IF IT IS NEWS ABOUT
PERSON COUNTY, YOU’LL
FIND IT IN THE TIMES.
VOLUME xn PUBLISHED EVERY SUNDAY A THURSDAY
W. A. Sergeant Leaves Firm
After Lengthy Association
Sergeant and Clayton to
he known as Clayton an.l
Stewart, Effective Now.
■Riirty-eight years and four mo
nths ago, on September 22, 1902,
when Depot Street was the only
paved street in town and citizens
were not in the least ashamed of
granite stepping stone which kept
them out of otherwise all-preva
lent dust or mud, W. A. Sergeant,
since become a prosperous mer
chant, entered into partnership
with A. W. Clayton, another na
tive son of Person county, in op
eration of a grocery store.
Today, after more than three
decades of friendliest relation
ship between the two young men,
grown older, and between town
and county customers who have
supplied their tables with foods
from Sergeant and Clayton's,
that partnership is being broken,
because of Mr. Sergeant’s deci
sion to retire to farming, which,
after all, is but another angle of
“food business.”
Looking back over the nearly
forty years in which he and Mr.
Clayton have handled staple and
fancy groceriess, Mr. Sergeant,
known to close friends as “Alex,”
observes changes in customs of
eating, reflected in changes eq
ually as startling in edibles push
ed across counters. In the Mc-
Kinley and Theodore Roosevelt
days, says Mr. Sergeant, people
ate heavily, much more than they
do now, but they were content
to eat foods which were “in
season.” Heavy, year-round trade
in produce such as green veget
ables and fresh fruits was un
thought of at the turn of the cen
ury.
Oranges and lemons were rar
ities except at Christmas time, al
though there was reliance on
dried fruits such as peaches and
apples, and, in the vegetable line
on dried beans, ,°f blessed mem
ory. Calories and vitamins were
unknown, so were fresh meats,
especially beef, except in fall and
winter, when lowered tempera
tures could take place of none ex
istant ice refrigeration. Canned
goods, packaged breakfast foods
and eye-appeal soaps were then
far less frequently stocked, be
cause most of them were not on
the market and because the in
dependent housewives of the bi
cycle age put up their own veg
etables and preserves, ate oat
meal instead of corn flakes and
(frequently) made their own
soaps.
Coffee and tea they had to have,
but the coffee was as likely as
not bought green and taken home
for parching and grinding. Flour
was bought by the barrel, es
pecially by county customei s,
who came to town at infrequent
intervals, making up for length
between visits by magnitude of
purchases when they did buy. E
qually strange to the young Ser
geant and Clayton establishment
were pastries and breads, confi
ned at that time to home kitchens.
Unknown was condensed milk,
and as for “baby foods and for
- nobody had heard of ‘em.
Sweet stuff such as molasses
and honey, which still sell well,
and stick candy and drops (who
remembers horehound?) were in
demand.
With such supplies as these,
now argumented with many more,
twenty-three year old Alex Ser
geant, Mr. Clayton and their sil
ent partner, J. A. Long, father of
the present textilist and banker,
sought to please their customers,
jfting it so well that the store,
although it has been frequently
modernized and brought up to
streamlined standards of food
salesmanship, has remained in
one location at the comer of
Reams avenue and Main street
(Continued on Sports page)
le™ Is! dimes
ADVENT OF NEW
YEAR MARKED BY,
QUIETNESSHERE
Some County Offices, thc-
Post Office and others close
Majority remain open.
With exception of noise made
by a few fire-crackers shot off by
Person and Roxboro residents
who stayed up to welcome the
advent of the new year, 1941 came
in quietly in this area.
Only county offices closed for
for New Year’s day were those
of the Person Welfare and WPA
and the Person unit of the tri
county health department, al
though workers in the last named
department did not enjoy a com
plete holiday because of work of
moying offices of the department
from the Hall building, Abbitt
Avenue, to second floor to the
Kirby building, above Ledbet
ter’s, on North Main Street.
