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BARNESVILLE NEWS-GAZETTE
B. H. HARDY, Editor
Subscription, $1.60 Year
BARNESVUJLE. GA.
MARCH 5, 1926.
SAINTLY WOMAN
PASSES AWAY
Mrs. Emma Whatley, saintly and
greatly beloved woman, passed away
at her home on Lee street Sunday
shortly after noon, having been se
riously ill for some weeks. Her
death was not unexpected, as her ex
tremely old age had wrought its work
on her frail body. She had been in
failing health for some years but
maintained that cheerful spirit that
characterized her throughout her
long and beautiful life. She was
universally recognized as a saintly
woman and none knew her but to
love and honor her. Her life has
been only helpful to all who have
come under her influence and she
wag always so cheerful and happy
and so kindly and considerate in dis
position that her life has been ever
a benediction to those who have
known her. She lived a beautiful
Christian life, loving her family,
neighbors and friends, her church,
her community and apparently desir
ing to spread sunshine wherever she
lived and among all whom she knew.
Mrs. Whatley was nearly 82 years
old. In 1869 she wus married to
Mr. James M. Whatley, who passed
away many years ago, being killed
by lightning at Orchard Hill. She
was a member of the Baptist church,
joining Midway church under the
ministry of the sainted Wash Oliver,
and later bringing her membership
to the First Baptist church of Barnes
ville. Among the members of this
church and the people of this com
munity she was appreciated and hon
ored. She was a modest, good and
noble woman, her virtues being recog
nized by everybody who knew her.
She has gone to her home in Heaven.
The funeral was held at the First
Baptist church of Barnesville Mon
day afternoon where a large congre
gation assembled to pay their last
tribute to her memory. The floral
offerings were as beautiful as were
ever seen here on a similar occasion.
Rev. Arthur Jackson, her pastor, who
was in charge of the service, paid
high tribute to her character and life,
speaking of her as a wife, mother,
grandmother, friend, neighbor and
Christian. Rev. L. M. Latimer and
Rev. J. A. Drewry of Griffin and Rev.
T. M. Whatley of Thomaston also
participated in the service. The body
was then tenderly laid away in the
Greenwood cemetery.
M rs. Whatley is survived by one
son, Mr. James F Whatley, of Grif
fin; two daughters, Mrs. Corvis
Rogers of Barnesville and Mrs. Mil
lion Tschudy of Thomasville, and one
foster daughter, Mrs. U. T. Joiner of
Dublin. Sha hud lived with Mr. and
Mrs. Corvis Rogers, whoso devotion
and loving consideration of her dur
ing these last years of her life has
been beautiful to a marked degree.
All her children and grandchildren
were perfectly devoted to her and
the people of the community deeply
sympathize with them in the sorrow
which is theirs in the separation oc
casioned by her passing away.
Resolutions By W. C. T.
U. As Tribute To Mem
ory of Rev. W. P. Miller
Whereas, God in His infinite wis
dom has seen fit to remove from our
midat Rev. W. P. Miller and take
him unto Himself in the glory land.
Be it Resolved, That we as mem
bers of the W. C. T. U., of which ho
was tor years, a consistent honorary
member, bow in humble submission
to the will of Him who makes no
mistakes.
That we feel deeply our irrepara
ble loss, as well as that of the church
and all organizations which stand for
the right and tend to the uplift of
humanity und the community at
lanre.
That a copy of these resolutions
be sent to the bereaved family and
one to the News-Gazette and a page
in our record book be dedicated to
his memory.
W’ell may it be said of him, “Rest
from thy loved employ, life's battle
ended, victory won.”
Mrs. O. W. Holland,
Miss Minnie Lee Bowers,
Mrp. W. S. Jones,
Committee appointed by Mrs. J.
