Most Of The News
All The Time
Volume No. 17 No. 12
TU
1 II
STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
6-Pages Today
SOUTHPORT, N. C.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1956
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
$1.50 PER YEAR
Colonel McAleer
Leaving For New
York Thursday
First Commanding Officer
Of Sunny Point Army Ter
minal Will Assume Duties
With Atlantic Terminal
Command
LETTER TO MAYOR
EXPRESSES REGRET
Exchange Of Letters Tell Of
Pleasant Relations That
Have Existed Between
City And SPAT
Col. and Mrs. William McAleer
will leave Southport Thursday for
New York where Col. McAleer
has been assigned to the Atlantic
Terminal Command of the Army
Transportation Corps. He has
been in command of SPAT at
Southport for more than a year
and in his assignment to the
new post he will still have an of
ficial interest in the local installa
tion and a strong personal inter
est in Southport and the people
in this county.
The couple have both made
many friends in and around
Southport.
Prior to his departure, Col. Mc
Aleer wrote the following letter
to Mayor Roy Robinson express
ing his feelings regarding his tour
of duty at Sunny Point.
“29 September 1956
“Mayor Roy Robinson
“Mayor of the City of Southport
“Southport, North Carolina
“Dear Mayor Robinson:
“I know that I should start
this letter by saying Dear Roy
but this is a formal letter. It is a
letter to you and all the good
citizens of Southport.
“As you yourself very well
know, transfers are inevitable
when people are in the service.
You have served your country
for the time required and have
earned your retirement. I am still
working at it.
“I am leaving Southport, not
from choice, but as a result of
the inevitable transfer system. Be
fore I go, I. want you, your won
derful wife, and an my friends
in Southport to know how much
I appreciate everything you have
done for me and all the people
at Sunny Point.
“Of all the assignments I have
had since I donned a uniform, this
one is the best and naturally I
hate to leave. Please express my
appreciation to the people of
Southport for everything they
have done for us.
"Sincerely,
“W. A. McALEER
“Colonel, TC
“Commanding”
Mayor Robinson responded to
this letter from Col. McAleer with
a message of appreciation and
friendship. It follows:
“Dear Colonel McAleer:
“It is with sincere regret that
I find myself in the position of
Continued On Page Two
I Brief Bits Of
lnewsj
BENEFIT SUPPER
A turkey supper will be served
at the Southport high school
lunch room Thursday evening un
der the sponsorship of the sopho
more class.
IN AIRBORNE I
Charles Harrison, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Judson Harrison of
Southport, has enlisted in the U.
S. Army and has volunteered for
service with the Airborne Troops.
DONATE CLASSROOM USE
With an urgent need existing
for an additional classroom at the
Southport school, tlie Brunswick
Post American Legion No. 199.
has donated the use of their hut
until other arrangements can be
made.
CAKE SALE
The Southport Junior Garden
Club will hold a cake and candy
sale Saturday morning at 10
o’clock at the Southport Florist
Shop. This year’s project is the
beautification of the gym grounds
and this sale is to raise money
to buy shrubs.
LOSE HOME
Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Best of the
Hickman’s Crossroads community
had the misfortune to lose their
home and its entire contents by
fire this past week. Even their
clothing was destroyed. Mr. Best
is 62 years old and Mrs. Best is
59. All that is left to them is a
very small farm and an even
smaller tobacco allotment. Neigh
bors are doing all they can to
come to their aid and donations,
including clothing, furniture or
money have been made.
New Chief Of Police
OFFICER—Southport’s new Chief of Police is 81
year-old Louis Clark, a veteran of four years service with
the Boston Police Department. He is a veteran of World
War II, during which he served in the U. S. Navy. He
assumed his duties here on September 1.
Both Parties In
Friday Meeting
i
Democrats Planning Fish
Fry At Bert Frink Place
Near Gause Landing
REPUBLICANS TO
STAGE BARBECUE
These Two Events Expect
ed To Launch Active Cam
paign In Brunswick
County
Both the Democrats and the
Republicans are holding rallies
Friday featuring food as well as
politics.
