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VOL. XXVI NO.9
HENDERSONVILLE, N. C. THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1919
PRICE FIVE CENT
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Success of Big Business Achieved by Fair Dealing,
Gcod Nerve and Hard Work.A Remarkable
Story of Business Growth.
Some of the most interesting stories
are the true ones, and not infrequent
ly the lif story of a business shows
courage and nerve well worthy of
"honorable mention" in the history of
term. A case in point is the busl- i
iie whose name heads this column.
In September 1906, Mr. H. Patter
son came to .Hendersonville from
Krr.cky, where he had two mercan
tile businesses. He started business
i:i a filial! way hcie, opening a dry
gooi. store in ft ilcrr space 20 by 75.
ilr IV.ltersoii conducted the busi
ness, while Mr. Patterson devoted hl3
time to the tv.o stores in Kentucky
and cne which in the meantime
he h:-;d opened at Brevard. The little
business standi off well enough, but
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illness in the famfly end the demands
of the other stores brought troubles,
and in September of 1907, the "panic
year." an assignment was necessary,
lie creditors, however were satisfied
with the payment made, and another
start was made at Third and Main
streets This venture was so well on
the way to succes.that Mr. Patterson
jras enabled to pay up every cent or
the indebtedness left after the assign
ment, the creditors thus being paid in
full. However, the payment of these
kv debts was a heavy load and to
lay in more sioc u wv w
r Tne lender unexpectedly de-j
niande3 payment In full,
and a saie:
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of the entire stock was forced. The
proceeds of the sale met the obliga
tion, but Mr. Patterson had to. start
ail over again, with nothing to show
for hi $ bard work, and practically
iioUiiijg with which to make another
start
i JXVuiMo to. .float anolher mercantile
venture, he opened a pressing club in
the old Toms Building where the Citi
zens Bank now stands. To help him
he had no one but Mrs . Patterson and
a sister, and he himself had the work
to do j he did it by getting on the job
af-five o'clock in the 'morning and
staying on it until far- into the nijjht.
Good work, however, brought its re
ward in increased business, and the
pressing club, with better equipment,
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was moved Into larger quarters where
Dotson's Harness Shop is now locat
ed. After a time the profits of the
business made it possible to put in a
small line of men's clothing.
Again the story was one of hard
work and slow but steady growth,
and another move to larger quarters
was made, the business being moved
rto !;alf of the Staton Rock Building
on Main Street, and by 1913 contin
ued growth demanded the entire
building. A. year or two more, and I:
became evident that even this was
feut
January 1917 a contract was made
wltn j. jvi. uuager ior me erection oi
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a really modern department store
building at the corner of Fourth
Avenue and Main Street, the very cen
tre of the town's business life. Woilc
was started on t!ie new building In
April, and the contract called for
ccon.plet.'on by July, but war condi
tions delayed the actual completion un
til January of 1918, when the business
wa-i ii'ioved into its present home.
'"he business as it stands today is a,
splendid Monument to good nerve,
'iard work, r.i-i fair dealinsg and final
suci-ess has V cn wrung from repeat
(d diaster. Ore of the largest mer
cantile businesses in this section of
the state, it is housed in quarters that
would do credit to the retail district
of any city in the country. The store
now employs fifteen people regularly,
and adeb many more at busy reasons.
The two floors 54 by 108 feet, as well
as the large mezzanine floor, are tax
ed to their capacity by the demands of
the business, and arrangements are
now being made to convert the large
hall on the second floor into a stock
room. Many thousands of dollars are
invested in the handsome furniture
and equipment, mahogany and plate
glass ait everywhere, while overhead
h modern cash trolley connecting the
cashier's desk with every part of the
store is kept busy handling its load or
money. While the stock of goods lite
rally includes every item of clothins
which can be wanted for man, woman
or child, from the top of the head to
the sole of the foot; nothing is omit
ted. The atmosphere of the whole es
tablishment is one of prosperity ana
growth; of success; of good business.
And it is deserved. This sketch gives
but an outline of the difficulties "which
haTO been met and overcome in the
building up of this establishment. The
rsult Is one which has been achieved
by hard work and unfailing nerve, by
close attention to every feature of the
business,, and by unvarying fair treat
ment of the patrons of the store.
In addition to achieving business
success Mr. Patterson has written his
name plainly as one of the most gene
rous and public spirited citizens of the
town. In outright' gifts for different
charitable purposes over $500 was ex
pended last year, and Mr. Patterson's
name appears unfailingly opposite a
generous subscription in even" move-
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LOCAL BASKET BALL GIRLS
DEFEAT ASHEVILLE GIRLS
In the game of basketball last Wed
nesday afternoon the local girls de
feated the Asheville team by a score
of 17 to 6. Miss Gertrude Smith was
the star player although the whole
team played well. Miss Lucy Bomar
umpired the game and Mr. Wilson of
Asheville was. the referee.
