Newspaper Page Text
“Those who sacrifice
liberty for security are
likely to lose both M
★ ★★★★★
Volume LXV, Number Eighteen
--w-rrr-r:
PeacklanJ
journal
By Daniel K. Grahl
PASSING OF AN ERA
This week marked, for Fort
ley, the passing of an era.
Most residents probably
even know it, or if they did,
didn’t give it a second
We wouldn't have known it
out the help of our good
Lawrence Houston.
* Yesterday
' Central of
sit I £> a took
|| steam
<
|| which has
* c : in use here as
§f switch
i away and it
K learned
* there will be ab¬
solutely "Done in operation on
line within another week.
Already we have missed the
mournful whistle of the steam en¬
gines as they hauled the passen
gers and . freight . . i * up and , down , the ,
line. There was something about
the sound of such a whistle, heard
, late . at night while going to , sleep, ,
which , always i got , under , skin.
our
Over the years we have lived
in numerous South Georgia towns
of a size which made it easy to
hear whistles blow at night. One
particular incident will always be
remembered, although we didn’t
live in that particular town.
A boy fiend and I borrowed my
Pop’s Ford and took off for the
towns of Pavo and Ochloch^ee one
Saturday to spend the weekend
courting some girl friends.
Since there was no hotel avail¬
able in Ochlochnee we applied for
a room in a private “hoarding
house.’’ It was located right ad¬
jacent to the railroad track. Some¬
time in the very early morning
hours we returned to our room
and to bed, the side of the double
bed next to the wall being my por¬
tion. I was almost asleep when
a train came blasting <h wn the
track and cut loose with its whis¬
tle just as it reached the house.
Frightened completely out of
my wits I took one great bound
and landed running in the mid
die of the floor. It took me a good
30 minutes to completely recover
but Glenn, the boy friend, got
many chuckles for many months
out of the incident.
Progress knows no barriers
however, and the era of the steam
locomotive is over. We will miss
the sound of the whistle in Fort
Valley.
Made two trips to Florida fish¬
ing last week, my fourth and my
last. That’s not because there are
no fish there, however. They must
be there !• didn’t get any of
them.
Don’t want to give the impres¬
sion however, that all of the par¬
ty failed to catch some fish. Frank
McaDniels and Billy Mathews did
right well. They beat my part¬
ner, Tat Mathews and myself,
but they sure didn’t get any colder
and hungrier than we did.
*
We went over to Warner Robins
the other day on a little business
and while there were standing in
front of a friend’s place of busi¬
ness with two or three others do¬
ing a little gum bumping. Along
came our former business asso
ciate and good friend Rev. Casey
Monsees, pastor of the Warner j
Robins Church of God, in his mod
ern green Kaiser sedan.
All at once Bro. Monsees voice
come floating out of the car over
an installed public address sys- i
tern, “Better watch that guy you’
re talking to!” (We’re still try¬
ing to figure out who was sup¬
posed to watch whom).
“That man’s got a direct con- j J
nection in his car with the radio
station,” our partner commented, * j
“I knew he was supposed to
have a direct connection with heav
en,” John Miller said, “but I did¬
n’t know he had one with the ra- 1
dio station!” |
Speaking of the Houston Coun- i
ty city reminds us. That county j
was practically without munici¬
pal governments last week.
All of the council members at
Warner Robins were gone off on
a fishing trip while the council
at Perry fired their entire police
(Continued on page 8) j
®ljc geaber ®ribnne
Seniors, Bobby Holley Win First
Honors In State Literary Meet
Senior Class Wins
Spe Ming Honors
The senior class of the Fort
Valley High School are the beat
spellers in their division in the
! entre state, according to the an
entire state, according to the an
i Literary Meet held in Macon on
Saturday, April 25 at Mercer Uni
! versit y
i The seniors the first place
I won
j award with an average of 91.095.
| Only one member of the class
! i made a grade below 75 on the
test. Seventy-five pre cent of the
class made 90 or above.
Calhoun was the second place
school in spelling with an average
of 86.22. Eatonton ranked third
with 84.22 and Donaldsonville was
fourth averaging 84.19.
Fort Valley walked away with
the honors in the field of boys’
typing. Bobby Holley placed first
; with a score of forty words
m j nu t e
; In t the class , „ B Literary „ . Com
J
petition, .... _ Port Valley tro
I won a
| phy , for „ fourth place. , Eatonton
placed first> yidalia secondj and
| ifawkinsvillc third .
rh ’ . s ls the first time Fort Vab
ley , Hl * h has ever won a literar y
^ ln *’ 11 °Phy.
