VOL. XXXIV.
BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA, SEPTEMBER 4, 1929
No. SS
WH1TMIRE FAILS
FOR BIG AMOUNT
Files Petition In Bankruptcy ?
Liabilities $65,000 More
Than Assets
ERECTED 30 HOUSES HERE
DURING PAST TWO YEARS
Assets Listed at $95,000 and
Liabilities at $160,000?
Meeting Date Set
Listing his liabilities at a little
more than one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars, and assets at
$95,000, J. L. Whitmire, Brevard
builder and former banker, tiled a
voluntary petition in ban&uptcy last
Friday, before the clerk of the
United States District court in
Asheville. For the past two years
Mr. Whitmire has been engaged in
building houses in Brevard and ad
jacent territory, and his bankruptcy
is said to be the largest failure ever !
recorded in the town's history.
Of the amount of Mr. Whitmire's
indebtedness, $106,295.15 is listed as ,
secured claims. The amount of un- j
secured debts is given as $44,797.83. |
Accommodation paper, that is, notes J
which Mr. Whitmire endorsed for
others as accommodation, but which
is held against him, is one of the in
teresting items in the report, amount
ing to $6,621.00 of the total indebt
edness. j
As assets, Mr. Whitmire listed the j
sum of $80,840 in real estate, and;
$9,957.99 in notes due him. His
debts, according to the statement
tiled with the court, amount to
about $65,000 more than his assets.
Mr .Whitmire erected two business
houses and twenty-eight residences
in the town and just out of town
during the two years in which he op
erated. Three houses on French
Broad street, one on Caldwell, one i
on Broad street, four on Maple]
street, one on Maple street exten
sion, five on Park street, . one on
Gaston street, two on Varsity, three
near Cherryfield, five in North Bre
vard, one on Turnpike and one on
Whitmire street.
The two business houses erected
by Mr. Whitmire are the Whitmire
Motor company building and the ad
joining block on Gaston street.
Mr. Whitmire is a native of the
Cherryfield section, and was assist
ant cashier in the Pisgah Bank, be
fore it retired from general banking
business and entered the industrial
banking business. In addition to
these houses and business blocks,
Mr. Whitmire owned in the entirety
or in part, several farming tracts in '
the county. His failure came as no
surprise to the community, as it has
been known since the money market
began to "tighten up" at the first of
the vear that Mr. Whitmire's build- :
ing activities were becoming more
and more difficult. Operating under
the plan of financing through mort
gage companies, when these mort
gape companies stopped lending
money on buildings, the plan of op
eration was stopped.
The bankruptcy directly affects a
large number of people in the com- .
munity with whom Mr. Whitmire had?
transactions, and is, therefore, ofl
unusual interest to the public. ?
George B. Craig, of the Unitedl
States court, has set September 171
as the date for first meeting of
creditors of Mr. Whitmire. The meet- 1
ing will be held at 3:30 o clock, at,
the county court house in Brevard, i
TAR HEELTARMERS j
ENJOY STATE MEET
Young Farmers See Something
of Their State ? Much
Interest Shown
By J. A. Glazener
Twelve members of the Brevard
chapter of the Young Tar Heel
Farmers attended the state camp at
White Lake last week. Here thejt
came in contact with members from
ten other schools and had a delight
ful time. There was something to
occupy their minds all the time and
to help them enjoy the camp life, j
They engaged in baseball, volley ball,
playground ball, swimming and boat
ing.
On Thursday of last week the lo
cal boys journeyed down to the
coast to take a little peep at the
great Atlantic for the first time. It
wus a trip they will long remember.]
Friday night was stunt night at the'
: camp and stunts they did pull. It
# was ? ntcrtaining and amusing to see
and hear some of the things that the
Young Tar Heel Farmers from all
over the state put on that night. To
make a long story short, the boy
taking agriculture, or who ought to
be taking it, and fails to attend the
state camp at White Lake is missing
one of the best things that has ever
been offered the farmer lad. This
camp is owned by the Young Tar
Heel Farmers of North Carolina.
