My Blade history

As you are reading this column, I hope you are enjoying a calm, pleasant day. However, waking up on, Sept. 27, a storm was passing through with much wind and heavy rain. I looked forward to good opportunity for writing. Nope! There was no power throughout my apartment. All was not lost. I found that I could write, save, and wait for internet to return. With light of a Coleman lantern, I wrote for you to read at a later day. Now forward to purpose of the column. It is a great joy for me to have this connection with my hometown, and the Blade. My mother, Inez Proctor was business manager from the time Mr. W.E. Gray bought the paper from Mr. Hobby until her retirement. Mr. Gray owned ice plant and a fish market. Both were very essential and profitable in those years, but not criteria for publishing a weekly newspaper. He turned all the printing over to Bob Gentry who had experience with Savannah Morning News. He was brother of Hixie G. Scott who is a well-remembered teacher at SHS. After the beginning editors, the editor who enabled the Blade to become prosperous and good coverage of our town was Jerry Pryor, a recent University of Georgia Journalism grad and husband of Swainsboro Belle, Rita Johnson. Often my mother and Jerry walked around the square and encouraged shop owners to advertise and value the local paper. I loved the time I could spend at the Blade doing small, odd jobs. On Wednesday, the Blade was published and delivered the next day. I had the special job of inserting the “second sheet” between the folded, double-sided pages. I also rolled and addressed Blades being mailed. My ink covered fingers spread black all over my face. Surely all of this is now done automatically, but by my hands at that time. I loved being a part of the excitement of sending out the Blade. I was also very well paid. After all was finished and the Blade was “put to bed,” The Busy Bee Cafe delivered a box filled with the best smelling and tastiest hamburgers and icy cold cokes. I still love the Blade and proud to be able to write a column. Write to Shirley at [email protected].

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