Page Two
THE PILOT—Soutbern Pines. North Carolina
Friday. December 28. 1
THE PILOT
Published Each Friday by
THE PILOT. INCORPORATED
Southern Pines. North Carolina
1941-^AMES BOYD. PubRsher—1944
KATHARINE BOYD Editor
VALERIE NICHOLSON Asst. Editor
DAN S. RAY General Manager
C. G. COUNCIL Advertisuig
Subscription Rates:
One Year $4J0 6 Months $2.00 3 Months $14)0
Entered at the Postoffice at Southern Pines. N. C«
as second class mail matter
Member Natiotud Editorial Association and
N. C. Press Association
‘Tn taking over The Pilot no changes are con
templated. We will try to keep this a good paper.
We will try to make a little money for all con
cerned. Where there seems to be an occasion to
use our influence for the public good we will try
to do it. And we will treat everybody alike."
—James Boyd, May 23, 1941.
New Year's Day
New Year’s Day, the time of traditional gay-
ety, strikes our nation, this year, with a weight
of heavy responsibility. In fact, as we look back
upon the past year, it is more as something that
we got through by the skin of our teeth, rather
than as something to be thankful for. It is a
fair guess that that is the way a good many peo
ple are looking at the year of 1952 that now
approaches. Are we going to squeak by again
or will the event we dread, the outbreak of an
overall war, strike?
The danger is clear: we cannot blink the fact.
Therefore, perhaps, it would be as well to face
it, with all the calm we can muster and all the
good sense, and then to put it firmly behind
us and go on to the business of living. Through
the UN, through our own government, with
its armed services and far-reaching web of hard
working officials, the earnest men in govern
ment employ and out, perhaps all is being done
that can be done to work for peace. As citizens,
during the next year, we must back up those
efforts with every ounce of our strength. That
is our duty and all our duty. But what else?
There is a challenge in this future as great as
any that ever faced us. Many so-called insti
tutions of our civilization are menaced by eco
nomic and also by spiritual fores that seem, at
first glance, new to us. The growth of the state,
for instance, with the need for intelligent plan
ning in the face of world-wide movements of
peoples and economic scarcity, presents a clear
threat to individual liberty. How can we even
here in America have the planning necessary
to solve the food problem, the flood problem,
the population problem, the labor problem, to
say nothing of a dozen others, and still keep our
individual liberty? How can we have the high
taxes needed to run the country and support our
armed services, and still preserve individual
initiative? When, due to such high taxation, it
becomes impossible for men to make large for
tunes, or even small ones, what will be the in
centive to urge them on to their highest effforts?
Will the challenging word ‘•'success”, then take
on another meaning, to indicate, perhaps, spir
itual instead of material achievement?
This brings us sharply back to the individual
challenge inherent in the beginning of another
year. Can we live it better than the one that has
just pa.ssed? Can we be more effective and in
telligent citizens? Can we be better people?
These arc a few of the things that face us as
we stride across the line between the old year
and the new. If we could believe that 1952
would bring us the answer even to one of them,
it will be a year to look forward to with eager
ness and hope.
Carolina Survey
Tarheels have begun to feel a little uneasy
when they open the morning paper. What with
Lamar Caudle and a few others, it’s a question,
when the word ‘‘Carolina’’ stands out of a news-
story, whether to take a closer look or hastily
turn the page. However there is a recent Caro
lina story that no one need fear reading; it de
serves, in fact, careful, and prideful scrutiny.
This is the news about the survey to be made
in this state on the expense of hospital care.
This is a problem of the first importance, di
rectly to a good many people, and indirectly to
almost everybody. Because, even if you are one
of the lucky ones who manages to stay well and
whose family, too, keeps clear of germs and
surgery, your conscience and yoim pocketbook
are not going to be immune. The recent appeal
from the Moore County Hospital stresses this
point: that hospital costs, already fantastically
high, are likely to keep on rising, and that the
free work'^one by a hospital is a constant drain
on its resources which the public will have to
carry. The local institution’s situation is dupli
cated in almost every hospital in the country.
Right away the question comes up: why was
North Carolina chosen for this important pro
ject? The answer is one to bring satisfaction to
all and especially to those who doggedly hold
that if enough people get roused up about a
thing and refuse to be downed, something is
bound to happen. This state was chosen, appar
ently, largely because of the impressive accom
plishments of the Medical Care Commission,
that citizens organization which brought about
the remarkable change in our hospital picture,
bringing the bed count from a low of 9,635 in
1947 to close to 15,000 today with 30 more hos
pitals in process of construction and eight more
planned, not to mention new health centers
erected. Seeing this picture, the National Hos
pital Association looking around for the right
place to start their survey, said: this is a state
where the people are really interested in health
matters and will go to bat for something they
believe in: this is the place to start.
