Newspaper Page Text
Jackson Trngress-^rgus
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.
One Year, in Georgia $6.24
Six Months, in Georgia $3.91
Editorials
A Welcomed Announcement
The half-frozen Jackson popu
lace, fatigued from fighting the
rigors of the coldest winter in
memory, warmly applauded the
Thursday news release that
property taxes in the City of
Jackson were being reduced by 50
percent for calendar year 1976.
Using the assessed values from
the 1976 Butts County tax digest,
the City fathers reduced the
millage rate from the 10 mills
levied in 1975 to 5 mills for the
current digest.
Two factors contributed to the
tax cut, a rare phenomenon in an
age where all of the pressures are
upward and it is news indeed when
a reduction is announced in the
price of anything.
The City of Jackson gets a
healthy slice from the one cent
optional sales tax that has been in
effect since April, 1976. Although
the collection experience is
somewhat limited, it seems safe to
assume that the City will derive
approximately SIOO,OOO annually
from this source.
Under the law permitting the
levying of the local sales tax, city
governments are not required to
make a reduction in property taxes
until a full year’s experience with
collections can clearly define the
amount of revenue anticipated.
For What Is Man?
The movies for years have
been trying to frighten our
children, and childish adults, with
the malarkey that society is
threatened by killer bees, mon
strous rats, infestations of flies and
other insects or rodents that have
experienced genetic aberrations
that created monstrous threats
to mankind.
Modern script writers, not
familiar with the nation’s agricul
tural history, could well have used
the boll weevil and the terrible
impact it had on a whole region’s
economy as a more believable
model. Or perhaps they should
have looked to the ant and studied
his ways.
The fire ant, that is. This pesky
little critter has infested 150 million
acres of land stretching from the
South Carolina coast to Texas. And
defied every attempt of man to
eradicate him.
It has been estimated that 150
million dollars has been spent in
eradication efforts, but the pesky
little red devil keeps working and
You Deserve a Pat Today
Go ahead. Pat yourself on the
back. You deserve it, considering
the commendable manner in which
you are conducting yourself under
one of the most extreme,
frustrating and cold winters this
section has ever known.
Advance Subscription Rates, Tax Included:
TELEPHONE 775-3107
OFFICIAL ORGAN
BUTTS COUNTY AND
CITY OF JACKSON
One Year, Out-of-State $7.28
Six Months, Out-of-State $4.16
And, even then, the law requires a
reduction in property taxes equal
to the amount raised through the
special sales tax for one year only.
The Jackson city fathers,
aware of the sales tax funds being
held in escrow, decided to share the
wealth with the taxpayers and
reduce property taxes immediately
based on anticipated revenue from
the sales tax source.
Of equal importance is the
incontestable fact that the City’s
affairs are in capable hands, that
from Mayor C. B. Brown, Jr. to the
last employee, there is a spirit of
dedication and a careful shepherd
ing of the taxpayer’s dollar.
The operating efficiencies that
result in tax cuts don’t spring into
being automatically; they reflect
intelligent, careful planning,
judicious use of manpower and a
total dedication to the principle
that the government which governs
the best often taxes the least--a
principle rejected by most agen
cies of government nowadays,
which seem to believe that high
taxes and poor service is what the
taxpaying public deserves.
So, we tip the Argus fedora to
the administration of the City of
Jackson and its staff for a job
well done.
stinging his way across the
Southland.
Although their stings are not
lethal, they can be terribly painful
and, in those people allergic to the
sting, can cause serious reactions
leading to nausea, breathing
difficulties or even shock.
Harvesters have the chief
difficulty with the fire ants,
mowing over their one-to-two-foot
high mounds and bringing the
wrath of the tribe down upon them
and anyone or anything else in the
area. Livestock, particularly the
newly born, can conceiveably be
killed by the numerous stings
inflicted upon them.
Mirex, once thought to be the
ideal control agent, has been all but
ruled out since it was found to
produce cancer in mice.
Besides such an energetic foe,
puny man stands almost helpless.
Maybe the script writers should
concentrate on the fire ants as the
eventual taker-over of the earth. At
least, it would be more realistic
and prophetically it would seem to
be more infallible.
