Newspaper Page Text
EARLY COUNTY, GA.
GARDEN SPOT OF
GOD’S COUNTRY
VOLUME LXXXIII ^ NO. 20
Success to All Who Pay Their Honest Debts—“Be Sure You Are Right, Then Go Ahead.”
WAR, RATIONING NEWS DOMINATED
DURING FIRST YEAR OF CONFLICT
During the past year Americans
became more news conscious than
they had been since the Nazis in
vaded Poland.
But as 1942 progressed, the war
news for American people became
more encouraging than during the
first three months of the year.
Bataan and Corrigedor fell to the
enemy, but Tokyo was bombed by
U. S. airmen—all this happening
within the month between the first
weeks in April and May. The Rus
sians held off the Nazis during the
year, and put up a heroice defense
at Stalingrad. Almost eight months
to- the day after Yank troops landed
in Australia, French North Africa
Was invaded by American troops
under the command of Lieut. Gen.
Dwight D. (“Ike”) Eisenhower.
On the first anniversary of the
Pearl Harbor disaster, the people
were told that the destruction there
Was far greater than first revealed.
Even the Japanese did not fully real
ize the enormous success of their
treacherous attack.
Domestic, non-military life for
Americans during the year was more
and more tied up with the nation’s
all-out, smash-the-enemy effort.
Rationing of sugar, coffee; volun
tary rationing of meat; rising living
costs; scarcity of materials; increas
ed taxes announced to begin in
1943; and finally, gasoline rationing
through A, B and C permits, to save
tire rubber made up the high spots
of civilian life.
The “thriller” story of the year
was the landing of -the 8 saboteurs
on the Long Island and Florida coasts
and their apprehension and final ex
ecution of six.
Sports, too, despite the anxiety
and worry of the people did their
part in helping Americans over the
“rough days.”
West Virginia won the national
invitation basketball tournment, de
feating Western Kentucky state at
Madison Square Garden. Shut Out
won the 68th Kentucky Derby. Na
tional League All-lStars were defeat-
There Will Soon Be Another
W-E-A-V-E-R’S
Watch this space for an important announcement
at an early date concerning the opening of a new
WEAVER’S DRY GOODS DEPARTMENT.
Plans are now under way to bring you this new
store as quickly as posible.
The good people of Blakely, Early County and
this trading area have helped to make WEAVER’S
more than a mere store. It is a Blakely institution of
which we are proud. We pledge ourselves to bring
you a bigger and better WEAVER’S just as soon as a
suitable location can be obtained and shipments of
merchandise can begin to roll into Blakely.
We want to express our sincere appreciation, not
only for your valued patronage during the 18 years
we have been in business, but also for the many kind
expressions of thoughtfulness during our disaster.
The entire personnel of WEAVER’S wish you a
very, very Happy New Year for 1943.
T. K. Weaver & Co.
“Blakely’s Only Complete Store”
C. E. BOYETT, Owner BLAKELY, GA.
€ftrlg Counts JMettig
BLAKELY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1942.
CITY COUNCIL
TO HOLD MEETING
NEXT TUESDAY
The City Council will hold its
first meeting of the new year next
Tuesday, at which time S. G. Mad
dox, elected last August, will suc
ceed R. C. Singletary as Mayor.
There will be no change in the
personnel of the Council, L. B. Fryer
and C. R. Barksdale having been
re-elected last August for another
two year term. Other members of
Council are C. E. Boyett and Oscar
Whitchard, whose terms do not ex
pire until the end of 1943.
Mr. Singletary retires as Mayor
after having served a two-year term.
Prior to his election as Mayor he
served many years as Councilman,
probably longer than any other one
citizen in Blakely’s history.
Mr. Maddox also has served as
Councilman for several terms and is
thus familiar with the city’s prob
lems.
0 Both these gentlemen are public
spirited to a fine degree and have
given much of their time and talents
to Blakely’s welfare and develop
ment. Mr. Singletary has given the
city a progressive administration and
it is safe to say that Mi*. Maddox
will likewise chart the city’s course
along progressive lines.
The chief item of business to come
before the new admipistration is the
election of city officials to serve
for the year 1943. These include;
City Clerk and Treasurer, Superin
tendent of the Water, Light, lee and
Cold Storage Plant, Manager Cold
Storage Plant, three Police Officers
and Sexton of the City Cemetery.
