Lesson Learned in Navy Pushed Gaddy Back to High School, May, 1922

The Call of the Bugle

By “Sailor” Gaddy

It was the first week of school, and, as usual, all teachers wanted to find out what I knew. In order to do this they overworked my brain can. This caused me to dislike y studies and turn to seek my fortune. I walked home at noon, and on the way home a little blue-bird sang:

“Enlist in the navy, my son, today,

And serve your country far away;

Uncle Sam needs young men to do work,

And you, as your duty, should never shirk.”

I quickly replied to the little bird,

The maker of the music I had heard:

“I will come today, and hope it may be

That I may serve Uncle Sam on the dark blue sea.”

I ran my hand down into my pocket and found that I had $1.25, just enough to pay my way to the Recruiting Station at Salisbury, and 25 cents to tip the porter when I got to the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. I decided then that I would leave to join the Navy the next day. After going to bed, I did not sleep much, owing to fear that I would miss my train next morning.

Therefore, I got up early and told my ma and pa that I had to go down town on business. They believed me, for they knew that I was a man of brains. I managed to “swipe” a biscuit and some jelly, so that when I arrived at the train station I might have something to divide with Uncle Sam. I purchased my ticket, but I had to watch the other people and do as they did, because it was the first ticket I had ever bought. Really, I felt just like “John D.” Soon the train came in. I tried to get a drawing room, but the conductor said that they were all taken by people going to New London to the baseball game between New London and Farmville. So I had to go back into the smoker. While there, I managed to slip a cigar off a man. I did not smoke it, however, for fear I would lose weight and fail to pass my examination. Anyways, I felt my importance. I had a very enjoyable conversation with Governor Morrison on the cotton future, but I seemed to know more about it than he did.

It was not long before the conductor came through and cried: “Salisbury! Change trains for New Yor, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.” Of course I changed. I then went up to the Recruiting Office and stood my “exam.” This is one time I passed without any condition. The recruiting officer said: “young man, we feel honored in having a man of your ‘calibre’ in the navy. What do you wish to enlist as? I told him that I wanted to enlist as a musician; that I was a fine one—my father owned a banjo when he was a little boy. He gave me my ticket to Raleigh, and here I stood another examination. Here the officer stripped me, took my finger prints, tickled me, laughed at me, and made me put my clothes back on. I passed again. From here they sent me to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Ill., to take Sousa’s place as band instructor.

On the way I stopped at Washington to have a talk with Secretary Daniels and President Wilson. They both felt honored. After Daniels told me all the changes that he desired made, I went to Chicago. While there, I called around at Sears-Roebuck Company and bought a postal card at wholesale price. The next day I went over to the Great Lakes Training Station, about 41 miles from Chicago. The “Blue Jackets” were all glad to meet their new instructor, and presented me with a pair of aluminum cuff links. I don’t know what they thought I was going to do with them. All the boys liked me and felt that I was a good instructor.

I stayed there six months, and then came back to school. I had learned a lesson.

P.S. The musical instruments we used with shovels and mops, which were usually handled to the tune of “Home Sweet Home.”

From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922

HIstory of Albemarle High School's Class of 1922 by Edith Snuggs

History of the Class of ‘22

By Edith Snuggs

In 1917, 32 boys and girls, all full of life, started on a picnic, or at least they regarded it as such. This carefree, happy-go-lucky group were as follows: Mary Anderson, Wilma Anderson, Agatha Blackwelder, Gazelle Brooks, Ardis Casper, Gladys Cooper, Annie Drye, Evelyn Hall, Mary G. McLauchlin, Bernice Moss, Bernice Smith, Pauline Lowder, Cozette Drye, Edith Snuggs, John Boyett, Clarence Casper, Robert Drye, Claude Floyd, Winfred Gaddy, Marvin Huneycutt, Spears Hurt, Roy Johnson, Hubert Little, Harvey Simpson, Calvin Lefler, Henry Snuggs, Robert Watkins, Carl Winecoff, Wayne Neal, Grady Austin, Hoyle Lowder, and J.P. Sibley. Prof. M.S. Giles and Misses Brown and Dellinger were the leaders of this picnic.

At first we had a very enjoyable time on our outing, but soon, as we went further and further, we discovered that the ground had become rough, with many boulders to scramble over, and many steep hills to climb. We came to the conclusion that this was not such a picnic after all, and, as we were young and inexperienced, we became disheartened and discouraged. But our leaders cheered us and revived our fallen spirits. They told us that this forest was large and filled with many difficulties, but that at the end there was a treasure which, if found, would helps us in the future.

Therefore, we took heart and started out with the resolution to turn our picnic into a hunting expedition. We highly resolved that we would never give up until we had found our reward.

