FRIDAY
ISSUE
Next Issue Tuesday
VoL 33, No. 50
University Is
Hard Pressed
For Quarters
For Students
The University’s biggest
housing problem right now
is the need for quarters for
married students, according
to Housing Officer James E.
Wadsworth, who says that
nAy such couples will have
tooe satisfied with rooms,
apartments, or small houses
as far as ten miles from
Chapel Hill. The University
is expecting about 6,500 stu
dents this fall, and the cam
pus and town don’t have
room for all of them, to say
nothing of room for the
wives and children of mar
ried students.
Anybody in or near
Chapel Hill and Carrboro
who has roems, apartments,
or small houses for rent is
asked to call Mr. Wadsworth
at the University’s housing
office (9-2566) for the bene
fit of students who are com
ing by there daily looking
for places in which to live.
It is also requested that the
housing office be notified
when quarters on its list
have been rented, so that
students won’t be sent on so
many wild goose chases.
Mr. Wadsworth said that
25 married couples came in
tAthe housing office one
inning last week looking
for living quarters. Many of
these couples, he said, will
either have to find quarters
as far away as Durham or
change their plans about at
tending the University.
The major demand is for
houses and apartments with
middle to low vent rates.
Most of the applicants are
returning veterans, with a
wife, and many have a small
child or two. Most of them
have only a limited income.
Mr. Wadsworth said that
the 352 housing units in Vic
tory Village have long been
filled. The housing office
now has a waiting list of al
most 500 applications for
housing in Victory Village.
For single students the hous
ing situation is almost as
Ijml. Already 13 of the 19
Hn’a dormitories have been
set aside to house three stu
dents to a room, and all of
these are practically filled
now. The women’s dormi
tories are also filled.
Already many married
students are living in houses
off the University campus
in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Mr. Wadsworth says that
the residents of the two
towns have been good about
calling the housing office
when they have apartments,
small houses and rooms to
£pnt, but that many more
«uch units are needed by
September 15, when the fall
session will begin.
Woman Needs Help
To Rebuild House
Help is needed by Mrs. Ada
Edwards, a Negro woman whose
house near Bethel church re
cently burned down. She needs
any assistance she can get, in
cluding cinder blocks, flooring,
covering, other building ma
nuals, or money.
▼Anybody willing to help is
asked to get in touch with Mrs.
Norma Chrisman of 807 North
Columbia Street, whose tele
phone number is 0-8886.
Four of Mrs. Edwards’ grand
children whose parents are dead
are living with her, and she is
having quite a struggle taking
care of them and attempting to
rebuild her home.
John Crittenden leaving
Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Hargrove
and their family will go to Crew,
Vn., tomorrow to take home John
Crittenden, Mrs. Hargrove’s
nephew, who has been here visit
ing them.
Trip to California
Candy Carroll and John Carroll
are with their grandaiother, Mrs.
Betty Smith, on an automobile
trip to California and other
Western states.
Chief J. S. Boone Says Fire Department Has Come
Considerable Way Since This Picture Was Taken
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Mr " ■>#
J. S. Hoone, now Chief of the Chapel Hill
Fire Department, is shown at the wheel of
the town’s oldest lire truck in this picture
taken in 1929 when the truck was comparative
ly new. It was bought in 1921 and is still in
u>* as a reserve truck. Standing on the run
ning board is the late Frank Partin, then a
member of the depa/tmeat. Also shown is
White Dog, the department’s mascot, who
lived at the fire house and went to all fires
“I’ve never been anything
but a fireman all my life,"
said Fire Chief J. S. Boone
as an opener to our interview
with him the other day.
Chief Boone, who has been
fire chief since P. R. Perry’s
resignation last July, start
ed as a fireman in High
Station WCHL Does Great Job Raising
Money for Red Cross Flood Relief Fund
From sunrise to sunset yester
day Chapel Hill’s radio station
WCHL was an the air voicing
ttr, appeal for contributions for
the American Red Cross (lood
relief, and at noon yesterday had
raised around S6OO and was try
ing to reach a goal of SI,OOO.
