Newspaper Page Text
< EDITOR'S NOTE: The Chattooga Hospital patient load has dropped
drastically since 1960, putting a tighter financial squeeze on the hospital
and subsequent demands by some for more tax money to help bail it
out of the problem. Two weeks ago, a Chattooga grand jury urged the
hospital board to resign if it can't improve thesitnation. Here, in the
first of a series of articles on the hospital, some of the factors of the
complex problem are discussed.)
The Chattooga Hospital is in trouble.
It isn’t getting nearly enough patients and this is hurting fi
nancially.
But why isn’t it getting more patients?
Is it the fault of the Hospital Board? The hospital administra
tor? The nursing personnel? The doctors? The county? The public?
All of these have been blamed.
A dozen years ago, Chattooga Countians were elated. A beauti
ful, modern 36-bed hospital had been built in Summerville. The
$400,000 facility would cost the county only about SIOO,OOO because
of state and federal aid under the Hill-Burton Act.
A self-perpetuating Hospital Authority (Board) was named. It
was deeded the property and authority to run the hospital. The
county assumed the responsibility of paying off the bonds.
Things moved aiong rather smoothly for several years, al
though the facility, like most small hospitals, was never able to
fully pay its own way.
However, in 1961 the patient load in the hospital dropped
16 Pages
Two Sections
VOLUME 79 —NUMBER 27
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HELICOPTER INTERESTS SUMMERVILLIANS
. . .shown with three Army men
Helicopter Landing
Livens Dull Evening
Menlo Eyes
Natural Gas,
Sewer System
Menlo is in the early stages of
plans to take two big steps for
ward—getting natural gas and
installing sanitary sewers.
A survey is currently being
conducted to see how persons
would be interested in natural
gas service and any person so
interested is asked to notify city
officials, says Mayor Lonnie
Ward.
Firms which install sanitary
sewers are being contacted for
estimates of the cost of such a
project. This planning is being
done in conjunction with the
Chattooga Health Department.
The community is hopeful of ob
taining federal aid under the
Appalachia proposals, the mayor
said.
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Free Gifts
For Some
Lucky Reader
Free merchandise or ser
vice!
That’s what you get if
your name appears in the
“Shop at Home” ad this
week.
Turn to the inside page
where this ad is located
and read it closely. If your
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take it to the firm in
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pears and receive 85 worth
of goods or services.
Look now!
What Is the Answer to Hospital Dilemma?
It was a lazy, hot summer afternoon in Summer
ville.
There wasn’t a single ball game underway in the
city and even politicking was at a low ebb.
But excitement came.
It was in the form of a turbo-jet Army helicopter
which made a forced landing in a pasture across from
Summerville Mfg. Co.
The tempo in Summerville immediately picked up.
Motorists stopped along the road, got out and clustered
about, anxious to know the details. They stared al
most in awe at the aircraft with its handsome red lin
ing and they plied the three soldiers with questions.
Here is why the vehicle happened to stop here:
With one captain, a lieutenant and a sergeant
aboard, it had left Lexington, Ky. that morning headed
for Fort Benning at Columbus. As they approached
Summerville, the officers realized they were low on fuel
and probably wouldn’t have enough to get across Tay
lor’s Ridge and to Rome.
So they circled the city a few times looking for a
suitable landing place and finally selected the pasture.
Because the jet gasoline they normally use wasn’t
available here, they were forced to get a chamois cloth
and strain regular gasoline to remove as many impur
ities as possible and use it.
This took a while and it was after dar^c before the
big ‘copter lifted off the ground, its green and red
lights flashing.
In the meantime, the officers’ mishap had livened
up a dull hot afternoon in Summerville and given kid
dies a moment they wouldn’t soon forget.
Rev. Buchanan
To Assume
Menlo Duties
The Rev. Fred W. Buchanan of
Rocky Ford has been called as 1
the new pastor of the Menlo (
Baptist Church. ]
He will assume duties August 1
16. succeeding the Rev. Billy
Jones. <
The Rev. Mr. Buchanan is a 1
native of Cartersville, where his 1
parents still live, as do his in- 1
laws.