The Democrats will hold a fish
fry at the Bert Frink place near
Gause Landing, and Alton A. Len
non, congressional nominee, is to
be the principal speaker. All local
Democratic candidates will also
be present, and a general invita
tion has been extended to all in
terested voters to be present at
this meeting.
The Republicans will meet at
Shallotte in the Ford Building
and barbecue will be served. In
vitations have gone out to several
of the candidates for leading state
offices, and some of these men are
expected. Republican candidates for
local office also will attend, and
Chairman H. L. Willetts has is
sued an invitation for all who
will to be present.
There is every indication that
these two meetings will launch
the active political campaign in
Brunswick, which up until this
time has been strangely quiet.
Big Catch Of
Menhaden Made
Boats Brought In Big Loads
Of These Fish Monday
And Tuesday With Out
look Good For This Week
Menhaden boats coming in load
ed Monday and Tuesday awaken
ed general interest on the part
of Southport people and their op
erations set the fishermen and
factory employees on their toes.
The fish are hairybacks, a species
of menhaden related to the her
ring family and the present catch
es are producing 10-gallons of oil
per thousand fish.
That means that a boat catch
of half a million fish has an oil
production of 5,000 gallons. The
value of the oil per gallon has
not been stated. It is a product
that runs high in price during
the off fishing season and low
during high production periods.
To the factories it is about all
velvet as the ground up fish meal
is worth more than enough to pay
operating ex; jnses.
J. T. Barnes, superintendent for
the Brunswick Navigation Cor
poration, stated yesterday that on
Monday the fish were found just
northeast of Bald Head Island.
Tuesday they were further up to
wards Carolina Beach. The opinion
is that they are just milling
around there and that the next
Continued On Page Two
Install New Boxes
At Post Office
Postmaster J. B. Russ an
nounced Monday that he had
secured and placed 45 new
lock boxes in the Southport
office for the convenience of
patrons. This brings the total
number of boxes and drawers
to 596. All are in active use.
The office is being serious
ly inconvenienced by the ad
dition of the new boxes. The
only available spot in which
to place them was where the
door leading to the lobby
formerly stood. This makes it
necessary for all employees of
the office to go around out
side to the loading platform
and back door in order to
obtain access to the lobby.
Farm Election
On October 23
Owners, Operators, Share
Croppers Or Tenants Are
Eligible To Participate In
Election
Any farmer who as owner,
joint owner, operator, tenant, or
sharecropper, is participating or
is eligible to participate in any
program administered by the
County ASC Committee is eligible
to vote in the farm election on
October 23.
Announcements will be made of
the Community Committeemen
elected ad soon as the ballots are
counted on the afternoon of Oc
tober 23. Delegates elected by the
farmers will meet on October 25
to elect county committeemen.
ASC county and community com
mitteemen elected will take of
fice November 1.
The committeemen administer
the Agricultural Conservation
Program. This program provides
direct assistance to farmers to
help them carry out soil and
water conservation practices on
their own farms. It helps farm
ers to obtain seed and lime and
phosphate for building up good
pasture, for cover crops and green
manure. Federal cost sharing is
provided for the construction of
terranees and dams and for farm
ing on the contour. These are just
examples. There are a lot of other
conservation practices.
The committee members help
farmers use price support pro
grams to protect their market.
They also will administer acreage
allotment and marketing quota
programs on tobacco, peanuts,
wheat, cotton, and acreage allot
ments on coin in certain coun
ties, also the Soil Bank Program.
This is a chance to help select
the best committeemen that can
be found. There are some import
ant decisions to be made in 1957
; and many of them will affect
1 .(Continued On Page Four)
New Commanding
Officer Assumes
Duties At SPAT
Col. Frank T. Edson Be
comes Second Man To
Serve As Commanding Of
ficer Of Sunny Point
Army Terminal
HAS DISTINGUISHED
MILITARY RECORD
Comes Here From Brooklyn
Army Terminal Where He
Served As Director Of
Operations
Col. Frank T. Edson assumed
his duties as commanding officer
of the Sunny Point Army Ter
minal at Southport Monday, be
coming the second man to hold
that command.
