m
The Johnstonian-Sun
Inventor Makes Brief Stop Here
On W-est Coast
Tom Colones of the White House
Cafe here had a distinguished guest
for breakfast Tuesday morning when
Constantines H. Vlachos dropped in.
While here, Mr. Vlachos demonstra
ted to us how a small motor the size
of a 5c match box could be made to
develop 76-horse power, and with
mass production could be built at a
cost of 10 cents each. Of course this
has reference to the miniature type,
and not the large type which Mr.
Vlachos proposes for use as long
range bombers. Mr. Vlachos has been
dickering with high officials^ in Wash
ington for the past six or eight years
to get them to appropriate half a
billion dollars to be used in the pro
duction of the Triphibian plane which
would insure allied victory in the war
with Germany, Italy and Japan within
60 days after mass production could
get under way.
Mr. Vlacho’s invention is an engine,
about as big as two cigarette pack
ages. It runs on compressed air and
packs tremendous power. Mr. Vlachos
says he can attach his engine to a
pint-sized airplane body he knows
how to build and send it streaking
across the Atlantic at a rate of at
least” a thousand miles per hour, and
much faster.
Mr. Vlachos has big plans. With
just $500,000,000 for mass production
he can build a fleet of 26,000,000 of
these ships of his and send them on
raids over Germany, Italy or where
you will. An elaborate mechanism
Constantmos H. Vlachos Says
He Has Invented A Motor
That Will Develop 1,000 miles
, Per Hour by Spontaneous
Gombustion.
Major unit of Inventor’s pow
erful Compressed Air motor now
on display at office of The John
stonian-Sun.
would guide them to their destination
lower them to a suitable height, set |
off another mechanism which would ‘
rain a hail of bullets at the rate of
a million a minute on unsuspecting
Nazis. Then, its supply of ammuni
tion exhausted, the machine would do
an about face, rise sharply, and head
toward home.
Applied to lacol transportation Mr.
Vlachos said his invention would car
ry a Johnstonian to Washington in
not more than seven minutes for a
nickel, or across the ocean in three
hours at a cost of a few dollars. His
present ambition is to see his machine
bomb Berlin at breakfast, Rome at
lunch, and return in time for a vic
tory celebration at night.
Ever since the invention was made
some 22 years ago, he and co-inven
tor Edward L. Rice of Silver Springs,
Maryland, have hammered at the
purse strings of Washington officials
with a proposal that the government
appropriate half a billion dollars for
mass production of Triphibians. Now
that the war has come, they are mak
ing their contribution a martial one.
No working model of the completed
craft is now in existence. The original
and full-scale triphibian exploded
with a tremendous bang, almost at
the cost of Mr. Vlacho’s life^ seven
years ago at a demonstration in
front of the Capitol.
Undaunted, unabashed, Vlachos dis
missed this calamity as “sabotage.
Closing Exercises
of Selma Schools
Monday, May 11
; i
Make Your Pledge To
Buy War Bonds Now
People of Johnston County Are
Asked To Buy $37,500 Worth
of Bonds and Stamps During
Month of May—Selma Will
Launch Concerted Drive On
Fi-iday, So Be Ready,
Oratorical Contest Is Scheduled
For Friday Night — Dr. Lee
Shepherd, of Raleigh, Will
Preach Baccalaureate Sermon
Sunday Night — Graduating
Exercises Monday Evening,
When Mr. R. N. Sims, of Ra
leigh, Will Deliver Address to
Graduates,
Salvage of Waste
Paper Bogs Down
Electrical Storm
Hits Selma Community
Salvage Of Rubber And Metal
Materials Becomes More Ur
gent Daily — WPA Helping
• CoUect Metal and Rubber In
Johnston County.
Selma Merchants To
Close Wednesday P. M.
Lightning Bums Bara At Home
of Charlie Grant A Few Miles
North of Selma — Accom
panied by Heavy Rain.
LIEUT. HENRY AARON
LASSITER, who spent several
months with the U. S. Marine
Corps in Iceland, is now sta
tioned in California. Before
entering the service of his
country Lassiter was connect
ed with the First - Citizens
Bank & Trust Company of
Smithfield. His wife is the
former Miss Ruth Renfrew, of
Selma. He is a son of Mr.
and Mrs. Connie Lassiter, of
Smithfield Route 2.
MAJOR UPTON IS
KIWANIS SPEAKER
At a meeting held in Smithfield
last week it was revealed that the
campaign for the salvage of waste
paper in Johnston county for the war
program had bogged down temporari
ly because of the immense amount of
waste paper collected during the ear
ly stages of the salvage drive, the
mills becoming overstocked to such
an extent that housing room was in
sufficient to handle the paper as fast
as it rolled in, said Chairman M. L.
Stancil of the local salvage commit
tee, who, in company with W. T.
