ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER 19,1878.
* oo*oo*oo*oo * o o *oo*oo*oo*oo*
? SIDE STREET GOSSIP. *
, By Joe Foreman. *
o
*oo*oo*9o*oo* O 0 *oo*oo*oo*oo*
*■ \Vhen a. man works all the week,
as most honest men have to, he
wants to take his rest when Sunday
comes and loves to stay in bed a lit
tie longer than usual and when he
_ ts up, goes out bareheaded and no
ccPa- on and see how things are com
ing on about the place—get out to the
bam and down to the garden and see
if the ueas are coming up and wheth
ir the Trait is likely to be killed this
"ring, and so forth. Os course, when
vou nave been going to church and
Sundav school for more than forty
vpais it gets to be about like second
nature but when dinner is over it is
“ehty good to be able to look over
Mutt and Jeff and see how Jlggsgot
away with Haggle and then take a
little nap. ,
But this sort of business don t suit
the women folks. They want to get
out and see what is. going on and vis
it about with the neighbors Last Sun
dav Mrs. Foreman insisted that we go
over and see how the new school
huilding was coming on and I must
* t hat I had not had a chance to
see how it was and she had heard
tell of some improvements and build
ings, too, and she had not seen them.
\nd so it is. The women folks have
to*stay in pretty close most of the
time and especially in winter and they
are just about as interested in the
new school and other things, too, as
the men are nowadays. We took a
walk over the town and I was cer
tainly surprised to see so many new
bouses going up and other of i
improvement. I was pretty w ell fag
ged out by supper time but nowadays
they say ‘you don’t need any supper
Sunday night and we went on to
preaching. I never could get much out
of a sermon on an empty stomach, but
at that I could not take a nap, hun
gry as I was, although I was perfect
ly willing to risk the preacher not to
say something that I wouldn’t agree
with. _ .
Speaking about preaching and such,
times have certainly changed along
that line as well as other ways since
I was a boy. Folks have on excuse
these days when they have a chance
to go to church every Sunday *md
during the week too, lots of the tiidi.
And now here comes along this radio
business. The other night I went down
town and some of the boys insisted
that- I go in and hear the new big
radio that they had been projecting
with. I must say that in all my life
I never had anything that so surely
took me off my feet. Here I was lis
tening to a concert that the boys tell
me was being pulled off away up in
Pennsylvania or New York or-Some
where. I did not just catch on noW
it was all done and how they knew
who was doing ±he sending and so
forth but I am wring this much that
it was a wondemil thing to me. They
tell me that they have sermons and
such on it all the time and so it is
nowadays that all you have to do is
to turn the box on and you can hear
most anything you please. The world
has got some speed on these days and
if you can’t keep up you better have
the good judgment to step aside and
let the procession go by rather than
dra? along and get run over by the
wheels of progress.
For all our progress though, old
time honesty and hard work, has not
s:one out of style and everywhere I
hear the need for folks who are will
ing to buckle down and make things
go. Our town is needing bad some new
businesses and the money is ready and
you can get al lthe help and encour
agement you want if you have a lot
of brains and energy that you can put
to use. We have an over supply of
fools and loafers all the time and no
body need put in an application unless
he is willing to put out some hard
work and head too.
Still it rains. Maybe we will get
some gardening done but it will be
m e but better alte than never is
what I have heard and it applies to
gardens as well as old maids.
OUR SUBSCRIPTION LIST.
Kew Names on the Roll This Week
Again.
This week we enter subscribers
from Missouri, Arkansas and one
j. r ° m California. All old Chatham
io Iks who like to read a good, live
°cal paper. Many of the old subscrib
ers write us saying that the paper “is
P le best Chatham county had ever
aad ’ and how much they enjoy it.
It is useless to say that we are in
deed proud of the names that we en
ter on our list each week. The patron
age that we are receiving is indeed
encouraging, both from subscribers
ami advertisers. For two weeks it has
;' on f lr opossible to handle all the ads
that we have gotten and were compel
lek to leave them out.
his week we are glad to have the
ion owing new names on opr list:
J. L. Owen, L. A. Utley, Jake Als
iJ?/ 1 ’ Carl Gilliland, Mrs. John Dixon,
w. T. Utley, Miss N. M. White, W.
f* Per ry, 0. R. Mann, Miss Josie
T on ® s » J* Yates, Spencer Hackney,
4* Burgess, J. M~. Garner, Miss
Jennie Covert, L. A. Haith, H. L.
pr ° r^ e ’ £" Flora Burnett, Mrs.
