r“.. 1 1 *
8 PAGES
TODAY
VOL. XXXVI, No.
SHELBY, N. C.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1, 1930 Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Afternoons.
By moll, per yeer (in advance) $jt50
Carrier, pc.-year (In advance) $3.00
I
LA TE NEWS
THE MARKET.
Cotton, strlci mid_— W't*
Cotton Seed, per bn. ....... 36c
Showers Likely.
Today’s North Carolina Weather
Bleport: Increasing cloudiness and
f Vinner, probably showers tonlgat.
® Thursday cloudy and colder In west
L portion.
72 Children Die.
Seventy-two small boys and girls
were killed yesterday afternoon at
Paisley. Scotland, when a panicky
krush for the exits in a theatre (ol
j^^ined a yell of fire In the building,
r The majority of the youngsters were
k trampled to death or suffocated
from gas. It is one of the worst
9 New Year eve tragedies on record.
Shelby Schools
I Open Thursday
i Teachers R:s'gn
Misses Suttle And Tweed Resign.
Replaced By Mias Dobbins And
Mrs. Hudson.
The Shelby city schools will re
open Thursday morning after be
ing closed for the Christmas holi
days.
Two new teachers will be on the
faculty tomorrow when school takes
up. Miss Helen Dobbins, of Ruth
erferdton, a graduate of N. C. C.,
W. will replace Miss Elizabeth Suttle
who resigned, while Mrs. Harry
Hudson, a former teacher, will re
place Miss Pearl Tweed, another
.teacher who resigned.
f. Cleaning Buildings.
, This week and last all the city
' school buildings were thoroughly
cleaned and the floors oiled In prep
aration for the spring opening. The
alternation of the heating system of
the South Shelby school, which Is
being done by J. G. Dudley, will oe
completed for the opening.
Princess Theatre To
Install New Talkies
Interior Of T eati~ ^lng Changed
And Extensiv "rovements
Being Made.
V Manager Sipe, newly appointed
head of the Princess Theatre forc
es in this city, makes the announce,
ment today that the
ere planning to re-equip the play
house with modem sound apparat
us, and to remodel the Interior of
the building, to bring it up abreast
qf the demand for the fast step
ping amusement period.
There will be, according to Mr.
Sipe’s statement, four notable
changes in the equipment: First, a
De Forest sound equipment will be
installed; second, the interior of the
dieatrf will be changed by the
engineers to perfect the accoustlc
properties; third, a new lens will
be installed on the projection ma
chine to bring the picture closer to
the audience; and fourth, a new
and enlarged sound screen will be
hung.
Mr. Sipe says the new sound
equipment will cost seven thousand
dollars. This, he asserts, is the last
word in modern sound reproduc
t;on. It is a “sound-on-the-film”
system, which is the most perfect
yet devised. The new screen will be
22 x 24 feet in size, as compared
with the present 16 x 18.
The new equipment is expected
to arrive in Slielby today, and will
be installed at Mice. So that within
the next ten aays it is expected
the modernized playho se will open
its doors to the local public.
| Mr*. Jesse Washburns
Cousin Found Killed
,.A /itfsl Jesse Washburn, formerly
Miss Edna Jordan of Hartsville. S.
C., received a message here last
night stating that her cousin, Sen
ator Frank A. Miller, had been
found shot to death while out on
a hunting trip yesterday afternoon
near Hartsville.
Senator Miller was president oi
the South Carolina bar association
and was expected to be a candidate
, for lieutenant-governor. The death
\ wound in the head was termed ac
cidental.
First Baby Born
In New Year Gets
Star For 1 Year
Who will be Cleveland
county's New Year’s baby?
Following a custom I he
Star will give a year’s sub
scription to the first 1830
white baby born in Cleveland
county, or rather the first
1930 baby to be reported.
Happy parents and attend
ing physicians are ur-ed tc
rey -t cs ea-!-* as p—ible the
firs*, s! o~t ir ’e by the «tork
in the county after the clock
tolled twelve last night.
Who will be the New Year’s
baby? Watch Friday’s Star.
Post Office Here Retains First Class Ranking
I
Necessary
Quota Just
Is Secured
Vocal Office Retains First-Class
Ranking By Narrow Margin.
Stamp Purchases Help.
The Shelby post office just
barely managed to retain its
first-class ranking for 1930 due
to a rush of stamp buying by
local business enterprises yes
terday, It was announced today
by Postmaster J. II. Quinn.
Due to a decrease In business
during the'June postal quarter,
a decrease felt all over the coun
try, there was some doubt until
the last minute whether the
local office would be able to
hold the ranking it received in
1929 for the first time.
