WELCOME
N. C. SOFTBALL
TOURNAMENT
AUG. 20-25
WELCOME
N. C. SOFTBALL
TOURNAMENT
AUG. 20-25
VOL. 29 NO. 39
16 PAGES THIS WEEK
Southern Pines. N. C.. Friday. August 20. 1948
16 PAGES THIS WEEK
'JJ -U "■ ' —
TEN CENTS
Carthage, Aberdeen Tobacco Markets
Keep Early Date, Open Sale Thursday
Company Buyers Stay
Away, Graders Say
They Won't Grade
Good Prices Prevailing
Tobacco markets opened at Car
thage and Aberdeen Thursday
morning, with government grad
ers present but declining to grade
in the absence of company buy
ers.
The start of the sale* was de
layed as warehousemen, graders
and independent buyers met, to
hash over the situation. On deci
sion to proceed with the sale any
way, a lull explanation was made
to the growers present, who were
advised that they could “turn
their tickets” to prevent sale if
they wished to do so under the
circumstances.
It was not reported that any
did so, and the sale proceeded
briskly, with good opening prices
prevailing, and the floors' soon
cleared at the Aberdeen, Planters
and Carter’s warehouses in
Aberdeen, and McConnell’s and
the two Smothers Brothers ware
houses at Carthage.
Faith Is Shown
Offerings were somewhat light
but faith in the markets, which
opened this year for the first time
on the same date as the Eastern
Belt markets, was shown by a
number of growers who brought
their tobacco early to the floors.
Though the tobaccomen had
announced some weeks ago, and
repeatedly affirmed, their deci
sion to open August 19 instead of
the assigned date of September
2, the opening remained dubious
on account of the uncertainty of
securing government graders.
This was left in suspension until
Wednesday. Two graders arrived
at Carthage and one at Aberdeen
Thursday morning.
What action will be taken to
(Continued on Page 51
Straka Reports
Poolroom Looted
Theft' of a considerable amount
of money from his place of bus
iness, with some merchandise,
was reported to city police this
week by George R. Straka, pro
prietor of Straka’s Pool room.
The business was closed for a
month while Mr. Straka was out
of town from July 12 to August
12. On going to his place to open
up last Friday morning, Mr.
Straka said, he found that $148.36
in cash had been taken, also a
box of cigars and two cartons of
cigarettes.
A search of the basement re
vealed that two cases of beer be
longing to the VFW clubroom
upstairs were also missing.
He said the cash was in bags,
which had been placed in a
bucket and hidden. It consisted
of $103 in pennies, nickles, dimes,
quarters, half dollars, one-dollar
bills and five-dollar bills separ
ately counted and bagged, with
$45.36 in another bag, Mr. Straka
reported.
No window or door appeared
to have been forced, he said, and
it was believed the intruder had
a key.
He also said that last weekend,
someone entered the home of his
mother, Mrs. Mary R. Straka,
took about $2 in change and
drank a quart of milk. No one
was home at the time. A roomer,
Sergeant Stubbs, said he heard
an outside door slam as he enter
ed, and believed he had frighten
ed the intruder away.
In regard to the theft at his
place of business, Mr. Straka said
that a friend had told him of a
man, seen inside, through a win
dow. early on the morning of
July 29. The man was described
as wearing a light colored shirt.
From other details of the des
cription, Mr. Straka said he be
lieved he could identify the in
truder as a man who had recent
ly passed some bad checks here.
Acting on information he secur
ed, he drove to Hyde county and
had a warrant issued.
It was on Saturday night, Aug
ust 7, that a number of break-ins
occurred south of town and in
Aberdeen. Five were reported,
with none inside the Southern
Pines city limits.
FLAGPOLE
The red, while and blue
will soon be flying from a
new 60-fo6t flagpole al the
High School Memorial park.
In fact, a crew is working
hard to get the pole ready for
the first flag-hoisting in time
for the N. C- Championslup
Softball tournament, to open
al the park this afternoon.
The flagpole is the gift of
the Sandhill post, American
Legion, to the Southern Pines
school. Bedded in concrete,
it will stand as a permanent
and inspiring addition to the
athletic fields Charles
Swoope of Pinehurst, post
commander, is in charge of
the installation.
This is the third important
gift of the year to the field,
marking it as a true com
munity sports center. The
John Boyd post, VFW, gave
and installed the dugouts.
and the Southern Pines Town
team gave the bleachers.
Powell Funeral
Home Will Open
Aberdeen Branch
The Powell Funeral home, one
of Southern Pines’ oldest busi
nesses, will open a branch in
Aberdeen about October 1, it was
learned this week from D. A.
Blue, Jr., and Troy Geer, part
ners in ownership and operation.
They have purchased the E. L.
McBride home, one block from
Aberdeen’s business district, and
will prepare it as a fully equip
ped funeral home as soon as the
present occupants move out.
