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PAGE TWO the pilot—Southern Pines, North Carolina FRIDAY. APRIL 30. 1954 Sotithern Pines “In taking over The Pilot no changes are +u„re seems to be an occa- paper. We will try to make a little money for all con • ^ ^+voat ewrvhod'\ Sion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. North Carolina We will try to keep this a good ^ht-- And we will treat everybody r»n In Memoriam; ‘‘How Sleep The Brave and with no enemy lurking near. They must Last Friday night the North Carolina Sym phony Orchestra played a composition dedicated to a Sandhills man who had given his life in war. The sombre tones filled the heart; the poignant cry of the flutes, the deep beat of the basses, like the waves of the sea, the searching, yearn ing of the violins seemed a lament for all youth so lost; for the cruelty and waste of war. The sorrow of such loss is inexpressible, but in that “Overture to the Elegy of Lycidas”, it seemed to speak with special intensity. It was partly, perhaps, aside from the beauty of the music, because of the local associations with the composer and the young man mem orialized, and because he was of such rare spirit and promise. Perhaps, too, it was a little because of the approach of Memorial Day with its sharp reminder and its memories. But, in the lofti ness of the music there was, also, the bright ness of courage, the depth of sacrifice, the re minder of the debt owed to all who have given their lives in obedience to a belief, in devotion to a cause. Perhaps, again, the thought lay heavy on men’s minds, as it must today, of the gallantry of France, fighting in Indo-China, against fear ful odds. Those who have been watching the parachute jumps this week must have thought of the French troops in the beleaguer ed fortress, as the “flying boxcars ’ dropped their men and equipment, scattering them over a wide terrain even under such good conditions have thought of the men in Dienbienphu, sup plied only from the air, thought of them wait ing for the planes to come, watching-the chutes float down, hoping at least a few would find the goal. The huge maneuvers going on this weeK around us bring the thought of war very close. It makes the celebration of Memorial Day a more intense experience for Sandhills folks, when the area around us and the air above is filled with young men, ready to go if called, ready to give their lives, as other brave men have done through the ages. But Memorial Day will fail of its purpose, its tribute will be but an empty gesture, unless men hold to the faith that there is another way. “How sleep the brave who sink to rest By all their country’s wishes blessed.” The lines are true as ever, they bring to mind the grey headstone, buried in the grass, with its faded flag, the lines of marble crosses set so close, to make shining squares of whhe across France and Italy and Northern Africa; they bring a picture of flowered wreaths dropped in the burdened waters off some Pacific shore. But the thought is not enough for. Memorial Day. This must not be a glorification of war or even of patriotism. Were it so it would do no honor to the lost. It must be, always, the sharp reminder, the clear call, to seek the other way, the way of those “who shall be caUed the chU- dren of God.” They Worked It Out Together and sewer systems and the fire department on that After a careful study, residents of the Knoll- wood area are asking that their property be included within the town limits and it appears that annexation of this large and valuable area, will become a reality as soon as all legal re quirements have been met. The decision is a major event in the develop ment of this community. Elsewhere in today’s Pilot the details of its practical significance are listed—the land area acquired, property tax rev enue added, services to be given by the town and so forth. But the significance of the proposal goes beyond the practical considerations. Not the least notable aspect of the decision is the fine spirit of cooperation shown by of ficials in reaching agreement about the an nexation. Respect for each others’ problems and a real effort to reach a satisfactory solu tion were shown by both sides during all nego- tiations. It is a tribute to the town administration that the Knollwood committee expressed full confi dence in it at last week’s final conference when the annexation decision was authorized. This administration has in recent months instituted a series of regulations designed to put the water a more business-like basis—regulations raised the cost of these services to Knollwood residents and which were, in part, strongly pro tested by property owners there. Against this background, it might have been expected that fruitful cooperation on an annex ation proposal might not have been achieved so quickly—yet it was