PULL
FOR
FOREST
CITY
Vol. IV—No. 42
PHENOMENAL GROWTH ENJOYED
BY FOREST CITY RECENTLY
Largest Town in Rutherford County Has Taken Many
Progressive Steps, Including Construction Homes,
Churches and Business Houses—New Mill Under
Construction and SIOO,OOO School House to Be Com
pleted by October.
(B. G. Leiper in Asheville Citizen.)
Having experienced within the
past three years a really phenom
enal growth, Forest City, the larg
est town in Rutherford county, is
now taking steps toward added
improvement and expansion that
v 'i!l include new manufacturing
plants, new dwellings and a mod
ern school building that is to be
ready by the first part of October.
Situated as perhaps no other
town of similar size in all West
ern North Carolina with regard to
railroad facilities, Forest City en
joys three different railroad con
nections these being the Southern,
Seaboard and the C. C. & O.
Fully one-third of the busies
houses one sees adorning the
tral section of the town, llankif£
an attractive city square tMt:
speaks volumes for the local Bse%
terment League, were constructed
within the last three years,- as
were many attractive koines.
Among the larger" projects now
;'n full swing is the modern two
story brick graded school which
will be completed and furnished
at a cost of something around
SIOO,OOO and will accommodate
about 600 of the 740 or more
school children. The school en
rollment has actually doubled
within the past three years.
Energetic School Board
In Forest City
Composing an energetic school
board are the following citizens
C. S. Hemphill, J. F. Alexander,
R. E. Biggerstaff, Dr. G. P. Reid
and R. L. Reinhardt. The over
flow from the new school will be
handled in the old building until
it is possible to construct a high
school in the future. There are
21 teachers in the system headed
by Superintendent B. L. Smith.
Ground is now being broken for
a new enterprise to be known as
the Forest City Oil Company, mak
ing use of cotton seed produced
in the county as well as outside,
extracting the oil and shipping it
in the crude state to refining
piants where it is prepared for use
in cooking oils and as a base for
lard compounds. The new plant,
to cost around $75,000, it is esti
; ted, will be located advanta
geously between the Southern and
Seaboard tracks toward the west
end of the town. Local capital is
developing this enterprise, for the
most part.
-he N. J. James Company are
to complete within 30 days a two
story brick building centrally lo
cated which will be used for of
fices and storage rooms and will
likewise serve as a shipping and
manufacturing point for quill
stands used in large numbers at
cotton mills.
-orest City has several of the
15 mills operating in Rutherford
county and using approximately
(•j,OOO bales of cotton each year.
n way a large and steady
pay roll is enjoyed by the town.
J t is estimated that the population
janges close to 3,000, although the
-ast census recorded but 2,312.
: ® largest mill in the town is
tne F !orence, producing a high
tiace of outing that is shipped
: ; i ' e ct.y to the commission house
'■} New York which operates this
I'-'ant. \\ ith 400 operatives em-
I'-'-ycd and working for the most
i:; ;t 111 night and day shifts,.the
produces 45,000 pounds of
outing each week, or 122,500 yards
J early output, therefore, being
o,o((..000 yards of outing. The
ls on e of the largest of its
e in ail the south, and has been
or years, using
/ bales of cotton annually,
out half this amount being
raised in Rutherford county.
-ounty Produces 13,000 - |
Bales of Cotton |
-n this connection it is of inter
- •- to note that the county is able
produce but 13,000 bales each'
i against the 75,000 bales
in all of its mills. The Flor- !
- c e plant houses its operatives
„J* nea t village close the
central part of town. I. £. Cov-*
; kton, in charge of the big plant,'
IT r-*° sheeted to head the For
'T _ !tv chamber of Commerce,
■seated not far from Forest City
FOREST CITY COURIER
and considered really a suburb
thereof, is the Alexander cotton
mill named after J. F. Alexander,
of Forest City, who is also the
owner of the Alexander Hotel at
St. Petersburg", Fla., as well as
much real estate in that winter
resort. A model ice plant is oper
ated at Alexander Mill and sup
plies a large section of the county.
A knitting mill in the heart of
Forest City, employing 60 oper
atives, brings the total number of
workers in mills up to around 700
for the section. At Alexander
Mill an unususally attractive mill
village is'found, with a wide va
riety in achitectural types and
abundant flower gardens to add
color to the scene.
