Most Of The News
All The Time
Volume No. 17
THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
No. 32 6-Pages Today SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1957 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
$1.50 PER YEAR
Bouncing Log Spring
VISITORS—A1 Johnson, Wilmington District manager for Carolina Power and
Light Company, W. B. Keziah and Jack Riley, public relations representative for the
power company, are shown on a recent visit to Bouncing Log Spring near Southport.
Power company officials have expressed considerable interest in the possibilities for
industrial development based upon this great source of fresh water.
Board Seeking
Information On
Tax Revaluation
Commissioners Considering
Proposals For Equalizing
Tax Valuations On Prop
erty In Brunswick
Members of the board of coun
ty commissioners are confronted
witli the problem of revaluation,
and following a discussion at their
regular session here Monday they
have agreed to reach some def
inite decision at their next ses
sion.
At the direction of the commis
sioners, Mrs. Ressie R. Whatley,
county tax supervisor, has col
lected some information from oth
er counties who recently have
gone through the revaluation
process. Most of them favor hav
ing the job done by trained out
siders, and although this method
is considered to be expensive, it
has been discovered that results
have justified the expense.
The counties contacted have all
been able to reduce their tax rate
following a revaluation, for this
has resulted in adding many un
listed values to the tax book. All
Continued On Page Four
i
Brief Bits Of
lnewsj
FRIDAY HOLIDAY
County offices will be closed
on Friday in observance of George
Washington’s Birthday.
RETURNS FROM SCHOOL
Colonel Frank T. Edson, com
manding officer at SPAT, returns
to his duties tomorrow (Thursday)
after taking a three weeks course
at an Army school in the east.
Col William F. Murphy has been
acting-commanding officer during
his absence.
RELIGIOUS census
Volunteers from the various
churches in Southport will par
ticipate Sunday in a religious cen
sus. Workers are asked to meet
at 2 o’clock; at Trinity Methodist
Church for their instructions. It
is urged that residents of this
community make an effort to
have some responsible represent
ative at home Sunday afternoon
between the hours of 2 and 5
o clock.
Civil Court To
Convene Monday
■*
More Vessels
Slated For SPAT
A report yesterday from
Col. William F. Murphy, ex
ecutive officer at Sunny Point,
indicates that two vessels are
to arrive tomorrow, (Thurs
day) for loading. These are
the John Sargent, a vessel in
which there is considerable
local interest, owing to pre
vious calls here. The other is
the AKL 20. It has not been
stated which vessel will arrive
first, but both are due tomor
row.
For the month of March, 3
vessels are already scheduled.
The Haiti Victory on March
4, an unnamed vessel on
March 12 and a Nodex vessel
on March 25.
Shallotte Man
Faces Charges
W. T. Russ Charged With
Driving 100 - Miles Per
Hour And With Attempt
To Run Down Arresting
Patrolman
W. T. Russ, prominent Shallotte
business man, has been arrested
for careless and reckless driving,
speeding at 100-miles per hour
and with assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill State
Highway Patrolman VV. H. Mor
gan, Jr., who was the arresting
officer.
The case is scheduled for trial
in Brunswick county Recorder's
court on March 4.
According to Patrolman Mor
gan, on the night of February 8
while on duty on U. S. 17 he
picked up the chase on a speed
ing car headed South near Thom
asboro. He says that he was able
to pass the vehicle before it r each
ed the South Carolina line. He
states that he blocked the high
way with his patrol car as best
lie could, then started walking
back to the stopped Vehicle. As
he drew near the car, he said
Continued On Page Four
Cases Scheduled For Trial
Through Thursday Of
Next Week, With Judge
George M. Fountain Pre
siding
JURY LIST FOR
TERM IS GIVEN
No Cases Of Unusual Inter
est Expected To Come Up
For Trial During
Session
A one week term of Brunswick
county Superior court for trial of
civil cases convene here Monday
with Judge George M. Fountain
presiding. Cases are scheduled
through Thursday.
As usual, Monday’s business will
include a number of divorce
cases. Six such actions are on tire
docket. Seven civil actions are
also set for trial on Monday. Five
civil cases are on the docket for
Tuesday; eight for Wednesday and
seven on Thursday.
