RELIABLE home papek
Of Shelby And The State’*
Fertile Farming Section,
Modern Job Department,
—-IF IT’S NEWS, IT’S IN THE STAR-—
Irtulani)
SHELBY’S POPULATION
1925 Census_8,854
Where Industry Joins With
Climate In A Call For You, .
FOL. XXXIII, No.
“Covers Cleveland Completely.’
SHELBY, N. C. MONDAY, DEC. 28, 1925.
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday Afternoons.
$2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
Formal Opening Wednesday Of Blanton
Company's Magnificent Wholesale House
Celebrating Twentieth
Year in Business In
Shelby. One of Most
Modern Wholesale
Buildings in Car
olinas. Those
Who Built It
Honesty and service constitute the
foundation stone on which the A.
Blanton Grocery Company has bui’d
cd a giant wholesale enterprise.
Through this organization, hundreds
ef thousands of hungry mouths are
fed every day in the Piedmont Caro
jjnas. Little, however, do they think
of the trade clvnn&s through which
their food comes in its manner of dis
tribution, but down on West Marion
street where the new building for the
Shelby store has just been completed
and occupied, there will be a formal
opening on Wednesday December 30
from 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. to which
opening the retail customers and
friends of the four stores in the A.
Blanton Co. organizations have been
invited. The attendance will no
doubt be large. Shelby people are
pround of the handsome and spacious
t ew brick building; they are proud
of the splendid organization of busi
ness men and their high standing in
the business world.
A Desert Blossoms
Where now stands this modern
wholesale house which has no superior
in size, convenience and equipment in
North Carolina, there was an ugly
vacant lot less than a hundred days
ago. It wa3 an eye-sore to Shelby
people, but today the handsome build
ing is a jewel in the diadem of Shel
by business property, for thereon
stands a brick building 72x200 feet,
Three stories high with a basement,
equal to three stories, loaded with
merchandise for human consumption.
The floor area is 43,000 feet. It was
carefully planned by Chas. Young,
local manager, plans and specifica
tions being worked up by W. G. Ro
gers, Charlotte architect. Every con
venience is there and the people who
visit this modern new home can
readily understand how the Shelby
store can do its full share of the two
and a half million dollars business
transacted annually by the A. Blan
ton organization with such case and
absence of errors and confusion. Sev
enty-one working days after construc
tion was started, the building was a
reality. Rochell Hendrick was fore
man of the construction. He is honest,
energetic and dependable and under
his direction of labor and supplies,
only the very best material and work
man ship went into the structure. It
was carefully planned for strength,
dryness, cleanliness, light, ventilation
safety convenience and economy in
the handling of merchandise and will
stand as a moument to the builders,
especially Mr. Young, manager of the
local store who put his very life
blood into the structure.
Those Who Had Part
Every man and concern that had a
part in the building has just cause
for pride. L. J. and F. L. Wagner,
cement contractors, poured the foun
dation which is camp, fire, rate and
water-proof. O. E. Ford Company
sold the common brick that went in
to the strong walls by the car load, |
the.se brick coming from the Kendrick ^
Brick and Tile yard at Mount Holly.
Kingsport mingled shaded tapestry
brick for the finish were supplied by
•1. D. Lineberger’s Hardware store
of this place, agents for Kingsport
products while the Lineberger store
also furnished Yale locks, known for
their safety and security.
**nue the buuaing was in |uuira=
of erection the fire»risk was carr'ed
by the Insurance department of the
Union Trust Co. of which J. F. Ro
berts is manager. Now the stock and
building are insured with stror'g
companies represented by Mr. Ro
berts. T. M. Gladden of the Shelby,
Plumbing Company did the plumbing
which not only includes the sanitary
arrangements, but a shower bath for
the men connected with the organiza
tion. In the basement is a fine heat
ing plant which heats the offices and
also supplies hot water for the labor
atories and baths. This job was exe
cuted by the Ideal Plumbing company
which has offices on East Warren
street. All mill work came from the
Z. J. Thompson lumber plant on N.
Washington street, except haragum
flooring furnished by James E.
Ross of Charlotte. Seven hundred
and fifty automatic sprinkler heads
niake it it almost impossible for the
building to be destroyed by fire. AH
electric wiring is in conduits, the
electrical work being done by the
Shelby Electric Company and declar-j
by many to be the fines', distribu
tion of lights in Shelby, with large
reflection and 100 watt globes. 1 he
(Continued on Page 6)
1
j Charlie S. Young, a Leading Shelby Builder
\g3SBSSCSSSSSS& ~
Manager of
A
■ '"" ' ■■ - ...• •'■ •; ' . ' • ■ ■ • |
Blanton and Company’s Shelby j
Store
One of the Vice Presidents of A. Blanton
Grocery Co.