He has completed two years ;
work at Thuett-McConnell Col- !
lege, Cleveland, and-has been 1
serving for some time at Rocky <
(Continued On Page 2) 1
Snmmmnlk Nms
Henry Duke
Promoted To
Carrollton
Henry Duke, Central of Georgia
Railway agent in Chattooga
County for the past five years,
has been promoted to agent for
the Carrollton office of the firm.
The Dukes expect to move to
Carrollton before school opens
and Mr. Duke will assume his
duties there at the time they
move.
He is now serving at Lyerly
and was for several years the
Summerville agent. He served
briefly at Krannert in Floyd
County between the Summerville
(Continued On Page 2)
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CHATTOOGA HOSPITAL WHEN NEW
. . .patient load has dropped drastically
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1964
Baptist Official Urges
Chattooga Be ‘Cleaned Up’
The head of Chattooga Baptist work, declaring that he
was speaking only for himself and not for the churches, this
week challenged Chattooga church people to be active in
“cleaning up this dirty situation”.
The Rev. G. Emmett Smith, missionary of the Chat-
tooga Baptist Assn., said he was
referring to the liquor and beer
traffic.
He added that he was “not a
politician” and not trying to get
votes for anyone.
“The devil would have you sit
back and say that it is none of
your business,” he said. “But it
is some of your business. If
someone were to spread poison
all around the door of your
neighbor’s house it would be
your duty to help him move the
same, not only to save his chil
dren but to save your children
who often play in the neighbor’s
yard.”
The Rev. Mr. Smith said he
was “not a politician,” had been
here only two years and was not
too well acquainted with “those
who are” (politicians).
He continued:
“As there will be an election
in our county this year I trust
that you who do know the best
men for the job of cleaning up
this dirty situation will work
hard to this end . . . This is not
a political ad, nor is it a vote
getter for any person. This is
the feelings of the man God has
sent here to work for Him.
Heaven forgive me if I don’t do
just that and even more if with
in my power to do so. I speak
only for myself and not the
churches of Chattooga County.”
In a statement entitled “The
Liquor Traffic Would Destroy the
Church If It Could; The Church
Could Destroy the Liquor Traffic
If It Would”, Smith said; “The
liquor traffic in Georgia is an
alarming thought to all those
who are concerned about the
future of our state and county.
It has been my duty to deal
with alcoholics across the years.
Some I have been able to help
but with many I have failed. It
all depended on the desire of
the one with which I was trying
to help.
“I feel that it is my duty to
bring to the attention of my fel
low citizens some facts that
exist. In a joint project of the
Department of Psychiatry,
Emory University, the City of
Atlanta and Fulton County the
following facts were turned up:
‘The total net loss to the city of
Atlanta occasioned by the use of
I Uncle Ned’s:
I Noles
Several things is likely to be
issues in the sheriff’s race this
year.
A 24 hour day jailer, drag
racing all up and down our
roads, more deputies, better
law enforcement in general.
But bootleggin’ is shore gona
be one ov the main issues. At
least that’s whut 1 been I
hearin’.
alcoholic beverages was $15,127,-
659.38 . . . For every dollar re
ceived in any form as the result
of the use of alcoholic beverages
the cost to the City of Atlanta
was $6.43 . . . The total number
of all arrests in Atlanta was
83,360, of which 49,398 were
drunk arrests. Thus drunk ar
rests account for 59.3 per cent
of the total arrests.’
“A man who is the owner of
a beverage company, whose
name I shall withhold, said he
figures that any given six month
period will see at least 250,000
cases of beer—that is a cool six
million bottles or cans—going
from licensed distributors in wet
counties into dry counties. He
said that he could account for
100,000 cases moving from his
county into dry counties. This is
what they call leg-business
which was strictly a matter
of self-survival for distributors
doing business in small wet
counties outside the big metro
politan areas.
