Page EIGHT
THE PILOT—Soulliera Pines, North Carolina
THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1957
I
Boarding Homes Doing Acceptable Job For Aged
(Continued from page 1)
where patients are taken who can
pay part of the cost of their care.
But, as the state also pays a share,
these nursing homes must answer
to state requirements, the princi
pal ones being: fire-proof con
struction, adequate plumbing, and
ground-floor rooms.
Visiting the Boarding Homes
A visit to these homes is both a
sad and a bright experience. With
the sadness weighing heaviest in
the picture,as on the heart. Lonely
old age is about as sad a thing as
there is;.when to that loneliness
is added the infirmities which so
o/ten accompany it, the picture is
dark. But there is where much
of the goodness of these boarding
and nursing homes comes in: they
are as un-lonely as is possible for
anything to be that is not family
life. There is somewhat of a home
atmosphere with the more able-
bodied sitting out on the porch,
grubbing about in the yard; meals
are served all together in the din
ing room, as a rule; in winter
there is a group about the fire.
This was the scene at the Fu-
quay home in Carthage when you
dropped in there a'few weeks ago.
Out on the porch sat one old gen-
tlemcin, basking in the warmth of
that early spring sim, turning
himself a bit every now and then
like a comfortable turtle on a log
His eyes had the b^nk look of i
mind gone wandering, but ^ his
smile was kindly. Likely he didn’
know much where he was or why,
but wherever it was was all right
with him. He looked happy.
Inside the small square house,
the air was warm from a stove
going full blast in the inner room
Here sat the husband of the oper
ator, himself a semi-invalid, and
two more of the “cases.’ One
was young and feeble-minded, the
other an ill old man, who, resist
ing always till the last leaving his
own little cabin out in the woods,
would get sick, sooner or later,
and be brought into Carthage.
After being set back on his
feet again by Mrs. Fuquay’s stren
uous nursing, he’d go back to
the cabin, only to repeat the
whole process again when the
next bout of flu, or whatever it
would be, caught up with him.
He Want^ Out
This old fellow didn’t look very
happy. In fact, sitting on the
edge of his chair, he looked ready
to get up and go as soon as he
could. An impatient old man, this
was. He’d adnut he was mighty
sick when they brought him in
there; he’d admit the lady had
got him well again and fed him
up and put some strength back
into his old legs, but—^he wanted
out. He wanted to get back into
that old cabin of his. Described
by his neighbors as full of holes
and dirty beyond words, there’s
no doubt the cabin was no fit
place for him, or anybody, to live,
but it was his. He wanted to get
back there. And there’s where
humanity has to enter into this
work, and, nine times out of ten
in Moore County, it does. The
Department lets him go back and
helps him to keep alive there
where he feels he belongs. (Soon
after this visit was made he did,
in fact, go on back home.)
There was one very iU woman,
at the time of our visit in the Fu-
quay home, a lady who has since
died. She was on the edge of be
ing in a coma, had been bed-rid
den for some time and Dr. Felton
was keeping in close touch. Sev
eral times, the operator had ex
pected she would slip away but
she would rally and start to
breathe again, and even eat a lit
tle food. The room was clean, but
even so there was a strong smell;
Mrs. Fuquay said she had to
change the bed constantly and
there was never a day when she
was not washing. Sheets and tow
els flapped on her clothes-line day
in and day out.
Here was a case where, ordi
narily, hospitalization would have
been indicated or, at least, the
services of a practical nurse. Yet
would it have made any differ
ence? Given the fimds they have
to work with, it seemed as if the
County was doing the best thing,
and, regardless of funds, could
more have been done? It seemed
doubtful. But, actuaUy, every ef
fort is made to send ill patients
only to the homes with practical
nurse care available.
This one of the county boarding
homes has been questioned , as
rough and inadequate. You have
visited it several times, more than
once unannounced and have never
found anything to complain of. It
is, of course, extremely simple,
the fare looks like “country” fare:
invalid cookery would be un
known here, you would imagine.
The operator has a rough and
ready cheerfulness that should
help to bring some sunshine into
whatever she does, you’d think.
And, of course, these are mostly
the rough-and-ready kind of peo
ple she’s taking care of. She ap
pears to be doing a good job. The
house itself is at the dead end of
a quiet lane, shaded by big trees.
The big porch is a splendid asset
for such a place.
