SB Hertford County Herald pB]
A PAPER WORTH WHILE ?/ ^ J
Volume XIV. Eight Pages Ahotkie, Worth Carolina, Friday, June 22, 1923 One Section IyoTT
New Railroad By Gimps
Is Headed This Direction
Franklin St Carolina Is Name |
of Proposed Road Which
WU1 Be Built Out of Frank
lin, Va., to North Carolina
Line, Thence to Murfrees
boro via Ahoskie to Wil
liamston, At a Later Date.
Will Be Passenger And
Freight Line In Addition To
Serving Camp Manufactur
ing Company
List Friday's issue of the
Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch told
of the incorporation of the
Franklin & Carolina Railroad
Company, a corporation that
will construct a railroad from
Franklin, Va., to the North
Carolina line and thence
through a portion of Hertford
County to Williamston in Mar
tin County. Owners and incor
porators <?f the firm are the
Camps and the Camp Manu
facturing Company.
According t o announced
plans a rail line will be built at
once to Weyanoke in Nanse
mond County, developing a
rich and fertile territory be
tween the Blackwater and
Chowan rives. Later the line
will be extended to Murfrees
boro and thence to Williams
ton. The first section of road
to be built will be about eight
miles in length, and will be
along the east side of the
Blackwater and Chowan riv
TOO.
This announcement gives credence
to the recent rumor that the Camp
Manufacturing Company would
build a road into Ahoskie, thence
through their timber lands in Bertie
county to Williamston, across the
Roanoke river. This company al
ready owns extensive timber lands
throughout the territory proposed*to
be developed by the new rail line,
which is not only expected to serve
the mills of the Camp Manufacturing
Company but also will become a pub
lic service corporation and institute
passenger service between the points
touched by the road.
Mr. J. A. Williams, formerly of
Ahoskie, is named as general super
intendent of the new railroad com
pany. Mr. Williams has been with
the Camp Manufacturing Company
for many years, and has looked after
that company's timber interests dur
ing that time.
The Camp Manufacturing Com
pany has large holdings of timbered
lands in Bertie County, and, when
their rail line is extended, it will pass
over these lands. A few weeks airo
representatives of the Camp Manu
facturing Company were in this vi
cinity taking stock of their large
holdings, and at that time, it was re
f ported, were negotiating with the
Branning Manufacturing Company
for the purchase of their mill here
and also their timber lands in Bertie
county and some sections of Hertford.
No announcement has been made
of any deal, and it is "presumed that
the Camp Manufacturing Company
will build its railroad line through
Hertford and Bertie counties regard
less of the result of their negotia
tions with the Branning Company.
Construction of a public "service
rail line from Franklin to Williams
ton would develop one Of the best
trade areas in northeastern North
Carolina, and would give to Hertford
and Bertie counties an outlet to the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The
proposed line would cross a section of
country that is lacking in proper rail
road facilities and would develop a
large amount of passenger and
freight business.
Murfreesboro would beneAt to a
large extent from the construction of
the proposed line. Its people have
for many years nurtured the hope of
a rail line through that town, more
than once having made efforts to se
cure a railroad. It would not only
link up Murfreesboro with the Sea
board and Atlantic Coast Line nil
roads at Franklin, but would also
gi+e it rail transportation to Ahoskio
and other sections of Hertford ami
Bertie counties
3 From the other end, at Williams
ONE COMMISSIONER
CALLS FOR CHANGE
Mr. E. W. Whitley Believes
Road Administration Head
ed Wrong Direction
HAS DONE LITTLE WORK
Murfreesboro, June 19. ?
The most pressing need of the
county at present is a satisfac
tory re-adjustment of the
County road situation, accord
ing to Mr. E. W. Whitley, com
missioner of Murfreesboro
township, who desires to be
just and generous in his judg
ment of .the conditions. "The
road work," he stated, "is get
ting nowhere but everywhere
there is an evidence of the
work's lagging. Yet, the
county funds are being ex
hausted."
