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111 JCi JEL JLi X
Volume 11.
Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, September 11^ 1941.
Number 37.
CHARLOHE NEGRO
TURNS OUT TO BE
CATOE THE KILLER
His Brother Says the Wholesale
Murderer of Washington
Left Here in 1928
KILLED WIFE OF DANCY
SOMETIMES THE DEVIL FINDS HIS MATCH—
When Fanatic Meets Fanatic
There Is a Surprise In Store
(AN EDITORIAL)
By H. E. C. (RED BUCK) BRYANT
Washington, Sept. 8 — Charlotte
sent to Washington a killer. Jarvis
Roosevelt Catoe, according to his own
story, has outraged and killed seven
women, some of them of his own
race. His brother John, who also
came from Charlotte, is making a
strenuous effort to save him from
the hangman’s noose, his contention
being that he has never been mental
ly sound since he fell from a truck
in Charlotte and injured his head.
Jessie Elizabeth Strieff, 23 year
old War Department worker, left her
apartment near the fashionable Du
Pont Circle neighborhood, one day
last June to buy some butter to bake
her fiance a pie. She was never seen
alive again by any one who knew her.
The hardest rain of the year fell soon
after the young woman started out
in sport suit, and flimsy raincoat to
go to a nearby grocery store. Clouds
hung low, and were so black that it
was as dark as night.
Admits the Crime
Catoe has admitted to police that
he raped and murdered Miss Strieff,
who recently came here from her
home in Iowa. He said that, because
a chauffer’s cap he wore, she hailed
him, thinking he drove a taxicab. He
explained that his car was privately
operated but invited her to get in out
of the rain, which, about that moment,
was heaviest, and she accepted. He
drove her into a garage that opened
on an alley, and choked her to death;
took what scanty clothes she wore
from her body, and carried it to an
other garage several blocks away and
left it to be found hours later by a
servant of its owner.
On leaving her apartment Miss
Strieff told a girl friend who was
there she would be back in a few
minutes but, when she failed to re
turn, the alarm over her disap
pearance to the police and search
made, but in vain.
After the remains of the young
woman were found police officers
Bought clues but found none. Early
in August a Mrs. Anderson was at
tacked and slain in tJie Bronx, New
York. Two very industrious policemen
there learned that, when she left
home the morning of her disap
pearance, she wore a wrist watch.
Following that clue the detectives
located the time piece in a pawnshop,
and traced it to Catoe, who, by that
time, had returned to Washington.
The New York officers came here,
and, with the assistance of local
police, arrested the Negro, who, now
is indicted for the murder of Miss
Strieff.
Has Three Lawyers Engaged
Relatives of Catoe, including
brothers and aunts, have employed
three lawyers to defend him. No
doubt the attorneys will base their
fight on the claim of his kin that he
is mentally irresponsible. Catoe him
self was not very enthusiastic over
the employment of counsel. Ever
since he fell into the hands of the
officers he has been frank ^nd free
with his confessions, and helped the
city authorities to pile up damaging
evidence the police department might
not have discovered.
Victim Widow of Negro Leader
Catoe, according to his brother
John, who is younger, came here from
Charlotte in 1928. He worked' for a
time as assistant to an undei’taker.
His admissions include the murder
of a young married woman who came
here from the Middle West, and liv
ed in a large apartment building. He
says she saw him on a street near
her residence and asked him if he
could wax floors of rooms and he
went with her to see what she wanted
him to do and he seized her, strangl
ed her and robbed her of $20.
One of his victims, according to
his own statement, was an elderly
colored woman, Florence Dancy,
widow of the late John C. Dancy, one
of the most brilliant Negro orators
North Carolina ever produced. But,
he did not know her name, and an
other rapist is serving time for that
crime. Catoe paid no attention to
names of persons he attacked but
could go to the places where he com
mitted his crimes. He was not cer
tain that he killed a woman by the
name of Dancy, sixty-five years old,
but he went to the house where she
had lived, it being one of a row.
Therefore, some doubt as to his guilt
in that case is expressed. The Negro
now in prison for life may be guilty,
as there, are conflicting statements
about dates.
Very little information about Ca
toe has come from the South. He
was born at Kershaw, South Carolina,
and worked as a boy in Charlotte.
