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[XIX No. 37
ounty new
POLK COUNTY? The Gateway of Western North Carolina
PRICE
S Cta.
Tryon, N. C., March 20, 1924
$1.50 a Year
(?anil Engineer
Inspects Lake Sites
en Hall of W. N. C. Bnc.
flake Report on Avail
able Locations.
)r Warren Hall, hydraulic
eer and secretary of
P1n North Carolina, Inc.,
her with a committee
osod af Dr. A. J. Jervey,
Lynch and B. L.Ballenger,
lent of the Tryon Cham
f Commerce made a tour
e sites that are being, of
available for lakes in the
ty of Tryon last Monday.
ior Hall who has had a
ler jqf years of experience
rdraulic engineering and is
ithority on water power
opments went over both
e sites carefully following
he details as shown on
prints and other data pre
1 for the projects.
Lanier Lake
, Lanier lake development
[the first to be visited. This
Kt lies conveniently to the
ilachian highway, about a
distant from Tyron. The
pectus indicates a total
led area of about 130 acres
the construction of a dam
?et high across Vaughn's
^ It was pointed out that
jjtream is uncontaminated
or pasturage and
?ie water would at all
p'be up to the standard re-i
?d bv the State Board of
[th. ? The lake would be
jrised of three large bodies!
jater connected by narrow
;s backing up from a point
it 400 yards from the
way to the foot of Clark's
ntain. The estimated cost1
ie dam placed af v about <
300, the dam to be co hp'
cted of reinforced con
e. This project would de
about 48 horsepower. ;
Pacolet Project.
lie second project is on a|
er scale estimates being
tvn on the dawings for two
is, one 38 feet in height to !
approximately $88,000 the
;r a 48 foot dam costing
|iit $131,000. The larger of
se dams would be about 280
across and would "back
Ier from a point several
dred yards below the home
J. Lynch to the Lynn
Irwav bridge, flooding about
acres of land, giving a lake
2e and a half miles long
a shore line of about 15 !
?s. This lake would develop
the neighbor hod of a mini
n| of 300 horsepower. The
; would be fed by the Paco
nver, Vaugn's Creek, Horse
kk and Kellar and Cole
[nthes. Major Hall pointed!
tjhat in the event a power1
tion were built for this lake,
revenue acruing from the
of power would pay the in-'
st on an investment of <
>$ $100,000.
tath of the lake projects
Md !<ermit the development
[beautiful residence sections
th sweeping views of the en
ding mountains from Hog
pH to White Oak.
Y greater part of the day
W spent by the committee in
taf over the projects with
Mpr Hail who will make his
'<< he committee as soon
1( 'as had an opportunity of
J1> ? hr examining the rela
: ? s of the projects from
.u' .ii and beneficial stand
T* ?' is expected that the
POri ^ wii! i>e made within the
|x iew da vs.
IR- KAKER DIES SUNDAY
[? Howard Baker, aged 50,
Holyoke. Mass., died last
ifiu;.y morning at 3:00 o'clock
: the local infirmary following
] protracted illness of several
l?mhs.
l>akev came to Try on
Nit six months ago for his
Nth and was removd to the
JniTuary several months ago
p- treatment. He is survived
7 ?is wife and daughter aged
r?r years. The body was
^ppecl last Monday mloming
home for interment.
C. of C.i Urges Greens
Creek County Road
By a unanimous vote the Try
on Chamber of Commerce at its
last meeting held last Wednes
day evening at Oak Hall decid
ed to hojld its regular meetings
bi-monthly beginning with this
month, tjhe next meeting to be
held next Wednesday night at
the same place.
Due t.oj the fact that a great
number pi questions of impor
tance tot the development of
Tryon ^re continually being
brought -to the attention of the
organization H was found ad
visable to meet oftener in order
to further plans for civic
growth.
