From Days Gone By October 5,1923

 October 5,1923.

    The county Fair was a mammoth success. All expenses of fair paid up-to-date, stock to be sold and all directors jubilant over the outcome of the event. The county will be represented at the Southeastern Fair.

    Contracting for the job of putting in sewrage in Wrightsville is now in order, bids for same to be opened on the 17th. All of the specifications are bound in book form and put out to over a 100 concerns. The work to be let consists of furnishing all materials and laying complete about 5 miles of 6 inch to 12 inch sewer pipe and constructing complete the necessary manholes and flush tanks and building 4 separate settling tanks.

    Johnson County is to have a candidate for Congress as Judge Ben Hill Moye cast his hat into the ring. Mr. Oscar L. Smith comes out for Sheriff and Major L. R. Clayton for re-election for coroner. The campaign for county officers this time includes the lady voters of the county and the number registered is large, more than 200.

    Dr. J. W. Brinson has made a new bench around the oak in front of his business and has painted the lettering of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway. It has become a frequent resting place in the city. Mr. J. F. Renfroe has been appointed as the new Postmaster for Wrightsville. Mr. George Schwalls killed a big rattler in his yard with 20 rattles. Mr. John D. Wheeler files for bankruptcy. Mr. & Mrs. Dewey Downs had a son October 2nd. Miss Marie Bailey we'd Mr. Thomas Logue.

    A run mad dog passed this way several days ago causing a lot of trouble and biting several other dogs and snapping at people. This prompted the city council to order all dogs in the city shut up for 30 days and after that time they must be muzzled. About 20 dogs have been bitten.

    Kite is still on a building boom. People here are smiling over the good road, the first they ever had. Mr. G. W. Tapley is building a new home on the former Baptist Church lot. Mr. B. I. Might just moved in his new home. The election for bonds carried 128 to 20 for a new $15,000 brick building on the school grounds.

    Policeman Carl Carlos Claxton who weighs over 300 pounds, and who is efficient in the discharge of his duties, as well as obliging, says mad dogs have no terror for him. He would not fear 100 of these rabid animals should they surround him, through each one should have three heads and from each mouth there came forth a demonic howl. Mr. Claxton though naturally fearless, has doubtless "that old time religion", the kind that made Solomon love all his numerous wives; the kind of religion that made Jonah sleep soundly inside of the whale, and the kind that made Sampson rend a lion to pieces.

From Days Gone By Sept. 28, 1923

 September 28, 1923.

    The big fair opened yesterday in what seems to be the best one yet. This is the first all-home fair ever held here featuring a plantation show, musical comedy, moving picture show, plays, novelties, games, a 16 piece band and the finest exhibits ever.

    The county races are beginning to ramp up as candidates are coming out from everywhere. Mr. Lovett J. Claxton announces for Sheriff, Joe B. Williams offers re-election for clerk. Mr. J. Arlie Lindsey for re-election as tax Receiver. Others seriously considering a run are Mr. John A. Douglas for clerk, Green B. Harrison for clerk, W. T. Kitchens for Sheriff.

   Mr. Jefferson Tyson of near Moore's Chapel brought in 14 bales of cotton to Lovett's Gin on 13 wagons in a street parade to the gin. Mr. W. C. Tompkins brought in 16 bales of the staple. Mr. John R. Rowland brought in some fine corn. John is one of the best corn raisers in the county.

    Johnson is expected to yield 5,500 bales this year. While the market soars upward on cotton the weevil works on the yield end and lowers it. It will eventually be worked out because the world has to have cotton. Farmland is also a bargain at present Price's. The big hog sale here yielded 188 hogs weighing 24,500 lbs with NO. 1s bringing 8.76. Enterprise Sausage of Macon bought two car loads.

    The dairy business has taken a long step forward and the herds of fine cows are growing to where the owners are going to meet with much revenue from their investments. County Agent Crow bought 31 head, 30 milk cows and one male at White Plains. The owners of these cows are G. B. Harrison, Shelton Harrison, L. J. and B. J. Peddy. Mr. Green B. Harrison has bought some fine Jerseys from Mr. Wm Jackson who now owns the 4 year old 667.07 lbs of butter fat champion cow at his Donovan dairy farm.