Contributions were being pledged
through calls to the radio Station
on the Durham road, or were
given directly to a booth, com
plete with microphone and re
cords, on Franklin street in front
of the J. B. Robbins store.
The appeal show started Wed
nesday morning at 10 o’clock and
lusted all that day, and all day
yesterday. After the Wednesday
appeal the radio station turned
in about $250 dollars to the local
chapter of the American Red
Ci%hh and had pledges of about
another SIOO dollars.
The idea was thought of by
Pokey Alexander of the staff of
WCHL Wednesday morning and
several hours later was put into
effect, with all members of the
station's staff helping out. At
one time during the day, the
station’s salesmen were at the
downtown booth taking contribu
tions from passing cars, and one
of the announcers, who was plan
ning on leaving on vacation,
stayed over to help out.
Most of the requests for songs
over the radio station were ac
companied by a dollar contribu
tion, but several songs cost more.
They were "Maybellene,” which
was $3, and “The Yellow Rose of
Texas,’’ which started at sl, and
yesterday was up to $2. How
ever, many people were con
tributing much more to hear
other songs. There was one con
tribution of SSO, which accom
panied a request for the “Poet
Woman’s Body Found in Clearwater Lake
By J. A. C. Dunn
On Wednesday afternoon, after
a mad, tearing drive out the Far
rington road, we arrived at Clear
water Lake where the floating
body of a woman had just been
found. Official cars were parked
near the water, and official men
were gathered around a sheet
covered body lying on the shore
of the lake. Sheriff Odell Clayton
was there, and deputies W. E.
Clark and Earl Bush, assistant
coroner George Cannada, Cap
tain Blake of the Chapel Hill Po
lice force, and Billy Warren and
Hillman Rice, both of Durham,
the two young men Who discov
ered the body.
We will not go into a descrip
tion of Alva Matthews Tew of
Durham, whose corpse was the
center of attention. She may have
been attractive in life (we never
knew her); in death she was not
What we found most interest
ing was the behavior of the peo-
S involved in investigating Mrs.
it's death. She led been found
The Chapel Hill Weekly
5 Cents a Copy
Point in 1922 and came to
Chapel Hill shortly there
after when Chapel Hill be
gan putting paid firemen on
duty. He has been assistant
chief since 1933.
The principal problem at
the fire department right
now is centered in the chief’s
and Peasant Overture’’ and two
of Sousa’s marches.
The radio station was also
auctioning off merchandise do
nated by local merchants.
The work of WCHL was highly
praised by J. T. Gobbel, chairman
of the local chapter of the Red
Cross. He said, “WCHL is doing
a fine job. It is very generous
and thoughtful of them.” Mr.
Gobbel said that National Red
Cross headquarters had asked
Chapel Hill to raise at least S4OO,
and already it seemed the goal
had been passed, in keeping with
the tradition that “Chapel Hill
always exceeds its quota.”
Mr. Gobbel said that anyone
wishing to contribute now is ask
ed to send donations to the
Chapel Hill Red Cross, at 138 Vi
Fast Franklin street, or to W. R.
Cherry, who is treasurer of the
local chapter. All contributions
must be in by August 21.
The money raised by the local
chapter will be used by the Red
Cross as direct relief to stricken
families in the recent flooded
areas. The families needing help
number 10,000, and all of their
cure is being left to the Red
Cross. The Red Cross has already
alloted around two million dol
lars, but about six million more
is needed.
Return from Northwest
Mrs. J. L. Button and Miss
Sarah Sutton have returned from
a western vacation trip that in
cluded visits to Yellowstone Park,
several Northwestern states, and
the Canadian Rockies. Miss
Margaret Robinson of Vancouver,
who worked here at the Diver
sity’s School of Dentistry till re
cently, met them in Victoria and
spent an evening with them.
at ten minutes to twelve by
Messrs. Rice snd Warren; it was
a little after two when we ar
rived at the scene. In that time
several people had appeared and
gathered tensely on the dirt road
above the bank where the body
lay; the above mentioned officials
had appeared and begun their op
erations. A hearse stood nearby,
incongruously shiny in compari
son with the rather drab sur
roundings and the outdated, dusty
cars belonging to spectators. The
officials standing near the body
spoke in subdued voices, as if
afraid of disturbing Mrs. Tew.
