North Carolina Newspapers

Most Of The News All The Time THE STATE PORT PILOT A Good Newspaper In A Good Community The Pilot Covers Brunswick County Volume No. 17 No. 49 6-Pages Today SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1955 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY $1.50 PER YEAR Social Security Payments Total $18,795 Monthly About One-Third Of Total Amount Being Paid To Mothers And Children As Survivors Insurance Pay ments TOTAL OF 591 PERSONS RECEIVING BENEFITS Recent Changes In Social Security Regulations Will Help Increase Benefits For Certain Eligi bles Of the $18,795.00 in monthly social security benefits being paid in Brunswick County at the end of 1954, $6,135.00, or about 32.1 percent, went to mothers and chil dren, according to N. A. Avera, Social Security Administration district manager in Wilmington, N. C. Mr. Avera pointed out that pay ments to mothers and children have special significance to the community as a whole because they help families to stay together after the death of the breadwin ner. In the nation as a whole, 111, 530 mothers and 1,100,770 children were receiving social security in surance payments at the end of 1954. Total payments in 1954 were $133 million to mothers and $451 million to children. Under the old-age and survivors insurance program, workers and their employers and self-employ ed people pay into a fund while they are working, and when earn ings stop because of the death of the worker or because he has re tired, payments are made from the worker and his dependents or to his survivors. In all, 591 people in Bruns wick County were receiving $18, 795.00 each month in benefits under the old-age and survivors insurance program at the end of the year. One reason for the increase in payments over 1953 was the pass age last September of the 1954 Amendments to the Social Secu rity Act. These amendments in creased all benefit payments and made it possible for the first time for survivors of some workers who died after 1939 and before 1950 to qualify for payment. Beginning in September 1954 the amendments permit the “drop ping out” of up to 5 years of lowest earnings in figuring the worker’s average monthly wage. This has the effect of increasing the average earnings ,from which the monthly payments are figur ed. Other improvements in the law made by the 1954 Amendments went into effect in 1955, and therefore are not reflected in the benefit figures for the end of 1954. Among these were the bringing of many more employees and self-employed people under the law and the beginning of the (Continued on page four) Brief Bits Of lnewsj NEW PROJECT The Live Oak Garden Club has adopted the project of planting grass between the sidewalk and the building at Southport high school. RECEIVES PH.D. David L. Stratmon of South port received his degree as doc tor of philosophy at the 111th Commencement Exercises at the University of Michigan last week. LEAVES FOR ST. .MARVS F. H. (Tommy) Thompson, foreman of Ballasting for the T. F. Scholes ,Inc., left Friday for St. Marys, S. C., where he is do ing like for the same company. He worked here for something over a year. YOUTHFUL ROYALTY Children over 4 years of age who have not yet reached their sixth birthday will be eligible tc compete for King or Queen for the 4th of July dance. Such chil dren may be entered in the con test and voted upon at Watson’s Pharmacy. YOUNG PERFORMERS The fashion show held in South port last week under auspices oi the Margaret Parkhill Auxiliary of St. Phillips Episcopal Church featured singing and dancing numbers by three talented young sters. These were Susan Harrel son, daughter of Mr. and Mrs Ed Harrelson; Patti Key, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Key; and Miss Susan McKeithan daughter of Mr and Mrs. Roy McKeithan. INBOUND—Here is the USS Fitch, destroyer aboard which Explorer Scouts from Southport made the trip from Charleston, S. C., to Wilmington last week. This photo was taken by Art Newton as the ship passed through Southport harbor, with Battery Island in the background. Sports Fishing Still Good When Weather Permits Blustery Weather Saturday Interrupted Good Luck With Blues And Macker el;. Good Off-Shore Trips This Week Saturday’s fishing off South port was lost to the weather man, and Sunday was just about a draw as the charter boat business once more felt the effect of strong winds. Several of the boats were out Sunday, but only those that were off-shore had any luck. A couple of these had particularly good luck. One was the Margrace, Captain James Arnold, who had Ken Stuart and party. They brought in 20 king mackerel and several am berjack and bonito. Capt. Walter Lewis had J. O. Simmons and party of Charlotte on his Sunday trip and they brought in 30 king mackerel, 1 amberjack and 1 dolphin. Casey Canut headed a Char lotte party that was out on Monday. The catch included 10 king mackerel, 2 amberjack and 1 dolphin. George Hondros of Clinton was out Tuesday and caught 3 king mackerel, plus 400 lbs of seabass. Capt. Howard Victor had a Greensboro party headed by C. P. Wagoner and J. H. Barrier