North Carolina Newspapers

THE News the STAR'S REVIEW. May Old Santa fill every stock ine until it overflow*. To the youngsters it has seemec a long time, and to the older folks a strenuous time—on the pocket book, but here it is. Merry Christ mas! • • * Those who predicted a cotton crop for Cleveland county this year of more than 40,000 bales may now lean back, hook their thumbs under their uspenders and say “I told vou so.” The latest report places the ginning already over 40,000 bales with more to go. North Carolina’s ranking in the farm world is given by The Star today. • • • On January 4, Cleveland county farmers will make one of the big gest steps in the history of the cbunty when they gather here fcr a meeting to discuss diversifica tion and “putting the farm back on a profitable basis.” Every Clev eland county farmer should he pres ent. Don’t forget the date. * • • Big-hearted little fellows, those of Cleveland county. In their let ters to Kris Kringle they’ve been asking things for themselves and also for the orphans and poor. May their Christmas be the better for it. • * * Dan Cupid and Santa Claus, youth and old age., are running a race this week. Marriages galore is the word over to the county court house. Yesterday three couples were married there in three offi ces by three magistrates. Dan Cu pid must be enjoying the Yuletide. * * • Here’s one for the philosophers who know so much: Imagine a chorus girl buying a New Testa ment for Christmas? Then stretch the imagination and think of an elderly lady purchasing one of the modern sex magazines. It happen ed in the same building in Shelby yesterday, according to “Around Our Town." • • • D. Z. Newton was named presi dent of the Cleveland County Caro lina dub at the big banquet held this week and attended by Carolina boys of the county. * * * Short items of nation-wide inter est may be found in this issue. * * * The annual j^anquet of the “Do ver mills” was held last night at Cleveland Springs. “The most en thusiastic yet,’ those in attendance say. J. R. Dover was toastmaster and C. R. Hoey the chief speaker. • * • The Star will not appear on Mon day following the custom of sus pending for one issue during tha Christmas season. • * * Christmas trees and Christmas programs are announced at various points over the county. * * * Drive slowly,, watch the corners and railroad crossings and you may have still a few more visits from Santa Claus. * * * And, all the good wishes of the season. College Players Ineligible For Christmas Game University Official Says Under graduates Could Not Have Participated in Game. Greensboro, Dec. 23.—A state ment made here yesterday by Dr. A. W. Hobbs, chairman of the Uni versity of North Carolina athletic council and representative of the district in whic% >£j3Hh Carolina ,s in the Southern conference, seems to bar from playing in a Christmas day football gamp at Charlotte players who had been suggested for a game between Charlotte and Shelby. Dr. Hobbs stated that Southern conference rules prohibit an under graduate college athlete from play ing on any team except that of the institution he attends. A probable line-up for the Char lotte-Shelby game contained the names of University, State college, Davidson and Duke players. The members of the Southern confer ence. The proposed Shelby line-up for tt>c game, which is now called off, contained only one under-graduate college player. The remaining Shel by players completed their college career^ this year or before. Cotton Finally Up To Eleven And Half Cotton was quoted this morning on the local market at 11 1-2 cents. ~n Wednesday the quotation was 11 cents, 20 points under the spot ]*Jonth of December on the New lork exchange. The McMurry of fice says this wide difference is J* to a sleekening of the local r*|na nd for spots. Now and then •ocal buyers find where they can extra good cotton and for JW*ntities as much as 12 cents has "**n paid this week. Merry ChristmasSi Merry Christmas COUNTY-WIDE PLAN OF FARM DIVERSIFICATION County Cotton Crop Has Passed 40,000-Bale Mark, Report Shows 40,715 Bales Ginned Up To December 13. New Cotton Record For County Seems Likely New Reports Show. A new cotton mark for Cleve land county in a year when cotton is selling for 12 cents, or less— that seems to be the production this year. Up to December 13, 40,715 bales of cotton had been ginned in this county, according to the official re port by Miles H. Ware, special gin ning