Just Beyond Mark.
To get on the first class list
a postoffice must have a postal
receipt business totalling at
least $40,000 per annum, and at
the end of 1928 it was found
that Shelby had passed this re
quired quota by a scant $200. It
was then anticipated that the
city, with increasing business,
would easily retain the ranking
in 1929, but the June quarter, a
period of slow business general
ly, showed a decrease, and al
though all other quyters of the
year measured up to or passed
the receipts of the same quar
ters in ninteen and twenty-eight
the total receipts of 1929 were
still more than 11,000 shy of the
$40,000 mark yesterday morning,
the last day of the year. Dur- ,
fng the day a rush bf stamp
buying by local business men for
their first of the year bills and
greetings and a belated batch of
New Year cards carried the
total over the top.
As a final departments?
check-up had not yet been made
Postmaster Quinn today could
not give out the exact total, but
was positive that the ' $40,000
mark had been reached.
Shelby Artists Will
Broadcast By Radio
Between seven and el?ht o’clock
tomorrow <Thursday) night, two
Shelby artists are scheduled to be
heard over WBT at Charlotte. They
are Miss Sedahlia Propst and Mr.
John Kester, the latter of the firm
of Kester-Groome.
Mr. Kester is a tenor, well known
in musics 1 circles In North Carolina.
He will appear at the mike with
Miss Propst, who is also a well
known musician of this section, at
the piano.
Pour numbers have been allotted
the Shelby stars, and it is entirely
likely they will be heard from this
section in a regular weekly feature.
This is by no means their first
appearance before the microphone,
having broadcast a number of tim
es from Gastonia.
I
Shelby Man In
First Meeting
Of The Legion
\ttomey W. 8. Beam Attended Or
ganization Meetings In Paris
And New York.
A Shelby ex-service man, Attor
ney W. Speight Beam, was a mem
ber of the original committee of 17
which formulated In Paris the plans
for organizing the American Legion.
This came to light here recently
after a story came out of Char
lotte, In connection with the con
vention of the 81st (Wildcat) Divis
ion of the A. E. P. at Columbia this
year, telling the part played by
Southerners in the organization of
the ex-service men in the world's
greatest conflict.
In addition to taking a leading
role in the preliminary organization
overseas Attorney Beam attended
the first meeting of the executive
committee, of which he was a mem
ber. in New York on the date of
General John Pershing's arrival
from france.
TeHs Of Organization.
On March 17, 1919, Mr. Beam re
calls that a caucus of A. E. F. sol
diers was held at Cirque de Paris in
Paris to discuss the formation of an
association of World war veterans.
The caucus named a committee
(Continued on page eight.)
Injured Stranger
Ends Wandering In
Morganton Hospital
Traveller, Listed As "From Every
where,’' Is Taken To Hospital.
For Insane.
A fellow who followed the winding
road of wanderlust this week end
ed his wanderings, temporarily at
least, in the state hospital far the
insane‘ at Mdnganton, ‘ bein'* taken
there by Deputy Sheriff Ed Dixon
and P. F_ Grigg from the Sheiby
hospital.
His case is one at the most pathe
tic to be found upon the record
books of a local hospital.
Two months ago there was a esi
crash on highway 20 west at Shelby
and one of two men in a car head
ed for Charlotte from Asheville was
carried to the local hospital. The in
jured man, suffering with a con
cussion was a stranger to the man
with whom he rode. An investiga
tion disclosed no relatives or
friends other than an estranged
wife in Philadelphia, who would
not, or could not, aid him. His
name was A. W. Garvin, the hospi
tal learned, and he was an account
ant, and at the time of his injury
was “hard up" and en route to
Charlotte from Asheville to seek a
job. The man with whom he rode
carried accident insurance on his
car and this insurance has been
taking care of the middle-aged fel
low who hasn't been right in his
head since the crash.
On occasions his mind returned
to normal, but not often, and this
w&k, the proper legal papers being
fixed, A. W. Garvin, homeless and
friendless wanderer, became an in
mate of the institute where the
minds of all inmates are wander
ing. Some day, perhaps, the mind
tng.
Young Man, Employed In Boiling
Springs Section, Takes Own Life
Shoots Self At Forest City Because
He Cannot Live With Wife
At Vale.
Forest City, Jan. 1.—Despondent
because he couldn’t live with his
wife, George Porter, 26, killed him
self at the home of his parents
here Monday afternoon about 3
o’clock with a 12-guage shotgun.
Porter, after seating himself in a
chair, placed the gun with the butt
resting on the floor and the end of
the barrel against his heart. He
then took a wrench and hit the
trigger. The entire load entered in
to his left side through his heart.
