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Official Chattooga County
PublicatU For 75 Years
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VOLUME 75—NO 1 £
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Mahr's City Finance Remarks Draw Interest
Local Scouts Get “God and Country” Award . . .
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In ceremonies last Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church in
Summerville, seven local Boy Scouts received the coveted award
for “God and Country.” Presentations were made by Rev. VV. E.
Hotchkiss, pastor, shown with the group shortly after the cere
mony. With their mothers, the Scouts are, left to right: Mrs.
Seven Loeal Scouts
Win Highest Honors
President Eisenhower Writes To Group;
“God and Country” Award Presented Here
Following 15 months of intensive study and prepara
tion, seven local Boy Scouts have received the coveted “God
and Country” award, the highest honor given in the Boy
Scout program.
In winning the honor, the Scouts received a letter of
congratulations from President
Eisenhower and from Doctor
Phillip Howerton, Moderator of
the General Assembly, Presby
terian U. S. A.
The group of Scouts were di-’
rected and guided in the exhaus
tive project by Reverend W. E.
Hotchkiss, pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church here.
Reverend Hotchkiss said today
that he was “very proud of the
Scouts” and “I believe they
Officers Destroy Three Stills . . .
jEzSnMK 9 SBf ® BEM
Officers Nab
Three Stills
Atop Mountain
State Revenue Agent Herman
Evans. Chattooga County Sheriff
Fred Stewart and Deputy Sheriff
Paul White destroyed three
“ground-hog" type stills near
Cloudland last Tuesday after
noon.
The stills were located in the
extreme northwest corner of
Chattooga County. They were
on a creek bank approximately
four miles from Cloudland and
near the Walker County line.
One of the stills had a 300 gal
lon mash capacity. Another was
a 200 gallon size and the smaller
was estimated at 100 gallons.
The officers wrecked the in
stallations and poured out ap
proximately 850 gallons of mash.
No persons were at the still
sites at the time of the raid. All
three were in readiness for final
"runs” of illicit ‘‘moonshine
whiskey.
The whiskey operations were
about 150 yards from a dirt road.
Vote In City Charter Referendum May 23!
have far outstripped any other
group of boys in the United
States participating in a similar
program.”
To obtain the award, the
youths entered into the 15-
month program which included
five areas of learning the Chris
tian Faith, Christian Witness,
study of Home and World Mis
sions, Christian Education and
service to the community and
(Continued On Page 2)
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—Staff Photos by Harris
In the (op photo, State Revenue Agent Herman Evans, right,
and Chattooga County Deputy Sheriff Paul White, on top of
vat, prepare to demolish a "ground-hog” still Tuesday after
noon. Sheriff Fred Stewart is at the rear of the still. In lower
photo, Sheriff Stewart inspects equipment at another still site.
Three stills were destroyed by the officers.
She ^itmntnutlk fas
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY. GV THURSDAY, MAY 14. 1959
—Staff Photo by McConnell
I). O. Houston and David, Jr., Mrs. Frank Agnew and Johnny,
Mrs. John B Whisnant, Jr., and Bill, Rev. Hotchkiss, Olney
Meadows, Jr. with Mrs. Meadows. Mrs. I). T. Espy and David
Espy, Jr., Mrs John I). Taylor and Randy, and Mrs John Jones
and Sam.
Four Men Gain
Freedom From
Chattooga Jail
Four men escaped from the
Chattooga County Jail here
early last Saturday morning.
The men gained freedom by
cutting the bars on a ground
floor window at the rear of the
jail.
Sheriff Fred Stewart said that
the escape route was made easier
when the four apparently kicked
out remaining bars at the win
dow.
Sheriff Stewart listed the four
as Marshall Hunter, Wayne
Boatman and two men known
as Mitchell and Kilgore.
