The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-09-21

How a Corporation Is
Running a Section

WV space VI Inc O0HCfSOMaHS,
and to over-tax your time and
patience. But, the people of NV set
tlement, my neighbors, yes. the peo-
pie living On the borders of. and in
the surror nding county around the
big pond, caused by the building of
a one-hundred-foot dam across the
Oakmulgee River by the Bib County
rover Co., are all sick, and diving
by the wholesale; five dying in one
day, nine have died recently, how
many more have died on the long
stretch around the pond, (Which is
SAID TO be one hundred and twenty
seven miles, to walk around it, I
don't know; if in proportion, many.
Ihose dying, so far as I know, with
only one exception, are innocent little
children. This pond is said to cover
six miles. There is distress and con-
sternation all around; the surround
Ing country is becoming one vast hos
pltal. With only a few exceptions
every family is stricken, and one or
all the family is Frustrated Or sick.
TO Illustrates: A Mr.. Stubs runs a
ten-horse farm, his hands have all
left him, he and his family are sick,
and If he don't move out in less than
one week, he says he may lose some
OF his family. He was at court last
week, and I heard he had a chill in
the court house. He is a one-armed
man, he can't gather his crop, and
has NO help to gather it. The peo-
pie are moving out to avoid sickness
and death. A Mr.. Floyd has lost one
OF his children, one of his farm
hands has lost two. He and his hands
have left their crops ungathered and,
moved out. Mr.. Sam Hodges family,
his sons and son-in-law's family have
all been down sick; he has lost one
OF his daughter-in-laws and some of
MS children. He is an old Confeder-
ate soldier. Until recently he had
been renting; he bought a splendid
farm, has improved it, and in his old
age was getting in comfortable cir
cumstances. This Old Confederate
soldier, and splendid citizen, is prac-
tically ruined. All! and he is not
the only one ruined, many are, and
many will be. The people are leav-
ing their farms and crops ungathered,
and moving away by the wholesale;
for death is staring them in the face,
If they dare to remain. Yes, they
are leaving their crops ungathered,
and their land will probably all be
untitled next year, and may not be
cultivated again for years to come
This once prosperous, happy section,
may become desert-waste and a
bowling wilderness; and what will
those Abandoned farms and de-
serted lands be worth? Practically
nothing; nobody wants to buy them
now. Those once happy, prosperous
people are ruined. The amount in
dollars to pay them for the damage
done, cannot be estimated. They have
lost, and are losing their loved ones,
and their health is rapidly going.
The section covered by the pond and
the adjoining country has been con-
sidered one of the healthiest portions
of Georgia, today the angel of death
is stalking everywhere. Oh! the ag-
ony and suffering, the doctor bills,
and the distress, that is abroad in the
land, On! the court expenses and
endless litigation, the extra taxes,
the people will have to bear in run
ming to court TO cover the claims
for damage suits; and who are ben
fitted? The doctors, undertakes, law
yers and the Bibb County Power Co.,
who we suppose represents the money
power, the trusts, syndicates and
combines. Oh! Mr. Watson, we ap-
III r. 1