Ethiopian Monks Pull
Themselves Heavenward
WASHINGTON - The monks
of Ethiopia's Debra Damo monastery
find a citadel of faith
at the end at a rope.
It's a 60-foot rope, and climbing
tt Is the only way the monks
can reach their ancient monastery
atop a mountain plateau
In the rugged no rt hi and of the
country.
With rare exceptions, the
plaited leather rope has been
the . sole umbilical with the
outside world for 1,500 years,
perhaps far longer.
The coming and going of the
monks over the face of the
steep cliff produces one of the
most gripping sequences of the
National Geographic Society's
latest television production.
The color documentary
Ethiopia: The Hidden Empire,
will be broadcast by the CBS
Television Network December
S.
Obedient Snake
The first rope up Debra Damo
was a snake. The Abyssinia
of 2,500 years ago spawned the
legend, remembered even today
In Ethiopian devotional
pictures.
A holy man named Za-Mlka'ei
helping spread the faith of the
God of Israel through pagan
Abyssinia, chanced on the
tabletop mountain In his wanderings.
He chose it as his
place of prayer and penance.
But climbing to the heights
was Impossible. So, as the old
tale tells it, God commanded
a snake living amid the rocks
to uncoil itself and lift up the
monk. All the while an archangel
sword in hand, kept a careful
eye on the snake.
In gratitude, the monk founded
the monastery of Debra
Damo, Ethiopia's oldest religious
community, now Christian.
Parts of Debra Damo's
two churches may have been
built ten centuries ago.
A ramp the builders used
was torn down ai'er r
struction of the moti.is
From then on It was dei rv*.
that only a rope serve
to get up and down, the cliff
In remembrance of God's help
with the snake. Even today
3000000000000000
la Ethiopia a snake Is often "a
rope of the earth."
Almost Impregnable
With the rope pulled up, the
monastery proved almost Impregnable
to centuries of invading
armies. The historic
club is over the lowest of the
surrounding cliffs, In other
places 850 feet straight up.
A pagan queen reportedly
built a new ramp and captured
the heights in the 10th
century. In 1557 Turkish troops
under cover of artillery, fought
their way up the steep path
leading to the top where every
monk was put to the knife.
The Ethiopian Orthodox
faith survived. However, only
about 300 monks now remain
where once more than
1,000 lived.
Few novices come to Debra
Damo to accept its ancient
codes and remote existence,
though some still spend most
of their lives there. The
National Geographic film shows
funeral rites of a monk who had
made his home in the monastery
for 82 years.
The initiated scramble up the
monastery's rope with amazing
agility. As one witness described
it:
"Before one's very eyes,
monks, seminarians, and monastery
servants climb up and
down the rope with the ease of
the angels on Jacob's ladder
up to heaven. They dance up
rather than climb up the cliff,
reckoning with every bump and
dip in the rock, swinging from
side to side on the rope like
monkeys in the jungle."
Occupations directly related
to work with computers will be
among the most rapidly growing
in the next 10 years. Occupations
in elementary and secondary
education will be among
the slowest growing during that
^riod.
tdal current in San
o Bay reaches a peak
of ill Ion cubic feet a seeon
-1 again the flow of the
Ami jn, National Geographic
says.
IT'S
CHRISTMAS
CEDBS**
TIME
1970 CU W.ml.,CUL
NOW
R.aJf %r 2f./iv.ry
c.ti %r y..r, j)t
OUR MAIN OFFICE DOWNTOWN
_A.J K. I.. WU y.. 2>.
B. S... %
$oim Omr 1971 Gtristmai (?/ub
For The Merriest Christmas Ever
THE FIRST ISO- NEW OR RE-OPENED ACCOUNTS OF
$1.00 PER WEEK OR MORE WILL RECEIVE ONE GOOD
HOUSEKEEPING BOOK- FILLED WITH CHRISTMAS
RECIPES AND HOME DECORATION IDEAS. LIMIT:
ONE BOOK TO A FAMILY.
THE
CITIZENS BANK
,■ a/.JI5o§; :<•&
Cub Scouts are shown with Den Mother at meeting at clubhouse They are, left to right:
Seated—Larry Robertson, Charles Brantley, Mike Norwood and H. A. Smiley; standing—Owen
Mitchell, Den Chief, Ronnie Robertson, Kent Daeke, Gene Rooker, Fred Powell, and Mrs. Gus
Daeke, Jr., Den Mother.
Norlina Cub Scouts Hold Meeting
Den 1, Pack 618, Cub Scouts
met Friday at the Norllna Woman's
Club. Den Chief, Owen
Mitchell, led the Pledge to the
flag and scout promise. Fred
Powell carried the flag for the
flag ceremonies. Larry Robertson
welcomed the parents and
friends.
A skit, "Legend of Davey
Crockett," was presented
with Gene Rooker playing the
part of Davey Crockett, Mike
Norwood, the bear and the
others were Indians and did an
Indian dance.
Refreshments were served by
Mrs. Owen Robertson, Jr., and
Mrs. Horton Brantley.
Rod And Gun
1/y
P
By ROD AMUNDSON
Seeing a bearded, long-haired
hippie going down the street
bobbing a yo-yo is not an uncommon
sight these days. But
yo-yo fishing Is something else
again.
As far as we can learn, yo-yo ■
fishing is practically unheard of
In North Carolina, but in states
such as Louisiana and Arkansas
It seems to be a common practice.
A yo-yo Is a device that gets
its name from its similarity to
the spool-type Jobs you buy at
the corner drugstore. The mechanism
is similar to the kind
In a roll-up window shade or
the gizmo that wound up the
chain on Aunt Sadie's pince-nez
glasses.
