LEADS ALL WEEKLY PAPERS IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA IN SUBSCRIPTION NUMBERS, LOCAL NEWS AND ADVERTISING PATRONAGE EVER Y BODY i.TKRS IT TOO.
The Ch atham Record
ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER 19,1878.
How Corinth Folks See It.
Corinth, March 10.—Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Ashworth, of Fuquay ,
Springs, spent Sunday in Corinth.
Miss Marie Phillips spent Sunday at her home in Bonlee.
Rev. J. J. Boone preached a good sermon at Phoenix Hill Sun
day afternoon. We hope the people of the community will come
~ut for this service more regularly from now on. He preaches
every second Sunday afternoon.
A Ford load of Bu6khorn people attended the Ham-Ramsey
services Sunday night. The big tabernacle was filled to the doors
and some 200 people responded to the call to “Hit the Saw dust
tr&il 99
The Bridge Proposition at Avents Ferry is still “hanging fire.”
The two groups of county commissioners have not as yet “got to
gether” on it. If they can’t agree right soon to some sort of a
building proposition it will have been unfortunate that the matter
ever came up at all. . , ,
While this matter has been discussed by individuals in both
counties for some little time, the first thing official was a commu
nication from Sanford expressing a desire and even eagerness to
see a bridge put in at or near Avents Ferry „and in the same
communication the only basis for sharing the cost that was in
any way mentioned was that of a fifty-fifty basis. Chatham coun
tv replied that they were ready any time to sign agreements and
start" work. But when the official proposition from the Lee coun
ty board of commissioners was made in a joint meeting at Pitts
boro on March 4th, it was conditioned upon the acceptance by
both counties of the poll population ratio, as a basis for sharing
C ° Inasmuch as it is evident on the face of the matter that the
building of the bridge would benefit Lee county as a whole far
more than it would benefit Chatham, we, people of lower Cape
Fear feel sure that the Chatham commissioners should not yield,
and we also feel that Lee county has very materially hurt her
previous good standing in the eyes of most all of us.
THE PATH ACROSS THE HILL—COMEDY DRAMA 3 ACTS.
The Path across The Hill, is a comedy drama in three acts
that will be presented at the Truth high school on next Saturday
night, March 15th. It is one that will interest you from start to
finish and you should make every effort to see it.
The following is a synopsis, list of characters and the program:
Characters :
Grandoa—A cheery, lovable old man, gentle and refined— ,
- - ' J.y £ V
iojert Pose —A fine, manly fellow, naturally generous and,
: ppy, but obsessed with a desire for vengeance—Armund,
Freshens.
Waiter Corned—Ruth’s brother. Very self-important at times
but fun-loving -and - boyish—Arthur Stephens. . v , -
Dr. Reed —lnspired by personal ambition—-Detmas O’Connell
Salamander —-A jolly, good-hearted negro; very fond of big
v, ords—Robert Cotten.
Grandma—Sweet and gentle, radiates joy and retains the love
of playfulness which people sometimes lose with advancing age
—Esther Ausley.
Ruth Conrad—A sweet womanly girl, generous and loving—
Orlan Mull. _
Flo—A frivolous, selfish girl, inclined to be loud-spoken—Em
ma Stephens. ___
Lutie—Cute, full of mischief and deeply in love with Walter
—Clao Cotten.
Zuzu—A good-hearted, “black” treasure, deeply worried over
her love affair—Clara Cotten. '
Synopsis
Ruth Conrad is engaged to Dr. Reed but delays marriage be
cause she feels it will leave grandpa Crawford without a home.
Rut grandpa and Mrs. Davis find romance in the autumn of life,
and Ruth is about to marry Reed when two strangers arrive in
town. One is Ruth’s cousin, Flo, who straightway sets her cap
for the Doctor and the other is Robert Post, whose meeting with
grandpa ends his years of search for the man who plundered his
father’s bank an<f sent his father and mother broken-hearted to
the grave. Grandpa does not deny the crime, but begs Post to
wait until Ruth’s future happiness is assured. Flo wins the doctor
away from Ruth while Post tries to stifle his love for Ruth be
cause of his desire for vengeance on her grand father, but the
old couple show them that love is a stronger power than hate,
and grand father is proven innocent of any wrong doing. “The
Path Across the Hill” leads to happiness for all those worthy of
life’s best.
ACT 1. The living room of the Conrad’s home in an Eastern
village.
ACT 11. The same scene, two weeks later than Act one.
ACT 111. The same scene two weeks later than Act two.
ALWAYS IN TROUBLE OR A HOODOOED COOON.
AT BELL’S HIGH SCHOOL SATURDAY NIGHT, MARCH 15.
