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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, SATURDAY MAY 27, 1989
f m The Houston Home a
Journal
The Houston Home Journal
OFFICIAL ORGAN, CITY OF PERRY AND HOUSTON
COUNTY, GEORGIA, SINCE 1870
PUBLISHED EACH WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING
807 CARROLL ST„ P.O. DRAWER M, PERRY, GA. 31069
TELEPHONE: (912) 987-1823
The Houston Home Journal (USPS 252-780) is published biweekly lor $lB per year by the
Houston Home Journal, Inc,, 807 Carroll St,, Perry, Ga. 31069, Second Class Postage paid
at Perry, Ga, POSTMASTER: Send address change lo The Houston Home Journal, P O.
Drawer M, Perry, Ga. 31069,
ROY H. PARK, President 4 Chairman of the Board, Park Newspapers
JAMES B. KERCE
Editor & General Manager
DAVID VON ALMEN RALPH MORRIS
Advertising Manager Managing Editor
I Opinion 1
A fitting honor for Dr. Hendrick
In selecting the late Dr. A.G. Hendrick for its presti
gious 1989 Community Service award, the Perry Rotary
Club is bestowing another high honor on "one of the
most valuable citizens to ever live in Houston County."
Prior to his death in 1986 at the age of 85, "Doc" Hen
drick was a familiar sight on city streets, as he took daily
walks, or visited patients at the hospital. Even as his
health began to fail in later years, "Doc" insisted on vis
iting his patients—although he had to be driven around
town by someone else.
His devoted wife Mildred recently said all A.G. Hen
drick wanted to be was "a good country doctor, available
when needed."
In over four decades of practice in Perry, he certainly
achieved that goal. Plus, many others.
His dedication to the community led him to become an
active leader who served on the county health department
board for 35 years. He was also active in church, club
and community activities. As a Kiwanis Club member he
was named "Man of the Year", served as president and
received the club's international "Distinguished Member
Award."
Dr. Hendrick proudest achievement was a fund to help
needy students gain a college education. That legacy lives
today through a Kiwanis scholarship fund he established
for local youngsters.
His contributions were also recognized by the Houston
County Commission. Shortly before his retirement in
1984, the commission issued a proclamation naming him
"one of the most valuable citizens ever to live in Houston
County."
Now, nearly three years after his death, it is fitting that
Dr. A.G . Hendrick will again be honored for his tireless
efforts as "a good country doctor" and community leader.
Recreation study a good step
A positive step toward providing Perry residents with
"something the city really lacks" was taken this week
when mayor and council decided to look into possibly
forming a city recreation program.
To help assess local recreational needs, council is ask
ing Douglas, Ga's., recreation director to make a
presentation on the feasibility of starting a rec program in
Perry. Included in the presentation will be activities for
children and adults.
After the "facts and figures" are presented to council, a
decision will be made on forming a Perry Recreation
Department.
We hope the study will produce positive results and the
city will move ahead with developing a recreation pro
gram. Although it may lead to an increase in taxes to fund
a program and hire its director, a city recreation depart
ment would reap vast benefits in terms of local quality of
life for all Perry residents.
Mayor Jim Worrall summed up the need for a Perry
Recreation Department when he told council he gets fre
quent comments about how great the city is, but that it
doesn't have a good recreation program.
Perhaps, we soon will.
Drive carefully during holiday
Experts with the Georgia State Patrol have issued some
grim statistics for this Memorial Day holiday weekend.
There will be 1,736 accidents, 742 injuries and 16
people will die on state roads Saturday, Sunday and
Monday, according to a forecast issued by the depart
ment's Accident Reporting Unit.
We do not want you to be one of those involved in an
accident, injured or killed this weekend.
So please, if you plan to be on the road this weekend,
buckle up, drive defensively, pay attention to road and
traffic conditions and —above all—let someone else drive
if you plan to drink.
Enjoy you holiday, but PLEASE be careful.
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I PERRY. GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS. CALL 987-1823 ](
I Perry Scrapbook
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The old E. L Woodruff station
This photo, taken in the late 19205, shows the
old E. L. Woodruff Filling Station located at 1115
Ball Street. In the photo are Mrs. E. L. Woodruff,
Floyd F. Woodruff and Truitt W. Woodruff, the
grandmother, uncle and father of Horace G.
Woodruff of Woodruff's Auto Sales in Perry.