The meeting opened with a
general discussion of the road
situation, committees making
reports on developments made
thus f?r. Following the dis
cussion in which the needs of
Green's Greek were pointed out
by W. H. Stearns, county road
commissioner, the members
adopted a resolution urging the
county f commission to take
steps to improve the county
road from the South Carolina
line through Green's Creek to
Columbus and thence via Mill
Spring to Chimney Rocfc.
A committee was appointed
to discuss with Eugene Brown
lee the best plan for cutting
back a portion of the high bank
flanking the railroad in order to
give a greater Vision at the two
crossings.
Mayor W. S. <*reen brought
(up the question of better fire
[protection for Tryon, urging
the members to consider the
(matter of an organized volun
teer department. It was point
ed out that at the present time
*yryon u without *ny organized
lEAasurt&xfpr fishting fires and
the prefect slipwhod attempts
to combat conflagrations are a
disgrace and a menace to the
community and should be cor
rected at once. Several talks
were n^ade by men who had
had some little experience with
volunteer systems following
which a committee was ap
pointed! to draw up plans for
the organization of the depart
ment on sound systematic
lines. J
I The meeting closed with a
splendid talk given by Howard
Strong outlining the work that
is being carried on by similar
organizations throughout the
country in bringing their cities
before the attention of the
nation, f .. s
if . _ .
Polk County Schools
Are Growing Rapidly
E. W. S. Cobb Will Address
School Patrons at
Abolene.
Grade schools throughout
the State of North Carolina
are rapidly taking up the mat
ter of ; township consolidation
arid many are now operating
under tha't plan, according to
E. W. S. Cobb, County \ school
superintendent* Mr. CMbb will
address the patrons at Aboline
school next Saturday evening
and intends to make a tour ~ of
th? county within the next few
weeks [in order to discuss this
plan With the various town
ships. r ^
Schools throughout the coun
ty haye increased their atten
dance fto a large extent in the
I past yjear or so necessitating
i additions to the school build
ings in order to accomodate
! the pupils. Work was recent
ly completed on the eight room
addition to the Saluda school
1 which has a total 'of about 260
[ pupils!
j On March first, Greens Creek
moved into its new quarters,
containing ten rooms and an
auditorium. This school has
183 pupils enrolled.
After a slight delay last
Autumn in the opening of the
new school at Mill Spring, that
' school! opened with an enroll
ment of 326 pupils. A few of
the high school students from
this section are now attending
'the higher school grades at
Stearns High School in Cofum
? bus.
i
Page And Kistler May
Visit County In April
Surplus of $83,000.00 Re
mains From State Road
Appropriation for Polk.
That Frank Page, chairman j
of the North Carolina State!
Highway Commission, and A.I
M.. Kistler, Highway Commis- !
; sioner for the Eighth District I
I may be here in Polk County
I sometime during the next
month was indicated in letters
received recently by local men
interested in developing a
i meeting between the highway
| commissions of both North and
! South Carolina
B. L. Ballenger, president of
the Tryon Chamber of Com
merce received word form Mr.
i Page last week to the effect
1 that the chairman of the com
; mission would probably be able
| to attend a meeting at some
idate during April, the date to
be set later.
I W. H. Stearns of the county
| highway commission is in re
Iceipt of a letter from Mr. Kist
! ler in regard to thelState's ap
propriation for this county
acknowledging a letter of in
quiry writtenlast week. Mr.
i Kistler states that it his inten
i tion to visit Polk County some
j time within the next four to six
j weeks to go over the matter of
? roads here. In response to the
; inquiry concerning the appro
priation, he states that a total
of $289,623 was set aside- for
State highway in the county,
of which amount $206,110 were
expended on the road between
on the road between the South
CaroHna State-line and Colum
bus leaving a surplus of $83,
513. An Effort will be made by
county interests to have this,
jfcramint "spent ^n^the fmimedi
ate development of the contin
uation of State highway work
across the county toward Ruth
I erfordton.
| BAPTIST PROGRAM FOR
75 MILLION CAMPAIGN
1 Edneyville and Broad River
District, Carolina Association
Fifth Sunday Meeting, Sunday
March 30th.
