North Carolina Newspapers

A Paper with a Prestige of a Half Century. A County, Not a Com munity Paper. ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER 19, 1878 A POOR GIRL WINS NATIONAL HONOR A Sketch of the Interesting Life of MrSj Mabel Walker Willebrandt, Assistant At torney General of United States. ** f;, * v But few women are makers of his tory. and the numbers to attain nat ional distinction is rather small. Cir cumstances did not make Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt famous as she is, but she manufactured the circum stances with which she carved her way. The story of her life is not a fairy tale, yet it does bear the pioneer mark of distinction on its pages. She lived almost everywhere beyond the Father of Waters and fi nally wended her way into Washington city as assistant attorney general of the United States. Every ambitious young woman, laboring under a cloud of uncertain financial conditions, but with a stout heart and a strong hand, may learn from Mrs. Willebrandt’s perseverance what a tenacious pur pose can accomplish. In recounting briefly her life his tory, I will not speak of her age, for that is not fair to any woman. She was born in that part of the south west known as the Texas Panhandle w'hich later was made a part of the state of Kansas. Her babyhood home was no palace, but a sod and board house after the manners of the homes of western settlers at that time. Her parents were pioneers, a class of peo ple who roam as widely as the off spring of Ishmael. Her mother was a rural pioneer teacher, while her father edited a country newspaper. Such a life was fertile soil for the growth of character and tenacity of purpose, both of w'hich are notes of distinction in the life of Mrs. Wille brandt. At that time the west had not learned all the blessings of lip stick, rouge, kid gloves, silk hose, parlor magic, soft hearts and soft heads. Mrs. Willebrandt was not made of that kind of material. After a short life in the Panhandle, the family moved to a little hamlet in Missouri. Here in the cross-roads village her father was made postmas ter and editor of another country pa per. But short was their stay in Lu cerne, Mo. Packing their earthly baggage in a covered wagon, the family set out to the Oklahoma set tlement and took camp at Blackwell, a village which has since grown to be a large town. Here her father start ed another newspaper. But the call of the wild was too strong for a long sojourn anywhere, and next we find the family located in another Mis souri town by the name of Powers ville. At this place her father be gan another paper and joined the mother in teaching school. By now their daughter was thirteen years old and had never been to school. Some instruction was given at home, but most of her time was used in her father’s office and in the home, while she read such books and magazines as came her way. She is said to have become an expert hand typesetter. Having a thirteen-old daughter on their hands and no op portunity at hand for her education, the family moved to Kansas City where she was kept in school until she was seventeen. After completing her four years of schooling in Kansas City, the family went to live in a community named Buckley in the wilds of Michigan, Mabel was now eighteen and at Buckley her public and romantic life had its inception. In a little back wood red school house she entered upon her duties as a school marm. Most of her pupils were urchins from a lumber town not far away, and a tough lot they were so tough that when she under took to apply the corrective rod on a big hefty fellow he resented the punishment with the brandishment of a big jack knife; but the plucky eighteen-year old teacher captured the big knife, and the boy took a good switching in the bargain. While living in Buckley she became engaged to another teacher and married him, lienee her name. Shortly after their mar rage .it became necessery that they go to Arizona for her husband’s health. While there she taught school, studied, and cared for her husband. Iter the Arizona episode, she went to Big Rapids, Michigan, taught school for seven months and went to school day and night for five months. From Big Rapids, Mrs. Wille brandt moved to Los Angeles and was made principal of a high school. Since she had by now acquired such an insatiable appetite for hard she took up a law course in the University of Southern Califorina, attending her classes evenings after ner work was done. While doing law work in the university, sihe lived m rooms in that part of the city occupied by foreigners, and it was oere that her sympathy was stired or them because the way they were fobbed by their attorneys in giving them legal assistance. Since they were foreigners their lawyers usual took what they pleased as fees, ne result of her work was that s ' le establish a legal post of Public defender to whom the poor People might carry their legal dis ; iculties. After seven years of teach- Chatham Record President Expected to Visit This State President Hoover has been invited to address the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association at Asheville on July 4, and has accepted providing congress does not keep him in Wash ington. It is likely that congress will be recessed at that time, in which event he will come. He may visit several other cities