The following is from the New Bern Daily Journal of March 3, 1906:
Zorah–Feby 28–Our farmers are busily engaged in making fences and clearing land, preparing for another crop.
Mrs. Jane Whitford who has been sick the past year, doesn’t seem to get much better.
Mr. A.R. Whitford who went to Newport News some time ago, came home last week to see his mother.
Mr. G.A. Whitford went to Washington Saturday.
Miss Carrie Tunstall returned to her school in Jones County last week.
Mrs. Amanda Tuten of Edward spent last week at Mr. Silas Fulcher’s.
Mr. J.M. Whitford and sister Miss Lizzie O’Neil spent Saturday night with relatives near Edward.
Messrs. Billy Yates and Jesse Latham of Gilead, spent Saturday night and Sunday at Mrs. Rose Whitford’s.
Our Friendship and Pinetree schools had an exciting game of ball Friday afternoon, which resulted in a score of 14 to 21 in favor of Friendship.
Mr. S.M. Brinson our County Superintendent was here last week looking after our schools and delivered some able addresses on education which were highly appreciated by our students. He talks of consolidating our schools before another year.
Miss Rhesa Yates of Gilead is visiting relatives here.
Miss Susie Wetherington spent Monday night with Misses Mary and Cora Whitford.
Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Wiley of Cool Spring, visited relatives here last week.
Master Ivie Toler who has been spending a while on Blounts Creek returned home Friday.
Jane Whitford is Margaret Jane Wiley Whitford, wife of Bryan C. Whitford. She would eventually die in June 1906. A.R. Whitford is her son, Addison Rudolph, as is G.A. Whitford (Gilbert Arthur).
Carrie Tunstall may be Amanda Caroline Tunstall, daughter of Peyton Randolph Tunstall. If so, she later married Robert Pipkin.
Mrs. Amanda Tuten is Amanda Hollon Toler Tuten, daughter of Charles and Caroline Tunstall Toler and wife of Claudius E. Tuten. She is the sister of Mrs. Silas Fulcher (nee Verena Caroline Toler).
J.M. Whitford is John Malcolm Whitford, son of Lewis D and Rosa Tuten Whitford. There is a mistake here, in that Lizzie O’Neal is a cousin, not his sister. There is probably a line missing from this sentence, as in the New Bern Weekly Journal of 2 March 1906, is a “Durhams Creek” column which states: “Misses Mary Whitford and Lizzie Oneal, accompanied by Mr. John Whitford, all of Zorah, were the guests of Miss Maud Tuten on Saturday and Sunday.”
Billy Yates is William Gilbert Yates, son of Weston and Josephine Tuten Yates, and nephew of Mrs. Rose Tuten Whitford. I’m not sure who Jesse Latham is at the moment. Rhesa Yates is the sister of Billy Yates [the name is also spelled Yeates].
Susie Wetherington is the daughter of Henry Bryan and Laura Toler Wetherington. She would later marry Mary’s and Cora’s brother Ira, all children of Lewis D. and Rosa Tuten Whitford.
J.O. Wiley is James O’Neill Wiley, son of Azariah F. and Ellen Ann “Nellie” Stilley Wiley. He married Della Whitford, daughter of William David and Florence Ipock Whitford.
Ivie Toler is actually Evie Toler, son of John A. and Susan (Rosa) Wiley Toler.