Most Of The News
All The Time
Volume No. 17 No. 16
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1955
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
$1.50 PER YEAR
REA Meet Told
Farmers’ Future
In Making Now
C. D. Branch Of Evergreen
Elected President Of The
Board Of Directors Of
Brunswick Electric Mem
bership Corporation.
WILLIAM T. CRISP
PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
Crowd Of 5,000 Persons At
tended All-Day Meeting
Friday In Columbus
County Warehouse
In Whiteville
C. D. Branch of Evergreen was
re-elected president of the board
of directors of the Brunswick
Electric Membership corporation,
Friday during the Rural Elec
trification Authority inspired
group's annual meeting.
With the exception of N. C.
White of Whiteville Rt. 3, and J.
B. Ward, Sr., of Ash, the entire
board of directors were re-elected.
J. B. Ward, Jr., of Longwood re
places Ward, Sr., and H. D.
White, Jr., of Chadbourn replaces
N. C. White.
Crisp Speaker
The meeting heard as key
speaker, William T. Crisp, manag
er of the Tar Heel Electric co
operative, call for a more serious
interest in industry by the farm
ers so that the area's economy
can be balanced to meet the fu
ture without fear.
During the day-long meeting,
some 5,000 persons thronged the
Columbus county warehouse, to
see exhibits, visit with friends,
elect a board of directors, listen
to the talks and enjoy the enter
tainment.
Crisp told the audience that
eastern North Carolina will have
to look to the future and think
for the future to cure the ills
that beset it. And the chief one,
he pointed out “is being almost
on the bottom of the ladder in
the nation for per capita income.’’
Many Changes
He noted that Noi'th Carolina
farmers have come a long way
. . . "20 years ago we were walk
ing in mud and using lanterns,”
but he warned against the com
placency of success as the first
seed of failure, the first pitfall of
being passed by.
He pointed out that the econo
mic past and present for eastern
North Carolina farmers has been
rocky, partially due to drought,
partially to rains, partially due to
a scarcity of production, and par
tially due at times to over pro
duction for available markets.
He noted that farmers are daily
Continued On Page Four
Brief Biti Of
lnewsj
IN AIR FORCE
James L. McRoy, son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. E. McRoy, enlisted
in the Air Force last week.
LIONS TO MEET
The Southport Lions Club will
meet tomorrow (Thursday) at
12:30 o'clock at the Community
Building.
JUDGE TO SPEAK
Judge Raymond Mallard will
be the speaker at the regular
meeting of the Methodist Men's
Club at Trinity Methodist Church
this (Wednesday) evening at 6:30
o'clock.
NICE CATCH i
Out fishing yesterday afternoon
General and Mrs. James Glore of
New York and Colonel and Mrs.
W. A. McAleer of Southport
brought in 50 or 60 nice bluefish.
According to reports General
Glore proved to be the best fish
erman.
U NDERGOES OPERATION
A. J. Walton, Jr., son of Mr.
and Mrs. Amos J. Walton, under
went an operation Friday at the
hospital at Medical College of
Virginia in Richmond. Relatives
report that his condition is great
ly improved.
SATURDAY DANCE
The Southport Charter Boat
men’s Association will sponsor a
dance Saturday night at the Com
munity Building. An outstanding
feature of this occasion will be
the awarding of trophies for out
standing catches of fish made
here this season. Ray Spencer and
the Four Sharps will play tor
the fiance. Advance sale of tickets
is now underway.
REA Board Of Directors
NEW DIRECTORS of the Brunswick Electric Membership Corp. elected Friday are shown above
shortly after F. M. McGougan, Jr., Tabor City, co-op attorney, announced results of the balloting'.
Front, left to right are, M. M. Ray of Nakina; C. D. Branch of Evergreen, re-elected president of
the co-op; F. E. Lay of Tabor City Rt. 3. Rear, left to right, are A. P. Henry, Sr., Winnabow: H.
