Fkg* Two
THE PILOT
Fridas, March 26, 192C.
HISTORY OP
SANDY GROVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
From Manuscript Written by the Late
REV. DAVID FAIRLEY, D. I>.
Ck>ntinued from Last Week)
Names of the Trustees
John C. Currie, Angus Ray, Neill
McK. Blue, Duncan J. Patterson, L.
A. Blue, Samuel J. Cameron, Murdock
Campbell, Alex B. Cameron and Neill
A. McFadyen.
My Pastorate At Sandy Grove Church,
1916-1923
Eugene Alexander
It would be impossible, should it be
^sirable, for one to reduce to writ
ing all the impressions and facts about
this pastorate of seven years. There
are, however, many facts that may be
•f interest to the present generation
•f those whose memories are still
p-een with the events of the days gone
by and whose hopes have always been
•nfailing, as well as those who follow
after us. To the writer it is with mixed
pleasure and gratitude that that period
•f his life is recalled.
In June of 1916 the pastorate was
begun with fear and trembling^ al
though there was a hospitality and
friendly spirit which is peculiar to
Sandy Grove Church. Throughout the
•even years there were few times, if
any, that there was not a handshake
from everyone present, nor was there
ever a stranger or visitor who on de
parting felt slighted. The people
▼ere Scotch, loyal, sincere, dependable
and cordial. It was easy to make
friends with a people like this, altho
they were reserved in word and deed.
There was a sincerity and cordiality
in this people that is unsurpassed in
any people with whom the writer has
eome in contact, and his lot so far
has been in pleasant places. Although
not a huntsman by nature, nor a good
•hot, it was a most pleasant recrea
tion to go “deer driving” over the old
hills and streams with the Camerons
and Blues and Rays. It was a good
day’s work to follow Mr. Sam Cam
eron, age seventy-five, from sun-up
till two or three o’clock on a deer
hunt. Another deer hunter of no
■nean reputation was Mr. David J.
Ray, who used **01d Never Miss” with
unerring accuracy. “Old Never Miss”
was a 42-inch barrel muzzle loader.
And those hunts were not always
fruitless, as the rugs on our floor will
testify. In fact, a turkey hunt with
Mr. H. J. Rogers, or a bird hunt with
Ed Alex or John Cameron or any of
those good hunters in that section was
• treat.
The old Sandy Grove Church, built
by Peter Monroe in 1852 and ’54, was
in poor repair. WitSi the exception
of an occasional supply, and a student
supply in the summer of 1915, the
church had been without a pastor
since the death of the beloved Dr.
David Fairley, in 1912. Never shall
the writer forget the first services
held in this church. Built after the
style of all the churches of that period,
the pulpit was high and lifted up, and
located at the front of the auditorium
between the two front doors. This
arrangement caused the congregation
to get a good view of the minister, as
well as all who were entering the
church, quite a distraction if there
were many late arrivals. One great
advantage to this arrangement of a
church was that the audience filled
in from the front, and they watched
the minister. The space used by the
eolored people of the olden days was
in the extreme rear, with a side door
entrance. The building was of the
finest heart pine timber, a square box
shape With pyramid shaped roof.
The officers of the church were:
Elders N. S. Blue, D. J. Gillis, M. A.
Patterson, A. C. Monroe; deacons, S.
J. Cameron M. A. Gillis, D. N. Les
lie and Vance Ray. To this number
were added in 1917: Elders S. J.
Cameron and H. J. Rogers; deacons A.
B. Cameron and E. W. Cameron.
These officers were unusually faithful
in discharging their duties and attend
ing the services of the sanctuary. It
seemed strange that there was little
interest in Sunday school in this
church. There were, however, com
paratively few children in the congre
gation. The only explanation found
was in the great distances many of
the people had to travel to get to the
church. The roads were the ordi
nary sand rut variety. A high compli
ment to the desire for public worship
on the part of some of the families
was that they would start early and
walk five to seven miles to the church,
summer or winter.
Late in the winter of 1916-17 a
movement was begun to repair and re
model the church, which met with a
hearty response, not only from the
membership of the church, but among
the former members of Sandy Grove,
living in other places, as far away as
Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The
pulpit was erected at the other end
of the building, with less elevation,
new windows were placed and a small
vestibule with a steeple was added at
the front. The seats were rearranged
and flues and stoves added, and a
new roof was put on. This work
was done under the direction of the
late Mr. C. E. Brown, son-in-law of
M. A. Gillis and a member of the
church. After these improvements
were completed and . paid for the
church was painted inside and out.
It is a neat, attractive house of wor
ship with seating capacity of about
250. The cost of these improvements
was over $1,300. Today it stands as
a landmark amid the round pine tim
ber that has been preserved on the ten
acres of land that the church once
owned. It can be seen from a great
distance in all directions; from sev
eral points on the State Highway No.
70, Aberdeen to Raeford it is visible.
A very clear view of it can be had
from this highway where it passes the
State Sanatorium. It is a shrine in
the hearts and minds of a devoted
and loyal people that are now scat
tered, not only over North Carolina,
but over many states in this great
nation. Some of those who first
worshiped God at this old church are
now citizens of Virginia, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas
and Oklahoma.
