?jp| Hertford County Herald fe5l
A PAPER WORTH WHILE
Volume Xlll. Eight Pages Ahoskie, North Carolina, Friday, March 30, 1923 One Section No. 47
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OPTIMISM REIGNS
IN MURFREESBORO
OVER NEW HIGHWAY
People In That Town Believe
Opening of Traffic By State
Commission Will Be Boon
To Trade
HAS GOOD OUTLET
OVER GOOD ROADS
la Culmination Of Long Hard
Tight To Convince The
State Officials
"Murfreesboro real estate
has taken a decided boost and
I would not be surprised if it
were not worth 25 per cent
more today than it was ten days
ago," said a Murfreesboro man
last Monday. "Business is
good;" "We've landed just
exactly what Murfreesboro has
so long needed"Murfrees
boro is no longer isolated from
the rest of the world."
These and other expressions
of extreme optimism are made
and repeated over again during
the days immediately following
the taking over of the highway
from Murfreesboro to the Vir
ginia line, between Franklin
and Suffolk, Virginia.
This d?w State project has been
sought by Murfreesboro and Maneys
Neck people ever since Chairman
Page of the State Highway Commis
sion agreed to meet the ? Virginia
road at some point along the line. All
of Hertford County representatives,
both in the State Senate and House,
have worked on the proposition, and
appeals have gone up from the people
of both townships affected.
-' When the Commission listened to
the pleas of the latest delegation,
composed of Attorney D. C. Barnes,
J. B. Worrell, i. B. Majette, and W.
T. Taylor, it decided there was noth
ing else to do but assume the liability
and build those people a road. It
has been a hard fight but a determin
ed one, and the Maneys Neck and
Murfreesboro folks are rejoicing over
it, while the rest of the county looks
on and says amen.
This road gives the upper end of
the county an outlet to the ordinary
channels of trade used hy them, and
provides a means for traffic that will
to a large extant offset the lack of
railroad facilities. It provides an
outlet to the cities of Franklin, Suf
folk, Norfolk and Richmond. Not
oply does it do that, but it will serve
to bring Moneys Neck back into Hert
ford County; that is, it gives them a
statO-owned road all the way from
their front door to the county seat,
Winton, and thence to other princi
pal towns in the county.
~ ~ Murfreesboro is now the real cen
ter of State highway traffic within
Hertford County. It has a highway
to Conway, the nearest railroad, and
from whence much of their mail
comes, as well as express and freight
It is also connected with Winton by a
highway now being constructed; and,
with a good county road to Cofleld
and Tunis, it will be in close touch
with the Atlantic Coast Line railroad.
Conway, so the Murfreesboro people
say, is only a matter of twenty or
thirty minutes now.
All Murfreesboro lacks in the way
of roads is a first class highway to
Ahoskie; and even in that respect, the
county hit don# more for them than
it has at the Ahoskie end. For sev
eral miles out of Murfreesboro the
county road has been graded and a
bed built. It now awaits the surfac
ing with gravel, and several sections
are already graveled.
For yean Murfreesboro has been
held back and its growth retarded by
its inaccessibility, a fact that was
much played up during the agitation
for removal of Chowan College. It
has tried as hard as mortal, man or
municipal could to provide better
means of traffic; and the results have
not always been satisfactory. There .
are still s#eet memories of a railroad
?the first in the county.
Today, Murfreesboro has taken on
new life; it has almost readied the
geal towards which its pgyple have
been striving. And, thfie is pretty
sure evidences of it on all sides. The
county's handsomest church building,
SQUIRE PRUDEN IS DEAD
AFTER MUCH SUFFERING
For Many Years He Had Been
Most Popular Marrying Jus
tice in The County
Squire Charlie Pruden died last
Friday, March 23, at noon. He waa
79 years old a few week* ago. Death
was not unexpected, as he had suffer
ed much pain during the last three
months, and the end was in sight sev
eral times. On two or three different
occasions, his children and other close
relatives had been summoned to
Ahoskie. Upon each visit here, they
saw him rally and gradually increase
his resistance against his disease and
pain.
For many years past, he had been
Hertford County's favorite marrying
justice,^ and probably united more
love stricken couples than any other
one person in the county. As a trial
justice, he was always popular, and
litigants who wanted a fair deal were
wont to select him as the "judge."
Several years ago, he moved his
family from Harrellsville to Ahoskie,
and during his residence in Ahoskie
was one of the town's most loved and
respected citizens. Within the last
two years he has been too feeble to
fill his accustomed place up the street
with his associates and companions.
However, he was able to be about his
own home, and was a familiar figure
on the front porch of his home in
East Ahoskie. It was only within the
last few months that he gave up and
went to bed.