His brother, John, in an effort to
make the best showing possible for
him, reported that the fall from the
truck in Charlotte, necessitated a
trepan to protect his brain. He said
that while in the hospital at Char
lotte he tried to choke nurses who
served him.
It would be interesting to know
just what his life in Charlotte was
like. It might throw light on his be
havior here and in New York. The
case is of more tJian ordinary in
terest for he is a killer of an unusual
type. His ability to grab a woman and
choke her to death with his bare
hands was an asset in his attacks. He
MORE ON ?AGE FOUR
It is possible that the most
surprised and puzzled man in the
world today is the German sol
dier in Russia. These young
men, trained from the cradle in
the hate and vanity of the Hit
ler school, had run over Europe
like romping school boys on a
vast spree. Nowhere did they
encounter an opposition numer
ically or in equipment equal to
them. On tanks, trucks, armor
ed cars and motorcycle they were
able to dash swiftly through or
around such opposition as there
was. This is what they were
trained to do. They were train
ed and equipped to move fast on
wheels, mobile enough to- dodge
around where they could not go
straight. Russia is something
new to them.
No wonder these young men,
pumped up with the teaching of
their superiority and invincibil
ity as soldiers, had a contempt
for adversaries, a contempt for
peace, a contempt for anybody
who put peaceful and friendly
confidence above war and hate.
What grand men they were, what
an all conquering army. Noth
ing in the world, nor all the
world together, could stand be
fore them. Bred in fanaticism,
nurtured in hate as one of their
higher attitudes of life, they no
doubt entered upon their excur
sion into Russia as another great
joy ride over a prostrate foe.
^ What happened? The invin
cible force which was the Ger
man army came in contact with
an object, which if not immov
able, has so far been moved
comparatively little. After 12
week the German army is pret
ty nearly as much on the defen
sive as the Russian. iThe Rus
sians are as fanatic in the de
fense of their own country as
the Germans are in the belief in
superiority and , invincibility.
The Germans are startled and
dismayed. “Proceeding accord
ing to plan” has a different mean
ing now than when first used in
the campaign. Then it meant
dashing over vast spaces where
opposition was not effective and
covering the allotted number of
miles. Now “proceeding accord
ing to plan” means the daily and
nightly struggle against an army
equipped and manned more on
equal terms than any heretofore
encountered. It means frontal
fighting, it means counter at
tack, ambush, guerilla warfare
and fighting from the rear. It
means an inability to wipe out
Human Interest^^*^^ Much Helu to Juvenile jYEAR 1881 MOST
Court May Not Be So Good EVENTFUL ONE IN
DMYOFARDREY
the opposing air force as was
done in all other countircs and
the leaving of soldiers every-
v/here unprotected from the div
ers and bombers. It means ev
erything that neither the high
command nor the men in the
ranks expected. They have met
an enemy who knows why he is
fighting, how to fight, and with
the implements to make his
fighting effective. It means op
erations over a vast territory
where supply becomes every day
and with every mile more diffi
cult.
Hitler and his gang have bit
off more than they have been so
far able to chew and the world
chortles at the picture. Are Rus
sians fanatical revolutionists?
They may be. But they are not
on a foreign soil. They have now
avowed the intention of murder
ing so much of the world as was
necessary to their plans. They
never brought on the war or
made the attack. But in fighting
Hitler they seem to have what it
takes and that is enough for us
and should be for all lovers of
freedom everywhere. May their
strength increase, may the Ger
mans be yet more surprised and
ultimately confounded, and may
we give the Russians all the help
that we can, and then increase it.
In the New York Times Mag
azine there is an article tele
honed from Switzerland by Per-
cival Knauth, describing the kind
of fighting which the Germans
are meeting to their great sur
prise. “No one,” he says, “who
has not taken part in it can fully
grasp the ferocity with which
the Battle of Russia is being
fought. Those who have exper
ienced it and are able to report
on it cannot and do not attempt
to conceal their feelings — the
weariness of long forced marches
through a countryside where ev
erything has been destroyed; the
heat, the dust, the filth and the
near despair felt when the village
or town which was to affodd
relief from all of these is found
a smoking heap of ashes; the
dust, the filth and the near de
spair felt when the village or
town which was to afford relief
from all of these is found a
smoking heap of ashes; the sud
den shock of unexpected combat
far behind the lines when Rus
sian snipers go into action or
guerrillas strike at night; the
endless fatigue of days and
v/eeks of sustained combat with
MORE ON PAGE TWO .
