The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
THE STATE PORT PILOT
_A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
Most of The News
All The Time
VOL. NO. SIXTEEN NO. 51
6-PAGES TODAY
Southport, N. C., Wednesday, February 22, 1950
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
<1.50 PER YEAR
Entries Begin
To Arrive For
Motorboat Race
Clerk Of Court Sam T. Ben
nett First To Announce
From This Area But Gen
eral Interest Is Being
Shown
MOTORBOAT CLUB
PRESIDENT HERE
Stanley Edgeworth Spoke
Thursday To Southport
Lions Club And Outlin
ed Plans For Coming
Event
In Southport Thursday to talk
to members of Southport Lions
Club, Stanley Edgeworth of the
Outboard Motor Boat Club of
Myrtle Beach, stated that things
are looking especially good for
the marathon race that is to run
from Southport to Myrtle Beach
on March 22. The optimism of
Mr. Edgeworth was shared by
D. Stowe Crouse, Myrtle Beach
real estate man, who accompanied
him here.
The Outboard Club is sponsor
ing the race in which four classes
of outboards will participate. The
7*6-hp. boats will leave South
port at 10 a. m., the 10- h. p.
craft will pull out at 12:15 p. m.;
16-hp. boats depart at 1 p. m. and
the 22-hp. boats get off at 1:30.
The trip will be made down the
intracoastal waterway and the dis
tance is approximately 60 miles.
The finish line is at Socastee,
S. C., on the waterway near
Myrtle Beach.
Only stock boats and stock
motors will be allowed to partici
pate. No especially built racing
hulls will be allowed. As previous
ly stated, entry blanks may be
obtained from the Outboard Club
at Myrtle Beach, from the State
Port Pilot office in Southport or
from the Anchor Hardware and
Pickards Sporting Goods stores in
Wilmington.
Boats from anywhere in North
and South Carolina may partici
pate. Two cash prizes and three
trophys will be awarded to the
winning boats in each classifica
tion.
Sportsmen from all up the
coast are indicating interest by
requesting entry blanks. Lake
Waccamaw, Whiteville and Wil
mington will have a large num
ber of entries to represent North
Carolina, according to all present
reports. Some North Carolnia
boats are expected from as far
away as New Bern, Morehead
City and Washington.
In Brunswick county half a
dozen enteries are already as
sured. Among the number plan
fling to be in the race is Sam T.
Bennett, clerk of the Superior
Continued On Page Four
1 iritfNtwt
| Flathtt
AUXILIARY TO MEET
The Dosher Memorial Hospital
Auxiliary will meet at 3:30 o’clock
Thursday at the home of Mrs. H.
B. Smith.
RIVER ROAD SIGN
A new sign has been erected
by Orton Plantation on the corner
opposite the traffic light in South
port. It directs motorits to the
River Road and Orton Plantation.
OUTSTANDING BULL
Russell Johnson, Winnabow
dairyman, is the proud owner of
McE Bessie Oxford Knight, a
young bull out of McE Bessie
Orford Miss Champ, one of the
outstanding Holstein cows in the
United States. Her record, which
was printed in last week's State
Port Pilot, shows production of
144,128-lbs of milk and 4,997-lbs
of butterfat in 8 yearly milking
periods.
BENEFIT DANCE
With all of the proceeds going
to the fund for the dressing rooms
and equipment at the Shalotte
school gymnasium, the Shallotte
Post American Legion is sponsor
ing a dance at the Legion hut
Wednesday night, March 1. Com
mander Edward Redwine is an
xious for a good attendance that
will enable a creditable contri
bution being made to the gym.
LONG BEACH FIRE
The office of the Long Beach
Realty Company was completely
destroyed by fire Tuesday mor
ning. A call was made for the
Southport Volunteer Fire Depart
ment, but before the truck arrived
the frame building already was
beyond saving. The firemen used
water from the storage tank to
wet down nearby buildings and
prevent possible spread of the
blaze.
ISLAND—Here is an interesting map of Bald Head-Island which was prepared by
Explorer Scouts of this area on a recent expedition to the interesting body of land locat
ed at the mouth of Cape Fear river. Those who have made camping, hunting and picnic
trips to the island will be particularly interested.
