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“Watergate Bug” Epidemic
Is This Year’s Asian Flu
By IRWIN J. POLK, M.D.
Copley News Service
'»
There’s been a lot in the
news lately about a strange
new disease.
Hie first outbreak of the ill
ness was reported in Wash
ington, but it has been spread
by large numbers of people
who have left that city recent
ly*
Currently, there are people
who have been exposed to the
illness scattered throughout
the country. The first re
ported cases occurred in gov
ernment employes, but there
have been many people af
flicted since the earliest case
reports came in.
Symptoms of the illness are
mostly neurologic and some
what bizarre. There is tempo
rary loss of memory for re
cent events, as well as history
of episodes of poor hearing
and poor vision.
None of the people afflicted
with the disease seems to re
member exactly whom he has
seen or when, or what anyone
has said. As a result, there is
much disagreement about the
symptoms of the disease and
even about exactly who is suf
fering from it.
The symptoms seem to be
intensified by exposure to
Bulldogs Lose To Gainesville
The Forsyth County Bulldogs were
overwhelmed last weekend by a
powerful Gainesville High School team.
The Red Elephants of Gainesville
coasted to a 55 to 0 victory after building
up a 35-o lead by halftime.
Gainesville, hampered by injuries for
most of the season, brought its record to
Continued From Front Page
cents to $2.50 per day, according to the
class of labor. At the time the entire cost
of mining, milling, and chlorination was
around $2.70 per ton. This mine is
reported to have had as many as 300
people working for it before closing down
in or around the year 1909.
Edward William Axson, born in Rome,
Georgia, March 1,1876, secured an A.B.
Degree from Princeton University in
1897, and his A.M. in 1898. He had ad
ditional study at the Massachussetts
Institute of Technology, 1898-99. He was
married to Florence Choate Leach, April
9,1901. He was general superintendent of
the Creighton Mines, and he was a
brother to Ellen Louise Axson, and she
was the first wife of President Woodrow
Wilson. Mrs. Wilson, her father, mother,
and a brother, are buried in the Myrtle
Hill Cemetery in Rome, Georgia.
On April 26, 1905, Mr. Axson, along
with his wife and his young son Edward
Stockton met with a fearful and ap
palling accident. At the time they lived
in the company house at the Creighton
Mine and had started for a picnic, when,
near the mine, their team became
frightened and unmanagable. They ran
into the river, coming in violent contact
with the ferry boat. The occupants of the
' buggy were thrown out and drowned
before assistance could reach them, as
well as the teams of horses. The bodies
were carried to Savannah, Georgia, for
* burial.
COMPANY PHYSICIAN:
The late Dr. George McClure
graduated from the Medical College of
Georgia in 1901, practiced medicine for
one year, then came to the Creighton
' Mine in 1902. As company doctor for the
Continued From Front Page
after.
' The County Commission met early
Tuesday to attempt to formulate plans.
Commissioners were to meet at 6 p.m.
‘ Wednesday to devise a course of action.
They were set to attend an area county
commissioners’ meeting in Gainesville
Wednesday and hope to use it to gain
suggestions on what emergency relief
may be available.
Commission Chairman Herman
Hamby noted that the county last
summer spent about $12,000 on the
courthouse repairs. New guttering was
• installed and windows were replaced.
The roof over the court clerk’s vault was
also patched for leaks and it was hoped
that the new roofing protected records.
Hamby, told the Sheriff contacted the
•governor for help, was in agreement.
•■'“l’d like to see done, whatever it takes to
get to the bottom of this.”
Hamby said he would favor building a
new courthouse away from the square,
’ perhaps on property behind the county
.building on Maple Street.
Hamby said his preference for the
square would be to make it a park with
some space for parking.
“I would never be in favor of selling it
" (the square), but that’s just my personal
opinion as one member of the com
mission,” Hamby said.
