The Johnstonian-Sun
VOL. 25
SELMA, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1942.
Single Copy 5c
NUMBER 30.
Congressman Cooley
Farmers* Day Speaker
Ralph Burgess of Benson To Be
Mayor lof Smithfield For One
Day — Other Officers Are
Named.
The Smithfield Chamber of Com
merce has announced the acceptance
by Congressman Harold D. Cooley of
an invitation to address the people
of Johnston county on Wednesday,
August 12, the occasion being Far
mers’ Day, this being the fourth such
celebration to be held in this county.
The celebration this year is expect
ed to feature some form of Victory
program, and an Army unit from Fort
Bragg is expected to take part in the
activities of the day.
When farmers take over Smithfield
on August 12 during .the annual cele
bration of Farmer’s Day, sitting in
the highest places of town govern
ment will be Ralph Burgess of Ben
son and W. A. Flowers of Kenly,
Route 1.
Burgess has been selected to serve
as mayor for the day and Flowers
will be .the chief of police.
Chamber of commerce officials
Monday announced also the list of
farmers chosen to serve as town com
missioners and members of the police
force during the celebration. The list
appears below:
Commissioners — Monroe Adams,
Benson, Route 2; H. M. Cox, Four
Oaks, Route 1; J. L. Boyette, Kenly,
Route 2; W. M. Holt, Princeton, Route
1; W. A. Davis, Clayton, Route 2; S.
W. Booker, Clayton Route 2; Albert
Lassiter, Four Oaks, Route 3; Ransom
Strickland, Four Oaks, Route, 3;D. L.
Peacock, Benson, Route 2; H. A. Scott
Selma, Route 2; Wayland H. Brown,
Selma, Route 2; M. G. Peedin, Selma,
Route 2; R. F. Coats, Angler, Route
1; W. 0. Fields, Selma Route 1; M.
V. Hill, Smithfield, Route 2; W. T.
Wilson, Wilson’s Mills; and Chester
Barnes, Selma, Route 1.
Policemen — K. 0. Langdon, Ben
son, Route 2; G. Russell Britt, Four
Oaks, Route 1; A. L. Massey, Prince
ton, Route 1; R. M. Holder, Clayton;
Elbert H. Scott, Kenly Route 1; W.
L. Carroll, Garner, Route 1; Paul E.
Johnson, Pour Oaks, Route 3; J.
Garrett Lee, Four Oaks, Route 3; A.
B. Hood, Benson, Route 2; C. F.
Bagley, Selma, Route 2; A. L. Tippett
Zebfilon, Route 1; R. L. Barden, Route
2, Princeton; J. Hector Langdon, Ben
son, Route 1; J, M. Driver, Selma,
Route 2; J. H. 'T. Robertson, Smith-
field, Route 1; D. H. Price, Selma,
Route 1; G. W. Boyd, Jr., Smithfield,
Route 1.
Each township in the county is
represented on the police force and
the board of commissioners.
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
By H. H. L.
Navy Recruiting Officer
To Visit Selma Saturday
William Silhan, Navy Recruiting
Officer of Raleigh, will be in Selma
Saturday, July 25, and will be glad
to interview prospeotive candidates
for enlistment in the United States
Navy.
On Thursday, July 23, he will be in
Micro, and Friday, July 24, he will be
in Kenly.
RATES OF PAY
Regular Navy and Naval Reserve:
First enlistment as Apprentice Sea
man, $50.00 a month; seaman second
class, $54.00; seaman first class, $66.-
00; 'Third Class petty officer, $78.00;
Second Class petty officer, $96.00;
First, Class petty officer, $114.00;
Chief petty officer, $126.00. The fore
going rates of pay are the minimum
of some of the pay grades. All men
receive free medical, dental, and hos
pital attention, lodging and food.
First issue of uniform clothing is
free. All married men and those with
established dependents are entitled to
additional allowances for their fami
lies.
Some people believe because .they
are classified by Selective Service in
Class 1-A they are not eligible for
enlistment in the Naval Service.
Don’t You Believe It! You may choose
the branch of service you want if you
volunteer before you are inducted.
But don’t wait; it may require some
Reports From County
Home Not So Good
Harvey Johnson Appointed Sup
erintendent to Succeed W. J.
Alford, Resigned—Smithfield
Editor Gets Bad News From
The Home.
For the past year or more there
have come reports of bad conditions
existing at the County Home, under
the supervision of W. J. Alford, whose
resignation as\ superintendent of the
county home becomes effective Au
gust 1.
