The Johnstonian-Sun SELMA, N. C„ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1943. NUMBER 48 SELMA’S FIRST AUTOMOBILE ' ,'V" 'Mr' „ m p#;;iipil|i; vX.-..- WM ilwi " '^" ' *‘^*.*.' .'%S^s^vvwX|x$>5^^ fmmmm iiir* 1^ The above is a picture of the first | automobile ever brought to Selma. It was purchased jointly by the late Clarence P. Harper and Hugh L. Mitchener of Miami, Fla., in the year 1905 or early in 1906. The picture was made in front of the Wyoming j Hotel, owned and operated by John' A. Mitchener, father of Miss Blanche Mitchener, Mrs. E. V. Deans and A. ^ W. Mitchener of Selma. On the front seat are Hugh Lacy Mitchener, of Miami, Pla., and Miss Annie Adams, now Mrs. Will X. Coley; rear seat, i Miss Carrie Freeman, of Daytona ‘ ilii Beach, Fla., and John A. Mitchener.' Jr., of Edenton. At the rear of the car can be seen the feet of Charles V. Mitchener, who was standing be hind the car. On the porch of the hotel are Miss Rosalia Mitchener now Mrs. T. T .Covington, of Laurin- burg. The baby is Margaret Terry daughter of Robert Terry, who was manager of the Western Union at Selma. The little girl standing nearby is Mar.v Guerrant Mitchener, now Mrs. W. C. P. Bethell, of Wilmington. It will be noted from the picture that Interesting Facts About Advent of Automobile The above photograph calls to mind some interesting things which happened right here in Selma with the advent of the automobile. As many of us can well remember, the coming of the automobile brought many problems that seemed hard to overcome, and among them was the hazard facing people driving' horses and mules on the street and along the highway. Soon after Mr. C. P. Harper and Mr. Hugh L. Mitchiner jnade a joint purchase of the first automobile brought to Selma and began driving it around town and up and down the highways it frightened so many horses and mules that most farmers were afraid to start to town for fear they would meet that horseless buggy, and if they did their horse or mule was certain to take to the field, the woods or the ditch, endangering their lives and frequently wrecking their vehicles. So acute became this hazard that the doctors and merchants of Selma became so greatly alarmed that they circulated a petition asking that an ordinance be passed by the Town of ; Selma prohibiting any automobile to i be driven along the main business | streets of Selma; and we understand i that as a result of this petition an ordinance was passed to this effect, and that it is still on the books of the town records and has never been revoked. Prior to this ordinance many fatm- ers had stopped bringing country produce' to town and country butter and eggs were almost a thing of the past as well as many other items of produce from the country. And, too, merchants visioned dark days ahead because many farmers became aware that a horseless buggy had come to Selma and they were afraid to drive into town for fear they would meet it and have a run-away with their stock. After the passage of the ordnance forbidding the operation of the auto mobile on the streets of Selma, Messrs Harper and Mitchener employ ed one of the ablest lawyers in the state to see if there was any grounds on which such an ordinance could be made operative, and their lawyer told them to drive anywhere they pleased in Selma, or elsewhere, that there was no code of law on the Stat ute books that said anything about automobiles, which was no doubt true, as no one up to that time knew anything about these road and street hazards. During one of their joy rides with their new car, Mr. Harper in com pany with a group of young people made a trip out in the country with the top of their car thrown back. They were having the time of their lives when a sudden rain squall came up and the group were getting a good soakin.g when Mrs. Doc Oliver of Pine Level raised her parasol to shield them from the storm, but the wind turned the parasol wrong side out. They all got a good soaking, but they were having such a “grand” time that they took it all good-na turedly and laughed it off. Robert Parker’s Funeral Is Largely Attended Funeral services for Mr. Robert L. Parker, 61, who died at his home in the Corbett-Hatcher community Wed nesday morning of last week at 5:45 were conducted from the home Fri day afternoon at 2:30 by Elder W. E. Turner, of Wilson. The large crowd in attendance and the many beautiful floral offerings attested the high esteem in which the deceased was held. A quartette, composed of Mrs. W. B. Johnson, Mrs. G. Aaron Earp, Raleigh Griffin and E. V. Woodard, sang “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” ac companied at the piano by H. H. Lowry. Interment took place in the Hatch er cemetery, near the home. Pallbear ers were Harvey Brown, Carl Brown, A. J. Price, Herman Sullivan, E. V. Woodard and John N. Wiggs. