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Attendance Up
As Schools Here
Start New Year
Increase of Pupils
Listed At All Four
Schools In District
Attendance was up in all public
schools of the Southern Pines dis
trict as children trooped to classes
Wednesday.
Amos C. Dawson, superintend
ent, said that an increase of 46
pupils was registered in the East
Southern Pines schools, as com
pared to last year, while an in
crease of 73 was reported from
the Negro schools in West South
ern Pines.
Here is a comparison of first-
day registration figures in all
schools of the district;
1955 1954
East Southern Pines
Elementary 549 522
High School 165 146
West Southern Pines
Elementary 299 244
High School 117 99
Total registration in both
schools comes to 1,130 on the
opening day.
Principal J. W. Moore of West
Southern Pines estimated that
more than 100 students at both
(Continued on Page 8)
SIXTEEN PAGES
$50 Option Money Paid, But No
Buyer Definite On Kenwood Deal
PRICE TBt CENTS
Young Democrats
Set Annual Meet
On September 16
Moore County Young Demo
crats will hold their annual meet
ing in the courthouse at Carthage
Friday night of next week, Sep
tember 16, Voit Gilmore, Moore
YDC president, announced this
week. The meeting is set for 8
p.m.
Edwin GiU, treasurer, of the
State of North Carolina* will be
the principal speaker. Officers
( will be elected and delegates se
lected for the State YDC conven
tion in Durham September 29 -
October 1. Business at the meet
ing will include committee re
ports from Miss Bess McCaskill,
Paul Butler and Hubert McCas
kill.
An informal dutch-treat dinner
honoring Mr. Gill will be given
by the YDC executive committee
at 6:30 p.m., preceding the meet
ing. Those wishing to attend
should notify Mr. Gilmore at
Southern Pines.
To District Rally,
A delegation of Moore County
Yoimg Democrats is planning to
attend the 8th District YDC rally
at North Wilkesboro Saturday,
Mr. Gilmore said. The .district
rally has been held in Southern
Pines several times in past years.
Negro Couple
Offer House
For 120,000
Southern Pines YDC
Sets Monday Meeting
A meeting of the Southern
Pines Young Democratic Club has
been called by President Paul
Butler for 7:30 p.m. Monday in
the council chamber at town haU.
Officers will be elected. All mem
bers and interested Democrats are
invited to attend.
A home in the Kenwood sub
division, just outside the South
ern Pines city limits, was offered
for sale this week at $20,000, after
it was bought by a Negro couple
for a reported $12,000 August 22
and residents of the white neigh
borhood in which it is located
protested the sale.
W. D. Sabiston, Carthage attor
ney who represented Mrs. Louise
Way Spence, seller of the house,
and also is representing in subse
quent negotiations the Negro buy
ers, Mr. and Mrs. Martin L. White,
said that an option offering the
home for sale at $20,000, subject
to the mortgage on it, had been
signed by the Whites. Robert N.
Page III, of Aberdeen, attorney
for Henry L. Graves, owner of the
Kenwood subdivision, paid the
option money. The option ex
pires September 15, Mr. Sabiston
said.
Mr. Graves said today that, be
cause his attorney has paid the
$50 option money, it does not
mean that he is going to buy the
property.
“The option is made as an op
tion in trust to whoever wants to
buy the house,” he said. “It is
open to whoever sees fit to take
advantage of it.
“My attorney paid the option
money because I want to give an
advantage to the folks in Ken
wood. If enough of them want to
go along in buying the house, our
company will put up our share.
I thought it was simply worth $50
to go along with anything that'
might materialize to help the peo
ple in Kenwood.”
Mr. Graves said, however, that
there are not yet any definite
plans for group participation in
buying the house and that he has
not heard from any Kenwood res
idents on the matter.
■:! '
B. Frank Yandell
To Replace Wilson
In Scouting Post
Officials Praise
Bolh Exeputives
For Their Records
B. Frank Yandell is expected
to arrive in Southern Pines next
week to become district Scout ex
ecutive for the Moore County Dis
trict of the Occoneechee Boy
Scout Council.
