From Days Gone By September 1, 1911

September 1, 1911. The fall term of Warthen College 1911 will open September 5th. The college opens at night to give the patrons, as well as the public, an opportunity to meet teachers, hear the lectures and the outline of the year's work. Nothing means more to Wrightsville than the opening exercises at the college. The school exists alone for the children and the teachers are here to help you help your children meet the great issues of this great age. Hon. E. L. Stephens of Wrightsville, representative in the Genera Assembly from Johnson County; announces that he will be a candidate for Solicitor General of the Dublin Circuit at next years election. He has practiced at the bar here for a number of years and is well known in Wilkinson, Johnson, Laurens and Twiggs. He is a strong lawyer, is popular with the people and would make a good solicitor if elected. He is in his first term as state representative. The Empire Store will begin its Great Sale tomorrow. T. G. Holt, proprietor has returned from the northern markets with goods galore. Gainor Burns, one of the best known and most popular salesmen in this section, has bought an interest in the firm of Vickers- Williams Co. He was formally employed at Hayes Bros. where he has sold "stacks of goods". The ladies committee will be selling ice cream and cake on the court house lawn with the proceeds going to pay for the piano just purchased for the methodist church. A tiled pavement is being laid in front of the Lovett Building, corner of Marcus and College streets, and will be quite an improvement when finished. Little Winnifred Scott has been quite sick. The friends of Mr. & Mrs. Virgil Kent will be glad to learn that their children, Alice and Louise are recovering from a recent severe illness of diphtheria. Mr. & Mrs. Lee Franklin Smith announce the birth of a 12 pound boy, who has been given the name of Edward Eugene. Last sunday Mr. W. B. Moorman was united in marriage to Miss Amanda A. Johnson of Kite. The ceremony was performed by Rev. W. D. Walker, Sr. at his home at Tom. Mrs. John Underwood died at her home in Wrightsville tuesday morning after a lengthy illness of pellagra. She was buried at Pleasant Grove. Mrs. Henry Price died wednesday morning near New Home. She had been in poor health for sometime though her death was unexpected. She was the mother of Mrs. Silas Powell of Wrightsville. On last saturday there was a half bushel bucket of rattlesnakes on exhibition on our streets. There were 27 in number, 26 young ones from 12 to 18 inches long, and the mother snake, a formidable looking old creature. This interesting family of snakes had their home in a log near the Johnson Dairy Farm. They were found and killed by some of the farm hands. Mr. Charlie G. Rawlings has placed an order for a gasoline plow, and as soon as the crops can be gathered will begin operating it about november. The plow costs $3000 and will consume 50 gallons of gasoline per day. An average day's work will be 24 acres. If it can be kept constantly at work it is capable of breaking 600 acres per month. Disc plows will be used and will cut in the earth 15 inches. "Do not marry the young lady who allows herself to float around the neighborhood in a top buggy or automobile until 2 in the morning with a counterfeit sport with a weak jaw and weaker morals," was the advice given young men by the Rev. E. N. Askey of the Oakland Avenue M. E. Church in a sermon on "When shall a young man marry?" "Do not marry the young lady who insists on changing partners six nights a week in the front parlor with the lights turned low. Don't marry the young lady who has been pawed over by every yap in the community."

