North Carolina Newspapers

* Medical Board Revokes License OfDr.W.H.Ross Issues Cease Practice Request To Erring Local Physician The State Board of Medical Ex aminers has taken action revoking the license to practice of Dr. W. - H. Ross, Negro physician of West Southern Pines. Word of the board’s action was received by this newspaper from the secretary, Dr. J. J. Combs. / Dr. Combs stated that, at a full meeting of the board on June 16, at which the Ross case was thor oughly discussed, the board di rected him to write to Dr. Ross requesting the immediate surren der of his license to practice med icine in North Carolina. The phy sician complied within a few days, mailing his license to Dr. Combs. Notification of the revocation of , license has been sent by Dr. ■* Combs to Judge Zeb V. Nettles, who presided over the'criminal court healing in Carthage on May 21, at which testimony was in troduced of the doctor’s confession of having performed an illegal operation. A copy of the letter of the Medical Board was also sent to state’s attorney, M. G. Boyette. Following the request for sur render of the doctor’s license, the ’ll letter to Dr. Ross as quoted by Dr. Combji continued: “(and the board further requests) that you desist from the practice of medi cine until your present status in the court of Moore County has been clarified.’’ In notifying this newspaper of the action of the bqard of Medical Examiners, Dr. Combs referred to his conversation with The Pilot . on June 2 concerning the Ross case. He noted the fact, as re ported by The Pilot, that there was a certain amount of appre hension in the community regard ing the status of the confessed abortionist, and said that he felt confident the board would take this into consideration. He made it clear that the*board did not act as a court of law and said that whatever action they took would, ^ of necessity, await the outcome of the trial of Dr .Ross, set for the August term of court, before be coming permanent. However, Dr. Combs said today, wj^en it was realized that Dr. Ross had con fessed to his crime, the board felt that prompt and drastic action was necessary. The Deacon and The Bishop Lewis Hodgkins, newly ordained deacon, and Bishop Edwin A. 'Penick, Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina, stand at the door of Emmanuel Church, following the service of ordination. Ordination of Lewis Hodgkins As Episcopal Deacon Is Impressive Rite Missing Banigans Continue To Be Sought In Vain Whetlfier “no news is good news” is liable to be a matter o^f dispute with those who are en gaged in trying to locate the Miss ing Banigans. Thus far no trace of the where abouts of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ban- igan has been discovered by the numerous people who would like very much to get in touch with the former real estate operators of Southern Pines. It is reported that private detective agencies will be allowed time to locate the pair before more serious measures will be taken involving agencies of the law. In a ceremony of great impres siveness and beauty, that took place Tuesday morning at Em manuel church, Lewis Hodgkins was ordained a deacon of the Episcopal church. Distinguished clergy of the state and nearby parishes attended the ceremony, several taking active part. They included: the Right Reverend Edwin A. Penick, Bish op of North Carolina, the Rev. Charles V. Covell, rector of Em manuel; the Rev. Harry S. Cobey of Hamlet; the Rev. Joseph O’ Brien, chaplain of Episcopal stu dents at Duke university, the al ma mater of the young candidate. Also Dr. Thaddeus S. Cheatham of Pinehurst, the Rev. O’Kelly Whittaker of St. Andrews church, Charlotte; the Rey. Peter C. Rob inson o:( Rockingham and the Rev. Robert Insko of Irwin. The sermon of ordination was preached by the Rev. Davis Yates of Chapel Hill, who took the place of the Rev. Dean Cfaighill Brown of the Theological Seminary, Se- wanee, Tenn., and former rector of Emmanuel church, who was prevented by illness from attend ing. Mr. Hodgkins graduated from the seminary in June. In the congregation were the parents of the young candidate for ordination, Mr. and Mrs. N. L. Hodgkins, his brother George, his grandmother, Mrs. Abraham, and his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Pethick. Another brother, Norris, Jr., sang in the choir. Forming in procession outside -^-the church door, the group of clergymen, with Mr. Hodgkins among them, marched in, preced ed by the choir and the flags of the church and the nation. The church was crowded with friends of the family and young people. .Following the sermon, part of which was addressed directly to the young candidate who stood in the pew in front of his parents, listening intently, the ceremony of ordination took place. The young man was presented by his pastor, the