Consolidated Gas
Opens New Office
1 he Consolidated Gas Company
will open a branch office and dis- j
play room in Fort Valley tomor- j
row, May 1, according to bred 1
Shepard, local representative °i !
the company.
“Our new office and display
room will be located 1 on Main !
Street next to Poole’s Cafe,” Mr.
Shepard said, we e * tend a
most . cordial .. , invitation . to the pub
He to visit with us at any time, j
We will have a complete line of
up-to-date ranges, water heaters,
heating systems, etc., and compe
tent personnel will be on hand at
all times to greet customers. [
The building which is occupied
by the gas firm has just recently
been completely remodeled and
modernized. j
Shepard, who has been connected
with the firm since 1939, will con
tinue to be the local representative
and manager. He announced that
Mrs. Carl Johnson will assume du¬
ties as assistant manager.
“We are enthusiastic and proud i
of the new store,” the manager i
added. “We will carry the very
latest in merchandise for our cus
tomers. In addition, we will have
thoroughly qualified men to make |
installation of natural well i
gas as
as LP gas.”
Shepard is a native of Fort Val¬
ley. A veteran of more than two
years in the Navy, he and Mrs.
Shepard and their young dauhgter,
Marian, reside on Westview.
Social Security
Travel Schedule
J. W. Overstreet, Jr., manager
of the Macon Field Of fee of the
Social Security Administration,
has announced the travel schedule
of the representative from his of¬
fice.
A representative from the So¬
cial Security Administration of¬
fice at Macon will be in Fort Val¬
ley, Clerk’s Offce, at 9:30 A.M.,
on May 4, and anyone desiring
information about the Old-age and
Survivors Insurance program
should call on this representative
of the Social Security office.
If you are over 65 years old and
have worked in employment cov¬
ered by the Social Securty Act,
if you are the nearest relative of
a deceased worker who worked uu
der Social Security, it may be to
your advantage to see the repre¬
sentative.
If you have any questions about
Social Security benefits, the rep¬
resentative will be glad to help
you.
First Meeting Held
By Local Children
Monday, April 27, 13 girls met
at Mrs. Paul Murray’s home for
the first meeting of the Children
of the Confederacy. The meeting
followed a luncheon held at the
Woman’s Club, Thursday, April
23.
Girls present were Melrose Vin¬
son, Martha Murray, Marian Shep¬
pard, Frances Monk, Pete Brown,
Mollie Jones, Woody Marchman,
Mary Cowden Jones, Keith Taylor,
Mary Dee Matthews, Saralains
Evans, Dena Hallman, and Mary
Lynde Hatcher.
Two girls voted on a suitable
name for their chapter. The name
chosen was Major James Monroe
Culpepper.
Next, the officers were chosen
by popular vote. The officers are:
president, Pete Brown; vice-presi
dent, Mary Lyftde Hatcher; treas
urer, Mollie Jones; secretary-press
secretary, Martha Murray,
A committee for making a year
book was appointed by the pres
On the committee are Mary
Matthews, Mary Cowden
and Keith Taylor.
Several of the girls are plan¬
to go to a C of C Conven
on May 9th. The convention
be held in Macon, Georgia,
the event will include a busi
session ’ a luncheon > a hist °ri
*' our ^ acorl > and ' n the ev
there will be a semi-formal
’ The * irls wil1 be e «tertain
at the homes of the hostesses
which they are assigned.
Refreshments at this first meet
n K consisted of Coca-Colas and
crackers,
The next meeting will be held
school, May 11, at Mrs. Mur
home.
Agent Urges
In Home
“Whil^ you’re doing spring
it’s also a good time to
up hazards to safety that
be around your home,” Miss
Huston, home demonstration
for Crawford County said
today.
“Electrical outlets that are not
use act like a challenge to any
active, inquisitvie mind.
it’s a challenge he’ll try to
just as soon as he finds
bobby pin or some small piece of
or a pin on the floor to
into it. Plastic plub-ins may
bought for a small sum and
into unused outlets, thus elim
the possibility of a shock
painful injury to your child,”
said.
“Don’t overlook the job of clear
labeling medicines and of put
them out of reach of children,
and cleaning fluids are
in house cleaning, but
in a child’s hands. Have
special place for these things
be sure that they are kept
at all times \yhen not in
Miss Huston cautioned.
Every time you leave wheel
or skates on the floor, or
and brooms on the stair¬
you’re gambling on a loved
life. It won’t take nearly as
to pick them up when you see
as it will take to mend brok¬
bones or broken hearts!
