USA > Georgia > Greene County > History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886 > Part 29
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Of course some enterprising fellow would have a lemonade stand at the picnic grounds and serve red-lemonade, if he could get ice and lemons. If lemons were scarce, he would use the slices over and over, and produce the acid taste by adding tar- taric acid to the water and sugar. In this way every body was served, and every body was happy.
Ice was an item in those days and cost a dollar per hun- dred pounds in Atlanta with express charges added. The story
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is told on one well known vendor who packed experience in keeping ice; that on one occasion an early visitor to the picnic- grounds at Bowden's pond, found a rope tied to a tree and the other end was in the pond. The early visitor started to pull the rope to see what was on the other end, and the vendor called to him to let that rope alone, and said "I tied my ice to the other end of that rope and threw it in the pond to keep cool, I was afraid it would melt if I kept it out on the ground."
On one of these Easter-Monday occasions, there was a crowd sitting in front of one of the "filling stations" planning where they would go, and what they would do. The benches were full, and about that time a wagon load of men drove up to slake their thirst. and as they went into the "filling-station", one of them leaned his gun against the wagon. This gun was an old muzzle-loader, flare-barrel duck-gun, and designed to scatter shot over a large area. he driver left the mules standing un- hitched while he went in to get filled up. And in some way the gun was knocked down and both barrels were discharged at an angle that side-swiped the bench-sitters. he result was that everybody got shot from head to foot, and all of the doctors were kept busy picking shot out of the victims. Hudnall Weaver says one of the fellows who was shot came here to spend Easter with his sweet-heart, and that after he was shot, he got some friends to go around and tell her that he had been called home hurriedly and did not have time to come by and tell her good-bye. He says the fellow never came to Greensboro again, and that he saw him years afterwards in Chattanooga, and he told him that he had never forgotten Greensboro, or gotten rid of all the shot.
The Easter-Monday habit became a nuisance to both busi- ness men and farmers. Laborers even went so far as to stipu- late in their contracts that they were to have Easter-Monday, and if the employer balked, they would not sign up. And the only way that it was ever broken up was through the co-operation of the owners of the picnic grounds, who refused to let their premises be used on that day, and in this way, Easter-Monday became a tradition.
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The Herald-Journal
In 1886 The Herald-Journal was owned and edited by Prof. W. E. Reynolds, and dedicated to "The cause of Truth and Justice and the Interests of the People".
Among the news items in the issue of October 22, 1886 was the loss of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howell T. Evans by fire. And a timely caution about safeguarding the premises against fire.
Greensboro had a number of brick stores at that time, but there were many wooden buildings sandwiched between them, which constituted a very dangerous fire hazard.
Stores and business houses
The following merchants did business in Greensboro :
Copelan, Seals & Arnold (E. A. Copelan, A. S. Seals, and J. E. Armor) Department store. This was one of the largest, if not the largest Department store in Georgia at that time. And they handled everything that could be crowded into a store, and did an enormous business.
W. A. Kimbrough & Co., M. J. Rossman, J. E. Torbert, Jones-Greene & Company, Mrs. R. W. Griffin, (druggist) J. W. Johnson, V. S. & G. A. Hall, J. M. Story, Lowe & Co., C. C. Vincent, and several other small merchants that are not clearly recalled.
The practicing physicians were: Dr. J. E. Walker, Dr. W. L. Bethea, Dr. J. C. Asbury, Dr. J. H. Gheesling. (Dr. W. E. Adams moved to Greensboro later)
The Lawyers were : Capt. W. H. Branch, H. T. Lewis, H. G. Lewis, James L. Brown and James B. Park. Judge W. M. Weaver was Judge of the County Court, and Judge Thomas W. Lawson was Judge of the Ocmulgee Circuit, and Col. John C. Hart was Solicitor General. (He afterwards became Judge, as did Col. H. G. Lewis)
There were five churches in Greensboro in 1886. Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Catholic.
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There were no public schools in Greensboro at that time. There were however, several private schools. The only school that was regarded as the town school was located next door to where Mr. Frank Mullins now lives, and Prof. W. E. Rey- nolds was the Principal. And "they say" he knew both how to teach and "apply the rod". Prof. Reynolds later became the head of the Military school for boys at Milledgeville, Ga.
