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Jackson Vtngvtss-^tgns
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.
< •m- Year, in Georgia $0.24
Si\ Months, in Georgia $3.91
Editorials
A Peoples Congressman
There is a wide variety of homo
sapiens represented in the 535
members of the U.S. Senate and
House of Representatives.
There are, for instance,
statesmen and charlatans, self
interest seekers and selfless
servants, Christians and atheists,
the morally upright and the
pleasure hunters.
But a breed that is rare indeed
is that man or woman whose eyes
are steadfastly fixed on the folks at
home and whose ears are closely
attuned to hear the rumblings from
the hustings.
Such a man is Congressman Bo
Ginn, the amiable man from
Millen, who represents Georgia’s
First District in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Bo Ginn has just earned the
Is Opera Too Heavy?
Jackson’s second opera pro
duction in two years played
recently to a disappointingly-light
audience.
The appearance of the Atlanta
Chamber Orchestra and re
appearance of several stars from
the previous year’s performance
was not enough to pull a sizeable
audience away from Saturday
night TV and onto the rain
drenched streets.
No blame can be placed on the
dedicated few members of the
Theatre Guild who worked tireless
ly for weeks to insure the success of
the venture. The production itself
was brilliantly staged and flawless
ly executed.
Is the word “opera” an
anathema here? What else can
account for the relatively poor
attendance, when one might feel
that the standing-room only sign
should be put out 15 minutes before
the first curtain?
Possibly “opera” conjures up
visions of overly plump and
dressed ladies who gambol about
singing arias in foreign tongues,
emoting mightily both tearfully
and joyously as the occasion
decrees, while their gallant swain
and the vain villain engage in
battles of song.
Perchance this vision, er
roneous though it is, and
Can The Senate Keep It?
The Georgia Senate, much to
the delight of its presiding officer,
Lt. Gov. Zell Miller, passed a rule
at the last session which would
prohibit its members from eating
or reading newspapers on the
Senate floor.
For any person who ever
served in that august body, or
watched their weighty delibera
tions from the gallery, the
enforcement of such a rule would
seem well nigh impossible.
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mocuTiow fmiit hm*
rr.tfr.MKl NNASUSTAINING
gi MEMBER-1977
(•!!•■ Year. Out-nf-State ~.57.28
Months. Out-of-State s4.lti
title as the most unpopular of
Georgia’s ten Congressmen from
his fellow colleagues.
For Bo has announced that he
will not accept the $12,900 salary
increase that went into effect
February 20th for House and
Senate members, but that he will
return the raise to Uncle Sam to be
applied on the federal debt.
He says if he were elected to
office for a stated salary, he feels
that is all he is legally entitled to.
Although there has been no
rush of his fellow Representatives
to join him in such an unheard-of
act of parsimony, the feeling here
is that in 1978, as well as for many
terms to come, that anyone feeling
the desire to challenge Bo Ginn for
his seat would do well to go fishing
in the Altamaha.
particularly as it relates to comic
operas done in English, is too much
of a handicap for a small-town
theater guild to overcome.
Although from the standpoint
of attendance, the local Guild’s two
productions have not been howling
successes no one would certainly
want to see the splendid beginning
end now, just when the next effort
might signal a brilliant break
through.
If opera is indeed too heavy for
the tastes of a local audience,
should the Guild give some thought
to another type of production for its
next offering?
A musical perhaps, with a
broader attraction for wider age
groups, such as “The Music Man,”
or possibly a comedy or a dramatic
production of a widely-known
Broadway play or Hollywood
movie.
The local Guild, anxious to
offer Jaeksonians those attractions
they desire from the rather limited
repertoires open to them, would
certainly welcome your sugges
tions as to the type of theatre you
would like to have presented
locally.
Only then can the leadership of
the Guild offer you the kind of
entertainment that you will back
with your presence, as well as your
financial resources.
Dispensing with the daily
newspaper, which took the slow
readers all day to peruse, and the
ham-and-swiss-on-rye sand
wiches, is going to make the Senate
too dull a place to serve in or to
observe.
Denying the senators these two
crutches may result in wholesale
resignations from that small clique
who sought elections solely to keep
it!> with the news and obtain some
better than home town cooking.
THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
The Last
Straw
BY
VINCENT FONES
Spring came flying into the
County last weekend, riding
the tails of the kites that
braved the brisk March
winds which caused erratic
flight patterns of alternate
dips and lifts to the delight of
the earthbound holders of the
strings.
The crocus, the narcissus
and the daffodil heralded its
coming a few days earlier.
The pinking peach orchard
and the sudden whitening of
the pear tree spoke beautiful
ly of the season’s change, but
none so eloquently or
accurately as the season’s
most dependable barometer.
