I A Paper with a Prestige
of a Half Century. A
County, Not a Com
munity Paper
ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER 19, 1878.
host successful reunion
[ELD AT THOMPSON SCHOOL
farmer Students of J. A. W. Thompson at Oak
cale and Siler City Gather From All Quar
ters for Reunion Thirty-Three Years After
Discontinuance of Thompson School.—Siler
City Plays Host on Splendid Scale.
WALTER D. SILER PRESIDES—S CORES
OF FORMER YOUTHS LAUD OLD SCHOOL
j A. Campbell, W. T. Whit
seit, R. M. Andrews, and
Other Men of Commanding
Usefulness Among the Num
ber of Speakers. The Occa
sion Pronounced the Most
Joyous Event of a Life-
Time.
<S>
Siler City during its history so
strongly marked by hospitality has
never more splendidly demonstrat
es: that characteristic than in its
e - tertainment of the scores of
Th mpson School men and women
who ieturned Friday for the first
reunion since the discontinue of the
sonooi in 1897, nor has any group
who have enjoyed the hospitality
or the little city ever more deserv
ed it or more thoroughly appreci
ated it and recompensed their host
with greater acclaim of praise and
appreciation. The Thompson School
boys and girls of forty years ago
cherish the memories of the kind
ness showered upon them by the
teachers and citizens of the little
village of that day, and came back
in the spirit of boys and girls for
a real frolic, though many heads
are becoming bald and many of
them are grandfathers or grand
| mothers.
The editor of the Record, though
not a Thompson student, shared in
the pleasures of the occision and
as an indication of the occasion and
as an indication of the goodwill,
day avows that he has probably
never more enjoyed even an occas
ion in which he was personally con
cerned, while that brother of his
who came from Savannah to mingle
again with those whom he knew
nearly fifty years ago at Oakdale
returns to his Georgia home with
memories to gladden his old age.
The spirit of the reunion was all
embracing. a joy to the participants
and an unsui passed memorial to
the devotion, character, and effe
ciency of Prof. J. A. W. Thomp
son and the men and women who
assisted him in those simp.er days
in training two thousand youths
who were to do so much toward
the ushering-in of the day of uni
versal opportunity for 'educational
advantages in North Carolina.
Verily, if J. A. W. Thompson
had never taught another soul than
J- A. Campbell, W. 'T. Whitsett,
and Pv. M. Andrews and inspired
them, as they confess, to their won
derful contributions to the educa
tional, moral, and spiritual develop
ment of the fob owing generations
d youth, he would have then made
pos-miy the greatest indirect con
tribution to the cause of education
°r any many of his generation in
Carolina.
Thompson was the theme of every
tongue—his spirituality, his unsel
ir Vsh devotion to his students, his
’ actual deprivation of himself of the
1 Vei '." comforts of life for his boys
and gins’ sake were cropping up in
eve C v talk whatever the assigned
subject. The only pity was that the
aian could not have lived to see
} -'-at day. No longer would he have
'ad to eke out the living of the
A - r meagre days of his life for
him sop and equally devoted wife.
' ,ur . nappily, his surviving brother
and smter were present to hear the
hundred tributes to their distin
guished brother. Yet North Caro-
Ppa can never pay to Prof, and
-; 1 '• Thompson what it owes to
timm for their care, concern, and
downright hard work for the youths
A ‘ sta te in those meager days
• : ‘ e eighties and nineties. They
‘ ave to their reward above.
The Program
Ihe extent of the program and
content of the several longer
speeches bar a full report in de
eD e ch° ose rather to try to
mvey the spirit and significance
e occasion rather than the de
,a -*• However, some attention must
* Fu Ven the program.
choice of Walter D. Siler
' presiding officer was in itself
ccious. Mr. Siler and dullness
t ? ot dwell in the same hall. With
■a, ren ’ Mayor Fred Paschal,
Dorsett tendering heart
, an d eloquent greetings and
nf ‘b? me to Siler City, the response
fie'-i °i‘ Williams, of Smith
•. h v a., already accorded recog
i-‘ 0n as the initiator of the reun
-4 > was attunded to tae spirit oi
w -■ * 4 '“ * %j —-
the whole day. Also the introduc
tory pray or by Pastor Bradley of
the Siler City Methodist church, in
whose elegant house of worship the
Friday morning session was held,
was in accord with the religious
sentiments so frequently occurring,
for the Thompson School men are
manifestly, in large majority, men
of religion and spiritualty, else
they could not have so frequently
emphasized the devotion and spiri
tuality of their old master.
