Us In SOUTHERN LIVING Magazine?

Back when you were a teenager and sitting on a car fender, smoking, at Varner's Drive-In shooting the breeze and telling the latest urban legend you didn't know you were laying the foundation for a super grand VARNER'S REUNION over 50 years in the future did you?

Last year it was THE FIRST VARNER'S REUNION. This year we can call it VARNER'S ANNUAL REUNION.

For reservations and to check out the bragging rights click here.

And it is not impossible a writer for SOUTHERN LIVING will cover it. Who knows, they might even have a centerfold of Big Arn.

SUNDAY FUNNIES - MAD's WONDER WOMAN

(click on pictures to read balloons and see the details)

This time MAD Comics took on WONDER WOMAN to lampoon. This is the last story in MAD no. 10. It was written by editor Harvey Kurtzman and illustrated by Will Elder.

All us that read comics, and many who didn’t, know the basic story of WONDER WOMAN. She was/is a woman that belongs to an all female tribe in the Amazon area, which if you are studious you might recognize some Greek mythology embedded in the story line. It dealt some with women’s lib and she had a secret identity and was a regular Army WAC…. The bottom line was to the little adolescents that bought WONDER WOMAN comics was that she was leggy in her super hero outfit and sometimes had big boobs.

She was an easy target for MAD to satirize.

WONDER WOMAN was created by Dr William Moulton Marston (Psy. D.) and first appeared in All Star Comics #8, December 1941, just in time to give the GIs a hand in WWII.

All Star Comics was co-owned by Max Gaines. Max Gaines also started EC Comics later. After Max Gaines died his son Bill Gaines took over EC and went in a different direction. To shorten the story, EC Comics owned MAD comicbook. And when MAD made fun of WONDER WOMAN, it was in a sense biting the hand that fed them. Which was apparently, OK.

As I said, this is the last story of MAD #10. except the ads in the back of the comicbook, which are included in this article also.

A little Tuba Skinny Saturday Morning Music

When I flicked onto my youtube account this morning. This was waiting, suggesting I might enjoy it. I did. I have that same song on a Maria Muldaur LP. To me it just reeks of street corner French Quarters in New Orleans.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

Pressley's Beauty Salon. Was owned by Jimmy Pat Pressley's fahter. Look, there he is now working on his daughter Barbara's hair. Barbara had a reputation for being a nice girl. Her brother counter-balanced that.

Stanley Gualt advertised for G.W. Hudgins' Welding Company a couple years in a row. G.W. Hudgins was Romeo Hudgins. Romeo was also mine and Stanley's coach for Southern Discount. Stanley went on to because a judge in north Georgia. He died a few years ago.

Mr. Goldstein is a wealthy man, owning several of the buildings around town. But, you would never know it by his detailed retailing.

THE FULL MONTY hamburger

Yep, we had full Montys the other night at the GOBAG get together. Monty cooked hamburgers: big hamburger, cooked, pink in the middle, with a Monty's own secret ingredient salve-like sauce cooked in, plus each burger had a thick raw onion as big around as the bun, plus all the trimmings. Yum!

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

Southern Discount? I wore a Southern Discount Little League uniform two seasons in a row. It was probably the less scuffed up uniform in the association... less grind-in dirt in the knees from sliding, in fact none. Of course the seat of the pants section was kind of worn with flecks of bench paint. Romeo Huggins and Pepper Martin were my coaches.

Frances and the Tumor

I have told several friends about my sister Frances' brain tumor. Generally, I have kept it under my cap, so to speak , because I thought she might not want the world to know any issues about her health.

I heard she appeared on some church’s bulletin’s prayer list and she told her class newsletter about the tumor. So, the cat is out of the bag.

Speaking for prayers, some friends said they were going to pray for her.

She has a Glomus Tumor which normally latches itself on the jugular vein in the upper cheek area. Of course we were concerned but felt better about it after the doctor told us it is not malignant.

It did a minimum of damage so far. Hopefully its growth has been halted.