M. Anderson, Ist vice president.
o ■
MEETING POSTPONED
The meeting of the Woman’s Bible
class of the Baptist church, which |
was to be held Thursday, March sth.
has been postponed until Thursday |
|of next week, March 12th. j
ORDINARY'S REPORT
ON COUNTY AFFAIRS
To the Grand Jury: Gentlemen —
Just four years ago I submitted to
the first Grand Jury assembled in
Lamar county a report in which I
outlined what 1 thought should be
the policy pursued by the county au
thorities during the period of depres
sion which was upon us. With the
experience of the past four years I
feel th'pt the policy then referred to
has proved the wise one and as a
matter of fact any other course
would have been unjustified and in
excusable. Avery conservative
course was then suggested and it has
been followed until now and will be
so long as 1 am charged with the re
sponsibility of managing the county’s
affairs.
It is pretty generally agreed, I
think, that the county has made a
good record thus far. We have been
fortunate in the arrangements we
have been able to make in housing
our county offices and our courts and
in Hiking care of our other county
operations. Our county has func
tioned splendidly in all its depart
ments, its efficiency in its various
branches comparing favorably with
any of our neighboring counties, and
it has been done on a tax rate of
SIO.OO a $1,000.00, which is a small
er tax rate than almost any county
in the state. This is a source of
gratification to me and I believe the
citizens generally are fairly well sat
isfied with the results obtained and
the cost of same.
The one thing which brings me the
greatest satisfaction from the four
year administration is thatt I have
kept the county out of the chaingung
business. In a number of instances
I have felt authorized in yielding my
judgment and policy to that suggest
ed and insisted upon by other citizens
but I have steadily and positively de
clined to inaugurate and install the
convict system in Lamar county. I
verily believe a is about
the worst-thing with which any little
county could be afflicted. It is most
expensive and is a breeder of the
vicious system, on which grafters
may thrive and prosper at public ex
pense. Since our county set the ex
ample in this respect numerous small
counties in Georgia have abandoned
the system to avoid financial bank
ruptcy and a few days ago the coun
ty commissioners of Bibb county, one
of the rich and populous counties,
virtually decided to adopt the free
labor system, the commissioners
agreeing in the statement that the
convict system could be abolished at
a saving to Bibb county of $50,000.00
a year. No little county like Lamar
can afford to inaugurate a system so
pernicious and expensive as that of
the chaingang system. I sincerely
hope the citizens of Lamar county
will forever stay out of the chain
gang business. . . 1
COUNTY AUDIT
I submit to you herewith a com
plete audit by the Drewry Audit Cos.,
of Atlanta of the operations of 1924,
giving in detail the financial state
ments of the ordinary, treasurer, tax
collector and clerk. I will state that
every facility for investigating all
these officers was afforded the au
ditor, as the books and records of
every kind were turned over to him
and in fact the offices were turned
over to him to go free-handed into
all the affairs just as he might see
fit to do. This same privilege will
be extended to any citizen of the
county at any time.
It will perhaps be gratifying to the
citizens to know, as shown by the
nudit, that the county is entirely out
of debt, counting absolutely good
amounts due for taxes, and when
these amounts are collected it will
show n net balance in favor of the
county, as of December 31, 1924, of
around $10,000.00. When the audit
was completed the outstanding war
rants for 1924 operations amounted
to $6,791. But $4,000 of this amount
has been taken up since then, leav
ing only about $2,700 still unpaid,
with about $13,000 taxes still due
the county. The auditor says this is
a remarkable showing and the finan
cial condition of the county must at
least be more or less pleasing to all
our citizens.
OhFICES AND EQUIPMENT
We are still operating with as
' small a force as we can well get
along on. We are not buying every
thing that comes along but only those
things which are considered abso
lutely necessary. We have 19 mules,
all of them except one in reasonably
good condition. We have 2 graders
in good condition and another not so
good, but which is usable for drag
ging roads, 1 truck, 1 Ford touring
car, 2 wagons, 3 road plows and other
equipment for our road force, such
as picks, shovels, axes, etc. With
our force we are keeping our roads
and bridges in moderately good con-1
dition. which travelers say will com
pare favorably with the roads in any
of our neighboring countie^
We have recently made some im
provements in the quarters for coun
ty officers, as you will note by in
specting the same, and this has been
done with little additional expense to
the county, although the new situa
tion will be much better and more
convenient for our officers and the
citizens of the county. The County
School Superintendent now has an
office in the same building and on the
same floor with the other county of
fices, excepting the office of ordinary,
which is still in the News-Gazette
building, the latter of which is not
costing the county anything.
