The Courier
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VOL IX—NO. 21
TO OPEN NEW $65,000.00 SUNDAY SCHOOL BUILDING
BAPTISTS TO HAVE WEEK OF OPEN
HOUSE, BEGINNING SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Dr. Chas. Maddry, Dr. R. J. Bateman/Dr. Zeno
Fall, Hon. Clyde R. Hoey and Dr.
R. C. Smith on Program,
RECEPTION AND INSPECTION OF BUILDING, MONDAY
EVENING, MARCH 14TH.
A week of open house will be
held by the First Baptist Church of
Forest City, beginning March 13th
and continuing through March 18th,
the occasion being the opening of
the new $65,000 Sunday School
building, built as a memorial to the
late J. F. Alexander, of Forest v City
and St. Petersburg, Fla.
The following program has been
announced by Dr. W. A. Ayers, pas
tor of the church:
Sunday, March 13, at 11 a. m. and
7:30 p. m.—"The Denominational
Message," by Dr. Chas. E. Maddry, of
Raleigh, N. C.
Monday,
a reception will be given at which
time an inspection of the new build
ing will be held, after which refresh
ments will be served.
Tuesday, March 15, at 7:30, Dr. R.
J. Bateman, of Asheville will deliver
"The Memorial Message."
Wednesday, March 16, at 7:30 p.
m., Dr. Zeno Wall, of Shelby, will
speak, his subject being, "The Sun
day School and Young People."
Thursday, March 17, 7:30 p. m.,
Hon. Clyde R. Hoey, of Shelby, will
speak on the literary value of the
Bible.
L Friday, March 18, at 7:30 p. m. ;
r'The Sunday School and Missions",
will be the subject of an address giv
en by Dr. R. C. Smith, of Cliffside.
The movement for the erection of
a much needed Sunday.School build
ing was started some time ago under
the direction of Dr. W. A. Ayers.
Consummation of the dream was
made possible by the generosity of
Hon. J. F. Alexander, who made it
known before his death that he would
donate one-fourth of the cost of the
structure. There was no price limit,
he agreeing to pay his one-fonrth of
what ever amount the Baptists might
raise. Following his lamented demise
Mrs. Alexander and his relatives and
business associates came forward with
the donations that made the building
of a structure of magnificent pro
portions possible. In gratitude and
loving remembrance of a staunch
friend and su* orter of the church,
the Baptists unanimouslv agreed to
name the building in his honor.
The Alexander Memorial Building
costs approximately $65,000. The
architects were Casey and Fant, of
Anderson, S. C., who have been very
successful in church and Sunday
School buildings. The contractors
were W. H. Hand and Son, of Bel
mont, N. C. The building is modern
ly equipped and the equal of any its
size in the state. Dr. Burroughs, of j
Nashville, an authority, passed oh the j
plans with 100 per cent approval, J
which is a great recommendation.
The new building is three stories
high and of brick construction. The
first floor contains a large social and
class rooms to be used by the Men's
Bible Class and other adult classes.
It is also equipped with modem kitch
en equipment. The second floor car
ries the main entrance and' will be
the ladies department. The third floor
occupied by the intermediate
and young people departments. Each
department has a separate assembly
room.
One of the handsomest in the state,
the new Sunday School building is
a credit to Forest City and a monu
ment of enduring remembrance to the
real founder in whose loving memory
it is named —J. F. Alexander.
Mr. Alexander was born January
11, 1859 in Rutherford county, N. C.,
near Forest City, in a family of three,
Stephen, J. F. and L C. Alexander.
He died December 17, 1925 at St.
