From Days Gone By June 10, 1929

 June 10, 1929.

    The city and the county are to have a live American Legion Post here. This was assured in a rousing meeting at the courthouse, and it will accept every qualified ex-serviceman in the county. Mr. Tom Jenkins was selected as service officer to further the plans of organizing the Post. There are 15 or 20 veterans already signed up for Legion membership. They will have a speaker here in a few days.

    Revenue officers from Savannah raided the county and took out a large copper still and destroyed a lot of the ingredients around the place in the eastern part of the county. Some whiskey was found away from the still, also large quantities of sugar was destroyed. It is said the distillers used the same well of water that was used a few months ago in a still taken by county officers. No arrests were made as no one was on site.

    Another party of boys are headed to Fort Moultrie, Carl Walker, M. A. Jackson, Jr., Lanell Mixon, Ben Hill Moye, Kelley Brown, Hubert Outlaw, B. E. Jordan, Harry Rowland, Beverly Kennedy and Vallaird Blount. Harvey Hatcher, son of Mr. & Mrs. H. G. Hatcher was among 101 cadets who graduated from Riverside Military Academy and is planning to attend UGA.

    The fishing laws will likely be charged after this year. Just a few days and you can lawfully fish in any stream in the county. Mr. Charlie Bray states that he is getting results in fighting the boll weevil by having insects caught at a cent apiece. Mr. Hudson Brantley's barn went up ablaze losing 3 mules, some hogs, corn, a Ford car and some farm implements.

    Mr. Louis Smith was coming to town from Idylwild during a rain storm and just before reaching Mrs. Meeks home, the auto hydroplaned and turned over in a ditch. Six people were in the car. One was rushed to the hospital and the rest just had bumps and brusies.

    While his wife was watching from the front porch, her husband, Robert Tanner broke his neck when his auto turned over. It was his first car and first time driving. He was coming from town where he just bought it. They lived on the Widow Rogers place below Scott. As the car suddenly swerved to the roadside he fell to the side and caught across the neck by the frame of the windshield. He was just 23. His wife was Miss Leotha Purvis, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Tom Purvis. He was buried at Piney Mount.

    After many days of illness at her home near Donovan, Mrs. Charlie Walden died June 5th at 60 years of age. She was the former Annie Pittman. Her husband and several children survive her. She was a member of Beulah Church were she was buried.

    Mr. Richard T. Lovett died at home in Dothan, Alabama June 8th. He was returned here by train to the home of Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Lovett and then buried in the Lovett Cemetery. He was a former state representative and business man here before moving to Alabama. He was 72.

    Another Donovan death was Mrs. A. R. Brooks at the Dublin clinic. She was born in Washington County Aug. 25, 1869 to Morgan L. & Martha Joyner Jackson. She taught school before marrying Alonzo R. Brooks on March 13, 1892. They had 4 children, Effie, Cleon, Cecil and Mary. She was a member of the Christian Church and was buried in the Oconee Cemetery.

    Eustus Fulford, infant son born May 5th, died on June 4th and was buried in the Kent Cemetery. His mother preceded the babe only ten days earlier.

From Days Gone By June 3, 1929

 June 3, 1929.

    All ex-servicemen of the county are called to meet June 7th at the courthouse for the purpose of completing the organization of an American Legion Post here. This is being sponsored by Mr. Beverly B. Haynes and a number of other ex-servicemen of the World War. This is considered an important move for the county.

    The first cotton bloom of the season was brought in by Mr. M. H. Rachels from Mr. S. H. Price. Mr. W. H. Lovett says he is making a fight on the weevil when and where he shows up. Wrightsville drew a visit from its old citizen barber, West Meadows who came down from Macon. There were 2,542 people at the Christian Sunday School Sunday morning. It is the largest crowd here yet. Manager Harley Delph announces a dance at Idylwild with Nick Calamas and his Georgians furnishing the music.

