FIGHT POLIO
GIV^ TO
MARCH OF DIMES
FIGHT POLIO
GIVE TO
MARCH OF DIMES
VOL. 34—NO. 8
SIXTEEN PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES. NORTH CAROLINA. FRIDAY. JANUARY 9. 1953
SIXTEEN PAGES
PRICE—TEN CENTS
A Weekend In the Life of a Siamese Governor
Glimpses of Governor Puang Suwanarath
during his weekend in Southern Pines. A high
point is shown in the large picture when, visit
ing the library, he reverently touched Abraham
Lincoln’s desk in the North Carolina wing.
The small pictures, starting at the top, show
Mr. Puang (1) with Mrs. Nellie W. Mann at the
Western Union office; (2) having coffee with
Mrs. EUsworth Tompkins and James Pate at the
Southland; (3) lining up with Mr. Dawson for
lunch at the school cafeteria; (4) with Geraldine
Bethea, niece of his friend Lewis Pate, in Lee’s
store; (5) in The Pilot shop, with Mr. and Mrs.
Woodruff; (6) at lunch with the teachers in the
school cafeteria; (7) at the fire station with
Frank Kaylor, inspecting the nozzle of the big
hose; (8) with Mrs. Bernice Harrington at the
Southland. Story on page 8. (Pilot Staff Photos)
New Auditorium
Driveway Will
Be Traffic Aid
A new driveway now ready for
use, encircling the Southern Pines
school auditorium, is expected to
help greatly in relieving conges
tion when events are held there
and at the gym.
It will mean the building rnay
be entered almost directly from
the cars, by those who do not care
to walk far, or to climb the audi
torium’s front steps.
The circular one-way drive has
its entrance and exit on East Mas
sachusetts avenue, entering be
tween the auditorium and elemen
tary school, and circling around
the auditorium building toward
the exit between it and the gym.
Drivers may deposit passengers at
the side entrances, and then pro
ceed to the parking area. The
driveway has a clay surface now,
but will be paved in the spring.
Built by town crews, with town
equipment, it is part of a consid
erably larger project with several
objectives—^facilitation of arrival
and departure of crowds attending
special events, improvement of
the parking area, expansion of the
playground space and better
drainage of the entire school cam-
pus. I
A briUdozer has leveled a large
section of the rear campus for
parking. Cars enter this area by
way iof New York avenue, arid
steps' win be built down to tlfe
driveway. Playground space has
also L sen leveled behind the
buil(jlings, and a new playground
opened up east of the elementary
school, behind the Huntley and
Moore homes, on land recently
purchased by the school boardJ
The entire area, including the ter
races and driveway embankment,
willjbe planted in bermuda grass.
Grim 1952 Toll Reported By Coroner:
20 Highway Deaths, Seven Murders
Moore county chalked up its'f
grimmest record in history for vio cause.
lent deaths during 1952, according
to the annual report of Coroner
Ralph G. Steed of Robbins re
leased this week.
The 20 highway fatalities list
ed in this county of 32,000 un
doubtedly placed Moore at the
top, or close to it, in percentage
among counties of the State.
Seven homicides also constitu
ted a tragic ;record for a county
normally regarded as peaceful
md law-abiding.
Of 44 cases requiring the coro
ner’s investigation, 11 were from
natural causes. There were three
suicides, one death from alcohol
ism, one by accidental shooting
and one listed as of unknown
Postal Receipts
Show Slim Gain
Postal receipts for 1952, present
a deceptive appearance—they
seem to be up about six per cent
over 1951, but three per cent is
more nearly correct, said Post
master Garland Pierce.
A good part of the gain—just
about half, he estimates—is due
to increases in various postal
rates which went into effect Jan
uary 1, 1952.
Total receipts for 1952 were
$61,947.51. For 1951, they were
$58,422.06—a gaiii of $3,525.45.
Postal savings showed a strong
er gain. From $111,911 at close of
business December 31, 1951, they
mounted to $141,556 at the same
time in 1952, for a gain of $29,645.
Peak month for postal savings
was August, with $149,379 on
hand.
While all homicides are not
murders, those which took place
in Moore county last year \all
come under this hfeading. Perti
nent to the subject, though not,
of course, in Mr. Steed’s report
is the fact that of the seven for
1952, an arrest has been made in
each case except one.
Of five men and one woman
charged with murder, none has
yet come to trial. Three are in the
Moore County jail and three out
on bond. All involved in the mur
der cases are Negroes.
