USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I > Part 124
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REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 532; Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 329; North- ern Alabama (1888), p. 216; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915; Weekly Messen- ger, Livingston, Ala., 1857 circa.
GAINESVILLE AND MISSISSIPPI ROAD COMPANY. See Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company.
GALENA OR LEAD ORE. Lead ore is one of the least plentiful in Alabama of the better- known minerals. Those deposits which occur are, so far as known, in the Trenton lime- stone in Calhoun County. ' Mining was done there by the Confederate Government, and the old quarries may still be seen. Some small veins of galena have also been observed in the Knox dolomite. There are traditions of early lead mines in practically every county of the State, but probably without foundation in fact.
REFERENCE .- Smith and McCalley, Index to mineral resources of Alabama (Geol. Survey of Ala., Bulletin 9, 1904), pp. 61-62.
GAME AND FISH. See Conservation, De- partment of.
GAMBLE MINES CO. See Pratt Consoli- dated Coal Co.
GAMING. By act of December 23, 1836 a drastic law on the subject of gaming was passed. It was described as an act "to pre- vent the evil practice of gaming." It pro- vided that "if any person of mature age, shall game and bet at cards, dice, backgam- mon, billiards, or any other game of hazard, with a minor or person under twenty-one years of age, or suffer any minor to bet at any gaming table, or other device, no matter by what name called, whereby money or any other property or commodity has been won or lost by any minor under the age of twenty- one years," on conviction he shall be fined not more than $500, and "stand in the pillory two hours in each succeeding day for three suc- cessive days." Judges were required to give this law in their charges to the grand jury.
By act of the legislature of 1907, card and dice playing at public houses and other public places was prohibited. In an indictment for gaming under this act, it is not necessary to state the name of the game played. The keeping or the exhibiting of gaming tables that are not regularly licensed under the laws of the state are guilty of a felony. Betting at cards, dice, keno, billiards, ten- pins, horseracing, etc., with minors, or on state elections, renting of rooms, booths, etc., for gaming purposes, permitting of minors to play billiards or pool, is prohibited. The proprietor of any public house, inn, tavern, the captain of any steamboat, or the con- ductor on any train who permits gambling of any form to be committed in his house, or on his premises, or on his boat, or on his train, etc., is liable to conviction.
During the early history of the state lot- teries were used to raise money for educa- tional, charitable, and religious purposes. A constitutional provision now prohibits such schemes and legislations. Wheels of fortune, slot machines, device of chance, or raffling is also prohibited.
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Sunday Violations .- Any person who en- gages in gaming, card playing, domino play- ing or racing on this day may be arrested.
REFERENCES .- Codes of Alabama.
GAMMA DELTA BETA. Dental college fraternity; founded in 1915 at the Birming- ham Dental College, as a local professional organization.
REFERENCE .- Baird, Manual (1915), p. 659.
GANTT'S QUARRY. See Marble, Alabama.
GARDENS. See Flowers and Floriculture; Fruits; Horticulture.
GAS. See Natural Gas.
GASTONBURG. Post office and station on the Southern Railway, in the northwest corner of Wilcox County, in secs. 1 and 2, T. 14, R. 6, 20 miles northwest of Camden. Altitude: 223 feet. Population: 1912-145. It has four stores, a ginnery, and a black- smith shop. It is on the public road from Uniontown to Prairie Bluff. When first settled by David F., John W., and Dr. D. F. Gaston, and A. T. Wilkinson, it was known as Paris. Upon the completion of the rail- road in 1887, the name was changed to Gastonburg.
GAYLESVILLE. Post office and interior town, in the mountainous region of Cherokee County, about 8 miles north of the Coosa River, and 16 miles northeast of Center. Altitude: 587 feet. Population: 1888-275; 1900 -- 266; 1910-204. It is situated at the crossing of the Alpine and Summerville roads. The Bank of Gaylesville (State) is the only banking institution of the town. It was first known as Sulphur Springs, but when the post office was established, the name was changed to Gaylesville. Judge Birdwell, Elijab Patey, and George Clifton were the earliest settlers.
REFERENCES .- Northern Alabama (1888), p. 128; Polk's Alabama gazetteer. 1888-9. p. 379.
GAYLORS RIDGE. A high, broad, mono- clinal mountain extending from Georgia several miles into Cherokee County, Ala. The mountain, or ridge, is about 2 miles broad, and gradually slopes from its northwest rim, which is from 1,500 to 1,600 feet above sea level, to its southeast edge, which is approxi- mately 1,000 above sea level. Properly, the mountain is the more gently sloping north- west side of an unsymmetrical synclinal whose steep and badly crumpled southeast side has been engulfed in the Rome and Cahaba thrust fault. There is little mineral of value in this mountain, though there are some scattered nodules of limonite.
