From Days Gone By January 29, 1921

January 29, 1921.

    The dead body of Lt. John Clayton Rowland is expected to arrive in the county today for internment at Piney Mount cemetery. J. C. Rowland is a son of the late J. Thomas Rowland and his wife, who is still living in Adrian and he was about 36 years old. Nearly 10 years ago he joined the army. He went to the Philipine Islands and served time there. He did valiant service in the World War. Since the Armistice he has been in the states and at the time of his death was at Fort Oglethorpe working as a veternarian surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant.
    On January 5th Clayton was in a room with some other soldiers when a pistol in the hands of a friend was accidentally discharged as the gun was being placed in the holster. The bullet cut a finger off from the hand of the owner, glanced from the floor and struck Clayton in the neck, he dying from the wound on January 23rd. He has four brother's, five sisters besides his mother.
    A large Curtis aeroplane visited Wrightsville for two days creating a good deal of interest and excitement. The merchants of the city made up a sum of about $65 to pay them to come to Wrightsville as an advertising scheme for one day but remained two, then returning to Tennille.
    The landing place was in Judge J. L. Kent's field east of town. A Lt. Williams was the driver, and Lt. R. C. Shaw. It was owned by Roger Q. Williams famous flyer. Passage on the plane was $7.50 per person and a lot of folks took an air ride over the countryside. Lt. Shaw did the parachute act leaping from the plane while it was 2000 feet in the air, landing safely and soundly. This was the most dangerous and exciting stunt pulled during the visit of the air machine to the city. While carrying passengers Lt. Williams played a lot of hair-raising tricks.
    The Johnson County Singing Convention was organized at Rehobeth church, with Mr. S. F. Smith, president; Mr. F. M. Tapley, vice president and Mr. C. D. Roundtree sec_treas. The next session will be held at Bay Springs. Billie Carter gave up the Dixie Theatre turning it back over to Mr. E. A. W. Johnson. Mr. & Mrs. B. B. Hayes announced the birth of a 10 pound son on the 19th.
    Mr. C. S. Blankenship has sold out his grocery and fruit store to Thompson & Riner.
    Farmers are planting other crops for profit other than cotton. Corn, syrup and potatoes are being planted on a much larger scale, but pork is making the greatest strides as far as diversified farming goes. Most any farmer can raise pork profitably.
    While an accurate account of hog-killings in this county cannot be obtained, a lot of hogs were butchered in the last two months. One lot of hogs were butchered on the Jackson Farms at Donovan the lot numbering weighed 2,845 pounds, an average of 316 which is a good average considering that six of these were only a year old. The heaviest weighed 526 and the lightest 216 and they were of the Duroc breed. Jackson Farms usually butchers about 40 head of hogs. They have their own refrigerating plant.

From Days Gone By January 22, 1921

January 22, 1921.
    The few pretty days in January have seen many fields turned over and much work done on a lot of farms in the county prepatory to making a crop this year. Though discouraged the farmers are not so disheartened they won't make a good crop. Many of them are doubling their forces and efforts to produce this year and without a bad day they are going to realize this effort. Much grain has been seen which is up and looking good.
    From the 1920 crop of cotton Johnson County had ginned up to the first day of January, 1921, the total of 7,582 bales against 9,696 up to the same time last year. Dock Kemp will have his thrashing machine located under Mr. C. H. Moore's shed for anyone who needs to use it.
    The Dixie Theatre will start all over again in the new year as manager Bill Carter has booked Paramount Pictures for 1921. Bill says that during the month of January he will run some good pictures and give twenty percent of proceeds to the High School Atheletic Association.
    Miss Mary Moore Johnson is teaching music at Union Point. Dr. Wade Bedingfield will practice at St. Vincent's hospital in Staten Island, New York. Miss Kate Walker is teaching at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Mrs. George Gordy will teach at Liberty Grove and Mrs. N. D. Paul will teach at Gethsemne.
    Miss Gladys Smith is teaching in Danville. Carl Roundtree and Loy Peddy are attending the Gordon Institute at Barnesville. Mr. Lewis Lovett returns to Mercer for the spring term. Mr. Will H. Mason has moved to Harrison to work in the dry goods store there. Henry B. Seals is in Atlanta accepting vocational training from the Federal Board studying pharmacy at the Southern College. Barber J. I. Singltary has rented the Snell home on south Marcus street for his business.
    Hon. Jesse Mercer, prohibition enforcement officer for the State paid Wrightsville a short visit to confer with the county enforcement officers on the matter. Mr. Johnnie B. Paul and Mr. Wiley Cheaves filed for bankrupcy. Petitions for divorce were filed by Lois Brack vs. John Brack; Telma Bullard vs. A. M. Bullard; Neta Riner vs. Willie Riner.
    Most certainly Kite is in Johnson County and Johnson County is most certainly proud that she is, regardless of what any Emanuel County newspaper may say about her or that immediate section which is in Johnson. But for the benefit of some who fail to know where the Savannah District and the Augusta District begins and ends we want to say that Johnson County is in the Augusta Federal Court territory and that Emanuel County is in the Savannah Federal Court territory.
    The women recently up before the authoritied in Savannah for illicit distilling live in Emanuel, a mile or so from the line of Johnson and Emanuel, on what is known as the Vickers place. They get their mail from Kite. If they were operating a moonshine still it is claimed that all of it took place in Emanuel.
    Regarding the liquor traffic of both counties we say that both Emanuel and Johnson have more of it than they like but we very much regret to know that the good old county of Emanuel has "got up a rept" for the stuff that would seem to surpass most any other county in all this territory. At least that is the way our opinion is formed and we regret it, too, we wish otherwise. But facts are facts. Kite is in Johnson County and the Mills women live in Emanuel County.