The ear, nose, and throat specialist group in Marietta Frances went to did not have the expertise or equipment to deal with her tumor. They sent us to the doctors at Emory Hospital.

I lost count the number of times we went to Emory over the past month see various doctors, MIRs**, and one time just to deliver some misplaced x-rays and paper work. I think, five times – six tops.

Yesterday was the day of her radiation treatment. She said it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was going to be. In fact, she said, it wasn’t bad at all.

The prayers must have worked. Thank you.

We had to be there at 6:15 am. Of course, in Hunter Time that was 5:30am, but in actuality that was 5:15. But we had to wait around for the valet service to open at 5:30.

Normally, I avoid valet service about as much as I avoid being splashed with scalding water, but this time, we got information from two different sources if you come to Emory Hospital for radiation the Valet Parking is free.

We first reported to the Same-Day Surgery’s Waiting Room on the 3rd floor, signed in and took a seat. We did not wait very long until Frances’ name was called. I went with her while Anna and Bonnie stayed in the waiting room.

We went to a pre-surgery room where they prepped you. In Frances’ case, they hooked an iv to her and attached a big bracket to her head that resembled a heavy cast-iron flange.

I picked it up and it wasn’t as heavy as it looked. It is designed to keep her head from moving during the radiation blast. How does it stay on her head? Get this: It is screwed on with 4 screws; two screws into her forehead and two screws in the back of the head. The screws were screwed in with a regular looking ratchet screw-driver.

Whatever works!

While in the pre-op section I asked the nurse if he/she* could tell if a person was a doctor or a RN – they seemed to be wearing all the same uniforms. He/she* said he/she* knew most, if not all, the Emory doctors, but of course sometimes Grady doctors, Marietta doctors, and so on might show up. He/she* said he could even tell then – something about the way a doctor carried themselves.

“The strut!” I said.

He/she* laughed and said that I had something there.

I asked he/she* how many employees did Emory have. He/she* said about 15,000.

Then I said I knew it was privately owned “by the Methodist?”

He/she* made an “iffy” symbol with his/her* hand and, “Yeah, but Coke has donated a huge sum of money over the years.” He/she* added, “If a member of the Candler family or any major Coke stockholder's family member comes in we are suppose to clear the way and bend over and bow”. He/she* rolled his/her* eyes.

They did the radiation procedure in the neighboring medical building across the street. All four of us walked over with the transporter and Frances (in a wheelchair). We walked deep down in a tunnel. The tunnel went under Clifton Road. The procedure was done deep below earth level. In a way it was spooky.

In all, we walked the tunnel three times.

The radiation procedure itself didn't take long, only about 15 minutes. But there was a lot of "hurry up and wait" situations.

The doctor came in her room after it was all over and said all went fine and they would want to see her in about six weeks, and then in about six months, then six months again, and after that once a year.

We checked in, as I said, just after 5:30 and checked out after 3pm.

While waiting on the car to be delivered to us free by the valet service we saw the police escort a heavy thug-looking guy in that was wearing an orange pants suit and hand-cuffs.



Also I believe I saw Georgian MAD artist Jack Davis and his wife walk by. I didn’t have the gumption to ask him was it really him.

I cursed myself for not bringing my camera.

*The word he/she* is not to meant to point out a sexual preference of the person. It is designed to protect the sex identity of the nurse, to keep him/her* out of hot water.
** The MRI procedure Frances had was done at an Emory medical facility in Tucker last Monday. We were two hours early and they were running one hour behind. That was a guaranteed three hours time of just sitting there. With the scanning time it added up closer to four hours. During that time I got drowsy and walked into their cafeteria to get a cup of coffee. I did not see any thing that looked like a coffee container. Behind a counter with a stainless steel steaming food containers were two servers. I went up to ask them where the coffee was and they looked every way but directly at me. Then I walked to the cashier to ask her…when I was feet from her she got up and asked somebody something across the room. The invisible man struck again! However, I did find the coffee- it was in a soft drink dispenser type machine. When I poured the coffee the cashier saw me immediately and told me how much and held out her hand. It is funny how my invisible cover is blown when I owe them money.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

My scanner is not working at the moment. I am slowing down output until I can get it fixed. Otherwise, I might catch up with myself.

