Long before the era of famed gossip columnists such as Louella Parsons, Hedda Hopper, Perez Hilton, and Matt Drudge, there existed a unique and humorous voice in the form of IGNORAMUS – and no, it's not an insult; it was the moniker of a real person. On the fateful evening of October 13, 1899, avid readers of the Henry County Weekly were greeted with a scathing letter penned by an anonymous local resident who chose the pseudonym IGNORAMUS. Beginning the column with the emphatic heading "He Don't Know," the author humorously shared his grievances, stating, "Now what I would like to do is tell the whole world through the columns of your paper what I don't know." The missive continued with amusing declarations such as:
"I don’t know why they don’t pay as much for cotton in Griffin, Jackson, Lila, Stockbridge, White House, Locust Grove, Woodstown, Julia, Hampton and Worthville as they are paying for it in McDonough, Ga."
This initial appearance marked the inception of IGNORAMUS's regular contributions to the paper. After a hiatus of two weeks, the anonymous writer resurfaced under the same heading, sharing more humorous thoughts and poking fun at prominent figures, including Mayor Oglesby of McDonough, whom he playfully accused of being appointed to a higher position by President Grover Cleveland.
As the year 1900 unfolded, IGNORAMUS delved deeper into political commentary, advocating for the abolition of the Henry County Grand Jury due to their recommendation of road taxes. Sprinkling his columns with amusing anecdotes from his youth, IGNORAMUS continued his regular rants until approximately 1905, when he published his final column. The intriguing anonymity surrounding IGNORAMUS was lifted on December 21, 1906, when the Henry County Weekly announced the passing of Mr. W.R. Tidwell. In his obituary, it was revealed that Tidwell was the original IGNORAMUS, the witty and satirical columnist who had entertained readers with his candid musings for several years.
The Henry County weekly. (McDonough, GA.) 18??-1934, July 03, 1903, Image 8
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