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VOLUMEL
. Asheboro, North Carolina, Thursday, December 24, 1925
=5=2=—:
NUMBER SI
1 i
Hundreds Gather at Opening of the
New $90,000 E E. Church in Asheboro
House Wanning He
day Night When
and Friends C
Held Last Fri
ibera
impressive CEREMONIES
mark the gathering
First Sermon Was Preached In
New Church Last Sunday—
■ Methodists Rejoice.
Last Friday night, December 18th,
a year and forty hoars since the
Methodists of Asheboro and their
friends gathered at the site of the
new church to take, part in the im
pressive cei'emonies attendant upon
the laying of the cornerstone, these
same Methodist Episcopal church
members and their scores of friends
gathered to participate in a house
warming in the finished building.
Not all,of the more than five hund
red members of the church were there
last Friday night to rejoice in the
opening of the new $90,000 edifice
on the corner of North Fayetteville
and Salisbury streets, but all were
there who were not .prevented by
something over which they had no
control, and what was lacking in
number of Methodists was made up
by Christian people of other denom
inations of the town who came to re
joice with their brother Christians.
It was an occasion long to be re
membered by the Christian people of
Asheboro. All the worry and the
work and the waiting which the
members of the church and the var
ious committees having charge of the
construction work were forgotten in
this hour of rejoicing. They came
together in good fellowship and to
show that they were not the only
people to be glad, a large portion of
the population of the town turned
out to extend the warm hand of fel
lowship.
Mrs. Sulon B. Stedman presided at
the, magnificient new pipe organ at
the ceremonies held in the main au
ditorium, which, although large, was
made to appear inadequate by the
crowd of happy people who jammed it
full Friday night. Rev. W. H. Willis,
the pastor, who has been tireless in
his efforts to see the new church an
accomplished fact, presided.
The spacious main auditorium rang
with the refrain from “All Hail The
Power of Jesus’ Name” and again to
the 'Mbs ef “Joy To The World,”
both of which were sung by the choir
and congregation.
i
Mrs. W. A. Underwood read Dr.
T. C. Walker’s historical sketch of
Asheboro Methodism which appears
\ in this issue and which every member
of the church should read and cut
out for future reference.
Rev. A. W. Plyler, a former pastor
of the church, and the man who was
instrumeptal in the building of the
old church structure, was there and
responded in his usual pleasing and
effective way to call of Mr. Willis.
He told of the building of the old
church and related many incidents
of his pastorate in Asheboro. It
was very gratifying to this beloved
pastor to see the church in Asheboro
grow to its present proportions and
to be present on the occasion of the
house warming in the new church.
Ministers of the town, Rev. J. E.
Pritchard, of the M. P. church, Rev.
C. L. Gregory, of the Friends church,
and Rev. Cothran G. Smith, of the
Presbyterian, also expressed their ap
preciation of the new church building
and extended their congratulations to
the M. E. denomination. Rev. B. E.
Morris, pastor of the Baptist chdrch,
was unavi ‘
ing j
Follow!!
auditorium, uie conKrenuon was ais
Jr
™B8MaltgB Prlr|1"1"'—l"r—1
in
in
t
every Sunday school room
-a* greeted their students and
the guests. All the rooms were in
elyded in the inspection tour, includ
ing the boiler room and the kitchen,
yv Sefreshments, consisting of sand
*nd coffee, were served by
the todies of the church,
the refreshments all joined „ „
“Blest Be The Tie That Binds.1
Sunday morning the first se-_
whs preached in the new church. Mr.
Willis took as his subject “The Per
fumed House,” taking his text from
that beautiful incident related in the
. Bible in which Mary anointed the
feet of Jesus with the box of ala
baster, Just as the perfume of the
alabaster and the gnept love of Mary
for the Saviour filled the room in
Jesus and his disciples sat in
— so, Said Mr. Willis,
e of the great love of
. people of Asheboro fill
auditorium of the new
tiding dedicated to God.
!h was crowded
filled again Sun
a year
of the
filled
from
NOT SPACE FOR ALL OF
SANTA CLAUS LETTERS
Santa’s Little Friends Respond
ed Wholeheartedly to Invita
tion to Write Santa.
A number of Santa Claus letters
so kindly sent in to The Courier by
Santa’s many little friends through
out the county will not be published
this year on account of the lack of
time to set them in type. Then, too,
many of our little friends'Waited un
til the last minute and their letters
could not be published in time for
Santa to get them through The Cou
rier.
