FROM DAYS GONE BY Dec. 27, 1918

December 27, 1918.

The colored people of Johnson County will meet at the court house on January 1st in a mass meeting celebrating the emancipation of the race. The gathering is scheduled to start at 10:30 am. A leader in these gatherings and a big man among the race is J. W. Davidson of Atlanta who will address the meeting. He is said to be one of the greatest Negro speakers in the country. His subject will be, "The Negroes World Democracy In America." Special seats will be reserved for white people. Locally Jack Jordan and L. C. Curtis are the chief committee in charge of the occasion.
Burke County is in the lead of cotton producing this year at 56,853 bales ginned. Johnson County's report stands at 17,218 as against 19,576 bales last year. Postmaster R. P. Hicks is handling the Christmas rush of mails and packages in a manner satisfactory to all. He wishes to be relieved of his duties in January.
A man working on shares, getting half he makes, buys $615 of War Stamps and even $400 of bonds in 1918, and has paid for all of them. How is that? Such is the record of Mr. O. M. Martin living out here with Uncle T. J. Brantley. Mr. Martin not only owns this much of Uncle Sam's securities but is out of debt and ready to start off the new year with a clean sheet.
A big land deal was recently made by the Globe Realty Company whereby the large farm between the city and Idylwild owned by Dr. R. E. Butterly was sold to Messrs. E. A. & W. H. Lovett, the amount involved being probably the largest single real estate deal yet pulled off in this county. Dr. Butterly in the trade became owner of the three brick stores adjoining his on the corner across from the Exchange Bank.
The Southern Grocery Company, J. W. Johnson manager, will open for business in the city sometime about the first. Mr. Johnson has moved back to this city from Vidalia and will operate this new business which will be located in the brick stores now owned by Dr. R. E. Butterly across from Brinson's Drug Store.
The local banks released their statement of condition. The Scott Banking Company $113,075.22; Exchange Bank, $381,014.92; The Citizens Bank of Kite, $241,292.91; Bank of Wrightsville, $379,288.27.
The general meeting of the Mount Vernon Association will meet at Pleasant Grove December 28-30. School will not begin again in Wrightsville until the first Monday in January giving two weeks vacation. Coming home from the service are M. E. Woods, N. D. Paul, Clayton Lord, Alex Martin and W. H. Lovett.
Its only the day after and nobody can tell yet much about it, but if its as dry everywhere else as it has been around here old Sahara is a dream. But then Saturday was a rough day. It rained and was cold and windy too. Roads were again stirred up and rendered almost impassable by travel.
A traveling man entered the city one dark night recently on the 6 o'clock train. The city lights were then out of commission and darkness pervaded the atmosphere so thick that he could barely feel his way from the depot, so he said in talking about his reception in the city. He was dashed with amazement at the spectacle of beholding next day the sudden collapse he averted in walking to the right of the erected sidewalk and its sudden step-off. No harm was done, as he said he was cold sober.
The world doesn't love a coward. So long as his children and grandchildren live the slacker will bear the mark of Cain.