At a special session of the board of
county commissioners held Monday,
Harvey Johnson, a farmer living on
Smithfield, Route 1, was named as
Alford’s successor. Johnson lives near
the home and operates a 41-acre
farm. He has a wife and a 17-year-
old son. ' ,
Other applicants for the county
home job were: Mrs. Victor Penriy,
Angier, Route 1; L. T. Johnson, Claiy-
ton. Route 2; H .H. Batten, Wendell,
Route 1; G. B. Haircloth, Smithfield,
Route 1; Mrs. J. R. Hoggard, Smith-
field, Route 1; and Malcolm Coates,
Smithfield, Route 1.
The county home superintendent
draws a salary of $1200 a year and
is allowed living quarters and board
free.
While Alford is reported not to
have resigned under fire, there is
good reason to believe that he re
signed in order to forestall any such
action.
We are reprinting the following,
taken from Tuesday’s Smithfield
Herald, under the caption “We the
People,’’ edited by Tom Lassiter:
“The past two or three reports of
the grand jury have told of “improve
ments” in conditions at the county
home, but unofficial information .that
keeps seeping out of the institution
tells a sordid story that stamps the^
official reports as grossly misleading.'
“The latest of these unofficial
stories, coming from sources regard
ed as reliable, tells of a very sick
Negro girl who entered the tubercu..-
lar ward about three weeks ago. She.
was placed in-a room by herself awat
from other Negro tubercular patients.
“The story goes that the girl, who
is .too ill to wait on herself, had been
given no bath after a two-week stay
at the institution and during that
period had her hands and face washed
only twice—and then only after she
paid 26 cents to a Negro inmate as
signed to nurse the tubercular pa
tients. At last report, the girl’s bed
linen hadn’t been changed since she
arrived at the home.
“Open sputum cups in the Negro
patient’s room, according to the re
ports, have attracted hundreds of flies
time to get you m the Naval Service.^jjjj viithin a few feet of her
Physical Requirements Lowered
Physical requirements for enlist
ment in the Naval Service have been
lowered: Requirements for teeth, eyes,
height, and weight have been lowered
to such an extent that you may now
qualify for enlistment.
The lowest rate of pay is $60.00
per month to begin with, with rapid
promotions and good pay.
“MICKEY and I have been married
six months and are more in love with
each o.ther than ever,” writes AVA
GARDNER (MRS. MICKEY ROO
NEY) to her friend, MISS PRANCES
GREENE—“he is coming home a lit
tle earlier this evening and we’re
having a few friends in for tea to
celebrate our anniversary,” she con
tinued—AVA is a Johnston County
girl and has many friends in this sec
tion of .the county—FRANCES wms
in Hollywood when their engagement
was announced—BILL GODWIN, who
is busy these days teaching the boys
how to fly down at Bennettsville, S.
C., is spending a few days here with
his mother—BILL says he’s getting
along fine—he is missed from the
Maindrag—DAVID BALL and the
writer took a quartet of Scouts to
Camp Tuscarora last Sunday for a
week’s stay—the bojs were CHAS,
FULGHUM, JR., ROBERT LEE
DENNING, DICKIE BROADWELL
and LONNIE GRANT, JR. — TOM
CREECH, of Memphis, Tenn., brother
of ED. B. CREECH of Selma, in re
newing his subscription to this paper
a few days ago, said, “The Johnston-
ian-Sun is not only worth $1.00 a
year, but $100 a year”—thanks, TOM
—a wire to CAPT. D. P. HOWELL
today from his son, LEON, who is in
Uncle Sam’s Navy, and stationed in
Seattle, Washington, states that he
will he home in a few days—LEON,
it will be remembered, was a.t Pearl
Harbor w'hen the Japs bombed the
island—The Johnstonian-Sun suifered
a severe jolt a few days ago when it
received news that ALTON STAN-
CIL, son of the Editor, and the Sun’s
very efficient job and ad man, had
been drafted for war duty—ALTON
is the paper’s right-hand man, and
will be greatly missed—^he was exam
ined lin Raleigh Wednesday for the
Navy—HAROLD SMITH, son of MR.
and MRS. W. R. SMITH, it is learned,
will enlist in the U. S. Navy — boys
are getting scarce in these parts.
Selma Mill Leader
Is Kiwanis Speaker
The Selma Kiwanis club had as
guest speaker on last Thursday even
ing Mr. G. W. Grier, general super
intendent of the Eastern Manufac
turing company, who brought a very
interesting and instructive message
on co-ordination of labor and indus
try. The speaker went into some de
tail in his discussion of the economic
program under war-time conditions,
and as a whole, he seems to be of the
opinion that a better understanding
between labor and management is
sure to develop as a result of the ef
fort being put forth to harmonize
the differences between the employer
and the employee. Mr. Grier believes
much has already been done along
this line, and that the way is clearing
for even greater advancement along
this line.
