THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
Volume No. 17 No. 37 6-Poge< Today SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1957 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Most Of The News
All The Time
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
$1.50 PER YEAR
Beautiful Gardens
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ORTON—This is one of the most beautiful scenes at Orton Gardens, where
thousands of visitors are expected this week-end as part of the Azalea Festi
val. The timing for this year’s event is perfect for, barring unexpected dam
age from cold during the next three days, the gardens should be at their peak
beauty by this coming week-end.
Night Hunting
Dear Business
For Four Boys
Three Young White Men
Learn That Wildlife Re
fuge Is No Place For
Deer Hunting
Three Brunswick county white
men found out Monday that these
“Posted” signs erected along the
right-of-way of the .Sunny Point
by-pass road mean just what they
say. They were found guilty of
shooting deer at night on a game
preserve and were fined $250 and
costs. The defendants were W. Z.
Vereen, Kenneth Ray Huffham
and Mercer Johnson.
Testimony in the case shows
that the men were riding slowly
along the road at night, apparent
ly trying to spot some deer feed
ing on the fresh green gi’ass
along the right of way. Four
game protectors were stationed in
the woods nearby, and testified
that the men fired with a shot
gun at the deer. Apparently they
failed to kill one, but they had
walked into a trap being tended
by the game wardens and were
arrested.
In addition to their penalties,
their shotgun was confiscated.
A variety of other cases were
disposed of here in the weekly
session of Brunswick county Re
Continued On Page Two
Brief Bits Of
lnewsj
RESTAURANT reopens
Quack’s Sea Shack will reopen
for business this week end after
being closed for several weeks
while repairs and redecorations
were in progress.
RESIGNS POSITION
Ralph Phelps, Jr., who was
elected at the last general elec
tion as constable for Smithville
township, has resigned from this
position.
REVIVAL MEETING
A revival will be in progress at
Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church from
April 1 through April 7, with
services each evening at 7:30
o’clock. The Rev. Scott Turner,
pastor of the Rockfish Baptist
Church at Raeford, will bring the
messages.
BENEFIT DINNER
The Long Beach Unit of Civil
Defense sponsored a take-out
turkey dinner Friday, March 22,
at the Bigford Cottage, Long
Beach, and report it to have been
a real success. This Friday,
March 2D, they will have a baked
ham dinner for the same purpose
from 6 to 8 p. m. at the same
place.
Good Progress
On Telephones
Modern Communication Fa-’
cilities Will Be Available
In Many Sections O f
Brunswick Upon Com
pletion
CO-OPERATION IS
KEY TO SUCCESS
Present Plans Call For Con
struction Of 235 Miles
Serving 729 Mem
bers Of Co-op
Almost a $400,000 automatic
dial telephone system now under
construction will soon melt away
the miles of isolation between
rural homes of Brunswick coun
ty, says Harry L. Mintz, Jr. and
Fred Brown, president and mana
ger of the REA financed tele
phone membership corporation,
which they expect to put into
operation within the next few
months.
T. L. Dysard and Son, contrac
tors of Statesville, have been busy
during the past few weeks setting
poles, stringing wire and cable
for the system which will when
completed be designed to bring
the most modern telephone serv
ice for the first time to many
of the rural areas of Brunswick
county.
Leaders of the communities of
Shallotte, Freeland, Supply, Bo
livia, Longwood, Ash, Grissettown,
and others have been seeking
telephone service for many years.
Having failed through every
other channel to secure wide
spread telephone service in the
rural areas of Brunswick the
I people on March 7, 1955 decided
to establish a telephone member
ship corporation. Harry L. Mintz,
Jr., former member of the North
Carolina General Assembly, was
elected president of the corpora
tion, organized as, the Atlantic
Telephone Membership corpora
tion. L. E. Wooten & Co., en
gineers of Raleigh, was employed
and an REA loan with which to
provide modern telephone serv
ice was applied for. A loan to the
telephone corporation of $381,000
was approved by the REA on
December 30, 1955.
The REA loan provides for es
tablishment of two telephone ex
changes one at Bolivia and the
other at Shallotte.
