The Ellaville Sun Friday, March 18, 1938 No. 35 WALL RECALLS EXPERIENCES OF 27 YEARS ON RFD ROUTE Widely Known Postal Leader Became Regular Carrier Before He was 20. Charles C. Wall, widely known leader in Georgia postal circles, looked back Thursday upon almost 27 years of service as a rural letter carrier with the Ellaville postoffice and declared".............in it all, there has never yet been a day of regret." A substitute for several months, Wall became a full-time carrier before his 20th birthday. He singles out his first day as a substitute as affording him "the most hazardous experience" of his career. Called upon to supply for Carrier E.H. Morrison, ill with influenza, on Jan. 2, 1911, he faced a real nor'wester accompanied by rain mixed with sleet. And he knew few patrons on the route. Loved To "Thaw Out." "I made the trip very well so long as I had my back to the north, but when I turned north down in the edge of Schley county at the Duckworth farm my horse had a hard time pulling a top buggy against the wind, and the rain was freezing as fast as it fell. I had to go into several houses along the route to thaw out before returning to the office. After substituting occasionally during the spring, Wall was assigned to Route Three on June 8 to allow Zed Causey to take a vacation. Before the 15-day period had been completed, Mr. Homer Threlkeld, Route 4 carrier, became ill, and Wall supplied for him until his death July 18, 1911. He was appointed temporary carrier, later topped 14 applicants in a competitive examination and drew the permanent assignment, the appointment becoming effective Oct. 1, 1911. He was assigned to what was then known as Route Four. Wall carried this route for 23 years and when on June 1, 1934, it was consolidated with Route One, he was transferred to Route Three which he now serves. Travels 225,000 Miles During his 27 years of service he has traveled more than 225,000 miles, delivered and collected more than 1,500,000 pieces of mail and written applications for more than 16,000 money orders. "I sometimes feel the letter carrier is as near his people as the doctor," Wall said. "We come to know all their joys and sorrows, ailments---everything that makes life." And he has learned not to be surprised at almost any request for service. "During my years of service I have been called upon to do all kinds of services not within the scope of my duties as a rural carrier. I have long since learned how to match certain cloth and threads, buy ladies hats, dresses, deliver messages. Even prescribe for a sick person, mule, cow or hog." Early years found him driving horses and mules, either to a buggy or a "Little Beauty Mail Wagon," as the conveyances were known at that time. He still has the bills of sale for the first little wagon, buggy and automobile he purchased for the route. Little Mare Kicked During the time he drove a horse, Wall had a little bay Texas mare that he did not dare drive without a kicking strap. And sometimes she balked. Only once did the little mare demonstrate the effectiveness of her kicking---but that once was sufficient for a lifetime. It was Feb. 25, 1914, and a snow storm was in progress---the worst in many years, the like of which the section has not seen since. Carriers went their rounds that day, but did not attempt to go out the following day. The snow blanketed the ground for more than a week, and upon reaching one of his boxes one day Mr. Wall found a small snow man, souvenir of the kids. He lifted him inside the little mail wagon and sat him on the shield in front of the wagon in view of his horse. Driving down the road the horse kept eyeing the snow man, relates Mr. Wall, "and it wasn't long until that Texas pony let out kicking and when the kicking had subsided she was completely out of the shafts and the front end of the mail wagon with what mail remained undelivered scattered all over the roadside. After borrowing a pair of shafts and patching things up we set out to finish the route. About two miles from town we were overtaken by Mr. Cull Rainey, the carrier on Route One, and there is where the fun began. Mr. Rainey alighted and proceeded to have a hearty haw-haw at the sight he beheld. I didn't see nothing to laugh at for the air around my face was still warm where that Texas pony's hoofs had been, Cull said, "I'm not laughing at the hard luck you had, but if you could just see how much you look like a frog sitting under a toad-stool back in that mail wagon with the whole front end out, you couldn't help but laugh yourself. Auto Experience Trying Wall bought his first automobile for use on the route in 1914, but his early experiences with a car were more