" What’s
THE
News
THE STAR’S REVIEW.
And as yet no new developments
of importance in the mayoralty
The Shelby Highs have copped
one baseball, game this week and
arc out after two more. Several
games will be played here next
weck- . . •
The P. & N. will not come to
Shelby. Such is the pith of appav
ontly reliable reports reaching
Shelby, despite the fact that no
public announcement is made prior
to the news in The Star today.
• • *
Three prominent Baptists will be
at the First Baptist church here
this week and many representatives
from church in the association are
expected.
» * *
The Trinagle debates are on at
the High school this Friday. After
an article about the debates was
written for this issue it was leav
ed that only Gasto:i:a and Shelby
will be in the local triangle, Lin
colnton debaters not entering.
* *• *
V $15,000 fire at the Mooresboro
(otto Oil company is detailed in
thi.- issue.
9 0 ~
Judge McElroy is sending sev
eral defendants up to the State
prison in court here this week. Foe
the highlights of court read The
Star.
* * *
Mr. L. J. Wagner prominent
Shelby citizen, is dead. Details of
the death arc given in this issue of
the paper.
• « •
A youth charged with an attempt
ed assault on a small girl was given
a two year term in the State prison
this morning in Superior court.
• * *
Summer baseball for Shelby still
dangles in the air as a possibility.
UlffiTO
BE BURIED HERE
Prominent Municipal Engineer and
Contractor Succumbs Here at
the Age of 72 Years.
Lewis J. Wagner, prominent
municipal engineer and contractor,
died this morning at 8 o’clock at
his home on N. Morgan street hav
ing been sick since December with
cancer of the stomach. He was
taken ill in Detroit, in December
while on a visit to three of his
daughters who live there and after
a few weeks in a Detroit hospital
was brought, at his reouest. to his
j home here to be with his wife and
son. Mr. Wagner was Born in Buf
falo, N. Y„ 72 years ago but came
South in young manhood as fore
man of a locomotive plant. While
born north of the Mason and Dix ■
on line, he was a Southerner “by
choice and adoption.” Most of his
life was spent as engineer and
contractor in w'hich line he has ex
ecuted millions of dollars worth of
work. For years he had for h>s
partner a Mr. Walton and he be
came acquainted with Shelby when
they built Shelby’s first water plant
in i910. His stay here was pleasant
and he became attached to the town
and people, making up his mind
that he would enjoy his last dayu
here.
Six years ago he and his son
came to Shelby to make their home,
his wife joining them later. He
was a man of wonderful energy,
practical business judgment, friend
ly and true in his every-day rela
tionships. His business was con
stantly studied and talked and in
his line he had few equals. He pos
sessed a bouyant disposition, was
kind and sympathetic and every
man from the humblest colored
Workman to the highest city offi
cial with whom he came in contact
was impressed by his honesty, his
industry, his thrift and his whole
some character. Within recent years
he and his son Fred were business
partners in the contracting and op
eration of the stone quarry here.
They had been "buddies” since
Fred’s boyhood and Mr. Wagner
was always as youthful and active
as his son.
Funeral Friday.
Before coming to Shelby Mr.
Wagner lived in Atlanta and Rome,
Ga., but his contracting covered
the southeastern part of the United
States. He was married to Miss
Adelia Wood of Rome, Ga., who is
in very feeble health here, but sur
vives together with the following
children: Mrs. Jessie Lanier. Mrr.
Katherine Lowe and Mrs. M. L,
Puleher all of Petrort, Mich.; Mrs.
A. Wootton of Augusta, Ga., and
Fred Wagner of Shelby.
The funeral will *ak eplace Fri
day afternoon at 3 o’clock front the
residence, services being conduct
ed by Dr. Hugh K. Boyer pastor
of the Central Methodist church
tvith which he was affiliated and
former pastor Rev. A. L. Stanford
-.of Charlotte. Mr. Wagner was an
active Mason and the funeral will
he with honors from the Knights
Templar local lodge of Masons. In
terment will be in Sunset'‘cemetery
here.
All of the children are en route
here for the funeral Friday.
VOL. XXXIV, No. 38
SHELBY, N. C. WED. MARCH 30. 1927.
