North Carolina Newspapers

MOORE COUNTY’S LEADING NEWS-WEEKLY THE iJL JL JL JLo^ A Paper Devoted to the Upbuilding VOL. L5, NO. 13. AtAKEVlGW hahlcv UACKSOH SPRIH06 SOUTHCF»H pmcs PINEBLUPP PILOT FIRST IN NEWS, CIRCULATION & ADVERTISING of the Sandhill Territory North Carolina Southern Pines and Aberdeen, N^»rIh Carolina, Friday, February 23, 1934. J. H. STEPHENSON APPOINTED U. S. DEPUn MARSHAL Southern IMncs Man, Prominent in American Legion, Honored by Senator Reynolds SERVES FIVE COUNTIES Scene of Tuesday’s Fire in Southern Pines 4. X? FIVE CENTS John H. Stephenson of Southern ^ines was nominated by Senator Rob- frt R. Reynolds this week to be dep uty United States Marshal, to serve i under United States Marshal William ^ T. Dowd of Sanford in the middle; iistrict of North Carolina. Mr. Ste- fiheniHin will serve in five of the mid-; '(lie district counties, including Moore. ; In a telegrram received by Mr. Ste- ,'henson on Monday Senator Raynolds ^aid: “Pleased to advise that I have en- v'iorsed and recommended you for ap pointment as deputy marshal for the middle district of North Carolina and !hat I have given this statement to "he press and feel confident that you •vill serve with credit to yourself and entire satisfaction to the government. Stop It wa-s a genuine pleasure for me to have been availed an oppoi tun- 'ty of evidencing to you my appre- iation of your loyalty and my high ■•egard for your ability and qualifi- ations for the position to which you nave been selected.” The deputy marshalshtp was a Tftuch sought after position through out the middle district and Mr. Ste phenson has been justly congratu- ?ated on all sides this week. The po- .-itlon carries a substantial salary a-s well as honor and prestige. Other .middle district appointments made oy Senator Reynolds to serve under Mr. Dowd are: James Rivers, newspaper man of Boone, chief deputy; Mrs. John W.' Simpson, Jr., of Greensboro, niece of Pierce Rucker, clerk and stenograph er; Dr. Fred Patterson, of Greens- ixiro, federal physician; Charles Van- Story of Greensboro and Lawrence Huffman, R. F. D., of Burlington, dep- ities with Mr. Stephenson. Mr. Stephenson is a prominent member of the American Legion here And active in civic and political cir- tles. Led Fire Fighters a Biifpni* Building in Hear! oi ''<»rn Pines Business Section Destix. ^d by Fire Firemen Confine Threatening^ Flames Within Walls of McBraV^ Building ABERDEEN. PINEHURST AID Photograph of the Burned Building: Taken a Few Ye ;rs After Erection Many Former Slaves Residing in County, Pilot List Revealsi I.. V. O’t ('hicf, Southern Pines Fire Dept. Rev. Murdoch McLeod To Leave Saudhills Presbytery Grants Permission to Accept Call to Nash ville, Tenn. The Fayetteville Presbytery in ses sion at Raeford Tuesday dissolved the pastoral relationship between the Community Church of Pinehurst and the Rev. Murdoch MacLeod ef-1 fective March 31, 1934. This action came as a result of, ■•ubmitting to the Presbytery for de cision the question of releasmg Mr. MacLeod from his connection with the local church. ■ The latter part of last year Mr. MacLeod after a great deal of deli- l>eration refused a call to the pastor- • ate of the Moore Memorial Preaby- lefian Church of Nashville, Tenn., and determined to remain with the, church here. However, a second urgent call from the Nashville church was received early in Jan uary, the Tennessee church emphasiz ing their reluctance to accept his first "no" as final. Mr. MacLeod again looked over the field and finally came to the conclusion that lie should accept the second and more urgent call of the Moore Memorial Church. Upon presentation of his resigna tion to the members of the Com munity Church Sunday morning, ^however, they refused to accept it on the grounds that they (elt they would be doing the local community an injustice, but agreed to leave the decision to the Fayetteville Presby tery which met at Raeford yester day. The Presbytery decided that the rail from Nashville was in order and should be accepted by Mr. MacLeod and thereupon dissolved the local pastoral relationship. A committee fron. the UtrI church will be named to seek out and recom- (?end a pastor for the congregation iera. “Old Slave Day” in Southern Pines In April Should Prove Historic Occasion Names continue to come into The Pilot office of colored people of this section who lived hereabouts during