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The Jackson Herald
By Holder & Willianwon
PLEASE GIVE HEED
Reading the communication of
Judge W. B. Patrick of Monroe,
published in the last issue of this
paper, suggested to us this thought
—that we would like to have the
names of all persons who have been
subscribers to the paper since it be
gan to be printed. Judge Patrick
has been a subscriber since the
initial issue of The Forest News.
Probably there are very few others
who have been subscribers since the
first paper came from the press June
12th, 1875, but our desire is to ob
tain also a list of those who began
taking the paper the first year of
its existence. Please write to us a
postal if you are in either class men
tioned. If parents or some other
member of the family had their
names on the roll the first issue and
you were a reader of its columns
then and have continued to take the
paper since the death of the original
subscribers, please let us hear from
you, also. In this case, you have
been a reader, if not a subscriber,
since the incipiency of this publica
tion. Please write us a card so stat
ing the facts above outlined. It will
take only a line on a postal to give
us this information.
Judge W. W. Stark, who served
this county as Judge of the City
Court, as Representative in the
House, Senator from the 33rd Dis
trict, and Judge of the Superior
Court of the Piedmont Circuit, in all
of which positions of honor he made
an enviable reputation and record,
said a few days ago, “I do not know
when I ever enjoyed the reading of
any newspaper article more than I
did the story of the first issue of
The Forest News. It gave history
that probably some older people had
forgotten, and younger people never
knew. When I began the perusal
of this historical editorial, I did not
put aside the paper until I had read
it from beginning to end. It gave
facts and history. Not only was it
very entertaining, but also instruc
tive.” Some few days later Hon. J.
M. Nix said, “I enjoyed reading
about the first newspaper published
in Jackson county, The Forest News.
I would not say that I was a reader
of the first issue. I may have been,
but I have been reading it every
week since the first year of its pub
lication. I just paid my renewal for
another year. It is always a wel
come visitor to our home.”
Another man who had been a con
sistent reader of this paper no doubt
from its very beginning was the
Hon. Thomas S. Johnson, who only
last week was called to his eternal
home. He was one of the most re
markable men who ever lived ia
Jackson county. No wonder he was
an admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt,
because the President is no greater
humanitarian than was Hon. Thomas
S. Johnson, who loved humanity.
The song of his heart was, “Lord, I
care not for riches neither silver nor
gold,” except to render service with
same. Had it been within his power,
he would have dried every tear of
anguish, soothed every sorrow, heal
ed every broken heart, gave food to
every one that hungered, clothed
every destitute, brought peace and
happiness to every troubled and
agonizing soul. He sought not hon
ors, but his only ambition when put
in office or places of responsibility,
was to serve. In the Senate of
Georgia he proposed constructive
laws. Some important measures
favored by him did not pass while he
was in the Legislature, but subse
quent legislative assemblers wrote
many of them in the statutes of
Georgia. He originated the idea.
Here are a few outstanding propo
sitions advocated by him— better
school houses and longer term
schools, so children could be educat
ed at home; improved highways,
lower interest rates, laws to protect
bank depositors, a market for things
grown on the farm other than cot
ton. On this subject, he would say
—-what inducement is it to diversify
unless what is produced on the farm
can be marketed? Also, he favored
more rigid fertilizer inspection laws,
and was opposed to the sale of in
toxicating drinks. He never tried
to find out what was popular, but the
question with him was, “Is this right,
and the best interest of humanity?”
Like Ben Adhem of old, it can be
truly written of him, “He loved his
fellow man.”
tt t t
y s Hon. Thomas J, Shackelford hi*
SINGLE COPY 5c
sent to us an article he has written
to the newspapers about Hon. Geo.
D. Bennett, who was born and rear
ed in Jackson, and for four years
represented this county in the Geor
gia House with distinguished ability.
Also, he has ably represented Clarke
in the General Assembly. Colonel
Shackelford writes:
“Hon. George D. Bennett, when
he was a member of the Legislature,
from Jackson County, was elected on
the issue of creating a Prison Com
mission, and canceling the Convict
Lease System, and working the con
victs on the public roads.
“He was a pioneer in this, and
When he found that I was interested
in the same subject, he often came
to the office and discussed it with
me.
