EDITORIALS:
BIG-STICK TEDDY DID IT
Wherever he is, President Teddy
Roosevelt would have satisfaction in
knowing that the greatest single pro
motion he fostered while President—the
Panama Canal—continues to be a thriv
ing development, conceived mainly for
defense but also to serve commercial
enterprises.
In 1961 the canal provided passage
for 11,064 vessels carrying more than
60,000,000 long tons of cargo for a toll
charge of over $55 million. This was a
new record and the sixth year that suc
ceeding new records had been set.
Although the canal is said to be cap
able of handling all vessels requesting
passage until 1980, plans are underway
now to rehabilitate the locks and strai
ghten out bends in the land cuts to
accommodate larger vessels of the fu
ture.
Already, the Panama Canal com
pany has bought 39 electric towing
locomotives from Japan to replace the
existing electric “mules” which have
been in service since the canal wras
opened to world traffic in 1914. The
“mules” tow ships into and out of the
locks. Depth of the canal is to be in
creased from 42 to 47 feet, and lights
will be installed along the banks to aid
night navigation.
Soft-voice and big-stick Teddy pur
chased the unfinished project from
France in 1902 for $40 million. France’s
De Lesseps started the job in the early
1880’ but a multitude of problems in
cluding yellow fever made the venture
a failure.
Mr. Roosevelt, recognizing the strate
gic value of the short route between
the Atlantic and Pacific, and perhaps
the greatest for surmounting difficult
undertakings, called in General Goeth
als, an Army Engineer, to direct con
struction, and General Gorgas, an Army
medical officer, to battle disease plag
ues principallp yellow fever. It was a
stupendous task but with Teddy wield
ing political power and Goethals and
Goras handling technical assignments,
the canal became a reality at a cost of
many millions of dollars and a mini
mum loss of lives. Measured by any
standard, Teddy Roosevelt’s Panama
Canal towers among the world’s great
est achievements.
MISS AMERICA
For one of the few times in the his
tory of North Carolina, its people, we
would say, are united from Manteo to
Murphy in one collective acclaim: Miss
Maria Beale Fletcher of Asheville is
Miss America for 1962.
Tar Heels are happy and rightly so.
Miss Fletcher carried the state banner
at Atlantic City with dignity and win
ning composure. Some of her closest
competitors may have portrayed a mite
more glamour and enticing charm, but
for depth of talent and stately reserve,
the 19-year-old brunette with hazel
eyes was the logical choice.
Miss Fletcher is Miss America for
the coming 12 months, but she’s more
than that; she’s North Carolina’s am
bassador of good will and we are all
proud of her, for her, and for her
state.
COURTS MUST GET TOUGH, TOO
Rise to peak efficiency and get tough
with speeders are objectives Governor
Sanford feels the Highway patrol must
achieve in the battle to reduce traffic
fatalities on the highways.
Then the Governor adds that we
should adopt the New England slogan
of “Speeders Lose Licenses.” He says
speed is the big killer and there is
where the crackdown should come.
Enforcement of the law ends with ar
rest and that is the end of the patrol’s
obligation. The courts take over from
there. But the responsibility is joint,
says the Governor. Little is gained
when the patrol does its job and courts
fail in dispensing proper and justified
judgment.
Carry the “get tough” policy one step
farther over into the courts and we will
be getting somewhere. Otherwise the
slaughter will go on unhindered and
unchallenged.
SPRING TONIC, FALL FEAST
Yes, we admit a propensity for them,
about twice a season, and we’ve been
waiting to hear that beckoning call:
“They’re running.’’
The reference is to the September
October mullet, popeyes they go popu
larly, but not a word has come forth
that folk along the beach, their pants
rolled knee-hight with net and whale
boat, are out after the finny fellow’s on
the fall run.
Like a couple or rounds of pokeweed
greens in the spring, nothing is so sati
ating to the seafood gourmet’s taste as
a mess or so of popeyes when the tinge
of fall is in the air.
Served with the finest china and
sterling, or from tinplate on the beach,
they can’t be beat when a fellow is
hungry with a popeye yen.
Prepared as a muddle with alternate
layers of fillets and yams, broiled with
the scales on and down, barbecued on
a board slanting over glowing coals,
baked wrapped in foil, or fried brown
over a beach fire, there’s no substitute
for a mullet fattened on delicacies of
the deep.