During the winter of 1923 a heavy
double strand wire fence was erected
around the cemetery. It is on steel
posts set in concrete bases. This,
with the simple white markers that
were placed at the head and foot of
every unmarked grave, adds to the
appearance of the sacred old bivouoc
of the dead. Fifty-seven graves had
tombstones, and markers were placed
at ninety-one, so there are a hundred
and forty-eight graves marked, and
so far as is known there is not one
unmarked. Perhaps there are few
church cemeteries in the state where
all the graves are so well marked.
The cemetery is protected as never
before; the graves are permanently
corner; thence as the linei of said
home lot to the beginning, containing,
three (3) acres, more or less. The
above described tract of land being
a part of Lot No. 105 of the Tyson
Lands, conveyed by W. G. Jennings,
and wife, Annie H. Jennings, to Sam
Brame, April 24th, 1920.
This March 26th, 1926.
B. C. WALLACE,
1 Trastee.^
G. H. HUMBER,
Trustee.
HOYLE & HOYLE.
Attorneys. 26-2-9-16A
(To Be Continued)
North Carolina farmers spend too
much money on fertilizer not to use
the kind suitable for their crops and
soils, say agronomy workers.
FOR SALE]—One 5-room dwelling
and 14 lots. Size 50x150 feiet. Price
reasonable. Apply to Box 38,
Lakeview, N. C. 26-2
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WE HAVE INSTALLED A HEAVIER
Cylinder Grinding Outfit
so THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU
SERVICE IN LESS TIME
AND FIT ANY CYLINDER WITH PERFECT
—ACCURACY—
CALL AND SEE OUR
FORD GEAR SHIFT TRANSMISSION
FOR FORD TRUCKS AND CARS
OUR SERVICE STATION
at Johnsonville opened up
this week with competent me
chanics in charge.
Battery Service, Welding, Brazing and Vulcanizing
at
HARTSELL’S GARAGE
Cameron, N. C.
NOTICE OF SALE
Undre and by virtue of the powers
of sale contained in a certain deed of
trusts executed and delivered by
Henry G. Fry, and Eulala Fry, his
wife, to G. H. Humber, Trustee, re-
cordeid in- Book 31, page 380, and to
B. C. Wallace, Trustee, recorded in
Book 42, page 364, Office of Register
Of Deeds Of Moore County, the un
dersigned Trustees, will on the 26th
day of April 1926, at 12 O’clock,
Noon, at the Court House Door Of
Moore County, expose to sale to the
highest bidder for cash, * all those
three (3) certain lots or parcels of
land lying and being in the County
of Moore, State of North Carolina,
and in Carthage Township, bounded
as follows, towit:
First Tract; In Carthage Township,
Moore County, N. C., adjoining the
lands of W. C. Hough and others, and
bounded as follows: Beginning at a
stake formerly Neill McCrummens’
but now W. C. Houghs’ corner run
ning thence N. 4 E. 210 ft. to a stake
in the center of the road; thence N
70 W. 105 ft. to a stake; thence S'.
4 W. 210 ft. to a stake in the edge
of the road; thence S. 70 E. 105 ft.
to the first station, containing, one-
half (1-2) acre, more or less.
Second Tract; Adjoin|ing above
tract; Beginning at South West cor
ner with a pine knot for the comer;
thence running 140 ft. with Florence
Boyds’ line cornering South-West side
of Vass clayed road; thence runnnig
back with the Vass clayed road 234
ft. cornering at W. H. Frys’ line
South-West side of the Vass clayed
road; thence running back the said
Fry line 180 ft. cornering at commenc
ing corner on Flore*nce Boydis’ line,
containing, an half (1-2) acre, more
or less.
Third Tract; Adjoining above tract.
Beginning at Frys’ comer in the
Sand-clay road leading to Vass, and
runs thence as said road South 33 E.
chains to a stake and black jack
pointers; themce N. 89 W. 9 chains to
a stake in the Pinehurst Sand Clay
road and black jack pointers ;thence
with said Pinehurst Band Clay road
N. 23 E. 5.25 chains to his home lot
Pinehurst Warehouses, he.
Pinehurst,
North Carolina
A STARTLING INNOVATION-
SELLING TRACTORS BY CARLOADS!
So far as we know the Pinehurst Warehouses have introduc
ed an innovation that is certainly new anjrwhere in our section.
In the last week we have made two sales of McGormick-Deering
Tractors in car lots to individuals.
Each car contained six tractors, and each car went to one
farm.
One of these cars went to Jesse Page at Eagle Springs.
The other to D. M. Buchanan, the Farm Development Co., at
Marston.
The shipment from the factory at Chicago included four cars
of tractors. A big sign on each car announced that the cars con
tained McCormick-Deering Tractors for the Pinehurst Ware
houses, Pinehurst, N. C.
Besides the two cars sold to individual as soon as they arrived
other sales followed at once, and the deliveries had not been
completed before it was necessary to order more tractors.
The McCormicik-Deering Tractor has captured this country.
It is the tractor that suits the Sandhills orchard and other
operators.
The McCormick-Deering is sold by the Pinehurst Warehouses.
And while this is the first time a solid car load of these tractors
has been sold in this section other buyers have bought from two
to four of the tractors at separate times, and still buy more.
The tractor is a farm necessity, and the McCormick-Deering
is the tractor.
The Pinehurst Warehouses, Inc.
Pinehurst, N. C.
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