a
FOURTEEN PAGES
PRICE TEN CENTS
FOR THE NEEDY — All records for local
Christmas cheer giving were broken last week
when 115 baskets of food and other gifts were
distributed in the Southern Pines area, the gifts
going to families certified as needy by the coun
ty welfare department. Coordinated by the
John Boyd Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the
cheer program received help in money and food
items from many local organizations and indi
viduals, including the active assistance of Alex
ander Graham VFW post in West Southern
Pines. VFW committee members are pictured
hers with a few of the baskets at the Straka
Building where they were packed for delivery.
Gifts included four bicycles, 14 tricycles and
seven children’s wagons. Fred Hall, Jr., headed
the committee in charge. (Photo V. Nicholson)
Mayors, Officials
To Discuss Plans
^ For No. 1 Highway
state Highway officials and the
mayors of all towns and cities on
No. 1 highway in North Carolina
have been invited to meet in
Southern Pines January 18 to dis
cuss long-range plans for making
No. 1 a first class modern high
way throughout the state.
Expected are A. H. Graham,
chairman of the State Highway
and Public Works Commission;
Forrest Lockey of Aberdeen,
Eighth Division highway commis
sioner; and Donnie A. Sorrell,
Fifth Division highway commis
sioner. The luncheon meeting is
planned for the Mid Pines Club.
Plans for the meeting took
shape in view of the fact that
the entire length of No. 1 high-
Uway in North Carolina lies with
in the fifth and eighth divisions,
offering an opportunity for co
ordinated planning on a scale not
possible before realignment of
highway divisions created the
• present situation.
The proposal was brought be
fore the town council in Novem
ber by Mayor Voit Gilmore and
'Continued on Page 8)
Public Invited To
Watch Night Service
The Watch Night Service at the
Church of Wide Fellowship will
be held from 11:30 p.m. to 12 mid
night, Saturday, with a brief de
votional service conducted by the
minister. Dr. W. C. Timmons. The
public is invited.
Preceding the service in the
sanctuary, various recreational
and social activities will be con
ducted in the Fellowship Hall.
Young people, especially, will be
welcomed to these activities, be
ginning at 9 p.m.. Dr. Timmons
said.
‘High Power’ Saved
Him Says Victim
Of Brutal Attack
General Holiday
To Be Observed
Here Next Monday
Most stores and offices in
Southern Pines and this area are
expected to close for a holiday
Monday, January 2, since New
Year’s Day falls on Sunday.
The Citizens Bank and Trust
Company here and other banks
of the county wiU be closed. The
post office will follow a regular
holiday schedule—no city deliv
er, windows closed all day, mail
distributed to boxes and outgo
ing mail dispatched as usual.
The town office will be closed
Monday, said City Manager Tom
E Cuningham, and there will be
no garbage collection. An attempt
will be made to collect from all
businesses and residences on
Tuesday.
The courthouse in Carthage
wiU close at noon, Saturday, and
reopen Tuesday morning. Regu
lar meeting of the board of coun
ty commissioners and the regular
session of Moore County Record
er’s Court will be held Tuesday.
The Southern Pines Library
will be closed Monday.
Schools Open Tuesday
Christmas holidays for students
in the schools of East and West
Southern Pines will end when
they return to a regular schedi:\le
Tuesday morning.
Deane To Leave
For Washington
Congressman C. B. Deane will
return to Washington from Rock
ingham on January 2, for the sec
ond session of the 84th Congress
which will convene on January
3.
Mr. Deane’s office address will
remain the same. Room. 209, Old
House Office Building, the tele
phone number being National
8-3120, Extension 626. After office
hours, he can be reached at his
apartment in the Methodist
Building across the street from
the Capitol. His apartment tele
phone is Lincoln 7-1467.
MAYOR SPEAKS TO SOUTHERN PINES
Happy New Year To All!
Let’s make 1956 the “Year of Good Feelings”!
Our town is at its best when everyone is pulling together on
worthwhile projects. Right off, we have the Presbyterian Col
lege challenge, with an excellent chance to be chosen in March
as the site for this class-A four-year, coeducational school.
The “mess” of clearing right-of-way for the U.S. One by-pass
will be behind us in 1956 and this impressive new limited-access
thruway wdl move well along toward completion. The town
administration is watching carefuUy to take advantage of every
opportunity to beautify the new route, and the highway depart
ment promises full cooperation to make this a model road well
engineered and well landscaped.
The renewed program to be “good neighbors” to USAFAGOS
begun in 1955 will continue in 1956. We appreciate the wonder-
lul personnel attached to the school and will continue in every
way possible to prove our appreciation of Jheir being in Southern
Pines.
Our hospitahty likewise will go to the fine new group of
Amerotron families who came to Southern Pines in 1955, and to
•others yet to come. Their presence adds greatly to our commun
ity and we welcome them warmly.
always. Southern Pines attracted other newcomers during
1955 and all the town wishes to make them welcome. There is a
tradition that our new citizens immediately start taking active
roles in community life. There is a place for every one.
