In Pursuit of Trivia
YOU'RE GREENING ME. - I think that this was a St. Patrick's day alibosh of a printer's devil, but in newspapers across the country it was reported that Patrick Ireland of Dublin, Georgia attempted to enlist in the Marine Corps, but was turned down on account of the fact that he could not recognize the color green. Florence Morning News, March 18, 1931.
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT? - An ingenious Laurens County farmer, who had not enough mules to plow his field, decided to hook his plow up to his coupe automobile, an idea which worked very well. He plowed 30 acres of peanuts in a single afternoon. Florence Morning News, May 31, 1942.
JOIN THE CROWD - The New York Times reported that a Laurens County minister wanted to know how his congregation stood on the issue of whiskey. So, he polled them one day during a church service. The pastor asked all of those in favor of the sale of whiskey to rise. One man did. Feeling confident that his flock had seen the light, he asked how many of those present were against the sale of whiskey. No one moved. Devastated at what had occurred, the preacher vowed that if his parishioners did not change their minds within a month, he would resign from the pulpit. Obviously, he could not join the crowd. New York Times, June 29, 1884.
WHO'S FOOLING WHO ? James Charles was afraid of burglars and robbers. As he was old, Charles couldn't grab a gun and fire at thieves like he used to. So, Charles rigged a shotgun to his door, hoping that any uninvited intruder would receive a rude welcome. I know you are ahead of me. Yes, Charles forgot and walked right in his front door. The buckshot hurt his pride more than his hide. Middlesboro Kentucky Daily News, August 4, 1942.
SHINE ON, SHINE IN - Charlie Williams, a Dublin shoe shine boy, was known for his shoe shines. Customers would line up for a good black shimmer on their shoes. One day, police noticed the line at Charlie's shoe shine stand was a little longer than usual. Upon a further investigation, the cops noticed a five-gallon can strategically hidden out of view. Every once in a while, Charlie would open the lid and give his customers a cool drink. Trouble was, the liquid inside the can was also shine, moonshine. Helena Independent Record, November 1, 1954.
LOVE TAPS - Joseph Conway married his bride when she was only thirteen years old. Conway, an army master sergeant, taught his wife Morse Code while they were courting. The couple would tap out messages to each other, sometimes in front of their families and friends. The Conways celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in Dublin in 1960. Both confined to wheelchairs, the Conways renewed their wedding vows. Conway, 93 years old, deaf and blind, was oblivious to the outside world. Mrs. Conway reached out and tapped in dots and dashes, "We are still sweethearts." Conway, put his hand on his wife's knee and tapped, "Sure, we are still sweethearts." Appleton Wisconsin Post Crescent, February 18, 1960.
MATERNAL INSTINCT - Folks from far and around came to see it. They couldn't believe it at first. Seems as if a Dublin nanny goat, whose kids had died, instinctively wanted to keep nursing. So, the goat adopted two orphan hound dog puppies as her own. Every day, she would come to the gate of their pen, bleat out loud, and wait for the hungry pups to come get their daily feeding. Marion Ohio Star, April 3, 1889.
SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE HEARD THAT BEFORE - During his one-hour and forty-five minute argument to a Laurens County jury, a Dublin lawyer used the phrase "gentlemen of the jury" a total of one hundred and seventy-seven times. Atlanta Constitution, August 18, 1882.
THE CREATURE FROM THE OCONEE RIVER SWAMP - Residents along the Old River Road in southeastern Laurens County tried to kill what they believed was a supernatural monster which had been seen in the Oconee River Swamps near Rufus Beacham's home. The Dublin Gazette reported that dogs and guns were useless in the effort to stop him. Atlanta Constitution, August 18, 1882.
