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Old timers who are put out to
pasture by the whims and uncer
tainties of show business are, al
most without exception, a trifle on
the quaint side.
Harry Foote came within that
category. Many moons have passed
since his last earthly curtain call,
yet in retrospect the things he did
and the things he said are as de
lightfully humorous today as they
were way back when.
Join us on this April morning,
and we’ll step across the Looking
Glass threshold for a few of our
better recollections. It would take
a whole book to really tell all the
yarns associated with Harry, so
we’ll settle for only the brightest
gems.
During his heydey, he worked
with New York,’s fabulous Hip
podrome, where the entertainment
served up was as varied as it was
spectacular. Somehow or other, he
landed in New Bern several de
cades ago, and decided to make it
his home.
His three children grew up and
went to school here, while-his lov
able wife gained a reputation as
the grandest cake baker in town.
When somebody wanted a cake
that .was a cake, Mrs. Foote got the
order and created a masterpiece.
Getting back to Harry, he gain
ed quick notice in the community
through his expert production and
direction of “H.M.S. Pinafore”* and,
as we recall, “Midsummer Night’s
Dream.’' The annual Elks Minstrels
at the Aliens Theatre prospered
• too uhchMr Msr*h»^$;M|9d. guidame.
But-~aitidi from foelligbts and
grease*' paint, the easy-shuffling
showman was a colorful character
in private life. We use the word
private advisedly, since Harry
never tried to cover up his failings
or his faults. Those who took it
upon themselves to poke fun at
him always had to wait in line.
Harry, usually with tongue in
cheek, claimed the first poke for
his very own.
No one got more fun telling the
Lyle Smith incident than Foote.
It so happened that Lyle, Operator
of the Smoke Shop, had a pet bull
dog. One morning he asked Harry
to step over to Everhart’s Market
and gel the dog a bone.
Lester handed over a nice big
boiie with considerable meat at
tached, all . for free. Dutifully,
Foote delivered it to Lyle, but on
the way back to the Smoke Shop
he got to thinking that bones of
such quality could best be utilized
in a pot of home-made soup.
From that day on, Harry visited
Lester’s market regularly to pick
up similar bones for Lyle’s dog.
The hand outs came to an end
when Lester met Lyle on the street
and inquired as to his dog’s health.
“Hadn’t you heard?” Smith ask
ed. “He died two months ago.”
Foote hadn’t heard either. Not un
til he showed up that very morning
for dhother bone.
Then there was the time that Ad
Warren, the State’s heavyweight
boxing champion, met Pete Ange
les, a phoney who claimed to be
Italy’s champ, in a match at Kafer
Park. Two blows were passed. Ad
hit Pete and Pete hit the canvas
in a state of chilled slumber.
Harry, watching from a tree in
Cedar Grove cemetery, squawked
to high heaven. “Imagine ruining
your only suit to see a crummy
deal like that,” he moaned.
The prize gem, however, came
when the retired showman, who
hadn’t worked in nigh onto 20
years, went to Duke hospital for a
check up. Specialists scrutinized
him to a fare-thee-well, frowned,
conferred and told Harry they had
bad news for him. “You’ll have to
stop work and take things easy,”
they warned him.
The NEW BERN
A w'TWEEKL
Si P^r Copy
VOLUME I
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1958
NUMBER 4
The weakest spot in every man
is where he thinks himself to be
the wisest.—Emmons.
A LOTTA LADIES—If the Stork that delivered
younguns to Mrs. David A. Moore and the late
Mr. Moore at their farm home near New Bern
had been partial to boys, they would have had a
baseball team, ^stead he brought them nothing
but girls. Ma Moore has no regrets. She smiles hap
pily as she proudly poses with the nine daugh
ters in this unique Mirror photo. |.ined up in order
'behind Mrs. Moore are ^rs. Henry Smith, Jr., Mrs.
Larry E. Warrington, and Mrs. Earl Peterson, all
vof New Bern; Mrs. Hugh Briley of Greenville; Mrs.
James S. Nobles of New Bern; Mrs. Jack Rardon of
Arlington, Va.; Miss Kathleen Moore of Wilson;
iMrs. Edward Z. Mabry of GrOenville, and Mrs.
.Garvey A. Wilkinson of New Bern.
Copycats in Choosing Names
A rose by any other name would
still be jusL as sweet. Babies born
in New Bern and Craven county
manage to stay sweet too, despite
the wide variety of handles hung
on them by proud Moms and Pops.