The Sheriff said that Hunter
was serving two 6 months sen
tences for larceny. Boatman
had been jailed on five counts
of forgery. He said that Mitch
ell and Kilgore had been jailed
(Continued On Page 2)
3-Way Wreck
Snarls Traffic
On Lyerly Road
A three-way wreck snarled
traffic on the Lyerly Road at
the Rainey Street, Bellah Avenue
intersection shortly before dark
last Saturday night.
In a chain-reaction collision,
a car driven by James Smith
Taylor, of Lyerly, plowed into
the rear of a vehicle operated by
Lloyd Eugene Trammell, of Sum
merville. Taylor's car was sub
sequently hit from the rear by a
car driven by Airman John
Louis Williams, Negro, also of
Lyerly.
Police Sergeant Harold Cody
and Patrolman David Starkey
investigated the accident. They
reported that Trammell stated
he was attempting to make a
left turn into Bellah Avenue
when he was struck by the Tay
lor car.
Williams is stationed with the
Air Force at Moody Air Force
Base near Valdosta.
The investigating officers said
that apparently the Taylor and
Williams cars were “following
too close” for the rain-slicked
(Continued On Page 5)
CITY VOTERS GO
10 POLLS MAY 23
FOR (HARTER VOTE
City voters will go to the polls
at the Chattooga County Court
house on Saturday, May 23, to
cast ballots in a referendum |
called for in the proposed City ।
Charter.
It has been announced by city
officials that the polls will open
at 7 o’clock in the morning and
close at 6 o’clock in the evening.
The voting will be handled by j
three election managers chosen |
by City Council in a meeting!
Monday night. They are Justice
of the Peace Arch Warren. Paul
Byars and Evans Scoggins. War
ren is in charge of the group.
Registration closed May 2 for
city voters expecting to partici
pate in the referendum.
District Scouts Plan
Annual ‘’‘Camp<>ree”
Irion Golf Course Scene of lachl;
Smnlav School Services Scheduled
Boy Scouts and Scouters of
this area will hold their annual
"Camporce" beginning Saturday
at 1 o’clock.
The “Camporce”, to include
camping out. will be held at the
Trion Golf Course.
J. T. Morgan, Jr., of the Geor
gia Power Company, is chairman
I of the annual event, which high
lights Scout activities in this
;area.
A two day event, the Scouts
will attend Sunday School on
'Sunday morning. Services will
EDITORIAL—
The City Charier
•/
Section 8 of House Bill 425, .submitted before the Geor
gia General Assembly by Chattooga County Representa
tives Loggins and Floyd, reads:
“The Mayor of the City shall be compensated in the
sum of four hundred dollars ($400.00) a month, plus mile
age and expenses incurred on official business, said mile
age and expenses to be approved before payment by the
City Council. The members of the ( ouncil shall receive
as compensation the sum of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00)
per regular meeting, provided they are present attending
said meeting.”
Section G of the same Bill says that the Council will
: meet in regular session on the second Monday in each
month and that special meetings of the Council may be
called at any time by the Mayor or by a majority of the
members of the Council.
This newspaper is against Section 8 for three distinct
reasons. The City of Summerville cannot afford a $400.00
a month mayor, “strong” or otherwise. When a mileage
and expense account is added to a $400.00 salary , we con
tend that it is all out of reason for the City of Summerville
to enact such a proposal. Our third reason for being
against this passage is the $25.00 compensation to be paid
to City Councilmen for each meeting. It is not clear to us
just what is meant by “regular meeting” especially when
Section 6 says that the Mayor or a majority of the Council
members can call a meeting at any time.
In respect to Cpuncil pay, we would like to call atten
tion to the proposed City Charter published in this news
paper on January 8, 1959. This was the Charter passed by
resolution of the Mayor and City Council. It was signed
by the Mayor and those Councilmen present at the meet
ing held for that purpose. It distinctly says that the pay
of the Council would be $300.00 a year, payable annually.