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Aftomimna By mail* Per y*tr (>n adva=sa)„|2.5l
* * “■ By carrier, per year (in advance) #3.0t
! C. B. Suttle Drops
Dead In Barber
Shop At 3 O’Clock
C. B. Suttle, senior, dropped dead
shortly before 3 o’clock this after
noon in the Willis barber shop to
, which place he he.3 gone for ton
i sorial work. Mr. Suttle was about
| to step into the barber chair when
; he swooned to the .'»:x>r. Mr. Suttle,
I one of Shelby's pioneer citizens,
had been in very good health for
! a man nearing eighty years of age.
! Attorneys for Culprit Ask Reform
atory Sentence, But Judge
- Says Penitentiary.
Eugene Hayes, a youth said to
; be about 15 years of age, was given
a sentence ranging from two to
; three years at hard labor in the
I State prison here just before noon
! today by Judge McElroy after
j pleading guilty through >his attor
j neys for assault with intent to com
mit rape.
The intended victim of the boy
was a 6-year-old white girl of No.
! 10 township, a daughter of the man
| by whom the boy had been employ
I ed as a farm hand for a week or so.
j The boy admitted the attempt but
denied accomplishment as did the
other evidence.
In the evidence it was brought
out that the youth was without par
j ents and homeless and had at orc
time been an inma«e of the county
home in Lincoln. From his general
demeanor he appeared to be weak
minded, and a former employer
termed his mind that of a five-year
old boy.
Attorneys for the boy asked that
he be sent to a reformatory or the
institute for the feeble-minded, but
, Judge McElroy stated in passine
i sentence that he would be given
proper observation at the prison
and if necessary sent to the insti
tute.
Piedmont Debate
Thursday, March 31
The Musigmarhonian (we have
never been able to understand why
such a name was chosen) Literary
: society will hold its improvement
debate at Piedmont High school on
| Thursday night March 31st when
the speakers will discuss the query:
“Resolved, That Congress Should
| enact the Curtis-Reed bill provid
ing for a Federal Department of
i Education.” Willard Hord and
i Charles Raekard wril uphold the
! affirmative, while Harold Cordell
and Walter Crotts will defend the
negative side of’the question. Rob
' ert Burns will deliver a declamation
I and the president of the society will
I deliver an address.
| Trade At Home
-And A View
Came <'i Monroe “business
man” to The Enquirer office
on a recent day, bringing with
i him an air of I believe in com
munity spirit, and everybody
j should trade at home attitude,
! and proceeded to tel lme how
j the mail order houses were
flooding the country with cat
alogs and that the nearby
larger town merchants were
littering streets and lawns of
residences with page adver
tisements.
I admitted everything the
gentleman said.
‘You could do a lots of good,’
said he, “by printing some ar
ticles and telling the public
how the mail order houses do
not help pay the preacher, keep
up our schools, our roads, and
pay very little taxes.” ’
All of which is true.
But I also happened to know
that the “business man” in
question, who wanted me to
cuss ’em out, Tas? year pur
chased for his company $180
worth of calendars from a
j Chicago “art house’ and that he
spent practically nothing in the
local newspapers to tell the
public of his wares.
Besides the pictures on the
calendars this man purchased
consisted of a ha*r-naked wo
man lolling on a divan and lab
eled—“The Pride of the
Harem.”
And yet this “business man
j wants the folks to trade at
home—Monroe Enquirer.
Carpenter Enters Mayor’s
Race Today, He Announces;
Dorsey Formally Running
Another Candidate Announces In Person Of
Well Known Business Man.
Dorsey’s Card Out.
II. E. Carpenter druggist, made
formal entry in the race for Mayer
of Shelby today and W. N. Dorsey,
the first to enter who made his an
nouncement last fall, is publishing
his card to show that he is still in
the race and will be in the contest
to the finish.
Mr. Carpenter has been a mem
ber of the city school board for a
number of years and has rendered
faithful service in this capacity. He
is an excellent business man with
a wide acquaintance and a host of
friends who have been urging him
for some time to make the race, but
not until today did he get consent
of his mind to enter. He has talked
to many voters and has received
encouragement that is gratifying.
