GEORGIA. 



SOT 



!ii- \vci-k show a further reduction to ho 

 n-\ in the estimated yield. The total yield 



i I \vr (Hi |>,T cent, of n full crop. The 



.-nits have ITCH realized along albeit ex- 

 tending from Savannah river to the soulh- 

 nicr of ili,- State. Along this belt 

 the crop i> e.-timated at 71 per cent, of a full 

 The poorest result is in the southeastern 

 coimlics, \\here 55 percent, is the estimate. The 

 rop lias proved about an average one for 

 the Slate. Potatoes, both In-hand sweet, have 

 given good crops. The only complaint made is 

 in the casiern section, where, on strong lands, 

 they have been injured by too much rain. The 

 cr<>p of sorghum is light, but there is a good 

 yield in the southern and eastern sections. 



Mineral Resources. Prom a report of the 

 :iit State geologist are taken some notes in 

 reference to t lie nndcvelop, d mineral wealth of 

 the State. The principal minerals of value are 

 gold and corundum. North Georgia is very 

 rich in the latter. It ranks next to the diamond 

 in hardness, and is used in emery wheels and 

 for polishing hard surfaces. Its scarcity makes 

 it of double worth. No other deposits are known 

 except a small one in North Carolina, just be- 

 yond the Georgia border. In Rabun and Towns 

 Counties are very large deposits. In Towns and 

 I)aws<m Counties are inexhaustible supplies of 

 pyrites, some of which are auriferous. When 

 ilu-.-e ores are chlorinated they will not only be 

 of great value on account of the sulphur, but the 

 gold contents will pay for working, and the sul- 

 phur may be used in the manufacture of acid. 



Other minerals in the State, according to 

 this report, are: Manganese, mica, galena, 

 marble, copper, genthite (a nickel ore), beryl, 

 rutile, epidote, tourmaline (for making boracic 

 acid), garnet, talc, graphite, asbestos, kyamite, 

 ochre, amethyst, kaolin. Specimens of natural 

 products and minerals are collected, and a mu- 

 seum is to be established. 



New Uses for Cotton-seed Oil. Prepara- 

 tions are making at Savannah for a plant for the 

 manufacture of cotton-seed oil into a substitute 

 for India rubber, by a process discovered by J. 

 (1. Carter. The substitute contains a percentage 

 of rubber varying from 9 to 50, and can not be 

 distinguished, it is claimed, from the pure rub- 

 ber, while it can be manufactured at less than 

 <ni" third the cost. Mr. Carter has also dis- 

 covered a process for making cotton-seed oil 

 into a high class of varnish. 



Railroad Tax Decision. A decision ren- 

 dered by the Supreme Court in April will, it is 

 estimated, give the treasuries of the various 

 enmities more than $200,000 a year, and will have 

 an important influence on the policy of the State 

 <io\t rnnient with respect to taxation of rail- 

 roads. For years efforts have been made to get 

 through the Legislature a bill for the taxation 

 of railroads in the counties by ail valorem tax, 

 so as to make this class of property bear the 

 same burdens as all others: but the effort was 

 not successful until the autumn of 1889, when 

 the (ilenn bill passed both Houses. The consti- 

 tutionality of the act was argued in the Su- 

 preme Court, and that body asked for a re-ari:u- 

 mei.t upon certain points in January. The 

 opinion of the court, which sustains the law, was 

 written by Judge Lumpkin. The act provides 



that the roadbed and other located property of 



a railroad shall be returned for taxation in ," a c|. 

 county where located. ju>t as pri\atc propi-rtv i- 

 rcturned. These returns are all sent to 'tl.e 



Comptroller-General, who sums them up and 



a-certains the total return for each road. and the 

 exact proportion returned from each county. 

 The whole rolling stock or unlocated properl'y 

 of the road is returned, and [import ional parti* 

 of it allotted to each county for taxation. Tin- 

 roads returned for taxation 'last year <-10.v. 

 of property. The return for county taxation 

 would have been exactly the same. The a\ 

 rate of county tax for 1890 was 5 mills. It i 

 about the same now, and this on a return of 

 $40,823,000 will give the counties $204,000 a 

 year. The principle involved extends also to 

 the right and manner of municipal taxation of 

 railroad property, and the decision probably 

 settles the legality of the act of 1890, authoriz- 

 ing taxation of such property by municipal 

 corporations. 



Charities. The number of patients in the 

 State Lunatic Asylum for the past two years was 

 as follows: Oct. 1, 1890, there were 1,089 whites 

 and 477 colored; Oct. 1, 1891, there were 1.142 

 whites and 523 colored : during the year from 

 Oct. 1. 1891, to Oct. 1, 1892, there were received 

 230 whites and 130 colored ; the number dis- 

 charged, removed, eloped, and died during tin- 

 year was 455, leaving the whole number 1,570. 

 The average number during the year under 

 treatment was 1,618; the total number treated 

 2,025. Of those discharged during the year, 13(5 

 were regarded as restored and 10 as improved, 

 while 96 were pronounced incurable but harm- 

 less. The cost of maintenance 'per capita for 

 the past year was $118.33; the amount received 

 from the' State treasury was $189,999.96, and the 

 expenses $191,463.86. 



The number of pupils in the State Academy 

 for the Blind, at Macon, for the year closing 

 Sept. 30, 1892, was 103, of whom 20 were col- 

 ored. The receipts amounted to $17,700, and 

 the expenditures to $17,571.86. 



The report of the trustees of the Institution 

 for the Deaf and Dumb shows an itemized state- 

 ment of expenses amounting to $17.481.37. and 

 an estimate of the needs of the institution 

 amounting to $19,900. 



A Soldiers' Home. A movement to provide 

 a home for needy veterans of the Confederate 

 service was started by Henry W. Grady some 

 years ago, and a building was erected in Atlanta 

 by voluntary subscription and tendered to tin- 

 State as a free gift, without conditions, but on 

 the understanding that it be maintained as a 

 home for the soldiers as long as such an institu- 

 tion should be needed. The building and ground- 

 have increased rapidly in value, and are now es- 

 timated to be worth $200,000. The gift was re- 

 jected by a former Legislature, and the question 

 of its accept.-incc came up again before the pres- 

 ent Ciencral .Wcmbly: but the bill to accept it. 

 providing the action should be ratified by the 

 people at the county elections in January, was 

 indefinitely postponed. 



The Registration Laws. A decision in re- 

 gard to the validity of the registration laws has 

 been rendered by'.ludge Spcer in connection 

 with cases in Richmond and Wilkinson Conn- 



