Newspaper Page Text
The Jackson Herald
VOLUME 71
IRA W. ETHRIDGE PASSES,
FUNERAL WEDNESDAY
Ira W. Ethridge, prominent citi
zen and prosperous planter of Jack
son County, died at his attractive
country home on Rural Route 2 on
Monday afternoon.
Funeral services will be conduct
ed by Rev. D. H. Haven, assisted
by Rev. C. B. Holder of Winder, at
2:30 o’clock this, Wednesday after
noon, at the Jefferson Christian
Church, of which he was a loyal
member, and interment will be in
Woodbine Cemetery. The pall bear
ers are W. A. Wages, Hubert Martin,
R. H. Wall, Wright Cody of Toccoa,
Lee Duncan, J. F. Eckles, R. J.
Smith and Roy Jackson, of Winder.
Mr. Ethridge is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Ella Shields Ethridge;
WSB INTERVIEWS
LIEUTENANT DALTON
Last Friday afternoon at five min
utes past six WSB, the' Atlanta
Journal Station in Atlanta, brought
to its microphone Lt. Mildred Dal
ton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B.
Dalton, of this city, who was a pris : ,
oner of the Japs for three years.
Lt Dalton told the listening audi=.
ence of The Voice of the l -South of
her life in the Santo Tomas prison
■camp. “We spent four hohf , S 1, M ?r dsy'
on duty in our prison camp hospi
tal,” Lt. Dalton said, “and the rest
of our time was divided between
standing in lines of three thousand
waiting for food, waiting for
showers, for everything.” She as
sured those listening that while she
was frightened during the bomb
ings at Corregidor before she was
taken prisoner, she never felt any
fear of the Japs. “There were only
about 70 Japs in the camp,” Lt.
Dalton told Annie Lee Stagg, who
came down from the WSB staff for
the broadcast, “so we didn’t see too
many of them.” When she was ask
ed why^these Japs weren’t killed,
being so outnumbered, she explain
ed there was nothing with which
to kill them and that it would have
done little good. The prison camp
was surrounded by the Japanese
military.
Lt. Dalton said that she felt a
little like a trapped animal during
her month and a half internment
in the tunnels of Corregidor. They
were not allowed out of the tunnels
at all and the only daylight or sun
shine they saw during that month
and a half was what they glimpsed
from the mouth of the under
ground passage.
Mrs. J. B. Dalton, mother of Lt.
Dalton, assured Miss Stagg of WSB
that though she received no word
from her daughter during three
years as a prisoner of war, she nev
er lost faith that Lt. Dalton would
return safe and sound. Mr. Dalton
said that he wrote his daughter
many letters, but they never reach
ed her.
When Lt. Dalton was asked what
she wanted to do first after her lib
eration she answered with feeling,
“Get home.” She said it is wonder
ful to be home, but that she hoped
to go to Europe next and added,
“Nurses are badly needed. I hope
it will never be necessary for any
nurses to be drafted.”
The program orignated in the
■home of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Dalton
fo Jefferson and was broadcast
throughout the southeast through
the facilities of Radio Station WSB
in Atlanta.
SUCCESS OF RED
CROSS CAMPAIGN
John L. Anderson, Jackson Coun
ty Red Cross War Fund Chairman,
announces the following committees
have reported over the top with
their quotas:
Jackson Trail, quota SIBO.OO, re
ported $240.00.
Pendergrass, quota $90.00, over
this quota and will get more before
March 21.
Cave Springs, quota $50.00, re
ported $115.62.
Oconhe, quota $50.00, over.
WOMAN'S AUXILIARY
The Woman’s Auxiliary of the
Jefferson Presbyterian Church will
meet at the home of Mrs. C. O.
Brock at 4 p. m. Monday. This
will be the annual meeting of this
organization.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS
a son, Lanis Ethridge, and a sister,
Mrs. Dan Williams of Atlanta.
Among his nieces surviving
C. Y. Daniel of Jefferson, Misses
Lola and Nan Ethridge of Athens
and Mrs. H. L. Richardson of At
lanta.
A native of Gwinnett County, Mr.
Ethridge was born at Auburn in
June, 1870. His parents were the
late Mr. and Mrs. Sampson Eth
ridge. In 1896 he was married to
Miss Ella Shields, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Rdbert Shields of Jackson
County. After two years residence
in his native county, he moved to
the Shield’s home in Jackson Coun
ty and for 46 years lived in the
residence where he died.
The debeased was one of the most
successful farmers in Jackson. He
never aspired to public office, but
was always interested in civic, edu
cational and religious activities of
his county- arid state. He was well
versed in current questions and
events . and always expressed his
VieWs iri no uncertain terms and
was always, on the side that seemed
rtpijhis fellowman.