CHAPELS AND CHAPLAINS
The army now has 604 chapels at
army posts, camps and stations
throughout the country. These are
buildings of some kind put up by the,
government for use of the soldiers
in worship. A chapel and a chaplain
for each regiment. Prostestant,
Catholic and Jewish soldiers worship
in grou{)s at different times, and
chaplains of each faith have offices
in the buildings, which are outlined
with necessary equipment, and or
gans. Army chaplains are under the
supervision of the Chief of Chaplains,
who reports to and advises with the
General of the Army and the Secre-
tray of War on I’eligious matters con
cerning the soldiers. The clergymen
are selected proportionately to the
faith of the men in the ranks. The
rule, generally, is one chaplain to
1,200 men. College and theological
seminary graduates only are ap
pointed as chaplains, and no one is
named who isn’t indorsed by his re
spective denomination as suitable for
commission. Chaplains wear the regu
lar army uniform, but carry no
weapons, their rank runs from first
lieutenant to colonel, though no
clergyman carries a military ^itle.
GAS NO WORRY TO HER
The shortage of gasoline in
tlie East raises no problems in
the life of Hattie Caraway, tho,
as ranking member of the Senate
Commerce committee, she plays
an important role in the investi
gation of the alleged shortage.
The motherly Senator from Ar
kansas is one of the few mem
bers of the upper chamber who
doesn’t own an automobile. Like
the lowiest' government clerk,
Mrs. Caraway depends on street
cars and busses to get to and
from her office. In the morning
she takes a bus near her home
at upper Colorado Avenue, trans
ferring downtown to a street car
which passes the Senate Office
building. At night the process is
reversed. “I guess I’m old-fash-
ioned,” says Senator Caraway,
“but I like to study the faces of
people on street cars and watch
the sights from the window.”
STEWARTSHIP SERVICE
“Stewardship Enxphasis Week” for
the Methodist churches in this dis
trict will be held in Charlotte and
Monroe the latter part of the month.
The services will be held in First
Methodist church, Charlotte, at 8:00
o’clock on the evenings of September
21, 22, and 23, and in Central church
on the evenings of the 24, 25 and 26.
The six addresses will be delivered
by Dr. James W. Workman of Chi
cago, secretary of the General Board
of Lay Activities of the Methodist
church. The services are designed to
bring'together great congregations of
laymen, also ministers who can be
present, from Union and Anson coun
ties. Through the six sessions, three
in Charlotte and three in Monroe, it
is proposed to make the observance
reach laymen in every _ part of the
district. Two charges in Cabarrus
county also are in the Charlotte dis
trict, and it is expected that mem
bers of these charges will attend the
sessions which they may deem most
convenient.
NO CHEAP SHOWS
On requests by state and army of
ficials, the county instructed the of
fice of the revenue collector to issue
no licenses for the operation of carni
vals and such shows during the time
the army maneuvers go on.
The question «f collection of back
taxes still holds the seat when the
commissioners meet. Now it is pro
posed to have a special agency of
some kind to collect back taxes on
real estate. In all the discussions it
does not seem to be brought out why
there are so much back taxes due
in Mecklenburg. The statue provides
the way to collect unpaid taxes on
real estate and why this has not been
followed through the years appears
to not come out.
of Befryhill school so as to take in
several hundred children who will be
here as a result of the increased per
sonal of the government’s airport.
The board of aducation finds that
$245,000 will be needed.
The project will include erection
of a 22-room, two-story, brick, fire
proof building probably alongside the
present Berryhill high school build
ing on the old Dowd road, which
parallels the Wilkinson boulevard.
Also provided for the program is
an addition to the Berryhill teacher-
age to care for 12 additional teachers.
The sewage and water system at the
school also will be expanded to care
for the greatly enlarged plant, it was
explained..
The new unit is designed to care
for 525 extra pupils who are ex
pected to enroll in the Berryhill
school when the air base begins full
quota operations.
