VOL. 34—NO. 33
SIXTEEN PAGES
i/0
Big Doings Slated
At County Seat On
Fourth Of July
Hundreds Expected
To Attend Events Of
All-Day Celebration
The 14th annual Fourth of July
celebration will be held at Car
thage Saturday under the spon
sorship of the Carthage Junior
Chamber of Commerce, with a
record turnout expected for the
all-day event.
Dan Roberts and Paul Black
man, co-chairmen of the celebra
tion, announce that all is in readi
ness, with one of the most enter-
t^ing programs in many years
lined up for the people of MoOre
and surrounding counties.
The day’s festivities will get
started on a patriotic note with a
half-hour concert by the 440th
Military band from Fort Bragg,
beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Following the concert at 10
o’clock the invocation will be de
livered by the Rev. W. S. Golden,
pastor of the Carthage Presbyte
rian church, followed by a brief
welcome address by Mayor Archie
Barnes.
On completion of Mr. Barnes’
speech at 10:05 the “street events’’
will be held under the direction
of John Riddle. Mr. Riddle has
lined up such contests as water
melon fights, “greasy pole,” roll
ing-pin throwing for the ladies,
foot races and pie-eating contest.
These events have always been
one of the big attractions of the
traditional “Fourth:”
At 11 o’clock the Hon. C. B.
Deane, Eighth District congress
man, will make the principal ad
dress of the day. Mr. Deane will
be introduced by John Lang, Jr.,
of Carthage, administrative assist
ant in his Washington office.
Ppllowing Mr. Deane’s address,
at 11:45 will come the climax of
the morning program—^the annual
beauty contest to pick the queen
of the celebration. Claude Linger-
felt and Dave Ginsburg, the co-
chairmen of this part of the pro
gram, have received entries from
a number of Moore county’s love
liest girls. Miss Suzann Burns of
Southern Pines, winner of last
(Continued on page 8)
SOUTHERN PINES. NORTH CAROLINA. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1953
SIXTEEN PAGES
PRICE—TEN CENTS
i
Sandhills Swelter As Linemen Labor;
Power Lapse Longest In Local History
In the denths of a T 1 -.1,
In the depths of a swamp be
tween Aberdeen and West End
Tuesday at 11:16 a. m., a guy
wire snapped. It was a little thing,
but the results were far-reaching.
The guy wire braced a support
of an angled superstructure. The
superstructure’s three main poles-
two tall ones crossed by another
—carried a 110,000-volt main line
of the Carolina Power & Light Co.
Through the line flowed all the
power for Aberdeen and Southern
Pines, from the West End substa
tion.
When the guy wire broke, the
pole it braced also broke. The
other two poles fell and broke.
The high-voltage line parted. The
switch was blown at the substa
tion. The power went off in an
instant in Southern Pines, Aber
deen, Carthage, Pinehurst, Pine-
bluff, West End, Cameron, Lake-
view and Vass, and all interven
ing rural territory.
The kickback was felt as far as
Bluetts Falls, supply station for
the West End unit below Rock
ingham.
Nobody Worried
In the nine towns and their sur
rounding area nobody thought
anything about it at first. Though
there is seldom a failure of CP&L
power, everybody knows those
things happen once in a while.
But it always comes back on again
in a few minutes.
At gas stations attendants told
motorists, “Sorry. Can’t pump any
just yet. Wait till the power
comes back on.”
In offices, machines were still.
Employees said, “We’ll have a
coke while we’re waiting.” It
happened to be the hottest day of
the year so far.
Things were far from calm,
though, with the CP&L. At the
West End substation the trouble
(Continued on Page 8)
HOLIDAY
Most retail stores, business
es and offices in general plan
to close Saturday. July 4, ac
cording to a survey made by
The Pilot this week.
There are exceptions, some
preferring to remain open
Saturday, closing Monday in
stead.
Service stations in town
have stated they will close.
The bank, library, city offices.
Chamber of Commerce, also
county and federal offices
will be closed for the national
holiday.
At leist report, the drug
stores had not decided what
they would do.
The post office will open its
stamp and general delivery
window from 8 until 10 a.m..
and work box mail and out
going mail throughout the
day. There will be no city de
livery.
UP THE POLES they go to‘repair the damage which caused
the prolonged power interruption Tuesday. The broken 110,000-
volt line is clearly visible at left, also the tops of the broken
poles. Workers are, from left, Howard Allred, Elwood Blake,
Ted KUngenschmidt. (Photo by Geo. Sherrerd).’