in the state on the same trip. $ Home-Coming Day at Rock Springs Pastor A. H. Porter writes that home-coming and memorial day will be held at Rock Springs Baptist church next Sunday, May 12. A program will be presented by the Sunday school at 10 o’clock. Dr. J. D. Gregg will deliver an address at 11 o’clock, and Rev. A. H. Porter at 2 o’clock. Flowers are to be brought for decorating the graves in the cem etery, and dinner is to be brought to be served in picnic style. The public is invited to attend. Ben Franklin Chain Store to Start June 1 Mr. Spreen, representing the Ben Franklin system of chain stores was here Monday with blue prints for the arrangement of the corner store of the two now occupied by C. C. Hall for the instalment of one of the Ben Franklin Variety stores June 1. This chain system is only fifteen months old, but Mr. Spreen informs the Rec ord that there are now 2200 in the system. There will be 18 to 24 de partments, the various articles sell ing from a nickel to a dollar. Mr. Hall, as seen in his page ad vertisement, is making all possible effort to sell out a large part of his goods before the store room has to be vacated, as he cannot accommo date the present stock in the one room which he will retain. Be sure to read his advertisement. MR. JAMES G. CHURCHILL WITH WEEKS MOTOR CO. Weeks Motor Company have se cured the service off Mr. James G. Churchill, who is an expert me chanic and has had considerable ex perience with the new Ford car. He is well versed on the service of the car, and the Weeks Motor Company feel fortunate in bringing to Pitts boro a mechanic of his qualifications. Mr. Churchhill comes highly recom mended for the work he is to do and will prove to be a real asset to the company. He has been with the Alexander Motor Company, Ford dealers of Durham, for the past six years and is as well qualified to serv ice the new Ford car as any me chanic in the state. We hope Mr. Churchhill will like our town and we wish for him suc cess here. This makes two real good mechan ics with Weeks Motor Company now, as Mr. Biggs Atwater, who is known the county over, has been with them for the past six months. It seems to be the intentions of this company to service the car they sell. Miss Thompson Honored —$ Before parting with their fellow faculty member who is to be married in June, Misses Hoover, Lowery and Mrs. Campen of the Pittsboro school faculty honored Miss Frances Thomp son with a supper at the Blair Hotel last Saturday evening. The supper was followed by various forms of entertainment. The lobby of the hotel was beautifully decorated for the occasion. ing and studying law she began her legal carerr. By the end of five years after she began her practice things were com ing well her way. From the first she refused to pratice with police courts and with low criminal cases unless it was done as an act of charity. She never would take any divorce cases. The public life of Mrs. W T illebrandt from the time she took up her legal work in California until she made her debut into the national govern ment is replete with active and con structive services. In California she battled thru a hostile legislature pro perty rights for women, and won. She was a member of the state poli tical committees and a member of bar associations. For years she labor ed no less than fifteen hours each day. Her ability was confirmed by the supreme court of California, which tribunal endorsed her for as sistant attorney general of the United States. She has full charge of all cases pertaining to liquor laws and decides what the policies shall be con cerning them; she views all cases relative to corporations, income and excess profit taxes. Too, since she is a good speaker, many demands are made on her from every part of the country. Mrs. Willebrandt has none of the shyness common to most women, but is fearless and yields her convictions to none unless convinced they are in the right. Her achieve ments speak eloquently for what the wilderness, hard' knocks, and hard work can do. PITTSBORO, N. C., CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1929 SCHOOLS USED TO BE CHEAPER THAN NOW Interesting Old Circular Gives Cost and Curricula of 1882 Preparatory School (From The Hamlet News-Messenger) Anything about schools, especially the cost of schools, attracts interest now. A first class preparatory school offering work corresponding to sec ond year in college, where tuition was from si.so to $5 a month, and good board and room could be had for $8 to $lO, would have little trouble in filling its classes now. The News- Messenger has a circular advertising such a school, but it is 47 years old —and them days is gone forever. Last week Mr. J. P. Gibbons was at Winston-Salem attending one of the several boards of trustees of which he is a member, and Col. Hen ry Fries, Winston banker, was in the meeting with him. Talk turned to schools, school laws and school costs, and Col. Fries brought from his pock et a circular which he had found in a pigeon hole of his desk a few days before. It is a four-page circular, printed on a fair grade of book paper. The first page is taken up with advertis ing “A High School, for Boys and Girls, Clinton, Sampson County, N. C.” James T. Murphy, Alexander L. Phillips and Rev. Edward Schulken are given as the principals. Under the heading of Board is the follow