L
fe:
Confirmation of Pine Needles Sale
To Catholic Order Expected Today
New Fire Truck To Save Moore County Forests
Bishop Waters Due
In Sandhills To Make
Final Decision
At a meeting of lawyers in the
office of John D. McConnell in
Southern Pines, final negotia
tions for the sale of the Pine
Needles Hotel to the Catholic
nursing order of Franciscan Sis
ters were under way Thursday
morning with Talbot Johnson of
Aberdeen, attorney for the own
ers, George Dunlap and George
Dunlap, Jr., and Attorney Fran
cis J. Heazel of Asheville, repre-
sentng the purchasers, present.
The meeting was expected to be
the last in a series of talks which
have been going on during the
past weeks, as last details of the
' pending sale were ironed out.
In a statement to the Pilot, Mr.
Heazel made it clear that official
confirmation of the sale must
await the arrival of Bishop Vin
cent J. Waters of the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, who
is due today, but he said that he
had little doubt that the transac
tion would go through.
“The outlook is very ^romis
ing,” Mr. Heazel said, “and only
a few details remain to be set
(Continued on Page 51
SIGN FOR FUN
Presbyterians Top
First League Game
About 100 spectators witnessed
the opening game of the Church
Softball league between the Pres
byterians and Episcopalians Mon
day evening. The Presbyterians
won by a score of 11-5. Much in
terest was shown by all who at
tended and they saw Jack Caudle
make one of the most spectacu-
lar catches in centerfield of any
season.
Those playing for the Episco
pal church were Bill Sledge,
Tommy Avery, A1 Viall, Joe
Swett, Bobby Straka, George
School out. Summer Rec
reation on!
Already they are gather
ing on the porch of the Com
munity Building and the for
mer Men's Club, now the
property of the school, talk
ing over plans, deciding
which part of the program to
sign up for.
A. C. Dawson will be in
charge, and funds are com
ing in, assuring another sum
mer of fun and -worthwhile
endeavor for our young folks.
On page 5 is printed the
complete schedule, for clip
ping purposes. This program
is sponsored by the Council
of Social Agencies.
Survey Being Made
Of Milieu Park By
Paul Van Camp
Commencement Day Celebrated In
Local School, Awards Presented
For Merit!
The Town Board is to be con
gratulated on taking up the Mil-
len Park problem in the right
way.
On Monday Paul M. Van Camp,
consulting engineer, entered the
tract, armed with his instruments,
to make a complete survey of the
site. In order to be able to con-
Above is shown Moore County’s new fire truck in action. The first of its kind, the truck fe a joint
purchase of the County and the State Forestry Department, and will be under the charge of County
Warden E. W. Davis, shown at right. On his right stands. District Forester J. A. Pippin, District For
est Ranger N. T. Faulkner, wielding the hose, and, behind him, A. B. Smith, equipment supervisor of
the State Department of Forestry. The disc and heavy plow blade at the rear of the truck is rekdy
to be lowered to plow a fireline.
Moore Boy Scouts
Participate In
sider every possible phase, with
a view, to determining how ex- ^ ViamporCC
tensive a job the proposed re
construction would be. Van Camp
is studying the problem from the
angle of drainage, lighting, the
reconstruction of the dam and
rebuilding of the roadway. His
report will be made to the Town
Board at the next meeting, prob
ably next week. ,
With many now alert to the
possibilities of the park, and a
few. on the other hand, voicing
fear of what may turn out to be
large expenditure of town
funds, the survey proposed by
as camporee chief assisted by the
Hodgkins, Richard Patch, Roland district commissioner and his
Bower Mer=>,eii T>ei,v,er being made by
Van Camp is felt to be exactly
the right step to take at this
time.
“This will give us a chance,”
Bower and Marshall Palmer.
The Presbyterians had the fol
lowing players: Dan Ray, Jr., Wal
ter Harper, Roy Newton, Harold
McNeill, Richard Newsome, Jack
Caudle, Eugene Maples, Gerald, Mayor Page said, “really to know
Thomas, Ray McDonald, Dick inhere we stand. It is impossible
Ray and Richard Newton. 1^°^. anyone to make an acrarate
Eugene Maples, Howard Hoff- j estimate of the cost of this re
man, Walter Harper, Roy New- we know
'ton and Richard Newton led the' we cannot tell how we ought
scoring with two runs each, andj ''° handle -ti.”
Richard Patch made a beautiful Van Camp’s report will lay the
home run. I (Continued on Page 5)
All 16 Moore County troops
and the two Senior Scout troops
are expected, to participate in the
second annual Moore District
Boy Scout camporee to be held
today (Friday) Saturday and Sun
day at the 11th hole of the Pine
Needles golf course.
