Significant dates on our state flag
GD
SMITH
May ao, 177B, la one of the two datea In
cluded on our State Flag. It la the date of the
Mecklenburg Declaratlcn of Independence.
Thla was once a highly-honored event tai our
state’a history. Now It repreaenta a situation
many North Oarollns historians find em
barrassing.
Moat experts now believe that the
Declaratlan of May 30,1775, never occurred.
Others still stand by It, however, and the
controversy surrounding the Mecklenburg
event makes for one of the deepest mysteries
In our state’s history.
According to tradition, the cltlsens of
Mecklenburg County met In Charlotte and
declared their Independence from Oreat
Britain over a year earlier than the date of
our national Declaration, July 4, 1776. Un
fortunately, no original copy of their
Declaration was preserved, and when the
. matter first became a controversy (aroimd
1820) all of the survivors could not agree on
the exact date. Most of them said May 30,
which agreed with what had been — until
that time — a totally-accepted local
tradition.
A few years later, however, authentic and
unquestioned newq>aper accounts of a
meeting held In Mecklenburg on May 81
were discovered, and historians leaped upon
this later meeting as an explanation of what
had "really happened" In Charlotte. This
later document, called the Mecklenburg
Resolves Is less bold In concept than the
exlatlng copies of the Declaration, and the
word "Independence" does not appear In It
(I will discuss the Resolves further two
weeks from now.)
Thomas Jefferson had been offended by
claims for an earlier declaration, and his
supporters were eager to debunk the
Mecklenburg document Today hlstcrlana
are silso skeptical of the May 30th claim,
largely because of the absence of an
authentic copy. My own personal feeling Is
that entirely too much strong evidence In
favor of It does exist to discount It totally. I
doubt If a final verdict can ever be safely
reached. It would take the discovery of
evidence which probably no longer exists (If
It ever did) to establish the claim for a
Mecklenburg Declaration, but I am un
willing to state flatly that It did not occur.
-oOo-
Ironlcally, John Penn, one of thla state’s
three signers of the national Declaration of
Independence la also associated with this
week In history. Penn was bom In Virginia,
on May 17, 1741.
An early and staunch supporter of
separation from Oreat Britain, Penn served
In the Continental Congress from 1775-80.
Alter the Revolution he forsook government
service entirety for the practice of law.
Both Penn and hla fellow signer, William
Hbc^er, are burled In the Oullford Cour
thouse National Military Park near
Oreensboro.
-oOo-
The Battle of Alamance, the first real
armed revolt against British authority, took
place near the present dty of Burlington mi
May 16, 1771.
Royal Oovemor Wllllsun ’Tryon, com
manding an 1100-man force of mlUtla,
smsMhed a force of some 3,000 Insurgents In a
two-hour battle, bringing about the collapse
of the Regulator Movement. Ironically,
many prominent Carolinians who would
support the Revolution against British
authority only four years later aided with
Oovemor' Tryon that day.
eDITORW'J&OPiniOM'?
P(Mge 4A Thursday, May 19,1977
KMers have bifi; hearts
Last week two things happened; the Mirror-Herald published the plight of the
Brian Blckley family and Mm. Marilyn Nelsler started a special account at First
Union National Bank for public tax deductible donations for the Blckleys.
’Ibday, that account has about 18,000 contributed by friends of the Blckleys and
their fellow Kings Mountlans.
Brian Blckley suffered a heart attack last November and in the hospital It was
discovered that he had a coronary disease. Since November 1076 Blckley has
been confined to both Kings Moimtaln and Charlotte Memorial Hospitals, with
the exception of five weeks.
The medical bills are frightening. Even If the Blckleys were to Uquldate aU of
their assets, the money would barely knock the top off that mountainous debt.
Recognizing this fact. Mm. Nelsler organized the Blckley fund.
’Ihe results to date clearly show that Kings Mountlans have big hearts and will
waste no time In reaching out to help a fellow human being when the need Is
made known.
Art of getting along
To the editor.
