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PAGE SIX
Story of Bethesda Orphanage
“Bethesda stands today ns a mon
ument to the memory of a great
Irishman —Rev. George Whitfield,
one of the founders of the Methodist
Church,” said Lucas. “Whitfield
came to Georgia in 1738, as a curate
of the Church of England. The idea
of the orphanage did not originate
with Whitfield, but with General
Ogl othorpe and Charles Wesley,
who’d established such an institution
at Ebcnezcr, in Effingham County—
the first home of the sort on Ameri
can soil..
“Whitfield arrived at Savannah
with more than 1,000 pounds, which
he’d reflected in England to aid the
poor and needy. Arriving at Savan
nah, he gave a part of this fund to
support of the orphanage at Ebe
nezer and with the balance rented
a house and established a home in
Savannah for the care of a few chil
dren. This marked the beginning of
Bethesda.
“It was no easy matter to secure
funds with which to continue op
eration of the Savannah home, but
Whitfield was equal to the emer
gency. He was, I think, one of the
greatest preachers of all time— a
pulpit orator with few if any peers.
In the autobiography of Benjamin
Franklin I find these observations
about Whitfield and his capacity for
raising money:
Extraordinary Influence
Ireland, the Reverend Mr. Whitfield,
whirhiJfT mode himself remarkable as
an itinerant preacher.—The multi
tudes of all sects and denominations
that attended his sermons were enor
mous, and it was a matter of specu
lation to me, who was one of the
number, to observe the extraordi
nary influence of his oratory on his
hearers, and how much they admired
and respected him. The light of
the miserable condition of the orph
ans inspir’d the benevolent heart of
Mr. Whitfield with the idea of build
ing an Orphan’s Home there (Geor
gia). I happened to attend one of
his sermons, in the course of which
I perceived he intended to finish
with a collection, and I silently re
solved he should get nothing from
me. I had in my pocket a handful
of copper money, three or four silv
er dollars, and five pistoles in gold
(a Spanish coin of about $4 value).
As he proceeded I began to soften,
and concluded to give the coppers.'
Another stroke of his oratory made |
me asham’d of that and determin'd i
me to give the silver; and he finish’d j
so admirably, that I emptied my
pocket wholly into the collector’s
dish, gold and all. At this sermon
there was also one of our club, sus
pecting a collection might be intend
ed, had by precaution emptied his
pockets before he came from home.
Toward the conclusion of the dis
course, however, he felt a strong de
sire to give, and apply’d to a neigh
bor who stood near him to borrow
some money for the purpose. The
application was unfortunately
<made) to perhaps the only man in
the company who had the firmness
not to be affected by the preacher.
His answer was, ‘At any other time.
Friend Hopkinson, I would lend to
thee freely, but not now, for thee
seems to be out of thy right senses.”
The Union Society
“‘ln 1750 there had been formed
in Savannah for sociat and benevo
lent purposes an organization known
as St. George’s Club. This group
■was later incorporated under the
name of the Union Society of Sa
vannah. “Union” in this case mean
ing “union of all sects" in philan
thropic work. The names of but
three of the originators of the
■worthy enterprise have been pre
served; they were Benjamin Sheft
all, a Jew; Richard Milledge, of the
Church of England, and Peter Ton
dee, a Catholic.
“ ‘The Union Society was incor
porated in 1786 on application to
the Legislature by President William
Stephens, Vice President Leonard
Cecil, Secretary David Montague
and James Bulloch, George B. Spen
cer, Mordecai Sheftall, Oliver Bow
en, John Morrell, Peter Deveaux,
James Habersham, Joseph Haber
sham, Joseph Clay, Frederick Herb,
John Richards, Benjamin Lloyd,
James Fields, John Waudin, James
Milledge, Samuel Stirk, Raymond De
mere and George Handley.
“An interesting episode in the
life of the society was due to the
Revolutionary War. An article of
the Society’s constitution provided
that as long as any three of its
members held regular meetings and
observed its anniversary, the society
should be regarded as existing with
fuh rights and privileges. With Sa
vannah in the hands of the British in
1779, four members who were
prisoners of war at Sunbury, a then
promising town on the coast, decided
April 23 to hold an annual meeting
thinking that perhaps distressful
conditions in Savannah might pre
vent the usual session there. The
highlight of the affair was that Brit
ish officers co-operated and furnished
the means of entertainment, but not
until after a business session had
been held, officers elected and the
ordinary routine of such a meeting
finished. Other American officers
who were prisoners took part and
tonsts were offered indicating that
for this day, at least, all other feel
ings than those of sympathy for
worthy objects had been laid aside.
