From Days Gone By April 20, 1923

 April 20, 1923.

    Mr. W. R. Smith made his formal announcement for Johnson County sheriff. His announcement opens up a campaign that is to be on until next year's primary. "Bill" Smith, as he is known is one of the county's most solid and reliable citizens, a man of worth and standing and bears the characteristics necessary to fill this office. He is a member of one of the largest family connections in the county and resides on his plantation in the southern section of the county. This breaks the ice and more candidates are sure to follow.

    The Women's Improvement Club will furnish a fine program on April 26, Memorial Day, for every old soldier that served in the 60s. The public is invited to the speaking and memorial services at the court house. Donations to buy Rev. G. F. Sumner a new horse is still growing. L. L. Lord, E. W. Tanner, W. T. Johnson, J. B. Williams, C. S. Claxton and J. N. Hall have contributed with a total of $53.50 accumalated so far.

    Continued rains are seriously interfering with crops in the county, the farmers already being somewhat behind with their work. April 15th Mr. Leaston Powell celebrated his 78th birthday. Nancy Anthony warns the public not to hire, shelter, employ or detain one Jesse Anthony, colored, about 16 years old, now away from home without her consent or wishes.

    Mr. Tal M. Hicks was chosen as the principal of the Dublin High School. The county school census taken for 1923 was completed and turned over to Supt. Lillard. The total white and colored school census for 1918 in school age was 4,765. The 1923 figures are 4,425 or 340 short. Children are on the decrease according to this or else folks have left the county to this per cent. Of the 340 short 84 are white and 256 colored.

    There are 1334 boys and 1325 girls, 2659 white with 883 boys and 883 girls of the 1766 colored children. The census cost the school board $237.64. Seventy children over ten are unable to read, ten white boys and five white girls. Twenty-nine colored boys and twenty-six colored girls can't read. There are no blind children. One deaf and dumb, a white child. Five whites and six colored are cripple. Four whites and four blacks have feeble minds.

    The Field Day Excercises at the high school was a success and was attended by hundreds. In the Junior Athletic contests winners were William Bedingfield, 100 yard dash; Annos Martin 220 yard dash; Bluford Brantley 440 yard dash and 880 yard dash. Standing Broad Jump Archer Moye; Running High Jump Eugene Mercer; Three legged race Lottie Meeks and Juanita Henly; sack race Henretta Glisson.

    In 1st grade reading Pauline Claxton; 2nd grade Sadie Culver; 3rd grade Mary Price; 4th & 5th grade Frances Conners; 6th & 7th grade Dorothy Dunlap.

    In 2nd & 3rd grade arithmetic Woodrow Spell; 4th & 5th grades Wm Bedingfield; 6th & 7th grade Annie Myrtle Gilliam.

    Second & third grade spelling Wilson Marshall; 4th & 5th grade Billie Shurling; 6th & 7th grade Sara Lovett; high school Ovid Stephenson.

    Boy's Declamation J. W. Claxton; Girls reading Lois Cox; Music Roy Johnson; ready writing Lila Lovett.

From Days Gone By April 13, 1923

 April 13, 1923.

    Barrels of red liquor this day and time!  That's an exciting incident, especially when men, women, autos and officers figure so heavily in a capture as that was Friday morning when Oscar Smith was tipped off as to the location of a Hudson and a Studebaker car near Scott loaded to the last inch with Cedar Brook and old Lewis Hunter bottled-up red liquor.

    Sometime Wednesday afternoon its claimed these two cars left Savannah. A man and woman in each car. Upon reaching Johnson County the Hudson had a mishap to the rear end and it went out of commission 2 miles of Scott. Someone discovered the contents of the runners and reported it to Officer Smith who called Sheriff Lewis Davis who dispatched deputies W. T. Kitchens and Jimmie Davis to the scene.

    Late Friday Davis, Kitchens and Smith drove into Wrightsville with the Studebaker, the two women and the contents of the autos, the latter being transferred to a cell in the jail where under a court order it left early Saturday and was ditched until the red stuff filtered on down and the darkies around is said to have imbibed too freely of it, some of them sipping it up out of the ditch.

    The two women were held at the local hotel. The two men have not been caught. One named Lester Williams and known around Scott, they had left to get parts for the Hudson when the women were caught. Pearl Hendrix and Virgie Hanson as they called themselves plead guilty in City Court and fined $1000 each by Judge Ben Hill Moye. Two men and a woman, one being named Rose, was in town Saturday from Savannah, as soon as the fines were assessed they left by auto. They were seen talking to the women's attorney B. B. Blount.