Mr. < arocnter's entry makes the
seventh man in the race. Mr. Dor
sey started the ball rolling last fall
when he let it be. known that he
would be a candidate. Since the»
A. H. Webb, t. J. Babington, Cm
lando Elam and T. W. Hamrick
have entered. W. D. Lackey who
announced, withdrew because it
conflicted with the position to
which he was elected last fail as
member of the county board of ed
ucation.
Court Installments To
Be Paid Just As Other
Installments, Says Judge
Judge McElroy Making Defendants Toe
Mark With Harwood Installments.
Two Prison Terms.
An installment payment on a
debt must be paid—particularly if
it is an installment to the court on
a fine. That in a way is Judge P.
■ A. McElroy’s style of looking at
it.
j At the last term of court here
I Judge Harwood, presiding, intro
duced the installment style of pun
ishment. He sentenced a guilty
defendant to the roads and then
suspended judgment on payment
jOf a fine, the payments to be di
; vided over a certain period of time.
I When Judge McElroy arrived to
■conduct the present term of courf
it was found that one or .wo of
the installment defendants were
I behind with their payments. And
the court record relates Judee
McElrov’s decision something like
this: ‘‘Let the original sentence
take effect immediately.” Meaning
that those who have . failed to
come across with the'' install
ments on their fines will be forced
to serve the original road or jail
sentences.
To State Prison
The sentences of the court Mon
day and Tuesday included two
terms to the State Prison at Ral
eigh. Harley Johnson, who fea
tured in recent store robberies in
South Shelby, drew a term of from
18 months to three years on the
charge of breaking and entering,
receiving and possessing stolen
goods. Co-defendants in the ease
were nol prossed with leave.
On another breaking and en
tering and larceny charge Lloyd
Cash was given a term of one to
two years in the State Prison,
both terms including the “hard
labor” phrase.
Among the other sentences
handed out by the court during
the two days work were the fol
lowing:
Raymon and Odell Grgig, 18
months each on liquor charges,
and John Self nine months on
similar charges. The trio of cases
came up on an appeal from re
corder’s court.
Convicts Help
Claude and Austin Weaver, of
Lincoln county, drew six month
sentences each after two convicts
helped prove liquor charges
against them. The two convicts
and the' two Weaver boys, accord
ing to the evidence, featured in
the same liquor party wherein 31
gallons of booze was captured.
The convicts, both from Gastonia,
are now serving sentences over
their connection with the affair.
Ambrose Lail for receiving and
possessing drew a nine months
sentence. Summcy Ramsey for re
tailing received a sentence of four
months, and Arch Long for break
ing and entering drew six months,
“Yegg” Is Missing
Brady Barrett’s name is on the
court record on a breaking and
entering, and larceny charge, but
Barrett in person is not attend
ing court. .Newspaper readers will
recall that Barrett is the “Shelby
yegg” who last Sunday picked the
lock of the rural police station at
Charlotte and made his getaway,
he being held there on charges at
the time.
Good crowds are attending this
session of the court considering
that it is the spring of the year.
No cases of major importance are
on the docket, hut the unusually
large number of cases interest
many sections of the county.
Penney Celebrates
25th Aniversary
The big day for the J. C .Penney
company has arrived. The institu
tion stands, in a manner speaking,
on the brink of its silver jubilee,
and plans are afoot to make the
occasion register in the minds of
the public.
The company was established
25 years ago in a little hick burg
in Wyoming, known as Kemmerer.
From that extremely modest be
ginning by J. C. Penney, the insti
tution has grown to 781 stores, of
which the Shelby establishment is :
one—(and ft good one).
Now the company is preparing j
to mark its twenty-fifth (its silver
anniversary) by a notable trading
event. The new period will be form
ally inaugurated at the Penm y!
store here in Shelby Thursday even*;
ing, at an opening, to which the
public is cordially invited, at which ,
time all sales will be suspended. |
There will be musl„ the unveiling
of the newly dressed windows, and
general gala occasion.
Visits School Here.
Mrs. T. B. Johnson, of the state
department of education, is in Shel
by today visiting the local teachers
training school. Mr. Blair, also of
the state department, is expected
this week.