“He was aware that John N. Hol
der, Dr. L. G. Hardman and I, were
the authors of a bill passed in 1903,
placing the felony convicts on the
roads, sentenced to five years and
under, and also giving very broad
powers to the Prison Commission.
“This bill was known as the Holder-
Hardman-Shackelford Bill, introduc
ed in the Legislature in 1903.”
While representing Clarke, Colonel
Shackelford relates that Mr. Ben
nett carried a bill to Atlanta when
the Legislature met, providing for
the purchase of a farm and the
building thereon for a penitentiary.
The State Highway Board agreed to
furnish $200,000 with which to build
and equip the penitentiary. Colonel
Shackelford says:
“When Mr. Bennett introduced
the bill in the Legislature, it met
with considerable opposition, and at
first seemed doubtful of passage.
Mr. Bennett led the fight, and con
tacted personally every member of
the Legislature. He was aided in
this work most effectively by Hon.
Vivian Stanley, who presented the
matter to practically every member
of the Legislature.
“I w r as in the gallery when the
bill came up for a vote, and the
speech Mr. Bennett made, as I now
recall it, was unanswerable, but the
Prison Commission and Mr. Ben
nett had both previously done fine
work in canvassing the Legislature,
and the bill passed.
“The Farm Purchasing Committee
was appointed, consisting of the Pri
son Commission, and members of
the House and Senate, and they
finally purchased the farm near
Reidsville.
“The subject of convicts, and the
leasing and the working of them has
been up before the Legislature
several times since, but this bill that
was approved March 24, 1931, con
tained in the Acts of the General
Assembly Extraordinary Session
1931, page 118, completely covers
every phase of the question.
“This was the greatest step for
prison reform and for the economic
handling of convicts that has ever
been submitted to the State, and no
State has a better plan for the hand
ling of its convicts.”
In the last issue, in stating the
measures “advocated” by Senator
Walter F. George, the anti lynch bill
was included. Instead of this being
grouped with the measures advocat
ed, it should have been said that he
opposed it. No member of the
Senate fought more earnestly against
this proposed measure than did
Georgia’s two Senators. Senator
George made a speech against it
that was pronounced by Washington
newspaper writers as one of the best
heard in the Senate on this propo
sition aimed at the South. Ralph
Smith is not only one of the best
news reporters, but one of the best
news interpreters in Washington.
In one of his daily letters to the
Atlanta Journal, which paper he so
well represented in the National
Capitol, he put Senator George in
the list of those who contributed
much to the defeat of the anti lynch
bill.
tt t t
Some days ago, while seated in a
hotel in Atlanta, we saw a man who
had lost most of the hair from the
top of his head, but what remained
was about as white as a fuller could
make it. No reflection on gray
headed men. Gray is the condition
of the covering of our own cranium.
His face seemed very familiar.
About the time we were cogitat
ing about these matters, he arose
from his seat, came toward us, and
wheq h reached us held out his
JEFFERSON, Jackson County, Georgia.
ALL SURFACE SOIL CAN
WASH OFF IN 35 YEARS,
EROSION TESTS SHOW
Surface soil may be completely
washed away in as few as thirty-five
years in land left bare between
summer crops, it was indicated in
experiments described in the annual
research bulletin of the College of
Agriculture of the University of
Georgia.
This conclusion was among those
reached through three years of tests
conducted with six plats of land,
each representing a distinct type of
surface.
One of these small sections was
wooded, one was badly eroded land
with the subsoil already exposed,
one was kept under a continuous
cover crop, the fourth cultivated to
a depth of six inches whenever dry
enough between rains, the fifth cul
tivated to a depth of three inches
whenever dry enough and the sixth
was fallow.
Each plat had a five-degree slope
and at the foot of each was a
trough which caught the water and
soil which ran off after each rain.
These were weighed and averages
for the three-year period computed
in terms of acres.
The wooded plat, of course, showed
the smallest loss, an average of 139
pounds of soil per acre per year
and a water supply of 319,525
pounds. The fallow land showed the
worst losses, 73,086 pounds of soil
per acre per year and 4,987,886
pounds of water per acre per year.
