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VENIN vX
By Quimby Melton
Part of the joy of Christmas,
for youngsters, especially those
who have not yet attained the
age for attending school, is writ
ing letters to Santa Claus.
Many use this method to let the
jolly old fellow know what they
would like him to bring when he
comes dashing through the skies
in his sleigh, drawn by reindeer,
on Christmas Eve.
Many of the letters could not
be read by anyone but a wise
man like Santa Claus, and even
then we believe he has to call on
his good wife to help him decip
her some of them; for a lot con
sist of simple cross marks, dots,
dashes and wiggly lines.
Santa Claus gets many millions
of letters every Christmas, and
how he gets them puzzles even
the postmaster general of this
United States. For few of them
are stamped, yet no child ever
gets his or her letter back with
the notation “postage due’’ st
amped on it; and though none of
them carry a Zip Code, no child
gets the letter back stamped
“address unknown”, or “mov
ed, left no forwarding address.”
But Santa gets them all.
Good Evening remembers
when he was a very young boy
and along with his sister, two
years younger, he would write
letters to Santa. In those days
there was no central heat, no el
ectric or gas furnace; everyone
relied on open fireplaces to heat
the home. And in many families
it was customary, after a boy
or girl had written a letter to
Santa Claus, to hand the latter
to father or mother, who would
walk to the fireplace and hold
ing it above the flames release
it and let the draft waft it up the
chimney — It was then on its
way to the North Pole. Sometim
es the letter would become sing
ed and one time, fearing our
letter would arrive at its desti
nation too badly damaged to be
read, asked father about this.
Remember his reply. “The wind
that carries the letter to Santa
will cool it off and even if it gets
there with parts of it destroyed,
Santa Claus has plenty of hand
writing experts who can figure
it out and tell Santa exactly what
you want.
That was explanation enough
for this young boy.
So boys and girls, who write to
Santa, take our word for it, he’ll
get your letter no doubt of that.
How it gets there we don’t know;
no one knows, but he gets them.
— + -
But writing letters to Santa
Claus is not restricted to the
very young. We frequently learn
of mothers who write Santa ask
ing a fur coat or a ring and
then asking their husbands to
check the letter to see if the
spelling is correct.
Last night we heard of a let
ter written Santa by a very fine
citizen in our community. He is
high up in our school system.
This gentleman wrote Santa
a letter, and he asked his wife
to “check the spelling”.
And what did he ask Santa to
bring him?
Os all things, a big sled, “one
like they use up north and coast
down the snow on the hills.”
Somehow or other he senses in
the sort of weather we are hav
ing “plenty of snow in Griffin”
and he has already picked out
the municipal golf course as a
good spot to enjoy his sled.
Merry Christmas — and don’t
fall off that sled, friend of mine.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Fair to partly cloudy
and cold again tonight and a
—little warmer Wednesday.
LOCAL WEATHER — Esti
mated high today 52, low today
29, high Monday 47, low Monday
23; sunrise Wednesday 7:32, sun
set Wednesday 5:35.
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; 1968 CHRISTMAS ° GREETINGS IS6BJ
US Dead In Vietnam
Climbs Above 30,000
He Steps Down Tonight
Mayor Stewart Pleased With
City-County Cooperation
Mayor Kimsey Stewart ends
six years as a city commission
er tonight with the satisfaction
of having seen develop a new sp
irit of cooperation between the
city and county governments.
He said the growing coopera
tion between the city and county
commissioners in handling mut
ual problems has been one of the
highlights of his service.
“I am pleased that the two bo
ards have gotten along very well
with each other during the six
years it has been my privilege
to serve as a commissioner,”
Mayor Stewart said this morn
ing.
He said he hoped the spirit
would continue to be a hallmark
of government in this commun
ity as the two groups work for
progress and development.
Mayor Stewart ends his second
three-year term on the city board
tonight. He did not offer for re
election and will be succeeded by
Barron Cumming, Griffin attor
ney who was elected last month.
