Newspaper Page Text
CAIRO, GEORGIA
The Best City of Its
Size In the Entire
United States
{1.50-S2 A YEAR . IN ADVANCE.
VOLUME XLVI.
Exhibition Set
A) Poo! July 8
Swimming Events,
Beauty Contest
Features
J. P. Miller, who is assisting
Ralph Studebaker in directing
the big summer recreation pro
gram here, and who is in charge
of the swimming pool activities,
this week announced plans for a
ihig water exhibition and beauty
contest at the pool here next
Friday night, July 8th, beginning
at 8 o’clock. include
The exhibition will
life-saving techniques, an exhibi
tion of diving, including comedy,
competitive swimming and syn
chronized or rhythmic swimming.
In the contest, Miss Grady
County will be chosen to com
pete for Miss Southeast Tobacco
Queen at the tobacco festival in
Moultrie July 1 4th46th. Entrants
for the local contest must be list
ed with the Recreation Dept by
next Tuesday, July 5th. Entries
may be made by contestants
themselves or by others. Any
girl residing in Cairo or Grady
county 16 years of age or older,
and unmarried, is eligible. The
local contest will be in bathing
attire only; at Moultrie judging
will be in both bathing and even
ing attire. Expenses at Moultrie
will be paid for the local entry
and her chaperone, The one
chosen queen, and her chaperone,
will be given an all-expense va
cation of a week at a beach of
her choice. Local judges will be
chosen by Cairo Kiwanis Club,
Cairo Rotary Club and Cairo
Woman’s Club and will not be
identified before the contest.
Mr. Miller said also this week
that the “learn to swim” pro
gram for all ages is well under
way, with 35 starting enrolles in
the 6-to-9 and 10-to-13 age class
es alone. The 6-to-9 age class
meets at 9 a. m. Mondays, Wed
nesdays and Fridays. The 10-to-
13 age class meets at 9 a m. Tues
days, Thursdays and Saturdays,
The adult “learn to swim” class
will start Tuesday night, July
5th, at 8 o’clock. Except for July
8th, Friday nights will be “fami
ly nights” at the pool.
Mr, Miller said a swimming
team has been formed here and
that inter-city swimming match
es have already been arranged
with a Moultrie team, with other
matches in prospect.
Miss Virginia Gandy has as
her guest, Miss Jo Beth Meadow,
of Atlanta.
To Strawberry Acreage Shortly Prospects
Be Determined
W. O. Webster, Breyer Ice Cream Co.
Situation Here
W- O. Webster, of Breyer Ice
Cream Co, Plant City, Fla, with
'>'» operations in New
r it D i
y ’ Philadelphia and
, on
> was a prominent visitor here
Tuesday. On a visit here some
'eeks ago he indicated his con
Cern establish a strawberry
Processing plant here next sea
sori if Grady county farmers will
sufficient acreage to justify
■ocal operations— and such inter
est is evidenced in the plans.
0r ‘ his visit here Tuesday, en
route to North Carolina to buy
Peaches, Mr. Webster in
atlon with the local Chamber of 1
commerce, ring studied the quick
stor facilities at local food
age plants and found that they
Can Probably be adapted to his
nee db in the event he bgins oper
p" or,: ' here. He also visted the
7 ^mpbeli eratic ®, okra and the plant, now in full
local Farm Bu
Mr. was the guest
1 and Mrs. H. B. Griner
iu ®sday night.
Meanwhile County Agent S. E.
r f~' Courthouse seeks
to -termine the
approximate
(Emm Skimngpt
The Official Organ of Grady County.
"The man who wandereth out of the way of advertising shall remain in the congregation of the dead."
SIXTEEN PAGES
Monday Business
Holiday Locally
Next Monday, July 4th.,
which is Independence Day,
•will be a full business holi
day in Cairo the first of five
during the year in accordance
with a holiday agreement of
local business concerns in ef
fect for some years.
There will be a complete
suspension of business but no
formal observance. However,
local recreational activities
will be in full swing to pro
vide wholesome diversion for
those who do not plan to go
to a beach or other resort.
It is announced that the
usual half-holiday will also
be observed next Thursday,
in addition to the full holiday
Monday. The other four full
business holidays will be La
bor Day, Monday, Sept. 5th;
Armistice Day, Friday Nov.
