Social News From Hickory, Dec. 26, 1916

The society column from the Hickory Daily Record, Dec. 26, 1916

Dr. Councill Boyden of China Grove is spending several days in the city.

Mr. Weston Taylor of Statesville spent Christmas with his mother, Mrs. E.A. Taylor.

Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Thomasson of Charlotte spent Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Thomasson.

Messrs. Olin, Glenn and Clifford Abernethy of Detroit are spending the Christmas holidays with Mr. and Mrs. R.D. Abernethy.

Mr. Howard Councill left last night for Annapolis after spending Sunday and Monday with his parents, Judge and Mrs. W.B. Councill.

Mr. Oliver Littaker who has been spending the holidays with his parents in Lenoir passed through the city today en roiute to Thomasville.

Mrs. M.M. Graham of Lancaster, Pa., Mr. H.C. Gardner and Graham Gardner are guests of Mr. and mrs. Albert Abernethy Mrs. Graham being the mother of Mrs. Abernethy.

Dr. G.H. Abernethy of Liberty, S.C., after spending Christmas with his father, Mr. J.F. Abernethy, returned today to his home. Dr. Abernethy, who is popular with everybody, was greated by his hundreds of friends in Hickory.

Mr. and Mrs. C.B. West and little daughter Peggy, who have been visiting Mrs. West’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Bost, left today for Morven to visit Rev. J.H. West. They will spend tonight in Charlotte with Bishop Kilgo.

Mr. Robert Reud of Atlanta will spend the Christmas holidays in Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida, the guest of Mr. Nathan Cockrell at Jacksonville and entertained by Mr. Sewall Pamberton at Tampa.

Mr. H.H. Little of Boston is spending the holidays in the city.

Mr. Frank W. McComb, Misses Elizabeth and Margaret McComb and Mr. A.C. Henderson left last night for Roanoke, Va., where Wednesday night Mr. McComb and Miss Martha Kidd will be married. Mr. William McComb joined the party at Salisbury. He will be Mr. McComb’s best man.

Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Cline and little dauighter Alma Augusta, who have been visiting Mr. Cline’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Cline on Eleventh Street, returned to their home in Winston-Salem today. Mr. Cline, who is well known in Hickory on account of his connection with the Democrat, is now with the circulation department of the Winston Daily Sentinel.

Mr. Fred Cline, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Cline of Eleventh Street, and Miss Grace Roseman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Roseman of Claremont, were married in Newton Saturday at the home of the officiating minister, Rev. M.A. Abernethy.

Last evening Mrs. E.L. Shuford entertained with a charming dance in honor of her daughter Miss Katheryne Shuford. Music was furnished by a Victrola. Those dancing were Misses Kathryne Shuford, Kate Elliott, Margaret Taylor, Mary Allen, Doris Hutton, Helen Springs, Gladys Reid, Frank Martin, Adelaide Johnston, Mabel Hicks, Rose Martin, Rachel Pugh, Charlotte Smith, Mary Rogers Shuford and Louise Jones, and George Blackweldfer, Claude Abernethy, Connelly Gaamble, Cyril Long of Newton, John Bohannon, Frank Allen, Frank Moose, Orin Sigmon, Albert Stevens of Greensboro, Joe Murphy, Richard Bolyd, Richard Shuford, M. Loy Bolick, Bailey Patrick, Dr. Councill Boyden of China Grove, David Taylor, C.D. Moore of Charlotte, Walter Bolick, Ralph Ballew, J. Loy Sox, Earnhardt of Lenoir and Hilton Shuford.

Rev. A.L. Bolick will leave tomorrow for Stanley to take charge of the Lutheran church at that place.

Mr. C.B. Moore of Charlotte spent several days in Hickory last week.

Mr. Walter Starnes of Darlington, S.C., is spending the holidays with his mother, Mrs. J.D. Starnes.

Mr. A.M. Ingold of Morganton spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. A.K. Joy.

