Newspaper Page Text
CAIRO, GEORGIA
The Best City of Its
Size In the Entire
United States
50-S2 A YEAR. IN ADVANCE.
VOLUME XLVI.
BANK HERE TO ENTER UPON ITS
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY JAN. I
Many Services,
History Told
Cairo Banking Co.
Established In
Jan. 1, 1900
Cairo Banking Company,
Cairo’s and Grady county’s oldest
financial institution, on Jan. 1,
1950 will enter upon its Golden
Jubliee Anniversary or “50th
Year Of Continuous Service With¬
out Loss To Any Depositor.” In
that half-century of successful
operations is bound up a huge
bundle of progress and commun¬
ity service in which this bank has
fully kept pace with the marked
growth and development of the
area it serves.
Cairo Banking Company was
established and opened for busi¬
ness here on the first day of this
century, Jan. 1, 1900, by three of
the community’s pioneer busi¬
ness leaders —Walter Davis, Wil¬
liam S. Harrison and Walter B.
Roddenbery, Sr., all of whom
have gone to their reward.
Messrs. Harrison and Roddenbery
gave counsel and financial sup¬
port to this first financial institu¬
tion venture in what was then
a mere village of some 500 people;
but it was Walter Davis, until
then a merchant, upon whom
fell the chief responsibility of
guiding the bank succesfully in
its early days. Older residents
know the executive business abili¬
ties these men possessed; and can
appreciate, as a result thereof,
how the bank came to be firmly
established on sound banking
principles.
The bank was incorporated
Nov. 23, 1903, when its future
became more certain, and it was
moved to its present location on
South Broad Street, where a
building was specially construct¬
ed, from its first site on North
Broad Street, where the A. & P.
Tea Co. store is now located. At
the time of incorporation stock
in the bank was also issued to
two sons of Mr. Davis—Owen
T. and Seaborn R. Davis. The
latter later met an untimely
death but Owen T. Davis was to
become a prominent figure in the
operation of the bank for some
11 years following the tragic
death of his father in January,
1920.
Boykin Harrison, son of another
of three founders, also became a
stockholder on May 12 1920, fol¬
lowing the death of his father,
but his active connection was
terminated after his removal
later to Coolidge, Ga., where he
established a bank and other busi
ness enterprises, which he ex
Panded and operated quite suc
cessfully until his death a few
years ago.
Owen T. Davis personally ac¬
quired 1. 1920, control following of the bank death Dec. of
h the
>s father early that year, and
directed its affairs until his
death in January, 1934. That
Period included most of the period
of the worst of all business de¬
pressions, in the early ‘30s, when
e distressed condition of the
nation’s general economy forced
■': aR >' financial institutions to
dose. But, Owen T. Davis pos
sessed faith and determination
ff-nf led him to place all of his
ersonal fortune solidly back of
bank —and the exigencies of
at trying emergency were fin
au J’ overcome.
Be also had the invaluable sup
P° rt - beginning Sept. 1, 1918, of
enry tester, Sr., a native Grady
ontian who had gained busi
Ss experience in Jacksonville,
»h 0 Was destined later to direct
t , bank
of 7 in the far greatest era
its 1 0 n g service. Immediately
the death of Owen T. Davis,
(Continude on page 11)
(CiUrn 5# \U
The Official Organ of Grady County.
The man who wandereth out of the way of advertising shall remain in the congregation of the dead."
TWELVE pages
Names Wanted
Of Children
Parents: Write Or
Call About Photo
Among the pictures of children
in Grady County which we have
been publishing under the head¬
ing “Citizens of Tomorrow”, we
have quite a few pictures which
were sent to us without the names
being typed on the back of the
picture as most were, many of
them are simply listed as “Chil¬
dren of John Doe”, giving their
parents name.
If your children’s pictures were
made at the Grady Hotel when
the photographer was there some
eight months ago, and it has not
been published in the Messenger
we would appreciate your looking
through the following list of
names. If your name is here
please call The Messenger office,
or write, and give us the names
and ages of your children that
were photographed at that time.
If you write, you may write
something like this: “I had pic¬
tures made of my two children,
one boy named Harold, age 6,
and one girl named Shirley, age
4,” and sign your name. Then
we will be able to look at the
picture and correctly identify
them by their parents’ names.
Parents’ names follows: Mel
vaneen Gray, John R. Hall, Al¬
bert Johnson, J. L. Lee, B. F.
