Newspaper Page Text
T? Fj GOOD P
VENUS \J
By Quunby Melton
Noticed in the paper where a
federal judge has temporarily
restrained the City of Atlanta
from enforcing a Georgia Sun
day closing law against a mer
cantile firm which was challen
ged the constitutionality of the
law, limiting business on Sun
day.
As we read this story three in
cidents in the past came to mind.
The first was many centuries
ago when the Ten Command
ments were given, one of them
being Remember the Sabbath
Day to keep it holy, with the in
structions that one should do all
their work six days in the week
and take the seventh day as one
of rest and worship.
Then we thought of that time
in French history when the po
wers, that were in control, de
creed that to observe Sunday
every seven days was too of
ten, that the economy of the
nation needed more working
days and less days of rest, and
ordered every tenth day to be a
day of rest. It was not too long
before this schedule instead of
helping th e national economy
further wfecked it and a re
turn to Sunday every seven days
was made.
Then we thought of stories told
us by long time Griffinites about
the funeral held here, earlier in
this century of Judge Robert
Daniel, judge of the Superior
Court and national head of two
great fraternal organizations - -
the Odd Fellows and the Red
Men.
The funeral was held on a
Sunday. Because of the promi
nence of this man thousands at
tended the last rites. One will
get an idea of just how large was
the crowd when one is told that
a special train, of 17 Pullmans,
came to Griffin with members
of the I.O.O.F. from New York
and Pennsylvania.
Griffin, then about one-third
as large as it is today, was bad
ly taxed to care for the crowds.
The City Council, that was be
fore city commission form of go
vernment was adopted, met the
problem head on and passed a
resolution calling on every gro
cery store to be open that day so
the out-of-town visitors could be
fed, the restaurants and hotels
here could not hope to feed them
all. Large kegs and tubs of ice
water, with dippers were placed
along the city streets.
Grocery stores made up piles
of sandwiches and sold them as
long as the bread and the ham
and cheese lasted. But the sup
ply of sandwiches did not last
long and hungry visitors began
buying sardines and salmon and
cove oysters etc to relieve their
hunger.
It has been estimated there
were several thousand out-of
town visitors in Griffin that day,
and one friend, who attended the
funeral as a small boy, says the
crowds, in front of the First
Methodist Church, where the
funeral was held, extended from
Taylor to Broad on Hill and that
there were many along Solomon
street as well.
— * —
As we read that story of the
decision by a federal judge
thought of the above three inci
dents; one at the very begin
ning of the world; the other dur
ing the turbulent days of the
French Revolution, the other
right here in Griffin during the
early days of the present cen
tury.
Country Parson
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$
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4 Ml
“Success and wives are
won by not pursuing them
too vigorously.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5-STAR WEEKEND EDITION
GRIFFIN
DAILY NEWS
Established 1871
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THE PLASTIC DOME of the artificial heart im
planted in Marcel DeRudder, 65, of Westville, Ill.,
protrudes through his chest as surgeon Dr. Michael
DeBakey closes final chest incision stitches after
milestone five-hour operation.
Plastic Heart Man
Seems To Be Better
By PAUL FREEMAN
United Press International
HOUSTON (UPI) -Marcel L.
De Rudder, 65, the man who
was helped with the plastic
heart, actually improved today.
Doctors reported in a morning
condition bulletin that said he
“seems better in every re
spect.”
The tough coal miner whose
natural heart is taking a rest to
heal itself, and most of whose
life is being sustained by an
artificial heart, showed "slight
improvement” today in his
vital signs pattern showing up
on an electro encephalograph.
Doctors said “His other vital
signs are beginning to stabilize.
The left ventricular bypass
(artificial heart) continues to
work satisfactorily and per
forms about 75 per cent of the
work of the left ventricle.”
The hopeful note of the report
was the first such sign in the
usually non-committal medical
reports coming out of Metho
dist Hospital, where De Rudder
received his artificial heart
chamber in an historic opera
tion by famed surgeon Dr.
Michael E. DeBakey Thursday.
