SHOP AND SAVE!
SPRING VALUE
DAYS MAY 13-15
VOL. 35—NO. 24
SHOP AND SAVE!
SPRING VALUE
DAYS MAY 13-15
PRICE—TEN CENTS
: I
.y
SalesEvent
Slated By
Merchants
Spring Value Days
May 13-15 Sponsored
By Chamber Commerce
Yellow and green posters giv
ing notice of Spring Value Days
to be held next weekend—May
13, 14 and 15—went on display
Thursday at more than 30 local
stores and other business places.
The participating stores also re
ceived quantities of coupons for
the prize drawing contest, which
are to be given with purchases be-'
fore and during the cooperative
sales event.
The end-of-season sale, offering
many specials in both merchan
dise and services, is a project of
member merchants of the South
ern Pines Chamber of Commerce,
with Miss Katharine T. MacDon
aid as chairman.
The coupons are to be deposit
ed in containers set up in each
store, and other coupons will ap
pear in advertising to be sponsor
ed next week by the merchants
and also by the Chamber of Com
merce.
An appropriation of $250, Or
more than $100 more than was
spent by the Chamber in promo-
, ting the first Value Days event
held last fall, was approved by
the Chamber directors for the sale
promotion covering newspaper
and radio advertising, handbills,
posters, cards fot store “specials”
and a $25 Grand Prize, offered by
the Chamber in connection With
the prize drawing.
Each store will offer its own
prize after a drawing to be held
Saturday afternoon. May 15, and
the coupons- will all be put to
gether then for a drawing for the
$25 prize. The prize drawing fea
ture is limited to adults.
Member merchants of the
Chamber who have not yet joined
in with the sale event, but who
wish to do so, are asked to call
Miss MacDonald or Miss Alice
Baxter, secretary, at the Chamber
office, before close of business
Saturday, also merchants who are
not members of the Chamber, but
wish to join in time to take part
in the Spring Value Days.
High School Baseball Team — Group and Area Champions
Officials See Difficulty
InCountyHomeChange
County Board
Democrats Set
Precinct Meets
For Saturday
Precinct meetings to elect pre
cinct chairmen and committeemen
wiU be held by Democrats
throughout the county Saturday,
time and place to be set by each
precinct chairman.
In Southern Pines, Chairman L.
V. O’Callaghan announces that the
meeting will be held at the Amer
ican Legion hut on Vermont Ave.
at 2 p.m. He urges all Democrats
to attend.
The Democratic County conven
tion will be held at the court
house in Carthage Saturday, May
15, at 3 p.m. to elect delegates to
the State Convention which will
be held in Raleigh, Thursday, May
20, according to announcement by
W. Lament Brown, chairman of
the Moore County Democratic Ex
ecutive Committee.
Registration for voting in the
Democi;;atic primary May 29 con
tinues this week with registrars
at polling places from 9 a.m. to
sunset Saturday. Registration
will run through Saturday, May
15.
The local polling place is the
fire house on New Hampshire
Ave.
The Blue Knights of Southern Pines High School, with the
area and group championships in the state playoffs tucked away,
face their toughest test of the season today (Friday) in a district
championship game with Red Springs here at 3:30 p.m. Mem
bers of the squad are—kneeling, left to right: David McCallum,
assistant manager, Bobby Cline, Kenneth Creech, Thomas Vann,
—
Charles Watkins, Billy Hamel, Anthony Spinello, Lynn Van Ben-
schoten, Joe Marley, Jimmy McDonald, manager. Standing, same
order: Coach Irie Leonard, David Page, Garland Pierce, Harold
McNeill, Winfred Cox, Tommy Ruggles, Jimmy Barber, Jerry
Daeke, Tony Parker, Donald,Van Benschoten, Bobby Watkins.
(Photo by Emerson Humphrey)
Blue Knights To
Play Here Today
For Distriet Title
TAG SALE
The annual tag sale for ben
efit of the Moore County Ma
ternal Welfare Committee
will be held Saturday in
Southern Pines aiui other
communities throughout the
county. Mrs. Claude Reams is
in charge of the local sale.
Tags will be sold outside the
post office and the Citizens
Bank and Trust Co. Tag funds
are used to support a free bed
in the Moore County Hospital
Maternity ward, for prenatal
climes and other maternal
welfare purposes.