Two letters were found in his
pocket both addressed to Madge
Porter, Vale route 8, thought to
have been his wife. One of the let
ters addressed to Madge Porter had
Madge Davis written under the first
name on the envelope. In the cor
ner was written “I placed this in my
pc-k t for you.”
The first letter he wrote was as
follows:
“Forest City, Dec. 30.—My dear
wife: I am sorry to write you this
but can't help it. I am going to go
home and rest and you are the only
girl I love. Dear wife, I am sorry
that me and you can't get to live
together but can’t help it for moth
er won’t help me and I will go to
my home. I want you to marry if
you can but don’t forget me. You
can get that present I got for you
but you will be heartbroken when
you hear of t*.ls. I know but I can’t
help it. I know what good times me
and you had together. So Madge
you will go to my burying to see me
put away. Mother would not help
me now. Mother, she said for me to
go ahead and kill myself. I told her
that I was going to but she didn’t
believe me. But she will find out all
about it. So wife live a good life
that you can go to heaven, so don’t
blama anyone but me.”
The second letter was practically
like the first, only shorter, and be
against stated that no one was to
b’ame but himself.
Portrr had been employed by P.
L. Hawkins, of near Boiling Springs
and it wts while there he met
Madge Davis and they were mar
ried. Funeral services will be held
either. Tuesday or Wednesday.
9 SMppp J2eto gear
—— . ■* ■■■ ---—■■yr-m—t .- s
Considers Mall PeaceUfalter
For Senator Simmons Battle
New Year Whoopee
Without Accident
Here This Morning
Merry-Maker* Hold Forth Uni i
Morninf. Firemen Pat Oat
Bonfire. *
A crowd of several hundred peo
ple, with that many more looking
on, brought the New Year Into Shel
by last night and this morning with
much whoopee, but the celebration,
one of the mo6t exciting on record
here, passed off without a single
mishap or accident.
The lone disturbing Incident was
a big bonfire on South LaFayette
street, just south of the square,
which necessitated a bit of dam
pening ardor on the part of city
firemen, and long after 1 o’clock
the merry-makers were giving a
series of “15 rahs" for the city fire
department.
The customary dashing of a long
string of cars around the court
square was not up to past occasions
and many people who Journeyed
uptown on the stroke of twelve to
see the fun were disappointed, for
the major portion of the whoopee
party did not come until later. At
12, however, firecrackers were
banging all along the business
streets, sky rockets were zooming
here and there, and there was quite
a bit of celebration noise. The mer
ry-makers gradually collected along
South LaFayette street from the
Union Trust corner to the Princess
theatre* comer and made that sec
tion a regular alley of fire and
water. The original bonfire was ex
tinguished with a fire hose but the
merry-makers manipulated *he
water for their own use and used H
upon passing cars.
The celebration continued until
after 2 o'clock, but a check-up to
day shows that there was not a sin
gle accident and no injuries artier
than a few blistered and smoked
hands which held onto their fire
crackers too long before tossing
them.
Only One Couple
Married In Gaffney
Only one Cleveland county cou
ple secured marriage license in
Gaffney, S. C., over the week-end,
according to The Oaffney Ledger.
This couple was Qasll Francis, of
Blacksburg and Brite Wells, of
Kings Mountain,
May Serve State As Well In That
Sole As Assistant To
Governor.
(Tom Bost in Greensboro News.)
Raleigh.—Chairman Odps M.
Mull’s return to Raeigh to make his
long stay in the capital is not timed
to meet the senatorial announce
ments now long past due; but 'Tr.
Mull’s residence • here during the
1930 campaign will be significant.
Primarily, Mr. Mull gives his ti.ne
to Raleigh to be a faithful helper
of Governor Max Gardner. His ex
cellency and the new executive
counsellor have long teamed to
gether. They have not been on the
same side always. Mr. Mull has
been a Simmons man. Mr. Gardner
never has. Nearly all the Gardner
voting has been for anti-Simmons
candidates. Often it was Impossible
for the governor to carry a predis
posed county with him. There were
the Webbs, Hceys, Mulls and others
in the county who went with th^
Simmons men. Mr. Gardner travel
ed with Kitchen and Aycock. But
in time the governor rose above
them all and if he is not the icad
(Continued on page eight.*
Business Growth
Here Indicated By
Telegraph Increase
Increase In Number Of Telegrams
Indicates gain In Business
Circles.
If the Increase in outgoing and
incoming messages by telegraph in
dicates a business gain generally,
then Shelby business moved con
siderably upgrade In 1929.