Mt. Moriah Church
10:30 A. M. Opening Service
[conducted by the Pastor. 11:30
A. M. God's Ordained Agency
for "improving world's condi
tions: W. F. Penny and others.
11 :15 A. M. The great task be
fore us just now and how to
meet it : A. I. Justice and
j others. 12:30 P. M. Adjourn
for luncheon.
! 1:30 P. M. Songs. 2:00 P. M.
Success of the seventy five (75)
million campaign: Rev. W. M.
Wilson and others. 2:45 P. M.
Special exercises -by Mt. Moriah j
Sunday School. 3:30 Question
Box Opened. 4:00 P. M. Ad-;
journed.
The following Churches are
included in this district:
Mountain Home, Mt. Moriah,
Bat Cave, Broad River, Laurel
Spring, Middle Fork, Bear Wal
low, Barnwell and Liberty.
It is most earnestly urged
that each of these Churches be
well represented in this meet
ing.
The world program in the in
terest of missions will be dis
j cussed at 11:00 A. M. on the |
fifth Sunday in the following
Churches ajid by the speakers
namfed in connection with
them: Balfour; J. F*oy Justice;
Beulah: Prof. A. N. Corpening,
3:00 P. M. ; Ebenezer: Rev. A.
B. Jones; East Flat Rock: Noah I
Hallowwell ; Etohwah : M. L.
Kirstein; French Broad: Rev. I
J. A. Mason; Fruitland: Prof.
R. G. Anders; Hooper Creek: J. j
L. Jones; Horse Shoe: Clyde
Johnson; Jone's Gap: Roy Ben
nett; Mills River: M. C. Luns-:
ford; Mud Creek: Rev. S. J. '
Morgan; Pleasant Hill: M. Y.
Arledge; Saluda: N. A. Mel
ton; Shaws Creek: W. B. Sin
clair; Tuxedo: Rev. E. G. Ross;
Tryon: Dr. E. E. Bomar; Val-!
ley Hill: J. E. Shipman: Moun-f
tain Page:- Dewy' -Willis;!
Friendship: S. J. Lawrence;;
Green River r Albert Johnson;;
Mt. Gilead:'Rev. J, B. Guise;!
Crab Xreek : To be supplied ;
First Baptist Church, Hender-J
sonville: Br. T. L. Justice.
Miss Maiy Large Dies
In, Kentucky Hospital
Friend of the Mountain Peo
ple Stricken by Typhoid.
The many Try on ami Polk
County friends of Miss Mary
Harriett Large were saddened
yesterday by the news of her
death resulting from an attack
of typhoid fever contracted re
cently while on a visit at
Middleboro, Kentucky.. Tryon
friends were expecting Miss
Large to arrive here joon to
recuperate from her illness and
the announcement of her death
came as a shock to th s com
munity. ;
The childhood days of Miss
Large were spent in Grand
Rapids, Mich., her fathe r being
the Episcopal minister there.
She inherited to a largo extent
from her father a desire for
aiding those in need am! upon
coming to Tryon some years
ago found a field for her bene-;
ficent endeavors. Mis 3 Large
came to Tryon v after several
years of splendid work at Hull
House in Chicago where 'she
served in many capacities help
ing any and all useful projects
in the settlement work.
Arriving here she immedi
ately took up her work, toiling
in a brave and faithful way
living in a small cottage, the
property ^of the Holy Cross
Church. ^Sunday sehoo enter
tainments,, Christmas trees,
the making >. and altering of
garments for the needy and
selling articles made by these
people, occupied her ti ne and
brought sunshine into the lives
of many. ; f
1 Soon after her arrival, the
Mountaiu^^oduatrieg or
ganfcetf at* teakfast : riven bjr
Mrs. Washburn at Oak Hall.
