The Ellaville Sun Friday, June 16, 1939 No. 51 LOCAL PEOPLE EXPLAIN MONIKERS Nicknames Are Traced To Childhood Incidents Most Ellaville people trace their nicknames to childhood incidents which their friends never forgot. Linton Tondee became "Hoke" on the day of the 1908 Democratic primary when he accompanied his father, an outspoken supporter of Hoke Smith, to the polls. His father, the late Virgil Tondee stopped on the street to take issue with a friend who held a different preference. As the dispute wore on the friend pointed to six-year-old Linton, sitting in the buggy, and asked, "Is that another little Hoke?" Inability of the late H.G. McKee, superintendent of Ellaville schools, to immediately remember the name of T.H. Stevens, Jr., gave the fourth grader his moniker. Mr. McKee knew the boy's grandfather, so he called Truxton Herbert, Jr., "Hamp." James William Perry couldn't say his name, and began calling himself "Pep" before his second birthday. Hugh Morrison credits Alva Dillard, a former resident with designating him as "Mike." He doesn't know why. A childhood friend, "Skinner" Williamson, gave Heyward Johnson the title of "Peewee." "I was too little to do anything about it, but I've never had any use for him since," jokingly explained the local warehouseman. Julian Gill became "Possum" when he was a fourth grader at Butler. Out with a group of friends, he climbed a persimmon tree. Brown Driskell of Butler, called to him, reciting "Possum up a tree, Racoon on the ground, Raccoon said to the Possum, You son of gun, shake them persimmons down to me!" And the literary minded Brown liked the verse so well, he exclaimed, "I'm going to call you Possum." Millard Arrington had some missing teeth when a boy and the late Mr. Alec Baugh began calling him "Snag." Earl Carter is responsible for his brother Milton's nickname of "Gus." Mrs. Paul Coffin couldn't pronounce the name of her brother, Morris, and she said something which sounded like "Barley." He's been "Barley" ever since. Clark Williamson looked at brother Robert's closely cropped hair one day when the latter returned from the barber's, and though(t) it would be cute to call him "Skinner." Everybody else felt the same way about it. Grief for her husband prompted Mrs. Lilly Dixon to refer to Eugene Dixon, Jr., as "the boy" to avoid calling him by his father's name, Mr. Dixon says. Others eliminated the article "the" and he has always been "Boy." U.H. Rigsby doesn't know how he acquired his famous nickname of "Kitty." Others received their monikers after they became adults. Osgood King is called "Kocomo" because when (he was) assigned to the medical corps during the World War, he tended a mule by that name. C.H. Bliss is "Sargeant" because he held that rank during the war. C.B. Theus acquired the name of "Cadillac" when as a mechanic in Reynolds many years ago, he repaired a Cadillac automobile after many others had failed on the job. Some wit fixed the title of "Wam" on W.A. Murray after noticing that was what his initials spelled. C.T. Battle became "Happy" when he worked with an oil company in Atlanta. A city friend came through and introduced the nickname to the homefolk. "Happy" says his wife explains "it's because I haven't got enough sense to worry." Ralph McGowan, now of Atlanta, was nicknamed for a former shoeshine boy at Bridges and Wilson Drug Store, Booker T. Davis. BAPTISM SET FOR SUNDAY Ten applicants for membership in Ellaville Baptist church will be baptized at the Sunday morning service, the pastor, the Rev. Richard C. Howard announces. They include Mrs. W.B. Tye, Aileen Tye, Gwendolyn Miles, Mary Elizabeth Oliver, Jo Ann Morris, Martha Perry, Sybil Daniel, Charles Daniel and Inez Walters. THREE UNITE WITH CHURCH IN REVIVAL Three new members were received into the Methodist church during the annual one-week revival which was closed Sunday night. They were Joanna Mauldin, Hazel Rigsby, and Hazel Ellis. The Rev. Frank Nalls of Soperton was the great preacher for the meeting which was marked by large congregations and much enthusiasm. SCOTT WILLIAMS WINS ESSAY PRIZE Scott R. Williams of Ellaville, a member of the graduating class of Mercer University School of Law, Macon, was awarded $100 fro the prize winning essay on copyright law in the school's annual Nathan Burkan Memorial competition. Williams' subject was "Some Common-Law Aspects of Copyright Law." SCHLEY PUPILS IN WSB FINALS Hall Roddenberry, Hilton To Appear Saturday Two Schley county students will compete Saturday afternoon in the state finals of The Atlanta Journal School of the Air over station WSB. They are Hall Roddenberry and Robert Hilton, winners of the Columbus division awards in voice and declamation, respectively. Both were sixth grade pupils during the 1938-39 term. Winners of district awards have been appearing over WSB in the state finals for the past two weeks. The Columbus division will be heard Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, Ellaville time. Announcement of the state finalists, winners of the all-expense trips to New York's World's Fair