Greensboro collected no advalorum taxes in those days, and the town was run on money paid into the treasury by those who were licensed to sell liquors and beer. The Georgia laws at that time made it optional with incorporated towns to license, or to refuse to license the sale of liquors. And Greensboro was the last town in the County to extend this privilege, which prac- tice was discontinued about 1895.
Up to this time Greensboro had no civic improvements, except a horse-rack, mulberry tree and public well. The streets were almost impassible in wet weather, and there were a few plank street-crossings. The side-walks were paved with brick in front of a few stores, and board-walks in front of a few others. There were a few kerosene oil street lamps in the business sec- tion, but they were never lighted on nights that the moon was supposed to shine. And the so-called light nights were supposed to save money for the town, therefore, the lamp-lighter never filled, or lighted the street lamps no matter how dark and rainy it was. Whatever oil was left in the lamps when the street lighting period ended each month was appropriated by those who had rather steal oil than buy it.
The horse-rack was located under the mulberry tree. And flies were plentiful. The public well was located in front of Jones-Greene & Company's store and was the drinking place for all except those who preferred something stronger. There were no soda-founts in Greensboro in those days. The public well was the pride of the town, and was supposed to heal all manner of ills. No one claimed radio-activity for the water, because Madam Curie had not discovered radium up to that time. The liquor men claimed that it was very fine for diluting proof spirits, and very beneficial to those who were inclined to imbibe too freely.
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The writer saw a physiological effect that had not hith- er-to been produced by the healing waters of this well. And the demonstration occurred in this way: Mr. E. Du Bose Jones, in front of whose store this well was situated, was quite corpulent and was very fond of going to his store early each morning, and the first thing upon arrival at the well was to drink as much water as he could hold. And just before going home to breakfast, he would fill up again. Just as he was re- turning to the store after breakfast one morning, and after he had had his double dose to start the day with; he discov- ered quite a crowd around the well, and just as he reached the edge of the crowd, he saw the old darkey who cleaned up the streets pull a large white object out of the well. Upon close observation he discovered that it was a nice large dog that had been in the well long enough for the hair to slip, and the skin to become bleached by the healing elements in the water. Ipecac, or no other emetic ever known ever acted more quickly than the sight of that dead dog did on Mr. Jones. I was never particularly fond of the water before that, and I am sure that I never tasted it afterwards, and I know that Mr. Jones always looked the other way as he passed the well in after years.
The following "ad" appeared in the Herald-Journal under date of October 22, 1886 : Pembertons' French Wine of Coca. The world's great nerve tonic. The conqueror of disease, pro- motes health and longevity, cures and prevents Neuralgia, Ner- vousness, Wakefulness, Hysterics, Hypocondria, loss of Appe- tite, Dyspepsia, Blues, Constipation, Liver Complaint, Kidney Disease, Mental and Depression, General Nervous Debility, Muscular Relaxation. It gives power to the brain and strength to the entire nervous system, firmness and elasticity to the mucles and enriches the blood. Exhilarates the mind and body, prolongs life, brings joy and health to the afflicted with mental and physical exhaustion.
The writer knew Dr. Pemberton personally. He was a high toned, ethical man of his day, and no doubt believed all that he claimed for his medicine. Cocaine was the "balm" that caused those who took his medicine to believe that they felt
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better after taking a "swig" of his concoction. Dr. Pemberton did not put cocaine in his "elixir of life", as that worse than all other drugs, was not in use, or even known in his day. It was the active principle in the deadly coca leaf that he used in com- pounding his "cure-all", and he passed away long before its' demoralizing, deadly effect was discovered.
This advertisement is unrelated to the subject of this series of articles. But the writer came across it in looking through some old papers, and could not resist the temptation to warn all who read this article, to beware of the things that cause pleasure for the moment, but bring desolation, despair and death, to all those who fall victims to vicious habits either through ignorance on their part, or a desire to "boost" their feelings for the moment.
1870's
In 1873, THE GREENSBORO' HERALD was owned by James W. Wingfield, and edited by W. W. Thurmond. It's advertisements reveal the names of the business houses, law- yers, doctors, carriage makers and other firm that did business in the county. And, with few exceptions, they have all passed into the great-beyond.
The lawyers were: M. W. Lewis & Son; Phillip B. Rob- inson, R. R. Thurmond, E. C. Kinnebrew, Wm. H. Branch, W. W. Lumpkin, Union Point; James L. Brown.
