Most Of The News
All The Time
THE STATE PORT PILOT
_ A Good Newspaper i A Good Community_
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
Volume No. 17
No. 45
6-Pages Today
SOUTHPORT, N. C.
4
WEDNESDAY AY 25, 1955
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
$1.50 PER YEAR
New REA Building
MUUtKlN 1IN DtMGN, and designed for functional efficiency, is the Brunswick
Electnc Cooperative's branch office in Whiteville. The Co-op only last week occupied
the *>65,000 plant, and is open now for business there. It is located at 307 South Lee
Street.
REA Completes
New Building
In Whiteville
New Headquarters For Co
lumbus County Patrons Of
Rural Electrification Co
Op Completed
The Columbus county office of
the Brunswick Electric Coopera
tive is at home in its new Lee
Street building in Whiteville.
The long-awaited move of the
branch office of the electric co
op office into its $65,000 build
ing and site was accomplished
Wednesday, accoi'ding to E. D.
Bishop, general manager of the
two-county rural electrification
operation .
Plans for an open house
haven’t been completed yet,
Bishop said, but they will be
announced later.
Planned Before 1951
Completion of the modern brick
and steel building, and its oc
cupancy,- brings to life a plan
for such a location laid out even
before the cooperative opened its
Whiteville office. Tt will pro
vide a base of operation and
headquarters for the 4,500 rural
electrification members in Colum
bus county.
The new building, which will
be utilized by forces under John
C. Anderson, branch manager,
contains office space for the
branch manager, cashier, general
office space, a lobby and demon
stration kitchen, three-truck gar
age with loading ramp and
equipment storage space.
An innovation of the building
is the ‘heat pump,” a device tied
in with a 135-foot well which
will use temperature of the
water to provide heat in the
cold months and cooled air in
the hot months. The year-round
air conditioning system operates
(Continued on Page Four;
Brief Bits Of
lnewsj
MEMORIAL. SERVICES
Everyone is invited to partici
pate in Memorial Day services
to be held Sunday afternoon at 3
o'clock on the garrison. The Rev.
R. H. Jordan will be the principal
speaker.
BASEBALL MEETING
A meeting of the advisory
council and coaches for the church
league baseball program for
Southport this summer will be
held Monday night at 7:30
o’clock at the State Port Pilot
office.
NEW SCHEDULE
New office hours at the Le
land post office effective June 1
will be: 8 a. m. to 1 p. m.; 3
p. m. to 5:30 p. m.; 11 to 12 on
all holidays. This change is neces
sary due to new train schedules.
NEW AMERICAN
Mrs. Majorie Reta Holden of
Southport ,a native of Canada,
became an American citizen yes
terday in a ceremony in the Fed
eral Court building in Wilming
ton. Mrs. Holden, the wife of
Cam Holden of Southport, has
resided here for several years.
She is employed at Mack’s Cafe.
TO BOYS STATE
Charlie Splawn, member of the
rising senior class at Southport
high school ,has been named a
delegate to Boys State, which
is held each year during the
month of June at the Univeisitj
of North Carolina. The program
lasts for one week, and the loea
boy is being sponsored by tht
Kouthport Post, American Legion.
Weather Is Good,
Fishing Is Better
Sportsmen Got A Break
From The Weather Dur
ing Past Week-End With
Some Unusually Good Cat
ches Resulting
SOUTHPORT FULL
OF FISHERMEN
Boats Able To Go Out Every
Day During Fast Week
And All Parties Report
Satisfactory Catches
This was the week end when
the weather gave the fishermen
a break, with the result that
Southport was full of sports fish
ing parties and there were plenty
of fish to send them all home
happy.
Catches were good all last
week, but no attempt was made
to keep a complete record of re
sults before Friday.
One very pleased party aboard
the Miss Margaret III, Captain
Leo Dowling, this past week, in
cluded Col. and Mrs. William Mc
Aleer, George F. Holder of the
Small Business Administration,
Miss Eva Neil Thomason of the
Red Cross and Attorney J. C.
