Page Four
THE PILOT, a Paper With CharaetCT, Yaaa, Nok-«h Carolina.
Friday, September 28, 1928.
THE PILOT
Published every Friday by the
PILOT PRINTING COMPANY
Vass, North Caroliika
NELSON C. HYDE. PubUsher.
Subscription Rates:
One Year $2.00
oix Months $1.00
Address all communications to The
Pilot Printing Co., Vass, N. C.
Advertising Rates on Application
Entered at the Postoffice at Vass,
N. C-, as second-class mail matter.
IMMUNITY FROM
WEST INDIAN STORMS.
Last week Moore County had
the worst experience with rough
weather it has known in many
years, for the West Indian hur
ricane that devastated so much
of the Southeast and of Florida
and the Coast, swung out to sea
to pass Northward, and the trail
of the outer whirl of the circle,
a thousand miles in width,
reached inland, as these tropical
blows do. But as is usual in
these cases, the virulence of the
blow was on the ocean as the
storm went North. It is well
known to those who read the
papers that these storms origi
nate in latitude far South of
North Carolina, and in longitude
far enough to the East that
when they break for the conti
nent they are either diverted into
the Gulf west of Florida or they
follow the Eastern Coast to the
Middle and New England states
or are dissipated in the Atlantic.
A dense bank of high pressure
air protects the inland north of
Florida, and the low pressure of
the storm can not make head-
w’ay against the resistant de
fense of that packed air. So in
Central North Carolina or farth
er West the West Indian storm
is able to show nothing more se
vere than its heels as it chases
past up the Coast or out into the
5ea.
Moreover, while the hurri
canes of the West Indies form a
persistent type of storm that al
ways comes from the lower lati- i
tudes, that other form of storm
w’hich is a winter guest on the
American continent is also from
another section than ours, blow
ing North of latitude 45 as a
rule, and from the West and
Northwest across to the lakes
and the St. Lawrence. Hence J
we escape in this section the
hurricanes of summer and the
blizzards of winter. Here in the
middle zone between the equa
torial currents and the polar cur
rents we enjoy a region of com
parative immunity, and scarce
ly another spot on the continent
is so safely located as that bit
of country east of the Appalach
ian mountains and in the latitude
of North Carolina.
' This is not merely a happen
case. It is the rule through cen
turies, for the motion of the
earth, with other causes, is at
the bottom of this shifting of
vast masses of air Westward
along the tropical circles, just as
the reverse movement is to the
East farther toward the polar
zone. The one extreme of air
disturl)ance on the South, the
other on the North, and we oc
cupy the calm between. North
Carolina back from the Coast
has little knowledge of what a
hurricane is, and even immedi
ately on the Coast the virulence
of tropical storms has so dimin
ished that real hurricanes are
not in evidence. But back this
far in the State our position is
ideal in this respect. By the
time the West Indian disturb
ance reaches the interior of
North Carolina it is neutralized
by the high pressure from the
West, which is almost always
ready for the Eastern outlaw,
and the hurricane is so modified
that it has lost all its vigor and
its terror. That is another rea
son why the Sandhills afford the
most delightful place in the
world to live.
even on the shrubbery and trees.
More particularly is this the case
in the country where it seems to
be assumed that any place
around a country home is open
road. Last week people bring
ing children to school aggravat
ed the school folks by driving
over the lawn and damaging the
plants, and while listening to the
tales of carelessness on the
school lawn a woman remarked
about how a visitor at her house
had run over some new roses she
had planted and crushed the
blosoms that were showing out
in vigorous style.
It is not very encouraging to
people who plant grass and
shrubbery and plants along the
road and on the lawns to have
visitors ruthlessly destroy all
the work that has been done, and
if the reader will pass this pro
test along to anybody who will
listen, the work of making the
Sandhills an attractive place to
live will be easier for those who
are trying to accomplish that
desired end.
DRIVING ON
THE LAWNS AND GRASS.
One of the commonest com
plaints in this happy valley is
that of visitors who come up to
the house and for want of any
more satisfactory place to park
the car drive it on the grass, and
DIVERSIFICATION
OF FARMING.
The tobacco crop comes to
market to meet the discovery
that this year has produced the
largest amount of leaf tobacco
ever grown on this continent in
any year. This tobacco crop is
the result of diversification, the
turning of the farm, from other
crops to tobacco. It is probably
a wise move, for it has increased
the outlet of the Moore County
farmer in his crop production.
Yet every time a farmer diversi
fies he adds to the embarrass
ment of, the farmer in some oth
er line. The cotton crop is big
this year. The peach crop was
enormous because farmers all
over the South have been di
versifying into peaches. The
poultry production of this sec
tion is increasing as farmers di
versify more in the poultry field.
