December 1-7, 1924

King Hampton of Leaksville should be thankful that it was only his car badly damaged by fire. With his car parked in front of the Studebaker service station on Washington Street, Hampton struck a match to look into the tank to see if there was much gas left in it.... Fred Scott, an employee of the New System Laundry in Leaksville, had an arm broken while cranking one of the Ford trucks belonging to the company.... A contract has been let for the construction of an $18,000 home for tobacconist L.N. Dibrell on the old Hatchett place near Ruffin fronting on the new paved road. It will be a brick-and-stucco structure in the English villa style. 

Two events show how much firemen are appreciated in the county. In Leaksville, the firemen were pleasantly surprised with a Thanksgiving Day dinner at the Roberts Cafe, courtesy of R.P. Ray of Spray Mercantile Co. and distributor of Standard Oil products.... In Reidsville, a Christmas fund will be established for the fire department to provide comforts at the fire station. Receptacles for donations have been put in various public places.... Wentworth High School played its first boys basketball game and the inexperience showed. They were beaten 37-3 by Greensboro High. 

The death sentence of Austin Carter for killing his estranged wife in Reidsville last year was commuted to life in prison by Gov. Morrison less than 20 hours before his scheduled execution time. Carter, age 53, a Danville, Va., insurance salesman, told reporters he was mentally unbalanced when he drove to Reidsville and killed his 33-year-old wife at her father's home, where she had lived since leaving him in 1921. Their four children are now in the Oxford Orphanage. 

Santa Claus idea: Coaster steel-frame wagons, $7.98. 

Christmas gift suggestion: Comfy ladies' slippers in felt, $1.45. 

Truck for sale: New one-ton Graham Brothers truck, $1,260.