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THE WAR FUND DRIVE IS NOW ON-DO YOUR PART
The Johnstonian-Sun
VOL. 26
SELMA, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER, 4, 1943.
NUMBER 45
Thanksgivins Harvest
Day Big Success
i'-
By H. H. LOWRY
More than 750 people attended the
Harvest Day services at Thanksgiving
church, seven miles northwest of
Selma, last Friday.
Dr. O. T. Binkley, head of the De
partment of Bible at Wake Forest
College, delivered the Harvest Day
sermon at 11 a. m. after which a free
barbecue dinner was served on the
grounds. No food shortage was in
evidence.
This occasion attracted people from
all the nearby towns and many from
distant points. Among those in at
tendance were Dr. Carlyle Campbell,
president, and Zeno Martin, bursar,
of Meredith College; LeRoy Martin,
vice-president, and C, Beam, trust of
ficer, of the Wachovia Bank and
Trust Co.; Dr. L. L. Carpenter, editor
of the Biblical Recorder, all of Ra
leigh; Dr. C. B. Earp, head of the
Department of Greek, Wake Forest
College, a local boy; Miss Flossie
Whitley, home demonstration agent
of Pitt county, a local girl; the Rev.
John H. Knight, pastor of the First
Baptist church, and Mrs. Knight of
Mebane; Thomas B. Herman, promi
nent architect, and Tom Bridgers,
vice-president of the Farmers Cotton
Oil Company, of Wilson.
Organized 43 Years Aeo
Thanksgiving Baptist church was
organized 43 years ago as a mission
church through the efforts of two or
three individuals. In its early days
its progress was slow but definite. It
was fortunate in having some very
able pastors who guided it well.
About ten years ago the original
building proved to be inadequate and
a new building was erected. The orig
inal building and this new building
was erected on property which was
adjacent to the school property, dur
ing the days of the one-room school
building. In its early days the church
and school shared jointly in being the
community center. However, as the
consolidated school program swept
North Carolina all the rural commun
ities entered a community center
crisis since some of the communities
had no church to take over this work,
but such was not the case with
Thanksgiving community.
When the local school ceased to
exist, the members of the local church
felt the added responsibility and be
gan planning with this in mind.
Ten years ago the Rev. C. W.
Teague, a young progressive minister,
introduced the Harvest Day idea and
it was a success the first year, but
only in a limited sense as compared
with recent Harvest Day services.
The idea worked so well that is was
made an annual occasion. •
At first not so much thought was
given to the selection of a speaker for
the occasion and the planning for
this service was done rather hastily,
but after the second it was realized
that such a service had great possi
bilities. Today the Harvest Day serv
ice at Thanksgiving church is plan
ned for twelve months in advance and
much time and thought given to it.
This service is more than a service by
the church—it is a community proj
ect and more than once have local
people become offended because they
were not given an opportunity to
make contributions for this occasion,
even though they did not belong to
the church. It has become a communi
ty occasion with all taking a great
deal of interest in it.
The Harvest Day service idea has
worked well indeed for the Thanks
giving Baptist church. Some members
of the church gave tobacco, which was
sold some three weeks ago; others
gave money and still others gave
country produce which was sold at
public auction last Friday. Over $1,-
100 was realized from the sale of
farm produce and counting the cash
turned in and the amount realized
from the sale of tobacco the total
amount was $2 300 .
Investing In War Bonds
This is a one - service - a - month
church and the entire church budget
calls for an expenditure of around
$1,000 each year. While the church
has a very comfortable frame build
ing, it is investing a given amount
each year in war bonds for the pur
pose of erecting a modern building
when it so desires and world condi
tions will permit. It will have, when
this next investment is made, $5,000
invested in war bonds for a building i
program,plus a gift of $2,000 made in ]
the spring for the purpose of install
ing a new organ in the new church.
In additions to this amount, $350 has
been donated toward a fund for
memorial windows for the new
church.
Thanksgiving church is leading the
people in its community and ap
parently doing a good job, because 42
boys and girls have gone to college
Mr. J. Oscar Creech, after twenty-
seven years overseer at the Selma
Cotton Mills, has resigned to accept
a similar position with the St. Paul
Rayon Mill, St. Paul, N. C., one of the
group of the Burlington Mills.
