Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-02-24
nY w. =. wATERs, JR.

cold morning on Washingtons birthday
when the educational special opened it's
doors to the farmers of Sumter county
here at o'clock Wednesday. The train
had come in yesterday evening and spent
the night here, and was therefore on
the Job before the farmers themselves
were. The latter were excusable in their
hardness, though, for even If the local
peach crop was still safe till that mo-
ment. as some Of the best authorities de-
clared. the temperature was so low as
to chill even the hardest of the farm
ers.
WELCOME BY MATHS.
Mayor ]. E. Mathis speech of well
come was one of the neatest that the
party ha had the pleasure of hearing
/ anywhere He spoke 1t informally. in
almost a conversational tone. audible
only a ew feet away, as though he
were talking personally with DR.. Soule.
Il The latter was so impressed with it
that he congratulated the mayor with
a hearty sincerity and told the crowd,
which was then beginning to gather
around the circus car. that they had
missed the best part of the program
Not merely in accordance with polite
usage do we come to meet you and TO
greet you said Mayor Mathis, with
out gesture or oratory. and so natur-
ally that it was not a speech at ALL
But with high appreciation of what
you have already done for Georgia and
realization of what this present move
ment means, we welcome you and your
co-workers most cordially to Americas.
For many years after the civil war the
people OF the south sat amid the ashes
of their hopes, saying, Let US alone,
and refusing to be comforted.
''But under the kindly advice OF such
men as yourself, who have faced toward
the future and who have familiarized
themselves with the great possibilities
OF this section under improved methods
OF farming. there is new song in
their mouths and new hope In their
hearts. The south, under the expert di-
rection OF you and such as you. is rap
| idly attracting the attention of the
world. Already she is sending iron to
old Birmingham, coal to Newcastle.
The whir of her spindles and the click
of her looms are heard in Lowell and
in Manchester. And the day is not far
distant when she shall bring home her
corn cribs and smokehouses from Kan
sas City and from Chicago.
But the time OF your stay is short.
and you have much TO tell US of profit
to us, so I vii not waste the day in
words. but on behalf OF the city of
Americas and OF Sumter county bid you
| most COTuidi NclC0ule.
Mayor Mathis headed the committee of
welcome. which further consister of E.
A. Nesbitt, W.. S. Moore, of Plains,
county school commissioner; ]. w. Shiv-
err, president OF the board of trade; /.
B. Small, tax collector; w. p. Wallis,
r. l.. Maynard and L. NJ. Hawkins.
GOODIES" SENT TRAIN.
Mrs. T. @. Hudson, wife of the agri-
cultural commissioner, whose home is in
Americas. was an informal committee of
welcome all by herself She sent goodies
aboard. That showed the unerring dis
cernmest of womankind. A man would
never have thought OF it. His mind
would have turned TO speeches, mere
words. Even such words as those that
Mayor Mathis spoke could not outshine
the mute cordially expressed in a bas-
k of things to eat. .slrs. Hudson sent
several baskets Of such golden oratory.
In them were phrases Of chicken salad
and glowing sentences OF macaroni and
profound thoughts of country biscuit,
and deep sentiments of fried chicken and
roast turkey and celery and cranberry
sauce. and a magnificent peroration of
cakes and pies.
The students of the Third District
Agricultural school. Of which J. NJ. Col
Inns is principal, gave the train a warm
welcome here. The cadets, in field uni
ike the stare marCneQ TO
the depot with their band, which rem
dered pleasing numbers at intervals dur
ing the lecture program.
The public schools were on holiday, so
far as lessons were concerned. but prac-
tically all the enrolment Of the Ameri-
Gus schools, under Supt. A. G. Miller,
visited the train in charge of their
teachers
It was here that the agricultural par
= -
peach crop, which the cold of the night
before had so seriously threatened and
which was still standing On the trap
door OF a frost feared last night. J. L.
lGlawson, manager OF the Ware Progress
company, which has $4,000 trees in the
outskirts or Americas, brought some
blossoms aboard and showed there was
vigor and life still in them. He said the
wind had dried out the moisture and the
cold had not frozen them, though there
was plenty Of ice elsewhere. The bios
SONS he brought in were taken from an
exposed north hillside, he said. State En-
tomologist i. Lee Worsham, the official
Authority on such matters. also declared
that the local peaches, which cover some
100000 trees in The immediate vicinity
lcf Americas. had not been damaged so
lar as he could see after a rapid in
visitation. A number OF the smaller
orchard owners burned smudges ali
I night. relying on the heavy smoke u
help protect the blossoms
PROMINENT VISITORS.
T. B. Hooks, J. c. Carter, T. Il. Mer-
rift. Dudley Gatewood. John T. Howell
NJ. L. Lackey. II. I. Johnson, !. c. Car
ter, DIR. H. II. Mcclellan ]. d. Glover
T NJ Furlcw. Lee Hansford, W. r
Hansford. George Israel, o. ]. Cannon
J. L. Bradley, ]. T. Howell, Crawford
wheatley. W. /. Loach. ]. o. Macarthur
L. G. Parker and ]. w. FArlow were only
a few of the prominent men OF Sumter
county who visited the train here.
The justihable pride which all citizens
! OF Sumter county feel in their excellent
roads manifested itself in an invitation
to the party to ride across by automo-
In. e., IoInfrn fhn rnnvA efnr Soule