Ancient News, April 1916

The following is from the April 6, 1916, Semi-Weekly Sun Journal:

NEWS FROM ZORAH

Special Correspondence.
ZORAH, N.C., April 5--We are having some fine weather now, and the farmers are busy getting ready to plant their seeds.
Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Caton were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Whitford Sunday.
Mr. Levi Connoway and sister, Gladys, were the guests of Miss Mary Knox Sunday afternoon.
Miss Nina Gaskins visited Miss Janie Toler Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Columbus Booth, Mr. Artis Whitford, C.H. Booth, and Ed Booth were the guests of Mr. Zeffie Toler Sunday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Gaskins and litte son, Alois, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Gaskins, Sunday.
Messrs. Jimmie Toler and Mack Norman made a call at Mr. J.R. Gaskins' Saturday night.
Mr. Jessie Gaskins, Zeffie Toler, and Addie Stilley made a business trip to Truitt Sunday afternoon.
Miss Nina Gaskins and Jimmie Toler were out walking Sunday afternoon.
Mr. John Rowe took a pleasant trip through Penciltucky Sunday.
Miss Katie Gaskins was the guest of Miss Annie Toler Sunday morning.
Mr. Zeffie Toler made a call at Mr. J.R. Gaskins' Monday morning.
Misses Oma and Katie Gaskins are visiting their brother at Broad Creek.
The little black horse is still tied at Mr. Duffy Price's gate.
Our school closed March 30th. We all had a nice time.
Listen for the wedding bells the 16th.          SWEETHEART.

  Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Caton are Lewis Bryan Caton and Arnecia Toler Caton. They were visiting Arnecia's sister Permelia Toler Whitford and Addison Purifoy Whitford.

  Levi and Glady Connoway should be Conway. Gladys would be briefly married to Mr. Jimmy Toler.

  All of the Gaskinses mentioned are the children of J.R. [John Riley] Gaskins and Penelope Elizabeth Toler Gaskins. I'm not sure which brother was living at Broad Creek at the time, but probably Elbert Gaskins.

  The only local marriage I can find on April 16, 1916, is Mack Wetherington to Mary Knox. More on this next time.

Ancient News--Zorah, March 1916

The following is from the March 30, 1916, Semi-Weekly Sun Journal:

Zorah News Items

Special Correspondence.
ZORAH, N.C., March 30--We have been in a slumber for a long time, and have just awoke. We want to hear from Truitt and Askin once more.
Our boys have organized a baseball team and will play Saturday afternoon at Mr. H.B. Wetherington's. Everybody is invited to attend.
Mr. Guy Wetherington and Mr. Henry Caton spent Sunday at Small.
Miss Essie Toler was the guest of Miss Nina Gaskins Saturday night.
Mr. Artis Whitford was the guest of Mr. Claude Booth Sunday.
Mrs. Ardel Toler and children of Forest are visiting friends and relatives at this place.
Mrs. John Booth of Oriental is visiting at this place.
Mr. Guy Wetherington has purchased a new buggy. Look out girls!
Miss Bessie Norman spent Sunday at Penciltucky.
Master Clifford Toler won the price at Vanceboro commencement for a high jump, and Miss Neva Whitford won the prize for running.
Miss Mary and Essie Knox spent Sunday afternoon with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Knox.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Stilley and little son, James, spent Sunday at Mr. Isaiah Toler's.
Mr. Mack Wetherington was a guest of Miss Mary Knox Saturday night.
Mr. Harvey Toler was the guest of Miss Essie Knox Sunday.
Our school will close March 30, which has been taught by Miss Bertha Pipkin of Forest.
Everybody is looking forward to a pleasant time at the county commencement. Hope it will be a grand success.
Listen! The wedding bells will soon be ringing.
With best wishes to the Sun Journal.               JUST WE TWO.

Mrs. Ardel Toler and children are Minnie Ardell Pipkin Toler, the widow of Silas G. Toler, and their children Herman and Mavis. Silas died in 1914.

