lYi^vv o&nH'V/nnvciM UUUnfr EUeuPUBBAfiy The NEW BERN PUBLI8HID WIIKLY IN THI MART OR jnt, «4STBRN NORTH Phil Kennel, who happened to hear us telling this story on Raleigh’s 00,000 watt radio station, WPTF, the other day, suggested tliat we pass it along, just as wp did it on the air. Here it is, word for word. Things are really fouled up, on New Bern’s Tryon Palace Drive, and a bantam rooster named Charlie is to blame. Not content with being cock of the walk in the backyard of Mrs. Laura Price, where a small flock of hens once held him in great esteem, Char lie of late has been behaving more and more like somebody who oujdii to be named Char lotte. F*or weeks he has been try ing to convert his crow into a cackle, with moderate success, ^ reserving his unorthodox vocal outbursts for pronouncements that another egg had been layed by one of bis ladies. This in itself proved some what annoying to the hens. They figured it was their prerogative to issue bulletins confirming their continued output. Charlie’s owner, a widow woman of no little patience, tried to be tolerant about Chjir- lie's dilemma, but she too de cided the situation was reach ing a crucial stage when the rooster took over a nest in the lien house, where his cackling could have a more logical locale. Time and again she adminis tered coiporal punishment to Charlie, alternately resorting to rolled-up newspapers, a fly swatter, and finsdly in extreme frustration, a vigorously wielded broom. Charlie is no game r«)Oster, in the usually accepted sense, but he was game enough to stick to his convictions, and to the nest he considered his by .squatter’s right. The liist straw came when he Insisted on transferring to a second nest, with full in tent t(» hatch the eggs therein. The hens ganged up on him, gave him a sound thra-shing, and in the upheaval broke all of tlie half-hatched eggs. Things have gone to pot for Charlie, and that too is where he ap- peiirs headed. Kennel's complimentary evaluation of the above story flattered us, since he some times takes sadistic delight in finding abundant fault with things we write. Having es- capted from the wilds of his native Brooklyn many years ago, he is so saturated with SouUiorn culture now that he envl.slons himself as a liter ary critic. We will say this for the portly fugitive from Flatbush. Once below the Mason-Dixon Line, he knew he was in hog heaven, persuaded Arapalioe’s Nora Hai dlson to give up .single bliss, and promised himself he would never stray from this glorious land of hominy grits imd collard greens. Although Phil, or Lefty as he is better known to baseball fans who remember Ids Coastal Plain League pitching and slugging, would never admit it, the Stork made a mistake when he dropped Kennel off in close promlmity to Ebbets Field. For all his Yankee cocki ness, he is a Rebel at heart, and you couldn’t rout him out of Dixie wltli a team of mules. (Continued on page 0) I I MEET THE CHAMPS—Pictured wearing their victory smiles are the happy Lions, who won five games and Ued onl to captuVfNew Bern’s 1967 Midget League crown. First row, left to right, are Jay Salem, Doug Amerson, Mike Fussell, Walton Baker, James Lake Marshburn, Steven Bengel, Randy Jarman Andy Willis, Charles Daly, Jimmy Heatherly, Jim Ross. Second row. Coaches Jim Ross and John Baxter, Jr. Clyde Getz, Burke Beck, Billy Harmatuk, Mubert O’Berry, Monte Rolison, Bobby Williams, Joe Slann, WadrCamb, Mike Jones, Dan^Hill and Steve Fisher Honest to goodness lions are hard to come by, and still harder to keep caged, so th® youngsters had to settle for a stuffed imitation of the real thing for their mascot. Needless to say, every^one of the youth ful grldders will be pulling for New ®ern High School s undefeated, once-tied Bears FrWay nig^li iSney to Elizabeth City in quest of the Northeastern ConfiMence title The Bruins can wrap it up with a win over the always scrappy Yellow Jackets, and are determined to do just that. Take a second lo^ at the kids shown here. They and other promising athletes in the Midget League, along with slightly older boys in New Bern’s new Junior High gridiron pro^m, will eventually grow up to be full fledged NBHb Bears. Somewhere in this lot there may be another Richard Stilley, Garland Ballar^ vo Clem Brinson. Certainly, New Bern High Schools chances for future glory in the pigskin parade are being strengthened by the opportunity given local small fry to learn the game on a competitive basis at an early age. Kinston discovered the advantage of cut caiij — ^ having excellent pre-High school programs years ago, and made the most of it. That’s why trouncings like last Friday’s 32-6 Bruin victory have been few and far between. Maybe things will be different from here on out.—Photo by John R. Baxter. i I

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