Another Comeback
Waban Thomas Fights Again
Heavyweight Waban Thomas of
Charlotte scored a seventh round
knockout over Joe Lewis White of
Jacksonville last week in Char
leston to spark the latest come
back attempt for this Brunswick
county native.
Thomas, a 195-pounder who
Is on a comeback trail after a
three - year absence from the
ring, connected repeatedly with
round - house rights, staggering
■White In almost every round to
delight the estimated 700 fans.
White’s only impressive rally
came In the third round when he
opened a cut on Thomas’s nose,
but the Calabash boy came back
into the fourth and dropped White
with a lightning right. Thomas
kept up the pace throughout the
fifth and sixth rounds and White
could not answer the bell for the
seventh round.
It was the fourth straight vic
tory for the former Brunswick
county boy.
He is hoping he has something
in common with his namesake,
the old tugboat.
The 35-year-old, 195-pound
Thomas was named after
"The Waban,” a boat his fa
ther captained.
And Thomas says he Is "count
ing on some of my extra power
to come out in my late years
like that old Tugboat.”
"That old tugboat Is still out
there on that water somewhere,”
Thomas said, "and I hope I can
operate like it still does.”
Thomas, who won the Southern
heavyweight crown in 1959, re
tired from the ring after suffering
a broken arm later that year.
But last year, he said he had the
urge again and decided to try it
once more.
In his first fight last year at
a Pete Rademacher-promoted
show at Canton, Ohio, Thomas
knocked out Abe Olds. But in
his next fight was beaten on a
fourth round TKO by Am os John
son, the No. 8 contender.
Thomas won three in a row
with a fourth round knockout over
Bobo Ray of Gastonia, last month.
His late bid has pushed his
record to 29-8 as a pro. Before
turning professional 10 years
ago, he had a 149-8 record.
"I feel fine and I have experi
ence that I think makes me a
better fighter now than ever be
fore,” Thomas said Friday. "I
have fought some of the top men
in the class and my record against
them is good.”
Perhaps the greatest recogni
tion Thomas has thus far achieved
was that of "Prospect of the
Month” in Ring Magazine in 1958.
\ Heavyweight Waban Thomas
Since that time the Brunswick
county boy, native of Calabash,
has lost a decision to Charlie
Norkus in a bout that was stop
ped when Thomas broke his arm.
"I think I was leading him on
points when this happened,'* he
said.
If being rated "Prospect of
the Month” was the high spot
of his pro career, his selec
tion as a member of the East
team to fight against the West
team In Chicago in 1955 was his
greatest thrill as an amateur.
Incidentally, in piling up his im
pressive record before turning
pro, Thomas won the Charlotte,
High Point, Raleigh and Charles
ton, s. C. Golden Glove Cham
pionship in his event for four
straight years, from 1952-55.
Thomas, who now weighs 215
but whose best fighting weight is
It’tltVtt'A'MVUVi I
195, Is a graduate of Shallotte
High School in the class of 1949.
He was captain of the first Pi
rate football team In 1948. His
sister, Doll Thomas, still re
sides at Calabash and owns and
operates Thomas Seafood and
Restaurant. His mother also as
sists In this business under
taking.
"I think I have the determina
tion to get back on the road,”
Thomas said, “and when 1 get a
few fights under my belt, maybe
I’ll think about defending my
Southern title.”
Thomas said there Is a strong
possibility that he’ll meet world
champion Cassius Clay in an ex
hibition in Charlotte.
“I talked to (Angelo) Dundee
by phone before Clay’s fight with
Sonny Liston,” Thomas said,
“and he told me Clay was going
on a tour and Charlotte would be
one of the stops. Dundee said I
could have the exhibition.
"I’ll tell you,” Thomas said,
“If I do get a chance to fight
Clay In exhibition, I’m going
to put all I have Into it. And
If I look good, maybe I’ll get
the break I’m looking for.”
Thomas admitted he was get
ting old.
"gut you know,” he said, "a
lot Of fighters have still got it
in their old age. Ezzard Char
les, Archie Moore and Jersey
Joe Walcott stayed in a long 5
time.