    The Hudson was pulled into Scott for safe keeping. Of all the conceivable nooks, corners and hiding places that could ever be conceived in, around, back of and under an auto, slides, holes, seats and backs, welded copper cisterns, apertures, candestined and almost undiscoverable, the people had these cars fixed up in the regular runner type. In lieu of the fines the women had 12 months at the State Farm in Milledgeville.

    Three young men from Swainsboro Friday were arrested here on a charge of having whiskey in their car, they rode up and gave bonds. Chief Carl J. Claxton made the arrests. One of the men denied that he knew anything about the whiskey being in the car which he said was his wife's car.

    Mr. W. R. Smith made up his mind to run for sheriff. Dr. Herschel B. Bray of Grady Hospital spent several days with his mother, Mrs. C. T. Bray, Sr. Mr. John W. Williams had a family reunion at his home.

    Mr. E. A. W. Johnson, being sick sold all his store stock to Hall Brothers who sold them to a Brewton firm. Parker & Price bought the grocery stock. Col. W. M. Shurling left for New Orleans where the Johnson County Livestock & Produce Company shipped a carload of cattle. While there he will attend the Confederate Reunion.

    Mr. Johnnie Hall who works for Chas. S. Blankenship, while breaking up ice with an ice pick missed his mark and the pick went through his left hand. Rev. G. F. Sumner, a noted and devoted minister lost his only horse, being a man of limited means the Headlight started a fund to buy him another horse. $41.50 had been collected so far. Mr. D. L. Maddox has taken management of J. B. Paul's barber shop.

    Mann Warthen, colored laboror on the Duff farm was brought to doctors by Jim Duff, badly bruised and cut up, the results of a colored row. Mann had a bad lick on the head from a shotgun barrel by Elbert Fann. Fann and Mann were in a fight and knives were in play when another colored boy hit Mann with the gun. Mr. Duff said the row started over 25 cents.

    Mrs. J. F. Elton died at home after a several week sickness. Besides her husband she had a son, Tom Elton. Burial was at Westview.

    The edge of ignorance in Johnson Co. can be trimmed off a little yet. There are 15 white and 75 colored children in the county above the age of 10 who are unable to read and write. There's work for somebody to do.

From Days Gone By April 6, 1923

April 6, 1923.

    The Field Day Excercises in Wrightsville on the high school campus on the 13th was given official sanction by the county Board of Education. Dinner will be supplied from all points in the county because every school is suppose to participate. The board requests that all teachers lay aside their regular work for the day and bring their children and they will be paid for the day.

    Revival services conducted by Rev. George W. Hutchinson of the Methodist church organization has created an upstirring in the community. Rev. Hutchinson makes it snappy and throws a religious bomb into the churches camp Sunday night. Sinners were hit in every service as congregations go out in earnest. The services will likely go into next week. The Kite Methodist Church will hold the next Johnson-Washington Singing Convention on April 15th.

    Four big carloads of hogs were sold here Wednesday to the highest bidder. The largest lot of hogs in weight sold since the hog sales began. There were 50,247 pounds of mix-fed hogs which sold at $7.17 for tops. There were 18,541 pounds of corn-fed hogs which top price was $7.50. All told there were 516 head.

    The fire sale of the Dixie Dept. Store is still going on at the Tanner store next to Parker & Price grocery. The following stores have agreed to close their business at 6 pm each day from April 2nd to August 1st. City Tailoring Shop, People's Hardware, Hall Brothers, Moye Co., Hayes Cash Store, T. V. Kent, B. B. Hayes, J. Kaplan and Wrightsville Hardware.

    Mr. B. J. Wiggins boasts of having the largest hams and shoulders from hogs on his plantation. He had 20 hams which weighed 816 pounds, two weighing 78 pounds each. Johnnie Stewart living on the Hall place near Liberty Grove while feeding his mule got a severe blow on the under part of his chin from the heel of the mule. Stewart said his jaw felt like it was driven back into his head.

    County officers captured two outfits of stillers Saturday morning down below here landing the shinners in jail. One of the outfits was a wash pot with a very rough cover and ordinary pipe. The other was little better one, an old oil tank that looked like it would hold 15 or 20 gallons. The two outfits were supposed to belong to these colored men living on the plantation where the stills were found.

    The Scott Banking Company at Scott suspended operations last Friday and its affairs turned over to the State Banking Department for adjustments, the first bank closing in the county in years. The boll weevil hit the people hard as well as those who had obtained large loans from the bank and this is the cause of its closing up. This is a Benton bank. The stockholders and depositors include many wealthy and prominent people of Scott and the county.