De Rudder, a coal miner
from Westville, Hi., was
unconscious since the operation
began Thursday in which a
grapefruit-sized artificial heart
was implanted. It took over
nearly all the tasks of his own
faltering heart.
Mental Health
Resolution Set
For Commissioners
ATLANTA (UPI)—a resolu
ion urging the establishment
of a separate state department
of mental health will be intro
duced at the convention of the
Georgia Association of County
Commissioners Sunday, accord
nig to Dr. Bruce Schaefer of
Toccoa.
Schaefer said the resolution,
along with one urging that the
pace of decentralizing mental
health facilities be stepped up,
had already been drafted.
An association source said
passage of the resolutions was
likely.
Passage would mean that the
politically powerful county com
missioners group would be plac
ing itself in direct conflict with
the state Board of Health and
the Medical Association of
Georgia, which have main
tained that mental health
should remain under the state
Health Department.
Schaefer, who is in line to be
the next association president,
said that decentralization would
involve reducing the size of
the 12,000 patient Milledgeville
State Hospital by transferring
patients to regional mental hos
pitals.
Griffin, Go., 30223, Sat. and Sun., April 23-24, 1966
A spokesman for the surgeon,
Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, said
De Rudder’s condition was not
a coma. De Rudder’s wife,
Edna, 60, visited her husband’s
room at Methodist Hospital
twice Friday. After the first
visit, she left in tears.
DeBakey has spent every
possible minute at the
the Belgian immigrant’s side in
whose chest thumped an
artificial heart that carries the
hope of life and recovery for
thousands each year.
The artificial heart was
Installed in a five-hour opera
tion Thursday. Friday the
device took over 75 per cent of
the work done by the left
ventricle of De Rudder’s heart.
But doctors said De Rudder
possibly had suffered “tempora
ry brain damage.” DeBakey
told Mrs. De Rudder her
husband might be unconscious
for as long as a week.
A hospital bulletin said De
Rudder was “receiving the type
of treatment usually employed
in these cases,” and added that
unconsciousness such as De
Rudder’s was not unusual in
those who have undergone open
heart surgery.
DeBakey, in a written state
ment said he believed edema_
caused by fluid penetrating and
swelling the cells of the brain—
was responsible for the un
sciousness and possible brain
damage.
Urges New Post
The association has labeled
the three day meeting a “po
litical convention,” and given it
the theme of “Hat Tossin’
Time.” Most of the candidates
for major state offices are ex
pected to attend.
Speaking in Toccoa Friday,
Schaeffer said a separate ad
ministrator should be hired to
aid the superintendent at the
Milledgeville Hospital.
He said however, that the
hospital should still be headed
by a psychiatrist, wit hthe ad
ministrator attending to the
paper work and administrative
details.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Partly cloudy and
warm tonight and Sunday with
widely scattered afternoon and
evening thundershowers both
days.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 75, minimum today
59, maximum Friday 77, mini
mum Friday 64. Total rainfall
.04 of an inch. Sunrise Sunday
5:58 a.m., sunset Sunday 7:13
pm.
Spalding Population
Is Near 39,000 Mark
Other Counties
In Area Show
Growth Also
The population of Spalding Co
unty is near the 39,00 mark,
according to statistics kept by
the State Health Department.
The department estimated the
Spalding population to be 38,800
as of July, 1965. This is the lat
est estimate available.
This would be an Increase of
3,058 over the 1960 population
figure of 35,742.
The department estimated that
the city of Griffin population is
24,100. This would be an increa
se of 1,987 over the 1960 census
figure of 22,113.
Population estimates by the
department are worked out
through a compiex formula that
takes into account the death and
birth rates as well as migration.
The Department keeps accu
rate figures on deaths and bir
ths in each Georgia county but
must estimate the effect of mi
gration.
Other counties in the Middle
Georgia area also showed gains
over the I960 census figures.
Pike County gaines from 7,140
to 7,400 during the last five year
period reflected in the Health
Department statistics. Separate
estimates on Zebulon, Concord
and other communities in Pike
were not kept.
Upson with Thomaston as the
county seat went from 23,338 to
24,800 during the five year per
iod.
