The Johnstonian-Sun
SELMA, N. C„ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1943.
NUMBER 48
SELMA’S FIRST AUTOMOBILE
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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the town records and has never been
revoked.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