Birthday Of Mr. Israel
Stephenson Brings To
gether 300 Or More Rela
tives And Friends.
A SUMPTIOUS DINNER
In response to an invitation from
Mr. Israel Stephenson, who lives
about six miles west of here, about
300 of his relatives and friends gath
ered at his home Tuesday to cele
bi’ate his seventy-seventh birthday.
No public announcement of this re
union had been made, the news being
spread verbally from relative
to relative and from friend
to friend, but by nine
o'clock the result of these invitations
was seen when the people began to
arrive and by noon all the available
space around the house was filled
with automobiles. Guests were there
from as far north as Wendell and
Wake Forest; as far "west as Raleigh,
and as far east as Silverdale in
Jones County.
In each car was snugly packed
away a box containing an abundance
of appetizing viands for which John
ston County is noted and which its
women know how to prepare. Music
was furnished by the Stephenson
band.
Mr. stepnenson nas uvea
in that community about 30
years and numbers his friends
by the score. He seemed to be in his
natural element that day as he en
tertained his kinsmen and friends. He
mingled freely among his guests and
in his good-humored way had some
thing to say to all. Upon one occa
sion, being asked if he were related
to some person in Elevation township
he humorously replied that he “used
to claim kin with everybody in Eleva
tion who was a Democrat and a Prim
itive Baptist.”
A table about two hundred feet
long had been erected in the yard and
shortly after noon it was literally
loaded with delicious food. Mr. D.
T. Stephenson, of this city, made a
short talk in which he welcomed the
guests and after another short taik
by Mr. J. W. Stephenson, of this city,
Elder Jesse Barnes returned thanks
to the Giver of all good and perfect
gifts for this happy occasion. All
gathered around the table and the
next hour was pleasantly and profit
ably spent. Later in the afternoon
the guests departed after wishing
their host many more happy birth
days.
Mr. Stephenson has been married
twice, the first time to Miss Emily
Coates, a sister of Mt. Joe Coates,
of this city, and to this union were
born eleven children. Twenty-tlmee
years ago he married Mrs. Eliza G.
Pittman who is still his faithful com
panion. To the last union was bom
one daughter, Mrs. R. A~ Lassiter.
Those from here who attended the
reunion were: Mr. and Mrs. J. *W.
Stephenson, Misses Lallah Roekh
Stephenson and Dora Barbour, Mr.
J. G. Hamilton and family, Mr. D.
T. Stephenson and family, Mr. and
Mrs. Joe Stephenso nand children
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Coates, Mr. and
Mrs. Joe Coates, Mr. and Mrs. J.
H. Wiggs, Elder Jesse Barnes, Mass
Hattie Stephenson, Messrs. W. Ran
om Sanders, H. X. Skinner, CarTtwi
Stephenson, N. E. Humphrey, W. M.
Gaskin, and C. Q. Stephenson.
Attempt To Steal Two Cars
Tuesday night unknown parties at
tempted to steal two automobiles
which were standing on the streets of
Smithfiled. One of the cars belonged
to Mr. Henry Pollard and the other
to Mr. M. B. Strickland. Mr. Pol
lard’s car was locked and the burglars
were forced to leave it after trying
to get it started. It is said that the
weak batteries in Mr. Srickland’s car
was the only thing that saved it.
After failing to get it started they
pushed it some distance down the
street and left it. The names of ihe
thieves are unknown.
Gubernatorial Candidate Speaks Here Tonight
JOSiAH W. BAILEY AND CHILDREN
For the first time in twenty years Mr. Bailey was induced by Mrs. Bailey
to alt with his children before the camera on September 14, 1923, his fiftieth
birthday, and have the above picture made. The children are, left to right,
Josiah, Jr., Annie Elizabeth and James Pou Bailey.
i
ERIC MASSEY OF
SELMA TO ASSISI
MISS EMILY KNOX
Miss Emilie Rose Knox, violinist,
and Mr. Erie F. Massey tenor, will
have a joint recital in the Selma au
ditorium on Thursday, May 1. They
will be assisted by Mrs. Alfred R.
Wilson, reader.
Miss Knox will play an unusually
fine program. Mr. Massey will sing
the same program he has used during
his engagements over the Keith 11 d
Orpheum Vaudeville circuits. Miss
Knox will be accompanied by Miss
Sue Kyle Southwitch, of St. Mary’s
school, Raleigh. Mrs. W. H. Call, rf
Selma, will accompany, Mr. Mass ; -.