Local Juniors
Will Enter State
Tennis Tourney
Kenneth Tew, who won the
boys’s singles title at the N. C.
Junior tournament at Greensboro
last year, will not go to this
year’s tournament, which opens
Tuesday.
Kenneth, at 15, cannot compete
in the boys’ division any longer
and must let his title go by de
fault. He is not yet ready to com
pete successfully against the old
er boys, say senior advisers to
the youthful tennis group. They
have counseled another year of
development and practice for him
on the local courts, restricting his
tournaments to the ECTA and
Junior Sandhill this summer
Lillian Bullock, local girls’
champion, and Gail Hobson of
Pinehurst, junior girls’ champion
(high school division) will com
pete in the state event, also
Patty Britt, Patty Woodell, Fran
ces Pearson, Johnny Watkins and
Julian Pleasants. They will enter
both singles and doubles events
and observers of recent activities
on the municipal courts give one
or two of them a good chance to
win.
Man Wanted In Local Robbery May Be
One Who Assaulted Charlotte Minister
A Negro man who robbed the
home of a young Army couple
here last week may turn out to
be the hitchhiker who beat up a
Presbyterian minister near Char
lotte last Thursday night.
The man’s name is Lucius
Chambers, his home town, Bish-
opville, S. C. Investigation by city
police following the local rob
bery, assisted by Mecklenburg
County and Bishopville police de
partments, located Chambers this
week in a safe spot: in jail in
Washington, D. C., where he was
placed last Saturday to serve a
60-day sentence on conviction of
pilfering with an auto.
Chief C. E. Newton filed a de
tainer Tuesday with a Washington
police, to secure Chambers’ return
here for trial on the robebry count
on expiration of the 60-day sen
tence.
Chambers, if he is ^ the wanted
man, moved fast Only to get
caught in the end. ’The robbery of
the home of Sgt. and Mrs. Truman
Archer on Kensington road took
place Monday afternoon of last
week. Sergeant Archer is station
ed at Fort Bragg. Mrs. Archer
came in from her work Monday
evening to find her home had
been ran-tsacked.
Fled Out Back Door
The next day Chief Newton lo
cated the Archers’ suitcase and all
the ether missing goods—clothing,
costume jewelry, fountain pen,
electric iron and other items, to
taling about $300 worth altogeth
er—at the home of Dave Charles
in West Southern Pines. Charles
said they belonged to Chambers,
who had fled out the back door
when he saw the officers coming
and has not been seen since.
Chambers had stuffed all the
things belonging to the Archers in
another suitcase of his own, but
left in such a hurry he didn’t get
to take it with him.
Friday, Chief Newton read of
the attack made by a hitch-hiker
(Continued on page 8)
USAFAGOS Signs
Lease On Hotel .
For Another Year
The U. S. Air Force Air-Ground
Operations, school has leased The
Highland Pines Inn from the Stit-
zer Hotel Co. for another 12
months, its third year of occu
pancy of the local resort hotel
building, according to an an
nouncement from both parties.
The new lease, signed this week,
runs from July 1, 1953, to June
30, 1954. Like the first, which ran
from June 1, 1951, to June 30 of
this year, it gives the govern
ment the option of renewal for
another 12 months’ period on its
expiration.
Word of the signing comes as
good news to this community,
where it was feared that proposed
large cuts in the Air Force bud
get might cause the discontin
uance or removal of the military
installation. In its two yeurs here
it has become an important part
of the community life, and, with
its $75,000 monthly payroll, pf
Ipcal economics.
Under terms of the new lease,
the Stitzer Hotel Co. continues
its responsibility for the usual
utilities, maintenance of the build
ing and grounds, servicing of the
rooms with linen, and cleaning of
the main building. While the Air
Force provides the meals and kit
chen staff, the hotel corporation
maintains the kitchen equip
ment.
During the past two years the
Stitzer corporation, of which
Charles W. Stitzer is president,
has made numerous physical im
provements in the Inn. Metal'fire
escapes and metal fire doors were
installed by the company at all
stairways. Many of the rooms
have been redecorated.
The government has put in tem
porary equipment, which may be
removed on termination of the
lease, for facilities not normally
required for the winter-resort ho
tel guests. These include lecture
platforms and air-conditioned
units in the two main classrooms,
special fans, etc.
Several additional improve
ments are planned by the hotel,
’vhich is under the resident man
agement of James Hartshorne for
the Stitzer company.