In religious circles, he was loyal
and geriertms to his church and
could- always be found favoring
those things taught by the Master.
His home life was characterized
by loving and thoughtful consider
ation for the members of his house
hold, and as a friend and neighbor,
the latch string of his door was al
ways in easy and convenient touch.
In the death of Mr. Ethridge,
Jackson County has suffered a great
loss.
A large concourse of friends from
every section of the county was
here to attend the funeral rites and
the numerous and lovely floral of
ferings attested his popularity.
MRS. SARA E. MURRAY
DIES AFTER BRIEF
ILLNESS AT BOGART
Mrs. Sara E. Murray, 74, died un
expectedly Wednesday at her home
in Bogart at 8:30, after a very short
illness.
Mrs. Murray was born in Jack
son County in 1870, the daughter of
the late Charles Brewer and Emily
Ivey Brewer. She was a member of
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church,
Neese.
Mrs. Murray is survived by her
husband, W. J. E. Murray; two sis
ters, Mrs. L. D. Segraves and Mrs.
Gilford Graves; six children, L. H.
Murray and W. T. Murray of Hull.
Mrs. J. D. Johnson, Mrs. J. P. Hig
ginbotham and Mrs. J. W. Crowe,
Jr., of Bogart, and R. E. Brewer,
Athens; ten grandchildren and three
great grandchildren.
T. Sgt. Syfan Is
Honorably Discharged
T. Sgt. Homer J. Syfan, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jackson Sy
fan, Commerce, has been honorably
discharged from the service at the
AAF Convalescent Hospital, Don
Ce-Sar Place, St. Petersburg, Fla.,
Col. Richard E. Elvins, command
ing officer, announced this week.
Sgt. Syfan is a veteran of 52 com
bat missions served in the South
west Pacific Theater of Operations.
He is the survivor of one water
landing, and has been awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross, and the
Air Medal.
He had been recuperating from
operational fatigue at the AAF Con
valescent Hospital, at St. Peters
burg, Fla.
Sgt. George Boswell
Awarded Purple Heart
Sgt George Boswell has been
awarded the Purple Heart for
wounds received in action in
France on February 17.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Charlie Boswell of Maysville.
Mrs. J. C. Pratt In Hospital
The countless friends of Judge and
Mrs. Clifford Pratt will regret to
know that Mrs. Pratt is a patient at
the Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta.
People throughout this section are
interested in news of her and hope
for a favorable report on her con
dition.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY, GEORGIA
THE RAGAN BROTHERS
SmL PH
JESSE D. RAGAN LESTER M. RAGAN
Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Ragan of Gillsville have two sons in the mili
tary service of our country who are at present in France. These sons,
Captain Lester and Corporal Jesse D. Ragan are not in the same
Army, but met for the first time a few days ago. Captain Lester wrote
to hts parents, “I was sure proud t osee Jesse. He found me the first
day we were here. He was feeling good. We have a very good place to
stay—an old farm house apparently 150 years old. The farm land is
excellent and is pretty level. The soil is black and the grain green.
The French people seem friendly. The boys have been buying cider
for almost nothing. I have not tasted it.”
Corporal Jesse D. Ragan wrote, “I got to see Lester a few minutes.
He had just landed. The French are warm hearted and not a bit
bashful. I received a nice little surprise from a girl friend, a pair of
gloves and a cigarette lighter.”
LT. 808 SMITH IS
WOUNDED IN ACTION
IN GERMANY
Lt. Bob Smith, son of S. J. Smith,
and grandson of Mrs. R. L. J. Smith,
of Commerce is reported as having
been wounded in in Ger
many, February 10. His left arm
has been amputated, according to
latest report, his right arm is brok
en and his back was pierced by
shrapnel.
Lt. Smith was flown from Paris,
France, to a hospital in New York
and expects to be transferred to a
Georgia hospital soon. His wife,
mother and sister are making their
hotne in Tampa, Fla.
ROY M. DODD
WOUNDED IN ACTION
Marcus M. Dodd has received in
formation that his nephew, Lt. Roy
M. Dodd, of Tyler, Tex., son of Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon Dodd, of the “Lone
Star State,” has been wounded in
action in France. He is with the
First (Army. The young soldier’s
parents are natives of Jackson Coun
ty.
JOSEPH C. LYLE
WINS HONORS
Joseph C. Lyle, son of Mr. and
Mrs. J. J. Lyle of Route 2, Maysville,
for his individual contribution to
his regiment’s success is entitled to
wear the Meritorious Service In
signia, a golden yellow wreath and
star on his right sleeve. He is now
serving with the 275th Engineer
Combat Battalion on the Seventh
Army front.