Southern Pines High 'School
Blue Knights captured the group
championship in the N. C. high
school baseball playoffs Wednes
day when they defeated Massey
Hill of Cumberland County, 3-2,
in an exciting game at Memorial
Field here.
On the mound all the way,
David Page pitched a great game
Billy Cox led the hitting for
Southern Pines.
The victory put Southern Pines
in a playoff that will take place
here today (Friday) at 3:30 p. m.,
with Red Springs, for the district
championship. Today’s contest is
expected to be a close, hard-
fought game with tough opposi
tion from the visitors.
County Tournament
Play in the Moore County High
School baseball tournament is due
to start next week. If Southern
Pines wins the Red Springs con
test, the Blue Knights become au
tomatic Moore County champs.
The county tournament will then
be run off without participation
by the local boys. If Southern
Pines does not Win the Red
Springs game, the Knights will
take part in the county playoffs.
Pairings to. take care of both
of these eventualities have been
drawn up by the Educo Club com
mittee planning the tournament.
In a game with Farm Life High
School last Friday, the Blue
Knights gained a walloping 17-3
victory. Johnny Watkins, who
hurled two and a half innings,
was the winning pitcher. McCas-
kill was on the mound for Farm
Life.'
Lagging Civil Defense Program Is
To Get Boost In Meeting Next Week
OFFICE CLOSED
The Chamber of Commerce of
fice will be closed Monday, as the
Secretary will be out of town.
Public Invited To
Attend Discussion
Session On May 14
A drive to complete Southern
Pines’ lagging Civil Defense pro
gram will begin with a public
meeting at Weaver Auditorium
Friday, May 14, at 8 p.m., it was
announced this week.
Asking the question, “How well
is Southern Pines prepared for a
tornado?”, local and county Civil
Defense officials stressed in an
nouncing the meeting that the
peace-time benefits of a well-or
ganized Civil Defense program
alone are worth the effort to set
up and maintain a local program.
They cited' cases of lives saved
and community disaster relieved
by efforts of Civil Defense volun
teers in towns and cities hit by
tornadoes in recent years.
Gen. A. V. Arnold, head of Civil
Defense in Moore County, Gen.
Roger M. Wicks, county warden,
and Louis Scheipers-, Jr., local
warden, are planning the May 14
meeting. An effort will be made
to set up the warden system in
Southern Pines. A civil defense
film is tentatively scheduled.
All persons willing to volunteer
for Civil Defense work are espe-
cisflly urged to attend the meeting,
as well as the largest possible
number of citizens.
BANKS CLOSE MONDAY
The Citizens Bank and Trust
Co., Southern Pines, and other
banks in this area will be closed
Monday in observance of Con
federate Memorial Day, a legal
holiday in this state.
HEARING ON CODE
Public hearing on a proposed
plumbing and heating code for
Southern Pines will be held in
the town hall at 8 p. m. Tuesday,
May 11.
Students Elect Council Officers
Patti Woodell, daughter of Mr.-f
and Mrs. Isaac A. Woodell, was
elected president of the student
council at Southern Pines High
School in voting by students at
the school last Friday.
Other student council officers
named by the students are: vice-
president, Bobby Cline, son of Mr.
and Mrs. John E. Cline; corres
ponding secretary, Norma Bowles,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. L.
Bowles; recording secretary,
Thomas Vann, son of Mrs. T. C.
Vann and the late Mr. Vann; and
treasurer, John McConnell, son of
Mr. and Mrs. John D. McConnell.
The election followed a nomi
nating convention Friday morn
ing in which delegates presented
their candidates with forceful
speeches, mounted placards and
other means.. One musical skit,
performed by a diminutive band,
consisted of a rendition of a fam
ous concerto.
After the nominations, students
voted throughout the day at study
hall periods. Members of the
1953-54 student council presided
n
PATTI WOODELL
at the ballot box. Several of the
were close, requiring run-
races
offs.
School Tennis To
Attract Field of
50 Young People
Fifty or more young people are
expected to take part in the
Moore County Schools Tennis
Tournament, which will start on
the municipal courts Monday
afternoon and continue from 3 p.
m. till dark through portions of
two weeks.
