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VOLUME
THE
PILOT
NUMBER
Is a Paper Devoted to the Upbuilding of the Sandhill Territory of North Carolina
Address all communications to
the pilot printing company, VASS. N. C.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1925
SUBSCRIPTION 92.00
NARTIN NcKENZIE
DPATCHARLOTTE
Was a Former Moore County
Boy—Son of Mr. N. P.
McKenzie
The following is taken from The
Montgomery Herald and will be read
with much sorrow by the people who
knew Martin McKenzie. Mr. Mc
Kenzie was the son of Pierce Mc
Kenzie of the West End community:
“Norwood, June 9.—Martin Mc
Kenzie, who had been in failing
health for the past year or more,
died at Charlotte Sanatorium Thurs
day morning, June 4, at 5 o’clock.
At his bedside at the time of his
death were his wife and two children,
Robert, a student at Duke university,
and Nash, who lives with his mother
here. For the past eight years Mr.
McKenzie had been general manager
of the Norwood Lumber company at
this place, and his ability for busi
ness management has been noted not
only in his own work but in the
handling of town affairs as well. He
was the town’s secretary and treas
urer for the past two years while so
much work was being done on the
streets. He had been alderman for
several years, and his resignation
was accepted on account of his
health about three months ago.
“He was a consistent member of
the Presbyterian church, and was
only about 44 years of age when
death occurred. Mr. McKenzie was
born and reared in Moore county.
“Funeral services were conducted
from the Presbyterian church. Rev.
J. Storke in charge, assisted by Rev.
F. 0. Dryman, pastor of the Metho
dist church.
“After the funeral the casket was
opened not so much for the sake of
the friends assembled but in order
that the darkies with whom he had
been dealing might look for a last
time upon his remains. Possibly no
other point shows the real character
of the deceased as did the fact that
the men who worked with him were
devoted to him and mourned his loss
so deeply.
“Masons of Norwood and Albe
marle had charge of the burial. Mr.
McKenzie was a Shriner and also
took active part in the work of the
Eastern Star, being its worth patron
until sickness caused his resigna
tion.
“Mr. McKenzie was popular in a
wide range of acquaintances. He
was a man of jojrful disposition, and
was most cordially liked by all who
knew him. For this reason, there
were present at his burial a large
concourse of friends from many
parts, and floral offerings attested
the love and esteem in which he was
held.”
campaign just received at Raleigh
headquarters of the Tobacco Growers
Cooperative Association “The growers
of the Connecticut Valley fully rea
lized the importance of putting the
sign up over. Not only the members
but the outside growers openly ex
pressed themselves as believing that
a failure of the campaign would mean
a calamity to the tobacco industry of
the Connecticut Valley. There were
many, however, waiting for the
eleventh hour to see if they could not
let “George” do it. Monday (the last
day) witnessed a landslide of con
tracts into the Hartford office.
The association will have a larger
percentage of control of the tobacco
in the Connecticut Valley than at any
time since its organization.”
Over 400 members did their utmost
to get every available acre into the
contract which runs until 1931, serving
as canvassers in the second sign up
campaign.
While the Yankee farmers of Con
necticut have signed up approximately
75 per cent of the tobacco t/op in the
Connecticut Valley until 1931, the
Carolinas-Virginia growers of the tri
state pool after marketing an average
of 150 million pounds a year through
their association have set their mark
for deliveries of 200 million pounds
from the 1925 crop.
S. D. Frissell.
To make a monkey out of a man,
first get him up a tree.—Greenville
Piedmont.
THE TOWN OF VASS
AND ITS CONNDNITY
Story of Its Early Life and
Development — Yesterday
and Today
PART II.
Educational facilities in the com
munity were very limited. There were
no free schools worthy the name.
Short subscription schools were held
each year, but the nearest school
louses were Shallow Well, Red
3ill and Cranes Creek, each sev
eral miles from the village and too far
or the smaller children to walk. So
he men of Winder got together and
decided that a school building must
)e ercted in the village. The plan de
cided on was for a frame building
YANKEE CO-OPS
RtSIGNTOBACCO
Connecticut Planters Gain Con
trol and New Members In
Second Sign Up
The first of the campaigns among
the important cooperative associations
of tobacco growers in the United
States to sign up for a second five
year contract, has resulted in a very
important victory for cooperative
marketing of tobacco in Connecticut,
where the farmers have just put over
the second sign up campaign of the
Connecticut Valley Tobacco Associa
tion.
The campaign resulted in a large
gain in membership and acreage for
the organized tobacco farmers of
Connecticut. Many new members
joined the Connecticut Valley Tobac
co Asociation and some districts which
have never taken part in cooperative
marketing of the Connecticut tobacco
have joined the pool in order to make
sure that the higher prices from co
operative marketing will be continuec
for the neirt five years.
Quoting from the report of this
W. J. Cameron, one of the
pioneers of Vass. lie came to
the village in 1881, when it was
yet calleid Winder and is there
fore one of the ;>ioneers. In
1889 he was appointed post
master. For three years he was
postmaster of Winder, and then
with the name of the town
changed to Vass he continued to
be postmaster, but of another
town at the same place. He
held the offiice until 1913, or for
a period of 24^ years. Mr.
