The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-07
INV LENA RIVERS SMITH.)

Agement OF the InEtt COttcH HiiiiS VIII
make an effort to interest the peo-
pIe Of the three mill villages in the
growing of flowers and village I'M
provement. These ladies are Mrs.
John Il. Yount, whose husband ~
president Of the Catawba cotton mil,
Mrs. Robert Knox, wife of the sec
rotary of the Newton and Clyde miiis
and Mrs. w .E. Bacon, wife of the
Superintendent of the two latter mills
They will make an effort 10 interest a
club of girls from the mills in village
Improvement and work through them
TO reach every operative in he three
mills.
Although it has not yet been deh-
pitely decided. it is more than ilkeiy
that prizes will be offered next year
by the ladies to the ones who make
the most Improvement around the
in the mill villages.
While the three cotton mills IN
Newton are small and two of them
among the old pioneers in the cot
ton mill industry in this section ana
no active welfare work has been car
ried on as is done by some of the
larger corporations, something IN
usual was found in that "A large num-
Der Of the operatives Of all three OF
the mills own their homes, which de-
notes the Industrious habits and pro-
gress through which they have lived
within the past several years. Some
time ago a representative OF the Man
ufacturers Record was making an in
vestigation of the mill conditions In
Newton and after a canvas OF the vii
lag found that over so per cent Of
the operatives Of the Clyde and New
ton cotton mills have bought homes.
In the Catawba mill something like
20 or 20 per cent have purchased land
and built homes.
Sometime ago the management Of
the Newton and Clyde mills secured
n tract of land which was held for
the purpose of selling lots to the Oper-
atives. These lots were laid off into
50 and 60-foot front lots with a depth
of from 100 to 125 feet and were
sold to the operatives in prices rang
ing from $50 to $50. In many cases
the company built the houses, let.
ting the operatives pay for them out
OF their weekly incomes. Mr.. Johr
Il. Yount. president of the CatawDs
cotton mill, started a building anC
loan association and has encouraged
his help to take out shares, which
many OF them have done.
Flowers and ~Shrubbcry Started.
Messrs. Robert Knox and w. f
Bacon, Of the Clyde cotton mill, have
started some yard improvement
around the Clyde mill and through
h DOTtlOn OF the village. ScVora
maple trees were set out and fiowe
beds sown in the grounds round tn
mill. while the establishments in from
Of the cottages facing the Charlotte
Asheville highway have been turfed
The deep grading on the road mad
an abrupt incline which has bee
greatly improved by the addition Q
grass on the bank.
Splendid Gardens.
hnn fhIny that attract no rfio,,1a
attention throughout the mill village
of newton are the gardens and tn
splendid growth Of vegetables in then
The section around Newton has nc
suffered with the dry season tina Ia
stunted the growth of plants in othe
sections Of the State. Some Of tn
prettiest gardens seen by the write
this year wero those in the mill vi
lagos of Newton.
Produce Cheap.
After hearing SO much about th
high cost of living in sections whel
the demand sends the prices soarin
to an almost unreasonable height,
sounds like fairy land to visit SON
OF the grocery stores and have TT
prices on fruits and vegetables quote
a young mar who operates a store
North " where the mills a
located retails fresh cabbage whie
ne secures from the neighbour
farms for n cent a pound. Tom;
toes. which are just beginning to con
In are high at present and are b
ing sold for 6 cents a pound. Lat
on, the merchant says they will bril-
about 2 cents a pound. Blackberri
can be purchased for 10 cents a ga
lon, and the best Of peaches are so
Tor SO cents a bushel. During Il
past winter sweet potatoes never we
over SO cents a bushel. Other pr
duce Of this section sells at the sar
rate.
The SHIFTS Boys
1t would hardly be consistent
write a story about Newton and t
people of industry without mentio
Ing the "snits peddlars," as the SIN
boys style themselves who meet
trains every day with baskets of@fr
which they sell for fancy prices
the tourists that flock into the mou
tains- These boys are some amo
h most energetic to be fOund in
town and several of them are