Newspapers / The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.) / Jan. 1, 1959, edition 1 / Page 93
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Jukebox King of Wide Area: Reid Enterprise Is Widespread WINTON—J. Eley Reid, at 71, stands straight, handles a wide, prosperous variety of business enterprises, and does a full day’s work daily. Reid is a remarkable product of the Roanoke-Chowan area, both for his native business acu men and his background. The grandson of a free Negro who was a Chowan River pi’ot before and during the Civil War, Eley Reid was bom at Union, received a little schooling in Norfolk. At 14, he-went to v«ork for H. F. Dukes for eight cent^ per day, as a blacksmith. B''" 1910, he had advanced to the handsome sum of 75 cents da'lv blacksmithing for J. A. Horton in Ahoskie. In 1911, he opened a garage where the post office is now lo cated in Ahoskie, which he sold in 1915 to the late George J. N^wbem. the town’s pioneer Ford dealer The next two years Reid spent in Winton, where he enlistf^ in the Navy, assigned to fledgling Naval Aviation Corps in Decem ber, 1917, and was sent as an in structor to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center at Evans ton. Ill. Eley Reid likes anything me chanical, so working on the early airplanes was to his taste. After his discharge in 1919, he returned to work for owners of the Winton Auto Supply Com pany. When that bu.siness closed lin 1926, Reid bought the equip ment. But the depression was on the way, and luck forced him into a second enterprise which has prospered. Reid picked a pretty site along the Chowan River, just north of Winton, and purchased the land in 1926. Doing all the work him self, he built several cottages and other buildings, and opened Chowan Beach for Negro vaca tioners on August 4, 1926. Through the years, he has con tinued to turn profits back into more equipment, and Chowan Beach annually draws thousands of visitors from many states. “We have no trouble at my beadh,’’ Read says proudly. “They know .they have to answe} to me, and I tell them that trou ble means they’re showing dis respect to each other, not to me.’‘ The beach was closed from 1942 to 1950. Reid also tried his hand at herring fishing, frcm 1932 to 1942, on .the Chowan. During thr last five years of that effort, he was in partnership with Charles L. Revelle of Murfreesboro, who old Reid his interest in 1942. It was the fish busiiqess which got Reid into his present major field — coin-operated juke boxes and machines. In December, 1938, the Wurlitzer juke box dis tributor came to buy some fish from Reid’s firm and suggested that Reid buy some juke boxes and place them around the coun ty- The mechanical wizardry of these coin-operated machines in terested Reid, and he bought five machines at $385 each. These five juke boxes have since been parlayed into nearly 400, and the value of the machines has risen to about $1,500 each. Reid now operates about 250 machines in 13 counties of North Carolina and Virginia. In addition, he owns land in and near Ahoskie, several service stations and grills, and operates pool rooms in connection with several of his eating places. “I always tried to give away my money to those who needed help more than I did,” Reid says, ‘and it seems to keep coming back to me, doubled.” E.eid has one son by his first wife, Jacobs Reid cf New York City, and two daughters who live in Washington, D. C. He has been married to the former Ad- die Jones of Gates County for 37 years, and credits her with much of his success. 1920's Not So Gay-—Or So Hertford Farmers Thought 6kct MILESTONE HERTFORD coursTy 1759-1959 the: herald 1909-1959 Copyright, Parker Bros., Inc., 1958 ’The gay “flapper era” of the 1920’.s locked different to many people, especially farmers, j E. Y. Poole of Colerain, who served the West Chowan Baptist Association as historian in 1926, took a dim view of the light hearted attitude of the .times. In Association minutes for 1926, Poole said, “The year 1926 has been an unusual year. The winter of 1925-6 was unusually cold and the summer has been unusually hot and dry. Yet, the Lord, in His goodness, has given us a fair crop. But the price of cotton (then the staple crop) is far below the cost of production. We are hoping that the price of peanuts will be good,’ though the prediction is other wise. Our people are largely de pendent upon these two crops fee support. “Tobacco is selling well, but it is raised only on spots and our people as a whole are not financi ally benefited as a consequence,” Poole asserted—a far cry from the situation today. “When will our farmers learn the