FOUR THE STATE PORT PILOT Southport, N. G. PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY JAMES M. HARPER, JR., Editor ntered aa second-class matter April 20, 1928, at the Post Office at Southport, N. C., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription Rates ONE TEAR $1.50 BIX MONTHS 1.00 THREE MONTHS .75 NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION 19 3 6-' -MEMBERWednesday, August 5, 1936 The appearance of shrimp in local waters this summer seems to be about as elusive as prosperity. V eteran Newspaperman Our work as editor of The State Port Pilot during the past year has been made much easier because of the friendly co operation of Charles L. Stevens, who was an experienced newspaperman long before we were born. In addition to countless items of interest which he suggests from time to time, it is he who prepares data for the monthly summary of the official weather figures. We value his opinion, and his constructive criticism has helped us in our efforts to make The Pilot a better newspaper. Association with this veteran newspaperman has been good for a young editor just starting out in the business. Friendly Advice Tobacco farmers will be offered plenty of free advice during the coming weeks, some good and some bad. Here is an early offering ? and we believe it is sound. Don't plan to go to the tobacco market to do your drinking. There will be too many roving rascals there trying to get your money for nothing even when you are in full possession of your faculties. Drunk, you are their easy prey. Deliberately getting drunk is hardly a fitting way to mark the end of financial stress, but if your thirst will not be denied, wait until you get back in your own neighborhood among friends who will be tolerant with you in your stupidity. It isn't right to run the risk of losing a good part of the money you and your family earned during the year on a single spree. Free Advertising In neglecting to make arrangements to accomodate a large number of vacationists here each summer, the people of Southport have been passing up an opportunity for large volumes of free advertising. In the first place, did you ever hear of a person visiting Southport and not having a good time? We can truthfully say that we have not. That is why ninety per cent of the people who visit here return, giving rise to the slogan "They Always Come Back." Secondly, personal advertising is more valuable than any other kind, and unsolicited boosting?the kind that is genuine and spontaneous?cannot be bought. It takes no keen imagination, then, to think of the good that might result from having visitors tell their friends in the towns and cities in central and Piedmont North Carolina about the fishing at Southport, about the unmatched bathing facilities at Caswell Beach and about the cool breezes that blow on the waterfront while inland residents swelter in the summer heat. We Are Blest A spirit of optimism is prevalent as Brunswick county farmers look forward to the opening of the tobacco markets of the Border Belt next Thursday, August 13th. Six weeks ago, the prospect was anything but bright. A prolonged dry spell held the crops of this section in its grasp, and threatened to parch the very life out of all vegetation. Early in June, however, the drought was broken and gentle showers had a vitalizing effect upon all crops. Nature restores even more quickly than she destroys, and it was not long before farmers began to smile again in anticipation of the harvest season. THE STATE I S^5SE55E5555S555555^S8K' In other sections of the country, though; there was a different story. The back-1 bone of the drought which held in its grip the fate of Western farmers was not broken until some weeks later, in fact not until heat and dry weather had complete-' ly ruined all hopes of a farm crop for this year. Results of the 1936 drought can be i briefly detailed. North Dakota's spring wheat crop?principal source of cash in-1 come for farmers of that state?was more than 90 per cent destroyed. South Da- j kota found herself in a similar position. In Montana and Wyoming grain charred in the fields. In the greatest corn-producing states, Iowa and Nebraska, close to 50 per cent of the crop was ruined. Same thing was true of Illinois. And in I the South, the cotton and tobacco crops were cut tremendously from the Spring estimates. In some states, notably the Dakotas, a 1 plague almost as bad as that of drought followed?grasshoppers. These insects ate ^ what little grain was left, then turned to j fence posts, trees, anything they could < find for sustenance. In the same areas, thousands of starving jack rabbits presented another problem. Temperatures in 1 the worst hit areas were the highest since : weather bureau records were started, half a century ago. , The Federal government took immedi- 1 ate action and gave work to afflicted far- ! mers. But this, of course, is simply a ( temporary expedient, and will solve no i permanent problem. Big question in this connection is: What is the future of the ] drought area?of the states which have 1 most often suffered from rainfall defi- j ciency? And the answer to that, accord- < ing to the experts, is far from optimistic. 1 When we know that conditions like1' these do exist, then it is that we should be doubly thankful for the bountiful harvest ' " ' * * J J_ ^ tnat is in prospect ior jerunsvicK county m farmers. Can Be Better If you fail to see items of interest from your home community in The State Port Pilot at frequent intervals, don't criticize the paper and brand it as "not being very much good, anyway." You are to blame if the things you want to see are not in there each week. Repeatedly we have urged representatives from the various communities to i send* in news items of general interest. At times we have been very much encouraged with the response, but we need and will welcome news letters with more, regularity. Less Dangerous About a generation ago, automobile road races were held periodically in many parts of the country, and were on of the most popular and thrilling of the hazardous sports. The races were customarily held over (public highways between important communities, and ranged in length from 100 to 500 miles. On race day, no other traf-; fic was permitted to use the roads. Every precaution was taken to keep the right of way clear for the daredevils who were competing. The cars used were naturally in the pink of condition, and every driver was a qualified expert. No inexperienced driver took the wheel in a road-race?if he did, his demise was just a question of time. But