The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-05-24
THE JOHNSTON COUNTY HOME COMING

who has succeeded in that important
Mace. and who brought a message OF
worth In the evening the pr1nclpai
addresses were made by Mr.. Hender-
con Cole. a prominent business mar
of Wilmington; Mr.. j. X. Barbour, OF
Ransom. and Mr.. Samuel Austin, OF
Nash-three addresses that dellghted
all and then there were 1mpronptu
addresses by half a dozen other Iur-
linston BOYS that made the reunion a
red-Ietter day in the life OF turning
ton School, closing with a beautiful
| address by Prof. Davis, of Burlington,
who formerly taught school here, and
still holds a warm place in the hearts
of this people.
The burlington School uni was
a happy prelude to the Home Coming
exercises held Friday morning in the
spacious n beautiful new opera
house. 1t is a fine building, having
not only an excellent and large audi
torium but all the appointments for a
| large town. The Home coming ceie-
bration was born in the brain Of Mayor
J. A. Welions, whose administration
as city magistrate has leen maTked
with not Il few important progressive
movements. He tells me that the
in public spirit and in favor Of public
improvements han at any time IN
its history, and hat the delight of
serving the people as mayor is that a
desire for town i'm provement n pro-
gress has taken possession Of the peo-
pie and they are working together for
the uplift Of the town in every ma
terial and educational way. Briefly
Mayor Wellons welcomed the Home
Corners to the city and then Con
gresham Pou gave welcome on be
half Of the county. Mr.. Pou's tri-
butte to the Confederate soldier and
how he lald deep and broad the foun-
datlons upon which the younger gen
Grafton is building the commonwealth
was a gem. Mr.. POu has never been
more eloquent in q brief address than
in that tribute. 1t was fitting, too.
that he made it, for the young people
are apt to forget the service Of the
men h fought in the sixties and
came home to fight even harder
! battles to preserve Southern civil
Zation than they had fought in
the trenches. But for the courage
these men displayed during Recon
struction, we would have elected no
Vance as Governor and a mongrel
civilization would have prevented the
educational, moral and industrial ex-
pansion that has blessed the State.
The chief Grafton Of Home Coming
day was delivered by Rev. A. j. Nc
RelWay, d. D.. now of Washington
City. He began his ministry here and
established the Smithfeld Presbyte-
rian church. He has always since had
a Partially for Smithfeld and smith
field has had q partially for him, and
they were slad to invite him to make
the principal address today. 1t was
a strong, thoughtful and uplifting ad-
dress, dealing with the last twenty
years of North Carolina and showing
its achievements. He chose that Pc
Rod for contrast, for It was twenty
years ago that he became a citizen Of
Snlthfleld and since then he has had
q ! II li1c great lul1tSS NOiln
Carolina has done. The outline Of his
magnificent address has already ap-
peared in these columns. 1t is a
story, as detailed by him. that gives
great glory to this old commonwealth.
In the course Of his address, alluding
to Congressional matters, he referred
10 congressman Pou and said: If YOU
think as much Of Pou as his collea-
CUES and as the Democratic party of
the Republic thinks of him. YOU will
keep him in Congress until he dies"
Two of the brightest and most
charming addresses I have heard ia
a decade were the brief addresses Of
respons to the addresses of welcome.