Sooner or later a man who la wlae
dlscovera Ufa la a mixture of good and bad
days, victory and defeat, give and take.
He learns that being overty aenaltlve
; doean’t pay and that he ahould let abuse roll
' off hla head like water off a duck.
He learns that he who loses his temper
usually loses out. He also lesima that
carrying a chip on his shoulder Is the easiest
' way of getting Into trouble. He learns the
quickest way to become unpopular is to
carry tales of gossip.
A man learns. If he la wise, that othem are
as ambitious as he and that hard work Is the
secret to success. He teams that no one ever
gets to first base alone, that It takes a
cooperative effort.
He realizes that the art of getting along
depends almost entirely on hla own behavior
towards others.
EVERETTE PEABSON
Kings Mountain
Hypertension is a killer
Hypertension, high blood pressure, and
high blood are all one and the same thing,
and It Is a killer. It Is a silent disease that
can be present In the body for yesuv without
any s)rmptoms. A person can feel perfectly
healthy with no headaches, no dizziness, no
spots before the eyes while the blood
pressure Is damaging the arteries, the heart,
the kidneys, and setting the body up for heart
attack, stroke or kidney failure.
There Is no present cure for the disease,
but there are effective methods for treat
ment to keep it under control. These
methods can bring the blood pressure down
to a level a person can live with and live a
happier, healthier life.
Many people still do not know whether or
not they have high blood pressure or how
dangerous It Is or what to do about It. There
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The Regulator movement had spread
throughout the Oarollna back country set
tlements, caused by resentment against
taxes and cornipt local otflclals. ’Tryon
hanged six leaders of the Regulators, and set
out upon a march from Hillsborough, to
Salisbury to Salem, burning the property of
those prominently Involved In the rebellion.
Was the poet
putting US on?
Perh^iB you have noticed the comer
column on the editorial page devoted to
verse from local poets.
We have been fortunate ki that several
contributors show a definite talent for
stringing descrlpttve words together to
create moving and beautiful Imagery.
We have also been unfortunate In that
Botne contributors couldn’t verse their way
out of a soggy paper bag.
’Ihe other morning’s maU fetched us such
a work. The name won’t be revealed here,
but maybe a verse or two will. The reasMi
I’m printing this Is because I have never
eeen our general manager go Into such
hysterical laughter over anything the way he
hM over this verse.
The piece is entitled “Uttle Maid.’’
"Little maid upon my fan.
Did you come from far Japan?
What a tiny ovsd face.
Did you like the other place?*’
’Ihe above Is the first verse and obviously,
the subject Is a slanbeyed beauty gracing
Mie of those gaudy sideshow souvenir fans.
The author doesn’t think the young girt has
much of a life "In far away Japan,’’ judging
by .another verse . . .
"If you were over here, you
beautiful dear.
You would have much more hope.
You could make a big hit
Just selling the Orlt,
Or advertising the good 'ole Ivory soap."
Are you beginning to see why Darrell
Austin gets tom out of frame each time he
reads the poem?
But the clincher la as follows ...
"If I could see you In penon.
TOM
McinTYRG
a
I’d ask you one question and
Hope you wouldn’t tell me a
Yarber. I’d say, please tell
me dear. If you don’t care.
Was you the one that bombed
Pearl Harbor?"
The poem ends with the statement...
‘Tt could have been one of your kin.
An acquaintance or a friend.
Surely you wouldn’t have
Done nothing that bad.’’
Now, before you get aU upset with me,
thinking I am putting down someone really
hying to express him or herself, let me fill
you In on the way the piece was signed.
The author put the word "Saint’’ In front of
the name and tagged It with "Or The
Reincarnated Phararfo.”
mm the author putting us on with this eo-
called poem ? Or was It done In all alncerety ?
I’d prefer to believe It was a put on. becauae
If It was alncere, then our budding author
doean’t quite have both oars In the water.
The Poet’s
Corner
THEFATE OF
THE SEA FABDrO FI8HERB1AN
Concern much greater
There waa a fisherman who dwelled near the aea
He wore a fUmy cap and ahorta below the knee.