Mr. Creech was a guest of the Rev.
O. L. Hathaway, former pastor of
the Edgerton Memorial Methodist
church of Selma, Tuesday night and
attended a meeting of the St. Paul
Rotary club as a guest of Rev. Mr.
Hathaway.
Oscar Creech is a native of John
ston county, a son of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Jesse B. Creech. For the past
ten years he has served on the Board
of Stewards of the local Methodist
church. He is a former pastmaster
of Selma Lodge No. 320, A. F. & A.
M., and a former member of the
Selma Kiwanis Club.
The many friends of Mr. Creech
regret to see him and his good wife
leave Selma. He has always taken a
keen interest in everything prtaining
to the social welfare as well as the
business interests of the town.
Kiwanis Club Entertains
Selma Boy Scout Troop
Dr. Carter To Observe
21st Anniversary
Goldsboro. — Next Sunday evening
in the Tabernacle church in Golds
boro an anniversary service will be
held at which time the congregation
will observe the 21st anniversary in
the ministry of Dr. Wm. Howard
Carter, pastor of the church.
Dr. Carter entered the ministry at
the age of 12, he was licensed to
preach at the age of 13 by a church
served at that time by the Rev. J. H.
Worley of Selma. Rev. Mr. Worley
recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
Dr. Carter was called to his first
pastorate at the age of 17.
Dr. Carter became the pastor of
the Tabernacle Church in Goldsboro
January 10th, 1937. The church under
his leadership has grown in member
ship as well as services rendered in
the city. Thousands of dollars have
been spent on the church plant. Serv
ices are heard by hundreds twice each
Sunday through the facilities of radio.
An afternoon program is carried by
a network of stations. The church has
the unique distinction of being one of
the few churches in the south having
its own radio equipment and control
room.
Dr. Carter is the oldest son of Mr.
and Mrs. Harley B. Carter of Selma.
It was in Selma that Dr. Carter
preached his first sermon at the age
of 12.
The minister is also pastor of two
other churches. Collier’s Chapel at
Linden and the Free Gospel Church
in Greene County. The Rev. Stedman
C. Davis is the assistant pastor in
Goldsboro and the Rev. John Grant is
the assistant in Greene County.
Town Board Leaves Bus Squabble
to Bus Co. and Utilities Commission
Troop Movement Job
Proves Giant Task
IN SOUTH PACIFIC
Union Meeting Largely
Attended At Mizpah
The five rural Presbyterian church
es of Granville Presbytery convened
with the Mizpah church at Moore’s
School House for their Union servi
ces Sunday. This group is composed
Program Chairman David S. Ball
arranged to have the Selma Boy
Scout Troop as special guests of the
Selma Kiwanis club on last Thursday
evening, and what a fine bunch of
boys they are! It would be difficult
to find their equal in a town of this
size anywhere. There were 28 Scouts
present, and each one was asked to
stand for recognition.
Boy Scout stock in Selma has re
ceived quite a boost under the able
leadership of Scoutmaster Perry, who
is recognized as one of the best qual
ified scoutmasters in the state.
A short program was put on by the
Scounts under the direction of Scout
John Jeffreys.
R. L. Wollf, Scout Executive of
Tuscarora Council, was present and
addressed the meeting on Scouting.
He paid a high tribute to Selma’s
troop and to their scoutmaster.
The attendance prize, donated by
Kiwanian Bill Woodard, was awarded
to Kiwanian M. L.' Stancil.
President H. V. Gaskill appointed
H. H. Lowry program chairman for
tonight (Thursday) when the club
meets at 6;.30 instead of 7:15, the
hour having been changed due to the
stores closing at 6 o’clock. Remember,
Kiwanians, tonight at 6:30!
of Center Ridge, Fairview, Mizpah,
Oak Grove and Spring Hill, with the
Rev. J. D. Withrow as pastor.
The services opened at 11:30 Sun
day morning, with George Glover,
as moderator of Spring Hill, presid
ing, and Miss Mamie Bailey of Fair-
view, Secretary. A roll call of church
es was made and Oak Grove had the
largest delegation, 44, but all of the
churches were well represented.
The minutes of last meeting were
read, which was held with the church
at Oak Grove on the fifth Sunday in
August.
