From Days Gone By August 11, 1932

 August 11, 1932.

    After a Coroner's investigation over the body of Mr. C. D. Henderson, country storekeeper and planter on the Oliver estate, seven miles west of Wrightsville, was determined as suicide. Broken over the depression, he went into the schoolhouse yard at Union School, parked just over the hill, hidden from the road, he shot a 32 pistol bullet through his head and his body fell over lifeless. A note was found at his feet indicating he might end his life but making no such open declaration. The shot was heard about 9am but it was about 1:30pm when he was found by some young boys. He left a wife and nine children. He was born May 20, 1878 at Mitchell, Georgia and his father was Wade Hampton Henderson. He was taken back to Glascock County for burial.

    Mr. G. B. Dunlap, salesman of the city, his daughter Nannelle with her visitor, Miss Rose Furman of South Carolina, had a close call while returning from Macon. Dunlap was forced from the road by an approaching car about 12 miles from Sandersville. Miss Furman was cut and bruised about the face. The car was badly wrecked.

    Mrs. R. L. Stephens left for Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York city for merchandise for the R. L. Stephens Store here. The family of Mr. James M. Anderson celebrated his 76th birthday at Kite. Mr. & Mrs. Johnnie M. Johnson of Kite had a son on July 24th. Mrs. J. T. Harrison fell down her steps and sprained her ankle very badly. She is about 43 years old.

    The large residence on North Marcus Street of the late W. C. Tompkins, was rented by Miss Bertie Dickens for a boarding house to be called the Dickens House. It has been in operation as a boarding house for 29 years.

    A Laurens County colored man tells that coons can be caught because they will get drunk if you leave peaches soaked in moonshine where they can get to it. This goes to disprove the theory that animals were more intelligent than humans. Both of them are not intelligent enough to let whiskey alone.

    Business may come and business may go, but gentlemen the gasoline business is going on forever. There doesn't seem to be anything we or anyone else can do about it, but we call attention to the fact the price of gasoline in Johnson County is still too high, especially when considered that it can be bought for much less in neighboring counties.

    Political candidates speaking in the county were Col. R. I. Stephens for Solicitor-General Dublin circuit; Hon. W. W. Larson for Judge Dublin circuit; Hon. R. F. Burch for Commissioner of Agriculture; Hoke O'Kelley for Governor; Jule Felton for Georgia Public Service Commissioner.

    The difference between the Republican and Democratic platforms is that the Republicans were very careful not to commit themselves too strongly on the questions before the people, one of their henchmen having declared that their prohibition plank was designed to please both the wets and the drys, as it completely straddled. The Democratic platform is unmistakenly clear and comprehensive, and there is no evasion of the issues that must be decided at the ballot box. The result will be an overwhelming victory for Roosevelt and Garner on the 8th of November. It is predicted that they will receive a majority in 40 of the 48 states, and may gain some of the 8.

    The Constitution has said that "in nearly every case when you exclaim,'There ought to be a law against that!' if you'll look it up, you'll find there is", It has been well said that it is one of the curses of the country today.

From Days Gone By Aug. 4, 1932

 August 4, 1932.

    On Tuesday night around midnight, three or four colored folks entered Mr. & Mrs. J. Carl Claxton, just across Cedar Creek, and sacked up three fine turkeys. Policeman Garland Mayo saw them about 3 am with the sacks and suspected some sort of robbery. When they saw him they dropped the sacks and ran. The next morning Mr. Claxton obtained a warrant for Hozie and Horace Fields, and Albert and Buddy Trawick for simple larceny.

    Continuing their operations, meat thieves broke into the smokehouse of Marvin Jarrell and stole half a hog. On Friday night at Donovan, Mr. John M. Tyson who lives on the county line, lost about 200 pounds of hog meat from his smokehouse. A warrant was obtained for Bill Davis, colored.

