Page Two
THE PILOT. Southern Pines. North Girolina
Friday, September 6, 1946
A
THE PILOT
PUBUSHED EACH FRIDAY BY
THE PILOT. INCORPORATED
SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA
1941
JAMES BOYD
Publisher
1944
KATHARINE BOYD' .... EDITOR
DAN S. RAY .... General Manager
THOMAS G. JOHNSTON, ASS'T EDITOR
BERT PREMO . . . ADVERTISING
CHARLES MACAULEY - - - CITY EDITOR
SUBSCRIPTION
RATES
ONE Y-EAR
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$3.00
SIX MONTHS
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$1.50
THREE MONTHS
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- .75
ENTERED AT THE POSTOFFICE AT SOU-
THERM PINES. N. C.. AS
EEOONO
CLASS
MAIL MATTER.
THE EDITOR APOLOGIZES
I have decided to depart from
newspaper style, in this editorial,
and to write with an I: from me
to the people of Southern Pines
and Moore County. Because I
feel personally, as well as edi
torially, so sorry for what the
Pilot printed about the Victory
Celebration three weeks ago, I
want to be able to speak straight
from the heart, as well as straight
from the shoulder.
When I left in July to go on
a vacation with the children, out
here in Wyoming, I did so with
mingled feelings. On the one
hand, I looked forward to ;t very
much, and to the pleasure that
I knew would be ours: of being
together in this beautiful coun
try. On the other hand, I hated to
leave home. It is always a
wrench to go awdy: so many
things are happening or going to
happen in which I am interested,
my love for home and its dear
memories is so strong, above all,
perhaps, my keen interest and
pride and deep feeling of respon
sibility for the good of the Pilot
and the community, in which it
has held for so long a respected
position, exert a compelling hold
upon mie. This time,^ these de
taining influences were doubled
by the thought of the Victory
Celebration that I was going to
miss.
I read about it eagerly each
week as the plans, were announc
ed. It looked as if it was going
to be a fine affair, and, more and
niore, I hated the thought of not
being present. When your home
town goes all out for something
like that, and when that some
thing is almost the biggest thing
that ever happened, you just
hate to miss it. Of course I look
ed forward with the utmost
eagerness to reading about it.
V-J Day was August 14th. On
the following Tuesday, the 20th,
I received a surprising and
alarming telegram. It was signed
by the chairmen and members
of the Victory Committee, by the
Legion, and by the Mayor of Sou
thern Pines, and it said that the
Pilot’s report of the celebration
had been a disgrace. It asked for
a full apology.
That was not the first sleepless
night that this editor has spent
over the paper, but perhaps it
was the most unhappy one.
When the Pilot finally came,
forwarded here rather late, I read
the two articles about the cele
bration carefully. I then showed
them, without comment, to two
trained journalists who, by good
luck, happen to be staying here.
Their reaction from a profession
al newspaper standpoint was the
same as mine, though they could
not, of course, feel the deep per
sonal sorrow and disappointment
that I felt. They said that as a
report of an event, the articles
were entirely inadequate. They
showed besides, an editorial bias
that had no place in straight re
porting. Further, they said that
as a community paper, telling
about a community enterprise of
great importance, the tone of sar
casm, and criticism in which they
were •written, was absolutely in
defensible.
I agreed completely with what
they said, but of course with me,
the personal feeling both of re
sponsibility and of home love
and pride, entered in, I was as
hurt by the article, I venture to
say, as must have been those
whom it criticised, and that was
really the community itself. But
I was more deeply hurt than they
could have been because I, as
editor of the Pilot, was respon
sible for it.
I wish to offer to everyone who
took place in the parade, to those
•who organized it and those who
helped, and to all in our County
to whom such a celebration
meant so much, my heartfelt
apolbgy. That goes for me, per
sonally, and for me as editor of
the Pilot.
As for the event itself, well.
perhaps even such a bad report
of it could not keep me from
knowing what it was like and
from wishing I had been there.
I could see the folks assembled
on Broad Street, and the flags,
and hear the good army band.
I could see the returned boys
marching down the street, may
be not so well as they marched
when they were marching and
fighting and, some of their bud
dies were dying, for us, but,
goodness, who cares how they
march! Just so they’re home; just
so we can see them coming down
our street again. That’s all we
care about; that’s all you people
lining the street cared about it.
As for the speeches, on an oc
casion like that speeches are
much alike. Nobody wants a
trained orator to say the thoughts
that are in our hearts. And when
hearts are so full, the tongue fal
ters sometimes. I think the report
of the speaking did give some
inkling of the deep emotion in
the hearts of the speakers: at
least, reading it, I felt that, and
I just hope the speakers who read
the account may have realized
that the writer tried to show
them as they were, leaders in our
community and state, yet people
like ourselves, and each one stir
red as seldom before by the sol
emnity of that occasion. ’
Well people of Southern Pines
and Moore County, I wish I had
been with you. I think I would
have felt with you, and I hope
that, in my words reporting the
event in my paper, I might have
been able to make you feel the
Pilot’s love for its home, its pride
in it and its own share in every
thing affecting Southern Pines
and Moore County.