Brown, Wesley Ponder, Glenn
Kincaid, Dutch McElvey, Fred
Thomas, Cliff Stewart, Elmo
Hancock, R. F. Mann, Henry
Webb, Albert Johnson, John H.
Faulk, Judson Whigham, Art
Williams, C. M. Stewart, Donald
Perkins, Joe Bond, E. C. Bar
low, E. H. Hurst, Willard Walsing
ham, LeRoy Ulmer, N. A. Perkins,
James Long, U. G. Maxwell,
Graham Mobley, F. M. Chason,
Fred Bush, R. V. Collins, Clyde
Singletary, W. E. Butler, Roscoe
Dalton, Herbert D. Maxwell, J.
L. Lee, Clayton Aldredge, E. L.
McDaniel, Frank Giddens, and
George Norman.
Postal Receipts
Here $41,000
First Class Rank
Continuance Is ’
Assured
"X '777^ 3 assures rank
continuance of the first class
for the Cairo post office.
Cairo post office was elevated
to first class rank last July 1st
after the postal receipts for the
calendar year 1948 totalled $40,
000, or more, for the first time.
Had the $40,000 level not been
maintained for the calendar year
1949 the post office would have
reverted to second class rank
next July 1st. First class rank
provides better service and a
number of other advantages, it
is said.
Postal receipts earlier this
month indicated they were run¬
ning some four percent above last
year and it is probable this per
centage of increase will be held
for the year, Holiday business
set a new r ecord, it is said,
Because postal receipts are
widely regarded as an excellent
barometer of business volume,
and general economic conditions
in the community served, the in¬
crease here to a new record total
regarded r .s a wholesome in
is <
dication.
CAIRO. GRADY COUNTY. GA.. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 30. 1949
Grady County Woman Chosen
"Queen For A Day" At WMGR
Mrs. Anna Schinkel Given Many Prizes;
May Go To Hollywood And Get Request
It always seems to happen to
other people; but this week it
happened to Mrs. P. W. (Anna)
Schinkel, of Reno when Lady
Luck waved her magic wand
and, because of her good work,
declared Mrs. Schinkel should be
“Queen Anna for a day.” In a
complete surprise move, Mrs.
Schinkel was notified Tuesday
that she had been selected over
a host of other candidates to be
“Queen For a Day” at the Bain¬
bridge radio station WMGR, in
connection with the contest the
Mutual Broadcasting System is
sponsoring to choose one national
“Queen” on the famous “Queen
for a day” program originating in
Hollywood.
As a result Mrs. Schinkel was
feted royally Wednesday night
at a dinner-broadcast in the Rose
room of the Gilbert Bon Air
Hotel in Bainbridge, where she
was crowned “Queen for a day,”
and showered with upward of
$500 worth of free gifts from the
merchants of Bainbridge. “Her
excellency Queen Anna” now has
a chance to be chosen one of the
five finalists from all over the
country who will be given a free
trip to Hollywood, and from
these five one will be chosen
grand winner, proclaimed nation¬
al “queen for a day” and given
an expense-paid trip to Paris.
In these preliminary contests
one queen was selected from each
of the some 500 mutual radio
stations in the United States. Five
out of this 500 will be chosen by
the judges in Holywood, and will
be announced next Friday night.
These five will go to Hollywood,
where one of the number will
capture the “Queen for a day”
title all over Amreica.
The queens for the local sta¬
tion were nominated by women’s
clubs—any woman’s club could
nominate one of their number,
and tell in a letter of 50 words
or less why they thought this
particular woman should be
“Queen of America” for one day.
Mrs. .Schinkel was nominated by
the Cairo Woman’s Missionary
Union (unknown to her) on the
basis of her work and efforts to
do something for two crippled
children, Ruth and Franklin
Sholar, who live at Reno.
Each “queen” is given one re¬
quest-something which they
want very much—and the winners
are judged on the worthiness of
this wish, Mrs. Schinkel’s re
quest, which was broadcast over
station WMGR Wednesday night,
was that these two crippled
children, whose mother is a wi
dow, might be given hospitaliza-
Re-Registration Cost Depends
On I ndividuoIs-Patterson
Taxpayers Urged To Respond Now
And Save County Heavy Expenses
The re-registration of voters,
£
the average Grady County tax
payer wants it to, a mournful
chairman of the County Board of
Registrars said Wednesday.
M. G. Patterson, who is in
charge of the process ditated by
a 1949 act of the General As
sembly, said only about 2500
Grady Countians out of a possible
total 7,000 eligible have re-regist
ered to data.
