. Wr-'al
fa.T
uawmr OF DAVfOSON COU£OE
BEASLEY’S
FARM
and
HOIVIE
E L Y
Volume 11.
Charlotte, N. C,, Thursdya, October 16, 1941.
Number 42.
m POSTOFFICE
BY MISUSING THE
FRANKING RIGHTS
Arrest of German Agents Dis
close Their Subversive Work
Carried on at Govt. Expense
CONGRESSMEN. BLAMED
For years the rattle heads of this
country have been reading and quot
ing one George Sylvester Viereck. a
German who has lived in this country
for many years and posed as a great
literary man. He came to America
at the age of 11, became a citizen, and
continued to serve Germany in his
speeches and writings, first the Kai
ser, and now Hitler. Last week he was
arrested by FBI men and brought be
fore a grand jury and his case is still
pending. Also arrested was one
Prescott Dennett, a partner of agent
of his. Vierick has received a great
deal of money for his work and it
turns out that much of it was done
through the use of the franking priv
ilege of congressmen. A lot of this
mail was recently discovered.
The sacks of franked mail, each of
them, filled with approximately 100
pounds of Congressional Record mat
ter, all sealed and ready for address
ing and mailing under postage - free
congressional franks, represent the
latest instance of a system that has
cried for reform for years, the giving
of franking priviliges to congressmen
who, in turn—in effect if not official
ly—farm out the privilege of re
mailing their material all over the
country.
Loss in Millions
The Post Office records shows
45,000,000 pieces of free mail were
carried under the franking privilige
for the last, year recorded. If this
mail had been paid for in red and
blue two and three cent stamps, it
would have cost the senders over
$1,200,000. As it was, they sent it all
free. It was free, that is to everybody
but the taxpayers. Furthermore, Con
gressmen did not even bother to lick
the stamps.
In the case of the material now
feeing! investigated, in connection
Vith the Viereck-Dennett inquiry,
bundles of isolationist material were
made available, it appears, a good
deal like over-the-counter merchan
dise at grocery stores, for distribut
ing.* and m,ailing by interested parties
over the country, who in effect had
the franking privilege extended to
them in connection with distributing
these articles.
It is charged that Mr. Viereck
himself prepared or wrote some of
these articles. Who paid Mr. Viereck
for pro-Nazi activity remains to be
disclosed. It is charged that he got
Congressional friends to incorporate
his material in speeches, and put
them into the Congressional Record.
They could then be sent out, postage
free.
How Racket Works
The congressmen sending out Den-
nett-Vireck articles or other material
inserted in the catch-all of the fam
ous ‘Appendix’ of the Congressional
Record, did not send the whole Re
cord.
With the, insertion of an article,
‘Senator Smith’ or ‘Representative
Jones’ comes in to another privilege.
He can h^ve these articles reprinted
by the Public Printing Office at, or
below, cost. As the Post Office figures
show, millions of copies, of such ar
ticles and speeches are reprinted.
They are mailed, postage free.
The law specifically states that the
franking privilege may not be farmed
out to'an outside group, but the con
gressman gets around this. Another
section of the law states that a con
gressman may frank out packages of
his speeches to be addressed, and
mailed, item by item, by the recipient.
The way it works in practice, as cur
rently revealed in the present investi
gation, is that the member orders
the material and pays for it, and is
then in turn reimbursed by the dis
tributing agency.
The use of the franking privilege
is by no means confined to isolation
ist congressmen, who are in the spot
light right now. It has been employed
for years by nearly all of Congress,
mainly around election time. It is one
of the instruments by which a sitting
congressman attempts to maintain
himself in office.
An incumbent can circularize his
whole constituency in theory at least,
and charge it to the taxpayer and
the Post Office, while his unfortunate
rival has to print his own speeches
and buy his own postage stamps, at
his own expense.