From Days Gone By Jan. 15, 1921

January 15, 1921.
    A lot of changing around has taken place during the advent of the New Year and a lot of new faces are seen in new places and many faces missed from other places until you'll have to become used to the whole place over again mostly. The court house is full of new occupants and from there it has started and spread all over town.
    The new sheriff, ordinary, school superintendent, treasurer, tax collector, tax receiver, city court judge and solicitor, and on down to Mr. Jones, the new janitor, find the courthouse's lights all trimmed and burning for the new year and new term.
    The Wrightsville Hardware has changed around considerably. Messrs. E. N. Hitchcock and R. H. Rowland have sold their interests to Messrs. J. M. Cook, Monroe Cook and T. F. Elton and the three latter are now in the place of business.
    Mr. E. N. Hitchcock and Mr. R. H. Smith will open up a grocery store up in the Hayes Bros. old stand soon. Their firm will be the Georgia Grocery Company.
    Mr. M. E. Woods has opened up a first class garage where he formally did business. Mr. Hough Harris, who has just come from New York, will be with him, also Lunnus Price.
    The Star Feed Company is closing out and its manager, Mr. A. B. Rowland will be in charge of the Rowland Lumber Company. Mr. Jimmie Spell, after the closing out of the Hauger- Davis store in the Hayes Bros. Place, has gone with Mr. T. V. Kent.
    Col. C. S. Claxton has moved his office from the Brinson building over to the brick office building where Faircloth & Claxton occupied on the east side of the court house. Mr. Wren Spell has gone to Brunswick to accept a position in a drug store at that place.
    Mrs. Mae Parker has resigned her position with the Hayes Cash Stores for the present. The Duff Brothers will open up at once a general line of farm supplies and general merchandisd for their own disposal and the public at large in the other store up at the Hayes Brothers old stand.
    The Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting with new Superintendent L. L. Lillard and board members Brinson, Powell, Brantley and Mixon. The matter of compulsery attendance was discussed at length.
    Solicitor W. C. Brinson of the City Court gave the board his vision on the matter, saying he would prosecute only in flagrant violations, that leniency would be shown wherever the ocasion demanded it and where prosecutions were instituted in the case of poverty-stricken children that he would ask the courg to inforce a fine of a dime and he would pay that himself. But in case of willful violations he would urge a penalty.
    Mr. M. E. Crow was elected attendance officer for the county. The pay of the Superintendent remained the same at $100.
    Mr. George Grady Sumner is about well after suffering from injury from being run over by a heavily loaded two-horse wagon. Dr. J. R. Dent is moving his family and practice to Oconee where he has accepted a position with the Cleveland-Oconee Lumber Company as chief surgeon and medical advisor. Miss Willie Graham, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Graham of McRae wed Mr. J. H. Rowland.
    The colored people of the county met in Wrightsville Saturday to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation with a program in the court house. The colored band played mysic. This is a big event for the colored population of the county.

From Days Gone By Jan. 8, 1921

January 8, 1921.
    Mr. J. Mack Sumner died in a Dublin hospital late Thursday from internal injuries received that afternoon when his auto and the W. & T. Passenger train No. 3, bound for Dublin, came together at the Snell Bridge crossing between Brewton and Dublin, within 5 miles of Dublin. Mr. Sumner had been to Dublin on business and was returning home when his car and the engine collided.
    He was alone. Driving slowly, with all his curtains up, he apparently did not think of the oncoming train, according to witnesses who were there waiting for it to go by, but drove ahead until he reached the track, when the auto and the engone came together, the car striking the engine between the tender and the firebox, cutting the connection pipe between the boiler and the water tank.
    The motor was driven backwards toward the front seat of the auto and the steering wheel caught Mr. Sumner in the breast hitting him a terrific blow, internally injuring him to the extent that he passed out late Thursday night. Coming this way this crossing is a somewhat a dangerous one, a cluster of pines hiding the view up the track. He was badly bruised about the face and body.
    The remains were brought to his home at his brother's place Friday and intered Saturday on the hill at the family burying grounds with a huge crowd of sympathizers. He was born April 10, 1874 and was 46 years old. Mr. E. J. Sumner, his brother, with his aged mother and four children survived him. Dr. W. J. Flanders conducted the service.
    The only serious accident during the whole time Christmas was a fatal one that occured Friday night, New Year's eve, in the express office when a pistol in the hands of Willie Parker fired and hit one Zach Christian, colored, killing him instantly. It was purely accidental according to Mr. F. W. Hall, county treasurer, the only eye witness. The bullet passed through the boy's head and knocked Mr. Hall's hat off. The accident was deeply deplored here.
    While engaged with Mr. H. H. Caneega and his son, Brinson, Tuesday morning pulling stumps, Cleveland Daniel suffered an injury to his left leg from a break in the lever to the puller. Dr. Brinson treated him.
    The Dublin District Preacher's Institute met in Wrightsville with 27 pastors attending. Mr. & Mrs. Warren B. Stoney of Pontiac, Michigan announced the birth of a 9 pound son on December 31st. Mrs. R. H. Smith was called to Linton upon the death of her aged father.
    Miss Maude Ethel Smith of Wrightsville, and Mr. Zachery T. Wester of Pennsylvania were married December 29th in Dublin. The bride is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. E. L. Smith. Mr. Wester is formally from Hawkinsville. Mr. & Mrs. G. W. Drake daughter, Essie Mae, wed Grady V. Fort of Lovett on December 26th.
    Miss Vallie Robinson married Mr. Hoyt Montgomery of Hapeville, Georgia. She is a daughter of Mrs. V. B. Robinson. Miss Wille Graham, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Graham of McRae married Hon. J. H. Rowland.