North Carolina Newspapers

A Paper with a Prestige of a Half Century. A County, Not a O ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER 19, 1878 DIXON PLAYED NEAR OLD CHATHAM MILL Hoover Appointee and Former Governor of Montana and U. S. Senator One of Our Dixons. President Hoover failed to recog nize the South in the formation of his cabinet, but he has recently ap pointed as assistant secretary of the interior Joseph M. Dixon who grew up on the borders of Chatham and attended school at Sylvan Academy, hardby the old Dixon Mill on Cane Creek. The Greensboro News last Sunday published a picture of this which we feel would be of interest to many Chatham people and are, accordingly, reproducing the article. The article was written by J. W. Cannon, who says: Dixon Mill in Chatham. '‘When Joseph M. Dixon was made assistant secretary of the interior by Herbert Hoover, this most recently elected president of the United States perhaps forgot that the erst while governor of Montana’s early North Carolina training qualified him for a naval position. “Governor Dixon, now associated with the department of the interior, trained his watery experience on the banks of Dixon’s millpond on Cane creek. Chatham county. The mill is still there and is still owned by the Dixon family, one of whom, Mrs. Roxie D. White, lives at Guilford College. Mr. Dixon himself was a student at Guilford and prior to that went to school in the noted old Sylvan academy, hardly a stone’s throw from the Dixon mill. Built in 1751 “In addition to having the distinc tion of being a landmark in the community where the present assist ant secretary of the interior was born, this mill in its existence wh’ch dates back to some time around 1751 when Simon Dixon came from Penn sylvania to settle in what is now Chatham county, has gathered around its old timbers and its w'eather cracked stone chimney other tradi tions and other recollections that give it a tinge of immortality. When Simon Dixn brought his family to this part of North Carolina, his first in what was then al most a wilderness was to build a home. Ha fashioned it out of rock for permanence and at about the same time is believed to have put >lap the mill. At any rate just before the battle of Almance when the regulators were raising all manner of disturb ance about Governor Tryon’s activi ties, liberal literature w r as being dis tributed from this mill and making a stir in North Carolina political circles. On March 22, 1871, just a few days after Cornwallis and Greene met at Guilford courthouse in a battle which caused heavy losses on both sides, the British commander in-chief on his march got to this mill. “In a ballad written by Simon Marshal Dixon, a lineal descendant of the miller, in 1857, he gives a colorful interpretation of this Brit ish encampment. This ballad as far as is known has been published in only two small publications, a paper in Maine and the Guilfordian, Guil ford College weekly, several weeks ago. If it lacks in meter it makes up for it in detail of the narrative. See Redcoats “Some youth, probably one of the Dixons, was sent out with horses to pasture on this eventful day. On the way back to the home near the old mill after the horses had been re leased they saw red. Line upon line of Cornwallis’s carmine, hued coats were marching. The lads became ex cited, quoted the ballad, and hid their brides, watching afar off as the army or a portion of it camped in a wheat field north of the mill. “The wife of Simon Dixon, who with her family had taken refuge in an old fulling mill beside the mill race, suddenly found herself with out her tobacco pipe and with the redcoats thicker than bees, she felt the need for a cheering smoke. She went back to the house to get her clay pipe and twist of tobacco but encountered a guard on the way who refused to allow her to go farther toward her home which had tem porarily been converted into British staff headquarters. However some British military officer, who had kindness in his bones as well as authority, permitted her to go get her pipe in peace. And she had her smoke. “In the meantime the' Britishers were reported to be overjoyed at the discovery of the mill and stores of wheat, corn and flour. The miller was sought but Simon could not be found. A squad was detailed to make themselves millers and set about at °nce the grinding of the grist. “Water was turned on the old wheel but it refused to budge. The red-coats swore and turned on more water. It still didn’t turn and swear ing didn’t do any good. It was later learned that sagacious Simon, when he learned that he was to be host to King George’s troops for a spell, hastily let the “lightering stick” The Chatham Record Children’s Chapter Has Good Meeting 1 The Henry London chapter of the Children of the Confederacy met with Francis Bland Saturday afternoon. The subject for the meeting was “Fort Fisher.” The leader, Miss Carrie Jackson, explained the location of Fort Fisher and said the outstanding work of the Daughters this year is to erect a monument at Fort Fisher and to beautify the Jefferson Davis high way. Pieces were read by Margaret Guinn, Louis Ray, and Camilla John son. Maps were passed around to show