■V
SATUBDAT. AUG.
THE cABmjNA mm
September 17 Set For Start Of Cl AA Season In N.C
ASHFOBD IN ACTION —
Emmett Aahford foes all ont
when he officiates a baseball
game, one of the reasons he*s
» popular omplre In the Pael>
flo Coast Leafoe. Aahford, the
first Nefro to nmpire iwofes-
slonal baseball, is in bis sec
ond second with the PCL. He
hopes someday to receive an
assifnment in the major lea
gues. (Photo by Allan de Lay,
Portland, Oregon).
First Negro Professional Umpire
Winning New Uurels For Race
Emmett Ashford, the first Ne
gro to umpire professional base
ball, Is winning new laurels lor
himself and his race with his of
ficiating in the Pacific Coast
League.
It’S' Asljford’s ambition to um
pire in tbe major leagues some
day and his rapid rise indicates
he might well achieve that goal.
He began calling plays and
pitches in organized baseball late
in the 1901 season in the Class
C Souttiwest International Lea
gue. It took him less than three
years to work up to the Open
Class Pacific Coast circuit,
where he's rounding out his sec^
end season.
If Asliford can become the
Jackie Robinson of major lea
gue umpires, it will signal an
outstanding personal triumi>h.
“Many .of my own friends
ridiculed me for wanting to be a
professional baseball umpire,’’
he declares.
“Anyone who does some
thing ‘first’ runs up against this
kind of barrier, but I’ve always
been one to try something new
and I’ve never turned down a
challenge. If 1 can.do a good um
piring job, I can do much for
my people. Much of the ill feel
ing between white persons and
Negroes is being erased in the
sports world and that is a grand
thing,”
Ashford is proud tliat his pro
fessional imipirlng career has
not been marred by any Incident
of prejudice. “Getting along on
the field is the big thing,” he
said. “I just want people ta ac
cept me as 1 am, and so far
they’ve done just that.”
He’s becoming a popular base
ball arbiter because of his em
phatic and “on top of the play”
styyle of calling them. The fans
in Dixie town once gave iilm an
ovation for merely dusting off
the pllte.
Ashford, a resident of Los
Angeles, gave up IS years of te-
curity and senioritj^ in the post
office there to take up a sea
sonal career as an umpire. But
he has no cause for regret. Not
only is he a success on the dia
mond, but in the off-season he’s
a full time public relations
representative for the Western
Sales Division of the Jos. Schlitz
'brewing Company. During the
baseball season, be devotes what
time he can to hia Schlitz work.
His public relations dutlea take
him up and down . the West
Coast.
Ashford l>egan umpiring soft
ball games as hobby in 1040.
“Softball began to boom in
California after World War n
and I began to get jobs which
took me from San Diego (100
miles south of his. home) to
Santi( Barbua (some 00 miles
to the north).
“Pretty soon 1 branched into
high school and college base
ball, working Paetttc Coast Con
ference games for the Universi
ty of Southern California and
the University of California at
Los Angeles and for smaller col
leges in- the Los Angeles area.
That was at>out 1948.”
He also umpired major league
exlilbitlon games at Wrigley
Field in Los Angeles during four
spring training seasons and was
umpire for the Memphis Red
Sox of tiie Negro American Lea
gue while serving with the U. S.
Navy during the war.
That was Asliford’s umpiring
background when he got a
chance in 1951 to join the South
west International League for
the la^ two months of the sea
son. The league operated in
■Southern . California, Arizona,
Nevada and Mexico.
Ashford obtained a leave of
absence from his post office Job
and accepted the opportunity.
When the season ended, he was
among those selected to umpire'
the league playoffs.
"It made me feel pretty good
when that happened,” he ad
mits.
When the 1952 season began,
Asliford quit hia post office job
and became a professional um
pire. From the Southwest Inter
national League he moved on to
the Arizona-Texaa loop and the
Western International circuit
and last year was signed by the
Pacific Coast League, where be
became an immediate hit.