But those speeches and the pray
ers were only introductory to more
set and purposeful addresses by
Dr. W. T. Whitsett, on the history
of the school, Dr. J. A. Campbeli,
on the life and character of Prof.
Thompson, and of Rev. E. W. Fox,
presiding elder of the Marion dis
trict of the Western N. C. M. E.
Conference. Whitsett and Campbell
knew the school from its humble
beginnings at Oakdale, a fine rural
community six miles west of Liber
ty, while they and Mr. Fox were
thoroughly capable of an appre
ciative interpretation of the charac
ter, aspirations, and devotion of
Prof. Thompson, and eye-witnesses
of the self-sacrifice of the man for
the cause he held so dear.
The work of Mr. Thompson at
Oakdale began in 1880. With the
co-operation of the splendid citi
zens of the community he gradu
ally secured a building capable of
housing a considerable group of
boys and girls, and furnished the
class-rooms with modern desks, a
novelty in rural schools of that
time. Sma 1 advertisements carried
in the leading papers of the skate
heralded the opportunity of board
at $6.50 a month and tuition from
$1 to $3.00 a month throughout
the state, and these advertisements
reached their mark in the aspirat
ions of many an ambitious and
knowledge hungry youth in North
Carolina. It was an advertisement
of that very kind in the Messenger
of Goldsboro that caught the eye
of that brother mentioned above
and led to the straining-out of a
hundred dollars from the family
purse for a year at the Thompson
School, or Oakdale Academy, as it
was then styled. Hence, this writer,
a boy then of nearing fifteen, has
been almost as thoroughly acquaint
ed with the Thompson career as has
any of those who enjoyed the bene
fits of his tuition.
Every bed in the Oakdale com
muity had its two occupants, young
men and women, awkward and
green, wretchedly poor, but greedy
for knowledge. The mi itary uni
form, and the copper-plate hand
written by the students returning
to their country home communities,
further extended, and rapidly, the
fame of the wonderfully low-cost
opportunities to be had at Oak
dale. No school in the state so rap
idly grew in favor, with the result
that inducements soon began to be
offered to Prof. Thompson to move
his school to a more accessible
point, and Siler City, which had
been born of the coming of the
Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley rail
road through western Chatham, won
in the contest. Accordingly, in 1886,
a bui’ding was erected at Siler
City. It stands there now, in its
very meagerness and crude archi
tecture signifying the poverty of
the people of North Carolina and
the paucity of educational oppor
tunity. But it spelled self- sacrifice,
high aspirations, and fine communi
ty spirit on the part of the pioneers
of the thriving and hospitable little
city of today. The people of Siler
City opened their doors for board
ing students as did those of Oak
dale, and the fortunes of school,
community and churches were
welded as were their aspirations.
Any student could wa k into any
home in the village and be as wel
come as the sunlight. The hearts
of the citizens were devoted to the
interests of every pupil; the school
was the darling of the community.
And that spirit, that bond be
tween students and citizens, was
what inspired the heartness of the
reception and the joy of the return
ed youth in his maturity. These
things were brought ®ut by Dr.
Whitsett and others, though Mr.
Whitsett closed his student days
with Mr. Thompson at Oakdale. An
editorial paragraph is devoted to
the hospitable spirit of Siler City;
hence we proceed tothe story of
the reunion.
About a score of the Oakdale
students were there, including our
PLEASE TURN TO PAGE EIGHT
PITTSEORO, N. C., CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER t», 1930.
Photos from Wide World Photos
KEPT ALIVE BY SCIENCE
Miss Frances McGaan, who was stricken with infantile paralysis of
her chest, has been kept alive for 43 days by the Drinker Respirator.
This machine has a vacuum that expands the lungs and puts the paralyzed
muscles into action. Miss McGaan is able at times to be out of the
machine for a period of one hour.
The first actual use of the respirator. Miss Frances McGaan is shown
being kept alive as Nurse Ethel Bloomquist watches over her at St. Luke’s
Hospital.
School Observes
Armistice Day
The Pittsboro High School ob
served Armistice Day with an ad
dress by Judge Daniel Bell of the
Recorder’s Court. At eleven o’clock
the students assembled in the audi
torium and sang appropriate pat
riotic songs. Principal J. S. Waters,
in a few fitting remarks introduced
the speaker, who is not only an
able lawyer, but also served in the
World War.