Rev. Mr. Coveil, to the Bishop who conducted the solemn ordination ceremony. At its close, the new deacon read the gospel lesson. The offertory was sung by the choir with Mrs. Annabelle Pear son in the soprano solo, and the service concluded with the cele bration of Holy Communion. The congregation, issuing from the church, found the young deacon at the door, with the Bishop, to greet them and receive their good wishes. A luncheon for the visiting cler- ay and family friends followed the service, served in the parish house by the members of St. Anne’s Guild. The Rev. Mr. Hodgkins left Thursday for his assignment in the missionary diocese of Alaska, where he will serve under the famous “Flying Bishop,” Bishop Gordon. Going first to Seattle he will take ship there to his final destination, the little seaport town of Ketchikan. Peach Crop Promises Bonanza Market To Jnbilant Sandhills Peach Growers evetybody-fments Among those vitally interested in tracking down the missing couple are the Elks, the board of Brownson Memorial Church, W. D. Sabiston, acting attorney for the Boring interests, as well as a good many others who were in process of dealing with Mrs. Ban- igan in connection with real es tate purchases. In some cases, in cluding that of the church, pur chase prices had changed hands, in others deeds are being held up because of inability to contact the agents. Pending against MJr. and Mrs. Banigan are charges of contempt of court for failure to appear at repeatedly postponed hearings and failure to prodbce documents in connection with a civil suit brought against them by Mr. and Mrs. Vi'. W. Sherman of Hartford, Conn. Last report of the couple is that they were seen in New Yorkj where, it is said, Mrs. Banigan told friends they did not intend to return here. The heat has got down but the farmers. For once they are happy. Peachmen, in particular, are go ing around with broad .grins over the prices fetched by the early crop, Though, by local connois seurs, early peaches are looked down on as a staple crop, to those individual growers who happen to have a few, and have them just at the right time, the crop is a bonanza. Out on the southern edge of the county last week, for instance. Farmer Nelson of Eller be was get ting as high as $8 a half bushel for Mayflowers; at Candor $7.50 was the report from local observ ers. Fantastic prices, they said. A Candor peach-grower, Mrs. Capel, also had the record of pro ducing the first peaches of the 1952 season sold anywhere in the United States. J. Hawley Poole and Clyde Au- man, top peach growers, of West End, reported that the prospects for the whole crop this year are excellent. Neither one goes in for early peaches, but they are expecting to make heavy ship- of the later varieties, and they believe prices will hold up well, though not, of course, any thing like the freak prices of the Mayflowers, first on the market. One reason for good prices this year, Mr. Poole explained to the Pilot, was that Georgia, whose crop, being below the usual frost belt, generally swamps this local ity, had unusually warm weather. As a result, the peach trees did not get their much-needed rest. It appears that all trees must have a certain number of hours when growing ceases. The Elber- tas need at least 1000 hours of rest with the temperature not higher than 40 degrees. If the weather is too warm, the trees don’t get their rest and the result is strag gly blooms and few and small peaches. Clyde Auman said that his Golden Jubilees would be coming in quantity next week, with a few being picked now. The crop looks fine, he said, fruit big and trees heavily loaded. The Belles should start around July 15, with the Elbertas following about ten (Continued on page 8) JULY 4 CLOSINGS , The Citizens Bank' and Trust company cif Southern Pines and the Carolina Bank at Pinehurst will be closed July 4 and 5, Friday and Sat urday, they have announced. '^ther places of business in Southern Pines will be closed July 4. Maternal Welfare Committee Honors Mrs. Worth McLeod Mrs. Worth McLeod, member of the nursing staff of the county Health Department, was honored on Friday at a luncheon given lor her by the Moore County Mater nal Welfare Committee. Meeting at Weymouth, the home of Mrs. James Boyd, co- chairman of the committee with Mrs. Talbot Johnson, now abroad, the committee of women present ed to M!rs. McLeod a silver bowl in recognition of her service in the work lor the mothers and babies of the county, sponsored by the organization. Those taking part in the presen tation were, besides the co-chair man: Mrs. W. D. Sabiston, treas urer, of Carthage, Mrs. Paul P. McCain, a former chairman, now Dean of Women at Flora Macdon ald college, Mrs. A. P. Thompson of Pinehurst, Mrs. Walter C. Mac- Neille of Pinebluff, and Mrs. James B. Swett, Mrs. J. H. Towne, and