Newspapers: W.D. Sturdivant ; Franlkin Parish, La. Submitted by: Karen Sue McNease ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The following advertisement is from the Franklin Sun The Franklin Sun February 2, 1939 Ward 5 Man Has Unusual Walkin Stick W.D. Sturdivant of Ward five, who was in Winnsboro on business Tuesday, carried with him a walking stick 49 years old. Any ordinary sick that lasted for 49 years would be unusual, but Mr. Sturdivant's stick is made more unusual by virtue of its being cut from a plain, ordinary cotton stalk. Mr. Sturdivant said his father cut the stick from a cotton plant way back in 1890. It seems we don't let cotton grow quite as tall now as it did in those days. Even with metal tips on both ends of the stick, its total weight is not more than seven or eight ounces. Mr. Sturdivant accounts for its marvelous preservation as being due to the weather seasoning and careful handling accorded it by his father. Just looking at it without feeling its weight you might think it mahogany. But speaking of tall cotton stalks, Mr. Sturdivant says he raised the tallest ever seen in these parts. The stalk of this particular cotton plant was 14 feet and four inches tall, which seems to be some sort of record.