North Carolina Newspapers

W CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES 45th YEAR, NO. 2. THREE SECTIONS TWENTY PAGE8 MORE HEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1956 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS R. T. Willis Calls It a Day, Ending 60 Years in Business! By F. C. SALISBURY Rounding out sixty yean* deal ing with the publie in Morehead City and Carteret County, R. T. Willis Sr., on Jan. 1 brought to a elose his active days in the mer cantile business. His business con nections have been in Morehead City where he holds the record for being the oldest merchant in continuous operation in the city, as well as in the county. The name of Willis will not cease as a business firm for Mr. Willis's son, Rupert Earl, will car ry on. For the past few years he I has been closely associated with I the business which qualifies him | to uphold the high business prin- , ciples established by his father, a < reputation built upon the princi ples of honesty, fair dealing and friendship. The story of Mr. Willis's suc cessful career reads almost like one of the Horatio Alger stories so popular in years past. We find him as a youth living with his pa rents on a farm in the Mansfield section, where he was born Sept. 28, 1879. His early education was meager. A few short terms of country school, followed by such I instruction that a private school i furnished at that time. Leaves Farm Farm life not appealing to the young man, he came into More head City in 1896 and hired out to Ncedham Willis, who at that time was conducting a general store, at a wage of $50 a year with room and board. The second year his salary went to $84 By this time his employer must have seen the making of a merchant in the young man, for he raised his wages to $108 and offered him a third interest in the business. The years of apprenticeship un der Mr. Willis had fitted the young man to feel that he could strike out for himself in the bus iness world. With his meager sav ings and assistance from his fa ther, a loan of $600, R. T., as he was being called, rented a small plot of ground near the location of his present store, lie built, at a cost of $196, a small store bufld ing. From this small beginning grew a gon^ra^'ore that ha??Met; Now that he's retired, Mr. R. T. will find a lot more time to do things just like this, relaxing and reading the paper. merchandising demands down through the years. Within five years from the open ing of his small store, Mr. Willis had outgrown his quarters. On the lot adjoining the wooden building arose a two-storied brick building, the first brick store building to be erected in the city. With the exception of a few years this build ing has housed the Willis store. Believing that greater oppor tunities lay in the wholesale gro cery business, Mr. Willis leased his store to the late Frank and John Klein. In company with J. T. Davenport, he entered into part nership for the conducting of a wholesale business. This venture did not prove to his liking. Selling his interest in the business to his partner, Mr. Willis erected a build ing next to the present Fort Macon Hotel where he again conducted a general merchandise business, later moving to the present loca tion. Happy Years The years brought prosperity and happiness to him. A marriage of congeniality that covered over fifty years, only to be broken by death a few weeks ago, resulted lis ? lamily of six childi&j Who have proved an honor and a bless ing to their parents. As a Christian character, Mr. Willis has lived up to the teach ings of the church of his choice? Baptist which he accepted as a youth. He has served on the of ficial board of deacons of the First Baptist Church for many years. At the time Morehead City started the movement for better streets and other civic improvements, Mr. Willis as a member of the Board of Commissioners gave his counsel and hearty support. Retiring from active commercial life does not mean that Mr. Willis will not take an interest in the religious and civic affairs of the city. He will have more time to give to his host of friends whom he has cultivated through the years. They will always welcome that hearty handshake of his, lis ten to some happenings of years past, knowing that his greeting and inquiry of one's health comos from a deep feeling of friendship. As Mr. Willis passes the bus iness on to younger shoulders, he feels assured that the same hearty and loyal support given him by the public through the years will con tinue toward his son. Last Night Was 'Old Christmas' at Rodanthe | News in Nutshell | INTERNATIONAL NOW INDIA is giving United States textile manufacturers the jitters. The American Cotton Man ufacturers Institute says that India is producing fabrics at even lower cost than Japan. FRANCE'S ONLY HOPE for some type of government lies in a compromise between the