Ancient News--February 1931

The following was published in the New Bernian of February 11, 1931:

Caton News

Rev. Mack Prescott filled his regular appointment at New Haven church Sunday and preached to quite a large audience.
Miss Dezel Stilley spent Sunday with Miss Kathleen Cayton.
Miss Annis Whitford spent Sunday with Miss Lena Toler.
Miss Mae Ipock and Mrs. Lee Atkinson, who teaches here, spent last week-end in New Bern.
Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Tripp, of Washington, spent the week-end with Mrs. Tripp's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Toler.
Mrs. Lee Atkinson is still ill at her home in New Bern. We hope that she will soon be able to resume her duties at school. Miss Delphia Stilley is acting as her substitute.
Misses Kathleen and Muriel Gray Cayton visited Miss Ella Mae Toler Saturday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Knox, Miss Esther Stilley and Durwood Cayton visited friends in Bridgeton Sunday.

Ancient News--February 1906

The following is from the New Bern Daily Journal of March 3, 1906:

Zorah--Feby 28--Our farmers are busily engaged in making fences and clearing land, preparing for another crop.
Mrs. Jane Whitford who has been sick the past year, doesn't seem to get much better.
Mr. A.R. Whitford who went to Newport News some time ago, came home last week to see his mother.
Mr. G.A. Whitford went to Washington Saturday.
Miss Carrie Tunstall returned to her school in Jones County last week.
Mrs. Amanda Tuten of Edward spent last week at Mr. Silas Fulcher's.
Mr. J.M. Whitford and sister Miss Lizzie O'Neil spent Saturday night with relatives near Edward.
Messrs. Billy Yates and Jesse Latham of Gilead, spent Saturday night and Sunday at Mrs. Rose Whitford's.
Our Friendship and Pinetree schools had an exciting game of ball Friday afternoon, which resulted in a score of 14 to 21 in favor of Friendship.
Mr. S.M. Brinson our County Superintendent was here last week looking after our schools and delivered some able addresses on education which were highly appreciated by our students. He talks of consolidating our schools before another year.
Miss Rhesa Yates of Gilead is visiting relatives here.
Miss Susie Wetherington spent Monday night with Misses Mary and Cora Whitford.
Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Wiley of Cool Spring, visited relatives here last week.
Master Ivie Toler who has been spending a while on Blounts Creek returned home Friday.

Jane Whitford is Margaret Jane Wiley Whitford, wife of Bryan C. Whitford. She would eventually die in June 1906. A.R. Whitford is her son, Addison Rudolph, as is G.A. Whitford (Gilbert Arthur).
Carrie Tunstall may be Amanda Caroline Tunstall, daughter of Peyton Randolph Tunstall. If so, she later married Robert Pipkin.

Mrs. Amanda Tuten is Amanda Hollon Toler Tuten, daughter of Charles and Caroline Tunstall Toler and wife of Claudius E. Tuten. She is the sister of Mrs. Silas Fulcher (nee Verena Caroline Toler).

J.M. Whitford is John Malcolm Whitford, son of Lewis D and Rosa Tuten Whitford. There is a mistake here, in that Lizzie O'Neal is a cousin, not his sister. There is probably a line missing from this sentence, as in the New Bern Weekly Journal of 2 March 1906, is a "Durhams Creek" column which states: "Misses Mary Whitford and Lizzie Oneal, accompanied by Mr. John Whitford, all of Zorah, were the guests of Miss Maud Tuten on Saturday and Sunday."

Billy Yates is William Gilbert Yates, son of Weston and Josephine Tuten Yates, and nephew of Mrs. Rose Tuten Whitford. I'm not sure who Jesse Latham is at the moment. Rhesa Yates is the sister of Billy Yates [the name is also spelled Yeates].

Susie Wetherington is the daughter of Henry Bryan and Laura Toler Wetherington. She would later marry Mary's and Cora's brother Ira, all children of Lewis D. and Rosa Tuten Whitford.

J.O. Wiley is James O'Neill Wiley, son of Azariah F. and Ellen Ann "Nellie" Stilley Wiley. He married Della Whitford, daughter of William David and Florence Ipock Whitford.

Ivie Toler is actually Evie Toler, son of John A. and Susan (Rosa) Wiley Toler.

"Askin and Friendship School Baseball Results"

  The following is from the Semi-Weekly Sun Journal of February 21, 1916:

Askin and Friendship School Baseball Results

  Feb. 20, [1916]--The school boys of Askin challenged Friendship to play a game of ball. We concluded we would play them, so we answered to their call. And when those boys arrived here, such a sight we have never seen; red hair, freckles, and some were even green. And when the hour rolled around, the umpire called the game. And the way we boys beat them, was really a sinful shame. You could see those "pretty" Askin girls turn their heads in shame; they knew we country boys were easily winning the game.
  Those red-headed boys of Askin were mad enough to fight, and the way those freckles were shining was greater than an electric light. They called we boys rascals, all kinds of low-down names. But they were all very silent when they saw we had the reign. At the end of the 8th inning the umpire called the game; he saw to play them longer would win us too much fame. And so on the following Thursday, guess what we boys done? We played them in their city of Askin. Now wasn't that coming some.
  I hope you will understand how cheaply we were feeling get on a city diamond. Made us feel like an opossum stealing. The game was started nicely. Every player did his best, but we knew to again face those red-heads, freckles and specks, that we would never stand the test. And when a red-head would hit the ball, was the greatest thing of all--those "pretty girls" of Askin would hollow till they'd fall.
And when the game was ended, the tallyman broke the news, that Askin was victorious by a majority of two. The reason that they won this, we are willing to bet a quarter, that it was because they'd been drinking "Chautauqua Spring Water."          TONY

  Friendship School was located in Zorah (now Caton), on the north side of Little Swift Creek and served those in the community who lived in No. 1 Township. The school was located down the Whitford Road, and was later moved out to Hill's Neck Road (where it was at one time used as a storage barn by Uncle Leon Norman. It has since fallen down.) 

  The reference to "Chautauqua Spring Water" refers to an early attempt to create a spa in Askin. The waters from Chautauqua Springs and Blue Springs were bottled for sale. A large hotel was planned, but investors to the project did not raise the funds needed to support the effort, and soon the project was abandoned.