The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-09


 have attained their growth within the last decade except Geneva. But even Geneva has taken on new life with the coming of the small and industrious farmer and his friend and ally, the railroad The climate about Geneva is superb. The county's climate is per haps not exceeded anywhere in the United States. Time was when the opinion was held further north that | there was nothing but poor and sandy lands in Geneva County. Sandy the lands are, but the sand is mixed with clay. But, poverty stricken the lands are not. Were they poor lands they could not be made to produce the fine crops that they have grown. Were they so poor the industrious farmer could not>have established himself and made the money he has. Were they so poor they certainly could not have been brought to their present high state of cultivation as they have been in many instances.
 Take, for instance, the farm of Mennice Menefee, a farmer living near the town of Geneva. Mir. Menefee had brag patch of cotton on which he tried to see just what could be done by the judicious and intelligent use of fertilizer. From this acre he gathered 1,40O pounds of lint cotton or very nearly three bales of cotton. The av- craze yield an acre for his entire cot ton crop was decidedly good, for on twenty-eight acres he gathered thirty four bales averaging in wieght 569 pounds. Of course he fertilized, but he had to mix the fertilizer in making his crop with discretion and industry. He grew other things equally as well; Tor instance, TOO bushels of corn off thirty-two acres, and twelve barrels of cane from three acres, with 10000 stalks left over. part of which is to be used for seed, the l coming farm year. Then he raised | hogs and produced nearly everything that he needed for his fanliIy's use Now Mir. Menefee is pointed out as Q eample of the small farmer and his value to his section. A dozen or more similar instances of farmers starting | with nothing and prospering could be cited. Living near Geneva is D. W. Johnson who started on noth- ing, and who has now 700 | acres free from debt, a nice bank account; Jack Jones with several hundred acres and money in the bank: Martin Sellers with 5S0 acres and money ahead. But the list could be prolonged indefinitely, in citing as in- stances men who come to the county with practically nothing and who have attained state of fipancial satisfac- tion ahd independence.
 Undeniably the most remarkable growth of the county is here at Hart ford. On the site of the town ten years ago there was nothing but woods. Nine years ago, the town be- gan with steam mill and a Methodist parsonage for a circuit rider. Today 1t Is beautiful and most inviting At Geneva a rival of Hartfords tbe& will tell you that Hartford has a popu~ lation of 1000. Here at Hartford they will tell you that the population is 1000, or rather they will say that if is about 2,000." But then tbe patriotic citizen is no more expected to tell the truth about the population of his town than young lady is expected to give her true age. When he is on the subject of the population of his town your really patriotic citizen. like the young man in the city discussing his salary, or the man in the country talking about his house and his dog, is going to do some violence to the exact truth. But split the difference be- tween Geneva's estimate and Hartfords estimate and give the town a popula- ton of about 1,500 and no great harm will be done anybody.
 With that the town has shown a remarkable, a wonderful growth. in consideration of the fact that 1t came up from nothing.s
 Here again the white farmer starting on a small farm has made his influence deeply felt. To him pri- marily and to the railroad secondarily Is due Hartford's prosperity.
 Take for instance. John Hughes. a young man of S5 years of age who was the architect of his own prosperity. Starting modestly on nothing. He has today an estimated fortune of S40.0OO. They have organized the First Ma tl0na! Bank of Hartford with a capi- tai of $S0,000 and the woung man is vice-president of 1t as a side issue, his present business being that or farming. He is holding seven five bales of cotton for tbe expected rise in cotton. J, H Hodges another farmer with a modest start is reputed to be worth S35. GOO and he is holding twenty bales of cot ton. Other farmers about here who are firmly and satisfactorily fixed for the future are Daniel McNeil reported to be worth $25,OOO, J. R. Howe. $25. .OoO w. F. Clemmons $25, 1000 and J. R. Burch $15,000.
 These are samples of the small farmer, living in the new country around Hartford. The names and the hgures again emphasize the value of such a farmer to the community. the county and the State.
 These and the class for which they stand made a prospective city here at Hartford In lonesome piece of woods along the Geneva and Columbia road These producers who take from the soil and give to the community are the men who indirectly had built the four blocks of stores that shut in the public square. And now where others have come In the old and the new have made so much business and so much pros- perity that the wooden stores have had to be removed so that more enduring and more commodious brick stores might be erected. This work of suh- stituting permanent brick stores is rapidly going on. Even now work men are busy tearing down two wooden buildings to put up the buIId- ing Of the new and recently organized First National Bank.
 This new bank has a capital. stock of SS0,O0O. Its officers are l.. E. Burford. president; J. J. Hughes, e-president; and ". H. Bishop, cashier. The other financial institution of the town is the Bank of Hartford with a capital stock of s25,000 and owned by D. W. Jones of Blakely, Ga.
 The town is big enough and promis- ing enough to support two papers. The Journal, owned by George Kelly. and The Ttmes-Herald owned by George Hall Both of them have long since passed the experimental stages and are