KENLY’S HISTORY IS
OF GREAT INTEREST
Dr. Len G. Broughton, Well
Known Baptist Minister,
Preached in Kenly
(By Mrs. P. H. Etheridge)
KENLY, April 4.—It will be of in
terest to note that Kenly dates its’
history back to the time when the
Atlantic Coast Line short-cut was
made in the year 1886. Like other
thriving communities of Johnston
County Kenly made itself apparent
on the map with the advent of the
railroad. It lies in one of the best
agricultural sections of the state.
This move in railroading made pos
sible the splendid development of a
large section of territory in the east
ern part of the state. The advent of
the railroad brought about the estab
lishment of a turpentine plant and
several mercantile houses.
Kenly’s pioneer merchant was A. H.
Slocumb of Fayetteville who owned
the distillery as well as a large mer
cantile establishment which gave the
town its business start. The mercan
tile business is still a big factor in
the business life of the place. With
splendid transportation facilities,
Kenly has developed into a town c '
considerable size and draws business
from a wide territory. The last cen
sus report of Kenly was some over
one thousand.
The present site of Kenly was orig
inally owned by Miss Lottie Watkins.
Kenly received its name in honor of
J. R. Kenly who was at that time
general manager of the Atlantic
Coast Line and who later became
president of the great railroad sys
tem. The town of Kenly was char
tered in 1887. Its first mayor was
L. M. Hamilton, who was engaged in
the mercantile business. The town
council at that time time was com
posed of Jesse Kirby, E. G. Barnes,
D. H. Hinnant, E. M. Munger and
Sam Joyner. The present town gov
ernmental body is composed of P.
H. Etheridge, mayor, Dr. G. S. Cole
man, F. A. White, A. J. Broughton,
L. Z. Woodard and Henry Watson
commissioners.
The original school at Kenly was
built by J. T. and W. H. Edgerton in
1890 which was called the Kenly
Academy and was located on the site
whore J. W. Darden’s dwelling house
now stands. This structure has been
replaced by a modern ind attractive
State High School building. The old
school building has been converted in
to a teachers’ dormitory. The pres
ent faculty of the high school is
composed of ten teachers with Prof.
C. E. Cook, of Graham, N. C. Prin
cipal ami Prof. R. O. Edgerton, of
Goldsboro, superintendent.
One of the leading ministers in
the Bapi.ist denomination in the
South first preached in Kenly. Dr.
Len G. Broughton, native of Wake
County. He was founder of the At
lantic Tabernacle, pastor of Grace
Church ;n London and of a lerge
church in Knoxville, Tenn., and who
is at present serving as pastor of
one of the leading Baptist churches
in Richmond, Va. Among the relig
ious denominations the Free-Will
Baptist church was the first church
built in Kenly. Next comes in order
the Methodist, the Presbyterian, Mis
sionary arid Holiness. The Free-Will
Baptist has the largest membership.
Kenly boasts of about forty bus;
ness houses. The Bank of Kenly and
The Farmers Bank will compare fav
orably with many bank buildings in
towns larger than Kenly. The serv
ice given by both banks make the of
ficers and employees very popular
with their depositors.
Kenly nas one nice drug store,
three up-to-date markets, one print
ing office, two large gin plants ani
two lumber mills.
Kenly is also well equipped with
professional men having three Doc
tors: Dr. C. H. Grady, J. S. Coleman,
and Dr. Woodard; one dentist, Dr. R.
A. Turlington; and two lawyers: W.
J. Hooks and P. D. Grady.
The first doctor who ever practic
ed in Kenly was Dr. Len G. Brough
ton from Wake county who later be
came a minister as has been mention
ed in a previous paragraph. 1
Broughton was followed by Dr. Geo.
Hood, Pennington, Hodge and those
now located here.
Kenly has a first-class telephone
and electric light system and has a
cotton and tobacco storage warehouse.