11th; Thanksgiving Day,
Thursday, Nov. 24th; and
Christmas Day, Monday, Dec.
26th.
Local Bridge to
Be
Work Starts Soon
On Big T. Creek
Among the $1,200,000 in State
Highway construction contracts
awarded Wednesday was a Grady
County job, in the sum of $45,838
let to Scott Construction Company
of Thomasville tor a new bridge
at Big Tired Creek about four
miles South of Cairo on the Cairo
Havana road. The time in which
the job is to be finished is 150
working days. Construction is
expected to begin within 20 to
30 days.
Withdrawn from the letting was
two contracts for the rebuilding
of two other bridges, one three
miles North of Cairo on the Pel
ham highway, and the other just
across the Grady County line in
Mitchell, These bridges were
damagd last Spring in the flash
flood here, and a number of peo
pie who have been injured in auto
accidents at the one just North
of Cairo, now have damage suits
pending against the Highway
Department.
It is understood that bidding
will be opened again on these
two construction jobs in the near
future.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Wood and
Jan and Gene Blackman return
ed to Memphis, Tenn., Sunday,
after spending several days here
as guests of Mr. and Mrs. P. H.
Blackman and other relatives.
acreage Grady countians desire to
strawberries on somewhat
0 * a " experimental
the item appeared in a recent is
sue of The Messenger suggesting
^hat those interested report their
probable acreage to Mr. George
a numiber have expressed their
desires. However it is known that
many who desire to plant from
one to three acres have not re
ported their plans to Mr. George.
The County Agent’s records
will not be a binding obligation
but simply an indication of inter
est so that if 250 acres or more
are indicated arrangements can
be made for the plants, which
must be set in September or early
October. Moreover, Mr. Webster
must know shortly what acreage
to expect so that he can
his plans for operations here if
the anticipated volume is suffici
ent. Everyone who desires to
plant strawberries is strongly
urged to indicate their acreage
to the County Agent by July 15th,
at the latest. The County Agent
or Chamber of Commerce will
be happy to give further informa
tion to those interested.
CAIRO. GRADY COUNTY. GA.. FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1949.
Council Passes
Wine Ordinance
$2,000 License Fee
And Many Other
Restrictions
The City Council met Monday
night in regular session and pass
ed, for the first reading by a vote
of 3 to 2, an ordinance fixing the
license fee on the sale of wine
in the city at $2,000.
Since the vote was not unani
mous, this ordinance will require
a second reading and favorable
vote at the next meeting of the
Council before it actually be
comes law.
This ordinance, setting out the
conditions under which wine may
be sold in Cairo, has as an in
troductory paragraph the follow
ing: “Whereas, in the judgement
of this Council the keeping of
wine for sale in the City of Cairo
is in the nature of a nuisance and
certain to become a nuisance un
less carried on under proper regu
lations and to be or become more
injurious to the general welfare
of the City unless proper regula
tions are set up for the sale there
of:”
The main requirements for a
license are these: 1 The applicant
must pay the ; $2,000 license fee,
and file a $3,000 bond as security
to pay any fine or fines that may
be levied against him for not
complying with the other require
ments of the law. The house to
be used in the sale of wine shall
be located on a named and num
bered street or avenue, with en
trances thereto opening on these
established and named streets,
and no entrance shall open on an
alley or unnamed street.
The seller must keep a decent
and orderly house, not sell any
other merchandise except wine,
provide no tables, or female em
ployees, nor allow anyone to
loiter or loaf in the place. The le
gal hours for the sale will ibe from
7:00 a. m. to 7:00 p. m., and not
remain open on Sundays or elec
tion days. Seals are not to be
broken in the place of business
and none is to be drunk therein.
No wine may be sold in quanti
ties of less than a pint, and no
minors will be allowed in the
place of business.
If any of these requirments are
violated by the seller of wine,
he may be fined, and his license
revoked immediately.
Tt could not be ascertained
whether anyone would apply for
a license to sell wine under this
new ordinance, provided it was
passed at the next reading. But
the consensus of opinion seemed
to be that no one would under
take to meet and abide by the
rather expensive and involved
requirements.
Other routine matters
car$e up for discussion, among
which was a request for street
markers in Southern Terrace
Estates. The Council was in fa
vor of providing these, and refer
red the matter to the Street com
mittee for action.
