THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 121. JOHNSON COUNTY, GA.
I’M NOT RAISING MY HAND! - On September 13, 1891, the pastor of the Baptist Church in Wrightsville, Ga., greeted his congregation by informing his parishioners that he had placed three tobacco boxes to act as spittoons on the floor, presumably for the assembly of tobacco chewers in the sanctuary. The preacher commanded his flock, “All who will chew tobacco in the church and spit on the floor must hold up their hand.” The pastor even volunteered to bring a spittoon to those who felt the great urge to spit. No one raised their hands. The embarrassed editor of the town newspaper swiftly swallowed his juicy tobacco-saturated saliva before secreting his large wad into his coat pocket. Atlanta Constitution, September 16, 1891.
NO HOLDS BARRED AT THE BAR - It was during the time when Judge Flanders was holding court at the Johnson County Courthouse on May 9, 1896. Mr. P.H. Rogers was giving his testimony when one A.O. Kennedy yelled out, “I say it’s true. You lie! Kennedy charged Rogers, who was still sitting on the witness stand. A full-blown ruckus commenced right there in front of the judge. Before the two combatants could be pulled apart, Kennedy took his pen-knife and slashed Roger’s jugular vein.
It just so happened that two doctors were attending the court session that day. They sprang from their seats and rushed to the aid of the dying man. Kennedy made his escape. By the end of the day, there were five doctors taking turns to help P.H. Rogers from bleeding to death. At the end of the day, Rogers was in critical, but stable, condition. Chicago Tribune, May 10, 1896.
MEEKS HERO - Arthur Iverson Meeks was born in Kite, Ga, and grew up in neighboring Meeks, Georgia, in Johnson County. During World War II, as a member of General George Patton's Third Army, Meeks was awarded the Infantryman’s Badge, the French Medal of Honor, three Bronze Stars, and the prestigious Silver, the nation’s third-highest award for heroism and gallantry. He died in 2014 at the age of ninety-six. Obituary, Lanier Funeral Home, Lakeland, Florida.
THE BOY WONDER - Alvin Hanebury was a genius. Alvin lived in the Spann community on the Wrightsville & Tennille Railroad in southwestern Johnson County. For those of you who don’t know where Spann is, it is located where the railroad crosses the Lovett to Wrightsville road, or just a hollering distance from the family seat of Herschel Walker. The highly successful Garbutt Brothers operated one of the largest sawmills anywhere around this part of the state. The company constructed a series of tram railroads in all directions to facilitate the transportation of trees to the mill. The manager of the mill hired Alvin when the boy was only nine years old. Alvin amazed his co-workers and his bosses as he handled every task assigned to him. Savannah Morning News, Dec. 11, 1895.
MUSIC OF THE GHOSTS - Back in the year 1890, a ghostly tale was about to begin. A good crowd gathered for supper at the home of J.H. Hicks, just outside of Wrightsville. All of a sudden, the water in a pot was about to reach its boiling point. Then the sounds of music were heard. The guests made out the sounds of two popular tunes, “The Arkansas Traveler” and “The Devil’s Dream.” The guests kept asking themselves, “Why and how.” A Mr. Jordan began to hear the stings of a violin in another room. He walked toward the source of the music and examined the entire area. Although everyone heard the same things, no source was ever found. St. Louis Globe Democrat, October 24, 1890.
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE THERE IS SOMETIMES NO FIRE - It was another quiet night in Wrightsville when an unbelievable turn of events began to unfold. Someone noticed what appeared to be smoke coming out of the spire on the top of the courthouse, located some 125 feet in the air. Several townsfolk rushed inside the courthouse and up a winding staircase to find the source of the smoke. Others grabbed buckets and hoses. When the investigators reached the top of the staircase, they were dumbfounded as to what they found. The smoke was not coming from any fire. What they saw was described as millions of gnats. Savannah Morning News, 7.30.1899.
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