D. White, Jr.. Chadbourn; L. C. Batten, Hillsboro; J. B. Ward, Jr., Ash; Dennis Anderson, of Oer
ro Gordo, named vice-president; W. A. Mintz of Exum area. Not present for the picture ere
T. D. Lindsay of Shallotte, elected assistant secretary and treasurer; and O. C. Bruton of Boi via,
named assistant secretary and treasurer.
River Road Now
Closed To Traffic
Order Became Effective
Yesterday And No IVlore
Civilian Travel Will Be
Permitted Through Reser
vation
AWAIT COMPLETION
OF BY-PASS ROUTE
Bus For Brunswick County
Training School Has Been
Re-Routed And Some
White Students Go
Bolivia
The River Road, highway No.
130, between Southport and Wil
mington, is now closed to all
through traffic and from here all
through traffic must take high
way No. 87 to Bell Swamp and
the Junction with U. S. 17, thence
to the Junction with highway
Nos. 74-76 near the ship lay-up
basin on the Brunswick River.
This routing is only tempor
ary and will last until Grannis
and Sloan are able to complete
the by-pass from Orton to the
end of the Sunny Point road and
highway 87. Following the com
pletion of this by-pass traffic
from here bound for Wilmington
will go up highway 87 and fol
low the by-pass to Orton and
then on up highway 130. Travel
ing distance between Southport
and Wilmington now will be about
32 miles.
One of the first effects of clos
ing the road was the re-routing
of the Brunswick County Train
ing School bus that brings chil
dren from the Dark Branch com
munity. It will now go around by
Mill Creek.
Several white children who live
on the River Road beyond the
reservation will attend school in
Bolivia for the remainder of the
school year, or until the by-pass
route is completed.
Rebuilding Ramp
To Launch Boats
Popular Southport Water
front Convenience Will
Again Be Available To
Boatmen This Week-End
“Longer, stronger, wider and
better” is the way that City
Manager J. F. West described
the way that he would rebuild
the Small Boat Loading Ramp
at Southport, after it was de
stroyed in the summer storm.
There have been other things
to slow down this rebuilding,
but hundreds of small boat own
ers throughout North Carolina
and upper South Carolina. can
now be assured that the new
ramp will be ready for' use this
week end.
As was promised, the new
ramp is longer, stronger, wider
and better. Where the old ramp
| was only 10-feet wide the new
structure is 20 feet. All framing
i is creosoted and strongly bolted
together, where only nails were
formerly used. Instead of piece
J work decking, full length cre
osoted 4-inch planking is now
going into all decking. The
structure runs cut. several feet
further in the river than the old
j ramp.
The doubling of the width of
the old ramp will enable sports
men to back their trailers into
the river without uncoupling
from their cars. The additional
: length of the ramp will enable
them to unload or load • their
| boats at all stages of the tide.
Identical Twin
Causes Confusion
Sgt. Fred Hoskinson, with
the Armed Guards from the
Atlantic Transportation Ter
minal Command (Formerly
the New York Port of Em
barkation) has been very
popular during his four
months stay here. The same
can be said of all of the oth
ers of the (ATTC) who have
been here.
This week the Sergeant’s
brother, Freeman Hoskinson
of Smyrna, Delaware, came
down to spend a couple of
days with Fred and see what
there was about Southport to
cause him to like the place
so much. He soon found out.
Everywhere that Freeman
went he was greeted as Fred
or with a slap on the back
and something of that nature.
The friendliness towards him
is easily explained by the
fact that he and Fred are
twin brotheis—identical ones
at that.
Large Docket
Set For Monday
s*>- _ ’*'’** *• I
Attorney S. B. Frink Slated
To Be Back In Court And
Many Continued Cases
Are Set For Trial
Clerk of Court Jack Brown
stated this week that an unusual
ly long docket has been set for
Recorder’s court next week. Up
ward of two hundred cases are
supposed to be tried.
Many of these cases have been
continued from various sessions
for unavoidable reasons. By far
the greatest number are cases in
which Attorney S. Bunn Frink
represents the defendants. He
had quite a number of cases
pending when he was injured on
his boat several weeks ago. !
