THn WESttrltNStEnNrwS RenremberWfter?? by JackL. Hunt had the idea that the ladder should reach from the ground in front to near the top of the tower. As he realizedwhat was going through J. L.'s mind, he com- mented,"Why, there ain't enoughladders in OconeeCounty to reachfrom hereto the top of the tower...you'dhave to back them all the way out to the railroad to do that." 'All Then,he explained, we haveto do is get up on the roof and use a standardladder form there."L L. heaved sign of relief. The job of hangingthe traditionalChristmas star was accomplished. A lot of the "Old Timers" at Beaconhave gone to that "Big Plant" in the sky. Many of them made a specialeffort to keep this mill "going" when "going" was sho nuff rough. Many yearsago when Charlie Owen, Sr., owned the company,a favoritestory unfolded. Mr. Owen,who spenta greatdeal of his time at corporateoffices in Swannanoa,N. C., would sometimesvisit the plant here.He had the reputationof showingup unexpcctedly. Too,he did not alwaysdress in a suit,shirt andtie asmany cxec- utives. One day, while wearing simple sun-tanslacks and open shirt, Mr. Owen,suddenly stepped through a back door in a manufactur- ing space.A workerwas busy cleaning lint andother materials from pipesand rnachinery. "You alwayskeep this placelhis clean,"Mr. Owcn inquired. Theworker didn't recognize the plant owner as he commcnted: "Hell, no,we don't havetirne to do thisall thetime...wc're expecting sonre',big shot" companyfrom thc main office in Swannanoatomolrow!" Mr. Owen chuckledas he madehis way on throughthe plant.

January4,1995 "Perception" fs Very Important Sometimeswe get "hung up" with words,phrases and clauscs and forgetwhat the missionwas in the first place.It is easyto do. Then, again, there are a few terms it would bc well to remember. "Perception,"is one of them.

445 Tnn Wnsm,uNSTERNEws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

What really broughtthis aboutis a copy of an original silhouette that was hand-cutby GeorgeHitt. Who? You may ask. George Hitt was an internationallyknown silhouetteartist. He was born in Toccoa,GA, in 1913 and lived until 1958.His body was rigid except for slight movement in his shoulderjoint and thumb. The original art called "Winter Journey" was cut without preliminarydrawing and hangstogether in one piece. A historicalmarker at HendersonFalls Park, in Toccoa,was erectedin his honor in 1984,by StephensCo. HistoricalSociety and Friendsof GeorgeHitt. It reads: George Washington Hitt, 1913-1958. Artist, H umanitarian,Philosopher. 'An unforgettablepersonality whose courage shown with such crystalbrilliance as to brightenthe world abouthirn and uplift the spiritsof eventhose even more fortunate, but not fashionedof such heroicfibre. His is a nameto rememberwhen the goinggets tor-rgh and the seductivevoices of defcatsing their sircn song,"Rogers, 'fhe Atlanta .lournal. "Born March 31, 1913,his lif-ewas spentin Toccoa,Georgia. Despitecrippling rheumatoid arthritis, he led an active,creative life as an intcrnationallyknown silhouetteartist, reporter and technical writer. 'No "His philosophywas personis handicappcdunless he per- ceiveshimself to be.' "He receivedthe Army-Navy E Awardrn 1945,the sameyear the U. S. Dept.of Statedistributed the storyof his lifc abroad.In 1954 he receivedthe national Who's CrippledAward. His delicatesilhou- ettesdepicted people and events,but his rnostbeautiful were of nature.His f-eelinglbr comparisonand sensitivityin artisticpor- trayalranked him amongthe foremostsilhouette artists of his day." Greatnesscomes in many shapesand sizes.We are all different in manyrespects, but exactlywhat we perceiveourselves to be may be one of the humansoul's best attrlbutes. While I neverpersonally knew GeorgeHitt, I do recall meeting him in the newsroomof the AndersonIndependent. He had busi- 446 Tnr WrsrrrrrNSTERNnws RememberWhen? by JackL. Hunt nessthere and servedas a reporterwhen Wilton Hall was then pub- lisher. A photoof him appearedin a 1984issue of a Toccoanewspaper describinghim as one of Toccoa'smost famoussons. An Atlanta newspapercolumnist wrote in the late 1950sthat PaulAnderson, anotherfamous native son, "doesn't know his own strength."Hitt, on the otherhand, "doesn't know his own weakness." Somewherein thereis a worthwhilelesson.

January11, 199,5 "It WasAnother World" Back Then The radio was tuned to 95.5, Athens, GA. Amongst country music,they throw in a bit of news and a dashof weather.On this day in 1995,the stationannounced that Tom Murphy hadjust bcen reelectedSpeaker of the House for the state of Georgia.It was a new record,20 yearsas Speaker,the announceremphasized. This wasof someinterest to me.Not from a politicalstandpoint, but rather,more personal.lt hasbeen almost 50 yearsago when I first met Tom Murphy. It was a bricf encounter,to be sure,but one that stuck with me. As a studentat the Universityof GA, the GIs lived anywherethcy could.Just after WWII, thecampus was flood- ed with servicepersonnel, just dischargedand taking advantagcof opportunityto attendcollege on the G.I. Bill of Rights. All the old homesin Athens with any spaceto rent had thcrn rented.Some wcre actuallyliving in tentsfbr a few weeks,it was reported.For Gls back home,ready to go to schoolwith - serious intentionof learninga few inconvenienceswere nothingnew. On BaxterStreet one old housewhere rooms werc fully rented to students,a lady affectionatelyknown as "Ma Jones"did her part to helpwith thecrush of new students.All weremale renters in this particularhome. There was a big back yard whereone or two cou- pleshad managedto locatemobile homesor trailersas they were known then. It was here that I had first contactwith Tom Murphy. He was a marriedstudent, but had no placefor his wife and young sonto live.

l A1 THn WESTMINSITRNEWS Renenberlyhe,?? by JackL. Hunt

Somewhere,somehow, he managedto find an old school bus body and had it moved to the backyardof the Baxter Streethome. The bare essentialswere there,but just barely.I recall vividly how determinedTom and his young family were.The facility was their home for the moment and they made the best of the situation.His original home was in Breman,Ga. He was determinedto graduate from Law School,which he did and the rest of his political venture is history. Sometimesthe GIs at the Joneshouse on Baxter Streetwould havea party in the back yard. Especiallyin the summerschool ses- sion, when the fish were biting on the muddy Oconeeriver, a group would go fishing at night.We'd place"set hooks" alongthe bank, lish them into the night, and bring back a good catchof catfish. Then we'd go to a ratherswampy area at night andgig frogs along the banks.Both theseexperiences were exciting at timesespecially whenyou'd catchan eel on a sethook or seea big watersnake wig- gling along the top of the water in the swamp at night when we werefiog gigging. I remember one fellow, a Geology major, Jack Rogers, from Lithonia,GA, who left his shoesin a muddyswamp one night when I shineda light on a big watersnake slithering by him. His shoes werestruck in the muddybottom, just left themthere with his sud- den departure. "Ma Jones"would cook the frog legs and catfrshfbr us if we would do the "cleaning."At the first of the month when the GIs checkscame in, we'd pool resources,order a keg of draft,eat ciit- fish, lrog legs and french fries in the back yard on Baxter. You really neverknew who would be thereat thoseback yard parties,back there in the mid 1940s.Perhaps even a futureSpeaker o1the Housefor the stateof Georgia.It was greatfun.