Oxit Jackson Springs Way
Out on a side road from Jack-
%r
—
*
.ye-
AT THE JACKSON SPRINGS BOARDING HOME two of the
patients come out to sit in the sun and have their pictures taken
with the owner and operator, Mrs. Lilly Leak (center).
son Springs—the same road where
our former commissioner in
charge of the Department of Con
servation and Development,
George Ross, lives—is the homi
of Lilly Leak. A one-story frame
cottage, the little house has un
dergone a complete refurbish
ment since the boarders were first
.established there a couple of
years' ago.
The Leak home now harbors
four patients; Lilly hopes to get
it licensed for more later, as she
knows of several who, she says,
want to come. Since you saw it,
a year or so ago, it has undergone
great change. The necessary
plumbing was installed soon
thereafter, but, since then, the op
erator has gone on to add a lot
more which should certainly in
crease the place’s value in the
boarding home picture. She has
a fine kitchen, now, new linole
um on most of the floors; there’s
been a good paint job done, and
she has bright curtains at the
windows. The open porch has
been made into another room
and, down under the house, is a
well-equipped laundry.
This appears to have involved
quite an outlay of funds and you
can’t help but think that some of
it might have been spent making
the room where the patients sleep
a bit cheerier. This is the dark
est room in the house; there is a
stove, for heat, which the oper
ator rushed in to stir up as you
came in.
The two bedridden women
there were quiet. One was a stiU
shadow. of thinness, lying across
her bed in one comer. In the
other, just where you saw her on
that previous visit, was the other
patient, a whisp of a gentle, tim
id creature, who had, in better
times, been nurse in the home of
one ck Moore County’s leading
you
families. Crippled, (with arthri
tis?) and mentally oppressed by
fears and confusions, but quite
able to recognize you with an
eager smile, she lay on the tous
led bed, unable to be up in her
wheeled chair, unless helped. '
“Does she get up at all?
ask, “Where’s her chair?”
The answer is: “We put it
away; afraid she’d hurt herself;
we’ll, get it out when warm
weather comes.”
Come Out for Photographer
The other two patients came
here after terms at a state mental
institution in which case the state
pays any extra boarding home
costs. Tliey are able-bodied and,
apparently, reasonably well-be
haved. ITiey are up and dressed
and come out to sit in the sun and
have their pictures taken with the
operator, standing on the steps of
the home. Their faces, as you
take the pictnr<». are as uninter
ested, as uncaring, as emotionle
as the blank wall behind them.
Or is there some fear lurking?
One draws back as you suggest
she come a little further forward:
“She never like to have her pho
to taken,” says Lilly.
As you drive on down the road,
the thought comes which has
been so often in your mind: If
only there could be Good Neigh
bor committees organized in the
nearby towns to visit these
homes! It is impossible, with aU
their other duties, for the Welfare
staff to get there often and, any
way, the casual visits of the local
folks would be the best possible
guarantee that things were going
on well, besides being a real mo
rale builder for the unfortunate
people themselves. Is this some
thing for the churches to take up,
you wonder.
(To be continued)
rif
II
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THE T.EAK HOME has had quite a face-lifting, outside and in,
which should add greatly to its value in the boarding home pro
gram of Moore County’s Department of Public Welfare.
CALENDAR of EVENTS
April 25—Tonight—Pinehurst Forum, 8:40 p.m. Columbus
Boy Choir.
April 22-27—North and South Invitational GoU Tournament,
57th annucQ, Pinehurst.
April 24-25—Harness Horse Trotting Time Trials, Pinehurst.
April 27-28—Sandhills Skeet Championships, Pinehurst.
April 24-27—Seniors Grand Masters Golf Tourney, Pine
Needles CC.
April 25—^Baseball, Aberdeen here, 8 p.m.
April 26—SPHS Annual Band Concert, Weaver Aud., 8:15.
April 29—Girl Scouts annual Court of Honor, Weaver Aud.
April 29—^Prima^ Elections, Southern Pines.
April 29-May 3—^Amateur CGA Golf Tournament, 43rd annual,
Pinehurst.
May 10-11—^N. C. Bankers Association, Pinehurst.
May 7—General Municipal Elections, Southern Pines.
LAST IN ASSOCIATION SERIES
N. C. Symphony Delights Children,
Adults In Two Performances Here
“They played better than ever
before! A lovely program! They
were wonderful, and what a fine
voice that young man has!”
