Most Ot The News
All The Time
Volume No. 18
THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
No. 33 6-Pages Today SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1958 5c A COPY ” PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
Shell Collectors
Meet Saturday
At Chapel Hill
Meeting Of State Organiza
tion Originally Scheduled
For Yaupon Beach, But
Weather Causes Change
In Plans
WILL MEET HERE
LATER IN YEAR
State Organization Formed
By Persons Who Engage
In Shell Collections
As Favorite Hobby
The March meeting of the
North Carolina Shell Club was
scheduled to be held at Yaupon
Village and was to be a collect
ing trip, but because of the cold,
late winter weather this beach
meeting has been postponed until
June. The spring meeting will be
held Saturday, March 1, at 2
o’clock at the Zoology Building,
Un versity of North Carolina,
Chapel Kill.
An unusually interesting and
helpful program has been pre
pared. A lecture, illustrated by
moving pictures on living marine
snails, will be given and two
beautiful collections of shells will
be displayed. One is from Africa
and the other from the Admiralty
Islands in the South Pacific. Her
man Weil of Goldsboro had the
opportunity of buying a fine col
lection of native and foreign shells
at a very low price and he will
offer these at cost as a service
to the club. He will probably have
many shells he collected at the
famous Saniibel Island for free
distribution.
Almost everyone who walks the
North Carolina beaches picks up
6ome of the beautiful shells that
are found there. Many people
have made a hobby of collecting
sea-shells and enjoy learning che
names and the life histories of
the animals, called mollusks,
which produce them. Some of
these mollusks have amazing
habits, such as those that carry a
portable drill that can bore into
the stoutest clam shells,* or those
that make long strings of cells
of a plastic like substance, each
tell containing numerous eggs and
having a trap-door for the young
mollusk to pass through when
hatched and ready for life; or
those that manufacture a sub
stance somewhat like bubble-gum
and actually make a raft of bub
bles on which they float about on
the surface of the sea.
North Carolina shell collectors
have formed a culb which meets
four times a year. Among the
50 or so members of this club
are college professors, school
teachers and just plain shell col
lectors. There is one boy, eleven
years of age, who is quite an
authority on North Carolina
shells. He lives at Morehead City
and has presented a nice collec
tion of shells from that region
to the museum at Raleigh. Sev
eral collectors from Wilmington,
Long Beach and Holden’s Beach
are enthusiastic members of the
club.
Visitors are always welcome at
the meetings of the club. It is
hoped that a carload of interest
ed people in Brunswick will get
together and attend the meeting
at Chapel Hill. They are promised
an interesting afternoon. The
president of the club is the Rev.
G. Scott Turner of Buies Creek.
"i
f
Brief Bite Of
lnewsj
PIE AND CAKE SALE
A pie and cake sale will be
held Saturday morning at 10
o’clock on the Leggett porch. The
sale will be sponsored by the
Mary Rebekah Circle of Trinity
Methodist Church.
ART EXHIBIT
An Art exhibit featuring the
paintings of Waters Thompson of
Southport is being shown this
week in Southern Pines. Most of
the paintings are of birds, a fav
orite subject for the local artist.
AC'P EMERGENCY
Pamirs who believe in the Ag
ricultural Conservation Program
must act, immediately as there is
danger of a drastic reduction in
the next year’s program. Many
Congressmen who favor ACP
think farmers are not concerned
about it. Fanners are urged to
write their congressman and sen
ator and tell them they are in
terested in ACP and need ACP
assistance. “ACP has benefited
every farmer in the county di
rectly or indirectly,’’- ASC officials
said this week. _
Three Candidates For Sheriff
RUNNING—Here are three men in the race fqr the Democratic nomination for
Sheriff of Brunswick County. Left to right, they are Clinton Bellamy, Southport; Tal
madge Varnam, Supply; and C. Drew Long, Shallotte. None of these men have ever
been elected to public office, although Long served as deputy under ex-Sheriff E. V.
Leonard. Bellamy ran for the Democratic nomination for the House of Representa
tives four years ago, but lost to Kirby Sullivan. Four other men have announced their
candidacy for this office in the coming May primary election.