Kiwanian Leon Brown was program
chairman, who called on Kiwanian
David S. Ball to introduce the speak
er, which task he performed in his
usual proficient manner.
head became stopped up, with the
water running out over the floor cre
ating a foul odor throughout the tu
bercular ward.
“One Negro girl died at .the home
recently amid surroundings not un
like those described.
“These same unofficial reports,
which may be more reliable than the
official investigations, related further
that the Negro woman who looks af
ter the patients in the Negro ward is
allowed to go into the kitchen and
loiter around where the food is be
ing prepared for all the county home
inniates. She has also been seen going
into the milk house with an ice tray
from the refrigerator.
“One of the white T. B. patients,
the story goes, is permitted to go into
the kitchen and handle things there,
and is allowed to remove food or ice
trays from the refrigerator any time.
“The county home situation may be
a little better than it was a year g.go
when a grand jury report brought
serious charges of neglect and inef
ficiency against the administration of
the institution. But the persistent un
official reports indicate that recent
grand jury reports may have contain
ed only partial truths.”
Red Cross Food Ship
John And His Pipe
✓
“Uncle’^ John Harris
Reaches 85th Birthday
Has Unique Pipe Which Was
Formerly Owned by Sam Har
ris, His Old Master Prior To
Civil War—Was First Colored
Auto Chauffeur In Raleigh,
and Di’ove First Auto Ever
Owned by Selma Man.
“Uncle” John Harris, shown in .the
accompanying picture, is smoking a
pipe formerly owned by Sam Harris
of near Youngsville, N. C. under
whom he served as a slave prior to
the Civil War. “Uncle” John was 9
years old when the Civil War came
to a close. He says his old Moster
smoked this pipe as long ago as he
can'remember, and that he was told
that his Moster bought the pipe from
a peddler selling goods and wares
long before the Civil War, and that
the pipe is probably 100 years old or
more. He says he lived with his old
Moster several years after the close
of the Civil War. He later moved to
j^Ifiigh where he lived until he moved
SefrtfS'in'1907'. He-'Says thatKe was
the first colored chauffeur to drive
an automobile in Raleigh. He was
chauffeur for Frank Ellington in
Raleigh, and when Mose Winston of
Selma bought his first car Mr. Win
ston went to Raleigh and got him to
come to Selma and teach him how to
drive it. Mr. Winston was president
of the old Selma Bank at that time,
and after moving to Selma, Mr. Win
ston hired him as janitor of the
bank and he has served as a bank
janitor ever since. At present he is
janitor for the Branch Banking &
Trust company here. He says Mr.
Winston bought the first automobile
ever owned in Selma.
“Uncle” John’s wife died several
years ago, and since that time he has
lived with his daughter, Mrs. Tom
Durham (widow). He has one other
living child, Leonard Harris of 'Balti
more.
“Uncle” John says he gave William
Winston his first mechanical training;
and it will be remembered that
William Winston gave Charles Lind
bergh his first instruction in aviation.
If that be true, “Uncle” John can lay
claim, indirectly, for making Lind
bergh an aviator.
“Uncle” John prizes his old Mos-
ter’s pipe above anything else he
owns. The pipe has a hinge lid and a
large bowl. Originally it had a’long-
cork stem, but the one shown in the
pictuft was made from a sprout from
a fig tree, but is very unique. “Uncle”
John says when he fills this pipe and
lights her up, pleasant memories pass
through his. mind of the days when
his old Moster would call him in the
early morning ^nd tell him to sweeten
him a “toddy” with honey and sugar.
After he had drank his “toddy” he
would have “Uncle” John (then a
small boy) to fill his long stem pipe
and light ’er up. This done, he was
told to make a “toddy” for himself.
“Uncle” John says “them was great
days.”
Teacher Allotment
For County Schools
Twin Cantaloupes
Dock Wood, Wilson Mills
farmer, was in Selma Monday
and presented The Johnston
ian - Sun with twin canta
loupes. They are of the Hale’s
Best variety and are perfectly
netted together, and yet they
are both well-formed melons.
Massey Found Guilty
In Recorder's Court
For Assault With Deadly Weap
on (An Automobile) He was
Given Four Months, and For
Careless and Reckless Driving
He Was Given Three Months.
—Files Notice of Appeal.
