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SUNDAY TRAGEDY—A head-on collision
early Sunday morning on US Highway 1 north
of Southern Pines took the lives of four persons.
Shown here, left to right, are Highway Patrol
man E. G. Shomaker of Southern Pines, Patrol-
man H. A- Hight and Patrol CplA^S^arvi^
both of Carthage, W. T. Horton, Sanford funeral
director, Moore County Coroner Ralph Steed of
Robbins, and Patrolman R. R. Samuels of Aber
deen.
Five Persons Killed Within 48 Honrs
In Mooee County Highway Accidents
Five people were killed, four of I vey Covington, 30, and Mrs. Sally
(Emerson Humphrey photo)
them in one accident, within a
48-period in Moore County over
the weekend.
The deaths brought the coun
ty’s 1956 highway fatality toll to
six.
The accident which took four
lives occurred about 1:15 a. m.
Sunday three miles south of Vass
on US Highway 1. Dead are Har-
Ernest Bruce, 35,
First Road Death
Of ’56 in Moore
Ernest Bruce, 35, of Newport
News, Va., became Moore Coun
ty’s first highway fatality of 1956
when he died last Thursday as a
result of injuries received in an
automobile accident near Robbins
January 7.
Bruce, a former resident of
Route 2, Carthage, was injured
when the 1949 Ford he was driv
ing left the highway on an uphill
curve "nd travelled 360 feet be
fore overturning. According to
State Highway Patrolman H. A.
Hight, who investigated, Bruce
was thrown out, receiving fatal
head injuries.
Bruce’s cf-r was the only one
inv^ved in the accident, which
occdltred about one and a
(Continued on Page 8)
half
Baldwin, 60, both of Ellerbe, Mrs.
Hattie Lyles, 70, of Southern
Pines, and J. B. Pratt. 24, of Vass.
All are Negroes. '
In the other accident, which oc
curred Sunday morning about
two miles from Robbins on the
Talc Mine Road, Homer English,
28, of Robbins, lost control of the
automobile he was driving and
was th’'own out when the vehicle
overturned. The car, which was
owned by Charles McNair of
Robbins, was totally wrecked.
English died Monday night at
Moore County Hospital.
In reporting the accident near
Vass, State Highway Patrolman
E. G. Shomaker said Pratt was
driving alone at an excessive rate
of speed. He crossed the center
lane and crashed head-on into the
other car, which was driven by
Covington. Pratt was alone in his
car.
Miss Elizabeth Baldwin and
Miss Lizzie Thompson, both of
Southern Pines, were at first list
ed in serious condition at St.,
Joseph of the Pines Hospital, but'
(Continued on Page 5)
SLICK HIGHWAYS
CAUSE ACCIDENTS
Slick highways, resulting from
an early morning freeze and light
snow, caused four school bus ac-
dicents on highways in Moore
County -.-Tuesday morning but
none of the busses was damaged
seriously. No children were in
jured in the mishaps.
Southern Pines police reported
a single accident within the town
limits, and there was one wreck
resulting in an injury on No 1
highway below Aberdeen.
Only three of the county high
schools were open Tuesday—Cam
eron, Vass-Lakeview, and Aber
deen. The Southern Pines schools
were open but a decided drop in
attendance was noted.
H. Lee Thomas, superintendent
of Moore County schools, said at
tempts were made to contact driv-
the county’s school busses
(Continued on page 8)
Citizens To Vote
Tuesday On Four
Bond Proposals
Projects Discussed
At Forum Held By
League Women Voters
Southern Pines voters will go
to the polls Tuesday to cast bal
lots for or against four separate
bond issues proposed by the town
council.
Voting win take place at the
fir^ station on E. New Hamp
shire Ave., from 6:30 a. m. to 6:30
p. m. Voting machines will not
be used.
Any resident within the town’s
limits who voted in the last mu
nicipal election, or has since reg
istered, is eligible to vote Tues
day.
There will be separate voting
on each of four proposed bond
issues: $150,000 for water system
improvements; $150,000 for sew
erage system improvements;
$100,000 for municipal buildings:
■ fire and police stations, jail, town
office and other facilities; and
$50,000 for a West Southern Pines
swimming pool.