The National Safety Council re¬
that it’s a good idea for
wife to check the way her hus¬
dresses for work. They stress
danger of wide cuffs on trous¬
floppy coats and dangling
which can get caught eas¬
in machinery. “Help him avoid
Be sure he isn’t dress¬
to kill.”
Fort Valley, Georgia, Thursday, April 30, 1953
New Baptist
Arrives Here
On Tuesday of this week
Rev. Norman E. Hodges moved
Fort Valley from Tennille to
come the twenty-fourth pastor
j the Frot Valley Baptist
The church was organized on
ust 21, 1852, and last August
served its Centennial
ary
* v
§11 1|
i ■
A
1 If
vl § ■
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'A. •
-
Mr. Hodges succeeds the Rev.
Raymond L. Harvey who served
as pastor from June 1, 1944 un
til February 1st when he resign
ed to join the Sunday School De
partment of the Georgia Baptist
Convention.
Mi. Hodges moved to Tennille
0ctober 195 °- fronl Hinesville,
Ga„ where he had been pastor of
Baptist Church. Mr. Hodges
been active in the work of
Washington Asociation. He has
director of Training Union,
for the Bessie Tift Cen
Campaign, chairman for
Day offerings for the
Baptist Hospital and or
for the Simultaneous
Crusade of 1951. He
served as president of the
County Protestant
Association.
He has also been active in com¬
and civic affairs. He has
a director Of the American
Cross, a director fo r the Com¬
Concert Association, and
trustee for the Woodrow Wilson
lbrary ior VVashmgton County.
has been a member of Rotar y
serving this year as
of the Tennille Club.
Mr. Hodges „was born in Oliver,
County, and was gradu
from the Sylvania High
He graduated from Brew
Parker Junior College in 1939,
University in 1941, and
Baptist Theological
Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, in
1949. For four years, 1943-1947,
he was a chaplain in the United
States Army, serving 26 months
of that time in the Southwest Pa
cific.
Mrs. Hodges is the former Miss
Ruth Nettles of Montgomery, Ala¬
bama, and Atlanta. The Hodges
have two sons, Norman, Jr., age
10, and Dan, age 5.
Byron Seniors Will
w
Present Minstrel
The Byron senior class and CHS
senior class will sponsor a black¬
face minstrel Tuesday night, May
5, at 8:00 P.M. Admission is 25c
md 50c.
The proceeds will be divided
equally between the tw o classes
and will he used for the class trip
to Washington, D. C.
The cast includes Byron and Ro
berta talent. Warren Willis and
Joe Stewart play important parts
as endmen and their jokes on lo
cal people are rich and amusing.
Mrs. Pete Hartley, as Sweet Geor¬
gia Brown, is also a highlight on
the program.
The minstrel is 90 minutes of
fun, pranks, dancing and singing.
FHA Will Hole!
Convention
The Future Homemakers of
America will hold their annual
convention May 1 and 2 in Augusta,
Georgia, with headquarters at the
j J fj 0 n is Aire allowed Hotel. two Each official FHA chap- dele
ter
j gates. This year the Fort Valley
chapter is sending Norma Jean
Cotney, president, and Elsie Bass,
parliamentarian of the local club,
The weekend includes a varied
program of meetings and planned
recreation. The girls will be ac
companied by Miss Jane Bene
field, the home economics teach
er and advisor.
Legion Auxiliary
To Sponsor Party
The American Legion Auxiliary
wili sponsor a benefit card party
Thursday night at 7:30 at the
Legion Home. Bridge, canasta, and
set-back will be played.
A door prize will be awarded
to the person holding the lucky
tiumber, and refreshments will he
served to all.
Proceeds of this event will go
toward the municipal swimming
pool.
Everyone is urged to come and
participate in this worthy cause,
For reservations, telephone Mrs.
Charles Evans at 205-W. Adpiis
sion is sixty cents. |
Minstrel Set For
May 8 By Club
The Junior Class and the
matic Club of Fort Valley
School will present a minstrel
the high school auditorium at
P.M. on Friday, May 8.
Lurton Massee, Jr., will be
interlocutor and Leighton
III, Sinclair Frederick, Eddis
ritt, Ralph Bassett, Billy
and Tommy Brannan will be
end-men.
Special numbers will he
ted by Dickie Watkins,
Cliett, Jack Duke, Peggy
Jane Pearson, Bobby Jones
Billy Sanders.
Dance choruses, “Hokey-Pokey
and “Put Your Arms Around Me
will include Annie Laurie
aker, Elsie Bass, Ann Shultz
ie Whitaker, Rae Jackson,
Williamson Betty Ruth
j Hazel Vining, Giles, Betty Mullinex,
Stella Collier, Carolyn
dridge, Paula Janney, Reba
Lorraine Clark Dorothy
and Avalyn Hutto.