    On the order of Judge Camp in the matter of appointing T. J. Powell to the Board of Education to succeed J. S. Stephenson has raised its head again. Evidence showed Stephenson's term ended May 30, 1928 and on April 3, 1929 Powell was appointed to the vacancy. But it seems there was a misapprehension of facts, so that order is revoked by the court. Superior Court Minutes showed that Stephenson was elected to serve four years by the Grand Jury at the March Term 1926 which shows his term has not expired. However, evidence adduced at this hearing, it is obvious Stephenson's term expired May 30, 1928 in that his predessor in office was commissioned for a term ending May 30, 1924. Mr. W. L. Mixon, the predessesor in office of Mr. Stephenson, served until 1926. Stephenson could not have been elected by the Grand Jury at the March 1926 term for anything except the unexpired term of Mixon. Attorny C. S. Claxton who represents Stephenson has sent the matter to the Supreme Court for appeal.

    Mrs. Beverly Whitfield of near Kite died May 27th being sick several days. She is survived by five children, two sisters and two brothers. She was buried at Oaky Grove.

    Mrs. Mary Ann Page, wife of Thomas S. Page of Atlanta, died at her Ponce De Leon Avenue home. She was a Johnson native being a daughter of the late Elisha and Mary Webb Walker and was one of nine children, two who proceeded her, Sallie in 1870 and Dr. L. J. Walker just two weeks ago. Dr. and Mrs. Sol Page married in 1880 and had six children, three living, Mrs. Addie Page Little, Mrs. Lilian Page Price and Mrs. Louise Williams. Her living sisters are Mrs. W. J. Flanders, Mrs. W. H. Revier, Mrs. J. W. Page and Mrs. B. M. Kennon, brothers W. A. and Joe M. Walker. She was 72 and was a member of the Elisha Walker Chapter D. A. R. She was buried in Westview.

    On April 1st death took another old veteran of the sixties. Mr. J. B. Roberts who was 84 on October 20th. He was the father of eight children. He was buried at Bay Springs. His living children are Mrs. I. O. Hutcheson, Jim Henry, Charlie, Augustus and Doss Roberts.

From Days Gone By May 27, 1929

 May 27, 1929.

    Johnson County's road building force under Captain C. T. Wright are going right ahead throughout the county. They have done much the first five months of this year. New bridges across many streams have been built and the roads put in good shape. Johnson now have some of the best around. Lately work is being done towards Brantley's Chapel and Beulah Church. The other half of the crew is working around Adrian.

    The Standard Oil Company has leased the Sinquefield Filling Station on Tompkins Corner to Mr. Bernard B. Tanner who will operate it. The local Standard Oil Rep is Mr. Dewitte Brinson. Lotus McAfee and Wannie Price have opened an ice cream business and meat market in the Georgia Filling Station. Mr. E. N. Hitchcock is with Mr. L. E. Parker in a new grocery firm in the Ford building. Mr. Jimmie Neal, son of Mr. & Mrs. J. R. Neal, has gone west to work with the Union Pacific Railroad at Salt Lake City.

    The county agent had another big hog sale which yielded fancy prices. The 179 head brought $2,658.19 which is good now-a-days. The two carloads were purchased by T. & F. Packing Company and sent by the W. & T. to Macon. Mr. Edgar Kitchens near Moore's Chapel states the boll weevil's are the worst this year he's ever seen.

    Only two cases were heard in Mayor's Court. Two colored men charged with fighting. They pled guilty and got small fines being the cases weren't aggravated. Sheriff Rowland fixed up papers to send another colored woman to Milledgeville. Her mental capacities weren't straight and often tried to hurt herself. The Wrightsville Theatre re-opened under new management and was called the Idlehour Theatre. Professor J. Y. Chastain brought to town a grape shot cannon ball he found in a branch near his home. He thinks it is from the war of the sixties or the revolution.

    Johnson County has been a heavy loser lately by deaths among the leading families of the county, but death will find us all sooner or later.

    Shade Wheeler of Kite died following an illness of several days. He was entered at the Wheeler Cemetery. Mrs. Billie Pool of near Donovan died the 23rd. She was a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Pittman and was buried at Beulah.

    Col. Marvin P. Kea died at his brothers, Dr T. B. Kea in Adrian. He was stricken at the Shade Wheeler funeral and carried to his brothers where he lived only a few hours. He was also a brother to Solicitor Fred Kea of Dublin. He was about 48. Surviving him also were his wife and one son, Marvin, Jr., Dr. Victor Kea, Mrs. George Mason, Mrs. Helen Deckle and Mrs. Mary Flannagan. He was buried at Kea's Church near Adrian.