Proposals Discussed
At an open forum sponsored by
the Southern Pines League of
Women voters Monday night in
the Civic Club, town officials and
professional people invited by the
League to participate discussed
the bond proposals, stressing the
needs that led to the town coun
cil’s calling the bond election.
Mrs. Graham Culbreth presided
as moderator. Speakers, persons
questioned and others making
comments, included Mayor Pro
Tern H. H. Pethick, Mayor Voif
Gilmore, Paul Van Camp, en
gineer who made a survey of the
sewerage system; Mrs. Joe Mar-
ley, a member of the Recreation
Advisory Committee; Clinton
Areson, who told of his experi
ence with swimming pools as a
morale builder for youth; A. C.
Dawson, superintendent of
(Continued on Page 8)
Final Concerted Effort In Collej^e
Endowmeiit Drive Slated Monday
Canvassers
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the Town of Southern Pines urgently wants the
new Presbyterian College to locate here, and
WHEREAS, the Southern Pines College Committee will pre
sent the town’s brief to the college trustees on February 1, and
WHEREAS, ^idence of widespread community support is to
be a prime requisite in selection of the college site,
NOW, THEREFORE, let it be known that Monday, January
30, is officially designated as “Bring The College To Southern
Pines Day,” with all citizens urged to cooperate fully in circulat
ing and signing pledges to evidence the community’s whole
hearted support of this cause. Every pledge, no matter how
small, will mean a better chance for success in this worthy un
dertaking.
VOIT GILMORE,
Mayor of Southern Pines.
Pilot Wins Two
First Place Awards
In Press Contests
First place awards in two of the
newspaper contests conducted by
the North Carolina Press Associa
tion for the year 1955 were made
to The Pilot last week.
Mrs. James Boyd, editor, receiv
ed from Gov. Luther H. .Hodges at
Chapel Hill last Thursday evening
engraved plaques and scrolls sig
nifying first place in the editorial
page and features divisions of the
contests for weekly newspapers of
the state.
In the contests, first, second and
third place awards were made for
editorial page, features, news and
photography, based on a repre
sentative selection of four papers
in each category published from
January through September of
(Continued on Page 5)
MAGAZINES WANTED
Mrs. Dorothy / ?ry, Moore
County librarian, as : that per
sons having used n. gazines of
“not too old” a date leave them at
the Southern Pines Library for
distribution throughout the coun
ty by the bookmobile.
New Brnnch Welfare
Office Slated Here
A branch office of the Moore
County Welfare Department will
open on the second floor of town
^ ■ Wednesday, February 22, it
. announced this week by Mrs.
»V. B. Cole, county welfare super
intendent. The branch office will
be open on the second and fourth
Wednesdays of each month, from
8:3d to 11 a. m. Mrs. Mark J.
King, Jr., of Southern Pines, wel
fare case worker, will be avail
able for interviews.
MEETING TONIGHT
The Moore County Historical
Association, with visitors invited,
will meet at the Southern Pines
Library tonight (Thursday) at 8
o’clock to hear W. C. Capel of
Candor speak on the peach indus
try, past and present, and S. B.
Richardson, member of the town
council and former mayor, talk
about the early history of
Southern Pines.
$25,000 Damage Action Against Moore
Hospital, Two Doctors Is Non-Suited
Vance Derby Joins Pilot’s Staff
'4
Vance Derby joined The Pilot’s
staff this week as assistant news
editor.
Thirty years old and a graduate
of the University.qf North Caro
lina School of journalism, Mr.
Derby come."! to Southern Pines
from Wlajxiesville where he
wrote news, sports and features ■
for the Waynesville Mountaineer,
a semi-wtekly newspaper. Later
m he founded, edited and published
* “This Week In North Carolina,”
a summer season resort maga
zine; and he has'represented The
Asheville Citizen as correspon
dent in several mountain coun-,
ties, doing news and feature I
writing. I
Mr. Derby’s wife, the former'
Bayra Mitchell and their two
daughters—Judy, not quite two
years old, and Penny, not quite
T one year old—are now visiting
her family at Woodberry, N. J.,
but will return to Southern Pines
about February 1. The Derbys
will live at the Knollwood Apart
ments.