One of the assets is a live chamber
RURAL MAIL BOXES TO BE
PAINTED BY THE PATRONS
WASHINGTON, March 23.—The
special attention of postmaster at of
fices where rural delivery routes are
in operation is invited to the need for
improving the appearance of mail box
es on these routes. These boxes at
the present time, as a rule, present a j
very unsatisfactory appearance due ,
to the fact that the galvanized or
aluminum finish has worn off on ac
count of exposure tc the elements to i
such an extent that the base metal i
has been exposed and in many cases j
has rusted. It is the purpose of the \
department to improve the general |
appearance of rural mail boxes thru- j
out the country, so that they may be !
a credit not only to the Postal Serv- j
ice but to the community through i
which the rural deliverly route ope- j
rates.
It is desirable that the boxes be j
painted white with the name of the !
head of family or families receiving |
mail in the box painted on both sides !
of the box in neat black letters one ;
inch in height; also that the painting I
be done at least once each year. It
is requested also that the posts or 1
supports to which the boxes are at- I
tached be painted white. This will ,
improve not only the appearance of i
the boxes but will add materially to 1
the life of the boxes and posts.
Postmasters at the time of making !
the regular semiannual inspection of :
rural delivery routes at their offices, j
during the month of April, 1923, and |
at the time of subsequent semiannual ;
inspections, are instructed to take j
particular note of all rural mail box- .
es which do not appear to have been ,
painted within the past one or twro i
years, if old boxes—or within the j
past five or six years, if new galiva- j
nized boxes—making a memorandum i
of the names of the box owners; !
they are furthermore directed to po- j
litely request the owner in writing to j
paint the box and post in accord- ,
ance with the above instructions and j
to neatly stencil or paint his name on
the sides of the box. It is believed
that this request in the large major
ity of cases will have the desired re
sult.
It must be distinctly understood i
that the department will not permit ;
the withdrawal of service from a
rural mail box which the owner re
fuses to paint so long as the box re- j
mains weather-proof, and a fit recep- j
tacle for mail. However, it is be- ;
lieved that the cooperation in this en- i
deavor of all patrons of rural routes
throughout the country can be secur
ed through postmasters and the ap
pearance of the boxes materially im
proved. Your interest is solicited
and a special report from you as to
the results obtained will be appre
ciated.—H. H. Billany, Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General.
AUTOMOBILE MONARCH
WILL VISIT ASHEVILLE
ASHEVILLE, April 1.—Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Ford and son, Edsel Ford
are expected to reach Asheville next
week for a visit of several days, ac
cording to information received here
yesterday.
It is possible that Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Edison, who are vacationing
at Fort Pierece, Fla., with Mr. and
Mrs. Ford will accompany the latter
to the city.
Present arrangements are, it was
learned, that Edsel Ford, now in
Detroit, will meet his parents in
Asheville. The time of the visit de
pends upon when Edsel Ford is able
to reach the city.
Mr. and Mrs. Ford have been in
Florida about ten days, joining Mr.
and Mrs. Edison there.
It will be recalled that Mr. Ford
and Mr. Edison were guests in Ashe
ville together with the late John Bur
roughs, a few years ago. Edsel Ford
was here last summer for several
days. If the party comes, they are
expected to be guests of Grove Park
inn.
Smith: “Dennis claims not to have
heard the horn. What’s the matter
with his hearing?”
Smithers: “Nothing, it’s to be held
Saturday.”—American Legion Week
ly__
of commerce with J. W. Hollowell as
secretary which with several frater
nal orders completes the list of organ
izations in the town.
With splendid co-operation on the
part of its citizens Kenly has grown
in a gratifying manner and at pres
ent is as live a town for its size in
the state.
MRS. VICK DIES AT
ROME OF DAUGHTER
Large Crowd Attended The
Funeral in Selma Tuesday
—Splendid Woman
SELMA, April 4.—One of the best ;
known and most beloved citizens of j
Selma died at the home of her daugh- j
ter, Mrs. Alexander Martin, in Rock j
Hill, S. C., Sunday night at twelve
o’clock.
