CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
Carter*! County'* Newepeper
EDITORIALS TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1954
Spraying Saves Lines, But .
If anyone has driven down-east late
ly, he can't help but have noticed how
brown the vegetation is under the tele
phone lines. Eight-foot tall pines, shrub
bery, all things growing above the
ground are a red, dead color.
This is the result of a spraying
project designed to keep limbs and
branches out of the telephone wires. It
is being done all over Carolina Tele
phone and Telegraph territory to pro
tect toll lines from damage by swaying
branches.
The dead vegetation is terribly un
sightly. Not only that, one of the home
owners down-east said the spraying has
killed some of his fruit trees.
We can understand the telephone
company's viewpoint and sympathize
with them. It costs money to hire man
power to go along rural lines and-cut
out branches. If telephone service is
disrupted, customers complain bitterly.
Frequently the disrupted service is
caused by a line damaged by trees.
So to save money and continue, ser
vice, the killing of vegetation by spray
ing was started.
The results are one of the most un
sightly things we have seen in many a
month. Shrubs along the roadside that
are bright with flowers in the spring
are now dead. Even the vegetation that
simply stays green is gone.
As for the spray killing growing
things that are not on the telephone
company right-of-way, that is some
thing that will have to be thrashed out
between the property owner affected
and the telephone company.
Persona complaining of the awful ap
pearance of the down-east roadsides
have our full sympathy. Visitors to this
county won't get a favorable impres
sion from mile after mile of dead trees
and bushes.
If the now-dead vegetation were cut
down and removed, the roadside ap
pearance would be greatly improved.
Next year if the spraying is to continue,
it should be done early in the spring
before the vegetation reaches full
growth.
Watch Those Youngstersl
All the officers and laws in the
world cannot keep highway fatalities
down if parents allow their children to
play along the road.
Two highway deaths in the county
this year have been children. Both ran
out in front of automobiles.
State highway patrolmen stationed
here ? and we believe we have the
best four patrolmen in the state ? are
concerned about all highway fatalities.
But like the rest of us, they are particu
larly concerned when innocent children
are the victims of motorists.
It is acknowledged that parents can
not keep their eyes on youngsters every
minute. But the two recent deaths of a
boy 10 and a little fellow 2Vs years old
should serve as a dire warning to all
parents ? keep your youngsters in a
fenced yard or take other safety meas
ures to keep them off the highways.
Sand Roads Are Fast Disappearing
The County Board of Commissioners
met recently at New Bern with highway
officials of district 2 to hear a report
on the road program in Carteret ? what
has been done here and what the possi
bilities arejor the future.
THE NEWS-TIMES was invited to
the meeting, but the invitation came
two hours before convening time and
we regret that we were unable to at
tend. County officials who went were
evidently pleased at what they heard.
It was reported that during the past
six years approximately four million
dollars has been spent on highways in
this county. For a county that is not a
throughway from east to west or north
to south, we have fared well.
It was suggested at a recent county
board meeting that Carteret may not
be getting all that should be coming its
way. We believe there is little basis for
that comment. A new bridge has just
been built from Morehead City to At
lantic Beach, a new bridge is going up
across the Thoroughfare between Ce
dar Island and Atlantic, the road at
South River is now being prepared for
paving, and two road projects for which
contracts were let last week mean the
spending here within the next few
months of well over $30,000. The new
highway in the wsetern part of More
head City has just opened and in the
process of completion is the resurfac
ing job between Morehead City and
Havelock.
There still remain roads which folks
would like to have surfaced. There al
ways will be such. But the county has
gone through, in recent years, the big
gest road-paving era it has ever seen.
We're helping to pay for it, of course,
but we believe it's money well invested.
Think of the increase in property
value brought by the paving, of four
million dollars in roadways. It's no
small item.
Folks always seem to be. griping
about the State Highway Commission,
but we believe today that Carteret just
ly owes it a thank you.
Farmers in Civil Defense
(From St. Louis Post*- Dispatch)
Is civil defense of no concern to rural
areas? State Legislatures, dominated
by rural delegations, have in general
assumed that it is not. That assumption
has retarded state participation in city
civil defense programs. In Frederick
County, Maryland, however, farmers
themselves are demonstrating that they
are far more alert than many legislators
think they are.
