* HERALD'S 1923 SPECIAL EDITION FOR TOBACCO GROWERS
IgPj Hertford County Herald pS
^ ^ ^ ^ A PAPER WORTH WHILE J ^
Volume XIV. Eight Page* Ahostie, North Carolina, Friday, August 17, 1923 First Section No. 16
[tobacco crop rated fine while old corn is poor
Hertford and Bertie Farmer*
Hare Fine Growth and Also
Grade of Tobacco According
to Report of Department A*
of August 1. Are* to the
Northwest Is Among Poorest
In State, Although Condition
Is Good In Entire State.
Confirming previous fore
easts made in the HERALD
comes the August 1 report by
the State Department of Agri
culture of the condition of the
State's tobacco crop which is
put down as "very good". This
county and Bertie are ranked
by the Department as having
unusually good crops. Tobacbo
in these two counties is among
the State's best, while a little
further up-State, from Harnett
to Bertie thence northwest
ward to Granville the crop is
very poor.
The report of the State Sta
tistician follows:
Tobacco
The condition of the tobacco crop
is general good over North Carolina
with the best areas being in
the eastern part of the coastal belt
in the Sandhill section and from the
Northampton County line eastward.
Conditions are generally good thru
the mountain crop where the crop
la of no great importance, except in
Bfadison where the conditions are ret
tively poor. Early tobacco is grown
there and sold on the Tennessee mar
ket. v?r
The counties having poor tobacco
conditions are from Harnett in a
straight liii'e to Bertie and thence
northwestward to Granville, with the
Edgecombe crop having an average
of lesa than 70 per cent The coun
ties adjacent to Stokesdale show the
condition of 80 per cent, with Rock
ingham being only 69 per cent. The
belt from Guilford to Nash average
80 to 90 per cent and with the ex
ception of the poor crops mentioned
previously the -- condition averages
from 80 to 100 per cent through the
belt. This jndicates a very good crop
which for the state averagea 86 per
cent. The central coastal belt aver
ages highest of 91 per cent and the
southern coastal area 87 per cent.
^ The poorest area is in the nort we st
em counties including Slurry and
Yadkin, Wilkes being very much bet
The tobacco crop was damaged ve
ry considerably by hail extending in
a narrow strip from Pitt to Wayne
county. Harvesting is in full progress
and markets have opened in the south
Coastal belt which extends into Rob
eson, Bladen and Columbus counties.
, Prices are generally considered sat
isfactory.
The prospects for the National
crop on a condition basis of 83 per
cent, two per cent increase in acreage
is 1,474,000,000 pounds. The North
Carolina crop averaged 86 per cent
* of normal, forecasting 688 pounds to
the acre on one per cent reduced
area, making a crop of 350,000,000
pounds.
? The area showing the largest in
crease in acreage was in the New
Belt where conditions were general
ly satisfactory. Interest in this weed
crop is increasing in the boll weevil
infected countlea
PREPARING TO ERECT
TRANSMISSION LINES
i Mr. Caddell, electrical contractor
of Norfolk, Va., was a visitor in this
town Monday morning, being enroute
to Powellsville, where he met with
the town officials regarding the con
struction of electric transmission 11
nes from that town to the Ahoakfe
electric light plant.
A contract has been signed between
Ahoskie and Powellsville, whereby
the former is to furnish current to
Powellsville. However, the contract
for construction of the transmission
lines has been held up pending the
final outcome of competitive bid
ders on the work.
Contract for the erection of lines
to Winton has already been made
between that town and Messrs. Burke
and Bajiks of Norfolk. It is possible
that construction work on both of
the lines will soon begin.
m
TELEPHONE OFFICE
IN AHOSKIE OPENS
FOR FULL SERVICE
Chowan Sc Roanoke Telephone
Company Inaugurates Ad
ditional Service Without
Any Extra Charge
MANY NEW PHONES
TO BE INSTALLED
Few Strong Protests Against A
Higher Charge for Contin
uous Service
Continuous telephone ser
vice was inaugurated by the
Chowan & Roanoke Telephone
Company at the Ahoskie ex
change Wednesday, August
15. The local exchange will be
open continuously throughout
the day, and an operator has
been placed on all-night ser
vice, guaranteeing local and
long distance service for all pa
trons of the telephone compa
ny through the Ahoskie ex
change.
For this added service there
will be no increase in phone
rents. All users of Chowan and
Roanoke Telephone service
will pay the same monthly sti
pend for rent, the officials, of
the company voluntarily agree
ing to enlarge the service with
out making their patrons pay
fop it. In doing this, the tele
phone company has not only
granted the request of the lo
cal Chamber of Commerce in
giving the added service, but
they have done it without ex
tra charge, although the di
rectors of the Chamber of Com
merce endorsed a raise of 50
cents per phone.
