North Carolina Well Represented When Confederate Soldiers Attended National Reunion in Louisville, 1900

From the editorial page of the Watauga Democrat, June 7, 1900, Robert C. Rivers, editor and proprietor

It was our great pleasure to be present at the first three days of the confederate Reunion at Louisville, KY., last week, but to try to give a detailed account of same would be an utter impossibility this week owing to our crowded condition. The old veterans were there in large numbers from every state, and each one seemed to enjoy himself to the fullest extent; North Carolina alone having more than 700 of the battle scarred survivors of the Lost Cause, who had the honor of occupying front seats in the pavilion and of having the best headquarters and accommodations in the city of any state represented. It was indeed a happy occasion for these valiant defenders of the Confederacy, and we trust that they may yet live to meet at many more annual reunions. Friend H.A. Davis of Brookside will give us the official proceedings next week.

Police Inspect Cars in Robeson County, Find Many Defects, 1946

“County Patrolmen Check 1,037 Cars” from the Monday, June 10, 1946, issue of The Robesonian, Lumberton

A total of 1,037 motor vehicles were inspected in Robeson county between May 15 and June 4, inclusive, during a nation-wide car inspection program sponsored by the international Association of Police chiefs, according to Cpl. W.A. Baxter.

Of the 1,037 vehicles inspected, 128 were found to have inadequate brakes, 94 with no horn; 149 with windshield wipers in non-workable condition; 133 with headlight beam out; 48 with unsafe tires; 433 rear lights out; and 150 with other obvious defects.

Farm Families Signing Up for Food and Feed for Family Living Program, 1935

“30 Per Cent of Families Join Food-Feed Program,” from Carolina Co-operator, June, 1935. This program encouraged farm families to produce as much food for family consumption as possible, thus reducing debt at the local store.

With a final report from all counties still lacking, John W. Goodman, assistant director and chairman of the State Agricultural Workers’ Council, said it appeared that at least 30 per cent of the farm families in North Carolina enrolled in the Food and Feed for Family Living Program. The enrollment campaign was due to end June 15.

“We are not discouraged that we didn’t attain our goal of enrolling at least half of the farm families,” Goodman declared, “because we feel certain that many more than the 30 per cent who returned signed cards are being influenced by the program.”

L.P. Watson, Extension horticulturist who is handling the multiple details of the campaign, says the handbook for all members of County Agricultural Workers’ Councils will be in the mails within the next few days.

“Our big job now, Goodman said, “is to help the farm families to carry out their agreement to produce and conserve their food and feed requirements of the year. There should be a spirit of competition among the counties to see which can have the largest percentage of farm families win Awards of Merit, signed by Governor Broughton and other leaders.

Should Negroes Be Allowed to Vote or Hold Public Office, 1900

“Wants Them to Vote but Not to Hold Office” from the June 7, 1900, issue of the Watauga Democrat

The Populist party proposes to still allow the negroes to vote but to submit an amendment to the State constitution disqualifying them from holding office. This would be a nice arrangement for the Republican and Populist office seekers. They would still have 120,000 negro voters to select them to office and would not have to divide the spoils with the negro politicians. This is not an honest settlement of this question, for no race or class who are allowed to vote should be deprived of the right to hold offices, if they can be elected or appointed to them. As a settlement of the evils of negro suffrage it does not “reach the spot” for good government in North Carolina suffers almost as much from the white men elected to office by negroes as from the negro officers themselves. The white men elected to office by negro votes has to pander to the negroes and make himself in his personal and official conduct very offensive to white men. To illustrate: that great man, the lamented Judge Armfield, related in his life time that he was holding court in one of the negro counties which had a Republican sheriff, whom we will call Bill Smith, for we have forgotten his true name. Judge Armfield said the sheriff was standing on the side walk in the county town one afternoon after the adjournment of court talking to a group of gentlemen, when one of the negro leaders of the county stopped his horse and called out to the sheriff “Bill Smith, d—n you, come and hold my horse while I go into Tom Jones’ barroom and get me a drink of liquor.” With a flushed face and a sheep killing-dog look the sheriff went and stood in front of the negro’s horse while the negro went into the barroom. The Democratic party don’t want white officer who owe their elevation to negro votes. It proposes to not only disqualify the negroes from holding office but to prevent them from voting as well. It wants white officers elected by white men, and good government, law and order in North Carolina demands nothing less.—EX

High School Students Build House as Teaching Project, 1971

“House Built as Teaching Project to be Auctioned June 5” by Robert Helmle in The Yancey Record, May 27, 1971

A very special house, which probably has set records for Yancey County in the number of people who worked on its construction, in the long time it took to build, and in the painstaking construction involved, is being offered for sale by the Yancey County Board of Education. It will be auctioned off at the Courthouse door at 10 a.m. on the fifth of June.

The house may further be described as well-designed and beautifully situated. It is the house that has been under construction as a teaching project by the vocational education department of the Cane River High School. It is located a quarter of a mile west of the Cane River bridge on 19E, about 200 yards back from the highway on a short entrance road.

The two vocational teachers who have been chiefly responsible for the project are Jack Buckner and Flay Hensley. Throughout the two years the house has been under construction, the emphasis has been on teaching quality workmanship in all the various building skills. This reporter for the Yancey Record was impressed by the quality of workmanship throughout the building. Others who have inspected it say it must be one of the best built houses in the county.
The house, located on a one-acre site, is approximately 2,000 square feet. It has three bedrooms, one and a half baths, living room, family room, dining room and kitchen. The main rooms are attractively paneled in elm and birch, and the cabinets are of walnut.
Water supply is from a well that yields 10 or more gallons a minute. The house has a full basement with eight-foot ceiling.