When Ashford calls a play or
a pitch, there’s no room for
doubt in understanding ills ver
dict. His whole body and even
his facial expression reflect bis
decision. On a strike, for in
stance, he’ll whip out ills right
arm, bring it back and pump it
out again for empluuds.
But he believes that umpiring
“calling balls and strikes cor-
i^ctly comes first, then if a fel
low can develop a style it
helps.”'
Hundreds Attend
Water Pageant
At Itillside hA
The Hillside Life Saving
Corp presented its 1955 Wa
ter Pageant, August 15, at 8
P- iii.f The Pageant had a
Tropical setting and the title
was “A Night of Fantasy In
Kahooiawe.” The place was
alive with excitement. Beau
tiful scenery and soft lights
helped to cast an exotic spell
on the occasion. Hundreds of
people witnessed this gala af
fair. The pageant took place
in water and on land.
The participants formed a big
"HELLO” across the pool that
was met with a loud applause.
Synchronized swimming, the
water wheel, precision diving,
by the Life Saving Corp, stunt
diving by the Clown all met
with approval. There were
hula dancers, Indian dancers,
“Apple Jack,” Tapp and many
other intricate dances. “Ap
ple Jack” Moore and his as
sistant sent the audience into
peals of laughter with their
comedy act. A highlight of the
occasion was music furnished
by the Progressive Six Swing
Band, featuring Joseph Mc-
Laurin and George Washing
ton as vocalist.
A night of fun and merri
ment came to an end with the
audience reluctant to leave.
Scout Swim Classic Set For Hillside
Swimming Pool Saturday, Aug 11
The Fourth Annual Scout
Swim Classic is being staged
by the City Recreation De
partment and the Durham
Divisional Committee, of the
Boy Scouts. Clarke Eger-
ton, pool director, will be in
charge. The event will take
place at the Hillside Swim
ming Pool on Saturday, Aug.
27. All Cub Scouts, Boy
Scouts and Explorer Scouts of
Durham and adjoining coun
ties are invited to participate,
according to R. Kelly Bryant,
Jr., chairman of the Durham
Divisional Committee.
The pool will open at ten
o’clock and Scouts may com
plete requirements for first
class swimming or merit
badges on life saving and
swimming during the morning.
The afternoon program will
get underway at 1:15 P. M.
The Classic will be filled witli
a series of competitive elmin-
ation events in swimming
races, relays and diving. Units
may participate in any or all
of the events. The events will
elude races in free style swim-
ing (any stroke the Scout
wishes to use), breaststroke,
sidestroke, backstroke, etc.
Fancy diving will be the at
traction of the afternoon.
There will be events for
Scout leaders.
HANK THOMPSON OK;
INJURY ONLY MINOR
NEW YORK
Hank Thompson—the Giants’
third baseman, escaped serioos
injury when he was hit on
the forearm by Dodger pitefc-
er, Karl Spooner. Had the hit
come three inehes higher on
the elbow, it would have frac
tured the elbow, explained
the Giants’ trainer. The New
Yorkers were greatly worried
about Hank what witb so
many of their infielders out
of commission.
WILLIE PACING GIANTS
FOR SECOND PLACE
NEW YORK
Despite all the moaning of
Giants fans — with a great
deal of it directed at Willie
Mays for not being super
human — the Giants seemed
' headed for second place in the
National League. That’s if
they hustle the rest of the
way and go all out for the
next best to being pemnant
winners.
Pacing the Giants is Willie,
no less, who seems stronger
in August than he was ear
lier in the year. Although Wil
lie’s batting 35 points less
than last year—he’s still hit
ting at .301 and his RBI pace
is faster than ■ last year’s.
Since July 1, the Giants have
won 28 of 44 games played. •
On his own as a halfback-
field performer this year is
North Carolina College half
back George Alexander, Salis
bury, N. C. junior. A standout
performer last season when he
played in the shadows of Amos
Thornton and Jerome Evans,
Alexander may well become
one of the Eagles’ all-time
standouts. He is a better than
average bet to enter NCC’s
home opener on October 15 in
Durham against Virginia State
College. The Eagles’ other
home opponents are Shaw
University (Homecoming) on
Oct. 29 and South Carolina
State, November .5.