The continuous cover crop had an
estimated loss of 3,034 pounds of
soil and 958,323 pounds of water,
being next to the wooded areas in
retentive efficiency.
hand and called our name. Did not
recognize him until he spoke; then
we knew it was Allen P. Rice, form
erly of Jackson county, but now of
Sarasota, Florida. It always re
joices our heart to hear that one is
in good health, finances satisfactory,
and environment one of peace and
happiness. Allen did not boast of
his situation, but in a quiet and mod
est manner told how he had been
blest since going to Florida some
twenty years ago. He is in the real
estate business, and says Florida is
again a prosperous State. No boom,
but a steady and healthy growth in
population and in wealth.
tt t t
The Atlanta Georgian has not al
ways agreed with the President, but
at times has been one of his critics.
However, a good administration like
Mr. Roosevelt’s is not injured, but
aided, by honest, constructive criti
cism. The Georgian is always frank
in saying when it differs with the
President, and gives its reasons
therefor; and when in harmony with
him, gives him endorsement and
laudation. An editorial of recent
date in the Georgian deserves high
est commendation for this reason ex
pressed by it—
“lt is true that Mr. Roosevelt
wants and needs prosperity, and he
is trying earnestly to bring it about.
“So, however, do the rest of us
want and need prosperity, and we
should try to HELP Mr. Roosevelt in
his effort to secure it.”
There is no doubt about Mr.
Roosevelt exerting every possible
effort to banish the recession. It is
patriotic in the Georgian to recog
nize and appreciate what he is trying
to do and to lend him every possible
aid with its editorial endorsement
and earnest co-operation. We again
quote the editorial:
“Is Mr. Roosevelt to be criticized
for his part in all this beneficial ac
tivity?
“Is he to be condemned for his
recent greater liberality of view?
“Mr. Roosevelt has made some
mistakes. Who is there who has
not?
“Shall he be rebuked for correct
ing them?
“Certainly not.
“Let him be properly praised and
applauded.
“If he is on the right track now,
God speed him on his way.
“Who, after all, is qualified to
criticize him?
“He who is without error, ‘let
him cast the first stone’.”
The above editorial expresses in
every sentence the most patriotic
and soul stirring reasons why the
Hearst publications are supporting
the President. They will be of tre
mendous service to President Roose
velt in his majestic fight to bring
back prosperity.
Activities of The Jackson
County Welfare Department
Pension checks for Public Assist
ance were delivered in July by the
Department of Public Welfare to
431 recipients. There are 340 white
and 91 colored receiving pensions
in Jackson county. Of this number
412 are old age recipients, 17 fami
lies, including 41 children, receiv
ing Aid to Dependent Children, and
2 blind persons are being paid a
pension. The total amount paid out
being $3,102.00.
The department, with Mrs. W. B.
Gunter as director, Mrs. Jane H.
Duke, assistant, Mr. Harold Purcell,
bookkeeper, and Miss Hazel Turner,
interviewer and stenographer, are
kept busy every day handling the
large number of requests coming
through their office.
In addition to the duties connect
ed with the Social Security Program,
the Welfare Department is certify
ing agency for Works Progress Ad
ministration, National Youth Ad
ministration, Civilian Conservation
Corps, and Surplus ‘Commodities.
They also investigate and certify
applicants for tuberculosis and can
cer treatment given by State Board
of Health to indigent tuberculosis
and cancer patients. The depart
ment also investigates and de
termines the eligibility of all appli
cants for medical treatment pro
vided under the crippled children
program. The County Welfare
Board determines the suitability of
homes for children who have to be
placed with foster-parents.
The Directors consults with State
and District Supervisors concerning
all types of assistance. There are at
present time 269 persons in Jack
son county certified and working on
WPA projects. There are two pro
jects employing approximately 45
women who have families dependent
on them. One project is located in
Commerce, and one in Jefferson.
Clothing is made by these women
workers, and is allocated by the Wel
fare Department to the needy relief
families. There are around 150
boys in CCC Camps, and 19 reporting
for July enrollment. There are 84
families receiving Surplus Commodi
ties. On July sth, five boys and
girls \frere sent to the N. Y. A.
school, located at Clarkesville, Ga.
All applicants for General Relief are
referred to the Welfare Department
for investigation and approval.
There is no direct relief, and it is
the duty of the Welfare Department
to contact the various civic and re
ligious organizations in raising funds
for those in distress. These different
organizations have been exceeding
ly co-operative, and the Welfare
Board and Director appreciate their
generous response. The doctors
have been especially generous, and
have given their services repeatedly
without hope of remuneration. The
County Welfare Board and the
County Commissioners are giving
their most loyal support to the Di
rector and her assistants in promot
ing the welfare of the county.