January18, 1995 InterestingEvents At Services Down herein thebuckle area of theBible belt,religion isn't nec- essarilya form of entertainment.Or mostdidn't think of it in those 448 Tnr WrsrrvuNSTERNrws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt terms.It is, for the most part, intendedto be a seriouscommitment of mind, body and soul. Hopefully, and respectfully,it is the only thing we can count on for spiritual life here and hereafter.That is not to precludesome moments of humor may occur at unexpected moments. For severalyears we had the privilege of having my mother-in- law, Jennie Stewart Jones, formerly of Durbin Community, FountainInn, visit with us. Shewas a firm believerin Presbyterian faith. Not only did shebelieve, she practiced on a daily basis.She alsohad a keensense of humorand shared a bit of fun with herchil- dren and grandchildren. It wasalways a pleasureto haveher visit with us andshare some of the stories she recalled.Tom Morehead oftcn stoppedby the housewhen GrannyJones was visiting. He, too, had more than a passingknowledge of ccrtain parts of Scripture.When Granny would raisesome point, Tom sometimeswould issuea challenge, basedon anotherpassage offcring a bit of contradiction.The two would thenproceed to "make points" not unlike two skilled attor- neys"going" eachafter the othcr.All in good competitivespirit. Aline, Granny'syoungest daughter, and her sister,Janice, who recentlydeparted this earth,both had a lot of lun with their mother. They enfoyedteasing her about quotesshe had usedin giving them advice.According to them, when they were small, Granny was trying to help them to understandthe nature of a benevolent attitude. Especially during the holiday and Christrnasscason. "Remernber,children, it is alwaysbetter to receivethan to give, " she reminded.At evcry opportunity they would quote her this admonition.She denied having made such a "boo-boo." At one of the more lively revival meetings in Durbin Community,probably 60 or more yearsago, Granny said shewas attendingone of the old fashionedcamp meetings.In thc sllmmer, usuallyabout the middleof August,after the cropshad been "layed by," there would "spring up" these camp meetings.Religious revival was the order of the day. It was good therapy plus these "brusharbor" meetings perhaps reached with spiritualmessages to somewho werencver touched in a moreconventional wav. 449 TnE WESTUINSTERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

Just exactly where this one happened was never clear, but Granny was there. Some of these meetings were emotionally charged.The preacherswere skilled in exciting crowds that gath- eredin the evenings.The devil was a real force to be reckonedwith, and ministersof the Gospelsknew how to bear down and "move" peoplein a direction away from hell-fire and brimstone.They were selling"Salvation and Eternal Life." Every now and then one of the more excitablebrothers would feel the urge to testify. With good intent and purpose, Granny rememberedone who was caught up in the moment. He "hit the floor" and beganextolling all the virtuousthings that crossedhis mind. In closing,he madeone final statementthat impressedGranny: "I may not know how to read or write," he admitted,"but thank God, I can spellmy maker'sname...G-o-o-d!"

January25,1995 John Couch Sold Beef From T-Model It paysto look at the obituarycolumn every day. If, for no other reason,to seethat your nameisn't listedyet. That, in itself,may be someconsolation. Too, it is a reminderthat you will alsojoin the list at somepoint in time. As one grows older this {act becomes more than a passingevent. Friends and acquaintances,as well as relatives,have oflen beeninvolved in your life in sclmespecial way thiltcr.ruses you lo conjureup memoriesonce you associateexperi- encewith a person'sobituary. So be it. The other day when I saw the name of Williams P. Couch listed in the obits,I had to think for a moment.Is this the young boy we often playedwith more than sixty yearsago'? Only thing was,we knew him morewidely by the nickname,"Junebug." Whereand how he got the nicknameis not known.He livedwith his grandparents,Mr. and Mrs. JohnP. Couch, along with his aunt, Sadie.and his uncle.Bebe. as I recall.Their homewas about half a mile off the Long Creek road, near the Knitting Mill area,just aboveBrown's dairy. 450 Txn WnSpINSTERNnwS RenenberWhenZ by JackL. Hunt

During the middle 1930s,it was tough on everyonetrying to makea living on a small farm or anywhereelse. "Junebug's" grand- father farmed the land as best he could with the help of his family. He also killed beef cattle wheneverpossible, and had a small slaughterhouse in his backyard. To market fresh beef, Mr. Couch had a T-model Ford coupe he had convertedto accommodatehis need.He had torn away part of the rearbody andbuilt a woodenframe, complete with screenwire and a door. Once his fresh beef was ready for sale,he would load the T-Model and be on his way. "Junebug" often drove that T- Model. He probablywasn't more than8 or 9 yearsold at the time. He knew how to drive and his grandfatherrode in the right front seatas they pcddledbeef in Westminster. Severalyears after the T-Model had beenparked in Mr. Couch's backyard, I wasin theneighborhood, visiting my grandmotherwho lived in the Knitting Mill area.I wanderedover to the Couchhome andgot "in touch"with "Junebug."He wasplaying in thc backyard nearthe T-Model.Thc car alwaysdid interestme, especiallysince I had seen"Junebug" driving it. While he was a few yearsolclcr thanI, therewasn't a greatdeal of differencein our size. The tireson theT-Model had been flat for sometime, but thc car probablywould havebeen in runningcondition otherwise. I looked in the vehicle, climbeclin the drivcr'sseat and was gettinga fccl oI the "controls."Then, for somereason, I got out andwas examining a flat rear tire, probablythinking that if we could get someair in thesetires we mightjust try crankingit. In a playful mood,I put my fingerover one of the tire valvesand pressedit down,At the sanretimc, I madea hissingnoise as if air was escaping.The tire was obviouslyalready flat, but what hap- penednext was totally unexpected. Withoutwarning, Bebe Couch, "Junebug's" uncle, came up from behind me and gave rne one solid warp acrossthe back and head with a big brushbroom."I'll teachyou to let the air our of paw's tircs,"he holleredas I tried to pick myselfup off the ground. Bebe was a big man physically,and strongas an oxen,but his mentalcapacity was limited.He may havebeen "about a half bub-

451 Tnn WnstulNsttn NnwS RenenberlVftenZ by JackL. Hunt ble off," if expressedin level terms,but he certainlywasn't going to toleratethe appearanceof anyoneletting the air out of "paw's tires." I got the messageand got out of there as soonas I gatheredmyself together. This cameback to me as I read"Junebug's" obit.

Februaryl, 1995 '6BlazersOf The Tlail" Sometimeduring the early 1900s,Westminster must have had aggressivepromoters. A small booklet was published by WestminsterBoard of Trade.I recall seeingone of the originals, printedin black on white stockwith illustrationsfeaturing a linen- weave,yellow cover.It had beenpreserved in goodcondition. The WestminsterNews reproduced copies of the booklet,perhaps in the 1970s,both editorialand picture content. A few of thesecopies are scatteredin he community,and probablysome older citizenshave copiesof the original. Therewas no exactdate in the originalbooklet, but datesmen- tionedtherein indicate it may havebeen printed between 1912 and 1920. Under one sectiontitle, "Blazersof the Trail," therc is some interestingobservations : "The presentpublicity movement,in which this booklet is a prirnefactor, is undertakenby the WestminsterBoard of Tradefor thc purposeof introducingthe advantagesof this localityto a wide circle of first-classpeople in the hope of inducingthem to make Westminstertheir home." A brief mentionof someof Westminster'sindustries and of the men who run them will servethe doublepllrpose of showingthat Westminsteris a very live and up-to-datetown, and will give the readerthat intimateknowledge of our peopleand surroundingsso helpf'ulwhen you meet them face to face. "Mr. W. P. Anderson,president of WestminsterBank, cameto Westminsteryears ago, 'simply to - exist."The climateproved too much for his ailmentand he is todayone of the keenestfinanciers 452 THEWESITTIINSTER NEwS Rerrernberl4lher?? by JackL. Hunt in the stateand one of our most enthusiasticbusiness men regard- ing the advantagesof Westminster-- and he knows the inside story of our people'sprosperity." "Dr. J. H. Stonecypheris Presidentof the StonecypherDrug Co., and inventor of the famous Southernfarm remedy 'Stonecypher's Horseand CattleTonic.'Dr. Stonecypherasserts that his company has not sold a bottle of chill tonic for many years,thus adding anotherauthoritative testimony to the healthfulnessof Westminster. "Dr. Stonecypher is assisted by his brother, Mr. C. H. Stonecypher.Both cameto Westminsterseveral years ago, adding a largeand prominentbusiness to the town. "The OconeeMarble Works is ownedby Mr. C. E. Graywho has lived and mademoney in OconeeCounty most of his life and who couldn'tbe inducedto leaveWestminster under any circumstances. "One of Westminster'slargest merchandise stores is ownedby Mr. J. S. Carter.Mr. Cartcr is also a farmer,a fruit grower and can- ner,Mr. J. H. Carter,engineer and machinist, takes care of automo- biles and suchother requirements that may come up in his line of trade. "M[. L. A. Tanney,conducts a cashgeneral merchandise store. "Mr. T. C. Pedenhas a very completeline of gencralmerchandisc. "Mr. S. W. Dickson is the proprictor of a fine grocery and f'eed store. "The Gaston& Kay Bottling Works look after Westminster's needsin soft drinks.soda waters. and so lbrth. "Mr. P.Y. Pittsmakes a specialtyof greengroceries. "Mr. J. D. Witherspoonconducts a generalinsurance business, also taking careof lif-e,fire and healthinsurance . "Mr. D. B. Traxler,Traxler Real Estate Company, of Greenvillc, S.C,,also has an olfice in Westminsterin chargeof Mr. Orr. The Traxleror ChaugaShoals and surroundingland are owned by the Traxler company.Mr. Traxler has settleda large number of people in and aroundWestminster, and is constantlyin touchwith a large numberof prospcctivesettlers. "Postolfice is in chargeof Mr. I. S. Pitts.There are five R. F. D. routes, one star route and offices at Long Creek, Oakway and 453 THn WnSrPnNStnnNnwS RenenberWftelr? by JackL. Hunt