He wove a tale from hla big yam
Longer than the path that curved ‘round his bam.’
for tick-bome infection
The largest flahes just swam hla way
On the waU of the cabin waa a ahaik display.
From his yam you would gather never a small fish
The side of a whale was hla cofomon dish.
Tbere would seem to be a greater need for
concern about Rocky ' Mountain Spotted
Fever as the years roll by becauae the
reported Incidence of this tick-borne In
fection continues to cUmb. An all-time high
of 193 cases of Rocky Mountetin Spotted
Fever were reported In North Carolina in
1976. There were only three reported cases
In Cleveland County In 1976. During the past
five years no Increase has been seen locally
In cases reported.
Tbe best guard against the disease Is to
Inspect the entire body, especially the head,
twice a day when In tick Infested areas.
Some precautions can minimize thechance of
getting the ticks when entering heavily
vegetated places. Wear hlghtop shoes or pull
socks over pants tegs. Apply Insect repellent
to skin and clothing. Closely examine
children and dogs. A child can get a tick
from a dog long after the family has
returned from the woods. Persons In
terested In using chemical control to protect
their dogs from ticks should contact one of
the county’s local vetertnarlans for In
formation.
Rocky Mountain Spotted fever symptoms
are characterized by fever headache,
muscle pains, and a meaale-Uke ratsh that
usually steurta on the hands and foet.
Removing ticks should be done Im
mediately and apply an antlspetlc to any tick
bites. While a loose tick Is easy to remove
and destroy, one that has embebedded Its
mouthparts In the sUn and Is firmly at
tached la much more difficult to remove. It
must be removed gently to keep from
tearing the mouthparts and leaving them In
the skin to cause Infection. Clasp the tick,
preferably with tweezers, near the person’s
akin and gently tug, making certain the tick
remains Intact. If the hands touched the tick
during removal, wash them thoroughly.
One caution: The widespread belief that
heat will cause a tick to let go la erroneous In
moat cases. A lighted match or cigarette
usually burns the skin, kills the tick and
makes removal more painful and difficult.
Persons having questions may call the
County Health Department at 487-1181.
He was a loner and broiled by himself
Fed his cat on mlnnowa, there were mlniwws left.
Scrubbed the pots and pans and hung them high
To catch the breeze when It breezed by.
Hla friends afar came out to see
If the tsUe were true or a fantasy.
No one ever saw the large fish when he csuight
And ewallered the tale with a grain of salt.
A photogrsq>her came out Just to make sure
A little prying kite the yam could endure,
He waa caught In the process of reeling one In
A small anchovy horribly thin.
Tlie unannounced photographer took a snap at him
He slipped Into the ocean auid away to swim
Cau^t In a predicament similar to a fish,
A whale swam sOong with a whale of a swish I
Hla cat purrs alone on a lonely pier
Waiting for hla good friend to ^ipear.
Sighs under his fur with the whiskers down
The whispering wind blows the tale around.
VIVIAN STEWART Bn,TOUFFB
Is a pamphlet, "High Blood Pressure,"
available from the North Carolina Heart
Association free of charge to anyone wno
writes to request It. The pamphlet outUnea
what high blood pressure Is, what tt can do to
your body, how to find out if you have high
bkxMl preaaure and what can be done about
It
It Is estimated that In thla country there
are acme 38 million people with high blood
pressure and some 700,000 hi North Carolina.
But about one out of every three of these
people do not know they have It. Don’t be
one of those, or let anyone In your family or
among your friends walk around with a
potential killer Inside.
Qet a free copy of "Ifigh Blood Pressure.”
Write to: North Carolina Heart Association,
1 Heart Circle, Chiqiel HUl, N.C. 37614.
North Carolina is truly
The Variety Vacationland
Ask an old-timer what they called North
Carolina?
"Variety Vacationland!"
Ask a newcomer who travels the Tar Heel
State, and you’ll get the santie answer.