For the past two years, Mrs. Vick’s ;
health has been declining, and a great j
part of that time she had spent with j
her daughter in Rock Hill. She was j
taken suddenly worse about noon on j
Sunday and soon lapsed into uncon
sciousness, from which she never ral
lied. She was seventy-four years of
age.
Before her marriage, Mrs. Vick
was Miss Zettie Richardson and was
the third child in a family of five
her brothers and sister were, Mrs. T
H. Atkinson, of Washington, D. C., ,
Mr. William Richardson, of Selma,
Mr. Clement Ricahrdson, also of Sel- j
ma, and Mr. L. Richardson, of Greens
boro. Dr. J. W. Vick, her husband, ;
preceded her to the grave in Decern- |
ber, 1899.
Early in life Mrs. Vick joined the
Methodist church and was a devout |
member and took an active part in
the work of the church. Her life was
a benediction to all who came in con
tact with her and her influence will
live on and on. “In her tongue was
the law of kindness.” The writer nev
er heard her speak a harsh, uncharit
able word against human being. It
is extremely doubtful that she ever
entertained the last unworthy suspi
cion, or harbored the least resentment
or ever intentionally wounded the
feelings of an associate.
Mrs. Vick is survived by two sons,
Dr. Geo. D. Vick, of Selma, and Mr.
Ed. W. Vick, of Goldsboro, and one
daughter, Mrs. Alexander Martin, of
Rock Hill, S. C.
The remains were brought to Sel
ma Tuesday afternoon and funeral
services were conducted by Rev. G. B.
Perry at the Methodist church assist
ed by Rev. A. A. Butler, of the Bap
tist church.
The pall bearers were her nephews,
Dr. Wade H. Atkinson and Mr. Albert
S. J. Atkinson, of Washington, D. C., j
Mr. Chas. E. Richardson, of Golds
boro, Mr. Lunsford Richardson, of :
Greensboro and Messrs E. V. Deans j
and T. H. Atkinson, of Selma.
Other relatives from out of town
here to attend the funeral were: Mrs. ;
Lnurin Carlson, of Greensboro, Mrs. ;
C. E. McLeen, of Wendell, Mrs. L. j
Richardson and Mr. and Mrs. Smith ;
Ri< hardson, of Greensboro, Mrs. Cam
eroi! and little daughter, of Washing- '
ton, D. C., Mrs. Lula Deans, Mrs. J.
D. Spiers, Mrs. Geo. W. Connor and 1
Mrs. Mary Woodard, of Wilson, Judge ,
A. M. Noble, Messrs T. R. Hood, J. 1
M. Kirkman and Alex Green of Smith- j
field.
A host of sorrowing friends and
relatives and a large number of beau- j
tiful floral tributes followed her be
loved form to the city cemetery j
where interment was made by the
side of her husband.
PLEASANT GROVE TO
HAVE COMMUNITY FAIR |
For the first time since the war, j
Pleasant Grove township is to have
a Community Fair. Tuesday night
after Messrs R. G. Hicks and A. G.
Johnson had perfected an organiza
tion of the cotton and tobacco local,
Miss Garrison, Home Demonstration
Agent, brought up the matter of a
community fair and found an enthu- j
siastic response. The folks in the
community had already been discuss- ,
ing the idea and were therefore
ready to effect an organization at
once. Mr. D. A. Austin was made ,
president; Mr. M. H. Carroll, vice
president; and Mr. M. V. Sanders,
secretary-treasurer. Committees to |
have charge of the various depart-,
ments will be selected at the next ,
meeting.
The Co-op local association elect
ed the following officers: Chairman,
Mr. D. A. Austin; secretary-treasur
er, Mr. Claud Stephenson. This or
ganization will meet twice each
month on the second and fourth
Saturdays. Members are asked to
send name, address, and contract
number to the secretary, in order
that there may be no delay in deliv
ering checks when due.
