10 PAGES
TODAY
B" Mul. pet )•*{. (In ndTpoe*) - dk
^"■“■“■I
Late News
THE MARKET
Cotton, spots ___ Sr and op
Cotton seed. per ton . $12.00
Thursday Cloudy.
Today’s North Carolina Weather
Report: Partly cloudy and slightly
warmer in west portion tonight. In
creasing cloudiness Thursday.
Raid Big Clubs.
New York, Dec. 23.—Three score
prohibition agents raided five sup
per and night clubs last night in a
sweeping pre-holiday t ive. They
said the aggregate value of seised
furnishings and equipment would
run into several hundred thousand
dollars. Thirty persons were arrest
ed in each of the two establi«hments
raided. Agents said >he total arre ts
would approximate 100. The raiders
were proceeding under the supreme
court decision of November 23 in
which that tribunal held the 'ur
furnishings and fittings of a speak
easy subject to confiscation.
Moratorium Wins.
Washington. Dee. 23.— inr senate
last night after two days of bitter
debate, approvrd President Hoover’s
proposal for a one-year suspension
of $252,000,000 in war debts to the
United States. The vote was 69 to
12. The house of representatives al
ready has approved the suspension,
so the measure goes to the White
House for the president’s formal
approval.
Law Gets After
Bootleg Racket
Of Firecrackers
Things Start topping In Fireworks
Sale In Shelby And Over
County.
An undercover drive was yes
terday inaugurated against the
bootlegging of firecrackers in
Shelby and Cleveland county
and today things were popping
with a new vim in the fire
works line.
It is against the law to sell fire
crackers of any type within the city
limits of Shelby and to sell them
anywhere in the county without pay
ing a *100 county license and a $100
State license. But ever since the|
holiday season started firecrackers!
have been booming and cracking all
about Shelby and the county.
But this week some official, coun
ty or State, became curious. There
was so many firecrackers in evi
dence about Shelby that it was po
sitive they had to come from sorrie
where. An investigation of the tax
books revealed that not a single'
firm or person had bought the $200
license required to sell fireworks.
Where were the firecrackers com
ing from?
Yesterday, although no «■'"
report has been made and the mat
ter is still being kept mum in order
that other sellers may be rounded
up, some undercover work got un
derway. Almost a dozen persons
were found,- it is said, to be selling
firecrackers in small or large
amounts. Among them were several
young boys who had found that they
could make a profit on their per
sonal buy.
Costly Racket.
Some of the sales were being
made, it was said, inside Shelby
where firecrackers cannot be legal
ly sold even with two sets of license.
Just what will be done about it is
not known as yet. The sellers nst
bed in the undercover work may be
forced to put out $200, a hundred
each to the county and State, for
license and also pay the casts and
a fine for not having license or for
rolling where the law forbids. One
rumor about the court house was
that each person found to have
been dealing in fireworks would be
forced to purchase license and not
be fined.
One officer, however, said: "That'll
be up to the judge. The law says
rhat every firecracker agent must
hure license and not a single license
has been issued here. To sell with
out license is a violation of the law,
so there’s nothing to do but let it
go to court.”
All of which may mean that by
Christmas day it will be somewhat
difficult to purchase fireworks in
thl3 section. There is not enough
profit in the racket to run the risk
of being forced to pay a $200 license
and perhaps a court fine and cost.
No Issue Of The
Star On Friday
Following our usual custom,
The Star will omit its issue on
Friday (Christmas) dav in
order to give the employe's a
short vacation to spend with
Iheir families and friends Our
next issue will appear on Mon
day and regularly I hereafter.
Only one issue of The Star
and that during Christmas
week, Is omitted each yea'
We take this opportunity of
wishing every Star1 reader a
Merry Christmas season,
health, happiness and juy such
as the Savior brought when
He came to earth and still
brings to those who acknowl
edge and love HIM.
The Manager.
Ml
Yule Spirit Pervades Entire Shelby Section
u. v v v. y. v v v
County Nears Cotton Record
Funeral Of Hamrick
Held At Home Today
Death. Claims Leading
Shelby Man '
Veteran Business Man Succumbs
After A Lengthy
Illness.