Bowman. Their catch, which con
sisted mostly of king mackerel
and Spanish mackerel, weighed
139 pounds when dressed. Mem
bers of the party credit Mrs.
McAleer with catching most of
the king mackerel.
On Friday E. L. Nichols and
party landed 41 king mackerel,
four amberjack and four bonita
fishing off the Idle On 2nd, skip
pered by Basil Watts.
Thirty-three king mackerel, four
homta, and two amberjack were
caught by Ed Kennedy and party
from Myrtle Beach aboard the
Idle On, III, captained by Hoyle
Dosher.
On Saturday the John Elian,
captained by Walter Lewis, with
the Frank Owens party aboard
Continued On Page Two
School Closing
Friday Evening
Senator Ray Walton To De
liver Commencement Ser
mon To Southport Senior
Class At Graduation
The final program for the 1955
commencement exercises at
Southport High School will occur
Friday night at 8 o’clock when
Senator Ray Walton will make
the graduating address before the
senior class. The first feature of
the commencement program was
' the baccalaureate sermon Sunday
morning.
The program for the bacca
laureate service included Prelude,
j Mrs. James M. Harper, pianist;
processional, “God Of Our Fath
er”, members of senior class; in
vocation, Rev. R. H. Jordan;
doxology, congregation; holy
scripture and prayer, Rev. R. H.
Jordan; “The Holy City", church
| choirs; sermon, Rev. J. B. Mac
| L.eod; “Holy, Holy, Holy”, con
gregation: benediction. Rev. R. H.
Jordan; recessional, "God Of Our
i Fathers” members of the senior
class.
| Following is the program for
i the graduation exercises Friday
[evening at 8 o’clock: Prelude,
Mrs. Dallas Pigott: processional,
“Pomp and Circumstance”, Senior
Class; invocation, Rev. R. H. Jor
j dan; welcome address, Frank
Watts, salutatorian; “America
j The Beautiful”, in unison; intro
duction of speaker. H. T. Sanders;
address, Senator Ray H. Walton;
i presentation of awards ant
| Continued On Page rwo
Waccamaw Swamp
Has Many Snakes
Donald Sneeden of the
Coastvvide Construction Com
pany stated Monday that he
was not aware that there
were so many snakes any
where until he started work
on the Waccamaw River
snagging project. The first
day he was out there to see
how the work was getting
on he stepped on a huge
moccasin that was sunning
itself.
His next step was taken
very much quicker, and
Sneeden jump beat the snake
in its strike.
tie says that further on in
the swamp the men working
with the equipment are com
plaining of the snakes ,all
kinds of them, being literally
everywhere, on stumps, fallen
logs and treetops and coiled
up sunning themselves on the
ground, where it is often dif
ficult to see them. Most of
these workers being from
along the coast where snakes
are more or less rare, they
don’t like the reptiles they
are now having to associate
with. Unfriendly terms seem
to exist on both sides.
Crowded Docket
In Court Monday
No Session Of Recorder’s
Court Held Last Week
With Result That This
Week’s Docket Was Len- j
gthy
No session of Brunswick coun
ty Recorder’s court was held
last week since Superior court
was in session, and Monday a
big back-log of cases greeted
Judge Earl Bellamy and other
court officials. The following
cases were settled:
Clara Miller,- trespass, lar
ceny, using profane language,
nol pros.
Joe Larry Rhodes, drunk and
disorderly, fined $10 and costs.
Jessie O. Simmons, 15 cases
charged with failure to display
Board of Health Sanitary cards,
defendant asked for jury trial
and all cases sent to Superior
court. Bond set at $1,500.
Andre Charles Lacroix, speed
ing (65 mph) fined $10 and
costs.
i Joe Larry Rhodes, breaking
entering with intent to rape.
Nol pros on recommendation of
Sheriff Gray, Deputy Perry and
Solicitor Bowman.
Delmas Eugene Bradshaw,
speeding (70 mph) fined $15 and
costs.
James Darcy Parker, reckless
operation, possession, fined $15
and costs on reckless operation
charge, not guilty as to posess
ion.