To successfully build roads, in the
opinion of thia authority, requires
training and years of experience; and
without, the .proper engineering, rea
son could not expect satisfactory re
sults.
"I know nothing about road build
ing," he said;'"! know I don't know,
and I frankly admit I don't know,
but," said he, "I believe I can discern
when the work is being done. Time
and money in experimenting can
only involve the codnty in heavy ex
pense with no assurance of much
ultinvste gain."
"Last year," according to the
comminio ner, "Superintendent
Hines under the most adverse weath
er conditions in many years, did
make several miles of good roads.
This year," he continued, "working
under the moat favorable weather
conditions, the county has accom
plished only a few miles of goodi
road work; and in Murfreesboro
township, not a mile of good road
has been built."
It seems urgent, he cited, that the
county arrive speedily to some defir
nite plan for the promotion of better
co-operation and better progress in
the work which now demands proper
engineering. And when the county
officials realize and admit their in
ability to effectually engineer road
building, they will have made a good
mov etowards a sane beginning, is
the opinion of the commissioner.
* BORROWED MONEY *
? FOR DIPPING VATS *
? _______ ?
* Tht Greensboro financial can>- *
* panjr mentioned in the HERALD *
* a* ssvihrs of the county'* treat- *
* ury two weeks ago played the *
* fiddle at Winton Monday to tke *
* tune of agreeing to loan the *
* county ten thousand dollars, for *
* which to pay tbe*co*t of.erecting *
* dipping rati. While in no wise *
* did the county commissioners *
* sanction the expensive business *
* of dipping vats, the hoard did not *
* lose any time in getting them *
* ready for operation by the state. *
* and federal departments of agri- *
* culture, animal husbandry divis- *
* ion. i ?
* The eats were turned over for *
* operation Monday, the commit- *
* tionert made arrangements to ?
* borrow the money for their *
* erection, and from henceforth *
* dipping cattle in this county will *
* not be a further drain upon the *
* treasury. ?
I V i' |
Swedish Match Company owns
60,000 acres of forests from which
matchwood is obtained.
ton, it would provide a direct outlet
to the Norfolk-Wilmington division
of the Atlantic Coast Line, Ahoskie
being the junction for transfer.
From a local standpoint it would
mean probably rapid development of
wholesale interests and other indus
tries. Ahoskie would be the stepping
off place for a large number of pas
sengers and the transfer point for
freight and express consigned to
towns through which the new road
would pass.
GREATER ACTIVITY NOW
IN BUILDING PROGRAM
Two Contract* Of Importance
Awarded To' Contractor
Within Past Week
The HERALD'S announced build
ing boom for Ahoskie is beginning to
take on proportions sufficient to des
ignate it a real "boom." Contracts
were awarded last week to D. L.
Thomas for the erection of the addi
tion to the A. C. L. freight station
and an $8,000 brick bungalow resi
dence for Dan P. Boyette, located on
N. West Street.
Fifty feet of enclosed ware
house will be added to the north
end of the present freight sta
tion here, and the entire distance
extending to the warehouse of
. C. S. Godwin & Son will be cov
ered with a platform of the same
width as the warehouse. This
platform will be covered. Mr.
Thomas' bid was accepted from
among several submitted to the
railroad company two weeks ago.
Work will begin on the ware
house at once. Construction of
the brick home for Mr. Boyette
will also begin just as sooq as
materials can be placed on the
grounds.
Contract for another handsome
residence on Church street will prob
ably be let within the next few weeks.
This is in addition to the program of
building in prospect by the Hertford
County Building & Loan Association.
The first loan for a home built by the
association's funds will be made this
week, and it will be but the signal
for further home building. The
association is functioning with clock
like regularity now and the officers
and directors Expect loans to be made
regularly hereafter.
John White Wins
A Baseball Game
It has been left to young John
White, son of Mr. and Mrs. N. E.
White, to allay the suspicions of
Ahoskie oaseballites who for time
immemorial have believed this town
could not produce one ball player of
the pure and genuine type. That he is
a pitcher causes us to give him still
more prominence in the niche of base
ball fame?the whole world loves a
first-class baseball hurler, and that's
-whht this high school fellow has
proven himself'to be.
