FROM DAYS GONE BY June 27, 1919

June 27, 1919.

It was the largest crowd of people, literally so, according to old folks who have been going that ever came to Idylwild for any purpose. They came to the Union Singing Convention anyway they could get there, but Saturday's crowd was a meek one. Sunday all records were broken. Five or six surrounding counties sent people, while there were folks present from every part of the state almost. Autos were parked from Butterly's Chapel to the Ohoopee bridge on both sides of the road and buggies, wagons and carts driven up in the fence corners. The trains from each way with a long line of coaches brought in carload after carload. There were upwards of five thousand and a lot of conservative people say the number would run as high as eight thousand. And all had a fine time too.
Such voices as the Gaines Sisters, a quartette of ladies from Bartow County, the little daughters of Mr. Gillis of Soperton and a special program was put on for the soldier boys. It has been pronounced the best singing convention ever held in the county. Rev. G. F. Sumner was re-elected its president, Mr. N. D. Norris vice-president and Mr. Shelton Harrison its secretary-treasurer. Good order was held all day, there being but a few instances of disorder, even though the crowd was so large.
On the eve of the nation-wide strike the Congress voted to end government control of telephone, telegraph and cable wires, allowing the country's wire systems to go back to their former ownership and management. The people have learned a valuable lesson that the government ownership of public utilities is not what it has been "cracked up" to be. No good came from the government taking over the wires said many congressmen in open session. They fear that much harm had resulted and the morale of the former owners had been damaged. Now for a return of the railroads back to their owners and everything else and let normal conditions again assert themselves and an era of prosperity will dawn upon this country as it has never seen before.
Numorous suggestions have been made as to locations and plans for building the new court house in Emanuel County which recently burned. Some want it built on the lower block known as the "bone yard" and build a new building out and out. This idea is to leave where the former court house was for a public park. Others are of the opinion that as much of the old building be saved and re-built on its site. Most say put it back in the same spot that Emanuel County would be better pleased in the long run.
There is an uncommon lot of petty thieving going on around town. Prof. McMahon has some little stuff stole from the college and some people have missing money and other valuables while down at Idylwild.
Preacher W. A. Wray of the Baptist church in Sandersville created a sensation Sunday at noon when he left his pulpit and went to his home and secured a shot gun, returning to the church and killed a Jaybird that had been flying around the building before the congregation sang a song. He stated if the bird sang again he would kill it. When the congregation ceased singing, the bird began and the preacher stopped the services, secured his gun and stood in the center of the church and fired away. The bird tumbled to the floor. The services were resumed after the powder smoke cleared away.

FROM DAYS GONE BY June 20, 1919

June 20, 1919.

Wrightsville has been needing a full system of water works for years and it now looks like definite steps will be taken to get them put in. The city council and mayor had the matter under consideration at last weeks meeting. It was decided to get an estimate of the cost to put in the system and see whether or not if enough bonds could be floated at this time to do the work. The city has available about $35,000 bonded indebtness, or in other words the taxable values of the city, taking into consideration the amount of bonds now over it, would allow about this much to be issued.
Should the water works cost more than this $35,000 or some less the money would have to come from some other source than by bonds. But it is the belief of many that the bonds will not cost near this much money. The mayor has written for information and prices and the cost of estimates and blue prints, etc. and other things connected with it and the matter is likely to take some definite shape this month. Most everybody wants it done, it seems, every member of the council and the mayor being heartily in favor of it.
The election in the Moore's Chapel last Saturday for the purpose of a school tax for educational purposes went against the proposition. Rather funny situation. There were 43 petitioners calling for this election. Saturday only 22 voted and 18 were against it and the small number of 4 voted for it.
The dates for the next Fair were set for November 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th, a time when all of the neighboring fairs would be over as well as the State Fair in Macon. The plan is to buy sufficient grounds to use for three purposes, viz, fair grounds, landing place for aeroplanes and a ball diamond, all in the same enclosure. A lot of new features will be brought on this year. The farmers are plowing for big prizes which will be offered by the Fair Association.
Mr. J. G. Greenway's store burned last week in the Greenway community. Those boys receiving discharges from service are Frank and Gona Hayslip, Tom Smith, Nunez Tillman and Lotis McAfee. Mr. E. A. Lovett is having front paving put in along the street and walk before his beautiful home on Marcus Street. Mr. E. A. W. Johnson has been suffering from an eyesight trouble and is in grave danger of losing one of his eyes.
Three areoplanes passed over the city enroute from Americus to Sumter, South Carolina surveying out the air mail route. An aerial circus is planned for Dublin and Wrightsville on July 4th and 5th.
Saturday was an off day for the trade here on account of the farmers being bogged up with grass in their farms. They had them in fine shape up to the week's rain which set General Green to growing and having gotten a headway has put the plow hands to the mettle in conquering it.
C. D. Hauger of Louisville, Kentucky will open a big department store in Wrightsville in the near future. This will be one of a chain of 37 stores in operation in the United States. It was designated to be built in Macon but Wrightsville won out for the store. It will be Hauger-Hobbs-Davis Company.
Mr. F. J. Garbutt died after a two week illness in Sandersville. He was engaged in the sawmill business at Adrian and other places but had made Sandersville his home for 20 years. He was 60 years old and left a wife, three sons and five daughters.

