Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-09-17
Than Doubled Since 1910 Census Gives Us 1856
AN EXCURSION

L
may lack the charm of O novelty
for most Of you, but it was sc
interesting to me that | feel i'm.
PEELED to BET my appreciation oi
IL down in print. "
i 1t was my good fortune to be
'finvftgd 70 % az a 'g6sst -'of The
Rosemary Manufacturing Com
pany on an excursion to Norfolk,
which it gave to its employees
last Saturday. went;and lean tes-
tify the fun began early and end
ed late. The first Of the morning
was still with US when we arrived
at the siding by the Rosemary
Manufacturing Company's Office,
but the train must have arrived
before it, for there stood ten or
twelve coaches filled with peo-
pie who were ready for a holiday
| thought the whole village must
be there, but ! was mistaken.
However the mill management
does not leave the stay-at-homes
out Of all the fun, but actually
pays them the price Of the tickets
they do not use. The logic Of
that evades me, but not the gra-
cious generosity. '''a'' +"
Nobody who really understood
what the day would bring forth
could be persuaded to stay be-
hind. / got a vision Of this after
we were well on our way, when
the men in charge of arrange
ments began producing big rolls
of ferry and street car tickets
for free distribution. 1t was
part Of a generous gesture.
On arrival in Norfolk our folk
in the most orderly fashion
made their way toward the
street cars which were to carry
them out to Ocean View. The
car company had gotten its part
of the business mixed up, but
the crowd took everything with
unbroken good humor. In time
enough cars appeared to set
down the whole crowd at the
beach, and the real business of
of the day began. -,
Mr.. S. F. Patterson was the
presiding genius. He had gone
up the day before in order to
bny up the place in my private
opinion. 1t was certainly his
for the day, and his one idea
seemed to be to giveit away for
the benefit of all of US. As the
country newspapers used to say
"A good time was had by alP'-
One felt he had almost gotten to
Wonderland with Alice or atleast
touched the fingers of the for
tunate Isles; there was so much
pleasure, and no price omit, To
get and give tickets for anything
and every thing without measure
was to experiece a new sensation
There were over seven hund-
red people ON. the excursion but
it was like one big family.
Teachers and welfare workers,
ministers and mill employees,
managers and children were all
of one heart and mind. Every
body entered into the fun of the
amusement places, and forgot
about being old or young, just
remembering to be happy. lf
| have been on excursions in
different places, but never had
part in one before where every
thing went off so smoothly. As
far as / saw, or could find out,
not an unpleasant thing occurred
in the course Of the day. A
better hammered or behaved
crowd has never gone into Nor
folk and the spirit of mutual
courtesy was delightful.
I One usually has a feeling Of
pride in this community, but !
overfowed with 1t that day
When the headof a mill system
takes real interest In all Of his
people and enters into their life,
the manaeementls 80 consider
ate and kind, and the people rel
stspond finely and loyalty and ex-
ercise themselves in good citi.
zenship, | know there is nc
limit to what they may accom-,
AEplishaas q people and a commune