From Days Gone By August 25,1911

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August 25, 1911.
On monday afternoon, about 5:30, a terrific downpour of rain and hail,
accompanied by severe wind and vivid lightning came very suddenly. In the midst
of it all came a fire alarm and the volunteer company responded promptly to the
home of M. M. Davis on Belmont Ave. Chief Starling discovered no fire but
considerable damage to the roof where lightning had entered and passed out near
the rear of the house. The family was absent at the time or possibly one or all
would have been killed. Mrs. J. R. Wilson who was standing on the front porch
next door was shocked so badly that a doctor was summoned. The rain was falling
in torrents but the firemen did their duty bravely.
This electric storm also did considerable damage to Warthen College. Ten or
more of the heavy plate glass windows were shattered by the wind, and also the
glass panels in the outside doors. Besides the loss of these, the interior was
exposed to the heavy rain. The storm came from the southeast and passed rapidly
over the city.
Warthen College will open September 5th. The college stands for all that is
pure, holy and good. Character, culture and purity of home life, for God and
Christian religion. The school and the home should stand together.
W. C. Tompkins is having a second story added to the First National Bank
building(Johnson Journal), which will be a fine addition. It will contain
several offices, well lighted and ventalated and equipped with all conviences.
Contractor Chester will do the work. The W. A. & L. Railroad Construction
Company contracted with the Glenn County Construction Company of Virginia to
negotiate the sale of thier first morgage bonds, and to construct the road from
Lyons to Wrightsville. Active work with a large force of hands in the next 30
days it is hoped that trains will be running from here to Lyons by early spring.
The state Chamber of Commerce, traveling in the state car will be in
Wrightsville at an early date. The businessmen of the city are encouraged to
give them a rousing welcome.
After an illness of 2 days of malarial fever, Herschel Wood, the 11 year old
son of Mr. & Mrs. M. B. Wood died at the home of Mr. J. M. Outlaw near Moores'
Chapel. He was buried at Westview with Rev. Pompey Flanders officiating. Rev. B.
H. Ivey died at his home in Warrenton and was buried at Tennille his death due
to appopllexy and was very sudden. He was at one time the preacher of the
Baptist church here.
Mr. B. J. James, a naval stores manufacturer of Ennis was in the city
attending city court. White Wheeler, a "live wire" farmer of Kite was here too.
Prof. Paul Bryan left for Conneticut to Yale College. Miss Wylantie Hicks moved
her millinery stock to Vickers & Williams store. Hon. & Mrs. E. L. Stephens
announced the birth of a daughter on August 15th. Mr. W. J. Dent, Sr. is up
again after several weeks of severe illness. Frank Jackson has been named
associate editor of the Wrightsville Chronicle. L. J. Pournell files for divorce
from his wife Esther Pournell.
J. T. Ferguson asks how long the citizens of Wrightsville will continue to
spend $800 to $1000 each year on the streets. The work each year only gets
washed away. This is our home,and the home of our children after we are dead and
gone. When we work our streets it should not be temporary. The money spent this
year should benefit us next year. Why not have our streets paved with brick or
stone each year as far as the money for that year will pave it?
Mr. A. H. McRae, staff correspondant to the Industrial Index is here
preparing a write up of Wrightsville & the agricultural and horticultural
resources of the county. He says that no town of its class in the state has
shown greater progress in commercial and industrial growth than Wrightsville and
he predicts continued expansion that will attract capital and people.
An epidemic of cholera among hogs is raging seven miles east of Wrightsville.
Already fifty or more fine ones are dead and the list is growing each day.

From Days Gone By April 18, 1911

April 18, 1911. Contractor Chester informs that the Vivola Opera House will be opened in October. Six hundred and fifty opera chairs have been shipped out of Chicago will be installed shortly. The drop curtain, scenery and other stage properties are ordered. The Vivola is a handsome play house, well ventalated and conveniently arranged, supplied with lights, ample seating, fire escapes and all other modern conviences. The Vivola building embraces opera house and offices on the second floor, while on the ground floor a mammoth store room to be occupied by the Wrightsville Furnature Company. The building is owned by E. A. W. Johnson, planned and built by W. C. Chester, the most experienced architects and builders in the state. This fills a long-felt want in Wrightsville, and a splendid addition to our town. An automatic drinking fountain for the benefit of both man and beast has been placed on the west side of the square by the city fathers. It is a very unique piece of cas-iron, with two basins. The lower basin for mules and horses, and the upper for people. It is much needed. Other fountains are to be installed in other parts of town. Seventeen convictions in city court is a record for one day. The greater number of these were blind tiger cases. Chief Ferguson is having some much needed work done on the streets and it is well appreciated by the pedestrians who have found the walks anything but straight and narrow, owing to the super abundance of weeds and grass. Prof. Julian Cook will open a singing and instrumental school at Gethsemene Church. Misses Vivian and Ola Johnson will enter Brenau College at Gainsville. Mr. Julius Jenkins is assisting at the post office in the absense of postmaster J. F. Renfroe. J. D. Bush has accepted a position as salesman in the grocery department at Hayes Bros. where he wants all his old friends to come see him. Jim is a bang-up good fellow, and is reliable and pleasant to trade with. The Farmers Union Gin has ginned 12 bales of cotton and stored 15 bales this week. The Lovett Gin has ginned 12 bales and the City Warehouse has stored 15 bales also. Miss Rosa Lee Sumner, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. G. F. Sumner has married Mr. T. F. McGahee, a successful young county farmer. Misses Vola and Dola Claxton, twin daughters of Mr. & Mrs. L. J. Claxton celebrated their 15th birthday. Mr. A. T. Clarke of New Home is sick. Miss Bronnie May Tanner is convalescing after two weeks illness of bilious fever. Mrs. J. M. Blackshear is headed to Macon for the sanitarium. Growing on the sidewalk in front of J. V. Snell's residence, near Lynhurst, are several beautiful pecan trees loaded with fruit. Mr. Snell has a nice orchard and his crop of peacans bids to be a prolific one. Geo. M. Rhiner, guardian of Ida, Clinton, M. T. Rhiner and A. L. Neal applied for discharge of his guardianship. Mrs. Claude McEntyre, administratrix of R. H. McEntyre asked to be discharged from the estate. W. T. Scarboro, guardian of Pauline Tapley asked for discharge. Mrs. M. E. Taylor files application for year's support. John Vanlandingham files for Letters of Administration on the estate of Julia E. Vanlandingham. Yesterday morning, about 8 am a fearful auto accident occured at Adrian, resulting in serious injury to two of the occupants, and possibly the death of the third. The car was owned by John Smith of Lumber City, and at the time of the accident was in charge of his two young sons, accompanied by their uncle, George Smith of Adrian. While crossing the track of the Brewton & Pinora Railroad, the auto was struck by a freight train and thrown some distance from the track and completely demolished. The occupants were pinned beneath the wreckage, from which they were extricated as quickly as possible. The two boys were carried to a near by drug store, where it was found that one of them was severly scalded, and the other sustained a crushed leg and other injuries and there is little hope for his recovery. Mr. George Smith was taken to his home, he is very painfully injured about the head and is in a serious condition. Mr. J. H. Rowland of Wrightsville visited the scene shortly after it occured.

