From Days Gone By

January 25, 1912.

Warthen College observed Lee's birthday on friday in a very appropriate manner. The whole school was instructed upon the life and character of the great general by college president, A. F. Ware and Capt. John L. Martin, Confederate veteran. The college is now in the best running order ever. The enrollment is the largest in the history of the school and a faculty as strong as any. Superintendent of Education, A. J. Robinson is busy making inspections of all the county schools.
At the regular council meeting, on March 6th, there will be passed upon an application now pending, to run a pool room in the city. As true representatives, the mayor and council invites all good citizens to express themselves as to what action to take. Councilman B. H. Lord was elected mayor pro tem. He is a good man and the only man on the council to have been there before, serving in 1909.
Duff & Robinson, watchmakers and opticans are now located in Robinson brick building on the north side of the square. John and Jack are "right up to now" in all they profess; reliable and courteous. The Vaudeville Team at the Vivola Theatre are making good, and a large crowd greets them each night. J. D. Outlaw & Son, blacksmith's, tells the public there is a rumor being circulated that they have gone up on the price of horse shoeing to $1.50. This is not true. We are shoeing at the same price as always at $1.00 and we guarentee our work. Cox & Tanner have sent out samples of India Tea which is pronounced par excellence by the tea drinkers.
Joe Little, the veteran colored barber of Wrightsville, now has his shop in the "band stand", north of the public square, lately vacated by Judge J. L. Kent. Joe says he is now fixed up in apple pie order, and invites his city and country friends to drop in and see him and he will serve them promptly and in the best manner possible.
Mr. & Mrs. W. L. Burns left Wrightsville for Tennille to occupy their new home on Smith Street. Rev. Chas. R. Williams, with his family, have moved from Spann to Wrightsville and are occupying the Cox old home on Elm Street.
Col. and Mrs. A. L. Hatcher went to Atlanta as guests at the reception by Gov. John M. Slaton. Rep. E. L. Stephens is also in Atlanta attending a special session of the General Assembly to inaugurate former Gov. Joe M. Brown as Governor. J. M. Hightower announces for Ordinary in the August primary. Ira S. Chappell and Judge K. J. Hawkins have both announced for Judge of Superior Court.
J. J. L. Outlaw has been sick for several weeks. Clerk A. S. Norris has dispepsia and has been visited by his father, Dr. S. M. Norris. Dr. C. R. Riner of Summitt, a former Johnson County boy, was here to see George M. Riner who is sick at his home on West Elm Street. Mrs. Will Dent is quite sick also.
After an extended illness of organic heart trouble, Mr. J. W. Moye died at his home here and was buried at Westview. He was a native of Baldwin County and was a Confederate veteran as a youth in Governor Joe Brown's Militia. He was one time the superintendent of the Johnson County Farm. He married thrice and survived by his last wife and several children among whom Mrs. W. H. Baron of this city.
The past two or three days have been real spring-like and preparations are being made for early gardens. Some have already planted English peas and cabbage, thereby observing the old custom of plantin in the "12 days", or the "old Christmas". The woodpecker is now abroad in our sunny southland, plying his characteristic avocation. The presence of this distinguished red-head member of the bird kingdom, is, it is said, the precurser of spring.

From days Gone by Jan. 18, 1912

January 18, 1912.
In accordance with custom the old and new city council of Wrightsville met on January 6th, that the reins of government might be officially turned over to the incoming gentlemen of the council. The mayor appointed the different committees, viz: Finance, J. M. Cook, B. H. Lord, A. T. Cobb; street and lane, B. E. Jordan, L. J. Claxton, A. T. Cobb; sanitary, B. E. Jordan, T. L. Harris, chief of police; water and lights, J. M. Cook, B. H. Lord, L. J. Claxton; police com., L. J. Claxton, B. E. Jordan, A. T. Cobb. Col. A. L. Hatcher, city attorney.
Some citizens are betting high on new mayor, T. L. Harris, when he gets a lick at some of the old chronic violators of the prohibition laws. That the law is violated is very evident, and our ears are open to hear the weeping of the transgressor, for surely his way will be hard.
J. H. Rowland has moved his office to the store of Rowland Merchantile Co. and C. H. Moore now has his office in the building formerly occupied as a garage. Messers. John Duff and Jack Robinson have formed a copartnership and opened their jewlery and repair business, in the Robinson building, recently vacated by Dr. J. R. Dent, who has moved his office to the home of his parents on West Court Street. The new stores, corner of Court and Marcus streets, recently rebuilt by W. G. Burns and A. T. Cobb, are a great improvement to that part of the city. They are nice large store rooms with attractive front entrances. Despite the low price of cotton, and the usual cry of hard times, Wrightsville continues to grow and these new buildings, and other improvements evidence the fact that our town is still in the line of progress.
W. L. Burns of the G. and F. Railway is here on business. R. L. Stephens has severed his connection with the Tompkins stores, and is now on the road. E. E. Daley and family will move into their pretty Bungalow on West Elm Street, as soon as the weather is more favorable. The home was built by contractor W. C. Chester, and is attractive, conveniently arranged and furnished with all modern equipment. This is the first Bungalow built in Wrightsville.
Mr. Geo. M. Rhiner has been quite ill for several days. Mrs. Mary Pritchard who was operated on at Rawlings Sanitarium is improving. Mr. Henry Montford continues quite ill at his home on Court Street. He has been sick for several months and getting worse. B. Vickers of the Vickers, Williams & Co. firm has been confined to his bed with fever.
Little Martha Kent, the infant daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Louie Kent, has more grandmothers than any one we have heard of. This little lady is blessed with seven grandmothers as follows: one great great grandmother, four great grandmothers, and two grandmothers and each of these think Martha is the finest baby ever born.
Wright Norris had the misfortune to have the foot and one side of his buggy burned recently. He drove out to his plantation and had placed a hot brick in the buggy to make him comfortable. He forgot to remove the foot warmer when he left his buggy and the wrappings ignited and burned most of the vehicle.
It was announced in Savannah that the reason for the withdrawal from the U. S. Supreme Court of the case of Dr. W. J. McNaughton, the convicted murder of Fred Flanders, in Emanuel County, was because of newly discovered evidence in the case. When the time comes to resentence McNaughton, his attorneys will file the extraordinary motion. "We expect to see Dr. McNaughton walk from the courthouse a free man when his case is finally disposed. We are convinced that he is innocent."
On January 19th will commemorate the 105th birthday of Gen. Robert E. Lee. The day is a legal holiday in Georgia and will be observed here by all the banks. Warthen College will observe the day with appropriate excercises.
The past several days, the weather has been extremely cold. We have had rain, snow, sleet and plenty of ice. The roads were all frozen, which made travel very uncomfortable, and very few people have come in from the country, and business of all kind has been very light. Everybody remaining at home, unless necessity required them to leave their fireside. Tuesday morning was the coldest of the winter. Thermometers registering 10 degrees above zero, which is very cold for this section. Oats that were sown in the fall, are said to have been destroyed by the cold weather.