Time Is Costly
“The longer this re-registration
continues, the more it will cost
the individual taxpayer,” Mr. Pat
terson said, “Unless citizens here
begin to re-register in large
numbers, the total cost of re¬
registration will be extremely
heavy. Since Grady County tax
money pays for this program, the
cost is borne by every individual
tion, and then training to equip
them for earning a living. Be¬
fore the program was over Wed¬
nesday night a wire came in from
J. W. Simonson, head of the
Southern Industrial Training
School in Bainbridge offering
each of the children a one year’s
free training, with the proceeds of
whatever they made during the
year such as handicraft, etc. be¬
ing given to them at the end of
the training period.
This contest, as explained by
Carl Pierson, Master of cere¬
monies for the program and Man¬
ager of the Bainbridge Chamber
of Commerce, is unlike other
title contests. Where most are
based on beauty or personality,
he said, the “queen” will be judg¬
ed on the basis of unselfish ser¬
vice to her community and to
others.
In making her request, Mrs.
Schinkel said: “I prayed to God
that I might be able to help these
crippled children, who need help
so badly; and I feel that this is a
direct answer to my prayer.”
Among those from Cairo and
Grady County present at the din¬
ner and broadcast were: Mr. P. W.
Schinkel, Mrs. Schinkel, and their
three children, Mayor Walter Wil¬
liams, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Young,
Norwood Clark, Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Roddenbery, Mr. and Mrs.
W. T. Schafer, Mr. and Mrs. Car¬
rol Barrett from Reno, Mr. and
Mrs. Lloyd Connell, Mr. W. J.
Boyett and daughter, Mabel; and
the two crippled children Ruth
and Franklin and their mother,
Mrs. Ada Sholar.
A distinguished list of guest
were there from Bainbridge, in¬
cluding Mayor R. A. Griffin and
Mrs. Griffin. Mrs. Anajo Vaughn
of the Gilbert-Bon Air Hotel
served as the gracious reception¬
ist. Ben Decal, manager of sta¬
tion WMGR was in charge of the
45-minute broadcast.
Among the many gifts the
“Queen” received were an elec¬
tric perculator, eight cases of
Coca Cola, a collegiate Jersey
gown, Westinghouse electric iron,
a $10 gift certificate, RCA table
model radio, pair of nationally
advertised shoes, six pairs of fine
hose, a 30-day pass to the Ritz
theater, an 8 by 10 photograph by
Knight Studio, a permanent wave,
100 day-old baby chicks, a year’s
subscription to the Post Search¬
light, 22-karat gold-trimmed
table lamp, an innerspring mlit
tress given by the Georgia Fac¬
tory for the Blind, and many
others. All these were contribut
(Continued on last page)
who pays taxes.”
-KsSvS 5?7r!
Q ranc j j ur y room at the
Courthouse. Arrangements can
be made for elderly persons to re
register on the first floor of the
courthouse, Mr. Patterson added,
Contrary to popular poinion, he
pointed out, the re-registration
process is neither lengthy nor
involved. “The average literate
person may register in about two
minutes,” he advised. “The only
questions asked these applicants
are about their names, dates, and
places of birth and other such
similar information,
“We especially urge every vot¬
er in the county who has not al¬
ready registered to come in dur¬
ing the next week, and get this
job over with, so we can save the
County some money,” Chairman
Patterson concluded.
TWELVE PAGES
Trains Hearings
Are Assigned
Georgia Date Is
Now Feb. 15th ** •
Ala. Jan. 17
The fight for and against the
Atlantic Coast Line’ proposed cur¬
tailment of night passenger train
service between Montgomery and
Savannah via Cairo had some new
developments this week.
C. Dewey Norwood at Thomas¬
ville, secretary of the Association
For Retention Of Trains 57 and
58 On Daily Schedules, revealed
the Georgia Public Service Com¬
mission has for a third time post¬
poned its hearing on the ACL
proposal, this time to Feb. 15th,
1950, although the local Chamber
of Commerce reported it had re¬
ceived no official order to this
effect as yet. Two postpone¬
ments had been requested by the
Association, and granted, the last
date having been Jan. 26th. How¬
ever, it was not known here that
the Association had requested a
third deferment so it is presumed
the latest reassignment to Feb.
15th was brought about by the
Commission itself or the appli¬
cant railroad company.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Pub¬
lic Service Commission announc¬
ed assignment of the matter
(Docket No. 12245) to hearing
Jan. 17th, at Dothan. It was
set to start at 9 a. m. (Central
Standard Time) at the circuit
courtroom at the Houston Coun¬
ty Courthouse here, Lamar Wiley,
the commission secretary, report
ed.
