THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 17
IT JUST AIN’T FITTIN - There's an age old legal maxim that if one comes to court, he must come with clean hands. That axiom was never more true than in the 1915 case of Newsome V. Blackshear. It seems Walter Blackshear had contracted with J.A. Newsome to give his dear departed mother a proper burial. The funeral service took place, but when it came time to pay the undertaker, Blackshear refused to honor Newsome's request for payment. Blackshear's defense was a most unusual one. He claimed that the coffin which was provided by Newsome was all too narrow to accommodate his mother's body and that in order to fit his mother into her eternal vessel, her corpse was trimmed to make it fit. Blackshear presented a witness, who from her vantage point behind a wall, peered through a crack and watched the embalmer split Mrs. Blackshear from throat to stomach and stuff her into the wooden box. Despite Newsome's good reputation in the community and his explanation that the incision was a standard procedure, the jury brought in a verdict for the defense. Accordingly, during the following fall, Newsome advertised a sale to clear out his overstocked inventory of spring and summer coffins.
PREACHER PRANK - Okay, I will admit it. This one was a joke and a good one. The Rev. T.B. Seibenmann placed a sign out in front of Centenary Methodist Church. The notice read "Seats Free." Some joker thought it would be hilarious to remove only one letter from the invitation for worshipers and repenters to come inside. Crowds of people pushed and shoved their way into the church filling it beyond its capacity. They weren't coming for salvation. After all, this was the Great Depression. What they came for was food. You see, the solitary letter which the prankster removed was the first letter in the message, which then read "eats free."
SCHOOL PRIDE - The community of Wilkes, which lies between Minter and Rockledge, had been without a school for over a half a year following a fire in the spring of 1941. Under the leadership of County Supt. Elbert Mullis, Wilkes Supt. D.H. Knight, and concerned citizens of the community, a new brick school was dedicated on February 13, 1942. The board of trustees, which included Bernice Griffin, Lawton Wilkes, Loren Thigpen, Cone Thigpen, and Dewey Johnson, were right proud of their school, which was the only brick public school outside of a municipality. All citizens of the county were encouraged to form a motorcade from Dublin out to Wilkes School on the Soperton Road. A musical program was performed by the Laurens County Drum and Bugle Corps. The featured speaker for the afternoon was Gov. Eugene Talmadge, one of Georgia's most popular governors. Laurens Citizen, January 29, 1942, p. 1.
CAP’N JACK RIDES AGAIN - Captain Jack Loyd was billed as a premier soldier of fortune. His exploits had taken him from the Rio Grande to Alaska. It was said that Captain Jack beat sixty seven men to the draw. He claimed to have been a Texas Ranger and an Indian scout. Captain Jack also claimed to have been in the No. 10 Saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, the night Wild Bill Hickock was killed. Captain Jack spent four days in Dublin during the second week of February, 1940. The climax of his visit was a special show at the Ritz Theatre at 212 W. Jackson Street where free autographed photos were given to the first two hundred kids. Dublin Courier Herald, Feb. 10, 1940, p. 6.
THE MONEY MAN - John Burke, Treasurer of the United States of America, spoke to a large crowd at the Bertha Theatre in Dublin on February 8, 1918. Burke's visit was sponsored by the bankers of Laurens County, who entertained Mr. Burke with a delicious dinner. Dublin Courier Herald 2/8/1918, p. 1.
ROAST PORK - Laurens Countians saluted their newest U.S. Senator, Sam Nunn, with a Bar-be-que at West Laurens High School Gym on February 1, 1975. Over three thousand persons attended the political gathering, including Senator Herman Talmadge, Sen. Robert Byrd, and Governor George Busbee. Many of the people came just for the pork, not only the pig meat but the promises of programs in our area. Laurens County News, 2/5/1975, p. 1.
SMOKE IN THE WATER- John Miller lived down along the Laurens-Wheeler line. Mr. Miller awoke one February night to discover a pine tree burning in his yard. Miller went out in a light rain to inspect the tree. After several days the stump of the tree burned out. Miller thought nothing else about the matter supposing that the tree had been struck by lightning. After awhile the strangest thing began to happen. Every time it rained smoke began to rise from the hole. Sometimes on cloudy days when no rain was falling the fire would begin to burn. Can you solve this mystery? Dublin Post, June 28, 1882., p. 3.
EASY RIDER - Herbert Darsey loved to ride bicycles so much that he went into the business of selling and repairing them. In the late winter of 1931, Darsey set out on a two week trip to the Georgia and South Carolina coast. Darsey traveled to Savannah and thence to Charleston. From there he rode back to Savannah before going on to Brunswick. Darsey made a final trip back to Savannah before returning to Dublin. Darsey spent only $2.50 on the trip. He made several stops repairing bikes along the way. His longest one day trip was over 160 miles. That was the day he ran into the path of a wild cat. He rode as fast as he could for hours to make sure the wild cat was not following him. Dublin Courier Herald, March 19, 1931, p. 1.
LUCKY CHARMS - For many years a horseshoe was somewhat of a lucky charm or good luck piece. Monroe Rozier was out on the Jimmy Stanley plantation cutting wood. Rozier was wearing his 53 year old pair of pants when he discovered a hand made horseshoe inside a block of wood. The horseshoe, in a remarkable state of preservation, was thought to have been nailed on the side of the tree 50 to 100 years before for a hitching post. Dublin Courier Dispatch, March 30, 1909, p. 1.
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