People standing some distance
away spoke in normal tones.
We approached the body, low
ered our voire, and wntebed. Billy
Warren told us how he and his
friend had found the body; he
seemed extraordinarily relaxed
fore men who had just polled
a dead woman out of a lake, but
after a minute or so of listening
(Continued on page It)
CHAPEL HILL, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1955
riding on the truck. In the background is the
old two-story wooden store building that
housed the Town Hall and courtroom and
that stood on the site of the present Town
Hall. The brick wall at right is part of the
old fire house, which stood in the middle of
Columbia street, dividing it into two traffic
lanes. More about Chief Boone and the Fire
Department is told in the story below. -
perplexing struggle to move
Chapel Hill from tire insur
ance class seven to class six.
For this improvement
Chapel Hill needs, among
other things, a 75-foot aeriaj
truck and three men on duty
at all times. Chapel Hill also
needs to adopt a modern, up
to-date fire prevention code.
At present, the town oper
ates only under the state
law, which gives the local
fire chief power to “seek out
and correct all fire hazards.”
However, the North Carolina
building code, which is con
cerned chiefly with fire in
surance in its connection
with fire departments, out
lines a much more detailed
fire prevention code, and
this code is, Chief Boone,
said, what the town needs
to adopt.
“It won’t be much trouble
to get into a better class if
we can once get into class
six,” the Chief said. "It’s
harder to get from class
seven to class six, than it is
to get to class seven from
class ten.” Class ten is the
fire insurance rating given
to towns with no fire fighting
equipment at all.
We asked the Chief if he
wouldn’t take us on a little
tour of the fire trucks down
in the garage. We never
have succeeded in progress
ing far enough beyond
adolescense to lose interest
in fire engines.
The Chief took us down,
and started on the oldest
truck, shown in the picture
above. “This is a 750-gallon
per minute pumper,” he said.
“It’s a triple combination
(carries a pump, hose, and
a booster pump) truck.
We’ve had it since 1921. We
just keep it in reserve now.
It cost $12,500.” The truck
has right-hand drive be
cause the pump handle,
which operates the pump, is
on the right-hand side of the
truck. We climbed up in the
driver’s seat. The accelera
tor was in the middle, be
tween the clutch and the
(Continued on page 12)
Pokey Alexander shouting
“Just a minute, just a minute,
I'll be right there” at his radio
machinery on Franklin Btreet
last Wednesday as s faint voice
inquiring petulantly as to his
whereabouts came over the wires.
Pokey waa setting up the Red
Cross booth outside Robbins
from which he broadcast all day
Wednesday asking people to
come by the booth and contribute.
• • •
A camel being hauled down
East Franklin Street Wednesday
morning in a pick-up truck. A
wooden miniature camel, it wea.
• • •
Miaa IHTHs fPtVfy a frtrH»g
Murray Brothers
Plan Building
On Main Corner
A simple 12-word sign on
the southwest corner of
Chapel Hill's main intersec
tion this week announced
the forthcoming develop
ment of what is probably
the most valuable undevelop
ed property in town.
The sign on the old Isaac
Emerson property adjoining
the Baptist church and
facing West Franklin street
at Columbia street said:
“Chapel Hill’s Newest Build
ing . . . Space Still Available
. . . I. E. and J. S. Murray,
Durham.”
Answering reporters’
questions, the Murray
brothers, who are Durham
businessmen, said they had
not decided what style build
ing would go on the prop
erty, whether they would
erect the building them
selves and lease it, whether
they would develop and sell
the property, or what.
“We’ve ftot an armful of
propositions to consider,”
they were quoted as saying.