Inspired by the exhausting
schedule and personal sacrifice of
the Mayor, you each have
responded admirably, doing every
thing requested of you to preserve
a preciously small amount of
natural gas, in order that the
the JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
The Last
Straw
BY
VINCENT IONES
As voices were lifted
Sunday in the singing of that
grand old hymn of the
church, “Nearer, My God, To
Thee." one could not help but
recall the accounts of the
hymn being played by the
ship's orchestra as the
unsinkable, Titanic slid be
neath the waves of the frigid
North Atlantic almost 65
years ago.
It was said to have been a
night of a thousand stars. The
great ship, Titanic, racing
for a record-breaking time in
crossing the Atlantic had
taken the shortest route,
dangerously close to the
iceberg-infested North At
lantic.
At 11:20 p.m., on April 14,
1912, a shudder ran through
the ship as a monstrous
iceberg, barely visible above
the water, had torn a jagged
hole the length of the hull
below the water line.
The engines stopped and
passengers, peering from
their port holes, saw the hulk
of the iceberg disappearing
into the darkness. A few on
deck are showered by ice
particles and joked about
how convenient it was to pick
ice from the deck to refresh
tlieir drinks.
Word is passed that the
ship miraculously only
grazed the iceberg, that
there is no danger as the
Titanic was designed to be
the first unsinkable ship to
ever sail the seas.
Within five minutes, the
engines start, sputter, and
stop. The ship’s deep fog
horns bellow into the dark
ness, and passengers wonder
why they should sound when
there is no fog. The sea is as
smooth as a backyard fish
pond. The night is clear, cold
and lit now' only by the stars.
The first hint of disaster
comes from the bridge where
the captain, his voice
booming through a mega
phone. orders lifeboats to be
lowered, and women and
children only to be placed in
them.
Life preservers are passed
out and the passengers told
how to use them. There
have been no boat drills,
because on an unsinkable
ship it w'ould be ridiculous to
hold one. And, too, it might
upset the passengers.
Officers seize the women
passengers, tear them from
their husband’s grasp, and
force them into the lifeboats.
The officers know how
precious little time is left.
Struggling children, half
awake, are placed in the
bouts with their mothers.
Soon, left on the deck is a
handful of the world’s richest
and most influential men.
John Jacob Astor, Isador
Straus, Benjamin Guggen
heim, George Widener,
Charles M. Hays and over
1,500 others who had not
attained such financial or
social positions, and would
never have the opportunity.
Mrs. Isador Straus refuses
to get into the lifeboat, saying
that she will not leave her
husband after all these
years. He implores her to
save herself but to no avail.
Instead, she takes her fine
fur coat and places it around
a mother and her sleeping
child.
On the tilting deck, the
ship’s orchestra begins to
play “Nearer, My God, To
Thee.” The 1,500 doomed
men, and the few women,
pick up the strain and lift
their voices to Heaven as the
icy waters wash across the
deck.
The ships boilers burst
with a tremendous explosion,
and the great ship begins its
long glide down into the icy
depths. The dead and the
dying struggle in the Stygian
darkness.
Hearing the distress
signal, the Carpathia turned
from its course many miles
homes of the sick, elderly and
young could remain reasonably
warm.
Good towns are made up of
good leaders and good followers.
One is not more important than the
-v ia Cl 1
T
* /w '
A Stroll Down
Memory Lane
News of to Years Ago
Butts County Sheriff J. D.
(Bud> Pope reports two stills
destroyed during the week,
one off Hall’s Bridge Road
behind the old Greer home
and the other, with a
capacity of 2,500 gallons, in
West Butts.
Jimmy Earnhart, chair
man of the road block for the
March of Dimes campaign,
reports that $525.27 was
collected Sunday for the
program.
Martha King, a representa
tive of the Combined Insur
ance Company of America,
has won a valuable prize in a
contest sponsored by her
company. She will get to play
Santa Claus and deliver food
and gifts to a deprived child
in the Jackson area.
Tom Webb, Walter Car
michael and Byrd Garland,
with the National Guard unit,
lei l last week for basic
training at Fort Benning.
Miss Renee Robertson
celebrated her fifth birthday
with a supper at the home of
her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Jim Robertson, with about 25
ol her friends sharing the
occasion with her.
Deaths during the week:
George Daniel, 80; John
Benjamin Adams, 58.
News of 20 Years Ago
A contract for paving 4.635
miles on the Dodson Road,
beginning at Union Ridge
Church extending to State
Route 87 in Flovilla, is
expected to be let soon.
Mrs. D. P. Settle of
Jackson "adopted” Baik
Shin Suk. a 10-year-old
Korean girl, according to an
announcement from Foster
Parents' Plan, Inc., of New
York City.
