The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
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TATE PORT
Most of the New
All The Time
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
Volume No. 23
No. 29
8-Pages Today
SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1964
5c A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Shallotte Masonic Officers
INSTALLED—Shallotte Lodge No. 727 Ancient
Free & Accepted Masons installed officers for 1964
Friday night. They include; Front row L to R, Elrich
Hickman, treasure; Wendell Bennett, senior warden;
D. C. Russ, master; L. Bailey Russ, junior warden;
Micheal Russ, secretary; Back row: L. to R. Harry
E.-.Williams, Junior deacon; John S. Nance, tyler;
Arthur Bellamy, steward; Frank Bennett, senior
deacon. Not present when picture made Parker D.
Phillips, steward; and J. Howard Gore, chaplain.
(Photo By Raldwin Studio)
Release Study
Facts Following
School Survey
Report Details Things That
Are Wrong With Exist
ing School Facilities In
Brunswick
In addition to making recom
mendations for improving the
schools, the Division of School
Planning of the North Carolina
Department of Public Instruction
pointed out what was wrong with
Brunswick education in a compre
hensive study of existing facilities.
The survey committee, compos
ed of four state educators, re
leased their 33-page report on the
conditions of the county schools
and recommendations for the fu
ture last Monday.
The county board of education
requested the survey which was
conducted on September 24 and 25.
The committee surveyed the edu
cational program, population, eco
nomy, transportation, finances and
school plants in their final report.
The economy of the county was
review by the committee. “The
number of agricultural farmers in
the county is steadily decreasing,
and if this current trend contin
ues they will continue to decrease.
While no effort was made to de
termine the industrial and eco
nomic potential of Brunswick in the
future, it may be relatively slow
and steady as in recent years or it
may speed up due to the develop
ment of factors not now apparent.
There is nothing in the economic
picture to indicate either a decline
or a tremendous increase in busi
ness activity and population in the
very near future.
“The continued growth of Wil
mington as a major service center
will certainly have some effect up
on the population of Brunswick
County, particularly the northeast
comer of the County. Activities of
the Federal Government in Bruns
wick county have had a stabilizing
effect upon the population and eco
nomic growth. The county as a
whole has continued to grow in
population at a modest rate. Al
though this has been a very mod
est and slow growth, it has been
Continued on Page Two
I jhv *«• at
•-NEWS-1
TO INSTALL, OFFICERS
New officers of Pythagoras
Lodge No. 249 in Southport will
be installed during a meeting at
the Lodge Hall Thursday night
beginning at 6:30 o'clock.
warns utterbugs
Southport Police Chief Herman
Strong warned residents that
throwing beer bottles and cans on
the city streets is a violation of
state and city laws. The offense
is punishable with a fine of $50
and-oi; 30-days in jail. He said the
laws will be strongly enforced in
Southport now because of the pro
blems
Brunswick Man
In State Office
James U. Bellamy, Jr., Of
Shallotte New President
Of State Soil Conservat
ion Organization
The election of James D. Bel
lamy, Jr., of Slialiotte as the new
state president highlighted a three
day meeting of the North Carolina
Association of Soil and Water Con
servation Districts in Winston
Salem Monday, Tuesday and Wed
nesday.
President Bellamy, who served
as first vice president of the as
sociation last year, was elected
during the annual association con
vention Tuesday, He succeeds J.
B. Slack of Seagrove as president.
Over 200 persons who serve as
soil and water conservation dis
trict supervisors attended the meet
ings which opened Monday and
closed today. The supervisors,
elected by the public in all the
county district in the state, assist
in surveying local problems in
volving soil and water resources
and in coordination conservation
work. Bellamy is chairman of the
Lower Cape Pear District.
Monday’s opening session was
largely devoted to assigning mem
bers to various committees, in
cluding special studies in actions
recommended by watershed dis
tricts. Bellamy served on the legis
lative, public lands and wildlife and
recreation committees.
