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.