"But if I see myself slip
ping,” Thomas said, "then I’ll
quit. I’ve got a wife and a seven
month-old daughter at home and
it Is too risky to fight for
nothing.”
Leaf Baming
In Fair Bluff
The first reported barnlng
of tobacco in Columbus County
came today (Monday) from Fair
Bluff, where some four acres
are being cropped on the B. C.
Powell farm.
According to Oliver Anderson,
the tenant on the Powell farm, the
patch of McNair 30 was trans
planted on March 23, Now about
shoulder high, the patch Is "as
pretty zs can be,” says Chief
of Police Bobby Holmes. He es
timated croppers were getting
from 3 to 4 leaves per plant In
the lugging operation.
The Powell farm Is located on
the Gapway Road within the Fair
Bluff town limits.
Invest TIME
SKILLS | FELLOWSHIP l CHARACTER
SERVICE AWARDS
i—r
It pays to stay in 4-H. In fad
membership of 4 to 10 years ha
paid off handsomely for thou
sands of Head, Heart, Hand
and Health youth throughou
the 50 states, reports the Na
tional 4-H Service Committee.
The tangible benefits are four
fold, a Committee spokesmar
said. Continuous membershii
affords (1) learning new skills
and methods (2) opportunities
for fellowship and communitj
service (3) good chance for self
improvement (4) recognition.
Through project work, boys
and girls between 9 and IS
years of age learn how to grow
things, make things, show, teach
and sometimes even consume
the results of their labors. They
also gain experience in buying,
selling and saving.
Concerted Planning
All of this did not just hap
pen. The nationwide 4-H Club
movement is the result of more
than a half-century of planning,
expanding, changing and eval
uating the program to meet the
needs of youth. The Extension
Service, part of every land-grant
university, cooperates with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
in structuring 4-H activities.
Since 1921, the National 4-H
Service Committee has taken
leadership in securing funds
from private business sources
for awards, educational litera
ture and technical aid.
, Fifty-seven businesses and
i foundations are currently pro
- viding such funds, said Norman
i C. Mindrum, director of the
t Committee.
$1.8 Million Budget
A budget of $1.8 million will
i be used by the Committee this
, year, he added. Included are
; funds for 265 scholarships and
fellowships; 1,300 educational
trips; 195,250 honor medals;
14,300 miscellaneous rewards,
and many supplementary serv
ices to 4-H.
Among the donors are:
Allied Chemical Corporation-Arcadian
Products Dept, American Forest Prod
ucts Industries, Inc., Armour and
Company, California Chemical Company
Ortho Division, Chicago Board of Trade,
Coats & Clark Inc., John Deere, East
man Kodak Company, Eli Lilly and
Company, Ford Motor Company Fund,
General Foods Corporation, Helsdorf tt
Nelson Farms, Inc.
Also, Homelite, A Division of Tex
tron Inc., Kerr Glass Manufacturing
Corporation, Massey-Ferguson Inc
Moorman Mfg. Co., Olin Mathieson
Chemical Corporation, The Pure Oil Com
pany, Ralston Purina Company, Sira
plicity Pattern Co. Inc., The Singer
Company, The S&H Foundation, Inc.
Five railroads have supported 4-H
almost from its inception. They are:
Santa Fe Railway, Burlington Railroad,
Milwaukee Road, Chicago and North
Western Railway and IUinois Central
Railroad.
Besides those listed above, 30
additional corporations annual
ly contribute funds to the Com
mittee to aid 4-H members and
volunteer leaders.
READ THE WANT ADS
fc iuf-r'ini.:? £, f » ; . $,% ■ v j . , ,,
Waterfront
front'T
If anybody doubts that Battery
Island is a favorite haunt for
flounder fishermen he should
have been on the waterfront Mon
day night. There were a half
dozen "striking” lights shining
across the river. We haven't
heard of any unusual catches
thus far, but as a rule you can
catch more fish in a given length
of time "flounder striking” »<nn
you can any other way.
