Newspaper Page Text
■Satksa x progress-Argus
O '
Death claimed one of Butts
County’s most beloved citi
zens Wednesday, December
10, when James Doyle Jones,
Jr., 59, for over 30 years
editor of the Jackson
Progress-Argus, died at
Emory University Hospital.
A measurable pall fell over
the city on the preceding
Sunday when word was
circulated that the editor had
suffered a massive stroke
while a patient at Sylvan
Grove Hospital.
He was transferred to
Griffin-Spalding County Hos
pital early Sunday morning
and from there to Emory
before noon. In spite of the
.heroic efforts to save his life,
he never stirred from the
stroke-induced coma that
eventually claimed his life at
4:25 a.m. Wednesday morn
ing.
For the few days of his
critical illness, phones at the
news office and those of the
immediate family were de
luged with calls from well
wishers offering hope and
condolences.
Like most editors of small
town papers who practice a
personal kind of journalism,
he and his co-partner Martha
had a host of friends who felt
that he belonged to the
county and that he was as
perpetual a figure as the
courthouse clock.
Possessed of a restless
spirit and nervous energy, he
drove himself at a frenzy to
support those projects which
he felt would advance the
welfare of his city and
county. Only a persistent
diabetic condition, which
sapped some of his energy
the last few years, stayed
him from this appointed
course.
There was hardly a civic,
fraternal, religious or com
munity activity of the past 30
years in Butts County to
which he did not offer the full
measure of his vast talents
and enthusiasm.
His personal editorial
column, “It’s This Way” was
among the most widely read
and quoted in Georgia’s
weekly journalism field and
led most readers to turn
quickly to page two to share
his comments on the passing
scene.
Possibly no civic honor
Volume 102 Number 51
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James Doyle Jones, Jr.
1916 - 1975
bestowed upon him, and
there were many, touched
him quite as much as beinft
named Butts County’s “Man
of the Year” for 1972 by the
Jackson Kiwanis Club. Ki
wanis held a special spot in
his affection, since his father
was a charter member and
moving force in organizing
the Club in 1922, and because
he, his father and brother
had all served as presidents.
He loved fun, but there
were serious forces driving
him to his ultimate destiny.
Chief among these was his
religious beliefs. He was a
faithful member of the Jack
son Presbyterian Church
since his early boyhood and
served it untiringly as Elder,
Sunday School Superinten
dent, Deacon and teacher par
excellence of the adult Bible
class. For years he served as
unofficial “church janitor”,
arising early to provide the
right amount of heat or cold
for the congregation’s com
fort. Asa goodwill ambassa
dor for the church, wel
coming visitors, new and old
members alike, he was in a
class by himself.
He was current secretary
of the Butts County Demo
cratic Executive Committee,
a position he inherited upon
his father’s death in 1955.
He served on the Butts
County Selective Service
Board for more than 20 years
until his retirement in
January, 1972 because of a
mandatory ruling on the
length of service.
Membership on the Board
of Managers of The Georgia
Press Association, a position
he currently filled, led to the
formation of deep friendships
with members of the Fourth
Estate across the state and
nation.
He had been a member and
secretary of the Butts County
Hospital Authority since its
organization in 1959.
Other memberships held at
the time of his death include
Butts County-Jackson Plan
ning Commission, Butts
County Chamber of Com
merce, City of Jackson
Democratic Executive Com
mittee, American Legion,
Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Griffin Elks Lodge and
Griffin Moose Club.
In the financial field, he
was one of the organizers and
Jackson, Georgia 30233, Thursday, December 18, 1975
directors ot the Mclntosh
State Bank, chartered in
1964.
One of his life-long pas
sions was sports. He often
said he would like to have
been a sports writer, rather
than an editor. And for him
there was only one team. The
University of Georgia Bull
dogs. He followed them
avidly, traveled with them
extensively, and for over 50
years took their fortunes and
misfortunes into the confines
of his huge heart.
Another of his pet projects
was the Christmas Lighting
Contest which his paper
sponsored for years in
conjunction with the Garden
Club Council. He never lost
his child-like zest for Christ
mas, never wavered from the
firm belief that the spirit and
wonder of the Christmas
season produced a magic
that touched the hearts of
everyone for good.
He believed there was no
gift quite as precious as the
gift of life itself and he felt
that his blood, freely given,
might sustain life in another.
His generosity in this regard
was so great that he
received, and treasured,
from the Red Cross an
8-gallon Blood Donor pin.
His generous nature made
him a soft touch for the city
panhandlers. He often said
he had rather give a beggar a
dollar, even if it went for
cheap wine, than to pass a
fellow human being who
might genuinely be in need of
a meal.
An amateur horticulturist,
he loved to work with flowers
and his camellia garden each
winter attracted camellia
lovers from far and near and
he shared the bounty of his
blooms with many friends,
church and civic groups.
