VOLUME 42
SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, JULY 31,1923
NUMBER 61
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BIG CROWD ATTEND
VOCAL UNION HERE
Fourteen Choirs Were Pres
ent Here Sunday; Meets
Next at Barefoot Memo- J
rial Church.
The Lower Johnston Vocal Union
which was held here Sunday at the
Farmers Warehouse fulfilled the ex
pectations of those who had it in
charge so far as the crowTd and good
singing and good speaking were con
cerned. Several thousand people were
here from far and near. Fourteen
choirs were present to sing.
The Farmers Warehouse was made
to resound with the opening song,
“Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” as the en
tire congregation joined in the sing
ing of the old familiar hymn. A
scripture lesson was read by Mr. J.
t B. Beasley, president of the Union,
which was followed by prayer by Mr. i
S. C. Turnage. Judge A. M. Noble
on behalf of the citizens of Smithfield
welcomed the Vocal Union to our city
after which Mr. J. A. Wellons made
a talk concerning a monument to Mr.
Neil Eason who was one of the
originators of the fifth Sunday Vo
£ cal Union. About fifteen dollars was
contributed toward erecting a monu
ment to his memory. The only other
speech of the occasion wras made in
the afternoon by Judge F. H. Brooks,
the greater part of the day being
taken up by the singing of the va- j
rious choirs.
The fourteen choirs and their lead- j
ers were as follows: Corinth led by !
B. Thomas; Barber’s Chapel by W. \
E. Massey; Banner’s Chapel by Mat- j
thew Raynor; Yelvington’s Grove by j
H. B. Adams; Elevation by Hector I
Creech; Lee’s Chapel by Henry Roy
all; Pleasant Hill by J. B. Raynor;
Benson’s Grove by C. P. Stewart;
Peasant Grove by J. B. Core; John
son’s Union (children's class) by C.
B. Thomas; Duke M. E. choir by J. j
B. Core; Johnson’s Union by R. E.
Thomas; Watery Branch by J. E. Bar
bour; Barefoot Memorial by Robie
Massengill.
The Vocal Union will be held next
at Barefoot Memorial on the fifth
Sunday in September.
b
REV. W. C. GUMMING TO
GO TO CHINA SOON
The following clipping from The
Wilmington Star will be of interest
to many friends throughout Johnston j
County, Rev. Mr. Gumming recent
ly having been pastor of several
churches in this county:
Wilmington, July 28.—On next
Sunday morning at the First Presby
terian church at 11:15 o’clock there
will be a special farewell service for
the Rev. William C. Cumming, who
will leave in August, by way of Van
couver for Nanking, China, where he
goes to assume his duties as a for
eign missionary.
The Rev. William C. Cumming is a
native of Wilmington and a son of
the First Presbyterian church in
which his father was a ruling elder
until the time of his death. He was
educated in the schools of Wilming
ton, in Davidson college, in Union
Theological seminary at Richmond,
Va., and in Princeton seminary in
New Jersey.
He goes out as a special representa
tive of the First Presbyterian church
of Wilmington, being one of the 18
foreign missionaries of this church
and he goes to Nanking which is the
special mission field.
The exercises of the morning hours
will be in the nature of a farewell
service to Mr. Cumming and the pub
lic is cordially invited to attend.
EVELYN NESBIT ARRESTED
IN LIQUOR RAID ON CAFE
Atlantic City, N. J., July 28.—
Evelyn Nesbit, former wife of Harry
K. Thaw, and A1 McDonald, manager
of the El Prinkipo Cafe, were ar
rested in a raid early today on a
charge of violating the State prohibi
tion enforcement act.
Four quarts of whiskey and several
bottles of choice wines were seized
in the cake where Evelyn has appear
ed as a dancer.
Both were lodged in the city Jail,
but later gained thedr release on
posting $1,000 bail. Evelyn gave her
age as 33.
PRES. HARDING HAS
SUDDEN RELAPSE
California Heart Specialist
Is called In; San Francisco
Is Playing Nurse With
Grave Care.
San Francisco, July 30.—President
Harding today is a sick man.
