Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-12
MAYOR AND GOVERNOR
.PLOW HARDEST GROUND
FOR VICTORY GARDEN
Farmer Asa G, Gambler in
0VeraIIS and Farmer Hugh
Dorsey in Regular "CitS"
Point Way to Win War

AS the grand climax to a parade that
was the best advertisement home gar
dens have yet received in Atlanta,
Farmer Hugh Dorsey and Farmer Asa
Gambler shocked their coats Saturday
afternoon, donned blue jeans and sun
hats. and showed a pillow into the hard
est piece Of dirt-take their word for
it-that ever existed among the red
old hills of Georgia.
The vacant lot that was the scene
OF the grand blowing contest is stu
ated between the two Peachtrees. just
north Of their junction at Baker street
Soon IL will be transformed by the
school children into a victory garden,
but yesterday Afternoon il turned its
face upward to the spring sky-rugged,
uneven. serried with gullies and adorn-
ed with tin cans and half bricks. Turk
ing just beneath a camouflage of Ber-
muda grass.
Mayor Wears overaI1s
The sun was sinking reluctantly into
the west-peevish at missing the affair
no doubt-when the whilom mayor and
governor strobe onto the lot at the head
of the large delegation of advertising
men who brought up the rear of the
long procession Governor Dorsey was
clad in his ordinary cts" derby and
everything: but the mayor was swEg-
gering along as though to the soil
borne, in overalls that came up to
his neck and a straw hat that covered
all but his chin He was waving a rake
over his shoulder and exuding large
gobs Of Precipitation
Already a large crowd had assembled
and the breakup Of the parade swelled
the number. Julian Boehm, bearing a
beautiful bouquet of turnip green's. car
rots, onion-tops and other well-known
products, tied with a broad ribbon Of
red. white and blue. had difficulty in
forcing his way TO the ringside, where
Il G. Hastings. the judge, stood ready
with a notebook and a large bunch of
pencils.
Governor Dorsey tossed away his coat
and vest and crawled into a large pair
of overalls. The mayor rubbed mis-
hands gleefully and announced himself
ready. Several seconds volunteered to
clear away the crowd and the specta-
tors were pushed back until a narrow
strip Of land ran from one Peachtree
to the other, lined on both sides with
eager faces.
Then the third man In the ring was
revealed. The third man was a large
and Timber Georgia mule, with a mean
eye. a switchety tail, long ears and a
cantangerous jaw, Hitched to one end
Of him was a robgh-handled pillow, and
hitched to the other end was a rope
that came sliding along his back to
drag the ground.
That mule would have daunted a
stouter heart than the mayors. But
Mr. Gambler never quailed. "Giddap."
shouted he, seizing the pillow handles
and the rope. and the mule giddapped.
In fact, the mule giddapped for all he
was worth. Had not Mr.. Gambler kept
a firm grip on the handles and plunged
his bOot-heels into the ground, the
mule would have plowed the furrow
right on across Peachtree street.
= whoa" ssheated the mayor. in the
nick of tiIne- ."Ge-e-es" shouted the
mayor. 'GIddapt And back he came,
swinging onto the pillow handles for all
he was worth
There. Hugh, whadda yuh think o.
that2" shouted the mayor. delightedly
Yes, He DID, Too
Z Governor Dorsey did not reply. There
was the light of battle in his brown
eyes. the perspiration OF honest labor
on his brow and he itched all over to
get behind that mule. Aye. he actual
~ spat on his hands!
"Giddapi" shouted the governor The
mule giddaped. Blip! the pillow turned
up a brick that looked like Stone
out! Biip. another brick. But the
governor only grunted once to each blip,
and kept right on.
Hey, Hastings," shouted the mayor
from the side lines, we're not gonna
stand for all that line wastin'! Make
him stick to the furrow!
The governor stuck whoa" he
shouted. G-e-e-e-et' "Giddap" Back
came the governor and the mule, with
Julian BOehm coaxing the animal along
by running ahead holding the bouquet
of vegetables under his nose.
The contest was over
Who won?
ings declared il dead heat and Julian
Boehm divided the vegetables $3.50.
However, in view of the fact that II
was a no-decision contest, newspaper
men were asked to render a decision.
After consulting with Uncle Tim
Ricketts,, who was among those pres
ent, we are Inclined to believe that Mr.
Gambler had shade the better of the
bout. "Asa's got him beat!" declared Un-
Gle Tim. soberly shaking his head
about half way through the match, and
later he did not qualify his assertion
In justice to the governor. however,
il should be made a matter Of record
that his furrow contained at least six
more halfbricks than the mayors. Both
gentlemen. at least, deserve the con-
gratulations of the community for set
ting an example that every patriot
might well follow.
As for definite decision, we are con-
strained, to assert that a large share of
"a chon1d tO tha