This was their line-up:
HMlle (17) ; Asheville (6)
Gertrude Smith Weaver
Forward
Caldwell .....Vanneman
Forward
K. Smith... Hawthorne
Center
Leverett.... Jordan
Guard
McCall Lowe
Guard
The local team served coffee and
sandwiches.
TRACTOR DEMONSTRATION
ON BARKER PLACE.
A demonstration of the Fordsoii
Tractor is being given by the Rhodes
Auto Company out on the Barker
Place, where one of the powerful lit
tle machines is putting a big field In
apple pie order in the fastest time
ever made in Henderson County. R.
K. Stepp, who is a pretty good autho
rity on farm work, says that he has
never seen, a better job of plowing,
and it is done at the rate of from eight
to ten acres a day, the whole outfit
being handled by one man, who had
had less than half a day's experience
in handling the tractor before starting
in on this field. A big double-disc
harrow is also used, and after both
machines have been put over the
ground it look's like somebody's pet
garden. Parties interested in seeing
the demonstration are invited to ge:
in touch with Mr. F. S. Wetmur.
CALL FOR MASS MEETING.
A petition having been filed with
me by a number of democrats asking
that I, as Chairman of the Democratic
Executive committee, call a mass
meeting of the democrats of Hender
sonville and Henderson County to con
sider the situation created by the re
fusal and failure of the appointees to
serve on the road commission, I here
by call a mass meeting of the demo
crats of Hendersonville and Hender
son County to meet at the CourC
House in : Hendersonville on Satur
day the 29th of March, 1919, at 12
o'clock, M.
E. W. EWBANK,
Pnntv nhafrmaaV
OVERLAND CARS
SELLING FAST
The Overland market has waked up
all of a sudden since F. S. Wetmur
EMrkT-irfa Rfiveral davs I
. . : . " ..'stimulants, and for a time showed
ago
and got m toucn wun auaim ,
again. The Rhodes Auto Company, of
which he is manager, has sold three
Overland "Nineties" in the last few
days, the purchasers being E. A.
Wohlford, E. R. Pinckney and A. L.
Gurley. From present prospects the
company is going to have more diffi
culty In getting enough new cars than
in finding purchasers for them, the
"Ninety" model being especially popu
lar. - -i-!uhf
Pv't. Luther Brookshire, who has
been in service overseas, came home
Tuesday.
ment for the benefit of Henderson vilt.
He believes in the town, and hH faith
is backed by works and hard cash.
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J. 3IACK RHODES
HEADS CITY TICKET.
Wins Mayoralty Nomination 182 to 12i.
lYilkins, Edwards and Shepherd to
Run for City Council Henderson,
vine's Biggest Democratic Conven
tion Fails to Develop Expected Bli-terness-Prospects
Good of Twist
ing Radical TaUs In May.
The Democratic City Convention
held at the City Hall Monday night re
sulted in the nomination of J. Mack
Rhodes for Mayor and John T. Wil
kins, Raymond L. Edwards and Thom
as Shepherd for aldermen.
The convention, which was by far
the largest gathering of city democrats
ever held in Hendersonville was cal
led to order by City Chairman C. E.
Brooks, and T. L. Durham was un
animously . elected chairman. C. S.
Fullbright, Charles Morrow and C. N.
Wrenshall were appointed tellers.
C. E. Brooks was placed in nomina
tion for mayor by E. W. Ewbanii,
end J. Mack Rhodes was nominated
by John T. Wilkins, Mr. Brooks nomi
nation being seconded by McD. Ray
and that of Mr. Rhodes by W. A.
Keith. The votes were tallied as they
were cast into the hat, this tally show
ing a total of 257. The. count of the
votes for two candidates showed
Rhodes 132, Brooks 124, these two
figures totalling 256, or a discrepancy
of only one vote from the first checlc.
Four ballots bearing the names or
candidates for alderman were thrown
out, the tally showing that these had
been cast by error along with votes
for mayor.
For alderman, John T Wilkins waa
nominated by W. A. Keith, Raymond
L. Edwards by W. H. Bangs, . and
Thomas Shepherd by Sam T. Hodges.
There being no further nominations
it was moved by E. W. Ewbank tha:
these nominations be made unanimous
by a rising vote, and every man in the
hall earned to his feet. None of them
sat down again, and the announcement
of Chairman Durham that these gen
tlemen tiad been duly chosen as the
party's candidates was lost in the
noise and shuffle of a going crowd.
v Although the closeness of the con
test between the mayoralty candidates
promised a bitter fight in the conven
tion, the bitterness failcu to develop,
and although each side worked hard
up to the last minute and neglected
no possible chance of winning, when
the convention came to order, and the
test came, the whole conduct of the
meeting was marked by a noticeable
spirit of fairness and a willingness on
all sides to do the right thing and
abide by the result. There was an al-
most complete absence of the mis
piacea sarcasm wmcn o uuu staito
trouble, no votes were challenged, ana
there was no question of the honesty
and correctness of the count. One
member of the convention had brough:
to the meeting a trifle more than his
share of party patriotism and other
some mciinauon iu ume aigo w -"
proceedings without the formality or
rising and securing recognition from
the chairman, but was finally dis
suaded from such a course by the not
very subtle hints of nearby fellow
members. !
