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

the quotations true? "The people be
damned" Il can hire one-half of the
people to shoot down the other
half" Isn't it time for the people
to quote: ''Arise Sampson, the Phil
listians be upon thee!" When the
people learned of the terrible result
followed by the building of the dam
at Highlands; Of the terrible scourge
that followed, and heard of the
bought-up doctors, trained nurses,
and lawyers, and what little justice
the people got in the courts, and how
the corpora ton lawyers wore the peo
pie out in the courts, they protested
and became indignant. To ally their
fears and to quiet them until they
could obtain their lands for a song,
in comparison to their real value and
the damage that has been done, the
officials of this corporation made
them beautiful speeches; picturing
the rosy side, without the thorns;
promising them much, that the tim
Der would be cut down and burnt up,
the stumps even dynamited, and all
vegetable matter cleared off and
burnt. Yes, as the people understood
them, everything that could be burnt
was to be reduced to ashes, nothing
was to be left in this great reservoir
TO rot and decay, to produce miasma.
l asked one of their principal agents
myself, about the clearing out of the
reservoir, and about the effect the
pond would have on the health Of the
surrounding country He said it
would be cleared of all vegetable mat
ter, and it would all be reduced to
ashes; that he had had much expert
ence in building dams out West, and
that it was as healthy on the banks
of those ponds as anywhere. This
was the assurance given the people
from time to time.
Doctors differ as to the extent of
the territory the scourge will cover;
one [ learned, has said it will extend
as far as ten miles from the pond,
all around. If SO it may effect Jack
son, Indian Springs, Flovilla, Mans
field and Monticello. | live about
one and one-half miles from it; it
may ruin me.
Now, Mr.. Watson, many of these
people being ruined are your friends;
there is a principle involved. Please
advise us what to do? Will you cham
p1on our cause? The people as a
body have been deceived, duped; the
company has not carried out it's prom
1ses. [ understand green trees were
left standing in some places; logs
have been cut up and left drifting;
no stumps have been dynamited;
rank weeds and much vegetable mat
ter left to rot and decay, etc. And
as result the people are ruined and
are being ruined.
Well, why should | write more;
don't think | have overdraWn the sit
uation. L write of what [ actually
know, of what my neighbors tell me,
and of the general public talk of the
situation. I was in Monticello at
Court, last week. [ heard from parts
effected, so far as / am informed,
some people are wrought up to state
of frenzy, some are mad and out
spoken; and if some relief is not
given to these desperate people, who
consider themselves deceived, cheat
ed and swindled, who knows but
that dam may be cracked by dyna-
mite? l don't think it possible, or
probable, for it is a powerful struct-
ure, besides, the people who are be-
ing ruined, are as peacefully law
abiding citizens as you will find on
this globe. But the best people in
this world can be driven to despera-
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