Miss Essie Robinson is visiting friends in Lincolnton.

There will be a box supper at the Abernethy schoolhouse near Hildebran Saturday night, Dec. 30. The public is cordially invited.

Mr. D.A. Goodman of Connelly Springs preached at the school house last Sunday evening.

Miss Mamie Hudson, teacher of the Abernethy school, has gone to her home at Connelly Springs to spend Christmas.

Miss Fleeta Perry, a student at Rutherford College, came home last Monday to spend Christmas with her parents.

Mr. Jeff Tample looks might pleased since he received a ten dollar gold piece in the Burke corn contest.

Dr. J.L. Murphy and James and Charles Whitener are spending the day at the Rock house hunting.
Misses Onalee and Lenore Eckard spent the holidays in Salisbury and Spencer visiting friends.

Prof. J.F. Coble is spending the holidays in Crescent and Statesville.

Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Greene of Charlotte are the guests of Mrs. Greene’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. White.

Mrs. C.S. Keever and three children are spending the holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.C. Martin at Lenoir.

Scandal of Princess Louise and Her Riding Master, 1916

Most smaller North Carolina newspapers didn't carry much national and international news in 1916, so I thought this story of scandal was worth sharing. If your family was in Hickory in December of 1916, they were probably discussing Princess Louise and her riding master! "Lover of Princess Louise in Trouble,” from the Hickory Daily Record, Dec. 27, 1916. This Associated Press story was on the front page. 

Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 27 –The love affairs of Princess Louise of Belgium and her former riding master, Count von Matassich, a Hungarian subject and first lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian calvary, had an interesting aftermath recently when the count was ordered to leave Budapest for “political reasons.” He was ordered to remove to his native town in Croatia but eleventh-hour intersession by Dr. Visontai, the legal adviser of Princess Louise, influenced the police to permit Matassich to remain in the capital under surveillance.

Back of the action lies the continued endeavor of the family of the princess to separate her from matassich, who eloped with her when she was the wife of Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg in 1896.

Some time ago the family suggested that the princess place herself voluntarily under guardianship but the princess has not yet consented to this. She was not permitted to live in either Vienna or Budapest, but finally obtained permission to reside in Munich, where she now is. It is considered unlikely that count Matassich will be given permission to go to Munich, so that for the duration of the war, at least, the couple will be separated.

Princess Louise is the oldest daughter of the late King Leopold of Belgium. In 1875 she married Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg, who was 14 years her senior, when she was 17. She was 35 when she met Count Matassich, who was employed as her riding master, and soon their relations became the scandal of Europe. Shortly after the elopement County Matassich was arrested, charged with forgery aiding Princess Louise swindle Vienna money lenders by cashing notes with the forged signature of Princess Stephani. He spent a term in prison, while the princess was confined for several years in a sanitarium, from which she escaped in a sensational manner and returned to her lover, while Prince Philip brought suit for and obtained absolute divorce.

Nine N.C. 4-H'ers Bring Home Top National Honors, 1949

From the December 1949 issue of Extension Farm-News

One of the highest honors that a 4-H Club member can receive was recently awarded to nine young Tar Heels shown above when they were declared national winners in their respective projects at National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. This is a record number of national winners in any one year for North Carolina. Reading from left to right, the winners are, (top row) Margaret Lee Stevens, Wayne County; winner in food preparation; Joan Penland, Clay, recreation and rural arts; Pauline Howe, Gaston, home improvement; (middle row) Wesley Manning, Pitt, farm safety; Evelyn Waugh, Surry, clothing; Ralph Brown, Iredell, healthy; (bottom row) Carolyn Miller, Iredell, girls’ record; Doris Strickland, Halifax, canning; and Nancy Pritchett, Guilford, poultry.

