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[7 GOOD
LJ VENIN VT
F By Quimby Melton
■ The Worshiping Commun
fl' is the topic of this week’s
■ ernational Sunday School
■ ion. Background Scripture is
fl'.tthew 18:19-20; John 4:19-24;
■cs 2:41-47; Colossians 3:14-17.
■ ’he Memory Selection is
Sod is a Spirit: and they that
■rship Him must worship Him
flspirit and in truth.” (John
■k
■iThe Worshiping Commun-
H" is made up of “worshiping”
■ ople. And every person,
■ ether he realizes it or not,
florships” someone or some
fl ng. Therefore it is a fair
fljstion to ask “Whom do I
fl rship, what do I worship, and
flw do I worship?”
■Whom do I worship? Is it God
fl) Creator, the one and only
flie and eternal God? Or is it
flnething else?
■ During the 47 years Good
I rening has lived in Griffin and
fljrked on this newspaper he
Ks gotten many letters from
■ ople and from firms interest
fl in making this dty their new
lime. These seek information
■ id ask questions.
■ The questions asked vary.
■ rom firms interested in
flening a plant here came
■ jestions concern shipping
■icilities, electric and gas
flwer available; taxes, the
flbor supply etc. From indivi-
Hals the questions include ones
■lking about housing, schools
Hid recreational facilities.
■ But there was one question
fly all ask.
■ What about your churches?
■it is quite evident that to
■any the status of a com
■i unity, churches is a most
flportant thing to take into
■insideration if one plans to
■iove to a community.
I Strong, active churches are a
Ijreat asset to any community,
fl If something should happen
flat resulted in all our churches
fling closed or torn down, how
flany of us would either move to
Another town where there were
flurches or would start im
mediately to plan new chur-
Bhes?
fl A community cannot “wor
ship” the One and Only True
fcod without churches in which
■jo worship. These need not be
llegant, lavishly furnished
[churches; for many of our
strongest churches are modest
Buildings. The Church is the
tallying point for those who
would join the Master in His
war on the enemies of decencv
and the Trinity.
How - can our churches be a
“worshiping” church? First let
us realize that it cannot be
unless its members are a
“worshiping” people. And the
best way this layman knows the
wordiip is through Prayer.
Prayer as an individual and
prayer, along with other
Believers, in the church of their
choice.
Notice the background
Scripture says the congregation
does not have to be large for its
Prayers to reach up to the
Master.
The latter part of the back
ground is taken from Acts and
there have been those who have
used this part of Acts to claim
that the early Christians
practiced “Communism”. No
more misleading attitude could
be taken. Luke, who wrote Acts
was the companion of St. Paul,
wrote this book to guide the
early Christians and to
strengthen, their Faith in The
Master. Luke simply meant this
that Christians should be totally
interested in helping their less
fortunate brotheren and that
there should be a Unity in this.
He also, we believe, wrote this
story to show that even in
sharing one could “hold out”
trying to substitute partial
compliance with the teachings
of Jesus Christ is not sufficient.
(Remember Ananias and
Sapphira?)
May our community and Our
nation worship God Almighty,
alwayand always.
He is older than we
The Rev. Walter Elliott has
stepped forward to claim the
title of “oldest man in these
parts”, as he prepares to cele
brate his 107th birthday in July.
According to the Elliott
family Bible, a son, Walter, was
bom July 2, 1865 in the
Philadelphia community of
Henry County, where the Rev.
Elliott has made his home for
most of the past 106 years.
Raised during the reconstruc
tion era following the Civil War,
he attended three different
schools — Philadelphia Area,
Hampton, and Bethlehem
(Locust Grove) — where he
prepared for a future filled with
unforseen technilogical
miracles.
Although he has lost the sight
in one eye and is a bit hard of
hearing, Rev. Elliott still rises
to his feet when a lady enters
the room.
“You could’ve had my chair,”
he says, finding one of his
daughters standing slightly
behind him.
After joining the congregation
of the Old Big Springs Baptist
Church in Henry County, Rev.
Elliott was ordained a minister
of God and was made assistant
pastor.
During his active career as a
churchman, he married hun
dreds of people, including many
of his own children.
flit ~ * •
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■ HBljP ■ ”
DORAVILLE, Ga.—Hot fireman gets hosed down by a buddy in front of burning gasoline tanks
after an early morning explosion yesterday in storage complex. (UPI)
Fire fighters order
more foam in battle
ATLANTA (UPI) — Fire of
ficials called for an emergency
supply of foam early today in
an attempt to extinguish an
awesome fire raging in three
gasoline storage tanks in subur
ban Doraville.
Around 1,800 gallons of foam
was being flown in from Wilm
ington, Del., to battle the
flames which were sparked by
an explosion Thursday morning
that killed two men.