Woodard, another member of the lo
cal committee attended the Smith-
field meeting.
County Salvage Chairman C. E.
Bingham reported at this meeting
that he had been in touch with sever
al paper mills and junk dealers and
that for the time being waste paper
could not be disposed of to the mills
as fast as it was being collected.
But Chairman Bingham advised that
the drive to collect waste paper
should continue, as he had informa
tion from some of the mills that the
rush would probably be over within
the next few weeks.
In attendance at the Smithfield
meeting last week were N. E. Edger-
ton, state chairman of the salvage
program, and Jim Vogler of
lotte, executive secretary. Both Ed-
gerton and Vogler urged the necessi
ty of salvaging all available scrap
metal and ruber, and made a strong
appeal to the county committee to
get every one possible to release
their scrap materials voluntarily,
but in case they refuse to cooperate
in a voluntary manner steps would
be taken to seize them when and
where they can be found.
Mr. Edgerton stressed the fact
that the WPA would' furnish trucks
to transport boilers and other heavy
materials where the owner of such
We, the undersigned merchants of
Selma do hereby agree to close our
places of business on Wednesday af
ternoon, beginning Wednesday, May
20th, and every Wednesday thereaf
ter through August 19th, 1942. Clos
ing hours on these days to be 1:00
P. M.
L. George Grocery, Woodruff and
Canaday, Walter Godwin, Economy
Furniture,Co., City Barber Shop, J.
C. Avery, Selma Clothing & Shoe Co.,
Pay & Save, J. E. Gregory & Co.,
Henry & Nordan, R. P. Oliver, Smith
& Cameron, Davis Dept. Store, Caro
lina Parts Co., Jones & Deans Gro.,
W. E. Parker & Son, Wiggs Grocery,
Selma Cash & Feed Grocery, Carolina
Beauty Nook, R. D. Yelverton, Leon
ard Creech, Vanity Fair Beauty
Shop, A. L. Langley, A. L. Bradley,
G. N. Siler, Talton & Thomas, Pitt
man Hatchery, Floyd C. Price & ^n.
Senna Barber Shop, Farmers Ex
change, I. E. Coley.
materials so desired.
Day by day the metal and rubber
situation is becoming more acute and
bveryone, in town or in the rural com
munities, should cooperate heartily in
the program by seeing that every
available pound of these materials is
made accessable for the salvage pro-
County Chairman C. E. Bmgham
was in Selma Monday and advised M.
L. Stancil, chairman of the local com
mittee, that he had been in touch
with a junk dealer in Raleigh who
had agreed to take all waste paper
materials of every description and
pay 35 cents per hundred for same.
The Smithfield committee decided to
sell what it had on hand at that
price. Mr. Stancil later got in touch
with some of the members _ of his
committee and they, too, decided to
sell what they had on hand, since the
question of storage room is an im
portant factor in attempting to hold
the paper for more money.
One of the most severe rain and
electrical storms to visit this section
in many years, broke about twelve
o’clock Saturday night, which brought
to-an-end a long dry spell and aS
a time when most fanners were in
the midst of transplanting their to
bacco crop. Quite a number of farm
ers had set all or part of the tobacco
crop and most all of them had their
land ready to set the golden weed.
Beginning with a heavy downpour
about midnight Saturday the storm
brought a light sprinkle of hail in
many places, but no serious damage
by hail has been reported here so far.
There seemed to be a series of elec
trical storms following in brief suc
cession, with excessive lightning and
thunder which bombarded the heavens
over a period of two or three hours
during which time lightning struck
and. burned a barn at the home of
Charlie Grant, of Selma, Route 1.
One of Mr. Grant’s boys is reported
to have seen the fire start in the
barn loft immediately following the
stroke. Farm stock were loosed in
the pasture, and most of the farm
machinery adjacent to the barn was
saved, but a considerable amount of
corn and other feed in the barn was
a total loss.
During the duration of the storm
rain came down in torrents, leveling
freshly ploughed ridges, filling ter
races and road-side ditches, and leav
ing large areas of bottom land cover
ed with water. In the vicinity of Mc
Call’s store, a few miles north of
Selma, the rain appeared to be the'
heaviest, although it was heavy
throughout most of the northern half
of Johnston county.
Mr. C. F. Carty of the A. T. & T.
'Qompany here, told us he was in the
far easterh part of the state Sunday
and that no rain had fallen in that
area and that forest fires were sweep
ing large areas of dry forest lands.
Tannie Waters of the Clayton sec
tion was reported to have lost a mule
and horse when struck by lightning
during the storm.
Major Thomas Upton, head of the
Selective Service division in Raleigh,
was the guest speaker at the Selma
Kiwanis club on last Thursday even
ing. The speaker was introduced by
Dr. E. N. Booker, program chairman.