agent. This is a lead of 4,430 bales r-ver the ginning i^£he same period last year, and with the gin ning not complete is the second highest mark ever in this county. In the past two weeks 2,808 bales of cotton have been ginned and it is likely, cotton men state, that near that amount will be ginned by the next report, running the total around 42 or 43 thousand bales. In 1924 Cleveland county produc ed its largest cotton crop, near 42, 000 bales. Estimates now are that this years crop, will surpass that of the record year and establish a new record._ North Carolina Ranking High In Farm Production By Report First In America In Tobacco And Peanuts. Second Place In Two Crops And Third In One And 7th In Cotton. Holiday Matches Rush “Marrying Squires” Of Town Three Couples Married In Court House Thursday. Three Magis trates Perforin. Over to the county court house [they are as well acquainted with a late holiday shopping rush as down at the department stores. Except at the court house the gift hunt ers are seeking husbands, and wiv es. Thursday Squire T. C. Eskridge had more marriages than “he cduld handle. The result was that three couples were married in the court house during the afternoon in three different offices by three differ ent magistrates, which is a record, mates, in mating. Along about 12 o’clock, or short ly thereafter, one couple came in, bought the binding papers from Register Newton and Mr. W. R. Newton, county tax official and a magistrate, was the first person the couple met that had marrying pow ers. Mr. Newton tied the knot. About 3:30 another couple secur ed license and Squire Eskridge back on the job after a jaunt in the county performed the ceremony. Some 30 minutes later a colored couple came in and sought license. Two folks came in the office but only one left—that is, if marriage does the two-in-one stunt, for they were married before leaving the of fice. Mr. A. P Spake, also a magis trate, was standing by and the ceremony was performed before the ink was dry on the license. Frankly, that’s going some. The couple married by Mr. New ton was Kelly Fisher, of Lincoln county, and Pearl Stewart, of Cleve land county. Harvey Bridges, of Gaston county, and Beulah Wright, of this county, were married by Squire Eskridge. The colored couple married by Mr. Spake was Clarence Murph and Ida Davis. Keep Record Go'ng. Register of Deeds Andy Newton still bids fair to break all license selling records. He has written marriage license for eight couples within three days, and he estimat es that his total for December is around 17. That’s not counting the very-last-minute shoppers today. No Paper Monday Following the usual custom of The Star to miss one issue during the year, there will be no paper issued on Monday. This is done in order to give the force a little off-duty time to enjoy the Christmas season with their families. The man- j agement feels that the entire force deserves this short va cation for The Star office is open and running everw week day in the year from 8 a. m. to midnight. The Star wishes every read er an abundance of Christmas cheer and a new year abound ing in blessings. The next issue of the paper will appear on schedule Wednesday afternoon of next week. Raleigh—North Carolina during the past year produced more tobac co and peanuts than any other state in the Union, ranked second in the production of soy beans and sorghum, and third in the produc tion of sweet potatoes, according to figures made public Wednesday by the co-operative crop reporting service of State and Federal depart ments of Agriculture. In 1925 North Carolina ranked first in the production of peanuts ' and sweet potatoes and second in the production of tobacco and soy beans. It held no third places that year. North,Carolina- ranks with the I other states in principal crops grown in this state, with this state’s [production, followsc States Fori* Rank, f 1st in tobacco; 398,190,000 lbs. 1st in peanuts; 190,120,000 lbs. : 2nd in soy beans; 1,812,000 bush ! els. [ 2nd in sorghum; 4,004,000 gal lons. 3rd in sweet potatoes; 7,560,000 bushels. 7th in cotton; 1,250,000 bales (es timate). 8th in rye; 1,352,000 bushels. 8th in grapes, 6.840 tons. 10th in peaches; 2,100,000 bush els. 11th in buckwheat; 220,000 bush els. 11th in cloverseed; 26,000 tons. 12th in apples; 5,986,000 bushels. 13th in potatoes; 7,400,000 bush els. 18th in corn; 52,272,000 bushels. 20th in winter wheat; 6,303,000 bushels. 