Hamby said the commission has made
.no decision on whether a bond issue or a
millage hike would be used to finance the
courthouse.
He said he favors a bond issue as it
would stretch out the pay schedule
allowing for a courthouse large enough
television lighting and equip
ment. Sufferers often stam
mer, stutter and appear un
sure of themselves while ill
with this sickness when ap
pearing in public.
Interestingly, people in con
tact with these patients seem
to have symptoms, too. They
become pompous, verbose,
and seem to grow more com
monplace and tedious after
they have spent too many
hours in contact with the orig
inal sufferers.
The disease, initially
caused by a new pathogen
called “the Watergate bug,”
has one other interesting
complication. Sometimes
people in the highest places,
exposed to the Watergate bug,
develop symptoms just like
viral pneumonia. Common
decency and the customary
privacy of medical records
beclouds this diagnosis, too.
This brings us to a serious
and most important medical
sidelight to the Watergate af
fair, the question of privacy of
medical records. One of the
points raised by the Water
gate investigation has to do
with the privacy of medical
records.
Much has been written
about the reported break-in to
the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s
Poverty to Riches
Courthouse
6-3-1 for the year, not quite enough to
qualify for post season playoffs.
The ’Dogs, now 0 and 9 for the year,
complete their season Friday night at
home against Cherokee County.
The Gainesville eleven tallied two of
their scores in the first period and then
mining firm, he was paid $25.00 annually
by each family for his services; this
included all house calls—he delivered
their babies and he gave them their
medicine. The mining company did pay
him a small stipend, but the amount is
not recalled. Dr. McClure moved into
what was known as the Axson House
around 1909 (this was after the mines
had closed.) He continued to live in the
house until his death on November 13,
1933. Many of you in the county-will
remember him as having married the
sister of the late Dr. Emory Lipscomb of
Cumming, Georgia.
VISITS TO THE MINING SITE:
The author first visited this old mining
site in about 1937, along with his brother
Dr. Ralph Bottoms, and a man who had
spent many years working for the
mining company. It was easy to discern
that some mining activity had gone on
there in the years gone by. My brother
and I again visited the mining site in
Christmas of 1972, and there was no
semblance to indicate the glory of the
gold mine, which at one time was a
thriving company.
CLOSING OF THE MINE:
One day at noon, around the year 1909,
as the last man came up on the ore
bucket for lunch, a tract on the river bed
fell in, turning the whole river stream
down into the underground shaft and
tunnels. The damage done was great;so
much so, that it was beyond repair. This
incident was responsible for the closing
of the mine.
GOLD CURRENCY HAD ITS
BEGINNING WITH MIDAS:
Up and up is the way the price of gold
to meet future needs.
“A Bond issue will give people who are
going to move here a chance to pay for it
too Hamby said.
Commissioners Lanier Bannister and
Larry Watson have been named as a
committee to locate temporary
facilities. They were expected to report
on their findings at the Wednesday
meeting.
Like Hamby, Bannister would include
a new jail in plans for a new courthouse.
He also favors moving it away from the
square. Bannister said he leans toward
selling the courthouse property. “It’s a
highly desirable piece of property and
the sale could pay as much as 25 per cent
of the cost of a new courthouse. Bannister
said.
Bannister said that with tax season
approaching “the biggest problem is
finding a place for the tax commissioner
to operate.
Commissioner Crawford Roe said he
too favors moving the courthouse to
another site such as the county property.
He said he would be for using the square
for parking and a park but would be
against selling it.
The courthouse was erected in 1904
and 1905. The two story brick structure
was originally planned with three floors
but the $25,000 bond issue passed for
construction proved to be not enough,
according to Garland Bagley, a Cum
ming history buff.
When the courthouse is leveled, of
ficials will open the cornerstone which
was laid before 4,000 spectators in 1904.