“The principal message of Armis
tice Day,” said Judge Bell, “should
be a message of peace”. He felt
that the eleventh of November 1918
was significant because of the ceas
ing of hostilities, rather than be
cause of glory in war.
Judge Bell said that the nations
have forgotten the ideals for which
the war was fought. America entered
the war to end war, and to guaran
tee to all countries, both large and
small, a voice in the government.
Yet no sooner had the smioke of
battle cleared than the very nations
which had been fighting to end war,
began talking for peace, but pre
paring for war.
The ideals of the World War were
made practical of the League of
Nations, which gave America an
opportunity to obtain her ideals.
Unfortunately, however, her choice
was made selfishly and we remained
outside with Mexico and Russia.
The tremendous cost of war is
staggering. In money alone, the war
cost thirty-eight billion dollars, six
times the money in circulation in
the world, to say nothing of the
toll of human life and suffering.
Even today we are feeling the ef
fects of the war in every phrase
of life. Thousands are unable to I
fit into our social and economical
life, directly or indirectly, because
of the effects of the war.
Judge Bell appealed to the citi
zens of tomorrow to cooperate in
an effort to outlaw war. On Armis
tice Day, deeds of heroism are not
so important as a message of peace,”
stated the Judge.
n
W. T. WHIT-SETT, Ph. D.,
One of the Most Scholarly Stud
ents of Thompson School and a
Speaker at the Reunion of Thomp
son Students at Siler City Last
Week.
THANKSGIVING SERVICE
At St. Bartholomew’s Church, on
Thanksgiving Day, 27th inst, at
ten o’clock. The public generally
invited to attend. Five loaves and
two fishes once fed five thousand
people. Christ blessir.g and Thanks
giving and liberality a very little
will do a great -deal of good. The
offering will be for the Thompson
Orphanage.
On the last Sunday in November
(30th) a special service at
eleven o’clock.
This Should Help Sell
Our Opportunities
Raleigh, Nov. 19, The Division of
Commerce and Industry of the State
Department of Conservation and
Development announced this week
the creation of a State wide clear
ing house bureau for the purpose
of fostering the industrial develop
ment of the State. The bureau will
seek to bring the holders of natural
resources worthy of development
and those looking for such re
sources together. It wi 1 also act as
an imjDartial intermediary in bring
ing those together who are looking
for industrial plants of various sorts
and those who have such plants for
sale or location. “This Department
has been acting in this capacity for
several years, but it hopes to put
this phase of its work on a little
more systematic basis, stated of
ficials of the Commerce and Indus
try Division of this Department this
week.
In dividuals and corporations who
have natural resources to be develop
ed are invited to send a descrip
tion of them to the Department.
These properties will be brought to
.the attention of those who may
be interested in the development of
natural resources. “Quite a good
many inquiries come directly to the
Department and we expect to
develop others.” it was said.
Likewise, those , who have idle
machinery or plants which they
would like to sell or move, and
those communities which desire new
plants and which have special in
ducement to offer prospective manu
facturing plants are invited to com
municate with the Department of
Conservation and Development in
this citv. “With such information
in our files, we believe that we can
be of real service to the State,”
added officials.
• (*>—
Asks For Help For
Chinese Children
On account of civil war and fam
ine and due to no fault of theirs
i millions of innocent children in
j China are on the verge of starvation
j and will stave if some relief is
not speedi y sent them. It is true
that conditions are hard with us
and we have many urgent appeals
for help; but that does not lessen
the suffering and distress of these
innocent children who are soon to
face a cold winter without food
and clothing; and it does not lessen
our responsibility to them because
they are in distant China. No cause
can be more worthy than that of
saving the life of starving children
and thereby gain access to their
souls. The North Carolina Division
of China Child Welfare, Inc. with
Gen. Albert L. Cox as State Chair
man and Mr. Graham H. Andrews
as State Treasurer is undertaking to
raise $40,000 for this worthy cause
and have asked the people of Chat
ham County to contribute to the
extent of at least $250.00. We hope
that our churches, our civic and j
fraternal organizations and all our i
people will respond to this urgent {
demand and worthy cause and re- j
spond as liberally as they feel able.-!
Contributions can be turned over J
to either your pastor or Sunday
School Superintendent or one of the :
following township Chairmen: J. B. i
Ingle, June Wrenn, I. H. Dunlap,
T. B. Beal, C. M. Pattishall, W. H.
Ferguson, G. E. Moore, W. W.