Fairplay,under Mr. Pitt's management. "None of these men had over-much money when they, began businessin Westminster,but they seizingthe advantagesof the nat- ural growth of the town, havegrown with her through demonstrat- ing their commercialand professionaltraits along the right lines. "You have more and safer opportunitiesfor successthan they had becausethey have done the pioneeringwith its attendantdan- gers,they haveblazed the trail for you to follow, and in this book- let havelaid Westminster'sresources before you for your guidance and choice." Wow!

February8, 1995 ManagingPain, Up To A Point! "They weregiving out brainsand he thoughtthey saidpains, so the "ole boy" saidhe didn't want any."Whoever said that may have had referenceto a characterJoe Hunt told aboutrecently. One of the "good ole boys" living a far pieceback in the moun- tains was coming down the road in his trusty pick-up truck. Through somequirk of fate, he left the road at a high rate of speed andcrashed. Atier somekind soul "happenedup" on the accident,the f'ellow was transportedto a hospitalemergency room. An orthopedicsurgeon examined the patient and determinedhe had severalbone fractures.He explained surgery was neededto helpthe mendingprocess. He alsoexplained there would be a great dealof pain involvedand suggestedhe be givenanesthesia. The "ole boy" listenedcarefully and then turnedto his doctor and told him, " Go aheadand do what everyou haveto do...don't worry aboutthe pain." While this wasa highly unusualprocedure, the doctorbegan the operation-- no pain killer needed! Alier completinghis work, the surgeonapproached the "ole boy" and proceededto commendhim for his endurance.In effect, he saidhe had neverseen anyone who could standas muchphysi- 454 TnnWnsrrurNsrnR Nnws RememberWhen? by JackL. Hunt cal pain."I reallydon't understandhow you wereable to absorbthe shock and pain requiredfor this operation,"he explained. The "ole boy" acceptedthe laudatoryremarks in stride,and went on to explain,"What you did warntbad atall...infact that was only the third most pain I've ever suffered." The doctor was amazed."I can't believe it," he said, as his curiositywas mounting. If this wasonly the third mostpain the fel- low had endured,he certainly wanted to know more about other experiences. "Let me tell you," the "ole boy" ventured,"about the time I was way back in the mountainson a huntingtrip." "During the courseof the hunt, I happened,by chance,to fall into a big beartrap that hadbeen set. It was well camouflagedand had a big steel trap sprungin the open position.Unfortunately, when I fell into the hole, this trap grabbedme in the most inappro- priateand privateparts of my body.I'm telling you... this was no picnic, the pain was severeto say the least...lreally didn't think I would evermake it out alive." The surgeonwas impressed, but a questionpersisted, "If thiswas assevere as you say,and it musthave been, but how is this only the secondmost pain you'veever endurcd?" The "ole boy" had a ready answer..."the first most pain I enduredwas in thatbear trap when I ran out of chain!" Bob Grogan,my neighbor,and expertgardener, got home from the hospitallast week aftersurgery. Whilc Bob wasn'tthe victirnof a beartrap, he did sufferquite a bit of pain -- the resultof an oper'- ation and post-operativegas. This, too, is no picnic, for thosewho havehad the experience.We're huppy that Bob is home,improving, and looking forwardto growinganother bumper crop of tomatoes. He usually grows enoughfancy tomatoesto feed about 20 fami- lies...whichhe freelydistributes. The plantingseason is not too far away.

4-5-5 THE WESTIVIINSTnRNnwS Renernberl4lhen? by Jack L. Hunt

February15,1995 Ole Lewis Is Still With 66TheDawgs" A fellow with a dog named"Catfish" can't be all bad.He was- n't. Lewis Grizzard, a syndicatedcolumnist in 450 newspapers, departedthis earthly scenealmost a year a go. His faithful dog, "Catfish" precededhim on this missionand probably met him at the "PearlyGates" as one cartoonistillustrated. A bonafide, dyed in the wool, bar-b-q eatin' Southernerwhite boy from Moreland, Georgiahe made no apologiesfor his way of life or the things he believedin. I never had the privilege to meet the man, but I felt that I knew him through his writing. So many thingshe experiencedwere traditions of the Souththat I couldread- ily identifywith. While he only lived47 years,his wisdomand wit crossedgeneration gaps. First of all he was a newspaperman.A reporter,a sportswriter andlater a columnist.He workedon smalldailies and big ones.His "touch" was alwaysthe same.He neverforgot wherehe camefrom andhow he cameto be wherehe was.It didn't seemto matterwhat may havebeen popular at the moment,L. G. stuck with his own ideasand reinforced them with good,common sense. The Universityof Georgiawill neverhave another alumnus with rnore dedicationto its cause.Particularly football. He lived and died with the fortunesof the "Bulldogs."While he didn't have much luck in the marital arena,he took the experiencein great strideand turnedout somegreat "copy" for the pressesas a result. He understoodadversity and knew how to "roll with the punch- es." He took his severalheart operations in strideand turnedthe experienceinto book material. "They Cut My Heart Out and StompedThat SuckerFlat," was the title of a book he wrote about havinga heartreplaced with a pig's valve.After thathe admittedhe hada strangefeeling each time he went into oneof his favoritebar- b-qjoints, wherethey wereserving pork. The Journalismdepartment of the Universityof Georgiacontacts all who havepassed through their portalswith periodicmailings. The last one I read had an interestingstory by Grizzard'sfourth wif-e.The onehe marriedjust a few daysbefore he succomedto his 456 THn WrStMlNStnR NnwS Rener?zberWher?Z by JackL. Hunt final heart operation.She explainedher exciting relationshipwith Lewis and notedone of his final requests. Her name is Dedra.Apparently she and Lewis had an ongoing relationshipfor sometime prior to their marriage.He knew the final whistle was about to blow. He requestedhis remainsbe cremated and scatteredover the hallowed ground of Sanford stadium in Athens.His wife compliedwith his wish and explainedthere was nevera formal requestmade to the university for permission.Later sheexplained to coach Ray Goff shehad gainedentrance to the sta- dium and scattercdLewis Grrzzard'sashes along the 50 yard line. He wasdelighted. No one ever had a more dedicatedsupporter of his efforts. The reason for not requestingpermission for this final act, Dedra explained,there would be endlessred tapeinvolved. The deedwas doneand Lewis is still out therecheering for "The Dawgs." His lastbook, "The Last Bus To Albuquerque,"is a greatone if you care for Gnzz.ard.