Perhaps the best publi
cized of his home activities
was his love of those cats
fortunate enough to share his
bed and board. “Tom”,
“Boots”, “Doll” and others
became household words to
his readers as he wrote
touchingly of their antics,
their illnesses and deaths.
The feline population every
where never had a warmer
friend, and they seemed to
sense it and appreciate it.
He was born July 6, 1916,
the son of the late James
Doyle Jones, Sr. and Mrs.
Tallie Virginia Jolly Jones.
Both his parents were highly
regarded in newspaper cir
cles, his father serving as
publisher Of Jackson weekly
newspapers for over 48 years
and his mother as a helpmate
and columnist on all of them.
He graduated from the
Jackson High School in 1933
and from the University of
Georgia in 1937 with an AB
degree in Journalism. While
at the University, he was a
member of Sigma Delta Chi,
national journalism frater
nity, and Psi Chi, national
psychology fraternity.
He saw service with the U.
S. Navy during the war, and
served with a Navy Military
Government unit which open
ed the first hospital for
civilians on Okinawa in
April. 1945.
Returning to Jackson in
December, 1945, he resumed
his affiliation with the
Progress-Argus, being asso
ciated with his father and
brother until his father’s
death in March, 1955 and
later with his brother,
Vincent Jones, until he
purchased his brother’s
interest in January, 1959.
Funeral services were held
Friday morning, December
12, at 11a.m. from the Jack
son Presbyterian Church,
with the Rev. Wade H.Bell,
Jr., pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church of Val
dosta, officiating and the
Rev. David Black, pastor of
the Jackson Presbyterian
Church, assisting.
In silent tribute to the
fallen editor, the stores of
Jackson merchants were
closed for one hour Friday
for the funeral services.
Members of the Georgia
Press Association and the
Jackson Kiwanis Club served
as honorary pallbearers.
Active pallbearers were
Jimmy Cornell, Hiram
Franklin, Maurice Carmic
hael, Rogers Starr, Mike
Allen and Herman Cawthon.
Interment was in the
Jackson City Cemetery
under the direction of
Haisten Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife,
Martha Griffeth Jones; one
brother, Vincent Jones, of
Jackson; two nephews,
Barry Jones, of Tiger, and
Alan Jones, of Atlanta.
Christmas Lights To
Be Judged on Dec. 18
The festive air of Christ
mas time in a small town is
becoming increasingly evi
dent as the time rapidly
approaches for judging the
1975 Christmas lighting con
test in the City of Jackson.
Already, lighted Christmas
trees blink from the town’s
shop windows, the City has
decorated its streets and
sidewalks in a tasteful
manner and an occasional
home displays the tree, bell,
star and candle symbolic of
the season.
The Christmas Lighting
contest has been sponsored
annually for many years by
the Jackson Progress-Argus
and the Garden Club Council,
who jointly announce that
this year’s contest will be
judged on Thursday, Decem
ber 18, beginning at 7 p.m.
Judging will be continued
until a final decision has been
rendered.
Mrs. Elizabeth Watkins
has again secured accredited
judges for this year’s
competition and they include
Ivan L. Winsett, executive
Burglaries and Flim Flam
Fill Jackson Weekend
* Last weekend in Jackson
was a weekend filled with
theft. Four burglaries and
one flim flam operation
cleaned Jacksonians of close
to $3,800.
The Jackson City Police
Department received a call
Friday morning at 7:47 from
Bearden Auto Parts, Inc.
reporting a burglary. At the
scene investigating officers
found that a burgler had
entered the building through
the backdoor by prying the
locked door open. Missing
from the premises were a
radio, part of a tape
recorder, both of which were
taken from Guy Bearden’s
office and a small amount of
change. The remaining por
tion of the tape recorder
mentioned above was des
troyed by the intruder.
Several electric drills were
found stacked at the back
door indicating that the
burglar was in the process of
taking the drills when
something frightened him.
The same morning the police
department received a
second report of burglary at
8:10 a.m. at Carter Motor
Company the police found
that the burglar had entered
through a window in the
back. Missing from the cash
register at Carter Motor
Company was $2.75. Other
miscellaneous items amount
ing to approximately $1,500
were taken from the premi
ses.
After further investiga
tions, the two burglaries
were tied together by
footprints and tools. Foot
prints found at Carter Motor
Company matched those
found at Bearden Auto Parts
and tools from Carter Motor
Company were found at
Bearden’s. The conclusion
was drawn that a single
burglar first entered and
stole from Carter Motor
Company and then proceed
ed to burglarize Bearden
Auto Parts.