Bcur thousand and 500 more racs
sages were handled by the Western
Union office here in 1929 than in
1928, R. E. Blackwell, manager of
the local office stated today.
The Increase to business handted
by the only telegraph company lo
cated here is shown J,n the additions
to the Western Union plant In 1928
only four employes were required to
handle the office, while to 1929 the
business increase kept six people on
the go, this representing an addi
tional payroll of $2,000, or a :otal
of $7,000 to be spent to Shelby.
During the year the Western Union
installed Naval Observatory time in
the city, installed 40 messenger call
stations, and the Simplex system
whereby messages may be sent di
, reci from business offices.
$800 In Fines On
Three Defendants* Fines Tuesday
Total $800. Two Of Lafges
Fines Paid.
The Cleveland comity recor
der's court yesterday took in
$800 in fines from three men,
provided all the fines are paid
and the sentences are not ap
pealed.
Two of the fines were paid just
after being Imposed but the third
has not been made pending the
outcome of another case against the
defendant.
In* the morning session Tuesday
F. E. Petway and H. E. Lathing
house, filling station operators on
the Cleveland Springs road were
fined $200 and the costs each on a
whiskey selling charge. Both fines
were Immediately paid.
At the afternoon session Roy Mc
Swain was tried for receiving,
transporting, and possessing for the
purpose of sale and was fined S400
and the costs. This hearing attract
ed considerable attention with legal
clashes between Attorney Peyton
McSwain, who assisted Solicitor P.
C. Gardner In prosecuting and At
torney B. T. Falls, representing the
defendant.
Miss Essie Norment, of Gastonia,
has been visiting her sister, Mrs
Randolph Logan.
Farmer Talked For
Legislature; Ji mis on
In Race For Congress
Larger Hay Crop, .
More Cows Is Urge
Of Gov. Gardner
Homo County Farmers Will Find
That BmI Way To Follow
IJve-At-llome Flan.
The elimination of every scrub
hull, the bringing In of more
and. better dairy rows and the
production of a greater hay
rrnp arc method* by which
farmer* of hin home county can
measure up to hi* live-at-home
program according to Governor
Gardner, who returned to Ra
leigh today with his family aft
er upenffing the holidays in
Shelby.
Governor Gardner is pot one it
those who considers it foolish for
the farmers of Cleveland to produce
big cotton crops. He believes that
his home county farmers can show
the way in ootton production and
still produce their own bay and
feedstuff.
"If we can get every scrub bull
out of Cleveland county, and li
every fanner will produce his own
hay crop, then wo need not worry,”
he said In replying to a query <u> to
how this county might best follow
the live-at-home plan he Is urging
upon every farmer to the state.
He Intimated that after travelling
over the state he found very few
counties where a bigger percentage
of farmers "live at home and board
at the same place" than is the case
to Cleveland. He does, however, be
lieve that the farmers of this coun
ty purchase a quantity of hay and
feedstuff they could produce on
their own land, and that a greater
production of milk, butter and
cream would keep many dollars, now
going away, at home.
It was cheering information to
him to hear that the local Kiwanls
club headed by William Lineberger,
a dairy enthusiast, means early to
the year to sponsor a live-at-home
program and an increase in dairy
cows. Everywhere he goes to talk
ing to North Carolina farmers he
mentions his home county, and it
is his ambition to tell them that
Cleveland farmers live at home as
well as produce as many bales of
cotton to the acre as any other sec
tion.
Police Catch Car
And Eleven Gallon*
Local officers continued their
rampage against the whiskey tiaf
fic last night when Police Chief Mc
Bride Poston and Patrolman Pai’l
Stamey stepped on the gas In the
police car and captured Charlie
Black in a car containing 11 gal
lons of whiskey, the capture being
made after a chase through Freed
man.
Black lives about nine miles on
this side of Morganton, and presum
ably was delivering his cargo here.
In county court this morning
Judge Horace Kennedy made it II,
200 to fines to two days by fining
Black or giving him the alternative
of doing eight months on the No, 6
chain gang.
Farmer At Elhnboro Shows How
Cotton And Dairy Go Teg ther
(Special to The Star.)
Ellenboro—Eleven bales, 5192
pounds of lint cotton, Is the yield
received by E. C. Suinmey of near
Ellenboro from seven acres of land
which he cultivated as a project in
cooperation with the agricultural
department of the Ellenboro school
this year. His yield per acre figures
742 pounds of lint.
