The NEW BERN
—
NEW BERN, N, C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1961
On those all too rare occasions
when a newsipaperman has a few
idle moments to toy with, he is
apt to recall some of the unusual
^ries covered in days that are
forever gone.
Most of the stories weren’t really
bi«, but they did have the spark
ot human interest that can make
.even a trivial item readable. And
in 'retrospect these little incidents
are rememibered more readily than
events that made the headlines.
■ ' Take what happened uptown 28
years ago — on June iS, 1933, to
bh’exact. There was nothing wrong
wfh Haywood Green’s desire to
smell sweet on a Sunday afternoon,
but the way he went about the job
of getting higihly scented landed
him in Craven county jail.
It all happened when Green
snatched a bottle of violent violet
perfume belonging to Theodore
Jones, while the two were at the
same rooming house. Jones object
ed to being deprived of his cologne
battle, and told Green as much>
Maybe it was the heat, the ob
jeotor, or the perfumic reaction
at any rate Green drew a knife
and proceeded to stab the objector.
The wounds were not serious, and
‘ the injured man Was able to appear
li in Mayor Hubert Tolson’s City
Court. Justice was meted out, and
BO far as we know there were no
further disputes.over cologne be
tween the two perfumeiippreoiat-
’• infe roomers.' v.£ ,
# ■ HShy'%as ehipioyed lat therFirst
Oiftizens Banks atad Trust Company
here. One morning he reached iido
a wastebasket for a newsipaper he
wanted to take a second look at,
and something grabbed his hand.
Ihe something was d full grown
rat that had taken a firm grip on
one of his fingers.
Fred’s calls for help were not un-
like the Alpine warblings of the
Swiss yodeler, his feet tattooed a
vigorous and impi'omptu rhumba
on the First Citizens floor. To say
that there wias no lack of noise and
excitemeoit would be the under-
statement to end all understate-
ments. , . ^ •
The confusion and hysteria
amused the rat so much he had to
release his grip and laugh awhile.
* Taking advantage of the rat’s keen
sense of humor, Hussey scooted to
sjtfety. The rat scooted too, but
w^ere he scooted is something tha^^
nd one could determine after the
rodent’s assault.
ipred headed for Ernest Woods
drug store, a few doors up Middle
street, and “Doc” patched i his paw
up until it was almost as good as
nw. As for the newspaper that
FVed was aiming to read, he never
did around to perusing it.
Vifeether the rat had been reading
it when Hussey disturbed him, is
a matter for speculation.
Rats, of course, don’t specialize
fn biting the fingers of bank em
ployees. Instead they destroy hun
dreds of millions of dollars worth
of , property in the United States
every year, and affect a larger per-
cratage of the population than any
other pest in existence.
Fortunately, we’ve never been
bitten by a rat, or even a mouse.
However, one of the most painful
experiences we had in childhood
was associated! with rats, and that
too is easy to remember.
On a cold winter’s night, vrhen
it was much too chilly to freeze up
stairs in a drafty bathroom, we
had been thoroughly grubbed in a
galvanized washtub in the living
Those of you who aicn t ashamed
to admit your early raising will re-
call similar scrubbings, with news
papers spread around the tub to
catch the splashings, and a red-hot
oo(d stove keeping you from get-
(ContiniMd on POB*)
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I'
WAY BACK WHEN—-Our thanks to Mildred Hammond,
who rounded up this photograph of a ®
New Bern nublic schools. Dr. Charlie Hall Ashford is sec
ond from t^e left on the front row, and Bob Pugh is second
from the right. Now see if you can find, Mildred, Richard
Shencer, Mary Louise Griffin, Margaret Bray, AUen Buck
Margaret Smith, Amelia Walnau, Mamie Hibbard, Laura
Rae,^Lizzette Perry, Elgie Carraway, i^me We^
Bryan Duffy, Esther Bell Newberry, Glennie Hunter and
Robert J^ee Armstrong.
i;
AN EXCITING SEASON—Pictured here are som® of the
youngsters and their coaches who Participated in the Sally
Lftball League this season. Co-spomored by the New Bern
Recreation Department and New Bern s Jaycee-ettes, the
program attracted 55 sports-minded girls. We ”ught add
that a number of these young tadiw can wield a wi^ed
bat, when they’re up at the plate.—^Photo by John R. Dex
ter.