T. W. Hamrick, sr., one of She:
by’s best known and mast highly
respected business men, died Tues
day morning at 10:15 at his. resid
ence on North LaFavette street,
death following a long illness re
sulting from cancer.
Mr. Hamrick had been afflicted
for several years and for approxi
mately a year had realized that he
was waging a losing fight, but up
until the last his fortitude and
cheerfulness were remarkable. Re
gradually grew worse and a week m
so ago relatives knew that he could
not live through the Christmas sea
son.
funeral Today.
Funeral services were held at tire
home this morning at 10:30. con
ducted by Dr. Zeno Wall, pastor of
the First Baptist church, of which
Mr. Hamrick was a member, as
sisted by Dr. E. K. McLarty. oi
Central Methodist church. Inter
ment followed in "Sunset cemetery
and a large throng of f tends and
acquaintances assembled to pay
their last respects to a man whose
life had been such as to rank him
among the most popular citizens oi
the town and county.
The deceased, a son of the late
Thomas Hamrick, was 55 years ©1
age, being bem April 30.' 1876.
Business Fioneer.
Although not an old man h
ranked among Shelby’s business
pioneers. Early in life he entered
business here and by his foresight
and business ability became one of
the city’s most successful business
men. At the time of his death he
was head of the T W. Hamrick
jewelry firm, which was organised
33 years ago, in 1898, by him an:*
his brother, Frank A. Hamrick. H*
was also connected during his life
time with numerous other business
enterprises and activities here.
Long An Alderman.
He w-as a thorough student of
government and for about 14 years
was a member of the Shelby board
of aldermen, serving two or three
times as mayor pro tern. In those
capacities he served unusually W'ell
and was perhaps better acquainted
with the inside details of city gov
ernment than any ocher.
It was in his contacts with his
fellowmen. however, that he was
best known. Successful in business,
he was a man in whom everyone
had the utmost confidence and his
success was built more upon hon-'
esty and dependability than upon j
anything else. At the time of his
death there were very few citizens
of the entire section who did not
know and admire him. About one
year ago he spent some time in
California, in an attempt to regain
VCONTIKUSD ON PAGE TEN.l
CAR IS STOLEN TODAY ,
NOON FROM MR. GARDNER
A Chevrolet, 1S28 coupe was stolen
today in Trade alky shortly after
noon, according to a report by
Squire Sylvanus Gardner, owner.
Mr. Gardner says his car was park
ed in the alley to the rear of Bost
Bakery when it was missed. It has
a dark blue body with , light blue
stripes.
T. W. Is Dead
T. W. Hamrick iabove), prominent
Shelby bpsiness man and for many
years an alderman and mayor pro
tern of Shelby, died at his home
here yesterday after a long 1 lines:,.
Death Claims IV.
Capers Lee, Vet
Of Confederacy
Was 86 Years Old. Funeral at La
fayette Street Methodist
Church Today,
Death claimed W. Capers Lee, 86
year-old Confederate veteran at
the Shelby hospital yesterday morn
ing at 2 o'clock where he had been
a patient'for three months, follow
ing a stroke of paralysis.
Mr. Lee was born and reared in
this county and for 18 years was j
a faithful employe of the Shelby]
mill. He served during the Civil!
war in 34th regiment, Co. F, was a j
valiant soldier, coming home at the t
end of the war to help rebuild a
stricken and devastated section. Mr.
Lee was active in church work and
for many years taught a Sunday
school class. He joined a Methodist
church 65 years ago and was a mem
ber of LaFayette street Methodist
church in South Shelby at the time
of his death.
Surviving are his wife and the
following children: Ed and Everett
Lee, of Shelby; John Lee of Con
cord; Mrs. Robert Bridges and Mrs.
Griffin Burgess of Shelby; Mrs. O.
M Rumfelt of Blacksburg and Mrs.
Will Turner of Shelby. Funeral
services were conducted this after
noon at 2:3(1 o'clock at LaFayette
Street Methodist church by the
pastor Rev. W. R. Jenkins and in
terment followed in Sunset ceme
tery.
Charlotte, Dec. 23.—Automobile
and other accidents took 12 lives in
North Carolina over last week-end
Twenty-five were injured.
Five people were arrested, three
of them negroes, and held following
investigations in three of the auto
mobile crashes.
