From Days Gone By July 24, 1913

July 24, 1913.

    The outlook for the fall opening of Warthen College seems to be the best in the history of the institution. The new 1912-13 catalogue is now being distributed. The dining department is hard at work making ready for the boarding students. The Department of Art has been added to the school and  will be conducted by Miss Lois E. Walton of Cave City, Kentucky.

    Three baseball games were pulled off here this week against Eastman. In the first game Wrightsville mopped up Eastman by the score of 4 to 2. The game was a pitchers battle between Hartley and Skelton, both hurling classy ball, with Hartley the best of the two. "Big Tom" fanned seven, while Skelton made 4 of Wrightsville's stars paddle the breeze. Each gave up 4 hits. Wrightsville whitewashed Eastman in the second game 10 to 0. The third and last game isn't over yet.

   "The South Georgia Log Rolling Association" composed of all the Woodmen of the World camps in South Georgia will hold their picnic at Idylwild on August 7th. Every member of the order, their families and friends are invited. Plenty of shade and water. Dancing at the big pavillion. Baseball and all innoncent sports. Music will be furnished by the Eastman band. Dr. F. L. Rosenthal of Columbus will speak on Woodcraft and what it stands for. Several thousand people are expected.

    Charlie Blankenship has made improvements in the interior of his market, including a 1000 capacity refrigerator, new counters have also been added.. But J. H. Rowland's variety works and milling plant are about the livest things in town now. Manager C. E. Brinson of the Vivola Theatre has decided to operate for three nights this week with high class pictures. Mr. Frank Jackson will perform his reportores of rag-time songs and singing and dancing on thursday and friday nights.

   On the sick list this week is Mrs. V. B. Robinson and Mrs. Lillian Hardaway with fever. and Deputy Sheriff John Ausbun has recently been tusselling with a severe fever, but he's to the good again, back on his job looking after his official duties.

   Col. and Mrs. A. L. Hatcher and children, accompained by Misses Rowena and Myra Daley are leaving for a 2-week visit to Tybee. Mr. J. E. Tompkins and son, Master Ed Wesley, left for the northeast and Canada. Glorious and much needed rains have fallen in the last few days which has broken the long serious drought. The watermelon crop dosen't seem to be as good as last year's.

    Mr. J. M. Mason's Realty Company has 615 acres of farmland, known as the Bush and Hattaway plantation, 5 miles east of Wrightsville at a bargain. Also 50 and a half acres farmland known as the Blankinship place, 7 miles west of town with 92 more acres adjoining and will sell together or seperate. He also has 2500 acres of hardwood and swamp lumber in Oconee Swamp, on east side of river one to five below Oconee, Ga. J. M. Meeks lost one light yellow jersey cow and two yearlings one light yellow and one black.

    One day last week, while Lovett Mosely, assisted by his brother in-law J. T. Perry, and a colored man, Aaron Walters while they were moving wood from a rack in a field about two miles from town, a large "Carminebosom" moccasin was discovered stretched out full length in the woodpile. The wood moving process was stopped instanter, and all hands armed themselves with sticks and proceeded to put an end to the monster reptile. In the lambasting that followed the old mother snake gave up 41 of her young ones, ranging in length from 10 to 12 inches, all as lively and chipper as you please. These were also killed.(Purchase your book FROM DAYS GONE BY, VOL. 1., THE JOHNSON JOURNAL YEARS at the Journal for $26.00)

From Days Gone By, July 10, 1913

July 10, 1913.

    About one thousand people attended the July 4th picnic at Idylwild and witnessed a game of ball between Wrightsville and Bartow. Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Cook had a fishfry picnic at Idylwild on wednesday. A number of Sandersville people who went in bathing at Idylwild were robbed of money and jewelry by some sneak thief who had access to their clothing while they were in the water. People from other points were also robbed. One man reporting of a $75 watch and $19 in money. It seems the same thing happens at Idylwild year after year. The thief evidently picks up all the money he needs. The people think something should be done to check his depredations.

   Mrs. R. B. Bryan's son, W. L. Bryan recently underwent appendicitis surgery at Rawlings Sanitarium. Mrs. Oscar Kennedy has been quite ill the past week and the infant son of Mr. & Mrs. B. H. Lord is very sick. Postmaster Renfroe's father-in-law, Lewis Webster is suffering from Brights Disease. Miss Lillian Moore who has been a patient at St. Joseph's Infirmary in Atlanta has returned home. Dr. Lee Horn, eye specialist of Cincinnatti will be at Flanders Drug Store next week.

