Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / Aug. 16, 1921, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
VOLUME 40 SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1921 NUMBER 65 TOBACCO MARKET STARTED IN 1898 Two Tobacco Warehouses, Banner and Riverside, Erected That Year The history of tobacco in Johnston county dates back as far as 1895. Prior to that time a comparatively small amount was raised in this sec fon.v An editorial in The HERALD of September 15, 1895, which is repub lished elsewhere in this issue calls the attention of the people to the fact that the soil of Johnston county is well suited to tobacco culture. Evidently the farmers took the sug gestion and began raising tobacco in larger quantities, for in May 1896, a market in Smithfield was being agi tated. For the issue of May 14, some one wrote a letter to The. HERALD along this line. Because it tells how much tobacco was planted in the coun ty that year, and other interesting facts we reproduce it as follows. “Mr. Editor: After some little in vestigation we find that there will be almost 500 acres of tobacco planted in Johnston county this year. By actual count we find over 100 acres in Smithfield township. We are informed that one acre, average crop, will yield 750 pounds. According to these figures Johnston county will produce this year about 375,000 pounds of tobacco which will bring at five cents a pound the neat little sum of $18,750. Now Mr. Editor, at least one half of the crop would be sold here at our county seat if we had a warehouse. What would be the effect of turning loose $9,375 here in our little town during August and September. I refer you to our merchants for an answer. If we only build a warehouse and give our farmers a home market we pre dict that in 1897 our county will pro duce more than 1,000,000 pounds of the weed, bringing to our county at present prices, the sum of $50,000. Why cannot Smithfield be built up as Wilson, Oxford and Durham have been? Johnston county soil is as well adapted to the cultivation of tobacco as the lands of Wilson, Granville, or Durham. Our greatest need now is a home market and there is no better place to open a market than our couYity site, and no more opportune time than just now. We ask the citizens of Smithfield to consider the matter from a busi ness standpoint; grasp the opportun ity to build up our town by making it a great and thrifty tobacco rparket. Get together, build up a warehouse, offer a home market to our tobacco farmers and the hum of industry will be heard and the push of business felt in every occupation, business, trade and profession in our home-like little city. Who will be the first to move off along this line. Very respectfully, “WAREHOUSE.” On the night of Nov. 8, 1897, a meeting of the young men of the town was held in The HERALD office for the purpose of forming a company to erect a tobacco -warehouse in Smith field. The following officers were elected: Chairman, R. 0. Cotter; Sec retary, S. S. Holt; Treasurer, A. K. Smith. Messrs A. K. Smith, S. S. Holt and J. H. Woodall were appoint ed to solicit subscriptions, secure a lot, and let the bid for the house. That the venture proved successful is shown by the following paragraph from the January 20, 1898 issue of the paper: “The stockholders of the Smithfield Tobacco Warehouse Company met in The HERALD office Monday night ami awarded the contract for the erection of the house to Messrs W. Rand and Bro. Work on the building will be immediately begun.” The warehouse was leased ffst to C. A. W. Barham & Co. Messrs Pip per, of Winston and Thomas R Kirby, of Kenly, were associated with Mr. Barham. This warehouse was known as “The Banner.” About this same time Mr. V/. M. Sanders announced that he intended to erect, which he did, a tobacco sales warehouse 80 x 150 feet with a prize house in connection 40 x 90 —four stories high. Mr. Sanders locate ! his houses on Market and First street near the river and the warehouse was known as the Riverside. TOBACCO OUTLOOK HERE IS PROMISING Increased Facilities for Han dling Crop Here; Large Number of Buyers By JOHN R. MORRIS No town in Eastern North Carolina has done more to build up a greater tobacco market than has Smithfield. The farmers and business men of Johnston county have combined th dr money and energy for the purpose of building up the very best market in this section of the state. The facilities here for handling the crop this year have been improved and the greater number of buyers that are slated to come to this point is very optimistic. They all realize that to stay on this market this season they will have to buy tobacco and pay the very best price for it. Last year some of our farmers car ried their tobacco to other markets for better prices but this year this difficulty has been overcome due to the fact that tobacco experts tell us that we have got the very best crop of tobacco raised in this part of the state in many years. The large con cerns w. ‘ * hi*, type of tobacco this year an * th>:y are going »o send the buyers to this place to buy it. There are three large warehouses in this city with enough floor space to take care of all that will be brought here. These houses are all