At Waterman Street School one time I got hurt and my Daddy picked me up. I think it is the time I got something in my eye and Daddy, with his home remedy know-how, got it out.

Then before he carried me home he went into Frank Pendley's Restaurant, just down the street from the Police Station and got me a hamburger. It was juicy, uniquely had baked or BBQ beans in it, and a big long hair. It caught in my teeth and I never wanted to eat food from Frank Pendley's again.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

The band of Merrymen that I ran around with knew all about these two advertisers. The two were mentioned and used in our lives daily.

Past Weekend Dingleberries

Saturday:

Willow loves to lie on our bedroom floor with her head under the bed. I think she is going back to her primal instinct of cave dwelling. She visits her make-believe-cave two or three times a day.

I did a post on her head under the head cave-dwelling habits months ago.

Our son Adam came by Saturday to work on our computer. We couldn’t get the printer to work and tried everything we know. It took Adam about 2 minutes to have it printing as it should be.

He also did a couple other things concerning the computers while he was here; making adjustments and this and that.

Willow is crazy about Adam. She reminds me of a little girl showing off tap dancing each time Adam is in her presence. Sometimes a good petting from him will relax her; that is all she wanted anyway, just a little Adam attention.

Saturday Adam was deep in his work I left the room and went to our bedroom for something. And there was Willow with her head under the bed. It doesn’t matter what is going on or who is there, Willow demands her cave-dwelling time.

And I already posted our stroll in downtown Marietta.

Sunday:

We try to monitor our heart rate routinely. We have a little heart rate monitor that you strap around your wrist like a wristwatch and it tells you the figures, including your pulse.

But how do we know it is right?

There is one way to find out. The Cobb County Fire Department will check your heart rate with their professional equipment. It is free. All you have to do is drop by a fire station.

Sunday, on the way to Blockbuster I thought I would drop by the Fire Department, which was on my way. I walked up to a door and tried to open it. It was locked. I walked away, wondering what to do. I looked back to see if there were any more walk-in size doors and no, only big doors for fire trucks, but I did see a button on the wall beside the door handle. I went back and pressed the button.

A young man in blue came and opened the door. I asked if they do blood pressure and he said yes. He was very cordial. He reached into a drawer of a desk by the door and got the heart-stuff he needed. He had to take it several times, and even had to swap my arms to get an accurate reading. Then I put on my wrist blood pressure gadget and turned it on to compare. The bottom number was exact but the top number was about 16 points off. … hmmmm. Now what?

I thanked him and left.

I was thinking about ringing the door-button again and say, “lets try that again to make sure!” But, I don’t want to make a pest of myself. I’ll return again soon.

I went on to Blockbuster. I was on a mission. I wanted to check out A SERIOUS MAN which is a Joel & Ethan Coen movie.

My routine at Blockbuster is that I turn right as soon as I enter and start at the last letter of the alphabet on display of the new DVDs and work my way backwards.. I found a section for A SERIOUS MAN and all the DVDs were gone.

I kept on going my way, backwards. Half way up through I came across A SERIOUS MAN again. This time about half the DVD little cases were there. Hmmm. What they did was put the movie in the S section for the “Serious” and again in the M section for “Man”. I didn’t go all the way back to A, but they might have had a section for the movie there too. Note, that where it should have been there were none left. But misfiled in the M section about half were left. People went to a certain section and looked for it and found it. That is why I think one section had several and the other section had none.

We have been keeping up with the Coen Brothers fans ever since OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? They make good movies. I think you would have to watch there movies over and over, maybe with a group of people to make sure nothing slipped by, and tell what you got from different scenes to get the most out of it.

