Newspaper Page Text
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J. D. Jones Publisher
(1908-1955
Doyle Jones Jr. Editor and Publisher
(1955-1975)
MRS. MARTHA G. JONES PUBLISHER
VINCENT JONES EDITOR
Published every Thursday at 129 South Mulberry Street, Jackson,
Georgia 30233 by The Progress-Argus Printing Cos., Inc. Second Class
Postage paid at Jackson, Georgia 30233.
Address notice of undeliverable copies and other correspondence
to The Jackson Progress-Argus, P.O. Box 249, Jackson, Georgia 30233.
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Editorials
A Time for Reminiscing
A person who doesn’t know
where he came from isn’t likely to
find where he is going. Our lives
are not like tumbleweed blowing
across the prairie, but they have
beginnings, and endings, and
hitching posts and roots that go
back deep into the past.
When a nation celebrates the
first 200 years of its history, it is
time for sober reflection, a time to
take a hard look at the forces that
have shaped its destiny and left
indelible imprints on its history.
Butts County is 151 years old
this year. We intend to focus a
spotlight on the events of many of
those years with a Bicentennial
edition of this paper on July Ist.
The files are being searched for
important news events, deaths,
weddings, births, the tragedies and
victories of a people who have
come 151 years down the road of
life together.
Several “Old-timers” have
offered to let their hair down and
A Matter of Semantics
The toothsome Georgia peanut
farmer, Jimmy Carter, says he is
in favor of preserving “ethnic
purity”. He later retracts that 24
times in 8 hours and says that
really wasn’t what he meant; that
it came out a bit stronger than he
had intended and that he should
have said “ethnic character” or
“ethnic heritage.”
While he is crawfishing and
backpedaling, and Jackson and
Udall are declaring that the words
“ethnic purity” will become as
enshrined in the nation’s memory
as “Remember the Maine”, and
that they will dedicate their
political future to that proposition,
who comes along to wee Jimmy’s
David Did Kill Goliath
Spurred on by its dynamic
president Dick O’Hara, the Butts
County Chamber of Commerce is
organizing the county’s merchants
in an all-out battle to keep local
shoppers at home.
The battle lines have been
formed for some time and with the
opening of gigantic malls and super
discount stores in neighboring
cities, the siren call of more for
your money has hurt local
merchants’ sales.
To wage war with some of
these giants requires a concerted
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reminisce a bit, to write of the old
times and the old ways that have,
and will, pass on into oblivion
unless they are faithfully pre
served as a roadmark along the
paths that lead back to yesteryear.
Why is it important to record
these recollections? Because we
should learn to revere all things
that are dead, whether they be
people or days, and use them as
guideposts as we move into the
future, which means anywhere
beyond the horizon of our sight.
Perhaps there are others who
would like to take the long road
back to childhood and tell us how it
was then. If so, and if you
remember corn huskings, barn
raisings, oak snuff sticks and sweet
potatoes baking in the fireplace to
the light of a kerosene lamp, then
share these memories with our
readers and we guarantee you they
will appreciate you as much as we
do.
aid but the chief executive himself.
Yessir, President Ford
charges forth with the declaration
that he would never use the term
“ethnic purity”, but that he would
use “ethnic heritage” or “ethnic
treasure.”
All of which is a bunch of
baloney in a year when we are
celebrating the 200th birthday of a
nation that was built by whites,
blacks, Indians, Catholics, Jews
and Protestants working side by
side. Racial, political and religious
harmony, with equal rights,
opportunity and responsibility for
all, should be our goal in ‘76 and to
heck with all of the word shading
going on.
effort, supported by attractively
advertised bargains, a wide
selection of competitively-priced
merchandise and some gimmick
try that Dick and his committee
are bound to offer soon.
As never before, the call is
going out for a united front, for
merchant-to-merchant cooperation
the likes of which this town has
never seen.
The option is obvious. United
we stand to prosper; divided, we
stand to continue losing trade.
THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
The Last
Straw
BY
VINCENT JONES
In doing research for the
Bicentennial issue of the
Progress-Argus, we came
across an interesting Letter
to the Editor which appeared
in the August 4, 1911 issue of
the Butts County Progress.
At that time the Butts
County Progress was owned
by Alfred Akerman, listed as
publisher, and edited by J.
Doyle Jones.