Spokesman for Dr. A. L. Al
len, director of the health depart
ment, said today that removal,
which began yesterday after
noon, will be completed today
and that after today all health
work formerly carried on in the
Hall building will he done at the
new location, which is expected
to provide larger and better fac
ilities.
Both the clerk of the court’s
and the register of deeds depart
ment remained open, as did the
local office of the Carolina Mo
tor club, where state automobile
license plates are on sale.
Roxboro Ciy hall, where city
tags are available, was closed
yesterday, as was the local bank
Other business houses remained
open. Also open were the county
agricultural agency office and the
Selective Service board.
Regular service was maintained
by the city fire and police de
partments and by the Person
Sheriff’s Office. Members of
these departments reported little
disorder in city or county.
—o
New Store To •
Open In City
Young Mercantile Co. has rent
ed the store on Main St. of this
city that was formerly occupied
by Henry’s and will open for busi
ness shortly.
The store will feature a gener
al line of merchandise such as
clothing, dry goods, etc.
Mr. Massey will be in charge
of the Roxboro store.
Headquarters 'of the Young
Mercantile Co. is in Greenville,
N. C.
o
MRS. WOOD NOW
MORE COMFORTABLE
• - ■■ ■
Mrs. Sallie Barnette Wood,
prominent resident of this city,
who has been ill for several
weeks and is now receiving tieat
ment at Watts hospital, Durham,
is resting more comfortably and
showing some improvement, ac
cording to information received
this morning from her son,
Charles Wood.
o
Mrs. Mallette Better
Mrs George P. Mallette, Jr., of
Concord, N. C. who was injured
in an auto accident near Roxboro
several days ago as she was on
her way here to visit her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. George Pul
liam has been brought to Roxbo
ro from Memorial Hospital, Dan
ville, Va. Mrs. Mallette is report
ed to be getting along nicely.
Celebrate ‘Old Christmas’
- .«■..». —.jpn
i‘ ilk w
iff, ft J Mlffys
1 . ..i
The young boy above points to January 5, the day when the people
in his village of Rodanthe, N. C., celebrate Old Christmas on the day
before Epiphany. Santa Claus is shown making a delayed visit to one of
the homes while “local talent” provides music for the dancing which
always accompanies the celebration.
Man In Hospital
With Knee Injury
Arch Dunn, taxi driver of thiS|
city, was admitted to Community |
hospital Tuesday night about 9|
o’clock suffering from a fractured
knee-cap sustained in an auto
mobile collision which occurred a
few minutes earlier near Red
Lane service station, Longhurst
Driver of the other machine,
said to have been John W. Clay
ton, this city, escaped injury.
Dunn, who is resting comfortably
at the hospital, was said to have 1
been turning his car around when|
it was struck. Both machines were
damaged considerably. No other
New Year’s eve accidents of im
portance were reported here.
O—T~ 0 —T~ I
Mr. Short’s Sister
Dies In New York
Funeral services for Mrs. Harry
Heyward of New York City, sis
ter of G. B. Short of Roxboro,
were conducted in the family
cemetery in Wilkes County, Ga.
Saturday morning, according to
information received here today.
Prior to going to New York,
Mrs. Heyward lived at Washing
ton, Ga. Her death occurred on
Tuesday of last week. Mr. and
Mrs. Short, accompanied by their
son and daughter-in-law, left to
day for Washington, Ga.
o
Baptist Hour To
Feature Sermons
Beginning Sunday afternoon,
January 5, at 3:00 o’clock Station
WPTF of Raleigh will broadcast
thirteen Programs of the Baptist
Hour sponsored by the Radio
Committee of the Southern Bap
tist Convention. Dr. M. E. Dodd,
Pastor of the First Baptist Church
of Shreveport, Louisiana, will be
the first speaker and his subject
will be ,“Chris£ and Human
Crisis”.