Congressmen have been jealous of
their privilege, and even the present
exposure, by which the government
hopes to trace a connection between
foreign propagandists and the misuse
of the frank, is hardly likely to re-
Voke^ the system.
In the present case, Mr. Fish de
nies knowledge of the 20 sacks of
franked mail. He says that his secre
tary, George Hill, was asked by Mr.
Dennett whether Mr. Fish could use
some copies of his own speeches, and
the offer was accepted. But instead
of his own speeches, a dozen mail
bags containing about half a ton of
speeches and other postage-free mat
ter of other congressmen appeared
outside his locker, Mr. Hill w'as sub
poenaed to appear before the federal
grand jury investigating the whole
matter.
Others Drawn Into Case
Other Congressmen’s names have
been brought into 'the issue. It is un
derstood that there is evidence be
fore the grand jury here that Mr.
MORE ON PAGE TWO -r-
PEACE FROM ONE SOURCE ONLY-
Defeat of Russia Cannot Bring
It, For Hitler Can Never Stop
(AN EDITORIAL)
If Russia is overcome by Ger
many will there be peace ? There
will not be peace, not even if
Russia were to surrender as ab
jectly as all the other countries
that have been overrun have sur
rendered. It is inconceivable
that Russia, no matter what
peace treaty were made, would
consent to stay willingly under
the domination of Germany.
Large stretches of Russia have
already gone into German pos
session, and Dr. Walter Funk,
the economic minister, has an
nounced plans for the continued
possession and operation of that
territory.
Under such circumstances
Germany cannot withdraw her
armies of occupation from Rus
sia. The same thing applies to
all the other territory taken.
Collaboration with Germnny in
these countries means the con
tinued subserviency of their
people to Germany. None of
them will ever willingly collabor
ate by wiping out their own na
tionality. culture and aspira
tions, the demand made by the
New Order of Germany. So
Hitler must keep his armies in
occupation of these countries.
Italy is no better than conquered
territory and Spain will become
so. The continued possession
of Europe by Hitler means the
continued support of his armies,
no matter what peace treaties oi'
promises are made. Hitler can
never demobilize because that
would mean releasing all that he
has grabbed. . No one in his
right senses could imagine that
he will ever do this. The only
way he can make peace is to re
turn to the boundaries of pre
war Germany. If hope of peace
is based upon this expectation,
then We may look for peace no
sooner than doomsday.
So, with Russia added to his
other conquests, and his armies
in being, how may England and
America secure peace ? England
could secure it by the same ab
ject surrender that is being forc
ed upon France, including the
surrender of her fleet and a dis
ruption of the empire, and in no
other way. Every Englishman,
every Canadian, every Australi
an, knows this. Suppose England
were to surrender, how would
we be affected ? Having surren
dered the control of the seas by
failure to support the British,
We would then be ready to con
duct that kind of defense from
invasion which the isolationists
tell us could be done so effect
ively. That is, we could devote
all our time and wealth and la
bor to the maintenance of mili
tary defense. We would become
by necessity of defense doomed
MORE ON PAGE TWO •—
Human Interest
WILD LIFE PICNIC
Hinton James, state commissioner
of game and inland fisheries, has ac
cepted an invitation to be a special
guest at the monthly meeting of the
Mecklenburg Sportsmen’s Wildlife
club Friday evening at Dinty Moore
farm at Hahn station, near Newell.
Members will be accompanied by their
wives.
The outing is to begin at 6 o’clock,
and supper, centering in a fish fry,
is expected to start at 7 o’clock. D.
K. Sing, president of the club, will
submit a report on the movement
looking toward establishment of a
public fish pond. C. W. Todd, and Dr
J. H. Guion, co-chairmen of the field
trials committee, will tell of plans
for such events next month. No for
mal speech-making is scheduled, but
the program will include musical^
numbers and short talks.
held for the sinking fund account so
that the money obtained may be re
invested in national defense bonds of
the federal government.