headed by expert tobacco men who have worked harder this season for the success of the market than in seasons gone by. They say this is go ing to be the banner year for them W'hen it comes to satisfying the farm er. There are two large redrying plants located here which will be of great help to hold prices up during the en tire season. The T. S. Ragsdale To bacco Company and the F. R. Ed mundson Tobacco Company both have large plants here and it stands to reason that these two companies can pay more for the weed than any oth er concerns because they do not have to pay freight on their purchase to other places. The Imperial Tobacco Company will have their buyer here on the opening sale with orders to buy his share of .the sale as this is their type of to bacco this year and they are going to buy it here because it was raised here. The Export and all other represen tative companies will have their men present at the opening and there will be keen bidding when they come on sale and see what Johnston County farmers have to offer. The season opens Tuesday, Septem ber 6th, and all indications point in the direction of Smithfield’s most suc cessful season. Every consideration will be shown the farmers this year and even if they do not have any to bacco ready for the opening the ware housemen and the business men of Smithfield invite them to come to town on that day and see how it sells before carrying it to some other point. This should be “the raise it here and sell it here” year and all the busi ness men of this community are co operating with the farmers to make the county seat the best tobacco mar ket in the state. The merchants of the city are mak ing special sales during thd week of the opening and all the various rest rooms are being put in shape for the farmer’s wives who accompany them to town. Here they can leave their bundles and children while they shop during the sale hour. The Chamber of Commerce will have a man following the sales daily who will make a complete study of prices on this market as compared with other places. The farmers are urged to call on the organization at any time in regard to the selling of their farm products. This organiza tion will see that the farmers get ev ery consideration from the Smithfield Tobacco Market. In this issue is carried a complete reproduction of the various facilities for handling the crop this year. Later another warehouse was erect ed which is now known as the Farm ers Warehouse and still later fhe Cen ter Brick was put up. In the mean time the Riverside warehouse was discontinued, the handsome new quarters of the Sanders Motor Co., be ing now located on that site. 1 GOVERNOR ORDERS SOLDIERS CONCORD Strike at Mills Reason Foi Disorder; 1000 Said to Be on Picket Duty Asheville, Aug. 14.—Governor Cam eron Morrison tonight ordered State troops to take charge of the textile strike situation at Concord. Adjutant General John Van Metts has been re quested to take charge and will prob ably arrive in Concord in time for any emergency that may arise Mon day morning. Major R. R. Faison, of Greensboro, was also requested to proceed at ence to the scene of the strike. Con cord troops have been ordered mobi lized and Charlotte troops in arms ready for immediate call. Gen. Metts who was at Camp Glenn, was instruct ed to use a special train if necessary in order to arrive in Concord this morning. The Governor stated tonight that he had given the matter careful con sideration and had spent practically the entire day at the telephone in an effort to get exact information on the situation. The climax to the situation was reached this afternoon, it is un derstood, when the following request was received from J. W. Womble, mayor of Concord: “To his Excellency, Cameron Morrison Governor of North Carolina: “As mayor of the city of Concord, I hereby request that troops be sent to Concord to preserve law and order and so protect life and property. My reason for making: this request is that I have exhausted my authority in my efforts to secure a sufficient number of policemen to handle the situation. “Up to date the sheric of Cabarrus county h*is not subpoenated any depu ties to assist the city *policemeq in preserving order. The situation is growing worse, and I feel that riot ing will result Monday morning and that human life will be sacrificed un less an adequate force can be provid ed. Under existing conditions life and property, in my opinion, cannot be protected without the presence of troops.” , It was stated last night that Sheriff C. L. Spears, was slightly optimistic over the situation early today, but later he practically “threw up his hands” when he telegraphed the fol lowing message to Governor Morrison: “Have made some investigation since conversing with you. The police of the city cannot handle the situa tion. As this is the case, I can i't handle it. If trouble, should start take the matter in hand.” Chief of Police C. A. Robinson, of C oncord, toda. wired the Govern ..