Two weeks ago, the directors of
the Chamber of Commerce invited
the telephone company officials here
for a conference, the outcome of the
meeting being a promise from the
company that it would inaugurate
24-hour 'continuous service on Au
gust 15, increasing the phone rents
50 cents per month when the service
was inaugurated. The board of di
rectors of the Chamber pt Commerce
endorsed the program. In the mean
time, it also made recommendations
to the town council.that a fire alarm
box be plaeed in the. local exchange
office, thus guaranteeing better fire
protection, and insuring a means of
turning in quick alarm at any time
of the day or night. * ?
Announcement of the new service
and added charges was made in the
press, and from some quarters there
came protests at the increased rate
for phones. At the request of Dr. L.
A. Nowell, President, M. R. Monta
gue, Secretary, and H. S. Basnight,
director of the phone company, an
other meeting of all telephone users
was called for last Monday night, to
hear protests and make a final de
cision.
What protests there were came out
at the Monday night meeting, al
though-few users made sny kick on
the charge basis?what they wanted
was service, and that is what the of
ficials promised to give. There were
some, however, in the meeting who
thought a longer night service might
be given without putting' on contin
uous service. A test vote taken of the
telephone subscribers present show
ed a majority in favor of the added
service and increased charges. Fol
lowing the vote and informal discus
sion of the telephone situation here,
the company officials announced that
the service would be inaugurated as
first announced.
Tuesday morning, another mes
sage came to the secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce saying the
additional service would be given,
but that there would be no increase
in rates. This came voluntarily from
tl.e company officials; and, announce
(Continued on page 8)
UNION PEOPLE DEMAND
WORK ONTHEIR ROADS
i Protests Against Inattention To
Roads and Wants Relief
From The Board
ROAD BOARD IS PASSIVE
Except for the enlivening
program of protests against
non-performance of work, the
regular meeting of the county
road commissioners last Mon
day was a repitition of forme'
routine meetings. Claims for
damages caused by the con
struction of new roads occu
pied about an hour of the
board's attention, Mr. T. E.
Browne of Raleigh being there
to protest the award of $15
made him for damages to his
old home place. Upon a motion
made and unanimously passed
the amount of darfiages was
increased to one hundred dol-,
lars, with both parties express
ing compete satisfaction at the
action.
Mr. T. N. Charles, of Union, |
representing, he said, the citi
zens of his village and the
community adjacent thereto,
protested vigorously against
the policy of Commissioner
H. G. Snipes, of St. John* town
ship, of ignoring the Union
roads while he spent so much
time on the roads around Me
nola. Mr. Charles was evident
ly wrought up over the inat
tention, as he claimed, of Mr.
Snipes' crew of workers, and
even went so far as to say he
had been told that Mt. Snipes
was now working a road near
Menola for his own "personal
benefit."
ne iota tne Doara tnat the Union'
roads had been entirely ignored, and
that the people of that section were
kicking good and hard against the
treatment. He asked that the board
offer some relief, or take some action
looking to their relief.
Mr. Snipes, appearing none the
more ruffled in spirit and with a calm
that bespoke a temper that had al
ready been-fried by similar protests,
asked to make a statement to the
board, and the other commissioners
listened sympathetically, as he ex
pressed sorrow in not being able
to work all of the roads in his town
ship exactly when the people wanted
them, and explained fully to the
board that it was impossible or im
I praticable for him to order his camp
i moved or hawked about the large
township without leaving work half
done?the very thing, he said, which
caused so much talk against former
superintendent F. G. Hines. He said
that his next move was to Union, but
he could not name the day nor the
hour of his arrival there.
He said he was doing and expected
i to continue to do all he could to sat
1 isfy everybody, but he knew he could
not do it with the force he had to
comftiand. There are, he said, a hun
dred miles of roads needing work in
bis townships but, added that he
could not get to them any faster than
the force could work.
He denied the construction of any
road for bis personal benefit and said
he was building a road to a new
school In the Menola section. He
said he had not worked the roads
that ran by his farms for fouF years
simply to avoid critcism of that na
ture. ?
Mr. Snipes was free to admit that
the Union roads had not been work
ed, but denied any charge of will
ful neglect or of personal benefits
from the work that had been done
this spring and summer. The beard
heard his explanation and did not
take any action. Mr. Snipes say* he
will move his force to Union as soon
as he completes the road he is now
working on.
Mr. Adams, a road equipment man,
ploy] with the board to try one of
his gasoline-propelled outfits in one
*?w?hip out of the *tx, agreeing to
take the raah sale price for eight
mules as first cash payment on the
outfit and take balance in monthly
payments of $850, the total cost of
his outfit being about $6,000. ?
