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VOLUME 2
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1959
NUMBER 13
To us it has always been a thrill
ing sight to see a teen-ager grad
uate from high school. Thrilling
and a little sad. Few moments are
more dramatic, and because there’s
* so much drama involved you get
a wistful blending of joy and path
os.
Most dramatic of all graduations
for this writer, however, was the
awarding of a New Bern High
school diploma to Peggy Waters a
few weeks ago. It wasn’t what was
happening that tugged at our
heart, but the vivid memory of a
tragedy that occurred years before.
Peggy was just three at the time
—and as cute a little blonde as
you could possibly imagine. It was
a sunny afternoon in Sunnyside—
a perfect day for childhood.
Little did this newspaper man
dream, as he happened along a
peaceful and dreserted street, that
a story fraught with horror would
unfold before his very eyes in a
matter of seconds.
Then it happened. A child’s
^ scream pierced the air, and the
next instant a little girl with her
clothing ablaze raced across the
^ street in front of us, and darted in
to a drive way.
She fell to the ground just before
we teached her, and in some mirac
ulous way the fall mercifully ex
tinguished flames that were envel
oping her tiny body.
With the help of others we bun
dled a blanket about her as gently
as possible, and minutes later she
was receiving emergency attention
from Dr. Charles H. Ashford.
„ ^•'Oke'the writer, he too had a lit-'
tie girl of his own about the same
age. Standing there, and marvelling
at the bravery of Peggy as the phy
sician did the things that had to
be done, we could almost read his
mind.
The public is inclined to feel at
times that a newspaperman who
works hard at his trade relishes his
coverage of the grimmer aspects
of life. Actually, most reporters
are tender-hearted jerks who are
sickened by the necessity of view
ing human misery.
And, when it comes to accidents
involving children, we often re
member long after readers have
forgotten the stories that tumbled
from our typewriters. We remem
ber like the writer has remember
ed Peggy all these years.
We’ve watched her grow up, nev
er quite sure that she herself was
remembering a man who happened
along on a sunny afternoon. Then a
year of two ago she stopped us on
Middle street, and smiled a bit un
certainly.
“Do you know who I am?’’ she
asked softly. We nodded, and she
smiled again and went on her way.
Nothing else had to be said. Watch
ing her, we breathed a tittle prayer
of thankfulness to God foi^ sparing
her to know the joy of being a
teen-ager.
It wasn’t until after Peggy’s mis
fortune that we found out how
brave a little girl she really was,
and how the tragedy occurred. We
didn’t print the story behind the'
story at that time, but having been
assured by her Dad that she won’t
object to the column you’re now
reading, we’ll recount it now.
The little blonde, with play
mates, had made a mud-cake. They
wanted it to be a birthday cake—
although we’re not sure that it was
somebody’s birthday in the group.
A birthday cake should certainly
have a candle, and they found one
and a match. Peggy struck the
match. The head popped off and
fell inside the outing shirt she was
wearing.
And we found out later why she
fell to the ground, on purpose.
“Me knew me was going to burn
up,’’ she told her parents, “but me
didn’t want to burn up the house."
So you see why, to the writer,
Peggy Waters is an exti-a special
person.
GIVING IN A BIG WAY—There’s nothing about the
generosity of the Onslow Shrine Club when it comes to con
tributing to Shrine hospitals for crippled children. This
giant check, mailed to New Bern’s Sudan Temple, is 13
feet, 4 inches, long and 4 feet, 10 inches wide. Handling it
here, at New Bern’s First Citizens Bank & Trust Company
are Jerry Thomas, a teller; W. D. Ferebee, vice-president-
J. E. Boswell, assistant vice-president; and John Connolly’
assistant cashier.—Photo by Billy Benners.
How Many Changes in You
Since Your High School Days
How much ‘do New Bernians
change in 30 years? How many of
them live up to the usually glow
ing phrases that describe them in
their high school annual?
We asked those questions last
year about New Bern’s class of
1928, and the feature story that
stemmed from this curiosity stirred
tremendous interest. So much so
that we’ve been requested to do
another such feature on the class
of 1929.
Our present mayor, Robert L.
Stallings, Jr., was a member of that
class, and even then he had dem
onstrated leadership of a high ord
er. Here’s what the annual said: "If
the senior class wants a president
who can give it a smooth and suc
cessful year; if the football, bas
ketball and baseball teams want a
manager to bring them a paying
season; if the producers of plays
want a real business man with
ideas which increase their box re
ceipts; a fellow who can manage
these things successfully, and still
maintain his popularity among
those with whom and for whom he
works— page Robert Stalling.”
After 30 years, in which His Hon
or has grown considerably plumper
than the wisp of a teen-ager he
once was, the prophetic analysis
carried in his high school yearbook
still applies to a remarkable de
gree.