A well known author has said, “His
tory presents no similar picture.
Captors and captives alike honoring
the noble cause of philanthropy,
burying all animosities, actuated
solely by the higher instincts of
humanity that make all men kin.”
Boys Were Moved
“The Union Society was toasted,
and then a British officer, in graci
ous magnanimity to those within i
their power, offered the name of
General George Washington. This
was followed by a toast from an
American officer to the King of
England.
“Through the years the Union
society had continued to foster and
carry on its care of orphans and to
continue the enterprise which had
been inaugurated by Whitfield.
“At the annual meeting in 1854
Joseph Storey Foy, then President,
recommended that the Society buy
back a portion of the original Whit
field tract. This was done and in
January, 1855, the boys were moved
to Bethesda. So it may truthfully
be said that the great work of
Bethesda in caring for orphans has
been continuous for a period now
just short of 200 years.”
“After the Civil War Bethesda
was in a dilapidated state, almost in
ruins and was occupied by recently
freed negroes. Under General
Sherman’s orders all the sea islands
had been turned over to the negroes.
After some legal proceedings the
society secured control of the pro
perty again. The name of John M.
Cooper appears prominently as presi
dent of the society in their troublous
times and it was largely due to his
efforts that there was no let-up in
j the work.
"William Wadley succeeded Coop
er as president and he was followed
by Abram Minis, who, in his report
in 1870 said: ‘lt is something to be
proud of that no state of the origi
nal thirteen, other than Georgia, so
soon after its settlement founded an
enduring and permanent charity.’
Home For Homeless
“In 1879, at a low ebb in the
financial status of the society, Col
onel J. H. Estell, publisher of the
Savannah Morning News, was elect
ed president over his protest and he
was re-elected every year for a pe
riod of twenty-eight years, during
which time the affairs of the society
greatly improved in the number of
boys cared for in the home. At
about the same time A. V. Chaplin
was made superintendent and he
made the remarkable record of re
■ maining in that position for thirty
eight years.
“At the present time Henry D.
Pollard, head of the Central of Geor
gia Railway, is the president, and
the superintendent for a number of
years past has been, and now is, O.
W. Borroughs.
“There are now eighty boys in
the home. They are received be
tween the ages of 6 and 12 and are
permitted to remain until they are
18, unless a better home is found.
“For almost two hundred years
Bethesda has in an inspiring way
proved to be truly a home for home
less and friendless boys. The word
‘Bethesda’ means ‘house of mercy’
and that is exactly what it has been
for this long period of time.”
In Urgent Need of Aid
“At present the financial needs
of the home are very pressing and
it is in urgent need of financial as
sistance. The cost to feed, house,
clothe, teach and train each boy
averages only $25 per month. While
there is some endowment it is totally
inadequate to meet the necessary ex
penses and for carrying on the work
of the home. An income from
membership in the Bethesda-Union
Society is the principal source of in
come. There are different classes of
membership, starting at $5, $lO and
$25 annual dues. Three hundred
(jollars will care for a boy for an en
tire year.
“Bethesda now has facilities to
care for 100 boys. They live on the
THE JACKIN HER ALB, JEFFERSON, GEORGIA
GEORGIA HENS LEAD
IN EGG-LAYING TEST
Athens, Ga.—Georgia led 15 oth
er states in Ooctober in the annual
egg-laying contest staged by the
University of Georgia College of
Agriculture, according to figures re
leased by F. E. Mitchell, head of the
poultry husbandry department and
director of the contest.
Texas entrants won second honors,
those from Florida were third, and
western New York contestants
placed fourth. Georgia’s average
lay for the month was 17.8 eggs;
Texas, 15.8; Florida, 15.5; Western
Now York, 15.
A hen owned by A. E. Guinn, of
Butler, Ga., poultryman, was judged,
with one from Pennsylvania and an
other from Maine, the best laying
among the 14,794 competing birds.
In the placing of high pens, Geor
gia was seventh in Rhode Island
Reds, fifth in White Leghorn, third
in New Hampshires and fourth in
Barred Rocks. Georgia placed high
pen in the following breeds: White
Plymouth Rock, and White Wyan
dotte.
