From Days Gone Jan. 26, 1923

 January 26, 1923.

    Alvie Price was given a peliminary hearing before a large crowd of spectators. In the assualt with an attempt to murder charge a bond of $1000 was assessed when the hearing ended and a bond of $500 in the other case which was larceny.

    The other case against him happened sometime prior to the two upon which the bonds were assessed and this bond is still over him in addition to the two fixed at Friday's hearing. Judge B. B. Blount appeared for the defendant, the State being represented at the hearing by Judge B. H. Moye. At this time Price was still in jail.

    Mr. E. J. Sumner, one of Johnson's most prosperous, wealthy citizens was able to attend the hearing, his head which still bears the deep signs of the carburetor where the lick was placed is healing up quite well. Mr. Sumner is the prosecutor in the assualt and larceny case.

    The Redjackets, the school team, will go up against Cochran High team in basketball on Friday night. This is one of the best teams in the state. On Feb. 7th, Brewton-Parker comes to play the Redjackets. The Adrian Athletic Club met a bad defeat at the hands of the Bearcats 75 to 21.

    J. B. Paul, Jr. will sing "School Days" at the Dixie Theatre with Freckles Barry in the picture by the same name. Also Gloria Swanson shows off her pretty gowns in "The Great Moment".

    Agent M. E. Crow is in Athens attending a farmers meeting. Wrightsville Hardware Co. has genuine Avery, Oliver, Lynburg, Chattanooga, Gantt, Farmers Friend and Dixie plows. You can come to Lovett's Filling Station and have your cars washed, no waiting, good service every day of the week.

    Mr. James H. McWhorter, Wrightsville's postmaster, was honored by the Georgia State League of Postmasters at Atlanta. Application for parole for Jim Johnson, serving a life sentence for murder, will be made to the Governor and prison Commission.

    We are spending still here in Johnson more money for fertilizers than we are getting from the sale of corn, hay and peas. Last January only seven cars of fertilizer were handled by the W. & T., this January the figures will run up to 107 which shows a heavy cotton acreage likely.

    Sunday afternoon at the home of Mr. & Mrs. C. J. Smith, their daughter, Miss Zelma Smith wed Mr. Marvin Snell the eldest son of Mr. W. N. Snell.

    Mr. D. C. Price killed a large porker which netted him 534 pounds of fine meat and is one of the largest killings of the season.

    The W. & T. Railway Co. was made a defendant in a big suit for damages supposed and alleged to have been sustained by Mr. J. E. Joiner, when the latter boarded their train at Meadows on the 14th of December last year.

    Col. R. P.  Jackson filed the suit for the man and wife in City Court. Col. Chas. S. Claxton is the railroad attorney. Mrs. Della C. Joiner is asking for a judgement of $25,000 against the company, the sum her husband suing for being $15,000. This is one of the largest damage suits filed here in many years.

    The statement is made in some parts of the state that some counties are dispensing with their county agents. Counties that do this will make a serious mistake. If there ever was a time when on the farms, we needed every possible guidance and instruction, it is now. Latter-day demands on the farm call for the employment there of every knowledge which science and experience can impart. The county agents, without exception are young men finely schooled in all the latest instruction bearing on agriculture. They are invaluable on the farms.

    You can't build a town and knock its businesses and people. Let's buy at home, trade at home, spend at home, be happy at home. A good crop of home-raised common sense will assist too.

From Days Gone By Jan. 19, 1923

 January 19, 1923.

    There is a big movement with the stock dealers of the county. Cows, hogs and mules are being shipped in and out in large quantities and the cash sales from this industry is adding large sums of money to the vaults of the banks in the county.

    Powell & Harrison at Kite sold a car of bovines to Ivey R. Tanner. C. T. Bray and J. H. Rowland sold loads to Tanner also. Tanner handled 5 carloads in and out of his stables. Shipped one load to Atlanta, and taking the others to his plantation to feed. The Johnson County L. S. & P. Company and Sanders & Shurling are also buying and selling in abundance. They have cattle now grazing on bean fields which came from Tennessee and will soon market them. Mr. J. E. Linder shipped a carload of mules. This is the first time the industry has moved up since the panic struck the country.