Following is a list of the characters and a synopsis of the play,
‘ Always in Trouble, or a Hoodooed Coon,” to be presented at Bells
school, Apex, Rt. 3, next Saturday night, March 15th. It is full of
mirth from start to finish and you should try to be there.
Characters •
Misery Moon (A Hoodooed Coon) William Farrar.
Gideon Blair (A Millionaire) Carl Yates.
Tom Rissle (As Slick as a Whistle) Glyn Womble.
Hiram Tutt (An Awful Nut) Hugh Holleman.
Samantha Slade (A Poor Old Maid) Pattie Stone.
Rosebud Reese (Her Charming Niece) —. Ruth Bryan.
Paula Maleek (A Bolsheviek) Hallie Goodwin.
Lula Pearl (A Jazz-time Girl) Jessie Horton.
Place—A Railroad Station in Slabtown, Miss.
Time of Playing—Two hours.
ACT I. The railroad station. A grouchy millionaire. A Jazz- i
time wedding.
ACT 11. The next day. Paula on trial. The bomb explodes! >
ACT 111. An hour later. Shhh! Not so loud.
If you want your advertisement to be read by all of the people !
hi Chatham county, place it in The Chatham Record—The paper ,
read by almost everybody that’s anybody. It is the paper that is in «
most every home and the ONLY paper in many homes. It has ’
the distinction of being the only paper in the world that has four ’
times as many subscribers as the population of the town in which
n is published, weekly denomination. You should subscribe, too. • ’
PITTSBORO, N. C., CHATHAM C(| %TY, THURSDAY, MARCH 13,1924.
BIG LIST OF NEW FBWNDS.
Nearly A Hundred This Week
We are Proud of Them
\ . . * . r
Again this week we are puting on
Nearly a hundred names on our sub
scription list. In fact, about eighty.
We are proud of these friends and to
have them listed among our friends.
'.Our list keeps on growing and we
now have the largest list of any pa
per ever published in Chatham coun
ty. Continually we receive many let
ters of praise and elsewhere in this
issue we are publishing some of them.
During the week many friends call
ed at our office to give us words of
praise and this gives us much en
couragement. We are making prepa
ration now to greatly improve The
Chatham Record, having bought a
new type setting machine that is the
very latest model manufactured and
with every equipment possible to
Have with it. This will incur a cost
of near six thousand dollars, but it
will enable us to print the best week
ly paper in North Carolina.
This week three folks asks us not
to publish their names. Others who
were placed on our list are as follows:
Mr. W. G. Fields, J. W. Oldham,
Geo. D. Harmon, Industrial Bureau,
Mrs. H. L. Coble, J. A. White, Mrs.
Stephen Oldham, T. A. Hargrove, D.
C. Huckabee, Jas. A. Hargrove, Hen
ry Zavon Teague, W. J. Moody, W.
M. Johnson, G. C. Perry, Mrs. Lulu
Lindley, Willie Brown, Miss Kathleen
Waddell, Mrs. Mattie Pugh, D. Y.
White, Mrs. Sallie Dixon, Miss Ola
Hatch, R. J. Hough, R. H. Oldham,
•O. R. Hilliard, Mrs. R. O. Frasier,
Miss Mary J. Hart, Robert Cox, F. C.
Smith, Joe J. Cheek, John Wiley
i Brewer, Clark Brady, Mrs. Nannie
Phillips, J. E. Jones, R. G. Gorden,
Mrs. J. H. Fisher, R. B. Oldham, Miss
Rose Burns, Isaacsons Dept. Store,
!A. Seagroves, Charlie Watson, Hen
! ry Alston, J. R. Headen, Clara Ethel
j Tysor, Miss Eliza Rfeves, R. H.
I Wicker, C. B. Crutchfield, Mrs. B. G.
Womble, J. R. Thomas, Phillip Far-.
rell, R. A. Alston, Mrs. R. H. 6ver-‘
by, Mittie Harrington, J. L. Good
win, Miss Burlin Jones, Fred John
son, R. A. Horton, D. B. Nooe, W.
P. Horton, Atlas Farrell, Cecil Lind
ley, J. W. Boone, G. W. Thrift, J.
Mj. Womble, Mrs. W. G. Foster, Ed
na Rollins, J. A. Shadrach, Miss Lu
cile Goldston, S. T. Pike, G. H. Law
rence, J. K. Gunter, Mrs. A. R. Kel
ly, J. F. Burnett, D. G. Hatley, R.
L. Ward,W. F. Crutchfield, L. J.Wom
ble, T. C. Perry, Charlie Johnson, and
R. W. Perry.
i ■—
THE TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE.
