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Jackson J. D. Jones Publisher (1908 1955) Doyle Jones Jr. Editor and Publisher (1955-1975) MRS. MARTHA G. JONES PUBLISHER VINCENT JONES EDITOR OFFICIAL ORGAN BUTTS COUNTY AND CITY OF JACKSON 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 Does Butts County Need A Humane Shelter for Its Pets ? One of the great tragedies of this grim winter, although scarcely as noticeable as the monthly utility bill, has been the suffering endured by the County’s wayward animal population. Reports have been received of dogs, left out of doors without shelter, whimpering piteously through the stormy nights as sleet and snow pelted them unmerciful ly- Those who have and love pets and treat them with affection find it hard to believe that any person who claimed to own animals could treat them so inhumanly. The winter has dealt even more harshly with those stray cats and dogs, whose population must number into the hundreds, who depend upon their hunting instinct and an occasional handout from a pet sympathizer for survival. Isn’t there a more humane way to deal with the situation? Of course there is. It will require some leadership, some effort in obtain ing cost figures, operating proce dures and organizational struc tures required for the County, or the City and County jointly, to operate a facility that will cope with this problem. The organization of a Butts County Humane Society would Violence on Television Has About Run Its Course There are hopeful signs that the nauseating violence and explicit sex scenes that have proliferated the TV shows of late are on the way out. In a desire for realism, the producers have only insulted the intelligence of the viewers. Most of those watching are aware that a gun fired at close range is a deadly weapon. They have enough imagination to approximate the damage done to the body by a bullet tearing through it, without spilling the gore on the ground and showing the body particles glued to a wall. Cher’s navel might excite the likes of a 12-year-old boy, who would be amazed upon examina tion to find that it remarkably compared with his own. The smutty jokes and off-color humor that appear after 9 when the kiddies are supposed to be tucked into bed are more in keeping with the dimly-lit atmosphere of a Culture Can Be Fun There is genuine joy in the announcement that the Jackson Theatre Guild is going, to bring another opera to Jackson. Those who were fortunate enough to see “The Elixir of Ixive'' Advance Subscription Rates, Tax Included: TELEPHONE 775-3107 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER Msocnmow B im* 'mmi'CT NNA SUSTAINING ■” B MEMBER-1977 One Year. Out of-State ~.57.28 Six Months. Out-of-State $4.16 seem properly to be the first step. The belief is that pet lovers of the County would support such an organization generously and en thusiastically. Under one of the many make-work programs of the federal government, funds to cover staffing costs could probably be obtained. Several of the high school organizations might be able, and willing, to provide temporary, part-time help on a regular basis. For a County this size, the physical facilty required would not have to be elaborate, or costly. For most of the year, sufficient pens and out-of-doors exercise areas would suffice. Perhaps an existing building could be utilized, or timbers rescued from one to re-build the required structure. Happily enclosed in such a compound, the animals could be fed, housed and protected from the storms of nature or the cruelties of man. From there, with the proper alteration to prevent a perpetua tion of their species, they could be released to gladden the heart of a child whose parents, out of gratitude, might feel constrained to support such a worthwhile under-, taking. If there is a local civic club in search of a meaningful project, we can’t think of a better one. neighborhood bistro than a family living room. Evidently distraught by the number of complaints, some of the larger domestic companies and TV-commercial buyers, such as Kraft, General Foods, General Mills and others, have allegedly told the television producers to clean up the shows they sponsor, or else. You can’t expect a “Sound of Music” or a Walt Disney masterpiece on the boob tube every night but a steady diet of today’s TV menu from age five to fifteen may leave a child thinking that the only worthwhile objectives in life are those that are not so worthwhile. Where essential to the story, or the character being portrayed, violence and sex can be tastefully used by insinuation and innuendo. If junior missed the meaning, then he was too young to have it explained anyway. performed by The Augusta Opera Company last year will be delighted to know that the same company will bring “The Italian Girl in Algiers”, a comic opera, on Saturday, March 