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Baxfesnn Vvxxgvzss-^tgns J. D. Jones Publisher iI9OB 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 Ni\ Months, in Georgia $3.91 Editorials Let's Go To The Movies There is nothing quite like it. The smell of the tiny buttered popcorn seeds suddenly exploding into a tasty white froth...the happy confusion at the concession stand with the ice tinkling and momentous decisions being made on the choice of a candy bar. And inside, those comfortable, spacious chairs and the exciting riot of color that bursts onto the wide screen. It certainly widens the visual horizons of those whose eyes have been fixed on a 19-inch TV screen in their living rooms. Butts County has been without a movie theatre for too many years. But soon the inconvenience, and expense, of journeying to neighboring towns to see the latest movie extravaganza will be ended. Jackson’s newest business house will be dedicated to the principle that movies offer whole some fun and entertainment for the entire family. It is a principle well grounded in economic fact, as witness the proliferation of movie houses in suburban areas. Can We Afford This Congress? The spendthrift 95th Congress, after failing to kill a whopping 29 per cent pay raise for its members, will go down in history as the first billion-dollar Congress the tax payers of this nation have ever indulged. Right in the midst of a natural energy crisis and at a time when the new president was calling on all Americans to make sacrifices, Congress did more to warm the cockles of its constituents’ hearts than the discovery of vast natural gas wells by raising the salary of its members from $44,600 to $57,500 per year. Voters whose toes were turning blue from cold suddenly found themselves burning with rage. Right smack in the middle of the nation’s worst winter ever, a great thaw set in as citizens looked with awe on the high-handed tactics of men and women whom they elected to office as public servants. Aware of the traditional short memory of the voting public, Congress acted with disdain in this Ask Less And Give More One reason government ex penditures keep rising dramatical ly is that the very people who curse governments at all levels for their spending excesses are the very ones who constantly demand additional services from those governments. Asa result, we see inflation rising, the national debt mounting, energy problems unsolved and the nation’s leaders failing to exercise • he courage required to say “no” to Advance Subscription Rates. Tax Included: TELEPHONE 775-3107 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Until llH fr.rr.Hra NN A SUSTAINING =| MEMBER-1977 One Year. Out-of-State $7.28 si\ Months. Out-of-State $4.10 Those who remember the heyday of the movie industry in the 1930’s can name the downtown theatres in Atlanta on the fingers of one hand and scarce indeed was the movie house operating outside of the confines of the inner city. In Jackson, and in countless other small towns during the depression years, the local theatre provided an escape from the reality of a dreary existence when poverty was a constant companion, pitching its tent nightly on the door-steps of nearly every home in the town. Out of Hollywood and onto the movie screens came the foot stomping, rollicking music of the lavishly-produced musical ex travaganzas designed to lift the audience’s cares from five cent cotton and one-dollar-an-acre farmland. Things are better now. But the magic of Hollywood is still there. We believe there are many who will happily welcome some of it back to Jackson. matter, while former president and candidate Gerald Ford golfed and President Carter grinned, all blissfully hopeful that the public’s memory could not contain such righteous indignation over a four-year period. A Congressman’s salary is one of the better bargains the public gets from this billionKlollar monstrosity we have created. The staff allowances and perquisites of the 535-member Congress total hundreds of thousands for each member, for a total of over $1,000,000 for each of those chosen by us to guide the nation aright. Basically, we see two dangers for the geese that have laid these golden eggs. First, their nests are going to become so full of the golden treasure that other, and more able, candidates will likely claim the nest eggs for themselves. And, secondly, the public may get fed up to the extent that it will demand a half-billion dollar Congress take over, with only half of its present members. either the people’s demands or the bureaucrats’ pipe dreams. Somewhere, and soon, there needs to be some degree of sanity restored to our national govern ment. The 95th Congress, by its abysmal conduct to date, is unlikely to provide it. It can come best, and most of lectively. from those who demand that the government do less for its citizens and at the same tie e demand that the citizens do n lire for themselves. THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA The Last Straw BY VINCENT IONES Joe, the Hobo, that peerless purveyor of broom sedge wisdom, takes an oath that on one of the many weekly newspapers for which he has worked, the following letter was received: "Mr. Editer, I wish you would lam how to spel. Any id jit would no my dotter’s name is Sari, not Sara as you allways use it. I would have writ soona but my plumming has been bussted and I koodn't find a plumma. If you kaint spel no betta than that, mevbe you otta go back to skool and larn how.” Joe says he also remem bers a subscription cam paign put on by this wee weekly with handsome prizes, a car. watches, cash, etc., being awarded the top subscription getfers. The winner signed up over 300 new subscribers and Joe said everyone was delighted with the results but that he surely got tired of delivering 100 papers to as many markers in the town cemetery each week. Then Joe tells the story of a weekly editor who was on the board of education in his home town. One of the more prominent citizens became enamored of a prim but pretty new teacher and the two were discovered in a compromising situation. The editor, being circum spect as all editors are, vented his wrath at the next board meeting and had the young lady quickly dis patched to Atlanta where she could ply her trade in a more sophisticated atmosphere. The prominent citizen took umbrage at such dalliance in his personal affairs and came after the editor with a gun. Whereupon the editor, his life in the balance, bargained as never before and offered the gentleman a half-page advertisement free for the next 12 issues if he would just spare his life. And so began one of the more illustrious success stories in the state’s history, with the prominent citizen becoming one of the great merchandising giants of his town. And the editor became successful too, and a fre quent visitor to Atlanta where he served with distinction on that City’s school board. In the old days, when there were two weekly papers in many of the small towns, the editors frequently swapped physical as well as verbal blows. Most of the editorials were personal and vitupera tive in nature, aimed at the complete villification of that scoundrel across town who had the audacity to portray himself as an equal. Joe says in one town he was in the editors became so incensed at each other that, fortified with demon rum, one of them attacked his competitor with an umbrella while he was peacefully walking to his office. The constable was sum moned and arrested the offending party. The next day in the mayor’s court the attacker, sobered and humbled by the infamy of his act, begged the court and his competitor’s pardon and promised to cease and desist from such violence in the future. Apologies, condol ences and good wishes were exchanged and accepted in a wholesale manner. The miracle, according to Joe, is that the uneasy peace lasted for three weeks before blood once again stained the dirt streets of the town, for in those days subscribers liked to have a little blood mixed with ink on their paper. And this practice eventually led to the popularity of color, particularly red, being wide ly used by newspapers everywhere. Back in the days when most white citizens of a small town who could afford an i\tri. bed sheet were A Sir.>ll How— Memory Lane | News of 111 Years Ago Walter L. Pattillo, Butts County Sanitarian, has been named the “Celebrity of the Month" in the March issue of The Bellringer, monthly publication of the Westbury Home. Inc., of Jenkinsburg. Dr. Hugh Dempsey, form erly of Jackson, has been named director of the Horticulture Department of the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin. * The Jackson-Butts County Planning Commission has received a FHA grant of $5 000 for a survey of water and sewer systems within the County’s municipal areas, according to M. L. Powell, chairman. Jackson High School will be represented at the Science Fair in Macon by Peggy Goff, Ann Cawthon, Alton Potts, Wesley Powell, Sam my Smith, Harry Lewis, Wayne Barnes, Jr. and Douglas Briscoe. The City of Jackson has signed a 10-year contract to supply natural gas to the new diagnostic and classification center in the western part of the County. The Jackson B&PW Club is sending four Jackson girls to the third annual Youth Leadership Conference at Rock Eagle. They are Sandra Brown, Gay Breedlove, Ann Cawthon and Linda Young. News of 20 Years Ago The circus spectacular, Laff-O-Rama, will be pre sented at the high school gymnasium on Monday and Tuesday, with the Jackson Business and Professional Women's Club as sponsor. Announcement is made this week by Grady O. Jackson of the sale of his Western Auto Associate Store to Fred Raney of Lawrenceville. Gordon Bankston, owner of Bankston's Jewelry and City Councilman, has been named a member of the Butts County Selective Service Board. Butts County’s 1957 Red Cross quota has been set at $2,009.00, according to P. H. W’eaver, fund chairman. Milner High has won the