Newspapers / Lenoir News-Topic (Lenoir, N.C.) / Oct. 3, 1919, edition 1 / Page 14
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Page Fourteen LENOIR NEWS-TOPIC, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1919 1 s a 8 a a n H u si ft m FAIRS IN CALDWELL WERE HELD MANY YEARS AGO In 1883 and in Several Succeeding Year Fruit Fair Were Held in Lenoir and Did Much to Stimulate the Growing of Apples BY W. W. SCOTT At remote periods in the history of all cities, even the remost renowned, the Romuluses and Remuses were sucking cubs and their first achieve ments have been crude, necessarily, because they had little material to work with and they were the pio neers, blazing the way and clearing out the pathway to success. The cosmopolitan population of this city may not know, but they must be told, that Lenoir was not always thus, but that there was a time when it was a backwoods village, when Caldwell county was in the back woods and that even this newspaper was a tri-weekly, coming out one week and trying to come out the next. Who would believe that this is a true picture of what transpired in this dignified sanctum in the distant past? Hosy Harstin, standing on a good's box to reach the case and, with that inimitable wriggle of his which is even now the pride and won der of the Government Printing Of fice at Washington, setting up an ode to a pretty girl's eyebrow, written by Will Ervin (who was Uncle Remus ing on The Topic), and as he sat some say set, but we say sat criti cising the ode and grumbling along that it might be first-class hot-air but he would have to hear what A. M. Mast thought of it before considering it real poetry- Billy Ervin heard it and watched the proof closely to see whether any commas had been drop ped, any feet chopped off or any rhymes eliminated. Or, don't you blush to be told that The Topic actually spoke with "par donable pride" of the establishment of a semi-weekly hack-line to Hickory and that it made more of a sensation out of the appearance of "old man" Dolph Abernethy in town than it does now of the combined presence of Nichols and Ed Reid? And is it not humiliating to con fess that, when this same "old man" Dolph sent a new tallyho, drawn by four horses, up here for the people to look at, six of the village Romu luses should have put on their sack coats and high silk hats, and each with a big sunflower in his hand, mounted in the vehicle and made a triumphant tour through the streets, bowing pridefully to the acclamations of the populace? It was indeed a gala day. It is scarcely to be credited that the fool Topic could have printed a sensational article to the effect that, having been reliably informed that Capt. Dwight had been seen riding horseback from Dallas to Lincolnton, the public should prepare itself to hear present of startling and inter esting railroad developments? But these things were, all right; they were the first staggering steps that had to be taken before any progress could be made, and they ,' were the steps of some of the men ! who were laying the foundations ! upon which the prosperity of Lenoir and of the county rest They were evidences of the determined wriggle I of a brave people out of the back 1 woods. ! The passing generation had its ; faults, no doubt, but we owe it to j most of what we are have. Take the railroad as an instance: We see it now, going north and south, and it j is to us as if it had always been, i But for the indefatigable efforts, I self-sacrifice, liberality and working day and night of a handful of pa triotic sons of Caldwell, some of whom have passed to their reward, there would be no railroad and Le noir would be as isolated as Globe. Te work of these men was manifold and various. Even in those days the idea of a county fair had taken hold upon them, and, with their limited resources, they held creditable ones. The first one of which was held in Lenoir, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1883, was a Fruit Fair, under the auspices of Underdown and Bolch, nurserymen. There was only one prize offered one scion of each fruit tree in the Underdown & Bolch nursery, to the person making the best display of fruit, principally apples. The exhibitors were: G. R. Clarke, showing Hartley and Coffey seedlings. Sidney Stokes, showing Coffey seedlings. A. A. Sudderth, showing Coffey seedlings. Col. Wilson A. White, showing Limbertwigs. Harvey West, showing Limebr twigs. W. B. Farthing, showing twelve varieties of apples. Col. N. A. Miller and Messrs. J. E. Corpening and Solomon King were the judges and awarded the premium of 29 scions to G. R. Clarke for the Hartley seedling. The second annual Fruit Fair was held Tuesday, Nov. 25, 1884, under the same auspices and under more favorable circumstances, and at this fair the Blue Ridge and Brushy Mountain Fruit Growers' Association j was organized, with F. P. Clarke i president and J. M. Bowman secre- i tarv. Messrs. C. I.. Coffey, E. P. Miller 1 and Smith Coffey were judges and awarded the following prizes: First Prize One scion of each ap ple in Caldwell Nursery to H. B. Steele for best variety of any apple Coffey seedling. Second PrizeOne scion of each peach, grape and plum tree in the nursery to W. S. McCall for best gen eral variety. . , Third Prize Five years subscrip tion to The Topic for best seedling apple, to be named The Topic apple, to H. B. Steele for a beautiful and delicious red seedling. Our lamented county man, Julius A. Dula, recently deceased, co-operated enthusiastically in these first steps to boost fruit culture, and sub sequently became the leader in such