February22,1995 Creative Reporting Allowed At a time "BC" - beforecomputers, newspaper plants, large and small,had a specialsound and odor. The mixtureof mertingrcacr in the Linotype machines,in casting and stereotypedcpartmcnts, mixed with ink, lcnt peculiararoma not duplicatedanywhere crse. The clatter of teletype machines,typewriters and line-casting equipmentin the news and cornposingdepartments suggested excitement.Sometimes there were momentsof drama,spliced in the longerperiods of hum-drum,let's get thejob done. Long beforethe Anderson Independent was merged into a chain, thcre was a long-standingagreernent with many of thc smailer weekly papersin the area.In exchangefor "spot news" covcrage- - storiesand pictures,the Independentphoto-engraving department would make engravingsfor pictorial printing in many smaller weeklypapers who did not, for the mostpart havethe luxury of this equipment.It was a good arrangementfor thosewho participated. 451 Tnn WnsrrvrINSTERNNWS RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

At the sametime, you got to know personneland learnhow the rou- tine work was done on the daily papers. It was fun to see the writers handling the phones, doing re- writes, columns, marking and handling wire news, taking obit information, and getting the messageset into lead type, ready for make-upand printing. In all this organizedconfusion, there would be momentsof humor.Jim Blessingwas one of the beststate edi- tors on the job. He had the patienceof Job and the Wisdom that rivaled Solomon. He neededboth. There were times when every- thing would "break" at once.And just about at the sametime, one of his regularcorrespondents would appearon the scene. I can "see" Jim now trying to bring it all togetherbefore dead- lines as Ethel Vaughan,writer; frorn Oconee,dashes in with a late story,hand-written as she "spits out' informationlike a machine gun.AII the while Ethel hasher pet Chihuahuacuddled under one arm and is threateningto bite the stateeditor. Jim's got to be rcst- ing in a morecomfortable "newsroom" in the sky,tbr he hasserved his "sentence." IIank Acker produceda column fbaturingsuch charactcrsas "TrashCan Annie," and often quoted "Colonel Qr.lattlebaum." Both were real peoplebut hardly the authoritativetype, Hank projected' But who could tell? The man was a creativegenius. At one point, therc were some far-fetched repofis of a "werewolf in the Andersonarea. The story kept poppingup in the news colutuns. New evidenceand sightingswere being reportedthroughout thc area,according to JamesR. Young.Hank loved to get involvedin this sortof thing.The storieswere really becoming more than spec- ulationand "entertainment" when a halt wascalled.It seemedsome of the cooksat local nearbyboarding houses and hotels wetc refusing to stay long enoughto prepareevening meals. They told employers they weregoing to get homebefore dark because the "werewolf'was on the loose. Red Canup handled sports for many years at the Independent andwas widely readand respected, especially when textile baseball wasbig in thisarea and northeast Georgia. "Sliln" Hembreewas the ableeditor for manyyears when the paperenjoycd a circulationof 4-58 Tnn Wrstrurustnn Nnws RenerubertVften? by JackL. Hunt

more than 60,000in a city of about 30,000. It was a time when more creative reporting was not only allowed,it was expected.

March l. 1995 66Nevermore!" Quoth The Raven, Let me first admit I know very little poetry. It is at sometimes difficult for me to understandunless there is a literary scholar explaining.It's not thatI don't appreciatepoetic effort, but muchof it has been beyondmy immediategrasp of understanding.Yet, I know a high level of skill is involvcdin its composition.The folks who write that stuff arenot dummies.Strange, perhaps, but far from beingmentally impaired. With that said,let me add I havealways enjoyed hearing mean- ingful poeticrecitation. As a student,I was privilegedto hearsuch great ones as Robert Frost and Robert P. Tristham Coffin. They could literally keep an audiencespcllbound with poetic skill and delivery.You may recall Mr. Frost as he appearedat the inaugura- tion of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.A gentleman with flowing whitc hair,his presencelent a specialdegree of dignity and warmthto a ceremonyperformed on an extremelybitter cold day. I recallhearing the sameMr. Frostlecture at JournalismSchool ashe recitedhis "Birches"and "Fcnces" with equallyspell-binding excellence. I don't know how well he understoodpoetry, but a departed friend of many, Dr. Henry R. Kuemmerer,would sometimesexer- cise a high level of mentaldiscipline as he memorizedpoetry of greatlengths. He could, for example,quotc quite flawlessly,"The Raven."Also anotherfavorite was "MaudeMuller." This was quite a long story in poetic forrn. It was alwaysa requestof Sid Ballengerwhen he happenedto noticeHenry "waxing" in a poeticmood. It was not possibleto predictevents on someof the exploring shoppingsprees with Dr. K. I do recall oneof the timeswe were vis- iting the SalvationArmy surplusstore in Greenville.I had pickedup 459 Txn WrsrrurNSTERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt a book of poems.Henry was standingnearby and I casuallymen- tioned one of the selectionsin the book. Without hesitation,he beganquoting, "The SpiderAnd The Fly." In a rather loud, com- mandingvoice, he began.Inez, the lady who was storemanager at the time, stoppedall trading activity while Dr. Kuemmerergave a commandperformance before about forty customersand a pretty good audienceof clerks. It was quiet enoughto hear a pin drop in that old building, and I must say I think he enjoyedevery moment. All of this brings me to a new revelation.Having inheritedone of the books from the late Marjorie W. Young personallibrary, I learnedjust this week that EdgarAllen Poe,famed authorand poet who wrote, "The Raven,"had an older brother,William Henry LeonardPoe. In a little book publishedin 1926,almost 100 years afier the Poe brotherswere first noticed,authors Hervey Allen, and Thomas Ollive Mabbott,tell abouthim in, "Poe'sBrother." William Henry LeonardPoe, the elder brother (by abouttwo years)was also a poet. He did not live long enough to show whether he too, like his younger brother,might have attainedto fame. His work, however, indicatingas it doesa similarityin temperamentand attitucle,will, in view of the historyof his famousbrother, have decided althor-rqh secondaryinterest. It should be pointedout that there was also a youngersister. Sorneattention is given her in this volume.Sadly, both Poc broth- ers departedthis world without knowingjust recognition.It hap- pens that way to a lot of artists...theyhave to die before they becomefamous.

March8, 1995 Difficult Now' Impossible Takes Longer My dad wasa greatadmirer of GeorgeMatthew Adarns. He read his articlesand often quoted him. He alsoregularly read the pr-rnch- 'Aunt line musingsof Het" and"Hambone" because they contained wit and wisdom.They were the productof Robert(Bob) Quillen, editor and publisherof the FountainInn Tribune.These two char- 460 Txn WEsrrvrrNSTERNEws RememberWhen? by JackL. Hunt actersbecame syndicated and had wide audiences.In today's so- called "politically correct" atmosphere"Hambone" would probably 'Aunt be considered"racist" and Het" a figment of the "anti-femi- nist" movement...whateverthat is. Both werewonderful fuel, lifting spirits of thosewho struggledin the earlier part of this century. Visiting a few moments with Max Glymph in the Mariner Rehabilitationfacility nearseneca recently was a refreshingexpe- rience.His philosophy/in the faceof difficulty is inspiring.While no one can empathizewith the recoveringstruggle of a strokevic- tim unlessyou've been there, there are signs that reflectattitude. A senseof humor,a determinedattitude, the supportof family, t iends and therapistsexhibit a positiveapproach. Max seemsto havethc ideathat he will handlethis matterlike a professionalI oncekncw. He had a sign stationover his work thatread: "Difficult JobsDone Now, The ImpossibleTakes A Little Longer." Max still likes to tell interestingstories, some about his fishing expeditions,or othersthat 'Justhappened." One, I've heardhim mention concernedhis father-in-law,the late andhighly respectedRev. M. J. Stansell,Baptist Minister. It seemsthis churchmember had the misfortuneto losehis mate andwas in a recoveringstatus. His wife hadpassed on severaryears beforeand now he wasconsidering marriage once again. This tirnc, the womanof his affectionwas quite a bit younger.Maybe twcnty yeeusor morc. Max said, he happenedto be at PreacherStansell's home whcn the man came to discussthe matter."They were on a porch, and I was insidea room,nearby," Max explained,"But it was impossible not to hearwhat was said." 'A "fJsually,"hc pointedout, manhas already made up his mincl when he decidesto discusssuch things." PreacherStansell, in an effort to be completelyhonest with the man,pointed out therewas a considerableage difference. "Yes, I understandthat, Preacher,but you know I've just now begunto hit my prime." Max said he alwaysconsidered Preacher Stansell a wise man, and his answerreaffirmed his belief.

461 Tnn WrsrrrlrNSTERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

"Yes Sir, I know you have,but the problem will be in the future; what are you going to do when she hits her prime?" George Matthew Adams said: "The difficult tasks to be per- formed are not the ones that mean physical and mental labor, but the onesthat you dislike, or the onesthat you do not love.There are unpleasantangles to nearly every importantjob to be done in this world, but there must be an overall love for doing each,else pre- cious time and effort are uselesslywasted I shall neverforget not- ing a sign above a construction that read: Builder of Difficult Foundations.That man musthave loved that calling, else he would not havemade a point of advertisingthe fact."

