From Days Gone By, August 28, 1913

August 28, 1913.

    The opening excercises for the fall term of Warthen College will be held September 3rd with Rev. H. T. Freeman of Savannah giving the address. An arrangement has been made between the county board of education and the college trustees in which public school will be taught in conjuction with the college at the following expense: primary grades, $5; Intermediate, $6; Academic, $7.50.

    Jack Jordan, colored, manager of the Wrightsville Pressing Club has returned from a trip to Atlanta where he has been studying the tailoring business in all its branches. Jordan & Hicks have been operating a pressing and dyeing establishment in Wrightsville for several very successful years. Little Miss Elizabeth Cook was hostess to the Juvenile Sewing Club at her home serving ice cream and cake.

    Mr. Otho Tanner and wife will occupy the residense of the late Rev. Charles Moore on West Elm Street. From present indications the proposed handsome new Baptist church building will soon be in course of erection. Mr. L. M. Burns has a farm for sale consisting of 125 acres, located 7 miles from town, 80 acres in cultivation.

    Dr. C. H. Kittrell has been suffering from lumbago. Rev. E. W. Pease, formerly of this city, but now of Clarkston, informs us that Mrs. Pease had the misfortune to dislocate and fracture her ankle to such an extent that she is confined to her bed and suffering intensly.

    The infant of Mr. & Mrs. J. T. Miller died Saturday night and was buried Sunday afternoon at Piney Mount. Mrs. Minnie Carter, wife of Mr. Oscar Carter, died at her home in this county August 25, from an attack of pneumonia, and was buried Tuesday 26 at Piney Mount. Mrs. Carter was a sister of Mrs. J. T. Miller.

    On James Vicker's plantation, better known as the old Hightower place, on the Ohoopie, a big slaughter of rattlesnakes was made last Thursday and again on Sunday. Messers. Bose Peevy, C. E. Price and others were the discoverers and annihilators. The rattlers were flushed at an old saw mill plant under some slabs. These were found by Mr. Peevy on Thursday, who succeeded in killing twenty odd of them. Mr. Price was at the same place on Sunday, when he with the assistance of others killed twenty or more of the rattler family, making a total of forty two of the dangerous reptiles, all of different ages and sizes, among which were two pilots and old mother snake carrying eleven rattles. Rattlers are getting rather numorous in Johnson County.

From Days Gone By August 21, 1913

August 21, 1913.

    A fearful catastrophe happened in Kite when an explosion killed one man and partially destroyed a building. The Kite Drug Co., gas tank exploded on Friday, killing Dominicus Roose, a dutchman almost instantly and slightly wounding young Crawford Harrison. From the best information available it seems that Mr. Harrison was charging the tank, and Roose came in and offered to assist him, and when the necessary amount from the tube had been transferred to the tank, they tried to shut it off, but on account of the threads on the tube being bad it refused to stop. Mr. Roose then took a larger wrench and gave it a harder twist, thereby stripping the threads, which permitted the gas to flow into the already fully charged tank.

    The crowd seeing a crack appearing in the tank moved out of the way. Mr. Roose however, was making his exit out of the rear door, when the fatal explosion occured, the larger part of the tank hitting him in the back, after having struck the side of the rear door and tearing a huge hole in it. The smaller part went towards the front, striking a barrel of Coca-Cola and completely demolishing it, and also alot of medicine. The damage was estimated at $300. Mr. Roose was buried at New Home Cemetery. About 3 weeks previous to the accident, he had his life insured for $1000. He was married to Coroner Bailey's daughter a few years earlier.

    Wrightsville's various steam cotton gins have all been overhauled and ready for fall business. On Friday the 15th, Tanner & Henderson brought in the first bale of new cotton for the season. The bale was bought by E. A. Lovett for 10.5 cents, who also paid the premium of $5 for the first bale. It was ginned at the Wrightsville Gin Co. and stored in the City Warehouse.

    The Mt. Vernon Baptist Association will hold its General Meeting at Union Hill. The city of Wrightsville's 2nd quarterly report shows receipts & disbursements of $5,527.55. Mr. Will Joiner, former citizen is now in the merchantile business in Columbus. Mr. DeWitt Brinson will leave for Illinois to study horography. Mr. H. E. Price and family have moved back to their plantation home near Bartow. Mr. & Mrs. F. A. Sinquefield will move into the Blount house on Marcus Street vacated by the Price family.

    Mr. & Mrs. McWhorter Shurling announce the birth of a son on August 17th. Mr. & Mrs. E. A. Lovett announced the birth of a daughter on August 20th. Mrs. Fannie Montford has been sick at her West Court Street home and John Luther Kent, son of Judge Kent is sick at his home with fever. The two children of Mr. W. P. Norris have scarlett fever and the family has been quarentined by Dr. T. L. Harris. Mrs. W. E. Scott was carried to Rawlings Sanitarium for appendicitis but died before the surgery having waited too long to go to the doctor. She was buried at Westview.

