jlOORE COUNTY’S
leading news
weekly
THE
A Paper Devoted to the Upbuilding
VOL. 11> NO. 25
LAKEVi£W
MAHUEV
PINEBLUPP
CA
PILOT
FIRST IN
NEWS AND
ADVERTISING
o
of the Sandhill Tei¥
Aberdeen, North Carolina
of North Carolina
Friday, May 22, 1931.
B.B. SAUNDERS TO
quit ABERDEEN
TOBACCO MARKET
Leases Warehouses at Fuquay-
Varina for the Coming
Season
T—
TO DOUBLE FLOOR SPACE
X special despatch to The Pilot
from Fuquay-Varina announces the
Jease of the big Center Brick and
Star tobacco warehouse there to B.
B. Saunders, of Aberdeen, who had
charge of the big local warehouse for
several seasons. The despatch says:
Negotiations which have been in
progress for several weeks culminated
Wednesday, May 13, in plans for a
bigger and better tobacco market at
Fuquay-Varina for the coming season.
B. B. Saunders, one of the best known
and nio-t popular warehousemen in
the state, has leased the Center Brick
and Star warehouses, and his lease
calls for an extension to be built on
ihe Center brick house that will
roll- le its floor space.
?. . . Saunders has been operating
warehouses at Valdosta, Ga., and at
Aberdeen, for several years, and last
year he had the biggest warehouse ;
on the new Asheville market. He pro- 1
poses to continue his Georgia and |
Oldest Hotel in Southern Pines Destroyed by Fire
liH
%
FIVE CENTS
The Southern Pines Hotel on West Broad Street
12 Samarcand Firebugs MAYFIELD PLEADS
Go To State’s Prison FOR POULTRY AND
EGfi MARKET HERE
Judge Schenck Gives Girls Inde-
termiiiate Sentences Based on
Their Good Behavior
TRIAL HELD AT CARTHAGE
By Mrs. S. R. Smith
“Some of the doctors think you
Drama
All the Elements of Sensation
al Novel or Play Involved
in Samarcand Trial
Sees No Reason Why Industry
Cannot be Profitably Devel
oped In County
“FARMERS WILL PRODUCE’
as
opening his talk to the fourteen Sam- day of this week. Theiie were suf"i-
Aoheville operations, but has sold his , , i 1 i. before there
^ ^ haven t sense enough to know what will be
Aberdeen house to come to Fuquay- ^
Varina. His connection with tlie local
market is hailed as a big forward step
in its development. W. TS. Johnson,
dean of this market and long connect
ed with the Center Brick warehouse,
will be associated with Mr. Sounders,
of the Moore County Poultry Associa-
ciated with Mr. Saunders.
Report has been current in Aber-
’een for s.onie time that Mr. Saund
ers Avould not operate the warehouse
arcand girls who were bet'ore him on
Wednesday morning to hf ar the sen
tence imposed upon them for their
part in burning two dormitories at
Samarcand Manor, State institution
for delinquent girls in March.
Twelve of the fourteen who had,
through their attorneys, pleaded
^vhlch has borne his name here, this to attempted arson, were sen-
coming season. It is understood that ! tenced to not less than eighteen
it will be operated by men who have j ^o^ths nor rnore than five years in
been associated with Mr. Saunders in ' State Prison. These were Jose-
the past, and that an intensive drive Phine French, Haw River; Virginia
for a big local season will be made.
More tobacco was sold in Aberdeen
last year than in any previous season,
Hayes, Walkertown; Marian Mercer,
Ay den; Delorise Seawell, Cove City;
Margaret Abernathy, Kinston; Thel-
and another record is sought this Council, Tarboro; Ollie Harding,
year. Definite announcement of the
future management of the local ware
house will be made in The Pilot when
pending negotiations have been clos
ed.
Thursday Class Day
at Southern Pines
Dr. Walker of State University
to Address High School Sen
iors on Friday
The program for the Commencement
exercises of Southern Pines High
School was announced yesterday by
Principal W. T. Allen. Class Day ex
ercises will be held in the School Court
at 9:30 Thursday, May 28, with the
president’s address by Carl Thompson,
president of the Senior Class. Oth
ers on the program are the Class his
torian, Clifton Cameron; the giftorian,
ian, Clifton Cameron; the giftorian,
Jnath Donaldson; tha grumbler, Hu
bert Weatherspoon; the prophet, Gor
don Gifford, and testator, Malcolm
Grover.
Graduation exercises will be held in
the school Auditorium Friday night,
^^ay 29th with benediction by the Rev.
