The Norlina Blue Wave Chorus, under the direction of Howard Stuhi, is shown above during a recent performance in the Warren County Courthouse.
Ancestor Hunt Under Way With Zeal, Surprises
More and more Americans
are peering down from top
I ranches of their family trees
I wking for their roots.
They are getting into
{ »nealogy, fast becoming one
< t the nation's biggest hobbies
< r indoor sports, according to
t le National Geographic Socie11.
Anybody who ever had
[ agents can play.
"It's merely trying to find out
\ ho the folks were that you
c rnie from w ay back w hen,"
jcplains one amateur genealogist.
"It's a sort of social-climbing
^lcestor worship," sneers a
Retractor.
| Why thefurge of interest in
family ancestors? Alex Haley is
one reason—Haley and "Roots,"
his book tracing his family
history back through slavery
days to a village in Africa, as
well as the recent television
serial about it, one of the
most-watched program of all
time.
Grim Reaper Genealogy
Another "reason is a renewed
historical awareness of our
forefathers, the founders and
settlers of the nation, that was
brought on by last year's
Bicentennial observations
across the land.
As people get older they
seem to become fascinated with
genealogy, says one researcher,
"as though the grim reaper was
prodding them to take measure
of their ancestors' tombstones
while there is still time."
Those who have been at it for
a while say genealogy can
become an obsession, like
reading detective stories or
working crossword puzzles.
Washington, D. C., is a Mecca
in the Great American
Ancestor Hunt, with four major
sources of information.
The Daughters of " the
American Revolution has been
collecting records for many
years to help trace families
back to a colonial patriot, the
qualification for DAR membership.
The Library of Congress has
5,000 genealogy books and
21,000 family histories.
The National Genealogical
Society has some 15,000
histories and records from all
the states plus many unpublished
sources.
The National Archives sup———a
posedly has records of anything
anyone ever had to do with the
federal government. Since
"Roots" the Archives has been
crowded with Black Americans,
poring through the nation's
biggest collection of slavery
records.
Mountain of Roots
In Utah the Mormon Church
has a genealogy vault of
microfilmed records tunneled
deep into a granite mountain
intended to survive a nuclear
holocaust.
Duplicate records in Salt
Lake City are one of the world's
great genealogy bonanzas,
especially to Mormons trying to
confirm ancestors so they can
then be baptized into the faith
long after death and thus,
according to the Mormons,
assured entry into the kingdom
of heaven.
Some 100 researchers roam
the United States and the
world microfilming records for
the Mormon genealogical collection.
Cemeteries, old family bibles,
deeds, w ills, tax lists and other
public records are local sources
combed by ancestor hunters.
Genealogists lament the forests
of family trees that have gone
up in smoke in courthouse fires
through the years.
Theoretically, starting with
four grandparents, a family
tree could be traced 20 generations
or to about the year 1300,
turning up some one million
*-•
Shaking skeletons from a
family tree can result in
surprising fallout: a great-great
uncle hanged as a horse thief,
an 18th century "proven" and
properly burned w itch, or other
notables. Depending on family
aspirations, their discovery
may be greeted with despair or
delight.
Forefather, I Presume!
Many embarking on genealogical
expeditions hope to
qualify as a member of perhaps:
the General Society of
Mayflower Descendants, the
Jamestowne Society, the DAR,
the National Society of
Children of the American
Revolution, the First Families
of Virginia, the Descendants of
Signers of the Declaration of
Independence, or the Barons of
Runnymeade (where the Mag
na Carta was signed).
In England only two families,
the Ardens and the Berkeleys,
have found ancestors who lived
before the Norman Conquest.
Of men w ho fought in the Battle
ol' Hastings in 1066, only 15 are
known by name.
But many qualify as
descendants of the "Illegitimate
Sons and Daughters of Kings
and Queens of Britain."
Illegitimacy may be a broken
twig in many American family
trees: An estimated 17 per cent
of Colonial Americans were
born out of wedlock.
Some professional genealogists
have learned to display
special sensitivity when de
scribing customers' ancestors.
One researcher reportedly
obliged a proper Georgia
matron by w riting in her family
history: "One of her grandfathers
occupied the chair of
applied electricity at one of
America's best known institutions.
He was very much
attached to his position and
literally died in harness."
Genealogical translation:
Grandfather was electrocuted
at Sing Sing.
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X
Weed And Grass Chemicals
Are Available For Gardens
The plow and the hoe are still
the most widely used tools in
controlling weeds in the
vegetable garden, but you can
do it with chemicals called
herbicides.
