Page 149 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote (2001) H. Morris Williams

Fob James of Alabama presented Robert the award for twice putting his own life in peril for people

he didn’t know. Robert credits his “complete faith in God” for the courage to go into the burning
cars. He is the brother of Phillip Pickens of Lake City, a longtime realtor and community leader.
Robert now makes his home in Lake City.

TYPEWRITER OF CHAMPIONS ... It would be most unusual today for any school’s
stationery to feature an advertisement for a specific commercial product. Not so back in 1914. The

letterhead stationery for Lake City’s Columbia College displayed a picture of an Underwood
typewriter at the top of the page with these words: “Instruction Upon the Underwood: The typewriter

used by every World’s Champion in establishing international records for speed, accuracy and
stability.”

FROM BRADFORD TO UNION ... R. O. Williams served as our school superintendent
from 1936-44. Long before that, back in 1908, he had served as principal of nearby Raiford (Florida)

High School. The letters he wrote when he was Raiford’s principal were typed on Bradford County
School System stationery. Do you notice anything unusual about that? Maybe you thought Raiford

was in Union County - and it is now. But Union County didn’t exist before 1921 - that area was
part of Bradford County. Thus, Raiford High School and the town of Raiford were all in Bradford
County up until 1921.

NEEDING A JOB... Lake City’s chief of police is now appointed by the City Council. But
many years ago, our police chief, also called city marshal, was an elected position. Back in 1915,

W. B. “Babe” Douglas ran for police chief and his campaign literature showed great candor in
explaining partly why he wanted the job “I need it. I have a large family to support and I need the

money.” Apparently that kind of honesty worked - he won the election and much later won a
statewide election to the position of Railroad Commissioner where he served for many years.

A NEW THERAPY?... Several years ago a male patient at the local V. A. Medical Center
had a stroke which left him seriously impaired. He was confined to his bed at night and to his
“wheelchair” during the day. After the stroke, nobody had seen him stand or heard him speak. Then

one day a gorgeous secretary with an eye-popping figure and a spectacular, hip-swinging walk came
swishing through the medical ward. The heretofore invalid man suddenly became alert, did a quick

double-take, came up out of his chair, and yelled, “SHAKE IT, BABY! SHAKE IT!” Wonder if
the American Medical Association knows about this new form of “therapy!”

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