REFERENCES .- McCalley, Valley regions of Ala- bama, Pt. 2, Coosa Valley (Geol. Survey of Ala., Special report 9, 1897), p. 807.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY. See Legislature.
GENERAL TICKET SYSTEM. See Con- gressional Representation.
GENEVA. County seat of Geneva County, in the southern part of the county, about 35 miles southwest of Dothan, about 30 miles southeast of Opp, about 35 miles southeast of Elba, and 151 miles south of Montgomery, within 1 mile of the Florida State line, and on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad where it crosses Choctawhatchee River. It is the head of navigation on the Choctawhatchee, by which it reaches the markets at Pensacola and Mobile. Population: 1870-126; 1880 --- 400; 1890-637; 1900-1,032; 1910-969; 1916-2,000. It was incorporated in 1872, and its limits are bounded on the east by the Choctawhatchee River, on the south by D'ea River, on the north by Double Bridge Creek, and on the west by a line from that creek to Pea River, being situated in secs. 20 and 29, T. 1, R. 22.
Its banks are the Farmers National, and the Bank of Geneva (State). The Geneva County Reaper, a Democratic weekly estab- lished in 1901, is published there. Its indus- tries are cotton ginneries and warehouses, cottonseed oil mill, a sawmill, feed mills, a fertilizer plant, gristmills, and general stores. It has a city high school, and grammar schools. The Methodist, Presbyterian, Bap- tist, and Episcopal denominations have churces in the town.
This locality was settled in 1836, by Henry A. Yonge, who was the first postmaster, and who named the place in honor of Geneva, Switzerland. A stagecoach line from Pensa- cola to Tallahassee via Geneva, with mails twice a week, was maintained for many years. In 1836 Capt. Milledge Cox established a barge line to Pensacola on the Choctaw- hatcheee River, and this accelerated the growth of the town. Other early settlers were Asa Alexander, David Keith, Angus Mc- Dougald, Samuel Monroe and sons Alex, Dun- can, and Daniel, Samuel Pace, Henry Albrit- ton, Alston Stewart, Elisha and John Sim- mons, William Newell, William Morris, Loren- zo Milligan, Lewis Shields, Charles Bonyer, Dr. John G. Moore, Henry W. Laird, and Thomas Nelson.
In 1864 the town was almost washed away by a freshet, and for that reason was moved to higher ground about one-half mile north of the old site. When Geneva County was formed, in 1868, Geneva was chosen the county seat.
REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 558; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 235; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 380; Alabama Offi- cial Statistical Register, 1915.
GENEVA COUNTY. Created by the legis- lature December 26, 1868. Its territory was originally a part of Coffee, Dale and Henry Counties. It borders the State of Florida. As originally established, it contained 694 square miles. With various alterations of bounda- ries, this has been reduced to 578 square miles, or 369,920 acres.
The county was named for Geneva, its prin- cipal town and which by the act was made the county seat.
The act of establishment named Thomas
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
H. Yarborough, Daniel Falford, Daniel Miller, Asa Ray, William Hays, Ira D. Albenson, and Jonas Bell as commissioners for the organ- ization of the new county. On the first Tues- day in January, 1869, they held an election for all county officers, establishing voting places, and appointing managers. The com- missioners were required to levy a special tax to liquidate the pro rata indebtedness of the counties out of which the new county was formed. Pending suits were to be continued and tried in the old counties, unless by mutual consent they should be transferred, and all business in the probate courts of such old counties, pertaining to the estates of deceased persons who had resided within the limits of the new county, upon application or petition were to be removed to the newly established probate court. The county was attached to the Eighth Judicial Circuit, and to the Fourth District of the Southern chancery division.
Location and Physical Description .- It is located in southeast Alabama, and its entire southern boundary lies along the northern line of the state of Florida. It is bounded east by Houston, north by Dale and Coffee, and west by Covington.
It has an undulating and pleasing topog- raphy, but without unusual elevations. It is well watered. The Choctawhatchee flows through its entire extent, and is navigable from the town of Geneva to its mouth. It was at one time the principal outlet for the prod- ucts of the county. The principal tributaries of the Choctawhatchee in the county are Double Bridges Creek, which unites with it just above Geneva, and the Pea River just be- low. The latter drains the western section of the county.