Orton Gardens Will
Be Beautiful Sunday
Warm Weather This Week
Should Bring Azaleas To
Somewhere Near Their
Peak Of Beauty Between
Now And March 1st
MANY CAMELLIAS
NOW IN BLOOM
Tourist Traffic Has Started
Even Though The Flowers
Are About A Month
Ahead Of Their Usual
Schedule
If you are planning' a visit to
Orton Gardens then keep an eye
on the weather. That is the ad
vice of the management this week
as they prepare to entertain thou
sands of visitors about a month
earlier than usual.
Unless there is a severe freeze
and if mild weather continues
throughout this week, Sunday
should see a riot of color in the
plantation grounds. And if the
same conditions prevail through
the following week the first week
end in March should see the
azaleas at their peak.
There were many visitors at
Orton Sunday, and they got a
good show for their money. Thou
sands of the early blooming
varieties of azaleas were in full
color, and the camellias still are
very beautiful.
This unusual condition has re
sulted from the warm weather
in recent weeks, making it pos
sible for the azaleas to make
their show while the stately
camellias still are on stags.
There have been many changes
in the grounds since last season,
and while the beauty of Orton
in full bloom is a spectacle that
needs no begging, even the vete
ran visitor will find it a new and
thrilling experience this season.
Welfare Supt.
Resigns Post
Mrs. Wyatt E. Blake Resigns
As Superintendent bf Pub
lic Welfare Effective On
March 1st
Mrs. Wyatt E. Blake, the form
er Miss Ruth Patterson, Super
intendent of Public Welfare in
Brunswick county for the past
two years, tendered her resigna
tion to the board of commissioners
Monday. She will leave on March
1 to make her home in Burgaw
where her husband is engaged in
thepractice of law.
Mrs. Blake will continue her
work here until the above date
and it is supposed that the com
missioners, acting in conjunction
with the State Board of Public
Welfare, will be able to have a
(Continued on page fivaj
Discover Tooth
Of Big Animal
Dr. R. H. Holden of Shallotte
Is a dentist, but he probably
would be knocked out with the
prospect of pulling a tooth like
the one found at Holden Beach
this past week.
The tooth was that of some
prehistoric animal and weighed
three and a half pounds. It was
about" 13-inches in length. It
was discovered by Clyde Hold
en, a cousin of Dr. Holden.
It is planned to try and get
the animal to which the tooth
belonged identified. An effort
will also be made to find other
bones of the animal to which
the tooth belonged. One thing
is sure, the animal that owned
the 13-inch tooth must have
had a horror of toothache.
May Relocate
Some Markers
_,_
| Prospects Of Completing
j Paving Of River Road
Gives Reason For Moving
Historical Markers Nearer
Scene
The River Road between South
port and Wilmington has been
officially designated as Route 130,
I according to a letter received
(from Raleigh this week by W. B.
Keziah of Southport.
As 130 it will be a continuation
; of the present route which enters
j 17 at Shallotte from western
North Carolina and leaves 17 at
Supply to come to Southport and
proceed up the river to re-enter
17 at the Brunswick River ship
lay-up-basin.
An effort was made, in accor
dance with a suggestion of Louis
T. Moore of Wilmington, to have
the stretch from Southport to
17 designated as 17-A. This appa
rently failed.
Writing Mr. Keziah Tuesday
with reference to relocating his
torical markers along the new
stretch of 130, William S. Powell,
researcher for the Historical
Marker Program of the Depart
ment of Archives and History in
Raleigh, said that he would be
down here in about ten days. He
wishes help in finding the site
of the Robert Howe home.
Mr. Powell stated that with
the River Road now officially
designated as 130 they can put up
historical markers along the road
near the places they represent.
He will also prepare tentative
inscriptions to present to the Ad
visory Committee on Historical
markers for new markers for
Continued On Page Five
Southport Will
Play Class B
Contest Friday
Brunswick County Ckas;;^
ions Will Meet Camp Le
jeune In District Play-Offs
Friday Night In Kenans
ville
Southport boys will represent
Brunswick county in a district
Class B tournament at Kenans
ville Friday night when they
meet the powerful Camp LeJeune
squad at 7 o’clock. A second
game will be played between New
port, Carteret county champions,
and the title winners from Duplin
county.
Coach H. T. Sanders had an
opportunity last night to see the
LeJeune cagers in action, but
saw little to cheer him. The
Marine Base boys swamped the
New Hanover junior varsity 58
to 35 and Propst, their star for
ward, accounted for 36 points,
more than enough points for vic
tory.