Plans for the - camporee were
announced this week by George
T. Dunlap Jr., chairman of camp
ing and activities, who will serve
Moore Is First County To Possess
Newest Type Fire Fighting Truck
REGISTERI
staff, all district committee chair
men, and Bill Hewett, field exec-
utwe.
Troops will report at the camp
oree headquarters between 12
noon and 5 p. m. today,and until
3 p. m., Sunday, the departure
hour, will take part in a fuU pro
gram of outdoor activity, includ
ing plenty of work and also plen
ty of fun.
Adult leaders are to accom
pany each troop. The groups will
(Continued on Page 5)
We must not allow our
selves to be stuc^ any longer
with a coiitbihed gym itid
auditorium. The handicap to
our school is too great. If
Southern Pines' voters regis
ter this Salur(^y and vote
the school bond issue on June
15th, we can have the fine
buildings pictured below.
Let's do it!
Southern Pines Hopes For This New School Plant
YOUR VOTE MAY MAKE THIS COME TRUE!
Above is shown the architect’s drawing of the proposed new school construction for Southern Pines.
At top, right, is the new elementary school. Coming on down the hill are: the auditorium, seating
750, which will hpe in the basement a cafeteria able to serve 200 at a time. Farther down, in the left
foreground, is the proposed gymnasium. Saturday is the last chance to register for the vote on the
bond issue to build this—June 15. The Pilot breaks all editorial rules to urge: “Register and vote!”
Last Local School Bond Registration Is Saturday
Saturday Will be the final reg
istration day for the Sowthern
Pines district school bond issue
special election, for which voting
will be held June 15 to determine
whether the Southern Pines
school shall have a separate gym
nasium and auditorium instead of
both in the same building.
It will also be the first of four
successive registration days for
the county wide school bond issue
special election, with votin.g
scheduled for July 6 on a $975,-
000 bond issue for school im
provements in 10 Mooreldistricts.
The two elections, both for the
benefit of the schools, require
separate registrations and diifer
widely in scope and procedure.
It behooves each yoter to get
the differences quite blear in his
mind, and know what he is about
both when he registers and when
he votes.
One main fact, however, is the
same in both cases. The unregis
tered cannot vote, and registra
tion for»any previous election or
primary does not count in either.
Registration for the two elec
tions is being held in the same
place here, the Community
building, with Tom G. Wicker as
:’egistrar.
Registration for the first, or
local, election is “against the reg
istration”—which means that
every registered person . must
vote, or have his vote counted as
against the bond issue. It will be
as negative as the votes of those
who go to the polls and mark
their ballots “no.”
Those who favor this bond is
sue but will be absent June 15,
should not register.
To be voted on is the issuance
of bonds in the amount of $45,-
000, the maximum amount ap
proved for school improvements
here by the General Assembly.
The approval, given some years
ago and never used, will this
time—if the voters also approve
—provide a sum which, supple
menting $150,000 promised by
the county, will assure construc
tion of two new school buildings
here: a modern gymnasium, built
for the purpose, and a modern
auditorium, also bulilt for the
purpose, with a cafeteria in the
basement.
Without the extra $45,000' the
county funds will build a one-
unit combination of the three
school needs, which local school
authorities have gone on record
as declaring an unsatisfactory
compromise.
Election Returns
Highlighted In
Moore County
With A Few Lowlighis
Added On In Passing
Southern Pines appears to
have cast a bigger vote this year
in the primaries than ever before.
This is the story told by the
figures comparing this year with
1944 and 1946. In 1944, 259 votes
were cast, in 1946, there were
391, but in 1948, 637 citizens vot
ed. This is the report of the
registrar, Tom Wicker, who put
in that long hard day in line of
duty. .
With booths in the Community
Building opening at break of
day, voters came early in order
to avoid the crowded conditions
which had been in effect the Sat
urday of registration. Things
went smoothly. Out under the
trees the vultures waited with
their cards for Broughton, Um-
stead, Scott, Johnson, Albright
and the rest, all ready to swoop
on the innocent lambs. Most
people greeted them with laughs
and waved them away: “I’ve
made up my mind* No use to talk
to me!” they cried. But every
now and then, perhaps just to
^tir up some excitement some
body would announce; “I can’t
decide. Tell me: who’s the best
man ...” and then the fur
started to fly. Mrs. Swisher
darted about in her smart black
raincoat, Mrs. Milliken waved
her candidate’s card on high, John
Ruggles, with felt hat at a gay
angle, smiled knowingly, Lloyd
Clark announced: “I went to
school with him!” as if that must
settle things once and for all.
