Newspapers / State Port Pilot (Southport, … / Dec. 27, 1961, edition 1 / Page 10
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finswick Between Bookends By Eugene Fallon E RECLUSE. By Come Blackmon. A pamphlet subtitle, Hermit of i its wick. 62 pp. Privately Jbted about 1892 in Rich l>nd. Va. in off-beat little tale, purport h about one Plato Clay, unmar Mi white citizen of Brunswick So inhabited roughly that region fing west of Holden Beach. One cannot help but wonder if Blackmon were writing straight, or allowing his imagination full play. The story opens with the author timber-cruising in the pine barrens of lower Brunswick. The time is the early 1870’s. Black mon takes many and varied cuts at what he found in North Caro lina. Its residents, writes the author, “were quite backward and practically unschooled.” There were other things about Lower Eastern North Carolina with which the Virginian found fault. The food was poorly prepared and (he says) “sanitation is al most non-existent.” If, indeed, Blackmon did en counter a "bearded scarecrow of a man” (Plato Clay) living “half in and half out of a hollow tree, with only some brush and marsh grasses added in a sort of lean to affair against the trunk of the tree” the reader suspects that he fastened upon his discovery with something approaching glee. At least the author is unsparing of Clay. We find not only “a matt ed growth of unkempt hair, filthy beyond description,” but “a set of yellowed and snaggled teeth 3. 4. 6. 8. 31. 14. 6. 10. ir>. 23. 24. 26. 27. 28 1. STATEMENT sterling MUTUAL COBLESKILt, N. ¥. AS8ETS Bonds .. Stocks .. Mortgage loans on real estate ... Real Estate ....................1...... Cash and bank deposits .]. Agents’ balances or uncollected 'Dremlum«""n>7"""“'.' Reinsurance recoverable on loss payments . Interest, dividends and real estate income due and accrued Total admitted Assets: ... LIABILITIES. SURPLUS AND OTHER FUNDS Rosses unpaid . IjOss adjustment expenses unpaid . Contingent commissions and other simiiar charges ZZ’. Other expenses (excluding taxes, licenses and fees) 715.54U.64 59.320.00 5.785.67 77,188.42 139,807.95 164,653.78 34,980.52 4,047.15 $1.201.330.13 138,618.31 10,746.63 28.20 Taxes, licenses and fees (exclud ing Federal income taxes) . Underwriting Investment $ 989.48 Underwriting Investment Federal income taxes .. Unearned premiums . . vnXimfi».°J !lilbmty and compensation statutory and. voluntary reserves over case and loss expense reserves • otal liabilities . Special surplus funds: . ««o gi< M UnasJgned funds (surplus) ." 187 199 72 Surplus as regards policyholders TOTAL . . «»■ 12,059.40 11.366.18 523,549.56 33,838.27 $ 731,186.03 470,144.10 $1,201,330.13 20. 3(1. . $45,661.23 . 10,177.69 . 18.36 . 2,964.18 . 42.963.74 . $101,775.20 Secretary Kevin B Net Losses Net Premium $ 13,664.67 14,499.88 $ 360.17 14.001.88 42,516.60 Lynch Fi re . Extended coverage ... Other allied lines ... Inland marine .ZZ. Auto pliys. damage . . Total ....ZZZ. President Donald L. Ryder Home oT^elT^msM ctitkm N. V, oinej lor service :Chas F. Gold, Commissioner of Insurance, Raleigh, N.C 1 ° H CAROLINA INSURANCE DEPARTMENT above iV'^true am^co^rert'lbsRact0©!\Te Ttat* rto 'hereb.v^ceatify that ih Witness my hand and nffiZi the, 3:?‘ dJ*y of December. 1960. (REAL) - ana and official seal, the day and date above written. Fire and|or Casualty Abstract CHARLES F. GOLD Commissioner of Insurant; ferocious to behold” on the head and in the mouth of the hermit. Perhaps by exerting the pro verbial ' charm of a Virginia gentleman, Blackman writes that he slowly won the corifidence of the eccentric Clay; and that strange caricature began to con fide in him (Blackmon) “the secret and twisted thoughts of the subnormal human mind.” Thus we leam that Plato Clay was not always anti-social. Plato lived, according to Blackmon any way, “the usual dull life of a backwoods dolt” right up to the time they wished to induct him into the ranks of the Gray Plato admits that he had "not the $300 necessary to keep me from soldiering.” In fact Plato adds, somewhat unnecessarily as it were, that “I had not that much money in my whole life.” And so Plato took to the woods. But why, in heaven’s name, a tree ? Blackmon answers that question: “I couldn’t trust these here scoundrels around,” Plato tells him. “They wood have tum’t me in for a little bit,” and he figured he could live unob served with the animals; per fectly willing to risk the peril of squirrels nut-hunting. Blackmon is suddenly called back