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VOLUME 13
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1970
NUMBER 0
Yesterday was when every
New Bern kid knew that spring
would bring bluebirds to town.
When was the last time you saw
one of these feathered symbols
of happiness?
You wonH find them In the
state of New York either, but
Its legislature recently chose
the species to be the state bird.
This despite the wistful com
plaint of a solon who asked,
“How are we going to go along
with a bird we never saw^’
Yesterday was when Protes
tant churches In our fair city
frowned at the suggestion that
a robed choir would be nice.
Everybody except the folks at
Christ Episcopal, who already
had one.
The feeling In some quarters
was that putting robes on a Pro
testant choir would make them
look like Catholics. Objecting
the least were those sopranos
and altos who couldn't afford
frequent changes of Sabbath
finery. Almost without excep
tion, they had the best voices.
We like to think that New
Bern's Protestants, and Cath
olics and Jews too, have mel
lowed somewhat In their think
ing. It Isn't the trimmings, or
a set ritual, that makes reli
gion count for something. Even
bending your knees In prayer Is
pointless, if you don't kneel
in your heai-t.
Yesterday was when two Nor
folk, Va., dally newspapers, the
Ledger - Dispatch and the Vir
ginian Pilot, had quite a few
subscribers here. Copies came
In on the train, where route
boys picked them up and toss
ed them shortly thereafter on
porches all over town.
Yes, It's true what they say
about Dixie. A coast to coast
survey conducted by an enter
prising reporter for Social Sci
ence Information reveals that
people In the South smile more
than other Americans, and
those In coastal sections smile
most of all.
Northern liberals who de
light in bad mouthing the region
below the Mason-Dlxon line as
a place populated by the coun
try's meanest humans won't
like the results of the survey.
Any fool knows that friendly
smiles and downright meaness
seldom go together.
The reporter arrived at his
conclusions by traveling thou
sands of miles, and taking ac
tual smile counts on various
Main streets. New Yorkers,
he discovered, smile less than
anyone else, and speaking as a
small towner we are Inclined
to believe they have little rea
son to smile.
New Englanders, the survey
indicated, don't do a lot of
smiling either. Not nearly as
much, for example, as middle-
class people in Ohio, Indiana,
and Illinois. The smile count
er found plenty of beaming fac
es in Atlanta, Louisville,Mem
phis, and Nashville.
We've never been to Nash
ville, but the folks who hall
from there do seem to be above
the average when It comes to
good naturedness. Maybe the
prevalence of country music
Is a contributing factor, and the
prevalence of guitar pickers
driving around In Cadillacs.
Smiling has been described
scientifically as “an automatic
neuromuscular reaction to an
underlying and pleasurable en-
(Continued on page 0)
South-east corner Poiloc^L and East Front Streets,
EBEIiTB, XT.
BOARDING AND DAY SCHOOL.
Special Attention Given to Mathematics,
Commercial Law, Book-Keeping,
and Penmanship.
EXPERIENCED.:-TEACHBK.:.IN.:- INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.
VOCAL MUSIC A PROMINENT.;. FEATURE.
McMSar Xotri, Vuhlar, MS to t75 pw taitoB tf rin RaBthi.
Daring the Fair Messrs. Melton, Harris, Ward, Oaksmitli and
Bryan will be at the Sehool building between the boors of 1.3» and
4.30 p. m. to take visitors throagb the building—showing its wi ll
equipi>ed school rooms, line library, and paintings etc. These geiirl
men will give any information desired, regarding the SchooK
W. R. SKINNER, Principal.
As dim as this faded circular are the memories
of a local institution long since gone. New Bern
parents of today, struggling to give their offsprihg sn
education, will find it hard to visualize tuition, board,
washing and lights as low as $55 for a five month
session.