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The NEW BERN
PUBLIC'
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150^^^ Per Copy
VOLUME 4
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1961
NUMBER 24
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It’s a mighty far piece from New
Bern to Asheviile, and in many re
spects those of us who live on the
coast haven’t got much in common
with folks up there in the mountains.
However, the fact that 2^ of us
are proud feliow Tar Heels — from
Manteo to Murphy —makes every
New Bernian we’ve talked with feel
like the new Miss America is virtual
ly a next door neighbor.
Hundreds of miles separate our
town from Asheville, but this dis
tance evaporated into thin air Satur
day night when Maria Beale Fletch
er, as Miss North Carolina, won the
nation’s most coveted feminine
crown at Convention Hall in Atiantic
City.
You need not be told that thou
sands of men, women and children in
this first State Capital on the shores
of the Neuse and Trent stayed up to
view the contest on their television
sets. Nn one dared dream that Miss
North Carolina would be the eventu
al winner, but local citizens didn't
want to be caught snoozing if the
miraculous happened.
Maybe it was the lighting, but
most readers of The Mirror will ad
mit that Maria didn’t look too im
pressive when she made her initial
appearance Saturday night. We are
inclined to agree that the way she
had her hair fixed was, as another
woman would say, too “severe.”
Perhaps it was a case of getting
used to it. Anyhow, her attractive
ness seemed to grow as the evening
wore oft, and it was a foregone con-
^i^on ihat ri%would qualify, for
top five finalbts, iiike us, you
11^0 doubt figured at this point that
She "WbuldfiaisK no loutieiMhan toird,
and had a$ good a chance as anyone
else to go all the way.
It might well be that Maria had
the Miss America crown sewed up
before it came time to answer a
humorous qhestiap and a ,^rious
question for the judges. In other
words, mediocre answers might not
have killed her chances for the hon
or, if she had floundered and muffed
her lines.
However, leading or trailing in the
competition up to that moment, the
Asheville girl certainly did better on
the questioning than any other con
testant. The serious question she
drew from the box suited her per
fectly, and she made the most of this
very fortunate selection.
In fairness to the other contestants
in the finals, they might have been
able to give a creditable answer or
an exceptional one, if given the op
portunity to answer the same query
that Maria drew. And faced with a
different question. Miss North Caro
lina might not have done so well.
For example. Miss Minnesota’s
lamentably poor performance in the
question and answer portion of the
contest wasn’t entirely her own fault.
Her first question didn’t make too
mueh sense, and her answer made
still less. Unnerved by the realization
that she had goofed at a crucial stage
of the contest, she didn’t have much
chance to regain her equilibrium
and answer the second question in
telligently.
Judges for the Miss America con
test give plenty of consideration to
physical charm and talent. No one
can find fault with that. Still, after
all other things are considered, you
may rest assured that a girl’s intel
lect weighs heavily in the voting.
Just looking pretty, as she makes
her round of public appearances dur
ing a busy and very trying year, isn’t
enough for the young lady who wins
the crown. She will be called upon
to make hundreds of talks, and will
be interviewed by countless report
ers and commentators.
Silly answers and clumsy speeches
would quickly get Miss America
labeled by a demanding press and
an exacting public as “beautiful but
dumb.” Having graduated from High
school in three years with a straight
(Continued on Page B)
HIGH IN THE SKY-r^This aerial photograph of New Bern,
snapped by John R. Baxter, Is one of the most unsual pic
tures we’ve ever printed in The Mirror. What appears'tp
be smoke is actually clouds. These cloud formations are
responsible for the shaded areas in the photo that you’U
detect if you look closely. Some New Bernians were basking
in the sunshine while others moped under the overcast.
HEAP BIG INJUNS—We are grateful to Emmett McSorley,
who uncovered this rare photograph of New Bern young
sters who performed in Harry Foote’s production of “Hia
watha” just 56 years ago. Emmett is the reclining boy on
the right. Albert Hibbard and Charlie McSorley are on the
back row. John McDaniel and Murray Pugh are on the
second row. Can you identify the others?