Coach Sanders seemed not to be
disturbed over the prospect of
meeting LeJeune in the first
game. “If we win we'd have to
play them sooner or later,’’ he
reasoned. "We have a good team,
and if they are playing in top
(Continued on Page Five)
W. B. KEZIAH
Our
ROVING
Here with a Wilmington bas
ket ball team as a spectator,
John Shannon, one of the high
school stars about twelve years
ago, took occasion to say some
thing nice about the present gen
eration of boys and girls who
make up the high school. "I'm
kind of surprised to see how well
these boys and girls look physi
cally,” said John.
Last week R. D. Caldwell, pro
minent resident of Lumberton and
a property owner at Long Beach,
wrote us about how healthy it
was at Southport. He went on to
say that Attorney G. Butler
Thompson, also of Lumberton,
had just told him that the only
way to start a cemetery here
was to go out and knock \2 men
on the head. This gives us an
opening to say that the next time
we catch G. Butler at our min
now tub he is going o be sur
prised a finding out how unheal
thy it is.
Following many years in the
army Roney C. Hewett of Lock
woods Folly township is now pre
paring to settle down on his
farm near Holden Beach. He en
listed at Fort Caswell in 1921
and was married to Miss Mary
Holden at Southport about a year
afterwards. Mr. Hewett continu
ed in the army serving through
World War II in the European
theatre as a Supply sergeant. He
returned to the United States
late In 1945 and reinlisted at
f'ort Bragg. He retired from the
service at Camp Beal, California,
In 1946. Almost immediately
thereafter he entered the civil
service and spent a year with the
armed forces in Korea. Now a
member of the Veterans Farmer
Training Program at the Shal
lotte school, he and Mrs. Hewett
a-re planning to build a home on
their farm near Holden Beach.
A mighty good basket ball
team plus a little publicity has
resulted In basket ball games at
the Brunswick County Training i
School being practically crowded
out by spectators. Although the 1
Continued On Page Four
New Dressing
Rooms Used In
Tourney Games
Recent Improvements At The
Shallotte High School Gym
Resulted From Coopera
tion And Generosity Of
. Patrons
THESE FACILITIES
HELPED TOURNAMENT
Players Had Opportunity To
Change Athletic Clothes
And Take Hot Showers
Following Games
Realizing the need for dressing
,rooms in the Shallotte school
^gymnasium, the people of the
■Shallotte school district got be
hind the project and in two weeks
built the two rooms so that they
fcould be used for the basketball
tournament.
The rooms are 24x14 ft. Each
has four showers, a drinking foun
tain, toilet facilities and a gas
heater. The hot water for the
showers is provided by an electric
hot water heater.
The materials for the project
consisting of lumber, plumbing
supplies, hot water heater, nails,
cement, etc, were bought from
local dealers at wholesale prices.
A large part of the labor was
donated with some working one
day and some several days each.
The money to build these rooms
was loaned by a prominent citizen
of Shallotte so the project could
be started without delay.
Several citizens have already
made donations towards repaying
this loan. Project to raise the
money are in the making. Among
these are a dance, sponsored by
American Legion and Auxiliary
on March 1st, an oyster roast and
a minstrel show.
The improvements represent a
fine example of what cooperation
and determination can accomp
lish. The boys and girls expressed
deep appreciation during the tour
nament just completed.
Safety Director
Is Club Speaker
Guy C. Langston Was Guest
Speaker Thursday Before
Members Of Southport
Lions Club And Made Im
pressive Talk
Guy C. Langston, representative
of the Safety Division of the De
partment of Motor Vehicles, was
principal speaker at the Thurs
day meeting of Southport Lions
Club.
Mr. Langston, who is in charge
of school bus safety in this dis
trict, spoke with particular em
phasis upon the importance of
careful driving as it affects the
safety of the thousands of chil
dren being transported to and
from schools daily.
“Our school buses are on the
highway for only about one hour
and one-half twice each day,” he
pointed out. “This leaves the high
ways open for tyenty-three hours
each day when this hazard is
not a part of our driving re
sponsibility. It seems to me that
it is small sacrifice for motorists
to exercise particular caution dur
.(Continued on page five)
Southport Boys Retain
Cage Title With Bolivia
And Southport Girls Tied
Southport Column
In Readers Digest
Recent Writings Of Robert C. Ruark About Grandfather’s
Place In Southport Makes Magazine
Columnist Robert C. Ruark, who |
spent his boyhood summers in (
Southport, in the “Victorian, gin
ger-bready Jiouse” of Edward Hall
Adkins, his maternal grandfather,
writes in the March Reader’s ]
Digest of his return after many I
years.