achieved and at the instiga tion of the Knollwood people. Residents of Knollwood have long been close ly tied to Southern Pines in a variety of ways. Their participation in the town’s social, relig ious, school, athletic and other activities has been as enthusiastic as that of many in-town residents. Most Knollwood residents feel that they are a part of the Southern Pines communi ty. -yLg Pilot is confident that, against this back ground, Southern Pines after annexation of Knollwood will be not only a bigger but a better town, providing to Knollwood a standard of mu nicipal services they will welcome and receiv ing from Knollwood not only tax revenue but also a quality of citizenship that will be of val ue and service to the town as a whole. The Nightmare In Washington To listen to the McCarthy-Stevens hearings is to ieel one is living in a nightmare. What is- going on here in the United States? Here we have a high government official, a member of the President’s cabinet, apparently on trial for having given preferential favors to a private in the Army. And this man is the Secretary of the Army. At a time of utmost crisis to the nation, when responsible newspapers such as ” Science Monitor carry a headline; “Global War Or Peace . •” when United States planes are engaged in ferrying French reinforcements to the beleaguered fortress in Indo-China, when at any time we may hear that supporting uni s have been sent in; at such a moment the Sec- ' retary of the Army’s time is being squandered answering questions about Private David Schine. But that is putting it too mildly. To listen to the testimony, to hear the counsel hammermg away, like a trial lawyer at a criminal indict ment, with his “and do you deny that on a certain day you said. . .”; to watch the faces of McCarthy and Cohn, their whispering and con ferring, to hear the insolent asides of this youth; the whole thing is unutterably shocking. It con veys, as no printed words can do, the fact that McCarthy’s attack is a major stab for power. It is directed, in effect, at the Army’s civilian chief but, through him, at the Army itself. And through the Army, the President’s own service, of which he was the honored chief, and through this trusted member of the President’s cabmet, this attack, we are convinced, is directed at President Eisenhower himself. It is a harrowing experience to watch these hearings, but it is one that aU Americans should subject themselves to. For we believe the ex perience will emphasize, as little else seems able to do, the crisis that McCarthy represents and how far along the road to power he has come. That this revolting show, this row over a young man, should share the headlmes with the Gen eva Conference and the crucial question of war peace, that it should be occupying hours and Four Stax Snafu? | General' Ridgeway- seems to have gotten demoted for a day of the big maneuvers. Overheard from a rather fran tic-voiced jeep radio that was cruising around among the civilian onlookers at the drop area near Pinebluff Monday: “Now get this straight; General Ridgeway is in a two-star jeep. . . but he’s NOT two star. He’s FOUR star. . . get that? General Ridge way is lour star, but they got him in a two star jeep.” To fool the enemy, doubtless. THE OLD DOWD HOUSE stands in a circle of tall pines where formerly were open fields. Trees in the background are the first plantings made on the Goodwin Tree Farm, near Carthage, of which the old homeplace forms the center section. Date on the chimney of the log cookhouse, not in the picture, is 1815. (Pilot Staff Photo) iGoodwin Land Presents \Conservation Policies By KATHARINE BOYD ^ Being A Help Slightly bewildered paratroop er, who has just landed in a pine- tree and shinnied to earth, accosts some folks watching the drop. “Say, which way were the planes headed?” Civilians: “Jabber, jabber, jab ber, dong!” Paratrooper; “Hey?” Civilians: “II you can’t talk Chinese, you’re out of luck. We’re natives.” hours of the time of harrassed government of ficials, not t(5 mention costing the taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars, damaging •further the reputation of this nation throughout the world, already vulnerable from the impres sion left by the original goings-on of McCar thy’s henchmen, the pair Cohn and Schine, that this parade of weakriess in the face of effrontery and insult should be allowed to go on. . . we submit that “nightmare” is a mild word for it. But it must be sternly faced that this night mare is reality. This farce, going on in a Wash ington courtroom, is not a bad dream, it is a farce that speUs potential tragedy. It ^ time that the American people and the Administra tion faced up to that fact. Auto Inspection The free automobile safety inspection pro gram that began this week throughout the state will be a good test of how effective