Katharine Boyd
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
The Pilot’s “The Public Speak
ing” column is one of the most
valuable parts of our paper. In it
readers express their views on
questions of public interest, and
in these letters are to be found,
again and again, suggestions
which are extremely valuable.
There is no .doubt that the cit
izens of Southern Pines are
proud of their town and have its
good at heart, but familiarity is
apt to breed, not contempt at all,
but rather complacency, if not
blindness. We who live in our
town get used to things as they
are. The ugly filling station or
store front which shocks us when
we first see it gradually blends
into the general picture and we
forget about it; the same v/ay
with such things as overturned
garbage pails and litter on the
street or the mess of crates, or
ange skins and what-not that
meets the eye glancing down
certain alleys in town.
The visitor to town has not this
disadvantage or perhaps we
should say advantage of familiar
ity. Things to which we have
grown accustomed hit him in the
eye or the ear. And so his com
ments thereon are frequently to
the point and worthy of notice.
This was the case not long
ago when a young , army man in
town wrote to The Pilot criticis
ing the appearance of the vacant
lot between the Brown & Clark
filling station and the adjacent
store- Vaguely aware that there
might be something in what our
correspondent said we strolled
up there and had a look. His com
ment was only too true: the lot
was a mess and a disgrace to our
town. Incidentally the young
man generously offered to help
clean it up. We have never heard
if his offer was accepted.
In the August 2nd issue of The
Pilot appeared another letter
about certain features of life in
our town. Written by a recent
visitor Mr. Charles C. Gunter-
berg, Jr., the letter spoke with
enthusiasm of the advantages of
North Carolina and referred with,
pleasure to a vacation spent this
winter in Southern Pines. In this
connection the writer voiced
strong agreement with another
letter to The Pilot that written
by Struthers Burt in condemna-
ion of the suggested roadside ad
vertising contemplated by the
Chamber of Conimerce. Mr. Gun-
terberg then went on to make an
observation about Southern
Pmes, which seems to The Pilot
most pertinent and worthy of
consideration by our Chamber
and by all interested in the good
of the town: he spoke of the ex
treme annoyance occasioned to
would-be sleepers at night by the
ince^ant blowing of the Sea
board’s Diesel horns.
Our correspondent has brought
up a matter, here, which has
long been a matter of concern
in town. We submit that his crit
icism is valid and merits consid
eration and definite action.
WHISTLING DIESELS
The whistling of Diesel en
gines, as they pass through Sou
thern Pines, has increased stead
ily ever since they were first in
troduced by the Seaboard Airline.
With the war, that seemed natur
al due to the tremendous increase
in traffic, but now that the emer
gency is over many had an idea
that this nuisance would grow
less- It looks as if this would not
be the case. The railroad has re
cently announced that it is ad
ding to its fleet of Diesels in a
laudable endeavor to improve
the service now offered the South.
So the problem mentioned by
our correspondent of the whistles
blowing at night in Southern
Pines becomes a real and increas'
ingly prominent one. If not solved
there is every likelihood that the
din will become worse.
We used to be able to boast
that our balmy, pine-laden air
made people sleep well. This was
quite a talking point in bringing
tired and care-worn visitors to
our section. The air is still there
and certainly it is as lovely as
always. Unfortunately, it now
bears on its wings not only the
scent of pine but the sound of
blaring, harshly-tooting, inces
santly blowing Diesel whistles.
Perhaps some of us have grown
accustomed to this din and can
sleep through it, but many have
not, and to guests in our town it
presents a very real drawback
to a good vacation. With these
Diesels making night hideous we
can no longer claim that our
town is a good place to rest.
Here is a real problem to be
tackled. Never loath to jump
in where angels fear to tread, we
have this suggestion to make: At
night, the traffic in town is prac
tically nil: Could we not persuade
the Seaboard to install crossing
gates on all the avenues except
the two at each end of town,
these gates to be lowered at
night? This would eliminate the
need for at least some of the
blowing.
Could We not also take up with
the railroad the matter of sig
nalling from engineer to brake-
man? That is where, actually, a
lot of the whistling takes place.
We believe it is still the case, that
a brakeman walks out with his
lantern along the track to the
rear whenever the train stops.
Then, when the engineer is ready
to start, he blows six times on his
whistle and the brakeman climbs
aboard. Surely, when a train is
st^lnding in a town, some other
method of signalling could be
used: a lantern or at least few
er blows on his whistle.