As the term is entirely civil,
the year-round grand jury will
not be called upon to be in ses
sion during the week.
The following men were drawn
for jury duty: Willie Boyd Robin
son, L. C. Rourk, Curtis Hewett,
Wilber D. Holden, E. H. Kitchen,
J. W. Garner, George Bland, Sha.1
Continued On Page Hour
Crop Insurance
To Be Explained
Mass Meeting Scheduled
For Shallottc High School
Auditorium Fiday Night
Of This Week
The Federal Crop Insurance
Program will be explained at 7:30
p. m. Friday at Shallotte School
auditorium. This meeting is being
sponsored by the Brunswick Coun
ty Farm Bureau in order to give
tobacco farmers an opportunity
to understand the program.
Last year was the first time
Brunswick county tobacco farmers
could insure their crop under the
Federal Insurance program. A
large number of growers took
advantage of the program, but
it is felt that there are many
(Continued on Page Four)
Enforcement Of
Penalty Tobacco
Varieties Strict
Brunswick County ASC
Committee And 0. S* De
partment Of Agriculture
Will Make Determined
Effort At Enforcement
INSPECTORS WILL
VISIT ALL FIELDS
Manuals Describing Charac
teristics Of Different Va
lities Will Be In Use
Brunswick ASC officials will
visit every field in the county on
which flue-cured tobacco Is grown
in enforcing the 50 percent price
support on 1957 production of
flue-cured varieties Coker 139,
Coker 140, and Dixie Bright 244,
Donnie Evans, Chairman of the
Brunswick ASC County Commit
tee, declared this week. The fol
lowing steps will be taken by the
department and his agency in
enforcing the “Discount Plan”:
(1) The Department of Agricul
ture will prepare and furnish to
local ASC offices a “variety iden
tification manual.” The manual
will describe the characteristics
of the discounted varieties under
various soil, moisture, and cultural
practice conditions.
(2) Every field will be visited
and the variety of tobacco iden
tified in the field with the use
of the identification manual,
(3) At the time the reporter
visits the farm he will secure a
certification from the farm op
erator as to whether any of the
discounted varieties are being pro
duced on the farm.
(4) The Department of Agricul
ture will make available qualified
experts on plant variety identifica
tion to check any farms where
there is a question as to the va
riety being grown.
(5) Unless the farm operator
has established the fact that no
tobacco of the discounted varieties
has been produced on his farm, a
special type of marketing cam
will be issued providing for sup
port at one-half of the regular
rate ’ for the entire farm.
EvaAs cautioned farmers to pro
cure their tobacco seed only from
reliable sources. Only in this man
ner will the farmer be able to
certify that he is not planting
one of the “discounted varieties”.
For infoimation on locally adapted
disease-resistant varieties that are
not undesirable to the trade, far
mers should contact their local
county agent.
Fire Situation
Called Critical
Forest Warden Urges Coop
eration Of Public In Pre
venting Forest Fires Dur
ing Dry, Windy Period
County Forest Fire Warden
Dorman Mercer of Bolivia stated
Monday that he and his fellow
workers were now being constant
ly called, out to fight fires in
every section of the county.
In most cases, he added, we are
able to keep these fires confined
to small area without great dam
age resulting. What worries him
most for the next several weeks
is the possibility of some such fire
(Continued on Page Four!
VICE ADMIRAL. PAUL HEN
DREN, honorary chairman of the
New Hanover County Heart
Council, will be the speaker at
the regular meeting of the South
port Lions Club tomorrow (Thurs
day).
Collections For
Heart Campaign
Planned Sunday
House To House Canvas
Planned In Southport And
In Several Other Com
munities In The County
Kirby Sullivan, chairman of the
Brunswick County Chapter of the
N. C. Heart Association, has com
pleted plans for a house to house
canvas Sunday for contributions
to the 1957 Heart Fund.
More than 20 communities have
been organized for this effort, and
Chairman Sullivan still plans to
perfect his organization on two
jor three communities before Sun
day.
That is the day of a nation
wide effort to raise funds with
which to wage war on America’s
No. 1 killer.