Tfie local boys who attended the
camp last week are as follows: Ar
thur McCrary, Albert Meece, Carol|
Davis, Albert Lyday, J. C. Lyday,
Hubert Batson, Walter Glazener,
John Collins, Tom Grogan, Walter
Shipman, Grady Shipman and Max
Wilson.
^FLEETWOOD HOTEL
WORK IS STARTED
Planned To Complete the Big
Structure By Next
February
LARGE CROWDS GATHER
1 TO SEE WORK BEGIN
? Of Great Interest to All People
In Western North
Carolina
(Hendersonville Times-News)
i With light from a large bonfire
! flooding the top of Jumpoff mountain
! and with a crowd of spectators pres
ent, work on the Fleetwood hotel,
Iwhich was suspended in May, 1926,
was resumed at 11:25 o'clock Mon
jday night.
! "Let's go." shouted G. W. 3uch
holz, general contractor, to Walter
I Pressley, superintendent, as he ran
Jfrom his automobile to the entry of
| the hotel where Mr. Pressley had
Ibeen perched on a steel rafter await
|ing the word for which all Western
North Carolina had waited three
years.
Mr. Buchholz's order to Mr. Press- j
ley came fifteen minutes after the '
deed of record had been filed at the
courthouse, while in the courthouse
tower, the county bell broadcast the
news to the town and county that
this unique step was in progress in
the office of the register of deeds, P.
S. Ramsey had come to the court
house by arrangement officially to
accept the deed for recording as the
final step in the two years of ne
gotiations. About 20 minutes later
the ringing of hammers on steel and i
the laying of brick, marked the ne-i]
cessary demolition and the actual
resumption of construction work at
the hotel site.
It wasn't a slight transaction at the ,
courthouse. Some time, in fact, was
required, and the record which goes
down there contains some 9,800
words, according to estimates made
by A. Y. Arledge and Mr. Ramsey. 1
The deed itself is not lengthy but
the mortgage incorporated in this in- ,
strument goes to make up the size. ;
Actual recording of the deed was in
i i 'Kress today.
From there, the group of spec
tators folloipt^rine in Hi<;
transaction I'd the top^^Dumpoff 1
mountain, and watched work get un- 1
derway. . '?
All day yesterday people had been ?
traveling to the top of the mountain;1
"to see what they could see." Latei1
into the night the mountain top was,1
being visited by some who doubtless *
went up expecting to see building in '
progress. But it was only the small
number who knew directly of the i
recording of the deed and a few who ji
had been apprised of the conclusion |1
of the transaction at Asheville, ji
where the deed was signed about1'
seven o'clock last night, that wentji
to the mountain top to witness the! I
colorful little ceremony which en- 1
abled Russell B. Smith and associ- l<
ates to remain within the letter of!,
the contract, as well as the spirit of ,
it, by which they benefit under the ?
$500,000 city bond issue, to be used j
ultimately as collateral in bonding
the projectL__^M^^^^^^^jJJ^ J
Brevard Man Decorated for Braver y
For his bravery in attacking a
large force of bandits who were be
sieging a garrison of Marines in
Nicaragua, Lieutenant Hayne D.
Boyden, a U. S. Marine from Bre
vard, N. C?? was awarded the Dis
tinguished Flying Cross. While a
leader of a two-plane patrol, he dis
covered a superior force attacking
the Marine outpost at Ocotal. He
dispatched the other plane for aid
and then boldly attacked the bandits
single-handed. The medal was con
ferred on the flyer at Quantico, Va.,
by Major General Smedley D. Butler,
who is shown congratulating the
North Carolinian. At the same time,
Gunnery Sergeant Millard T. Shepard
of the Marines, shown at right, was
awarded the Navy Cross for his work
as a flyer in Nicaragua.
BREVARD SCHOOLS
ALREADY AT WORK
Eight Hundred Pupils Enrolled
? 77 Taking New Com
mercial Course
Eight hundred children are n the
schools. of^Brevard, bcinj/ _j,he larg
jst" registration* in the history ofTfie~
iown. There are 350 in the High
school and 451 in the Klenu'itorv
school here. Heavy r . ,; s are
reported from all other schools in the
county, and when final tally is
made ,it is believed _this year will
show a decided gain in attendance
jver any other year in this county.
