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Monday, April 27, 2020

From Hail Storms, To a Soldier's Remembering Monroe's Kindness to His Troops, News From Around Monroe, April 27, 1920

From the Monroe Journal, April 27, 1920

Local Intelligence. . . Latest Happenings In and Around Monroe

A severe hail storm visited the Union church community in Sandy Ridge township Thursday afternoon. Mr. T.B. Moore was badly bruised about the head when he was struck by large hail stones.

The affirmation team from Wesley Chapel high school won out in the first two rounds of the triangular debate at Chapel Hill Thursday and Friday. Asheville won the Aycock memorial cup this year.

Mr. George S. Lee Jr. will represent the American Legion at the educational conference which will be held in Greensboro May 4.

Major W.C. Heath and Clerk of Court R.W. Lemmond addressed an enthusiastic gathering of voters at Indian Trail Saturday evening in the interest of Mr. Morrison’s candidacy for governor. They received much applause, and were given hearty assurances of support for their man from many of the Indian Trail citizens.

Drastic changes in the Monroe and Marshville road made by government highway engineers has caused another road flare-up in this county. Wingate citizens were in Monroe yesterday protesting the new locations, and Major W.C. Heath, chairman of the road commission, has induced members of the highway commission to come here Thursday to hear their side of the matter. The proposed changes could not be learned. The county road commission has no voice in the matter, it is said, the highways of this nature being altogether controlled by the state commission.

Saturday afternoon a young man who had suffered a temporary loss of reason was fond in Mr. H.D. Browning’s yard and was given medical attention. When it was discovered that he was a discharged Canadian soldier he was taken in charge by the Red Cross chapter and given every possible attention. For two years the young man, who gave his name as Frank Fletcher, has been in a government hospital in Washington state suffering from shell shock. About a week ago he was given his discharge, his physicians stating that nothing more could be done for him. He went to visit a sister in New Orleans and on his return he was in the Greenwood, S.C., hospital for two days. Arriving in Monroe he felt a reappearance of his trouble and left the train. Reservation was secured for him Sunday night and he left for Richmond where his people live.

Lieutenant Colonel A.H. Gansser of the 125th Infantry, 32nd Division, spent Saturday in Monroe. He was passing through this section and stopped to say a word to Monroe people in appreciation of the way his regiment was treated here while passing through on the 9th of February, 1918. Colonel Gansser was then Major of the regiment and in charge of it. They had left Texas a few days before and were experiencing the hardships of the journey when they arrived in Monroe and spent two pleasant hours and were handsomely entertained by the people of Monroe. They were given a dinner that was long remembered. Colonel Gansser said that after the battle of Chateau Theirry 40 of his men were in the hospital with him and half of them received letters or some kind of remembrances from the people of Monroe. Of the six captains in the regiment in Monroe four were killed in battle. Colonel Gansser received honorable mention from General Pershing and was promoted as a result of his services. He is now State Commander of the Michigan Legion.

Whenever The Journal wants to know anything about the past 50 years or so which requires the services of a good memory it calls on squire Henry McWhirter, who never fails to come across with it. The squire was in town Saturday and was asked about the backwardness of farm work this year as compared with past years in this section. The Spring of 1888, he said, was the worst he ever saw. Farmers in this section began plowing that year on the 20th of April and did not get their cotton in till late in May. Then the wet weather ceased and a long dry spell set in and a stand was not secured till the last of June. But then the plants grew and it was the finest fruited crop on record. But misfortune came on the 27th of September in the shape of a big frost and the cotton was cut down with the effect of a mowing machine. So completely was the crop destroyed that it required from 10 to 15 acres to gather a bale. Squire McWhirter made only a bale and had 12 acres. His brother William made only two bales and brother George made only a bale and a half. A neighbor who was considered a fine cotton farmer made only four bales where he was accustomed to make 18. The only thing that saved the day was the good corn crop of that year.

Major W.C. Heath will address Marshville citizens next Saturday night on the gubernatorial candidates. He will be accompanied by either Mr. A.M. Stack or Mr. R.B. Redwine. Major Heath and Mr. R.W. Lemmond will speak at Wingate tonight.

The “overall club” fad was short-lived in Monroe. Nearly 50 citizens signed an agreement to wear denim until there was a reduction of 25 to 33 1/3 per cent in the cost of clothing, but after wearing them for a few days, most of the signers discarded their overalls.

Miss Lura Heath, director of community service, announces the following meetings: Wesley chapel, Wednesday, April 28; Olive Branch, Thursday, April 19; Waxhaw, Friday, April 30; Union, Lanes Creek Township, Monday, May 3. All meetings begin at 7:45 p.m.

George Overby, William Burnett and P.W. Cook were knocked unconscious and badly bruised about the body and face last night when a large belt broke at the Icemorelee mill, where they were working, striking them with terrific force. Their injuries will doubtless prove to be of a light nature.

Major B.H. Hinde, who was recently appointed a special representative of the treasury department, is in Washington securing a few weeks of training in his future work. He will probably be made a regional director of the war risk bureau, which has charge of soldier insurance, and will have headquarters in one of the cities in the south.

Mr. J.A. Sell of Goose Creek township, who never plants his cotton seed until the 10th of May, says farmers should have no occasion for worry on account of recent heavy rains, which have caused considerable delay in getting spring planting under way. By late planting, Mr. Sell says, he makes a bale of cotton to the acre; whereas, when he used to plant around the 20th of April he seldom made over a half bale to the acre.

Mr. Z.B. Griffin, Marshville chief of police, was assaulted in open court at Marshville yesterday by Mr. J.C. Austin, according to reports received in Monroe. A son of Mr. Austin was being tried by Esq. T.C. Griffin on the charge of driving a car without it a license, it is said, and Mr. Austin became incensed at the testimony offered by Mr. Griffin, who made the arrest. Leaping across a table in the room, Mr. Austin struck Mr. Griffin squarely in the face, knocking him down. Spectators in the court room restrained any further damage.

The men in charge of the revaluation work in this state are very unpopular according to Esq. M.L. Flow, and he cites the following letter to illustration his contention: “Dear Sir—Yours to hand in regard to the revalution of my land. I have misplaced your letter but I think your valuation was about $72 an acre. At that valuation I would have to do like the poor Turk. When he could not live because of the high tax on his orchard, he cut his fruit trees down. So don’t tax my land so high that my fruit trees will have to fall. The cry of the renter is reduce the rent. The cry of our lawmakers is increase the taxes on the land from which both man and beast get their living. This is not the Turkish empire. The people are going to rule some day. I will be willing to value my land at $35 or $40 an acre. Niro fiddled while Rome burned.”

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