Some of the names are pretty,
some so-so, and some shouldn’t
oughta be stuck on your worst en
emy. Surprisingly enough, a lot
of the ones that have been popular
for generations now appear to be
downright distasteful to 1958 name
choosers.
It’s hard to tell about names any
how. Take the fellow who went
to the Register of Deeds office
and wanted hi^ name changed.
They said it could be changed if
the reason was good enough.
“My name is Joe Stinx,” he in
formed them, and that sounded
like a mighty good reason. “What
do you want your name changed
to?” was the next thing on the
agenda, and his answer, believe it
or not, was “Charley.”
But let’s pass up the adults and
get back to the babies. None of
them are being named for famous
men or women any more, and there
are very few Juniors among the
hundreds of heavenly bundles that
have arrived since New Year’s day.
Most popular name as of now is
Michael, as far as New Bern and
Craven county are concerned.
There ai’e 16 brand new Michaels
hereabouts, not to mention little
Michelle, Michele and Mischele.
James has been picked 12 times,
Robert and William 11 each, David
10 and Jeffrey S. John is well down
the list with 7, along with Karen,
Deborah and Susan.
George M. Cohen called Mary a
grand old name in his hit song of
another era, butf ^lis year’s Mary
total is an unimpressive 6. Joyce,
Linda and Charles have beep se
lected 5 times each. Next in line
with 4 each are Jerry, Lisa, Rich
ard, Pamela and Ronald.
Included among the names with
3 each are Kathy, Paul, Kenneth,
Patricia, Sharon, Russell, Shelia,
Deqnis, Elizabeth, Cynthia, Angela,
Betty, Alton, Carol and Donald.
Rating 2 are Steven, Tony, San
dra, Willie, Teresa, Judy, Kathryn,
Warren, Thomas, Anthony, Edwin,
Dorothy, Frank, Carrie, Douglas,
Barbara, Gary, Garry, Dana, Chris,
New Bernians
ThinkHodges
Pulled Boner
A sample survey conducted in
New Bern indicates that citizens
share the popular belief that Gov
ernor Luther Hodges goofed in
selecting B. Everett Jordan of Sax-
apahaw as the successor to the
late Senator W. Kerr Scott.
Admitting that Hodges would
have been criticized, no matter
who was picked, the typical man in
the street here still insists that
Jordan was a bad choice, politically
and otherwise.
Newspapers, as everybody knows,
nave been lashing out at the Gov
ernor. Some, such as the News and
Observer, an open Scott admirer,
did the expected in denouncing
Jordan’s selection.
Less expected was an editorial
in the Greensboro Daily News that
spoke none too favorably of the
Hodges move. To say that the Gov
ernor was getting a generally bad
press from Manteo to Murphy is no
exaggeration.
Hodges could console himself
with the fact that newspapers can’t
elect a man nor defeat him. That
they influence voters to some ex
tent is beyond question.
Meanwhile, the Governor is on a
very hot seat. Whether he will be
able to exchange it for a cooler
and far more comfortable Senatori
al seat in due time remains to be
seen.
If the poor man cannot always
get meat, the rich man cannot al
ways digest it.
Janet, Leslie, Reginald, Paula, Don
na, Gloria, Myra, Catherine, Mau
rice, Carolyn, Marvin, Cathy, Mar
tha, Laurie, Mark and Rose.
Rounding out the list are Artie,
Alexander,^ Andrew, Anne, Andrea,
April, Archie, Annabel, Adriane,
Alfetta, Arthur, Bobby, Billy, Bon
nie, Brenda, Aubrey, Bettie, Bonny,
Clarence, Caroline, Carla, Craig,
Candy, Cephus, Chynetta, Carltom
Celeste, Carman, Cedrick, Claud,
Constance, Carl, Cheryl, Christine,
Canadance, Charlotte, Connie,
Cathleen, Clifton, Coleby, Celia,
Cleanie among the first three let
ters of the alphabet.
Coni inning, we find Doreen, Don
na, Doyle, Debenee, Delores, Dru
silla, Dianna, Diana, Doris, Ellenor
Ellis, Ella, Elaine, Evangeline
Elisha, Edgar, Frances, Francis
George, Gerry, Gwendolyn, Glen
Glenn, Gregory, Gerald, Hardie
Habey, Heather, Helen, Isaac, Ira
Josephine, Joanne, Judith, Jamie
Julia, Jay and Joy.