Brunswick Man
One Winner In
State Contest
T. J. Gilbert Is Fifth Place
Winner In News And Ob
server Farm Income Con
test This Year
T. J. Gilbert who lives between
Supply and Bolivia has proven
that something can be done about
reduced farm income, reports
County Agent A. S. Knowles. In
the face of reduced income from
tobacco in 1957, Gilbert and his
wife sat down and mapped a pro
gram to take the place of tobacco
reductions and improve their
farming operation.
They entered the News and Ob
server Farm Income Contest along
with 45 other fanners in Bruns
wick county. They won first place
in the county contest and fifth
place in the state contest. Forty
seven counties had entries.
The Gilberts did an outstanding
job of improving their conditions.
They put in a small dairy and
were selling about 7 cans of milk
every other day. They increased
the number of hogs fed and sold.
They increased their acreage of
smallgrain and soybeans.
“The example set by this young
couple in 1957 should inspire hun
dreds of farmers to plan for in
creasing the income on their
farm”, said the county agent.
“They follow approved practices.”
T. J. attended a luncheon in
Raleigh last Friday where he was
honor guest of the News and Ob
server. Senator W. Kerr Scott
was the guest speaker for the
occasion and at the conclusion of
the program T. J. was awarded
$125 for his achievements.
Checks Paid To
Elderly Citizens
I
February Payments In Old
Age Assistance To Resi
dents Of This County To
tal $7,999
During the month of February,
checks amounting to $7,999 were
received by 276 elderly Brunswick
County citizens under the Old Age
Assistance program, Mrs. Bina
Roberts, Brunswick County Su
perintendent of Public Welfare
said this week. "These checks
enabled some to live in their own
homes or with relatives, while oth
ers were enabled to pay their
board in a licensed boarding
home,” said Mis. Roberts.
The average Old Age Assistance
grant in Brunswick County is $30
per month. This varies a fraction
of a dollar from month to month.
Of this amount, nine-tenths, or
$27, is paid by the Federal Gov
ernment. The remaining $3 is paid
one-half by the State and one-half
by the county.
"Actually, a needy old person
received this $30 at a cost of less
than $1.50. to Brunswick county,”
said Mrs. Roberts. “This is be
cause the State sends equalizing
funds to the low income counties
to make sure the tax burden is
no greater on them than on the
wealthier counties. Last year
Brunswick county received from
tlie State equalizing fund for the
Old Age Assistance program alone
j the amount of $4,800. After
j equalizing funds are applied on
| the county’s part, the county real
jly only pays about one dollar of
jeach eleven dollars disbursed.
! Requirements for eligibility for
j Old Age Assistance is that the
| applicant be 65 years of. age and
[ - (Continued on page four)
Celebration For
Dredging Project
Ribbon Tying Ceremony"
Will Be Held To Mark
Closing Of Hurricane In
let On Long Beach Thurs
day, March 6
GOVERNOR HODGES
WILL BE SPEAKER
He Will Be Joined By Other
Distinguished Visitors In
A Noonday Ceremony
Marking End Of
Successful Job
A formal ceremony is being
planned for next Thursday at noon
to mark the closing of the inlet
across the lower end of Long
Beach, and Governor Luther H.
Hodges will join with high-rank
ing officials of the U. S. Army
Engineers and the Civil Defense
Administration in celebration of
the successful completion of this
project.
Program plans call for Gov
ernor Hodges to fly to Wilming
ton on the morning of March 6.
There he will be met by a heli
copter and transferred to the site
of the project. He will be joined
by other dignitaries and by sev
eral hundred interested visitors,
who will want to take this op
porunity to see the governor and
at the same time witness one of
the most unusual engineering pro
jects undertaken along the coast
| of North Carolina since the rock
dam was built at Fort Fisher.
The work performed toy the
USE Dredge Henry Bacon in con
nection with this operation has
been hailed as a major achieve
ment by men who were familiar
with the difficulties presented by
the inlet-closing project. The inlet
was cut by the winds and waves
of Hurricane Hazel during Oc
tober of 1954, and several efforts
to close it were unsuccessful.