Major Upton discussed many phases
of the Selective Draft law, empha
sizing the fact that many young men
who have married since the'^elecHve
Service Act went into effect, know
ing that they were liable for military
service, will be unable to claim ex
emption from war duty because of
dependency. He also pointed out that
young men of draft age who were
married prior to the draft act, whose
wives are not wholly dependent on
them will be called to military serv
ice later jin the year, but at present
there is little likelihood they will be
drafted before the fall. The speaker
also pointed out that after a single
man has been deferred by the local
draft board one time, his chhnces for
further deferment are very slim
Young men with sufficient income to
support their wives are subject to
draft, regardless of how long they
may have been married, said the
speaker.
Other guests present were W. H.
Call, chairman of Draft Board Num
ber two, and his associate members
of the board and their office helpers,
as follows: Dr. R. E. Earp, of Selma,
Troy Page, of Clayton, and Misses
Annabel Flowers, Ruth Avery and
Mary Ellen Ellis; Appeal Board At
torney Paul D. Grady of Kenly, and
Ralph Woodard from the Goldsboro
Kiwanis club.
The United States Treasury De
partment is asking the people of the
nation to purchase one billion dollars
worth of War Bonds and Stamps
e’ach month. The quota set for the
people of Johnston county by pur
chase during the month of May is
$37,500. This week has been proclaim
ed as War Bond Week in North Car
olina by Governor Broughton.
North Carolina’s quota for the
month of May has been set at $5,-
888,500. Leaders of the war savings
campaign in North Carolina are pre
dicting that this quota will be greatly
exceeded when the canvas is com
pleted.
The idea is to induce every wage ^
earner and every person with an in
come in Johnston county and North
Carolina to become a voluntary pur
chaser of War Bonds and Stamps,
thereby saving a small percentage of
each week’s earnings to help prose
cute the war to a successful conclu
sion, and at the same time make an
investment that will pay a good rate
of interest on every dollar invested.
At present this is a voluntary mat
ter with each person, but if this plan
should fail to produce the desired re
sults , there is a strong possibility
that the purchase of these bonds and
stamps will be made compulsory.
Every person having an income will
be given an opportunity to make a
pledge to the Government as to what
amount of his or her income he or she
is willing to invest for the security of
the nation.
The Selma committee is now com
pleting plans to make a canvas of the
town and community on Friday of
this week. The committee hopes to
contact every person in the communi
ty having an income and give them
an opportunity to sign a pledge as
to how much they can invest in bonds
or stamps each week. This committee
is tendering their services as a patri
otic contribution to democracy, as no
provision has been made to pay any
one for making solicitations of this
kind. It is hoped that everyone will
be considerate of this fact when a
member of the committee calls on
you for a pledge, and not cause them
any unnecessary loss of time or effort.
TTiere are very few, if any, who are
not familiar with this campaign after
hearing about it over the radio or
reading about it in the newspapers
for many days past.
ORATORICAL CONTEST
The Oratorical Contest will take
place Friday night, May 8, at S
o’clock.
SPEAKERS
PAUL STARLING, Chairman
The Need For A Nine Months School
Sally Johnson
What Is America Fighting For?—
Osborne Fields
Our War Time Duty Elgie Rose
The Backyard—Dorothy Jean Creech
The American Way of Life — Helen
Parrish.
Free Freedom Dorothy Hatcher
What This War Waging World De
mands of Us.—Annie Hood Hughes,
Democracy, Is It Worth Fighting
For? — Carl Worley, Jr.
I Music by Glee Club.
1 BACCALAUREATE SERMON
The Baccalaureate Sermon will be
preached Sunday, May 10, at 8 o’clock
in the evening, at which time tho
following program will be given:
Processional.
Invocation—Rev. D. M. Clemmons.
Music.
Announcements.
Hymn—“Holy, Holy, Holy.”
Prayer—Rev. D. M. Clemmons.
Introduction of Speaker.
Sermon—The Rev. Lee Shepherd^
pastor Pullen Memorial Baptist
church, Raleigh.
Benediction. *
Recessional.
GRADUATION EXERCISES
The graduation exercises will be
held on Monday, May 11, at 8:15 in
the evening, at which time the follow-
ing program will be given:
Processional.
Invocation—Rev. O. L. Hathaway.
Special Music.
Prayer—Rev. 0. L. Hathaway.
Salutatory—Carl Worley.
Special Music—Glee Club.
Introduction of Speaker.
Address—Hon. R. N. Sims, Raleigh,
Awarding of Diplomas.
Special Awards.
Valedictory—Alice DuBose
Benediction.
Recessional.
POPPY DAY THIS
YEAR IS MAY 23rd
Governor Broughton
To Speak At Benson
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
ZZSSSSBy H. H. L.