Mrs. Katherine McColl, chairman of the executive com mittee of the Directors of the Moore County Hospital. The bo\vl, a reproduction of a Paul Revere design, bore the in scription: EDITH BAIN Mc- LEOD, FROM THE MOORE COUNTY MATERNAL WEL FARE COMMITTEE: IN GRATE FUL APPRECIATION OF OUT STANDING SERVICE. The gift was presented by Mrs. Boyd who said she found it hard to find words to express the admiration and gratitude of the committee for the exceptional service rendered by Mrs. McLeod during the years she has headed this work. Stating that the committee intended to continue unabated their support of this health department program, she said the gift was intended both as a tribute to the achievement of [the past and a pledge that the ihsppy association between the committee and Mrs. McLeod in this work will continue. Mrs. McLeod To Teach Further recognition of Mf-s. Mc Leod’s training and experience was noted in the fact, as reported at the meeting which followed the luncheon, that she has been chosen to teach at the State Insti tute of Maternal Health to be held at Fayetteville in August. This is the first such program, of fered by the state and includes an intensive two weeks’ training course for midwives. Due to the rearrangement of duties in the health department last fall, Mrs. McLeod was moved from the specialized program and assigned the general health work in one section. Up to that time she had been at the head of the maternal welfare program of the county health department'. Train ed, through the efforts of the Ma ternal Welfare Committee, at the famous Lobenstine Midwifery Clinic in New York, Mrs. McLeod came here to take over from Miss Margaret McQueen. She organiz ed the present system of prena tal and well-baby clinics, and also taught the midwives bf the cou<ity and checked on their license qual ifications. Directly visible testi mony to the success of her work in this field was the fact that the maternal death rate, which had been Very high, dropped within a few years of the establishment of the clinics. Carthage Jaycees Plan High Jinks For July Fourth County To Take Pari In Annual Whoop-la Plans are completed and the stage is all set for the big Fourth of July celebration to be held in Carthage next Friday under the sponsorship of the Carthage Jun ior Chamber of Commerce. Those who attend this big at traction will hear plenty of pa triotic music for the Jaycees will have on hand an army band from Fort Bragg and also the well- known Raleigh municipal musical organization. Both will give con certs throughout the day. The celebration wiU start promptly at nine o’clock with a welcome address by Mayor Archie Barnes. Following Mr. Barnes’ speech the Raleigh band will pre sent a 20-minute concert begin ning at 9:10. Another band con cert, by Ft. Bragg, takes place at 11:45. North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture L. Y. (Stag) Ballen- tine will give the main address of the day at 9:30. He will be intro duced by Eighth District Solicitor M. G. Boyette. At the conclusion of Mr. Ballen- tine’s address the street events will get under way on the court house square under the direction of co-chairmen Billy Bryant and Clinton Campbell. These two and their committee have been busy the past few days getting ready for these events and it is said they have a number of surprise con tests up their sleeve besides the usual watermelon contests, water fights, foot races and so on. Climax of the morning events wiU be the beauty contest which is set for 11:15 at which time a largg' number of 'Moore county’s loveliest girls will take the stage. Paul Blacknian and David Gins- burg, co-chairmen of this part of the day’s program have received word from a number of individ uals and business firms from over the county who have entered con testants in the event. The winner of the contest will reign over the festivities and will be crowned queen at the grand baR that night. Last year’s win ner, the former Miss Faye John- (Continued on Page 8) HOT That's what the figures say, too: HOT. Temperatures for the last ten days have run over 90 de grees. That's hot anywhere and, for the Sandhills, such a long unbroken stretch of sizzling weather is almost un heard of. We get it hot, but not often that long. . . or there'd be non4 here to tell. Highest temperature re corded was on Wednesday when the mercury hit 100 by weatherman Tom Kelly's re port. Before that it ran at 98, 95, 95, 94, 93, .95, 97, 91. And today, it stands at 97 at 10:30 a. m. Only comfort: it's hot every where. Would you call that "cold" comfort or not? Not. New Interne Joins Medical Staff At Moore County Moore County hospital is to have its first medical interne. On July 1, Dr. John Porter will join the-hospital staff, it was re ported by Thomas Howerton, as sistant