Colonel Edson entered the
Army in April, 1942, at Mobile,
Alabama, where he was commis
sioned a second lieutenant in Ord
nance. During World War II he
served overseas for 25 months,
participating in five European
campaigns. Later he served as
commanding officer of the Manilla
Ordnance Depot. During the Ko
rean conflict he served for 16
months in command of the 351st
Highway Group, with the Chun
chon Area Command, and with
Headquarters, 8th Army.
He attended the University of
Akron, Ohio, and Texas A & M
College, and is a graduate of the
Ordnance School at Aberdeen,
Md., and the Transportation
School at Fort Eustis, Va.
Colonel Edson has been award
ed the Legion of Merit, Bronze
Star Medal, European Theatre
ribbon with five campaign stars,
Pacific Theatre, American Thea
tre, WWII Victory Medal, Ger
man Occupation Medal, National
Defense Medal, Korean Medal
with two campaign stars, Chung
Mu Distinguished Military Service
Medal with Gold Star, United Na
tions Medal, and the Korean Pres
idential Unit Citation.
Colonel Edson is married to
the former Miss Frances Viola
Fowler of Jonesville, S. C. He is
a native of Oklahoma City, Okla.,
but their permanent home is in
Jonesville. They have two chil
dren, Frank F. Edson, 13, and
Delinne Edson, 8.
Coolnel Edson’s last assignment
was Director of the Operations
at the Brooklyn Army Terminal,
where he has been stationed since
April, 1955.
Officials Like •
Water Prospects
Clerk \Of Court And Sheriff
Get Conducted Tour Of
Source Of Great Flow Of
Fresh Water
Sheriff Elbert H. Gray and
Clerk of Court J. E. Brown ex
pressed a wish this past week to
see the Bouncing Log Spring.
They had been hearing about the
good water there with assurance
of more all about underneath
Brunswick county.
They were promptly taken
around to the spring, where they
expected to see nothing but a
hole in the ground, with water
coming out. That was precisely
what they did see, but they were
not expecting to be able to look
down in the clear water for four
or five feet and see a caldron of
boiling sand coming out of the
Continued On Page Two
W. B. KKZiAH
Our
ROVING
Reporter
This month will bring the first
anniversary of the operation of
Sunny Point Army Terminal. To
us it will bring a lot of personal
satisfaction that the record for
safety, established in the building
of the installation, has held out
through the first year of opera
tions. Colonel Roland C. Brown,
under whom construction started,
and Colonel Roland Hill, under
whom it was finished, both stress
ed safety in every phase of
building. Col. W. A. McAleer, who
was commanding officer during
the first year of operations, in
sisted upon the same thing. Start
ing construction in 1951, there
has never been a fatal accident
during either construction days
or operations. Minor accidents,
none of them resulting in crip
Phng, have been very rare.
Shrimp boat owners and opera
tors at Southport are getting
really discouraged at the low pro
duction, or lack of production
that has attended their efforts
this year. Some other folks are at
a loss to understand it. All
through the season the boats have
brought in barely enough shrimp
to pay expenses. This often hap
pens for periods during a season,
but is made up for by good runs
at times. This year there have
been no good runs. Week after
week the production has been
low. Some of the boatmen still
think a good run of shrimp will
come soon. Others think that it
will be useless to wait for them
Continued On Page Bour
Health Department
Continues Service
Dr. C. B. Davis, Brunswick
county health officer, stated this
week that regulations governing
general sanitation in Brunswick
still are in effect, even though
this department is at present
without the services of a sanitar
ian.
Dr. Davis declared that the de
partment is able to meet any
emergency problem which may
arise.
He said that plumbing permits !
may be obtained at either the
office in Southport or Shallotte.
He further declared that valuable
literature is available from both
offices.