Before we had gone far in our big search, we found in the forest a very poisonous vine called “influenza.” Many came in contact with it and fell by the way. But the touch proved fatal to two only, Pauline Lowder and Robert Watkins. Soon the hunt became very wearisome to Roiy Johnson and Hoyle Lowder, and they turned back. At this juncture we also lost two of our leaders: Misses Brown and Dellinger, but these were replaced by Prof. E.W. Cranford and Miss Smathers, who directed our search with great skill.

We did not find our reward the first day, so, after a good rest we came back on the next morning to search for the fascinating treasure. We discovered that we had entirely new leaders in this continuation of our hunt. They were: Mr. J.H. McIver, and Misses Pike, Pinkston, and Thompson. Although many of our companions had dropped out of the search, others joined us. These were: Ruth Pickler, Irene Skidmore, Annie Lowder, Gus Boger, George Harris, and Marvin Tucker.

On this trip, the traveling became more and more difficult. We soon lost Annie Lowder, but Margaret Ledbetter came running to take her place. However, she seemed to find the search beset with too many difficulties, for she also soon left us. After a long hard search we had not discovered the long-sought treasure, so, wearied and discouraged, all of us left the great hunt for another rest.

On the next morning, we started again with the thought that we would surely find that which we were searching for. The party then numbered about 14. We soon increased it to 15, for Paul Smith joined us. We looked in vain for our old directions and instructions (words obscured) directors and instructors, for we had an entirely new force: Mr. Higginbotham and Misses Reap, Davis and Liles. (Mr. McIver now gave his entire time to supervision). Under the able leadership of these we surmounted many difficulties and made such progress in our search that we were sure that we would soon reach our goal. Next morning we began again with enthusiasm, with Misses Moy, Pridgen, Keel, and Mr. R.G. Stephens as leaders. Robert Drye decided that he could find his treasure elsewhere, so he departed from our midst. After another day’s hard search, we have now come to the end of the vast forest and have at last found the much desired treasure—a diploma, and though the search was strenuous we have indeed received a reward that has repaid us fully and has made us feel that our efforts were worth while.

From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922

Radio-Phone Transforming Communication in 1922

The Possibilities of Radio Phone

By Gus Boger

Radio telegraphy is over 20 years old, but radio telephony is a perfection of a very recent date. Four years ago radio telephony was impracticable from a standpoint of successful and economic operation. It was then necessary to use the high power Poulsen arc, but now the vacuum tube had taken its place. Today, one who has had a little experience, may fill a large room or auditorium with music, addresses of great people, and sermons of the best ministers who are thousands of miles away.

The public in general has created a demand for radio-phone apparatus which has not been able to be met in the last six months. Because of this demand, the public buying any kind of advertised apparatus, has obtained many obsolete sets, as well as those with too many controls, which it is unable to operate. These people will underestimate the value of the radio-phone. There are those, too, who will over-estimate the possibilities of the radio-phone. Both estimates are due to lack of technical knowledge on the subject.

Will the radio-phone take the place of the telegraph and telephone? It will not. Each has its advantage over the other. The telegraph and telephone will be used for local work, radio for distant work. The radio transmitter may be compared to a railway system. The train carries produce and passengers only from a central station, not from every individual home. All goods to be shipped on the train are brought to the station by various devices. Of course it would be possible for a train to come to every one’s door, but think, if every family in America had its own private railway, what a complicated transportation system we would have. Would it not be more efficient to have the train come to the central station and have the material to be shipped brought here by baggage wagons or other devices? Just so with the radio-phone transmitter. Let every locality have a powerful transmitter at the central station which is connected to individual homes by telephones. Radio will reach, however, places which cannot be reached by the telephone or telegraph; for instance, the airship, moving trains, ships, and out of the way districts. A most interesting account was recently told by a government postkeeper in the ice fields of Alaska, who the radio-phone had made a new life for him. Only a few years ago he was alone in the vast wilderness of ice with no companion but his dog. He lived a lonely and desolate life in the solemn stillness and cold of the north. Now by means of the radio-phone he hears concerts, sermons, news dispatches and other interesting things; even the dog will lie down beside the stove, blink his eyes and wag his tail when the concerts begin. When one crosses the ocean his friends will no longer have the sad feeling that they will never hear his voice again for months. Soon, by radio-phone, one may talk daily to his friend on the ship, or in a foreign country. When every family in America has a radio-phone receiver, the president of the United States may address the citizens of the country from a powerful central transmitter., The Governor may also speak to every citizen in the state on the issues of the day. Every citizen in the United States may hear the debates and discussions in Congress.