Already the county has invested
some money in the sinking fvind ac
count in national defense issues. The
transactions in addition to being pa
triotic, have netted the county gov
ernment a nice profit, so the county
authorities feel they have done a
good job of killing two birds with one
stone in the deals.
The increase 'Th business done by
the Mecklenburg Federal Food and
Cotton Stamp department resulted in
the county commissioners granting
the request of the head of the depart
ment, Jonas Ervin, for an increase
in the revolving fund of the office to
$22,500. The money is used to buy
the stamps from the government.
BIG NEGRO SING
A chorus of 100 trained Negro
voices will take part in the annual
Big Sing, sponsored by the Interde^
nominational Negro Ministerial al
liance of Charlotte, to be held in the
Armory-Auditorium Oct. 21.
The performance will begin at 8
p. m. All voices will be trained by
Dr. T. A. Long, professor of music
at Johnson C. Smith University. Sing
ers will come from Johnson C. Smith,
the two Negro high schools of the
city and from the Negro churches of
the city.
A special section will be reserved
for white people in the audience.
NEW THANKSGIVING
Charlotte, in common with all of
North Carolina, will celebrate Mr.
Roosevelt’s new Thanksgiving this
year on the 20th of November. Gov
ernor Broughton has accepted this
date for this year only and will issue
his proclamation accordingly. After
this year North Carolina is through
with the new date, and perhaps the
whole country will be.
THE LOST CHILD FOUND
Pamelia Hollingswroth, a five year
old child, remained lost in a mountain
in New Hampshire for eight days. On
September 28th she walked away from
a picnic in the woods. She was wear-
iing only light overalls and sneakers
and her hair was braided. The days
and nights passed, two days of rain
and night of cold. A thousand volun
teers tramped the woods in search of
her and the men from a CCC camp
joined in. Whole companies of men
went with military precision over the
woods and hills, stopping at regular
intervals and calling her name. Rang
ers from the forest reserve helped,
and radio messages were constantly
sent out. When the rains came and
the cold settled down at night they
said, “How can she live through
this?” Aft.er eight days they found
her huddled near a brook, alive and
unafraid. She had not cried, she said,
because she knew daddy would find
her. She had lost eight pounds and
her feet were frost bitten. Many,
many theories were advanced as to
how she had held out and remained
alive. The scientists say one thing
and another. Her parents and others
who had been praying all the while,
said thai God preserved her.
MAKES US TAX CONSCIOUS
Somebody has said that the
new automobile tax next year is
for the purpose of making the
people tax conscious. With all
the other taxes it is more likely .
to make some of us entirely un
conscious. The tax goes into effect
next February and is a United
States tax. It is five .dollars on
every automobile owned, wheth
er it is a new one, or one just
limping to the boneyard. The first
payment w'ill be for the period
from February first to July first,
and after that for a full year at
the time. If this thing keeps up
automobiles are going to be ex
pensive. On them you pay a sales
tax, a property tax, a county and
city license tax, an oil tax and a
tax of seven and a half cents on
every gallon of gas, a tire tax,
and Lord only knows how many
more.
SOLDIERS PLENTIFUL
The city newspapers and others
who estimated or guessed the number
of soldiers who would visit the city
on last week-end, have since ■ that
time revised their figures. Thev first
said ten to fifteen thousand. Now
they say fully 6,500 men in uniform
were here during the week-end. Of
course no one knows how many there
were nor how many there will be this
week-end and on subsequent ones.
All the towns in the area are doing
their best to entertain the boys and
Charlotte, being the only large city
in the locality, gets far more than
any other.
The Civilian Defense Council is do
ing its best to find accommodations
for all and the Council solicits the
donation of rooms from as many
private homes as possible.
Again Charlotte Armory-Audito
rium will afford sleeping quarters for
many soldiers, the Charlotte Young
Mens Christian association will pi’o-
vide for a lot of them, part of the
former Sterchi’s store building may
be utilized, the Salvation Army will
continue to furnish lodgings for
many, and a large number will find
accommodations at Alexander Gra
ham Junior high school, which is
proving one of the most popular cen
ters with the men.