    While transporting a sawmill from Augusta to Wrightsville the heavy truck of Mr. Luie Kent fell partially through Price's bridge but no one was badly hurt. To all the Corn Club boys Agent Crow says now is the time to plant corn.

    Mr. Oscar Smith of Scott is being sought to run for Sheriff. Some fellow bumped the drive-to-the-right flower pot at the post office street crossing knocking it to smithereens. Mr. R. E. Hayes returned from Oklahoma where he lost his large business to fire. The marriage of Mr. Cleo Johnson of here to Miss Maggie Gillis of Soperton was held last Thursday. The next Confederate Veterans Reunion will be held in New Orleans April 10th. Miss Julia Smith, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Smith and Prof. Brannon J. Snell of Liberty Grove were wed.

    Mr. W. H. Lovett, entering the timber and lumber business several months ago. He has completed an $8,000 brick klin in the northern part of the city.

    The Easter was a cold one all over the country. In the city people hovered around the fire places with all the activity of a real winter day. But warm churches brought out large congregations. 

, 1923

 March 30, 1923.

    The criminal end of Superior Court last week was full of exiting trials and the courtroom was full. Modie Taylor was given 4 years in the pen. Alvie Price was tried on assualt with attempted murder of Mr. E. J. Sumner on Dec. 23, 1922. The jury was out for only a short time, returning a verdict of guilty as charged, and fixing the sentence of Price in the pen from 2 to 5 years.

    Late Thursday afternoon the trial of the Rowland-Hadden murder case took place. Judge Shurley told the court that this case would proceed on into the night until it was finished. The jury took the case at 11pm. Norris Rowland was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to serve from 4 to 5 years. Marcus Rowland pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and fined $75. A new trial will be sought for Norris Rowland and Alvie Price. This was a costly court to the county.

    A disastrious fire almost destroyed the Tennille shops and round house of the W. & T. Railway early Monday morning. The fire was discovered in the shops about 1am, supposedly originating from sparks of a freight engine that was being fired up. The round house, the machine and blacksmith shops, the stationary engine and storeroom went up in the blaze. The car shop, paint shop, lumber sheds, paints, oils nor waste house were damaged at all.

    Engine 54 was in the round house at the time with heavy repairs nearly complete and engine 20, ready for service, went through the fire with consequent heavy damage. Engine 40 was pulled out of the round house ablaze and considerable damage was sustained to the steel cab, wooden running boards and the tank. In a statement from Pres. Charles Moloney the losses are partly covered by insurance. All trains were run out of Tennille Monday regardless of the fire.

    A local group of Boy Scouts was organized here by Mr. W. W. Rivers, Scout executive of the 12th district. The Troup is sponsored by the Methodist, Baptist and Christian churches here. W. C. Brinson was appointed chairman of scout work. Others helping ate H. T. Hicks, J. B. Williams, C. S. Claxton, E. N. Anthony and T. V. Kent.

    The 9th Division of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows will hold its annual convention here April 4th hosted by Johnson Lodge No. 110. Mr. J. T. Drake of Adrian expects to enter the race for sheriff. Mr. W. D. Rowland is also being pressured to run. The Grand Jury recomends the abolishment of the county treasurers office in order to save over a $1000 per annum to the county.

    The local banks released their statements of condition. The Scott Banking Company $52,323.02; Exchange Bank $289,419.88; The Citizens Bank at Kite $140,590.47; Bank of Wrightsville $382,412.63; The Farmers Bank $168,487.02; Bank of Adrian $141,506.80.

    Mr. M. N. Odom has moved here from Swainsboro to open up a auto paint shop in the Kennedy building next to the office of Claxton & Cook. The month of February saw 115,080 Ford cars sold exceeding January by 15,000 making 11 consecutive months Ford has produced more than 100,000 cars a month. The production of 6,000 cars a day fails to meet the demand for Fords.

    The Poets of Lanier, Macon defeated the Redjackets 34 to 17 and the Bearcats 91 to 18 at Macon. These are possibly the last basketball games of the season.

    Elder Swain M. Anderson died March 15th at his home in Emanual County. He had been suffering for years. He was of the old-line Primitive Baptist faith and preached it for 30 years. He was buried at Hebron church at Garfield.

From Days Gone By March 23, 1923

 March 23, 1923.

    Closed down, all barred up, and at home, church or Sunday school with but the smallest amount of travel anyway, the people of Wrightsville enjoyed their first "Blue Sunday" under the present administration last Sunday. Stores, cigar stands, soda water places and gas stations along with all other businesses were closed after 9:30 am. The Women's Club pushed the move and the city obeyed.