The McBrides will move to
their new home, now nearing
completion, about September 15.
Mr. Geer, who came to the
Powell Funeral home from Ruth-
erfordton in January, 1947, will
move to Aberdeen with his wife
and small son, and will ‘be in
residence at the funeral home to
supervise all activities. The new
branch will have its own display
room, funeral facilities and am
bulance service.
Mr. Blue will remain with his
family at the Southern Pines
branch. The partners will contin
ue to work together and the
branches will be operated as one
business-
Both are World War 2 army
veterans. Mr. Blue, a native of
SoiJthern Pines, was manager of
the Powell Funeral home here
from 1935 until he entered army
service. He was an X-ray tech
nician at the 109th General hos
pital in England during the war.
He returned to his former posi
tion, and in January, 1947, pur
chased the business with Mr.
Geer as partner and assistant.
Walter G. Jones
Is New Officer
With Local Police
Walter G. Jones, son of the late
ABC Officer A. D. Jones, has
joined the staff of the Southern
Pines police department, succeed
ing Night Officer Henry Brad
ford, now a driver with the Red
Fox Taxi company.
Officer Jones has been a mem
ber of the state highway patrol
for the past 20 months, serving
for more than a year at Yancey-
ville and for the past few months
at Burlington. He is a graduate
of the Pinehurst High school,
served three years in the U. S.
Navy and was accepted for state
highway patrol training soon
after his discharge following the
end of the war.
His father was well known as
a law enforcement officer in this
section, first as a constable in
this township, then as chief cyf
police at Gibson and from 1938
to 1942 as a member of the Pine
hurst police department. In 1942
he became assistant ABC law en
forcement officer in Moore coun
ty. He moved to Southern Pines
in June, 1947.
Officer Walter Jones and his
wife, the former Miss Ruby Lee
Farmer of Yanceyville, are with
his mother at the Jones home
on East Vermont avenue.
Mooresville Moors Defend 1947 Title Here Today
Countywide Vote Scheduled Tuesday
For Bond Issue For Aberdeen Schools
NO POLIO
Come on out to Memorial field this afternoon and watch the state champs play softball! Here they
are—^the Mooresville Moors: back row, Carrol Waldrop, Rut Edwards, Dude Williams, Marvin Daught-
ery. Bob Lee, Clayton Dyson, Johnny Miller; midile row, Clyde Smith, Ken Rudeen, Bob Dingier,
Rit Dingier, Clyde Murray, Temp Deal; front row, Paul Brady, Herman Hedrick, Phil McLauchlin,
Wade Robinson, Charlie Dingier.
N. C. Softball Tournament Opens
With Five Games This Afternoon
Star Athletes Will Be Seen Here As
Nine Teams Battle For Championship
By Tom Wicker
The rosters of most of the
champion softball teams playing
here beginning this weekend are
studded with stars from top to
bottom. All have survived nip-
and-tuck elimination battles in
their own districts .and to be in
this tournament at all, the play
ers simply have to be the best in
the state.
Electric Construction company
of Chapel Hill boasts famed Art
Weiner, giant end on the Caro
lina football team, at first base.
Weiner, well-known for his foot
ball pass-snaring abilities, is also
possessor of a well-earned repu
tation as a wise-cracking clown
and is expected to add a lot of
color to the tournament here.
Also on the roster of the Chapel
Hill nine is Charlie Thorne, well-
known member of the Carolina
basketball team, and Fred Bau
er, wingback on the football Tar
Heels.
Burrus Stoker, pitching star
of the Greensboro Bur-Mil out
fit, set a new record of consecu
tive scoreless innings recently in
a district tournament in Greens
boro. Stoker fire-balled 32 con
secutive scoreless innings in that
tournament, winning one game
by 1-0 in 10 innings, another by
2-0, and losing an 11-inning
heartbreaker, 1-0. Another strong
Greensboro pitcher, “Poss” Lum-
ley, hurled four-hit ball for his
team in their tourney-winning
game.
Perhaps the most famed team
in the tournament is the Roman
ces of Roanoke Rapids, state win
ners of the state championship,
from 1939 through 1942 without
a break. The only other previous
champion entered is the Moores
ville Moors, defending their title
won at Greensboro last year.
The Moors are favored again
this year, as their team is strong
er, if anything, than it was last
year. Roanoke Rapids and Spof-
ford Mills of Wilmington, along
with Bur-Mil of Greensboro are
traditional strong finishers, and
the Canton Champion Y team is
regarded as a red-hot “dark
horse.” “The fact is,” says Jim
Day, executive secretary of the
N. C. Amateur Softball associa
tion, “you can’t really predict a
winner. All the teams are good
(Continued on Page 8)
VFW In Organizing Mood; Auxiliary,
“Cooties,” Model Plane Club Planned
The John Boyd post, VFW,. is
going into organization in a big
way, with announcements this
week of three important new pro
jects promising plenty of activity
ahead.
