Newspapers / State Port Pilot (Southport, … / Dec. 27, 1961, edition 1 / Page 4
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EDITORIALS: WORLD'S BIGGEST BUSINESS The man in the blue-gray attire who brings your mail every day six days a week, fair weather or foul, is a repre sentative of the biggest business in the world. He is your postman, one of the 500,000 employes of the Post Office department. His department grosses over $3 billion every year but, as we are accustomed to accept, the agency loses money every year., His is a service to the people. Fewer letters and a less number of packages would go by mail if the rate were suf ficient for the department to break even. But there, is another story about this federal agency which, some say, is our country’s greatest institution. Its begin ning started over 200 years ago when, in 1737, Benjamin Franklin was ap pointed postmaster at Philadelphia. Mr. Franklin was so adept at organization that he was given the job as postmaster for all of the colonies in 1753. Then, in 1775, he became the first Postmaster General under the Continental Cong ress at $1,000 per year. From the very beginning of the new nation’s independence, communication and its enabling instrument, the Post Office, took on added prestige and im portance. Keeping frontiersmen and city people informed, governing offici als felt, was fundamental in the success or failure of the new venture in free dom. As we all know, the Post Office was the one and only means by which this could be accomplished. Unlike other private and public insti tutions, its growth has been constant, demands have increased year by year, and the services it provides today would eclipse the fondest imagination of the founding father, Mr. Franklin. Benjamin Franklin poured a firm foundation but it was not given for him to become the first Postmaster General under the new constitution, an honor he deserved but denied by age. The ap pointment went to Samuel Osgood who assumed the post in 1789. There were only 75 Post Offices in the country when Mr. Osgood took of fice. Today there are 35,750. Famous names connected with the development of the Post Office system include Washington, who surveyed many of the post roads, Paul Revere, one of the first post riders, and Buffalo Bill (Bill Cody), a pony express rider. The Pony Express, it is interesting to observe, was promoted by a private company to speed the interchange of mail between the east and west coasts. It began in 1860 but continued for only 18 months. Some 75 ponies were used in the cross-country run and the fastest time was seven days and 17 hours. The promoting company first charged $5 for half an ounce but reduced the charge to $1 later. When the eastern and western sec tions of the first transcontinental rail road were joined at Promontary Heigh ts, Ogden, Utah, in 1869, mail service coast to coast began on regular sche dule. Here are some of the high points on the history of this great institution: 1806, the first national post road start ed; 1813, navigable waters declared post roads; 1819, mail carried by steamships; 1838, railroads declared post roads; 1847, adhesive postage stamps introduced; 1855, registered mail; 1858, first street letterboxes; 1861, small parcels of merchandise car ried by mail; 1864, railway mail and money order service; 1867, internat ional money order service; 1873, postal cards; 1885, special delivery; 1896, rural free delivery; 1911, postal sav ings; 1913, parcel post, insurance and COD; 1918, air mail; 1924, day and night air mail; 1941, highway post of fices; 1943, zone system and, 1955, cer tified mail. A FAMILY AFFAIR We have just read a little piece about Christmas written by a mother of three down in Texas. The first line or so had something to say about Christmas being a family affair, and that took us right on through to the end. The mother, Georgia born and reared and the father, a typical New Englan der, tells about some of the contrasting practices to which the two had been ac customed and how they, as parents, met a happy medium in resolving them. She discusses Christmas trees, how big it should be, when it should' be dec orated, and whether to hang each strip of tinsel or just heap it on to catch as it may. Then she tells about howr they enjoy giving gifts to one another, but their greatest joy comes in remembering those who are less fortunate than they are. Through the husband’s company, they select a needy family and prepare a gift for the family remembering, meanwhile, to get the ages of the child ren and gifts to suit the ages. “The season,” she writes, “is for us a time of slowing down, a period of tak ing- stock, of looking ahead.” Then there is time for music and time for reading. Early in December they get our Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” and read aloud. Who, she says, can ever tire of Scrooge, especially when you know he