girl’s Fourth District Class B basketball title with Jackson High winning the third place consolation game, 77-49 over Villa Rica. Peggy Mc- Elheney had 36 points for the home team, and Faye Mitchell bucketed 33. Mrs. Vincent Jones has won one of the 25 secona prizes in the recent Calumet Baking powder contest. She will receive a hand painted dinnerware service for 12 by American Heritage. members of the Klan, the editors of two weekly papers-poor as Job’s turkey, as all editors are-were invited to a Klavern meeting and told they would have to dress appropriately. Borrowing sheets from their prosperous in-laws, they went to the gathering, each ignorant of the other’s presence. Bumping into each other unexpectedly, recogni tion came quickly and violently. When one called the other a racial bigot, the fur flew. The meeting was adjourned to watch the two go at it. The sound of ripping sheets, shirts and undershirts vio lated the still summer night. After an hour, neither adversary was claiming v ictory nor admitting defeat. The next day the Klavern, its honor stained inglorious ly. disbanded in ignominy. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1977 News of 30 Years Ago A group of taxpayers has brought action against the Butts County Board of Commissioners, seeking to enjoin and restrain them from issuing permits for the sale of beer and wine in Butts County. Jane Ann and Emily Mallet, students at Wesleyan College, have been named to the school’s honor roll for this semester. The two fine new apart ment houses just completed by Mr. Charlie Deraney on Indian Springs and Benton Streets are now occupied, all apartments having been taken. A good start has been made in raising Butts County’s quota of $750 in the annual Red Cross membership campaign, Jimmy Cornell, fund chairman, reports. Butts County 4-H Club girls enrolled in the Hastings Gardening Project Chain, according to Miss Elizabeth Hood, include Marquita Thomason, Betty Glean Patrick, Polly Colwell, Eli nor Weaver and Joyce Holston. Joseph Lamar Mays, of Jackson, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Mays, Sr., has been awarded the Doctor of Medicine degree by Emory University. Deaths during the week: William Lowell Thurston, 56; Alphonse Freeman, 77; Clif ford B. Saunders, 78. News of 40 Years Ago Kiwanians on Tuesday night heard essays from Jackson High students in a contest sponsored by the committee on Business Standards. Winners were Miss Sara Boone, first; Kenneth Linkous, second, and Miss Roslyn Redman, third. The Central Georgia Con solidated Electric Lines held an organizational meeting and named Dr. R. H. Slaton as temporary chairman and M. O. McCord, project developer. The Pepperton Store was robbed of $79.30 on Friday night. Trustees of the Hawkes Library Board have named Mrs. W. H. Wilson as summer librarian and Miss Pauline Mallet, librarian for the school year. Members of the Board are Mrs. J. B. Settle, O. A. Pound, S. S. Copeland, J. D. Jones and George E. Mallet. Sixteen boys and girls of the school set were guests of Blackman Settle at a masquerade party Friday evening. Jackson Scouts advanced at a Boy Scout Court of Honor meeting in McDonough in cluded Ezra Ferris, Stuart Head and Ben Ferris. Deaths during the week: John B. Rich, 85; John Thompson Martin, 51. News of 50 Years Ago Mrs. J. W. Crum an nounces the sale of the Carmichael Drug Store building and the Jackson Pressing Club to Dr. J. A. Jarrell, of Jackson, for $9,000.00. J. Avon Gaston, of Orlan do, Fla. has sold his house and lot on North Mulberry St. to Frank Behnke, of Orlando. Mrs. C. B. Wise has been named the first president of the Pepperton P.T.A., or ganized last week with 31 charter members. Miss Polly Smith, daughter of Mr.. 1 Mrs. T. W. Moore, of Jenkiiibourg, appeared in THE WINTER THATI LL TELL MY GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT OR WAKE ME WHEN IT’S OVER America, the land of the free (haven’t I heard that somewhere before?), America, the home of the brave, (no, I think its Atlanta, home of the Braves), these phrases al ways confuse me. I must be easily confused-this whole winter has had me so confused that I’m not sure whether I’m coming or going. A funny thing happened to me a few weeks ago--it snowed in my yard (for the second time this winter). Gee, its pretty, but please go away - We don’t have any gas to ge t warm so playing in it is no fun. The Gas Shortage. That one really confused me. Seems like for years people have told me to set my thermostat and do not move it (that way you use less gas, they said). Now, all of a sudden, they say, “Move it- Move it in the morning, and move it at night”. It was amazing to me how some states were without natural gas and others had plenty (Funny shortage, I thought, I’m so glad that I use propane gas, even if .I do have to pay so much for it - at least I’m warm-make that just slightly comfortable, 68 degrees is not that warm). Anyway, just as I was counting my blessings, I found out that we