- as follows: “The city police force can not preserve order and enforce the law. Send troops at once befoie it is too late to preserve life.” The chief executive yesterday was in telephone communication with a numbr of citizenfe of Cabarrus coun ty and he was strongly urged of the need for the presence of troops at once. A number of prominent citi zens were among the number, it was stated. The Governor held confer ence yesterday with several parties from Concord. Mayor Womble and City Attorney J. L. Caldwell were in Asheville yesterday, but returned to their home last night. James F. Barrett, president of the North Carolina Federation of Labor left this afternoon for Concord to (Continued on page 12) ILLITERACY IN N. C. ON THE DECREASE More Illiteracy in Rural Dis tricts Than in Cities; 474 Foreigners Washington, D. C., Aug. 15.—Ac cording to the census of 1920 there are 241,445 illiterate p? sons 10 years of age and over in the :;fate of North Carolina, “illiterate meaning unable to write. Of this number 104,673 are native whites of native parentage, 171 are of foreign or mi v 1 parentage, end 474 are of foreign birth. The number of illiterate Negiops is 133. 516. In the total popi! i lnn ten years of age and over the percentage of illiteracy is 13.1, which, .t gratify ing to note, shows a diminution since 1910, when it was 18.5. In the ease of ’.he Negroes the per en'ag' Jeclincd ftom 31.9 to 24.5 ant in the ease < f ch- native white of na:iv^> parentage « m 12.3 to 8.2. There is more illiterr in ihe rural i 1 ricts of the state than in the cities, the percentage being 14.1 for the rur al population and 9.3 for the urban. For the native white population of native parentage the urban percent age of illiteracy is 4.0, while the rural is 9.2. In the case of the Negro pop ulation the perentage is 20.3 in the urban population as against 25.7 in the rural. By counties the percentage of il literacy ranges from 22.4 in Edge combe County to 6.4 in Buncombe County. Criminal Court This Week The one week session of the Aug ust criminal court began here yester day morning. Judge E. H. Cranmer of Southport, N. C., is presiding. His charge to the grand jury was inspir ing to all who want to see our laws enforced. After his charge the court proceeded with the usual business. Only a few cases have been disposed of so far. We expect to give a full account of the proceedings in our Friday’s issue. Below ws give the names of the grand jury. J. W. Stephenson, foreman; C. H. Woodall, R. C. Youngblood, Wm. H. Woodard, G. R. Whitley, Lee Hocutt, Robt. A. Sanders, R. K. Britt, Lee E. Sasders, H. T. Smith, W. L. Creech, D. H. Sanders, S. W. Creech, W. M. Woodall, Harlie Peterson, Junius Peterson, J. Loyd Stephenson, N. B. Hinton. •Meeting at Johnson Union One of the best meetings held in Johnston county this year has just been held at Johnson Union Freewill Baptist church about four miles from Smithfield. It began Friday night be fore the first Sunday in August and closed last night. It was conducted by the pastor, Rev. H. R. Faircloth. The baptizing will be today at the Swift Creek bridge about a mile south of the B. R. Jones farm. Thirty have joined the church, twenty-six of whom will be baptized. The commun ity has been greatly benefitted by the meeting. Perhaps others have joined since the above report was given us Monday. Miss Minnie Lee Garrison, County Home Demonstration Agent, has re turned to the city after attending a summer course at Greensboro College for Women and a visit to her home in South Carolina. PROHIBITION DIREC TOR ASKS FOR HELP Calls on Preachers to Aid in Enforcing Law; Report Violations of Law “This bureau will honestly attempt to enforce law without fear or favor, the best available will be appointed as enforcement agents,” declares Federal Prohibition Director R. A. Kohloss in an appeal to the ministers of North Carolina through letters that have been addressed to preachers individ ually in which he asks for reports of specific violations of the prohibition ' law. Mr. Kohloss refers to criticisms made of him before his appointment and adds that “concerning thgse harsh criticisms there is not the slightest resentment but a determination to shame such critics who are open to conviction.” Mr. Kohloss is not asking the preachers for exhortation on the evils of making whiskey and peddling moon shine but is requesting ministers to give specific instances of violations of the prohibition laws. “Your information will be sacred and confidential unless you should j yourself desire to become a witness,” Mr. Kohloss tells the ministers. He indicates his expectation of car rying the fight still closer home to the church people of the State by asking for the names of Sunday school super intendents and teachers, evidently with a view to addressing similar ap peals to them. Mr. Kohloss’s letter to the preach ers follows: “Reverend Sir: “This letter is to ask your concar rence, your assistance, your co-opera tion. i iou are aware ot the tact that the writer has had placed upon his shoul 1 ders the responsibility of enforcing prohibition, the fundamental law of our land written by the vote of our people into our Constitution; fortu nately this responsibility can be less ened by conscientious helpers within , the bureau; and more fortunately tb s responsibility can become a pleasant duty by and with the aid of all law abiding citizens. “The writer is aware of the fact that he was very harshly