A native of Tarboro and > the
son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Mc
Nally Derby of that community,
(Continued on page 8)
sr
FACTS ABOUT TOWN'S INDEBTEDNESS
Facts about the Town of Southern Pines’ bonded indebtedness as
Present bonded indebtedness of the town: $459,000.
Total amount on which citizens will vote Tuesday; $450,000.
^debtedness if all issues are approved: $909,000.
liquidating, through wate^chal^eTan^d by-law m^norUe^ as self- A directed verdict of non-suit
the legal debt limit of the town ' igured into was handed down by Judge Frank
^hftown’riI f (Thursday) afternoon, abruptly
Th! ^ V 30 was $6,800,000 of a $25,000 damage
<I:R4Q i valuation) therefore would be against Moore County Hospi-
$ 9,000--which IS $69,000 above what the town’s net debt would be physicians,
attt rate of^^^^^ """
4 1 *» the Which w..
the legal limit. ^ ^ between actual indebtedness and i non-suited—that is, thrown out of
chaS^’' self-liquidating through sewer service ' ?>otherTpin^r."ASS hemTte^
Tt^ • 4. J timony in the case Wednesday af-
V.OO u ^ pointed out that the Southern Pines $450,000 bond nronn^fll ^®™<ion and this morning.
as been approved by the State Local Government Commissi nn testified that in Au-
whose function is to help keep towns and cities ^ painfully burn-
condition by disapproving unsound proposals ^ financial ed by x-rays prior to an operation
app^”‘Tre‘%Trr'‘;„‘‘
Presentation To
Climax Fffort To
Get College Here
Moore County’s presentation
before the board of trustees of
the ^ consolidated Presbyterian
college will be made at Raleigh
^Wednesday morning, climaxing
the months-long effort to secure
the college for Moore county and
Southern Pines.
Selected by A. L. Burney,
chairman of the Moore County
College Committee, to present the
advantages and offerings of this
locality as the college site are
Voit Gilmore, W. Lament Brown
and A. C. Dawson, members of
the committee. Along with
groups from other towns com
peting for the college, they will
be given one hour to present the
case for Southern Pines. Chair
man Burney and the Rev. Cheves
K. Ligon, also of the committee,
will accompany them.
Pledges toward the initial of
fering have been coming in rapid
ly and this week the committee
said they hoped to be able to
present a round figure of $400,-
000 or more, with at least 1,000
pledges. They said they felt this
would be a minimum to keep
Moore county and Southern
Pines in the running.
(Continued on page 5)
Will Cover
Fntire Town
Monday will be “C-Day” in
Southern Pines—the day when
a last concerted effort will be
made for the College, to make
sure that everyone had had a
chance to help.
Ten o’clock Monday morning
will be the hour when 40 or more
canvassers, each with a specific
area to cover, will go out to each
hou^e and business place to Secure
the pledges of those who have not
yet pledged in the effort to se
cure the consolidated Presbyteri
an College for Southern Pines.
Radio Station WEEB will co
operate from start to finish,
sounding the signal for the open
ing of the round-up, providing re
ports throughout the day as to its
progress, and furnishing the
headquarters for the drive.
Brig. Gen. Pearson Menoher
will be there as campaign chief
Also on duty will be Mrs. Nancy
Marley and a group of women to
take calls from persons who wish
to pledge or to increase the
pledges they have already made.
Cars will be dispatched to secure
their pledges anywhere in town,
or, for that matter. General Men
oher said, for sizeable pledges
within the county. ,
(Continued on Page 5)
recreation, voted several years ago, may be levied But it i «
posable- that even this wiU not be needed, oSat SS.
LOOKING TOWARD THE BOND ELECTION
mitted to the hospital at the re
quest of Dr. R. F. Mobbs, then
practicing medicine in Aberdeen
Study Preceded Swimming Pool Proposal
Courth and last TH Q cttTr.4-4-*^ ;
MR. DERBY
(Fourth and last in a series
of explanatory articles about
the town bond election to be
held January 31.)
