3S:
Ordinarily, we aren’t too im
pressed with “This Is Yoiir Life,”
the gooey tear-jerker that Ralph
Edwards serves up weekly to his
television audience.
Often, it seems to us, the pro
gram shows bad taste. Always, or
almost always, it is melodramatic
to a nauseating extent. However,
it makes a difference when you’re
personally acquainted with the
celebrity placed in the spotlight.
Hence, when Ted Lewis, the high
hat tragedian of jazz, was the sub
ject recently, we found the pro
gram thoroughly entertaining,, and
not over done. Ralph pictured Ted
as a very fine individual, and in
deed he is.
Talent isn’t the only thing that
has kept him on top as a great
showman for half a century. It’s an
honest humility that makes him
love all people, and appreciate
the smallest favor.
That’s how the editor of The
Mirror got to know Ted, close to
30 years ago. Young in jthe news
paper game, we wrote a Sunday
feature for the Raleigh News and
Observer, and mentioned Ted in
one paragraph .He was mentioned
quite briefly, along .with a dozen
or more other entertainers.
Somehow, somewhere, he hap
pened to. see the story. Maybe a
clipping service mailed him - a
copy. At any rate, we were as
tounded to get a letter of thanks
from him several day?, .later.
_ Scrawled ' in his - own han^dwclt,-'
ing, the v^?rm and lengthy 'cdife*.
-«tfflteatioB was as . fi^feSdiy WTf;
was obviously sincere. To this day;
' we've ilever received a more cor
dial note from anyone. To a kid
reporter, it was just as thrilling
as having the Sunday feature ac
cepted in the first place.
Lewis included his address, 18
Central Park West, New York City,
in the letter, so we immediately
wrote to express our appreciation
for his appreciation. And from
that a friendship was born.
Later, we did a story on Ted
for Carl Goerch’s State Magazine,
calling attention to the many “Car
olina” songs that he and his or
chestra played in their journeying
from coast to coast.
The NEW- BERN
^ PUBLISHED WEEKLY
4 ^ • the heart of
^*'9. j " NORTH
' *• 0.
VOLUME I
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1959
Since then, when Christmas rolls
around, we always get a Christmas
card from Ted and his wife, Adah,
to whom he has been happily mar
ried for 43 years. Undoubtedly,
many another writer is likewise
remembered, and is, we hope, just
as grateful as we are for being
remembered for so long a time.
To us, one of the things that
makes Ted so great is the pride
he holds for his home town, Cir-
cleville, Ohio. During his lengthy
career he has always made it a
point to mention his birthplace at
every opportunity.
Circleville, in turn, has named
its park for him, and ehch year,
on his birthday, the schools there
declare a full holiday. His chari
ties are legend, especially when
the cause concerns children.
Rudyard Kipling, in one of his
poems, used the line, “And walk
with kings, nor lose the common
touch”. How true this is of Ted
Lewis. He has been privileged to
entertain and mingle with the
greatest of the great in all walks
of life. Yet, no one to him is un
important.
Most of the really big people
are like that. It remains for the
phonies to play the role of snob,
and lord it over others. Such folks
point to the truly great and call
them lucky.
Well, luck does play a part, but
in the most fickle and unpredict-
tble of all professions, Ted Lewis
has succeeded by just being him-
self.-
COUlSrcnj exquisitely furnished room ih
Tryoh Palace illustrates the original building’s dual func
tion as Royal Governor’s Residence and seat of Colonial
Government for the Colony of North Carolina. A Chippen
dale mahogany table desk from Lulworth Castle is shown
here, with mahogany council tables and Gothic Chippendale
chairs. The portrait is of King George III of England; the
clock was made in 1736 by Charles Clay of London. R has
Chinees and bells, and even plays operatic tunes.—Photo by
Bill Gulley.
Guy Parsons Was a Credit
As Native Son of New Bern
Sometimes it turns out to be a
lot better to have loved and lost
than to be the other fellow.
A man that everybody else in
Philadelphia wants to be like. Such
was the unanimous Quaker City
label placed on New Bern’s Guy
Edgar Parsons.
They said these things about him
in life, and since his death on Jan
uary 31, 1959, the same complimen
tary remarks have been uttered
time and time again.
Even as another New Bern na
tive, Johnnie Sullivan, enjoys the
highest plaudits of- law enforce
ment circles in Washington, D. C.,
so did Guy win the hearts and the
acclaim of a major American city.
No other town in the United
States, or the world, has duplicated
New Bern’s feat in contributing
not one but two distinguished sons
to the top rungs of police leader
ship.
Readers of The Mirror are ah'
ready familiar with Sullivan’s ac
complishments, thanks to the ex
clusive story recently carried on
him in this paper. After this morn
ing you’ll be equally acquainted
with Parsons andnis claim to fame.
For more than 40 years—dating
back to August 31, 1917—he re
flected credit on the Philadelphia
police department. Eventually he
became a living legend, not only
in that city and in all of Pennsyl
vania, but in the nation at large.
So impressed was President
Franklin D. Roosevelt with the New
Bernian’s ability that he was of
fered the position of Chief of
White House Guards. Roosevelt
knew GUy personally, often spoke
of him in flattering terms. Yet, so
dedicated was this man to his work,
in Philadelphia that he declined an
appointment that countless others. Record, Evening Bulletin and Daily
cbveted. News—revealed his decision on
Leading newspapers in the Penn- April 15, 1942. At that time, Par-
sylvania metropolis—the Inquirer, | sons was very much in the public
GUY EDGAR PARSONS
eye as Philadelphia’s chief air raid
warden, although he was best
known as a traffic control authori
ty with an international reputation.
In an effort to give you the story
without prejudice or exaggeration,
The Mirror went to the Philadel
phia police files for the exact
words describing his ^special out
standing assignments.
These assignments are listed as
follows:
Placed in command of all uni
formed units during the 1944 trol
ley strike, and commended for his
impartial and efficient command.
Sent to Louisville, Ky., during
the flood catastrophe, in command
of 200 Philadelphia policemen, to
aid and assist to bring order out
of chaos. Returned in two weeks
with high praise from officials of
Louisville.
In charge of 150 policemen sent
to Atlantic City during the hurri
cane of 1944, to assist in law and
order.
Sent to Washington, D. C., in
command of loO men during two
Presidential inaugurations.
Placed in charge of special units
during the Republican and Demo
cratic conventions that were held
in Philadelphia.,
A 30-year banquet was tendered
to Guy in Philadelphia’s Conven
tion Hall, and it was the largest
testimonial banquet ever tendered
to an individual in Philadelphia.
There were 3,000 well wishers in
attendance, including outstanding
members of all phases of civic life,
prominent locally and nationally.
(Continued on back page)
'I