Newspaper Page Text
T? GOOD P
Vl VEND* VJ
By Qulmby Melton
An interesting letter this mor
, niug from Mrs. J. A. Townsend
who lives on Rt. 1, Jackson in
the Cedar Rock Community, in a
home known as “The Old Lem
O’Neal Home”. Mrs. Townsend
enclosed a copy of a small four
page “flyer” headed “Democr
acy Triumphant” and tells of
the election of Cleveland and
Hendricks in 1885. This “flyer”
solicits subscriptions to the
, Griffin Weekly News which
Douglas Glessner very modest
ly called “The Great Dollar
Weekly.” The notice was print
ed by A. A. Blakely & Son, Gr
iffin Job Printers.
We’ll add this interesting bit
of early newspaper promotion
to our collection. Incidentally, in
that collection we have a picture
of Douglas Glessner superimpos
ed on the front page of the Grif
,
fin Daily News Of Nov. 9, 1892,
in which he goes all out in tell
ing of the election of Cleveland
and Stevenson. This picture
hung on our walls for many
years but began to fade so we
have put it away not wanting to
lose this remarkable example
of personal Journalism in “the
. good old days”.
— 4 —
Across the top of that issue of
the Griffin Daily News which
told of Cleveland’s election for
a second term, after he had
been out of office for one term,
is a row of crowing roosters and
American flags.
Glessner was an all out De
mocrat and took personal gra
tification that once again, after
four years out of the White Hou
se, Cleveland had returned.
It’s hard to read the headlines
today — because the picture has
faded — but one can make out
the heading of the “lead story.”
It reads:
“Rainbows Across The West
■ern Sky, Proclaim the Election
of Cleveland And the Dawning
of Brighter Days. New York,
New Jersey and the Same Old
Solid South, with Illinois and In
diana, and The Lord Only Kn
ows What Other Western States
Go For Cleve and Steve. We
Are Now All Right.”
— * —
Douglas Glessner who had mo
ved to Griffin from Ohio was
editor of The Griffin Daily News
and Sun for many years, final
ly selling the paper to Col. Joe
Boyd, a Griffin attorney. Col.
Boyd was editor only a short
time, dying shortly after buying
the paper. His widow, her sister,
her daughter and the late Bob
Duke published the paper until
it was sold in 1924 to the late
Judge C. C. Givens, who own
ed two daily newspapers in Ken
tucky. Good Evening bought the
paper from Judge Givens in Feb.
1925.
Douglas Glessner was a typi
cal old time editor and has been
classed along with such other
’ old timers as Henry Watterson
and Henry Grady.
An interesting thing about
Douglas Glessner is that when
he came to Georgia he had so
many “avid readers” in the town
in Ohio where he had edited a
paper, that he had more than
4,000 circulation of his weekly
mailed subscribers back home.
Glessner kept talking about
the advantages of Griffin, Geor
gia so much that many Ohio
families moved here. They came
from a section where grapes
were the chief crop and they
came here because Glessner
told them they could grow more
grapes and better grapes here.
Many of these newcomers set
tled in that part of Spalding that
is now known as "Vineyard”
and grew grapes. Some then
moved to “Concord” and grew
grapes there.
During the height of Gless
ner’s career here there were so
many grapes grown that a
winery was established on East
Solomon street, where the
Plaza Grill now stands. At that
time there was a big hollow
there, with a clear spring that
furnished water for the winery.
Douglas Glessner was the
kind of an editor who believed
wholeheartedly in his commun
ity. He was a One Man Cham
ber of Commerce, and much of
the growth of Griffin, before
the turn of the century can be
attributed to Douglas Glessner.
Bob Duke used to tell many
Interesting stories about Doug
las Glessner, who a bachelor,
poured out all his love on Grif
fin and Spalding County.
GRIFFIN *
DAILY NEWS
Established 1871
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(Staff Photos - - - Duane Paris).
Miss Elliott tries to hide from camera.
‘Mama Eagle 9
Miss Elliott Named
Woman Of The Year
“Mama Eagle” was speech
less today.
She was named Woman of the
Year.
Miss Julia Elliott was a little
startled this morning when a
group of school officials, students
and newsmen blundered into her
speech class at Griffin High.
They gathered around her and
the class discussion ended ab
ruptly.
Mrs. Emily Harris, president
of the Woman’s Division of the
Chamber of Commerce, spoke
up.
With her hand on Miss Elliott’s
shoulder, she told the beloved
teacher she had been named
Woman of the Year.