Father and Three Sons Members of Kiwanis
lOne Johnston Farmer
Votes For Wheat Quota
, Vi
t
■h
"J**
In the AAA election held in John
ston county Saturday to determine
whether the wheat growers of John
ston county wished to continue farm
control of wheat production, only one
vote was cast in the entire county,
this one favoring the continuation of
the AAA program. It was reported
that only about 15 farmers in John
ston county are eligible to vote on the
control.
I
'4 Z',
American Legion Post
To Elect New Officers
TOTAL KIWANIANS—Reading left to rigM: W. T. Wood
ard Jr president of Selma Kiwanis club; Ralph Woi^ard,
ipcretarv of Goldsboro club; Jimmie Woodard, "member Selma
S S tod leader, and W. T. Woodard. Sr„ a charter mem-
ber of the Selma club.
The regular meeting of Selma Post
No. 141 will be held Tuesday, May
12th at 8 P. M. Election of officers
and delegates to state convention will
I come up at this meeting. All mem
bers are urged to be present.
I C. A BAILEY
Poppies of patriotic remembrance
will bloom in Selma on Saturday,
May 23, Mrs. W. L. Etheridge, Pres
ident of Selma Unit of the American
Legion Auxiliary, announced today.
Every man, woman and child in the
city will be asked to wear a poppy on
that day in honor of the men who
have given their lives for America.
The poppies will be distributed by
volunteer workers from the Auxiliary
and the coins contributed for them
will be used in Legion and Auxiliary
work for the war disabled, their
families and the families of the dead.
The poppies which will be distribu
ted here have been made by disabled
veterans at Oteen, N. C. Making the
little red flowers has given many vet
erans employment during the winter
and spring months. The work is limit
ed to men receiving little or no gov
ernment compensation and those with
families to support.
Contributions received for the pop
pies on Poppy Day are a principal
source of support for the vast welfare
work carried iut by the Legion and
Auxiliary among the disabled men
and dependent familes. With the new
war adding to America s list of war
victims, there will be greatly increas
ed need for funds during the coming
year.
More than 13,000,000 of the flowers
have been made by disabled veterans
for the Auxiliary, the largest number
since the observance of Poppy Day
was begun twenty years ago. Orders
for the poppies from Auxiliary Units
everywhere have been increased this
year in anticipation of greatly in
creased demand for the flowers of
patriotic remembrance.
Governor Broughton will deliver
the commencement address at the 1
Benson High School, Monday night at
8 o’clock. A large attendance is ex
pected, said Superintendent W. J.
Barefoot.
The baccalaureate sermon will be
delivered Sunday afternoon at three
o’clock by the Rev. John C. Glenn of
Edenton Street Methodist Church, of
Raleigh.
For Register of Deeds
w. G. (Bill) MASSEY, can
didate to succeed himself as
register of deeds of Jonhston
County, subject to Democratic
Primary on May SOth.
Any time you are in Smithfield
don’t fail to drop around at the home
of MR. and MRS. HOYT, owners of
the HOYT FLOWER SHOP, and see
the flowers in their garden at the
rear of the home—there are more va
rieties of roses, pansies and iris than
we have ever seen—but, when, it
comes to peonies, drop around at the
home of MRS. W. H. FIELDS. JOHN
C. DIEHL and ERNEST DEANS in
Selma and get an eye full they are
simply gorgeous— DRUGGIST DA
VID, of BILL CREECH’S DRUG
STORE, yesterday received from hm
mother, who is owner of the DAVID
NURSERY in Dillon, S. C., hundreds
of sweet peas of all shades and col
ors—the interior of this store lookM
like the “Garden of Eden” when MR.
DAVID and MARIE GODWIN got
thru decorating it with these beauti
ful flowers—folks, how about send
ing a bouquet around to The John
stonian-Sun office occasionally—we d
appreciate them—^ERNEST DEANS
has our thanks for a large bunch of
iris of various colors—an amusing’ in-
cident occurred Monday evening while
MAYOR HENRY was trying a “col
ored lady” for imbibing a little too
freely in beer Saturday night—after
finding her guilty and taxing her with
the costs of the court, the Mayor
gave her a little lecturing, “when are
you coming up before me again, said
the Mayor, “when do you want me to
come,” asked the defendant—of
course everybody had a good laugh
back to the subject of flowers, a man
from New York told us today, “the
flowers in the South and the lawns
are much more beautiful than they
are in the North,” “why is that,” we
asked; “well, the Southerners seem to
take more pride in their yards, lawns,
etc., than they do up our way,” he
told us—sorry to hear about CHAR
LIE GRANT losing his fine barn and
contents by fire during the electrical
storm last Saturday night—this was
one of the worst electrical storms
that has visited this section in many
according to the oldest resi*
\ years,
dents.