Then, there’s Kurt, Kim, Kevin
Kathie, Katherine, Kermitt, Kim
berly, Kirk, Kirth, Lei Louise
Lynn, Lynden, Louis, Lorraine, Lar
ry, Leisha, Lovie, Leroy, Linwood
Leonard, Mitchel, Marian, Marc
Marilyn, Margaret, Melissa, Meta
Nina, Natalie, Nyal, Oscar, Odilio
Phillip, Perry, Peggy, Patrick, and
Rae.
Adding to the astounding varie
ty are Robin, Rosalyn, Riley, Roc
ky, Jackie, Julie, Joseph, Jacque
line, Jean. Joan, Roger, Rhonda,
Rosalind, Raymond, Ranella, Ron-
da, Roderick, Ruth, Sheran, Ste
phanie, Shally, Scott, Sharron, Ste
phen, Shirley, Sherri, Tammie,
Tammy, Turner, Theodore, Terri,
Timothy and Timmy.
Getting near the end of the trail
we find Tamarra, Victoria, Vanes
sa, Vicky, Violet, Vernon, Virginia,
Yvonne, Wheeler, Wanda, Wandra,
Wynne, Wendell, Willa and Wayne.
All of which proves, if nothing
else, that parents in New Bern
and Craven are anything but copy
cats when it comes to Identifying
their young’uns.
Boilinff Pot
Is Creating
Choice Stew
Anything can happen in this
year’s county elections. That’s the
evaluation of seasoned political ob
servers as they look over an array
of veteran campaigners and eager-
beaver newcomers.
Fur v/ill fly, they say, in the
wholesale scramble for upper
berths on the County Commission
ers special, while Elbert Mallard’s
late entry into the race for Clerk
of Court makes even more unpre
dictable an already unpredictable
battle between the incumbent. Will
Flanner, and his initial adversary,
Walter J. Smith.
With Arthur Dail out of the pic
ture and all of the other commis
sioners very much in it, the free-
for-all fight is on. C. D. Lancaster,
now serving, is in a three-way bat
tle with Joe D. Williams and Guy
Boyd for two available seats.
Walter J. Wynne will get real
competition from Dexter Williams,
who surprised, everybody a few
years back by giving the late Com
missioner Tom Haywood a maxi
mum of opposition.
Ed Ipock is out beating the bush
es to protect his place among the
commissioners frmn /an all-out on
slaught engineered by Johnnie E.
Daughtery. Chairman George Ipock
has a pair of challengers to wor-
try about—Dewey Jordm and.Chrov-
;er C. Laneaatmr,:.:^-
With State Senator JoWtWMw-
son an his way. to retiremeiit, his
colleague. Judge Luther Hamilton,
is in' no position to take things
easy. Facing him and ready for ac
tion is New Bern’s own Jimmy
Simpkins, Clyde Sabiston of Jack
sonville, Darris Koonce of Tren
ton and J. L. Kallam of Route 1,
Kinston.
Craven county’s representative in
the General Assembly, Sam White
hurst, is opposed by C. W. Fields.
The large turn out of candidates
for the board of county commis
sioners climaxed persistent rumors
over an extended period that a
move was on to get new faces into
this particular branch of the county
government. Many names were
mentioned as potential candidates,
and the possibility of a feminine
candidate loomed right up to the
filing deadline.
Although *a major shakeup would
appear to be considerably less than
a foregone conclusion, local poli
ticians are not scoffing at the pos
sibility. They know, many of them
from sad personal experience, that
no election is a sure thing until
the last vote has been counted.
It seems reasonable to assume
that the present commissioners
will endeavor to present a united
front in furthering their respec
tive candidacies. Each, however,
has his own row to hoe, and from
the standpoint of smart politics,
can’t devote too much time or
create too much agitation in fight
ing somebody else’s battles.
Whether Mallard’s entry into the
Clerk of Court race hurt Planner’s
chances of re-election or weakened
Smith’s position is a matter too
for conjecture.
With Flanner, Smith and Mal
lard in the picture—all of them
from New Bern—the rural vote
is apt to be the determining fac
tor. Cognizant of this, all three are
hitting the trail early and often
in quest of the farmer’s support.
All in all, the politi«iul pot that
has been simmering soMy is now
bubbling up into a stale of steady
percolation. /
Compromise makes a good um
brella, Mt « poor ro^. It is it tern*
porary expedient, mten wise in
party politics, almost sure to be
i^ise in statesmanship.—^LowelL