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OPINION PAGE . . .
The Houston Home Journal
COOPER ETHERIIKiE BYRON MAXWELL BOBBY BRANCH
Fditor Production Manager Associate Editor
and Adv. Manager
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
$3.50 per year inside Houston County; $4.00 out of Houston County;
$2.00 for six months anywhere.
All subscriptions payable in advnace.
Published every Thursday and entered as Second Class mail
at the Post Office at Perry, Georgia 31069.
Official Organ of Houston County and City of Perry
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GA. 31069, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1968
We Trust Friends and Neighbors
We are alarmed at the number of
alarmists in America. We believe we
need a certain number of alarmists to
keep the country on an even keel, but
we seem to have so many extremists
that the views of the cautious, plain,
hard-working people get lost.
Hundreds of the screamers have
come out of the woodwork in the reac
tion to firearms control question. This
proposed legislation has brought out
extremists on both sides.
One crowd says “they" want to
confiscate our guns and take us over.
We do not know who “they" are; do
they mean Lyndon B Johnson. George
Wallace, Hitler (who is dead but often
mentioned), Candidates Humphrey,
Nixon or McCarthy? What difference
will it make if “they" have a list of the
registered guns? If "they" want to con
fiscate guns, “they” will just go from
house to house and confiscate them
as “they" come to them, registered or
not.
Another crowd hollers that “they"
ought not to have any guns. Do they
mean sportsmen and those who gen
uinely need a gun to protect life and
property when they refer to "they".
Somewhere between these two ex
treme attitudes is the truth, and it’s a
shame that we can’t get to the real
solution by quiet analysis of the situa
From Our Files Os The Past
5 yearn ago: Phones increase
by 178 in Perry in a years’ lime
...Seat bells save lives, Kiwan
is club was t01d... Byron Max
well, co-publisher of the Hous
ton Home Journal, has been
named to the Board of Managers
of the Ga. Press Assn, by GPA
President James H. Hobgood of
Calhoun... Perry Church of
Christ schedules series of
meetings with Curtis Puke,
minister of the Perry Church...
Charles Evans, office manager
for Milton Beckham Const. Co.,
was seriously injured Tuesday
when a truck he was driving
turned over on U.S. 41 in Dooly
County... Gov. Sunders speaks
for Ga. ns governors open an
other interstate link, 140 miles
to the South...Perry Engle Seoul
Draper Watson attending Scout
Jamboree in Greece... Perry
FFA String Band, consisting of
Jackie Stewart, Richard Tucker,
Larry Barrett, Ken Bryant, Joel
Irby and Charles Harrison, won
first place in state. Harvey Ne-
Smith was awarded second
place in reporter’s contest,
Richard Andel was presented
the State Farm Mechanics A
ward, and Jimmy Dorsett, chap
ter president, accepted the dis
trict home improvement award,
which was a registered Angus
heifer.
10 years ago: Three new- pro
grams to be started at Perry-
High School in September, girls
physical education handled by
Mrs. Dave Coley; extra 9 and 10
grade classes taught by Mrs.
Hal Middleton; and music with
teacher to be announced later...
Flint EMC to distribute *88,752
in dividends soon,..Perry busi
ness houses were urged this
week to plan to get out their
statements before the last min
ute prior to the increase in
postal rates on Aug. 1... Pre
sbyterians vote Sunday on mov
ing church to new lot on second
street from old site on Carroll
street across from the Metho
dist Church... Miss Elva Willing
ham of Andover, Va., will be
gin work as religious education
director at the Perry Methodist
Church... Methodist Class hon
ors its teacher, Mrs. Jack Bow
er. at surprise party... Ground
observers in Houston County
are observing this week as
tion.
We do not believe everything is
just beautiful in America. There are
a hundred changes we would make.
We are no Pollyana, no covered-up os
trich. It happens that we have more
confidence in Americans than many
Americans do. They do not trust their
neighbors, it appears.
If these unidentified “They" would
come after our guns or our property,
or wanted to put us in the concentra
tion camp for just no reason, we be
lieve our neighbors and friends would
come looking for us nad find out what
the heck was going on. We’ve got that
much confidence in our neighbors and
friends, and we don’t think the confi
dence is misplaced.
America has the best form of gov
ernment yet devised. It has many
flaws but it has a lot more going for
it than against it. We keep hearing
about people planning to leave Ameri
ca and go to some more palatable
place, but we hear of only very few
who actually leave.