A petition, signed by 21 mer
chants on First Avenue, request
ing street lights was taken up
and considered by the Council.
They took note of the fact that
every time street lights were
added in one section, other re
quests immediately came in from
j sections without them. Therefore
the Light and Water Committee
; has been working on an over-all
plan which will eventually light
all of the streets that need it.
Although no vote was recorded
( on it, the Council agreed to inter
j grate the First Avenue “white
j way” lighting into the over-all
plan, and get to it as soon as pos
si'ble.
Mrs. Harry Lee and grand
daughter, Elberta Lee, left Fri
day for their home in Lake Wales,
Fla., after being the guests of
Mrs. Lee’s sisters, Mrs. R. L.
Brinson, Whigham, and Mrs.
Minnie Tinsley, and other rela
tives for a week.
Local Postoffice
Is First Class
After July 1st.
Due to the Cairo Postoffice ad
vancing from second to first
class status, there will be a slight
change in the hours when the
Money order and Postal savings
windows will be open, Charlie
L. Browne, Acting Postmaster
said this week.
The new hours effective July 1,
for the Money order and Postal
savings window will be from 9:00
a. m until 5:00 p. m., except
Thursday, when they will be
open from 9:00 a. m. to 12.00
noon. There will be no change in
the other window service.
Bailiff Pinson
In Gun Battle
Shots Exchanged •
No One Is Hit
An altercation occurred at the
home, on 4th. St., N. W., of J. L.
Pinson, Cairo Bailiff, last Satur
day afternoon between James
Powell, colored and Bailiff Pin
son in which a number of shots
were fired by each, but no one
was injured.
According to Pinson, James
Powell came to his house, called
him from off the porch and said
he wanted to talk with him.
Upon discovering that Powell was
drinking, the bailiff told him he
did not wish to talk any further
with him, and thereupon walked
back to his porch and sat down.
When Powell continued to mut
ter something, and made no move
to leave, Mr. Pinson got up and
started to go inside. At this point,
Powell opened fire with some
kind of pistol, and discharged
three shots.
Mr. Pinson rushed into the
house, got his pistol, and came
back out onto his porch and fired
at Powell. The car was at this
time moving off, and Powell duck
ed down and fired two more
shots, while the bailiff emptied
his gun toward the car as it left.
The events which led up to this
incident, according to Justice of
the Peace P. A. Jones, were these:
The owner of the house in which
James Powell was living had been
trying to get him to move and al
so pay up $40 in back rent. The
owner had secured a distress war
rant and a dispossessary warrant
against Powell.
After making repeated trips
looking for him last Friday Bailiff
Pinson went again to Powell’s
house to serve the warrants, but
found no one at home. The Bailiff
then levied on the household furn
ishing and posted signs outside to
that effect. The following morn
ing, Saturday. Pinson went again
to the house only to discover the
signs he had posted the day be
fore were now torn down, and
there was still no one at home.
Thereupon the Bailiff secured
some help and removed Powell’s
household furnishings and stored
them in a cabinet at his house.
It is assumed that Powell re
turned to his house Saturday af
j ternoon, and finding his posses
( sions moved home out, in proceeded Cairo, where to
Mr. Pinson’s
the shooting occurred. It is report
ed that Powell asked the Bailiff
what right he had to remove his
furnishings, and was told that he
had the due process of law be
hind his actions. At this stage,
seeing that Powell was drinking,
the Bailiff told him to go on, that
he didn’t care to discuss anything
with him at that time. After go
ing back to his porch and telling
him to leage again, Powell open
ed fire with a postol.
Powell was taken into custody
iby Sheriff C. H. Strickland Sun
day morning, and is now in jail.
Two charges are against him:
one for shooting into an occupied
dwelling, and the other for as
sault with attempt to murder.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Gandy
plan to spend next week in Wash
ington, D. C. with their brother,
Mr. Tom Gandy.
SIXTEEN PAGES
City Court To
Meet July 11
Civil Cases First
Criminal Docket
Frkllstwinsi ronowing weeK
The July term of the City Court
of Cairo will convene on Monday
July 11, with Judge G. L. Worthy
presiding, and a docket of civil
cases scheduled for the first con
sideration.