That dairy farming is a big fac
tor in the production of good
crops at a cheap cost and a good
■profit is effectively demonstrated
by Mr. Summey's project. He fer
tilized with three loads of compost
ed mrnure and 200 pounds of a
12-5-4 fertilizer per acre which re
sulted in more than doubling the
average yield of lint cotton for the
state. His per acre cyst of produc
tion as determined from his record
book kept under the supervision of
J the agricultural teacher ior the
school allows that tt cost him $55.90
j to produce an acre of cotton. His
costs include the following, seed,
fertilizer, manure, rent of land at
$10 00 per acre, use of implements
at $1.50 per acre, men labor at
twenty cents per hour, horse labor
at fifteen cents per hour, ginning at
$3.00 per bale, and picking at $1.00
per 100 pounds, the price that he
paid for this Job. Manure was val
ued at $3.00 per load but only
charged at $100 since not more
han half the value of the manure
Is used by the cotton the first year
hat it is applied.
Mr. fcimimey will attend the
bale per acre” banquet at Char
otte, Friday, when 600 men and
boys who conducted projects under
agricultural teachers will be ban
queted. _
Many Favor Fanner For AMenMy
Here. Bulwlnkio Likely To
Run Again.
Cleveland county* heretofore rep
resented In legislature by a lawyer,
or another professional man, may
send a farmer to the next seaalon
of the general assembly. That Is the
talk to be heard about Shelby as
New Year political activity perks
up.
Those supporting an embryo
movement for a real farmer to rep
resent the county In the law-mak
ing body believe that the county's
state senator should be a profession
al or business man, thus dividing
proportionately the Interests, of the
county. The major reason advanced
for supporting a farmer as repre
sentative Is that the state and the
county have enough laws now and
Instead of merely making laws the
next session of legislature should
give attention to problems not or
dinarily handled during a rush of
creating new legal regulations.
To Help Gardner.
Another reason advanced Is that
a capable farmer, representing Gov
ernor Gardner's home county, could
be of much service In aiding the
governor to convince the state that
the executive’s live-at-home pro
gram is the fljst and most Import
ant step in getting North Carolina
agriculture <f» a profitable plane, an
achievement which'should mean
genera! and state-wide prosperity
Those talking the suggestion nave
not as yet advanced a likely can
didate, or candidates, and It la much
of a pipe-dream so far, yet support
ers of the movement Contend that
the county could do nothing better
tot itself than to send a farmer and
a business man, or a lawyer, to Ra
leigh.
Congressional Race.
Attracting come interest in pol
itical circles hereabouts Is the re
newed activity in the attempt of
Democrats in the district to win
back the congressional bejrth now
occupied by a Republican, Chas A.
Jonas, of Uncolnton. A Wg fear
among sound thinkers in the party
in the district is that there will, be
too much activity and a fight among
the Democratic prqspects. thus tick
ing Jonas’ pathway back to Wash
ington smoother instead of rougher.
And already it appears as if theca
are any number of Democrats who
would like to be the rival of the
(Continued on page eight.)
Mrs. Jcs. Irvin
Dies Of Barns
Hollis Woman Dies In Shelby Hos
pital. Buried At Big Springs
Church.
• Special to The Star.)
Funeral services were held at th'j
home of Mr. S. J. Irvin near Hollis
Monday, December 30 at 11 o’clock
for Mrs. Elizabeth Irvin, wife of Mr.
James Irvin, who preceded her to
the grave about 18 years ago.
Mrs. Irvin caught on fire at her
home December 23 and seriously
burned, was carried to tty Shelby
hospital and died Saturday night.
Dec. 28.
Those surviving her are her sons
and daughters: Mrs. T. C Stroud
and S. J. Irvin of near HoJls; Mr.
O. A. Inin of Forest City, Mrs. Key
[ Fortune of Golden Valley. Mrs
Biddle Maynes of Alabama, and one
step daughter, Mrs. A. J. Dednion
of Shelby. All were present at the
funeral except Mrs. Baddie Haynes
of Alabama. She also has 26 grand*
children and five great grand chil
dren. Mrs. Irvin was born and rear*
ed in the He Ills community and
will be greatly missed by her com
munity and host of friends.
She joined Big Springs Baptist
church when about 18 years of ags
and lived a devoted member on up
to her death.
She was burled in the Big Springs
cemetery. Those carrying the Hav
ers were Misses Laura MM and
Pearl Irvin. Mary Fortune, Ruth
Dedmon. Mrs. J. D. Grayson and
Mrs. Van Strcud. The pall beaters
were: Messrs. Matt, Van, Emmett
Stroud, Christie Irvin, Everett
Toms and G. Dedmon.
She tod (me brother and three
sisted, &1 of which preceded her to
the grave.