Newspaper Page Text
Opinions
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., MAR 9, 1971,
“Woman Os The Year”
The Perry Pilot Club announced
their annual choice for Perry’s
Woman of the Year last week and
we think they made an outstanding
selection in naming Mrs. Aurelia
Evans.
We have known about the many
good works of Mrs. Evans for a lot
of years and we are pleased that
she has been given the proper
recognition for her service to the
community over the years.
County Probate Office
Houston County Probate Judge
Clinton K. Watson Jr. suffered a
serious heart attack about 3 weeks
ago. Judge Watson is recovering at
home at this time and will probably
be back in his office around the
first of next month. We wish him a
speedy recovery and look forward
to seeing his happy face back in the
courthouse.
We want to commend Deputy
Probate Judge Frances ‘Miss
Frances’ Annis, and her assistant
Donna Dent, on the fine job they
have been doing in the absense of
Judge Watson. Their duties have
Perry’s Popularity Grows
Cooler heads prevailed and the
American Bar Association decided
not to censure Chief Justice
Warren Burger for his criticism of
some trial attorneys.
Oversensitivity to such criticism
from within the guild is a fault
endemic to all professions and
occupations. They all seek to
protect their own. The fraternity
herds tight against a threat to any
of its members.
But the wiser course is for the
majority to consider, as the
lawyers did, that there may be
some substance to the criticism,
especially when it comes from such
an authoritative source.
Good Decision
A recent study reveals that rural
counties are gaining in popularity
as people in large cities miss a life
style of unpolluted water and air,
no traffic congestion and lesser
crime. Small towns have more
appeal and attraction to families
today than ever before as these
smaller centers of population begin
to offer more of the social,
economic and health amenities of
life.
Perry and Houston County have
an enviable location and is ideal for
the young family man, retiree,
business or professional man who
wants to settle where he doesn’t
have to cope with the fast pace of
the metropolis. And while the
Hospital Costs
There never has been, there
never will be, the slightest doubt.
Care and concern for the ill and
injured are the reasons for
hospitals.
Yet the fact remains that one of
the most unavoidable, un
controllable and expensive items
on your hospital bill is “red tape”.
Just eight recent federal
regulations add $22 to the cost of
every hospital stay, a total of $863
million this year - with federal
government paperwork alone
accounting for $174 million. No, you
won’t find it itemized on your bill -
but the increasing cost of govern
ment involvement is one of the
reasons your hospital bills go up
every year.
Other reasons? One is simple
inflation, that affects their ‘cost of
PAGE 4-A
Mrs. Evans, although retired as
director of the Family and
Children’s Services, for the past
several years, has continued to
work hard in many areas of civic
and church development for Perry.
She is indeed an outstanding person
and we take pride in congratulating
her on this, the latest, in many
honors she has received over the
years. Keep up the good work, Mrs.
Evans,
—B.B.
been tough these past weeks with
an extra heavy work-load but they
have not faltered or gotten behind
in the important functions of the
Probate office.
They are both truly dedicated,
hard-working servants of the
County and we appreciate their
efforts. Houston County probably
has one of the most efficient and
well-managed Probate Judge
Offices in the state and it is because
of people like Frances Annis,
Donna Dent and Judge Clint
Watson.
—B.B.
The chief justice said the in
competence of trial lawyers in
federal courts is a serious problem,
and 39 percent of federal judges
responding to a recent question
naire agreed.
Such courtroom inadequacy is
wasteful of the tax money that pays
for the courts, wasteful of the time
of all participants in court
proceedings and wasteful of the
resources of litigants.
The problem demands attention
within the profession. And Burger
has shown that one way to get
attention is candid, constructive
criticism.
-8.8.
dollar is not what it used to be, it
goes much further here than in
most places.
We predict an unusual growth for
rural America as indicated by the
study showing a gain of 1.8 million
for rural counties from 1970 to 1975.
This is a sharp contrast of a net loss
of 3,000,000 people in rural counties
during the 1960’5.
Houston County and Perry
steadily grow in economic stature
offering more and more op
portunities to those who have
chosen this particular part of the
world to live. May we all ap
preciate our blessings, and work
together with each other for
greater progress.
—B.B.
living’ just as it does yours - and
accounts for more than 50 percent
of the annual increase in hospital
expenses. Another is the ever in
creasing need and demand for
hospital care ... an increase of 144
million patients in the past
generation! Finally, the tremen
dous improvements and advances
in hospital facilities, equipment,
therapy, training, research, ser
vice and care ... the only element of
our ever-increasing costs over
which we have any control, and the
only element which actually
contributes to a longer, healthier,
fuller life for you.
