OPEM
V'D^JDERjfUL
NEW WbfSLDS.,
VMICE UP AND
c>
fh
IT'S LIBRARY WEEK!
-VOL. 40—NO. 20
Joint Group Will
Study Pros, Cons
Of Consolidation
At an informal session, heard
before the regular business meet
ing of the Southern Pines Board
of Education, the board agreed to
cooperate with a committee of
citizens to be formed for the pur
pose of making a study—pro and
con—of the question of school
consolidaticfh.
Voicing the plea for such a
joint study were Charles Cole
and J. Cecil Beith, both of whom
had been present at the meeting
held in Aberdeen last week at
which the county consolidation
program was presented. Mr.
Beith was filling in for Mrs. R.
M. McMillan, who with Mr. Cole
had been chosen to represent the
group before the local board.
At the meeting, held last night
in the Elementary School, the
entire school board was present;
John Howarth, chairman, N. L.
Hodgkins, Harry Menzel, Dr. Vida
McLeod, and P. I. York, with
Schools Superintendent Luther
Adams acting as secretary of the
board.
Saying that, while his group
felt that the Southern Pines
school was the first object of
concern, Mr. Cole said they real
ized this was a matter in which it
was not possible to take only a
local view: “We are interested in
all the children of the county,”
lie said.
He made the point that there
seemed to have been some lack
of liaison between the board and
the people and that a committee
coordinating all efforts, made up
of representatives of both groups,
could be very helpful.
Chairman Howarth, speaking
for the board, voiced guarded
agreement with this position.
“Fundamentally your idea is
good,” he told Mr. Cole. He said
the board had not yet discussed
matters brought out in the Aber
deen meeting, but pointed out
that it has already inaugurated
a study of the question of consol
idation, sending out question
naires to a number of schools of
varying localities and size, inquir
ing of their experiences with con
solidation, or without. He said he
felt it would be best to wait for
the answers before taking further
(Continued on page 8)
Republicans to
Honor Candidates
IT'S LIBRARY WEEK!
TWENTY-FOUR PAGES
SOUTHERN PINES, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1960
TWENTY-FOUR PAGES
PRICE: 10 CENTS
SCENE OF RECEPTION — The Alston house
in Deep River Township—a State historic site
where a skirmish occurred during the American
Revolution—will be the scene Saturday after
noon at 3:30 p.m. of a reception honoring Mrs.
Charles A. Cannon of Concord and Philip Al
ston Stone of Oxford, Miss., 20-year-old Harvard
student who is the direct descendant of Col.
Philip Alston, Patriot leader who owned the
house at the time of the skirmish. The “House
in the Horseshoe,” as the historic dwelling is
known, was bought and restored by the Moore
County Historical Association and then turned
over to the state. Mrs. Cannon is noted for her
work in the preservation of historic sites. The
Historical Association is honoring its two guests
with the reception Saturday.
Robertson Resigns, Smail Elected to
Presidency of United Telephone Co.
o
Moore County Republicans will
hold a Candidates’ Kick-Off Din
ner Saturday night at 6:00 o’clock
at the Joseph G. Henson Ameri
can Legion Hut in Hillcrest near
Carthage. Tickets are now on sale
by the precinct chairmen. Barbe
cue will be served. Speakers for
the occasion will be candidates
for State offices. Local candidates
will be presented as guests of
honor.
AT BOOK FAIR
Glen Rounds, local artist and
writer, is taking part in the Ons-
« low County Book Fair at Jack
sonville today and Friday. Mr.
Rounds, who has written and ill
ustrated more than 20 books,
many of them for children and
young people, is one of the speak
ers on the Fair’s special National
Library Week program.
United Utilities, Inc. of Kansas
City, Mo., this week announced
the resignation of Walter G. Rob
ertson as operating head of the
United Telephone Company of
the Carolines, Inc., and the elec
tion of Edwin S. Smail of South
ern Pines as president and gener
al manager of the company, to
succeed Mr. Robertson.
The announcement said that
Mr. Robertson, who joined the
company in August, 1958, resign
ed for personal reasons. He was
out of town this week and could
Talent Show Is
Planned by Clubs
The fourth annual Youth Tal
ent Show sponsored by the Lions
Clubs of Southern Pines, Pine-
hurst, Aberdeen, Pihebluff and
West End will be held at Weaver
Auditorium here Saturday, April
23, at 8 p.m.
Proceeds of the event will go to
the boys’ home at Lake Wacca-
maw. Purpose is to encourage
amateur talent in singing, instru
ments and dancing and to pro
mote music appreciation among
young people.
Each town in which there is a
sponsoring club will have three
contestants. Several professional
performers will be heard during
the evening to add to the interest
of the program.
