i
(Continued from Last Week)
Religious Life.
For a community of its popula
tion, Roanoke Rapids is singularly
blessed with an abundance of
churches. The pastors have a nor
mal healthy view of things. They
lead, rather than lecture. In his
particular field, each is a distinc
tively constructive agent.
The Methodist Episcopal church
has two buildings, and operates
two Sunday Schools. The total
membership is now 418, and the
Sunday School enrollment 453.
The church at Roanoke Rapids
was organized about seventeen
years ago with 86 members. It
now has a membership of 285 and
a Sunday School of 253. In the
last few years it has grown rapid
ly. Two years ago it was neces
sary to enlarge the church by
building an annex. So greatly has
interest in the Sunday School work
grown that it is now necessary t o
plan for a new building to meet
increasing demands.
The Rosemary church was or
ganized some ten years ago with
'25 members. It now has 133 mem
bers, and a Sunday School of 200
members. Five years ago the old
building was burned; a larger one
was then built, but this in turn is
no longer sufficient for the stead
ily increasing congregation and
Sunday School. Enlargement of
the building must be made at once.
The Baptist church was organ
ized in 1897 by Rev. A. C. Wilcox,
the pioneer church builder of the
Tar River Association. He was
made the first pastor.
Under the leadership of such
men as Rev. W. N. Johnson, of
Wake Forest; Rev. T. S. Crutch
field, of Fayetteville; Rev. G. T.
Lumpkin, of Oxford, and Rev.
Jesse Blalock, the present pastor,
the church has had an encouraging
flpwth.
During Mr. Lumpkins pastorate
a church debt of $1,100 was paid.
During his pastorate also, Rev.
Braxton Craig came here and the
effect of his splendid missionary
work at that time is still being
advantageously felt.
It was while Rev. Lumpkin was
here that the Baptist church was
established at Rosemary. The com
bined membership of the two
churches has increased from less
than 100 to more than 300. The
Sunday schools at both places are
large and growing, both in num
bers and efficiency.
Early arrangements must be
made to increase the church facil
ities at both Roanoke Rapids and
Kosemary.
The Episcopal church at Roa
noke Rapids is known as All Saints
Mission, with Rev. A. W. Taylor in
charge. Church work is now car
ried on in the old Mission School
building on Hamilton Street. Dur
ing the last two years, when the
work of the Episcopal church has
been carried on, with a resident
missionary in charge, splendid
progress has been made. There
are now 60 communicants, with an
average attendance at Sunday
School of 45 children. Plans are
now under way for the construc
tion of a new church building at
the corner of Jackson street and
Eighth street at an estimated cost
of $5,000. Episcopal services are
now also held in one of the mill
dwelling houses on evening each
week, and a Sunday School is con
ducted in the same house attended
by 60 children. Indications are
that a large immediate increase
will be made in membership as
soon as the new building is com
pietea.
The organization of a Presbyte
rian church has just been complet
ed with Job Taylor, president of
the Halifax Paper Corporation, as
the first moderator. This church
has $12,000 cash in hand with
which to erect its new brick edi
fice at the corner of Jackson street
and Sixth streets. Plans for church
ait now being prepared.
Local Organizations
The town is well represented in
the important national social and
beneficent organizations. The Ma
sons have an excellent lodge room
which they have just re-equipped
with about $1,000 worth of heavy
j artistic furniture. There are about
! 75 Masons in town. The Red Men
number 60; the Odd Fellows 100;
j and of the Junior Order of Me
chanics there are 215.
Besides these social organiza
tions, the women of each church
have their own Ladies’ Aid Soci
eties in which all women of their
respective parishes are deeply in
terested. But Roanoke Rapids be
ing a live town with work for all,
and its citizens all workers, there
is not much demand for local
charity. Consequently the work of
the ladies’ societies finds expres
sion in church welfare work and in
local and foreign missions.
Among the leading church
workers are Mrs. Job Taylor, Mrs.
T. W. M. Long, Mrs. W. D. Tillery,
Mrs. J. L. Patterson, Mrs. J. T.
Chase and Mrs. Arthur Taylor. The
church parlors and the homes of
these and other women are the
scene of many delightful dinner
parties and social gatherings. All
such gatherings conspire to make
living here a cheerful, inspiring
life, and not a monotony of work
and no play.
Amusements.
Mr. James P. Robinson and
Brother operate two theatres, the
Peoples at the Rapids, and the
Rosemary at Rosemary. At both
these play-houses the best motion
pictures are shown every night ex
cept on such occasions as high
class vaudeville or stock companies
can be ^ secured. The former the
atre seats 582, and the 'latter 675,
and both are well filled every
night.
The Roanoke Valley Baseball
League, with teams from Roanoke
Rapids, Rosemary Manufacturing
Co., the Patterson Mills Co. pro
vides the fans with enough to yell
over. The baseball fever is at high
pitch. Every citizen is a fan. The
league has fine grounds on Roa
noke Avenue, a good grandstand,
and a skinned diamond.
The officers of the baseball
league are Dr. T. W. M. Long,
president; and J. T. Stainback,
secretary-treasurer.