Horace's grandfather and grandmother ran the
Crown gasoline station for many years, followed
Electric current lights nearby towns
Fifty years ago: May 25,
1939 -- Electric current was turned
on the lines serving Bonaire, Wcll
ston and Kathleen communities at 2
p.m. Friday. These three
communities and homes north of
Perry arc part of the 250 miles of
rural electric lines energized in
Peach and Houston counties by the
Taylor County Electric Member
ship Corporation of the Rural
Electric Administration. Construc
tion work on lines south of Perry is
going forward rapidly. • Houston
County Superior Court came to a
close Wednesday after disposing of
a number of criminal cases and
continuing several until the next
term of court. • The Robert D.
Collins Post of the American Le
gion elected the following officers
at the May meeting: C. E. Andrew,
commander; J. M. Tollcson, vice
commander; Hollis Kczar, second
vice commander; Eby Holtzclaw,
adjutant; Max Moore, financial of
ficer. C.C. Pierce is the retiring
commander. • Colonel Courtney H.
Hodges and Mrs. Hodges of Fort
Bcnning, Ga., were the guests of
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Hodges and
Mrs. J. H. Hodges for die weekend.
• Advertisement: "It looks more
business-like: A part of your per
sonal appearance is your hair. If
your hair is kept neatly clipped,
people will have a higher respect
for you, and realize you are busi
ness-like in other matters. Come in
and let us serve you. Have your hair
cut every week! City Barber Shop,
T. R. Summers, Propl'r.
Forty years ago: May 26,
1949 - Houston County's Board
of Education came in for high
praise from Stale Auditor B. E.
Thrasher Jr. last week. The slate
official awarded the county a gold
star for proper budgeting and con
Stately magnolias grace Perry yards
My grandmother loved these
graceful Southern trees. She placed
the sweet-smelling blossoms in the
rooms to perfume the house.
She's gone, but her special trees
remain. And right now, they're
covered with large, snowy petals.
Her trees arc the magnificent
magnolias the most splendid or
namental tree in the world.
These symbols of the Old South
grace many yards and lawns in
Perry and present a living witness
to a tradition worth keeping.
Many people are unaware
how lucky we arc to have these
stately trees with their lustrous,
leathery leaves growing in our re
gion.
The natural range of the South
ern magnolia is a strip of land
about 100 miles wide that extends
from North Carolina through Geor
gia, Alabama and northern Florida,
along the Gulf Coast to eastern
Texas.
Perry viewpoint
Local editorials and columns on events in Perry & S. Houston )
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Remember
when?
A lookback atthe people
and events which shaped
Perry. This column is com-i
piled from past Houston
Home Journal issues.
v ——
scrvalion of school funds. • Macon
Voiturc 1145 of the Society of the
40 and 8 will hold a Memorial ser
vice at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the
Perry Methodist Church to honor
their comrades who have died during
the last 12 months. Members of the
American Legion in 21 posts
within a 50-milc radius of Perry arc
invited to attend the service. • Perry
Kiwanians on Tuesday heard
Hamilton Holt of Macon discuss
the methods of establishing and
operating a cemetery. Mr. Holt,
who is head of Clark Memorials,
was here to confer with the city
council and Kiwanis Club commit
tee regarding a new cemetery for
Perry. Only three more lots arc un
sold in Evergreen Cemetery here. •
J. E. Adams, operator of Houston
Lake, said this week that there is no
foundation to rumors that the lake
has been condemned. The rumors
were spread that the lake waters
were condemned due to sewage pol
lution. • Advice: Before mounting a
ladder, be sure it is secure and set
our from the wall a safe distance.
Thirty years ago: May 28,
1959 - The addition of about
Ralph Morris
HHJ Managing Editor
V■ : - -
That land strip runs through
Perry, and it's the main reason why
the trees a r c so tall and beautiful
here.
I spent many evenings as a
child crawling around and hooting
under the dark-green canopy of the
magnolias. The trees, with their
darling creamy-white blossoms,
were a wonderful mystery to me
by Horace's uncle and father. The station was
located where Badcock Home Furnishing Center
is today. After he left the station, Horace's dad
Truitt farmed for a number of years, operated the
old Perry Bus Lines and worked as a salesman
for Union Motors here. If you have an old or
historic photo, share it with our readers in "Perry
Scrapbook.”
seven classrooms at Perry High
School to take care of the increas
ing enrollment will be made possi
ble through a grant of $256,416 to
the Houston County Board of Edu
cation by the federal government.