This is a matter for our Cham
ber of Commerce to take up. We
submit that it is important to our
town and its future The Seaboard
has always been most coopera
tive. We believe if the matter
were presented to them in the
right light, with sufficient em
phasis, they would help us solve
this problem.
To Mr. Gunterberg, The Pilot
sends thanks for his constructive
criticism, as well as for his ap
preciative comments on our
town.
On the Land
HYDE THE JACKPOT. W. W.
Watson, Hyde County farmer, hit
the jackpot with his Irish pota
toes this year and now claims to
be the champion potato grower
of the Carolinas and probably in
the nation—California included.
He informed D. S. Coltrane,
Assistant Agriculture Commis
sioner, recently that he produc
ed approximately 579 bushels per
acre this year—or 324 100-pound
bags. The average for North Car
olina this year is 130 bushels, for
California, 390 bushels, and for
the nation, 158 bushels.
NECTAR UP A NOTCH. The
sugar shortage and continuous
favorable honey prices resulted
in another national increase in
colonies of bees this year.
There were 177,000 colonies of
bees in North Carolina as of
July 1, said the agency, the same
number as last year. Colonies lost
during the winter was 18 per
cent, but new spring colonies
brought the total number back
to last year’s figure.
GWYN IS GLUM. In urging
farmers to employ more caution
in selling their cattle, T. Lenior
Gwyn, marketing specialist with
the N. C. Agriculture Depart
ment, declared recently that he
sees “grave danger to both pro
ducer and consumer in the rush
of half-fat, immature cattle to al
ready-overcrowded markets.”
According to Gwyn, the “pour
ing of cattle into the markets to
avoid a return to OPA price ceil
ings seems unfortunate from
every angle.”
Peanuts
The production of peanuts for
picking and threashing is now
indicated at 281,200,000 pounds
on 296,000 acres. This is about 5
per cent less than the 1945 pro-
duceion of 296^400,000 pounds.
The acreage is down 4 per cent
from last year. Prospective yields
on August 1 were estimated to
be 950 pounds per acre, the same
as produced last year. The ten-
year yield of 1,174 pounds is 19
per cent more than this year’s,
’ while the currently-estimated
production is 5 per cent below
ithe ten-year (1935-44) average
production. Heavy rains in the
peanut area have caused consid
erable damage. The peanuts are
woody and needing cultivation
because wet land prevented
proper care.
Sweets
Sweet potato prospects are
fairly good and* there is time for
them to improve before harvest.
The indicated yield is now 105
bushels, as compared to 110 bush
els last year. This is 3 per cent
below the ten-year average
(1935-44). Production is estima
ted at 7,035,000 bushels, which is
13 per cent less than the ten-year
average of 8,099,000 bushels and
3 per cent below 1945.
Hays
Hay prospects are generally
good throughout the State. The
continuous rains in the eastern
Piedmont and Coastal Plains
have not been too favorable. All
tame hay is estimated at 1,270,-
000 .tons production, compared
with 1,281,000 tons last year and
1,038,000 tons during the ten-year
average (1935-44) period. Pros
pects for clover-timothy hay are
very good. Production is now
indicated at 73,000 tons, or 11
per cent above last year’s good
crop. Alfalfa production esti
mates point to 28,000 tons, as
compared with 22,000 tons in
1945. Early alfalfa cuttings were
good, while later cuttings are
not quite so good. Peanut hay
prospects are fair, with lespedeza
hay not quite up to July 1 ex
pectations. Soybean and cowpea
hays are not so good as indicated
one month ago.
Corn
Practically all crops are re
ported as “fair to good” in most
sections of the State with the
possible exception of corn. Corn,
it was stated, was good in north
western counties but reported
late corn as “poor,” and corn in
lowlands badly damaged by
rains. S^ome localities, also, in
the Piedmont and the centra'^
coastal plain reported “poor cor:
crop.”
Tobacco
Tobacco yield is reported gen-;
erally good in the State, while !
I^e majorifty lof the mountain
counties and in the central Pied
mont reported tobacco yield asi
“very good.”
Cotton
Reports coming in on cottonl
indicate the crop in prospect aSjl
“fair to good” but considerabla j
boll weevil infestation is reported I
in the lower Piedmont and lowert]
coastal plain counties.
Truck Crops
Truck crops, hay and fruit are
all reported as being generally
good, with fruit ripening early.
. Labor
Farm labor continues generally
scarce and expensive with but
few areas reporting slight im
provement.
Alfalfa Is Proving
Profitable Crop
For Moore County
By E. H. Garrison, Jr-
Moore County Farm Aqent
Last year’s results with alfalfa
have convinced us that this is a
profitable crop for Moore County.
Due to bad weather last fall, wle
did not get in all the acreage that
we had hoped to. This year we
are starting early to place an
order for seed. Anyone who has
not placed an order would do
well to attend to this right away.
