Atomic Energy Was 1945 Herald Topic
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Famed Water Valley melon grower J.C. Winters (pictured left) helps carnival chairman Joe Elliott Jr. weigh the winning melon at the 1985 Watermelon Carnival. The winning melon was a 66-pounder grown by Bailey Walker. J.C. said (with a straight face) that he was certain he had the winner, but the five men carrying it broke through a wooden field bridge and smashed the melon bringing it out of the patch.
The development of three big news stories during the past week prompted Herald Editor Ed Shearer II to reflect on the events in the August 9, 1945, edition of the Herald. The first big news was the report of the Potsdam conference, which let the world know the pattern for the future of Europe and the manner in which the United Nations would exact reparation from defeated Germany. Second big break came Monday with the announcement of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Wednesday bought the third big story when it was announced that Russia had declared war on Japan.
But Shearer wrote, the report of the atomic bombing of Japan has far greater significance than the other two items.
“Scientists themselves are not agreed on the destructiveness of this energy, nor have they fully developed protective measures for the use of atomic energy. Until the death-dealing rays emanating from the exploding atom can be controlled we will not have atomic energy to heat our homes, fuel for our automobiles or airplanes and do the many other things that is predicted for atomic power,” Shearer wrote.
You can hardly argue with Shearer‘s musings on the future of nuclear energy even 80 years later, as the world is split on whether it’s energy for the future or a relic of the past.
Siamese twin watermelon is about the only term that could be applied to this freak watermelon grown in a patch owned by Garland Willingham and displayed by George Henderson in 1965. The melon(s) grew from one stem and had only one blossom and weighed 51 pounds. Henderson reported the melon tasted delicious.
• 40 Years Ago, August 15, 1985 – Sherry Shuffield graduated from Water Valley High School in August of 1885, taking only three years to complete high school. Sherry took summer courses in the summers of 1984 and 1985 to complete her high school education a year early.
Herald outdoor columnist Stan True wrote biologists with the state game commission have determined that irresponsible hunters running dogs and not the sport itself has ruined deer hunting in northeast counties.
The comments followed a series of public meetings on the topic and Chief of Game Seth Mott explained, “A careful examination of the public’s comments shows that the problem is caused by some of the people using dogs to hunt deer, and not the dogs themselves.”
Problems identified included outlaws and slob hunters. The Department of Wildlife identified a plan to combat the problem, which included coordinated action between game and law enforcement personnel to get clubs and landowners interested in improving local deer herds through cooperative management activities. Also needed was getting local sportsmen to support needed legislation, such as a road hunting bill, which would get hunters off the road and back into the woods.
• 50 Years Ago, August 14, 1975 – Registration was scheduled August 22 for school and included in the article was the school’s policy on the dress code at Water Valley High School. Cleanliness of the body and cloth was expected of all students at all times. Hair could not obstruct vision nor be groomed in class. Dark sunglasses may be worn in the classroom if an authorization by a doctor is on file in the principal’s office. For the young ladies, excessive makeup was prohibited, but slacks and jeans were okay, as were sandals. The young men‘s sideburns may extend to the bottom of the earlobe, but must be neatly trimmed. Also for males, belts were to be buckled and trousers must be worn above the hips. Cutoffs and shorts were not permitted. Socks were to be worn with shoes and sandals. Failure to comply with the rules of dress was cited as grounds for suspension.
• 60 Years Ago, August 12, 1965 – Charles William Beene and Alton E. Blaker of Water Valley and Jeff W. Love of Coffeeville are included in the 500 Mississippi State University students who are candidates for degrees in the August 21 ceremonies.
• 70 Years Ago, August 16, 1955 – The battle for governor of Mississippi was raging between Paul B. Johnson, Jr. and Judge J.P. Coleman.
Although Coleman trailed Johnson by 20,000 votes in the primary, Herald editor Ed Shearer II wrote in favor of Coleman, who won the run-off and became the state’s governor.
Shearer wrote that the local boys from Water Valley who attended the Coleman meeting in Jackson last week informed him that they did not find the free beer that was served at the meeting and did not believe there was any beer at the meeting. But, Shearer wrote, Paul Johnson, who was not there, was able to tell the people of Mississippi that beer was served to those attending the meeting.
“What an olfactory sense he must have!” Shearer concluded.
• 80 Years Ago, August 9, 1945 – Boll weevil dam- age over Mississippi continued to increase during the past week and poisoning is badly needed in many sections of the state, according to the State Plant Board.
Billie O. Humphreys of Water Valley, who is in the Medical Detachment, 1850th Service Command Unit, Station Hospital at Camp Chaffee, Ark., has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Humphreys of 309 Lafayette Street.
The veteran organizations for the helping of Yalobusha County and the City of Water Valley have arranged to have a stenographer to assist veterans for the Spanish American War, and World Wars I and II, and all wars since 1898 in obtaining all the rights they are entitled to under the GI Bill of Rights. Supervisors selected Miss Sallie Mae Jones, who has office space in the law office of John Horan.
• 90 Years Ago, Friday, August 9, 1935 – Mr. John J. Dickey, 82, was instantly killed Saturday morning about 9 o’clock when hit by an automobile at the depot street crossing on Main Street. He was standing at the steps next to the depot, talking to friends and turned to cross the street and stepped immediately in front of a car going north.
Thursday, August 8, was a gala day for Water Valley and North Mississippi – this day being the fifth annual Watermelon Carnival celebrated in Water Valley. Fully 40,000 people attended the show, the largest attendance in the history of the carnival.
