HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL EDITION OF THE GASTON PROGRESS Nine
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB.
There is no one thing that will do
more toward advancing the commer
cial, industrial, social, and as a mat
ter of fact, every interest of a town,
as a well supported and progressive
association or club of public spirited
citizens, bent upon making the com-
I
E. N. PEGRAM, Secretary.
THE SOUTHERN COTTON OIL
COMPANY.
Manufacturers Cotton Seed Products
and High Grade Fertilizers.
There is absolutely no waste in the
cotton plant under modern methods of
handling it, and the by-products after
the cotton is ginned, are all utilized,
and amount in value to millions of
dollars every season. There are two
gins located here in Gastonia, and a
plant for the manufacture of cotton
seed oil, cattle feed, and high grade
fertilizers, all of them the property
of the Southern Cotton Oil Company.
Gin No. 1 is near the Loray Mills, and
No. 2, including the manufacturing
plant on east Main street, at its inter
section with the Southern railroad
company’s tracks. This plant is
equipped with the latest improved
machinery for extracting the oil
which is conveyed to a 25,000 gallon
steel tank in the yards of the company,
while the residum is ground into fine
meal which is, after being mixed with
cotton seed oil, been demonstrated to
form one of the finest feed for cattle
ever placed on the marked. It is also
used extensively as a fertilizer for
corn and cotton as well as in the gar-
atmosphere of freshness that pervades
the place. Everything seems to be
new and seasonable. And the impres
sion is borne out by the facts, for the
place could be searched from one end
to another and not a piece of old, out-
of-date or shop worn goods could be
found upon the counters and shelves.
Although the store has all the prestige
that only years of fair dealing can
bring, it is also modern in every de
tail. The J. M. Belk Company is not
of those merchants who carry goods
over from season to season, until they
are disposed of one way or another.
By the end of each season they sell
everything, no matter what the sacri
fice may be, and with the new season
they begin all over with a fresh stock.
This is the place- where the whole
family can be outfitted from grandpa
to the latest baby. There is nothing
in the line of dry goods for men,
women, misses and children, millin
ery, dress goods, notions, silks,
sheetings, ladies petticoats, children’s
wash suits, muslin underwear, em
broideries, toilet articles, and the
thousand and one things usually
found in a high class store of the
kind, that cannot be bought at Belk’s.
There is not the slightest necessity
for the people of Gastonia and this
stands higher in the opinion of his
superior officers than does he. Com
ing in contact as he does at some time
or another with nearly every one in
the city, Mr. Nolan has naturally a
host of friends and acquaintances.
Always courteous and obliging he has
made himself liked by all classes of
people. Mr. Nolan is of true Scotch-
Irish extraction, and is the son of Rev.
munity in which they live a bigger
and a better place in all that the words
imply. By the well directed and
united efforts of its members such an
association can work wonders as has
been amply proven in the case of
scores of towns that for years
slumbered, and are now on the high
tide of progress. It was with the ob
ject of spreading information about
the advantages of the city as a manu
facturing and industrial center that
the Gastonia Commercial Club was
formed at a meeting held in the city
hall on the night of February 11,
1905, at which Capt. George F. Bacon
presided, and Joseph H. Separk acted
as secretary. A w^eek later the com
mittee appointed to draft a constitu
tion and by-laws consisting of A. G.
Mangum, a well known attorney, and
J. H. Separk, a leading cotton manu
facturer, submitted its report which
was adopted, ahd on March 4th, 1905,
the Gastonia Commercial Club be
come an accomplished fact. The first
officers elected were A. G. Mangum,
president; Joseph H. Separk, first
vice-president; W. W. Glenn, secre
tary-treasurer; and G. W. Wilson,
— Roort^ were secured on the
second floor of \he First Natibnir
Bank building and within six weeks - -
after it was organized the club had
handsomely furnished home and a
membership which included nearly
every public spirited and progressive
business and professional man in the
city. There is a reading room where
PLANT OF THE COTTON OIL COMPANY
den. The local plants which have a
capacity of ginning 80 bales of cotton
a day, are in charge of Mr. J. F. Bess,
as local manager. He has been with
the company, a number of years, the
last three of w'hich have been spent
here in Gastonia. Mr. Bess is a native
of Cherryville and has made a host of
friends since making this city his
home.