ing: “Good board can be had in ex cellent families at from $8 to $lO per month, washing and lights not included. Boarders will be under the constant supervision of the prin cipals.” But it is the section headed “Tuition and Courses of Study” that is most interesting byway of com parison with present day costs and curricula. There were five classes as follows: “First Grade—Tuition, $1.50 per month. Spelling, reading, phonics, writing, primary arithmetic, primary geography. “Second Grade—Tuition, $2.50 per month. Spelling, reading, phonics, intermediate arithmetic, in termediate geography, primary Eng lish grammar. “Third Grade—Tuition, $3 per month. Spelling, reading, phonics, writing, arithmetic, algebra, English grammar, geography, History of North Carolina. “Fourth Grade —Tuition, $4 per month. Spelling, reading, phonics, writing, geometry, English grammar, geography, History of the United States, Latin (through Caesar), Greek (through Lib. IV of Anabasis), composition. “Fifth Grade—Tuition, $5 per month. Composition, rhetoric, elo cution, ancient and modern history, geometry, trigonometry, Latin, Ger man, Greek, French, chemistry, phys ics, geology, physiology, zoology, botany, astronomy.” It is also stated that arrangements may be made for instruction in book keeping and practical surveying as extra studies. Is it any wonder that some of the older fellows who attend ed schools like this see no need of a college education now? The second page of the circular deals with such matters as discipline and rules governing the business operation of the school. There were some delinquents in paying accounts then, even as now, and it is stated that bills will be rendered each month and “unless payment be promptly made parents will be required by the board of trustees to withdraw their children from school.” The third page of the folder is fill ed with testimonials as to the char acter and capabilities of the princi pals as attested by college profes sors and former associates in teach ing. At that time A. D. Hepburn was president of Davidson and Kemp P. Battle was president of the Uni versity. All this, remember, was in 1882. Just how Col. Fries happened to keep this circular for all these years, he failed to state, but Mr. Gibbons rightly judged that the editor of The News-Messenger would be greatly in terested in it as a comparison with present day schools, and he asked the j colonel to let him bring it home. How i long the school flourished and how | wide was ita patronage, we do not know. As to its location the circular says this: “Clinton is situated 13 miles west of Warsaw, on the Wil mington and Weldon railroad, with which place it is connected by a daily hack-line. The town is noted for its pure water, healthfulness, and excel lent social advantages.” Sounds like a 1929 chamber of commerce, doesn’t it? ® SCHOOL CLOSES The Pittsboro commencement exer cises came to a close Tuesday noon with the delivery of diplomas to the graduates of the high school and of the grades. The list of high school graduates is found elsewhere in this paper. The commencement address was delivered by Dr. N. W. Walker, dean of the school of education at the University. The sermon was preach ed Sunday by Rev. Mr. Hurst of Durham. WINNING ARTICLES IN ESSAY CONTEST Viola Mann and Billy Hamlet Adjudged Prize-Winners in Essay Contest on Subject of Conservation _ m : Miss Viola Mann, of Pittsboro, Rt. 2, and Master Billy Hamlet, of Pitts boro, are reported winners, by State Game Warden English, of the prizes offered by County Warden R. L. Hatcher for the best articles by high school pupils upon the subject of “Why We Should Conserve Our Wild Game in Chatham County.” The articles follow:: -j -|fi* First Prize Article (By Viola Mann) If everyone knew the value of ouf game in Chatham county for beauty, food, fur and helpfulness to the farmer, he would realize that it is very necessary to observe the laws for their protection which our game warden tries to enforce. The game was put here among nature’s beautiful trees and wild flowers to give the woods and fields a beautiful life-like appearance and not to be tortured, or wasted by humans for food or for sport. A silent forest, it matters not how beautiful ly arrayed, would be overwhelming in its stillness. We receive pleasure from all our senses—hearing and seeing as well as tasting or touching. Contrast a walk through the fields and forest, with and without living things. The sun is shining brightly, the trees are a pale green and there are blossoms everywhere, and curving through the woods is a little mossy banked stream of glistening water. The frogs are croaking and the fish are leaping high out of the water to catch the golden sun beams, the frisky squirrels are playing hide and seek among the trees; the fluffy bun nies go scampering down to the brook for an early drink of water and a taste of tender grass. The mocker with his best tune is singing his merry song; the red-bird in his gay apparel flits here and there hunt ing a worm for his young; the blue bird flies by from a visit to the f aim er’s Strawberry bed; and msftiy other birds with insects and various kinds of food attracts one’s attention. How wonderful it would be to live among them all the time! Then turn aside to another forest like this one. There are no frisky squirrels; no fluffy bunnies, no