Schools Supt. Lewis Tabor said in
excess of SIOO,OOO will be used for
the addition. The remaining money
will go for other additions to be de
cided by the county board. • Mayor
Stanley E. Smith Jr. said Tuesday
he estimates the population of
Perry now is between 5,800 to
6,000 and the growth continues. He
said Perry's growth has been sub
stantial and solid, and that we have
become "basically a residential
town." • A group of 15 high-rank
ing officials of Scars, Roebuck and
Company visited Perry
Manufacturing Co. here Tuesday as
they made a lour of Southern plants
in which Sears has an interest. The
Perry plant makes tailored bedspread
ensembles, draperies and curtains. It
employs 140 people and has an an
nual payroll of S42O,(KX). The plant
produces 2,000 bedspreads a day.
Twenty years ago: May 29,
1969 Tharpc Memorial Baptist
Church members will occupy their
new $60,000 sanctuary for the first
lime Sunday morning, Rev. Con
ned Pirkle, pastor, announced this
week. The red-brick structure, with
white trim, has been constructed
next to the present church building
on U.S. 41 six miles south of
Perry. • The Most Rev. Gerald L.
Frey, bishop of Savannah, will
dedicate the new St. Patrick's
Catholic Church in Perry at 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 1. The church will
scat 175 persons and was built at a
cost of $60,000. Forty-five
Catholic families in the immediate
Perry area make up the parish. •
Continued on Back Page
then, just as they arc today.
I wondered how the trees could
pul out such large, sweet-smelling
blossoms. My grandmother's trees
were covered with these fragrant
jewels.
Later in life, when I was in col
lege in south Alabama, I lived up
stairs in an old Victorian house for
a couple of years. A tremendous
magnolia tree was just outside my
bedroom window.
I remember watching, day by
day in late spring, this fine tree
send forth a bounty of flowers. It
was a marvelous experience and
one that I will always treasure in
my memory.
Even now, in Perry, whenever I
gel the chance and no one really
is looking - I closely admire the
magnolias and touch the flowers
that soon will be gone.
I suppose it's a mystical thing
for me, a bridge across time from
the Old South to the New.
The best
of Bobby
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OUT ON A
BRANCH
< ■■ —■>
(Editor's Note: "The Best of
Bobby" is a regular feature
on The Houston Home Jour
nal's Saturday editorial page.
The columns which appear
here were written by former
HHJ editor Bobby Branch
during the 15 years he ran
the paper. Branch was a
popular personality and civic
leaner in Perry. We believe
these old columns will spark
memories for local "old
timers" and will provide
newcomers an insight into
recent Perry history.
People Just Don't
Care Anymore!
Thursday, June 13, 1969 - (NOTE:
A few week-ends ago my family
and 1 were headed to South Georgia
on a trip when we came upon an
accident in Pulaski County, near
Hawkinsvillc. We we were the first
to arrive and found the concern of
most passing motorists almost un
believable. They had no concern.)
You lop a hill and not more than
300 yards away you see an accident
that has happened maybe 5 seconds
before. There arc no other cars
coming in cither direction. You
pull to the side of the road near
where the two autos have collided
and you run to the green Ford in the
middle of the highway to sec if
anyone is injured.
The driver, a middle aged
woman, is crying hysterically and
she has cuts and bruises on her
legs. Another elderly woman in the
front is also cut and bruised on her
legs and she’s making no sounds,
Just looking straight ahead at the
old model Chevrolet they had hit
from behind. The driver of the
Chevrolet, a teen-age boy, is out in
the highway walking around. He
seems uninjured but in a daze.
"I didn’t mean to hit him, I didn't
mean to hit him at all," the woman
driver says emotionally.
I try to get them out of the car
but they insist on staying there.
Some people in a house across the
road say they have called the Sheriff
but he’s not in his office. I tell
them to call the State Patrol in
Perry, and I shout the phone num
ber to them. They say they will
call the Patrol, but it lakes them a
few minutes, for some reason or
other to do so.
I again ask the women in the car
to go out and sit on the side of the
road until more help arrives. There
is a teenage girl in the back scat of
the car with two women and she is
now crying as she realizes what has
happened. The cuts on the legs of
the women arc now bleeding. I'm
getting worried about them now
because their wrecked car is
almost in the middle of busy U. S.
341 highway. A car approaches,
slows down and goes around the
wrecked car. The driver, a middle
aged man, just looks at the scene
with a quick glance and goes on.
Another car approaches and the
driver docs the same thing. The
driver of the next car that comes by
shoots the window down as he
passes and asks arc there any seri
ous injuries. He hardly wails for an
answer as he pushes his accelerator
to the floor and leaves the scene.
All this time I'm talking to
these shook-up women and trying
to comfort them and I'm amazed
dial people don't stop to of fer their
help. I can't believe, all the cars
Continued on Back Page