From Days Gone By September 7, 1923

 September 7, 1923.

    Mr. W. C. Brinson and his committee to raise the money allotted Johnson County for promoting the Jefferson Davis Highway have succeeded in their venture and the county is nearly over the top with the funds as required and will be transferred to Secretary Gelder's this week. Each county had an amount allotted as per the actual road mileage that runs through the county. Johnson, Dodge, Lauren's and Jefferson have all signed contracts. Mr. Gelders will at once go to work on the big job of putting up road signs, logging it, etc. with this money and advertising it throughout the North and East.

    The local men who have so far backed this with their own money are J. W. Brinson, T. V. Kent, J. I. Spell, L. D. Lovett, J. T. Fulford, Parker & Price Grocery, Samps Powell, L. S. Powell, J. V. Greenway, E. E. Daley, J. C. Claxton, J. M. Cook, M. S. Duggan, R. L. Stephens, A. F. Flanders, W. D. Sumner, U. R. Jenkins, E. R. Frost, I. R. Tanner, J. G. Greenway, W. C. Brinson, O. H. Tompkins, J. B. Williams, J. H. Rowland, H. T. Johnson, E. E. Sanders, J. E. Sheppard, J. Y. Claxton, C. C. Davis, J. A. Lindsey.

    C. S. Claxton, T. E. Hayes, T. F. Elton, W. H. Lovett, G. E. Fulford, J. C. Sumner, J. Nat Riner, Gordon Clarke, Wm Jackson, M. R. Scarboro, C. D. Roundtree, R. L. Kent, R. E. Brinson, J. E. Jordan, B. H. Moye, Byron Price, W. T. Page, Loyd Price, A. L. Hatcher, Mason & Thompson, M. E. Woods, D. Mosely, Ga. Grocery Co., L. A. Lovett, H. G. Hatcher, W. F. Outlaw, A. W. Hightower, E. L. Stephens, H. L. Fulford and Monroe Cook.

    In coming from Bartow, Mr. Gelders, while checking the route got stuck in a sluice of water at Price's Bridge and it took real effort to get him out. Convicts we're immediately brought out to fix this. Another reason for this road to go through the county 

    The high school opens with bright outlooks. The Board of Education met and two schools have took an active step in consolidating. Wesley Chapel and Stokes schools in the upper part of the county have decided to join together. The Board accepted it. A new and modern building will now be erected, the location to be determined by the trustees of these two schools. Adrian High also opens with a record attendance. 

    The gasoline tax for the county goes up October 1st which will extract about $20 per year average for each motorist in the county or around $15,000 per year figuring 750 cars running in the county daily for one year. Auto tags are projected to run the states revenues up too. Tax Receiver J. A. Lindsey has completed the digest of Johnson Co. A comparison of returns show a decrease of $114,274 from the valuations of last year. The total county returns this year shows a valuation of $2,650,875.

    The town of Scott is coming again, says Oscar Smith. Where there was ashes will soon be new brick or wooden buildings. J. J. Harrison and R. T. V. Schwalls are putting materials on the ground now.

    Mr. Green B. Harrison will start him a dairy with Andrew Perry to manage it. The sewerage for the city will be rushed through now as fast as it can. The city power house is getting in it's new machinery.

 Ordinary U. R. Jenkins purchased a 1924 Buick and John Fulford is running a Willys-Knight. County Agent Crow and his club boys are at stock judging contests in Savannah. Miss Jeradine Brinson will teach music at Douglas High School. William Doke, Gresham Jordan and Roy Frost will attend Cochran A & M.

    County Warden Charles T. Wright took over his duties with the chain gang. He has four guards under him, J. Lovett Anderson, Asa A. West, Jimmie Tapley and W. T. Boatwright. The gang will start on the Jeff Davis Highway project starting with Price's Bridge 

    A fellow got off the train here the other day and rushed up the street somewhat hurriedly. The first man he met was a lawyer of the town. The stranger asked, "Have you a criminal lawyer here?" The astonished lawyer replied, "Well, they think they have but they haven't proved it yet "

From Days Gone By August 31, 1923

 August 31, 1923.

    The part of highway officials inspecting the immediate connecting links to the Jefferson Davis Highway route came through Johnson County this week from Augusta, Louisville and Bartow, going on to Dublin, Eastman and Abbeville, the last named being the point that interests this county is supposed to connect with the main line from Savannah, west to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and finally on to the Pacific Ocean.

    Determined men of this county who are after things and doing things for the betterment of the county went after the route that is supposed to leave this main line somewhere between Vidalia and Abbeville running north through Augusta to Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D. C. The efforts made have been highly satisfactory so far. Money has been put into the fund to mark, map and advertise the route starting at Abbeville and coming this way through Eastman and Dublin, and then from here on to Louisville and Augusta. Interested parties here went to Bartow to meet and escort the officials, headed by Mr. Isador Gelder's of Fitzgerald, the secretary, into the city and through the county to Dublin.

    As soon as the routes are gone over a decision will be made and all parties and places interested will be promptly notified. Places along this route have subscribed a big fund as was asked of them and the way itself is now in pretty fair condition with promises made for a decided improvement in them. So this route stands a good show in getting official sanction.

