Most Of The News
AH The Time
Volume No. 20
THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
No. 29 8-Pages Today SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2o7l960 5c A COPY^
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Letters Speak
Gratitude Felt
For Treatment
Arthur Sleapin Writes Let
ter To Governor Luther
H. Hodges Expressing
Thanks For Treatment In
County
ANOTHER LETTER
TO THIS PAPER
These Communications Re
flect Reactions Of Visit
ors Following Air Tra
gedy At Bolivia
This week a letter of apprecia
tion to the folks in Brunswick
county for their kindness during
the period following the recent
airliner crash came from Arthur
Slepian of Bridgeport, Conn., who
had been a visitor here during
that trying period.
Strangely enough, his com
munication was directed to Gov
ernor Luther Hodges, with a let
ter to The State Port Pilot, ask
ing that it be published.
Following is a copy of the let
ter to Governor Hodges:
“Dear Governor Hodges:
“I had the unpleasant task, last
week, of identifying, releasing,
and arranging the shipment of the
six members of our community
Who were involved in the air
plane accident at Bolivia.
“I had occasion to spend con
siderable time at Southport, and
I would be remiss if X did not
write to you and tell you how
much I appreciate the kindness,
sympathy, and help that was
given me by the natives of that
town.
“The local volunteer unit of the
Red Cross went out of their way
to be of assistance, and Dr. and
Mrs. L. G. Brown of that town
did so much to be helpful and
make me comfortable.
“I also want to extend my spe
cial appreciation for the assist
ance given me by Sheriff E. V.
Leonard.
“It seemed that either he or
one of his staff was always at my
side offering comfort, aid, and
advice. He is truly a great per
son.
“I am taking the liberty of
sending a copy of this letter to
the State Port Pilot of Southport,
N. C. newspaper asking that they
express my apprecation through
their columns.*1
Text of the letter to The Pilot
follows:
“I am enclosing a copy of a
letter that I, today, sent to Gov
ernor Luther Hodges at Raleigh,
North Carolina.
"I would certainly appreciate it
if you would give some space in
your newspaper to this letter.
“It was impossible for me to
discuss in this letter the type of
persons that I encountered in
Southport—they were so helpful,
and sympathetic.
“It is a great feeling to realize
that mankind is drawn together
in time of tragedy.”
Brief Bit* Of
lnewsj
attend conference
The Rev. L. A. Bridges, the
Rev. L. d. Hayman and Mrs.
James M. Harper, Jr. attended
the District Conference of the
Methodist Church in Lumberton
Tuesday.
CHURCH CONFERENCE
The Rev. L. D. Hayman, pastor
of Yaupon Beach Methodist
Church, announces that a church
conference will be held on Sunday
morning at the hour for morning
worship. The purpose of this con
ference is to present resolutions,
motions and to attend to other
important business.
NEW GROWER ALLOTMENT
For those farm operators with
out cotton, tobacco or peanut al
lotments who wish to file for 1960
new grower allotments for these
crops, this is to advise that appli
cations are now being accepted at
the county office. The deadline for
filing an application for new
grower allotments on the above
crops is February 15, 1960. Eligi
bilnty requirements are available
at the County ASC Office.
PRE-MEASUREMENT SIGN-UP
The 1969 pre-measurement sign
up is now in progress and will
continue through February 15, un
less it is determined that because
of the number of requests filed
prior to this date ASC officials
will be unable to complete work
on additional requests prior to
planting time. It is advisable that
farmers who want the land for
their allotment crops measured
before they plant to contact the
County ASC Office as soon as
possible. The closing date for ac
cepting request may be prior to
February 15.
i
Commendation Is
Received By Dtiffie
Lt. Col. Johnnie D, Duffie
Receives Letter Of Com
mendation From General
Charles F. Tank For
Crash Action
Lt. Col. Johnnie D. Duffie,
Commanding Officer of the Sun
ny Point Army Terminal, South
port, was commended last week
by Brig. Gen. Charles P. Tank,
Commanding General of the U.
