1962-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1962 June Voice | Page 7

Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse 5 Mrs. Green was introduced to the Tennessee Walking Horse at the 1961 Celebration. She was transplanted from the quiet rural community in Greene County, Alabama, directly into the whirl of the Celebration which featured 56,000 attendance in six nights. "When I saw those beautiful horses I could understand why Ben loved them so much and why folks all over the United States write to us with magazine subscriptions, book orders and questions galore. They seem to think Ben is a horse himself, because only a horse could know the answers to some of their questions,” says Mary Frances. Was Offered Stationery Ben Greens At Work In Their “Office” . . . Former Tuscaloosa Newsman. Wife In Tennessee Ex-Tuscaloosan, Wife Keep Shelbyville P.O. Walking7 Reprinted From the Tuscaloosa (Ala. News.) SHELBYVILLE, Term.—An un­ usual couple—married eight months ago “to start new lives at 60’’—has suddenly become one of the major personal mail patrons of the Shelby­ ville post office, according to post­ master William R. Payne. It’s all because of a book, a bro­ chure and a breed magazine dealing with the Tennessee Walking Horse— for which Shelbyville is famous due to the Tennessee Walking Horse Na­ tional Celebration, Aug. 26-Sept. 1. Payne says Ben A. Green, news­ paperman of 37 years experience, and his wife—Mary Frances Neville Green, former postmaster at a fourth class office in Knoxville, Ala., near Tusca­ loosa—have deluged his office with letter and package mail since early December, 1961. Green, former editor of The Tusca­ loosa News, left Tuscaloosa about 10 years ago after having worked on the paper more than 20 years. Green in 1960 with a second edition in 1961. The Greens operate from a crowded small “office” in the home, but often overflow into the dining room and kitchen. They average 20 to 30 letters a day of incoming and outgoing mail. The books sell for $7.50 everywhere except Bedford County, where Green slices the price one-third. His monthly 36-page magazine, Voice of the Ten­ nessee Walking Horse, started publi­ cation in March. Already it shows 2,000 paid subscribers. The new Mrs. Green is happy de­ spite all this hubbub. "I’m Ben’s secretary,” she says, “but it's hard to keep up with him.” Knew Each Other The two were married Aug. 17, 1961, in Tuscaloosa, but had known each other 40 years. Their first mates had died more than a year previously. Mrs. Green says she inherited three fine sons and four grandchildren by the marriage—twin sons, 25, are Epis­ Cars Parked in Weather copal ministers in Tennessee and their The Greens live in a modest home oldest brother, 31, is an associate pro­ at 1110 S. Brittain St., but have to fessor at Western Reserve University, park their cars in the weather because Cleveland, Ohio, with a doctor’s de­ their carport is full of 6,000 books. gree in physics, Mrs. Green has a They are “The Biography of the Ten­ foster daughter and a grandson who nessee Walking Horse,” written by live in Tuscaloosa. Shortly after the horse show Green began work on a 20-page Celebration brochure with a color picture of world's champion Major Wilson (crowned in 1961) on the front. While talking with a friend about printing the brochure, the friend of­ fered Green enough stationery to mail letters to 10,000 persons asking if they wanted to subscribe to a breed maga­ zine. He and his wife got names from several sources, took their last $500 in the book fund (designed to pay ofE book debts) and mailed the 10,000 letters during early December. Mrs. Green became ill—but she got well in a hurry when 75 letters brought $508 in the first return mail. “We really do not worry about those 6,000 books, but I’ll be glad when we can put at least one car in the garage and forget about the mort­ gage on the house,” said Mary Frances. “My biggest worry is trying to slow Ben down. He had a serious cancer operation almost three years ago, spent 38 days in the hospital, and is now on cancer probation. "He also works at the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, often day and night, and I do not see how he can keep up this pace. She Wants A Honeymoon "One other thing would make me quite happy. I would like to catch up with work, clean this house real good for the first time in eight months and take a few days for a honeymoon. When we were married the honey­ moon lasted only two days, then we headed for Shelbyville because Ben needed to help the paper get ready for the Celebration. “It’s all been hectic but fun," she said, “and certainly unlike life down home.”