From Days Gone By, Oct. 29,1914

October 29, 1914.

    Halloween falls on Saturday this year, and therefore it will be celebrated with more than usual jolly. The night will be given over to maskers, who parade the streets and own everything in sight. Night spooks, witches, goblins and jack-o-lanterns will be in evidence all over town.

    Perhaps the most interesting specialty at the Vivola Theatre in some time was the Baby Show put on last week under the direction of Mr. W. W. White. The pictures were well exhibited and the mothers were delighted with their representatives on this occasion. Manager Jackson is more than pleased with this attraction, from several viewpoints, one of the main ones being that numbers of people visited his playhouse that have never been before. The Florence Peyton Co. begins a 3 day engagement presenting their opening bill "Cupid Against The Dollar."

    In Grand Jury presentments they recommended C. L. Claxton appointed to the unexpired term of S. L. Fortner as Notary Public and Exofficio Justice of Peace of the 55th district, and that Z. T. Prescott and W. C. Brantley succeed themselves as same in districts 1301 and 1202 respectively. Recommended R. B. Bryan, E. L. Harrison appointed to succeed themselves on the Board of Education and that Z. T. Houser succeed J. B. Williams and L. L. Lillard succeed W. H. Raley.

    They also suggested the ditch on the left hand side of the public road from Wrightsville to Adrian be filled up from W. W. Anthony's place to Mr. Ellis Johnson's. That the county line at Adrian be changed so as to cut all of the town of Adrian into Johnson County. That the road leading from Bartow to Dublin be re-opened from E. J. Sumner's to the county line and that a fill be put in across Cypress Creek near U. R. Jenkins' Snell place.

    The following were placed on the paupers list: Jeff Bowen, Charlie Johnson, Robert Miller, Francis Harrison, Tempie Williams, Missouri Ausbon, Polly Helton, Bryant Daley, Mary E. Rhiner, Mary Holton, Mary Maddox, Mary Heath, Charlie Mills, John Jackson, Calsie Spivey, Henry Webb family, Mrs. G. W. Loyd, Wright Parson, Willie Clements, Mrs. Julia Clements, Josie Moorman, Susan Lord, Dilsey Thomas, S. W. Thomas, Elizabeth Townsend, Susan Killebrew, Georgiann Fennell, Julia Patterson, Till Price, Clara Cox, E. L. Prior family, Emiline Cooper, George Jones, Eldridge Crabb, Dock Thompson and Pink Fulford.

    The Grand Jurors were J, C. Harrison, J. M. Anderson, B. R. Spell, R. R. Martin, B. Vickers, F. Carter, J. M. Hammock, W. T. Scarbourgh, S. L. Powell, W. J. Raines, J. Marvin Smith, C. M. Foskey, C. C. Green.

    A citizen suggested that Wrightsville is greatly in need of a civic, or 'town improvement club', the streets on the square are so greatly in need of attention as well as the different streets in the residential areas. This will seriously help escape the criticisms of the "Jay Riders" as they pass through from other towns.

    Col. Russell Daley is improving his residence on West Elm street. Mr. & Mrs. B. B. Tanner is enroute to Sandersville to Rawlings Sanitarium concerning his recent attacks of vertigo.

    Ed Montford, white, and John Gardner, colored, were jointly indicted by a Laurens County Grand Jury for the murder of young Herschel Beacham and throwing his body into the Oconee River.

From Days Gone By Oct. 22, 1914

October 22, 1914.

    Superior Court adjourned this week. The first case tried was the State vs. Jim Mitchell, charged with the murder of Mr. J. D. Sheppard. The jury after being out some 30 to 40 minutes, returned a verdict of voluntary manslaughter and Mitchell was sentenced to 7 years in the penitentiary.

    Three coloreds plead guilty to hog stealing and were sentenced to the chain gang. The case of Greenway vs. Greenway resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff. The Tompkins divorce case, the jury granted a total divorce to both parties. Three of the children were awarded to Mrs. Tompkins and to receive alimony of $15 per month per child. The oldest child, William Claud, was awarded to Mr. Tompkins. One case for obscene language, and one for selling liquor were acquitted by the jury. As the paper was going to press the case of the State vs. Bessie Smith, charged with the murder of her husband in May, is in the hands of the jury.

    The new Baptist church is nearing completion. The foundation for the steel roofing has been completed, and the dome has been erected and is ready for the metal covering. The cornice is being placed around the eaves and work is started on the interior.

