The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-04
RESTFUL, HEALTHFUL,
AND PROSPEROUS.
Habersham County, and Its Agriculture, Manufactur
ing and Social Condftions-Its Old
and New Towns
BY j. H. ESTLL.
BY J. H. ESTILL.

Habersham is familiar name to
low countrymen. especially to Savan-
nahians. 1t is homelke. but that is
not all. Habersham county itself has
been the resting and trysting place for
well-to-do people from the low coun-
try for hundred years.
never was in Habersham until the
railroad made it an easy going trip,
but 1 have heard stories of the olden
time when people travelled in stages
and wagons from Augusta and Ath-
ems, to Gainesville. These were doubt
less very enjoyable occasions. barring
accidents and bad weather.
During my campaign 1 had some ex-
perience with the old time way of trav-
cling, through snow and sleet. wind
and rain storms, equaling our worst
equinoctials; fording rock-bottomed
rivers, the currents of which run like
mill races, and driving along preci-
pitous mountain sides. AS reminis-
cences they are pleasant; as realities
they were not altogether so.
w uSu We pciooCO eAAC rams NilC Nebh-
yons of Tallulah were echoing with
the sounds of blasts that were tearing
it's rocks asunder to provide a road
bed for the extension of the Cornelia
and Tallulah Falls Railroad to Clayton
and thence into North Carolina. The
town of Tallulah has quite a business
in addition to that of caring for visi-
tors at it's hotels.
Leaving TalluIah Falls. we drove
through a beautiful mountainous coun-
try to Turnerville. There we discarded
the surrey and boarded a train which
was to take US to Gainesville, the
county seat of Habersham county, one
of the oldest and best known mountain
towns in Georgia, and the summer home
of many prominent families Of the
state. Savannah is well represented
among it's summer sojourners.
1 was made quite at home at the
Spencer House, kept by Mrs. T. G.
Spencer, where 1 was the guest of my
old friend Capt. Geo. H. Johnston
formerly of Savannah. In my younger
business days Capt. Johnston publish
ed a commercial paper in Savannah.
Another old friend to whom l am in
debted for many courtesies was Capt
S. M. Chestnut, who is one of the most
popular citizens of Habersham. Maj
II. S. Bean formerly of Augusta also
took a great interest in my campaign.
Among other friends whom 1 met or
made in Gainesville were, Capt w. j.
Fuller, city marshal, who was my
companion on that drive, mentioned
in an early sketch, over the mountains
to Hiawassee. Messrs. j. l.. q M. York,
Mr.. w. L. Asbury, that veteran
newspaper man, Mr.. Alex Church,
now foreman of the Advertiser,
Col. j. B. Erwin, assistant clerk of
Superior Court, Mr.. E. Barrow, DR..
Henry Rossignol, ex-surgeon in the
Confederate army and T. G. Spencer,
ESQ, the well know hotel keeper and
livery stable man. There were others
but 1 cannot recall their names. Elk
Judge Bleckley had handsome home
in Gainesville, but it has been partial
ly destroyed by fire since my visit, and
go has Mr.. j. Florence Minis and wife,
who whenever they are not in Savan-
nah or Europe are apt to be found
enjoying themselves in their lovely
residence in the town. OF course
Gainesville has a new court house
and a very handsome edif1ce it is. The
Town, however, uOGS HOI SCGHl " NC
progressing as it should and 1 see no
reason why it shouldn't. 1t is a de-
lIghtful place, with refined and hospi-
table population.
The Gainesville Advertiser is the
official organ of Habersham county.
Its editors and proprietors are Mr..
Charles L. Bass and Miss Martha G.
Bass. 1t was established in 1880, by
Mr.. Alex Church, who is now foreman
of the Office.
1 spent the night at Gainesville, and
in the morning drove to Demorest,
comparatively new town, founded in
1888, and named in honor of W. Jen-
nings Demorest, of New York. 1t is
like all towns in this part of Georgia,
we'll up in the world, being 1900 feet
above sea level. The majority of the
inhabitants are from Northern
states, but / was surprised that there
We're not more of them. Mr.. j. 5.
Adams, formerly of Indiana, intro
duced me to his fellow citizens.
Cornelia was our next stopping place.
1t is one of those pretty towns, which
are to be found scattered throughout
the mountain region of Georgia. 1t
has a new and large hotel the Hotel
Grant kept by Mr.. B. w. Grant, which
is built upon a hill overlooking the rail-
road depot. 1t is a picturesque SITUATION
in the midst of beautiful scenery, and
a view from the hotel includes that OF
Mount Yonah which towers among 9TH
ers in the ranges of the Blue Ridge.
The town was named Cornelia in
honor of the late Mrs Cornelia jack
son Barrow, the wife of Hon. Pope
Barrow. and daughter of the late Gen.
H. r. jackson, of Savannah. 1t is the
junction of the Southern Railway and
the Cornelia and Tallulah Falls Rail-
way.
1t has a number of good bust
ness houses and several tlourishing
manufactures, one of which is the
Cornelia Tannery, a new departure in
that line. The tanning is done by
process by which the hides are prac-
tically dressed before they are tanned
The saving in time and material, was
told is in itself a large profit. The
proprietor of the tannery is capt. j.
Cross Mcconnell, who is also the in
ventor of the new process. He took me
over the plant and introduced me TO
his associates and workmen.
Summer tourists will find pleasant
quarters in Cornelia from which they
can make excursions to Bany places
of interest in the neighborhood
I was much surprised by the town
or Toccoa. 1t was my first visit there
In many years; it was then very
shabby place, and its only claim lot
Importance was that visitors going 10