The letter sheds some light
on the history of newspapers
in Butts County and verifies
research done earlier by this
editor, who will publish in the
July 1 Bicentennial issue a
chronological list of all
newspapers, editors and
publishers in Butts County
since the first paper was
published in 1873.
The 1911 letter from W. F.
Smith is as follows:
“Away back in the ‘7o’s the
Indian Springs Echo, pub
lished by Harmon Edge,
suspended. The press and
type fell into the hands of Dr.
Bryan, Sr., as junk. Dr.
Bryan passed it on to me in a
land trade as so much “to
boot.” Then I knew about as
much about a printing outfit
as a hog does about a
typewriter. Mr. Dumble was
an old printer and he and I
started the Argus and ran it
awhile in the vacant resi
dence of Dr. Bryan, now
known as the Bryan house,
run by Mrs. Keaton.
I built a brick room at the
forks of the road at the Camp
Ground and moved it there.
The prime object I had in
view in starting the Argus
was to get a railroad through
Butts County. When the
railroad was built I lost
interest, and the paper was
moved to Jackson and sold.
When the panic of 1893
came on it seemed to me that
the money powers had the
people by the throat and was
determined to crush them. It
was then I bought the press
and outfit owned by the
Progress and started “The
Headlight” at Flovilla and
joined the eighteen hundred
Populist papers in the United
States in a desperate effort to
better conditions.
In a few years all of our
demands were either made
into law or put in the
platforms of the two old
parties. Then I lost interest in
the printing business and
again that outfit was sold and
moved to Jackson.
Now, dear Argus, you are
my child, And, dear Prog
ress, you are one of my
children. Now as I am the
“Daddy” of you both, I want
to offer a little fatherly
advice. I have been told that
the death of our friend, Mrs.
Shaver, would cause a
change of ownership of the
Argus.
Now the suggestion that I
would make is that my two
children unite in business. I
know enough about the
printing business to know
that those in either office is
not getting a fair remunera
tion. Then, why not throw the
two papers together, thereby
giving all hands a better
opportunity to get out a
larger and better paper,
with better pay to all
employees and more time to
the hard worked editors?
I make this suggestion with
the best wishes for all parties
concerned and for the
advancement of the interests
of the public and greater
prestige for the paper.”
W. F. Smith
The advice contained in
this letter from Capt. Smith,
Flovilla editor, promoter and
visionary whose efforts were
most instrumental in se
curing a railroad and the
Georgia Power Company
hydro-electric plant in Butts
County, was acted on fairly
quickly.
In 1913, J. Doyle Jones
purchased the Butts County
Progress and in 1915 he
acquired The Jackson Argus,
combining the two papers as
Capt. Smith suggested into
one paper, stronger than the
two from whence came its
name.
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1976
A Stroll Dow*
Memory Lane
News of 10 Years Ago
A special election has been
called in Jackson to name a
councilman from the Fifth
Ward, formed recently by the
annexation of Pepperton into
the Jackson city limits. John
Robert Pulliam, Mayor of
Pepperton, has announced
his candidacy.
In an impressive candlelit
ceremony, Mrs. Maurine
Shields was installed as
president of the Jackson
Business and Professional
Women’s Club.
A spectacular, smoldering
fire of undetermined origin
gutted the old Van Fretwell
home on North Mulberry
Street Monday afternoon.
David Estes, chief, Special
Collections Department,
Emory University library,
told the Kiwanis Club of Joel
Chandler Harris, creator of
the famed Uncle Remus
stories.
Making the dean’s list for
the winter quarter at the
University of Georgia was
Carol B. Moelchert, wife of
Louie Molchert of Athens,
and daughter-in-law of Mr.
and Mrs. L. W. Moelchert of
Jackson.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Finney
were hosts at a spend the
night party Friday in honor
of Sherri’s eighth birthday.
News of 20 Years Ago
Under anew system of
leasing state parks, W. R.
Anderson, of Macon, became
the first lessee of Indian
Springs State Park.
Deraney’s is having the
grand opening of its newly
remodeled, commodious
store this weekend.
School Supt. A. B. Duncan
announced the same faculty
appointments for next year,
including D. V. Spencer,
principal elementary school;
N. F. Lang, principal,
Jackson High School, and N.
E. Walker, principal, Hen
derson High-Grammar
school.
Dr. and Mrs. W. G. Smith
announce the sale of their
drug business after 17 years
of operating it in Jackson.