slavery days, and there is every evi- lence that Southern Pines will be the scene of an unparalleled event on "Old Slave Day,” to be held the week of April 9th under the auspices of The Pilot and the Chamber of Com merce. Plans for a suitable program for the day are well under way, with prominent speakers, white and color ed. the singing of negro spirituals, a»Ki other features which will enter tain both the former slaves and the many visitors expected here on that occasion. Some interesting information conies to The Pilot with the names that are being sent in. Here’s a card from E. L. McNeill of Vass, a few weeks be fore his death; "I know an old darkey, George McCrimmon, born in slavery. Says hp’s at least 84 years old. His moth er belonged to the McLeod's that were murdered in 1870 and Uncle George, then about 21 years old, wa.s there at the home of the McLeod's the day of the murder and saw it all." H. P. McPher.son of Cameron writes: "I have a very reliable old timer living in a small house in my back yard. He is up at daylight every morning feeding the stock, getting the stove wotxl, etc. His name is Troy Shaw; says he was 10 years old when set free. He belonged to Neill Gra ham, who married a Miss Shaw and lived a few miles southeast of Aber deen. Ootd Ploker at 7X “Another of the faithful few is Elias Hooker, who lives near Cameron. He belonged to Captain Robert Hatch and was reared in Chatham county. Says he is 78 years old, yet he picked over 100 pounds of cotton a day on my farm one week last October.” Readers of The Pilot are asked to continue to send in names of col ed persons residing in the county who lived during the slavery period, with their ages and addresses. Names received by The Pilot to date of persons living in slavery and now residing in or near Moore coun ty include the following; Dennis Taylor. 108, Taylortown; G. B. Mason, 85, Taylortown; Amy Williams, 90. Caithage Route 1; Alice Kelley, 80, Carthage; O. B. Ray, Vsuss Route 1; Lovely McKinnon, Carthage Route 3; Ida Kelly, Carthage; Caline Caddell, Carthage; Eva McLeod, 90, Vass; Bill Kelly, 90, an<J his wife, Vass Route 2; George McCrimmon, 84, Vass; Bertha Portervine, South ern Pines; John Watson, 77, Camer on; Dave McDonald, 74, Cameron; MatildP. Harrlngfton, 95, Southern Pines; Harriet Haaty, 90, Southern Pines; Martha Matheson, 80; Caro- (Pleaae turn to page 8) Tag Day Boy Scouts to Aid Salvation Army in Drive for Funds Here Saturday Tomorrow, Saturday, is Tag Day in Southern Pines, being spon sored by the Salvation Army. The local Boy Scouts are giving their aid for this worthy causf, and the citizens of the community are urg ed to make their contributions as generously as possible. Charles Cook, representing the Charlotte branch of the Salvation Army, is here and will assist in the drive. Lii^ SALES ' TAX PAID HERE ^ 1ST SIX MONTHS I ’On This Basis County Will Pay, i ^;9<>,000 Less Than Under Ad Valorem Tax HEAVY DAMAGES ASKED AS RESULT OF AUTO ACCIDENT Pinehurst Winter Resident Sues Students of University of North Carolina Laing- Rides Two Winners at Camden Southern Pines and Pinehurst Horses “in the Ribbons” at Huntier Trials and Races Southern Pines and Pinehurst play ed a prominent part in the annual hunter trials and races of the Cam den Hunt at Camden, S. C., on Wed nesday and Thursday of this week.‘ At least 100 persons from the Sandhills witnessed the events. Noel Laing of Southern Pines was the leading winning rider of the day. He won the Cherokee Steeplechase, two miles over brush, on Mrs. Ver- ner Z. Reed’s Our Friend, a bay geld ing which Laing has been training here this winter. In The Mulberry, one mile on the flat, Laing rode Mrs. T. E. Proctor’s Star Wink, another Southern Pines trained horse to first place over a fast field. The Proctors spent last winter here, of'cupying the John Y. Boyd house, ana ineir horses have been here all this season in charge of Noel Laing and James Townsend. War E)agle, a Man of War colt, was too much for Oliver C, Mrs. T. H. Somerville’s ’ chestnut, ridden by Laing in The Bloomsbury event, two miles over timber, and he failed to finish in front with his own horse, Kanem, in the last event, six furlongs on the flat. In this race a filly train ed in Southern Pines this winter, Cy. polim, owned by B. A. Tompkins of The Paddock, was second after a beautiful ride by John Vlossopolous, Ernest I. White’s