Brunswick county was represent
ed at the state meeting by Bellamy
and Soil Conservationist B. L. Foutz
of Shallotte.
Sleet and snow blanketed Win
ston-Salem during the three day
meeting.
Lennon-Urged
To Hold Meeting
Fishermen Of Area Express
Interest In Easier Access
To Fishing Waters Off
Coast
Southport Mayor Eugene Tomlin
son has asked Congressman Alton
Lennon to meet with interested citi
gens about fishing conditions and
access routes to the lower Cape
Fear river.
Ideas mentioned by Mayor Tom
linson that the fishermen want to
discuss include opening and main
taining New Inlet as an active ac
cess to the ocean, establishing the
opening in the Rocks sufficient to
permit passage of vessels up to the
size of the menhaden fleet and re
questing the Corps of Engineers to
place maintenance dredging spoils
in the diked area because the spoil
is rapidly closing off the creeks
and filling up the fishing waters.
The suggestions grew out of a
meeting of about 30 citizens from
the Southport area and Kure Beach
at the City Hall Monday night of
last week.
Mayor Tomlinson said the group
would like to meet with Congress
man Lennon the next time he is in
l the &re&a
P
President
JAMES D. BELLAMY, JR.
Long Beach Girl
Takes Own Life
Joyce Kepley, High School
Sophomore, Died Friday
Night Of Self-Inflicted
Pistol Shot
Funeral services for Joyce Kep
ley, 16, were held Sunday after
noon at St. Matthew’s Episcopal
Church in Salisbury with Rev.
John N. McAllister officiating.
Burial followed in Rowan Memor
ial Park.
Miss Kepley, daughter of Mrs.
Virginia Kepley and a sophomore
at Southport High School, was
pronounced dead on arrival at
Dosher Memorial Hospital after
she fired a single shot from a .22
calibre pistol into her body.
Long Beach night Policeman
Myron Helms said Miss Kepley
and her mother had an argument
about dating and the girl had
threatened to kill herself.
According to Policeman Helms,
the girl was behind the fireplace,
which is in the middle of the living
room, when she took the pistol out
of a drawer and shot herself above
the left breast.
Reports showed the bullet tra
veled down and came out under
the left shoulder blade in her back,
hitting a main artery on the
way. She died enroute to the hos
pital.
Brunswick Coroner Lowell Ben
nett, terming the death a suicide,
said no inquest would be held.
Survivors in addition to her
mother include six brothers, Jas
on Kepley and Bennie Kepley of
Rt. 6, Salisbury, Darius Kepley, a
student at the University of North
Carolina, Bryan Kepley of the U.
S. Navy in Cuba. Jacob Kepley
and David Kepley, both of the
home; a sister, Mrs. Deloris Wil
son of Southport; and her paternal
Continued On Page A
March Of Dimes
Campaign Starts
Volunteers In Every Com
munity Will Assist With
Campaign This Year
The annual March of Dimes
campaign is in progress in Bruns
wck county under thiv" leadership
of Mrs: M. Hr Rourk of «hallotte,
who is serving again this year as
chairman. I V
“We hope to give every citizen
of the county an opportunity to
participate in this year’s fund
drive”, Mrs. Rourk said this week,”
and to that end we have worked
out a countywide organization
Continued On Page Four
UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RETURNS
Hoods Creek.
Leland .
Town Creek .
Bolivia ..
Southport No. 1
Southport No. 2
Oak Island .
Mosquito .
Supply .
Secession ..
Shallotte ...
Frying Pan .
Grissettown .......
Shingletree ........
Longwood ..
Ash .
Waccamaw
Exum ..