The engineering design calls for
the members of the two exchang
es to be able to dial back and
! forth among themselves without
a long distance charge. For op
erator office assistance and long
distance service the telephone cor
poration is connected to the
Southern Bell Telephone and Tele
graph company at Wilmington.
Mintz states that the Corpora
i tion’e loan calls for the construc
(Continued on Page Four)
Condition Of
Keziah Critical
W. B. Keziah continues in
a critical condition at Dosher
Memorial Hospital in South
port, where he has been a
patient since he suffered a
heart attack two weeks ago
today.
Following several days when
it appeared that he was im
proving, he sustained a set
back yesterday that places
him on the danger list.
He is unable to have visit
ors.
Baptist Union
Meets Saturday
Boones Neck Baptist Church
Will Be Host To March
Meeting Of This Church
Organization
The Brunswick Baptist Union
will meet at Boones Neck Baptist
Church Saturday morning begin
ning at 10 o’clock. The theme will
be “Walking With God”.
At 10 o’clock the Union will
be called to order by the modera
tor, Edwin Clemmons. The hymn,
"O Ha£py Day” will follow. The
devotional will be led by Mrs.
Lillie Hewett. Next will come the
roll call of churches and reading
of the minutes of last session,
Continued On Page Two
Testing Soil
Is Recommended
County Agent A. S. Know
les Reports That Fast Ser
vice Still Possible On Soil
Samples Sent To Raleigh
County Farm Agent A. S.
Knowles reports that farmers
having their soil tested this year
are getting soil test results back
quickly, even though tliis is the
"rush” season for the state soil
testing laboratory.
The soil laboratory, he says, re
ports that it has thus far been
able to analyze the soils as soon
as they are received, and prompt
service could be given on about
a third more samples than are be
ing received at present.
Knowles thinks that Brunswick
county farmers are missing a rdhl
opportunity to "stretch” the
Continued On Pafo Two
Installation Of
New Officers Is
Held On Friday
Mrs. Elsie Jenkins Becomes
Worthy Matron And
Worth B. Ward Worthy
Patron Of Live Oak
Chapter
MRS. LIVINGSTON
INSTALLING OFFICER
Interesting Program Is Prs
sented Following InstaL
lation, Honoring New
Slate Of Officers
Officers for the year 1957-58
were installed in open rites on
Friday evening by Live Oak Chap
ter No. 179, Order of the Eastern,
Star, Southport.
Mrs. Faye Potter, Worthy Ma
tron, and Roy Swain, Worthy
Patron, presided during the in
formal opening, welcomed mem
bers and guests and introduced
the Installing Officer, Mrs. Mar
jorie Livingston, District Deputy
Grand Matron. Assisting in the
installation were Mrs. Olive Stana
land, marshall; Mrs. Sallie Hold
en, chaplain; Mrs. Mary Bussells,
organist.
Officers installed were: Mrs.
Elsie Jenkins, Worthy Matron;
Worth B. Ward, Worthy Patron;
Mrs. Elizabeth Harrelson, Asso
ciate Matron; Hubert Livingston,
Associate Patron; Mrs. Olive
Stanaland, Secretary; Miss Lottie
Mae Newton, treasurer; Mrs.
Helen Dilsaver, Conductress; Mrs.
Dorothy Nichols, Associate-Con
ductress; Mrs. Margaret Hood,
chaplain; Mrs. Faye Potter, mar
shal; Mrs. Amaretta Prevatte, or
ganist; Mrs. Delight Vereen,
Adah; Mrs. Mildred Baker, Ruth;
Mrs. Julia Sanders, Esther; Mrs.
Geneva Smith, Martha; Mrs.
(Continued on Page Four)
Red Cross Ready
For Fund Drive
A. E. Huntley, Fund Drive
Chairman, Announces Ad
ditions To County Organi
zation
A. E. Huntley, Fund Chairman
for the Brunswick County Chap
ter of the American Red Cross,
announced yesterday that the or
ganization for the fund drive is
complete in almost every section.
Here in Southport Mrs. James
C. Bowman will serve as chair
man. At Sunny Point, Col. Wm.
F. Murphy will be in charge.
Mrs. Joe Ramseur will have
charge of the River Road area
beyond Sunny Point. Mrs. Willard
Simmons will be in charge of
solicitations around the Mill
Creek-Funs ton area.