He replaces Jim Wilson who has
been Scout executive in Moore
County since 1952 and will go to
Durham next month to become
executive for the Durham district.
Now attending a national Boy
Scout training school in Ann Ar
bor, Mich., Mr. Wilson is due to
return to Southern Pines Sunday.
Appointment to the Durham posi
tion is considered a promotion for
him.
Appointment of Mr. Yandell to
the Moore County Scouting post
was announced this week by E. N.
Brower, Occoneechee Council
president, and S. P. Gaskin, Coun
cil executive. Mr. Yandell will
come here from the Pee Dee Area
Council, with headquarters in
Florence, S. C. He will live in
Southern Pines.
The new Moore executive is a
member of the Lions Club and the
Presbyterian Church of Sumter,
S. C. He is 29 years old, is mar
ried and is the father of a young
daughter. His arrival .here was
tentatively set for Thursday of
next week.
In .making the announcement,
Mr. Gaskin stated, “The Occonee
chee Council is fortunate to secure
(Continued on Page 8)
AWAIT OUTCOME—Martin L. White, 68, and his wife, Mrs.
Esther Ferguson White, 58, are pictured at the home of friends
in West Southern Pines as they awaited outcome of their offer
to sell their home in the Kenwood section for $20,000. Residents
of the white neighborhood protested sale to the retiredi Negro cou
ple. Above is the house in the controversy, standing vacant
pending current negotiations under an option that expires Sep
tember 15. The Whites’ furniture arrived Wednesday from Ja
maica, Long Island, N. Y., but was reportedly put in storage.
(Photos by V. Nicholson)
Information about the sale,
was made public last week, I
arousing immediate protests from
Kenwood residents and becoming!
a matter of keen interest through-
Thomas C. Darst III Killed In Auto
Wreck While Driving To California
This community was shocked
and saddened Wednesday night
when the news came that Pvt.
Thomas C. Darfit HI, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas C. Darst, Jr.,
s,af Morganton Road, had been
killed in an automobile accident
near Las Vegas, Nev.
According to scanty information
reaching his father here from a
Las Vegas funeral home, the
young soldier’s car collided ■ with
a truck, rolled 84 feet and burst
into flames. Young Darst was be
lieved to have been instantly kill
ed.
He had left here during the
'•'.weekend to drive to California
for a new Army assignment, mak
ing a leisurely trip to “see the
sights’* along the way.
His mother has been spending
the summer in Europe with Mrs,
Robinson Cook of Pinehurst. The
father was faced with the prob
lem of reaching her abroad and
giving her the tragic news. He
found her in Venice, where it was
^ ■’? a. m. and she was awakened for
the call. She made plans to come
home immediately and is expect
ed to arrive by air at New York
Friday morning, to fly then to
Raleigh-Durham airport.
Funeral plans are undecided,
pending Mrs. Darst’s arrival. The
Army is handling all details of
the transfer of the body to South
ern Pines by train.
Darst was the grandson of the
late Episcopal Bishop Thomas C.
Darst of Wilmington. He was the
oldest of five sons of Mr. and
Mrs. Tom Darst, Jr. He had been
in the Army two years, stationed
at Fort Bragg and spending fre
quent weekends at home. He had
been transferred to the Army Lan
guage School at Monterey, Cal.,
and was on his way there when
the accident occurred.
The Dars^s lived in Greensboro
and in Pinehurst for a number of
years. In 1953 they moved to
Southern Pines, where Mr. Darst
heads the firm of Thomas C.
Darst & Co., investments and se
curities.
out the community.
Mrs. Spence was not available
for comment today and was re
ported out of town. She has taken
an apartment in Southern Pines
after vacating the house.