The property extends
some 200 feet on West
Franklin street from Colum
bia street and goes back on
Columbia street to the
Chapel Hill- Baptist church,
or approximately 75 feet. It
now has on it a vacant lot
and a rental residence. It
used to belong to the late
Isaac Emerson, Orange
county native who made a
great fortune through his
invention of Bromo-Seltzer
and who gave Emerson
stadium to the University.
In recent years as prop
erty in the area has increas
ed in value, there has been
much speculation as to the
eventual use or disposition
of the old Emerson place.
The Baptist church has con
sidered purchasing it sev
eral times, and so have in
dividuals. But the Murrays’
sign this week was the first
indication that it would be
put to modem usage in the
near future.
Exchange Club Members Are Continuing
Work on Glenwood School Playground
The Chapel Hill Exchange
Club will move into round two
of “Project Dirt” Saturday after
noon, when its members will work
in shifts in the hauling, dumping,
and leveling of dirt on the play
ground back of the Glenwood
school in Glen Lennox. Round
one occurred about two weeks ago
when the Exchange Club hauled
about 150 cubic yards of dirt to
the playground. Tomorrow the
club is expecting to haul around
200 more yards of dirt.
The dirt is being given by
Charlie Stancell who is building
a house west of Chapel Hill, near
Glen Ben Boat, local
grading contractor, is contrib
uting his time and equipment to
the project for just the cost. The
trucks are being furnished by
Doug Yates, and the tractor used
Wyoming Man on Visit
T. A. Larson, chairman of the
history department at the Uni
versity of Wyoming, was here
recently on a visit to Mr. and
Mrs. C. O. Cathey of Country
(’tub Road. He had been in
Washington doing research work
in the National Archives and has
now returned to Wyoming.
Mies Pegg in Florida
Miss Betsy Pegg is visiting
Dr. and Mrs. Younger Staton and
Charles Staton at Palm Beach,
Florida.
Chapel Mill notes
flgure in a new frock covered
with designs of pears, pome
granites, cherries, flgs, and
purple plums—probably pur
chased on her recent vacation
trip to Mexico.
* • »
Strong and sturdy little
Michael Porter standing guard
over his baby sister as sha
prattles in bar play pen.
'• * •
Everybody in the College Cafa
charmed by Frances Johnaon’a
smile, freckles, and dimplse.
• • •
O. T. Watkins exhibiting the
new tea-ounce bottled Coke
around town yesterday.
Chapel Mill Chaff
J. J.
Ed Bilpuch, former Uni
versity football star, came
in the Weekly office a cofiple
of weeks ago to see if we
knew of a place in or near
Chapel Hill where he could
conduct experiments at least
thirty feet underground.
The experiments were in
connection with he is
doing at the University to
ward a doctorate ip nuclear
physics.
“Right now I’m studying
the effects of cosmic rays,”
he said. “The trouble is the
rays are so powerful and
numerous at ground level I
can’t tell much about them.
But at thirty feet under
ground they will have been
thinned out enough to be of
some use to me.”
I had to admit I didn’t
know of any thjrty-foot
shaft or tunnel in or near
Chapel Hill. The old iron
mine out near the airport,
where ore was dug for the
hard-pressed Confederacy
during the Civil War, was
deeper than that the last
time I saw it, but I had
heard the Umsteads had
filled it with earth several
years ago when they began
opening that area for a resi
dential development. (It was
too dangerous to be left
open. Anybody who fell
down the shaft never would
have got out unless there
was somebody within calling
distance.)
I telephoned Max Saun
ders, superintendent of the
filter plant, thinking he
might know of some deep
hole or tunnel used in con
nection with the town’s
water system. He said he
didn’t.
Then I thought of the coal
mine near Pittsboro and re
called it had been in opera
tion as late as World War
11. I phoned Moody Dur
ham, a native of those parts,
to ask if he knew whether
or not it was still open. He
told us to call the Chatham
(Continued on page ()
for spreading the dirt was lent
by Hugh Lloyd.
The dirt that the Exchange
Club has spread and will spread
Saturday is far from being
enough to fix the playground as
it should be. The Exchange Club
has agreed to spread any dirt
that is dumped on the play
ground, and any person who has
dirt is asked to haul it out to the
playground, which is directly
back of the Glenwood school.