Held in School House in Pittsboro on
Last Saturday.
Something like a hundred teachers
met in the auditorium of Pittsboro
high-school last Saturday morning at
11 o’clock. The principal address of
the day was one delivered by Dr.
George Paschal of the faculty at
Wake Forest. He is a Chatham boy,
brother of Robert Lee Paschal, who
has made such an enviable record in
Texas, and an uncle of Attorney Fred
Paschal at Siler City, His address was
an excellent one and greatly enjoyed
by all those present.
Following the address Mrs. H. A.
Bynum and Miss Jennie Connell sang
a duet.
At the afternoon session a business
meeting was held.
A committee submitted a formal
plan for the County Commencement,
which will be held April 18th.
The Association passed resolutions
requesting the County Board of Edu
cation for an eight months school
in every district as earlv as possi
ble, but until we have an eight months
school, the board is asked to require
all teachers, teaching in six months
schools to promote children two
grades for three years.
The county seventh grade examina
tion will be given on April 10th.
A complete program for the prelim
inaries and the county commencement
will appear in next week’s Chatham
Record.
» —i
The many friends here of Mr.
George Chapin, will be glad to know
that he has so far recovered that he
is now able to leave the hospital. It
will be remembered that a few weeks
ago it was necessary to amputate one
of his legs, following a disastrous
fire at his home town, Leesburg,
Florida. 1
m % m
FRONT POGE I FPOSSIBLE.
************
* *
* ARE YOU FOR BAILEY? *
* *
* The Record is anxious to know *
* just how many of its readers are *
* in favor of Hon. Josiah W. Bailey, *
’ of Raleigh, for governor of North 9
* Carolina. If you intend to support *
* him, will you send us a postal *
* card telling us so? Address your *
* card to The Chatham Record, *
* Pittsboro, N. C., and simply state *
* “I am for Bailey,” and sign your *
* name. We shall appreciate it if *
* you will do this at once. *
* *
**** ***** ****
MISS PAULINE MOON WINS.
Few Replies to The Puzzle And
Some Missed The Answer.
The answer to our puzzle in our is
sue of February 28th was : ,
“A SECRET.”
There were only nine to answer
our puzzle and there were but three
of these containing the correct re
ply, one of whom was adjudged to
be the best by Joe Snyder. This was
Miss Pauline Moon, pf Rt. _ 1, ’ Bear
Creek, and her reply is published be
low.
Another answer was received from
Miss Annie Mae Dixon, Cumnock, Rt.
1, that would have offered close com
petition to Miss Moon, but her letter
did not reach us until Friday, March
7th* and was therefore not in time
to compete for the _ prize. . Miss Dix
on’s reply is published in another
column of this paper.
We are proud of the interest that
our young friends are showing in our
contests and we hope to have a num
ber of answers to our next puzzle
that is published in another column.
Miss Moon’s answer to the puzzle,
winning the prize is printed below.
She is but sixteen years of age and
is a student in the 7th grade at
the Welch school. Miss Beulah Bur
gess is the teacher of this school.
Following is the reply :
Dearie me! What is that ?
Someone whispered in my ear;
Just wait, I will tell you what—
It’s the best I have heard this year.
It’s just enough for one,
And too much for two;
It will be none at all,
If I tell it to you.
It takes one to make,
And two to keep it;
And if you do not tell,
It will be “A Secret.”
ANOTHER STUNNER TO GUESS.
Six Months Subscription For The
Best Answer to Riddle.
The riddle man’s latest is the fol
lowing :
“What is Higher Without The Head
Than With The Head?”
To the girl or boy between the
ages of twelve and twenty years of
, who sends us the first and best
' correct answer to the above riddle,
we will give a six months free sub
scription to The Chatham Record.
The judging will be according to ar
rangement, penmanship, spelling and
general construction of the reply.
• The requirements are but few and we
hope that everyone who answers it
will be very careful and not overlook
any of them. They are as follows :
Give your name in full, age and
complete mail address.
Name the school you are attending,
if any, and the name of the teacher.
State on your honor that no one
aided you in the answer.
State whether you are a regular
reader of The Chatham Record or not
and if so what feature of the paper
you like best.
If you have formerlv won a prize
subscription say so. We want all to
try it, but no prize will be given to
a former winner.
Address all letters to Joe Snyder,
care of The Chatham Record, Pitts
boro, N. C., and all letters must be
in his hands not later than Monday
night, March 17th.
—.— I
YOUNG FOLKS HAVE QUILTING.
Local News From Our Neighbors in
Upper Cape Fear.