    The Dixie Oil Company of Texas, the largest in the country started drilling at McRae. The Dixie is asking no subscriptions nor favors but is going it on their own resources and backing. Oil talk is in the air right down there and much speculation is rife as to the outcome of the first test well digging. The state at large is awaiting with exceeding anticipations the outcome of their work in Telfair.

    The little city of Kite, now a growing one, is to soon have a big Ford Service Station, which is to be erected by Mr. L. A. Lovett and Mr. Robt. J. Boatright of Kite. The work is to begin immediately. It is to be larger than the Ford station in Wrightsville. It will be built on the lot next to the depot in Kite, fronting the new brick stores now being erected by W. W. Claxton & Co. The owners will carry everything Ford sells and will operate a general repair shop also.

    Mr. W. T. Kitchens has moved his army store next to E. A. W. Johnson's, fronting the Lovett Hotel. Mr. T. L. Drake has occupied the store vacated by Kitchens. It will be a grocery store. The fair stockholders held their annual meeting. Officers were re-elected. They will hold a fair and celebration this fall and are asking for boosting.

    Announcement is made by the attornys in the Alvin Price case charged with an assault on E. J. Sumner will hold a peliminary hearing this week. Judge J. T. Ferguson will preside.

    Mr. Price has been detained in jail since he was arrested near Soperton several days ago by officers here. There are two cases against him in this instance, but this hearing is just for the assault charge. The sheriff says there is another charge against him being out on bond at the time he was arrested. Mr. Price is a son of Mrs. Millie Price. Mr. Sumner has been able to get out the last few days, the wound on his head is still bound-up. A long list of witnesses have been summoned to the hearing.

    Farm work is going on all over the county. The planters are going to their work with a vim this year. Many fields have already been turned over and a lead taken for a big year on the farm. Production of cotton is going to be tried out again.

    Three carloads of hogs sold here at the Co-Op Sale. Mr. C. H. McGee was the successful bidder at $6.80 for No 1s. Mr. Jack Hammock owns what he calls and what is a valuable swine out on his plantation. He says she has given birth to 35 pigs in 13 months all healthy and growing.

    Mr. Lewis P. Claxton files for bankruptcy as does R. R. Frost. Bessie Holt files for divorce from E. L. Holt. Annie J. Benson files for divorce against F. L. Benson. The statement of condition for the Scott Banking Co. Is $58, 271. 49.

    Mr. J. H. Rowland killed a porker that dressed just 580 pounds. Mr. L. A. Attaway killed two that netted 1040 pounds. Mr. William Jackson dressed one at 506 pounds.

    Mr. John A. Douglas, Sr. at Meeks celebrated his 78th birthday. Eight families gathered at Mr. W. R. Spell's home to celebrate birthdays of two family members.

    Mr. Dennis Beasley, a former citizen, died at his home 6 miles east of Soperton from a complication of troubles. He was a brother to Messrs. Johnie and Morgan Beasley. He moved from Johnson 18 years ago. He was 50 years old and left a wife and 10 children. He was buried at Harmony church at Soperton.

From Days Gone By Jan. 12, 1923

 January 12, 1923.

    A bad and almost serious attack took place in the public road at the home of Mr. John Sheppard, 9 miles east of town around 11am Monday morning.. Ivey Miller, 52, was suddenly attacked by Marvin Jones of Alamo who is about 22 years old. Miller worked on the plantation of Mr. Byron Price near the Sheppard home, and had gone to the house for water. Mr. Sheppard was working in his field close to his house and came up for water at the same time. While the two were standing out in front of the gate a large auto was seen heaving into sight.

    Arriving near them Marvin Jones leaped out of the car grabbed Miller, said a few words to him then began punching him in the face, left eye, cheek and left ear, each place profusely bleeding. Where Miller limped away spots of blood poured out on the ground.