beau tiful singing birds or squeaky forest animals of any kind. Nothing but dead silence. It is worse than the dead silence at midnight in a huge cave after the echoing of a great earthquake is over. How dreadful life would be without wild things! Some species of birds and animals of beauty and value are becoming very scarce. The beautiful white bird, similar to the swan, that lives near the ponds; the geese and ducks are becoming less in number each year. The fox, as an animai, and the pike and sucker, as fish, are becoming scarce. In these days of high cost of living, together with the unsettled condition with which the farmers find them selves confronted, it behooves us all to conserve what nature provides for our use. To kill game for needful food is not cruel or wanton destruc tion. It means much to the well-to do farmer to be able to vary the meat supply of domestic fowls and pork by the use of rabbit, quail, wild turkey, and fish, without being com pelled to spend his money at the town market. Then there is the case of the poor tenant farmer, who is said to live on an unbalanced diet, and who on that account is said to be susceptible to many diseases. He could enjoy a bountiful meat supply from the woods and fields if the game were sensibly protected. The fur of many of our Chatham animals is valuable for making some of the most beautiful coats and trim mings used by our wealthy people and by those in high estate. The rabbit, mink, fox, quirrel and opos sum are the principal ones. ■ Helpfulness to the farmer by the i game is very important because there | are so many million dollars of de struction caused by the boll weevils, • bean bettles, insects, and worms in the garden and orchard as well as in the field. Almost all game is helpful in de stroying harmful field and garden insects and even other pests too. They are also helpful in dispersing the seeds of trees and herbs in the forest, which give a more bountiful forest for game as well as for man. The wild turkey eats the destructive boll weevils and bean bettles of the fields; the fish and frog eat mosquitoes in the pupal stage; the small birds eat insect pests of the garden and j orchard. The bird carries berry seeds and in return they -give food and shelter; the opossum carries persim mon seeds and receives food likewise. It is possible for everyone who de sires to do so to protect our wild game. The best way to do this is to carry out the laws which are on our statute books. By our own knowledge we can judge the following suggestions are well for observance although they Last Meeting of The Woman’s Club The last meeting of the Pittsboro Woman’s Club till next fall was held in the club room Thursday afternoon. After the business meeting the lit erary department of the club room took charge and presented a pleasing program on the origin of “Jazz Music.” Several interesting papers were read upon this subject and sev eral jazz selections were played. OLD SOLDIERS TO BE FEASTED FRIDAY Col. Fred Olds to Be Decora tion Day Speaker Here Fri day, May 10. jfyUf Another year has rolled around and Decoration Day is here again. As usual, the United Daughters of the Confederacy are preparing to feast the few that survive and are able to come. The list is growing shorter each year. Several have passed since the last Decoration Day. Col. Fred Olds, of Raleigh, is to be the speaker of the occasion, and his address will be of interest to everybody. A goodly crowd should hear him. are original. They are: 1. Carry out the laws regarding the preservation of wild game. 2. Plant crops suitable for game. Peas are a good example because animals and birds both eat them. 3. Build bird houses to protect the small birds, which are so helpful in garden and orchard. 4. Observe Arbor Day to keep trees growing, for they are as a shelter and home to animals and birds. Some trees, like the persim mon and mulberry, are good shade trees and they bear fruit. 5. Although the forest is not large, we may prevent forest fires which completely destroy much valu able game. As a Chatham county school girl I would be glad to encourage other boys and girls to cooperate with our game warden in the protection of our native wild life. Second Prize Article (By Billy Hamlet) Our law makers, for several years past, have recognized the necessity of conserving our wild game. Our legislature has enacted laws in dif ferent counties of the state for the conservation of our wild game, and every two years thereafter have amended these laws, with a view of improving our game laws. I believe that the game law now in force in Chatham county is the best protec tion game law enacted. If our pres ent law is strictly enforced game Should largely increase each season. If the citizens of Chatham county would but realize that it is not honor able to kill game out of season, or to violate the laws in any other way, it would add largely to the conserva tion of our wild game in Chatham county. Chatham county is the fore most county in the state for turkeys, quails, rabbits, squirrels, and opos sums. All wild game have their seasons for raising their young, and they should be protected during this season. We should conserve our wild game for the food value and for the sport of the people of our county. If the game is plentiful, this draws sports men from other counties and states. With