Newspaper Page Text
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Dade County’s Only Newspaper.
VOLUME LV
DALLYIN' IN DADE
Virgil Stewart Reminisces . . .
Virgil Stewart, owner of Dade
County’s only museum, is our
personality for this week. He is
doing the county a great serv¬
ice AV/V, by KfJ collecting ~ ----O-- rocks, w -->--~*'**~' fossils,
Indian lore and Civil War
lies. His museum, located about
four miles south of Trenton, is
quite interesting and well worth
a visit.
Mr. Stewart is well-informed
cn all his collections, having
studied dozens of books on ex-
plowing and classification of
fossils. His intense interest in
his hobby carries over to his
listeners, and they often find
themselves scrutinizing every
rock they ccme upon after visit
ing his museum.
Born in Rising Fawn January
31, 1877, Mr. Stewart left at the
age of two with his family to
live at Stewart Town. His father
owned a farm at that time on
land that new belongs to the
Rising Fawn School. He re¬
members the log and poplar
house of his babyhood that
cnce stood in front of the Jeril
Cooper house, and the little
bunk house in back that was
the quarters of the Lookout
Mountain - Rising Fawn mail
carrier. Mr. Stewart still re¬
members the spotted horse that
the mail carrier rode.
Mr. Stewart was educated in
subscription schools at Byrd’s
Chapel and at Trenton. He still
has a certificate awarded him
by the Trenton instructor, J. B.
Allen, for completing a course
in shorthand. He could write
80 words a minute, but he could
not use this asset in his work,
for after his school days, he
worked at several trades
He spent four or five years at
the old iron furnace in
Fawn doing boiler repairs and
rivet heating. After that, he
learned how to do construction
and electrical work at U. S. Pipe
and Foundry in Chattanooga.
Loses Arm During Work
During the time the wooden
railroad bridges were being re¬
placed by steel ones, Mr. Stew¬
art worked for the New York
Steel Steel Bridge image ^u. Co. This period “
was interrupted by** or ‘
as a carpenter on the
Hotel. He began wir ing
bridge, company again. a "‘ it
was while working In South
Georgia that he wm involved
an accident that caused him
l0 h woked^in
He a
and~ meat market in
~ Q vpar for D. I. Jenkins
and ana grew grew to w value vatu his friend-
D. S. ____. Middleton ,
ship with Dr. of¬
to the extent that the pair
ten went on fossil hunts and
picnics. They especially liked to
identify various herbs they
found growing in the county.
Mr Stewart has found since
£Ttn'L7e nmfTioallv every kind of
b« County
When the courthouse was un-
Mr. Mr.
Took Place Northwest of Trenton Jail
The ioilowin* following article article is is taken
from The Weekly Times, Cha
tanooga, Tenn., Thursday, M y
10, 1883. We thank Mr. Virgil
Stewart of Byrd’s Chapel fa-
letting us copy parts of the ar¬
ticle from his paper.
HANGING AT TRENTON
D. F. Walker expiates his crime
on the gallows.
D. F. Walker was hanged at
Trenton, Ga., yesterday for the
murder of S. S- Hardberger,
which was committed on Sand
Mountain last October... While
making a journey frem South
Pittsburg to Rising Fawn,
Hardberger was accosted on
Sand Mountain by two men,
whom later developments
proved to be Lee Treece and D.
F. Walker.
The traveler was well dressed
and carried a bundle of clothes
with him. The men were se¬
creted in the woods; when the
stranger was within hailing
distance, they called to him,
and and presented presented their men guns.
Hard STf^TttSJ foul
Devoted to the Best Interests oi Dade County and Georgia.
THE DADE COUNTY TIMES, TRENTON, GEORGIA, THURSDAY JULY 14, 1955
By Myrna McMahan
Stewart operated a restaurant
in a building belonging to Dr.
Middletcn. This building was
located cn the southwest corner
of the ------1--------W square and has long ago
been torn down. Mr. and Mrs.
Stewart ran the business until
her death after which Mr. Stew-
'art sold out to go to work at
I the insistence of Sheriff Tom
Newman at the Lookout Moun-
tain Hotel,
. Takes Course in Exploring
The hctel was in its first year
and was owned by the Dinklers,
and Mr. Stewart’s job was time-
keeper. Noticing that there was
J little to occupy the guests, he
began to do some serious think¬
ling about opening a museum at
The hotel. He grew so interest
ed that he tock a correspon¬
dence course in exploring from
Denver University and eventu¬
ally became a member of the
Explorers’ League.
This idea didn’t work out at
the hctel, so he came back
home to Stewart Town to have
mere of an opportunity to work
out his idea for a museum and
to gather more fossils from this
area. He looked after the dogs
for the Chattanooga Fox Hunt¬
ers Association which came out
every week to his farm.