    The Red Cross delivered 150 barrels of flour to the county to benefit around 175 families to help with the depression. When a man earned $100 a month just a short while ago, but lost his job on account of the depression, is willing to work for even just enough to pay his board, it is a pretty sure sign that he'll get a job somewhere.

    The depression is coming home to us more every day. For instance, take the old-fashioned two-wheel horse cart -- its the "Hoover" cart now, we believe -- that is coming back into existence and if that, along with the buggies that can be seen every day parked in their old once-reserved places, is not a sure sign. And another feature which more strongly brings the depression home is the fact that most of the "Hoover" carts are equipped in part, if not complete, with parts of automobiles that once adorned the farms and homes with pride and satisfaction.

    Mr. Dick Smith, from the Buckeye area is recovering from a rattlesnake bite while on a fishing trip. Mr. Dewey Downs of Dexter narrowly escaped death when lightning ran into their home. He was on the front porch at the time. Mr. Clint Smith of Scott area brings in the first open cotton bowl of the season.

    Dr. Thomas Lamar Harris celebrates his 70th birthday. A pioneer physician and minister of the county, originally from Sandersville. He has 9 children, 31 greats and 2 great greats. Mr. & Mrs. Alex Mayo celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on July 26th. Mr. & Mrs. Ray Barnes had a son on July 24th.

    Congressman Carl Vinson of Milledgeville will address the voters of the county at the Kite schoolhouse. Ordinary Flanders receives a check for the county for $3,509.82 for its portion of the gas tax. The paper urges the city officials to have an Ant Extermination Day.

    A new ferry boat has been put into operation at Ball's Ferry. This is the only place between Milledgeville and Dublin where automobiles can cross the Oconee River.

    The Wrightsville Junior baseball team defeated the Dublin Junior team by a score of 9 to 2. Wrightsville players are Stanley, Duggan, Lovett, Jenkins, Harrison, Smith, Parker, Cox, McBride and Chester. Judge Chan Brinson is manager.

    Mr. William Franklin Rachels, formerly of Washington County, died in Atlanta at age 76. He resided for a while at Donovan. He is survived by children, Mrs. E. N. Jones, M. G. and Dr. W. F. Rachels. He was buried in Sandersville City Cemetery.

From Days Gone By July 28, 1932

 July 28, 1932.

    W. C. and Quincy Carter of the Spann Community, charged with assault to murder at the free for all fight at Idylwild, which Allie Fountain and Cleo Dismuke were hospitalized, have been released on bond of $500 each. Dismuke is healing at home and Fountain just released. He received several stabs in the abdomen requiring a blood transfusion.

    Harvey Foskey of Scott, is in jail on a charge of assualt to murder and officers are seeking his father and another son on similar charges in an altercation in which J. J. Harrison, Jr. was injured.

    From a law-abiding standpoint, Georgia was worse off in 1931 than the year before. Nineteen out of every one thousand persons of the State were committed to jail, an increase of seven percent. Whites were ten percent higher while blacks were only five percent.

    Records compiled at Tuskegee Institute show only five lynchings in the first six months of 1932, the same as 1931. In 1922, ten years earlier, thirty were lynched in the first six months. During the first six months of 1932, officers prevented thirteen lynchings, eleven in the southern states. Of the persons lynched, two were white and three black. The charges ranged from rape, murder, threatening murder and dynamiting a store.

    Friday afternoon a severe gale hit portions of the county and some very heavy damage reported. At Rehobeth Church, where a revival meeting was in progress, Mr. J. B. Wombles and family went down in a two-mule wagon. He unhitched the mules and tied them to seperate trees. When the cloud came with a lot of thunder and sharp lightening hit one of the trees and killed both mules on the spot. Other parts of the county heavy winds did damage to growing crops.

    Mr. Herbert Sanders lost a very valuable mule last Sunday, being struck by a hit and run driver the night before near Idylwild. The mule was being driven home by Jessie Jones, negro farmer on Mr. Sanders place, when the car struck the animal, injuring it and wrecking the wagon. Jones escaped injury and drove the mule home where it died the next morning. The driver stepped on the gas after the accident and has not been found yet.