NIXON DECISION DUE SEPTEMBER 23
Although it appears not to be his
personal choice, former Vice President
Richard Nixon is expected to be a can
didate in 1962 for the Governor of Cali
fornia post, and he has intimated that
he will make the acceptance announce
ment September 23. Reports have it
that he has been told that if he expects
to be the Republican candidate for
president in 1964, he has got to win
back California for his party in 1962.
This is a mighty big risk for Mr. Nix
on and the stakes are high. If he wins
in California next year it is the opinion
of wise heads that the victory will fire
The State Port Pilot
Published Every Wednesday
Southport, N. C.
JAMES M. HARPER, JR. Editor
Sintered as second-class matter April 20, 1928
at the Post Office at Southport, N. C., and
other Post Offices, under the Act
of March 3, 1879.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Brunswick and Adjoining Counties
and Service Men . $2.00 per year
Six Months . $1.50
Elsewhere in United States — $3.00
Per Year;—6 Month* _ $2.00
Democrats with a determination to
keep the state in the Democratic fold
in the next presidential election. On the
contrary, if Mr. Nixon fails to unseat
California’s Governor Brown, the Nixon
political career, nationally, will be at
the collapsing point.
Gov. Brown is said to be well entren
ched and his chances of retaining his
job are regarded good.
The former vice-president has demon
strated that he is not one to falter when
the stakes are high, so it will be inter
esting, first, to get his September 23
decision and, second, to follow his pro
gress in the race for governor of Cali
fornia.
NIKITA’S ‘FIRESIDE
GHAT’ A THREAT
'* Mr. Krushchev continues to stand on
his hind legs. He’s so well heeled in
manpower and so puffed up over scien
tific advancements that little else can
be expected. If he were the least bit
trustworthy, perhaps the Western pow
ers would agree on proposals to settle
the Berlin issue, but past experience
does not indicate that the Russian lead
er will keep his word.
In his most recent tirade, Mr. Kru
shchev says he does not intend to bloc
kade West Berlin and is willing to sit
down and talk amicably about the pro
blem.
“Go ’Way! I Didn’t Like Your Sister
And I Don’t Like You!”
Time and Tide
Continued From Page One
year of our Lord 1946 was about a tanker which had suffered a
serious fire aboard. The ship was heading here to discharge the
bodies of four dead members of the crew and to place injured
seasen in the local hospital. Announcement also was made of a
competetive examination to fill the position of postmaster at
Southport. Meanwhile, nine candidates had taken the examination
to fill the vacancy in the postoffice at Shallotte.
There was further talk of a new ocean inlet near Carolina
Beach, with a public hearing being set; a cloudburst that dumped
11-inches of rain on the town overnight had caused severe dam
age to city streets; and the editor had gone to bat for the city
fathers, had urged the people to give them time to get out of the
mess they were in because of the storm.
The time was September 19, 1951, and advance forces from
Shaw Field had arrived in Southport to begin work of preparing
headquarters for the air-sea rescue unit that was to be based
here. Ernest E. Parker, Jr., of Shallotte had been admitted to the
Brunswick County Bar at ceremonies presided over by Judge
Walter L. Bone during Superior Court on Monday of that week.
On the fishing front, there was an experimental tuna fishing
expedition making experiments off-shore from Southport; two
men had been rescued from drowning when their automobile ran
off Highway No. 17 at Harris Swamp; and the editor was urg
ing local citizens to do something about furnishing the housing
needs of the Air Force personnel and future Sunny Point em
ployees.
Five years ago today Southport was drying out from the
soaking that had come as the result of Hurricane Flossie. That
had been the only local trouble from this tropical disturbance.
The charterboat skippers, who had been having a miserable time
with the weather, managed to get in a couple of days before
this unwelcomed visitor passed nearby, and the report was that
fishing would be good when /and if the weather was.
There was a front page piece telling of the extracurricular acti
vities of the spotter plane for Brunswick Navigation Co. It had
proved to be a big help for sports fishermen that fall, with pilot
Hall Waters issuing fishing bulletins through his power mega
phone. There also were reports of good red snapper fishing off
shore.
Letters To
Editor
Cerro Gordo, N. C.
Sept. 11, 1961
Editor,
State Port Pilot,
Southport, N. C.
Dear Sir:
Since I am a teacher in another
county, I have a few simple words
to say. I am not afraid to speak
because I have nothing to lose.
I have already lost everything.