In order that Santa may be ad
vised .as to what his little friends
want for themselves and for little
brother and sister we are mailing
them direct to Old Santa with the
suggestion that he bring each of his'
little friends and ours just what they
have asked for. The Courier .is
grateful for the response of its little
friends to the invitation to write to
Santa Claus. Last week about ter?*
columns of these letters were pub
lished and this week a few. But there
are ten columns more that will not
be gotten in for. the reasons assigned
above.
THERE WILL BE CHRISTMAS
CHEER IN THIS FARM HOME
Not long: ago a story appeared in
the papers of the State telling how
a farmer with his family all in his
Ford car came to Burlington to do
Christmas shopping. His total wealth
for the'festive occasion was $10. He
unfortunately got into a wreck which
cost him $10, the only money he had.
Therefore, he and his family had to
return home with* no hopes for any
Christmas cheer for the children.
The idenity of the farmer was not
learned. A number of people in the
State reading of the plight of the
family began to inquire as to their
identify. Police officers and others in
Burlington got busy and found out
their names. Now, the children will
be made happy by a visit from Santa
Claus, for the farmer has been reim
bursed for his loss. Dozens of people
sent checks for $10, all being anxious
that his children should have Christ
mas cheer along1 with the other chil
dren of the country.
RECENT RAWS
BREAK DROUGHT
However, Rainfall "Is Still Par
Below the Average for the
Month of December.
The prolonged drought which has
held Randolph county in its grasp for
the past several months and which
has affected the water supply for
Asheboro as well as the springs and
wells in the country has been defi
nitely broken during the past several
days by abundant rains. According
tb the figures given out by Rev. J.
E. Pritchard, who measures the rain
fall for his own pleasure and whose
figures are always available for the
press, the rainfall on Saturday night,
Dec. 19, amounted to .50 of an inch
while on Monday, the 21st, the rain
fall amounted to .70 of an incl).
These, together with other light
rains during the month, brought the
total up to 1.62 inches as against
an average for the first 21 f’ays of
December of 2.56 inches. The aver
age for the month of December in
this section is 3.91 inches, so while
the rains have been ample for the
present we are still short a consider
able amount for the month.
Mr. Pritchard states that according
to the figures furnished him by the
U. S. Weather Bureau, at Raleigh,
as taken from the record kept at
Randleman for the past twenty years,
the rainfall remains practically the
same for the months of December,
January and February while there is
a slight increase in March. The
heaviest rainfhll comes in July with
an average of 5.99 inches while the
lightest is in November with a fall
°f 2-08 inches, . ■
OLD M. E. CHURCH BUILDING
i ■ i
The New $90,000 Methodist Episcopal Church, South, At Asheboro
I-: _—1
—The Wm. A. Kober*3 Film Co.
W. E. KEARNS, OF
FARMER, IS READ
End Came Suddenly Monday
From Cerebral Hemorrhage
—Found at Barn.
One of the sad deaths recorded this
week is that of Mr. W. Ed Kearns, of
Farmer, Monday morning from a
cerebral hemorrhage. Mr. Kearns,
apparently in the best of health, left
his home about 8 o’clock Monday
morning to go to Marvin Hammond’s,
a, mile and a half distant, on a busi
ness errand. As he did not return at
noon time, Mr. Kearns’ wife suspect
ed he and Mr. Hammond had gone on
a business trip. Late in the after
noon, since her husband had not yet'
returned, Mrs. Warns made inquiry
at the Hammond’s hoihe and learned
that Mr. Kearns had left the place at
about 11 o’clock for home.
A, neighborhood search was insti
tuted which resulted in the finding of
Mr. Kearns lying dead near his own
bam. The physician’s verdict, was
that he had died suddenly from a
cerebral homorrhage.
Mr. Kearns was fifty years of age.
He was married to Miss Clarir.da
Ellington about 23 years ago and to
this union there are two children, Mrs.
R. F. Brackin, of Farmer, and Mr.
Neal Kearns, of High Point. Sur
viving also are two brothers, J. 0.
Kearns, of Farmer, and I. S. Kearns,
of Florida; and one sister, Mrs.
Roland Kearns,, of Caraway.
Funeral services were conducted
yesterday at Concord church, Farmer,
by Rev. G. W. Clay. A large number
of relatives and friends gathered to
pay respect to a beloved friend and
highly esteemed citizen.
WILLIAM TROY WARD DIED
AT MILLBORO SATURDAY
Was 71 Years of Age and Long a
Prominent Farmer—Brother of J.