CYCLONE SWEEPS i
A TEN MILE PATH
!
Storm Originated in Johns
ton County; Persons
Injured
WENDELL, April 4.—A score
of persons are said to have been
injured, some of them probably j
fatally, a hundred or more lai gv
buildings blown down and p op
?ry oamaged to Die amount >f
Sj 00.000 by a cyvlone which cut
a path a half mile v ide and be
tueer. seven and ten miles long
through Western Wake County
shortly before eight o’clock to
night, according to reports re
ceived here.
The cyclone which is said to have
originated in the edge of Johnston
comity took a northeastern course
east of Wendell and freakishly skip
ped here and there, demolishing
everything in its path for two hun
dred yards or more and then leav
ing the path for the next two hun
dred yards untouched. It swept
within one-half mile of Wendell
where it wrought damage to the ex
tent of $15,000 on the farm of J. R.
Richardson, and is declared to have
blown down a building in Zebulon,
which is tonight cut off from com- j
munication. All the physicians in !
Wendell and the country adjacent |
are busy in the stricken district and |
frequent calls are coming into local I
drug stores for medical assistance, j
Thus far no deaths have been re- .
ported though a negro woman and j
child have been sent to a Raleigh j
hospital in a serious condition.
The injured thus far known are:
John Deadmon, colored, tenant >>n
Mr. Richardson’s farm, his wife and
small children.
Tom Parham, wife, and several
small children.
Mrs. E. T. Cozart, slightly hurt.
Two other families residing on the
Richardson farm whose identity
could not be established.
The State highway between Wen
dell and Middlesex is hopelessly
blocked with debris, and according
to reports tonight will require con
siderable 'wrk before it is eleaied
for traffic.
Norfolk-Southern train No. 1 was
delayed about 20 minutes, when it
struck a tree blown across the
tracks, smashing its cowcatcher. The
train was able to continue to Ra
leigh.
A great many buildings were de
molished as the tornado swept its
way across the farms of J. C. Col
lins, Charlie Johnson, W. T. Rob
erts, Norman Deans, W. R. Johnson
and practically all livestock on these
farms is reported to have been killed.
On the farm of J. P. Richardson,
one mile East of Wendell, six of the
eleven tenant houses were blow l
down together with fourteen large
tobacco barns, twenty pack houses
and two granaries.
One of the houses, occupied by
John Debnam, a negro, was blown
to splinters, and Debnam’s wife and
ten children were injured. The
mother and one child, regarded as
probably fatally injured, were re
moved tonight to a Raleigh hospital.
The damage on this farm alone,
it is estimated was $15,000.
On the farm of W. T. Roberts, six
or seven barns and some stables
were blown down while the kitchen
of the dwelling of Norman Deans
was blown off and a granary demol
ished.
The cyclone, accompanied by a
heavy downpour of rain exercised
all the freakish traits of the usual
cyclone. For a space of a half mile
or more it wiped out every build
ing in its path and then, for two
hundred yards, apparently skipped
off, settling back in the same track
attain with unabated fury.
M. H. Griffin, who investigated the
extent of the damage tonight placed
it at more than $75,000 while some
other estimators fix the loss at be
yond $100,000.
“Tobacco barns were wiped off the
ground at the foundation,” said Mr.
Griffin on the return from the Rich
ardson farm. “The wind must have
been terrific. Great trees were
yanked up by the roots. The houses
in which the Debnam family lives
was torn to splinters. Other houses
were picked up and carried for a J
distance and planted again with a
crash.”
TOBACCO COOPERATIVES
TO HAVE MEETING
Tobacco farmers from 127 counties
of the Carolinas and Virginia will
start the election machinery this
week, by which 22 directors for the
Tobacco Growers Cooperative Asso
ciation are to be elected for the com
ing year.
