Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-07
FRIDAYS RUN A BIC ONE
FOR EDUCATIONAL TRAIN
Large Crowds of Farmers
Welcome it at Thomaston,
GAINESVILLE and Forsyth
by ROGERS WHITES.

not at large in point of numbers as some
the farm train has gotten. in bigger
towns, the reception awaiting the spe-
Gals arrival at this place Friday after
noon at o'clock was, in significance,
tremendous.
Nearly 1900 people were packed and
TANNED into the space fronting the side
track, and The platforms Of the depot
were literally covered with crowded hui
mainly. They gave one long, lusty cheer
when the train rolled up.
There was 70 doubt what they had
come for. 1t was not idle curiosity. IT
is was not the impulse that draws peo-
pie along to follow the crowd. II was
genuine Simon-pure thirst for knowl-
edge; and you could stand on the circus
car and look into the face of one indi-
viduaI farmer after another and be GER
tain, in your own mind, that he was
going back home and put into practice
the information The experts were giving
him. They didn't stand attentively while
soils were being discussed, and ramole
off when the next speaker came along
and talked about something else. Not by
any means. They shifted a good deal
from one look at the other. as men do
when their legs get tired from standing,
but they didn't leave. They had come
to get 1t all, and they didn't miss
thing. If they'd each paid a big price
for 1t they wouldn't have been more
tenacious to catch every word, see every
exhibit, and follow the workings of every
demonstr ZION.
There may be some people in Georgia
who nave an idea the farmers are not
inclined to take much stock in this agri-
cultural train but If they'd been at
Thomaston Friday afternoon they'd nave
had that idea wiped out OF their minds
for all time. They'd have experienced
n sort of electric shock awakening TO the
fact that the progressive agricultural
movement IS sweeping over this state IKE
great ground swell They'd have seen
with their own eyes an absolutely con-
vincing demonstration that the farmers
are not merely beginning to break away
from old ideas. old methods. and old lg-
norance, but that they have already zone
it, and are now hungry for more OF tne
same kind of information that made II
possible for them to accomplish What
| they have in the way of progress.
! It's an old saying that the sort or a
speech a man will make depends largely
on his audience, end the truth of it was
never more strikingly demonstrated than
| nv the earnestness and the power whlch
| the speakers were inspired TO throw Anto
their discussions of the various agricui-
tural subjects.
DIR. Soule gave a splendid talk on soils.
He urged every farmer to have MS SOIL
analysed so as to know exactly what
sort of fertilizer he needs, else he would
be throwing his money away. He used
his large chart showing the analyses
of soils in a majority of Georgia coun-
ties. The impression he made was mar
velous. r. f. Duckworth, the editor of
the Farmers Union News, followed him.
He voiced the deep satisfaction felt by
all members of the party in the interest,"
Al Il
SO abundantly manifested by the auul-
ence before him. He urged them 10 Keep
on getting the same sort of information
the farm train is disseminating. He
urged them to go back home and put
Into practice this information. lie calleo
particular attention to the vital neeo TOT
raising our own live stock in Georgia.
ave are paving $40, 200 a year for our
mules. when we could raise just as fine
ones here for $2,oO0.0O0." he said. Com
missioner of Agriculture HUDSON toto
about the State Agricultural college al
Athens. what it is. what it's doing, and
he pleaded with the farmers to send their
bows there TT won't cost boy more
than SIPS or $50 a year" he said.
| The reception committee that Welcom-
ed the train was larger than usual
Claude Worrill, mayor of Thomastoh
headed it. and made a brief speech in
which he said, among other good things
that he was glad to see the state OF
Georgia spending money to dignity LABOR
He presented r. d. Sheptrine, the county
school commissioner of Epson county,
who made a short and appropriate talk
The other members of the committee
were w. o. Britt, F. NJ. Hancock, r. I.
Nottingham. W. S. Landrum, G. A. Dali
Has r. d. Riviere, F. #. Rowe, who Is
head of the r. E. Lee institute (the pub
lie schol of Thomaston); j. A. Hoyle, }.
w. Allen, F. M. Gayner, b. G. Mckeney
and u. Lawrence.
Members of the party who have been
with the train practically ever since II
started say that the percentage of farm
ers in the Thomaston audience was
among the largest of the whole tour up
tn date. Citizens of the town verified
l this. and called attention to the fact
that there were farmers present from
every section of Epson county.
Practically the entire population OF the
town turneu out They had been adver-
Using the train about two weeks In adj
vance. through the local newspaper and
bv handbills and posters. The r. E. Lee
Institute adjourned and the negro school
adjourned.
Which is reminder that negroes
formed a conspicuous portion of the
crowd They were not negroes that work
around the town-that is. the negro men
were not Most or them were negro
farmers who had come to town for the
special and sole purpose Of seeing the
train and learning something they need
to know.
Citizens who know every foot OF Epson
county declare it's no exaggeIation to
say there has been a complete transfer
nation of the farming in the last few
years.
Some os the prominent farmers pointed
out in the crowd were as follo1Ts: j. H.
IHoyIe, T.. F. Rogers, r. M. Mcfarland,
IJ. r. Grub, w. g. Green, Thomas
Thrice, J. G. McLindley, q. Lawrence,
John Jones, John Buckholtz, c. A. Block,
IF. j. Reeves, Buck" Stewart, Henry
Williams and A. L. Middlebr 1oks.
Gordon, Toombsboro, Tennille and Wad-
ley will be the stops made by the train
Saturday Late afternoon, or rather
night, will find it in Savannah to spend
Sunday.
GAINESVILLE, Ca, March 4.-Half
an hour after leaving Forsyth, the farm
train rolled into the midst of a tremen-
ldous ovation by the city of GAINESVILLE
and the county of Pike. Hundreds of
people were gathered at the depot and
further up the siding where the train
came to a standstill. there was another
big crowd. Everybody IN sight at once