Local and Personal News from Union County, Dec. 24, 1918

From The Monroe Journal, Dec. 24, 1918

Local and Personal News

Dr. E.C. Brooks, appointed State Superintendent of Education to succeed Dr. J.Y. Joyner who resigned, was formerly superintendent of the Monroe public schools. He is well remembered here.

Automobiles driven by Mr. E.C. Ingram and Mrs. Craven Gordon collided on east Windsor street Saturday. The rear wheels of the car driven by Mrs. Gordon were demolished and Mr. Ingram’s car slightly damaged. No one was hurt.

Monroe and Union county men who take an interest in politics are already watching closely the several candidates who have tossed their hats into the ring and intend to make the race for governor of the State. Cameron Morrison of Charlotte, Ex-Congressman R.N. Page, and Lieutenant O. Max Gardner are already in the race and the names of several other possible candidates are being heard.

Dead Germans must have been numerous indeed when a fellow comes to the conclusion that he could eat dinner one ones back, but so say Mr. Horace McManus in a letter to his mother, Mrs. S.P. McManus of Monroe Route 1. This is the way he expresses it: “I have seen several dead Germans. I have slept all around them, but it didn’t bother me a bit. I know that I could eat dinner on one’s back. I have had Hun shells to burst all around me, and when they get too close I run into a shell hole.”

Mrs. W.M. Harkey of Matthews received the following letter from her brother, Mr. Charles Hill with the American Army overseas a few days ago. The letter was written in a base hospital at Dartford, England, and says: “Just a few lines to let you know that I am spending some time in a hospital in England, having received a shrapnel wound on the morning of October 7^th. I am very happy to state that I am getting along very nicely and walked with the aid of crutches for the first time to-day. I think that I will sail for the States in the very near future.”

Lizzie Gurlkey, Mary Horne and Mary Gatewood, dusky damsels, were arraigned before Recorder W.O. Lemmond yesterday to answer to a charge of using profanity of the streets. Witnesses testified that the Gurley negress came out of the Seaboard café near the depot, where she worked, with a large knife in her hand and threatened to see how deep she could stick it into the Horne woman, interspersing her threats with select profanity. The court decided that the Gurley and Horne women should pay the costs and that the Gatewood woman was not guilty.

Mr. W.S. Starnes died at his home in Buford township yesterday morning. Death resulted from heart trouble with which he had been afflicted for some time. The deceased was about 65 years old. Surviving him are four sons and five daughters. The sons are Messers. Reece, Jerry, John and Thomas Starnes, all of Buford; the daughters are Mrs. J.C. Moser, Mrs. M.I. Rollings, Mrs. Lewis Measemer, Mrs. John McWhorter and Miss Julie Starnes. Mr. Starnes was a good man and respected by all who knew him. He was a consistent member of the Methodist church. Funeral service and interment took place at Bethlehem church this morning.

To draw a pistol in an attempt to hold a bold burglar and to have him in turn pull his and escape was the experience of Mrs. Frank Secrest early Saturday morning. Mr. Secrest, Route 5, arose about 5:30 and after making a fire in the stove started to his work, leaving the door to the kitchen, by which he left, unlocked. A little later, Mrs. Secrest was disturbed by some one in the kitchen and securing a pistol she started on a tour of investigation and surprised a negro in the act of helping himself of something to eat. The negro at once attempted to escape and fund that the screen to the door by which he had entered had become fastened. At this he pulled a pistol on Mrs. Secrest, who at once retreated. Thereupon the negro escaped.

Mr. Fletcher J. Goodwin, son of Mr. B.L. Goodwin of Monroe Route 2, speaking of the bravery of the Bickett battery of which he is a member, in a recent letter to his father says “August 26^th we left for the front. The boys were cheerful all the way. I thought when we left the states that some of us would hang down our heads, but every one seemed as happy as one going to a show or something. I think that Battery D was the luckiest battery in the American Expeditionary forces. We have not lost a man since we left Wadesboro. We had one many wounded but not bad. But, believe me, I have been in some awful dangerous places. I have been where it looked like no one could live and came out unhurt. I have been so close where big shells were bursting that they threw dirt all over me.”