There was a moment of sil
ence. Tears formed in the cor
ner of Miss Elliott’s eyes.
Principal D. B. Christie and
Supt. George Patrick, Jr., bea
med with pride. Officers of the
student council were bursting
with joy. some of the coeds
couldn’t hold back the tears.
Miss Elliott took off her glass
es, dobbed the tears with a pa
per tissue, and blurted:
“I’m a speech teacher and
I’m speechless.”
“There are so many other wo
men I could name who deserve
this honor more than I,” she
said.
“This undoubtedly is the high
est honor I have ever received
in my life,” she said with hum
ility.
Principal Christie complimen
ted her on her selection then he
told the group:
“I was over here (at the sc
hool) last night to catch up on
some things and I found Miss
Elliott here with a group of stu
dents working with them.”
"There are not many nights
you don’t find Miss Elliott over
here with some group of stu
dents.”
Mr. Patrick, superintendent of
the school system, beamed with
pride as he congratulated Miss
Elliott. He thanked her for her
devotion to her students and to
her profession.
Ray Brokaw, executive vice
president of the Chamber of
Commerce, confessed to a "lit
tle lie” to Miss Elliott. He said
he had telephoned for a confer
ence with the teacher at 9:30
thfs morning about some school
matter.
“I don’t usually lie to my tea
chers,” Brokaw said.
During the informal ceremony,
no bells rang at Griffin High to
change classes.
Mr. Christie had cut off the
bell system so the committee
would not be interrupted in its
announcement to Miss Elliott.
Students at Griffin High know
Miss Elliott as the teacner they
can talk to. They, come to her
with all sorts of problems and
usually they go away with a sol
ution. 0
Griffin, Ga., 30223 , Wednesday, April 20 , 1966
That’s where Miss Elliott got
her nickname of “Mama Eag
le.”
She has been teaching here 19
y&ars and declared today that
she had enjoyed them all.
She told of having the oppor
tunity to teach in the Atlanta
system but was glad that things
worked out so that she could
come to Griffin.
Miss Elliott is a graduate of
Georgia Woman’s College and
received her master’s degree
at Emory University
Many of her students at Grif
fin High have won state and
national honors in speech com
petition of all sorts.
She has directed senior plays
and other drama productions for
the school.
Miss Elliott has arranged the
program for graduating class
es for many years.
She makes her home in Mc
Donough, Ga.
Looks Like Byrd
Will Try Again
Chicago Woman
Hurt In Wreck
Dies At Hospital
One of two people Injured in a
head-on traffic accident one mile
north of Milner Tuesday morn
ing died at the Griffin-Spalding
County Hospital.
Mrs. James Frank (Lucy)
Doud of Chicago, HI., died of in
juries suffered in the accident
at 9:15 Tuesday night.
Tom J. Rusk of the Redbone
Community of Lamar County
was listed in fair condition to
day at the hospital.
Killed in the mishap were Mr.
Doud and Mrs. Rusk. Both were
dead on arrival at the Griffin
Spalding County Hospital.
Trooper G. W. Word said in a
report that one of the cars was
passing a car pulling a trailer
and hit the other head-on. The
car pulling the trailer was dri
ven by Albert C. Benge of Shel
byville, Mich.
Mrs. Doud’s death raised the
number killed in traffic acci
dents in the area to nine for
April. This is the same number
killed In the first three and one
half months of 1965. Seventeen
have been killed In acci
dents in the five county area
this year.
Other traffic deaths this mon
th included five Griffin Negroes
who died in a fiery crash on Old
McDonough road in Spalding Co
unty and a Butts County man on
Georgia 16 east of Jackson.
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She tried to hold back tears but couldn’t.
Her interests are not confined
to the classroom.
Last year when a contest was
held in Atlanta to find a name
for the professional football team
coming there, Miss Elliott sub
mitted an entry.
Her suggestion that the team
be named the “Falcons” won
over thousands of others.
Hundreds and hundreds of stu
dents at Griffin High signed a
letter of nomination asking that
she be named Woman of the
Year.
Several other Griffinites also
nominated her.
Other women who received
nominations were: Mrs. J. R.
Beville, Miss Thelma Brisendine,
Mrs. Bess Hoskins, Miss Kate
McLaurin, and Mrs. W. R.
(Jane) Rissman.
Miss Elliott will be honored at
a tea to be arranged with the
Woman’s Division. The date and
time will be announced.
BUTLER, Ga. (UPI)—Geor
gia’s gubernatorial campaign
could become at least a four
man race within the next few
weeks.