New Hill, Rt. 2, March 10.—Last
Tuesday Miss Vada Goodwin gave a
quilting at the home of her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Goodwin. This was
the first work of the kind that Vada
ever undertook, and it is indeed a
credit to the little girl. Those present
were Mesdames G. L. Mann, Jack
Goodwin and W. H. Beckwith, Misses
Blanche Holt, Mabel Mann, Mary
Webster, Dova Holt, Nena Sturdivant
and Alice Webster.
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Holder of Dur
ham, spent last week with her parents
Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Sauls.
Misses Lijla Ellis and Hilda Las
ater spent Wednesday in Durham on
a shopping trip.
Millard Goodwin has purchased a
new Ford roadster.
G. B. Sturdivant was confined to
his room last week with a severe cold.
Mrs. Bettie Thomas and Mrs. J.
Jeter Hackney were guests of rela
tives on this route last week.
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Webster, of
Clayton, are spending a few days with
Chatham relatives.
Douglass Puryear and Arthur El
lis spent the week end in Raleigh.
Miss Flonnie Goodwin charmingly
entertained a host of young people, at
the home of her parents one evening
last week. All those present enjoyed
the gracious hospitality of Miss Good
win. .
Many Chatham people will regret
to hear of the death of Mr. Milton
Stephens which occurred at the home
of his parents in Sanford one day
last week. Mr. Stephens made his
home in Chatham until a few years
ago. He was about 29 years of age.
A number of young friends spent
a pleasant evening Thursday at the
home of Mr. A. M. Goodwin.
Mr. and Mrs. Woody and children,
and Floyd Lasater of Durham, spent
Sunday in Chatham. *
Dr. J. C. Mann, who visits Pitts
boro every month, is having a hand
some bungalow built near Anex. It
is intimated that wedding bells will
ibe ringing soon.
Will the People Ever Awaken?
1 x
Suppose the old C, F. & Y. V. Railway had never been dismembered, what
would Siler City be today? It would have been one' of the leading towns in
North Carolina. Also premeditate upon the result of the development that
would have influenced Chatham county. It is hard to conceive just how badly
North Carolina has been crippled by this political movement, but the most
concise and accurate estimate we have had the privilege of reading is that
by The People’s Advocate, of Fayetteville, in its issue of February 23rd,
when it said:
Unjust freight rates and taxes unjustly apportioned are the two great
brakes upon the wheels of progress in North Carolina.
Our people are struggling hard to go ahead, but these handicaps will
hold them back and finally defeat all of their efforts.
We intend here to say a word about freight rates.
Every man pays freight rates. If he buys anything to wear or to eat
that is shipped over the railroad he pays the freight.
If he sells anything like cotton or tobacco, he pays the freight.
THE RAILROADS IN CONTROL.
The railroads have so contrived that the people of North Carolina pav
more freight than people of other states. The cities of Virginia have much
more favorable freight rates than the people of North Carolina. For
this reason about 3,000 men are traveling over North -Carolina selling
goods out of Virginia cities. This is the main reason why there never have
been large cities in North Carolina, and why many of the smaller towns are
not growing as they should.
We hear much talk about unjust freight rate discriminations against
North Carolina. But our people do not know the facts. The farmers pay
these unjust rates on plows, farming untensils, mules, and fertilizers when
they buy, and on cotton and tobacco when they sell. The merchants cannot
sell at low prices because they have to allow for high freight rates. All
is passed on to the consumer—in the high cost of living.
Wholesalers cannot buy in large quanities and distribute over' large
territories because the freight rates are so fixed as to make it impossible
to compete with cities of Virginia. Millions of dollars worth of North Car
olina goods are sold from Richmond.
This is what is known as our freight rate problem.
Why have the state authorities permitted this?
What is a state for, if not to obtain justice for its people?
The railroads are in control in North Carolina.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?
We now have) on foot sopie contests that, if properly conducted, will bring
about just freight rates. But will they be properly conducted?
We have two cases pending before the Interstate Commerce Commission.
We have the case to set aside the sale and dismemberment of the C. F. «&
Y. V. in Wake County Superior Court.
Will these cases be won for the people? Not unless the people control
the men who are to conduct their cases. If the railroads elect the Governor,
they will control. The railroads are on the job all of the time. There are
“millions in it” for them.
One thing would settle the freight rate question for this state, and that is
a through line and a through rate for the Middle West over our mountains
across the state and to deep water on our coast. If we got the through line
we would be entitled to the through rate. The railroads know this; but the
people do not. The through rate would reduce rates to every point in
the state. It would save the people from five to ten million dollars a year
in freights.