the location of Fort Fisher. The leader told us that General Lee said: “If Fort Fisher falls, I’ll lose my right arm.” The fort finally fell Jan uary 15, 1865, after four years of fighting Yankee ships. This caused the loss of hope on the part of the Confederates because there was no more chance for the blockaders to slip up the Cape Fear to bring sup plies for the soldiers. After Fort Fisher fell it was an easy matter for the Yankees to take Wilmington. It was decided that the chapter would beautify the section of the Jefferson Davis highway running through Pittsboro with red crepe myrtle. The members of the chapter will send Easter cards to Mrs. Stanley Riggsbee of the Confederate Wom an’s Home at Fayetteville. After the singing of Dixie, and other patriotic songs, delightful refreshments were served. The meeting then adjourned. FIFTY YEARS AGO Fifty years ago The Record was carrying the news of Chatham county, but unfortunately the pres ent editor hasn’t a file of the first year of the paper. However, there is one in the State Library, but the Raleigh Visitor at that time was alert to the news carried in The Record, and in the Fifty Years Ago section of the Raleigh Times we find picked out for us the chief items of news in the county at that day. Here is an item that appeared in the times a few days ago: “The writer of this paragraph saw Rev. Dr. Sutton hide his watch in the woods near Pittsboro in 1865, a Yankee raid on Pittsboro being re ported. The watch was found by a negro a few days ago, as we learn from The Record.” Now the interesting question is who was the writer who saw Dr. Sutton hide the watch, and what was he doing in Pittsboro. down, which to those who are in itiated into the old-fashioned art of milling, know that this action placed the two mill stones together and prevented their turning. Not many grists were turned out that day. The British with plenty of generals, majors and corporals found them selves lacking a miller. Kill 84 Beeves. “This failure to make Simon’s wheels turn didn’t keep Cornwallis troops from eating. Benjamin Dixon, 14-year-old boy, on the next morning took the pains to check up on the diet of the host and his count which stands uncontradicted to this good day, revealed the fact that the re mains indicated that 84 beeves had been killed on the day before. “After the evacuation of the place by the British Simon Dixon returned and if tradition is correct died within three weeks. Another story that has been handed down from generation to generation is that before the army encamped about the mill, Simon took a pot of gold, and fearing lest it be taken from him buried it along the banks of Cane creek, a tributary of the Haw. That gold, if it were ever buried, is still so. “Besides the mill, there was the Friends meeting house not far away and some time about the middle of the last century with the help of the Baltimore association of Friends, the Sylvan academy was established in this community, an institution which is famous to-this day. “It was there that Joseph Moore, noted scientist who had been a stu dent of Aggazis and who later be came president of Earlham college in Indiana, conducted normal classes. Mrs. Eula Dixon, the first woman ap pointed by the governor of North Carolina on a school board studied there as did also Zeno H. Dixon, who has made his influence felt in the northwestern part of the state. Dr. William V. Marshburn, now with the Southern Pacific railroad studied and played there. # _ , “Instead of playing football and engaging in other athletic activities the students of this school, at least during a while of its history, vied with each other in the cultivation of flower beds. Allen Tomlinson was the first principal. . “The assistant secretary of the in terior, appointed by Herbert Hoover, Cornwallis, the miller, Simon Dixon, the pot of buried gold perhaps, and the men and women, who from time to time have gone out from beside this old mill pond to do the world s work in the sincere way that they learned within the sound of the creak of the wheel and the splash .of the water, have all combined to give this portion of Chatham county a touch all its own. all its own.” PITTSBORO, N. C., CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1929 VIRGINIAN BUYS CHATHAM FARM Agricultural Teacher Purchases 269-Acre Farm of W. F. Bland and Will Move Here and Operate It Chatham county’s agricultural po tentialities has been recognized by a teacher of agriculture in one of the Virginia farm schools, and he has come down and bought the Clegg farm on the Sanford highway, three miles below Pittsboro, and will move there next fall. He would like to come immediately, but is bound up with his school work engagements till mid-summer. The purchaser is Mr. L. D. Wolfe, and he and Mrs. Wolfe, both of fine personality, were here Saturday. Mrs. Wolfe will be, indeed, an acquqisi tion to the county as well as her husband, for she is a lady of cul ture, teacher of Latin in the same school in which her husband teaches agriculture. It is striking that Mr. and Mrs. j Wolfe are coming to our Chatham and Pittsboro from the Virginia Chatham in Pittsylvania county. The farm was sold through Mr. W. W. Stedman