Davis Simmons, cruelty to ani
mals, asked for jury trial, bond
set at $300.
James Edward Rogers, speed
ing (65-mph) fined $10 and
I costs.
Clyde Milligan, drunk driving,
! no operator’s license, possession,
5 fined $100 and costs.
John B. Vereen, failing to give
] proper signal before passing,
i fined $10 and costs.
Terry Hankins Evans, failure
: to give proper signal before
passing, fined $10 and costs.
John Henry Hartman, speed
Continued On Page Two
Several Phases
Of Work Nearin
Completion Noi
Both Railroad Construct^
And Work On Docli
Reach Final Stage O
Sunny Point Project
ALL CONTRACTORS
ARE STILL BUS
Several Are In Midst d
Their Contracts, While!
Others Are Winding Up
Lose Ends Of Ope
ration
With its working area narrow!
ed down to finishing touches her!
and there about the huge yarc
it has been building, the T. I
Scholes, Inc., said to be the se<
ond largest railroad building con
pany in the United States, i
moving some of its equipmer
and sending some of its men her i
and to other jobs. For a 3-mil j
new railroad job and some rt |
building at St. Mary’s, S. C.,
small amount of equipment lei
Monday. Other equipment ha
gone to Newr Jersey for a jo
there. Consider able machinery wil
be here for some time to come.
The Diamond Construction Com
pany of Savannah, Ca., with its
eight million dollar dock con
struction job here also getting
into the completion stage, is)
sending some of its equipment
and men to a big Rappcnock
River bridge building job in Vir
ginia. A lot of equipment and
workers will remain here on the
job until late summer.
Tire Hertford-Cecil company,
still working away on unfinished
ends of its job in connection with
Scholes, Inc., will be here for
some weks to come. Unexpected
lContinued on page four)
Forty-Three Will
Receive Diplomas
graduation Exercises Frici-<y
Night At Shallotte High
School; Baccalaureate Ser
mon Held Sunday
Forty-three members of the
senior class of the Shallotte High
School will be graduated on Fri
lay.
The 1955 Commencement of
Shallotte High School began Sun
lay with the baccalaureate serv
ice in the school auditorium at
11 a. m.
The program was: Processional,
"God of Our Fathers,” Warren;
hymn, "Lead On, O King Etern
al”; Invocation by Rev, J. T.
Fisher; Gloria Patri, congrega
tion; Scripture, I Corinthians 13,
Rev. Charles W. Worth; "Choirs
of Angels Praise Thee”; and "Lift
Thine Eyes”, sextet; introduction
of speaker, Rev. Lawrence Bridg
es; sermon: "The Greatest Of
These”, Rev. Charles W. Worth,
pastor of First Presbyterian
Church, Whiteville; benediction,
Rev. J. T. Fisher; recessional
Pomp and Circumstance.
Graduation exercises will take
place in the high school audi
torium Friday night.
The program for these exer
cises is as follows: Processional,
Largo, Handel, song: “America,
the Beautiful”; invocation by Rev.
J. T. Fisher; salutation, Pauline
Holden; “Battle Hymn of Re
public”, glee club; "Without A
Song,” glee club; presentation of
Continued On Page Two
Aqua-Tot
LAURA ANNE GREER a
^¥hiteville Girl
Follows Father
As Swim Star
Little Miss Miss Laura ‘Greer
Much Like Her Father,
Clerk Of Court Lee Greer,
In Love For Aquatic Sports
j Little Miss Laura Greer, 6
vear old daughter of Clerk of
{superior Court and Mrs. Lee
fereer of Whiteville, is bidding
fair to become the future aqua
tic queen of North Carolina, if
not of the country. At present
she is training to swim Lake
Waccamaw this summer.
According to her mother, she
swims every day, summer or
winter, and her second best
outdoor love is nsning.
She was at Southport with
the family over the week end,
patiently trying to catch a fish
at the city dock. But the fish
were just not disposed to bite.
Her father is coaching her in
fishing, the same as in swim
ming.