Bill Wood, executive secretary
of the N. C. Heart Association,
was in Southport yesterday, to
gether with Ben McDonald, tc
discuss plans for the Sunday cam
(Contlnued On Pace Four)
Manager Position
Is Still Not Filled
Members Of Board Of Al
dermen Interview Another
Candidate; Ernest E- Par
ker, Jr., City Attorney
Members of the board of alder
men Thursday night decided that
on the basis of information com
piled by acting City Manager G.
C. Kilpatrick, William Formy
duval, assistant city manager at
Chapel Hill, should not be hired
to fill the vacant post of city
manager for Southport.
Dan Jones, city clerk, treasurer
and industrial agent for the city
of Fairmont, appeared before the
board and applied for the vacant
post. He stated that he would be
unable to report for duty until
June, and that he would come
here for a salary of $5,500 per
year.
He is a lawyer, but is interested
in the city manager field. He is
married and has two children, and
his home is in Fairmont.
Ernest E. Parker, who recently
Continued On Page. Four)
W. R. KKOAH
Our
ROVING
Reporter
t
In the JV Basket Ball Tourna
ment last week the Shallotte boys
and girls were here in full force;
Thursday afternoon and night. In
stead of going home for dinner
that night, they ate in restaurants
in Southport. Two full bus loads
go- their supper at Mack's Cafe
and we dropped in there as they
v.ere about to leave. All of the
visitors were what you might call
uncommonly well behaved” for
such a crowd of youngsters. So
much that McGlamery remarked
to us, after they left, that Urey
were Uie best behaved crowd of
young people that he has had
ir. there i.i years. They were in
charge of Coach Paul Weatherly.
Our friends, Dorman Mercer,
Gilbert Reid and Lester Edwards,
of the Brunswick Forestry de
partment, ar e recognizing that Ure
two miles of dirt road from High
way 37 to the Bouncing Log
Spring is rather important, es
pecially so since Governor Hodges
*
J
recently visited the spring. A lot
of other big shots have also gone
for a week at it. The road is
understood to be under the juris
diction of the above fellows for
the purpose of getting fire fight
ing equipment in if there is need
of such. Going up to the spring
this past week, we discovered that
Dorman, et als., had gone and
just worked the road—for which
they have our thanks.
From Mrs. L. L. Leone of 429
■'lain Street, Medford, Mass.,
omes a letter asking if any of
tlie readers of the State Port Pilot
'on help her in locating relatives
of her grandfather, James Wil
liam Mahn, whose parents came
to Brunswick county direct from
Germany. James William Mahn
"as born in Brunswick about
’850. He died about 12 years ago.
Kight now there is just Mrs.
-eone’s father and a sister known
'-a be living. Mrs. Leone was
Continued On Page Five
I
Receives Dipper
To Use At Spring
Steve Wall Provides Home-Grown Drinking Dipper For
Installation At Bouncing Log Spring
Interested in the Bouncing Log
Spring through reading in this
paper of tile numerous prominent
visitors, including Governor Luth
er Hodges, Steve Wall of the
U. S. Army Engineers office, took
occasion this past week to carve
out an eighteen inch gourd and
send it to W. B. Keziah. On the
back or bottom of the groud he
painted an inscription reading,
"Bouncing Log Spring’’.
Accompaning the gourd was the
following letter from Steve:
"Dear Bill”:
“Our man, Ephraim Swain, is
scheduled to deliver to you late
today a genuine Tar Heel drink
ing dipper.
“Since you have been squiring
so many celebrities for visits to
the Bouncing Log Spring, I
thought it would be appropriate to
have a Tar Heel project hanging
close by to take a swig.
“I trust that the fact that since
the article was grown in my
40’ X 50’ garden in the city limits
of Wilmington, that the project
will not in any way reduce the
purity and exhilerating qualities
of the water.
' I will have you know that
the dipper was scrubbed last night
just tifore supper and the aper
ture carved while I was sipping
my last cup of coffee.
“Further, I am certain since
you are acquainted with springs
in the hilly upstate, that you will
cut a limb from a nearby bush
and hang the dipper from the
spike with the neck down the
hole in the latter being to assure
that no water will be left therein
as a meeting pla^e for pests.”