In a “very personal story”
(condensed from the New York
World-Telegram) “about a mock
ingbird and a magnolia and a
mortgage," Ruark recalls bygone
summerg at the old place he has
now reclaimed. The' boy he re
members “picked big black figs
from the twisted fig tree, busted
his arm playing Tarzan down in
the shrimp house, got sick off
cigars and had to cut a fishhook
out of his own foot over on
Battery Island.
“Well,” he continues, “Grandpa
finally died broke and the beauti
ful house was mortgaged and the
family flew every whichaway. For
17 years a bunch of strangers
lived in the house and beat it
up awful . . . You come back,
and the mockingbird starts play
ing Fritz Kreisler in the magnolia,
and the back porch is falling off
and the plaster cracked.
“So what do you do? You go
to the bank and say I got a
mockingbird and a magnolia and
now I need a mortgage—although
you really need all three like
you need three dentists.”
If there’s a moral in it, Ruark
observes, “it might be that you
can get the boy out of the coun
try but youn you can't get the
country out of the boy.”
Frink And Ward Make
Formal Announcement
Blue Mold Makes
First Appearance
Tobacco plant blue mold has
made its appearance in the
plant beds in Brunswick coun
ty according to T. T. Ward of
Longwood, president of the
Brunswick Farm Bureau, who
reported Monday that he found
the disease in his plant beds
last week.
With Brunswick growers now
producing a large supply of
plants, and with their exper
ience in fighting the blue mold
disease, it is not expected that
the supply of plants will fall
below the needs, even if the
blue mold becomes widespread.
Plans Brewing
At Long Beach
Consulting Engineer Here
Friday With E. F. Middle
ton To Look Over Site For
Proposed Development
Frederick McDonald, develop
ment consulting engineer of Char
leston, was in Southport Friday
with E. F. Middleton, Sr., and
E. F. Middleton, Jr.
Mr. McDonald has had much
development experience at some
of the leading Florida resorts. He
is now getting ready for carrying
out a big deal at Long Beach.
According to E. F. Middleton, Jr.,
these plans will be announced
soon.
Interviewed while here on his
visit Mr. McDonald was much
pleased with the surroundings
that he is sure will tie in with
and be a part of the Long Beach
development. He believes that de
velopment will be general. South
port, Bald Island, Fort Caswell,
Caswell Beach, Long Beach and
Continued On Page Five
White Relieved
Of Duty Monday
Veteran State Highway Em
ployee And Superinten
dent Of State Prison Camp
Given Gate By Highway
Department
Capt. W. T. White of Shallotte,
superintendent of county road
forces for a number of years and
later in charge of the State High
way Prison Camp for 19 or 20
years, has been relieved of his
duties effective Monday of this
week.
No cause has been given out
for the dismissal, but it is under
stood he was asked to resign
some time ago. He did not do
this and the dismissal followed.
The general impression around
Shallotte is that the dismissal
was for political reasons. Several
persons are said to have been
after the position for some time.
However, the field of prospec
tive successors appears to have
narrowed down considerably in
Continued On Page Five
Southport Attorney Makes
Formal Entry Into Race
For Nomination To State
Senate; Has Served Two
Terms As Senator
LONGWOOD MAN
RUNS FOR HOUSE
Tom T. Wark Is Making His
First Bid For Public Office
In Announcing His Can
didacy For House Of
Representa ti ves
S. B. Frink, prominent South
port attorney and member of the
North Carolina State Senate in
1935 and 1939, makes formal an
nouncement this week of his
candidacy for the Democratic
nomination for this office in the
May Primary Election.
“I hope that thi3 action will
set at rest any rumors that I
do not intend ito make the race”,
declared Frink this week. “I am
entering the campaign because I
believe I have enough friends and
supporters to return me the win
ner, and I think that I have a
background of experience that will
enable me to serve effectively in
the interest of our county and
its citizens.
“It it is my privilege to again
represent Brunswick county in
the State Senate I will take no
part in factional legislation, but
will work for the best interest
of our citizenry as a whole. I
will follow the dictates of the
voters as expressed at the polls
in the primary.”
Another candidate for legis
lative office is Tom T. Ward,
prominent Longwood farmer and
business man, who this week
announces his candidacy for mem
ber of the House of Representa
tives, a position held two years
ago by Odell Williamson.