Mayor Cheney Griffin at Bain
bridge, president of the Associa¬
tion, and Secretary Norwood at
Thomasville, however, have an¬
nounced urgent appeals to the
Alabama Commission for a post¬
ponement of that hearing until
some time in March. Various rea¬
sons were advanced for the re¬
quested deferment. If the Ala¬
bama and Georgia Commissions
do not act together it is proble¬
matical just what situation might
develop. Strong opposition has
developed in Alabama, praticular
ly in Dothan and Montgomery,
to the proposed curtailment, but
it is reported the opposition is
even stronger in Georgia, particu¬
larly in Savannah, Bainbridge,
Cairo, Donalsonville and Thomas¬
ville.
Mayor Griffin has called an
Association meeting to be held
in Cairo, at the City Hall, at 2
p. m. next Friday, Jan. 6th. This
meeting was called prior to the
latest postponement of the hear¬
ing date by the Georgia Commis¬
sion but so far as could be learn¬
ed here this week the meeting
is still planned here on the date
specified.
ACL proposes to reduce the
night train service to three nights
a week each way, with trains
leaving Savannah on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays—and
from Montgomery on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays.
The directors of the local Cham
er of Commerce, in unanimously
adopting a strong resolution op¬
posing the curtailment, some
month ago, declared the curtail¬
ment will, in effect, amount to
discontinuance of the trains al
together, since service as propos¬
ed could not be expected to serve
the area. The resolution called
the proposal “suicidal” on the part
of the railroad company since it
would result in a major backset
to the economy of the area served
that Wt>uld, in turn, adversely af¬
fect the railroad as to general
patronage. The big tomato
plant industry here would be im
periled, it was stated. The resolu
tion set forth, further, that if the
daily night passenger train ser¬
vice should be modernized, with
faster schedules, patronage could
be expected to increase substanti¬
ally, as has been the case with
other railroads where service has
been modernized. The trains in
(Continued on last page)
GRADY COUNTY
Greatest Diversified
Farming Section
In America
SINGLE COPIES. 5 CENT!
Monday Will Not
Be General Holiday;
Banks To Close
Next Monday, Jan. 2nd, will
NOT be a general business holi¬
day in Cairo, according to the
permanent holiday agreement of
local business concerns. The next
general business holiday here is
July 4th, 1950.
However, since New Year’s
Day falls on Sunday, Monday will
be a legal holiday here and else¬
where. Banks will suspend for
the day and the post office will
observe a full holiday, although
outgoing mail will be dispatched
as usual and incoming mail will
be handled for post office boxes.
Some other local offices will also
observe the day with a full sus¬
pension of activities.
City Court To
Meet Jan. 9th.
Light Session Is
Expected; Jury
List Released
The January term of the City
Court of Cairo will convene the
second Monday, January 9, with
Judge G. L. Worthy presiding.
A very light session is predicted
now, probably lasting only about
three days, said Clerk of the
Court Leland Harrison.
The court calendar will be
published next week. The list
of jurors follow below:
E. A. Singletary, J. A. Collins,
James A. Hudson, J. A. Gandy,
Woodrow Banks, Delmus Cooper,
W. T. Schafer, Wayne Single¬
tary, Ed. L. Childres, E. B. Stone,
Jr., Leroy Hopkins, Jr., Henry
Hullender, W. H. Carroll, J. H.
Pyles, O. L. Chester, Roy Cassells,
S. A. Sutton.
Louis A. Powell, George W.
Bond, J. F. Oates, Leon Bryant,
George Harvey, J. V. Mullis J.
E. King, David C. Hester, Ault
man Palmer, Eugene Powe, David
L. Perkins, H. H. Clay, Leroy
Mann, L. L. Draffin, H. A. Sing¬
letary, Alton Bonner, J. P. Ren¬
frew, J. K. Newberry, Jack B.
Bell, Ben F. Dixon, Earl Bell,
Edgar Stringer, Jr., Douglas Har¬
rell, Lloyd Connell.
J. F. Giddens, W. M. Tyson,
H. A. Morgan. G. C. Ferrell, Paul
Hand, Blanton Walker, Elton
Smith, R. E. Lee, Horace Gainey,
I. W. Coker, Frank C. Wight, G.
G Connell, Jr., W. A. Lundy G.
w - Rich - Gwen Walden, L. R.
