PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION IS ONLY
ANOTHER DAY FOR HARVEY W. THOMAS
' -- -' ;
. Veteran Edenton Newspaper Man Vividly Re
calls Part He Hayed In Letting! World Know
About Dilemma at Taft Inauguration
To Harvrey Thomas, dean of Eden
ton news writers, the presidential
inauguration next Monday will be
just another occurrence. Thomas has
’ been an eye witness of every national
inaugural from 1881 on to the first
F. D. R. era in 1933, and, of course,
views the one 31 years ago, when
. *fTatt was sworn in, as the most spec
tacular. And that, perhaps, because
of the unconscious part he played in
i it &y mingling duck and the radio,
just then coming into first time use
for commercial purposes, in saving
the day for all the evening news
papers of the country by getting off
a brief wireless message announcing
that the inauguration proceedings
r "““ rsr
*222<l 11 $122
L—alHi 11
, J THIS WHISKEY IS 5 YEARS cis Ci* |
• laSraSTil
I I0M» I
Ho ß S Esly|
m it e s
Acclimated to This Climate and Well Broken
and Ready For Work
PRICED TO SELL: No Deal Complete Until
Customer Is Satisfied
HUGHES - HOLTON HARDWARE Cl
Edenton, N. C.
Property Must Be
Listed In January, 1941
List Property to Avoid Last Minute Rush
.'oJ'T' V' ' l * !#rv?3& i ♦ . ■•_, •“•
l Chowan County Tax Supervisor
had been changed, because of a vi
cious blizzard, from the outside of
the Capitol, as always heretofore
and since to the more comfortable
surroundings of an inside Senate
chambef.
In 1909 Thomas was itfentifed with
the editorial department of the
Newark N. J. Evening Newß, and
had accompanied his New Jersey
gubernatorial cousin, John Franklin
Fort, and party to the Taft inaugural.
The day before the inauguration was
a comfortably clement day, Thomas
says, but by the time the. New Jer
sey special train reached Washing
ton toward night a light, drizzly
snow had commenced to fall. The
next morning the local newspaper
man found a foot of snow had drifted
in through his open bedroom window
at the Willard. Going downstairs to
breakfast he found the inn filled with
other newspaper men worried as to
what to do. Outside the snow had
drifted about in huge banks. All
telephone and telegraphic service had
been thrown out of gear. The high
ways were impassable to travel.
Train service had been stopped from
beyond Baltimore, and there was no
way to get in or out of Washington
by wire or journeying.
At least only one possible way, a
newly established wireless service
but recently established on top of the
Willard. By 9 o’clock that morning
the inclement weather had necessi
tated changing the plans for the in
auguration to the Senate chamber.
This was especially disturbing to the
press service men who had, naturally,
furnished the customary news releas
es chronicling the event as on the
Capitol steps, and who were unable
to make the wire changes correcO.ig
this fact. There was a great scurry
ing of reporters to see what could
be done in this direction. The A.P
chief offered a large bonus for an
engine to get him north or south to
the first point where wire service
would be available, but failed dis
mally.
Around 10 o’clock, however, it was
learned that ttye radio on the Wil
lard roof offered a possibility, and all
reportorial hands went there, about
fifty news writers. The operator in
charge said he, too, had been trying
to get the outside world but without
success. He was importuned to keep
on, and agreed to take 30-word tele
grams from each reporter. To show
no favoritism he said he would place
the offered messages before him and
would try for three minutes to catch
some radio point, and he admitted
they were scarce in tjiose days. If
THE CHOWAN HERALD, EDENTON. N. c.. THURSDAr. JANUARY 18, 1941
he failed in the three minutes, he
would try the succeeding three min
utes with the next message, and so
on down the pile.
The Thomas message merely say
ing something like this: “Heavy
blizzard. All service cut off. Inau
guration changed to inside Senate
chamber”, was down near the bottom
of the heap and as the .ones above
were laid aside unsuccessfully there
was a general feeling of unrest. But
when the Thomas wire was sounded
off there was a receiving Click and it
went through somewhere. The next
day the newspapers spoke of the
event saying the outgoing message
had been received by a battleship
equipped with government radio
scooting around the Carribbean and
had been relayed by it to a radio
station in New Orleans from which
it went on by telegraph to Chicago,
then to Buff ado, then New York and
so to the Newark destination. Quick
to sense its importance, the Newark
editor called up the A. P. offices in
New York to see if any substan
tiating word had been received there,
and learning negatively, the A.P.
accepted the Newark information and
quickly flashed a “Kill* order on its
advance inauguration story and fill
ed in a brief dispatch to the effect
the rotund Taft had been sworn in
in the Senate chamber.