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Jeru- sha Whitley Parker; two sons, Wal ton D. Parker, of Smithfield, and R. G. Parker, of the Army Air Forces, stationed at Burlington, Vermont; two daughters, Mrs. Percy Barber, of Clayton, Route 1, and Miss Eunice Parker, of Raleigh; three brothers, W. B. and M. H. Parker, of Rich mond. Va., and R. E. Parker, of Knoxville, Tenn. One sister, Mrs. R. A. Avery, of Selma, Route 1, also i survives. the steering wheel was on the right side of the car and the brakes were operated by a long hand lever on the right side of the body of the car. Soon after the car was brought to Selma the town commissioners passed an ordnance prohibiting the driving of the car in the business district of the town, claiming that it frightened horses and mules. In fact, many farmers, we are told, said they would quit bringing their produce to Selma if the car was allowed to be driven on the business streets of the town. Sanders-Mims^ Ford Company Changes Name (Smithfield Herald) Sanders - Mims Company, Inc., Smithfield’s Ford agency, has chang ed its name to B. and R. Wilson, Inc., it is announced by M. Braxton Wil son, president and general manager of the firm. Mr. Wilson emphasized that the, change was only in the firm name and not in personnel or policy. The owners of B. and R. Wilson, Inc., have owned the entire stock of San- ders-Mims Company, Inc., since last year. Officers of B. and R Wilson, Inc., are M. B. Wilson, president; Mrs. M. B. Wilson, vice-president;! -and Miss Ruth Wilson, secretary-treasurer. Miss Wilson, who is a sister of the company’s president, will continue to reside in Raleigh where she is connec ted with the Sanders Motor Company. President and General Manager Wilson came to Smithfield in 1936 when Sanders-Mims Company was first organized. He served as parts manager of the firm, later becoming assistant manager. After engaging in the gas business in Dunn for 13 months, he returned to Smithfield in 1940 and bought the stock of Allan Mims in the Ford agency. Miss Ruth Wilson already was a stockholder in Sanders-Mims Company and in 1942 she and her brother purchased the stock of the William Sanders estate to gain full control of the business. Since Sanders-Mims Company was formed in 1936, the firm has sold 2.800 cars and trucks, an average of over one a day, and repair orders show that 27,000 vehicles have been serviced in the repair shop. The com pany’s annual payroll averages $30,- 000. Personnel of B. and R. Wilson, Inc., -other than the officers, includes Miss Naomi Ennis, office manager; James A. Brady, parts department manager; f A. G. Welch, assistant department manager; F. A. Lee, service manager; and E. A. Johnson, Sr., sales. ©Ijankagitting Prodamatton BY THE - MAYOR WHEREAS, The people of Selma and Johnston County have witnessed another fruitful harvest from .Old Mother Earth, and are now enjoying the benefits of same through a stream of dollars from this year’s sale of tobacco and other crops, and WHEREAS, No devastating storms, earthquakes or other internal hazards have disturbed the restful hours of our dreams during the year, while a smil ing sun has lent its life-giving rays to enhance our material fortunes, and no violent storms have laid waste to our fields or to our forests during this good year, 1943, and WHEREAS, We have been permitted to live within a land of schools and churches, where the Bible is our spiritual guide, and where schools impart to our youth those great principles of true Americanism, and WHEREAS, Although we are now embroiled in the world’s greatest war, we are still a free people, and it is for this freedom that our favorite sons are scattered to the four corners of the Globe, either fighting for or standing guard over those sacred principles we inherited from our forefathers, who suffered, bled