two po litical enemies. Mendes France and i'remier Faure. Communists now have 147 seats in the new assem bly. 52 more than they won in the 19S1 election. NATIONAL PRESIDENT EISENHOWER'S state of the union message was read to Congress yesterday. The President commented on the coun try's prosperity and said that the administration is directly attacking the farm problem so that farmers may join in the prosperity which they have helped create. THE NAVY is continuing to test cold vaccines Two hundred re cruits at Great Lakes Navjl Train ing Center have received shots of a new vaccine which may help put dat code in da head on da shelf. STATE AT GOLDSRORO Seymour John son field will be reactivated this July with 3,300 personnel. Con tracts will be let soon on 1,500 homes which will house men and their families The field will he used by a fighter bomber wing of the Tactical Air Command. THE CONSERVATION and De velopment Hoard convened yester day at Raleigh. Bidt Opened Yesterday On Transit Shed Jobs Bids were opened at the More head City state ports office yester day afternoon on the electrical in stallation and sprinkler system for the new transit shed. Contracts will be awarded in about 30 days. Five bids were re ceived on the electrical Job and two on the sprinkler system The low electrical hid was $15,440 by Turner Electric Co., Inc., La Grange. and the low sprinkler bid ?u $20 869 by the Glob? Automa tic Sprinkler Co., Charlotte. ' Rodantho (AP)-? Fisher folk and Coast Guardsmen of the North Carolina Outer Banks celebrated their second Christmas Eve last night. It was the eve of Epiphany or Twelfth Night, when the three wise men arrived to see the infant Jesus. The celebration continues an old English custom, a present day re minder that this coast's first set tlers were from merrie olde Eng lande. Instead of Santa Claus. who ar rived 12 days ago on the outer hanks. Old Buck, a mythical bull of the woods, put in an appear ance He's n character who de scends upon Rodanthe once a year. He frightens children who have been bad and praises children who have been good. Old Buck has reluctantly given way to the modern age. He used to be represented by a resident dressed in the hide and head of an Outer Banks steer. But now he has been put on wheels. He is a life-size reproduction of a pasture bull, whose snorting and bellowing have been silenced by roller bearings. Now that an all-weather road traverses Hatteras Island and the sandy Outer Banks, more and more visitors come to participate in Old Christmas. The festivities center at the school house at Rodanthe. Besides Old Buck, there was an oyster roast, a minstrel show, square dancing and singing. Visitors say that with Old Buck and the general air of hilarity, Old Christmas on the isolated Outer Banks of the North Carolina coast seem like a combination of Christ mas. New Year's and Mardi Gras. Judge Hamilton Will Sp?ak At PTA M*?ting Judge Luther Hamilton will speak an the subject, A Judge I.ookn At Juvenile Delinquency, at the Morehead City PTA meeting at 7:30 Monday night at the schori auditorium. Mrs. George McNeill will be ia charge of the devotional. All mem bers are urged to eome and other interested persons are invited to attend, said Mrs. Linwood Brin son, president. PTA officers will meet in the auditorium at 7 p.m. Surrey .Started R. M. Williams, county farm agent, accompanied soil conserva tion personnel on tbeir preliminary ?urvey of the Newport River ye? terday Tomorrow is Blue Crutch Day Here Toitprrow is Blue Crutch Day in thotffarch of Dimes campaign. Misa Alida Willis, campaign di rector aays blue crutch pins will 9 sold on the streets of Beaufbrt. Morehead City and Newport by members of the Le gion posts in those towns. They will also be sold by the post at Davis. Any amount given for the pins will be accepted. The crutch is being used as a symbol showing that the March of Dimes helps polio patients to walk again. Legion Opens New Building Between 50 and 75 people at I tended the open house Wednesday night at the newly-erected Ameri can Legion Building, Beaufort. The building was put up by Carteret Post No. 09 The building was constructed at a cost of approximately 1 10,000 on the Legion fairgrounds. Refresh ments were served by members of the Legion auxiliary and members escorted the visitors on a tour of the building. The building ia equipped with a kitchen and is available for rent by the public. It will also be used in conjunction with the fair sponaor ed annually by the Legion post. Rural Fire Association Members Fail to Pay Dues Most of th? member* of thv Beaufort Rural Fire Auociation are backsliders. According to Leslie D. Springle. president of the laaodatton. less than half of the 280 members paid their U dues for 1BS5, and IBM dues are now payable. The Beaufort Rural Fire Aaao clatlon was orgaaixed two years ago and owns