Cumming will be sworn into
office tonight after old business
on the regular agenda has been
completed.
Another thing Mayor Stewart
is proud of is the fact that the
city has not had to raise taxes
during his six years as a com
missioner. He praised City Man
ager Jack Langford for his fru
gal watching of city expenditur.
es and helping to hold the city
within its income, yet still meet
ing the needs of a growing city.
Mayor Stewart was pleased
that he had a hand in getting
state funds with which to widen
and light Experiment street.
Auto Theft
Ring Cracked
In Banks County
ATLANTA (UPI)— The state
will seek grand Jury indict
ments today against six men
arrested in what police have
termed “one of the biggest auto
theft rings in recent northeast
Georgia history.”
Five of the six men were be
ing held in Banks County Jail
at Homer following their ar
rests this weekend in connec
tion with 13 cars stolen from
the Atlanta area during the
past two weeks.
Banks County Sheriff M. L.
Harrison said more a rre st s
were expected in the case and
added that the car thefts might
include many more vehicles.
He said 13 cars were found
stripped of their most valuable
parts and abandoned in the Ho
mer area.
Held on $25,000 bond each
were James Coker, 35, and
George Edward Faulkner, 18,
both of Homer; Calvin Smith,
22, and William McClure, 25, of
Maysville; and Gene Ritchie,
23, of Commerce. The sixth
man, Fred Jones of Homer was
released on bond.
Each of the men was charged
with larceny of auto. Police
said most of the stolen vehicles
which were found were sports
models and had been stolen
from Lennox Square, the Geor
gia Tech campus and other
parts of the metropolitan Atlan
ta area.
The state will ask the grand
Jury for an indictment charging
the men with conspiracy auto
theft, Harrison said.
DAILY *NEWS
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Mayor Stewart (1) and County Commission Chairman Jack Moss exemplify the
spirit of cooperation between the two governments.
He commended the city per
sonnel for their devotion and
dedication to their jobs. Mayor
Stewart said he was particular
ly proud of the Police Depart
ment’s record because the city
passed through some "troubled
times” during the last six years
without a breakdown in law and
order.
He noted the Recreation De
partment has been declared
Plans Ready Soon On
Two School Buildings
Work on plans for two 20-unit
school buildings is nearing com
pletion, the Griffin-Spalding Bo
ard of Education was told Mon
day night.
Herman Nelson of the admin
istrative staff told the board that
the plans should be in shape
soon so they can be put out for
bids.
He said, however, that archi
tect Gerald Bilbfo could not
pin point an estimated time as
to when the plans would be rea
dy for contractors.
One of the buildings will be
constructed on the Spalding Ju
nior High campus and will hou
se elementary students. The ot
her elementary school will be
constructed on the Jackson
road.
Property was purchased earlier
this year for the school site.
CONSOLIDATION
Construction of the two build
ings will be part of an overall
consolidation and revamp pro
gram the system plans on a long
range basis.
State money tor the buildings
already has been allocated.
Mr. Nelson said that the sys
tem could not expect to have the
buildings ready by the beginning
of the 1969 school year. He said
construction would take longer
than that.
He reminded the board that
some school buildings need roof
repairs. The most urgent need
is at North Side, he said. Sever
al other schools also need roof
repairs, he said.
If they are not made, Mr. Nel
son said, the system will be run
ning the risk of damage to Inter
iors from roof leaks.
In a quick look at school fin
ances, Chairman C. T. Parker
said the system probably would
be able to squeeze through De
cember without having to make
a loan. He noted that some lo
cal money from the Spalding
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Tuesday, December 10,1968
number one in Georgia.
“We have not moved ahead in
population and Industrial grow
th as some of us would like to
have seen,” Mayor Stewart said.
But he said there has been a st
eady growth and development of
this community and he believes
its future is bright.
“We need to do a lot more and
it will cost money,” Mayor Ste
wart said.