    Mr. & Mrs. J. O. Dalton announces the marriage of their daughter, Dorothy Naomi to Mr. Lethard S. Freeman of Milledgeville. She was a graduate of Wrightsville High School.

    The city was saddened Tuesday by the death of the young man, Mr. Earl Layton after a short illness due to malarial fever. He was stricken last week on an Ogeechee River fishing trip. He was 20 years old, a promising football and baseball athlete. He lived here all his life, his father being the late J. M. Layton who was Coroner at the time of his death. Surviving are his mother, brother Minton, sister Ora Lee. He was buried at Union Hill.

From Days Gone By July 21, 1932

 July 21, 1932.

    A fire of an undetermined origin, but believed to have resulted from a live wire or short circuit, totally destroyed the home of Mr. L. E. Parker early Thursday morning. Mrs. Parker and some of the children were in Athens while Mr. Parker and the other children were staying at relatives in the county. The blaze was discovered around 2 am by Mr. B. B. Tanner, but it had gained such headway that the house was engulfed in flames. Tanner went into the house but was forced out by the flames before he could save anything other than the porch furniture. The damage was estimated by Parker at upwards of $5,000, partially covered by insurance. He has not decided yet to rebuild. At present he occupys the home of H. L. Fulford.

    Another disasterous blaze occured Friday about noon when the home of Mr. L. E. Vanlandingham, near Brantley's Chapel, burned to the ground, originating from a flying spark. He had just returned from town and saw the fire when it started, but before he could get help the building was almost entirely in flames. He had just recently removed his meat and lard from the smokehouse to a side room in the house and it also burned. He was partially covered by insurance. At present he and his family are living in another home on his farm.

    Throughout the summer months, the city's three churches will unite in union services on Sunday nights. The usual morning services will continue to be at each church. Miss Miriam Cook, daughter of Mrs. J. M. Cook, has been elected music teacher of the Kite Consolidated School. The Headlight is now in its 48th year.

    On June 10th, relatives and friends assembled at Rehobeth to celebrate the anniversary of Elizabeth Garnto. She has reached her 91st birthday. Her sister, Mrs. M. M. Stephens will be 96 next February 21st. Another celebration was that of Mrs. Julia Loyd, a sister of the late Isham and Henry Stephens. She turned 90 at the home of Mr. Andrew Loyd near Meeks. Also Mr. J. W. Bailey turned 76 with a gathering at his home near Moore's Chapel with 9 children, 35 great grandchildren and 1 great, great present. A family reunion was held at the home of Mr. & Mrs. D. J. Turner in the eastern part of the county. Mrs. Turner turned 56.

    Sweet potatoes have been moving from Kite for the past two weeks at prices that have satisfactory and profitable to the growers. For the third consecutive year the Kite community has shipped the first new potatoes to the Atlanta market. A truck is now leaving for High Point, N. C. loaded with 200 bushels of the tubers.

    The state highway system at present comprises 8,018 miles, of which 1,000 miles added in the last six months. During 1930 and 1931, the state paved 600 miles per year.

    Savannah Beach, more familarly known to native Georgians as Tybee, is rapidly regaining that popularity which the old Tybee enjoyed in its heyday, the depression to the contrary notwithstanding: The business section which was destroyed by fire has been rebuilt and visitors will find a clean, attractive resort awaiting them on their vacation. However, there is an objectionable feature and that is a 25 cent assesment charged all cars entering the beach as a parking priviledge. Many want this eliminated. It may serve a good purpose but it leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those who have to wait in a line of autos more than a block long just to pay two bits to enter the park. A warning may be approprately issued to motorists from this section to the beach that there is no stock law in Emanuel and Bulloch Counties, or if there is, the law is not enforced and cows and hogs travel the highway at will, day and night, thus forming a dangerous hazard to speeding travelers