a tank truck which it houaed at the Beaufort Fire Sta tlon. President Springle says that the few members who have paid their dues have maintained the equipment "Since thia truck waa put in op 'ration." he aaid, "it haa saved several hundred tbouaand dollars worth of property. Yau might be the next to call it. ao please pay your 1895 and 18M dues ' "If all the memberi would pay the# dues, we would have enough ?a obey to equip the truck wit* ? pump and keep it up." Mr. Springle ?aid. "We members who have paid our dues cannot maintain this fine piece of equipment to save the homed and out hnildinga of mem ber! who dont pay," he contineud. Urleas a rural fire association member has paid hia dues to data, he is not eligible for assistance, should fire break out oo his out-of town property. Dues may be paid to John Miller, treasurer of the association, or Mrs W. J. I pock, secretary . both of Beaufort. Anyone who would, like to be come a member of the Rural Tire Association shook) contact Mr. Sprlnfle, 2-4144. Frank bay Trsaslsrisd Frank Cay. Boy Scout field rtp retenUUve f or th* area. kaa baea Initial War Game Movement Starts Tomorrow at Morehead City Port Newport to Seek Federal Aid To Put Water Through Town Robert L. Pugh To Speak Jan. 16 At DSA Banquet Robert L. Pugh, superintendent of Craven County Schools, will be the speaker at the Jaycee Distin guished Service Award banquet Monday night. Jan. 16, at Flem ing's Restaurant. The banquet will begin at 7. Mr. Pugh will be introduced by H. L. Joslyn, Carteret County superin tendent of schools. The DSA will be presented by Robert Howard, Morehead City, a past winner. The winner was selected by a se cret committee following receipt of ballots from civic organizations. Reservations Required J. C. Harvell, chairman of the banquet, said reservations must be made in advance. Double postcards are being sent to all Jaycees, past DSA winners, and former Jaycees. They are askod to return the cards, indicating whether they and their wives will attend. The banquet is dutch. Mr. Harvell anaounced plans for the affair at the Monday night meeting of the Jaycees at the Hotel Fort Macon. During the business session rais ing of dues was discussed but no action Uken. James Webb gave a report on the Jaycee Christmas Party. Fifty five children attended. He said that each of the children received a gift, were given a luncheon, and saw movies at the City Theatre. Hal Shtpiro was appointed Chair man of Che industrial survey com mittee. Ralph Styron was a guest. Police Check On Two Wrecks Morehead City police invest gated two accidents late Wedn day. Delmar P. Harvey, Mones ci, Pa., was charged with having in sufficient brakes causing an acci dent. after the car he was driving, a 1950 Oldsmobile. rammed into the rear of a 1955 Ford operated by Richard M. McClain. Morehead City, at 5:25 p..m Wednesday. According to PtI. Bill Condie. Harvey was driving along Arendell Street and when he saw McClain's car stopped for the light, he ap plied his brake* and they failed to hold. Damages were estimated at (150 to McClain's Ford and $300 to Har vey's car. A minor accident causing $25 damage occurred at 10:50 p.m. Wednesday when a 1948 Chrysler driven by Gloria Adams Mann, Newport, collided with a 1954 Olds mobile driven by James E. Daugh erty, Springfield. Ohio, at 21at and Arendell Streets. According to the report of Sgt. Joe Smith and Chief Herbert Grif fin, the Chrysler was turning right on 21st Street and hU the Oldsmo bile which was being backed out of a parking apace. Tha Chrysler was damaged. No damag* was done to Mr. Daugher ty's car and no charges were filed. ? Newport town fathers gave May-? or Leon Mann the green light Tues day night on starting the wheels turning toward getting a govern ment loan to install a town-wide water system. Mayor Mann said that the fed eral agency, the Home Finance Corp., offers such loans, the reve nue from the water system used to repay. On$ stipulation is that every house and business in the town put the water in. At present, wells supply water to houses and businesses at New port with the exception of the 10 homes which have already been connected to the water system in stalled as a fire department pro ject. Mayor Mann reminded the board that engineers were retained sev eral years ago to design a water system for Newport with the un derstanding that they would be paid only if the loan were effected j through the federal government, i Estimate Made The commissioners authorized the mayor to contact this firm, W. A. Freeman, to see whether plans drawn by them could still be used. The mayor estimates that $60,000 would be needed to put in an en tire system. The loan would be repaid at per cent interest. Mayor Mann said that the po tential number of water customers in Newport is 221, which wpuld yield a revenue df from $600 to $800 a month. Citing