Petersburg, Florida. He was educated
Sn the schools of Rutherford -county
afcd moved to Texas where be studied
FOREST CIIY COURIER
(BY ARVAL L. ALCOCK)
for the ministry. Failing health caus
ed him to give up his studies and »-e
--turning to Rutherford county, ' he
entered the mercantile business and
with Dr. G. E. Young, of Foresc City,
purchased a small sawmill and a lim
ited area of timber land. From this
firm Mr. Alexander expanded his en
terprises and at his death was head
of the following concerns: Waverly
Hall Lumber Co., Waverly Hall, Ga.;
Saluda Lumber Co., Saluda, S. C.;
Trout-WiLkie Lumber Co., Wallace
ville. S. C.; Weston Lumber Co.,
Weston Ga.; McGregor Lumber Co,,
Omaha, Ga.; Union Lumber Co., Un
ion, Ga.; Bell Tate Lumber Co.,
Brooklyn, Ga.; Seminole Lumber Co.,
Ozark, Ala.; Alexander & Burgin
Lumber Co., Beuna Vista, Ga.; Smith-
Burgin Lumber Co., Americus, Ga.
In 1915 he organized the Farmers
Bank & Trust Co., at Forest City,
and in 1917 the Alexander Manufac
turing Co., manufacturers of cotton
goods, at Forest City. In 1911 he
went to Florida for his health and
went back every winter since, spend
ing practically all his time in St.
Petersburg. With three others he
owned some of the most valuable
property at this place. He built the
Alexander hotel, at St. Petersburg,
and also founded the Alexander Nat
ional Bank.
Mr. Alexander was a member of
the First Baptist Church at Forest
City and was active in church work
in St. Petersburg, attending Grace
Baptist Church there. He aided many
worthy young men and women in
furthering their education, having
provided scholarships at Wake Forest
College and Meredith College in
North Carolina.
About a year before his death he
purchased the Alexander School for
Motherless Children in the mountains
of Western North Carolina ai\d en
dowed it for the education of orphan
boys and girls, leaving an endowment
of SIO,OOO a year for this purpose.
He also gave Mars Hill College $lO,-
000 a year and Boiling Springs High
School $2,000. In addition the other
bequests were $2,000 annual income
to the Baptist Orphanage at Thomas
ville and SI,OOO each, annually, to
First Baptist and First Methodist
Churches at Forest City. In addition
the latter three were to be the ben
eficiary of a one-third interest ir. ov
er a million dollars to be received
from the sale of the property from
which the income then granted comes.
Rev. Dr. R. J. Bateman, pastor cf
the First Baptist Church at Ashevill''
declared that Mr. Alexander r' ,y
noted for his personal gifts throi._»r
out his life. "I had known Mr. Alex
ander for many years ami he was
what I would term a real big man,"
said Rev. Dr. Bateman, at the time
of Mr. Alexander's death, "Pie was
a man who took an interest in every
thing and loved the things thac peo
ple'themselves love." He was one of
the largest givers in the Baptist
church, of which he was a life-long
member, and it is not surprising
he should be so generous to Mars
Hill and other schools in this section
coming under the supervision of the
Baptist Home Mission Board."
Mr. Alexander was Rutherford
county's foremost citizen. He repre
sented Rutherford county in the leg
islature of 1898, 1900 and was in the
state senate in 1902. At the time of
his death his estate was 'estimated to
be worth from $3,000,000 to $4,000,-
000. .
The First Baptist Church of Forest
City was organized as Cool Springs
Baptist church in about 1825, where
the Cool Springs cemetery is now
located. In latter years the church
was removed from this location to the
center of the city, where a brick
building had been erected. Here the
church prospered until under the di-
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF FOREST CITY AND RUTHERFORD COUNTY
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROL! NA, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1927.
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DR. W. A. AYERS
Pastor of First Baptist Church, whose
untiring energy and ability is largely
responsible for completion of the
Alexander Memorial Building.
rection of Rev. J. Q. Adams, the
building became inadequate for the
growing work of the church and a
new and modern church was erected
in 1914. The beloved and popular Dr.
Adams served the churcn until his
death. The next pastor was Rev. S. N.
Watson, now of Bladenboro, N. C..
who served the church for four years.