Gradually people from out of
the state heard about his mu¬
seum, and found it so interest¬
ing that they urged him to
move over on the highway so
mere people could see his col¬
lections. A friend, Xenephon
Murphy, decided to help him, so
some land was purchased from
Bunyon Hatfield about ten
years ago.
They built the present mu-
seum, which includes a room
sleeping in the rear. Mr.
Murphy went into the army,
shortly afterwards, so the mu-
seum and the property became
.solely Mr. Stewart’s.
His sisters, Misses Fannie and
Ellis Stewart, live near him, and
he keeps fairly busy, working
on the grounds, looking after a
garden, and talking to the
many tourists that stop by. He
is so devoted to his hobby that
his Iistene rs often become in-
tere. ted in starting little collee-
of their 0 „ n . H e has
' visits from other collect-
many
o sometimes bring him
colle ctisn. Friends
a large part m
, with his hobby
^ hJm .
Has Bushel Baskets
of Arrowheads
Arrowheads, spearheads, pet-
(rifled shells, mussels, Indian
„ and . Civil War relies relics bv by the the
thousands fill the building to
almost overflowing. He has the
Cherckee alphabet, a $2 bill
from the Rising Fawn Iron
Company dated 1875, a stuffed
black turkey, a pencil and but-
ton collection, one of the first
«* *** e v e c maUe
and countless othei articles
from irom the me past.
DUt y bea,Jo M.
^ ^
h their {eet _ They
him, securing only $2.65 $2.65
and a pocket knife. Shortly af¬
terwards, while on a spree,
Walker boasted of his deed in
the presence of several parties,
describing in detail the spot
were the body was secreted.
Walker and Treece were ar¬
rested shortly after their con¬
fession. At the trial Treece
turned state’s evidence and
confessed the crime. He claims
that he was persuaded into the
crime by Walker; that Walker
compelled him to fire, and he
purposely missed the man. The
proof corroborated this confes¬
sion, and Treece was sentenced
to the penitentiary for ten
years and is now working out
his sentence at the ccal mines,
while Walker was sentenced to
death. Walker constantly de¬
nounced Treece’s confession as
an infamous lie.
Walker has been confined in
Trenton, under con-
of jailer Smith.
Four
State Revenue Agents Ben
Wilbanks, Bill Souther and J. D.
Scoggins made a raid on a dis¬
tillery with four 1,000 gallon
stills Wednesday which resulted
in the arrest of one man and
the escape of another. Sheriff
F. C. Graham an^ deputies as¬
sisted in the surprise raid.
Benton Harris, of Soddy, Tenn,.
was arrested by the officers
who found the four stills in op¬
Tri- County Hospital Boosts Three
Oscar C. Hillard,
tor of Tri-C:unty Hospital
Fort Oglethorpe, as
that plans have been completed
for the establishment of a phar¬
macy in the hospital. Floyd
White has been named as
pharmacist.
Three promotions have also
been announced, including the
appointment of Miss Evelyn
Adams as chief nurse, Mrs. Sara
Thacker as assistant chief nurse,
and Mrs. Ann Dyer a s credit
collection manager.
The administrator said the
promotions were in line with a
hospital policy cf filling
cies with present hospital
scnnel whenever possible.
White will continue his job
as phaimacist at Little’s Phar-
in Chattanooga in addi¬
tion to his hospital post. He is
a graduate o f Central High
School and the Southern Col¬
lege of Pharmacy in Atlanta.
Miss Adams has been with the
hospital since last September as
nurse supervisor and succeeds
Margaret Messick, who re¬
recently. She receive!
Boy Scouts Troop 36 of New
England has just received frem
Washington a President’s Award,
as a result of work done at the
Scout Exposition in Chattanoo¬
ga April 22nd and 23rd.
The award was placed on the
wail in the Methodist Church
on last Sunday morning for one
and all to see, alongside the
many ether trophies won by
this troop, the next most recent
being the award for best attend¬
ance the greatest number of
times at Courts of Honor in the
Cherokee Area Council.
A requirement fcr achieving
the award was to have a troop
with an A-No. 1 record, fully
staffed by required leaders, pro-
He has a little machine for
making hickory canes that he
gives to his friends, which also
cannot be numbered. One of
his pet diversions is carving In¬
dian faces on native stones.
Quite a few may be found in the
museum.
Mr. Stewart is a member of
Tennessee Archeological Socitty,
attends meetings of this or¬
once a month.
HU b - *~
. e hls conviction and has
clung to him with a devotion
which which is is worthy worthy of of the the highest
praise... He repeatedly refused
to allcw ministers to visit him
until a few days since, and de¬
clared that he intended to die
as he had lived, a man without
religion. During the last ten
days, however, several ministers
visitei him, and he seemed to
thoughtfully consider their ad¬
vice.