    Mrs. Elizabeth Traywick died at Judge & Mrs. J. L. Kent's residence. She was the widow of Mr. A. J. Traywick of Washington County. She was buried at Linton. Miss Mattie Crawford died at her mother's, Mrs. W. T. Crawford on North Marcus Street. She is also survived by her siblings Mrs. Jonah L. Davis, Mrs. A. T. Cobb, Miss Louella Crawford and Chief Will J. Crawford. She was buried at Westview.

    James Robert Brady was born December 8, 1892 and died March 28, 1929. He was a young man and never married leaving a father, brother and two sisters. He joined Gumlog Church early in life. He was a Mason of the Kite Lodge since 1917.

From Days Gone By May 20, 1929

 May 20, 1929.

    On April 29th Judge Camp was informed of a vacancy on the school board by the absence of J. S. Stephenson. Therefore, Judge Camp appointed T. J. Powell as his replacement. However, finding out later there was actually no vacancy. The Judge rescinded his appointment of Powell and reinstated Stephenson. In other more disturbing school news, in early April the Board of Trustees of the Wrightsville District School elected certain teachers for the Fall term of 1929 and Spring term of 1930. The said teachers accepted the appointments. After the Board changed with the appointment of T. L. Martin and election of E. L. Rowland at the first meeting in May, Rowland made a motion that those teachers appointments be rescinded and declared vacant, Martin seconded the motion. This motion was opposed by the other members for the reason they had no right or authority to rescind those contracts already entered by the previous board. Mr. Shurling who approved the first hiring, now as chairman, cast his vote to declare their contracts null and void.

    C. S. Claxton and R. R. Martin, the other trustees stated it seemed the majority of the new board are centering this attack on the vocational and home economics departments of the school, and give no valid reason for it. These salaries are paid under the Smith-Hughes Act which President Coolidge signed this Act, it made it possible for thousands of country boys and girls to receive agricultural training and home economics who otherwise would be denied. The action of the board in eliminating the vocational and home economics just simply means Johnson County's loss, and some other county's gain. The question is asked, Why should Shurling, Rowland and Martin destroy, in 15 minutes, what it has taken the old board more than 5 years to build?

    The county's Board of Tax Equalizers is composed of Charles Bray, Byron Price, Z. T. Houser, and Clerk E. A. Douglas. They are at work on the tax returns of Receiver W. T. Johnson.

    Miss Mattie Hutcheson, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Henry A. Hutcheson of near Adrian, wed Mr. J. B. Barfield of Griffin at Commerce, Georgia on May 19th.

    Mr. Sollie Price died at his home 4 miles this side of Dublin and was buried at Oaky Grove. Mrs. G. W. Spivey died at the family home near Orianna. She was 62 and born in Johnson County. Professor John M. Spivey was a son. She was buried at Poplar Springs near Scott.

    After a serious illness of about 3 weeks, Mrs. Virgie Mae Fulford, the young wife of Eustis Fulford, died at her parents, Mr. & Mrs. J. S. Rowland. She was buried in the Kent Cemetery. Mr. J. Florence Pool died at his home near Meeks after a brief sickness. He was 69 and was buried at Sardis.

    A sad death was that of Mrs. Georgia Ann Smith, wife of the late William Riley Smith, who lived just over the line in Washington County near Donovan. She was a Johnson native and daughter of George Washington Hammock, Johnson's first coroner. She was a sister to Henry, Jack and Mark Hammock. She died at her daughters in Vidalia. She was 65 and a member of Pleasant Plains Baptist but was buried at Beulah. She had 11 children, four preceded her in death. Those living are Will Tom Smith, Willis Newman Smith, Leon Lester Smith, Eugene Smith, J. W. Smith, Nannie Lou Sheppard and Ada Blount.

From Days Gone By May 13, 1929

 May 13, 1929.

    Idylwild, the popular summer resort is now in full swing. Mr. W. W. Delph has assumed management with his son, Harley. The resort includes swimming, skating, dancing, bathing and picnics. Season passes for swimming can be had for $2 per person. Script dances will be given about every two weeks.

