Newspaper Page Text
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VEJNIN VX
By Quimby Melton
U Those of the older generation
I Who have a tendency of putting
■ things off are not the least bit
H excited that, when they look at
|| the calendar they see Christmas
■ Day is less than four weeks
I away.
H But it’s not so with the young-
I er people. Already they are
I counting the days and are mak-
I ing preparations for the “biggest
J and best” Christmas ever. Espe-
I cially is this true of the young
I fry, those boys and girls who
I have not yet arrived at school
I age, those boys and girls who
I will “hang their stockings at
Vj the chimney with care”. But
I even at their “tender age" these
I youngsters are prone to ask
•I Questions. Noticing their older
I brothers and sisters whispering
I and snickering when they talk
I of Santa, some are asking, “Is
■ I there really a Santa Claus?”
| Certainly there is a Santa
Claus!
I Good Evening will vouch for
this.
But if one does not care to
take his word for this, here is a
classic answer to this question,
:! an answer given many years
ago, that has stood the test of
\ time. Cynics have done their
best to belittle this “Letter to
Virginia”. But these cynics have
not been able to do so.
— * —
One of the greatest bits of
Christmas literature that has
ever been published is the letter
the editor of the New York Sun
wrote to a little girl back in
1897. “Virginia” — the little
girl — wrote him asking if there
“really is a Santa Claus.” It
seems some of her playmates
doubted that there was such a
person.
The little girl wrote:
“I am eight years old. Some
of my little friends say there is
no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘lf
you see it in the Sun It’s so.’ Pl
ease tell me the truth — is there
a Santa Claus?”
The editor wrote in reply to
this little girl’s plea.
“Virginia, your little friends
are wrong. They have been af
fected by the skepticism of a
skeptical age — they do not be
lieve except what they see—whi
ch is not comprehensible by
their little minds.
“All minds, Virginia, wheth
er they be men’s or children’s
are little.
“In this great universe of ours,
man is a mere insect, an ant,
in his intellect, as compared with
the boundless world about him,
as measured by the intelligence
capable of grasping the whole
truth and knowledge.
“Yes, Virginia, there is a
Santa Claus.”
“He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion ex
ist, and you Imow that they ab
ound and give to your life its
highest beauty and joy. Alas!
how deary would be the world if
there were no Santa Claus! It
would be as dreary as if there
were no Virginias. There would
be no child-like faith then, no
poetry, no romance to make to
lerable this existence. We shou
ld have no enjoyment, except in
sense and sight. The eternal
light with which childhood fills
the world would be extinguished.
“Not believe in Santa Claus!
You might as well not believe in
fairies.
“You might get your papa to
hire men to watch in all the
chimneys on Christmas Eve to
catch Santa Claus, but even if
they did not see Santa Claus
coming down, what would that
prove? Nobody sees Santa Cl
aus. But that is no sign that there
is no Santa Claus — the most
real things in the world are those
neither children nor men can
see.
“Did you ever see fairies danc
ing on the lawn? Os course not,
but that’s not proof that they are
not there — nobody can conceive
or imagine all the wonders that
are unseen and unseeable in
the world.
“You tear apart the baby’s
rattle and see what makes the
noise inside, but there is a veil
covering the unseen world whi
ch not the strongest men, or
even the united strength of all
the strongest men that ever liv
ed could tear apart. Only faith,
love, romance, can push aside
the curtain and view and picture
the supernal beauty and glory
beyond.
“It is all real — ah, Virginia,
in all this world there is nothing
else more real and abiding.
“No Santa Claus! Thank God
—he lives, and he lives forever
—a thousand years from now,
Virginia, nay, ten thousand ye
ars from now, he will continue
to make glad the hearts of child
hoods.”
KM pjlfc 1
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Mascots
Julie Lieberman and Mitchell Todd Williamson were
named mascots of the senior class at Griffin High this
morning. Julie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Her
man Lieberman of 733 South Hill street and Mitchell
is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy A Williamson of 108
Mobley street. Julie was presented to the senior class
by Angie Terrell and Mitchel Todd by Dale William
son.
State Solon* Head
For Leadership Meet
By DON PHILLIPS
ATLANTA (UPl)—About 30
Georgia legislators and legisla
tive aides are scheduled to ar
rive in San Francisco Wednes
day by plane and luxury train
for a conference that may cost
the taxpayers more than S2O,
000.
Among the group, led by
House Speaker George L.
Smith, are House messenger
J. C. Daniel of Waynesboro and
a part time aide of Smith, Flan
ders Peeples of Swainsboro.
The group, headed for the Na
tional Conference of Legislative
Leaders, was scheduled to in
clude at least six state senators
and 16 House members. Many
of the legislators, including
Smith, carried their wives
along, but cannot charge ex
penses for them.
At least two of the group,
legislative counsel Frank Ed
wards and Rep. George Busbce
of Albany, were scheduled to
stop at Las Vegas either going
or coming back.
Smith and eleven others plus
wives flew to Chicago Monday
to board the California Zephyr,
a luxury train which sports five
dome cars and luxury dining
and lounge cars.