With a reduced number of teach
jrs, it is reported that every school
room is crowded. Notwithstanding all
:he details incident to school open
ing, it is reported that each school is
ivell under way with its actual work,
and progress is noted in even the
irst week of the school year.
The new commercial course, ad
ied this year to the Brevard High
school, is proving the most popular
:lass in the county. Seventy-seven
pupils have enrolled for short
hand, typewriting, and bookkeeping.
Among this group are many boys and
girls who graduated last June but are
joing again this year in order to
take the commercial course.
Children in the Elementary school
are delighted with the sanded play
grounds in the rear of their build
ings, and are making good use of
this important work that was done
by the Parent-Teacher association.
The front lawns of the buildings are
much, more attractive this year, the
Woman's Bureau having done much
work in beautifying the school
g-rounds.
NELSON LECTURING TO THE
MEMBERS OF MASONIC LODGE
Mr. Jeff Nelson, lecturer for the
Grand Lodge of Masons, is spending
the week in Brevard, giving instruc
tion to members of Dunn's Rock
Lodge. Sessions are held every day
and each evening. All Master Masons
are invited to attend the lectures.
ROSMAN SCHOOLS
GIVEN BIG BOOST
Largest Enrollment In Town's
History ? -Fine Teachers
Are Employed
Rosman schools opened Monday
morning with one of the largest en
'foifTn?fl&4?4?c history of the school
Many of the patrons of" the school""
were present at the opening exer
cises, thereby evidencing interest in
their children and the welfare of the
school.
Featuring the opening exercises
was a forceful and timely address on
the subject "We," by county super
intendent of schools, S. P. Verner.
This was followed by short talks
from several others, J. M. Galloway,
representing the board of education;
Principal G. C. Bush, Rev. W. N.
Gillespie, J. F. Corbin, Mr. Moore
and others. The program opened
with devotionals by Rev. W. E.
Rufty, pastor of the Rosman Metho
dist church.
The faculty of both the high
school and the elementary school is
said to be comprised of an unusually
fine teaching corps, and present in
dications point to a successful year.
~ Th'e Toll owing comprise the Highi
School faculty for the present year:
Princinal _and Ijistory, G. C. Bush;
Science, W. l? Black; English and
French, Miss Ida M. Armstrong.
Agriculture, J. F. Corbin; Mathe
matics, Miss Jessie Amick; Home
Economics, Miss Dorthy Lumley;
Science and Latin, A. B. Enos;
Music, Miss Dorothy Allen.
The Elementary School faculty
includes: Seventh grade and crfach,
Arthur K. Moore; sixth grade, Miss
Edna White; fifth grade, Miss Lu
cile Dryman; fourth grade, Miss
Lillie Black; tHird grade, Miss Iris
Wilkerson; second grade, Miss An
nie Daviesj first grade, Mrs. Nina B.
Whitmire.
ROUTINE BUSINESS AT
| COMMISSIONERS MEETING
County Commissioners meeting
Tuesday" transacted routine business,
Good Luck, College Boys and Girls
We hope you win everything that is offered in the
various Colleges and Universities you have selected. Keep
old Transylvania to the forefront all the time. v
YOUR HOME PAPER
Will be pulling for you all the time, and herewith
! extends an invitation to each of you to write articles for
The Brevard News, and tell the home folks about your
college and the work you are doing. All of us would be
intensely interested in these articles.
THE BREVARD NEWS NINE MONTHS
FOR ONLY ONE DOLLAR
Following its usual custom, The Brevard News makes
announcement that all boys and girls of the county attend
ing school away from here may have the paper sent to
them each week during the nine months for the low price
of only One Dollar.
PLEASE DROP IN AND TELL US GOODBYE
The Brevard News wants to publish an article next
week, giving the names of the young men and women who
are going away to school, and the name of the college or
university they have selected. Please give us this informa
tion, to the end that not one single name may be omitted.
