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THE WAYNESVILLE MOUNTAINEER ?'
Retirement Of Major Brown Sunday Will Mark End Of Era Of Grcuit Riders
SA Officer
Served Area
22J Years
Br BOB CONWAY
Sunday, June 10 will .-nark not
only the retirement of Major Cecil
Brown as head of the Salvation
Army mountain mission at Max
Patch; it will also mean the end of
a long colorful eqp of circuit riders
in Western North Carolina.
In the early 30's when she first
started work among the mountain
people ? before the present roads
cut into the rugged terrain of
northern Haywood County?Major
Brown rode for many miles on
horseback to reach the church cen
ters she set up through the area.
Many times, Major Brown did not
even get to enjoy the luxury of rid
ing a horse, but, instead, had to
trudge long distances on foot to
reach her destination. I
For instance, she recalls walking
18 miles to preach in the Big Bend
section and 16 miles to Shelton
Laurel. During all her walks. Ma
jor Brown says. "I had many falls,
but always managed to get up
again."
In her 22 years of work in the
mountains, Major Brown had one
advantage: She was born and rais
ed only five miles from where the
present Max Patch citadel now
stands and thus she knew the iso
lated country in that vicinity far
better than a "furriner" ever could
have.
The major still recalls the days
when she was a small girl when a
Methodist circuit rider and his
wife came into the community of
Lower Hurricane Creek once each
month to preach the Gospel.
"The minister's wife took an in
terest in me, and I decided then
that I wanted to be like her."
"When I became a young wo
man, the circuit riders no longer
came into our region, but I felt
that the mountain people needed
someone to pick up the work where
they left off."
Major Brown entered a Salva
tion Army training school in At
lanta in 1927 and after graduation,
served consecutively in Reidsville,
Statesville, Salisbury and Golds
boro.
During all that time, however,'
she never forgot her dream of a
mountain mission. Finally, in 1934.
she obtained permission from Sal
vation Army executives to'attempt
the establishment of church centers
in the Max Patch section.
"If you don't succeel," they told
her, "you can have another city
post."
"But I "was determined." Major
Brown says, "I knew that if I ever
got out of the city, I would never
go back."
And she never had to return be
cause she impressed her superiors
right from the start by establish
ing three Sunday schools in her
first three months back in her na
tive section.
The major recalls how she began
her work in February, 1934. After
storing her suitcase and sewing
machine in her father's barn loft,
she got together two weeks' sup
ply of food and clothing, a number
of song books and rode into the
Big Bend section as far as she coull
go In her Model-A Ford. She then
finished her journey on foot ? a
distance of nine miles.
At first, Major Brown held most
of her services in the little one
room schoolhouses of the area and
also, she says, spent "many a
night" sleeping in the achools on
several benches pulled together.
Before retiring at night, she re
calls. she always took care to lock
the door because bootleggers in the
area often slept in schoolhouses,
too.
Major Brown also ate and spent
the night in homes of the hospit
able mountain people she served.
"However, I felt the need of a
home in which to study?where I
could hang up my uniform?so I
looked over the entire mountain
region, and finally selected a spot
near Max Patch," she explained.
Work finally was started in 1937
on what has today become the Sal
vation Army Citadel.
Since then, she said, the center's
program work has grown tremen
dously and today the mountain mis
sion stands as the only such insti
tution of its kind in the United
States. All other Salvation Army
posts are situated in towns and
cities.
In her 22 years of traveling
through the mountains?serving as
"a preacher, doctor, nurse, teacher,
lawyer, farmer, and taxicab driv
er"?Major Brown has worn out
18 cars, several horses, and more
pairs of shoes than she can re
member.
She has managed to get around
well in the rough terrain of the
area, but she had a very harrowing
experience just this winter.
Accompanied by Hugh Presnell,
18, Major Brown forded the Pigepn
River in her jeep without any
trouble in the afternoon. That
nigj)t about 8 o'clock, however, on
her return trip she attempted to
again cross the Pigeon in the Big
Bend section and found that the i
water had become much deeper
in just a few hours.
The Jeep stalled in the swift cur
rent and for four hours the major
and the Pressnell boy sat in the
jeep ? with water swirling over
their legs?waiting for help.
Finally, about midnight, the
park ranger in that area came to
their rescue?having been notified
b> the Presnell boy's father, Ern
est, who walked six miles to reach
the ranger's house.
Snow has always been a major
obstacle to Major Brown's work
and she says the mountain mission
has been snowbound most winters
but the last two or three.
She particularly remembers the
winter when she helped to assist a
logging crew that was isolated by
a snow which measured six feet on
the level and up to 30 feet in
drifts.
Trudging for a long distance
through the 6now, she finally reach
ed a telephone and called the State
Highway Department to get help in
reopening the road. The depart
ment responded by sending 60
convicts to battle the heavy drifts,
but it took them an entire week
to reopen the road to vehicles
bringing In food and medicine for
the stranded loggers.
"Since then," she says, "I have
always kept plenty of beans on
hand in the wintertime."
Despite the hardships of her job.
Major Brown says: "I have never
been afraid; if 1 had been a coward
I never could have done what I
have."
