THE
HOME
NEWS
EDI TED IN THE INTEREST OF McCRORY AND WOODRUFF COUNTY
VOLUME 1.
McCRORY, ARKANSAS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1915
NUMBER 5
SEPARATED 35 YEARS
Few people were ever happier
than our friend Scott Pigram yes
terday, Thursday, morning when
for the first time since the long
lost boy was a baby, 35 years
ago, had he seen his son, Jas.
Pigram. It was one of the hap
piest times of the old man's life
and his eyes were filled with
tears of gladness when he, after
having met the trains night and
day for the past several days,
saw his son who arrived with his
young wife yesterday morning.
About 35 years ago Mr. and
Mrs. Scott Pigram lived in Inde
pendence County. Jimmiet as
the old man called him yesterday,
was only a baby seven months
old when his parents were sepa
rated at that time, his mother
taking him with her. When he
was nine years old, his mother
died, leaving him to battle for
himself. He never knew the
whereabouts of his father and at
the age of 16 he went to Corsi
cana, Texas where he has since
resided and married.
ms lamer laier iriarrieu again
and he and his second wife have
been residing near McCrory many
years. Until a few months ago
he never knew what had become
of his son and wanting to learn
if possible his whereabouts,
placed an ad in the Weekly Com
mercial Appeal. This ad was
read by I. H. Nelson at Strout,
Ala.., who wrote to the father
here and told him of a young
man named Jas. Pigram who
married his cousin at Corsicana,
Texas, and that he was almost
sure that Jim was his son. Mr.
' Nelson then wrote his cousin,
Mrs. Jas. Pigram in Texas, tell
ing her about the circumstances
and she wrote to Mr. Pigram
here, the result of which was a
trip that caused a reunion after
35 long years between father
and son.
Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Pigram will
remain here for several weeks
and probably locate here. The
elder Mr. Pigram says that it
pays to advertise.
Ladies’ hats at half price. Get
one at Arnof’s big sale. Adv
Roy Irvine, clerk in the office
of the Hotel Chisca, Memphis,
arrived yesterday, Thursday, for
a week’s visit, the guest of H. T.
and Walter W. Raney.
J. H. Beard and wife of Holly
Grove attended the funeral of his
half-brother, G. Stark, at DeView
Tuesday. Mr. Beard spent yes
terday in this city the guest of
his cousin, J. 0. Raymond.
150 PEOPLE IN SERIOUS DANGER
_
Woodruff County Citizens Losing Much Property and
Possibly Their Lives Near Cotton Plant and All
Along White River in the Big Flood.
One hundred and fifty resi- j
dents of McClelland—about 12
miles northwest of Cotton Plant
on the M. & N. A. Ry. —are in
grave danger and some may be
lost in a flood that swept through
a break in the new White River
levee and inundated the rich low
lands between the White and
Cache rivers in southeastern
Woodruff county Wednesday
afternoon.
A Missouri and North Arkan
sas railroad work train was sent
from Georgetown late Wednes
day night, but communication
with Georgetown was cut off and
the result of the relief expedi-1
tion was not known. The rail
road embankment between the
two towns is reported in danger
of giving way.
C. W. Butler, manager of the
Chicago Mill and Lumber Co’s,
plant at McClelland, telephoned
Cotton Plant asking for help be
fore 7 o’clock. He asked that
boats be sent out on the eight
mile stretch of river between
the towns, and was explaining
his predicament when suddenly
he said the water was nearly
over the telephone and he would
have to quit talking. He said
the water was eight to ten feet
deep over the town and that 150
persons were in danger. His
last words were an appeal for
aid in a hurry.
Shortly after eight o’clock
Wednesday night Superintend
ent J. S. Reddoch of the Missou
ri and North Arkansas railroad
left Georgetown on a special
train carrying 15 flat cars. At
Cotton Plant it was said the em
bankment of the railroad was ex
pected to give away between Cot
ton riant ana Georgetown.
Several persons who arrived in
Cotton Plant Wednesday night
from McClelland in a small gaso
line launch said the break in the
levee occurred at 3:30 o’ clock
Wednesday afternoon and that;
the water rose so fast in the town
that there was no time to flee to:
high ground. No preparations for
the flood had been made as the
people had expected the levee to
hold. Large sums had been
spent on its improvements this
year.