Big Labor Day Show And Dance To
Co-Star Ersklne Hawkins, Others
RALEIGH
The big Rhythm and Blues
Show co-starring E r s k i^n e
Hawkins and his great orches
tra; The Orioles, that sensa
tional singing group; Earl
King plus Roy Brown and his
great orchestra will play a big
labor day show and dance date
at the Raleigh Memorial Audi
torium on Monday night Sept.
5.
New Orleans has given to
America a great number of
musical stars and three mem
bers of this very exclusive set
are the Louis boys (that’s
Armstrong and Prima, in case
you didn’t already know) and
Roy Brown. Known through
out the land as the most ex
citing blues stylist, the fore
most exponent of rockin’ rhy
thm Brown brings a distinc
tive type of blues and rhythm
of the New Orleans flavor.
This New Orleans rhythm and
blues singing and his Mighty,
Mighty Men of music has been
breaking box record on a
tour of the nation. They wiU
feature their latest DeLuxe re
cordings including “Good Roc
king and “Long About Mid
night” in the Juke Box Rhy
thm and Blues Show.
Earl King is exculsive King
recording artist and has many
hits under this label. His one
big hit “Don’t Take It So
Hard” is now riding in the
number three spot throughout
the nation. Earl has an unusual
style of blues singing that has
swept the country to its feet.
His second big hit ‘Gratefully’
is now moving in the hit lime
light.
The famous Twentieth Cen
tury Garbiel, Erskine Haw
kins, claims allegiance to the
solid-sending, soUd swinging'
type of rhythm and blues that
has established his aggregation
The American Rhythm
Champion. As both leader
and composer, Hawkins is
probably best known for his
Tuxedo Junction’’ which he
wrote in 1939. Since that time
he has written many other
melodies which attained hit
proportions. Among them are
‘Tippin’ In”, “After Hours”,
Norfolk Ferry”, “Brooklyn
Bounce” and “Hawk’s Boogie”
Rounding out the show will
be those show-stopping boys
The Orioles. They are one of
the major reasons for the cur
rently amazing popularity ex-
(Please turn to Page Eight)
-Letter-
(Continued from Page Two)
of human beings. - Therefore,
teaching appeals only to the
missionary minded Negro in
the North. The great majority
of Negroes in the North seek
Jobs which pay more money
and which require less pro
fessional preparation just as
the Whites are doing In'North
Carolina today. Can you
blame them?
It seems to me, under the
Governor’s philosophy, mother
time will be the deciding fac
tor and not our -devotion and
prayers to false gods. From
where I stand, North Caro
lina’s greatest need today, at
the'head of its government, is
not a good politician but a
good STATESMAN.
Q. E. (%eek
DAY SHOW
tfIG LABOR
RALEIGH
WCMORIAC AUDITORIUM
ADV. MU THIIM’f RECORD SHOP
m
I DANCE
.SEPT.C
ONE *ov. MLE mm 7^0
oTl‘y$2.00.?J.»1|
NiiTimv m iiu imiiuei >■ iiiiiu (iiiiiu
£$S4
"DON’T TAKE
IT SO HARD”
IT SO HAKU"
^KING
“iGKEA T oKcnesTRp,
W 0
Gksat
and hi* GREAT
ORCHESTRA
DUKE SNIDER COMES
TO DEFENSE OF
WILLIE MAYS—
BROOKLYN
Call it an odd turnabout if
you will—but when the Giant
fans booed Willie Mays so
vociferously this week for
failing to pick up the ball af
ter -Duke Snider’s single had
gotten through his legs and
two runs scored—it was Duke
Snider who came to the res
cue of Willie.