How serious is his illness, his
physicians have not said beyond the
statement issued last night saying
that, “new symptoms*’ had arisen dur
ing the day “indicating complications
in the case of the president.” But it
was regarded sufficiently serious last
night to cause a cancellation of the
chief executive’s entire Californiat
program and to bring about a con
sultation into which two leading Cal
ifornia physicians were called.
Hold Consultation
Four physicians participating in
the consultation concluded their meet
ing early today without issuing any
statement, although Brigadier Gen
eral Charles E. Sawyer, personal phy
sician to the President, previously
had announced that a bulletin would
be made public. None of the four phy
sicians -would make a personal state
ment. The consultants were Gener
al Sawyer, Dr. Hubert Work, secre
tary of the Interior, an a former pres- j
ident of the American Medical As
sociation; Dr Ray Lyman Wilbur,
president of the Standford University
and the present head of the American
Medical Association, and Dr. Charles
M. Cooper, of Stanford, a heai’t spe
cialists.—Associated Press.
10 ILL WITH POISON
FROM EATING CHICKEN
Ten persons were made ill with
ptomaine poison from eating
chicken at Sanders Chapel on
Saturday. Quarterly Conference
was held at Sanders Chapel
Methodist Church on that day
quite a large crowd being pres
ent, and dinner was served on
the grounds. Twto persons, Mr. j
Laudiom and Mr. Richard Hill
were brought to the hospital here, j
but were well enough to leave
Sunday. The others were treated
at home. It is thought that the I
poison was caused by leaving the
chicken in a tin pan over night. !
Among those made ill was Mr. W. j
H. Lyon, of this city.
JOHNSTON COUNTY TO
GIVE THANKS AGAIN
The year 1922 in Johnston County
was remarkable for its bounteous
crops, and the whole county came to
gether in a splendid thanksgiving
service at the county seat in recog
nition of the blessings poured out by
a merciful Heavenly Father. The
county will remember the work of
the now sainted Judge Stevens in
making this service one to linger in
the memory of Johnston’s.
This year the crops are just as fine
as they were last and even though
the boll weevil threatens menace the
outlook is splendid for bumper crops.
Cognizant of these blessings, the sug
gestion comes again from Mr. Chas.
Horne of Clayton that another ser
vice of thanksgiving be engaged in
by the people of Johnston County. Mr.
Horne asked that the people of this
city consider the proposition and ac
cordingly a committee of citizens met
last night and made a beginning to
ward planning for this Thanksgiving
Day. Judge F. H. Brooks was se
lected as chairman of a county-wide
committee to arrange a program, and
Aug. IB was designated as the day
to be set apart. A speaker of note,
probably Dr. John White, a native of
Johnston County, now of Winthrop
College, Rock Hill, S. C. will be pres
ent to honor the day. Details of the
plans wil be worked out and pubish
ed in a later issue. It is indeed fit
ting that this voluntary Thanksgiving
be rendered to the Giver of all good
gifts and certainly every one in the
county will enter heaTtily into its ob
servance.
“Is your daughter going to prac
tice on the piano this afternoon?”
“Yes.”
the lawn some time, anyway.”—
Pennsylvania Farmer.
"Well then, will you please loan
me your lawn mower? I have to do
OLD FOLKS DAY
AT MASSEYS SCHOOL
Mrs. T. R. Hood and N. L.
Perkins Win In Spelling
Match; Play Old-Time
Games.
Perhaps the largest crowd m the
history of the celebration of ‘'Old
Folks Pay” at Masseys School
aouse gathered there P'rMay anc' en
loytd the old time games a: 1 nnuise
•'u nts. The “oid folks” became : -ring
‘oik:", for the Jar and f art:* i, a ted ir
the .forts with, a n-st *>”d enthu
siasm which would I" r.ilit to a
•t* young bov 01 girl.
By nine thirty o’clock the program
started with a game of ‘‘Round
Town.” This was followed by ‘‘Bull
Pen” with six on each side among
whom were the following: P. A. Hol
land, T. R. Hood, Wiley Creech, J.
W. Barries, C. S. Pearce, Deal Troy
Creech and John Wiggs. All of the
players were youngsters of 40 or over.