5: Fan-ell, J. L. Reynolds, N. H.
mintage, J. J. Burgess, G. W. Perry,
vr ’ A; York, Clarence Clark, George
J. A. White.
*?kes skill to build a house, but
-e alone can make a home.
The Chatham Record
BENNETT LOCALS AND NEWS.
March 19.—Saying in our last week
letter that we would kindly give a list
of our population. We have two plan
ing and saw mills, plants owned and
run each by Mr. W. A. Ward and C.
C. Cheek; Routh Roller Mills, a cot
ton gin by Mr, W. C. Brewer, two
cross tie cash buyers, Brewer and
Powers and Yow-Brown Store Co.,
two extra lumber butters, Mr. Arthur
Ross, of Asheboro, and Mr. C. G.
Spencer, of Carthage, N. C., the frm
Bennett Motor Co., auto sale and re
pair shop, a daily barber shop run by
A. B. Phillips, a hotel run by Mrs.
Jetty Forkner, a case run by Mr. W.
H. Fowler; merchants Bennett
Hardware Co., by Mr. J. R. and G.
H. Andrews; J. R. Peace, general
merchant, Yow-Brown Store Co., gro
ceres and notions; W. W. Brown,
general merchant; M. M. Hammer,
general merchant; B. C. Routh, gen
eral merchant; W. S. Gardner, gener
al merchant, and Ed S. Phillips, fur
niture and coffins and caskets; Mrs.
E. S. Phillips and Mrs. Claudie E.
Jones, millinery and sewing room, and
Mrs. J. E. Brown, millinery./ Two
churches, Baptist and The Christion.
Graded school this year teaches to the
tenth and eleventh grade. We have
48 dwelling houses inside the corpor
ate limits and two hundred and
twenty people.
Mr. J. N. Jarrett, of Raleigh* lec
tured at *the Baptist church Sunday*
telling what he saw and heard on his
four months trip to the old country
sometime ago. Seeing the manger in
which Christ was laid and the Gal
lean lake, and the river Jordon where
Christ was baptized, and trod the
roads and ways where the guide, told
him that the Apostle Paul traveled
and all other interesting scenes that
; we have read about in the Bible. A
large crowd attended and seemed to
enjoy the lecture.
Mrs. Walter Della Brady and child
ren, of Greensboro, visited relatives
and friends here Saturday, returning
home Sunday.
Mr. W. W. Brown was hurried to
the hospital at Ashboro, accompanied
by his doctor, on account of expected
blood poison caused from having some
of his teeth pulled about a week ago.
He had been suffering very much all
the week and thought he would pull
through all right but became worse
and rushed to the hospital for treat
ment.
Mr. Clark Brady, near Bennett, is
with all smiles. He has a new eleven
pound boy. -
Mr. J. H. Scott, of Greensboro, vis
ited his home Sunday.
The wife of Mr. Henry Cox, who
lives one mile west of Bennett and
who has been blind for some time,
died and was buried at the Pleasant
Grove Christian church cemetery last
Tuesday, March 14th. Funeral ser
vees were conducted by her pastor,
Rev. G. R. Underwood. She was the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley
Leonard.
Mrs. M* J- Pressnell, of Seagroves,
visited her daughter, Mrs. W. C.
Brewer, last week. Also Mrs. Wilson,
of Carbonton, is visiting her daugh
ter. Mrs. M. D. Brady this week.
Mrs. W. A. Moffit, who has be.en
crippled nearly a year, caused from a
toe nail growing into blood poison
and who has twice undergone an oper
ation, is able to go about on crutches.
Mr. C. B. Fitts, county commission
er, was in town and vicinity a few
days ago and, we learn, give permis
sion to open a road leading from
Asheboro-Carthage, west from Mr.
John Brady’s tp Mt. Zion Methodist
church. This road is partly known as
the old Chatham road and leads to
Mt. Zion and Beulah churches. Thank
you, Mr. Fitts, come again and spend
a longer time and eat chicken with us.
BEN-NET.