Several weeks ago tire U. S.
Army Engineers accepted respon
sibility for closing the storm
washed inlet, and included in their
plans was the use of the pipe
line dredge, Henry Bacon. It was
felt that if this powerful vessel
could get into position to pour
the spoil from her 24-inch lines
into the opening, a closing would
result. Progress on this project
has more than justified the faith
the engineers had in their men
and equipment. On February 13
the inlet was closed, and work
has continued in an effort to build
(Continued on Page Four)
January Bond
Sales Increase
Chairman Prince O’Brien
Reports Purchase Total
ing $3,703.55 In County
During This Period
In North Carolina, January
sales of Series E and H Savings
Bonds were the best for any one
month for the past 12 months, it
was reported this week by Prince
O’Brien, Volunteer Savings Bonds
Chairman for Brunswick County.
In Brunswick County, the sales
w'ere $3,703.55 which represents
6.3 percent of the county’s goail
of $58,800 for this year.
The combined E and H sales
of $4,744,111 represents 9.7 per
cent of the annual goal of $49
million and is also a record per
formance of Achievement againat
Continued Os Page Two
t
Oyster Season Is
Extended In State
A 10-day extension of the
current oyster season in
North Carolina was announc
ed in Raleigh Tuesday by the
State Department of Conser
vation and Development.
The current season was
scheduled to close at mid
night Friday, Feb. 28, but be
cause of the bitter cold of
recent weeks hampered fish
ermen from gathering oysters
the Department decided to ex
tend tire season tor taking* t
oysters from puiblicly-owned
beds. The present season now
will extend through March
10.
Funeral Sunday
For Joe Ramseur
Death Occurred Friday
Morning At Memorial
Hospital In Chapel Hill
Following One Week’s
Illness
Joseph P. Ramseur, prominent
Brunswick county citizen and
manager of Pleasant Oaks Plan
tation, died Friday morning at
Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill.
He was 48 years of age.
He had been stricken one week
earlier, and had remained until
Thursday as a patient at Dosh
er Memorial' Hospital at South
port. At that time, upon advice
of his physician, he had been
taken to Chapel Hill for an opera
tion, which it was hoped would
relieve his condition.
The deceased was active in
many activities, having served for
several years as a member of the
local board at Southport high
school and also as a member of
the board of Stewards of Trinity
Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Annie Laurie Ramseur; and by
two daughters, Mrs. Joan Lewis
and Miss Carolyn Ramseur; and
by his father and mother, Mr.
(Continued on Page 4j
Local Chairman
Has Good Report
On Polio Drive
Mrs. S. B. Frink Reports
Collections totaling 3>o83
1 rom Southport Atone
During Marcn Of Dimes
Drive
HOUSE TO HOUSE
COLLECTIONS HELP
Local Chairman Expresses
Appreciation For Coop
eration Received From
Committee Members
Mrs. S. B. Frink, chairman for
the Southipor.t Yaupon Beach and
long Beach communities in the
March of Dimes campaign, has
reported collection of $685 for
that cause.
Of this amount, a total of $491
came from door to door collec
tions, and Mrs. Frink was warm
In her praise of the splendid co
operation of committee members
that made this possible.
In addition, there was a total
of $99.45 raised through the
school; $25 through clubs and or
ganizations and $69.54 through
coin collectors.
Mrs. Frink says that she de
sires to express her appreciation
to everyone who helped with this
program and she also had a word
of thanks to citizens of the com
munity for their generous re
sponse.
The following served as com
mittee members: City Manager
Carl W. Galloway, Principal
Thomas C. Webb, Rev. Leo Haw
kins, Chief of Police Lewis Clark,
Policeman E. F. Gore, Mrs. C.
Ed Taylor, Mrs. Earl I. Brown,
Mrs. Lewis Doyle, Mrs. Leslie
Bellows, Mrs. William L. Styron,
Miss Lottie Mae Newton, Mrs.
E. C. Blake, Mrs. E. L. Oliver,
Mrs. John Swan, Mrs. Neils Jor
gensen, Mrs. Hugh Fain, Mrs.