voluntary handling of such matters can be. No one is required to have his car inspected, yet the service is available at approved garages in this program sponsored by the non-govem- mental Carolina Safety League. Ideally, each auto owner should regdlarly and without compulsion have the mechanical condi tion of his vehicle checked and defects reme- ided and some motorists do just that. Most of , however, spend so much time driving that us we give little thought to the condition of the car unless there is some sort of radical break er down. Our minds are elsewhere and if the aU' tomobile gets us there at all we are pretty well satisfied. If the inspection program wakes up an ap preciable number of us from this dangerous apathy, it will serve its purpose. While the voluntary program is likely to leave untouched by inspection many dangerous vehicles on the highways, we heartily endorse it as an appeal to what Motor Vehicles Commis sioner Ed Scheidt calls “the common sense and the common decency of all North Carolina iho- torists.” A circling forest of tall pines and in its center, like a still pool, green grass and an old house, its weathered sides silvered in the soft light. All along the edges of the grass, clumps of narcissus smell sweet, their dark sword- leaves rustle. This is the old Dowd place, or the new James L. Goodwin Forest Farm, whichever you like to call it. And its new owner—only that word, “new,” is used comparative- ly_would probably like to have the old name stick. He likes the old house and he likes to think of the Dowd family living there for so many generations. 'The family burying-ground, deep in the woods nearby, is kept green and sheltered and safe. There, under the lichened stones, sleep the ancestors of Moore County’s Peter Dowd, noted grower of fine camellias, who was brought up on the old homeplace. Dowds from Moore County have made a name for themselves else where, too, witness the late Carey Dowd, former owner of the Char lotte News, whose son, Carey is head of the printing company there. The place was sold in the early ’20’s, to Colin Spencer, Carthage lumberman and Mr. Spencer in turn sold it to the present owner. That was in 1927. Mr. Goodwin, who lives in Hartford, Conn., and is a graduate of Yale, with a de gree from the Yale School of For estry, had been in this section several times, coming first to the Highland Pines Inn in 1921. He had acquired, in 1914, 1,600 acres of timberland near Pomfret, Conn., mostly white and red pines, m which he was operating commer cially, with his own mill, and, while here, he was struck by the beauty and the business potential, both, of Moore County forests. When It All Started Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Spencer met, drawn together by their mu- tial interest in trees, and the New Englander and the Tarheel struck up a friendship, and a deal, too. Mr. Goodwin bought the Dowd place, to which he later added other tracts, and Mr. Spencer took on the job of running the property for him'. Selective cutting, plant ing, and a certain amount of ex perimental reforestation, discuss ed at that time, have, in the years that followed, proved their worth, turning what had been submar ginal farmland into a timber oper ation highly profitable to all con cerned. The 1,100 acre forestry project really got under way in 1931. The land was then a mixture of old fields and woodland, much of it scrubby, but some with fine stands of pines and hardwood along the creekbeds. It was esti mated that there were about 1,- 738,500 board feet of pine and hardwood. Plantings were made of loblolly in' the fields and short- leaf in the woodlands, with crook ed weak trees removed, as a first step. During the first ten years of operation about 1,100,000 board feet were taken off, to be sold for lumber, pulp, cordwood, ties, poles and piling. Yet, because of the re forestation done during that tiine, Old Dowd Home Centers Woodland The old house in the picture, lo cated in the center of the James L. Goodwin Tree Farm, near Car thage, is one of the oldest in Moore County. It was probably built by James Dowd, who is bur ied in the family graveyard on the place. The date on the stone is: 1768-1840. On the stone chimney of the cookhouse, probably the first building to be erected, is the date 1815. According to the notes of R. E. Wicker of Pinehurst, Moore Coun ty historian, compiled from his re searches in state and county ar chives, the Dowds were one of the most influential of the early Moore County families. James Dowd was the son of Conner Dowd, who came to North Carolina from' Ireland about 1758 Mr. Wicker believes he was Con ner’s youngest son, Conner came first to Wilmington, where he “peddled” for Frederick Gregg, an Irish merchant. I Conner moved on later, to Moore County and established himself at Carbonton, where he ran a store