We suppose the term "strik
ing” is literal since that is
surely the motion that is made
at the moment the prey is sight
ed. A commercial gig has re
placed to a large extent the more
prlmallve weapon, the pitchfork.
A flounder gig is a shaft with
barbed prongs, and when a bed
ded flounder is sighted with the
shining light, the fisherman
strikes with a swift, sure aim
to impale the fish before he can
make his escape.
We really didn’t intend to get
tied up in directions for a flound
ering expedition (mostly because
we don't know enough about it to
do a good Job) but we do know that
the time to go is during the early
stages of a rising tide when the
water is not muddy and on a
night when there is very little
breeze blowing. Ripples on the
water can mess you up when it
comes to spotting a flounder bed
ded up in the sand.
As a matter of fact, a sharp
eye is even more important than
a sharp gig, because like they say
in baseball, "you can't hit'em
if you can't see'em.'' And added
to their natural aversion to being
disturbed is the fact that a flat
flounder is a hard thing to see
under water that many times is
not too clear.
There are folks who have a nack •
for spotting these big, flat fish.
Some depend upon spotting unus
ual curves on the bottom of the
area being explored—this being
the outline of the fish. Others
claim that the eyes are the only
things you can be sure to see.
Whatever the system and what
ever the luck, everybody ought
to go flounder gigging at least
once. It's an experience you are
not likely to forget.
By ED HARPER
An outstanding performance by
young Timmy Smith highlighted
Oak Island’s participation In the
fourth annual Sears Junior Golf
Tournament Tuesday. Playing
in the intermediate division (ages
11-14) Timmy won gross honors
with a 41-41-82. Jimmy Manls
finished four strokes of the pace
In the 15-18 year old group
with an eight over par 79. He
shot nine hole rounds of 38
41. Davey Herring, competing
in the same division, had a 42
40—82 round despite putting
troubles. Four three putt greens
and one four putt green in the
first nine holes kept him from
oelng a leading contender.
Sonny Floyd of Wilmington won
a three-way playoff with Mike
Mien of Wilmington and Vaughn
Vloise of Cherry Point after the
ihree had tied with four over
>ar 75’s. Floyd parred the first
lole of a sudden death playoff
is the other two bogled. Allen
aier edged Moise for second
place. Barely missing the play
off was Frankie Bevins of Wilm
ington with a 76.
A foursome from Oak Island
visited Wilmington’s Municipal
golf course last Thursday tor
practice and had the privilege
of playing with three of the top
tour finishers In the Sears
Tournament. During that round
Frankie Bevins shot a 75 and
Mike Allen and Jimmy Manis tied
with 78’s. Sonny Floyd was the
third member of the Wilmington
trio.
Tuesday we enjoyed playing
immediately In front of Vaughn
Molse as he shot a brilliant 33
on the first nine holes at Muni.
We were very surprised when
he was defeated.
James T. Barnes and Dr. Fred
Burdette met Sunday In the
quarterfinals of the Men’s Spring
Tournament at Oak Island.
Burdette emerged victorious
from the hard-fought match. Mr.
Barnes led two-up after nine
holes but lost tour In a row to
Burdette, finally bowing 2 and 1.
Barnes was runner-up in last
fail’s club championship.
A cord of wood Is 128 cu. feet.
-I Linoleum is a mixture of cork
and linseed oil.
28C Lb. WHOLE
39C Lb. TRAY packed
99* Lb. BARBECUED
FROSTY MORN
FRANKS
12 Oz. PKG.
43
RED & WHITE
APPLESAUCE
2 FOR
303 Cans
c
29
DEL MONTE
PINEAPPLE
GRAPEFRUIT
CE
46 Oz. Can
29
PILLSBURY CANNED
BISCUITS
LIMITED
5
c
CAN
FRESH
11$ DOZ.
29
WINTERGARDEN FROZEN Apple • Peach - Cherry
FRUIT PIES 3 to« 79c
— — ' “
PLASTIC Bigger *N Gallon $1.49 Value
Water Pitcher *1.09 each