VOL. 39—NO. 8
EIGHTEEN PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1957
EIGHTEEN PAGES
PRICE TEN CENTS
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Officer's Son Dies In Wreck
I
m
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From leit, seated, above, officers of the Moore
County polio chapter—Mrs. Jack Phillips, wom
en’s division chairman; C. H. Bowman, treasur
er; H. Chfton Blue and J. Frank McCaskill, cam
paign co-directors; Paul C. Butler, chairman,
and Mrs. Eldon S. Adams, secretary. Standing,
community chairmen and helpers (several not
BUTLER IS CHAIRMAN
Polio Officials Meet, Make Plans
For Annual Drive To Raise Funds
“We’ve got the enemy on the+
run, but polio isn’t licked yet.’’
With these marching words,
officials of the Moore County
polio chapter and community
chairmen of the 1957 March of
Dimes undertook the same quota
they have had for several years
—$7,560—and set forth with high
hearts on their annual January
fund-raising task.
Local Bank Loans
Show Big Increase
Over PrevionsYear
An increase in total assets of
almost one-half million dollars
mi. “. , - over 1955 was noted in the year-
end report of condition of the
Citizens Bank and Trust
Dimes dinner held last Thursday
night at the Carthage Hotel, at
tended by 18 chapter and cam
paign leaders, presiding was J.
Frank McCaskill of Pinehurst,
again co-director (with H. Clifton
Blue of Aberdeen) of the county’s
March of Dimes.
They reelected Paul C. Butler
of Southern Pines chapter chair
man for the 18th consecutive
year—a record which each year
grows more outstanding in the
State, Mr. Butler, who heads the
sales department of the Carolina
Power and Light Co. in the.
Southern Pines district, became
chairman soon after organizatioii
of the county chapter in 1939.
Serving through good years and
bad, including two of severe epi-
demdc, and attending meetings
all over North Carolina and in
the South, he has become an out
standing polio leader in the na
tion.
Butler told the group that,
though the Salk vaccine is now a
proven success, it will take sev
eral years to get all potential vic-
(Continued on page 8)
Com
pany Tuesday.
At the close of business De
cember 31, the total assets of the
bank were listed at $4,539,775.74,
an increase of $491,412.30 over
1955.
The figures were released by
N. L. Hodgkins, president, to the
stockholders at the annual meet
ing. New highs in deposits, loans
and other activity were noted,
most noteworthy of which was
an increase in loans of $628,162
over the p revious year.
Mr. Hodgkins said the total in
loans during the year was $2,-
085,472, the highest ever. Since
deposits did not increase as sub
stantially as loans during the
year, he said, this increase was
mostly as a result of similar de
creases in the holdings of United
States government securities.
At the stockholders meeting
Mr. Hodgkins expressed appre
ciation to the Boarel of Directors
for their guidance and counsel
during the year and to the offi
cers and staff of the bank for
their loyal service.
All of the present directors
were re-elected. 'They are John
C. Barron, N. L. Hodgkins, N. L.
Hodgkins, Jr., John M. Howarth,
and George W. Pottle.
The directors, at their orgahi-
^ zational meeting, re-elected the
Business continues to boom at present officers of the bank: N.
the automobile license bureau L. Hodgkins, president; Norris L.
maintained here: to date more Hodgkins, Jr., executive vice-
than 1,600 state tags have been president; C. H. Bowman, vice
present when picture was made): Miss Vera Mc
Lean, Cameron; Mrs. Monroe Chappell, Mr.
Chappell, Vass; Mrs. Gurney Bowles, Mr.
Bowles, Niagara; Mrs. Walker Porter, Highfalls;
J. F. Sinclair, Mrs. Sinclair, West End; and Mrs.
Worth McLeod, public health nurse.