The cornerstone is supposed to contain a
number of local documents and items of
historical interest.
psychiatrist in search for ma
terial to be used against Ells
berg. In the framework of
Watergate, medical records
are private and privileged,
not to be used by the govern
ment against a citizen, nor by
one citizen against another.
But are medical records re
ally so privileged? Daily I re
ceive requests from schools
for information about stu
dents. The requests often ask
for psychologic and psychi
atric information.
There are medical forms
from insurance companies,
too, often with consent slips
signed by the patient, which
ask for complete health rec
ords. There are evaluations
requested by government bu
reaus that provide disability
benefits. These all ask very
personal questions about
each patient’s health and his
tory.
The most recent such direc
tive was sent to hospital ad
ministrators in New Jersey by
the Blue Cross Plan there. On
May 31, New Jersey’s Blue
Cross Plan asked that full in
formation be sent to its offices
about any subscriber who is
hospitalized for more than 40
days.
The Blue Cross wants a his
tory of the patient’s present
illness, his past medical his
tory, the doctors’ orders and
progress notes and the recom
mendation of the utilization
review committee of the med
ical staff. In short, Blue
Cross, which pays the bills,
wants to have all the patient’s
medical history for its files.
Does the average man still
enjoy privacy where his
health matters are con
cerned? Or is it possible that
the Ellsberg record may be
the last important medical
record to be protected along
with the health records of our
candidates for public office
and our elected officials?
Sob Story
Halts Rob
Attempt
A jeweler in Turin, Italy,
sobbed as he begged two ban
dits not to steal his stock,
pleading he would go bank
rupt after two previous rob
beries.
The armed bandits, a man
and a woman, held a confer
ence and then the man said:
“Where can you find two ban
dits like us?” and the two fled,
empty-handed.
scored three times in the final six
minutes of the first half.
The Elephants scored again shortly
after the first half opened and then
added their last two tallies in the final
quarter.
The Bulldogs were held to a lone first
down.
has tyeen moving for several months. All
this furor over gold isn’t exactly new in
nature. Gold was known and fought over
since prehistoric man; the earliest
known fine goldwork dates back as far as
3,000 B.C. As a currency, gold as been
used since the eighth century, 8.C.,
when King Midas (not the one of Greek
legends) minted the first gold coins in
Lydia. At times, magical efficacy has
been attributed to it, and in the Middle
Ages, alchemists sought to transmute
base metals to gold. In later years, man
no longer thought of gold as the magic
metal, but gold still helped to make the
world go round, as the quest for it led to
many explorations.
NEW GOLD RUSH IN 1973
New interest has been created by the
soaring price of gold, and there are
many amateurs at work (and possibly
some of the old timers) searching for
the gold reamining in those hills. There
is probably ten times as much in there as
the prospectors ever recovered. These
modern day prosepetors are finding it
difficult to stake out a claim, however,
for they find they are either in a national
park, or somebody’s real estate
development. In the western United
States, especially in the mother lode
country in California, these weekend
prosepetors swarm over the old placers
diggins, much to the distress of property
owners, fishermen, and forest rangers.
They are sifting through the streams in
search of the native of “free” gold; this
is called placer prospecting, and is very
different from the kind of mining which
we had in this country at one time. Most
of the gold occurs imprisoned in rock.
This hard rock prospecting takes more
skill, and is more arduous than other
forms of prospecting. One has to be able
to recognize promising geological
structures, than test for the gold’s
presence and quality.
A NEW GOLDEN AGE:
In these days, gold seems to have
regained some of its magical quality.
This time could be called a new golden
era, and no one seems to know where all
of this is going to lead. It is there belief
that many more uses will be found for
gold, and that the demand will continue
to rise. Total world output for 1972 was
44,712,000 troy ounces (a troy ounce of
gold is slightly heavier than a regular
ounce) and this figure was down for the
preceding year. Much of our gold comes
from South Africa and Canada.