New School Books Adopted In N. C.
To Save Parents $20,000 In Year
New Books Go On Next Fall tt
l^iwpr Prlres Than For
merly Paid.
Raleigh. Dec 23.—The state
board of education made the first
elementary textbook adoption since
1928 this week, obtaining new low
prices on arithmetics, drawing and
writing books, which, school men
estimate, will bring a saving of at
least $20,000 to patrons next year
in the purchase of new books.
The books adopted will go on
i the list with the term begnmum
■ next tali and remain there for fix»
years. They represent, with the ex
ception of one of the writing books,
a complete change from the texts
now in use tii the subjects, and
Which have been in use for 10
years
The new adoption in the field tf
arithmetic is "The New Day Arith
metic,” published by Charles E.
Merritt' company. This is a fito
book series selling for 31 cents a
copy for the books for use in the
third through the six grades, and
37 cents a copy for the seventh
grade book For the next five years j
mviiN’ivr.n «-»& r,\< icn
63,570 Bales
Ginned Up To
13th Of Month
717 Bales Behind
1929 Record
Ginning In County To Dor. 13 Al
ready Past 1930 Total. Should
Pau Mark.
A total of 63.570 bales of cot
ton had been ginned in Cleve
land county up to December 13.
according to the official figur
es given The Star today by Miles
H. Ware ginning agent.
Although the ginning since the
first of the month has not been
heavy it is probable that Cleveland
county will produce more cotton
this year than ever before and In
so doing pass the 62,287 bale mark
of 1929.
Leading By 3,000.
The ginning to the 13th. this
year, Is 2,707 bales of the ginning
to the same date last year. In fact,
the ginning to the 13th this year is
almost 1.000 bales more than the
total crop of 1930.
If 717 bales of cotton are ginneid
in the county after the 13th, more
than a week ago. the 1929 record
will be reached. Cotton men say
that the mark will be passed, the
most conservative estimating that
at least 1,000 bales were yet to be
ginned on the 23th,
A total of 823 bales were ginned
from the first of the month to the
13th, and If the same amount is
ginned during the latter half oi
December the new record will have
been reached by the first of the
year.
Acreage in the county was re
duced this year and less fertilizer
sold, but an Ideal cotton-growing
season, a summer that lingered in
to winter, brought about a mam
moth crop and a record to-th -acre
production.
Musical Operetta
By Children Here
Thrills Good Crowd
“Toy .Shop,’' Presented By Marion
School Pupils. Unusually Good
Performance.
"The Toy Shop," an oiieretta, pre
sented at the Central school audi
torium last night by 155 youngsters
from the Marion school, under the
direction of Mr, O. B. lewis proved
highly entertaining to a crowd th&t
filled the lower floor of the audi
torium.
The youngsters from the jeading
roles on through the minor parts
displayed considerable ability and
talent. The story was that of Tina,
a little waif, and her dolls, desires,
and fantasies at Christmas time
Nancy Lineberger. cast in the
leading role, sang and acted with
unusual ability and charm, her per
formance being the highlight of the
evening. Eleanor Hoey, as Mrs.
Grumby, was also unusually good in
her role, as were Rush Hamrick, }r.,
as Jack-in-the-Box. Emma Jae
Beam as Kewpie Doll. Bill LeCrand
in his Wooden Soldier song, aad
Katherine Bailey as the Oldest,
Doll. These were all leading pvrts.
The youngsters in the other out
standing roles who performed well
were Juanita Eskridge as the First
Doll, Phyllis Yates as Second Doll,
Elizabeth Harrill as Third Doll.
Sara Esther Dover in an excellent
military tap dance, Betty Jo Kelly
in a doll dance under an amber
spotlight, Roy Wilson as Pal the
dog, and Walter Laughridge in
stealing the cat. Mr. Horace Essom
contributed the voice-off-the stage
feature. The old-fashioned and
Dutch doll dances and the Teddy
bear act all proved entertaining.
The mechanical end of the operetta
the lighting effects, moved along
smoothly as did the performances
of all the children from the heavy
parts through the minor roles. *
On Visit Home.