THE MAD, DIZZY PACE
Likening the human body to a
machine, Dr. Charles H. Mayo, of
the world-famous clinic which bears
his name, is reported as saying that
“if this generation would learn to
eat intelligently, drink more water,
and not live at such a mad, dizzy
pace” there would not be so much
said about physical breakdowns, and
the “machine would work much bet
ter if every individual would drink
at least eight glasses of water a
day.”
In this day of hurry and rush, of
feverishly pursuing the various elu
sive leads to that which is termed
pleasure, together with the high
pressure manner which characterizes
business operations, living sanely is
almost out of the question. We are
better informed today in regard to
physical and mental health than ever
before, yet we have much to learn
about the practical application of
such, and Dr. Mayo speaks a real
truth as he observes that it is the
“mad, dizzy pace” which keeps us
physically upset.
What to do about it? Nothing,
really, for there are few who would
go back to the mode of yesteryear’s
living, even though they are sure
that they would gain thereby.—Daw
son News.
12,897 ON UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
ROLLS
Georgia’s University System has a
total enrollment of 12,897 students,
an increase of 1,415 over the same
period a year ago, the Board of
Regents has announced.
Largest enrollment was listed for
the University of Georgia at Athens,
which reported 3,379 students.
Georgia Tech in Atlanta was second
with 3,493.
Other enrolments include:
University of Georgia School of
Medicine, Augusta, 163; Georgia
State College for Women, Milledge
ville, 1,495; South Georgia Teachers’
Colege, Statesboro, 580; Georgia
State Woman’s College, Valdosta,
341.
Junior college enrolments includ
ed :
North Georgia Uollege, Dahlonega,
530; Georgia Southwestern College,
Americus, 350; Abraham Baldwin
College, Tii'ton, 377; Middle Geor
gia College, Cochran, 403.
Negro institutions:
Georgia Normal and Agricultural
College, Albany, 208; State Teach
ers’ and Agricultural College, For
syth, 93; and Georgia State College,
Savannah, 523.
congregate plan with careful super
vision and training during all their
waking hours. Classroom study al
ternates with work periods on the
farm or about the buildings and
grounds, and time is allowed for
healthful play. The farm, worked
by the boys, is a very important
factor in the support of the home.
Every effort is made to develop
■sound minds in healthy bodies, with
proper attention to ethical and
spiritual growth. For almost two
centuries without regard to religious
creed it has been truly a home for
boys who were friendless and with
out parents. Untold numbers of
the boys, have, under its care and
guidance, grown into useful and re
spected citizens of the state. Many
of them have become leaders in
various lines of worthwhile endeav
or.”
PIG’S TAIL IS TAKEN FROM
LUNG OF WISCONSIN MAN
The removal of a pig’s tail from
a man’s lung by one of the nation’s
foremost bronchoscopists set the
medical world agog recently.
Alex Jazinski, Milwaukee tavern
keeper, came to a hospital on elec
tion duy to complain about a dis
tressing two month’s old cough.
He remembered eating sauerkraut
and pigs’ tails early in September.
Soon afterward the cough develop
ed.
The patient was placed under
local anaesthetic. It was only a mat
ter of seconds before a physician
noticed the pig’s tail, actually one
vertebrae of the tail about one and
one-half inches long and one-half
inch wide. It had begun to infect
the lung. The doctor loosened the
bone from the walls of the lung with
his forceps and slipped it out, instru
ments and all, in one slow pull.
The operation took about four
minutes. If the bone had not been
dislodged, it might have proved
fatal.
HASTE MAKES WASTE,
DRIVING TEST SHOWS
Numerous factors affect the fuel
consumption of an automobile, even
when driven twice in succession over
the same course and on the same
day. Variations in traffic density
and the incidence of stop lights are
the principal factors, but even the
driver’s pulse may have an import
ant effect.
Illustrating how haste makes
waste a test car was driven over a
ten-mile course through city traffic
with the purpose of making the best
possible time without exceeding a
maximum speed of 30 miles an hour.
It was then driven over the same
course a second time with the pur
pose of conserving fuel.
In the first test the average fuel
economy was 8.5 miles per gallon,
while in the second it was 17 miles
per gallon, while the second run re
quired 12% per cent more time.
The 50 per cent saving in fuel was
accomplished by sacrificing five min
utes.
MAN AND MULE
The mule, he is a gentle beast;
And so is man.
He’s satisfied to be the least;
And so is man.
Like man, he may be taught some
tricks,
He does his work from eight to six;
The mule, when he gets mad, he
kicks;
And so does man!
The mule, he has a load to pull;
And so does man.
He’s happiest when he is full;
And so is man.