12th. THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA The Last Straw BY VINCENT JONES That lazy jet stream that dropped its guard and let all of that arctic air pour into the Southeast has made life miserable not only for man but for his furred and feathered friends as well. From late fall until Spring’s promised warmth has returned, we try to keep food and water available for those whose birdsong is reward enough for the effort. It is surprising, and comforting, to find that on the most bitterly cold morning, when the thermom eter seems stuck on zero, that there is a faint chirp of a greeting from the feeding area. Without a doubt, the changing weather pattern has resulted in an updating of migratory routes, as some of the more common visitors of the past few years have by-passed us altogether this year. The evening grosbeak, for instance, that annual visitor from the northern climes that usually visits in flocks of 20 or more for a few weeks each winter, has sent only two of its members for a brief two-day stop over. A colorful yellow, black and white feathered bird with an ivory beak, the grosbeak is a very aggressive feeder, and other birds do not challenge them for feeding rights. A flock of robins dis covered the burfordi holly berries and made short shift of them, despite the fact there must have been a million. Helping out, and finishing the clean-up job, was a flock of cedar waxwings that can clean a holly tree of berries with the thoroughness of a vacuum cleaner. The purple finch were late discovering the feeders this year, but now have estab lished first rights. The female is closely kin to the sparrow in appearance, while the male is very colorful and has the appear ance, of a sparrow with cranberry juice having been spilled on his head and breast. Avoiding the backyard feeding lines, the slate colored junco prefers the front lawn, where he is appreciated just as much. The junco travels in flocks of 20 or more and is slate colored to mid-breast, and white underneath, the line of color demarcation being as clear as if made with a scalpel. The tufted titmouse is a year-round visitor and gets his share of bread crumbs all year long, even when the feeders are empty during the warmer months. He is a cute little gray bird, with a constantly darting, nervous flight pattern and an appetite for sunflower seeds that is not surpassed in- the bird kingdom. The real darling of the small birds is the black capped chickadee, with his black head and throat that gives the appearance of a man dressed in his black tie for a formal affair. Almost constant visitors are the red bird, blue jay, joree, blackbird, wood pecker and sparrow of all types, song, swamp and house, or English sparrow. A jealous mockingbird has established a 50-square foot kingdom across the bridge in the back yard and challenges anything that flies within his province. The wonder is he doesn’t starve to death trying to keep his territory invio late. Occasionally the pileated woodpecker, that crow-sized woodpecker with the long, gray body and the distinctive red head and the overall appearance of a water bird, will rest in one of the pines or pecans and excite all the neighborhood and amateur Dress will be informal and there will probably be a few sweaters in the crowd, ala President Carter. But the main thing is to make WAW.W.O.O M OfM.i.OTtriIOXOrOIiXOroXOIMIO.O.i.V.W.V.VAV V*. i .erCk ...^sxas-S \o|rTl iraSMBpBB A Stroll Down Memory Lane News of 10 Years Ago The Butts County Jaycees at their “Superlative Night” recognized Leon Cook as STAR student; Mrs. Roy Prosser, STAR teacher; Rev. Don Harp, Young Man of the Year; Leon Smith, Outstand ing Farmer, and Don Montgomery, Jaycee of the Year. Willie Avery Cook has scored the first hole-in-one at Deer Trail Golf Club and on the number three, 156-yard hole. Rufus Adams has been elected president of the Abraham Baldwin College Alumni Association. Cleveland Furniture Cos., of Jenkinsburg, lost five tele vision sets to burglars Friday night. Danny Rivers has been named winner in the Jackson High Future Farmer Corn Production contest, with a yield of 118.36 bushels of ear corn per acre. Miss Kathey Mackey has been chosen as the 1966-67 FFA Sweetheart of the Jackson High FFA Chapter. ; I v News of 20 Years Ago A Butts County jury has sentenced Jimmy Lee Tyson to a life sentence for the murder of his wife. J.M.L. Comer, Jackson High Vocational agriculture teacher for 12 years, has been named Teacher of the Year in Butts County. Miss Lola Caldwell was adjudged winner of the annual Beta Club Sweetheart of Jackson High beauty contest on Thursday. David Ridgeway has been elected president and Clyde Herbert, vice president, of the Butts County Jaycees. Peggy McElheney, star Jackson High forward, has scored 453 points in 17 games during the current season, for an average of 26.5 points per game. Mrs. E. M. McCord, chairman of the