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.