The survey will begin with a complete inven
tory of all hospital personnel and other steps
will follow When completed the North Caro
lina survey will act as a guide for the national
■ ogram.
All this seems very satisfying. As we think of
the work of the state Medical Care Commission,
of the state survey of its public schools, of the
recent study of our penal institutions, made by
the outstanding penologist of the nation, and,
now, of this new project to be undertaken, we
can’t help but feel a good deal more confident
as we search for the good words: “North Caro
lina,” in ihe daily news.
Sandprinis
In the snow country, it is fascinating to go
out after a fresh snowfall and look for foot
prints. Everywhere, across the still white fields,
you find a delicate lacy web of tracks. Little
dotted lines, circling dizzily in and out, show
where field mice have been out on their early
morning rounds. The long thin claw-like prints,
with scratches at the toe-nails, were made by
a skunk investigating the bank for buried roots.
Here, where another track crosses it, the pads
smaller, and a bit more rounded, is the mark
of a fox: you come to a brushy place, where,
clearly, he sat down and thought, or scratched,
or wondered about the best way to creep across
the open stretch to where that movement in the
bushes might be something he could eat for
breakfast.
Outside this maze, and loUopping here and
there across it in a footless sort of way, go the
great triangular sets of pads of a big hare.
Molly-cotton-tails are easy to distinguish from
it. The triangle is much smaller and there is
often the faint brushmark of their powder-puff
tails.
This is what you see after a new snow-fall up
north. It will sin-prise some to hear that you can
see almost as much in the Sandhills without any
snow at all, if you keep your eyes open when
crossing a soft, sandy patch of ground. And
that’s in a good many places.
Crossing the Shaw Field, that last cold Sun
day evening, we found the ground frozen so
hard that the tracks of the last few days were
set as if in concrete. It isn’t often we get it as
cold as that Sunday: you could walk right
across the prints without affecting their out
line. There were all the ones described above ex
cept the hare: he is scarce in these parts though
there used to be a good many ten or twelve
years ago. But to make up for no hare there
w;ere several deer tracks and the huge pads of
some big old hounds who had been running the
deer. The little sharp deer prints were dug in
deep at the toes and, when they reached the
woods, you could see where they’d made big
leaps in over the brush.
There were many tracks of one animal you
wouldn’t see so often in the snow country. This
is the possum. They stick to the swamps, as a
rule, up north, but around here they seem to go
everywhere. Pilot readers wiU recall the tsde
. . . true tale. . . of the little possum who made
a nest in A1 Yeomans’ shoe, inside his closet,
inside his house. You can’t keep a possum down,
or out, either, apparently.
There were plenty of possums in the crowd of
animals that seems to have been wandering in
and out about the Shaw Field last week. In
fact the old field was as full of tracks as if it
had, been an animal Broad Street, with every
body out to do his Christmas shopping. Only
there were no Christmas lights out there, and
no fuss about parking: just the starlight over
head and the wide sandy old field to roam in.
One thing we did miss and it raises a question:
there were no bird prints. Generally you see
their little three-toed scratches everywhere, but
the field was blank of bird marks. Why was
that? Have the birds abandoned us? Scared
away by all these rumors of industry and
change around their favorite haunts? That’s a
change we wouldn’t like. It is happier to think
that, while the animals were out, watching for
Christmas to come, the birds took to the air
and were flying to meet Christmas on the way.
They Look to You for Help
John McQueen Unwritten Tribute
We didn’t take the paved road to John Mc
Queen’s funeral. We drove to old Union Church
by back ways. Somehow it seemed right to take
the country roads, to go through the quiet pine-
woods, along the soft sandy track to the service
for this good man of Moore County.
The road crested a rise and ahead, on the op
posite hill, gleamed the white church, old Union,
the church where his father preached and where
he worshipped aU his life. There it stood, tall
and stately, a living symbol of the county’s past,
of the Scots who built it and worshipped there,
and the good man who came home to that final
resting place.
Over the winding road the pines met in a green
arch, tall tops standing still and steadfast, but
where the road turned a felled tree was lying.
’The top was still green and fresh, the trunk
heavy and strong, with its rough old bark dark
against the white sand. It had drawn its
strength from that sandy soil, suffered in
droughts and heavy rains, grown straight and
fair in the warm summer sun. It had turned its
strength back into the soil and spread its shade
over the young trees, coming up in great num
bers in green waving plumes about the place.
The white church on the hill, the great tree
lying so quiet, so strong, so gleaming in its
tender green beauty; and ahead, leading
up the hiU, the sandy road, rutted with the
tracks of Moore County’s people, the sharp gash
of a mule-drawn plow, along one shoulder, the
tiremarks of cars, big and small, making their
way to the church on the hill to the service for
Moore County’s good man. It was a good way to
go to John McQueen’s funeral.