    J. M. Bryan, agent Gulf Refinery Company has just installed a 250 gallon Red Sentry Bowser Gasoline tank, and is now prepared to fill your cars with pure gasoline. J. J. L. Outlaw, city inspector will begin next week inspecting all lots in the city both public and private and notifies citizens to look after the sanitary conditions of their property.

    L. M. Burns has a farm for sale, seven miles from town consisting of 125 acres with 80 acres in cultivation. Among the new bills in the house was one by Mr. Ben Hill Moye to incorporate the town of Scott. Robert Brinson notifies the public that Rosa Ann Brinson left his home in June, 1913 and warning not to employ or harbor her.

    After a brief illness of pneumonia, Mr. J. F. Hattaway died at his home in Wrightsville last friday and was buried at Pleasent Grove. He was the faithful mail carrier on Route No. 2, a good man and highly esteemed. He married Miss Essie Dent and had five children including an infant.

    In Decatur, Alabama on July 4th, Thomas I. Malpass, an insurance man of Birmingham, committed suicide by drowning in the Tennessee River. His body has not been recovered. Malpass left a note to D. W. Williams requesting the news of his death be broken gently to his wife. Another note to his son stated he was going to end his life. Mr. Malpass is a brother-in-law of Mayor T. L. Harris.

From Days Gone By July 17, 1913

July 17, 1913.

    Mr. Walter S. Bryan, the winner of the Rhodes Scholarship for Georgia, who has been a student at Merton College Oxford, England for the past three years is returning to America. He is expected to sail the 15th for the states arriving in New York after a two week voyage. From there he will turn his face to home sweet home in the Southland. Mr. Bryan's homecoming is looked forward to with much joy by his anxious relatives in the city and numorous friends throughout the state.

    J. E. Linder and Charlie Bray will leave tomorrow for a trip to the north and east, and also into Canada. Mr. E. A. W. Johnson accompaned by his daughter, Miss Ola Johnson, will also leave for an extended trip to New York, Baltimore and other points east. They will also visit the dominion of Canada on there trip.

    The big sing at Idylwild will be saturday and sunday, July 19th and 20th starting at 10am each day. Everyone is invited to attend and bring dinner for the day. The Wrightsville & Tennille Railroad has arranged convient schedules at reasonable rates. Mr. Gainer Burns complimented Miss Mary Lizzie Bales with a picnic at Mason's Bridge. Mr. & Mrs. Martin Brantley of Fort Gaines, announce the birth of an 8 pound son on July 10th. Canny Price killed a five foot rattler late tuesday evening which he discovered stretched full length a short distance from his front door steps.

    Mrs. J. M. Huff is recovering from acute malarial fever. Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy has returned to Rawlings Sanitarium for treatment. Mrs. Mollie Dent has typhoid fever at her daughter, Mrs. Freeman Hattaway's home. Dr. & Mrs. E. New left for Rochester, Minnesota to consult Mayo Brothers regarding Mrs. New's health. Mr. R. L. Kent is in Atlanta in the interest of his health, being treated by a specialist.

   On friday the 11th in Wrightsville, Miss Zora Layton and Mr. George Ricks were united in marriage by Justice, Preston Norris. Both resided in Johnson County. Mr. Walter Davis of Emanuel County and Miss Lizzie Love of Johnson County decided to overrule parental objections and eloped last monday to the home of Rev. Henry Meeks where they were married. Then they left for Emanuel County. The bride is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. J. E. Love of Johnson and the groom is a prosperous young farmer near Swainsboro.

    Mr. J. D. Marshall of Grovania, Georgia announces the engagement of his daughter Mary Lee, and Mr. Richard P. Hicks of Wrightsville. Mr. Marshall is a prominent merchant and planter. Miss Marshall is a graduate of expression from the Conservatory at Boston and was part of last years faculty at Warthen College. Richard is the son of the late Dr. Henry Hicks who was one of the wealthest and most prominent citizens of Johnson County. He is a graduate of the State University and one of Wrightsville's most prominent men. A successful farmer, and his beautiful suburban home "Southerland" just off Idylwild will be their home.