J. Fred Stimson; Salutatory and Es-
^ay, Blanche Elizabeth Sherman; Ad
dress, Dr. W. N. Walker, Dean of ihe
School of English, U. N. C.; Valedic
tory and Essay, William Joseph Wood-
ward; presentation of diplomas, H.
Lee Thomas, County Superintendent
®f Public Instruction; award of D. A.
Medal for Excellence in Ameri
can History, by Mrs. J. B. Swett.
Honor students of the class are
William Woodward, Blanche Sherman,
Clifton Cameron, Evelyn Edson, Ros-
alind Henderson, Barbara Pierce and
Carl Thomp son.
HEAVY RAINFALL
A straight-sided pan placed on a
level surface of ground outside his
house by Bion H. Butler yesterday
^orning contained an inch and one-
balf of water one and one-half hours
later. The rainfall Wednesday night
yesterday morning is believed to
ave been the heaviest in many years
here.
Chocowinity City; Bertha Hall, Nor
folk, Va.; Chloe Stillwell, Kinston;
Estelle Wilson, Lexington; Edna
Clark, Halifax, and Pearl Styles, Can
ton.
Prayer for judgment as to Rosa
Mull of Rutherfordton was contin
ued for five years on condition of
good behavior. Rosa, who is thirteen
and the youngest member of the
group, was allowed to go home wic'i
her father, who sat beside her as
judgment was passed.
Margaret Pridgen of Wilmington
was given a State Prison sentence of
not less than twelve months nor more
than three years, suspended for five
years on condition of good behavior.
Margaret was allowed to return home
with her father.
Undeveloped Mentally
Dr. Harry W. Crane, Professor of
Psychology of the University of
North Carolina and Director of the
division of Mental Health and Hy
giene of the State Board of Welfare
had testified on Tuesday that he had
examined four of the defenda •='.
among them being Margaret Pric-
gen who is fifteen years of age, and
that he had found her mental devel
opment to be that of a child of ei^’ht
years and ten months.
The case opened on Tuesdayonorn-
ing with the court room in Carthage
crowded with the interested and cur
ious, for not in recent years if ever
has a trial in Moore county aroused
so much interest. The sixteen girls,
ranging in age from thirteen to
eighteen years, m'arched into the
court room looking much the same as
any group of ’teen age girls, attrac
tively dressed in silk and cotton
dresses of various designs. Every
one looked to be of reasonable intel
ligence.
The defendants were indicted on the
capital crime of arson and attempt to
commit arson. The* State immediate
ly took a nol pros with leave as to
Mary Bronson of Rocky Mount and
Wilma Owens of Waynesville, owing
to insufficient evidence. Solicitor Don
Phillips stated that he did not feel
that society would dem.ind that the
State try these young ^rls for their
cient “features” to the Samarcand
case to produce a best seller or pack
a theatre, sordid as they were.
Here they are:
1. The crime charged was a cap
ital offence.
2. The defendants were minors.
3. The defendants were pretty
girls.
4. Woman was pitted against man
as rival counsel.
dramatic trial in the R- L- Mayfield of Vass, secretary
rm saying, but I rather think you state of North Carolina as that in of the Moore County Puoltry Associa-
have,” said Judge Michael Schenck in the Carthage Court House on Tues- tion, gave the second of a series of
talks on the poultry prospects of tli2
county before the members of the
Kiwanis Club of Aberdeen at their
weekly meeting, held Wednesday noon
in the Civic Club, Southern Pines.
Mr. Mayfield told of a trend back
to the south in the purchase by north
ern markets of live pouhry. Of 1,-
004 cars shipped to one northeastern
city during April, 653 were from
southern states, with Tennesse lead
ing. North Carolina though nearest
$200,000 Fire Destroys
Southern Pines Hotel,
Built 45 Years Ago
Forgot to Remember
Shields Cameron Ventures Out
in Old Car With Old Plates
and Plays $13.60
Shields Cameron got out the old
ear the other day, one he hadn't
nsed for quite a spell, and chug
ged downtown. It happened to be
a, day when some State Troopers
ehose to make Southern Pines a
stopping place, and Shields had
forgotten to remember that it was
1931 now, and that his license
plates were 1930 ones. Of course
it was tough on Shields, because
he happens to be secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce and one
supposed to set a good example to
all good citiaans.
Shields’s failure to keep up to
date on the fore arid aft of his an
cient vehicle cost him just $13.60.
There was an item of a ten dollar
fine, and $3.60 costs. Martin Fer
guson paid the same amount for
the same failure to remember.