Gold mining in the United States has
dropped off considerably within the past
fifty years. Of the 82,100 metric tons of
gold mined in the world since 1492. the
United States has accounted for nearly
one-eighth. Today its share of the world
output runs to barely four percent. This
country consumes six to seven million
ounces per year, mainly in jewelry,
dental fillings, and crowns, and elec
tronic gear, but produces only 1.6 million
ounces.
On reason for the spurt in gold prices is
a crisis on confidence—a simple loss of
faith in the ability of the government to
control inflation. People and institutions
prefer to hold something as ‘good as
gold’ instead of the paper currencies. It
isn’t only the dollar that has been clipped
by the gold shear; indeed, just about all
that glitters is old. The various
currencies of the free world are strong
against the dollar, and have depreciated
in relation to the free market price of
gold. Many of the countires have been
getting out of other currencies, and onto
the gold bandwagon.
News From Oscarville
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stovall
had as their weekend guests
their grandchildren, Susan
and Mike Glenn, college
students at Emory in Atlanta.
Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Savage
of Atlanta spent Monday night
with Mr. and Mrs. Hermon
Hemphill.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Bennett
of Calhoun visited their sister
and brother, Mr. and Mrs.
W. M. Cain Sunday.
Mrs. Frances Keakey
returned home after a visit
with relatives in West Palm
Beach, Fla.
A number from here at
tended the funeral of Rev.
Jack Sutton in Alpharetta on
Sunday. Rev. Sutton was
pastor of Pleasant Grove
Baptist Church for four years
from 1950 to 1954. Sympathy is
extended to the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Robertson and daughter,
Barbara, accompanied by
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
Robertson, enjoyed a trip to
New York for several days.
Get well wishes go out to
Mr. Carl Cain who is a patient
at the Hall County Hospital
where he underwent surgery
on Monday.
Aron Hendrix is con
valescing at his home after a
stay in the hospital last week.
Mrs. W.G. Castleberry,
Mrs. Wanda Garner and baby
spent Monday with their
parents and grandparents,
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hemphill.
Mr. and Mrs. Morris Wood
□3
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MOUNTAIN RETREAT free from pollution fronting on private lake. Take this opportunity that
nature has created. Two bedroom, I bath, on l acre plus. Priced under SII,OOO.
OWN A PART OF NORTH GEORGIA This 31 acres could be the property you’ve been looking for.
Paved road frontage, Approximately '4 in pasture, remaining covered with pines and hardivoods. Spring
fed stream on property. Fenced and cross fenced. Terms.
RUSTIC LIVING With City Conveniences, 3 bedrooms, 114 baths, fireplace, cent, heat and air. Situated
on IV2 acre corner lot.
BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME on 20 acres. Only S3OOO per acre.
IDEAL SITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS - 5.77 acres right off Georgia 400. Only $8,900 per acre. We
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BE THE FIRST to pick your building site in OAK WOOD FOREST. Paved roads, water system, Elec
tricity, play ground. All lots 1 - 114 acres.
TWO ACRE MOUNTAIN RETREAT with more acreage available. 2 BR. I bath Log Cabin with
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HA I E 1 GOOD SELECTION of Lake Homes. Call Today for more information.
ATTENTION NEWLY WEDS - Don’t let this one get away! 2 BR. 1 bath Spanish Design Mobile
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GOOD LOAN ASSUMPTION on these 3 Duplex Apartments, 2 8.R., 1 Bath, Blt-in kit, carpets, drive
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BEAUTIFUL LEVEL WATERFRONT LOT located in Eaglecreek Shores. Owner Anxious.
TWO COMMERCIAL LOTS ON Hwy. 369. I Lot has Well and Sewage.
4.6 ACRES covered in pines. 335’ on paved rd. See and make offer.
RESTAURANT located on Highivay 306 doing booming business. 150-200 yards from proposed
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lIILIAN CREEK off Hwy. 53, Nine waterfront lots, 6 lakeview lots, nice secluded area. Priced from
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ASSUME VA LOAN on this 3 BR, 2 bath home located off Pilgrim Mill Road. Unique Lake Room,
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COZY COTTAGE located on Six Mile Creek, Vacant and Ready for Occupancy. 2 bedrooms, large
screened porch, boat dock, $32,500.
THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS-WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1973-
honored their son, Mickey,
with a surprise 16th birthday
party held at the Chestatee
Club House on Saturday
night. A large group attended.
Rev. Claud Hood filled his
regular appointment at the
Pleasant Grove Church
Sunday and Sunday night.
Rev. and Mrs. Hood were the
dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Mike Fowler.
Mrs. Mary Thornton and
Mrs. Shirley Bennett visited
Mrs. Kathlee Williams in
Oakwood Monday.
Beth Thornton celebrated
her 12th birthday recently
with a slumber party. Her
guests included: Deborah
Churchfield, Lori Grindle,
Melinda Martin, Elsie Oakes
and Margie Power. Mrs.
Ralph Thornton was assisted
in serving by Becky Thornton
and Mrs. Charles Mixon.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Heard
announce the birth of a son,
Mickey Larry on Oct. 23. Mrs.
Heard is the former Marcia
Cox. Grandparents are Mr.
and Mrs. Ezell Cox and Mr.
and Mrs. Curtis Heard.
Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Mathis
had as their visitors over the
weekend, Mrs. Barbara
Hubbard and son, Burt, Mrs.
Lula Bramblett and son, Ben
of Gainesville, Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry Burruss and son of
Silver City, Mrs. A 1 Smart,
Mrs. Ralph Bennett and Mrs.
Mary Mathis..
Sherri and Chris Waldrip of
Gainesville visited their
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
E.C. Waldrip over the
weekend. Mr. and Mrs.
Waldrip and the children
visited Mr. and Mrs. Oscar
Floyd in Alpharetta Sunday
afternoon. Mr. Floyd is on the
Lions Attend Rally
The Forsyth County Lions
Club attended the 18th district
Lions Club Rally on
November 3 held at the
Gainesville Civic Center.
The Attendance Plaque was
awarded the local club with 64
people in attendance.
Guest speaker for the night
was Paid E. McCrary of
Stillwater, Oklahoma.
McCrary is the Director of
Lions International.
Each year the Lions Club
sponsors the Peach Bowl. The
proceeds from this game are
used to carry on their projects
to help people who have sight
disabilities.
Miss Bonita Fowler, our
local Peach Bowl Princess,
was chosen at the zone
meeting on October 29 to
represent the zone in the
Peach Bowl Princess Contest,
to be held Sunday, November
11 at the Royal Coach Inn in
Atlanta. Bonita will compete
against nine other zone
contestants for the coveted
title of Peach Bowl Princess.
PAGE 3
sick list, a speedy recovery
for Mr. Floyd.
Mrs. Mary Welch
celebrated a birthday
November Ist. Her visitors
included: her father, Mr.
Lloyd Johnson, and children,
Mr. and Mrs. Jackie Welch of
Gainesville and Mr. and Mrs.
J. B. Nix.
—
School
Menus
MONDAY, Nov. 12—Tomato
Soup, Toasted Cheese
Sandwich, Carrot Sticks,
Pineapple Rice Pudding
and Milk.
TUESDAY, Nov. 13-Pizza,
Popeye Salad with Vinegar
and Oil Dressing, Niblet
Corn, Oatmeal Fudge
Cookie, and Milk.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14-
Chili, Steamed Cabbage,
Crispy Cornbread, Orange
Half and Milk.
THURSDAY, Nov. 15-
Macaroni and Cheese,
Canned or Frozen
Blackeyed Peas, Mixed
Fruit, Ice Cream and Milk.
FRIDAY, Nov. 16- Sloppy
Joes with School Baked
Bun, French Fries,
Vegetable Salad, Iced Cake
and Milk.