Besides his aged wife who is herself
a sufferer and was unable even to at
tend the funeral of her lifelong com
panion, he is survived by six children
and several grand children. His chil
dren are: C. H. Pruden, of Windsor;
Louis Pruden of Emporia, Va.; Mrs.
H. T. Waters, of Emporia, Va.; Mrs.
Sam Robinson, of Petersburg, Va.;
Mrs. H- C. Mitchell, of Ahoakie; and
Mrs. W. E. Jordan of Cofleld.
Funeral services were conducted
from the Ahoslde Methodist church,
of which he was-a member, Saturday
afternoon at half past three o'clock
and interment was made in the city
cemetery.
Many of his relatives from out of
town attended th funeral and burial;
and a large number friends in Ahos
kie and other -' parts of Hertford
County also were present The floral
wreaths were many and beautiful.
Squire Pruden served throughout
the Civil War first as private in Com
pany G of the 81st Regiment of
North Carolina Infantry, and later as
Sergeant in Company" E of the 68th *
Regiment As private he served ]
from 1861 to 1863, and as sergeant
from 1868 to the close of the war. He
had been a justice of the peace for
about forty years.
MAY REMODEL STORE
TO PROVIDE OFFICES
Walter L. Curtis, owner of the
store building in which the Army A
Navy Store has been operating, is
figuring with local contractors to re
model the building which has been
damaged by fire, and convert it into
an office building. According to ten
tative plans, offices will be built on
either side, with a corrider extending
the length of the building. \
A committee from the chamber of
commerce has taken up with Mr. Cur
tis the matter of renting two of these
office# for use of the local body. At
present the office is conducted in the
building with D. P. Boyette, insur
ance man.
If the Curtis building is remodeled
along tentative plans, work may be
gin within the next few weeks, and
occupancy will be possible not later
than June 1.
ARREST DRUNKS . '
Mayor's court in Ahoskie is begin- J
nine to function again. Within the
past waek, Constable Britton has
made several arrests, including a '
hopeless drunk (who spent a while in 1
the new town jail), and a couple 1
charged with an affray. Fines were <
paid in each instance. The new town
ordinances win be distributed in
pamphlet form within a few days.
? much needed brick high ichoot i
building', a new college structure, and 1
several new residences are right now I
under construction. Ite banks are in i
excellent shape, merchants sre en- j
joying good sales, and its hotels will <
always be the mecca for hungry souls <
?for they do feed. ' t
. , .
r \
Murfreesboro Township Is Next
To Bottom In Taxes Paid County
Four hundred and fourteen persons pay poll taxes
in Murfreesboro township, with an almost even break be
tween the whites and colored: whites, 204; colored, 210.
The total value of al taxable property, except corporation
holdings, listed on the 1922 scroll* in that township is
$1,422,504, divided among the races as follows: whites,
$1,257,522; colored, $164,982.
Almost one million dollars of the total valuation in
Murfreesboro township is listed as real estate, outside of
the town limits, the latter property being listed as town
lots. There are 31,478 acres of land listed, and white
persons own more than five-sixths of it. Timber lands
listed are valued at $2,150, and is owned exclusively by
white persons.
There are 224 lots listed in Murfreesboro, 163 of
which are listed by white persons. The total value of all
real estate in Murfreesboro is listed at $209,844. Real
estate outside of Murfreesboro, timber lands, and town
lots, which includes all real estate holdings within thS
township other than corporation holdings, has a total
value of $1,031,009, and is divided among whites and
negroes as follows, $897,971 and $133,038, respectively.
A little less than four hundred thousand dollars
worth of personal property is listed as owned by taxpayers
of the township. The total is $391,496, and of that
amount $359,551 is owned by white persons.
Personal property listed is as follows:
Merchandise-?$43,573, all owned by whites; mater
ials in process of manufacture?$3,350 by whites, $225
by negroes; net value of household property, less $300
exemption?$22,384 by whites, $609 by negroes; horses
?195 listed by whites at $14,110, 143 by negroes at
$10,620; mules?221 by whites at $17,545,105 by negroes
at $6,770; sheep?39 by whites at $81; goats?8 by
whites at $8, 12 by negroes at $12; hogs?7,647 by white
at $4,291, 1017 by negroes at $2,500; milch cattle?138
by whites at $3,131, 52 by negroes at $1,035; other cattle
?121 by whites at $1,589, 87 by negroes at $887; dogs?
6 by whites at $505; items 53-80, including firearms, etc.
?$31,746 by whites, $5,496 by negroes; solvent credits
?$217,238 by whites, $3,797 by negroes.
With the corporation's holdings excepted, Murfrees
boro township will therefore pay into the county treasury s
in 1922 taxes a grand total of $13,086.04. This township
is fifth in amount of taxes paid for county purposes.
Maneys Neck being the smallest taxpayer. Of the taxes
paid for county purposes it is allocated among the three
objects as follows: for schools, $7,396.02; for roads,
$3,556.26; for county administrative purposes, $2,133.76.