criticised before his appointment, some being so unjust as to accuse a teetotaller of being a drunkard and, of a member of the Episcopal Church of being an ag nostic; concerning these harsh criti cisms there is not the slightest re sentment but a determination to shame such critics who are open to conviction. “This bureau will honestly attempt to enforce the law without fear or favor; the best available will be ap pointed as enforcement agents; ap plicants have been requested' to ob tain endorsements from their pastors wh.o are in the best position to know of their standing. “But you fully realize that some three dozen men appointed by the gov ernment cannot cover all the dark places over our large State and that we must appeal to those who have the moral uplift of our people nearest their hearts. “Where shall we look except to you and to those within your fold and un der your care for that class of aid and information which will enable us to enforce the law and bring male factors to justice and to a realization (Continued on page 12) THIS IS AN INTERIOR VIEW OF A SMITH FIELD TOBACCO WAREHOUSE. t ROAD BUILDING PLANS ATTRACT Uphatn, New State Highway Engineer, Highly Suc cessful Road Builder New York City, Aug. 12.—The ac tion of North Carolina in pro/iding for a 50 million dollar bond issue for highway work, like that of Vir ginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Mis souri, has placed the state far to the front in the matter of highway con struction. The North Carolina High way Commission has ordered the im mediate construction of both gravel and hard-surfaced roads at a total es timated cost of $7,000,000, every dis trict and practically every county in the state being represented in the list of projects approved. Fifteen mil lion dollars worth of the bonds are to be sc^d immediately and the commis sion has already approved for future construction, more than 1,000 miles of road to cost in the neighborhood of $18,000,000. The action of North Carolina is at tracting a great deal of attention throughout the United States. The im provement of her highways, too long neglected, means much for the devel opment of the state. Good roads will bring into the state many additional thousands of tourists from all parts of the east and the middle west and will encourage many new business enter prises as well as increase the value of farm land and city real estate. The schools will be improved and the churches strengthened, rural life will be more pleasant, agricultural and industrial production will be more fully developed and the cities and rural communities will be brought in to closer touch. The completion of the new roads will mark a great epoch in the history of the state. In Charles M. Upham, its new state highway engineer, North Carolina se cures a man to supervise this vast program, who has constructed many miles of every modem type of pave ment, from the highest grades of the city asphalt types to Portland cement concrete and bituminous macadam. Mr. Upham has practically complet ed the Deleware slate highway sys tem and ’"s one of. '.he most widely known and highly successful road builders in the country. The wide variation in topographical and traffic conditions in North Carolina will af ford him a broad opportunity for the exercise of his engineering abilities The most up-to-date types of pave ment will be constructed ac occasion requires. Although a type of pave ment such as is used on Fifth Avenue, New York City, and other thorough fares where traffic is exceedingly heavy, may seem a luxury in the mountains of North Carolina, it is nevertheless necessary that many miles of the so-called “pavement de luxe” be laid on the route of the Cen tral highway and at a cost well with in the means of the people of the state. The appropriation by North Caro lina of $50,000,000 for modern high ways, now makes available through out the United States more than $1, 360.000. 000 for good roads and streets. This sum, large as it is, represents an increase over the highway revenues of 1914 of only about 150 per cent, while highway traffic has increased 450 per cent. There are now 2,500, 000 miles of highways in the United States, of which only an approximate 100,000 miles are improved with mod ern hard surfaced pavements. When compared to sums expended for luxuries by the pleasure-loving public the American highway budget does not look so impressive. The peo ple of this country spend one billion dollars a year for candy, $3,500,000, 000 for automobiles, one billion for automobile tires, $1,275,000,000 for gasoline, $1,500,000,000 for carpets and rugs, $1,950,000,000 for cigars, cigarettes, tobacco and snuff, and $1, 650.000. 000 for jewelry, perfumery, and cosmetics. On the other hand the sums spent for roads and streets a*-e seven times * renter lhan .hose ex pended for water supply improve ments, three times those for sewer age work and fifteen times those for bridges. In connection with the road building program public officials are casting about to find the types of pave ment best suited to their purpose and (Continued on page 12)
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 16, 1921, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75