INAUGURATION AT DAVIDSON
More than 100 college and univers
ity presidents and deans will attend
the inauguration of Dr. John R. Cun
ningham as 13th president of David
son this week-end. Dean John C.
Bailey, in charge of arraangements for
the distinguished guests, has an
nounced that many acceptances of in
vitations.
Presidents of practically all col
leges and universities in the Caro-
linas, and of other institutions all
over the country wifi be present to
see the induction of Davidson’s new
president. The honor guests will as
semble for the. first time at the form
al banquet in Chambers dining hall
Friday night and will be recognized
at the inaugural ceremonies Saturday
) morning at 10:30 o’clock.
Dr. Theodore M. Greene of Prince
ton University, will speak at the ban
quet Friday. Governor J. M. Brough
ton will be the main speaker at the
annual Homecoming Day luncheon
Saturday at 12:30, just before the
Davidson-V. P. I. game. Harlee
Branch, Jr., of Atlanta, president of
the Davidson Alumni association, will
preside over the luncheon.
Homecoming and inaugural visitors
to Davidson will see a campus great
ly changed from that of last year.
Two handsome new buildings, the
Hugh A. and Jane Parks Grey Me
morial library and the new science
building are now in use just south of
Chambers building. They represent
an investment of about $300,000.
Four distinguished men will re
ceive honorary degrees at the cere
monies attendant to the inauguration.
Dr. _ Cunningham has announced.
Their names have not been made pub
lic.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The county commissioners have au
thorized sale by the courtty govern
ment of $24,009 in Greensboro and
Tarboro municipal anid school bonds
TEAMS GO TO RALEIGH
Members of the judging teams who
will go to Raleigh for competition at
the State faif Friday were announced
by L. B. Barbee, assistant farm a:gent
and Miss Helen John Wright,' home
agent, for Mecklenburg.
Poultry team: Marie Parks and
Francis and Barbara Medlock of
Steele Creek; seed: Paul Cook, Clovis
Baker, and Robert Massey of Sharon;
livestock: Billy Tevepaugh of Moore’s
Chapel, William Ewart and David
McCord of Ramah and Erwin Pender
grass of Steele Creek.
The dress made by June Allen of
Mecklenburg will be on exhibit at
the Fair as the winning outfit from
the southwestern district of North
Carolina. Betty Jane Alexander will
have^ a canned foods exhibit.
THE WILL OF MR. BRANDIES
Associatc„.)ustic( Louis D. Bren-
deis, who had recenty i^etired from
the supreme court, died a few day's
ago. He was a great Jewish lawyer
and philanthropist, appointed to the
court by President Wilson. Before he
went on the bench he had made a
good deal of money, though for years
he had given legal service free to
causes he deemed worthy. His will
distributed $3,000,000, more than a
million directly to charity. The will
states: “I have made for my wife and
my daughters provisions larger than
V'ill be required for that simple liv
ing which we have practiced from
conviction and which I assume each
will continue. I have done this because
I desire that each of them shall have
ample means to carry forward or oth
erwise aid the public work in which
she may from time to time be inter
ested. This course will, I believe, best
insure the wise application of the sur
plus to public purposes.”
WHY WOMEN DO THE WORK
Trust the Gawgy editors to
solve all problems. Beth Williams
writes in to the Quitman Free
Press and asks, “Why does one
have to work for a living?'’ And
Olin Miller of the Atlanta Jour-
nay answers thus: “Why, haven’t
you heard, Beth ? We have to
work our way through life be
cause Eve ate an apple and, coy
ly using her feminine wiles to a
mean advantage persuaded
Adam to do likewise. And the
manner in which work is divided
between the sexes isn’t fair, eith
er. Eve was 90 per cent respons
ible for the transgressions^ which
resulted in mankind being'kicked
out of the Garden of Eden and
sentenced to hard labor; conse
quently, in all fairness, women
should be required to do 90 per
cent of the world’s work.
