SECOND SECTION
NINE
""WEDNESDA, JUNE 19, 1946
THETOWNOFHMtlLET
Population in 190p 639
Population in 1940 5111
Started from "Saw-mill in 1877.
Now a Thriving Railroad Center.
Hamlet 1900 & 1940
First is given the population
of Marks Creek township, then
Hamlet:
1900.
1910.
1920.
1930
1940
T'ship
.2089 '
.3843
.6569
.9155
.9248
Hamlet
639
2173
3659
4801
5111
tii Pnst-Disriateh editor is a
stickler for dates and factual
matters, and things historical.
This editor was asked the
question a few days ago as to
how old the now thriving rail
road center of Hamlet is. And
ruminating on this line, is the
cause of this little article on
our sister-town.
In 1888, John Shortridge came
from England, and in 1874 he
hnncrht much land at where
Hamlet now is, and erected a
saw-mill, and a bit later a foun
dry. The place was called
"Shortridge's Mills."
In 1877 Mr. Shortridge chang
ed the name to "Hamlet," and he
built a small woolen mill, manu
f acturinc woolen tweeds. .
On Feb. 9, 1897, the Legisla
ture incorporated the town,
with the following as the first
set of officials:
Mayor: L. C. Spear.
Board: A. S. Cowan, R. B.
Terry, C. C. Smith, O. F. Good
win and F. Shortridge.
The area of the town is three
fourths of a mile from the Sea
board passenger depot with
the depot as the center.
The following is the Act in
corporating Hamlet Feb. 9,
1897:
Private Laws 1897.
Chapter 14.
Section 1. ; That the town of
by incorporated under the name
and style of "The town of Ham
let." and said town shall be
subject to the provisions of
Chaptfer 62 of THE CODE, not
inconsistent with this act.
Section 2. That the corporr
ate limits of the said town shall
be and include all the territory
embraced wfith a circle, the cen
ter of which is the Seaboard
Air-line Passenger Depot in
said own, and the radius of
which! is three-fourths of a mile.
Section 3. That the officers
of the said town shall consist
of a Mayor, five Commissioners,
a Constable, a Clerk and Treas
urer, and as many policemen as
may be necessary for preserv
ing the peace and good order of
said town. That the Mayor and
five Commissioners shall be
elected by the qualified voters
of said town as hereinafter pro
vided. That the other officers
shall be elected by the Commis
sioners. That until the first
election under this act L. C.
Spear
shall be Mayor, and A. S.
Cowaii, R. B. Terry, C. C. Smith,
O.F.Goodwin, and F. Short
ridge shall be Commissioners,
who shall hold their respective
offices until their successors
shall be elected and qualified,
and that the said Commission
ers shall elect the Clerk and
Treasurer, Constable and
policemen herein provided for
whose! terms shall expire with
the tej-ms of the said Commis
sioners. Section 4. That there shall be
held on the first Monday in May
A. D. 1897, and every year
thereafter an election in said
town for Mayor and five Com
missioaers thereof; said elec
tion shall be advertised four
weeks prior thereto, by notices
posted at four public places m
said tdwn; that all duly quali-
V r i -r :z-4riA. fiilect6raH of the Comityof
mond,e, and the same is here-1 Richpd .who sh.aU, havere-
sidect ninety days in said town
next preceding the day of elec
tion shall be qualified voters of
the said town, provided they
shall be registered as herein
prescribed; that the Commis
sioners each year shall appoint
a registrar and other judges of
election who shall hold the elec
tion each year; the registrar
shall register in a book to be
provided for that purpose by
the Commissioners, all qualified
electors who shall take the oath
prescribed for electors in said
Pnnntv. and also an oath that
they have been residents of the
said town for ninety days pre
ceding the election; that the
registraion book shall be kept
open for the registration of
voters on the four Saturdays
preceding the Saturday before
the election in each year be
tween the hours of 9 A. M. and
4 o'clock P. M., at which time
and no other all electors shall
be registered who shall present
themselves and comply with the
provisions of this act; that on
the second Saturday preceding
tlie election anv voter of said
tnwn mav challenge any person
ree-i stered. and the Constable
shall serve a notice on the per
son challenged to appear before
the registrar and judges ot eiec
tinn on the succeeding Satur
day when and where the chal
lentre shall be heard and de
rided: that no challenges shall
be heard at' any other time; that
the registrar and judges o eiec
tion shall attend at the polling
place with the registration book
on the day of the election ; tnat
the polls shall be opened at
o'clock A. M. and shall be clos
ed at sunset; and the vote shal
be bv ballot. One ballot to
in the nerson voted for
lVli iAr. v f
for Mavor and the names of the
five persons who shall be voted
for for Commissioners, which
ballots may be on paper of any
color and may be with or witn-
out device. That before enter
ing on the discharge of any of
their duties the registrar and
judges of election shall take the
oath prescribed in section 7,
ohaDter 159 of the laws of 1895,
before some justice of the peace
of said County ; that at tne ciose
of the said election the said
T-eo-istrar shall count the votes
4 rVTTriiKioiiers
and the. 'person xeceiveing"!the
highest number of votes for the j
office of Mayor shall be duly de
clared elected tnereio; and the
five persons receiving the high
est number of votes for office
of Commissioners shall be duly
declared elected thereto ; and
the said registrars and judges
shall post at some public place
in said town the names of the
persons voted for and the num
v,Pr of votes received by each;
and town Clerk and Treasurer
0v,oii -forthwith notify the ner
crme SO
declared elected of the
OVA" .