Cameron is still a citizen of the
community, a leading farmer
and business man.
lessons at night in the school build
ing, thus giving the men who had
very limited educational advantages
an opportunity of gaining greater pro
ficiency in wielding a pen.
The next problem to confront the
people after the school had been ar
ranged for was that of a church. They
were religiously inclined, and want
ed to attend services, but with Shal
low Well, three miles away, the near
est Methodist church; Union and Cy
press, six and seven miles distant, the
nearest Presbyterian; and Cranes
Creek, the nearest Baptist, and with
only two buggy horses in the whole
settlement, one owned by Dr. J. A.
Leslie and the other by E. D. Byrd,
how were they to attend? Some walk
ed the distance, and a big per cent
of the young people trudged the three
miles to Sunday school. But the peo
pie wanted a church.
Already that spirit of co-operation
and mutual helpfulness that is neces
sary for the progress of any commu
nity had been shown, and the success
in building the school doubtless gave
which will sing the choruses of the
Cantata, “The Rose Maiden,” a fairy
romance with words by R. E. Fran-
cillon and music by Frederick H.
Cowen. This is the first time that
arge choruses have been attempted
in this section in any other than the
sacred field, and the size of the group
of singers is probably also a new
record. The Rose Maiden is a cantata
of the highest cha*ractier, and the
choruses have been much admired
over a wide range of musical territory.
The training the singers of the Sand-
tiills have had in the choral singing
of the past three or four years with
Air. Picquet*s direction brings the
chorus to a fine footing for the work
;hat is ahead, and with the selection
of the work already made it is reason
able to expect the fall fair to hear
something that will eclipse anything
ever undertaken in Central North
Carolina.
Already Mr. Picquet is casting
about for new attractions for the fair
for its next meeting, for in addition
to the ordinary farm features he has
always undertaken to add entertaining
and educational side lines that will
help to make the big fall event one
that the people can attend with the
assurance that it will give a few days
of relaxation. Several things are in
negotiation, but not yet closed, as it
takes a lot of inquiry and figuring to
secure the features that the Sandhills
fair always wants, and Mr. Picquet
does not hurry about filling his lists
until he is sure that he has the best
that is obtainable.
The premium list is now in the
hands of the printers at The Pilot
office, and it indicates an interesting
agricultural show which has always
been the case at the Pinehurst gather
ing.
about twenty by thirty feet, planked
up and down with rough lumber, with the people courage to enter into church
two windows in each side, a chimney
and fireplace in one end and a door in
the other. The location was within
a few yards of the site of the pres
ent Presbyterian church. Bids were
made, and A. Cameron was awarded
:;he contract. He was to do the work
J:or the sum of twenty dollars. Mr.
Cameron says that he nailed every
plank; the only help he had was in
jutting up the rafters. This, the first
school house in Winder, was built
about the year. 1880.
From that time the school was the
community center, just a the schools
are in the rural communities today.
In 1882 the first picnic ever held in
the village was -held at the Winder
school. And a great time it was! The
main feature of the day—the dinner
excepted, of course—^was a singing
contest between the Reedy Branch
school and the Winder school. Will
Ferguson led the singing for Reedy
Branch and Randall Melvin for Wind
er, and if the older people tell things
straight, there must have been some
good music. They had no judges
in the contest, so each side was free
to think that it had won.
Previous to this time, whiskey was
sold here and there throughout the
country, and the general public gave
very little if any thought to its bad ef
fects. The open barroom was taken
for granted. This same little school
house was destined to be the meeting
place of the first Temperance Socie
ty organized anywhere in the sur
rounding territory, and be it said to
the praise of these forward looking
citizens tJiat the birth of this society
was the death of the open bar so far
as Winder was concerned.
CONFESSIONS OF
HARRISON STOTTS
Pinehurst Warehouse Man Talks
to Kiwanis
Club
OPERATING EXPENSES
STEADILY REDUCED
Is Destined to Show Very Ma
terial Net Results in Next
Year Period
building with a greater degree of con
fidence. Billie Johnson gave the lane
upon which to build, and a church was
erected one mile east pf the village
in order that it might be more easily
reached by the neighbors who had set
tled across the creek. Mr. Johnson
did not live to see the completion of
the church in which he was so deeply
interested, so it was decided to give
it the name “Johnson's Grove church”
in his memory.
Johnson’s Grove was a Methodist
church, but other denominations wor
shiped there, too, and a real live Sun
day school was developed. A. Cam
eron was the faithful superintendent
for nearly a quarter of a century. The
word “faithful” is used advisedly, for
few were the Sundays during this
period when he was not there to greet
the people as they arrived. He gave
freely of himself and of his means
to further the cause, a^d today that
little Sunday school is looked back to
with a feeling of tenderness by scores
of boys and girls, men and women,
who came under its influence.