and had a grist and flour mill, a tannery and a whis key still. He married Mary Dick erson and they had ten children all, of whom grew up in Moore County. He was a loyalist and furnished much materiel to MacDonald’s Army. He was arrested by Philip Alston, (of the House in the _ ^ Horseshoe), and taken to the jail;sprouts. Fayetteville where he was fined 5000 pounds. He returned home for a while, but finally left the state and the country ;sailing back to his old home, Coote Hill, County Cavan, in Ireland. The records show that Conner Dowd put in claims against the British for 13,000 pounds sterling. Mr. Wicker has been in corre spondence with the Dowds of County Cavan and has traced this history through their records as well as over here. He believes that Conner Dowd died in, Ireland. Water For AU Well, they decided to let every chfirch have an equal amount of water, at the town council meet And isn’t that the right and Christian attitude: everybody equal? Sure, it is. But some in the audience at the previously held discussion meeting, at which the public can horn in if they have a mind, had this to say: shouldn t the Baptists get a “rate”, as the admen say? They use a lot more water than the rest. No, it wasn’t a Baptist talking. Just someone, poking a bit of fun. That’s one of the nicest things about those discussion meetings, and, to our mind, they are one of the nicest and wisest things the new town council has started, everybody gets a chance to let off steam, and a lot of friendly fun gets let into the serious busi ness. Does everybody good. Overheard at the Concert “What’s that long instpment that sort of croaks? With the great long neck like a periscope?” - “That’s the bassoon. The play er blows in the lower end and he watches the conductor through the periscope.” Got It Patented. Mr. Sun? It appears that a new battery has been invented that gets its power from the sun. We dO'n’t know if we like the idea. There is something sort of humiliating to think that some body has found out how to make the sun work. He does wo^rk, of course, and always has. But in his own way, and not always a sweet way, eith er. He can be blistering and blighting as well as the tender en- courager of buds in the spring, green lettuce, parsley and onion acity to bring updbe children con structively, or make a real home for them. The little girls had worn the clothes of older people. They did not know how to hem up the long skirts that hung about their ankles: the boy was awkward; shoes were hard to coihe by. It was uncomfortable to feel differ ent from the other children. A home for them where they could get understanding care, where they would not be “differ ent” and would be taught to the limit of their capacity; this seem ed the solution. And that meant the Caswell County Home. There were stumbling blocks in the way: the reluctance of the family, un easy about this change, uncertain what it meant; there was some thing of a waiting list at the Home, too: all the nagging, human questions that are part of the wor ries of a Welfare Department staff came crowding in. But finally the caU had come: send the children. The family was prepared, grasped the idea and eventually agreed to it, but there were misgivings, naturally. How would the children get along? Was it the best thing after all? And then, when we were in the office the telephone call had come, with its good report: and it said: “Everything is just line. The children are adjusting well to their new environment. They are enjoying working and playing with the other children. The girls are learning to sew, and the boy is doing carpentry and starting a garden. They look different al ready!” We imagine that the parents will miss their children and the children will miss heme, at least for a while. But they will visit their homefolks for two weeks each summer, and the parents can visit them. And the children will “look dif ferent,” with a difference from the old look. The boy will show off his work and his garden, and the girls won’t be wearing those long dresses any more. They are learning to sew, and we wager those long skirts will be hemmed up now. The Public Speaking On the other hand, it’s going to be hard, we’d say, for anyone to hinder such a scheme. Even If all the other battery-makers got to gether, they’d find it hard to keep that patent from getting on the market. The sun is just there, can’t very well buy him up, shut him up. when the cruise of 1942 was made it was estimated that the area had tripled in timber content, the survey standing at 3,422,573 board feet. This was an average in the ten years, of 260 bosffd feet to the acre per year, considered extreme ly good in view of the fact that this included many planted tracts upon which there had been, in evitably, little growth during the first five years. One job in those first years