22nd in oats; 6,820,000 bushels. 22nd in wild hay; 52,000 tons. 24th in pears; 270,000 bushels. 27th in barley; 390,000 bushels. • - Eskridge To Go With Tobacco Co. Mr. Holland Eskridge, better known to his Shelby friends as “Bush,” will on the first of the year resign his position with the American Express company to go with Liggett & Myers Tobacco com pany as salesman for this territory with his headquarters here. Mr. Eskridge has been with the local express office for several years and is one of the town’s most industrious young business men. Christmas Tree Lattimore School The friends and patrons of the Lattimore school are invited to at tend the Christmas program given in the auditorium on Friday night December 24. Exercises to begin promptly at seven o’clock. The following program will be given before the gifts are taken from the tree and distributed. Christmas carols by High school. Santa Claus drill, Song of Christ mas, by First grade. Playlet—“Christmas Candles” by Second grade. Playlet—“Aids to a Merry Christ mas” by Third grade. Drill—“Christmas Holly” by Fourth grade. Pageant—“Story of Christmas.” Pantomime—“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” by Forty girls. ME MILLS III BIG BUILT OK THURSDAY NIGHT Eastsidc, Dover and Ora Mills ! Have Annual Get-together. Mr. J. R. Dover Presides. What was termed the best ban quet of the organization was held Thursday evening at Cleveland , Springs hotel when department heads and officials of the three mills, Eastside, Dover and Ora, known as the “Dover mills’’ gath ered for their annual banquet. One hundred and thirty people I were in attendance, .including offi cials, owners, overseers, departmen tal heads and others of the three big textile plants. Mr. John R. Dover, organizer and directing influence of the mills, was , the toastmaster of the evening and skillfully handled the entertaining program, made up of short speech es, musical numbers, stunts and the regular banquet entertainment. Hoey Main Speaker. Clyde R. Hoey was the main speaker of the evening and his topic was that of the real Christmas ' spirit, that of giving other than ma terial presents, and methods of J carrying the giving spirit to mar. ; kind through the entire year. It was a fitting address on the Yuletide and one very appropriate to the big industrial and -working interests as sembled at the banquet.1 C Mr. Dover talking briefly out j lined the textile year as it touched .the local plants. An encMormgihg j remark, and one of high value to ' the plants, was that despite the ; general slack of the textile industry ! not a one of the three mills cur tailed, but ran full time and the wage of no employe was cut. Such, it might be added, is one of the outstanding reasons why the local plants me so well known. Short taliis were algo made by i the heads of the three mills, John . Toms, Earl Hamrick and Jack Do ■ ver, they being followed by Charlie Roberts representing the employes. Musical Numbers. The general music for the occa sion was furnished by Sinclair’s or chestra. There were two very fine solos by Carl Jordan, of Boiling Springs. Jordan has a delightful voice and his selections were well received by the audience. A local quartet, coming from the mill, was also a part of the program. Adding a little humor to th» occasion were three instrumental solos by Earl Hamrick, Jack Dover and John Toms. Skilled musicians they were (with their assistants.) Contests and Prizes, i Quite a number of valuable prizes were distributed among employers j and employes during the evening. Gold prizes were given by J. R. Dover, Fred R. Morgan, Jack Dover and Earl Hamrick, while the em ployes of the three mills gave a prize each to their three heads, Toms, Jack Dover and Hamrick, and the office forces of the mills presented a handsome prize to J. R. Dover. Another nice gift was also presented to the speaker of the evening. rnree contests iurmsnea me Dig entertainment of the evening. In the first, two men from each mill raced each other in emptying a bot | tie of milk through a nipple. Cuff links were presented the winner. In the second contest two men from each mill raced through five dry soda crackers, the first to whistle after the performance receiving a nice scarf. In the third the big fun of the evening came when six men contested in eating three swinging apples for a prize of eckties. With numerous sidelights and many headlights the banquet was a success from beginning to