March15, 1995 Are You ListeningOut There? If you arelocal andlisten to WGOG in the morning,you proba- bly hearGeorge Allgood. A greatentertainer, announcer, musician, comedian,or just aboutanything the occasiondemands. Georgesounds as if he has fun just doing his job. That's the rnostdesirable arrangement, if you have a choice.Doing what is fun andgetting paid for it is aboutas idealas you can get. He alwaysrefers to Miss HenriettaBrandt as the "official gu n" of Oconeeweather. She gives the reporteach morning as the coun- ty's official recorderof precipitation,high and low temperaturesas of the day. But more than that, he ofien is not bashful about expressinga personalopinion erboutpeople and events.Having beena schoolteach is almostinstant participation as listeners try to be the first with an answer.It wasof specialinterest to me this week when the questionposed was, "Who publishedthe first Keowee Courier?"There were severalinteresting answers, some that were partially correct, but George said he was using Mary Cherry Doyle's, "History of OconeeCounty" as his guide.A lacly,Ruby Blackston,gave the correctanswer he acceptedwhen she identified Col. Elliott Keith. Jery Alexander called and explained that the first Keowee Courier was published near the Keowee River in 1849, before 462 Txn WESnUNSTERNEws RernentberWhen?by JackL. Hunt

Oconeewas formed from part of the Pickensdistrict. It wasn't until 1868that the papermoved to Walhalla.There have been reports that one place the paperwas printed in its early yearswas near where Bethel PresbyterianChurch now stands.Evidence of odd piecesof handsettype, leadsand slugshave been found in this location. Also, Ashton Hester,present editor of the Courier, called and explainedthat therewere actuallysix personsidentified in issueNo. l, Volume1, listed as publishers, but apparentlyCol. Keith,must have beenamong them or perhapsthe first editor.Ashton also explained the courier hasbeen at its presentlocation on Shoft Streetfor about 100 years.Except for a period during the Civil War when paper was scarce,the paperhas managed to be publishedon schedule. I must admit I did not know the answerto Georgc'squestion aboutthe Courier,but one thing I recall readingin the first issue was the first obituaryreported. It seemstwo men went turkey hunt- ing on the mountain,one with an artificial turkey callcr, and the other a bit trigger happy.As a result of an expertcall, the other huntermistook his huntingpartner and fired on hirn.This was thc first obit reportedin that 1849edition.

Marclr 22, 1995 An Abiding Faith In Our System Therewas no doubtin my thinkingseveral years ago whcn I first discovercdOSHA. Thercwas a rude awakeningto all the "things" wrong with safetyaspects of operatinga very small printing busi- ness. OSHA, the initials which stand for OccupationalSafety Hazard Administration,made its legal and buleaucraticstatus known throughoutthe country.It seemedmore like a bad dreamor a.joke,at firstuntil I realizedit wasn't.Here was government tclling you what changesmust be maclein your mechanical,electrical, and chernicalsystems in orderto comply.Some were str_rpid,to saythe least.For example,it wasreported OSHA used364 pages in a man- ual to describea commonstep ladder. Apparently,someone somewhere got the messagethat high cost of somerequirements were putting people out of business.Some of 463 Txn WESnTINSTERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt the less intelligent regulationswere relaxed.It came too late for thosewho folded in the process. What brings this to mind is construction now underway in OconeeCounty of various collection points for our waste.It has been my belief that installationof greenboxes for citizensto dis- poseof refusewas one of the betterthings county governmentpro- vided for tax dollars. While there are continuing litter problems over the county, green boxes have been serving the vast majority who make an effort at proper disposalof trash. Hopefully, when the greenboxes are "phasedout" in favor of the newcollection points, there won't be wholesaledumping on private andpublic property. Humansare creaturesof habit.We tend to do the samethings over and over again.Both good and bad habitspersist without real effort to change.It standsto reasonmany will not avail themselves of properwaste disposal if it requiresa little extraeffort. Hopefully, the new systemwill work andeven better than the greenboxes, but this is not yet proved. While we all mustrealize we havea personalstake in protecting our environment,these rules must be reasonableand workable.If not,we all lose.Clean water, clean air, clean surroundings arc wor- thy goals.It takespersonal effort on the part of all to keepan eter- nal vigilanceon what we aretrying to do. Theremay be thingsthat need to changeto makeour systembet- ter. One contractorrecently pointed out that dumping stumpsof treescannot be legallydone to preventerosion. lnstead, they must be transportedto the landfill, wherea fee is chargedfbr the privi- lege.Filling in erodingareas with stumpshas long beenone way to keepour land from washingaway. While no systemis goingto be perfectand work to advantageof everysingle citizen, as long asthere is room for commonsense and reason,the governmentand the peoplewho make it happenwill cometo terms. An abidingfaith in out systemsis necessary.Even when they are obviouslyin error.Eventually, enough people will requireany cor- rectionsnecessary. Tnu WESTUTNSTERNrws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

March29,1995 Who Is ReallyGoing "Half Steps?" It doesn't normally upset me to read about new approachesto age-old problems.There is a point where a real bonafide drunk learns he/sheis allergic to alcohol. Whether or not the individual canmuster courage to attackthe problem is anotherquestion. Some do and are successful.AA or AlcoholicsAnonymous has been a vehiclewhich hashelped addicted back to productiveliving. Now, here comes a new idea that suggeststhe old tried ancl provenAA 12-stepprogram may not be the answer,after all. A Michigan organization,identifying themselves as somekind of "ModerationManagement" team or MM, are suggestingthat maybeit's OK for the drunksto just keepon drinking out of con- trol, if thereare limits.According to a reportin "Newsweek"their rules for sobrietyare: "Like AlcoholicsAnonymous with its l2 steps,Moderation Management has steps, guidclines and Iimits." "MM Limits - Do Not Drink Every Day: MM suggeststhat you do not drink more than thrce or four days pcr week. "For Women -- Do not drink more than threedrinks on any day, and no more than nine drinksper weck. For Men -- Do not drink morc than four drinks on any day, and no lnore than 14 drinks per week." What a brcak! This could be the very thing that every "hung- over" drunk hasbeen praying for -- a real systemand a way to keep on drinking! But wait a minute!Maybe this bright ideawas not a gift from a SuperiorGod of the Universe,or a Higher Power."Most modera- tion programshave codes of conductmuch like AA's l2 steps-- but without spiritualreferences. Drink/Link, a seven-year-old-program in NorthernCalifornia, teaches people not to drink rnorethan one drink an hour. MM suggestsabstinence for three or four days a week,"according to the article. This whole new conceptis the productof Audrey Kishlinewho, by the way, has written a book: "ModerateDrinking: The New Option fbr ProblemDrinkers." Whateverthe reasoningbehind this experiment,please be fore- 46s TrrnWnSTINSTER Nnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt warned that anyonewho has become allergic to alcohol, and is a seriousand fully dedicated"drunk" of the first magnitudehad bet- ter not play with fire, lest you get a new one burnt all over again. Whatevernoble and good intentions of MM may be, thiskind of approachcan spell disasterfor thosein needof help and struggleto find a way. Medical sciencehas long recognizedalcoholism as a disease.It is both physical and mental anguish all wrapped together that affectsentire families -- not just the individual.For 60 yearsAA has beeneffective in tackling the problem for thosewho truly want and needhelp and arewilling to submitto 12 reasonablesteps of disci- pline.It hasworked for millions when everythingelse failed. If we could all drink responsibly,there wouldn't be any needfor AA. Showme one"drunk" who believesMM's "half-steps"are the answer.and I can show vou one who's headinsfor disasteron a downhillslide!