Certainly diversification gives
the farm and the community a
longer handle to the stick. But
diversifying simply means that
when a man takes to a new thing
he adds to the number of per
sons producing that particular
item. Diversification is there
fore as broad fts it is long. Yet
it is no doubt advisable, for the
farmer who has several lines out
does not suffer as much if one
fails as he would if he had but
a single line and it failed. This
region is no doubt much more
prosperous with several staples
to depend on than if the com
munity^ depended on one thing,
and that one went wrong. Plarely
do all go wrong at the same
time.
But that does not change the
fact that the farmer is playing
a game with narrow margins,
and that with all the advice that
is given him, and it is abundant
enough, little of it is practical
or applicable. Apparently the
farmer needs to diversify some
more. He needs to diversify un
til he includes some substantial
prosperity, which is not the case
with too many farmers. It
might be a field for the Kiwanis
Club to inquire into what is the
weak spot with the Moore Coun
ty farmer, not to give him ad
vice, but to actually dig into the
subject until the basic difficul
ties are f-hown. When the trou
ble is found the remedies are
not often so difficult to determ
ine. Farming in Moore County
and farming all over the State
and nation need a real inquisi
tion to disclose what is the mat-
' fer. Then some diversification
from troublesome conditions can
be prescribed when the condi
tions are properly appraised.
I — ■ — -
“OUR BLIGHTED
; LANDSCAPE.”
In the Ocvober North Ameri
can Review Struthers Burt has
Ian article which is classified on
I the title page as “And Fea
tures, by Struthers Burt.’’ Over
jthe article is the more distinc-
j tive heading, “OurBlighted Land
scape.” Mr. Burt pays his re
spects to the awakening in this
section from iadifference to the
appearance of the highways to
an interest in making the roads
attractive to the eye and to the
-sensitiveness of the traveler, and
before he has gone far into his
subject he tells the reader that
there is hope for a radical change
from bad to better. He notes
already a decided inclination to
get rid of the road signs and
the other abominations that we
have permitted to cumber the
highways, and one of his most
persuasive pleas is that in North
Carolina where we have spent
nearly a hundred million dollars
to make the best system of roads
in the United States we have
not so far shown enough inter
est to prevent spoiling that great
parkway with all kinds of offen
sive decoration.
Struthers Burt has been a
missionary for attractive roads
as well as good roads, for attrac
tive communities, attractive
home surroundings, and in this
story he tells of the hope that
accomplishment begins to show,
the hope that North Carolina is
not only to have one of the best
road systems in the world, but
one of the most pleasing rural
and village scenic effects to be
found any place. Of course we
have most of the work to do,
but the fact that we have com
menced and that we are under
standing the value of the work
we have in progress is the great
feature. Although Mr. Burt has
not been long of North Carolina
he is proving that he is a mighty
valuable acquisition.
NORTHERN PRESS PRAISES
STATE EDUCATION EFFORTS.
In North Carolina there is a de
termined campaign being made
against illiteracy, says an editorial in
The Syracuse (N. Y.) Post-Standard.
For North Carolna is not only build
ing roads and schools; but it is un
dertaking to reach children and adults
in the backwoods counties, that the
State shall not continue to have a
high illiteracy rate. In Buncombe
county—famous name—the literary
director, a determined and persistent
woman, has listed 7,000 who are un
able to read and write. That a
“Write your own name” campaign
should be necessary may seem queer;
but it is a serious business in Bun
combe county.
Since the campaign against illiter
acy among adults began 5,000 men
and women have been taught to read
and write under the direction of a
corps of 20 teachers devoting their
entire time to the work. It has been
a large task; and North Carolina,
bravely tackling it, has secured re
sults which demonstrate the value of
the effort.
Native-born Americans without op
portunity for the most elementary
education have been the bane of the
South. North Carolina has under
taken to correct this situation. The
teachers report a general desire to
learn among our ignorant people, and
the tremendous pride the people dis
play when they have mastered the
fundaniv°ntals of literacy.
There is a good wosk going for
ward. North Carolina is evidently
the leader in all the South for im
proved social, educational, industrial
conditions. North Carolina refuses
to remain “backward.”
GRAINS OF SAND
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand—
When they come together.
Out goes the dam.
It doesn’t rhyme, but who cares
about that? It’s our resume of the
storm story, and we’re going to stick
to it.
dodging the tax collector he will know
that J. D. McLean, at Carthage, that’s
his name and address, is still collect
ing last year’s taxes, but he will take
care of Pennsylvania money if the
matter is brought up after election
when everybody has more time, say
about November 10.
Repairs on the No- 50 highway be
tween Vass and Lake view, made nec
essary by the waters of the lake and
Little River overflowing the road a
week ago, are nearing completion.
No less than 440 residents of North
Carolina are listed in the new 1928
edition of Who’s WTio in America
North Carolina ranks 18th among the
states in representation.
