Looking Back

25 Years Ago The Elbert County Commissioners approved a $7, 284, 407 budget Monday night, but even though the figures remain the same as the preliminary budget, the way the money will be spent is different. The commissioners, after two closed door sessions to discuss salaries and job performance, lopped $138, 000 off salary requests and put the money in a contingency fund. Instead of specific, and sometimes inflated salary requests, the commissioners, after three attempts, approved a raise policy by a 3-2 vote that calls for a four-percent across the board raise for hourly workers with a 75 cent cap on raises. Eliminated was a longevity raise that originally would have called for each employee to get $75 per year of service up to 20 years each July. Also left in the budget is $255, 000 for recreation. H The Elberton City Council Wednesday approved a $19, 726, 424.18 budget after a five-hour work session at city hall. The budget, up $617, 277.88 over last year's budget, is both progressive and conservative, according to City Manager Scott Wilson. "It is progressive in that we have committed ourselves to developing our fiber optics cable system and our industrial facilities, and conservative because we have cut costs every way including reducing the number of city workers," said Wilson. The employee count is now down to 134 as opposed to 160 three years ago. H The Elbert County Board of Education Monday gave final approval to a $20.4 million budget for the 1998 fiscal year. Although the budget reflects about a $1 million increase from the current year, most of that is because of additional state money to cover teacher pay raises. In other business, the school board unanimously approved naming Rick Higginbotham as assistant principal at the high school. He will replace Martha Noble, who was made principal of the middle school. 50 Years Ago Elbert County 4-H'ers took eight first place honors at District Project Achievement June 14, 15 and 16th, at Rock Eagle. Pam Bryant, Donna Phillips, Tommy Bryant, Marion Gaines, Darrell Lovinggood and Russell Mills were Junior District winners receiving three dollars and District Winner Patches. Tom McCall and Bryan Lunsford, Senior 4-H DPA winners, will receive an expense paid trip to the State Congress in August where they will compete with other district winners for state honors. H Hundreds of area citizens gathered to participate and listen at the Elbert County Singing Convention staged Sunday in the Courtroom of the Elbert County Courthouse from 10:30 a.m. till 4 p.m. Groups and song leaders from all over Georgia and the Carolinas were on hand to lead the gathering in gospel-type music. H Some 125 Elbert County 4-H members departed for Rock Eagle in Eatonton Monday morning for a week of 4-H Camp. The group of youngsters are accompanied by County Agent Bob Perkins, Asst. County Agent Douglas Garrison; Home Economist Mrs. Crawford Farmer; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hartley and Mrs. Gladys Hanson, a friend of Mrs. Farmer. They will return Friday about noon time according to the County Extension office. H Tenth District Congressman Robert G. Stephens advised The Star today that the U.S. House of Representatives approved yesterday the Public Works Appropriation Bill which included $1.5 million for the Richard B. Russell Dam at Trotters Shoals.

The bill will now go to the Senate for approval or changes. Approval of the $1.5 million will bring the total available for the start of the project to $2.3 million. 75 Years Ago Something new has been added to Elberton's parking meters, and in the future the parking public will have a wider choice about how much time they buy. Under the new set-up, pennies can be fed into the meters one at a time, or they can be fed in any number up to five. One cent buys 12 minutes of parking time. One nickel will also buy 60 minutes and two nickels will let you park for two hours. However, don't make the mistake of dropping in a thin dime. It will buy only 12 minutes. Under the former set-up, you could take your choice of buying 12 minutes for one cent or buying one hour for a nickel or two hours for two nickels. There was nothing between. H The United Rayon Mills, Elberton division, has announced the completion of arrangements to offer to all its employees co-operative group insurance. The insurance includes accidental death or dismemberment insurance, sickness and accident weekly benefits for employees; and daily hospital benefits, miscellaneous hospital expenses, surgical fees and maternity benefits both for employees and their eligible dependents. This wide coverage insurance has a low cost to the individual due to the fact United Rayon Mills pays a substantial part of the weekly premium. H A meeting will be held Friday night at 8:30 at Nancy Hart Memorial school for the purpose of organizing a troop of Boy Scouts. The movement is being sponsored by the Nancy Hart Memorial P.T.A. All boys of the community and their parents are invited to attend the meeting. H While hunting plums Wednesday, Frank Thomas, 14 years old, and Richard Hayes, 13 years old, found an unusual bird nest. It was built close to the ground and was not occupied.

It was perfectly round, and while the outside was made of rather coarse straw, the inside was as smooth as the inside of a soup bowl, having been skillfully plastered with mud. The bird that built it should have no trouble qualifying as an expert plasterer in the building trade. H The Elbert County Singing Convention Sunday, in many respects, was one of the most satisfactory ever held. Because of the rain, the morning attendance was not as heavy as it would have been otherwise, though the courthouse was comfortably filled. However, the audience Sunday afternoon filled the building to overflowing and the singers outdid themselves in quality and volume of songs. It was one singing convention in which nobody suffered from the heat. 100 Years Ago Mr. W.A. (Squire) Sanders was a welcome visitor to the city Thursday. He is now one of the oldest men in the county, and is one of our most worth Confederate soldiers. He is up in the nineties and is held in the highest esteem by all who know him. His farm has been a paying proposition for the past fifty years, as he always had something to sell. It was good honey, the best sorghum or fine chickens that gave him ready money all the year round. He never got too busy to attend church on Saturday as well as Sunday. May his useful life be spared for many years. H Mr. Carl Mize lost his barn by fire last Tuesday night. The fire was of unknown origin, occurring in the early part of the night during a thunder storm. It is thought probable that lighting started it. He had a mule and a fine cow and two thousand bundles of fodder and oats and other feedstuff destroyed. A mule that was badly burned was rescued by knocking off planks and making a hole large enough for it to break through, the flames having cut off egress by way of the door. Mr. Mize is a poor man, a tenant on the land of Mr. Robert McLanahan, and the loss falls heavily upon him. H At Elberton yesterday the local ball team defeated Washington by a score of four to three in the presence of a good crowd of fans. This makes 14 games Elberton has won out of 19 played.

Elberton plays Buford at Athens July 4, which promises to be the game of the entire season. The local grounds are being put in ship shape. H Some of the farmers of this community are busy having their wheat and oats threshed, others are busy sowing peas, cane and velvet beans, trying to fight Mr. Boll Weevil and Mr. Bud Worm, which is destroying lots of the corn. -Moss correspondent H Mr. A.G. Brickle gives notice that he can't get his phone connection and be ready to receive orders for bakery goods until Tuesday of next week. H All members of the Junior Class of 1922 of Gibson-Mercer Academy who will attend a class picnic at Pulliam's Mill on July 8, are requested to notify Clark Adams, Elberton, Ga., Route 6. 125 Years Ago Elberton has as many pretty turnouts and as much pleasure driving as any little city in the state. H Hugh Campbell wants a wife and invites all the girls to call at Carr's soda fountain and see him personally. It's his treat. H The blackberry brigade have opened their campaign and are pouring into town laden with this delicious fruit, prices are ranging from a nickel up. (That means five cents a gallon. -1947 editor) H There was a large ball of fire came over here last Wednesday night which caused great excitement. -Carter's Creek correspondent H A large meteor passed the ville one night last week descending in a northern direction. -Nickville correspondent H Here is a pretty mess! Was there fraud practiced at the examination of teachers here three weeks ago? The county board of education and county school commissioner think there was, and they have ordered a re-examination of the 31 lady teachers who stood the examination. It is reported that Mr. Tom Verdell had gone off and bragged that he had worked out all the sums for one of the most prominent teachers in the county.