The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OP
EASTERN NORTH
a CAROLINA
IJC
0
VOLUME 15
NEW BERN, N. C. 28560, FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1972
NUMBER 12
Old timers who mourn the
passing of things that were dear
to earlier generations should
never overlook the boarding
houses we used to have In New
Bern.
Scattered around town were
these pleasantly informal
eating places, where quality
and quantity blended into meals
that took no account of calories.
You stuffed to heart’s content,
and shared the latest gossip
with every bite you ate.
No one ever knew in advance
what was to be served on any
given day, but nobody cared.
There was bound to be a wide
variety, and those who had
arms long enough to qualify for
the famed “boarding house
reach” got plenty of it all.
In many respects a boarding
house was just like a family
gathering. Table manners
didn’t worry the regulars, and
second helpings were the order
of the day. There was good
natured banter over the food
consumption of this or that
diner, but it was like the pot
calling the kettle black.
Everybody was a hog over the
vittles, except the temporarily
ailing who were “off their feed”
for the time being.
Invariably, the energetic lady
who operated the boarding
house was a cheerful and
loquacious soul. She loved
people, and darted in and out of
the kitchen to exchange con
versation with the folks who
entrusted their digestions to her
care.
Perhaps memory is playing
tricks on us, but for the life of us
we can’t remember anybody at
the long, bountifully-laden table
ever getting sure enough mad
during the hectic discussions
that accompanied the meals.
It’s hard to l^ome successfully
infuriated, when you’re
cramming food like a late
arrival at a church picnic.
Surprisingly, you didn’t hear
much about stomach ulcers
either. Maybe the unhappy
mortals who were plagued by
ulcers rimply stayed away from
boarding houses—or should
have stayed away earlier. At
any rate, it was quite clear that
no one among those present was
suffering at the moment from
the inadequacies and
distrubances of a squeamish
stomach.
Today, at noon, most of us
describe our meal as lunch, but
it was always called dinner in
the old days. To call this
enormous intake of food a lunch
would have been a disgraceful
misrepresentation of the facts.
First come, first served was
the pattern, and the boarders
who got a head start were
privileged to latch into the best
pieces of meat on the platter.
Actually, this was their only
advantage, since the avalanche
of asswted vegetables that
rounded out the feast was never
depleted. Much remained after
the last of the thundering herd
had depa^.
Eating first, and leaving,
wasn’t entirely advisable. You
knew fidl well that the moment
you were gone you
would become the
topic ci conversation. Your
(Continued on page 8)
ONCE UPON A TIME—This impressive brick
structure, supplanted by the building that Coleman
Motors, successor to W. C. Hagood*s, has occupied
many years, is best remembered by oldesters as
the residence of Dr. Frank Hughes and his family.
Before that, as told to us, the original Bank of New
Bern was located in it. The shadowed building to
your left, now occupied by Gussman Cleaners, is
where Dr. Hughes had his office, and Lawyer Bill
McKeever, if our information is correct, did
business on the floor above the good doctor’s office.
The vacant lot in the foreground, across the street,
(Hammond Electric now) was big enou^ to play
baseball in. The Downtown and the Uptown boys
had their games there, and they always ended in a
fi^t. A huge magnolia tree could be climbed, if the
going got too tough. It was even fun scrambling up.
during the peace that reigned in betwedh bfui
games. Deny it if you care to, but you’ve gbt to be
pushing 70, or probably older, if you recaU all
this.—Photo from Albot D. Brooks Collection.