S. Army Transportation Termin
al Command, Atlantic, for his
prompt action in supplying per
sonnel and equipment when a Na
tional Airlines plane crashed 14
miles from his installation last
week.
Col. Duffie was one of the first
to arrive at the scene of the
crash. Quickly sizing up the sit
uation, he ran to the nearest
telephone and ordered all the per
sonnel and equipment that could
be gathered immediately and
rushed to the scene. These in
cluded two officers and 13 Army
civilians. Among the items of
Army equipment they brought
with them were' an ambulance, a
sedan and a carryall, three quar
ter-ton trucks, a two-ton mobile
crane, two portable powered
megaphones, a power generator,
IjT. Col. DUFFIE
ten litters and 13 blankets.
Col. Duffie and his personnel
assisted civilian authorities in lo
cating, collecting and evacuating
bodies, and in providing illumina
tion for the area, furnishing radio
communications, photography and
crane operations. He also set up
Continued On Page 4
Bomb Suspected
In Airline Crash
Investigation Reveals Evi-:
dence That Initial Trou
ble With DC-6B Came
From Exploison Inside
Plane
MURDER - SUICIDE
ANGLE INVESTIGATED
Body Of Last Victim Found
Thursday Short Distance
From Main Section Of
Wreck At Bolivia
The Jan. 6 National Airline
crash near Bolivia plunged North
Carolina, and particularly south
eastern North Carolina into deep
shock when 34 persons died, turn
ed to sheer horror late last week
with realization that the tragedy
involved at least 33 cases of mur
der.
And there is speculation that
the “accident” may have been
34 cases of murder.
The 34th person is Julian A.
Frank, 32, a New York attorney
who lived in fashionable Westport,
Conn, with his wife, an ex-model,
and their two children.
Found At River
Frank was a prime figure in
the accident days before the late
Thursday expose that the crash
resulted from a bomb plot. He
was one of two missing men. The
other was Carlos Ramos Valdes,
vice-president of a Havana bank,
Valdes was found about noon
Thursday.
Frank was found nine days ago
imbedded in the river edge of
Snow Marsh just below Sunny
Point. His body was about 20
miles from the main crash scene
and the 33 other victims.
Found with Frank was a seg
ment of the airliner, a DC-6B,
which contained a portion of the
right wall of the washroom, which
is located forward just behind the
pilot and engineering compart
ment.
Senator’s Theory
A Oklahoma’s Senator Mike
Monroney, chairman of the Sen
ate’s aviation subcommittee made
the pronouncement, Thursday af
ternoon,
“A bomb of some sort caused
Continued On Page 2
Whiteville Host
To Stockholders
Annual Meeting Of Wacca
maw Bank & Trust Com
pany Group Will Be Held
Friday
Dr. Albert G. Edwards, pastor
of Raleigh’s First Presbyterian
church, will be the key speaker
for the annual Waccamaw Bank
and Trust Co. banquet, Friday
night.
The banquet, at Edgewood
school, starting at 6:30, will fol
low the annual meeting which
will begin at 5 p. m.
Dr. Edwards is a native of
Scotland, but he received degrees
studying at Georgia Tech, Pres
byterian college at Clinton, S. C.,
Union Theological Seminary, Rich
mond, and Davis-Elkins college.
The speaker is considered one
of the foremost speakers in the
Southeast.
Superior Court
Here Next Week
The January term of
Brunswick county Superior
court for trial of criminal
cases will, convene Monday,
with Judge Herman R. Clark
of Fayetteville presiding.
Scheduled for trial are a
number of cases in which
there is great public interest.
Among these are the three
men charged with breaking
and entering the Sanders
Parker store at Grissettown.
One of the defendants escap
ed several weeks ago and
was the subject of a wide
spread search before being
recaptured.