trying than those encountered with the Texas pony. Good roads were unknown in that era and bogging down in the mud several times a day was not an uncommon experience. He recalls one year during the spring rains both he and Zed Causey were marooned across Buck creek because both bridges were washed out, and were forced to return via Oglethorpe. He has served under four postmasters: Mrs. Fannie F(oster) Cheney, Miss Dollie Allen, M.C. Gettys and James H. Hart. He has served with the following carriers: E.H. Morrison, Z.K. Causey, Felder McCorkle, C.T. Rainey and D.C. Mott, the latter two still being in service. The Ellaville man pays a fine tribute to his patrons. "I have been privileged to serve patrons who were always kind and considerate, as well as showing their appreciation for such courtesies as I have been allowed to render from time to time." Wall has been secretary of the Georgia Rural Letter Carriers' Association for the past five years and has been editor of the associations' news columns in The Atlanta Journal for that period. He is the author of a personal column, "Rural Letter Carriers' News," for this feature. He was president of the state association for three years and national secretary for two years. E.M. PALMER IS RE-NAMED SCHOOL PREXY Superintendent, Completing a Fourth Term Here, Chosen For 1938-39 Term. E.M. Palmer has been re-elected superintendent of Schley county high school for the 1938-39 term, it was learned yesterday. Palmer, who came here from Coolidge, Ga., where he headed the public schools, is completing his fourth year as superintendent at Ellaville. The remainder of the faculty will be chosen at an early date, if the usual schedule of naming the teachers is retained. FINE ATTENDANCE AT PHILLIPI MEET Fine attendance marked the Monday service at Philipi Primitive Baptist church which Elder Morgan Williams at Warm Springs preached. Dinner was served on the church grounds at noon. A baptismal service for Mrs. Rufus Johnson, who recently united with the church, was held in the afternoon with the pastor Elder Hassell McCorkle, officiating. NEWSPAPER CLUB NAMES FRED RAINEY Fred Rainey of Ellaville, a sophomore at Georgia Southwestern College, has been selected a member of The By-Line Club, a newspaper organization at the college. The group assigns members to various papers. Rainey was assigned to The Sun. COUNTY SCHOOLS TO ENTER MEET Ebenezer Is In County-Wide Mibs Tourney; Others Are Likely To Join Mibsters on a broadening front shot marbles this week in preparation for the forthcoming Schley county tournament which will select a county champion to compete in The Atlanta Journal's statewide tourney. Date of the county tournament will be announced soon. Miss Lucile Thompson, principal of Ebenezer school, announced her school would conduct an elimination tournament and would send the winner to the county meet. She reports unusual enthusiasm among the aspirants. Other schools are expected to take part in the meet along with Schley county high of Ellaville and Ebenezer. The tourney was discussed at the March meeting of the county teachers' association Monday night. Winner of the state tourney in Atlanta, which will be held May 6-7, will be sent to the national tournament at Wildwood, N.J. The Ellaville Athletic Association is sponsoring the Schley county champion. BANK INSTALLING TEAR GAS SYSTEM 24-Hour Safeguard Against Robberies Afforded by Tear Gas Guns The Bank of Ellaville expected to be ready today to answer holdup threats with tear gas blasts. Two expert workmen yesterday neared completion of installing an ultra modern tear gas system that will afford the bank a 24-hour safeguard against roberies. They hoped to finish today. The office-hour system consists of seven gas guns, with five nozzles as outlets. The nozzles are spread across the entire front of the cashier's cage. Foot control enables the hold up victim to spurt terrific gas blasts in the face of the bandit within two-fifths of a second. The entire lobby will be filled with gas within three seconds. A wiring system causes hidden locks to spring if the vault is cracked. Three tear gas guns are also fired. R.C. Wineland of Cleveland, Ohio, of the Lake Erie Chemical Company of that city is in charge and H.B. Flaugh is assisting him. The local bank was robbed in a dramatic one-man stick-up October 11. OUT OF THE PAST 25 Years Ago--1913 Terrified screams of a negro prisoner awakened citizens about 2:30 o'clock Sunday morning, (March 15) in time to release him from the burning city guard house. He almost suffocated. A newspaper writer wrote, "He was lodged in jail because of too much of the fluid which comes from Jacksonville." end # 35