Each of the five clubs will pre
sent two girls in a beauty contest
for the title “Miss Lion.”
Tickets are being sold by mem
bers of the Lions Clubs in all the
five towns.
Man Gets Year’s Term for Loaning
Car That Killed Martin Ferguson
Southern Pines Recorder’s
Court, with Judge Harry Fullen-
wider on the bench, heard testi
mony yesterday that may affect
a case to be tried in the May term
of Superior Court.
Adding to the details building
up around the death of Martin
^ Ferguson, on March 6, when he
was struck by a car driven by
Roosevelt Vamper, was the ap
pearance in court of both Vamper
and John Robinson, of Youngs
Dd., owner of the car. Vamper
was brought from the jail at Car
thage under guard and returned
immediately after giving his testi
mony. He is awaiting trial in Su
perior Court on a manslaughter
charge.
On trial yesterday was the car’s
owner, Robinson, charged with
aiding and abetting, in loaning
his car to Vamper. The latter tes
tified for the state that Robinson
had known, when he lent him the
car, that he did not possess a
'driver’s license and that he had
been drinking.
Judge Fullenwider pronounced
Robinson guilty and sentenced
him to a year in prison. The case
was appealed to Superior Court
and the defendant placed under
$1,000 bond. •
Cases dealiftg with speeding,
traffic violations and intoxication
took up the rest of the court’s
time.
Judged “public drunk” and
fined $5 and costs were George
Rowan, and Wilson Short of
Pinehurst.
Rudolph Hardy, public drunk,
with several previous counts 1 grove, Joseph Montesanti, Jr.,
against him, was fined $15 and-Harry H. Pethick and Col. Wal-
(Continued on page 8) I lace Simpson.
hot bp queried as to his plans for
the future.
Mr. Smail, formerly assistant
general manager, has been asso
ciated with various operating
companies of the United System
and has been with the United
Telephone Company of the Caro
lines for 10 years. For several
years he was commercial and
traffic superintendent and he has
served as secretary, assistant gen
eral manager and a director. He
is also treasurer of the company.
In addition to, electing Mr.
Smail president and general man
ager, the board of the United Tel
ephone Company of the Carolinas
elected Robert E. Strouse of
Southern Pines secretary and to
the board of directors. Mr.
Strouse retains his position as au
ditor. He was formerly assistant
secretary.
John M. Bigbee of Southern
Pines was named assistant treas
urer.
Mr. Robertson joined the com
pany in August, 1958, after spend
ing many years in the telephone
business. His last position before
comiifg here was vice-president
of the Tidewater Telephone Com
pany at Warsaw, Va.
United Telephone Company of
the Carolinas, which operates in
both North and South Carolina,
with company headquarters at
Southern Pines, is a subsidiary of
United Utilities, Inc., of Kansas
City, Mo.
Stops on Garden
Tour Announced;
Many Expected
Ten locations are on the 12th
annual House and Garden tour
sponsored by the Southern Pines
Garden Club, to be held Wednes
day, April 20.
At seven of the locations, the
expected thousand or more per
sons making the tour will be ad
mitted to both gardens and homes.
At two, admittance will be to the
gardens only.
Another stop is Clarendon Gar
dens at Pinehurst which is on the
tour for the first time this year.
Gardens only will be seen at
“Homewood,” the estate of Mr.
and Mrs. D. k! Bullens on Mid
land Road and at the Harry Vale,
Jr., estate off Youngs Road.
Other places on the tour:
The Shaw House here, where
the tour begins and where lunch
will be served. (Lunch will also
be served at the Woman’s Ex
change in Pinehurst).
Residence and gardens of Mr.
and Mrs. Henry J. Flory on Mor-
ganton Road (former Darst home).
Residence and gardens of Mr.
(Continued on page 8)
$200,000 Shuttle Plant to Be
Built at Site Near Pinebluff
Local Effort Helps Financing
Southern Pines is playing an
important part in the financing of
the manufacturing plant to be
built near Pinebluff by the Sand
hills Betterment Corporation for
the Watson-Williams Manufac
turing Co.
Of the $50,000 being put into
the project by the BettermiCnt
Corporation, $25,000 is coming
from sources in Southern Pines.
The other half was raised in
Aberdeen. Subscribing individu
als will receive stock or second
mortgage bonds.
Working on the project here
are Ward Hill, N. L, Hodgkins,
Jr., D. A. Blue, Jr. (all of whom
are members of the Moore Coun
ty Industrial Development Com
mittee), J. D. Hobbs and W. Har
ry Fullenwider.
Mr. Hill, who is also chairman
of the Southern Pines Industrial
Commitee, said today that
pledges have been received for a
large part of the $25,000 commJt
ted from Southern Pines, but that
the committee would welcome
additional pledges in any amount,
from $100 up, from interested lo
cal people.
