Category Archives: MiscNewsArticle

Assault Trial In Progress At Collinwood This Week (1917)

Posted on by

“The Wayne County Times”
Waynesboro, Tennessee
June 14, 1917 – Page 1

On Thursday, May 31st, Nathan Harbin and John J. May, both of Lauderdale County, Alabama were arraigned before E. D. McGlamery and W. W. Rippey, justices of the peace, at Collinwood, on the charge of assault with intent to commit murder.

It will be remembered that some time ago Wesley Willis, also a citizen of North Alabama, was shot from ambush. He accused Nathan Harbin of the crime and also implicated Mr. May in some way. The weapon used as a shotgun, but as the shot used were small, Mr. Willis was only slight injured and has since fully recovered from his wounds. It was at first believed that the shooting took place in Alabama, and these defendants were first arraigned there, but before the trial of the case the line between the two State s were located and it was found that the trouble happened north of the State line. The two defendants readily submitted to the change of venue and came over into this county and gave themselves up to the officers. Both of the defendants deny their guilt, and claim that they know nothing of the affair. It is understood that considerable malice and ill-will exists in the settlement where all the parties reside, and has existed since the killing of Jerry Keeton by Joe Harbin some two years ago.

At the trial in Collinwood counsel for the State asked for a continuance on the ground that several of their material witnesses were not present. The continuance was allowed and the case set for hearing at Collinwood Thursday, June 7th.

The attorneys representing the State are Haggard & Haggard of Waynesboro and A. A. Williams of Florence, Ala. and Boyd & Boyd of Waynesboro represent the defendants.

Our Patriotic Boys Stand True To The Country’s Call (1917)

Posted on by

“The Wayne County Times”
Waynesboro, Tennessee
June 14, 1917
Page 1

Tuesday was quite an eventful day in the history of Wayne County.  The call for registration of those qualified for draft purposes brought out a good many and it is thought that those coming within the draft age registered almost to a man. Below we give the total registered for each county precinct as follows:
1 Waynesboro
122

Hardins Creek
20

2 Clifton 95
3 Beech Creek 71
Bell Box 35
4 Collinwood 70
Upper Indian 42
Martins Mills 47
Bear Creek 33
5 Big Cypress 86
Second Creek 32
6 Allens Creek 69
Ashland 48
7 Butlers Creek 57
Middle Cypress 48
8 Factors Fork 60
Forty Eight 31

Total 966
The following is a list of those who registered at Waynesboro, and the age
and occupation of each.