Many others have piled up since
then. Frink is scheduled to re- ’
turn home Saturday from a two
weeks vacation in Florida and
his cases are all scheduled to
be tided Monday.
Cases handled Monday by
Judge Earl Bellamy and Solici
tor J. C. Bowman were as fol
lows :
Martin Robert Draughn, speed
ing (65-mph) fined $10 and costs.
John Brinson, alias John Wil
son, larceny, waived preliminary
hearing and held for Superior
court under bond of $1000.
Russell Severance, reckless op- j
eration and possession of fire
works, fined $20 and costs.
Sherman Davis and John
Henry Wilson, possession, fined
$10 and costs.
Charles Rudolph Bowen, reck
less operation. State asked for
jury trial, bond set at $1000.
George E. White, Jr., reckless
operation, fined $15 and costs.
Henry J Bethea, larceny, three
cases of breaking and entering
and of larceny, defendant drew a
total of 12 months on the roads.
James Brown, speeding, (70
mph) fined $15 and costs.
Ralph Cornelius Kiger, speed
ing (70,-mph) fined $15 and
costs.
Roy Grady Lineburger, speed
ing (65-mph) fined $10 and costs.
Lonnie Bundle Yopp, speeding
Continued- On Page Two
Two Lost When
Plane Crashes
In This County
Navy Plane Crashed Near
Brunswick River Bridge
Early Friday Morning
While On Routine Flight
One man was killed, another is
still missing and is presumed
dead, and a third was seriously
injured early Friday morning
when a U. S. Navy plane crashed
into the marsh land close to the
Brunswick river bridge near Ice
land.
The pilot was Ens. T. W. Miller,
who sustained severe burns and
a broken leg. He reports that he
discovered that his aircraft was
on fire at about 4 o’clock and
that he was preparing to ditch
it in the river. He says that he
awakened two crew members and
told them to jump A shorty : ime
later flames became unertduf&fcle,
he said, and he was forced to bail
out.
The body of one of the men
was recovered early this week,
but the remains of the other man
still are missing.
The rescue of Ens. Miller was
(Continued on Page Four)
Engineers Now
Making Survey
State Highway Engineers
Are Making Investigations
Which May Lead To Rad
ical Changes In Highway
No. 87
With a view to straightening
and widening highway 87, State
Highway Engineers are surveying
from a point near the Bolivia
short-cut road on to the connec
tion with highway No. 130 at
the Sawdust Trail. The survey
thus far has been along the pres
ent route of 87.
However, it is understood they
will make another survey from
Continued On Page Two
Crown Royalty
Monday Kite To
Climax Carnival
Three Set?. Of Kings And
Queens Selected By Vot
ing Contest That Preced
ed Annua! Halloween
Event
COSTUME CONTEST
WAS BEST FEATURE
Fo'lawing Event In High
School Auditorium, The
Crowd Adjourned To
Gymnasium Building
The annual P. T. A. Hallowe’en
Carnival was held Monday night
with Penny Moore being crowned
high school queen and Terry
Haughton high school king; Linda
Garner grammar grade queen,
with Skeeter Trott as king; and
Dolores Hadley, primary grade
queen, with Tommy Gilbert king.
These winners were crowned by
E. C. Blake in a ceremony in the
gymnasium, and came as the
clinVax of the carnival.
Earlier, a costume contest was
held in the high school auditorium
with entrants competing for
prizes in three classifications.
In the pre-school group prizes
for the prettiest costume went
to Jean Burdette and Lynn Har
dee. For the most original cos
tume in this group the winners
‘were Landis.- Brown and Frances
Jorgensen. -Winners in the most
comical, competition were Johnnie
Brown and Tina Peters.