ELDERLY LADY PAYS US VISIT.
v 1
Last Thursday afternoon there
came into our office a lady who is 73
j years old, lives on New Hill, Rt. 2,
in Chatham county and has abided in
her immediate locality for her en
tire life. It was her second visit to
Pittsboro during her life and she en
joyed the many improvements and the
progress the town has made.
The lady had never seen a printing
office —did not have the least idea how
it was planned or operated. It was a
mere chance that when she was call
ing on us that we had in operation
our linotype typesetting machine, cy
linder press and the folder—a regular
hub-bub and whirl of machinery, and
it was an interesting curiosity to her
and she seemed to enjoy seeing it and
we were pleased to have her visit us.
Mrs. Mary Matthews was the lady’s
name and she plainly bore the marks
of a Christian disposition, a pure life
and a consecrated belief in the best
of things. She was accompanied by
her son, J. R. Matthews and her little
grand daughter, Pocahontas Matt
hews. The little girl had pretty curls,,
dark complected and deep brown eyes,'
being about five years of age, she
was indeed a pretty child and the
grandmother exhibited every devotion (
and pride in her.
It is a pleasure to us always to
meet the good people from the rural;
sections. In them we find true man- •
hood and womanhood. They support,
the righteous and honest element of
society and their friendship is highly
appreciated by the editor of this pap
er. We welcome you folks to our office
at any time and we will be glad to
have you make our office your head
quarters when you may be in town..
The latch string hangs on the outside
of our door.
If we got all we wished for where
would we put it. ' ,
PITTSBORO, N. C., CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, MARCH 23.
ROAD COMMISSIONERS.
They Meet March 12 and Transact
Mostly Routine Business.
The county road board met in ses
sion in Pittsboro Monday, March 12,
and transacted the following business:
J. T. Rosser, work on George creek
bridge, $25.
Bunn Dawson, lumber and sawing,
! $42.07.
W. G. Fields, 1,584 feet lumber,
$31.68.
T. A* Thompson, building road,
teams and labor $244.65.
J. A. Bowling, teams and labor on
road, sls.
M. H. Woody, machinery and road
hauling, $25.
Chatham Motor Co., oil, gas and re
pairs, $13.20.
W. P. Petty, salary, $75; express
: 53 cents, $75.52.
Frank Gattis, 12 days driving trac
tor, $24.
J. W. Harmon, overlooked in Feb
ruary, $lO.lO.
J. W. Harmon, pay roll, $1,066.79.
J. W. Hannon, salary for February,
, $125.
| Geo. W. Perry, oil, gas and scraping
; roads, $50.43.'
February 14, 1923, from State high
j way S2O in bank.
R. R. Segroves, work and lumber,
! Woodard bridge, $59.55.
j W. A. Copeland, work and lumber
I on Moore’s bridge, $47.94.
J. L. Owens, repair on drag, sl.
E. E. Wilson, 8 days service, 320
miles, $56.
D. T. Brooks, pliers, shovels, etc.,
$4.40.
i Buck Phillips, work on roads, $51.30
Kenneth Mace, work on road, $30.80
Colonel Smith, work on road, $13.50.
J. W. Andrews, work on roads $66.
E. M. Phillips, work on roads, $69.
Joe Smith, hauling drag, sl.
Phillips and Scott, lumber for drag,
sl.
D. H. Ellis, nails, maddock, etc.,
$3.05.
j J. W. Griffin, one day to Baldwin
1 township, $5.
! Frank Boone, 18 days driving trac
. tor, $36.
I J. U. Goodwin, lumber, Bear creek
i bridge, S7B.
J Bank of Pittsboro, pay draft, $57.68
I L. D. Johnson, salary for February,
i SBS; hired labor, checks made to
,; Johnson, $245, $109.51
Alfred Johnson, road building and
repair work in Williams and New
i ’ Hope, Itemized bill on file. $920.27.
Loomas Sears, part payment on
j lumber, $75.
i W. E. Stone, lumber for White Oak
j bridge in New Hope, $256.72.
, j Sherwood Bros., Baltimore,' invoice
[; February for oil and grease, $13.40.
j P. M. Mills, lumber and building
• bridge across Leek’s branch, S6O.
W. R. Storie* team and two hands
' i half day, $3.
j F. R. Sturdevant, labor and nails on
[; bridge, $7.15.
I E. H. Jourdan, work on road, Oak
land, $44.25.
