Smithfield Needs:
—Bigger pay roll.
_New Hotel.
_Renovation of Op
era house.
_More paved streets.
■-Chamber Commerce
Forty-fourth Year
Johnston County’s Oldest and Best Newspaper — — Established 1882
* * SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 7, 1925 * *
“We Like
Smithfield—
You will too’’
Number 76
CAPT. RHEM MAKES
PRISON STATEMENT
Tells of Charge in Conditions at
State Prison During His
Connection There For
Thirty-Six Years.
COMMENDS GEO. ROSS POU
(Since this article was set up news
conies of the death of Capt. Rhem
which occurred suddenly Tuesday at
the Caledonia Farm. Capt. Rhem was
79 years old.)
Capt. C. J. Rhem, Farm Supervisor
for the State’s Prison for nearly thir
ty-six years, makes the following
statement in regard to the change in
conditions there during that time
which have had considerable bearing
upon the financial status of the insti
tution:
Having been a farm supervisor of
the State’s Prison for more than thir
ty-five years and having served und®i
every administration since 1886, with
the exception of the Russell admin
istration, I feel that I am sufficiently
and properly informed to submit to
the people of North Carolina a state
ment with reference to the State’s
Prison.
Under the administration the News
and Observer has written about,
no attention was giiven to sanitation
of sleeping quarters, under a part of
these no pillows, no sheets, no gowns,
no towels, no underwear were given
the prisoners. The food and clothing
were insufficient. Practically no surgi
cal attention, no aentai atsenwun, no
attention to other ailments except
such as could be given by a general
practioner. Now those things are tak
en care of by a specialist in each line.
In many cases the lash or “Black
Aggie”—as it was called, was freely
applied. Overseers were allowed to
lash men generally, but under my par
ticular charge I never allowed a man
to be lashed until his case had been
thoroughly investigated. For I have
never approved of the lash except in
peculiarly extreme cases. The prison
ers were driven. The Prison showed a
profit. The people were satisfied be
cause a profit was shown.
I have not a word of criticism for
the splendid gentlemen who presided
over the Prison during that “dark
age.” The public should have no word
of criticism for them or for those of
us who carried out their instructions.
The fault was with the public. The
cry was for “profit.” Profit even at
the cost of human life. Improvements
in prison conditions have come slowly.
At this present time conditions are
by far better in every sense than I
have ever known them to be in my
long years of service as an officer of
the State Prison. The profits that are
shown now are by far greater than
any that could be written in dollars
and cents. A great change has taken
place. While the prison has not shown
a money profit, read ahead as to what
is now being done.
Prisoners are now treated as hu
man beings. They are given a balan
ced daily ration, they are given clean
sleeping quarters, they are given suf
ficient clothing, they are given smok
ing and chewing tobacco, they are
given proper medical attention, sur
gical attention, dental attention. At
ItllblUII ftivcu tv tuv --
and throat. They are allowed some
time for recreation. A band has been
organized at my camp and much in
terest is shown in the Saturday eve
ning ball games, to which only well
behaved prisoners are allowed to go.
The lash has been abolished. Station
ary and stamps are furnished pris
oners, a collection of books and maga
zines at each camp. Each prisoner up
on committment receives a New Tes
tament. Each one receives an alumi
num drinking cup. Those suffering
wtih syphillis and other abominable
diseases have been removed from the
camps and are now segregated upon
committment.
The people should keep in mind
that Mr. Pou has served us during a
period of business depression
throughout the country. It should keep
in mind that he has had to build up
two dilapidated farms, totalling more
than 8000 acres. Farmers think of
that. People about Raleigh are wit
nesses to the wonderful improvements
(Turn to page four, please)
Where Great Commoner Now Rests
Above is pictured the plot in Arlington National Cemetery
where the body of Wm- Jennings Bryan is laid at rest. The
mausoleum shown is where the body of Admiral Dewey rest
ed for years but recently transferred to a crypt in National
Cathedral. This site is the highest point overlooking the
i Potomac and Washington.'