    Several days ago Morris T. Riner, J. B. Flanders, Archie Flanders, and Henry Hutcheson of Meeks shipped in a car load of 29 fine Jerseys milk cows. Several others are talking of buying cows and before long the county will have enough at this rate to afford a creamery here.

    Mr. W. R. Thomas of the W. & T. Railroad was here inquiring about the matter of stumps. The object of this is to arrive at how many stumps are in a radius of 75 miles of Dublin with the intent to establish a plant for utilizing stumps, trees, logs, knots, limbs, etc. if there is a sufficient quantity to make such an investment.

    You can now go into Mexico since diplomatic relations has been resumed between the U. S. and that country and the Southern Railroad is selling through railroad tickets to any point in Mexico.

    The banks statements were released. The Bank of Adrian $153,633.30; Exchange Bank $267,402.43; Bank of Wrightsville $353,272.52; The Citizens Bank of Kite $166,880.14; Farmers Bank $155,458.80.

    School opens in Kite with 235 pupils. Mr. W. B. Meeks just moved into his new house and Mr. I. F. Warnock lost his home to a fire.

    Mr. & Mrs  James Bennett Tapley had a girl on Sep 21st. Mr. & Mrs. J. E. Jordan married off their daughter, Geneva, to Mr. James Wheeler Harrison. Mr. William Jones, 66, died at his home here after a two month illness. He leaves only two small grandchildren. He was buried in Westview.

    Mr. Clean Frost has rented the Ice Cream Parlor from Mr. E. A. W. Johnson. Dr. S. N. Bradshaw, vetenary at Linder's Stables has moved here from Dublin. Mr. Frank Lindsey moved here from Tennille.

    Rain fell here in torrents Friday and Saturday and from the prevailing odor it seems there were several car loads of mullet in town Saturday.

From Days Gone By Sept. 21,1923

 September 21, 1923.

    The Richmond Division of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway is now a reality. The route has officially been designated. The official route to Wrightsville from Dublin comes by Lovett and Spann, leaving Wrightsville goes by way of Price's Bridge to Bartow. The marking of the route is almost complete. Secretary Gelders went to Columbia, S. C. to see about crossing the state toward Richmond and was greeted with open arms.

    Johnson County aims to work her end of the road which is said to be the worst of it, but Ordinary Jenkins says it will be done. No more important historical route could have been mapped out through the south. Just because we've got the Jeff Davis is certain no reason why we should let up on the Bee-Line. If Savannah, Statesboro, Letter, Swainsboro and intermediate points wanted to go to Macon and the Bee-Line was in operation they would save about 30 miles coming via Wrightsville.

    The Johnson County Fair opens it's gates next week with an all home fair. The Ford garage in Kite is doing fine business since opening. Mr. Smiley Hightower is manager. Dr. & Mrs. Lee W. Wheeler have moved to Kite. Warden Wright is now engaged working out the street and road through Kite across the river to the county line.

    By producing 12,285 lbs of milk and 867.07 lbs of butterfat at 4 years 2 months of age, Financial's Southern Rose 415,232, owned by Wm Jackson, Donovan, has become the Champion Junior 4 year old of this state. Rose supersedes Raleigh's Zilla of Brookville 389671 which cow held the record. Southern Rose calved within 16 months of last freshing prior to test, qualifying for Class AA and a silver medal. She carried calf 170 days of her test period. The new champion was sired by Financial Noble Count with 10 Register of Merit daughters, and was out of Delia's Black Beauty with an official record of 523 lbs as a 7 year old.

    Mrs. Beulah Page and Henry T. Page have filed for divorce and William E. Garrard and Nancy Sue Mitchell Garrard have also. Mr. Thomas L. Drake of Wrightsville has come out for Sheriff and L. J. Claxton is considering the same.