Goldston Garage, gas, oil, etc.,
; $26.66.
‘ | A. D. Farrell, hauling soil one day,
;; $4.
Chatham Hardware Co., oil, gas,
t ' etc., 93.91.
, I J. W. Phillips, work on road and
L I hand, .$8.75.
J. H. Norwood, sawing 1,946 feet
lumber, $6.81.
C. C. Hamlet, 3 1-2 days service as
, highway commissioner and two
. j months service as secretary, $47.50.
L I It was ordered that Hiram .Edwards*
! and his wife, Hester Headen, be al
■ lowed $2.50 each, beginning March 1
[ and that Brooks and Eubanks be made
, j agents.
■! Two tenants on the Peay farm sent
j in claims for damage to com crop,
the State highway taking top soil be
fore crop was far advanced enough
for them to save their corn. Lonnie
; DeGrafferveidt, one of the tenants,
j put in a claim for S6O and Walter
! Snipes for S4O. The matter was con
; tinued and will be looked into by the
commissioners.
SCHOOL IN CONTEST
Chapel Hill, March 17.—One thou
sand student-debaters in 250 high
schools of the State are now hard at
; Work in preparation for the triangu
lar Rebates on March 30 of the High
School Debating Union of North Car
olina.
I Reports which have been received
; by E. R. Rankin, secretary of the cen
tral committee here, indicate that
great interest is being taken in this
year’s contest and that the debates
i will be altogether successful.
The 250 high schools which have en
' roiled for this year’s ' contest, and
i which will be represented on March
30 by 1,000 student-debaters, are
! scattered throughout all sections of
the State from the Poplar Branch
high school in Currituck county, to
the Murphy high school in Cherokee
county.
i ‘ Th query to be discussed is: “Re
solved, That Congress should provide
for the enforcement of decisions of
the Railroad Labor Board.” A vast
! deal of effort on this query has been
1 put forth by the. youthful debaters
within the past few months and sour
ces of material from far and wide
have been investigated in the search
for up-to-date data. _
SANDY BRANCH SCHOOL.
The entertainment that was to have
been given at Sandy Branch school
last Saturday night was postponed un
til next Saturday night, March 24th.
J Prof. P. H. Nance will also be there
Jto speak to the farmers. Hs subject
will be “Farming Under 801 l Weevil
4 Conditions.” V*
FIFTH DISTRICT MF iNG.
Mrs. Cooper Makes Add at N. C.
Federation of Worn Clubs.
The meeting of the Fifth District of
the Federation of Woman’s Clubs of
North Carolina was held at the Bapt
ist church, in Pittsboro. March 20th.
Promptly at 11 o’clock Mrs. W. P.
Horton, president of the Fifth Dis
trict, called the meeting to order,
which was opened with the reading
of the collect, followed by the sing
ing of “America.” *
The address of welcome was given
by Mrs. E. A. Farrell, president of
the Woman’s Club of Pittsboro. To
this address of welcome Mrs. R.N.
Page, of Southern Pines Community
Club, most graciously responded.
Mrs. Page said in part: “This day
here at Pittsboro will be a bright day
in our memory. Some one has said:
“That God made women beautiful
and foolish—beautiful so that the men
would love them—and foolish so that
they would love the men.” I like to
think that God made us as helpmates
for men.”
The minutes of the last meeting
were re-read by Miss Elizabeth Chap
in, of Pittsboro, who acted as secre
tary in the absence of Mrs. J. Dewey
Dorsett, and same were adopted.
Following the appointment of com
mittees by the district chairman, Mrs.
Horton, Mrs. Sydney P. Cooper, State
president, delivered a most inspiring
address to the members of the Fifth
district.
Mrs. Cooper briefly reviewed the
work of the ten departments and four
teen standing committees.
She said in part: “At the present
time many and varied are the oppor
tunities for service—a federation, a
league of women all -working for one
end, the betterment of our towns, our
communities, our State and the world.
We should never lose sight of the fact
that we are members of an organiza
tion that stands for high and noble
principles that stands for every
thing that tends towards the uplift
of mankind and betterment of citi
zenship, and that each one of us
should make the entire body at least
a little better for her presence, her
loyalty, her co-operation, her useful
ness and her service.”