There, a farm civil defense program
is under way. It was instigated by a
farmer, Siegfried Goetx. And it haa
been in progress for six years now. The
Baltimore Evening Sun tells about it in
a series of article* by Raymond Thomp
son.
This group of farmers, in the New
Market community, hopes to set a pat
tern for the other farm areas of the
nation. The farmers there realize that
a bomb dropped on a city 100 miles
away could stop the flow of electricity
which draws water from their wells,
milks their cows, cools their milk, sepa
rates their cream, provides their re
frigeration and lights their homes.
They realize that this same bomb could
cut off their supplies, their transporta
tion, their market, their communication,
their labor supply. They are aware that
thousands of refugees from bomb-out
cities would stream into their rural lo
calities, seeking food, shelter, clothing
and medical care.
Mr. Thompson, in writing the Sun's
articles, was guilty of no overstatement
when he said, "Few people have ever
given this serious thought" The fact
that farmers in the New Market Com
munity of Maryland are giving it their
most serious thought, and are carrying
on in the sixth year of doing so, may
lead other farmers ... to re-examine
the idea that civil defense is no concern
of theirs.
Carteret County N?ws~TimM
WINNER OF NAIKMAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION AND NOETB CAROLINA
PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARDS ?
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MM Araadall St. Morahaad City. N. C
i. LOCEWOOD PHILLIPS ? PUBLISHER
ELEANORE DEAR PHILLIPS ? ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
RUTH U PERUNO ? EDITOR
SUDRataa: la Carter* Court? and adjaiainf eountlea, $6.00 ona jraar , ?3S0 at* Kootha.
VJ> ?a Booth; alaairhera $7.00 eat yaar, t*M ill nontfea, $1.50 dm aaoatfc.
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Natlaoal Editorial Aaaatiattaa ? Audit Buraau at CtaUM
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FOR A RHEE-UNITED KOREa
iTf TiMTMHUTflf" ?''i~ 1
WHITE
HOUSE
Rambling Through Carteret
By F. C. SALISBURY
If you live in Carteret County,
are a transplanted countian, or a
would ? be traveler, these ramb
lings may refresh your memory
about your county. If you are a
visiter they may lead you to
points of historic interest.
As you traverse the county, you
will discover here and there points
of interest, both old-timey and
modern, around which is woven
much of- the early history of the
settlement of the county as well as
present day commercial progress.
Entrance to the county by auto
mobile can be made over High
way 24 or Highway 70. The In
land Waterway cuts through the
eastern part of the county and
ocean-going craft dock at the More
head City Port Terminal.
Route 2 brings you across the
White Oak River from Swansboro.
The center of this" river is the' di
viding line between Carteret and
Onslow countics. Two bridges re
cently completed by the state bring
you into what is known as the
Cedar Point section. Off to your
right in the distance is Bogue In
let Coast Guard station located on
Bogue Banks. This is one of two
stations along this coast, the other
er being at the end of the Banks
near Fort Hacon.
Tradition has it that Cedar Point,
before the coming of the settlers,
was the site of the annual meeting
of Indian tribes along the coast
who went there to hold their pow
wows and oysters roasts. If you are
a student of archelology you might
delve into an Indian burying
ground in this section guarded over
by a grove of cedars and water
oaks. Along the embankement of
the sound one can dig out pieccs of
Indian pottery and observe the lay
ers of oyster sfSells accumulated
from the oyster feasts of the past.
Continuing eastward you are now
driving through one of the early
grants known as the Hill planta
tion. Look sharp and at the end of
a lane of I to your left you will see
a most unusual house. This is a
landmark of that section known as
the "octagon houae," one of the
few eight-sided houses standing in
the nation today.
The story goes that one Edward
Hill over a hundred years ago
built the house as near round as
possible to avoid the howl of the
wind that one gets from a square
cornered house. However back in
1848, 0. S. Fowler, a New York
state man advanced the idea that
more cubafe could be obtained in
an octagon than In the rectangu
lar houae having an equal area of
enclosing walls. Fowler's idea
caught on. Octagon bouses are
said, to have been built in that per
iod from Cape Cod to San Fran
cisco. Mr. Hill might have been
one of those who adopted this new
style of architecture, gaining cu
bage with less howl of wind.