“L-F”
Yes No
51
133
89
102
236
184
72
23
52
75
122
111
46
52
42
48
19
48
16
51
35
36
30
26
14
12
28
19
25
8
28
25
15
57
39
4
Rights
Yes No
42
129
86
100
235
175
67
52
56
78
107
92
57
44
33
66
18
24
18
46
26
31
24
19
11
20
20
12
20
15
14
29
18
31
35
1
Tax
Yes No
~45
90
65
58
46
30
17
21
42
56
58
36
44
47
22
62
50
10
24
96
64
85
212
178
70
13
40
40
85
79
30
28
39
46
9
43
TOTAL .. 1506
468 1428
381
1181
799
TIME and TIDE
It was January 14, 1959, and Mrs. Catherine White of Shal
lotte was named county Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Gladys
Marie O’Brine, formerly of Brunswick county and the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Tate Bennett, served as a technical advisor for
“The Loretta Young Show” on TV.
Thomas E. Gilbert announced the opening of Gilbert’s Fu
neral home in Southport. Southern Bell added 77 new tele
phones during the year 1958 in Brunswick county.
It was January 13, 1954, and the citizens of Shallotte
raised almost $6,000 to purchase a new fire truck in one weeks
time after experiencing two major fires recently. The only wo
man judgo in the state, Miss Susie Sharp, was to preside at
Superior court the next week.
The Bolivia girls, led by the scoring of Betty Tharp with
31, edged the Lady Dolphins 79 to 75 in Southport Friday
night. Rev. and Mrs. R. H. Jordan announced the birth of a
daughter, Charlotte.
It was January 12, 1949, and T. T. Ward of Longwood an
nounced that the County Allied Church League would boycott
all towns and villages thait voted for the sale of alcoholic bever
ages in a forthcoming election. Rev. L. D. Hayman was named
chairman of the polio drive in the county.
The Lady Dolphins held the Bolivia girls scoreless for three
quarters to defeat the Lady Bears 28 to 11. The marriage of
Miss Iris Newton of Southport to Carl Hardee of Loris, S. C.,
CopUmmO On rag* *
Hornstein New ,
Board Member
In City Action
Aldermen Look Toward
Special Bond Election
For City Sometime In
March
The appointment of Dr. Norman
Hornstein as a member of the
board highlighted a meeting of the
Southport Board of Alderman at
the City Hall Thursday night.
Mayor Eugene B. Tomlinson
read a letter from Ronald N. Hood
resigning as alderman to enlist in
the Army. Hood said he had en
joyed his terms on the board and
offered to help the city in any way
he could. Fred Spencer moved that
the resignation be accepted, Har
old Aldridge seconded and the
board voted unanimously.
Alderman Spencer then nomin
ated Dr. Hornstein, a new-comer
to Southport politics, for the posi
tion of alderman from the first
ward and Crawford Rouard sec
onded the motion. The board voted
unanimously to have Dr. Hornstein
serve the remainder of Hood’s
term.
Magisterate E. F. Gore immed
iately administered the oath of
office to Alderman Hornstein and
he took his place on the board.
City Attorney Kirby Sullivan,
who has had serveral meetings
with the Local Government Com
mission in Raleigh, announced that
the $230,000 bond issue can not be.
held until mid March at the earl
est.
Mayor Tomlinson suggested that
the city hold one or two public
meetings to explain the importance
of the bond issue to the people of
Southport. The board agreed with
the suggestion. Mayor Tomlinson
said the time and place of the
meetings would be announced lat
er.
Ormand Leggett was re-appoint
ed Chief of the Southport Volunteer
Fire Department and William
Fault trustee of the fireman’s fund
on a motion by Alderman Aldridge,
which was seconded by Alderman
Rourk, and unanimously passed.
City Manager C. D. Pickerrell
reported that Ralph Sellers of
Southport had agreed to cut the
trees off the new cemetery proper
ty at $4 per cord. Bulldozers will
be used to finish the project Sat
urday, he reported.
