State

For the bride of Simms Memory if Memory is true. The years passed. Thomas Simms served as a colonel in the War Between the States and was appointed post¬ master of Atlanta. Thomas Memory served as colonel of the militia in Col¬ umbus County. Correspondence waned, but oddly enough, their casual meeting on a northbound train had re¬ sulted in a baby boy being named Simms Memory in Whiteville and a baby girl being named Memory Simms in Atlanta. The two children were often de¬ lighted with stories told them of the pledge of their fathers. Memory, a gifted musician, played an organ in an Atlanta theatre at the age of eleven, later served as pipe organist for an At¬ lanta Presbyterian Church. She won¬ dered about Simms Memory, who in turn wondered about Memory Simms. Several years later, a letter came to the Memory family from Atlanta. Mrs. Simms had written to say that Col. Simms had died. A letter of condo¬ lence was written in reply by Simms Memory, expressing deep sympathy of his family over their loss. In time, a letter arrived in Whiteville addressed to Simms Memory. It was from Mem¬ ory. expressing appreciation for the sympathy rendered to her family. That was the first exchange of letters be¬ tween Simms and Memory, and a warm correspondence developed. Then Simms asked for his father's permission to make a trip to Atlanta. Dusty and begrimed from the long train ride, delayed several hours by mechanical breakdown of the locomo¬ tive. Simms arrived in Atlanta. His first experience alone in a huge city. While wondering how to find his hotel, he was approached by a coachman who said “Mr. Memory? I am to take you to the Simms home." Simms de¬ murred. it was no hour for a social visit, but the coachman insisted “Mrs. Simms is expecting you." Graciously met and ushered into the parlor by Mrs. Simms, it was not an easy moment for the young man from a small North Carolina town. Simms wondered what to do with his hands. He looked down at his dusty shoes, was horrified that they grew larger by the moment. Then he heard the rustle of silken skirls on the stairway, looked up to see a young lady descending. She approached him with a smile, but Simms shook his head. "You are not Memory, you must be her sister." he said. After another short wait, a sec¬ ond elegantly clad sister descended the stairway to test Simms' reaction, see if 18 he would mistake her for his promised bride. Again he shook his head, looked down to see how much larger his dusty shoes had grown. Suddenly Simms felt another pres¬ ence in the room, his head turned. A ; demure, gingham clad girl had entered I from a side door, stood earnestly • studying him. Forgotten w'as his dis- J pi.aCES YOU comfiturc. Simms rose, went over and took her hands, said "You are Mem¬ ory"! For a week Simms was entertained, shown the sights of Atlanta, deeply impressed with Memory and the Simms family. On the last day of his visit, he finally mustered courage to say that he was more than eager to fulfill the tentative pledge of their fa¬ thers. he wanted Memory in marriage. However Memory insisted that they must not marry simply because of their fathers’ pledge. Simms must return to North Carolina for a six weeks’ test of their feelings. Simms did return to Whiteville. or¬ dered a ring and impatiently watched each mail — from Baltimore for the ring, from Atlanta for word that Mem¬ ory was awaiting his return. At first his parents were amused, then after two weeks Col. Memory advised his son to "go back to Atlanta and get Memory." Simms again boarded the train for Atlanta. One January morning, by warm candlelight. Simms Memory was wed to Memory Simms. According to the custom of that day. disappointed suitors had the privilege of accom¬ panying the bride and groom part way on their wedding journey. Simms was exasperated, then relieved beyond ex¬ pression when the last suitor got off the train at Decatur. He had his bride to himself! Simms brought his bride to White- ville where they lived happily together for almost fifty years. Memory served as organist in the Baptist Church. Simms accompanied her with his fid¬ dle. Simms survived Memory by twenty five years, but died in I94X at the age of 93 years. Today they rest side by side in Whiteville Memorial Cemetery. Portraits of this legendary couple hang in the home of Mrs. Norman (Emily Memory» Peal at Chadbourn. a granddaughter. Col. Memory has many descendants. Among them living in the Raleigh area: Dr. Mary Lynch Johnson. Thomas Memory. John Charles Memory. Mrs. Thornton Mitchell, and Dr. Jasper D. Memory and Major J. E. Covington of the State University staff. CAN VISIT: Wilbur Tyndall's Farm Museum In Pink Hill. SI glimpse of agrarian history. Hi/ PH II. It OYVIi; About a century and a half ago. farmers from all over the eastern coast began moving west, lured by tales of clean, boundless acreage that could grow anything. They found the prairies fertile, but the cast iron plows they brought with them bogged down and stuck in the rich soil. Sodbusting was a slow and backbreakingly laborious job. An imaginative blacksmith studied the problem and then used a broken, discarded saw blade to make a new kind of plow, highly polished and carefully shaped. It furrowed the lough prairie neatly and quickly. Before long, the blacksmith was producing more than 1.000 plows a year from whatever steel he managed to scrounge. Today, that blacksmith s name is on some 600 different products sold all over the world, and the multi-billion- dollar John Deere Company employs 60.000 persons in its many foundries and factories. Nobody knows this success story better than Wilbur Tyndall, president THE STATE, JANUARY 1981