They also did FARGO, which I thought was great and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, which I thought wasn’t so great.

A SERIOUS MAN is about a wimpy little guy who is very much part of a town’s Jewish community and traditions surrounding their religion. It seemed that the little wimp was predestined to be a wimp or a sad sack. All the cards were stacked against him… it was even expected for him to pay the expenses of his wife’s boyfriend’s funeral because the late boy friend’s money was tied up in probate. Being, non-Jewish I don’t think I got the full value appreciation of the movie. I needed a group around me to point things out that were flying over my head.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

A Solution to Tiger’s Marketable Problem

The media reports that because of Tiger’s’ extra-martial affairs he will have a big loss of revenues in endorsements. He was paid millions upon millions to endorse certain products. Those companies that fired him want the “clean family look” to identify with.

People like to identify with their heroes. If their hero is wearing New Balance walking shoes, they will buy a pair too.

Tiger’s image as a g
G-rated golf player has been crushed. No matter how many times he apologizes, it will take a while to renew that image.

And of course, we know how much he needs the money. After all, he has a crew on his yacht he has to pay, not to mention his house-hold staff… I bet there is a pilot to pay too. To put it in terms we might can understand: It is possible he might only earn 20 million compared to maybe a potential 35 million. He is close to being destitute!

Should we take up a collection or should we come up with a solution?

I have a solution!

Maybe he is trying to impress the wrong spenders.

What about the singles bar scene? All the men there are there for one reason. Maybe that is who his audience should be.

I have an idea for a commercial: In a pharmacy at the checkout counter, the famous golfer is standing by the counter with the cashier ringing up various drug-store items, then he said, “Also, Trojan Condoms.”

The cashier throws a pack into the sack.

He smiles and corrects her, “I mean a case”.

At this point two giggling young ladies elbow each other and give each give him the “come-on” look.

Also possibly a jock-yuppie, also in the background, gives Tiger an approving nod…, maybe a thumbs up.

The announcer goes into his usual disclaimer “for responsible adults only, sold for the prevention of disease only” and so on.

Not only could he advertise condoms, but there are beer companies willing to spend big bucks on advertising and who knows what else. This is a door opened with new opportunities.

Remember, if you can't go to the mountain, bring the mountain to you.

I think he needs a smooth fast talking agent like me.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

My sister Frances worked at the First National Bank for 30 + years. She worked herself up to a VP. As a matter of fact, she was working there when this picture was taken...look! There she is making a face in the window!

Saturday Afternoon in Downtown Marietta

Only a week ago the ground was covered in snow. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with the temperature in the low 60◦s. We suddenly had the urge to emerge and go outside.

We put a leash on Willow (our adopted dog) and drove to downtown Marietta. Willow whined and cried all the way there. She might have been thinking, "This is it! What did I do this time?"

We were not the only ones that thought of taking a downtown stroll. People were strolling downtown all over the place.


The beige store on the left is now a sushi bar. It was Veach's Wholesale Grocery for years and years. Anna's father was the manager, also for years and years.




Various downtown Marietta scenes.




See the building being constructed between the Cobb Court Building and the Cobb County Administration buildings. I think that will be the new courthouse. It is to look very similar to the old courthouse that the old Cobb Countians miss so much. It looks from this point to be rising from the ashes, just like Phoenix. You may have to click on it to see it better.



The Visitors' Center, which used to be the Train Depot.




Can you hear the whistle blowing? See the thing going over the tracks? That is one of Marietta's latest progress pieces. It is a pedestrian bridge over the tracks.

In Glover Park in the Life College Gazebo was a group finely dressed up. I think a wedding was about to take place. Being the nosy person I am I got closer and studied the situation. I can do that, I'm invisible. A lady with a camera was directing members of the group how to pose. Their expressions are priceless. Take it away Rock!

SUNDAY FUNNIES - CAESAR!