of Moncure, and The Record is willing to give him this free advertisement, and more, if he will only bring a few more such folk to Chatham county. The farm has been rented to Mr. Charlie Moore this year, and as there are about 125 acres of cleared land, Mr. Moore has a fine chance to keep his new Farmall tractor busy. <§> Mrs. Hamlet Hostess to Legion Auxiliary; The American Leg Ton Auxiliary held its regular monthly meeting with Mrs. C. C. Hamlet, March 12. The meeting opened with the sining of “Star Spangled Banner” and reading of the preamble to the Constitution. The roll was called, minutes of last j meeting read and approved. The j sum of ten dollars was reported from ' the General Electric Refrigerator demonstration. A letter was read from the Fort Bragg Memorial committee thanking the auxiliary for the $5.00 sent them. The poppy sale was discussed. It | was decided to offer a prize for the best poppy poster made by the pupils of the school. The auxiliary will give an Easter egg hunt to the children of its mem bers on Saturday before Easter. Mrs. Daniel L. Bell gave a most interesting report of the unit and post officers’ conference in Greens boro. Mrs. G. R. Riggsbee read a paper giving an account of the services | rendered by her husband during the world war. We were very glad to have Mrs. J. A. Farrell and Mrs. David Thomas to join our auxiliary at this meeting; also glad to have Mrs. John W. Johnson as a guest. A delicious salad course was served by the hostess, assisted by Mrs. Riggsbee and Mrs. Brewer. MRS. C. E. BRYAN, Pres. MRS. R. M. FARRELL, Secy. Protem *************** * * * DEATHS * * * *************** MRS. WILL CRANE. Mrs. Will Crane died Wednesday, March 13, at her home at Bynum, two hours after being stricken with apoplexy. The burial was at Rock Springs cemetery the following day. Mrs. Crane was a daughter of the . late Norman Phillips. She was about’ 45 years old. She leaves her hus band and three children. , .. ~ —-<► — GEO. M. RIGGSBEE. Mr. George M. Riggsbee, who was reared in this county but moved to Durham when a young man, died at the home of his son, L. E. Riggsbee, at Chapel Hill last Thursday and was buried at Lystra church in his native community on Friday afternoon. The funeral services here conducted by Rev. C. C. Coleman, pastor of the First Baptist church of Durham, as sisted by Rev. C. H. Henderson, pas tor of the Lystra church. Mr. Riggsbee was 76 years of age. He was stricken with paralysis while an inmate of the Masonic Home at Greensboro. A. B. CARTER Mr. A. B. Carter, a native of this county, according to the Sanford Ex press, died in Charlotte ten days ago. Mr. Jerry Tripp, a Confederate veteran, died suddenly Sunday morn ing at the home of his son, Mr. W. F. Tripp in Baldwin township. The son found him dead in bed about three o’clock Sunday morning. Mr. Tripp Was approaching his 88 th birthday. The burial was at Mann’s Chapel Monday afternoon. '*■ r-r % 2 NEW MEMBERS OF EDUCATION BOARD Wade Siler and E. J. Riggsbee Succeed Bray and Wilson by Legislative Appointment. Wade Siler of Siler and E. J. Riggsbee of Baldwin township have been appointed as successors to Chair man Bray and N. J. Wilson on the county school board. Messrs. Bray and Wilson have served well and faithfully, but in Messrs. Siler and Riggsbee they will have worthy successors. One of the board’s next decisions is that of electing a county superin tendent for the next two years. It is assumably that Mr. Thompson will be re-elected, though in these trying times when the matter of taxes is the chief thought of the average citizen, considerable opposition is ex pressed through petition to the con tinuance in office of Mr. Thompson. However, it will be difficult to find any one who can administer the school affairs in this day and time with satisfaction to everybody. It is an unenviable position. MOST POWERFUL „ - r INFLUENCE “I believe the press is the most powerful influence in the life of the nation, and I would rather be edi torial writer on a great newspaper than anything I know.” This was the statement of a man on the street, whose life and experiences have car ried him into places of responsibility, opportunity and power. Yet it is his deliberate judgment that no other agency or influence in the life of the nation is as potent as the newspapers. —The Laurinburg Exchange. $ TAX DODGERS ESCAPE The state senate killed without formality a bill designed to enable the state to benefit by work of fed eral income tax experts in uncover ing taxes. Under the present law a | man or a firm who fails to make | proper return to either state or fed eral government, and gets caught by the federal inspectors, does not have to pay the state too unless a separate check up by state inspectors discovers the discrepancy. The proposed law would have required him to do this. ! Champions of the bill declared that it would add half a million dollars to the state income. $ BRITAIN NOT COMPETING WITH NAVAL PROGRAM —<§> Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, first lord of the British admiralty, in introduc ing naval estimates in parliament, took occasion to declare that Great i Britain is not competing with the United States in naval development, but is merely taking care of her own immediate defense needs. ® SPECIAL SESSION OF ASSEMBLY IN AUGUST Under a resolution by Senator Lawrence a special session of the general assembly will be called in August by Governor Gardner if it is found that tax rates are not reduced as much as ten per cent by the new school and revenue bills. $ *************** * * * Bynum News * *************** Mrs. Lyda Riddle of Durham vis ited relatives in Bynum the past week. Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Abernathy spent Sunday in Carrboro. . Mr. Brooks Snipes of State Col lege and Miss Betty Snipes of Chapel Hill visited their parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Snipes this week-end. We regret to learn of * the *death of Mrs. Will Crane. She is survived by , her husband and three children. Miss Clytie Foushee spent several days last week with Miss Fanny Rid dle of Durham. Mr. Dewey Williams and Miss Blanche Taylor of this place were married Saturday. Tune in on Raleigh and hear the Chatham Rabbit String Band make some real music. This band has re ceived many requests from all parts of the county. Songs are being called for to such an extent that they can not reply to their request The mem bers of the Chatham Rabbit String Band are: Mr. I. W. Farrell, Frank Farrell, Frank Durham, R. L. Clapp, J. T. Riggsbee and David Baker. STATE MEETING The North Carolina division, Daughters of the American Revolu tion, met at Winston-Salem last week. A resolution asking for a law re quiring all school teachers drawing public money to take an oath of al legiance to the constitution of the United States was adopted. Mrs. Ralph Van Landingham of Charlotte was unanimously endorsed for vice president general of the national D. A. R. Virginia Hoovercrats to Hold a Convention A call has been issued to all “Hoovercrats” in Virginia to attend a state convention to be held on June 18 for the purpose of determining the future course of the group. Rep resentation will be based upon the number of votes cast by former dem ocrats for Mr. Hoover last fall, one delegate for each 500 votes and ma jor fraction thereof. It is likely that they will put a candidate for governor in the field this fall, although some observers be lieve that they will in this convention endorse the republican state ticket, and that hereafter they will make no pretense of being other than full republiens. Compensation Bill Enacted Into Law The state senate Friday concurred in all amendments by the house to the compensation bill and it has be come a law. Provisions of the meas ure were given in this paper several weeks ago. They include a minimum of $7 and a maximum of $lB a week for lost time due to acciddents, $6,- 000 for death and a varying schedule of benefits for major injuries. Rail road, farm and domestic employees are exempt from operation of the law. " $ MASONS’ BANQUET The Masons of Columbus Lodge No. 102 held their annual banquet j in the school auditorium Friday eve- ! ning. Master Masons, with their j wives and lady friends, to the num ber of sixty, were present. Past Mas ter W. P. Horton was toast master and conducted the toasts in his usual humorous style, and every Mason re sponded with clever repartee. The banquet was prepared and served by the ladies of the Parent- Teacher Association, who served a bounteous feast. The menu consisted of grape fruit, turkey, ham, creamed potatoes, cheese straws, pineapple salad, coffee, ice cream, and cake. The auditorium was decorated over head with streamers of crepe paper; the table with jonqquils and ferns. Mounted on the stage and the end of the long table was a huge Ma sonic emblem, square and compass, with the letter “G” in the center. This emblem was made and presented by Prof. J. S. Waters. Music by a string band enlivened the evening and after the banquet a large number took part in an old-time square dance and Virginia reel. <§> THE MONEY WE MAKE! As secretary of Commerce in the Coolidge cabinet, President Herbert Hoover was not an idle man. One thing his department did was to dig up statistics on newspapers and he found that the total gross income of all newspapers in the entire United States in a year amounted to less than the total value of manufactured products in the state of North Caro ling for one year. For the year 1925 the total receipts for advertising and subscriptions to all newspapers in the entire United States was less than a billion dollars, while the total value of manufactured products in North Carolina for the same year was con siderably more than a billion. In North Carolina the total gross income of all the newspapers combined for that year was less than one per cent of the total value of the state’s man ufactured products. Many men give their time, thought and energy to producing newspapers but the return in real money is most meagre.—The Laurinburg Exchange. ■ — *************** * * * New Elam News * * * *************** V * Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ellis of San ford were dinner guests Sunday of Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Carr. J. Fuller • Johnson filled his regular appointments at New Elam Saturday and Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Webster and little daughter Evelyn and Miss Mary Webster of Greensboro spent Sun day with the former’s mother, Mrs. Addie Webster. Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Trotter were business visitors in Sanford Friday of last week. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Drake and two sons Robert and John, Jr., of Wilson spent the week-end with the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Drake. Lottie Buckwith of Raleigh visited his mother, Mrs. Arzille Buckwith, Sunday. 4 Miss Dora Holt is visiting her sis ter, Mrs. Gilmore, in Lee county, this week. Mr. and Mrs. G. L. Mann visited friends in Bonsai and Merry Oaks Sunday afternoon. Rev. J. Fuller Johnson was dinner guest Sunday of Mr. and Mrs. Tem mie Mann. $ Rather late for last week’s paper we learned that the funeral of Mr. Orren Dowdy at Asbury church was under Masonio auspices and that a very large crowd attended. Subscribers at Every Postoffice and All R. F. D. Routes in Great County of Chatham VOLUME 51, NUMBER 26 A BRIEF REVIEW OF LEGISLATIVE ACTS Legislature Adjourned Tues day After Prolonged Strug gle to Reduce Taxes on Property and Provide Reve nue The legislature finished, or quqit, Tuesday after a session of nearly seventy days. The last ten days were busy ones, three sessions a day usually being held. Hundreds of local measures were passed, but among these only one or two apply to Chatham county. Chat ham seemed to be getting along very well, thank you. The important state measures passed may be briefly listed: 1. The five-eent gasoline tax, in stead of four cents. 2. A workman’s compensation law, which fixes limits for compensation for injured workmen. 3. A secret ballot law. 4. The provision for a state high way patrol of 37 men, whose duty seems to be more to keep unduly heavy loads off the roads rather than fas' guardians P f the speed laws * —i 5 The Hancock school which doubles the equalization fund is supposed to reduce the property tax 10 cents on the hundred, and carries certain provisions looking to j a more economical administration of the schools. ) 6. The revenue act, which is sup posed to raise 38 million dollars to meet the appropriations of the Ap propriation act. 7. The appropriation measure, which allots the fund to the various institutions and departments. 8. The machinery act, which pro vides the means of collecting the taxes, also provides for a board of assessment of five members, whose duty it will be to set the value of corporation property and to hear tax appeals. 9. A measure to prevent fraudu j lent absentee voting. 10. The appointment of members of county school boards. 11. A bill providing for issuance of nearly two million in. bonds for permanent improvements to state in stitutions. 12. A bill allowing the people to vote upon the issue of an addi tional two millions in bonds for a loan fund for ex-service men. 13. A bill making the commis sioner of revenue appointive. 14. A bill raising the governor’s salary after this term to SIO,OOO. 15. A bill limiting state salaries to SIO,OOO. 16. A bill allowing the state prison to establish and operate a factory for the manufacture of automobile license plates. 17. A marriage bans law, which requires couples under the age of 21 years to give notice of intention five days before marriage license is applied for. 18. A bill establishing the position of assistant to the governor. There may be a few others of state-wide importance which the writer does not now recall. The most of these measures became law dur ing the last few days of the session. The difficulties of reducing taxes on property and at the same time pro viding sufficient funds held the body for weeks, and it is hardly yet clear that sufficient provision has been made. O. M. Mull has been appointed by the governor as chairman of the prison board, and may serve as an all-time official. George Ross Pou seems likely to remain as superinr tendent of the state prison, but with more limited duties if Chairman Mull assumes management of affairs. - The governor has shifted R. A. Doughtoii fropi the - revenue depart ment to the chairmanship of the highway commission, and Allen Max well from the corporation commis sion to the revenue department, ap pointing I. M. Bailey, attorney for the corporation commission, to suc ceed Maxwell. Judge N. A. Town send is slated for assistant to the governor, under a law providing for such an official. Easter Service Plans For Pleasant Hill Preparations are being made look ing to an all-day Easter service at Pleasant Hill Methodist church. The pastor will bring a message on the Resurrection at 11:30; at 1 o’clock dinner will be served from baskets brought from the homes of the sev eral churches of the Pittsboro circuit and others; and beginning at two o’clock the service will be given over mainly to the laymen. Brief talks are expected from several local lay men, and address from an outside layman of prominence. We are look ing for this to be a great day, a home-coming day for the whole charge. The public is cordially in vited to attend and participate. J. A. DAILEY, Pastor. <s> It’s difficult for a man to lose his bad reputation or a Christmas neck tie.