Shores, James T. Hicks, H. L.
Davis, and L. A. Whittle.
Santa Claus Quite
Busy Last Week
Santa Claus, in addition to his
annual rounds last Saturday
I night, was quite a busy man in
these parts the latter part of last
week. He probably gave more
generously of his time and efforts
than ever before here, it was stat
e d.
His last pre-Christmas visit as
guest of Cairo merchants was on
Friday afternoon, when he toured
the business areas in a gaily be¬
decked and shiny blue Oldsmo
bile convertible from Grady
Motors, with Christmas music
aboard supplied by Turner Radio
Service. Chief of Police Boyd
Vanlandingham and Policeman
Clyde Voyles were his escorts.
Old Santa, however, was call¬
ed on for numerous church and
Sunday School functions every
afternoon and evening last week
—and he even found time to
| ma ke a special personal visit to
an unfortunate local youth who
is confined closely abed for some
ime with rheU matic fever. Chil
<j ren found his generousity in
abundance Sunday morning.
Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Harrell
and Robert expect to spend Sun¬
day and Monday in Miami, Fla.,
as guests of Mr. and Mrs. W. L.
Stribling; they also plan to see
the Orange Bowl game on Mon¬
day.
NUMBER 51.
Kiwanis To Get
New Leaders
Installation Is
Next Tuesday
Music Heard
Cairo Kiwanis Club at is lunch¬
eon meeting next Tuesday will
install a new set of leaders for
1950. The group is headed by
Sam A. Pierce as president, with
R. R. VanLandingham and Agnew
Smith as vice-presidents. The di¬
rectors will be Earl Brinson, Carl
M. Brown, Harris Jefferson, Carl
Minter, Marshall Neff, Richard
Porter and John A. Powell, 2nd.
Billy Wells will continue as secre¬
tary and Walter Graham will con¬
tinue as treasurer.
Norwood Clark, who has serv¬
ed as president during 1949 with
much credit, will yield the gavel
to the new president in a brief
ceremony next Tuesday. The
new officials, named some weeks
ago, have been at work on plans
for the new year. Standing com¬
mittees for the year will likely
be named next week. Meanwhile,
the achievement report for 1949,
expected to be compiled in a few
days, is likely to reveal the cur¬
rent year of activity as one of the
greatest in the club’s history.
Retiring President Clark pre¬
sided at last Tuesday’s luncheon
meeting at the Woman’s Club.
A musical program was enjoyed
with W. G. Mizell, the club music
chairman for the year, in charge.
Mrs. Homer Reddick and Glenn
Pelham offered vocal selections
with Mrs. W. M. Tyson as pianist.
Attendance tabs totalling 72
years of perfect attendance by
various members were awarded.
Those receiving tabs follow:
One year: Lloyd Connell, J. H.
House, John W. King, W. G. Mi¬
zell, J. L. Oliver, W. L. Oliver,
Richard Porter, W. F. Wells and
Chas. P. Whidden;
Two years: Walter Graham, H.
R. Madison, R. R. VanLanding¬
ham.
Three years: Edward Forsyth,
Agnew Smith.
Ten years: Edwin Carlisle, J. E.
Forsyth, M. L. Mayes, Frank
Proctor, and Harris Jefferson.
Guests included Thomasville
Kiwanians Bob Heirs and C. E.
Layton; and Rev. Fred C. Meyer,
Poulan.
Whitfield-Paulk
Show 1950 Dodge
Next Wednesday
The new and greatly improved
1950 Dodge will go on display at
Whitfield-Paulk Motor Company
nxet Wednesday, January 4th. in
Cairo, according to an announce¬
ment made this week by T. J.
Whitfield.
The 1950 model Dodge is re¬
ported to be a completely new
car—in appearance with many
added improvements—from
“bumper to bumper” which the
public will be anxious to see and
inspect. “Everyone has a cordial
invitation to come in and look
the new 1950 Dodge over next
Wednesday,” said Mr. Whitfield.
Miss Laynett Singletary, stu¬
dent in the School of Nursing at
the University Hospital, Augusta,
spent the holidays with her par¬
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Single¬
tary; Miss Betty Harrison, a com¬
panion student, was her guest
while here.
YOU CAN'T VOTE—
UNLESS
YOU RE-REGISTER
Harry Emerson Fosdick said:
"Democracy is based on the
conviction that there are ex¬
traordinary possibilities in or
dinay people."
Do you have enough extra¬
ordinary possibilities about you
to re-register today, and once
again become a voting citi¬
zen?