Don't jump to the conclusion
that your garden weeding
problems are over. At the
outset, you should know that
there is no single herbicide that
can be used on a home
vegetable garden. Secondly,
using herbicides in the garden
-requires carefuJ attention- to*
timing, rates and methods of
application, and added expenses.
If you wish to pursue the idea
of trying herbicides in the
garden, here are some
materials to consider, as
suggested by North Carolina
State University agricultural
extension specialists: Treflan,
Endie, Dacthal and Amiben.
Some are available as concentrated
liquids and must be
mixed with water. Some come
in wettable powder form and
are also mixed in water. Others
come as granules for dry
application.
The most important thing to
remember about using herbicides
is to follow precisely the
directions on the container
label.
Amiben, which can be bought
under a number of trade names,
can be applied in granular or
liquid form to weed-free soil
immediately after planting
pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes
and asparagus. It can be
used on peppers and tomatoes
immediately after transplanting.
It will remain effective for
eight to 10 weeks in controlling
most annual broadleaved and
grassy weeds.
,Dacthal is a fine-granule
herbicide applied to weed-free
soil immediately after planting.
It can be used on broccoli,
brussel sprouts, cauliflower,
cabbage, snap beans, southern
peas, collards, kale, mustard
greens, lettuce, turnips, garlic,
onions, potatoes, sweet pota
toes, eggplant, peppers and
carrots. It will give six to eight
weeks control of some annual
broadleaved and grassy weeds.
Endie is applied to weed free
soil immediately after planting
and can be used on okra,
peppers, sweet potatoes, Irish
potatoes and tomatoes. Expect
eight to 12 weeks control of
annual broadleaved and grassy
weeds.
Treflan is applied and
incorporated into the soil to a
depth of two to three inches. It
can be used when direct
seeding dry beans, southern
peas, snap beans, lima beans,
broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage,
cauliflower, tpmatoes and
peppers. It should give season
long control of some breadleaved
and most annual grassy
weeds.
Materials are also available
for other crops not mentioned
in any of the above, such as
corn and fruits. Consult your
county extension agent for
information.
Gray Whale Has
Long Migration
The migration of the
California trrav whale from the
Arctic to Mexico is the longest
of anv mammal—a 10.000-mile,
oitrht-month round trip. National
Geographic savs.
The Warren Record, Warrenton, North Carolina, Thursday, April 14, 1977 — Paee 13
No Injuries Are Reported
In Easter Weekend Wrecks
Traffic accidents during the
Easter weekend holiday caused
considerable damage but no
injuries. Highway patrolmen
have reported.
A station wagon driven by
Carol McKay Mertz of Springfield,
Va.. pulled into the path
of an auto operated by John
Carsmon Talley of Route 1,
Norlina at the intersection of U.
S. 1 and Interstate 85 on
Saturday afternoon. The Highway
Patrol advised that Ms.
Mertz apparently stopped for
the intersection stop sign at the
ramp and pulled in front of the
Talley vehicle.
Damages estimated at $800
were listed for the station
wagon with $300 for the auto.
Charges of failure to yield right
of way were lodged against the
Virginia woman and improper
equipment involving defective
tires were filed against Talley.
Johnie Fitts, 63, of Rt. 1,
Norlina apparently fell asleep
at the wheel and his auto ran off
of the left side of the road as he
was eastbound on the Hender
son Warrenton road on Saturday
afternoon. Trooper W. C.
Palmer said Fitts ran into a
ditch embankment causing
some $300 damage to his auto.
He was charged with reckless
driving.
About $275 in damages were
estimated to an auto driven by
Dollie Bullock Burwell of Rt. 2
Norlina, according to Palmer.
The trooper said the car moved
from a paved section of the road
onto a gravel surface, turned to
go around a farm tractor, went
into the ditch and hit the ditch
bank. The incident was on State
Road 1100 about five miles west
of Warrenton.
A minor school bus accident
was reported on Friday
afternoon. Trooper Palmer said
that Elizabeth Grey Jones was
driving the bus and had
stopped to unload passengers.
She then backed into a
driveway and bumped a parked
truck. The truck was parked off
the roadway and was listed as
The Internal Revenue Service
each year mails out about
45 million standard 1040 tax
forms.
owned by John William Shearin
of Vaughan. Total damages
were figured at $250. None of
the 11 persons on the bus was
injured.
A vehicle driven by Sandy
Ray Huntley of Virginia Beach,
Va.. had about $500 in damages
after an accident about one mile
north of Littleton, according to
Trooper Palmer. He said that
Huntley was traveling east on
State Road 1352 when he lost
control of his auto on a curve
and slid left into a diteh.
Huntley was charged with
leaving the scene of an
accident, the trooper said.