fc-'-
The NEW BERN
It»s time to stop counting
birthdays, If you remember
when Swarthmore Chataugua
pitched Its tent for a week each
summer on Central School's
Academy Green, and brought
culture to our community.
Less edifying but well at
tended was Smokey Joe's me
dicine show, staged on a plat
form that, believe or not, was
erected right smack In the
center of Middle Street's first
block.
How permission to use this
vantage point was obtained at
City Hall Is a mystery burled
with the politicians who al
lowed It. Anyhow, It happened
and hundreds of New Bernlans
bought bottles of an amazing to
nic that was not only guaran
teed to cure you of what you
knew you had, but ailments you
weren't aware of having until
the medicine convlned you.
Those were the days when
our fair city on the shores of
the Neuse and Trent was a pa
radise for pitch men. Slickest
of the lot was a fellow who
backed his roadster to the curb,
along about where the Branch
Bank is now located, and want
to work.
He started out by offering
to sell a genuine $20 bill for
$10. Then he sold the ten for
a five spot, the five spot for
a^dollar, the.;d61l9r for a 1}^,
the half for a quarter, the Cuvi
er for a dime, the dime for a
nickle, aikl the nlckle for a
penny. After that, with a ges
ture of utter disdain for mon
ey, he tossed the penny Into
the crowd that had quickly gath
ered.
Folks came running from all
directions. Including some of
the town's leading merchants.
The lure of something for noth
ing had worked its magic. All
of a sudden it developed that
this charitable gentlmaji wasn't
here just for the purpose of
giving away money.
As long as he was in town,
he thought it was only right to
give citizens an opportunity to
buy some wonderful gold watch- ,
es at an absolute bargain.
These shining timepieces, big
as a country biscuit and dazzling
In the early afternoon sun, were
not ordinary watches like the
Hamlltons, Elglns, Walthams
and Gruens that New Bern's
two Jewelers, J. O. Baxter and
Sam Eaton, displayed In their
windows.
No Indeedy. You could tell
there was a lot more gold in
them, they would run a month
without winding, and were guar
anteed to last forever. Besides
the price was cheap because
New Bern was the town where
the manufacturer had decided to
make this Introductory offer.
Twenty dollar bills came out
of pockets all over the place,
including a number of pockets
that bystanders never dreamed
were lined to that extent. For
a while it looked like the de
mand for watches would ex
ceed the supply, bu' the sales
man managed to take care of all
prospective pui'chasers.
The thing ended as suddenly
as It had begun. The pitch man
had a partner. In readiness at
the steering wheel of his road
ster, and with last transac
tion completed, the pair depart
ed at a speed that would have
done credit to later space
launchings at Cape Kennedy.
(Continued on page 8)
PUBLItHIO WIIKLV
IN THI HIART Off*
lAtnilN NORTH
CAROLINA
VOLUME 12
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1969
NUMBER
THEY SOUND OFF — New York City’s Times Square
on New Year’s Eve is no noisier than these young
cheerleaders, when they yell for their gridiron heroes
in the New Bern Recreation Department’s rip snort
ing Midget League. On the sidelines they work as
hard as the teams on the field, and are just as dedi
cated to the cause. Pictured in the lighter colored
skirts Is the group that whoops It up tor the Rams
and in the darker skirts is the holler brloadet^fli
keeps the Colts on their toes. Belnra cheerfeade
3 9®°'* P®'*’ 'ungsf but hoSrs^of
oractice. Its loads of fun though, and abaoliitoiw
^e^veniy when your ball club wins^-Iphotos by Chrck