(Photo by V. Nicholson)
State C&D Board
Confirms Plans
For Meeting Here
The S'laie Board of Con
servation and Development
voted Tuesday morning to
hold its two-day fall meeting
in Southern Pines. The deci
sion was prompted by an in
vitation made the Board sev
eral months ago by Mayor
Voit Gilmore, acting on be
half of the Town Council.
William P. Saunders, of
Southern Pines, C&D di
rector and former president
of Robbins Mills, telephoned
Mr. Gilmore £rom Raleigh
Tuesday mominig soon after
the decision was made.
The meeting here will be
a signal honor for Southern
Pines. Keen competition is
usually encountered from
other towns in efforts to per
suade the Board to meet in
certain localities. This is the
first such meeting in South
ern Pines.
The meeting w^ll be con
cerned primarily with busi
ness affairs of the Board
but will also include lours of
the Sandhills and confer
ences with leaders from this
area. Many people from, oth
er parts of the state attend
the meetings.
Council, at its meefing
Tuesday night, expressed
happiness at the decision to
meet here and said initial
preparations would be start
ed immediately.
Failure of the lighting system in
his car was blamed yesterday by
John K. Sharpe, Southern Pines
policeman, as the reason for an
automobile wreck Tuesday night
that took the life of his five-weeks
old son.
Sharpe, who joined the police
force here January 1, was return
ing from a trip to Biscoe when the
accident occurred at the intersec
tion of Linden Road and Plighway
211 in Pinehurst about 9:30 Tues
day night. At the time, he had
his wife, his six children, and his
wife’s sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Poole
of Biscoe in the car with him.
He told Pinehurst Police Chief
J. T. Shepherd from his bed in
Moore County Hospital Wednes
day morning that the accident was
unavoidable': He said that as he
emerged from Linden Road into
Highway 211, he stepped on the
dimmer button on the floorboard
and the entire lighting system of
the car went off. Sharpe said he
couldn’t see anything, and ran his
car into a huge cedar tree at the
intersection.
His son, Gregory, was thrown to
the floorboard where he was
found by Chief Shepherd. Carried
to Memorial Hospital in Chapel
Hill, he later died.
First Fatality
It was the first traffic fatality in
Moore County in 1957.
Sharpe, a former officer with
the Moore County ABC Board,
suffered a broken left arm, frac
tures of the right jaw, and head
injuries. Mrs. Sharpe, 28, suffered
a broken right ankle, and Mrs.
Poole received lacerations about
the face.
Two of the young children,
Kenneth, 6, and Marlene, 4, re
ceived cuts and bruises but were,
expected to be released from the
hospital this morning.
The other children, ranging in
age up to 14 years, were not se
verely injured and did not require
hospitalization.
The car, a two-door 1950 Nash,
was badly damaged. The impact
of the crash apparently caused
Sharpet to hit the steering wheel.
Mrs. Sharpe told investigating of
ficers she remembered the lights
going off but didn’t otherwise
know what happened.
When Chief Shepherd arrived
at the accident scene, he found
Sharpe slumped over the steering
wheel.
NO TROUBLE SEEN
‘Tost Township” Of Little River
Petitions To Join Moore County
License Tag Sales
Up To 1600; More
Opening Hours Set
sold, together with some 200
town tags.
The figures were released by
Mrs. S. D. Fobes, manager of the
bureau, which is located in the ^
Chamber of Commerce office oni
>0 East Penn. Ave. |
Mrs. Fobes said that new hours!
would be observed next week i
for the convenience of patrons
who are unable to visit the of-1
fices during working hours, j
Starting Monday morning, the
bureau will open at 9
president and
Earl Hubbard,
cashier;
assistant
and E.
cashier.