1943 EMERGENCY
CROP LOANS ARE
NOW AVAILABLE
Emergency crops loans are now
available to farmers in Early county,
and applications for these loans are
now being received at the County
Agent’s office by Theo White, typist,
L. E, Black, field supervisor, of the
Emergency Crop and Feed Loan sec
tion of the Farm Credit Administra
tion. This early opening of the loan
program in Early county is part of a
plan recently announced by the
Farm Credit Administration, where
by emergency crop loans are being
made available to assist farmers to
comply with the program advocated
by the Extension Service, Agricul
tural Adjustment Administration, and
County War Boards, which urges
the planting of fall cover crops, soil
building and soil conserving crops to
reduce the effects of the anticipated
shortage of fertilizer for the 1943
crop year >
These loans will be made as in the
past to farmers whose cash require
ments are relatively small and who
are unable to obtain from other
sources including production credit
associations loans in amounts suffi
cient to meet their needs.
As in former years, the loans will
be made to meet the applicant’s
necessary cash needs in preparing
for and producing his 1943 crops.
Mr. Black pointed out that eligible
farmers desiring to do so might ap
ply now for loans to take care of
their crop production needs for the
entire 1943 seaosn. Loans may in
clude immediate advances to the
borrower to meet his cash require
ments this fall, such as, for the
planting of cover crops, soil building
or soil conserving crops. Mr. Black
also said that the balance of the
approved amount of the loan will be
disbursed when the borrower needs
it to finance his spring crops. Inter
est at the rate of 4 per cent will be
charged only during the period the
borrower actually has the use of
the funds.
Farmers who obtain loans for the
production of cash crops are required
to give as security a first lien on the
crops financed.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
TO MEET TUESDAY
The County Commissioners will
meet in regular monthly session next
Tuesday. It being the first meeting
of the new year, the Commissioners,
among other business, will elect
county officials for 1943.
ed, 3-1, by the American League
team. The Cardinals, in four straight
wins, won the World Series from
the Yankees. The Cards were named
the outstanding team of the year
by the sports writers.
Disasters took their yearly toll.
The worst fire of the year happened
in Boston, when 500 died in a night
club fire. Colorado’s worst mine
disaster in 25 years snatched 35
miners’ lives, Carole Lombard,
screen actress, and 20 others were
killed when their transport plane
crashed near Las Vegas, Nev. Tor
nadoes through southern and central
states killed hundreds and destroyed
millions of dollars worth of proper
ty. A “tube” wreck in New Jersey,
and flash floods in Pennsylvania,
western New York brought more
death and destruction.
Well-known Americans such as
actor Otis Skinner, 83; sports an
nouncer, Graham McNamee, 53; Wil
bur Glenn Voliva, religious leader,
72; Dr. Frederick Stock, symphony
orchestra leader, 69; and Edna May
Oliver, movie actress, 59, were just
a few of the prominent Americans
who died during the year.
EDGAR KELLY AMONG
RESCUED AS SHIP IS
SUNK IN BATTLE AREA
Ensign Edgar Kelly is reported to
be one of the survivors of a torpe
doed ship. Young Kelly, a son of
Mr. S. E. Kelly of Blakely, is in the
Navy, and it is presumed he was
somewhere in the Pacific when his
ship was torpedoed. No details are
available except that Ensign Kelly
advised his father of his safety. Ed
gar has two brothers also in the
service, Ensign William Kelly, of the
Navy, and Lieut. Frank Kelly, of the
Army.
SPECIAL MEETING
EASTERN STAR TONIGHT—
Blakely Chapter No. 282 Order of
the Eastern Star will hold a special
meeting tonight (Thursday) at which
the degrees will be conferred.
LOCAL ELECTRIC
RATES ARE BELOW
THE AVERAGE
The majority of users of electric
ity in Blakely pay a cheaper rate
than users in neighboring southwest
Georgia cities, Mayor R. C. Single
tary and A. R. Killebrew, superin
tendent of the water and light de
partment pointed out this week.
Mr. Singletary and Mr. Killebrew
made this statement in reply to
complainants who claim that the rate
is not commensurate with those in
cities supplied directly by the 'Geor
gia Power Company lines. The City
of Blakely purchases electricity di
rectly from the Georgia Power Com
pany and retails it to local users.