Septic Tank Is
Swindler Bait
Couple Misrepresent Con
nection With Health De
partment To Make Ex
horbitant Charge
In the past few weeks sevei’al
persons in Brunswick and neigh
borning counties have had in
dividuals come to their homes and
ask them to let them pump the
sludge from their septic tanks.
Some of these individuals have
good intentions and are depend
able, but others are not depend
able and are only robbing the
home owner.
Two men recently represented
themselves as representatives of
the Health Department to a
Brunswick County resident and
told him they would have to in
spect his tank or condemn it. He
allowed them to check the tank
and they told him it would have
to be pumped or condemned.
Rather than have it condemned,
the owner let them pump the
tank for the “small" price of two
(2) cents per gallon. They said
their tank on the truck would
hold 3,000 gallons. It was empty
when they started and full when
they finished. The bill was $60
but they reduced it to $50.
This example is typical. The
septic tank would hold less than
one-sixth of the amount the truck
was represented as containing. A
3,000 gallon tank would be about
twice as large as those the local
fuel dealers use to make deliver
ies to homes. The men were not
representatives of the Local or
State Boards of Health. Neither
unit makes any charge for in
spections nor do they hire people
to pump sludge from septic tanks.
“If anyone comes to your house
to pump out your septic tank,
make him show you a letter from
the Brunswick County Health De
partment stating that he has
posted the necessary bond and
has a permit to engage in this
type work”, a department repre
sentative advised this week. “If
he does not have such a permit,
do not let him do any work to
your tank. Take his vehicle li
cense number and send it to
either Sheriff E. V. Leonard, his
Continued On Page 4
County Chairman
Appoints Leaders
For Communities
Mrs. M. H. Rourk Names
Committee Heads To Car
ry March Of Dimes Cam
paign Into Every Part Of
County
SOLICITATION IN
SOUTHPORT BEGINS
Mrs. Landis G. Brown Has
Committee Members Ac
tive In City And Sur
rounding Area
The annual March of Dimes
campaign is underway in Bruns
wick county, with Mrs. M. H.
Rourk of Shallotte serving as
county chairman.
She has completed her county
wide organization, and has named
the following persons to serve as
chairmen for their respective
communities:
Mrs. William Mathews, Ash;
Mrs. Foster Mintz, Bolivia; Mrs.
Norman Bellamy, Boones Neck
and Holden Beach; Mrs. J. L.
Stone, Calabash; Mrs. Roddy
Bennett, Exum; Mrs. Anson
Smith, Freeland; Mrs. Rufus Wil
liams, Leland; Mrs. W. A. Long,
Longwood; Mrs. Norma Grissett,
Grissettown; Mrs. Enrest Stana
l'and, Hickmans Crossroads; Mrs.
E. N. Pearsall, Shallotte; Mrs.
Fred Edwards, Shallotte Point;
Mrs. L. G. Brown, Southport;
Mrs. Garland Clemmons, Supply;
Mrs. Louise Lewis, Thomasboro;
Mrs. Floyd Parker, Myrtlehead;
Mrs. Guilford Irvin, Winnabow;
C. A. Caviness, colored schools.
Already much of the work in
Southport has been completed,
with Mrs. Brown enlisting the as
sistance of a number of local
persons to help with collections.
She estimates that her job is
more than one-half done, al
though there still are some areas
of this immediate section that
Continued On Page 4
Duttons Named
\SC Farm Family
Waccamaw Township Resi
dents Designated Bruns
wick County Farm Family
Of The Year
The Brunswick County ASC
Committee, after a long and care
ful study of several of Brunswick
County’s more progressive far
mers, has selected Auburn E. Dut
ton and family of Ash as the ASC
Farm Family of the year for
Brunswick County. Their selection
for this honor was based on his
cooperation with and participation
in the many programs adminis
tered by ASC in Brunswick dur
ing 1959.