And at the service, so simple, so sincere, so
deeply devout, the words came again and again,
words everyone was thinking: “he was honest;
he was faithful; he was generous and kind; he
was so good. . . ‘‘Well done, good and faithful
sei'vant.’ ”
Afterwards three people said: “You going to
write about Mr. McQueen? I’ve known him all
my life; you couldn’t. . . nobody could ever
write enough good about him.”
And that is right.
Geraldine Czamecki viaite Saul Moree during reeeas from achooiroom
claatet in polio ward of New York hospital. Theae two young patlenta
and tena of thouaanda of othera in all parta of the country look to the
March of Oimea for help when polio atrikea. Tripled polio I'neldenee
of the paat four yeara haa taxed the March of Dimea ao aeverely that
the 1952 drive period haa been doubled to include all of .''nuary.
Grains of Sand
■We don’t know why but it failed to see it on our tour.. . Pos-
seemed to us, riding about town sibly there are others, to make a
Christmas night, that there were Christmas sightseeing trip about
fewer Christmas decorations than'town especially rewarding,
usual on local homes. . . So many
houses were entirely dark.
This, or something, made the dec
orations we did see seem unusual
ly pretty and sparkling. . . And
Among the many acts of quiet
kindness for the less fortunate here
this year, none rate higher than
those for little children. . .Mrs.
we thought, again, there is noth- W. S. Jonker, who keeps a board
ing so gay, so appealing, as ing home for children under
Christmas lights. j auspices of the welfare depart-
We saw many doorways charm- ment, had just one youngster with
ingly framed in lights. . . And her this Christmas, as parents of
glimpsed the colorful sparkle of the other children took them
Christmas trees through wreathed away for the holiday, to make a
and candle-lit windows. . . Some Christmas of some sort for them
householders had draped an out-1 at home. . . The seven-year-old
side tree with bright strands of
lights.
The J. S. Mdlikens' house pre.
sented a marvelous expanse of
Christmas-lit shrubbery. . . The
Morris B. Arnolds' on Bennett
street at Pennsylvania has one of
the prettiest entrances, with
shrubbery and door a-gleam.
lad who remained had the “best
Christmas in the world,” she said.
The Public
Speaking
One of the prettiest doorways is Tq the Pilot
on a side street just off North | j must express my appreciation
Ridge, we don’t know whose—'qJ your interesting special issue in
painted rosy red, framed in greens vsrhich you picture your communi
and snowflakes, with a big candy
cane in the center.
Out on North May street a new
brick bungalow with big picture
ties so clearly, and I especial^ ap
preciate the article on Pinebluff.
As a salute to Pinebluff, I en
close some lines, written several
window sparkles with light un-‘years ago by my sister Helen M.
der the eaves from one side of the Jackson to our sister Edna W.
house to the other. . . And another
home has two big glowing candles
on the front porch.
The Southland hotel is one of
the prettiest of Christmas sights
Jackson, which recall an incident
which occurred in Pinebluff in the
year 1900. It concerns a mocking
bird whose kind, although not
listed in your article on Pinebluff
Its sidewalk awning is framed
in lights. . . And two of its big
windows are really pictures. . .
They are thickly framed in ever
greens. . . In one is the sparkling
Christmas tree with an almost
as belonging to its presept muni
cipal population, seems to have
been among it in the year 1900.
Throughout these 50 years my
sisters, Edna and Helen Jackson,
kept an unfailing enthusiasm for
life-size Santa. . . In the other a your section of our country, even
beautiful snow scene against thick
pine needles, with icicles ranged
across the top.
Across the street the Jefferson
Inn doorway, trimmed in red rib-
though they never had the oppor
tunity of revisiting it as they
greatly desired to do. I was inter
ested that much of the data for the
Pinebluff article was furnished by
bon with colorful spray, has a
cheery look. . . And in one win
dow a huge red candle gleams.
The fire station has a tree trim
med with blue lights... And more
Mr. Levi Packard for I remember
my sisters’ frequently speaking of
him and others of his family,
I have some 50 pages of pressed
flowers which were gathered by
blue lights gleam in a row across'my sister, Helen M. Jackson, in
the front of the building. . . And the fall, winter, and spring of
were we seeing things, or was that 1900-1901 from along the
a rubicund Santa face peering out “branches” in Pinebluff. These
of the postmaster’s office window,
at the post office?
Highland Pines Inn. home of
frail flowers remain with me,
their colors yet quite bright. But
my two sisters are gone. Helen
the U. S. Air Force Air-Ground died in 1949, and Edna W. Jack-
Operations school, is a-gleam and son’s death occurred in July of
a-glow. . . 'With its big Christmas this year.
tree outside covered with lights,
another gleaming from the inside
Yours very sincerely,
DOROTHY N. JACKSON
through a window, and a star of
blue lights shining from a bal
cony.