First and most important civil
cases to come up will be the dam
age suits against Grady County
and its commissioners in connec
tion with auto accidents at the
bridge on state Route 93, Cairo
Pelham Highway, about three
miles North of Cairo.
Two of these suits, totaling a
sum of $19,530 are being brought
by Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Cole of
Atlanta, claiming damages in an
alleged accident which occurred
at the bridge about 7:30 a. m. on
June 11, 1948. Another suit is
brought by L Eugene Banker in
connection with an accident at the
same bridge.
According tc attorneys, it is
necessary under the law that
these suits be instituted against
Grady County and its Commis
sioners, and that the legal pro
ceedure then is for the County
to vouch the State Highway De
partment into court to defend the
suits, and after so vouched, the
County is in reality eliminated
from the case, so that they are
thereafter defended by the High
way Department, with the sole
responsibilit- 'vesting on them to
pay any judgment chare, may be
obtained. Therefore in i eality
these suits are against the High
way Department.
The civil suits are expected to
take up Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday, with some minor da
gage suits being scheduled for
Tuesday and Wednesday. The the
Court will adjorun until the fol
lowing Monday, July 18, at which
time the Criminal docket will
come up. No calendar of criminal
cases has been made yet. Several
are pending; but the Court can
not ascertain which of these will
actually come up for trial.
Jurors Drawn to serve in the
July term, City Court of Cairo,
are as follows:
H. K. Barrineau, W. A. Walk
er, Jr., S. E. George, W. P. Foster,
C. D. Harrison, Roy Perkins, A.
L. Rawls, Wendell Dollar, W. F.
Wells, S. W. Gainous, J. R. Whig
ham, C. D. Willis, T. L. Hester,
H. W. Green, S. S. Gainous, Arch
Curry, L. A. Whittle, Alton Hall,
George Strickland, J. E. Max
well.
Elton Smith, W. L. Muggridge,
H. B. Bonner, R. E. Cox, Jr., J.
J. Maxwell, J B. Vanlandingham,
W. L. Oliver, Ralph Kelley, L. R.
Hopkins, Jr., M. L. Mayes, Alvin
Poppell, D. E. Taylor, J. R. Hin
son, C. B. West, L. M. Rawls, H. G.
Maxwell, W. C. Crew, L. Dollar,
A. B. Chambless, J. H. Collins,
Whigham, W. B. McCall, Joseph
H. Rawls, H. O. Murphy, Noles
Smith, C. C. Collins, H. F. Smith,
D. J. V. Reagan..
Earnest Herring, D. J. Brook
ins, Julian Maxwell, Henry Hest
er, Jr., H. A. Davis, Jas. S. Mason,
Jr., L. A. Paulk, R. L. Bryant, J.
H. Pyles, J. O. Williams, G. F.
Childs, G. B. Hollingsworth, W. C.
Jones.
Revival Opens At
Capel Sunday
The Capel Baptist Church be
gins its revival Sunday, July 3,
Rev. A. B. Thomas Pastor, an
nounced this week.
The morning service will begin
at 10:30, and the evening service
is at 8:15. Rev. Thomas will be
in charge of the services. He said
the meeting would continue
through Friday night, July 8th.
The public is cordially invited
to attend any or all of these ser
vices.
GRADY COUNTY
Greatest Diversified
Farming Section
In America
SINGLE COPIES, 5 CENT!
NUMBER 25.
Livestock At
Steady Pace
Cattle Moving;
Top $24 Cwt.
Livestock prices remained
steady at current peaks at Tues
day > s sales at Cairo Livestock
Auction Co., G. H. Herring of the
management, reported.
Cattle moved in some ^ reater
volume with a top price of $24
per cwt. for a 440^pound heifer,
No. 1 hogs were about the same
a t $20.50c a pound while good
butcher hogs sold at from 18c to
21c a pound. Hogs were also of
fered in some greater volume,
Natural Gas Is
Pressed Here
*
Area Meeting Set
Program For
Hearing
j The Southeastern Association
of Municipalities For Natural Gas
held a meeting here Wednesday
of municipal officials and civic
leaders for the purpose of laying
} final plans to seek Federal Pow
J er Commission issuance of a cer
tificate to authorize construction
0 f a va st pipeline system to serve
the “tri-state area.
