By By Lowell McGill
While researching our 1970 Atmore Advance archive files this week I uncovered several items of interest.
Longtime Vanity Fair workers were rewarded with six percent pay raises. Over 300 employees benefited from this timely raise.
Two notable deaths occurred that year. Former Atmore Mayor H.H Dees died at the age of 82. Having served the town for more than 25 years, he was regarded one of Atmore’s leading leaders.
Cassie Weekly wife of Charles Weekly of Perdido passed away that summer. Her husband was brother of Atmore’s John Weekly and she was a cousin of Euline Cargill. She was also a close relative of Advance Perdido correspondent Tola Ficklin.
Munson’s Hank Locklin headlined an All-Star cast at the Atmore Saddle Club’s annual Rodeo. Linda Helton reined as rodeo queen.
Bratt Baptist Church broke ground for a new and spacious educational building. Rev. Jerry Smith, pastor, spoke on the church’s beginning in 1908.
Marian Elliot, a native of Gadsden, was transferred to Atmore as warden of Holman Prison.
Four Atmore drug stores and owners were recognized for successful operation in a town the size of Atmore. They include, Escambia Drugs-Ken Barnett and James Nall; Greenlawn Pharmacy-Ed Ray and Bill McCrory; Reid Drugs- Tom Kelly and Davidson Drugs-Bob Davidson.
ECHS football players gaining honors on the grid iron included Allen Moore, David Dennis, Earl Miller, Randy Bailey, Isaac Holt, Gordon White, Stanley Singleton and head coach Harry Hitchcock.
Turning to some local news Venture drilling received a permit for a new oil well near McCullough. It is the Mack 1-1 unit, which has a permit depth near 15,000 feet. It will be drilled in the Smackover formation. Venture continues to experience slight difficulties with its well near Fountain Prison. However, an attempt to drill around the problem area appears favorable.
Venture continues to initiate drilling on its new well located between their prolific Mason Well and Hauss Nursery well.
All other area wells are still on schedule, however drilling on the Chunn well is expected to begin next month according to a source with the Alabama Gas and Oil Board.
Locally, it seems each day our group of old timers at our coffee sessions have come up with a list of conversations that just keep on “repeating itself.” One subject is the lack of “old time singing” at our various church services. They don’t seem to identify with the younger singers who warble these “new modern-fangled” songs.
But when you take it all into consideration I suppose pastors and song leaders find it somewhat difficult to reach all age groups with ministry and song.
For me, give me that old fashion four-part harmony with songs that you heard in bygone days by The Backwoods, the Statesmen, The Lefevres, The Blue Ridge and the really old fashion “Sunshine Boys.”
I bet you don’t remember that group. Well, they began their careers back in the 1940s singing in Class B westerns usually in Saturday matinees.
The late J. D. Sumner, who was seen on the Gaither program, was one of the original members of that group. Other original members were Ace Richmond, Eddie Wallace and Freddie Daniels.
They were regulars back then in the “Durango Kid” movies before they entered the field of gospel music. One of their fist gospel hits was “Happy Rhythm.”
In churches today , certainly, these contemporary songs are rendered by highly talented singers and musicians and we are proud their missions are to spread the Gospel with their musical renditions. Even though it is somewhat difficult for some of us members of the older generation to really “hear the melody” in many of these songs.
Back in the 1940s and 1950s there was a grammar school classmate of mine who gave me a very unique course in “home-spun” education.
For instance, this friend referred to his uncle as “Ander.” It wasn’t until later years I learned his name was “Andrew.”
This friend often used word like “lighterd wood,” “tar,” far,” “slud,” “knowed”hope” and “us-uns.”
With the help of some of my school teachers we were able to “unscramble” these old time “sayings”.
For instance,” lightered” is short for “light wood.” Tar was used for “tire.” “Far” was short for “fire.” “Slud” symbolizes “slid.” “Knowed” was used for “knew” or “had known.” “Hope was a common term for “help.” And “us-uns” simply meant “us” (meaning more than one).
And you know there is a term still used incorrectly today-even by college graduates and professionals. That word is “only other.” I wrote about this in two other columns so I won’t hammer it again. But please tell these big time writers and announcers that there is no such word as “only other”.
Well so much for the by- gone years. Right now I am trying to find out if the new health care plan will allow me to return to my “Blue Advantage.”
I had that plan last year, but changed to another one after learning BA was accepted only in Alabama and had some limitations on hospital benefits.
Am I to understand the new health plan will allow me to receive better services?
I tried reading about it on the Internet, but I finally stopped when I got to page 3,482. In fact, all I could see was “whereas, whereas, whereas.”
I guess I will have to ask a couple of my Auburn coffee drinking friends to get in contact with Obama Press Aide Robert Gibbs.
This former Auburn High School saxophone player I am sure is our nearest link to the current administration.
By the way, he was also the “goalkeeper” on the Tigers’ soccer team.
Finally, it looks like that I-10 to I-65 evacuation route appears to be on track as announced previously by the Corps of Engineers.
An Internet story Monday indicated the route would extend from the Foley Beach Expressway northward near Phillipsville and end west of the Perdido exit. This could be a tremendous asset for the proposed Hybrid Kinetic Motor Corp if it, indeed, materializes.
It would also bring additional traffic to Wind Creek Casino.
More, next time.
Lowell McGill is a historical columnist for The Atmore Advance. He can be reached at exam@frontiernet.net