The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-09-09
HOW ONE LITTLE TOWN
DID A GREAT BIG JOB
Columbia Dressed Up, Invited Much Company,
Entertained Lavishly and Beautifully
TWAS A Great Day in Columbia

IL was Rl lCdC uoy ia 'NSiui
bia, capital of Tyrrell, gem of
the Scuppernong, home of the
biggest, earliest Carolina spuds.
Crowds, crowds, crowds came
by road, by water and by air to
Tyrrell County's Road and
Bridge Celebration at Colum-.
bia Wednesday, Sept. 9TH.
Such crowds were never seen in
Columbia before. Nobody could
count them. There were twice
1 600 plates filled for the first
grand rush to the free open air bar
becue dinner. 1t IL estimated that
as many more plates were filled.
1t il estimated that between 5000
and 5000 people were fed.
And such a feed! Sixty barbe-
cued pigs, many calves and lambs
and flOcks of chickens. Barrels OF
cold slaw, endless pans Of corn pone
and Jars of pickles; barrels Of iced
tea and lemonade: a truck load OF
crisp brown potato chips from
Andrew Jackson COhoOn's own prize
potatoes. And better barbecue just
never was. Clean, wholesome,
tempting; hot enough and not too
hot. That barbecued pig had chick
ell backed of the boards. For once
chicken lost Its SAVIOR.
1t was Il big undertaking for
little town. The population or
Columbia IL hardly more than a
thousand. Columbia isn't used 10
crowds. isn't used to entertaining
on a big scale. But there Is team
work In Columbia. Everybody seems
to have pitched in and helped make
it Tyrrelrs banner day. Every
body pulling together accomplished
miracles.
Without outside help the little
town tackled a staggering job and
did 1t beauttfuly. One was impress
sed the moment one rolled ir over
the new $4,000, Scippernong River
bridge onto COlumbia's newly paw
ed Main Street Courteous smiling,
intelligent special policemen direct
ed you where to park. They hand
led the crowds like trained traffic
men; 10 traffic jams, no confusion.
And thousands Of joyful folks
surged back apd forth on the towns
one business street Rosy checked
children, beautiful. .women--thou-
sands of them.+lending: more color
to the scene thaR the. hundred Of
flags and banners thai floated every
y,bora -; IN, ,!'...a -r
There was a parhde: not a. big
parude. but olis Of the sreatest com-
munity parldes ever staged in
Eastern. North 'Carolina.: great be-
cause 1t unfoltled In succession OF
colOrful and ingenious floats the
history. industry and home life OF
a great but neglected county. The
agriculture. fishing, timber re-
sources. home life and social life OF
the people was revealed in ingenious
pageantry. Soldiers Of the revolu-
tiOn. soldiers of the Confederacy,
early settlers, primitive Indians;
the girlhOod. womanhoOd and man
hood Of to-day; fishermen, timber
men, farmers-all appeared In the
parade.
Many of the stores were closed,
merchants sacrificing business to
entertain the days visitors and
Iroud to show them the hospitality
f, Of n prospering and resourceful peo-
ple who have builded a hundred per
cent American civilization In q
hitherto isolated and neglected
region.
Everybody In Columbia was tired
out Wednesday night. The celebra-
tiOn was great tax upon the whole
citizenry. 1t costs lot of money
and lot of labor. But Columbia
was happy. No one will speak dis
parugingly or disdainfully Of Colum-
bia any. more; Columbia and Tyr
rell have taken their deserved place
among the up and coming counties
Of the Albemarle Region and won
the respect and applause OF their
neighbours. 1t was q great day In
Columbia.
Oh, ye! There was speechmak-
ing, Hon. Frank Page, chairman
of the State Highway Commission
spoke; Congressman Lindsay War.
rem spoke; Commissioner Frank
Kugler spoke. But they all spoke
against insuperable odds. Who
could listen to speeches with the
smell Of that barbecue In the nos.