Mrs. Cooper called the attention of
the members to the fact that the rul
ing as to the expenses of the district
president has been changed. She said
that in the future the clubs in the dis
trict would tax their members so
much per capita in order to provide
a sinking fund for the district chair
man. This fund is to be used by the
district chairman as she deems pro
per and expedient.
Mrs. J. L. Gilmer, of Winston-Sal
em, second vice-president of the North
Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs
and chairman of the districts, stress
ed the importance of the clubs in the
district supporting their district chair
man, that her duties are numerous
and her allowance inadequate. With
out the co-operation of every club
member in the district her hands are
tied.
Mrs. Gilmore spoke most highly of
the work done by the district presi
dent, Mrs. W. P. Hofton.
She gave briefly an outline of the
business and social activities of the
State Federation meeting which con
venes in Winston-Salem May 3, 4 and
5.
Following Mrs. Gilmer’s speech the
meeting adjourned for lunch.
, The luncheon, which was a box af
fair, each delegate bringing her own
lunch, was served cafeteria style in
the club room of the Woman’s club of
Pittsboro. The club room, which is the
pride of every club woman in Pitts
boro, was most tastefully decorated
1 with spirea, daffodils and ferns. Strik
ingly effective were the booths from
which coffee and cake were served by
the hostess club.
Following the luncheon • the after
noon session began. Mrs. Henry By
num, of Pittsboro, with Mrs. Hamil
ton, of Chapel Hill, as accompanist,
rendered two beautiful vocal selections
in her usual gracious and charming
manner.
Mrs. Leavitt, State chairman of lit
erature, then made a most inspiring
talk, telling briefly of her work, and
urging club women to compete for the
prize offered for the best short story.
She said that tradition showed that
the most wonderful talent in story
writing came from North Carolina.
That there was a wonderful amount
of latent ability in our State.
Mrs. Olive Webster, of Siler City,
and a member of the State Fire Pre
vention Department, spoke briefly of
her work and urged the organization
of safety leagues in the schools, the
observance of “Clean-Up Week,” and j
the giving of prizes to school children J
for posters bearing upon the different
phases of work.
Mrs. Leavitt, who is State chairman
of literature and president of Chapel
Hill Community club, accompanied by
Mrs. Hamilton at the piano, then gave
a most beautiful musical reading,
which was a joy and delight to all
present.
Mrs. Horton, in introducing Mrs.
Leavitt, said that' we, were most for
tunate in secumg Mrs. Leavitt, as she
is much sought for on account of her
wonderful talent as a reader.
Next followed a report of the club
presidents which was very interesting
and inspiring. The following clubs, re
ported, Woman’s Club, of Pittsboro;
Sanford Literary Club; Sanford Moth
ers Club; Southern Pines Civic Lea
gue; Sanford Civic League; Carthage
Woman’s Club; Rockingham Woman’s
Club. §>iler City,'while not in our di
strict, sent a delegation, and we were
delighted to hart them.
Mrs. W. P. Horton, chairman, made
her report next. In conclusion Mrs.
BACK IN ’66 AND ’6B.
Prices of Foodstucs Then and Now—
Interesting Reading.
People of today are crying hard
times, high prices and complain that
the world is going to the bad. The
younger generatiom, and those that
have grown up since 1866, will open
their eyes at the prices paid for food
stuff in those days.
Bacon sold then about the same
price as it does now—2o to 25 cents
a pound. Butter sold for 40 cents, and
the same price stands good today. In
1866 people used candles mostly and
had to pay 35 cents a pound for them.
Cotton yarn was $3.50 a bale, cotton
35 cents a pound, chickens 35 to 50
cents each, coffee 40 cents, com $1.25
per bushel, eggs 30 cents a dozen,
fresh pork 12 1-2 cents, flour $lB per
barrel. Think of that. Lard 30 cents a
pound, sugar, crushed, 35 cents, brown
20 cents, salt $1.75 a bushel and tur
pentine soap was 20 cents a pound.
Mullets sold for $13.50 a barrel and
mackeral S2O.
Cotton sold in Petersburg at 43
and 44 cents a pound and sold in New
York City at 47 to 48 cents.
Two yeans later, September 11,
1868, bacon was down to 17 cents,
butter was 21c, cotton 25c, coffee 22
l-2c, flour sll, lard 22c, sugar 13c,
and other articles had dropped in
price. These quotations are taken
from the Raleigh Sentinel of Febru
ary 8, 1866, and Sept. 11, 1868.
