By Clyde Parker

Cows driven from Ivor to Franklin

Dr. J.C. Rawls recently purchased a fine lot of Guernsey cows for dairy purposes. The cows were shipped from a western state and unloaded at Ivor, on the Norfolk and Western Railroad; then, from there, they were driven through the county last Saturday to Dr. Rawls’ Edge Hill Farm, just off the Franklin-Courtland Roadway, near Franklin.

The dairy business is growing very rapidly in this section of the county. It has been said that a county is progressive in proportion to the size of its dairy and cattle industry. Prevailing thought, at this time, points to the general belief that the farmers of Southampton will in the future devote their lands more and more to the raising of cattle.

[NOTE: Upon the death of Dr. J.C. Rawls in 1965, “Edge Hill Farm” was conveyed partly to R. Ashby Rawls and partly to Sol W. Rawls Jr. Ashby’s portion was developed into residential housing on Rawlsdale Road. Sol’s portion was adjacent to and, soon, was connected to his Clay Street property, “Woods Hill.” Dr. Rawls was uncle to Sol and Ashby, who were first cousins.]

Southampton County Fair to be revived

A group of Southampton County citizens were in Courtland on Monday morning to discuss and form plans for reviving the Southampton County Fair. They met at the courthouse, starting at 9 o’clock. Consensus was that the county fairs of 1912, 1913 and 1914 displayed splendid exhibits of Southampton agricultural progress. With renewed interest in our farm industry, it is the general desire of our people to revive the fair and make it a permanent institution.

The meeting was presided over by C.P. Grizzard, a former county demonstration agent and successful promoter of our county fairs. Demonstration Agent Ryland A. Babb acted as secretary. Short, timely talks in advocacy of the fair were made by Messrs. E. Frank Story, James T. Gillette, E.W. Crichton, L.W. McGrath, W.P. Gillette, J.S. Musgrave, Dr. R.L. Raiford and Paul Scarborough; and, pursuant to that end, a plan proposed by Mr. James T. Gillette to organize the fair as a stock company with a paid-in capital of $10,000 was adopted by vote of the meeting. The following district committeemen were then selected to canvass their districts to secure subscriptions for stock and to promote interest and enthusiasm for the fair:

BERLIN-IVOR: T.A. Saunders (Chairman), L.H. Babb, W.T. Pittman, W.C. Stephenson, T. Philip Raiford.

BOYKINS: J. Dudley Woodard (Chairman), Dr. J.W. Smith, F.M. Powell, R.C. Knight, N.T. Smith.

CAPRON: E.W. Crichton (Chairman), W.P. Gillette, L.W. McGrath, E.B. Prince, E.W. Davis.

DREWRYVILLE: John P. Fox (Chairman), V.R. Leigh, J.G. Claud, R.L. Grizzard, F.E. Pope.

FRANKLIN: Paul D. Camp (Chairman), George W. Wade, E. Frank Story, J.B. Vaughan, A.S. Johnson.

NEWSOMS: J. William Ridley (Chairman), J.L. Barham, T.H. Barrett, H.S. Miles, W.E. Beale.

JERUSALEM: Dr. W. T. McLemore (Chairman), Dr. R.L. Raiford, L.T. Reese, H.D. Babb, James T. Gillette

Franklin Christian Church to be dedicated

The congregation of the Franklin Christian Church will dedicate their handsome edifice next Sunday at the morning service. The building, which was begun in 1915, was made necessary by the rapid growth of the Christian denomination in this town. Church members are justly proud of the building in which they now worship. Through unstinted labor and sacrifice, they have practically paid for the edifice; and when the building is dedicated on Sunday, they know they will be able to say that the indebtedness is entirely effaced.

Dr. C.H. Rowland, pastor of the church, deserves much credit for the successful completion of the building project, for he has been untiring in his labors. But his efforts would have been of no avail without the hearty cooperation of individual members. Seldom has such enthusiasm and loyalty been evinced as that demonstrated by the people in the erection of their church.

Organized in 1883 with 11 charter members, the growth of the Franklin Christian Church has been exceedingly rapid and thus far has been served by the following pastors: M.L. Hurley, R.A. Ricks, J. Pressley Barrett, J.W. Barrett, J.T. Kitchen, J.W. Rawls, W.S. Long, N.G. Newman and C.H. Rowland.

The dedicatory service was presided over by Dr. Rowland. As he looked upon the result of his untiring efforts and ceaseless endeavors, he was profoundly touched, being at times almost overcome with emotion.

The musical program was composed of beautiful selections skillfully rendered, reflecting credit upon the choir and the efficiency of its director — Mrs. W.A. Daughtrey. The features deserve special mention. A solo was rendered by Mrs. E.T. Cotton of Suffolk. And, a quartet, made up of Mrs. Cotton, Miss Blanche Peters, Mr. Emerson Philip Jones Sr. and Vance Vaughan, sang the anthem, “Hark! The Song of Jubilee;” it was exceptionally well interpreted.