Dr. George W. Truett will be
the speaker on January 12. On
January 19: Dr. A. J. Moncrief,
Jr.,.will speak, and on January 23
Oscar Johnson will speak.
The first fifteen thousand who
write in, giving the name of the
station over which they listen
will receive as a souvenir of this
first series of Southern Baptist (
Broadcasts a booklet containing
the messages delivered by Drs.
Dodd and Truett, together with
other interesting informaion. Ad
dress mail to the Baptist Hour,
Atlanta, Georgia.
Buys Interest
Coy Holeman of Roxboro has
purchased an interest in the firm
of Chas. Holeman & Co., Roxboro
and will assume his duties there
Monday.
Mr. Holeman has been with
Thomas Hardware Co. for the past
fourteen years.
Inauguration of
Harris - Broughton
To Be Colorful
Adj. Gen. J. Van Metts and of
ficers from Fort Bragg completed
plans today for what Metts de
scribed as the “most spectacular
inauguration day parade Raleigh :
ever has seen,” which yfill be
held January 9 when Governor
elect J. M. Broughton of Raleigh
and R. L. Harris, Lieutenant
Governor-elect are inducted into
office,
The parade will be the most
spectacular, Metts said, because
it will contain a “great deal of
new motorized equipment from
Fort Bragg.” Anti-tank and anti
aircraft guns will .rumble down .
Fayetteville Street here, .accom
panied by 1,000 troops from the
fort.
It is possible that some planes
and a blimp from the Fort will
soar over the city during the in
augural exercises.
Bands and R. O. T. C. units
from various schools and colleges
also will participate in the parade.
Honorable R. P. Burns, legis
lator-elect from Person county,
is a member of the committee
for inauguration day plans.
Several people from this city
and county plan to be present
for the occasion that will mark
the inauguration of Person Coun
ty’s first Lieutenant Governor.
■ o 1—
Mrs. Sudie Kiger’s
Rites Conducted
Funeral services for Mrs. Sudie
Kiker, 47 of Timberlake, whose
death occurred Christmas day at
her home following a illness of
several days with pneumonia,
were conducted at 11 o’clock at
Efland Methodist Church, inter-1
ment following in the Scott Fam
ily Cemetery.
Surviving are her husband,
Brady Kiger; two sons, Wiley and
Thomas: a daughter, Miss Nora
Kiger, all of the home, and one
sister, Mrs Kate Scott of Cedar
Grove.
—, o
Kiwanians Have
New Officers
Monday Night
Installation of officers for the
year was held Monday night by
Roxboro Kiwanis club at the fin
al meeting for the current year,
which was the usual dinner
meeting at Hotel Roxboro. Of
ficers inducted into office were:
E. B. Craven, Jr., president: J.
J. Woody, Vicel president; Gus
Deering, treasurer and Ben
Brown, secretary. Presiding offi
cer was the retiring president, F.
O. Carver, Jr. I
Peoples Bank Observes Fifty
Years Os Community Service
CLAYTON’S BOND
REDUCEDTO $750
Mayor’s Court Hearing
Held For Youth Who
Struck Henry Smith
Following preliminary hearing
Tuesday in Mayor’s court, How
ard Clayton, Barton’s Mill youth,
operator of a car which struck
Henry Smith, Roxboro resident,
and inflicted fatal injuries on the
afternoon of December 26, was
bound over to recorder’s court
under $750 bond. Hearing in this
court will be held on Tuesday,
January 14, before Judge R. B.
Dawes.
Bond for Clayton, originally
set at $2,000 at time of the ac
cident, was next day reduced to
SI,OOO and was followed by fur
ther reduction in mayor’s court
on testimony of Person County
Coroner, Dr. A. F. Nichols, and
other witnesses, that the accident
appeared to be unavoidable.
With Clayton at time of the ac
cident was Bright Lee, of Rox
boro. Funeral services for Smith,
who was struck as he was cross
ing the street near intersection of
the Durham and Oxford highway,
were held the next day at ‘ne
home of his son, Jule Smith.
