Women Selling Goods at the Curb Markets in Alamance and Carteret Counties, 1936

“Timely News Items” by Jane S. McKimmon, N.C. State College, as published in the June, 1936, issue of the Carolina Co-Operator

Recently the Alamance County Home Demonstration Curb Market celebrated its 13^th birthday and gave itself a large birthday cake for the occasion. Thirteen little girls dressed in rainbow colors gave favors and acted as marshalls to direct the customers around the building. Each customer was given a chance to guess the weight of the cake and nine persons guessed 10 pounds. As the weight was 10 pounds and two ounces, the cake was divided amongst the successful nine.

Favors were distributed to every buyer and consisted of a little brown paper market basket filled with paper carrots, radishes, squash, and strawberries. In it was a leaflet telling about the mount of sales each year in the past and a list of all the producers now selling in the market.

At the Alamance market two baskets of good things are given away to customers each Saturday—and two of the women sellers take it as their responsibility to fill one basket. I know you would like to draw the lucky number when I tell you that the basket contains one dressed chicken, four or five slices of ham or some other kind of meat, a dozen eggs, a cake or pie, a basket of strawberries, and several kinds of fresh vegetables.

The customers place their names in a box and at an appointed hour announced the Saturday before, the drawing takes place. The fortunate customer whose name is drawn must be present, or have someone to represent her.

Busy Summer Trade in Carteret

Sellers on the Carteret County Curb Market are making their plans now for a busy summer resort trade. The market shed has been covered with tarpaper; the building and trees have been whitewashed and two new signs painted, one to hang at the corner of Arendell Street pointing the cottagers to the market and one to be placed over the market itself. Three hundred handbills have been printed and distributed over Morehead City, Beaufort, and Atlantic Beach advertising the opening day.