The first part of the tourna
ment will continue through
Thursday of next, week, then
pick up again the following week
to go on through the weekend.
The split schedule has had to be
arranged on account of a conflict
with the State High School Tour
nament, which will be held at Ra
leigh next weekend. Five local
boys, good players who can be
expected to reach the final stages
of the home tournament, are en
tered for the state event.
Entries will come mostly from
the Southern Pines schools, with
a few expected as usual from
Pinehurst. They will play in
singles and doubles for both boys
and girls, in two divisions—high
school and grammar grades.
The tournament is being held
by the Junior Sandhill Tennis As
sociation with the cooperation of
the senior SandhiU Tennis Associ
ation, and with Don Moore, school
tennis coach and STA member,
as adviser. No entry fees are re
quired. The senior group is pro
viding trophies for both winners
and runners-up in all the events.
Young Musicians
Will Perform In
Concert Saturday
Fifteen Moore County young peo-
pie will perform Saturday night {the past AprUoneoFthr biggest
ELKS TO HONOR
MOTHERS SUNDAY
Southern Pines Elks will
honor mothers of the com
munity when the lodge’s an
nual Mother’s Day service will
be held Sunday at 5 p. m. in
the ballroom of the Southern
Pines Country Club.
• The public is invited, with
all mpthers giyen a special in
vitation to attend.
Commissioners
Get Outline of
School Needs
Highfalls Delegation
Asks Deputy; Other
Requests Considered
Anyone who questions the
statement that running Moore
County is Big Business should at
tend a commissioners meeting and
listen to the figures that form
part of the monthly discussion.
At last Monday’s meeting, Mrs.
Bessie Griffin, register of deeds,
added a new record. She said that
her office was doing a whale of
a lot of business, these days, with
Center Keys Now
At Town Office
Any one wanting to use the
community center building on
May St. should call for the keys
at town hall, it was announced
this week by the recreation com
mission.
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Leonard
have moved from the community
center where they were residente
in charge of the building.
The center recently was put up
for sale by auction, with a single
bid of $3,000 made, a figure the
towir council is not expected to
acccjjt.
A sub-committee of the Citizens
Advisory Committee recommend
ed to the council that the build
ing be sold and the proceeds used
to build a more centrally located
and more efficiently usable struc
ture.
DRIVE NEARS GOAL
The 1954 fund campaign of the
American Cancer Society in
Southern Pines is within $150 of
its $700 goal, Mrs. J. S. MiUiken,
local chairman, said this week.
Many who have customarily given
in past years have not yet contrib
uted, said Mrs. Milliken. Contri
butions may still be sent to the
chairman at Box 55, Southern
Pines.
at the Pinehurst Country Club in
the fifth annual Young Musicians'
Concert sponsored by the Sand
hills Music Association. The con
cert will begin at 8 p. m.
Those taking part in the popular
event include music students in
schools of the county or with pri
vate teachers and several college
students whose homes are in
Moore. Most of the performers
will play the piano, but there is
one trombone selection and sev
eral will sing.
Program co-chairmen are Mrs.
N. L. Hodgkins, Sr., and Mrs. N. L.
Hodgkins, Jr. Dr. William F.
Hollister of Midland Road, presi
dent of the Music Association will
be master of ceremonies.
There will be no admission
charge. The program ends the
1953-1954 series of musical events
sponsored by the Sandhills Music
Association. The regular concert
series ended with the appearance
of the North Carolina Symphony
Orchestra here April 16.
Program Given
On the program are:
Sue Cameron of Vass-Lakeview,
piano, “The Ballet Dancer, Op.
40, No. 6,” Bjone Ralseth; teach
er—Mrs. H. D. Meinnis.
Henry Ti;^ner, Jr., of Southern
Pines, piano, “Spinning Song,”
(Continued on Page 5)
months on record. During that
month somewhat more than $1200
was collected in fees for registra
tion of deeds, marriage licenses,
birth certificates and so On.
Southern Pines School Needs
From the standpoint of South
ern Pines, the point of greatest in
terest in the commissioners’ meet
ing was the discussion of school
fund allocations, in response to
the presentation of local needs
made by John Howarth, chairman
of the Southern Pines school
board, and A. C. Dawson, school
superintendent.