Mass meetings in over 100 counties
all the way from Virginia to the
Georgia line, will be held Saturday,
April 7, when the organized growers
will nominate the members of their
association from whom the delegates
will be chosen to elect the directors
who are to market the crops of 85,
000 tobacco growers for 1923.
From the hundreds of delegates
to be chosen this week the farmer
members of the cooperative associa
tion will later select by ballot those
representatives from the counties and
districts who will complete the final
election of directors.
This week’s mass meeting for mem
hers of the Tobacco Growers Cooper
ative Association in Johnston county
will take place at Smithfield.
Delegates from this county will
be nominated at this meeting and
association members are to elect one
half of these at the final election to
be held on May 5.
Not Last Payment.
Rumors that $2,000,000 to be paid
shortly to cooperative growers in the
old belt of North Carolina and Vir
ginia will constitute a final settle
ment, were emphatically denied by
Director Patterson of the Leaf De
partment. in a telegram received at
Raleigh headquarters yesterday, in
which Mr. Patterson stated “This is
not a last and final payment, as there
will probably be at least two more
payments made after the payment
above stated.”
Further information from officials
at Raleigh headquarters of the asso
ciation is to the effect that coopera
tive growers of all three States in
cluded in the marketing association
will receive further cash disburse
ments as the remainder of the coop
erative tobacco is sold.—r-S. JD. Frjs
sell.
COLORED SCHOOLS TO HAVE
GROUP COMMENCEMENTS
The colored schools of Johnston
County have planned three group
commencements for this term at the
following places:
Clayton Group Commencement- -
April 20th.
Wilson’s Mills Group Commence
ment—April 25th.
Smithfield Group Commencementr
April 26th.
The group commencement pro
grams will consist of Declamatk
Recitation, Spelling and Story Tell
ing contests. The Story Telling con
test will include the first and second
grades. Musical selections from ■
grades. Each school will bring ex
hibits of some of the best work d
in the schools this term, both indus
trial and literary. Certificates of
perfect attendance will be given t
all pupils who have merited them.
Also seventh grade certificates w
be awarded to pupils passing the
grade examination. The County
Superintendent, Mr. H. B. Marrow
and Miss Mary E. Wells, Rural Sup
ervisor, will attend the commence
ments if possible. Mr. N. C. Newbold
of the State Department will be pres
ent at the Smithfield Group Com
mencement and desires to speak to all
the colored school committeemen of
the county. For this reason the date
of the Smithfield Group Commence
ment has been set for April 26th.
The speakers for the other groups
will be announced later.—Laura J.
A. King, Colored Supervisor, Tohns
ton County.
MR. N. C. NEWBOLD TO BE
COMMNECEMENT SPEAKER
Mr. N. C. Newbold, State Director
of Negro Education, has accepted an
invitation to make the commence
ment address for the Johnston County
Training School. This is to be May
30. Mr. Newbold was for a number
of years superintendent of Washing
ton, N. C., graded schools. Since he
assumed his present duties several
years ago he has been able to make
a big improvement in negro education
in North arolina. The local high
school for the negroes is regarded as
one of the best high schools for that
race in the State, and Mr. Newbold
has shown a great deal of interest in
the fine work principal Wm. M. Coop
er is doing here.
BEAUTIFUL MARTAGE
IN CITY OF CLAYTON
Johnson-Poole Nuptials; A
Musical Program Before
The Ceremony
CLAYTON, April 3.—Miss Kitty
E. Poole and Mr. C. Walton Johnson
were united in marriage yesterday,
in the Baptist church, in a cere
mony beautiful both in its musical
features and the simple dignity of
its ritual.
The church was tastefully deco
rated with Easter lilies, trailing
cedar, ferns and candelabra. After
a musical program unusual in length
owing to a delay in the arrival of
Dr. John E. White, president of An
derson College, and cousin of the
bride, caused by a wreckbound train
—during which the guests heard with
the keenest enjoyment an elaborate
series of selections by Mr. John Josey,
of Scotland Neck, at the organ, and
Miss Anita Ast, violinist, of the Fay
etteville School of Music—the "Eve
ning Star” of Wagner was played by
Mr. Josey on the approach of the
wedding party. This was followed by
two violin solos by Miss Ast, Chopin’s
“Nocturne” and Raff’s “Cavatina.”
Miss Ethel Ferrell, of Raliegh, sang
“O Perfect lx>ve,” by Woods.
The wedding march from “Tann
hatiser” was played as the wedding
party entered: Mr. Bruce White, of
Anderson, S. C., Mr. Cleon W. San
ders, of Four Oaks, Mr. Roy R.
Johnson, of Four Oaks, and Mr.
Ernest Hinton, of Wake Forest, as
ushers; Miss Louise Young, a cousin
, of the bride, bridesmaid, wearing
a pastel blue dress with touches ef
| silver, and hat to match, and Mr.
! Willis Pool, groomsman; Mr. Richard
i Thigpen, of Trinity College, best
t man, and Miss Belle Poole, of Clay
, ton, a cousin of the bride, maid of
honor, wearing a dress of orchid
taffeta and hat of orchid and silver,
i Preceding the bride were two little
j flower girls, Misses Isabelle Ross
j and Mary Louise Vaughan, in blue
! and pink taffeta ruffled dresses and
hats of the same, carrying baskets
j of flowers.
j The bride looked charming in a
i lovely dark blue three piece Roh
( hanara silk suit with grey squir
rel trimmings and a blue hat, and
j carried a shower bouquet of lilies
of the valley. A beautiful old Eng
! lish service was read by Dr. White.
After the ceremony the out-of
| town guests were entertained at a
charmingly served four course lunch
eon by Dr. and Mrs. Battle A. Hocutt.
In the yellow and white color scheme,
carried out in lamp shades, candles,
vases and ices, the Easter Monday
touch was suggested again and again,
and sherbets in the form of lilies
bells, brides’ slippers and heart* com
' bined the holiday with the hymeneal
| note.
The bride and bride-groom left
; immediately after the luncheon on
j an automobile tour, and will spend
t some days in Pinehurst. They will
; be at home after the middle of
i April at 229 Cook Street, Ports
i mouth, Va.
j 1
Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson will
leave hosts of friends in all parts of
the state, the bride having won many
admirers fqr her singing during her
' connection with Meredith and other
| faculties in Wilmington, Rocky Mount
| and Anderson, S. C., and Mr. John
son, who graduated from the Univer
! sity and has served as a Y. M. C. A.
official since his wartime servioe with
that organization in France, is well
liked here as well as in Portsmouth,
, his present home.
Some of the out-of-town quests at
, the wedding were: Mrs. T. M. Ross,
Miss Isabelle Ross, Miss Mary Laura
. Vaughan and Mrs. Leon T. Vaughan,
of Nashville; Dr. and Mrs. John E.
White, of Anderson, S. C.; Mrs. I. B.
Duke, Mrs. Furman Barnes, of Rocky
Mount; Mr. B. W. Weaver, Billy Wea
’ ver, Mrs. Lucile Reid and Mrs. J. W.
Sanders, of Four Oaks; Mr. William
Moore and Mr. Fuller Moore, of
Fayetteville; Mrs. Addie Ferrell. Miss
Ina Ferrell, Mrs. J. M. Wilder M>-s.
I Charles Hicks, Mr. Rufus and Miss
Margaret Hunter, Mr. Carey J Hunt
; er, Jr., Miss Julia Ferrell, Dr. and
! Mrs. J. Rufus Hunter, of Raleigh;
J and Mr. Walter M. Priddy, of Wichita
j Falls, Texas.
“That musician said that the tune
1 haunted him. "‘Why shouldn’t it?
He murdered it.”—Jack-o-Lantern.