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We heartily agree with the senti
ment expressed by the late Irvin S.
Cobb when he said, “People who
aren’t proud of their past don’t de
serve to be remembered."
Because the great short story
writer hunted east of New Bern,
and described our upper Trent as
the most beautiful river in eastern
America, he would have been pleas
ed with the dedicated efforts of
Elizabeth Moore and Frances B.
Claypoole to preserve the history
of this town and the area surround
ing it*
* As gracious and charming a
lady as ever breathed the breath
of life, Bonnie didn’t live to see
thfeir mutual project bear full
fruit, but Elizabeth has carried on
arid rendered a tremendous service
l;o the community and to all out;?
siders who consider genealogical
study worth their while.
, .On our desk as we write these
lines is a priceless book recently
published—RECORDS OF CRAV-
, EN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
Volume One. Based in large meas
ure on material that has appeared
in the Historical Gleanings column
carried continuously in The Mirror
since September 19, 1968, it is as
readable as it is valuabl|B.
Elizabeth compiled the publica
tion'and Genealogical Recorders of
Bladensburg, Md., published it. Lit-
tle-^d she and Bonnie dream that
such^a Oiii^ would happen when
they began fheir Mimor columr;;.
That tliiis-w«»w oncouraged then}
endeavoi^ Is a ioty^of de^;?at%
teetloiriibr. hs.' ''’■n',-' •'
if, In the Bible we are reminded
that a prophet is not without hon-
4>r, except-in his-'own land, and
ii. ’how true this has been for Eliza
beth Moore and Bonnie Claypoole.
Too few Nevv Bemians are aware
of the fact that they have long
I' been regarded as outstanding gen-
■>,ealogists, and were thoroughly
qualified to do a superb job in pre
serving our heritage.
Elizabeth, who is State President
of the National League of Ameri-
can Pen Women, is a member of
^iie National Genealogical Society,
to North Carolina Society of Coun-
„^., ty and Local Historians, and the
State Literary Historical As-
s; ' sociation,
Bonnie, Who died last February,
I, was-a member of the Society of
Colonial Dames and the Daugh-
lei’s of-the American Revolution.
Her genealogical research included
visits to Scotland, England, and Eu-
rope, but nothing was more reward-
.. ing to her than the discoveries she
and Elizabeth made here in the
dusty and long overlooked docu
ments of the Craven county court-
bouse.
# Fortunately, we haye in the
courthouse a vast treasure of rec-
■t, ords extending from 1735 to 1850.
tocluded are a great many unre
corded wills, inventories, accounts
^ of sales, estate settlements, admin
istration bonds, land divisions,
maps, records of schooners and
other vessels, bills of lading, law-
suits with priceless affidavits and
depositions, military records and
i, other assorted documents.
Elizabth, deputy clerk of Superi
or Court in Craven county, found
them stored in an unused vault
at the courthouse. To her everlast
ing credit, lei it be said that she
realized the importance of her dis-
" covery.
No longer languishing in the ob-
- livion of time, the records now re
pose in proper order in 366 file
drawers, and efforts are being
made to carefully restore and per-
manetly preserve those documents
that are in fragile and damaged
condition.
RECORDS OF CRAVEN COUN
TY, NORTH CAROLINA, Volume
One, is a comprehensive book com-
(Continued on Page 8)
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ly wife, Jane iforgffi Stith, bfiam hai)jp||V tbey ppeh
presents under the giant Chrislmas tree in their historic
residence at the'intersection of Johnson and East Front
streets. 6jfacioua^inBi$su»iing, Jane Baa quickly won the
hearts of New Bernians fortunate enough to iheet her.
—Photo by Florence Hanff, Wooten Moulton Studio.
New Bernians who welcome ev
ery opportunity afforded them to
see and hear Jane Morgan Stith on
television get the emphatic impres
sion that she is genuine and down
to earth. -
Once you’re privileged to know
her, away from the glitter and
make-believe of big-time show bus
iness, you’re even more firmly con
vinced that what has been project
ed on your screen isn’t a cleverly
contrived illusion but a factual
character analysis. /
It was Rudyard Kipling who
spoke of those who “walk with
kings nor lose the common touch.”
Jane, and for^that matter her hus
band,. New Bern’s home-grown
Laurence Stith, Jr., remain com-
plfetely .unspoiled by the plaudits
of the throng and close associa
tion'with national and internation
al notables.
Friends and strangers alike rec
ognize it, and we can think of no
more heart-warming story than the
one revealed by Hedda Hopper in
her syndicated newspaper column,
a few short days before Laurence
and Jane came to New Bern for
the Christmas holidays.
The Stiths had been in Los An
geles for a two-week run at the
famed Coconut Grove, and some
thing unprecedented happened on
their final night there. As the act
neared its conclusion, a huge bou
quet of 100 roses and 25 orchids
was presentee! to Jane.
Flowers for theatrical celebrities
is no rarity, but this could hardly
be classified as an ordinary oc
casion. In this instance, the bou
quet had been purchased by em
ployees of the Coconut Grove—^the
waiters, bus boys, bell hop5 and
V
others—and they formed a proces
sion to pay enthusiastic tribute to
her.
Jane, who has the sentimentality
and sincere humility that always
goes with true greatness, was deep
ly touched! So were the cash cus
tomers,' fellow entertainers, and
sometimes cynical reporters' who
happened to be on hand. All of the
big names play the Coconut Grove,
but never before has a performer
been honored in such fashion.
Jane and Laurence ate as Uriaf-
A CHANCE TO RELAX
fected as Perry Comp and Mary
Martin, and it isn’t surprising that
they are friends. “Perry is one of
the kindest and most considerate
persons I’ve ever known,’’ Jane
told us during the recent holidays,
and Laurence readily agreed. Como,
they said, is exacting in his ef
forts to achieve perfection with
his program, so coupled with the
affection he engenders is well de
served respect.
Andy Griffith is another frtend
of the Stiths, and televiewers need
not be told that he is as plain as
the proverbial old shoe. Few New
Bernians know it, but Laurence
used to play the piano in the act
when Andy and his talented wife,
Barbara, were getting their start
here in North Carolina before civic
clubs.
Laurence was in on the ground
floor when Andy concocted hfe
famous recording, “What It Was
Was Football”, ^d the local young
man actually wrote one of the
cleverer punch lines in the narra
tion.
By a strange quirk of fate, Jane
met Andy before she ever heard of
Laurence. In fact, if memory serves
us correctly, Griffith and the fu
ture Mrs. Stith were co-recipients
in Washington, D. C., back in 1968,
of a newspaper award given to the
most outstanding entertainers who
appeared in the Capital that year.
Andy was later dumbfounded—
if he can ever be pictured as si
lenced, when he learned that his
old friend, Laurence, had given up
bachelorhood to marry someone
that Griffith knew and admired.
“It all started two years ago,”
says Jane. “I was working on a
(Continuad on Pago 2)
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