    The biggest rattlesnake yet killed this year was by Roan Beasley, while squirrel hunting in the Ohoopie Swamp near Kite. He had 23 rattles and the usual button. When it comes to raising big watermelons, J. G. Greenway grew a fine melon which weighed 59 pounds and was 2 feet in length. It was the "gray cast" variety. There is 377 acres, in one body known as the Bales place 2.5 miles from town for sale. If you don't want to get rid of your lands, you'd better keep same out of the hands of the J. M. Mason Reality Co.

From Days Gone By, August 14,1913

August 14,1913.

    A deplorable accident happened near Adrian on August 10th about midnight. Fred Childs, a young man about 28 years of age, was shot and killed by Leslie Smith, a young man about the same age who is a barber by trade. Mr. Smith, who lives with his brother about a mile from town, is usually late getting out from his work, and rides a bicycle to his home. This night, about half-way home, two men loomed up immediately in front of him. Thinking them robbers he jumped off his wheel and fired, the bullet striking Childs near his heart instantly killing him.

    Childs was an orphan boy, his parents having been dead for many years, but was reared in the community. The town is excited but there are few who censure Smith for the act. Leslie Smith was born here and lived here his whole life with the exception of the past year he spent in Savannah as a barber but moved here to take charge of the local shop. Both men were unmarried. Judge William Faircloth has been engaged as council for Smith. The case was tried Monday in Justice Court at Smith's Court Ground, and the defense was bound over for voluntary manslaughter. The case will come before Judge Hawkins at the next term of Superior Court.

    The tax digest for 1913 have been completed and turned over to the Ordinary and Tax Collector. There is a loss of $24,389 on the whites and a gain of $13,003 on the negroes. The total loss being $11,387 compared to 1912 returns. The number of polls for 1913 including defaulters is 2,406 against 1,957 for 1912.

    Dr. & Mrs. R.R. Douglas had a son, Carl, born on August 2nd. Messers. Angus Hightower & Leon Lovett enjoyed the weekend at Tybee. Mrs. Elizabeth Lovett announced the marriage of her daughter, Louanna to Mr. Rosur Lee Stephens in October. J. R. Grice is able to be up and out after an attack of malarial fever. Councilman J. M. Cook was confined to his bed by a bilious attack, but is better and took a drive in his auto to Sparta. Mrs. J. M. Mason went with Miss Susan Elmore, the blind sister of Mrs. Tantory to Rawlings Sanitarium to be operated on for gallstones.

    The funeral of young John Stanley, son of Com. of Labor H. M. Stanley, who was killed by lightning near Dublin, was held in Atlanta. Stanley was a member of the Boy Scouts of Decatur and the members served as honor guard and pallbearers. It was found that the lad's internal organs had been so badly torn and lacerated by the bolt that it was impossible for the undertaker to use embalming fluid.

    The Courier-Dispatch and Laurens County Herald have consolodated and the name of the new corporation is the Courier-Herald Publishing Company, which will begin at once the publication of a semi-weekly newspaper. Some parties from Wrightsville were caught in the Oconee swamp cooking and eating fish, squirrels and turkey without a license or permission from Washington County.

From Days Gone By, August 7, 1913

August 7, 1913.

    Everybody and their kin have gone to the Woodmen of the World picnic today. The largest gathering ever at Idylwild. Some of the young men of the city complimented the visiting young ladies with a picnic at Mason Spring. The party was chaperoned by J. M. Cook and J. G. Brantley. Mr. H. C. Tompkins, proprietor of The H. C. Tompkins Department Store left for New York, Baltimore and the Eastern Markets to buy his fall and winter dry goods and notions. Miss Wylanta Hicks who has been conducting a millinery store here for sometime, has closed out business and will locate elsewhere.

    The old Wrightsville Baptist Church building must be sold before the erection of the new Brown Memorial, and it can be bought at a bargain. Apply to B. B. Tanner or J. M. Cook, trustees. Mr. & Mrs. Thos. Elton contemplate housekeeping soon at the Daley residence on West Elm Street. The Marcus Street team beat the (6) Nine last monday, 14 to 7.

    W. B. Screws, Minister, Lecturer and Author of Glennville, GA., will deliver an address on the Roman Catholic Hierarchy at Scott. All patriots are asked to attend. J. M. Bryan, President of the Johnson County Sunday School Association will attend the S.S. Convention at Kite.