A centerfielder himself of no
mean ability, the Dodgers’
Duke can’t understand all the
fuss both newspapers and fans
are making over Willie-^ven
to the extent of berating the
Wonder Boy for being a Prima
Donna.
Said Snider: “What are they
getting on Willie for? Some
times it doesn’t pay to be able
to do all the things he can do.
They expect you to perform
miracles every day. Willie does
a lot of great thing things over
there. And what about his ex
planation? He said he saw
Mueller going after the ball
and Mueller was closer to it.
Isn’t that enough?”
Grid Campaign Begins WHh Clash
Between Broncos And Pirates
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City..
Fayetteville State Teach
ers College’s clash with the
Hampton Pirates on the Bron
cos’s home field at Fayette
ville marks the first CIAA
game of the new football sea
son in North Carolina on
September 17.
CIAA Kingpin NCC, de
fending champion for the sec
ond straight year, doesn’t
play until Sept. 24 when Her
man H. Riddick’s Eagles clash
with the St. Augustine’s Col
lege Falcons at Chavis Park
in Raleigh.
For the Sept. 17 game at Fay
etteville, Coach William Gus
Gaines’ Broncos take only the
memories of last season's 1-5-0
CIAA record. Word'from the
Broncos’ camp has it that Gaines
has been readying his 195S club
with a terrific "morale boost
ing” campaign that carried over
from spring training.
The Broncos scored 55 points
against. 143 for their CIAA op
ponents in 1954, but present in
dications point to a stronger and
more daring club that may well
prove to be one of the big sur
prises of the new season.
Fayetteville’s conference open
er on its home grounds brings
to Tarheelia one of the most
astute of all CIAA mentors, the
Pirates’ distinguished Harry
“Big Jeff” Jefferson. Jeff’s rec
ord with Fayetteville for the
past three years is three wins, no
losses, and no ties. There’s no
reason to feel Jeff and his Pir
ates - expect to give up either
willingly or easily their pres
ent skein of three straight wins.
Hampton should have a stronger
club than in 1954. The Pirates
last season ended their confer
ence season with a 4-5-1 record.
They tallied 79 points against
174 for their opponents.
While the Hanij3ton-Fayette-
ville game occupies the center of
the CIAA stage in North Caro
lina, Princess Anne, Md., will be
the scene of what promises to be
the CIAA game of the day. In
that game, Vernon McCain’s
Maryyland’s Hawks play host to
Tom Harris* Union Panttaen.
McCain and Harrla arc Mnart
and colorful coaches whoae
charges usually feature some
smart ball handling and an
aerial attack that keeps the fan*
on edge throughout a contest
Maryland's 1854 CIAA record
was spoiled only by a tie with
the powerful NCC Eagles. The
Hawks racked up 153 points
against only 33 for their oppon
ents. They finished in the CIAA
record second only to first place
NCC with a 5-0-1 record. They
were beaten 67 to 19 in the
Orange Blossom Bowl by the
Florida A. and M. juggernaut of
Jake Gaither.
Union's club ^nded up with a
5-3-0 CIAA record for 1B94. In
the scoring department, Tom
Harris’ crew tallied 150 against
112 for the opposition. “Score
and let score, but get there fus-
tes with the mostes” seems to
be the theme of the September
17 clash between Maryland and
Virginia Union at Princess
Anile.
Another CIAA club will play
a non-conference title on Sept.
17 when Mark Cardwell’s West
Virginia State Yellowjackets
engage Taylor University of Up
land, Ind., on a neutral site.
Other games outside the CIAA
for Sept. 17 include these:
Grambling vs. Paul Quinn at
Grambling: Lincoln, (Mo.) vs.
Tennessee State at Memphis,
Tenn.; Prairie View vs. Morris
Brown at Prairie View; Tou-
galoo vs. Philander Smith at
Tougaloo, Miss., and Tuskegee
vs. Alabama A. and M. at Tus
kegee.
DRIVSt
don't
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ecanrrtitomi.
ECHO
SPRING
KENTUCKY
BOURBON
Now
years old
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