The sum of $193,000 was given
by the Southern Pines men as the
amount needed to cover the ex
pansion program that must be met
in both the Southern Pines and
West Southern Pines schools, to
take care of the growing enroll
ment. In laying the details be
fore the board, the discussion de
veloped into an “if the county will
give so much, the state would give
so much,” proposition with the
present state allocation, now
available, standing at around
$29,000, and a balance on hand of
$15,000. Further state help appar
ently depends on whether or not
the school board has in view suf
ficient funds to complete the pro
ject . . . which was where the
county entered into the picture.
(Continued on Page 8)
CHARLES W. PICQUET, veteran Sandhills theatre owner,
left, receives from D. Wade Stevick a citation by Southern Pines
Lodge 484, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, recognizing him
for his civic and entertainment services during the past 42 years.
Seated in the background is L. R. McRae, master of the lodge,
who presided during the supper meeting honoring Mr. Picquet
in the lodge hall Monday evening. Mr. Stevick was a member of
the committee in charge of the event. "In receiving this honor,"
said Mr. Picquet. 'my cup runneth over.' and it is difficult for me
to express my appreciation of it," He has been a member of the
lodge for 30 years. (Photo by Walter Harper)
Replies To
Pilot’s Story
The Pilot this week received a
letter from- the Moore County
Board of Commissioners, as a re
ply to the article published in last
week’s issue, “County Home Poses
Human, Financial Problem.”
Describing conditions at the
County Home and containing a
brief review of its financial setup,
which, it was believed, constitut
ed an unwarranted drain on coun
ty finances, the article has
brought many comments, with the
only official statement, thus far,
coming from the commissioners in
the form of the letter printed be
low.
Dated May 4, it is signed by
Gordon M. Clameron, as chairman
of the board. Inquiries of indi
vidual commissioners brought the
information that none had read
the letter, but its contents was dis
cussed and Mr. Cameron was au
thorized by the board to write it
in the name of the full board.
Queried as to the letter’s con
tents, Mr. Cameron said that the
main problem of the Home, which,
thus far, the commissioners have
been imable to solve was that of
taking care of Negro mental cases
in any other way than in the
home.
There is no other place for
them,” Mr. Cameron said. “The
colored mentally afflicted are con
stantly being sent back to us
when we place them elsewhere
and the only thing we can do is to
keep the Home going so there will
be a place for them.”
When it was pointed out that
there are only two colored people
at present at the Home, of whom
neither one is mentally deranged,
he said that this was a temporary
state.
(The Pilot article Was in error in
stating that one of the two Ne
groes was a mental case. This
case had been sent to the Home
from the jail.)
The state setup in this respect
includes the Mental Hospital for
Negroes in Goldsboro, where
Moore County cases are occasion
ally sent. There are also several
private nursing homes for Negroes
which, while not equipped to take
insane patients, take many who
are senile and mentally deranged
from old age. The two nearest are
Coker Boarding Home near Fay
etteville, and St. John’s Nursing
Home near Laurinburg, to both of
which Moore County colored pa
tients have been sent. There are
at present 11 Moore County pa
tients, both white and Negro, be
ing taken care of in private nurs
ing homes.
Mr. Cameron assured the Pilot
that “the County Home is much
on the minds of the commission
ers.” Asked if his letter should be
considered the last word from the
commissioners on the subject, he
said he was not able to speak for
the board without further consul
tation, but he felt the problem
would continue to have their con
sideration.
The commissioners’ letter to the
Pilot follows:
The Pilot,
Southern Pines, N. C.
Referring to your article in last
week’s paper regarding the Coun
ty Home beg to answer as fol
lows:
As for the County Commission
ers, their hides are tough and can
take the criticism but we do feel
the article was most unfair, unjust
(Continued on Page 5)
Band Tag Day
Slated May 15
A tag day for benefit of the
Southern Pines High School band
will be held Saturday, May 15, it
was announced this week by Band
Director L. H. Ledden.
Majorettes in uniform and other
High School girls will sell tags
in the business section to help
raise needed funds for purchase
of new band instruments badly
needed by the organization.
The band gave its third annual
concert at Weaver Auditorium
last Friday night before an en
thusiastic audience.