Payment of $25.00 per “regular” meeting could very well
be far in excess of S3OO a year. In addition to this we still
contend that there is too much difference between the pay
of the Mayor and the pay of the Councilmen as outlined in
the Charter city voters will be asked to vote upon on May
23.
It is reported that some members of the present City
■ Council are in favor of the proposed Charter. We cannot
see why any Councilman would be in favor of the Charter
unless they aspire to the Mayor's seat as provided in the
new Charter. It is quite a jump from the present Coun
j oilman’s salary to the proposed $400.00 a month to be paid
: a new Mayor.
We fully believe that when the present Mayor and
Councilmen signed the resolution asking for enactment of
the new Charter, they signed themselves right out of office.
The new Charter would do away with the Ward sys
tem for Summerville. It is highly possible that new Coun
cilmen could be elected, all from one Ward, possibly from
the same neighborhood. We do not agree with the abolish
ment of the Ward system.
A close scrutiny of the City Charter brought to light
that city taxpayers will pay two years taxes in a six-month
period if the Charter is ratified.
Under the present Charter, city taxes fall due on De
cember 20. Taxpayers will remit on that date for 1959
taxes. Under the new Charter, taxes will fall due on June
20. Thus in 1960, taxpayers would once again cough up.
j By our reckoning, there is a six-month lapse between De
' cember 20, 1959, and June 20, 1960. In collecting two years
taxes within six months, a “strong mayor” could very well
issue a challenge as being the strongest, small town Mayor
in Georgia.
If you disbelieve that you will pay taxes at this rate,
we invite you to read Section 19 of the proposed Charter,
which is the authority for the new tax date. Then we ask
that you also read Section 23, giving an effective date of
January 1, 1960, for the Charter, should it be passed by the
voters.
These sections of the Charter are but a few of the
main reasons we are against ratification by citv voters on
May 23.
Once again we call for defeat of the Charter.
Glee Club Slates
Final Appearance
In a final appearance this
season, the Summerville High
School Glee Club will appear at
the Sand Mountain Baptist
Church Sunday evening, May 17,
at 7:30 o'clock.
Mrs. John D. Taylor will direct
the music.
Reverend Frank Lewis, the
church pastor, has issued an in
vitation for the public to attend
the service.
be conducted by Reverend Roger
McDonald, pastor of the First
Baptist Church.
On the schedule lor Saturday
night is a song-fest to be eon
ducted around a large camp
fire. Skits will be given by vari
ous Scout troops and Morgan
said that the Cub Scouts and
parents are especially invited to
attend the camp-fire program.
Morgan urged full participa
tion in the “Camporee” by all
area Scouts and adult Scouters.
VFW Meeting
The Veterans of Foreign Wars
will hold a regular meeting to
morrow night at 7:30 o’clock at
the Memorial Home
Commander James Abney
urges all VFW members to be
present.
Band hi "Lillie League” Parade . .
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Staff Photo by Harris
The Summerville High School Band led off a parade here last Thursday to kick-off Little League
ball play. In addition to the Band, several truckloads of “Little Leaguers” paraded down Com
merce Street before a large crowd of spectators.
12 Pages
Two Sections
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $2.00 PER YEAR
News Publisher In
Answer to Mayor
Political Observers Tenn Copeland’s
Talk As “Feeler” l or Mayor’s Race
A report that the City of Summerville faces critical fi
nancial problems brought immediate response here today
as pressure mounted against the proposed City Charter
which goes before a city referendum on May 23.
Mayor W. H. Copeland is reported to have said that he
Rodeo Starts
May 29 In A
Two Bay Standi
Seats for more than 3.000 fans
will be available here on May
29-30 when the second annual
Rodeo will be staged two miles
north of the city on Highway 27.
Features of the Rodeo will in
clude bronc riding, calf roping,
bulldogging, wild cow milking, a
ladies’ barrel race and Brahma
Bull riding.