The history of this organiza
tion as it related to Mius Large
has yet to be written J showing
both its and her usefulness to
the many poor and needy fam-;
ilies living here and in out of
the way places in the moun
tains. Many of the mountain
people and women in the agri
cultural sections of the county
came to Miss Large fcr advice
and assistance and for criticism
of their ^andiwork. As jtheir
work improved under her
guidance it found a ready sale.
Her later years have been
spent in the-^ Kentucky moun
tains working among the na
tives in much the same manner
as she did here, developing and
stimulating them to the better
things in life.
TOWN COUNCIL HO^DS
A SPECIAL m(eETING
The town commissiop held a
special meeting Tuesday after
noon to discuss the (proposed
water bond issue details. The
following resolution was adopt
ed:
Resolved in Council assembled
that the funds received from
the sale of $28,000 of Water
Works Bonds shall be placed,
one half in each of the', two
banks of Tryon, and drawn out
only on order of t ie town
treasurer, countersigned by
the Mayor and one of the Com
missioners, the account being
0"
TVIRS. REED ENDED
of Com
seperate
approved by the Board
missioners, and that
accounts from all other monies
shall be kept. ^
B. L. Ballen?er
P. G. Morris
W. C. Ward
Commissioners
W. S. Green, Mayor.
LIFE
WITH PISTOL SATURDAY
Mrs. J. B. Reed, m
Mrs. Oren Herring,
known in Tryon,
suicide last Saturda|
noon about two o
footing herself in
temple with an auto
volver. Death foll<^
mediately.
Despondency as a
prolonged ill-health is
ed as the cause of M:
taking her own life.
Dther of
toth well
committed
y after
clock by
right
ijiatic. re
wed im
result of
attribut
es. Reed's
Repairing Bridges
And Roads of County
Bridges on all county roads
will undergo repairs wherever
needed within the next month
accordng to the present plans
of the county road commission.
Work started this week on the
repair of bridges across Green
River at Fishtop. New timbers
will replace the present ones
and I-beams will be placed in
many of the present structures
to strengthen the frame work.
It is expected that as soon as
possible the county road sys
tem will be completely gone
over with plows and scrapers
and placed in good condition.
The attention pf the commis
sion was called to the present
condition of the approach from
the State highway to the Try
on Country Club and assurance
was given that, this short
stretch of road would be work
ed at once.
0
N. C. HORTICULTURAL
SOCIETY MEETS TODAY
The annual meeting of the
North Carolina Horticultural
Society is being held today in
the Chamber of Commerce
auditorium in Asheville. Fol
lowing a meeting of the Board
of Directors held this morning
the general session ' Convened
for luncheon.
The meeting will be opened by
an address by H. P. Corwith of
Saluda, president of the society.
Among the prominent speakers
who will make interesting ad
dresses to the members are Col.
Joseph Hyde Pratt of Western
North Carolina, Inc., and H. R.
Niswonger, Exetnsion Horti
culturist of this State.
AUTO STRUCK BY TRAIN
AT SALUDA CROSSING
An automobile driven by
Oscar Hall of the Landrum
Milling Company was struck
by a train yesterday about
noon at the crossing about a
mile from the town limits, the
driver escaping serious injury,
although the car was badly
damaged.
It was said that Mr. Hall
stopped at the crossing, noted
that the rain was approaching
but thought that he had plenty
of time to cross, and started his
car over the tracks when the
train struck him. He was re
moved by a passing car to
Saluda where he was treated.
His injuries consisted of a
number of bruises and con
tusions.
Choral Society Will
Give Initial Concert
Newly Organized Group to
Render Program Tuesday
Night at Parish House.
On Tuesday evening, March
25 at 8:15 o'clock, the Tryon
Choral Society will offer its in
itial concert under the direction
of Carolina Beeson Fry of Newj
York City. The chorus con
sists of about forty voices, as-|
sisted by several soloists. The
programme includes solos by
Miss Mildred Payne of New
(York, Mrs. Stuart Bailey ot
Chicago and Lawrence Maz
zanovich of Norwalk,^Conn.