Shortly after the sale was made
known, she was qqoted as saying
that she had given Mr. Graves an
opportunity to buy the house be
fore she sold to the Whites and
that her decision to sell followed
a number of controversies with
Mr. Graves in relation to alleged
disagreements concerning insur
ance on the house—which his firm
holds—and other matters. He said
this week that he had been in
formed by Mr. Sabiston, shortly
before the sale, that Mrs. Spence
would sell to a Negro family un
less he bought the house back, but
that the offer was vague and that
(Continued on Page 8)
Council To Meet
Tuesday Night;
Study Recreation
The town council will meet at
town hall at 8 p.m. Tuesday for
its regular monthly session.
In an informal meeting Tuesday
night of this week, the council
met with the Recreation Advisory
Committee to consider recom
mendations of the committee for
swimming pools and recreation
centers in East and West South
ern Pines.
After hearing a presentation by
Tom E. Cunningham, city man
ager, of town needs that would
call for bond issues, and the legal
limitation of bonds that could be
issued by the town, committee
members retired to discuss their
thoughts on the matter and then
reported to the council that they
would like to have more time to
study the proposal in the light of
facts brought out Tuesday night.
Speaking for the committee was
the chairman, the Rev, C. K. Li-
gon.
According to the information
presented by the city manager,
the amount of bonds under con
sideration for various town needs,
including recreation, exceeds con
siderably the legal limitation on
what the town can issue (eight
per cent of the town’s net debt,
(Continued on Page 8)
Ground To Be Broken
ForNewChiirchSunday
" Bishop Peile
To Take Part
In Ceremoay
Groundbreaking service for the
First Methodist Church if South
ern Pines will be held Sinday at
3 p. m. on the new church site on
Midland Road.
Bishop W. W. Peele, retired
Bishop of the Methodist Church
now living in Laurinburg, will
speak and lead the ground-break
ing pledge and prayer.
, Others to take part in the serv
ice include: the Rev. O. L. Hath
away, district superintendent of
the Fayetteville District of the
Methodist Church; the Rev. T. A.
Collins, of Raleigh, executive sec
retary, Conference Board of Mis
sions; Earl Hubbard, chairman of
the official board of the local
church; Frank Roberts, chairman
of the board -of trustees; Paul
VanCamp, chairman of the build
ing com^ttee; Mrs. J. S. Hiatt,
Jr., president of the Woman’s So
ciety of Christian Service; and
Capt. Henry Jones, Church School
superintendent. The Rev. Robert
L. Bame, pastor of the church,
will give the call to worship and
will preside during the service.
The Rev. T. A. CoUins will
preach during the morning wor
ship at 11 a. m. Sunday.
The quarterly conference for
the church will be held Sunday-
after the morning service with
the Rev. O. L. Hathaway con
ducting the business session. This
service will be at the Civic Club
where the church has been hold
ing its regular services.
The church site is northeast of
iVhdland Road (double road to
Pinehurst) not far beyond the be
ginning of Midland Road at the
north end of Broad Street. The
new building—designed by T. T.
Hayes and Associate, local archi
tects—will overlook Mifllarvd
Road from the rising ground on
the curve as the road turns west
toward Pinehurst.
THE REV. A. L. THOMPSON
Moore Native To
Conduct Services
At Vass Church
The Rev. Arthur L. Thompson,
pastor of Grace Street Methodist
Church in Wilmington, will be
guest minister at a series of re
vival services at the Methodist
Church in Vass, starting Sunday
night and. continuing at 7:30
o’clock each evening through Fri
day, September 16, according to
announcement by the pastor, the
Rev. Walter. C. Smith.
Mr. Thompson has selected the
following subjects for his ser
mons: Sunday, “What’s Right With
the World?”; Monday, “Waiting
On God”; Tuesday, “The Gospel
and What To Do With It”; Wed
nesday, “Paying Our Vows”;
Thursday, “A Personal Question
of Jesus”; and Friday, "Christ Our
Saviour.”
Emery Matthews of Sanford
will be in charge of the music.
Mr. Thompson, a native of
Moore County, is the son of E. B.