There is a meeting of the Welfare
Board held in the office of the Di
rector once each month for the dis
cussion of the various types of as
sistance as related to the different
applicants, and of all other matters
pertaining to the Social Welfare of
the county. This Board consists of
Dr. L. C. Allen, Chairman, Mr. J.
Nat Harrison, Mr. F. C. Staton, Mr.
J. J. Harber, Mr. W. H. Deavors.
Under the Social Security Pro
gram, the counties are called upon
to put up ten per cent of funds for
Old Age Assistance, Dependent
Children, and Blind, and the Jack
son County Commissioners, realizing
the benefits to the county coming
through the Welfare Department,
have been at all times generous and
co-operative.
The Welfare Office, located in the
Court House, is open from 9 o’clock
until 5 o’clock ever day, except Sat
urday, on which day the office closes
at 12:30 o’clock.
NOTICE, U. D. C. MEMBERS
The Jefferson Chapter, U. D. C.’s,
will meet on next Saturday after
noon, July 23rd, with the Atlanta
Chapter at Grant’s Park.
The Jefferson members are to
meet at 11.30 Saturday a. m. at the
City Hall, where the transportation
committee will have cars to carry
the ladies to Atlanta.
Plans for a very enjoyable time
are being made by the Atlanta
Chapter, and all members of the
Jefferson U. D. C.’s are urged to
make the trip.
Thursday, July 21, 1938.
COUNTY AGENTS
COLUMN
Canning Plant To Run Four Day*
Woolc
Beginning Tuesday, July 19, un
til further notice, the canning plant
will be operating Tuesdays, Wednes
days, Thursdays and Fridays of each
week. We find that this is necessary
in order to take care of the amount
of produce coming to the plant.
Those who bring in vegetables to be
prepared at the plant should bring
several knives, pans or tubs, with
which to prepare this produce.
There is not enough equipment to
supply the number of people who
are canning each day. In the case
of peaches, the same is true. Those
coming to the plant should also
bring plenty of help. This is abso
lutely necessary. Every one should
keep this point in mind, and re
member the change in days that the
plant is open.
t t t
Rural Electrification Progretsing
We have some very good news
relative to our rural electrification
project. We visited the Washington
Office of the R. E. A. last week, and
contacted all of the officials who
have charge of making allotments to
various projects. They were very
interested in the project covering
Jackson and adjoining counties.
They assured us that sufficient funds
were available to build 500 miles of
line to serve you people. We have
signed up approximately 400 miles in
Jackson, Madison, Banks, Hall,
Clarke, Gwinnett, and Barrow coun
ties. We are very anxious that
every one in Jackson county can
have these lines. I would suggest
that people from each community
contact our office at an early date
relative to getting the different com
munities to sign up. This is a ser
vice that we are glad to render our
people, because of the fact that we
feel that this will bring more assist
ance to our farm women than any
thing that we could do. We are of
the opinion that actual construction
of the lines will begin within the
next thirty to sixty days. If there
are any who desire to have current
and have not been contacted, we
will be glad to assist you in any way
that it is possible if you will call at
our office.
tt t t
Checking 1938 Program
We are very busy checking per
formance under the 1938 program.
We expect to have this work com
pleted by the 15th of August, and
ready for applications to be taken
for payment immediately thereafter.
We expect to have applications for
cotton subsidy payments in hand
some time soon. Wheri these appli
cations reach our office, each pro
ducer who is entitled to make an ap
plication will be notified.
J. W. Jackson, County Agt.
Paving Started on Jefferson-
Gainesville Highway
Building the ribbon of concrete
between Gainesville and Jefferson
has already begun.
Actual putting down of the paving
started last week at the corporate
limits of the City of Gainesville.
The contractors are W. L. Cobb &
Cos., of Decatur.
The project is 9.58 miles, and ex
tends from Gainesville towards Jef
ferson, on State Route 11. About
one-half mile of the project is in
Jackson county. The paving is con
crete.
When Hon. Herman H. Watson
spoke before Jefferson Chamber of
Commerce last week, he indicated,
but did not positively promise, that
the contract will be let in the year
1938 for balance of highway on this
route between cities named.