The case against Milton P. Massey,
charged with assault with deadly
weapon (an automobile), and with
careless and reckless driving, was
tried in Johnston Cbunty Recorder’s
court Wednesday. On the charge of
assault with deadly weapon he was
sentenced tofour months on the roads,
and for careless and reckless driving
he was given a road sentence of three
months. He gave notice of appeal to
the Superior Court.
The case grew out of a wreck which
occurred at the Selma Airport on the
night of July 2, when an automobile
driven by Massey, manager of a fill
ing station on Highway 301, south of
Selma, ran into a group of men stand
ing near where William Norket, man
ager' of the filling Station at the air
port, was -working on another car,
parked near the filling station, and
partly on the side of the highway,
according to testimony given at the
trial.
Magsey;'traveliiiig’'ea-st irr-the- direct
tion of Pine Level, is alleged to have
been traveling at around 46 miles an
hour when he reached the incline at
the A. C. L. railroad crossing near
the airport, and that he did not see
the parked car until he crossed the
railroad only a few yards away. .Mas
sey testified that there were no lights
on the parked car, arid that the lights
on his own car enabled him to see
the o.ther car only after he had cross
ed the railroad.
Those injured were aS follows:
Joe Palmer, an employee of the
Southern railway, received a broken
leg and serious bruises.
Virdell Cooper, Negro, also employ
ed by the Southern railway, suffered
a broken right leg and mangled left
foot. He was later taken to a Durham
hospital.
William Norkett, manager of the
airport and filling station, sustained a
broken jawbone, lacerations of the
face, as well as shoulder and leg in
juries.
Aaron Wall, Jr., an employee at
the filling station, received a broken
wrist, teeth dislocations and minor
injuries.
Massey, driver of the car, escaped
injury.
The injured are all reported to be'
recovering, and are all outof the hos
pital except Virdell" Cooper, Negro,
who is still in a Durham hospital.
Sunk In Mediterranean I
Invested In Bonds
Started Something
That’s Hard To Stop
Stockholm, July 16.—The Swedish
steamer Stureborg, an 1,160-ton ves
sel Chartered to the International Red
Cross to catry food to Greece, was
sunk by bombing planes in the Medi
terranean, it was announced today.
Nineteen persons were drowned and
one was saved, it was said.
County Library
Fund Restored
The county commissioners Monday
voted to restore the annual appro-pria-
tion for the county library' system to
the $3,000 level of the past fiscal
year.
White Schools of Johnston
County to Get 345 Teachers;
Negro Schools to Get 108
Teachers—White Schools Get
Fewer Teachers, While Negro
Schools Get An Increase In
Teachers.
The big annual sing at . Benson,
which was first started about 20
years ago, has gained such wide pub
licity that, despite the fact that Presi
dent L. L. Levinson of Benson an
nounced through the press some time
ago that the Sing had been called off
this year due to the shortage,of gas
and tires, there are many people liv
ing in distant places who continue to
write in and ask for a place on the
program.
“I’m having a hard time trying to
convince people there won’t be any
Sing this year,” Levinson is quoted
Former Selma Boy
Receives Promotion
Needham D. Morris of the U,.S.
Army sitationed at Fort Jackson, S. C.,
has been promoted from coporaV to
sergeant. Morris is doing well in.the
Army and is expected to visit his
parents the first of August. He is. the
son of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Morris of
Selma, Route 1.
County Treasurer J. Narvin Creech
announces that $20,000 of Johnston
county’s sinking fund was invested in
U. S. Treasury bonds last week, bear
ing 2 per cent interest. This was in
addition to the $82,600 purchase of
government war bonds made from the
sinking fund recently, according to
Treasurer Creech.
The board met in special session.
’ When the new county budget was
adopted two weeks ago, the library
fund was lowered to $2,700. The board
agreed to put the appropriation back
at its former figure when library of
ficials pointed out that under a state
library commission ruling no state aid
could be provided in counties reduc
ing library funds.
Last year the county library system
received nearly $1,300 from the state
in addition to the $3,000 county allot
ment.
PRODUCE MARKET
BUYING TOMATOES
Two Selma Boys
Receive Promotions
Fred A. Woodard, son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. T. Woodard and Yates Perry,
son of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Perry, both
of Selma, have been promoted from
Privates First Class to the rank of
F'or the 1942-’43 school year John
ston Couijty has been allotted 453
teachers for the white and the Negro
schools. One year ago the county was
allotted the same number of teachers,
and during the past school year it
was allotted two additional teachers
for increased high school attendance.
The net result at the present time is
a loss of two teachers, from the num
ber employed at the close of the past
year.
