\
The NEW BERN
„r. 4 nrs.A. »•
2000 Aron4i.ll St.
HorchonS City, B. 0.
■r« iiil: HEART OP
EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA
Si Per Copy
VOLUMNE 3
If, like us, you’ve gone to sleep
during church services more times
than you’ve got fingers and toes,
don’t feel too badly about it.
Preachers, when they swap their
place in the pulpit for a seat in the
congregation, are sometimes guil
ty of the same offense.
Take for instance one of our
favorite ministers, the Rev. Den
ver S. Blevins of Neuse Forest
Presbyterian church. Not long ago
he attended a church meeting in
Greenville with several of his
members. “I was tired,” says Blev
ins, and he went fast asleep. He
might have toppled over, but for
the fact that he was in the middle
of the pew, sandwiched between
two leaders of his flock.
The Neuse Forest pastor, who
makes no effort to effect an air
of false dignity but is truly dedicat
ed, told us about the incident the
other day, and admitted that he has
been kidded a great deal as a re
sult of his unscheduled nap.
Most ministers are more sympa
thetic than annoyed, when they
spot someone snoozing in the midst
of a sermon. They realize that
drowsiness isn’t necessarily a sign
of lagging interest, but quite often
an indication that the slumbering
individual has gotten completely
relaxed and at peace with his Mak
er and his fellow man.
Of course, there’s no denying
that interest does reach a low ebb
if the sermon is as dull as a few
; we’ve had the misfortune to listen
- to. However, a -thoroughly, boretl
. tVbrshipper is apt to be so irritated,
t'”' and so busy taking looks at his
watch, that dropping off to sleep
isn’t likely.
Occasionally there can be fairly
good reasons for napping, regard
less of the quality of the sermon.
Last Sunday the Rev. J. W. Line
berger brought one of his better
messages at Centenary Methodist
church, and we still had trouble
staying awake. It was neither his
fault nor ours.
A fatal automobile accident on
the Cherry Point highway had rout
ed this writer out of bed at three
o’clock Sunday morning. By the
time we got back from the scene of
the tragedy, wrote the story and
taped a radio broadcast for a seven
o’clock airing, it was too late to
go back to bed.
We took a bath and shaved, ate
a couple of cinamon buns, dr^k
a cup of strong coffee, and'gij]^
, ready for Sunday school. Teaching
a class of 12-year-old boys and girls
in Centenary’s intermediate depart
ment kept us awake until the 11 o’
clock church service.
For once we didn’t go to sleep,
but staying awake was an ordeal.
Two or three times the sand man
almost succeeded. In case Rev
Lineberger noticed us stifling a
yawn and propping our eyelids
open, he’ll understand why when
he gets his copy of The Mirror in
his mailbox this morning.
At least we had a better excuse
than the man in a tale you may
not have heard. He had been up
all night playing poker, and went
to sleep in church while seated in
the Amen corner. Not only was he
asleep but snoring quite loudly.
The preacher spied him just
about the time he was ready to
pray, and fairly shouted, “We will
now ask Bill Johnson to LEAD us
in prayer!” The sleeping deacon
(or was it a Methodist steward?)
stirred into semi-consciousness and
blurted, “Lead nothing, I just
dealt!”
Then there is the story of the
little boy who was next to a chUrth
attender who was snoring in simi
lar fashion. Pointing at the boy
and then to the slumbering man
the minister said, “Son, would you
mind waking him up?” The little
boy was less than cooperative
(Continued on Page 5)
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1960
NUMBER 20
in New Bern 43 ye^rs ago but has livedT much life
in Washington, is congratulated by Potentate Ottis^. Saw
yer of Sudan Shrine 'Temple as he takes over his duties of
for me ttibus
North Carolina. Sawyer lives in Durham. Both m^h have
long been active in the Shrine, and civic leaders in their
respective communities.—^Photo by Marcus Block.
For Abundant Conversation,
You Cant Beat Hot Weather
What has been the chief topic
of conversation among citizens of
New Bern and Craven county this
week? Well, nothing took priority
over the weather, and that should
surprise no one. Looking the cold
facts in the face, it was hot and
getting hotter.
Farmers, rushing to finish their
tobacco harvesting, were under
standably concerned, because ad
verse conditions could hurt their
pocketbooks badly. Merchants, in
this town by the Neuse and ’Trent,
shared the crossing of fingers,
knowing of course that good crops
for rural neighbors who till the
soil have a decided influence on
the Autumn ringing of their cash
registers.
Office workers—^the ones who
picked August for their summer
vacation—wanted it sunny but not
too sultry as they headed for what
they hoped would be the best spot
yet for fun and relaxation.
Local fishermen, the river and
creek brigade and their Isaac Wal
ton cousins who prefer surf cast
ing or trolling in the Gulf Stream,
were likewise weather conscious.
They dread storms or strong winds
that upset the habits of fish, and
in turn upset the conspiring hu
mans who find great delight in
hooking choice members of the
finny tribe.
Baseball and softball players
here didn’t care a hoot about fish
ing prospects, but they were an
xiously scanning the skies to get
assurance that their all important
games wouldn’t be rained out.
Those teenagers who get a bang
of out boating, water skiing and
swimming didn’t want inclement
weather either. As long as the suni
was shining, it didn’t worry them
when the mercury climbed and the |
humidity became oppressive.
Everybody had a reason to echo I
the sentiments of a familiar nurs
ery rhyme—“Rain, rain, go away,
and come again some other day.”
Everybody, including farmers and
backyard gardeners who figured
more moisture would hurt.
, However, there were*other things
to talk about, after discussing the
weather, and tongues didn’t lag.
The suspension of Capt. James S.
Ricks from the New Bern police
force for “improper use of equip
ment and personnel under his su» _ .
pervision and control” was a ma-.^|'
jor topic of conversation for dayjfs'^’
and the matter got a thorough
hashing along Main street and eliie-
where when the veteran officer
tendered his resignation and Chief
James E. Pearsall said, “I regret
that it is necessary to accept it.”
Violent death has been very
much in the Craven county news
this week. Over in the vicinity of
Ernul, a Vanceboro man apparent
ly went beserk, after visiting the
home of a friend who said, “There
was no ill feeling between us that
I know of.”
Starting an unexplained ruccus,
the visitor got his rifle from a
truck parked outside the small
frame dwelling, fired slugs danger
ously until a friend across the
road, who had hunted with him on
pleasanter occasions, fatally wound
ed him with a gun of liis own and
thereby ended a nightmare in
broad daylight.
Death was riding the highway,
too. A young Marine who was re
portedly AWOL from his duty at
Cherry Point, departed from the
ranks of the living when he appar
ently went to sleep at the steering
wheel.
The end came in spectacular
fashion, when his Renault crossed
from one lane to another on the
spacious New Bern-Havelock thor-
(Continued on Page 5)
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