He has also helped to obliterate the
existant feeling of "no quarters giv
en" which has been somewhat of a
custom between Ahoskie and Auland
er. Of recent years, this spirit of
high tension has abated somewhat,
.until little of it was left even before
our Wr. White pitched the Aulander
team to victory against the railroad
shop team of Rocky Mount. John
White, hurling a distinctly un-Ahos
kie J>rand of baseball, and carloads of
local rooters whooping it up for him
and the team with which he was play
ing buried the remains of that dying
corpse of baseball animosity.
With White in the box and eight
good Aulander men as supports, the
Rocky Mount team was easily beaten
by a score of 6 to 0. They made the
round trip to Aulander just one more
tme than they circled those bases for
a round trip as baseball knows it.
Five hits was the best they could do
against White; and during the fra
cas eight of thdm struck at three fast
ones without getting a smell.
Aulander has strengthened her
team, and, with the exception of
White, did it with home talent, of
which it has a supply inexhaustible.
"Ace" Hollowell fc back at the busi
ness of running the game from behind
the platter, Ray Burden has taken
his old position at third base, and all
of the veterans are back in the lineup
saye Bide Minton, who, despite his
recent lllneaa, was out on the bench
clad in uniform last Tuesday.
Weldon, Roanoke Rapids, and
Rocky Mount have all been met by
the Aulander team within the past
week.
TAKE MOTOR TRIP
Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Vann and fam
ily, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts Jernigan
and family. Misses Iola Wooten and
Myrtle Powell, and Messrs. Claude
Vann dnd Claude Greene enjoyed a
motor fioat trip from Winton to Cole
rain last Sunday. The trip was made
on the gasoline launch owned by sev
ers Ahoskie parties.
?
AHOSKIE WITHOUT
MOVIES AS RESULT
OF HRE DAMAGES
Fox News Reel Catches Fire
And Results In Nine Reels
Being Destroyed; Also
Two Machines
BARKER'S GROCERIES
GET WATERY RECEPTION
Theater Attendants And Hotel
Roomers Make Haste To
Reach Safe Point
Aa a result of a lire that de
stroyed both moving picture
machines and the operator's
booth of the Richard Theater
last Friday night there will be
no more picture shows in Ahos
kie during the summer months.
The Are also consumed nine
reels of pictures entailing a loss
to the producers of approxi
mately $900. The estimated
damage to the booth and ma
chines is $1,000, with insurance
amounting to $900.
The fire started from the ig
nition of ft film which was be
ing run through the machine,
and came after the main pic
ture, "Driven", had been
shown. There were but few
persons in the house at the
time, and little disorder result
ed when the announcement
was made from the gallery that
there was a fire. Only those
who had come in late remained
for the Fox News, a reel of
which first caught on fire. The
fire had been in progress some
time before the crowd was
aware of any trouble, the op
erators thinking it could be ex
tinguished without any alarm.
When it was discovered that
the machines and all nine reels
which were lying about the
booth were in for total destruc
tion; the alarm was given and
but for one or two instances,
(he attendants filed out quietly.
Jas. I. Crawford, safety first bank
er, played a similar role in escaping
from the building. In his retreat
from the theater, "Jas. I." made use
of the fire exit at the front of the
house. A mere screen door had no
terrors for him, either; in fact, he
did not take time to bother with the
little hook that fastened the door.
His sturdy right foot removed the
barrier and escape was made, his lit
tle boy and a few other juveniles fol
lowing c.osely in his wake. George
Newborn said he han no trouble at
all in his retreat down the aisle. For
once in all his experiences, he said,
the crowd was not there to jostle
.him?like the "boy on the burning
deck" he looked about him to find all
but him had fled. *
On account of the quick combust
ion resulting from the ignition of the
films, flames licking out of the win
dows to -the booth on the sidewalk
caused outsiders to hustle for relief
from' the fire departmejit. It was
quickly on the scene and by liberal
use of water confined the flames to
the reels and machines. The win
dows were broken and window frames
slightly scarred.
