Newspaper Page Text
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“Those who sacrifice
liberty for security are
likely to lose both »»
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Volume LXV, Number Eighteen
Peachland
{Journal
By Daniel K. Grahl
“THE RED BADGE OF COUR¬
AGE”—MODERN STYLE
Last Thursday afternoon at ap
proximately 5:15 I had a call from
my partner’s wife and she told me
that a tornado had just ripped the
city of Warner Robins apart.
» } I rushed out to
my car, with vis¬
ions of friends
hurt and dying,
BjBtfl and rushed just
as quickly as pos
if sible to the stri¬
cken city, My
heart was in my
mouth.
Except for the distant frail of
a siren or two there seemed to be
no indication at first that any
great damage had been inflicted.
1 asked where the storm hit and
was told that it was in the South
Zeigler area. I rushed there, still
hoping that the damage was neg
ligible.
I can live to be as old as the
Biblical character of Methuselah
and I will never forget the sight
I saw.
Whole rows of the. apartments
were now just jumbles of bricks,
boards, metal beams, twisted and
torn automobiles, tree tops, and
wildly scattered furniture and ap¬
pliances. People were rushing in
and out of the jumbles hunting for
loved ones.
Down into the stricken area I
rushed to see if I could be of any
material aid. There 1 found them
all—the white-collar man, the me¬
chanic, the doctor, the minister,
the groceryman, the schoolteacher
and the soldier. Some were hunt
ing for loved ones but the vast
majority were hunting only for a
way to help the troubled.
Many people were there, and
there was a large portion, of hys¬
teria. Above it all, though was the
impression of a great drive to
fight back at the devastating and
vicious twister.
Swiftly the citizens of the city
formed into volunteer policemen,
excavators, first aidmen, and sim
ilar tradesmen. Grin^y and quick
ly they began their Herculean
tasks.
Outside help came iwiftly from
all sides. Temporary hospitals and
first aid stations were set up in
the city hall and the school build
ings. The mayor and other city
■officials moved to set up a head¬
quarters. Doctors and nurses be
gan their long and swift fight
against injury.
The stories began unfolding—
of a father who watched his two
children pulled and thrown away
from him, of a man who grabbed
his baby and had his wife and
other child lay down with him in
his living room only to have the
roof and walls disappear from
over and around nim, of a family
which was caught in their car
on the highway and barely
ed was Arteries the sto le of ^hos/who were
not so fortu a - ^ , ^
lost their lives.
It was extremely sudden and
just as extremely vicious and dead
^hroueh 6 'it" & t!roke & ^he horrible
h t “Red
B ad ge of Courage”—modern style,
The people of Warner Robins
came “ up off the floor and fought
f d e by side through the long and
Sed .G v. f rdp-vu as a
“ team and with grim de
,Crn "Ty . ,. fA enw Hnd salvage “nd
what * C »».d Of people
.
something else in
W.™ Robins',as.' Thnrsday af
. thp storm
In the words of one of the min
isters of the citv the following
Sundav he had 'never heard so
many 'le references to God by the
in all his years of ministry
there There were no atheists in
Warner Robins that night.
The recent tornado which struck
R vicinity
brought K M wirt w,th it it a a strange s J looking J
bird The bird was rwoverea ny
a Macon P^ ^ficer and -
formation indicate„ that
later given to a resident of Fort
Valley. will be
If such is the case it
appreciated if the person receiv
ing the bird wll call the editor
of the Leader-Tribune.
