FRIDAY. MARCH 4, 1955
Soulhem Pines Norih Carolina
“In tnk.ing over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We wiU try to keep this a good
paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Where there seems to be an ocm-
sion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we wiU treat everybody
alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. ^
State Funds Asked For Purchase Of Historic House
Golden Eggs: Keep Them Coming
It is gratifying when folks notice an editorial;
it is doubly gratifying when they agree with
it. When the subject is something that vitally
concerns the welfare and progress of the com
munity, it is positively exciting.
That is what happened anent the editorial
that was published a couple of weeks ago under
the title: “Industry and Tourists: Why Not
Both?”, in which the opinion was expressed
that this town had the potentialities to attract
both types of industry, tourists and the econ
omic development generally meant by the word.
The / reader-response, from Chamber of Com
merce officials on down, was immediate and en
thusiastic.
That is a fine thing. There has for some time
been a queer division in town; at least, an ap
parent division that perhaps never really ex
isted. There appeared to be the old-timers who
longed for a return of the good old days before
the invention of the airplane, when tourists
got as far as this on their way to Florida and
stopped, and folks sat, for most of the year, just
waiting for them to arrive. Opposing them
seemed to be the new-timers whose constant
theme was ‘‘industry” and “a year-round pay
roll” and who seemed intent on turning this
community into just another ugly, crowded
city with factory chimneys, instead of pine
trees, cutting the horizon.
Actually, both groups were confined to a
very few individuals. If anything makes that
clear it is the reaction to the Pilot piece, setting
forth the theory that these points of view are
not incompatible and that this community is
inte^igent enough and progressive enough to
work out the best ways to bring more golden
eggs rolling in and yet not kill the goose that
laid the first one, and will still go right on
laying if given some help.
The point to tackle now is: how to do both
thdse thing'f? Wihat promotional methods
should’ be used to bring industry near here and
yet keep the attractions of Southern Pines,
which have in themselves brought here to live
the fine people that - have made it the good
place that it is?
Moore County Hospital Needs
The Moore County Hospital is engaged in -^
building program that will make it into an
institution even more valuable to this section
than it is now.
The plan got started after the initial gift to
build an emergency unit was made. In order
to do that, it was necessary to do other things,
long in need of being done, and so the whole
current program took shape.
The emergency unit is to be in the place now
occupied by the boiler plant. This necessitates
mbving the plant away from the hospital, which
is greatly to be desired. That means that a
general renovation of the floor over the boiler
plant can be made, and a modern, efficient and
attractive children’s ward constructed to take
the place of the present entirely inadequate
children’s unit. Gain: a nei)/ emergency unit, a
new children’s wing, dirty boilers moved away.
' While all this was in process, it seemed sen
sible to go on a few steps further and do some
other things: to build a laundry, which wiU
greatly Reduce expenses, and to tackle the
ornery question of trying to find a place on the
ground floor for the administrative offices and
where all visitors can come in and wait.
Reasons for jumping into all this were sev
eral: the needs were great, and could be ac
complished more economically if done all to
gether, but most important was the fact that
adavntage could be taken of state and federal
aid, through N. C. Medical Care Commission
and Hill-Burton funds. The wisdom of getting
things that needed to be done when the time
was ripe, instead of dawdling along, figured
strongly in the decision to profit by the initial
gift as a springboard for the larger outlay.
Funds have been raised, to date, which will
go a long way toward the goal, but they won’t
go all the way. And they don’t, by .any means,
come from all the people. The three towns in
the southern end of Moore County accoimt for
practically' all that has been given. Last week’s
report, as presented to the directors, showed
only three contributions fromi the rest of the
county. This is simply, we believe, because the
case has not been presented with any urgency
in those areas. With the wide membership of the
board of directors, which includes the mayors
of all county towns, it should be possible to give
this urgent matter complete countywide cover
age.
When this is done, there is little doubt that
the response will be generous and wide-spread,
just as wide-spread as is the reach of the insti
tution itself. For Moore County Hospital and
its fine staff of doctors and nurses belongs to
Moore County people, who are proud of it and
thankful for it as the guardian of their health,
its doors ever open to rich or poor alike, ever
ready to serve the people.