Without foam, firemen said,
they were powerless to exting
uish the fire that was feeding
on two and one - half million
gallons of gasoline in the three
tanks. Weary 'firemen kept a
steady stream of water on two
other tanks, one containing ker
osene, in the tank farm of Tri
angle Refineries, Inc.
DAILY
Daily Since 1872
106 years |
| EDITOR’S NOTE: The Rev. Walter Elliott of Henry $
$: County is 106 and the oldest person the Griffin Daily News
has been able to find in its circulation area. The
g newspaper is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
As part of the observance, the Griffin Daily News offered
SIOO to the oldest person it could find past the century
mark. The SIOO check has been mailed to the Rev. Elliott
The newspaper also has made the following people
members of its Century Club: Luther Turner, 102, of
$ Fayette County who makes his home at the Highview
•£ Nursing Home in Atlanta; and Thomas J. Jackson of
:•:• Sunny Side who celebrated his 100th birthday March 27.
Mrs. Lora S. Crouch of Griffin will reach the Century
mark May 21.
When the church moved to a
new location and took a new
name to match — New Big
Springs Baptist Church — Rev.
Elliott also took on new duties
as superintendent of the Sunday
School.
“I used to carry the whole
family to church every Sun
day,” he recalls.
The Rev. Elliott fathered 24
children during two marriages.
“I had a car once while I was
working for the railroad pulling
up crossties, but my family got
so big, I had to go back to using
my wagon so I could get all of us
The tanks could bum for sev
eral days, officials said, if they
can’t be doused.
The explosion occurred before
dawn Thursday, shaking homes
as far as 10 miles away, and
shooting flames 300 to 400 feet
into the sky. Some of the
flames spewed on to surround
homes, burning three of them
to the ground. Families in 300
homes were evacuated and
spent Thursday night in a shel
ter set up in a school or with
friends.
The dead men were Eugene
Smith, 31, a workman at the
refinery, and James Sloan, 29,
an occupant of one of the de
stroyed homes.
Three other persons, including
Sloan’s wife and a neighboring
couple, were injured. Around 75
firemen were overcome by
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Friday, Apr. 7, 1972
to church,” he said.
Faced with supporting a large
and growing family, Rev.
Elliott turned to farming, where
he remembers raising a wide
variety of crops.
Rev. Elliott and his first wife,
Mary, were married sometime
in the late 1800 s and immedia
tely began raising a family
which would number 11 children
by 1919.
The children are Zack (2-21-
96), Addie (3-12-98), Mary Lee
(7-13-01), Carrie (10-6-02), Lillie
Mae (11-17-04), Charlie (8-22-
07), Henley (2-19-10), Zettie Lee
smoke and the 200-degree heat
and were treated in an emer
gency tent or at hospitals.
Mabbett office
near fire scene
Mrs. J. R. Mabbett who runs a
gasoline and oil distribution
business from Griffin has an
office located about a half mile
from the fire scene at Doraville.
The Griffin business woman
planned to go to the office in
Atlanta this afternoon. She said
the office had an underground
tank for fueling trucks but no
above ground tanks.
Her office, though near the
fire scene, has not been
damaged by the fire.
Mrs. Mabbett’s home office
for the distribution business is
in Griffin.
NEWS
(4-14-12), Walter Jr. (7-19-14)
Roscoe (10-5-16), and Willie
Nora (8-23-19).
Following the death of his
first wife, Rev. Elliott married
Adie Brown on April 4,1920. The
service was performed by the
Rev. J. L. Grice and witnessed
by Shell and Annie Harris.
Os his second marriage, 13
children were born.
The children are Eunice (4-21-
21), Eva Mae (12-10-22), Fordon
(5-21-25), Frank (5-30-26),
Robert (5-2-29), James (9-18-
31), Mildred (9-19-34), Margaret
(9-21-35), Katie Sue (10-18-37),
Christine (4-9-39), Bernice (7-28-
41), Paris. Lee (8-18-42) and
Eddie Joe (10-15-44).
Os the 24 children, 14 are still
living.
Rev. Elliott also has 76 grand
children, 38 great grandchild
ren, and 13 great, great grand
children.
At one time, he recalls that
the whole family was at home
together for “a day or two”.
Having always enjoyed good
health, Rev. Elliott has a harty
appetite; listing his favorite
foods as chicken, fish, pork
chops, liver, ham and eggs.
“I am not sickly and don’t
have any trouble digesting my
food,” he explained.
Although his activities of late
are somewhat limited, he still
enjoys eating, sleeping, travel-
LBJ suffers
chest pains
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.
(UPl)—Former President Lyn
don B. Johnson suffered chest
Claxton
named
v-chairman
Griffin druggist Lee Roy
Claxton came away from a bill
signing session with Gov.