County Tax Commissioner’s of
fice was coming into the system,
now that 1968 taxes were being
paid.
Supt. D. B. Christie reviewed
highlights of a plan for exception
al children. He said the State De
partment of Education had re
quested such a plan so the Grif
fin-Spalding needs could be in
cluded when state budgets are
discussed in the General As
sembly next year.
Mr. Christie said surveys by
educators here indicate that
more than 800 students might be
placed in an exceptional child
ren’s program. The system has
a program for some stud
ents with special educational
needs now but an expanded pro
gram could serve better the sys
tem, Mr. Christie said.
ADOPTED
The board adopted the propos
al as outlined by the superinten
dent. He said it might take eight
to 10 years to develop and that
state money would finance it.
Additional federal funds are
being made available to the
state for free lunches, the board
was told.
The board instructed the lunch
room managers to “tie down
what money is available and util
ize it where it is needed.”
The money is used to buy
lunches for students who cannot
afford them.
MEETING
Chairman Parker suggested
that board members attend a
meeting on raising taxes to be
held here Dec. 23. Gov. Lester
Maddox and his aides will ex
plain his proposals for raising
revenue in Georgia. The meeting
will be held at the Griffin High
auditorium at 4 p.m. The public
is invited.
FACULTY
The board accepted the follow
ing resignations from the facul-
“I have enjoyed 99.9 percent
of the time I have been a c i t y
commissioner. The other tenth
of a percent was a little rough,”
he quipped.
Mayor Stewart will continue
his insurance, real estate and
other business interests here.
Before entering business here,
he was a successful football coa
ch at Spalding High then at the
consolidated Griffin High.
ty: Mrs. Mary Hunter, East Gr
iffin first grade; Mrs. Mary
Murphy, Crescent fourth grade;
Mrs. Marjorie Cochran, East
Griffin fifth grade; Mrs. A. M.
Adkins, Moore second grade;
Mrs. Betty Goss, Spalding Jun
ior High social science; Miss
Lana Layfield, Crescent third gr
ade; Dr. Adeline Patton, speech
correctionist for the system;
Mrs. Melody Jones, Spalding
Junior High English.
The following were elected
to the faculty: Miss Cynthia
Joan Newkirk, East Griffin first
grade; Miss Bobbie Loving, Cr
escent fourth grade; Miss Cath
erine Propst, East Griffin fifth
grade; Miss Lorraine Lake,
Moore second grade; Miss Ka
therine Blee, Spalding Junior
High social studies; Miss Eula
Lowe, speech correctionist for
the system: Mrs. Jean Murray,
Crescent third grade; and Mrs.
Lynne Johnson, Spalding Junior
High English.
Country Parson
■ SO < j
“What you have done to
day will determine the char
acter you will have tomor
row.”
Vol. 95 No. 293
Nearly Half
Killed
This Year
By ALVIN B. WEBB JR.
SAIGON (UPD—The number
of Americans killed in Vietnam
has passed 30,000, U.S. military
sources said today. Nearly half
of them have died this year.
Official reports showed Viet
nam fighting since Jan. 1, 1961,
had killed 29,865 Americans
through Nov. 30. But the U.S.
headquarters sources said the
number has now passed the
30,000 mark.
The disclosure came as the
U.S. command reported Com
munist shellings against nine
military camps and villages on
three sides of Saigon and
Cambodian border fighting
which killed 14 American
soldiers.
The Vietnam death toll
mounted steadily toward the
33,629 U.S. soldiers killed in the
Korean War, America’s fourth
costlies twar in lives lost.
Official statistics showed
nearly half of the American
Vietnam losses—more than 14,-
200—died this year. For the war.
more than 190,000 U.S. service
men have been wounded and
another 1,200 are listed as
missing in action or captured.
Over North Vietnam Monday,
Communist gunners tried but
failed with surface-to-air mis
siles to bring down a Navy
RASC reconnaissance plane
taking pictures of troop and
supply movements, spokesmen
said.