April5, 1995 FluoridationIs Important Item For more than 35 yearsWestminster has had the benefitsof fluo- ride in our water system.It is a provenhealth care preventative measurethat hasthe blessingsof the AmericanDental Association aswell asthe American Medical Association. It hasproved to be one of the best ways to preventdental deterioration, cavitation, abscess, loss o1 teethand generallyexpensive and painful procedures.There is adequatereal and scientific evidence to supportthese claims. Any clentistor doctorcan supplytons of supportingdocuments. What brings this matter to my attentionthis week is what appearsto be a requestupon the part of the City of Westminsterto discontinueadding this valuableingredient in our watersupply as hasbeen done for manyyears. A copy of a letter,furnished to all dentistsin OconeeCounty, from DHEC, seemsto confirmthis request:Addressed to Ms. Anne Ables,Supt. of WaterTreatment Plant, City of Westminster,dated March 13, 1995,the following is reprinted: 466 TnE WrStuINSTun NEwS Renzemberl4zhen? by JackL. Hunt

"Dear Ms. Ables: I have received your letter dated March 2, 1995,in which you requestpermission to discontinuefeeding fluo- ride into the potablewater supplying the City of Westminster.The Department of Health and Environmental Control (Department) recommendsthe use of fluoride in potablewater, but it is at a sys- tem's own discretionto determineif fluoride is to be used. "The Departmentgrants permission to stop addingto the potable water supplyingthe City of Westminster.As we discussedduring our phoneconversations, the city will haveto inform all the local dentalprofessionals, the local hospitalsand any businessoperating dialysismachines, and all mastermetered systems served by the westminsterwater Plant that the city will be discontinuingtheir fluoridefeed. The Departmentalso recommends that a public noti- fication be made to let the city's customersknow that the fluoride will discontinue." "The Departmentrecommends strong consideration be given to continuing the use of fluoride. The Departmentfurther recom- mendsthat a periodof time be given for public respouseto deter- minc if the customersof the City concurwith thc City's clecision." "If the fluoridefeed is discontinucd,please continue to monitor. fluroridein the finishedwater. The fluoridedata will be reviewcdby the Departmentand in sulficienttirne fluoride rnonitoringwill bc omitted,at the Department'sdiscretion. 'Also, if the fluoridefeed is discontinued,efforts must bc made to preventpotential finished water contamination at the locationof thc fluorideinjection point. "Pleaselet the Departmentknow if and when the fluorideaddi- tion will stop.Should you haveany questionsor concerns,please call 803-734-6096.Sincerely, K. C. Price,Environmental Engineer Associate, Surface Water Supply Permitting &" Technical AssistanceDivision." At this point, it is difficult to tell if the Commissionof public works or anyo[ theirsupervisors are actually in lavoro[ discontin- uing fluoride in our water system.Probably not, but whateveror whoeverinitiated the responseto Ms. Able's inquiry,the peopleon

4c] / THn WTSnTINSTERNnwS RememberWhen? by JackL. Hunt the city's water systemcan not be ignored in a health matter this important. It would be well for all citizensinterested in continuedgood den- tal health to contact elected city officials and commissionersto expressan opinion. This is no time to be playing with your health.

April12, 1995 Another InterestingSnake Story Ever sinceAdam and Eve and the Gardenof Eden, snakeshave held the attentionof mankind. Especiallywhen there are unusual reportsabout their activities. This week,Harry Freeman,a local builderwho works with his brother,Homer and nephew,Lane, along with other team members of Phil Batson'sConstruction groLlp. related an interestingsnake story. The event datesback some years, accordingto Harry, and originatedwith Hayes Jackson,a long-time employeeof Henry Miller at Sheldon& Miller's FurnitureStore. It was during bitter cold winter monthsas Hayeswas assisting with a timber cuttingoperation in SapphireValley, N. C., area.[n the dueprocess, a big, tall oak treewas felled. It washollow inside due to aging.Surprisingly, according to the report,this big timer rattlerwas hibernatinginside the hollow tree.The weatherwas so cold, accordingto the report,a big timber rattlesnakewas frozen stifTand showedno signsof life. lt was completelystiff, sort of like a walking stick,but yet snake,no less.The men had a fire goingto keepwarm in betweenthe cuttingand someoneplaced the lrozen snakenear the fire. Beforelong, the serpentbegan to thaw,and was revivedfiom winter sleep.Just exactly what happenedto the snake afterthat was not known,but it's a goodbet that thosetimber men didn't keepit aroundfor a pet. Theseearly warm springdays are already arousing snakes in this area since a few have been crossingthe roads.Most native to Oconeeare not poisonous,however some are, and if you are not expertin "snakehandling" it's best to assumethey are betterleft alone.Few seldomattack unless they areprovoked, and mostpeo- 468 Tnn WTSTIUNSTTRNEws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

ple don't want to get involved in "provoking." Many have a fear of two kinds, big ones and little ones,while others are afraid of live ones and dead ones. There are a few religious cults here in the south that haveput a literal interpretationon certainBible scripture pertaining to serpentsWhile I am not well versedin this part of "The Book," it's probablyjust as well, for I don't think there'sany way I'd be temptedto "take up a serpent."Especially a poisonous one.I'm afraidI'd just haveto hitch a ride on a fastfieight for hell, if this werc a requirementfor salvation. A friend of mine pilot/instructor,Dr. Pickens,an OB-GyN spe- cialistat StephensCounty Hospital in Toccoa,GA, is a real reptile enthusiast.He has collectedsnakes, lizards and alligators,arnong other things and often gave demonstrationsto interesteclgroups. Many yearspast he ordereda nice,big boa constrictor,for one of his children.His little son, about 4 yearsold at the time, and a smallerbaby sistcr came to theToccoa Airport to pick up the snake which had been flown to Greenvilleand thenceto Toccoafrom Texas. An elderly gentleman,Mr. PierceShort, of Clarkesville,GA, about75 yearsold at the time was standingwith his back to Dr. Pickenswhen he openedthe box with the big snake.The little boy and his sisterwere really excitedabout this new pet. When Dr. Pickensunwrapped thc snakefrom the sackin the box, he laid the nine footcr acrosshis shouldcrs. At that point, Mr. Shorl turnedaround, saw the snakeand was nearlyfrightened out o[ his wits. He boundedout tht: door of the old office andonto a deckabout four feethigh. without hesitation, he leapedoff the deck,and ran like a young trackstar until he was safelyacross runway 9/2'/,before he stoppedto get his breath. I will alwaysremember this sceneand pretty well sharedMr. Short'ssentiments about this snakehandlin'business.

469 Txs WnsrrrrrNsrERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

April 19,1995 Picture CollageCreates Interest A collection of pictures in a frame on the wall of a screened porch at Hartwell Lake attractsattention of first-time visitors to the old cabinhome. The pictures were gatheredover a period of time and have no particularsignif,rcance as a collection.As individuals,the storymay be different.Each, in somespecial way, servesas a reminderof the past,with certainevents being associated with photos. For example,there is a pictureof Bill Burley of Walhalla,sitting in one of threebarber chairs on the porch.Bill had many humorous experienceswhile operatingMidway Grocery betweenWalhalla and West Union. His nearby neighbor,Viola Hetdrick, kept him busy part of the time. One day she walked in to Bill's storeand handedhim a big, brown paperbag with a numberwritten in big lettersacross the back. Bill, accustomedto the unusual,looked at the bag,and inquired, "What's this for, Viola? "lt's a numberyou may need,sometime," she explained. "Who's numberis it, and why do I needit?" Bill asked. "lt's the governor'stelephone number," Viola explained."If you arc havingproblems getting anything done that involvescity, coun- ty, stateor otherbusiness, it's alwaysgood to havethe governor's numberhandy," Viola told him. Bill said she was dead seriousabout this matter,too. It really dicln't make much differencewhat adversesituation developed, Viola would simplypick up thephone and call the governor'soffice in Columbia. Apparently,there was no hesitationon her part about going directlyto the "top" when a problemcropped up. Bill saidhe knew this was a systemshe used oflen, for a local ofllcial confirmed the fact by a file that was kept by local law enfbrcement.There must havebeen some rule by policy in effect that dealtwith any and all callsto the governor'soflice. Whetheror not Viola everreached the governor,in person,was besidethe point.Each call wasref'erred to somelocal law enforce- 410 Tnn WnsrrruNSTERNEws RememberWhen? by JackL. Hunt

ment office for investigationand a written report was requiredas to disposition.Thus a big file was collectedover a period of time regardingViola's communicationwith the governor'soffice. This photo of Bill often remindsme of interesting,true stories, I've heardhim relate. Another picture is of Henry Kuemmerer doing one of his favorite things. He is shown with a huge table of food before him. No one I've ever known seemedto enjoy eating any more than Dr. Kuemmerer.While it was probablynot the most healthyexercise he enjoyed,it surelymust of beenone of life's purestpleasures. It was just over a year ago, that Henry departedthis earthly scene,and there's yet a lot of people who miss his presencedaily. Jim Spearmantold me an interestingstofy that involvedDr. K. and a patientthat he neverrelated to me previously.That hilarioustale will haveto wait a while until I can figureout a reasonableway to "handleit." A picturein this groupalso shows Jirn Hunt standingon thc bal- cony of a hotelin DaytonaBeach, FL. It wasa few yearslater when Jim andRandy Smith were studcnts at Embry-RiddleU. at Daytona they rode down this same beach where Randy observcda rather healthyfemale sunbathing. He remarked,"Look overthcre Jirn, the oceanhas washed a "baby whale" up on the beach." Accordingto the report,the "baby whale" threatencclto whip both of them on the spot.