The United States Must Try To Stop It
tory. But all this has taken place in public, in
As news comes of the postponement of the
atomic experiments because of a slight shift of
wind, as more is known about the disturbing
results of the fallout at Eniwetok, the questions
come right home: do these folks know what
they are doing? Is it even possible that this
Frankenstein may literally turn on its creator
and this nation may bring about its own de
struction? '
That would be cruelly ironical and the
thought may appear far-fetched. We submit
that nothing is far-fetched in this affair. The
full ramifications of horror that surround the
H-bomb are only beginning to be understood. It
will be recalled that many of the scientists in
strumental ini building the bomb, Oppenheimer
among them, were extremely reluctant to com
mence the task, realizing, as did few others, the
full measure of its power for destruction. They
were overruled by civilian advisers and the mil
itary with the argument: The United States
must be the first to get the bomb. The scientists
went ahead as ordered, while across the seas the
Russians did the same.
It is time, now, that this nation consider
once more what can be done to halt this
horribly dangerous proceeding, this march of
doom. Fcr who can any longer doubt that, if
continued, it will be in fact a march of doom?
A question at once arises regarding the
calibre of the man in charge of handling the
current AEC program. By all accounts he is an
extremely able person, a fine administrator, but
he is also inordinately sure of himself, believing
he knows all the answers, and ruthless in im
posing his will. He is the dictator type. He bit
terly opposed giving any information to the
public.
We question seriously whether Admiral
Strauss is the right man to hold the power that
now is his. There must be scientists in this af
fair, there must be men of strong character
and administrative skill, but there must also
be men who are primarily thinkers, and think
ers for the future as weU as for the present.
There must be men who think about the right
and wrong of the creation of nuclear weapons,
as well as their practicality. Such a one should
head this work.
The information released on the hydrogen
bomb shows that the situation is critical a(hd
action urgently needed. *rhe United States has
made proposals, in the past, for the control of
the atom bomb and supervision of its manufac
ture by the UN. Russia has consistently buried
aU proposals in a flood of propagandizing cra-
the limelight, where the subtle moves of give
and take diplomacy could not be made. It is
time, now, to try something else.
Churchill, Britain’s grand old m^, has sev
eral times indicated that he would go to Mos
cow and confer with the Russians, to try to
break the impasse. We believe the move would
be more likely to succeed if President Eisen
hower were to try his hand. He has been
widely hailed as the great conciliator; he has
in the past had friendly relations with one of
the men new at the head of things in the
Kremlin. Perhaps he would be able to do
something.
At any rate, it seems only right that the na
tion which first created this weapon of horror
and first put it to such terrible use, should try
and try and try again,—should never cease
from trying to stop this march of doom.
Mrs. Ernest L. Ives, on Feb
ruary Iti, appeared before the
Appropriations Committee of
the State legislature in Ra
leigh to present a plea on be
half of the Alston House,
restoration project of the
Moore County Historical As
sociation of which Mrs. Ives
is president.
Asking that the state ap
propriate $5,000, to pay the
purchase price of the house,
in accordance with the plan
drawn up by the Department
of Archives, Mrs. Ives descri
bed the project fully and elo
quently stressed its import
ance to both county and
state. Below is the text of
Mrs. Ives’ remarks:
in Wake County fought around
this house. Thus we of 1955, by
such marks as are left on this
very dwelling, can see and can
thus better appreciate the fact
that our forefathers fought for
liberty.
“This house wa^ next owned by
Governor Benjamin Williams.
Here is a man who deserves to be
remembered for* many reasons.
He, was the first large-scale
planter in Moore County. He
was elected Governor in 1799
and was a champion of agricul
ture and education. He called his
vast plantation ‘The Retreat.’ He
died there in 1814 and lies buried
in his ovm graveyard not far from
the house. The spot has been ap
The “house is an excellent ex- Cannon, from the North Carolina
ample of the type of fine colonial
home built in what was then the
so-called wilderness of a new
country*.
“The sixth owner of the his
toric ‘House in the Horseshoe’
farm was Mr. Glen Hancock of
Bonlee. He agreed to sell the
house and about four acres of
surrounding land for $5,000. This
sum he felt was needed to build
a house for the tenant he had liv
ing in the historic house. This
sum was paid to Mr. Hancock in'
June, 1954, by the Vice President
of the Moore County Historical
Association, Inc., Judge Leland
McKeithen. The Association had
gotten a loan of $2,500 through
“I am not familiar with all the
details of legislative procedure,
and I am certain that you will
know better than I just how to
handle the matter I ami about to
present. In behalf of the Moore
County Historical Association, of
which I happen to be president
I wish to make a request for an
appropriation, and I will leave it
in your good hands to determine
just what procedure you will fol
low in dealing with the request.