Stedman, J. D. Mclver, Robert Sey
mour, Henry Durham, J. A. Shad
rach, or W. L. Farrell, County
Treasurer.
Let me appeal to you to contri
bute and as much as you can and
as soon as you can. We want to
raise this amount and I am con-1
fident that we can and will and
I hope by December Ist.
Victor R. Johnson,
County Chairman.
WELL-KNOWN
MINISTER DIES
Rev. E. M. Snipes, Long Active
in North Carolina Confer
ence, Dies at Durham ‘
Greensboro News. Nov. 18.-Rev.
E. M. Snipes, 62 years of age died
yesterday morning at Watts hospit
al, Durham. He has been in ill
health a year. For three decades
he was in the active ministry as a
member of the North Carolina con
ference, Methodist Episcopal church,
south, but because of the state of
bis health he was forced to give up
his work in November, 1929. At
that time he was pastor of the
Methodist church at Mount Olive, on
the Goldsboro district. Last winter
he spent considerable time in Flori
da in an effort to regain his health.
Funeral services will be conduct
ed at 3 o’clock this afternoon at
Durham, interment following in
Maplewood cemetery there.
Mr. Snipes was recognized for
many years in the North Carolina
conference. He had the remarkable
record of remaining the full quad
renium on each charge which he
served. His charges included the
presiding eldership of the Washing
ton district and pastorates at
Dunn, Burlington, Roxlboro, Ox-i
ford, and Mount Olive. He had
many staunch friends in North Car
olina.
Mrs. -J. W. Mann, of 129 South
Mendenhall street, is a neice of Mr.
Snipes. He was the youngest son
of the late Alvis and Mary Snipes.
He married Miss Daisy Randall, a
sister of Mrs. Y. E. Smith, of Dur
ham, and a granddaughter of the
late Dr. Sanford, who was a prom
inent minister of the North Caro
ina conference. He leaves his wife;
a sister, Mrs. W. F. Womble, of
Winston-Salem, and a brother, W.
S. Snipes, of Newton. Mr. Snipes
was born in Chatham county, a
few miles from Chapel Hill.
<g>
U. D. C. Meeting
The Winnie Davis Chapter of the
U. D. C. held their regular monthly
meeting Friday, Nov. 14th, with Mrs.
W. B. Chapin and Mrs. Della Fike
joint hostesses.
Dixie was sung, followed by the
ritual. The minutes were read, and
the following corrections made—the
name of Miss Minnie Bell was in
certed as the member who received
two prizes for essays, also the
name of Mrs. W. L. Farrell was in
cluded on refreshment committee.
The president brought the atten
tion of the chapter to the member
ship drive, there being several pros
pective members from the C. of C.
Chapter.
Mrs. Mann, Mrs. Tatum, and Miss
Pauline Taylor were appointed to
have charge of Veteran’s Christmas
boxes. Committee was asked to mail
boxes by the 19th. of December.
The Chapter was asked to meet
in the club room, Friday at three
o’clock, prior to bazaar on Satur
day, to price articles and make final
arrangements. The C. of C. ChapteT
also will have booth.
Mrs. Victor Johnson and Mrs.
Gunter were asked to serve on Mrs.
Lanius’ committee. Motion was made
and carried that each member pay
fifty cents instead of serving din
ner.
By rising love and sympathy was
expressed for Mrs. J. L. Griffin
in her bereavement; the secretary
was asked to write a note of sym
pathy to her.
Mrs. Victor Johnson, our district
director, read an invitation to the
chapter to the unveiling of the
memorial to Orren Randolph Smith,
at Fletcher, N. C. Sunday P. M.,
Nov. 16th.
Mrs. Johnson said that all
chapter presidents had been asked to
xeep monthly memorandums of
everything of interest, which will
prove he pful in making yearly
report.
Motion was made and carried to
have copies of the Confederate
songs made.
Excerpts from Mrs. Anderson’s
book “Women of the Confederacy”
were read by Mesdames Hunt,
Gregory, and Johnson.
Mrs. Gregory told of many inter
esting trips to historic noints while
on a recent visit to Louisiana.
The hosteses served tea and wa
fers.
Mrs. J; M. Gregory, Pres.
Mrs. D. B. Nooe, Sec.