Carmel Clarence Griggs, 21, farmer
Harry Allen Helton, 21, Postal Clerk
Amos Henry Skelton, 21, farmer
Freeman Boyd Melton, 21, laborer
Samuel Jackson, 21, farmer
Dollie Skelton, 21, farmer
Robert Newton Long, 21, farmer
Russell A. McLean, 21, farmer
Frank Rolland Boyd, 22, farmer
Elda Baize, 22, farmer
Thos. Sanders Howell. 22, farmer
Clyde Everett Dugan, 22, Sawyer
Bill Pulley, 2, farmer
Franklin Kerr Hurst, 22, teacher
Eunice Smith, 23, farmer
Eugene Fowler, 23, farmer
William Ralph Lee, 23, farmer
Sherrill Burlison, 23, laborer
Clint Shaw, 23, farmer
Edgar Clinton Bates, 23, laborer
Carry Frank Thompson, 23, farmer
Terry Cleveland Melton, 24, fireman
Charlie Walter Ray, 24, log cutter
Carl Nowlin, 24, farmer
Lewis Taylor Long, 24, farmer
Archie Brown, 24, farmer
John Carroll Helton, 24, merchant
Perry Clyde Walker, 24, carpenter
Art Helton, 25, farmer
____________Brown, 25, farmer [tear in newspaper]
George Clarence Duren, 25, farmer
Joe Jesse Staggs, 25, timber cutter
Cavil Bennett Cole, 25, farmer
Samuel Grady Treadwell, 25, farmer
Isaac Franklin Morgan, 25, farmer
Pleas Ward Dever, 25, farmer
Mack Pully, 25, farmer
Robert Cecil Keeton, 25, farmer
W. T. Harrison Skelton, 26, farmer
James Elmer Scott, 27, laborer
Elmer Walker, 27, Carpenter
Lon Brown, 28, farmer
Harrison Rose, 28, farmer
Walter Baker Whitby, 28, Blacksmith
Milas Greenberry Davis, 29, farmer
Snow McMillin Brewer, 29, farmer
Albert Skelton, 29, farmer
Wm. Edgar Moore, 29, farmer
Fielding Baker Hurst, 29, surveyor
Billie Brown, 29, farmer
Harris Boyd Bundrant, 30, salesman
Henry Clay Artis, 30, farmer
Bob Robert Belew, 30, farmer
Jesse Lee Rose, 30, farmer
F. Ernest Cole, 30, merchant
Alfred John Taylor, 30, farmer
E. Dodge Merriman, 29, farmer
James Wm. Martin, 29, farmer
Geo. Robert Flippo, 29, laborer
William C. Whitby, 29, blacksmith
Elijah V. Turman, 29, dep. trustee
Isaac Ulie Clay, 29, farmer
William Thos. Dever, 28, farmer
Solon Dever, 28, farmer
Lovic Russ Meredith, 28, mgr. tel.
Joseph H. Kilburn, 28, farmer
Dee Grossy Walker, 28, machinist
Lester Floyd Nowlin, 27, farmer
Douglas B. O’Guin, 27, teamster
Chas. Shields Bundrant, 17, farmer
R. R. Haggard, 27, lawyer
M. Herman Greeson, 27, farmer
John Henry Davis, 27, farmer
Amos Morrow, 26, laborer
Alfred Haywood Stutts, 26, farmer
Am. Andrew Ray, 26, farmer
Alvin Wesley McDonald, 26, farmer
Hiram Springer Hurst, 26, telephone
Wm. Harvey Melton, 25, laborer
Bill Jackson, 25, farmer
Stephen Harrison, 25, farmer
Arthur H. Mitchell, 24, teamster
Lonnie Virgil Casteel, 24, farmer
Eldred Morrison, 24, farmer
Jesse Keeton, 24, laborer
Claud L. Boyd, 24, lawyer
Fredric Turney Alley, 24, teacher
Wm. Mack Brewer, 24, salesman
Fred Lay, 24, farmer
Barney C. Skelton, 25, farmer
Luther Pully, 23, farmer
Wm. King Prater, 23, farmer
Frank Ray, 23, farmer
Willard M. Blessing, 23, laborer
Monroe Whitfield, 22, teamster
Edgar Joseph Smith, 22, farmer
Clifton Lampl, 22, woods foreman
Paul Jones Taylor, 22, salesman
Leonard Evans Clay, 22, salesman
Earnest M. Baker, 22, barber
Herbert Clarence Jones, 22, laborer
aarchie Wm. Lynch, 22, farmer
James Edgar Rose, 22 farmer
Lannie Keeton, 22, farmer
Sam Jasper Davis, 21, laborer
Wm. Harry Walker, 21, minister
Guilford Taylor Cole, 21, laborer
Farris Walker, 21, laborer
_______Jackson, 21, farmer [tear in newspaper]
Bill Staggs, 21, farmer
Parker Lay, 21, farmer
Gilp Wach. Taylor 21, yd. foreman
Alfred Pointer (col.), 22, laborer
Wesley Springer, (col.), 21, teamster
H. Jones Hicks, (col.), 28, laborer
Van A. Hickerson, (col.), 28, porter
John Pointer, (col.), 27, laborer
R. T. Craig, (col.), 24, laborer
Wress Churchwell, (col.), 24, teamster
Frank Hicks, (col.) 26, teamster.