A noticeable feature of the conven
tion was the number of Republican
rail-birds who watched the proceed
ings with keen interest. A census of
the peanut gallery taken Monday
night would have made a pretty com-
nlete issue of "Who's Who in the
Realms of Republicanism" for Hen-
dersonville.
J. Mack Rhodes the newly chosen
nominee to head the city Democratic
ticket is a Henderson County man,
having been born in the Mills River
section and educated at Oak Ridge
Institute. He was connected with the
old Bank of Hendersonville for four
years, being cashier of that concern
when it was consolidated in 1907. with
the Commercial Bank, and being made
cashier of the resulting First National
Bank. He held this office until 1912,
when the First National was consoli
dated with ' the Wanteska Trust &
Banking Company, resulting In the
formation of the. present Institution,
the First Bank & Trust Company, ol
which he has been cashier from the
Hm it started business. His business
record is an enviable one, a clean rec-
years of active
ord of over sixteen yv -
and successrui wors in yuaiwuxio
heavy responsibility, while on tne
personal side he can bring to the May
election a strength which should .put
6th COMPANY BOYS RETURN.
The former members of the 6th Co ,
National Guard, who belonged to the
7th and 8th Anti-Aircraft Batteries,
were discharged at Camp Lee, Va.,
KMarch 24th, and have reached Hender
sonville. The names of the 7th Bat
tery are:
1st Sergeant Herschel H. Allison
Mess Sergeant Allen W. Hawkins
Mess Sergeant William M. Pender
Mess Sergeant Ernest E. Russell
Corporal Chester R. Glenn
Corporal Guy P. Jordan
Corporal Albert V. Edwards
Corporal Lawrence L."Burgin
Mechanic William J. Reese
Wagoner John J. Henderson
Wagoner Grover L. Shipman
Cook Frank M. Huggins
Private 1st Class
Frank M. Bly
Daniel B. Huggins
William H. Ladson
Ezekiel W. McCall
Paul J. Johnson
J. Manning Morris. -8th
Battery .
Sergeant Roy S. Marr
Corporal Emmett Lott
! Private 1st Class Horace H. Case.
All these were stationed at Fort
Caswell for training and left the
states for France, June 10, 1918 and
landed at Brest, France, June 19,
1918. They were stationed at Fort
De, Stains, near Paris for training with
the French Anti-Aircraft defences.
They went to the front on August, 23,
1918 and served with the 7th French
Army and the first American Army
until the armistice was signed.
February 23, 1919 they sailed on the
U. S. S. "Mongolia" from St. Nazaire
France and landed at Hoboken, N. J.,
on March 7; and were sent to Comp
Merritt, N. J. From there they went
to Camp Lee, Va.
- These batteries were on the front
and none were injured. On the re
turn vpyagea large number were sea
sick. The Red Cross, Y. M. C. A.,
and other organizations were exceed
ingly kind and helpful at all times.
Too much can not be said about the
good they are doing.
PERSONALS
W. A. Smith received a wire from
his son, First Lieutenant Walter B.
Smith, that he landed on Tuesday at -Hoboken,
N. J. He is In charge of a
detachment for Chattanooga, Tenn.,
and will spend his 10 day's furlougli .
at home soon.
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Will Twyford Is on the transport
which expects to land In Charleston,
S. C, on Saturday. He sent his sis
ter, Septima, a pair of wooden shoes
from northern France which may be
aen in the window of the book store.'
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There was a meeting at Mrs. L. M.
Colt's on Monday afternoon of the
chairmen of the Woman's Club Com
mittees w'io were trying to perfect
their plans for entertaining the state
federation of Clubs in June, .jwfif
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Miss Evelyn Lee, from Waynesville
spoke at the Woman's Club yesterday '
afternoon on "Clean-up-Week." Miss
Lee is visiting and speaking to clubs
under the direction of Mr. Young, 'of
Raleigh who is chairmari of Fire Pre-
ventIon Work.
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Rev. Raymond Browning returned :
from Aurora Monday evening where
he has been conducting a meeting of
several week's. Rev. Mr. Browning
goes to Nashville, N. C.f,this week to
begin a meeting.
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The Philathea and Baraca classes of
the East t Hendersonville Baptist
Church had charge of the Wednesday
evening prayer service. There was an
interesting talk by Lawrence Pace and .
good music from the choir. "
Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Bradley's daugh
ter, Miss Martha, near Saluda, was ac
cidentally shot by her small brother
last Sunday evening. "The ball went
into her hip. She is reported as get
ting along all right. The old story of
the unloaded pistol has been repeated.
Getting .and Giving.
f What makes the Dead sea dead?
Because It Is all the time receiving,
anything. V. LV
xlDS out any
jjfoody.
Hendersonville still further over on
the Democratic side of the books.