plenty of wild game, there is no calculating the food value to our people. Anyone can go out, and in a few hours, kill enough game to sup ply the family for a day or so. Hunting is one of the foremost sports of the world. Our own people of Chatham county partake greatly of this sport. Farmers, lawyers, doc tors, merchants and people in all walks of life enjoy an afternoon of hunting. We should conserve our wild game in Chatham county for our own pepole—for the food value derived from it and for the sport they get out of hunting. We should conserve our wild game for the money benefit that our people get out of it. The people that come here from New York, Washington, and other large cities, are wealthy people, who spend their money freely while here.. We have sections of our county where large tracts of land are leased for hunting purposes, by wealthy sports men from New York and other large cities. These sportsmen pay part, or all of the county tax on this land and furnish peas for the owners of the land to plant, for food to be gathered by the quail and turkeys. I know of no better way to con serve our wild game than for every law-abiding citizen to closely ob serve that no one in his community violates the present law, and that all the farmers who own land, or rent land that is suited to small grain, sow some peas and wheat, as these two crops are especially suited to turkeys and quails. Squirrels, opos sums and rabbits will take care of themselves if all men and,, boys will become honorable law-abwing citi zens. Subscribers at Every Postoffice and All R. F. D. Routes in Great County of Chatham VOLUME 51, NUMBER 33 THE SENIOR CLASS EXERCISESARE FINE Class of Thirty-Eight Furnish Entertainment, Friday Eve ning, for a Packed Audi torium. The senior class of the Pittsboro school had their class day exercises last Friday evening. The audito rium was packed, and the program, was very much enjoyed. The class is composed of fourteen: young men and 24 young ladies. They come from a broad area clear across Chatham county, from the Orange line to the Lee county line. It is a fine lot of young people. Program < — " r The program oi Friday evening’s entertainment follows: Song to Seniors Juniors Song -.. Senior Welcome Ora Abernathy Song Seniors Introduction of Members of Class Irene Snipes Song Seniors Class History Lea Powell Song Seniors Diagnosis Doctors Song Seniors Prophecy Edna Snipes Songs Seniors Class Roll President, Ora Abernathy; Secre tary, Josie Lee Hall; Rufus Aberna thy, Eugenia Atwater, Annie Brewer, Ruth Burnette, Margaret Brooks, Elizabeth Blair, Vernon Durham, James Durham, Lewis Durham, Tru man Fields, Stella Gattis, Addie May Goldston, Cornelia Henderson, Silas Hatley, Rufus Johnson, Pearl John son, Jewel Justice, Kathryne Knight, Gordon Marshall, Lloyd Nooe, Mil dred Norwood, Brooks Petty, Lea ' Powell, Yates Ross, Gaynelle Riddle, Irene Snipes, Edna Snipes, Mary Smith, Irene Stroud, Leone Williams, Nomie Williams, Martha Williams, Floyd White, Jessie Wright, Nyal Womble. Mother of State Federation Is Dead Mrs. Sallie Southall Gotten, mother of the state federation of woman’s clubs, and for many years an active worker for the betterment of condi tions among the women and children of the state, died Saturday at the home of her daughter in Winchester, Mass. Mrs. Cotten was 82 years old. She was the first president of the state federation and was honorary president until her death. One of her outstanding achievements was the student loan fund, which has en abled many deserving girls to get a college education. The body was brought from Massachusetts to her home in Greenville, where funeral and burial services were held Mon day. $ Giant Drug Store Merger in Carolina* Definite assurance of a six million dollar drug store merger, that will control 150 drug stores in the two states, having annual sales in excess of $10,000,000 has been given by officials of the proposed new firm. The $6,000,000 stock will be divided equally in common and preferred, the preferred to be sold to the pub lic and the common issued to stores entering the merger as purchase price for their businesses. The deal is being handled by Cooper & Cooper of New York. Buying headquarters will be maintained in. New York, and warehouses will be established, prob ably at Charlotte and Columbia. Textile Workers Have Office in Charlotte Albert Weisbold, one of the big fellows in the National Textile Work ers Union showed up in Gastonia Sunday and announced that per manent headquarters for his union would be estadished in Charlotte. He further enunciated the policy of his organization to be a boring from within, saying that they proposed to plant members in mills thoughout the south. He expects to lose a few strikes, but on the whole he thinks that finally the aim of his union will be achieved. Hospital Sued for Negligent Treatment Charging negligence and malprac tice in treating her after she was injured in an automobile wreck, Mrs. Nora Lowery of Charlotte has brought suit against the Ellen Fitz gerald Hospital at Monroe for $25,- 000. Drs. A. F. Mahoney, Albert W. James, Raymond Pearson and J. J. Goudelock, are made parties to the suit. Mrs. Lowery claims that she was operated on without being consulted. Eighteen farmers of Nash County have signed orders for 20 pure bred and grade Jersey heifers for family cows.