We want to stay in America our
selves. We have no friends and neigh
bors, that we know of, in faraway
places.
We want to say another good word
for America.
“Operation Skywnlch Week”
on the 6th anniversary of this
vital link in the nation’s air
defense system. Mrs. E. E.
Peed and her daughter, Mrs.
Gregory of Clinchfield, the
troopers of the State Patrol and
guard force at Robins AFB are
among the ground observer
corps.
20 years ago: New school
diamond to be called Seabie
Hickson Field for County Of
ficial... Courthouse bids delay ed
again, announced by J. A. Da
vis, chairman of the Houston
county board of commissioners
...Dr. John Donald Wade of
Marshnllville told the Perry
Kiwanis Club Tuesday that the
91-year old Houston County
courthouse is one of the most
interesting pieces of history
in this part of the state... Billy
Bledsoe pitched and hit himself
into victory over the powerful
Peeler Hardware team... Me
mbers of the newly organized Ku
Klux Klan plastered KKK stick
ers on a majority of business
places in Perry Saturday night
in the first public evidence of
Klan activity in the county...
Bob Shuler, star guard on Mer
cer University's basketball
team last season, will join the
faculty of Perry High School
this fall, Supt. E. P. Staples
announced... Local paving con
tract let to pave, beginning at
Big Indian Creek bridge and ex
tending along Commerce through
Perry to connect with U.S. 41
and State Route 11 at the home
of J. W. Bloodworth; projects
include curbing and guttering...
Eight Perry Boy Scouts are at
tending the Central Ga. Scout
camp at Camp Benjamin Haw
kins this week. They are Hentz
Houser, Phillip Sutton, Billy
Beckham, Tommy Mobley, Leo
nard Chapman, Dick Hardy, Joe
Leverette and Felton Norwood
and Scoutmaster Marion Brown
...At the Roxy—“ April Show
ers” starring Ann Southern.
30 years ago: Perry teachers
re-elected who have accepted
are E. P. Staples, superinten
dent; Cohen Walker, principal;
Mrs. J. O. Coleman, high
school; Miss Louise Houser,
seventh grade; Miss Eva Borom,
sixth; Miss Dorothy Jones, fifth;
Miss Allene Ryals, fourth; Miss
Evelyn Hunt, third; Miss Mary
Lee Greene, second; Miss
Kathryn Lawson, first; Miss
Louise Rainey, librarian, and
Miss Willie Ryals, music...
John J. Mangham, candidate
for governor, spoke in Perry
Monday, denouncing Ga.’s cur
rent liquor distribution plan...
Cotton should be picked clean
and dry... Mrs. Linda M. Burney
announces the marriage of her
daughter Margaret Ann, to
Charles West Holtzelaw of Per
ry... Lieut. Col. Courtney H.
Hodges of the U. S. Army, and
Mrs. Hodges arrived Sat. to
visit his mother, Mrs. J. H.
Hodges for a week.
This was the week of the
third chapter of a story called
“Crucible” by Ben Ames Wil
liams...An Electric refrigerator
sold for *99.95...Fa5hi0n wise
were brim hats with chic silk
print. Accents of suede.
SUNMVSj^SfRIMOIv’
WHERE IS GOD?
Because we know that we
can seek forgiveness when we
do something that is wrong,
are we more inclined to go
ahead and do it?
Those who w’ould believe
that the possibility of forgive
ness permits one to go ahead
and do a wrong thing are
assuming that there is a part
time relationship with God.
This is not true. God is ever
present. God does not wait in
the wings to come to our aid
when we have a personal need.
God does not look the other
way when we step out of line
and then wait patiently for us
to come humblv back to the
fold.
When we close our eyes to
truth, we shut God out of our
lives as surely as we close the
door against a storm. Yet,
though we may not acknowl
edge the fact, God is still there
with us, not outside waiting,
but near at hand. We cannot
turn our back on God. no
matter how hard we try.
When we set God aside, we
are only fooling ourselves.
God remains. We do not set
God aside.
fOOPER ETHERIDGE
along
jg ABOUT NOW
EVERYTHING GOING CROSSROADS: Tom
Cook, administrative assistant of Mayor Ray, sug
gested to council last week that the name of Car
roll Street be changed to “Crossroads Boulevard’,
since Perry is becoming well known as “The C ross
roads of Georgia”. The new Methodist Church
adopted the name Crossroads United Methodist
Church. The Episcopal Church here adopted the
name St. Christopher’s at the Crossroads many
years ago. We also have a Crossroads Motel. Now
the way Perry got named the Crossroads of Geor
gia is interesting. Dr. Pierce Harris, one of Metho
dism’s greatest preachers, gave Perry that name.