He won his insignia while a mem
ber of the 591st Engineer Boat Regi
ment in recognition of the regi
ment’s outstanding achievements in
the North Africa theater of opera
tions.
Units of the 591st Engineer Boat
Regiment, one of the first Ameri
can units to be sent to the European
theater, served in five major am
phibious operations; namely, the
landings in North Africa, Sicily, the
landing in Italy, the landing at
Anzio and the landing in Southern
France.
PROMOTED TO S. SGT.
SUMNER J. WADE
Sgt. Sumner J. Wade, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Marion Wade of Athens,
and husband of Mrs. Lois Wade of
Langdon, Mo., has been promoted]
from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant. '■
He has also been awarded the’
Air Medal while participating in
sustained bombing operations over
enemy occupied continental Europe.
The courage, coolness and skill dis
played by this enlisted man upon
these occasions reflect great credit
upon himself and the armed forces
ihe United States.
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JACKSON COUNTY’S
PEACH ORCHARDS
The peach orchards of Jack
son County, with their acres of
pink blossoms, are scenes of
beauty and admiration and
have attracted many sightseers
during the past week. The own
ers of these orchards are appre
hensive about the safety of the
crop during the next few weeks.
The fruit buds were held back
by the continued cold weather
of this winter until the past
few weeks and now they have
burst into a riot of bloom and
will soon be covered with green
leaves. The crop has been kill
ed, in great measure, by late
cold for the past two years and
this makes the growers ,feel
more anxious than they would
otherwise.
POULTRY COMPANIES INVITED TO
LOCATE IN JACKSON COUNTY
The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce held a lively and interesting
meeting in the Harrison Hotel Thursday night. There were seven visitors
present and an informative program on poultry was rendered.
John L. Anderson, the president,
presided over the meeting. Foster
Eckles, chairman of program com
mittee, presented the visitors: Clif
ton Barnett, Mays Venable, Worth
Wilkes, Hal Nix, Gordon Shumake,
and Messrs. Conway and Haven of
Gainesville.
Poultry in Jackson County has
developed to where it is one of the
main farm crops in gross income.
Since the freeze order in the seven
counties north of us, many of the
poultry companies are looking south
to Jackson County, or other near
by counties, for a place to open a
hatchery and poultry business in
order that they may grow some
broilers for the civilian trade in this
area. As soon as County Agent John
L. Anderson heard of this he made
a trip to Gainesville to see one of
the companies that was considering
locating in one of the pdjoining
counties.
Mr. Anderson explained to them
the desirability of Jackson County
as a place for additional expansion
and this resulted in inviting two of
these men to the Chamber of Com
merce meeting last Thursday night
in Jefferson.
Mr. Conway says that his com
pany is giving Jefferson much con
sideration as a location. Mr. Con
way was ‘the guest speaker.
In his speech Mr. Conway stated
that their organization was only one
of a number in this area. In addition
-to theirs there is also Swift & Com
lpany, Wilson & Company, and a
; number of large packers who in
stalled freezing and packing plants
la the broiler
THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1945
Jefferson, Blakley
Get School Funds
By RALPH SMITH
WASHINGTON.—Grants totaling $258,988 to help finance the con
struction and equipping of school buildings at Jefferson and Blakely, to
replace buildings destroyed by fire, and a $22,500 grant to be matched
by Ware County, Ga.
The three sections are located in
war-ihdustry areas where the need
for adequate education and health
services is acute. ,
The Jefferson Board of Educa
tion was granted $142,070 toward
the $218,580 cost of building and
equipping a one-story and part base
ment 18-classroom elementary and
high school. The board is to put
up the remaining $76,500. Many
residents of Jefferson commute to
war jobs in the towns of Commerce,
Athens, Winder and Lawrenceville.
Since the school building was
burned make-shift facilities have
been attempted in churches and oth
er temporary quarters which are in
adequate for space, lighting, heat
ing and toilet facilities. At present
707 pupils, 495 elementary and 212
high school, are enrolled with many
parents refusing to send their chil
dren to such classrooms.
FIRE COMPLETELY
RAZES OAKWOOD
SCHOOL MONDAY
Fire, believed to have been caused
by spontaneous combustion, com
pletely destroyed the Oakwood
High' School building and all of its
contents about five o’clock Monday
morning of last week.
The building was a one-story
frame structure and contained from
the sixth through the eleventh
grades.
LITTLE VONNIE GENE
MILLER DIES SUDDENLY
Vonnie Gene Miller, infant of
Pfc. and Mrs. H. C. died sud
denly during the night of .Sebruary
21, at the home of her parents.
