Atlanta And Its Builders, Vol. 2 - A Comprehensive History Of The Gate City Of The South. Thomas H. Martin
Democratic leader, finally gave way to its youthful rival, the Constitution. It had many strong friends, who clung to it to the last. Our efficient deputy sheriff, Charlie Wells, was for many years its chief foreman. In 1871 the Constitution became the property of W. A. Hemphill and E. Y. Clarke, N. P. T. Finch purchasing an interest later. This journal, in its turn, had fierce rivalry in the Sun, Herald and News, all of them excellent Democratic papers. After the fiercest contest known in Georgia journalism, all these papers suspended, leaving the Constitution, in 1876, alone in the field without competition. A few months later, the managing editor, E. Y. Clarke, sold his interest, after a connection of six years. The city has, in the Constitution, a first-class political journal, equal to that of almost any city in the South. It is under the management of a publishing company, of which Albert Howell is the president; W. A. Hemphill, business manager; E. P. Howell and N. P. T. Finch, managing editors. In Colonel Thomas M. Acton the Constitution has the greatest newspaper agent in the South. He came to Atlanta in 1858, and in the same year published and sold some 20,000 copies of the 'Life of Crocket,' hung for the murder of Landrum. For some ten years he has been connected with the Constitution, is known for his geniality and immense physical proportions, and is a good and useful citizen, much esteemed. The present foreman of the Constitution, Mr. Paschal J. Moran, displays fine ability in the make-up of the paper. A new daily, the Tribune, has been recently started by Charles H. Williams, formerly of the Columbus Times, who is manager of the Tribune Publishing Company. It is a smaller and cheaper paper than the Constitution. The Sunny South, a literary journal of great excellence, is published by Mr. John H. Seals, and edited by Mrs. Mary E. Bryan. The Christian Index, the organ of the Baptists of Georgia, is published by the Christian Index Company, under the editorship of the Rev. David Butler, The Southern Grange and Planter, the official organ of the patrons of husbandry and farmers' journal, is issued weekly by John J. White and Frank Gordon." * *
"By a vote of the people on December 5th, 1877, Atlanta was made the permanent capital of the state. This adds largely to the influences tending to the continual growth and prosperity of the city, making it the home of the governor, and other officers of the state government, and the seat of all state conventions, political, commercial and industrial, thereby creating a source of very great revenue. The state will doubtless soon begin the erection of a new capitol building upon a magnificent site presented by the city. The overwhelming majority — 43,946 — by which the people of Georgia expressed their preference for Atlanta is a home estimate of its worth and advantages. In his management of the campaign for Atlanta Councilman J. W. English deserved high praise, and received a public testimonial from citizens in the shape of a massive silver salver from G. H. Miller & Co., of this city. The location of the capitol at Atlanta is, however, but one of many causes operating to center upon it the attention, interests and affections of the people of Georgia." * *
"As New York is famous for the splendor and magnificence of its retail stores, so is Atlanta. In consequence its retail business is correspondingly great, and growing, attracting from a distance thousands of people desirous of availing themselves of the economy and choice obtainable in the selection of family supplies from immense and brilliant stocks. John Keely and Chamberlin, Boynton & Co. are to Atlanta what Stewart and Lord & Taylor are to New York. John Keely, after the close of the war, in which he was a gallant Confederate officer, put all his energies into the dry goods business, and rapidly acquired a most brilliant success. His store had to be repeatedly enlarged to meet the demands of incessant trade, and is constantly thronged. In 1871 Mr. H. S. Johnson, a popular young salesman who had long been connected with the house, was admitted into the firm of Chamberlin, Boynton & Co., which, composed of three such men, could not be otherwise than successful. The carpet store is under the management of W. A. Haygood, who is a partner in this branch of the business, in which he has made quite a name and won hosts of friends. Thousands of strangers make annual pilgrimages to Atlanta to visit these stores, which are marvels in the beauty, richness and variety of their goods. There are other popular dry goods houses such as A. O. M. Gay & Co.; and, indeed, no city, not excepting New York itself, offers a more inviting retail market to the purchasers of family or individual supplies."
A news notice of the building of the government building in Atlanta — now regarded as inadequate to the city's demands — was as follows:
"Congress passed an act on February 12, 1872. appropriating the sum of $100,000 to build a United States courthouse and post-office at Atlanta, Ga. In June, 1874, another act was passed, extending the limits of the cost of the building to $250,000. Other appropriations were afterwards made which swelled the whole amount up to $275,000. The site for the building was presented to the government by the city of Atlanta. Ground was broken for the new building on the 21st of August, 1875. The style of the building was taken from a copy of an ancient Italian villa, but somewhat modernized, and is termed the Italian Gothic. It is built upon a concrete foundation composed of cement, sand and granite, and is three feet thick. Mr. T. G. Healy, of this city, has been the able superintendent of its erection from the commencement to the finishing. Mr. James G. Hill, in his annual report to the U. S. Treasury Department, says: 'This building, will be completed within the limit placed upon its cost by the act of congress, and it will afford larger accommodations in proportion to its cost than any other building under the control of this department.' The lot of land is 200 x 210 feet, and is bounded by Marietta street on the front, by Farley on the west, and Forsyth on the east. The size of the building is 135 x 75 feet, is three stories high, and the total cost of the building, as shown, was over a quarter of a million dollars. It is used by the post-office, custom house, and revenue departments, and has also a court room and offices for the Federal District Court."
In a table contained in a population census of the United States for 1880, exhibiting the percentage of persons engaged in gainful occupations for each of "the principal fifty cities of the United States," Atlanta stood third, being exceeded only by Lowell and Lawrence, Mass. This percentage ranges in the cities referred to from 33 per cent, as the minimum, to 50 per cent, as the maximum. Atlanta was 46 per cent., Lawrence 49 per cent, and Lowell 50.
When the fact is considered that both Lawrence and Lowell are specially cotton manufacturing points, employing in the list of their population engaged in gainful pursuits, a larger percentage of women and children than Atlanta, then comparison, even with these two cities, is very favorable to Atlanta.
In Atlanta, the occupation of those engaged in gainful pursuits was divided as follows:
Agricultural pursuits 314
Professional and personal service 8,614
Trade and transportation 3,952
Manufacturing, mechanical and mining industries 4,189
All occupations 17,078
Total population 37,409
The rapid growth of Atlanta from 1855 to 1880 — within a quarter of a century — is shown by the following table:
Population of Atlanta in 1855 was 6,025
Population of Atlanta in 1865 was 10,000
Population of Atlanta in 1870 was 21,788
Population of Atlanta in 1875 was 30,869
Population of Atlanta in 1880 was 37.409
In view of Atlanta's present population of upwards of 100,000, the prediction made at the close of Col. Clarke's work, written in the latter '70's, is interesting. Forecasting Atlanta's future growth Col. Clarke said:
"The preceding brief reviews of Atlanta's population, institutions, business, facilities of trade and healthfulness, while discovering the basis of its past growth and present prosperity, also demonstrate its continued progress in the future; for the same causes are operating only upon a grander scale. The railway system is perfect, but the sections penetrated are constantly developing their resources, and Atlanta must grow with its tributaries. In addition to this the combined power of superior facilities, increasing enterprise and skill, and the prestige of past success, are continually extending trade into new and more remote sections. The rapid developing of the manufacturing interests, the social and healthful attractions of Atlanta for