The school came to Southern
Pines as an interim measure
when it outgrew its earliest ac-
(Continued on Page 8)
THA'T’S THE LITTLE GUY that did all the damage—^not Jim-
my Springer, above, but the broken guy wire he is ruefully re
garding. (Photo by Geo. Sherrerd)
Town Lake Open;
David Woodruff
Is Life Guard
David Woodruff, new graduate
and three-star athlete of Southern
Pines High school, has been em
ployed by the Municipal Recrea
tion Commission as lifeguard for
the town lake. He is a certified
Red Cross life saver.
Starting this week, he is on duty
from 1 to 6 p. m. daily at the
lake, except Mondays.
David is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Woodruff. He won the tro
phy for most valuable football
player, and was elected honorary
captain of both the football and
basketball teams during the past
school year. He was also named
‘most athletic” high school boy.
He also won the Danforth Founda
tion award for outstanding per
sonal development.
With the life guard on duty,
the town lake is now officially op
ened for swimming, according to
announcement from the Commis
sion’s committee in charge. With
bottom freshly sanded, and the
beach extended some 400 feet, it
should become one of the Sand
hills’ most popular recreation
spots. Picnic benches and tables
have been arranged under the
trees, and this week the town
placed large trash containers near
the picnic area, with a request
that citizens using the area share
responsibility for keeping it clean.
Bottles and trash should be placed
in the containers, net thrown in
the lake nor left on the ground.
Answering some apprehensions
stirred when a bulldozer sank into
an old well in the lake, while the
bottom was being sanded, the
committee states that this hole is
well into the middle, and is cover
ed , e ver with deep water, now
that the lake is filled. There are
no holes in the safety area, which
is enclosed by a rope on readily-
(Continued on Page 8)
Chamber Moving
To Darst Office
On Penn. Avenue
The Southern Pines Chamber of
Commerce will move Monday
morning from its present location
next to the Sunrise theatre to 105
East Pennsylvania avenue, it was
announced Thursday by Valerie
Nicholson, acting president.
In its new home the Chamber
will share quarters with Thomas
C. Darst, Jr., in the modern, small,
air-conditioned building, formerly
the Reynolds & Co. office. The
Chamber will occupy the two
front rooms, Mr. Darst the rear
office with separate entrance. Mr.
Darst expects to be out of towii
much of the time.
Through a generous offer made
by Mr. Darst, a member, the
Chamber will effect' a saving in
rent and also secure a more cen
tral and extremely attractive lo
cation. The offer includes phone
answering and secretarial service
by Miss Alice Baxter, Chamber
secretary.
The decision was reached at a
special meeting Tuesday night at
which an immediate decision had
to be made. A quorum of direc
tors could not be secured so the
five who were present were con
stituted as a committee under Joe
Warren, house chairman. Since
that time a quorum has been con
tacted for approval.
Satisfactory arrangements were
made with the present landlord
Stewart Theatres, Inc., of Char
lotte, through their local repre
sentative, J. N. Stringfellow, man
ager of the Sunrise. The Chamber
will retain possession of the pres
ent office until July 15, or until
disposal of several furniture items
which will not be needed in its
new home. Artists who have pic
tures in the Chamber’s permanent
exhibit should also arrange to get
them in the next few days.
The directors will hold their
regular meeting at the new office
at 8 p.m., Tuesday. j
LITTLE LEAGUE
The Southern Pines Little
Liens, with a season record of
three wins, one loss so far,
will play their next home
game against the Carthage
team in the Little League
next Wednesday afternoon.
They will meet first at Carth
age Monday. Game time, 5:30
p. m.
There were no games this
week on account of the holi
day, which is taking many
families out of town.
Good crowds are attending
the ganies, and the perform
ance of the youthful players
is rated as tops. Concerning
the local entry, one observer
commented, “I’ve seen many
adult teams not half so good.”
There is no admission charge,
though an offering is taken to
help with expenses.
Burns Accepts
City Manager Job
In Florida City
Howard F. Burns, who served
Southern Pines as town clerk and
treasurer for 27 and a half years,
will go to Lake Wales, Fla., as
city manager effective July 15. He
plans to move the middle of next
week.
The new job represents a pro
motion, financially, over his posi
tion here. He will also have a
newly-built home, and the ser
vices of a full-time engineer in
his work.
Mr. Burns was appointed acting
city manager by the new Southern
Pines town council, when it went
into office in May bringing the
newly adopted council-manager
plan into effect. He was strongly
promoted for the permanent-city
manager office.
He informed the council at their
special meeting last Thursday
night of his new position, and his
wish to get to Lake Wales early
in the month. He offered his full
cooperation in indoctrinating the
new city manager into the local
job, if one should be selected
while he still had time to do so.
