My Favorite Stories
By CARL GO RICH
g ;, ' _ I
Before I came to North Carolina
I worked in New York City for a
year or two. Office work with
Browning King Company down
at Cooper Square. They used to be
one of the largest clothing concerns
in the country, but after 1 left them
the/ didn't do no well and a few
years ago they went into receiver
ship.
We didn't work on Saturday af
ternoon and frequently I'd spend
that time in wandering about the
city, taking in the sights.
On this particular Saturday af
tcrnoon I'm going to tell you about, j
I strolled over to the river iront
where the big ocean lirters were
tied up. Ships always have held a
strange fascination for me and I'd j
like nothing better than to be able i
to take a trip to the strange and
out-of-the-way places of the world |
It's an ambition I've had all my >
life, and one of these days I hope
' to be able to realize it.
Biggest ship of all along the
waterfront was the Lusitania. She
was a comparatively new ship In
those days and I had never seen
hex. I walked, up along the pier
until I came to one of the gang
planks. There 'was no one around
anywhere, so I just strolled up the
plank and proceeded to examine
the craft in detail.
1 must have spent more than an
hour aboard the ship, going from
one end of it to the other. Occa
sionally I'd run into some officers
or members of the crew, but they
paid me no mind, so I continued I
on my wav. assured of the fact that |
it was all right for me to be aboard. |
And it was well worth the visit.
I'd never seen anything more lux
urious than the palatial flrst-^lass
section, with its beautiful state
rooms. palatial salons, and com
fortable lounges, i even went down
into the engine rooms and had a
look at the powerful motors of the ,
ship.
Fnially nowever, I felt that 1 |
had to leave inasmuch as I had to 1
catch a train for Tarrytown. So 1
went back on deck again and start
ed down the gangplank.
There was a guard, on duty. Look
ed somewhat like one of our Ma
rines. I nodded at him and started
t " ? - -
to walk past .but he held out his
arm and blocked my way.
"You cannot leave the ship.'- he
! informed me. . .?. I
"Why not?" I asked.
"Orders." he replied. "Please
lib back aboard again."
"But what's the reason I can't
leave"'" I demanded.
"No steerage passengers allowed !
to leave until after they have been |
1 sent back to Ellis Island again for j
a final examination."
"Hut I'm not 8 steerage passen- .
ger. I just came aboard about an .
hour ago and have been looking '
over the ship."
"Who let you go aboard?"
"Nobody."
"That's what I thought," he said 1
with a sarcastic smile. "Now then;
back up on the deck again, and
don't try to leave or you'll get into
difficulties with the immigration 1
authorities. There's a strict rule
against letting any of you steer- '
age folks leave the ship."
For a moment or so I didn't ,
know what to say. Besides, I was
getting scared, and I could see my
self being sent to Ellis Ialand and j
getting into all kinds of a jam.
"I tell you I'm not a passenger," (
I told him again. "I work, here in ,
New York and I can pi;c*ve it."
"Have you any letters of identi- <
('?cation?'' he inquired. ,
I reached into my pockets but (
couldn't And a thing. (
"No." I confessed, "but-?
"That's what I thought," he in
terrupted. "Now get back up on
deck again before you get into
trouble."
I went back up on deck again
and stopped a man who looked as
though he might be an officer. Ex
citedly I told him my story; how 1
had walked aboard the Lusitania
thinking it was perfectly all right
to do so, that there had been no
, body at the gangplank and that I
positively was not a passenger.
First off. he was just as dubious
as the guard at the gangplank had
been. While we were talking, an
other chap walked up and listened
to the conversation.
"You say you work here in New
Mrs. J. P. Dicus
Suffers Broken
Arm In Fall
Mrs. J. P. Dicus, deputy collec
tor in the county tax office, suf
fered a broken arm In a fall while
painting at her residence, 203
Boundary St., Monday morning.
The mis'.ap occurred when a
(tool slipped from beneath the
ieputy collector while she was
painting the ceiling in an upstairs
Pathroom.
Mrs. Dicus was admitted to Hay
wood County Hospital and then
taken to the emergency room at
Memorial Mission Hospital in
^sheviile. She Is now convalescing
her home.
Ifork?" demanded the newcomer, j
"Yes," I told him.
"For whom?"
"Browning. King & Company, at
Cooper Square " r
"What's your name?"
I told him.