Prominent Man
Dies Suddenly
Of Heart Attack
Guy C. McKeithan, Shal
lotte Citizen, Died Of
Heart Attack Wednesday;
Funeral Services Friday
By ETHEL, RYAN
The Youth of Brunswick Coun
ty suffered a severe loss last
week.
Guy Carlton McKeithan, their
mentor, friend, athletic coach,
who had gloried in their triumphs,
sorrowed in their troubles, who
had given of his time and of
himself to encouraging youngsters
to develop sound, strong bodies,
and to live by sound, strong rules
of fair play and sportsmanship
—Guy Carlton McKeithan died
Wednesday night of last week of
a sudden, unexpected heart at
tack, at the age of 50 years.
The death fell as a sudden blow
upon Shallotte. Guy McKeithan
was as well known as any man
in Brunswick County. Few who
knew him failed to feel the influ
ence of his deep concern for the
welfare of his fellow mn, parti
cularly for the boys and girls to
whom he looked for future leader
ship. No one—neither his family
nor his friend and doctor—sus
pected that a burdened heart was
about to fail. Wednesday night,
Tie felt badly enough to stop at
Dr, Rourk’s on his way home.
Dr. Rourk was justifiably alarm
ed, and immediately put him to
bed, sending word to his wife that
his condition was critical.
It was fitting that the end
came too quickly for a fighting
spirit to know that the finish
whistle was about to blow, and
that it came in the home by the
side of a man with whom he had
worked so long and so closely
to have Shallotte known by the
caliber of its youngsters. His wife,
Katie May MacKenzie McKeithan,
was there in minutes. In minutes
more, a vital life had become a
memory.
The memory of Guy McKeithan
will live long among all who, as
youngsters, had come to know him
as few older persons could. In
his own youth, he had been a
ball player and an athlete. He
looked upon healthful play, com
petition, sportsmanship as foun
dations of “the good life” and of
a wholesome community—and he
believed in starting them young.
From the time his own two sons,
now in college, were infants, Guy
McKeithan was active in every
move for the welfare of Shallotte’s
young. It wasn’t often that a
team played, at home or away,
without knowing that he was on
the sidelines. It was Guy Mc
Keithan who organized the little
kids into junior and midget teams.
It was he who worked, prodded
and heckled the community into
Continued On Page Two
Brunswick Native
Gets Watermelon
Captain Reuben Drew Got Hungry For A Walden Creek
Watermelon And Six Arrived In Brooklyn
Capt. Reuben Drew, who was
reared near Southport but now
resides in Brooklyn, N. Y., has
been reading about the bumper
crop of Walden Creek water
melons this year. This is his true
story of his recent efforts to get
one of them delivered to him:
“I have a story from your back
yard about your fine Brunswick
county watermelons. A few weeks
ago I wrote Mr. Robert McRack
en to ask if it was possible to
ship me a watermelon. His reply
was the express company would
not guarantee safe delivery. A
cousin of mine and her husband
from Washington, D. C., were on
a five-weeks trip out to the west
coast and back along the Rio
Grande, Gulf Coa3t through Flor
ida and back along the Atlantic.
Coming into Wilmington they saw
a truck loaded with watermelons.
They stopped the truck and told
the driver they wanted to buy
one to take back to Washington.
The driver said, ‘Wish you were
going to New York’. My cousion
said, ‘Who do you know in New
York’ ? He said, 'Capt. Reuben
Drew’. My cousin’s reply was,
'He is on our family’.
“So he sent me 2 watermelons,
and it so happened another cousin
of mine was driving up here to
see us over the week end, and
to my surprise they brought the
2 watermelons.
“That is not all. On the fol
lowing Monday I received a call
on the phone from a gentleman
who sa.d he was from McRacken
farm and had four watermelons
for me. After some conversation
about the good people and the
farm, I thanked them all.
“Mr. McRacken, I understand,
sent 1900 melons up here to mar
ket. He need never fear to grow
too many. There Is always a mar
ket here at good prices.
“Th.e sentiment of this water
melon story means a great deal
to me as I wanted my family
to know just what a good Bruns
wick county melon would taste
like.”
