May 31-June 6, 1950 

W.C. "Mutt" Burton, the Daily News' man in Rockingham County, this week lamented the passing of what once was a Reidsville social center for men - the livery stable. 

The stables were put out of business when the automobile displaced the horse and buggy but, Burton recalled from his childhood visits to an uncle's livery stables, how the "male citizens of the town gathered to swap yarns, chew cut plug, spit freely, whittle and otherwise pass the time pleasantly, sitting on wooden benches or old cane-bottomed chairs." 

Burton said highlights of his memories at his uncle Rube McCollum's livery stable were the horse traders who would come there, quarter their stock and bunk down. He remembered in particular an old gentleman known to him only as "old man Gay" who had a large mustache and endless stories to tell the boys who hung around the stable. 

The last horse at the stable, he recalled, was a gelding named Billie Hutton, a "proud and a handsome animal" that pulled a buggy with distinction. 

Said Burton: "A whole generation of courting couples rode happily behind Billie because young swains who wanted to cut a dash gladly paid the tariff for Billie Hutton" 

Duke Power Co. will hold an open house next week at its new $15 million steam generating plant on the Dan River between Leaksville and Draper. The public is invited to take tours of the 10-floor power plant on that occasion.... That evening, Rockingham leaders will hold a dinner at the Belvedere Hotel in Reidsville to pay tribute to Duke for its giant investment in the county. The county commissioners and mayors and councilmen from all the county's municipalities are expected to attend.... Camp Cherokee, the official camp ground for Boy Scouts in Rockingham, Caswell, Guilford, Alamance and Person counties, will open for the summer June 21. Camp Chinqua-Penn, which serves Girl Scouts, will open the same day. 

Alvin Cook, 17, the 6-foot-1 junior whose fastball and curveball carried Reidsville High to the state Class A baseball championship game, has been named to the Greensboro Daily News' All-State team.... The 101 members of Reidsville High School's 1950 graduating class gave the school $125 to use "as the school sees fit.".... First Baptist, First Presbyterian and First Congregational Christian churches, all of Reidsville, and Ruffin Methodist Church announced Bible school schedules. First Presbyterian and First Congregational Christian started theirs Monday; First Baptist's will start June 10 and Ruffin Methodist will begin its Sunday. 

At the movies: Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall and Patricia Neal star in "Bright Leaf," now playing at area theaters. 

Rest easy: American Traditional sofa, $189.50. 

Let's go riding: Studebaker Champion, 6-passenger, two-door custom sedan, $1,559.