Corn Cracker

LATTIMORE, April 17. — Being fully aware that your readers don’t give a whoop in perdition as to my whereabouts and penguinations, pains are hereby taken to inform them that your ancient uncle has been to Ellenboro, Henrietta and Cliffside. He enjoys visiting those places, as he is treated like first-class white folks by first-class white folks. Besides this reputable grade of society, we have three others. They comprise, respectively, dudes, damphools and idiots, and with all of these orders I am, happily, unpopular.

On my journey I was hospitably entertained by Jesse and George Harrill, two of nature’s noblemen; also by Mr. Humpries, of Cliffside, and D. D. Fortune of the same thriving mill town. Courtesies and hospitalities were also extended by R. R. Haynes, a wizard of finance and enterprise; R.L. Packard, superintendent of Cliffside Mills; Dr. Baxter Haynes; Store Manager Z. O. Jenkins, etc.

Cliffside has over 40,000 spindles, 1,500 looms, 350 tenant houses for operatives, 2,000 inhabitants, the best public school building in Rutherford and superior to any in Cleveland county; the most elegant church building in this region and the best Sunday school. It also has the [best] silver cornet band in the State, and it has proved this by winning first money at the Charlotte State Convention.

Great creations imply great creators, and this is exemplified by achievements of R. R. Haynes, as Henrietta, Caroleen, Forest City and Cliffside attest.

As has been heralded in your columns Henrietta is to have a big fiddler’s convention on May 13th, 1911, while Cliffside has its annual affair of the kind on April 29th, 1911. In addition, a play will be presented by the Cliffside Minstrel Company, and a foot-race will be run for a four-mile heat, the winner to receive $10 and the second best winner $7.50. Talent, enterprise and capital do things, and these abound at Cliffside.

No dogs, cats and piney-ridge roosters infest this neat and orderly town, but a thrifty, well-fed and well-attired citizenship. The order to allow no dogs, cats and hogs in the place was not to abridge personal liberty but to promote sanitary measures. More than half the people there would leave the place were these three classes of animals allowed, and nearly all are in hearty accord.

Cliffside is the largest gingham manufacturing plant in the South under one roof and one management. The mill building is 100 by 608 and four-stories high. It has its own dye house and makes 127 new shades of fancy cloth and 87 standard styles. The company store is a marvel of elegance and commodity, and every department is in good hands.

More could be said, but I have not time and you have not space to further enumerate.

CORN CRACKER

This item was printed in The Sun on April 20, 1911.