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VOL. 26 NO. 39
14 PAGES THIS WEEK
Southern Pines, N. C., Friday, August 23, 1946.
14 PAGES THIS WEEK
TEN CENTS
Popular Summer Sports Program
Ends Season With Boxing Bouts,
Trip To Lake And Night Baseball
Ray Backlund Puis On
Fine Boxing Bouts
By Youngsters Her^
Looking Forward To
Starting Next Spring
MAD DOG
The popular Summer Sports
Program ended its season in a
blaze of glory this past week with
boxing bouts, a picnic at Aber
deen Lake, and a night baseball
game at Sanford.
The program was originally
sponsored by the Council of So
cial Agencies. For several years
the Council worked to get the
program under way but the war
and lack of a director kept it
from starting until this present
past year.
“Much of the credit,” said A- C-
Dawson, director of the program,
“is due to women of the Council
who promoted the idea and when
everything worked against them,
refused to quit- Finally their de
termination put it across.”
On Monday, under the lights
at the Community Center tennis
courts, a series of boxing bouts
were put on before at least two
hundred spectators that have
brought a lot of praise to Ray
Backlund and all his leather
throwing youngsters. The bouts
ranged from seventy pound
classes to near 140 pounders.
The Gnatweights were;
There is now in the Moore
County Hospital a two year
old girl who is the supposed
victim of a miad dog. Three
lacerations on hex face are
such as a snarling dog might
leave. However, there has re
cently developed doubt that
it was a mzd dog. A relative of
the child has inferred that
some adult may have beaten
the child, but who this adult
may be has not been msnr
tionedi.
The police have made an
extensive search for a mad
dog in the community, with
out trace of success. The
child has been treated for
rabies, just in case, and is
reported "doing very well."
YDC Meets Aug. 27
At Club Chalfonte
Two Again Split
By Home Team As
Play-Offs Begin
Southern Pines Ends
Season in 3rd Place
First P-lay-Off Lost
To Ramseur
The Eighth District Young
Democrats will hold their first
post war rally Tuesday night at
Club Chalfonte, Pinehurst- H.
Clifton Blue, President of Moore
County YDC, the host club for
the rally, stated that about 250
will be present for the meeting
and banquet. Gov- Cherry, Hon.
Jane Pratt and C. B. Deane have
all accepted invitations and will
Bobby Achtermann at a fighting j present. Blue said. Young
71 pounds and Steve Choate at | Democracy is once again on the
a scrapping seventy- Edgar Smith | march and an intensive rebirth
vs Carlysle Hackney weighed in.Qf activity is expected as an out-
at 73 and 78 respectively. Tommy 'gome of this meeting.
Ruggles and Andy Page, at 81 and
78 finished out the Mosquito-
weights. The Flyweights were
George Straka and Marshal Palm
er at 92 and 87. The rest of the
fighters pretty much fell into the
bantamweight class. These were
Richard Patch (131) vs Robert
McClellan (129), John Prizer
(135) vs Fred Arnette (137), and
again Fred Arnette vs Gary Mat
tox (135). The fights were ex
cellent indeed for a first exhibi
tion and as Dawson said: “Ray
Backlund has done a truly fine
job. He deserves all the credit for
the whole affair. He trained the
boys really well.”
The official wind - up of the
program came Wednesday night
when the kids baseball team left
from in front of the Community The past few weeks have been
Center for the trip to Sanford eventful for L D. McDonald, Jr.,
The program of the meeting is
as follows:
4 p. m—Registration — In
charge of Miss Myrtle McCaskill,
Eighth District YDC Vice Presi
dent.
4:30—6:00 p. m. Business and
planning meeting for YDC of
Eighth District. Presiding—Rufus
Sanford, Jr., President of Eighth
District YDC-
7:00 p. m—Banquet Session;
Presiding—Rufus Sanford, Jr.,
President of Eighth District YDC-
Address of Welcome: H. Clifton
(Continued on Page 5)
Appendix Flares Up
In Hospital When His
where they met their first and
only defeat during the season.
This was the first time they had
played under lights so possibly
CPhM, at Norfolk Naval Training
Station. Following a fall from
his motorcycle three weeks ago
in Norfolk and hospitalization in
that dampened their form some- Naval Base Hospital he added an
what. Also, they faced a picked j emergency appendectomy to his
team of youngsters formed from
several teams around Sanford.
The final score Was 6-3. “A very
well played game” commented
Dawson. Baker and Newton
pitched for Southern Pines, Black
and Maddox caught. The star play
(Continued on Page 5)
list last Saturday. He became ser
iously ill early Saturday morning
and was operated on at noon. He
was wheeled to a phone and told
his parents Sunday evening that
he was getting along splendidly,
that he would be home soon, and
for them not to worry.