The Hill plantation, now owned
by John S. Jones, a descendant
from Edwsrd Hill, consists of 1,040
acres which constitutes one half
of the 2,080 acre grant made Jan.
30, 1713 to Capt. Thomas Lee by
Henry, the Duke of Beaufort, after
whom present day Beaufort is
named.
In 1765 William Hill, one of Mr.
Jones' early ancestors, bought tho
west half of the Lee property and
William Borden, one of the early
Quakers coming into the county,
bought the east half. There is no
"private" sign at the gate. Mr
Jones will extend to you ? bit of
the old Southern hospitality along
with plenty of Cedar Point history.
It will be time well spent
II time permits, take a aide road
Just beyond the Jones place to
Stella. A few miles brings you to
the oldest church building in the
county, known aa the Hadnett
Primitive Baptist Church. The
church uciftv flat? hick over
years, (he building being over 100
years "old It is of the plainest ar
chitectural design, straight backed
benches for pews, a gallery at the
rear for slaves of past days. It
would have met the approval of the
exacting Pilgrim Fathers. You
will have to look sharp on your
right as you pass the settlement of
Pelleticr for the building is on a
knoll in a grove of pines. Services
are held from time to time in the
ancient structure.
Back on the main highway head
ing for Morehead City . . . with an
active imagination you can witness
many a foray in this section during
the Civil War between small de
tails of the Rebels and the Yanks.
From 1862 to '65 the Federal forccs
holding Carteret County after the
caplure of Fort Macon maintained
large camps at Newport and Caro
lina City. Attempts made by the
Johnnies to cross White Oak Riv
er and stab at the Yanks In the
reer brought forth many a scrappy
little battle along the river. A
large block house built by the Fed
eral forces along Bogue Sound to
protect the water traffic was de
stroyed during a raid by the Con
federates.
Early fencing of plantation boun
daries consisted of rail fences.
Along this stretch of highway you
will notice what is said to be the
last remains of such fencing in
the county. This is part of a rail
fence which at one time formed the
boundary of a large plantation.
Don't let anyone tell you that Abe
Lincoln split these rails. Most
of the old rails went to feed the
fires of the Yanks as they camped
in that section during their for
ays.
Glimpses of Bogue Sound appear
between breaks in the woods, also
Bogue Banks across the sound. The
village of Salter Path is about op
posite Broad Creek bridge. Near
by is the burying ground for the
people of Salter Path, for the shift
ing sands of the Banks will not
permit burial.
For several miles before retch
ing the junction of route 70, the
shore line is dotted with camps
and summer homes. One catches
glimpses of them across fields and
woods.
Camp Morehead, operated by Pat
Crawford is one of the finest boj
summer camps to be found in the
state.
From the sandy soil of many
small farms along this route come
the famous Bogue Sound watermel
ons, known the world over for their
unusual line flavor that this sandy
6oil seems to give them. Don't
tak our word for it, stop and buy
one. This is melon season.
Friday: Ramble No. 2.
Author of the Week
William Fain, author of a sort of
perverse and contrary first novel,
"The Lizard's Tail," seems to be a
most uncontrary fellow himself. He
was born in New York and now
lives here with his wife and two
children.
But in between he has wandered
far, as a student, in the service
in war, and on his own ? into
New England, where he was grad
uated from Harvard, to France,
where he studied, and to Africa.
He worked on the New Bedford
(Mass.) Standard-Times, the Hous
ton (Texas) Press and the New
York World-Telegram and Sun.
Today's Birthday
JOHN CORNELIUS STENNIS,
born August 3, 1901 in Kemper
County, Miss. The U. S. Senator
w.i? rc - ciccivu
in 1952 after
filling in the va
cant term of the
late Theodore
G. Bilbo. Serv
ed in state
House of Repre
sentatives and
as circuit judge.
