Monday, October 8, 2018

Local and Personal News, Mostly Related to Flu, Military, 1918


From The Monroe Journal, Oct. 8, 1918

Local and Personal

Federal court, which should have convened in Charlotte yesterday, has been postponed until November 18th on account of Spanish influenza.

Schools have been suspended, the moving picture shows closed, and all public gatherings dispersed with until the influenza situation over the county is improved.

The children’s missionary society of the First Baptist church picked cotton for Mr. Raymond Griffin last Thursday and devoted the proceeds of their labor to State Missions. Thirteen hundred and twenty-six pounds were picked in all.

A 12-year-old boy was found on the embankment near the railroad shops yesterday afternoon suffering with influenza. He was carried to the shop and examined by a physician and as he had no people to notify, he was sent to Dr. Massey’s hospital. His home is in Aberdeen.

Mr. Grier Hudson, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Hudson, has enlisted in the Tank Corps and is spending a few days with his parents prior to reporting for duty on the 15th. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson now have four sons in service. Lieut. Mike Hudson of the U.S. Navy, Mr. Will Hudson with a motor truck company in France, and Mr. Joe Hudson in the Infantry, also in France.

Deputy Sheriff Clifford Fowler yesterday arrested Bill Summerfield, who lives near the state lines in Lanes Creek township, upon a South Carolina warrant charging him with attempt to commit criminal assault upon Lizzie Gibson. The crime was alleged to have taken place at the home of the Gibson girl’s mother in Chesterfield county. When arrested Summerfield was carrying a pistol and he was this morning tried for this before Recorder Lemmond and taxed with $50 and the costs.

Members of the colored choirs from over the county at a meeting presided over by Rev. Richard Allen Saturday afternoon perfected arrangements for the singing contest which takes place at Wadesboro next Sunday. They will meet at the courthouse here Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock and Saturday afternoon at 1:30 for further practice.

People passing the Monroe Hardware for the past few days have stopped and stared in astonishment at the sight which greets their eyes in the large show window. They behold the sea, the coast with the cliffs rising upward and sailing the waters of the bay is a boat bearing duck hunters. The scene is very realistic and is the work of Mr. Gilmer Joyce. Mr. Joyce is competing for a $200 prize offered by the Winchester Arms Company for the best decorated window. We have been aware of the fact for some time that Mr. Joyce was an expert decorator but we didn’t believe it was possible for anybody to produce such a scene as he has done.

Henry Young, a colored farmer living on the western edge of the county in town yesterday told a pitiable tale of how arriving home Tuesday morning from Florence, S.C., with his bride of four days, he found his home and all the outbuildings destroyed by fire. Several horses and other stock perished in the flames and considerable feed was destroyed. The loss will amount to about $3,000 and there was no insurance. A hat with the name of Mack Stafford and a new oil can were found near the scene of the burned home and on these evidences he was arrested and lodged in jail charged with setting fire to the buildings.

Funeral services of Lieut. Amon Richardson, an account of whose death appeared in Friday’s Journal, were held at Carmel church Saturday afternoon. The pall bearers were Mark Squires, Thomas White and Dr. O.L. Moore of Lenoir and P.H. Johnson, W.B. Love and R.L. Helms. He was buried in the uniform of an American soldier, which he had worn in service and hoped soon to be able to wear again across the seas. There were many and beautiful floral designs, both from friends and neighbors and from a distance. Mr. Mark Squires and Mr. W.B. Love made touching remarks at the funeral. Mr. Squires told of Mr. Richardson’s life and character as a citizen, a lawyer, and a church worker. He said that Lenoir and all of Caldwell county mourned their loss. Mr. Love spoke of him as a boy, a college friend and a lawyer. Rev. J.E. Abernethy, who conducted the service, made a very appropriate talk, and the body was then carried to New Hope church, where it was buried, and the mound was covered with the beautiful flowers that had been sent by sympathizing friends.

With the letting up of the order restraining the ginning of cotton Monday morning, cotton poured into Monroe with a rush; 212 bales were received yesterday.

Friday’s Journal announced that the High School would resume regular work yesterday. Since then the board of trustees and teachers have decided that on account of the influenza epidemic it was best to postpone the opening for another week.

W.M. Henderson of Lancaster Route 8 was in town today, returning home from Norfolk, Va., where he had been to see his son, Walter Henderson, a soldier in camp at that place who has been sick but is now improving.

If your mail does not find its way to your box with its usual promptness, do not complain. Three members of the post office force, Messrs. S.E. Haigler and Lloyd Sutton, and Miss Cora Lee Montgomery, are confined to their homes with influenza.