OUR MORAL INTERESTS
Sometimes I am made to feel that
my office has become the clearing
house for the material and moral in
terests of the county. From day to
day I hear all kinds of reports in
volving the life of the people of the
county. Summing up the situation
as it has come to me I am constrained
to say that the one weak and de
plorable condition which now exists
is in regard to the making and sell
ing of whisky in the various sections
of the county. I refer to the ques
tion in order to make an appeal to
all the good citizens of the county,
and to those who may be engaged in
any way in this illegal and very
harmful business. I am wondering
if this appeal to any who may be en
gaging in the making, selling or
drinking of whisky from time to time,
coming from me as an official, or as
a citizen, deeply interested in the
real welfare of all the citizens of the
county, may receive a favorable re
sponse from any of these who may
thus M* violating the law. The very
best thing everyone of these people
could do would be to resolve now and
forever to abstain aboslutely from
any part in the violation of our pres
ent prohibition laws, either by mak
ing, selling or drinking the vile stuff
that is now taking such a heavy toll
in the lives, the moral character
and the material welfare of our coun
try. If that class of our citizenship
will not observe and obey the law,
for their own good and for the good
of the county and all its people and if
these laws continue to be broken then
all those who stand for the law and
the moral issues involved must see
that every possible effort is made to
bring to the bar of justice those who
constantly and habitually violate it
and the severest penalty is inflicted
on all who are found guilty. The
far better way, however, would be
to have a voluntary reformation on
the part of those who may now be in
any way connected with the nefarioiis
whisky business.
We already have a fine little coun
ty but the value and attractiveness
of any county is measured by its
moral standards and it is my hope
that Lamar county in this one par-
I ticular will be outstanding in its
: character and accomplishments.
Respectfully submitted,
B. H. HARDY, Ordinary.
N. B.—The report of the auditor,
covering all county matters, appears
on another page in this issue.
UNIONVILLE NEWS
Several of the married men of our
community are courting in Barnes
ville this week, but their wives
shouldn’t objert as Judge G. Ogden
Persons is their chaperone.
Mr. J. M. Darden and Mrs. W. A.
and Miss Lucy Matt Harper spent
Thursday in Griffin as the guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Flynt and Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Wheaton.
Mr. Allen Chappel visited friends
here Sunday evening.
Mr. John George Brooks of near
Jackson filled his regular appoint
ment here Sunday afternoon.
Among those of our younger so
cial set now confined with mumps
are Miss Ruth White, Mr. Frank Dar
den and Mr. Quinton Sauley. We
hope they will soon be out again.
Judge G. M. Godard is up again
after being confined to his bed for
six weeks. His many friends hope
to see him out soon.
Mr. and Mrs. Watson Sims and
Mesdames W. A. Harper and S. E.
Thornton visited Mr. and Mrs. Jesse
Futral of Patillo Sunday.
Mrs. J. W. Godard was called to
the bedside of her brother. Mr. Char
lie Carter, of near Jackson, last
week.
Mr. Ober Butler, who is attending
A. & M. School in Barnesville. spent
last week-end here with relatives.
Mr. Joe Cole of Columbus passed
through our city Sunday.
Mrs. Edmond English and Master
Grady Edmund spent the week-end
with relatives ait Chappel.
Mr. James William Darden made a
business trip to Butts county Satur
"BACHELOR.”
THREE ARTS CLUB MEETING
The February meeting of the Three
Arts club was held last Wednesday
afternoon at the handsome home of
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Moore, Green
wood street.
Mrs. D. E. Kleckley was chairman
of the program which was interest
ing from every angle of study. Quo
tations responding to roll call (M-N T .
inclusive) were choice selections
from Nathaniel Hawthorne. The
program recorded a sketch of Verdi,
by Miss Mary Woodall. The au
dience very much appreciated the
piano solo by Mrs. Stephens, The
Rock. Mrs. W. A. Prout gave a
beautiful vocal solo. A synopsis of
the Opera, “II Trovatore,” by Mrs.
Powell Cotter, created eager expect
ancy for the music that followed.