Mrs. Nelson Bennett is the
chairman at Waccamaw, and
says that her help will come from
the following community chair
men: Mrs. H. D. Tysinger at
Freeland; Mrs. Lloyd Duncan at
Myrtle Head; Miss Bobby Vereen
at Exum; Mrs. Mary Long at
Soldier Bay; Mrs. Maggie
Mathews at Ash; Mrs. Eula Ben
nett at Longwood; and Mrs. Elsie
Dodson and Miss Ruth Galloway
at Waccamaw school.
(Continued On Page Four)
Pre-measurement
In Big Demand
There is a strong demand for
pre-measurement of tobacco acre
age through the Brunswick ASC
office, as revealed by figures re
leased last week.
A total of 673 farms have re
quested pre-measurement, and to
date this has been carried out on
142 farms. A total of 42 farms
have been spot-checked and re
porters have visited 5 farms. On
one farm the work was found
to be unacceptable.
\fian Arrested
For Shooting
Johnnie Varmint
Sheriff Elbert H. Gray And
Deputy Henry Pike Leave
To Bring Herbert R. Ful
ford Back To Face
Charges
Herbert R. Fulford, Brunswick
county native who is now en
gaged in shrimping in Florida,
has been arrested in Key West
and will be returned to North
Carolina to face the charge that
on the night of February 13 he
shot Johnny Varnum.
The latter was struck in the
face by a rifle bullet as he sat
in the front room of his home
near Holden Beach, sketching
plans for a boat that he plans
to build. The missle struck him
on the cheek, traveled through
his mouth, down his neck and
into his shoulder. The victim lost
a lot of blood, but doctors later
were successful in removing the
bullet and he staged a rapid re
covery. He has been back at work
for several days.
Sheriff Elbert H. Gray, \yho
left this morning with Deputy
Henry Pike to bring the accused
man back to North Carolina., said
yesterday that he has evidence
that Fulford was in Brunswick
county on the night that Var
num was shot. He declined to
give the nature of his supporting
evidence.
It is assumed that Fulford will
be given a preliminary hearing,
and that his case will come up
for trial at the May term.
Jury List For
Superior Court
One-Week Term Of Court
For Trail Of Civil Cases
Will Convene On Mon
day, April 19
On Monday, April 29, a one
week term of Brunswick county
Superior court for trial of civil
cases will convene here, with
Judge George Fountain of Tar
boro presiding.
At the last meeting of the
board of county commissioners
the following jury list was drawn
for this term:
James F. Little, Nelson Ben
nett, R. B. Coleman, James B.
Purvis, Ernest Milligan, B. E.
White, Ash; Homer Holden, Lof
ton Lewis, L. J. McKeithan, A. R.
Clemmons, A. L. Boyd, J. D. Hcw
ett, David W. Flowers, D. S.
Gore, Longwood; R. E. Ward,
William E. Wessell, W. E. Eenton,
Continued On Page Four)
Our
ROVING
Reporter
During the past few days
hundreds of telephone calls,
telegrams, letters and cards
have been sent to your
Rovin’ Reporter, who still is
a very sick patient at Dosh
er ivietnorial Hospital. We
have chosen a few, which give
some idea of the unusual
popularity of W. B. Keziali,
and the high esteem in which
he is held by people all over
this State.
“Sorry to learn that you are it
and send you my best wishes foi
a rapid and complete recovery.’ —
Luther H. Hodges, Governor o.
North Carolina.
“Gib Barbee called to tell mi
you have been ailing and are ii
the hospital. Of course, tliii
grieves us, knowing how you liki
to move around. At the sane
time, I know you have a tremor
Uous lot of stamina and eanno
believe that anything can kec]
you down for long. We need yoi
and want you to get well, but m;
own experience with illness tells
me you will have to get your
strength back gradually. So, Bill,
do what the sawbones says—stay
in bed, scheme quietly and recover
fully. Will surely see you this
summer. I plan to come down and
go fishing.”—Bill Sharpe, editor
of The State magazine.
“I send this to you at the hos
pital but I know that by the time
it gets there you may be over
on Bald Head Island showing Big
Wheels the glories and mysteries
of Brunswick County. You have
my best wishes and my prayers.