By eleven o’clock quite a crowd of
those wrho had attended school in the
days gone by had assembled and an
old fashioned spelling match was en
gaged in. P. A. Holland called the
roll and lined the spellers up in two
long lines. Mr. A. J. Fitzgerald was
selected as teacher and the old “Blue
Back Speller” was used as the text
book. The teacher was easy at first
giving out the words in the first part
of the book. After a round or two,
however, he turned over the leaves to
“ordinary,” “seminary,” tributary”
etc and along there some of the boys
and girls began to sit down By the
time words like “prognosticate,’ “het
erogeneous” etc, the lines were get
ting thin. Finally all but two had
sat down these being Mrs. T. - R.
Hood and Mr. N. L. Perkins, and wThen
the teacher gave out “civet,” these
two missed it and took their seats.
A treat of candy was given to the
class and the winners awarded prizes
Mrs. T. R. Hood will be glad to show j
anyone interested her string of beads,
and Mr. Perkins says everyone must J
watch out for his red bandana hand
kerchief at the opening tobacco sale.
Young and old then engaged n
jumping the rope until the band
struck up. After several good selec
tions, dinner was announced. Those
who wished to spread their dinner to
gether, others ate by themselves. But
there was no scarcity of food.
At two o’clock the program out
lined for the day was continued. Mr.
Wiggs and Capt. Barnes arranged a
wagon for the bands. First was the
Rabbit Hash Band which gave some
very enjoyable music. An old time
dance was then called and an eight
handed set was engaged in. The
“boys and girls” stepped out and be
gan to limber up their joints but
owing to the warm weather only
set was danced, this giving way to
“clog dances.” Two young hoys
clogged first but Messrs C. W. Creech
and Joe Stancil felt their feet tingl
ing and soon outdid the boys with
their old time stunts.
After more music by the band, a
fifty yard foot race was staged. Two
girls were the runners, Miss Talton
winning. Next came a seventy-five
yard dash, two young men being the
contestants in which Mr. Morris of
Kenly was successful.
These contests closed the activi
ties of the day which were witnessed
by more thjan a thousand people.
Some estimated the crowd to be be
tween 1,500 and 1,800 people. This
community enjoys its annual celebra
tion and others would profit by
starting something similar for their
neighborhood.
CHAMPIONSHIP HYDRANGEA
PLANT FOUND AT DALLAS
Dallas, July 27.—Mrs. G. V. Lohr,
of Dallas, is in possession of a hy
drangea plant two years old that has
a large cluster of rich foliage and
one single pink bloom 30 inches in cir
cumference, 17 inches in diameter and
six and one half inches thick or deep,
entitling Mrs. Lohr to the champion
ship especially of this particular
species of flowers.
A value of $300 was put on the ten
tons of hay which one farmer cut
from a six acre demonstration plot
in Fasquotank. He says the hay paid
all expenses of putting out the pas
ture.
TRAFFIC TAKES A
HEAVY DEATH TOLL
Autos and Trains Cause the
Death of 21 Persons; As
cidents In Various Parts
of the Country.
New York, July 29.—William I.
Gotleib, president of the Gottleib
and Rabinotz, Inc., garments manu
facturers, and four young women
were killed early today when a Long
Island passenger train crashed into
the automobile from Long Beach.
The accident occurred at the Mer
rick road crossing in Rockville Cen
ter. when, according to witnesses,
Gottleib’s car smashed through the j
crossing gases directly in the path of
the speeding train.
Wreckage and bodies were hurled or
carried for more than 100 feet and
the front of the automobile still was
wedged into the locomotie when the
train came to a stop 100 feet down
the track.
Death apparently came instantly
to four of the five victims. One of
the young women was alive when she
was lifted from the wreckage, but
died as she was being placed in an
automobile to be rushed to a hos
pital.
Terre Haute, Ind., July 29.—Nine
persons were killed late today when
a Pennslyvania east-bound passenger
train crashed into the automobile in
which they had started across the
tracks at Ligett, eight miles west of
here.
The train was traveling about 50
miles an hour and was two hours late
because of another accident near
Highland, Illinois in which four per
sons were killed.
According to G. G. Gillispie, in
charge of the Liggett telegraph tow
er. who witnessed the accident the
tragedy was caused by the attempt of
the driver to cross the tracks ahead
of the train. The automobile was j
struck directly in the middle, the oc- 1
cupants being hurled f in dismember
ed fragments for a distance of about ;
200 feet.
