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No Time Like the Present
Anyone who has attempted a step forward has heard
the wailing voice of the defeatist crying. “It can’t be done.
It is not the time We’re much too late. It’s just no use.”
Those are the words of the weak-hearted who are defeated
before the battle is begun, and pessimistic souls are not
silent now that Robert Ed Horton and the Zebulon Farm
Bureau are beginning a drive to purchase a rural fire truck
for this community.
There is no question that the truck is needed. Two
costly fires in recent weeks have shown the need. There is
no question that rural residents want the protection offered
by a rural truck. Just ask them.
The objections we have heard and they are not ob
jections to the truck, but rather to the project to obtain the
truck are these: 1) the money (about $9,000) needed
to buy the truck cannot be raised; 2) a program of main
tenance and operation of the truck cannot be worked out;
3) other community needs are greater; and 4) the truck
will cost less next year.
We can answer tnese objections in the order listed.
First, the amount of money required for the truck, whether
it is $5,000 or $50,000. can be raised if we are willing to
make the effort necessary. It will take work, but what
worthwhile goal doesn’t take work to attain?
Second, the Zebulon Farm Bureau has shown itself
equal to any task it has attempted. Its members are rich
in experience, initiative, and ingenuity, and forming a rural
volunteer fire department and maintaining the truck will
present no problem.
Third, it is true there are other important community
needs. We’re planning a community building. The Parent-
Teacher Association wants to buy an activities bus. The
library needs books. The needs of this community are
numberless and will continue to be so, but there is no rea
son why we should concentrate our efforts on supplying
one need to the exclusion of all others. It’s the busy man
we see to get something done, and it’s the busy community
which progresses most.
Fourth, mayb§ the truck will cost less next year. May
be the inflationary spiral will end and prices will tumble.
But while we wait for lower prices, how many homes, how
many barns, and how many stables will burn that might
have been saved had this community had a rural fire truck?
It’s easy to fill page after page and month after month
with excuses for putting off work. It’s hard to tackle a
real task knowing the road to completion is long and hard.
But when the promised reward is as great as that offered
hv a rural fire truck, there is no justifiable reason for delay.
There is no time to begin like the present.
The Zebulon Record
Entered as second class matter June 26, 1925, at the post
office at Zebulon, North Carolina, under the act of March 3, 1879.
Member of the North Carolina Press Association.
BARRIE S. DAVIS Editor
JAMES M. POTTER, JR Publisher
FERD L. DAVIS Fifth Wheel
Published Tuesday and Friday of each week at Zebulon,
Wake County, North Carolina. Subscription rate: $2.00 a year.
Advertising rates on request.
The Zehulon Record
Did you go to church last Sun
day? If you did not, you probably
figure it’s nobody’s business but
your own. In England during the
sixteenth century, however, it was
the government’s business par
liament passed a law 373 years
ago today imposing a fine of 20
pounds (then about $100) on any
body who stayed away from
preaching services. If English ser
mons were as dry and as long as
I suspect, it is no wonder that so
many of our ancestors moved to
America.
That action was not the only
one the English parliament took
on January 16 relative to relig
ion; 410 years ago today that body
passed a law making it a crime
for women and apprentices to read
the New Testament. They could
read the Ten Commandments if
they wished, but woe betide any
woman who sneaked a look at the
Sermon on the Mount!
The New York subway system
was begun (at least the contract
While Jack was reading the copy
for last week's column I remarked
that the Jones’ baby would prob
ably arrive before the paper was
out. Sure enough the birth of
their little girl was announced in
the very same issue of the Reoord.
Now comes the funny part of the
story I didn’t even know Gla
dys had gone to the hospital until
five or six hours after the baby
was born.
•
When I tried to follow the pin
cushion directions I gave last week
I realized they are inadequate. My
enthusiasm over-powered my bet
ter judgment. In the first place
satisfactory results can be obtained
only with 4-ply yarn. Using 2-
ply yarn I made a cushion that was
so soft it couldn’t hold its shape,
and I nearly knitted myself to
death trying to get it big enough.
/ I’m still not sure what size
needles to recommend. Let me
suggest that you knit an experi
mental first section using num
bers 1,2, or 3 depending upon
how tightly you usually knit. How
ever I believe No. 1 needles will
be preferred in most cases.
Revised Directions: Using 4-ply
yarn and stocking needles, cast on
16 stitches. Knit 1, purl 1 for 2 in
ches. Cast off all stitches. Double
your work like the cuff of a sock
and fit it around a thimble. The
other sections should fit correctly
if you use 28, 30, 42, and 52 stitches
respectively. (I say “should” just
in case I miscounted the stitches
on the original.)
•
Sometimes my reading habits
both amaze and amuse me. Right
A Harnett County friend advis
ed us the other day that an ac
quaintance of his was being hailed
into court of what appeared to be
a false charge simply because he
had a prison record. “Just because
a dog has sucked one egg doesn’t
mean he’s sucked them all,” our
friend observed.
•
Speaking of kids reminds me of
First Sergeant Sidney Holmes’
small Tim, who likes for his dad
to be home all the time except
during working hours. The only
time he’ll let Sid out of the house
is when the veteran First Sergeant
is going to a National Guard drill,
which Tim heartily approves. So
when an American Legion meet
Uncle Ferd’s Almanac
was let for its construction) 53
years ago today, and four years
later it was opened for use by the
public. Eight and one-half min
utes after it opened its turnstiles,
the first Boweryite was arrested
for dropping a lead slug in the
slot.