While I still have EC Comic's FRONTLINE COMBAT #8 out on my desk from two Sundays ago (I have a very messy desk), when again I used a story in it, I thought I would pull out another one, this time CAESAR written by Harvey Kurtzman and illustrated by Wallace Wood. Remember the quote about coming to bury Caesar? Well, you may find him under my piles of paper on my desk.

Willow and her Neighbors

My Tyson Genealogy - Part 10

40. CORNELIUS6 TYSON (MOSES5, CORNELIUS4, MATHIAS3, JOHN2, UNKNOWN1)16 was born Aft. 1737 in , Pitt, NC, and died Unknown. He married ELIZABETH WATSON. She was born Aft. 1737, and died Unknown.

More About CORNELIUS TYSON:
Military service: Revolutionary War soldier

Children of CORNELIUS TYSON and ELIZABETH WATSON are:
79. i. CORNELIUS7 TISON, JR., b. 1790, , Pitt, NC; d. 1863, , Berrien, Ga.
80. ii. LITTLEBERRY TISON, b. 04 Jul 1807; d. Unknown.


41. MOSES6 TYSON, JR. (MOSES5, CORNELIUS4, MATHIAS3, JOHN2, UNKNOWN1) was born 1755 in , Pitt, NC, and died 1823. He married ELIZABETH JOYNER. She was born Aft. 1755, and died Unknown.

Children of MOSES TYSON and ELIZABETH JOYNER are:
81. i. ELIZABETH7 TYSON, b. 1781; d. Unknown.
82. ii. SHERROD TYSON, b. 1785; d. 1842.
83. iii. SETH TYSON, b. 1787; d. 1832.
iv. MOSES TYSON III, b. 1789; d. 1828; m. PENELOPE MAY; b. Aft. 1786; d. Unknown.


42. CHARLES FORBES6 TYSON (ABRAHAM5, CORNELIUS4, MATHIAS3, JOHN2, UNKNOWN1) was born Aft. 1758, and died Unknown.

Children of CHARLES FORBES TYSON are:
i. SUSANNA7 TYSON, b. Aft. 1758; d. Unknown.
84. ii. CORNELIUS TYSON, b. 08 Dec 1808, , Pitt, NC; d. 24 Apr 1894, , Pitt, NC.


43. CORNELIUS6 TYSON (ABRAHAM5, CORNELIUS4, MATHIAS3, JOHN2, UNKNOWN1) was born 1762 in , Pitt, NC, and died 1791. He married SUSAN RICHARD FORBES. She was born Aft. 1762, and died Unknown.

Children of CORNELIUS TYSON and SUSAN FORBES are:
85. i. SUSANNA7 TYSON, b. Aft. 1778; d. Unknown.
86. ii. NANCY ANN TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown.


44. ALLEN6 TYSON (ABRAHAM5, CORNELIUS4, MATHIAS3, JOHN2, UNKNOWN1) was born 1766 in , Pitt, NC17, and died 1820 in , Pitt, NC. He married RACHAEL. She was born Aft. 1766, and died Unknown.

Notes for RACHAEL:
It is believed by some Tyson researchers that Rachael was too young to be the mother of all of Allen Tyson's children.

Children of ALLEN TYSON and RACHAEL are:
i. RICHARD E. W.7 TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown.
87. ii. ALLEN TYSON, JR., b. Aft. 1782; d. 1843.
iii. ZELOTE E. TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown; m. LEWIS ABBOTT, 1840, , Perry, Al; b. Aft. 1782.
iv. SOPHIA TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown.
v. SUSANNAH TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown; m. DAVID SUTTON; b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown.

Notes for SUSANNAH TYSON:
Her inheritance was sold to her brother Lemuel Tyson by James W. Gaylord, of Washington Co., NC. James Gaylord may have been her second husband and widower.
- excerpted from article number 1249 of THE HERITAGE OF PITT COUNTY, NC, submitted by Bruce Tyson.