end. A new spirit of comradeship seem ed to radiate among the many men who make up the personnel of tha mills and the occasion was without equal to all concerned. Miss Mamie Burney of Greenville S. C., is spending Christmas holi days with Mr. and Mrs. James Hol combe. Mr. and Mrs. Burton Mitchell and baby of Mt. Holly and Dr. Tom Brice Mitchell of Lincolnton are spending the holidays with Dr. and Mrs. W. F. Mitchell. NEWTON ELECTED HEM) UNIVERSITY CLUB OF COUNTY Carolina Banquet Held At Cleve land Springs Largely Attended, j Taylor Attends Meet. I Attorney D. Z. Iewton, former! state senator, is the new president of the Cleveland County University j club, being named at a banquet of j Carolina alumni and students held ! at Cleveland Springs Wednesday | evening. Mr. Fred Finger, of Kings j Mountain, was named vice-presi- 1 dent, and Nelson Callahan, presi- i dent of the Carolina freshman class j was elected secretary. Eighty-six alumni and students . of the state university attended ' the banquet, which was considered ; one of the most enthusiastic col- [ lege gatherings ever staged in the section. The banquet was highly honored by having in attendance T. C. Taylor, of Chapel Hill, field sec- j retar.v of all the Carobna^ alumni j associations. Mr. Taylor made the ; main address of the evening, dis j cussing the extension of the Caro [ lina spirit and talking of the needs i of the school. Local alumni and j 1 students were elated that the field secretary selected the Shelby meet ing out of the others to attend. Short talks were also made by Messrs. Clyde R. Hoey, O. B. Car penter^ of Kings Mountain, am} P, Z. Newton. The usual banquet program pre vailed and the occasion was fre quently pepped up with the well known Carolina yells and college songs. Dance Held Later, jFollowing the banquet, the. an ; nual Carolina dance was held in | the lobby of the hotel, glowing j with Yuletide decorations, and this , event was also considered a sue- , cess by the promoters of the Caro lina meeting. eiFlif HEWS PICKED UP oie the urn Thirty people were reported kill- ‘ ed and many hurt Thursday night when two crack Southern trains crashed together near Rockmart, Georgia. The N. C. State highway commis sion will lend counties more aid in taking over road mileage, accord ing to Raleigh reports. I A Martin county, North Carolina ! farmer was shopping yesterday as a real Santa Claus. He was buying presents for 34 children and 97 grandchildren. Ray Sossomon, of Albemarle, was killed yesterday in an auto mobile wreck near that place. Charlie Bess, Gastonia mill em ploye, met death yesterday when his car was strqck by a P. and N. passenger train in East Gastonia. The man held at Mocksville, this state, thought to be Erdman Olson, l sweetheart killer of Wisconsin, was found not to be the guilty party. Baseball fans together with scores of baseball officials are de nying that Ty Cobb and Tris Speak er, baseball idols, had anthing to do with a ‘.‘fixed’ baseball game of 1919. Reports are that Zeb V. Turling ton, of Mooresville, is being groom ed for the next governor’s race. Turlington fathered the pfohibition bill that bears his name in this state. Eddie Collins, veteran of baseball and a member of the famous old Philadelphia Athletics, is totyay again next year with Philadelphia. Big Meeting To Be Held Here On Tuesday, Jan 4. Farmers With Leaders To Discuss Side Crops. No Plan To Cut Cotton Acreage, But To Diversify A county-wide campaign among the farmers to diversify farming in Cleveland county, will be launched Tuesday, January 4th, according to anouncements made by Alvin Hardin, farm demonstrator and J. C. Newton, secretary of the chamber of commerce. At that time, E. L. Millsaps, dis trict farm extension agent, and Max Gardner, premier farm ei and chairman of the Cleveland county board of agricul ture, will deliver speeches. To this meeting every farmer in Cleveland county is invited and urgently requested to attend. Following the launching of this diversified farming program group meetings will be held at various places throughout the county to emphasize the importance of substituting other profitable crops in connection with cotton production. Lead ers feel that the campaign is most urgent in order to re-es tablish farming in this county on a profitable basis. i Tots Of County Urge Old Santa To Give To Poor The children of Cleveland county are a big-hearted, gen erous lot. Several hundred par ents may be thankful