It followed Monday’s an
nouncement of the fourth U.S.
warplane shot down over the
Communist nation since the
Nov. 1 bombing halt. Today
headquarters identified one of
the two pilots rescued Monday
as Air Force Maj. Robert L.
McCann of Dedham, Mass.
The series os shellings against
outposts near Saigon was the
second in five days, headquar
ters said.
In nine salvos, the Commu
nists sent 392 rocket, mortar
and recoilless rifle rounds into
three provincial capitals, a
district capital and five U.S.
and South Vietnamese military
camps Monday and today.
Tips On
Christmas
Mailing
Two collection boxes will be
placed in front of the Griffin
Post Office this week to aid peo
ple who are mailing Christmas
cards.
Postmaster Ed Dye said
Christmas cards could be deposi
ted in the two boxes and people
would not have to enter the post
office building.
The boxes will be place there
to help relieve the congested sit
uation that arises in the post of
fice building during the holiday
season.
The boxes will be used throu
ghout the Christmas holiday sea
son, Dye said.
He gave several tips that wou
ld help Griffinites in mailing of
their Christmas cards and par
cels and would help speed their
delivery.
—Six cents postage will be re
quired on all Christmas cards,
either sealed or unsealed.
—Mail early in the day as
well as early in the week.
—Separate local cards from
out of town cards and tie them in
bundles properly labeled with la
bels obtainable at the stamp
window or from carriers.
—Beginning Thursday six cent
stamps will be sold at the Re
gister window to keep down
some of the congestion at the
parcel post window.
—All parcels should be secur
ely wrapped and tied and have
t return address on them.
—All mail should have street
addresses and numbers as well
as zip code.
INSIDE TODAY
Local News. Page 2.
Rat Alley Girls. Page 3.
Sports. Page 3.
Sports. Pages 4, 5.
Chicago. Page 6.
Society. Page 7.
Theft. Page 8.
SILENT NIGHT
The Story of Christmas
by John J. Stewart
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Second of a Series
There Was No Room for Them In the Inn
At Christmas time it is especially pleasant to be home.
Yet, on that most important of days, the first Christmas,
Mary and Joseph were far from home.
As Mary grew big with child she and Joseph left their
home and loved ones in Nazareth and traveled to Bethle
hem, several days’ journey to the south.
Palestine was under Roman rule and Caesar Augustus
had decreed that a census should be taken of all Roman
subjects. Many of the Jews chose to return to their an
cestral home for this registration.
“And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
' Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is
. called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage
• of David, to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, who
[ was big with child.
Mary need not have gone with Joseph for the census.
' But they had a far more important reason to journey to
Bethlehem. According to the Hebrew scriptures the Christ
' Child was to be bom in this city of David, and they were
determined to do God’s will.
' The hundred-mile journey, made on foot and with a
donkey, was a tiring, difficult one for the beautiful young
. mother-to-be. Anxiously she looked forward to reaching
Bethlehem and getting a room where she could rest.
But when they arrived they found that the town’s hous
■ ing accommodations were all taken, for there were many
other travelers there for the census and for the Jewish
• Passover festivities in nearby Jerusalem.
In vain Joseph, a man of modest means, sought a room
; where they might stay, where Mary could rest and in due
time be delivered of her child, the Son of God. But the best
[ that he could obtain was a stable. The Son of God must
. be bom in a stable, “because there was no room for them
1 in the inn.”
It was tragically prophetic of Jesus’ later life. As a ma-
• ture man He would sadly observe, “Foxes have holes and
' birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not
where to lay His head.” Even as there was no room for
- Him in the inn, so there was no room for Him in the hearts
' of most people. “I came unto My own and My own re
; ceived me not.”
1 Next—“A Virgin, Most Beautiful and Fair”
Gov. Maddox. Page 9.
West Germany. Page 10.
Powell. Page 10.
Laird. Page 10.
Hoard Case. Page 12.
FDR’s Pilot. Page 12.
Garrison. Page 12.