From Days Gone By July 3, 1913

July 3, 1913.

   There was no local paper for this week in 1913. The following are from various newspaper articles that were printed in the Wrightsville papers from 1913, submitted by other newspapers.

   In Beach, North Dakota: When Mrs. Dave Grant, residing 14 miles southwest of Beach, went to call her two sons, aged 5 and 7, this morning, she found them dead in bed, with a rattlesnake lying between them. During the previous evening, just after the youths had retired, each had complained that the other was pinching him.

   The Harper's Bazar reported a young woman failed to pass her examination for appointment as teacher in a public school of a small town. Her mother was terribly disapointed and decided to interview one of the examiners. "I'm sorry, madame," the man said, "that your daughter did not pass her examinations, but there is nothing I can do about it. You know, madam, that no one is to blame but herself." "She to blame!" exclaimed the woman wrathfully, "Well, sir, perhaps you don't know that them examiners asked her questions about lots of things that happened years and years before she was born."

    The Savannah News reported, Its a fine thing to be told that somebody has died and "left you $100,000" as a New York elevator man was told a few a days ago. But it isn't so fine to be told a little later on that it was all a joke, especially after you had planned just how you were going to spend that $100,000, satisfy your revenge, reward those who had stuck to you and praised you, by an automobile,, and a house and take a trip to Europe. And then on top of that suppose you had given up your job because you didn't expect to work anymore now that you were rich! The elevator man is hunting another job. The next man who "dies and leaves him a failure" will be thoroughly investigated before there is any extensive building of castles in Spain on account of a "legacy"

    A motorist tells this one on himself, trying out a new car on the road between Cedar Grove and Great Notch he stopped to pick up an old farmer who looked as if he might like a ride and who admitted that it was his first experience in an automobile. The machine was hitting a pretty good clip when it skidded on a soft spot and ran into a tree. Nobody was hurt, but as the ruralite picked himself up said to the motorist: "Well, that was going some. But say, mister, there's one thing I'd like to ask you. How do you stop one of these contraptions where there ain't no trees?

From Days Gone By June 26,1913

June 26, 1913.

    Miss Sadie Brantley, an orphan girl, 16 years old, was killed near Harrison this morning by the southbound W. & T. train. She was picking berries with other children and sat down on the track near some bushes and hearing the train coming attempted to cross the track and was struck by the engine and killed instantly. She made her home with Mr. Lord's family near Harrison.

    While playing little Louis, the 4 year old son of Postmaster Renfroe had the misfortune to run a tine of a pitch fork into the fleshy part of his leg, making an incision one and a half inch deep. Dr. Erle Brinson attended to the little fellow, dressed his wound and nothing serious has resulted.

    Monday, while some of the town urchins were going through some baseball manuvers on Bradford street, the ball glanced from a hydrant and crashed into one of the large glass windows of the Peoples' Hardware Store doing considerable damage.

   R. L. Stephens left for Baltimore working for the well known Straus Brothers in their special line of clothing. Mr. H. C. Tompkins, proprietor of H. C. Tompkins Department Stores returned from Virginia where he was looking after his merchantile interests in Roanoke. Peter Mathis, a worthy colored man and expert mattress maker from Tennille is here to repair your mattresses and he also reseats chairs.

    Mr. James W. Smith, a prominent, wealthy and well known businessman of Tennille, died at Rawlings Sanitarium where he had been for some time suffering from cancer of the stomach. A Mrs. Marsh, a tennent on Dr. S. M. Johnson's farm died of malaria. Her husband, James Marsh preceded her to the grave about two months earlier.

   The directors of the Wrightsville & Tennille Railroad held their annual meeting in Dublin. The semi-annual dividend of 2 per cent was ordered paid. The railroad is in good shape and the board was well pleased with all the business conducted.

    On the public road between Wrightsville and Adrian, Mr. L. B. Lightfoot lost a medium sized leather grip. A liberal reward will be paid for its return. Mrs. W. H. Harrison residing near Beulah Church owned a hen of the ordinary stock of chickens that was remarkable for longevity, if not for laying eggs. This hen had lived to be 16 years old, and died a few days ago. She was indeed a "game old hen" to have lived so long.