At that, Stallings wasn’t vale
dictorian of the 1929 class. Joseph
Ramon Salem, our city electrical
engineer, copped that honor with a
scholastic average of 95.2. “Don’t
worry about Joe. he’ll make his
mark,” the annual predicted.
Describing him as “one of the
most outstanding boys that ever
graduated from our high school,”
the class added; “A foreigner by
birth, he came into our school and
made better grades and showed a
better spirit of loyalty and pride
for his adopted country than many
of his native borfi classmates.”
Incidentally, Stallings—with El
sie Cook—was picked as “most at
tractive” in the senior statistics.
Bill Wheeler and Ann Church were
the “best all ’round”; Francis Fere
bee and Amy Williams were “most
athletic”; Roy Miller and Elizabeth
Duffy, “best looking”; Billy Minich
and Eleanor Jones, “most depend
able”; and Lawrence Patten and
Elizabeth Heritage, “wittiest.
Senior class officers, along with
President Stallings, were Lawrence
Patten, vice-president; James
Ketcham, secretary; and Helen
Jackson, treasurer. Amy Williams
was editor-in-chief of the annual.
Serving with her were Milded Ham
ilton, business manager; Mary Ma-
dara, assistant editor; Edith Car
penter, assistant bus’iness manager;
Durward Hancock, joke editor; and
Ruth Miller, art editor..
Jimmy Cason was “always ready
to help a friend, or do a favor for
anyone.” Grace Deppe had “a gen
ial happy disposition. Neither very
quiet nor loud—just a happy medi
um.” As for Sara Julia Foscue,
“loyalty, cheerfulness and pep”
were her outstanding characteris
tics.
Sadie Mae Gaskins was “full to
the brim of life and fun” while
Ernest Johnson was “studious, but
not too studious.” Buzz Mitchell, a
pitcher on the baseball team, was
“sure death to batters and geome
try.” Nina Basnight Lupton “will
have a good time wherever she is,”
the yearbook predicted.
Gladys Mallard was “blessed
with a disposition that everyone
envies.” Martha Williams you “will
never see walking” while Corinne
Taylor “was able to be one of the
most popular girls in her class and
still keep up on her studies.”
Bessie Mae Taylor had “a merry
laugh all through the corridors”;
Grace Swinson had “an enormous
vocabulary” and was “always” talk
ing. Dudley Suter was “one of
the most talented” girls, while
Mildred Stallings displayed “kind
ness toward all. and malice toward
none.”
Wallace Smith was “good natur-
ed and easy going,” while Rosalie
Smith was “a talent pianist.” Leo
Smith had “ready wit” and the re
maining Smith in the class, Katie
Belle, “never let her studies inter
fere with her social life.”
Charles Seifert was “a star pupil,
good sport and real friend.” Earl
Peterson was a “cute boy” while
Sallie Mae Rhodes “charmed a
great many young hearts around
town.” Lula Jessie Potter, the an
nual said, was “jolly and capable.”
Winifred Parker was “not too stu
dious—not too quiet— just right.”
Roy Miller was “a thing with the
ladies,” and Mary Madara was al
ways riding “on the main drag.”
Ralph Lockey, it says, was “a lively
companion,” and Isabel Lawrence
full of good sense and humor.”
Elizabeth Lancaster rated a “good
sport” classification, and James
no
Ketcham was a “student of
mean ability.”
You could “depend” on Eleanor
Jones, and Helen Jackson was
“true to a purpose in life.” Mary
Elizabeth Hughes was known by
her “cheerful smile” while Evelyn
Hodges was “popular with teachers
and pupils alike.”
As for Elizabeth Heritage ,she
was “never serious.” William Har
ris had a way of “saying the unex
pected” while Earl Harper was a
“modest young man.” Naomi Hardi
son had a “jolly and lovable na
ture” and Durward Hancock “add
ed lots of life to the class.”
Robert Gray was always “making
us laugh” and Len Gibbs a “good
actor.” Francis Ferebee showed
“splendid sportsmanship” while
Elizabeth Duffy “takes things as
they come.” Tom Davis was “al
ways willing to do something mis-
chievious, and Elsie Cook was the
“snappiest, sportiest female that
ever struck New Bern high school.”
Ann Church had “a combination
of attractiveness, popularity and
basketball ability.” Edith Carpen
ter was one of the “most lovable”
members of the class. Sarah Brandt
was “a spirit kind and bright” and
you could “take your troubles” to
Annie Boyd. Mildred Boyd despite
her “modest talk” was “one of our
best and most dependable stu
dents.” As for Ruth Anderson, she
had a “sweet disposition, quick
thinking brain and staunch perse
verance.”
Ruby Lee Hall “never hurries,
but when she finishes anything
you may be sure it is O.K.” Mil-
(Continued on bock pag«)