The Ashburn Advance
Friday, September 17, 1897
The Cordele Sentinel rises to remark that no one has yet claimed any of
the rewards offered by Gov. Atkinson for the lynchers of Dr. Rider and
the negro Williams.
Three cows lost, -- Old blue cow, ugly as an elephant, and young red
cow, pretty as a pink, with unmarked yearling. Cows are marked under
square in one ear and swallow fork the other. Report to J. W. Chapman.
Charley Gibson, a Macon negro desperado shot and killed another negro
named Smith Sunday, for accusing him of stealing 30 cents and the officers
who pursued the murderer were compelled to shoot him three times before
he was captured. It then turned out that he was the party who made
the criminal assault upon Miss Sallie Chapman recently, and 150 enraged
citizens strung the negro to the limb of the persimmon tree and then filled
his carcass with lead. The brutes, white or black, who assault women
in Georgia may expect just such a fate.
We clip the following from the Georgia Planter. J. D. Gunn, of
Cuthbert, says he will send his son to the State University and educate
him as an agriculturist. From all reports boys are well educated
in the State University to be lawyers, politicians, dudes, foot ball players
and base ball slingers. After years of hard study in ball kicking
they don't know the difference between a clevis pin and a bull-tongue plow.
Georgia needs a practical school, where boys can work, and make crops,
and not be laughed at by the dudes and dudines who have the holy horror
of a dirty shirt.
In Capt. Phil Byrd's supplemental report to the Governor we find the
following: In Worth county, thirteen miles south of Sylvester, I
found a private camp being operated by J. W. Tatum, who was working the
convicts on a turpentine farm. Mr. Tatum had seventeen inmates in
his gang, and drew convicts from the counties of Worth, Terrell, Sumter,
and Randolph, and has been paying $60 per annum for each able-bodied man.
His gang was composed of colored males entirely. He operates in another
county a gang of penitentiary convicts, and in his misdemeanor camp he
has been applying penitentiary rules and regulations. Hence his individual
camp report ranked his camp high when compared with similar camps in Georgia.
This camp was organized in May 1897. Mr. Tatum states, regardless
of all losses he will sustain by the discontinuation of this camp, he stands
ready to obey the law, and will surrender the convicts to the county officers
of the various counties from which the men were sentenced.
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COMMUNICATED
EDITOR ADVANCE: -- Recently you mentioned in your valuable paper that
in the case recently tried in Justice Court at this place, wherein I was
the plaintiff, a judgement was rendered for the defendant, etc. It
is true that the court decided in favor of said defendant, who swore he
was not indebted to the plaintiff, and had not employed him, etc.
As was my legal right I appealed from the court's decision, and next Saturday,
the 18th, I was going to submit the issue to the jury and let them determine
which side -- plaintiff or defendant -- falsified. I am relieved
of the pleasure thereof, having been paid all due me by the defendant.
Respt'y,
B. B. WHITE
__________
MR. EDITOR: Please allow me space in your valuable paper to say
something about the services held at Bethlehem Baptist church last Sunday,
conducted by Rev. John Watts, P. E. of the M. E. church. He preached
an able sermon. His subject was "Man's Spiritual Relationship to
God." He preached again at night, and in spite of the bad weather
he had a very good crowd. After preaching he christened little Clyde
M. Smith. This is the first Methodist church in Ashburn that ever
baptized in the Baptist church, and I take this method of thanking the
good people of Bethlehem church for their kindness in letting us have the
use of their church. John Watts is a power. I would be glad
if all the citizens of Ashburn could have heard him. If we had more
like John Watts to fill our pulpits, it would bring about a revolution
in the religion circle among my people.
GLENN SMITH
__________________
J. W. Walker is on the sick list this week.
Jeffrey made a good hit on his furniture.
J. P. Belvin has moved into the Whidby house.
Bob Law made a business trip to Arabi Monday.
W. A. Story of Cordele was on our streets Wednesday.
Uncle Joe Raney was reported quite ill Monday.
Joe and Geo. Shingler departed for Mercer yesterday.
J. S. Shingler went to Cordele on a business trip Tuesday.
Epworth League will meet at J. W. Evans to-night.
D. H. Brown and wife of Heartpine are visiting Col. Bass' family.
G. B. Gorday has a nice awning erected in front of his store.
Geo. ?. McCook, a student of Emory, is home on vacation.
Mrs. T. W. White went up to Macon Saturday to visit relatives.