September 30, 1865, the Raleigh
Standard, printed every afternoon,
was a six column paper. The columns
were 17 ems wide, really making it as
large as The Record. The first and
fourth pages were filled full of ads.
Not a line of reading matter in them.
It was edited by Jos. Cannon and
Jos. Holden, and had one editorial,
which made 2 1-4 columns. On the in
side pages there were 7 columns of
ads, making 19 in all, leaving only 5
columns for reading matter. There is
a big difference in of to
day.
BUSTER WANTS A MOTHER.
Dear Mr. Editor:
I am a little baby boy two months
old and they call me “Buster.” A kind
providence sent me to the Children’s
Home Society and I am growing ev
ery day and will soon be a big, bounc
ng boy.
I want some good woman to write
to the superintendent of the Children’s
Home Society of North Carolina,
Greensboro. N. C., and ask him to
give me to her. I am sure he will do
so, as he has so many motherless ba
bies and more want to come to the
Home. Write him today and I will
bring joy and happiness to some
childless home.
With love,
A HOMELESS BABY BOY.
BUILDING CONTRACTS LET.
Work on New School Building to Bq
gin This Week.
Last week the school board gave
out the contract for the new high
school building, which is to be erect
ed on the land recently purchased by
the board for school purposes on West
! street.
1 The building is to be of brick and
will be one story, 14 rooms, will be
heated and probably have water con
nections. The grounds will be laid
: off artistically and planted in shrubs
and flowers. There will be play
grounds for the girl pupils and boy
scholars. A baseball plat will be one
; of the first that are laid off, it is said,
as the ball season opens herein May,
and from the way land lays n will be
one of the best that Pittsboro has ev
er had.
O. Z. Barber, of Goldston," gets the
contract for the new building, he be
ing the lowest bidder, his bid being
$44,695. The plumbing was let to W.
H. Guerlet, of Durham, for $4,064, and
the heating plant to J. V. Dermott for
$4,845. The building is to be completed
by October 1 and work is supposed
to begin this week.
Now for a school building that will
be a protection to the pupils that go
to school in Pittsboro. Let the good
work go on.
PRISONERS PAROLED.
- • --
Paroles were granted Byrd Wicker
and Frank Hoke, of Lee ebunty, sen
tenced in July, 1921, to two years on
the county roads for making liquor.
•Both have served over 18 months of
their terms. They are paroled upon
recommendation of Judge E. H. Cran
mer and Superintendent Hunter, of
the county road system.
j Horton thanked all the clubs in the
! district for the co-operation and cour
tesy extended to her as chairman and
assured them of her interest in the
work and desire to be of any possible
service to them. She also expressed
her appreciation of the loyal support
given her by her own home club and
thanked them for recommending her
for the office of district chairman.
Following the report of committees
election of officers followed. Mrs. W.
P. Horton was nominated for chair
man of the fifth district.
The visiting clubs most graciously
tendered their thanks aqjd Apprecia
tion of the hospitality accorded them.
Pittsboro Woman’s Club did herself
proud and all credit is due to the
splendid committees of whom Mrs. H.
T. Chapin, Miss Elizabeth Chapin,
Mrs. A. H. London, Mrs. R. Hi Hayes,
Mrs. Jas. Wrenn and Mrs. Jacob
Thompson were the chairmen.
The thanks of the Woman’s Club
of Pittsboro were tendered to Rev. R.
R. Gordon, of the Baptist church, who
so kindly and graciously nermitted the
holding of this meeting in the church.
VOLUME XLV, NO. 33.
BIT OF HISTORY
THE COUNTY OF~CHATHAM.
One of the 30 Counties Still Existing
Which Were Formed Before 1776.
(Fred A. Olds.)
Four counties were created, or er
ected, in North Carolina for the pur
pose of counteracting the influence of
the “Regulators”; these being Chat
ham, Guilford, Surry and Wake. The
movement to create them began late
in 1770. At the session of the Gen
eral Assembly of the Province, at
New Bern, which began December 5
of that year, Mr. Husbands and Mr.
Locke introduced December 18, a bill
“for erecting part of Rowan and part
of Orange into a separte county by
the name of Chatham and Unity Par
ish/’ On the 19th it was “read the
second time, passed and ordered sent
to the Council (the upper house.)