The last interview with his
wife was extremely affecting
and would have melted a heart
of stone. She was dressed in a
simple gown of sombre brown
and appeared to be utterly be-
side herself with grief. Her lit-
tie baby of a year was in her
arms, and her little girl of four
at her side. She is a handsome
woman of 21 or 22 and her ap¬
pearance indicates that she had
been well raised, and was well
educated.
The poor woman was in a
paroxysm of tears the entire
lime she was near her husband,
eration at the time cf the raid.
Harris’ partner, believed to be
his brother, escaped and is
currently being sought by coun¬
ty authorities.
The stills were captured ten
miles from Trenton, on Lcokout
Mountain. They were located
abcut four miles off the main
road. Two trucks, 4,000 gallons
of mash and approximately 25
gallons cf whiskey were seized.
University Hospital school of
and has served as a
teacher at the St. Louis, Mo.
City Hospital and as superin-
tendent of nurses a t Murray
County Memorial in Chatsworth.
Mrs. Thacker has been a
nurse at Tri-County since its
opening and is a graduate of
the Crawford W. Long School
of Nursing in Atlanta. Previous
to her appointment, she was
day supervisor.
Mrs. Dyer, who has been em¬
ployed i n the business office
since March, has had eight
years of experience in Dr. Fred
Simonton’s Clinic i n Chicka-
Work Being Done
on Hospital
The Assembly Hall in the res¬
idents’ quarters, on the third
floor of the o 1 d building, is
about to be completed. The
July meeting of the Board of
Trustees cf the Tri -County
Hospital was held in this hall.
The hospital is in the process
of being painted. Walls on the
first southwest floor have been
painted and work Is beginning
perly supported by parents and
other interested adults. With
this background Troop 36 at¬
tended the Exposition with the
avowed purpose of coming away
with the highest honors, which
they did, but they did not ex¬
pect to leceive a President’s
Award, which is red, white and
blue, bearing the personal sign¬
ature of the President in the
following form:
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
SCOUT EXPOSITION
The White House
Washington
(Signed) Dwight D. Eisenjiower
to
Unit No. 36
Leader: Hardee Price
April 22-23, 1955
(Boy Scout Insignia in Circle)
DO A GOOD TURN DAILY”
Although going around with
their heads in the air as a re¬
sult of this, their most recent
accomplishment, boys of Troop
36 nevertheless are enjoying the
use of their new volley ball
court, erected in the yard just
west of the Church.
Hardee Price.
‘" shake in SMS* the intensity of her
grief...
1 “I ”1 hope, you will forgive me,
ber husband said, visibly af-
fected.
“I readily do.”
“Darling this is awful to bear,
but we’ve got to hold up against
cruel fate,” sobbed the husband
Walker had completely bro
ken down and was crying like
a babe, while h i s wife could
scarcely give utterance to her
words, in her deep grief.. .At
one time she exclaimed “Par-
don my poor husband, and save
. .
him oh God!”. This appeal was
made in a wringing voice which
penetrated the thick walls of
the jail, and ____________ the singing _ crowd _
on the outside stopped and
looked inquiringly at one an¬
other. ..
Just before the prisoner was
led out, at 12:30 o’clock, he
asked that h e be allowed to
to dress his hair and this was
carefully done. He was hand¬
cuffed to the sheriff’s arm and
marched from the jail to a
Published Weekly—Since 1901
Dade Bank Sets October 1 Opening
A tentative opening date of
Oct. 1 for the Bank of Dade was
set by the beard of directors at
a meeting held Friday afternoon.
George Harrison, of Canton, Ga.,
is preesident of the board, and
Col. D. E. Mcrrison is vice-pres¬
ident. Directors are D. T. Brown,
Raymond Townsend and J. %
Case.
| The board voted to order
vaults for the downstairs record
Nitrate Offered
AMMONIUM NITRATE DIS-
COUNT PROGRAM — The spe¬
cial discount ammonium ni¬
trate program in the Tennessee
Valley is being offered again
this year.
As its part of the program for
1955, TV A plans to offer am
moniurn nitrate from July
through December 31, 1955, at a
graduated discount averaging
approximately 12 percent of the
regular f.o.b. plant price for
distribution to farmers in the
Tennessee Valley counties of
Georgia during the period July
1, 1955, through January 31,
1956, for uses listed below:
Eligible Crops and Rale
of Application
1. Grain and/or grass mix¬
tures with winter legumes — 100
lbs. per acre.
2. Oats, wheat, rye, barley or
rye grass alone or mixed (ex¬
cept spring application on
wheat — 100 lbs. per acre.
3. Perennial grasses alone —
150-200 lbs. per acre.
4. Perennial grasses and le¬
gumes — 100 lbs. per acre.
