■LOT
VOL. 36—NO. 8
SIXTEEN PAGES
MR. HUGHES . . . and big pine on Crane's Creek
TREE IS OVER 14 FEET IN GIRTH
W. E. Hughes of Southern
Pines, in the accompanying photo,
examines the deeply furrowed
bark of a huge living and healthy
lobMly pine that is growing near
Crane’s Creek several miles east
of Vass on the Will McCraney es
tate property. The tree measures
14 feet in circumference at a point
four feet up from the ground and
16 feet, 8 inches in circumference
at the base which flares out some
what where the ground has ero
ded around it. The pine is believ
ed to be the largest such tree in
the Sandhills and one of the larg
est, if not the largest, in the state.
It towers far above big trees in
the low land along the creek and
can be spotted at a great distance
from certain locations which af
ford a view of the area.
Mr. Hughes, who used to Own
a farm east of where the tree
grows and on the other side of
the creek, guided a Pilot reporter
to the spot. Nearby stands the re
mains of another pine which was
'larently as large or larger
the remaining healthy speci-
but which is now broken
about halfway up its trunk
is decaying down to the still
ge heart section,
i third pine of equal size near-
was cut for lumber about 190.5
icording to the recollection of
M. Cameron of Vass, Route 2,
■ho will be 82 years old February
and who supervised the sawing
ap;
mi
ofl
A
of a section of the giant trunk at
a sawmill owned by his uncle, the
late A. Cameron of Vass.
Mr. Cameron remembers that
between 1,100 and 1^200 feet of
lumber—most of which was
sawed into boards and was
“pretty stuff”—came out of the
one section of the gigantic log
that was removed from the woods
with great effort by a large crew
of men, a number of mules and
a log tram road to the mill on
Little River. Before the remain
der of the log could be taken
from the woods and cut, it was
washed away by a freshet on
Crane’s Creek which runs close
to where it was growing.
.The log that was sawed was so
thick that the big circular saw
would only reach half way
through it and it had to be turn
ed over to complete the cut, Mr.
Cameron recalls. The saw plat
form had to be torn down to
handle the monster log and the
drag iron on the bottom of the
sawmill carriage was broken in
the sawing process. It is Mr.
Cameron’s opinion that cutting
and attempting to saw the big
tree “cost A. Cameron more than
he got cut of it.” While his uncle
bemoaned the fact that the re
mainder of the log was washed
away, Mr. Cameron says he him
self was glad not to have to con
tend with any more logs of that
size at the mill he was operating.
; CEREMONY SCHEDULED FOR 11 A. M.
Ground Will Be Broken Today
For W. Southern Pines School
C. of C. Chooses
7 New Directors
For Coming Year
Varied Experience
Noted; 80 Vote In
Balloting By Mail
The names of seven new di
rectors of the Southern Pines
Chamber of Commerce, elected by
a mail ballet held during De
cember, were announced this
week by J. Graves Vann, Jr.,
chairman of the election com
mittee.
They are Harold A. ■ Collins
Jerry V. Healy, Mark King, Jr.,
Harry K. Smyth, Mrs. Oscar
Holtzclaw, John C. Ostrom and J.
T. Overton.
A total cf 80 ballots was re
turned by the membership in the
election. ’These were opened and
tallied by the board at their reg
ular meeting Tuesday night, Jan
uary 4, but the announcement
was delayed while the newly
elected members were contacted
and their acceptances assured.
They will be installed at the
next regular meeting, and will
elect officers . at that time.
Varied Experience
Mrs. Valerie Nicholson, retiring
president, expressed gratification
in the caliber of persons who
were elected, also in the fact that
they represent a balanced range
of businesses. Three of the new
directors head businesses out of
town, but they bring to the board
widely viafied business experi
ence, as well as a civic interest
(Continued on Page 5)
PRICE—TEN CENTS
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MR. HODGKINS
N. L, Hodgkins, Jr.,
Promoted; osits
Of Bank Increase "
Ground breaking ceremonies
for a four-classroom elementary
school unit at West Southern
Pines will be held at the site near
the school gymnasium today (Fri
day) at 11 a.m., it has been an
nounced by A. C, Dawson, local
schools superintendent.
Principal J. W. Moore of the
West Southern Pines schools will
preside at the ceremony which
will be attended by members of
the board of school trustees, Supt.