Through some mysterious
alchemy of the spirit, lost to
all save the very young, a
simultaneous signal is trig
gered and the children pour
out of doors from their winter
prisons and announce in a
single gleeful voice the
coming of Spring.
Their judgment is always
infallible in such matters,
because they believe it is
Spring. Let the thermometer
skid to the high 20’s and what
do they care; they keep right
on roller skating, and kite
flying, and bike riding,
because in their incontest
able wisdom it is time for the
rites of Spring to begin.
To mothers who have for
months been blowing noses,
nursing hacking coughs and
changing wet shoes, it is a
time of the long sigh and the
brief rest, before summer
vacations find the house a
bedlam again.
Those charged with the
instruction of the young find
it a time of extreme
frustration. A boy who has
shagged his first fly ball of
the season, or caught his first
bream, or hit his first golf
ball in months isn't likely to
come back into the class
room and get terribly
enthused about a lesson on
the practical application ojf
geometry.
When we were small, and
buildings were not so warmly
heated, the first indication of
Spring's arrival was the pair
of sneakers worn to school by
the most bold, or sneaky,
member of the class. Within
a week, every boy in the
school had changed to the
standard for summer foot
wear, and announced to the
world that their feet, as well
as their spirits, were being
emancipated for the season
of fun and frolic just ahead.
Out of the closet came the
old tennis racket, inherited
from an uncle, with its two
weak strings across the
middle. From the hall corner
came the old Louisville
slugger bat, a remnant of the
days when Jackson fielded a
professional baseball team,
and dad was the club
secretary.
A baseball lasted for years
in those days, because no one
had the wherewithal to buy
another. The cover and core
were zealously guarded, for
with those two essential
ingredients, the core could
be rewound with string and
the cover hand sewn to
resemble a store bought ball,
although it was considerably
softer.
On the dirt sidewalks,
peppered by the falling
maple and elm buds, circles
were drawn and the deadly
earnest game of marbles
was played for hours.
Happy indeed was the boy
whose proficiency at the
game was evident by his
bulging pockets and his
parting whistle as he began
the walk home to a warm
supper. Afterwards, the
counting of glass treasures
and the recounting of the joy
of victories won by his strong
thumb and forefinger,
warmed the night although
the March wind still blew
chill.
Nowadays, of course,
times have changed and
children find their pleasures,
both in solitude and in group
play, m different kinds of
activities.
But the great out of doors
still has the same fascination
for them and they know, even
as did we, that the seasons
l -0 rr-Cl
! jrrv
A Stroll Down
Memory Lane
News of 10 Years Ago
The City of Flovilla has
received a $120,000 direct
loan from the Farmers Home
Administration to develop a
rural water system.
A furniture restoration
short course has been
announced by Mrs. Margaret
Pecht. Home Economics
teacher at Jackson High, and
Miss Yvonne Scott, County
Home Economist.
The Senior 4-H Club has
selected a dairy judging
team of Wesley Haley, Paul
Kick, Martin Ridgeway and
Perry Ridgeway.
Carl Funderburk, Macon
district superintendent for
the Georgia Power Com
pany, has been named
Salesman of the Month by the
Greater Macon Chamber of
Commerce.
Miss Linda Maddox,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.
N. Maddox, has been
selected Student of the Month
at Griffin Tech.
Graduating from the prac
tical nursing course at
Griffin Tech last week were
Mrs. Linda Dunn and Miss
Ruth Moore, of Jackson, and
Mrs. Mae Frank and Mrs.
Annie Jolly, of Jenkinsburg.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. W. W. Hooten; Dr.
Mary Jarrell Edwards, 81;
Miss Nannie Mae Ham, 83;
Mrs. J. B. Childs, 89;
Augustus Perry Churchwell,
82.
News of 2(1 Years Ago
Boots Woodall and his TV
Wranglers were to play for a
round and square dance
Friday night at the National
Guard Armory.
The Jaycees are sponsor
ing a Teen-Age Road-e-o
again this year, according to
Herman Cawthon, Publicity
chairman. Clyde Herbert is
serving as general chairman.
Lunsford Electric & Funi
ture Cos., of Griffin, has taken
over the operation of the City
Electric Shop on East Third
Street.
Butts County will be
represented at the Georgia
Education Association meet
ing in Atlanta Tuesday by
Lee Roy O’Neal, J. C.
Williams and Miss Ruby
Rumsey as voting delegates.
The Butts County PTA will
hold its regular meeting on
Friday. Principal N. F. Lang
said students will present the
program to outline the
various school activities.
