Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-04-02
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I HISTORY OF FITZGERALD, I
+ GEORGIA
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Continued from First Page)

mas of 1895. An open pavilion was
built on the midway and covered with
pine boughs and palmettos and decor
ated with bamboo vine and red-berrled
holly. with clusters of misteltoe hung
conspicuously under the large lamps
swung from the beams. Here old-fash-
toned dances were held during the
HOLIDAYS and young and old danced the
minuet, the Virginia reel, and the
square dance, and or Christmas night
seats were placed and religious serv-
ices were held around a cleaning,
sparkling Christmas tree.
Other services were held at the Free
Gospel Tabernacle, where various de-
nominations worshipped alternately.
"The Georgia sun never shone as
! brightly, nor smiled as warmly III WIN
Ter before. Even the flowers remain
to smile a welcome to the newcomers
raphsodzed a contributor to the IT.
win county News, published at Cyclon-
eta And true it was the late autumn
roses decorated the Christmas dinner
table of many family in Fitzgerald
that year, so it is said.
AS result of the outdoor living
many testimonials were furnished by
the colonists for DR.. Shraders history,
a sample of which we give here.
From ]. B. Corbin, Marion county,
Ohio: Il reached Georgia the 5th OF
October. | had barely strength to walk
when | came | have thrown away my
cane. have better health now than |
have enjoyed in years. | can sleep
now, and l have a good appetite. Some
thino in the air down here seems to
give me new life"
Other striking testimonials were:
furnished by James McDonough OF
West Bay C'ty, Mich; J. d. Moulter,
Plymouth Ind. H. G. Rev, Boards
town, ILL.,; and many others, testltylng
to the cure OF catarrh, inflammatory
rheumatism and invalidism in general
But handsome, and permanent hom-
es began to rise, people continued to
come, and on Saint Valentines Day,
1896, a Seaboard train rolled INTO the
city and was greeted by practically all
its inhabitants. And when DR.. Shraders
history was published in June sixteen
miles of streets had been laid out and
partly graded miles of avenues lead
ing out among the five, ten, and TWEEN
ty acre tracts where some l,o0O people
were settled the city itself having
I 5000 up to thistime."
MANY people are engaged IN build
ing a magnificent hotel which is to
! be called the Lee-Grant for our two
/ leading civil war Generals wrote DR.:
! Shrader. 1T is to be 100X240 feet, and
has three res with numerous towers
and turrets and elegant and up to date
/ in all of its appointments"
Newspapers published at that time
carried advertisements of other hotels
as follows: The Fitzgerald House, Al
/ tamaha Ave, two minutes walk from
the stations, (the other being the Til
4 ION and northeastern Sl.5O per day,
$500 Der week"
A.. The Ballard House. corner OF
Lee and Palm Streets. 220 feet of We
randa. rates 81 per day, $3.50 and 81
per week"
Governor Northern Praised
At this time. June, 1896. Mr.. F t.
gerald is quoted as saying, 1T has
been great undertaking. and l can
not speak too highly of Governor
! Northern for the assistance he has
+ rendered me in making it successful:
/ Without his aid and encouragement l
should have been respondent at times;
but when depressed, his praise OF. my
! efforts renewed my confidence and re-
doubled my energy.
Il had many obstacles to surmount
at the beginning. Some OF my own
people fought the movement. MANY
Western papers discouraged IT. and
people in other states were hired to
visit the location and make bad reports