WHAT INDUSTRY HAS DONE IN THE
DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS OF
JOHNSTON COUNTY
WHEN' you think of Johnston
County, you generally regard
it from im agricultural stand¬
point. because Johnston for many
years has l»ecn regarded as one of the
finest farming sections in North Caro¬
lina. This is attested to by the fine
cotton, tobacco, corn and other crops.
Johnston has always been right at the
top in the production of cotton. The
total value of all crops is in excess
of $10,000,000. And that’s nobody’s
chicken feed.
But there's another side of John¬
ston County, and that is the industrial
side. You may not know if. hut there
are five cotton mills within the bor¬
ders of the county: four oil mills;
eight lumber mills, six cotton gins and
a large meat-packing plant. Altogeth¬
er. there are 42 different industrial
establishment* located in Smithfield,
Princeton. Selma, Four Oaks, Henson,
Clayton. Kenly. and the other towns
and villages of the county.
So you sec, Johnston isn't exclusive¬
ly an agricultural county at all.
There arc two large cotton mills in
Clayton; Bartox Spinning Company
and Whitley Cotton Mills. In Selma
are the Selma Cotton Mills and the
Eastern Manufacturing Company.
In Smithfield is the Smithfield Manu¬
facturing Company, which recently
was taken over by Burlington Mills,
Inc.
Meat Packing Plant
One of the most interesting indus¬
trial establishments in the county is
that of the Carolina Packers, Inc., lo¬
cated a couple of miles south of
Smithfield. They arc eastern North
Carolina’s only complete meat pack¬
ing plant, specializing in native
inoat-s beef, pork, veal and lamb—
and sausages, bologna, hams, bacon
and frankfurters.
The concern was established in
July, 1941. J. A. Jones, of Savannah,
is secretary-treasurer and general
manager. When we were down in
that section last week, we stopped at
the Hillcr.-t Filling Station, near
the packing plant, and asked one of
the men there the name of the man
who run the plant.
The school at Four Oaks, said to be the largest rural consolidated school
in the world.
"His name is J. A. Jones." was the
reply. And then he added : “And he
is the hardest working man there i«
in North Carolina.”
Wo found out afterwards that that
-«ч
to he the general opinion of
people in and around Smithfield.
Most of the meat they buy comes
from eastern Carolina, although t bon¬
is some that comes from the western
part of the state. Although their out¬
put i. somewhat restricted at the
present time, they can take care of
800,000 pounds of beef, pork, etc., a
week. The processed meats are de¬
livered in three huge trucks, with
refrigerator bodies, to wholesalers
within a radius of about 75 miles.
They pay out approximately $26,-
000 a week to the farmers from whom
they buy their cows, hogs and sheep.
And they have from 00 to 75 people
on the payroll. A farmer is able to
bring a load of livestock to the plant
any day ho chooses, have it weighed
ami receive payment in full before he
leaves. The animals are bought at a
Hat price, with no portion of the pay¬
ment held up pending grading. The
industry has provided the farmers of
Johnston and neighboring counties
with a daily cash market for livestock
and also has been the means of bring¬
ing about a considerable increase in
the raising of cattle and hogs.
At Clayton are located the Whitley
Cotton Mills, Inc., which were orig¬
inally organized as the Clayton Cot¬
ton Mills in 1901. Ashley Horne,
К.
B. Whitley, Julian Barbour,
James H. Pou, W. A. Barnes. 1 >. H.
MrCullers. E. B. MeCullers and I>r.
J. A. Griffin were among the men who
headed up the organization. It was
first a 5,000-spindle mill. In 1905
it was increased to a 10,000-spindle
plant. It was leased t«» the Bock fish
Cotton Mills in 1920 and was operated
by them until 1931. Then It. L. Huf-
(incs, Jr., ami McDonald Dixon leased
it until 1935, at which time it tvas
sold at auction. 11. B. Whitley is
president of the present corporation,
Philip It. Whitley is vice president
and W. It. I'eele is secretary and
treasurer. Sam White came to the
plant in 1901 and has been tuperin-
tendent of mill operations ever since.
There are aproximately 340 people
on the payroll.
The town of Smithfield considers
the cotton yarn plant of the Smith-