was making fire lanes. These cleared paths through the forests perform a double purpose. They act as fire breaks and a place from which backfires can be started in the face of a running blaze, and they afford access to all parts of the woodlands. The lanes must be cleared every year to eliminate combustible grass and weeds and sprouting shrubs. A good many of the Goodwin forest lanes were formed from’ strips left unplanted when the old farmlands were first seeded to pine, but many had to be carved out of the thick brush. Pine and Hardwood An interesting booklet of the project was brought out a few years ago. By means of photo graphs of “before” and after the remarkable changes that took place in the area were vividly il lustrated. It is amazmg, now, to look at a photograph of the eld home afe it used to be and then to see it now. In the first case, the house stands silhouetted agamst the sky, four great oaks the only trees near it. In the second pic ture, taken ten years later, the building is almost invisible be cause of the dense growth of young loblolly pine around it, planted at intervals of seven feet, A third photograph near the same spot shows a wild turkey shelter ing her brood among the taU trunks, in what, twelve years be (Continued on Page 12) Good News Story We were talking to Mrs. Walter Cole, head of the Welfare Depart ment, in her office in Carthage the other day, when the telephone rang. Mrs. Cole picked up the re ceiver with a sigh, and then it was fun to watch her face bright en. “No!” she said, “Well, isn’t that fine!”. . . mmnble, mumble on the other end, “and they like ^ it? . . . mumble, mumble. . . . “and the family’s pleased? Well, I sure am glad. Thank YOU.” and she hung up the receiver with a satis fied click. ‘Good news?” we asked. ‘Good news!’ she said, and add ed, “I’ll say it is!” And then she went on to tell what it was about. The call had come from^ the Caswell County Home for backward children. It seemed that the Moore Courity Welfare Department had been in terested in getting the children of a farm couple, of limited mental capacity, admitted to the home. The family lived way off in the back country. When a field work er went to see them there were times of bad weather when she would have to walk part way, the road was so bad. The children had ‘“grown up like Topsy,” Mrs. Cole expressed it; “just growed.” They had been like little wild things, shy and strange, albeit Of good nature. They had gone to school, but had not advanced. And school was a major hurdle in. more than the in- teUectual sense. For, even with some supplementary help from the department, funds were low, and there was not the parental cap- The Right To Speak To the Pilot.- I am sorry I ‘‘demoted’ our be- j loved Cardinal Spellman to an Archbishop in my letter of last week. He was an Archbishop quite a long time before he be came Cardinal and it was a slip of the pen. I was sorry also to see Other let ters upbraiding you lor what the writers call your criticism, or “malicious, scurrilous” attack on Cardinal Spellman. I went back to read the editorial in question < (“Position on Lies, Deceit,” Pilot, April 16) and for the life of me I can find no attack on your part. It is evident you did not approve of the Cardinal’s association, even briefly, with Senator McCarthy, 'and I can tell you many others did not, either—good Catholics too. But this was mentioned only in prelude to your commendation and quotation of Bishop Sheil on the subject of McCarthy. I think it cannot be too strong ly stressed that Catholic prelates have the same right as anyone else to act and speak on public affairs and controversial matters. But they wear no cloak of immunity when they do so, and Catholics as well as others can differ with them, and say so. Cardinal Spell man would be the first to state and uphold this fact. Editors above all others have the right to speak up as they wish in their editorial columns, and when we try to deny them that right because they think different ly from us, heaven help our dem ocracy, and also, may I add, our Church. A CATHOLIC CITIZEN The PILOT Published Every Friday by THE PILOT. Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 Katharine Boyd Editor C. Benedict News Editor Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr. C. G. Council Advertising Mary Scott Newton Business Bessie Cameron Smi& Society Composing Room Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray, Mipharf Valen, Jasper Swearingen Subscription Rates: One Year $4. 6 mos. $2; 3 mos. $1 Entered at the Postoffice at South- mi Pines. N. C. as second dass mail matter National Editorial Assn. and N. C. Press Assn.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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April 30, 1954, edition 1
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