Concerning the accident, Clay
ton, said Smith stepped in front
of his automobile as if he did not
see it approaching. Investigating
officers said the youth tried to
stop his machine, -which skidded
several feet on the wet surface.
Mr. Smith died of a broken
neck, a blow on the head and
fractured legs.
Summoned to the scene were
Person County Sheriff M. T. Clay
ton, Roxboro Chief S. A. Oliver,
Officer Gilbert Oakley and Dr.
A. F. Nichols, Person coroner.
Clayton, going towards Dur
ham, was on his way to his heme
at Barton’s Mill. The road was
slippery from rain, Clayton said,
and he was driving at a mode
rate speed.
Funeral services were conduct
ed for Mr. Smith by Elder Floyd
Adams of the Willow Springs Pri
mitive Baptist Church.
Interment took place in the J.
H. Newton family cemetery, near
Hester’s store.
Surviviing We two sons, Jule
of Roxboro and Eugene Smith of
California and a number of bio
thers and sisters.
No other serious accidents have
occurred in the Roxboro area
during the holiday season.
o
Mrs. Weaver Dies
At Her Residence
Funeral services for Mrs. Jen
nie Bette Oakley Beaver, 64, who
died early yesterday morning at.
her home on the South Boston
Road, following a heart attack,
were this afternoon at Surl Chu
rch, at 3 o’clock by Elder Lex J.
Chandler, with interment-in thej
Beaver family cemetery.
Mrs. Beaver, who was the dau-j
ghter of the late John R. and El
la Harris Carver, was the wife of
the late Charles F. Beaver. She
had been in ill health for some
time and was found dead in bed
yesterday about4:3o o’clock. Per
son Coroner, Dr. A. F. Niehol3
was summoned, who rendered
verdict of death from a heart at
tack.
Surviving are two daughters,
Mrs. W. T. Walters, of Roxboro,
and Mrs. George F. Woody, of
Cluster Springs, Va., and one son
Andrew E. Oakley, of Roxboro,
by a former marriage.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1941 NUMBER NINE
Person Masons
Install Officers
Tuesday Night
With deputy grand master Dr.
Charles P. Eldridge, of Raleigh,
presiding, Masons of Person Lod
ge 113, Roxboro, on Tuesday
night held installation services
for officers for the new year. Re
installed as master was C. A.
Harris, prominent in lodge cir
cles and as a business man in
this city, who has served a num
ber of terms as master.
Other officers, several of whom
were re-elected to office, were al
so formally inducted. Among them
were: Hassell Fox, senior war
den: Oscar Hull, junior warden;
W. H. Harris, Sr., treasurer; Clyde
Bowen, assistant treasurer, and
W. Reade Gentry, secretary.
The exercises were held at
7:30 o’clock in the Person masonic
hall, with a large attendance
from the membership and a
number of visiting Masons.
o
Some Schools Have
End Os Holidays
Person County schools for white
children re-opened yesterday
morning, while schools for negro
children will resume operations
today, according to-announce
ment from County Supqrinten
dent of schools, R. B. Griffin,
who said that schools in the Rox
boro City district, having a long
er Christmas holiday, will not
begin work until Monday, Jan
uary 6.
■ o
Car Strikes Wagon
Injuring Negroes
Five Negroes were injured, two
seriously, about 10 miles from
Roxboro near Semora late Mon
day afternoon when a pickup
truck ran into their wagon, kill
ing the two mules drawing it.
Highway Patrolman W. A.
Baxter said Dan Loftis of Rox
boro, an electrician employed by
Fred Long, was driver of the
truck. With him was Ernest Wal
ker. Loftis was placed under
$509 bond pending outcome of the
injuries to the five Negroes, of
whom one reported, as in a ser
ious condition.