Harold Fowler Is
Re-Elected Head
Of Local VFD
Harold B. Fowler, who has
been chief of the Southern Pines
o’clock Volunteer Firemen’s Association
and stay open straight through for the past five years, was re-
until four o’clock. Those hours elected to the post at the annual
wiU be observed each day ex-,meeting last Thursday,
cept Wednesday and Saturdays,} Others elected were Albert
when the office closes at noon. i Tew, assistant chief; Hubert
She reminded automobile own-1 Cameron, captain; and Frank H.
ers of the notification on each Kaylor, captain and secretary-
envelope containii-o renewal treasurer of the association,
cards for tags, which directs j Fowler reported on the year’s
owners to examine the cards in- activities to the Town Council
side immediately. She said that Tuesday night and received • a
most people bring the cards to warm round of thanks for the
the office unopened and are tremendous task the department
causing a delay in the bureau’s had accomplished during the
operation. year.
New Directors Are
Named ToChamber
For Coming Year
Fire Loss Placed
At $70,000 To
P’hurst Warehouse
Estimates of fire damage to
the Pinehurst Warehouses, Inc.,
were placed at $70,000 yesterday
by I. C. Sledge, an official of
Pinehurst, Inc., owners of the
building, and Haynes Britt, own
er of the general hardware and
feed supply business there.
The fire, which was discover
ed about midnight last Thursday
by a cook who was going home
from work, apparently got its
start in the heating plant. Ad
justers, who have been there all
week, said they had discovered
a hole had been burned under
neath the furnace in the build
ing.
♦ The “lost province” of Hoke
County—Little River Township—
may be attached to Moore County
if a petition! drawn up by Hoke
citizens meets with the approval
of the General Assembly.
The petition, which contained
327 namse of citizens living in
the township, was presented to
the Board of County Commission
ers in Carthage Monday and met
with their immediate approval.
Although the commissioners could
not give any immediate nod of ac
ceptance — changing of county
boundary lines is within the prov
ince of the General Assembly—
they were favorable to the peti
tion.
Little River has been, at various
times, called a “step-child” of
I Hoke County, a “lost province,”
Emd an orphan area. Most of the
citizens living there felt they were
not receiving normal services, but
did not hold Hoke County officials
to blame. One citizen there put
it this way several weeks ago:
Local Leaders Flying
To Capitol For Talks
On Air-Ground School
Senator Ervin,
Rep. Kitchen
Offering Aid
The fate of the Air-Ground
Operations School may be learn
ed tomorrow, but probably not, it
was learned here this morning
as local leaders prepared for a
conference with high Air Force
officials in Washington tomorrow
afternoon.
The Pilot has learned that the
eonfereaice has been scheduled
between W. Lament Brown, who
has been acting chairman of a
citizens committee to keep the
school here. Mayor Voit Gilmore,
Sen. Sam J. Ervin, Rep. A. Paul
Kitchin, and Secretary of the Air
Force Donald Quarles. Charles
Stitzer, owner of the Highland
Pines Inn, location of the school,
will also attend.
The meeting with Secretary
Quarles will follow one in the
morning between Brown and
Gilmore, and Sen. Ervin, Rep.
Kitchin, and John Lang, former
administrative assistant to Rep.
Charles B. Deane.
It was also learned that Stitzer
is prepared to tell the Air Force
Sledge, treasurer of Pinehurst, I “We’re way up here away from
Inc., said the building would be j
'rebuilt in the near future. It} Fort Bragg military reser
vation, and the costs of providing
was completely gutted on the
South wing, where he placed
damage at $30,000.
Britt said the damage to his
stock was estimated at $40,000.
He said he has no future plans
pending settlement with the in
surance company.
services usually thought of nor
mal, would be prohibitive to the
county. That, perhaps more than
anything else, is the reason the
township would like to become a
part of Moore County.”
John William Smith, spokesman
for the group appearing before the
Firemen fought the blaze about ^ county commissioners Monday,
six hours before bringing it un-| reported that his group had had
der control. Paint that had be-| an earlier meeting with the Hoke
come overheated during the; commissioners that day and had
blaze was still exploding next' o^ained their blessings in the
morning and oauaed harardous.
conditions to exist.