Surprise Dinner For J. R. McClanahan (1942)

Posted on by

[From the Morrison Papers as copied from an article in the
scrapbook of Mrs. Arthur D. (Ethel Old) Caton, Waynesboro, Tenn.
No date or name of newspaper. (1942)]

On Sunday, Feb. 8th [1942], J. R. McClanahan was greatly surprised on his arrival from church services to find almost the entire congregation gathered at his home for dinner. Mr. McClanahan has quietly passed his seventy-fifth birthday on Saturday and had not so much as guessed the celebration in store for him. Eighteen families were represented, totalling around 50 people of the community. A basket lunch was spread on the table in the center of which was a cake with seventy-five burning candles. Mr. McClanahan was greatly overcome by the occasion, but beautifully expressed his gratitude to God for his extended life and his appreciation of friends and neighbors. Mr. McClanahan is perhaps the most widely known person in Wayne County, having taught in the public schools of this county for 48 years and five schools in Alabama. He was also a noted singer, in his younger days, and was president of the Wayne County singing convention for a number of years. He has taught more than one hundred singing schools in this and adjoining counties. Mr. McClanahan is regular in his attendance at Sunday School and church in spite of his age and impaired hearing. The Green River Baptist Church values his presence at the Sunday School and church services and join in the wishing for him continued happiness and health throughout the remainder of his declining years.

Among those present at the birthday dinner were: Rev. and Mrs. M. H. Willingham, Marcile and Margaret; Mr. and Mrs. Buford Moore and Estalla; Mr. and Mrs. Almon Copeland, Amelia, Betty Anne and Helen; Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Duren, Mabel, Nelle, Gary and Tommie; Mrs. Lydia Hardin and Iva Jean; Mr. and Mrs. Cranston Moore and children; Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Moore and children; Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Old; Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Caton, Noah Ayers, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Harlowe; Mr. and Mrs. Sam Duren; Beghle [word overtyped] and Bannie Johnston; and Mr. and Mrs. McClanahan and Ruth and …

“To the seventeen families that came from the church Sunday with baskets, boxes and hampers filled to the brim with the choicest of foods to treat me to a birthday dinner. The most beautiful birthday cards calore. The fascinating and valuable presents, and some money in evidence.

“Will frankly confess from the deepest recesses of my heart, soul and whole mechanism, that this was the supreme surprise of my life. I would say to Mrs. Mont McDonald that I have never developed a talent in the culinary department, but that big superfine cake with seventy-five candles, all trimmed and burning, would have easily stood the test by the most fastidious acute critic — something far beyond the ordinary to say the least of it, and besides that, someone has said “the proof of the pudding is the eating of it,” anyway.

“Friends, it would be an enjoyment, a pleasure, a satisfaction, could I express to you in words by heartfelt thanks and appreciation for this token of kindness, friendship, good will and brotherly love; but after having rummaged around in my limited vocabulary of words, I find to my sorrow that my vocabulary is too little, too short, too limited, too insufficient, to express to you just what I’d like to and what I am really due you. Therefore, suffice it for me to say in all sincerity, truth, reverence, I thank you, once, twice and thrice.

J. Reuben McClanahan
27,393-3/4 days young.

Pretty Play on Post Office Names (1904)

Posted on by

The Clifton Mirror Newspaper
Clifton, Tennessee – Friday, Dec. 2, 1904 – Vol. 24 No. 8, Page 1

“Pretty Play on Postoffice Names”

 

    Noticing an article a few days ago on the many peculiar postoffice names in Kentucky, naturally suggested some thought along the same line on Tennessee, and we think we have Kentucky distanced in the matter of extraordinary postoffice names.

    To begin with, our own home county stands well up in the list. Wayne county girls are not handicapped as are those of other counties. They are naturally prettier, and then they always have Leapyear. We have a Cyclone permanently located with us, and rather remarkable to state it is an advantage than otherwise. The Moon and Star shed Light on our Factory, and now that it is hog killing time we are reminded that we have Sage for the seasoning, and no matter what we undertake Victory is ours.

    Outside our own county the many suggestive names form an interesting study. The Alpha of the whole situation is in Hamblen and the Omega in Houston. We suppose the reason we have Faro in Davidson and Gamble in Blount is because the Law is in Henderson. There is Regret in McMinn and Grief in Bradley because Decatur has monopolized the Bliss. Even though Henderson has the Sweetlips the Yumyum is away down in Fayette. The Comfort of Marion is not at all disturbed because of the Hoodoo over in Coffee. We get Abiff in Dickson, Acuff in Union, a Blossom in Hawkins, a Cross in Campbell, a Penny in Hancock, a Quarter in Claibourne, a Dollar in Carroll, Golddust in Lauderdale, our Greenback in Loudon and a Bank in Blount. We Hunt in Madison while the Wolfjump in Monroe and Deerlodge in Morgan, and we find Bison in Cocke, Blackfox in Bradley and Bobwhite in Robertson. The Owlhollow in Franklin, the Hooten takes place in Gibson and is Heard in Pickett more than two hundred miles away.

