Chapter Forty One

August 17, 1939

Mr. Ransom Hicks fired the first boiler installed at the Henrietta Mill, and he was in later years made master mechanic of the mill. Mr. Romeo Hicks fired the first boiler installed at the Caroleen Mills and he was later made master mechanic of that mill, and if I remember correctly they both served as master mechanic at Cliffside mills. These two men, as far as I know, were not related to each other. They were both fine mechanics and fine men. Both are yet living. Mr. Ransom Hicks now resides in Forest City and Mr. Romeo Hicks resides in Landrum, S. C. I always thought a great deal of these two men and always considered them friends of mine.

When I went to Henrietta in the year 1895 Mr. J. B. Ivey was manager of the Henrietta Mills store. He was very efficient in the mercantile business and was a fine christian gentleman. Mr. Ivey was the founder and promoter of the J. B. Ivey & Co. store of Charlotte which has grown to be one of the largest mercantile establishments in Charlotte.

Before coming to Henrietta Mr. Ivey was associated with Capt. L. J. Hoyle in the mercantile business at Belwood in Cleveland county. Mr. Ivey married a daughter of Mr. M. P. Gant, of Belwood. He is still living and resides in Charlotte.

Dr. Romeo Hicks was a practicing physician at Henrietta and had a large practice in and around Henrietta. He was very successful in his profession. He was the first doctor to give me a dose of medicine, Dr. Hicks was a good friend of mine and a man of whom I thought a lot of. He was a great lover of the order of the Knights of Pythias, and seldom ever missed a meeting. I have thought that he enjoyed the work in the lodge room more than anyone I ever saw in a meeting.

Dr. Hicks was very popular among the people and had a lot of friends. He was married three times. He has been dead several years, passing at the age of eighty-six.

Dr. J. F. (Fletch) Whisnant was a dentist and had an office at Henrietta. He located there about the time the mill was first put into operation and practiced his profession there as long as he lived. He died about three years ago. Fletch and I were first cousins and always the best of friends. He was one of he best all-round fellows I ever associated with. He could adapt himself to any kind of company in which he was thrown, and was a great man to tell jokes and mimic people who had peculiar habits. He was a big-hearted fellow and his friends were many. He was loved by most everyone who knew him. He was always ready to go his part in whatever the crowd wanted to do.

Dr. Whisnant was a fine dentist. He did the first work I had done on my teeth. The first filling which he put in for me is still in good shape today. This was put in in 1895.

If the crowd wanted to be refined he was ready to help it out and if they wanted to be rough and lively he would do his part. Dr. Whisnant was reared in Cleveland county near Casar and was twice married. His first marriage was to Miss Sophia Willis. They had two daughters and one son. The second marriage was to Miss Ola Humphries and they had three daughters. His last wife is still living and resides at Avondale. Dr. Whisnant lived to be seventy-one years of age.