"What a minute, Joe," he told
the other fellow.
He dfisappeared into one of the
cabins and, in about five minutes.
?ame back.
"Do you know a fellow by the
name of Louis Barth?" he inquired
"Yes; he's my boss."
"Well, I guess it's all right to let
tiim go, Joe. 1 called up Browning.
King and Company and got Barth
pn the telephone and when I de
scribed this guy, he identified him."
And then turning to me: "Barth
said that so far as he, personally,
ivas concerned, we could take you
put to the middle of the ocean and
Jump you overboard. Now beat it."
1 beat it.
Mr. Hetiry Belk'*
Life Story it an
Amazing Tale of Americana
' The biography of the late Wil
liam Henry Belk founder of Belk's
store system, reads like an Horatio
Alger story. For from such hum
ble beginnings as wholesome
southern farm life in the mid
years of the last century, this
forward-thinking man worked
and strived unceasingly until to
day his disciples carry on his suc
cesses throughout much of the
southeast.
Born in 1862 in Lancaster
County, S. C., young Henry grew
up in the post-Civil-War days i
when times were truly difficult.
His father was drowned by Sher- j
man's men in 1865 and his mother
was left to raise and educate three.
small sons ? all under six years
of age!
In 1873 the Belk family moved
to Monroe, North Carolina ? and
Henry, at the tender age of 11
years, felt his responsibilities to
Mother and brothers and went to
work in a dry goods store at a
salary of $5 per month. It is said
that at the end of three months
he had saved $14.85. Later, in ap
preciation of his service, he was
raised to $25 per quarter of a
year, and then to $50 per quarter. \
Finally, at the end of 11 years of
hard, faithful work, when he had
become head man in the store, !
confidential clerk and buyer, he
was raised to $10 per month. At
the end of 12 years in that work,
when he was 26 years old, he de
cided to establish his own busi
ness.
With this small capital and the
slogan, "Belk Sells It for Less," 1
theambitious young man launched
his new business in Monroe, North j
Carolina, on May 20, 1888. At the
end of seven months he had re-1
paid the $500 he had borrowed, j
was in the clear on salaries, rent, \
etc.. and had shown a clear profit >
of $3300.
in early vouih \v. ll. Ilelk had
helped his younger brother, John
M. Helk, secure a medical educa
tion - but now that he had proved
his foothold in the "storekeeping"
business, he persuaded the alj
ready-successful physician to join
him in his venture and together
they worked as a team from 1891
until thedeath of Dr. Belk in 1928.
Their policy ... totally unheard
of before the turn of the century
. . . was to mark merchandise
clearly and to sell at that price.
Belk's policy was to sell good mer
chandise and, whenever possible,
to sell it for less. To this he added
courteous service and a genuine
desire to please his customers and
see that they were satisfied in
every respect. It wasn't long lie
fore people in the Monroe trading
area realized that when they
bought an article at Mr. Belk's
store thev could depend upon the
quality being as represented and
the price as being fair.
As the years went on, new Selk
stores began to fan out through
the southeast. Mr. Belk followed a
consistent plan of watching for
promising young men, many of
whom like himself come from the
country, and who were honest,
willing to work, and striving for a
chance With few exceptions, his
judgment was uncannily accurate.
And by linking his name and his
support to each business - each
<>ne independent and separate-he
helped it on to successful service
in its own home community.
Someone who observed this pro
gram intimately once remarked
that the training of so large a
number of good solid business
men in many communities of the
South constituted one of the cr?>at
outstanding services of Mr. Belk's
life.. ?.
NEW OFFICERS of the Haywood County Cfaus
room Tfathti" Club, installed Monday niyht dur
ing a banquet at The Lodae, were (left to rifht)
Mrs. Oral L. Yates of Crabtree-Iron Duff, presi
dent: Mrs, Bill Swift of Bethel School, secretary;
Mrs. Maye Davis Boyd of Central Elementary
School, treasurer, and Mr*. Alma Jackson Wil
liams of Waynesville HUh School, retiring presi
dent. Absent when this picture was taken was
Mrs. Bonnie Shook of Clyde School, vice presi
dent.
(Mountaineer Photo).
Haywood County
Teachers Group
Installs Officers
Mrs. Oral L. Yates of Crabtree
Iron Dull School was installed as
the new president of the Haywood
County Classroom Teachers Club
at a banquet at The Lodge Monday
night.