Miss Selma Warlick, a member
of the Brooklyn Eagle staff, arrived
last night to spend the holidays
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
T. Warlick of the Lawndale section.
Miss Warlick. a graduate of Duke
and formerly with the newspaper in
Durham, has been with the Brook
lyn paper for more than a year
The Spirit Of Christmas Time
\
1 (The following editorial on the j
apirit of the season was written!
years ago In The Charlotte Observ -
*r by the late J. P. Caldwell, one
of the South's most gifted editors.! |
We are entering once again upon
the Christmas season—spiritually
and socially the most significant fes
tival of the year. Let us for once
put aside selfishness and enter In
tO tfi$'spli*lt of occasion wittl
the wholeheartedness that the con
sequence of the great festival mer
its. Let us put away the cares and
worries of business; the vexatious
problems that go to harrass and
annoy us the year round, and in re
membering others, forget, self and
be happy. This glorious Yuletide
comes but once ayear, it is but a
little journey to the Other Side;
**; ~~z-■— ■— —’•
(let us make userrjr while the pulse
of God's blessed iftft of life throbs
within us
! All of us are planing to make the
j occasion a happy one for the dear
i little ones at home—for the hus
band. wife, father, mother, sister or
brother. Let us not forget how
meaningless this blessed season may
be to those whom we have always
■conitNtrao on page ten.'
Cleveland Family May Share In
In Huge Oil Well Fortune In West
William Humphrjes, Who Left Here 100
Years Ago, Died In Texas Without Child
ren. Mammoth Estate Never Probated.
Scores Of Relatives Seek Fortune.
A movement has been started, The Star learned today,
to determine of scores of members of the Humphries family
3f Cleveland and neighboring counties are not entitled to
share in a vast oil estate in Texas which was left by William
Hiiwnhriflc l----—-— _
The hope of sharing in the big
oil fortune is based, according to
Attorney P. Cleveland Gardner, up
on the hope that it may be shown
that William Humphries was born
and reared in what is now No. 1
township. Cleveland county, leav
ing this section for the west almost
100 years ago.
Tracing Records.
If the dream of the inherited for
tune should pan out, it would be a
remarkable Santa Claus gift to the
hundreds of Humphries who five In
I lower Cleveland and Rutherford
counties and In Cherokee county,
Just across the line In South Caro
lina. Family records and other old
documents are being traced with
the Idea of showing that William
Humphries was one of six brothers
two of whom remained in this sec
tion after the four others went
west, the Humphries of this sec
tion being descendants of the two
brothers who remained in North
Carolina
(^earned Here.
In some manner, it 1s said, mem
bers of the Humphries family living
in Tennessee learned that the big
oil estate in Texas had never been
divided. Recently they held a clan
meeting in Tennessee to check up
on family history. It is their be
lief that they are descendants of a
brother of William Humphries Who
left this section between 1820 and
1930 with William Humphries. When
this branch o( the family got into
communication with officials ck
here- the Humphries of this section
fir.it heard of the matter. They em
ployed Attorney Gardner, whose
sideline hobby is a study of old
Cleveland county history, to check
up on the matter
Family History.
Mr. Gardner has been in com
munication with an attorney at
Beaumont, Texas, in the county of
Jefferson, and also with other
branches of the Humphries family
in other States. The story as gath
ered to date by him is something
like this:
The ancestor of all the Hum
phries fought at the Battle of
Kings Mountain, as us shown by the
‘CONTINUED ON PAO* TEN.)
Governor To Get
Thrill In Ringing
Out The Year 1931
Never Experts To See Another One
As Bad. Coming Home For
Christmas.
Governor O. Max Gardner, who
will arrive here tomorrow to spend
Christmas and a week with his
family, will be glad to help usher
in a New Year.
He was quoted In yesterday's
News and Observer as saying:
"When midnight of December 31,
1931 rolls around, I shall want to
do something that 1 have not done
since I was a small boy, get a bell
and ring it.”
“1 am making no predictions as
to what 1932 will bring, but I know
that I shall welcome the passing of
1931 as X have never welcomed the
turn of any year that I have ever
known. 1 believe that it is by far
the worse that I have ever known
or will ever know."
New Uses For Cotton Give Ray Of
Hope For Increased Consumption
Progress Reported In Efforts To
Encourage Greater Con
sumption.
