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PAUL DICKSON Publisher-Editor
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LAURIE TELFAIR Reporter
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
Sccund n?u hoitsf* fud >1 Histoid. N. C.
"They laughed when I sat down to play," used to be the catch line on
an advertisement which ran in national magazines for many years. It was
from a company which offered to teach one to play the piano by
correspondence, and they must have been able to do it, too, for they did
keep on running the ad, year after year. The line frequently occurs to me
as I sit down to this typewriter to try to say something sensible, or at least
thought-provoking in this space.
Many editors are really very smart, and do a great deal of research and
thinking on the subjects that should be on our minds from day to day, so
that their comments do make sense and do get us to thinking. Some are
not as smart as they would like to appear to be. Funny thing, though, but
they are also doing a job, if they can just get the reader to read what they
write, for then he will take the initiative and tell himself that so and so
doesn't know what he's talking about, or he ought to be ashamed of
himself. If this reader gets to thinking and expressing himself about the
subject then the writer has accomplished something. What to think is the
reader's business, but getting him started to figuring out his own attitude
is often worthwhile and where editorial writers can make a contribution,
in my opinion.
Politicians use two phrases to get them going, usually. They either
"point with pride" to something they or their constituents have
accomplished, or they "view with alarm" the actions of foreigners, the
other party, or the people somewhere else. Editors quite often take the
same stance, and often go a step further and outline what should be done
by some group or political entity, and this is fine as long as there is
reaction, either in agreement or disagreement.
This week I am going to be laughing as I get up as well as when I sat
down. The following story of the late Edmond Harding of Washington,
N.C., has been reprinted in several papers lately, and is typical of this great
humorist, I'd say. 1 hope you'll get a chuckle from it too.
Mrs. George Wood, now deceased, of Chowan County, had a mule who
was named Horace. One evening she called up Dr. Satterfield in Edenton
and said to him, "Doctor, Horace is sick, and I wish you would come and
take a look at him."
Dr. Satterfield said, "Oh, Fannie Lamb, it's after six o'clock, and I'm
eating supper. Give him a dose of mineral oil, and if he isn't all right in the
morning, phone me, and I'll come take a look at him."
"How'U I give it to him?" she inquired.
"Through a funnel."
"But he might bite me," she protested.
"Oh, Fannie Lamb-You're a farm woman and you ought to know
about these things. Give it to him through the other end."
So Fannie Lamb went out to the barn, and there stood Horace, with his
head held down, moaning and groaning.
She looked around for a funnel but the nearest thing she could see to
one was her Uncle Bill's fox hunting horn hanging on the wall. A beautiful
goldplated instrument with gold tassels hanging from it.
She took the horn and affixed it properly. Horace paid no attention.
Then she reached up on the shelf where medicines for the farm animals
were kept. But instead of picking up the mineral oil, she picked up a
bottle of turpentine, and she poured a liberal dose into the horn.
Horace raised his head with a sudden jerk. He let out a yell that could
have been heard a mile away. He reared up on his hind legs, brought his
front legs down, knocked out the side of the barn, jumped a five-foot
fence, and started down the road at a mad gallop.
Now Horace was in pain, so every few jumps he made, the horn would
blow.
All the dogs in the neighborhood knew that when the horn was
blowing, it meant that Uncle Bill was going fox hunting, so out on the
highway they went, close behind Horace.
It was a marvelous sight. First, Horace-running at top speed, the
hunting horn in a most unusual position, the mellow notes issuing
therefrom, the tassels waving, and the dogs barking joyously.
They passed by the home of Old Man Harvey Hogan, who was sitting
on his front porch. He hadn't drawn a sober breath in 1 5 years, and he
gazed in fascinated amazement at the sight that unfolded itself before his
eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Incidentally, he is now head
man in Alcoholics Anonymous in the Albemarle section of the state.
By this time it was good and dark. Horace and the dogs were
approaching the Inland Waterway. The bridge tender heard the horn
blowing and figured that a boat was approaching, so he hurriedly went out
and uncrunked the bridge. Horace went overboard and was drowned. The
dogs also went into the water, but they swam out without much
difficulty.
Now it so happened that the bridge tender was running for sheriff of
'howun County, but he only managed to poll seven votes.
The people figured that a man who didn't know the difference between
a mule with a horn up his rear and a boat coming down the Inland
Waterway, wasn't fit to hold any public office in Chowan County.
s
Rural First Call 875-4242
The way wrmijLA watches ? moon HighI?
ywM think h was aopnething great*
By LAURIE TELFAIR ?