enterprises and in advertising our fruit abroad. He is succeeded by his son, Sidney, who is a prosperous and enthusiastic nurseryman. That first modest Fruit Fair, held in 1883, was the first tottering step that gave the start to the movement to boom scien tific fruit growing in this county, that has resulted in bringing thou sands of dollars into the county that would never have come if it had not been held. It is the first step that counts. What is true of fruit is true of every other industry in the county. A Fruit Fair or a County Fair that would have been creditable to poor old Caldwell in 1883 would be a farce in rich Caldwell in 1919. They did their best according to their abil ity; if we do not do the same we will not be worthy of them. We had bet ter have no fair at all than a poor one or one that is not as good as we are able to have. If we will do one-half as well by this fair as the men who built the railroad did by it, we will have the best fair in the State this side of Raleigh. CAROLINA FARM PROGRESS (Charlotte Observer) North Carolina's progress in recent years has not been more pronounced or gratifying than in agriculture. Thirteen leading crops produced in the State in 1909 amounted in money value to $102,783,000; in 1918 the same crops were valued at $386,955. 000. The increase in crop values in ten years amounted to more than 250 per cent. The State promises to im prove the record this year. Back of it all. North Carolina is producing better farmers, while the boys and girls on the farms are learn ing to be scientific farmers and are taking a keen interest in it, rather than trying to get away from the farm in such numbers as in the days gone by. The agricultural and farm home outlook in the State was never quite so promising as it is today, de spite the labor shortage, potash and other fertilizer scarcity and other handicaps. In spite of the presumption that the war is over, Americans are still blowing up from 1,000 to 1,200 mines a day in British waters where they are clearing the sea of the bars they helped put down to keep the German submarines shut up in the North sea. GRIST PHI CO. JOB and COMMERCIAL Printing That Satisfies The way you want it When you want it PHONE DHUBLE-H LENOIR,, N. C. zzxzzzzzzzzxzzzzxszzzxzzzizzzzzxzzzuzzzzzzzzzxzzzxszzzazzzzzzzzxxnzzzszszzzf '1 ' - MOW We extend our Greetings and Thanksgivings at this Annual Session of our County Fair. A year ago the boom of the death-dealing guns echoed over the bloody battle fronts of the world war. A year ago our nerves were at tension and our hearts and minds at tuned to the inevitable demands and sacrifices incidental to the fright ful consequences of the war. Our pleasures were subordinated and even our necessities were surrendered to the stupndous task of saving the world for Democracy. A year ago the influenza epidemic was raging within our borders, and as the blighting ally of the horrors and devastation of war, ravaged our homes and robbed our country and civilization of many of their bright est lights and fairest flowers. A year ago, truly we were a nation in sackcloths; humbled by a vis itation the horrr of which baffled our feeble comprehension, stunned our senses and overwhelmed us with a sense of impending doom. A year ago our boasted institutions, menaced by the presence of the deadly invader, were forced to close their portals as a mitigating meas ure of self-protection. A year ago our prided County Fair likewise paid tribute to the con quering foe by surrendering its plans and disbanding its organization as a bar against the menace of that relentless invader. AND NOW This year how thankful we should be, due to that scourge being ab sent and with the reopening of our institutions and industries, the return of peace and prosperity, and the reunion of our friends and loved ones. This year, under the influence of such conditions, we should make our Fair by virtue of our thankfulness a monument to those trying days of war and pestilence, which we hope have passed never to return. This year let's get together and make it the biggest, best and happiest County Fair possible for us to conceive and carry out. Let us forget our little petty differences and opinions and inject pep and energy into an unfaltering spirit of co-operation and make this year's event truly a Fair of Reconstruction. This year, if we but tackle the commercial and domestic problems which confront us with the same vim and determination that we utilized in winning the war of yesteryear then that Spirit of Strife and Unrest that besets us will soon be forced to "fold his tents and silently steal away." To that end and in a spirit of thanksgiving we pledge our loyalty and co-operation towards making our coming Fair a Monumental Success. Very truly, BALLEW'S CASH PHARMACY. Mxmnnesaamsmi FO TTT O Tmnme in Caldwell. It is Fair time in Caldwell pass the word along; The crops have been harvested, with a wealth of joy and song; Fair time in Caldwell ain't you glad it's near time to go? To exhibit your products, and see the interesting show? It's Fair time at Lenoir all the county is just as glad, For Fair time in Caldwell ain't no time to be feeling sad. Let's go and take our products, and pass smiles along the way ; For it's Fair time in Caldwell eyerybody's feeling fay. ' This space fs donated to the Caldwell County Fair by the Lenoir Mirror COMPANY nuninmii! DEBECrVBniBniCIIIlBEDEKBElKIBIIBEIlIIEIEEaRCIDDElj
Lenoir News-Topic (Lenoir, N.C.)
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Oct. 3, 1919, edition 1
14
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