Special music by the Davis chil
dren from Mizpah was an important
feature on the program, who sang
“God Save Our Men.” This was fol
lowed by the message brought by the
Rev. J. D. Withrow, reading from
Luke 15:1-10, “Parable of the Lost
Sheep ahd Coin.” The sermon was
uplifting and full of inspiration to
live a better Christian life.
Lunch was served on the church
grounds at noon.
The afternoon session was devoted
to business, following several hymns
of praise from the congregation, and
closed with prayer, led by Mr. Glover,
the moderator.
The next Union will be held with
Spring Hill church in January, 1944.
Taking all of Johnston County’s
63,798 people around the world in
sleeping cars more than 10 times ^
would be a tremendous undertaking,
yet that is actually about the size of
the troop movement job reported to
day by The Pullman Company.
Since Pearl Harbor, Pullman has
carried about 14 000,000 troops a dis
tance of more than 15 billion passen
ger miles in its sleeping cars, the
company reports. These figures are
said to cover mass military move
ments alone, and do not include the
heavy travel of furloughed men and
others.
Many of the boys from Johnston
County, like servicemen from all
parts of the country, are getting their
first Pullman rides, according to
George A. Kelly, vice president of
the company. Now most of them are
making six or seven trips by Pullman,
as the intense training program of
the armed services necessitates that
many moves or more prior to embar
kation for points abroad, he said. In
addition, the Army and Navy believe
in all the comfort possible for the
members of the armed forces, he de
clared, and about two thirds of all
military movements by rail are by
Pullman sleeper.
Pullman is now carrying more than
800 000 troops every month in mass
movements, it is revealed by Mr.
Kelly, who pointed out that in addi
tion to this heavy and steadily in
creasing military passenger burden,
civilian travel itself is also at a
record-breaking level. He believes
that Pullman's passenger-mile volume
for 1943 may exceed the 1942 all-
time high of 19 billion by 80 of more
per cent.
Vernon Ricks Witnesses
Crash Of Two Planes
Matter Brought Before Board
lof Town CommisSionei"s Mon
day Night—Petition For Ex
clusive Bus Station Presented
To Board—Board Makes Rec
ommendation To State Utili
ties Commission.
The bus squabble in Selma hag
been very much in the spot-light
during the past week, due to the cir
culation of petitions among citizens,
one of which provided for the open
ing of the bus station at a new lo
cation, separate and apart from any
other business. Another petition was
circulated to allow the Selma Drug
company to remain open on Sunday
for the accommodation of bus pas
sengers. Both petitions were signed
by a considerable number of people
of the town and community.
When the hearing opened Monday
night. Dr. E. N. Booker appeared be
fore the board in behalf of the Selma
FIRST CLASS JOHN E. PAGE,' Drug Company, and made a plea for
son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Page of the retention of the bus station at
Selma, who writes his mother from
“Somewhere in Australia” as follows:
“Mom, the girls out here wear long
dresses. I like it fine out here. I get
mixed up with the money out here;
it is not like it is in North Carolina.”
Seen and Heard Along
THE MAINDRAG
= By H. H. L.
AIN’T IT THE TRUTH?
Thomas H. Woodard
Promoted To Corporal
Camp Campbell, Ky. — T-5 Thomas
H. Woodard, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest Woodard. 211 N. Pollock St..
Selma, N. C., has been promoted to
the grade of corporal in the 27th
Tank Battalion of the 20th Armored
Division at Camp Campbell, Ky., the
office of the commanding general an
nounced today.
Tyrrell County turck growers re
cently shipped snap beans from 250
acres to a Maryland canning com
pany, according to J. Y. Lassiter,
State College Extension horticultur
ist.
Mrs. Ellis Taken To
Duke Hospital Sunday
Mrs. J. W. Ellis, who has been in
ill health for some time, was taken
to Duke Hospital Sunday night. When
the patient reached the hospital, her
temperature was 107, her son, John,
told a Johnstonian-Sun man. Her
daughter, Ruth, is with her mother.
The many friends of Mrs. Ellis wish
for her a speedy recovery.
Informs Father of Safe
Arrival In South Pacific
Vernon Ricks, local electrician, wit
nessed the crash of two airplanes
near Garner last Thursday while on
his way to Raleigh. The planes were
flying north he said, and he saw the
wings of the planes come together
and this was followed by the explo- |
sion of one of the planes in mid air.
