85 years ago: 4,000 Laurens County residents to register

Dublin Courier Herald, Dispatch and Press

An estimated 4,000 to 4,500 Laurens County men between the ages of 21 and 36 will go to schools over the county on Wednesday, October 16, to register for possible selective military service.

The estimate is based on an unofficial calculation that approximately 13 per cent of the county’s population of over 32,000 people are men between those two ages.

While all men, both white and colored, between 21 and 36 are required to register, Georgia probably will not be called up to furnish any men in the November draft because of the large number of enlistments from the state, according to Lieutenant Colonel Sterling A. Wood of Fort Benning.

His statement came as plans were rushed to completion for the registrations of 436,000 Georgians.  

PLACES FOR REGISTRATION

All men who have reached their 21st birthday on October 16 but have not reached their 36th birthday by October 16 must register or they will be subject to prosecution by the federal government. 

Those who are sick or crippled and cannot get to a school to register, must send some man to the school to give his name and address for him.

Laurens County School Superintendent Elbert Mullis and Dublin City School Superintendent A.J. Hargrove are in charge of registration for this county. 

Hours are from 7:00 a.m.to 9:00 p.m., but everyone is urged to go as early as possible to speed up the work. Ample facilities will be available to accommodate all who apply for registration. Teachers, as well as volunteers, are serving as registrars.

Those who are confined to hospitals should send word to the registration board so that a deputy can be sent to register them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Registration Places:

WHITES: Baker; Bethsaida; Brewton; Cadwell; Cedar Grove; Condor; Cross Roads; Dexter; Dudley; Harmony; Lovett; Lowery; Marie; Montrose; New Bethel; Olivet; Pine Forest ; Pine Grove; Rentz ; Wilkes; Dublin High School

NEGROES: Washington Street High School

Laurens County School Superintendent Elbert Mullis, in charge of the draft registration in the county, has announced that not all Negro schools in the county will hold the draft registration, but only 32 will.

Colored persons who would otherwise register at schools in their own districts will register at one of the 32 schools designated, which in most cases are nearby anyway.

Schools to be used and the other districts from which men will come to register are these:

Holly Springs, also for Buckeye and St.Stephens districts

Lovett, also for Mt. Pullen District

Brewton, also for Zion Hill and Blackshear districts

Park Street, also for Brown Grove and Condor districts

New Evergreen, No 1, also for Charlie Baggett District

Pine Level, also for Royal Springs District

Montford Grove, also for Strawberry District

Spring Hill, also for Oconee and Holly Grove districts

Millville, also for Hickory Grove and Hogan Grove districts 

Macedonia, No 1, also for Eason Hill, Pleasant Grove, Laurens Hill, and Byrd Royal districts

Rose Hill, for that district only

Pine Hill, also for Sandy Ford and Whitehead Chapel districts

Shady Grove, also for Rocky Creek District

St. Luke, also for Middle Ground and Beulah Hill districts

Reedy Springs, for that district only

Cadwell, for that district only

New Providence, for Sun Hill District

Land Branch, also for New Evergreen No. 2 District

Fleming Chapel, also fo Woodard Grove No. 2 District

Robinson Chapel, also for Woodard Grove No.1 District

Mary Grove, also for Sand Ridge District

Pearly Chapel, for that district only

Hat Off, for that district only

Barber’s Chapel, also for Macedonia No. 2 District

Currie Hunt, for that district only

Currie Grove, for that district only

St. John, for that district only

St. Mark,for that district only

Claxton Grove, for that district only

Rice Hill, for that district only

Barber’s Chapel, also for Macedonia No. 2 District

Valdosta, also for Liberty Hill District

Jordan Grove, for that district only

The reason for using only these schools for registering Negroes is that most of the county’s colored schools are one-teacher institutions, and it was impractcal to provide enough workers and supervisors for all of them.

JEWISH HOLIDAY SEASON BEGINS

Even in a war-torn world, Jews throughout the globe will welcome Rosh Ha-shanah, the Jewish religious New Year, which opens this year on Wednesday evening, October 2 (the eve of the first day of Tishri, the seventh month in the Jewish calendar.)

As a holy day concerned primarily with the life of the individual, Rosh Hashanah with its message of eternal values will bring new courage to persecuted people and new strength to those called upon to aid their fellow men.

Observed for one day by Reform Jews, the New Year is celebrated for two days by Orthodox and Conservative Jews. The two-day celebration is carried over from the time when uncertain calendar calculations made necessary the two-day observance.

Unconnected with nature or with any specific historic event, Rosh Hashanah was first observed in its present form within two generations of the fall of the Second Temple. The only holiday at this season which is mentioned in the Bible is the feast of ingathering at the end of the year.

The blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn, in the synagogue announced the New Year and is a characteristic of the Rosh Hashanah service. In the home, honey is served on the eve of the New Year as a symbol of the wish for a sweet, happy, and prosperous year.

Considered a day of judgement and memorial, Rosh Hashanah inaugurated the days of penitence which are concluded on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Since Rosh Hashanah was traditionally the day on which the Lord judged each man and determined his future, greetings exchanged on the New Year were often expressed in the wish

“May you be inscribed in the book of life for a good year.”

RURAL HOUSING BEING STUDIED

Plans were going forward today to set in motion the federal rural housing plan in Laurens County just as soon as an allotment is approved in Washington.

Members of the Laurens County Housing Committee and county officials attended a meeting in Fitzgerald on Thursday at which a district housing authority for 14 counties in this section of Georgia was set up with Soperton as headquarters.

The district authority will be in charge of the disbursement of $1,400,000 for construction of low-cost farm homes in the 14 counties. Each county has tentatively been alloted $100,000.

Walter Harrison of Millen was named head of the district authority, and county committees will meet with him within the next two weeks to perfect the organization.

Counties included in the authority, which is to be known as District No.2, are Jones, Green, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Treutlen, Tattnall, Toombs, Montgomery, Wheeler, Appling, Dodge, and Ben Hill.

Those attending the Fitzgerald meeting from Laurens County were W.D. Parkerson, Chairman of the Laurens Housing Committee; O.D. Cullens; Commissioner Chairman Joe Frank Graham; Walter Daniell, Commissioner Clerk; Harry Edge, Laurens County Farm Agent; and W.H. White. 

CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS DISPLAY AND BACKS FAIR 

Dublin City Council endorsed the proposed Christmas display on the County Courthouse Square and endorsed the County Fair, which opens October 14. Mayor D. Sessions agreed to issue a proclamation setting October 17 as “Dublin Day” at the fair.

Rev. R.W. Eubanks, Rev. J.N. Peacock, and R.H. Hightower were present at the session and presented the Christmas display matter. Council voted a donation of $15 by the city and agreed on personal donations to the display amounting to over $100 additional.

Commander of the American Legion E.F. Moxley and a large delegation of Legionnaires, who are sponsoring the Fair, were also present at the session and asked Mayor Sessions to issue the proclamation. 

TEACHERS HAVE MUSIC PROGRAM

Laurens County teachers had an interesting program on music, which included a number of vocal selections by the music department of Brewton-Parker Institute at the monthly meeting of the county teachers on Saturday. The program was sponsored by Wilkes High School, and Miss Edith Gates of Brewton-Parker was in charge and was divided into these three parts:

I. Music – in the School

“The Part Music Plays in Our School”  – Bill Rittenhouse

Selections: “”Morning” and ” Give A Man A Horse” – Z.C. O’Farrell                  

II. Music in the American School

“Resume of American Music” – Z.C. O’Farrell

Folk Songs – “Camp Town Races,” “Home on the Range,”” Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” – quartet: Z.C. O’Farrell, Jim Rittenhouse, Bill Rittenhouse, W.T. Booth

III. Sacred Music in the School 

Comments on importance of Sacred Music – W.T. Booth

Selections: “Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart,” “Remember Now Thy Creator” – Quartet

The meeting was opened with prayer by G.E. Currie, after which a business session was held. First month enrollments at all of the schools were given by the superintendents of all of the schools of the county except Cross Roads. They were as follows:

Baker –       81

Bethsaida    103

Brewton      208

Cadwell      216

Cedar Grove  280

Condor       190

Dexter       446

Dudley       440

Harmony      134

Lovett        42

Lowery       207

Marie         49

Montrose     109

New Bethel    88

Olivet        50

Pine Forest  101

Rentz        328

Wilkes       272

Pine Grove    54

JOHNSON STREET SCHOOL NEWS

Sixth Grade Program

Pupils of the sixth grade at Johnson Street School presented a unique and interesting program at the weekly chapel service in the school auditorium on Friday morning.

Unison singing of “Praise God,” reading of the 8th Psalm, and praying the Lord’s Prayer opened the program.