News of 30 Years Ago
W. T. Bobo, operator of a
Jackson electrical shop and
former Sally League pitcher,
has been ordered to report to
the New York Giants for a
try-out with the major league
team.
Sheriff J. D. Pope and his
deputies destroyed a mam
moth still this week, finding
twenty-one 236 gallon hogs
heads of beer, 285 gallons
syrup, 350 pounds of rye
meal, half case of yeast
cakes, upright boiler and all
the copper.
Cpl. Seaborn W. Maddox
was recently discharged at
Fort Devens, Mass.
One of the fastest growing
and expanding businesses in
this section is the wholesale
and retail jewelry business
owned and operated by C. T.
Gibson in Jackson under the
name of the Jackson Jewel
Box and C. T. Gibson, located
on Covington Street in
Copeland’s warehouse.
James A. Joyner, 78, of
Griffin, formerly associated
with the late J. G. McDonald
in the newspaper business in
Jackson, died during the
week.
Miss Arie Ingram, 73, died
during the week.
News of 40 Years Ago
Members of the Jackson
Bar Association, J. T. Moore,
O. M. Duke, H. J. Quinn, W.
E. Watkins, W. M. Redman,
H. M. Fletcher, J. L. Lyons,
and Joel B. Mallet, have
endorsed Col. C. L. Redman
for solicitor-general.
Miss Vera Edwards placed
third in the Fourth District
girl’s essay contest.
Butts County quickly
raised $411.10 for the Red
Cross to aid victims of
vicious tornados in Gaines
ville and Cordele. Miss
Margaret Giles, of Flovilla,
has been sent to Cordele by
the Red Cross to set up a
nursing corps.
Miss Delia Watkins of New
York City is spending the
week with her mother, Mrs.
G. I. Watkins at Indian
Springs.
The princess Theater was
showing “Mutiny on the
Bounty”, with Charles
Laughton, Clark Gable and
Franchot Tone.
News of 50 Years Ago
New Traffic posts have
been placed around the court
house square and “drive to
the right” is the warning
issued by police officers of
the town. The’ traffic posts
are painted a bright red and
are easily seen.
Barnes Trading Cos. adver
tised seed sweet potatoes for
sale, with fire, water and
conversation free.
Carmichael’s Georgia
Grocery had 25 lb. sack of
sugar at $1.48 and Fleisch
mann’s yeast cakes at 3 cents
each. Carmichael-Mallet Cos.
had men’s straw hats at SI.OO
each.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. T. E. Grubbs, 28, whose
husband was employed at
Georgia Hydro-Electric
Company and J. P. Vaughn,
73, former tax receiver of
Butts County.
JHS Students
Take CPR
Training
Where is the best place in
Butts County to have a heart
attack and receive proper
non-professional care? The
Jackson High School in the
Health Careers Class is
where. The class has just
completed a course in CPR
(cardio pulmonary Resusita
tion) at the local health
center, with most of the
students to receive certifica
tion from the Heart Associa
tion.
Mrs. Carole Trimble was
the instructor with Tony
Trimble assisting her in
demonstrations of how to
give proper care to apparent
victims of heart attack or
accident. The fourteen stu
dents first viewed a film
after which they were given a
test on the film they had
seen. Mrs. Trimble then
proceeded to instruct the
students on the manual part
of CPR. “Resusi-Annies”
were provided by the Red
Cross for the students to
practice on until they had
power procedure down pat.
Everyone enjoyed the
course which was eight hours
long. The fact that the
students were having fun was
apparent by the number of
giggles when someone made
a mistake. At the end of the
course, everyone was given a
practical test in which the
students exhibited their
ability to perform proper
CPR procedures.
Mrs. Bea Wade and Mrs.
Virginia Ridgeway, instruc
tors of the Health Careers
class, would like to thank
everyone who had a part in
helping these students learn
something valuable. Some
thing which might one day
save YOUR life.
f^JIKJMRRI
By Mrs. Cindy Brown
W. J. ANDCAC
Do you talk to your plants?
I do. Mine ain’t started
talking back yet, but they
sure do listen good.
Every morning my Wan
dering Jew and my Cactus
and I have a little conversa
tion.
I say, “Hi, W. J., you’re
looking mighty green today.”
The W. J. plant sits,
smiling.
Then I say, “Hi, Cactus.
How about a verse or two of
‘Home On The Range’?”
(That’s old Cac’s favorite
song).
