Thursday, April 27, 2023

Jackson Spring News by L.T. Graham, April 27, 1923

Jackson Springs News

By L.T. Graham

The local and West End highs’ game of baseball here Thursday afternoon resulted in a 17 to 3 score for the locals. Woodley on the mound for the locals, struck out 18 men. He should not have been scored upon, but he aided the tallies for the visitors by issuing two free passes, throwing a weak one to first base, and another to the catcher letting a man score. Ralph Coxe for the visitors did not pitch as he did last season, or the locals have developed into a batting machine.

Things look very prosperous as to a large crowd here this summer, if appearance has anything to do with a crowd. Carpenters are busy repairing and painters adding a fresh coat. The groves have changed colors as well as the several buildings. The leaves are “puttin’ out,” and the grass and small grain sown a few weeks ago are up, adding much to the beauty of the rolling land that nature has made beautiful. The force at work on the grounds has been increased; shrubbery has been pruned and new shrubbery set, and another set of hands is now regrading the roads. As soon as the work can be completed near the hotel and spring, a small dam will be built on the mineral branch below the spring to add to the looks of things. A force will push out from the village and begin to build more roads, and clear more land.

Mineral Springs township walked away with more than their share of points in the county commencement events at Carthage on Friday, but the locals were not strong contenders as the interest was aroused too late. However, of the three girls, two won prizes: --Miss Mary Bruton, the prize as the best story teller in high school; and Miss Glenn McInnis for the best Palmer writing. Mis Vysta Woodley pulled through the township and county elimination contests for recitation and was among the three girls to recite. We believe honors should be divided among the schools over the county. The children must be trained to win honors, and it is up to the teacher to co-operate with the county superintendent and make the commencement a greater success next year.

“The Wren,” a play of five acts, was presented to a large crowd by the junior class in the high school auditorium on Friday evening. This was one of the best plays ever given by high school students here; each character was suited for the part they played and filled the places like veterans. Miss Maude Poole of Raeford directed the training.

The stork paid two visits near here last week. One to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Meacheam and another to Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Bennett.

A.C. Carter and sons, Colton and Clayton, and Miss Eva, spent the week-end with relatives in Albemarle.

A prominent man here plans to go before Governor Morrison armed with affidavits of ex-convicts of Stanly county to seek pardons for Will McMaster, Monroe and Carl Luck, white men convicted on prohibition charges at the Moore special term of superior court in 1922, held by Judge W.F. Harding. He was liberal with road sentences and did not realize how much good he was going to do in one of the best communities in the state. It caused a stampede along with the strong sentiment against such lawlessness, and in that area of Moore, Montgomery and Richmond counties invested with blockade stills, raids have been scarce since August court. One of the men grew so unpopular in less than three years’ residence near that, we never heard of a petition being circulated in his behalf. The others got one farmer, one carpenter, and four merchants and clerks to sign their petitions. We understand they all went in some months ago with a long list of names. This man of prominence is very sympathetic, but shows no sympathy to those living in the area invested with blockade stills for two years. If he wants to encourage lawlessness he should go to court and save Kennie Luck, for he was bound over a few weeks ago after a raid. Vance Armstrong, a negro who was tried with the Lucks last August and acquitted, was arrested but made his escape. It is reported that Will Burroughs, a white man captured at a still more than a year ago, is in jail at Carthage. He moved away, and returned for court twice, and moved again not reporting for the third court. He forfeited his $500 bond. The county could be saved some expense if some one would go on his bond again for it is some months before August.

While some have taken up the howl of the northern people about the inhumane treatment in the southern prison camps, they say that we might as well have whiskey again as in old times, and take up the same howl as Dudding and other people far away. That is not the best class of people, and if Judge Harding holds many more courts in the Sandhills section, blockading will be broken up. Two weeks ago he sentenced Hosea McDonald, from a family of good circumstances, who fell into bad company and bad ways, to eight months on the Richmond county roads. He was seen at a still on Drowning creek a few miles from Hoffman where whiskey was shipped out by the carload about a score or more years ago. It was a whopper for a blockade outfit, pouring fourth a quart of the snake bite poison every two minutes. People grew tired of the government distilleries at Hoffman in the days when they could sell whiskey cheaper than the tax on the same for “block” was made in large quantities in those days. And some persisted in keeping it up after the government cut them out. The last whiskey case cost one Richmond county man over $18,000. That was a sum of money, and people howl if it costs one thousandth of that sum now; road sentences are the best cure. Twenty years hence there will not be much whiskey made. But men and women are creating a sensation by dancing a half a week without sleeping, and still beating one another’s record. What is going to happen by this immorality practiced so much over the world?

Mr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Ross and family are visiting in Graham.

From the front page of The Pilot, Vass, N.C., Friday, April 27, 1923

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