In the primary group the prizes
for prettiest costumes went to
Mary Pat Burdette and Sandy
Oliver. Prizes for most original
costumes went to Davie Herring
and Linda Pigott. Winners for
the most comical costume were
(Continued on Page Four;
Chief Resigns,
Takes New Job
Chief Of Police Jack Hick
man Accepts Position In
Fire Department At Sun
ny Point Army Terminal
I Jack Hickman has resigned as
| chief of police for the City of
I Southport to accept appointment
| as a member of the Fire Depart
j ment at Sunny Point Army Ter
; minal.
Ten days ago Hickman had ask
ed for a leave of absence from
his city job to try the work at
Sunny Point. Monday he tendered
his resignation, having made the
decision to stick in the govern
ment job.
Hickman, a Navy veteran of
World War II, became chief of
poiice in May, 1949, and has serv
ed continuously since that time.
He has gained a reputation for
being courteous and helpful. He
was not the hard-boiled type of
cop, but frequently went out of
his way to keep people from get
ting into serious trouble.
Hickman said Tuesday that he
has enjoyed his work as chief of
police. “My association with the
city officials always has been
pleasant”, he declared, “and I
leave city employment with a
hope for the continued success
ful operation of our city govern
ment."
W. B. lUr/J AH
I
Our
ROVING
Reporter
This past week end must ha\e
brought proud days to Mrs. Anne
Mo A leer of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs.
McAleer was here and saw her
son, Col. William A. Mi Aleer,
formally take command of one
of the major Army Terminals on
the Atlantic Coast. Men who go
into the service can also find
gratification and a source of in
spiration to accomplish things by
knowing of the career of Mrs.
McAieer’s son. A bare 14 years
ago the Selective Service called
him and from then until now he.
has risen steadily, filling post
after post until he now fills the
most important post of his. long
series of commands.
When the ■ Army En flneers
flag came down at Sunni Point
Saturday we felt a pang, rich as
one would feel when parting
from a dear relative oi friend.
We feel that every one fj the
Army Engineers has bee-"-, our
friends while Sunny Pe.nt was
being constructed, and they still
are. We regretted seeing their
flag' coming down, signifying the
end of this job, but we feel sure
it will rise again on another.
Before the Engineers’ flag had
, dopped into the waiting hands
'another flag, that of the United
! States Army Transportation
| Corps, was rising in its place to
! carry on. Seated just behind
Colonel William A. McAleer,
Commanding Officer at Sunny
Point Army Terminal, we had
to lean over and tel! him that
{ we hated to see the Army En
■ gineers Flag coming down, but
vvas proud to see his Army
Transportation Flag rising.
We still don't understand how
it was that we found ourself oil
a platform Saturday with 11
Generals, an Admiral or two and
some dozen Colonels. All this
without discounting a wonderous
collection. of other top brass. We
(Continued on page four!
Impressive Dedication Of New
Sunny Point Army Terminal Is
Held On Dock No. 2 Saturday
Early Newspaper
Report Of Town
Newspaper Reference In 1834 Calls “Smithville A Village
Un The Cape Fear”; Praises Fort Johnston
A newspaper reference to Fort
Johnson published in 1834 may be
of interest to Pilot readers.
“Steam Navigation in Virginia
and Northeastern North Carolina
Waters, 1826-1836” is a fascinat
ing compilation of topics relating
to the subject, taken from the
newspapers of that era, and ar
ranged for publication by John
C. Emmerson, Jr., Portsmouth,
Va. On page 267, taken from The
Portsmouth-Norfolk Beacon, for
June 18, 1834, under the caption,
“Smithville and the Steam Packet
Virginia”, the following is shown:
"Those who have taken any in
terest in the valuable enterprise
which has given us a safe and
expeditious steam conveyance be
tween this place and Charleston,
S. C. (one in all respects adapted
to the comfort and genteel ac
commodations of travellers) must
have remarked, that on her re
turn passage here, the Virginia
has several times touched at
Smithville, North Carolina, to re
fresh her passengers in boisterous
weather, and recruit her stock of
wood. As many may be curious
to learn something of this touch
ing place of our fine steam pac
ket, as well as to learn from an
impartial source, what reliance
may be placed by those who could
use this conveyance, on the means
provided for their safety and
gratification, we make the follow
ing extract from a letter which
we find in the Augusta, Ga.,
Chronicle of the 11th inst. It is
dated at Norfolk, 1st June, and
is evidently written by a passen
ger who arrived here in the Vir
ginia, the trip before the last . . .