The 20 highway fatalities rep
resent a drastic jump upward
from the 13 listed for 1951. By far
the greatest single type of fatal
accident this year was that in
volving only one car, which went
out of control and left the high
way, either overturning—often
several times—or striking a tree,
with high speed assigned as the
cause.
The year 1953 is starting off in
a similarly tragic vein. By the
time it was three days old Coroner
Steed had been called out twice.
Score as of last Saturday night:
one murder, one highway fatality
C OF C ELECTION
Annual meeting of the
Southern Pines Chamber of
Commerce, with election of
officers, will be held at the
Southern Pines elementary
school library at 8 p. m. Mon
day.
All members are asked to
attend, said H. A. McAllister,
president, as important mat
ters are to be discussed and
deidsions made.
County Will Buy
Equipment For
Photo-Recording
Special Act Planned
For Equalization
Of Register Fees
Two actions toward streamlin
ing and modernizing the register
of deeds’ department were taken
by the Moore County commission
ers in their first meeting of the
year, held Monday at Carthage.
They decided to buy photo-re
cording equipment, to eliminate
the tedius copying of instruments
by typewriter.
They decided also to have a
special act introduced in the Gen
eral Assembly perinitting the
raising of fees for the recording
of instruments, in' line with the
current fee schedules of many
other counties.
Various types of photo-record
ing and microfilming equipment
have been under study by the
commissioners for several months.
A presentation of one apparatus
was made by a salesman in the
fall, and representatives of the
Haloid Company of Rochester, N.
Y., and of a firm selling Eastman-
made, equipment made their pre
sentations Monday.
Does Complete Job
Decision by the commissioners
was in favor of the Haloid Com
pany’s Rectigraph Daylight-Du
plex photo-recorder. Costing about
,000, it will be installed in about
30 days in the fireproof vault be
low the register of deeds’ offices.
With this equipment, a complete
job of photographing any instru
ment for immediate filing can be
accomplished. The cost includes
the training of an operator or
operators from the office person
nel.
While the Eastman equipment
cost only $2,610, the continuing
cost after purchase is consider
ably higher, a determining factor
in the commissioners’ choice.
(Continued on page 5)
Girl Scout Council
Institute Planned
' An institute on Girl Scout coun
cil administration, for all officials
and leaders of the Central Caro
lina area council, will be held at
the Southern Pines Country club
Tuesday, through arrangements
made by the Girl Scout national
board.
The CeAral Carolina area coun
cil includes Moore, Lee, Chatham
and Harnett counties, with San
ford as headquarters.
For the all-day institute, the
Southern Pines city committee
will be hostess to Girl. Scouters
from the four counties, for train
ing sessions and discussion groups
to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.rn.
Mrs. Gretchen Kidd, training ad
visor on the national staff, will be
in charge. Procedure and func
tions of community boards and
committees will be fuUy explain
ed. Members of these boards and
all other adults interested in the
Girl Scout movement are asked to
attend.
Registration will open at 9 a.m.,
in charge of a committee headed
by Mrs. John Pottle and Angelo
Montesanti, Jr., of the local Girl
Scout organization.
OUR TOWN READS!
The annual meeting of the
Southern Pines Library asso
ciation will be held next Mon
day afternoon at five o'clock,
it was announced by the
President, Clyde Council. At
this meeting, for all members,
trustees and officers wiU be
elected to serve for the com
ing year.
Breaking the record of Mr.
Gallup's poll is no new affair,
but it appears that Southern
Pines has now aesumed that
role. Last week the poll stated
,citizens of the U.S. read fewer
books than those of any other
nation, but this town may
reply with an: "Is that so?"
The report of the retiring li
brarian, Miss Churchill, shows
that circulation of books has
doubled in the four years that
she has been here. Miss
Churchill's report is one of
those to be<Beard at the meet
ing on Monday.
Dibb Robbery
Suspect Arrested
In Greensboro
A warrant has been sent from
Carthage to Greensboro for a
man, arrested there for armed
robbery, who is believed to have
been the one who broke into and
robbed Col. John Dibb’s home
here December 16.
The SBI notified Sheriff C. J.
McDonald Tuesday that checks be
longing to Colonel Dibb had been
found on one Frank J. Norwood,
apprehended at Greensboro the
day before.
Though the warrant was sent
at once, the sheriff said it looked
' as though it might be a long time
before local authorities will be
able to get hold of Norwood, if
ever. He was found to be a pa
role jumper, with 10 years on a
prison sentence in another state
yet to be served. On top of that
is the new armed robbery offense.
According to meager details tel
ephoned to the sheriff’s office at
Carthage, Norwood pretended to
be in the market for a new car,
and got a salesman to drive him
out on a country road. There he
pulled a gun on the salesman, and
robbed him.