For both jobs he is well quali
.tic-*, iiv. wtu' mliscU < *11 t he Cape
tf’ear, here and at Wilmington,
and on one occasion swam the
length of the river between
Southport and Wilmington. He
is one of the most avid fisher
men. After graduating in law
and later becoming Clerk of
Continued On Page Two
Paving Contract
Goes To Grannis
Contractors Of Fayetteville
Low Bidders On Project
To Build By-Pass Around
Sunny Point Reservation
Grannis and Sloan, Inc., of
Fayetteville, were low bidders
yesterday in Raleigh for the 8.24
miles of grading, paving and
structural work of relocating
Route 130 from Orton Plantation
to Route 87 at a point north of
Southport.
The Grannis dki was $410,
766.20, this being about $50,000
per mile. There is very little in
the way of structures in the job,
it is understood. It is also under
stood that the construction will
be of the same type as that of
the Sunny Point roads, with a
crushed rock base.
While this contract was let by
the State Highway Commission,
the U. S. Government is piovid
Continued On Page Two
W. Bs mea»H
Our
ROVING
Reporter
Recently we have asked a good
many high school students what
they are going to do when school
is out. The response in every case
was to the effect that they .Were
going to work. This marks a
vastly different condition from
that which existed just a few
years ago. Then they were just
looking forward to har :ng
around, attending to small cheers
when required, maybe go , fish
ing and maybe play baseball* Now
the larger boys and girls are not
interested in just hanging around.
They are looking for jobs and
have been doing that for the oast
few woks. The job hunting it not
because the youth of the} town
j have less money than they sed
, to have. The reverse of this con
dition actually exists. The iyouth
of today has 10 times Ur re
sources of those of 10 years ago.
They simply want to go to work
and get out on their own sooner
than they used to do.
Apparently not entirely trust
ing Major L. P. McLendon of
Greensboro and Charlie Trott of
Southport to deliver a plug of
Peach and Honey to us. Senator
W. Kerr Scott, "Squire of Haw
River,” tried again this week.
This time with two plugs of
“Taylor Made.” Charles Parker
of the State Advertising Division
in Raleigh was the messenger
entrusted with the delivery. He
has executed his commission with
entire satisfaction.
A couple of weeks ago this
column mentioned that Mrs.
Ralph Sellers. a shut-in for
I seven or eight years and un
Continued On Page Four)
Early Indications
For Good Fishing
Making Predictions About Menhaden Fishing Risky Busi
ness, But Early Signs Are Good
While guesses as to a menliad-1
en fishing season are about as I
risky as predicting the weather j
for the day after tomorrow, the I
old hands at guessing ahead on
the fish appear to be confident
that this is scheduled to be a
good year in the Southport area.
They base their prediction on j
fish from the fact that they do]
not appear in quantities each
year. The big cycles come at in
tervals of about 8 or 10 years.
Reaching a peak year the catch
is smaller and smaller each year
until there is a very low produc
tion, then things again begin to
mount.
Last year the spring fish went
chasing up the coast, here today
and gone tomorrow. When a big
school came along the boats were
able to put in two or three days
befre they were out of range.
Then they had to wait more or
less patiently until another school
came along on its hurried trip up
the coast.
Early last week they began to
come in, moving very slowly, in
fact, making hardly any progress
eastward after reaching here. As
Captain J. B. Church put it,
“they may stay here”. Also on
the promising side is that other
schools will be coming in right
along and joining those that are
tarrying here. It is certain that
there is no hurried migration
northward, such as prevailed last
season.
Stormy weather .should it come,
may possibly change the situa
tion. The fish may be spurred on
to travel further north, and they
may not. One gratifying thing
is that those being taken now are
large and have much of the oil
contest that is usually absent in
spring fish. They may be just
large and fat and lazy, a con
dition that may rebound sharply
[ in favor of the Southport fisher
! men this year. Last season the
i spring fish were small, thin and
j jittery.
Red Cross Funds
Short Of Goal
-*
Poppy Day Set
For Saturday
Work of the American
Legion Auxiliary for the wel
fare of children of war vete
rans draws its major finan
cial support from the coin
boxes which the Auxiliary's
“poppy girls" will carry on
Poppy Day here Saturday.