I Think We Must
Collect Children
We're the only people 1 know of who
can go to a bar mitzvah with one kid and
leave with five.
Our young neighbor invited us to his
bar mitzvah and we took our older
daughter. We arrived for the ceremony
with one child and left with five, three of
whom were total strangers. It seems that
the three were attending without their
parents and needed to ride to the
reception. Those, plus the younger sister
of the bar mitzvah boy and our own
made five.
It was no trouble, and we were happy
to do it, of course, but the entire
somewhat confusing affair was
symptomatic of the way we seem to
attract children, much like a magnet or,
more accurately, like the way a cat seems
to gravitate to the lap of the person who
hates cats.
One night last week our girls came in
and asked permission to sleep outside on
a neighbor's porch (it was during the
monsoons). It seemed safe enough, so we
said ok. Along about 11 pjn., as I was
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear editar:
According to the syndicated
columnists in all the newspapers I've
gotten hold of lately, the big issue in the
1972 Presidential election will be
economics, a fairly safe prediction in view
of the fact economics has been the main
issue in elections since elections were
invented.
In commenting on the current
economic situation, one columnist, after
citing the alarming rate of inflation,
unemployment, deficit spending, etc.,
with the national budge over - shot by 25
billion dollars, said "something is
wrong when the government's chiet
financial officers can t come within 8 or
10 billion dollars of estimating how much
the government will spend."
I don't know anything about such
matters as the rate of inflation, the
economic index or the cost ? of - living
index, all I've got out here is a
thermometer that's two or three degrees
off and a rain gauge with the markings
too rusty to read, although I can tell you
whether it's hot or cold outside and
whether I need a rain or not.
But what interested me was that
columnist's not being able to understand
how the government can't come within 8
or 10 billion dollars of estimating how
much it will spend in the next 12 months.
It's easy. For example, at the start of
the year how was I to know my hot water
heater was going out two months after
the warranty ran out, and how could
Washington know it was going to have to
pay for vaccinating 2 million horses
against sleeping sickness at S4 a shot?
I didn't know the transmission on my
car was going to fall apart at a cost of
SI39, any more than Washington knew
that Lockheed was going to tap it for 250
million dollars.
And so it goes. If it's not one thing it's
another. Anybody with kids and
appliances, like a government with 200
million citizens, is in for 12 months of
unanticlpatable expense.
Maybe that columnist can sit down at
the start of the year and tell you what's
going to happen to him in a financial sort
of way, but me and Washington have
never been able to figure it out. Which
one of your presses is going to break
down next?
Yours faithfully,
J.A.
taking a bath, our seven year ? old and a
friend came in the living room an<f said
they were scared. Good old dad said
"why don't you sleep in here?" and by
the time 1 got out of the tub there were
seven kids bedded dwon on the living
room rug.
The doorbell rang, and still in a state of
shock, I opened the door and the four ?
year ? old boy across the street walked in
with his blanket and pillow. I never did
find out how he got into the party, but
he bedded down at the end of the line
and went to sleep.
Soon after that, I brought larger beds
for the children. Until then, we had only
a single bed for each girl and they had
separate rooms. So, usually, overnight
guests either doubled up in the twin bed,
or the group slept in the living room in
sleeping bags.
What with summer, and the constant
stream of children spending the night,
there have been weeks at a time when I
couldn't get through the living room to
let an animal in or out without walking
on wall to wall children.
We briefly had some folding cots for
lightweight overnight guests, but our dog,
in a fit of pique at being left alone one
night, ate the mattresses.
Whenever we would prepare the
blankets and sleeping bags in the living
room, the puppy we had then was sure
we were making her bed. She considered
herself one of the kids anyway and loved
to play with them, so she would always
be right in the middle of the blankets as
they were getting ready for bed. If you
lured her off long enough for a child to
slip into bed, she was back in the group
immediately, rooting out enough room
for herself. The kids never liked to sleep
with Babe, though, and she was usually
banished to the kitchen or put outside.
Occasionally this all pays off in a night
of peace and quiet, when our two
youngsters go off around the
neighborhood to haunt one of the
neighbor's houses.
And there is hope. With the coming
school year, spending the night will be
limited to weekends. We can all gather
our children back into our homes and
count them. I am sure that we moved to
North Carolina with two children and I
can't remember having any more since
then, so this fall, if all the parents play
fair and count correctly, we should again
have only two children.