“I am not identified with any
group or faction, and I do not
intend to be”, declared Mr. Ward
this week. “If I am the success
ful candidate I want to be free
of binding obligations which
might make it difficult for me
to reach decisions on important
matters. I want to be in position
to represent the best interest of
all our people, and that is what
I intend to do to the best ol mv
ability.” ^
Recorder Hears
Varied Docket
Business In Brunswick Coun
ty Recorder’s Court Dis
posed Of Before Noon
Here Monday
A varied docket was disposed I
of here by noon Monday with the j
following entries being made in
the record by Judge W. J. Mc
Lamb:
Tames Bryant, speeding, fined
$10.00 and costs.
Joseph E. Somerset, speeding, i
capias.
John L. Flaherty, speeding,'
fined $10.00 and costs.
Howard A. Smith, speeding, |
capias.
Tommy Lee Stout, speeding,!
capias.
Wycliffe T. White, Jr., speed
(Continued on page five)
Co-Champions Named In
Girls Division When Satur
day Night Finals Ended In
Thrilling 37-37 Tie Game
SOUTHPORT BOYS
DEFEATED LELAND
Sportsmanship Trophies Are
Awarded Waccamaw Girls
And Bolivia Boys; Con
solation Champs Are
Bolivia And Shal
lotte
Southport girls who entered the
event as top-seeded team despite
three regular season ties wound
up in another deadlock in the
finals of the Brunswick County
Basketball Tournament Saturday
night at Shallotte and became co
champions with Bolivia in their
division. The score was 37 to 37.
On the previous night South
port boys had gained a 27 to 22
verdict over Leland for champion
ship honors. In winning the title
for the second year in a row the
local lads lived up to their top
seeded rating which they earned
in pre-tournament play.
The championship contest for the
girls was a dramatic affair which
saw Bolivia leading the greater
part of the game. They sported
a 6-point lead before Southport
scored and at two other points
in the game lead by that same
margin. It was late in the third
quarter before Southport forged
ahead for the first time, but
when this team held a 37-34 ad
vantage and had the ball on a
throw-in with 49-seconds to go it
looked like a clear cut victory for
the local girls. Three quick points
and the game was knotted.
Following a brief consultation
Referee A. C. Dawson announced
that since there is no provision
made for playing off girls games
which end in a tie the teams
were being proclaimed co-cham
pions and that identical trophies
and individual awards would be
made.
In the boys division on Friday
night there was no such drama,
although a hard-fighting Leland
team held tenaciously to a lead
throughout the early part of the
game and were ahead 15 to 13 at
the half. Southport outscored
them in the last two periods, and
after White went out on fouls
late in the game Leland was
through for the night.
Consolation honors went to
Shallotte girls, who defeated Le
land Friday night, and to Bolivia
boys, who turned back Shallotte
Saturday.
The free thyow champion in the
girls division is Sylvia Leonard of
Bolivia who defeated a strong
field of contestants Friday night.
In the finals of the boys division
[Saturday night two members of
the Leland team fell in line with
the tie-up fad when they each
had 18 goals out of 25 tries. These
contestants were Danny Brew and
Donald White, and in an attempt
to break their deadlock each was
good with 6 of 10 shots. They
followed with 4 out of five each,
then Brew posted another 4 for 5
mark. White missed his first two
throws, and Brew was declared
winner.
Silver loving cups were award
ed the winners by Stanley Jewel
ers of Wilmington, who sponsored
this event for the third year in
(Continued on Page Five)
Tide Table
Following Is the tide table
for Southport during the next
week. These hours are approxi
mately correct and were furn
ished The State Port Pilot
through the courtesy of the
Cape Fear Pilot's Association.
High Tide Low Tide
Thursday, February 23,
12:01 A. M. 6:05 A. M.
0:00 P. M. 6:17 P. M.
Friday, February 24,
0:36 A. M. 6:58 A. M.
12:47 P. M. 7:08 P. M.
Saturday, February 25,
1:29 A. M. 7:57 A. M.
1:45 P. M. 8:04 P. M.
Sunday, February 26,
2:2S A. M. 9:02 A. M.
2:48 P. M. 9:08 P. M.
Monday, February 27,
3:28 A. M. 10:05 A. M.
3:52 P. M. 10:10 P. M.
Tuesday, February 28,
4:27 A. M. 11:02 A. M.
4:51 P. M. ' 11:07 P. M.
Wednesday, March 1,
5:21 A. M. 11:53 A. M.
5:45 P. M. 12:01 P. M.