Observer Notes That Hill County Can
Produce Cotton Despite Other Opinion
The following from the Char
lotte Observer concerning Cleve
land county’s record cotton crop
should be of interest:
Cleveland county is in the pied
mont, but its northern border
takes a turn upward on the slopes
of South Mountain. It was not
so long ago that the farmers in
Cleveland would have hooted at
the idea that they could grow
cotton, except in the lower sec
tions of the county, but Max Gard
ner turned farmer and got to ter
racing and planting cotton. The
farm demonstration agent came
along and took a hand, and cotton
fields became common. But the
farmers were not planting for
amusement; they planted for busi
ness, and Cleveland soon became
talked of as one of the finest cot
ton counties in the state. In one
year it came next to Johnston, the
champion cotton county. This
year it is counting its cotton crop
in terms of not far from 47,000
bales—and Mecklenburg used to
think it was doing something big
with a crop of around 30,000 bales.
Cleveland led the state in terrace
farming and it is perhaps leader
in intensive farming. Some of its
big cotton crop is picked from the
mountain sides, which goes to
show the possibilities q£ soil and
climate in North Carolina pied
mont, for people cannot yet bring
their minds to consider cotton as
a mountain proposition.
FOH MEET FRIDAY
I)r. \gar, One of Bent Known
Churchmen in Americ ato Be
At First Baptist Session.
Baptist representatives front all
over the Kings Mountain associa
tion and nearby associations are
.'expected here Friday for the all
day inspirational meeting at the
First Baptist church. This meeting
begins at 10 o’clock in the morn
ing and continues until 0 that even
ing.
Several outstanding Baptist lead
ers will be in attendance, including
Dr. S. A. Agar, of New York city,
pr. Agar, is one of the best known
thurchmen in America today and
[is perhaps the outstanding statis
tician of the Baptist church. His
presence alone should attract scores
ot Baptists.
Other prominent men expect to
I attend arc Dr. R. T. Vann, of Ra
l"igh, president of Meredith col
lege, and Dr. C. E .Maddry, also of
I Raleigh, and one o- the Baptist
leaders of the state.
Representatives from far off
points are expected to bring picnic
baskets to the meeting. These will
be supplemented by hot coffee,
sandwiches and lunch material, ov
'the ladies of the First Baptist
church for one meal.
Shelby Delegate
Not At Meeting
(It is still somewhat doubtful
bout Shelby having summer base
all this summer.
A delegation from Shelby had
keen invited to attend an organ
ization meeting of the Western
Carolina league Monday night at
Hickory, but so far as can be
1 learned Shelby was not represent
ed at the meeting. Those spon
soring the league, which operated
last year, had hoped to have Hick
; ory, Newton, Morganton, Y'aldese,
[Lenoir, and possibly Lincolntbn
!%nd Shelby -4r» the circuit this
year.
Hereabouts some interest has
been shown in the proposition
provided the players used should
be county boys. It was the opinion
of many here that if local college
and school diamond stars made up
the team that it would be well
supported here. Whether or not
other moves will be made to get
Shelby in the league remain to be
seen.
This Couple May
Have ‘Backed Out’
Despite the fact that Superior
court is on here and at least one
dozen couples will likely be di
vorced Register of Deeds A. 1'.
Newton has not sold a marriage
licensee this week. However, he
wonders if one couple, affected by
spring fever , has decided other
wise. Mr. Newton was out awry
from the court house Sunday, his
position not being a seven-day one,
and on Monday he learned that a
couple had secured the necessary
medical papers and had sought him
for a marriage license. Since they
didn’t find him he has been ex
pecting them back this week.
Apparently, though, one of three
things has happened: They’re wait
ing on another Saturday pay-day;
or have been married in South
Carolina, or have “backed out.”
Youth Gets Long
Term Over Auto
Henry Tessner, the youth who
was the hunted party in the ex
citing race through the business dis
trict of Shelby Saturday night, was
given a sentence of 12 months to
day by Judge McElroy on a tem
porary car larceny charge and also
the larceny of field glasses.
The youth, it will be remembered
“borrowed” a car Saturday night
and was caught by the owner as he
was returning it. He sidestepped
the owner in the business section
and was caught nfter an exciting
race. Evidence offered by the de
fendant was that the boy had hired
the car from another youth and did
not know that it belonged to Mr.
Padgett, the owner.