We think it kind of came to him suddenly in a
speech he was making here. He was talking about
how much he liked to come to Perry and eat at
that fine New Perry Hotel dining room. “This is
the crossroads of Georgia,” he said, because he
knows many hundreds of people who like to eat
here. And we have two main highway arteries, U.
S. 41 (now it’s Interstatet 75) and U. S. 341, one
running north and south and the other running
east and west. City council wants to think about
the street name change a while.
OUR OWN BONNIE AND CLYDE: The Home
Journal suddenly discovered that we have Bonnie
and Clyde working for us—Bonnie Harper, who
sets type on our Vardyper, and Clyde Gray, our
society editor. Bonnie’s name is really Yvonne, but
she likes Bonnie better. Mrs. Gray doesn’t know
how she got a name that is usually given to males.
Our Bonnie and Clyde are law-abiding people who
bear no resemblance to the characters in the recent
movie release on gangster life.
AIRPORT: Perry’s Myrtle Field has a 2,500-foot
runway. Most twin-engined airplanes are restricted
from landing on a runway under 3,000 feet long.
Taking off fully loaded on a 2,500-foot runway, if
you lost an engine, the chances are you would not
have enough speed to keep going—and in flying,
if you don’t keep going, you go down! This is
thrown in for the air-minded people in our com
munity who would like to see the runway extended,
maybe up to 4,500 feet.
IT HAD TO HAPPEN: We knew if this world
stayed around this would happen; They’re selling
used swimming pools, An ad has appeared in the
daily press saying that used swimming pools would
be taken in trade for a new swimming pool. Possi
bly on a larger, 1968 model! The ad did not say
whether the used water in the old pool will be
thrown in without charge.
tFOR TIMES
LIKE THESE
BY DAN HODGES, Pastor
First Baptist Church
Think with me today about
the thought that love is the
foundation of all that is worth
while in life. Love for each
member of the family is the
basis of the home, and a re
flection of the greater fellow
ship with God. A lack of love
in the home brings more than a
third of a million couples into
the divorce courts of America
in an average year. A loveless
home is a true hell.
Love for one’s country is
(he foundation of a nation. With
out love to bind people toge
ther, everyone becomes a law
unto himself, and seeds of
destruction are sown.
A few years ago a large ci
ty had a murder mystery which
was finally solved by the ar
rest of several criminal char
acters, among them a man
named Jack Rose. After the
case was settled and convicted
criminals imprisoned, Jack
Rose said something like this:
“1 always believed that there
must be a God somewhere. But
when I gave Him a thought, I
felt he was so far away and so
occupied with great things, that
He knew nothing about me. I
am sure I never would have be
come a criminal if the thought
had ever entered my mind that
God cared anything about me.”
Love is the reason for God’s
concern about man’s redemp
tion. We read, “For God so
loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son” (John
3:16) God gave because He
loved. God’s love for us makes
us worth something. It gives
us a sense of importance, a
purpose in living. Life without
God’s love is despair.
Love is the proof of genuine
salvation. “We know we have
passed from death unto life,
because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother
abideth in death.” (1 John 3;
14). It is very plain that our
love for others is a definite
test of our personal salvation.
Many will readily admit their
need and even their desire to
know more of God’s love. The
big question is. How can 1 know
this love? Paul suggests that
we follow after love (1 Cor.
14:1). The word follow in the
original language is strenuous,
not soft. This same word is
used to picture Paul’s relent
less pursuit of the early Chris
tians prior to his conversion.
This word involves hard work,
dedication, determination and
sacrifice. It is the same word
used by Paul when he tells us
to set a goal and press on to
ward the prize.
This prize of love can only
be gained when we are willing
to experience heartbreak, suf
fering, dissapointment, ex
haustion, frustration and tears.
The call to love cannot be
undertaken lightly. It is a full
time job. Though it is not an
easy road, it is a fulfilling
one. Those who embark on it
would not turn back for any
simple pleasures of the old
way of life. It is the exciting
peak that must ever be climbed,
the zenith of human experience.
jL^EßStoE^rro^j
Editor, Home Journal
Please accept my personal
thanks along with the apprecia
tion of the Georgia Heart Asso
ciation for your continued inter
est and support of the Heart
Fund Drive.