Tryon appreciates th?*oppor
tunity of hearing such soloists,
as those that will be presented:
at this concert. All of them ;
have given Tryon music lovers,
much pleasure upon former oc-!
cassions this season. It will
be a priviledge to hear them,
again together with the excel- 1
lent work that is assured by
the chorus. The accompanists
for the concert are Mrs. Walter
Jones, Mrs. E. E. Missildine
and Mrs. Fry.
| . Due to the fact that the seat
ing capaciy of the Parish
House is limited the public is j
urged to purchase tickets at
once from any of the following
places, the Bank of Tryon, the
People Bank and Trust Com-1
pany or Missildine's Pharmacy.
Tickets will be sold until the,
capacity is reached.
i ^ ? J
Prison Labor Used
In Building Railroad
Politics and Finance Play
Part in Construction of
This Division.
By J. B. Cleveland
, About 1880, Major D. R.
Duncan, who was then Presi
dent of the Spartanburg and
Asheville Railroad, invited me
to go to the terminus of the
road which was then situated
where Tryon is now located.
He said we would have to get
an early start as we had to go
on a construction train. Not
j having had any breakfast,
| when we got there we were
[hungry. There was not a
house insight except a small
log cabin located about where
the City jail is now. When we
knocked at the door, a man, ap
parently the sole occupant, in
reply to our question, said that
;he had nothing at all that he
i could give us, mrt even a piece
of bread or a cup of coffee. As
we turned away, he followed
and said, "I will tell you what I
have. I have some fine peach
brandy." That was the last
thing we wanted, and we de
clined his offer and went to the
camp of an Italian who had the
contract for grading just be
yond Tryon, where we had a
very hearty meal. It was all
in woods ana no roads except
what had been built in the con
istruction of the railroad. We
spent the day there and re
turned about |iightfall. In
coming down the grade the
engine was pushing the cars
it was a weird scene. The
freight cars were filled with
Negro laborers sitting on nail
kegs. Every now and then as
we rounded a curve, the head
light of the engine would flash
first on one side then on the
other of the road, and altogeth
er, it was rather a disconcert
ing trip. After that time, I
went with Major Duncan to
Saluda, by private conveyance.
The gap had not been filled be
tween Tryon and Saluda and in
returning home we walked all
the way thru the woods and
along the right-of-way. Of
course the walking was very
disagreeable as it was on the
side of the mountain and the
footing was very Insecure.
There were two camps where
convicts were employed, one
at Melrose and one at Saluda.
The road would never hsrvre
been completed at that time if
it had not been that the State
of North Carolina furnished
free labor. There was a law
that the Judge had a right to
sentence a prisoner to some
public work. Ml*. R. Y. McAd
iden of Charlotte, who was the
| principal promoter of the road,
made it a point to attend the
session of the court and have
the judge to sentence the
prisoners to the Asheville road.
In that way, there was a con
siderable number, which cost
the railroad nothing but the
feeding and sclothing. The
The State ' furnished the
guards.
The history of the Asheville
railroad is quite a long one and
might be traced back as far as
the days of Robert H. Hayne,
(Continued on last page)
MEMORIAL FUND TAG
DAY SATURDAY MCH. 29
In order to raise their quota
of the Polk County Soldiers
Memorial Fund, the pupils of (
the Tryon Grade school will
have a Tag Day on Saturday,
March 29. Any donation that
may be made other than those
given to the children on this
day may be sent either direct
to W. A. Cannon, Treasurer of
the Memorial Fund at Lynn or
to any bank in the county.
?"<>? ? ? -
Lanier Club Meets Today.
The Lanier Club enjoyed a
programme given by Mrs.
Cowell of Cleveland, Ohio, at
its regular meeting held~ this
afternoon at the Library. Mrs.
Cowell'' used as the subject of
her programme, "Nature and
Fantasy in Irish Poertry."