88. vi. LYDIA TYSON, b. 1815, , Pitt Co, Al; d. 08 Jul 1841, , Perry Co, Al.
vii. FANNY TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown.
viii. LEMUEL TYSON, b. Aft. 1782; d. Unknown.
89. ix. LEMUEL TYSON, b. 1803, , Pitt, NC; d. 06 Sep 1860, , Pitt, NC.


45. ICHABOD6 TYSON (AARON5, EDMOND4, MATHIAS3, JOHN2, UNKNOWN1) was born 1758, and died 04 Dec 1826. He married ELLEN HAWKINS. She was born Aft. 1730, and died Unknown.

Children of ICHABOD TYSON and ELLEN HAWKINS are:
i. NANCY7 TYSON, b. Aft. 1750, , Pitt, NC; d. Unknown.
ii. SALLIE TYSON, b. Aft. 1750, , Pitt, NC; d. Unknown.
iii. AARON TYSON, b. Aft. 1750, , Pitt, NC; d. Unknown.
iv. MOSES TYSON, b. Aft. 1750, , Pitt, NC; d. Unknown.
90. v. SETH HAWKINS TYSON, b. Aft. 1750, , Pitt, NC; d. Unknown.
91. vi. BENJAMIN TYSON, b. 1785, , Pitt, NC; d. 11 Jan 1846, , Pitt, NC.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

The Huddle House was right across the 4-Lane from Sprayberry High School. The owner's son, Glen and I were more or less in the same running crows.

The Toasted Pup was on the North Park Square, which is now a closed store. I was saw a black man refused service inside and was laughed out.

Mr. Dempsey Medford, owner of The Bookstore, is/was a distance relative. through the Huey family, which married into the Tyson family.

VARNER'S REUNION

April 24, 2010

Remember what a good time you had last year at VARNER'S REUNION? Remember the old friends there?

If you did not remember the little guy that came up to you reminding you of all the good times y'all had together, did you fake it?

It is that time again.

Mark the date on your calendar's and go to bigarns.com and make reservations.

See you there!

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

The Marler of Marler and Thomas Oil Company, I think, lived on Manget Street opposite of the Carlile family. They were on my paper route.

S.A. White Distributing Company was Cobb County distributor for Sinclair Refining products, including petroleum. I worked for Sinclair Refining Company in Atlanta and talked to Mrs. Sinclair or the manager, I think his name was Walt or Wally, almost daily.

Dixie Cafe in Woodstock is where I almost choked to death on a red snapper fish bone. I was in the floor kicking and gasping for breath and the waitresses had to almost step over me while waiting on people and ignoring me.

Of course, anybody who would be in these pages of the OLYMPIAN would know Groover Hardware.

Goodie 2-Shoes Krogering on Ash Wednesday

Yesterday we went to Krogers Grocery Store. It was Wednesday. Wednesday is Senior Discount Day.

The day before was Fat Tuesday. That means yesterday was Ash Wednesday as well as Senior Discount Day.

While shopping I noticed a couple that each had a dark smudge on their forehead. That was proof it was Ash Wednesday.

At the checkout counter I noticed a magazine from the counter magazine display rack had fallen on the floor. The magazine holding rack was attached to the thing that sells last minute items such as gum and candy. To do a public service and pick up the magazine I would have to either move my cart back, or awkwardly squeezed by my cart to get the magazine and put it back in the rack it belonged. I could also get the magazine If I moved my cart back but the couple next in line would also have to move back. So, I thought, "The heck with it!"

Speaking of the couple next in line. I noticed they both had dark smudges on their foreheads. "Ash Wednesday" I thought.

Then the Ash-Wednesday lady, who looked to be about my age, squeezed by her cart and picked up the magazine and put it back on the rack.

The cashier scanned the items I was buying. I looked at the monitor and before she started deducting my coupons she deducted 5% for the Senior Discount. Good for her.

You get to deduct more if they deduct the 5% off the gross than the net price, after the coupons.

Just as I was about to pay, the Ash Wednesday lady said, "Sir, don't forget to ask for your Senior Discount."