Swansboro as an example, he said that the average monthly water bill there is $3.30 a month. Swansboro's wa ter system was installed ffcrough federal financing. At present, Newport's water cus tomers pay a $30 tapping fee plus $2 a month. The board approved using $2i0 of town funds to finance part of payment of an alternator for one of the fire trucks until Civil De fense reimburses the town under a matching fund program. Half of the cost of the alternator is be ' aid by the Newport Rural I Fir" Association. Mayor Mann reported that a fire truck has been obtained for the down east section of the county See NEWPORT, Page 6 Health Office Reports Typhoid Case at Atlantic John Nelson Jr. Taken To Hospital; Polio Patient Improves Communicable . diseases have been plaguing the county. In addi tion to the polio case reported earlier this week; the health de partment announces that John Nel son Jr., 36, Atlantic, has been stricken with typhoid fever. Mr Nelson was admitted to the Sea Level Hospital Tuesday after noon and his illness was diagnosed as typhoid Wednesday. Mrs. Leota Hammer, public health nurse, said no quarantine is necessary at the home when the patient is hospital ized. A case of rabbit fever and a case of encephalitis also occurred re cently but both patients have re covered. Six - year old Ronnie Eubanks, Beaufort RFD, who is suffering from polio, has passed the acute stage, according to authorities at Central Convalescent Hospital, Greensboro, where he is hospital ized. His father, Ivev Eubanks, said yesterday that Ronnie has slight paralysis. He can't Hse his right arm. His throat had been paralyzed but Wednesday he was able to &welloto liquids. *>. There were no typhoid cases in the county last year. One case of polio occurred in the county in 1955. The health department earnestly suggests that parents see that their children receive all immunization shots during the cold months rather than wait until summer. Mrs. Hammer said that the health department prefers giving shots now instead of in hot weather. Going Out of Bu?ino?? Mr. and Mrs. IV. J. Blair Will Dispose of Dairy Herd at Sale Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Blair arc selling their herd of Holstein cat tle. The Blairs. who operate Bay side Farms. Crab Point, and have taken numerous blue ribbons on their pure-bred dairy cattle, are go ing out of the dairy business. The herd, in its entirety, will be dispo?ed of Friday, Jan. 20, in the State Fairgrounds arena, Raleigh. The sale starts at 10:30 a m and is being conducted by the North Carolina Holstein-Friesian Associa tion. Bayside Farm and all its dairy facilities are being put up for lease. Mr. Blair said that scarcity of dairy herd managers and helpers has dictated their going out of business. The original herd of 15 cows, acquired by the Blalrs in Decern-* her 1050, was hand-picked by the late Dr. R. H Ruffner of State College, Raleigh, who introduced the first Holstelns to North Caro lina. The herd now numbers 102. The bull. Charlie (Wisconsin Aristocrat Ideal), Burk-bred, and 38 of his daughters are going on the block. His daughters were bred to Pabst Raven Rambler who has a record of seven excellent ancestors in his three - generation pedigree, Mr. Blair said. The herd is classified, on regular H1R and DHIA tenting, is Bangs certified, TB accredited and calf hood vaccinated. Production records may be ex amined at the farm, but animals can be purchased only at the sale. 4 Tide Table Tldei at thr Beaufort Bar HIGH LOW Friday, Jan. 6 3:00 a.m. 9:32 a.m. 3:19 p.m. 8:43 p.m. j Saturday, Jan. 7 3:57 a.m. 10:27 a.m. | 4:19 p.m. 10:35 p.m. Sunday, iaa. I 4:53 a.m. 11:18 a.m. I 5:18 p.m. 11:23 p.m. Monday, Jan. ? 5:45 a.m. 8:10 p.m. 12:06 p.m. ItoMday, Ian. 1* 8:31 a.m. 12:10 a.m. I 8:58 p.m. 12:52 p.m. Photo by Jwrjr Brhum.cher Mr . an4 Nrt. W. J. Hair ?nd Uwlr former bar* Manager. Reuben WlUtaj, rlfht, teak at taw af itr prfaa eattta. lta her* at 102 fcaa* will ha aaU ? U:M FrUay, Ja*. 2*. at BateUh. ? The annual pilgrimage to Caribbean Isles by the United States Navy and Marine Corps gets underway tomorrow with two LST's and the LSD Casagrande docking at More head City port to take on men and supplies. The war games will center on the island of Vieques. De parture of the main body of Camp Lejeune Marines will take place next week. Navy craft1 will leave from Norfolk and Onslow Beach, as well as Morehead City. I^ockwood Phillips, Beaufort, pub lisher of THE NEWS-TIMES, will be a guest of the Navy during the maneuvers. He will leave More head City Jan. 11 and return to Norfolk Jan. 25. | The exercise is named Lantraex 1-56, which means the first Atlan tic fleet training exercise of 1956. It will be under the command of Brig. Gen. Wallace M. Greene Jr. 32 Ships to Take Part Thirty-two ships of the Atlantic Fleet amphibious force will take part, including the