Plenty Of Fish
Awaiting Parties
Second Victim
Of Polio Found
Kddie L. Helms, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Benjamin C. Helms
of Grissettown, has been
stricken with polio and is
now a patient at the Convales
cent Home in Greensboro.
The child is 2 years of age
and had not received the Salk
vaccine.
This is the second case of
polio reported in Brunswick
county this year.
Schedule For
Shallotte Clinic
Clerk On Duty Each Day
In Shallotte Office Of
Brunswick County Health
Department To Render
Service
Mrs. Marion Thorsen, health
department clerk, who has re
cently been employed by the
Brunswick County Health Depart
ment, will be in the Shallotte
health office from 8:30 a. m. to
12:30 p, m. each day, Monday
through Friday, to give service
to the people who wish to apply
for plumbing installation permits
and other health department serv
ices.
The regular health department
clinic hours will be unchanged.
The general weekly clinic will
observe the usual hours of 9 to
11 a. m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p. m.
Continued On Page Four*
Shallotte Camp
Host To Women
Mrs. M. R. Sanders, Chair
man Of Brunswick Sub
District Of W.S.C.S., Pre
sided At Session
The Brunswick County Sub
District of the Woman’s Society
of Christian Service met at Camp
Methodist Church in Shallotte on
Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock.
Mrs. M. R. Sanders of Southport,
sub-district leader, presided.
Mrs. Hal Martin, president of
the hostess society, welcomed the
representatives from Andrews
Chapel, Zion Methodist, Trinity
Methodist and Village Point. The
response was given by Mrs. R. H.
McDougall of Zion.
The Rev. C. L. Ledford conduct
ed a short devotional after which
a business session was held. The
group was invited to hold its
spring meeting at Village Point
Methodist Church.
Mrs. Floyd Kirby, Jr., accom
panied by Mrs. David Carmichael,
sang a solo.
The goals for the quadrennium
1956-1960 were presented by the
following district officers: Mrs.
W. C. Davis, Wilmington, presi
dent; Mis. W. W. Sellers, Wil
mington, recording secretary; Mrs.
H. H. Hodgins, Wilmington, sec
Continued On Page Two
Late Season Sailfish Is
Brought In By A Party
Aboard John Ellen Satur
day Afternoon
SHOAL FISHING
UNUSUALLY GOOD
Boats Coming In Yesterday
Reported Shoals Swarm
ing With Bluefish
And Mackerel
A late season sailfish was add
ed to the year’s record total Sat
urday and reports Monday and
Tuesday of a big run of blues
and Spanish mackerel constitute
the big fishing news here this
week.
James Eudy of Charlotte, fish
ing with Capt. Walter Lewis
aboard the John Ellen, brought in
a 7-foot sail on the Saturday
trip. The catch also included 5
king mackerel, 1 dolphin, 1 am
berjack, 6 Spanish mackerel and
1 bonito. On Monday J. C. Tay
lor and party of Charlotte caught
8 king mackerel, 4 barracuda, 1
dolphin and 80 blues and Spanish
mackerel. The Tuesday trip saw
Don Reese and party of Charlotte
bring in 18 king mackerel, 4 bar
racuda, 2 amberjack and 105 blues
and mackerel.
On Monday Baise McKnight
and party of Crescent Beach were
out with Capt. Basil Watts aboard
the Idle-In II. They caught 10
king mackerel, 2 barracuda and
18 bluefish. He had a Wilming
ton party out for an afternoon
trip Tuesday and brought in 36
blues and Spanish mackerel.
The Tuesday trip for the Idle
On III, Capt. H. A. Schmidt, was
with Bob Stride and party of
Fayetteville. They had 6 king
mackerel, 4 barracuda and 40
blues and Spanish mackerel.
Charter boats and commercial
boats reported Tuesday that the
shoals were swarming with big
bluefish and Spanish mackerel,
indicating plenty of sport for fish
ermen going out here this week
end.