    Rep. Larson has appealed to Pres. Hoover to secure a reduction in freight rates on fruits, vegetables and watermelons from the south to eastern markets. He has already reduced rates on exports of wheat and flour. A rather small amount of poultry was brought to the sale last week on account the car came about half loaded from Dublin and there was not enough to finish loading it. The sale netted $883.92 from 2,319 pounds. A free moving picture on poultry will be shown at the theatre this week sponsored by the Johnson County Poultry Breeders Assoc.

    The state gas tax is fast repaying counties. Johnson would get hers all back in 2 years, and there has been $9,000 contributions to highways by the county up to January 1, 1929. They figure the county as receiving $5,000 annually based on 1928 figures.

    The night train of the W. & T. Railroad, enroute from Dublin to Tennille had a bad derailment near Spann about dark Monday. The two passenger coaches and three boxcars went off the tracks. The passengers and train crew escaped injury but the track was a mass wreckage for 100 yards or more. It happened near an embankment with the coaches falling against them. The track was cleared and repaired by Tuesday afternoon.

    Mr. W. H. Black catches rattle snakes but dosen't pen them like some do, he kills them. He just killed two monsters one with 14 rattles just outside town. Mr. & Mrs. Grady Keel had a fine daughter on May 10th.

    Sheriff Rowland, after some good detective work apprehended Lee Wright, the colored man who shot George Wynn near Mitchell Grove on Easter Sunday. The sheriff of Bibb County picked him up and Sheriff Rowland picked him up in Macon and brought him back to jail to await trial in September.

    Dr. W. J. Flanders received the bill of lading for the government headstone for Elisha Walker, Revolutionary soldier. It will be placed on his grave at the Stokes Cemetery about seven miles west of town. Plans are having excersies on the 4th of July.

    Dr. John Walker died at his home in Waycross. He was a former resident here and brother to Mrs. Dr. W. J. Flanders, Joe M. and W. A. Walker. On May 5th Mr. Charlie Powell died at the Dublin sanitarium after a seige of illnesses. He had cared for his mother, brothers and sisters since the death of his father in 1921. He was 23 and a member of Gumlog where he was buried.

    Mrs. Annie Garner died April 1st and had turned 77 on March 17th. She was the widow of the late George Garner who has been dead 7 years. She left 4 sons and 1 daughter, Archie, Lonnie, Lawton, Lee and Mrs. Bertha Garnto. She had 10 grandchildren.

    Another valuable citizen passed with the death of Mr. William Oliver. His death came at his residence in the western part of the county. He was sick only a short time and was 62 years old. He had a reputation of thriftness, hard work and honesty his whole life. He married Miss Carrie Williams, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Shade Williams.  To them were born 14 children, 9 girls and 5 boys. He was a member of Bethsadia Christian Church but was buried at Westview. Surviving children are F. C., W. T., Grady, Marcus, Stacey Oliver, Mrs. Nathan D. whitiker, Mrs. T. E. Burns, Mrs. Lotus McAfee, Mrs. John A. McAfee, Mrs. Wannie Price, Miss Sadie Mae and Miss Vennie Oliver.

From Days Gone By May 6, 1929

 May 6, 1929.

    The Kite Consolidated High School will graduate ten this term. They are: Lula Harrison, Grace Harrison, Annie Mae Hatcher, Ellen Hatcher, Sallie Ree Beasley, Navada Beasley, Dora Pollett, Gladys Hill, Julian Minton and Carl Lawson.

    Wrightsville High School will graduate 26. They are: Lillian Brantley, Carolyn Blount, Florence Brinson, Frances Crawford, Gertrude Delph, Annette Downs, Paralynn Harrison, Maybell Hall, Grace Hattaway, Mary Hattaway, Nannie Clair Hicks, Melrose Jordan, Elizabeth Kent, Martha Martin, Virginia McWhorter, Beulah Moseley, Emily Moye, Rosemond Prescott, Mamie Riner, Nancy Rowland, Geraldine Smith, Nannie Smith, William Bedingfield, Brown Davis, Herbert Jackson and Elmer Peddy.

    John J. Burns, Jack Burns and Mellie Brantley were elected as trustees for Sunshine School. Wrightsville chose two trustees in its recent election. The votes were E. L. Rowland 164, C. S. Claxton 82, W. C. Brinson 80. On the board with Rowland and Claxton are W. M. Shurling, T. L. and R. R. Martin.

