THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 29

 THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 29

THE GALLIMORE TRAIL - Before the first white men settled in our area, one man blazed a trail across the northwestern corner of Laurens County.  The Gallimore Trail appears on the original survey of the land lots of the 22nd Land District.  The trail originated east of Montrose at Turkey Creek where the  the Old Montrose Road, also known as the Chappell School Road or County Road No. 435 crosses the creek.  From the creek the road ran west along the Old Montrose Road crossing the Chappell Mill Road and passing north of Montrose and running into the current day Montrose-Allentown Road (Co. Road No. 388).   The trail was likely named for the progenitor of the Gallimore family who established a mill along Turkey Creek in central Twiggs County.  In 1811, citizens of Laurens County began the work of improving the trail to Bell Springs Road.  Legal Records of Laurens County, 1833-1857, p. 17; Records of the Surveyor General of Georgia, 1807 Land Lottery, 22nd Land District, Lots 239, 243, 296,   

BUCKEYE "SKEETERS" - Dr. Charles Hicks spent 25 years of his life observing the cases of malaria in the southeastern United States and especially in Laurens County.  At the 52nd Convention of the Georgia Medical Association, Dr. Hicks, President of the Association, spoke to his fellow physicians on the subject of geology, mosquitos, and malaria.  A line following a vein of limestone rock forms the dividing line between the occurrence of malaria cases.  A line that runs from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to Texas runs  through the center of the county striking the Oconee River near Dublin.  The line is also characterized as dividing the red clay lands covered with oak and hickory from the light sandy soil lands filled with yellow pines.  Dr. Hicks charted the occurrences of malaria which were confined to the area of cretaceous formation where wells were only 30 to 80 feet deep.  Most of the cases of malaria were confined to the Buckeye District, while no permanent residents of Dublin ever reported a single case of the hemoglobic form of malaria.  Dublin's water comes from 250 to 500 feet deep artesian wells.  The mosquitos of the Buckeye District were of particular interest to Dr. Hicks.  In the western part of the district plain and hemoglobinuric fever was found.  In the eastern part only the plain type occurred.  In the northern part both types were found, but in the south only the hemoglobinuric fever was found.  Dr. Hicks found that many of the early settlers, especially the men along the river flats, died prematurely from malaria.  Those persons living away from the rivers and streams seemed to have a longer life expectancy. Transactions of the Medical Association of Georgia, 1902, MAG, Atlanta, 1902, pp. 171-183. 

THE WILD WEST COMES TO THE RITZ - Captain Jack Lloyd was billed as a premier soldier of fortune.  Captain Jack's exploits had taken him from the Rio Grande to Alaska. It was said that he 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 on W. Jackson Street where free autographed photos were given to the first 200 kids. Dublin Courier Herald, Feb. 9, 1940, p. 6.

OCEAN ANIMALS AT THE DEPOT -  Dublin had hosted many circuses and wildlife exhibits in the past.  But this traveling exhibit was most unusual.  The promoters mounted several large water tanks on board railroad cars.  The cars were taken all over the country for public exhibition.  The features of the show were a 68 ton whale and several mermaids.  Among the other sea animals were penguins, octopus, and fish. Trained fleas were another feature.  Yes, that's what the advertisement said. Dublin Courier Herald, October 25, 1940, p. 3.

THE SERVICE CENTER - Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Stephens purchased a large section of the 200 block of West Jackson Street in 1944.  Their clothing store, one of the most handsome anywhere around, was located at the far end of the reconstructed buildings.  The buildings were all virtually rebuilt with brick fronts, glass bricks, and plate glass windows.  Stephens leased the lower floors to other businesses.  The upper floor above the main office of the Bank of Dublin, was a 54 foot by 82 foot room with oak floors. The room was used as a club for service men.  The room also featured a fire escape, luxurious cloak rooms, and ample rest rooms.  After the war,  the room was used as the first home of the teen club known as the Shanty. Dublin Courier Herald, Feb. 16, 1946, p. 1.

FRUIT SALAD TREES -  L.E. Harrison of Route Six, Dublin, loved to experiment with his fruit trees.  Harrison had perfected the art of grafting a limb of one tree on to another.  His plum tree which bore red and yellow plums also bore cherries.  A pear tree produced red and yellow apples. He was most proud of his apple tree which bore October hard apples, red apples, and yellow apples. Dublin Courier Herald, July 21, 1941, p. 1.

IT WAS THE STRAWBERRIES - Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Van Meter of New York were teachers of ballroom dancing.  They were also pickpockets.  Mr. Van Meter was charged with the theft of a necklace from one of Atlanta's highest society matrons.  Mr. Van Meter was captured in Albany.  Several days later, while arranging to teach a dance class, Mrs. Van Meter was arrested in Dublin.  She and her husband were returned to Atlanta to face charges.  Mrs. Van Meter vowed to stay in jail until her husband was released.  She refused to eat and began a hunger strike.  After one day she succumbed to a bowl of strawberries and cream.  Van Meter was later charged with dealing in white slavery. Dublin Courier Herald, 6/11 & 6/18, 1914, p. 1.

 

FDR NIXES MILITARY HIGHWAY -  The U.S. Congress, realizing that war with Germany was inevitable, began preparations by appropriating funds for a vast network of super military highways throughout the country.  One such highway was to run through Central Georgia from Swainsboro through Wrightsville.  From there, it would run to Dublin, Jeffersonville, and Macon. Franklin Roosevelt vetoed the bill.  The Interstate system,  which was proposed in the late 1930s, was designed to be used as a system of military roads if the need arose.  Interstate Highway 16, designed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower,  connects the seaport of Savannah  with Fort Stewart and the air base at Warner Robins and the north-south artery of Interstate 75. Dublin Courier Herald, August 7, 1941, p. 1.