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The NEW BEKN PUBLISHED WEEKLY THE HEART OP NORTH I— Yesterday was when Dorothv Dix wrote the same type of na tionally syndicated column that Ann Landers now feeds to avid female followers. Life was a bit more prudish then, but like Ann, the aging Dorothy didn't hestltate to call a spade a spade. Ann (the real name Is Mrs. Esther Lederer) hails from Sioux City, Iowa. With no professional exprlence (she was an undergraduate atMorn- Ingside College In her home town) she was hired by the Chicago Sun-Times syndicate in 1955 to turn out a dally love lorn feature. As one of many New Bern women and girls who wouldn't think of missing her column, you'll be Interested In knowing that a United Press poll as re cently as 1968 ranked her among the 10 most Important women in the United States. Her advice, appearing In 719 papers, coaxes 30,000 letters a month. She can't begin to answer all the queries that come to her desk, but they aren't ignored, "i can't straighten out a 30- year problem in a two-inch letter," she admits. Aided by a staff of 11 that is familiar with a great number of social- service agencies, Ann steers many cases to professional counselors for expert advice. Clever wIUj phrases, she Is as entertaining as .she is infor mative. "Some readers are amused by the letters," she says. "I have no objection. I don't write to roll them In the aisles, but I know that laugh ter can be good medicine." Although most of us think of the Landers column as a strict ly feminine feature, it would probably be astounding if we knew how many New Bern males are among her constant read ers. As a matter of fact, in the last year or two a careful check has shown that half of the let ters come from men. Ann insists that every let ter from a reader published by her. Is, as far as she can determine, for real. Exper ience has taught her to spot the phony letters, she says, just as a bank teller learns to recognize counterfeits. Usually when men write to her, they discuss problems in volving their wives of long standing or their girls of short standing. Ann, speaking the way any woman would, observes that men who in their courting days thought no date was long enough, now can't think of any thing to say to their wives. Referring to frequent letters from parents of teenagers, she readily admits that youngsters are different from those of 35 years ago. "How can we expect a kid not to change if his world has," she reasons. "If Tark- ington had written "Seventeen" today he would have had to call It "Twelve." She says that parents must assume some of the respon- sibllty for the difference. As she sees it, many children have grown up with the disad vantage oftoomanyadvantage.s, too much unearned money. Appearing before the Massa chusetts State Federation of Women's Clubs, Ann said, "Som? young people get an al lowance just for breathing. There are just too many gifts and all they get out of them is (Continued ou Page 8) VOLUME 12 NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1970 NUMBER 47 Npui Irrn-QIratJpn (Hmntty Publlt ICilirarg NATURE’S TOUCH - Shadows and sunlloht blnnd the American sense, but its age is dwarfed by the !? .® antiquity of our mother city. Bern was In existence medieval street in ancient Bern. Our town Is old, in when Christ was born.
The New Bern Mirror (New Bern, N.C.)
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Feb. 20, 1970, edition 1
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