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The NEW BERN
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PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OP
EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA
5t Per Copy
VOLUME 13
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 19. 1971
NUMBER 48
Yesterday was when the
author of those popular Tom
Swift books had his hero do
everything remarkable except
go to the moon. He knew that no
kid would be dumb enough to
think that could happen in a
million years.
Yesterday was when any wolf
who dared to get fresh with a
woman viewing a movie at the
Athens or the Masonic needed a
thick hide to survive. A well
aimed hat pin could pierce the
scoundrel clear through.
Yesterday was when no New
Bemian had ever seen a pack of
cigarettes, or anything else,
wrapped in cellophane. The
stuff didn’t appear here until
the Twenties, although a Swiss
chemist invented the formula in
1908.
Yesterday was when
housewives didn’t call one of
their favorite cooking utensils a
frying pan. They referred to it
as either a skillet or a spider,
and a lot of old timers haven’t
given up the habit.
Yesterday was when some of
us got a worse grade on history
tests, for not remembering that
George Washington was born on
February 22. Now, man has
made the Stork out a liar, and
G. W. and St. Valentine are
gonna end up twins next year.
Jerry ’f'homas, at New Bern’s
downtown First Citizens Bank,
got married some years back on
February 15, so his wedding
anniversary last Monday was
on Washington’s birthday. Of
course, it ain’t happened never
that way before.
On the other hand, this editor,
who got married more than
thirty years ago on February 22,
is this year, for, the first time,
observing his anniversary a
week after Washington’s
birthday.
It was Abe Lincoln who said
that calling a sheep’s tail a leg
doesn’t make it a leg, but after
seeing what they’ve done to
George Washington, no one, not
even Mr. Lincoln, is safe from
the date jugglers.
Yesterday was when students
who broke bad in New Bern’s
public schools didn’t go to court.
They went to the boiler room,
where Superintendent H. B.
Smith demonstrated with a
heavy leather strap where the
seat of learning is.
Yesterday was when the
Dionne quintuplets were born to
an obscure French Canadian
farm wife, at home. The date
was May 28, 1934. How many
New Bernians remember their
names—Cecile, Yvonne,
Annette, Marie and Emile? The
five, together, weighed only 13
pounds, 6 ounces.
Yesterday was when a
carnival, playing this side of the
Ghent casino, had a scantily
clad dancer known only as
“Blue Eyes.” No other visiting
wiggler, before or since, ever
drew as many local male
admirers to a ticket box.
Yesterday was when small
boys here knew they were
traveling first class, if the air
rifle they got for Christmas had
Daisy stamped on the barrel.
That name was just as
important as finding the word
“sterling” on silver.
Yesterday was when Johnny
(Continued on page 8)
OUT OF THE PAST—We bring you today two
photographs of the same class at Jasper High
school, taken a year apart. In this group, left to
right on the first row, are John Beaman, Mildred
Russell, Ethel McKeel, teacher Robert L. Pugh,
Sadie Gray Smith, Mary Louise Pate, and Verta
Barfield. Second row, George Cook, William
Barfield, Wade Davis, Jason House, Benton
Register, Oliver Richardson, and Clarence Pate.
OLDER AND WISER—Here, again are our bright Second row, John Beaman, Clarence Pate, William
young teen agers at Jasper High school. First row, Barfield, Wade Davis, Jason House, Oliver
left to right, we present Mary Louise Pate, Sadie Richardson, Edward Ipock, and Harry Foote, Jr.
Gray Smith, Ethel McKeel, principal Jesse Pugh, How many of these students would you be able to
Mildred Russell, Ruby Russell, and Verta Barfield, recognize, if their names weren’t listed?