CITIZENS OF COUNTY
ENTER A PROTEST
Folks Down Kenly Way Con
cerned Over Fact That Wil
son County May Not
Hardsurface Route 22
Some of our citizens in the north
ern part of the county are quite dis
turbed over reports which they regard
as authentic that Wilson county does
not propose to hard surface its part
of State Highway No. 22. Dr. B. H.
Hackney, of Lucama, was in the city
yesterday in the interest of bringing
pressure to bear to the end that Wil
son county change its mind. Quite a
number of citizens in Johnston who
live near the Wilson line have signed
a resolution in regard to the matter
the text of which is as follows:
We, the u'ndersigned citizens of
Johnston county, having heard au
thoritatively that the Wilson county
i Highway Commission have voted and
passed a resolution recommending
that the State Highway Comission ex
pend the Five Hundred Thousand Dol
lars loaned to it by the county of Wil
son, in the hard-surfacing of High
ways Nos. 91 and 42, thereby aban
doning the idea of hard-surfacing
Highway No. 22, which leads to John
! ston county, desire to take this meth
od of entering our most solemn pro
test to the treatment which Wilson
county proposes to accord us. It is a
'well known fact tjhat, heretofore the
farmers of Johnston county have sold
practically all of their leaf tobacco
Ion the Wilson tobacco market, and this
in spite of the fact, that they have
a home market available at bmith
field, with facilities sufficient to handle
their entire crops. It is equally known
that the wholesale and retail mer
chants of Wilson have been favored
with no small amount of Johnston
county trade; and this too, in spite
of the fact that they had the oppor
tunity to satisfy their need from
wholesale and retail dealers in John
ston and other counties. As an ap
preciation of this treatment, on the
part of our citizens, what gratitude
does Wilson show?
Suffice it to say, that it results in
the construction of three hard-surfac
ed roads to Nash county, two to
Greene county, two to Edgecombe, |
one to Wayne and NONE. TO JOHN
STON.
'The members of the Wilson county
Highway Commission, and those back
ing their present plans, are to be the
: judges as to whether or nob such
gratitude touches a responsive chord
I in Johnston county. Let their con
science be their guide.
W. J. Hooks, J. W. Darden, D. T.
Crawford, Watson & Alford, A. J.
.Broughton, G. G. Edgerton & Son,
Edgerton Motor Co., O. Y. Edgerton,
II. M. Grizzard, W. M. Boykin, Barnes ..
Pope, J. H. Barnes, P. H. Etheridge,
mayor, E. L. Etheridge, Etheridge
Printing Co., A- M. Godwin, Farmers.
Bank of Kenlv by A. W. Godwin, G.
B. Woodard, M. D. and J. T. Ward,
R. T. Fulghum, W. T. Bailey & Son,
J. D. Bailey. L. Z. Woodftd, J. W.
Darden & Brwther, I)ardeii A Sellers,
R. A. Hales, Bailey Aubo ijo-, J. „
1 W
m
ii
Five and Ten Cent
Store Chain Grows
Mr. N. J. Binning, who is manager
of Rose’s five and ten cent store here,
left Sunday for Oxford w'here he is
having Rose’s five and ten cent store
there enlarged. The adjacent build
ing has been purchased and the par
tition is being removed, making the
store twice its former size.
Mr. Rose is also opening a five and
ten cent store at Edenton and another
at Winston-Salem, completing a chain
of twenty-six stores. The new store at
Winston-Salem is said to be one of
the most modern in the United States.
Besides its regular stock of goods, ;t
is equipped with a cafeteria and soda
fountain. Rose’s store here was the
twenty-third in the chain. Smith
field is fortunate in having one of
these stores located here.
CARRY ELECTION
TO CONSOLIDATE
Consolidated Territory Was
Formerly Divided Into Five
School Districts.