Patricia Wilson, Henry
Jr., Virginia Brown, Donnie
I berger, Sumanda Lester, Joe
Georgia Walton, Dickie
J Worothy Betty Jordan, Scarborough, Gresham Buddy Aultman, Wil¬
I son, Liba Shepard and Charles
j Scarborough.
Miss Norma Bayer is in charge
i 0 f the minstrel and Mrs. Fred
j Ismail Fagan will be the accompanist. A
admission charge will be
j made
HISTORY OF FORT VALLEY
As I Remember
By J. DAWSON KENDRICK
Editor’s Note: This item was
scheduled to appear earlier in our
series but the revival at the Meth¬
odist Church caused us to move
the ones on the church to the ear¬
lier date.
It is commonly believed’ that a
prehistoric race of people lived
in Fort Valley and adjacent areas.
Along the banks of the Flint
River are said to be mounds sim¬
ilar to those in Northern Mexico,
in other states of the Union and
on the river hanks of other sec¬
tions of Georgia where archaeol¬
ogists have been active in making
excavations for the last few years.
These mounds were here in the
early part of' the 16th century
when the Indians came and they,
having no written language, know¬
ing their own origin, habitations
and history only by traditions,
confused and varied by transmis¬
sion, have contributed little or no
light on the subject of their pred¬
ecessors—who they were, from
where they came or whither they
went.
The best traditions agree that
the Indians found in possession
here when the first white man
eame were originally from the
west of the Mississippi River. His¬
torians agree and record the fact
that the Muscogee Indians, from
whom came the Creek Indians of
Georgia, were in northern Mexico
at the time of the Spanish Invas¬
ion led by Cortez in 1519. Allied
there with the Aztecs, they were
repelled and seeking new lands
for homes and went as far west
as Arizona. DeSoto found them,
or a most similar tribe, on the
banks of the Ohio River in 1540.
From there they gradually, as
they succeeded in overpowering
and incorporating other tribes,
made their way back into Georgia
to the Savannah River.. In 17.12,
after they had conquered the Lu
chee tribe, they were found by
the English colonists and given by
them the common name of Creeks
because of the beautiful creeks
overflowing their lands.
The conquered Euchees, having
only one small settlement left on
the Savannah River in 1737, mi
grated westward about the middle
of the 18th century and built their j
homes on the banks of creeks and
rivers as far west as the Chatta
hoochee River. It was this tribe
of Euchees that the earliest white
settlers found in this section, a
mong whom they lived, with whom
they bartered and from whom
they came into possession of its
wealth of field and forest.
Along the banks of the nearby
Flint Rover there were a number
of Euchee Indian towns
Benjamin Hawkins, who was ap¬
pointed in 1796 as Principal Agent
of Indian Affairs South of the
Ohio River, tells of an Euchee
Indian town in 1798 which “had
a public square which served as
their town house and their four¬
teen families lived in the village.”
A map of the Department of Eth¬
nology shows this town in the
northwest part of Macon County.
Until recent years there remain
an Indian graveyard with about
100 Indian graves on the site.
The houses of one of these In¬
dian towns is said to be the largest
of the tribe of Euchees “They are
largely and neatly built; the walls
of the houses are constructed of
a wooden frame then lather and
plastered inside and out with a
reddish well tempered clay or
mortar which gives them the ap¬
pearance of red brick walls; and
these houses are neatly covered or
roofed with cypress bark or shin¬
gles of that tree.”
The language of the Euchees
was different from their conquer¬
ors the Muscogees and the Creeks,
with whom they were allied, and it
was called “Savanna” or “Savan
nca tongue. Credited with a high
order of intelligence, they are said
to have mastered the Creek lan
guage but clung to their own lan¬
guage and customs, mixing little
with the Creeks and never losing
own individuality though
wise enough to unite with them
against a common enemy to sup¬
the interest and glory of the
Creek confederacy.
Of their appearance history has
to state: The males were tall,
and moderately robust;
features regular and counte¬
open, dignified, placid, yet
brow so formed as to strike
instantly with heroism and
the eyes small, active
f u jj f; re . complexion red
j 8 jj y rown or CO pper colored; and
hair hung loose and black
a raven.
The appearance of the women:
remarkably short of sta¬
seldom over five feet, they
we ]] formed, their visage is
and features regular and
the brow high and arch
d; the eye large, black, languish
n g, expressive of modesty, diffi
and bashfulness.”
