Appling-Bacon-Jeffdavis County GaArchives News.....71 Years Ago With J. W. JOHNSON April 18 1934 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sharon Broward Davis sadav43@earthlink.net July 18, 2003, 5:51 pm Baxley News Banner 18 April 1934 Baxley News Banner 71 Years Ago With J. W. Johnson A lot of things have happened during the past seventy years and Uncle J. W. Johnson is one man who has always kept his eyes open and his ear to the ground and therefore has not missed many things that have happened during the past sixty years. Back in his boyhood days he says that he can remember when his family went to preaching in an ox cart and found plenty of other carts at preaching besides their own. He remembers whenever a man became financially able to buy a Jersey wagon that he was considered one of the financial business authorities of his community and the man who was able to purchase a top buggy was considered the wealthiest man in his county and he says that he can remember when there was not but one top buggy in Appling county, three or four Jersey wagons, several old fashioned horse carts and plenty of ox carts. Oxen were hitched up to their carts with a single yoke and whenever two oxen were hitched together a double yoke was used. These yokes were made by the people of the diffrent communities. A good ox team was considered help to those who owned them to help make a living. After marrying and settling on his farm about ten miles southeast of here he farmed for the first five years of his married life and then began to branch out into the turpentine business. He continued in the turpentine business for about twenty-three years. During that twenty-three years he also operated a mercantile business, cotton gin, and grist mill. During the time that Mr. Johnson lived on his farm it was head quarters to the community where he was located for the people to buy what they needed. Uncle J. W. says that during his early manhood there were very few homes in Appling county, in fact there was one in a hill and far between. There were four meeting houses in the county, but during those days people would work all week and go to church on Sunday. There was plenty of game in this section and fellow could go out almost any morning during the season and kill a sack full of birds, wild turkeys, wild hogs, etc. We thought that the above mentioned days were bad, but you know that we never know when we are really and truly doing well. Some of my happiest days were spent back yonder in my young manhood and when I first started life. There have been many wonderful inventions and improvements during my time. I well remember when we did not have telegraph connections here in Baxley. I have seen the telephone invented during my time, the radio, the automobile and many other things. I can remember when there were only a few roads in Appling county. They were kept up by the people in each community. In fact each community had waht was known as a road overseer. He summoned out the people in the community and they worked the public highways any where from three to five days. The roads began to improve when the state put convicts on the public roads instead of hiring them out to big interest for the measly sum of eleven dollars per year, but real honest to goodness highways did not begin in this country until the automobile arrived and soon after the automobile made its appearance it was quickly seen that if the best service was to be gotten out of the automoble that we had to have good roads and permanent roads, so we set about to have both and our progress can be seen every way you turn. About eighteen years ago Uncle J. W. moved to BAxley and soon after coming here began to represent the Blackshear Manufacturing Co. This firm has the reputation of manufacturing the best brands of fertilizer in this country. He continued to represent this firm and serve the people of Appling county until some four or five years ago when his eyes began to give him considrable trouble. Due to his eyesight failing he retired from active business about four or five years ago. Uncle J. W. and Miss Ira Bennett were married about thirty five years ago and to this union were born nine children, three of which are living now, they are: Mrs. Tom Barnes, Mrs. Warren Langston of Rome, and Mr. Peyton Johnson. Uncle James Walter Johnson is one of the best citizens in this county and the News-Banner joins his many friends throughout the county in wishing him many more years of happy life. Additional Comments: This was found while working on Vol. 8 of the Baxley News Banner of obits, murders, and deaths. If interested in these volumes please contact me. Vol 8 is still a work in progress. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb