SEVERE STORM AT ATLANTIC.
Miss Eunice Wellons Writes About
Tornado Which Swep.t Over Place
Where She is Teaching. Shut Out
From Outside World From Decem
ber 23 Until January 17. Sound
Frozen Over.
Perhaps it will be of interest to
some of the readers of The Herald to
learn of the experience of a Johnston
County girl, who is teaching in At
lantic.
Miss Eunice Wellons, Smitlifield,
R. 1, began teaching at Atlantic about
November 1st. She decided not to
come home for the holidays. No com
munication of any kind was received
from her from December 23 till Jan
uary 17. Her experience in the ice
bound, tornado-swept little town is
described in some letters sent home:
"I guess you htive seen in the papers
that the towns along the shqre from
Beaufort to Ocracoke are frozen in.
We are just as completely separated
from the outside world as we would
be on a deserted island. The sound
is frozen across. It has been thick
enough to walk on. It was 7 or 8
inches thick ail the way across. This
is the first time in 22 years that this
has happened. I feel a little bit
queer when I think about it and real
ize that it is impossible to get news
from the outside world. I feel real
bad when I think a$but all of you at
home. This is a new experience to
me, in fact it is new to every one
down here.
"I started this letter several days
ago. I was sure it would be only
two or three days before we could
get mail there, but I think it will be
several days yet.
"It is now the 10th of January and
this freeze has been on every since
the 23rd of December. It seems an
age to us. I only hope no one will
starve because of this. Flour is
getting pretty low just now. The ice
has broken up right here at Atlantic,
but towards Beaufort the boAts can't
get through the ice."
"Today is the 12th of January. The
first mail of any description that we
have had since December 23rd came
today. We were all certainly glad to
get connected with the outside world
once. more. Twenty dr.ys without
any news from the outside world is a
long time. We began school yester
day, 11th. Our intention was to get
things alright for Monday."
In a letter dated the 15th she tells
of the storm that visited Atlantic.
"Sincc writing my last letter and
before I could get it off, we have had
a terrible time down here. Last
night, or this morning, rather, aoout
4:30 o'clock a tornado struck Atlantic.
A good many houses were smashed
flat. Everywhere it struck it tore
things up pretty badly, and it took in
nearly all of Atlantic. There are
plenty of trees laying flat on the
ground. I don't know yet that any
one is killed. Some are hurt.
"This house was loosened from the
blocks and the porches are twisted
around. My room-mate and I and
every other one Th the house expect
ed nothing else but to be destroyed.
This has been a terrible time. Not
only are the houses down here wreck
ed, but the fluffing boats. Every
Sharpie in Core Sound was turned
coppletely bottom upwards. They
were not moved a yard from where
they were anchored. A Sharpie is a
fishing boat and as the people down
here, neaily every one of them live
by fishing and oystering their sole
means of support is taken away.
The people are facing starvation.
There is no over-abundance of f<|od
where I am boarding.
*1 have learned that one man was
drowned when his boat capsized."
In describing the storm, she says:
"I happened to be awake about four
o'clock that morning. I had not slept
very well that night. I had been
listening to the wind for some time/
It was nothing more than a good
breeze, just like we have almost every
day. It began raining soon. It was
already thundering and lightening
I thought the rain was coming in
through the window. You know I
have always been afraid of lightning,
but I never before saw any but the
tamest kind of lightning. I can't
begin to describe how it looked.
Solid strep ks of flame were chasing
each other. It looked as if tongues of
AT THE CAPITAL OF BANNER.
Death of Joe Allen at Panama Canal
Zone. Land in Banner Township
Sells For $250 Per Acre. Personal
Items of Interest. r
Benson, N. C., Jan. 24th. ? Mr. R. G.
Fitzgerald, of Whitsett, N. C., was
here for a few days recently.
Mrs. J. C. Warren spent a few days
at Crcedmore recently.
Mr. J. D. Coats, of Camp Sevier,
S. C., was home for a few days
recently with his family.
Mrs. Sallie Stewr.rt, of Wilson,
spent a few days here last week at the
home of her brother, Mr. W. F. Smith.
Miss Polly Barbour, of Four Oaks,
was a visitor to our city for a few
days last week.
Rev. and Mrs. A. T. Lassiter return
ed yesterday from a visit to Cleveh.nd j
township at the home of Mrs. Lassi
ter's parents.
Mr. Leonard Jchnson, of Pleasant
Grove, was a visitor to Benson last
Monday on business matters.