At the Exchange Club’s week
ly meeting at the Ranch House
Tuesday night, final plans for the
second round of “Project Dirt"
were made and a report on the
state convention at - Charlotte
last weekend was given by Herb
Holland and W. N. Tyler. Club
president Pat Pope also attended
the convention.
Mysterious Baby Is Left on Windy Hill
i William Council, a Negro
| orderly at Memorial hospital, was
driving home from work Thurs
i day afternoon of last week when
he saw a young Negro woman
i walking along the road carrying
a Negro baby. He offered her a
lift and she accepted.
The girl said she wanted to
.go to Sugar Hill. Mr. Council
I had never heard of a Sugar Hill
around Chapel Hill and he sug
gested that maybe she meant
Windy Hill. She said yes, that
was right. They drove down to
Windy Hill, the northern exten
sion of Hillsboro Street, and the
I girl asked to be let out at num
ber 424.
| Number 424 Is the residence of
Mrs. Laura Baker, an elderly
i Negro woman. She was not at
horns but her son Roger was. Mr.
Council drove off, and the girl
i asked Roger if she could leave
| the baby with him about an hour
i while she went up to see some
body at the hoepitaL Ha agreed
and tha girl departad, leaving
i him with ona baby boy about
i thro# weeks old, a baby’s bottle
half full of milk, aad ao diapers.
She did hot return.
When Mrs. Baker cam* bo see
i to this situation later In tha
evening a)m called the police.
34 a Year in County; other rates on page 2
Board of Ajustment Decides
On Watchful Waiting Policy
In Regard to Advertising on
Shelter for School Children
Paper Collection la
Set lor Sunday
Everybody is asked to put
out scrap paper this Sunday
afternoon, August 28, for
the Jaycee paper collectiop.
Old newspapers, magazines,
and other waste paper
should be tied in bundles and
placed on the curb or front
porch by not later than 2
p.m.
In announcing the collec
tion, Lindy Sparrow, the Jay
cees’ paper drive chairman,
said, “People who have large
quantities of paper they
want us to move are asked to
call Bill Fowler at 9437, and
we’ll be glad to get it out of
the garage, basement, attic,
or wherever it is.”
Proceeds from the sale of
the paper are used by the
Jaycees to help finance their
civic projects.
Thrift Shop Needs
Children’s Clothes
The Thrift Shop operated on
West Franklin Street by the
Chapel Hill P.T.A. organizations
will be closed from Monday,
August 29, through Monday,
August 5. It will reopen Tues
day, August 6, and from then on
will be open from 10 a.m. till
5 p.m. five days a week, Tuesday
through Saturday. It will not
close for lunch hour.
Mrs. Ray, who manages the
shop, said it would be cleaned
and reorganized during the
week’s closing and that she
might possibly get a day off.
A P.T.A. official said yestet
day the shop was in need of
chil dr e n’s school clothes.
“Mothers who discover that their
children have outgrown their
wardrobes would be helping
others greatly if they would give
such articles to the Thrift Shop,”
the spokesman said. “Also they
may find at the shop just what
they need to replace what they
have contributed. There ere still
many excellent bargains in sum
mer clothing.’’
The Thrift Shop is next door
to the Hospital Saving Associa
tion. Persons who have contribu
tions but are unable to deliver
them to the shop are asked to
call 8-455 for pick-up service.
The proceeds from the shop are
used by the P.T.A. grooups for
their work in the Chapel Hill
schools.
On Flood Assignment
Mrs. Mabel R. Brittain, field
secretary of the Chapel Hill
chapter of the American Red
! Cross, left Wednesday morning
to work with the Red Cross in
> the flood areas of northeastern
and New England states. Mrs.
, Brittain, who was called into
i emergency service by the na
tional Red Cross, went from here
to New York to get her assign
ment.
and an Investigation was begun
by Officers Graham Creel and
Charles Etheridge and Deputy
Sheriff W. E. Clark. Mr. Council
told them the girl seemed to be
about 18 or 19 years old. Mrs.