Fleet footed, agile and skilled
their bows and arrows and
of their swift canoes, the
game and animals and fish
fur bearing animals gave them
and material for which they
themselves. They excelled
the arts of pottery and basket
$3.00 Per Year—In Advance
Oexton R. Whitley Named To Job
As New Hospital Administrator
Auxiliary To Meet
Witli Mrs. Herbert
1 he Thomas Library Auxiliary
will meet at the home of Mrs. D.
N. Herbert, West Church Street,
next Wednesday afternoon, May
6, and Mrs. John E. Lee will be
associate hostess with Mrs. Her¬
bert.
Mrs. Sinclair Frederick will di
rect the program. In the absence
of Mrs. Nelle C. Dure, who is vis
iting Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Dure
and family in Texas.
Mrs. Noble Bassett will preside
over the meeting.
AACB Officers To
Hold Annual Meet
L. R. Bywaters, Comptroller at
the Fort Valley State College, an¬
nounced today that the 14th An¬
nual Meeting of the American As
j sociation of College Business Of¬
ficers would be held at the college
on May 3-5.
The meeting will actually get
underway Sunday, May 3, 7:30
P.M., when the first session be
bins with a critical discussion on
“The Professon of College Busi¬
ness Management.” A report on a
study of college business officers'
salaries, together with observa¬
tions on the training and oppor¬
tunity of college business officers.
Culpepper Given
Promotion by RR
Word was received here this
week by relatives and friends that
John S. Culpepper, a native of
Fort Valley, has been transferred
to Jacksonville, Florida, and pro
moted to executive general ager.
at that city for the Southern Rail¬
road.
The native Fort Valleyan began
his career with the railroad here
in 1918 and served as a clerk un¬
til 1924 when he was transferred
to Greenville, S. C., in the same
capacity and subsequently was
promoted to commercial agent in
that city in 1931. He was promoted
to division freight agent in 1938
and to assistant general freight
agent in 1943. He was transferred
to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1945
as assistant traffic manager and
has been in that position until his
present transfer and promotion.
He is the son of the late Rev.
and Mrs. George B. Culpepper and
is a brother of George B. Culpep¬
per, Jr., C. F. Culpepper, and Mrs.
Chester Wilson of this city. One
brother, C. B. Culpepper, is mana¬
ger of the Atlanta Freight Bureau
and another, T. J. Culpepper, is
freight claim adjuster for the Sou¬
thern Railroad in Greensboro, N.
C.
Band Clinic Is
Very Successful
The Sixth Annual Band Clinic,
held at the Fort Valley State Col¬
lege on Thursday, April 23, was
highly successful according to
George D. Adams, host director
and band director at the college.
Approximately 4,000 people were
on the campus to see and hear^
the 24 different bands perform un¬
der the direction of their respec¬
tive conductors.
The morning of the clinic, the
bands gave a concert in the col¬
auditorium during which time
band played a few minutes.
Following the concert, several
were assembled and conduc¬
by Robert M. Barr, this year’s
conductor.
The hand clinic sponsored group
on various aspects of
school band problems, equip¬
and organizational proce¬
etc. The highlight of the
was the parade of bands
downtown Fort Valley to the
campus.
THE CLAsalFIEDS
‘
‘ ‘A
’ \wo "mm M
! Peach County Hospital Au
! thority, though its secretary, W.
| C. McConnell, this week announced
the appointment of Dexton R.
! Whitley as administration, labor
atopy, and x-ray technician of the
hospital. He will assume his du¬
ties on May 1.
The new administrator comes to
Fort Valley from Dawson, Georgia,
where he has served in'the same
(capacity at the Terrell County
I Hospital. Whitley received his
professional training at the Ma
CO n Hospital and has been in the
j medical field for the past seven
j years. He is a member of the
American Medical Technologists
I Association.
; He is well known by many resi¬
dents of Fort Valley and Peach
j County 1941 to since 1947. he He resided here from
completed high
school in Fort Valley.
During the time between May 1
and the opening date of the hos¬
pital the new official will spend
his time helping with the selec
ton and purchase of the hospital
furniture and equipment and as¬
sisting in employing personnel and
establishing contacts designed to
promote the success of the hos¬
pital.
Hospital Authority officials stat¬
ed that the opening date is an¬
ticipated to be September 1.
W. E. Greene is chairman of
the authority while W. C. McCon¬
nell is secretary, H. Huckabee is
treasurer. D. C. Strother, W. T,
Pearson, J. W. Pearson, and J. F.
Lowe are other members. B. A.
Young, county manager, and T. A.
McCord, Fort Valley mayor, are
ex-officio members of the authori¬
ty. Henry Harris is serving as at¬
torney for the authority.