The county lies wholly within the Coastal Plain, and its soils are similar to those of Covington County (q. v.). The arable soils are in large part divided from stratified drift and loam. The low lands consists of dark gray bottoms, sand hummocks and gallberry flats. The river lands are usually subject to overflow. Timber consists of longleaf pine, with post oaks, hickory, broadleafed black- jack, red oak and upland willow. On the di- vide between Double Bridges Creek and Pea River pine woods prevail, with scarcely any other trees. The undergrowth consists largely of coarse tufts of wiregrass.
The mean annual temperature is about 67.1 F. No maximum and minimum temperatures statistics available. The annual precipitation averages about 65 inches. Details of the extent and character of production are noted in the statistics below.
Aboriginal History .- The location of the county is too far removed from the Chatta- hoochee River to have been inhabited by In- dians from those towns, but along the Choc- tawhatchee, which runs through the center of the county, are found some aboriginal remains. About one mile below Pate's Land- ing are two mounds, 10 feet high, and 25 feet in diameter. Below this point about three or four miles is a much larger mound. These mounds have many indications of house sites in the vicinity.
Farm, Livestock and Crop Statistics, 1918. -The statistics below are given for illustra- tive purposes, and, in tabular form, without any attempt at comparison or analysis. They were gathered under the direction of the Bureau of Crop Estimates, U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Number of all farms (1917), 2,360. Acres cultivated (1917), 227,120. Acres in pasture (1917), 58,600. Farm Animals:
Horses and mules, 8,400.
Milk cows, 7,700.
Other cattle, 12,000.
Brood sows, 13,100.
Other hogs, 73,000.
Sheep (1917).
Selected Crops (Acres and Quantity) .-
Corn, 120,000 acres; 1,080,000 bushels.
Cotton, 50,000 acres; 12,500 bales.
Peanuts, 62,100 acres; 1,560,000 bushels. Velvet Beans, 44,000 acres; 16,000 tons.
Hay, 58,000 acres; 28,000 tons.
Syrup cane, 2,200 acres; 340,000 gallons.
Cowpeas, 3,000 acres; 15,000 bushels. Sweet potatoes, 3,000 acres; 300,000
bushels.
Irish potatoes, 700 acres; 28,000 bushels.
Oats, 5,000 acres; 100,000 bushels.
Wheat, - acres; - bushels.
Post Offices and Towns .- Revised to July 1, 1919, from U. S. Official Postal Guide. Figures indicate the number of rural routes from that office.
Bellwood
Hacoda-1
Black-2
Hartford-5
Chancellor-1
Malvern
Coffee Springs-2
Samson-3
Ganer-1
Socomb-3
Geneva (ch)-3 Spears
Population .- Statistics from decennial publications of the U. S. Bureau of the Cen- sus.
White
Negro
Total
1870
2,732
227
2,959
1880
3,829
513
4,342
1890
9,664
1,026
10,690
1900
15,878
3,218
19,096
1910
21,924
4,305
26,230
Delegates to Constitutional Conventions .- 1875-Henry W. Laird.
1901-W. O. Mulkey.
Senators .- 1876-7-A. C. Gordon.
1878-9-A. C. Gordon.
1880-1-F. M. Rushing.
1882-3-F. M. Rushing.
1884-5-C. H. Laney.
1886-7-C. H. Laney.
1882-9-W. C. Steagall.
1890-1-Wm. C. Steagall.
1892-3-R. H. Walker.
1894-5-R. H. Walker.
1896-7-Geo. W. Brooks.
1898-9-George W. Brooks.
1899 (Spec.)-George W. Brooks.
1900-01-Walter Acree.
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
1903-Walter Upson Acree.
1907-P. B. Davis.
1907 (Spec.)-P. B. Davis.
1909 (Spec.)-P. B. Davis.
1911-C. A. Stokes.
1915-T. S. Faulk.
1919-W. W. Morris.
Representatives .-
1876-7-James McDuffie.
1878-9-J. T. Register.
1880-1-M. Cooley.
1882-3-D. J. B. Atkinson.
1884-5-J. H. Alberson.
1886-7-F. H. Alberson.
1888-9-J. L. White.
1890-1-J. C. Coleman.
1892-3-W. J. Mills.
1894-5-W. J. Mills.
1896-7-G. J. Carrant.
1898-9-C. O. Box.
1899 (Spec.)-C. O. Box.
1900-01-W. J. Keith, Sr.
1903-William Jefferson Mills.
1907-J. R. Alford.