City Manager Pickerrell said
the cemetery should be made to
operate at a profit. He recommend
(Contlnued On Page 41
Command Inspection
W4
VISITOR—Major General John J. Lane, Commanding- General, Fort Eustis,
Virgina, is being greeted by Lt Colonel Archie B. Joyner, Jr., Commanding
Officer, Sunny Point Army Terminal, upon General Lane’s arrival at SPART.
Purpose of General Lane’s visit was to observe maneuvei's being conducted by
elements of his command at Sunny Point Army Terminal and Bald Head Island.
Development Is
Given Approval
Brunswick County Citizens1
Vote To Establish Resou
rces Development Com
mission; Approve Amend
ments
Brunswick county citizens gave
their approval Tuesday to a spec
ial levy for the establishment of
a Resources Development Commis
sion by a vote of 1181 to 730. '.
They voted in favor of the Little
Federal and Women’s Property
Rights Amendments by an even
wider margin, but an avalanche of
opposition from the urban voters
of North Carolina caused defeat on
the state level for the redistricting
amendment. The second amend
ment dealing with property rights
was approved throughout the state.
Here in Brunswick the vote fav
oring the Little Federal plan was
1506 for and 468 against. The vote
on the property rights amendment
was 1428 for and 381 against.
By their vote in favor of the
Resources Development Commis
sion, the voters have given author
ity to the board of county commis
sioners to appoint a nine-man
commission whose duties will be
to promote and develope natural
resources and to induce industry
and new businesses to locate in
Bumswick county.
The special act which authorized
this voce also provides that a
special tax not to exceed 10-cents
per hundred dollar valuation may
be levied by the commissioners to
pay the expenses of operating an
office for this purpose and for em
ploying a full-time director.
The proposition was given a fav
orable vote in JO of the 18 precincts
Continued On Page Four
Prominent Man
Dies Suddenly
Robert McRacken Dies Of
Heart Attack At His
Home Near Southport
Tuesday Morning
John Robert McRackan, 62, pro
minent Brunswick County farmer,
died at his home here, Tuesday
morning. Death was due to a heart
attack.
The deceased owned and oper
ated a big farm on Walden Creek
near Southport, and through the
years he had earned a reputation
for producing water melons and
offering them for sale here and on
the Wilmington market.
He was a native of Brunswick
County and the son of the late
John and Annie Neil Thompson
McRackan.
Funeral services were scheduled j
today (Wednesday) at the chapel
of Gilbert's Funeral Home by the
Rev. Charles Lancaster and the
Rev. L. D. Hayman, with burial
in old Southport Cemetery.
Survivors include a brother
Thompson McRackan of Southport
three sisters, Miss Lucille Me- i
Rackan and Mrs. Sophie Messick,
both of the home, and Mrs. Thelma
Davis of Southport.
Active pallbearers are Reese
Swann, Joe Young, J. B. Cochran,
W. L. Evans, Ray Reveln and C.
W. Smith.
Superior Court
Convenes Monday
Cases ranging from murder
to violations of the conservation
laws are scheduled to be tried'
during the criminal term of
Brunswick County Superior
court which meets in Southport
Monday with Judge E. Maurice
Braswell presiding and Solici
tor James C. Bowman prose
cuting.
The case of Dan McKay,
charged with murder, and Joe
L. Hankins, charged with break
ing and entering and rape, will
be tried Thursday. James F.
Howard, Sr., charged with 29
counts of embezzling and 4 of
forgery and uttering, will be
tried Wednesday, the only case
slated for trial that day. Cur
tis Bryant, Fred A. Jones, How
ard Lee, Jr., and Joseph Ray,
all charged with a violation of
city ordinances, will be tried
Friday.
Roll Of Honor
For County Men
List Of 32 Brunswick
County Men Who Lost
Lives In World War II
Is Released
As of now the names of 32
Brunswick county service men j
who. lost their lives in World War j
II while in the line of duty status i
will appear on the Roll of Honor ■
in the proposed museum aboard \
the U. S. S. North Carolina Battle
ship.