wisdom of making their home supplies, as far as possible?” was Poole’s querj’, a sentiment which is still echoed by agricultural extension workers. “From what we can learn our churches have fallen behind on benevolence for .the year 1926,” Poole continued. “Yet, our peo ple find money for automobiles •and .gasoline to use for pleasure as much as usual. Fairs, circuses and other places of amusement such as movies and water resorts are largely patronized. “Cutting down our offerings for the Kingdom of God and keeping our pleasure expenses at high water speaks of the low spiritual condition of our churcii- es,” he deplored. “Has not .the time come for us to cry aloud un to God for a great spiritual awak ening? Our pastors and churches seem to be restless and discon tented. Pastorates are short . . . There seems to be a craze for something new,” Poole summed up the fever of the decade. RAMSEY (Continued from Page 1) was taken with measles and died. He was not buired in the family graveyard. It is said that he was buried in the South where h e died. Roscius left a widow, Tem perance Ramsey; a daughter. Miss Harriet Godwin Borland; and a son, Thomas Roscius Borland, la Civil War A seventh grave contains the body of Phogion A. Borland, the fourth son cf Euclid and Eliza beth Borland. Phogion was a soldier in the Confederate Army. He was born in Mississippi, June 8, 1839, and he died from a wound received on the battlefield, Au gust 15. 1863. The eighth grave, is that of Samuel Bell, who married Martha Ramsey. Samuel Bell according to what some people say was a gambler. He was born in 1787 and he died December 25, 1814, at the age of 27. On his tombstone was written this inscription: “In memory of Samuel Bell Who in the prime of life is gone And left a wife and only son. But we hope that he is at rest In the abode of all the best. The wicked cease troubling.” The ninth grave is that of Mar tha Ramsey. Martha was the wife of Samuel Bell. Martha was born January 16, 1788. After Samuel Bell’s death she married Augustus Moore. She died October 20, 1826. Beside Martha Ramsey lying in the tenth grave is Martha’s second husband Augustus Moore. Augustus was born near Mur- free’s Landing in Hertford Coun ty in 1784. He died in Mississippi in 1843 where he was buried. Sever al years later his body was ex humed to bring to Ramsey. When the body was taken up it was found to be petrified and it was reinterred in Ramsey in this con dition. Most of the members of the Borland Family are now buried, on the Ramsey farm in the family graveyard. The Rarnseys were a very pros perous and aristocratic family. Al though the family is now scatter ed about different parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and Ixiuisiana, there will always be a reminder of this fine family who with the help of other people made Mur freesboro what it is today, a fine place to live. I hope that all the Ramseys will be joined together in their final resting place. The Ramsey Grave yard. AhpsWe,.-N..:C.--(WIJ^ECTDJrt; YEAR 1959—PAGE 7 SO 1908-1959 DIRECTORS years of friendly ® banking service J. L. PARKER Chairman and President J. P. NOWELL Vice President T. D. ASKEW Vice President C. R. BRINKLEY Director U. S. HASSELL Director J. A. JENKINS Director C. B. SESSOMS Director W. D. WHITE Director Personnel E. C. CALLIS Cashier G. H. BROWN. JR. Asst. Cashier MRS. ROBERT HOLLEY Teller CARROLL NORTHCOTT Teller MRS. LEE MILLER Bookkeeper May everyone in cur bank . . . employees, officers end directors ... say "thanks" for your faith and loyalty during the years gone by. And today, after a happy association among the best people on earth, v/e respectfully dedicate ourselves to another 50 years of service to your in terests. Bank of Coleraine Member of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Fine Cars THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFULLY PORPORTIONED CARS You ride silent, solid and secure in the new 1959 FORD. All standard engines are designed to thrive on regular gasoline. BRINKLEY MOTORS AHOSKIE, N. C. JM--, and Dependable Service We are proud of the cor we sell ... the famous FORD . . . we are also proud of the SERVICE we can give your cor. A good car must be backed up by good service. We have a full staff of factory-trained mechanics and the latest equipment to keep your car running smooth throughout the life of your car. You can depend on our service. BRINKLEY MOTORS, Your Friendly FORD Dealer
The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.)
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Jan. 1, 1959, edition 1
93
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