The Auxiliary Child Wel
fare Committee must be con
stantly prepared to go to
the aid of unfortunate child
ren of veterans. This is made
possible by the understand
ing and generosity of people
who wear the memorial pop
pies on Poppy Day—to aid
the disabled, while honoring
the dead.
Mrs. Art Newton is in
charge of sales in South
port.
Lions Club Assumes Leader
ship In Seeking To Get
Physician To Locate In
That Community
Bolivia
Doctor
The Bolivia Lions Club, accord
ing to President Douglas Hawes,
is engaged in an all-out effort
to have a doctor locate at Bo
livial. In this effort they appar
ently have the strong interest
of the Medical Society of the
State of North Carolina.
With the community having
had to depend on the availability
of a doctor from Shallotte or
Southport, things have now reach
ed the pass where it is useless
to ask, “Is there a doctor in
the house?". There is not one
available, even when he is sorely
needed.
Early last year Dr. Leon Taub
enhause of Shallotte left with
the purpose of taking a post
graduate specialist course. Soon
thereafter Dr. Wingate Swain,
also of Shallotte, was called into
the armed service. These two de
partures left only Dr. M. H.
Ruark carrying the burden of
providing medical attention to
several thousand people in that
area.
It is not that Dr. Ruark is
unwilling, he is simply unable to
take care of the medical needs in
his own community and serve out
side points in addition.
The three doctors at South
port are in much the same fix
as at Shallotte. A fast growing
population keeps them tied dewn
in their offices for practically
every minute when they are not
at the hospital devoting their at
tention to patients there. This
pressure at Southport is likely
to increase. Southport itself may
be on the verge of needing more
doctors badly.
Having been informed by the
Lions Club of the predicament
that the Bolivia folks are in
James T. Barnes, executive sec
retary, of the North Carolina Med
ical Society, had Mrs. Annette
S. Boutwell, the Health Executive
j Consultant in his office, to come
to Bolivia last week to look over
Continued On Page Two
Total Of $1,242.67 Is Repor
ted As Compared To Quo
ta Of $1,900 Asked Of
Brunswick/
DONATIONS MAY
STILL BE SENT IN
Rev. L. D. Hayman, Cam
paign Chairman, Still An
xious To See This Coun
ty Reach The Assig
ned Quota
The Rev. L,. D. Hayman re-!
ported this week collections total
ing- $1,247.67 f°r the Red Cross
Fund Drive in Brunswick county
with only a few more scattered
returns expected. The quota was
$1,900. 1
On a community basis, the con
tributions came from the follow
ing sources: Shallotte, $440; South
port, $366.67; Village Point, $103;
Supply, $71; Bolivia, $64; Free
land, $20; Hickmans Crossroads,
$22; Negro citizens, $161.
This leaves Brunswick $652.33
short of the goal that was set up,
and it has left local Red Cross
officials em harassed at this
strange attitude of indifference
so soon after the disaster relief
that was furnished last fall in the
wake of Hurricane Hazel.
As a matter of fact, American
Red Cross officials have had their
eye on this county, watching to
see the reaction its citizens would
have to the more than a quarter
million dollars worth of assist
ance given last fall. The quota as
signed is less than 1-percent of
that amount ,and could be raised
by each person in the county pay
ing one dime into the fund.
No criticism is directed toward
Chairman Hayman and his ef
forts. He perfected an organiza
Continued On Page Two
__
Rebuilding At
Holden Beach
Present Indications Point To
Near-Normal Season At
Brunswick County’s Old
est Beach Resort
Holden Beach is keeping pace
with other Brunswick beach re
storation and new buildings and
a check Monday revealed that
there are 104 units finished or
under construction. Of these about
40 units are ready for rentals.
John Holden has almost com
pleted a new pavilion, larger than
the old one, but of only one
story. A new soda, sandwich and
beach accessories shop has been
opened and there is a possibility
of an ocean fishing pier by this
fall.