He is said to be 36 years old,
with a criminal record dating back
to 1932. He is originally from Vir
ginia.
Colonel Dibb’s home at South
Ridge street and Morganton road
was entered and ransacked in the
daytime, shortly after Colonel and
Mrs. Dibb had left for Lynchburg
Va., where he runs a business
Stolen were silver, clothing, golf
clubs and numerous other items.
The colonel offered a reward for
information leading to the- recov
ery of the missing possessions
an4 the arrest and conviction of
the thief or thieves.
The Dibb home is just outside
the Southern Pines city limits so
the case has been handled by the
sheriff’s department, with A. F.
Dees, deputy for this area, in
charge.
It was not known this week
whether any of the stolen items
have been located, or if there is
someone eligible to receive the
reward. Law enforcement offi
cers performing their regular du
ties are not considered eligible for
rewards
City Limits Extension Proposed
The town board is planning
steps toward extension of the city
limits in the south and southeast,
and is asking all interested per
sons, whether favorably or unfav
orably inclined, to attend a public
hearing next Friday at 8 p.m. at
Weaver auditorium.
A bill has been drawn up set
ting the boundaries of the area
proposed to be taken into the cor
porate limits. Rep. H. Clifton
Blue has been asked to introduce
this bill as a special act in the cur
rent term of the General Assem
bly. He will meet with the citi
zens at the public hearing to as
certain their sentiments in the
matter. It is understood that if
he finds the preponderance of sen
timent to be for the extension, he
wiU submit the biU.
A copy of the proposed special
act is nublished on Page 11.
The action is being taken at this
time in response to the expressed
will of a nxnnber of residents of
the proposed area v^ho wish to be
come citizens of the town, with all
the rights and privileges apper
taining thereto, it was learned
from Mayor C. N. Page. The area
includes the section south of In
diana avenue extension to Bethes-
da road; along Bethesda road to
Hill road, and west toward and
cutting across the Country Club
section to US Highway 1; south
along US Highway 1 to Highland
street, thence west and north to
Morganton road and back to the
beginning point.
Included are the Golfcrest sub
division, the Southern Pines
Country club and part of the goU
course, and Pinedene.
Not included is any part of
Weymouth Heights porth of Indi
ana avenue; Kinollwood, or Man
ly-
“We are anxious for all inter
ested citizens, both in and out of
town, to know in advance what
we hope to do, to consider the
matter carefully from all angles
and to bring any questions he or
she may wish to ask to the public
hearing,’’ Mayor Page said. “This
is a matter of vital importance to
our town, at present and in the
future.”
Decline Seen In
Bnilding Permits
Total For 1952
Building permits issued during
1952 showed a sharp decline from
the total of the previous year, it
was learned from Everette V.
Walker, city building inspector.
The total for 1952 was $296,855.
That for 1951 was $470,910—a dif
ference of $174,055.
Part of the difference is due to
the $100,000 contract issued in
1951 for the educational annex of
the Church of Wide Fellowship.
No permit of comparable size was
issued in 1952, in which the larg
est for a single unit was for a
$13,000 dwelling. (One permit was
issued for" $50,000 but it was for
five dwellings.)
Also, while residential building
kept up last year at a steady pace,
business / construction practically
came to a full stop, No business
building or expansion of any size
is listed.
Permits for new residential con
struction (not all of which have
been used) numbered 40 for 47
dwelling units, at a total estimat
ed cost of $241,990. Of this, 16
permits were in West Southern
Pines and their total cost $19,340.
Total white, $222,650, for 31
homes.
New business construction
amounted to $8,250. Of the 10
permits issued, only two were for
construction on the east side, for
a small office building and a
warehouse.
Permits for alterations and ad
ditions, residential, totaled $26,-
412; business, $11,102; miscellane
ous, $8,601.
In connection With the residen
tial construction, it is pertinent to
note information from Howard F.
Burns, town clerk and treasurer,
that new water connections made
by the town came to about 200.
This was about the'same as the
year before, he said.
Korean Veteran
Is First Highway
Fatality of 1953
Expansion, Complete
Modernization Plans
For Patch’s Revealed
Patch’s Department store, Southern Pines’ oldest business
establishment, is to be greatly enlarged and completely mod
ernized within the next few months, according to plans an
nounced Thursday by Charles S. Patch, president of the owner
corporation.
The expansion as detailed by Earle B. Owens, secretary-
treasurer of the corporation and general manager of the store,
will give Southern Pines one of the finest shopping centers in
•the area, with facilities equaling those o'f many of the State’s
famous stores in larger cities.
