Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Mon., June 23, 2014

Temp: 71.4 degrees F.

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.10 inches

Humidity: 83 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Partly Cloudy skies; birds audible and visible; light dew on the ground.

Barometric Pressure: 29.49 inHg. 

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.10 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 3.90 inches

Summer to Date Rainfall: 0.10 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 43.45  inches

NOTES: Today is the 174th day of 2014 and the third day of Summer. There are 191 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

News headlines from The Monroe Journal from 75 years ago this month

Monroe County has changed a lot in the past 75 years and you’ll really notice the big changes if you ever take a look at the pages of old editions of The Monroe Journal newspaper. Earlier this week, I took advantage of the archives at the Monroe County Library in Monroeville and looked closely at the five editions of The Journal printed 75 years ago this month, way back in June 1939. Here are some of the news highlights from those papers.

JUNE 1, 1939

Atmore Plays Here Next Sunday P.M.: The Atmore baseball team will be the opponents of Monroeville at Legion Field here next Sunday afternoon.

These two teams are making it hot for all other teams in the league and this game Sunday should be a classic.

Monroeville and Atmore have added considerable strength to their teams the past two weeks and are playing a brand of ball comparable to Class D League.

The Monroeville battery for Sunday’s game will probably be “Big Bill” Zuber (who has not lost a game this season) and Stevens. Rufus Moore of Vredenburgh, who has recently joined the team, may be called upon to pitch. He is one of the most promising pitchers in South Alabama, and can really “fog” ‘em over.

Mr. Snowden, manager, invites everyone to come out and lend their support and encouragement to the team. The grandstand has been made comfortable for both the ladies and men and an afternoon of entertainment awaits you.

Monroeville Wins From Evergreen Sunday: “Big Bill” Zuber was in rare form Sunday afternoon in Evergreen, as he held the Greenies to only four hits and two runs, while his teammates were hitting Watson, Greenie pitcher, for five runs.

The local boys gave Zuber fine support with their brilliant playing afield.

Monroe Mills Game Scheduled: A game to be played on Monroe Mills Day – Wednesday, June 21 – has been scheduled with Evergreen and manager Snowden plans to give the visitors to Monroeville a treat on that Big Day. Make your plans to be here and attend.

Sidewalk Work Resumed Monday: A crew of WPA workers resumed work on the building of sidewalks on the main street south of the Square Monday morning. Walks will be built on both sides of the street and will be carried to the end of the curb and gutter on that street.

Another project will be the building of a sidewalk from a point near the L.L. Dees residence to the high school building. When this has been completed, it will give Monroeville between five and six miles of sidewalk.”

Chamber of Commerce Plans Rat Campaign: The Monroeville Chamber of Commerce is working on plans to begin a rat killing campaign in Monroeville at an early date. This campaign was discussed at a meeting Monday night. In making this campaign effective, the Chamber of Commerce is asking the cooperation of every citizen in the town. The date for beginning this work will be announced as soon as definite plans are made.”

Dayton Russell To Erect New Building: Mr. Dayton Russell has made his plans for the erection of a new residence in the western part of town, near the high school building. The building will contain six rooms and will be modern throughout. Work will begin in the next two weeks.

JUNE 8, 1939

Mr. Lucian Jones, George Thomas Jones and Miss Carolyn Jernigan spent last Saturday in Montgomery and witnessed some of the top flight matches in the golf tournament at the Beauvior Country Club.

Monroeville Defeats Jay; Loses to Atmore: Monroeville split her two ball games the past weekend, winning from Jay last Thursday 8 to 7, and losing to Atmore here Sunday by the same score, 8 to 7.

Clapp was on the mound for Monroeville in Thursday’s game and pitched a nice brand of ball. Zuber started on the mound for Monroeville Sunday against Atmore, and had to be relieved by Brown, who finished the game. This was Zuber’s first loss of the season.

The next game to be played in Monroeville will be on Monroeville Mills Day, Wed., June 21, Evergreen being the opposing team for this big game.

All Star Game June 11 at Brewton: The all star game, composed of the outstanding players from the North and South half of the league will be played in Brewton next Sunday afternoon, June 11. The players from the north half will come from Evergreen, Brewton, Frisco City and Monroeville teams, and those composing the southern half of the league will be from Flomaton, Atmore, Jay and Milton.

A larger number of fans from Monroeville and Frisco City will go to Brewton to see the game.

Team Standing Through Last Sunday – Brewton, .727; Flomaton, .636; Atmore, .625; Frisco City, .583; Milton, .500; Monroeville, .455; Evergreen, .400; Jay, .091.

Highway West Of Square To Be Paved: Engineers are surveying a one-mile section of the Monroeville-Grove Hill highway west of the square. As soon as the survey has been completed, work will begin to prepare this part of the highway for paving.