I hope they are the same two we came
here with, because I rather liked them.
Browsing in the files
of Tho Now?-Journal
25 years ago
Thunday, August IS, 1946
Funeral services were conducted at the
home here Sunday afternoon at 4:00
o'clock for Thomas Benton Upchurch,
who passed away Saturday after an illness
of less then one week.
*???
The feed and flour mill plant of the
Upchurch Milling and Storage Company
here was completely destroyed by fire
Monday morning.
Luke McNeill S2c is expected to arrive
home today, after being separated from
the navy at Norfolk, va. He spent the
past 14 months in the Pacific area.
The Collins Department store here is
now being managed by I.I. Hubbard, who
came here from the ColHra wore in Lake
City, S.C., to relieve P.A. WOaon, who hat
managed the store here since before the
war.
????
From Rockfish News:
Rockfish is very proud of the new bus
service.
???? *
From Poole's Medley:
Apple pie is America's most popular
dessert and in that case I am with the
majority. The cheapest and best apples I
know of are at Riley's orchard near
Montrose.
15 years ago
A.R. Currie of Blue Springs Township
brought the first open cotton boll of the
season to The News-Journal office this
morning.
- " .*
??.! '
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY - With
North Carolina lined up to hold it* fiiat
presidential primary in May 1972 some
are beginning to wonder if George C.
Wallace will become the "spoiler" insofar
as the liberal Democrat hopefuls are
concerned.
In 1968 Wallace had more support
among the Democrats than did Hubert
Humphrey. Nixon led in - the state,
Wallace came in second with Humphrey
in third place.
However, in 1968 Wallace Wallace was
running on his American Party ticket, but
down in Alabama he has been elected
governor on the Democrat ticket.
Should Wallace be permitted to enter
the Democratic presidential primary in
North Carolina he could very well lead
the ticket as most of the Wallace
supporters in 1968 were registered
Democrats. This would be rather
embarassing for the party ? line
Democrats carrying the banner for
liberals like Muskie, McGovern, Jackson
and others.
Last week inrMontgomery, Alabama
Governor Wallace announced his
intention to run again in 1972 and
expressed interest in the North Carolina
presidential primary.
For the "liberal" Denaocois to try and
keep Wallace out of the North Carolina
presidential sweep stakffc, would not
appear very "liberal."
SCHOOL BUSING - Pwtident Nixon
says he is opposed to buting to achieve a
certain percentage of integration, but if
he is he seems a poor person to pick the
right person to head - up the HEW
Department to carry out Ma policy.
When Klxon was running for president
in 1968 he made a speech In which he
strongly opposed cross ? city school
busing, but since he took up residence at
the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue busing has
increased by leaps. When it comes to
school busing Nixon has two faces.
Senator Henry M. Jackson came
visiting to North Carolina last week and
also appeared to be talking out of both
sides of his mouth when the subject was
busing children.
In one statement Jackson said: "I'm
not opposed to busing that can serve a
useful purpose." In anotMK statement he
seemed to oppose butihf, saying that
forced busing to achieve Integration in
Southern communlttei make children
"victims of idealogical patterns."
Jackson, like Nixon, aeema to have two
facet when it cornea to forced school
busing. The two men are probably right
much alike as Nixon tried to get Senator
Jackson to head up the Department of
Defense, which the Washington Democrat
turnea down.
AFTER JORDAN ? Rep. Nick
Galifianakis who is thinking seriously of
opposing Senator B. Everett Jordan in th?
1972 primary refers to Jordan as a "dear
friend of mine." Nick says that he is
considering running because he is afraid
that if Jordan is the nominee that "a
younger, attractive Republican can take
the seat unless the Democrats nominate a
candidate who is able to run a strong,
vigorous race."
Despite the fact that several are
looking to 1972 which an eye peeled
towards Jordan's senate seat, we suspect
thst the Saxaphaw man will be pretty
hard to topple. Two have already
announced their candidacies for the
Democratic nomination for Jordan's seat
and in addition to Nick, two from
Mecklenburg are saying it, Senator
Herman Moore, and William H. Booe, the
latter an outstanding conservative
member of the Mecklenburg School
Board.
HOT RACES -- With contests in the
making for governor, lieut. governor, U.S.
Senator and president for North Carolina
next spring it looks as if there will be a
"hot time in the old town" even before
summer arrives.