Resident users in Blakely pay ten
cents cheaper per kilowatt hour up to-
40 kilowatt hours than do the users
in Cuthbert, Baiabridge and Quit
man, it was pointed out. However,
when the KW hours pass 40 and
on up to 500 KWH those cities have
a little cheaper rate, but since there
are more users in Balkely who use
up to 40 KWH than there are who
use above this amount, this rate is
beneficial to more users than if the
city charged according to the Geor
gia Power Company rates.
The same thing applies to com
mercial users, who use from 150 to
6000 KWH. In Blakely, when a
customer uses 6000 KWH he pays
$120. In Bainbridge the user would
be charged $183, Cuthbert $165, and
Quitman $140. Bainbridge and Cuth
bert are supplied directly by the
Georgia Power Company lines, while
Quitman operates its own plant.
All of these figures were taken
from a bulletin furnished by the
Federal Power Commission, Wash
ington, D. C., Mr. Killebrew said.
FIVE LYNCHINGS
OCCUR IN U. S.
DURING 1942
Records compiled in the depart
ment of records and research of Tus
kegee Institute, Tuskegee, Ala., give
the following figures for lynchings
in the United States in 1942;
Five persons were lynched during
the year, one more than in 1941,
the same number as for 1940, and
2 more than in 1939.
One of the persons lynched was
dragged through the streets behind
an automobile and the body burned.
Another body was dragged through
the streets behind a speeding auto
mobile to the edge of town and
hanged from a cotton gin winch. In
one case, the person was taken from
the jail and hanged.
There were IS reports of instances
in which officers of the law pre
vented lynchings. In 13 instances,
persons were removed or guards aug
mented or other precautions taken. In
one case, a lynching was restrained
by wives of the would-be lynchers.
In another case, the sheriff dissuaded
the mob. A total number of 17 per
sons—4 white men and 13 Negro
men—were thus saved from the
hands of mobs.
All persons lynched weje Negroes.
The offenses charged were: At
tempted criminal assault, 1; suspect
ed attempted rape, 3; received life
sentence when jury failed to agree
upon the punishment on a murder
charge, 1.
The states in which lynchings oc
curred and the number in each
state are as follows: Missisippi, 3;
Missouri, 1; Texas, 1.
ANNUAL MEETING OF
BETHEL W. M. U. TO BE
HELD HERE ON JAN. 7
Miss Wilma Bucy, field worker of
the Home Mission Board of the
Southern Baptist Convention, and
Miss Frances Turner, Young Peo
ple’s Leader of Georgia Woman's
Missionary Union, will be among the
visiting speakers when the Woman’s
Missionary Union of Bethel Associa
tion convenes in annual session on
January 7, 1943. The meeting is
to be held with the Blakely Baptist
Church.
Mrs. L. C. Clark, superintendent,
will preside over the morning session
and Mrs. Clarence Cheney, young
people’s leader, will preside in the
afternoon.
Featuring the work will be reports
of the work done during the year,
with demonstrations by young peo
ple of the Blakely church.
The hostess church will serve lunch
and it is hoped a large representa- all the
tion will be present from
churches at the opening hour, 10:30
a. m., EWT. The meeting will be
held in the Woman’s Club building,
since the church is not yet ready for
use, it is announced.
SUNDAY FIRE DESTROYS LARGE STORE
OF T K. WEAVER & COMPANY
All that is left of the large T. K.
Weaver & Company store here are
the bare walls and the charred
wreckage of thousands of dollars
worth of merchandise, the result of
a fire which broke out at noon Sun
day and swept the huge building
from rear to front entrance and
kept four fire companies busy for
more than two hours battling the
blaze which for a time threatened to
destroy the entire east side Bain
bridge street block.
Of an undetermined origin, the
blaze apparently started in the up
stairs bargain annex of the Weaver
store. Fanned by a brisk southeast
wind, the fire spread rapidly and
soon the whole dry goods department
was a roaring inferno and flames
were leaping almost across the street
and theatefiing the buildings there.