MECKLENBURG PRESBYTERY
In the historic Hopewell Presbyter
ian church the Presbvtery’ of Meck-
MORE ON^PAGE TWO •—
GOOD WHEN YOU CAN GET ’EM
Next time you find a pearl in your
oyster stew, don’t rush to__ a jeweler
only to be told that it would have
been worth a lot if it had not been
cooked. For the pearl« built up by
edible oysters are as worthless as so
much chalk. Dr. T. C. Nelson, of the
New Jersey Board of Shellfisheries,
told disillusioned participants in the
General Electric Science Forum in
Schenectady. And pearl oysters, inci
dentally, don’t grow in every oyster
,backyard; the only bed in American
waters is at ; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Dr. Nelson also spiked another oys-,
ter fallacy last week, tracing it to the
first colonists. Back where they came
from, he said, all summer long oys
ters tasted as if they were full of
sand because of the shells of baby
oysters they contained, thus giving
rise to the “R-less months” ban. But
the colonists wronged the American
bivalve in assuming its habits were
the same—it is good the year round,
and oystermen have been trying to
overcome the public delusion for
years.
AMERICA IN THE WAR
People are fussing over helping
Russia because they don’t like
communism. Senator Bailey said
if he saw a convict trying to kill
a mad dog he would be glad to
, give him a gun. And that’s the
view , of sensible people about
helping Russia to kill the Hitler
mad dog. Even congress takes
this view for it turned down a
proposed amendment to the lend-
lease, bill saying that heljr, to
MORE ON PAGE TWO
Concludes Ardrey Diary and
Will Beqiu Life oj Caldwell
In the paper today Mr. Red
Buck Bryant concludes his story
of the diary of Capt. William E.
Ardrey. In producing the series
of extracts from this remarkable
manuscript Mr. Bryant has done
a job most interesting as well as
valuable. Capt. Ardery was a
modern Samuel Pepys, and he set
down evei-ything that took place
in his own neighborhoo.d and
much of everything that trans
pired in the county, state and na
tion from day to day over his long
life.
The Ardrey diary is a volumin
ous document and Mr. Bryant was
able to produce only a part of it.
Not only is it the most valuable
day-by-day record ever produced
in Mecklenburg county, but it is
a production from which the his
torians may glean’ illuminating
sidelights on the life and custom
of the times. The whole diary
should be safely deposited with
some historical institution. We
understand that the University
of North Carolina is very anxious
for it to come into its posses
sion. The portion selected for use
by Mr. Bryant began with the
close of the civil war. Before that
time Capt. Ardrey had set down
his observations and experiences
in the war itself.
Mr. Bryant, mostly as a labor
of love, is giving a great deal
of time in producing articles thru
this paper of local and historic
interest. He never tires of writ
ing about the Mecklenburg' that
he knew, the seeds of which were
planted far back before his day,
and the fruits of which are ripen
ing for the present and the fu
ture.
Now Mr. Bryant, in the next
issue of the paper, begins his life
of Mr. Joseph P. Caldwell, the
North Carolina editor who made
such a deep imprint upon his
time. Devoted to Mr. Caldwell in
his life and now cherishing his
memory as one of the precious
things of his own life, Mr. Bry
ant is performing this labor of
love at a time when the memory
of Mr. Caldwell is still in the
hearts and minds of thousands of
Charlotte and North Carolina
people who will re&d the record
with pleasure and deep gratitude
to the author.