POLLS - Opinion polls can sometimes
be right, and sometimes wrong.
Generally, we suspect that they can give a
pretty good idea of the sentiment at the
time when the polls are being made, but
sentiment can change fast.
We understand that Pat Taylor and
Robert Morgan are going to have polls
made before finalizing their plans for
1972. If both got together and had one
poll made they would probably come out
better with half the cost. But, this is not
the way you play politics. Taylor,
Morgan, Bowles and Morton will all have
their individual polls made. If all the
candidates would chip in and let the
Party have one comprehensive poll made
for governor, lieutenant governor and
maybe other offices money could be
saved with what might be sounder results.
Just One Thing After Another
By Carl Goerch
. Postmasters from afi over North
Carolina held a meeting recently. Quite a
number of women attended the
convention, and this reminds us again
that officially there Is no such person as a
postmistress. The government recognizes
both men and women as postmasters.
* ? ?
We have a subscriber to our magazine
named Mr. Gray Friday of Gastonia.
? ? ?
At lunch the other day, one of our
friends asked us to correct this sentence:
"He tole her about he and Sam going
.fishing."
The grammarian in the party, however,
said that both "he" and "him" are wrong.
The correct way to say that sentence
would be: "He told her about his and
Sam's going fishing."
? ? *
"Played checkers the other night with
Tom Baker," writes Louis Andrews of
Durham. "We played five games and I
won twice as many as Baker did. How
many games did Baker win?"
Well, that isn't so hard to figure out, so
we'll let you do it for yourself.
0*0
Tradition says that at Stinking Quarter
in Alamance County a party of hunters
camped before the Revolutionary War. So
much game was killed there that their
offal became offensive and they moved
camp to another place nearby and named
their first camp for the odor left behind
- Stinking Quarter. At thair new camp a
great snow fell which held them there
many days. The stumps of trees, felled
for firewood, stood head high after the
snow melted away. On this account the
place was called Snow Camp.
After the - battle of Guilford
Courthouse, Cornwallis retreated toward
Wilmington and stopped at Snow Camp,
selected the home of Simon Dixon and
ordered the Dixon's out. He used this
home for his headauarteri. In ? ?hnrt
time L'ornwaRts heard a confusion at the
fiont door and asked what it meant. It
was old Mrs. Dixon demanding admission
to get her pipe which she had left behind.
Cornwallis granted her recjuest and the
old lady left with her pipe. The chair that
Cornwallis is reported to have sat in is
still in existence.
? ? ?
Do you know where Atkinson is? It's a
little community in Pender County and
we passed through it recently and
stopped at a service station there. Got to
talking to a Baptist preacher who told us
some interesting things about Atkinson
and the surrounding country.
The Black River is located about four
miles from the town and at one time
there was considerable freight hauled up
and down this stream. And through most
of this area you'll find churches located
close to the river shore a considerable
distance from the nearest community.
Reason for this is that these churches
were built a long time ago, before there
were any decent roads. Easiest way to
travel was up and down the .river, so
that's where the churches were built.
People went to church by boat. Due to
historic and sentimental reasons, these
churches still operate at the same
location, even though they are located
now in rather isolated spots.
? ? ?
Point Caswell was the shipping point
on the Black River and it's about four
miles distant from Atkinson. It is
somewhat of a "ghost town." 'Way back
in the days when waterway
transportation was at its height, it was a
right prosperous little community, with
five or six stores, a hotel, three barrooms
and fifteen or twenty residences. With the
decline of steamboating Point Caswell
began to go backwards. Today the stores,
barrooms and hotel are gone. A good
many of the houses also have been torn
down and only a few of those that remain
are occupied. Hugh oak trees, covered
with Spanish moss, add to the quietness
and serenity of the place.
STORIES
BEHIND WORDS
By William S. Penfield
SHODDY
In the Yorkshire factories of England
the fluff or wool that was shed during
the spinning process was called
"shoddy," from a Middle English word
"Schode" - to shed or divide. Later, the
name was applied to cloth made from
reclaimed wool.
The wool was reclaimed by shredding
old garments into the original fibers.
Then the fibers were spun into new
cloth.
The old fibers were weak. Even though
new wool sometimes was mixed with the
old, the resultant cloth still was of
decidedly inferior quality.
Eventually "shoddy" was used to
denote not only the inferior cloth, but
also any cheap thing masquerading as
something of quality.