The recently-organized
Club Scout Pack will hold
their first pack meeting at
the Jackson Presbyterian
Church on Monday. Rev.
Wade H. Bell, Jr. is
institutional representative,
Vincent Jones is chairman of
the pack committee and
Milton Daniel is Cubmaster.
Quimbv Melton, Sr., pub
lisher of the Griffin Daily
News, will address the
Methodist Men’s Club of the
Jackson Methodist Church on
Thursday.
The Jackson Kiwanis Club
celebrated its 35th anni
versary with a gala ladies
night meeting, at which the
Rev. Frank Prince, pastor of
the Covington Methodist
Church, was the guest
speaker.
With Mrs. W. P. Brooks
presiding, the Liberty
W.M.S. met at the home of
Mrs. J.M. Washington with
eleven members present.
away and steamed to the
rescue. It picked up hundreds
from the lifeboats but death
came quickly to those who
were hurled or jumped into
the sea.
So the next time you hear
this hymn, perhaps you too
shall think of Mr. and Mrs.
Isador Straus whose mar
riage was so strong that they
could hold hands and smile
as the fog lifted in their
throat and the salt spray
slacked their thirst for life
forevermore.
They were born with too
much money, but they left a
deathless legacy for all of us
on how to love and how to die.
other, as both are required if the
job is to get done.
So, good leader and good
followers, pat yourself on the back
and be thankful that in the City of
Jackson we still have both.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1977
News of 30 Years Ago
The Lloyd Shoals power
plant reported rainfall for
January’s first 19 days
measured over seven inches,
two inches more than normal
for the whole month.
Mrs. Mike Allen, chair
man, reported that Christ
mas Seals sales in 1946 were
$521.00, as compared to
$352.00 in 1945.
Certificates of Honor were
presented six active charter
members of the Jackson
Kiwanis Club Tuesday night
upon completing 25 years in
Kiwanis. They were Byrd
O'Neal, Elwood Robison,
Park Newton, Harkness
Thornton, David Settle and
Doyle Jones, Sr.
Jackson and Spalding split
a basketball double-header
Friday night in Griffin, the
Jackson girls winning 25-17
and the Spalding boys
winning on a forfeit when the
Jackson team left the floor in
the third quarter after
protesting the rough play of
the host team.
Loretta Finney has been
elected captain and Virginia
Waits co-captain of the
Jackson High girl’s basket
ball team for the remainder
ol the season.
The Towaliga WMS met at
the home of Mrs. Troy Pelt
with Mrs. B. B. Campbell
presenting the program.
News of 40 Years Ago
Butts County schools, both
city and county, resumed
work Monday after being
closed last week due to the
inclement weather and im
passable roads.
Butts Countians have
raised S3OO on a quota of SIOO
to provide flood relief
through the Red Cross to
victims in Louisville, Cincin
nati and other cities that
have suffered extensive flood
damage.
Indian Springs State Park
lei all state parks in visitors
last year, having over 250,000
guests. Vogel State Park was
second.
Butts County had ginned
4.238 bales of cotton prior to
January 16th, 1,044 bales less
than the 5.282 bales at the
same time last year.
Miss Elise Barnes, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon
Barnes and a senior at Bessie
Tift College, has made the
Dean's list for the fall
semester.
At a shooting fray Wednes
day night near the depot,
Eddie Lee Taylor was
seriously wounded and Ar
thur (Son Tank) Cook is
being sought by officers in
connection with the affair.
The victim is not expected to
recover.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. R. A. Thaxton, 66;
Glenn Barnett Carreker, 46.
News of 50 Years Ago
The Citizens Bank of
I .ocusl Grove and the Bank of
Locust Grove have been
consolidated under the name
of the Bank of Locust Grove.
M iss Beverly Wheatcroft,
ot the Georgia Library
Commission office, has been
in Jackson helping index and
catalogue the books in the
llawkes Library. Opened 18
months ago, the Jackson
Library now has about 1,800
books.
The chairman of the State
Highway Department, Hon.
\hmm
By Mrs. Cindy Brown
MY "SECOND"FATHER
I had such a good response
to the column I wrote about
my mother-in-law a few
weeks ago, that I decided to
write a second column about
her “other half”, my
father-in-law.
Generally speaking, not too
much is said about fathers
in-law. I really can’t under
stand why this is so,
especially as they are a good
part of today’s society.
