Gone By Nov. 9,1923

 November 9,1923.

    Under the chairmanship of Mrs. P. H. Jeter of Decatur, Georgia, has made a reality of her portion of the great national route, the Jefferson Davis Highway. Her organization has co-operated with Mr. I. Gelder's, of Fitzgerald, in the work of marking and beautifing this memorial road, which extends in Georgia, from Augusta to Eufaula, Ala. The completed highway runs from Washington, D. C. to San Francisco and will be a lasting memorial, telling to the world that the memory of Jefferson Davis will be kept fresh and bright forever. No enterprise could be undertaken in Georgia with greater sentimental appeal to our people.

    It is essential for making and keeping this highway as fine, as beautiful and as useful as was the life of the man after whom it is named, that every member of Georgia Division give her, whole-hearted help. This is said to be the most stupendous undertaking ever sponsored by a women's organization alone, and the fact should be sufficient to make us bend every effort to show that we are fully capable of doing work of such magnitude.

    There were at least 25 cars carrying 5 person's per car from here to Savannah for the motorcade. There were Studebakers, Oakland's, Ford's, Dodge, Buick's, Willys-Knight and Chalmers driven by J. H. Rowland, W. F. Outlaw, Dr. T. E. Vickers, B. I. Kight, Alvin Claxton, Judge A. L. Hatcher, Willie Herringbone, Jesse Anderson, D. G. Wilson, J. D. Wheeler, G. S. Brown, W. C. Brinson, M. T. Riner, G. V. McCray and J. M. Johnson.

   There were $342 in prizes awarded to county club members who participated in the big fairs of the state. Up to now Johnson has ginned 3,923 bales of cotton this year.

    Prof. Luther Lillard is an official candidate for school superintendent, and so is A. J. M. Robinson. J. Roy Rowland officially comes out for solicitor of City Court. The Executive Committee will meet Nov. 12th to set the primary date for the races. Mr. John C. Powell is urged to run for tax collector.

    Mr. Thurston Anderson, son of Judge & Mrs. Z. A. Anderson was rushed to Brigham Hospital for appendicitis. Mr. J. Tom Davis is a salesman with Hayes Cash Store.

    County Warden Wright is doing alot of patchwork to roads and bridges now which have grown into a desperate condition from the heavy travel of logging trucks over them lately. The highway Dept. at Dublin is working the road this way and putting in good shape, fixing the bridges. They are also working on their portion of the Jeff Davis Highway.

    The weather being so inclement lately was the cause of offering for sale of several wagon loads of fat pine knots coming from the country. This kind of fuel is becoming very scarce in this section. Dr. J. W. Brinson laments the disappearance of the old pine knot-- the pine knot-- of his boyhood days. He says the happiest days of his life was sitting by a blazing pine knot-- fire at night, wearing only a shirt, roasting yams, drinking cane juice, and playing with a lively, squint-eyed fice.

    Mr. Harvie Thompson and Miss Nettie Mae Rowland were married, as was John Smith and Miss Lucile Mimbs. Miss Lydia Davis we'd Mr. Claude Bray.

    Mr. Lewis L. Lovett says Wrightsville will eat oranges this Christmas. He will have a solid carload shipped directly here from the Grove of Mr. E. A. Lovett at Fort Meade, Fla.

    The membership of Beulah church in the Donovan community will honor the 83rd birthday of Mrs. W. H. Harrison. She was a charter member of this church.

From Days Gone By Nov. 2,1923

 November 2,1923.

    Actual work started this week on the give and a half miles of sewerage for Wrightsville. Three carloads of machinery came to the railroad sidetracks here along with 6 carloads of sewer pipings. It will require 20 carloads in all to put down the miles of sewerage. The big ditcher is here. It can open a ditch fast and if they have good weather it won't take a 150 days. Dirt was broken in the pasture of Judge Kent near the big branch and is now in progress, more than 1000 feet already.

    Duke ran away but he didn't stay gone because he let his identity be known too well in Savannah and before his tracks in Johnson had grown entirely cold he was back on Cat. Wright's gang working out the remainder of his lifetime sentence and it is now safe to say that Duke will now stay. The courthouse keys which he flew away with he kept and they were recovered.

    Mr. J. R. Williams is running for tax Receiver, Will Nixon may run for Sheriff, F. C. Lord for tax Receiver, H. T. Hicks is urged to run for solicitor. It is rumored that a prominent lady in town is going to run for mayor, if she does, and wins, she is going to prevent men from spitting tobacco juice on the paved sidewalks, and abolish the "sleepy corner", and put a tax on all unmarried men under 35. But the first official entrance for school superintendent is Mrs. George W. Gordy of the high school faculty. This is the first woman for political office here since women were allowed to vote.

