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SECOND SECTION PAGE ONB
' FWDAT, DECEMBER 84, IMS
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES. MOREHEAD CITT AND BEAUFORT, N. C
Harlowe MenMakeLivelihood by T
By Randolph S. Hancock
northwest wind blew
Schilling breath across the bog
lands of eastern North Carolina.
The otter, curled in its warm den
a few feet under a creek's bank,
stretched to his full four-foot
length, and yawned.
Tree branches snapped and
cracked under the weight of sleet.
The shadows of the trees grew long
and slim like giant fingers. The
otter eased his intelligent-looking
head from the entrance to his den.
He sniffed the sharp December air
for danger signals.
Then his sleek brown body slid
into the icy waters without the
slightest sound. Only the ripples
on the surface could testify that
he had been there. He was off on
his nightly prowl for a bass a
perch or a jack.
Trapper Discovers Slide
Late that afternoon, u trap
per, one of hundreds who work
traplines throughout the winter
months in eastern North Carolina,
had come across the animal's slide.
The slide was a dead give-away
to this man of the swamp. The
trapper knew that I lie otter had
its den in the immediate vicinity.
The four-foot wide slippery path
down the stream's bank told him
so.
Morever, the trapper knew that
when the otter had satisfied its
hunger that night, it would return
for a gambol on the slide.
Here, then, his years of experi
ence told him would be the place
to make his set to catch the otter
when the animal came to play.
That, of course, is a hypotheti
cal case. But it could be a true
one, in variation, of what happens
many times during the open sea
son to this animal each year.
While the volume of fur busi
ness in North Carolina is not what
it is in the Alaskan wilds, it does
give hundreds of persons in the
area a fairly nice income from
December to March each year.
The present season has started
off much the same as last year
with bad weather, but the trappers
arc looking forward to better
prices this year than they received
last year.
Rains Handicap
Handicapped last year by heavy
rains, snows and sloets, the trap
pers also experienced price drops
jjall pelts from the time the sea
son opened until it closed in
March.
Raw fur buyers were at a loss
to explain last year's economic
quirk. They readily admitted that
the old basic law of supply and
demand did not function according
to textbook pattern.
"But we are looking for a better
deal this year," one fur buyer said.
"Last year the fur market opened
rather strong at the first of the
season, but gradually declined as
the winter wore on."
This happened, he said, despite
the fact that the pelts developed
more fur as the cold deepened.
And, curiously enough, the price
drop in raw furs was reflected in
the price that Milady had to pay
for that coat, neckpiece, or what-havc-you.
Right now the trappers arc
stringing out their traps through
the vast swamps of the stale, along
streams, and in the dank marshes
of the creeks.
The trappers in North Carolina,
and in the wastelands of the far
north, begin preparations for the
season early in the fall.
Preparation Important
Two such trappers, who probab
ly operate the most extensive trap
lines in eastern North Carolina
Clyde Taylor and Journey Connor
point out that preparation for
the season is one of the most im
portant jobs the trapper has.
Both Taylor and Connor live in
the Harlowe section of Carteret
county. In late October and Nov
ember they begin to "case" their
territory, looking for animal signs.
"Then, when the season opens,"
they said, "we know where to start
operations. It's just like any other
business. Laying the ground for
the year's work is important to our
success. Then, too, traps have to
be tested, and oiled.. A weak trap
can cost you a valuable raccoon or
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known fur industry. Trapping is taken for granted by most folk, but it offers a nice livelihood dur
ing the winter months for many rural residents. Pi. -lured above, left, is Clyde Taylor, and right,
Journey Connor, of the Harlowe section, with a ni flit's ratch of raccoons. The fur of this animal is
the all-important ingredient of the prized raccoon coal. (Photo by Randolph 8. Hancock)
mink skin, the price of two or
three traps-."
The trappers pointed out that
new traps arc boiled in water, then
greased, to destroy the metal odor
an odor that makes an animal
warv.
"An old raccoon or an old fox,"
Taylor said, "can smell a new trap
further than a man can a woman
with perfume on. That new metal
odor is a dead Rive-away and you
won't catch many raccoons or fox
es or any other animal until it has
worn away."
Both Taylor and Connor run
long trap lines for this part of this
country approximately 200 traps.
In the far north the trappers think
nothing of stringing out 500.