ON THE EDGE OF PARADISE - A decade and a half before Gen. James Oglethorpe ever sat foot on Yammacraw Bluff, men were dreaming of a colony below South Carolina. Thomas Nairne proposed to establish the colony of Georgia to be settled by Swiss immigrants. Sir Robert Montgomery petitioned the proprietors of South Carolina to establish the Margravate of Azilia in the area southwest of South Carolina. Montgomery published a pamphlet on his colony, which was bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, south and west by the Altamaha/Oconee Rivers, north by the mountains, and northeast by the Savannah River. Laurens County was located on the edge of the colony which lay on the same latitude of Palestine, "God's land" and which abounded with woods and meadows. The air was healthy, the soil fruitful. Vines were abundant in the hills. Montgomery proclaimed that the seasons were regular with no excess of heat or cold. Evidently, the gentleman never came to Georgia in July. Georgia Voices, Spencer B. King, Jr., pp. 5-6.
THE BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY. The center piece of the railroad collection of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center is a Baldwin locomotive. It was built in 1890 for use on the Sylvania Central Railroad. It was later brought to the Dublin rail yard, where it remained until 1954 when it was moved to Savannah. Although it never saw use here, it would have looked great at the railroad park.
LOCAL BOY DOES WELL. Thomas Moore is generally credited with being the first physician in Laurens County. He made his first appearance in the legal records in 1818 and married Elizabeth McCall, daughter of Surveyor General Thomas McCall in 1819. Thomas Moore went on to serve as the third Clerk of Laurens Superior Court. Thomas Moore's son by his first wife was James Seaborn Moore. James Moore entered West Point Military Academy in 1825 and graduated in July of 1829. Educated as a physician, James Moore resigned his commission later in the year and returned to Dublin to practice medicine. Dr. James Moore left Dublin and lived the last three decades of his life in Alabama, where he died on July 25, 1869.
Moore graduated 42nd in his class. You might remember the number two man - a young Virginian, Robert E. Lee. Another of Moore's classmate was Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, C.S.A.. Graduating the year before Dr. Moore was a young Mississippi cadet by the name of Jefferson Davis. "Register of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy, 1962, p. 177."
YOU'RE GREENING ME. - I think that this was a St. Patrick's day alibosh of a printer's devil, but in newspapers across the country it was reported that Patrick Ireland of Dublin, Georgia attempted to enlist in the Marine Corps, but was turned down on account of the fact that he could not recognize the color green. Florence Morning News, March 18, 1931.
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT? - An ingenious Laurens County farmer, who had not enough mules to plow his field, decided to hook his plow up to his coupe automobile, an idea which worked very well. He plowed 30 acres of peanuts in a single afternoon. Florence Morning News, May 31, 1942.
JOIN THE CROWD - The New York Times reported that a Laurens County minister wanted to know how his congregation stood on the issue of whiskey. So, he polled them one day during a church service. The pastor asked all of those in favor of the sale of whiskey to rise. One man did. Feeling confident that his flock had seen the light, he asked how many of those present were against the sale of whiskey. No one moved. Devastated at what had occurred, the preacher vowed that if his parishioners did not change their minds within a month, he would resign from the pulpit. Obviously, he could not join the crowd. New York Times, June 29, 1884.
WHO'S FOOLING WHO ? James Charles was afraid of burglars and robbers. As he was old, Charles couldn't grab a gun and fire at thieves like he used to. So, Charles rigged a shotgun to his door, hoping that any uninvited intruder would receive a rude welcome. I know you are ahead of me. Yes, Charles forgot and walked right in his front door. The buckshot hurt his pride more than his hide. Middlesboro Kentucky Daily News, August 4, 1942.
SHINE ON, SHINE IN - Charlie Williams, a Dublin shoe shine boy, was known for his shoe shines. Customers would line up for a good black shimmer on their shoes. One day, police noticed the line at Charlie's shoe shine stand was a little longer than usual. Upon a further investigation, the cops noticed a five-gallon can strategically hidden out of view. Every once in a while, Charlie would open the lid and give his customers a cool drink. Trouble was, the liquid inside the can was also shine, moonshine. Helena Independent Record, November 1, 1954.