My own father-in-law is a
caring, honest man who has
meant a lot to me. His legal
name is Hugh Brown; my
name for him is simply
“Dear”: a name he should
daily be called by because of
his honesty and caring. Hugh
Brown is not a man of many
words, but he IS a man of
high ideals and down-to
earth opinions. His herd of
grandsons appreciate and
love him very much and I am
sure that their feelings will
deepen as they grow older
and more mature; it will
probably be at that time that
they really learn to appre
ciate their grandfather for
the life he lives and his
humanitarian philosophies.
Never once in all the time
Bennie and I have been
married, has “Daddy
Brown” spoken ill to me or of
me, to the best of my
knowledge. I truthfully be
lieve that if I were to call him
and tell him I needed a
million dollars within the
tfrlfa/EdctM/
The Georgia Department
of Transportation is asking
all of us to get out and pick up
some trash this month to
beautify the state’s high
ways. Doing this will not only
improve the view at the
roadside; it could save
taxpayers some money.
The DOT spends more than
$2 million a year just to pick
up the garbage beside the
highways. Trucks with clean
up crews travel around the
state at a cost of about S2O an
hour, working on the more
than 200.000 cubic yards of
bottles, cans and paper
covering the landscape. The
state spent $300,000 last year
just to empty the trash
.John D. Holder, has assured
a delegation of local citizens
that the state is ready to
cooperate with Butts County
in paving the Jackson-Indian
Springs highway.
The Butts County Educa
tion Association will hold its
next meeting at the Pepper
ton school. Mrs. R. I. Knox,
Mrs. R. W. Mays and Miss
Eloise Beauchamp will be in
charge of the program.
Under the direction of Mr.
A E. Wright, of Orchard Hill,
the Jackson Hatchery began
operations on Wednesday for
another year.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. Ghittie Cook, 79; Mrs.
C. L. Redman; James D.
Moss. 61.
ruth at random
By Ruth Bryant
CHESTER’S HILL
A carpet of brown sage is spread on the hill
A curtain of post oaks is hung from the sky,
A huge maple tree is standing alone
‘Mid sunshine and rain and clouds passing by!
The morning is young and sunlight is new
As pausing in reverence “both you and I,”
Thank God for his beauty
On earth and on high!
hour or a ticket to Australia,
he would make every effort
to help me. Fortunately, my
requests thus far have not
been that extreme, but I
know that if a time should
come when I need help, even
as extreme as that mention
ed, Hugh Brown would come
through.
My father-in-law enjoys
the simpler things of life - he
is not a demanding person. I
think he’s probably happiest
when he can be outside, alone
or with company, enjoying
the beauty of nature. I have
heard Hugh Brown tell
hunting and fishing stories,
which could delight even the
MOST indoorsy person.
Furthermore, “Daddy
Brown” is a gallant person.
His manners and demeanor
are delightful. I have never
been around him when I felt
less honored than a Queen. I
guess the best way to explain
what I mean, is simply to say
that Hugh Brown is a
“Southern Gentleman” in the
truest sense of that old
description.
By now, the reader may be
wondering if the man
described has any faults at
all! Of course he does - he’s
only human like the rest of
us: He gets a little tired and
cranky at times. Don’t we
all? However, if there were
such a thing as an Oscar for
Fathers-in-law, I imagine he
would win hands down, at
least in my book. I am one
lucky daughter-in-law.
barrels; while many persons
use them as they should,
others use them as dumps for
their home garbage.
Littering is a misdemean
or; those found guilty may be
fined up to SIOO and forced to
clean up the area they
defaced. It is time to see that
the law is enforced. Roadside
trash won’t go away. While
paper products may event
ually dissolve, the ever
present items made of plastic
(such as styrofoam), glass
and aluminum will stay there
forever or until picked up,
whichever comes first.
Saturday, Jan. 29, is a big
cleanup day sponsored by the
DOT. A lot of organizations
will be participating, but
everyone should join in. Find
an eyesore corner in your
neighborhood and go clean it
up. If enough people do this,
it will give Georgians
something new to be proud
of in a state that’s already
beautiful.
And remember; cleaning
up the roadsides is not a
one-day affair. It is a
year round business. Clean
ing up one day won’t save
much tax money, but
continuous work at the
problem will.
Cary Patrick
Ga. Dept, of Transportation
Good order is the foun
dation of all things.
Edmund Burke