A ladies’ auxiliary, a “pup
tent” of “Cooties” (VFW fun
organization) and sponsorship of
a model aviation club for youths
and adults of the Sandhills were
all reported by Commander C. S.
Patch, Jr., to be under way, with
first steps taken at the post’s
Monday night meeting.
Auxiliary
With only 15 names required
for a charter, 32 have been secur
ed by Trustee John H. Stephen
son for the auxiliary of the John
Boyd post, which has gone along
for two and a half years as a
bachelor unit. The post voted to
get the ladies off to a good start
by paying the $25 charter fee. A
meeting wil be called in. Septem
ber, and the charter wil be kept
open for 45 days, for the addition
of more names.
"Cooties"
The post is working with
Alonzo Thortias of Beaufort,
“grand seam squirrel,” on the
organization of its “Cooties,” and
their application is expected to
be forwarded shortly to the
national headquarters. Here again
the post is coming to the fore
with charter payment in hand.
“Cooties,” who wear their own
special caps and uniforms, win
membership because of special
qualifications and on invitation
only. Nineteen charter invitations
have been extended, and addit
ional names are to be added, to
bring the unit up to its permitted
strength of 10 to 15 per cent of
the post membership.
Model ATiation Club
The model aviation club is per
haps the most ambitious of any
yet undertaken by the post.
Funds have been appropriated to
secure the requisite parapher
nalia for its start. It is believed
that in Southern Pines and sur
rounding towns enough enthu
siasts are pursuing their hobby
alone, or in small groups, to give
the Sandhills one of the state’s
best.
Bill Benson, honorary member
of the post and model plane fan
of long standing, has been named
(Continued on Page 8)
1947 Champs In
Opener At 1 P. M.
Memorial Field
With play opening today at 1
p. m. at the High School Memor
ial field, all is in readiness for
the great 1948 state championship
tournament of the N. C. Amateur
Softball association, sponsored
by the Southern Pines Chamber
of Commerce.
Five games are on tap today,
and play will continue steadily
through next Wednesday, when
the finals will be run off. Monday
alone is an open date for the nine
competing teams.
The Mooresville Moors, 1947
champions, open the tournament
in a game with Electric Con
struction company of Chapel HiU,
a teem which features many col
legiate stars in its line-up. The
Moors are expected to take this
opener, but in fast softball such
as this tournament will feature,
anything can happen.
At 2 o’clock the Roanoke Rap
ids Romances will take the field
against the strong Mt. Airy
Moose Lodge team. Early dope
gives the nod to Roanoke Rapids
on this one, which should be one
of the best of the opening day
games.
Three More Friday
At 3, it will be the Canton Y,
a dark-horse favorite against
Hinson’s Economy Store of Con
cord, a team about which little
is known. Four o’clock will find
Greensboro Bm-Mil squaring off
against Spofford Mills of Wil
mington. Neither has ever taken
the state crown, but both are per
ennial semi-finalists, and this
game may have a strong bearing
on the outcome of the tourna
ment.
In the final game, at 5 o’clock,
the winner of the earlier Moores-
ville-Chapel Hill game will take
on the strong Seminoles, sponsor
ed by Textiles, Inc. of Gastonia,
rounding out the afternoon’s
schedule of five games.
Double Elimination
On Saturday, beginning again
at 1 p. m., the winner’s and los
er’s brackets will go into opera
tion. This being a double elimi
nation affair, it is necessary that
a team be defeated twice before
losing a chance for the title. Sun
day will see three games, start
ing at 3 p. m. After Sunday, pair
ings are so arranged that only
four teams will remain in the
running. Monday is an open day,
the two semi-final games are
scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p. m-,
and the finals begin Wednesday
at 4 p. m.
Trophies will be awarded the
winning and runjner^up teams,
(Continued on page 4)
No polio this week!
In fact. Moore county,
which had 55 cases in May.
June and July, has had only
one so far in 'the month of
August, reported Monday a
week ago.
Dr. J. W. Willcox. county
health officer. cautioned
against relaxation of the
quarantine, which remains in
effect. "The danger may not
yet be over." he said. "We
have had too bad a time to
t^e any risks."
He expressed appreciation
for the cooperation and com
mon' sense shown by Moore
County citizens so far in
their quarantine observance.
The board of health will
meet at his office Monday to
reach a decision on the lifting
of the quarantine, and the
opening of schools.
Rush, McDonald
Named Members
Of Draft Board
Needs Of Congested
District Emphasized
Supporters Face Problems
Third Will Be Chosen;
Felton. Sabiston Advisors
Maxwell Rush, of Southern
Pines, and Allen McDonald, of
West End, both veterans of World
War 2, will be two of the three
members of the Moore County
draft board, it seems at present
virtually certain.
