The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1925-09-04
AHOSKIE FINDS
THE RIGHT IDEA
Thriving Hertford County
Town Holds Business BY
Keeping Up With 1t
By ID. V. MEEKINS0

lTlp DIS ldI dS -NllOSNlS, I'M 'iOiN -
County. 1t is the first time |
had been beyond Winton on
that road, and | was very much
impressed with many things on
the other side of the ChoWan
River, that convince me that in
spite of the progresslvcness,
and the beauty of the town and
country roundabout, the best
place to live is this side Of the
river.
The Elizabeth City section does
not outdo AhoSIic in the ncatneSS
of the homes. and the general APP
prarance Of thrift and progress that
prevails everywhere. In fact, Ellz-
abcth City isn't keeping pace with
Ah0Skir, as far as buildings are
concerned. There seems to be ii
general building boom on in that
country town of 1000 people, which
has more new residences of modern
type going up than any other place
| have seen recently.
AhOSkic is also spending money
for streets. wide streets OF con-
crete. with bilulithic coating that
beat any TO be found east OF that
town, outside of Il few recently con-
structcd ones in Edemton and Hcrt-
ford. AhOSkic is erecting new store
buildings. new hank buildings. ana
new homes, because the people are
in love with progress and want TO-
keep UP appearances on the new
streets and fine highways that 80
thru that section.
say that the Elizabeth City
section is Il better section TO i've
in. because our farms are more pro-
ductivr. our markets are more ac-
ccSSiblc and we don't have Ia work
50 hard for IL living, because nature
does more for us than she does for
UcrtfOrd County. Crops over there
arrn't 80 good as the crops Oh
this side of the river. but times are
better. there is more work and more
prosperity over there, because the
People work hard. do not spend all
their time riding. and are spending
their money for homes. for schools.
for streets that will add to the
distinction of their town. things that
will furnish work for the lahOring
man. revenue for local mills and
stores. and thereby keep everything
g,ing. and everybody busy.
This AhoSkie habit of spending
money for homes and other refine
mrLtS. is not Il new one. impress
Sivp schools churches. and homes
less recently constructed, show that
this thing has been going on all
along. And the folks over there de-
prnd on peanuts, cotton. and some
tobacco. But there is 10 such
growth of cotton in IIertfnrd Coun-
ty aS there is in paSquOtank. and
adjoining counties, no peanuts so
rank and green as in Chowan and
pcruuimanS, or even Gates.
Progressive Negroes.
! WAS impressed very much by
the thrifty and prosperous appear
ancr of the homes on the road he
tween Winton and AhoSkie. They
are mostly of recently construction,
well painted, and wcll-kcpt. | saw
no one lettering about the prcmlS-
cS. | remarked To J. Roy Parker,
editor of the IIcrtf0rl County
Herald. that the appearance of the
hrmcS on this road was very i'm
prc$Sivc.
"Why they arc negroes who live
on that road" he said. "Thcrc Is
only one white family along there
EFF that is sample of what your
negro farmers are doing. than your
white farmers must have something
extra good in this county, | said.
I'VE have some fine farms back
here" he SaiCL "but the reason
those negro farms You saw were 50
GOOD is that there is Il negro school
up here at WintOn, and the negroes
have hCpn educated enough to ap-
nreciatc the advantages OF good
homes. They work hard, they ac-
cumulatr much. and are people of
responsible financial standing. Not
so long ago, nearly all that land
was owned by one man, but the
negroes have bought their own
farms. built them up to a high state
of cultivation, and acquired COM
Portable homes. Those negroes
make good citizens, because they
have education enough to appreci-
ate good things. sense enough tot
keep out of trouble, and know
enough about business 10 work,
practice thrift. and prosper
Heard From Home.
Stopping in at the restaurant on
the newly and smoothly paved
Main Street, l was impressed with
the fact that hele was u more pre-
tentious cafe than anything III Eilz-
abeth CITY. It had an air Of com