The Courier
Only SI.OO
Per Year
VOL. IX—No. 12
COUNTY-WIDE
PLAN OF FARM
DIVERSIFICATION
BIG MASS MEETING TO BE
HELD IN FOREST CITY
TUESDAY, JAN. 4.
Farmers and Business Men to
Meet With Leaders at Ki
wanis Hall at 10:30 A. M.
There will be a mass meeting of
farmers and business men at the Ki
wanis Hall, Forest City, Tuesday,
10:30 a. m., January 4, 1927. To
this meeting every farmer in Ruther
ford County is invited and urgently
requested to attend. Following the
launching of this diversified farming
program group meetings will be held
at various places throughout the
| apunty to emphasize the importance
of substituting other profitable
crops in connection with cotton pro
duction. Leaders feel that the cam
paign is most urgent in order to re
establish farming in this county on a
profitable basis.
Mr. E. S. MillsapS, district agent,
Farm Demonstration Work, States
ville, N. C., will make an address on
a "Better Balanced Agriculture."
No effort will be made to turn
farmers away from cotton entirely.
Our farmers know how to raise cot
ton and are equipped for its culture,
but at the same time, they are con
sumers as well as producers, so the
main effort will be to drive home
the importance of having more than
one money crop. Cotton is necessa
rily one of the two. The other money
crop might be feed for livestock,
gardens, poultry, dairy products or
pork.
The plan of this reduction is to
accomplish same by an additional
-acreage of feed and food crops and
j/aore livestock raised to consume
these crops. This will necessarily
mean a smaller acreage in cotton.
This plan is onv adopted by the
State of Noith Carolina and every
cotton growing county in the State
will put on this program. Dr. E. C.
-Brooks, president of the State Col
lege, is chairman for North Caro
lina. Each qounty has appointed a
committee to help put this program
over.
A, committee for Rutherford
County is as follows: J. F. Weath- j
ers, Forest City, chairman; J. H.
Thomas, president of Farmers Bank
& Trust Company; J. L. Taylor, Citi
zens Bank; M. O. Dickerson, Com
mercial Bank; G. W. Rollins, W. G.
Harris, G. E. Morgan, county com-
missioners; O. C. Erwin, Rutherford
County Fair; A. B. Bushong, D. H.
Sutton, agricultural teachers; J. W.
Matheny, cotton oil mill and! ferti
lizer salesman; Fred D. Hamrick,
Rutherford County Club; R. E. Price,
C. S. Wilson and C. E. Alcock, edi
tors of county papers; B. D. Wilson,
Rutherford Kiwanis Club; J. M. Ed- ,
wards, Forest City Kiwanis Club; O.
J. Holler, Farmers Federation; Van
Hampton,. Richard Ledbetter, J. M.
Walter, A. G. Hamrick, Geo. Blan
ton, Joe Allen, Plato Gettys, Doug
las Melton, Dewey Long, Joe" F.
! Groves, J. H. Walker and James Bur
| gess, farmers; C. O. Jenkins, manu
facturer and farmer; F. E. Patton,
county agent; C. S. Royster, super
intendent of County Home.
Each member of this committee is
urged! to be present at the meeting
Tuesday and see that the farmers
of his community are there also. Im
mediately after the meeting this
committee will meet and lay plans
whereby the program as presented
by Mr. Millsaps may be carried out
in Rutherford County.
It is important that our farmers
attend this meeting, for here they
will learn of the only way in which
they can hope to gain financial aid
for next year's crops.
$ £ *
Eight Farming Points
A successful campaign of this na
ture is declared to be the most im
portant and far-reaching movement
ever launched in Rutherford County.
Everybody is directely or indirectly
affected by the price of cotton and
ft (Continued Page Four.)
FOREST CITY COURIER
BUSINESS MEN
TO BACK FARMERS
Subscribe Liberally in Initial
Move to Raise Money for
Farmers FedeKation.
That the business men are fully
awake to the difficulties confronting
the farmers of the county and will
ing to help in the emergency, was
j exemplified at a meeting following
i the regular session of the Kiwanis
! Club Monday night, when, in less
j than ten minutes, $6,000 was sub
scribed in stock in the Farmers Fed
' eration in their new drive to raise
i sufficient funds to carry on the busi
! ness in the new year. Only a few
of the business men were present,
but they were enthusiastic in their
support of the Farmers Federation
and fully cognizant of the fact that
the Federation will lead the farmers
from the distress of present condi
tions by teaching diversification and
providing a market for the farmers'
products.