Jimmy Carter at the capital
Thursday afternoon as the vice
chairman of Georgia’s first
Human Resources Board.
A product of the governor’s
reorganization plans, the
Human Resources board —a
super committee of 15 members
— will administer all state pro
grams in the areas of health,
welfare, and rehabilitation.
“The governor is particularly
concerned that state services to
be administered by the depart
ment of Human Resources be
well coordinated and responsive
to the needs of every Georgian,
with a minimum of confusion
and red tape,” Claxton said.
Claxton, often at odds with the
governor over reorganization,
had met with the chief execu
tive Monday afternoon at the
mansion, where the two men
decided that they shared
common aspirations for the
people’s needs and could work
(Continued on Page 10.)
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Vi/'V \ ■■,
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Lee Roy Claxton
Vol. 100 No. 82
ing, and making sure the area
around his home remains free
of trash.
Speaking of his love of travel,
Rev. Elliott explains his
philosophy of speed; having
seen the advent of the car and
airplane:
“You can’t go any faster than
I can ride,” he said.
While paying his church
“dues” regularly and retaining
his Minister’s Ordination
Certificate in good standing,
Rev. Elliott is only able to make
it to church now about once a
month.
“He still likes to preach if he
can find someone to listen,”
jokes one of his daughters.
“I can still find the words
when I need them,” Rev. Elliott
renlies.
Os the present, he “likes
things pretty well the way they
are now,” not being one to live
in the past and long for bygone
days.
As for advice to youngsters
who would seek his secret of
long life, Rev. Elliott simply
advises, “Live right and do
right”.
The Rev. Elliott is certainly
an old man, but a tired old man
pains today and was rushed to
University of Virginia Hospital
by a mobile coronary care unit.
Dr. Richard S. Crampton said
the 63-year-old former president
“is comfortable now and his
condition is stable.” He refused
further comment on Johnson’s
condition.
The former chief executive
was visiting his daughter and
son-in-law, Marine Maj. and
Mrs. Charles Robb, when the
pains struck at 4 a.m.
Crampton said Johnson was
“treated by the University of
Virginia’s Mobile Coronary
Care unit and the Charlottes
ville-Albermarle County Rescue
Squad because of chest pains.”
The doctor said Johnson is
undergoing tests today to
determine his condition, but
declined to disclose the type of
tests.
The former president and his
wife often visit the Robbs in
this university town about 70
miles northwest of Richmond.
Robb is a second-year law
student at the university. He
and his wife Lynda, have one
child.
Willie Day Taylor,the former
Gunman takes cash,
money orders, cigs
Police said that the man who
held up the operator of the
Handy Andy Food Store at 704
West Solomon street last night,
may be the same gunman who
made off with cash, money
orders and a money order
machine at the Handy Andy
Store on East College street less
than two weeks ago.
Mrs. Emily Jordan, the night
operator of the West Solomon
street store, told officers that
she was talking with her
daughter on the phone around
11:20 last night, when a lone
Negro man came into the store
and held a gun on her.
He took $56.87 from the cash
register, a carton of cigarets,
and eight money orders.
Mrs. Jordan was able to tell
her daughter, who called police.
They arrived shortly after the
gunman left.
On Mar. 26, a gunman held up
Jon Wynn, the operator of the
East College store, and took
■'W'■
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Rev. Elliott
just waiting for his maker to
call him home is not a fit
description of this centurian.
CHAPEL HILL, Tenn.—Former President and Mrs. Lyndon
Johnson walk from funeral home following services for
former Tennessee Governor Buford Ellington here
yesterday. Johnson in 1965 appointed Ellington to the
directorship of the Office of Emergency Planning. (UPI)
president’s press secretary,
said in Austin, Tex., that she
had talked to several members
around $75, 44 money orders
and the money order machine.
The money orders taken in
both hold-ups are on the
Travelers Express Co. Inc. and
are light blue in color. Those
taken last night are numbered
0824352593 through 0824352600.
Police warned area merchants
Weather
111
ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY
70, low today 56, high yesterday
77, low yesterday 42. Sunrise
tomorrow 6:27, sunset
tomorrow 6:58.
Inside Tip
See Page 6
“Sometimes I think about
getting married again,’’ he says
with a gleam in his eye.
of the Johnson family and none
“seemed to think it (the
attack) was serious.”
to watch out for them.
Mrs. Jordan described the
gunman as being tall and
skinny. She said he was about
six feet tall, weighed around 175
pounds and was wearing a dark
trshirt, dark pants, and a brown
leather type cap.
it:
jSsfES
*[ T
“You really can’t save your
strength — it’s when you don’t
use it that you lose it”