The city of Thomaston’s cur
rent population estimate is 10,-
400.
In Lamar County, the growth
went from 10,201 to 10,600 with
Bamesville’s population esti
mate at 5,500.
Fayette County showed an in
crease from 8,154 in 1960 to 8-
600 in the last population esti
mate.
Butts county went from 8,992
to 9,300 with Jackson, the coun
ty seat, currently listed at 2,800.
Monroe County gained from
10,400 to 10,700 during the five
year period. Forsyth, the coun
ty seat, was listed at 4,000.
Henry County gained from 17,-
431 to 18,900. McDonough and
Hampton population estimates
were not listed.
Mental Hospital
Fire Kills 29
In Finland
LAPINLAHTI, Finland (UPI)
—Fire raced through an
overcrowded wooden mental
hospital in this central Finland
village early today, killing at
least 29 patients, most of whom
were locked in their rooms.
Seven of the 36 patients in
the institution and six other
persons, including two children,
managed to flee the flaming
building. Most of these suffered
from burns and smoke inhala
tion. Three patients were listed
in serious condition at nearby
hospitals.
Police said they counted the
bodies of 18 women and 11
men. They said all the patients
living on the second-floor of the
two-story building were kept in
locked rooms with barred
windows and had no chance to
escape.
The hospital was built in 1932
to care for 28 persons. But
eight more had been living
there because of lack of space
elsewhere.
Among the dead was a
woman who attendants said had
twice tried to set fire to the
hospital. But police and fire
officials emphasized their inves
tigation had not yet determined
cause of the lire.
Griffin - Barnesville Highway
Death Lurks On ‘Killer
By JAMES STEWART
Fifty-three traffic accidents
have occurred on the Griffin
Barnesville “killer strip’’ in the
first three and one-half months
of 1966.
The “killer strip” is U. S. 41
which connects Griffin and Bar
nesville.
Three people were killed in an
accident this week, 1.2 miles
north of Milner.
The accident occurred when
one car tried to pass a car pull
ing a house trailer and collided
head-on with another.
One of the people killed was
Mrs. Tom J. Rusk of the Red
bone Community of Lamar Co
unty. She was five months preg
nant. Others killed in the mis
hap were a couple from Chica
go.
Mr. Rusk is one of 24 people
injured in wrecks thus far in
1966 on the dangerous route. The
latest was a truck driver whose
vehicle overturned south of Grif
fin Friday morning.
The hilly, curvy stretch of
pavement is not adequate for
the traffic load it carries. The
81 Of 98 Die In Crash
By ALEX ADWAN
United Press International
GENE AUTRY, Okla. (UPI)
—A chartered airliner carring a
group of young Army recruits
crashed on a second attempt to
land in a thunderstorm Friday
night killing 81 of the 98
persons aboard.
The four-engine turbo-prop,
carrying 92 soldiers and a crew
of 6, burst into flames as it
plunged into a hillside, ripped
through thousands of yards of
trees and into a herd of cattle.
The crash was the third
worst military air disaster to
occur in the United States. It
was the second major crash of
its type involving a chartered
airliner.
The plane was operated by
American Flyers airline which
the FBI said was recently
investigated for engine failures.
An FBI spokesman said “no
indication of intentional da-
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Little League Candy Sale
Donnie Hudson, Bill Goldstein, Chuck McCarty and D arrell Jones are shown with Mayor Louis Goldstein as
they kicked off the Little League candy sale to raise $1,200 for new uniforms.
Vol. 95 No. 95
Griffin-Bamesville By-Pass will
relieve the situation, but it will
not be ready for traffic for some
time.
Information compiled from
Griffin State Patrol records
show 53 accidents on the stretch
so far this year. The accidents
have injured 24 and killed three.
Property damage in the 53 ac
cidents was estimated at $49,-
759.
Records were checked on the
same period for accidents on U.
S. 41 in Lamar and Monroe Co
unties south of Barnesville.
Twenty accidents have occur
red south of Barnesville on the
Lamar-Monroe stretch, which is
much longer than the 16 miles
from Griffin to Barnesville.
