Newspaper Page Text
Iflflfl FORSYTH MtllUg
1 nil county IV Ei If 9
Established 1908
KENNETH HUDGINS PUBLISHER
PAUL BEEMAN EDITOR
HARRIET WOODALL ADVERTISING MANAGER
Published every Wednesday by The Forsyth County News Company. Second Class Postage
paid at: Post Office in Cumming, Georgia under Act of March BHi in 1897. Subscription rates
in Forsyth and other Georgia counties, *5.15 per year, including State Sales Tax; out-of
state, *4.00 per year.
107 DAHLONEGA ST.
>B7-3127
Intentionally Set
Investigators from the State Fire
Marshall’s Office and the Georgia
Divisions of Investigation are fairly
positive that the fire which destroyed
the Forsyth County Courthouse was
intentionally set.
We share the puzzlement of the
sheriff and members of the county
commission. We don’t know why
anyone would want to burn a
courthouse.
It was far from the greatest
courthouse in the world.
In Kindness it was regarded as
architecturally quaint. The cruel
regarded it as an eyesore. About
$12,000 was spent on repairs recently
but the plumbing never seemed to
work right and the place was hot as
blazes in summer and drafty in
winter months.
Historically it had some value. Its
68-year stature gave it that, but
compared to courthouses in towns
like Fayetteville that are nearly 150
years old, it was a mere youngster.
If we could have decided its fate,
we’d have wanted it preserved but
used for non-court purposes. It would
have been appropriately used as a
civic building and historical museum
for the permanent display of local
artifacts. That’s no longer a valid
point.
Oil Use Must Drop
The federal government may
have been surprised at how
readily the major airlines agreed
to cut back their operations to
conserve jet fuel and thus help re
lieve the pressure on the nation’s
petroleum supplies. Their re
sponse surely had more than a lit
tle to do with the fact that airline
traffic has been in a slump. On
many routes planes have been fly
ing half-empty anyhow. The air
lines can operate more efficiently
by consolidating flights and put
ting more passengers aboard
each plane.
This is little comfort to travel
ers who now will find fewer flights
to choose from when they are
making a trip, and even less com
fort to hundreds of airline em
ployes who will be temporarily
laid off. This is an example, and a
relatively mild one, of the eco
nomic losses and inconvenience
for individual Americans that can
be caused by fuel shortage. How
deeply business, industry and our
jpersonal lives may be affected by
fuel probelms in the months to
come will depend on Middle East
ern politics and whether Old Man
Winter is in a good mood or bad.
It makes relatively little differ
ence whether 100 people fly be
tween New York and Chicago in
one airplane or two, as long as the
airline manages to get them
there. Thus air travel became the
handiest target for reducing the
amount of fuel consumed in meet
ing our nation’s transportation
needs. It would be a far different
story if the government tried to
“ground” the second car in Amer-
Welfare Rolls Down
For the first time in seven years,
the nation’s welfare rolls edged
downward in the 1973 fiscal year, the
Department of Health, Education and
Welfare reports. At June 30 last, 14.8
million persons were receiving public
assistance, an increase of 249,000. But
the figure was nearly double this on
Federal-state welfare programs of
1967, only six years ago, when it stood
at 7.7 million persons against 15
million in 1972.
The figures spiraled upward over
the last five years to the top of 15.1
million in fiscal 1972 before the drop
just announced. However, costs for
the Federal-state program rose
gradually to this fiscal year’s $19.4
billion.
NOVEMBER 14, 1973
PAGE 2
The remaining superstructure is a
safety hazard and may be razed by
the time this paper hits the streets.
There may be good to come out of it.
The county will probably get the new
courthouse it will need for its future
much earlier than a normal course
would have brought one. A new jail
would most likely be included in plans
and the need for a jail is as desperate
a need as the county has.
But it’s still too early to be looking
for good.
We can’t believe the courthouse
was burned intentionally in the name
of civic pride. Whoever is responsible
did it as an act of vengeance or
perhaps in some feeble attempt to
destory records.
Fortunately no one was injured but
the brave firefighters who fought the
blaze on a windy and chilly night
certainly put their own safety on the
line.