Members of the Jackson
Business & Professional
Women’s Club will celebrate
their fifth anniversary with a
banquet Monday evening.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. Felton S. Bohannon, 60;
Mrs. Willard Franklin Dunn,
78: W. H. H. Barham.
News of 30 Years Ago
Jimmy Cornell, chairman
of the 1947 Red Cross fund
drive, reports that $1,300 is in
hand and that the quota may
he more than doubled when
all reports are in.
Members of the Jackson
Kiwanis Club have voted to
endorse the $150,000 school
bond issue to be voted on by
the citizens on April 4th.
Dick Pope has been named
commander of Butts County
Post No. 5.374, Veterans of
have changed, long before
the weather man or the
calendar officially proclaim
it.
So Spring is here. Those
early tomatoes you set out
will probably get frost bitten,
but that doesn’t change the
fact that the seasons have
changed. The children have
said so and the children
know.
THURSDAY. MARCH 24, 1977.
Foreign Wars.
Master Denny O’Neal, son
of Mr . and Mrs. J. W. O’Neal,
celebrated his sixth birthday
with an enjoyable party at
his home on College Street.
About 25 of his friends
enjoyed the occasion with
him.
The Towaliga WMU met at
the home of Mrs. George
Etheredge, Mrs. Edwin
Sims, Mrs. A. L. Weaver,
Mrs. B. B. Campbell and.
Mrs. Nellie Richardson took
part on the program.
The William Mclntosh
Chapter, DAR, met Saturday
at the home of Mrs. W. M.
Redman, with Mrs. Frank
Hawkins and Mrs. T. B.
Miller as joint hostesses.
Deaths during the week:
George Wilson Rawls, 49;
Jacob T. Mavo; Dr. Claude
Gray. 75.
News of 4(1 Years Ago
R. F. Pierce will be the new
manager of Jackson’s Dixie
Theatre. He succeeds Harold
S. Lewis. The Dixie is owned
b\ the Dixie Amusement Cos.
of Swainsboro.
The Jenkinsburg Junior
High basketball teams has
won 15 of its 18 games this
year. Among its stars are
John Harper Bowden, Robert
Childs, LaVerne Leverett,
Willis Taylor, Sam McClen
don. J. T. Harris and
Franklin Bohannon.
The directors of Central
Georgia Electric Lines have
selected Jackson as head
quarters.
Mrs. Victor Carmichael
and Mrs. Smith Settle
entertained a number of the
college boys and girls at a
delightful chili supper for
Miss Dorothy Ann Carmi
chael and her guest, Miss
Berona Vollner, of San
Diego, Calif., both students
at Brenau College, and for
Miss Johnsie Settle, a
G. student.
Group No. 1 of the
Methodist Missionary So
ciety met Monday afternoon
with Mrs. T. E. Robison.
Mrs. David Settle, Mrs. Hugh
Mallet and Mrs. Forest
Kosscy were in charge of the
program.
Appearing in "Rosa”, the
three-act musical comedy
sponsored by the Boy Scouts
. re Olga Hammond, Charles
Thornton, Maurice Carmi
chael. W. W. Wright, Mary
Carter, Albert Kimbell,
Oscar Weaver, Mary Will
Jinks. Mrs. Sara Caldwell,
Levi Hurt. Irma King, Foster
Level It and a chorus of 12
Imelb ;.
Deaths during the week:
Sidney Frankin Greer, 57;
John W. Harper, 62; John
Robert Thurston, 68; Mrs. S.
H. Malone. 82.
News of 50 Years Ago
At a meeting of the City of
Jackson Board of Education,
Prof. R. I. Knox was
re-elected as superintendent
of the Jackson public school
system.
The residence of Mr. and
Mrs. T. J. Thomason on the
Griffin road was destroyed
by fire Sunday morning.
Sheriff Bittick, of Monroe
County, says his jail doors
are wide open and he hasn’t
had a prisoner for the past
week.
The Sixth District High
School Association will hold
its oratorical contest in
Jackson in April.
Bernard Ridgeway, son of
Mr. and Mrs. T. M.
Ridgeway, suffered a broken
leg Monday afternoon while
practicing with the track
team and jumping into the
sawdust pit on the long jump.
HyIKWRRI
’ By Mrs. Cindy Brown
I never believer* it would
happen, but I actually have
hope that Spring is going to
get here pretty soon. Four
weeks ago I never figured to
see Spring again --1 thought
maybe we’d just jump from
Winter into Fall, skipping
Spring and Summer alto
gether.
Dogwood trees are begin
ning to bud, daffodils are
showing and the county is full
of what I call “Yellow bell”
bushes. The temperature has
even seen 80 and baseball
sign-ups have begun. I think
maybe God let us have such a
harsh winter so that we
would better appreciate the
springtime weather.