“I wish to present to you the
the famed pre-Revolution-
ary Bouse in the Horseshoe.’ It
tafids on Deep River, eight miles
north of Carthage in Moore Coun
ty. Since 1761 this house has
withstood. fire, the changes
brought by owners, and the wear
of the years. .
‘•'Colonel Philip Alston, a loyal
■Whig, and his brave wife, Mary
Drew Temple, saved their home
from the raiding Tory Colonel
David Fanning on a Sunday
morning in the summer of 1781.
This Revolutionary skirmish has
left bullet holes in the house,
marks that recall to all genera
tions that a notorious Tory bom
propriately marked by the State.' the kindnes of Mrs. Charles A.
FROM THE RALEIGH TIMES
State Would Do Well To Consider
Saving Its Historical Treasures
Speaking before members of
the House of the North Carolina
General Assembly, Mrs. Ernest L.
Ives, of Southern Pines, gave Tar
Heels and their lawmakers some
thing to think about.
The charming, able and ver
persuasive sister of Adlai Stev
enson took the occasion of an im
promptu appearance to tell the
representatives how rich the
State of North Carolina is in his
torical landmarks and treasures
and how these things are rapidly
disappearing through neglect.
“They are ties with the past,
and you have them here in North
Carolina,” Mrs. Ives informed the
assemblymen, telling them some
thing they already knew, but up
to date have done very little
about.
Old buildings, old houses,
places wrapped deep in the
State’s - heritage and where Tar
Heel history was made are be
coming fewer with the passing of
each year. Structures rich in
time-old memories are being
wrecked and erased and in their
place arise modern fillingl statijons,
parking lots and office buildings.
Historical sites are like the fine
old trees, once they are destroyed
they are gone forever arid only a
fading memory lingers behind.
The General Assembly, cities
and counties would do well to
heed the warning of Mrs. Ives
These historical locations have a
definite economic value in bring
ing tourists to North Carolina.
They also “form the ties” with the
State’s past—glorious and many
times stormy years—and their
destruction should be halted be
fore it is too late. This is one im
portant job in which the Legis
lature is in the position to play
a guiding role.
Society for the Preservation of
Antiquities, and raised the re
maining $2,590 locally—which ■
made the purchase possible. *
“We, the Moore County Histori
cal Association, respectfully ask
this Committee to recommend
that the . General Assembly
appropriate $5,000 for the pur
chase of this house and the .four
acres immediately surrounding it.
This amount will be used to pay
off the loan from the Antiquities
Society and to make badly needed
repairs to the house. The appro
priation will be supplemented by
funds raised locally.
“The Moore County Historical
Association with the cooperation
of the Alfred Moore Chapter, D.
A. R., and the North Carolina So
ciety for the Preservation of An
tiquities will take the responsi
bility of restoration as fast as the
needed money can be raised; we
will maintain the house, keep it
open to the visiting public, and
do all we can to encourage the
young to visit this shrine of the
Revolution and home of a great
early Governor.
“As a precedent for this request
I wish to call to the attention of
this Committee the fact that the
State appropriated almost $200,-
000 for the purchase of land for
Tryon Palace reconstruction in
New Bern; $5,000 for the recon
struction of the birthplace of
Governor Vance in Buncombe
County: $5,000 for the reconstruc
tion of the birthplace of Governor
Aycock in Wayne County; $35,000
for Old Salem, Incorporated; and
$10,000 for the purchase of the
James Iredell House in Edenton.
“Men change, the times change,
but our heritage does not change.
We must preserve What we have,
we must prove worthy guardians.
The State of North Carolina can
give this fine example of its col
onial life to the future before it
is ‘too late’.”
The Public Speaking
Things Of The Spirit
This newspaper welcomes the fact that from
the Sandhills went two groups of people to
Raleigh, one to urge the cause of music and
the other to speak in the name of history.
The president of the Moore County Historical
Association addressed the appropriations com
mittee of the legislature, last week, on the sub
ject of the restoration plans for the historic
Alston House, while, this week, a group has
been’ conferring with the legislators to plead
the cause of thb state symphony orchestra.
The North Carolina Symphony is a most re
markable state institution. It has been called
“the symphony on wheels,” for it travels all
over the state bringing to Tarheels the music
of the world’s great composers.