Much space was given subsequently
in the national papers as to the use
fulness of the radio in commercial
life, and it went on its way to the
important post it holds today.
Thomas’ first inauguration visit
was that of Garfield in 1881. He
went as a little tyke with his father
and was in Washington again with
his parent the morning the bewhisk
ered 20th President was shot in the
railroad station. But his most vivid
recollection of 1881 morning, he
says, was having his father direct
his eyes into the eastern heavens
and seeing Halley’s comet. That was
something to remember, the veteran
newspaperman says.
Dr. Wm. Graham’s
Wedding Solemnized
On Saturday Evening
The marriage of Miss Ermine de-
Graffenried Peek, daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. George Meredith
Peek, and Dr. William Alexander
Graham, son of Mrs. William Alex-,
ander Graham of Edenton, and the
late Dr. Graham of Hillsboro and
Durham, took place Saturday even
ing, January 11, at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. J. Elmer Long in Forest
Hills. The ceremony was performed
by the Right Reverend Thomas C.
Darst and the Reverend George W.
Perry.
The home was decorated with cal la
lilies and cibodium ferns. Stringed
music added to the beauty and solem
nity of the ceremony.
The bride, who was given in mar
riage by her uncle, J. Elmer Long,
wore a gown of blush satin with long
train and a shirred bodice, having a
Stuart collar of Carrickmacross lace,
which followed the sweetheart neck
line. Her tulle veil which fell from
a Stuart cap, also, of Carrickmacross
lace, was worn over her face. She
carried lilies of the valley and gar
denias.
The maid of honor, Miss Eleanor
Hope Peek, of Npw York City, sister
of the bride, and the matron of honor,
Mrs. William B. Duncan, of Raleigh,
wore dresses of blue net designed
with shirred bodices and full skirts.
John Washington Graham, of
Edenton, was his brother’s best man.
Groomsmen were Charles Lee
Smith and Robert 'Shepard, of Ra
leigh, J. Bryan Grimes of Columbia,
South Carolina, Dr. Isaac T. Manning,
Jr., and Thomas Webb.
* CENTERHILL *
♦
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lane, of Eli
zabeth City, were dinner guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Boyce Sunday.
Miss Mary Esther Belch has en
tered St. Mary’s School, Raleigh.
Miss Sybil White, of Norfolk, Va.,
spent Sunday with her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. E. B. White.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Byrum and
daughter, Doris Jean, spent Saturday
and Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. J. S.
Turner.
Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Lane and
Mrs. W. H. Lane had as dinner
guests on Sunday Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam Lane and daughter, Patricia, of
Norfolk, Va., Mr. and Mrs. Charlie
Winslow and family, of Whiteston.
Miss Tommie Goodwin has return
ed from Norfolk, Va., where she has
been visiting her niece, Mrs. Rufus
Garrett.
Mr. and Mrs. Bernice Smith and
daughter, Betty, of Portsmouth, Va.,
spent Sunday with Mrs. Smith’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Goodwin.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Copeland
and sons, Carroll and Harold, of near
Edenton, were dinner guests of Mrs.
Copeland’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
P. Byrum, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Byrum and
daughter, Shirley, visited Mr. and
Mrs. Algie Hollowell, at Ryland, on
Sunday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lane visited
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Lane,
Sunday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bunch and
children, of Edenton, visited his
mother, Mrs. Mollie Bunch, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Nearest Jordan had
as their guests Sunday Mr. and Mrs.
George Jordan, of Gatesville; Wallace
Jordan, of Henderson; Miss Tommie
Goodwin, Mrs. Herbert Dale and
children, Alene, Marguerite and Ru
dolph, and Miss Mary Frances Dail,
of near Hertford.
Rev. Frank Cale visited Mr. and
Mrs. R. 0. Furry Monday evening.
Mrs. J. S. Turner and daughter,
DOES FORD PAY GOOD WAGES?
Here are some facts about Ford Labor.
During the year ended November 30th,
1940, the Ford Payroll throughout the
United States averaged 113,628 hourly
wage earners, not including office em
ployes, students, or executives. They were
paid $185,105,639.12. On this basis, the
average annual wage was $1,629.05.
According to the latest available govern
ment figures, the annual average wage of
all workers in employment covered by
old age insurance law was $841.00.