•v One of the newer enterprises is
I'lgeated between Forest City and
3?fex|iiider Mill, this being- the
Morris Bakery operated by two
brothers, former service men,
whose product enjoys wide dis
tribution. The model automobile
salesrooms of B. B. Doggett and
of the Forest City Motor Company
are also attractive additions of
more recent years. Two modern
bottling plants are to be found
doing a thriving business.
While there has been consider
able talk of a C. C. & O. station
to serve Forest City, nothing defi
nite has yet been outlined, al
though leading citizens feel confi
dent this improvement will come
in time. A new overhead bridge
upon the National highway,
just on the outskirts of the thriv
ing Rutherford county town, will
soon do away with the present
dangerous grade crossing. The
construction of a large number of
dwelling houses has been pushed
of recent years, and many are to
be seen springing up on all sides.
The town and community tin As
in the Forest City Courier, pub
lished by C. E. and J. C. Alcock,
a hustling newspaper that is rapid
ly gaining in circulation and gives
indication of a steady future
growth.
Town Is Well Supplied
With Churches
Forest City is well supplied with
churches, "but there is a movement
on foot to establish a second Bap
tist church since the congregation
of that denomination is steadily
growing. Both the Methodists and
Baptist have attractive modern
structures, and recently the Wes
leyan denomination was made the
recipient of a complete chapel
through the generosity of Dr. Tom
Mcßrayer.
Among the more pretentious
dwelling houses planned in the
immediate future is that of J. H.
Thomas, to cost approximately
sio,ooor
While the present highway from
Forest City to Rutherfordton, the
county seat, is well adapted *to all
year travel, plans are formulated
for the construction of a hard sur
faced highway covering this six
mile stretch which is a link of
the Wildcat Highway connecting
Asheville- with Charlotte, by way
of Chimney Rock.
While in some quarters consid
erable alarm is being experienced
by cotton growers over the ad
vance of the boll weevil, of re
cent times making its initial ap
pearance in Rutherford county,
progressive growers find that by
hard work in picking up and de
stroying the infected squares that
drop from the plants each day
they will make it -possible for the
cotton to produce a satis
factory crop in spite of this dread
ed- pest.
j The above write-up of Forest
, City in last Sunday's edition of
• the Asheville Citizen is greatly
. appreciated by this paper and the
residents of our little city. The
Citizen has inaugurated a sub
scription "campaign that is taking
here, since one of our most
popular ladies, Mrs. F. I. Barber.
t is a leading contestant, and seems
assured of winning an automobile
as a_ prize. She has been a hard
worker in every movement and al
ways ready to give of her time
and talent for the welfare of the
PUBLISHED IN THE BUSIEST, BEST, BIGGEST AND FASTEST GROWING CITY IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY
,* * #
FOREST CITY AWAKENING
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 1922
town and county. Her friends
should get solidly behind her in
her present work of striving for
a prize and see that she is return
ed. a winner.
* * *
Torest City has. indeed, shown
a wonderful growth the past year
and seems destined to grow on
am- on in keeping with the many
advantages she has to offer. For
climate, location and railroad fa
cilities, Forest City is unexcelled
by any city in the state. The out
side world is just beginning to
take cognizance of this fact.
A number of new enterprises
and building activities not enu
merated in the Citizen article are
either under way or in contem
plation. Greatest among those is
the new water plant and sewerage
work, which is now assured. When
this project goes through. Forest
City will have the best water
work plant of any small city in
the state.
New dwellings are going up at
a rapid ratei and the people seem
to now be awake to the great pos
sibilities of the city.
* # *
BIG ADDITION TO
ALEXANDER'S MILL
.Another indication of prosperity
in this section is the building of
n big addition to the Alexander
Mfg. Co. plant at Alexander. A
new wing is under way on the
north side of the main building,
which is 116 bv 52 feet, two stories
in height. Work is progressing
rapidly and they hope to have it
ready by Nov. Ist.
