EXHIBIT 99.1


WSMP, Sagebrush Sign Letter of Intent For WSMP To Acquire Sagebrush

CLAREMONT, NC (SEPTEMBER 26, 1997) --- WSMP, Inc., (Nasdaq: WSMP), and 
Sagebrush, Inc. (Nasdaq: SAGE), have signed a letter of intent to pursue WSMP's 
acquisition of Sagebrush in a stock for stock merger of the two North 
Carolina-based companies.

     The pooling of interests transaction is subject to various conditions 
including the approval of Sagebrush directors and shareholders.  WSMP's board 
of directors approved the proposed transaction in a special meeting Thursday.

     This letter of intent anticipates that WSMP will issue new shares of 
common stock to Sagebrush shareholders and that the combining of the two 
companies will be a pooling of interest for financial statement purposes.  
This letter of intent was jointly announced today by Charles F. Connor, Jr., 
chairman of the board of Sagebrush; L. Dent Miller, president and chief 
executive officer of Sagebrush; James C. Richardson, Jr., vice chairman and 
chief executive officer of WSMP; and David R. Clark, president and chief  
operating officer of WSMP.

     Sagebrush owns and operates 31 Texas-style steakhouse restaurants in 
North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

     WSMP is comprised of a restaurant division and a variety of food 
processing operations.  Its restaurant operations include 34 company-owned and 
47 franchised restaurants, with a majority of these being Western Steer(R) 
Steaks, Buffet and Bakery restaurants, Prime Sirloin(R) Buffet, Bakery and 
Steaks restaurants, and Bennett's(TM) Smokehouse and Saloon restaurants.

     In its Mom's' Pop's(R) food processing operations, WSMP has the capacity to
produce more than four million microwaveable sandwiches per week in its 
Claremont facility.  It also produces packaged, refrigerated meats, 
vegetables, desserts and other items targeted for the Home Meal Replacement 
market.  And WSMP is one of the largest country ham producers in the nation.


CONTACT:
David R. Clark, President and Chief Operating Officer, WSMP, Inc.,(704)459-7626
L. Dent Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sagebrush, Inc.
(704)459-0821