to civilization (i.e. Rich mond) however, and we are forced to leave Plato Clay up in a tree. Here, we would think, is a splendid lead for historians. A small safari might . even today penetrate the woodlands lying be tween Holden Beach and the much-traveled U. S. Highway 17, in search of some bleached bones and several long hanks of hair, lying in or near a blasted tree as empty as the dreams of poor Plato Clay. Waterfront Continued From Page 1 and cut two trees, and we had traveled only a short distance when we discovered that we had taken on quite a burden. The car was a full half-mile away, and the going was rough. Then through an opening in the woods we saw a boat which A Patriot And A Statesim Continued From Page 1 sources, pouring good money af ter bad, as if the securities had no end. The money chambers emptied anon, and still the stub born Smith fought recklessly against ruin. Came the day when nothing was left. Nothing at all. And like wolves came the land sharks and the userers, slavering, snapping at the heels of he whom only yesterday was a hero. Poor Smith. Not long before the final indignity was thrust upon him, he remarked plaintive ly: “If they will only give me time, I will salvage my holdings and repay every last dollar I owe them.” But it was not to be. They came for Benjamin Smith one De cember day. Came for an old man, living in a house that was no longer his; and carried him, pro tesing bitterly, off to a jail situated in a town named in his honor! Smith was 74. He had, although he mercifully did not realize it, but a month to live. And die he did, on January 8, 1826, in a cell like a common felon. Perhaps Smith, a college man, recalled the lines written by William Shakespeare, of Julius Caeser, which went: “When the noble Brutus to him stabbed, ingratitude then burst his mighty heart, and he fell . . The charge against Benjamin Smith, former state governor? "Indebtedness” they called it. And it was in debtor’s prison that death claimed him, right in Smithville. The history books say that he “was seized with a vio lent fever which carried him off in hours.” But was it truly fever? Did shame and the memory of man’s perfidy play no part in had come up one of the creeks, and investigation showed that it was from Southport and had sev eral cedars aboard. A bright idea struck us: We left our trees near where the boat was moored and wrote a message in the mud ask ing whoever owned the boat to please bring our trees to South port with him when he came. Thus relieved of our burden— but not of the pressing obligation to bring home a tree—we came back to town to await develop ments. We made our way to the yacht basin, and a short time later Leon McKeithan came out of the inland waterway and up to his dock. Included in his cargo were our two Christmas trees, special delivery! NOTICE! NOTICE! ONLY CALL FOR TAXES I will be at the places cited below at the time designated for the Purpose of Collecting 1961 Taxes. PAY NOW AND SAVE COSTS Town Creek Township, Friday, January 5th D. H. HAWES & SONS—Bolivia ... A. P. HENRY STORE—Winnabow SKIPPERS (S&W Grocery)—Lanvale 10:00 A. M. to 10:30 A. M. 10:45 A. M. to 11:15 A. M. . 12:00 Noon to 12:30 P. M. North West Township, Friday, January 9th APPLEWHITE’S STORE—Maco LEO MEDLIN’S STORE—Hood Creek CHINNIS STORE—Leland LELAND POST OFFICE .. NAVASSA POST OFFICE ... 9:30 A. M. to 10:00 A. M. 10:15 A. M. to 10:45 A. M. 11:15 A. M. to 11:45 A. M. ... 12:30 P. M. to 1:00 P. M. . 1:15 P. M. to 2:15 P. M. Shallotte Township, Wednesday, January 10th IVEY HIGH STORE—Calabash HICKMAN’S STORE—Hickman s X Roads JOHN WARDS STORE—Longwood . SANDERS PARKER STORE~~Grissettown 10:00 A. M. to 10:30 A. M. 11:00 A. M. to 11:30 A. M. 11:45 A. M. to 12:15 P. M. 12:30 P. M. to 1:00 P. M. Waccamaw Township, Thursday, January 11th RODDY BENNETT’S STORE—Exum RANDOLPH LONG STORE—Ash ... ERNEST MILLIGAN STORE—Ash ... 10:00 A. M. to 10:30 A. M. 11:00 A. M. to 11:30 A. M. 11:45 A. M. to 12:30 P. M. Lockwoods Folly Township, Friday, January 12th GALLOWAY’S STORE—Varnumtown . BUD TINDALL’S STORE—Silver Hill C. ELWOOD FULFORD STORE—Supply, Rt. R E. BELLAMY’S STORE—Shallotte J. M. PARKER’S STORE—Supply . 10:00 A. M. to 10:30 A. M. 11:00 A. M. to 11:30 A. M. 11:45 A. M. to 12:15 P. M. .. 1:15 P. M. to 2:30 P. M. ... 