The new addition will increase
the output of the plant very ma
terially and call for a number of
additional employes. The number
of spindles, will be almost doubled,
increasing to 15,000. The capacity
of the plant is 40.000 .pounds of
yarn a week and this will be in
creased to 60,000 pounds when the
addition is completed. The mill
makes knitting ya>n, which is
used bv Eastern manufacturers in
making und = rwe ar.
Alexander's Mill is one of thr>
most ideal in the South, and this
is amply reflected in the village.
Everything is on a high plane and
the employes are in the enjoy
ment of an ideal village and en
vironment. The plant has been
successful from the start.
At the head of this great enter
prise are J. F. Alexander, presi
dent; J. R. Moore, sec'y-treas., and
S. A. Summey, superintendent.
NEW CANDY KITCHEN
Mr. Sam Suber and a Mr.
Thompson have rented the Alex
ander building, next door to the
postoffice, and are installing an
up-to date candy kitchen. The
plant will be modern in every re
spect and they will manufacture
the very best product.
Mr. Surber comes from King's
Mountain, where he amassed a
fortune in the business. He is to
be congratulated upon coming to
our thriving city, where he will
doubtless build up a great busi
ness.
GETTING READY TO BUILD
FLORENCE BAPTIST CHURCH
The building committee of Flor
ence Baptist church has the plans
for. the building of the new
church ready, and has called a
meeting for Friday night, when
contractors are invited to look
over the p'ans preparatory to
making bids for the construction
of the edifice. The meeting will
be held at the Welfare House at
7:30 p. m.
The new building is to cost
about $6,000, and will be erected
on a beautiful plot at the South
end of Powell street. Construc
tion w T ork is to begin at an early
date.
Rev. C. C. Matheny will be
pastor of the new church. The
building committee is composed
of Rev. Matheny, chairman; I. R.
Covington, G. R. Early, H. L.
Henderson, C. L. Proctor, E. G.
Flack. Mr. E. G. Flack is treas
urer of the building fund.
K. P. MEETING
There was a good attendance at
the K. P. Hall Monday night.
Messrs. John Reis and Walter Wil
kie were given the rank of
Esquire, and Mr. J. W. Long, Jr.,
the rank of Page.
On next Monday night the
t ranks of Esquire and Knight will
■ be conferred. All members and
! visiting members are cordially in
' vited to attend.
FOREST CITY
LODGE K. P.
GETS SILK FLAG
Has Largest Per Cent Gain
In Membership—J. C.
Harrill Elected Grand In
ner Guard.
Forest City Lodge, No. 82,
Knights of Pythias, made a won
derful showing at the fifty-first
Convention of the Grand Lodge,
held at Wilmington, June 13-15.
Our local lodge had the honor of
winning a silk flag for the largest
per cent of gain in membership,
and also won a place in the list
of grand officers.
J. C. HARRILL
Mr. J. C. Harrill, K. R. S., For
est City Lodge, attended the con
vention as a delegate, and was
unanimously elected grand inner
guard. "The selection is a good
one. Mr. Harrill is an enthusias
tic. hard working member of For
est City lodge, and is very popu
lar in K. P. circles. His good
works augmented by that of every
member, resulted in Forest City
lodge showing the greatest gain
in percentage of membership of
any lodge in the state in a total
of *247 competing lodges.
BUSINESS GOOD
IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY
The editor dropped in to see
Mr. Paul Reinhardt, clever mana
ger at Efird's, Tuesday morning l
with the view of getting an ad
for this week's issue. The store
was full of customers and Mr.
Reinhardt confessed that while
he wanted an ad. he just didn't
have time to take up the matter.
We were gratified, as well as sur
prised, to find them so busy at
such an early hour.
Other merchants, also, have been
busy, and Forest City is enjoying
a very prosperous Summer season.
Going out into the county we
find business good in every town.
All of which speaks well for Ruth
erford, one of the state's best and
most prosperous counties.
DEATH OF MRS. LOU HARRILL
Mrs. Lou Hairill a led at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. B. E.
Harrill, Bostic, route 2, Wednes
day of last week. She had been
ill for several months, and while
her death is deeply regretted, it
was not unexpected. She was a
sister of Mr. J. E. McFarland and
Miss Kate McFarland, of Forest
City.
Mrs. Harrill was twice married,
her first husband being Mr. Wil
liam Bridges. Of their union one
son survives, Mr. Arthur Bridges.