The physicians were: Dr. John E. Walker, Dr. W. H. Cunningham. If there were other physicians at that time, they did not advertise. Dr. Wm. Morgan seems to have been the only dentist; and M. Markwalter the only Jeweler; L. W. Grant manufactured carriages at White Plains; and H. C. Sitton manufactured carriages, buggies, rockaways and wag- ons, in Greensboro.
The merchants were: G. A. Davis & Son, James W. Win- field, W. C. Cartwright, McCall, Copelan & Co., K. C. Wil- liams, J. M. Storey & Co., Hightower & Co., Torbert & Bro., Dr. Wm. L. M. Harris was urging his patients to pay up; and James L. Brown was advertising for hides for his Tannery. J
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P. Harris was advertising a "Mill Dress," that he had just patent- ed, and telling how his invention would make better cornmeal. The paper had evidently been "jacked up" on account of the lack of local news, as we find the following. "Thank you friend," "Atlanta Herald," we are again at our post and will try to give you a few locals this week, beginning with the rabbit hunt." The only local news item in the paper of December 11, 1874 was, "Married, on Thursday morning last, 4th inst., by Rev. C. H. Strickland, Dr. T. N. Poullain to Miss Mildred P. San- ford, all of this county."
The Annual meeting of the Greene County Agricultural and Mechanical Association was held at the Court House on Tuesday, Dec. 5th, 1873, and the following officers elected : Captain D. B. Willis was unanimously elected President; Col. J. N. Armor, 1st Vice President; R. G. Carlton, 2nd Vice Pres- ident; Capt. Smith, 3rd Vice President; W. H. Branch, Trea- surer, and J. Conklin Brown, Sec'y.
GREENSBORO, GA. AS I KNEW IT IN THE 1880's TO 1940's
There are only a few people, now living, who remem- ber Greensboro as it was in the 1880's; and the present gen- eration cannot appreciate the improvements that have taken place. Of the five or six hundred adults who were here when I came, less than fifty are now living; but many of the teen- agers have a faint recollection of the changes that have taken place throughout the almost sixty years of which I write. My first visit to Greensboro was in the mid-1880's, I came as a salesman (drummer, back in those days) for the wholesale drug house of Lamar, Rankin & Lamar of Atlanta, Ga. The customers on whom I called were, Mrs. Rose Griffin whose drug store was where Moore's Pharmacy is now, Dr. John E. Walker's drug store, where Chandler's drug store is, Davis Bros. & Seals, now known as the "Big Store," Jones, Green & Co., where Bickers, Goodwin Company is, and several other smaller stores that handled patent medicines, paints, oil and other things that my house handled.
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I spent the night at the Sly Hotel that was located where Bowen Thomas' Service Station is and, for many years, was the home of Mr. & Mrs. V. S. Hall. It was mid-summer when I first came, the streets were dry and dusty, a number of the stores were unpainted wooden buildings with wooden awn- ings that extended across the side-walks with benches on the outer edges; the store windows were covered with wooden shut- ters and a few stores had brick pavements in front and some plank pavements. Watermelons were displayed in front of the stores and were offered for sale at five and ten cents each. In those days, the merchants were, Davis Bros. & Seals, Jones, Greene & Co., W. A. Kimbrough & Co., J. E. Tolbert, fancy groceries, Rossman & Gardner, E. A. Copelan, warehouse and farm supplies, V. S. & G. A. Hall, J. M. Story, Mrs. Rose Griffin's drug store, Dr. J. E. Walker's drug store and four or five bar rooms. There were three hotels, so called, and "drummers" just about supported them. The hotels were as follows: The Corry Hotel, later known as the Richland, the Sly Hotel and the Doherty Hotel which stood on the lot oc- cupied by the Georgia Power Company and the new building now being erected for Maurice Goldstein.
The county officers were, W. M. Weaver, Judge, Joel E. Thornton, Ordinary and Postmaster, Jesse P. Wilson, Clerk, Henry English, Sheriff.
The city officials were, Judge James B. Park, Sr., Mayor, and John Henry Wood, J. M. Story and several other alder- men whose names I do not recall. John S. Hall was Marshall. No city tax was levied and the bar room licenses and fines from drunks ran the town. Many eye-sores dotted the town and the streets were knee deep in mud, when it rained. The business section was lighted with a few kerosene street lamps.