administrator of the hos pital. Dr. Porter is a graduate of Har vard aqd Washington university, St. Louis Medical school. He comes to Moore county to fill in the time until the new Medical School of the University of North Carolina is opened. Duration of -the new interne’s stay at Moore County will be at least two months, possibly more. Due to the delay in finishing the Chapel Hill buildings, the university is placing the doctors and internes, scheduled to start work there in July, in various hospitals through out the state. Meantime the ac tual date of opening remains un certain. Dr. Porter will come to Moore County as a resident interne in medicine and will serve under Dr. (Continued on Page 8) ^ Local Contest May Be Close Two important political con tests, one -6x1 a statewide level and the other countywide, will be pre sented to Moore County voters for decision in a second Democratic primary Saturday. Polling places and officials will be the same as in the first pri mary May 31. Hours wiU also be the same—6:30 to 6:30. In South ern Pines the polling place is the fire station, with Mrs. Grace Kay- lor as registrar. In Aberdeen, where many citizens of the South ern Pines community vote, it is the Legion Hall. J. K. Ferree is registrar. The state contest will be run off between Judge William H. Bobbitt, of Charlotte, challenger, and Judge R. Hunt Parker of Roanoke Rapids. Both are su perior court judges of high stand ing. Judge Parker presides over the Third Judicial district, of the eastern division. Judge Bobbitt, of the 14th Judicial district of the western division, comprising Mecklenburg and Gaston coun ties, has the endorsement of the Moore County Bar. It is the county runoff, how ever, which holds the greatest in terest locally. This is the race for county solicitor between two at torneys W. Lament Brown of Southern Pines and Robert N. Page HI of Aberdeen. Brown had only a 23-vote margin over Page, the challenger, in the May 31 vote. Both candidates have their roots deep in Moore County po litical history. Both are Demo crats by heritage as well as per sonal conviction. Boih Mloote County Men Mr. Brown is the grandson of Dr. J. R. Brown, who settled at Carthage more than 100 years ago. Before the Civil war he combined for many years the duties of med ical doctor and county register of deeds, He married Miss Annette Judson Bean of Carthage, and they lived at the county seat dur ing the difficult days of the Civil war and the Reconstruction era. Dr. Brown was the owner of the (Continued on Page 8) iiiiiWIiiiip; iilpiiiiiliisii iaiiiiipiiiii iPPisiapffiiPiii ip RUMMAGE SALE The Sandhill Tennis associ ation is sponsoring a rummage sale of clothing, kitchen uten sils, and toys in the Sandhill Seafood Market building on Saturday. The proceeds from this sale go to help finance expenses of the tournaments sponsored during the spring and summer months by the Tennis associa tion. Any persons having ma terials which can be donated for this sale are asked to call Mrs. William F. Bowman or Mrs. Stanley Austin. Members of the Tennis association will nick up any donations. West End Plant Celebrates 25 Years As Makers Of Sandhills Furniture Under Von Canon Family This year the Sandhills Furni ture Corporation of West End is celebrating its twenty-fifth anni versary. The big plant with its low roofs and the white strangely curving funnelled smokestack and the attractive display room fac ing the road through town, lies along side the Norfolk and South ern Railroad tracks, where the road branches off toward Jack- son Springs. It looks quiet from the Out side, almost peaceful; the win dows of the shop show a cozy bedroom scene: ru^ chintzy curtains, the furniture in a colonial design; the office be yond, looks almost sleepy. But see the parked cars nearly encirc ling it; hear the muffled thud of machinery, the whirr of lathes, and you know there’s a lot going on in there behind the brick walls. And there is. One thing that’s going on 500 beds a day. Go ing in at one door as raw lumber, coming out at another as spool beds, sleigh beds, four posters of every variety, to make good on the proud claim; “Sandhills Fur niture Corporation: World’s Larg est Manufacturers of Odd Poster Beds.” That’s nO't mentioning the suites of bedroom^ furniture that are responsible for part of that whirring and thudding machin ery. But that’s jumping ahead. Twenty-five years ago, when the factory was started, the noise of the machines would have been just a whisper compared to today. But it didn’t seem like a whisper to West End: the people felt pretty excited about it. It was their first industry and, big or small, it was going to be worth watching. There isn’t much doubt about its size now, but twenty-five years ago, the Sandhills Furniture Corporation was just a single (Continued on page 5)