From days gone By Jan 11, 1912

January 11, 1912.
The new office on Bradford Street recently built by J. H. Rowland, was almost totally destroyed by fire about 2 am Monday morning. As soon as the alarm was sounded the fire company promptly responded and extinguished the flames. The building was a small frame, composed of two nice offices, occupied by J. H. Rowland and C. H. Moore. Rowland lost most of his papers, etc. but Moore's loss was minimal for most of his was in the safe. it is believed the fire started from a cigar carelessly dropped in the building in the early evening. Mr. Rowland had no insurance on the building. The house of Jack Irwin, a colored tenant on the farm of Mr. E. P. Bedingfield, on the line between Washington and Johnson, three miles below Harrison, was burned Sunday night with all its contents, including three of Irwin's children, the oldest about thirteen. The mother and father had gone to church at Harrison and the children were home alone. Dr. J. W. Palmer of Ailey, a prominent physician plans to run for congress. He graduated from Nannie Lou Warthen College. Hal B. Wimberly of Dublin announced as a candidate for solicitor of the Dublin Circuit.
Mr. C. T. Bray was elected by the Board of Directors as president of the Exchange Bank. He will succeed Mr. U. R. Jenkins who resigined. Mrs. Duff and family have moved to the T. M. Hicks residence at Westend. H. B. Sanders who has been with H. C. Tompkins is now a traveling salesman for Straws & Co. of New York. The Granstark Company played at the Vivola Theatre to a small crowd. The constant and heavy rainfall prevented many from attending. It was a play, one of beauty and interest. M. J. Price applied for exemption of personality, and setting apart and valuation of homestead with Judge J. C. Wiggins, Ordinary. C. H. Hicks applied for leave to sell land belonging to the estate of Jacob Hicks to settle debts and distrbution among heirs. W. F. Downs applied for permanent administrator on the estate of Minnie O. Wilcher, also G. D. Snell applies for the same for the estate of Mrs. Mary Stephens. There will be a public sale at the residence of the late G. W. Bush, seven mules, one horse, all farm tools & implements, groceries, dry goods; 500 bushels corn, 6,000 bundles of fodder, 150 bushels cottonseed, one saw mill, 40 horse boiler, 20 horse engine, grist mill, 53 hogs, 3,000 stalks sugar cane. It will be sold by N. D. Hattaway, administer of his estate. Mrs. J. C. Griner was called to Thompson to see her mother who is critically ill. Mrs. Mary Miller of Dublin, owing to the serious illness of little Ralph Bryan, who has chronic pneumonia, is still with her sister, Mrs. J. M. Bryan. Mrs. Mary Pritchard was taken to the sanitarium in Sandersville for an operation. Mr. George W. Smith, one of the men in the auto which was hit by a Central of Georgia freight train on August 17th in Adrian, at which time he was seriously hurt, died this morning. He had been confined to his bed since the accident. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of Dr. W. J. McNaughton of Emanuel County, from the death sentence imposed upon him for the murder of Fred Flanders. A petition was filed with the Superior Court of Johnson County by A. T. Cobb, W. R. Gatlin, and Mrs. Pearl Gatlin for a charter incorporating the Wrightsville Automobile Company for 20 years. Capital stock is to be $2500 divided into shares of $100 each. They propose to deal in automobiles, bicycles, gasoline, electrical fixtures and repair work on same including pistols and guns. The principal office will be in the city of Wrightsville. A. L. Hatcher, petitioners attorney.