Robert Thompson, Mrs. W. M.
Haughton, Mrs. M. M. Hood, Mrs.
R. R. Lewis, Mrs. W. S. Lewis,
Mrs. Bryant Potter, Mrs. E. B.
Brunson, Mrs. Hettie Arthur, Mrs.
Clinton Bellamy, Mrs. Douglas
Norton, Mrs. Jimmie Bigford,
Mrs. W. L. Aldridge and Mrs.
Tom Tyler.
Next Week Marks
Birthday Of 4-H
Widespread Observance Of
National 4-H Week Be
ing Planned, With Bruns
wick Clubs Cooperating
More than 1,000 Brunswick
county boys and girls will join
with the 2,200,000 4-H Club mem
bers in America to observe Na
tional 4-H Club Week from
March 1 to 8. These young peo
ple, between 10 and 21 years old,
belong to about 90,450 local clubs
throughout the country. Uniting
Head, Heart, Hands, and Health,
they work for better homes,
schools, churches, and communi
ties wherever they live.
There are approximately 1,000
4-H club boys and girls enrolled
in the five white schools in
Brunswick county. There are ten
organized school 4-H clubs and
recently two community 4-H clubs
have been organized at Mill
Creek and Winnabow. The local
leaders for these clubs are Mrs.
Noriey Willetts and Wilbur Earp
at Mill Creek and Mrs. Lee Kye
and A. P. Henry, Jr., at Winna
bow. The community club affords
more individual training for the
boys and girls. Long range plans
call for these community 4-H
Continued On Page Two
TIME and TIDE
By JIMMIE HARPER
Continued On Page Four
It was March 2, 1938, and again a bevy of local bathing beau
ties appeared on the initial sheet of The Pilot. This time the
group included Dors Harrelson, Mercede* Watts, Wilma Barnette
and Marion Frink. On the opposite side of page one appeared a
picture of the old New River (Price’s Creek) lighthouse. Accom
panying the cut was a story of heroism displayed during the
Civil War by a local pilot, Captain John William Anderson.
The county basketball tournament was to open the next week,
uith the Bolivia girls and Waccamaw boys the favorites in their
divisions. The county fire warden had set off on a wild goose
chase when the Aurora Borealis had made a freak appearance
over the northern part of the county. At least 35 trawlers were
fishing regularly out of Southport. The WPA had allotted some
$14,000 to the construction of high school gyms throughout the
county, and the Civic Club was planning a deep sea fishing ex
pedition on ’March 10.
°ld St' church at Orton graced page one
of The Piic?t .on .March 3, 1943. It illustrated a story explaining
Advances Theroy
On Earth Tremors
Goldsboro Editor Thinks Theory Of Keziah’s Ghost
Should Not Be Taken Too Lightly In Matter
By HENRY BELK
Let this horseback geologist ad
vance a theory explaining the
earth tremors that scared parts of
Brunswick and New Hanover
Counties the other day. On five
days hand running shocks accom
panied by a low rumbling were
Earth tremors were felt in
the Southport area again on
Thursday and Friday of last
■week, bringing to five the
number of consecutive days
on which one of these my-1
sterious disturbances occurred.
As yet, they have not been
explained.
left at Southport and Carolina
and Wrightsville Beaches and
other points in the area. On each
day the trmors.hit at practically
the same hour.
“They sounded like a jet break
ing the sound barrier but con
tinuing for eight to ten seconds,”
said James Harper, editor of the
State Port Pilot, “except that the
3ound continued for much longer
than a jet pushing through the
sonic barrier.”
At Whiteville, at Goldslboro and
at other points reports of the
tremors brought the facetious re
mark that the noise was the
ghost of the late Bill Keziah
directing attention to his beloved
Brunswick County. Keziah, who
died some months ago and was
buried in his native Union Coun
ty, was for more than thirty
years a one-man publicity bureau
and Chamber of Commerce for
Brunswick County. Keziah was
more vocal for Brunswick than a
Texan who has had several drinks
is for Texas.