“We are making: every effort to
insure there will be no omissions
or other errors on the Honor Roll,”
Superintendent Robert Ellis said.
“For this reason, any discrepan
cies or omissions should be report
ed immediately.”
The Honor Roll of North Caro
lina’s World War II dead will be
submitted to the engraver in the
near future, Superintendent Ellis
stated.
The list from Brunswick of the I
World War II dead includes:
Andrews, James B.; Angel, Cly
de T.; Bellamy, Ellis; Bowling,
Jesse Willard; Bragaw, Henry C.;
Brew, Edward M.; Brooks, Nor
wood O.; Burkett, Leroy D.;
Caison, Jacob L.; Cliff, Harvey
J; Cox, diaries M.; Farino, Em
ilio; Fodale, Charles Benedict;
Hayes, Oarence H.; King, Edward
L.; Kinsler, Kenneth H.; Leonard,
Mahlon M.; Lewis, Barney J.;
Lewis, Joseph C.;
Long, Roscoe S.; McGinnis, Wil
liam C.; Mercer, Carson; Moore,
Albert L.; Ramsey, Robert W.;
Reynolds, Robert LeRoy; Robin
son, Calder B.; Stanley, Edward;
Stanley, James C.; Sutton, Hobart
L; Walton, Rupert Wayne; Will
etts, Solomon I.; and Williamson,
John Leon.
Army Exercises :
On Bald Head :
Hit By Winter
Transportation Corps For
ces From Fort Eustis -
Have Conducted Training ;
Program This Week
A logistical-over-the-shore exer
cise involving some 1,200 men has
been conducted on Bald Head Is
land during the past five days by
Army Personnel to test a relative
new landing technique,
The maneuver was designed id
test the Army concept of leading
supplies directly on the beachhead
behind the invading troops. The
first test of the supply technique
by the Army was made at Bald
Head in October of 1952.
Major General John J. Lane,
commanding officer of the U. S.
Army Transportation Center at
Fort Eustis, Virginia, inspected the
maneuvers Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday. He traveled by heli
copter between Sunny Point and
Baldhead during the exercies.
Exercise plans called for the ad
vance parties of the units being
tested to move to Sunny Point on
Tuesday.
And to prepare the assembly
area for the main body of troops
which departed Fort Eustis on
Thursday and arrived at Sunny
Point during that evening.
After the arrival of all personnel
and equipment at Sunny Point,
units organized and prepared for
an assault on Smith Island with
the actual invasion of the island
taking place about 8 a. m. Sat
urday.
The island was secured and per
sonnel used various U. S. Army
smallcraft to commence off-load
ing cargo vessels, which rendez
voused offshore of Bald Head Is
land.
During the five-day exercise, the
troops lived in tent cities on the
island. The temperature dropped
to below freezing marks on the
island Monday and Tuesday night.
Troops and equipment moved
Continued On Paee 4
v .3
Tide Table
Following Is the tide
table for Southport during
the week. These hours are
approximately correct and
were furnished The State
Fort Pilot through the
courtesy of the Cape Fear
Pilot’s Association.
HIGH LOW
Thursday, January 16,
8:50 A. M. 2:39 A. M.
8:56 P. M. 3:23 P. M.
Friday, January 11,
9:27 A. M. 3:20 A. M.
9:36 P. M. 4:03 P. M.
Saturday, January 18,
10:07 A. M. 4:02 A. M.
10:21 P. M. 4:44 P. M.
Sunday, January 19,
10:50 A. M. 4:48 A. M.
11:12 P. M. 5:28 P. M.
Monday, January 20,
11:39 A.M. 5:40 A.M.
6:17 P.M.
Tuesday, January 21,
0:09 A. M. 6:39 A. M.
12:35 P. M. 7:13 P. M.
Wednesday, January 22,
1:11 A. M. 7:46 a! M.
1:36 P. M. 8:13 P. M.