We hope the perpetrators of this
arson will be swiftly apprehended and
brought to justice.
And we look forward to a spirit of
cooperation in rebuilding that will
show the headline craved Atlanta
News Media that Forsyth County isn’t
as bad a place as they’d have people
believe.
ican garages, or to limit other
transportation services. When we
consider the task of bringing
about a significant reduction in
the amount of fuel used for heat
ing and electricity across the na
tion, it is hard to decide where to
start.
William Simon, chairman of the
President’s oil policy committee,
has noted that Americans are
using petroleum at a rate of 17
million barrels a day, and with an
“all-out effort” at energy conser
vation this might be reduced by
3.3 million barrels a day. Since the
oil we import from North Africa
and the Middle East amounts to
about 1.1 million barrels of daily
consumption, this would more
than free us from being at the
mercy of uncertainties in the
Arab world.
Can we achieve anything ap
proaching the all-out effort Mr.
Simon envisions? As far as energy
is concerned, the American peo
ple have become spendthrifts
over the years. To make a penny
pincher out of a profligate spend
er overnight is a major job of
character reform. Circumstances
are forcing such rehabilitation
upon us.
The only question is whether we
assume this responsibility on a
voluntary basis, with energy con
servation programs springing
from our own sense of what has to
be done, or whether we wait for a
crisis, leaving the government lit
tle choice but to impose new hab
its upon us by laws and regula
tions that nobody wants.
The bulk of the 1973 reduction oc
curred among the elderly. They were
shifted off welfare when they began
receiving higher Social Security
benefits. Others began receiving
general assistance, which involves no
Federal funds.
Aged, blind and disabled welfare
cases will be shifted to the new
Supplemental Security income
program beginning January 1. This is
a backward shift. It relieves the
Treasury of their care, and burdens
the Social Security program wih huge
expenditures for which working men
and women sacrifice part of their
paychecks for their own benefits in
later years.
CUMMING, GEORGIA
30130
An Act of Bravery
The following item is taken from November
11, 1943 edition of The Forsyth County News:
“Forsyth County Boy Gets Navy Citation—
WASHINGTON, D. C.,-The Chief of Naval
Personnel has commended Clarence Calvin
Akins, seaman first class, son of Lee Berry
Akins of Route 5, Cumming, Georgia for
outstanding bravery as a member of the
Armed Guard unit aboard an American
merchantman during a voyage in the
Mediterranean war zone.”
The following items are taken from
Noveber 9, 1950 edition of The Forsyth County
News:
“22 farm women in this county are taking
part in a statewide living room improvement
contest, and the county champion will be
eligible to compete with winners in other
counties in this section of the state for a SIOO
gift certificate award, Mrs. Zelma Warren,
home demonstration agent, said this week.”
“Those participating in the contest in this
county are Mrs. N.B. Garrett, Mrs. Wesley
Lamb, Mrs. J.F. Wofford, Mrs. B.W. Harrison,
Mrs. Roy Garrett, Mrs. Guy Castleberry, Mrs.
Howard Summerour, Mrs. Winfred Waldrip,
Mrs. G.L. Pirkle, Mrs. Wilburn Pinson, Mrs.
Wallace Wood, Mrs. Charles Anderson, Mrs.
Amos Milwood, Mrs. Flow Tidwell, Mrs.
Fannie Mae Carter, Mrs. W.S. Turner, Mrs.
George Bagley, Mrs. Estie Holbrook, Mrs.
A.C. Thomas, Mrs. Grady Savage, Mrs. Lois
Heard and R.R. Worley.”
“The Coal Mountain 4-H Club met Thursday,
November 2... We had 100 per cent at
tendance.”
“The following officers were elected for 1950-
51.”
“President, Doris Morgan; Vice President,
RounetteMartin; Secretary-Treasurer, Wilma
Jean Andrews; Reporter, Betty Pirkle;
Advisers, Mrs. Harold Tallant, Mrs. Wylene
Samples”
“From the Society column—Mrs. Wansley
Bagley, Editor.”