We have a good river harbor at Wilmington. We have a real sea-harbor at
Southport —a harbor unsurpassed. But we have no through line to these
points.
Why? # i
Simply because the railroads will not have it so. Whenever we have tried
to get a railroad line across the State East and West, the railroads have
broken it up. They knew that a through line meant a through rate and
corresponding reductions in freight all over the State.
LET US SEE
The State built the Atlantic & North Carolina from Morehead City to
Goldsboro, the North Carolina from Goldsboro to Salisbury, the Western
North Carolina from Salisbury to Asheville. Here was a through line across
the state to deep water.
What has happened?
The railroads took over these lines, and made the road from Greensboro
to Goldsboro a branch line; and cut off the road from Goldsboro to Morehead
from that. The Southern controls to Goldsboro; the Norfolk Southern controls
from Goldsboro to Morehead City.
This destroyed this plan to relieve us. The State’s own Railroad line from
the mountains to the sea was broken up.
Again citizens of this state built the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley Rail
road from Mount Airy to Wilmington. It was intended to give the State
a through line from the West to the s ea. It connected with Norfolk & West
ern at Rural Hall. The Norfolk & Western penetrates the Middle West. Here
was North Carolina’s great opportunity. Here was a through line in the
making, and a through rate in sight.
What happened?
The Atlantic Coast Line and the Southern bottled up the C. F. & Y. V.
R. R., bought its bonds broke it, and sold it at the court house door, and
divided it between themselves—in flagrant violation of the decree of the
court ordering the sale and to the everlasting prejudice of the people of
North Carolina.
What did the state do? Nothing.
Now that 25 years have elapsed it is making some appearance of doing
something. It has entered a suit, but the suit is being neglected. It has been
on the docket since May, 1923, and, until recently, no progress made.
In this suit the Attorney General of this State is Plaintiff, and Hon. A. L.
Brooks is of counsel for the State. Paragraph seven of the complaint
declares:
“The plaintiff alleges that the said purchase and dismemberment of the
property of the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley was contrary to the law, was
CONCEIVED IN FRAUD AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVADING THE
DECREE OF THE COURT, which authorized the sale of said property as an
entirety, DECEIVING AND MISLEADING THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, and eveding the act of 1897, Chapter 305
and of committing and working a great injury to the people of the State
of North Carolina and especially those people living in the sections of the
said state traversed by said road. That the said act of the said Southern
Railway Company and the said Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Company
through its officers and agents was a CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE THE
ANTI-TRUST LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND TO VIOLATE
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, and the said deed
of the Atlantic & Yadkin Railroad Company to the Atlantic Coast Line Rail
road Company or to the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Company was
FRADULENT AND CONTRARY TO LAW AND EXECUTED IN
VIOLATION OF THE LAWS OF THIS STATE, and the same is void and
should be surrendered and canceled, and the said property formerly com
posing the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Company should be operated and
its franchise enjoyed as an entirety.
Such is the sworn declaration of the Attorney General of the State. If
what he solemnly swears is so how is it that this outrage against our
people, “conceived in fraud”, this violation of law, this outrageous injustice,
has been permitted by the state to go unchallenged for 25 long years.
The rialroads are in the saddle.
If the country from Mount Airy to Wilmington along the C. F. & Y. V.
R. R. is undeveloped—if we have no through line from the Middle West
across the state to Wilmington or Southport—now you know why. We ought
to have as many fine growing towns and cities along the C. F. & Y„ V. R.R.,
as we have from Reidsville to Charlotte. We do not have them because the
C. F. & Y. V. was destroyed as a through line.
Again the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio crossed the mountains connected
with the great coal fields of the Middle West, and crossed the Seaboard Air
Line at Bostic, Rutherford county, N. C. From Bostic to Wilmington runs
the S. A. L. in a straight line through our cotton-mill country.
Here was opportunity at hand for a through line and a through rate from
the mountains to the sea, across the State. It was our most recent oppor
tunity.
What happened?
The A. C. L. recently leased the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio R. R. for 999
years long enough to be sure—and is planning to connect it with the
Louisville and Nashville in the Mississippi Valley, on one hand, and with a
Georgia or South Carolina port on the other—giving North Carolina the
go-by.
'When the attention of this State in this matter was tailed for, the State
took a neutral position.
The State of North Carolina stands by and sees this done. It takes a
neutral position while the interests of her people are slaughtered before her
very eves.
That is strong language—but investigate the truth of it for yourself.
It is, in this connection worthy to be noted that one of the candidates for
Governor has for years been President of an Atlantic Coast Line subsidafy
known as the Virginia and Carolina Southern and represented as an inde
(Continued on page three)
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NUMBER 40.