"it ' takes practically all of our
time," they said, "looking after
200 traps. They must be visited
each day to take out any animal
that is caught during the night or
else you run the risk of some other
animal such as a wild cat com
ing along and eating the trapped
one."
Otter Is A Sly One
Both Taylor and Connor readily
admitted that the otter was the
most difficult animal to trap.
"We doh't get one often" they
id. "But 'when we do, he Is well
Worth "all the trouble it has cost
us. An otter's skin, you know,
brings about $25 to $30."
Howevcif, the otter's wariness
has not saved it from almost total
extinction. The very fact that it
is one. of the country's most va
luable fur-bearing animals has put
the price on its head, which has
caused the commercial trapper to
gp after it with unrelcntcd deter
mination. Man is not the oiler's only
enemy. There arc many others
the wildcat, fox, owl and eagle
find the cubs easy prey. These
predatory animals lake a heavy
toll each year, the trappers said.
Taylor and Connor said that next
to the otter, the mink rated sec
ond as the most valuable fur-bearing
animal. "And the mink is just
about as crafty as the otter," they
agreed. "You don't get a mink
every time you set a trap," they
smiled.
According to fur buyers, it takes
about 75 mink skins to make a
woman's fur coat. And mink skins,
they said, bring $20 to $25 each,
raw! "Is it any wonder," they asked,-
"that a mink fur coat is so ex
pensive?" Otter Trims Uniforms -
The fur' buyers said, however,
that coats seldom, if ever, are
made of otter skins. These pelts,
they explained, are shipped to Ar-
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liter nasn l ote.i muvu puuinuy
Santa Claus Visits Belgian
Boys and Girls First, Dec. 6
By William Anderson
HHUSSKLS HclKhiii children,
unlike their counterparts the world
over, are not awaiting the coming
of Santa Claus. They already wel
comed him on Dec. 6.
This date is the name day of St.
Nicholas, patron saint of children,
from whose name the Anglo-Saxon
words "Santa Claus" are derived.
The 6th, in Belgium, is purely for
children. Adults have little to do
except finance the good man.
In Belgium, the shops start very
early with decorations and other
signs of the times. From the begin
ning of November, the big chain
stores devote most of their window-space
to the legendary figure
in his bishop's hat, staff and long
flowing red cloak.
Every shop pays tribute to the
"bonhomme" according to its class
gcnlina where they arc used to
trim officers-' uniform.
They said that Japan once was a
big buyer of otter pelts to be used
for the trimming of officers' uni
forms. There are other countries,
too, which import the pelts of this
animal for coat trimmings.
The trappers also take a rich
stake in opossums and foxes.
While their pelts do not bring in
the rich reward of the mink and
otter they arc valuable in the
trade. Then, there's also the musk
rat, a fast breeding animal of the
marshlands. Their pelts bring
about $2.75 each, but most trap
pers take a half dozen or more
each niqlit, and Ihey arc easily
"skinned."
' Muskrat skins, the fur buyers
said, arc turned into Hudson seal
coats.
"There's money in trapping,"
Taylor and Connor said, "hut the
sport isn't for the novice. It's
skilled Work just like most other
jobs. We've been at this business
now since were were boys with a
rabbit gum in the back of the
field!"
(The writer of this story, who
has kin in the Harlowe section,
is a well-known newspaper man,
editor of the Daily Independent
at Kannapolis).
LZJK'J ill 1 feVVl 4r -I I
rapping
at
7.
auvut vuneici county s nine-
of business. Pastry shops arc full
of traditional sugar pigs, chocolate
santas and chocolate donkeys car
rying sacks of sweets. One depart
mcnt store this year devoted much
of its window-space to a panorama
of the "Enchanted Forest" where
good, represented by St. Nicholas,
fights evil, represented by a witch.
The "good" part uf the forest was
full of dancing fairies and frolicing
mechanical animals. The witch's
domain featured such niceties as
children-eating trees, dragons, and
a most life-like snake.
Another large store devoted it
self to the "Nursery of 2000 A.D."
In this piece of mechanical ingenu
ity, one nurse, herself a robot,
operates a switch panel which con
trols the washing, feeding, spank
ing, teaching and even "diapering"
of dozens of little dolls.
Every store has a Santa Claus.
Some indeed have several. Each
store employs different means of
proclaiming the arrival of its santa.
Bang up to date was the much
publicized arrival in Brussels of
one chain store santa. He came
down from heaven where the Bel
gian santa lives with the help of
the Belgian Airways and a Dakota.
