Mayor Gilreath Warns Parents to Take Care of Their Sons or See Them in Jail, Dec. 13, 1923

As mayor of this town I shall follow this resolution to the letter, regardless of standing in society or any other consideration or condition. I further wish to warn the parents of the town of Wilkesboro that the government of the town, with all that it can do, cannot take the place of a parent, if it is left to raise the boys of the town, they cannot hope to escape common jail, because this is our only means of punishment.

Considerable force at home and a complete diligence on the part of the parent, to know of the whereabouts of the boy who is under the age of 21, is the only way to safeguard their present and future happiness and worth to society.

It is not for the good of any boy under 21 years of age to roam the streets at all hours of night and to sit around in gangs at grocery stores, and if parents do not know they are not at home, and if they cannot enforce parental discipline enough to break up this condition, if they will telephone the mayor, the policeman will deliver the boy home in good order and in due time.

We say this because within the last week young boys in the best families in town have been under the influence of liquor.

Respectfully,

Chas. G. Gilreath, Mayor

From the front page of the Watauga Democrat, Boone, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 13, 1923