Mr. Charles A. Davis, Sr. had retired from active busi- ness and his office was where Mr. William R. Jackson's office is located. Mr. Davis was the monied man of the town and coun- ty. His tall, erect form clothed in a frock-tail black suit topped with a beaver hat, was a familiar figure and highly respected. Old men wore beards and young men wore mustaches, skin-tight trousers and derby hats. Clerks were required to wear their
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coats while in the stores and waiting on customers. Along the counters, in dry goods stores, were long rows of stools for ladies to sit while they examined the texture of cloth and made their purchases, they could sit on their stools and have all man- ner of merchandise brought to them for inspection. The most useful man, in the Davis store, was a colored man named John Clark. He filled orders and looked after the grocery depart- ment and knew the stock better than any clerk in the store. John Clark had the confidence and respect of all who knew him, other stores had similar characters, but none equaled John.
The four churches, meaning white churches, Baptist, Epis- copalian, Methodist and Presbyterian, all had part-time pastors but services were held in one of them every Sunday and were well attended. There were no places of amusement but most of the young people belonged to one or more social clubs that met once each week. Homes were thrown open to these social gatherings and they were greatly enjoyed. John Parkie Dawson and Ben Robinson prepared the programs and assigned who was to accompany such and such young lady. Under this plan no young lady was left out. How did we go to these parties ? We "hot-footed-it" .. There were no automobiles and few buggies and carriages. Much courting was done on these long walks. As a matter of fact, I did most of my courting while going to and coming from these weekly social gatherings.
The one and only amusement hall was up stairs over V. S. & G. A. Hall's store, where the Bank of Greensboro stands. Occasionally, a small opera troupe would come to Greensboro, and almost every fall there would be a circus. These were rare occasions and were largely attended.
The young people of today know nothing of the past. They view a beautiful little city with nicely painted homes, beautiful lawns, paved streets and sidewalks, handsome stores, beautiful churches, pictures shows, electric lights, telephones, radios, banks filled with money, handsome brick school houses and school buses bringing children from far and near, free school lunches, free books and free tuition. The streets are lined with shiny automobiles and the highways are paved and thousands of people pass over them every hour in the day and night. Many
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of these cars are driven by teen-agers who go at a break-neck speed. Accidents occur frequently, and thousands of lives are snuffed out every year. More people have money to throw away than ever before.
The process of rejuvenation of Greensboro was slow; and the people of the town did not wake up to the fact that other towns were forging to the front and, unless something was done to improve the town it would join the rank of some of Georgia's "Ghost Towns".
The Greensboro Herald-Journal did its part by reminding the people how backward we were, and what other towns were doing. Citizens meetings were held in the Courthouse, and our woeful plight was discussed. We had no industries to supply idle people with work; and were entirely dependent on the rapidly declining farming industry. Most of our citizens owned their homes and business houses but few had any money to speak of. Our neighboring town of Eatonton had just built and installed a waterworks plant and the town had taken on new life.
Greensboro had elected a new, young progressive Mayor and Council which was composed of the following men: James B. Williams, Mayor, T. B. Rice, E. W. Copelan and J. E. Armor, Councilmen. They were chosen by a Citizens meeting that was held at the Courthouse, and were urged to do some- thing to revive Greensboro. Several destructive fires had oc- curred, so, one of the first subjects discussed by the new Council was a plan to secure a system of water works and sewers for our town. We conferred with the Mayor and Council of Eatonton and were invited to pay them a visit and inspect their water works. We accepted the invitation and went over in a body. We were delightfully entertained in the new Hotel and were shown around their beautiful little city. A demonstration was given to show us the value of an abundant supply of water and how easy it was to put out a fire. We discussed their plan, enter- viewed their engineer and the contractors who built their plant. We then had their engineer, Mr. E. H. Davis, come to Greens- boro, survey the town and make an estimate of a similar plant for Greensboro, which he did, and the cost was a little more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00).
