100 Years Ago: As presented in the 50 Years Ago column in the Sunday, Feb. 7, 1960 edition of the Rome News-Tribune

Armuchee School students and teacher in 1904-05. The photo was taken at the Armuchee Methodist Church, which was across the street from the school.
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The clubhouse of the newly organized Coosa Country Club was nearing completion, and plans were being made to hold the grand opening early in March 1910. It promised to be the most elaborate social event ever to take place in Rome.
President Robert W. Graves had named two women’s committees, one a house committee, including Mrs. W.L. Graves, Mrs. W.S. Cothran, Mrs. Wilson Hardy, Mrs. C.S. Pruden and Mrs. Luke McDonald and an entertainment committee, composed of Mrs. C.R. Porter, Mrs. E.A. Heard, Mrs. R.M. Harbin, Mrs. S. Burnett Norton and Mrs. William Winston.
The first group was to see that the furnishings were kept in good order, the other to plan a full schedule of social events. The club was being equipped with handsome mission furniture, but it was going to need linens, silver, china, curtains and sofa cushions. So the wives and daughters of the members were planning a “shower” prior to the grand opening, when gifts for the club would be brought.
***Claude Dupree, well-known owner of a garage on East First Street, was arrested for speeding on Second Avenue, was found guilty in Recorder’s Court and fined $1 and costs. Refusing to pay the fine, a higher court was called upon to decide his guilt.
“I will never pay that dollar until a jury of 12 men tells me to,” said Mr. Dupree. Claiming that his passenger, Dr. Simmons, declared he had at no time exceeded a speed of 15 miles per hour, he entered upon a tirade against other traffic.
“You find more vehicles driving on the left of the street than on the right, and wagons and drays stop in the middle of Broad Street, frequently with the horses standing across it, blocking traffic sometimes for half an hour,” he observed. “Automobiles are here to stay,” he prophesied. “There will be more than ever this summer, and they have some rights.”
***Rome’s monument to the Women of the South, the first of its kind in the country, was to be placed at Broad Street and Third Avenue. The site was being prepared, and the shaft was to arrive soon. The Rome Camp Sons of Veterans was planning a program of unveiling. … D.W. Curry had purchased the stock of Homer H. Arrington in Curry-Arrington Drug Co. at the corner of Broad and Second Avenue. Mr. Arrington planned to devote his attention to his farm. … Dr. Turner McCall had bought the pretty bungalow of W.H. Herndon, 906 Upper Broad, for $3,500. To show the prosperity of Remarkable Rome, Mr. Herndon had bought the lot and built his house for $2,500 just nine months before.
***After three weeks of busy grind by the Superior Court a total of 65 cases had been disposed of, with 50 verdicts of guilty. The first “blind tiger” convicted since Judge John Maddox ascended the bench received the stiff sentence of $250 or 12 months on the chain gang. … The fire ladies were kept busy with five alarms in a two-day period. The worst fire damaged Mrs. S.D. Howland’s building, including Norton drug store and three offices, to an extent of $2,000. … All of the records for the number of fire alarms for one month in Rome were broken in January 1910, with 23 calls turned in. …. The Rome post office had received a letter addressed with a picture of a man, under which was written, “Rome, Ga.” None of the employees knew the man, and unless he turned up to claim it, it would doubtless end up in the dead letter office. The Tribune-Herald reported that one oddly addressed letter had gained fame for reaching its addressee. On three lines each were the words, “Hill,” “John” and “Mass.” After considerable figuring by postal people it was forwarded to John Underhill, Andover, Mass. …