And, history, research into the early days of
the nation: that might not be called practical
or useful, yet what more stabilizing, more
strengthening influences are there than the ties
that bind this nation to its past? The Phillip
Alston home on Deep River is a place of simple
grace and stirring associations. The Moore
County Historical Association’s restoration
project is the local expression of the nation
wide ressurgence of interest in the things of
the past, as men in a disturbed world feel a
compelling need to draw strength from their
heritage of faith and freedom.
Music, history, literature, the arts, it is these
things of the spirit that become the practical
things to which men turn in time of trouble.
Central Clearing Point
For Town Events Suggested
In the process of attempting to
arrange meetings for the local
mental health society, I have oja-
served that meeting dates for va
rious organizations and events
frequently conflict. This condi
tion appears to be chronic. In
some instances it has actually led
to possible financial loss, and in
almost every case, it results in
frustration for the people con
cerned. It is regrettable that citi
zens and visitors 2ire forced to
choose between two events which
happen to fall on the same date,
when they would like to attend
both.
I recommend the following sys
tem; to avoid this undesirable
condition. Would it be possible to
establish a central clearing point
for future events? I would sug
gest the Chamber of Commerce,
but that is only a suggestion. Of
ficers of civic or cultural organi
zations could then call this cen
tral point and give a tentative
date for the proposed meeting or
activity. If some other group has
already been scheduled for that
date, the information would be
available at once. A decision
could be made as to a possible
conflict. If it was an obvious con
flict, the second event could be
shifted a day or two, and the con
flict resolved. Obviously, no one
would be bound by this system,
but I feel that voluntary cooper
ation would benefit every one.
This plan should have seebnd-
ary advantages. It would provide
visitors with a handy center of
information for events and meet
ings in which they have an in
terest. It might also be a boon to
newspapers and other news media
for a quick check on the activities
of the ne'ar future.
The actual mechanics of such
a system are simple. ’The only
equipment required would be an
inexpensive appointment book.
Undoubtedly, this system will
not solve all problems' of this
type, but I do feel that it will re
duce them to a minimum.
V. J. DALY
Southern Pines
0^ ScMcC
Health Insurance
To The Editor:
Please help us pass some good
Health Insurance Laws to protect
the public from out-of-state in
surance companies, taking mil
lions of dollars out of the State
each year and refusing to pay
health insurance claims because
they claim pre-existing condi
tions
You can help by getting your
readers to write their members
in the General Assembly to sup
port health insurance legislation.
Tell them to write their Senators
and Representatives when they
think they have been wronged
by health insurance companies.
You would be surprised how
much weight a few letters ad
dressed to themi at the Capitol
carries.
This is the year we can do
something to improve the health
insurance laws if the public will
act now. TTie lobbying here
against better health insurance
laws by insurance officials and
insurance lawyers is terrific.
Your help is urgently needed
now!
•W. D. JAMES, M. D
■Vice-Chairman,
Senate Committee on
Insurance.
FROM THE SMITHFIELD HERALD
Signs of Spring
"We drove out into the country
the other day. It was still chilly
and the wind was blowing. The
sky was broken: dark grey bil
lowing clouds with brightness be
hind them. It seemed a shivery
day.
Then, all of a sudden, the sky
broke and the sun came bursting
through, full force.
The land opened itself and
smiled, and we saw a little grass-
green field bathed in sunshine.
On the sunny slope stood a group:
big reddy-brown pig with a
white stripe around his middle
a spotted cow and two calves, one
spotted, tod, and the other a
their joys.
For after all, they are but boys.
They tell their tales of what
they’ve done
From break of day to set of sun.
They’ll open wide their eyes to see
Hedy Lamarr in “Ecstasy.”
’Tis plain to all just what they do.
So rest content—^we know it’s
true
God helps them through.
All Okey-dokey Once More
GRAINS, carried a while ago,
a story about the extraordinary
adventures of a house caught in
the clutches of a dame named
“Hazel.” It started on the beach
shiney black. Below the slope an ended up in a grove of pines
old dark woolly mule was stand
ing, his ears drooped.
The pig was rooting in the
early grass, the cow was dreamily
chewing her cud, the two calves
were little Noah’s ark wooden
calves beside her; the old mule
was asleep. 'Then the sun shone
a sudden the two calves upped
their tails and bucketted down
the slppe.
The pig went on rooting, oblivi
ous to the dance of spring, and
the cow made the most of her
welcome solitude from young-
’uns. But the old mule woke up
with a start, histed his long ears
and watched the fun.
