Newspapers / State Port Pilot (Southport, … / Aug. 3, 1955, edition 1 / Page 2
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"If’s COME A LONG M AY” . . . that’s what Willie V. Hammonds, center, could be telling .Tames Hammonds, left, and W. F. Dyer, about this year's Tobacco Edition of The News Reporter. Tiie (no helped to publish the 1930 leaf issue of the Whiteville newspaper and now, 25 years later, they're still on their jobs in the NR shop. * 3 hi \ H Shop Worked t hi 1930 Tobacco Edition By riGOS POWERS When first we learned that we were expected to drum up, and beat out. some sort of interesting stoiy for this year’s Tobacco Edi tion, we immediately began won dering . . . Did The News Re porter have a Tobacco Edition 25 years ago ? Well, we checked back and found the answer . . . YES, there was a News Reporter TE of 1930. So, after quite a bit of research and quite a bit more of “beatin' it out”, we offer to our readers of this paper the following article that compares, somewhat, that 25-year-old issue with the one that comes to you today. Twenty Pages The 1930 NR leaf issue was made up of 20 pages, each 7 columns wide instead of the reg ular 8 columns of today. At the time, the late Lewis Brothers— B. Gordon and Rone H. —were editor and manager, re spectively, of the paper. Mrs. Gladys Winsette Fisher was com bination society editor and book keeper oh the three-person office force. These three people not only took care of the business end of the newspaper in detail, but they also wrote all the copy that went into the paper. The News Reporter was pub lished once a week then—on Thursday—instead of twice week ly as it is now. Shop Force In the printing plant was a crew of six stalwart workers. This was quite a large group when it is remembered that Whiteville, Columbus County, North Carolina, yes, even the United States, was trying to throw off the yoke of one of the worst depressions it had ever experienced. Naturally, this crew aid any job that came to hand in its part of the firm, also, since the NR did both newspaper and job print ing in the same shop. This shop force was composed of Willie V. Hammonds, James Hammonds, W. F. Dyer, S. F. Taylor, David Cook, and Don Rey nolds. Three Still Around Of the above sextet, three are still around—25 years later— j helping to put out this 1955 News Reporter Tobacco Edition! These sturdy souls are Willie Hammonds, James Hammonds and W. F. Dyer. Willie and Dyer have been with the NR contin ously, while Jim Hammonds has had two periods of absence, to serve hitches with the Army and Navy. Willie, who has now been stead ily employed with the paper for 48 years, sai 1 that the 1930 TE was “printed on an old Cranston Hand-Fed Press.'* He even knows 1 where the old press is, “it’s in Bennettsville, S. C. now.” James, his brother, told me he had “fed that old press by hand many, many times. It would print about 1,600 papers per hour when limning wide open. Our circula tion was about 2,300 then, and I’ve fed the entire circulation in an hour and a half.” The present press used here will print about 3,600 copies per hour. Fair Bluff Deader Fair Bluff, the oldest tobacco mar. vi in Columbus County, was the leader here then—even in the i number of warehouses. The Lumber Kiver town had four warehouses; Whiteville, Chadbourn, and Mt. Tabor (as Tabor City was then named) each had three houses. All were in the South Carolina sales belt then. At Fair Bluff, Farmer’s Ware house was owned by E. K. Hall & Co.: Grainger’s by R. C. Grain ger; Abbott’s by Pepper and Pe tree; and Turner’s by A. M. and J. A Turner. Chadbourn’s New Brick was operated by L. R. Jackson; the Chadbourn by George Myers; and the Graham by Hester and Jordan. Mt. Tabor had the Farmer’s; Planter’s, run by Hutcheson & Pridgen; and the Carolina, op erated by J. S. Walden Co. H mteviHe Houses Lea’s Warehouse in Whiteville was operated by Harry G. Lea, who later became quite famous over the Columbus, Bladen, and Brunswick trade area for his house slogan, "Hang It On Pappy.” The other two leaf auction out lets here were the Wilson Ware house. owned by the Tuggle and Tuggle combine ;and the Grow er’s, run by Nelson and Nelson. Lea’s evidently is the same Lea’s that was torn down here during the past few months on West Main Street, extending to West Walter Street, in downtown Whiteville. The Wilson was likely the Tuggle Warehouse on East Main today, while the Grower's was a part of Nelson’s Ware house on East Walter Street in the days of 1955. Fourth House Rumored A. feature story in the 1920 TE told . that "Whiteville May Have New House”, its fourth, in the near future. No building had been done, as far as an addition to the leaf market was concerned, I it said, since the Wilson house was constructed in 1922. “It had been rumored,” the story told, “that a Fairmont to bacconist had planned to build here last Fall, on the Powell Lot on East Main Street across from the Atlantic Coast Line depot, but it was never built. However, it is felt here that Wh ; wille could support another warenouse.” The Powell Lot referred to is evidently the one on which Crutchfield’s Warehouse is now built. So, the story was not al- 1 together