This program by Miss Knox and these
local artists promise to be a rare
treat, of which no doubt a large num
ber will avail themselves. The ticket
sale begins Monday, April 28.
Poisoned Candy Man
Is Given Four Years
Statesville, April 22.—Charged
with sending poisoned candy through
i the mails to his divorced wife, Chap
j Burroughs this afternoon was sen
tenced to four years in the Atlanta
penitentiary. Burroughs was charg
ed with sending a box of candy pois
oned with bichloride of mercury from
Hickory to his formeT wife, Miss
; Bessie Hargrove, at Gottondaie, Ala
bama. His defense was that the
charge was a frame up. Judge E. Y.
Webb, after sentencing Burroughs in
structed the clerk of court to write
a letter to the penitentiary authori
ties requesting that alienists observe
Burroughs to determine whether or
not he is sane.—Associated Press.
SHOE HOSPITAL GETS
NEW MACHINERY
Mr. J. W. Phillips, proprietor of
the Shoe Hospital, has recently pur
chased new machinery and announces
that he is now better preparted to
look after your sole. He will appre
ciate any business you may girt him
in the shoe repair line.
Spraying Fruit Pays
A fruit grower of Transylvania
County adided by an agricultural ex
tension worker in spraying his ap
ples last season, sold hia sprayed
fruit for double the amount received
for that which was unsprayed. He
now has 200 bearing trees that he
recently requested County Agent
Lewis A. Ammon to help hi mspray,
“It pays” he said.
LABORATORY ANALYSIS
OF OUR CITY WATER
No. F-1473.
Sent by—0. L. Wilson, Jr., Supt. i
Water Works.
Location—Smithfield, N. C.
Source—Johnston & Stephenson
Drug Co.
Marked—Town of Smithfield.
Collected—4-18-24.
Received—4-19-24.
Reported—4-22-24.
Sediment—0.
Color—Platinum-Cobalt standard
1 —v. si.
Turbidity—Silica standard—0.
Odor, cold—0.
| Alkalinity (in terms of Calciuw
carbonate)—31.8.
Colon bacilli in 1 c. c.—0.
Colon bacilli in 10 e. c.—0.
Total bacteria at '38 degrees Centi
grade per c. c.—23,
Total bacteria per c. c. on L. L.
: Agar—3.
Total acid-pwducing bacteria per
c. c.—0.
C. A. SHORE, Director.
J. W. K. Analyst.
j Number Take Part
In Field Day"Stunts
Easter Monday was Field Day in
the Smithfield school, the track
events being held at the Fair
Grounds. Quite a number of boys
were out and took part in the var
ious contests.
The High School boys competed
to select a representative of the
school for a state wide contest to be
staged at Trinity and the following
were the ■winners:
Broad jump, Davis—17 ft. 4 in;
High Jump, E. Caudill; Mile Run,
C. Stephenson; 440 Yard Dash, Ay
cock; 880 Yard run, Kirkman; Dis
cus Throw, E. Caudill; Short Put,
j Parker; 220 Yard Run, Holland; and
Pole Vadlt, Johnson.
1 The winners in the Junior Contests
(85—100 lbs.) were as follows:
Broad Jump, Walter Dassiter—12 ft.
9 in.; One Third Mile Run, licyd
Parrish; 75 yard dash, William Rags-1
dale; High Jump, Bill Adams.
Those winning in the contests for
boys weighing from 75 to 88 pounds
were: 50 yard dash, Percy Pittman;
one third mile run, Percy Pitcman.
Those winning among boys weigh
ing uunder 70 pounds were: 50 yaid
dasb, Donnie Ward; one third mile!
run, Donnie Ward.
Cutting down on the advertising
appropriation when business is dull
is like cutting down on the cow feed
when the milk runs short.
BISCUIT CONTEST
INTEREST GR0WIN6
Women As Well As Girls
May Enter Finals To Be
Held Here On The First
Of May..
HAVE GOOD PROGRAM
The enrollment of contestants in
the county-wide biscuit contest to be
staged here May 1, is growing daily.
Some of the schools have already
sent in to the Home Demonstration
Agent the names of the winners in
local contests, both as to biscuit
making and compositions, and other
schools are requested to do likewise.