COMMENTS ON
LIFE OF ARDREY
Doubtless Other Men in
Mecklenburg Like Him, But
They Did Not Write
I
By H. E. C. (Red Buck) BRYANT
Now that the last of the William
E. Ardrey diary stories has been
printed I wish to submit a little com
ment on the efforts of that'interest
ing neighbor of my family when I
was a youngster. The more I study
the chronicle that ran from 1866, at
the close of the War Between the
Statesr until Captain Ardrey’s death
in 1907, the more interesting and val
uable it becomes in the light of pres
ent-day conditions. ,
Captain Ardrey was an all-round
good citizen. While a man of rather
frail body, he had a keen, active mind
and a warm, robust heart. Although
he was a serious tliler of the soil,
and one who succeeded in that under
taking he found time to pi’ove him
self a good neighbor, a good church
worker, a good public servant, and a
good husband and parent. His diary
clearly indicates his activities—his in
dustry and progressiveness as a far
mer, his devotion to his community,
his home and his religion, his fond
ness for the people about him, and
his loyalty to the public through jobs
given him. While he lived every sick
person within a radius of several
miles did not want for attention. He
was thoughtful and helpful in many
ways, attended sick beds, marriages
and funerals. At times, when unwell
himself, he would sit up with sick
neighbors. The negroes on his planta
tion had a doctor if ill, or a lawyer
if in trouble. He literally practiced
what he preached. In the midst of
trials and tribulations he was an op
timist, and retained his faith in hu
manity. He gave freely to worthy
causes.
The Ardrey diary has many refer
ences to loads of wood sent to min
isters of the gospel and others. He
lived in an age of friendship, charity
and generosity. His wagons traveled
snov/ covered roads in the winter to
provide fuel for those who needed it.
While devoted to his own denomi
nation — the Methodist Episcopal
church—he never missed an oppor
tunity to hear a good sermon from a
preacher of any other faith. He heard
many of the great pulpiteers of his
day, and up to the time of his death
he could give the substance of what
they said.
No doubt that Mecklenburg county
had many men who were just as de
voted to their tasks and duties as
Captain Ardrey but few, if any of
them, kept a careful record for pos
terity, or for their own guidance. I
did not know until I read his diary
that he was so regular in attendance
upon the old-time camp meetings at
Pleasant Grove and Antioch, in Un
ion county, and Belle Air in South
Carolina. If on Sunday there was no
preaching at Harrison, his church, he
went to Providence to the Presbyter
ian or/Pleasant Valley to the Baptist
church.
Many times did he spend hours at
the bedside of neighbors to giye com
fort in their la'st moments on, .garth.
Trained nurses were seldom heard;
of in rural communities in his era;
kind friends served.
How much better it would be to
day if every community had one or
more Captain Ardreys! The old world
would be smoother. The automobile,
no doubt, has had much to do with
the change that has cpme in recent
years. Families and individuals do not
know each other as well as their an
cestors did. Money is needed for ev
erything. Sixty years ago it played
but a little part in happiness.
The history of the Ardrey family
in Piedmont North Carolina and
Piedmont South Carolina is like that
of many others that settled there
about the time America decided to
be free and independent.
Captain Ardrey wanted to follow
his father and grandfather and be
come a doctor, but the Wat of 1861-
1866 intervened and - interfered. ■ Af*
ter taking a year of medicine he set
tled down to .farmiijig; ..and his' educa
tion served him. w’^11. ■
His younger brother, Joseph Ar-
drey, was a doctor, and practiced kt
MOKE ON PAGE TWd ——
HALF SELECTEES
UNFIT TO SERVE
Twenty Percent Turned Down
On Account Bad Teeth; Mi
nor Defects To Be Remedied
There was a joke at the time of
the first world war about the man
who wanted to go to war and was
turned down because of bad teeth.
“That’s funny,” he said, “they must
think I aini to bite the Germans.”
This story must be coming in a
lot now for now it is-said that twenty
per cent of the men who are turned
down are rejected because of bad
teeth. Half the nation’s men, aays the
United States News, are unfit to be
soldiers.