Brief Session
Of Court Held
All Cases Scheduled For
Trial In Weekly Session
Of Recorder’s Court Dis
posed Of Before Noon
Monday
A brief session of Brunswick
county Recorder’s court was con
cluded before noon here Monday,
with the following judgments be
ing handed down:
William (Bubba) King, public
drunkness, causing disturbance,
judgment withheld until October
29th.
Lynwood Yeoman Pope, speed
ing, fined $10 and costs.
Jessie McKelden Carraway,
speeding, fined $10 and costs.
Hubert C. Matthews, speeding,
fined $10 and costs.
Herman Inman, improper equip
ment, fined $10 and costs.
Raymond Earl Spence, speeding,
fined $10 and costs.
Sam West, assault of female,
(Continued on Page Four)
Engineer Sees
Good Prospect
In Big Springs
Col. H. C. Rowland, District
U. S. Army Engineer, Pay*
Visit To Bouncing Log
Spring In Brunswick
SEES PROSPECT FOR
GREAT INDUSTRY
Agrees With Governor Hod
ges In Statement That This
Is One Of Brunswick’s
Greatest Assets. ..
BY W. B. KEZIAH
Here the past week with P. M.
Snell, dredging expert of the
Wilmington District Army En
gineers, Col. H. C. Rowland,
new chief of the Wilmington Dis
trict, Army Engineers, became
very much interested in the re
ports of the vast amound of
fresh water available in this
county, as a result of the great
strata of limestone that under
lies this area.
Surface indications of the
water are the great numbers of
sink holes, some of them good
sized lakes of freshwater, scat
tered through Brunswick. On
Allen Creek there are still more
striking indications in the shape
of 7 gushing springs of clear,
pure water. One of these springs
that is easy of access has a flow
of 590 gallons of water per
minute over its brim.
Colonel Rowland asked to be
shown this spring, and about 30
minutes later he and Snell were
viewing it and drinking some of
the water.
“That is a hell of a lot of
good water going to waste,”
said Snell, as he viewed the
sizable branch flowing away
from the spring.
Colonel Rowland was not so
emphatic, but he was unmis
takably interested in the water.
Told that State and Federal
geologists had asserted that an
unfailing supply of about 70
million gallons of water could be
obtained in the immediate area
each day, he said: "That is half
the low water flow in the Cape
Fear river at Fayetteville each
day. You have something that
can one day be a vital asset to
this region.”
Told that Governor Luther
Hodges had recently remarked
that the fresh water supply, still
being put to no use in Bruns
wick, was the county’s biggest
asset, he commented: “Governor
Continued On Page Two
Whiteville Hopes
For 40 Million
Tobacco Continues To Come
In At Rate Suggesting
That This Goal May Be
Reached This Week
Sale of 2,162,812 pounds of to
bacco on the Whiteville market
last week inched the year’s total
to 37.6 millions pounds of the
hoped for 40 millions pounds total.
Sales last week were hurt by
heavy rains, but with the coming
of fairer skies this week, things
are expected to improve.
The season now shows an av
erage of $54.97, or 27 cents bet
ter than the average for the same
period last year. Sales are also
some 4.1 millions pounds ahead
of the market during last year’s
bumper crop.
The stabilization corporation
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 Tfdr
Thursday, October 4
7:49 A. M. 1:28 A. M.
8:05 P. M. 1:58 P. M.
Friday, October 5
8:35 A. M. 2:12 A. M.
8:50 P. M. 2:46 P. M.
Saturday, October 6
9:22 A. M. 2:55 A. M.
9:34 P M. 3:31 P. M.
Sunday, October 7
10:07 A. M. 3:38 A. M.
10:18 P. M. 4:16 P. M.
Monday, October 8
10:53 A. M. 4:22 A. M.
11:05 P. M, 5:02 P. M.
Tuesday, October 9
11:40 A. M. 5:07 A. M.
11:52 P. M. 5:51 P. M.
Wednesday, October 10
0:00 A. M. 5:54 A. M.
12:30 P. M. 6:42 P. M.