It was fifty-fifty again for the
Southern Pines ball team this
past week. On Thursday at a
game played in Troy, the final
regular season game, the locals
really slugged their way to a
9-6 win. With this victory they
ended the season in third place
in the Sandclay League. A very
impressive ending to a shaky
early season start. For the past
weeks now the Southern Pines
team has been playing good ball
and taken the count of many op
ponents.
In the first game of the play
offs for the League Championship
against Ramseur, the first place
club (Siler City is now playing
in the middle West) played here
Wednesday, we lost 7-2. The mar
gin of victory came between the
fifth and eighth innings when
Ramseur allowed only one hit in
the four times at bat- In the first
inning the visitors scored two
runs via the home run route. For
Southern Pines Harper struck
out, Pate singled to left field,
Newton singled, MqRae was safe
on fielder’s choice getting New
ton out at second and McNeill
struck out. Ramseur scored their
third run in the second inning
while on the local half Buchan
was safe On an infield hit, Howell
filed out to deep center, Dunn
struck out and Vest was out to
the third baseman. It was three
up and three down for the visit
ors in the third inning. For Sou
thern Pines Harper was out,
pitcher to first, Pate was safe on
an error at first. Newton filed out
to third. McRae smashed a double
scoring Pate, McNeill struck out
ending the inning.,
The score was now 3 to 1. Both
teams got 2 hits and no runs in
the fourth. On two errors in the
fifth Ramseur made up two more
runs and the score remained at
5-1 until the eighth. In that inn
ing the visitors pushed across two
more runs on singles and one
walk.
In the last inning for Southern
Pines Howell was out, third to
first, Morgan batting for Dunn
struck out but the catcher “muff
ed” the ball and he was safe at
first. Vest singled. Page runing
for Morgan at this ^ime, went to
third. Harper filed out to left
field, scoring Page and Pate end
ed the inning and game by stick
ing out. The batteries were for
(Continued on Page 5)
Freak Wreck Derails Seaboard’s Crack
‘‘Robert E. Lee’’ Doing “Over 70 MPH”
Engineer Killed, But Fireman Jumps
“Unity Of Action”
New Theme Of The
VFW Program
Johii Stephenson Tells
Of Membership Drive
ABOVE IS SHOWN the overall scene of where the Robert E. Lee
was derailed near Hamlet by a freight’s ditch-digging crane. The
engineer of the Robert E. Lee lost his life, the fireman suffered
burns and a broken leg.
Ditch-Digger Crane Of
Approaching Freight
Dragging and Smoking
Eye-Witness Of Wreck
Tells How It Happened
Victory Celebration Story As Reported By
The Pilot Backfires on Assistant Editor
Into the Pilot last Tuesday
came D. D. Shields Cameron,
chairman of the Victory Celebra
tion Committee, bearing in his
hand a typewritten page which
he wanted to run as an ad.
' After reading the typewritten
page, it was the opinion of the
Pilot that the news content of
the message was of enough in
terest and importance to warrant
its being printed on the front
page, and this we pointed -out we
would do and that there would
be no charge for it. However,
Cameron was representing a
Committee, “and that’s what the
committee wants—an ad”, said
Crimeron. For ad turn to Editorial
Page.
Shields Cameron reported that
some “fifteen or twenty-five”
people had accosted him about
the write-up of the V J Day
Celebration. What was -wrong
that he had written such, had the
celebration been a fizzle? Cam
eron put all straight that he had
not written the article, but that
it had been the work of Thomas
G. Johnston, Asst. Editor of the
Pilot, acting editor in Mrs. James
Boyd’s two month absence.
Others had asked Cameron
whether Southern Pines had not
wanted to have the Celebration.
This he also quickly straightened
out. Southern Pines had wanted
the Celebration, had done a fine
job in putting the Celebration
across. If there was any feeling
that such was not the case, it
was due to Johnston’s write-up
and not to any belief on the part
of Southern Pines. Johnston
agreed that it had been a fine
celebration and that the Pilot was
devoting a fulll page to extolling
its praises and urging more such
throughout the county in future
years. (This the Pilot had decided
before Shields Cameron or any
one else said the Pilot had writ-
(Continued from Page'S)
Golf Labor Day
Tournament Set
With over one hundred entries
already in for the Sandhill Golf
League Labor Day tournament
the success of the match play is
assured. The tournament, open
to members of the League, will
start on Sunday September 1st
with the first 18 holes being play
ed. The final 18 to be played on
Monday.