A call from Mayor R. C. Singletary
summoned the fire departments from
Bainbridge, Dothan and Cuthbert,
and with the help of these depart
ments the fire was prevented from
spreading to the adjacent stores
and destroying them. So threaten
ing was the fire that the owners of
Godwin’s Barber Shop, the Blakely
Shoe Shop, Smitty’s Grill, Western
Union Telegraph Company, Foremost
Auto Store, and Alto Warrick’s Ga
rage began moving their merchan
dise and equipment from the build
ings. The Bainbridge fire depart
ment was the first to arrive, and
with the speedy and efficient work
of these firemen the blaze was soon
brought under control and prevent
ed from destroying the other stores.
Charles E. Boyett, owner of the
Weaver Company, estimated his loss
at near one hundred thousand dol
lars. Mr. Boyett was out of the city
when the fire occurred, having gone
to- Albany to send his daughter off to
visit a friend before school re
opened. A policeman at the Albany
terminal station notified him of the
fire and he sped back to Blakely to
see the store which he had founded
18 years ago- and which had become
one of the largest mercantile estab
lishments ever in this city, employ
ing a score of workers, going up in
smoke and the merchandise becoming
a scorched and water-soaked wreck
age. Not a thing whs salvaged
from this store except a small
amount of cash which had been left
in the cash registers. All else was
a total loss.
The grocery department of the
Weaver store was not damaged ex
tensively. Badly smoked and with
some goods lost, this section of the
store, after a few repairs, is expect
ed to reopen within a few days.
The loss would have soared much
higher except for the fact that only
a few weeks ago the company had
New Year’s Wish
I ♦
! May the New Year bring
you added joys, happi
ness and prosperity, is i
our sincere wish : :
FIRST STATE BANK i
i BLAKELY, GEORGIA
\ Member Maximum of the Insurance Federal of Deposit $5,000.00 Insurance for each Corporation. depositor
♦
PULL FOR BLAKELY
—OR—
PULL OUT
< i
$1.50 A YEAR
moved its wholesale grocery depart
ment in a new location to the rear
of the burned building.
Meanwhile Mr, Boyett has opened
temporary headquarters in the Lib
erty street wing of the old wholesale
grocery department and is making
plans to rebuild and re-open a new
Weaver store.
Sundays’ fire was one of the most
destructive in Blakely’s history.
BAKER COUNTIAN KILLED
HERE CHRISTMAS DAY
WHEN STRUCK BY CAB
Charlie Jordan, 74-year-old native
of Baker county, was killed instantly
here Christmas night when he
was struck by a taxicab on Bain
bridge street about 10:30 o’clock.
Mi*. Jordan, who is an uncle of
Fred Jordan of this city, with whom
he was spending the holidays, is said
to have stepped directly in the path
of the oncoming vehicle, investigat
ing officers said in terming the trag
edy unavoidable.
The cab was operated by Marvin
Belisle, according to Georgia high
way patrolmen, who investigated the
accident, but made no arrests.
The funeral of Mr. Jordan, who
was a brother to Mr. J. W. Jordan of
Blakely and Mr. Frank Jordan, of
Leary, was held Sunday afternoon at
Macedonia church, with the Rev. J.
M. Barnes officiating. Interment
was in Macedonia cemetery, with
Minter, Fellows & Forrester in
charge of arrangements, and Hoke
Jordan, Fred Jordan, Jack Jordan,
Albert Jordan, Paul Jordan and Clif
ford Jordan serving as pall-bearers.
18-20 REGISTRANTS MUST
MAKE REQUEST FOR “
DEFERMENT IN WRITING
Alex Carswell, clerk of the local
selective service board, today re
leased the following letter from state
selective service headquarters in re
gard to deferment of high school stu
“1. Since a number of high schools
divide their academic year into two
periods; namely, the Fall Period,
which ends with the Christmas holi
days, and the Spring Period, which
begins on the first Monday in Janu
ary of each year, Local Boards are
authorized to postpone the induction
of registrants between the ages of
18 and 20 who are enrolled after
January 1, 1943, provided said regis
trants shall make their requests in
writing for such postponement pur
suant to the provisions of paragraph
No. 3 of Local Board Release No.
163 dated Novemebr 16, 1942.
“2. This headquarters has been
called upon to define the phrase ‘last
half of academic year’ by several
Local Boards. In order that some
degree of uniformity may be obtain
ed throughout the state the "last half
of academic year’ should be that
period of a high school year com
mencing after January 1 , 1943.”