Her second husband, Dr. J. B. Har
rill, has been dead several years,
leaving two children —Mr. G. S.
Harrill, of Charlotte, and Mrs. B.
E. Harrill of Route 2, Bostic, at
whose home she died. Mrs. Har
rill was 77 years old. The funeral
service was conducted by Dr. Al
bert Johnsin, pastor of the First
Presbyterian church of Charlotte,
assisted by Rev. Mr. McKinnon.
The relatives have the sympathy
of many friends in their bereave
ment.
B. Arp Lowrance will be glad to
see any one interested in a nice
lot for building- a home. He will
spend all of this week in Forest
City.
B. B. Doggett sells Fords.
t~
BIG REUNION
AT BOILING SPRINGS
LARGELY ATTENDED
The report on the Boiling
Springs reunion was delayed last
week, reaching u s after the Cour
ier had gone to press.
On July 18th, at the instigation
of Mr. S. C. Jones, author of the
splendid history of the Hamrick
family, that family together with
the McSwain and Greene families
held a huge reunion at Boiling-
Spring's.
The church was thrown open
and Rev. A. C. Irwin was asked
to act as chairman. After brief
devotional exercises, Prof. Hug
gins extended a hearty welcon
and the speaker of the day, At
torney Fred D. Hamrick, 0 f Ruth
erfordton, delivered a timely and
patriotic address using as his sub
ject, Our Folks." Mr. Jones gave
a brief account of the great work
required to compile his wonderful
history of the Hamrick family.
Every one seemed to have
brought dinner, as 110 feet of
table was loaded to the point of
taxation.
In the afternoon Mr. and Mrs.
S. C. Jones sang a few old songs,
and Prof. B. Ray.of Chesnee, S. C.,
led in a splendid song service.
Boiling- Springs, July 28.—The
corn club boys and canning girls,
under the leadership of Mr. B. E.
Lawrence and Mrs. Wallace, our
County Demonstration Agents, are
holding a very joyful encampment
at the time of this writing. We
are glad for both these events to
have taken place in our little vil
lage.
A few days ago there was hatch
ed by a hen„ belonging to Mrs. J.
D. Huggins, a chicken with four
legs arid four feet. It is still liv
i r» c
DEATH OF MISS McMURRY
(Special to Courier)
Rutherfordton, Aug. 1, —The
news Saturday morning that Miss
Johnnie Lee McMurry was dead
caused universal sorrow in Ruth
erfordton. Many friends had an
xiously watched for weeks at her
bedside, where she had borne with
unusual fortitude intense suffer
ing, hoping that her young life
might be spared but, an allwise
Heavenly Father, with "His Ever
lasting Arms" beneath her frail
body bore her spirit to its Eter
nal Home at 3 o'clock a. m. Sat
urday.
From the time, nearly fourteen
years ago, that, as a tiny mite of
humanity, she came to bring con
solation to a heart burdened with
a great sorrow, until the day of
her going away she has been a
sourse of constant joy and inspir
ation to her devoted mother. A
child of gentle and sweet manner
she endeared herself to all who
came in contact with her. Not
only was she loved by girls of
her own age but all, from babies
to grown ups, were attracted by
her unselfishness and desire to
please. Ever willing to sacrifice
her own wishes for the pleasure
of others she was included in
plans for social enjoyment, and
many of her playmates will miss
her genial presence, and grieve
that she walks no more among
us.
Johnnie Lee was the only child
of Mrs. Tessie Rudisill McMurry.
She joined the Methodist church
several years ago and was a faith
ful attendant at the services. Es
pecially did she love her Sunday
School and was rarely ever ab
sent. Her class* from the Sunday
school and other intimate friends
carried the beautiful floral offer
ings, among them one given by
the Sunday School class of which
she was a member.
The funeral was conducted from
the late residence by Rev. N. E.
Crowder, assisted by Rev. M. A.
Adams, of the Baptist church, on
Sunday morning, after which the
beautiful white casket containing
all that was earthly of this fair
young maid, was borne to Palm
Tree cemetery, Cleveland county,
and placed beside the grave of
her father there to await the Re
surrection Morn.
In addition to her mother, there
survives two aged grandmothers
and" many other loving relatives
to mourn their loss.