Mr. Marshal Barr, who has been stationed at Camp Jackson, has received an honorable discharge from the army.

Mr. W.D. Hice of Unionville Route 2 last week killed a Poland China hog that weighted 347 punds and was just 300 days old.

The Bible Conference which was to have been held at Wingate the latter part of the week has been postponed on account of the influenza situation.

Rev. J.R. Warren will hold a Christmas service at Grace Chapel Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock, at Icemorelee at 3 o’clock, and at North Monroe at 7 o’clock p.m.

Mr. D.T. Deese, son of Mr. Thos. Deese, and Miss Jennie D. Helms the daughter of Mr. Albert Helms, both of Monroe township, were married Sunday afternoon at the home of officiating minister Rev. J.R. Warren in North Monroe.

A motor truck driven by Mr. Dewitt Aldridge and a horse and buggy driven by a Mr. Gaddy, who lives six miles east of here, collided on the Lee’s Mill Bridge about two miles east of here last night. The horse was slightly skinned and the truck was damaged to a considerable extent. Both the men escaped unhurt.

In a recent issue of The Journal it was stated by mistake that Captain John E. Haywood was a member of the quartermasters corps. Captain Haywood has been with the combatant force since his arrival in France and now he is captain of the 16^th Infantry of the 5^th Division, which is marching into Germany.

Mr. Whiteford Tomberlin, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Tomberlin of Buford township, has been released from a German prison camp at Dulmen and has arrived safe and in good health at Hull, England, his parents were notified in a telegram received here yesterday morning. Young Tomberlin was first reported as missing in action. Some time ago his parents received a cablegram filed in Holland and signed by himself stating that he was safe, as was recorded in a recent issue of The Journal.

For a Christmas present the Isemorlee Cotton Mills presented to each of its employees money equal to 10 per cent of the wages earned by them in the last 10 weeks. About $3,000 was distributed among the employees. This mill never allows a Christmas to go by without remembering its employees. Acts like these, coupled with the good homes with modern conveniences maintained by the mill, the good schools and churches and the modern methods of milling, account for the high class of workers employed at Icemorlee.

Mr. H.C. Simpson has inaugurated the first moonlight school in the county so far as The Journal knows. Mr. Simpson teaches at the Fowler school but lives in Unionville, and it is there that he has his unusual school every night. So far only two boys attend, but that in itself is a good beginning as they are interested. These boys, 16 and 18 years of age, started to school, but attended only three days, as the pupils “made fun” of them because they could not read or write. But through the interest and kindness of Mr. Simpson they are now learning and learning fast. Moonlight schools were first established in Kentucky about six years ago to teach adult illiterates to read and write. This work has been wonderfully successful and we should like to see it carried on more extensively in Union county.

Grady Byrum, son of Mr. and Mrs. EJ. Byrum of Vance township, the first Union soldier to arrive home after serving with the American army in France alighted from train No. 5 when it rolled in Sunday morning. Mr. Byrum’s coming was a complete surprise, and a brother-in-law, Mr. Mark Yandle, could hardly believe his eyes when by chance he saw Mr. Byrum alight from the train. The transport on which young Byrum returned from France docked at Newport News Friday morning at 2 o’clock. Having no available room for the troops on board the ship in the nearby camps they were each given 30 days furlough. At the end of 30 days Mr. Byrum will report at Miami, Fla., where he will probably be given his discharge. Young Byrum was an aviation pilot in the Marine Corps while in France, having volunteered in this branch of the service. He talks interestingly of his experiences “Over There,” relating that at one time an American ammunition dump near where he was quartered for the night was located by the German aviators, who dropped a bomb upon it. At once there was an explosion, he states, that shook the earth and lit up the horizon for miles around. The ship on which he returned to America encountered severe storms, the heavy seas breaking over the ship, making it necessary to keep the pumps going all the time.