“We all know that the same
thing is going on here in Chat
tooga County. We have a fine
place to live and bring up our
children. But I fear that if this
condition is not cleared up and
done away with this cannot
continue to be sa 1 d of our
county.”
CYL Day Camp
Winners Told
Winners in the day camp
events of last week have been
announced.
The camp, co-sponsored by
the Christian Youth League
and the Summerville Recreation
Center, ended Friday night with
a gala program. Mrs. Henry
Duke was director for the camp
and a group of CYL members
served as counselors.
A watermelon eating contest
was a highlight Friday night,
with first place winner being
Gloria Devlin. Don Money was
second and Alan Duke and Terry
Lewis tied for third.
Wright Wheeler and Don
Money won the egg throw.
In the ceramic art event, Mil
ford Morgan was first in the
boys’ division and Terry Lewis
was second. Sharon McGill was
first In the girls’ division and
Joyce Smith was second.
Doll show winners were:
Gloria Devlin, Susan Busbin,
Gina Cooper, Marlene Bryant,
Susan Farrar, Patti Lanier, Cyn
thia Hubler, Kim Stanley, Vicki
Norton, Lynn Farrar, E’beth
Martin, Joan Neal, Carol Duke,
Nancy Farrar, Terri Treadaway
and Debbie Gaylor.
Junior Olympics winners were:
Sixty-yard dash—Boys 7 and
8, Steve Lanier, first; Bob Camp-
sharply, making for even greater financial losses. It fell from 61 pel
cent to 44 per cent. It was nearly 49 per cent in 1962 and almost 48
per cent in 1963. This year, indications are that it may be a little
lower than that.
Two weeks ago a Chattooga grand jury criticized hospital of
ficials, calling upon the hospital board to resign if it couldn’t im
prove the situation. Members of the board say they will have a reply
when their attorney, Ed Surles, returns from Europe. He is sched
uled to be in his office Monday.
The low patient load seems to be the basic problem.
It means less income, but it doesn’t mean a much lower over
head. The hospital must have the same equipment and about the
same staff, three shifts a day, regardless of whether it is half full or
completely full. It costs about S4OO a day to operate the hospital.
The question is: Why has the patient load decreased?
Part of it can surely be attributed to the fact that more and
more Chattoogans are going to specialists, and thence to hospitals,
in Rome, Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Atlanta. One person said
it is “becoming fashionable’’ to go to specialists and although Chat
tooga has a corps of able general practioners she has no spe
cialists. Especially as nearby Rome has become more and more of a
medical center—with numerous specialists in various fields and
magnificient hospital buildings—more and more Chattoogans have
been drawn to seek medican care there. Often, the more affluent
(Continued On Page 3)
Be An Informed Voter This
Year; Read The News Series
It’s your duty to be an informed voter.
And to become better informed—about the candidates
and about the duties of the offices—read each week The
Summerville News series “The Offices. .The Candidates. . .’
This week, the Chattooga Board of Education is dis
cussed. Read it, or if you don’t have time now, clip it out
and read it later.
S’ville PO
Improvements
Planned
Summerville Post Office reno
vations amounting to some SBO,-
000 have been approved, Con
gressman John w. Davis, of
Summerville, has announced.
The General Services Admin
istration, which handles govern
ment construction, will begin
advertising for bids today and
they will be opened Sept. 8.
Included in the work are new
electrical wiring, a central air
conditioning system, renovation
of the heating system, interior
and exterior painting, and re
surfacing of the driveway and
(Continued On Page 2)
bell, second; girls 7 and 8, Terri
Treadaway, first; Kristie Lynch,
second; boys 9 and 10, Kenneth
Duke, first; William Crouch, sec
ond; girls 9 and 10, Susan Floyd,
first; Susan Farrar, second; boys
11 and 12, Phil Cavin, Wright
Wheeler (tie), first; Milford
Morgan, second; girls 11 and 12,
Becky Ransome, first; Marlene
Bryant, second.