Beaufort, Caswell, Duplin, Forsyth and Jones Farmers to Get Tobacco Crop Insurance in 1950

Six Counties Added for Crop Insurance

Beaufort, Caswell, Duplin, Forsyth, and Jones Counties have been selected for tobacco crop insurance in 1950, according to Julian E. Mann. These counties were selected on the basis of signed requests by interested tobacco producers in those counties from a total of eight counties actively seeking the insurance for next year.

Rutherford County has been selected as a new cotton county for next year.

Duplin County led the five counties selected in the number of tobacco producers agreeing to participate in 1950, and Beaufort County producers showed the largest percentage of those eligible for insurance agreeing to participate next year.

Despite Snowstorm, Haywood Tobacco Festival Draws Thousands, 1949

From the December 1949 issue of Extension Farm-News

Haywood Festival Attracts Thousands
Everyone but the weatherman cooperated in making Haywood County’s third annual Tobacco Harvest Festival one of the biggest and most successful farm events ever staged in Western North Carolina.

Spectators had to brave chilling winds and a full-scale snowstorm to see the festival parade, but they came in droves and stayed until the very end. The colorful event drew an estimated 12,000 persons, as large a crowd as the one that lined the streets to greet the late President Roosevelt.

More than 3,000 jammed every nook and corner at the Waynesville Armory on the final night to witness a demonstration by five expert square dance teams and to see Mrs. Jennie Mae Early of Thickety community crowned queen.


The festival, held Nov. 22-26 under sponsorship of the Merchants Association, offered a program of information, inspiration, and recreation which attracted the attention of the entire Western part of the State. Among the speakers were Congressman Monroe Redden; U.S. Senators Clyde R. Hoey and Frank P. Graham; Judge Camille Kelley of Memphis; Dr. E.L. Butz of Purdue University; and Mrs. Perry Taylor vice-president of the Federated Women of North Carolina.

Paper Praises Jean Steele's Work in McDowell County, 1949

From the December 1949 issue of Extension Farm-News

Editorial Praises Work of County Home Agent
A recent editorial in the Marion Progress paid tribute to Miss Jean Steele for the outstanding work she did while serving as home demonstration agent in McDowell County. Miss Steele recently resigned her position in McDowell County to become home agent in Pitt County.

Excerpts from the editorial follow:

“Looking back over the years Miss Jean Steele has been in this county, we find that the best part of her work cannot be shown in statistical records, nor volumes of narrative reports. We consider that her most redeeming characteristics have been conscientious devotion to duty and a sincere interest in her groups as a whole, as well as in personalities of her members.


“We congratulate her on her promotion to a higher office, and wish for her all the rewards se deserves.”

N.C. Fat Stock Shows Reveal Prosperous 1949

From the December 1949 issue of Extension Farm-News

Fat Stock Shows Mark Most Successful Year
North Carolina has just completed its most successful fat stock show season on record says Jack Kelley. More than twice as many hogs were shown and sold in North Carolina this year as last.

A total of 1,392 hogs, weighing over 300,000 pounds, were entered in 11 county and district shows this past summer and fall. Only 670 hogs were entered in eight shows last year.

A summary of the shows including the number of animals sold and the average price per 100 pounds received follows:

Kinston, 316 sold, $19.23 average per 100 pounds; Goldsboro, 62, $18.84; Smithfield, 154, $18.67; Dunn, 49, $20.60; Durham, 106, $18.40; Rocky Mount, 218 $18.92; Fairmont, 58, $19.06; Williamston, 205, $18.90; Elizabeth City, 102, $20.10; Statesville, 37, $21.61; and Wendell, 85, $19.85.

The Kinston show was the biggest of the group, attracting 316 entries. The highest price paid was at the Rocky Mount show where the grand champion brought $1.25 a pound. The Statesville show brought the highest average price of $21.61 per 100 pounds.


Mr. Kelley complimented 4-H Club members for their fine showings. He said 4-H’ers won the grand championships at eight of the 11 shows.