Three legislators were sched
uled to go to San Francisco by
way of the Hilton Hawaiian Vil
lage Hotel in Honolulu, but it is
doubtful the Hawaiian part of
the trip would be charged to the
state.
The rest of the party, as
many as 12 persons, are to fly
directly to San Francisco
Wednesday.
Transportation costs will run
SIO,OOO or more. Round trip air
fare to San Francisco is $315.40
each. Those traveling by rail
must pay $52.85 air fare to Chi
cago plus $85.56 rail fare and
$33.80 to $55.05 Pullman charg
es, plus $162.70 air fare back to
Atlanta.
Per diem and maintenance
charges would likely run SIO,OOO
or more.
Smith’s office was reluctant
to reveal his whereabouts for
Monday and Tuesday, but au
thoritative sources said those
with Smith on the train were
his chief aide O. P. Hanes,
Reps. Glenn Phillips of Harlem,
Hines Brantley of Metter, John
nie Caldwell of Thomaston,
Phil Chandler of Milledgeville,
Charles Jones of Hinesville,
Quimby Melton, Jr., of Griffin
and Busbee, along with Daniel,
Peeples and State Auditor Ern
est Davis.
Those scheduled to go byway
of Hawaii were Reps. Bobby
Johnson of Warrenton, John An
derson Os Hawkinsville and Joe
Frank Harris of Cedartown.
Sen. Robert Andrews of Gaines
ville and Rep. Sid Newton of
Millen were to go to San Fran
cisco a few days early.
Many Stores Open All Day Wednesday
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
Among those scheduled to fly
directly were Sens. Bobby Row
an of Enigma, Dan Maclntyre
of Atlanta, Sam McGill of
Washington and Hugh Gillis of
Soperton, Reps. Virgil Smith of
Dalton, Maddox Hale of Deca
tur, Jones Lane of Statesboro,
Roy McCracken of Avera and
Jim Parris of Winder.
Last year, eight legislators
went;to the conference for $2,-
827 in Washington. In 1965, two
went to Puerto Rico for $1,037.
‘Coffee House’
Ministry
Building Leased
The Executive Committee of
the Flint River Baptist Associa
tion Monday night approved
a lease agreement for a build
ing on South Sixth street for a
coffee house ministry for young
people.
Jim Joiner, a member of
the coffee house study commit
tee, said the executive commit
tee approved the agreement for
a building previously occupied
by a dairy across from Griffin
High School.
He said organizational work
of an executive committee of
young people who will be respon
sible for the operation and main,
tenance of the coffee house
would be done in December.
Renovations to the building will
begin in January and the coffee
house will be opened in late Jan
uary or early February, Joiner
said.
He said a survey is being con
ducted in the churches of the
association to see how many ad
ults and young people are inter
ested in the coffee house minis
try.
The young people’s executive
committee will be composed of
a boy and girl from each of the
participating churches. The com
mittee will determine what re
novations should be made to the
building.
The study committee has been
working on the coffee house mi
nistry project since early Sep
tember. It was presented to the
annual meeting of the Flint Ri
ver Baptist Association and the
study committee appointed.
Joiner said the coffee house
would be sponsored and main
tained by the churches of the
Flint River Baptist Association
but would be open to all young
people.
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Tuesday, November 28,1967
Turkey Tells Greece
To Accept Its Terms
More Christmas Clubs
Yule Money
Gains Here
Griffin people are going to
have to have considerably more
extra spending money this
Christmas season than last year,
if amounts paid to Christmas
club members, and semi-annual
passbook interest on savings,
paid Dec. 1, by the two Griffin
banks means anything.
Christmas Savings Club mem
bers in 1966 were paid a little
more than SIOO,OOO by the two
banks while this year club mem
bers have received $245,000. In
1967 the two banks paid a total
of $170,000 in Interest on pass
book savings, while this year
tlie interest paid was $205,000.
Total paid Christmas Club
members and holders of pass
books this year was $450,000
compared with $270,000 in 1966.
Both banks have opened their
1967 Christmas Clubs and indi
cations are totals saved again
will again hit a new mark.
The $450,000 paid in interest
-
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Testaments
Jim Joiner and the Rev. C. Edward Davis look at
some of the New Testaments “Good News For
Modern Man”«to be sold through churches of Griffin
and Spalding County for 25 cents. Each church in
the county is being asked to cover a specified area
door to door. The New Testaments are purchased
from the American Bible Society and are being sold
at no profit. The drive is being sponsored by the
Griffin-Spalding Ministerial Association.
Night Work Slated On
Some Parade Floats
Hundreds of Griffin area citi
zens will be busy tonight put
ting final touches on their or
ganization’s float entry for Gr
iffin’s Christmas parade.
Some 45 businesses, clubs sc
hools and church groups will
have floats in the parade which
is scheduled for downtown Gris.
fin Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
A spot check today, with float
sponsoring organizations found
that a few groups will be work
ing late into the night and even
and to members of Christmas
Clubs does not tell half the story
of what many consider the most
prosperous Christmas season the
community has known. . On Jan.