for the week end. On Friday they had 107 blues and mackerel. The next best day they had while playing tag with the weather was on Monday .when they had 7 king mackerel. Morton Church and a Charlotte party were out Monday with Capt. Hoyle Dosher aboard the Idle-On III. They had 19 king mackerel, 1 dolphin, 2 large Span ish mackerel and 50-lbs of sea bass. Capt. Hulan Watts had one half of the W. W. Bonds party of Kannapolis out Tuesday. They had 7 king mackerel and 100 lbs of seabass. The other members of this par ty, which included several news boys, were aboard the Idle-On with Capt. Basil Watts. They had 10 king mackerel and 150-lbs of seabass. The day before Dr. Jones and party of Long Beach caught 8 king mackerel, 2 dolphin, 2 amberjack and 75 seabass aboard this same boat. Ports Authority Member Visitor W. Avery Thompson Of Hallsboro Admits His Sur prise At Size And Type Of Construction At Sunny Point Here Thursday on a visit to the Southport Lions Club, W. Avery Thompson of Hallsboro, member of the State Ports Auth ority, took time off afterwards for a tour over parts of the Sun ny Point installation. Resident Engineer L. P. Thom as of the Corps of Army Engi neers joined in the tour after the office at the installation was j reached. Thomas, Mayor Roy I Robinson, Capt. J. I. Davis and i several other Southport men traveled over wharf No. 2; through parts of the railroad j yards and highway system and jthe administration area. Thompson expressed much in jterest and surprise, both at the size of the teiminals and the evident permananey of all con struction. In a statment he said: "These facilities will mean much to the Brunswick area and to the whole area surrounding Brunswick county ,in fact to the whole slate, through its economic effect. I am surprised at the per mananey of the construction and I believe Sunny Point will help all Southeastern North Carolina ' (Continued On Page Four) Two Dances Are Slated On Fourth Street Dance Planned In* Southport Saturday-Night, July 2, With Music By Leland String Band FIREWORKS AND PARADE CANCELED Contest For Queen And Princess Continues With Winners To Be Crown ed At Dance On Mon day Night At USO First feature of the Fourth of July celebration here this year will be a street dance Saturday night in the down town section of Southport. This dance will fea ture the music of the Ganey boys from Leland and will be sponsor ed by the Southport home demon stration club. The next important feature will be the dance Monday night at the Community Building, with music by the Bill Elliott orchestra from Wilmington. This is the same organization that played for the Southport high school junior senior banquet this year where they made a big hit with the young set. Because of complications which have developed, there will be no parade nor formal speaking pro gram this year. Meanwhile, the contest to select the queen, princess and the tom thumb attendants for the Fourth of July Ball is proceeding at a merry clip, with an encouraging show of interest. Voting boxes are available at several of the Southport stores, and the contest will continue throughout this month. Busy Session Of Court Held Large Docket Monday Con- i sisted Chiefly Of Cases j Growing Out Of Traffic Violations A variety of cases, most of them growing out of traffic viola tions, were disposed of here in Recorder's court Monday before Judge Earl Bellamy. The follow ing judgments were handed down: D. F. Watts, drunk and dis orderly, fined $10 and costs. Fletcher Edward Beard, speed ing (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. Eugene Washington, speeding (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. Fred Wilson Robinson, speeding (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. George Sydney Dellinger, speed ing (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. Joel Blake Barefoot, speeding (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. Mack Jacob Hewett, speeding, prayer for judgment continued. Roland Johnson, speeding (55 mph in truck) fined $10 and costs. Carl Aubrey Johnston, speeding (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. Jewell Inman White, expired operator's license, taxed with costs. Gordon Wayne Pallitt, speeding (70-mph) fined $15 and costs. Donald Lee Hassell, drunk driv ing, not guilty. Herbert Megraw Swope, public drunkness, not guilty. John William Dryden, public drunkness, not guilty. O. J. Marlowe, Effie Marlowe, Mary Marlowe, Ralph L. Mitchell, assault with deadly weapon, all defendants ask for jury trial. Robert Stanley Sisler, speeding (65-mph) fined $10 and costs. Samuel Mosely Davis, Jr., speeding (70-mph) fined $15 and costs. George Garner, non-support, or dered that defendant pay $20 per month to the support of his minor child. Paul Joseph Annis, speeding (70-mph) fined $15 and costs. (Continued on Page 4) Four Rescued After Capsizing A rowboat capsized in the Cape Fear river channel at Southport Friday afternoon, and a tragedy was averted by the prompt notification of the Coast Guard by Sgt. Fred Hoskinson/ who saw the acci dent from the Garrison. The Trawler