For a month Miss Garrison has
conducted demonstrations wherever
they have been desired in the county,
and the finals on May 1 promise to be
an important occasion because of the
large number expected to participate
The contest is open to women as well
as girls, although no local contests
are being held for the women. They
are not required to send in enroll
ment but simply to exhibit biscuits
here on May 1 to be judged. A few
boys have entered the local contests
and three have been reported as win
ners.
Mrs. Jane S. McKinnon, of Raleigh,
and Mrs. Estelle Smith of Goldsboro,
are both expected to take part in
the final program.
MR. T. H. FRANKS
IS AGAIN ELECTED
SUPERINTENDENT
Mr. Thos. H. Franks, who for the
past four years has been in the
graded school here one year as prin
cipal and three years as superintend
ent, was re-elected as superintendent
for another year at a meeting held
Wednesday night. The school has
grown considerably in the past few
years due in part to children coming
from the country, until the enroll
ment now numbers 1060. More than
500 children have been enrolled in the
negro school. The superintendency
of the Smlthfie'ld school system is
no insignificant position, hut the dis
trict has been well served by Supt,
Franks, and his re-election was ex
pected.
Yearns Crippled Clinic
Held A t Wilson
In tiie basement of the high school
building at Wilson the sixth and lar
gest clinic for crippled children^ in
North Carolina was held on April 17,
under the auspices of the State Or
thopedic Hospital and the State Board
of Charities and Public Welfare. Five
clinics of this kind were held last
year, but it is probable that only two
will be held in 1924, the one in Wil
son and another in some town in the
western part of the State later in the
year. Counties which brought chil
dren to this clinic were: Wilson, Nash
Wayne, Edgecombe, Jones, Cartaret,
Onslow, Hyde, Pamlieo, Warren, Per
Club and the Kiwanis Club of Wilson
son, and Franklin. The Woman’s
helped in making arrangements.
WELLS BODY TO SURGEON
WHO PROLONGED LIFE
Because surgeons in Bellevue Hos
pital prolonged his life seven months
by providing him with an “artificial
mouth,” John Burke, fifty-five, Shake
spearean actor in many languages,
who died Saturday, willed his body to
his benefactors for an autopsy,
which was made yesterday.
A maliginant throat disease pre
vented Burke’s eating. Literally
starving to death, he was taken to
Belluvue, where surgeons made an op
ening in the abdomen and introduced
liquid foods.
Burke’s will gave his body “in ap
preciation of the special care and
unusual consideration shown me.”
Burke bore a marked resemblance to
prints of Shakespeare.
School Building at Wilson’s i
Mills Is Formally Dedicated
Before Large Crowd Yesterday
BAILEY SPEAKS TWICE
IN COUNTY TO-DAY
Mr. J. W. Bailey, Democratic
candidate for governor of North
Carolina, will make two speeches
in Johnston County today. This
morning he is the principal speak
er at the Brogden Group Com
mencement, and to-night at eight
o’clock he speaks in the Court
House here. The voters of this
community will thus have opportu
nity to hear one of the two gub
ernatorial aspirants, present his
political views.
OFFICERS ELECTED
BY SELMA CLUB
Death Of Mrs. Modlin Oc
curred Thursday Night
At Smithfield Hospital;
Body Taken To S. C.
OTHER NEWS ITEMS
Seima, April 23.—One of the most
enjoyable Easter parties of the sea
son was given on last Friday aft
ernoon when Mesdames N. G. Wood
lief and F. G Lowe delightfully en
tertained the members of the Chat
terbox Club. Several spirited con
tests were engaged in, the most
unique being the “scramble” for
Easter eggs. A color scheme of lav
ender and green was effectively car
ried out in the decorations and re
freshments. The dining room was
especially attractive with wisteria
and violets for decorations, while
the Easter spirit prevailed in the
favors, place cards, etc. Invited
guests present besides the members
were: Mrs. Woodlief, of Rocky
Mount; Mrs. Fleming Black, of Clin
ton, and Mrs. F. M. Waters.
There was held a regular meeting
of the Woman’s Club in the rest
room of the school building on last
Wednesday afternoon. This being
the last business meeting of the club
year there were reports from the
various committees and officers which
proved that the members of the club
have been at work during the past
year. Officers for the ensuing year
were elected as follows: President.