Was president
ui tin siair *-fi
Adviiory Council. Started hit ed
ucation in one-room schoolhouse,
went on to make Phi Beta Kappa
at University of Virginia. Mem
ber of Senate Armed Forces Sub
committee.
In the Good Old Days
THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO
Beaufort would have free mail
delivery in a few months.
Beaufort Girls Scouts were on a
camping trip at the beach.
Bayard Taylor waa advertising an
August clearance sale. Men's 18
shoes were $4.33, 75 cent silk
ginghams were 49 cents a yard and
children's bathing suits were re
duced from tl to 90 cents. 1
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Permission to erect a bridge
from Harkera Island to Lennox
vllle had been granted the Cape
Lookout Highway Inc.
The Johnson-Prevost Dry Clean
ing Co. had bought out the Taylor
Dry Cleaning Co. in Beaufort and
would operate in the aame build
ing on Front Street. H. I. Saund
ers of Durham and J. H. John
ion of Chapel Hill would be man
agers.
Paul's Garage In Beaufort waa
advertising aa Essex for MM.
TEN YEARS AGO
A Miriai, rtatlonid it AtfrntL*
\
Air Field, was electrocuted when
he touch a Marine truck parked be
neath high tension wires. The
truck's antenna contacted a 2,300
volt wire.
A nest of painted buntings was
found in Beaufort
An expected storm by-passed
Beaufort, leaving slight damage in
its wake.
FIVE YF ARK AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hatsell of
Norfolk were presenting chimea to
Ann Street Methodist Church in
memory of their parents, Mr. and
Mrs. George Hatsell and Mr. and
Mrs, Allen Davis.
Fort Macon State Park would
be opened to the public this week
for swimming, fishing and picnick
ing
Wiley H. Taylor Jr. resigned a*
Beaufort town commissioner and
waa appointed town attorney. Or
ville Gas kill was appointed a com
missioner, subject to Ms accep
tance.
Ruth P? ting
T ime Has Come to Speak
Out Against FuzzDomes
I've stood it as long u I can.
This is going to make me a lot of
enemies but 1 feel tbe time has
come to speak.
I hate crew hair cuts. I hate
butch cuts, brush cuts or whatever
you call those things that leave a
fringe of vegetation across the
dome of the male cranium.
Look around you today. Who are
the best looking guys? The ones
with the crew cut coiffures? No.
Look at Irvin Davis, register of
deeds. He has the prettiest head of
hair you'd ever want to see. Ted
Garner in Morehead City always
looks as though he just stepped out
of a barber shop ad but he'd look
like something that got caught in
a lawn mower if he got his hair
clipped off. And just picture John
Lashley if he had all that lovely
grey wavy stuff shorn. ?
I could name some more. But
think for yourself. Do you know
any guy who ever enhanced his
appearance by having his hair cut
so short he could comb it with a
washcloth? Look at Dan Walker
and his new cut.
Now Jerry Schumacher knows
better than to get a butch. His
head would look like a 15-year-old
toothbrush 'cause there aren't
many bristles there to begin with.
Women may be contrary but
when it comes to hair, men beat
everything. When they're young
and have enough hair to keep the
soft spots on their head warm.
Jane Ead?
Washington
?erle Mesta, famed as the "hos
tess with the mostess," was just
patching her breath after her first
spectacular shindig since her re
turn from five years abroad, an
elaborate black-tie affair with more
than 700 guests.
"Well, you had no trouble re
gaining your title as the capital's
No. 1," I remarked.
"1 never had a title, never pre
tended to have one," Perlc object
ed. "There is only one woman
in Washington who is entitled to
be called 'No. 1 hostess,' and that
is the first lady in the White House
and you can say I said so."
Mrs. Mesta told me that, al
though "1 live to give parties and
have just as much fun as anyone,
this one will have to do for
awhile." Sbe was off to fill a
speaking engagement in Columbus,
Ohio, and expected to spend July
and August at her home in New
port, R. 1.
The new Washington home
which the former minister to Lux
embourg is having renovated and
decorated by a French firm won't
be ready until late fall. Meanwhile
the fabulous Perle is occupying a
luxury apartment with her broth
er-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs.
