Loss of Bank, Mill Has Hit Methodist Church Members, June 12, 1923

Methodist Church Members Hard Hit. . . Crash of Mills and Bank at Salisbury Wipes Out Savings

Salisbury, June 10—Salisbury passed a quiet Sunday with no new developments in the situation regarding the closed banks or the status of the Mecklenburg Mills company. At First Methodist church, the pastor, Rev. John F. Kirk, preached to a large congregation the same kind of sermon he preached at Statesville immediately following the great flood of 1916 when such havoc was wrought int hat section of the country, and the sermon was as appropriate here today as the one he used after the flood for members of the First church were hit harder and more often by the failure of the mills and the losing of the People’s bank than any other group of people in the county.

Several lost practically all they had in the world in the mill crash and scores have all their savings as well as their checking accounts tied up in the closed People’s bank. Individual losses to members of this church range from a few dollars to tens of thousands. At the meeting of the Smoot Baraca class, one of the largest organized classes in this section, the teacher, A.L. Smoot, who has taught the class since its organization, attempted to offer his resignation because of embarrassment that might arise on account of his connection with the closed bank as cashier, but he was interrupted by protest and words of affection and a general vote of confidence and hand shaking followed that was engaged in by every one present.

From the front page of the Williamston Enterprise, June 12, 1923