LOVE TAPS - Joseph Conway married his bride when she was only thirteen years old. Conway, an army master sergeant, taught his wife Morse Code while they were courting. The couple would tap out messages to each other, sometimes in front of their families and friends. The Conways celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in Dublin in 1960. Both confined to wheelchairs, the Conways renewed their wedding vows. Conway, 93 years old, deaf and blind, was oblivious to the outside world. Mrs. Conway reached out and tapped in dots and dashes, "We are still sweethearts." Conway, put his hand on his wife's knee and tapped, "Sure, we are still sweethearts." Appleton Wisconsin Post Crescent, February 18, 1960.
MATERNAL INSTINCT - Folks from far and around came to see it. They couldn't believe it at first. Seems as if a Dublin nanny goat, whose kids had died, instinctively wanted to keep nursing. So, the goat adopted two orphan hound dog puppies as her own. Every day, she would come to the gate of their pen, bleat out loud, and wait for the hungry pups to come get their daily feeding. Marion Ohio Star, April 3, 1889.
SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE HEARD THAT BEFORE - During his one-hour and forty-five minute argument to a Laurens County jury, a Dublin lawyer used the phrase "gentlemen of the jury" a total of one hundred and seventy-seven times. Atlanta Constitution, August 18, 1882.
THE CREATURE FROM THE OCONEE RIVER SWAMP - Residents along the Old River Road in southeastern Laurens County tried to kill what they believed was a supernatural monster which had been seen in the Oconee River Swamps near Rufus Beacham's home. The Dublin Gazette reported that dogs and guns were useless in the effort to stop him. Atlanta Constitution, August 18, 1882.
ON THE EDGE OF PARADISE - A decade and a half before Gen. James Oglethorpe ever sat foot on Yammacraw Bluff, men were dreaming of a colony below South Carolina. Thomas Nairne proposed to establish the colony of Georgia to be settled by Swiss immigrants. Sir Robert Montgomery petitioned the proprietors of South Carolina to establish the Margravate of Azilia in the area southwest of South Carolina. Montgomery published a pamphlet on his colony, which was bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, south and west by the Altamaha/Oconee Rivers, north by the mountains, and northeast by the Savannah River. Laurens County was located on the edge of the colony which lay on the same latitude of Palestine, "God's land" and which abounded with woods and meadows. The air was healthy, the soil fruitful. Vines were abundant in the hills. Montgomery proclaimed that the seasons were regular with no excess of heat or cold. Evidently, the gentleman never came to Georgia in July. Georgia Voices, Spencer B. King, Jr., pp. 5-6.
THE BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY. The center piece of the railroad collection of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center is a Baldwin locomotive. It was built in 1890 for use on the Sylvania Central Railroad. It was later brought to the Dublin rail yard, where it remained until 1954 when it was moved to Savannah. Although it never saw use here, it would have looked great at the railroad park.
LOCAL BOY DOES WELL. Thomas Moore is generally credited with being the first physician in Laurens County. He made his first appearance in the legal records in 1818 and married Elizabeth McCall, daughter of Surveyor General Thomas McCall in 1819. Thomas Moore went on to serve as the third Clerk of Laurens Superior Court. Thomas Moore's son by his first wife was James Seaborn Moore. James Moore entered West Point Military Academy in 1825 and graduated in July of 1829. Educated as a physician, James Moore resigned his commission later in the year and returned to Dublin to practice medicine. Dr. James Moore left Dublin and lived the last three decades of his life in Alabama, where he died on July 25, 1869.
Moore graduated 42nd in his class. You might remember the number two man - a young Virginian, Robert E. Lee. Another of Moore's classmate was Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, C.S.A.. Graduating the year before Dr. Moore was a young Mississippi cadet by the name of Jefferson Davis. "Register of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy, 1962, p. 177."
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