It was a luncheon meeting at
Citizens Cafe attended by nearly
100 representatives of about 40
cities in the area. Malcolm N.
Yancey, city manager at Talla
> :Rej the association president,
p res i ( j ec [ ) The meeting was opet -
e( j and th e visitors were welcomed
L ou j s a. Powell, the local
Chamber of Commerce manager,
and association vice-president.
Walter Brown, Chamber manager
at Albany, and the association
secretary, outlined in detail how
briefs for each city must be com
piled for which an area brief
will be prepared for submission
to FPC in the name of the asso
ciation. Mayor Walter Williams,
Councilmen Ralph Brown and
Ira Higdon, Jr., and City Attor
ney George Smith represented the
City of Cairo. Parking meters in
the area were “sacked” for the
duration of the meeting as a
courtesy to the visitors, all of
whom expressed great delight at
the meeting, the splendid air
conditioned cafe and its facilities
and food, and the courtesies ex
tended. Some of the visitors
bought whole syrup-and-pecan
pies to take home after enjoying
it as a dessert on the fried chick
on menue for the luncheon. Others
remained to visit the municipal
swimming pool and other local
attractions of interest.
Others at the meeing included
J. T. Reeves, of Mobile, an engi
(.continued on page 5)
>.<c v t})<
Si!
IN COMMEMORATION, OF THE 173RD
YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE U. S. A.
There was a tumult in the city
In the quaint old Quaker town,
And the streets were rife with people
Pacing restless up and down . . .
Quickly, at the given signal
The old bellman lifts his hand,
Forth he sends the good news, making
Iron Music through the land
The old State House bell is silent,
Hushed is now its clamorous tongue
But the spirit is awakened
Still is living—ever young.
And when we greet the smiling sunlight
On the fourth of each July,
We will ne’ver forget the bellman
Who, twixt the earth and sky,
Rung out loudly, “independence”;
Which, please God, shall never die!
Bell
Resigns Post
Had Served As
Jurist For The
Past 28 Years
The many friends throughout
Grady County, and this section,
of Justic Reason Chesnut Bell
former resident of Cairo, will be
interested to learn of his stepp
ing down from active service as
Justice of the Georgia Supreme
Court last Tuesday, after serving
as a jurist for 28 years. Justice
Bell resigned as an Associate
Justice to become a Justice Emeri
tus.
Judge Bell gave ill health as
his reason for his retirement.
The death of his only son, Vereen
Bell, in the last World War, was
no doubt, a contributing factor
to his physical breakdown. Vereen
Bell, who was born and reared
in Cairo, was the author of
‘iSwamp Water.” He was killed
while serving as a Naval officer.
Justice Bell spent several months
during 1948 in Johns Hopkins
in Baltimore, and recovered suf
ficiently to resume his duties
about six months ago
It is understood that Judge and
Mrs. Bell will continue to reside
in Thomasville, where he ex
pects “to rest and get well.”
Gov. Herman Talmadge im
mediately announced the appoint
ment of Judge Bond Almand, of
Fulton Superior Court to the
vacancy. Talmadge named George
W. Whitman, Sr., Atlanta attor
ney, to succeed Almand.
“I will contiroe to serve my
state ,.s best I can vs Justice Emer
irus and as a private citizen, xe
memibering always my gratitude
to the people of Georgia for grant
ing me the honor and privilege
of serving them in a judicial ca
pacity for more than 20 years,”
he said.
Justice Bell is 69 years old. He
was married in 1908 to Miss Jen
nie Vereen of Moultrie.
As a young man, he was a coun
try school teacher, but decided to
become a lawyer. He said he en
tered politics to overcome shyness
He had a fear of arguing cases,
so he ran for Solicitor General.
That shyness remained thruout
his career. He once told an inter
viewer. “I would like to serve as
Chief Justice in such a manner
that the people would not realize
there was a Chief Justice.
Justice Bell is a native of Web
ster county. He was graduated
from Mercer University Law
School in 1902, and began the
practice of law in Sylvester. He
moved to Cairo in 1905 shortly
before Grady begun to function
as one of Georgia’s counties on
January 1st., 1906. He remained a
resident of Coiro until December
9th., 1940, when he and Mrs. Bell
(Continued on last page)