Assailant Shoots
Johnnine Varnum
Playing Pool
Really Pays Off
Wednesday night Deputy
Sheriff H. G. Radcliff walk
ed into the local pool room
and asked if Fred Fulford
were there. He was. The law
enforcement officer asked
how long he had been there.
He was told that the South
port man had been there all
evening.
“That’s good”, said Deputy
Sheriff Ratcliff, “because
somebody just shot Johnnie
Varnum”.
It was well known that bad
blood existed between the two
men and less than one week
earlier they had been engaged
in a fist-fight.
With a room full of wit
nesses who could testify to
his presence, Fulford can well
say that this is one time
playing pool paid off for him.
Development Man
Planning Visit
Carolina Power & Light Re
presentatives Make Favor
able Report Of Great Na
tural Resource In Bruns
wick
In Southport several weeks ago,
visiting and showing much inter
est in the Bounning Log Spring
with its prospects of millions of
gallons of fresh water for indus
trial use, A1 Johnson, District
Manager for the Carolina Power
& Light Company; Jack Riley,
publicity director, and Dick Byrd,
assistant publicity director, are
continuing their interest in the
now rather widely known Boun
cing Log Spring.
In a letter from Byrd this
week he said: “Our Area Develop
ment Direct, Dan Stewart, who
works with industries in finding
sites, is very much interested,
after Jack and I talked with him.
He has expressed the desire to
get down to Southport some day
and see the spring and get an
idea on a site for something in
dustrially.”
Byrd also stated that he noted
in a recent issue of this paper
that Governor Luther Hodges was
(Continued on Page 4)
Prominent Man
To Be Speaker
Dr. Paul B. Freeland Will
Speak Friday To South
port High School Students
In Chapel
Dr. Paul B. Freeland, Secretary
of Overseas Relief and Inter
Church Aid, Board of World Mis
sions, Presbyterian Church, U. S.,
Nashville, Tennessee, will speak in
chapel at Southport high school
Friday moining at 10 o’clock.
A native of Crowley, Louisiana,
Dr. Freeland is a graduate of
Davidson College, and Union Theo
logical Seminary and has done
'post graduate work at New Col
lege, Edinburgh. He served pas
(Continued on Page Four)
* Lockwoods Folly Man Shot
In Head Wednesday Night
While Seated In His Home
Working On Boat Plans
RECOVERING AT
LOCAL HOSPITAL
No Arrests Made In This
Case But Brunswick Coun
ty Officers Have Prime
Prospect For Crime
Johnnie P. Varnum was shot
through the head Wednesday
night as he sat near a window of
his living room at his home near
Varnum’s Landing and Holder
Beach. Sheriff Elbert H. Gray
states that he was at a table
working on plans for a new fish
ing boat when the shot crashed
through the window.
The bullet, apparently fired
from a .22 calibre rifle or pistol,
struck Varnum in the right cheek,
passed through his mouth and
under his tonque and was de
flected to range under the skin
of his throat and shoulder to lodge
in his shoulder.
He was brought to the Doshei
Memorial Hospital immediately
and doctors there found him in
a weakened condition from loss
of blood. With this condition, the
doctors deferred operations for the
removal of the bullet until Mon
day of this ’week. As they had
suspected the bullet was from a
.22 calibre weapon. Varnum is
now out of danger and is recover
ing rapidly.
A complete investigation by
Sheriff Gray reveaeld a definite
suspect in the case and this of
ficial stated yesterday that an
arrest will be made in a very
short time.
Twenty-five years ago Varnum
was involved in one of the most
sensational murder cases in the
history of Brunswick county when
he shot and killed his wife, Mrs.
t Continued on Page Four)
Short Session
Of Court Held
Weekly Session Of Bruns
wick County Superior
Court Adjourned At Noon
Monday
Brunswick county Recorder’s
court adjourned at noon Monday
following an abreviated session,
with the following judgements
handed down:
Echo Bellamy, reckless opera
tion, damage to personal property,
judgement withheld to March 4th.
Leonard S. Stein, speeding, fined
$10 and costs.