Thirty cars were involved In
accidents on that stretch com
pared with 116 in the 53 acci
dents on the "killer strip.”
One person has died as the re
sult of traffic accidents on the
Lamar-Monroe stretch. Six have
been injured.
A breakdown on “killer strip”
wrecks shows:
January — 12 accidents, 22 ve-
mage” was found. It was the
airline’s first crash in 27 years
of operation.
The recruits, who had left Ft.
Ord, Calif., included 64 soldiers
assigned to Ft. Benning’s
airborne training school, and
possibly earmarked for duty in
Viet Nam. All volunteered for
the assignment.
The plane was piloted by
American Flyers President
Reed Pigman who was killed in
the crash. It missed its first
approach for a landing at
Ardmore, Oka., Industrial Air
parks where it was to refuel
and change its crew.
Missed First Time
“He missed the first ap
proach and went around,” said
J. E. Wright who works at the
flight service station. “He said,
’I’m going to come back, I like
runway 12.’
“We saw a flash of lightning
and a fireball. We had some
hides involved, four people in
jured and $16,500 property da
mage.
February — 20 accidents, 51
vehicles involved 13 people in
jured and $15,554 property da
mage.
March — 10 accidents, 20 ve
hicles involved, eight people in
jured and $4,955 property da
mage.
April, through Friday — 11 ac
cidents, 23 vehicles involved,
three people killed, two people
injured and $12,750 property da
mage.
There are few places on the
highway long enough for one car
to pass another. The strip has
numerous curves and small ris
es, high enough that another car
cannot be seen over them.
The speed limit is 60. Few
drivers are able to drive that
fast during the daylight hours.
Slower traffic pulls the limit
down to near 30 miles per hour.
Most accidents on the route
occur on the stretch two miles
north of Milner. Dangerous cur
ves and hills mark the route.
The highway was widened se-
thunderstorm activity and we
don’t know whether the flash
was the plane or the lightning.”
Rescue parties rushed to the
wreckage to remove the dead
and survivors. “All we need is
ambulances . . . send us more
ambulances,” said a report on
police radio.
One of the survivors, Pvt.
James Gorman of Bellerose,
N.Y., remained c o n s c i ous
throughout. He said he felt the
plane “wobble” then the
impact. He saw a flashing light,
and then was surrounded by
fire.
Helps Others
Although temporarily pinned
in his seat, Gorman soon freed
himself and helped another
soldier from the wreckage. “A
farmer came up and got the
man out of the wreckage,” he
said. “I held a flashlight while
he hoped the man out.”
The survivors were taken to
veral years ago following a ser
ies of articles in the Griffin Da
ily News. The widening moved
the traffic a little further from
the center line, but has not help
ed to curb the number of acci
dents and deaths.
Many people, including law
enforcement officers, Griffinites,
Lamar Countians and tourists
have termed the road the worse
strip of highway in Georgia.
Some call it “death row”.
Many Griffinites have chan
ged their route from Griffin to
Barnesville. They go through
Zebulon, taking U. S. 19 to Zebu
Ion and Georgia 18 to Barnes
ville. Others travel South Sixth
street extension.
Signs of nearly all types and
sizes have been erected by the
State Highway Department, but
the accidents continue to mount.
If the present trend continues,
there will be approximately 180
accidents, involving 390 vehi
cles, injuring 72 people and kill
ing nine in 1966 on the road.
A question being asked by
many is: “What can be done
about it?”
four area hospitals where six
were reported critically hurt. All
but one of the survivors were
believed to be soldiers. The
names of the soldiers were
withheld until relatives were
notified.
All but one of those killed
apparantly died within moments
of the crash. But hours after
the accident, one person died in
a hospital.
The worst domestic air
crashes involving military per
sonnel were both on the West
Coast, and 84 persons died in
each. Seventy-four Marines and
an Air Force crew of 12 were
killed last June in the crash of
a military transport plane in
Southern California. The same
number died in an Air Force
C124 Globemaster crash near
Larson Air Force Base, Wash.,
in 1962.