Prizes will be given for the low
gross score, or in other words, the
tournament champion: low net
score for each day and total score,
and a team prize for the lowest
combinde score of the first four
men from each Club represented.
The Southern Pines Club will
act as host to the tournament and
plans calls for entertainment and
refreshments. On Monday even
ing, following the crowning of
the champion, a chicken fry will
be given at the Club House. The
committee in charge of these ar
rangements are Jack Carter,
Boots Matthews and Dick Sugg.
The entire tournament comes
under the direction of Jack Land,
Hamlet, President of the League
and Gene Bullock, Hamlet, Sec
retary-Treasurer.
“Unity and Action” will be the
theme of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars in ^ North Carolina during
the coming year. State Command
er James M. Hayes, Jr., of Win
ston-Salem, declared here today
in announcing a broad program
of activity and expansion for ov
erseas veterans.
“The Veterans of Foreign Wars
is going to walk in faith with
those who died that we might
live,” Commander Hayes said.
“The former service men^yvho
worked together in the armed
forces and fought to preserve our
American way Of life in time of
war are going to remain united
to work and fight for the peace
and rights they have earned.”
Southern Pines John Boyd Post
No. 7318 is joining with the 131
other VFW posts in North Caro
lina in a drive to bring every eli
gible overseas veteran in the state
into membership in the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, Post Command
er John H. Stephenson added.
“As the fastest growing veter
ans organization in North Caro
lina, the Veterans of Foreign
Wars has expanded from a total
of 55 posts and 4838 mmbers on
July 1, 1945, to a total of 131
posts and 17,460 members on Au
gust 15, 1946,” Commander
Stephenson, said: “The South
ern Pines post of the VFW has
kept pace with this tremendous
growth in the state as a whole,
having grown from no members
in 1945 to its present 75 today.”
“In keeping with this expan
sion in membership, the North
Carolina Department of VFW has
enlarged its service to veterans
through the operation of a full
time service office with a staff
of four persons in the Regional
Office of the Veterans Adminis
tration in Winston-Salem to file
and expedite the handling of
claims for all veterans whether
members of a VFW post or not.
(Continued on Page 5)
(Train Wreck Photos By Pilot) ♦-
THIS DID IT- Shown here is the
flat-car ditch digger that caused
the wreck.
GI Democrats To Hold
Meet Friday At SPHS
All veterans irrespective of po
litical affiliations are invited to
attend the first meeting of the
GI Democrats for Moore County.
The meeting will be held in the
Southern Pines High School, Fri
day, Aug. 23rd, starting at 8 pm.
This meeting is being called fol
lowing the state-wide Caucus
held at the Club Chalfonte, Pine
hurst on August 10-11th. At the
time the GI’s assembled stated
"As citizens we recognize our
duty' and responsibility to partici
pate in the orderly achievement
of progressive aims through dem
ocratic government. As members
of the armed services we resolve
to discharge our duty and re
sponsibility and now as veterans
we place these above any group
interest.”
All veterans interested in tak
ing part in better government are
urged to attend.
Red Cross On Job
Within 30 Minutes
After Trains Hit
TWISTED RAIL was hurled high
into the air. Came to rest near
scene of engineer’s death.
SAL Telephoned
News To The Pilot
of Robert E. Lee
One Serious Injury
One Fatal Casualty
Monday at 10:30 the following
release was telephoned The Pilot
from Raleigh:
following statement has been is-
Norfolk, Aug. 19th. 10 AM. The
sued by C. H. Sauls, General
Manager of the Seaboard Air
line Railroad.
This AM at approximately 7:40
EST the Seaboard passenger train
No. 5, Robert E. Lee, derailed the
engine and four express cars ap
proximately seven miles north of
Hamlet, N. C.
No passengers were injured.
Engineer M. N. Kirkland of Ham
let was fatally injured and fire
man M. C. Clark of Hamlet was
rather severely injured and is
now in the Hamlet Hospital. No
other crew members were injur
ed.
The accident occurred on
double tracks and the engine of
the passenger train in derailing
sideswiped a north bound freight
on the parallel main track, de
railing several freight cars, but
causing no injuries *to any of the
freight crew.
The cause of the derailment is
now under investigation.
The Red Cross Chapter of Ham
let swung into swift action im
mediately upon receipt of the
news that the Seaboard Aireline
Passenger train No. 5, the Robert
E. Lee, had been wrecked just
north of Hamlet. There were at
the scene within thirty minutes,
where treatment was administer
ed to four patients.
Chapter Chairman John Land
offered services, lined up Nurse’s
Aides, and called the hospital.