1907 (Spec.)-J. R. Alford.
1909 (Spec.)-J. R. Alford.
1911-W. O. Mulkey.
1915-Dr. W. W. Smith.
1919-T. S. Faulk.
REFERENCES .- Acts, 1868, pp. 446, 450; Brewer Alabama, p. 258; Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 295; Riley, Alabama as it is (1893), p. 235; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 235; Alabama, 1909 (Ala. Dept. of Ag. and Ind., Bulletin 27), p. 127; Alabama land book (1916), p. 72; Ala. Official and Statistical Register, 1903-1915, 5 vols .; Ala. Anthropological Society, Handbook (1910) ; Geol. Survey of Ala., Agricultural features of the State (1883) ; The valley regions of Alabama, parts 1 and 2 (1896, 1897), and Underground water resources of Alabama (1907).
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. Dr. Eugene A. Smith, professor of mineralogy and geology in the University of Alabama, is State geolo- gist. In the event of a vacancy in the office, the professor of geology in the university shall be ex officio state geologist. It is the duty of the State geologist to devote such portions of his time as his professional duties shall permit to making explorations and exam- inations of the mineral, agricultural, and other natural resources of the State, includ- ing its water powers, with their capacities, and its forest trees, with their utilities and distribution. He is required to notify imme- diately the owner of the land upon which val- uable deposits of ore, coal, phosphates, marls, or other substances, are found; and must make quadrennial reports to the legislature, showing the progress of his explorations, accompanied by analyses of soils, ores, min- erals, and mineral waters, and such maps, charts, and drawings as may be needed for their illustration. These reports are pub- lished by and are the exclusive property of the State. Usually they are distributed with- out charge, except the cost of postage; but one of them has been sold for as much as
$1 a copy, plus postage. The State geologist also is required to make collections of speci- mens and illustrations of the geological and agricultural resources of the State, one of which shall be deposited in the cabinet of the university, a second in the Alabama Poly- technic Institute, and a third in the office of the commissioner of agriculture and in- dustries at the capitol.
He has authority to appoint with the gov- ernor's approval, such assistants, including a chemist, and for such periods of time and with such compensation, as he may deem necessary to the best interests of the survey. His own salary is $200 a month when engaged solely with his duties as State geologist and not receiving compensation for his work as professor, and $100, in addition to his salary from the university, when discharging the duties of both positions. For this purpose, and to defray the other expenses of the sur- vey, including compensation of assistants, traveling expenses, cost of apparatus and materials for making chemical analyses, en- graving maps, etc., an annual appropriation of $7,500 is made. The printing, binding, and illustration of bulletins or reports of the geological survey are under the supervision of an ex officio committee consisting of the governor, the secretary of state and the state geologist, who may, at their discretion, have the work done elsewhere than by the state printer. The cost of printing and binding is paid from the general fund and not from the appropriation for the geological survey.
Early Surveys .- The Geological Survey of Alabama, considered as a public office whose activities are based upon a comprehensive and systematic plan, may be said to have begun with the appointment of Prof. Michael Tuomey (q. v.) to the chair of geology in the Uni- versity of Alabama in 1847; for it was made a part of his duty to spend such portions of his time, not exceeding four months in each year, in exploring the geology of Alabama as the trustees of the university might consider for the advantage of the State; although the legislature did not appoint him State geolo- gist until January, 1848. Prof. Tuomey began his explorations immediately upon taking up his work in the university. Ex- tracts from his reports to the trustees were published from time to time in the Tusca- loosa newspapers, and it was these extracts which attracted the attention of the legisla- ture and brought official recognition of his work. He continued his explorations at the expense of the university until 1853. In 1849 his first biennial report was transmit- ted to the legislature, and was published by the State during the following year, though without the geological map, which was separately issued later.
Prof. Tuomey was not, however, the pio- neer in geological investigation in Alabama. The earliest known publication on the sub- ject appeared in the year 1827, being a paper by W. S. Porter in American Journal Science, vol. xiii, p. 77. Between the appearance of this paper and the issuance of Prof. Tuomey's first official report in 1850, 10 other geolo-
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
gists published one or more papers or reports dealing with one aspect or another of the geology of the State. (For titles, names of authors and dates of publication, see bibli- ography, infra.)