2:45 P. M. to 3:15 P. M. Payments May Be Made At Office In Southport Now! D. H. HAWES, Tax Collector For Brunswick County Southport, N. C. this man’s suddei leave this questioi er to examine in And they wouli the corpse its lib( a law on the hoc pulsive bit of le| combined the moi archaic nunances early English la: and pitiless pro’ body of a debtor] claimed by relal for burial, unles: were paid with the amount of ii law, needless to since been strickei of all civilized m The drama ol Benjamin Smith run out. One moi and it was full; Lanterns in a g: ried hole in the a few whispered black of the nigl Smith disappeare< of men. This came ab< of his briends, lei death, hastened Smithville. Bribii they carried through the darl stop until they cemetery. John D. Bella: oirs of an Octog< ed in 1942 at the following of |hat last, mei through which tj of North Carolii men was carried:’ Ising? I y.ch read fcrt. |en allow jiere was jn, a re in which IIless and I found in ' senseless |that the not be friends | creditors security jtss. Such I has long Ithe books l-dramatic not quite remained, Character. a hur of earth, jrs in the 5 Benjamin the view |en a few nf Smith’s jail at turnkey ise away id did not the old iis "Mem publish :e, renders t account adventure ise of one andest old “Early in li Smithville, convd Mary Elizabeth er of Kate Stud fame. She toldl years before shej on her porch, wt splendid looking proached, and id as R. Barnwelij Charleston, Sot asked if she cod assistance in loc| his brother, Go Smith. She told I could; she coul identical spot; s| ed bury him. was in with Mrs. ■the moth Brunswick that many |been sitting rell-dressed, itleman ap ced himself ;tt, Jr., of arolina. He jive him any the grave of ir Benjamin she certainly low him the ihe had help Mr. nnett fjfoyea several negroes to excfc the grave, located in thacid Smithville Cemetery, but bones, and the could not be identified. Mrs. eceived during Stopped the wo; flour-sifter from returned, and c, only a few rt, remember how often si lad heard the overnor compla if pain in his Ift side caused 1 . bullet he had the memory |imin.” to tell. R. in reality, brother to brother in left Orton rage with "had cheat - ible holding, still in a llianged his [ironic foot I: Benjamin |ar Between miboat had I Old Bruns dislodge a fete riflemen [ricked walls which to I and troop |er. One of Benjamin rial. admirer probed the duel, suddenly Procuring a er home, she illy sifted the ashes of the grj Finally she found the flat, lejbullet, on the left side of the rjldered coffin. Mr. Rhett had A remains re moved to St. PhilB: Churchyard, at Old Brunswick Ji n, and plac ed a marble slab of his brother, Bi There is little r Barnwell Rhett \< James Smith, you Benjamin. Like temperament, he Plantation in a g: Benjamin, who he si ed” him of the val Reaching Cnarlesti fury1, James had name and had gonjon to make his own personal Jr tune. There is yet anot note to the saga Smith. During the the States, a Union shelled the ruins wick Town, trying company of Confedi who were using the as a bulwark froi worry federal shipi movements on the the shells smashe Smith’s marble me Many years later of Governor Smith ruins and succeeded i^finding the smashed memorial, painstaking work uncovered the Arts of the inscribed memorial. Amd the Ma sons of Southport in 11917 raised a new memorial ov« the spot once guarded by Jaimes Smith’s labor of brotherly lovi Thus ends the story |>f Benjam in Smith. If any govelnor of the great state of North Carolina ever had such a drsknatic and seesaw career, I have jet to read of it. A little cooking flavor to black bean with a slice of lemon hard-cooked egg. sh s: try adds p. Garnish i rid one of SC 111 I Distributed In This Area B] Electric Bottling Co., Inc. WILMINGTON, N. C. 1961 TAX LISTING NOTICE List Your Reol and Personal Property Starting Tuesday, Jan. 2nd, 1962. All property owners and tax payers are required by law to return to the List Taker for Taxation for the year 1962, all the Real Estate, Personal Property, Etc., which they own on the first day of January. Be Sure To Bring A Complete List Of Your Personal Property. All male persons between the ages of 21 and 50 years must list for Poll Tax during the same time, except those exempt by law for physical disability. All persons to whom the foregoing applies who fail to list their Real and Personal Property, and/or Poll Tax will be guilty of a Misdemeanor and subject to a fine or imprisonment upon conviction. NORTHWEST TOWNSHIP, E. W. Aycock, Lister January 2, 10 A. M. to 5 P. M. Perkin’s Store—Northwest January 4, 10 A. M. to 5 P. M. Navassa Grocery January 8, 10 A. M. to 5 P. M. Herbert Brew’s Store January 10, 10 A. M. to 5 P. M. Leo Medlin’s Store January 