"Smithville on Cape Fear River,
is a mere village, and made up
mostly of small neat cottage built
wooden dwellings, the summer
residence of the people of Wil
mington, who resort there during
the summer. It now wears a de
serted aspect—the houses being
nearly all shut up, etc. There are,
however, several very large and
elegantly built houses; but the
most remarkable spot in the place,
is Fort Johnson, immediately in
the small bluff over the river.
This is a small military station,
very beautifully and tastefully
improved, and commanded by
Major Churchill, a polite, urbane,
and gentlemanly officer, who is
very busily engaged in improving
the place; and its appearance cer
tainly does credit to his taste ”
Sailfish Showing
Lp Late Off Shore
Youngsters Have
Good Conduct
—___
Although the young folks
were out in full force to ob
serve Hallowe'en, Monday
night, things were remark
able for the fine conduct
throughout the evening. There
was no soaping of windows,
cars nor sidewalks. Very lit
tle impromptu moving was
done and nobody had his or
her feelings or property in
jured.
Policeman E. F. Gore stated
yesterday that his depart
ment wished to thank the
young people for their fine
conduct throughout the obser
vance. The same feeling is
shared by all departments of
the city administration and
the citizens of the town.
Presented Bible
To SPAT Chief
General Ivan Bennett, For
mer Chief Of Chaplains,
U. S. Army, Made Presen
tation For American Bible
Society
General Ivan L,. Bennett, form
er Chief of Chaplains for the
U. S. Army, now retired, came
down from Washington during the
past weekend to participate in
tlie dedication ceremony of Sunny
Point Army Terminals.
General Bennett is now serving
as secretary of the American
Bible Society, and one of his
missions while here was to pre
sent a Bible to Col. Wm. A. Mc
Aleer, commanding officer of
SPAT.
While on his way to Southport
Friday to attend the dedication
services at Sunny Point General
Bennett stopped off at Ports
mouth to present a Bible to the
new and powerful aircraft car
rier B'orrestal
Genera! Bennett since his re
tirement from the service has
been secretary to the American
Bible Society at the Washington
office. This society has given out
more than forty million Bibles to
various brandies of the armed
services since its organization.
General Bennett served the
Army as a Chaplain for 34 years
before he retired and took up the
Continued On Page Four?
Two Southport Boats Repor
ted Catch Of These f ish
Friday; One Boat Had
Four On At One 'lime
BAD WEATHER ON
WEEK-END HURT
Fishing Story Is Same; Most
Parties Have Good Buck
When W'eather Per
mits Trip Outside
Three sailfish during the past
week, two on Friday and another
yesterday, give plenty of evidence
that there is still some good
fishing to be done even this late
in the fall off Southport.
Clarence Alexander, fishing with
a party from Landis Friday,
aboard the John-Ellen with Capt.
Walter Lewis caught a 4-ft, 10
inch sail. Other fish included 8
dolphin, 10 bonito, 2 amberjack
and 3 king mackerel.
That same afternoon David
Holcum, fishing with Capt. Hoyle
Doslier aboard the Idle-On III
brought in a 4-ft., 2-in. specimen.
Yesterday a member of the J.
E. Barger party from Hickory
caught a 4-ft., 10-in sail while out
with Capt. Dosher. The party
also had 14 king mackerel, 14
bonito and 5 amberjack.
Horace McGee and party of
Shelby were out yesterday with
Capt. Hulan Watts aboard the
Idle-On IV. They had 14 king
mackerel, 16 bonito, 1 barracuda
and 1 amberjack.
One of the most unusual catch
es of the week was made Friday
by a party aboard the Botfly.
They got a late start, but caught
215 nice bluefish troling on the
shoals. This was the best catch
made there in recent weeks.