The value of the radio-phone to the farmer cannot be estimated. Today the farmer, if he has a radio-phone receiver, knows the price of his produce before he carries it to town, whether or not his hay, wheat, rye, or oats will get wet if he cuts them tomorrow. The government, as well as many radio corporations, broadcast for the benefit of farmers; weather forecasts two days in advance; market reports respecting stocks, fruits, vegetables, grain, cotton, livestock, dairy, produce and poultry. Even the price of a dozen heads of lettuce, a bunch of radishes, or onions, is quoted.

Will the radio-phone take the place of churches, theatres, or the phonograph? It will not. It will, however, place the best before everyone. The inferior will go—the superior will remain. The phonograph has one advantage that the radio-phone has not, namely, the voice of a dead artist, Caruso, for instance, can be reserved in a record, but not on the radio-phone.

The radio news service will take the place of many newspapers. Today, the news of any state, national or international interest may be received 10 hours before it appears in our earliest issues of the daily.

The business man while on his way to and from his office may receive, from scheduled stations, items of interest to him. As for apparatus to receive radio-phone, one may use a well-designed pocket set, laboratory set, or any other type. The radio-phone receiver is as a watch in respect to size, the smaller the watch, the more accurate it must be to function well, also the more expensive it will be.

Only a few possibilities have been mentioned in this article, those which will e of the most interest to the general public. Let every home have a radio-phone receiver that all the world may be at its finger tips, that all may hear the best. Let the inferior go and the superior supplant it.

From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922

George Harris Predicts Bright Future for Albemarle, May 1922

Albemarle—Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

By George Harris

On a bright day in the summer of 1907, Mr. C.C. Gregg, a prosperous young manufacturer of Pittsburgh, Pa., got on the slow dinky train that was to bring him to the little village of Albemarle. When he saw the dusty little town, with a few buildings scattered here and there, no lights or water works, no sidewalks or paved streets, a poor residential section, and the merchants sitting out in front of their stores, whittling, he thought that he was coming to the end of civilization. Indeed, he thought that there was no hope of Albemarle’s ever becoming an industrial center. Obeying the instructions from headquarters, however, he inspected the mills in which he had already invested several thousand dollars. He then returned to his home, thinking his mill stock worthless. From year to year he received reports from the mill, and from the dividends he began to receive, he realized that something must have happened around that deserted village.

In the spring of 1922, while at Pinehurst, N.C., he decided to come over to Albemarle and see the lay of the land again. He found that the highways leading to Albemarle compared with the best, and that his Cadillac rode as if there were a floor under it. This time he found a five story hotel, many new residences, several business buildings in the process of construction, well equipped schools, growing residential sections, a live board of aldermen, thriving mills, clean, well-stocked stores, two newspapers that were always boosting the town, plenty of “pep” and everybody busy. When Mr. Gregg got back to the Carolina hotel that night, he said:

“Fellows, I subscribed to the Albemarle Press while in Albemarle today, and by reading the paper I am going to keep up with what is going on in that thriving town and in Stanly County as a whole. I think that place has a great future in store.”

As time passed on, Mr. Gregg became more and more enthusiastic over the reports coming from Albemarle. He got several manufacturers interested in the county, it’s water power, and prospects for development. These capitalists sent down engineers and invested large sums of money in manufacturing establishments.

One nice spring day in 1937, Mr. Gregg said, “Claude, go roll the Curtis out of the hangar. I believe we’ll run down to Albemarle for about a week.” The letter which Mr. Gregg wrote to his wife concerning his trip follows:

Albemarle, N.C.

April 14, 1937

Dear Martha,

After a nice three hour run we arrived here in the Piedmont section of the Old North State. As we neared the county I had Claude slow down and we surveyed the county from aloft. We flew up and down the river where we saw several dams and manufacturing plants. Highways stretched like ribbons form one end of the county to the other. We saw many well-kept farms with nice farm houses and out buildings. The whole landscape was green with grain. From the air Albemarle seemed to be a thriving little town with wide bitulithic streets sidewalks, a large business district with several skyscrapers, extensive residential sections, parks, playgrounds, pretty mills and mill villages and the streets loaded with traffic and people.