Mrs. Kleckley presided at the vic
trola and gave the following records:
“Anvil Chorus,” “Fiercely Flames
Are Soaring,” “The Tempest of the
Heart,” and “Misserere.”
The hostesses of the afternoon
were: Mrs. J. C. Collier, Mrs. D. L.
Anderson, Mrs. Pierce Owen, Mrs.
Allen Moore. Mrs. Perry Daniel, Mrs.
E. S. McMillan, Mrs. J. F. Neely,
Miss Jessie Collier, Miss Sara Cook
and Miss Grace Neely.
The Three Arts Club, with the co
operation Cjf the organizations, are
perfecting plans for the convention
of the State Federation of Music
Clubs. Although the movement to
| exalt music to its rightful place and
recognize its cultural value is some
what new compared to other organ
izations, more than a hundred clubs
have federated. And invitations
from the hostess club of Barnesville
have been issued to the music clubs
of the state to convene here March
26, 26, 27, 28, and from every indi
cation all things will be gloriously
ready whAn they come.
Wednesday evening, 25th inst., the
executive board of the Staite Fed
eration will hold its session at the
club house. At this time Mrs. C.
M. Dunn, president of the club and
Mrs. J. A. Corry will entertain at
dinner, complimentary (to the state
officers.
At noon. Thursday, the Woman’s
club will give a luncheon at the Bap
tist church annex, to which the dele
gates to the convention and the mem
bership of the Woman’s club are in
vited.
Thursday evening, 25;th inst., the
Three Arts club will entertain at a
reception at the home of Senator and
Mrs. J. C. Collier, Thomaston street.
The delegates and the members of
the Three Arts club will be guests at
this reception.
The Civitan club will honor the
convention by its hospitality. Fri
day, noon, the famous dub will give
a luncheon to the delegates at the
Baptist church annex.
Friday evening the Willie Hunt
Smith chapter of the Daughters of
the Confederacy will have a recep
tion at the home of Hon. W. B.
Smith. The delegates and the mem
bers of the local chapter will be the
guests.
Saturday the Woman’s club of the
Redbone District, the Woman’s club
of Milner, the Woman’s club of
Johnstonville and the Woman’s Chris
tian Temperance Union will enter
tain jointly at the club house where
a noon-day spread on the lawn will
be the attraction. The delegates and
the membership of the respective
clubs will enjoy the novel entertain
ment.
The program of the convention has
been completed and will be carried
next week by the leading Sunday pa
pers of the state.
The various committees are meet
ing a response and cooperation that
is characteristic of our cultural lit
tle city and county. The committee
on hospitality has found the genuine
kind of hospitality that made the
homes of the South famous in song
and story. “Advertise” is the watch
word of the hour. A convention of
two hundred and fifty delegates of
the best people of the state is the
best opportunity to show off the best
town and county in the state.
FIRE AT YATESVILLE
The people of Lamar county re
gret deeply the fire Monday which
! destroyed the school building and
! the home of Mr. J. B. Brown at
Yatesville. It was a very disastrous
fire and the loss falls heavily on the
! people of Yatesville arid Mr. Brown.
Fortunately no one was hurt, all
the school children getting out of
the school building without injury.
a
The dwarf tree mare famous by
Robert Burns, who, under its shelter
ing branches kept tryst with the
Mary that afterwards slept by “sweet
Afton’s murmuring stream,” was re
cently blown dowA, snapped at the
butt.
o
A ton of coal has about 26,000,000
available heat units, B. T. U., when
burned.
What Should
Barnesville and
Lamar County Dal
i
The Civitan Club o f
Barnesville is offering
Prizes to the citizens of
Barnesville and the
county for articles sug
gesting what should be
done for the good of
the city and county.
The date for closing
of the contest has been
reset for March 28th,
in order that other ar
ticles may be written
and sent in to the com
mittee.
SIO.OO and $5.00 prizes
are worth obtaining,but
the most good may arise
from the suggestions
made. A number of
articles have been sub
mitted but every com
munity in the county
should furnish several
articles to the commit
tee offering suggestions
■
as to what should be
undertaken during ’25
for the good of the
county.
Get to thinking about
the matter and write
out and send your sug
gestion to the
Contest Committee,
Civitan Club,
Brnesville, Ga.