A newcomer to Southern Pines
or a resident who has not closely
followed the deliberations of the
town council for the past several
months might well be somewhat
puzzled by the swimming pool
proposal in the town bond elec
tion January 31.
Citizens at that time can vote
for or against giving the' town
council authority to issue bonds in
the amount of $50,000 for a swim
ming pool in West Southern Pines.
The other three bond proposals
on which voting will take place—
a separate vote for each proposal
are: $150,000 for water system
improvements; $150,000 for sewer
™Provements; and $100-
000 for new municipal buildings.
1 he reasons why these three items
are being put before the people
have been discussed in three pre
vious articles in The Pilot.
Change In Alliiude
Consideration of the swimming
pool proposal starts with the reali
zation that, in the past decade
there has been a revolution in the
public s attitude toward municipal
recreation facilities. State legisla
tion has been enacted that author
izes towns and cities to spend tax
money or issue bonds for public
recreation facilities. Across the
state and over the nation, munici
palities are building and operating
swimming pools, recreation cen
ters and other facilities and are
making available to their young
people and other age groups va
ried recreation programs that, a
generation ago, would have been
regarded as an outrageous waste
of public funds.
This change in attitude reflects
the public’s realization that a
cornmunity has a responsibility to
its human as well as its material
resources. Advocates of munici
pal recreation programs believe
that pleasant and wholesome re
creation facilities head off or min-
imize the idleness, unhappiness
and social rebellion—especially in
underprivileged areas—that not
only lower the standard of com
munity life but may result in
criminal actions far more costly to
the municipality than are the pre
ventive measures.
Calls For Imagination
Because the question of “need”
(Continued r n page 8)
and now with the Veterans Ad
ministration Hospital at Fayette
ville.
This morning, the plaintiff’s
husband, Anthony H. Bliss, cor
roborated her testimony as to her
painful injuries. Dr. Mobbs testi-
(Continued on Page 5)
TO UNITE IN PRAYER
Presbyterian churches of
the county will unite in pray
er at their services Sunday
morning "ifor the guidance of
the trustees of the consolida
ted college in making their
decision."
Each minister will ask the
prayers of his congregation,
not in favor of this or any
particular locality, but only
theit divine wisdom guide the
board in making a choice
which will last for many
years.
In announcing this act of
special prayer. Chairman A.
L. Burney of the Moore
County College Committee
said also that members of the
committee bad met with an
excellent reception in seek
ing the support of towns in
neighboring counties, within
a day-student radius. Several
have responded by assuring
the group that Southern
Pines would be their choice
of a site, and that town offi
cials will so write the trus
tees.
‘My Brother Adlai’ To Be Published
Monday will be the nation-wide
publication, day for “My Brother
Adlai,” a volume about her broth
er, Adlai Stevenson, written by
Elizabeth Stevenson (Mrs. Ernest
L.) Ives of Southern Pines. Col
laborating with Mrs. Ives in pre
paration of the book was Miss
Hildegarde Dolson of New York
City.
Published by William Morrow
& Company, “My Brother Adlai”
had its inspiration, said Mrs. Ives
this week, in a vast accumulation
of family records and letters as
well as her own diaries, but might
never heve been written if two ,
North Carolinians, the late Wil- j
liam T. Polk of Gree'nsboro and J.
B. Rhine of Duke University had I
not heard her speak and sent a
publisher’s representative to see
her.
She was advised to “just sit
down and write”—which she did
at the old Stevenson home in
Bloomington, lU., in the summer
of 1954. The manuscript was fin
ished, but not yet tailored into
book form, late that year.
The writing, said Mrs. Ives, was
a chore and a great emotional
strain. Her concentration brought
back floods of memories that were
added to existing records and let
ters to produce the amazingly de
tailed and affectionate record of
the entire life, to date, of the man
who is a candidate for the 1956
Democratic Presidential nomina
tion this year and was defeated
for the Presidency by Dwight D
Eisenhower in 1952.
(Continued on page 8)
i®''!
MRS. IVES . . . with new book