    The lone Priest of Williamson must go to Decatur to find Vice, while the Boy, rather than be Lonely in Humphreys, stays in Campbell with Girlton.

    There are some peculiar meteorological phenomena. For instance, when it is Dawn in Coffee it is Daylight in Warren and Sunrise in Hickman. While it is Rainy in Bledsoe it is Sunbright in Morgan.

    Though Defeated in Smith we can easily find Help in Cocke that will Neverfail in Cumberland if we Rest only in Cheatham. Up in Morgan things are always Goin. They are Fleet in Johnson, Switt in Hardin, while they Slide in Hawkins and Fly in Maury.

    While in Eaton in Gibson we pet a Halfpone in Cheatham and go back to Cheatham to Munch it. Our Mend come froms Van Buren, Reeves of Hardeman furnishes us our Pinetop and we get our Booz from Overton where we hitch to a Hanging Limb and go to Henry to Sip it. Then we find our Mockeson in Lawrence and our Rattlesnake in Montgomery instead of in our boots.

    In Jackson it is considered an Accident because the Cowards are in Knox, but in White they regard it as Fate. Anyway, we get Solitude in Hawkins, Joy in Dekalb, Charity in Moore, Grace in White, Virtue in Knox, Churches in Hancock and a Bible Hill in Decatur, and of the historical personal representatives of the church we find Paul in Lawrence, Mark in Wilson, Luke in Putnam, John in Jackson, Jeremiah in Putnam, Job in Anderson, Elijah in White, Noah in Coffee, and Ruth, always dear to the heart of Bible readers, is near by in Hardin.

    We get a Peach in Lawrence, a Cherry in Lauderdale and Fruit in Gibson. They are Dull in Dickson, Smartt in Warren and Fancy in Weakley. And while the Rich are having Trouble up in Giles we get our Box in Humphreys and wind up in the Cemetery of Shelby. Now, if our Kentucky friend is not satisfied not having a fool killer, we will consign him to the Calfkiller in Putnam.

Clifton and Wayne County Newspapers

Posted on by

The Clifton Mirror Newspaper
Clifton, Tennessee – Friday, Dec. 9, 1904 – Vol. 24, No. 9, Page 1

The newspaper history of Wayne County dates from before the civil war. Just antecedent to this great conflict Wm. Morris published the Gazette at Waynesboro. Our informant could not tell us much about the Gazette. It was a 6 column folio all home print, as there were no patents in those days, and also, of course, was printed on a Washington hand press. It went down during the storm period of ’61-4.

    In 1867, however, twelve ambitious capitalists of Wayne county contributed $100 each and a stock company was organized for the purpose of publishing a larger and more pretentious paper than had hitherto been attempted in this section. An outfit was purchased at Columbia and the Waynesboro Gazette was launched under flattering auspices, the capital of the county, as before, being selected as the seat of publication. The incorporators were C.C. Stribling, D.S. Skillern, John Jackson, G.A. Talley, P.H. Craig, Wm. Burns, John G. Berry, W.J. Sims, John H. Cole, R.P. Cypert, A.T. Hassell and Matthew Collier. The last mentioned six of this notable band of twelve have passed over the river. The other six, with the exception of Wm. Burns, still reside in Wayne County and are prosperous and highly respected citizens of the communities in which they live.

    The Gazette outfit consisted of a fair assortment of body and display type and the inevitable Washington hand press. C.C. Stribling was made business manager of the concern. Tom Malone and Hiram, his brother, were editor and foreman respectively at a joint salary of $150 a month. Will Berry, Elihu Grimes and Will Boswell were type setters. The subscription price of the Gazette was $2 a year. The advertising rates were $100 a column per year. The paper was a seven column folio, and at that time was the most pretentious sheet published between Columbia on the north and Jackson on the east (west). In fact, it was the only paper published within these bounds, with the exception of a small affair at Lawrenceburg.