Like man, he holds a patient poise,
And when his work’s done will re
joice.
The mule, he likes to hear his voice;
And so does man.
The mule, he has his faults, tis true,
And so does man.
He does some things he shouldn’t do;
And so does man.
Like man, he doesn’t yearn for style,
But wants contentment all the while
The mule he has a lovely smile
And so does man!
The mule is sometimes kind and
good,
And so is man.
He eats all kind of breakfast food;
And so does man.
Like man he balks at gaudy dress,
And all outlandish foolishness;
The mule is accused of “mulishness”
And so is man!
—Exchange.
BULLOCH BOY WINS
FOUR-H CORN CROWN
Statesboro, Ga.—Troy Mallard,
18-year-old Bulloch county 4-H Club
boy, has been declared - the state club
corn champion for 1938, and will re
ceive for this achievement a free
trip to the National 4-H Club Con
gress and the International Live
stock Show to be held in Chicago
during the first week in December.
Young Mallard grew 129.17 bush
els of corn on his one acre.
Perhaps the most outstanding
feature of this high yield is the fact
the corn was .grown without an ex
cessive amount of commercial ferti
lizer. Only 200 pounds of 8-4-4
balanced fertilizer was used under
the corn, and 300 pounds of nitrate
of soda as a side dresser. Troy
used the Whatley prolific variety of
corn for planting seed.
200 MEDICINE PLANTS GROW
IN GEORGIA
Athens, Ga. The woods and
fields of Georgia would yield enough
valuable medicinal plants to war
rant establishment of an extensive
herb industry in the state, according
to Robert S. Justice, assistant pro
fessor of pharmacy at the University
of Georgia.
Dr. Justice has been making a
study of the state’s herbs for the
past year, visiting 130 counties in
his investigation, and he says that of
the 300 medicinally valuable plants
found in this country 200 grow in
Georgia.
Ginseng, which brings sls a
pound, is one of the most valuable
plants found in the state, Dr. Jus
tice says. Other plants of medici
nal value growing in Georgia in
clude jimson weed, horse nettle, but
terfly weed, wild cherry, white pine,
hydrastis, or golden seal, and blood
root. Warehouse serving as collec
tion centers for valuable plants
should be established in Georgia as
they have been in other states, Dr.
Jsutice believes.
DO YOUR CHRISTMAS MAILING
EARLY
Washington. Give the toiling
mailman a chance to spend Chirst
mas Day with his family, is the plea
of the Post Office Department in
urging the nation to mail Yuletide
gifts early—extra early this year.
Postmaster General Farley added
the word “extra” because the holi
day falls on Sunday and will be cele
brated legally the following day.
Plan your mailing schedule as
though Christmas fell on Saturday,
December 24, and all gifts will reach
their destination on time, the de
partment said.
GEMS OF THOUGHT
Success in life is a matter not so
much of talent or opportunity as of
concentration and perserverance.—
Wendte.
tt t t
If you wish success in life, make
perseverance your bosom friend, ex
perience your wise counsellor, cau
tion your elder brother, and hope
your guardian genius.—Addison.
tt t t
Success in life depends upon per
sistent effort, upon the improvement
of moments more than upon any
other one thing.—Mary Baker Eddy.
Fossil Dog of Pliocene
Found in Mojave Desert
BERKELEY, CALlF.—Fossil re
mains of a little-known dog of the
Pliocene period have been un
earthed in the Mojave desert by a
curator of the Museum of Paleon
tology, the University of California
revealed.
R. A. Stirton, curator, who made
the discovery while on a fossil-hunt
ing trip, estimated the probable age
of the nearly complete skeleton at
between seven and eight million
years.
The animal lived at a time when
the dog family was beginning to di
vide into different species and the
ancestors of the modern dog first
appeared on the earth, Stirton said.
H. T. MOBLEY
Agency
LIFE INSURANCE
All approved forms written
to meet every need
Would appreciate an
interview
NOTICE
Mrs. Jessie Reeves Sims Vs. Vence
Sims.
No. 1931. Petition for Divorce,
In Jackson Superior Court, Febru
ary Term, 1939.
To The Defendant, Vence Sims:
The plaintiff, Mrs. Jessie Reeves
Sims, having filed her petition for
divorce against Vence Sims, in this
Court, returnable to this term of the
Court, and it being made to appear
that Vence Sims is not a resident of
said County, and also that he does
not reside within the State, and an
order having been made for service
on him, Vence Sims, by publication,
this, therefore, is to notify you,
Vence Sims, to be and appear at
the next term of Jackson Superior
Court to be held on the first Mon
day in February, 1939, then and
there to answer said complaint.
