. Atkinson for It,"
Occasionally 1t is predicted that Mr. At
kinson Will in the near future become
prominent public man in Georgia. I'm
doubtedly he has the ability to achieve
brilliant success in the field of politics,
and the day is coming when, in the south,
as In the nortr, such men will be found in
the highest state and national offices, but
he has thus far shown little taste for pol
itics, and no desire for any of it's honors
and rewards. What he may do In the fu-
ture remains to be seen. At present he
is too busy in proving the practically
and public utility of his big schemes to
waste time on such an 'irridescent
dream as politics.
President ]. X. Orr of the Atlanta
chamber of commerce is starting a move
ment which bids fair to be of inealcula-
Bile benefit and prof. to Georgia.
He has appealed to the cities and coun-
ties of the state to raise a fund, to be
equalled by Atlanta's contribution, for
the purpose of attracting a desirable
class of comparatively well-to-do immi-
grants from the north and west, especial
ly from those localities in which the
farmers are dissatisfied with the climate,
and show a disposition to seek new
homes.
President Orr favors the publication of
an attractive and instructive book,
Georgia Illustrated" and the further
publication of the proper kind of write
ups in the papers and periodicals which
go into the homes of the northern and
western farmers and command their con-
hdence In a little booklet distributed
throughout the state he shows that the
time is ripe for this movement, and that
it will be successful if 1t has the support
1t deserves. Leading citizens from every
county in the state will discuss the mat
ter at banquet at the Piedmont hotel
here, in the latter part of January.
The proposed movement is quite popu-
lar, and practical, conservative men Ie-
lieve that it will pan out satisfactorily.
At a time when Lee is placed In New
Yorks hall of fame and Mississippi
places In hers a portrait of Lincoln, and
is now discussing the request of some
of her citizens to add that of General
II CdIiOl Dt StblNA llldl oVNtiOhcii-
ism amounts to much, and certainly not
in Georgia, where ex-federal soldiers are
popular in social and business circles,
when they come down here singly, and
are successful in building such flourish
ing cities as Fitzgerald, when they set
tie here in colonies.
President Orr is the very man to start
the necessary in formation. public spirit,
and enthusiasm. His talk and his writ
ings are forceful and magnetic. He
wants to tell the outside world the
truth. and nothing but the truth about
Georgia, and he cannot fail to favorably
impress our northern and western friends.
One of our greatest needs is a larger
white population composed of moral, in
dustrious, self-supporting citizens; Ameri-
can by birth, or, at least, American in
spirit, sympathy and interest. The men
who are instrumental in bringing mil
lion of such settlers to Georgia in the
next few years will be hailed as states
man. and be remembered as such-per-
haps rewarded and honored with civic
crowns. At a later day 1t may be said
of President Orr that "he builded better
than he knew"