After making a circuit of the city, we landed on the tourist’s aviation field in the eastern section of the city. When we took the street-car for Albemarle, I saw some residence on East Main Street and Pee Dee Avenue that would do credit to any city. The large high school building on Summit Avenue seemed to be well equipped, while the Brown athletic field and large campus were thronging with husky looking boys and exceedingly nice girls. The Albemarle High School would be taken for a Junior College. I hear that the Albemarle Industrial Institute is still keeping up its good work. Five Points had built up so that I hardly knew it. The large postoffice and government building on North Second Street, the courthouse on South First, a new city hall, a library building and several manufacturing plants had been built since I was here in 1922. The employees have nice buildings which, together with the W.M.C.A., the hospital and the various churches, are distinct assets to the community. The business section extends two blocks in every direction. The growth of the mills and mill villages has surprised me. “The Albemarle Press,” which is published daily now, has accomplished its object (that was to make Albemarle a city of 15,000 inhabitants by 1935). There are a nice dairy, several truck farms, and many nice orchards between here and Badin. By the way, Badin is a thriving manufacturing center now, but within 10 years will be linked up with Albemarle. Everybody seems to be happy and contented. Business is humming and the money which I invested in the Wiscassett Mill back yonder in 1907 has been doubled and tripled.

I think that Albemarle and Stanly county have a great future before them, and I heartily recommend this vicinity to any one who is thinking of opening up some new enterprise or who wishes a nice, clean, healthy little town in which to live.

In fact, I have considered moving here myself. Do you think you would like it? Well, I will tell you more of my plans and of Albemarle when I get home.

Your loving husband,

Ed.

From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922

Albemarle Home Economics Class, 1922

The Home Economics Class, 1922, at Albemarle High School, from the May issue of the school paper, The Midget.

A.H.S. Closing Exercises Begin May 25, 1922

Closing Exercises High School

By George Harris

The commencement exercises for the Albemarle Graded School will begin on Thursday evening, May 25, with a piano recital given by the pupils of Miss Huntley. These recitals are getting to be the annual affairs here in Albemarle and the one this year promises to be a big treat for music-lovers.

On Friday evening one will have the privilege of hearing the beat orators in the A.H.S. soar to the heights of eloquence in a contest for the medal offered by the Wilson Literary Society to the best high school declaimer.

Roy Whitley will speak “The Coming Mastery of America,” Vance Huneycutt, “The Genius of N.C.,” Arthur L. Patterson, “The American Flag,” Boyd Hatley, “An Address to the Confederate Veterans,” Ray Lowder, “Uncle Sam” by Bob Taylor.

The eight girls will, perhaps surprise you in their efforts to win the medal offered by the cornelian Literary Society. Edna Matthews will recite “From a Far Country; Nell Snuggs, “Maggie and Jiggs at the Golden Gate,” Letha McIntyre, “Mr Caudle has Lent an Acquaintance a Family Umbrella,” Pauline Little, “Mrs. Tubbs at the Sewing Circle,” Annie Drye, “By Courier,” Mamie Watson, “The Sioux Chief’s Daughter,” Edith Widenhouse, “Over The Hill to the Poor House,” and Creelman Rowland, “The Man Who Married an Owl.”

These 13 readers and declaimers were selected from a group of 25 in preliminary contests held recently.

Rev. D.B. Green, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, will preach the baccalaureate sermon on Sunday evening in the Central Methodist Church.

On Monday evening, May 29, the Senior class will present “Aaron Boggs, Freshman,” featuring J. Winfred Gaddy as Aaron Boggs.

A debate on the immigration question is scheduled for Tuesday evening with Martha Austin and Ray Lowder upholding the affirmative side of the question in opposition to their opponents, Charles McSwain and Robert Cranford. After this debate the various medals, pins, ribbons, prizes, certificates of scholarship, deportment and attendance will be awarded. If time permits, it is possible that the diplomas will be presented to the members of the Senior class, but of course, they don’t care whether they receive them or not, for they have only labored for their sheepskins through a period of 11 or 12 years.

From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922

14 Graduate From Albemarle High School, May 1922

Graduating Class. . . Albemarle High School Has Six Boys and Eight Girls in Senior Class

Friends and relatives of the members of the senior class have received invitations reading as follows:

“The class of 1922 of the Albemarle High School announce their commencement exercises Tuesday evening, May 30.

“Class roll: George Parker Harris, president; Evelyn Fitzgerald Hall, vice-president; Henry Lawrence Snuggs, secretary; Mary Ermine Anderson, Martin Augustus Boger, Ardis Casper, Annie Lee Drye, Joseph Winfred Gaddy, Mary Glovina McLauchlin, Ruth Herrin Pickler, Mary Irene Skidmore, Paul William Smith, Ethel Snuggs, Carl Lee Winecoff.

“Class motto: ‘Vincet qui patitur.’ Class flower, red rose. Class colors, red and white”

As may be seen, there are six boys and eight girls in this class. This percentage of boys is greater than is usually found in the high schools of this state and is the second time in the history of this school that the number of boys in the senior class has in any way compared with the number of the fairer sex. This is a sure sign that the people of this town and county ae beginning to realize the importance of an education.

From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922. The class motto, Vincet qui patitur, means “He conquers who endures.”