Frankly, Spring has al
ways been my favorite time
of the year; to me, it seems to
represent a freshness and a
time for inspiration and
re-dedication. And further
more, people seem to be
healthier than they were
during the cold months. I
think one reason for this is
that they're more liable to
get outside, get some fresh
M
A YOUNG BOY - BUT A BIG MAN
Emmanuel Dannan didn’t live very long. But he lived
well what few years he did live. He was without parents when
he was four years old, and was placed in the Milwaukee Poor
House. He spent his next three years in that institution. Then
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Norton adopted Emmanuel. The
Nortons also adopted a girl at the same time they adopted
Ammanuel, two years older than he. The two went to live
with the Nortons on the farm in Marquette County.
Emmanuel had been living with the Nortons for about a
year when Mr. Norton, whom he called, “Pa,” told the lad of
eight to tell a lie about something. The young boy answered
back: “Pa, I don’t lie.” Steadfastly refusing to tell the lie that
his adopted parent wanted told, Norton took Emmanuel and
tied his wrists to a rafter until only his toes touched the floor.
For the next two hours Norton flogged the boy with switches
while the lad kept refusing to tell the lie. When the lad was at
last let down, he turned to Norton and said: “Pa, I’m so
cold.” That night, the older girl later testified in court,
Emmanuel Dannan died at the age of eight. He died believing
it wrong to tell a lie.
Children shame us at times. Their beauty sometimes
brings to light the ugliness of some of us adults. Studying
human nature, one is not surprised that the Carpenter took a
little child, set him in the midst of the crowd, and told them
that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven they would have to
become like that child.
I have been shamed and humbled many times by the
honesty and humility of children. We adults have many
prejudices and hatreds which we have ingrained in us over a
period of many years. Children are free of this. I heard a
fellow say once that the races should be separated among the
little children because “they didn’t know the differences.”
Like the song says, you have to be taught to hate.
Maybe one day adults will go on believing some of those
great doctrines which they believed as children - freedom,
brotherhood, justice, love, helpfulness, kindness, apprecia
tion, and all the others. Our world needs them, needs them
far more than it needs more of the hatred and selfishness and
ugliness of many of our adults.
One of the best investments we as adults can make in life
is the shaping of a young mind toward that which is true in
life. Those parents and teachers and friends who spend their
time teaching a child to love and appreciate and be grateful
do far more in preventing the destruction of the world than
all the ruling bodies in the world.
Emmanuel Dannan was a great man, even if he was just
eight years old. He stayed true to the highest he knew. After
he died a fund was begun to erect a monument to the boy who
would not tell a lie. A total of $1,099 was given, but the
treasurer took every penny of it. That was in 1851. In 1954,103
years later, funds were given and a monument was erected in
Emmanuel Dannan’s honor.
The Nazarene once said: “Happy are those who suffer
persecution because they do what God requires: the
Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! ” I believe I know where
Emmanuel lives now. In that Place which belongs to him.
from HISTORY’S SCRAPBOOK
OATES AND EVENTS FROM YESTERYEARS
March 25, 1900 The Socialist Party of the United
States is organized at Indianapolis.
March 26, 1892 One of the great American poets.
Walt Whitman, dies.
March 27, 1964 A major earthquake strikes Alaska,
leaving behind 117 dead and property damages of some $750
million.
March 28, 1797 Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire
receives a patent for a washing machine.
March 29,1932 Jack Benny makes his radio debut.
March 30, 1942 A directive from Washington states
that men’s suits will be manufactured for the duration of
the war without trouser cuffs, pleats and patch pockets.
March 31, 1870 One day after the ratification of the
15th Amendment, a Negro votes for the first time in this
country.
air and exercise.
My Mother always did
what she called “Spring
Cleaning”, which generally
involved those chores not
done on a weekly basis. You
know the jobs I’m talking
about: washing windows,
airing mattresses, cleaning
out closets, and all that yard
work, hoeing, making new
flower beds, and the like. I
love to open up all the
windows in my house and
"wash" the stale old winter
air away.
The only really bad part
about spring to me is the fact
that I hate to go to work.
Believe you me, it’s hard to
sit at a desk indoors, when
it’s sixty-five or seventy
degrees outside; the birds
are chirping; the flowers are
blooming and the sky is full,
of white fluffy clouds. I have
an annual disease, common
ly known as spring fever!
In fact, I feel an attack
coming on right now. I may
develop a 24 hours virus one
day soon in order to further
develop my love of Spring.
Been fishin’, lately?
‘Whatsoever
Things'
By Donald E. Wildmon