and died that we might enjoy freedom of ppegch, free.dflip of the press and freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience, NOW, THEREFORE, Let us join Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of these United States, in declaring THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1943, as a day of Thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the manifold blessings that have come to us as a county, a state and a nation during this Good Year, 1943. B. A, HENRY, Mayor of Selma. SELMA FATHERS AMONG NUMBER SENT TO CAMP Kiwanis Club Entertains Selma Boy Witnesses Demonstration Club Battle At Attu Island Selma Boy Hurt In Pacific Area Program Chairman Leon Brown was responsible for one of the best programs ever put on at the Selma Kiwanis club on last Thursday night, when members of the Selma Town ship Home Demonstration club were guests of the Selma Kiwanis club. Kiwanian Brown had arranged for the Home Demonstration club to put on the program of the evening, and they really put on a good one. President Howard Gaskill welcom ed the visiting club on behalf of the Kiwanians, and the response was made by Mrs. Paul Hayes, president of the Home Demonstration club. Mrs. Rachel E. Hart, Home De monstration Director, was present and made a fine talk. Impressive talks were made by MrS' Paul Herring, Mrs. Charles P. Kirby, Mrs. Zeb Thompson, and Mrs. 0. V. Booker, all of whom discussed certain phases of Home Demonstration work, and particularly the activities of the local club, its organization and growth. After hearing these reports on the work of the Home Demonstration club it was very evident that every Kiwanian present was thoroughly convinced that these Home Demon strators have done and are still doing a fine job, and if anyone had pre viously entertained any doubt in re gard to the work they are doing, that doubt was promptly dispelled after hearing these splendid addresses. It was a splendid meeting through out and Kiwanians are loud in their praise of the splendid work these women are doing. Members of the Home Demonstra tion club present were Mesdames Paul Hayes, Zeb Thompson, Paul Her ring. O. V. Booker, Herbert Herring, C. P. Kirby. M. V. Avery, B. B. Lee, I G. T. Scott, W. G. Ricks, J. F, Brown, J. C. Avery, J. S. Kirby, Frank Kirby, Paul Simpson, B. B. Lynch, Dell Strickland, and Mrs. Rachel E, Hart, a special guest. Lt. J. L. Pittman, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Pittr^n of Selma, Route 2, writes his father from somewhere in the Pacific area under date of Nov ember 9, 1943, as follows: Leon Howell arrived Wednesday night of last week to spend a few days furlough here with his parents, Capt. and Mrs. D. P. Howell. Leon enlisted in the Navy about three years ago and since that time he has seen quite a bit of the world. He has been in the Aleutian Islands and witnessed the invasion of Attu Island a few months ago. He said he was sure the guns from his ship got at least one Jap zero plane, for prac tically all the boys on his ship got a piece of it for a souvenir. About the second day at Attu a landing was made by Uncle Sam’s men, during which five of our boys were killed who composed a small landing party from the ship Leon was on. During the landing operations there were 30 men from his ship who volunteered to go ashore and 25 of these return ed to the ship following the battle. Leon said his ship was under Jap attack for about four days by planes and from gun fire from Jap ships, and that the nearest bomb to his ship was about 30 feet. He said this seemed entirely too close, and that about the first thought he had was about Mother and Dad. He said when he went ashore he saw dead Japs ly ing all over the ground, and quite a number of American soldiers that had been killed. It was estimated that there were some 5 000 or 6,000 Japs on the island of Attu at the beginning of the attack. Leon left Tuesday of this week for his ship and said he wanted to get a few more Japs before he comes home again. Capt. and Mrs. Howell have three other sons in the service, as follows: Willie D .Howell, in the Marines, sta tioned at the Marine Base, Ports mouth, Va.; D. P. Howell, Jr., who is in the Army somewhere in the South Pacific; Adron Gordon Howell, who is in the Navy and is somewhere on the high seas. The following white