He dared the commissioners buy
one?just one?for, he said, the oth
er commissioners would soon follow
suit, throwing the slow-process mule
outfits into discard. He also invited
them over to Pasquotank county to
see one of his outfits in operation.
The commissioners wll make the trip.
WOODMEN PLANNING FOR
BIG DAY NEXT THURSDAY
Postponement of Toba ceo
Opening Giro. Whole Day
To Visiting Delegates
MORNING SESSION IS OPEN
With the postponing of the
opening of the local tobacco
market until Thursday August
30, the local camp of the
Woodmen of the World' are
anticipating an interrupted
day of exercises and entertain
ment for the two or three hun
dred visiting brothers who are
coming here for their district
convention Thusrday, \August
23, the original date set for the
opening of the auction tobacco
warehouses here. Another
meeting of the Magnolia Camp
No. 328 was held here Tues
day night, and final prepara
tions made for the day's exer
cises.
Many of the delegates will;
arrive in Ahoskie on the morn
ing Coast Line trains, and they
will be met at the train by the
members of the Ahoskie camp
and escorted by them to a
booth to be erected on "No
Man's Land" where they will
register. Here they will like
wise receive their delegate
badges entitling them to the
pri"eleges of the convention,
and to the hospitality of Ahos
kie. With the arrival of del- j
egatcs, the convention will get)
under way at.high school build
ing, Mr. A. O. Kiff presiding.
Rev. E. J. Isenhower, pastor of
the Baptist church, will invoke di
vine blessings, followed by the ad
dresa 0f welcome by Hon. W. W. Ro
gers of this city. Mr. E. B. Lewis,
of Kinston, a high officer in the W.'
0. W. order, will respond to this wel
come. Judge Francis D. Winston will
then make the principal speech of
the public exercises. A general invi
Ution is extended by the Woodmen
to all persons of Ahoskie to attend
the morning session which will be
open alike to members and non
members of the Woodmen.
A picnic dinner will be served to
ell delegates and visitors on the
school house grounds. Local Wood-|
men will carry, send, or bring bas
kets, and all other citizens of Ahos
kie are invited to help feed the del
egates by preparing a lunch to be
sent to the school house. The Cham
ber of Commerce is planning to give
the visitors a short automobile trip
over the highways surrounding the
town, immediately after dinner has
been served. Automobiles are now
being salieited for thai purpose, per
sons who will volunteer to do so be
ing urged to list their cars with J.
Koy Parker, secretary of the cham
ber of commerce.
Other entertainment features will
be a few selections by Ahoskie's now
famous "Black Cat Quartette," and
readings by Miss Willie Mae Horton.
The afternoon session will be
for members only, routine matters
effecting the organization being on
the program.
The Chamber of Commerce will
string banners over the principal
streets of the* town on that day, wel
coming the visitors here. Business
persons of the town are also request
ed to decorate their store fronts and
windows with some kind of greet
ing for the Woodmen.
MARKET Will OPEN
WEEK LATER THAN
FIRST ANNOUNCED
Thursday, August 30, Is Date
Set For Beginning of Auc
tion Market For The
Sale of Tobacco
LARGER MARKETS WILL
BEGIN WEEK BEFORE
Co-operative Association Will
Begin Here on Tuesday,
August 21 sL
The Ahoskie auction tobacco
market will open Thursday,
August 30. The date has been
postponed for one week, fol
lowing a similar action taken
by warehousemen of the larger
markets of the East at a con
ference held in Wilson Mon
day.
According to an announce
ment made today, Thursday,
the Co-operative Association
warehouse in Ahoskie will op
en for the receipt of the grower
members' tobacco on Tuesday,
August 21, Mr. Walter L. Cur
tis, and S. P. Watson, the lat
ter an experienced tobacco
man, wiU have charge of their
house here. The Association is
using the prize house belonging
to the Planter's Tobacco ware
house.
Although the local auction ware
! housemen have already made pre
parations for opening of the market
next week and much advertising had
already being printed and distributed
announcing August 23rd as the date,
little inconvenience will result from
the delayed opening. In fact, it will
insure a better road for the growers
when they do get ready to come here.
About sixty per cent of the tobacco
brought to Ahoskie is hauled over the
bridge at Stoney Creek, which has
been under construction for the last
several weeks. The contractor, K. H.