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We then called a citizens meeting, outlined the plan and asked them to express their views on the subject of building a system of waterworks for our town. While we were given much encouragement, quite a number of our older, well-to-do citizens opposed it on account of the cost, and a bond issue meant more taxes. However, the vast majority approved the plan and we called an election to vote on a bond issue. Then it was that the fire-works began! Many meetings were called and the op- position supplied able speakers against the plan. They pictured our homes being sold to meet the bond payments, many lively spats, and a few near-fights took place in the Courthouse; friends became bitter enemies and lines were clearly drawn between the "fors and againsts." Election day came, every voter was corralled and almost every voter came to the polls. Water-works carried by a handsome margin, the bonds were validated and sold at a nice premium, the contract was let to Walton & Wagnon, and work began. The plant was complet- ed in the fall of 1898. If you will go the stand-pipe you will find an iron plate embedded in concrete at the base of the stand- pipe bearing the names of the Mayor and Aldermen together with the contractors and engineer.
Other improvements followed the building of the water- works and Mary-Leila Cotton Mills, electric lights, then a Creamery, Cotton Oil Mill and other smaller industries were built. However, the period between 1900 and 1915 was not a "bed of roses," periods of depression came, small investors were forced to dispose of their holdings and then came World War I. After the United States entered the War, business and prices began to pick up; cotton jumped to 45 cents per pound, and everything else advanced in proportion. Farmers went wild, land values jumped from $5.00 to $50.00 per acre and many farmers increased their land holdings, mortgaged their farms to buy more land, merchants got rich by marking up their goods as prices advanced, there was no shortage of consumer goods and the people went wild spending their money for things they did not need.
This spending orgy lasted until 1920, in which year, the boll-weevil made its appearance, in Greene County; up to that
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time, Greene's normal cotton crop was from 18,000 to 25,000 bales of cotton, but it dropped to around 300 bales the first year that the boll weevil came; the price had dropped from 45 to 10 cents per pound. Result; many farmers went broke, lost their land, abandoned their farms and turned them over to tenants. The farmers could not pay the banks for money they had borrowed to buy land and operate their farms. The notes to borrow money to finance the farmers, the lender banks called their loans and many banks closed their doors never to open again. Tenants were unable to finance themselves, landlords were unable to supply them; migration followed and Greene County lost one-third of its population between the years 1920 and 1930. Many farms were abandoned, houses burned or rot- ted down, erosion followed and many farms became almost worthless.
Nor, was this condition confined to Greene County; the whole of the agricultural states had their own problems; the West suffered from drouth and dust, cattle had to be shipped to where they could find grass and other feed stuff; farms were abandoned, the U. S. established seed loans and other methods of assisting farmers, and chaos prevailed, in many sections.
Then followed the bank moratorium throughout the nation, all banks were closed under government orders, and the out- look was dark. Franklin D. Roosevelt had just been inaugurated as president of the United States; the banks were allowed to open in a few days, that is, such banks as were considered fit to open and operate. F. D. R. called in College Professors, theo- rists and "Brain Trusters" to help work out a plan to save the nation; a multiplicity of bureaus and alphabetical codes came into being and we were plunged into the greatest spending spree that the world has ever known. Millions of men and women were given jobs, C. C. Camps were set up in all parts of the nation; F. S. A., W. P. A. and other work programs were set up, the "Nine old Men" were gradually weeded out and the "New Deal" got under way.
Forty thousand acres of abandoned Greene County land was bought by the Government, a small army of men and wom-
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en were housed in an office in Greensboro. Houses and barns were built on the lands purchased by the Government and sold on long, easy terms to both white and black farmers. These farms were supplied with live stock and money to finance their farming operations. Some farmers made good but many others failed; the failures were rooted out and others put in their places ; some few paid for their farms within a few years while others did not do quite so well. Some farmers "cussed" the Government while others thought well of the plan, time alone will prove whether or not it was the wise thing to do.
In the midst of this readjustment we found ourselves in the midst of World War II. Our young men were called to arms, training camps were built throughout the nation; billions of dollars worth of bonds were issued to pay expenses and other billions were issued for "Lend-Lease". Prices on all commodities advanced to fabulous prices, wages kept pace with high prices, dependents of soldiers were given liberal allotments, farm labor, cooks, washwomen and all classes of labor became scarce, and money flowed like water. Almost every item of food was ration- ed, shoes and many other items required stamps in order to buy them, and the supply did not equal the demand. "Black Mark- ets", sprang up in all parts of the country and fleeced their customers. Many of us had to tighten our belts and wear patched clothes, but we won the war.
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