wrong, though it took some three or four years to get i it to come true. Markets Ready Markets all over the county were readying themselves for the opening of the market on Tues day, August 5. Some of the houses were practically “loaded” already. A story about the local mart said, "All this week bright, yellow golden leaves and bundles of to bacco have been hauled into the local tobacco market preparatory to the opening next Tuesday.” Companies slated to have buy ers on the Whiteville market dur ing the 1930 season were Export, Imperial, Liggett and Myers, Rey nolds, American, W. B. Lea and Co., R. D. Williams Tobacco Co., and several independent buyers. Outlook Not Bright Though everyone was hopeful, there didn't seem to be too much of a bright outlook on the out come of the markets’ opening, or the ensuing sales, according to words gleaned from the issue, j To begin with, the Georgia Florida markets had opened with leaf selling between 2 and 3 cents cheaper than it had the year before, which had seen Whiteville and Columbus County marts wind up with an average of between 12-14 cents per pound i another point that showed the type of depression through which our people were going at the time). R. M. Garrell, Mt. Tabor bank er, had made a statement to the press saying that the tobacco crop hereabouts was one of the “shortest” he had seen in many years. “It is about 3 5 percent be low normal,” he stated. Jake \\ as 1‘leased However, on the other side of the picture, Genial J D. (Jake) Rochelle of Cerro Gordo—one of Columbus County’s best-loved ruritans in his day—had sunshine in his statement, “I have got the best crop of tobacco, corn, beans and hogs that I have ever grown. I have been farming this ; makes my 33rd year and I am better pleased over my outlook than I have ever been!” Tire advertisements in the pa per, or at least some of them, also reflected the scarcity of l “dough” in the farmers’ and oth er folks’ pockets at the time. Many of them contained prices that today’s readers can hardly believe . . . but, just remember, money was hard to get then. Ads From All Over rhough there weren t an un usual number of display adver tisements in the 1930 TE, there were some from all areas of the [ county. And, some from outside. The Carolina Theatre, Wilming ton, was advertising “All Quiet On the Western Front.” White ville's own Columbus Theatre had an ad saying, “SEE—HEAR—All Talking”, such pictures as “Cheer Up And Smile” with Dixie Lee, Arthur Lake and Olga Baelanova; “Lovin’ The Ladies”, with Lois Wilson and Rita La Roy; and “Pardon My Gun” (billed as a “New Brand Of Western”) with George Duryea, Sally Starr, Rob ert Edeson, Lee Moran, Mona | Ray, Tom McFarlane, and Hank McFarlane—admission 40 and 20 cents. McGougan Electric Co. of Mt. Tabor was advertising “A New Frigidaire” for $157.50. Columbus Motor Co. of White ville, whose slogan was “Toot An-Kum-In" ,was advertising the fact that it had 800 auto tires to sell at “$1 a week, time pay ments, or crop time”. Leder Bro thers, local dry goods organiza tion, had a half-page ad on the front of the second section. Only 8 Classifieds There were only 8 classified ads in the issue! But, the remainder of the page was filled with legal advertisements, practically every one a notice of foreclosure or land sale—again showing how “tight” times were. Cricket Service Station at the Court House Square was telling the world that they would have “24 Hour Service Beginning Aug ust 1." New Ford prices ran from $435 for a roadster to the town sedan which sold for $660. an ad stated. There was a full page adver tising the Fair Bluff Tobacco Market, sponsored by such firms as W. R. Lewis, A. M. Anderson, Floyd-Anderson Drug, Farmer’s and Merchants’ Bank, Ellis Meares, Scott Motor Co., B. F. Rogers Drug, J. P. Waddell, and the four warehouses. The Martinque, Hamilton and Cairo Hotels, all of Washington, D. C., were advertising rooms for from $3 to $5 per day. Roberts Clothing Store of Mount Tabor had such bargains as “Druid LL Sheeting, 7 3-4 Cents per yd.; Men’s 220 Denim overalls, 90 cents a pair; 12 Mumme All- Silk Pongee, 1st quality, red stamp, 17V2 cents yd.; and Men’s dress shirts, vat dye, every shirt guar anteed fast color, 85 cents each!” Local Market Ad There was a full-page ad boost- | ing the local tobacco mart, signed j “Whiteville Business Men.” Other local ads were from Lein wand Cash Store, telling of the sale of ‘‘$5 ladies pure linen dresses in all colors, $2.49”; Prid gen & McGougan, Chevrolet deal ers, selling “1927 1-ton truck, ways Support You.” Quinn-Brown Furniture Co., was offering a 6-quart strainer-kettle for 100 Octagon Soap coupons. $225; 1928 Studebaker Coupe, $225; 1926 Chev. Coupe, $125; and 1927 Ford Sedan, $75.” The Bank of Whiteville contribution said, “Support Those Who Al Others In Issue Other advertisers in the 1930 TE were The One Price Store, The News Reporter, Sanitary Steam Laundry, Tide Water Pow er Co. (for GE), Lea’s Warehouse, Avant and Sholar (Dodge deal ers), Schulken Bios., Vineland Market, H. Moskow Dept. Stores, Grower’s Warehouse, J. T. Mc Kenzie & Co., J. L. Powell & Co., Whiteville Market, McDaniel-Boice Insurance Agency, Inc., Handy Hardware