'Al Steventy*—^The Other Side
A couple of weeks ago, this col
umn printed a bit of verse from
Mrs. J. R. Lynes of Pinehurst,
titled “At Seventy” and present-
four blocks north and two blocks
west of its original location. Now
comes the happy sequel, furnish
ed by the present owner, Mr.
Vance C. Holland of Boone.
■Writes Mr. Holland: “I thought
you might be interested in learn-
, , . , . , . A ..n ing that I had the cottage moved
down his bright rays and all ^
dation built. It is completed now
and from all outward appearances
‘Hazel’ has not been th ereabouts
. . . One fact that bears mention
ing is that we found the cottage
sign directly beneath the house
when we started to move it. The
sign had been firmly bolted to the^
porch, which was intact, and it is
a mystery how it got where it
was.”
Mr. Holland goes on to suggest
that it looks as if the hurricane
had a prejudice against two-story
houses, so many of them were
ing a strictly feminine and some- j gone except from second floor to
® . .. . n -i. tt-r-r _U_1
Are You A Loyal American?
Are' you a loyal American?
Well, let’s see.
Would you like to see the world
made ‘‘a better world in which
to live”?
Do you think you ought to try
to make new friends among per
sons you think you don’t like?
Do you believe there is good
in every person and nation?
Do you think it’s possible for
a government housing project to
help people?
This is the sort of loyalty test
you could expect to stand if men
like Robert LeFevre and his fol
lowers were on Washington’s se
curity boards. And if yo-u answer
ed the questions above in the af
firmative, you can rate yourself
a “security risk” in LeFevre’s
book. Didn’t even have to ask
whether you are now or have
oTTpr been a Communist or a Com
munist sympathizer.
Who is LeFevre? He’s the fel
low who launched a crusade to
rid the Girl Scout Handboc-k of
what patronizing view of male
nature.
We followed the item with a
suggestion that Fred Brindley,
Southern Pines light versifier, re
ply in order to uphold the status
of male character—which he did,
complying with our stipulation
that he use no more lines than did
Mrs. Lynes.
Mrs. Lynes wrote:
I’ve lived my three score years
and ten-
Should I not know the ways of
men?
I’ve known them brave and
strong and wise.
But never with wide-open eyes.
They see just what they want to
S66*
good in eve^ person and na- ijijjgy to hold you, yet be
tion?” Now it asks: Do I be-
in the handbook.
For example:
The handbook used to say:
“Service is your way of making
this a better world in which to
live.” Now it says: “Service is
your way of making a contribu
tion to your community.”
*1716 handbook used to say
“Start now making new friends
among those you think you do
not like.” It now says: “Start
rihw by making new friends.”
The handbook, used to put the
question: “Do I believe there is
and
lieve there is good in every per
son?”
The handbe-ok used to read:
“Learn about some large govern
ment project which helps people,
such as reforestation, housing,
agricultural experiments.” Now
the sentence reads the same way,
except the word “housing” has
been omitted.
And so the 'Witch Hunt con-
I “subversive” material. He attract- tinues. And who are the witches?
' ed quite a following and succeed- Not merely the Communists. You
ed in frightening the Girl Scout may be one yourself, if you have
organization into making changes any humanitarian ideals.
free.
They hear what’s music to their
ears;
'They want your praise whate’er
their years.
And there’s nothing much that
we can do.
Unless, of course, be ever true—
God help them through.
roof. Anyway, “Hazel” did take
good care of that sign and Mr.
Holland’s cottage (which was for
merly the property o^ Jerry
Healy) is now back on its pins,
sign in place, ready to go. The
owner, by the way, gives the in
surance people a good recom
mend, saying that the adjustment
was more than fair.
The PILOT
Published Everv Friday by
THE PILOT, Incorporated
Southern Pines, North Carolina
1941—JAMES BOYD—1944
Katharine Boyd Editor
C. Benedict • News Editor
Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr.
C. G. Council Advertising
Mary Scott Newrton Business
Bessie Cameron Smith Society
Composing Room
Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray,
Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen
Subscription Rates:
iOne Year $4. 6 mos. $2; 3 mos. $1
To which Mr. Brindley replied: jj^tered at the Postoffice at South
ern Pines, N. C., asj second class
mail matter
Hark now, you three score years
and ten
And listen to the ways of men!
They work, they play, they have
Member National Editorial Assn,
and N. C. Press Assn.