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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXII NUMBER 34 R AFFORD, HOKE CO! M Y. NORTH CAROLINA
Nearly 200 Attend Banquet
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S? PER ^ E \ R THURSDAY. DECEMBER 18. I9o0
Hoke Farmers' Club Gives First Awards
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
^ The Christmas season is upon us
and it will soon be forgotten as the
New Year comes in. Our Christmas
issue will be next week and we will
come out Tuesday morning instead
of on Wednesday. So be sure to get
all articles in a day early. Most ot
them should be in on Friday.
December 19 to be sure of publica
tion.
All advertisements must be in the
D office bv noon on Mondav. Decem
ber 22.'
* * *
Ever so often folks will come into
the office and start talking about
old times and who and where
certain things were located many
years ago. As I have mentioned
many times in this column, when
we needed something that hap
? pened in the 1920s or 1930s we
would pick up the phone and call
Mr. So and So. Well. Mr. So and
So is not around anymore and
things must be confirmed by people
just a little older than the writer of
this column.
Last week I received a letter that
contains many interesting facts
about the Raeford Volunteer Fire
Department and think that it will
be of interest to the readers.
J) The letter follows:
Dear Sam.
In looking over 7Vir News-Jour
nal of December 4th 1 believe I
found an error concerning the
American LaFrance fire truck. The
caption states that the LaFrance
was the first tire engine in the lire
department. It could have been the
first lire engine but it was not the
first tire truck.
If my memory is correct the lirst
jfvtire truck was a shiny red and gold
Republic, which was bought many
years before the American La
t-rance. I don't think the LaFrance
was bought until after the disas
trous tire which nearly burned the
business district.
The Republic' had a large nickel
plated tank which was located
crosswise behind and above the
driver's seat. I believe this tank was
? chemically activated. Nearby was a
W large hose reel with about 100 to
200 feet of rubber hose. This hose
was about I' i inches in diameter,
was red in color and had .1 nickel
plated cut-oil at its end. Behind
this equipment was an area tor the
regular or standard lire hose and
several hundred feet could be
carried. The siren was hand oper
ated. There were several "extras"
attached to the sides, such as
no/zels. fire axes, lamps, etc.
^Incidentally. I believe I have in my
possession one of the old hose
no/zels used on this truck and 1 will
gladly donate it to the Raeford Fire
Dept. if they care to have it. It is
about 30" long and was made
without a cutoff valve.
Before the Republic truck I -seem
to remember a small, home-made
type of truck made from an old car.
The rear of the car had been
^removed and in its place a small
wood platform had been placed,
upon which coils of fire hose could
be carried.
Before this the firehose was
carried on big reels which were
mounted between high, rubber
tired wheels. This equipment was
both pulled and pushed by mem
bers of the lire department.
My earliest recollections of the
fire company have these hose reels
A located on a vacant lot at Main St.
and Elwood Ave. where now is
located a three story building which
was once occupied by Page Trust
Company. Toward the rear of this
lot was a small wooden house or
office which may have been the
town office. I'm just not sure after
all these years. Twenty or thirty feet
in front of the little building a large
tire bell was mounted between two
telephone poles. These poles were
^placed about six or eight feet apart.
The large bell was suspended from
a cross bar about twenty five or
thirty feet high. Two ropes extend
ed from cither side of the bell
clapper to a pulley on each pole,
and then down to the ground. By
alternately pulling the ropes a loud
alarm could be given.
I believe the Republic lire truck
was the first to be kept in a
(See AROUND TOWN, page 10)r
***????????
Holiday
Closings
Scheduled
Hoke County schools, govern
ment and private offices, and
businesses will take Christmas and
New Year's Day off, and some of
them will take several other days as
well.
The News-Journal will be among
the businesses closed Christmas
Day, but will be open as usual New
Year's Day.
The 1980-81 Christmas-New
Year's vacation for the schools will
start after classes on Friday,
though officially it will start Mon
day morning. The next day of
classes will be January S.
State and Hoke County govern
ment of ices will have a three-day
Christmas holiday, starting Wed
nesday and running through Fri
day. For most employees the
weekend will be added to the
holidays. The driver's license ex
aminer's office, open in Hoke
County on Thursdays only, will be
closed till January 8.
Raeford city offices will be closed
Christmas morning and the day
after, with most employees also
having the weekend off. However,
the city-county landfill will reopen
themorning of December 27.
The Raeford Post Office will be
closed only Christmas and New
Year's Day. The holidays will mean
no city or rural mail deliveries
except "specials" will be made, and
no window service will be provided
at the post office.
The other federal offices will be
closed Christmas and the next day.
and New Year's Day.