    The Wrightsville High School will open September 3rd and the outlook for a record attendance for the term looms brightly. Entrance fees are to be paid to Mr. R. L. Kent, school treasurer, at the Bank of Wrightsville before school opens. The strong faculty consists of Prof. E. N. Anthony, Prof. Has. L. Fleming, Miss Doris Johnson, Miss Hallie Bryan, Mrs. W. L. Norris, Mrs. Gainor Fulford, Miss Clyde Perry, Miss Bernice Lewis, Mrs. George Gordy, Miss Annie Jenkins, Mrs. J. W. Vanlandingham, Miss Annie Mae Melton and Miss Ola Johnson.

    County Agent Crow plans to have a co-op hog sale once a month until further notice. The last sale produced two car loads bought by Mr. A. B. Johnson of the Hall Commission Co. of Moultrie for $8.01 as basis for tops. There were 163 head of hogs weighing 25,800 lbs and brought $1,836.05. One of the largest hog raisers in this part of Georgia is Mr. G. A. Tarbutton who's plantation is 7 miles west of the city. For several years he has made a specialty in the industry which net results is lots of cash. Mr. Lewis I. Davis of Liberty Grove showed off 4 large, long ears of corn from his field and 3 ears measured 37 inches. The other ear is 8 1/2 inches around.

    Mayor's Court was very small but it terminated very bad to the colored people in and around town. Clyde Thomas was fined $10 for being disorderly and so was Jessie Ware. Butler Jordan was fined $15 for being drunk and disorderly.

    Mr. John R. Rowland celebrated his 73rd birthday at his home near Moore's Chapel on the 12th. Mr. & Mrs. R. M. Walker had a daughter, Nina Pearl. Mr. Tom Raley has the latest model Ford car. Mr. W. H. Lovett owns a new Lincoln auto. Morris T. Riner of Meeks has a new Buick. Mr. Claude Bray works with Flanders Drug Store. Mr. J. Q. Sheppard moved to Wrightsville from Kite to work for Rowland's feed store. Mr. S. M. Johnson, Jr., is home from a season's baseball playing with the Florida State League.

    The playing of checkers seems to be a pleasant past time with some of our merchants. Mr. Sinquefield is so fond of the game he says he would not stop to kiss the rubiest lips of the prettiest girl in town. Mr. Thomas Boone Hayes who was born up north remarked he wished he was there sitting under a fruit-ladden apple tree, drinking cider and smoking a corn-cob pipe; indulging in these pleasures he would forget business cares and the boll weevil and remember the happy days of his youth and his old sweetheart, whom he first kissed as they were eating honey on a moonlit night near an old ash hopper.

From Days Gone By August 24, 1923

 August 24, 1923.

    The five and a quarter miles of City sewerage is just ahead says Mayor T. V. Kent. Arthur Pew, the engineer, has completed the work of making the entire survey, fixing prints and maps to submit to bidders for doing the actual work. It will take about four weeks to lay down the sewers and hope to start by October 1st.

    Sewers will be laid out in the middle of the streets. Connections to all buildings and plumbing will be paid by the property owners. Also a tapping fee will be charged. This will be expensive to property owners but not to worry, the people want sewerage. It is expected to take six months to completely finish the job.

    There was a special session of the Jeff Davis Highway boosters in Dublin. Abbeville, Eastman, Dublin and Wrightsville attended. Harmony reigned supreme. This is going to be a national highway. The country isn't going to have a more important one when it is put through and it is going whether by here or anywhere else.

    Officials are coming soon to look the route over and the local delegation plans a public promotion. Dr. J. W. Brinson has the list of contributors and memberships are still available and needed. This road will perpetuate the life of this great Southerner and at the same time bring us a highway.

    Late last week City Court adjourned. There were a total of 67 criminal cases disposed of and 10 went to the gang, two whites and two blacks were squirted and 75 bonds were forfeited, all this in just four days of court.

    Agent M. E. Woods of the Chevrolet sales house of the city has sold all the cars he had on hand, a total of four this month one to Mr. J. E. Jordan.

    Mr. C. S. Meadows, Sr. died August 16th at his home in Norma town from an illness of some months. He has full Masonic honors as he was one of the oldest Mason's in the state. He was 84 and was very active both in business and politics. He was long a member of the Baptist Church; a Confederate Veteran and commander of the local camp. He served in the Georgia legislature, a mayor, and his influence and assistance left it's mark on the constructive development since this section of the country was cleared of the turpentine woods and settled by farmers.

    Mr. E. L. Wade of Montrose died of stomach cancer. He was 62 and a leading farmer in that community. He is the father of Mrs. Ivey R. Tanner of Wrightsville.

 Mrs. Lizzie Logue, wife of Mr. Asa Logue was born in Washington County March 1851 and died August 4, 1923. She left a husband and 11 children, 33 grandchildren and 10 great grand children. She was buried at Piney Mount in Johnson County. She married at 22 and was a Baptist until she married then joined the Methodist. She was a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William Brown.