The P. W. A. authorities last week
sent a representativei to Charlotte to
confer with school officials about
the program, and indications are that,
since the school is required by the
national defense program, the Federal
government will finance the entire
project.
SMALL CROP, MORE MONEY
The co#ton crop now being picked
and ginned will yield an income one-
third higher than last yeai*, despite
the ravages of the boll weevil. Stati
sticians of the New York Cotton Ex
change, and they know their business,
reported this week the income to the
growers will be the largest since
1929. Their figures are based on the
assumption that the new crop will
approximate the Government forecast
of 10,800,000 bales and that present,
prices will prevail. Government bene
fits will total $214,000,000 bringing
the gross return to the growers up
to $1,238,500,000, as contrasted with
a total of $912,000,000 last year. The
gross return in 1929, the last year
of the Coolidge-Hoover boom, was
$1,400,000,000. It should be borne in
mind, however, that the present crop,
produced on greatly decreased acre
age, was far less expensive than those
of the years before the days of the
Triple A. The net income per bale,
therefore, will be substantially more
than in 1929.
There has been for some time
considerable commotion regard
ing the Juvenile and Domestic
Relations court over which Judge
Redd presides. Just what the oc
casion for this is we are inclined
to think that the public is not
fully aware.
Of course no one, at least this
paper, would object to seeing any
or all shortcomings, if there be
such, removed. The public has a
natural concern in the matter,
hence all bona fide efforts to get
information and understanding
are legitimate and necessary. The
excellent ladies and gentlemen
who have served on committees
and are yet to serve have it with
in their power to do a public ser
vice of value.
This paper is not informed on
the matter of the various criti
cisms of the local court, how they
originated, what their justifica
tion may or may not be, but it
feels justified in calling atten
tion to a few general truths and
principles which should not be
overlooked.
The work of juvenile courts al
ways falls short of what the pub
lic is often lead to. expect. This
is because, in presenting argu
ments for them, stress is laid up
on the wholesale prevention of
crime. There is no such thing as
wholly preventing crime. The
continued multiplicity of courts
shows this. Juvenile courts should
not be expected to abolish crime
no matter how efficient they may
be or how early they begin with
the patient. Tliey can only save
some of the youth and thus pre
vent more adult crime.
The efi^ectiveness of the juve
nile work depends much upon the
equipment which such courts are
furnished. Judges, devoted fully
and unconditionally to their work,
with no outside interests, no
hampering influences, and a suf
ficiency of high class and well
trained helpers, are the primary
considerations.
Their work must be slow, care
ful, and often unsuccessful. We
are so impregnated with the idea
o# punishment that much of the
population, and often the police
influence, is against juvenile
courts, because their work is es
sentially that of supervision, di
rection and discipline, often run
ning over long periods. Given the
opportunity, and the necessai’y
means for doing this work, the
juvenile courts can and do, piove
highly successful. We should not
forget this for a moment and we
should not allow any dissatisfac
tion over, temporary questions
and procedures to in any way
prejudice us against the juvenile
court principle. Some local offi
cials have shown fretfulness, as
always happens, because children
passing through the juvenile
court are not at on^’e cb^n.p-p'^ in
to perfect examples of reform
and regeneration. No numan
agency c^n rirodiice* nerf'^'^t
sults, and the courts of law
should be me last lo compiam
that the juvenile courts are not
perfect in accomplishment.
Domestic relations courts have
very much the characteristics of
the juvenile courts. Their func
tions are those of patience, heal
ing, guidance, suggestion, all
looking towards the healing of
family difficulties, primarily for
the benefit of the children. The
domestic relations judge should
have the same disinterested de
votion, the same sympathy and
understanding, the same patience
required of juvenile judges.
These courts ai’e an essential
part of our public policy, their
usefulness and sucecss depend
upon public support and under
standing of their difficulties and
upon the unalloyed wisdom and
singleness of purpose of their of
ficials.
CLOTHING HELPS
MAKE A SOLDIER
So the Quartermaster Pro
vides Everything He Needs
in all Seasons.
SCHOOL FOR AIRPORT KIDS
The county school authorities are
up against the need for enlargment
CROPS BADLY CUT
County Farm Agent Oscar Phillips
says that the farmers of Mecklenburg
are expecting only a forty or fifty
per cent crop this year on account of
unfavorable weather conditions. A
“dry drouth” followed by a “wet
wet drouth,” supplemented by the
boll weevil has done the damage.
