1945

Taylor County News

February 8, 1945

 

E. R. Linton buys Denmark Garage

              E. R. Linton Motors west Green Street at Road 19, yesterday purchased the business of the Denmark Garage, which has been operated in the Blanton building on Main Street, just west of Jefferson.

              W. J. (Bill) Denmark will join Mr. Linton's crew at the latter's garage adjoining the service station on Road 19, and the equipment at the repair and reconditioning shop will be expanded to care for increased business.

              The Denmark garage has been closed and it is thought likely that those formerly employed there will also join forces with Mr. Linton and Mr. Denmark at the E. R. Linton Motors.

              All concerned in the deal are men of experience in auto service in Perry.

 

Spectacular Fire Destroyed the Masonic building here Friday

Perry Fire Equipment and that from Army Air Field fight flames in vain.

              The three-story Masonic building here, occupied by the Temple Theater, Dr. G. H. Warren, Dr. Wilson T. Hendry, the Welfare Board, and the various fraternal groups of Perry, was destroyed by fire last Friday morning. A heating stove exploded on the second floor and hot stovepipe fell the entire length of the hall on that floor, causing the most destructive fire in Perry's history.

              Somewhat less than half a million gallons of water were pumped into the burning building, but due to the headway the fire had gained and the inflammable nature of the interior, four fire trucks, throwing from five to seven streams of water into the blazing second floor could make no headway against the roaring flames.

              The alarm sounded shortly after nine o'clock Friday morning, and the 500 gallon pumper of the Perry Fire Department was rushed to the northwest corner of the square. A second call brought the seven hundred and fifty gallon pumper to the corner of Main and Washington streets. Three lines of hose were thrown from each, the nozzles manned by volunteers. A call for help to the Army Air Field brought a five hundred gallon pumper to the postoffice corner and a tank with pump which located on Washington street at the rear of the old bank building.

              The combined efforts of all those great pumps could make no visable effect in the progress of the great blaze, though without question they saved the bank building now owned by the county and occupied by the Red Cross and the county health department. At 10:30 the great timbers supporting the third floor of the Masonic building burned in two, the floors collapsed and the north, east and west walls, a great expanse of brick swayed for a moment and then sagged straight down in a great crash. An average of about fifteen feet of the wall still stand.

              The fire was practically over by noon, but the local fire engines remained at the scene the rest of the day to pump more water on the scattered blazes inside the remaining portion of the walls. Nothing was saved from the building except the moving picture equipment that was housed in a fireproof room at the front of the building on the ground floor. Debris flamed up in this location at least twice after the fire was thought to be extinguished.

              The second floor of the building was heated by a circulator placed in the hall, the hall having a partition near the stairs at the front of the building. Two pipes from the heater ran the full length of the hall. About seven-thirty Friday morning the colored janitor of the second floor arrived at the building and started the heater, and then began his work of cleaning the offices. While at work in one of the rooms of the Walfare office at the north end of the building he heard a noise. Opening the door, he saw the full length of the hall filled with flame and smoke. His exit by the front was closed and he was rescued by the fire department placing a ladder against one of the north windows.

              Others outside the building saw the smoke and flames at the windows alone the west side and turned in calls for the fire department. The Masonic building was erected in 1923 and the builders used only the finest of heart woods for the interior construction, this wood being covered with three coats of clear varnish. The vapors from the heated varnish near the exploded stove and the hot lengths of pipe were quickly ignited and the rich wood was instantly burning at a terrific rate. The negro janitor was the only person in the building when the fire started. Persons from the street and from the fire department tried to enter the second floor, but were instantly driven back by the dense smoke and rush of flames.

              Loss of the building and contents was estimated at between $125,000 and $150,000. Amounts of insurance have not been made public.

 

Temple Theater to be back in action

              George E. Porter, Kay Porter and others of the personnel in charge of the operation of the Temple Theater, are busy on plans involving the securing of some equipment, the reconstruction of some, and securing a location in which they may soon open the theater again.

              The projectors, sound equipment and most other items were saved with slight damage when fire destroyed the Masonic building last Friday. The equipment was protected by the fire proof room constructed several years ago.

              George Porter stated since the fire that their chief difficulty would be in finding seats for a new theater, but said he felt sure that in a few weeks they would again be in operation.

              During this week Perry movie fans have flocked to Foley by car and bus, where Mr. Porter has welcomed his friends from Perry. The series of pictures booked for Perry have been transferred to the program at Foley, and this will continue until the Temple is re-established in Perry.

              The first arrangement for a theater here will be temporary stated Mr. Porter, since the Masonic building will be reconstructed, with provision for a modern theater on the ground floor.

 

Office Locations changed by fire

              New locations for those who had offices on the second floor of the Masonic building have presented a problem since the fire last week. Practically all office space here was occupied before the fire destroyed the largest single group of offices in Perry.