Best’s Furniture Sale
The John M. Best Furniture com
pany is announcing in the advertis
ing columns of today’s Star the in
auguration of a big sale startinc
Frdiay morning. Mr. Best asserts
that the sale represents a store
wide cut in price, the biggest he
has ever staged. Big preparations
ire being made at tne store for the
sale. Amongst the features will be
he giving away of a bedroom suite,
which will be done an the oasis of
coupons. The sale opens Friday and
will run through Sh^#rday of next
week. *
“Tenderfoot” Gives Lessons
When Mabel C. Ogf.eson, a Buffalo (N. Y.) girl, went west sh«
*as hailed as a "tenderfoot." Sh i never had been on a horse. But
when Miss Mabel finally got on one. It was hard to get her off.: She
l. de a broncho 200 miles over tho Itocky Mountain trails of,Glacier
National 1'uik, setting a new park record for horseback riding.
P & N Extension Will Not
Come By Shelby, Reports
Reaching Here Indicate
Directors Of Railroad Vote To Keep Exten
sion South Of Southern Tracks.
Strenuously Sought Here
Shelby will not be on the Gas
tonia to Spartanburg extension o:
the Piedmont and Northern electrli
railroad.
This town’s hopes of an incentivi
and aid to future growth and pro
gress through another railroad lire
seem to have been practically erad
icated by latest reports reaching
here.
Ed. Thomasson, general manager
of the P. and N. and a native of this
county, visiting in Shelby late Mon
day following a visit to New York,
stated, it is understood that direc
tors of the road at a recent meeting
there voted to keep the extension on
the south side of the Southern main
line and practically paralleling that
road. Although Shelby is not men
tioned in the report of the direc
I tor’s decision it is a plain assump
tion that the extension will not
touch the central portion of Cleve
land county.
Several Reasons
From the standpoint of assump
tion several reasons are attributed
for the decision to have the exten
sion go the other way:
1. —New York financial centers
that have business interests or con
nections with the P and N. also
have similiar interests m tne busi
ness and success of the Seaboard
—and the Seaboard serves Shell y.
2. —The distance by way of Shel
by is a little more than four miles
longer than other proposed rout
ing. In this connection it is remem
bered that a rate given bv the in
terstate commerce commission
would force the P. and N. to enter
competition of freight hauling with
the Southern and all extra mileage
eliminated would favor money
making competition.
3. —The P. and N. lines now in
operation are south of the Southern
tracks and with the decision to keep
the P. and N. on the south side no
crossing of the two roads will be
necessitated. If the routing had
been by way of Shelby it would
have been necessary to cross the
Southern and recross, likely some
where in South Carolina. By the
crossings Shelby would have been
the only town tapped by the extra
expense
Worked Hard For It.
In a way the decision not to come
to Shelby is a blow to this section,
which had almost anticipated it.
However, it is realized that tha
railroad activities are a matter of
private interest and that the exten
sion is the solution for their best
interests.
Hereabouts strenuous effort
were made to secure the extension
for Shelby and an untapped sec
tion of fertile agricutural activities
and a hustling textile region. The
local chamber of commerce made a
strong fight for the extension, and
presented advantages and oppor
tunities of the section in a fine
manner without imposing on road
officials or attempting to interfere
in an objectionable manner to their
t decisions. Moreover l\al business
1 j men worked hard along the same
j lines. There seemed to be consid
I erable sentiment among road offi
j rials to have the extension conns
i this way and with that feeling it is
, understood that the road decided
on the best routing for their fu
j ture.
HBWlliE
IT CHILE
“Dutch" Whisonant Holds Cherry
ville Hitters While Locals
Hit Well in Pinches.
Playing at Cherryville Monday
afternoon the Shelby Highs added
another victory to their early sea
son baseball record by defeating
Cherryville 7 to 4.
The locals outhit Cherryville,
■ outfielded them and "Dutch” Whis
. nant on the mound for Shelby
■ seemed back in his old form, hold
! ing the hard hitting Cherryville
lads to six bingles.
Cline and Harris led the Shelby
stick-work with two safeties each,
1 six other hits being divided among
the remaining members of the
team.
Shelby secured eight hits and
i Cherryville six. Each club made
four errors.
Two Other Games.