A man from down along the Hoke
county line says the high water kas
j been tough on the honest artisan who
has been trying to make a simple liv
ing in the branch heads. It drowned
out the fire, soured the meal, and
washed everything down the creek.
That great philosopher and good
man, Judge Way, has his share of
tribulation. The Judge has a family
any man might be proud of, a de
lightful wife, a charmiitg daughter,
and a companionable little dog. A
little dog, a talkative, pert little chap,
sociable and eager to take part in
everything. But somehow the folks
wanted a big dog, so a Great Dane
was added one day to the lares and
penates, those tutelary protective
gods of the household. The Great
Dane is a dignified creature, but the
Judge complains, “Look at him. Our
house is a little house, but while the
dog is a fine dog, of good character,
and lovely disposition, just one wag
of his tail when he is in a placid
mood breaks the furniture and scat
ters chaos in our happy little home.”
Life is funny.
The new Seaboard schedule brings
the early morning train into South
ern Pines at 4:59, in spite of the fact
jthat Jack’s Grill doesn’t open until 7
I A. M. Ye ed., who spent last week
I end in Washington, speaks feeUngly.
The only illustrious citizen we rec
ognized in the Capital was Charles E.
Hughes. Under his arm was H. G.
Wells’ last book and a copy of Scrib
ners’.
Speaking of Scribners’, they have
just released the de luxe illustrated
edition of James Boyd's ‘Drums,^
charmingly illusrtrated by N. C. W'yeth.
Five hundred copies, printed on spe
cial paper and handsomely bound,
contain facimile letters by both author
and illustrator, and are personally au
tographed. These sell for $10, the
regular edition for $2.50.
Probably the foremost educator in
this quarter of the mundane footstool
is Claude Hayes. Hayes keeps a book
store. Not a book store in name, but
in all the defacto interpretations. He
sells school books, but in greater
numbers he sells all the conceivable
books under the sun, and he keeps his
windows full of them, and his shelves,
and he unloads that stuff on every
body he can persuade to read. Possi
bly his motive is the profit he gets,
although Hayes does a number of
things for folks without getting much
profit. He taught Bob Page to play
golf. But his work in loading this
region up with books entitles him to
a crown if anythin" possibly could,
if he ever gets to that place where
crowns are presumed to be given out
to deserving people. Look at that
window. More books than most folks
have wood for the winter.
Mrs. Francis T. Keating, chairman
of the Moore County Chapter of the
American Red Cross, is receiving do
nations for the needy fund for Porto
Rico and Florida relief. Subscriptions
I should be sent to her at Pinehurst,
I and should be generous.
We nosed our way into a crowd
standing on one of the busy Sandhill
corners the other day and the subject
under discussion was not politics.
That, gentle readers, is news.
The largest rayon mill in the world
is to be built at Asheville. is sig-
nificent that the corporation decided to
come to North Carolina as the decis
ion was arrived at after many months
of investigation in several Southern
states.
Can’t we get the next big mill for
our own immediate vicinity?
Henry J. Lindeman, of Kittanning,
Pa., who bought a tract of land on
the Midland road while here last
spring, writes to know who is the tax
collector as he wants to pay his taxes.
Henry means all right, but by the
time he has owned that land as long
as some of the rest of us have been
Former Congressman Robert X.
Page enters the political arena for
the first time in this campaign when
he addresses a mass meeting at
Greensboro on Wednesday evening,
October 10th.
The State fire loss in August totaled
$166,989. Among towns reporting no
loss were Sanford, Raeford and South-
em Pines. The loss in the State for
the year to date exceeds three mil
lions.
WELL PLANNEP PROGRAM
FOR AGRICULTURAL WORK.
The efforts of county ogents, ex
tension specialists and administra
tive forces of the State College of
Agriculture to build a better rural
life in North Carolina are founded
on a well planned progi'am of work
developed from the needs of the peo
ple.
In a booklet just pubb’shed by the
agricultural extension division, “Build
ing A Program of Agricultural Ex
tension,” the plans and methods of
conducting this work are explained
“Through a program so balanced that
theie is something of direct interest
to every member of the farm family,
improved practices are demonstrated
and their adoption urged in order
that there may be a profitable and
economically sound agricukure and
a more satisfactory home and com
munity life in the State,” say.s the
publication.
Each year, the whole group of ag-
Hcultural workers meet in annual
conference at the State College when
definite plans for the State as a whole
are made. At the clos« of the year,
the workers take stock and see what
has been accomplished. The need for
further effort on old projects and the
adoption of new plans are consid
ered.
Homes
Apartments
Cottages
H
::
FOR RENT and FOR SALE
In Southern Pines and vicinity
BARNUM & PAGE
REAL ESTATE INSURANCE.
SOUTHERN PINES.
“The Oldest Agency in the Sandhills.”
n