On arriving at the airways termi
nal, he stepped into an old mail
coach, decorated for the occasion
and to fanfares from accompany
ing trumpeters, toured the streets
of Brussels. Hundreds of children
attended this particular arrival.
In the schools, teachers arc tell
ing and retelling the slory of Saint
Nicholas. The children learn how
the bad butcher captured the
three little boys and turned them
into bacon. How the all-knowing
saint got to know of it, and pre
tending to be a customer visited
the butcher. The latter, the story
goes on, realized who his customer
was and prayed for forgiveness.
Santa forgave him saying his con
science would punish him enough.
All over Belgium little faces light
up when by a miracle the good
man restores the three boys to life
and happiness, thus proving that
good will always triumph over evil.
However, the big night for
grown ups in Belgium is still New
Year. Greeting cards and presents
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Having Trouble Selecting
A Ch ristmas Dinner Men u ?
r
0
By Cecily Brownstone
Associated Prtus Food Editor
Many good cooks. I've noticed,
seems to have an awful time trying-
to decide what's to go on the
menu along with the main course
and dessert for a big holiday din
ner. They find it easy enough to
choose the meat whether it's
turkey, chicken, duck or ham and
the dessert, usually pie, pudding,
or ice cream. But when it comes
to the first course, the vegetables,
and the salad, they're in a quan
dary. Here arc some suggestions.
This year, in our family, we've
been combining the main course
before a big dinner with the salad.
That gives us a lot of latitude. We
borrow the idea of serving Matjes
herring from a Scandinavian
Smorgasbord but lots of other
kinds of fish will do: tuna, sal
dines, anchovie. Stuffed eggs
with a wonderful homemade
mayonnaise and maybe liver pate
we take from the French; tissue
thin slices of bam or spicy salami
from the Italians. And of course
lots of greens go along romainc
and watercress are especially ap
propriate, if you can get them.
Olives, sticks of fennel and car
rot, radishes, tomato wedges, strips
of green pepper arc all good to
choose.
I recently acquired one of the
convenient and beautiful glass
bottles, marked to hold just t he
right proportion of oil and vine
gar, so now we fill it and pass it
with this combination first-course
salad. If you keep your oil and
vinegar in separate table bottles
just pass those, of course.
Another way vith a first eoursc
and salad is to couple fruit and
vegetables and serve with a good
French dressing. If you can get
persimmons you'll find they are
delicious with crisp celery and iet
tuce. If you've always teamed
avocado with orange or grapefruit
try it sometimes with diced red
apple leaving the apple skins on.
In each of these suggestions, you'll
notice, bland soft texture is used
with something crisp and crunchy.
And all benefit!
When it comes to vegetables we
departed from tradition this year
and served braised celery in place
of the usual creamed onions. And
was it good! It was my sister Row
ena's inspiration and she cut each
celery head in about six length
wise pieces, carefully cutting
through and preserving a piece of
the heart along with each cluster
of stalks. Then she simmered the
celery in rich home-made beef
broth, and finally doused it in a
are exchanged and everyone is on
holiday. After a meal which may
last for hours, Belgians get down
to their traditional beer-drinking
which they intersperse with
dancing, singing and parlour
games till the morning.
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OLIDAY
REETIMOS
To everyone whom we ore
priviUgtd to call "fritnd and
neighbor" go our heartfelt ex
pressions of th Season's joyous
, tenfimenfi.
Poller's Sinclair
Service Station
Phone B 4726 Beaufort, N. G.
T. T. "Tom" Potter, Jr., Owner
dressing of olive oil, herb vinegar,
salt and finely crushed garlic.
Even the custom-bound male mem
bers of our family loved it!
When it comes to a menu for
the inevitable supper of cold left
over ham or turkey we like nothing
better than plain fluffy mashed
potatoes, green peas maybe, and a
molded salad. Plenty good enough
tor company, this menu, especially
if you make the salad picture.
Here's tin; recipe.
JELLIED CHRISTMAS TREE
SALAD
Ingredients: 2 envelopes unfa
vored gelatin, 1 cup cold water.
1 12 cups hot water, 1 can jellied
cranberry sauce, 3 tablespoons le
mon juice, 12 teaspoon salt. 1
cup finely chopped cabbage, 12
cup diced celery.