Running broad jump—Boys 7
and 8, Steve Lanier, first; Mike
Ledford, second; girls 7 and 8,
Debbie Gaylor, first; Terri
Treadaway, second; boys 9 and
10, Kenneth Duke, first; Wil
liam Crouch, second; girls 9 and
10, E’beth Martin, first; Susan
Floyd, second; boys 11 and 12,
Milford Morgan, first; Phil
Cavin, second; girls 11 and 12,
Becky Ransome, first; Gloria
Devlin, Carol Duke (tie) second.
Shot-put (ball throw)—Boys 7
and 8, Steve Lanier, first; Mike
Smith, second; girls 7 and 8,
Melanie Morehead, first; Debbie
Gaylor, second; boys 9 and 10,
Kenneth Duke, first; William
Crouch, second; girls 9 and 10,
Susan Floyd, first; Kim Stanley,
second; boys 11 and 12, Wright
Wheeler, first; Phil Cavin, Mil
ford Morgan (tie), second; girls
11 and 12, Carol Duke, first;
(Continued On Page 2).
9,300 Persons
Registered
To Vote Sept. 9
Some 9,300 Chattooga Coun
tians will be eligible to vote in
the Sept. 9 primary.
This is about a thousand fewer
than were registered for the 1960
primary.
The total figure, 9,315, was
announced Wednesday by the
Chattooga Board of Registrars
after it completed its tabula
tions. The final day for regis
tering for the primary vote was
Monday. July 20.
Tne latest figure is nearly a
thousand more than that before
the May deadline, the total then
having been 8,380. The regis
tering period was re-opened by
the Georgia General Assembly in
its new election code.
In the meantime, campaigning
was slowly picking up steam in
the county this week but the
main topic of political observers
continued to be whether or not
GOP Presidential Nominee Barry
Goldwater would carry the
county.
County and area candidates
reported they ran into this talk
“everywhere” and some said
voters were pressing them for
their stand on that race.
Only six weeks remain before
the county-state primary.
Court Ends
Thursday
The July term of Chattooga
Superior Court ended Thursday
after some four days of criminal
cases.
Early in the week, Charles
Johnson was convicted of vol
untary manslaughter in connec
tion with the death of Cicero
Jones and was given a 10 Xo
20-year sentence. Both men are
Negro. Johnson had been
charged with murder but the
jury reduced the charge.
In addition, Tommy Lee
Shropshire, also Negro, was con
victed of kidnapping and auto
theft and given seven years, the
maximum, on the kidnap charge
and one year on the other
charge, the terms to run con
secutive.
A jury cleared Billy White of
forgery charges but found Ernest
(Continued On Page 2)
A Prize-Winning
i Newspaper
| 1964
Better Newspaper
Contests
IMpaW
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JOHN CARRUTH JR.
(Photo Courtesy The Facts).
Carruth New
Trion Band
Director
John Carruth, Jr. of Gadsden,
Ala. is the new Trion Band Di
rector. Mr. Carruth began his
band career when he joined the
Disque Junior High Band and
moved the next year to the
Gadsden High School Band.
While participating in the high
school band he won four Ala
bama All-State medals and
played in the All-State Band.
Mr. Carruth entered the music
depart ment at Jacksonville
State College and participated in
the Concert Band and sang irj
the College Choir. He left Jack
sonville State College and taught
for five years. One year in the
Birmingham School System, and
four at Gadsden at the Disque
Junior High School. While at
Gadsden his band received rat
ing of Excellent at the Alabama
State Band Festival.
Mr. Carruth returned to Jack
sonville to obtain his degree in
music. He was a member of the
Marching Southerners, the Brass
Choir, the Symphonic Band, and
the A Capella Choir. Since
Christmas Mr. Carruth has been
teaching the bands at Collins
ville and Crossville. The Cross
ville Band won a rating of Good
in its first participation in the
Alabama State Band Festival.
Mr. Carruth is married to the
former Miss Bonnie Broadwell of
Webster’s Chapel, and they have
a brand new infant son.
Mr. Carruth plans to move to
Trion August 1.
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