Penney rush ed to the rescue of the two men and two boys who were in the water, and they were brought ashore soaking wet and badly frightened, but otherwise none the worse for their experience. The accident occurred when two visitors from upstate en gaged two local boys, Charles Trott and Charles Harrison, to go with them to Battery Island. The small boat in which they were making the passage across the rough channel did not have «uffi<j»nt free board and the ainKing resulted. The boat was picked up by the Coast Guard, but an outboard motor belonging to young Trott was lost. Weather Helps Crowd At Beach Indications Now Point To Typical Summer Weather For Coming Week-End, With Large Crowds Pre dicted Should the present spell of warm weather hold out both Long Beach and Yaupon Beach are ex pecting one of the biggest week ends in the history of either place. Warm weather invariably lesults in drawing crowds to the beaches. This fact, combined with a big wave of public interest in the Brunswick beaches, sport fish ing at Southport and general in terest in the area is pointing to a record-breaking throng. Visitors who have not been there recently will find that the reconstruction of homes and the building of new ones has been proceeding at an astonishnig rate and that there is much to attract their interest and please them. The fishing pier into the ocean at Yaupon Beach will be a mat Continued On Page Two Invitation To Visit Spaalt Attracts Many This Was Part Of 150th Anniversary Observance By U. S. Army Corps Of Engineers Thursday SERVICE AWARDS FOR EMPLOYEES Forrttal Program Conducted Thursday Morning In Wil mington Before Spend ing Part Of Day At Sunny Point Between four and five hundred interested people, mostly from Brunswick and New Hanover counties, toured the SPAALT area Thursday afternoon, courtesy of the Army Engineers who were partially off duty in commemora tion of-'their 180th birthday. It was dificult to get a good estimate of all of the visitors who came and went. Seven men from the Resident Engineers office at Sunny Point served as guides for those who wished them. This group was assisted by 3 more from the District Office in Wil mington. Some of the guides had as many as 15 cars following them on some of the trips. At other times they would have only two on three cars in tow. In addition to local people who knew the way about the installa tion, the following men were among the official guides from the Engineers Corps: L. P. Thom as, resident Engineer; James Wal lace, chief inspector; Bob Har borough, Gene Tomlinson, and others. During a program given in the Federal court room in Wilming ton during the morning, Col. Ray mond L. Hill of the Corps of En gineers presented pins to various employees in token of the num ber of years they have spent in the service. Preceeding this pre sentation, Dr. B. Frank Hall made the principal address. Pins awarded were as follows: 30-year service, Hamilton E. Continued On Page Two Shaiiotte Man Buried Monday William Bert Williams Laid To Rest In Gurganous Cemetery; Was Employee Of Engineer Department Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon for William Bert Williams of &hal lotte Village Point, who died at his home Saturday morning .The services were in charge of Rev. J. T. Fisher, pastor of Village Point Methodist Church. Burial was in the Gurganous Cemetery. The deceased was 56-years old. Form any years he had been em ployed by the Corps of Army En gineers and was a first assistant engineer on one of the govern ment dredges at the time of his death. A brother, Capt. Alex Wil liams .former Brunswick Deputy Sheriff, foimerly served with the Army Engineers. I Surviving the deceased is his [widow .Mrs. Lillie Davis Williams; one son, Roger V. Williams; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Lee Todd, all of Shaiiotte; and Mrs. Flora j Rayhoff of Charleston; two broth | ers, Bennie and Alex Williams of ! the Village Point community. I Active pallbearers were Her Continued On Page Two W. B. HJ6SOAH Our ROVING Reporter For about a year the State Ports Authority has been plan ning a trip here and inspection of the Sunny Point Terminal. The date for this trip was contigent on their meeting at Wilmington and it has been almost a year since the body met there. They are now scheduled to meet in Wilmington the later part of the week beginning duly 17th and if the plans of Chairman Edwin Pate, Colonel Harr, W. a. Thomp son and others work out they will be at Southport and Sunny Point July 21st or 22nd. The length of their stay here is still a matter to be settled, but it is hoped that they can be here at least three hours, have lunch and be come fully acquainted with the area. Despite the early April freeze that got all plants and forced re planting, the Brunswick county watermelon crop will come on by July 4th, perhaps a day or two before that .according to Robert McRackan who farms out on Wal den Creek. McRackan is the big gest melon grower in Brunswick and he usually begins offering his crop before the end of June. Some years he trucks to Southport and Wilmington daily from about