As I packed my school material
I found in one of your Brunswick
County hand books of 1957-1958
this quotation, “Education is a
debt due from the present genera
tion to the future generation,”
by George Peabody.
Why is our debt to the future
generation often forgotten ? Sure
ly our children are our most
valuable possessions. No one
knows this more than the fathers
and mothers. They want the best
for their children always. Why
can't we stop and take inventory
of ourselves? We should remem
ber that unless a thing is morally
right it is never politically right.
I taught my first 3 years in Co
lumbus County with one of Bruns
wick County's truly great and
noble sons, the late C. C. Russ.
He was a credit to Brunswick
County along with numbers of
other extraordinary county people.
The things I remember most
about him as a teacher was his
true sincerely and honesty. He
won the admiration of his people.
Later when he was made County
Superintendent he did not stop
his good work, but pushed for
ward with renewed stress.
Jewell I. White
Mrs. Edna Caruso
Dies In Illinois
Mrs. Edna Elizabeth Caurso,
39 of Springfield, 111., formerly
of Leland, died Thursday morn
ing after a brief illness.
Final rites were held Sunday
at 3 p. m. from the graveside at
Mintz Cemetery in Brunswick
County by the Rev. W. G. Phelps.
Survivors include her husband,
John Caurso of Springfield; a
daughter, Miss Georgia Caurso,
Springfield; her mother, Mrs.
Flossie Mae Mintz, Leland; three
brothers, Bill and Floyd Watson
and Donly Skipper. Jr., all of
Wilmington; and three sisters,
Mrs. Doris Smith, Mrs. Evelyn
Lehrschall and Miss Shirley Skip
per, all of Leland.
Active pallbearers were Law
AMBULANCE Ph. GL 7-6161
GILBERT'S FUNERAL SERVICE
GILBERT’S MUTUAL BURIAL ASSOCIATION
P.O. BOX 94 SOUTHPORT, N. C.
rence Smith, W. C. Mintz, Tom
Mintz, L. R. Skipper, Harold
Williams and W. E. Benton.
Not Exactly News
Seldom has Southport been more hurricane conscious than during
the first tv/o days of this week. Not only was memory of last
year’s Donna still fresh in the minds of local persons, but many
had spent anxious hours worrying about relatives and friends in
Texas only last week. So it is that the all-clear which came
through last night at about &:30 o’clock was more than welcome.
. . . The other day we saw a visiting lady parading down the
street with three tinted poodles on leash and we thought this
was a rare and strange sight for our community. But no less so
than the picture of the local natron who paraded through the
principal streets of our town late Monday afternoon leading a
baby Shetland pony.
We didn’t see him, but. we heard Tuesday that Capt. Howard
Victor was in Southport. He is well remembered here as skipper
of the Cadet, charter boat which operated out of this harbor for
several years ... A strange and beautiful fall flower has made
its appearance this week. Spider lilies are in tjloom . . . Another
fall note is that pyracantha berries are turning red.
One result of a hurricane threat is the accelerated sale of flash
light batteries, candles, kerosene and sterno—for heating, that
is . . . Clearing of undergrowth on the canal alongside highway
No. 133 in the Waccamaw River Swamp opens up the view of
this interesting body of water . . . Good farmers are busy this
week cutting in stalks and breaking tobacco land . . .
All season long the seafood dealers and men engaged in shrim
ping for a living have been anxiously awaiting a good run of
shrimp. Now they have been joined in this feeling of concern by
local residents, who not only have not been able to put any
away in their freezers, but most of whom have not been able to
secure a reasonably regular supply for table use this summer.
.... In going through the county this morning we saw a couple
of places where farm families were out in the front yard string
ing a spot r,et. There’s sport and there’s profit in gill-netting
for these fish.
The thought occurrs to us that (*ne result of the hurricane’s
threat may be to bring in a big tide this afternoon, which just
happens to be the first day of the marsh hen season . . . “Tam
my Tell Me True” is the weekend- show at the Amuzu here in
Southport . . . Down at Holiday Drive-In “Green Helmet” is
playing Sunday-Monday-Tuesday . . . And don’t forget the foot
ball game here Friday night!
Staking and surveying on 3,440
feet of drain tile was recently
completed on the farm of W. B.
Buffkin. This tile will be installed
in the very near future. Buffkin
states that a 3,200 feet tile sys
tem installed in the fall of 1960
paid for itself this tobacco sea
son.
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