But, says Mr. Phillips, Mecklenburg
farmers are resourceful and will de
vise various means of offsetting the
shortage.
FIFTEENTH KILLING
The fifteenth killing in Charlotte
this year, all among Negroes, took
place Tuesday afternoon, when Ches
ter Summers, 20 years old, shot ariid
. , «. MORE ON PAGE FOUR
TWO GRAND LADIES
Writing of the steady nerves
and dogged courage of t^e every
day people of England, a writer
conies then to what we call some
of the arastocracy, and finds there
the same courage and determina
tion never to give up. Then, he
says, there is Margot Asquith.
When- I pleaded that she ought
to move to the country and not
spend another winter in London,
this great old lady answered: “I
shouldn’t like anyone to say that "
the widow of a wartime prime
minister had moved awa- from
danger.” That’s the spirit of
Lady Astor, as described by one
of her servants: “My Lady
made us join her in prayer when
one bomb blew in the front door,
another the back of the house
and a third threw an automobile
onto the roof. Then the Germans
began to drop fire bombs. My
Lady sprang to her feet.‘Where
in the hell is the fire bucket?’
she cried 6ne second after pray
ing as she led us all to the roof.”
THERE’S art IN LYING
A person who is lying to deceive
had best steer entirely clear of ex
aggeration; understatement, instead,
is far more convincing. A person who
lies to entertain, however, may ex
aggerate with effectivness, if he does
so in moderation. Here’s a little story
that illustrates the difference be
tween gross ezaggeration and mod
erate exaggeration in the art of ly
ing: A traveling salesman who spent
the night in a small town was trying
next morning to entertain a group
of men seated on the front of a
country store with tales of attacks
on him by mosquitos the night be
fore. “Honestly, gentlemen,” he said,
“some of those mosquitoes that got
in my bedroom last night were as big
as crows.” When the salesman left,
an old codger seated on the end of
the bench spat disgustedly and said,
“Why, the fellow’s a consarned liar.
I've been livin’ here all my life, an’
I an’t never seed a mosquito bigger’n
a sparrow.”
The greatest men’s furnishing shop
in the woi’ld, the Quartermaster Corps
of the United States Army, adds to
the old cliche clothes make a man.
Army clothes make the 1941 soldier
—healthy and happy.
Beginning with his feet, the Quar
termaster gives th^ soldier a ward
robe which the majority never dream
ed of having in civilian life.
Boots? Yes. Leather boots for
the cavalry, rubber hip boots, rubber
knee boots, shoe pacs or heavy water
proof work boots, arctic overshoes or
galoshes with cloth or rubber tops,
and snow shoes. Alaskan troops are
issued waterproof walrus skin boots.
Shoes bought by the Quartermaster
are designed for protection against
the elements and for comfort. A
soldier with pinching shoe is no good
on extended marches, or in drills, or
on maneuvers.
The Quartermaster makes sure the
soldiers in the eight southeastern
states, are foot-happy. Each soldier
is immediately issued three pairs of
shoes on entering the army. Shoes
that have been tested for long,' hard
wear.- '
Service shoes, are worn on the
firing ranges, in the field whenever
the business of soldiering becomes
tough.
Around camp and on leave the
soldiers wear the service shoes they
have saved for dress—the shoes that
are shined brightly for inspections.
To keep the soles in good shape,
even on maneuvers, the shoe shops
are constantly in opei*ation. When
the troops are bn the move, so is the
shoe shop, in a unit on wheels.
Taking care of the army’s feet
is of prime importance. But the
matter of shirts, pants, socks and
underwear is considered just as care
fully and handled just as ably by the
Fourth Corps Area, which now has
within its borders one-third of the
army in the continental United States.
This summer the troops are wear
ing cotton khaki shirts, ties and slacks,
and field caps. On heavy duty they
wear blue denim or herringbone twill.
When wintei" comes, in addition to a
woolen coat and overcoat, the soldiers
will also get woolen slacks, shirts
and caps if the weather is extremely
severe.
And finally, but of significance, is
the style of the unifonns. These
wearable clothes are well cut and trim.