Agent Huckabee sold 33 tickets for the excursion to Macon Saturday.
Mrs. J. W. Ford of Tifton came home with Mrs. J. T. McLendon Friday.
Gardner and Thrasher's pineapple ice is a new thing, and simply nice.
One of the John Smiths of Irwin county was in town this week selling
chickens.
Misses Annie Georgia Betts and Aurona Evans left for LaGrange College
Tuesday.
Mr. Barbre went to Leroy last week to attend the funeral of his brother-in-law,
Dr. Pullin.
Dr. and Mrs. Gardner spent Wednesday very pleasantly with the Madames
Hudson.
Engineer Altman sent tram engine No. 7 to the hospital yesterday for
repairs.
Greer Bros. paid out to their hands at Dakota Saturday night $700 in
gold coin.
James Cravey, one of Wilcox county's leading farmers, was in town with
cotton Tuesday.
Bob Brightwell, of Ty Ty, is here on a visit to his brother-in-law,
Marshall Hallman.
Col. Bass was attending court at Vienna Monday and Tuesday, and will
return here to-day.
J. ?. McCook preached in the Methodist church Wednesday night and returned
to Oxford yesterday.
Mesdames S. B. and F. E. Hudson visited Sycamore Monday afternoon, and
reported a very rough road.
John Spring of Isabella shipped a carload of beef cattle from this point
to Macon last night.
Miss Ella Bacon will not return here to teach music. Mrs. C. E.
Walker of Sycamore has been employed.
Mrs. R. D. Betts returned with her mother, Mrs. J. J. Dasher, to the
latter's home in Ft. Valley Tuesday.
B. F. Boone a cotton buyer, was in Ashburn Monday with a view of locating
here during the cotton season.
Over a hundred guest attended the Hobby - Ward wedding last Sunday,
and there were eight waiters.
Mack Smith and Miss Lister Hobby will be married at the home of the
bride's father next Sunday.
When J. S. Shingler was a boy he made a small sail boat. Now he
has an oil painting of it hung on his parlor wall.
A negro named Andrew Seegers was fined $3 yesterday by Acting Mayor
Lawrence for beating his wife.
G. K. Rogers and son returned from Seville Tuesday, where they had been
on a visit with family and friends.
Clifford Hay, who at one time was an employe of the Advance office,
is now attending the high school here.
Charley Fowler, of Newberry Fla. who is here on a visit to the family
of his brother-in-law, J. W. Walker is sick with a fever.
The little daughter of Boy Durham died last Friday, and was buried Saturday
in the family cemetery near Deep Creek church.
Davis and Barbre inform us that they will build a storage warehouse
on the right-of-way nearly in front of their store.
D. L. has one of the best crops of Keifer pears to be found in this
section of the State. The trees are loaded down with fruit.
L. Griffin, Jim Craven, A. D. Sellers and other prominent farmers from
Wilcox county were in town yesterday with cotton.
Nicholas Hardin was a here Wednesday to get Mr. Ross to do brick work
on a turpentine still he is going to erect at Luke, Wilcox county.
Dan Clements of Sumner, whom the Local is pleased to call clever, is
the author of a new compliment to beginners in matrimony: "I wish you (can't
read) luck."
W. H. Geter and B. A. Hobby were in town yesterday trying to buy lots.
They think of selling their farms and coming to Ashburn to live.
Rev. J. J. Williams has appointed J. Lawrence of this place secretary
of the annual conference W. M. C. for the unexpired term of the conference
year.
Jesse Hickman will have removed to another lot the building in the rear
of his store, having been assured by Briggs Carson that the removal would
reduce his insurance rates.
Since the departure of a dear girl, one of the boys has been heard to
sing, "Holmes, Holmes, sweet, sweet Holmes." He thinks if there were
no Holmes there would be no happiness.
E. M. Altman of Worth recently sunk a well on his place to a depth of
forty-two feet and came to a large lake of water. Some think it is
a run of Abram's creek. -- Tifton Gazette.
John Jenkins is raising tomatoes without seeds. Now if he will
try and raise a breed of all gizzard chickens, and he succeeds we will
take the crop off his hands.
'Squire McArthur will hold his regular term of court Saturday.
It is said that he will dispose the celebrated cow case on that day, and
to effectually put and end to the case will be obliged to kill the cow
or the lawyers interested.