for that. The Star during the holiday season has published scores of “Santa Claus" letters and through them run the thread of charity and a feeling for the unfortunate. Children to be proud of.: they are. One youngster wound up'her - letter this way: “And, Santa, don’t forget the peoei-j'little1'1 children—Another wrote: “Via- • it dll the little orphan chil dren"—Still another urged: Don’t forgebithe little children who have no papa and mamma to buy for them’-—and another —“Bring nil the little boys and girls something." The family Santa Claus will more than likely see that the request of evgry little corres pondent is answered, and would it not be fine now if these Santa would also see that the “poor little children” re membered by the tots really do get something? What about it? Is there more charity in the hearts of the youngsters? It was impossible for The Star U> carry all “Santa let ters" Wednesday and many more have piled in since that time, so they are being publish ed today with the hope that old Kris Kringle will take a peep at The Stair before he starts on his rounds tonight. And The Star hopes that ev ery youngster writing a letter will have them answered and with the gifts all the merri ment of the occasion. They’re big-hearted enough to deserve it all. Mrs. McKee Dies In South Shelby It was the sole wish of Mrs. Cleo McKae that she would be spar ed to live through the Christmas holidays to see her children enjoy the Yuletide season, but that privi lege was denied her when she died Monday of this week. Mrs. McKee, wife of Roy McKee, lived in South Shelby. She had been a sufferer with tuberculosis and was only 33 years of age when the end came. Mrs. McKee is survived by her hus band and three children. The funer al was conducted Tuesday by Rev. Rush Padgett, pastor of the Sec ond Baptist church and the inter ment was in Sunset cemetery. She has many friends and her passing in the prime of young womanhood is a source of great sorrow to all. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Webb, jr., will spend Christmas day here with Judge E. Y. Webb and fam ily. They leave Christmas after noon for Castalia to visit Mrs. Webb’s parents. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Burrus are spending Christmas in Mocksville with Mrs. Burrus’ parents. Mr. Burrus returns Monday and will visit his parents in Morganton. Mrs. Burrus will spend two weeks in Mocksville. The meeting: will be held in the court house at 2 o’clock Tuesday j January 4th and it is hoped t". have the largest gathering of farm ers present, that has ever assem bled at one time in the county. No effort will be made to turn farmers away from cotton entirely. Our farmers know how to raise cotton and are equipped for its cul ture, but at the same time they are consumers as well as produc ers, so the main effort will be to drive home the importance of hav ing more than one money crop. Cot ton is neyeerily ope pf the twq. The other, inoney crop might be feed for livestock, gardens, poultry, dairy products or pork. ■ .’Wfto drifting Ppifts, ,, .. A successful campaign > of thia nature.is declared to;be the "most important and far reaching move ment ever, launched in. Cleveland county. Everybody .is directly or in directly affected by the price ot cotton and this year, the county was given a set-back because of over production of one community. The coming year brings a crucial time in the history of the county and brings greater prosperity than the county has ever enjoyed in the pasi. Eight points on good farming have been suggested by the state and federal departments of agri culture. It would be well to consid er these in Cleveland right, now: 1. Each farmer should grow suf ficient grain and roughage to supply the needs of his work stock. 2. Grow an all-year round gar den for the purposes of supplying the needs of his family with the necessary vegetables, and in most instances have a surplus to market. 3. Keep at least 50 laying hens to supply the needs of his own family and have a surplus of both poultry and eggs for sale. 4. Keep at least one family cow to supply the family with milk and butter, and wherever suffi cient feeds are available, addi tional cows to produce milk and butter to be sold on the market. 5. Produce sufficient pork for the family’s needs. If surplus corn is available, increase the supply of hogs so as to be able to sell on the local market or to take part in cooperative carlot shipments to the larger markets, thus increasing the family income. 