Dawson and the faculty and stu
dents of West Southern Pines
Deane Named To
Important Post
Congressman Charles B. Deane
of the Eighth District was offi
cially named to the important Ap
propriations Committee of the U
S. House of Representatives, Wed
nesday. Mr. Deane was one of the
10 senior members of Congress
named to this key committee- of
the House.
His seniority gave him the rank
of third place among the 10 who
were named. He received the u-
nanimous vote of all 15 members
. of the Committee on Ways and
Means which serves as a Commit
tee on Committees for the House.
Mr. Deane, on being advised of
his appointment, expressed his
appreciation and stated that he
shares with the people of his
Congressional District this hon
or and opportunity for public
service.”
'The Congressman’s home is at
Rockingham. Moore is one of the
counties of the Eighth District.
schools. The West Southern
Pines school band will play.
While the contract on the West
Southern Pines building has not
yet been let, approval of a local
school fund transfer bill in the
General Assembly at Raleigh
means that a contract for .the
structure, as well as for the
“Phase B” unit of Southern Pines
High School may now be let. Mr.
Dawson said this would probably
take place within the next week.
Bids have been opened on both
buildings.
The West Southern Pines build
ing for which ground will be
broken is the first unit of a pro
posed 15-room elementary school.
The structure to be built now will
include the heating plant for the
entire building.
Cost of the West Southern Pines
building will be $54,337 and for
the high school, structure, $138,225.
Business Books
Now Available
Recently published books 6n
business and industry are avail
able through the Southern Pines
Library, it was announced this
week.
The only charge is postage on
the books from and returning to
Charlotte or Winston - Salem
where collections of modern books
on these subjects have been built
up in public libraries through a
special grant by the North Caro
lina Library Commission.
A list of the books available
can be seen at the Library.
Dance To Benefit
Building Fund Of
Moore Hospital
The first benefit event to be
announced for the new building
and improvement program of the
Moore County Hcspital will be a
dance to be held , Tuesday eve
ning, February 8, under, auspices
of the Moore County Hospital
Auxiliary.
The dance will be specifically
for the children’s wing, an impor
tant part of the new $300,000
building program. Mrs. John C.
Ostrom of Southern Pines and
Mrs. James Tufts of Pinehurst are
co-chairmen of the event, which
will be a “9 ’til 1” affair at the
Pinehurst Country Club, accord
ing to the announcement of Mrs.
Lawrence M. Johnson of Aber
deen, auxiliary president.
Mrs. Arthur Lacey of Pine
hurst is general chairman of tick
ets and reservations, which are
available starting this week
through the following members,
in four Moore towns: Mrs. Britt
Delaney, in Pinehurst, who may
be reached at the Holly Inn from
8 to 10 a. m., and 4 to 6 p. m.; Mrs
Dwight Winkelman, in Southern
Pines; Mrs. L. M. Johnson, in
Aberdeen, and Mrs. W. D. Sabis-I
ton, in Carthage. |
An orchestra has been secured
from Raleigh. The admission
charge includes light refresh-;
ments. Capacity for the dance is
(Continued on page 8)
Bill Baker Also
Served As Page
Bil^ Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs.
W. L. Baker of Southern Pines,
served as a page in the North
Carolina Senate during the 1945
session of the General Assembly,
it was recalled this week. Young
Mr. Baker, now a student at the
University of North Carolina,,
Chapel Hill, was at that time 12 ’
years old. '
In connection with the appoint
ment of Julian Pleasants, son of
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Pleasants,
as a page in the House for the
current session of the General As
sembly, The Pilot last week stated
that this appointment was the
first to be made in Moore County
since C. A. (Tony) Huntley of Ab
erdeen served as chief page in the
Senate during the 1941 session,
after serving in three other regu- ^
lar and two special sessions of the !
legislature.
Since that was written, infor
mation as to the Bill Baker ap
pointment was given to The Pilot.
Norris L. Hodgkins, Jr., former
ly vice-president of ’The Citizens
Bank & Trust Co., of Southern
Pines, was promoted to the new
ly created position of executive
vice-president at a meeting of the
bank’s directors held 'Tuesday
evening.
The other officers of the bank
were reelected: N. L. Hodgkins,
president: and C. H. Bowman,
vice-president and cashier.