l-attleship USS Wisconsin, the aircraft carrier Si boney, the submarine Sea Lion and seven destroyers. i General Greene's headquarters I commandant, James B. Jacobson, is i in charge of the advance party which will establish a campsite, pitch tents, prepare mess halls and install communications for thou sand of Marines at Vieques. Coordination of air and ground units in amphibious operations will be stressed in the games. Air, Sea Support As ground units train ashore. Marine planes and Navy ships will concentrate on support techniques. In mid-February, an air-naval gun fire exercise involving Navy ships and Marine planes will be staged. Following that in early March bombing Marine air-ground and Navy forces will assault the Island of Vieques in an amphibious opera tion that will climax Lantraex 1-56. Maneuvers to the Caribbean take place every January and February. The last ships on the departure movement frour Morehead City will leave here next Friday; Jan. 13. An invitation to make the cruise was extended THE NtWS-TIMES puhlikher by Gen Vr*nc J. McCaul. I'SMC, Cherry Point. As a guest of the Navy, Mr. Phillips also cruised in the submarine 'Ajax from Norfolk to Key West in Feb ruary 1952 and several time* has been a guest of the Navy on flag ships during maneuvers off Onslow Beach. The publisher also took a trip aboard the USCG Cutter Bramble on a working cruise through the Caribbean Islands in January and February 1953. Building Takes Slump During Last Quarter '55 Number of New Houses Built in Morehead City Almost Double New construction work in More head City took a decided slump during the last three months of 1955. Permits, issued by A. B. Ro berts. building inspector, covered the building of one small bouse by Mat Bell at a cost of $1,500, parages by Horace Johnson, $450 and Bruce L. Goodwin, $400. Tho mas Hester made an addition to his home at a cost of $550. Total for the three months was $2,905. Morehead City's building activi ties for the year 1955 met the average of $450,320 for the past seven years, with a total showing of $450,555. Almost double the number of new houses were built the past year than in 1954. 35 against 19, totaling in cost, $275,970 as against the sum of $151,350 for 1954. Of the 35 new homes, 17 were built or are under construction by the Goodwin Development Corp. in the Crab Point sub-division of the city. Cost of this group of ?ew homes is listed at $114,000. Nine new houses were con structed costing over $10,090 or more: G. E. Sanderson, $19,900; George Bain, $16,700; J. G. Ben ter Morris. <17,000; George East- 3 man, $14,000; Roy S. Streb, ?H 000. Houses costing less than $10,000: J. P. Cary, $8,000; Huntley-PJrest, two at $9,990 each; Paul R. Tay lor, $8,000; and six houses rang ing in cost from $400 to $1,500. Listed under commercial struc tures, both new and remodeled, the totals reached only $152,300 against $222,660 for 1954. The Morehead City Motel Corp. heads the list at $75,000, with the Chris tian Star Church next at $20,000. The Piggly-Wiggly Market coat is listed at $19,000. The Water front Cafe made additions coating $9,900 and the Willis Inn spent $9,600 to repair fire damage. Permits covering smaller build ings or alterations were issued to the White Ice Cream Co., $3,200; Sanitary Fish Market, $1,000; Blomberg store, $1,500; Longley Supply Co., $1,500; Morehead City Shipbuilding company, $7,500. Dr. S. W. Hatcher, office addi tion, $1,000; Sunshine Laundry, $950; Tackle Shop, $450; J. M. Davis, $750; R. H. Hill, $950. Garages toUled $1185. Repairs to homes caused by storm and fire, along with minor additions and alterations, $19,155. Aide Will Be Here Tuesday The representative from the State Civil Defense office who will help fill out application* for sur plus government property will b* in the courtroom of the court house, Beaufort, Tuesday. The United State* government la offering to fkrmers and small busi nessmen equipment at 10 per cent of cost. The representative who will be here has been identified by the State Civil Defense office a* a Mr Robertson, from the State De partment of Purchase and Con tract. Gov. Luther Hodge* said the state will absorb a 5 per cent ad ministrative coat whieh is cuato marily added to the purchase pric* of 10 per cent to the amount the federal government paid for the lurplus equipment Only farmers and business firms who actually suffered direct dam age from last fall'* hurricane* ara eligible for the program. Governor Hodges emphaaiod that federal regulation* prohibit the acquisition of rarplua property for re tale. It must be used (or rehabilitation and for businen and farming operation* within the storm-hit area. Civil Defenae representative* win vl?it all eastern counties hit by storm* laat fall. They will carry catalog* of * valla smrplus prop erty ar.d will ?elp eligible penow fill out appiieatioo Utaka.