Wholesale and Retail Dry Goods,
Clothing, Shoes, Hats, IVIIIIinery,
Notions.
section to spend their time and car
fare in going to Charlotte, when they
can get the same goods at often less
prices at this up-to-date store. The
discriminating people of this town
have long since realized this fact, and
every thinking shopper would do well
to do so. Belk’s millinery department
is the most completely equipped in this
section. The display of ladies, misses
and children’s hats is a delight to all
lovers of beautiful things, and the
store here was established
years ago, and is one of
NOLAN
Tv. M. Nolan, a retired Methodist min
ister who has reached the age of 82
years. When he went into the employ
of the Express company he was
stationed at Lowell, where he spent 4
years, 6 years at Kings Mountain, and
was then transfered to Gastonia where
he has remained continuously for the
past 20 years. He takes great interest
in fraternal orders and lodges and is a
Mason, Past Grand Odd Fellow, and a
member of the Knights of Pythias, the
Jr. O. U. A. M., and the Heptasophs.
Mr. Nolan is assisted in the office by
his daughter. Miss Myrtle Nolan, a
bright young lady who knows the
business thoroughly. Mr. Nolan was
joint agent of the Southern railway at
both Lowell and King’s Mountain, and
also at Gastonia up till 1908. He is
full of real public spirit and a pro
gressive citizen who is always ready
and willing to lend a helping hand to
any cause that is for the welfare of
Gastonia, his home and the little city
in which he has cast his fortune.
WILLIAM GASTON,
whom the county was named.
LAURENCE G. JONES.
Cotton Broker.
Located in the center of one of the
largest cotton manufacturing centers
GASTON IRON WORKS.
No enterprise is more ne-;essary in
I .r>ro?;re.§siye^ manufa_cturing‘ city like
the current newspapers and magazines
are to be found, a reception hall and
commercial room fitted up with well
kept pool and billard tables, checker
tables, baths, and a gymnasium is talk
ed about. The social feature has al
ways been a leading characteristic of
the club and the rooms are the meet
ing place of the leading men of this
entire section. The present officers
are: Messrs. L. L. Hardin, president:
D. M. Jones, first vice-president: D. A.
Garrison, second vice-president: and E.
N, Pegram, secretary and treasurer.
The board of managers are: Messrs.
M. P. Kirby, Jr., C. I. Loftin, O F
Mason, L. W. Patrick, George B.
Corker, Joseph W. Timherlake, A. G.
Myers, J. Lee Robinson, E. G. Mc-
Lurd and W. T. Rankin, most of whom
have been members of the club since
its incorporation.
One of the first impressions a cus
tomer receives upon entering the Belk
Company Department Store is the
eleven
-- - chain of
sp-endid establishments whose head
quarters is in Charlotte. Their other
nme stores are: Belk Brothers, Char
lotte, N. C.; w. H. Belk & Bro„ Mon
roe, N, 0.: Jno. R. Simpson & Co
Monroe, N. C.: R. j. Belk Co., Wax^
BIG STORES OF THE J. M. BELK COMPANY
as*” ' £■' ^11C
^ Sanford,
C., Kirkpatrick-Belk Co., Yorkville,
Parks-Belk Co., Concord, N. C.;
great busi-
about twenty
brothers, w.
Belk, who from
haw N. C.: Belk-Harry Co., Salisbury,
C.; Williams-Belk Co
N. ~ '
S. C,
each of which is the leading emporium
>11 Its locality. The
ness was established
years ago by two
and J. M
the very start made a great success.
The Gastonia establishment occupies
all of two large stores, in which the
goods are beautifully arranged. The
place is well lighted by day and bright
ly Illuminated by night, and covers
about 20,000 square feet of floor space
Mr. J. H. Matthews, the wide awake
young manager who is a strong be-
lever in printer's ink and publicity
to make a business go, is a native of
Providence township, Mecklenburg
county, where he was born twenty-
eight years ago.
I
ST. MARK’S P. E. CHURCH
SOUTHERN EXPRESS COMPANY.
C. M. Nolan, Gastonia Agent.
When a man has held a position of
trust and responsibility with one com
pany tor a period of 30 years, no better
evidence could possibly be produced
to prove that he is capable and faith-
ful, as well as splendidly equipped to
discharge the duties entrusted to him.