The State Highway Commission
has extended the paved road
down the beach for another mile
and the volume of visitors has
been exceptionally heavy for the
month of May. With the showing
made this month many of the
beach residents sincerely believe
that Holden Beach wil have just
as many or more visitors during
June and the rest of the summer
as the place hal last year. The
accommodations in the way of
! houses for rent are not yet in
| keeping with what was available
last year, but with the steady
Continued On Page Two
Safety Zone At
Sunny Point Is
No New Change
The Government Decides To
Purchase Land That Will
Guarantee Adequate Buf
fer Zone Area For Pro
ject
SAFETY HAS BEEN
KEYNOTE FROM FIRST
Latest Steps Being Taken
With Object Of Making
Government Terminals
Safe For All Pur
poses
By W. B. KEZIAH
The Safety Zone for Sunny
Point, a matter that is just now
coming to the attention of the
public, is nothing new. In involves
land in both New Hanover and
Brunswick counties and the area
lines were laid out four years
ago.
It may be recalled that the
Real Estate Board of the Army
Engineers was instructed to get
20.000 acres. They surveyed and
bought up something in excess of
14.00 Oacres. Part of the remain
der was to be included m a sare
ty zone. The aim of all was to
make the terminal construction
and its operation the ultimate in
safety.
That program has been carried
out in all construction work. To
do the same in operations the
same Real Estate Board is get
ting about the business of acquir
ing land where there is the re
motest possibility of its being
risky for human habitation. They
will go about the task following
the same procedure used in the
acquisition of the main area.
By same procedure is meant
that the Real Estate Board of
the Army Engineers, a branch of
which organization is located in
Savannah, Ga., will carefully ap
praise each tract, examine the
tax records, examine and ap
praise all improvements and then
make what they consider a fair
offer for the land. In some cases
these offers may be followed up
by further negotiations, and if all
efforts of negotiations fall
through they will institute con
Continued On Page 'Two
Bolivia Finals
Slated Friday
Dr. E. J. Carter Of East
Carolina Colloge Will De
liver Commencement Ad
dress
Commencement exercises at Bo
livia High School will be held
Friday evening at 8 o’clock. The
address will be delivered by Dr.
E. J. Carter, Director of Exten
sions Division at East Carolina
College, Greenville. Mr. Fredrick
McClure will award the diplomas
and present the medals.
The senior class includes: War
len Bullard, Betty Lou Clemmons,
Evelyn Clemmons, Raymond
Earp, Billie Jean Harvell, Lewis
Harvell, Elmore Hooks, Joyce
Johnson, Barbara Lesh, James
Lewis, Bessie McDowell, Betty
McKeithan, Joanna Mintz, John
Naylor, Mary Willetts, Henry
Johnson, Doris Lee King, Stanley
Knowles, Malcolm Knox, Kenneth
Kye, Polly Lanier, Bil lLanier
A. C. Purvis, Eleanor Rabon,
Sophie Ann Johnson, Barbara Ann
Rogers, Eppie Lee Sellers, Arthur
Skipper.
Tide Table
Following is the tide table
for Southport during the next
week. These hours are ap
proximately correct and were
furnished The State Port Pilot
through the courtesy of the
Cape Fear Pilot's Association.
High Tide Low Tide
Thursday, May 26
12:00 A. M. 5:40 A. M.
0:00 P. M. 5:53 P. M.
Friday, May 27
0:18 A. M. ‘ 6:35 A. M.
12:59 P. M. 6:53 P. M.
Saturday, May 28
1:13 A. M. 7:29 A. M.
1:57 P. M. 7:55 P. M.
Sunday, May 29
2:08 A. M. 8:24 A. M.
2:53 P. M. 8:55 P. M.
Monday, May 80
3:02 A. M. ' 9:16 A. M.
3:46 P. M. 9:52 P. M.
Tuesday, May 31
3:53 A. M. 10:05 A. M
4:37 P. M. 10:45 P. M.
Wednesday, June 1
4:43 A. M. 10:52 A. M.
5:24 P. M. 11:34 P. M.