    Jones got in the car and sped away. Also in the car was Marvin's father, Elijah A. Jones, another son, E. A. Jr. and two other unknown men. Byron Price, John Sheppard and Horace Miller went to town and secured a warrant charging Jones with assault and attempted murder.

    Deputy Sheriff Oscar Smith of Scott return here with his prisoner, Dave Wilson, colored, who allegedly killed Chester Arthur Wright, a colored youth on November 5th. The prisoner had left for parts unknown but was captured out in Arkansas for a small crime he committed there and was jailed, they found he was wanted in Johnson for murder. There was a reward pending for his capture.

    A new trial was granted the Johnson County Fair Assoc. in the suit for damages brought by Mrs. A. Walden against it and Will J. Crawford. The appeal was heard at Warrenton, Judge Ben Hill Moye made the plea. Moye contended there was no evidence to support the verdict, that proof was insufficient and did not show that Crawford was employed by the Fair Assoc. at the time Mr. Walden was killed. The case will be transferred to Laurens County on account of so many in Johnson are stockholders of the Fair Assoc.

    Skipper Kemp, a white employee at the Kite sawmill had his left hand badly lacerated from the running saw. Judge Kent granted a new trial in the case of Geo. B. Davis vs G. Warren Carter, suit to recover some land that belonged to Davis' mother. A new trial was refused to a Negro named Lowe, convicted of murder some months back.

    The new gas filling station by Mr. J. H. Rowland is going up fast. Contractor Chester says he should be done in 3 weeks and will be made of brick. Messrs. John, Jim and Pat Duff, farmers, are now residing on the Johnson plantation. Flem Hall moved into the Dent home, Harvey Spell moved to J. W. A. Crawford's home with Ray Barnes and family. W. T. Johnson moved into the Hall home, J. R. Grice entered the Johnson house, Clayton Lord moved into the Grice house, Gordon Clark moved to the Lord house and H. T. Downs moved to Milledgeville.

    Ordinary Jenkins and Warden Stanley created a patch gang to work on bridges and bad holes. He wants to buy a tractor when county funds become available. Four carloads of cows and hogs were shipped out to Atlanta. Up to December 13, 1922 Johnson had ginned 4,484 bales of cotton up from 3,916 the previous year. Georgia's cotton crop for 1922 of 725,000 bales is the smallest since 1878, and the yield of 100 pounds per acre is the lowest on record.

    The local banks are required to release public statements of condition four times per year. The Farmers Bank $158,892.82; Citizens Bank of Kite $136,131.12; Bank of Adrian $142,786.65. Kite now has a funeral home. Neal & Stephenson.

    Married were Miss Linnie Pauline Claxton to Otis Monroe Denton. Miss Maude Mays wed Alver B. Claxton. Miss Obie Harrell wed R. Z. Sterling. Miss Velma Brown wed Wimp Rowland. Mr. Andrew Jackson Minton born June 1859 died. He was 68 years old leaving his wife and seven children. He was buried at Minton's Chapel.

    The political bee begins to hum as Johnson will have a big crop of candidates. For Ordinary Dr. J. W. Flanders, U. R. Jenkins, J. H. Rowland, M. T. Riner, J. C. Wiggins. For Sheriff L. J. Claxton, Lewis Davis, J. L. Drake, J. T. Drake, E. R. Frost, W. T.  Kitchens, C. M. Schwalls, O. L. Smith, Eugene Veal. School Supt. L. M. Blount, L. Lillard, A. J. M. Robinson. Clerk Mrs. J. L. Davis, Mrs. A. W. Hightower, G. B. Harrison, N. B. Miller, G. A. Smith, J. B. Williams. Tax Collector A. S. Norris, J. Nat. Riner. Tax Receiver George Brantley, J. A. Lindsey. Treasurer Z. A. Anderson, F. W. Hall, Milledge Meeks, W. N. Powell. Coroner L. R. Clayton. State Senator B. J. Wiggins.

From Days Gone By Jan 5, 1923

 January 5, 1923.