Thompson of Cameron, Route 1,
and the late Mrs. Thompson. He
(Continued on Page 8)
Church Group To
Spousor Musical
The Fellowship Forum of the
.Church of Wide Fellowship an
nounced today that arrangements
have be4n completed for the pre
sentation of a big musical variety
show called “Holiday Ahoy”. The
show will be staged at Weaver
Auditorium on the nights of Sep
tember 26 and 27.
On hand to direct the show,
will be Miss Nyla Ann Jester. She
directed the local shows entitled
“Shooting Stars” in 1952 and “On
Stage America” in 1953, both also
sponsored by the Fellowship Fo
rum.
“We need chorus girls, business
men, children and specialty acts,”
said Miss Carolyn Hoskins, secre
tary of the Fellowship Forum. She
asks that interested persons call
her at 2-7475.
HUMPHREY BREAKS NOSE IN DUMMY PRACTICE
Blue Knights To Open 1955 Football Season Friday Night
A big crowd is expected for the
opening of the high schcol foot
ball season when the Southern
Pines Blue Knights take on Max-
ton High at Memorial Field Fri
day night. Kickoff time is 8 p. m.
Head Coach Irie Leonard said
this week that he is expecting
Maxton to give the Blue Knights
“a very tough battle.” Last year
a scoreless tie with Maxton was
the only blemish on the undefeat
ed record of the Southern Pines
High School State six-man foot
ball champions.
Probable starting lineup was
announced by Coach Leonard as:
Tony Parker, center; John Ray,
left end; Bill Marley, right end;
Bobby Cline, quarterback; James
Humphrey, wingback and John
ny Watkins and Billy Cox, tail-
I backs.
I Lynn Van Benschoten and Ken
neth Creech are expected to start
in the defensive lineup, Leonard
said.
Nose Broken
Humphrey was the victim of
(Continued on page 8)
107 Preseut For
Opeuiug Day At
Catholic School
St. Anthony’s Catholic school
.opened tdday in its brand-new,
piodern school building with 107
.children present and a dozen
picre enrolled who could not come
the first day.
Following an opening-day mass
at the church celebrated by Fath
er Peter M. Derlges, rector, regu
lar schoolday, hours were observ
ed—8:45 a. m. to 3 p. m., with a
lunch hour at noon. Kindergart-
ners attend only until noon.
While most of the pupils are
^rom Southern Pines, others come
from Pinehurst, Pinebluff, Aber
deen, Candor and Carthage.
.About 10 per cent are non-Cath-
olics.
I Sister Catherine Bernard, who
is the Sister Superior of the school
and convent, teaches the seventh
and eighth grades; Sister Agatha,
fifth and §ixth; Sister Helen
.Philip, third and fourth; Sister
.Agnes Mary, first and second; and
Mrs. Emil R. Kelly of Pinehurst,
kindergarten.
NEW BLEACHERS—These two new sets of
bleachers, each accommodating 110 persons,
bring the total seating capacity at Memorial
Field to 550. Weather-resistant treated planks
form the seats. The welded steel frames include
hand^ rails at sides and guard rail at the back.
In this photo, volunteer workers are putting fin
ishing touches on the installation. Each set of
bleachers cost $415. One was paid for from do
nations at summer softball games, the other
from proceeds of football programs published
by the Blue Knights Club, an organization of
adults , who are interested in high school ath
letics. (Pilot Photo)
Groups Plan Kids’
Day Celebration
The Sandhills Kiwanis Club
and the USAF Air-Ground Oper
ations School here are working up
a thrilling program for National
Kids’ Day, to be staged for school
children of Moore county on Sat
urday, September 24. Boys and
girls, eight years and up, from
schools which have annually par
ticipated in the event since it was
started as a project of Kiwanis
International several years ago,
will be guests of the club and the
Air Ground School.
Plans call for gathering at the
Southern Pines School auditori
um, movies, lunch, then a visit to
Pope AFB for afr maneuvers and
demonstrations by the ‘Air Force.
The program will run from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Transportation will
be provided through arrange
ments with schools, Kiwanians
and USAFAGOS. Over 600 chil
dren enjoyed last year’.s -Kids’
.Hay.