Federal funds are now available
for the construction of the remaind
er of the highway, but State funds,
which have to match these Federal
funds on a fifty-fifty basis, are not
ready.
This road is a primary Federal Aid
highway, and is the longest unpaved
link of primary Federal Aid roads on
the original fifty-five hundred mile
system. In fact, when this road is
paved, it practically completes the
original primary Federal Aid system
in Georgia.
This will be a highway of much
traffic. It is predicted that traffic
through Jefferson in a year’s time
after road is paved will be at least
two or three-fold.
Vol. 53. No. 6.
Peach Grower* of Jackoo
County Gathering Fine
Crops
Peach growing is now an import
ant part of agriculture in Jackson
county. In the vicinity of Com
merce, a large acreage is planted in
peach trees, which produce each year
money crops for that section. Near
Jefferson, Claude Barnett has a
beautiful young peach grove. At
Apple Valley, the E. C. Colquitt
Estate has a commercial orchard, of
some magnitude. Peaches were
gathered by the car load from this,
orchard last week.
Not far from Apple Valley is the
peach farm of Miss Annie Hawkins,
which will ship this year about fifty
cars of Elbertas.
A recent visit to Miss Hawkins
orchard revealed that it was a place
of considerable activity. Peaches
were being picked from the trees by
busy workers, were carried to the
packing plant, where they were as
sorted and classified by men and
machinery. Many people were at
work in the plant packing peaches
into baskets and crates, which were
loaded on trucks and transported to
the railroad station at Commerce.
Here they were carefully packed in
to refrigerated fruit cars, and from
there shipped to New York,
and Philadelphia.
Miss Annie Hawkins, the proprie
tress, was at the plant observing the
busy scene. Mr. William Booth,
superintendent, had general charge
of the gathering, packing and trans
portation of fruit; while Mr. Hutch
ins, of Sanford Florida, who has per
formed the specific duties of super
vising the packing the fruit since the
first year peaches from this farm
were placed on the market, was a
busy man, attending to this part of
the work. It just so happened that
on this particular day Mr. J. H. Fish,
head of the commission house which
has sold every crate of peaches that
has ever been shipped from this
farm, was at the packing plant
“ Yes,” said he, “every year my
house sells the peaches shipped from
this orchard. The fruit is usually
sold in New York, Boston, Phila
delphia and other Eastern markets.
There is never any trouble to sell
the peaches with the trade mark
“T. I. H.”, which are the initials of
Mr. Thomas I. Hawkins, deceased,
brother of Miss Annie. We sell fruit
from many peach orchards, some of
which produce larger quantities than
this one, but the quality of the
fruit gathered here is of the. highest
class, and the best shipped from any
where in the South. Just look at
these peaches. Have you ever seen
more perfect fruit gathered from >
peach trees?” What he said was a-i
fine compliment to this orchard.
When one sees the orchard, it is
not surprising that here is grown the
choicest and most luscious fruit.
The peach trees are carefully trim
med, pruned and sprayed, the land
is well cultivated, and properly ferti
lized. Everything is done that ex
perience and science have revealed
to make the peaches as perfect as it
is possible for work, care and in
genuity to do.
The remark was made to Miss
Hawkins, “You give employment to
many just about the time they are
through with labor in their crops.
What a blessing your enterprise is to
the people of this community.”
She said, “If only I can break
even with our peach crops, I never
complain. The great pleasure and
joy that comes to me in this busi
ness is I try to leave nothing undone
to grow as much and as perfect fruit
as it is possible for this soil to pro
duce. As far as is humanely pos
sible, we try to do a perfect job in
caring for and cultivating the trees
and in gathering and marketing the
fruit. In the next place, a great
thrill comes to me in giving em
ployment to people, especially at a
time when work is so much needed
by them. Of course, we like to wind
up the crop with a profit, but as
just stated, I will continue in the
peach business as long as there is
an even break. I might express
myself in these words, whatsoever
our hands find to do we try to do
it well, and we receive the greatest
profit—joy to the heart —in unselfish
service.”
That was a pleasant hour spent
out at this fine packing plant.
The plant of Miss Hawkins waa
not only interesting, but her words
were inspiring. 1 t , t