Mrs. R.H. Garren yesterday afternoon received a telegram from her husband, Dr. R.H. Garren, who went to Wilmington last week to aid in combatting the spread of Spanish influenza, stating that he had been taken with the disease and was confined to a hospital.

Rev. J.E. Abernethy’s address on “The War and the Liberty Loan” in the court-house Sunday afternoon was a master piece. The necessity of buying Bonds was presented to the audience as no speaker in Monroe has been able to do heretofore. The impassioned utterance of the speaker brought tears to the eyes of many of the men in the audience.

As chairman of the county council of defense Mr. B.C. Ashcraft has ordered that the meeting of the Union Baptist Association, which was to have been held in Olive Branch next week, be called off on account of the Spanish influenza. The executive committee of the association will make announcement later concerning the postponement and future date of the meeting.

Telegrams were received from Hamlet yesterday requesting that if possible Monroe doctors come at once to attend those ill with influenza in that city. It is said that it is impossible to secure the services of a doctor there, all of them being ill. Monroe doctors were unable to answer the call, there being only three white doctors in the town, and they are very much overworked.

At a meeting held in the chamber of commerce rooms last Friday night it was decided that the directors of the organization should elect delegates to go to Washington to present the question of securing the radio plant. Those elected were Messrs. J.C. Sikes, R.F. Beasley, R.A. Morrow, T.L. Riddle and G.B. Caldwell. These gentlemen with the exception of Mr. Morrow who was unable to attend on account of illness of his son Robert at Davidson College, left last night.

Saturday night about 10 o’clock Mr. W.A. Whitaker of West Monroe township was carrying several bottles of soft drinks in his arm when one of the bottles burst and a piece of flying glass struck him in the right eye cutting a piece of skin from other the pupil. He at once came to Monroe where the glass was extricated. Sunday morning he went to Charlotte for treatment. At last reports he was doing nicely.

Purely Personal

Mrs. O.M. Sanders and Mr. W.C. Sanders spent Sunday with Mr. Sikes Sanders at Donaldson Military Academy at Fayetteville.

Miss Hattie Beasley is at home for two weeks while the Edenton city schools are closed because of Spanish Influenza. Miss Annie May Ashcraft, who also teaches at Edenton is visiting her uncle, Governor Bickett in Raleigh.

Dr. J.W. Neal and Mrs. W.C. Sanders left Saturday afternoon for Durham after receiving word that Mr. William Neal was very ill with influenza. A message has since been received that Mr. Neil is much better.

Miss Hannah Blair, who is in school at St. Mary’s in Raleigh, is at home for a short stay because of the influenza epidemic.

Miss Virginia Cole Blakeney is spending the week in Charlotte visiting relatives.

Miss Mary Stewart left Friday for Washington where she has accepted a civil service position.

Mr. M.C. Long received a message yesterday stating that his son, Dr. Roy Long, who has enlisted in the medical corps, has arrived at his home in Carlisle, South Carolina, ill with Spanish influenza.
Miss Mary Stewart left today for a visit to Miss Louise Middleton in Goldsboro.

Mrs. Evelyn Prosby of Norfolk, Va., arrived Saturday night to visit her parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Price.

Miss Claudia Sanders arrived home Sunday night for a short stay as Coker College has been closed because of the influenza.

Mr. J.H. Lee left Sunday night for Durham where his son, Mr. Clarence Lee, is very ill with influenza.

Mrs. A.M. Stack and little daughter, Chattie Stack, left Saturday night for Baltimore where the latter will undergo treatment in Johns Hopkins hospital.

Mrs. Geo. F. Ruitzler Jr., who is undergoing treatment in Dr. Pryors’ hospital in Chester, is steadily improving and will soon be able to leave the hospital.

Miss Rosa Blakeney is spending some time at home as the Shelby school has closed on account of the influenza.

Miss Lucy Wray returned from Hartsville to spend two weeks at home as Coker College has disbanded on account of influenza. Misses Esther Suttle and Ruth Moore spent Monday with Miss Wray on their way to their home in Shelby.

Mr. T.F. Limerick, Y.M.C.A worker stationed at Camp Greene, has been home for a week suffering with influenza. He returned to his work today.

Miss Martha Jennings of Spartanburg spent Sunday and Monday with Miss Claudia Sanders.

Mr. A.A. Secrest has returned from a visit to his brother, Mr. J.R. Secrest, at Paris, Texas, having gone there from the Confederate veterans reunion at Tulsa, Okla.

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Lowe are spending some time in Marshville.

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