Catching up on the News From 1944

An old copy of the Milledgeville weekly newspaper gives me a chance to waste a little time musing on how much has changed in the past 65 years since this particular edition was published. The most noticeable change is that modern newspapers' physical width has shrunk by a good five inches. That saves newsprint, which in turn saves money (which is what it's all about, talk about conservation and saving the Rainforest to the contrary). The next most noticeable difference is the scarcity of photos. And, the three photos that are used in eight pages are all studio or PR shots. The layout ("design") is vertical and the headline sizes are smaller than you would see in a modern paper. There's also the fact that this newspaper is all about the white community of Milledgeville; if there were any black people there (and there were, about half the population), you'd never know it. Other than that, what's interesting are the usual curiosities: the content, especially the ads. Much of the content has to do with World War II. An article about a local soldier killed in France; several stories about local soldiers returning home or receiving medals and several stories about local efforts to support the war effort. Ernie Pyle's column gets prominent play on Page 2, along with a locally written admonition to "Remember Pearl Harbor." The want ads offered for sale two five-year-old mules, "well broken," named "Kentucky" and "Tennessee." And, you could buy a house in a new subdivision (Penndale) for as little as $37.50 down.