Barrow, stated at a road board meet
ing at Winton last Monday that the
new bridge would be ready within
ten days, which would have made the
final date August 23, the first date
set for the auction warehouse open
ing. However, since the postpone
ment, there should be no reason for
not having the bridge and dam in first
class shape when the season opens on
the 80th.
he local chamber of commerce has
conferred with the road oflicials of
Hertford and Bertie counties in an
effort to induce them to repair all
roads over which the tobacco farmers
will have come to Ahoskie, and in ev
ery instance a guarantee has been
made that the roads would be in first
class shape.
Ahoskie has already taken on a
different air, anticipating the tobac
co season. Business men are optomis
tic at their prospects for trade this
fall and all alike believe the market
will have its banner year during the
1923 season. Tobacco yis io excellent
condition and prices ' on the South
Carolina markets have been good.
As never before in the history of
the market, the business houses are
showing their faith in the future of
the tobaeeo market by subscribing
liberally to the fund raised by the
Chamber of Commerce for the adver
tising of Hie tobacco market. The
committee soliciting funds and who
later went the rounds to collect fail
ed to find a single knocker, and on
the final trip of collection, not a sin
gle subscriber failed to come across,
while four others were added to the
list in the sum of $5 each.
Every accommodation has already
been looked after by both open and
closed warehouses. A full corps of
buyers for the auction houses has
already announced their intention of
returning, and additions and repairs
' eve been made to the warehouses.
The youngest man in the United
States Senate is C. C. Dill, from
Washington, age thirty-eight years.
Reports Sbow Corn in Hertford
end Adjoining Counties To
Be Among the Second Poor
est In State, Although Gen
eral Average This Year Is
Good. Several Counties Are
Above Normal, These Being
Nearer The Coast.
Of all the crops produced in
Hertford County, oUj corn is
the poorest in condition, ac
cording to August 1 reports of
the State Department of Agri
culture. However, as the State
Statistician points out, the gen
eral average in the entire state
is good. Corn in Hertford and
Northampton counties is listed
as being the second poorest in
the State. This situation is no
doubt brought about through
the results of the dry weather
which prevailed in June. Late
corn has shown a fine growth
and will make a good yield.
The report of the State Sta
tistician follows:
Cor.
The peculiar feature of the corn
crop in^the South is the practice of
double or interplanting with other
crops, In North Carolina it is found
that 73 per cent of the corn acreage
is grown alone, 13 per cent with cow
peas, 9 per cen with soy beans. Four
peas, 9 per cent with soy beans. Four
or more companion crops, while one
per cent of the soy beans and cow
peas that are harvested for seed is
not known, and in fact, varies con
silderably with each year's seasonal
conditions.
a ?*- - "
a tareim analysis or ine reports
for August 1st shows a rather uni
form trend for a corn crop with the
very best condition existing in the
eastern and southern coastal coun
ties and in the mountain areas. Sev
eral counties average full normal or
over 100 per cent adjacent to the
coast. The poorest conditions are
found in counties surrounding Meck
lenburg, where extremely poor con
ditions exist, that county having less
than two-thirds of a normal crop of
corn. The second area of poor con
ditions is found in Franklin, Warren,
Halifax, Northampton and Hertf<&d
counties. Very good corn crops are
also found from Anson to Person
county through the Piedmont belt In
width, this belt extends from Da
vidson through Chatham, but the con
dition in reality is good eastward to
the coast It has been particularly
dry in the Southern Piedmont conn
ties of the State.
The national prospects for corn
is 2,982,000,000 bushels on a basis
of 84 per cent of normal condition.
The yield per acre was forecasted at
29 bushels per acre. The average of
August 1 price being 87.4 as compar
ed with 64.4 cents a year ago. The
acreage ia less than one per cent
more than it was a year ago..
The North Carolina condition of
86 per cent of a full crop, forecasts
a yield per acre of 20 bushels which
ib slightly more than last year pro
duced. This State's acreage is the
same as for the previous year. The
price last year was 96 cents for the
bushel with the same price ranging
about $1.21 cents per bushel at this
time.
RENEWING LEASES FOR
PROPOSED RAILROAD
Mr. Dillon, of Franklin, Vs., a rep
resentative of the Carolina A North
eastern Railroad Company of that
city, spent several days last week
in this section, renewing leases on
a right of way for that railroad.
The road is now built from Gum
berry to Lasker, and at some future
date its extension to Ahoslde to con
nect with the Atlantic Coast Line
Is contemplated. No definite hopes
are entertained for Its construction.
Leases were first secured by the
company in 1918, and were renewed
Ave years late, 1918. The renewals
have again expired, and the new lea
ses were sought by Mr. Dillon.
In a majority of-the cases a right
of way has been secured with little
or no expense. The route of the new
road is by way of Union.
This is an independent organisa
tion of the proposed reorganised Wel
lington & P->wrll*villo Railroad.