We can be thankful that 1955 saw a strengthening of religious
life, including the start of the new Methodist church, and a mini-
mum of crime and disasters. The new Catholic school and en
largements to the public schools advanced our desires for im
proved education.
Sometimes we art so close to our blessings that we lose sight
«f them. Recently the Presbyterian trustees, inspecting Southern
Pines as a possible college site, reminded us that we are one of
toe prettiest, most charming, most friendly towns to be found
That will continue to be true during 1956. It will be a good year
o appreciate all we have, to be even more neighborly and to
€njoy a year full of good feelings. ' s y ana to
VOIT GILMORE, Mayor.
Fifty - one - year old Howard
Whitaker was thro<vn into
the icy waters of Deep River last
week after receiving one of the
most brutal beatings in the rec
ords of Moore County violence.
Relating details of his night
mare experience from his hospital
bed in Sanford, Whitaker credits
a “High Power” with saving his
life.
Recovering from severe head
cuts and with two fingers ampu
tated, Whitaker told a Sanford
Herald reporter how he was beat
en, robbed and thrown into the
river by his third cousin, Robert
Lee Ashburn, 32. Ashburn is in
Moore County jail at Carthage, in
default of $12,000 bond, facing
trial at the January term of Su
perior Court for armed robbery
and assault with a deadly weapon
with intent to kill.
Used Tire Tool
Whitaker told the law enforce
ment officers who arrested Ash
burn—he was apprehended with
his girl near Olivia—that Ashburn
had agreed to drive him to Mt.
Airy where Whitaker had a sister.
But Ashburn told him he would
have to stop at Horseshoe Bridge
in Deep River to meet someone.
After he pulled off the road, Ash
burn reached for a tire tool and
began beating Whitaker. He later
robbed him of a' gold watch and
$250 and pushed him off a steep
bank into the frigid river waters.
Ashburn has admitted he did.
this. Whitaker told a Sanford
Herald reporter, Luther Carter,
this story of what happened after
Ashburn stopped at the bridge:
“He hit me several times in the
car. I got out and he came out
tContinued on Page 10)
Man, 71, Burned
When Night Fire
Destroys Home
Carson McLaughlin. 71, well-
known blacksmith of the Sand
hills, was injured in a fire tha+ -’’e-
stroyed his home Tuesday night.
Taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital,
McLaughlin was treated for third
degree burns and shock. His con
dition was reported yesterday to
be good.
The McLaughlin fire, one of the
most destructive of the year,
broke out on one of the coldest
nights of the old year, too. Sound
ing off at twelve minutes be
midnight, the siren sent fire
trucks racing down West New
Hampshire Avenue to the comer
of Saylor Street, by the new by-
(Continued on Page 8)
lax Listing To Begin Next Week
In 9 Townships Of Moore County
List Takers
Appointed By
County Board
Listing of real and personal
property for 1956 county and town
taxes will begin throughout Moore
County next week, to continue
through the month of January.
Mrs. Estelle T. Wicker, county
tax supervisor, has announced the
nine township tax list takers who
were appointed by the county
commissioners. By townships,
they are:
McNeill—Mrs. Irene F. Mulli-
nix, Vass.
Sandhill — Mrs. Adelaide
Schnell, Pinebluff.
Mineral Springs—^Mrs. David H.
Wilson, West End.
Carthage—Mrs. R. W. Pleasants,
Carthage.
Greenwo.od—J. A. Shaw, Cam
eron.
Sheffield—Mrs. L. B. Bowman,
Robbins.
Deep River—J. M. Campbell,
Star Route, Carthage.
Bensalem—Mrs. Nina C. Mon
roe, Route 1, Biscoe.
Ritter—Miss Alice Ritter, Car
thage, Route 1.
Clards announcing locations at
which the list takers may be seen
at various times have been posted
in public places throughout the
county.
Most of Southern Pines is in
McNeill township, but a small
portion of the town and the Coun
try Club, Pinedene and other
areas on the south are in Sandhill
township.
Mrs. Mullinix, listing for Mc
Neill township, will be at the
town hall here January 9-13 and
January 16-20. Her full schedule
is listed elsewhere in today’s pa
per, as is the schedule of Mrs.
Schnell for SandhilT township.
AT ELKS PARTY—These five “elves,”.—something new this
year at the annual Elks Christmas party for children held last
Wednesday—were credited with much of the success of the big
gest and best of the parties held yet—attended by some 450
youngsters and many adults from Southern Pines and this area.
Santa Claus (John E. Cline) was, of course, the center of atten
tion. The elves are, left to right, Philip Guin, Robert Rader, Da
vid Prim, Carole Anne Prim and Bobby Madigan. Their costumes
were made by Mrs. James W. Prim, Jr., mother of David and
Carole Anne. Santa entered the Country Club, where the party
was held, with the elves dancing around him. The elves guided
children around the party, helped them feel at home and took
turns taking youngsters in a back room where “Night Before
Christmas” slides were shown. They helped give out fruit, bal
loons, hot chocolate and cookies. (Photo by Humphrey)
DECISION TO LEAVE REVERSED
License Bureau To Operate Here
■^he Chamber of Commerce will, at 12 noon.
on ’uct the sale of new state mo-
'r vehicles licenses for 1956, as in
■ a s past.