trainer. The races were on Thursday. On Wednesday at the hunter trails Mr. White’s Allure was second in the lightweight hunter class after a splen- di«I ride by Miss Margaret Kiely, one of the whippers-in of the Moore County Hounds. Acclaim, another of Mr. White’s horses, was third in the model class. Among those riding In these events from Southern Pines were Mr. White, Miss Klely, Almet Jenks, Noel Laing and Nelson C. Hyde. Jackson H. Boyd was among the judges in the race meet. Mcore county’s sales tax paid for the six months amounts to $22,215.00. That amount doubled would be $44,- 130.00 for a year. The property tax rec’uction for 1933 should amount to $140,234.00, by which it is seen that this county should pay $95,804.00 less in sales tax than the total reduc tion in property tax afforded by the 1933 General Assembly. In only two counties, Caldwell and Pitt, is the ■sales tax shown to be larger than the reduction made in property tax. Property tax relief of $11,461,595 granted by the 1933 General Assem bly was only partially made up in the sales tax collections, which, on the basis of actual collections for the first six months of operation of the tax, indicate the sales tax will be 56,835,586 which would still leave $4,826,099 ill total relief, according to tables issued by Director Harry McMullan of assessments and collec tions of the Revenue Department. The sales tax total is twice the amount collected for sales in the first six months of the operation of the tax, or $3,317,745, which, offi cials say, may be somewhat increas ed when collections for the full 12 months are recorded. Big Expense K^'duotions Included in the property tax reduc tion are four items, 15-cent state wide ad valorem tax; current ex penses for special charter schools, special tax districts and for county- wide levies. The first three were eliminated entirely and the last item except for charges for maintenance of plant and fixed charges for which some of the counties made levies. Re ports so far received indicate that two-thirds of the county-wide levies for current expenses was eliminated. Also, Mr. McMullan points out, the table does not include supplements voted in a few counties since the 1933 legislature. Also, he states, taxes on sales for chain stores, paid at one point or outside the state, are prorated to the several counties in W’hich sales were made. Mecklenburg paid the highest tax {Please turn to page 4) KETIKED .ARMY COLONEL PlIKCHASES HOME HERE Col. Edward C. Carey, retired U. S. Army officer, has purchased through E. C. Stevens the residence of Prof. William F. Allen at the cor ner of Pine Grove Road and Massa chusetts avenue on Weymouth Heights, Southern Pines, and will take possession within the next two weeks. The house is an attractive Colonial bungalow. Col. Carey commanded a regiment in the World War and is a veteran of other campaigns. He spent some trime in Southern Pines sever al years ago. As a result of an automobile ac cident which occurred near Hemp on January 20, T. C. Drake, prominent Pinehurst winter resident, has this week started two civil actions agai>'i3t two University of North Carolina juniors, John Mclnnis, Jr., of Clio, S. C., and Francis Don Breazeale, of Henderson county, N. C. Summons have already been served and return ed. Mr. Drake charges negligent and unlawful conduct and in one case prays jadgment for himself in the sum of $3000, being $1000 for prop erty damage and $2000 for mental and physical pain and anguish. The second case is brought by Betsy Gor don Drake through ■ T. C. Drake as her next friend, and seeks to recov er $20,000; $10,000 for injuries and $10,000 punitive damages. The accident occurred on Route 74 about 4 ;30 o’clock. Mr. and Mrs. Drake, his sister and ten-year-old Betsy Gordon Drake, a granddaught er, were returning from a visit to Jug Town and had entered the high way and crossed to their side of the road when their car, a Buick, was struck by a Plymouth coupe occu pied by three University students. Mc lnnis, the owner of the car; Beazeale, the driver, and Donah Hanks, who were en route to Rock Hill. The coupe, it is said, struck the Drake car with great force and landed up side down, pinning the young men underneath. Little Betsy Drake, who was riding on the front seat with her grandfather, was thrown through the windshield and was badly cut while other members of the party suffer ed from shock. Both cars were badly damaged The three young men were tried in this week’s Recorder's court on charges of reckless driving. Mclnnis and Beazeale were found guilty and the case was nol pressed as to Hanks, The three are said to be young men of fine character and among those who appeared in their behalf at the trial were the president of the Uni versity student body, the sheriff and the supervisor of Marlboro county, S. C.. and the clerk of the district court, also of Marlboro county. Thfe Judge had not rendered his judgment, but still had the case under advise ment at our latest report. MIST F.