    Mr. George Burris died quietly and was one of the oldest men of the county. He was buried in Westview. On the 27th of August Mrs. Tempy Copeland, wife of Mr. J. O. Copeland died leaving 3 daughters and a son. She was only I'll for about 4 hours. She joined the Methodist Church at Powell's Chapel at an early age and remained a member till her death. Her funeral was held at Mt. Pleasant Primitive Baptist and buried there by her son.

    Mrs. Will A. Walker died on the 12th at 53 years of age. She was a daughter of J. C. Gay and Georgia Snell Gay of this county and was twice married. Surviving are her husband and children, Mrs. Clyde McCurry, Mr. Thurston Walker, Grady Walker and Miss Delle Walker; two step children, Mrs. John M. Gillis and Mrs. Albert Shaw. She was buried at Westview with Kent & Bush undertakers.

From Days Gone By Sept. 14, 1923

 September 14, 1923.

    All of the far eastern part of the county was stirred Saturday and Sunday by the killing in cold blood of John Harmon, aged colored man who lived on the Kite-Bartow road about 2 miles north of Mr. B. J. Wiggins home, some time of the early part of Friday night.

    All the colored people of that community were going up to a "setting-up" up the road where a neighbor was dead. Passers-by of the Harmon shack saw John's blind horse hitched to the buggy standing in the front and he had told his landlord he was also going to the setting up as soon as he got his supper.

   So Harmon started off but before he gone a half mile he was lying dead in his own blood and his blind horse wondering through the woods with the buggy in tow, was found the next morning.

    A neat, snug man's sized bed in a clump of grass and bushes mashed down revealed the hiding place of the night assassin beside the road and as Mr. Lewis Claxton came along just above there he stopped to pick up a man's hat to climb back on his load of cotton and go to sleep only to be awakened by the cries of his 2 boys that a dead man was in the ditch. It was barely daylight. The cotton farmer was on his way to Bartow but then summoned the Coroner, L. R. Clayton.

    John had 5 bullet holes close together in the back of his neck and his throat was cut clean across. His money and watch were still there and his watch was running. Robert was not the motive.

    An inquest was held and Hill Rogers, his 2 sons, Lee and Otis, were brought to jail charged with either committing the crime or implicated in it. Hill and his son Otis, declared that his other son, Lee did it and had confessed to it. Lee was jailed but claimed he had no knowledge of it.

    Tuesday officers took one of the boys to the fodder stacks at the Rogers home and the boy went straight to a stack and pulled the pistol out, a .32, the empty shells found where the shots were fired being the same size. They did not find the knife. The two boys are admitted murderers now, they say, and are trying to take it all off the old man. Opinion is now all 3 had a hand in it.

    The September Term of Superior Court will not be held says Judge J. L. Kent. He states there is not sufficient business before the court to justify the session. The next session will be held in March 1924.

    Mr. F. C. Lord has opened a new grist Mill near the city power house in C. H. Moore's old machine shop. Mr. Sidney F. Smith celebrated his 50th birthday at Rehobeth. Mr. Albert Sinquefield brought a sample of rice which he has planted an acre and a half. It is some fine rice. Miss Ora Logue of Lovett married Mr. E. W. Tanner. Judge J. C. Wiggins while fishing for Redfin's in Cedar Creek, slipped on the bank and broke his arm. A passing car rushed him to Dr. Brantley.

    Tax Collector J. Nat Riner is ready to collect your taxes. A total of $60, 604.25 is to be collected. Of this amount white people owe $58,756.57, and colored people owe $1,847.68. Besides Wesley Chapel and Stokes school consolidating, also Scott and Poplar Springs consolidated, Oakhill and Pinegrove, also Davis, Tom and part of Providence combines with Kite.

    Sudden was the death of Mr. William L. Pournell at his home in town having been taken seriously ill. He had not been well for several months but not thought to be in bad health. He had continued his blacksmith and repair work. His sudden death was a shock to the city. He was 72, born in Washington Co., a son of George P. Pournell. His wife, one daughter and 2 sons survived him. He was buried in Westview.