The NEW BERN
PUBLI8HID WHKLY
IN THI HIART OP
IA8TIRN NORTH
CAROLINA
Per Copy
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6,1970
NUMBER 34
New Bern and its mother city,
Bern, Switzerland, were bolb
victims of major fires in yearn
past. Our town had its hol.««uM
on December 1, 1922, while
much of the Swira capital was
reduced to ashes on May 14,
1406. . .
Here the fast spreading
flames fanned to terrifying fury
by gale winds, consumed 40
residential blocks and left 2000
hmneless. Miraculously, o^y
one life was lost. An elderly
woman entered her ■ buniing
home for a pot of flowers.
Bern’s catastrophe barfed
ours. Three fourths of the city
was destroyed, and more than
one hundred persons died. Few
believed the ancient
community, not a great deal
larger than New Bern’s present
area, would come back.
The turn of the century had
proved promising for Bern. At
the beginning of the 14th
century it was still ruled by
poweiM overlwds, but by 1500
had achieved independence and
established itself as the most
influential factor in the Aare
district.
The great fire left the city so
weak its strong position
appeared impossible to
maintain, but in their moment
of need the Bernese received
offers of help from aU sides.
Never was a neighbn-ly spirit
more in evidence.
Although the little village of
Freiburg, nearby, could have
been jealous of Bern’s power, it
demonstrated compassion
above and beyond that
proffered by anyone else.
Freiburg sent more than one
hundred volunteers to help the
Bernese clean up the debris and
rebuild the stridcen city. Such a
magnanimous gesture made a
deep impression on citizens of
Bern.
In gratitude the Bern Council
decided to grant to Freiburg the
right for all time to come to hold
a market in Bern. The fourth
Monday in November was the
day granted to them, and since
the 15th century the farmers of
Freiburg and round about have
made use of this right.
As the oniH) was the main
product of the area, the Onion
Market was the inevitable label
given the project. Historians
say that the granting of this
privilege on the part of Bern’s
Town Council was not a purely
disinterested act. Who is to
confirm or deny at this late
date?
It is known that in olden days
the onion was considered a good
remedy against the plague, so
by permitting this large scale
sale of onions, the Council was
doing its best to offer Bernese
protection against the dread
illness.
The Onion Market is still a
festival as well as a serious
business, although the piece of
onion cake that used to be
offered to every guest free in
restaurants must be paid for
now in hard cash.
Towards dusk there is the
confetti battle, which is the
delight of all school children
and the not so yopng too. Its
origin stems from the days
prior to 1647, when the town
crier rode from fountain to
(Continued on Page 8)
AIN'T IT AWFUL — Christine Ferree, daughter of the
Robert Ferrees (he is serving in Vietnam) of Route 2,
New Bern, shows you how losing candidates and
the Craven County Board of Elections must have felt
Tuesday night. The defeated candidates were won
dering what happened to those who promised their
support, while the Board of Elections had a collec
tive headache because it failed to see that voting
machines were correctly label and functioning prop
erly before they were opened for business at polling
places. The Mirror has no basis to charge that the
machines were deliberately rigged to prevent citizens
from fully exercising their privilege of unrestricted
choice. It is unnecessary to charge carelessness.
The facts speak for themselves.—Photo by Eunice
Wray.