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THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS
Vol 46—No. 3
SEVERE STORM STRUCK
COUNTY FRIDAY P. M.
Buildings Damaged by Wind
, Which Blew With Terrific Fury
L— ' v
Toll of Sixteen Lives Taken by Cyclone Which
Swept Over Part Alabama And Central Georgia
Jackson and Butts county suffered
considerable damage from the torna
do s which swept over portions of Ala
bama and Central Georgia, Friday af
ternoon. The storm, one of the worst
in a score of years, caused sixteen
deaths, and a large property damage.
The storm broke over this locality
between 3 and 4 o’clock Friday after
noon and followed van all-day’s rain.
The wind reached a velocity of sixty
miles an hour, and shelters were
blown down, chimneys b roken off,
fences blown down, w-indow lights
broken out, trees uprooted and tele
phone and telegraph wires put out of
commission.
The worst damage done in Jackson
was to the Harkness building, the top
of w-hich was blown off. The falling
brick almost completely wrecked the
dental office of Dr. J. B. Hopkins, the
debris falling through the sky light
demolishing the operating chair. Dr.
Hopkins had a close call. He had just
stepped out of the office to get. some
coal, awaiting the arrival of a patient.
Had he been busy at the operating
chair he no doubt would have been
intantly killed.
Several b uildings had the plate
glass broken in the windows. Signs
were b lown down, and there was
every evidence of u real storm havmg
hit the town.
Just preceding the storm, the ba
rometer fell rapidly and the heat
was almost stifling. There was a vivid
electrical display for a few minutes,
and hail fell with terrific force. Then
the storm swept out of the west, driv
en by a sixty mile- an hour wind. The
storm seems to have been confined to
a rather narrow area, Third street
and the business section of Jackson
suffering the g reatest damage.
Alabama suffered most from the
storm. At Cowarts, Ala., seven were
killed and 25 injured. Six children
were killed and 40 injured at Dothan,
Ala., in the collapse of a school house
Macon was hard hit b y the storm.
Two deaths were reported. Camp
Wheeler suffered considerabla dam
age and great inconvenience from the
storm. Many of the tents were flood
ed with water, in some places the
water reaching as high as six feet. A
cloudburst accompanied the storm in
the Macon territory. A number of
soldiers lost their personal effects in
the storm.
Following the storm, the mercury
| began to fall rapidly and by Satur
: day morning the thermometer went
dotvn to 10 degrees above zero. The
cold spell was one of the worst of
the winter, holding on through Mon
day, when it began to thaw up some
what.
Sunday morning was the coldest
weather of the winter, the thermom
eter registering 6 degrees above zero.
One good result of the rain of
Thursday night and Friday was to
improve the power situation. The res
ervoir of the powr company on the
Ocmulgee river filled up rapidly, fol
lowing the steady downpour Friday.
While the water is not as high as the
situation demands, yet the use of
coal for the operation of the ■ steam
plant in Macon can be dispensed with
to a certain degree. A rise of eight
feet is reported from the Ocmulgee
river plant.
Farmers express the fear that the
oat crop has been killed. Up To the
Oast blizzard the crop was in fair
Shape, well informed farmers state.
HBut the cold, following the drenching
rain, is believed to have seriously
damaged both wheat and oats .
The manufacture and consumption
as a luxury in
France has been entirely suppressed,;
except on Sundays and holidays.
JACKSON, GEORGIA, JANUARY 18, 1918
BETS $5,000 ON BOOK
OF REVELATIONS; WAR
TO END IN SIXTY DAYS
Savannah, Ga., Jan. 11.—
Backing his judgment in his
faith in the Book of Revelations,
W. T. Patrick, a prominent citi
zen of Sylvania, has wagered
$5,000 against SI,OOO that the
great war will endin sixty days.
J. H. Evans, of Halcyondale, is
the other party t’no the wager.
They have given certified
checks to cover the transaction.
These are held by A. D. Lewis,,
of Sylvania.
DRAFT BOARD
CLASSIFYING MEN
All The Registrants Have
Been Served
REQUIRE SEVERAL BAYS
NeV ARMY WILL BE RECRUITED
FROM CLASS ONE—ALL WHO
FAIL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
PLACED IN FIRST CLASS
The Butts county draft board be
gan Monday the work of classifying
registered men for service. All of the
men had been previously sent their
questionnaires, though it may be the
last of the.week before all the pues
tions are returned.
It is not known just how long it
will take the board to complete its
work. Each questionnaire must be
read and gone over carefully. This is
a rather slow and tedious process, and
indications are the board will be
engaged for several days in arrang
ing the registrants under the proper
classification.
Single men without dependents will
be placed in class No. 1. Married
men w hose families are not depen
dent upon them for support also go
in the first c lass. All who fail to an
swer and return the questionnaires
are automatically placed in class No.
1. There are a considerable number
in that class, it is said.
Available figures indicate that
there are 1,000,000 physically and.
otherwise qualified men under the
present registration who will be fonud
in class 1 when all questionnaires
have been returned and the classifi
cation period ends February 1.
To this the extension of registra
tion to men turning 21 since June 5
of last year and thereafter, will add
700,000 effective men each year.