Mr Vr f .an.w.j- .. : •
Charlie W. Laughridge of Shelby.
VV. N. Dorsey, local real estate
dealer, has won again his verdict a
gainst Mrs. W. C. Corbett in which
he was suing' for $4,500 commission ;.s
realtor in the sale of the Courtview
Hotel property. It will be remember
ed that Mr. Dorsey was acting as a
gent for Mrs. Corbett here in the
handling of her property and the
Courtview hotel was sold to R. E.
Campbell for a sum, said to be $90.
000. Although Mr. Dorsey did not
make the trade, he claimed the com
mission on written and verbal evi
dence that ho was her agent which
entitled him to the usual live per cent
commission. Her failure to pay him
the commission was followed by a law
suit in which he was asking for $4.o00
The jury awarded him in the Superior
court, $2,250 commission but At
torney B. T. Falls representing Mrs.
Corbett appealed the case to the Su
preme court. Mr. Dorsey was repre
sented in the matter by Attorneys. D.
7. Newton and C. B. McBrayer, who
fought the case in the Superior
court and won the compromise ver
dict, then followed up the fight on
' Stock of Groceries
Traded Three Times
Rapid trading in a stock of mer
chandise a few days ago reminds
Shelby of the more active trading
days of Jim Webb who would juggle
with stores as one does parcels of
merchandise. Blanton and Grigg who
j owned the grocery store formerly
'owned and operated in Beam build
ing on N. Washington street sill
their stock Thursday last at 5 o’clock
to Jim Spangler. Four hours later in
the same day Jim traded the stock
to Grover Beam and John Doggett
for real estate. Two days later Dog
gett and Beam who are also traders
to the ninth degree had sold to John
Beam another who always wears
trading clothes, and is ready on the
word go to transfer good find chattels,
j John still owned the grocery store at
' last accounts and Was making plans
to enlarge the stock and continue the
business at the same stand.
appeal to the Supreme court. A re
cent list of opinions handed down by
the Supreme court included1 the
Dorsey-Corbett cases, in which the
verdict of the Superior court in
Cleveland county was upheld, allow
| ing Mr. Dorsey $2,250 for commission
| in the transaction, thus ending a long
!h gal fight.
STIES SECTION
i Mercury Fall; to 10 Above Here. B t
ing Winds Carry Death in
Northern States.
Mr-nr-r-r!
Winter weather of the only once or
l\V»ee-a-winter variety struck Shelby
Saturday nigbt, increased in bitine
coldness Sunday and Sunday night
rrd was still lingering Monday.
The mercury dropped to its lowest
point for the winter Saturday night
find Sunday night crept a bit lower.
Numerous thermometers registered 18
above Saturday night, some reporting
14 above. Sunday night and early
Monday morning 1.8 was the high
point with 10, 11 and up to 14 being
reported as the low point. Right
o’clock Sunday night perhaps
registered the Coldest although sev
eral thermometers were just above
10 early Monday morning with the
I ig thermometer in front of EbeltoftV
registering between 12 and 14.
Many Things Freeze.
Automobile radiators, canned fruit,
wr ter pipes, stoves and beating sys
tems “froze up” over the week-end.
Many peopla about Shelby woke up
etirlv Saturday morning to find ev
erything about the house frozen. Sat
urday evening and Sunday a record
number of automobiles paid the toll
of winter time and alcohol sold at a
premium where it could be found—
that is radiator alcohol, Volstead’s
acting act prohibiting publicity re
garding other non-freeze stimulants
for “man and car.”
Through it all the sun continued
to shine. A lookout from the interior
of a warm room Sunday remined one
of Springs. The sunshine resembled
that of the Florida so well-advertised,
hut it was a fake as anyone who seas’
fooled into venturing outside.
SHtdby has had colder weather, but
rever has it looked warmer and been
colder. Old Man Mercury who loves in
the thermometer, has okayed the ex
pression ‘vou can’t never tell by ap
pearances.”
Deaths in North.
Zero weather in the northern states
that swept from the Kock.es along
tlic Atlantic took a toll of death be
fore the freezing temperatures.
Nearly a s-’ore of deaths have re
sulted in tlie two days from frigid
weather borne on the northwest wind
Continued cold and in some places
even lower temperatures, were pre
dicted.
Grim Reaper at Work.