              Dr. G. H. Warren transferred to the Blair building and will occupy the offices of Dr. J. L. Weeks. Dr. Wilson T. Hendry will be located on the second floor of the Peacock building, as soon as changes can be made in room re-arrangements there.

              The series of offices of the Welfare Board, which occupied the major portion of the second floor at the Masonic building will be located on the west side of the second floor above the Bloodworth drug store.

 

Masons move to re-build their building destroyed last Friday

Plans provide for only two floors now, with third to be added.

              Perry Lodge No. 123 Free and Accepted Masons is one of the best directed fraternal organizations anywhere, and it is a matter of civil pride here that the Masons began plans for reconstruction of their fine building before the fire last Friday had been fully subdued.

              The regular meeting of the Lodge was held Monday night in the second floor of the office of the Florida Power & Light Company, and the members discussed ways and means, with plans and then voted to reconstruct the building as soon as possible and the matter was turned over to the building committee which happens to be a group of energetic and determined Perry citizens.

              The Lodge has sufficient money in the bank, with the proceeds from their insurance to rebuild without the necessity of going into debt, it was said this week by members of the Lodge.

              The building committee is at work upon plans for a two-story building to replace the burned building, with the fixed idea that after the war the third story will be added. The ground floor of the burned had been occupied by the Temple Theater since the building was erected. The second floor has been occupied by professional men and the Welfare Board here and the third floor, consisted of a lodge and a banquet room, was used for meetings of  fraternal groups only.

              The building contemplated now by the building committee of the Lodge will be as nearly fireproof as it is possible to construct. It is assumed that the first floor will again be devoted to the theater, and the lodge rooms will occupy the second floor. When materials and labor are more plentiful, after the war, the third floor will be restored and second floor rearranged, much after the plan of the building destroyed last Friday.

              Members of the building committee state that they have sufficient labor now ready, and sufficient materials located that they will start work as soon as the adjustment of losses is made by inspectors of the fire insurance companies. One member of the committee said: "As soon as we get the insurance straightened out you may look for the brick to begin to fly."

 

 

Trouble with well will be remedied

              The water department of the town of Perry has had considerable trouble in the past two or more years with one of the wells put down since the town took over the operation of the water works.

              After the original contractor sank the well and it was accepted the water became discolored from seepage of surface water. The original contractor could not be induced to return here to work on the well and the town authorities entered into an agreement with the Layne-Atlantic Company, to put the well in proper condition. The work apparently was successful.

              Last February, however, the water from the well again turned red, and the Layne-Atlantic Company has heavy machinery and men at the job at this well. It was planned to drive the casing almost to the limit of the boring, and then seal it off with concrete against the entrance of surface water.

              This week the lower joint of the casing, twenty feet in length was broken, and it will be necessary to pull the entire casing from the well, which will be a big task because some of the casing is set in concrete.

              R. E. Stokes Jr., superintendent of the waterworks, states that the well will soon be repaired where it will deliver its expected supply of good water. When that is done the water department plans the installation of a third filter at the plant, which will increase the supply of water here by one third. The plans for the waterworks plant included places for three filters, but only two were installed when the plant was constructed.

 

 

 

Taylor County News

March 15, 1945

 

New Union Bus Station will be ready for service next week

Albert E. Long, Owner says that Station will be ready Thursday.

              The new union bus station in Perry will be occupied next Thursday, March 22, unless some unforeseen incident prevents, Albert E. Long, the owner of the station, stated yesterday.

              Work started on the building in December and all except finishing touches here and there, is now complete. Gleaming white marks the appearance of the building, both inside and out. Window and door trims are black enamel. The building is of tile, with stucco and plaster, and the large windows are of steel frames with re-enforced glass. Strong concrete paving on the south and east side of the building provides sufficient space for buses to arrive and depart without the necessity of backing up.

              Mr. Long has praise for the men who helped him with construction, getting the building ready in such a remarkably short time. The tile walls and the stucco was under the direction of Ira Grubbs. The concrete paving and floors, the roof and the woodwork was done by W. A. Wright, the electric fixtures intricate in design, were installed by Lee Preston. Fluorescent lighting is used throughout. The plumbing was done by George Nunez and George Nola and the painting by the French brothers and Lawrence Catledge. It is noted that all of these are local persons. Mr. Long also praised the Perry Grocery Company, which supplied most of the materials, some of which were hard to get. He said R. W. Vereen of thet concern co-operated magnificently.

              The main room of the station is a large and airy one on the Jefferson street side. It will be the white waiting room, with theatre chairs arranged along the walls. Two rest rooms are located in the northwest corner of the building. A Bastian & Blessing fountain and ice cream chest, with frigidaire refrigeration unit extends almost the full length of the room on the north side. Tables and chairs will occupy the center of the room. Next to the waiting room, on the north side of the building will be the well equipped kitchen, in a separate room, with butane gas range, a grill and a steam table of large capacity, an electric refrigerator and other appliances.