and Radio City besides several college scholarships, will be made over WSB Saturday, June 24. SCHLEY SLANTS by Raymond Duncan POTATOES GROW ON STALK C.T. Rainey is displaying a fantastic Irish potato plant with the fruit on the stalk instead of at its roots. A dozen small matured potatoes grew from different branches, but no sign of growth at the roots can be seen. GUEST TICKETS FOR MR. TONDEE And W.T. Tondee is awarded a pair of passes to any show at Americus Rylander Theatre next week for suggesting the above item. From a week of star attractions, Manager J.N. Morgan recommends that Mr. Tondee take the Misses down to see Jeanette McDonald and Lou Ayers in "Broadway Serenade," which plays Monday and Tuesday. Remember, it isn't the person with whom the item deals, it's the man responsible for tipping off this column who gets (the) wink at the theatre's box office. Keep your eyes open, and maybe you will be next week's winner. MCGILL GROWS MAMMOTH TURNIP J.A. McGill who lives on the Oglethorpe highway, almost strained his back when he dug a huge turnip one day last week. He brought it to town and found it tipped the scales at seven and a half pounds and measured 28 inches in circumference. MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY Birthday greetings to Mr. T.J. Jones, 8th; Estelle Driver and June Pilcher, 10th; Miss Maude Hillsman, 11th; Eugene Walters of Atlanta, 13th (he was born on Friday the 13th!); Charley Price, 14th; Mrs. Carvis Wall, 15th; Mrs. E.B. Harbin and Miss June Beckwith, 16th; Mrs. Lucy Dyess and Mrs. Marvin DeVane, 17th; Mrs. J.C. Logan of Americus, 20th. The S.W. Miles family is having quite a week of anniversaries, although the celebration of the unusual series of them has been called off this year because of Mrs. Miles' ill health. Mr. and Mrs. Miles marked their silver (25th) wedding anniversary Wednesday. Mrs. Miles' sister, Mrs. R.L. Rigsby of Tallahassee, Fle., who has visited here often, had a birthday Wednesday. Usually she comes here for a joint celebration. Thursday was a birthday for Mrs. Miles' nephew, Alius Rigsby if Americus. Their daughter, Gwendolyn, has a birthday Saturday. And Sunday is Father's Day. AT THE HEAD OF THE LIST The front man in the birthday parade this week is Mr. frank DeVane, Schley county's only surviving Confederate veteran, who reaches his 95th birthday Thursday at Chattanooga, Tenn. Blind and deaf, Mr. DeVane has been living with his daughter, Mrs. Jesse Clonts, there for more than a year. He has many relatives in Schley county. The aged warrior likes best to recall shaking hands with General Robert E. Lee when the Confederate chieftain bade his men farewell after the surrender at Appomattox court house. He took part in many important battles of the Virginia campaign. (Transcriber's note: Frank Devane served in Co. B, 17th Ga. Inf., "The Schley Volunteers," organized by Capt. Hiram French. He enlisted Dec. 24, 1862 and surrendered at Appomattox court house April 9, 1865. Born June 15, 1844 in what is now Schley Co. He filed for pension in Macon Co.) CARD ANNOUNCED FOR JUNE 22 BOXING SHOW Interest Mounts In First Ring Carnival A tentative schedule of matches for Ellaville's first boxing program in history was announced Thursday by Matchmaker Julian "Possum" Gill as interest mounted in the card which will be staged in Schley county high school gymnasium next Thursday night, June 22 at 8 o'clock. Appearance of at least two Southeastern Golden Gloves champions was assured and a third was considered likely. Enthusiasm over introduction of the ring sport to this section has grown during the past week and candidates trying out for the local team rounded into fighting condition and plans were shaped for the card next week. Popular prices of 25 and 15 cents will prevail. A feature heavyweight bout will match J.C. Roberts of Ocilla, Southeastern Golden Gloves champion, and Dick Saunders of Montezuma, a stellar University of Georgia ringman. Sharing top interest with this engagement will be the duel between Ralph Brooks of Fort Benning, Southeastern champion in the open division and O.C. Edison of Fitzgerald, semi-finalist in the Southeastern meet. Brooks captured three bouts in the national tournament in Madison Square Garden, New York. Ellaville's No. 1 product, "Possum" Gill faces B.J. Young, Newnan city champion, in the 125-pound class. Gill was runner-up in the Southeastern tourney. Tentatively scheduled matches will feature Radford Price against against William Pool in the 165 pound class; James Gregory and Hinton Hambrick in the 135 pound division; Wamza Hambrick and Carl Hobbs in the 145 pound group; Dixon Hogg and Troy Jordan in the 125 pound class. All competitors in these matches are Schley county boys. Appearance of several out-of-town warriors who have not definitely promised to come will alter these pairings. Other local fights will be Buddy Phillips, Hughes Palmer and Quinton Greene. A battle royal among a group of negro boys will open the card. Tommy Hooks of Americus, a well-known fighter and ring instructor, will officiate. end # 51