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Julys past.

100 years ago.

From the Lagrange Reporter, 1912.

LaGrange Spends Quiet, but Enjoyable Fourth — LaGrange spent a comparatively quiet, but thoroughly enjoyable Fourth of July.

The two principal events of the day were the big barbecue at Elm City Park and the flag raising at the high school. All four of the banks and the post office were closed all day, and the remainder of the business houses closed at 1 o’clock. There were, as usual, cheap excursions on the railroads.

Crowds in the city were perhaps smaller than usual and only a moderate amount of business was done in the forenoon. It seems that the backwardness of the crops kept many people at home and the excursions carried away most of those who had any money to spend.

There were a few fights of minor importance.

The Reporter suggests that everyone register now a resolution to make the Fourth of July a big day next year with a big barbecue, games and contests and everything possible done to make it a gala celebration of our country’s Natal Day in a fitting and effective manner.

Horse Traders’ Convention — All this week LaGrange has been the Mecca for the horse traders’ gathering. Monday morning the fanciers began to arrive in the city with every conceivable kind of a horse that could walk or crawl, and the trading has been fast and furious.

The feature of the week was the holding of horse races on Wednesday and Thursday. Messrs. Cleaveland and Roper, promoters of the races, deserve much credit for the quiet and orderly manner in which they were held. Hundreds of people came to the city, who might never have thought of coming without this added attraction.

On Wednesday night every hotel and boarding house in town was full, and race officials had to go to private houses and beg places for the people to sleep. This points up the need of the big new hotel to accommodate the people who visit us.

Work In Progress On Callaway’s New Department Stores — On Monday morning Messrs. H. J. Carr & Co., contractors for the new Callaway Department Stores, arrived in the city with men and machinery to begin work on the building, and on Tuesday morning excavation started.

This will be the largest store in the city, three stories in height, with electric lights, steam heat, elevators, fans, telephones, a rest room for the ladies and every modern convenience that the large city department stores have.

With this new building; the Kress store, the new government building, the Electric Laundry plant all in construction; the new hotel, the auditorium, a municipal waterworks and gas plant almost a surety; and the Press Convention coming to LaGrage next year — who says that we are not on the map?

Work to Begin on Kress Building — S. H. Kress & Co., the large five and ten cent store syndicate, let the contract on Saturday to Pike Brothers Lumber Company of LaGrange, for their big building on Main Street, adjoining that to be erected by Callaway’s Department Stores.

The building will be size 50 by 100, two stories and basement. It will be a very handsome design, and will represent the last word in point of convenience for customers.

The front will be largely of plate glass and copper, a particularly attractive feature being the large curved plate glass windows, similar to their Whitehall Street store in Atlanta. There will be double entrances for the greater convenience of the crowds that always flock to Kress stores wherever located. Pressed brick will be used in construction.

Kress now has 130 stores in various parts of the Union, principally in the South and Southwest. The decision of the syndicate to locate in LaGrange is highly pleasing to all of our people.

Government Building Taking Shape — Work on the new post office building is being pushed with all possible speed now, and the contractor informs us that they hope to have the building ready for occupancy by November.

The building is of handsome design, thoroughly built, and will be a credit both to the city and to the government. The interiors will be furnished with all the latest equipment for handling the mails with dispatch, as well as comforts for those who handle the mails.

East LaGrange News: We heard recently of several who have indulged in Coca-Cola until it was a serious affair with them. The doctor had to be called in. Strange, isn’t it, that a sane person will do such a thing?

Chidlren are great imitators. One day little C.S. Martin’s mother missed him, and on looking for him, found him sitting on the back foorstep with a song book in his hand. He would sing and turn the leaves of the book and then bow his little head and pray. The little fellow is only 2 years old, but still he shows he has been to church and Sabbath school. Parents cannot be too particular of the example they set before their children.