Thousands of Tar Heels who are
proud to know you will join me
in this expression, even if not all
of them write. I have spent more
than six months at Duke Hospital
in the past four years. And I
spent six weeks in the hospital
here with a coronary. I am o.k.
now and working every day. Aside
from having to get a bit more
sleep and a little less food, I am
as good as new. Mrs.. Belk joins
Continued On Page pour
Festival Queen
ROYALTY—This is Kathryn Grayson, Winston
Salem girl who has become one ot Hollywoods most
beautiful and talented stars. She returns to her na
tive North Carolina this week-end to reign over the
Tenth Annual Azalea Festival as its queen.
Azalea Festival
Holds Spotlight
Southport Lady
Receives Honor
Mrs. C. Ed Taylor of South
port was one of fourteen nom
inees for North Carolina’s
Mother of the Year Award
who were honored Monday
night in Raleigh in the hall
of the House of Represent
atives.
The winner was Mrs. Wil
liam Jones Gordon of Spray,
but each of the other finalists
was invited to the State
Capitol, where their round of
entertainment included a visit
to the State Art Museum and
a dinner given in their honor
at the Sir Walter Hotel.
Mrs. Taylor, who is visiting
her daughter, Mrs. Earl
Brown, in Auburn, Alabama,
was unable to attend, and
her Certificate of Merit was
received for her by Represent
ative James C. Bowman.
County Officials
Attend Meeting
Brunswick ASC Leaders At
tended State Conference
Last Week In Asheville
The ASC Conference in Ashe
ville last week drew a record at
tendance of around 700 people.
Those attending from Brunswick
county were as follows: Lonnie
Evans, Chairman, Brunswick ASC
Committee; Ada L. Varnum, coun
ty office manager; Elois S. Gore,
administrative clerk; Earlene In
man, marketing quota clerk; Doris
A. Rabon, chief clerk.
Highlight of the first day was
the Address by Governor Luther
H. Hodges. He spoke on the 1957
tobacco situation and stated that
“we must have both Agricultural
and industry working together if
North Carolina is to move ahead
in this competive world.
Marvin L. McLain, Assistant
Secretary, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, spoke on general
problems facing farmers and as
sociated workers.
Joseph R. Williams, Director
Tobacco Division CSS, spoke on,
flue-cured and burley tobacco in
North Carolina.
Fred Ditchie, Assistant Admin
istrator, U. S. A CP Service, Wash
ington, made the concluding ad
dress of the first day. He stated
that N. C. has made great pro
gress in the field of conservation
but still has a long way to go.
Teamwork he said will be the
major factor in meeting the trem
endous problems of providing for
future population growth.
The second day of the confer
ence was broken into separate
sessions for ACP and soil bank,
acreage allotments, marketing
quotas & performance, price sup
ports and administration.
The conference closed at noon
Continued on Page Two
Wilmington Will Be Center
Of Interest For North
Carolinians This Week
end As 10th Annual Aza
lea Festival Unfolds
KATHRYN GRAYSON
FESTIVAL QUEEN
She Heads Imposing List Of
Outstanding Entertainers
And Artists Schedul
ed To Appear
A 4-day extravaganza of enter
tainment and celebrities opens
tomorrow (Thursday) in Wilming
ton as the 10th Annual Azalea
Festival gets underway.
The program includes every
thing from championship golf to
horse racing; and the list of
famous people ranges all the way
from cowboy singing stars to
one of the most famous perform
ers who ever sang at the Metro
politian.
The floral beauty of the region
will share the spotlight with Miss
Kathryn Grayson, a native Tar
Heel, who has my.de a name for
herself on stage, screen and tele
vision. Also on the beauty list
will be Candy Jones Conover, one
of the all-time famous cover girls,
and Diane Jergens, Hollywood
teenage actress.
Heading the list of male cele
brities will be Lauritz Melchior,
a man who made a successful
transition from opera to movies,
and back again. It will also in
clude George Jessel, veteran
showman, and handsome Dale
Robertson, he of movie fame.