April26, 199-5 More Old PhotosAnd Memories Justtwo or threecharacters were mentioned in thecollagc of pic- turesin lastweek's column. There could probably be volumcswrit- ten aboutjust aboutany one of them. One of the most interestingand intelligentsubjects is a fellow namedLacy High, a technicalrepresentative from a firm in High Point,N. C., known asAlderman Studio. At one point in recentpast "we" were fortunateenough to have the responsibilityof printing packaginglabels for Beacon Mfg. 411 TxE WnstMtNsrnn Nnws Rer?enber lyhen?by JackL. Hunt

Company.At that time, the company was said to be the "world's largestblanket manufacturer." The labels were often producedin full color, known as process color in the printing trade. The beginning of the label was the production of a blanket or bedspreadsample. That sample was then placed in the hands of expertphotographers, namely Alderman Studio. It wastheir repre- sentative,Lacy High, who had the productplaced in a room scene setting of furniture placed by artists and decorators.The room scenebed was not actuallya bedat all. It wasa framedwooden box. Decoratorsand assistantsoften spenthours or dayssimply getting everywrinkle out of the subjectand placingit in the most favorable light. This may soundlike a simpleprocedure. It was not. Sometimes the textureof the product was suchthat it requiredall the skill and imaginationof all the expertsthe managercould muster.I recall one subjectin particularthat had objectionablewrinkles that prac- tically defiedevery effort at adjusting. Finally,someone suggested, "Let's just wet that suckerand see what happens."Like magic,the wrinkles disappeared,the photo- graphwas a shotof a wet bedspread,color separationswcrc made fronr the photo transparencyand reproducedbeautifully on a label with otherartistic embellishrnents. Lacy High knew the businessof photographyfrom one end to the other.He understoodcameras and lighting as no otherI've ever known. He could explainin his easternNorth Carolinadrawl the rnostdifficult andtechnical aspects of his tradein termsthat even I could understand. AldermanStudio was saidto be the world's largeststill camera studio in the world at one time. Yearsago the companyhad in excessof 200,000items in their warehouseinventory just to make their photosmore appealing.They could call up antiquesfiom the pastas well as "rolling walls" of just aboutany description,along with flooring with usuallyall the ftrrniturein the scene,was for a particularmanufacturer. lt was, and probablystill is, an amazing place.A GeorgiaTech graduate by the nameof Sid Gaylewas the

A1a TnE WEsrrvuNSTERNEws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

CEO during this period 25 yearsago. He knew how to make the wheels turn. Making commercialpictures for catalogsand maga- zinesfor furnituremanufactures was the primary business,shooting room scenesof textile productswith furniture alreadyin place,was simply a naturalby-product. sid was sharpenough to hire intelligentpeople with unusual skills.Lacy High was one of his "right arm" assistants. Unfortunately,Lacy moved on to that "great studio" in the sky severalyears ago. Since childhood, he suffereda rare heart disor- der.An operationleft him suffering pain with no end or relief. He finally passedon after anotheroperation as he was unnoticedby a nursein therecovery room whenhe, in a wakingmoment, acciclen- tally knockedhis oxygenhose loose.

May 3, 199-5 Otd High SchoolBuildings Stir Memories The old WcstminsterHigh Schoolbuildings on CollegeStreet continueto standerect. worn, somewhatbattered with the elements bcaring down through the years, but for the most part, intact. vandalslong agobroke many of thewindows which erenow board- ed. Thereis still someactivity in the roof overhangwhere time has takenits toll...thistime it's pigeonswho havefbund a nice parking place. For a while, fakc owls werc in placeon partsof the old buildings andthe pigeonstook notice.It kept themaway for a while, but now theyjust f1yby the owls andgo on abouttheir businessof roosting andraising more pigeons. Every now and again,I venturcinto the structureto see if the "Satanworshipper" vandals have been visiting and to check on securityand conditionsin general.Since most of the goodsstored thereby Dr. Kuemmererwere sold at his final estateauction last year,much of the breakingand enteringhas ceased.Too, partsof the buildingshave been usedrecently in a training program for local deputiesand law personnel.

473 Tnn WnsnvrrNSTERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

It's almost like steppingback in time to wander down the halls of old WestminsterHigh School.You can almostsee Mr. M. B. Self moving ever so gently about the building, or Mr. Tom Mabry, or maybeG. K. Summerel.The classroomsare not the well-kept quar- ters they were in the 30s and 40s, but the presenceof teachersis almost real. Mrs. S. F. Reederwould be holding study hall and maintaining the library at the rear of the room. Upstairs Miss RachelBruner would be conductinghome economicclasses and not far down the hall Mrs. SaraJohns would be drilling studentsin commercialtyping, shorthand, bookkeeping, etc. Sam Ferguson,custodian, janitor and general handymanat WHS, was the only black man on the stafffor manyyears. He not only did hisjob with greatease and consistency, but he wasa friend to the studentsas well. He love to play ball with them when time permitted.Sam had the ability to pitch a baseballwith speedand accuracywith eitherhand. I think thereis a "two-cylinder"worcl for that humancondition called ambidextrous. Anvwav Sam was that way and a greatguy. It's almostpossible to hearMrs. Minnie Pedenlecturing students when you walk pasther old classroom.She was not bashfulabout hersubject matter and was always urging her studentsto learnbasic grammar and literature appreciation.At the same time, she dernandeddiscipline. It appearsthat presentconditions prevailing at mostpublic schoolstoday have relaxed disciplinary requirements throughpolicy andcourt actions.This oneitem is greatlyresponsi- ble for learningimpairment. Unless the staff is allowed,or indeed, required,to maintaina classof disciplinedstudents, you can bet learningis going to be accidentalat best.There was a time in the not so distantpast when teachershad the authoritybacking and more importantly,the lull supportol parents.This old-fashioned, time honoredand proved method of "gettingattention" may haveto be revived. Therewere many greatteachers in the academichalls of WHS. Only a f'ewhave been mentioned. There was James G. Brown,E. E. Bryant,Tom Anderson,Leon Hendrix,George Wilson, Bob Gettys, Mrs. Enoch Breazeale.Mrs. Grace Foster.Dorothv Stambeaux.

414 Txn WnsrrrrrNSTERNnws RernenrherWhen? by JackL. Hunt

ClarenceButts, John Townsend,just to name a few. I was fofiunate to have lived at a time when we were so well blessed.