0Ehe Seaber ®ribnne
Fort Valley, Georgia, Thursday, MW 1953 N U*/ 1
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Early last Sunday morning a
Central of Georgia freight train
piled up approximately seven miles
west of Fort Valley on the road
to Columbus,
A total of 47 cars were wrecked
as of the train left the track,
To My Mother-With All My Love
On Mother's liav
By HELEN WHEELER ZOOK
I realize we mortals are not supposed to be vain or proud—
humility is one of the requisites of the good Christian. However,
there is one thing of which I am very vain and the Dear Lord
will just have to forgive me because I simply have to hold my
i head extremely high when I even think of or refer to my mother.
j Everyone loves his or her mother. Everyone is proud of his
j or her mother. That is the way it should be! But 1, as I said be¬
j fore, am extremely proud. Why? Because to me my mother rep¬
resents the very epitome of motherhood. She has never been or
; ever will be voted the outstanding mother of the year. Besides
that, very few people really know her. She has never been in
j the limelight and never will be, because for that she has no de
rrnc, Extra-Cu u« l a. ■Uvfti ,. 4 . the be,.,, ai C somethii 'ft
she has always been vitally interested in but something in which
she could never actively participate.
Why then, the added honor I have conferred upon her? Not
just because she is the mother of 12 children but because she
has worn her motherhood so proudly all these years. On her, it
fits becomingly! To her, being a mother, with all its trials and
tribulations, was the job assigned her on this earth and she put
this task above everything else, even above herself. She realized
she could not go a great deal and adequately take care of the
“cheaper by the dozen” brood the Lord had given her, so—she
j stayed at home. 1 imagine that she would have liked to take trips,
play bridge, etc., as well as any of us modern mothers, but she
knew she could not do that and care for her children as well as
j she wanted to. As a child I did not get everything I wanted as
most of our children do today—an ice cream cone occasionally
from my daddy’s drug store was a big treat—and I was not bur¬
i dened with an overflowing wardrobe, but the dresses I had were
beautifully handmade by the stay-at-home loving mother’s hands
and every stitch showed her love for her children.
j Girl or boy made no difference to my mother—she took us
j as we came. with open arms and open heart—never begrudging
j (Continued on Society I’age)
j HISTORY OF FORT VALLEY
i As I Remember
By J. DAWSON KENDRICK
, the
Prior to the establishment of
earned traders
to Georgia from the Caro
many of them marrying In
WO men, daughters of Indian
chiefs, who, pleased with the al
acclaimed . them chiefs , . - of ,
| liance,
the tribe. Prominent among these
Carolina traders was Timothy Bar
nard, a grandson of an English
baron, and one time mayor of Lon
don, who came from Wilmington,
N. C. He came into this section
and married an Indian woman of
the Euchees, was named chief, and
through U> her came into possession
of . «, „„d. Adi
cent to the Flint River in which
was Houston County prior to the
form.,,on of O.^rd and
counties.
Benjamin Hawkins found him
in 1796 living happily with his
dian wife and children with an
abundance of everything the soil
and herd could yield and practic
ing a crude but profuse hospital
ity. Prior to the coming of
jamin Hawkins, Barnard was an
acknowledged interpreter and act
ed as such at the Treaty of
ian in 1796 when the boundaries
nation wag estab
Benjamin J Hawkins held
esteem and in
a concer ning him in 1797
said: *« The white and red men
j are much indebteded to his con
stant persevering and honest ex
j ertions do justice , to all He
to
was a trader in the nation before
Early this Week officials were
able to give the reason for
wreck,
No one was hurt in the
dent and cleaning up
wen begun almost
by repair crews of the line.
the war and remained in it dur
j edly ing the risked progres his of life it and and fortune repeat
■
in the cause of humanity.” He was
of much assistance to Benjamin
Hawkins and through him was ap
pointed principal temporary agent
of Indians south of the Ohio Riv
er and as interpreter received ?700
a year
His letters preserved among
“American State Papers: Indian
Affairs, show h™ a man of ed
ucat.on, keen intellect and moral
I stamina. He is credited with blaz
ing the Indian trails connecting
this section with the English col
« on the co,,t and the Spanish
j settlements in Florida, which were
Hater to become the stage coach
*£ £
: ing a large estate consisting of
property, in England thousands of
I acres of land in this section, much
cattle, many horses, and sixty Ne
gro slaves,
I James Abbington Everett is
credited with being the first and
the largest trader among the in
dians in the immediate vicinity of
Fort Valley. Coming from North
Carolina to Hartford, Georgia,
across the Ocmulgee River from
Hawkinsville, and from there to
this sec tion in the early part of
the nineteenth century, he
[dated himself'with the family of
Timothy Barnard, who married an
Indian squaw and through this
connection come into possession of
large acreage of land.