Sixty years ago today there was
an explosion in the Hawaiian Is
lands that dwarfed any eruption
of Mauna Loa; the government
headed by Queen Liliuokalani was
overthrown and a republic un
der Sanford Dole was establish
ed. Some of the residents, how
ever, didn’t even know that a
revolution had taken place; they
thought all the shooting was an
Irishman trying to pronounce the
queen’s name.
Sanford Dole, the president of
the Republic of Hawaii, was the
son of America missionaries. Af
ter the United States annexed Ha
waii, he was named governor.
Aside from being governor, Mr.
Dole is famed for his pineapple
c Potter Patter^
now, for example, I am readying
The Silver Chalice by Thomas B.
Costain and I Go Pogo by Walt
Kelly.
•
While grocery shopping recent
ly I discovered something new (to
me at least) in the way of ani
mal-shaped cookies. The Striet
mann Biscuit Company now makes
“Circus Animals” which are pack
aged in celophane bags containing
3V\ ounces of cookies for 10c. The
circus wagon boxes of animal
crackers baked by another com
pany se.'l for a penny less but con
tain only 2Vb ounces of cookies.
The price difference itiade me try
the Strietmann product, but the
taste appeal of the cookies made
me a regular customer.
•
Every time I look across the
street and see the Baptist parson
age empty and lonely without a
family to fill it with happiness and
activity I feel compelled to pay
tribute to the Mitchells. However,
I cannot put into words my per
sonal gratitude to them, and others
know better than I how constantly
and how willingly they devoted
themselves to the people of Zebu
lon as individuals and a commun
ity.
As much as I regret the Mit
chells leaving Zebulon, I am still
enough of an optimist (and a
Methodist) to believe that an occa
sional change of ministers more
often than not is a healthful influ
ence upon a church. Many no
doubt disagree with my opinion,
but when changes are inevitable
we should make them work for
Seen and Heard
ing or some other activity arises
which Sid has to attend, he tells
Tim he is headed for the “National
Guard” and all is well in the
Holmes household.
•
There is a monthly booklet call
ed “Folks,” which is published by
the National Editorial Association
for rural newspaper correspond
ents. The Record sends it .to the
energetic writers who gather th?
news from the ten or more com
munities around Zebulon. In the
booklet is a coded “Hidden Rule.”
Correspondents who succeed in
solving the code and submit the
correct answer to the NEA have
their names printed in the book
let. The January issue includes
Friday, January 16, 1953
juice, which you probably have
drunk a lot of; and if you even
know what pineapple tastes like,
you are bound to have eaten some
of Mr. Dole’s produce.
Marshall Field, the merchant
prince, died 47 years ago today.
Mr. Field started out as a clerk in
a Chicago dry goods store in 1856
(at the age of 22), and became the
leading merchant of the midwest.
He prospered to the extent that
he was able to give $8,000,000 for
a museum in Chicago as casually
as you or I give a dollar to the
March of Dimes.
Mr. Field had such a demand for
cloth that he started his own mills
in Rockingham County, North Car
olina, where another poor but
smart young fellow went to work,
saved his money, and showed us
again that ambition and ability
pay off. The last success story is,
of course that of Luther Hodges,
who took the office of lieutenant
governor of this state last Thurs
day.
us rather than against us.
•
A neighbor some years my senior
has expressed doubts about my en
joying visits with her. That is why
I am publicly stating my views on
the relationship of age and friend
ship: there is no relationship what
soever between them; an age dif
ference is no barrier to friendship;
a person warps his personality
when he forms friendships in on
ly one age group.
To me friendship is the delicious
fruit of shared experineces. If two
people looking at a flower see
beauty in it and enjoy discussing
the blossom, they have a founda
tion for friendship whether they
are a couple of teen-agers or a
bride and a grandmother.
•
Have you noticed the yellow jas
mine, quince, and first-breath-of
spring in bloom here in Zebulon?
Wednesday afternoon was the first
time I saw anytning more than a
few scattered blossoms of the last
mentioned shrub. As soon as Brian
and I came home I started peeking
at spots where bulbs are planted.
Some daffodils that were left in
the ground all winter are several
inches high already, but they are
the only brave souls in our yard.
The feeling of spring in January
certainly is exhilarating.
I don’t know why I even bother
ed to mention my poor little daf
fodils. Mrs. Ray, who lives just
around the corner from us, had
Narcissus blooms galore the week
before Christmas. She says they
never fail to bloom in December,
and I intend to see them in bloom
every year from now on.
the names of Miss Katie D. Ho
cutt and Mrs. Iris Temple as cor
respondents who found the solution
to the code.
•
“We ought to have a good year
ahead,” a friend remarked Tues
day, “because Eisenhower is ap
pointing a lot of big, successful
businessmen to his cabinet.” Our
hope is that these big businessmen
do not forget that it takes a whole
lot of small businesses for big
business to be possible.
•
The new Es&o station is grow
ing almost like Topsy down at the
stoplight junction of 64 and 96.
Neighbor Fred Chamblee will be
moved in before spring, it seems.