    March 23rd, by Georgia law, was fixed as Temperance Day in all county schools as pushed by the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Mr. M. E. Woods turned over his garage to Mr. Osley M. Sumner and is now the dealer of Chevrolet. Mr. S. M. Johnson, Jr. is headed to Bradenton, Florida to join its baseball club of the Florida State League. On March 28th Wrightsville will hold another hog sale.

    Mr. Tom C. Johnson, son of Mr. Mason Johnson of Wrightsville who was working at Wrigley's Pharmacy in Macon, mounted his motorcycle to go home when it jumped headlong upon the sidewalk, striking Miss Frances Berna Fogarty crushing her to the sidewalk on Second St. and she shortly died after reaching the hospital. Johnson hurried to the sheriff an told what happened and was locked up pending investigation, after which Johnson was freed as it was purely an accident.

    Mr. Clay Jenkins has returned from South Georgia and is to play with a big baseball club there. Mrs. Nancie Jane Wheeler celebrated her 73rd birthday. Mr. Oliver Sinquefield is working for Standard Oil Company. Mr. L. A. Lovett sold another carload of Ford's. "The Kid" with Charlie Chaplin & Jackie Coogan is at the Dixie.

    In the March Term of Superior Court, the State vs Dave Wilson, colored, charged with the murder of Arthur Wright, was found guilty and given a life sentence. Fred Irvin was also found guilty of murder and given 18 years. Modie Taylor's tril is still in progress.

    Mr. & Mrs. T. L. Drake had a son, Clifford Meadows Drake on March 14th. Miss Sallie Mae McCoy of this county married Mr. Ralph Hatcher of Treutlen County. She is a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Dan McCoy of the Liberty Grove community.

    A car had been put on the sidetrack. It was loaded with the remains of C. H. Moore's ice plant, bound for other points. The purchaser, Mr. Johnson of Hawkensville was loading the last of the piping when pressure was put on him to keep it here and bring what he carried away back. A mass meeting was called for the mayor and council with 65 tax payers assembled with Mr. Johnson. The matter was discussed from every angle, pro and con, with the result that the city was delegated with authority to go ahead and treat with Mr. Johnson on a resonable way to get the plant built back in the city.

    One thing presented itself, the purchase of the old house and the land on which it is located and adjoining land or all the tract that goes with the ice plant, cotton gin and old warehouse that was burned. This is owned by the Central Bank & Trust Corp. of Atlanta. W. C. Brinson acted as spokesman for this company.

    The meeting adjourned pending a session of council with Mr. Johnson and the city attorney. Further developments are being awaited at this time and it is said that the matter will be arranged so that the ice plant will be put back.

From Days Gone By March 16,1923

 March 16, 1923.

    The Dublin Industrial Exposition is drawing larger crowds than the management had hoped for for the first three days it has been going. People are visiting it from the whole country around and thousands will see it by the end of the week. Many booths in the industrial building are pretty indeed and contains the latest factory turn-outs. Chief among these is the one of the Roberts Buick Company with a most gorgeous display of Buick cars.

    Miss Lucile Nelson of Wrightsville is representing the county as Miss Johnson having been chosen by a committee. Miss Nelson is a beautiful young lady and will serve most charmingly as Miss Johnson at the Beauty Show at the exposition in Dublin.

    Congressman W. W. Larson returned from Washington to visit with all his constituency in the 12th district. Hon. Walter F. Gray of Swainsboro, solicitor-general of the Middle Judicial Circuit came here. He says he is proud the county authorities of Johnson are working the Kite-Wrightsville road because he can then travel eight miles less to reach the courts in Sandersville.

    Adrian pulled off a big hog sale selling 562 head with top price was $6.95. The total pounds was 72,237. Sixty head was from Emanuel Co. Mr. J. R. Pound of Swainsboro was the successful bidder.

    The Wrightsville Atheletic Club easily defeated Cochran A. & M. by the score of 21 to 18. It was the best game of the tournament and it gave Wrightsville the championship of the tournament.

    With the first good planting days the farmers are planting some corn on the plantations. While there will be a larger acreage of cotton than last year there will not be a smaller acreage of corn. Stock raising being so prosperous has also called on the need for more corn.

    Mr. W. T. Johnson will run for County Treasurer. Dr. Wade R. Bedingfield has gone to New York to work in the hospital and college. Mr. J. J. Burns had his 54th birthday. Mr. Thomas Dickens will celebrate 79 years of age.

    Mayor T. V. Kent had a full house in the Mayor's Court. Darktown furnished the victims, eight of them, and the fine was $10 or 30 days, with two being held up for good behavior. The mayor is after violators and is instructing his policemen to pull down on them legally and pretty hard.

