Octobers Past, 100 Years Ago, 1917

From The LaGrange Daily News

Front Page News: Community Fair for Southwest LaGrange

On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19 and 20, a Community Fair or exhibit will be held at the Southwest LaGrange School building, under the auspices of the school and the Improvement Association.

The people of Unity Spinning Mill, Elm City and Hillside, are all invited to participate by entering exhibits for various prizes and by attending the exhibits on these two days. There will be no charge of any kind for either attendance or entering exhibits.

There will also be displays of the art and industrial school work of the children, and some vegetable exhibits by the Improvement Association. None of these, however, will compete for prizes.

Good order on circus day

Not within the memory of man has there been a circus in LaGrange without drunks and fights and all the other attendant disorders that usually go with a crowded town, until the Sells-Floto circus came last week.

Perhaps it is a cleaner and therefore better circus than the average; but the absence of our old friend John Barleycorn was so conspicuous and on account of his absence the crowds that attended the circus just naturally behaved themselves.

Time was when the morning after the circus was a police matinée that was a disgrace to LaGrange. Drunks and fights and sometimes serious felonies had to be inquired into, and we know now as we all knew then that whiskey was the evil which made all the trouble.

These good days when we can have such an orderly crowd as we had at the circus last week demonstrates beyond all doubt that we have no place for old John B., and that LaGrange and Troup County now have a set of law enforcement officers like LaGrange Police Chief Reed and Troup County Sheriff Smith who intend that the local laws shall be enforced.

Increased postage effective Nov. 2

Detailed instructions to post masters on the increased letter mail rates which become effective on Nov. 2 under the terms of the war tax bill, have been issued by Postmaster General Burleson.

They apply to all domestic mail, and under that classification is included mail to Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Panama, the United States Postal Agency at Shanghai and all persons in the military service in the United States in Europe.

After Nov. 2, postage will be paid at the rate of three cents an ounce or fraction thereof on letters and other first-class matter except drop letters. All the drop letters, that is letters mailed for delivery from the office from which posted, including those for delivery by city, rural or other carrier of such office, are required to have postage paid on them at the rate of two cents an ounce or fraction thereof.

Editorial: No fall fair

It is to be regretted that Troup County is to have no fair this fall. A fair in which agriculture, home economics, art craft and fancy work can be demonstrated, is a tremendous stimulant to greater efforts along every line that tends to develop greater diversity of all products.

A fair, to meet with any degree of success, should be planned early in the spring, in order that all interested should have some idea as to the important things in which all may contest.

We feel sure that the directors will see that new life is put into the enterprise, and that Troup County will have the most successful fair ever held in this section next fall.

Editorial: Road complaints

Complaints are coming to us all the time in regard to the bad condition of the roads throughout Troup County. We have not traveled over many of the county highways recently, but we are frank to say that, if all the roads in the county are to be compared to the highway from here to the Coweta County line, beyond Trimble, they are not the best in the world. And the streets of the city are worse than the public roads of the county.

LaGrange and Troup County may be long on some things, but they are short on good streets and good roads.

Is there no remedy?

Is peace in sight?

This question is being asked more at this time than any time since the great conflict was precipitated more than three years ago.

To answer this question definitely would necessitate a deeper insight into the future than this writer possesses. And still, we are forced to admit that we are inclined to think that peace is not far off.

It is true that no material gains have been made by either the Allies or the Central Powers. What the allies have gained is more than offset by what the army of the central powers have gained. To us it seems as if the conflict has been merely a draw all the while.

Now, withstanding all of these things, the world is disgusted with the destruction of life and property and stands with uplifted hands, crying out for a cessation of murder and rapine.

The world is sick of the tremendous slaughter of humanity and calls in all of its psychological power for peace; and it is because of these things that we are forced to believe that peace is not far off. Jehovah will, ere long take a hand, and by the thunder of his awful majesty, bring this fearful carnage to a speedy end. God is not sleeping, neither is he forgetful of his people.

We believe that peace is in sight.

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