              At the east end of the building will be located the colored waiting room, smaller than the main room, but with similar rest rooms and conveniences. The ticket office will occupy a splendidly designed space between the two waiting rooms, and the baggage room connects with the office and opens at the point under the marquee where the buses stop. Three doors are spaced closely on the south side of the marquee, leading to the baggage room, and the two waiting rooms. Buses will enter the station from Drew Street, and stop at the doors on the south side of the building, departing into Jefferson Street.

              A kind of mezzanine floor, almost totally enclosed by class, is located above the ticket office, with stairs leading up from the baggage room. This room will me Mr. Long's private office. A public announcement system is being constructed for the station by John Shay of Perry. It will have three speakers, one under the marquee, and one in each waiting room.

              Mr. Long has been in Perry as agent for the bus lines for nine and a half years and his friends here are happy with him in the fine work he has done in providing Perry with a nice bus station. Mr. and Mrs. Long are aided in the operation of the bus stating here by Edna L. Stevens, Mattie Lou Walden, Ola Hartsfield, Roscoe Hernage and a colored maid all of whom are pleased at the prospect of moving to the beautiful and roomy new station next week.

 

Bite of Mad Dog Fatal to child

              The youngest of the little Strickland children, who was bitten by a rabid dog at the Strickland home near Buckville in Lafayette County, died Monday morning in a hospital.

              Two children of Charlie Strickland were bitten in the yard of the home about three weeks ago. The children were promptly brought to Perry for treatment, both being badly bitten on the face. The youngest had two teeth torn out by the rabid animal, which was shot and killed by Mr. Strickland.

              The children have been brought here regularly for the Pasteur treatment, and when it was observed by the physician last Saturday that the youngest one had a high fever the child was sent to the hospital, passing away early Monday morning.

              Mr. and Mrs. Strickland and their children formerly lived here, operating the store-café at Foley junction on Road 19, and later the store at Wages corner in south Perry, now owned by Harlie Bennett.

 

Circuit Conference at Shaw Church

              Rev. C. M. Sappington, pastor of the Fenholloway Circuit of the Florida Methodist Conference, announces the quarterly conference of the Mission at the Shaw Methodist Church on Saturday afternoon March 24, at three o'clock.

              The public is cordially invited to attend these services and the dinner on Saturday, stated Rev. Sappington. His charge embraces the Fenholloway church, New Hope, near Athena, Pine Level, Boyd, Shady Grove and Shaw. The last named church is in Madison County, being located near Mosely

 

 

Taylor County News

June 21, 1945

 

Burl Poppell buys Sheppard Market

            The Sheppard retail fish market has been sold by Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard to Burl Poppell, who will conduct the business in the future.

            The wholesale business of the Sheppard Fisheries will be continued as formerly by Mr. Sheppard, Mrs. Sheppard stating that only the retail business was involved in the sale, but that the sale included the building at Washington and Drew streets, where the retail store has been in operation for a number of years. The sale also included the large new tile building now in course of construction on the lot south of the post office.

            Mrs. Sheppard states that the sale involves the entire retail business and the buildings mentioned. She says that she and Mr. Sheppard have enjoyed serving the people here with fine seafood's and thanks the public for their further patronage and co-operation and asked that Mr. Poppell be given the same fine consideration.

 

New Dairy Starts In East Perry

            On the Bishop old place in east Perry, W. R. Shearer is establishing a model small dairy and has already commenced serving customers with fresh milk.

            Mr. Shearer has a few very fine cows, and said that he had no intention of trying to establish a large herd, but that he did intend furnishing high grade milk to a limited number of families and wholesalers.

            A new dairy barn, ideally arranged, is in use, and a new stone milk house has been erected, where the milk is strained, cooled, bottled and placed on cold storage. The equipment is modern and is a model of arrangement.

            Mr. Shearer, who was previously engaged in the wholesale delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables, has given up that work, and in addition to his dairy will grow a number of vegetable crops on his well situated land. He and Mrs. Shearer also plan to build a home on the site when materials are available.

 

John Henry Thomas back at old stand

            John Henry Thomas, who recently returned from the war in the Pacific, is now employed at the Turlington store on south Jefferson Street, being in the meat department. It is a coincidence that John Henry left this store when he entered the service, the store being operated by Graham Bird at that time.

            John Henry was gone for three years, three months and fifteen days, three years and five months of which were overseas. He is slow to speak of any experiences, but after leaving Honolulu he went to Australia, and then saw action in both British and Dutch New Guinea, the landing at Leyte, elsewhere in the Philippines including Mindora, and then Hollandia.

            He arrived back in Frisco on May 13 to receive his discharge and came back home.