— mm —"f
t t\j / ywy/t V *
Non-secret weapon
Guest Editorial
Understandable Meat Cuts
An end to the confusion often
created in shoppers’ minds by the
practice of placing fancy, regional or
misleading names on cuts of meat
may soon be ended, or at least sub
stantially reduced.
A standardized identification
system for labeling various cuts of
beef, pork, veal and lamb was un
veiled by the National Live Stock and
Meat Board, a non-profit, Chicago
based association which represents
the meat industry “from the producer
of livestock up to the retail level,” in
the board’s words.
Under the new system, which is
voluntary, participating stores would
label meats according to species (for
example, beef or pork), the part from
which the cut was made (such as loin
or rib) and the recommended retail
name.
The board said that it hoped that 100
per cent of the major food stores in
the country would be using the system
within a year.
The system reduces the number of
different meat designations from
more than 1,000 to approximately 300.
The shopper would no longer be
confronted with a delmonico steak, a
spencer steak, a filet steak or a
beauty steak, which all come from the
same part of the steer and would be
labeled simply “beef rib-eye steak.”
h I
Mrs. Joe Brooks is attending an Elec
trification Home Supervisors’ School in Athens
this week.”
The Sawnee HD club held its regular mon
thly meeting at the home of Mrs. Glen Harden,
with Mrs. Bass Farr, Co-hostess...”
During the business meeting the following
officers were elected to serve during the next
year: President, Mrs. Jake Wolfe; Vice
President, Mrs. B.E. Woodall; Sec.-Treas.,
Mrs. Bass Farr; Health Chrm., Mrs. F. L.
Potts; Rec. Chrm., Mrs. George Pirkle; 4-H
Adviser, Mrs. Frances Westbrook; Reporter,
Mrs. Joe Wheeler.”
Our retiring president Mrs. George Pirkle
was presented with an African violet in ap
preciation of her loyal service this year.”
“From Shakerag News column:”
“Several have had the mumps, but nobody
has them at the present. Others are expecting
to take them at any time.
“Miss Reunelle Jones was elected Queen at
Suwanee Carnival last Friday night.”
The following items are taken from
November 10, 1960 edition of The Forsyth
County News:“Unofficial Election Returns of
County, Nation —For President, Sen. John F.
Kennedy carries our County—Also leads V-
Certain widely used popular names,
such as porterhouse and filet mignon,
would be retained, but most others
would be banished from the butcher’s
lexicon. London broil, much in use in
the East, would be a casualty under
the system and would have as its
proper designation “beef flank steak”
or “beef chuck shoulder steak,
boneless,” depending upon the area of
the carcass from which it was cut.
Meat counters would also display
charts indicating the names or retail
cuts of meat, the part of the animal
from which they were cut and basic
directions for cooking the cut.
David H. Stroud, president of the
meat board, expects the program to
aid the consumer in the pocketbook.
“The more they know about where
the meat comes from and how to
prepare it, the smarter they will be as
meat shoppers.”
It sounds like a fine idea, more
clearly defining the product that is
passing from buyer to seller.
We also like the fact that the
program represents voluntary
agreement within the private sector
and is not an edict forced upon an
industry by a government bureau. We
think that both the consumer and the
meat industry will gain from the
system.
—The Indianapolis Star
Back
When?
Norma Weber
president Nixon over Nation in popular vote
and Electorial votes.” , :
“For Clerk Superior Court—J. V. “Sport’:,.
Merritt retains his office over the Independents
candidate, L. W. Holbrook.” :i .
“For Sheriff—Loy H. Barnett retains his,,
office over his Write-In opponent, Bass R|;i
Farr.”
“The Cumming First Baptist Church will;,'
have Homecoming this Sunday, November 13,
For the past nine weeks the church has been in,<
the process of remodeling and redecorating the.,
sanctuary and part of the education building,,;
The Homecoming will celebrate the com-,*
pletion of this work, which will cost about,*
$15,000.00 counting the donations. The,;
preacher for the morning worship ser-,r
vice...will be Dr. Solomon F. Dowis, former ,’
pastor...” Marcus C. Reed, Pastor”
»ro
“The 1959 Census of Agriculture, conducted,.;
in Forsyth County last fall, counted 1,197„;
farms, according to a preliminary report just ~
issued by the Bureau of the Census, U. S t , 0
Denartment of Commerce. Total land in farms
w;.s 79,644 acres. The average size of farm was
acres. The average value of farms (land
and buildings) in the county was $8,766.”