Nine of the deaths reported oc
curred at Chicago. One man froze’ to
death at Worchester, Mass. In New
York an unidentified negro was found
frozen to death in a hallway and the
i>ody of William Daly, 50, was found
on a Bowery street where he had
died of exposure.
To 28 Below.
The coldest temperature reported
Sunday was at Tupper Lake, N. Y.,
where the mercury went to 28 below
zero. Saranac I.ake was almost as
cold with 24 below.
Widow of Pink Alexander and One
of Oldest Citizens of Shelby
Dies Christmas Morning.
At 1 o’clock Christmas morning
when joy reigned in the home of all
a hush of silence and sadness perm
eated the home of the Alexander chiU
dren on West Warren street where
Mrs. Sara Alexander had just passed
to the great beyond. Mrs. Alexander
who had been sick for some time was
one of the oldest residents of Shelby
and to the older people who knew her
best, her death is a source of great
sorrow. She was 77 years of age and
widow of the late Pink Alexander.
She was noted for her tenderness and
sympathy in the sick room, her de
votion to family and church and dur
ing her long life, when health wou’d
narmit, she braved all sorts of weath
er and midnight drakness to help her
neighbors and friends in time of sick
ness or trouble.
Mrs. Alexander was a sister of the
late W. W. McFarland, Mrs. John By
num lattimore and Mrs. J. W. Gidney.
She was a cultured, refined character
who radiated sweetness and joy in her
pathway. Her remains were held until
Sunday awaiting the arrival of chil
dren from distant points. Service
v ere conducted Sunday afternoon at
2 o’clock from Central Methodist
church of which she was a long and
devoted member, the funeral being
conducted by Rev. H. K. Boyer, .assist
ed by Rev. Zeno Wall and Rev. C. F.
Sherrill. Interment was in Sunset
cemetery beside her husband. Surviv
ing are fourr; daughters Misses Nora'
Belle, Elora. Edwina and Pattie, four
sons Clint of Texas; Will of Henriet
ta, Upton of Baltimore and Wriston
of Nebraska, the latter two being in
the United States army. All children
were here for the funeral except Up
County Cotton Crop Goes
Over 36,000 Bale Mark
Coming through the ha/e of a
bad season Cleveland county's
cotton crop has turned out bet
ter than was generally expected.
Tile latest report, officially veri
fied Decem ber 21, shows that the
ginning figures have passed the
.‘16,000 bale mark, the total num
ber of bales having been ginned
up to December 13, being 36,276.
The report is the first of the year
4>i which ginning to present date
this year is surpassed by ginning
to the same date last year. An
early crop this season har, hold
this year's crop ahead, but with
this report about all th» coltb v in
the county has been ginned, while
at this period la t year, or .hoi t
ly before, the jri.is were still h mi
ming. Up to December 13, last
year, 37,876 bales had been gin
ned, a difference of 1,960 bal ‘S.
IY\v "urfuers or agricultural ox
P'rtf- :>i the county predicted that
the-crop wovdd tro beyond o<!,000
bales, while the majority of es
timates were nlaoed below 35,000
a" I even 30,000 baler,. Quito a
tuinrtbo’- of bales will be added to '
the last report and the season’s
te'.d may closely approach 37,000
bales which Would only bo 6,000
baV short of last years record
erbo d spite the bad sesaan.
Tbi. l ’»* report shows that 13
cutes in t' e state have g!n
.1 o i',i) 3 *0 bah They are:
dobn *■»•), 7V 040:• fkob.'rson, 60,
“t ’• Y 5, h); Ha ifax, 50
OdP; Wi.ky I8/Pl; Harnett, 47
"',4- Se.'-n ,v\, 10 "• 0; Edjr 'Comb?
37.173: Wr-ymt 56 6 51'; Cleveland,
36,276; Monl hump .on, 31.231;
Sco 1 :v!. 3.1,421; FrcnklH, 30,279.
Big Shopping Crowds
Here on Thursday
Thursday, the day before Christ
mas, was one of the best shopping
days Shelby has ever known. The
morning hours saw very little more
shopping than that which had mark
ed previous days of the week, but
Late in the afternoon stores, business
houses and streets were so crowded
that everything was in a general jam.
A majority of the merchants are
thought to have done record business
during the day. Several of the depart
ment stores and others report unusu
ally large sales for the day.
10 fifil
WEEK - END WRECKS
Man Thought Head Conies To Life
Before Coroner Arrives. Grady
Wall Hurt In Sunday Night
Crash.