Fortunately, the services were
not required, as only six people
were brought to the hospital, and
of this six two were released im
mediately.
Four of the six were colored
passengers from the colored coach
of the Robert E. Lee. Another was
the express messenger, E. A.
Mason, of Richmond, who was in
the baggage car that turned over
and was thrown against the iron
bars on the doors. Mason’s wife
joined him in Hamlet. Mason suf
fered shock and bruises. The
sixth was the fireman of the Lee,
Robt. Clarke, Jr. who suffered
a broken leg and cuts.
The Red Cross of Hamlet
(Continued on Page 5)
IS
Last Monday morning at 7:50
the Robert E. Lee, crack Sea
board passenger train, was head
ed south between Aberdeen and
Hamldt “doing better than 70
miles an hour” -v^hen it met a
northbound freight that had just
come around the curve seven
miles north of Hamlet.
A ditchdigger crane on the
freight flat car, only six cars be
hind the freight’s engine, had
come loose, tilted over, and was
dragging in the path of the on-
rushing Robert E. Lee.
Said Mrs. Harley (Viola) Ladd
who lives less than 150 feet from
the tracks right where the trains
hit and was an eye-witness to
the wreck; “I knew it was going
to hit when I saw the ditch-
digger dragging. I saw it was
burning and tipped over. I was
waving and running when it hit.
If I could have caught the en
gineer’s leye, something might
have bean done, but I think it
was too tlate.”
George Lucas, dining car wait
er from Raleigh, who had a "'‘short
layover” in Hamlet and was vis
iting a friend very near where
the wreck took place said; “I
wasn’t looking when they hit, but
I seen them rolling and things
flying right after they hit.” Con
tinued Lucas: “That ditch-digger
crane was hanging off the freight.
I guess the Robert E. Lee was
doing better than 70 miles per
hour, southbound. The Conduc
tor on the Lee saw after they’d
hit that the digging crane had
been dragging before it hit the
Robert E. Lee.”
Friends sitting on the porch of
Mrs. Ladd said about the engin
eer, M. N. Kirkland, the only
casualty in a wreck that might
have cost scores of lives, “he
was killed instantly. Didn’t look
like he was hurt much, just a
slight cut on his cheek. Must have
broken his neck.”
When asked how far the crowd
ed passenger cars of the Robert
E. Lee stretched behind the en
gine, they pointed to a crossing
about a quarter mile down the
track, ‘‘past that crossing yonder.”
Not a single passenger of the
hulndreds. Undoubtedly aboard
was reported injured.
The only other person at all
seriously injured was the fireman
of the Robert E. Lee, M. C. Clark
of Hamlet. He was not critically
injured but is still hospitalized
in Hamlet.
Said Mrs. Ladd’s daughter;
“The fireman had a big cut on
his head and his back was pretty
much burnt. I saw him running
(Continued on Page 5)
Philippine Huk-Bala-Hops Win After Long Fight,
Sgt. Maj. Ray Sees President Roxas & Independence
Sgt. Major Dan Ray, Jr. return
ed to the Sandhills last Sunday
after 11 1-2 months stationed on
Luzon in the Philippines. He is
now out of the Army ‘‘and glad
of it.”
One interesting situation, re
ports Ray, that has recently been
cleaned up in the Philippines, at
least on Luzon, is the fight that
has been carried on for so long
between the “Hukbalahops” and
the Philippine Military Police.
The Hukbalahops are what the
upper class people of the Phil
ippine Islands call the commun
ists. Until the Boly-hops won their
recent fight the land owners had
split 70-30 with their tennant
farmers. As Bay said: ‘‘All you
had to do if you owned land in
the Philippines was to sit back
with your hands folded behind
your bead and collect 70% of
whatever the tennant farmers
produced.” Since the Hukbala
hops won, owners can only fold
one hand. The split is now 50-50.
Progress marches forward in the
Philippines.
However, the progress of
American popularity has come to
a dead halt. It halted the day
before they were granted Inde-
pendience. The afternoon of that
day-before the ‘"Flips” were
smiling and friendly as always.
By nightfall the aboqt face had
been abrupt and complete. Said
Ray: “You got only hard looks.
They treated you like you’d stuck
a knife in their best brother.”
What were they mad about? They
did not want Independence and
were so mad at the Americans
for giving it to them that Ameri
can soldiers had to wear sidearms
to protect themselves. The Phil-
ippinos wanted dominion status,
like Canada has with England.
They’re even campaigning for it
now, under Moncado who was
defeated by Roxas (Roe-haas).
(Continued on Page 5)