Below the booth the groceries be
longing to Rev. J. J. Barker, who con
ducts a delicatessen shop there, were
undergoing an unwelcomed bath from
the waters that were shot into the
booth. Much of his stock was de
stroyed. ' He had insurance ample to
cover the loss.
Upstairs above the theater, where
the proprietors of the Colonial Hotel
bed their roomers and over night
guests, a coommotion that could well
be likened unto the pacnic that siexes
tenement house occupants when
there's a destructive fir* raging was
happening. Fire and water, a dis
turbing combination when man lies
down to inhale the gssses of Mor
pheus, caused the occupants of the
rooms, especially the fellow who oc
cupied /the room just above, forget
everything but safety for themselves
and their baggage.
Frank Meadows, chamber of com
merce secretary, is regarded as high
authority on the truthfulness of the
(Continued on pace t)
BRIGHT OUTLOOK AHEAD
FOR THE TOBACCO MART
Auction and Co-Operative Sys
tems Will Have Warehouses
In Ahoskie
For the second consecutive season
Ahoskie will have a tobacco market
that offers warehouse space to auc
tion floor sellers and to members of
the Tobacco Growers Co-Operative
Association. The prise house for
merly run in connection with the
brick warehouse, has been rented by
the Co-OperatiVe Association, and
wil be run by the orKsnized grow
ers.
Two of the warehouses have also
been rented for auction sales this
season, being the Farmers Iron
Warehouse and the old Basnight
warehouse. C. H. Phaup, 'veteran
tobacco man, will continue sales in
the iron house and Emerson Bros.,
who were here last year, will run
the Basnight warehouse. Negotia
tions are still under way to rent the
large brick warehouse to tobacco
warehousemen for the 1923 season.
Several prospective lessees have been
in Ahoskie lately, and others have
been negotiating through correspon
dence. No deal has yet been made.
Warehouse space already rented
will give tobacco growers in this ter
ritory ample facilities and will offer
to them a market not afforded by any
other market in this section. All of
the buyers who were on the market
last year will return for the 1923
season, and efforts are being made
to secure otherq, if possible.
No date has been set for the open
ing day, although an extensive pro
gram of advertising is being planned
by the chamber of commerce. Al
ready pennants that display the sign
"Sell Your Tobacco in Ahoskie"
have been ordered for distribution to
automobile owners. Other methods
of advertising are also being mapped
out by a special committee appoint
ed for that purpose.
In the meantime a special tobacco
advertising campaign fund will be
sought from the busines interests of
Ahoskie. A committee has been ap
pointed by the chamber of commerce
to ask for contributions, anii it will
be at work one day this week.
Unless the tobacco crop suffers a
serious setback from this date, the
yield should be one of the best in
years. The young tobacco is "look
ing fine," says Mr. C. H. Phaup. Oth
ers who have traveled through the
country say the crop is in fine shape.
ALL CARS TO STOP
AT RAIL CROSSINGS
New State Law Becomes Effect
ive July 1. Signs Will Be
Erected
North Carolina's new law requiring
all motor vehicles to come to a full
stop before railroad crossings in the
county as a precaution to avoid acci
dents, will go into effect July 1.
After this date automobile drivers
must stop their cars before the
grades, ascertain if a train is ap
proaching and if tfee track is safe,
then proceed. Railroads must have
prominent signs, erected 100 feet
from the crossing on the right hand
side of the highway, stating in red
letters: "N. C. Law. Stop!"
. The law follows:
"Section 1. That no person oper
ating any motor vehicle on the pub
lic highway shall cross, or attempt to
cress, any railroad or interurban
track intersecting the road at which
there is a gate of" watchman (except
on electric railway in aity or town or
village) without first brnging said
motor vehicle to a full stop at a dis
tance not exceeding 60 feet from the
nearest rail. That no failures so to
stop however, shall be considered con
tributory negligence per ae in any
action against the railroad or inter
urban company, for injuries of the
person or property; but the facts
relating to such failure to stop may
be considered with the other facts in
the case determining whether the
plaintiff was guilty of contributory
negligence.