The Federation has just started a
drive to raise $25,000 in the county
to finance the warehouse at Spin
dale. From the success of the pre
liminary meeting, the promoters are
sanguine of reaching the goal. Busi
ness men will subscribe to this stock
liberally, knowing that when they do,
they will be helping themselves even
tually, for the placing of the farm
ers in a prosperous condition will
make all business prosperous.
Among the Federation men pres
ent at the Kiwanis meeting were
Messrs. J. G. K. McClure, Zeb
Greene, O. J. Holler, Thos. F. Byrd
and B. A. Buff. Several made in
spiring talks. Committees were ap
pointed and the drive for stock sub
scriptions is now under full headway
and meeting with gratifying success.
With all the work planned by the
Federation under way this coming
year, backed by the farmers of the
county raising the things they can
dispose of, the establishment of
chicken hatcheries, building of po
tato curing houses, etc., Rutherford
County will soon come into its right
ful heritage of one of the best agri
cultural counties in the State. We
have every requisite. Push and grit
and co-operation will spell success.
Supt. Clyde A. Erwin and Mr. Mc- J
Clure made inspiring talks at the
Kiwanis Club.
CITY HALL NOTES
Mayor Lov.rance entertained for
| some of the police officers of the
county at his home Christmas night
at a delightful three course dinner.
Among the guests were Sheriff W.
C. Hardin, Curtis Hardin, Chief
Houser, Rutherfordton; B. E. Put
nam, Garret Edwards, C. R. Price,
A. A. Price, M. E. Fox, Martin
Greene, Broad Greene, B. A. Stal
naker, Joel D. Pierce, Dr. A. C. Dun
can. The courses consisted of oys
ters, chicken, ham, cakes, and all ac
cessories: The writer is sorry to
have missed this jovial supper and is
also anxious to know what "Lace
Coffee" is. First opportunity we
shall ask Chief Price.
** , *
Many comments have been heard
on all sides complimentary of the
excellent manner in which the local
police handled the crowds during the
holiday rush. Only a few minor ar
mrests were made and no drunkenness
was in evidence.
m + *
Ever alert to maintain law and
| order, a good one is told on two of
I the local officers who thought they
j had flushed a crap game in the
woods Sunday afternoon. Noticing
some parties on their knees, the
sleuths quietly slipped up behind
them and were almost dumfounded
upon learning that they were en
gaged in prayer. The officers were
asked to join in, but decided that
their morning worship had been suf
ficient for the day.
The Young Matron's Circle will
meet Friday afternoon, Dec. 31, at
3:45 o'clock with Mrs. U. S. Court
ney.
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF FOREST CITY AND RUTHERFORD COUNTY
FOREST Cm, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DEC. 30, 1926
9HTHE ME 9PIMLVE
.. t^jjm
The New Year of Our Lord
Let byganes be byganes, •
Wha's huffed at anither
Dinna cloot the auld diays
And the new anes thegither;
Wi' the fauts and the failings
O' past years be dune,
Wi' a grip o' fresh freen'ship
A New Year begin.
So sang a Scot. Beneath the burr of his Highland tongue
the meaning of some of the words may be obscured, but the
meaning of the verse as a whole is plain enough.
Let bygones be bygones. The year 1926 goes to join in
history the years that have gone before. Throw away the
hatchet along with the 1926 calendar.
. With the faults and the failings of past years be done-
This is another year.
Begin it with a grip of fresh friendship.
The Courier feels very grateful for the support given dur
ing the year 1926—in fact, for the whole of the five years we
have been with you.
Let us all pull together with a spirit of fellowship and co
operation in the New Year just dawning.
Forest City and Rutherforc* County have a great future.,
but the fullest measure of success will come with more force
when all pull together for advancement of town and county.
Get in line with your newspaper and work and plan for
greater things in 1927..- ...
MR. CALVIN BLANTON DEAD
9
Spindale, Dec. 29.—Mr. Calvin
Blanton, 53 years of age, died at the
home of his brother here, Mr. W. H.
Blanton, early Tuesday morning, fol
lowing an extendied illness.
About two and a half years ago he
was stricken with paralysis and has
been confined to his bed since that
time. His condition grew worse, un
til the end came Tuesday.
Funeral services were conducted
from Shiloh Baptist Church Wednes
day at 2 o'clock, with Rev. B. M.
Hamrick in charge of the service.
He is survived by two sons, Mr.