We believe that perhaps the best
way to control rising hospital costs
is to cut “red tape" -- not patient
care. And we think that’s what you
want, too
—B.B.
Ber^^
\
HHJ NEWS EDITOR
County SPuigs r
By Joel Ferguson fWr 1 '
S,
Workers grading the new
municipal parking lot at the corner
of Ball and Commerce Streets have
discovered and filled in five old
wells, all within 100 feet of each
other.
The discovery triggered thoughts
of a long ago Perry, and the hearty
pioneers who dug those wells.
Maybe a priceless document
discovered and copied by Rep.
Larry Walker and Mayor James
McKinley at the Georgia Depart
ment of Archieves and History will
shed a little light on the situation.
The document, entitled, “The
Older Towns, Villages and Com
munities of Houston,” states that
the town was settled in 1823, then
named Wattsville, but afterwards
changed to Perry, in honor of
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry,
here of the Navy battle at Lake
Erie.
The old document states, “The
town is situated on Big Indian
Creek, and is the geographical
center of the county.”
Among the first settlers men
tioned were Edward Welch, John
R. Cook, Maj. J.M. Kelly, Giles B.
Taylor, Arthur Morgan, Bentley
Outlaw, Col. Howell Cobb and F.W.
Jobson.
In 1826, the article reports, there
were only twenty homes in Perry,
and these were made of round poles
and hewn logs, sealed with boards
or chinked with clay. The town was
literally “in the woods”, according
to the report.
“There were no streets, but paths
and roads crossed at right angles,”
the document states. “The first
framed dwelling house was built
for Mr. James E. Duncan.”
Perry was incorporated by an
Act approved on Nov. 25, 1824.
Named by the Act as com
missioners (city councilmen) for
the town of Perry were James H.
Killen, James M. Walker, Wilson
Collins, Edmond Welch and
Alexander J. Robinson.
The old document goes on to
report that John W. Moore was the
first marshal of Perry; the first
court house was built in 1824 and
1825; and the first Methodist
Church vas built about the year
1827, near the center of the
cemetery.
Also recorded in the document is
the fact that “a large wolf was
»**♦***♦*♦».***.*. *»»*«.*****«.***.*. ********
The Bloodmobile will be in Perry on Wed.,
March 22 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Farm
Bureau Bldg, on Carroll St. Please try to support
this worthy cause.
♦ * * *************** *************** * * * » *
killed near Perry in 1832. In 1849,
the first stage coach ever seen here
was driven from Hawkinsville by
Mr. John Gordon.
“The stage line extended from
Macon to Tallahassee, Fla.,” the
report states. “At that time a coach
drawn by four horses was quite a
curiosity, and there were many
who envied the driver’s position.”
Other facts in the report reveal
that F.W. Jobson was the first
tailor to open a shop in Perry; the
first hotel was kept by Bentley
Outlaw, and the first Sabbath
School was organized by Col
Howell Cobb.
“Many new houses were built in
the 1850’5,” the report states, “and
in 1873, the town was connected by
railroad with the outside world, the
branch road of the Southwestern
Railroad from Fort Valley to
Perry, a distance of 12 miles,
having been completed in the
spring of that year.”
The historic document states
that, “Almost from the beginning,
there were in Perry and its im
mediate vicinity family names that
included Duncans, Coopers,
Jobsons, Coxes, Manns, Killens,
Taltons, Felders, Norwoods,
Spiveys, Gilberts, McGehees,
Baskins, Davises, Rileys, Lawsons,
Pattisalls, Rises, and these
families were to be joined a little
later by the Singletons, Tharpes,
Regins, Nelsons, Giles, Cooks,
Moores, Wimberlys, Burnhams,
Caters, Dennards, Woolforks,
Swifts, Batemans, Etheridges,
Watsons, Joiners, Haslams, Kings,
Scarboroughs, Rountrees, Mimes,
Sistrunks, Whites, Hodges,
Clarkes, Warrens, Belvins, Ken
dricks, Turrentines, Thompsons,
Jordans, Pollocks, Brunsons,
Holtzclaws, Raineys, Cullers, and
Housers.”
The report on Perry concludes by
stating, “It is difficult, at this late
day to say how many of the above
lived within the town. Many of
them, we know did, and all were a
real part of its community.”