From all indications now, the
seed crop will be short and the
price of seed about like last year-
apprcotimately fi^ty cents per
pound. It will take around 30
pounds of seed per acre and 35
is really better. This other item
represents about half the cost per
acre. To some this may sound a
little high in price but at the
cost of good hay, the first cutting
from this crop will about pay the
cost of the w'hole operation.
Mr. Carl Gulledge has just
taken off his third cutting on a
field seeded last fall. He weigh
ed part of this crop to see just
what he was getting. Acording to
his figures, he got 4,104 pounds
of cured hay from this field of
1.2 acres. This is almost two tons
of hay per acre.
Mr. John Black, near Eastwood,
cut his field of around 5.5 acres
some time ago. This cutting net
ted him 176 bales of cured hay
averaging 70 pounds of hay per
acre.
We have good seasons this year,
which has been ideal for hay pro
duction, but it just shows the
possibility of this crop. This fall
we hope to double the acreage
we had seeded last fall, or about
100 acres. I realize that not all of
our land in the County is suitable
to the production of alfalfa, but
on most farms I really think that
it can be grown. One seeding
should last from three to five
years and be profitable with
about three cuttings each year.
In most cases, we can get four
cuttings-
Land to be seeded this fall
should have been in a cover crop
of some kind during the summer.
This tends to keep down grass
and weeds; and, at the same time,
builds up the soil. Alfalfa res
ponds to good soil and good treat
ment. I would not advise anyone
that it is a good crop to be put on
poor land.
In adition to all this, there are
a good many other details to be
carried out, Dr. E. R. Collins, ex
tension agronomist with the
North Carolina State Extension
Service, has put out a splinded
bulletin on this crop, giving the
details. If you aye interested
k:
LEGION AUXILIARY MEET
The American Legion Auxili
ary will meet at the Legion Hut
Tuesday evening at 8 o’clock,
September 10,> at which time
four new members will be initi
ated. Report of Girls State will be
given by the three girls who were
sponsored by the local Unit this
year. Miss Peggy Jean Cameron,
Miss Carolyn Chester, and Miss
Mary Frances Campbell of Pine-
hurst.
Delegates attending the Twen
ty-sixth Annual Convention of
the American Legion Auxiliary
at the Sir Walter Hotel August
25-27th report the largest attend
ance of any previous year- Those
attending all sessions from this
Unit were Mrs. Haynes Britt,
Miss Ethel Blue Britt, Mrs. L- L.
tricts in the C/buncil where there
are no Community Chests.
The Occoneechee Council bud
get for 1947 is $38,088-50. In Dur
ham, Vance and Wake counties,
the district’s share is raised
through the Community Chest.
Independent Scout campaigns,
however, wiU be conducted in
Warren, Granville, Franklin, Or
ange, Chatham, Lee, Moore and
Harnett Counties-
The campaign schedule devel
oped will be coordinated largely
with the Community Chests in
order that the budget needs for
the Council can be raised com-
pletly during one month.
Serving on the campaign com
mittee with Clapp are: T- S. Roy
ster, Oxford; Claud Bowers, War-
renton; Dr. R. O. Humphrey,
Sanford; and F- E. Joyner, Hills
boro.
The district chairman is Paul
Butler, and the finance chairman
is N. L- Hodgkins, of the Moore
district.
Woolley and Mrs. Dan R. Mc
Neill, local Unit president, Mrs-
Woolley and Miss Britt having
served as pages during the con
vention.
Fine Jewelry
for
Weddings
Anniversaries
and
School Gifts
Watches
Lockets
Brooches
Lapel Pins
Bangles
Delta Pearls
Wide Choice
of
Stone Set Rings
also
Eversharp Pen
and Pencil Sets
PREFERRED BY BRIDES
FOR NEARLY A CENTURY
&r('Cmved*
Nationally known—
Nationally advertised
YOUB CBEDIT IS GOOD AT
^cntsby’s
East Broad St.
Southern Pines
(Indiana Avenue Extension)
SOUTHERN PINES. N. C.
•
A Country Day School for Children from
Pinehurst and Southern Pines. Thorough prep
aration.
Music - Handicrafts - Sports
KINDERGARTEN HOURS 9-12
•
RESIDENT PUPILS ACCEPTED
SEASON OPENS OCTOBER SEVENTH
MRS. MILLICENT A. HAYES. Principal
Driving
ReCap
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Your tires get older day by day. . Let our ex- i
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mileage service you want for safe driving.
SHELL SERVICE STATION
FAIRCLOTH and WICKER
Phone 7772 Southern Pines. N. C.
U. S. Highway No. 1—South of City Limits
Carolina Power & Light Company *
Common Stock
Bought — Sold — Quoted
Inquiries Invited
f{mcHomR.s/mmD
NEW YORK
INSURANCE BUILDING, RALEIGH, N. C.
Telephone 2-3711
CHARLOTTE