Benjamin Meek Miller |
What follows are 100-year-old
news excerpts from the Oct. 18, 1917 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era
newspaper in Camden, Ala.
A Corkscrew With a Historical Record:
Editor Progressive Era:
I am sending you a clipping from the Nacogdoches Daily
Sentinel. A great many of my friends in Wilcox and adjoining counties will
remember this old corkscrew.
Yours truly,
Mrs. Mollie Richardson
Nacogdoches, Texas
Mrs. Mollie Richardson, a lady well-known and admired for
her many sterling traits of character and womanly ways, exhibited an old
corkscrew at this office a few mornings ago which has quite a record of
patriotic service, and if we should be “conscripted,” we would delight to take
this utility of patriotic record along.
The corkscrew seems to be made of steel and is a little
crude in its manufacture, but strong and perfectly preserved. The historical
connection runs as follows:
W.B. Mims, a brother of Mrs. Richardson, served his country
in the Civil War as a member of Co. H, Second Alabama Cavalry, and carried it
with him throughout the war. Mr. Mims was with President Jefferson Davis when
he was captured.
In the Spanish-American War, J.E. Richardson served his
company in Co. H, Sixth U.S. Infantry. He is a son of Mrs. Richardson, and
carried this famous old corkscrew through three years service in the
Philippines, returning it to his mother at the close of the service.
Mrs. Richardson says that the old relic was registered for
service on June 5, and that she hopes it will serve through the present trouble
with the same good fortune that it has in the past.
Cotton Report: There were 3,256 bales of cotton, counting
round as half bales, ginned in Wilcox County, from the crop of 1917, prior to
Sept. 25, 1917 as compared with 1,746 bales ginned to Sept. 25, 1916. – C.S.
Dale, Special Agent.
Col. Ed N. Jones, now a full colonel in the U.S. Army, is at
present located in Michigan.
Wilcox County continues to hold the banner for the largest
number of cattle – 42,000 head – in any county in the state. In September,
there were in our county 866 head which had been dipped this year; 33 herds
were in quarantine; five herds were inspected; eight herds were infected in
which were only 30 cattle. Dr. W.K. McConnell is supervisor state inspector for
Wilcox. The cattle, hog, grain and hay industry has made our county wealthy
again. Let us keep up the tick eradication. It may be expensive, but it pays to
do so.
Mrs. Katherine Orr died in Prattville recently, aged 87
years. Her husband, W.K. Orr, was the founder of Orrville in Dallas County.
Judge B.M. Miller held the fall term of Circuit Court in
Hale County last week. He is making a fine record for rapid dispatch of
business.
The home of Ed Peavy, who resides in the Grampion Hills, was
accidentally burned last Friday night. It caught from a defective kitchen flue.
He lost all his household effects and a bale of cotton. With characteristic
charity, the Camden people helped him his loss.
The following Wilcox young men are at Camp Gordon, Ga.: Sam
J. Albritton, Irby Savage, Ernest Blount, Everette Pritchette, Camden; Joe
Irby, Lower Peach Tree; Carl Weatherly, Sunny South; Fred Henderson, Millers
Ferry; Claude Pharr, Caledonia; -- Hall, Snow Hill; -- Street, Furman; Henry
Thomas, Bob Autrey, Pine Hill; -- Horton and Will Bennett, Darlington. There
are a considerable number of young men in the camps in the South and in the
North. The Progressive Era would be glad for their relatives and friends to
give us their names for publication, so that these brave and courageous young
men can be properly honored by our home folks.
No comments:
Post a Comment