General Glore
And Family Here
Remaining For Several Days
Visit Following Dedicat
ion Ceremony At Sunny
Point Army Terminals
General and Mrs. James Glore
and their little daughter, Clare
Margaret, will leave Friday to re
turn to their home in New York,
where the General is commandant
of tire Atlantic Transportation
Terminal Command, formerly the
New York Port of Embarkation
General Glare's command op
erates all the way down to Nor
folk. Sur.r.y point Army Terminal
Continued On Page Two -
Exchange Of Flags Between
Col. K. L. Hill f or Engin
eers And Col. Wm. A. IVlc
Aleer For Transportation
Corps Is Climax
GENERAL GLORE IS
MASTER CEREMONIES
Distinguished List Of Guests
includes Assistant Secre
tary Of The Army Frank
Higgins And Cong
ressman F. Ertel
Carlyle
The Sunny Point Army Ter
Jminal passed from its building
phase to an operational status
Saturday afternoon, and to sym
bolize the transition Col. R. L.
Hill lowered the flag of the U. S.
Army Engineers as Col. Win.
McAleer raised the flag of tie
U. S. Army Transportation
Corps.
This action came as a climax.
to a colorful ceremony that took
place out over the Cape Fear
river on Wharf No. 2. The pio
gram which had preceeded it in
cluded an address by Congress
man F. Ertel Carlyle, participa
tion by Frank H. Higgins, As
sistant Secretary of the Army,
and of high ranking Army of
ficers in addition to other civiiit n
officials.
The program opened with the
playing of the National Anthem
by the 440th Army Band from
Fort Bragg. The invocation was
by General Ivan L. Bennett, form
er chief of chaplains for the U. S.
Army, a native of Brunswick
county.
Greetings were extended by
Mayor Roy Robinson on behalf
of the citizens of Southport. He
was followed by Mayor Dan
Cameron of Wilmington, who per
formed a similar function for the
citizens of that city.
Governor Luther H. Hodges had
planned to attend the derivation,
but these plans entailed a trip
here by helicopter. When threat
ening weather prevailed early in
the day, his plans were cancelled
and arrangements were made for
Ed Rankin, his secretary, to ap
pear’ and to bring greetings from
the state's chief executive.
General James Giore, who ser
ved as master of ceremonies dur
ing the ceremony, then introduced
a number of distinguished guests
from all blanches of the military
service and civilian life. Among
them were L. S. Thompson, pres
ident of the North Carolina Press
Association, publisher of The
News Reporter.
Another civilian for whom spe
cial mention was reserved was
W. B. Keziah, who was intro
duced by General Giore as “Mr.
Sunny Point.” Later the audience
heal’d the Deputy Chief of U. S.
Army Engineers publicly acknow
ledge the assistance given by this
Southport man in giving valuable
publicity to the terminal project.
Greetings from Secretary of the
Army Wilbur Brucker were
brought by Assistant Secretary
of the Army.
Next on the program came
Congressman Carlyle, who praised
the Sunny Point Army terminal
as a strong link in maintaining
our ability to “remain ready,
willing and able to offer a strong
national defense. This installation
continued On Page Two
Fide Fable
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 lam Tide
Thursday, November 3,
10:10 A. M. 3:44 A. M.
10:37 P. M. 4:30 P. M.
Friday, November 4,
11:07 A. M. 4:38 A. M.
11:37 P. M. 5:26 P. M.
Saturday, November 5,
1:00 A. M. 5:37 A. M.
12:07 P. M. 6:26 P. M.
Sunday, November 6,
0:00 A M. 6:40 A M.
12:06 P. M. 7:27 P. M
Monday, November 7,
1:46 A. M. 7:47 A.'M.
2:00 P M. 8:28 P. M.
Tuesday. November 8,
2:48 A. M. 8:53 A. M.
3:09 P. M. 9:26 P. M
Wednesday, November 9,
3:48 A. M. 9:34 A. M
4:05. P, M, 10:18 P. M.