Somehow the glimpse of Amer
ican democracy at work looked
as if it really was working the
way it is supposed to, and as if
everyone was thinking it was a
pretty good state of things.
Perhaps part of the reason was
that among the candidates for of
fice, there was not one who was
not a pretty good man. No world-
beaters, probably, and, of course,
it is just possible that world beat
ers are the kind we need right
(Continued on Page 5)
By James Boyd, Jr.
Moore County is the first coun
ty in the state to possess one of
the-new fire fighting trucks.
On Tuesday the first one to be
put into operation was run
through a series of trials out on
the hill near the Southern Pines
fire tower, with A. B. Smith,
equipment supervisor of the State
Department of Forestry, direct
ing the tests. Assisting him were
Moore County Fire Warden
Wbodrow Davis, N. T. Faulkner,
district forest ranger, J.‘ A. Pip
pin, district forester, both
Rockingham, and V. E. and W. G
McCrimmon of the Moore County
fire force.
Like Army Truck
The truck is a one ton Dodge;
designed after the Army’s three-
quarter ton weapons carrier, with
four-wheel drive, extra large
tires, and a motor-operated cable
winch. Heavy steel bumpers en
able it to move through thick un
derbrush and even small scrub
oak. Behind the cab is a built-in
250 gallon water tank, a gas
pump, and various lengths of
hose; also a steel derrick and
winch which is used to raise or
lower the disc plow attached to
the back of the truck.
The first test made was to see
how fast the tank could be filled,
using as power tjae truck’s motor.
The truck was stopped by
stream on the Morganton Road
and a twelve-foot hose was con
nected to the tank, the -other end
placed in the stream. Immediate
ly the valve was turned on, water
started pouring in at the rate of
45 gallons a minute.
Proves Effective
With full tank, the truck then
moved off through a field, show
ing its ability to progress without
difficulty through deep sand and
heavy underbrush. The disc plow
was dropped, cutting a three-
foot wide ditch from which back
fires could be started. The gas
pump was turned on with the
50-foot hose and spray attached.
Within a few minutes water was
shooting approximately 15 feet,
tearing through underbrush with
its 400 poxmds of pressure. It was
clear that this powerful stream
of water would be highly effec
tive in fighting fire. The water
tank is also equipped with a
spigot from which small one-man
portable pumps can be filled,
thus overcoming one of the main
difficulties of fighting fire.
The general opinion was that
this apparatus was the most ef
fective weapon produced to fight
fires on a small scale. There
were a few details to be corrected
to make the machine more adapt
able for its rough work, such as
protective covers for the head
lights, racks for the hose and
small equipment and a heavier
chain to handle the disc plow.
But aside from these small de-
(Continued on Page 5)
“School’s out!” was the cry
around town on Tuesday, and the
fact was clearly evident in the
groups of gayly chattering chil
dren On street corners, or to be
met skippping happily home,
! Cheshire pat grins on their faces.
It was evident, too, in more
I solemn fashion. At the First Bap-
'tist church an audience of pa-
I rents, friends and members of
the student body and the faculty
of the school attended the presen
tation of honors and awards to
outstanding members of the up
per classes.
The meeting was presided over
by William Warner, president of
the Student Council, and vale
dictorian of the graduating class,
with Carolyn Chester, vice-pres
ident, beside him on the ros
trum.
Salutatory Address
Opening with the national an
them, the program continued
with a Scripture reading and
prayer by Alfred Viall. Carolyn
Chester then made the salutatory
address.
The presentation of medals and
la,wards followed^ starting with
the American Legion citizenship
medal given by Post commander
L. L. Woolley to Dorothy Gale,
“for those outstanding qualities
of leadership, courage, honor, and
scholarship needed in the uphold
ing of American citizenship.”
On behalf of the Legion Auxil
jary, Mrs. Haynes Bj-itt made
both the Poppy Poster -and the
Essay awards, cash prizes of $5.00
for first, $3.00 for second and
$2.00 for third. Betty Baucom
won the first prize in the essay
contest, with WjUiam WiarneW,
second, and Robert McClellan,
third. In the Poppy Poster con
test, Daniella Frassineti won first,
and Louise Dorn and George
(Dunlap tied for second place;
Lacy Rhyne of the 4th grade, won
third. Honorable mentions in the
poster contest were won by Car
lyle Hackney, Robert Edward
Cline, Lettie McCrae, Dickie Mat
tox, Tommy Avery; George Me
Clellan and Tommy Avery won
Honorable Mentions in the es
say contest.
Service .Awards
Lloyd Clark presented the
Builders cup, given by the Rotary
Club to the student who has
shown the greatest general im
provement during the year. This
was awarded James Dickerson.