    In a survey of storm damage to the county from the recent storms shows a huge loss. Corn was damaged to some extent but the largest loss was cotton. Probably 60 to 75 percent of the cotton south and east of Wrightsville is dead. Farmers are busy trying to replant.

    The first grade has an outbreak of the chicken pox including the teacher, Miss Louise Perkins. The Georgia Power Company air plane passed over Wrightsville giving the township a sight to see. It circled once and distributed batches of advertising matter, then headed north. 

    Col. & Mrs. J. Eugene Cook had a fine baby boy, Julian Eugene Cook, Jr. Miss Ruth Allen and Mr. Claude Hicks were married.

    Two trucks hit head on near the city. One was Mr. R. N. Stanley who was loaded. The other a Keel Lumber Company truck, the driver, Luther Manning had cuts and brusies but no one else was injured. A heavy wind blowing sand across the road as they approched each other prevented one of them from seeing the road.

    It is affirmed that the route from Wrightsville to Dublin will take the upper route by Mason's Springs because on January 1, 1922, it was the existing route No. 15. The Ordinary of Johnson County should at once complete the survey and procure the right-of-way as by law this work falls on the counties.

From Days Gone By April 29, 1929

 April 29, 1929.

    Late last week cyclones were raging in near-by counties and Johnson sustained heavy losses also. The entire southern section, from Spann to Meeks was hard hit by heavy rains. Fields were flooded and small crops inundated. On one 9-horse farm not an acre remained that will not have to be replanted. Farm after farm suffered. This was costly but the county was fortunate to not be in the path of the big tornado that killed and destroyed in Bleckley, Laurens, Treutlen, Bulloch, Emanuel and Candler counties. Here little communities and larger towns buried their dead, and provide food and shelters to the hundreds of families left bare. Cochran, Chester, Rentz, Metter and Statesboro were hit and the community of McLeod was wiped out. All this damage from three seperate cyclones.

    The first funeral held in the new Westview Cemetery Chapel was held for Mr. W. S. Burns. The city says the chapel was well worth the small amount expended to erect it. A new ice house was opened in the Georgia Filling Station and will sell wholesale and retail. This is run by Mr. Lotis McAfee and W. L. Price. Col. J. Eugene Cook was the orator at Monticello paying homage to the Confederate dead and honored the living veterans.

    The 12th District held a stock judging contest at Mr. William Jackson's dairy at Donovan. Twelve teams competed. Wrens High School won a close decision over Waynesboro. County Surveyor E. A. Douglas is trying his hand again at growing tobacco. Miss Inez Rowland is teaching school at Wray, Ga. Delores Del Rio stars in Ramona, now playing at the Wrightsville Theatre.

    Sunday morning at Gethsemane, Miss Hattie Bell Rowland and Mr. Archie Sumner were wed in a surprising wedding to the community. John Britt, colored laborer for Bob Boatright at Kite, died suddenly as he was cutting oats out in the field.

    Mr. Gordon Kent died at Brunswick when a piece of lumber fell on him. He was a carpenter there. He thought it wasn't that bad and worked on till dark. When he got to his boarding house, he fell, unconcious, on the floor. He was rushed to the sanitarium but it was too late to save him. Mr. R. L. Kent, a brother, and Mr. T. V. Kent, a nephew, went and got his body and he was buried in the Kent Family cemetery. His wife and six children reside at Palma Sola, Fla. Judge John Luther Kent is also a brother, and sisters are Mrs. B. H. Lord and Mrs. H. W. Snell. His wife was the former Miss Leila Dent. He was a son of Capt. Thomas W. Kent.

    Mr. W. S. Burns died at the home of one of his sons, Jack. For almost 20 months he lay feeble in his bed. He was 86 and a Confederate veteran and a member of Anderson Lodge which held a service for him at Westview. He served as Sheriff from 1885-1886. He married in 1866 to Miss Elizabeth Page who died in 1925. Surviving him is brother Minter Burns, children John J., Tyler, twins Lofton and Dawson, Jack. Two other twins Bernard and Bunion and W. G. preceded him in death. One daughter living, Mrs. J. R. Cherry, 4 deceased, Mrs. William Bales, Mrs. J. M. Walker, Mrs. J. F. Flanders and Miss Sudie Burns.