“We are certain of our part,”
he said, “but we would like to
have wide participation in this
investment. We are most pleased
that Watson-Williams is coming
to the area. What helps one part
of the Sandhills and Moore Coun
ty is bound to help the rest.”
St. Joseph’s Has
Advisory Council;
Staff Announced
Staff positions and a newly
organized Advisory Council, at
St. Joseph of the Pines Hospital,
were announced this week by Sis
ter M. Virginia, administrator.
Dr. Francis L. Owens is chief
of staff; Dr. R. M. McMillan is
chief of medicine; and Dr. R. J.
Dougherty is chief of the Obstet
rical Department.
The Advisory Council, the ad-
m.inistrator said, has been formed
to provide liaison between the
hospital and the people of the
community, and to counsel with
her in any matters pertaining to
the hospital.
Officers of the council, elected
at a recent meeting, and other
members are; Mrs. Audrey K.
Kennedy, chairman; Lee Smith-
son, vice-chairman; David Drexel,
secretary; and Mrs. Frank Cos-
Officers to Be
Elected by PTA
At Monday Meet
Election of officers for the 1960-
’61 school year will be held at
the April meeting of the East
Southern Pijnes Parent-Teacher
Association in Weaver Auditori
um at 8 p. m., Monday.
Joe Kimball is chairman of a
nominating committee that is ex
pected to bring in a slate of offi
cers. Other nominations can be
made from the floor.
Feature of the program* will be
a film, “Preface to Life,” which
depicts the influence of parents
on a child growing up.
C. S. Patch, Jr., PTA president,
today reminded parents to fill
out and send back to the school
at once a. questionnaire form
brought home by students, on
which parents are queried about
committee work they would be
willing to do with the PTA next
school year. The form also gives
parents a chance to indicate the
types of PTA programs they
would prefer.
Mr. Patch also asked that pay
ment for tickets to the May 4
PTA-sponsored ham supper—a
money-raising affair—be returned
to the school, so that the supper
committee can estimatfe the at-
tendarice.
Licensing of
Fortune Tellers
Ended by County
The county commissioners
voted Monday not to issue any
more licenses to “fortune tellers or
persons practicing the art of
palmistry.”
The action was taken on mo
tion of Commissioner W. S. Tay
lor of Aberdeen and the vote was
unanimous. All board members
appeared pleased with the change
in policy.
The m.atter came up after an
application for renewal of annual
iicense on May 1 was presented
by Frank Harrison for an estab
lishment, “Madam Louise, Ad
visor” thgt is located on old high
way 1, just south of Southern
Pines. Under the new policy this
license will not be renewed and
Tax Collector Doug David, who
handles licensing matters, was in
structed to inform the applicant
to that effect.
The previous policy on fortune
tellers was set in 1957 when a
local bill in the General Assem
bly tightened the regulations to
exclude from the business per
sons who had been convicted of
crime or who had not resided two
years in Moore County. A num
ber of fortune tellers subsequent
ly left the county and the estab
lishment near Southern Pines is
now the only remaining licensed
place. The license there will ex
pire May 1.
The board had full attendance
at the all-day April session on
Monday—L. R. Reynolds, chair
man, and Commissioners John M.
Currie, T. R. Monroe, J. M. Pleas
ants and W. S. Taylor.
C. A. PITTS
Pitts to Speak
At Union Service
Plans for an Easter sunrise ser
vice at Memorial Field here, with
Southern Pines protestant
churches participating, were an
nounced this week.
C. A. Pitts of Pinehurst, a lay
man interested in evangelistic
work, will be the speaker. All
ministers of the participating
churches will take part.
The service is scheduled for
6:30 a. m. on Easter, Sunday,
April 17. Further details will be
announced next week.
Commissioners
All to Run in
May’s Primary^
All five Moore County commis
sioners filed Monday for renomi
nation in the Democratic primary
in May.
Paying their $10 filing fees dur
ing the noon recess from their all
day April meeting at the court
house were: L. R. Reynolds,
chairman of the board, represent
ing District 3; John M. Currie of
Carthage, District 1; T. R. Mon
roe of Robbins, Distfigt 2; J, M.
Pleasants of Southern Pines, Dis
trict 4; and W. S. Taylor of Aber
deen, District 5.
As of Wednesday this week,
only one commissioner has oppo
sition in the primary. Bill Poley
is opposing T. R. Monroe in Dis
trict 2.
Filing time ends April 15.
Other Democratic incumbents
filing so far have been Judge J.
Vance Rowe of Moore Recorder’s
Court; and J. E. Culbertson, chair
man, and T. Roy Phillips, mem
ber, of the county board of educa
tion.