$
JUNIOR COUNCIL
HERE FLOURISHING
j The Stonewall Jackson Council
iof the Junior Order, organized here
by Rev. W. T. Hurst, district de
puty, Oct. 31, has started out un
der auspicious circumstances. There
j were about forty charter members,
and at a meeting held last Friday
night, at which the initiation team
of the Carrboro Council was pres
ent, the new members of the order
were initiated.
There were about 150 Juniors
present from the various councils
for the initiation. The new order
*has its home in the Woman’s Club
room above Pilkington’s Drug store,
j The next meeting will be held on
i the evening of December sth. The
| regular meeting time would be Fri
day evening before the first and
, third Sundays.
1
Subscriber* at Every
Postoffice and All R.
F. D. Rontas in Great
County of Chatham*
VOLUME 52—NUMBER
Mr. J- L. Griffin
Buried Thurs.
Former Clerk of Court, Sena
tor, Banker, and Churchman
Laid to Rest in Cemetery at
Siler Cit y—Distinguished
Citizens of State Attend
Obsequies.
The body of Mr. James L. Grif
fin, whose death was recorded in
last week’s Chatham Record, was
buried in the beautiful cemetery
at Siler City Thursday afternoon,
November 14. Funeral services were
conducted at the home in Pitts
boro, after which the cortege pro
ceeded to the home of Mrs. Griffin
for the burial, which was under
Masonic auspices.
In addition to hundreds of friends
and. relatives from the immediate
section, there came distinguished
friends from several points in the
state. From Raleigh came Hon.
Walter D. Siler, Henry M. London,
Attorney-General Brummitt, Com
missioner of Agriculture Graham,
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. U. Harris, Supt.
Geo. E. Lineberry of the institution
for the blind; from East Carolina
Teachers’ College, Greenville, of
which Mr. Griffin was trustee, Presi
dent R. H. Wright and Prof. L. R.
Meadows; from Harrellsville, Rev.
R. B. Lineberry, From Wake Forest,
Dean D. B. Bryan, a brother-in-law
of Mr. Griffin’s from Sanford Mr.
Robbards and others.
The funeral service was conducted
by the deceased’s pastor, Rev. Mr.
Caudill.
At the cemetery in Siler City
many of Mr. Griffin’s friends from
that town and other communities
were present to pay their last
respects to their distinguished and
most useful countyman.
Supt. R,eid S. Thompson impres
sively read the Masonic ritual; while
the assembled brethern of the craft
performed the suggestive and beau
tiful rites of the order.
‘The floral offerings were numer
ous and very beautiful.
While it was a sad occasion, really
the period for grief had passed
weeks before when it became clear
that recovery was impossible and
that every days the devoted sufferer
lived was one of almost unceasing
pain, and that death would be a
relief. Indeed, he himself expressed
a readiness to go as soon as the
Lord would take him.
C. C. POE CHOSEN
TAX-COLLECTOR
County Commissioners, in Spe
cial Session, Office
of Tax Collector and Ap
points Retiring Register of
Deeds to Position at Salary
of $2,000, to be Deducted
from Sheriff’s Salary.
At a special meeting of the Board
of County Commissioners held in
their office at Pittsboro, on Novem
ber 15th, a resolution was duly
adopted creating the office of Tax
Collector for Chatham County. This
p aced Chatham County along with
the many other counties of the State
in taking a forward step toward
working out a more efficient system
of County Government.
Mr. Charles C. Poe, out-going
Register of Deeds, was duly ap
pointed Tax Collector for the next
two years, at a salary of $2,000.00
which salary is to be deducted from
the salary of the Sheriff. Therefore
this office is not an additional ex
pense to the county since the sher
iff’s salary is already appropriated.
The tax collector will be required
to give a bond with some reliable
surety company doing business in
the State of North Carolina, for
the faithful performance of his du
ties as such official.
Mr. Poe is thoroughly acquainted
with the matter of taxes in Chatham
County by reason of his duties as
Register of Deeds and Ex-Officio
Tax Supervisor, for the past eight
years. Considering the importance
of a tax collector the county com
missioners did not deem it wise to
appoint to this place any one at this
time who had not had experience in
the matter of county taxation.
It is hoped that the people of the
county will give Mr. Poe their hearty
support and help this office to be a
great success as was intended.
S>
“FARM PHILOSOPHY”
The good farmer is the one who
never learns all he wants to know
about farming.
* * *
Farm machines are the “Iron
Men” whose labor costs less than
that of human machines.
* * *
Another fine thing about 4—H
club training is that there are
forty years in which to put the
training into practic.