Carl W. Blanton, who is salesman
for the American Tobacco Co., in
Gainesville, Ga., and Mr. Clyde Blan
ton, of .Avondale. Two brothers,
Messrs. W. H. and Ayden Blanton,
of Spindale, survive, also two sisters,
Mrs. Sallie Wood, of Spindale, and
Mrs. Eddie Hester, of Shiloh sec
tion.
FIVE COURSE DINNER
Dr. and Mrs. W. C. Bostic enter
tained with a five course dinner
party on Sunday evening to the fol
lowing young people, wno were
guests in their home for the Christ
mas holidays: Miss Ruth Moore, of
Columbia University, New York;
Miss Dorothy Bostic, of Brenau Col
lege, Gainsville, Ga.; Mr. Edward
Kimbrel, of Fort Mill, S. C.; Dr. W.
C. Bostic, Jr., of Wheeling, W. Va.;
Mr. William Moss, of Wake Forest
College; Miss Margaret Bostic. The
home was beautifully decorated with
the season's colors, potted flowers
and holly, and made a , charming
background for the young ladies and
young men present.
ROBBINS-LAUGHTER
Spindale, Dec. 22.—Mr. Howard
Robbins, of this place and Miss Reba
Laughter, of Hendersonville, were
married in Spartanburg, before Mag
istrate Burton, Tuesday. The wed
ding was a surprise to the large num
ber of friends of this popular young
couple.
Mr. and Mrs. Garland Robbins ac
companied the couple to Spartan
j burg, being the only witnesses to the
i ceremony.
Mrs. Robbins is the diaughter of
j Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Laughter, of Hen-
I dersonville. She was at one time a
j resident of Spindale and is well
j known here.
f
Mr. Robbins is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. L. Robbins, of Spindale.
For several years he has been en
gaged in the mercantile business with
his father here, and has made a large
number of friends, who are con
gratulating him in this new venture.
Mr. Robbins is also a member of .the
Spindale Band and has a number of
friends in that organization who
wish him success.
Mr. and Mrs. Robbins are now at
home in Spindale.
BASKETBALL
The Spindale Athletic Clut> will
play the Pacolet, S. C., Y. M. C. A.
Basketball team at Spindale Friday
evening, at 8 o'clock. The Pacolet
team were the Y. M. C. A. champions
of upper South Carolina last year,
and a good game is assured.
On Saturday evening Spindale
plays the Marion Athletic Club at
Spindale.
Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Grenell, of Hot
Springs, N. C., who spent a few days
here with Mrs. Grenell's brother, Mr.
W. L. Brown and Mrs. Brown, re
turned to their home Wednesday.
FOREST Cin MAN
SERIOUSLY HURT
Mr. Clyde Holland Injured
Monday When Auto Hit
Wagon at West End.
Mr. Clyde Holland, son of Mr. C.
j M. Holland, of Forest City, was se
riously injured in an automobile ac
cident Monday night about 7 o'clock,
just above Weir's store, at West End.
Mr. Holland was returning to For
est City, when he ran into a wood
wagon, being driven by a Mr. Casey,
of Cherry Mountain street, of this
place. Mr. Holland received injuries
in the chest, also a blow above the
right eye. He was removed to the
-RjUtherford Hospital immediately
after the accident, and is in a criti
cal condition. Reports from there
this morning are to the effect that
he is weaker today than yesterday,
and his chance for recovery is doubt
ful. A friend, Mr. Frank Adams,
was with Mr. Holland at the time of
the accident, and received a broken
arm.
Mr. Holland is about 25 years old,
and is kell-known in Forest City. He
holds a position with the Forest City
Oil Mill. He has a number of friends
who sympathize with him, and wish
him a quick recovery.
The wagon was not displaying
lights. This is an evil that should
be remedied by the lawmakers in the
coming session of legislature. At
present there is no' law to compel
horse-driven vehicles to display lights
after dark. Such vehicles are a men
ace to their dirivers and to the driv
ers of other vehicles. It is difficult,
almost impossible, to see a buggy or
wagon when passing another auto, if
they are directly in front of one of
the cars.
THE ANNUAL STUDENTS' SER
VICE
At the First Baptist Church next
Sunday morning the annual students'
service will be held. The college
men and women at home for the
holidays and also the students and
teachers in the city schools are in
vited to be the guests of the church
next Sunday morning at.ll o'clock.
The pastor's subject will be "The
Road to Manhood." It is the desire
of the church and pastor to make
this service of real benefit to Forest
City's fine student body whether
they are still in our schools at home
or in college and just home tempor
arily. The church is glad to give
recognition and any aid possible to
our students. The public cordially
invited to worship with us.