Most of the cars were
and the pile-up was terrific.
! results of the accident may
seen in the picture shown
which was taken by a Leader
Tribune photographer after
up operations had begun.
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The terrible effects of the
which struck Fort Valley and
ner Robins last Thursday
be accurately estimated from
two pictures above.
The scene are from Warner
ins and were taken by a
Robins Press photographer
Young Andrew Jackson Aids
In Storm Maneuver
BY D. K. GRAHL
Editor, Leader-Tribune
Andrew Jackson, 14-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. Hoke Jackson,
may not have been named for
<< Old Hickory” of American his
tory fame, but he certainly com
pares favorably with him for cour¬
age and presence of mind.
Late last Thursday afternoon
young Andrew decided against go
ing to a movie and stayed home
to attend to several small items.
While in his yard he noticed the
huge and terrible looking funnel
shape of a tornado twisting and
swoopng down on his home.
Thinking of his mother and six
brothers and sisters who were in
the house and in dire danger young
Jackson ran swiftly in to them and
them into the living room
and insisted that they get down
j on the floor and under any cover
I available.
Suddenly the twister hit. And
a few seconds later when it had
Tornado Leaves 19 Dead In
Middle Robins Hardest Hit
Storm Relief Fund
Is Established Here
Merchants and other citizens of
Fort Valley this week are com
| piling funds of money and other
I needed items for the relief of both
[local and Warner Robins sufferers
in the recent storms.
Mayor T. A. McCord is serving
as overall chairman of one such
I fund while Mrs. Earl Adams and
Mrs. Roy Winder are directing
tjie contact work.
It was pointed out that staple
groceries, bed clothing, pots, pans,
etc., are still needed in the Warner
Robins area. Such donations may
i be left at the fire department or
they will be picked up if desired.
Unofficial word also reached
the Leader-Tribune that funds for
aid to local sufferers were being
raised at both the Blue Bird Body
Company and by the Baptist
Church.
Mrs. J. B. McGee and Mrs. H.
J. McCrary were in Atlanta Sat¬
urday and Mrs. McCrary remain
ed for a visit with her daughter,
Mrs. Frank Nichols.
clean-up
the South Zeigler apartment
All of the area covered by
pictures was originally taken
by the government apartments.
this area very little of any of
apartments was left standing.
storm moved on from this part
moved on across the countryside
to later smash a murderous blow
at the city of Warner Robins,
there was nothing left of the Jack
son home except a few piles of
bricks and scattered walls, and
boards,
All members of the Jackson
family who were in the disaster
were injured to some extent, most
of them in a minor way. The most
seriously injured? Why, Andrew,
of course.
Disregarding his grievous in
jury the young Boy Scout con
tinued to hang on to his presence
of mind and his training. Repeat
edly he warned the family mem
bers not to step on loose electrical
wiring, and on dangerous pieces
of wreckage. He was still giving
out the warnings when help ar
rived and carried the family to
a Macon hospital.
Young Jackson is a member of
Boy Scout Troop 88, in Fort Val
ley, and his presence of mind has
$3.00 Per Year—In Advance
Disaster struck near Fort Valley last Thursday after
noon and then smashed on across the countryside to
deal a staggering blow to the youthful and growing
city of Warner Robins as a twisting, slashing tor¬
nado left a total of some 19 dead throughout Middle
Georgia and left property destruction and damage which
has been estimated to be in excess of 20 null ion dollars.
Most of the deaths and the vast majority of the prop¬
erty damage was suffered in Warner Robins. However,
the edge of Fort Valley, before the storm reached the
on completely destroyed and
defense city, one home was eliminated and nearly 10
three more were practically p
pie were
W A. A TI■!»•<!V Harm joins loins
.
Local Gas Firm
W. A. “Bill” Hardy has
the Val-Gas Company as
representative according to an
nouncement made this week
company officials.