B. Ward, of Asheboro.
William Troy Ward, aged 71, died
at his home near Millboro Saturday
afternoon at 4 o’clock, following an
illness which lasted almost three
years. He had long been a prominent
farmer of his community and had al
ways taken an active part in the af
fairs of his county.
He is survived by a daughter, Mrs.
Alice Baldwin, of Millboro; a son,
John Ward, of Morganton; eight
grandchildren; five brothers, Arthur
Ward, of EJon College; John B.
Ward, of Asheboro; Abraham and
O. P. Ward, of Liberty; Michael
Ward, of MJllboro; and a sister, Mrs.
Bennie Ward, of Greensboro.
The funeral services were held
Sm Gray’s Chapel Methodist Pro
tant church Sunday afternoon at
3 o'clock and interment was made in
‘the church cemetery. '•*5®
By Team Work and Indi
Asheboro Episcopal
The report of C. C. Cranford,
treasurer of the building committee
of the new Methodist Episcopal
church, in Asheboro, shows the total
cost of the church, its fixtures and
furnishings, amounts to $92,580.94.
This sum, when the members of the
church consider what they have for
their money in the way of material
things, not counting the satisfaction
SfclsSS**
finest, if not the finest, of its si*e
WISTER PRESNELL DIES
FROM FRACTURED SKULL
Fell Oat of Truck on High Point
Road and Was Fatally In
jured—Funeral Sunday'.
Wister Presnell, son of Mrs. Callie
Presnell and the late Wiley Presnell,
of the Seagrove community, died in
Memorial hospital, /^Csheboro, Satur
day as a result of injuries sustained
Friday morning when he fell from
a truck on the Asheboro-High Point
road about nine miles south of High
Point.
Mr. Presnell was riding on the
seat by the side of his brother Fitz
hugh, who was driving, when he no
ticed that the radiator cap was about
to come off. He climbed out on the
fender to tighten the cap and as he
was screwing it in place his hat blew
off. He threw up his hand to catch
his hat, lost his balance and fell to
the asphalt fracturing his skull and
sustaining other igjarjes from which
there' was no tech very. He
was brought to Memorial hospital,
Asheboro, for treatment.
Mr. Presnell was 31 years of age
and unmarried. He resided with his
widowed mother and *was engaged in
farming. In addition to his mother,
he is survived by two brother, Fitz
hugh and Dewitt, and two sisters,
Mrs. Melvin Pierce and Mrs. Vernon
Chriscoe, all of this county. The
funeral service was conducted at New
Hope church last Sunday.
RANDLEMAN YOUTH IS
VICTIM OF ACCIDENT
Another victim of the many auto
mobile accidents in the county in the
past few days is Mr. Shields Dicks, of
Randleman, who is in Memorial hos
pital suffering from injuries sustain
ed in an accident at Seagrove Satur
day. Mr. Dicks and his brother were
in a roadster driving north toward
Asheboro when the accident occurred
at the railway crossing just north of
the town. The car in making the
curve across which the railway runs
followed the rails, throwing Mr.
Dicks out of the car. He sustained
injuries od his head and body. His
brother was not injured.
Miss Anna Gregson Married
ter at Newllano and other points in
Louisiana.
Frank A. Munsey, aged 71, who
rose from farmer boy to one of the
biggest publishers in the world, died
at a hospital in New York Tuesday
from peritonitis.
vidual Effort The
Methodists Build Church
artistic and harmonious Jight fixtures
throughout the church were donated
'jy Mrs. T. H. Redding and her child
ren in memory of the late T. H.
Redding, one of the county’s leading
citizens of the town and a leader in
church work among the Methodists.
The McCrary-Redding Hardware Co.
Mr. W. J. Gregson, of Spero, an
nounces the marriage of his daughter,
Miss Anna, to Mr. Homer A. Loutrel,
the event taking place at Newllano,
La., on November 26. The young
couple will make their home at that
place.
Mr. Gregson is spending the win
ELWNNMMM
DEAD AT AGE 67
End Came Last Friday at His
Home Near Central Falls—
Long Prominent Citizen.
Malpheus Ludolph Winningham,
aged 67, one of the county’s best cit
izens, died at his home near Central
Falls last Friday afternoon following
an illness of about a year. The end
was not unexpected since Mr. Win
ningham’s condition had been critical
for- the past two months.
In 1880 Mr. Winningham was mar
ried to Miss Emma Rothella York,
who survives him. He is also sur
vived by one brother, K. L. Winning
ham, of near Asheboro; and by six
children, who are Mrs. W. I. Myrick,
of Troy; Mrs. Charles D. Reeder, of
Asheboro; James R. Winningham, of
Atlanta, Ga.; John B. Winningham,
of Asheville; Artemus \B. Winnangr
ham, of Central Falls; and Amos R.