Editor Killed By Train
Warsaw, July 29.—R. S. Taylor, |
founder and editor of the Duplin ;
Record, was run down and instantly ■
killed by a shifting engine of the At- I
lantic Coast Line in this town at 9 !
o’clock this morning. Mr. Taylor was I
a member of tfle board of directors of !
the state institution for deaf and blind I
former 'president of the deaf and
dumb association of North Carolina,
and at his death a member of the ex
ecutive committee of the latter insti
tution.
He was about 42 years old and
leaves a wife and four children He
f^d been in newspaper work for many
J%ars.
One Killed And Another Injured
Wadesboro, July 29.—An accident
occurred at the Seaboard crossing be
tween this city and Ansonville this af
ternoon when a car occupied by Ben
Downer, a young man of Lilesville,
and two young ladies, Miss Wall, of
Leisville ,and a Miss Webb, of Geor
gia was struck and torn to pieces by
the westbound train No. 31. Dower
was killed instantly, his body being
carried a considerable distance down
the track. Miss Webb and Miss Wall
were badly injured, Miss Webb’s in
juries being regarded as serious. Both
were removed to a local hospital
where Miss Webb is in a critical con
dition.
Miss Eva Rebecca Springs, 17
years old, a resident of White Oak,
but lately employed at Pomona, was
(Continued on page 4)
California Man,
88, Welcomes
His 45th Child
SANTA ANNA, Cal., July 28.
EIGHTY-EIGHT years old,
four times married, Romu
lu Delsi, a Mexican, who works
on a ranch at Stanton, welcom
ed his forty-fifth child, a girl,
a few days ago. Mother and
daughter are said to be doing
well. County records show that
when he was 79 his wife pre
sented him with twins.
Cow in Flivver,
Family Sets Out
On Vacation Trip
DURHAM, July 28.
JOHN WEST WILSON, a
mail carrier at Wilson, now
on his vacation, put one over
the other day. Besides his wife
and children there's nothing on
earth that John loves better than
Mollie, his family cow.
Mrs. Wilson being the only
one that could milk Mollie, did
not want to leave the cow at
home. "John, what will we do
with Mollie?” “Wait” said
John. Soon John returned with
Mollie, roped, hog-tied, backing
his flivver up, he put Mollie
aboard and rattled away to his
favorite fishing grounds.
ILLINOIS NEGROES TRY
TO DANCE WITH WHITE
WOMEN; FIGHT RESULT
One Killed, Four Seriously Injured
Due To Negros Invasion Of
Dance Hall
Chicago, July 30.—One negro is
dead, two county highway policemen
are believed dying and two other
men are seriously wounded as the re
sult of a fight at Worth, 111., between
150 negro construction gang workers,
citizens and policemen early yester
day morning, according to the Chi
cago Herald-Examiner.
Fifty of the negroes, who occupy
a camp just outside of Worth at mid
night invaded a dance hall in Worth
where a community dance of white
persons was in progress. The negroes
armed with knives, razors and revol
vers chose as partners the white wo
men, taking wives from the arms of
their husbands, says the Herald-Ex
aminer. Resistance on the part if
the whites was met with oaths and
threats of death, says a newspaper.
The screams of the women were
heard by officials of the village.
When they entered the place, the
negroes began firing. Additional
help was summoned and when they
arrived a general fight started. The
negroes retreated towards their camp
and, when they arrived, there, were
reinforced by 100 othe negroes, and
the police called for further aid.
More than two hundreds shots were
exchanged and there was a hand-to
hand fight before the negroes were
overcome.
NEW DAVIS STORES ON THIRD
AND MARKET STS, COMPLETED
The handsome new stores fronting
both Third and Market Streets be
longing to Mr. Charles Davis are now
completed and Mr. Davis will move
his stock of drygoods and clothing in
to the new quarters this week.
The men’s clothing department will
be housed in the store facing third
street which is 20x80 feet. The dry
goods establishment, 20x90 feet,
fronts Market street and at the in
tersection of these two stores, a
space 40x40 feet, will be the ladies
ready to wear department. On the
second floor a complete millinery de
partment will be conducted and the
room over the clothing store will be
devoted to house furnishings includ
ing rugs, carpets, etc. A mezzanine
floor provides for a ladies rest room
and office.