Butts County chapter of the American Cancer Society, announces that a cancer education program is now underway. Deaths during the week: Dr. Henry Tappan Strickland 69. News of 30 Years Ago Members of the First Baptist Church will dedicate on Sunday an organ given by Clayton W. Buchanan, of Macon, in memory of his father, Charles Walton Buchanan. A garden training program will be held in Jackson Monday with Elmo Rags dale, of the State Extension Service, in charge. A forest fire burned over 500 acres near Indian Springs during the weekend, destroy ing timber growth on the photographers. Humor was injected into the season one late afternoon of a bitterly cold day when a red bird, his head tucked under a wing, forgot he was sitting in a maple near the back step within arm’s reach. Thinking he was sick, or possibly even frozen, we caught him, only to startle him awake with a wild threshing of red feathers and ivory beak. It hasn’t been the best year for bird watching, but it hasn't been a bad one either. your plans now to attend and learn how thoroughly entertaining and fun-filled an evening of culture can be. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1977 lands of Dr. R. A. Franklin, T. W. Nelson, Higgins and Plymale. To date the County has paid bounty on 166 foxes in the rabid fox control pro gram. Miss Annie Lou McCord, Mrs. Taylor Patrick, Mrs. R. L. Smith and Mrs. Edna Forrer complimented the teachers of the Jackson public schools with a delight ful Valentine party Thursday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Pliny Weaver. Miss Barbara Wilson en tertained a number of her friends at a birthday party on Monday evening. Guests included Misses Sasa Buc hanan, Carmine Thrasher, Marjorie McCarty, Ann Rich, Marcia Mallet and Carolyn Fretwell. News of 40 Years Ago Bids of $21,000 for con structing the new Butts County jail and $3,470 for equipment have been ap proved by the County Commissioners. Gordon Thompson, of Jackson, has been named chairman of the Thomas E. Watson Rural Free Delivery Foundation. He is a former president of the Georgia Rural Letter Carriers’ Asso ciation. County Policemen Wil liamson and Gifford and Sheriff Thurston report the capture of several moonshine operations in widely scat tered sections of the County. Two Jackson High gra duates have recently been presented in recitals at their respective colleges, Miss Vera Edwards at Brenau College and Miss Elise Barnes at Bessie Tift College. The MacDowell Junior Music Club met at the home of Carolyn Farrar in Jenk insburg and heard presenta tions by the following: Josephine Sasnett, Thomas Boone and Miss Helen Burch. Four senior girls took part in the play, “Wanted- Money,” at the Jackson public school’s chapel period. Members of the Dramatic Club who appeared were Martha Maddox, Florence McCord, Hariette Suffridge and Sylvia Eiseman. Deaths during the week: Mrs. Albert C. Finley, 53; Mrs. J. D. Burford; William Thomas Scarbrough, 64. News of 50 Years Ago Governor Walker has pro claimed “Cow-Sow-Hen” Week in Georgia, a move ment long advocated by the Progress-Argus. The fine, balmy, springlike weather of the past few days was in marked contrast to February, 1895 when a severe snow storm visited the section, dropping four-to five inches, making roads impassable and causing adjournment of court. A youth who has told conflicting stories in the two trials of Tpm King has been charged with perjury. The Southern Railroad poultry peddler car stopped in Jackson Thursday, its second visit of the season, to buy friers, hens, turkeys and geese from local farmers. The Junior expression pupils will give a recital Friday night at the audi torium in conjunction with the Jackie Coogan movie, “Old Clothes.” Appearing on ftMWiRI By Mrs. Cindy Brown Gripes! I guess we all have a few and my husband made the comment recently that I seem to have more than most. I guess maybe old age is catching up with me, but it seems like every time I sit down to watch TV I see things which astound me. There was a movie on TV a few weeks ago about a man in Texas (a true story), which particularly “im pressed” me. This fellow was a little wacky - he took it upon himself to climb a tower and with long-range rifles, etc. he managed to stay there all day, killing folks here and there. I sat there watching that show, and thought “Well, there’re a ! of people out there this will give ideas to. And I think I’m right. Enough maniacs watch TV to derive all sorts of crazy ideas as to how to kill whom. Gripe two has to do with people who are constantly marching for first one thing or another. You can hardly get by one night’s news watching without seeing one group striking about this or another group striking about that. I wonder what my boss would do if he drove up to our office and saw me outside with a placard saying, “No work today, it’s only thirty degrees!" I dare