In addition to the taxes paid into the county treasury,
there are three special school tax districts in the township
?Murfreesboro, Woodrow, and Mapleton. The property
valuations in each of these three school districts is as fol
lows: Murfreesboro, $723,198; Woodrow, $216,180;
Mapleton, $278,276. .
i 1 1
T?
ROAD BOARD ORDERS
CEMENT FOR BRIDGES
At Monday*! meeting of the
:ounty road board, one thousand bags
>f cement were ordered from J. N.
Vann . A Brother of Ahoskie to be
med in bridge construction work. The
members of the board are unanimous
n their opinion that the construction
irogram should be pushed during the
food weather, and already they are
liacusaing the next project to be
traveled.
About three miles of the Cofield
darrellsville road has received a
travel surface, and with a few weeks
>f workable weather, this road will
lave been ready for travel. Either
he Menola-Ahoskie road, or the
khoslde-Murfreesboro road will prob
ibly be the next in order for the
travel. In the meantim.e the six
ownship construction units are build
ng new road beds where' no work
?as hitherto been done, and putting
he constructed road beds in shape
lor traffic, where construction work
ras done last year.
In Ahoskie township the road force
s grading the new road to the Bertie
bounty line via Stoney Creek. A
tew road bed has been staked off, and
be force is now at work near the
lome of W. E. Sessoms.
Payrolls approved at the meeting
his week approximated about $<,000.
This included gravel used on the road
inder construction and freight
barges.
FARMERS BUSY
Several day* of balmy spring
veather haa been the biggest boon
'aimers of thie section haveshad since
he advent of the new year. All
tvaliable team and plows have been
rat into service during the last ten
lays, and farm wark has begun to
sateh up after being held hack by
he continued rainy weather.
JUNIOR BETTERMENT
FORM COUNTY UNION
* ' *
Winton, March 28.?There wae a
business meeting of all the Junior
Clubs of Hertford County in Winton
March 24. We are very sorry that
on account of the bad roads only two
of the clubs were represented; name
ly, Winton and Murfreesboro.
The purpose of this meeting was
to organise a county council. But
before the business part of the pro
gram began two of the Murfreesboro
girls made some apple jelly, which
they expect to exhibit at the county
commencement. A number of the
girls made some wax beads and others
trimmed school hats for county-Com
mencement:
In the afternoon the two clubs or
ganised the county council. Neva
Futrelll of Murfreesboro was elected
president. Bettie Walter Jenkins, al
so of Murfreesboro was chosen secre
tary. Willie Sue Matthews was elect
ed treasurer. A committee of which
Myrtle Banks is chairman, was ap
pointed to arrange the social features
of the next meeting. An Easter pic
nic was planned to be held on the
grounds of Aft. Tabor church on the
Friday after Easter.
After discussing the encampment
and several minor features of busi
ness the meeting adjourned. No date
was named for the next assembly.
The pictures of the first Junior
County Council and also the officers
of the Council were taken - in front
of the Court House.
BETTIE WALTER JENKINS,
Secretary of County Council.
I
DANCE AT AHOSKIE
There will be a subscription dance
given in Seseoms ball, Ahoskie, Fri
day night, Mar^t SO. Many out of
town visitors are expected to attend
the big affair. Sam Simmons's or
chestra will furnish music for the
occasion.
PROPERTY VALUATION TO
FACE BOARD ON MONDAY
Must Decide Monday Upon
Plan For Assessing Real
Estate in The County
An old, old issue, fraught
with all kinds of talking possi
bilities, but with little or no
prospect of ever being settled
to the satisfactior of taxpayers
will entertain the board of
county commissioners at Win
ton next Monday. On , that
date, the commissioners are di
rected by the State Revenue
Department to decide whether
they shall order a re-assess
ment of real estate within Hert
ford County.
Under the law enacted by the late
Legislature, the first Monday in
April is designated as the day for
county boards within the State to de
cide upon the method of assessing
property for the next four years. The
commissioners can either order the
assessment of property to remain as
It is now entered upon the list books,
or they can appoint a county super
visor to direct'the work of revalua
tion and revision.
in either caae, the State Depart
ment of Revenue will be the final ar
biter, and will deride whether real
estate in the several counties of the
State is properly valued at its money's
worth. It will serve as an equalisa
tion board between the counties. The
new act is similar to the Revaluation
Act passed under the governorship of
the late T. W. Bickett.
Should the commissioners decide
to re-value property within the
county, a county supervisor will be
appointed, who in turn will name his
township supervisors. A reasonable
length of time wil be allowed by the
?county for the supervisors to appraise
the property in the county, and the
results of their work will be reviewed
by the county board and later certi
fied to the Department at Raleigh.