A qualified heating and
ance engineer, the new
ative has over 10 years
in the business. He is a native
Alabama but came to Fort
from Dublin, Ga.
Hardy is a veteran of
years in the army, of which
months were spent overseas
the European theatre.
He is a member of the
Church and a Mason.
many of the Ignico
new brick duplex apartments,
After leaving the city
the tornado went across the
and inflicted some 10-12
dollars worth of damage to
nearby air base.
been traced in large part back
his Boy Scout training. He is
member of the Intermediate
partment of the Fort Valley
tist Sunday School and
regularly. Millard Brown is
scoutmaster.
Andrew is supposed to
i home from the hospital today.
eral of his ribs were broken
it is understood that they
ed his lungs a bit. There is
an injury to his back. He
probably be a good while
erating from his injuries.
thing seems to be certain,
ever. His family is safe today
marily because of his presence
mind in the fact of extreme
ger and disaster,
It may be that he is not a
sake of ‘Old Hickory You
bet your bottom dollar
that “Old Hickory was
braver than Fort Valley’s
old Andrew Jackson last
day afternoon.
WM i»i 01 JffiDflM
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hoke
Jackson just south of the city was
com pletely degtroyed by the twis
ter and Mrs. Jackson and seven
of their children were hospitaliz¬
ed. A11 of the family with the
exception of 10-year-old Andrew
bave been released from the hos
pital and he is expected this week¬
end.
j j n addition to the Jackson home
that of Ml . and Mrs. Elbert Rob
ertSj on sheriff Herbert Beeland’s
farm south of the city, was al
I most completely destroyed as was
| that of Mr. and Mrs. James No
bles, in the same general loca
tion.
At Warner Robins it has been
ascertained that some 16 persons
I died in the storm in that city
alone. Three more dead were add¬
ed as the twister moved into
j Twiggs County.
) After striking briefly on Pleas
\ ant Hill Road at Warner Rob¬
ins, where it demolished four
homes completely and three more
partially, the twister dropped down
in the South Zeigler apartment
area and left only rubble of some
' 10 or 12 rows of the closely built
apartments. From the Zeigler area
it moved into the comparatively
new Ignico Apartments and com
pletely demolished 36 of those un¬
its with heavy damage to more
than 150 of them.
: Trie storm men jumped trie
highway and cut a path of de
struction through Robins Air
Force Base. On the base alone
the property damage has been
estimated as being in excess of
10 millions of dollars. The prop¬
erty damage to civilian areas in
the city of Warner Robins has
been estimated by reliable person¬
nel to be more than five million
dollars.
Relief organizations of Middle
Georgia moved swiftly following
the storm and late this week their
activities were progressing rapid¬
ly. The Red Cross, the State High¬
way Patrol, the Salvation Army,
police and fire department person¬
nel from the city of Macon, the
National Guard, and military per¬
sonnel all moved rapidly to help
the city of Warner Robins begin
its recuperation.
Mrs. Hunnicutt Is
Arts Club Prexy
At the regular meeting of the
Fine Arts Club last week Mrs.
Earnest McGee was appointed to
| represent the club on the drive Steer¬ for
ing Committee in the
a municipal swimming pool.
It was reported to the club at
the meeting that eight girl scouts,
troops have been organized and
registered. Mrs. Robert Wells
made the committee report, and
stated that the program is ex¬
pected to be expanded for the com
ing year.
The nominating committee re¬
ported that the same officers were
nominated for the coming year
and they were elected without op¬
position.
Mrs. Kemper Hunnicutt, presi¬
dent, has been chosen to head
the State Federaton office of
State Junior Conservation Chair¬
man.
It was announced that the an¬
nual social meeting of the year
will be held on Tuesday night,
May 12. The program for that
night will be presented by Mr.
and Mrs. Luther Ivey and son
Bobby, of Americus. The trio was
recently the subject of an article
in an Atlanta newspaper.
Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Swain,
of Binghamton, N. Y., announce
the birth of a daughter to be nam¬
ed Nina Clair. Mrs. Swain is the
former Miss Martha Hartley,
ley.