Junes past, 100 years ago.

From The LaGrange Graphic, 1916.

Front page stories

The Great Commoner Visits LaGrange — LaGrange had as her guest for a short while on Wednesday the honorable William Jennings Bryan, one of the most prominent national figures of the day.

The noted orator and political figure came to LaGrange from Manchester, where he delivered a lecture before the Chautauqua and left in the afternoon for West Point, where he will speak.

While he was in LaGrange he was driven over the city in Mr. Fuller E. Callaway’s car, accompanied by Messrs. Fuller E. Callaway, Wiley Reeves and P.G. Awtrey.

Mr. Bryan spoke in very complimentary terms about LaGrange and her resources.

Open-Air Service at Court House — How about having open-air services every Sunday night during the summer months in the Court House yard?

The editor of the Graphic has mentioned the subject to some of our leading ministers and we find that it meets with their approval.

Let everyone who feels interested in evangelical work get busy and convert the loafing grounds of the Court House yard into a Salvation Park during the summer months.

What say you?

Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebrated — LaGrange prides itself on its elegant entertainments, yet the climax in its history of charming hospitalities will come this afternoon and evening when Mr. and Mrs. Fuller Callaway will open the doors of their beautiful home, newly christened “Hills and Dales” on the occasion of their 25th anniversary.

The recently completed home is one of the handsomest in Georgia. The finest of architects have vied to make it all that the heart could wish, and the entire home from the huge marble columns to the tiniest carving bespeaks artistic taste and grandeur.

For the occasion the entire home will be thrown open.

Many out-of-town visitors will be house guests of the Callaways, and about a hundred guests will attend from Atlanta.

Miss Martha Ware Wins in Contest — The contest for leading lady in a photoplay being staged here closed Monday night at 8 o’clock. The contest was put on by the management of the Grand Theatre and was under the supervision of Mr. Ben Strasser of the Gaumont Company, who will make the picture.

Several of our local young ladies were in the contest, which was warm and spirited. Miss Martha Ware was the winning contestant, and besides securing the place of leading lady, she also gets $75 in cash, which was offered for the successful candidate.

Miss Ware’s friends are congratulating her upon her good fortune.

Newnan Versus LaGrange; More Red Hot Baseball For LaGrange (These were in two banner headlines on the issue of June 29, 1916) — LaGrange must win the pennant! There’ll be something doing at the baseball park this evening.

Remember how our boys have played ball here before and be on hand to root for LaGrange. This will undoubtedly be the most exciting series of games ever played here. The LaGrange team has determined to win the pennant, and the baseball fans of LaGrange have determined to back them up.

Newnan will play LaGrange on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week. Surely, if you are a dyed-in-the-wool fan — as you must be — the mere words give you a thrill and you are looking forward to these games.

Editorials

What’s the matter with the insurance rates in LaGrange? Something needs to be done to lower the rates.

There must be something radically wrong when a city the size of LaGrange is forced to pay such an exorbitant insurance.

Is it because of a lack of fire protection, or because of an inefficient fire department?

We dare say that the rate of insurance in LaGrange is higher than that of any city of its size in the state. If our fire department is inadequate it is high time that our city fathers were taking steps to strengthen it. The excessive rate paid by our property holders would doubly compensate for adequate fire protection.

Gentlemen of the City Council, what’s the matter?

Move the Capital to Macon — The question of moving our state Capitol to Macon is assuming serious proportions. The matter has become a statewide issue, and there can be but one logical result: Macon will secure the capital.

Macon has proven her worth in every public enterprise ever held in that city. Atlanta is a city of commerce, and every enterprise or attraction ever held in Atlanta is dominated by that sordid commercial spirit. Her newspapers are subsidized, and the influences by which our lawmakers are surrounded are base and corrupting.

We are in favor of moving the Capitol to Macon and shall work to that end.