Sometime during the week
end, from 2:30 p.m. on
Sunday to 9:00 a.m. on
Monday, Andrews Lunch
room located on North
Mulberry Street in Jackson
was broken into and burgla
rized. The thief entered the
building by removing a hasp
from the front door to the
establishment. The burglar
$6.18 Per Year In Advance
director, Georgia Electrifi
cation Council, Inc., Agricul
tural Engineering Center,
University of Georgia and
Dr. Derrell McClenden,
assistant professor. Agricul
tural Engineering Division,
University of Georgia.
Mrs. John Chastain, home
service supervisor, Georgia
Power Company, Atlanta;
John Chastain, Tax Commis
sioner, Cobb County; Mrs.
Ted Stehle, sales specialist -
home economist, Georgia
Power Company, Atlanta;
Ted Stehle, General Electric
sales representative, Atlan
ta.
Mrs. T. H. Price, president
of the Garden Club Council,
and Doyle Jones, Jr.,
publisher of the Progress-
Argus. announce that the city
will be divided into East and
West divisions and that
identical prizes will be
awarded those homes ad
judged most attractively
decorated in both divisions.
These include: first prize of
$12.50. second prize of SIO.OO,
third prize of $7.50 and fourth
prize of $5.00.
got a small amount of
change, five pounds of
hamburger, an unknown
quantity of dishes and a
portable T.V. Total value of
the goods stolen from the
lunchroom was estimated at
$l5O.
Also during the weekend, a
burglar entered the office
building at Delta Tanks
located on Sherrill Street in
Jackson. Entrance was gain
ed by breaking a window in
the door to the building and
opening the door from the
inside.
Missing from Delta Tanks
were a voltage meter,
open-end wrenches. jumper
cables, alien wrenches, and
electric percolator, an elec
tric drill and change from a
drink machine. Value of the
goods was estimated at S4OO.
Last on the list, but first in
time and amount of money
lost is a flim flam case which
Joe Taylor
Resips Post
At Mclntosh
Joe B. Taylor, executive
vice president of the Mcln
tosh State Bank of Jackson,
has resigned his position
effective January 11, 1976.
While future plans are still
uncertain. Taylor said he will
return to his native state of
Tennessee and continue to be
affiliated with the banking
industry.
Since beginning his asso
ciation with the Mclntosh
Bank, he has been active in
the Jackson Kiw’anis Club,
and elder and Sunday School
Notice To All Taxpayers
One fact remains crystal clear out of the
welter of confusion, rumors and court litigation
surrounding the matter of the 1975 ad valorem tax
on property owned in Butts County.
Everyone who owns property in Butts
County owes taxes on their real property for 1975.
Taxpayers who are uncertain as to the
amount, or due date, of their 1975 taxes should
contact Mrs. Mary Will Hearn, Butts County Tax
Commissioner, in the courthouse or phone
775-7545.
In addition, the three best
decorated business houses
will be awarded prizes of
SIO.OO, $7.50, and $5.00
respectively.
The same rules that
applied in the past will be
used and include:
No formal entry applica
tion need be made.
Every home within the
confines of the contest
boundaries will be judged
and ribbons placed the same
night. Checks will be mailed
the next day by the
newspaper.
The Garden Club Council
advised that all homes in
Jackson will be judged as
well as those on the Griffin
Road as far as the W. A. Cook
residence. Homes will be
included beyond the city
limits on Brookwood Avenue,
those on the Monticello
Highway to the C. E.
Washington home and those
on Buttrill Road.
Homes on the Barnesville
highway will be judged as far
west as the American Mills
plant.
PAPER S CHRISTMAS
ISSUE OUT ON TUESDAY
The annual Christmas
issue of the Progress-Argus,
containing special features
and Christmas greetings
from many Jackson mer
chants, will be mailed on
Tuesday. December 23. in
order to reach subscribers
before Christmas Day.
Those desiring either news
or advertising space are
requested to submit their
copy not later than Saturday,
December 20th.
occurred last Thursday. Mrs.
Doris Hardy of Jackson was
swindled out of $3,164. The
details involved aren't clear
but in essence, Mrs. Hardy
withdrew $3,164 from her
banking account in order that
two unidentified females in
their twenties might check
the serial numbers. The two
females left Mrs. Hardy
under the pretense of
showing the serial numbers
to their boss and never
returned with the money.
Superintendent at the Jack
son Presbyterian Church,
and has given enthusiastic
support to many worthwhile
community projects.
Mrs. Taylor is employed by
the Carmichael Insurance
Agency and a daughter,
Susan, is a teacher at the F.
T. Wills High School, in
Smyrna.
The family has made
arrangements for the sale of
their home on McCaskill
Drive to Mr. and Mrs.
Malvern Edwards.
Taylor has 26 years of
banking experience and he
and his family leave Jackson
with the best wishes of scores
of friends made during their
five year residence in the
city.