If the 45,000,000 workers of this country
received the same average wage as Ford
employes, they would have had additional
wages of more than $35,000,000,000, thus
increasing the national income about
50%. Think what such an increase would
mean to the workers of this country and
to the American farmer, whose prices are
based on the national income.
Wage scales in the Ford Rouge plants are
divided into three classifications:
Unskilled . . .
Minimum hiring wage . 75c per hour
Semi-skilled . . .
Minimum hiring wage . 80c per hour
Skilled . . .
Minimum hiring wage . 90c per hour
Higher wages are in consideration of
ability and years of service.
Minimum wage scales for unskilled labor
at the Rouge plant are the highest ia the
industry. Top wages for skilled labor
compare favorably with, or are higher
than, wages in other automobile plants.
Now some facts on Ford labor conditions:
Not only are sanitation and other health
conditions the best in the industry, but
Ford also leads in safety devices for the
protection of employes. Proof of
this is found in the following com-
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Peggy, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Byrum
and daughter, Doris Jean, Mr. and
Mrs. Oliver Jordan and son, Oliver,
Jr., visited Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Byrum
Monday evening.
Mrs. J. H. Byrum visited Mrs. J.
P. Barnett Tuesday afternoon.
Miss Mary Goodwin and a friend
from Green Hall, visited Mr. and
Mrs. R. 0. Furry Sunday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Bryum and
daughter, Shirley, visited Mr. and
Mrs. Rosley Ward Tuesday evening.
T MERRY HILL
♦ «
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Smith and son,
Cyril,- attended the graduating exei
cises of their son, Paul, at the Ap
prenticeship School, Newport News,
Va., on Friday evening.
Miss Ruth Hollowell spent the
week-end at Aulander as the guest
of Miss Ruth Hurdle.
Miss Virgie Cowand, a member of
the Askewville school faculty, spent
the week-end with her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. S. W. Cowand.
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Bowen, Rev.
and Mrs. M. R. Brown, Mr. and Mrs.
G. E. Keeter and Hazel Keeter, of
Windsor, visited Mrs. T. E. Bowen
and Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Winborne
Sunday afternoon.
Mrs. Earl Corbett, of Mt. Gould,
spent Sunday with her sister, Miss
Celia Phelps.
Mr. and Mrs. N. D. Dail and little
daughter, of Edenton, visited Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Perry 'Sunday evening.
Mrs. Hobson Taylor and daughter,
and Mrs. Cecil Newbern, of Williams-
parison of compensation insurance costs:
The national average rate in automotive
manufacturing plants as computed by the
National Association of Underwriters is
in excess of $1.50 premium on each SIOO
payroll. The Ford cost of workmen’s
compensation is less than 50c.
This indicates that the chance of injury
in a Ford plant is much less than in the
average automobile plant.
The Ford Motor Company has no age
limit for labor, and in fact deliberately
attempts to keep older workers working.
The average age of Ford workers at the
Rouge and nearby plants is 38.7.
A recent check-up shows that nearly one
half the workers at these Ford plants were
40 or over, falling into these age groups:
25,819 between 40 and 50
14,731 between 50 and 60
3,377 between 60 and 70
417 between 70 and 80
12 between 80 and 90
In addition to the so-called regular em
ployes, the Ford Motor Company has
hired, and now has on the payroll, at the
same regular hourly wage, thousands of
workers who are blind, crippled or other
wise incapacitated for normal productive
work. They are not selected for their
ability to build cars or to maintain the
plant. They are on the payroll because of
Henry Ford’s belief that the responsibility
of a large company to labor goes be
yond the point at which the unfortunate
worker can no longer produce profitably.
The above are facts. They are open to
anyone who really wants to deal in facts.
Anyone who wants to get a job ... buy a
car ... or place a national defense con
tract on the basis of fair labor treat
ment must place Ford at the top
of his eligible list.
PAGE THREE
ton, visited relatives here Wednes
day.
Mrs. D. A. Byrd, of Ahoskie, spent
Wednesday with Mr. and Mrs. E. J.
Pruden.
Mrs. Tommie Cobb, Mrs. Russell
Cobb and daughter, of Edenton,
were visitors with relatives here on
Wednesday.
EPIDEMIC OF
COLD SYMPTOMS
666 Liquid or 666 Tablets with 666
Salve or 666 Nose Drops generally
relieves cold symptoms the first
day. adv
FHATStfFOWR
VbutL WIN EVERY FviSuS/
START UfITM
fa—m»
INMbUft MoToft