The Glendale District voting with
the Moore’s and Watson Districts on
Tuesday, August 4th, carried the elec
tion for consolidation wuth 203 votes
cast for the consolidation and 126
against. The result of this election is
that the consolidated district will pay
a flat rate of taxation of 50c, w'hich
will displace the special and bond tax
heretofore voted in the districts. The
Watson school building having been
burned recently all the children of
this district will be carried to the
Glendale school. Moore’s district will
operate its two teacher school for the
primary grades only, and the upper
grades, and high school students will
go to the Glendale school. This newly
consolidated district has approximate
ly 800 children in it.
The development of the Glendale
school, which now is in the heart of
the county, a school equipped as well
as any town school in the county and
which will go on the accredited list
this year, has been interesting. About
fifty years ago the father and grand
father of Mr. J. W. Woodard, who is
now a member of the Board of Edu
cation, built what was known as the .
Woodard school. Later in Aycock’s
day this district was divided and from
it was formed the Godwin and Wat
son districts, which established
schools of their own. About ten years
ago the Godwin district consolidated
with the Woodard district under the
name of Glendale. After several at
tempts a special tax was carried in
the new Glendale district. Then about
1917 a two-story wooden buildi’ng was
erected which served the community
until the present modern brick build
(Turn to page four, please)
Woolard, Jr., Johnson Brothers, J. G
High, J. T. Edgerton & Brother, H.
R. Renfrow, Renfrow & Watson, Ellis
Kannan, Kirby Drug Co., A. F. Baw
en, Geo. S. Coxian, M. D., J. "w
Woodard, Bank “of Kenly, E. B.
Praughon.
TOWN PUTS IN NEW
ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
Board Passes Emergency Act ]
Requiring All Dogs to be
Vaccinated Against Rabies
Within Next 60 Days.
The town board of commissioners
it its regular meeting Tuesday night
approved the new system of account
ing recommended by A. M. Pullen &
Company, certified public account
ants, who have recently completed
an audit of the city books. The town
finances are in excellent shape and
With the new method of keeping rec
ord, one will be able to tell at the
close of any day’s business the finan
cial status. The new system has been
installed as of May 1, 1025. the be
ginning of the fiscal year.
: Thr<e main divisions in the ac
counting pian have been established,
Kami . General Account. Capital Ac
count, and Sinking Fund Account.
The General Account reflects the
transactions in connection with the
general operations of the town and
is made up of the record of the rev
enues from taxes, licenses, rents,
electric lights, water, etc.
The Capital Account includes trans
actions in connection with the issuing
of bonds, all investments, capital ex
penditures, town properties and per
manent improvements, together with
outstanding bonded indebtedness.
The Sinking Fund Account re
flects all transactions in connection
with the sinking funds established for
the purpose of retiring bonds at ma
turity.
Time books will be kept by the re
spective department superintendents
which, after being O. K.’d by the su
perintendent and proper commission
er. are turned over to the town clerk
who in turn checks before providing
necessary funds for the pay roll
These time sheets are filed in the of
fice of the town clerk.
All cash receipts pass tnrougn xne
hands of the town clerk who at least
once a month turns over to the treas
urer all funds collected. The funds col
lected are daily deposited in a special
account designated as the town’s
funds.
No changes were suggested in the
way of handling electri'1 light bills,
water bills, licenses and •vouchers.
A special emergency act was pass
ed at> the meeting Tuesday night,
requiring all dogs to be vaccinated
against rabies within sixty days from
Tuesday night. Those who fail to
comply with this law will be required
to pay a penalty of fifty dollars. Dr.
Rosser Lane furnishes the dose and
administers it to those who wish him
to
There is a law already on the stat
ute books, but which has not been
generally enforced, that requires all
persons who own cows and sell milk
and butter, to have their cows tested
for tuberculosis. This law was resur
rected and will be enforced. Dr. Lane
was designated as city veterinarian.
