Local and Personal News Briefs From Monroe Journal, Jan. 21, 1919

From The Monroe Journal, Jan. 21, 1919

Local and Personal

There will be a memorial service at the Altan Presbyterian church next Sunday morning at 11 o’clock for Private Jesse Griffin, who died in France on October 11^th,  1918. The pastor, Rev. E.S. Watson, will be assisted by Rev. R.J. McIlwaine.

All the business men of the city are invited to meet at the Chamber of Commerce rooms tonight at 7:30 to learn the status of the radio station. This is important as all the data concerning the station will be placed before the public.

Mr. C.E. Hill left Sunday night for the west to buy mules. He will sell at R.C. Griffin & Bro.’s stables.

Mr. P.H. Johnson, who has been assistant cashier of the Farmers and Merchants’ Ban, has resigned and has been succeeded by Mr. Heath Lee.

Mr. J.W. Fowler has just returned from St. Louis where he purchased three car loads of horses and mules for Fowler & Lee.

Mr. W.J. Heath has purchased from Mr. N.C. English the mercantile business in North Monroe and will continue at the same stand, near the Jackson mills.

County Superintendent R.N. Nisbet states that the influenza situation over the county is interrupting seriously the work of the schools. A number of schools have been closed to await the passing of the epidemic, and others have been closed for the season.

The work of the home demonstration agent in Union county will not be stopped. The county commissioners have appropriated $225 to be used toward paying the salary of an agent and the county board of education has appropriated $200. The State will duplicate these amounts and a trained agent will be secured in the near future.

An organization was perfected with Mr. Sam D. Helms as president, Mr. R.W. Elliott, vice-president, and Mr. R.C. Griffin, secretary and treasurer, at a meeting of the directors of the Monroe National Farm Loan Association in the courthouse Saturday. The association is now ready to receive applications for loans. Those wishing to make application should see the secretary and treasurer.

Mrs. Polly Starnes, one of the oldest residents of the county, died at the home of Mr. W.P. Plyler in Ruford township early yesterday morning. Death resulted from the ills incident to old age. Surviving her are two sons, Messrs. David and Joseph Starnes of Monroe township. She was a good woman and a member of the Methodist church.

Mr. H.H. Wilson arrived home yesterday morning, having been honorably discharged from the army. Mr. Wilson was on his way to France when the armistice was signed, landing Nov. 14^th. On December 26^th his company was started back to America. The transport on which he returned was delayed, however, and he did not land at Newport News until January 8^th. He was then sent to Fortress Monroe where he received an honorable discharge.

Mr. Thomas Jarmon arrived home Sunday night, having been honorably discharged from the army. He was gassed in one of the big drives and sent to a base hospital for treatment. He landed in America about 10 days ago in company with a number of others who had been wounded or gassed and was sent to Camp Greene where he received his discharge. “I had a pretty good time in France, except the few nights when we went over the top,” states Mr. Jarman. He was in France more than six months as is shown by the gold service stripe.

Mr. Darling J. Melton, so of Mr. J.A. Melton, has received an honorable discharge from the army. He was in France with the 30^th Division for six months and received a dose of mustard gas. Mr. Melton arrived home yesterday.

All the Red Cross Auxiliaries that have on hand an allotment of clothing, knitting, etc., are asked to send them in at once, as a request for an immediate shipment has come from headquarters. The January allotment of 100 girls’ dresses has arrived and is to be completed this week, so all interested ladies are earnestly requested to help.

Rev. W.B. Arrowood, pastor of the Presbyterian church of Sharon, S.C., died Saturday afternoon of paralysis. He had been pastor of this church for the past 10 years. A number of years ago Rev. Mr. Arrowood held pastorates in this county and is well remembered by the older citizens. He was an excellent minister and respected by all who knew him. He was a graduate of Davidson college and prepared for the ministry at Union Theological Institute, Richmond, Va. Surviving him are two daughters and one son. Funeral services were conducted at Sharon Sunday.

Within the past few weeks the Seaboard depot has been re-painted and placed in good sanitary condition. A negro maid has been engaged permanently to devote her time to the keeping of the building in a sanitary condition and to attend to the comfort of the traveling public who make use of the depot facilities. Recently there have been a number of complaints about the sanitary condition of the depot and a warrant had been issued and served upon the agent of the Seaboard here charging such. The case is now pending in the Recorder’s court. However, since the improvements have been made, it will probably be dismissed.

The greatly reduced rates for short over-night messages, recently ordered by Postmaster General Burleson, are now in effect at the Western Union office here. Under the new rates for this short over-night service the minimum charge is 20 cents and the maximum charge is 50 cents. Formerly the maximum charge was $1. Neither does this service conflict with the longer night letter service.

Jim Wise, colored, who is serving a five-year term on the roads of Mecklenburg county for highway robbery, escaped a few nights ago and came to Monroe to visit his girl, who lives on Bryan street. He arrived in Monroe at 6 o’clock and at 11 the house of his lady love was surrounded by Chief of Police T.M. Christenbury and officers Brown McCorkle and Clyde Winchester, and his visit was rudely interrupted. Mr. H.C. Little, superintendent of the Mecklenburg chain gang, came down and carried Wise back to resume his task of building roads. Wise has served only about a year of his sentence.

Fear of contracting influenza has reached such a state among the negroes that in two instances recently friends and relatives have refused to bury members of their race who died of the disease, complications having developed. On last Wednesday it was reported to Mr. A.A. Secrest, chairman of the board of commissioners, that a negro of the Griffin’s mill section had died of the disease and that his neighbors or relatives refused to bury him. Mr. Secrest secured someone to go and attend to the burial. Again on Sunday a negro living on Mr. Jack Mangum’s place in the northern part of the county died of the disease. Members of the immediate family of the dead man were ill with the disease and unable to bury him and the negroes of the community refused to do so. Mr. Secrest was again notified and sent men to attend to the burial.

Willie Rutler, colored, was arraigned before Recorder Lemmond this morning on a charge of loitering around the depot. He was found guilty and sentenced to 30 days on the roads. Willie said  on the stand that he had gone to Raleigh on a vacation and had lost his money in a gambling house and was on his way back to Cartersville, Ga.

Prof. Beemer C. Harrell of Marshville has been severely ill with pneumonia at Camp Jackson. Hospital attendants at one time gave him up for dead and reported him as such. Fortunately the attendants were mistaken and Prof. Harrell recovered but not until accounts of his death had appeared in the University News Letter and the Cleveland Star, the latter published at Shelby where he was principal of the high school before entering the army.

Mr. John Lander is visiting his brother, Mr. Frank Lander. Mr. Lander was recently honorably discharged from the army.

Mr. William Stack, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Stack, is quite ill with influenza.

The many friends of Mr. Jim Orr of Indian Trail will regret to learn that his condition remains unimproved. Mr. Orr has been ill for several weeks.

Mr. T.P. Dillon, who has been undergoing treatment in the Bay Creek, Mich., Sanatorium, will arrive home Saturday night. Mr. Dillon’s many friend will be glad to learn that he is much improved in health.

Mr. Arthur Edgeworth has received an honorable discharge from the service and has returned home. He volunteered in the aviation corps and spent some time with the army over seas.