Also installed were;
Mrs. Howard Shook of Clyde
School, vice president; Mrs. Bill
Swift of Bethel School, secretary.
?nd Mrs. Troy Boyd of Central i
Elementary School, treasurer.
The slate of new officers was'
oresented by Bill Swift, chairman
of the nominating committee.
The principal speaker was Miss
Lois Edinger. state president of
Classroom Teachers, who spoke on
"Teach To Inspire, and Inspire to
Teach."
Also a guest at the banquet was
Mrs. Hazel Curtwright, Western
District president of Classroom
Teachers.
Mrs. Alma Jackson Williams of
Waynesville High School, the re
tiring president of the Haywood
unit, was in charge of the meeting.
1 Want Ada bring quick results. '
.. . ., . .....
EX "<
so# cf
*'U
ri? d?2
nah V0|2
June. 1954 and rfwiv^S
training at Parris Islands J
Camp Pendleton, Calif g, I
for Hawaii in March. 1
Report Courteous I
OMAHA 'AP'-jvjJ
neighbor lad was visiting i J
bor woman v. hile she an J
Clipboards She found ?
wooden spoon which
and the following dialognegl
Boy: "I'd like someihi?t>
with the spoon." 1
Housewife: "What uouin
like' I
Boy : "1 can't ask for J
i to eat because that isa'tH
I'll eat whatever you give J
| He got a big helping ?
cream. H
1 Want ads bring quirk tj
STEP INTO
THIS SPRING!
HUGE SELECTION OF FABRICS ANI> COLORS!
I
?
'? ?
ChiH?se here from a
stunning array of the
newest, smartest fab
rics in distinctive pat
terns and colors to mix
and match with your
sport coats.
? Gabardines
? Nylon & Rayon
? Dacron & Rayon
? ?? - and at
RAY'S
They're ONLY
$795
In Styles
And Sizes
^ For Both
1 Younjr
And Old ?
OTHER GABARDINE
SLACKS $?95
FROM ? mW
100 Wool GABARDINES $^2-95
I BSSmlMffV"'" *? W* il
D A V'C DEPT
KAT JSTORE
I xi^HXgL
?-i"* "Our idea is to sejl goods just as cheap m
we can and at die same time male a
small profit. When a fellow Inn s something
he knows he can bring the goads had
if he finds out tliey aren 't what lie wanted,
%
and get his money back. That's our idea
and we found that it worked. "
WILLIAM HENRY DELS
THE IDE* THAT WOlikEII
? A *
Mighty down-to-firth philosophy ? and more than just words] This is
a man's promise, so full o{ cracker-barrel truth that it's spanned sixty-seven
years of busy yesterdays...will live on amid the tomorrows of supersonic?,
electronics, atomics and pushbuttons! Grand old Mr. Henry's solid farmer-boy
beginnings gave him an especially sharp appreciation of what goes into hard
work ? and what hard work goes into fathering the beliefs that are the founda
tions of our American way of life.
"Honest dealing, and good old-fashioned friendly service" ... a man
has a right to expect this any time he steps into a store, William Henry Belk
helieved. That's what u sometimes called customer confidence. And It's the
faith that comes of knowing where to find a real bargain that still keeps our
customers coming back again and again!,
i ' "" nr. v*' > -? ' ? - *
t .
Y? .
we ve gone a long way .since this store's first seedling was |>Ianted 6<
sears Ago, back in Monroe, North Carolina. Over the years there ha\o been
many changes, to keep up with the changing times. Ve have built and rebuilt,
renovated and improved, grown and grown ? and we're still growing.
inside our doors, our founder's first two-point credo continues to be our
guiding light: ,
'"Honest dealing, friendly service!"
We look to tomorrow and tomorrow with the same young-hearted, buns
big enthusiasm that led Founder Belk through a lifetime punctuated b\ Ions
tedious hours of work. We pledge continued devotion to th" substance
spirit of our sixty-seven-year-old principles of value ? and forecast our future
together will he brighter than ever!
JOIN US IN OUR J
67th FOUNDER SrBAYS CELEBRATlO^
f?
Starts Thursday, April 21.
Values far men, for women\
children?your home! Be
sure to shop every department
... you'll save! The greatest |
show of good old-fashioned I
bargains this town
has ever seen!
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