H. W. Cherry & Bros, have a
pool room and skating rink, also
on the avenue. In winter time
dances are held in the skating
rink, and in the summer many
hay-rack rides and barbecues. The
social life is as delightful as the
work-day is strenuous.
The Hospital.
Roanoke Rapids has the best e
quipped hospital between Rich
mond and Raleigh. It has fifteen
beds and is fully equipped for sur
gical work and for non-contagious
diseases. Its staff is composed of
four doctors. It maintains a train
ing school for nurses, and since its
organization, August 1, 1911, has
been very successful. The hospi
tal was incorporated April 1, 1914.
Donations for the maintenance of
free beds are now being solicited
and received from the mills, the
county, the town, and from indi
viduals. ,
The Banks.
In the First National Bank. Roa
noke Rapids has the only national
bank in Halifax county and the
largest capitalized bank in the
county as well. The officers are
C. A. Wyche, president; S. F. Pat
terson and J. L. Patterson, vice
presidents; E. H. Ricks, cashier.
Besides the local stockholders,
some of the stock is owned by
Richmond people of ipeans who
have interest here.
The First National Bank was or
ganized in 1901 as the First Na
tional Bank of Weldon, and is now
opening under that original char
ter. July 1, 1912, the First Nation
al Bank of Weldon was transferred
to Roanoke Rapids, the capital of
both banks were reduced to ten
per cent, and the remaining $12,500
of the capital and surplus of the
First National Bank of Weldon
was then used to organize the Wel
don Bank and Trust Company. The
surplus and undivided profits of
the First National Bank of Roa
noke Rapids is now about $10,000.
At Rosemary is the Rosemary
Banking and Trust Company, of
which Dr. E. H. Adkins is presi
dent, and F. C. Patterson, cashier.
A few days ago the long dor
mant notion of having a building
and loan association took shape.
In one evening 450 shares were
subscribed. 500 shares have now
been subscribed by 70 people. The
incorporators are E. H. Ricks, T.
W. M. Long, W. S. Hancock, J.
W. House, W. D. Tillery, J. T.
Chase and \V. L. Long.
The new association is to be
known as the Halifax County
Building and Loan Association,
Inc. The object for which incor
poration is asked is stated to be
to enable the subscribers to assist
each other and all who may be
come associated with them in mak
ing loans to its members only, and
to enable them to acquire real es
tate and to improve it.
Already the association has a
wakened a keen desire in many to
own their homes, and several ap
plications for loans have already
been made.
Welfare Work.
The various mills and corpora
tions carry their welfare work to
more diversified lfnes than do oth
er mills. Buildings are devoted to
libraries and reading rooms for the
employees. For the use of the li
brary a fee of one dollar a year is
charged, it having been found that
co-operation rather than charity
gets the best results in all welfare
work. At these mills “a spirit of
friendly vo-operation is the watch
word, and the exercise and re
sults of that spirit can perhaps bet
ter be observed here than else
where in this part of the State. In
the library there are winter classes
with free instruction in textile
mathematics. It is planned con
siderably to extend the course dur
ing the coming year. Here also
meet the various debating socie
ties of the employees, and great in
terest is manifested and a consid
erable spirit of friendly rivalry a
roused through the season.
The mills have their own bands,
and concerts are given in the li
brary hall and in the city parks.
In the last year two illustrated lec
tures have been given on "Home
Beautifying” and “the fly” under
the auspices of the United States
government; and two lectures on
"Mosquitoes.” also under the aus
pices of U. S. government. It is
hoped to extend the lecture course
in the future.
The mills encourage landscape
gardening, and offer prizes for the
best work. In the tenement dis
trict over 3,000 trees have been
planted, and all employees are
taught to recognize their value and
beauty. The mills also distribute
free of charge pamphlets on flower
and vegetable growing, and large
signs “Swat the Fly,” and pamph
lets on the prevention of malaria
gotten out by the Southern In
dustrial Institute of Charlotte. So
productive is this disease preven
tion work, that during the past
year there was but one case of ty
phoid fever, and of other conta
gious diseases none at all.
(To Be Continued Next Week)
Arch Williams of Burlington
spent the week-end in the city
with relatives.
Norman Speight has returned to
Columbia, S. C.
m m
lime mellows a man’s outlook on
life.. .same as it mellows
a good whiskey”
says Mc OLD TOWN TAVERN KEEPER
93
moor
IMS, better than anything else, takes
the rough edges off a man, smooths his
disposition, teaches him tolerance. It works
an equal benefit to a good whiskey. Nothing
but time, for example » . »the long, unhur
ried months it spends maturing in the
charred-oak barrel... could put into Town
Tavern all that smooth, mellow goodness
folks find do delightful Try it today and
see by what a wide margin this rich* deli
cious rye tops the rest in its price clast.
NATIONAL DISTILLERS PRODUCTS CORPORATION
ExmeuHvm Officms: N«w Y«rk, N. Y.
n.-, (DILD a^ianiai? ™Cit*ssrt;Ajrt5rtszn
ft, A fa* u / w's*'csy -W W W-bS'S national distillers products cow.
-fuL 100 PROOF ITtAlGHT UTI WHUMV »OTTUP-m-BOWO UKP«B0.5.0QVt»WMtllT smuvitioa HO Broadway, MwYod, N.t