    Mr. R. H. Smith is having his North Marcus St. residence remodeled by contractor T. L. Chester. Mr. & Mrs. James T. McAfee of Harrison, daughter Janet and Elzie L. King of Atlanta will be married at Eufala, Ala.

    Mr. A. B. Douglas farming on shares with Wade Mimbs made 390 bushels of corn on a one-horse farm, 3400 bundles of fodder, 150 bales of hay, two tons of oats, 100 bushels sweet potatoes, 500 bushels peas, half acre in sugar cane 7 ft high, and a fine garden. Besides all this he sold $400 of cotton. He made this crop with a $50 horse.

    Mrs. R. A. Foskey, 81, died at her son, Mr. Lott Foskey after being sick for only an hour or two. She leaves 5 sons and a daughter. She was buried at Bay Springs. Mr. Jas.  A. Davis died at home at Sardis quite suddenly. He was a half brother to Sheriff Lewis Davis. His mother of over 90 years, and his wife survive him. He was buried near Bartow.

    Johnson Co. has commercial minerals. It is in Post-Eocene formation which consists principally of sand and gravel. Near Wrightsville along the Ohoopee river on the Dublin Rd is a bed of fine-grained, gray sand almost free of clay. The W. C. Brinson property one mile south of town on the Dublin Rd carries a deposit of sand of medium grain, loamy and about 4 feet thick covering several acres. One mile north of Kite on the Wadley Southern is exposed 15 to 20 feet of fine to medium, clean, yellow and gray sand.

    At a point 5 miles from Kite, a mile south of Gumlog Creek on the Wylie Cheaves land there is sand and gravel 4 to 5 feet thick over several acres. The gravel could be used for road building and if washed and screened would prove desirable for concrete aggregate.

    The J. H. Rowland land 5 miles from town carries gravel over about 5 acres, desirable for road surfacing. There are several other exposures in this area on the Burroll- Womble property and on the G. C. Rained, R. Sammons, Green Harrison and S. F. Harrison properties.

    One mile east of Donovan are gravel outcrops on the R. E. Smith place, and the Annison-Pool place one half mile from Donovan station. The McCray land on Bartow Rd carries gravel and sand to depth of 2 to 6 feet. The T. J. Brantley place has sand and gravel in abundance. Others with deposits are J. W. Smith on Adrian Rd, Jim Flanders, and both sides of Meeks Creek on the Kite Rd and C. L. Williams land 4 miles of Kite is good for bottle and window glass.

    Underlying the Post-Eocene sands and gravel are found limestone's of the Eocene as indicated by logs of several artesian wells. The only known exposures of limestone are found at Ring-Jaw Landing on the Oconee River. The limestone at this point is exposed over a thickness of 8 feet with about 32 feet of sands and Clay's overlying. All this is from the Central of Georgia Railways directory of commercial minerals.

From Days Gone By Oct. 26,1923

 October 26,1923.

    Work on the sewerage for the city will start by the 10th of November under the contract, the work completed on 150 days. Mr. C. H. Starling, representative of the Dysard Construction Co. of Atlanta stated the machinery for this job would be moved here from Tifton. Mayor T. V. Kent expect the fixtures and materials to be here most any time. It will cost around $25,000 to put in the entire plant, that is sewerage proper. The council had to buy a lot of new machinery for the power house before they could go ahead with the sewerage, it being necessary and required 

    The 9th Division of Odd Fellows met at the Lodge at Adrian. The next meeting will be held at Bartow. Our neighbor has a fair. Sandersville pulls off best fair in it's history. The potato house is now open for business this season. They are needing 10,000 bushels at once.

    While Joe Williams and family were at the Scott Association, Joe lost his barn by fire, it catching during a rain making it somewhat peculiarly originated. Had not the firemen responded as quick it would have gotten his residence too.

    More citizens are entering the races at this time. Mr. J. C. Wiggins, current ordinary is seeking this office again. Prof. L. M. Blount, once a county school commissioner, will run for superintendent. Mr. Charles M. Schwalls for Sheriff, W. W. Dent for tax Receiver, J. Roy Rowland is asked to run for solicitor of City Court and Mayor T. V. Kent is urged to run again.