It is expected that incumbents
W. Lament Brown, solicitor, the
three remaining members of the
county board of education, and'
H. Clifton Blue, representative in
the General Assembly, will file
before the deadline.
This is the first year members
of the county board of education
will be elected by popular vote
rather than be appointed by the
General Assembly. The change
was made by a special act of the
1959 General Assembly, introduc
ed by Rep. Blue. Under the form
er system, board of education
candidates filed and were voted
on in the primary, but the General
Assembly had the power to ap
point them or others.
Republicans will have a pri
mary this year and so far one
candidate has filed, Drewry
Troutman of Addor for the coun
ty board of education. Republican
candidates have usuEilly been
named hitherto by the county
convention method, in this coun
ty.
Harness Racing
Set for Sunday
The program of matinee harness
racing at the Pinehurst Race
Track scheduled for last Sunday,
which had to be postponed on ac
count of unfavorable weather,
will be staged this coming Sun
day, April 10.
The feature event for last Sun
day’s races, a field in which all
contestants have pacing records of
two minutes, has been re-carded
as the headline attraction.
Post time for the first race is
2:30 p.m. There is a general ad
mission charge, ample free park
ing is available, also reserved
parking spaces. Children under
twelve are admitted free.
ATTENDS BOARD MEET
John Ruggles spent Tuesday
and Wednesday in Raleigh attend
ing meetings of the North Caro-
bna Hospitals Board of Control.
Mr. Ruggles has completed 10
years of service as a member of
the Hospitals Board and as chair
man of the Alcoholic Rehabilita
tion Program.
A $200,000 textile shuttle man
ufacturing plant will be built
about a mile south of Pinebluff
on No. 1 highway for the Vfetson-
Wiiliams Manufacturing Co., it
was announced this week.
The firm, which will move its
operations from Millbury, Mass.,
is expected to employ about 50
persons, both men and women.
It will manufacture shuttles made
from dogwood blocks and used in
the weaving of broad loom fab
rics.
The Sandhills Betterment Cor
poration has been organized to
construct the building which Wat
son-Williams will lease. The
building will be owned by the
Betterment Corporation, and will
be partly financed by the State-
sponsored Business Development
Corporation of Raleigh, with the
balance of the financing coming
from local and other sources.
Funds raised by the Betterment
Corporation itself for the project
include $25,000 from Aberdeen
and $25,000 from Southern Pines.
Local investors in the project will
receive stock or second mortgage
bonds.
Announced plans for the build
ing say it will have 36,540 square
feel of floor space with a 200-foot
frontage and a 180-foot depth.
Completion is expected by August
1.
Moving to the Sandhills with
the company will be Hubert J.
Watson, of Leicester, Mass., treas
urer and general manager, and
his son, J. Kim.ball Watson, of
Shrewsbury, Mass., vice-presi
dent.
Other officers of the family-
owned business that was founded
in 1830 by Hubert J. Watson’s
great-grandfather, are Wilbur L.
Watson of Leicester, Mass., presi
dent; and the following directors,
in addition to the officers; Clif
ton E. Watson of Charlotte, Mrs.
Mabel A. Watson of Marlow, N.
H., and James H. Elliott of
W'eliesley, Mass.
In 1909, the original Watson
company purchased the J. H.
Williams Co. and began then to
manufacture shuttles. The two
firms were merged into the Wat
son-Williams Manufacturing Co.
in 1930.
Contractors for the new manu
facturing plant will be the Har-
lee - Quattlebaum Construction
Co. of Florence, S. C., the firm
that is now building the new
Amerotron warehouse near Aber
deen.
The building will have rein
forced concrete foundations,
four-inch reinforced concrete
floors, 12-inch block and brick
walls and an air-conditioned of-
(Continued on page 8)
Watson Family
Has Ties with
IVorth Carolina
The Watson family, which owns
the Watson-Williams Manufac
turing Co. which is to move its
operations from Massachusetts to
a new plant near Pinebluff, has a
number of Sandhills and North
Carolina associations.
Vice-President J. Kimball Wat
son is married to the former Car
olyn Chester, daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. P. J. Chester of Southern
Pines. He is a graduate of Duke
University, Durham.
His father, Hubert J. Watson,
who is treasurer and general
manager, attended N. C. State
College, Raleigh.
Both of these executives expect •
to move to the Sandhills, with
their families. They have both
visited here during the course of
negotiations for the plant.
Clifton E. Watson, a director of
the company, has lived in Char
lotte for 20 years, operating the
Watson-Desmond Co., Southern
sales agent for Watson-WiUiams
and other firms.
Approximately 80 per cent of
the company’s sales are in North
and South Carolina. The firm is
moving south, it was stated, so
that it can be nearer its customers
'’nd source of raw materials
which include wooden blocks, for
the manufacture of shuttles, from
Alabama.