    Alvie Price, 25 years old, struck Mr. E. J. Sumner over the head with a carburetor off an auto on December 23rd at Mr. Summer's store and home. He made his getaway but was caught near Soperton at the vacant home of his sister. As the officers and citizens rode up Price was lying snugly on the front porch and surrounded unarmed save for a small pocket knife.                                                                                Jim A. Davis, Will J. Crawford and Oscar L. Smith of Sheriff Lewis Davis' office responded to a call from Marshal John Ausbon at Adrian and went down hunting the hot trail Price had made when he stayed all night with John Morrison who used to live near town. The officers had little trouble in locating and arresting him.                                                                  Price said when he got to Macon off the bus he rode in from Dublin, that he caught a train out for Lakeland, Florida. He took a quick haul out of Lakeland for Jacksonville, then on to Savannah, finally getting off the Seaboard train at a station west of Vidalia and made his way in a car to his sister's vacant home. Finding no one there he went to Morrison's home and spent the night which let the "cat out of the bag". That was Price's story to the officers. He was wanting to find out the condition of Sumner then return to Florida but was caught before he could.

    Two sad death's occured in the same home on December 27th in the western portion of the county which in some particulars is very remarkable. A sister and a brother, both lived to be aged and both highly respected. Mr. Josiah Stokes died at 2:30pm and Miss Margaret Stokes died at 7:30pm.

    Mr. Stokes in 1916 suffered a light stroke and the past two years unable to leave his home. His wife, one son, five daughters mourned his loss. In boyhood he joined Bethel Church and was still a member. He was buried there. He was 74 years old.

    His sister, Miss Margaret, 64, died about five hours later. She was a member of Buckeye Christian. She was a twin sister of Miss Martha Stokes who survived her. She suffered from cancer for 13 months.

    The members of Oaky Grove Church raised the money and bought a new Ford automobile for their pastor, W. A. Lamb, for a Christmas present. Col. Chas. S. Claxton was sworn in as new Solicitor of City Court. County Treasurer F. W. Hall bought the Will Dent home on Myrtle Avenue. Ordinary U. R. Jenkins appointed Judge A. Lee Hatcher as County Attorney. There will be another Co-Op hog sale here January 16th.

    The State Board of Education gave the county their apportionment of the State School Fund in the amount of $23,829.04. All the dairymen of the 12th district will meet in Dublin February 10th. Agent Crow sold a carload of feeder pigs from county farmers to Pinehurst, N. C. for nine cent per pound totalling $1,608.12. Johnson County now has 26 members in the Georgia Cotton Growers Co-Op Assoc.

    J. M. Woods, white, convicted in City Court for selling liquor is now on Capt. Stanley's road-building force. Capt. D. D. Brinson, warden of Emanuel County died as his sister's, Mrs. Outlaw, of typhoid fever. He was brother of the late Dr. J. W. Brinson. He had been warden 20 years and was 50 years old and twice married. He was buried in Bedingfield Cemetery near Wadley.

    Mr. & Mrs. R. L. Stephens moved into the home on South Marcus they bought from Mrs. Mabel Blount. Mr. L. A. Lovett just got a new carload of Fords in. The statements from two of the banks were released. Exchange Bank $301,346.09; Bank of Wrightsville $345,559.03. "The Blot" with Claire Windsor and Marie Walcamp is at the Dixie Theatre. The Wrightsville Red Jackets defeated Bartow in basketball 26 to 17.

    Cupid was busy over the holidays. Miss Addie Mae Smith wed Mr. J. C. Adkins. Miss Susie Peddy wed Mr. W. T. West. Miss Eva Scarborough wed Mr. Milo Smith.

    Mr. E. A. & W. H. Lovett announced plans for a big planning mill in the city. They have not revealed the location but will be on the railroad or where a spur can be located. The Rowland Lumber Co. has a big business but another new plant will be good for the city.

    There will be a second gas station built in Wrightsville shortly by Mr. J. H. Rowland. It will go up on the corner lot between the corner store and Mr. Rowland's grain store. Mr. T. L. Chester is contractor.