Another matter which touches the
health of the community was discuss
ed, that of mosquito drainage. It was
ordered that a survey of the town be
made to find probable breeding places
for mosquitoes and that all such
places be sprayed.
The town board voted to cooper
ate with the Eastern Carolina Cham
ber of Commerce in getting out a
publication known as the “Tell to
World Edition” for East Carolina.
Three hundred dollars was appropriat
ed for two pages in this edition. In
formation comes to us that the other
towns solicited did their share and
Johnston county is destined to re
ceive quite a bit of advertising over
a wide area.
One of the livest discussions before
the City-Fathers was the paving prop
osition which is still in an uncomplet
ed state. The board will assemble in
an adjourned meeting on August 17,
the date set as a final date for de
ciding about paving the streets of
Smithfield. Additional petitions were
before the commissioners Tuesday
night but all the property owners on
the blocks where paving is desired had
not been seen.
A motion was carried that, the city
jail be put in a sanitary condition and
this work was delegated to the mayor
and chief of police. Another motion
was carried to raise th^?,salary of J.
Mayor Urges Citizens to Hein
Keep Low Insurance Kate
Wr. J. W. Jones Died
Early This Morning
Mr. J. W. Jones, chairman of
the board of Johnston County
Commissioners, who has been
ill for the past three weeks at
his home near Smithfield, died
this morning at 5 o’clock.
The funetal services will be con
ducted Saturday, August 8th, at
the Primitive Baptist church here
at 3 o’clock by his pastor, Elder
Jesse Barnes after which inter
ment will be made in the old
Smithfield cemetery.
COURT IMPOSES
JAIL SENTENCES
Recorder’s Court In Session Here
Tuesday Disposes of About
a Dozen Cases.
NUMBER OF APPEALS
The Recorder’s Court in session
here Tuesday, disposed of the follow
ing cases in the criminal docket, all
of which were jail cases. Other cases
in which the defendants were out of
bond were carried over.
Ruffin McCoy, negi-o, was given a
twenty-five dollar fine sentence and
sixty days in jail for resisting an of
ficer. Road sentence suspended during
good behavior.
John L. Blackstone, an aged darkie,
of Smithfield, was charged with tres
pass, he having been caught fishing
in Holt’s Lake without ermission from
the proper authorities. He was fined
ten dollars and cost from which he
appealed to the superior court.
(Turn to page four, please)
OLDEST CITIZEN OF
FOUR OAKS PASSES
“Uncle Dave” Ford Died Tues
day Morning; Was First
Mayor Four Oaks Had.
(Special to The Herald)
Four Oaks, Aug. 5.—Mr. A. D.
Ford, the oldest citizen died at his
; home here Tuesday morning about
nine o’clock.
Mr. Ford was in his 68th year.
Even though age and afflictions over
took him he cheerfully submitted. The
Saviour of his youth and vigorous
manhood was the same in his old age
aud feebleness. Mr. Ford was a be
loved husband and father, or “uncle
Dave,” as he was commonly called.
He was a member of the Four Oaks
Methodist church, having held his
membership there for a number of
years. He was a charter member of
Four Oaks Masonic Lodge and had
held ractically every office in that
Order during his membership. For
about thirty-two years he had been
a justice of the peace and held this
office at the time of his death.
Mr. Ford, as a pioneer citizen, has
done much for the town of Four Oaks
and vicinity. Moving here in 1886 he
served as the first mayor of the
town. He was also appointed the
first postmaster of the town and serv
ed as the first railroad agent, hold
ing the offices of postmaster and
railroad agent at the same time.
Mr. Ford leaves to mourn his loss, |
a wife, one son, A. R. Ford; and one
daughter. Miss Annie Ford, one
brother, P. T. Ford, all of Four Oaks.
Other surviving brothers are Mr. W.
H. Ford, Tuscumbia, Ala.; W. F.
Ford, Smithfield; E. D. Ford, Jack
sonville, Fla.; and L. A. Ford, of
Leighton, Ala.