I thanked her and said I saw that it was already deducted. To myself, I said, "Damn! A goody two-shoes! I wonder if that soot on her forehead turned her into an angel wannabe?"

I thought about telling her some kid turned over a pyramid display of Smucker's jelly on aisle 4, if she wanted to straighten it out... better carry a mop!"

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

A Musical Evening at Zion Church

. Instead of my usual Tuesday night get-together with the Good Old Boys and Girls (GOBAG) Anna and I went with an old school chum Brad Martin and his delightful wife Susan to Zion Baptist Church in downtown Marietta to get a dose of Afro-American good Old-Time Religion education.

The meeting was held at the original Zion Church Building, across the street from the gigantic new modern Zion Church. The original congregation was made up of ex-slaves. Originally the ex-slaves were part of the First Baptist Church of Marietta. They broke away in 1866, one year after the Civil War was over.

When the ex-slaves started their own church, Zion, they did it with the First Baptist blessings and financial help. According to the lecturer Oral Moses, the white Baptists helped them to the exit door because the whites sung the religious hymns in a more reserved manner and the blacks put more enthusiasm in it, clapping their hands with the music, and well, just more bounce.

We were welcome warmly when we stepped in. They instantly remembered Brad and Susan and were genuinely thrilled that to see them again. The week before Brad and Susan were the only white people there, and Brad was probably the tallest person in the sanctuary - so, I’m sure they were easily remembered.

The old church is now a museum but also has pews, a podium, and everything that makes up the physical arrangement of a church. On the walls it has many pictures of the church’s history. With the help of the curator I was shown a picture on the wall of an Atlanta Postal co-worker of mine, Reverend Robert Johnson. I was told that Rev. Johnson was their preacher for over 30 years. He also worked all night at the Post Office too. He died several years ago.

The lecturer was Oral Moses who knew his history and music. He was also a very good singer. He belted out examples. He led the attendees in several songs.

He told of different hymn writers and the history of the time they wrote what they did in a very jovial manner. He avoided black suffrage, which I am sure was an inspiration for some Negro spirituals. I think he was trying to keep it positive. He touched on the beginning of the blues of how it got its start.

He knew his subject. He is a good speaker

Click here for his website.

Dr. Moses is a professor at Kennesaw University. He attended Fisk University and was a member of their elite Jubilee Singers.

When we were leaving the co-curator at the door was hugging everybody and thanking them for coming. When it became my time she held out her hand and shook it*. I told her I wanted a hug too, which she warmly obliged.


*that happens to me a lot. I can be in a group being greeted – everybody gets a hug but me and I get a proper handshake. I must give out the warmth of a cold fish with glazed eyes.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

One Thing Leads To Another

click on the above to make it larger and readable.

Yesterday, included with the daily OLYMPIAN stuff was an ad for Cobb Exchange Bank.

Cobb Exchange Bank Ad

Mike D. commented that he remembers walking through the Cobb Exchange Bank as it was being built with our friend Sarge. They noticed a little tunnel between the main building and the drive-thru island, which was for pneumatic tubes.

When he said underground tunnel it reminded me the bank had another tunnel one time, an unwanted tunnel. Some outlaws dug a tunnel from the building across the street to the bank.

I mentioned this in the comments and Mike said he found a news article about it:

Ocala newspaper, From April 23, 1974, only a picture of a police office coming out of the tunnel. Says the robbers got little money.

click here for newspaper story

Which reminded me of a story in the second issue of MAD Comicbook about MELVIN MOLE by Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzma - above is a page of the MELVIN MOLE story.

Just a little note on everything being connected, or no more than 4 degrees away - In the building across the street that the tunnel was dug from a friend of mine, Horace A. had a photography studio and I think my aunt had her real estate office in the building as well.

1956 OLYMPIAN - Ads

Marietta Scene

Atlanta Street near Waterman St. The house has long ago been bulldozed away. Now, my birth spot is just a hump of dirt of a railroad bridge.