\C'E TRL\L FOR “BOBROW'ING" GASOLINE For over four hours Tuesday morn ing the Southern Pines firemen, aid ed by men and apparatus from Aber- den and Pinehurst, battled in the In- ten.se cold with the smokiest aiitf most persistent fire in the town's history. Starting shortly before 8 o'clock in the basement of the McBrayer Building, also known as the Grey Building, on West Broad street and fanned by a brisk wind ^'rom the west, the fire spread rapidly up ward and through- -it the building to which the firemen confined the flames. The fire fighters suffered severely from the cold, the tempera ture registering only 18 above, and the smoke was so dense in the im mediate front of the building that men on the hose lines were driven out repeatedly. Apparently under control by 10 o’clock the flames gained new head way inside the building and broke through the metal roof, and the men I of the three companies with seven ! streams of water under high prea- [ sure had a hard fight to keep tije I fire out of Jack’s Grill. I The building, erected in 1923 by I John McPher.son for Congre,«sman j'Oscar Auf der Heide of Jersey City, 1 passed first into the possession of * Cha.=i. M, Grey and of late years has I been owned jointly by Dr. L. B. Mc- , Brayer, and Charles Bingham, of Lit- i tleton, N. H. The offices on the upper floor ! were occupied by Dr. McBrayer for : the North Carolina Medical Associa- I tion, and the North Carolina Tuber culosis Association; the doctor also occupied an apartment as did Mr. I and Mrs. Claud Hafer. Two of the ! stores on the ground floor were va- ' cant, the others housed the Western Union teleghaph office, and Wil liam Roth’s barber shop. Mrs. Hafer lost all of her personal effects and furniture including a piano. Dr. Mc Brayer also lost his personal effects, hi.s loss also including a library in the Association offices, which with their contents were entirely destroy ed with the exception of the books and papers in the safes. Mrs. Hom er Maim and Mrs. Carey Blue of the VV'estern Union office lost personal effects, and Mr, Roth the entire con tents of his shop. Insurance on the building was carried by the Steven’s agency. The clouds of dense smoke rising above the burning building attract ed a great throng of spectators through which Jack dodged hither I and yon serving hot coffee to the fireman, hi.s efforts being supple mented by Garland Pierce, Shields Cameron and others with coffee and soup from the Coffee Shop. The Western Union is now located in the old Telegraph building on Ne'w Hampshire avenue. Dr. McBrayer has secured quarters in the former Tel ephone building on West Broad , Street, and the Roth Barber Shop is next to the Coffee Shop on Bast Broad street. Long Time Resident Of Southern Pines Dies Mrs. CHara Hotoombe Johnson DiMi Wpdne«day Night—Funeral In Aberdeen at 3 p. m. Today Policeman Newton and his dog “Roscoe” captured two young men early Monday morning transferring gasoline from a car parked in front of the Jefferson Inn to their Pontiac. Brought before Mayor Stutz later in the day they gave their names as Robert and Charles Wallen of New York. They have been sent to Cat- trage for triaL Mrs. Clara Holcombe Johnson, for 30 years a resident of Southerm Pines, passed away W’ednesday night at the home of her son, Frank Hol combe in Fayetteville. She was 84 I years of age Mrs. Johnson was born I in Worc<«ter, Mass. I Sincc the death of her husbaiKl I about two years ago, she has macto I her home with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. J. 'noiM j Johnson of Aberdeen. Mrs. Johnson had an unusQSlIf I wide acquaintance with her contact I of country and town life, which t>- cluded Aberdeen. With the years of her residence in the neighborhood, the presat generation grew ip turn to page 5)