The selection of the farm family
of the year is a part of a 12
county cooperative television pro
gram which is being sponsored by
station WECT, Wilmington, and
TV Reporter Ben McDonald. The
ASC county committee in each of
the 12 participating counties will
select their most outstanding
ASC farm family of the year and
they will appear on one of Ben
McDonald’s evening news pro
grams where they will be present
ed an award by the chairman of
the county ASC committee.
Dutton is 38 years old, a na
tive of Brunswick County and
owns and operates 195 acres of fer
Continued Or. Page 4
BRUNSWICK COUNTY
.BOOKMOBILE
ARRIVES—This is the new Brunswick County Bookmobile, which made a tour
of the county on Saturday and which started its service schedule on Tuesday. Shown
at the wheel is Mrs. Susan King, acting librarian. Standing beside the vehicle are Mrs.
James M. Harper, Jr., chairman of the Library Board; Mayor Roy Robinson of South
port and H. F. Swain, chairman of the board of county commissioners.— (Huntley
Photo.)
Ports Authority
Holds Meet Here
Canning Plant
Plans Indefinite
A statement this week from
H. E. Greene, agent for the
incorporators of the Shallotte
Seafood and Canning Com
pany, made it clear that the
incorporators have not def
inately decided on the exact
location of their proposed
plant.
Greene stated that the
backers are considering the
possibility of freezing instead
of canning for human con
sumption.
Edmund Harding
Banquet Speaker
Famous Humorist Will Be
Principal Speaker At An
nual SENCBA Banquet
On February 4
Edmund H. Harding of Wash
ington will be guest speaker at
the 14th annual banquet of South
Eastern North Carolina Beach As
sociation which will be held at
the Cape Fear Country Club in
Wilmington on Friday, February
5, at 6:30 p. m. Mr. Harding,
North Carolina’s Ambassador of
Goodwill by appointment of Gov
ernor Luther H. Hodges, is well
known throughout the south as a
witty and interesting speaker.
Invitations are being sent out
this week from SENCBA's office
in Wilmington. Mrs. Alice ,McD.
Strickland, Executive Secretary,
asks that members advise the of
fice as soon as possible if they
Continued On Page 4
TIME and TIDE
By JIMMIE HARREIt
It was January 17, 1940, and the front page photos that week
showed Southport as seen from atop the Pilot Tower. One of the
shots had appeared in Life magazine during the last week. It
was learned that week that the battleship North Carolina would
not \flsit Southport for awhile—it would not be launched for
two years. While up-state folks had been shivering under wintery
blasts, local people hgd been planting shrubbery, flowers and
citrus plants; the basketball scoreboard showed that the Bolivia
girls and Leland boys were leading the county league (only one
game had been played by either); and Long Beach was expected
to receive REA power for the first time in the spring.
In Not Exactly that week, Maxie Cooker had explained how to
locate mullets in cold weather: feel for them with the oars;
Julius, the Orton handyman, had hatched 11 alligators, using his
kitchen stove as incubator; and the Finch Bandwagon, playing
for a private dance in Southport on Thursday, was soon to go
on the road for a one night tour.
It was January 17, 1945, and a front page editorial that week
urged readers to participate in the upcoming March of Dimes
drive. Jim Ferger, manager of the Orton Nursery, had recently
been elected vice-president of the state nursery association; Rice
Gwyn, W. J. McLamb and J. H. Milligan had received the Rov
ing Reporter's nomination for the largest tobacco producers in
the county; and Emma Lou Harrelson, on leave from the
WACES, was visiting home.
Miss Charlene Newton had just celebrated a birthday (num
ber not specified). Among those attending the party were Mary
Continued On Page Four
5 Session Follows Dinner Hon
oring Authority Members
And Other Visitors Mon
day Evening
PROSPECTS GOOD
FOR DEVELOPMENT
Optimistic Note Sounded
By Chairman John M.