From Days Gone By Dec 29, 1922

 December 29, 1922.

 ADVICE TO THE MARRYING.

    About the most utterly useless, palpably unnecessary labor that can be performed is to give young people advice about marrying----and the utter uselessness and palpably unnecessity of it is more vividly emphasized when the advice is given in a specific case to a young woman about what sort of man the particular --- and what young woman about to marry is not "particular"? ---- young woman in question should not marry.

    A Brooklyn minister, well-meaning and evidentally given much to correct theorizing and as patently lacking in accurate experience with young human nature, has offered to the young women and older girls in his territory some advice as to what sort of man they should not marry.

He said: Don't marry a man -----

Whom you don't know thoroughly.

Whom you expect to reform.

Who doesn't respect womanhood.

Who is unpopular with children and other men.

Who can't support you.

Who hasn't a sense of humor.

Who has been wild.

Don't marry a man unless he is about the same age and has the same interests as yourself.

Don't marry a man unless there is intelligent love on both sides.

    One commentator pungently remarked that he might have saved the amplification and merely left it, "Don't marry a man" ---He might have condensed it still further and said, "Don't marry!" That's what it amounts to. The girl could hardly find a man, as sorry as most of them maybe, who was all the several things the preacher declares he should not be ---- if there were perfect men women would tire of them unspeakably.

    The last item on the list intimates that the reverend doctor has studied far away from his own warm-hearted days if he ever had them. "Intelligent love on both sides"----it is to grin broadly! There is no such thing as intelligent love on one side. There may be intelligence and there may be love and both may at proper times and occasionally almost simultaniously occupy the identical personality, but every intelligent person who has been in love knows that seat of the affections is in the heart and the alleged location of the center of the intellect is in the brain. Nor will the heart always be controlled by the head.

    The warning is not marry a man who has been wild --- it is better to turn him down cold and let him go wild again and prove that you shouldn't marry at all. Girls are warned not to marry men to reform them --- and that is one piece of sensible piece of advice, albeit it is vainly given in most cases. No man ever marries a girl to reform her and really the girls should not be asked to do what a husky, sure-handed man will not attempt. But the funniest item in the "don't" of the preacher is, "Don't marry a man you don't know thoroughly." Ask any precious old woman friend of yours who has just celebrated, say, her golden anniversary, confidentally to tell you if she has in fifty years of constant study ever come to half-understand her old man for even half the time and remember what she says!

    The Brooklyn minister wasted mighty good advice. He must have been honest, or else he was assured that his advice would never be followed --- for if the young women of his flock should heed his words his fees from wedding ceremonies would certainly show a slump from this time forward.

Savannah Morning News, as reprinted in the Wrightsville Headlight.

From Days Gone By Dec. 22, 1922

 December 22, 1922.

    You don't have to stay at Kite more than fifteen minutes to tell there's something doing in the air and a lot on the earth. It's going on down there.                                                                                 They've got optimism if nothing else. But they are hauling dirt and lumber and unloading brick and driving nails and cleaning away places for more stores than are there now and building a half dozen new residences to boot at the same time.                                                                                   C. M. Schwalls is building two new brick stores beside his present store which he has already rented to merchants.                                        W. W. Claxton & Company are to erect two more on the corner where the wooden building was burned recently and include a real swell bank building in the place into which it is said the Citizens Bank will move upon completion.          R. J. Boatright plans to build a large brick store just across the street on his lot adjoining the depot, and several more to the number of nine are in course of being built.                                  Sometime when you are in Kite you might take the time to ascertain just what all they aim to do down there in 1923.                                                        It looks like they are having a building boom and a good business along with it which sounds mighty good on paper even. They tell us to watch the Kite soar and it might be well to keep one eye on her anyway.                                                  Wrightsville needs more business co-operation, more of the real, genuine sort. We've had enough imaginary ailments already. It isn't so hard if we'll get right down after it in the right way. Our business people must do something or other places are going to take the trade left us now away from us. Join in some plan or start something among ourselves. We need to raise our business spirits.                                                      The election for two bailiffs in this district took place. Three men, W. J. Crawford, W. T. Rowland and T. E. W. Outlaw were candidates. Crawford received 145, Rowland 138 and Outlaw 79, the first two being elected. There were 186 votes polled. They will serve for the next two years. Three candidates run in the Spann District. They and their votes were C. B. Sanders 28, O. W. Hooks 15 and J. E. Glisson 12, there being 55 votes cast.                                                       Radio fans are quite numerous around town along now, many homes having recently installed a set and the evenings pass most pleasantly with those who have them.