If Bill had been alive, the
whole world would have had more
appreciation for and news about
the mystery of the earthquakes
in the picturesque land of river,
Continued On Page Four
New Appropriation
For Farm Program
Superior Court
In Session Here
Superior court is in session
here this week for the trial
of civil cases. Judge Mal
colm B. Seawell of Lumher
ton is presiding.
Monday was devoted to
trial of divorce cases and sev
eral matters of minor import
ance. Yesterday Judge Sea
well attended the funeral of
Judge Henry A. Grady.
Thi3 morning there was
evidence that court would
continue through the remain
der of the week, with several
important cases on the doc
ket.
Big Docket In
County Court
Another Busy Day For
Judge Earl Bellamy And
Other Court Officials In
Recorder's Court This
Week
In Recorder’s court here last
week the following cases were
disposed of before Judge Earl
Bellamy:
Elbert Simmons pleaded guilty
to charges of public drunkenness
and sentence of 30 days on the
roads was suspended upon con
dition of good behavior for 2
years.
A nol pros was taken in the
case charging Elizabeth Robinson
with failure to yield right of way.
Wyman Satcliffe asked for a
jury trial on charges of driving
VU-mph, drunk driving.
David Williams asked for a jury
trial of charges that he was driv
ing drunk, assaulted an officer
and resisted arrest. Bond was
set at $200.
Albert W. Best, Jr., asked for
a jury trial of charges of driving
70-mph. Bond is $100.
Walien D. Owens was found
guilty of public drunkenness and
was fined $25 and coses.
Wilbur Tharp pleaded guilty to
charges of drunk driving. Sen
tence of 90-days on the roads was
suspended upon payment of costs
and a fine of $100.
William O. Suggs was found not
guilty of passing a parked school
bus.
Horace, Jeanette, Joseph and
Sherwood Gore were found guilty
of assault with a deadly weapon
and affray. Each of the first
three was given 6 months, sen
tence being suspended upon pay
ment of $20 fine and costs. A pre
vious suspended sentence again
to Sherwood Gore was ordered
into effect. Harry Gore was found
not guilty.
Burnett Pollard was charged
with fraud, but the case was nol
pressed.
■Luther C. Pressley pleaded guil
ty to operating a motor vehicle
after revocation of license and
was fined $200 and costs.
The case charging W. L. Smith
with public drunkenness was nol
Continued On Page Two
Telegram Received Tuesday
iNignt r ram Congressman
Alton Lennon Aavises Ap
propriation Ut Additional
$4OO,UUU,O00
PURPOSE IS TO
hc.Lt' APPLICANTS
Lack Of Funds Had Made It
Necessary To atop Re
ceiving Applications;
Kequest Last Should
now Get Assist
ance
A telegram was received Tues
day night from Congressman Al
ton L.ennon an Washington ad
vising that additional funds are
being made available to the Soil
jbanK program.
Following is the text of his
message: "House of Represent
atives sitting as a Committee of
the Whole today appropriated ad
ditional ^250,000,Ouo for the' ia5&
Acreage' Reserve program. Ac
tion proposes equal treatment for
those desiring participation in Soil
Rank, but denied contracts”.
The Brunswick County ABC of
fice several weeks ago and to
stop accepting signed applications
for placing cotion ana tobacco
in tne Soil Bank Acreage Re
serve until additional funus were
made available. Requests for plac
ing tobacco in the soil bank have
continued and will continue until
March 7. February 20 was the
last day for accepting cotton soil
bank acreage reserve agreements.
With these additional funds be
ing made available, the Acreage
Reserve money will be committed
on a first come first serve basis.
There is some doubt whether more
money .will be received for cot
ton Boil Bank Acreage Reserve.
It will be necessary to call in the
farmer to sign the agreement and
the county committee must also
Continued on Page Two
Willetts Funeral
Held Saturday
George F. Willetts""* Died
Sv. denly At His Home
Near Winnabow Thurs
day
The death of a venerable
Brunswick county citizen occurred
Thursday when George F. Wil
letts died suddenly at his home.
He was 82 years of age.
George F. Willetts, 82, died
suddenly at his residence, Wirrna
ibow, Route 1, at 10:15 a. m.
Thursday.