The total 453 teachers are divided
as follows: 345 in the white schools
and 108 in the Negro schools. Ope
year ago the allotment for white
schools . was. 350 and ,^03' for the
Negro schools. Of the'345 white '
teachers, 101 are high school and' 244
are elementary. Of the 108 Negro
teachers 20 are in the high school
and 88 are in the elementary. '
As compared -with last yedl^,.' thq^
only white school in the county to;,
gain a teacher is - the Smithfield Ele
mentary School. Each of the follow
ing white schools lost an elementary
teacher: Benson, Brogden, Cleveland,
Four Oaks, Micro, Archer Lodge and
Wilson’s Mills.
Among the Negro schools the Clay
ton and Smithfield High schools both
gained a teacher over last year; also
the Clayton and Selma Elementary
schools each gained a teacher.
The white schools of the County
had a net loss of 6 teachers as com
pared to a loss of 4 teachers one
year ago. The Negro schools had a
net gain of 4 teachers as compared to
a loss of 2 teachers one year ago.
The number of teachers allotted to
each of the schools is as follows:
Benson 'wdll have* ’T'liiglf school
teachers, 20 elementary teachers; to
tal 27.
Kenly will have 6 high school teach
ers, 12 elementary teachers; total 18.
Glendale-Chapel will have 6 high
school teachers, 14 elementary teach
ers; total 20.
Princeton-Brogden will have 9 high
school teachers, 22 elementary teach
ers; total 31.
Clayton will have 7 high school
teachers, 15 elementary teachers; to
tal 22.
Cleyeland will have 7 high school
teachers, 18 elementary teachers; to
tal 26.
Four Oaks will haye 12 high school
teachers, 33 elementary teachers; to
tal 45.
Meadow will have 7 high school
teachers, 20 elementary teachers; to
tal 27.
Micro will have 6 high school teach
ers, 9 elementary teachers; total 14.
Pine Level will have 4 high school
teachers, 9 elementary teachers; to
tal 13.
Selma will have 8 high school
teachers, 23 elementary teachers; to
tal 31.
Smithfield will have 10 high school
teachers, 22 elementary teachers; to-
to 32.
Archer Lodge will have 3 high
school teachers, 6 elementary teach
ers; total 9.
Corinth-Holder will have 6 high
school teachers, 13 elementary teach
ers;- total 19.
Wilson’s Mills wdll have 4 high
school teachers, 8 elementary teach
ers total 12.
TOTAL: 101 high school teachers,
244 elementary teachers; total 345.
(Negro)
Kenly will have 4 elementary teach
ers; total 4.
Princeton will have 7 elementary
teachers; total 7.
Clayton will have 5 high school
teachers, 14 elementary teachers; to
tal 19.
Short Journey will have 10 elemen
tary teachers; total 10.
Four Oaks will have 14 elementary
teachers; total 14.
Selma will have 5 high school
teachers, 19 elementary teachers; to
tal 24.
Smithfield will have 10 high school
teachers, 13 elementary teachers; to
tal 23.
Wilson’s Mills will have 7 elemen-*
tary.teachers; total 7.
TOTAL: 20 high school teachei;?,
88 elementary teachers; 108 total.
COUNTY TOTAL: 121 high school
teachers, 332 elementary teachers;
grand total 453 teachers. 
The United States is much stronger
in the present emergency because of
the large use made of farm machinry,
as having told a newspaper reporter j gay experts of the U. S .Department
a few days ago. 'of Agriculture.
Officials at the Johnston Coflfcy
Produce Market announced Thursday
that the market is able to move ripe
tomatoes for canning at 50 cents a
bushel.
The market has been authorized to^
buy tomatoes at this price by a South'
Carolina concern. It is not necessary
market officials said, for farmers to
pack their tomatoes in baskets.
Corporal Technician. . n-i ,
Both boys are members of the 120th j JohnstOD TobaCCOIllStS
Infantry Band at Fort Jackson, S. C.,, A/T i- ”
and were at their respective homes (Jll -lO ViCOrgia IVlaTtS
here for the week end. . ^l^^ Freeman B. Parrish, of Selma,
' T
VW . -
1; -I
— lleft Wednesday morning for Georgia,
Indications in .Tune were that total I where he will be on the Georgia to-
supplies of the four principal feed I bacco market this season. He was ac-
grains in 1942-43 may be about 4 per 1 companied by his brothei^L. A. Par-,
'Cent below the near-record 1941-42 Irish of Smithfield, and D. Hardy ot
supply. . I Kenly.