Col. J. F. Lee and Mr. N. H. Lucas
returned the first of the week from
Camp Jackson where they visited
their sons who are in the army at
the Camp.
Miss Ida Wilkes arrived yesterday
and has accepted a position with the
Farmers Commercial Bank .
Mr. Carmal Jernigan left last night
for Camp Sevier where he will spend
a short while with his brother, Mr.
Olen Jernigan, who is in the Camp.
Mr. W. H. Pace, of Raleigh, was a
visitor to our city the first cf the week
on business.
Mr. George Byrd, of Jersey City,
N. J., arrived this week and is spend
ing some time with his father in
Elevation township.
Mr. F. A. Fetter, of Raleigh, is in
the city this week on business mat
ters.
Messrs. David Allen, of Petersburg,
and Willie Allen, of Richmond, are
visiting their father, Mr. Seth Allen.
The concert which was to have been
held at the Presbyterian Church Dec
ember 17th, will be given next Mon
day night with the same program
announced on the former occasion.
Land in Banner township sells at the
top notch prices. Last week a man
living five miles from Benson sold
40 acres for $250.00 per acre. The
high prices of cotton makes it easy to
pay for a farm now.
Mr. Seth Allen received a telegram
yesterday announcing the death of
Joe Allen, at Panama Canal Zone,
his death having been on January
10th. His body is being brought
here for burial. He was married
two yer.rs ago to Miss Addie Byrd
and is survived by her. She is ac
companying the remains home, Via.
New York City.
KILLED IN O'NEALS TOWNSHIP.
J.I. Davis Killed His Father-in-law,
Jacob Boy kin.
t
On Monday afternoon, January 21,
about 4 o'clock, J. I. Davis, of O'Neals
township, met his father-in-law,
Jacob Boykin, in a path between their
homes and shot him so he died next
morning about eight o'clock. Mr.
Davis is about forty years old and Mr.
Boykin was past seventy years. There
had been had feeling between them
for three or four years. No one was
present except the two men. Mr.
Davis states that a day or two before
the killing he received a threatening
letter from Mr. Boykin and that when
they met in the path Mr. Boykin
quarreled with him and assaulted him.
He shot twice but hit Mr. Boykin only
once the ball from the pistol taking
effect in the left side just below the
he<#t. Mr. Davis gave himself up to
the local authorities and was brought
here by Mr. M. C. Hinton Wednesday
and. placed in jail. Mr. Boykin was
buried Tuesday afternoon.
flame would envelope the house, die
out and come again. Well, I finally
summoned courage to close the win
dew. Then I went back to bed. I
hadn't even got the cover well over
me before, without any warning,
without even a perceptible rise in the
wind, the cye^me was on us. The
bed was rocking like a cradle. , I
waked my room-mate and we got
down stairs some how. In the con
fusion r.nd excitement what sense I
had did not. desert mo, I thought of
you all and how you would feel when
you heard of it, for I surely expected
we all would be killed."
MRS. D. J: WELLONS.
WAR SAVINGS STAMPS MEETING
Executive Committee To IMd Session
In Court House in Smithtield Satui;- >
day, February 2nd, at 11 O'clock.!
Every Member Urged to Attend.
(
Dear Mr. Editor:
1 am enclosng a copy of the Execu- !
tive Committee of War Savings for
Johnston County, which list I will j
thank" you to publish together with
this letter.
As chairman I have done very little j
towards organizing the County. The J
extreme bad weather so far has been j
the principal reason for this. Other !
counties have done more towards or- j
ganizing than Johnston. Some sixty '
counties have almost completed their i
organization and are ready to begin
an active campaign. I have called |
a meeting of the Executive Committee
for Saturday, the second of February,
at eleven o'clock in the Court House
at Smithfield, N.C. At that time we
hope to have a full attendance, and
get down to the work in dead earnest.
In the plan for selling these War
Savings Stamps, Johnston County's
allotment is $910,822.00. This amount
at first looks out of reason, ttat when
we stop long enough to think of tlfe
size of the county, and the number of 1
people (about 50,000) and the vast re
sources of the county we will readily
see that we ?an easily lend our Gov
ernment this amount by buying these
Stamps, and not retard or cramp the
business, fo raise this $910,822.00
means that we have got to buy Stamps
to the amount of about $19.00 for each
person in the county, so it will be
readily seen that the people with fa.rge
means will have to invest liberally to
make up for the ones who cannot in
j vest as much as $19.00. Lending our
Government this money by buying
j these Stamps is a perfectly safe in
vestment, as the United States credit
is behind the whole scheme. We will
j not go into the details of the plan,
which is more or less known to the
I public, as the newspapers of the coun
ty have already published the plan in
detail.
i am sure ot tne support or your
paper, in advertising these War. Sav
ings Stamps, as our newspapers are
nearly all very loyal and patriotic.