T.F. Brantley Brings In First Cotton Bloom: T.F. Brantley of Peterman, who farms on the Wes Morris old place, brought in the first cotton bloom of the 1939 season, last Thursday, June 1. Mr. Brantley says his prospects are bright for a fine crop this year.

Sunday Hottest Day This Year: Sunday was a real Summer day in Monroeville. The temperature rose from 80 degrees at eight o’clock in the morning to above 90 degrees in the afternoon.

Montgomery reported a temperature of 92 degrees at two o’clock Sunday afternoon.

Plans Being Made For Large Crowd Monroe Mills Day: With Monroe Mills Day less than two weeks off, plans are being made to entertain a much larger gathering than the one a year ago.

Speaking by a number of prominent men will be one of the main features of the day. People over the county who have not had an opportunity to see the Silk Mill in operation will be given the privilege of going through the entire plant.

The furniture factory of the Wood Products Co. will be open to visitors and at both mills guides will be on hand to explain operations in different departments.

Those interested should not miss seeing the stockyard here; one of the best arranged and most complete in this part of the state.

Plan now to spend Wednesday, June 21, in Monroeville.

JUNE 15, 1939

THE FRISCO CITY SUN: We extend fraternal greetings and a most cordial welcome to our new contemporary, The Frisco City Sun, just making its appearance as a weekly paper at our neighbor city of Frisco City.

We understand that its policy will be that of a booster for its city and Monroe County, and that it expects to support everything worthwhile designed to improve the condition of our people in this territory. Upon this assumption, we are pleased to welcome it as a valuable coworker.

Band Concerts, Tour of Factories, Public Speaking, Ball Games: Monroeville is expecting a large gathering of people here on Monroe Mills Day next Wednesday, June 21, and the Chamber of Commerce is making preparations to make this day a pleasant and profitable one for the visitors. Many of our county people have never had an opportunity to see the Monroe Mills and the factory of the Wood Products Co. in operation, and a trip through these plants alone, is really interesting and instructive. Parents who have children of school age should make every effort to bring them to Monroeville Wednesday.

Invitations have been sent out over the country to prominent businessmen and many of them have accepted the invitation and will be present that day.

A band concert will be given on the public square by the Monroe County High School Band in the morning.

The program for the day follows:

8 a.m.: All visitors will register at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Barrett.

At 8:15, the band will lead the parade from the Square to the Monroeville Mills and Wood Products Co., where the visitors will be shown through these plants, while they are in operation. Following the trip through these plants, the visitors will be carried through the Monroeville Stock Yard.

At 10:45, a special musical program and speaking by prominent men will be heard at the New High School Auditorium.

After lunch, which will be served at the Club House at one o’clock, cars will be provided to take the visitors on a tour through the farming section of the county.

At 3:30 p.m., a baseball game between two fast teams will be played on the local diamond.

At seven o’clock, a softball game between Monroeville and Jackson will be played under the lights at the Monroeville Athletic Field.

Brining the program to a close, the dance committee has arranged a dance at the American Legion Club House, beginning at 9:30.”

JUNE 22, 1939

Officials of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad have announced, effective June 1, the adoption of a 10 percent reduction on round trip coach tickets. Last January, coach fares were reduced to 1-1/2 cents per mile, and this new reduction in the cost of a round trip ticket enables coach passengers to travel for less than ever has been the case previously.

While on an outing near Claiborne on the Alabama River last week, Morton, the young son of Mr. and Mrs. T.M. McMillan, was bitten by a water moccasin. He was rushed to a doctor and the wound was promptly dressed. With the exception of one restless night he has been doing fine and will soon be out again.

Dr. W.F. Webb of Frisco City was in Monroeville Wednesday.

Grand Stand Being Built At Athletic Field: Grand stands, to accommodate those who attend ball games here, are being built at the Monroeville Athletic Field, this week. As a result, a much greater attendance is expected at the softball games played on Tuesday and Thursday nights, at the field.

The stands will probably be completed for the softball game to be tonight, Thursday, but if not, they will be ready for use at the game next Tuesday night.

These games may be observed in greater comfort from the grandstand. Everyone come out and have a good time each Tuesday and Thursday night.

JUNE 29, 1939

FRISCO CITY HAS NEW NEWSPAPER: The Journal is in receipt of Vol. 1, No. 1 of the Frisco City Sun, published at Frisco City and edited by Mr. Eugene C. Thomley. The Sun carries interesting news items of the activities of that flourishing south Monroe County town and enjoys a liberal patronage by the merchants of Frisco City and other business houses over the county.

M.E. SKINNER SHOWS FIRST COTTON BOLLS: Mr. M.E. Skinner brought to this office on Monday, some well developed cotton bolls picked from his farm north of Monroe Station. He states that his cotton is putting on a heavy crop of fruit and that he has noticed no boll weevil damage on his farm. He states that other crops are above the average.