In the casualty list issued yesterday morning there appears the name of Capt. John E. Haywood as slightly wounded and Mr. John Heath of Waxhaw as severely wounded.

Messrs. G.W. Moser and James Rogers will conduct a song service at North Monroe Primitive Baptist church the fifth Sunday in this month at 11 o’clock.

Miss Blanche Gaffney of Gaffney will be the guest of Miss Mary Deane Laney for the holidays.

Mr. Roy Hill, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Hill, has returned home from the S.A.T.C. unit of the University of Virginia, having been honorably discharged.

Mr. Joe McEwen, student of the University of Chapel Hill, is home for the holidays.

Mr. G.T. Dull of Winston-Salem is visiting Rev. and Mrs. J.R. Warren.

Miss Grace Benton who teaches music in Hamlet is the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Benton.

Dr. John Secrest of Winston-Salem is visiting relatives in the city.

Mr. Ray Funderburk who has been Y.M.C.A. Educational director at Camp Greene for the past few months passed through Monroe yesterday with a troop train en route to Camp Pike, Ark. The soldier boys on the train were in the Tank Corps and will be mustered out at Camp Pike.

Miss Julie Futch of the Woman’s College Roanoke, Va., is at home for the holidays.

Mrs. Fred S. Brooks of the faculty of Wesley Chapel High School, left Friday night to spend the holidays with relatives at Rome, Ga.

Miss Bee Fairley spent several days in Laurinburg last week.

Miss Mabel Belk, who has been ill with influenza in Winston-Salem, has returned home, accompanied by her sister, Mrs. Frank Stevens.

Mr. Ira (?) Griffith returned home yesterday, having received an honorable discharge. Mr. Griffith has been stationed at Harrisburg, Pa.

Miss Eleanor Gurney, who teaches in the Red Springs public school, is spending the Christmas holidays with Dr. and Mrs. H.E. Gurney.

Lt. and Mrs. Stafford Wolfe will be the guests of Mrs. Minnie Wolfe for a few days this week. Lt. Wolfe is stationed at Camp Sevier.

Mr. I.S. Nobles of Stallings is at home from Camp Sevier on a furlough for the holidays.

Lt. Irl (Earl? Ira?) Bivens stationed at Camp McClelland arrived last night to spend the Christmas holidays with relatives.

Miss Pauline Benton who is teaching this year at Roanoke Rapids is home for the holidays.

Misses Mamie Lemmond, Viola Hart and Grace Henderson, students of Flora McDonald, are spending their Christmas vacation with their parents.

Miss Mary Hazel Long is the guest of her sister, Mrs. George F. Rutzler Jr. in Charlotte.

Misses Sarah Redwine of Carolina College faculty at Maxton, Katherine Redwine who has been teaching at Blacksburg, S.C., and Mr. Worth Redwine a student of Porter Military Academy at Charleston are spending Christmas with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Redwine.

Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell Propst and baby of Sumpter, S.C., and Mr. Henry Whittaker of Raleigh were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Caldwell last week.

Mr. and Mrs. Hill White of Columbia spent several days last week with Mrs. White’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Benton.

Miss Gladys Biggers of the Normal and Industrial school at Albemarle is visiting her mother, Mrs. Nannie Biggers.

Miss Sadie Bundy who has a position with Western Union in Charlotte is spending a few days at home.

Lieut. Hughes Murray has arrived in the city from Camp Johnstone, Fla., to visit his sister, Mrs. J.D. Warren.

Miss Hammah Blair, a student of St. Mary’s School, Raleigh, and Mr. Harry Blair of Columbia, S.C., are spending Christmas at home.

Mr. Francis Laney has returned from G.M.I., Atlanta, Ga.

Miss Allie Matthews who has been attending school at Winthrop College, is at home for the holidays.

Miss Annia Mae Ashcraft, who teaches in the Edenton City schools, is spending some time with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F.B. Ashcraft

Miss Hattie Beasley, who is a member of the Edenton high school faculty, is ill with the influenza in that city.