J. J. Fowler, a prominent lumberman from Boling, Ala., was here prospecting
for land Wednesday. He remarked the Advance force must be hustlers
for news, as one of them tackled him before he had a chance to get his
breakfast.
Bert Wright told us Monday that 'possums were good and ripe, and he
caught fourteen in one night last week. If Bert don't soon bring
us a young fat 'possum we will tell some thieving coon where he keeps his
sweet taters.
The Kathleen correspondent of the Macon Telegraph says in that paper:
Miss Cora Woodard, one of our most popular young ladies, has returned home
after a protracted visit to relatives at Ashburn, much to the pleasure
of her many friends.
Prof. J. B. Pate of Deep Creek will enter the University of Georgia
this fall. Prof. Pate is a young man who enjoys the esteem of all
his acquaintances, and they freely express themselves as believing he will
return from Athens crowned with the highest honor.
Sheriff Story and Jim McDowell were in Ashburn yesterday. The
sheriff had been to Dakota to bring back to the jail Worth county's convicts
illegally leased to Greer Bros., but those gentlemen refused to give them
up, and the sheriff returned empty handed. Just what will be done
in the matter remains to be seen. It is said however, that
Greer Bros. will be placed in charge of Dooly county's chaingang, and Worth
county's convicts leased to them. That will abolish private convict
camps with a vengeance.
G. B. Gorday properly came to the conclusion this week that the walls
of his storehouse should no longer be used as billboards for advertising
purposes while there was a newspaper in town, and stripped them of the
objectionable matter. Let others go and do likewise.
J. R. Freeman of Dakota paid his subscription to the Advance in soap
this week. He probably thought we needed it, and we really did.
We also need a coat, hat, vest, shirt, suspenders, pants, shoes, socks
and -- and -- and -- so forth. Now is the time to subscribe.
Jason Park is evidently a bad negro. He was but recently released
from the chain gang where he served a term for some of his meanness, and
was arrested Tuesday for beating his wife. Wednesday Acting Mayor
Lawrence fined him $3.50, and he will also be compelled to give a peace
bond.
B. F. Raney of Deep Creek was a caller at our office Monday. Mr.
R. is a leading and successful farmer of the Deep Creek neighborhood.
He tells us he will make a large amount of cotton this year, and in October
will erect a large storehouse and will embark on the mercantile business
in addition to farming. He is a man that will succeed in anything
he undertakes.
Pat Paine, formerly of Macon, was sentenced to be hung last week in
Louisiana. He secured Col. B. B. White of this place to intercede
with Gov. Foster in his behalf, and the result is Paine has been respited
until the Louisiana board of pardons can act on his case. This is
quite a feather in the cap of Ashburn's rising young attorney.
J. W. Winters, the painter, has shook the dust of Ashburn from his feet
never to return without putting his bondsman in the hole for $100.
On Monday his father-in-law, G. G. Golden, had him arrested for threatening
his life, and 'Squire Dempsey Ray of Sycamore place him under a bond of
$100 to keep the peace. Upon Winters making an affidavit to leave
the county and never return, Henry Ray, Gus Wells, and Mr. Royal signed
the bond.
Last week B. F. Raney purchased 800 acres of land in Irwin county, a
good farm included, at the Mrs. Prudence Porter sale, the price paid $400.
The land is located at the long bridge at John Walker's. There are
fishing lakes and a good hammock lands included in the tract, and the purchase
will certainly prove a paying one for Mr. Raney.
Tuesday night a gay throng gathered for a moonlight ride on the tram
road, and had a splendid time. Those comprising the party were Mr.
and Mrs. Harrell, Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Jenkins, Dr. Cooper and Miss Beecher,
Geo. Evans and Miss Maggie Hadaway, Andy Forester and Miss Hallie Holmes,
Charley Betts and Miss Mary Redding, Joes Shingler and Miss Maggie Burke.
Stags: J. H. Vinson, Ed Horne, Oscar Futch, George and Sam
Betts.
Mr. and Mrs. John Rush of Victoria, Fla., arrived in Ashburn yesterday
on a visit to her sister, Mrs. ?. J. Hodge, whom she had not met in thirty
years. They learned of each other's whereabouts a few months ago,
and Mrs. Rush did not let her sister know she was coming. It is needless
to say the meeting was a joyous one. The town where they live was
named after Mrs. Rush, her christian name being Victoria.