    The school folks are beginning to talk basketball for the coming season and the outlook is bright for better teams this year. The Bearcats and Red Jackets will soon be ready to go. Mr. Phillip Bedgood, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, American Baseball League, is home on a vacation and was here yesterday. Minton's Chapel is added to Kite school. There was but a scant car load of hogs put in the sale here and those selling were G. A. Tarbutton, J. A. Johnson, R. F. Webb and M. N. Holmes. Price was around 7 cents for tops. 

    Wrightsville offers all that you need and desire. The merchants here lead in low prices. Survey shows this city better equipped than ever to look after you wants. Just a small sample of these businesses here are: Rowland's Feed Store, I. R. Tanner Livestock Dealer, Rowland Lumber Co., Parker & Price Groceries, M. E. Woods Battery Service, The Exchange Bank, A. F. Flanders Drug Store.

    Duke, the negro janitor at the court house for some time, got bad Monday night down in the quarters and had a round with one colored woman, named Mattie Jordan, slashing her about the throat and mouth with a knife. Duke is working out a lifetime sentence and on account of his I'll health he had been given light work around the court house as janitor. He had recently disobeyed orders and back to the gang for him had been sounded. So following the difficulty in the quarters he made his escape and all Tuesday Warden Wright and a force of deputies were hunting for him.

    The sound of the 'possum hunter's horn is now heard almost every night by Mr  Monroe Cook, Sr. who began to hunt these quadrupeds before he wore pants, and who has made a study of the habits and nature of this toothsome animal. He says they are not really fit to eat until after the first autumn Frost covers their hairless tails while they are feasting on the persimon tree.

    During a recent morning of "chilly air", "sleepy corner",  alias "Brinson's corner" alias "loiters resort", was deserted except by two men, both of whom it is said, are the ugliest men in town. They were sitting there beneath the gray sky chewing tobacco as vigorously as an old Billy goat chews his cud before he goes to sleep at night in the shadow of a pine.

From Days Gone By Oct. 19,1923

 October 19,1923.

    There were nine bidders for the sewerage contract. Engineer Pew opened all the bids and read them while the council tabulated the  figures and would announce the low bidder at 8 pm. Dysard Construction Co., Atlanta got the bid with a working time of Nov. 10th and 150 days at a cost of $25,000.

    All cars going to the motorcade to Savannah will meet at 6 am on Oct. 31st at Bunnies Light's drug store in Kite. The route is via Swainsboro, Graymont, Letter, Statesboro to Savannah. At the Chatham Co. line they will be received by Savannah. The parade will be the longest ever held in Savannah. Miss Helen G. Davis, a great neice of President Jefferson Davis will be "Queen of the Day". Three governors will be there. The 118th F. A. Regiment, 8th Infantry, U. S. Marines from Paris Island, with 5 bands.

    Those from Johnson going so far are J. H. Rowland, C. D. Roundtree, T. E. Vickers, A. L. Hatcher, W. F. Outlaw, W. D. Rowland, E. B. Price, Jesse Anderson, W. C. Chester, C. M. Sheppard, Loyd Price, Byron Price, J. Y. Chastain, W. C. Brinson, R. P. Jackson, G. B. Harrison.

    Prof. Luther Lillard will run again for school superintendent. Mr. Reuben C. Douglas of Meeks announces for Sheriff. Dr. Douglas is a son of Confederate Veteran, John A. Douglas, Sr. and he himself is a World War veteran.

    W. M. Shurling shipped in two car loads of beef cattle, 100 head in all to feed the winter. E. E. Sanders, I. R. Tanner and G. H. Prescott also got a car load each. Johnson Co. has ginned 2,685 bales of cotton so far this year. Mr. G. J. Tyson cultivated 18 acres in half and half cotton and used $232.98 for fertilizer and poison and made 7182 pounds of lint cotton. This is 399 lbs per acre. This cotton will more than third itself, 1270 lbs of seed cotton when ginned made a bale weighing 574 lbs. Another bale in seed weighing 1285 lbs ginned a bale weighing 580 lbs. Another 1155 of seed made a bale 534 lbs. 1200 lbs even made a bale 546 lbs. Tyson planted on the ridge and used the old-time methods of farming these 18 acres 

    Born Oct. 12th to Mr. & Mrs  Fluker Tarbutton was a fine baby girl. Mr. & Mrs. W. C. Chester on Oct. 14th had a daughter. Mr. Loyd Price celebrated his 63rd birthday with a barbeque.

    The local law firm of R. P. Jackson & J. Roy Rowland have dissolved their partnership so as to practice on their own. While pulling corn near Pullen's school house Mrs. E. J. Tharpe came very near bitten by a hugh rattler coiled and ready to strike within one step of her. She killed the monster of 16 rattles.