From Days Gone By June 19, 1913

June 19, 1913.

   Mr. Henry J. Claxton, postmaster of Kite, was dangerously, perhaps fatally shot at Kite Tuesday morning about 7, by Eldridge Price. It seems the shooting was the culmination of a row on Saturday previous. The Marshal arrested Jim Gatlin and Price interferred, causing his arrest and having to appear before the mayor on Monday. It is alledged that he had a pistol, but this he denied, and on Tuesday morning he was waiting at the post office when Mr. Claxton came down to open up.

    They were talking and Price, it is said, used some epithets that Claxton resented, advancing toward Price, and when they were about six feet of each other Price drew his 32-calibre pistol and shot him in the left side, the bullet entering just below the heart and ranging downward. Price was arrested and Sheriff Rowland and Deputy Ausbon brought him here and lodged him in jail. Mr. Claxton was carried to Rawlings Sanitarium where he was operated on. The bullet was located under the ribs against the spine, which the doctors thought best not to remove it yet. Both parties to the unfortunate affair are young men with families.

   Mr. Lee Rogers who was confined in the county jail, on account of his mental condition has improved to such an extent that he was permitted to return to his home in the country. The sick list includes Mrs. Otho Tanner, Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy, Captain & Mrs. W. P. Tribble, Mrs. W. E. Price, Evlyn Pease and Dr. S. M. Johnson. Mrs. Mary Fortner, wife of Mr. Quincy Fortner died at her home near Kite after a long illness of dropsy resulting in paralysis. She was buried at Gumlog. She was the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. G. W. Schwals and survived by her husband and four children.

    B. H. Moye, Johnson County's representative is on his way to Atlanta to serve us in the General Assembly. Dr. Curtis Robinson has fitted up a dental parlor in the Robinson building on the north side of the square. Mr. Wade Bedingfield, former Warthen College graduate is now a student at Mercer taking literary and law courses.

    Maurice Acree has the first ripe peaches of the season. John Robbins, a negro cropper on Mr. Jordan Stokes place brought in the first cotton bloom of the season. J. W. Franks, who farms the Shurling place brought in the second bloom. Jack Henderson just missed out on the first bloom. He is the oversearer of the Tanner Farm.

From Days Gone By June 12, 1913

June 12, 1913.

    Several went from Wrightsville to the picnic at Idylwild and met with friends from Wadley. The Summer School now in session at Warthen College has a very good attendance in all branches. Prof. E. L. Faircloth will conduct an all day singing at Beulah Church.

    That portion of Railroad Avenue leading from the foot of East Elm Street to the W. & T. depot is being repaired and put in excellent condition. This is a much used thoroughfare which has been ruff for pedestrians and vehicles. Judge William Faircloth whose property borders the entire length of the street has spent a considerable sum of his own money for the improvements, with the assistance of the city.

    Mr. & Mrs. Hitchcock are now boarding at the Dickens House. Mr. & Mrs. Freeman Hataway announce the birth of a son on June 10th. C. D. Kavakos is expecting a consignment of fine Georgia raised watermelons at the Kandy Kitchen. The interior of the building occupied by the Wrightsville Drug Co. has been repaired and re-arranged and put on a firmer foundation as the floor was in a sad state of repair. The First National Bank of Wrightsville's statement of condition was $167,902.40.

    Councilman Thomas L. Martin, chairman of the water and light committee has been confined to home on account of sickness. Mr. J. B. Harrison is now able to be up on crutches and is out looking after his duties as city electrician.

    Mr. Lee Rogers on returning from the reunion in Chattanooga arrived at Tennille in a demented condition. Sheriff Hamilton of Washington County was sent to take charge of him, and he wired Sheriff Rowland that he was bringing him home. Once home he seemed mentally alright. Later he suddenly became insane and grew desperate, his violent conduct causing the family great alarm. Sheriff Rowland was sent for and transferred him to the jail, as the only alternative, where he will remain until a trial for lunacy will be held soon. It was said he went to the reunion with over $100 and was hit and robbed while in Chattanooga.

    The "dismantled" stoves and "relegated" wraps were much in demand yesterday and the day before. Those two days especially were "coolish" and out of season, and for the time the ice man was knocked out and the coal man in demand.