6. Plant cotton only on the best cotton lands, and restrict the acre age to those lands that will pro duce at least a half a bale during a normal season. 7. Have at least two so-called money crops. 8. Begin a definite rotation of crops, which should include a leg ume crop grown on at least one fourth of the cultivated acreage each year so as to improve the fer tility of the soil and ultimately be able to reduce the cost of produc tion. Falls To Manage Gaffney Printery Gaffney, Dec. 23.—R. B. Falls, who took over the management of the Baker-Kirby Printing company in November, yesterday moved hi* family from Shelby, N. C., to Gaff ney. They will have an apartmenl in the J. M. Bramlett home on Vic toria avenue. YOUTH FATALLY SHOT ON HUNT FOR YULE TREE Howard Weathers, Son of Julius Weathers Brought Here From Fayetteville for Burial The body of Julius Howards Weathers, fourteen year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Weathers, was brought to Shelby yesterday afternoon at 5 o’clock for burial here this morning, the funeral taking place at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd O. Bollinger on West Warren street at 10 o’clock, Revs. Zeno Wall and Hugh K. Boyer conducting the funpral services. Hunting Christmas Tree Young Weathers, was the eldest son of Julius Weathers, former superintendent of the Shelby water and light plants, now superin tendent of the plants at Fayette ville. For a number of years the family has lived at Fayetteville where the accident happened Wed nesday afternoon. While returning from a hunting trip near Fayette ville with J. B. Bruton, jr., a boy of about his age, Bruton’s gun was accidentally discharged. The two lads had been duck hunting on the pond near the city pump station and on their way home were looking for a Christmas tree Young Bruton turned aside to in spect a small tree and as he die so, his breech-loading gun, struct a bough, pulling the trigger of the gun. The charge entered Howard’s body through the small of the back. Death took place within a few minutes. The two boys were close chums and the Bruton lad as well as his family are greatly grieved, over the sad affair. Dr. R. A. Allgood* county coroner, was called to the scene and made an investigation of the facts surrounding the tragedy He found it to be entirely acci dental. The Weathers family arrived in Shelby late Thursday afternoon with the body. J. B. Bruton, father of the boy whose gun fired the fatal shot, accompanied the , fam ily, to'Shelby. Deceased’s gr4ndh$tIit&H fMargafof1’Weathers lived, Jgg with her daughter," ifw'l i; a BollingeV dn West, Warden street apd the remains were taken to the Bollinger JuJUfSj Wcte/Hlr.' lives in Shelby together ' witht number of relatives and friends oi the family who are deeply grieved over the sad affair. Two other children survive is the Weathers family: Wyatt and Marguerite. Father of ShelBy Man Bur;e< Tuesday. Dr. Wall Askibte in Funeral Services. Shelby friends of Mri W. Y, Harrill, east Graham street, sym pathise with him in the death of his father Hugh A. Harrill who passed away Sunday at his home at Ruth erfordton at the age of 78. 'it® Harrill was one of RutherfoVd's most prominent and active citizens being superintendent of the Baptis. Sunday school for 27 years. He was buried Tuesday, the funeral service being conducted by Rev. M. A Adams and Dr. Zeno Wall, inter ment being at Cool Springs tery. Mr. Harrill is survived by hi widow and the following children Mr. W. Yates Harrill, Mr. Grayse Harrill, Mr. Kenneth Harrill, Mt J. O. Williamson, of Charlotte, M Edna Simmons, of Rutherfordtc and Mrs. Sybil Williamson, of Cha lotte. Two brothers and two sister Mr. George Harrill, of Rock H and Mrs. John Bell Harrill, of R leigh; Mrs. Maggie Mauney, Forest City, and rMs. Katie Lo ranee also survive. Firemen Banquet At Central Hote The 25 members of the fire d4 partment enjoyed their first b»n quet since the re-organization o the department at the Central hote Thursday night. An elaborate fee was served. Chief Herman Esk ridge invited Gastonia’s fire chie George McClaughn and Firemai Stewart over for the gathering an all had a most enjoyable time. May or A. P. Weathers was presente with a handsome hat by the fire men in token of their appreciate ond of his interest in reviving th fire fighting organization and furt ishing the splendid equipment th department now has.