Section 2. That every railroad, or
interurban company, operating or
leasing any track intersecting n pub
lic road at grade shall place a sign
board to nsure warnngs of the
proximity of the crossing and notice
to stop said vehicle with the following
lettering: 'N. C. Law, Stop!"
Clean drinking water is essential
for all livestock. Foul water is a
good place to pi& up disease.
DIP FIRST CATTLE
IN COUNTY MONDAY;
OPPOSITION WANES
V?u Turned Over To State and
Federal Authorities For Car
rying Out Provisions of
Law
AHOSKIE STOCK IS
DIPPED NEAR TOWN
Federal Department Issues'
Bulletin on How To Rid
Cattle Effectively
While county commissioners sat at
Winton Monday to boorow money to
pay for erecting dipping vats in
Hertford County, state and federal
authorities working under the divis
ion of animal husbandry were using
those vats for the first time, to dip
Hertford County owned stock. The
first dippings were done Monday at
four vats in different sections of the
county.
Owners of stock in and around
Ahoskie carried them to the vat lo
cated on JT. R. Garrett's land, along
side the W. ft P. Railroad, where the
old brick factory once stood. W. P.
Brewer, local inspector, initiated the
bovine into the briny hold prepared
for them. Few cattle were there to
be dipped but all comers were accord
ed the same treatment, and every one
of them went away apparently un
scathed and unharmed. The little
pesky tick was about the only animal
present that suffered any disastrions
effects.
Besides the stock owners present
at the dipping, several other interest
ed persons paid their first call to a
dipping frolic, anent which none with
in the confines of the nineteen count
ies of the Northeast has net had his
say. It is a popular pastime these
days to gather on the farm, along
the roadside, in the fields, and espec
ially on the town streets upon a Sat
urday afternoon and swap ideas on
the dipping vat question.
Some of those who had cattle dip
ped Monday expressed entire satis
faction with the results and admitted
they were inclined to believe it to be
a pretty good idea. OppositioA to
dipping vats has suffered a slight set
back since the actual work has begun.
There is plenty of rancous talk
against the law which has been "wish
ed upon" those who are paying for
tne JOD, DUt mat u not saying- some
of it will not be dissipated as thq dip
ping progresses.
In this connection, the HERALD is
publishing a news article sent it by
the U. S. Department of Agriculture
which shows how the eradication of
ticks by dipping ia handled in other
places. The article follows:
Ranch Cleaned of Cattle Ticlu in
One You
"That there is a short, quick meth
od of eradicating cattle ticks has
been demonstrated by J. J. Welder
of Victoria, Texas. Mr. Welder own
ed nearly half a million acres k>f
ticky range. His ranch was scattered
over 6 counties in southeastern Texas.
He ran nearly 60,000 head of cattle
on his ranch; some of them wild as
deer. When he decided to clean up
his ticks, prominent cattlemen all
over southeastern Texas shook their
heads and said that it couldn't be
done. They pointed to the failures
of other men who had tried the same
thing. They admitted that he could
get most of the ticks the first year;
but they told him it would take rears
to get the last ticks.
Well Begun Is Half Dene
"But Mr. Welder didn't start dip
ping in a half-hearted way. He per
fected such a smooth-working organi
sation that that he had the ticks more
than half whipped before he had dip
ped the first steer. He had started
laying his plans in the fall of 1921.
Ha rebuilt all his outside fence to
prevent reinfestation from outside
cattle after he had cleaned up his
own. He built many miles of cross
fence, fencing out all brushy places
where cattle could not be readily
found when the dipping began. All
outlaw cattle, numbering into the
hundreds, were slaughtered.
"Enough horses were bought to
equip four dipping outfits. The work
of each outfit was supervised by a
county inspector who spent all ef his
time with that outfit without regard
to county lines, the expenses being
apportioned to each county. So pie of
the best equipped dipping vats ever
built were constructed. Several of
(Continued on page t)
*