The final returns from Hous
ton Countv were as follows:
Perry $1,735.76
Warner Robins $ 600.00
Memorials $ 94.00
Federal Services $6-304.73
$8,734.49
Gratefully
LOIS H. BROWN
*********************************************
I BOBBY BRANCH BL *
ON A BRANCH. . \ y
PERRY VIGNETTE. A two-tone,
green and black, 1954 funeral hearse
came streaking into the parking area
at the Gulf Service Center here Mon
day afternoon. The out-dated hearse
was in perfect condition and had been
converted into a station-wagon like ve
hicle so that it could carry as many as
10 or 12 people.
The passengers in the converted
hearse were far from those that norm
ally travel via such vehicles. All these
passengers were full of life. They
were all about 17 and 18 years old.
They were returning home to Omaha
Nebraska, from Miami, Fla., after
spending a week’s vacation in Nassau
in the Bahamas.
The group riding in the hearse were
part of a group of about 25 high school
seniors who got together to make the
trip to Nausau. They were chaperoned
on the trip by two teachers from the
school. One of the chaperons, a young
biology teacher, was the proud owner
of the hearse.
“We had us one ball over there,
man and I hat to go back home,” one
sunburned boy in cut-off bermuda
shorts said.
“It was just the most fabulous thing
I ever did in my whole life,” said a
starry-eyed teen-aged girl with blonde
hair hanging over her face. “I would
just love to live in Nassau,” she said
in a phony-sounding voice, “it’s just
really the most marvelous place on the
face of the earth.”
“Boy, are you laying it on that news
paper guy good,” another boy in the
crowd said sarcastically. “Don’t pay
any attention to her mister, she’s been
out in the sun too long.”
About this time the other half of
the group arrived in a bus-type vehicle.
A guy at the service center opened
the hood of the Cadillac hearse and be
gan working on the generator and all
the kids and the chaperons set out
down Carroll Street in search of a
place to get something to eat. As the
group crossed Macon Street, one of the
boys in the crowd turned around and
shouted: “Don’t rush mister, we got
plenty of time . . . that’s about all we
MILK BUDGET
To get more milk into a tight
food budget, compare prices of
non-fat dry milk, canned milk
and fresh whole milk. According
to Miss Nellie Boyd, Extension
Service home economist-nutri
tion, the price ranges from 2Vi
cents to 7-cents per cup.
Argue with us. Write the
editor.
got left.”
PROUD POP; Don’t be surprised if
Furman Cliett, exec, veep of the Cham
ber of Commerce, comes up to you
and hands you a cigar and shows you
a photo of his new little daughter. He’s
about the proudest new pop I ever saw
and he has a right to be. We offer our
congratulations to Furman and Betty
on the adoption of their new daughter
last week.
JONEAL LEE, general manager of
Houston Lake Golf and Country Club,
can swing a golf club and hit a ball
about as good as anyone I’ve seen (out
side of most of the pros, of course).
Mel Tolleson, one of the top golfers at
the lake course, says that Joneal can
hit a ball the worst of anyone he’s ever
seen and still get the bail to go where
he wanted. Both are fine golfers and
th6y have plenty of constructive criti
cism for each other while they’re play
ing. They both heed each other’s sage
advice on the game, of course.
IMPROVED TYPE; You might have
noticed a change in much of the type
in our newspaper recently. We are
now setting type on a newfangled ma
chine that is similar to a typewriter.
The machine doesn’t take the place of
the old, reliable linotype machines, but
we think it does a good job and makes
the newspaper even more readable
than before. We still use a combina
tion of the new method and old lino
type-setting method and it’s almost
impossible to tell the difference in the
two styles. But some of our readers
have told us they have noticed the new
type and most of them say it is easier
to read.
It’s all part of our policy of keeping
up with the newest methods of produc
ing a better newspaper for our read
ers and advertisers. ... As a matter
of fact, there are some folks here at
The Home Journal who can remember
when type for the paper was set en
tirely by hand. I’m not one of that
group that was around in those days.
WRITE US A LETTER
THE HOME JOURNAL wants to know what
you are thinking. What are your views on >' •
local, state and national issues? Get it off >"
chest in a letter to the editor. Names wi
withheld on request, but it is necessary for "
editors to know the identity of the letter ‘
Write to THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Perry, Ga. ~,s t