Other numbers were: 

Piano solo, “Morning Prayer” – Annie May Hudson

Vocal trio, Earl, Binyon, and Eugene Mimbs – “When the Saints Go Marching In”

Vocal duet with guitar accompaniment – Jewell and Julia Lord

Vocal Duet – “Please Don’t Pass Me Buy” – Evie Jean and Eugene Mimbs

Piano selection, “Hail, Columbia”  – Louis Parker

Piano Solo, “Gertrude’s Dream” – Merle Shepard

Piano Selection – “Rope Tricks” – Gene Register

PTA Members

During the week, which has been designated as Parent-Teacher Week, Mrs. E.B. Martin, Chairman of the Membership Committee of the Johnson Street School PTA, and Mrs. James Hobbs, President, are seeking to enlist new members and to renew membership of former members, realizing that the Parent Teacher Association is the medium through which they may best cooperate in furthering the child’s welfare.

CONDOR SCHOOL PLANS ADDITION

Condor School has recently added a high school department, and the trustees have a building program which will add four new rooms to the school property.

Miss Mary Rountree is the head of the new commerce departement. Seven new typewriters have been added to the school equipment.

Basket balls have been ordered, and soon practice will begin in earnest.

A WPA kitchen has been approved for the school and the equipment is ready for use, including the addition of a new room with many conveniences.

Condor is one of the first schools in the county to receive this service.

Mrs. Herschel Whitehurst has been elected President of the Parent Teachers Association, and Mrs. E. Beckham was named secretary. The PTA has been active, having sponsored a kitchen shower on Friday night at which time many fine and useful gifts were presented. 

At this meeting, the eighth grade had charge of the program, and Jack Powell of the Dublin High School faculty played several instrumental solos, and refreshments were served. 

At the first PTA meeting, the faculty were introduced, which consists of Mrs. S.M. Kellam, Mrs. N.T. Beacham, Mrs. Frank Johnson, Mrs H.C. McDaniel, Mrs. A.M. Kirkpatrick, Miss Ruby Coleman, Mrs B.C. Jarrard, Mrs. Helen Bashinski, Miss Ruth Porter, and J.L. Roberts. A message on PTA work was brought by Mrs O.L. Chivers, and Miss Laurel Deen Gay performed several accordion selections.

On Friday night, a magician delighted those in attendance with tricks and ventriloquist acts. The school had a share in the proceeds.

The bus drivers cooperated in all of the school programs by bringing the teachers and friends to entertainments at the school.

On October 16, the teachers will assist in the draft registration.                     

SCHOOLS TO GET MALARIA TESTS

Beginning on Monday, October 7, Dr. O.H. Cheek, County Health Officer, will begin a malaria survey of all school children in the county, it was announced today.

In 1939, a total of 4,263 pupils were examined, including colored. Only 1.1 per cent of them reacted positive, which is not a high per cent in comparison with other counties of this malaria section of Georgia. The 1939 rate was also lower that that of the preceding year.

A thick blood smear will be collected from every pupil, which is the only way to determine the type of malaria infection.

BREWTON WINS FOOTBALL GAME

Brewton High School defeated Cedar Grove High School 12 to 8 in the first game for these two six-man football teams. (Cadwell and Dexter had opened the Laurens County School season with a victory for Cadwell on Thursday afternoon.)

Warren Sapp scored the first touchdown for Brewton, and the second Brewton score was made on a pass from Keiver Jordan to Victor Moye. Moye ran 20 yards to cross the goal line after catching the toss from Jordan.

Cedar Grove scored two points on a safety early in the game. Manus made the only Cedar Grove touchdown.

The line-ups:

Brewton:

Moye       re 

Graham     c

Walker     le

Jordan     qb

J.Sapp     hb

W.Sapp     fb

Cedar Grove:

Manus      re

Lowery     c

Fountain   le

Lowery     qb

Howell     hb

Burch      fb

Substitutes:

Hall for Fountain

BOOK SHOWER FOR BREWTON

Parents, students, and friends are urged to bring volumes of books suitable for the school library to the “Womanless Wedding” at the Brewton School gymnasium on Monday night at 7:30. Superintendent W.E. Toole encourages this “book shower” as a standard library is one of the main requirements for being an accredited school.

Dessie Maddox will be the bride, and Quillan Holland will be the groom. Eugene Heckle is the soloist. Many other men from Brewton and surrounding territory will take part in this affair.

The Senior Class at Brewton High School met on Thursday afternoon, October 3rd, for the purpose of electing class officers for the school year 1940-41. Those elected were

Swinton Walker – President

Virginia Cooper – Secretary and Treasurer

Sara Jackson – Reporter

Other members of the class are

Nell Tyre

Katherine Maddox

Evelyn Smith

Eula Maddox

Veneree Register

Annie Lou Cox

Eva Brantley

Willie Lee Curl

Helen Durden

Warren Sapp

Roy Graham

Keiver Jordan

Victor Moye

These students are all expecting a successful year and plan to take a trip to a place of interest next spring.