WOMAN'SILUB
j
The regular monthly meeting of
the Citizenship department will be
held on Monday evening, January 3,
1927, at 7:45 o'clock, in the Kiwanis
Club room. Let's have a good at
tendance and start the New Year off
with pep and each one resolve to be |
present at each meeting of the year,
so that we may accomplish greater
things for the upbuilding of our
community.
* * *
Literary Club, division 2, will hold
its regular monthly meeting on
Thursday, January 6, at the home of
Mrs. R. E. Biggerstaff. All members
are urged to be present. Those who
have not paid their dues, please
come prepared to do so.
HIS BROTHER KILLED
ON CHRISTMAS DAY
Mr. W. C. Lattimore, of Forest
City, received a telegram Christmas
Day conveying the sad intelligence
that his brother, Dr. R. L. Lattimore,
had been killed policeman at
his home town of Pineville, Ky. No
further particulars were sent. A
later telegram said the burial would
be on Tuesday. Mr. Lattimore could
not make the trip, and as yet has not
received full particulars of the trag
edy. His brother, "Dr. Lattimore, has
resided in the Kentucky town for the
past 30 years and was a man of
prominence. He leaves a wife and
two children.
SI.OO Per Year During the Month of December
MRS. BRIDGES
CLINGS TO THEORY
OF MURDER
WIFE OF WILLIE BRIDGES
BELIEVES HER HUSBAND
MET FOUL PLAY.
County Officers Reject Mur
der Theory and Believe
Bridges Is Alive.
j Mrs. Willie G. Bridges, interview
ed in her home on East Main street,
Thursday morning: by a Courier re
porter, stated that she was still firm
in her belief that her husband, who
mysteriously disappeared Sunday
night, has been murdered and his
body cast into the waters of Lake
Lure.
j "There is no reason in the world
, why my husband should have de
j serted his family," said the distressed
woman, with tears in her eyes. "He
has been a devoted husband and
father, and I cannot but believe that
he has met with foul play."
In an interview with Sheriff Har
din early Thursday morning, he was
inclined to believe that Mr. Bridges
was not dead, but was possibly
somewhere in Spartanburg. 110 and
his deputies have given up the search.
He also stated that on the day gf
Mr. Bridges' disappearance someone
called at the store of Mr. Barzille
Ledbetter and bought a cap, stating
that he wished to go to Spartanburg,
and that the one that he was wearing
was too dirty to wear, as he was go
ing on the 'bus.
When Mr. Bridges' pocketbook,
which had been left with the car, was
later shown to Mr. Ledbetter, he
stated that it was without doubt the
same one that the stranger had when
he paid for the cap.
A Mr. Yeager, a taxi driver of
Chimney Rock, carried a stranger to
Spartanburg xon the day of Mr.
Bridges' disappearance, and from his
description of him, Sheriff Hardin
believes that the person was Mr.
'Bridges.
* *
Rutherford County's greatest mys
tery is yet unsolved. While police
officials scout the theory of murder,
it will be seen from the interview
with the wife of Mr. Bridges that
she and the" family are firm in their
belief of foul play.
* * *
Story of the Disappearance
The abandoned automobile of W.
G. Bridges, who was connected with
a local filling station, was found in
the Lake Lure section Monday morn
ing.
All efforts to find trace of the
man, who left his home Sunday to
go to Chimney Rock, have proved
fruitless.
A Ford coupe, which Bridges hired
from Lee Philbeck to make the trip,
was found on a road between the
main highway and the dam. A rear
wheel on which there was a flat tire
had been jacked up and there were
tire tools on the ground. An over
coat and a cap, which were later
identified as belonging to Bridges,
were lying across a front fender.
Bridges left home with between
I SBO and SIOO in his possession, ac
cording to his wife, who is almost
hysterical and is convinced that her
husband has been murdered.
Sheriff W. C. Hardin and his depu
ties have searched the vicinity and
the banks of the lake for trace of the
missing man and are skeptical of the
murder theory.
In addition to the overcoat and the
cap, the officers found two pennies
on the running board of the car. The
cap had been purchased Sunday aft
ernoon from Barzille Ledbetter, the
proprietor of a general store, at
Chimney Rock.
Bridges and his wife have two
small children. His father, Bert
Bridges, was widely known in this
section before his death and at one
time was county superintendent.
Mr. R. E. Price, editor of the
Rutherford County News, was taken
to the Rutherford Hospital Wednes
-5 ' -
day, for treatment.
8 Pages
48 COLUMNS