New York, Dee 33.—New uses
which he said would result in "ef
fecting a greater consumption of
cotton with enduring benefits to
American cotton growers and man
ufacturers," were outlined today by
George A. Sloan, president of the
Cotton-Textile Institute
' Although the American c6tt*:c!
manufacturers, at great expense
have pioneered in (he develnpmer1
of new uses during the past five
years,” he said, ‘‘the results of their
studies in this country ^are avail
able to consumers of cotton in Eu
rope. South America, Canada and
the Far East The quest of new uses
has developed into a world-wide
movement with an increasingly
helpful influence to be anticipated
therefrom.”
The progress made in styling and
desiging American cotton fabrics
resulted, he said, in the acceptance
recently bv the Victoria and Albert
Museum- in London of a group of
II'I'M INI:(!) ON PAlik 1KN
Business,
Industry
Will Close
Textile Mills Close
Several Days
Charity Worker* 1**4 Movement To
Make It A Joyful Ch Hat mat
Here.
The spirit of Christman seat
evident at every turn In Shelby
and Cleveland county today.
Although the big holiday of the
year was two day* off. the Yale
atmosphere has already perme
ated the entire section.
Shelby city schools closed yester
day and 3.000 students Joined with
their college brothers and sisters In
getting ready for Christmas, while
thousands of other school children,
those in the rural schools, began
thf lr holidays this afternoon
Shopping Jam*.
Every indication today was that
tomorrow. Thursday, would bring a
record throng of Christmas bargain
hunters to the city, but the big rush
was not delayed until the las* day.
Shelby streets were filled this morn
ing with scores and scores of hurry
irig shoppers and by mid-afternoon
the crowds had increased. Stores
with extra clerical help were hav
ing a very active trade today and by
afternoon all they could handle as
the fair weather added to the sire
of the shopping thremg*rr*n every
hand there was bustle and activity
as last-minute gifts were purchas
ed. wrapped, mailed or hidden
Taking Holidays.
Friday. Christmas day, the many
employes of the Shelby business sec
tion will get • breathing spell frpm
their anrnamrxMjm -%a *»
stores and business houses will he
closed for the day. The hanks ol the
city will also be closed for only one
day as will the post office windows.
Some of the building and loan of
fices will be closed both Friday and
Saturday, but the majority on'y Fri
day. .
Out in the industrial, septiun tex
tile mill workers will be given holi
days ranging from two to four days
Tire Ora, Dover and Eastaido plants
will close Thursday morning and hot
resume work until Tuesday morn
CON’MNTTED ON eSGB TEt.
Lions Put Over
Real Christmas
Party For Tots
Nineteen Youngsters Fed And Cloth
ed By Shelby Club At Part*
Last Night.
Members of the Shelby Lions club
the majority of them young busi
ness and professional men, played
Santa Claus last night in a manner
that took joy and happiness into
the lives of a score of Shelby
youngsters.
At the regular meeting or the
club, held at Hotel Charles, the
Lions put on a Christmas party
with seven girls and 12 boys, all
coming from poor homes, as their
guests. The 19 guests were selected
by the central charity committee as
youngsters deserving aid. They came
from homes where the parents are
sick or without work, homes where
there has not been ample funds to
provide proper clothing and in some
cases food. And the Lions did fit
more than put on an entertaining
program for the grateful youngsters,
To each of the seven girls they gave
a dress, shoes, stockings and under
wear, and to each of* the 12 boys
they gave a pair of overalls, a shirt,
underwear, shoes and stockings. Oi't
little girl selected to be a guest at
the party was sick and unable to
come, and to her the Lions sent two
pairs of pajamas, bed sheets and a
pillow case. That one of the little
boy.s really needed his shoes was
shown by the fact that he attended
the party In his bare feet—and what
a time he had.
The address of welcome, or the
act of making the youngsters feel at
home, was made by Attorney Ernest
Gardner. Thereafter the program
was informal and devoted to fun
for the youngsters. This entertain
ment included the playing of game.-,
with the Lions participating, a no
some fancy buck dancing oy
Weebit’.' the colored delivery boy.
which cave the 19 tots p'ertiy o*
hrilU V " .,