12, 10 A. M. to 5 P. M. Applewhite's Store—Maco January 15, 10 A. M. to 5 P. M. Leland Postoffice January 17, 2 P. M. to 6 P. M. L. & M. Grocery—Woodburn January 19, 2 P. M. to 6 P. M. Forest William’s Store Leland Grocery Each Tuesday Evening 6 P. M. to 9 P. M. through Jan. TOWN CREEK TOWNSHIP, Raymond Earp, Lister January 1 . Home January 2 ..... Lofton Lewis January 3 . South Bound January 4 . Bige Bowling January 5 . Pete's Place (River Road) January 6 . Douglas Hawes January 8 . E. O. Rabon January 9 . Johnnie Mills January 10. Bishops January 11 . Pen Benton January 12 .. Phelp’s Esso January 13 . A. P. Henry January 15 . Skipper & White January 16 . Andy's Esso January 17 . Clark’s (Orton) ALL APPOINTMENTS START AT 1:00 P. M.—UNTIL SMITHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Carl Ward, Lister January 1, At Midway from 9 A. M. to 11:30 A. M. January 2, and Each Week Day Except Saturday During January At Tax Office 9 A. M. to 4:30 P. M. January 6, Saturday, 9 A. M. to 11 A. M.Mrs. Arnold’s Store January 13, Saturday, 9 A. M. to 11:30 A. M. Cox’s Store Bldg. January 20, Saturday, 9 A. M. to 11 A. M.-Howell Point-Faircloths Store AT HOME EACH SATURDAY 4 P. M. to 5 P. M. LOCKWOOD FOLLY TOWNSHIP, Kenneth Hewett, Lister January 2, 9:00 A. M. to 12:00 Noon. W. E. Bellamy’s Store January 2, 1:00 P. M. to 6:00 P. M. Bud Tindall's Store January 3, 9:00 A. M. to 6:00 P. M. Newman Fulford's Store January 4, 9:00 A. M. to 6:00 P. M. Harry Galloway’s Store January 5, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. . Cedar Grove Store January 6, 9:00 A. M. to 6:00 P. M. . R. E. Bellamy & Sons January 8, 9:00 A. M. to 6:00 P. M.Woody's Station January 9, 9 A. M. to 6:00 P. M. Red Bug Grocery January 10, 9 A. M. to 6 P. M..J. E. Kirby’s Store January 11, 9 A. M. to 6 P. M. Oak Ridge Station January 12, 9:00 A. M. to 6:00 P. M. Community Service Center January 13, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M.R. E. Bellamy & Sons January 15, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. Bud Tindall's Store January 16, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. Newman Fulford’s Store January 17, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. Cedar Grove Store January 18, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. Oak Ridge Station January 19, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M.Community Service Center January 20, 9:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. R. E. Bellamy & Sons SHALLOTTE TOWNSHIP, J. B. Ward, Jr., Lister January 2, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Parker Store—Grissettown January 3, 12 Noon to 4 P. M.Aaron McLamb—Thomasboro january 4, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Ivy High Store—Calabash January 5, 12 Noon to 4 P. M.A. D. Long’s Store—Thomasboro January 6, 13, and 20, 9 A. M. to 1 P. M.Washam, Warlick & Harrelson Co. January 9, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Anchor Hotel—Village Point January 10, 9 to 4 P. M.The Gift Shop—Ocean Isle January 11, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. John Todds Store-—Sauspan January 15, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M.Wallace Hickman's Store January 16, 9 A. M. to 11 A. M.Summersette Store January 17, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M.The Ward Co.—Longwood ALL OTHER TIMES AT HOME. WACCAMAW TOWNSHIP, Odell Jenrette, Uster January 2, 9 A. M. to 1 P. M.Camp Branch Church January 3, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Roddie Bennett's Store January 4, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. W. B. Evans Home January 5, 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. L. C. Babson's Store January 8, 9 A. M. to 4 Pt M.D. E. Simmons January 9, 1 P. M. to 4 P. M... Frank D. Inman's January 10, 9 A. M. to 1 P. M. Pearl Jones Store January 11,9 A. M. to 2 P. M.Ernest Milligan’s Store January 1 2, 9 A. M. to 2 P. M.George Piver's January 13, 9 A. M. to' 2 P. M. Lonnie Evans Store January 15, 9 A. M. to 2 P. M. Randolph Long January 16, 9 A. M. to 1 P. M.Willie Marlows The Board of Equalization and Review will meet at the Tax Office at Southport on March 19, 1962. Any complaint about Valuation should be taken before the Board at that time. Please List Your Property With The List Taker In Your Home Precinct. RESSIE R. WHATLEY Brunswick County Tax Supervisor
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 27, 1961, edition 1
10
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