Shields and Martin have nice
shiney new license plates now, but
Lieut. Early and Patrolman Dun
can of the State Patrol have gone
slsewhere and Shields and Martin
don’t care if they never come back
to these parts.
4 Departments Wage
Fight Against Flames
Aberdeen, Carthage and Pine^
hurst Aid at Worst Con
flagration in Many Years
THREE FIREMEN HURT
School Board Refuses
Resignations of Two
Settles Down To Re-election of
Superintendent Allen After
Stormy Period
* 5. Defendants had s«t fire to two to the market, iwas away down the ' Efforts to increase the membership
jails during their incarceration before
trial.
6. It was a trial of a State insti
tution, a State system of caring for
its delinquent children, as well as of
the children themselves.
7. There was the element of r,us-
list, he said. He stated that $5,000,- j of the Southern Pines School Board
The largest fire this section has
seen in many years almost totally de
stroyed the Southern Pines Hotel, old
est inn in that village, on Monday
I night. Burning under the roof sup-
i ports for some minutes before dis-
; covery, the alarm was turned in at
7:30 o’clock. Apparatus from Southern
Pines, Aberdeen, Pinehurst and Car
thage was quickly on the scene ( and
one of the most thrilling fights
against what might easily have prov
en a much worse conflagration be
gan. Eight streams of water were
played on the flames for hours, and
the fire kept under such control that
at no time did flames mount high into
the heavens, though the building was
of wood, r.i*irch of it over 40 years
old.
Frank Harrington, proprietor of
the Southern Pines Hotel, was sitting
on the front porch talking with some
of the five guests of the hotel when
passersby warned of smoke curling
from the roof. With others, he rush
ed extinguishers to the third and top
floor, to find the north vnng furious
ly ablaze. Fire spread so rapidly that
the extinguishers served no purpose.
I The efforts of the staff and others
attracted to the scene were concen
trated on getting out what furniture,
office records and personal effects of
guests and employes as could be
saved, and the parkway in front of
the inn was soon piled high with ho-
^ J. J ,, i? J • tel equipment. Much of the fn'st floor
000 was spent for poultry products m failmg, and the preferred resignations » , - ., ,
■V. 1 ^ J? X u J 4.^ furniture and some of the second floor
New York each 7nonth, and that of two members, presumably made to
North Carolina, and Moore county, I make room for others ^on the board,
should be getting a much greater pro- being refused by the other members,
portion of this business than it is. Mr. | the board got down to business at its
Mayfield also urged the development
pense. Because of the previous uncon- of a local market.
trollable conduct of the defendants
there was no telling at what moment
one or more of them might produce
“a scene.” ^
8. There was the conflict of the
protection of the public and the future
lives of the children. They deserved
State’s prison. Would State’s prison
mean the ruination of these young
lives? And if not State’s prison, then
what?
Pliny A. Allen Dies
At Southern Pines
“The farmers will produce if we
can develope a market for their prod
ucts right here at home,” he said. He
said the association with which he
is connected has 60 members, and
told of a contract for 25 cases of eggs
bedroom furniture w^as saved.
Valiant Fight
Meanwhile, the fire fighting equip-
meeting Ifest Saturd,ay night and ment of practically all the towns in
elected Prof. W. S. Allen, the present the Sandhills responded to hurry calls
incumbent, as superintendent of the sent out by Dr. George Herr, whose
Southern Pines schools for next year, offices are located in the adjoining
The board refused to consider the Mudgett Building. Engines began to
resignations of Ralph Chandler and pump powerful streams into the
Frank Maples. There had been some flames, which shot out from all parts
agitation in town for amending the of the upper floors at once. It was
^ week offered him last week. He also ! town charter to increase the board quickly apparent that the building was
told of much cold storage poultry ' five to seven members, to make doomed, but the fire fighters put up
(Please turn to Page 8)
Father of Mrs. James Swett Had
Lived Here for Past Thir
teen Years
On Friday morning. May 15th,
Pliny A. Allen of Southern Pines
passed to his rest. He had been ser
iously ill for only three weeks, but
for over eighteen months had been
unable to leave his room. In spite of
this confinement his good spirit never
failed him.
Mr. Allen was bom October 29,
1844 at Stockbridge, Vermont. His
early manhood was spent in business
in Boston. Here he was a member of
Columbian Lodge and the Coeur de
Lion Commandery, Knights Templar.
He married Izah W. Tenney of Nor
way, Maine in 1972.
For forty-two years he made his
home in Mattapoisett, Mass. Here his
family and five children were raised
to maturity. The- past thirteen years
Mr. and Mrs. Allen have lived with
their daughter, Mrs. James B. Swett
of Southern Pines.