The refugees said that unless
help had reached the place from
some source, they believed many
had been lost. According to
their story, the whole district be
tween the White river and the
Cache river is a rushing river.
All farms are inundated and
crops destroyed, they said. When
the water became deep enough
in the office of the lumber com
pany to cover the telephone it
must have been 15 feet deep in
most of the town, they said, be
cause the office is the highest
place in the vicinity.
The river rose one and one
half feet at Des Arc Wednesday.
All lowlands in the vicinity have
been inundated and it was pre
dicted that the water would go
eight feet higher before last
night when the crest was expect
ed. Heavy damage to crops has
resulted, but no lives have been
endangered. At DeVall’s Bluff
the river rose 10 inches Wednes
day and the stage at 6 o’clock
was 2334 feet, 234 feet below the
highest this year. The water
has covered all lowlands and
crops are already destroyed. The
crest is expected there this after
noon. The White and Cache
river levees were still holding
at 6 o’clock Wednesday night.
The stage of the river at Clar
endon was 21.4 at 6 o’clock
Wednesday night, a rise of 10
inches in 24 hours. The crest is
expected Monday morning.
Work on the levees which pro
tect the town continued Wednes
day and it was believed Wednes
day night they would stand a 39
foot stage. The government pre
diction is 37 feet. It is believed
that the breaking of the levee at
McClelland will prevent the river
reaching the predicted stage.—
Gazette.
Miss Janie Ash returned Sat
urday from Augusta where she
had been visiting Mesdames Ocie
Collins and Drew Douglas.
Mrs. J. H. Barrentine and
daughters, Misses Myrtle and
Vera, of Crawfordsville, are vis
iting her son, James W. Barren
tine.
Misses Monroe and McKennon
returned to their homes at Bos
ton, Ga., Wednesday, after being
the pleasant guests of Dr. and
Mrs. E. P. Yeager.
Mrs. R. B. Keating and two
children arrived yesterday,
Thursday, from Washington, D.
C., and are the guests of her
father, John Shearer.
GID STARK DEAD
The above headline will no
doubt prove quite a shock to the
many readers of The Home
News who have not already
learned of the untimely death of
our esteemed and highly respect
ed friend and citizen, Gideon
Stark, which occurred at the
family rssidence at DeView Mon
day afternoon, Aug. 23, 1915,
about five o’clock, congestion of
the lungs causing his death with
in about 20 minutes after he was
stricken.
The deceased was born Jan. 15,
1864, near DeView and was 51
years, seven months and eight
days old at the time he was sud
denly taken from his family and
friends. He joined the Metho
dist Church 20 years ago and died
as he has ever since lived —a
Christian.
At the age of 19 he began work
as a clerk in Col. John Shearer’s
store at DeView, serving in that
capacity for 20 years or more,
after which he bought an half in
terest and in the year 1903 the
full stock to himself. His busi
ness career has been a success
and well earned.
in me year isyu ivir. ;starK was
married to Miss Lena A. Brown
to which union four children of
whom three are now living, Nor
man, Myric and Marietta, were
born. He was a member in good
standing of the Woodmen of the
World and Odd Fellow lodges of
McCrory and carried a $2,000.00
policy in the former order. The
remains were laid to rest in the
Odd Fellows Cemetery Tuesday
afternoon, Rev. Clark, his pastor
conducting the services which
were held under the auspices of
I. O. O. F. Lodge No. 273 of this
city. Not only DeView, but
McCrory and Woodruff County
will regret the loss of this good
and upright citizen who always
stood for that which was noble
and good.
OPENS NEW OFFICE
L. W. Sturdivant, local mana
ger of Goold & Co., cotton buyers
and importers of Memphis and
Liverpool has rented the Far
mers & Merchants bank building
for his office, where he will pay
the highest cash price for cotton
this fall. It will be remembered
that the above firm was one of
the first to pay our farmers cash
for their product last fall. As
the firm of Goold & Co. is one of
the largest of its kind in the
United States it will pay any far
mer or merchant to see them be
fore selling his cotton.