BEATRICE HAS NEW INDUSTRY: There is being constructed in Beatrice a plant for the manufacture of doors for railroad grain cars. The plant is located near enough to the railroad to make it convenient to load all of the finished product on the L&N Railroad.

Mr. A.E. Adams, who operates similar plants over the southern states, will superintend operations and will use some local labor in the operation of the plant.

MASONIC OFFICERS: Blacksher Lodge, No. 593, A.F.&A.M., held their regular annual meeting and the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: R.E. Rabon, W.M.; J.L. Grissett, S.W.; A.T. Ellis, J.W.; J.J. Bell, S.D.; H.M. Hayles, J.D.; E.R. Hayles, Sec.; W.W. Garrett, Treas.; J.C. Kyle, Tyler; A.E. Emfinger, Chaplain; Tom Hayles and F.N. Grant, Stewards; J.F. Lambert, Marshall.

Hundreds Attend Monroe Mills Day Celebration Here: The Monroeville Chamber of Commerce and the citizens of Monroeville were hosts to many visitors who gathered here last Wednesday for the Monroe Mills Day celebration, which marked the second anniversary of the beginning of operations of the local Silk Mill and also the opening of the furniture factor a few months ago.

Well, I guess that’s all that space will allow for today. If nothing changes, next Sunday, I’ll take a look at the events from 50 years ago, from June 1964, in Monroe County. Until then, if you get the urge to research the county’s history yourself, take advantage of the Monroe County Library’s excellent selection of old newspapers on microfilm and other resources. The library’s friendly and courteous staff will be more than happy to get your started.

Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Sun., June 22, 2014

Temp: 76.5 degrees F.

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.00 inches

Humidity: 79 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Mostly Cloudy skies; birds audible (including woodpecker) and visible; cows audible; light dew on the ground.

Barometric Pressure: 29.44 inHg. 

Week to Date Rainfall: 1.50 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 3.80 inches

Summer to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 43.35  inches

NOTES: Today is the 173rd day of 2014 and the second day of Summer. There are 192 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

George Singleton recommended a night in the woods for a 'mental breather'

George 'Buster' Singleton

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Mental breathers keep life balanced,” was originally published in the Oct. 22, 1987 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

I think one of the mistakes of our society today is that we don’t take the time to let our minds heal themselves. We become so preoccupied with ourselves that we forget that our brains have to have a breather.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but we work all day in a tense environment; then we go home, and then what do we do for relaxation? We sit for at least three or four hours each day and watch television. During this time, we witness three or four murders and at least three or four acts of rape. Then, to add to all the other troubles, we usually see a home or two broken up and always two or three families separated from each other, with a small child or two thrown to the mercy of the world. Then no evening is complete without some hanky panky between the couple next door.

All of this has become a way of life with us. This is what we expect to see. This is how we entertain ourselves.

Fantasy world in turmoil

Then we finally push away from the boob tube, and we try to get some rest. The happenings of the past few hours rest so heavy on our minds that we can’t go to sleep. Our brains are so cluttered that we have trouble remembering our children’s names. And we can’t understand why our society is going to the dogs. Our world of fantasy is in turmoil; we struggle for survival; we have no place to go to rest the mind. We turn to narcotics and to the many other things that destroy our minds for a solution. But there is nothing to be found.

But all is not in vain. There is a solution for the problems of life, and it is so close at hand. We can still turn to the healing place, just as the early Indian did. A place where the pressures of life have no meaning. A place where we can gather our thoughts and be at peace with ourselves and our surroundings. A place where we can talk to the Great Spirit and gain strength and be well.

This place that I speak of is the deep woods. A place where the tall pines grow and the quietness covers you like a blanket, and all is well with your soul.

A few simple things

When it seems that you are at the end of the rope, and the troubles of life cling to your every move, gather yourself a few simple things such as a blanket, a few items of food and a jar of water. Steal away into the deep woods, and find yourself a quiet spot. Some, like myself, might like the high country. Others might like the low, cool area along the small streams. The place can be of your own choosing.

Arrive in time to nestle down before dark. Arrange your sleeping place in the soft pine needles and wait for the shadows to creep across the evening skies. Eat just enough food to keep from being uncomfortable. Drink the plain water from the jar, and listen for the night sounds as they slowly gather around you.

Do not be afraid. There is nothing to harm you. Lie back and watch darkness close in around you like a huge curtain. Absorb your surroundings, and let the Creator of the heavens and earth heal your mind and soul. Give thanks to the Great Spirit for allowing you to be a part of his creation. Then, in the quietness of the moment, review your life. Evaluate the things that might not be in accordance with that which is right toward your fellow men. Choose the decisions that will make you a stronger person. Set forth rules of discipline that won’t allow you to do the things that will cause heartbreak and sorrow to your loved ones. Strengthen your conscience, and cast aside those things that are trivial and will make you weak.