Reaves And Others Who
Spoke To Group
~ AirTjptrrnistte- note was sounded
by members of the State Ports
Authority and officials of that or
ganization at a dinner and busi
ness meeting held in Southport
Monday evening.
It was the first official meet
ing of that body ever to be held
in Brunswick county.
During an information session
following the dinner at the Com
munity Building, Senator S. Bunn
Frink presided and called upon
Chairman John M. Reaves for a
statement.
Mr. Reaves spoke of the recent
industry hunt carried on by a
group of interested North Caro
linians in Europe and declared
that he considered the most en
couraging single aspect of that
venture to be the prospect for
greater port business for North
Carolina. He expressed the hope
that it will be possible to divert
one of these prospects to this
area of the State.
The Ports Authority Chairman
made it clear that he and his
group consider North Carolina
ports to be a State asset, and
that they consider all ports im
portant for the service for which
they are best suited.
“We have a job to do to edu
cate the people of North Carolina
to think in terms of what port
Continued On Page 5
Episcopal Women
Form Committees
Important New Projects Are
Being Carried Out By
Ladies Of St. Phillips In
Southport
Taking a cue from Congress,
the Episcopal women of St. Phil
lip’s Church have gone into com
mittee operation and while the
committees function quietly in
the background, the ladies of the
church are free to apply them
selves to more actual work for
the church.
This week, for example, the
sewing machines began to turn
out fluffs of heart-shaped aprons
destined for local sale for Valen
tine Day. Non-sewing members
are taking orders for special pies
or cakes that husbands may take
home to their wives for Valen
tine day and thus spare their
sweethearts the chore of desert
cooking.
Any men wishing to place or
ders may call either 7-6140 or
7-4191, according to Mrs. William
Mace, president of the group.
Chairman of the committees
who are seeing that such work
may continue unimpeded by de
tails through the year are: Mrs.
Joseph W. Ryne, devotional; Mrs.
Frances Key and Mrs. Thomas
W. Clarkson, programs; Mrs.
Continued On Page 2
R. N. McCRAY
McCray Speaker
At Lions Meet
Director Of Boys Home At
Lake Waccamaw Will Be
Ladies Night Speager To
morrow (Thursday ) Night
The Southport Lions Club will
be host Thursday evening to the
annual Zone Meeting and Ladies
Night, and speaker for this oc
casion will be R. N. McCray, di
rector of Boys Home, Lake Wac
camaw.
Time of the meeting will be
7:30 o’clock, and the place will
be the Community Building.
An interesting program has
been prepared for this event. Dis
trict Governor James Crowe was
invited, but due to prior committ
ments will be unable to attend.
However, a number of other im
portant Lions Club officials will
be present.
Mr. McCray, the speaker, is a
former head football coach at
Williams and Mary, where he
also was a member of the faculty.
He is known as an interesting
speaker, and the story of Boy’s
Home is one that is dear to his
heart.
Since the Lions organization
has agreed to help finance certain
improvements this year at the
Lake Waccamaw project, it is im
portant that they have a first
hand opportunity to find out
more about the project.
Bids Received
For Maintenance
Norfolk Dredging Company
Low Bidder For Dredging
Operations, Sunny Point
Basin
Two Norfolk firms were low
bidders here today on two dreg
ing jobs totaling over 2,500,000
cu. yds. of material.
The Norfolk Dredging Company
was low bidder at $353,550 for
2,000,000 cu. yds. of maintenance
dredging at the Sunny Point
Army Terminal near Southport to
restore project depth of 34 feet.
The Atkinson Dredging Com
pany submitted the low offer of
$233,000 for some 000,000 cu. yds.
of maintenance dredging in the
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
between the Neuse River and Lit
tle River, S. C., to restore project
depth of 12 feet.
The bids were opened by Col.