J. A. Northcott, register of deeds
and clerk to the county board, says it
cost the county f6,000 to appraise the
county real estate under the 1921 Re
valuation Act. If supervisors are
appointed it will probably require an
equal amount this year. If this is
not done, a special day will be set
apart by the commissioners for the
purpose of equalising property assess
ments in the county, and grievances
for over-valuation will be heard. Un
der the latter plan, the present list
value of real estate would continue
in force for the next four years, if
the State Department did not order
another assessment under the new
plan.
It wil be up to the county commis
sioners to settle the question of
method at the Monday meeting, and,
since taxes will be the principal by
product of whatever valuation is
made, there is sure proof of plenty
of discussion.
AHOSKIE NEAR ENOUGH
. TO VIRGINIA LINE
Declaring that Suffolk, Va.,
was already too close to Ahoskie
and that they did not believe it
should be brought any closer,
the directors of the Ahos
kie Chamber of Commerce on
Tuesday night discharged its
committee appointed two weeks r
ago to take steps towards secur
ing a direct state-owned highway
from Winton to Suffolk.
The directors did not believe
anything would be gained by
having a route 16 to 22 miles
nearer Suffolk and Norfolk, and
decided to keep silent in seven
languages about a state road
from Roduco to Somerton, thus
connecting with the Virginia
' road leading to Suffolk.
A meeting was held here last
week in which Whaleyville, Va.,
was represented. Three of the
road board members of this
county also attended the meet
ing and all gave their unquali
fied approval of the plan to pre
sent a plea to the North Caro
lina State Highway Commission
for a direct route.
The committee report was
made Tuesday night and met
with little or no advocacy from
the directors.
Several visitors attended the
session of the directors this
week, and W. L. Curtis, one of
the onlookers, made a strong
AH0SK1E ELECTION
HAS BEEN CALLED
BY TOWN COUNCIL
Commissioners, Mayor and Con
stable WiU Be Chosen Mon
day, May 7, According
To Ordinance
THREE TRUSTEES
WILL BE ELECTED
Slate Making Has Begun But
Avowed Candidates Have
Not Announced Themselves
Over in Elizabeth City Editor
Saunders has sounded a note of
warning to the voters of that
town that it will be too late to
"raise Hell after election." In
last week's issue of his paper,
The Independent, he concludes
an editorial on choosing city
councilmen and mayor with the
following sentence. "If there's
any hell-raising to be done in
local politics this year, lets do
it now and not after the Pri
mary when it will be too late."
Not that the Ahoskie town
council and its mayor wants to
see any such thing resorted to
here, but acting within its
authority, an election has been
called for May 7, Monday, at
which time three commission
ers, a mayor, and constable will
be elected to administer the
affairs of the town for the en
suing two years.
Paul Holloman was selected as reg
istrar for the election, and J. E.
Overton and T. M. Forbes were ap
pointed judges of the election. Reg
istration books will be opened on
Saturday, April 7, and will close three
weeks later, or April 28. During that
period, all those who are not already
duly qualified voters will have an op
portunity to register.
At the same time, the council
agreed to request the trustees of the
Ahoskie High School to meet with
them next Monday night, and settle
upon the method of nomination to be
used. Two years ago, a primary was
held during certain specified hours
of a day set apart by the council and
trustees. Up until that time, the
method of selection had been by reg
ularly called convention.
Three new trustees of the school
will be elected in May, and the char
ter of the school says the election shall
be held in conjunction with the muni
cipal election. The joint session in *
prospect for next Monday night will
settle what would ordinarily be de
cided by the party executive commit
tee. However, there is no prospect of
any party alignment in the candidates
for these offices, the Republican vote
being neglible and of such small pro
portions as to preclude any possibili
ty of a Democrat-Republican contest
Party politics will play no part in
the selection of candidates or in the
election to follow. What the issue
will be has not yet come to the sur
face, although there are rumblings of
an issue that will center about re
trenchment or the addition of more
municipal improvement and an en
largement plan.
Slate making has already begun
even in advance of the call for elect
ion, although the word "they" is con
sistently employed when some .one
says certain names have been sug
gested. There are no candidates for
My of the positions, openly and
avowedly. The present members of
the couneil are H. W. Stokes, D. P.
Boyette, and J. Roy Parker. L. C.
Williams now holds the mayoralty
position and O. H. Britton is con
stable. These men shut up like
clams when you ask them about "run
ning for office", the nearest approach
made to any answer being a disap
proving wag of the head.
R. H. Jernigan has been prominent
ly mentioned, as mayo* for the town,
while the nans* of his father-in-law,
I. R. Garrett, has also been suggested.
Among those who have been suggest
ed for the position of councilman are,
besides the present councilmen, H. S.
Basnight and J. B. Barnes.
booster talk. Only minor details
wore dispensed with at the meet
ing