From Days Gone By June 24,1915

June 24, 1915.

    A sad and sudden death came to Mrs. R. L. Peoples, wife of Rev. R. L. Peoples, pastor of Brown Memorial Baptist church. Her death occurred last Saturday morning at her home, the Baptist pastorium. It was quite a surprise not only to her family, but to the community as well.

    Mrs. Peoples was of a frail constitution, and had been in delicate health for several years and on last Thursday she was taking violently ill from an abscessed lung and other complications from which her death resulted.

    Mrs. Peoples was formerly Miss Vera Midyett, daughter of Rev. J. C. Midyett of Kansas City, Missouri, from which place she came to Wrightsville about two months ago, after her husband accepted the call to Brown Memorial. She was a cultured, refined Christian woman, an accomplished musician and instrumental in organizing an excellent choir at the church. She was a prominent member of the Women's Missionary Society, and teacher of the Baraca Class.

    Mrs. Peoples was just 30 years old and survived by her husband, her parents, and two sisters. Far from her north western home she was laid to rest at Westview Cemetery.

    The Camp-Fire girls of Dublin are encamped at Idylwild this week. Prof. Faircloth is holding a singing school at the Vivola auditorium. Little Miss Julia Tompkins celebrated her 11th birthday Tuesday. Mr. J. M. Bryan has gone to Folkston where he has accepted the position of bookkeeper at a lumber mill.

    Hon. W. C. Brinson, Johnson's new representative, left for Atlanta for the convening of the General Assembly. Postmaster R. P. Hicks and wife have moved from their country home to apartments at Mrs. W. W. Anthony's on North Marcus. H. C. Tompkins left in his touring car on a pleasure trip to Nashville accompanied by his colored chauffeur.

    Mr. Charles Fulford arrived from Atlanta to see his parents, Mr. & Mrs. J. T. Fulford before he heads to his new home in Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. J. Tom Flanders of Piney Mt. is much better, and the week and two day old infant of Mr. & Mrs. Beasley was laid to rest at Piney Mt.

    E. T. Carroll lost a 8 month old female English Setter, color white, three black spots, speckle nose. Reward offered. Also lost between Wrightsville and Idylwild, one rear license plate for auto No. 17908, lamp attached to it. Reward offered. The chigger promised us by Mr. S. B. Miller has arrived.

    Miss Lucile Mayo, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. M. D. Mayo died June 11th at her home from an attack of acute appendicitis. She was buried at Beulah Baptist cemetery. She was just 13 years old and an attractive, lovable girl.

    The air is rife with rumors of secret marriages. Whether there is any foundation for the rumors remain to be seen. One is said to have occurred one night this week at the home of one of the pastors, and the secret is to be kept ten days. The other marriage is said to have taken place about six weeks ago in neighboring Dublin.

FromDays Gone By June 16,1915

June 16, 1915.

    It's interesting to know what was going on in this country in 1915, the things that people were doing and who are doing them, and why.

    Eighty-eight million gallons of whiskey was made. Fifteen billion cigarettes, thirty-two million pounds of snuff, two hundred twenty million pounds of smoking tobacco and eight and a half billion cigars. Half a billion packages of chewing gum was manufactured.

    Twenty thousand moving picture theaters paid $25,000,000 for films and 11,000,000 persons saw the moving pictures. Ten billion copies of newspapers were printed. One hundred and seventy thousand clergymen preached in 220,000 churches and congregations of all denominations numbered 40,000,000.

    Two signs of increasing prosperity were noted. One is an increase in the earnings of railroads and the other is in the very great improvement in the steel business. When the steel business is prosperous the country is, as a rule, prosperous. Then building of all kinds is going on, showing that the people have money and are confident that business is on a firm foundation.

    And when the railroads are prosperous there is no doubt that business is booming, since people are traveling, crops are good, the merchants are buying freely and the industries are running full time with orders far ahead.

    Of course the steel mills haven't reached their minimum output, nor do the railroads find use for all of their cars, but they have use for more than they did a month or two before and they expect to have use for all of them in the near future.

    Prosperity may come slower in the South than in other parts of the country, though there isn't a very great deal to complain of now. It will come slower because if the war continues it is going to be difficult to find a market at a profitable price for the South's chief crop. Still, because the crop this year will be smaller than was that of last year, the price may so advance that the South will have as much prosperity as any other section. There was a general feeling, however, that better times were close ahead and that they will continue to improve.

From Days Gone By June 10, 1915

June 10, 1915.

    A most pleasing proof that farmers in this section are at last getting away from the "all cotton" is Mr. J. T. Pope, a Laurens Co. farmer who has installed one of the most up-to-date flour mills in this section and is prepared to handle all the wheat grown in this territory. For several years now Mr. Pope has been in the mill business and the flour manufactured by him equals any grade that can be bought from the western mills. He can take care of about 500 bushels of wheat daily and every farmer in this section who has planted wheat can be free of the high flour market by sending their grain to his mill.