1 the two federal savings and
loan associations will pay semi
annual dividends on their ac
counts. This coupled with in
terest being paid by the banks
and the savings and loan asso
ciations on time certificates and
bonds; plus payments by sever
al industries here of Christmas
Clubs for their employes; plus
weekly payrolls in Spalding Co
unty that are in excess of
$700,000 a week, plus sizable bo
nuses paid by some companies
here will swell the amount of
money in circulation between
now and Christmas to a figure
that could hit $5-million or more.
How will this money be spent?
Part, of course, will go in liv
ing expenses, part will go to
finance Santa Claus, part will
up to parade time getting rea
dy. Most organizations, however,
have completed their float
decorations except for a few last
minute touches.
Parade officials have estima
ted 15,000-25,000 will see the par
ade.
Then at 8:30 p.m. there will
be a free hour-long concert at
the Griffin High School gymnas
ium. The concert features the
580th Continental Air Force Band
of Warner Robins Air Force
Base.
Vol. 95 No. 280
be used to retire debts, part
will be used to pay taxes, and a
lot of the savings dividends and
interest will go right back into
the bank or savings and loan
institution to build up special
education funds or a nest eggs
with which to build a home or
buy an automobile.
Hampton To
Elect Three
Councilmen
HAMPTON — Three city coun
cilmen will be elected in balloting
Wednesday. Six candidates have
qualified.
Ben Maddox, Roger Betsill
and E. L. Garrett qualified to
oppose incumbent councilmen
John Walters, Jr., R. W. Mcßra
yer and William N. Watson.
Maddox is in the construction
business, Betsill works for a tr
ucking firm and Garrett is em
ployed at the Federal Aviation
Agency’s Air Traffic Control
Center in Hampton.
Voters will cast ballots at the
Hampton fire station. The polls
will be open from 7 a.m. to 7
p.m.
There are 335 Hampton resi
dents registered to vote in the
election.
The three candidates receiving
the most votes will be elected to
the city council.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Mostly cloudy and
cold tonight. Chance of light
rain or sleet this evening. Wed
nesday partly cloudy and cold.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 48, minimum today
31, maximum Monday 60, mini
mum Monday 49. Sunrise Wed
nesday 7:21 a.m. sunset Wed
nesday 5:35 p.m.
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
‘A-Feudin’ Over Yonder’
“A-Feudin’ Over Yonder” will be presented by the Griffin High Dramatics Club
Thursday night at 8 o’clock in the Griffin High auditorium. Some members of the
cast in a scene are (1-r) Rhonda Parris, Polly Dempsey, Judy Hill, Judy Robert
son, Mary Ann Jones and Newton Crouch. The play is under the direction of Miss
Julia Elliott, head of the GHS Speech and Drama Departments.
War Mentioned
In Cyprus Crisis
By ANTHONY TOBIN
United Press International
Turkey delivered an ultima
tum to Greece today to accept
Turkish terms for settlement of
the Cyprus crisis or face certain
“necessary measures,” in
formed sources reported in
Ankara.
The deadline expired at 6
p.m. Ankara time (11 a.m.
EST) and although a Greek
government spokesman men
tioned the possibility of war no
hostilities were expected imme
diately.
Indications were Turkey
would extend the deadline.
Shortly before the reported
ultimatum expired Turkish Pre
mier Suleyman Demirel
emerged from a meeting with
President Cevdet Sunay and
told reporters: “I cannot say
anything yet.”
Thee major mediators were in
Athens to try to avert war and
it was believed Turkey would
bide its time. The three were
U.S. presidential envoy Cyrus
Vance, U.N. envoy Jose Rolz-
Bennet and NATO envoy Manlio
Brosio.
Their conferences were ex
pected to take several hours
and no Turkish action was
expected during their crucial
11th hour talks. In the past both
sides have resorted to “brink
manship” to win a point.
Turkey backed up the ultima-
McNamara
Leaving
Defense Post
WASHINGTON (UPI) — De
fense Secretary Robert S.
McNamara is preparing to step
down as administrator of the
mightiest military establish
ment the world has ever seen,
probably to take the presidency
of the World Bank.
Knowledgeable sources, re
porting this Monday night, said
that no official announcement of
any change at the Pentagon was
expected soon, nor did the
secretary’s departure from the
post he has held longer than
any other man appear likely “in
the immediate future.”
turn by sending eight Turkish
warships to within 15 miles of
the Mediterranean island 40
miles off Turkey’s south coast.
Turkish jets roared over Cyprus
and its population of 600,000
persons.
U.S. presidential peace envoy
Cyrus Vance rushed to Athens
today from Ankara and five
hours of negotiations with
Turkish officials. He held a
series of emergency conferen
ces with top Greek officials in
what appeared to be the most
crucial day of the crisis.
The Greek spokesman did not
mention the Ankara reports that
Turkey had sent an ultimatum.
Instead he said:
Country Parson
“Many of our serious trou
bles never go away—-we just
get used to them.”
! Q Q SHOPPING
I && DAYS LEFT
! CHRISTMAS SEALS fight TB and
| other RESPIRATORY DISEASES
I i