George Tyson. Mrs. Tyson, she
said, is "having a lot of fun show
ing poodles ? and she's got the
best in the world."
Mrs. Mesta said she was feeling
fine and had several plans in mind
to keep her busy next autumn. "I'll
be doing something ? you know
me," she said.
The party glittering with lum
inaries. including Chief Justice
Earl Warren and some 35 ambas
sadors, Cabinet and military offi
cials, congressional figures and
news and theatrical folk ? began
at 8 p.m. and didn't break up until
4 a.m.
Champagne flowed freely, and
there were two lavish buffet tables.
There was an orchestra for dance
music, and some 25 violinists
moved from one table to another
playing gypsy tunes. Billie Worth
who sang in London in "Call Me
Madam" (the famed musical which
the hostess inspired), and also sang
at Perle's glamorous coronation
ball in the British capital, sang
with her husband. Donald Durr.
Celeste Holm of "Oklahoma" fame
also gave forth.
they have all of it shaved off. Then
there are others, past 50, who are
unhappy because all their hair haa
just naturally disappeared.
Kno why the price of hair cuts
has gone up? These off with-th?
hair cuts are required so seldom
that to stay in business the bar
ber had to hike prices. So now a
fellow not only has to part with a
buck but in the bargain he gets to
look like somebody who has just
touched a 10,000-volt wire.
It used to be that anyone with a
butch cut had been recently re
leased from state prison or the
army The no-hair routine was a
purely utilitarian measure to keep
down germs and infestation. May
be our men are healthier because
of the short hair-do. I doubt it. It
just looks to me as though they are
hurrying the day when they'll real
ly be bald.
The sun filters down through
the stubbles of hair, dries out the
scalp, and bingo, before you know
it, the guy's on the way to the drug
store to buy some stuff to restore
"that natural oiliness" to the scalp.
Ask any woman ? I bet nine out
of 10 will vote for the guy who hat
some hair she can run her fing
ers through!
Blanda McLohon, Morehead
City's town treasurer, is overjoyed.
"At last," she says, "I've won
something! A $25 diamond." And
she really did. She counted the
number of diamonds in an ad
and lo and behold the store spon
soring the contest notified her she
had won a $25 diamond.
1 told her that when she got
it, I'd bring my magnifying glass
and come look at it. But she has
had the diamond mounted and
the ring is right pretty.
Know what the uplanders want
to name two of our recently-ac
quired state boats? The Dogwood
and the Cardinal. The sentiment is
touching. The dogwood is our
state flower and the cardinal our
slate bird, but it has been tra
ditional to name state boats after
rivers, bays, inlets or sounds of
North Carolina. And frankly, Dog
wood and Cardinal not only sound
peculiar as boat names, they just
don't fit in with the saltwater
scheme of things.
I hope the up-staters are over
ruled by the time christening day
comes.
Then Will be Peace
By PEGGY GIRV1N
Beaufort
When the world is through with
toil and strife,
And we love our neighbors more
than life,
That will be peace on earth.
When God looks down and says,
"Well Done,"
And we are united, all for one,
That will be peace on earth.
ft may not be in my day or yours;
For the world is not yet done with
wars,
But some glad day the angels will
sing
And all of Heaven's bells shall
ring,
And God's light will shine oil
everything?
Then will be peace on Earth.
Smile a While
Father, tired and full after Sun
day dinner, was seeking sweet rest
on the davenport. The youngsters
tried to arouse him for their prom
ised Sunday afternoon walk. Final
ly the five-year-old daughter pried
open one of pop's eyelids, peeking
in carefully, and reported: "He's
still in there."
A Famous American Ship
The Flying Cloud is one of America'! most famous clipper ships.
On her record passage in 18S1 between New Ydrk and San Franeiaco,
she averaged 13 Vi knots over a four-day stretch, considerably faster
than today's Liberty ships, according to the American Merchant Ma
rine Institute. Her overall voyage of 88 dayi waa hailed on both
coasts. Ssn Franciscans rejoiced because the voyage had bean made
in under three months and made them feel cloeer to their old homes
in the East "It la truly a national triumph," wrote the New York
Commercial, "and points to the preeminence upon the ocean which
awaits the United States."