Mayor L. T. Clark led the coun
cil, and all metnbers followed
suit, in commending Mr. Burns’
work, and his cooperative spirit
in the transition period, and of
fering their best wishes for his
success. They voted unanimously
to give him a month’s vacation
pay in severance.
Lake Wales is a thriving indus
trial-resort town in central Flor
ida, about 70 miles from the east
coast. It is in a boom period of
growth and its population of 6,-
870 in the 1950 census is already
considerably outdated. For the
city manager position, Mr. Burns
was selecred from a field of can
didates from as far away as Tex
as, Missouri and Rhode Island.
A native of Carthage, he at
tended Oak Ridge Military Insti
tute and the University of North
Carolina. He came to the South-
(Continued on page 8)
CityCouncil Names
T. E. Cunningham
To Manager Post
Trained In Budget,
Management; Choice
Is jLTnanimous
The town council’s search for
Southern Pines’ first city manager
appeared to be ended Wednesday
night. After reviewing scores of
applications and interviewing a
dozen applicants, the five mem
bers united on a choice.
He is Thomas E. Cunningham,
28, at present in a $6,000-a-year
position as principal budget and
management officer for the City
of Richmond, Va., in the office of
the city manager.
Notified of the council’s choice
by telephone after the Wednesday
night vote, though with no ad
vance over his present salary, Mr.
Cunningham made tentative ac
ceptance. He made it plain he
wished to come, and it was ar
ranged that he would spend Sat
urday here “learning the ropes”
from the acting city manager,
Howard F. Burns. Mr. Burns con
sented to give up his July 4 holi
day for this purpose.
Mr. Cunningham visited the
council at a special session Mon
day night. Three candidates, two
from Virginia and one from North
Carolina, were interviewed that
night, and the council met again
Tuesday to interview another who
flew here from Mexico, Mo.
Four In Field
A half-dozen others had previ
ously been interviewed. By the
final meeting only four were left
in the field, one of them a local
man- and three from Virginia. In
a “straw vote” taken at the start
of the meeting, all placed but Mr.
Cunningham was in the lead,.
.The council agreed that, as im
portant as it was to secure a good
man, it was equally important for
the council to be unanimous in
their choice if possible, so the new
manager wculd be assured of
their undivided support. When
the selection was made later it
was by acclamation.
Mr. Cunningham is^ a native of
Erlanger, raised in Winston-Sa
lem, a graduate of the Univer
sity of North Carolina, where he
majored in public administration
and also did graduate work in
this field. He then attended the
graduate school of public adminis
tration at Syracuse university.
New York, where he secured his
masters degree in municipal man
agement.
The New York State executive
department selected him as an ad
ministrative intern in 1950 and he
spent a year as an intern in man
agement at Albany.
He was administrative assistant
city manager for one year at Mar
tinsville, Va., where he came in
day-to-day contact with problems
approximately the same as those
(Continued on page 8)
Cad Benedict Will Join Editorial Staff
Of Pilot, Succeeding Mrs. Nicholson
? _ , ■ * . ■. .
Cadwallader (Cad) Benedict, off
Pinebluff, will join the staff of'
The Pilot as news editor next
week. He will succeed Mrs. Val
erie Nicholson, who has resigned
effective Saturday, July 11.
Mrs. Nicholson has been with
The Pilot since January, 1947.
Though retiring from her news
paper job, she will continue to
live in Southern Pines for several
months and will free-lance ,for
several state papers and other
publications. She plans to move
early in 1954 to Kinston, where
her husband is employed.
Mr. Benedict, who is 39, comes
to The Pilot after nearly eight
years of editorial and news work
with newspapers in this area.
Soon after his separation from
military service in 1945, he be
came city editor of the Sanford
Herald. He remained with The
Herald until September, 1949,
when he resigned to move to Pine-
bluff where he had lived before
the war. He then became news
editor of The Sandhill Citizen at
Aberdeen, resigning there recent
ly to join The Pilot staff.
The new^ news editor has call
ed the Sandhills home since 1926,
when he came to Pinebluff to live
at the home of his grandmother,
the late Mrs. J. A. Cadwallader.
His mother, Mrs. Mary C. Bene
dict, remains a resident of Pine
bluff. In 1942, he was married to
Miss Peggy Holt-Smith, daughter
of the late Mrs. Mary W. Holt-
Smith of Pinebluff and Southern
Pines. They have one son, Chris-
(Continued on Page 8)