We understand that less than 2 per
cent of the newspapers in the United
States are slackers. This is a good
example of patriotism, and one that
the general public will do well to take
as their standard.
We are asked to have these Stamps
on sale at one hundred and sixty
places in the County. As your County
chairman I cannot come in contact
with everyone, and ask every one who
is willing to sell them. So we ask
that any person or business fin.i in
the County that is willing to help in
this campaign to write me for blanks
to fill out and return to Government
at Washington, D. C., for the appoint
ment. We want all the Banks, all the
Cotton Mills, Lumber Mills, and every
store in the County to sell the Stamps.
As chairman I am willing and ex
pect to give lots of my time to this
patriotic work, but I cannot do it all,
and if we do not get the support of
the entire County, we will fall far
short of our allotment. This would
be very humiliating, not only to me as
chairman, but to every one in the
County with loyalty and pride. So
let us all get behind this movement,
and when next January shall roll
around, we shall feel proud that we
have done what we were called upon
to do for our nation in this matter.
T. S. RAGSDALE,
Chairman Johston County
War Savings Committee.
Smithfield, 'January 22, 1918.
Executive Committee ? H. B. Marrow,
L. T. Royall, A. M. Johnson, Mrs. F.
H. Brooks, Jno. Talton, M. C. Winston,
W. C. Lassiter, Vick Turley, Q. B.
Hocutt, J. J. Rose, Preston Woodall,
Mis^ May Belle Cobb, Mrs. J. H.
Kirby, M. B. Andrews, Mrs. B. A.
Hocutt, R. N. Aycock, E. T. West
brook, Lisbon Lee, J. Shep Johnson,
R. A. Pope, E. H. Moser, C. L. Cates,
T. T. Lanier, Mrs. F. G. Lucas, J. B.
Bridges, R. Merritt, T. J. Lassiter,
W. C. Harper, and A. M. Noble.
The shortest editorial bow on record
is that of James A. Robinson, known
as "Old Hurrygraph," who in assum
ing editorial charge of the Durham
Sun, made his announcement in one
word ? "Howdy."
Herbert Kaufman says that history
is made in a jiffy and written at leis
ure.
THE WEEK'S NEWS IN CLAYTON. :
l'eople Moving to Town from Rural
Districts. Snow and Slett Held up
School Tuesday. Many Personal
Items of Interest.
Clayton, January 2:*. ? Mrs. Walter
Barham, of Selma, is here visiting
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boone.
Mis-s Clee Ellis, of Meredith Col- i
lege, spent the past week-end here !
with home peopje.
Mr. A. V. Gulley, of Smithfield, was
here one day this week on business. 1
Mr. Donnie Stancil, of near Kenly,
spent Sunday here with friends.
Mr. Frank Carter, of Apex, spent
one day this week with his brother.
Mrs. Will R. Smith and children, of
Selma, are spending this week here
with Mrs. J. D. Gulley.
Mrs. and Mrs. Lark in Wi'der have
I moved from Shotwell here where they
will make their future home. They
are occupying the house recently va
cated by Mr. C.' L. Gates.
We welcome to our town Mr. C. M.
Austin and family. They moved here
fiom the Baptist Center section and
are occupying the Jones house on
Shairing Street. We wish them much
success and happiness.
Owing to the sleet and snow yes
terday there was no school here. We
hope the weather will soon be better
and school can continue.
Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Smith, who, for
the past several years, have made
their home in Bethesda section just a
few miles from town, have purchased
the Jenkins home here on Fayette
ville Street, and will make their home
h re in the future. We welcome them
and hope they will enjoy being among
us.
Regular services were held at both
t hurehes last Sunday in spite of the
snowy weather. The "attendance was
, not so large but all those who attend
ed heard good sermons.
Mrs. Bennett Nooe and little Mary
Carter Nooe returned a few days ago
from Pittsboro where they have been
for some time visiting Mrs. Nooe's
relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Zack Stephenson left
last Saturday for Buena Vista, Va.,
where they will make their future
home. He goes there to' enter the
drug business with his son who has
been there for several years. We re
gret very much to lose Mr. and Mrs.
Stephenson from our community, but
we hope for them much success and
happiness.
Mr. J. L. Hall from Benson visited
his brother, Mr. D. M. Hall, /his week.