They had
I also visited Hoke Representative
„ . .,,, I Charles Hostetler and State Sena- C.r.-l-
Heavy fire walls m the middle j Thomas, who serves T OP
of the building kept the fire both Hoke and Moore Counties.
East0r S0al Driv0
spreading to the offices of Golf
World, a weekly golf magazine,
the Pinehurst Outlook,- and the
Pinehurst Printing Company,
Seven new directors have been , president, had
elected to the Chamber of Com-1 extensive remodelling to
merce and will meet next Tues- their part of the building not
day, along with the eight carry- long ago.
over members, to elect a new
president.
The new directors were elected
my mail ballots of the entire
Chamber of Commerce member-
Accompanying them was H.
Clifton Blue, publisher of the
SandhiU Citizen in Aberdeen and
Moore County’s representative in
Pinehurst Warehouses, Inc., of ^gggj^bly.
A native of Lobelia, which is a
part of the Little River Township,
Blue said he was sympathetic to
the move. He has been working
the
PTA MEET
A. C. Davis, auditor of
State Board of Education,
ship and represent a cross sec- speak at the next meeting Of the
tion of various business interests Southern Pines Parent Teachers
in Southern Pines. I Association, Tuesday night at 8
The new seven are Joe Scott, p. m. at Weaver Auditorium.
George. Pottle, Mrs. Granam Cul- ! Mr. Davis will explain the
breth, Newland Phillips, Robert budget requirements for the next
Strouse, Alwin Folley, and L. D., two school years and will ex-
McDonald. I plain how the money will be
They replace Mark King, spent.
Harry Smyth, John Ostrom, J. T. I All members and other inter-
Overton, Mrs. O. W. Holtzclaw,jested parents are urged to at-
Jerry Healy, and Harold Collins, tend.
whose regular terms of office
had expired. BAKE SALE
The eight carry-over members. The Young People’s Service
all elected on staggered terms, League of Emmanuel Episcopal
are Warren Bell James Hart- Church will hold a bake sale
shome. Miss Katherine Wiley, Saturday morning beginning at
Earl Hubbard, Roy Grinnell, 8:30 in front of the post office.
Mrs. Valerie Nicholson, W. B. Proceeds will be used to pur-
Holliday, and Joe Montesanti, chase light fixtures for the Sun-
Jr. day School rooms at the church.
closely with the Little River
group lor,some time and recog
nizes their problems.
Prospects for a special act being
will presented at the upcoming session
of the General Assembly are
bright, although the Moore com
missioners said they didn’t want
(Continued on Page 8)
Farm Building Is
N0ar0r R0ality As
JLand Is Pur0has0d
Moore County farmers were
practically assured of an agricul
tural building Monday when the
County Board of Commissioners
authorized the purchane of a lot
on which to build it.
The board had previously made
an appropriation of $25,000 for the
building, though admittedly that
is not enough for the construction.
A new agricultural building has
been the object of many farmers
and farm groups lor several years.
Several years ago the County
Cornmissioners authorized a com
mittee to search for a site.
T. Clyde Auman, West End
peach farmer and president of the
Moore County Farm Bureau,
served as chairman of the com
mittee. He told the commission
ers Monday that a site, a corner
lot one block from the courthouse
in Carthage, had been selected
and a tentative price had been
agreed upon.
One member of the committee
said the price was near $4,500.
The commissioners put off
making a decision on also acquir
ing an adjoining parcel of land
that would be used for parking
and possible expansion of the
(Continued on page 8)
that he will acquire or enlarg
present facilities at the scho^
and thus eliminate what
been represented as the biggest)
'obstacle ijii maintaining
school here. The Air Force has,'
in the past, objected to the prac
tice of having to send students to
Pope Air E|orce base for classes.
But the Stitzer management
has the ability to enlarge the fa
cilities to the Air Force’s needs,
it was reported, and is prepared
to offer concrete proposals.