In-November, 1922, the church ex
tended a call to Dr. W. A. Ayers, of
New Bern, N. C., but he did not come
to the pastorate, on account of the
great fire at that place, until June,
1923. The long period in which the
church was without a pastor found
the work at a rather low ebb at the
time of Dr. Ayers arrival. However,
the church responded from the first
to the leadership of its present pas
tor and has performed a most worthy
and progressive work. Since he took
over the pastorate of the church, a
handsome parsonage has been built
and paid for at a cost of $12,000. In
addition to his home work, Dr. Ayers
has had a number of denominational
duties, being a member of the Bap
tist State Mission Board, and a mem
ber of the board of trustees of the
following institutions: Meredith Col
lege, Raleigh, N. C.; Baptist Bible
Institute, New Orleans; Alexander
Schools, Inc., Union Mills, N. C.: and
Boiling Springs High School, Boiling
Springs, N. C.
MR. CHOATE TO ADDRESS
WOMAN'S CLUB
Mr. Choate, interior decorator for
Ivy's Store, of Charlotte, will be pres
ent at the School auditorium, Mon-
day, March 7th and address the mem
bers of the Woman's Club on Inter
ior Decorating. The public is invited
to attend this address.
Born to Dr. and Mrs. A. C. Dun
can on Tuesday, March 1, a fine boy.
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' FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, FOREST CITY . '
PRICE-CARPENTER
ESSAY-ORATION
CONTEST FRIDAY
Contest to fee Held in Cool
Springs School Auditor
ium Friday Evening.
Several Entries
To Date
The Price-Carpenter Essay-Oration
contest .will be held in the auditor
ium of the Cool Springs High school
at Forest City at eight o'clock, Fri
day night, March 4th. To date, en
tries have been sent in from four
of the county high schools, which
promise to make a very interesting
contest. The essays were turned over
to County Superintendent Clyde A.
Erwin last Saturday and the winner
will be announced Friday night. Mr.
R. E. Price gives the Orator's Medal
and Mr. H. L. Carpenter gives the
Essay medal.
Miss Bernice Kanipe speaking on
"Americanism," and Miss Mildred
Moores speaking on "Talents,,' will
represent the Cool Springs High
school. Music and selections from the
various High Schools will make a
very interesting program.
LITERARY CLUB
The Literary Club Division No. 2
will meet Thursday at 4 o'clock at
the home of Mrs. M. H. Hewitt. Mes
dames M. F. Moores and G. M. Hunt
ley will be joint hostesses with Mrs.
Hewitt.
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J. F. ALEXANDER
Who made it possible to erect the
magnificent new Sunday School
building.
SISTER OF MR. J. E.
CALDWELL DIES IN TEXAS
Mr. J. E. Caldwell received a
telephone message Sunday announc
ing that his sister, Mrs. O. L. Tru
man of Houston, Texas, was dead.
No details were given in the mes
sage.
Mrs. Truman was about forty years
of age. She is survived by two chil
dren, Mrs. J. B. Houser, Jr., of Cher
ryville and a thirteen year old son,
Houston, Texas. Her mother, Mrs.
J. A. Caldwell, of Cherryville, also
survives, and three sisters, Mrs. C.
F. Whitehead and Mrs. C. E. Mc-
Curry, of Cherryville and Mrs. Max
Bridges, of Spartanburg and two
brothers, Mr. J. E. Caldwell, of For
est City, and Jesse Caldwell, of
Cramerton.
Mrs. Truman's husband was killed
about two years ago when he came
in contact with a live electric wire.
The funeral services for Mrs. Tru
man and interment were at Houston,
Texas.
A Florida newspaper says: "The
mayor of Forest City, N. C., called
at the Kaltenbruner filling station
Tuesday afternoon. He cordially in
vites all the citizens of Pahokee to
spend their summer vacation in his
town. He assures all those who go,
that if any of them get in jail in
his town he will go 50-50 on their
time."
