From Days Gone By June 6,1925

 June 6,1925.

    The Bee-Line highway from Kite to Macon will be surveyed as soon as the officials of Johnson and Wilkinson counties submit official request in writing to the Highway Department. This was agreed to at a meeting in East Point. Judge A. L. Hatcher of Johnson and Dr. Evans of Wilkinson submitted the proposal and it was also granted for an engineer to locate this road and the place to bridge the Oconee.

    No one at this point knows where the bridge will be located until the road is surveyed. Those from Johnson's delegation were, U. R. Jenkins, A. L. Hatcher, J. H. Rowland, C. D. Roundtree, O. H. Tompkins, R. P. Hicks, W. J. Flanders, R. E. Brinson, W. D. Sumner, D. C. Harrison, J. S. Stephenson, Jas E. Clarke, John M. Johnson, S. D. Howard, M. T. Riner, Z. A. Anderson and Leonard Claxton.

    The county Fair is set to be held November 3rd to 8th. Thousand dollars will be offered in premiums. Mr. Arthur B. Price turned in the first full cotton bloom on May 27th. Mr. & Mrs. Murphy Norris had a baby boy.

    Dr. Wade R. Beddingfield is doing some good surgical and medical work in Augusta according to The Augusta Herald. It accounts the restoration of the eye sight of an Augusta lady was a wonderful exploit of the skill this young man posesses. The lady had been blind for a year but now can see as good as ever. Dr. Beddingfield is a product of one of the best families in Johnson County.

    Friday afternoon Sheriff Lovett J. Claxton and Deputy Carl Claxton made a raid on a large copper still outfit in the Eastern part of the county, bringing in the entire outfit including some "shine". The still itself was one of the largest seen in the county yet, and created a lot of interest. A lot of "mobby" was turned out.

    It is reported that this still played a role in another raid some months ago. The officers made a second raid Saturday morning near Meeks bringing in a lard can outfit, worm, pipe, etc. The officers are on the lookout for whiskey operations and have succeeded lately in turning in alot of business in this line.

From Days Gone By May 30,1925

 May 30,1925.

    The last spade of Earth has been thrown up and placed on the Jefferson Davis Highway across Johnson Co., the road now being built from one side of the county across to near Lovett. The county has finished it's portion. Not only the Davis Highway has been built through Spann district but all the public roads in that district are in a good fix. A big barbecue and lemonade picnic was held for Ordinary Jenkins and Capt. Wright at the home of W. D. Sumner.

    Interest is high in the proposal to erect a concrete bridge over the Oconee River between Washington and Wilkinson line, about halfway between Milledgeville and Dublin. At present there is no bridge between these two points. Efforts are being made to swing the Savannah to Macon highway via Statesboro, Swainsboro, Wrightsville, Irwinton and Gordon which would give a direct line to these two points.

    Another projected road from Augusta to Macon, via Wrens, Louisville, Sandersville, Tennille and connect with the Bee-Line a few miles from the river where both roads could use the same proposed bridge.

    Judge Camp will come to Wrightville this morning to finish hearing the motion for a new trial in the J. J. Tanner case. Much time was taken over the affidavits of Noah Covington's children who denied Noah was at Jesse Covington's home the night before Tarbutton's death. It is a fight that will last many months.

    Rawlings will be tried June 22nd. The motion for change of venue now lies in the Supreme Court with a verdict expected in a few days.

    Part of the life insurance from Southern States on Gus Tarbutton, $145,000 was deposited with the registry clerk of the U. S. Court. This sum is being claimed by several firms and people, among them are 4th National Bank of Macon, Citizens Bank of Sandersville, The War Finance Corp. and the 4th National Bank of Atlanta. Others are seeking to establish rights to the funds or parts of it. All claims are to be heard in Augusta by Federal Judge W. H. Barrett.

    Mr. Willie T. Rowland was appointed Johnson's new Game Warden with the resignation of W. T. Kitchens. The Barnes brothers, G. W. and Lee, have filed for bankruptcy.

From Days Gone By May 23,1925

 May 23,1925.

    The voluminous record in the new trial motion by J. J. Tanner's lawyers caused a week's postponment of that hearing and will be heard in Dublin tomorrow by Judge Camp in Chambers. The defense submitted a long 1000 page record in the case. Tanner and Rawlings remain in jail here pending disposition of their cases.

    Thirteen graduates of Wrightville High School will receive their diploma's. The class roll as follows: Edith Bryan, Wesley Brinson, Clay Chester, Rowena Chester, Merry Nell Davis, Lizzie Lee Davis, Erna Flanders, Dicy Hall, Bessie Will Harrison, Willie Mas Kitchens, Theo Parker, Lizzie Lee Smith and Bessie Wynn Powell.

    Mrs. R. T. Lovett, Dr. and Mrs. M. D. L. Peacock and Dr. and Mrs. Meeks of Kite left for Dallas, Texas to attend the Confederate Reunion there. They will be guests of Mr. Roscoe Peacock while there.

    The wife of Mr. Church Harris died April 10th. She was 44 years old. Before marriage she was Miss Mae Norris. She left a husband and six children. She died from pneumonia. She was a member of Rehobeth and was buried there.

    Mrs. D. A. Mills, one of the oldest mothers of the county died at home near Spann. She was 76 and survived by her husband, three daughters and four sons. She was buried at Pleasant Grove.

    Macon welcomed the counties interested in the Bee-Line highway with enthusiasm. A resolution was passed. It was pointed out by Johnson and Wilkinson the road would shorten the distance from Wrightville by 20 miles. Currently to get to Macon you have to go to Dublin or Milledgeville. Not only milage savings the farmers on this route would be opened to better markets.

    They have been bottled up since the first colonists settled there. The Oconee a major barrier between the two. One Johnson resident stated not more than 15 residents of Johnson had ever been to Irwinton only 30 miles away. Much trade here which logically would go to Macon now goes to Savannah or Augusta.

    Fortunately the raw materials for road building exists along the proposed highway. The route is an old Indian trail that follows the natural line from Balls Ferry to Macon.

    Over four years ago Johnson County began this Bee-Line project and has been pushing it steadily onward ever since and now has road visions of it's success.