Counting imaginary sheep may
bring sleep to some New Bernians,
but Captain Dick Honrine has had
better luck reciting the names of
States and their Capital Cities. Not
only does it provide him with need
ed slumber, but has transformed
him into an authority on United
States geography. ~
You just can’t stump, the River
side philosopher. He can start with
Maine and work over, to California
or start in California and end up
in Maine. And, if you prefer, he’ll
name the States from North to
South, or from South to North.
Then, he’ll start in the center of
the Country, and alternate,
naming first an Eastern State and
then a Western one.
What’s more he can name all the
Capital Cities. Call the Capital,
he’ll tell you the State, or call the
State and he’ll tell you the Capital.
And if you want them named in
alphabetical order he can do that
too.
Just by way of diversion. Captain
Dick has learned to do unusual
things with the multiplication table
too, including reciting it back
wards. He is one of New Bern’s
most persistent readers, and you’d
have a tough time mentioning an
author with whom he isn’t fairly
familiar.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised
if Honrine’s insomnia stems from a
super-active mind. Captain Dick is
no worry-wart. As a matter of fact,
he has a keen sense of humor that
invariably bobs up during the
course of even the briefest conver-
-*iSAiwrt»-But his brain, .and a re
markable brain it is,, just won't
take a rest without considerable
coaxing.
That’s why the sheep-counting
routine didn’t work for him. Add
ing them up, as they hop over a
make-believe fence, does nothing to
improve the intellect of droopy-
eyed mathematicians. It’s just a
case of counting, and still more
counting, night after night. But the
Honrine system not only puts its
originator to sleep, it furthers his
education.
Judging by what we’ve heard,
hundreds of other New Bernians ex
perience trouble in cooperating
with the Sand Man too. Some try
a hot bath, or a glass of warm milk.
Others read themselves into drowsy
exhaustion. The easy, but danger
ous way is sleeping pills, and quite
a few resort to these knock-out pel
lets. But take it from Captain Dick
Honrine, there’s nothing like
naming States to bring on a state
of slumber.
Honrine, at 83, bounces out of
bed at 5 AM or earlier, heads for
Williams restaurant to get the first
cup of coffee out the urn, and is on
his executive’s job at Riverside
Iron Works promptly at 6 AM.
Rain or shine, sleet or snow, he
reports on time.
Serious illness tripped him up
once or twice in fairly recent years,
but his zest for living stood him in
good stead, much to the delight of
his many friends.
For years Captain Dick was a
railroad man, and he can spin
yarns on end about his experiences.
His keen sense of humor and a
nose for human interest enable
him to recognize the comedy and
the tragedy in events both major
and trivial.
During his early days, before
the talkies took over, he was a
musician in the orchestra pit of var
ious movie places. He has main
tained his interest in music and
the drama, but, for that matter.
Captain Dick is interested in every
thing under the sun.
That’s what makes him such a
remarkable conversationalist.
Whatever the subject, he can talk
about it with intelligence, and with
tolerant, softspoken authority.
Among other things, he is an
honorary Kentucky Colonel—
named by the Governor of the Blue
The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OF
EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA
Per Copy
VOLUME I
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1958
NUMBER 32
MIRRORED TRANQUILITY—Winds that whip up from the «he presents this placid portrait a stone’s throw from Gufl’S
tropics can lash the Neuse into an angry mass of surging Harbor, along East Front Street.—Photo by Billy Benners,
water. But m the haunting arena that is Autumn’s own.
If You Didn't Vote Tuesday
This Story Is Aimed at You
It’s too bad that all North Caro
linians who had the privilege of
voting in last 'Tuesday’s election
didn’t take the matter as seriously
as Newt and Gertrude Howard.
Casting their ballots came quite
naturally, seeing as how they have
been journeying to the polls togeth
er for a good 60 years, and feel
grateful for the heritage of citizen
ship.
Now retired at Newport, the
couple reared their 10 children on
a farm in the Clubfoot Creek sec
tion of Craven county. One son,
Ed Howard, lives in New Bern on
Woodland Avenue.
Newt is a staunch, 88-year-old
Democrat, while Gertrude, just 85,
is a dyed-in-the-wool .Republican.
Neither would think of giving an
inch in their intense party loyal
ty, ansk when election day comes
they go to the polls side by side to
kill each other’s vote.
Back in' the days_ when they were
living on Clubfoot'Creek, they had
to travel eight or 10 miles along a
dirt road to reach their voting
place. Many was the time they
made the trip in a buggy,-a wagon
oi’ a cart.
They were quite philosophical
about the matter, and it didn’t
seem ridiculous to them to go to
all that trouble. Although they
finally realized that their votes
wouldn’t affect the winning or the
losing margin of any candidate.
they felt it their duty and privilege.
to vote, nevertheless.
Newt and Gertrude still feel that
way. They know, with the wisdom
(Continued on page four)
Success in New York City
Hasn't Changed Don Bishop
New York is chock full of publi
city writers, but you’ll find few of
them better known or better liked
by celebrities than New Bern’s
own Don Bishop.
For 11 eventful years he pounded
out a clever stream of ballyhoo for
the National Broadcasting Compa
ny, and recently resigned to join
the publicity - promotion firm of
Arthur Cantor, a legitimate theater
publicist who branched very suc
cessfully into television promotion.
Among the television clients that
Don has a hand in promoting are
DuPont, “Zerex” Anti-Freeze, U.
Grass State. In New Bern, however,
he will ever remain Captain Dick,
a man with a marvelous mind.
S. Steel, Rexall, Schaeffer pens.
General Time-Westclox Division,
and NBC. The latter assignment is
in association with the Ford Foun
dation, the Fund For the Advance
ment of Education, and the Amer
ican Association of Colleges For
Teacher Education.
Don’s firm was engaged by NBC
to work with six contributing com
panies — Bell Telephone System,
Standard Oil Company of Californ
ia, General Foods Fund, Interna
tional Business Machines, Pitts
burgh Plate Glass Foundation and
U. S. Steel to promote their con
nection with a project called “Con
tinental Classroom” and to assist
them in publicizing it.
(Continued on back page)