FROM DAYS GONE BY June 13, 1919

June 13, 1919.

Wrightsville is well organized for baseball this season. At a spirited meeting in the office of the Dixie Cotton Company, last week the company has perfected and the organization put over in old time pep style and it looks now like the city will compete for first place among the teams of the surrounding country during the season. It was deemed advisable for the team to remain as it has always been apart from a league but will be glad to arrange games with any towns in reach.
Mr. W. H. Lovett was chosen manager, I. R. Tanner, assistant manager; H. C. Tompkins president; R. H. Rowland vice-president; E. E. Daley treasurer and C. D. Roundtree secretary. The Board of Directors are R. E. Butterly, J. M. Cook, E. A. Lovett, J. B. Williams, H. B. Sanders, L. A. Lovett and W. E. McWhorter. The club has a capital stock of $2500, with most shares selling at $5 each. A nice ballfield has been prepared at Idylwild where home games will be played.
The team is receiving state-wide attention on the diamond. East Georgia hasn't a better team than Wrightsville. The line up of players are Eddie Rawson of Athens, catcher; George Clarke, Waycross, pitcher; Philip Bedgood, Harrison, pitcher; Edwin Culpepper, Homerville, pitcher; Johnnie Easterling, Montezuma,center field; S. M. Johnson, Wrightsville, right field; Clarence Rawson, Athens, first base; Clio Johnson, Wrightsville, second base; Shellman Martin, Wrightsville, short stop; J. L. Watson, Vidalia, third base; Curtis Cox, Gainsville, left field.
In recent games Wrightsville beat Swainsboro 7 to 0 in their first game. Wrightsville lost the second game of the season Friday to Eastman in a pitchers battle of 14 innings at Idylwild by a score of 1 to 0, the lone run being made in the 14th inning by Eastman. Then on Saturday afternoon at Eastman Wrightsville roared back with a 6 to 0 win. Monday afternoon we beat Midville 5 to 1 and on Tuesday beat Midville again 3 to 1. In Tuesday's second game with Midville, Wrightsville received its first shut out by a score of 4 to 0. During Friday's game Grayson Rowland was sitting watching the game and was hit by a stray ball, being dangerously hurt for a few minuites, the ball striking him just above the eye on the temple.
The first cotton bloom of the season was brought in by George Hunt, a colored farmer on C. H. Moore's plantation. Mr. W. H. Lovett will have a nice 63 acre field of cotton if it keeps growing. It is now waist high and is calculated to beat the boll weevil to it, so early has it grown and fruiting. The Boy Scouts have sent off orders for a dozen tents to be used on their scouting expeditions. Mr. R. P. Hicks is doing all he can to make the scouts a success.
Mr. & Mrs. Lamar Moss had a big boy born on June 8th. Miss Carrie-Belle Wilson and Mr. Ernest H. Hamilton were married at Harrison. She is a daughter of Mr. C. L. Wilson. The groom is son of John Hamilton and is a skilled mechanic for L. A. Lovett Ford. Vernon A. Burns, aged 34 years died in a Macon hospital. He was severly injured at the Case-Fowler Lumber Company. He had only been working a month, coming from Wrightsville. His parents were Mr. & Mrs. W. S. Burns. He had six brothers and three sisters. He was buried in Westview.

FROM DAYS GONE BY June 6, 1919

June 6, 1919.