Jane Parker of the county wel
fare department was called in,
and she took charge of the baby
and had it put in Memorial hos
pital. It was Immediately dis
covered that the baby had been
treated there the day before for
a rash ovar its eye. The police
began getting in touch with all
doctors who might have had
some connection with the esse,
but little more was learnsd.
Officer Etheridge said that the
girl could not ba charged with
abandonment if the baby was left
at a home for less than two
weeks. She could have been so
chargsd immediately, however, if
she had last the child on a door
step or in some similarly ex
posed and unattended spot.
As of yesterday, no traea of
tha girl had been found, police
investigation has uncovered no
body who knows bor, and nobody
can figure out why she chose
Mrs. Baker’s house as a place
to leave tha baby, who la now
<*n ana as tha welfare dipurt
, meat's faster haems.
■
FRIDAY
ISSUE
Next Issue Tuesday
1 Whether or not an adver
tising-bearing shelter for
school children erected just
outside the town limits on
the DtfWiam road stays put
depends in part on action of
the Board of Aldermen.
If the town board adopts
a proposed ordinance re
zoning the area where the
sign is located, the shelter
will not be in violation of
the law. That was the atti
tude and the decision taken
by members of the Chapel
Hill Board of Adjustment at
a meeting Wednesday night.
The aldermen have before
them a proposed ordinance
which would make the area
semi-commercial instead of
residential. Blatant adver
tising is not permitted in
residential areas but is per
mitted in semi-commercial
areas. However, if the pro
posed ordinance fails to pass
the Board of Aldermen, then
the Board of Adjustment
will go into the matter of
the shelter again.
The controversy arose
Tuesday when B. B. Sapp of
the Sapp Welding Service of
Raleigh applied for a permit
to erect a prefabricated
shelter for school children
just outside the town limits.
Building Inspector P. L.
Burch ruled such a shelter
with advertising on the sides
was in violation of the pres
ent zoning law. But Sapp’s
crews erected the structure
anyway, and the matter was
laid before the Board of Ad
justment. The board went
into the matter Wednesday!*
night, and the discussion
brought out the fact that the
proposed amendment to the
zoning ordinance making the
area semi-commercial, if
passed, would make the shel
ter strictly within legal
bounds. Had the Board of
Adjustment ruled against it
Wednesday and had the ordi
nance subsequently been
adopted, the board would
thereby be overruled. So it
chose a waiting action.
Help Is Needed by
Victims of Flood
The Red Cross is in urgent
need of financial help for the
relief of flood victims in the
Northeastern states, according to
Tony Gobbel, president of the
Chapel Hill chapter of the or
ganization.
“The Red Cross has already
allotted two million dollars for
flood relief and may have to
allot five million,” Mr. Gobbel
said yesterday.
Contributions may be mailed to
Chapel Hill Red Cross Chapter,
138 Vk East Franklin Street, or
may be left at the Bank of
Chapel Hill or its Carrboro
branch. Mr. Gobbel has appoint
ed William Cherry of the Bank
of Chapel Hill as treasurer of
flood contributions. Checks should
be made out to the American
Red Cross.
Fines Say Stories Incorrect
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Fine have
asked the Weekly to state that
the high water resulting from
Hurricane Diane’s rains did not
drive them from their home on
the Bypass. News stories saying
the water entered their house
were erroneous, Mrs. Fine said
yesterday.
Dining Room to Reopen
The Monogram Club Dining
Room, which is open to the pub
lic, 'will reopen for the fall
quarter at noon Wednesday,
August 81. The dining room
serves two meals a day: lunch
from noon to 2 o’clock and din
ner from 5:80 p.m. to 7:80 p.m.
It has been closed for the last
few weeks.
Baptist Kindergarten
The Baptist Nursery and Kin
dergarten closed August 19 and
will reopen September IK II
has 50 pupils refistensd far the
coming year. Thirty-one of them
were pnpila these either this mm
mar nr during the last ashes!
P H P