Listen to the sounds

Then, when this is done, wrap in your blanket and listen again to the sounds that will bring on sleep and contentment. And with the coming of sleep comes the healing of the mind and the soul, and all is well and good within yourself once more.

In the morning, as the darkness is pushed gradually away with the warming rays of the rising sun, look back at the night and reaffirm that which you decided upon.

As you eat the last of the food that you brought with you, you will know that you are not alone. You will know that the Great Spirit walks with you and is forever near. And if you feel like raising your arms to the heavens, do so; the words will come.

O! Great Spirit,

Whose voice I hear in the winds,

And whose breath gives life to all the world,

Hear me! I am small and weak; I need your

Strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes

Ever behold the red-and-purple sunset.

Make me always ready to come to you with

Clean hands and straight eyes.

And when life fades, as the fading sunset,

My spirit may come to you

Without shame to walk with you by the

Stream that gives eternal life.

And a thousand years will be as a day’s

Passing.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Sat., June 21, 2014

Temp: 79.0 degrees F.

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.00 inches

Humidity: 78 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Partly Cloudy skies and sunny; birds audible and visible; cows audible; rabbits visible; dew on the ground.

Barometric Pressure: 29.51 inHg. 

Week to Date Rainfall: 1.50 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 3.80 inches

Summer to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 43.35  inches

NOTES: Today is the 172nd day of 2014 and the first day of Summer. There are 193 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE. 

Few things beat listening to a late night baseball game on the radio

'Will the Thrill' on the cover of SI.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed listening to ballgames on the radio, especially baseball.

While fancy set-ups like satellite TV and XM radio are nice, I’ve always preferred a car radio or a good, old-fashioned clock radio that plugs into the wall. To me, nothing beats finding a game on one of these devices and following the action miles away.

That’s why, if you were to peer into my living room at night, you might find me leaned over my reliable Sony radio, slowly moving the tuner along the AM dial, searching for a game in progress somewhere out there in the wide world.

During the day, you won’t find much of anything on the AM dial, but at night, you can pick up signals from all over the country. I don’t know what has changed in recent years, but it seems like those late night signals aren’t as strong as they used to be, but on some nights, when the weather is just right, you might be surprised by some of the games you can catch on the radio. Sometimes, I’ve even picked up signals from as far away as Mexico.

All of this reminds me of when I was a kid, way back in the days when I was a shaky-voiced eighth-grader enthralled with Major League Baseball.

During those days, my favorite team was the San Francisco Giants and my favorite players included Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell. You may remember those teams from the early 1990s, teams that included the “earthquake” World Series team that faced cross-bay American League rivals, the Oakland A’s, in some classic games.

When I was growing up, my family didn’t have cable or satellite TV. We had three TV channels, that is, Channels 3, 5 and 10, just the major networks. For those of us living down below Red Town, there was no ESPN, no TBS, not even WGN out of Chicago. To keep up with sports, it was either catch the nightly news, pick up a Mobile Press-Register on the way to school or listen to the radio.

I can remember lots of nights, lying in bed in the dark with my then-fancy Sony alarm clock-radio on my chest. The cord would run off one side of the bed to the plug in the wall, and the only light in the dark room would be the devil red glow of the numbers on the clock’s display.

With a little practice, I got good at slowly moving the radio’s tuner along the AM dial, and there in the bedroom, in a house in the woods outside of Frisco City, I could pick up signals from radio stations hundreds of miles away.

On a good night, I could pick up Rangers games in Texas, White Sox and Cubs games in Chicago and Braves games in Atlanta. Often, I would hear the ends of games that would wrap up too late to make it into the paper the next morning. At other times, I’d fall asleep and wake up hours later to the crackling sound of static on the radio with no idea who won or lost.

Even today, I’m still guilty of roaming the AM dial late at night or while driving somewhere after sundown in my pickup truck. For whatever reason, those AM signals don’t seem as strong as they used to be, but the allure of those late night games remains strong. I’m almost 40 years old now, but when I close my eyes and listen to some late night baseball game on the radio, I can’t help but feel like a much younger version of myself. 

Daily Weather Observations from SW Alabama for Fri., June 20, 2014

Temp: 76.1 degrees F.

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 1.10 inches

Humidity: 81 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Partly Cloudy skies and sunny; birds audible; dew on the ground.

Barometric Pressure: 29.60 inHg. 

Week to Date Rainfall: 1.50 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 3.80 inches

Spring to Date Rainfall: 29.75 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 43.35  inches

NOTES: Today is the 171st day of 2014 and the last day of Spring. There are 194 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.