is going to have a change of heart. And dear Tiny Tim. On Christmas Eve the family gathers around the tree to hear again the story of the birth of Jesus as recorded by Luke. Never was there a sweeter story told;. “We resolve then and there,” the mother goes on, “to follow more closely the life of the Master throughout the coming 12 months. We remember the words of the poet, John Greenleaf Whittier: “The outward symbols disappear From Him whose inward sight is clear, And Bmall must be the choice of days To Him who fills them all with praise.” I THE FARMER'S SHARE An official of the Agriculture Stabi lization and Conservation Sendee spoke in Stanly county the other day about how much the farmer is getting out of some of the crops he produces. Quoting from a report on the speech by the Stanly News and Press, the 1 speaker held up a 28-cent loaf of bread, \ baked locally, and estimated that the man who grew the grain got about hree cents for the raw product in the af. State Port Pilot W Every Wednesday 'thport, N. C. \ RATES > »ng Counties \ $2.00 per yea 1 ... $1.50 $3.00 $2.00 Then he pointed to a can of toma toes saying: the man who produced the tomatoes got less for them than the cost of the label on the can. A package of cigarettes, he said, cost about 25 cents but the farmer got about four cents for the tobacco in the cigar ettes. He said turkey raisers were going to lose about 50 cents on each bird this season because of low prices. What is the cause of all of this? Basically, it is the inbalance prevail ing in supply and demand. Labor-saving machinery and scien tific advancements in fertilizer and its application have completely reversed farming practices. The typical rugged individualism of other years in farming must now be modified for collective efforts to hold supply and demand within reasonable balance lest profit be destroyed. Whittling Stalin From Map Soviet Premior Krushchev seems.to be having his way in erasing the name and memory of former Premier Joe Stalin from the Russian scene. It all suggest that Mr. Krushchev, by removing Stalin from beside Lenin, is preparing to hold the vacant tomb for himself when his time comes. “Beat It! You’re IIoIdirp Tlie Liner Ii ;r:rr; '** ■WELFARE PROGRAM SOUTHPORT LADY Continued From Page One looked warm and fragrant, what with a black outfit, trimmed in white ermine fur and jet stock ings. Joy Gregory, dressed as a rundown Daisy Mae from Hog wash, Ky., looked properly bucolic, bowled her usual strong game, and yet managed to retain an ex-officio air, as of courthouses. Sue Jones, a brunette filled with joi de verve, departed from her usual nimble self long enough to appear as an old fashioned Pajama Girl, replete with a pol ka-dotted night-cap an<^ sleeper with bright red pants to keep even a Rip Van Winklf, wide awake. Sue could do noth ing, however, to make lier eys look baggy with sleep. The gals all wore one thing in common: shapeless, thick-soled bowling shoes. Blake Builders holds second place in the ten-club league and has rolled the highest series so far this season. HOLIDAY LETTER Continued From Page 1 quite narrow and I hit high cen ter with the car. I could write pages telling of the traffic and the sights that I see daily, and of the people themselves. I sent an interesting paper to Nola Tyler that reveals the hid den beliefs of the Japanese. I thought it would make interesting material for a Chmeeting as it compared Christy to Bud dism. I’m sure sh>uld loan it to you if you anerested in reading it.” SHALLOTTE "POP Continued FrPage 1 Gordon. First Class, T> 501, Bill Viets, Bradley Sirtary; Troop 506, C Byron Ho#, Troop 507, Terry Black# apOby Richard son; Troop <M Weaver. Star Rank. T* 503, Allen Turner, Simmy ®row and L. fe. rihamif Troi* 508, Gordon BCILlfG SF (Conwi'jed k'H propertl’s many' ornameital pur ed than! these wo one’s c lokpot. Kc mental duck is 1< spread 15,000 acr ipfc n lige One) ike purely for l! is suspect id up in some ia single oma Et on the wide LETTEJt TO THI 1 Raymc Decemt Editor State Port Pilot Southport N. C. Dear Sir: I understand tl write up in your] Wednesday, Novel about the Vamar please sjfnd me 7 paper or if you EDITOR Iville, Texas ir 13, 1961 it you had a paper dated jer 29, 1961, Would you lopies of that ion’t have 7 Time and Tide Continued From Page One British Naval vessel had gone home to sing the praises of the hospitality shown them here. One of the ship’s officers had said that it was not done with any thought of f‘lease-and-fend.” January 1, 1947, and we came out on New Year’s pay. The previous year had been classified in a front ©age head line as “Building Boom Throughout County.’’ On another front, the county agent was optimistic about farming prospects in Brunswick during the coming year. In the Christmas lighting contest in town Mr. and jMrs. W. G. Butler had won first prize in the outdoor decorations division; deer hunters were sad—this being the last day of thej season on their favorite game; and a group of Whifeville men, (headed by Oscar High, had discovered that roekfish were still iiere and still biting. In 1951 The Pilot came out the day after Christmas.jThe drive still was on for funds for renovation of Dosher Memorial Hos pital, and the sum of $500 had been added in gifts received dur ing the holiday period. There was a big, front page Version of The Christmas Story, including a re-run of “Yes, Virginia—.” The USE Dredge Lyman was due for maintenance dredging on the bar, and a Southport man, Capt. John G. Swan, was master of this vessel. The editor found time to pay a tribute to the post office crew; and greetings had come to friends in Southport from Mrs. Mae Bamber from Southport, England. Five years ago this week everybody was assuming anjoptimls tic outlook for the New Year. This extended particularly to two of tire churches: The Methodists were to stress attendance; the Baptists were planning a school of missions. Reports said that shrimping was good at Key West, Kla.,— where a lot of Brunswick county shrimpers were spending the winter; and UNC Alumni had seen a picture version or ’’The Hodges Story” at a dinner meeting here; and all city and county offices were back on schedule after the holiday breaks. AMBULANCE ^®peend Ph. GL 7-6161 GILBERT'S FUNERAL SERVICE GILBERT’S MUTUAL BURIAL ASSOCIATION P.O. BOX 94 SOUTHPORT, N. C. send as many as you do have. I don’t know what the charges on your papers are but will be glad to send check to cover expense. The Roland Varnam that you Not Exactly News Among hia Christmas gifts John Burdette came up with a boomerang, and like all boys who have, come into possession of , one of these curved weapons, John had a 'Curiosity to know if it would work. So, he took it down to the street in front of the Garrison, where there is plenty of room, and he let it fly. And curve it did—curved and curved and curved. And when finally gravity caught it the boomerang was over the water, where it hit and immediately sank from sight. . . . One other near tragedy for a Christmas present happened to Rip Howard Monday morn ing while he was out for a spin on his new bike. His big dog, Bones, got into a fight with a neighborhood dog, and in the fury of their battle they rolled into the mudguard of his wheel and bent it in. Fortunately, the damage was superficial, not struc tural. We never saw such a flood of northern tourists on High way No. 17 as were traveling South this morning. One time we \vere passed by six consecutive cars bearing out-of-state license plates . . . Until today we never had seen a seagull perched in a tree, but this morning near Shallotte there was one crew sit ting high on a limb overlooking the trash dump, probably wait ing for the next load of post-Christmas goodies ... At the junc tion of the Ash-Longwood road with Highway No. 130 there is a sign''Witteh" carries the basketball schedule for the Waccamaw High School basketball teams. Christmas decorations have been outstanding this year, not just in Southport and in Kingtown, but all over Brunswick. Here at home we were as impressed as a small boy with the Santa Claus, sleigh and reindeer that Guy Garrett spent a. good part of his spare time in recent' weeks sawing out . . . Millie Martin has done an effective job of decorating simply by placing a red candle in each of the many window's of her large, two story home. We thought that the duck and goose season might pass before we heard of a single one of the latter game birds being killed locally. Jack Hickman told us Tuesday that he had heard that Sammy Rees had got one. Incidentally, Jack, who is an old duck hunter, says that he has hardly killed enough this year for a one-day limit . . . There will be a lot of basketball fans travel ing to Hallsboro Thursday 'and Friday nights of this week for the Holiday Tournament in which Southport is playing. Don’t forget the New Year’s Dance Saturday night for which Tebo and the boys will be playing ... If dancing and basketball are too fast for you, see “The Devil At 4 O’clock” at the Amuzu over the weekend . . . “Twist Around The Clock” is the quiet piece that will be show'ing on those dates at Holiday Drive-In at Shallotte. wrote about was my'great grand dad. X am very interested in hav ing a copy for myself and think the other great grand children would also. X would like to send them one. Very truly yours, Elois Kenon Read It In The State Port Pilot a new year we offer our fervent prayer that it will bring lasting peace and prosperity for everyone* Save It Steady... Have It Ready! Southport Savings & Loan Asso. W. P. JORGENSEN, Sec’y.-Treas. SOUTHPORT, N. C. FINANCED BY SAVINGS AND LOAN
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
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Dec. 27, 1961, edition 1
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