R. P. Davidson, District Engineer
of the Corps of Engineers District
Continued On Page 4
Bookmobile On
First Tour Of
County Points
Shakedown Tour Conduc
ted Saturday With Inter
ested Citizens Seeing New
Vehicle For First Time
REGULAR SCHEDULE
IS BEGUN TUESDAY
This Marks First Service Of
This Kind Ever Offered
Residents Of Brunswick
County
The first official route com
mittments for the Brunswick
county bookmobile were filled
Tuesday, when Mrs. Susan King,
librarian, covered the Leland
route.
People along that route, as well
as those in other sections of the
county, had an opportunity Satur
day to see the bookmobile as it
made a “shakedown cruise’’.
First stop for the bookmobile
was Leland post office. Among
those who inspected the rolling
library 'facility was Mrs. Phyllis
Bergeron, who lives a few miles
from Leland and whose husband
is employed at Riegel paper plant.
Mrs. Bergeron has been using the
Columbus County Bookmobile and
is very pleased that Brunswick
County now has one for her to
use. “We need one”, said Mrs.
Bergeron, and her son, Jerry, age
14, seemed to agree, as he was
most interested in looking over
the books.
At Leland also was Professor
Homer Thomas, principal of the
Leland School, who made arrange
ments with Mrs. King to have
his teachers check out 10 books
for a particular unit on which
they were working with their stu
dents. Mr. and Mrs. G. T. Rourk
were also interested in the new
service. “I’ll tell everybody about
it stopping here”, said Mr. Rourk.
His son, Johnny, 8% years old,
wanted a book on Alaska, and
Mrs. King will get it for him.
W. E. Russ, who works in the
laboratory at Armour, was an
other interested . visitor to the
bookmobile there.
Second stop was Bolivia, where
it was met by Douglas Hawes,
member of the library board, ap
pointed by the county commis
sioners. Mrs. Carl Willetts, who
only recently moved here from
New York state, expressed great
anticipation of the use of the
bookmobile and Miss Bessie Wil
letts, who formerly helped with
the library at Bolivia School, waa
another interested visitor. Others
who looked over the large selec
tion of books were Mrs. Annie
F. Williams, Mrs. N. C. Darnell
and daughter, Linda, James John
son, who operates the “Green and
White Motel”, and Mrs. Sherwood
Johnson.
Stopping next at Shallotte, the
bookmobile was visited by Mrs.
Earnest Parker; Dykes Hewett, of
the Shady Park Service Station,
who said “It’s a credit to Bruns
wick County; we’ve needed this
bookmobile for a long time.” Carl
Andrews, E. H. Kirby, Mrs. E. M.
Bellamy, who was glad to learn
that the bookmobile will stop
very close to her home in Boone’s
Neck on one of its rounds, and
Gayla Milligan were other vis
itors.
At Thomasboro the bookmobile
was met by a large group of
young men, who looked over the
books and checked some out. Mr.
and Mrs. H. H. Pierce were also
interested in the fact that the
bookmobile will stop there every
three weeks.
At Soldier Bay Church the
bookmobile had its greatest wel
Continued On Page 2
Tide Table
Following; to the tide table
for Southport during the next
week. Theee 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 TMi
Thursday, January 21,
7:21 A. M. 0:48 A. M.
7:41 P. M. 1:03 P. M.
Friday, January 22,
8:29 A. M. 1:54 A. M.
8:46 P. M. 2:08 P. M.
Saturday, January 23,
9:37 A. M. 3:02 A. M.
9:52 P. M. 3:17 P. M.
Sunday, January 24,
10:43 A. M. 4:09 A. M.
10:56 P. M. 4:23 P. M.
Monday, January 25,
11:43 A. M. 5:12 A. M.
11:54 P. M. 5:26 P. M.
Tuesday, January 26,
12:38 A. M. 6:12 A. M.
. p. m. 6:26 P. M.
Wednesday, January 27,
12:50 A. M. 7:08 A. M.
1:31 P. M. 7:22 P. M.