    An election is ordered for Johnson Co. on the first Wednesday in July, in which the question of which shall be submitted to the Lawful voters of "Fence" or "no Fence" to be held in each militia district as provided for by the General Assembly.

    E. W. Tanner applied for Permanent Letters of Administration on the estate of Mr. B. B. Tanner recently deceased. The appraisers have filed for a year's support for Mrs. Vickey Amerson, the widow of John Amerson. W. M. Pullen asked for Letters of Dismission having fully administered the estate of John M. Pullen.

    Mrs. W. J. Dent, Sr. celebrated her 77th birthday last Friday with a family reunion dinner which was given by all her children, on the lawn at her residence on West Court Street. Besides the family, only the ministers of the different churches and a few personal friends were guests. Mrs. Dent, who has been in feeble health for quite awhile, received many congradulations on her milestone.

    Mirian, the 15 month old daughter of A. J. and Clara Kight passed away. Hon. John R. Flanders, Ordinary of Emanuel Co., died at his home in Swainsboro on June 2nd.

    No young person's death in this community has occasioned deeper sorrow among a wider circle of friends than that of Miss Mamie Rowland, second daughter of Sheriff and Mrs. W. D. Rowland, which occurred Monday morning, June 7th, at her home here.

    Miss Rowland was taken ill with grippe about 3 months ago, which developed into pneumonia, resulting in an abscess on the lungs, from which she died. She was carried to Rawlings Sanitarium some weeks ago with the hope that she would return restored to healt, but her condition only worsened and she was sent back home, where the battle ffor life, assisted by medical skill and tender nursing availed nothing.

    She was just 16 and universally popular. She was a pupil at Warthen College, a member of Moores Chapel and the Philathea Class of the Wrightsville Methodist church. She was laid to rest at Westview following an impressive funeral conducted by Rev. Reese Griffin of Wrightsville Methodist, and Rev. Murry of Moores Chapel.

From Days Gone By June 3, 1915

June 3, 1915.

    Mrs. J. L. Walker was one of the organizers of the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), an organization to perpetuate the memory of the men and women who achieved American Independence. They also aid and encourage historical research relative to the revolution and preserve documents and records of Revolutionary soldiers and patriots.

    The descendants of Samuel Webb, patriot, met at the home of Mrs. T. S. Page on March 31, 1915, for the purpose of organizing a chapter of the D.A.R. here. These women were to aid in preserving the records of Johnson County. They hoped to locate all the Revolutionary graves in the county, and their were some that were almost obliterated by the hand of time. The plowman has driven his furrow across old fields where many of these patriots are sleeping.

    The following are some of Mrs. Walker's notes on Johnson County. Some we all know, some will be new revelations even to me.

    Johnson Co. was created Dec. 11, 1858, out of lands formerly Washington, Laurens, and Emanuel. Wrightsville was incorporated Feb. 23, 1866. In observing the dates one would naturally suppose that the town and county had little history worth preserving; yet Johnson Co. is rich in unrevealed history. The traditions and legends of various deeds of the pioneer patriots have not been recorded and they have become almost forgotten stories of yesterday. There are historic rites that will soon pass with the years, if not marked, and it is "up to" the people of Johnson Co. to preserve the history of our county by designating these places.

    The Outlaw home (which stood on corner of Court St. where Rite-Aid is) was a travelers inn. It was once known as a tavern and the stopping place for all who passed this way. The lights from that old home, long gone now, often shed their hospitable rays to guide the tired traveler for the night. The first post-house stood somewhere near Mason's bridge, important place for a marker. It was here the stage-coach horses rested before proceeding on their journey to Milledgeville. The stage-coach line that ran through Johnson was a branch of the Macon Trunk Line that passed the lands near Sandersville. This line was 192 miles long and ran stages twice a week, or oftener, if the traffic demanded it.

    The first settlers lived in close proximity to each other and some of the houses were constructed with fortifications to withstand the attacks of the Indians. They were known as block houses, in 1915, one was still standing, formerly known as the Tootle house, and later became the home of the Hilson family. The house was substaintially built of heavy timbers that were squared by the axe. The upper floor was lighted by curiously cut port-holes from which many an anxious eye once looked out on approaching dangers, in the forms of stealthy Indians. The pioneers who lived on the lands, now known as Johnson, were not different from other American citizens and had little faith in the so-called friendly Indians, and they frequently demonstrated that feeling with, "we must extirpate them or they will exterminate us."

    The old battleground of Johnson contains a store house of unrecorded history. The battles fought here between the pioneer and the Indian are both thrilling and pathetic. This place should have an imperishable marker somewhere near the public road, for the wave of progression that is sweeping over the land will soon place doubt in the minds of the people of the real location.

    There are old trails to be marked. The Uchee Trail that led from Uchee Town, near Savannah, passed many villages before reaching Johnson. This trail is the longest in Georgia. Another old trail leading from old battleground passes near the Leaston Powell plantation and extends across the Stephens plantation in an eastern direction. These places and others should be marked for future generations.