the first of July on through August and a good part of September. From growing the melons all of his life, he knows how to plant his fields to insure continuous marketing. It’s a long, long way to Vene zuela, but from there this week came a letter from T. J. Keeva of the Creole Petroleum Corpora (Continued on Page Four) Farmers Invited To Field Day Brunswick County Growers Will Attend Tobacco Field Day Program Near Whiteville Tuesday One of the largest crowds in T.he history of the Border Belt experiment station are expected to attend the Tobacco Field Day program, scheduled for 9 a. m., June 28. The tour will be for tobacco farmers and other leaders from Columbus, Hoke, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, and Sampson counties, according to Charles D. Raper, Columbus county agent. In addition to leaf growers, leaders expected to attend are business men, fertilizer dealers, bankers, tobacco company repre sentatives, and others interested in the industry. Dickens Is Host To be displayed and discussed will be some of the latest in novations in flue-cured tobacco. Wallace Dickens, as station su perintendent, will be host and will welcome the group. John L. Reit zell, assistant commissioner of agriculture for North Carolina, will represent the state at the field day. W. E. Colwell, assistant di rector in charge of tobacco re search, will outline to the group what they can expect to see and hear, and will orient them in other matters concerning the Border Belt station, located five miles north of Whiteville on the Whiteville—Clarkton road. The tours will include a dis cussion of old and new varieties by F. A. Todd, extension plant pathologist; a high analysis fer tilizer demonstration explained by R. R. Bennett, tobacco spe cialist; a chemical sucker con trol demonstration, with S. N. Hawks, assistant tobacco spe cialist, as demonstration guide. The effect of quality of trans plant on field performance, ex plained by H. H. Nau, assistant tobacco specialist; how to handle hail damaged tobacco, Hawks in charge; insect control work, as demonstrated by Eldon Scott, extension entomologist. As the Field Day closes, at 11 a. m., there will be a demon stration with tobacco transplant ers and humidifying equipment to bring tobacco in order at barn and pack house. Bennett will be in charge. In addition to the guided tours through the station, and informa tion given in them, farmers and others interested in tobacco will be able to get answers to most any question they have on to bacco. Of special interest will be the insect controls and sucker and hail damage projects. Dickens said earlier that all work done on the station is done through conventional farm operations. Civilian Defense Officials Coming * No Report Made On By-Pass Work Although Grannis and Sloan of Fayetteville were the low bidders on the by-pass road from Orton to 87 at the letting 3 weeks ago, it is understood that the com pany has not yet reecived the green light to proceed with the work. The matter is under both the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads and the State Highway Commission, with the State Highway Com mission doing the work. It is un derstood that both bodies have to go over and give their approval of the contract. That fact is not believed to result in any changes. The bid of Grannis and Sloan was considerably lower than any other submitted and the firm is one of the best accredited in Southeastern North Carolina. Week-End Rains Brought Relief Gentle, Soaking Showers Gave Farmers New Hope For Farm Crops In Bruns wick This Season Rains which fell this past week were just enough and of just the sort to be one of the most wel come visitations Brunswick coun ty farmers have had in a good many years. They brought enough moisture to insure a fine crop of tobacco and corn, as well as oth er crops. Some folks may argue that rain is rain, that one sort is as good as another when rain is needed. Any good fanner will say otherwise. There may be a couple of inches of rain that does crops practically no good, or there may be two inches that has a wonder ful effect. The difference is in tire way it falls. There may be a two inch rainfall coming in a heavy down pour. It packs the earth, very little of it sinking deep and most of it flooding into streams. The hardpacked earth resulting from such floods is more or less in juries to growing crops and wash es a lot of fertility from the land. As against the usual heavy lain, that which fell last week was a continuous drizzle, sinking deep into the earth and resulting in very little packing of the soil. Farmers say that its effects will | be belt all through the remainder | of the growing season. Even should a dry spell set in, there j is now enough moisture in the j ground to insure a fine tobacco and corn crop . Register of Deeds Amos Walton claims that his tobacco grew six inches Saturday and Sunday and credited an even greater growth to corn. The rains, he said, came continued On Page Two Making Trip Along Coastal Area Of North Carolina To Inspect Efforts To Re pair Damage Caused By Hurricane Hazel TO