Most of these early workers in the field had some knowledge of the mineral resources of the State, and doubtless foresaw in a measure the potentialities of their development in con- nection with its future industrial growth and economic life. Two of them occupy a more conspicuous place in Alabama geological his- tory than the others; and, after Prof. Tuo- mey's and Dr. Smith's, theirs are the out- standing figures in that department of the State's public life. They were Prof. Richard T. Brumby, and Sir Charles Lyell of England. The latter made two trips to Alabama for the purpose of studying the coal deposits which have since become so important a factor in the State's industrial growth. He made full reports of his observations to the British Geological Society, which, being published in its official journal, very likely were the means of arousing the interest among English scientists and capitalists in the Alabama coal fields which eventuated in their making large investments, and contributing no inconsid- erable share to the development of the mining and transportation industries of the State.
In making his examinations and explora- tions, Sir Charles Lyell was assisted by Prof. Brumby, and he took occasion to make public acknowledgment of that fact in the following language: "It would have been impossible for me, during my short visit, to form more than a conjectural opinion respecting the structure of this coal field, still less to de- termine its geographical area, had not these subjects been studied with great care and scientific ability by Mr. Brumby."
While Prof. Brumby himself had done notable work in the field of geological ex- ploration and investigation, as indicated by the foregoing quotation from his distinguished contemporary, prior to the visits of the Eng- lish geologist, his chief contribution to the science, as related to Alabama, was his ad- dresses and open letters to the public on the importance of a geological survey of the State, which were the means of informing the public generally and the legislature in par- ticular concerning the latent power and wealth awaiting only expert examination and subsequent development to put Alabama in the forefront of industrial progress. In 1841 he delivered an address on the subject, published in 1842, and in November and De- cember, 1844, published a series of letters in the State Journal and Flag, of Tuscaloosa (published in pamphlet form in 1845) in which he undertook to educate public opinion on the subject. To Prof. Brumby is due the honor of having first aroused public opinion on the subject of the development of the State's magnificent natural resources. assiduously the work of discovering and mak- ing known the mineral wealth of Alabama without the encouragement and assistance of an appropriation from the State and without other compensation than his salary from the
university. However, in 1854, the legis- lature appropriated $10,000 to be used In the geological survey, and, in addition, $2,500 a year for the salary of the State geologist. Gov. Winston appointed Prof. Tuomey to the position, under the new law. Prof. Tuomey resigned his professorship in the university and devoted his whole time to the survey for about two years, when the funds appropriated were exhausted and he resumed his work in the university, where he had maintained his office during his service to the State.
In making the survey Prof. Tuomey was assisted by Prof. E. Q. Thornton, Mr. O. M. Lieber and others. In 1855 Prof. John W. Mallet, of the university, was appointed chemist to the survey. In November of that year a report of the work done by Prof. Tuomey and his assistants was submitted to the legislature, but its publication was de- layed for more than two years. When he resumed his duties in the university, Prof. Tuomey intended to devote his leisure to the survey as before, especially to the elabora- tion of his notes. He was engaged in field work during the summer of 1856, but was unable to complete the working out of his notes before his death, on March 30, 1857.
After Prof. Tuomey's death Dr. Mallet es- sayed the task of editing and completing the long delayed report. It was a difficult task, for part of the manuscript had been lost, and part was incomplete. The work was done, however, and in September, 1858, the Second Biennial Report at last appeared, accom- panied by another geological map of the State, more detailed than the first. Upon the death of Prof. Tuomey the survey was discontinued.
The appearance of Prof. Tuomey's first re- port in 1850, as though timed to coincide with the agitation of the question of building a railroad to connect the Tennessee River with Mobile Bay, exerted a most potent in- fluence upon, if it did not actually determine. the selection of the route for the proposed road. Immediately attention was concen- trated upon the desirability of at once begin- ning the development of the wonderful min- eral wealth whose existence was disclosed in the report. If this were to be done, trans- portation facilities in the mineral district must be provided. What more reasonable or more easy than to build the proposed grand connecting railroad between northern and southern Alabama through the heart of the mineral region, and thus solve at once all the vexatious problems which had so long occupied public attention? Those who before had advocated the western route for the road, now had practically an unanswerable argument and they pressed it to the utmost. A railroad convention assembled at Elyton (near the present site of Birmingham) in August, 1853, and unanimously adopted a set of resolutions, calling for the construction of the proposed railroad with State aid; and, as an aid to its proper location, recommend- ing "the immediate, thorough and general geological survey of the State, and its vigorous prosecution to completion at the
648
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
earliest practicable period." (See South and North Alabama Railroad Company.) Thus, the geological survey, the construction of railroads, and the development of the mineral resources of the State were not only con- temporaneous, but mutually beneficial, each stimulating interest in and recognition of the importance of the other.
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