The plans for the house were drawn as an instruction project, with much guidance, we are told, by Mr. Buckner. The project has been largely financed by a loan from the Northwestern Bank, the money being used to buy the site and materials. Proceeds from the sale will be used to pay off the bank loan, and the balance used to get another such project under way. Superintendent Landrum Wilson has expressed the view that a house building project of this sort can be started every two years.
Further details regarding the auction of the house have appeared in advertisements in recent issues of the Yancey Record. Any additional information may be obtained from the School Superintendent’s office.

Harmony Class of 1926 Holds Reunion in 1951

“Harmony Class of 1926 To Hold Reunion May 13,” from the Statesville Landmark, May 3, 1951

Harmony, May 3—The Harmony High School Class of 1926 will have a reunion at Harmony May 13. Miss Della Arnold has addressed the following letter to members of the class:

Dear Class of 1926:

Just 25 years ago you were happy, hopeful seniors. Oh, how fast time flies. I hope that each of you can be here for a class reunion Sunday afternoon May 13. I hope that you can get here for the sermon at 3:00 p.m. I will have a section of seats reserved for you. After that we hope to have a picnic supper together, with a social hour.

I am enclosing the names and addresses as far as I know them, and if you know where any of the other are, please notify them and ask them to come. The families of each member are also invited.

I sincerely hope to see you on the 13^th, and I also hope that date has no evil foreboding.

                Always the same,

                Della Arnold, Class of 1926

Class of 1926

Mr. Hal Bell, Hamptonville; Mrs. Margaret Bell Gaugh, Hamptonville; Mrs. Daisy Blackwelder Rimmer, Statesville; Miss Virginia Brady, 601 Clover St., Winston-Salem; Mr. Hal Brown (deceased); Mrs. Luray Bohannan Young, Elkin; Mrs. Bessie Cain Whildes, 315 Gray Court Apt., N. Broad St., Winston-Salem;

Mr. Bill Cheshire, Harmony; Rev. French Cowan, Dr. Earl Cooper, Wilkesboro; Miss Bessie Crater, Route 2, Harmony; Mr. Opie Crater, Woodlawn, Va.;

Mr. Ralph Davis; Mrs. Mary Opal Essie Walker, 650 4^th St., Winston-Salem; Mr. Robie Fingers; Miss Myrtle Gantt, Statesville; Mrs. William Godby, Harmony; Mrs. Thelma Godby Blackwelder, Route 4, Statesville; Miss Alice Goodman, Mrs. Mary Goodwin Graves, Route 4, Mocksville; Mr. Cecil Grier, Mr. Edgar Harris, Miss Dessie Howard (deceased);

Mr. Ben Hill, Hamptonville; Mr. Glenn Howard (deceased); Mrs. Ruth Hudspeath Harding, Cana; Mrs. Oday Jones Cox, Statesville; Mrs. Swaney Jurney Jones, Union Grove; Mrs. Nellie King Sanntog, 7^th Steward Ave., Trenton, N.J.; Mr. Richard King, Route 2, Statesville;

Mr. Robert Little; Mr. Earnest McCarter, Union Grove; Mr. Albert McLain; Miss Laura Morrison; Mrs. Edna Myers Goldman, 1926 Third Avenue N. Petersburg, Fla.; Miss Jewel Myers, Harmony; Mrs. Mary Norris Austin, Route 2, Statesville; Mrs. Pearl Norris Kennedy, 2210 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va.; Mr. Beverage Renegar, Harmony, Route 2; Mr. Roy Renegar, Mount Airy; Miss Nannie Shaver (deceased); Mr. J. Wilson Thomas, Harmony; Miss Coetta Trivett, Union Grove; Mrs. Betty Turbiville Wright, Greensboro; Mr. Kenneth Watts, Statesville, Route 5; Mrs. Kate Windsor Thomasson, 1230 Summit Ave., Winston-Salem; Mr. Gales Woodsides; Mr. Robin Wooten, North Wilkesboro; Mr. Clive Wooten (deceased); Mrs. Elsie Sills Saunders.

Slavery Improved Mental and Physical Health of Negroes, 1903

"Recollections of the Last 60 Years of the 19th Century" by Dr. J.B. Alexander of Mecklenburg County, N.C., in the May 19, 1903 issue of The Progressive Farmer. Dr. Alexander argues that African Americans were better off as slaves. His proof? The lack of Negro lunatics. There were white people with mental problems during the times of slavery. Strange how Dr. Alexander doesn't recommend slavery for whites in order to eliminate lunacy.

In speaking of the negro race since slavery times I would say that I never knew or saw one who was a lunatic while a slave. But in a fourth of a century the people of North Carolina have built a large asylum in Goldsboro for the use of the negro exclusively, and scarcely one-half of the poor unfortunate ones are provided for. This also may be placed to the credit of those loud-mouthed Abolitionists who were fond and eager to meddle with the civilization of other commonwealths. In time of slavery the negroes were a strong, healthy and robust people. When they were well-fed, well-housed, and well-clothed, and worked in moderation, they were capable of doing more work on the farm than any other nationality. We had fine mechanics among the slaves, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, brick masons, shoemakers and negroes skilled in all the trades pursued by white people. And at that time no hard feeling was engendered between the races on account of color, but all worked in harmony.

Fifty years ago we had a civilization that had never been excelled. It is true that a half century ago the millionaires in America might have been counted on less than the fingers of one hand; now they are estimated at many thousand. But then 50 years ago it was a rarity to see a case of poverty, save from sickness or some misfortune. How is it now? From 50 to 100 in the county home, and double as many more are fed by the city in the cold months of winter.

 

--J.B. Alexander, M.D.