North Carolina’s governor will
be there, and so will more, than
fifty marching bands, military
units and other colorful additions
Continued On Page Hour
Winnabow Man
Dies Tuesday
John L. Henry Died In
Dosher Memorial Hospi
tal Following Heart At
tack; Funeral Services
Thursday
John L. Henry died Tuesday
morning at Dosher Memorial Hos
pital in Southport as a result of
a heart attack suffered Thursday
at his home in Winnabow. He was
77 years of age.
Tlie deceased was a retired
merchant. For many years he op
erated a general store in his com
munity, and the post office was
located in the same building, with
his wife serving as post master.
Mr. Johnnie and Miss Janie be
came two of Brunswick county’s
best-known and most highly re
spected citizens.
Mr. Henry was a native of this
county, having been born in 18S0.
He was the son of the late John
3. and Elizabeth Skipper Henry.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Janie
Tones Henry, he is survived by
wo brothers, A. P. Henry, Sr.,
if Winnabow and D. O. L. Henry
Continued on Page Four) j
Legislation On
Local Level Is
Before Assembly
Brunswick County Represen.
tative Reports That Big
Bulk Of Work Now Tak
ing This Turn In Raleigh
BRUNSWICK HAS
SOME LOCAL BILLS
Latest Is Measure Authoriz
ing Use Of Delinquent
Tax Collections For
General Fund Pur
poses
By JAMES C. BOWMAN
During the past week, introduc
tion of new bills continued to in
crease the work load of the Gen
eral Assembly. Altogether 157 new
bills were introduced in both
houses of which more than half
were public bills.
LOCAL LEGISLATION
The bill to authorize the Board
of County Commissioners to place
the proceeds of collection of delin
quent taxes for the year 1955 and
prior years in the county general
fund has now passed both the
House and Senate, and should be
ratified by both houses during the
first part of the coming week.
This will also authorizes the board
to construct new county office
buildings and additions to existing
office buildings, and to pay for
the oost of the prposed property
revaluation in the county from
delinquent tax collections in the
general fund.
The bill to authorize the board
to revalue and equalize property
values in the county for ad val
orem tax purposes has been rati
fied by both houses and is now
law.
Another bill which prohibits the
commercial practice of fortune
telling, palmistry, phrenelogy, and
clairvoyance in the county pass
ed the House and is now before
the Senate.
NEW LEGISLATION
On Tuesday, March 19, your
representative introduced two
bills amending the Workmen’s
Compensation, Act.
The first of these bills amends
the present definition of occupa
tional diseases so as to include,
in addition to the presently
enumerated and covered diseases,
“any other disease arising out of
and contracted in the course of
the employment”. The other bill
amends the section relating to
facial and bodily disfigurement as
a result of an industrial accident
to increase the maximum com
pensation award from the present
amount of $2,500.00 to $3,500.00.
Tlie bill would further make clear
that bodily disfigurement includes
loss of, or permanent injury to,
both internal and external or
gans and parts of the body. These
bills would expand coverage under
the Act which has been consider*
ably restricted by a very narrow
definition of the word “disfigure^
ment” as pronounced by the State
Supreme Court.
SCHOOLS
Two bills were introduced dur
ing the week which would place
our schools on a 12 months’ basis.
The first would permit, not re
quire, county or city Boards of
Education, with the approval of
the local tax levying authority,
to operate schools on a quartei>
ly basis. It authorizes such
boards to equalize the. number of
pupils attending school in each
quarter so as to utilize school
buildings and facilities to a max
imum extent and to contract with
principals, teachers, and other
school personnel for 12 month*
at the same monthly rate of
(Continued on Page 4>
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, March 28,
6:01 A. M. 0:00 A. M.
6:16 P. M. 12:08 P. M.
Friday, March 29,
6:41 A. M. 12:29 A. M.
6:56 P. M. 12:48 P. M.
Saturday, March 80,
7:20 A. M. 1:11 A. M.
7:32 P. M. 1:26 P. M.
Sunday, March 31,
7:56 A. M. 1:51 A. M.
8:09 P. M. 2:04 P. M.
Monday, April 1,
8:30 A. M. 2:30 A. M.
8:44 P. M. 2:40 P. M.
Tuesday, April 2,
9:05 A. M. 3:08 A. M.
9:20 P. M. 3:17 P. M.
Wednesday, April 8,
9:40 A. M. 3:48 A M.
10:01 P. M. 3:55 P. M.