At Lincoln Hospital in Dur
ham the injured persons were de
scribed as:
Willie Royster, 14, compound
fracture of both legs and frac
tured skull; William Royster, 13.
compound fracture of one leg;
Emma Royster, a woman, Joej
Lewis Royster, a child, and
Louise Royster, a girl, bruises and
shock, kept for examination.
Patrolman Baxter quoted Lof
is as saying he ran into the wag
on when blinded by the lights
trom an oncoming automobile.
The Negroes were on their way
home, which is near Leasburg.
The accident took place at. o -
bout 5:45 o’clock.
The mules were struck by lum
ber placed on the wagon for seats
one of the animals, having a
plank driven lengthwise through
itss body.
o
IN PHILADELPHIA
William Warren, resident engi
neer at Collins and Aikman, who
had an operation at Watts hospi
tal, has been taken to Philadel
phia, Pa„ his former home. With
him are his wife and son.
THE TIMES IS PERSON’S
PREMIER NEWSPAPER
A LEADER AT ALL TIMES.
Chartered and opened for
business in 1891, The Peo
ples Bank begins Fifty-
First year of operation.
To many Roxboro residents to
day is just the 2nd of January,
1941, but to the Peoples Bank,"'
which this morning resumed bus
iness after its customary observa
tion of the New Year holiday,
the date has unusual significance,
because the institution is now be
ginning its fifty-first year of
service to the community which
it serves and under whose lead
ing citizens it has developed into
a strong but cooperative finan
cial institution.
Celebration of fifty years of
service by the bank is a matter
of particular pride to J. A. Long,
president, who has been connect
through the years in various
capacities with the financial in
stitution of which his father, also
named J. A. Long, was one of
the founders.
The story of the founding of
the Peoples Bank, in January
1891, is a part of the story of bus
iness revival felt not only in
Roxboro and Person county but
all over North Carolina, particu
larly in the central portion. At
that time the state and its peo
ple began coming out from un
der trials of the War Between the
States and subsequent trials of
Reconstruction. Factories and in
dustries began to spring up, even
as they did in Roxboro, and to
leading" citizens' Hbre”iT Was*"ap
parent that Roxboro and Person
county could not hope to snare
in the prosperity of the 90’s un
less traveling, freighting and fi
nancing facilities were improved.
The year 1889 was one of much
planning hereabouts. Judged by
standards of the time, the busines
atmosphere was heavy with
change, first of which was the
coming of the first railroad to
Roxboro in May 1890, prime in
stigator in the establishment of
which was Mr. Long, Sr., known
to town folks and to local history
as “Dee” Long. In existence here
at that time was an institution
known as the Roxboro Land and
Loan company, officials of which
included Mr. Long, A. R. Foushee
and many other business and pro
fessional men.
Under legislative enactment up
on petition from Mr. Long, Mr.
Foushee, J. S. Merritt, father of
the editor of the Times, and from
others, the General., Assembly of
North Carolina, under laws of
1889, granted changes in the
charter of. the Roxboro Land and
Loan company which gave the
company banking privileges, priv
ileges carrying rights for estab
lishment of a “body politic and
corporate under the name and
style of the Peoples bank” certi
tied to do banking business in the
manner now familiar to all busi
ness men.
The Peoples Bank it was then,
and has been since, with first
capitalization of $30,000 although
Mr. Foushee in his “Reminis
cences” mentions the sum as
$40,000. First president of the
bank was Mr. “Dee” Long. Other
Officials and directors included
Mr. Foushee, Mr. Merritt, W. P.
Yancey, Joseplfus Younger, J. L.
.and C. B. Brooks, Lee H. Battle,
M. S. Jones, J. S. Carr, R. Taylor
Gleaves and George M. Jones all
of whom signed the petition for
chartering the bank.
Founded about the same tima
was another bank, headed by B.
B. Reade, but the only such in
stitution now serving the Rox
boro and Person area is the
Peoples bank, which weathered
the panic of-1907 and did not
close in 1933 until all banks in
(Continued on Back Page) rM