selectees were sent to Fort Bragg Tuesday morning by Draft Board No. 2 for physical examination: Robert Durwood Woodard, Rt. 1, Princeton; Chester Arthur Cook, Sel ma; Ray Browney Gainey (transfer red to Zebulon Board for delivery) Rt. 1, Zebulon; Arthur Clarence West, Rt. 1 Smithfield; Everett Arthur Creech, Pine Level; Jimmie Eason, Selma; Dillon Vroman Holt (trans ferred from Pampa, Texas for deliv ery), Princeton; Roy Leon Coats, Rt. 2, Clayton; Emmett Franklin Padgett, Selma j Willie Hamer Thompson, Selma; Al bert Wesley Brown Selma; Johnnie Cornelius Betts, Selma; George Bev erly Strickland, Pine Level; James Alton Fulghum (transferred to Nor folk Board for delivery), Selma; James Clifton Davis, Selma; Bradley Howell, Rt 1, Kenly; James Pounds, Rt. 2, Clayton; Alison Bedford Bailey. Rt. 1, Selma; Stephen Harold Alford, Jr., Kenly; Lacy Lee Wall, Rt. 2, Clayton; Nor veil Smith, Selma; Herbert Speight Ward, Selma; James Charles Woodard, Selma; Jesse Vernon Cor bett, Rt. 1 Four Oaks; Leland Eugene Batten, Smithfield; Milton Elcoye Pleasant, Clayton; Thames Cortez Hargrove, Selma; Herbert Harold Hales, Pine Level; Robert Edward Perry, Selma; Carl Edmond Gaddy, Jr., Selma; John Logan Auton Rt. 2, Clayton; Mayo Elisha Collier (transferred to Board 1. Burlington, for delivery!. Micro; Noel Carley Fowler, Rt. 1. Zebulon; Armie Rowland Strickland, Rt. 1, Middlesex; Alkie Earl Evans. Rt. 1, Princeton; Arthur Roland Vann, Rt. 2, Selma; Raymond Eli Howell, Sel ma; James Etheridge Taylor, Selma; Robert Lee Garner (transferred from Board 2, Newport News, Va. for de livery), Rt. 1. Selma; Hardy Harris Radford, Jr. (transferred Princeton, from Local Bd. 2, Wilmington, for de livery) ; William Kenneth Starting, Rt. 2, Kenly; Norvelle Coats Cole. Rt. 1, Clayton; Percy Rudolph Batten, Rt. 1. Selma; William Carl Avery (trans ferred from Local Bd. 8, Richmond, Va. for del ) Rt. t, Selma-, Vernon Dee Ellis, Rt. 1. Wendell; Henry Hill Bunch Rt. 1, Wendell: Ernest Joseph Langley, Rt. 2, Smithfield; Marvin London Salmon, Clayton: Carl Hayes Richardson, Rt. 1, Wendell; Charlie Gaston .Johnson, Rt. 1 Zebulon; James Boykin, Rt. 2, Kenly; Lawrence Oscar Smith, Clayton; .William Donald Mason Princeton; James Thomas Hocutt. Rt. 1, Middle sex; Robert Lendon Raper, Rt. 2, Kenly; Charles Stephen Reeves, Sel ma; Jake Delmas Radford, Prince ton; Roy Battle Hill, Rt. 2 Clayton; tVilbert MoHon Avcock. Rt. 2, Selma; Thomas Eldridge Lane, Micro: Ches ter House, Rt. 1, Kenly; L. D. Lois Futch, Selma; William Arthur Stan- cil, Jr., Kenly; Jessie Massey Thomp son, Rt. 2, Princeton; Thurman Roy als, Rt. 2, Clayton; Chester Thomas Adams, Rt. 1, Princeton; Carl Cecil Fowler, Selma; Leon Elworth Stan di, Rt. 2, Kenly; Thomas Joseph Un derwood, Selma; William Donald Creech, Rt. 1, Selma; Alton Pollard, Clayton; Wilbert Thurman Snipes, Rt. 2, Princeton; James Ruffin Rose, Selma; James Hardy Watson. Jr., (transfer red to Local Bd. 4, Norfolk, Va. for delivery), Kenly; Melvin Rudolph Creech, Rt. 1, Selma; Anga Lee Blin- son, Clayton; Roy Woodrow Parrish, Selma; Raymond Albert Oliver, Jr,, Princeton; James Charles Martin, Selma; Elmo Stallings, Selma; Lin- wood Cadwell Wilkinson, Jr., Kenly; Willie Clarence Raynor, Pine Level; Paul Harold Starling, Jr., Selma. London Salmon, Clayton; now in the hospital. It was an acci dent just like might happen on the farm or anywhere else. I just got a little cut across my chin and am just about well. It will be several weeks before I go back to work again be cause I can’t eat anything but liquids. Please don’t worry about me because I am well on the way to recovery. From now on I will try to write of “Since you will have to find it out sooner or later anyway, I had just as 1 ten and let you know how I am get- I sooner or later anyway, i nau just as i ten anu lei, y well tell you I have been hurt and am 1 ting along.” THANKSGIVING SERVICE A Thanksgiving Service will be held at the Methodist Church Thurs day morning at nine o’clock. The sub ject of the address will be, “Thank God for America”. You are cordially invited. Special Thanksgiving services will be held at the Baptist church Wed nesday evening at 7:45. The pastor will bring a brief message and an offering will be taken for the Or phanage. /i WEEKS fr ifNTiL CHniStMAS

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