The Quartermaster has made our
arrriy not only the most comfortable,
but also the best dressed of any in
the world.
YOU CAN’T TELL
ABOUT A SOLDIER
Likely To Throw Down a
Thousand Dollar Bill, Ac
cording To This Story
Prohibition Election and Murder
of Gartield Recorded With
the ^ieit>hborhood Items
BECAME 43 YEAR OLD
THE TWO ENEMIES
The New York Herald Tribune
says the dog’s name was Tippy.
The goose was Honker. They
never did get along. Tippy contin
ually tried to choke Honker.
Honker eternally attempted to
remove Tippy’s tail and ears
from the rest of him. Then a car
— MORE ON PAGE THREE —
RED CROSS SHIPMENT
A large shipment of various ar
ticles of clothing for women and chil
dren has left the Charlotte office of
the American Red Cross to the na
tional Red Cross warehouse in New
Jersey for future export to Great
Britain. All garments in the ship
ment will be used for British war re
lief.
Included in the cargo were 44
layettes, 50 pairs of pajamas; five
woman’s shirts; five cotton dresses;
!ten boys’ shirts; five boys’ overalls;
40 girls’ woolen skirts'; 15 convales
cent robes; five girls’ woolen dre^^ses
and five little girls’ cotton dresses.
(By Col. Ike London of Rockingham)
The government has 19 concentra
tion camps for interment of con
scientious objectors—those who are
eligible^ for the draft but claim ex
emption by reason of religion . . . One
such camp was opened last week in
North Carolina, in the former CCC
buildings 10 miles northwest of Mar
ion on the Buck Creek Gap road . . .
150 of these objectors now there . . .
They will, be kept for the duration
of the war, not as petted guests but
to do regular CCC work on roads
and woods . . . Most of these men are
from other states.
^ ^ ^
Some people look' upon a soldier
in uniform as more or less of a
rough-neck; but, believe me, you are
mistaken . . . For instance, was talk
ing Saturday to one of the draftees
of the 58th Ordnance Ammunition
company now camped near Ellerbe
. . . Incidentally found that he secur
ed his B. S. at Loyolo University in
Chicago, and his master’s degree at
the University of New Hampshire.
* *
Which'"" calls to mind the story of
the three privates who went into a
swank cafe in Florida . . . They order
ed liberally; finally the waiter, know
ing privates get but $21 a month, and
fearful that too large a bill was be
ing run up, suggested that perhaps
they might not be able to pay out . . .
One of the privates casually reached
in his pocket and handed the waiter
a thousand dollar bill . . . The waiter
was frightened; he couldn’t change
such an amount; the second private
remarked he could break the bill in
half, and produced two |500 bills;
still the waiter was stalled; the third
private said he could change a five
into ten $50 bills; by that time the
water was pop-eyed and most apol
ogetic . . . Which goes to show you
can’t tell a bird by the plumage, or
what or who a soldier is in plain uni
form . . . Regardless of who or what
he is, treat them all as gentlemen
and 100 per cent worthy of your re
spect and fellowship.
* * *
Another man in this 58th Ordnance
Company is a Cornell graduate, and
there are plenty of other college
graduates there but you’d never
know it from any word from them
. . . They are draftees, in uniform,
and proud of it . . . The “keeper” of
the Post Exchange (store) is a pri
vate getting $21 a month-—and was
drafted from a job that paid him $75
a week as an expert craftsman in the
big Eastman Kodak works at Roches
ter . . . Another is a former profes
sional boxer, husky Billy May.
* * ♦
The Army tabulates the religious
preference of every draftee upon en
tering the Service; this is done in
order that the proper percentage of
denominational faiths may be repre
sented with chaplains . . . Figures
show that 59 percent of all draftees
are Protestants—of the remainder 31
percent are Roman Catholics, 2 per
cent Jews, and 8 per cent list no de
nomination.
^ H*
Athletic officials of the Big Five
and Ft. Bragg officials conferred last
week, and it was agreed to let all
MORE ON PAGE TWO
By H. E. C. (RED BUCK) BRYANT
Good old field schools were well sup
ported in Captain W. E. Ardrey’s day;
they were well taught and well pat
ronized.
