NEW BERN CRAVEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY The NEW BERN PUBLISHID WIIKLY | IN THI HBART ^ VOLUME 10 NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1967 NUMBER 37 Of interest to New Bernians in general, and Dr. Sherman T. Lewis particularly, is the acquisition by Keystone Junior College of Christy Mathewson’s priceless souvenirs. Sherman didn’t know until we told him that the great base ball pitcher used to hunt at Camp Bryan, down in Craven County’s lake region. Natural ly this intrigued ”Doc”, inas much as he did a special issue on Mathewson, years ago, while he was student editor at the Pennsylvania school. Matty’s first athleUc fame was achieved on the gridiron ^ not the diamond, at Keystone. Until his death from tuberculos-- is in 1925, he had a special place in his heart for the col lege, and when his wife, Jane, made her will she left all of his treasured mementoes to the school. Today the relics are housed in a fireproof vault, and even tually will be placed in a spe cial room of the Christy Mathewson Memorial Field House. Alumnae of the college has given the project top prior ity, and are going all out to see that the structure is com pleted in the near future. In his day, Matty was idol ized by all America as "sports man and Christian gentleman." Playing with the New York Giants in the early 1000’s,when roughneck ball players was the rule, Christy Mathewson stood above the crowd. His language was clean, his behaviorUbove reproach, and his ideals lofty and unassailable. Children, whom he loved,fol lowed him about. Sports writers strained their minds, trying to describe his greatness. Pans turned out to watch the Giants play, and to worship the man they called Matty or Big Six. He was accorded unequaled adulation because he was not only a superb human being, but also a superb ball player in a day when baseball truly was die national game. No other athlete In history ever rated the respect that rich and poor, young and old, reserved exclus ively for this diamond im mortal. He pitched 30 or more vic tories for the Giants in three successive seasons, and won 353 games during Ids career. He hurled shutouts in three con secutive World Series games, something no one else has been able to do in all the years since. Matty’s ability wasn’t limited to the mound. He could play first base and 'he outfield quite capably, and was called upon to pinch hit on quite a few crucial occasions. Like Babe Ruth, who also hunted in these parts when he was riding the crest of fame, Big Six could do it all. Included in the Keystone col lection is an oil painting of Matty in his Giants warmup jacket, a fine likeness by J. H'. Kqrnan. Directors of the Base ball hall of Fame at Coopers- town, where Matliewson is honored with the greats, would give their eye teeth for this portrait. There are many other trea sures in the Keystone sou venirs, such as hit contracts fur such tiny salaries as $4,000 a year at tlie height of his career, and $12,000 for man- (Continued on page 8) IN FAVORED ROLE—-New Bern Hiffh school's exper ienced Bears have been picked with Kinston and West Carteret to be front runners in the tough Northeast ern Conference. Standing, left to right, are George Byrd, Ray Dunn, Bruce Wolfe, Calvert Weatherly, Thomas Stovall, Scott Davenport, Pat McGuinness, Chuck Mohn, 0. A. Adams, Richard Stilley, Billy Farmer, Donald Lamar. Kneeling are the managers, Jimmie Beck and Jeff Stocks.—^Photo by Chick Na tella. ON THEIR WAY—These youngsters, members of the New Bern High school Junior Varsity, have hooes of stardom in a year or two. They are the building blocks in the Bruin basketball program. Standing, left to right, are John Gaskins, Joey Justice, Larry Mosei\ Johnny Rogers, Brad Sneeden, James Johnson, Tim Coates, Bobby Marshburn, Frank King, Tony Hickman, Bobby Fulcher and Buck Jones. Kneeling are Chip Heath, Glenn Russell and Charlie Meekins. —^Photo by chick Natella. h i 4 ' If J i\ i

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