I BREVARD LOSES IN
RAILROAD ACTION
Only Mixed Trains To Ec Op
erated In Future ? Drastic
Change of Schedule
MANY FAMILIES CAUSED
TO MOVE IN SHAKE-UP
No More Shop Work Here ?
Brevard Become a Mere
R. R. Station
Changes made by the Southern1
Railway company, operating the Tox- j
away line from Hendersonville to
Lake Toxaway, has changed sched
ules in such manner as to cause sev- '
eral of Brevard's best citizens to
move either to Hendersonville or
Asheville. Beginning today, onlyi
mixed trains will be operated, it is
said, one leaving Toxaway early in 1
the morning, reaching Brevard about i
8:40 o'clock.
The tram will leave Hendersonville '
at 12:30 and arrive in Brevard at
2:35.
This schedule makes it impossible
for the train crews to live in Bre
vard and operate the trains.
H. C. Ranson, leading churchman
and secretary of the Methodist Sun
day School, is leaving this division
to take work on the main line of the
Asheville division. His family wiil
move to Asheville. He has been an
engineer on the Southern for the
past 30 years, and has been on the
Toxaway division for a long time.
Both Mr. Ranson and his wife are
active in all religious, civic and club ')
work of the town, and their re-|
moval to Asheville is considered a |
distinct loss to this community.
H. C. Aiken, T. C. Bryson, W. R. !'
Lyerly, Claude Cantrell and Lee
Dalton are other members of crews
immediately affected by the change!'
of schedules on the line. It is not '
announced whether any or all of 1
these men will take runs on other,
lines, or remain with the Toxaway,1
division. These families mean much j1
to Brevard, where all of them are,1
important factors in the community. I
life. j
This plan of change was adopted a'l
year ago, and at the insistence of a )
committee of Brevard men, officials I
of the Southern rescinded their or- j!
ders and permitted Brevard _ to re- J
main as th< "Vc"nWffl point, ft 7? j<
not officially however, mat so much;!
freight is hauled by truck, and 1
practically all passenger travel now i
is by aut. mobile, that the Southern t
was operating at such a loss here 1
that the change had to be made. i
MORE MORE .... MORE 3
SUGGEST SHIPMAN i
FOR NEXT CONGRESS J
j
Asheville Times Carries Story
Giving Prominence to
Brevard Banker J
Asheville Sunday Times carried an (
article on the political outlook in ,
the Tenth Congressional district, ]
concerning the next democratic nom
inee to contest with Congressman |
j George M. Pritchard for the con- <
igressional seat in the election one
'year from now. The Times article
suggested several names, or told of ?
'several men whose names are being!
mentioned in connection with the 1 j
democratic nomination for congress.!
Among these names there is one!,
of particular interest to Transylvania
county. It was stated in the article j
that Thomas H. Shipman, Brevard j
banker and former president of the,
State Bankers association, is being
talked throughout the district as a '
candidate to go to battle against
Pritchard next year. Wm. E. Breese ,
is quoted in the article as forwarding!
many reasons why Mr. Shipman I
should be the choice of the demo-j
crats in the Tenth district as de
mocracy's standard bearer.
Others mentioned in- the article
were former Congressman Zebulon
Weaver, W. W. Neal of Marion,
Felix Alley of Waynesville, and one
or two others. Transylvania county
has never had a county man elected
to congress. This district has al
ways been represented by men living
in Buncombe county, with the excep
tion of the terms of Grant of Hen
derson, and Moody and Crawford of
Haywood. With these exceptions,
Buncombe county has had all the
honors insofar as the congressional
toga is concerned.
IW concert?
ON LAST SATURDAY
Many people were disappointed
last Saturday afternoon when the
band failed to give a concert on the
square as had been announced in
last weeks paper. Nor was there any
picture made of Brevard. Mayor T.
W .Whitmire, who autnorized the
announcement that the band would
play and the pictures taken, ex
pressed regret Saturday that many
members of the band could not at-i
tend the concert, hence the necessity
for postponing the event.