The other plane swooped to the
ground and exploded as it landed, he
said.
Mr. Ricks said he parked his car
and started toward the burning
wreckage of the two planes, which
was only a few hundred yards from
the highway. He met a Negro man
“selling out” toward the highway.
The plane, which exnloded in the air,
was right over the Ne.gro as he was
driving a tractor in the field. Mr.
Ricks said the pilot in the plane
which exploded in the air was found
about a block from where his plane
crashed. He was dead and his clothing
still burning when Mr. Ricks reached
him, but he aided in extinguishing the
flames. The plane which exploded
when it crashed to earth was a mass
of flames and the pilot was burned
t'' death with his plane.
Mr. Ricks said the explosion of the
plane in the air caused the firing of
a number of small shells which scat
tered bullets in all directions. He
brought with him a number of the
bullets that had been fired and also
one or two that did not explode.
That when we oldsters were young
sters there was a family bible in a
conspicuous place in every home, so
humble or sinful, and when the minis
ter came and asked To read a chapter
therefrom we did not turn red to the
gills and rack our brain to recall
where we had last seen it and when
we found it, brush the dust off and
present it kinda sheepish like—“Ain’t
a saying” this is the case now***And
there was an Amen corner in most
of the churches where we heard
Amens that meant Amens***That
men, women and children would walk
for miles to work, to shop or to
school and enjoy it, but now they
won’t walk a hundred yards if there
is an automobile license or the price
Those Pennies
now
The
Mr. R. Britt, special police officer
for the Southern Railway, received a
message Monday from his son, Wil
ton Britt, informing him of his safe
arrival in the South Pacific. It had
been three months since the father
had heard from his son.
or business school from this rural
community and have taken their
places in the professional and busi
ness world.
The Thanksgiving church has no
wealth in it. It has a resident mem
bership of around 150 with 40 Bap
tist families.
Power To Be Cut OH
Here Sunday Morning
We have been requested to an
nounce that the electric power will be
cut off here Sunday morning, No
vember 7, at 9 o’clock and remain oif
until 9:20, a period of only 20 min
utes.
J. P. Rooks, eighty-year-old Negro
farmer of the Hobbsville community
in Gates County, has purchased his
second $100 War Bond.
Washington, Nov. — Relax
and put away your bifocals.
Treasury heard you.
It announced today that coinage of
those blankety. dime-like pennies you
have been dropping in the collection
plate by mistake would be discontin
ued and minting of good old copper
resumed January 1.
Up on Capitol Hill, there was re
joicing, especially by Representative
Charles S. Dewey, R., 111., leader of
a Congressional “faction” which had
called for putting an identifying hole
through the tricky cent.
“At least then you could feel ’em
if you couldn’t see ’em,” he pointed
out.
Heaving a s'gh of relief. Sen. Geo.
D. Aiken, R., Vt., told a colleague:
“I take more zinc-covered pennies
for dimes than I can give away.”
But 584,000,000 of the “nuisances”
—the entire output—still will be with
us. Senator, the Treasury said, be
cause of an extended demand for one
cent pieces.
“The zinc-steel coins already pro
duced will remain in circulation,”
said Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross, director
of the mint. “Their natural darkening
soon will remove the public’s chief
source of complaint against them,’’
of a gallon of gas in the family***!