Former Lt. Gov. Garland
Byrd said Tuesday it was “very
probable” he would be a can
didate for governor in the
September Democratic primary.
He said he would make a for
mal announcement within the
next days or shortly thereafter.
Former Gov. Ellis Arnall and
Atlanta segregationist Lester
Maddox have already an
nounced as candidates and for
mer Gov. Ernest Vandiver is
expected to enter the race for
mally In the near future.
Byrd returned to his Middle
Georgia home here Tuesday af
ter he disclosed in Washington
he planned to file a legal chal
lenge to the new federal school
desegregation guidelines. This
move was interpreted as a fore
runner to a formal announce
ment from Byrd that he would
run for the state’s highest of
fice.
The former lieutenant gover
nor, 41, who suffered a mild
heart attack that forced him
out of the governor’s race In
1962, said he was in good health
at the present time.
“I’m too young to retire,” he
said.
Byrd’s withdrawal from the
governor’s race in 1962 was
credited with playing a major
role in the successful campaign
of the then State Sen. Carl
Sanders.
$t*
Burson Pushes For
Prison Platform
Cites Need
For More
Facilities
By ANTHONY HEFFERNAN
U n ited Press International
ATLANTA (UPI)—State Pri
son Director W. H. Burson has
called on, “one of our potential
governors” to include in his
platform a program which
would raise Georgia’s prison
standards near the national av
erage.
Burson said Tuesday that un
til recently there has been a
lack of understanding in the
governor’s office, the General
Assembly and among citizens as
to the state’s prison needs. He
said that only recently are “we
beginning to get some sympathy
for our needs from the executive
department.”
“It would be gratifying if we
could get one of our potential
governors to Include in his plat
form a program for corrections
which would include all areas,”
Burson said. »
He said he has not discussed
the problem to any one of the
gubernatorial candidates but ex
pected at least one of them to
adopt prison improvements as
part of his platform.
“I think it would be an ap
propriate time to do it,” he
said.
Need More Facilities
Burson cited as pressing
needs additional facilities, par
ticularly at the State Prison in
Reidsville. The prison currently
is overcrowded with 3,000 pri
soners.
The prison director said he
would request $4 million from
the legislature if it met in spec
ial session or in the next regu
lar session in January. Funds
would come out of the reported
$120 surplus in the state
treasury.
Burson spoke at a news con
ference following a meeting of
corrections officials from
throughout Georgia. The meet
ing was in conjunction with the
National Council on Crime and
Delinquency program.
•
Richard A. Chappell, assistant
professor of the institute of gov
ernment at the University of
Georgia said “the image of
Georgia is not good across the
nation."
“We are hopeful Georgia can
improve it,” he said.
Vol. 95 No. 92
VTOy s 75
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“There are so many other women who deserve this. . . .”
Country Parson
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“No matter how wrong
they are, a man’s beliefs
don’t bother us much un
less they are different from
ours.”
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y (Griffin Daily News Staff Photo).
System Switch
Ray Sprayberry (1) and Sieve Bray of the Griffin Light and Water Department
Check traffic light equipment for the installation of timing devices. The equipment
is being installed as part of the traffic study committee’s recommendations made
last year. The devices will change automatically some traffic lights in the city
area from a full 60 second cycle to a 40 second cycle after 7 p. m. nightly. This
shorter cycle will be used when traffic is slack. Some of the equipment will
switch traffic lights to amber and red signals during the night hours. The system
was tested Tuesday night but ran into a snag. City officials hope to have the
system working properly soon.
Fifth System Will
Join 9
By DON PHILLIPS
United Press International
ATLANTA (UPI)—Four Geor
gia school systems have refused
to agree to U. S. Office of Edu
cation integration guidelines,
and a fifth system indicated
Tuesday it will join the group
defying new federal school
rules.
Charlton, Effingh a m, and
Sumter counties and the Ameri
cus city systems said they will
not sign compliance agreements
to the school desegregation
guidelines. Toombs County of
ficials indicated they also would
not comply.
All five agreed that the rules
requiring further integration of
students and some desegrega
tion of faculties this fall exceed
legal authority of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
Seven more systems includ
ing Jeff Davis. Camden, Terrell,
Randolph, and Early counties
and the city systems of Vidalia
and Winder have not yet de
cided whether to accept the
guidelines. Most of this group
said they expected to make the
decision before the extended
federal deadline of May 6.
Two more systems which
have not signed agreements and
were not available for comment
Tuesday are Seminole and Glas
cock counties.