May17, 1995 He's Back In The Garden Bob Grogan,one of the championtomato growersin town, is backon thejob again.After a ratherserious operation a few months back,he hasrecuperated enough to get his plantsin shape.Bob and Tom Moreheadonce had friendly competitiongoing about garden- ing. Bob saidTom was almostimpossible to beatwhcn it cameto growingthings, especially tomatoes. One yearthe competitiongot so tight, one of them actuallytied a tomatoto the vine in an effort to make it appearhis crop was the first to produce. Both Bob andTom retiredfrom Dunlopwhere they began work- ing shortly after the plant locatedhere. While Tom has gone on to that GreatGarden in the Sky,he is yet remcmberedas one of the bcst in thebusiness. It wasa lot of fun to hearthe storieseach woulcl tell aboutthe other'sefforls. However,this ycar,Bob hashad to depcnd on his wife, Evelyn,to helpwith the gardening.It appearsthings arc moving along rather well, consideringthe fact that Evclyn has undcrlakensome new l'eftilizertechniques. Having a load of horse rnanuredelivered was not in his schemeor plan for this year's pro- duction.This surpriseinnovation is snpposedto bring newlife to the soil, however,Bob continuesto have somerescrvations about this devclopment.Time andweather will soontell. The story is told aboutsome patients supposedly being treatecl for mentaldeficiency at a hospital.As two of thernwandered about the grounds,by chance,an outsidercame rolling a wheelbarrow down the street.It wasloaded with manure.The inmatesobserved! "What are you going to do with that wheclbarrowof manure?" one of them inquired. The outsideranswered, "I'm taking it down hereto put on my strawberries." "My god, man, you ought to be in here with us," the fellow 415 TxE WrsrruINSTERNEwS RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt noted."We're using sugarand cremeon ours." Another story in the samevein concerneda man who had a flat tire on his vehiclenear an institutionfor the mentallydisadvantaged. In the processof changinghis tire, he placedwheel lug nuts, in a hub cap.As the tire changingwas taking place,somehow the man accidentallyturned the hub cap over with the lug nuts.They conve- nientlywent rolling into a nearbystorm drain. Retrieving them was out of the question. An inmate nearbynoticed the troubledman. He appearedto not know which way to turn next. "Why don't you," the patientobserved, "Just take one lug nut off eachof the other threewheels, fasten on your sparetire with them and go to your nearestauto servicestation and buy enoughfor all the wheels?" The motoristwas astoundedat this bit of logic. 'And "Man, that is a brilliant idea,"he noted, I would like to know why a personwith your ability to reasonis containedin a mentalinstitution?" "Fellow," he answered,"They haveme confinedhere sirnply for beingcrazy...not for beingstupid."

May 24,1995 EAA Plans Memorial Day "Fly-in" R. W. Moore of Toccoa.GA. looks a little bit like the famous def-enselawyer of Atlanta,Bobby Lee Cook. The resemblanceis not only physical.R. W., like Bobby Lee, can darn near talk the 'hornsoff a goat,'however R. W. is a promotionman as opposecl to being an attorney.For yearshe was the advanceman, the General Agent fbr the famousTommy Scott's medicineshow. Now he's retiredand hastaken up severalnew projects. He's always been an airplaneenthusiast and has licenseas a pilot. It was he who fbundedthe FoothillsEAA chapterin Toccoa. The EAA stands fbr ExperimentalAircraft Association.It is, indeed,a big associationwith the world's largestdisplay each year in August at Osh Kosh, Wisconsin.Planes from way back when 416 Tnn WESTUTNSTERNrws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt

from all over the world show up for this event.And so they do, too, for local eventssuch as the coming Memorial Day event for this weekendat Toccoa. R. W., estimates150 planesto be visiting ToccoaAirport over the weekendof May 2l and28. This eventis the third year of the "fly-in" and coincideswith the 50th Anniversaryof the end of WWII. Some14 "warbirds"are expected to show...amongthem the North American P-51 Mustang,the North AmericanATL6 "Texan," andthe BoeingStearman PT-17 "Kaydet" from theAir Superiority Group in Smyrna. Japanese, Chinese, German ancl Czechoslovakianairplanes of World War II vintage will also be includedin this years"fly-in." The "fly-in" has continuedto grow sinceits inceptionin 1993. R.W. explained,"In 1993,we had 80 airplanesand 3,000 people cameto seethem. In 1994,we had 100airplanes and 5,000 people. This year we expect150 aircraft and estirnatingsome 10,000peo- ple will attend." A huge amountof literaturepromoting the eventhas beenclis- tributcd,and participants will havean opportunityto sponsor"f1y- bys" duringthe "fly-in." In exchangefor sponsorship,sponsors will havethe opportunityto ride in the plancsduring the "fly-bys." Sponsorshipsare still available for the PT-l'l to and from Atlanta.Sponsors of thesetrips will havethe opportunityto either ride from Atlantato Toccoaon May 26 or from Toccoato Atlanta on May 28. R. W. saidthese rides will be excitingand one you arenot like- ly to forgetanytime soon. One repcatsponsor from 1994has been identified and plansto bring P-51Mustangs to Toccoaas well as the 4T-6. For anyonedesiring more information about the Memorial Day weekend"f1y-in" events,you may contactR. W Moore in Toccoa at (706)119-3446 or FAX 719-2302. If you've ever been in the Wal-Mart in Toccoa,you may have seenthis famouspromoter. He wearsa beard,just like Bobby Lee, andmore often than not he'stalking, often about airplanes, and pro- motion of EAA. The organizationis especiallyhelpful to young 411 Tnn WEsnvrrNSTERNnws RememberWhen? by Jack L. Hunt peoplewho want to get involved in aviation.It is also an expensive matter for the older generationswho have dedicatedthemselves to restoringand showingantique aircraft of the past. Someoneonce said, "The only differencebetween men and boys is the cost of their toys." However,you don't have to buy one to come to the show this weekendand havefun!

May 3l, 199-5 More Than OneRequired... Herchel Ridley, an independentcontractor, has been in the car- pet-layingbusiness for a long time. He and his efficienthelp are skilled in their trade.They are, therefore,in demandthroughout a wide area.Herchel and his wife havelived in this sectionfor sever- al yearsand presentlymake their home off the CoffeeRoad just off Long CreekHighway. Besidesbeing a skilledcarpet man, Herchel has a keensense of humor.He recallsmany interestingevents involving local people and mostof them havesome funny aspect. Recentlyhe wasin the neighborhoodplying his tradein between breakshe recalleda few stories. One involveda fellow namedHugh Langston.Hugh, was a red- haired,sort of short,stocky-built man. He often cameto town and visited variousbusinesses up and down Main StreetWestminster. LIe lived, with his mothermany yearsoff Long CreekHighway. I-Ie would work at oddjobs wheneverthe moonwas right or the notion struckhim, but was not burdenedwith full-time employment. Accordingto Herchel,at one point, Hugh was employedback in mountainwoods with a local saw-millcrew. What his specificjob was is not clear,but apparently,some of the workersjust calledon him any time they could reachhim. The "doodle-bug"mechanism that carriedthe saw dust away from the cuttingblades had malfunctioned. Someone noticed Hugh wasstanding close by andsummoned him to climb thebig saw-dust pile and help with the matter.No soonerhad he helpedstraighten out this problemwhen anotherdeveloped. 418 Tnn WrsrruINSTERNnws RememberWhen? by JackL. Hunt

Another of the regularcrew membershollered for Hugh to come help straightenout the next crisis. He again answeredthe call. As expected,something is always going wrong around a saw-mill. Again Hugh was calledupon. He dutifully answeredand believed he had things undercontrol when once againa crew memberasked him to go overand assistwith the "off-bearing"of slabs. Finally, Hugh realized things were getting far out of control. Suddenly,he stoppedand gathered some of the regularhelp around him. "Listen," he said, "I know I am good at this business...Ihave beenaround here helping with just aboutanything and everything thathas gone wrong...and I know I am good,but I'll just be damned if I can run this saw-millby myself!" When Herchel and his calpet crew are busy, they don't have much time for a lot of conversation.They absolutelydo not.stand on anyceremony when there is carpetto be laid.Bob Grogancould hardlybelieve the speedand skill which rheyexhibited in a recenr- ly installedjob at his home.In the houseby 7 a.m.,moving furni- ture,and getting the new materialsready, cut, in placeand fastenecl, nearlyan entirehome was completedby 3 p.m. the sanreday. Thc sameover here with a much smallcrjob of laying somc indoor-out-dooron a coupleol'porches. Three hours and thc work wascomplete. Skill and experiencecertainly count, but to paraphraseHugh Langston,Herchel said, "I'm good, hut damnedif I can do all by myself!"

June7, 199-5 Events Of Past Still Linger When W. T. (Mac) McClure had a ChevrolctDealership on the propertyjust aboveThe News office and operatedan Amoco serv- ice stationon the back side,now WindsorStreet, some memorable eventstook placeon the land. One thing I recallas a smallboy, was a parachutejr-p. It must havebeen in the 1930swhen the eventtook place.A team,consist- 419