Forrest Green, young white man, is
!n the Shelby Hospital suffering wbh
injuries about his head and body re
ceived after n-’dnight Saturday when
the car in which he was riding struck
the bridge over little Hickory creek
south of town. Grady Wall, Shelby
boy who is now working in Charlotte,
received medical attention at the hos
pital Sunday night after the car
which he was drivnig and a car driv
en by Randolph Logan, son of Sheriff
Logan, collided at the court square
corner in front of Webb theatre.
Called Coroner.
The Ford touring car, in which
Green, Sam Peeler and Everett Tease
near were riding Sunday morning,
crashed into the little Hickory bridge
and the. car was badly demolished.
Passersby found Green unconscious
with Tessenear gone for help and
Peeler gone home. The unconscious
man was thought dead and Coroner
Eskridge was summoned from his
home to investigate the matter. How
ever, before he arrived, Tommy Hat
rill, State college student, passed
along the road and found Green and
Tessenear had summoned help, find
ing that the injured man was only
stunned by the crash. He was remov
ed to the hospital, where it was said
Monday that he was getting along all
right. Officers say the hoys were
drinking and the case is scheduled to
come up in recorder's court Wednes
day.
Light Post Kayocd.
Young Wall was injured some time
after 10 o’clock, Sunday night, the in
jury occurring when his Ford coupe
and the Nash sedan driven by Logan
clashed together near the traffic sign
| at the Webb Theatre corner. Such was
the impact of the crash that a white
way light post on the theatre side of
the street was shattered, a cable cut
in two and the coupe badly smash
ed. The coupe was turned over on its
side and had to be righted before Wall
was extricated. He was taken to the
hospital, where the lacerations over
his face and head were treated, and he
was taken to home. Logan and Paul
Webb, jr„ who were in the sedan
were not injured. The smashed-up
coupe and shattered light post at
tracted considerable attention Monday
morning and it appeared almost
miraculous that no serious injuries
were suffered in the crash.
ton and Wriston.
The honorary pall bearers were: A.
C. Miller, James4,. Webb, J. H. Quinn
W. D. Babington, C. B. Suttle and
Henry Kerr; active pall bearerf:
George Hoyle. Paul Vfiebb, Robert
Crowder, J. F. Babington, Win. Line-'
berger and G. W. Neely.
Injuries Not Serious.
Firemen Have Extra
Work in Biting
Wind Answering
Alarms
Dr. J. S. Dorton, secretary of the
( leveland County Fair association,
l.is wife, and little daughter Betty,
were all burned early Monday morn
ing when the water-back tank of their
kitchen range exploded, after a fire
had been built in it.
The little girl was the more severe
ly burned, receiving burns on her face
and over her legs. Dr. Dorton was
burned on the hands nnd legs, while
Mrs. Dorton received burns on her
neck.
They were taken to the hospital
after the explosion nnd the burns
dressed, Dr.'and Mrs. Dorton return
ing home. Betty, the little girl, may
remain in the hospital a day or sa for
careful attention of her burns, it is
understood. Inquiry at the hospital
brought the information that al
tbought she is burned about the face
the burns will not likely disfigure the
lace or leave bad scars.
The explosion resulted, it is thought
from the heat of the range against
thi frozen water-back, it being simi
lar to numerous explosions that occur
during freezing weather. Although
they were considerably burned it is
only a matter of luck that the family
escaped without more serious injuries.
Fires Come Fast.
City firefighters faced their hard
est tasks of the year with freezing
weather of the week-end. Three cails
l ad been answered before noon Mon
day since late Sunday evening.
The first call came about 10:45
Sunday night from the telephone ex
change over the Clcevland Bank and
Trust company and the firemen turn
id out in the coldest wind the town
has experienced this year. The alarm
Came from something thought dan
gerous about the building’s furnace
and there was no damage, the truck
not being used.
The next call came Monday moVr.
ing and was to the honje of W. P.
King where the kitchen roof was
ablaze from a flue, it is thought. The
blaze was extinguished with. little
damage, but firemen were handicap,
ped in their work by the cold, water
freezing and making the roof slippery
and dangerous under their feet.
A short time latfer a call was ans
wered to Roberts' Drive-in Filling Stn
tion, where a gas tank had caught on
fire.
Robed (Clansmen Call
With Season Gifts
Christmas morning a committee of
50 robed Klansmen, presumably of
the Shelby Knights of the Ku K'ux
Klan, visited numerous homes over
Shelby and the county leaving nec
essities for poor families as Christ
mas gifts.
Among the homes visited three
learned of were the Blanton home
at Buffalo, where the father is serv
ing a sentence. Shoes, stockings and
clothing were left. Clothes, bed linen
and other necessities were left at an
Eastside home, and other necessities
with another family at Buffalo.