January 7th, 1771, it was read the
second time and passed by the Coun
cil. .But on 15th of January, 1771, a
bill “for establishing a new county
between Campbelltown (now Fayette
ville) and Hillsborough, by taking the
southern part of the inhabitants of
Orange county and by erecting the
same into a distinct county by the
name of Chatham and St. Bartholo
mew's parish” was read the first
time; was read the third time on the
18th and ordered to be engrossed.
January 26th Governor Try on assent
ed to the act, which thus became a
law.
The county was named for William
Pitt, the Earl of Cnatham, who in a
few years was to figure as one of the
most devoted friends the American
colonies had in England, and whose
voice and pen were used in their be
half. The leading spirit of the “Reg
ulation” which beginning in 1768, as a
revolt against evtortion and other
hardships, reached its apex in 1771,
when Gov. Tryon crushed it with 2,500
troops of the Province at the “Battle
of Alamance,” in Orange county
(now Alamance) was Rednap Howell
of Chatham. He was a song-writer
(the ballads of that day) and also a
writer of grave and well prepared do
cuments, such as the letter of protest
to the Governor, Council and Assem
bly in 1768. He was the leader of the
men who “broke up the court” at
Hillsboro in 1770. So high an author
ity as Col. William L. Saunders, in
the Colonial Records, pays him a high
tribute, saying he was “without spot
or blemish.”
The act creating Chatham directed
that after April 1, 1771, the justices
of the peace were to meet at Stephen
Poe’s house the first Tuesday in May,
take oath and hold court, and that Ed
ward Fanning, Mark Morgan, Richard
Parker, Stephen Poe and Richard
Cheek “lay off the place for the court
house, jail and stocks,” have these
built and also run the dividing line
between Orange and Chatham. The
act further set out that nothing in it
was to derogate from the right of
King George the Third “to issue let
ters of incorporation to the county
and the direction of members of the
A-ssembly,” and for “markets and
fairs.” It directed the freeholders of
the county “to meet at the house of
; Capt. Stephen Poe next Easter Mon
day, to elect 12 vestrymen for the
parish.” <,
The new county was In the “Dis
trict” of Earl Granville; that is the
part of North Carolina he owned.
In 1774 his “one eighth part of
Carolina,” under the terms of the
Great Deed of Grant of 1663 to one
, of his ancestors by King Charles the
Second, was “set off” for him, after
he had declined to sell it to the King.
, He acknowledged the King’s authority
in all matters except the ownership of
his “eighth part of Carolina.” So
King George the Third gave him a
grant for what may be termed the
northern half of North Carolina, all
the territory between the Virginia
line and the parallel of 35 degrees
and 34 minutes. The southern border
of his district ran from Bath (the old
est town in North Carolina, near.
Washington,) by the present Snow
Hill, in Greene county, Princeton irt
Johnston county, the southern border
of Chatham, Randolph," Davidson, and
Rowan, a little below the southern
border of Catawba but not quite to
Lincolnton. This survey of the bound
ary of this vast tract began in the
ivinter of 1743-44 and then the line
was run from the ocean to Bath. In
the Spring of 1746 it was run from
Bath to “Peter Parker’s house, at the
southeast corner of Chatham, and
there April 10 it stopped, because as
the surveyors reported “the country
is so thinly settled that we can not
get corn for our horses or provision
for ourselves.” This “Granville grant”
embraced 26,000 square miles; pre
cisely half the area of the present
State. Granville gave but scant at
tention to his great land-holding save
to look after his quit-rents. He, like
the King, sold no lands; all the in
habitants being merely tenants. To
speak plainly “he neglected his terri
tory” and his ownership of it helped
to bring on not. onlv the Regulation
but the war of the Revolution.
In 1773 the Assembly provided for
the building of a. highway from Saura
Town, on the Dan river, through Guil
ford, Chatham and Cumberland to
Campbelltown (Fayetteville) and it
was ordered to be surveyed and built
under the direction of Samuel Hen
derson, John Campbell, Robert Fields,
Josh Brooks and Henry Bray. A road
from the Shallow Ford in Surry to
tap this highway was also ordered to
be built. The purpose was to get to
Fayetteville and the head of naviga
(Continued on Page Seven.)