House, Hill's Ice Cream, Columbus Drug Store, Kramer’s Dept. Store, Waccamaw Bank and Trust Co., Columbus Market. McRoy’s Dept. Store, Mc Rackan’s, Guiton’s Drug Store, New York Cafe, Garrell Bros., Whiteville Motor Co., and Tug gle’s Warehouse; all local firms. And, out-of-town ads came from Faiimont Tobacco Market, Plant er’s Warehouse, Carolina Ware house, and D. J. Hughes & Co., all of Mount Tabor; A. W. Lewis and Chadbourn Warehouse, both of Chadbourn; and Black Flag Insect Poison, and Chesterfield cigarettes (Liggett-Myers). -Mother, Son Killed News, other than that pertain ing to the tobacco market, told that Mrs. Janetta Cain, 42, and her 10-year-old son, Jasper, of Ransom Township, had died in an auto accident 5 miles west of Acme on Highway 21 Sunday night. Rev. Arthur Vann Gibson, pas tor of the Presbyterian Church, had been named president of the local Rotary. Sam Lineberry had been the fourth person charged in the Dec. 31, 1929 murder of Columbus County Deputy Sheriff Hoke Smith. A midget golf tour nament was planned on the Wac I carnaw course, sponsored by the Hallsboro Woman’s Club. Contracts had been let for pav ing the Whiteville-Clarkton road. Mrs. Richard Lewis had enter tained at bridge Thursday night, winners being Mrs. E. L. Vinson, high, and Mis J. A. Guiton, sec ond. P. G. Gallop, director of Sports at the local school, had an article in the issue on ath letics. M. E. VVilliamson of Cerro Gordo (father of the current Sen ator Arthur Williamson) had grown a squash weighing 12 pounds. 5 ounces! Secured Patent Ft. C. Shaw and Gurley Fields, Evergreen men, had secured a patent on a plant-setter they’d devised. Mrs Albert Ellis of Delco had found a friendly jaybird. There were pictures showing the new tile brick type of tobacco barn, and also one showing the old log style barn. Atlantic Coast Line was to op erate a Livestock Special Train through Eastern North Carolina which would make Columbus County stops at Mount Tabor and Whiteville. The News Reporter would again have J. S. Hufham at Whiteville's leaf mart and Troy C. Boswell at the Fair Bluff, Tabor and Chadbourn markets to solicit sub scriptions for the paper. Miss Louise High, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar High of Whiteville, had been chosen “Miss Univer sity" at the U. of Virginia Sum mer School from among 1,500 students. Cartoons in the 1930 TE were "Joe Gish, Pinky Dinky and Back Yard Kronies.” There was a serial story running named "Miss No body from Nowhere,” by Eliza beth Jordan. All Hand-Set Ads All of the advertisements and many of the headlines in the edi tion were hand-set, according to Willie Hammonds. The 1955 Tobacco Edition, though the NR now has two is sues of its own to publish per week instead of one as in 1930, has a shop force of nine regular workers and four part-timers, as compared to the Big Six of 1930. This year's shop crew is Willie, James, Dyer, plus Hubert Stanley, E. Sellers, Jr., Mrs. Evelyn John son, Ed Hughes, J. B. Davis, and J. W. Jones. Then there are Judy Thompson, Phyllis Gold, Johnny Smith, and Nathan Tedder, who work part time in the shop. And, there’s Editor and Man ager Leslie S. Thompson, Asso ciate Editor Vic Bubbett, Social Editor Carol Lewis (she's a “Miss”, Fellows!), Ad Manager Joe Wells, Reporter Bob High, Circulation Manager Grace Jor dan, Bookkeeper Audrey Mae Cullifer, and your writer in the "front office” force today. Print Shop Out This personnel does not include that of the job-print shop and office supply sales force, which was separated from the NR, it self, more than two years ago By way of comparison, too, look at the Whiteville tobacco market. It has 16 warehouses now, instead of the three of 1930; has grown into one of the most progressive marts in the Border Belt. Fair Bluff, Chadbourn. and Tabor City (once Mt. Tabor) have also grown in ithe tobacco busi ness. Prices are up, both in tobacco which averaged better than 50 cents per pound at Whiteville last year, and in the products mer chants are selling. With the increase of office force, shop force, and potential of the Columbus leaf markets being better, it may seem to the reader that this year’s Tobacco Edition of the NR -made up of 20-odd pages isn't a great im provement over that of 25 years ago. But, those in charge of the public:1 lion have found over the years (the NR Tobacco Edition has run as high as nearly 60 pages at times) that it pays to be more compact and accurate in this special edition. Still, that old TE of 1930 is very interesting to browse through . . . North Carolina farmers should be thinking about what they're going to do with land made idie by the removal of excess crops. Pictures should decorate a wall space, add color, but above all, should be interesting, says Paul ine E. Gordon, State College ex tension housing specialist. Interest in aromatic tobacco production is increasing in North Carolina, according to extension agronomy specialists. SffiVSCE TYPEWRJTE3 COMPANY 8910 Wrightsvi’.Ie Ave. WHJIIXGTON, X. 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State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 3, 1955, edition 1
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