Mr. C. M. Nolan, the popular agent of
the Southern Express Company at
Gastonia is one of the veteran em
ployees of that corporation, and no one
WMf-
Gafetonia than a well equipped general '
m.achjne works and foundry, conducted
by expert and experienced mechanics,
who thoroughly understand their busi
ness in its every detail. This fast was
realized many years ago by the founder
of the Gaston Iron Works, a Mr. Mof-
fit, of Charlotte, who came here about
a quarter of a century ago and started
business on a modest scale on Airline
avenue, a few hundred yards from the
site of the present complete and up-to-
date establishment which is one of the
most useful institutions of the city.
During its existence the works have
liassed through several hands until in
the course of events it fell into those
of Mr. B. Frank Norris, the present en
terprising, progressive proprietor and
general manager, under whose exper
ienced administration i* has been more
successful than at any time during its
long history. Many improvements
have been made and the plant is now
one of the best equipped in this sec
tion of the country, and is turning out
the highest class of work. A si>ecialty
IS made of engine and boiler work and
all kinds of aluminum, bronze, brass
and iron castings, the facilities for
making this kind of work being unsur
passed. New machinery is also de
igned and built to order at short no-
(Cice at reasonable prices. The establ
ishment also turns out pipe and fit
tings, injectors, jet pumps, lubricators,
cups, packings, hangers, nuts, bolts
shaftings, couplings, babbit, steam and
water gauges, furnishes mill supplies,
l&oes heavy blacksmith work and, in
fact, does all kinds of work of this
character. Supplied with the most im
proved machinery and employing a
corps of about 25 skilled and exper
ienced mechanics, many of whom have
been with the concern for many years.
Mr. Norris Is in a position to contract
for any kind of work that the skilled
machinist is capable of doing, includ
ing automobile and motorcycle repair
ing, a branch of work for which he has
one of the best equipped departments
in this section. The machine shop is
located at 232-236 Airline avenue, front
ing on that thoroughfare a distance of
40 feet and extending back 80 feet. In
the rear is the foundry, 40x70, both
shops being equipped with all that is
latest in improved machinery. Mr.
Norns is a thoroughly practical man
and was at one time the foreman of
the plant of which he" is now the pro
prietor. Mr. Norris is a native of
Mecklenburg county, but has lived
here for many years.
JONES
has built up a large clientele among
the buyers for the big mills of this
section. His knowledge of the cotton
trade has been gained by long study
and travel throughout the great cot
ton belt of the South, where he has
\aluable business connections and a
Mide acquaintance with growers, deal
ers and manufacturers. He is famil
iar with conditions in and character of
cotton grown in all the cotton states,
and in all of which states he has lived,
and the experience gained there stands
him in good stead. Mr. Jones is a
native of Virginia, having been born in
Abingdon, and is a brother of A. C.
Jones, Esq., of the law firm of Jones
& Timberlake, and of Mr. D. M. Jones,
of D. M. Jones & Company, cotton
buyers. He was formerly a member
of the firm of Jones & Moore, which
was dissolved a few months ago.
ni the country, and one that is
destined to be much greater, Gastonii
IS naturally the home, of a number o ‘
cotton brokers who sell to the sur
rounding mills. They are among the
most intelligent and wide-awake
members of the community, and as a
class have always been among the
iirst to put their shoulder to the
wheel and give the town a boost.
Among the leading brokers of the
city IS Mr. L. G. Jones, whose office is
located on the second floor of 115
Mam street. During the four years he
has been in business here, Mr. Jones
thiis city tind 'Sig>n i
and lias an ever
increasing trade. Although born in
Charlotte he was raised here and
worked as a butcher for Mr
Davis 13 years. He started j *
"11 his own account Mf
JOHN R. RANKIN, City Clerk
(bee page 4)
THE CITY HALL
Patronize the merchants and others
whose names appear in this issue of
The Progress, for they are the ones
who have shown a desire to help boost
Gastonia.
Gastonia is good enough for me
come and see it, and it will be good
enough for you—she is a live one.
Gastonia, the Magic City of the old
North State.
Write Mr. Pegram, Secretary of the
Commercial Club, for full informa-
tion regarding Gastonia.
mm '==
m
the GASTON IRON WORKS