The NEW BERN
■«0 WEEKLY
^OOQ ifr^,
Jir.
C.
VOLUME I
NEW BERN, N.X., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1959
NUMBER 48
Since Donald T. Midyette is one
of our favorite New Bernians, we
are counting on him to forgive us
for letting this story out of the
bag.
Back in the days when the di
minutive Oriental native wa'S a stu
dent at Atlantic Christian College
in Wilson, there was a Clinton
youngster enrolled in the same
school by the name of Shorty Cart
er.
As a practical joker, Shorty had
few equals, and he would go to
great lengths to pull a ridiculous
prank. Naturally he got ideas when
a traveling patent-medicine ped
dler set up shop at one of Wilson’s
corner drug stores, and starting
selling Indian herb juice.
Carter purchased a bottle, took
it to the campus, and left it on
the dresser in his room for a cou
ple of days. Then he went back to
the salesman, and proclaimed the
wonders that herb juice had done
for him. “It cured me of every
thing”, drooled Shorty, “it’s mar
velous, simply marvelous.”
The juice man, anxious to capi
talize on this bountiful enthusiasm,
asked the student if he would be
willing to sign a testimonial for
use in the local newspaper. Shorty
promptly agreed, but instead of
signing his own name he signed
Donald’s.
Next day the Wilson'Times car
ried a half page ad, proclaiming
with bold headlines that a popular
P Atlantic Christian youth was simpjy
'■ caried away with Indian herb juice.
Underneath, in lurid detail, it
how Don was infested with
'just about every ailment known
/ to man, and got rid of them all
' with the very first bottle. The
^ miracle had to be so, because Mid-
yette’s name was signed at the bot
tom.
Don didn’t see the ad himself,
not right away. A sour-faced biolo
gy professor, who maybe could have
used some sort of tonic himself,
did see the testimonial and called
it to Midyette’s attention on class.
When Donald professed ignorance,
the professor gave him a sarcastic
going over. Anyone who knows Mid
yette’s mild, peace-loving tempera
ment, can imagine how embarrased
he was.
As soon as he had the chance, he
headed for the college library to
scrutinize the Wilson Times and
see for himself. Somebody had al
ready beaten him to the paper, and
had clipped the ad out.
When at last Midyette did lay
his hands on a copy of the Times,
he well night blew his stack. He
hurried to the drug store, but the
salesman had left town and nobody
knew from nothing.
“Maybe I should have sued some
body,” says the local dealer in
stocks and bonds, “but I guess it’s
just as well that I didn’t. More
than a month later, after I had
cooled off. Shorty came to me vol
untarily and admitted that he was
to blame.”
The gag died a very slow death.
For at least two years after that,
Donald was the target for good na-
tured ribbing by fellow students,
and became resigned' to the nick
name of Herb Juice.
More important than the kidding
was the high esteem he was held
in by everyone who came in con
tact with him at the college. They
admired him for the good sport
that he stiU is, and were convinced
that his sense of humor could sur
vive anything.
As for Shorty Carter, it is quite
likely that he is still pulling prac
tical jokes on other unsuspecting
friends, even to this day. Once a
prankster always a prankster is a
pattern of human behavior that
seldom produces an exception.
Nothing short of the grave stops
them.
Incidei/fai’iv^ what Shorty did
with that bottle of Indian herb
FROM A GOLDEN PAST—Songs and poems have been writ
ten about 18th century drawing rooms, and certainly this
one in Tryon Palace has rare charm. In case you think the
Venitian blinds are a modern touch, you’re wrong. They
date back to the time of Tryon. What intrigues The Mir
ror most is the distinctive clock hanging on the wall. This is
one of a series of selected scenes that We will carry to give
you a prevue of the Palace prior to its official opening.—
Photo by John R. Baxter.
Famous News Commentator
Once New Bern Groceryman
New Bernians are quite familiar
with the face and voice of David
Brinkley, ace NBC news commenta
tor, who is the No. 1 choice for
every major assignment that his
television network has to offer.
What they aren’t familiar with
is the fact that he once lived here
for a brief spell, and waited on
many of them as the assistant
manager of an A&P store that was
located on Middle street between
Pollock and Broad.
and graduated to a job with United jin Montgomery. Ala., and Atlanta
Press in Nashville. before going to Washington prior
He also worked for United Press' to World War II to set up his own
He was courteous and efficient,
and these are two of the qualities
that have stood him in good stead.
No matter how trying the circum
stances may be, the soft-spoken
Wilmington native doesn’t get flus
tered or upset.
Tall, lean and young looking, the
38-year-old news analyst is a vete
ran of 15 years network experience
in Washington. He has one of the
keenest wits in the business, and
has been known to use this quiet
wit with biting effect.
David got his news-gathering
start working on his hometown
Wilmington Star-News while at
tending high school. After his
short stint as a grocery clerk, he
studied at the University of North
Carolina and Vanderbilt University
juice after he pulled his joke is a
matter to ponder. It probably was
dumped down the drain—perhaps
even before the advertisement in
volving Midyette reached print.
Hence we will never know if the
stuff really did have potent in
gredients.
DAVID BRINKLEY
news bureau. His clients were pa
pers throughout the Carolines.
After a tour of Army duty, he
joined NBC. He covered the White
House in his early days with the
network, and appeared on a num
ber of NBC news shows, including
“America United”, “Pro and Con”,
and the “News Caravan.”
David’s biggest break came with
the 1956 political conventions. For
this performance he received wide
spread critical praise. The Louis-
ville Times called him “the discov
ery of the convention; he says a
lot well, with the incisiveness of
Elmer Davis.”
In addition to the conventions,
he covered the 1956 Presidential
election, the second Eisenhower in
auguration, Queen Elizabeth’s visit,
to the United States and Canada,
and the NATO summit meeting in
Paris. His part in the “Huntley-
Brinkley Report” calls for handling
big, fast-breaking stories occurring
every day in Washington.
Around his Montgomery county,
Md., home, David leaves news and
high pressure behind him. About
the most complicated things he’ll
get involved in are PTA problems
for the Brinkley children’s elemen
tary school.
Brinkley’s youngsters are Alan,
8; Joel, 5; and John, 3. He is mar
ried to another former United
Press staffer, Ann Fischer. Natural
ly, Ann understands the trials and
tribulations that any newsman has
to face.
He doesn’t have much time for
(Ccntinued on back page)