HODGES MILL part 1
Since Plowboy left this community it seems that our corner of the county is unrepresentatived through your columns. Therefore I thought I would give you a few dots from this part of the county. As I am a schoolboy, I will tell you something about our school. We have a fine school at what we call Barnesville, as it is near Mr. Barnes´, taught by Mr. James C. Maddux. He always has a good school wherever he goes, because he understands his business. When you get the old professor behind the teacher´s desk he is in his proper element. May he long have to teach the young and rising generation. If our school continues to increase we will have to get someone to assist the professor. During last week he attended court two days and left Miss Janie Roberts in charge of the school. She graced the schoolroom very nicely, and we hope the professor will secure her as an assistant teacher.
We organized a Sabbath School at our schoolhouse (Barnesville) last Sunday evening with about 60 scholars on the roll.
Oak Hill School is divided this year as you see. Prof. Maddox is in command of the north wing at Barnesville and Miss Lillie Heard in command of the south wing at Smith´s Seminary, near Capt. McCord´s.
Our farmers are moving on very well, most of them through planting corn and are now waiting for lovely spring to put in her appearance to commence planting cotton seed.
Mr. H. H. Stewart has charge of the Barnes homestead and he is turning things up in good style and seems to understand how to till the soil, in fact, all of our neighbors do.
Near our school house stands Harpers shops where you will find Capt. McCord and Mr. Harper busy building guano distributors. The captain is the inventor of the machine.
Our farmers most all belong to the Farmers´ alliance and say they intend to make a success of the institution by raising what they need at home
Well, Mr. Editor, we school boys have heard so much about Harrison´s inauguration that we expected there would be great change of things, but we see none as yet. The sun still rises in the east and sets in the west and our professor comes the same road to school and used the same cane to crack our heads.
Submitted by Don BankstonHODGES MILL part 2
As my last communication did not find its way into the wastebasket I will give you a few more dots from our corner.
Perhaps some of your readers would like to know where Barnesville Academy is. It is situated in a beautiful picturesque place about midway between the Ocmulgee River and Yellow Water creek, on the road leading from the old Barnes homestead to Hodges Mill. From our place can be seen the jasper hills and beautiful waters of the Ocmulgee and the little silvery stream of Yellow Water, upon which sits Hodges Mill, where you will find I. C. Moore ready to grind your wheat and corn. By the way, he is one of the best millers in Georgia.
A portion of a dozen farms can be seen from our schoolroom, which puts us on such an elevation that we get all the fresh air. But a few paces from our school can be seen the steeple on the Methodist church in your town.
Our school still continues to grow in numbers. We give the professor no time to eat idle bread, and some times he has to call on some of us to help him through, as he wants to pull through the first term without an assistant.
Lovely spring has made her appearance and some of our farmers are planting cotton seed.
Wheat and oat crops are looking fine. There is a larger acreage sown in our community this year than usual, which show that our farmers intend to live at home.
Mr. R. M. Harper has the finest field of wheat in our corner.
Our farmers are trying to keep up with the times and are improving their farms and buildings. Messrs. Henry Holifield, Jepsy Lummus and W. M. Roberts have made new additions to their dwellings, which add much to their appearance.
At Harper´s shops, in connection with the McCord distributor, which we spoke of in our last, you will find Mr. John Lummus putting up cotton seed planters, I think the best planter in Georgia. He has a patent on his machine.
There was a sad accident near here last Monday on Mr. Pope´s place. Two Negro children were left in the house of their parents and one caught fire and set the house on fire and burned it up with all its contents. One of the children which was about seven years old perished in the flames. The other made its escape.
Miss Banie Holifield is visiting relatives and friends in your town this week. Also Miss Mary A. Coleman of Dublin is visiting friends around Oak Hill.
School Boy
Middle Ga Argus – Week of
Hodges Mill – News Tidbits
Our farmers are moving along briskly with their crops. The most of them have finished planting and are beginning to cultivate. Our stands of corn are generally good. Wheat and oats look fine after the refreshing April showers.
Have you ever heard of a mule catching a rabbit? Last week Mr. Tom McClure was plowing and as the mule was turning around in the corner of the fence it reached down to nip a bunch of grass, and behold when the mule raised its head it had a rabbit by the ear. The mule became so frightened that it took Mr. McClure´s best efforts to keep from running away.
Our people are on a boom looking for the new railroad. We learn that they will run from Bentonville to Jackson and as they want high banks to cross the Ocmulgee I think we have the place near our academy. At the place I mention the hills are higher and the stream is narrower than at any point between Dempsey´s ferry and Seven islands. At that point is one of the finest water powers in the state. Here is the place for the Allianace men to build their oil mill and bagging factory, or in fact, any other machinery they may need.
Our school, under the guidance of Prof. Maddox is moving on smoothly. We have a regular spelling bee twice a month and on last Friday we had several young ladies in to hear us.
Our Sunday school is flourishing with seventy odd on the roll. In addition to the regular lessons we have a lecture every Sunday by some one of the school. The last lecture was y Mr. I. C. Moore on the subject, “What is your aim in life’. Besides this one we have those other Sunday school in our district besides two literary schools and all well attended.
Mr. Editor, it seems that I am about to get myself in trouble by writing about our girls. My teacher gave me a raking over about the sweet creatures and says I must keep the thought of girls out of my head. R. E. L. and Duds get after me and so what must I do? Well, I believe I will agree with R. E. L. for my girl lives in that community and I think she is akin to an angel. Perhaps if he would come down this way and see our girls he would not boast so of his. I am going up that way again shortly but you may bet that I do not let the Professor know where I have been. The Dude wants to array the girls and boys of his community by criticizing us. I expect he thinks the girl who is visiting his sister is like R. E. L.´s an angel that has been transported to this country. As to boy we have plenty and if Dude wishes to know more of them he will have to come over and see. Some drive our own horse and ride in our own buggy and some us foot it when we do not have to go too far. As to our intelligence, industry and looks we will leave that for some one else to say. There is an old adage that says sell praise is half scandal.
Now Mr. Editor, I am a schoolboy and will have no more to say bout the girls till school is out.
Miss Lucy Lummus and Miss Obera Moore are both quite sick at this writing; also a little babe of Mr. And Mrs. C. A. Pittman.
School Boy
Middle Ga Argus – Week of April 23, 1889
New Post Office at Hodges Mill
A new post office has been opened at Hodges Mill in this county and has been christened "BASE". The Argus already has a number of subscribers there.
Middle Ga. Argus - Week of June 30, 1891