say I’d be drawing my unemployment . ‘ ||L THE USE OF THINGS In the book of Acts there is a story about a man named Simon. This particular Simon is generally known as Simon the Magician to distinguish him from the other men named Simon mentioned in the Scriptures. Simon, who lived in Samaria, came into contact with two apostles in that city--Peter and John. Being a magician, Simon had always used every new idea he could come across to his own personal gain. When he saw Peter and John laying their hands on individuals and those individuals receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, Simon was intrigued by the possibilities of such an act. So he approached Peter and John and offered them money if they would give him the secret on how to do the same thing. You see, he had a profit motive behind the gift of the Holy Spirit. He was actually going to sell the Holy Spirit for a profit! There is nothing new about such an idea, this misusing the wonderful gifts of God-especially for personal profit or power. We learn to split the atom, and the first use we make of that knowledge is to create a bomb. We learn to build an airplane and we use them to bomb and kill. We develop movies and use them to degrade our morals. A half century ago we came up with anew idea called television. Today it is perhaps the single most powerful influence in shaping our society. But what have we done with this magnificent medium? We have used it in a large degree to bring violence and distorted image of sex into our homes, to help promote a decay of our values and morals, and to insult our senses with commercials that are offensive both to good taste and common courtesy. The emphasis in too much of television programming is not to uplift, inspire, encourage noble thoughts and actions-but to make a dollar. And in pursuit of that dollar the cheap, the sensational and the vulgar has become commonplace in our homes. When God gave man a mind, it was His intent that man use that marvelous creation for his benefit-not his destruction. We can continue to proceed in the same direction of low quality programming if we desire--but only at the loss of values considered necessary for a decent society. What a beneficial medium television could be! What potentials and possibilities television has for the benefit of man. But how badly twisted and distorted those potentials and possibilities have become. Efforts by countless people to get those in places of responsibility to use television for benefit instead of harm have been ingored. The primary, and one often thinks the only, motive behind too much television programming is profits-the dollar. That is the reason we are asking people who are concerned to join us in observing Turn The Television Off Week (TTTOW) February 27-March 5. What we are asking is very simple: to turn the television oil completely that week, to use February 27 as a national Day of Prayer for netweork programmers and advertisers, and to use Monday, February 28, as a day to call the stations and express our concern with the tasteless quality of so much ol the programming. I ask you and your family to join me in attempting to get the networks to use the medium for constructive purposes. Join us in observing TTTOW and ask others to do the same. stage will be Edith Rice, Janies Cornell, J. N. Wood ruff, Dorothy Ann Carmi chael. Geraldine Jinks, Frances Knox, Johnsie Set lie, Dorothy Ann O’Neal, Helen Law, Nettie Lou Godsoy, Alma Kimbell and Harold While. within a week. Gripe three has to do with legislative payraises. You know, there are a good many state and federal workers in Jackson. I wonder what they think about legislative pay raises. A survey recently conducted showed that for Georgia’s state employees to be on an equivalent payscale with employees of neighbor ing states, the Georgia folks would have to receive payraises of around ten percent. Interesting. Grip four has to do with Uncle Sam’s self-reliance. I think it’s just a shame that a nation such as our own with its intelligent peoples and resources is running short of fuel for basic needs. You know, with our wheat in Russia, our fuel across the ocean, and no coffee to drink -- we are in sad shape. I could go on and on; I could talk about the high price of groceries; capital punishment; underpaid teachers -- I firmly believe they deserve more money; older folks on a set imeome and younger folks too sorry to work - I guess I’ve griped enough, though, and I do feel a little better. Now my husband won’t have to listen to me, tonight --1 think when the news comes on, I’ll take a nap, read a book, or hide. No sense in looking for new sources! ‘Whatsoever Things' By Donald E. Wildmon Hostesses for the February Woman’s Club meeting were Mesdames R. N. Etheridge, C. R Gresham, A. F. Whitney, H. M. Moore, E. H. Pace, Nellie B. Hamilton, W. S. Adams and Mrs. Gordon Barnes.