(To be continued)
nCDRING FOR THE
CONING FALL FAIR
Charlie Picquet Plans a Chorus
of a Hundred
Voices
Charlie Picquet is some like the
Pinkertons who never slept. He is
already arranging his plans for the
coming fall fair, and one of the big
Jim Leach gave a series of writing | events is a chorus of a hundred voices
Within the past few months the
management of the North Carolina
Cotton Growers Cooperative Associa
tion has reflected the spirit of efficien
cy and economy in reduced operating
expenses, which is destined to show
very material net results within the
next year period.
During the past year, and especial
ly the last two or three months, oper
ating expenses of every department of
the general office at Raleigh have been
steadily reduced, except in the Feld
Service Department, and the principal
of “economy and efficiency” is now
being applied in this department,
which will begin to show good re
sults even before the new fiscal year
begins. Through the process of co
ordination and elimination modem
business methods are being adopted
under the slogan, “Make service in
every department productive.”
Making out the final settlement and
getting checks to members of the
North Carolina Cotton Growers Asso
ciation within half the time required
last year, with a considerably smaller
force employed in the accounting de
partment, represents one of the tan
gible evidences of progressive efficien
cy in that department. Last year it
required thirty days, with larger
working force, to do practically the
same amount of work that was done
this year, in the same department,
in fifteen days, with less operating ex
penses than were incurred a year ago.
Farmers’ cooperative associations
succeed in passing the experimental
stage and place themselves on solid
foundations only after impractical
theories are eliminated and applica
tions of the economies of “big busi
ness” are made in all operating de
partments.-
With the larger volume of business
that is coming to the North Carolina
Cotton Growers Cooperative Associa
tion through a recent growth aggre
gating more than 1,500 new members,
combined with the spirit of “jnrogres-
sive economy and efficiency” that is
(Continued on page 8)
One of the most appreciated biog
raphies unfolded before the Kiwanis
Club recently was that of Harrison
Stutts, of the Pinehurst Warehouses,
who. was in the congessional at the
dinner Wednesday at Aberdeen. When
his name was announced Charlie Pic-
quet’s choir started the old hynm, “I
need Thee Every Hour,” and the wholo
club applauded Mr. Stutts when he
arose in response. He modestly stated
that he was bom about the line that
divides Moore from Lee county, and
was not sure which county might
claim him, but that he finally landed
in Moore. He said his reception had
led him to forget what he had intend
ed to say, but he remembered that he
was bom 36 years ago, if he was not
positive where, and that nothing of
any consequence happened to him' un
til 11 years ago he lost his mother,
and all who know him realize the ca
lamity that meant. For never was a
man like Harrison Stutts but a good
mother had a hand in the creation
of that character.
His first contact with industry was
in the employ of Moses Britton, who
paid him ten cents a day to work in
the dewberry fields. He resigned to
go to John Phillips on an increase
of salary to twenty cents a day. Later
in life he opened a fruit store and had
as one of his cash customers John
McQueen, who has been the good
fairy of many a man and woman in
this country. Mr. Stutts married in
1910 and at the end of the first year
of married life he found himself $3,-
300 in debt. Then he encountered an
illness that was almost fatal, but
not quite, and on recovery he joined
the Seaboard railroad, only to make
up his mind that he was not a rail
road man. So he opened a store at
Vass, and he paid the Vass folks a
wonderful tribute ,for he said that in
a business that totaled $33,000 he lost
but $28 in bad accounts. Then with
Nick Gibbon he went to Southern
Pines, and eventually landed in Pine
hurst, where he established the Pine
hurst Warehouses, and there he is
now.
A number of other members of the
club wanted to tell some things about
Mr. Stutts that he had omitted, but.
he dodged what they had to say, and
pulled out under a fine bouquet of ap
proval. He says he owes his success
to his friends, and that his idea of
heaven is about such a bunch of com
panions as are found about him here
in his own community.
A number of things were taken up
and committees asked to get into ac-
(Continued on page 8)
W.G.CARTERDIESAT
OLD HONE NEAR HENP
Interment in Elise Presbyterian
Cemetery—Is Survived by
Wife, 3 Sons, 7 Daughters
The funeral of W. G. Carter, who
died of heart failure at his home near
Hemp on Monday, June 8, was held
the following Tuesday at 4 o'clock
at the Elise Presbyterian church, of
which he was ruling elder. Rev.
George F. Mason, pastor of the
church, conducted the service, assisted
by a former pastor. Rev. W. L. Wilson,
now of Carthage. The Elise lodge of
Masons, of which the deceased was a
member, took charge of the services
at the grave.
Mr. Carter is survived by his sec
ond wife and three sons, Walter
Carter, of Atkinson, and Graham and
Robert Carter, and seven daughters,
Mrs. Grover Currie, Walnut Ridge,
Ark.; Mrs. H. D. Pegg, Guilford Col
lege; Mrs. Neill Harrin^n, San
ford; Mrs. John Weskett, Bayboro;
Mrs. Talmage . Edgerton, Smithfield;
Mrs. Emest Slack, Seagrove; M^.
Earl Byrd and Miss Virginia Carter,
Hemp.