might not get any more propane - so I moved that hateful little instrument on the wall down 3 more degrees. If that’s not confusing enough to me, the days get colder, and then colder, until I think I surely must have amnesia and that I must have moved from my warm climate in Georgia to some far remote city in Alaska that just looks like Jackson. See, I’m getting more confused. The only thing I could think of doing was to rush out to a store and buy an electric heater-only to find there aren’t any in all of Jackson (Oh, I’m cold where are all the heaters--I don’t know anybody that has one or I would make them share). It’s just as well, I could see Georgia Power Company smiling at all the current going through the lines (they already got the rate hikes they needed-the cold weather was just an added bonus). And that’s another thing- Electricity. I guess this one confuses me more than all the other strange things put together. All my life I’ve worked so I could have a little comfort in life. Just when I get old enough to enjoy some of the pleasures in life, they take them away. Why, oh, why, can’t I use my electric toothbrush on cold days? (I know people need the electricity for heating, but can’t they be just a little colder, like I am?) My husband had to go back to shaving by hand (manual labor) and I have retired my curling iron and makeup mirror. (I look like Phyllis Diller, but I figure she did pretty good). I feel guilty every time I open the refrigerator door, or cook, or dry clothes, We now sit in the dark, watch only the Neilson a piano recital at LaGrange College where she is a senior. Pupils of Miss Viola Slaughter will give a Beethoven-Bach recital on Saturday afternoon. They include Sara Slaton, Elise Barnes, Ruth Maddox, Annie Watkins, Glennis Thornton, Harriet Carmichael and Jeannette Wiley. O. E. Smith wrote about the great hail storm of 1884 and that, while a boy of only 11, he remembered the thunder as the heaviest he had ever heard. He also pointed out there were two bars in Flovilla at the time. Deaths during the week: Mrs. EL W. Cook, 51; Mrs. J. W. Childs. 56; William Henry Stodghill, 43; Tom W. Fears, .'ill lop leu snows on TV, 1 even pulled out the old 9 volt transister radio. I started cutting my meats with a conventional kitchen knife, opening my cans with a hand opener (actually, I had never seen one before this crisis), and we even tried taking fewer baths, not washing dishes and clothes (the health dept, got after us), so we could conserve. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t go to these drastic (and I mean drastic) measures just because I am trying to relieve the shortage -I got my bill from the REA (GREAT DAY, I fainted). I thought things were really bad until I got my bill for the next month-the month that I got down to bare necessities - it was even more. Save us from this monster that they call “Electricity” in the name of moneysssss!!!!! Oh, I am so confused - I think I’ll lie down awhile and maybe when I wake up, I’ll find it has all been a NIGHTMARE. (Editor’s Note: The writer of this humorous account of the perils of the past winter has asked that the name be withheld, but we felt the suffering portrayed struck such a common chord that it should be shared with our readers. The author’s name is available upon request.) This letter is in apprecia tion to Mr. Randy Rivers for his co-operation to our Explorer Post. Mr. Rivers has been one of the best advisors anyone could ask for. All the Explorers care for Randy and owe him a great deal. The New sponsor of the Explorer Post will be WSSA Radio Station in Morrow, Ga. Mr. Rivers is the station manager. The reasons for the break from WJGA Radio Station was the departure of Mr. Rivers and the reorganiza tion of the staff. The Explorers wish to express their thanks to the station but we feel that we need somebody who will care about the Post instead of just using it for publicity. We’re not ungrateful but we’re not a group that can be pushed around. This unity we owe to Mr. Rivers. All through 1976, the Explorer Post worked toward a trip to Florida. Now the executives of WJGA say that they will not help the Post on their trip. We don’t understand this since it wouldn’t cost WJGA a penny and they had given us their word that they would help us. It’s going to be rough starting all over but we’ll do it. We hope the community will support us and that we can do as much or more’ for WSSA as we did for WJGA. Sincere thanks to Mr. Randy Rivers, Mr. Tommy Raney, Miss Dolly Duke, Giant Mart, the Butts County Jaycees, the publisher of the Progress-Argus, and all the others who have helped us. Our name will be in the news often from now on because we have got a sincere, interested, and willing spon sor now. Explorer Scout Post 192 Pebbles King, President Editor s Quote Book 1 think that 1 think; therefore,l think 1 am. Ambrose Bierce Perform a death-defying Have your blood pressure checked. Give Heart Fund ( f) American Heart AssociatlonVJ ,