Meanwhile. Raeford area stores
went on their Christmas season
schedule with most staying open till
8 p.m. weekdays and 6 p.m.
Saturdays. The season's schedule
started Monday.
At Santa House, in the Aberdeen
& Rocktish Railroad depot on
south Main Street. Santa Claus is
listening to youngsters weekdays
and Saturdays through Christmas
Eve, and his mail box is just outside
the door for the convenience of
children who can't get to see him
during his visiting hours.
Santa's hours are 5-8 p.m.
Mondays, and 2-6 p.m. Saturday.
He arrived at his Raeford house
Friday afternoon and started re
ceiving children's wishes immedi
ately and the next afternoon,
returning Monday.
The Hoke County Farmers'
Club, nearly a year old. presented
its first awards Thursday night lor
outstanding achievement in agri
cultural production and service
before an audience of nearly 200.
The awards were presented at the
45 - member club's first Farmers'
Award and Recognition Banquet
held in Gibson Cafeteria of Hoke
County High School. The presen
tations followed a talk consisting of
farmer anecdotes made by Ray
Wilkinson, using rural style
speech, that kept the audience in
nearly continuous laughter.
Wilkinson, the guest speaker, is
farm relations director for WRAL
I V and the Tobacco Network. Also
on the speaking program was Dr.
J.E. Legates, dean of the School of
Agriculture and Life Sciences of
North Carolina State University at
Raleigh.
The awards, announced by
Jimmy Plummer. Jr.. vice president
of Federal Land Bank of Raeford,
were presented to:
-John Balfour. Sr., Outstanding
Farmer Award.
-?Balfour and his son. John Jr..
Corn Award.
-James Edward Hayes. Cotton.
-?George Shook. Soybean.
-Ellis Edward Harris, Tobacco.
? -Tarheel Turkey Hatchery
(Wvatt Upchurch. manager). Poul
try and Livestock, given for out
standing production.
?Farm Chemicals. Inc. (Alfred
Leach, president). Outstanding
Service to Agriculture.
--Jimmy Maxwell. Outstanding
Haulers' Club Member. Maxwell is
president of the club which started
with 18 members.
Special awards also were pre
sented by Wendell Young. Hoke
County Agricultural Extension
Service chairman, to Edward Dew.
for his cooperation in agricultural
demonstration with the Agricul
tural Extension Service: W.W.
Cameron for his participation in
the state's Research on Wheels
program; and Hoke tobacco farm
ers and the county's Extension staff
for the participation by 99 per cent
of the county's tobacco farmers in
the state's R-9-P pest - eradication
program.
Legates told the banquet audi
ence. "We (in the United States)
have an agriculture that's the envy
of the world." but, he added, one
that's not static. He also referred to
the heavy financial investment
American producers have in agri
culture -- $900 billion in equip
ment. land, and materials.
Wilkinson after he was intro
duced said he was making as the
theme of his talk "Let's keep the
fun in living." Then he told stories
drawn from his experiences in
reporting of farm and farm -
related events during his career
from Alabama to Virginia. Most of
his professional years have been
spent in North Carolina, starting
with radio work in Rocky Mount.
Toward the end of his talk, he
said the ability of North Carolina
people to laugh at their problems
and enjoy life is a heritage "we can
leave" to the people of the coming
generation.
Wilkinson was introduced by Kd
Manning, marketing manager of
House of Raeford Farms. Inc.
Maxwell, president of the club,
served as master of eeremonies and
stated the purpose of the banquet.
Afte the awards were presented,
he gave recognition to the organi
zations which have supported the
club and the banquet program.
They are Dundarrach Trading Co..
Farm Chemicals. Teal Oil Co..
Southern National Bank of
Raeford. Elanco Products Co.. The
Johnson Co.. The Bank of Raeford.
Federal Land Bank of Raeford.
Ciba-Geigv Agricultural Division.
Hoke County Farm Bureau.
Raeford Oil Co.. Inc.. Riddle
Equipment Co.. Inc.. of Carthage.
Southeast Production Credit As
sociation of Raeford. and Motorola
Communications Equipment (John
Briggs. area representative.)
He also recognized these firms
for making donations of the door
prizes of the banquet: A Growing
Concern, at Arabia; Ciga - (ieigv,
Elanco Products. McLauchlin Co..
and Raeford Hardware Co.. Inc.
__ ? .?
Demi Legates \lejt\ a\id award winners, L-R ?? Edward Dew. John Balfour, Wyutt Uphcurch {representing winner
Tarheel Turkey Hatchery], Alfred Leach {representing winner Farm Chemicals. Inc. |. George Shook. Jimmy
Maxwell, and W. W. | Bill | Cameron. The other winners are John Edward Hayes, who received the Cotton Award:
and John Balfour. Jr.. who shares the Corn Award with his lather. {Stuff photos by Bill l.indau |.