fo of their election; and that
AVV
the registration and poll books
of the said town snau be de
posited with the Clerk of the
Court of said County
- -
immediately alter tne said elec-
to pass orainances, io ue emuit- --
ed by suitable penalties for the corporate limits of the town of
preservation of the peace and Hamlet, as set forth m this act,
regulation of the good order of be and the same are hereby ra-
said town; they shall also have pealed so far only s the said
the power to levy and cause to chapter 234 of the laws of 1881
hie and said laws and clauses ol
J V'VSJ.AV'W X
privilege taxes as they may
deem proper on the professions,
callings, occupations, teacher
and businesses carried on in
said town.
Section 10. That the Clerk
and Treasurer, and the Consta
ble shall each give a bond in the
sum of Five hundred dollars
laws apply to the territory en
braced within the corporate
limits of the said town of Hamlet.
Section 12. That the Com-
Putwv
missioners of said town shall
have the complete regulation
r.nTTil of the sale of
auu
oTTMtiioiis. vinous and malt
with sufficient surety, payable liquors m said town and of the
to the State of North Carolina,
conditional for their faithful
performance of the duties of
their resnective offices, and
uiay - I .
to be safely kept by him for the proper accounting for
f inn
until needed for the purpose of
the next eletcion.
Section 5. I hat no person
oViail he elieible to any office
in said town unless he be a duly
qualified voter therein. That
the term of office of Mayor and
rnTnTiKsioners snau begin on
.. .
the Tuesday following the eiec
tion in each year, and before
onferin? on the discharge of
the duties of the said office
thev shall each take the oath
j
nrescribed by law tor public ot
ficers before some justice of the
neace of said county
Section 6. inat the Mayor
shall nreside at all meetings
of the Commissioners, and shall
hflvo nower to call special meet
ings of the Commissioners,
when he shall deem the same
proper. That the Commission
ers shall elect one of their num-
Arthur L. CapelJ County Commissioner, who is ask
ing your vote for re-nomination in the June 22nd pri
mary has worked day in and day out for many months
to get the Highway Commission to pave the road from
Beaunit mills at East Rockingham, eastward to Ham
let by way of Hylan avenue.
Capel's efforts aire succeeding.
The Commission will receive bids at Raleigh June
25th for the contract for this road.
Here is a letter from Louis B. Peck, the division
engineer: Albemarle, June 10, 1946.
Dear Mr. Capel:
1 am outlining below the status of the road leading from East Rock
ingham by way of Hylan avenue to Hamlet, in which you have shown consider
able interest in the past.
This road is a part of our Federal Aid Secondary System, and was set
up in our program for construction this year. The survey has been completed
on this road and plans have been prepared and submitted to the Public Roads
Administration for their approval for advertising in our next letting, which
s oiv scheduled for June 25th. If these plans are approved by the
i IVllUv. . .... ... , , ,
kind we believe that tney win oe, i see no reason
for the construction on this road on June 25th.
Yours very truly,
L. B. Peck, Division Engineer
of the Seventh Division.
Public Roads Administration,
why we would not call for bids
and paying over to those entitl
ed to the same of all sums of
money which may come into
their hands, by reason or under
color of their respective offi
ces; that all policemen shall
cive bond if reauired by the
Commissioners, in the sum to
be fixed by them, conditional
for the faithful performance of
their duties ; that the term of
office of the Clerk and Treas- ;
urer shall be the same as that ,
of the Commissioners electing i
him: PROVIDED, that the Com- j
missioners may remove any per- i
son holding this office for
cause; the Constable and Po
licemen shall hold office during
the pleasure of the Commission
ers.