Winningham, of Okeechobee, Fla.
Mr. Winningham had lived in Rand
olph county all his life and was known
and respected by a large circle of
friends. He was a good farmer and
a progressive citizen. To an unusual
degree he saw the humorous side of
life and this fact made him the cen
ter of attraction in whatever compa
ny of people he happened to be in.
About a year ago Mr. Winningham
suffered a stroke of paralysis and
since then had been*-In feeble health.
About two months ago he suffered
another stroke and since that time his
condition had been critical.
The funeral service was conducted
at Giles’ Chapel M. P. church by
Rev. J. F. Pritchard, pastor of the
M. P. church; in Asheboro, assisted
by Rev. G. H. Hill, on Sunday morn
ing, December 20th, at 11 o’clock,
and burial was in the cemetery near
by. A large number of people from
this and surrounding sections were
present to pay tribute to the memory
of this splendid citizen.
G. T. TOWNSEND IS HELD
UP AT POINT OF GUN
Was Cutting Holly Boughs
When Confronted by Armed
Men and Forced to Run.
Held up at the point of a gun,
cursed and abused and told to run for
his life was the experience of G. T.
Townsend, citizen of Liberty, Sunday
afternoon while he was cutting a
piece of holly from a tree in the
woods in the southern edge of Guil
ford county. Townsend had stopped
his car in which were his wife and
children and had proceeded a short
distance in the woods tov get some
holly for Christmas when he was
confronted by three armed men, who
asked him his business.
He was cursed and abused, accord
ing to his statement, and ordered to
walk for some distance through the
woods before the armed men and then
told to run. This he proceeded to do
and ran straight for his car at that
time about a mile and a half away.
Greensboro officers Monday arrest
ed Charlie Clapp, young white man
of the community, and he was identi
fied as being one of the trio by Mr.
Townsend. Mr. Clapp, however, de
nies the charge.
NEARLY 2000 BALES OF
COTTON GINNED IN CO.
Report from J} S. Ridge, special
agent for the Department of Com
merce, shows that to date there have
been ginned in Randolph county 1,
996 bales of cotton of the 1926 crop.
Last year at the same date 1,668
bales of the 1924 crop had
Promised Improvements On Highways
70 and 75 Will Mean Much to Randolph
THIS CHRISTMAS BEST
SINCE THE WORLD WAR
Peace on Earth, Except in Iso
lated Instances—America
Prosperous This Year.
Every indication is that this will
be the best Christmas this old world
has experienced since the beginning
of the great war, if not the best in
the history of time. Old Santa Claus
when he makes his rounds this
Christmas with his reindeer and
sleigh will find America “wearing
the top hat and pateflt leather pumps
of prosperity in jaunty style.” The
situation on the Old Continent is
somewhat improved.
France is still bothered with the
decline of the franc. England has
the unemployed problem on her hands.
But with the signing of the Locarno
pacts thete is a spirit of peace in the
air that overshadows all these trou
bles and holds out encouragement for
the Yuletide season.
The traditional Christmas dinners
are being prepared all over the world.
The call of home has been heard and
days ago the homeward trek started.
From fireside to community hearth
the call of Christmas is evidenced in
an unparalleled effort to carry the
spirit to others not so fortunate.
Preparations have been made to car
ry the cheer of the holiday season to
the needy, the poor, the forgotten in
mate and the waif. The Hand of
Charity has gone deep into the pock
et this Christmas.
Peace on earth hovers over the
earth except in a few isolated ins
tances. It is a season' of the year
when hearts are warmed and old ani
mosities are forgotten in the spirit of
good will and fellowship.
SKULL IS FRACTURED IN
AN AUTO ACCIDENT
Mr. M. ®. Maner, of Asheboro,
sustained painful and somewhat ser
ious injuries last Saturday when a
car in which he was riding on the
Coleridge road left the road when
the driver, Roy Yates, lost control of
it, and ran into a tree. Mr. Maner
suffered a fractured skull, wrenched
arm and other injuries. Yates was
not hurt. Mr. Maner was brought to
Memorial . hospital, **• Asheboro,
treatment and was later removed to
his home.
LEE WOOD DIES .
FROM INJURIES
Died Last Friday and Funeral
Held Sunday—Was One of
Best Bricklayers.
Funeral services of the late E. L.