    Mr. Charles W. Fulford, with the Retail Credit Company of Atlanta, has been transferred to Denver, Colorado. Misses Ruth and Lotus Flanders have accepted teaching positions at Rex. Mr. & Mrs. L.L. Webb announced the birth of a daughter on the 18th, named Wardie Mae. Miss Addie Spell and Mr. J. E. Brantley were married at the brides home. She is the eldest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. B. R. Spell. The groom is the son of Mr. & Mrs. B. E. Brantley of Donovan.

    Clarence Thomas who lost a leg in a street car accident in Savannah has returned home with a false limb. Florence, the little daughter of Col. & Mrs. W. C. Brinson had her tonsils removed. Mr. Edgar Montford is improving as is Mr. B. B. Tanner. The Grand Baby Show begins tonight at the Vivola Theatre.

    The City of Wrightsville passed several ordinances. It shall be unlawful for any person to unnessarily blow any automobile or motorcycle horn, whistle or gong in the city limits. Also it will be unlawful to run same without mufflers. Another ordinance makes it unlawful for any gin, grist-mill, planning mill, factory or manufacturing plant to blow any whistle connected thereto more than 4 times each day, or no longer than 15 seconds at one time.

    "The people endorse the 'Hold Your Cotton' movement, but not the 'Hold The Other Fellows' cotton' movement, and for your consideration we know no better reason to set forth in the support of our view than the Bible suggests it. We refer to Proverbs, 3rd chapter, 27th & 28th verses, which reads as follows: 'withhold not from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say unto thy neighbor, go and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."(Shellman Sun).

From Days Gone By Oct. 15,1914

October 15, 1914.

    J. W. Brice, an employee of the Central of Georgia, who also takes an interest in farming, yesterday brought to the Macon Telegraph a boll weevil that he found in a freight car which had been brought to Macon from Mississippi. He stated that he believed many boll weevils would come to Georgia in this manner and that the next season would find many boll weevils in the cotton counties of the State.

    Mr. E. N. Hitchcock, proprietor of the Union Grocery Company on the east side has made some splendid improvements to the interior of the store. Mr. R. L. Thompson of Scott has purchased the Blacksmith and Repair Shop at that place, and has employed Mr. P. H. Morgan to look after it. They also do scroll sawing and ornamental wood work. The Johnson County Boys Corn Club Contest will be held in Wrightsville at the court house on October 28.

    The 2nd annual county meeting of the colored trustees of Johnson County will meet 4th Sunday in October in the county superintendents office. The object of the meeting is to impress upon the coloreds the necessity of becoming more moral, religious, intellectual and industrious. Johnson County wants to lead Georgia in this line of industry. Mr. Robinson wants to organize a county fair, in which each child will be given a piece of land to work on Saturday, given a premium to those who make the most on one acre.

    The Mount Vernon Association which is one of the oldest and largest associations, convened with Beulah church, 4 miles east of town, on Tuesday and continued for 3 days. Rev. Enoch Harrison was Moderator.

    Mr. Edgar Montford is sick at his home in the city. Mrs. A. L. Hatcher is still confined to her bed from an abcess on her ankle. William, the little son of Prof. and Mrs. J. R. Campbell has dysentery at their home on College Heights. Mr. James L. Hatcher of Kite is thought to be improving. Our postmaster, Mr. J. F. Renfroe is sick at home and Mr. Hillard Hicks is acting in Mr. Renfroe's absence.

    Mr. B. B. Tanner, while decending a ladder from a loft in his barn, was attacked with verdigo and fell to the ground and was unconscious when he was discovered by a family member. He received no broken bones but is so bruised he needs assistance to get out of bed.

    Mr. William Henry Heath whose death was recorded on September 30th was listed as 88 when he passed away, but was actually 96. He was born in North Carolina in July 1818. He was married twice, first to Arcenia Braddy and they had 5 children: J. F., W. A., Mrs. A. J. Bush, Mrs. L. A. Mosely and Mrs. H. L. Williams. He was survived by his last wife, Miss Screws. They had 6 children: Lewis, Henry, DeOtis, Allie May, Clara and Mrs. Minnie Odom. He served 3 years in the Civil War and was wounded in the shoulder. He was buried at his home selecting his resting place himself.

From Days Gone By Oct 8, 1914

October 8, 1914.

    The services in the churches of Wrightsville were very well attended last Sunday, and the request of President Woodrow Wilson that prayers be said for peace was complied with in the different churches. The lecture and impersonation given at the college auditorium by Prof. Sam J. White, was par excellence in every respect. Mr. White is a most magnetic speaker, fluent and graceful, and goes from the sublime to the ridiculous, causing smiles and tears, with ease, and his powers of wit and eloquence are well portrayed. The "Evolution of a Girl" was especially good.

