Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-09
INVESTIGATION is SAVING
GRACE IN BULLOCK COUNTY
BY RALPH SMITH


shape than other communities
have visited in connection with the
better market campaign OF the
Country Bankers association and
The Atlanta Journal. In the after
noon edition of The Press, read
an interview with myself which &C.
curately summarizes my impress
sions of Statesboro and Bulloch
county.
"Of course, Statesboro is not a
boom,'' The Press quoted me as say
ing, ''but' Statesboro is in far better
shape than most of the towns and
cities I have visited. have been
on the road for three months and
have visited probably hundred
counties. Nowhere have i found
such contentment as exists IN
Statesboro. I do not mean that. the
people are in rut and satisfied
with their condition. | mean that
fundamental conditions in Bulloch
county are sound, and the people
know it. They are moving forward.
Self-Sustaining Farms
"Mr Smith attributes conditions
in Statesboro to the fact that the
farmers of Bulloch county have been
living at home: The farms are self
sustaining, he says, and there is an
abundance of food and feedstuffs in
the county.
"The cotton crop in Bulloch coun-
ty was above the average, the boil
weevil considered" he remarked.
'They made almost, but not quite
as much cotton as usual under boil
weevil conditions. They were favor.
ed by the weather, and they i'm;
proved THIS elemental advantage. y
1.-THE impressive thing about the
county, however, is that the farm
ers didn't stake everything on their
cotton crop. They engaged in ex-
tensive and Intelligent diversified
ton and the progressive citizenship
of Statesboro went the limit to en-
courage and assist them. ~
'"The cold storage plant, or cur
ing house of the NStatesboro Provi-
sion company has proved wonder
full asset(to the county. Its capacity
is almost unlimited, and on occa-
sions there has been as much as
10000 pounds Of meat stored in its
spacious compartments--me that
is as good as can be purchased any
where in the United States.
Progressive Advertising Club
''The town and county are fortu-
nate in having one of the most pro-
gressive civic organizations in the
state - the Statesboro Advertising
club. This association has done
much for the mutual benefit of town
and, county. The creamery that was
recently opened is the result of the
efforts Of the ad club. It's operation
is furnishing to the farmers an out
let for their sour cream, Athus stimu-
lating the development of the dairy
ing industry and the production of
hogs. In addition, 1t is making q
splendid quality of butter which
finds a ready market in the homes
of Statesboro, =
|. My impressions of Statesboro and
Bulloch county were formed only
after talking with many Of the best
informed citizens of the county,
among them Judge III. B. Strange,
OF the superior court, former secre-
tary of state; Senator Howell G
Cone, Judge T. F. Brannen, J. j..
e. Anderson, George P. Donaldson,
D. B. Turner, editor of the Bulloch
Times; j. r. Miller, editor of the
Statesboro Tribune, and others
equally as prominent.
The first person I met in States
DOTO--MEs NIltCIs 4lASA
chant-stated that business had
held up well until after the holidays.
He added that there has been an ap-
preciable decline since the first OF
the year, but he is not disturbed
over the outlook. He confidently
expects to see things resume their
normal state in little while.
"Our business was good until after
Christmas" said Mr.. Oliver. POur
holiday trade was up to the average,
almost, and there is relatively little
grumbling. / frankly believe our
farmers are in BETTER shape than
elsewhere in Georgia. There has
been "a slight decline in business
since. the first Of the years but l
look for a resumption Of usual &C.
tivity in a short time"
Mr.. Oliver called attention to the
! fact that Bulloch's cotton crop last
year was nearly as good as in 1920,
and then he added that the farmers
have about abandoned the produc-
ton of Sea Island cotton, which
commands fancy price on account
of it's long staple.
"It is very difficult to produce Sea
Island cotton under boil weevil con-
ditions," he said, "and we have the
boil weevil with us in Bulloch coun-
ty. But we made good crop of
short staple cotton. Our farmers
were favored by the weather, and
they beat the weevil."
Judge Strange, than whom there
are few better known and more
highly respected jurist in Georgia,
stressed the fact that the farmers
Of Bulloch county have always di-
versified.
"Bulloch county" he said, ''has
always been in the forefront OF
Georgia counties engaged in farm
Investigation, but just now they
are experiencing difficulty in selling
their surplus crops.
"We have produced lots of corn
and other grain, plenty of meat and
other products of the farm that are
required for the home, and we made
a fair cotton crop. / believe more
cotton than usual will be planted
this year, and / expect to see the
dairying industry move forward, as
result of the creamery that has
been established"
Down the street, joined a group
of well-known citizens, among them
Senator Cone, Julian Anderson, Jim
Miller, E. L. Akin and j. L. Caritl-
ers, one of the big farmers of the
adjoining county of Gambler. They
united in the statement that Bull
loch county has no serious COM
plant.
Favored by Weather
eve made more than we can
consume in the county," remarked
Mr.. Miller. "An abundance of corn,
meat, syrup and everything else,
and we got fairly good cotton crop
despite the boil weevil. Our people
are in fine spirits and going ahead.
I look to see them plant even more
cotton next year, and with good
weather they will increase their pro-
duction."
Senator Cone remarked that the
county had been especially favored
by the weather last year.
ttNho r.nirac hncror hero inst at the