road races were eventually outlawed, principally because of the great dangers inherent in the sport. Deaths and j injuries?to spectators, as well as participants?became too common. Today our highways are thronged with cars which travel at speeds much greater than those attained in the old road races. Many of these cars are in bad mechanical condition, with faulty brakes, jittery steering, glaring or weak lights and, in some cases, physically incapacitated. It's likely that an old time racing pilot would rather drive a car in a road race than take a chance on the highways of the present. Is it any wonder the autoobile death I toll continues to soar? No wonder 36,000 | ^ 7 lives are sacrificed each year to the gods of speed and carelessness?that property loss from accidents runs into untold mil! lions?that thousands of persons are seriously injured. Until . America moves aggressively against incompetent, reckless and speed mad drivers, and out-of-repair cars, our grisly accident record will continue to jget worse, not better. " , . i Fishermen?Sportsmen are now coming in from all sections of the state, especially the central and western portions, for deep sea fishing. Some come in large parties and equipped to camp for several days. Others come with ;| their minds on just a day or ! two. The best sport fishing it not expected until about September 1st, and after. One trouble is that all of the boats will be trawling for shrimp along about that time and it will be more or less difficult to secure craft on which to go out Rough?Winds last week made the U. S. Dredge Comstock spend most of her time piddling up and down inside the harbor. Out side on the bar things were just too rough for even the big craft and as she was supposed to keep working, she occupied the time by stirring up the mud at various corners in the harbor. It was smooth enough in here for both big and little boats. Rush?The survey to locate and remove obstacles from the shrimp trawling grounds has been handicapped by bad weather. Some time was required in getting the ground levels and doing other necessary work on shore. When thAt was finished the weather got too rough and has remained too rough for any actual work out on the grounds. Up until this week only two days had been spent outside by the U. S. Geo-1 detic survey party. Things will have to be hustled from now on if the shrimpers are to get much benefit from the survey this sea. L k. >ORT PILOT, SOUTHPORT, I Waterfront By H. W. Hood Jr. Hopes?Shrimping is the most j interesting news of the week j along the water ' front. Usually' the trawlers work some about all1 the year round. This time there has been no shrimp at all to be found since the first of the year and no gradual approach to the busy season. Things are starting off with a bang and on all sides i there are hopes and expectations I that It will be good from now until the end of the year. Ready?Boats owned by Southport fishermen are nearly all ready and are working this week. Many boats from outside noints are also readv. are here i ind working. Additional craft are coming in every day and the predictions seem to center around in oinion that there will be a full 200 boats at work by early September. Return?Pleasure craft that ire dignified by the name of1 yachts and which operate at the | various resorts carrying fishing j ind pleasure parties during the ] summer, will be here and will be blossomed out as full fledged shrimp trawlers after September! 1st. There are some seven, or light such boats owned by South- j port people, working at Myrtle! Beach, Little River and Wrights- j rille. So far, they have all apparently had a good season with j heir passenger carrying activiJes; but this does not seem to essen their eagerpess to get through with the matter now in land and start up with the shrimp trawling. ? : pt? Fisheries?N. C. Fisheries, Inc., j ivill start up about August 15th, j according to a letter received last week by City Clerk E. R. Weeks. The letter was from! President John C. Sykes, of' Morehead City, and nothing was said regarding whether or not the cannery would operate, or whether the plans were merely to j buy shrimp and ship on consign-1 ; ment, as was done last year. It i is nit known how many boats! will be employed by this concern this year. j Hopeful?Menhaden boats with j a mighty good season this far, j despite the fact that gales have! 1 presented a great handicap to ] i operations during the past five j j weeks, are looking forward to do- j ing good work during the month j! of August and on through the >j season. Well versed fishermen are |j saying that there are plenty of i i the menhaden all about down and up the coast and they feel that with five or more weeks of bad weather behind them the elements will be much more kindly disposed for the time that is ahead. I: Weather?Hurricane echoes from j Florida were seen in the stiff, i cold winds and the weathervanes i shuttling about from north to j east and back, Friday and Sat- ; urday, created a sort of vacuum 1 and sucked the air from up about j this way. In other words, when ; they have a storm down there I j we send the winds that trail be- j hind it. 1 j i. C. By PERCY CROSBY hwt i "* f I Wh ? ? WEDNESDAY, JULY I Pictures the Movies Never GoJ I ateirwithout notice. _ - ; J| .Wi,.,!;; ,yw? | > Jiy? iiy ?iVy j .m i< i I'M ; MONT I ) MARKET ? RECORDS I /E IT. I 5m the various state departments of agri- 9 OXT is the market to sell your tobacco. ,ou the facts. (The Black Fibres Below ifl show the Farmers' loss by $21 18 not selling in Fairmont). 1 20!<)7 $11.10 .... per 1000 lbs. $23.42 2^93 14.90 .... per 1000 lbs. 9 .. 22.04 13.80 .... per 1000 lbs. U .. 22.91 5.10 .... per 1000 lbs. .. 22.85 5.70 .... per 1000 lbs. U $20.17 " 18^5 18.20 .... per 1000 lbs. 9 .. 17.70 24.10 .... per 1000 lbs. S .. 18.88 12.90 .... per 1000 lbs. .. 20.09 .80 .... per 1000 lbs. m ..$17.55 .. 17.22 $ 3.30 .... per 1000 lbs. $21.18 19^7 $18.10 .... per 1000 lbs. j .. 20.16 10.20 .... per 1000 lbs. .. 20.86 3.20 .... per 1000 lbs. .. 19.58 16.00 .... per 1000 lbs. .. 19.99 11.90 .... per 1000 lbs. 1 id the most for tobacco last year. Sell in Don't be satisfied with less. 'airmont Leads Them All. 5 pounds for an Average of $21.18 00,000.00 for Tobacco In 19S5 9 ly Capacity Over Two Million Pounds, srs?The Best on any Market and 9 Big Packing Factories All Owned tat Operate Them erchante?Prices and Quality That Are 1 Anywhere Market Report c.,) Raleigh at 6:15 P. M. Every NigM tarting Wednesday, August 12th ursdav. Aua. 13th I J f u 3ACC0 BOARD I DE, Inc. I ITH CTROLINA 9