The fishing yo-yo contains
a length of fish line wound
up in a coil spring spool. A
hook is attached to the end of
the line, and the spool is fastened
to a branch or other object
hanging over the water.
The hook Is baited and the line
pulled out until the hook sinks
to the desired depth.
A rachet gadget holds the hook
In this position until, hopefully,
a fish strikes. This triggers
the wlndup spring, and the gadget
automatically winds the fish
up out of the water.
This is about as sporting as
shooting chickens in the henhouse,
and a lot less effective
in putting food on the table.
Louisiana fisheries biologists
checked 9,203 of the devices,
and found they caught only 0,161
fish per effort.
If fish yo-yos ever come into
common usage in North Carolina,
there will probably have
to be new regulations set up to
control them. Judging from the
description, these devices don't
seem to fit present fishing
rules, except that they would
constitute set lines, and using
live bait would be unlawful.
The Boat Registration Section
of the Wildlife Resources Commission
is in the process of
mailing out some 76,000 motorboat
registration forms to
people who registered boats
during 1970. If last year's experience
is repeated, all too
many people will fill in the form
improperly, - or worse, fill H
out, keep the stub, and send
the other half back to the
Commission.
This is by way of warning
boat owners to fill In the form
carefully and accurately, and
send the entire form back
to the Commission. The part
the boat owners must carry
aboard his boat with him must
be validated in the Commission's
office.
Unless certificates are completed
accurately and validated
the owner stands an excellent
chance of being arrested for improper
boat registration.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Belote
of Greensboro spent the
weekend with Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest Brauer.
II LITTLETON
NEWS I
• ■«♦♦♦<> +++++++
Mr. and Mrs. William Sharpe
and son, Gregg, of Newport
News, Va., were Thursday night
visits of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph
Delbridge.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Shaw
of Chesapeake, Va., visited
Mr. and Mrs. Joe D. Pope Friday
and also visited in the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Delbridge.
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Newsom
are spending several weeks
in Mobile, Ala.
Guests of Mr. and Mrs. Herman
Newsom during the holidays
were Mr. and Mrs. Bradford
Hudglns and children of
Fayetteville, Mr. and Mrs.
Luke Shearin, Mrs. Ruby Davis
and Mrs. G. T. Daughtie of Roanoke
Rapids.
Mr. Brantley Acree of Keysville,
Va., spent the weekend
with his par«!nts,: Mr. and
Mrs. Brantley Acree, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Durwood Keeter
of Portsmouth, Va., visited
relatives here Friday.
Thanksgiving holiday guests
of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Shear In
were Mr. and Mrs. Eugene
Evans and Miss Annie She arin
of Rocky Mount, Mr. Horton
She arin of Charlotte, Mr. and
Mrs. Pete King and children of
Wise, and Mrs. Arthur Evans of
Warrenton.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Harrison
and children of Silver
Spring, Md., spent the holidays
with Mr. Roy Wright and also
visited Mr. and Mrs. Sol B.
Bobbltt and Mrs. John Curl.
Miss Hazel King of Newport
News, Va., spent the holidays
with her mother, Mrs. Graham
®«l E,ecWflc<li00 , "af*
"» symbol for rure] A<h"«>»lrelion) over
'* leading tt-K, ^ "L""0*' And "A s' r ,V™rs b«co»*
00 ®«h the job ? hbmJ Ch """ P°*er syatema " es«»'Wr»«ii»g
*,«,!.«. Cc'r"nc"'' "■> miZT",fi,n,ta'° ««
5°° • '«"> approach rei k M ""' ^'opina r„™, Wc
fte"' '«ve used the,, «, hM Provided the faL areas- '< las
»■«., .o £* ^
Halifax Electric
Membership Corporate
&"»w. North
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Thorn*.
Mr. and Mrs. W. J, Benton,
jr., spent the holidays with
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Richard800
in Charlotte.
Mrs. Sally McComeU and
sons, Peon and Drew, ot Raleigh
and Mr. William Leach,
Jr., of Shelby spent the lulldays
with Mr. and Mrs. WUllam
Leach, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hollomon
of Richmond, Va., spent Wednesday
night with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Hale,
Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Naylor and
children, Joyce, Ann and Glenn
of Atlanta, Ga., and Mr. Calvin
Raid of Alexandria, Va.,
spent the holiday with Mr. and
Mrs. E. C. Reld, Sr.
Mrs. W. J. Benton, Sr., spent
the holidays with Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Benton in Raleigh.
Mr. Petty Bobbltt of Lorton,
Va., spent the holidays with
Mr. and Mrs. Luther Bobbltt
and Mr. and Mrs. George McMahan.
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Uraphlett
accompanied his father,
L. E. Umphlett, to his home In
Hertford Sunday after he spent
several weeks here.
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Spain
of Alexandria, Va., spent last
week with his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. joe D. Pope.
Mr. David Lee Shearln arrived
home Thursday from Germany
after having served two
years In the U. S. Army.
Mrs. Odessa Harrison spent
the holidays with Mr. and Mrs.
Roy Harrison in Tillery.
of Oro» Hill www Friday
vUltora of Mrs. W.E.Wacner.
Mr. and Mrs. RobartHnxnaa
Currtn and children, Ton,
Llbby and Mary Lou, of Wilmington,
Dal., apant several
I Mrs. jam* awartn lua <«turned
to her b0«* after twine
a patient la Memorial Hos- 1
pttal In Loulsburf tor aome
QJljr Wnrrtn l&rrnrd
FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT
THAT LASTS THE WHOLE YEAR
IT'S ONLY $3.00 A YEAR .... AND WE
MAIL IT ANYWHERE. OUT OF STATE
$4.00 A YEAR.
WHILE THIS PROPERTY IS STILL IN PREDEVELOPMENT
STAGES.