Mrs. E. V. Woodard; vice president,
Mrs. W. P. Aycock; recording secre
tary, Mrs. J. R. Barker; correspond
ing secretary, Mrs. T. H. Atkinson;
treasurer, Mrs. C. E. Kornegay; as
sistant treasurer, Mrs. E. O. Wood;
reported, Mrs. F. G. Low; assistant
reported, Mrs. J. W. Peedin. Mrs.
L. D. Debnam has been the very ef
l ficient president of the Woman’s
Club since its organization a little
more than two years ago, and there
is regret that the club loses her as
prsident
The following young people who
are attending college spent the Eas
ter holidays with their respective
parents here: Warrick Debnam, Jos
eph Temple, Herman Easom, from
U. N. C., Chapel Hill; Clarence and
Albert Corbett, Wake Forest Col
lege; Hector Debnam, Oak; Ridge;
Miss Martha Ward, N. C. C. W.;
Miss Elizabeth Earp, Meredith Col
lege.
Mr. Eric Massey, of New York
City, is spending the Easter holi
days with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
I. W. Massey.
Mrs. Fleming Black and children,
of Clinton, are spending some time
with Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Whitley.
Messrs C. P. Harper, William
Creech, Misses Mildred Perkins and
Blanche Stoneham attended the
Wake Forest-State College ball game
in Raleigh Monday afternoon.
Miss Ruby Holland, of Raleigh,
spent a short while with her sister,
(Continued on page 4)
Dr. Abe Corey, Of Kinston
' Delivers Dedicatory Ad
dress In New Spacious
Auditorium.
GROUP COMMENCEM’T
The dedication of a school building
is an event in the life of any com
munity, and yesterday marked a
milestone in the progress of Wilson’s
Mills township, when the handsome
new school building just completed
was formerly dedicated as a part of
the group community exercises for
that section of the county.
By ten o'clock the spacious audi
torium, which seats more than six
hundred persons, was comfortably fill
ed and the program was opened with
the singing of America. After the
invocation by Mr. John T. Holt, the
primary story telling contest was
held, which resulted in a victory for
Royal (Elevation) little Miss Myra
Hardee being declared the best story
teller. A contest in spelling among
the primary grades then followed,
Powhatan school winning this prize,
and Dalmon Poole the last to sit
down.
Wilson's Mills has the distinction
of having one of its citizens, Mr. M.
G. Wilson, as a member of the Coun
ty Board of Education, and at this
point he was called upon to speak and
his remarks were appropriate to the
occasion.
“The Old North State” was then
sung and Mr. D. O. Uzzle in a pleas
ing manner presented the speaker of
the day, Dr. Abe Corey, of Kinston.
Dr. Corey’s voice responded ad
mirably to the acoustics of the new
uditorium and it was easy to listen
to his flow of words as he set apart
this institution of learning. He re
called the yearning of North Caro
lina’s educational governor and spoke
of such buildings as the Wilson’s
Mills school as more truly a memorial
to Ayco($ than the monument recent
ly unveiled in his honor on the Capi
tol square in Raleigh. The honored
Aycock lived and moves in such oc
casions as the dedication of school
buildings.
Dr. Corey called upon jjhe people
of the community to set apart their
building as a place for the boys and
girls to learn how to be social beings.
When the little fellow leaves home
and jostles elbows with his school
mates he is learning to be a citizen.
Football, he said, was the finest
course he had in college, because it
helped him to control his temper.
So it is with any school—a place for
learning to live with folks.
The next purpose of a school build
ing, according to Dr. Corey, is for
j the development of the intellectual
(being. It is there that the child
I learns to think. Specialization should
i be provided for which children are
| fitted. He made an appeal for the
i parents of the community not to com
mit the tragedy of insisting upon
their children following their voca
tion whether it appeals to them or
not. Give every boy and girl a
chance for preparation as a basis for
what they may decide to do in life.
Still another purpose of a school
building is a place to develop moral
beings. To throttle the thought life
of boys and girls often makes them
immoral, declared Dr. Corey. Let
children think and they will find
their way to the right course, the
moral course.
But last of all it is the spiritual
value of a building that makes the
dedication of a school building worth
while. A spiritual atmosphere must
emanate form this community cen
ter. Dr. Corey quoted a foreign au
thor as saying that he had searched
for America's greatness and found it
only in the churches.
Dr. Corey plead for schools that
would develop children socially, men
tally, and morally, but which would
also make them so safe in character
(Continued on page 4)