There are many others. . . 'We
492 Logan Ave.
Sharon, Penn.
(Enclosure)
hope the lights will be turned on To E. 'W. J. (Edna W. Jackson,
every evening this week, and that
many will take the opportunity to
ride about town enjoying the fes
tive sights so lovingly prepared.
Nature has done well by South
ern Pines for Christmas this and
every year, with the beautiful
pines, hollies and other evergreens
which seem to grow more hand
somely here than anywhere else
we have been.
The holly tree on the library
lawn is said to be the tallest. . .
And that in front of the post of
fice, floodlit at night, is the most
famous for its beauty. . . But there
are many other fine hollies on
private lawns and they are espe
cially handsome this year.
There is a beauty on the lawn of
the Church of 'Wide Fellowshio
rectory, at Bennett street and
Pennsylvania avenue, and Dr.
and Mrs. R. L- House have put a
floodlight on it this year. . .'We
hear that another is lit on New
Hampshire avenue, though we
Pinebluff Cottage, in 1900)
Sitting On the cottage steps
In the bright sunshine
■Whistling back to the mocking
bird
High up in the longleaf pine.
Blue were your eyes as the South
ern sky.
Clear above you. Sister mine.
The gray bird had mimicked his
feathered friends,
As upward he rose from limb to
limb.
Carried high by the rush of his
song.
When you from our cottage
whistled to him.
The bird in the tree top paused in
his lay,
For true were your notes to his
song we had heard.
So he stopped to listen, then an
swered you back
When you whistled and mim
icked the moekingbird.
HELEN M. JACKSON
thanks to ,a number of generous
Southern Pines friends.
Orren has been with the Jon-
kers about 15 months. . . He had
many handicaps when he came
but is gradually overcoming them,
is going to schoolv and doing
well. . . His parents took his little
sister Louise home for Christmas,
leaving Orren. . . Christmas morn
ing, happiness was his in un
bounded measure. . . There be
neath the tree were all sorts of
wonderful toys. . . With eyes
sparkling like the Christmas lights
he cried in joy, “Grandma, Grand
ma, Santa emptied his pack right
here!”
A wonderful picture appeared
in the New York Sunday Mirror
for December 23. . . A color pho
tograph of the interior of the Met
ropolitan Opera House, New York
City, on the occasion of its open
ing. . . Such a picture had never
before been made, and it was a
major engineering project. . . In
volved mathematical calculations
were necessary to achieve the
proper lighting, for which work
had to be begun five days in ad
vance. . . Special reflectors had to
be installed along more than 1,-
000 feet of wire. . . Split-second
timing was necessary, as the pic
ture was to be made just before
the curtain went up for the second
act. . . And if anything went
wrong, there was no chance f(
re-take.
The picture came out magt
cently, showing the famous ‘'1
mond Horseshoe” of boxes and
balconies curving above. . .
great circular ceiling with on
trimmings of gold, the audienc
“the pit” so clearly deline
you could recognize your friei
if they happened to be there 1
night.
And we are proud to note 1
a friend of ours was there tho
not in the picture. . . One of
staff photographers assisting
Costa, color photographer,
the picture was John Hemmer
Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Hi
mer of Pinehurst. . . A great p
tographer by inheritance and
in his own right.
Meat production under Fed(
inspection for the week end
August 27 totaled 290 mil]
pounds.
PIANOS
Cole Piano Compaa'
N«U1 A. Cole
Plano Salea and
Plione
TIuree Poinla Sanfoi
Compaa]
die Prop. 1
and Serrlein
92-L
THE COLONY SHOP
Mrs. Edgar Ewing
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Tel. 2821
TOWN AND COUNTRY CLOTHES
FOR EVERY OCCASION
AFTER CHRISTMAS SALE
Starting Friday, December 28th
Some very attractive
EVENING and DAY DRESSES
'M'
(i
e With justifiable pride, we say that the Jolly Jeweler
Calendar that we selected and set aside for your 1952
use is the finest calendar of its kind that we have ever
seen. Once again it depicts the romance of rare sparkling
jewels and gleaming precious metals featured by the
famous Busy Buddies in their most colorful and entertain
ing roles.
We invite all of our customers to stop in and pick up their
Jolly Jeweler Calendar for 1952.
'
■
tA* Mff J«vg/gr Ce/Mdor h woxrfntfgfW hf tovA f. 0«v C«>,
— Hi* varW'i ng/Mdor
ROY J. MOOSE, Jeweler
112 N. Poplar St.
ABERDEEN. N. C.
L. V. O’CALLAGHAN
PLUMBING & HEATING SHEET METAL WORK
Telephone 5341