She was bom in Jackson County
on November 23, 1944, and lived
with her mother on Route 1, Jef
ferson. Her father is serving with
the armed forces.
Funeral rites were held from the
White Plains Church on Saturday,
February 24, with the Rev. W. B.
McDonald officiating.
opinion the poultry industry is firm
ly established in North Georgia and
is the one livestock project in which
you can buy the feed and still make
a profit. The average three pound
broiler eats from nine to 10 pounds
of mash and has six pounds of com
post that is very valuable.
Mr. Conway states that killing
and dressing plants use everything
but the chickens’ cackle. The blood
and feathers are used and all other
waste is made into tankage. The
Jewell Company kills approximate
ly 80,000 broilers each week. All
of these except the rejects are going
to the U. S. Army. Mr. Conway also
stated that in his opinion the poul
try industry in the 20-mile radius
of Gainesville is two to three times
larger thpn any other business in
gross income.
Jackson County poultry producers
are already raising broilers in lots
from 500 to 100,000 by different in
dividuals. In addition to these, there
are also other individuals who are
financing a number of broiler grow
ers.
President Anderson appointed
a committee composed of Mr. R. S.
Johnson, Mr. Foster Eckles and Mr.
G. T. Kesler to work with this poul
try organization and offer any assis
tance possible in the hopes that
they will see fit to locate in Jeffer
son.
Services At Lebanon
Preaching services next Sunday
at 11 a. m.. Central War Time, at
Lebanon Methodist Church, Every
body cordially invited to attend.
B M. Bowen, Pastor.
NUMBER 39
PRISON REFORM
DISCUSSED BY
F. R. HAMMACK
Rotary’s guest speaker Tuesday
was Francis R. Hammack, director
of Corrections and Prisons for the
State of Georgia. John C. Turner,
acting chairman of the program
committee, presented the speaker.
Mr. Hammack said he had been di
rector of the prison department for
about a year, succeeding W. L.
Moore, who was the first director
under the prison reform act which
was passed by the Legislature dur
ing the administration of the pres
ent Governor. He described the pris
on situation in Georgia before the
passage of this act. In some coun
ty camps and at the state prison
farm near Reidsville in Tatnall
County conditions were deplorable.
In some county camps, convicts
were inhumanly treated, poorly
fed and not properly clothed. Their
sleeping quarters in some counties
were uncomfortable and unhealthy.
Three state convict camps have
been abolished and every county
now has barracks or same is under
construction. Convicts are now giv
en by the county authorities plenty
of food that is healthy and whole
some. Prisoners are otherwise well
cared for.
At the prison at Reidsville, many
changes for the better have been
made. The building has been clean
ed and made sanitary, changes
made to prevent escapes, new and
better personnel employed) juve
niles Shd women segregated from
balance of prisoners and convicts
are much better satisfied and now
give little trouble to prison authori
ties. Mr. Hammack, read some very
interesting statistics, showing the
different offenses for which prison
ers were convicted. He highly com
plimented Jackson County for its
handling and management of pris
oners. Chairman W. A. Wages was
present at Rotary luncheon, guest
of former chairman, John C. Turner.
Other guests were Howard Grad
dick of Tennessee and S. Kiningham
of Gainesville.
President Clifford T. Storey was
ill and past president H. W. Davis
presided. Secretary R. J. Kelly
stated the club’s attendance was 83
and earnestly urged that the at
tendance record be not less than.
90.
CAPT. STOREY WINS
BRONZE STAR
WITH THE TENTH ARMORED
DIVISION IN GERMANY.—Capt.
Taylor D. Storey of the Third Tank
Battalion, Tenth Armored Division,
recently was awarded the Bronze
Star Medal by Major Gerieral Wil
liam H. H. Morrs, Jr., the Division
Commander.
The citation reads in part: “Cap
tain Storey, acting in his capacity as
a commander of a tank company,
personally led his unit in a superior
manner from Kerling, France, to a
point in the vicinity of Merzig, Ger
many. In order that he could better
select the route of advance, he con
tinuously dismounted from his tank
and, while under constant enemy
artillery and small arms fire, fear
lessly reconnoitered enemy posi
tions until he was wounded and
forced to retire from the action.
“His intrepidity, with utter dis--
regard for his own safety, material
ly aided a combat team in it’s ad
vance from Kerling, France, to Be--
thingen, Germany. Captain Storey’s
initiative and loyal devotion to
duty were an inspiration to his fel
low officers and men and reflect
great credit upon himself and the
military forces of the United
States.”
Capt. Storey is the husband of
Mrs. Taylor D. Storey and a son of
Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Storey of Jef
ferson.