MR. ETHERIDGE AGAIN HEADS
THE ATLANTA TRUST COMPANY
The shareholders of the Atlanta
Trust Company held their annual
meeting Wednesday of the past week,
when a satisfactory year’s business
was reviewed. Mr. F. S. Etheridge
was again elected president. The
company paid a semi-annual dividend
of three per cent.
A fireproof solution for treating
airplane fabrics is a thing which may
be realized in the near future, experi
ments ir a private plant having al
ready developed a* comparatively suc
cessful solution.
COLONEL LANE IS
CALLED BY DEATH
Expired Saturday Alter
Stroke Paralysis
FUNERAL HELD MONDAY
DEATH OF PROMINENT ATTOR
NEY AND CIVIC LEADER CAME
AS SHOCK TO FRIENDS ALL
OVER THE STATE
Following an illness of several
weeks, Major A. W. Lane, one of the
best known lawyers in Georgia died
at Williams’ sanitonum in Macon at
7 o’clock Saturday morning. He had
been ill of rheumatism and malaria
for several weeks and was undergoing
treatment when he was stricken with
paralysis on January 6. He gradually
grew weaker until the end came Sat
urday morning.
News of Major Lane’s passing came
as a shock to thousands of friends
over the state. He was particularly
well known and well liked here in
Butts county. Mrs. Lane owns large
farming interests here and this to
gether with his practice in the local
courts brought Major Lane often to
Jackson The family spent then
summers in Jackson and many friends
! were saddened and shocked to learn
1 of his untimely death.
Born in Jasper county December
28,-1868, Mpjor Lane was 49 years
old. He was an honor graduate of
Mercer University in the class of
i 1890, being anniversarian of his class.
He was a graduate of the law depart-
I ment of the University of Virginia
| and following the completion of his
! law course he located in Macon. For
a time he was a member of the law
! firm of Willingham & Lane. Later he
! formed a partnership with Orville A.
Park, and in 1914 he became a mem
ber of the law firm of Jordan & Lane.
This firm was division counsel for the
Central of Georgia Railway Com
pany.
Major Lane held many positions of
trust and responsibility, filling them
all with ability and reflecting credit
upon "himself and constituents. He
was solicitor general of the Macon
circuit for two terms, and represented
Bibb county in the legislature. He
was a member of the law faculty of
Mercer University for eight or ten
years, and was a member of the Bibb
county board of education. He was
also a trustee of the Georgia Indus
trial Home and manifested keen in
terest in that institution.
Major Lane was prominent in se
cret order work. He was a past mas
ter of Mable lodge of Masons, member
of Constantine Chapter, member of
St. Omer Commandery No. 2, Knights
Templar, and was a member of Alsi
hah Temple of Shriners. For twenty
years he had been a deacon in the
First Baptist church, and at the time
of his death was serving on the exec
utive committee of that church, which
committee directed all of its finances.
A man of most pleasing and lov
able personality, Major Lane made
friends easily and held them by his,
tact, patience r, nd magnetism. He j
was ever ready to do a friend a favor
and had helped many young men to
get a start in life. He was the soul
of courtesy and knightly honor, too
magnanimous to do alittle mean thing,
too generous to harbor malice. His
friends will remember him as a bril
liant and successful lawyer, a man
ever ready to help in any forward
movement, -a public spirited, honor
able citizen, who worshipped his fam
ily and was in turn worshipped by
them.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Hattie McKibben Lane; four sons,
Corporal Andrew W. Lane, Jr., who
is a member of the Coast Artillery,
stationed at Fort Screven, Savannah;
Van McKibben Lane, lieutenant, U.
S. R., stationed at Camp Gordon;
Louis J. Lane, a student at the Vir
ginia Military Institute, Lexington,
Va., and Harry Lane; three daugh
ters, Misses Mary, Margaret and Vir
ginia Lane. Two brothers, W. T.
Lane, of Americus, and J. L. Lane,
COUNCIL WILL LIKELY
ELECT MONDAY NIGHT
Officers Will Be Chosen at The Next
Meeting
On account of the unfavorable
weather there was no meeting of
city council Monday night. At the
meeting next Monday night, January
21, it is expected the business of the
past year will be wound up and that
the new council will begin work.
With the exception of Mayor J. T.
Moore and Alderman C. T. Beau
champ there is an entirely new set
of city officials for the present year.
If the new council organizes next
Monday night officers for the city
will probably be elected at that time.
These include: Clerk and treasurer,
city tax receiver and collector, two
policemen, superintendent of'munici
pal p’ants, sexton, city attorney and
bond commissioners. So far as known
now there are no contests for any of
these places.
STEAM PLANTS
IN MACON CLOSE
Ocmolgee Plant Furnish
ing AH Power
RIVER RISES RAPIDLY
RAINS HELP POWER SITUATION
AND MACON PLANTS ARE
ABLE TO SAVE LARGE CON
SUMPTION OF COAL
Macon, Jan. 15. —The two steam
plants of the Macon Rr ilway and
Light Company and the Central Geor
gia Power Company which operated
at their fullest capacity during the re
cent rainless peiod were practically
closed down Monday, as the reservoir
at Jackson only lacked nine feet of
overflowing and the hydro-electric
plant there is able to furnish cur
rent for Macon and all the cities it
supplies.