MONEY TO LOAN—To North
Carolina farmers at 6 per cent.
Why pay 8 per cent? J. Will
Proctor, Asst. Mgr. Metropolitan
Life Insurance Co., Lincolnton, N.
C. • 42-lt.
$1.50 per year, in Advance
THE WATER AND
SEWERAGE BONDS
BRING PREMIUMS
Purchased by Farmers Bank
and Trust Co.—Work to
Begin Soon on Splendid
New Water Plant and
Sewer Extension.
Sealed bids were opened last
Tuesday for the sale of $65,000
city bonds for the new water
plant and sewerage extension.
That Forest City is a good risk
was demonstrated by the spirited
bidding- on the bonds, which were
sold to the Farmers Bank & Trust
Co., of this city. The bonds
brought $66,500, a premium of
$1,500 and with accrued interest
from July 1 to delivery of the
bonds. It is gratifying to local
pride that the home bank outbid
some of the strongest financial
institutions in the country. This
bank, with its more than one mil
lion of resources, has done much
for the advancement of the town
and county.
The bidding was as follows:
Farmers Bank, $66,500; N. S. Hill
& Co., Cincinnnati, $66,411; Han
chett Bond Co., Cincinnati, $66,-
368, Breed, Elliott & Harrison,
Cincinnati, $65,200; Bray Bros.,
Greensboro, • $65,045; Rosensteil
Co., Cincinnati, $66,010; Souther
in, Barry Co., New Orleans, $66,-
337; W. K. Terry Co,, Toledo, $65,-
019; Durfee Miles Co., Toledo, bid
for water bonds only, $51,310.
Work on the water plant and
sewer extension will begin at an
early date. Mr. R. P. Bishop, of
the Carolina Engineering Co.,
Wilmington, will begin the survey
work in a few days.
Forest City is to have a new
$50,000 water plant, and $15,000 is
to be expended upon sewer exten
sion work.. When completed the
water plant will be one of the
finest in the country, and will add
much to the future growth of our
fine city.
MR. JOHN R. SMITH DIES
(Special to Courier.)
Henrietta,, Aug-. 2. —Mr. John R.
; Smith died at Harris Sunday af
ternoon at 3:10 o'clock. He had
; been suffering from high blood
pressure for more than two years,
and had been confined to l is bed
more than nine weeks previous to
his death. He endured his suffer
ing with great patience and died
rejoicing in the faith of his Lord.
Mr. Smith was forty-seven years
of age. Ho had been in the ser
vice of the government nearly six
teen years, being a rural mail car
rier. He was a veteran of the
Spanish-American war, a member
of the Junior Order, Henrietta
Lodge, serving as financial secre
tary for a number of years. He
was loved and respected by all
who ever knew him, very popular
with the patrons of his route.
He is survived by his wife,-Mrs.
Mary Webb Smith, his father, Mr.
D. M. Smith, who is eighty-four
years of age, and seven brother—
T. C. Smith, Henrietta; J. M.
Smith, Rutherfordton; A. W.
Smith, Woodward, Okla.; Fred F.,
J. Boyd, Edgar and Ralph Smith,
all of Gastonia, and one sister,
Mrs. W. P, Connor, of Gastonia.
Mr. Smith was a faithful mem
ber of Sulphur Springs church.
Funeral services were held at
Providence M. E. church Monday,
July 31, at 3 p. m., conducted by
his pastor, Rev. Smith, assisted
by Dr. Adams, of Rutherfordton,
and Rev. Simpson, of Harris. The
great love and esteem in which
he was held was manifested by
the great throng of people from
the surrounding country.
BIG PICNIC AT
THERMAL CITY TODAY
A number of Masons from For
est City and the county will at
tend the big Masonic picnic at
Thermal City today. This will be
a great day for Masonry and good
fellowship, with everything pro
vided for the pleasure of the day.
i Rev. and Mrs. W. L. Dawson and
j daughter, Ruby, are visiting
! friends here. Mr. Dawson was a
former pastor of the Forest City
Methodist churches and he and
; his family are very popular here.
Mr. Dawson preached in the Meth
odist church Sunday morning.
8 PAGES
48 COLU 4IMS