A party consisting of Mesdames W. K. Jenkins, G(can't read) Oslin, and
F. E. Hudson and Misses Annie G. Betts, Maxie Gilmore, Lillian Gilmore,
Kate Jenkins, Hallie Holmes, Mary Futch, Ola Smith, and Maggie Hadaway,
and Messrs. George and Charley Betts went on an excursion over the tram
road Saturday and had a jolly time, notwithstanding the numerical strength
of the party was the unlucky 13.
A fine bird dog belonging to Mr. Barbre showed signs of being mad Tuesday,
and Jim Baker, the colored porter at the hotel, alarmed the town by shooting
at the animal several times without effect. Marshal Hallman ran to
the hotel and killed the canine with one shot. It is thought by some
the dog was not mad, but had been poisoned by some ?ereant.
Sycamore had a shooting serape Saturday evening about 8 o'clock. It
seems that (can't read) Brown owed Joe Webb a small debt and he had
damned him for it on several occasions. This exasperated Webb, and
Saturday he went to town armed with a double-barrel shotgun, with a determination
it is alleged of shooting Brown on sight. Brown had been made aware
of Webb's intentions, and was on his guard. While Brown was talking
to some of his friends Webb came up, and lowered his gun as if to shoot.
Quick as a flash Brown grasped the weapon in his left hand when it was
discharged, and Brown found that one of his fingers had been shot off.
While he went to get his had dressed, Webb went to the depot and boarded
the south bound Shoofly. It was reported Wednesday that Webb was
working for a gin in Inaha, and would resist to the death any attempts
to arrest him.
That pig tight fence that Gorday and Raney were going to build around
their lot for the benefit of their farmer friends who desire to feed their
stock without being molested, is finished. In an hour after
the fence was completed, there was inside a sow and eight pigs, and old
cow and a yearling, and about 40 chickens, while outside at the gate stood
4 large Emden Geese grinning, and waiting for the farmers to bring their
produce and feed their stock.
In this day and age merchants and their clerks are proverbial for providing
substitutes for articles their customers call for and for which they do
not happen to have in stock. Geohagan went into G. B. Gorday's store
and asked Andy Forester if he had any mustard. Andy told him he hadn't,
but had some good fly blisters. Now Mr. Geohagan is puzzled to know
what kind of a substitute a fly blister would make for mustard on his bacon
and greens.
Harry Jackson came over from Sycamore Friday to get small change for
four five dollar bills, and returned home with $21. Harry is a pretty
square sort of a young man, or we might accuse him of flim-flamming someone
who accommodated him. All who gave him change assert that they gave
him the right amount, so he is one dollar ahead. However, we will
wager the left hind foot of a grave-yard rabbit never sends that dollar
to a conscience fund or a South African mission board.
Marshal Hallman and Bob Law have turned out full-fledged 'possum hunters.
They went down on the branch Wednesday and treed a little old measly 'possum,
and came with it up town, puffing and blowing as if they had a prolonged
tussle with a grizzly bear. Dr. Thrasher "held them up" for the 'possum
(can't read) that it was a pet and had escaped from his house the day before,
and they actually believed him. The doctor had 'possum for dinner
the next day, while his victims of misplaced confidence subsisted on bacon
and greens.
Last Friday afternoon there was great excitement in the Advance office.
The editor, who was working the hand press quickly let fly the hand lever,
part of the machine rolled over into the hotel lot, while he ran into a
side room to part his hair in the middle, put a Napoleonic twist on his
waxened mustache, and take a double half hitch on one of his sweetest smiles;
the local editor threw his spectacles in the ink keg and tried to play
spring chicken act, and the "hello" kid stood on his head in one corner
of the room trying to kick the cobwebs from the ceiling -- all in their
exuberance of joy because the office had without any previous warning,
been invaded by Mrs. Killibrew, Miss (can't read could be Mrs. can't read
given name) Killibrew, and Miss Dora Leggett. Such an array of matronly
dignity, youth and beauty, is rarely seen in a print shop, and the force
should be excused for being so terribly frustrated.