    In those halcyon newspaper days the art preservative had not been cheapened by the introduction of a flood of low-grade and low-price so-called family storypapers, and the local newspapers occupied a position of commanding influence. Taken as a whole the subscription price of the Gazette, and its advertising and job rates were about twice what the country paper of today can command. As a matter of business logic the subscription price of the country newspaper of today should be $2 a year. The smallest, measliest country weekly in the world is worth that much to the community in which it is published. The city weeklies are a rehash of the daily editions. They have the whole country to draw on and reach out for enormous circulations in order to reap a golden harvest of advertising. They are at no extra cost for typesetting for the weekly, as the matter is simply transferred from the daily. They figure on putting their weekly at a price that will just about cover the cost of press work and white paper, relying on their adverting for the profit.

    It is largely the same with the cheap monthlies and family story papers. They get immense circulatious through offering their publications at about the actual cost of production and reap their profits from their advertising, which they draw from all sections of the country.

    The case is different with the country weekly. It operates essentially in a limited local field. Very few country newspapers have a circulation of over one thousand copies. Because of their local circulation they can get but a small amount of foreign advertising. They must depend almost entirely on the business enterprise and patriotism of the home community, and if that fails them they are indeed in sore straits.

    So it will be seen that it is obviously unfair to attempt to establish the same standard for the metropolitan and country weekly, and when we hear a man deriding his local paper because it is not up to the standard of the New York Bazoo in quality and price, or complain that he can get the Woman’s Home Story Teller for 25 cents a year whereas he has to pay one dollar for his home paper, which hasn’t got half as much reading matter in it, we feel like summonsing our Fool-killer and giving him the command to slay and spare not. But to return to our mutton.

    The Waynesboro Gazette ran only one year. At the end of that period it was discovered that the receipts and expenditures just about balanced, and the plant was sold to some Savannah parties, who moved it to that town and started the “Tennessee River News. The News was edited by Thomas H. Payne, a gentleman of considerable note. At various times Mr. Payne held the position of State Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Comptroller. He died about a year ago.

    In 1872 C.C. Stribling, Thomas Warren and Robt. T. Cypert made another venture on the tempestuous sea of newspaperdom. They purchased the old Henry Watterson outfit at Columbia and started the Wayne County Citizen at Waynesboro. In about a year the paper was moved to Clifton. At that time Clifton was a town of about 300 people, but was fast coming into prominence as a trading point. In 1875 the paper was sold toDr. Henry Blakemore. Subsequently it changed hands several times. Finally Messrs.. Tom S. Hughes, C.C. Stribling and T.S. Hassell bought the plant and Mr. Joe W. Cooper was placed in charge of it. Mr. Cooper ran it until 1897, when he went to Savannah, and Messrs. Sam J. Stockard, Jr. and J.B. Ozment took charge of the Citizen. They ran it about a year and were succeeded by Otis Pettus. Stockard is now on the Cairo Daily Bulletin and Ozment is with the Centerville News.

    In September 1898 a destructive fire visited Clifton and among the building burned was the newspaper office. In a short time the Clifton Herald was established by Messrs. Jim and Frank Stockard, but in about a year fire again wiped the newspaper out of existence. In 1901 Rev. J.S. McCluney brought an outfit from Savannah and started the News. He ran it about six months and then accepted a call to preach in Illinois. Joe W. Cooper then took charge of the paper and ran it until the spring of 1903, when he suspended the paper to accept the position of mail carrier on Rural Route No. 2 leading out of Clifton. On October 14, 1904, the Mirror was started under the present management, acquiring the Fews (News) outfit and adding materially to it, thus being equipped with the most modern outfit in this section of the state.

    It will be seen from this hasty review that Clifton has experienced many newspaper changes. Yet amid all the vicissitudes of fickle fortune the one idea has been kept steadily in view that no matter what comes or goes the town must have a newspaper to reflect its social, moral and business life. The Mirror is published on a more extensive scale than any of it predecessors. This is but natural, as we are living in a world of growth. While this is an age of keen competition and close prices we reason that the best in any line is what the people demand, and it is the ambition of the Mirror management to merit the support of the public by publishing a clean, wholesome, bright paper, doing artistic job work and generally conducting our publishing business along modern, enterprising business lines.