Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-10-01
It's Great to Be
a Georgia Editor


editorial hegira from sanctums and
sanctorium is under way, one can
count it great pleasure even as it
is always a privilege to be an editor.
The good fellowship that prevails be
tween the weekly scribes of the state
comes to sudden and thrilling demon
stration when hand grasps hand and
kindly greetings spaced by yearly in
tervals are again appreciated.
Then, too, whatever of disparage-
ment or encouragement may have at
tended our individual efforts in our
community through the year, when
the editors come together in these
! yearly meetings there is never want
ing a thorough appreciation by our
ever hospitable hosts, and our visit
ing speakers, of our services to our
community and state, which is worth
more than money-our most conspic
uous lack, or so we trust.
Our friends at West Point were
most cordial and showed in every way
how progressive and prosperous they
ARE, and how splendidly they coop
crate in everything that can help OF
reflect credit upon their city. Tc
those of us who had not visited thi:
section before or considered its re
sources, there was a.revelation in it:
industrial activities, the enormous
amount of capital represented by its
mills, the ideal conditions of labor
connected with these mills, and the
prospects for expansion of the manu-
featuring and power producing in
dustries throughout the Chattahoo-
chez Valley within a radius of seven
miles all about West Point. Within
this area is invested capital of $751;
100000 and an annual payroll of
S., 100000. These are Lanett, Shaw
NUT, Langdale, Fairfax and River
view mills.
After a delightful picnic dinner
served on Tuesday, our hosts carried
the visitors by feet of automo-
biles all over the mill territory, which
is most attractive in outward appear
ances, with splendid structures, COM
Portable homes with lawns, large
parks, Fairgrounds, green houses,
kindergartens, libraries, schools and
churches, all contributing to the
rounded lives of the employees, which
are also made as secure as possible
in their work with every known safe
ty device on the machinery and the
comforts of ventilation and humidi-
ty and lighting all provided in the
best possible way. Our own auto
mobile party was especially fortunate
in gaining access to the Fairfax mill,
which is on the Alabama side of the
river. 1t was our special good luck
we thought in having for our conduc-
tor through the mill one of the SUI
perintendents, Mr.. Lee Tillery
who is brother of Mrs. o. L. Brad
shaw. Mr.. Tillery was a most willing
and helpful guide, and showed US the
evolution of the cotton fabrics, most
" towels in this instance, from the
first to the last stage of the work.
Never had cotton so we'll deserved
before in our estimation the appella-
ton of King. Is there any other
such wonderful product IN the
world, we now ask? We saw 1t soft
and fluffy as down, after the big ma
chimes had tossed it about, removing
marvellous quantities foreign matter,
dust as revealed by the waste de-
posits, and then steadily through its
combing, carding, pulling and twist
ing processes, passing from spindle
to spindle it gathered strength and
length for the manifold uses in the
weaving machines. The Fairfax tow
els are used the world over. We saw
the lovely heavy bath towels IN the
making that bear the hotel names in
weaving and color. We learned that
orders for these must be in 100000
lots, as a special plate is manufac-
tured for the loom to turn these out,
We saw more and different styles OF
towels and towelling than could be
seen in any other place in the world
except the mill.
The human element was not lacking
in interest to us and we were glad to
note the effect of their good working