Many boys and girls went to col-
leg-e from Carolina Academy, or Kell’s
school house. Mr. Lightner Shirley
and Mr. John Boyd were two of the
teachers who made imrressions th^'ve.
May 27, 1881 Captain wrote: “Our
school exhibition today was a great
success, the best we have ever had,
better managed and better enjoved.
It was a great impetus to the school
and a grand social feast for the com
munity. The crowd was large, and all
enjoyed it.’
Captain Ardrey now and then did
his bit at teaching. He was always
willing to pinch-hit for the neighbor
hood.
June 10: “Mr.' Bell and I went to
Charlotte and came home by. the Prov
idence road.
“The closing of bar rooms in Char
lotte has made a wonderful change
there.”
Fish Fry and Ice Cream
June 18: “We went seining on the
creek with the Rea and McGinn fami
lies. Had a nice fish fry and a splen
did time. The creek was extremely
low. We had ice cream in the even
ing; Cousin Ed Russell and the Potts
children with us.”
The summer of 1881 was very dry,
and “the farmers badly discouraged.”
June 22: “My highest stalk of
cotton is 15 inches.”
June 24: “Cotton retains its color
but is not growing much. It has been
eight weeks since we had rain. A
great deal of cotton in the county not
up yet, and large part of bottoms not
planted to coi’n, so hard and dry they
could not be plowed.”
Attack on Garfield
July 4: “Anniversary of national
independence.
“Heard of the attempted assassina
tion of President Garfield. Great ex
citement over the nation. An act to be
discountenanced and condemned by all
good loyal citizens. It is a stigma
upon the fair name of our dear coun
try.”
July 6.: “Still hot; thermometer
104. Mr. Bell and I went to Pine-
ville. ' Everyone low-down about the
crops. General gloom pervades the
country. A great deal of sickness
about Pmeville. I enjoyed Joe’s lem
onade so much.
“I am more despondent over the
crop than ever before; the worst pros
pect I have had in my 16 years of
farming. Never felt such intense
heat; even the breezes are hot. Some
of our old men say this is a gloomier
prospect for a grain crop than that of
1845, the dry year.”
July 1st: “Fine rain; the only sea
son since May 3.”
July 16: “Having nice showers and
crops improving.
“We went to the negro anti-prohi
bition speaking. They are doomed to
barbarism. Nothing but education
can save them.”
July 20: “Baseball and picnic at
Harrison’s’.
Didn’t Hear Colored Bishop
July 25: “We went out to hear
Bishop Hood but were disappointed;
heard Rev. Simpkins, colored. The
regroes are in a deplorable condiV'on;
they have' rejected their llish-jp and
their religion for political influence
and all are anti-prohibitionV^t:’,. It
does seem^that they bonli'ring on
heathenism right here in this Chris
tian land.”
August 4: “Election day, proV.ibi-
tion; great excitement. Provid'^nce
township about 300 against and 100
for it.”
Septeniiaer 10: “Mr. Ross’ gin house
burned by an incendiary.”
A dry spell followed the rains in
July but on the 16th of Setember Mr.
Ardrey virrote: “Rain, rain, earth is
well watered and dried-up streams are 4
again filled with water. Six Mile creek
has not run for two months; all dry but
the big holes.”
September 22: “President Garfield
died from the wounds of the assassin,
Guiteau.” .
October 20: “Heard of the sad death
of Mr. Watson, killed coming from
Monroe.”
October 21: “Heard'Of the hanging
of a negro in Union, for rape.”
Rosser Wolfe Wedding
Despite the drought and short crops
Captain Ardrey found much to be
thankful for in 1881.
“Under divine providence,” said he,
“the year closes with favorable aus
pices in the enjoyment of good health,
a promising family, peace and quiet.
We have a pleasant and happy house
hold.”
January 26, 1882: “Jimmie, Sister
(Ida) and I went to the wedding of
Rosser Wolfe and Miss E. Robinson.
It was one of the most sumptuous
feasts I ever saw; 75 persons present,
and Mrs. Robinson had enough cooked
of 150 persons. May their life be as
bright as their marriage, and as
sumptuous.
“Roads are worse than they have
been since'1865.”
March 16: “We are getting the farm
— MOR. 1 ON PAGE THREE .