This discovery by examiners of the
Selective Service System is causing
President Roosevelt to take action to
improve the state of the nation’s
health. Concern is heightened by the
fact that draft rejections take place
among men who should form the
healthiest part of the population—•
those between the ages of 21 and 35.
The Selective Service report sub
mitted to the President revals that,
of 2,000,000 men called in the draft,
1,000,000 were found to be unfit for
military service. Of those rejected,
900,000 were found to be in poor
health, while 100,000 lacked sufficient
education.
The President’s first goal is to re
store the health of those young men
who can be cured quickly and become
eligible for training under the Selec
tive Service Act. Selective Service of
ficials believe that 200,000 rejected
men fall in this class. For this group
the President is recommending a com
pulsory “salvage” program.
May Be' Given Treatment
Local draft boards are being in
structed to place men turned dpwn for
curable defects in special categories.
These persons will be visited by trav
eling boards of specialists who, after
examination, may recommend cases
for immediate treatment. Treatment
will be provided by personal physi
cians, dentists or surgeons in local
communities, and costs will be de
frayed by the Federal government.
Unfit men unwilling to be salvaged,
the President suggests, could be in
ducted into the Army and compelled
to take treatment.
This means that young men suffer
ing from minor ailments will have
no choice in the matter of receiving
treatment. Among the 200,000 cur-
ables are persons suffering principal
ly from bad teeth, venereal disease,
hernia, and minor defects of the eye,
ear, nose and throat.
The salvage program, however, is
to form only the first step in a broad
er public health program. The Presi
dent expressed the opinion that draft
statistics presented a fair picture of
the general state of the nation’s
health, and he is planning a more
rounded, long-term program to treat
this problem.
i Causes of Physical Unfitness
The; greatest number of rejections
among the selectees examined has
been for djefective teeth, which ac
counts for 20.^ per cent of the men
refused induction. Next most serious
defect'; is bad eyesight, which is re
sponsible for 13.7 per cent of the re-
pectiofis. Heart trouble caused exam
iners to turn down 10.6 per cent of
the mfen rejected.
Other causes include muscular and
bone defects, venereal disease, mental
and nervous disorders, and hernia,
each responsible for more than 6 per
cent of the rejections. Bad feet ac
counted for 4 per cent and tubercu
losis cases comprised 2.9 per cent of
the unfit.
Medical records indicate that the
health of the nation is not much dif
ferent than it was 24^years ago, when
31 per cent of the men called for ex
amination in the first World War
were rejected for physical causes.
Recox'ds of the last war and the pres
ent, however, cannot be compared too
closely. ,, r !
In the first place, the age groups
are ■'different, and doctors expect to
find a high percentage of defects
among older persohs. The World War
draft called men from 21 to 30, where
as current records include men i be
tween 2i and 35. Inclusion of the
older men is believed to have had
- - MORE ON PAGE FOUR
CAPTAIN ARDREY
WRITES LAST OF
HIS GREAT DIARY
His Son Erskine Follows It With
the Story of His Death
and Burial
A REMARKABLE RECORD
By H. E. C. (RED BUCK) BRYANT
Final Installment
During his busy life Captain Wil
liam E. Ardrey met many interesting
people, and enjoyed their friendship.
As a member of the Legislature he
extended his acquaintance to all parts
of the State. Recovering from a seii-
ous illness in 1900, he went to Ral
eigh, arriving there January 18th,
1901, still very feeble.
“I went directly to Mrs. Badger’s,”
his diary says, “to board with Captain
S. B. Alexander, Messrs. F. M. Shan-
nonhouse and C. H. Duls, Judge Gra
ham, Mr. Gattis and Mr. Nicholson.
IjSenator John SL Hendierson of
Rowan and myself are the only two
of the session of 1876-1877 members
now. Some I was with in 1885 and
1871 are still here. I am improving
in health and Mrs. Badger is so kind
to me. I am enjoying my stay in
Raleigh.”
Despite the fact that he was busy
helping to make laws. Captain Ard
rey never failed to be interested in
home news.
