The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-02
THE CITY OF SAVANNAH
By Frederic J. Elaskin.

ssvannah. Ga. Jan.s 1---To. him who fees from the rigbrs of a Northern winter. seeking spring sunlight and bursting buds in January. Savannah is one of the first cities of refuge. Not so far South but that 1t has axwinter sea son. 1t knows no snow and It's flowers bloom through all the year. But Sa- vsnnah has attractions beyond It's eli mate which draw and hold the interest of the visitor. e, 6
 The youngest of the cities which were prominent in colonial history, 1t seems now to be one of the oldest. No other . city, not even Boston or Philadelphia or Charleston. has been more tenacious of its ancient historical glory; and no other city can surpass 1t in the mani- festation of proper civic pride.
 Afew weeks ago a great interHation- al automobile race was run at savan- nah. It was the first. time, that such 2 race had been rum in the United states under. conditions which guaranteed the safety of all spectators. for it was the first time an American motor race course had been properly policed The race was managed 50 well that the greet motorists from all the countries of the world were unanimous in their praise and congratulations declaring it to be the most successful race ever held on this side of the Atlantic.
 Some people who don't know abcut the savannah of today may express surprise that such sleepy old southe erti town-.-steeped in traditions of the past--shouId be able to do such ex- tremely. modem. things in such a very up-toSdate style. If one would have the explanation let him go to Savannah. Let him arrive about o'clock Monday evening. As he drives from the rati- - -f. 4nf r... ~rrfl .A streets full of soldiers, he will hear the tramp tramp of, the awkward squad, he win hear the staccato commands of the officers. Monday night is drill night.
 Drill night for the Georgia Hussars. for the Chatham Artillery. for the Re- publican Blues, for the Savannah yol~ unteer Guards, for the Irish Jasper Greens, for the German Volunteers, and for aii the other companies of that fa- nous Savannah regiment The Geor- gia Hussars were organized. in l7S6 by General oglethorpe to protect the in- fant colony of Georgia, which is to say. the infant city of Savannah, from the Indians. The Georgia Hussars fought against the Indians In the early days against the Fioridian Spanish for q cen- tury, against the French in 1156, against the United States in 1ssl-6 and against Spain in 1898. The Georgia
 
 and doing 1t well for g long. long time.
 Thus it was that when the time came that the Georgia Hussars were ordered with the other Savannah military com panies to guard the course, over which the great automobile race was to be run the race course was guarded. As military things go in Ssvannah the Chatham Artillery is comparatively a young organization, having been founded i2s1 years ago in 17Se. During the days when the race course was de. voted to trial practice, the guard was as strict as when the race was being run. The captain of the Chatham Ar tafiery commanded a great king of the motor world to slow up. The monarch. confident of his privilege.~ smiled. shouted his name and indicated that he didn't intend to slow up. But he dld. He stopped quick when the captain of the Chatham Artiiiery,Nwh Is also . fnsmber of the Board of Alderman and vice-Mayor oftthe city. shot, some bullet holes through the tires of that many thousand dollar car. Nre sTshe Savannah Volunteer Guards is q