    Miss Mary Edna Jennings, daughter of Mrs. Lillian Jennings of Plains, and Dr. H. B. Bray of Grady Hospital were married March 7th. Dr. Bray is son of Mrs. C. T. Bray and brother to Nat, John, Charlie and Ostell Bray. Mr. Havie Soles and Miss Elma Caraway were happily married. Charles Ray in "Scrap Iron", a seven reel First National Attraction is at the Dixie Theatre.

    The State-Wide Clean-Up week had a fine time for it and many an old brush saw its last days along with old tin cans and other debris. The Wrightsville ladies are to be highly commended for their work along these lines. The city fathers, at the ladies suggestion placed at the main intersection a large sewer pipe standing upwards with flowers and a "drive to the right" sign.

    Mr. R. E. Hayes went to Oklahoma where an apartment house and store combined, which he built there several years ago, burned last week with a heavy financial loss to him. From now on each Sunday morning all business will be required to close at 9:30 am and no one can sell after that time.

From Days Gone By March 9, 1923

 March 9, 1923.

    Officers W. T. Kitchens, W. T. Rowland and Carl J. Claxton responded Friday late to a tip there was in operation near Moore's Chapel, a stilling outfit which would likely be going that night and so they drove down and began a search. It was found about 2 miles east of Moore's Chapel in a dense cluster of bushes, briers and swamp so thick that the officers could hardly work their entrance into it. They walked and crawled until they come up to the splended outfit which was set up and ready for business.

    It was a copper concern and looked to hold about 30 gallons of mash. County policeman Kitchens brought it to town and set it up in his store where hundreds gazed upon it. The large can, the second mate, the run and the worm were all of copper and in good condition. Seldom found and well-arranged an outfit found anywhere. About 125 gallons of mash, beer or mobby were destroyed. It was ripe for running and no doubt the outfit would have been all heated up in a few hours had the officers not found it. No arrests were made as no one was around it.

    For 7 years Dr. S. M. Johnson has been devising and originating specific ingredients to perfect a favorite beverage to be served at fountains or in bottles and to bear his own trademark. He has worked between calls on this drink until he has gotten it like he wants and spending alot of money perfecting it. His product being named "La Pal" advertising it as "Nothing else like it!" La Pal is going on the market right out of Wrightsville this summer.

    In the high school basketball tournament in Augusta the Redjackets scored the highest score in the first round. The 10 teams that played the score was Wrightsville 51, Louisville 24, Zebina 30, Wadley 29, North Augusta 19, Warrenton 35, Edgefield 24, Thompson 21, Graniteville 28, Wrens 35. In the Dublin tournament the Bearcats defeated Dublin 25 to 19. The Cochran Aggies beat the Redjackets 22 to 19. This pitted the Bearcats vs Sandersville and Wrightsville won 27 to 10.

    The Salvage Co. will be selling the damaged goods of the Dixie Dept. store that burned recently. The county will have another hog sale March 28th. Mr. & Mrs. W. Anthony West had fine twin boys. This makes 14 living children.

    Charlie Dent was in town selling cotton. He says there is going to be a cotton famine on account of the scarcity of labor. More than 100 farms are lying out this year because of nobody to work them.

    The post office says now if you get your mail delivered by a rural carrier you must have a mailbox. In January & February the W. & T. RR. shipped 447 cars of fertilizer, the Wadley Southern shipped 286 cars.

    Warden Stanley is building a good road between the city and Kite. This is the most important road in the county now. It is 4 miles nearer via Kite and Wrightsville to Sandersville from Swainsboro.

    Mr. J. T. Jenkins was honored on his 65th birthday. Rev. C. R. Williams has moved to Alma. Mr. Elton Oliver has moved to Waynesboro to work in the Chero-Cola bottling works. Mr. J. L. Stephens works in a silk weaving mill in High Point, N. C. Morris Riner may run again for state senator. Mr. John A. Douglas, Jr. Is likely to run for Clerk of Court. William Duncan in "Where Men Are Men" is at the Dixie.

    Do you know that over $250 worth of butter fat is being shipped from the county each month. A carload of livestock has been shipped from the county for nearly every day this year. Thousands of dollars have gone into the banks from cotton sales. That sewerage would help Wrightsville no telling how much. More lumber is being moved now than when timber was around. That officers are on the scout for tigers and the like. We had 2 cases of rabies while the state had 2,476 cases. It was left to a black man chemist to show the world the 150 by products of the lowly peanut. The guinea fowl has been proven to be very effective in the eradication of the boll weevil.