He was a native of Brunswick
County, a son of the late Alfred
Willetts and Louisia Flowers Wil
letts. He was married to Mrs.
Mary Leighton Willetts, who died
in 1951.
Surviving are six daughters,
Mrs. D. L. Potter and Mrs. J. H.
Mills, both of Lei and, Mrs. E. R.
Allburger and Mrs. Lillian Thom
as, both of Merion, Penn., Mrs.
Roy Vamum of Reno, Nev., and
Mrs. Dorothy Cyphers of Winna
bow: four sons, A. L. Willetts,
H. L. Willetts of Bolivia, Roose
velt Willetts of Philadelphia,
_ Continued fin ft(i Two
S'
Naval Reserve
Unit Going On
Active Status
Last Of Twelve Drills With
out Pay Held This Week,
And Prospect Is For Lo
cal Organization To Ach
ieve Pay Status
MAY JOIN WITH
ANOTHER UNIT NOW
However, Drills Will Con
tinue To Be Held Here
And Full Scale Opera
tions Should Follow
On Monday evening the South
port Naval Reserve Unit held its
twelfth consecutive meeting with
out pay, a schedule that was
necessary to prove that a demand
existed for a recognized unit in
Southport.
Lieut. Commander D. D. Over
by has announced that the local
unit will be able to go on a pay
status as soon as they can be
qualified, beginning next Monday.
Due to the cut-back in military
reserve units caused by the missile
program, it may be necessary,
temporarily, for men of this new
unit to go into an existing unit.
However, they will meet their
drills in Southport as usual. As
soon as funds become available
for the electronics unit scheduled
in Southport, that unit will be
recognized here.
The unit when it reaches its
full strength will have a total of
50 enlisted men and five officers.
To date there have been thirty
enlisted men and two officers
mustering each Monday evening.
At the moment there are two of
ficers in the unit, Bernice Russ
and Johnnie Vereen. Two enlisted
men who will fill very important
positions in the unit are Hubert
L. Holmes of Shallotte and Odis
E. Fullwood of Southport.
This is the second military unit
initiated and sponsored by Carl
W. Galloway. The first was a
National Guard unit of one hun
dred men who are now having a
$127,000 building constructed for
them.
When at full strength the
Southport Naval Unit will bring
from twenty-five to thirty thou
sand dollars per year into South
port and Brunswick county,
Galloway says.
Resort Poineer
Dies In County
Funeral Services Conducted
Monday Afternoon For
Luther S. Holden, Who
Died Saturday After
Long Illness
Luther S. Holden, pioneer beach
developer, died at his home Sat
urday afternoon following an ex
tended illness. He was 73 years
of age, and was well known
throughout the State.
Funeral services were conducted
Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock
from Bolivia Baptist Church, with
the Rev. Manley Hewett and the
Rev, Paul Hardy in charge. Bu
rial was in the Concord Metho
dist Church cemetery at Supply.
Survivors include 5 sons, Mas
sey T. Holden, Richmond, Homer
L. Holden, Bolivia, Rodrick H.
Holden, Wilmington, John F. Hol
den, Holden Beach ;and Kemp
Holden, Moultrie, Ga.; two daugh
ters, Mrs. Lawrence F. Duvall
and Mrs. Betty Stike of Wil
Coatmued on Page Four
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 TMs
Thursday, February 27,
1:24 A. M. 8:08 A. M.
1:46 P. M. 8:28 P. M.
Friday, February 28,
2:27 A. M. 9:14 A. M.
2:54 P. M. 9:32 P. M.
i Saturday, March 1,
3:32 A. M. 10:17 A. M.
4:00 P. M. 10:35 P. M.
Sunday, Jlarch 2,
4:33 A. M. 11:14 A. M.
5:02 P. M. 11:34 P. M.
Monday, March 3,
5:32 A. M. 12:08 A. M.
6:00 P. M. 12:10 P. M.
Tuesday, March 4,
6:26 A. M. 12:28 A. M.
6:54 P. M. 12:58 P. M.
Wednesday, March 5,
7:19 A. M. 1:21 A. M.
7:47 p. M. 1:47 P. M.