Besides the space already mention
ed offices for rent are located in the
second story facing Market street.
The building, which is constructed
of red pressed brick, is well arranged.
All space is utilized and the store will
be most convenient in the location of
the various departments. The wood
work is finished in ivory and oak. The
building has running water on each
floor and is steam heated. Mr. Davis
expects to have in his employ fbout
fifteen clerks. He, together with Mrs.
Bragsdon Johnson, who has been with
the Davis stores for several years,
will leave about the fifteenth of this
month for New York City to buy fall
goods.
Mr. Davis will retain the use of
one of the stores which he is now oc
cupying as a bargain store, where un
usual offers will be made all of the
time.
Over $500 worth of produce is sold
each market day on the curb market
established at Greenville in Pitt coun
ty by the farm agent, R. B. Reeves.
LOCAL MEN TOUR S.C.
BOLL WEEVIL SECTION
Smithfield Farmers and Bus
iness Men Seek First Hand
Information About the
South’s Greatest Pest.
There has been a good deal of
speculation as to how the loll wee
vil will affect farming and business
in general when he hits this section
in large numbers. “Seeing is believ
ing,” so Messrs. N. B. Grantham, J.
D. Underwood, J. Rufus Creech and
H. C. Woodall decided to take a trip
through an infested area of South
Carolina and get first hand informa
tion along this line. Leaving last
Thursday headed for Sumter, S. C,
they traveled through the boll wee
vil area of North Carolina and
through Sumeter and Camden coun
ties in South Carolina, South Caro
lina section which has been badly
infested for six or seven years. These
gentlemen desirious of learning all
they could about boll weevil and its
control stopped at various farms on
the route as inclination led them, in
terviewed farmers in their fields and
saw the methods used for control in
operation.
Almost every farmer told them that
the weather was a big factor in handl
ing the boll weevil. If the weather
is wet, the weevil gets the crop. If
the season is dry, control methods
| keep it under. The farmers with one
accord asserted that after the arrival
of the boll weevil, the only way to
make a crop is to put up a strong
fight. The methods, which have been
stressed by the state department of
agriculture, are used viz: plant early,
cultivate often, pick up squares, and
when the infestation justified, pois
on. The state department recom
mends poisoning at night as the best
I time to kill the weevil, but these
| farmers stated that, being unable to
1 get labor to do it at night they pois
| oned in the day. Most of the farm
ers mix their own poison. When ask
' ed by the North Carolina gentlemen
how often they poisoned, varying an
swers were received. One man had
poisoned seven tipies already where
as another had poisoned only three.
The cotton patch must be watched
like tobacco and poison put on when
necessary.
The gentlemen from Smithfield
were interested in the type of dust
ing machine used and in the cost per
acre of using poison. The dusting
machine which attracted the special
attention of all was one drawn by
two mules, which sprayed three rows
at a time. Three men are kept busy
during the operation of this machine,
one to pump, one to drive, and one to
mix the poison With this type ma
chine thirty acres per day can be
dusted. The cost of the labor and
the poison mixture was estimated at
38 cents per acre for one application.
This of course did not take into con
sideration equipment—the mules and
dusting machine, and another thing
which lessened the cost is the fact
that labor in South Carolina can be
secured at 75 cents per day.
The South Carolina farmers this
year are making good crops, having
had little rain. The visitors were told
that the cotton acreage however had
been cut 40 per cent since the ad
vent of the boll weevil, but it has
had a beneficial result in causing the
farmers to live at home. According
to one of the men from Smithfield,
they stopped at a country store which
looked as if it had been there for
ninety-nine years and the stock of
mercnanaise witn it. in talking to
the proprietor one of them asked him,
if he did a general supply business.
He replied, “I used to, but the farm
ers ail raised their own stuff now.”
Corn and oats according to the
tourists seemed to be the chief crops
besides cotton. Very little tobacco
was raised in the section visited and
what was raised appeared to be of
a poor quality. These gentlemen feel
that they have a much better knowl
edge of the situation since going to
South Carolina, and feel that they
will know better how to control the
weevil in their own cotton fields,
j Such information brought back from
I the “firing line” is calculated to help
1 all who are interested in making cot
| ton under boll w-eevil conditions.
To be just in your criticisms, begin
first with yourself.