The Highs are playing Forest
City this afternoon at Forest City
and tomorrow afternoon they take
on Belmont Abbey at the latter’s
park.
Several big games are scheduled
for the local lot next week.
State License
Containers Not
For This Year
Raleigh.—There will be no
fifty cents license car con
tainers this year.
This is the pronouncement
R. A. Doughton, commissioner
of revenue, relatives to the
new state auto license period
beginning July 1.
A “sleeper” in the automo
bile law, passed by the Legis
ture, made it compulsory for
all .automobile owners to dis
play the cardboard duplicate
license number issued with the
metal tags in a patented con
tainer to be fastened on the
dashboard. A charge of 50
cents was prescribed for the
patented device specified.
Mr. Doughton had nothing to
say abotu whether the contain
ers would be required with the
1928 licenses.
MQORESBQRQ HAS
FIRE DAMAGE ID
COTTON OIL PUT
—f~
$15,000 Fire Start* At Midnight—
100 Tons of Seed and 250 to
300 Tons Hulls
A |15,000 fire loss was sustained
by the Mooresboro Cotton Oil com •
pany Monday night when the seed
house, warehouse and office were
swept by flames of an unknown
origin. J. B. Blanton, president,
says the fire evidently orginated
in the seed house among the hulb
about midnight am1, leaped to the
other buildings, but did not dam
age the manufacturing plant
where the presses are located. The
mill did not run lam week, but
started up Monday and ran during
the day until nightfall.
In the seed house which was a
total loss, were stored 100 tons of
seed, 250 to ,'JOO tons of hulls. This
represented the greatest loss in
stock. The warehouse contained
bagging and ties and other stock
of less value. The office was a
complete loss, making three build
ings to be destroyed by the fire.
The plant being some distance
away from the fire and the valiant
work of firemen saved the brick
building.
Mr. Blanton Vys the loss of
$15,000 is about three-fourths cov
ered by insurance and that as soon
a# adjusters view the devastation,
that the burned buildings will be
rebuilt and that the plant will be
ready for operation again by next
season.
J. B. Blanton is president. A. I.,
Smart is secretary-treasurer and J.
W. Lucas is superintendent of tho
company owning the plant.
TBIMEOElTE
ON HERE FRIDAY
JIT HIGH SCHOOL
Shelby Debating Team To Com
pete With Gastonia And Lin
colnton Teams.
Debating teams of Shelby, Lin
colnton, and Gastonia high school
will compete in the elimination
contests in the state-wide debate
sponsored by the University of
North Carolina. They are among
the 240 schools participating.
Each school will have an affirma
tive and negative team and those
winning both in the affirmative
and negative will go to Chapel
Hill for the final contest .
The elimination debates will be
held on April 1.
The query which will be underig
discussion in all of the contests
next Friday evening is “Resolved,
That Congress should enact the
Curtis-Reed bill, providing for a
Federal department of education.’'
The high school debaters have
conducted an extended research
on this question, their study having;*!
extended over the past several
months. The results of their pro
longed effort, as shown in the de- ’
bating clashes in the triangular
series, should prove highly inter
esting.
The high schools which win both
of their triangular debates on
April 1, will send their teams to
Chapel Hill to compete on April 14
and 15 in the final contest for the
Aycock Memorial cup, the trophy
which has been presented to the
High Schools Debating union by
the intercollegate debaters of the
University of North Carolina.
The high scools which enrolled
in the High School Debating union
have been arrange^ in groups, for
this year’s contest.
In former triangular debates
Shelby teams have several times
made the trip to Chapel Hill and
always have established good
records. „
New Shoe Store
To Open Saturday
Hanes, “One, Two Three” shoe
store will open Saturday in the
Judge J. L. Webb building in the
store room, partly occupied by Dr.
D. M. Morrison, optician. Mas
Washburn and Robert Hord are
the managers in charge, each with
equal authority to transact busi
ness. Hanes' the shoe man, now
owns a chain of shoe stores in the
Carolinas, Virginia and Pennsyl
vania, the headquarters being ’in
the latter state. One, Two, Throe,
means that every shoe in stock
bears one of three prices, $1 , $2,
or $3 per pair. Nothing, higher or
lower or between the prices will
be sold. The store will sell for
cash only. i