Funeral services were conducted
at the home of the deceased at 3:30
o’clock Wednesday under the joint
auspices of the lodge®of Masons and
the Laymen’s Federation, followed by
interment in Four Oaks cemetery.
F. Johnson, special night policeman,
from seventy-five to one hundred dol
lars per month. <j§)
#
Says Smithfield is in Danger of
Losing Low Rate of Insurance
Which Saves the Town $5000
Annually Unless the Business
Houses Clean lip Premises.
QUICK ACTION IS NEEDED
Mr. H. N. Morgan, Chief of the
Smithfield Fire Department has re
ceived a personal letter from Hon.
Stacy W. Wade, Insurance Commis
sioner of North Carolina, calling his
attention to the visitation of a dep
uty of the insurance department of
the state to Smithfield. In the dep
uty’s report to Mr. Wade on Smith
field’s fire hazard in the business dis
trict was the apparent carelessness
of the merchants in our city with re
spect in allowing their premises and
buildings to be jeopardized by fire
by letting rubbish and inflammable
materials collect around their respect
ive places of business. The report
shows that in Smithfield a great num
ber of buildings in the fire district are
encumbered with unnecessary inflam
mable waste, which c-ould be removed
and thereby eliminate this unneces
sary dangerous condition
I am calling on the business houses
of this city to cooperate to the end
that this condition as above outlined
might be eliminated. Smithfield is
now enjoying an insurance rate which
is on a parity with Wilson, Kinston,
Goldsboro and other towns of like
size in North Carolina by complying
in detail with the North Carolina
inspection and rating Bureau which is
subordinate to the Southeastern Un
derwriters Association of Atlanta,
Ga. I certainly would regret to seo
Smithfield lose this rate as we a.to.
now enjoying and which saving in
round figures is $5000 a year to the
premium payers ui uui
less we maintain the standard as
laid down by the above bureaus we
will certainly do so. I earnestly call
upon the business interests in Smith
field and especially those in the fire
district to look around their prem
ises and see if any of the above meu
tioned matters are now there, and if so
to remedy the situation promptly. The
fire district is composed of the fol
lowing: Starting at first and Bridge
Street from Bridge Street to Sixth
Street. From Sixth Street to Johns
ton Street. From Johnston Street to
Fyrst Street and from First Street to
Bridge Street. The above block com
poses the fire district for Smithfield..
I earnestly request your collective co
operation.
JOHN A- N'ARRON, Mayor.
SMITHFIELD TOBACCONISTS
VISIT DARLINGTON MARKET
Messrs. W. G. Glass and G. S- Stap ■
les spent Tuesday and Wednesday on
the tobacco market at Darlington, S,
C. The market opened there Tuesday
and they report tobacco selling well.
A hundred thousand pounds were
sold on opening day averaging around
fifteen cents per pound. The grades
sold were mostly primings. Tobacco
showing any body brought a good -
price- Bidding was lively, foreign as;
well as domestic country being anx
ious for the tobacco.
INTEREST IN REVIVAL
AT WILSON’S MILLS
Wilson’s Mills, Aug. 6.—Sunday far
to be a great day at the Christiatn
fhurch at Wilson’s Mills. Dr. DeGaf
ferelly will preach Sunday morning
on the subject, “Heralds of Christ, ”
and at night on the theme “When the
:hief of sinners was converted.” Mon
day night subject will be “What i*
your Life?”
Plans are made to have the great
est attendance at Sunday school. The
program will begin at 10 a. m. and
everyone is invited to be in some class.
Let us make Sunday the greatest day
in the history of Wilson’s Mills.
SELLS $200 WORTH OF
CANTALOUPES THIS SEASON
Mr, H W. Talton has sold 5,7(50
cantaloupes from a half acre of land.
He sold them on the local market
here, and in the various towns near
here. They brought $200, or an av
erage of 60 cents a dozen. M^Dalton <S)
lives^gn the farm of Mr. J. W Steph
ensorr just across the river.