Wood, who died December 18th from
injuries received in an automobile
accident, were conducted at Mt. Leb
anon M. P. church, Randleman, last
Sunday morning.
Mr. Wood Was 75 years of age.
He is survived by his two sons, W.
O. Wood, of Lexington, and A. L.
Wood, of Hamlet; and by three dau
ghters, Mrs. W. C. Henley, of More
head City, Mrs. C. H. Spencer, of
Hamlet, and Mrs. John Cook, of
Randleman.
The tragic death of this excellent
citizen cast a pall over the town
where his entire life was spent, and
the large gathering of friends and
the elegant and numerous floral of
ferings attested the respect and es
teem in which he was held.
Mr. Wood had a wide reputation
as a bricklayer, and hi? services were
in constant demand. In his prime'he
was known to lay no less than 2500
bricks In a day of ten hours, a record
rarely, if ever, matched. He built
the large brick storehouse belong
ing to the late E. A. Moffitt, of
Asheboro, years ago, and was con
nected with the construction of al
most every other large brick store
house in the county.
The county deplores the loss of
this useful citizen and splendid man.
New Cue Champ
Present Plans Call for Han
Paving on 70 and Completion
of 75 to County line.
WILL OPEN UP SOME OF
COUNTY’S BEST SECTIONS
Elwood Cox Says Contract WI8
Be Let at Next Letting of
Bids by Commission.
Assurance from Frank Page, State
Highway Commissioner, that Route
70 would be paved all the way from
Asheboro to the Moore county line
and Route 75 built and topsoiled
from Asheboro- to the Davidson coun
ty line, and the additional assurance
from J. Elwood Cox, fifth district
commissioner, that these contracts
would be let at the next letting oE
contracts; caused a feeling of satw
faction and pleasure in the county
last week. ,
Route 70 has already been paved
from Asheboro to the county home
and the contractors are at work and
have been for the past several months
building the road from Seagrove to
the county home. The best that had
been expected on this stretch of road'
was sand clay treated with an oil top
dressing. Now the assurance that
the road will be paved makes the
people of the county who are good
roads enthusiastics almost jubilant.
It had appeared that the county would
get little hard surface except those
roads which served as feeders for
Greensboro and High Point.
Assurance that Route 75 will be
built from Asheboro to the Davidson
county line is no less interesting and
reassuring than that which is In
store for 70. This central highway
from Raleigh across the State is one
of the most important roads in the
State. People of the counties tra
versed have long known this and an
organization as well as individuals
have been working for the past sev
eral months for this highway. At
last, it seems that the highway com
mission has been convinced that the
completion of this route is of para
mount importance. Already through
a loan to the highway commission it
had been rebuilt from Asheboro to
the Chatham county line. To the
west Davidson county commissioners
had loaned a large sum of money to
spent on 75. Otter parts of the
route have also had attention.
The building of this route, which,
its advocates say, should be hard
surfaced, and which will probably be
done at some stage in • the commis
sion’s. work, will not only furnish a
bee line across the State and make
Raleigh and other points east many
miles nearer the growing towns anfl
cities in the central and western
part of the State, but also will re
lieve the congestion on No. 10, and
last, but not least, open up one of
the most prosperous sections of
Piedmont North Carolina, a section
whose potentialities cannot be esti
mated by the present generation.
Certainly, so far as roads are con
cerned, roads that are to be built by
the State highway commission, Ran
dolph county is getting some very
interesting Christmas news. When
these roads are completed, intersect
ing as they do at Asheboro, this
town should be the beneficiary of
some of that additional prosperity
which good roads bring to any town
or city lying along the route. The
river towns should also come ip for
their share of the additional business
and civic development.
NORTH CAROLINA AGAIN
LEADS IN AUTO DEATHS
Thirty-nine persons were killed in
the South last week in automobile ac
cidents and 227 others suffered vary
ing degrees of injury. Some of these
are expected to die.
North Carolina with seven deaths
led all the Southern States while
Georgia had the largest number of
injuries, 49. There were 39 injured
in this State. Florida and Mississ
ippi reported 2 deaths each.
i
..XH ANNOUNCEMEJ
Sunday morning,
27, the pastor, Rev. J. E. Pritchard,
will preach a new year’s sermon. It
is earnestly hoped that there will be
a goodly number present to receive
suggestions for starting the year ii
the best possible manner. Then
will be no evening service as the
gregation will join th
of the M. E. church
church building.
A beautiful
the idea of
story and song:
young people of
day evening und
Miss Sr