ARRIVE HERE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON Friday Morning Will Be De voted To Inspection Of Southport Waterfront And Brunswick Beaches A group of Civil Defense Of ficials are scheduled to spend Thursday night here at Southport and Friday they will look over the coast here ,giving especial at tention to the beaches damaged in last year’s storm. Heading the party is Thomas H. Goodman, director of the Re gional office at Thomasville, Ga., his chief engineer, Earl Mader, and General E. F. Griffin of Ra leigh, North Carolina Director for Civil Defense. The party is due to aiTive at Topsail from Morehead City at about 1 o'clock this afternoon. In spection of points there will be followed by their arrival at Wrightsville at about 7 this eve ning. Thursday the party will inspect the New Hanover county beach es, leaving late Thursday after noon for Southport where they are to spend the night, with the inspection of the Southport water front to follow Friday morning and the visit to the beaches be ing made later that day. Scholes Company Completing Job Big Railroad Building Job At Sunny Point Has Been Completed And Equip ment Is Going Elsewhere Should no unexpected difficul-! ties develope, the T. F. Scholes, Inc., will finish up their Sunny Point railroad project next week. Including the grading period, ap proximately 20 months will have been spent of the job. Because of the nature of the soil that had to be worked and reworked to insure better stability and drain age, the grading work took much longer than was originally ex pected. This also delayed the ac tual laying of the track and bal lasting. Some of the Scholes equipment has already scattered to various other jobs held by the Corpora tion. After the work is completly finished it is probable that some of the remainder may be kept here until the company gets an other railroad contract in this or adjoining states. Often the com pany’s contracts are scattered over the United States. Baptist Assembly To Open Season With Music Week Everything In Order For The Arrival Of First Visi tors Of Summer Season During Coming Week End OUTSTANDING LEADERS WILL BE IN CHARGE Predictions Made For Five Hundred Delegates To Assembly For First Weekly Program The Baptist Seaside Assembly at Fort Caswell will begin its 1955 convention season Monday with Music Week. About 500 dele gates are expected for this first session. Later on the weekly gatherings are expected to swell to about two thousand. Director R. K. Redwine recent ly stated that the yearly program of improvements have resulted in the assembly being able to take care of a large number of ad ditional delegates and visitors this year. Each year since the assem bly opened more and more of the substantial former military build ings have been put in order and furnished for additional quarter s. In addition to the regular force working the year-around, a large number of additional workers have been engaged in cleaning up and putting everything shipshape during the past several weeks. The regular assembly staff mem bers are arriving this week, and the delegates arriving this week end will find everything in apple pie order. Except for losing some 75 of the beautiful trees, the grounds and buildings came through the October storm almost unscathed. A report from Dr. Redwine after the storm was that only a few shingles were lost from the build ings. Everything now painted up and presents a very attractive appearance, inside and out. Award Contract To Stop Inlet Wilmington Man Gets Con tract For Construction Of Bulkhead Across New In let At Long Beach A contract was signed Monday wherein Russell T. Burney of Wilmington agreed to build the necessary bulkhead, closing the Long Beach Inlet washed through in the October storm. The contract calls for heavy plank pilings with an overlapping strip between each plank, some* thing in the same manner in which old time buildings were built. The object of the bulk* head is to provide a temporary barrier to the water and stop the current until mud and earth can be pumped or dumped in to per manently close the opening. The job of the bulkhead pre sents a big problem, but when seen Monday Burney appeared confidence he could get through with it. He stated he would start work just as soon as he can get his pile driver and other equip ment to the beach from Wilming ton. Funds for this work were pro vided by the Civil Defense Admin istration. The State Highway Commission will follow the work of the bulkhead construction by building a fill over which they can rebuild the paved highway that crossed where the inlet now Continued On Page Two 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, June 23, 10:43 A. M. 4:24 A. M. 11:00 P. M. 4:35 P. M. Friday, June 24, 11:37 A. M. 5:15 A. M. 11:50 P. M. 5:31 P. M. Sautrday, June 25, 0:00 A. M. 6:03 A. M. 12:31 P. M. 6:26 P. M. Sunday, June. 26, 0:40 A. M. 6:53 A. M. 1:25 P. M. 7:23 P. M. Monday, June 26, 1:31 A. M. 7:44 A. M. 2:19 P. M. 8:21 P. M. Tuesday, June 28, 2:22 A. M. 8:35 A. M. 3:11 P. M. 9:18 P. M. Wednesday, June 25 3:13 A. M. ‘ 9:27 A. M. 4:02 P. M. 10:12 P. M.