Local leaders will lean heavily
on the argument that to move
the school would be disastrous
for the town’s economy, already
described as “depressed” due to
the closing recently of two near
by industries.
And they are prepared to list
numerous instances of participa
tion by personnel at the school
in cultural activities of the town.
An Associated Press dispatch
from Washington yesterday indi
cated that Rep. Kitchin, who has
already indicated his interest in
keeping the school in Southern
Pines, had been assigned to the
House Armed Services Commit
tee, a spot that might give him
enough influence to bring pres
sure to keep the school here.
Sen. Ervin, on a recent visit
here, said he thought the school
was “very well located” and in
dicated his interest also in keep
ing it in Southern Pines.
Committee members of the an
nual Easter Seal drive for crip
pled children will meet tomorrow
(Friday) night at 8 p. m. at the
Church of Wide Fellowship to
discuss the drive, chairman
Roger Gibbs said this morning.
The local drive will be a part
of a state and national drive to
raise funds to assist crippled chil
dren and adults in treatment and
rehabilitation. The Moore Chap
ter is a part of the North Caro
lina Society for Crippled Chil
dren and Adults.
Who^s Who In Southern Pines
In reporting last week the
selection of Harry Pethick as
a new sketch in "Who's Who
in America." The Pilot also
listed several others who
were included in the book.
Since that time it has been
learned that several other
prominent residents of South
ern Pines are also included in
the book.
They are R. M. Cushman,
textile executive; Wallace Ir
win and Katherine Newlin
Burt, authors; Generals R. B.
Hill and Pearson Menoher;
and Allan Preyer, a former
vice-president of Vick Chemi
cal Company and nationally
known advertising executive.
If there are more listings in
Southern Pines, The Pilot
would be delighted to know.
Ordinarily, the editors of the
book say. three out of 10,000
people are listed; to date, it
has been learned that South
ern Pines has 10 out of 5,000,
considerably more than its
share, and a further indica
tion that the town not only
attracts good citizens, it keeps
them.
Chart0r H0aring
Evok0s Mix0d Vi0w
On School Board
Adoption of a new charter for
Southern Pines was put off by the
Town Council Tuesday night to
allow more time for a public hear
ing.
The charter, recently drawn up
and presented for the Council’s
consideration, has several changes
from the old one, notably one
dealing with the appointment of a
seven-member school board rath
er than the present five-membet
board.
That provision, which the char
ter committee said was inserted
after a great deal of deliberation,
drew the most comment from citi
zens Tuesday night.
R. F. Hoke Pollock, local attor
ney, told the Council that he rep
resented no group and was speak
ing as a private individual when
he suggested several changes' in
the charter.
He suggested that one provision
of the charter, which gives the
Town Council the right to sell
property at a private sale, should
be eliminated. “The Council could
possibly be the object of much
criticism if that feature is retain
ed,” he pointed out. As an alter
native, he suggested that provi
sion be made for a public sale of
town property and then, after 10
days had elapsed, the Council
could sell the property privately
only if a higher price were offer
ed.
W. Lament Brown, town attor
ney and a member of the charter
committee, said that such a provi
sion as Pollock suggested had
been decided on at first, but that
several things had caused a
change in decision. “For one
thing,” he said, “many industries
do not want to get into public
bidding when they are looking to
acquire property., Quite often, I
am sure, they would go else
where if they had to divulge
their plans, which is what they
would do if they entered into
public bidding for a possible
site.”
Another change suggested by
Mr. Pollock was to eliminate the
present provision that calls for the
election of the mayor from among
the five town councilmen elected
by the public. He suggested that
the mayor should be elected di
rectly by the voters.
He further suggested that, since
there was a possibility the charter
would not be revised “in maybe
another 25 years,” that the may- .
or’s and councilmen’s salary range
should be enlarged.
Several people at the meeting
thought there should be a change
(Continued on Page 8)