    Brinson's corner appears to be the most popular place in the business district since a triangular seat was placed around a tree. Loiters now sit, talk and chew tobacco, and gravely discuss the important questions of the day. You will see handsome matrons, winsome maids, elderly maidens, pensive widows, stop or paise there for a while on the sidewalk.

    A close observant of nature and of nature's ways, who lives here, predicts that the coming winter in this section will be the coldest in a half dozen years. He says some indictive signs are the persimon is ripening earlier, the pepper pods have a deeper crimson hue, the Redbird has an increased brilliancy, and the cherry lips of lovely maidens look sweeter than when the vernal sun was sweetly shinning and the wild Violet's blooming in the shady forest.

    When the first spade enters the earth in Wrightsville for a complete set of sewers your property will be worth a fourth more.

    Son: "Father, what did he say, damphool? What is that?"

Father: "It's a little fool made over by a little money and prestige."

From Days Gone By Oct. 12, 1923

 October 12, 1923.

    Mr. Arthur Pew, engineer, Atlanta is coming today for matters pertaining to the letting of the contract for installing sewerage for Wrightsville which is to be let on the 17th. Mayor Kent and Mr. Pew are of the impression that the numorous number of bidders for the work will be bid low or at a price commensurate with the times and they are expecting a fair figure to come in.

    Mayor Kent says there will be a lot of companies represented here judging from the inquires. Thus the work for putting in the system is going on without a hitch and the mayor and council have done all they can to do it that way.

    All the counties touched by the Jefferson Davis Highway will send delegations to Savannah to the Tri-State Fair to promote and advertise this new national highway. October 31st is Jeff Davis Highway Day at the fair and it is expected more than 100 cars will motorcade into Savannah, from Augusta all the way to Abbeville will be in the motorcade.

    Miss Winifred Gilmore of Baxley has started an Expression Class at the high school. The program will consist of readings, piano solos, vocal solos and a number of quartets. A troop of Boy Scouts was organized at Adrian with 14 members. The scoutmaster chosen was James M. Mayfield with Mr. Manning Flanders assistant. The troop committee is T. D. Fountain, Edward Ellison, Sr., J. Brown Hutcheson and a Mr. Drake.

    Ivey R. Tanner and James W. Harrison left for Atlanta to buy a car load or two of market cattle to feed through the winter and resale after they are fattened on bean fields, etc. This has been very profitable to them the past couple of years. J. Tom Flanders shows off some fine corn and peas from his 12 acre field without any fertilizer being added. There is an abundant crop of hay this season that exceeds any previous year. The melon record for 1923 goes to J. Gordon Greenway at 56 pounds.

    Mr. J. Frank Jackson is being urged to run for solicitor and J. Nat Riner will run for re-election for tax collector. Mr. B. J. Wiggins is considering a Senate run.

    Mr. & Mrs. Weldon W. Claxton of Kite has a new daughter. This is the first granddaughter for Mr. & Mrs. Joe W. Claxton. Mr. & Mrs. John F. Powell had a son on October 9th. Mr. & Mrs. W. I. Renfroe had a boy Oct. 7th and Mr. & Mrs. Johnnie Sumner had a girl the same day.

    Miss Dovie Sheppard, daughter of Mrs. John Sheppard of near Pleasant Plains church, and Mr. W. S. Johnson of Soperton were married. Miss Sallie Davis, daughter of Sheriff Lewis Davis married Mr. Curtis Lee of Miami, Fla on Oct. 4th. Judge Jenkins says there has not been much increase in marriage license yet, but he believes it will pick up before winter because no one wants to spend dreary winter days alone.

    On Wednesday morning while nature was radiantly smiling, Editor Roundtree performed a marriage ceremony in front of the paper office, the couple remaining in the buggy during the brief ceremony which was witnessed by a few persons, a woodpecker on a telephone pole, a mocking bird on the top most bough of an Elm, the feathered musician singing in a sweetly subdued strain, "Love's Rhapsody". As the couple departed down West Elm Street with hands clasped a lordly cock, which was crossing the street, lustily crowed, his merry salutation seeming to want a message of felicitation to them as they embarked on the matrimonial Sea.

    Mr. J. W. Delph has moved here from Albany. Mr. John M. Gillis has moved here from Macon. Mr. Charlie Blizzard is driving a new Ford.

    'Possum and 'tater time with cane grindings and boilings, to say nothing about good old chitterlings and crackling bread, are the next vegetables in order.