I start singing and Cac
starts listening. If he didn’t
listen, my feelings would be
hurt.
Why, one day I was just too
busy to talk with my loved
ones, so I came up with the
solution: I set both plants on
the ottoman, cut on the
“tellie” and tuned in a
Tarzan movie. Something
about all that jungle green
ery really inspires my
flowery friends.
By now you’re probably
thinking, “Wow, the old girl’s
really flipped out this time.”
I haven’t though, at least not
in that respect. My plants
have just been growing like
weeds lately. And no, I ain’t
given ‘em any extra plant
7 \'W
KEY ATTITUDES TO LIVING
A salesman was forced to spend the night in a city
because of heavy rains. All the roads were closed. As he was
eating he spoke to the waitress. “This certainly looks like the
flood,” he said. “Thewhat?” asked the waitress. “The flood.
Surely you have read of the flood, and the ark landing on
Mount Ararat?” the salesman asked. “Mister,” came the
reply, “I ain’t seen a paper for two weeks!”
Then there was the Bible teacher explaining that the
cities Dan and Berrsheba were located one in the northern
part of Palestine and one in the southern part. “Are they
cities?” inquired a member of the class. “I always thought
that Dan and Beersheba were husband and wife. You know,
like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Unfortunately, there are too many people who are
ignorant of the Bible. They are the poorer because of it. For
the Bible has in it some of the finest literature ever written.
Not only that, but the Bible is filled with passages of scripture
which can be of significant help to us in facing life. The
Psalmist was correct when he wrote: “Thy word is a lamp to
my feet and a light to my path.”
Through studying the Bible one can gain some key
attitudes to living. Let me share with you some of those key
attitudes. They are attitudes each person needs to learn.
To begin with, learn to accept the fact that you are
important simply because you are a child of God, and that
your importance isn’t dependent upon any external factor
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet
sinners Christ died for us.” You will find those words in
Romans 5:8. They mean that we are important simply
because we are a child of God.
We humans attach far too much importance to position,
rank, wealth, social success. We operate on the false
assumption that bigness makes greatness, wealth makes
importance, and power makes worth. We are of the mistaken
opinion that a person isn’t important unless and until they
climb higher than others.
It does something to a person to discover that he is
worth as much to God as any other person, that he is
important to God simply because he is God’s child. So again I
say it—we attach far too much importance to position, rank,
wealth, social success.
Some years ago I was responsible for writing the
Committee on Courtesy report at our Annual Conference.
That committee is the one which thanks everyone for what
they have done to make the conference run smoothly. In the
report, I did not mention any names but attempted to offer
thanks in general to all who helped. When the report came to
the floor of the conference, it was amended to include the
bishop’s name. The idea was that his job was more important,
and he was more important, than others who had done their
job equally as well. I’m the only person in the history of
Methodism who has had a Committee on Courtesy report
amended!
Asa person in whom God is interested, the President of
the United States is no more important in the eyes of God than
the common laborer who digs ditches for a living. To God,
every person is important regardless of rank or station in life.
Remember blind Bartimeaus? He was important to
Jesus. He wasn’t important to those who looked upon external
worth. He was blind, and his blindness was looked UDon as a
direct consequence of sin. He was poor. He held no position of
importance. But he was important to Jesus—important
simply because he was a child of God.
We are important because we are God’s child. And our
importance doesn’t depend upon any external factors.
(Tour the Holy Land and Switzerland on his 10th tour, ll
days. Departs Nov. 8. For more info., write Mr. Wildmon at
Box 1368, Tupelo Miss. 38801)
food, just good talkin’ and
good singin’.
HOME, HOME ON THE
RANGE.
ONE MORE MONTH
One more month and school
will be out.
Just hear all the kiddies
shout.
One more month and Moms
will be in.
Bless them all when vaca
tions begin.
“Where’re my sneakers?
There’s nothing to do.”
“Mom, will you take us all to
the zoo?”
.‘.‘My chewing gum’s in
brother’s hair.”
"Daddy’s asleep in the easy
chair.”
Three more months and
school will begin.
(Looking forward to it ain’t
no sin.)
Yes, I love my little one
But from June to August he’s
a son of a gun!
CONGRATULATIONS
My congratulations this
week go out to all the school
teachers in Butts County.
They’ve managed somehow
to survive another school
year.
‘Whatsoever
Things'
By Donald E. Wildmon