The Danforth Foundation Award
to the boy and girl who “stand
four-square in personal develop
ment, health, knowledge, charac-
ten, personality,” in the words of
the donor. Miss Pauline Miller,
went to Carolyn Chester and Rob
(Continued on Page 5)
Large Audience Hears
Noted Editor Speak
On "Our Democracy"
Ritter HouiSe In
West End Burns
A blaze, starting from an oil-
stove, totally destroyed the house
of Carl Ritter in West End, Thurs
day, May 20th.
"The Ritter family had moved
into the house, a Veteran’s pre
fabricated dwelling, a year be
fore. New equipment had just
been installed and Mrs. Ritter’s
beauty parlor had been set up on
the lower floor.
The catastrophe took place
early in the morning. It is report
ed that Ritter arose and lit the
stove in the kitchen, then return
ed upstairs to dress. Hearing a
roaring sound, he ran down to
find the room ablaze. There was
hardly time to get his wife and
child out before the spreading
flames. With no fire fighting facil
ities in West End, friends who
hurried to the scene were power
less to halt the fire. The house
was a total loss, covered, how
ever, by insurance. The contents
were not insured.
This is the second time tragedy
has struck the Ritter family re
cently. Two years ago, Ritter’s
car' was hit by an ice truck and
he was severely injured, neces
sitating six months stay at the
Moore County hospital. He was
away from his job for almost a
year.
Ritter is a veteran of World War
Southern Pines turned out in
goodly numbers Tuesday eve
ning to watch 29 boys and girls
of the community receive their
high school diplomas.
The folding doors at the back
of the auditorium of the Church
of Wide Fellowship had to be
thrown open, and seats placed in
a Sunday school room to accom
modate the overflow of families
and rfriends.
The churchly surroundings en
hanced the solemnity of the oc
casion as, to a processional play
ed by Mrs. L. D. McDonald, or
ganist, the seniors in their grey
caps and gowns marched in dig
nity to their places, led by the
white-clad chief marshals wear
ing the blue-and-white ribbons of
their school.
An invocation by the Rev. J.
Lamar Jackson, pastor of the
First Baptist church, was follow
ed by a song, “The Year’s At the
Spring,” by the girls’ ensemble.
The young singers wore pastel
colors except for three girls sing
ing their last song with the
group, in cap and gown.
The solemnity lightened as the
speaker of the evening. Dr. C.
Sylvester Green, presented by
Dr. G. G. Herr, chairman of the
school board, opened his speech
with* a smile and a joke. Com
mencement, he told them, was
not the end of everything, but
the beginning of many things;
they were entering a wider world
in which all the things they had
learned at school would be called
into play. He noted, in particular, '
the pledge of allegiance to the
flag, in which they would in the
years to come, he said, see far
deeper meanings than they ever
had before.
Calling his speech “The Evol
ution of a Patriot,” Dr. Green,
editor of the Durham Morning
Herald, explored word by word,
the pledge so many say without
thought of its vast significances.
Dr. Green, Wake Forest gradu
ate who has won distinction as a
Baptist minister, a college presi
dent (Coker college at Hartsvill.e,
S. C.) and now as editor of one
of the state’s leading dailies,
drew freely on a rich store of
anecdotes in illustration.
A song, “A Perfect Day” sung
by Mildred Weatherspoon
Wright, of the graduating class,
and a waltz, “Mdscha,” played by
the. school band under direction
of J. G. Womble, preceded the
presentation of the diplomas by
N. L. Hodgkins of the school
board. Each graduate, receiving
his diploma and a red rose from
Mr. Hodgkins, received also the
audience’s applause and a hearty
handshake from his superinten
dent, P. J. Weaver, as he left the
platform.
One Polio Death,
Three New Cases
Reported In Week
Two new cases of polio last
week and another Wednesday
bring this year's total fdir the
year to nine cases, one more than
was recorded for the whole of
last year.
One death occurred last week.
Marcus E. Preslar, Jr., 10-year-
pld son of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus
E. Preslar of Robbins, died Sat
urday morning at the Guilford
Polio center at Greensboro. Fun
eral services were held at Troy.
Two cases developed Friday;
Sarah Inman, 12, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Will Inman of Hallison,
and Eugene Smith, 10, who lives
with his grandfather, G. D. Ed-
miston, in the Sweetheart Lake
section adjoining Hoke county,
are the victims. Both were taken
to Moore County hispital, then
transferred, Sarah to (Greensboro,
and Eugent to Rex l^ospital, Ra
leigh.
Janice Kennedy, 6, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Kennedy
of Steeds Route 1, became ill
Wednesday and aftqf examina
tion at Moore Couiity hospital
was taken to Guilford Polio cen
ter Wednesday night.