Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-04-01
THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING.
Mr., and Mrs. John TEL. Powell Gel
citrate This Evening the Fif~
tieth Anniversary of Their
Marriage.
Ia ly Argus, Marc1 %.

Ia ly Argus, MarcA %.
Fifty years ago to-day-on the
25th day of March, 1917, an even
ing home marriage was celebrated
in the town of Waynesboro, on
the banks of the Neuse, within
view of the present city of Colds
boro, the contracting parties be
ing our now venerable and es-
teemed townsman Mr.. John II.
Powell and his estimable wife.
who was then Miss Rowena Wei
Ions, The groom was % and the
bride was II, and the officiating
minister on that happy occasion
was Rev. John Smith, who has
long since passed from the scenes
of earth, as has many of the large
concourse of Waynesboro's citi-
zens, in whose smiling presence
and in the midst of whose Joyous
greetings the nuptials cele-
brated. The old town itself has
been RACED, and few of the citizens
of this community could to-day
locate its boundaries.
Mr.. Powell was born in Smith
field, Johnson county, n. c.,
and Mrs. Powell was native of
Waynesboro. He came tc
Waynesboro and entered the ser
vice of the late Mr.. Richard Wash
ington, who was the leading mer-
chant not only of the town, but OF
all this section, and it was in his
employ that young Mr.. Powell
obtained that schooling in business
methods and sagaeity that have
characterized his career in our
community and made him the rec
ognized Nestor of our commercial
circles.
A short while after Mr.. Powell
had settled down in the quiet town
of Waynesboro, to devote his life
to the solving Of the problems Of
existence as they should confront
him in the passing years, a shrill,
weird voice was heard III the beau
tiful valley of the winding river,
as the iron horse made his first
visit across it with his train OF
cars in his approach to the cross
roads station, about where the
Hotel kennon now stands in It's
massive and imposing grandure.
1t was welcome music as it echoed
across the fertile fields of the
wide-stretching valley of the
Neuse, and entirely new to all who
heard it. People came and went
from the quiet little town on the
banks of the river to the railroad
station, which was subsequently
called Goldsboro. It was d new
civilization that had come to dis
turb the dreams and quiet life OF
nearly a century and il rapidly
extended its new influences unit
it reached the rem0teSt ends OF
the county, and it soon became
evident that Goldsboro was des
tined to supplant Waynesboro as
the county seat and the mercan-
tile centre. A spirited rivalry
sprung up between the two
towns, but it was of brief :dura-
ton and Goldsboro proved the
winner then, as she is to>day
over all rivalry.
Mr.. Powell early recognized
Goldsboro's evident destiny anC
was one Of the first to "uovt
over and take up his abode here,
And during all the intervening
years, that have witnessed the
vicissitudes of war, the ravages
of fire, the pressure Of bare
times, the reverses Of fortune anC
the passing of generations, he
has ever stood for the best in
terests of the community anC
helped to blaze the way for the
matchless strides our city has
made ia commercial progress anC
in the most enlightened civiIiza~
ton Of the age,
Seven children, five sons anC
two daughters, all living anc
grown, and all married but the
two youngest, aud all citizens OF
Goldsboro, have blessed tbs
marriage Of Mr.. and Mrs. Pow
ell, and these with their children.
the relatives of the family aud
some special friends of "auld
lang syne" will gather this even
ing at the home Of the ''bride anC
groom" of fifty years ago ant
celebrate the happy occasion
Among the latter will be Mrs
w. T.. Gardner. (whose father
was the officiating minister,
Mrs. M. E. Castex and Rev. &
J. Nelson, who were present a
the Waynesboro marriage.
THE ARGUS tenders its hearty
congratulations and sincere gOot
wishes to Mr.. and Mrs. Powell
on this their golden wedding.