The North Little Rock School Board was news 100 years ago this week, big news, with screaming matches, lawsuits, usurpers and a board meeting walkout.
On the one hand was former Superintendent Elmer B. Gardner, who had been removed and replaced through the efforts of two Johnny-come-lately board members. Backing him were the School Improvement League, citizens the Arkansas Gazette dubbed "Gardnerites." On the other hand were those two members, the replacement superintendent and Mayor William M. Burns.
While controversy over Gardner's removal slammed along, for months, the schools ran out of money and shut down. Public students white and Black wound up paying tuition. In other words, ugh. You can read about it in Cary Bradburn's book "On the Opposite Shore" (City of North Little Rock, 2004).
Luckily, the Sunday, Aug. 29, 1920, Gazette also reported smaller stuff, and those items read like self-contained short stories. Little newsy bits.
For instance, the shoe-car came to town.
This was a Franklin motor car built to look like a shoe. Imagine today's Wienermobile, only a big, striped black-and-white shoe. A salesman drove it cross country to advertise Korry-Krome Sole Leather, sold for replacing worn-out shoe soles. (See another iteration of the car here: arkansasonline.com/831shoecar.) He worked for the J.W. & A.P. Howard Co., a tannery in Corry, Pa. Salesman D.H. McKay had put 70,000 miles on that shoe-car before rolling into Little Rock.
From his description of nearly impassable roads and the shoe-car's total lack of engine trouble, he should have been selling Franklins.
In other car news, the U.S. Army's Third Division's 8th Machine Gun Battalion at Camp Pike had purchased an REO Speedwagon. REO Speedwagon was not originally a 1980s rock band.
The following incidents happened Aug. 28:
Bridge Is Blockaded
Texarkana: "When C.B. Hynes, J.D. Atkinson, and W.H. Atkinson of Prescott, Ark., attempted to cross the new bridge across Red River, at Index, 10 miles north of here, Thursday afternoon about 6:30 they were driven back by a man armed with a rifle, who threatened to shoot. The man refused to parley or listen. They returned here and spent the night, leaving again for the bridge yesterday after receiving telephone assurances from the sheriff at Ashdown that they could cross the bridge. The guard with the rifle has been placed in jail. It is said he was drinking."
Are Wedded On Stage
Fort Smith: "Robert Dale, aged 30, and Anita Gonzalez, aged 29, the former of Youngstown, Ohio, and the latter from New York, were married on the stage at the Lyric theater between the first and second shows tonight by Judge Lewis F. Fishback. The bride and groom are members of a theatrical company playing at the Lyric."
Father Prosecutes Daughter
Fort Smith: "A father prosecuting his daughter on a charge of grand larceny and another daughter testifying for the prosecution was the unusual sight witnessed in Judge L.F. Fishback's court yesterday when Annie McBee, known to the authorities as "Dutch Annie," was given a preliminary hearing. Her father, Frank Smeteskey, charged she had stolen $10 from him. Bruno Pompe, defendant in another criminal case, testified against her sister, who was discharged by the court for lack of evidence. The Pompe woman was recently held to the Grand Jury by Judge Fishback on a charge of stealing an automobile from her husband, Frank Pompe, of Jenny Lind, and 'eloping' with another man."
Finds $500 Pearl
Buford: "One of the largest, most valuable pearls found in the White River this season was found day before yesterday near here by William Smothers of this place. The gem was larger than a good-sized pea and had a splendid luster and color. The finder sold the pearl for $200."
[Why settle for more when you can have less?]
Held on Bigamy Charge
Poplar Bluff, Mo.: "Effie Smith or Effie Isabelle, 24 years old, is held by officials here on a charge of bigamy made by her husband John Smith, who returned to Poplar Bluff recently after several years of wandering. The woman says she heard of the death of Smith and then married again."
Arm Broken by Car Crank
Womble: "Dr. S.P. Holmes is the latest victim of the treacherous automobile crank. While cranking his car here yesterday, the crank flew backward and broke his arm in two places."
In other news bits, the Midway Garage, 412 Louisiana St., was purchased by the Automobile Laundry of 416-18-20 W. Markham St.
Russell Lafferty, president of the auto laundry, was elated over the deal, which gave his 8-week-old business 15,000 square feet for storage space. He said, "The traffic laws concerning the parking of cars in the downtown districts has created an unusual demand for all-day storage, and we expect to have this space filled all the time; in fact, we have a number of requests from auto owners for regular storage space."
The report remarks on the novelty of the business, which suggests this might have been Little Rock's first carwash and parking garage.
Polk County War Hero Is the Victim of Practical Jokers
Mena: "After having escaped the perils of military service during the World war, Leonard Rose, a young man living near Grannis, came to his death by being stung by an army of wasps. The death of the returned soldier is one of the strangest ever recorded in Polk County. Several days ago Rose was one of a crew of workers employed in picking cucumbers on a truck farm near Grannis. Fellow workers hid Rose's lunch basket near a bush which contained a large wasp nest, and when the former soldier went to get it, they threw cucumbers at the nest. The aroused wasps sallied forth and attacked Rose. Before he could escape he had been stung more than 50 times about the face and body. The young man was given medical attention and apparently improved, but the poison injected into his blood caused death a few days later."
Dear Reader, I can't leave you on such a sad note. One more bit:
Must Keep Cattle Out
"The commanding officer of Fort Roots has noticed cattle belonging to people who live in the vicinity of the reservation, and has asked that attention be brought to an extract of the Act of March 3, 1875, in regard to cattle grazing on United States property. The Act, in part, follows, 'If any person or persons shall knowingly and unlawfully break open or destroy any gate, fence, hedge or wall inclosing any lands of the United States, and shall drive any cattle, horses or hogs upon the lands aforesaid for the purpose of destroying the grass or trees on the said grounds or if any person shall knowingly permit his cattle, horses or hogs to enter through any of the said inclosures upon the lands of the United States, where the said cattle, horses or hogs may or can destroy the grass or trees or other property of the United States, every such person so offending on conviction shall pay a fine, not exceeding $500, or be imprisoned, not exceeding 12 months.'"
Mmm, news bits, that's what we like.
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