Grady County GAGenWeb

The Cairo Messenger, April 14, 1905

“CAIRO AND GRADY COUNTY”

You will find on this page of the Cairo Messenger a map of Thomas, Decatur and Grady Counties, Grady being shown in the dark space in middle of the map. The dark line running north and south near the center represents the present line between Decatur and Thomas.

Grady County is not yet, but the majority of the people living within the proposed New County are heartily in favor of its formation, and are living in anticipation of Grady County appearing on the new map of Georgia to be issued for the year 1906.

The thriving little city of Cairo, being near the center, will be the county seat of Grady. The citizens of Grady county will have many reasons to be proud of Cairo as a county seat, and some of Cairo's advantages will be set forth in this article. Cairo as a market cannot be surpassed by any town in Southwest Georgia, as the farmer finds ready sale for every kind of produce made on the farm. This fact brings trade to Cairo from far and near.

Cairo receives annually about 6000 bales of cotton, and 15000 barrels of syrup. Cairo as a syrup center, and the high grade of syrup made around here has won for Cairo a national reputation of which many larger cities would be proud. Besides being a large cotton and syrup market Cairo receives annually more chickens and eggs that any other one town or city in Thomas or Decatur counties.

All the produce marketed in Cairo annually would likely amount to half million dollars. The total footing of the annual business of Cairo would reach the million dollar mark or even more. The business of our little city has increased so rapidly that the Atlantic Coast Line recognizes the fact that the present depot facilities are insufficient and they will soon begin the erection of a $10,000 brick freight and passenger depot that will be a credit to any city with ten times the population of Cairo.

The present school building of the Cairo High School is inadequate for the demands made by Cairo and vicinity for educational advantages, and there is a movement of foot now, headed by the trustees and representative citizens, to replace the old wooden school building, with a six thousand dollar brick school house which will be in keeping with the present progress.

Another fact worth of mention is that the City of Cairo has voted for bonds—the proceeds of which are to be used in the erection of water works and an electric light plant. The city fathers will doubtless push this part of city improvement to completion as early as possible.

Cairo and vicinity enjoy as good or better mail service that many larger cities, as we receive mail from 5 trains in a day, 24 hours, besides our country friends are served by four rural free delivery routes, and the fifth route has been approved and will likely be in operation by May 1^st.

Cairo has also a bright and clean little newspaper, THE MESSENGER, of which they should be proud. It will not be out of place to state just here that most of our leading citizens seem to be enterprising in most any other line of business, but they have not yet been able to see and feel the power of the press when used for the right and against wrong, and very few of our citizens seem to believe in the virtue of printer's ink as regards advertising. This can be truthfully said and it's a shame on them.

The city of Cairo has enjoyed a steady and substantial growth for several years and the sound of the trowel and hammer is still to be heard all around.

What Cairo needs most just now is more manufacturing enterprises, and with the advent of Grady County additional capital will be seeking investment in the new county and among such God-favored people.

Those who oppose the formation of Grady County will tell you that taxes will be higher. You need not believe that, but taking it for granted that taxes are some higher, the man or men who tell you that taxes will be higher will not have them to pay; and it is safe to say that those who decry the New County movement have never given you one cent with which to pay your present state and county taxes.

It is real amusing to see the frantic efforts of certain newspaper men in Thomas county when such a question as the formation of Grady County is being agitated, when but a few years ago the Prohibition question and election was on, and then these men (?) were not men enough to declare themselves outright for the good cause of prohibition and right but they were rather inclined to be [on both sides then] they would be on the biggest side in the final test.

Some of the opposing forces tell us that Grady County is nothing but a hot bed of populism. Others say that if Grady County is formed that the remainder of Thomas County will go Republican.

It is more reasonable to suppose that Grady Count will be Democratic inasmuch as Thomas county has been in the Democratic column for many years with the exception of a few years ago Thomas went Republican when, on account of Providential occurrences, Cairo's election returns were not sent in.

That one time alone is enough to show that Cairo and Grady County are not all Populists, notwithstanding the fact that Tom Watson has many friends in Grady County.

We are entitled to Grady County and our prospects are very bright for getting it if the New County Executive Committee will just wake up and work as faithfully now as when they first started out.

Yours for Grady County.
X. Y. Z.

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