The Washington herald., 1908-01-02
THE BIRTHDAY OF GEOR GIA
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The State OF Georgia has been in the
Union 40 years to-day, for il was or
the second day Of January, 17Ss, that her
convention unanimously ratified the Con
stitution Of the United States. and sc
made a part Of the Union what is now
the largest Commonwealth east OF the
Mississippi. Delaware had ratified hrst
then, after much discussion, Pennsylya-
MIA and New Jersey. while Georgia was
fourth among the thirteen original
States. ami incidentally the first South
ern state to raufy. To the minds OF
the Georgians there was no reason why
they should hesitate. The Constitution
made fair provision for the holding
/ States this colony OF OglethOrpe's was
too far away from the stOTm-center OF
politics 20 be influenced by any anti
Federalist sentiment, and as slaves were
running across the borders into Spanish
territory, and the Creek Indians harass-
ing her frontiers. she felt the need OF
such protection as the big, centralized
government would give
Since thai important day Georgia has
known many troubles, but many more
prosperous times. Georgia was the fifth
State TO secede and join the Confederacy.
During the four years Of civil war she
contributed 10000 troops. 5000 more
than the voting population she had at
the outbreak. Of the war. She possibly
suffered more than any Of the Southern
States, but out OF the ashes that marked
the wide area over which Sherman
passed. Georgia rose again. PhOeHiX-like.
10 startle the world OF to-day with her
prosperity.
In Atlanta, 800 houses somehow es-
capped the confiagration Of November.
1864 To-day many thousands Of houses
stand there 10 mark the enterprise and
determination Of a people VINO accepted
the Grbitrament Of arms with philosophy.
and turned again to the upbuilding Of an
imprOvised State An area Of twelve
miles or more is covered by the new At
lanta, and it had grown Of such i'm
portance by 1871 that it was made the
State capital BY 1881 the first cotton
exposition Of the world was held there
10 prove 10 the world the supremacy Of
the South in that respect; and, In 1885,
another and larger one added further
proof Atlanta. in 1854, appeared q waste
land Of small value. To-day a seventy
iiye-milli0n-dollar estimate would hardly
cover the value Of its incorporated area.
In 1863, there was hardly a dollars worth
Of business in the pitiful remains Of tho
city Now. the wholesale trade amounts
to about S45,GG0000 a year, and the bank
.clearings aggregate about Sill 10000. The
daredevil Federal officer, J. J. Andrews,
who captured a train and attempted a
a wild rush 20 Chattanooga during the
civil war, tearing up rails and firing
bridges as he ran, temporarily crippled
Atlanta's intercourse with the North.
Now there are seven roads that COM
pete for her Cincinnati trade alone, while
the whole State has $500 miles Of track
age.
On the 18th Of March in l7sS the Rev.
William Berriman preached at ST.
Brides, London. sermon directed 10
the Trustees Of the Colony Of Georgia,
then in annual session. The good dom
inie took for his text: And he hath
brought US into this place. and hath
given us this land, even a land that
fioweth with milk and honey" The
trustees heard il as a prophecy already
being fulfilled, but could little dream Of
the glorious fuifllment tlat the present
century is still bringing 70 Georgia. In
the South and on the sea islands flourish
tropical fruits. over two thousand square
miles of her coastal plains are producing
| rice. over seventy-fve per cent of her
mid-State lands are cultivated in corn
and cotton, and the middle and southern
counties are producing sugar cane that
yields 500 and 100 gallons Of syrup to the
acre
These are the staple things, but Georgia
has branched out beyond these. The
prophecy OF milk is actually verified in
her great dairies that dot the valleys
and plains, and the honey lies in the
sweetness Of her fruit lands. She has
over 100000 acres each year In water
melons alone. producing one-half Of the
entire crop Of the United States. and
requiring over 1000 cars a season 10
haul the succulent fruit 10 the widely
scattered markets Through Augusta
alone nearly 100000 melons go out to other
markets every summer 4 census of
Georgia peach trees shows l6o00,000 bear
ing ana bringing tNeit owners S+rVIJ,Vt
year out of the Sl00,0C0,000 that agri-
cultural and horticultural products bring
to the State The peanut crop of the
State is enormous, grapes place Georgia s
yield in competition with that OF the
North while trucking in tho tideWateT
region and along the railway lines OF the
South has proved the further resource
fulness Of her soil and her people. From
the cassava Of Georgia is made the best
starch known TO commerce One acre
viii produce 4,Oo0 pounds of starch where
an acre of corn or potatoes in a north
western State would produce only I,250
pounds.
On the sea islands of Georgia is grown
the finest cotton in the world. and IT is a
s.sa.sIcant fact that on a Georgia pIanta-
ton was planned and built the first cot
ton gin in the world-the invention that
revolutionized the agricultural and manu-
featuring industries not only of America,
but Of the world. Where Eli Whitney
had his one gin on the Greene plantation
in 1871 there are over 500 now in opera
ton I'm the State. A few hand looms
laboriously wove the first cotton goods
for the use Of GeOrgians who chose 10
patronize home industries. To-day some