Memoried Glances: 1916 — Severe earthquake hits LaGrange

Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 1, 2016

Octobers past, 100 years ago.

From The LaGrange Graphic, 1916.

Front Page News

LaGrange Visited By Severe Earthquake — Quite a severe earthquake shock was felt by the people of LaGrange at 4:15 Wednesday evening, Oct. 18.

The tremor was very considerable, and the earth seemed to vibrate from east to west.

We have heard of no damage but the shaking has caused a considerable stir among the residents of the city.

Warning: Country Facing A Coal Shortage — A Coal Shortage is almost a certainty for LaGrange this winter. Dealers locally are already experiencing a delay in shipments caused by car shortage.

Prices at the mines have in many cases doubled in the last 90 days and are going higher. With a severe winter coal is expected to cost $7 or $8 per ton and the public will be fortunate to get it at all.

No orders are accepted, except for prompt delivery, subject to it being on the yard. Economy should be practiced by all in the use of coal.

Troup County Fair To Be Held — The Troup County Fair will open Tuesday, Nov. 14, and continue throughout the week, closing on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The many agricultural, poultry and live stock exhibits promise to be the best ever shown here. The races will be exciting and the Midway Carnival and the attractions that come with it will be among the best ever secured for a county fair.

This fair is held for the benefit of the people and not as a money-making proposition. The people of Troup County and the surrounding counties should take a deep interest in it, as such an institution should stimulate better farming and better stock raising.

We urge the farmers, stock growers, ladies and all interested in any line of progress to vie with each other as to who will have the best exhibit in each special department.

Campaign Begins For Raising Funds For LaGrange College — A mass meeting was held earlier this month and a campaign launched to raise a fund of $50,000 for LaGrange College, with the understanding that the town raise half the amount.

This would be a very fitting expression of appreciation for what the college has done for LaGrange and for the South generally.

One of the oldest women’s colleges in the country, the local college has sent out hundreds of full graduates, besides thousands of shorter term students to bless and develop their own communities. LaGrange College has, generally, throughout her career, had the reputation of sending out women of character and mental ability inferior to none.

When the people of LaGrange decide to do a thing it is usually done, and we feel sure that the work of raising a sum sufficient to meet all demands of the college will be a grand success.

Local Telephone Exchange A Model Enterprise — LaGrange is never behind in any of her enterprises, but always demands the best service along all lines that is possible to be given.

This is fully verified by the equipment and service of the LaGrange Exchange of the Southern Bell Telephone Company, and demonstrated by the management at a reception at the exchange to which the ladies of the city have been invited.

At this reception the patrons of the exchange come into closer touch with the operators, and better understand the intricate workings of the system, and the manner in which every call is manipulated.

The LaGrange Exchange now has 800 city subscribers and 500 rural subscribers and the list is increasing every month.

The long distance business for September was the largest since the service was installed.

Presidential Pointers — The tenth presidential election in 1824 was unusually interesting. Twenty-four states took part, having 261 electoral votes, which were divided as follows: John Quincy Adams, 84, Andrew Jackson, 99, William H. Crawford, 41, and Henry Clay, 37.

No candidate having a majority, the House of Representatives on February 9, 1825, elected John Quincy Adams on the first ballot. He was supported by 13 states, Jackson by seven states and Crawford by four states. John C. Calhoun had been elected vice president by the electoral college. The popular vote at this election, the first of which there is a complete record, amounted to about 350,000.

Editorial

Let There Be Light — The city of LaGrange has gone to considerable expense to get an audit made on the city’s books.

We now ask that the people be given a simple digest of the auditor’s report so that the taxpayers may know the resources and liabilities of the city. The people want it.

Will our city fathers ignore the wishes of the people?

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Memoried Glances

Julia Dyar

Contributing columnist

Julia Dyar, a retired journalist, is active in the Troup County Historical Society.