Mrs. Bfttie Hastings Moore Dead.
At 6:30 o'clock on Saturday even
ing, January 19th, Mrs'. Bettic Hrst
ings Moore, died suddenly at her home
in Greenville, S. C. She was sitting
before the fire, and rising from her
seat fell and died in a few minutes.
She had been in feeble health for the
past few years. The burial ' took
place at Greenville, S. C.
She was a daughter of the late
Maj. William H. Hastings who, after
the Civil War, lived on the farm near
the Smithfield Cotton Mills, now
owned by Dr. N. T. Holland. Her
father at that time was in the mer
cantile business in Smithfield where
the post office and Heraid office build
ing now stands.
On December 19, 1867, she was
married to Mr. Ed. S. Moore. They
lived in Johnston County until a few
years ago when they moved to Green
ville, S. C. They moved from their
farm which is now known as the
Raper place a few miles North of
Selma. They have taken The Herald
since leaving this county and have
kept up with the progress of John
ston. Mrs. Moore has all along taken
much interest in the news from her
old native county. She leaves her
husband and four daughters, Mrs. E.
L. Hughes, Mrs. John Hicks, Mrs.
Frank Coleman, of Greenville, and
Mrs. G .E. Edwards, of Charleston, S.
C. Her sons are Messrs. Edwin H.
Moore and Percy Moore, of Birming
ham, Ala., and Thomas Moore, of
Greenville, S. C. Her husband is a
brother of Mrs. R. J. Noble, of Selma.
Pou-Roherts.
The following announcement has
been received here:
Maj. and Mrs. Arthur Carr Roberts
announce the marriage of their
daughter, Margaret Carr to Ensign
Edwin Smith Pou, Naval Reserve
Flying Corps, on Wednesday, Janu
ary the second, one thousand nine
hundred and eighteen, Norfolk, Va.
STOUE IS KOBBK1) IN SELMA.
A. L. NVilcox knocked Down by Train
Receiving Injuries Which Resulted
in Death. W. L. Stancil Appointed
Explosives Licensing Agent. Selma
Obeys Fuel Order.
Selma, Jan. 24th. ? The Fuel Ad
ministration's order closing up busi
ness houses was generally observed
here Monday. Only the drug stores
and a few grocery stores were open.
Lieut. I. W. Mayerburg, of Augusta,
Ga., is in the city this week spending
a few days with his family.
Mr. W. L. Stancil has been appoint
ed Explosives Licensing Agent by the
Bureau of Mines for Selma and vicin
ity. All people selling or using ex
plosives of any kind except gun shells
will do well to see Mr. Stancil prompt
ly and secure license. Dynamite,
dynamite caps or fuses, blasting ma
terials, detonators, gun powder, in
fact all classes of high explosives
come under this la,w, and ep.ch and
every person keeping for sale or
using these explosives are required
to secure government license.
The store of the Selma Clothing &
Shoe Co. was broken into last night
and several suits of clothes, shoes,
and two suit cases were taken there
from. During the last year there ha^
been a let of this kind of burglary
carried on in Selma and it looks like
it is j'bout time for some effective
measures to be taken to stop it. We
understand that there were two night
policemen on duty laat night, and we
are at a loss to understand how a
store could be broken into with two
men on duty, whose particular busi
ness it was to look after the business
part of town. *
Mr. A. L. Wilcox, who in the employ
of II. Mahler Sons at Raleigh, was
knocked down and injured by an en
pine at the Union Station here last
Saturday. Mr. Wilcox cme in on the
short train from Rocky Mount, and
was making his way across the tracts
to the Southern train for Raleigh
when he was hit by the engine on the
side track. He was immediately
taken to the hospital at Rocky Mount
where he died from his injuries Tues
day night. He never regained con
sciousness, concussion of the brain
producing death. The body, accom
panied by his wife, was taken to Dur
ham where the funeral services were
conducted Wednesday morning.
Mr. Brockwell, of the State Insur
ance Department was in the city yes
terday on invitation of Fire Chief, E.
V. Deans, to straighten out some mat
ters relative to the fire district. The
City Fathers have estkblished the
Municipal Woodyard in the fire dis
trict and built wooden structures in
the woodyard, which according to Mr.
Brockwell is in violation of the state
law. Other firms in town have also
violated the law according to his con
struction by building frame shelters
and stables within the fire district.
Along with the balance of the coun
try, Selma has again been in the grip
of snow and ice for the last week.
Although the weather has not been as
cold as it formerly was this winter.