• He is survived by his wife to whom
he had been married nearly sixty
years; four children, Francis G. Allen
of Fall River, Mass.; the Rev. Pliny
A. Allen, Jr., of North Adams, Mass.;
Mrs. Carlotta Allen Pray, of Blue
Point, L. I.; and Mrs. Swett. Thir
teen grandchildren also survive.
The funeral services, conducted by
the Rev. F. Craighill Brom, rector
of Emanuel Episcopal Church, were
held at his home-and the interment
took place in Mount Hope Cemetery,
Southern Pinel.
coming into the Sandhills needlessly,
something which a poultry and egg
market in the county would eliminate
for the good of all concerned. He
argued for a standard price in the
county, stating that last week eggs
sold in Southern Pines for from IG
to 25 cents, while in Vass they were
bringing from 15 to 21 cents.
Robert N. Page, Jr., furnished the
entertainment at Wednesday’s Ki-
wanis gathering, playing his guitar
and singing some amusing songs
much to the merriment of the mem
bers.
RALEIGH MAYOR INSPECTS
SOUTHEIRN PINES STREETS
The recently elected Mayor of Ral
eigh, George Iseley, with two mem
bers of the Board of Commissioners,
Messrs Page and Williamson, were
g“uests of Mayor D. G. Stutz at South
ern Pines last Thursday, having jour-^
neyed down from the Capitol City for
the purpose of inspecting the town’s
system of oiled streets.
many GUESTS BOOKED
AT HIGHLAND PINES INN
room for two candidates sponsored by a valiant and well directed fight, and
some of the parents. Messrs Chandler kept t-he fkmes concentrated to the
and Maples offered themselves as point of removing the danger of their
sacrifices to clarify the situation, but spreading to nearby buildings,
the agitation was not considered of During this fight, three firemen
sufficient importance to warrant sac- were injured, Constantine Montesanti
rifices of valuable members, and it being blown off a rear roof, followed
looks now as if the storm had blown
over.
(Please turn to page 5)
Pursuing successfully its new pol
icy of remaining open later each
season, the Highland Pines Inn on
Weymouth Heights reports thirty
guests and more booked, and Cream
er and Turner propose to keep the
inn open until June 1st if not longer.
- /
KILLED AT PINEBLUFF I
Luke Ellis, colored, of Cheraw, was
found de&d near the Pinebluff sta
tion of the Seaboard last Saturday
morning. .He had apparently been
struck by a train. Relatives claimed
the body on Monday.
Hotel Built by Late Frank Fags to
Show State His Lumber Was 0. K.
By Bion H. Butler lumber is shown by the liCe of the
The Southern Pines Hotel destroy- building and the persistence it exhib-
ed Monday night by fire, is the most ited in the hands of the fire,
conspicuous link connecting the early My first recollection of the South-
days of the Sandhills with the devel- ern Pines Hotel goes back not quite
opment to the present hour, for there forty years ago. But as I can gather
was commenced the modern in the from the oldtimers who werh here
sandy region. Forty-five years ago before me it was opened by F. A.
North Carolina figured that the gov- Ordway, closely identified with the
ernor should have a new house in Ral- community for a number of years. La-
eigh—the Governor’s mansion they ter came Mrs. W. H. Schram, famous
call what was built. From Wake all over northern Pennsylvania
county had come to Moore county a through her management of the Hyde
progressive citizen, Frank Page, with House, in Ridgway. She was a sister
his boys who have given proper ac- of A. M. Clarke, through whose in
count of themselves, and the family fluence she came to North Carolina,
set up a lumber industry that made and she enlarged ^the house. Not long
them the leaders hi industry ovor a after came her sister, Mrs. Ada
wide section. Because Frank Page en- Green and her husband, John A.
joyed the reputation of offering good Green, from up in Pennsylvania, to
material when he offered anything help along in the work, and with the
he was given the order for the lum- old captain’s backing they made a
ber for the “mansion.” How it came famous outfit. The Greens were a
about that the lumber was pronounc- musically inclined family, some of the
ed defective is not known to this his- younger members having won con-
torian, but such question was raised siderable distinction later in Washing-
over its inspection thalf Frank Page, ton and elsewhere in the North. The
and you can see the characteristic father, John, knew what to do with
yet in the family, thought a few a fiddle, and the folks in his home
thoughts about the whole situation town, who are old enough, can re-
at Raleigh, and he brought h-.s lam- ! member with admiration the days
her to Southern Pines and built the when Green, Jim Dailey, who in* time
first part of the Southern Pines Ho- |
tel. That he built well and cf good j ((Please turn to page 4)