Witness, the Honorable Clifford
Pratt, Judge of the Superior Court.
This November 26, 1938.
C. T. Storey, Jr., Clerk.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 13.
Showers for Brides Are
Among Ancient Custom*
Bridal showers are said to hav*
originated many centuries ago when
a poor miller wished to marry but.
could not afford to because of his
beneficences to others in his vil
lage. So they gathered together and
contributed to his home, enabling
him to wed the lady of his choice,
writes Rae Lewis in the Washing
ton Post.
Likewise dowries and trousseaux
are habits of long standing, although
the dowry has faded from common,
usage in many countries. Girls de
light, though, in assembling finely
made linens nnd clothing in their
“hope chests.” The old idea, how
ever, was that every stitch in the
trousseau must be made by the
bride herself. Gifts to the bride
from the groom are said to have
their origin in the ancient purchase
price for the maiden.
In the bride’s apparel, the tradi
tion of orange blossoms goes back
centuries to the “golden apples’*
presented Hebe when she married
Zeus, and they are liked because
of their beauty and fragrance, as
well as the fact that the plant bears
fruit and blossom at the same
time.
Veils date back to the days when
a woman must be kept veiled and
seen by no man until her marriage,
when her husband had the privilege
of raising it to see her beauty.
Of course, there is a language
of flowers and some old books have
some absorbing descriptions of elo-s
quent bouquets used in wooing. A
few people like to select appropri
ate flowers or combinations for the
bride to carry, but most of the lin
gering customs concerning bouquets
are in the bride’s throwing it after
the ceremony, the girl catching it to
be the next bride.
Rings, of course, have been sym
bols of unity for centuries.
Flea Is a Good Jumper
—BOO Times Own Length
A flea is no good at running, and
not very much at walking, but it
can jump. The record high jump
for a flea is about seven and a
quarter inches, and it makes a long
jump of fourteen inches.
When you think of the size of a
flea, observes a writer ih London
Answers Magazine, this is pretty
good work. It means that it can
jump something like 800 times its
own length. If a man could do
that, his record long jump would be
well over three-quarters of a mile.
In one respect, fleas are unique.
All other insects are either more
or less rounded, like caterpillars
and beetles, or flattened, like but
terflies and cockroaches, but fleas
are squeezed sideways. That suits
their purpose very well, as they
mostly make their homes on fur
bearing animals, and their shape
enables them to slip about and
dodge between the hairs.
When the flea takes its dinner it
drives its proboscis home, right
up to the hilt. Down goes its head
and up goes its tail, just like a
swan feeding on the river bottom.
It then uses a special little pump
inside it to bring up the blood.
When at last satisfied, it leans back,
tugs, and out comes the proboscis
with a jerk.
The Ananias Club
A person who deliberately tells
untruths is said to be a member
of the Ananias club. It is an old
phrase which President Theodore
Roosevelt popularized by applying
it to persons who knowingly dis
torted the truth. Ip colloquial
speech an Ananias is a liar. Anan
ias was a follower of the Apostles
and a member of the first Christian
community at'Jerusalem. The Bi
ble says that these early Christians
“had all things in common.” Ac
cording to Acts 5, At anias sold a
piece of land and conspired v/ith his
wife Sapphira to keep back part of
the price instead of contributing it
all to the common fund and taking
an equal chance with the others.
For their falsehood and hypocrisy
both were miraculously nunished
by Peter with sudden death.
Use of Drums
Used by primitive men for dances
and signaling and by soldiers in
battle, drums had to be small
enough to carry. It was while still
used by military men that drums
took their place in some of the
fanciest legends ever recited. And
one of the greatest of all is the
story of “Drake’s Drum,” notes a
writer in the Washington Post. Sir
Francis Drake, England’s “gentle
man pirate,” carried the same
drum on all his voyages. As he lay
on his deathbed he ordered his
drum be beaten if England ever
were attacked from the sea. Sev
eral times the drum has been
thumped when it appeared Britain
was being licked in a sea battle.
And each time his majesty’s fleet
emerged victorious.
JACKSON COTTON GINNING
REPORT
Census report shows that 11,855
bales of cotton were ginned in Jack
son County, Georgia, from the
crop of 1938, prior to November 14,
as compared with 13,723 bales for
the crop of 1937.