An unusually large crowd had
gathered for the concert and to be
n the Brevard pictures that were to
be made. I
START AGITATION
FOR POOL AND PARK
Woman's Bureau Undertakes
Measure of Great Inter
est to Town
WOULD MEAN MUCH TO
TOWN'S TOURIST TRADE
Other Matters Planned ? New
Method of Creating In
terest In Flowers
Several matters of interest to the
Women's Bureau and dealing with
the welfare of the community were
discussed at the September meeting
of the Bureau held Monday after
noon before an enthusiastic group
of members.
1 ?>?-' matter of establishing a
municipal swimming pool for the use
residents and tourists was dis
cussed, and in this connnection the
suggestion was made that the Rexall
company has built swimming pools it>
other towns with the provision that
this company receive all admission
fees. A committee was appointed to
investigate this matter to find out
under what conditions similar ar
rangements might be made with this
company to erect a swimming pool
in Brevard. The following investi
gating committee was named: Mis?
Katherine Griffin, Mrs. L. B. Haynes
and Mrs. Beulah Zachary.
The suggestion was made and dis
cussed regarding the matter of the
Bureau holding a garden pilgrimage
instead of the annual flower show
staged by this organization each
summer. The nature of this event
would feature a visit to the individ
ual flower gardens of different resi
dents of the town instead of gather
ing a variety of flowers into one dis
play room. It was obvious that
there were a number of advantages
of this method of displaying the
growing flowers over the customary
flower show plan. The matter was
discussed at length but definite ac
tion was deferred until a later meet
ing. In connection with the flower
garden question, a paper on "Per
sonality in the Garden" was read bj
Miss Alma Trowbridge.
A discussion was entered into re
garding further beautification of the
school grounds and it was decided
to expend the maiati^. *r~
irgy and fun3" on beautifying tm*
front lawns surrounding the school
juildings, leaving the beautifying
ind equipping of the rear premises
;o the Parent-Teacher association,
vhich organization is planning this
is its major project for the coming
?ear, it is understood.
At the conclusion of the meeting,
emonade and wafers were served
>y a committee of members.
W. W. Ray, for 13 years living
it Lake Toxaway, a conductor on
;he line, is moving his family to
Vsheville, and he is takinc work on
;he main line.
All shop work will cease here, and
;he shopmen will have to work else
where. This means additional loss
;o the town.
Taken as a whole, this change in
;he operation of the railway is just
ibout the hardest blow this town
las had in a long time.
HOOSIER MAN MOVING TO
WAYNESVILLE HOME TODAY
Mr. and Mrs. John Watson moved
Wednesday to Waynesville, where
Mr. Watson could be nearer his work,
he being an official of the Hoosier
Engineering company. The work on
the lines of the Carolina Power and
Light company, which is being done
by the Hoosier people, is now in the
Waynesville vicinity. Mr. and Mrs.
Watson have occupied the W. E.
Shipman home on Caldwell street
here for the past several months,
and have made numerous friends in
Brevard.
COUNTY TAX SALE
HELD WEDNESDAY
But Little Property Purchased
By Individuals at the
Delinquent Sale
T. E. Pstton, Jr., sheriff and tax
collector of the county, sold all the
property that had been advertised
for 1928 taxes at public outcry
Wednesday. The sale had b^en set
for Tuesday, but so many i-itir.ens
were in the office making payment
of their taxes that Mr. Patton, after
selling one piece, postponed the sale
until noon Wednesday, giving the
people another day for payment,
and many citizens took advantage of
the opportunity and paid their
taxes.
The county bid in all of the prop
erty with the exception of 18 tracts,
which were bought by individuals.
Much of the advertised property
was embraced in lots in various real
estate developments of the county.
With this sale, these lots will be
eliminated from future sales, as the
county now may sell the lots to in
dividuals.
Mj\ Patton and his deputies have
worked hard on the collection of the
taxes, thereby reducing the sale of
property to a minimum. The lots in
real estate developments made the
list look much larger than it really
was, insofar as the unpaid tax prop
osition is concerned.