Sunday Night In Raeford Presbyterian Church
Community Choir
To Give 'Messiah'
I he Raeford Community Choir
will present Handel's "Messiah" at
8 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of
Raeford Presbyterian Church.
Guest soloists for the worship
service w ill be Miss Katherine Jane
Lakoski. soprano. Mrs. Barbara
Presnell Strider, alto. James
William Powers. Jr.. tenor, and
Dale Stine. baritone.
The 60-member choir will be'
accompanied by orchestra mem
bers from the Oniversity of North
Carolina at Greensboro Depart
ment of Music. Conductor for the
musical ensemble will be Chris
Watkins, director of music at
Raeford Presbyterian Church.
Many area choirs and choruses
sing Handel's "Messiah" each year
at Christmas or Easter. However,
this will he the first time that the
masterpiece has ever been at
tempted in Hoke County as a
complete worship service.
Since the last Sunday in Sep
tember. members of the com
munity have met each Sunday
afternoon to learn the choruses of
the "Christmas Portion" or Part I,
of "Messiah". Although many of
the musicians can read music.
Bring Ads, Photos, News
For N-J Day Earlier
News articles, advertising and photos intended for publication
in The News-Journal Christmas and News Year's weeks must be
in The News-Journal office a day earlier than usual.
The newapsper will go to press Tuesday. December 23. and
December 30. those weeks because of the U.S. Post Office's
holiday schedule.
All material intended for publication those weeks must be in
The News-Jtiiiriial office by noon. December 22 and December
29.
there are still many of the singers
thai have luid to learn the music
strictly by going over and over the
music and learning their vocal lines
by sound alone.
"I have heard the high school
chorale and chorus do sections of
Messiah' each year, and I always
hoped that I would be able to teach
a choir the thrilling music that
Handel wrote." says Watkins. "'I
have directed the Community Choir
tor a few years and I felt that this
was the year that the members and
the town were ready to tackle this
difficult work.
"I feel sure that everyone that
comes to hear and take part in this
musical worship service will receive
a wonderful blessing from the
music that they hear.
"Those of us that have partici
pated and learned the music for
this exciting event have been
blessed in a number of ways. First,
all the members of the choir are
from different churches and back
grounds. and. yet. we have become
a closely knit family that has
worked for one goal - to serve the
Lord Jesus Christ with our talents.
"Secondly, the words and music
of the Christmas portion of the
work have suddenly taken on a
(See MF.SSIAH, page 10)
Among the guests at the banquet
were Ralph Sasser. chairman ol" the
Agricultural Extension Service
South Central District, which in
cludes Hoke County: and Larry
Locklear. who served 15 months on
the Hoke Extension staff as an
assistant, then associate agent, till
he resigned effective last September
15 to work with an agriculture -
related business.
Mrs. Mina I ownsend w as
recognized as a representative of
the County Board of Education.
Cameron also is a member of the
school board but he also was
attending, seated with his wife
Rhenda at the speakers' table as
secretary ? treasurer of the Farmers
Club. The elder Balfour, chairman
of the Board of Hoke County
Commissioners, also was recog
nized as a representative of the
commissioners.
Young made the recognitions.
J.H. Blvthc. president 'of Coble
Dairy, gave the invocation.
The other officer of the club is
Kenneth Hendrix. vice president.
Leach served as chairman of the
Awards Committee, and Balfour as
chairman of the Banquet Com
mittee.
The other members of the com
mittees were: Awards -- Gary
Rogers, vice chairman: and Jimmy
Pluntmer. Jr.. Julian Butler. Ciene
Carter. Howard Hust, Ken Stroud,
and Young: and Banquet -- Hayes,
vice chairman; and Hendrix,
Cameron. Billy Dalton. Lerov
McDuffie. and Willie Fcather
stone. Jr.. associate agent of the
Hoke Extension Service.
Man Found
Guilty In
Sex Offenses
A 55-year-old man was sentenced
Friday in Hoke County Superior
Court to 10 to 12 years after a jury
found him guilty of second-degree
rape and second-degree sexual
offense.
The defendant. Jessie Lee Leak
of Rt. II. Favettevillc. gave notice
of appeal to the State Court of
Appeals.
Judge Robert Hobgood of Louis
burg imposed the same sentence for
each offense and ordered the
sentences to run at the same time.
Leak pleaded not guilty to each
charge, and the jurv verdicts were
issued after four days of trial.
Leak was charged with committ
ing the offenses against Cynthia
Perkinson also of near Fayetteville
last April 5.
The Raeford Community Choir at rehearsal