5. Establishing perennial
grasses alone or with winter
legumes — 100 lbs.
Each farm as defined in the
1955 ASC Handbook for Geor¬
gia is entitled to not more than
4.0 tons at discount during the
period July 1, 1955, through
Janurry 31, 1956.
Farmers are urged to take
part in this program if they are
in need of ammonium nitrate
cn their farms.
In order to receive the dis¬
count farmers must call by the
local ASC Office and receive
their certificates of eligibility.
The Dade County ASC Hand¬
book is being amended to add
the following practice D-5.
(Establishing vegetative cover
in the fall of 1955 for protec¬
tion from erosion.)
Maximum Federal Cost-Share
—50 percent cf the average cost
of establishing the vegetative
cover including (1) the needed
application of commercial fer¬
tilizers and (2) seed.
Pasturing consistent with
good management Is permitted,
but none of the growth may be
harvested fcr hay or seed. Vo¬
lunteer stands will not qualify.
A good stand and good growth
must be obtained in sufficient
time to protect the area from
late fall and winter rain in
1955 and must be maintained on
his coffin without even a visible
tremor. The guards, fifty in
number, were drawn in a cor¬
don about the wagon and the
march to the gallows was be¬
gun.
The gallows was located about
200 yards to the northwest of
the jail...The number present
is variously estimated at 2,000
to 2,500...
j When the guards had taken
their positions, Sheriff Bird an-
nounced that the prisoner de-
sired to make a few remarks...
Hls speech was long, lasting
thirty minutes...He reiterated
his confession and the events of
the shooting... he thanked the
porter, the sheriff and a num-
ber of others for courtesies ex¬
tended him and then began his
denunciation o f Treece ... He
asked any ministers who were
present to come to the scaffold
and deliver a prayer...An im¬
passioned prayer was delivered
in which Walker joined. A song
was then sung and another
prayer delivered...
NUMBER 26
loom and the upstairs bank
proper. The vaults will be ship¬
ped from Winchester, Tenn.,
within the next few days. Four
tellers cages and desks for the
president and bookeeper have
already been secured.
It was announced that the
charter for the Bank of Dade
has been granted and the F. D.
I. C. has approved it.
the lad to date specified in the
county program.
SPECIFICATIONS:
o. Fertilization — If a cur¬
rent soil test is not available,
apply 400 to 600 pounds of
4-12-12 cr 5-10-10 or 8-8-8, or
equivalent, per acre at plant-
On grasses or small grain,
or mixtures containing grasses
or small grain, add up to 40
pounds of nitrogen after plants
are established.
b. Seeding — Following are
the eligible crops and minimum
and maximum seeding rates per
acre for single seedings. In
adapted mixtures, the seeding
rates per acre may be reduced
to one half to three-fourths of
the respective seeding rates for
single seedings.
Ciimson clover — 20 to 25 lbs.
Hairy vetch — 20 to 25 lbs.
Annual ryegrass — 20 to 25
lbs.
Rescue grass — 25 to 35 lbs.
Oats — 3 to 4 bushels.
Rye _ 1V 2 to 2 bushels.
Barley 1 Vt to 2 bushels.
c. Cultural Methods — All
legumes shall be inoculated.
Seed shall be sown on a well-
prepared seedbed. Winter cover
crops should be sown in Sep¬
tember or October. If the area
is to be grazed, livestock must
be excluded until plants are
well established.
Farmers who are interested
in this practice must make a
request lor cost-sharing Im¬
mediately since the funds for
carrying out this practice will
be very limited and will of ne¬
cessity have to be on a more or
less ‘‘First ccme, first served
basis.”
135 Children Get
2nd Polio Shots
Miss F a n n i 1 u McWhorter,
Dade public health nurse, stated
Wednesday that 135 school
children in the first and second
grades reported to the health
center to receive second injec¬
tions cf the polio vaccine. 355
were given shots the latter part
of April.
The shots may still be ob¬
tained at the health center Fri¬
day afternoon or S a t u r day
morning, July 22, and 23. No
definite date has been set for
the third injection.
resum¬
his address...He called a
of his friends to the
and b i d them a last
He then announced
was ready.. .After the rope
on his neck and the black
adjusted.. .he asked the
to give him fall enough
to break his neck and then be¬
a loud prayer...
The repe was cut at 1:37 p.m.
The fall broke his neck...and
the third minute h e was
dead by Drs. Davis
and Simmonds. The body was
allowed to hang twenty minutes
was then placed in the cof¬
fin and carried into a room in
the court house, where the sen¬
tence was pronounced.
Notes
Thirteen kegs o f beer were
on the grounds.
A photograph of Walker will
be sold in this city to-day.
The last hanging at Trenton
in 1858, when a colored wo¬
man was hanged for murdering
children.