    Miss Lillian Hartley, Miss Edith Sterling and Miss Annie Laura Bray returned home from the State Normal School in Athens. Little Mae Ware Daley had a tea party with friends at their Bungalow on West Elm Street.

    Mrs. W. J. Jordan returned home from Rawlings Sanitarium. A little son of Mr. Herschel Smith residing about 5 miles from town, fell from a wagon while riding and sustained a painful scalp wound by the wagon passing over his head. He is now doing very well.. Little Ruby, the eight months old daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Outlaw, died Sunday night after a brief illness of congestion of the bowels. She was buried the next day at Pleasant Hill.

    Married Tuesday night at the home of Mr. & Mrs. R. R. Martin on West Elm Street, Miss Nettie Martin of Kittrell, and Mr. Nat F. Bray were joined together by Rev. E. L. Wainwright. She is a daughter of Mrs. E. L. Martin. Mr. Bray is the son of Hon. C. T. Bray and is a prosperous merchant and farmer.

    The City Court summoned jurors for August 19th court. They were: J. F. Cannedy, S. J. Sumner, J. A. Fort, J. B. Garnto, H. S. Hall, G. C. Douglas, J. R. Grice, J. F. Flanders, C. E. Price, J. G. Greenway, H. A. Stewart, J. W. Price, Stanley Wilson, E. R. Martin, C. H. Martin, B. A. Lamp, J. B. Colston, Charley Green, M. M. Johnson, J. R. Parker, F. F. Flanders, J. L. Hatcher, Wiley Cheaves, and J. I. Moye.

From Days Gone By July 31,1913

July 31, 1913.

    An article appeared in The Telegraph in which East Point claimed the baseball amateur championship of Georgia. Since then, Hawkinsville has come to the front beating East Point and Wrightsville beat East Point 2 out of 3 games. Now it seems the championship lies between Hawkinsville and Wrightsville. Hawkinsville, with her victories naturally feels entitled to the championship, while the Wrightsville people also want the title. Now that there are two strong claimants, the only course open to the rivals is to arrange a series of games between themselves.

    The Sporting Editor doesn't remember whether Wrightsville and Hawkinsville teams have met before this season, but when they do, there is sure to be the hardest fought games yet played between amateurs in the state.

    The U. S. Civil Service Commission is holding an examination on Aug 23rd for a position of Rural Carrier in Wrightsville. The entrance salary is from $600 to $1,100 per annom, age 18 to 55. The maximum age is waived in cases of persons honorably discharged from the U. S. military or naval service.

    The Board of Trustees of Warthen College paid the $8,000 indebtness off. This was possible by the sale of $5,000 of the bonds of the school, and the payment of $3,000 of the subscriptions raised during the early Spring, $2,000 more of the payment indebtness is pledged by Dec. 1st. The school should be free of debt in a few months, and plans will begin for dormitories.

    Middle Georgia Iron Works, the high-class enterprise recently established in Wrightsville, is already enjoying a big run of prosperity and business. Ralston A. Moore, the owner/manager is a natural machinest of rare ability, perfectly familiar with the most intricate machinery of all kinds. Everything on wheels and without, are repaired and made as good as new. It is located near the Marcus Street railroad crossing, at the Robinson old Variety Works plant.

   The sick list includes Mrs. V. B. Robinson, Mrs. W. J. Jordan, John R. Grice, Capt John L. Martin, Miss Bessie Burns and Mr. Lamar Harris. Mr. & Mrs. J. F. Renfroe was called to Sandersville by the death of Mrs. Renfroe's father, Lewis Webster. Leila, the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. R. B. Bryan fell from her wheel while riding and broke the small bone in her left arm. Miss Annie Hines, while crossing the street tripped and fell dislocating her right shoulder. She was treated by Dr. S. M. Johnson.

   Mr. & Mrs. Elmo Hayes is leaving for New York, Cincinnati and other points north and east. Mrs. J. T. Fulford and son Remus are at Indian Springs. Mr. & Mrs. W. T. Johnson announced the birth of a son on July 28th. Mr. Yome Lee Heath and Miss Mattie Snider married at New Home on the 22rd by Rev. Enoch Harrison. Mr. Walter S. Bryan returned home after an absence of three years spent in England. Game Warden Wheeler says Aug 1st is the opening of squirrel season.

    Capt. Thomas W. Kent was 85 years old last Monday and his youngest daughter, Mrs. B. H. Lord and children of Tennille came and dined with him. Capt. Kent is a remarkably preserved man for one of his years, both mentally and physically. He has recently been sick but is now better. Capt. W. Z. Kemp, Johnson County's Deputy Warden brought to town a peculiar marked hen egg. Said egg was a fraction above the usual size on one side of which was embossed a perfect representation of a sunflower, about the size of a silver half dollar.