Dave Scoggins, assault with
deadly weapon with intent to kill,
| guilty of assault with deadly
weapon, fined $15 and costs.
Phillip Gibbons, disturbing the
peace and unauthorized use of fire
siner, fined $75 and costs.
James L. Hooper, larceny, not
guilty.
•Tames Robert Milliken, assault
with deadly weapon with intent to
kill, ordered to pay $100 for the
benefit of Rosettie Williamson,
jail sentence assigned in case,
Feb. 11, 1957.
Robert Allen Oxendine, speed
ing, fined $10 and costs, costs
remitted because of extenuating
circumstances.
Gus Harris, reckless operation,
fined $25 and costa
(Continued on page four)
Bowman Reports
On Second Week
Of Legislature
Brunswick County Repre
sentative Assigned Un
usually Large Number Of
Duties On Committees
CHIEF ATTENTION
ON STATE MEASURES
Bowman Favors Across-The
Board Increase In Salaries
For Teachers And State
Employees
By JAMES C. BOWMAN
This past legislative week start
ed with plenty of action in the
form of the Governor’s biennial
message before the joint session
of the General Assembly at 8:30
p. m. Monday. At that time, the
budget for the next two years was
presented to the assemblymen.
The figures included in the bud
get volumes make up the State’s
“first billion-dollar budget”, al
though all of the funds included
do not come from State sources.
The breakdown of these funds in
dicates that $791,000,000 (68 per
cent) is derived from State rev
enues, $261,100,000 (22.4 percent)
is received from the Federal Gov
ernment, and $111,200,000 (9.6
percent) from agency receipts
(fees, licenses, etc.) or a total of
$1,163,300,000.
The budget recommended a
“merit pain” pay increase of about
9.1 percent for teachers and about
8.8 percent for other State em
ployees. Both of these recom
mended salary increases are con
siderably below the amounts re
quested and in addition, the in
creases were requested on an
“across the board” basis rather
than the “merit plan” basis.
Frankly, I believe that both
increases are too low considering
the increase in the cost of living
index and in the light of the
fact that State employees gener
ally have had no raises since
1953. In addition, I am opposed
to the so-called “merit plan” pro
posed as a basis for giving effect
to salary increases. If this is to
be a cost of living raise, then it
would seem that the increase
should be on an “across the board”
basis; that is, all employees should
receive a raise. It is my belief
that the amount of these salary
increases will be raised after time
has been had to study thoroughly
all of the finance bills which have
been introduced.
Most of the bills introduced
during the week were of local
application except, of course, the
various appropriation and revenua
bills.
One bill introduced which would
be of interest to our county was
the Driver Training and Educa
tion Act. This bill would provida
for driver training and safety in
struction in all public schools in
the State that wish to participate
in the program. The cost of the
program would be financed by
adding $1 to the present cost of
the State automobile license
plates.
Another bill introduced would
authorize the Department of
Motor Vehicles and judges of the
State criminal courts to exercise
a certain amount of discretion in
suspending drivers’ licenses where
persons are convicted on a first
offense of drunken driving. The
present law provides for a man
datory one year suspension of a
person’s driver’s license on con
viction of this offense. The theory
behind the bill seems to be that
juries will be more willing to con
vict in such cases if they are per
mitted to recommend in rnitiga
Continued On Page Four)
I
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, February 21,
1:23 A. M. 7:29 A. M.
1:34 P. M. 7:43 P. M.
Friday, February 22,
2:22 A. M. 8:30 A. M.
2:33 P. M. 8:43 p
Saturday, February 23,
3:20 A. M. 9:29 A. M.
3:31 P. M. 9:42 p. M.
Sunday, February 24,
4:17 A. M. 10:25 A. M.
4:28 P. M. 10:37 P. M.
Monday, February 25,
5:08 A. M. 11:15 A. M.
5:19 P. M. 11:27 P. M.
Tuesday, February 26,
5:55 A. M. 12:00 A. M.
6:06 P. M. 0:00 P. M.
Wednesday, February 27,
6:88 A. M. 12:13 A. M.
6:18 P. M. 12:13 p. M.