    Tax Collector C. J. Smith says the office will be open for the purpose of collecting State and County taxes on Saturday and each following Saturday. Billie Kavakos, the popular young Greek citizen who is head chef at the Busy Bee Resurant knows how to cook and serve good food, especially fish and oysters. J. H. Rowland is now in his commodious new quarters with a "full house" of everything in the grain and stock feed lines. In the ginners report shows there were 8,555 bales of cotton, counting round as half bales, ginned in Johnson County from the 1914 crop, compared with 6,731 bales in 1913.

    The Federal Census reports Georgia has 291,027 farms; of this number 100,047 are operated by owner managers and 190,080 by tenants. The farm home owners and managers cultivate 5,179,645 acres of land and the tenants till 7,118,372 acres in this state. The value of land and buildings of the tenant farms is $221,929,000; that of the home owners and managers is $257,276,000.

    Mr. T. A. Elton and family have moved from the Daley house at West Elm street, and are now occupying an apartment at Mrs. J.F. Norris on East Elm. Mr. Will Kitchens and family have moved to the house on Court Street, recently vacated by Mr. Walter Hawkins and family.

    Mr. James Hatcher of Kite has a critical illness from gall stones. Dr. Rawlings believes there is little hope for his recovery. Mrs. A. L. Hatcher has been quite ill at her home in the city and Rev. W. G. Alaben, pastor of the Methodist church has been given a leave of absence on account of his health, that he may rest and recuperate.

    Mr. F. F. Stacer, who met his tragic death on a Central Railroad train last Friday night while enroute to his home in Tennille, was a brother of Mr. G. G. Stacer of Wrightsville. Mr. John W. Renfroe died last Saturday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. L. Smith, 2 miles south of town. He was 67 years old and had been in declining health. He was survived by 2 sons, 2 daughters and several grandchildren.

    Mrs. Larfenia Stokes Fisher, the young wife of Mr. J. H. Fisher, died at the home of her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Josiah Stokes on the 28th from a complication of diseases. Only two and a half days earlier, Gladys, her darling little girl passed away. Then on Monday before her death, a baby of a few hours old died. Mrs. Fisher was 28 years old and a member of Bethel Church. On January 14, 1914 she was married to J. H. She had five children with only three surviving her.

From Days Gone By Oct. 1,1914

October 1, 1914.

    The girls of the boarding department at Warthen College are becoming more and more delighted with their splendid rooms in the main building. It is more than a convience to have the rooms, meals, and the classes all in the same building. Mr. George Smith, a young man student of Warthen College filled the pulpit at the Methodist church on Sunday last in the absence of Rev. Johnson.

    The Johnson County Sunday School Convention was held here at the Baptist church. Reports showed 32 Sunday Schools in the county and of those 24 were present. Mr. & Mrs. Carl Claxton have moved from Kite to Minter. Mr. Thos. Hayes and family have been residing in Florida, have returned to Wrightsville to the Snell home on West Court Street.

    Mr. Henry Edgar Montford of Wrightsville and Miss Nettie Lillian Ivey married Sunday evening at St. John's parsonage in Augusta. Mr. Montford is connected to Flanders Drug Company and a son of the late Henry and Fannie Montford. If reports are true, Autumn wedding bells are to ring again, and Wrightsville is to "give the bride away."

    Mr. E. M. (Ruff) Robinson died on the 28th at his home in Kathleen, Florida, his death resulting from paraylisis. His remains were brought to Westview cemetery. He was a brother to A. J. M. Robinson.

    Mr. William Henry Heath, the oldest man in Johnson County, died Tuesday at his home 2 miles east of town. "Uncle Billie" Heath, as he was called, lived to be 88 years old. He was a Conferderate veteran and a worthy and good citizen of the county. He was a pioneer citizen of the county and was survived by the wife of his second marriage and several children. He was buried at the family burying ground near his home.

    The four day old infant son of Col. and Mrs. C. S. Claxton, of this city, died Tuesday night and was buried Wednesday at Westview cemetery.

    Farmer Mart Hammock brought to town some fine potato crop samples, weighing a fraction over 7 pounds, and twas of the Banana yam variety. Mr. Hammock is harvesting a big crop of these fine potatoes.

    The Greensboro Herald-Journal states "In the good ole days", when we were a boy, 70 years ago, we had to sit on benches made from pine slabs with legs made from green saplings and writing desks made of the same thing. Pens were made from goose quills, and boys up to 15 years old wore long shirts and no trousers. And the boys didn't wear shoes until they were 15 years of age. In those days merchant didn't sell meat, corn or flour. The merchant of that day had to go in the county to buy such things to eat for himself. The farmer made a little cotton and carried the most of that on a wagon to Augusta. He sold it for 5 and 6 cents per pound. What a difference in then and now.