The Citizens Bank of Kite is making some noted improvements, including a big 2800 pound safe. Mr. Ernest Claxton is having some great improvements made on his dwelling. Mr. Kelly Powell is slowly improving from a long spell of typhoid fever.
In other Kite news, the crops in the Kite neighborhood are looking fine considering the long delay in getting them planted. One farmer said he would be tempted to shoot poison gas at any boll weevil that tried to peck on his cotton bolls and cotton selling for 30 cents a pound at present. All of these bull speculators that were about to go bald-headed on account of the low price of cotton will soon take on a new coat of hair. Uncle John Mayo said he would just like to ride this fine bull right up to Wall Street, to represent Dixie in its prosperity. And it seems that Mr. Lafayette Wheeler is acting kinder peculiar here of late. Can't exactly tell whether it is a case of hydrophobia or a severe case of love. The Kite people trust he will get better soon.
Edd Spell of Norristown happened to the misfortune of getting his barn burned, also about 200 bushels of corn and two mules. Those boys back home from service are Ed Watts, Osley Sumner, J. Clay Jenkins, Fletcher Rogers, Robert Deal, Arlie C. Price, James I. Spell and Perry Nasworthy.
A short course will be held for three days for the boys and girls in the various clubs. Lessons will include canning, cooking, sewing, poultry and making home conveniences.
Little Clcia Sumner, four year old daughter of Mr. & Mrs. G. F. Sumner fell from a window and badly broken up her arm and is in serious condition. A mad dog passed through the Providence community but was killed before he bit anyone.
Mr. Herbert T. Johnson is leaving Citizens Bank of Swainsboro and returning to the Bank of Wrightsville. O. H. Tompkins will be promoted to cashier. On May 22nd, fire of unknown origin at an early morning hour destroyed the Emanuel County court house, the loss estimated at $40,000 to $50,000. The offices of the clerk and ordinary occupying an annex escaped damage. The county only had the building insured for $30,000.
The Midville baseball team was completely trimmed by the local team in a heated game on Thursday by the score of 4 to 1, however Midville came back on Friday beating Wrightsville 5 to 4.
Ex-postmaster R. P. Hicks is off fishing again this week. In fact he likes the sport so much nobody knows when he will catch up. He got behind with it during his incumbency in office and it would seem he is still way behind. This is the 17th consecutive week he has spent beside some stream with a pole and line.
This is the way it was done in 1865 in a letter that was handed Mr. Albert Sinquefield, who had preserved it. Dated July 17th, 1865, Jas L. Montford, Esq. "Mr. William Norris having made preparations to marry, and everything except some one to perform the ceremony and his license being in readiness, he requests you to come up immediately and tie the knot. He sent to the Judge of Ordinary for the license, but the Ordinary was absent from home and he failed to get it. I have agreed to stand his security until he can procure the license. The old man is hell-bent on marrying, so you must not keep aloof but come right along and put them through. If you don't come I shall marry them myself." Yours truly, Lucien Q. Tucker.

FROM DAYS GONE BY May 30. 1919

May 30, 1919.

Graduation night is Friday night, and this specific entertainment and important event for the Seniors marks the closing of an usually interesting commencement for the Wrightsville District High School. It all began last Friday evening with a recital by Miss Melton's smaller music pupils. The sermon was splendidly done by Rev. Mr. Arnold at his church on Sunday.
Last night at the auditorium the larger pupils of the music class put on a sweet program. Tonight will be Class Day. There will be music, songs, marches, drills, plays with a number of varieties and will conclude with the awarding of medals by Prof. J. O. McMahon. Friday night is the graduation exercises for Inez Kitchens, Annie Delle Powell, Lewis Lovett, Lillian Hicks and ore Rowland.
Revival will begin at the Christian church Monday with pastor, Rev.John Tyndall of Dublin and Miss Clarkie Reaves of Kentucky with direct the music and singing. Miss Ola Johnson is providing some local talent.
Cannie Sumner, Manager of Idylwild this year, is planning to have a big time at his favorite resort this season. He will have a big sing down there on June 7th and 8th. Regimental Sergeant Major Horace Dickens, of the 328th Infantry, son of Mr. & Mrs. J. T. Dickens, landed last week from overseas on the Arizona, which brought a part of the 82nd Division.
The fair meeting will take place Saturday afternoon at the court house and all stockholders are asked to be present. The committee to look at the grounds will be ready to report.
Last Sunday Mr. Harman Tapley and Miss Katie Reese were married by Judge Z. A. Anderson. Mr. Tapley is a son of Frank Tapley. Miss Reese is a daughter of Mr. Willie Reese.
The marriage of Miss Eula Russell to Dr. Julius E. Jenkins was solemnized May 21st. Rev. Howard of the Baptist church did the honors. She is a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. A. Russell of Wrens. Dr. Jenkins is one of Wrightsville's most promising young businessmen. He just returned from France where he worked with a base hospital for nine months. He is a son of Mr. & Mrs. U. R. Jenkins.
While dressing to accompany her husband, J. B. Garnto, to the city Saturday, Mrs. Garnto was stricken with heart failure and passed out within a few seconds. Only the family were in the home at the time. Internment took place at Pleasant Grove cemetery. She was 51 years of age.
Jim says she was 111 years old and Jim must know. Her name was Nancy Walker and she died of old age last week and was buried at Mitchell Grove. Nancy moved to Georgia from North Carolina, where she was born, and came down here during slavery time. She just naturally pegged out, this good old darkey did, from natural old age at 111 years old. Odd, isn't it?
The cotton crops in the Gethsemne section are very poor, and looks sick, and some of it is dying under the strain of the long cold spell of last week. People in the Providence community are selling their cotton now, it is bringing 30 cents a pound.