The scarcity of coal has caused quite
a bit of inconvenience during this
weather. The coldest weather in the
memory of our oldest inhabitants has
prevailed here since early in Decem
ber.
We Regret to note the illness of
Miss Ruby Griffin who has been clerk
for Local Board No. 2, and all her
many friends will be glad to learn
that she is improving.
Wood High in Smithfield.
Compared with some other North
Carolina towns wood is pretty high in
Smithfield. The price a few weeks
ago ranged from four dollars for a
so-called cord of pine wood to six to
eight dollars for hard wood. The fol
lowing paragraph from The States
ville Landmark gives an idea of how
wood is selling in Statesville, a much
larger place than Smithfield:
" The County Fuel Administration
has advanced the price of wood in
Statesville from $3.50 to $4 per cord
for wood in four and eight foot
lengths.
"This advance was made because of
continued severe weather. The price
first made was believed then and is
believed now to have been just and
fair But it is realized that it is
worth more to cut and haul wood ? or
to haul even where it is ready cut ?
during such weather as has prevailed
than is would be under normal condi
tions ,on which the first price was
based; hence the increase."
GETTING READY FOR THE CALL.
The Exemption Board at Smithfield
Completed Its Work of Classifi
cation and Is Read? to Begin the
Physical Examination of Men in
This District. First Men to Appear
Next Monday.
Local Exemption Board No. 1, Chas.
M. Wilson, Ch: irman, J. W. Sanders,
Secretary, and Dr. L. D. Wharton,
Medical Examiner, has completed its
work of classification of the regis
trants in its district and is ready to
begin the physical examination of the
men in Class I.
These men will be called before the
Board as rapidly as the examinations
can be completed, beginning with the
Order No. J, and continuing until the
last Order Number has been reached.
Calls have been sent out for the
first 25 to make their appearance be
fore the Board next Monday, January
28. They are asked to appear at ten
o'clock in the offices of the Exemption
Board, upstairs over The Smithfield
Herald office.
The second lot of men are asked to
appear Wednesday, January .SO. There
will be 30 in this call, while the third
bunch of 30 are asked to appear Fri
day, February 1st.
The work of classification and ex
emption having been completed, there
will be but little <3elay now until the
last man has been examined and
certified for service when the nation
is ready for him. There will be no
further exemptions except for the
physicr.lly unfit, unless made on in
dustrial grounds.
WARNING AGAINST HOARDING.
Consumers Who Go from Store to
Store and Buy More Than Law
Allows In, Danger of Fine and Im
prisonment.
Raleigh, Jan. 24. ? "Marso Honry"
will get you if you don't watch out!
In effect this is the warnnig that is
being passed out by merchants to
greedy consumers who have suggest
ed when they could not purchase more
than five pounds of sugar that they
could get an equal amount at other
stores.
Merchants at a number of North
Carolina points have called to the at
tention of the Food Administration
the danger of consumers going from
store lo store and purchasing the
maximum amount of sugar at each
store and many have suggested that
a card system be put into effect. The
reply of the Food Administration to
this suggestion is:
MThe Food Administration does not
believe that any system of rationing
is necessary for the American people.
Patriotic and unselfish people will
follow the suggestions of the Food
Administration v/ith regard to food
stuffs. The greedy and selfish ones
will be made to not only by exercise
of the authority vested in the Food
Administration but by the force of
public opinion. A consumer who pur
chases the maximum amount of sugar
at more than one store at the same
time would be guilty of hoarding and
would be subject to a fine of $5,000 or
two years imprisonment or both."
In cases of wilful hoarding the
Food Administration officials do not
hesitate to say that th?y will secure
indictments and prosecute.
Flour at $12.50 Per Barrel
Raleigh, Jan. 24. ? Merchants in
North Carolina who can show that
they have not a reasonable profit in
sugar at 10c a pound or flour at
$12.50 a barrel, the maximum prices
fixed by the Food Administration, can
secure exemptions to the ruling fixing
i these prices by applying to their
County Food Administrator and show
ing him the figures.
All County Food Administrators
have been instructed to investigate
complaints and grant such exemp
i tions to the extent of allowing such
i merchants their normal profit up to
lc a pound on sugar and $1 a barrel
, on flour. These margins are for all
manner and sizes of packages of both
' commodities.
The administration in this matter,
\ as in others, has shown its earnest
desire to co-operate with and benefit
the merchant as well as the consumer
and producer.
"Does your husband ever refer to
your honeymoon?"
"Yes, he often wishes he had the
money he spent during it." ? Judge.