still believe shoe leather is cheaper
than gasoline and fresh air more
healthy than monoxide***That when
we were children we always had both
hands full of warts and heads full
of bugs (I wonder what have become
of them, not that I care)***That we,
who have work to do, are busy and if
our foreparents were living they
would likely want to know “Busy do- |
ing what”, as about all we eat comes
out of cans and most of our work is
done by machinery—we even have
canned music, canned beer and canned
heat. All we need is a can opener and
a little gasoline and we are all set***
That not so many moons ago we could
count all the taxes, insurance and
license we had to pay on the fingers
of one hand and have a thumb left
for hitch-hiking, but now it would
crowd us “Purty smartly” to count
them on the legs of a centipede***
And money used to be called “money”
and not “dough,” ‘kale’, ‘buck,’ ‘jit-
,ney,’ ‘grand,’ and other pet names. I
do believe there was a breed known
to our forefathers as shin plasters***
That parlors were only used on such
special occasions as funerals, Wed
dings, parties, high-brow company
and when the preacher came***That
women will welcome the time when
they can gather up the four corners
of a table cloth, dishes and all, and
give it a couple of lasso whirls and
let go and the whole works land in
the alley***There is nothing around
the home as useless as a spare room,
guest-towels, a man with a mashed
toe and a mangy kitten***That after
we sneeze about three times in suc
cession all the extras are work***
That a full rigged ship with all sails
set on the briny deep is more beauti
ful than the most luxurious liner that
ever crossed the Atlantic***That
many of us will go to circus shows,
prize fights, night clubs and floor
shows during the week and sit on a
narrow, rough plank with no back
support and let our feet dangle into
space, suffocate with smoke and foul
air, eat stale peanuts and drink warm
pop, and spend money like the prover
bial sailor and on Sunday drift into
church and sleep half through the
sermon and put anywhere from
nothing up to ten cents on the collec
tion plate as a conscience pacifier***
Of which we should be ashamed to
acknowledge, but “Ain’t it the Truth.”
Buy War Bonds Today!
its present site, pleding to the board
that should this be done the Selma
Drug company would provide every
convenience possible for accommoda
tion of passengers riding the buses
in and out of Selma. He proposed to
make a partition across the rear of
the store, thereby separating the
drug store from the bus station, and
provide ample facilities for the com
fort and convenience of passengers.
E. G. Hobbs appeared before the
board on behalf of those who had pe
titioned for an “exclusive” bus sta
tion. He said he had contacted Stan
ley Winborn, chairman of the Utili
ties Commission in Raleigh, who as
sured him that his commission was
anxious to settle the bus controversy
in Selma, and was ready to approve
a bus ■station" for Selma. Mr. Hobbs
stated that the revenue from bu.s
fares in Selma was equal to 6 per
cent on an investment of $50,000, but
D. D. McAfee, division traffic mana
ger for the Geryhound Lines operat
ing out of Raleigh, took issue with
Mr. Hobbs on this point, declaring
that Mr. Hobbs had over stated the
facts in this matter, as the revenue
received at the Selma station would
not exceed 6 per cent on an invest
ment of $30,000.
Mr. McAfee stated that he had
come to Selma at the request of in
terested parties and that he was anx
ious for some satisfactory solution
of the controversy, as he realized it
had been quite a problem in the past
and was still a problem, but was wil
ling to accept such recommendation
as the bus receipts would justify.
He stated that at present the revenue
would not justify his company to
build a bus station and operate it out
of the receipts of the station, and
that their stations in all towns of
similar size were operated on a com
mission basis.
Rev. D. M. Clemmons, who had a
small part in circulating a petition
for an exclusive bus station, said
there was a misunderstanding about
the wording of this petition, since it
had been rumored that the petition
provided for the removal of the bus
station to some undesirable location
on the outskirts of the town. This,
he said, was not true. He then pro
duced said petition and had it read,
thereby showing that no attempt had
been made in this petition to name a
location for the bus station. Mr.
Clemmons declared that his primary ,
interest in the matter was to help
observe the Sabbath Day and give
those desiring to do so an opportuni
ty to attend church.
J. W. Thorne, Route 1, Selma, told
the board he frequently had occasion
to meet incoming and outgoing buses
and that he wbuld like to see more
accommodation provided for those
who have to wait for buses late at
night after the drug store is closed.
He offered no objection to keeping
the bus station at its present site.
Mention was made of the undesire-
ableness of the present location due,
to traffic congestion. Dr. Booker ad
mitted that such congestion did exist
at times, but if his proposal was ac
cepted he would demand of the board
that ample space be marked off for
buses adjacent to the drug store and
that the police force see to it that no
parking be allowed there except by
passenger buses.
At the close of the discussions, the
town board went into executive ses
sion, and after due deliberations,
drafted the following recommenda
tion, a copy of which was forwarded
to the State Utilities Commission in
Raleigh:
“The Mayor and Board of Town
Commissioners of the Town of Selma,
North Carolina, realize fully the
hardships and inconveniences impos
ed on the traveling public by not hav-
(Continued On Page Eight)
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