Judge E. Y. Webh has returned
from Concord where he was the guest
of Mr. and Mrs. James Cannon and
attended the reception and house
warming in the magnificient new Can
no home.
Mrs. J. M. Austin of Wadesboro and
Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Pou and children
of Lexington spent Christmas with
their parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. M.
Webb. Mr. Pou returns home while
the others remain here this week.
Charity Fund Made Day Brighter in
Many Homes of City. Necessities
were Appreciated.
Tho Christmas Charity Fund made
| possible through city wide contribu
tions carried actual necessities of life
into dozens of needy homes in Shel
by and added a bit of Christmas joy
to what would have otherwise been
a despairing day for many.
Christmas night found smoke curl
ing from numerous chimneys where
a comfortable fire was unknown pri
or to the distribution of the funds
many tables were filled with body
building foods Christmas Day that,
one week ago hardly held enough at
meal time 1 o sustain life in the body;
children who had been forced to brave
tbe biting wind of winter barefooted
ard meagerly clothed, wore new shoes
stock-ngs and clothing Christmas
Day; mothers who struggled day and
nlirht to have something to give their
little ones on the joyful occasion, were
extended a helping hand. Shelbv has
never before seen to it that Christ
mas was more universally enjoved
over the city.
Thursday morning, just a matter
of hours' before the eventful fall of
night on the years outstanding even
ing, saw the total cash contributions
pass over the SI.000 mark. It con
tinued to grow Thursday with late
contributions coming in after much of
the distribution was over. Clothing
and other necessities were brought in
Wednesday afternoon and Thursday
morning.
One well-known farmer of the coun
ty dropped by The Star Office Sat
urday morning to say that although
( hristmas was over and the first dis
tribution had been made he wanted *o
give something and offered a load of
wood for some homo where fuel is
scarce.
Contributions coming in and dis
tributed since the last record include:
Previously acknowledged. _ $942.00
A. II. Morgan _ _ 5 00
■ Mrs. C. A. Burrus __ __ 4.O0
R. E. Carpenter 5.00
Clyde R. Hoey. lfl'oo
Travelling men Post O. __ 25.00
Kelly Clothing Co. _ Kan
P. M. Washburn_ j 00
Star Office Employee 1 fly
A ------ 1.00
•i. ( . Whisnant __ 1.00
Miss Daisy Price 500
A friend . 1 0O
j Presbyterian Church ' .I : 27 15
jA friend ....... 4.00
| Total - ----- $1,037.15
Added to this sp.e 4:;d collection of
money came other contributions in the
nature of food, clothing and fuel. W.
J. Roberta of the Eagle Roller Mill
contributed 12 bags of Eagle Roller
Mill flour; Mrs. C. A. Burrus a pack
age of clothes, Mrs. W. J. Roberts a
package of clothes, Mrs. Grover Beam
tw*’ packages of clothes and shoes;
J. C. Parker a load of wood; Mrs. W.,
I- Fanning a 'package of clothing*
while D. A. Beam offered to give half
of any amount of coni not exceeding
500 pounds to anv one family, apples
and oranges by Pierce. Young Angel
Company.
At the Christmas tree at the Pres
byterian church Wednesday night the
members of the church not only made
the cash contribution as above ac-„
knowledged, but contributed two bar
rels full and a number of boxes of
second hand clothing which will b^
distributed by ladies this week in
to households where clothing is most
needed.
| Jack Palmer to Open
' Funeral Parlor Here
Jack Palmer who for a number of
years has been a member of the firm
and stockholder In the Paragon Fur
niture Co. has sold his fourth inter
est in the Paragon furniture and Un
dertaking store to Wm. Lineberger
and will open this week a funeral
home in the Lineberger building on
West Marion street. Here he will
keep nothing but coffins, caskets and
funeral supplies for the conduct of
funerals. He has purchased the rest-*
dence of his mother, Mrs. McFarland
on S. I.aFayette street which will
shortly be converted into an up-to
date funeral home with display quar
ters for cotfins and caskets and a
chapel where funeral exeeises may be
held. Mr. Palmer has engaged Mr. H.
T. Fulton of Kings Mountain, a li
censed cmbalmer, to come over when
occasion arises and do embalming.
Mr. Palmer who is one of Shelby’s
most enterprising young business men
and has heretofore handled the'un
dertaking department of the Paragon
| expects to build a brick building on
I the site of the McFarland residence
in the future when his business is
more firmly established.
His sale of the stock in the Para
gon in no way involves the under
taking department of the Paragoi*
which will h« continued.
I