There was a heavy fall of rain ov
er the Ocmulgee river watershed,
particularly at Covington, the center.
Consequently the flow of water into
the reservoir at Jackson has been
enough to enable the plant to gener
ate enough current to relieve the Ma
con steam plants. Monday it was re
ported that the water in the reser
voir had risen eleven feet and only
lacked nine feet of overflowing. With
more rain predicted Monday night
and Tuesday, it is probable that the
overflow will come about Wednesday
or Thursday.
While the steam plants were ope
rating in Macoh, the consumption of
coal was very heavy. A few days
prior to the rain, it required 165 tons
of coal per day at a cost of SBOO. The
plants will be kept steamed up for
any emergency reasons.
Considrable damage to some of
the lines of the power company was
sustained in Macon and at Camp
Wheeler, Monticello, Griffin and oth
er places last Friday afternoon. Man
ager MaGraw reports that all of it,
however, has been repaired.
of Jasper county. Two sisters, Mrs.
Mollie Lane Dozier, of Jasper coun
ty, and Mrs. R. F. Jackson, of Troupe,
Texas.
The funeral was held from the
First Baptist church of Macon at
oon Monday. The impressive services
were were conducted by the pastor,
Dr. C. L. Yates. There were escorts
from the Knights Templar, Macon
Bar Association, the Bibb county
board of education, deacons of the
First Baptist church, and the faculty
and student body of Mercer were
present. The floral tributes were nu
merous and beautiful, attesting the
high esteem in which the dist'r "mg; .
ed lawyer was held. The interment
was in Rose Hill cemetery.
Jackson Argus Established 187.1 (
Butts County Progress Established 1882
BUTTS COUNTY
WON FIRST PRIZE
Led The State ia Canning
Club Work
AWARDED FIFTY DOLLARS
AWARDS JUST MADE PUBLIC
AND BUTTS COUNTY LED THE
WHOLE STATE-SHOWING WAS
CREDIT TO COUNTY
Mrs. C. A. Butner, Canning Club
agent of Butts county, has just been
advised that Butts county won first
prize of fifty dollars at the South
eastern Fair in Atlanta. To lead the
entire state of Georgia in Canning
Club work the past year is an honor
that is appreciated by Mrs. Butner
and the people of the whole county.
The exhibit was a splendid one as all
who saw it can testify.
The county made an even better
showing than Mrs. Butner hoped for.
She would have been satisfied with
second or third prize, but to know
that the county won first is highly
pleasing. The check for fifty dollars
has already been received.
The county prize of fifty dollars is
in addition to a number of individual
prizes, mention of which has already
been made in these columns.
Owing to a ruling of the depart
ment, Mrs. Butner was not allowed to
take the exhibit to Macon to be
shown at the State Fair.
JACKSON CHAPTER R. A. M.
HAS ELECTION OFFICERS
Five Candidates to Receive Degrees
at Next Meeting
At the meeting of the Jackson
Chapter, No. 54, Royal Arch Masons,
Monday night officers were elected for
, the ensuing year.
The M. M. degree will be confer
-1 red upon five candidates at the next
regular meeting, January 28, and a
full attendance of the members is re
quested. The c hapter has consider
able amount of work on hand and a
busy year is in prospect.
The officers elected are as follows:
H. L. Daughtry, H. P.; J. B. Hopkins,
K.; J. C. Jones, S.; D. G. McMichael,
C. H.; C. M. Compton, P. S.; J. D.
Jones, R. A. C.; J H. Ham, Treas.; F.
M. Allen, Sec.; H. O. Ball, M. 3rd V.;
G. C. Evans, M. 2nd V.; W H. Mallet,
M. Ist V..; F. M. Hodges, Sentinel.
FOOD ADMINISTRATOR WILL
GETWOU IF YOU DON’T WATCH
Atlanta, Jan. 17.—A grocer in a
certain city near Atlanta was report
ed to the Food Administration in At
lanta as selling more flour than the
government allows for a single indi
vidual. That night he got a telegram
requesting him to show cause by tel
egraph why his license should not be
revoked. He hurried to Atlanta in an.
automobile and brought a man to
vouch for him. The food administra
tion allowed him to continue in busi
ness on his solemn promise to obey
the law. That is an example of what
the Food Administration does to pro
tect the public from extortion and
hoarding.
SPRING PLOWING IN FRANCE
DONE BY AMERICAN TRACTORS
To increase France’s crops and to
lighten the burden of toil on her old
men, women and children 1,500 farm
tractors will go to that country from
the United States. The first hun
dred are already on the way, and the
whole number will be in France by
March, in time for the spring plowing
Deck* space was provided for the first
shipment on a naval transport.
Schools of instruction will be organ
ized.
The sown to crops in the
uninvaded portion of France in 1917
was about 10,000,000 acres less than
in 1913, or 24.4 per cent. The in
creased r,reduction through the use
of tractors this year is expected to
greatly improve the food situation.
_ ........ .
Consolidated July 9. 1915