’he new plates will go on sale
■sdav morning at the Chamber
in the Southland Hotel,
ms will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It was announced last week that
I no sale would be held here at this
time, as Miss Alice Baxter, the
only person available trained to
handle the sale, was leaving to go
to another position. However,
through cooperation of Miss Bax
ter and her new employer, T. T.
cept Wednesday and Fit-i will remain
'avs, when the closing will be Post for th^e six weeks’ rush
^ sale preceding the deadline, Feb
ruary 15.
the will be assisted, starting
■Thursday, by Mrs. S. D. (Rannie)
m
r
■
r obes, who will stay on as
(Continued on page 8)
the
New Parkiug Law
To Take Effect
Effective Monday, parking on
the west side of Bennett St., be
tween New York and Connecticut
Aves., will be prohibited at all
times.
The action was taken at the
town council in the December
meeting, on recommendation of
City Manager Tom E. Cunning
ham and Police Chief C. E. New-
’on.
Mrs. Fobes Named
New Secretary At
Chamber Office
Chamber of Commerce mem
bers who have not marked their'
ballots, and returned them to the
Chamber office, are reminded
that they should be mailed by
’his weekend.
The ballots for election of eight
new directors were mailed to all
members last week. They will be
tallied by the board in regular
'"’"ntinijprt on Page 8)
Booklet Marks
50th Auuiversary
Of Local Bauk
“Fifty Years of Banking Serv-
lice” is the name of a booklet
mailed this week to some 2,500
customers of the Citizens Bank
and Trust Co., also numerous
other frierids of the bank and the
town.
It mark! the conclusion of the
50th anniversary year of the lo
cal banking institution, review
ing its growth during the “first
half century.”
Chartered by special act in
1905, the bank startd with 35 sub
scribers and $10,000 worth of
stack. Now its latest report shows
resources of more than $4,000,000.
Articles in the book show this
same steady growth reflected in
the growth' of the towd and the
county. It is illustrated with
photographs of Southern Pines,
old and new, also of the entire
staff of the bank.
The booklet was prepared un
der supervision of N. L. Hodg
kins, who came to the bank as
cashier in 1935, and has been
president since 1940.
THE .HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS EVER'
Twins Together For Holidays
Si. Anthony's PTA
Sets Meeting Jan. 5
On January 5 at 8 p.m., at St.
^^nthony’s School auditorium,
there will be a meeting of all par-
''nts interested in St. Anthony’s
Parent Teacher Association.
A nominating comittee will .stib-
^it a slate of permanent officers.
Election and installation of offi
cers will take place.
A social period will follow the
business meeting.
......... ........
1, TWINS Marie Hurst (right) with her new limbs, “the
best Christmas present of all,” and Barbara, who is just as proud
and happy as her sister, are pictured at their home on Christmas
day. The eight-year-old girls are daughters of Mr. and Mrs. A. D
Hurst. Community interest was first turned on the twins last
March when—led by the Elks Lodge—civic, fraternal and veter
ans organizations, together with five church groups, staged a
chicken supper that, with other contributions, netted over $1,000
to help with the costs of Marie’s long hospitalization for a rare
disease that resulted in the loss of both feet. The twins received
a special welcome last week at the Elks Christmas party for chil-
Jfto publicized for years by a photo of them
with Santa John E. Cline, taken at one of the Elks Christmas
events when they were toddlers. (Photo by V. Nicholson)
It was the happiest Christmas
ever for Marie and Barbara
Hurst, aged eight and a half. At
their pretty home at 360 East
New Jersey avenue, the twin
daughters of Mr. and Mrs. A. D.
Hurst played joyfully with their
toys—dolls, tea sets, shiny little
kitchen utensils and all sorts of
games—while their three little
brothers frolicked about.
Every now and then one or the
other of the little girls would
scram.ble to her feet in the lively
fashion of children the world
over—and unless you looked very
closely, you could hardly have
tcld_ there was any difference.
A Big Difference
For Marie, there was a big dif-
<’erence Her feet weren’t the ones
"he was born with. They were
new, artificial, carefully hand
made-rushed through by a sym
pathetic manufacturer so she
""'’Id be walking by Christmas.
They came two weeks early, and
—determined to walk on Christ-1
mas Day—^the little girl, who lost
her feet months ago because of
a rare disease, practiced hard,
and she succeeded.
Her mio.ment of triumph came
early Christmas morning, when,
at St. Anthony’s Catholic church,
she walked up onto the altar,
head bowed in prayer, and re
ceived from Father Peter Denges
the blessed wafer of her First
Holy Communion.
She was steadied by her father
on one side, her mother on the
other. Even so, she was a little
shaky—as much from excitement
and happiness as because of the
new feet. As she turned with ra
diant face, to walk back down the
aisle, friends all over the church
saw the little white-veiled figure
through a sudden mist of tears.
Goes Tb School
Her twin, Barbara, received her
First Holy Communion last May.
At that time Marie was stiU at
N. C. Memorial Hospital at
Chapel Hill, fighting for her F'e.
(Continued on page 10)