At the annual meeting of stock
holders held immediately before
the directors’ meeting, the present
board of directors was reelected
and Norris L. Hodgkins, Jr., was
named - as an additional member
of the board. Directors reelected
were John C. Barron, A. L. Bur
ney, N. L. Hodgkins, John M.
Howarth, and George W. Pottle.
A report given to the sliockhold-
I ers at the annual meeting showed
that the bank had enjoyed a suc
cessful year in 1954. The year end
statement showed total deposits
of $3,444,328.03 and total re
sources of $3,879,653.44, both of
which represented increases over
the figures for last year.
A resolution was passed at the
stockholders meeting expressing
the appreciation and thanks of
the stockholders to the president,
N. L. Hodgkins, for the success of
the bank in 1954. Mr. Hodgkins
is a patient at Moore County Hos
pital as the result of a heart at
tack on December 17.
Further Study of
Privilege Parking
Spaces Requested
CouncU Sets Public
Hearing On Vacant
Lot Cleaning Law
The town council asked Town
Attorney Lament Brown Tuesday
night to get an opimon from the
State’s attorney general as to thej
legality of privilege parking
spaces and deferred any action!
on such spaces, which are set
apart here for a number of physi
cians, until the decision is receiv
ed.
The matter had come up at last
month’s meeting after it had been
reported to the council by a citi
zen interested in seeing such
parking abolished that a ruling
against them had been handed
down by the North Carolina Su
preme Court. City Manager Tom
Cunningham had written local
physicians asking them their
opinions on the parking privilege
and repil..’ from several of the
doctors, mosi ''f whom cited ar
guments favorhig'retention of'the
st)aces as being of rah^e to both
doctor arid patients in emergen
cies, were read Tuesday. uu,n-
(Continued on page 8)
2-Town Group Studies
Friuge Zoniujg Project
Committee
.Working On
Proposals
MR. MASON
Robert Mason To
Speak To League
Of Women Voters
Fowler Elected
Volunteer Chief
'The town council Tuesday night
approved a recent election of offi
cers by the Southern Pines volun
teer fire department,' which was
reported to the council, with other
information, by Chief H. B. Fow
ler.
Chief Fowler was re-elected and
two assistant chiefs were chosen,
as the result of a tie vote: Stanley
Dunn and Albert Tew. Other of
ficers are: C. T. Dunn, Jr., com
pany captain; Frank Kaylor, Sr.,
secretary and treasurer and truck
captain;.and Frank Viall, trustee
for three years.
Chief Fowler reported a total
of 54 alarms during 1954, includ
ing 18 brush fires, 18 residential
fires,' one garage and one restau
rant, nine out-of-town fires and
three calls for aid from other de
partments. Only one of the fires,
at the Southern Pines Motor Co.-
Cameron Oil Co., was a major
blaze, the chief noted. .
Mayor L- T. Clark commended
Chief Fowler and the fire depart
ment for the fine job they have
done during the past year.
SALLY MICHELSON
Southern Pines Guard
I
I Robert Mason, editor of 'The
.Sanford Herald, daily afternoon
newspaper published at Sanford,
will .'peak at an open meeting of
the Southern Pines League of
'Women Fotfrs, in the Civic Club
at 8 p.m., Thursday of next week,
January 20. The public is in
vited.
Slated to talk on matters coni-
ing before the General Assembly
in Raleigh, Mr. Mason is expected
to stress the proposed separation
of the prison system from the
State Highvmy and Public Works
Commission, as this is a subject to
which the League is devoting par
ticular attention.
A newspaper man for the past
20 years, with time but for Navy
service in World War 2, Mr. Ma
son covered three sessions of the
North Carolina legislature, start
ing in 1935, while working on
newspapers in Raleigh and Dur
ham.
After moving to the Virginian-
Pilot in Norfolk, he reported the
1942 session of the Virginia Gen
eral Assembly. Six years later,
he observed part of the proceed-
(Continued on page 8)
Public Urged To
Get New Licenses
If you’re one of the many who
are putting off buying your 1955
license plates, you are urged to
do so no longer, unless you like
to wait in line, warns J. Earl
Parker, chairman of the auto li
cense sales bureau for this area,
operated by the Southern Pines
Chamber of Commerce.
Since the sale opened Decem
ber 1, a total of 2,906 plates had
been sold up to January 12. Total
sales for this area are expected
to be more than 6,500. Sales are
running considerably ahead of
last year—almost 300 more at the
midway point, December 31.