“Of the county’s farm operators, 907 owned
their farms, 95 owned part of the land and
rented additional acreage, and 192 were tenant
farmers.”
“The average age of farm operators in the
county was 48.5 years. There were 162 farm
operators 65 or more years of age.” -q
“Of the 1,197 farms in the county, 87 were"
commercial farms."
“Girl Scouts Troop IV—” •?-
“We have had several Girl Scout meetings 1
since school started...At one meeting we'
elected officers for the year.”
“Patrol Leader, Lavone Fuller; Assistant'
Patrol leader, Lorain Tolbert; Secretary,-
Patricia Rakestraw; Telephone Chairman,
Nancy Burger; Troop Nurse, Dianne Deaton;-'
Troop Scribe, Audrey Scully.” -1
How
Not to
Win
Billy
Williams
Gwinnett County is having municipal
elections, and I hope nobody is hurt just,
because he or she may not be elected to the,,
town council or other position of authority.
I can remember cases where people would,j
have come out.cheaper if thev had iust
all of their supporters by registered mail,
rather than make public
thanking their “many” friends and relatives^
In fact, I remember the case of Elbert who
ran for mayor of the town we lived in. Elbert
did not like council members, bankers,
businessmen, the mayor, school teachers,;,
laborers, most preachers and women and;
children.
If he had a platform for God, Mother and,
Country, he could not have lived up to it, for he,
thought all mothers were sinful. He was a,
strange politician. v
For 40 years Elbert had gone to every,
council meeting to call everyone a crook. He
was smarter than the average person, he
thought, and therefore when he caught anyone
in a mistake, he implied they were crooked.
The town had done Elbert wrong. Shortly
before his scheduled wedding, he had engaged
in an act of indescretion in the woods near the
town. Some unknown citizen stole up to the spot
Elbert was stationed, and let out a low whistle,
The person ran away.
Elbert returned to the town and everywhere
he went, he was greeted by whistles and
laughter. His fiancee jilted him. The sweet old
ladies would whistle, the teenagers whistled,
the laborers, bankers, businessmen, all
whistled after him. The man’s face remained
flushed for months until he started packing a
pistol, and shot a whistler in the leg.
For 40 years, occasionally, someone would,
whistle in a crowd, and Elbert would draw his
pistol and try to find the culprit. Once, several,
workers in a tobacco warehouse were
whistling while they worked. Elbert shot up the
place, and wounded two of the workers. The
town was corrupt, so old Elbert was not,
prosecuted.
Reportedly at a council meeting, the Mayor
was presented a staggering bill for the city to
pay. He reacted with a whistle, then hastenedt;
to look at the audience to say, “Sorry, Elbert; j
Nothing personal, this bill is so high I just...” (
Elbert was confused enough not to shoot the i
Mayor.
Elbert got so disgusted with the town he >:
decided to clean it up by running for the office 5
of mayor. Fortunately, the newspaper editor of
the town was rather unimaginative, and did not .
call for a whistle stop campaign.
Elbert ran on a platform of no alcoholic j
beverages in the town, mandatory church«
attendance, and prayer meeting six times a •
week for council members. The whistles *
started. Some people got bold enough to just *
pucker up at the candidate, but fortunately no >
one whistled to his face.
Several of us got a canine whistle, which;
dog’s alone were supposed to hear, but once I ;
got the contraption at the wrong pitch and;
Elbert chased me all over the main drag of the;
town.
Election night, the ballots were counted. \
Poor Elbert, he got only one vote. I went up to \
him and said I was sorry, but at least one);
person in the town cared enough for him to give \
him a vote.
“Yes,” he moaned. "That person was me. \
Discredited by all my friends.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t know you had any j
friends old enough to vote.”
He chased me down the main drag that j
night, but later he got over the defeat and was j
friendly to me again.
Elbert couldn’t really carry a grudge —or a j
tune.
JHB