January 30 he wrote: “The old sow
had pigs.”
February 2: “Attended the Edenton
Street church; Dr. John C. Kilgo,
president of Trinity College, preach
ed, from the text ‘I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ.’ He is one of
the finest preachers I have ever
heard.”
Their First Affliction.
March 5: “Received a telegram
from Lucius saying his baby, Lucius
Lee Ardrey, cannot live. March 6:
The baby died; their first affliction
and great sorrov.' in th^ family. So
said, away from their relatives; only
Miss Belle Harris and I with them,
but the people of the town are so
kind and good.”
March 9, 10 and 11: “The closing
scenes of the Legislature the most
impressive I ever witnessed. The
Hon. Mr. Jenkins, member of the
Senate and orator, made an address
and all sang old and stirring songs.
Judge Prank D. Winston, Lock Craig,
and others leading.”
July 6 and 7: “Quarterly confer
ence at Harrison. Fine preaching by
Presiding Elder Rowe. His text on
Sunday was ‘Resist the devil and he
will flee from thee.’ ”
Dr. Rowe was eloquent. Once, when
reporting in Charlotte, I asked him
if he paid any attention to rhetoric
when he spoke, and his answer was:
“Sometimes I use rhetoric, sometimes
I don’t; most often I cut right across
the field.”
September 6: “President McKinley
shot at Buffalo, New York, by Leon
Czolgosz, an archist. September 14:
He died from his wounds. The nation
in grief. He was truly a great and
good President, and the loss. i^(^Te^t
to the entire'United Stat^,’’,^
December 18: “Dr. J. L. ppr^ttiand
Miss Emma Ardrey, daughter .gf
Captain Ardrey^ were married. ..^‘bout
6o persons were present. Rev. Mr.
Sprinkle' - performed the cer^ony.
Mollie had an Excellent supper. De
cember 19: Reception at Mr. Spratt’s.
Charles Elliott, Alice Ardrey, Billie
and Bobbie Cynningham, attended.”
December 25: “Another year has
rolled around and we are all alive
and thankful for all the blessings the
good Lord has given us.”
Smallpox at Pineville
Captain Ardrey missed very little
news in reporting events of the time
and community.
In 1902 various North Clarolina
communities had smallpox scares, if
not the disease. Great excitement
prevailed.
January 31 Captain Ardrey wrote:
“Smallpox at Pineville; everybody be
ing vaccinated.” *
February 3; “Our free rural de
livery mail route to start; Mr. Kim-
brell the carrier. February 4: No
mail for four days, on account of
swollen creeks.”
May 19: “Mr. L. Shirley died. A
great loss to the community. May
11: Mr. Shirley’s funeral. The largest
I ever witnessed in the country. H i
was greatly beloved) ';and (honored.
He had a very fine school of 90 pu
pils.”
Mr. Shirley was a real asset to
Providence township, and a section
of South Carolina, where he resided.
He had a teaching giftj and knew
how to manage boys and girls. I
never realized his worth until I was
middle aged, and had been about the
country. His rural schools were ex
cellent.
May 13: ‘We gathered 40 quarts of
strawberries from our patch. Broth
er John Ardrey and wife, Mr. Spratt
and wife, and Mrs. Massey spent the
day with us and enjoyed the berries.’
May 22: “Mr. Calvin Hall died at
the age of 84; he was a good man
and leaves a large family. May 23:
Mr. Hall buried at Harrison.”
July 1: “Mr. Bob S'tevens of Mon
roe called on us; he is hunting a cow,
August 12: “ Picnic and reunion
at Providence church a grand suc
cess and a good time; Dr. Henry Lou
is Smith, the speaker; fully 2,000
present.” ' , ...
Conference' at Monrpe
^November 18; “MoHie and I went
down to Mr. Billie Howie’s on our
way to conference. November 19:
Went to Mohi'oe to conference; great
improvement in farming in Union
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