A highlight of the Rodeo will
be the appearance of Channel
9 television personality Bob
Brandy, singing cowboy from
Chattanooga. He will appear in
a gigantic parade to be held in
downtown Summerville at noon
on Saturday, May 30, and also
at the two Saturday Rodeo per
formances at 2:30 and 8 p.m.
The Rodeo will officially open
with a show on Friday night,
May 29, starting at 8 o’clock.
Top cowboys from all over
the Southeast will compete for
approximately $1,500 in prize
money. The Rodeo will be pro
duced by Fowlkes Brothers and
will be sponsored by the Sum
merville Lions Club and Junior
Chamber of Commerce.
General admission to the
Rodeo will be $1.25 for adults
and 50c for children.
In conjunction with the Ro
deo, members of the Summer
ville Retail Merchants Associa
tion will hold city-wide sales
events designed to attract addi
tional visitors to the city.
Byrd Speaks
To Graduates
At Penn rille
Lt. Governor Garland Byrd
has been scheduled to speak to
graduating eighth grade stu- i
dents of Pennville School on
Friday night. May 22.
Mrs. J. L. Hogue, piano teach
er at Pennville School, will be- :
gin the closing exercises lor the
school on Friday night. May 15.
when she presents her pupils in
a recital at the school cafetorium 1
beginning at 8 o'clock.
Pupils participating will be'
Marcia Lacy. Donna Dawson.
Susan Brooks, Elaine Crow, Doris
Dooley, Evelyn Dawson, Steve
Parker. Donnie Sue Cordell. Mary
Ruth Presley. Delane Blansith,
Brenda Crow, Troy Griffith. Jr..
Linda Durham. Teresa Palmer, i
Sharon Ledbetter, Janet Smith.:
Lorene Frost. Patricia Davis,
Diane Allmon. Glenda Smallan.
(Continued On Page 2)
could save the city SI,OOO a
month if he had authority to
run the government. A figure
of $41,000 was given as the out
standing indebtedness of the
; city at the present time.
In an obvious reference to this
: newspaper, Copeland has been
j quoted as saying that “those who
; are criticizing the charter should
, live in the city more than six
■ months so they would know
' more about the situation.”
David T. Espy, publisher of
the News, said today, “Accord
: ing to the report, Copeland has
ignored the fact that as pub
■ lisher of The Summerville News
I have been in Summerville
j since 1942.”
I The News’ publisher further
. said, “if the mayor could save
' Summerville SI,OOO a month, I
I feel that he should have already
i made an effort to do so. I do
not believe that the City of
I Summerville would be in its
! present precarious financial sit-
I uation had the City government
, been operated in a business-l.ke
' manner.”
Mr. Espy furthered the News’
j opposition to the new Charter
| by saying, “we have thoroughly
j examined the Charter as it now
; stands ready for a vote by Sum-
I merville citizens. We have been
unable to unearth any value in
I it and because of those portions
। we believe against the best in
i terests of the people of Sum-
I merville, we are against it in its
I entirety.”
: Some political observers here
I said that the Mayor’s remarks
; were a “feeler" designed to gain
: an insight into his chances in a
future mayoralty campaign.
Other observers said today that
no increase in city taxes was
necessary if the "city would
operate on a strict economy.”
As the referendum date draws
near, city-wide interest is being
shown in the City Charter. Re
ports indicate that opposition to
the Charter is steadily mount
ing and a large voter turn-out is
expected on May 23.
CLEAN-UP DRIVE
SCHEDULED HERE
TO START MAY 25
Following action this week by
Summerville Mayor M. H. Cope
land and the City Council, the
week beginning May 25 has been
officially designated as "Clean-
Up Week" in the city.
City Clerk Sam Sitton said to
day that city sanitary workers
will pick up trash and debris in
the First Ward on Monday. May
25. They will work in the Sec
ond Ward on May 26. in the
Third Ward on May 27. and in
the Fourth Ward on May 28.
Fridav. May 29, has been set
(Continued On Page 2)