Randolph County AlArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for SEPT 1906 September 1906 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Gravelle tealtree@comcast.net September 11, 2005, 9:30 pm The Roanoke Leader September 1906 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE ROANOKE LEADER", Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama for SEPTEMBER 1906 NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, September 5, 1906 WEHADKEE News Travis Alsobrook left here last week to spend some time in Texas. --- ROCK MILLS News Mrs. John Boggs of LaGrange is visiting relatives here. --- Sam Coats left Saturday for Mexico. --- The oldest child of Robert Barefield died on Sunday. --- LOCAL News A.C. Moore of Birmingham spent Sunday and Monday with his brother E.M. Moore. --- Mrs. M.J. Taylor and granddaughter Zadie Mims of Anniston returned home Saturday after spending some time visiting the family of W.J. Snow. --- Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Lee of Dallas, Texas were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Wright a few days last week. Mrs. Lee was a roommate of Mrs. Wright at college and their meeting was a most pleasant one. --- Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Radney returned Saturday from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Though quite fatigued from his return trip, Mr. Radney feels considerably improved by this stay at the famous resort for rheumatics. --- Rev. Ben Fargason of Mt. Jefferson spent a few days last week with his sister Mrs. M.J. Taylor at W.J. Snow's whom he had not seen in over 25 years. --- Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Neal will return today from a visit to relatives in South Carolina. --- Mrs. W.R. Jordan will go tomorrow to visit her parents at Rockford. --- Miss Hassie Glanton and niece Miss Minnie Almon of Bowdon, Georgia have returned to their home after a few days visit to Mrs. Ben Awbrey. Miss Almon will return to Monroe College this fall. --- FOR SALE - - - My home place containing 26 acres, two dwelling houses, two good barns and buggy house, two good wells, spring, watered by two branches, situated one half mile from town of Roanoke near new railroad. Will sell for cash or exchange for good farm property. B.J. Mitcham, Roanoke, Ala. --- Mrs. B.A. Moore of Greenwood, South Carolina and Mrs. J.L. Fincher of Dalton, Georgia are spending some time with their respective children, Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Moore. --- NEWSPAPER Issue of Wednesday, September 12, 1906 HAPPY LAND News S.M. Burdett has started his gin. He is sawing shingles too. --- One of the most terrific thunderstorms visited this section last Wednesday evening that the writer has ever witnessed. The lightning struck several trees and the rain fell in torrents until small streams were swollen to an immoderate size. John Knight was drowned a few miles southwest of us. He was a brother of Rev. W.R. Knight of the Christian church who has been preaching at various points near Roanoke for nearly thirty years. --- Mrs. O.H. Carden, who has been suffering so long from an attack of the fever, is slowly improving. --- MR. J.A. WALDEN (Democratic Nominee for Sheriff) J.A. Walden was born in Carroll County, Georgia but has been a citizen of Randolph County, Ala., for 35 years. His boyhood was spent just after and during the civil war and he had a poor opportunity for getting a start in life. His father was a Confederate soldier and was wounded in the service. Gus Walden was the oldest of nine children and worked hard through his early life to help support the family. He came along in a time that tried the mettle of men. During his years of maturity Mr. Walden engaged in various pursuits. At one time he was marshall of Roanoke and was badly wounded in the discharge of his duty. He also served as Deputy Sheriff. In these capacities he displayed more than ordinary detective ability. He is courteous and kind, not only in his dealings with the public, but also with prisoners in his care. Mr. Walden is a member of the church and of the Masonic fraternity. He has been a loyal Mason 22 years and is one of the best posted men in that order in the county. Mr. Walden says that none of his friends shall be disappointed in his administration as Sheriff. He proposes to conduct his office in a clean and honest manner. ---- INCIDENT OF INTEREST IN THE EARLY LIFE OF COL. W.A. HANDLEY The following interesting story was written by Col. W.A. Handley while at the Springs this summer and was published in the New York Times. To the New York TImes; Several years ago a letter of inquiry appeared in one of the New York City newspapers in which the writer of the article expressed a very earnest desire to know the name and residence of the Southern gentleman who had some years before (in about 1855 or 1856) in the lobby of the Grand Central Hotel, N.Y., kindly took his part and protected him from a brutal assault attempted on him by the hotel clerk. The letter of inquiry proceeded to state that it's author, at the time the incident occurred, was a poor orphan boy, living the life of a homeless, friendless street boot- black; that he had now reached middle life; had become prosperous as a dealer in stocks and bonds and that his fortune acquired as an extensive operator on Wall Street placed him in the millionaire class. He closed with an earnest desire to ascertain the name and residence of the Southern gentleman who on the occasion referred to had come to his rescue and protected him from the clerk's brutality. At the time the letter of inquiry appeared a copy of the paper containing it fell into my hands and I intended to answer it but lost the paper and the hurry and push of an active, busy life shoved the matter aside and it was not responded to. The writer of this communication feels assured he is the person for whom the inquiry was made, and if you will kindly permit this to be published in your valuable paper, I will relate the incident which gave rise to the inquiry. I had, at that time, just begun business as a merchant in a small Alabama town, and was in New York to purchase my first stock goods. In my childhood, boyhood and young manhood I had