'■ A two-story addition is to be
built with 45-foot frontage on
New Hampshire avenue, where
the Western Union office is now
located. Main entrance of the
store will be changed from Broad
street to New Hampshire avenue.
An elevator is to be installed, new
departments added, the entire
store building renovated and—
final touch of lux.ury—air-condi
tioned throughout.
The old awnings will be taken
down immediately, to be replaced
by a modern marquee.
Old Building Condemned
The plans have been on the
drawing-board lor some time, to
be carried out at an indefinite
future time. Condemnation this
week of the ancient little frame
building next door on New Hamp
shire, also owned by Patch’s, and
occupied by the Western Union
office for the past 25 years,
brought a decision to go ahead
at once.
The Western Union building is
reported in serious need of repair.
City Building Inspector Everette
Walker has ordered that it be re
paired within 30 days, as in its
present state it constitutes a lire
hazard. He cannot, however, give
a permit lor repairs on any frame
building within the lire district.
This means that the little build
ing, one of the oldest in town, has
to go;
A “Condemned” sign was tack
ed cn it Wednesday, and notice
served by the inspector to the
Western Union and to the owners.
Asked to Vacate
In view of the situation West
ern Union has been asked by its
landlord to vacate within seven
days, or by February 1, at latest,
so that demolition can get under
way.
Plans for the construction are
expected to be completed, and
the actual building to commence,
within 30 to 60 days. Remodeling
of the second floor of the present
store building is already under
way as part of the long-range
plan. Work will be rushed along
in expectation of a grand opening
of the new Patch’s in the fall.
Newcomer Fromi Vermont
The business had its inception
as a general merchandise store at
a date lost in the mists of local
history. In 1897 a half interest in
the store, then known as Tarbell’s
was purchased by C. T. Fateh, a
newcomer from Vermont, and the
name became Tarbell and Patch.
The new year was only three Since that time the name of
days old when Moore county P^feh has never been missing
chalked up its first fatal highway from the store’s designation, as
accident of the year. jMr. Patch took on successive
A young Korean war veteran, partners, which he successively
Peter J. Reeder, Jr., of Steeds Rt. bought out. From Tarbell & Patch
1, was killed Saturday when the it became Patch and Brother (the
car in which he was riding left a; iate James M.) then Patch and
dirt road near Robbins, overturn- i Williams, Pdteh and Richardson
ed and smashed into a tree. ! and finally just Patch’s. Recent
Injured were two other young incorporation has given it the of-
men of the vicinity, Wilbert Moore fi9inl name of Patch’s Department
and J. C. Davis. They were taken Store,, Inc.
to Moore County hospital, where, Fanuly Interests
Moore remained as a patient, with First the father, then after his
a broken leg and.face cuts, and death, his son, have headed the
Davis was given emergency treat- business. A daughter, Mrs.' Anna
ment for cuts emd bruises.
Driver of the car, Walter Lewis
Patch Blue, is vice-president of
the corporation and active in
Scott, 23, also of Steeds Rt. 1, and management of the store. Charles
also a veteran of the Korean war, i S. Patch, Jr., is associated with
was indicted for driving while [his father in a separate business,
drunk, and careless and reckless Patch’s Tog .Shop, a men’s apnar-
driving. He will be given a hear- el and sporting goods shop which
ing in recorders court at Carthage was started in 1922. Though in the
Monday, January 26, according to same building, it is operated in-
Patrolman J. L. Lowrimore.
Funeral services for Peter J.
Reeder were held Monday after
noon at Needham Grove Christian
church near Robbins, conducted
by the Rev. Martin Fogleman,
with burial in the church ceme
tery.
Surviving are his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. P. J. Reeder, Steeds Rt.
1; three sisters, Mrs. Albert Ritter
and Mrs. Quinton Lambert of
Robbins Rt. 2, and Mrs. Carl Hus
sey of Seagrove Rt. 1; and five
brothers, William, of Central
“Falls; Hoover, of Greensboro;
John, of Steeds Rt. 1; Airman IjC
Yancey L. of Lawson AFB, Geor
gia, and Pvt. Theron Reeder, of
Fort Campbell, Ky.
dependently from the department
store, and just where it fits into
the new plans has not been re
vealed.
During its 57-year history in the
Patch family, the store has grown
steadily ih range of service and
in the good will of a wide area.
The present building was con
structed about 1910 and, with the
move from the old wooden build
ing, standing about where Leroy
Lee’s is now (it later burned
down), the business changed from
an old-fashioned “general store”
to a department store, very mod
ern for its time. The forthcoming
development will be its first
physical expansion since that
time.