From Days Gone By Aug 11, 1911

August 11, 1911. Wrightsville will soon be the "City Beautiful" as Judge Wiggins is making things hum with the county's property. Chief Ferguson is making every lick count on the streets, and Contractor Chester is putting the finishing touches to the Vivola block. The first bale of cotton for Johnson County was brought in by Henry T. Downs. It was ginned at Fulford's gin. The bale weighed 479 pounds and sold for 12 - 18 cts per pound. It was stored at the City Warehouse. The cotton warehouse of C. H. Moore, agent for the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company will be ready for business in a few days. E. A. Douglas will be manager. Mr. J. T. Tharp has been chosen weigher and manager of the City Warehouse. He is quite familar with the business, a careful, good man and will manage it well. The Farmers Union Gin and Warehouse opened for business ginning its first bale weighing in at 481 pounds. Messers Lovett Claxton and Ed Jordan are in charge of the business. Mr. T. G. Holt, proprietor of the Empire Store left for the eastern market to buy fall and winter stock. H. C. Tompkins is in New York and going to Baltimore to buy an extensive line of clothing and Elmo Hayes, an experienced buyer is up there too, stocking up on dry goods, shoes and groceries to ship back. Mr. R. Z. Sterling and several others have formed a Lyceum Course for Wrightsville and have secured a list of attractions from the Alkahest Lyceum. "The Vassor Girls" will be the first entertainment at the Vivola Opera House. Seventy-five season tickets have already been sold for this year. Mr. B. B. Tanner & family visited Palatka, Lake City and other Florida towns. The trip was made in Mr. Tanner's new car, in which they went from Wrightsville to Valdosta, 200 miles in one day. Mr. Tanner was pleased with the Georgia highway but the roads to Jacksonville are not suitable for "autoing". John Thomas McAfee, the 4 year old son of Mr. & Mrs. J. T. McAfee died at his home after a few days illness of hemorrhagic fever. He was buried at Westview. Mrs. Stella Harrison Vanlandingham, wife of Mr. John W. Vanlandingham died after a several day illness of puerperal fever and was buried at Beulah. She was a daughter by the former wife of W. H. Harrison. She was a young woman with good character and faithful in her church duties. She is survived by her father, husband and seven small children, the youngest an infant ten days old. Senator W. N. Kight of Johnson County representing the 16th district including Laurens and Emanuel gives the "Tale of a Kite" which dates back 1000 years. Every Kite should have a tail, and this tale goes back to the time when the Saxons and Danes were fighting for supremacy in England. The Kight's have been in this area for 100 years. They have been traced back to Alfred 1, a Saxon king. A Kite bird alighted on the banner and in the next 3 battles he was victorious. He adopted the Kite bird as his emblem and named himself Kite. This is where the family started. In the 17th century George Kite came to America as one of William Penn's colonist who settled in Pennsylvania. This was the beginning of the American Kite's. In 1610 the grandfather of Sen. Kight came to Georgia from there establishing the name to this state. Until 50 years ago it was spelled Kite, but Sen. Kight's uncle went to Virginia and found that branch changed the word to Kight. So he adopted the spelling as well. When Sen. Kight named his home town it was questioned by the postal service of that spelling being confused with Knight. So he went back and changed the spelling to Kite. Sen. Kight, who is 60 years old is a prominent merchant, lumberman, naval stores operator, banker and farmer. He is now serving his first term as senator. He was the mayor and postmaster of his town, Kite, Georgia. The recent raids on the blind tigers seem to have put a quietus to this line of business. Judge Kent is doing a great job giving them the chaingang. The kind of booze sold by them, it is said, will make a jack rabbit walk up and spit in the face of a bulldog.