Such were some pf the com
ments heard in the lobby of
Weaver Auditorium as the audi
ence streamed out, Tuesday eve
ning, from the concert given by
the North Carolina Symphony
Orchestra.
And quite as enthusiastic, if
less, sophisticated, were the re
marks to be heard around the
gymnasium, that afternoon, from
some of the more than 1,500
school children of Moore County
who packed the big building for
the free'concert.
This w£is for the orchestra and
their noted director. Dr. Benjamin
F. Swalin, the first appearance on
a tour that will cover the state.
Travelling in busses, the group
arrived here before noon, going
to the Hollywood Hotel where
they were staying. Followed a
visit to the concert location, lunch
at the cafeteria, for some—in
cluding Dr. and Mrs. Swalin who
had their lunch with School Sup
erintendent A. C. Dawson.
The afternoon performance
started at half past one, with a
few busloads of children filing in
quietly as the orchestra was tun
ing up. In line with usual pro
cedure, the students joined with
the orchestra in several folktune
numbers, learned in school dur
ing the winter months in prepara
tion for this musical event.'. The
noted orchestra leader comment
ed glowingly, following the con
cert, on the excellence of the lo
cal singing.
“As good as anything we ever
hear on these tours,” he said.
“Those were all pretty difficult
songs, with changes of tempo and
key. The children never missed
a note or a beat.” Dr. Swalin in
cluded in his praise Miss Mary
Logan, supervisor of music in
Southern Pines and a member of
the Sandhills Music Association.
Miss Logan was in charge of the
preparatory work for the concert
and transportation of the students
from other Moore Covmty towns,
through the cooperation of Moore
County Schools Superintendent
H. Lee Thomas, of Carthage.
Tuesday evening’s concert, the
last in this season’s series under
the sponsorship of the Sandhills
Music Association, presented a
program that included Beethov
en’s Fourth Symphony and the
music of Mendelssohn, Tchai
kovsky, Mozart and contempora
ry composer^. Soloist of the eve
ning was Walter Carrihger, who
delighted the audience with his
voice of exceptional brilliance
and tone. The noted tenor hand
led his varied numbers, ranging
from Mozart to Puccini, with im-
erring musical sensitivity and
skUL
The intermission brought to the
stage the new president of the
sponsoring group, Norris Hodg
kins, Jr. Mr. Hodgkins’ remarks
were brief and to the point, hint
ing at good plans now being made
for next season’s concert series,
and suggesting that “an early
ticket sale would help!” Mr.
Hodgkins said that in order to ob
tain the best possible musical
talent, it was necessary to make
dates wen in advance.
“This ■ season has been a suc
cess,” he said: “We have stayed
in the black-^and— we have all
heard some wonderful music!”
Following the concert, the
members of the orchestra enjoyed
relaxation and refreshments at
the home of Mrs. James Boyd,
through the hospitality of Mrs.
Henry Page.
W. Southern Pines
Preacher Honored
For Long Service
Testimonial services were held
last week at Harrington Chapel
in West Southern Pines for the
Rev. J. A. Williams, who has been
a preacher for 62 years.
The Rev. Williams began his
ministry in Harrington Chapel
Church in 1895. Since he has
held pastorates in a number of
places, including Carthage, East-
wood, New Hope, McCain, Rae-
ford, Rennert, Red Springs, Pine
hurst, and Southern Pines.
He has been secretary of the
district union, secretary of the
annual conference of the church,
moderator of the conference,
member of the general executive
board of the conference for 25
years, and chairman of the board
of Harrington Chapel for 18
years.
Speaking at the testimonial ser
vices were the Rev. G. D. McNeil,
Jr., Mrs. Larcenia Harrington, W.
J. Gore, Rev. Bland, and the Rev.
J. R. Funderburke.
A total of 40,000 Americans
were killed in 1956 traffic acci
dents.
Thursday, 11 A.M.
Said The Man:
*ffu
>1
“Ordered a batch of plants from the nursery
and today they came .... and me with a
sprained back! There they were, aU bent
over, and so was I. Said: Thank goodness,
it’s Thursday! I’ll wait for The Pilot and
...just perhaps...”
Friday, 11 A.M,
Said The Man:
“And there it was! In the cla^ieds: ‘Yard
man... weeding... planting has truck
and tools,” Called the number. He came
a’hustlin’ and got my plants in before you
could say mOT!’”
t
I'he Pilot