The sales bureau, agency of
the Carolina Motor Club, is open
at the Chamber office in the
Southland Hotel from 9 a. m. to
4 p. m. daily; except Wednesdays
and Saturdays, when it closes at
noon.
'The knotty problem of zoning
territory adjacent to the town,
j with the accent on the area be-
■ tweeh Southern Pines and Aber-
I deen, filled to overflowing the
[ town Kail council room Wednes
day nigijt. And the result: still up
in tbtf air with the pros and cons
about e^>enly divided; at least
ainong those present.
Called b* the mayors of the two
.t05^s» Dr. .E. M. Medlin of Aber
deen and St^^uthern Pines’ Lloyd
Clark, the nmeting was directed
by W. T. Hrintley Jr., elected
chairman by unanimous vote. A
rejadent of Southern Pines, Mr.
Huiptley owns considerable prop
erty, in the area under immediate
consideration.
Discussion was opened by the
two mayors, called on by the
chair to describe the meeting’s
purpose and to give their views.
Mayor Clark expressed himself
as heartily in favor of the estab
lishment of zoned areas around
Southern Pines. He said he was
convinced this was the only way
in which property values could
be' safeguarded. He illustrated his
point by calling attention to the
Spring Lake area north of Fort
Bragg and the outskirts of Fay
etteville. He said this town and
.this Sandhills section must try to
njaffil;ain its attraction to tourists;
he belieVSt?--,that attractive ap
proaches to a 'fpwn were of ma
jor importance' i.ri bringing people
there, and he mentioned the Fort
Bragg and Pinehu'i^st approaches
as well as Route 1 t^ntrance. H(
said the only way the '’s^roachf -
to Southern Pines and Aberdeen
could be improved and maintain
ed would be through zoning.
Mayor Clark’s views were echo
ed by Mayor Medlin who said,
however, that he had hoped to
have the advice of H. W. Doub,
chairman of the Aberdeen com
mittee of adjustment, and mem
bers of his committee, unfortun
ately absent.
“They are more up on this sort
cf thing,” Dr. Medlin said, “and
could discuss it from the town
angle.”
Both mayors stressed the fact
that there was no desire on the
part of either town “to force this
thing, or dictate control.”
Enabling Ad Needed
Called on to describe the type
of ordinance that might be estab
lished, Town Manager Tom Cun
ningham said he had spent the
day in Chapel Hill studying the
situation there and, talking with
those in charge. He said that
Chapel Hill has an ordinance cov
ering a specified distance around
the town, which is zoned in sev
eral sections, each for specific
(Continued on page 8)
PINEHURST GAMES
The girls and Blue Knights of
Southern Pines High School face
Pinehurst girls and boys at the
school gym here tonight (Friday)
in two of the outstanding basket
ball games of the local season.
First game will start at 7:30. See
stories elsewhere in today’s Pilot
for results of the past week’s
games.
Blue Knights, Girls Tune Up
For Aberdeen Cage Contests
RALPH LEACH, Jr.
Aberdeen Forward
That old “Debbil” is going to
be here next week—Friday night
to be exact and in person—mean
ing the Aberdeen High basketball
clubs. Take the Duke-Carolina
football classic, add the State-
Carolina basketball game, and
season with the Wake Forest
State baseball game, stir with 1,
000 fans and you have those bas
ketball thrillers between South
ern Pines and Aberdeen.
For longer years than most peo
ple care to admit agewise, this
basketball series climaxes the
sports season for both schools.
And for the same number of
years, to be able to predict the
outcome with any reasonable de
gree of certainty has been the
despair of Moore County’s basket
ball sporting fraternity. Rumor
has it that some Aberdeen en
thusiasts like their Red Devils so
much that they are willing to
sweeten their judgment by giv
ing 15 points. That is only a rumor;
however, on the basis of last
■year’s games Aberdeen is heavily
favored.
At Aberdeen last January the
Red Devils blitzed a good South
ern Pines club 70 to 50, but local
fans were not dismayed. The home
town team is usually favored by
15 points On their own court. So
figured that way. Southern Pines’
Blue Knights should take the Red
Devils in Southern Pines 65 and
50.
But played in the Big Gym be
fore some 1,050 fans the figures
didn’t work out. At game’s end,
Aberdeen was ahead 87 to 60.
Again, it looked when the
(Continued on Page 8)