experienced all the privations of poverty. But by hard work and close economy had saved enough to buy a small stock. This was my first visit to a great city. I stopped at the Grand Central Hotel and of course, it must be obvious, I betrayed much of the verdancy and rustic freshness of the "rural rooster." While at the Grand Central, true to my raising, I was up and down in the lobby each morning at 4 o'clock, and paced up and down the floor of the lobby impatient for daylight to come. No others but the drowsy clerk and myself were in sight. One morning I opened the front door and a snow storm was raging outside. The snow was deep in the street, the air was full of driven snow and the chilly wind flew in my face. I noticed just on the outside of the door, a poor, ragged boy crouched close to the wall, shivering and trying like a dumb brute to protect himself from the cruel blast. I asked what he was doing there. He said he was a boot-black, was an orphan and had no home. I told him to come in and shine my boots. He hesitated. I again asked him to come. He still hesitated. I then spoke with some emphasis and told him to come in. He slowly moved toward me and followed me in, displaying fear, but began to shine my boots. About the time he finished one of the clerks discovered him and rushed from behind his desk rapidly onto the boy squatted at my feet and was just in the act of giving the poor, ragged fellow a savage kick, when I sprang to the clerk, seized him by the throat and told him if he touched the boy I would beat him into sausage meat against the marble floor. He did not touch the boy but slunk back to his office. The boy finished my shine. I paid him his dime and he disappeared through the door into the snow storm, his only home, and I saw him no more. This incident happened about 51 years ago in the Grand Central Hotel in N.Y. I am an old man, 72 years of age, but this incident is fresh in my memory. The little boot-black then about 10 years of age should now be about 60. I hope that this communication may elicit an early response from him. I mislaid the paper containing the letter of inquiry and his name slipped my recollection and this is the reason for publishing this reminiscence. God has permitted me as a reward for hard exertion, diligent and faithful application to business, to rise from povery to prosperity. And if the enquirer should see this and recognize me as his protector, then I hope he will in the day of his prosperity still regard me as his friend. This, Mr. Editor, may not be a matter of great public concern, but it may give us to understand that in our great country and under our great government the poor boy need not despair. His state is no bar to his prosperity. The great majority of men who attain eminence and prosperity in public and private life, in church and state, come from the class who were not cradled in luxury. W.A. Handley ----- LOCAL News W.H. Mann left for Yazoo City, Miss., on Monday. --- Mrs. L.A. Bevis, we regret to note, is seriously ill. --- M.B. Barrett began his return to New Mexico on Monday after a visit to relatives in this county. --- Wm. Kite, a white man, was drowned in a creek between Lamar and Sewell after the heavy rain of last Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Kite was returning home from Roanoke and was reported to be drinking. This is probably another death charged to the Roanoke Dispensary. --- Mrs. I. Curry is spending ten days with H.L. Griffin family enroute from her home at Gypsum, Texas to visit relatives in Kentucky. She is accompanied by her little granddaughter Hortense Curry who is the only child of the late Mrs. Thos. E. Curry, well and favorably known in Roanoke some years ago as Miss Hortense Griffin. ---- Rev.R.B. Hester performed a marriage ceremony at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon in front of the Handley Baptist church, several witnesses being present. The parties of interest were Mr. J.R. Kirby and Mrs. Ida Knight, both rsidents of Lowell. --- A negro named Albert Rowland killed another negro named Henry Askew near Wehadkee on Sunday night. The latter lived with J.R. Lee and was known as a good faithful worker. His slayer has surrendered. --- Robert Kyle of Colorado visited his brother Capt. Kyle several days ago. --- Oscar Orr had as his guests last Wednesday, his brothers, C.T. Orr of Columbus and S.L. and W.T. Orr of Milltown. --- Joe Taylor was brought home from Birmingham sick some days ago and is now ill of the fever at the home of his father, J.B. Taylor. --- Mrs. Mary Finney and daughter of St.Petersburg, Florida, are visiting the family of the former's brother Major Schuessler. --- The editor is in rceipt of an invitation to the marriage of Miss Maude Bernice Williams to Mr. Henry Fontaine Waller, the ceremony to occur Tuesday, Sept. 18th at high noon, Hustonville, Kentucky. Miss Williams is a sister of Mrs. H.R. Oldson of this city, with whom she has spent much of her time in recent years. Miss Williams has quite a number of friends in Roanoke who will extend their good wishes. Mr. Waller resides at Okalona, Miss., which place will be their future home. --- NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, September 26, 1906 BACON LEVEL News Austin Bradshaw has gone to Atlanta where he has secured employment. --- HAPPY LAND News Two deaths occurred not far from this place on the 13th inst., viz: Mrs. W.R. Caldwell and Mr. and Mrs. B. Hill's infant. On the following day the former was buried at High Pine and the latter at Mt. Hickory. --- Dosier Brown has the fever. --- B. Brown started this morning to visit his sick daughter near LaGrange. His son, J.D. Brown, accompanied him. --- LOCAL News John Reese and Miss Adie Wood of Potash went to Georgia last Sunday and were married by Squire Alsobrook. We are informed that the groom was 17 years old and the age of the bride is thirteen. --- The following are reported as having the fever: Morris Causey, Frank Manley, Agnes Mann, Amos Lovvorn and the youngest child of F.P. Nichols. --- J.D. Mitchell boarded the train yesterday for Texas. --- File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/newspapers/newspape675gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 12.7 Kb