We visited two convict camps at Worth Sunday, and to our mind they are
well conducted as they well could be under the pernicious system in vogue
in Georgia. In Lowe's camp, known as No. 2, we found one of the guards,
Luther Aikens, in charge for the day, and to that gentleman we are indebted
for courtesies extended and information. The camp is a model of cleanliness,
and the convicts are well cared for, clothed and fed. They work from
sun to sun, bathe and put on clean clothes every Sunday, and have divine
services whenever a minister visits the camp on that day. No cursing
or gambling tolerated under any circumstances. There were 62 convicts
in the camp, 4 of whom were white, 6 lifers, all colored. There are
eight guards, and W. H. Tison is superintendent of the camp. No deaths
have occurred in the last 18 months. Escapes are rare, the camp being provided
with two as fine dogs as can be found in the State. At camp No. 3
we found Cap't Geary absent, and were shown through the stockade
by Guard O. E. Osbourne. The camp is conducted very similar to that
of No. 2. There are 75 convicts, 8 of whom are white, of the colored,
13 are life time men. The sanitary condition of the stockade is good,
and only one death has occurred in 18 months. Both camps are well
guarded night and day.
On Saturday last the report spread like wild fire that Dr. Thrasher
was hopelessly insane at his home, and it was feared he would become violently
so. In fact, it was deemed unsafe by the town authorities to capture
and chain him, and Sheriff Story was telegraphed for. The telephone
wires between here, Worth, and Sycamore were kept hot with messages from
the doctor's friend urging people not to do him bodily harm in placing
him under restraint, and asking for information on his condition.
Dr. Story of Sycamore nearly drove his horses to death in his eagerness
to reach his friend and render him any aid in his power. Marshal
Hallman organized a posse comitatus, and surrounded the house with an armed
cordon of deputies to prevent escape pending the arrival of the sheriff.
The vacant lot in front of the doctor's residence was crowded with citizens
of Ashburn, Worth, Sycamore and the surrounding country, watching his strange
actions, and expressions of sympathy were heard on every side; even tears
were seen trickling down the brownest cheeks. The doctor was on the
front gallery walking about utterly oblivious to his surroundings, having
a pillow in his arms which he was tossing up and down and swinging to and
fro, muttering the while, "Pooty 'ittle baby-aby ; wants to put it's 'ittle
footsie-ootsies in the gravy-avy, and have it's nice new frocky-on and
come and see its pappy-appy." This was positive evidence of insanity
to many, and expression like these were heard on every hand: "Poor
Doc; he's sure gone crazy." "He'll have to be taken to Milledgeville; when
did he go daft?" "What caused him to run amuck?" etc., etc. But subsequent
events showed, however, that he was not insane, but engaged in his part
in the great Drama of Life, for Sunday morning his good wife presented
him with a sure-enough 10 pound girl baby, and the pillow has gone glimmering.
Mother and child are doing well, and the doctor is trying to laugh and
grow fat.
Beyond a doubt J. S. Shingler has the most beautiful home in Worth county.
It is a combination of money, energy, work, and taste, located in the edge
of town at a cost of about ten thousand dollars. He gave a party
to the young folks Monday night and served the lord at the same time. (Some
folks in town don't think you can do that). The sliding doors of
the stately home and the noble heart of the builder were wide open to receive
the guest. A banana plant surrounded with calias, geraniums, and
colodians stood in the center of the hall, with Miss Yancey to welcome
the visitors in. The drawing room was open on the right with its
plush furniture, piano and decorated walls to smile back on the smiling
party, while the fireplace was filled with begonia surrounded on the marble
tile hearth with potted altermanthias. Just across, the sitting room
with its organ, grinding boxes and tables for games, was open to receive
us, while the palm stood sentinel under the mantle with its surrounding
of potted vincars. At 9:30 another sliding door that opened into
the dining room was pulled back, and the party was escorted to tea.
Many were the dishes of refreshment served, and happy was the hour the
of serving. There a sweet of life was tasted and the bitter
had gone away. A charm of earth was resting on the peaceful breast
of happy humanity, clinging to the chains of friendship around the neck
of each. The light from the chandelier was no brighter than the rays
of friendship beaming from the faces of the host, hostess, and guests.
Whether time had stopped or was flying a more rapid rate did not concern
the occupants of the chairs around the table. It was a little social
now, an hour of bliss, an open communion. The elegant home was as
humble as the humblest cottage, and we who had been called felt free, easy
and welcome. The carpeted floors, the green foliage, the musical
instruments, the sweet (can't read), the pretty faces, the handsome gentlemen,
the ribbons and cards compiled to turn on the light of enjoyment and drive
out the darkness of discomfort. Among them were the bride and groom
J. B. and Mrs. Bozeman (hard to read, but Bozeman is my best guess) who
were married two years ago. The party numbered about ?0 and they will number
many a day before they are in a better "At Home" than the one of J. B.
Shingler's Monday evening.
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