THE MAYOR IN FLORIDA
BASKETBALL
The Spindale Basketball Team will
meet the Charlotte Outlaws at the
Spindale House Saturday evening at
8 o'clock in what promises to be one
of the best games of the season.
$1.50 per Year in Advance.
J. L M'FARLAND
DIES SUDDENLY
AT HOME HERE
Former Legislator and Promi
nent Rutherford County
Man Drops Dead.
Death came to the Hon. J. E. Mc-
Farland with shocking srddenness at
his home here at 12:30 Friday, Feb
ruary 25. After finishing his noon
meal, he was sitting reading his news
paper, when, without outcry or warn
ing, he suddenly fell from his chair
to the floor, and expired before as
sistance could reach him.
His sister, Miss Kate McFarland,
seeing him fall, rushed to his side
and saw at a glance *hat he was in
desperate straits. Unable to lift him
from the floor, and realizing that he
was in a dying condition, she immed
iately' summoned neighbors to her
assistance, who, responding hastily,
found him dead upon their arrival.
Mr. McFarland's death was the re
sult of heart failure. He had a des
perate attack of illness in November,
when his life was despaired of, a
stroke of paralysis almost proving
fatal at that time. However, he fin
ally recovered, and since had been
able to attend to his business, his
many friends believing he had made
a permanent recovery. However, this
spell had proven too much for a
weak haert and his death came with
the suddenness noted above.
Hon. J. E. McFarland was one of
the county's most prominent and
best beloved citizens. Member of a
fine old family, he had faithfully fol
lowed all the traditions and lived a
life in keeping with his fine heritage.
He was a man of fine * character,
strong principles, courageous in his
convictions and a splendid type of
Christian gentleman. His many fine
characteristics are well described in
another article in this paper, written
by his friend and pastor, the Rev.
Geo. R. Gillespie.
Mr. McFarland was the youngest
of nine children, the son of John and
Margaret C. McFarland, prominent
couple of the old school. He was born
in Spartanburg, S. C., March 17,
1861. After a few years the family
moved to Tennessee, then later to
Rutherford county, where he has re
sided for the past fifty years. He is
survived by three sisters, Miss Kate
McFarland, Forest City, with whom
he made his home; Mrs. J. G. Stew
art, route 1, Bostic and Mrs. D. C.
Beam, route 1, Bostic.
Mr. McFarland had lived in Forest
City for the past 44 years. He rep
resented Rutherford county in the
general assembly of North Carolina
in 1923. He was an elder in the Pres
bvterian church and was one of the
founders of the church in Forest City.
He was a Mason, member _of the
chapter, commandry, Shriner and a
member of the Eastern Star, also a
Junior and Pythian. He was never
married.
Funeral services were held at the
Presbyterian church, Sunday, at 2
p. m. A- large crowd gathered at the
church to pay their last respects to
a good man. The services were simple
and impressive, in keeping with the
spirit of the departed, who cared not
for pomp nor glory, but kept the
faith and looked for his reward in the
hereafter. Among those taking part
in the ceremonies were Rev. Geo. R.
Gillespie, Rev. R. W. Montgomery,
Dr. John S. Wood, Rev. M. F. Moores,
Dr. W. A. Ayers, Rev. O. C. Houston.
Forest City Lodge, No. 381, A. F.
& A. M., had charge of the obsequies
at the grave, assisted by the Knight
Templars, in impressive Masonic
i rites.
The following ladies of Areme
Chapter No. 125, Order Eastern Star,
had charge of the profuse floral of
ferings: Mesdames C. E. Alcock, E.
0. Thomas, U. S. Courtney, G. P.
Reid, P. L. Marks, A. W. Falvey, F.
1. Barber, Thos. G. Stone; Misses
Claire Reid, Ottilie Lcng, Willie Car
penter, Flora Marks, Emma Dalton.
j The pallbearers were John Poole,
•N. H. Welsh, B. F. Price, Harry
Camnitz, Dr. Geo. P. Reid, Featus
Bridges.
16 PAGES
96 COLUMNS