The Carter Mill at Democrat. The original mill, also operated by a Carter,
was established here in 1800.
Here’s Democrat
It s a rather unusual
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for a
low
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liut it lacks a whole lot of
being the only unusual and in¬
teresting thing about this coiu-
niiinily in Buncombe County.
By HDGAK Altl lCMTIlY
DEMOCRAT is ill Buncombe
County. It’s located on the
Big Ivy River at the foot of the
Craggics, a couple of miles or so
from Bnrnardsville.
Democrat is just a little rural com¬
munity. It includes a couple of
churches, a postoffice, a filling station
or so, n country store or two, two
or three dozen dwellings, and the
Carter Mill.
The Carter Mill is an unusual in¬
stitution. Established by Solomon
Carter in 1800, it has been in con¬
tinuous operation since that date,
and is still owned by descendants of
its founder. From all indications,
so long as the clear waters of Big
Ivy continue to flow there will be
Carters to utilize them to turn the
wheels of the old mill.
Maybe you’re wondering how
Democrat got its name. It seems that
Mr. Solomon Carter was not only an
enterprising and hard-working busi¬
ness man, but he was nlso deeply in¬
terested in politics. He held firmly
to the Democratic faith, and took
advantage of every opportunity to
preach the Democratic gospel to his
cuxtomers. In consequence, his mill
became such a hot-bed of Democracy
that it, and eventually the whole com¬
munity, was referred to as
“Democrat." Of course, this was
some time after the mill was first
built; in the period when the Demo¬
cratic party was more or less in its
infancy. Mr. Carter must have done
his work well, because to this day
the precinct votes Democratic con¬
sistently.
The Carter Mill is not the only
interesting thing in the neighborhood.
Between Democrat and Stocksvillo
you’ll notice a little building by the
roadside bearing the sign, "Ramsey
and Clark.” There’s nlso a barber's
sign out front. This combination
store and barber shop is operated by
Miss Oberiah Clarke and Mrs. Lulu
Ramsey. Miss Clark attends to the
mercantile end of the business, while
Mrs. Ramsey looks after tonsorinl
affairs.
Lady barbers are uncommon. Mrs.
Ramsey is tho first — and only-
female member of the Asheville
Barber’s Union, and it’s quite possible
that sho’e the only woman barber
in tho state. Her profession is not a
result of the present war, either, for
she has been at it for many years.
Some eighteen years ago, Mrs.
Ramsey, then a young widow, was
supporting herself and her young son
by working in a knitting mill in
Winston-Salem. Her health failed,
and her physician advised her to seek
some other occupation. So she en¬
rolled in a local barber’s college, and
before long sho was a full-fledged
member of the tonsorial profession,
and a good one, too. Her regular
customers state that she has an ex¬
ceptionally light touch with a razor.
During the early part of her career
she worked in Asheville, but a few
Ears ago she moved out to her present
jation, intending to devote most
of her time to her home and farm.
Due to the present manpower short¬
age, sho has recently boon induced
to helj* out at Reel’s Barber Shop in
Asheville on Fridays and Saturdays.
Most of Mrs. Ramsey’s customers
throughout the years have been men,
which is all right with her.
“I prefer men,” she states. “They
are easier to please than women."
Mr. 1.00 Arrowood’s store is also
near Democrat. In his little frame
building, which bears no sign, can
be found almost any article ordinarily
carried by a city department store,
and some which yon aren't likely to
find anywhere else on earth.
Evidently Mr. Arrowood doesn’t
believe in throwing away perfectly
good merchandise just because it’s
a littlo bit old-fn-liioncd. When an
article doesn’t sell, he simply moves
it to the rear of the store and marks
it down. Here you can find high-
topped button shoes some thirty years
old, priced at twenty-five cents, and
available without ration coupons. A
rack of ties, modestly priced at nine
Cents, will remind you of those you
wore when a boy, if you’re forty-ish
or thereabouts. The gem of the col¬
lection is unquestionably a pile of
ancient corsets, dating back to the
days when ladies were determined to
have goo-1 figures, or know the reason
why.
It won't do to leave tho impression
that Mr. Arrowood's stock consists
entirely of antiques, for such is not
tho case. As stated above, he has a
large and varied stock of up-to-date
goods, including even such scarce