From Days Gone By Dec. 15, 1922

 December 15, 1922.                                                       Mr. T. V. Kent was chosen by the voter's as Wrightsville's new mayor. He won over T. L. Harris and T. L. Martin. Messrs. H. P. Hicks, J. Tom Davis and James A. Hall were winners of the council races beating out L. J. Claxton, Beverly B. Hayes and F. F. Flanders. There was a total of 249 votes cast in the primary.                         The election for city officials of Kite was held. Only one ticket was voted during the day, there being no opposition to the agreed parties for the offices. Mr. W. W. Claxton is mayor and J. L. Hatcher, M. J. Claxton, D. C. Harrison, W. L. Mixon and M. B. Wheeler were elected councilmen.                                                                    By the regular rotation system in vogue in the 16th Senatorial District it is Johnson's time the next campaign to furnish the candidates for the office of State Senator. M. T. Riner of Johnson, Fred Kea of Laurens, James Leonard Roundtree of Emanuel and James Gillis of Treutlen, will have been through this office since Johnson has her turn and they came in this order: Col Fred Kea 1918, J. L. Roundtree 1920, and James L. Gillis has the next two years. That places Johnson again to name the candidates for this office.                                                                                Build now before materials go higher, says an informed contractor. The outlook is for higher prices on most everything that goes into a home, house, store or any sort of building. Land is going up too, along with everything else. Prices are high, but with the return of prosperity we are going to see higher prices in every line. Yes it might be wise to build now if you aim to build any time in the next five years. Hold to and improve your land. Watch real estate boom.              Mr. Augustus S. Norris and S. Carter have filed for bankruptcy as has Mr. J. C. Carter. Mr. George W. Gordy is with the firm of Parker & Price Drug Company. Mr. George Haywood of near Kite was here advertising his place. He is moving to Martin, Tennessee. Everybody around knows Mr. Seab Glover as he has lived around here a long time. Mr. Glover has decided to move back to his old home in Texas.                          Rev. Henry Heath left for the government hospital in western North Carolina where he is now stationed. He is doing well with his ministerial studies. Merchant T. E. Hayes not only specializes a fine brood of chickens, but he is producing an abundance of swine. This season so far he has laid up enough bacon, sausages and lard to do his family and then have a great deal to sell from the killings.                  The Johnson Lodge, No. 110 of the Wrightsville Odd Fellows elected their new officer team. They are J. A. Hall, N. G.; B. H. Moye, V. G.; Dr. T. L. Harris, sec.; M. E. Woods, treas.; L. J. Claxton, Rep.                                              Miss Bertha Lee Tucker and Mr. Harrison M. Robinson were married November 29th at the brides home. Mr. & Mrs. Jack J. Crawford had a baby boy born November 30th. The vital statistics law requires now that all births and deaths in the 1201st district be reported by the 10th of each month. The certificates to be made out by the physicians and midwives in attendance. Atlanta is pressing hard to comply with this law.                                                                     Kite, Johnson's second city in size, is on a building boom. Kite citizens are waking up to the happy realization of their town's capacity as a trade center and its commercial importance is being watched with considerable interest by a wide territory.                                                                  Planting a lot of grain, making feedstuffs, beating off the boll weevil by killing the stalks and other means, are things a farmer can do along now that is profitable and many of the county's farmers are hard at this sort of work.