Tlie month of May Is proof of the variety of
events, fon, happenings that range from the
Atiantic to the Oreat Smokies.
A headliner Is the World 600 Weekend at
(Siarlotte Motor Efoeedway May 37-39. Billed
as a "racing explosion" these three days will
bring together man and machine.
’Die Executive 300 on Friday, May 37, will
put the Baby Grands In 130 miles of fast
action by 60 compacts. The modlfleds will
battle on Saturday, May 38, with the Patriot
800.
Racing! The Worid 500! Young Ilona like
Waltrlp, Bonnett, Sommers, Manning,
Bivins and Brooks In a 170-mph fonder
nibbing with giants like Petty, Pearson,
Baker, Parsons, Yarborough, Marcia and
the AUlaons. The date: Sunday, May 39. The
fastest 40 wlU be battling for 9803,000 In prize
money with the winner standing a chance to
pocket a record $80,000.
Efotertalnmant stars pither at Duke
University tai Durham May 39-80, to play
golf, have fun, with the rssU winners
children. It’s the annual Duke Children’s
Clstaelc, and the action takas place on the
Duke Golf Course. Last year Perry Como,
Chet Atkins, Whltey Ford and Buddy
Hackett gave their time and talent for the
children. Thla year, they will return, joined
by celebs Hank Aaron, Dick Martin and Joe
Oaraglola. The Liggett Group la a co-sponsor
of the classic, and proceeds go to Duke
Pediatrics for resesu’ch Involving childhood
dlseaaeB.
Mky Is sUao ramp eating time In the
western part of the State. Ramps have been
described as like an onion, only better, and
like an onion, only worse. One writer. In
describing the vegetable with the power
punch, said, "It makes the odor of onion and
gartlc smell as sweet as zephyrs blowing off
beds of heather."
The long-time annusU Ramp Convention Is
May 33 sd WaynesvlUe, and the Big Ivy
CommurJty Club’s fourth annual Ramp
Festival Is May 7 at BarnardsvlUe.
The Ramp Convention draws politicians of
different faith who meet without conflict for
the enjoyment of chomping on a ramp. And,
If you would like to attend the ramp festivals,
all that stuff about a person who has par
taken of ramps being socially unacceptable
for a week Is pure bunk. The fragrance only
lasts six daya.
If kicking up your heels Is what you have In
mind, Fontana Is the place. Three big
festivals will be held here In May: the 36th
aeml-annual Rebel Roundup, a square dance
festival. May 8-16; 3lat' semi-annual Accent
on Rounds with Squares, a dance festival.
May 33-39; and the S30th semi-annual Fun
Feat, square dance festival. May 39-June 0.
Bunday-ln-the-Park will be held In Wilson
May 1, and Sunday-on-the Square In
FayetteviUe also on May 1. Both eventa an
sponsored by the local Arts Council and
feature arts, crafts, and music. A Sidewalk
Art Show will be held In Warrenton May 1-3.
The North CaroUna C-3 (Canoeing)
Championships will be held on the
Tuckaaegee River near CUUowhee May 7.
Festival In the Park with arts, crafts, folk
dsuiclngand music IsachediUedatthe Macon
County Fairgrounds near Franklin May 19- ’
14. The May Festival In WUmlngton on May
18-10, features arts, crafts, house tours, and
boat tours.
The annual Cape Fear Msu-Un Tournament
wlU be held May 33-38 at WrlghtsvUIe Beach
with anglers competing for 90,000 In prise
money and trophlea In six claaslflcatione.
A Hang GUdlng ^lectacular Is scheduled
May 31-23 at Jockey’s Ridge SUte Park at
Nags Head on the Outer Banks.
The month of May ends writh a bang and a
prediction at June with the lOth iwwiai
Kemper Open Golf Tournament May 80-June
6 in Charlotte. This 080,000 tournament Is
one of the outstsuidlng stops on the PGA tour.
MSy Is a month of variety, but then North
Carolina la Variety Vacationland. ’
Cl