At any rate, and getting back to
our original subject, it would
probably be a safe bet to say that
members of five of the above
families dug the five old wells
discovered and filled in last week
while workers were grading the
new municipal parking lot.
(p f
OUT ON A
BRANCH
V
Joe College Look
My good friend Robert L. Williams Jr.,
Publisher of The Blackshear (Ga.) Times,
pointed out to me on a recent visit to the Univ. of
Ga. campus that styles and looks are really
changing since the days when he and I were
struggling along on a campus somewhere with
English 101 and “goof off” 102. Williams, by the
way, majored in “talking” and minored in “goof
off.”
During the Georgia Press Association’s annual
Press Institutes, held each Feb. on the campus of
U.G.A., Georgia editors and publishers have an
opportunity to associate with journalism
students at the Henry Grady School. I have
noticed, as did Williams, a gradual change over
the past 2 or 3 years in the hair styles of students
and in their dress. And, take heart mothers of
teenagers everywhere, the changes are for the
better.
Almost all the male students I encountered two
weeks ago had haircuts that showed their ears
and their dress was neat. They had that good, All
American, clean-cut boy look. You know, Mom,
the way it used to be back in the old days. I was
just as impressed with the girls. Can you
imagine that girls were actually wearing dresses
on campus instead of jeans? They were and it
was most refreshing indeed.
It was a depressing ordeal for me to visit
college campuses a few years back when the hair
was longand the clothing was dirty and old. I was
understanding of the students but the ap
pearance of the kids was simply depressing.
But things are a changing on campus. Today’s
kids seem to me brighter, more interested in
learning than demonstrating, neater, better
looking and most important interested in finding
a job when they graduate.
It is notable that many of the journalism
students of today at U.G.A. are interested in
talking with weekly newspaper publishers about
working on community newspapers. It wasn’t
long ago that a J-School student wouldn’t even
talk with a publisher from little, Perry, Ga.,
about working on The Home Journal. But now,
there are a lot of students who would give
anything to become a part of the staff of the old
HHJ. Things are a changing.
Robert Williams, who is probably the best
dressed man in Blackshear or Pierce County,
Ga., says he made a survey while we were in
Athens recently, and that the well-dressed
BMOC (big man on campus) at Georgia wears a
pair of stiff, khaki pants, weejun loafers
(remember those?) and a plaid dress shirt with a
sweater draped around his shoulders. He also
notes that bras have come back in for the girls
after several years of the braless look.
I hope it stays this way. I would like my kids to
go to college in this fresh, clean atmosphere as
opposed to the violent, depressing, anti
everything era of the mid-sixties. As corny as it
sounds, there is nothing wrong with being “Joe
College” and “Betty Coed” .... Hooray for
today’s college students. They’re my kind of
kids.
All Fed Up!
Some time ago, the editor of a small town
newspaper grew tired of being called a liar every
time his paper came out and announced that he
would begin telling the truth in the future. The
next issue of his paper carried the following
items;
“John Goyle, local groceryman, is doing a
poor business and for good reason. His prices are
high, his store is dirty, and his clerks are in
solent. How can he expect much?
“The Rev. Bob Jones preached Sunday night
on ‘Charity’. He’ll need all the charity he can get
from his congregation because his sermon was
so poor.
“Dave Conkey died at his home here Tuesday
night. The doctor called it heart failure, but those
who know say whiskey killed him.
“Married -- Miss Sylvia Rhodes and James T.
March, last Sunday at the Baptist parsonage by
the Rev. Gordon. The bride is a very ordinary
town girl who doesn’t know any more about
cooking than a jackrabbit, and never helped her
mother three days in her life. She is not a beauty
by any means and has a gait like a duck. The
groom is an up-to-date loafer. He has been living
off the ‘old man’ at home all his life and is not
worth having. A dim future for the couple is
predicted.
“Died -- aged 56 years, six months and 13 days.
Deceased was a mild-mannered pirate who
came here in the night with another man’s wife
and joined the church at the first chance. He
owed us several dollars for his paper, was in
debted to most everyone in town, but you could
hear him praying six blocks away. He died
singing, ‘Jesus Paid It All,’ and we think he is
right, because the deceased never paid anything
himself. He was buried in an asbestos casket and
his friends threw palm leaf fans in his grave
because he’ll probably need them.”
After this issue, the editor was begged by his
readers to start lying again -The Bath County
(Miss.) News