Section 11. That Chapter
234 of the laws of 1881, entitl
ed "An act to prohibit the sale
licensing thereof, with full pow
tT- and discretion to grant or
refuse license; that the license
tax shall not exceed three nun
aa AnWava. a vear: that li-
Lcr oiioil h& orranted only to
v;c.ia o
rrsons of crood moral charac
tpr. who are residents of free-
TmMprs in said town; and that
the said Commissioners snau
have full power and authority:
fft revnke anv license at any
time without refunding any part
of the license tax.
Section 13. That all ordi
nances passed by the said Com
missioners shall not take effect
until the same have been posted
for five days at four public
places in said town.
Section 14. That this act
shall be in force from'and after
its ratification.
In the General Assembly read
three times and ratified this 9th
day of February, 1897.
TRACTOR WOteK
Plowing, Etc.
See Thomas D. La -alter or
Lacy E. Parker, R. F. D. 4, Box
98, Rockingham, N. C -.
Look at Your Label.
I i-
"MAKE IT A MILLIOn!"
ENLIST IM A GQABE VJVNfl
YOU El AQMV DO S
CX o oiiaii wv --ww x
ber Mayor pro tem., who shall of spirituous liquors in certain
I
I
- I
ill I .
11 ETELflDM Ijl
II r v , n nnnnn n nn n n III
I IskefflaoDuDtt- Uouu li mwmi
HAS WORKED IT IELESSLY ON THIS PROJECT.
CONTRACT TO BE LET IN RALEIGH JUNE 25.
fill the office of Mayor during
flip absence or disability of the
Mayor. That the Mayor shall
c that the ordinances of the
tiT are enforced, and shall
W ww . -
have the criminal jurisdiction
of a justice of the peace within
the limits of the said town
Section 7. That in addition
to the Dowers conferred upon
rwrmiissioners bv said
tll '
chapter 62 of THE CODE, they
shall have the power to open,
change, enlarge or discontinue
streets in said town, and may
condemn land for that purpose
upon making just compensation
to the owner thereof. That in
case the said Commissioners
shall decide-to condemn" any
annoint - three disinterested
freeholders in said town, who
shall view the land proposed to
be condemned, and after, giving-
the owner theerof notice of
five davs to appear before them
and contest the matter, if he so.
elect, they shall, if they deem
the land necessary for said pur
pose, assess the damages at
whatever sum they think just,
which sum shall be paid by the
cqi'H tnwn. and the owner or
owners of the said land shall
have the right to appeal to the
superior Court of said county
from the assessment of the said
appraisers, notice of appeal to
be given within ten days.
Section 8. That the Commis
sioners shall have the power to
lew taxes upon the real and
personal property and polls in
said town, the property tax not
to exceed ten cents on the one!
hundred dollars valuation, and
the poll tax not to exceed thirty
cents on each taxable poll, and
the valuation of all property to
be the same as that at which it
is assessed for State and county
purposes. That the taxes shall j
be listed with the Clerk and
Treasurer of said town during
the first twenty days in June in
each year, and all persons fail
ing to list his taxes shall be
liable to a double tax: PRO
VIDED, the Clerk and Treasur
er may take a list of the taxes
for each person failing to list
from the returns for taxation
for State and county purposes
for the current year, which
shall be as binding upon the tax
payer as if his taxables had
been duly listed. All property
and polls in said town on the
first dav of June in each year
shall be listed; the Town Clerk
and Treasurer shall make out
and complete the tax-list and
place a copy thereof in the
hands of the Constable on the
first Monday in September m
each year, which shall have all
the force and effect of an exe
cution. That said tax-list shall
he a lien on all real property m
said town, and all personal I
property shall be liable to be i
seized and sold on ten days' no- J
tic& for taxes;: and real estate ;
. 1 J r , i li ! I
maxr re suiu ior raxes uv uie ;i
Constable m the game manner
as sales are made under execu
tion.
Section 9. That the Com
missioners shall have the power
localities" and all other laws
and clauses of laws which pro
hibit the sale of spirituous,
vinous or malt licruors within
-rim-:? ttfr
Army veterans who held certam
Military Occupational Speaalue
mav xeenlist in a grade commensu
rate with their skill and experience,
provided they were honorablys
charged on or after May 12. 1945
Zd provided they reenlist before
July 1, 1946. Over three-quarters
of a million men have
new Regular Army already. MA
IT A MILLION! Full facts are at any
Army Camp. Post or Recrmlina
Station.
third floor Postoff ice
building in Rockingham, N. C.
(s
nrmsumsnnu
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