Their recommendation has
been accepted by Governor
Cherry, for recommendation to,
and appointment by, the Presi
dent.
The third man recommended,
James Muse, of Carthage, was
found unacceptable on account of
technicalities concerning his
military retirement status, and
the nominations committee will
meet next week to chose another
name for presentation.
The committee’s nomination of
W. B. Sabiston, Jr., as legal advis
or, and Dr. R. L. Felton as med
ical advisor were accepted. Both
are from Carthage.
H. Lee Thomas, speaking for
the nominations committee whose
other members are John Willcox
and S. C. Riddle (all of Carthage)
said they felt eminently satisfied
with the men a:ccepted, believ
ing them an exceptionally able
lot.
He said they regretted extreme
ly the fact that Mr.. Muse cannot
be called on to serve, as they
felt he was well suited to the post.
Their task of selection, per
formed at the Governor’s re
quest, was not an easy one. De
siring to have at least part of the
membership made up of veterans,
they found' themselves restricted
in several ways. Members of
organized reserves as well as
those of certain other military
(Continued on Page 5)
The $375,000 bond issue for
school buildings for the Aberdeen
district comes up for countywide
vote next Tuesday, with all reg
ular polling places open from 6
a. m. to 6 p. m.
With indications that the bond
issue will be fought in various
quarters, supporters of the bond
issue in Aberdeen and other
places have been busy this week
promoting their cause with all
means at their command.
Opposition is expected in the
Pinebluff area, where a group of
citizens are banded to fight any
move for schools in the Aberdeen
district which does not include
an elementary school for Pine-
bluff; by some Republicans whose
county executive committee went
on record as opposing the bond
issue because it is for just one
district instead of many; by oth
ers who also do not favor the
priority given the crowded Aber
deen district, feel the amount is
too high or that it might raise
taxes.
The biggest enemy, however,
the supporters feel, will be in
difference on the part of voters
who fail to see the issue sis a
countywide concern.
It was to the indifferent that
the Aberdeen folk this week
made their most urgent appeal.
With a fight in view, it will take
every possible affirmative vote
to put the bond issue across, they
said.
They pointed out that, once the
Aberdeen schools are built—a
conceded priority need — the
countywide building program for
all districts can get under way;
that if the issue is lost, it may be
(Continued on Page 5)
Dixiecrat Check
Shows 338 Moore
Signers Qualified
An even 100 out of 438 Dixie
crat petition-signers of Moore
county were found not to be
registered voters, and 338 were
certified to the state board of
elections this week by Sam C.
Ri;idle, of Carthage, chairman of
the county board of elections.
Mr. Riddle gathered up the
primary books of practically
every precinct early this week
for a concentrated two days of
checking, at the state board’s re
quest. He found it quite a job, he
said. Many of the names were
hastily scrawled and hard to read.
Many also were not signed in the
same way as on the registration
books.
Acting on the state board’s in
structions, however, he said he
gave “the benefit of the doubt”
where there was any.
He was not asked, he said, to
(Continued on Page 8)
Pilot Editor Visits Home for
Refugee Children, Switzerland
Yesterday I went up to see the
Kinderheim. This is the home for
children that is on the hillside
above the town of Ascona, near
Brissago.
This part of Switzerland is
right on the Italian border. In
fact, in many ways it seems more
Italian than Swiss.
The frontier on this side, the
north side, of Lago Maggiore is
on the edge of the town of Bris
sago. You enter it along the lake
side road, and between the two
frontiers, of Italy and Switzer
land, is a small, very old stone
bridge. It is a lovely bridge, with
a graceful curve to its single
arch; but it is a sinister bridge;
dreadful things happened on it.
During the war, it was across
this bridge that people sometimes
crept into neutral, safe Switzer
land, and, after the war, it \yas
there that occurred one of those
senseless acts of cruelty that ap
peared so often in this past war.
It was right at the end. Italy
had given up. Here, in Brissago,
there were many refugees from
Italy: families of womem and
their children who had fled to
safety and who had lived here, in
Switzerland, only a few miles
from their homes during the war
years. When the news came that
Italy had surrendered, there was
rejoicing among these people.
The war had never been popular
with the Italian peasants and to
these refugees, living so near
their homes, it had seemed par
ticularly senseless. Now they
could go home.
Without waiting to do more
than gather up their few- belong
ings, these women and children
set out, hurrying down the road
to Italy.
They came to the Swiss fron
tier. There was the line beyond.
They hurried, the children run
ning ahead out onto the old stone
bridge.
But there were some German
soldiers at the other side of the
bridge, and to them the war was
not over. They watched the chil
dren run out onto the bridge;
they watched the mothers coming
(Continued on Page 11- ;