Method: Soften gelatin in the 1
cup cold water. Add hut water,
stir until gelatin is dissolved,
("rush cranberry sauce, lemon juice
and salt; beat with a rotary egg
beater until smooth. Chill until
mixture is the consistency of un
beaten egg whites. Turn half of
mixture into 9x9-inch or 8x8-iuch
pan. Chill until almost firm. To
remainder, fold in cabbage and
celery; cover first layer of clear
gelatin. To serve, unmold on plat
ter. Cut paper pattern of Christ
mas tree; place on gelatin; cut
around pattern with knife. Remove
gelatin that has been cut away
from tree design. Then cut this
gclutin into pieces and pile into
lettuce cups to serve as salads
around tree. Soften one-half of a
threeounce package of cream
cheese with one teaspoon milk put
through pastry tube in five rows
of scallops on tree to represent
garlands. Serve with mayonnaise
dressing. Makes 10 servings.
It's nice for a change, when the family
gathers around the fireplace these holi
day evenings, to tell stories, to toast
marshmallows.-or maybe just to sit and
visit among the flickering shadows.
Precious few of us, however, would like
to go back tothe days when there were
no electric lights to have to do without
At this holiday season we of Tide Water wish to extend the very best wishes for
the merriest Christmas ever and the very finest of New Years, too! Our prom
ise to you is that we will continue to do everything
TIDE WATER POWER
OTWAY
Dec 13. Elder T. II. Edwards
of Jackson, and Elder Zcna Rhnc,
of Winston-Salem, held service at
the P. B. church Saturday.
Miss Lucille Gillikin, of Ports
mouth spent several days this week
with her folks.
Mr. Bryant Gillikin called to sec
Mr. B. B. Lawrence a while Fri
day. Mr. S. W. Lawrence went to
Beaufort Friday on business.
Mrs. Blondell Lawrence spent !
Wednesday with her sister, Mrs.
Augustus Lawrence.
Mrs. B. I!. Lawrence, we arc
sorry to say, has been very ill and
had to call Dr. Fuleher to treat
her for gall trouble.
Mis. Teaney Lawrence sprnt
Sunday with her brother and fam
ily, Mr. Bedford B. Lawrence.
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Gillikin cai
ried their little son to the hospital
at Moiehead City for treatment.
Everyone is glad to know Ik is
much improved.
Mr. James L. Lawrence who has
been transferred from Morebead
City hospital to Duke hospital,
Durham. Everybody hopes for
him a speedy recovery.
We are sorry to say the little
son. of Mr. and Mrs. Tilton Law
SINCERE
1 1 I
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Two of th best joys of Christ-,
mas are having good friends
and wishing them a great deal
of happiness.
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the convenience and work-saving that
today's appliances provide.
By bringing you the electricity and gas you
need, all 360 of us here at Tide Water like
to think that we are, in some real measure,
contributing to the comfort, health and
happiness of your family and your friends
and neighbors.
rence, Robert Wynne, Is ill ihd
had to be carried to the doctor for
treatment this week. We will fe
glad to see him well again.
Mr. and Mrs. Elroy Bundy, '-of
Norfolk spent last week with hfX
mother, Mrs. Jammie Gillikin. ::
Mr. and Mrs. Archie Bundy of
Norfolk motored here last week
to visit her folks.
Mrs. Richard Lawrence and sou
left for Norfolk the weekend to
visit her parents. ;
Mr. Julian Brown of MarshaJl
bcrg attended service here Satur
day at the P. B. Church. ;
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hancock
and children will move into their
new home Christmas week.
Mrs. Roland Lawrence, mother
and sister.' Mrs. Sadie Trott and
Mrs. Wardoll Gillikin, went -io
Heaulci t Wednesday shopping.
Mrs. Lena Lewis went lo Beau
fort Thursday shopping
Tin: I'TA will hold its regular
meeting Tuesday 21
Nutritionists estimate that nine
tenths of the human race lives and
dies in food poverty.
Until the l!Hh Century, nine out
of 10 persons in America spent all
their working lives producing and
marketing food.
Poller
Tire Co.
T.T."Tom" Poller
4
Phone M 3751 i M
V MOREHEAD CITY N
"v3
we can to make it so!
COMPANY
LEOIJAOD'S
Dallas Blake
John Chaplain
SAM ADLER, Mgr. ... MOREHEAD CITY
Dave Be Venn
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