Penciltucky has never been positively identified, but based on other posts, it appears to be a "community"  up what is now Stair Ridge Road (off of the Cayton Road where Cayton Hunting Club has their camp). No one knows where the name came from, either.

Mr. Mack Wetherington eventually married Miss Mary Knox. And had he lived, Harvey Toler would have probably married Essie Knox. Harvey died in 1917, and Essie would marry Mr. Luther Lane.

Miss Bertha Pipkin, the school teacher, would marry Mr. Charles H. Toler in December 1916. The Forest is another name for the Antioch community.

Ancient News--March 1931, Askin News

The following is taken from The New Bernian of March 19, 1931:

Askin News

 Friends and relatives of Mrs. Reddin Toler are mourning her death. She passed away at the home of daughter, Mrs. Tom Jones, at one a.m. Sunday. She was buried in the Cayton cemetery Sunday afternoon.
 Mr. and Mrs. S.H. Gatlin and two daughters Mildred and Dorothy and Martha and Richard Morris visited Mr. Charlie Gatlin, of Rhems, Sunday.
 Relatives and friends will be glad to learn that Mr. Waldo Arthur is recovering nicely from a recent automobile accident.
 Messrs. Lewis Wetherington and Blake Adams attended the show in New Bern Saturday night.
 The farmers of this community are prospering in everything but acquiring the weather.
 The young people of Askin are very much interested in kite flying these windy days. There will be a kite flying contest at the fair grounds Saturday.
 Misses Edna Wiley, Martha Morris, Messrs. Mark and Richard Morris and Marrie Williams attended the show at New Bern Wednesday night.
 Mrs. Lena Harding and Mr. and Mrs. Snode Harding, of Chocowinity, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. I.W. Toler Sunday.
 Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Scott and daughter of Washington were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Sunday afternoon.
 Mr. Mark Morris who has been working in Southport the past year spent a few days last week with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S.E. Morris.

Mrs. Reddin Toler was Elizabeth "Lizzy" Foy and is buried in Pine Tree Cemetery. Her daughter, Mrs. Tom Jones, was Mary Susan "Mamie" Toler who married Thomas Edward Jones.

Martha, Richard and Mark Morris are all the children of Stephen Edward "Ed" Morris and Augusta Jones Morris.

Mr. and Mrs. I.W. Toler are Isaiah Willis and Vera Lucretia Whitford Toler.

Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Scott may be William A. Scott and Julia Ann O'Neal Scott, who are visiting Julia's sister Nancy Pauline and William Roberson Arthur. Waldo Arthur is the son of Nancy and William Arthur.

Ancient News--March 1931

The following was published in the Morning New Bernian of March 12, 1931:

Caton News

We are glad to have our school reopen after having been closed a week on account of measles. The teachers and pupils have recovered.
Mrs. Lee Atkinson, one of the teachers here, spent last week at her home in New Bern.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Toler spent Saturday in New Bern shopping.
Mrs. L.J. Lane visited her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Knox, Sunday afternoon.
Miss Mae Ipock, who teaches here, spent the weekend at Wilmington, Whiteville, and South Carolina with friends.
Mrs. Frank Atkinson and son-in-law from New Bern were in our community Monday.
Mr. Ervin Cayton visited relatives at Cove City Sunday.
The Zeppelin which passed over here last Monday created much interest among the grown people as well as the children, teachers report that the children are finding pictures and showing a greater interest in geography. The airport in New Bern has also brought about much talk in the community.
Mr. Faris was here with moving pictures last Friday night. A large crowd attended.
The boys and girls are showing a lot of interest in the 4-H club work which has recently been organized in the school by the help of the teachers and Mr. Faris.

Mrs. L.J. Lane (Mrs. Luther Jackson Lane) is Essie Knox Lane. Her grandparents would be William and Dorcas Tunstall Knox.

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.