This Sunday on Max Patch Moun
tain, the major, on the advice of
her physician, will ring down the
curtain on 30 years with the Salva
tion Army at a special retirement
ceremony to be conducted by Com
missioner William J. Dray, Salva
tion Army territorial commander.
The ceremony will be held In con
junction with the annual Max Patch
singing convention?ordinarily held
in August.
Despite her retirement, however,
Major Brown will not be far from
the people she had worked with
and loved the past years. After she
leaves the mountain mission, she
plans to go back to her old family
homestead in Lower Hurricane
Creek.
Oddly enogh, no one has lived
there for the past 30 years.
LAST OF THE CIRCUIT RIDERS?Major Cecil
Brown?will retire Sunday as head of the Salva
tion Army Citadel at ceremonies to be held during
the annual Singing Convention on Max Patch
Mountain. Major Brown was honored Monday
night at Atlanta by Salvation Army Commander
bonald McMillan, who introduced her an^TLvn
discussed her work before an audience of Sal
vation Army officers of the South. Major Brown
holds the SA's highest award?the Order of the
Founder?and the 25-year medal for "faithful and
honorable service".
COMMISSIONER WILLIAM J.
DRAY, Salvation Army territor
ial commander, will conduct re
tirement services for Major Cecil
Brown of the Max Patch Citadel
at 2 p.m. Sunday in conjunction
with the annual singing conven
tion at Max Patch.
Mainous Assigned To
Headquarters Battery
FORT BENNING, Ga. ? Army
Pfc. William E. Mainous, son of
Charles E. Mainous, Route 2, Can
ton, recently was assigned to Head
quarters Battery of the 3rd Infan
try Division Artillery at Fort Ben
ning. Ga.
A meteorologist in the battery,
Mainous entered the Army In Janu
ary, 1955 and completed basic train
ing at Fort Jackson. S. C. He is a
1954 graduate of North Carolina
State.
"
CONGRATULATIONS- I
MAJOR
CECIL BROWN
We Are Happy To Have
Had The Privilege of
Supplying Gasoline, Oil,
Tires and Batteries For
Your Vehicles.
WALKER'S
ESSO SERVICE
Depot Street Waynesville
>
Our Very
BEST
WISHES
To
MAJOR
CECIL BROWN
ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT
FROM THE SALVATION ARMY AFTER 30
YEARS OF UNSELFISH SERVICE
National Council Churches
Closing Session At Lake
Dr. J. Qulnter Miller, assistant
general secretary in charge of field '
operations of the National Council '
of Churches, will lead a panel dis
cussion on the question: "What is '
the nature of the unity we seek '
as Christians" this evening at eight 1
in the Lake Junaluska auditorium. 1
This program is part of the '
Ecumenical Institute in progress J
at the lake. Various persons at- '
tending the institute will partici
pate in the discussion and present
different points of vew.
Various workshop groups of the
institute will meet In plenary ses
sion Friday morning at 9 o'clock
to present reports of their week's
work to the group as a whole. This
will be in dramatized form in the
auditorium. Following this ses
sion, Dr. Miller will apeak to the
group for its closing session at 11
i.m. The institute will adjourn
ifter lunch. There have been ap
proximately 290 persons from the
South who have attended the
ecumenical Institute.
This morning at eleven Mrs.
John T. McCall, president of Unit
ed Church Women of Tennessee,
and Mrs. Norwood Phelps, presi
(Continued on Page 9)
CONGRATULATIONS
MAJOR CECIL BROWN
IN YOUR 30 YEARS OF FAITHFUL
SERVICE WITH THE SALVATION ARMY
YOU HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING
JOB IN HELPING THE PEOPLE OF
THIS AREA.
You Have Our Best Wishes On The Occasion Oi Your
Retirement.
BILTMORE DAIRIES
Lake Junaluaka
jggj^ WE DEMAND A LOT
\%S&Lm FROM ALL
VjM OUR DRUGS
The drugs we use in compounding prescriptions must
measure up to the highest standards. We require them
to be pure, potent, fresh. Our high quality stocks are
at all times complete.
FOR HEALTH'S SAKE. Vc^S)
MAKE SURE fijps
IN QUESTIONS OF HEALTH, THERE'S NO PLACE FOR DELAYfi OR DOUBTS.
BRING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS TO US FOR FILLING AND YOU CAN BE AB
SOLUTELY SURE THAT THEY WILL BE FILLED ACCURATELY AND
PROMPTLY WITH x
FRESH POTENT DRUGS AT
REASONABLE COST
I
INTO EVERY PRESCRIPTION WE COMPOUND
GO TWO "UNSEEN" INGREDIENTS:
PROFESSIONAL SKILL AND PAINSTAKING ACCURACY.
CURTIS DRUG STORE
EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE
i
Ij~~
niME IN C00L
U I n E COMFORT
Drive Up Where It's Cod All The
Time (Altitude, 1 Mile) And Enjoy
Perfect TV While Dining
I STEAK DINNER
CHICKEN DINNER
? IMate Lunches ? Sandwiches
? Home Made Pies ? Coffee
? Cold Drinks ? Ice Cream
NOVELTIES AND SOUVENIRS
MT. PISGAH DINING ROOM
& GIFT SHOP
OPENING SUNDAY, MAY 27
I
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett Williamson, Owners-Operators