16 SHOPPING
DAYS
TO CHRISTMAS
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
46th YEAR, NO. 98. THREE SECTIONS EIGHTEEN PAGES MOREHEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1957 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
Parade Ushers in Christmas Season
Photos by
The Craven County School band stepped to a lively cadence on numbered more than 150 pieces and marched with precisioiMhrough
Front Street, Beaufort, in Wednesday's Christmas parade. The band the crowded business district.
Fleming Tackle
Shop Burns
A six thousand dollar fire de
stroyed the tackle shop at the
Fleming fishing pier, Atlantic
Beach, early yesterday morning
Archie Fleming, owner of the
pier, said that firemen woke him
about 6 o'clock to tell him the shop
was burning Inside was fishing
tackle, drink boxes and rest rooms.
Mr. Fleming said the loss is par
tially covered by insurance.
Both the Atlantic Beach and
Morehead City fire departments an
swered the alarm.
Bill Moore, beach police chief,
said that a passing motorist prob
ably noticed the blaze. He said
that it is not known how the fire
started.
Fire trucks from both depart
ments used water from tank wa
gons. The pier itself and pilings
under the tackle shop were saved.
The fire is believed to have started
about 5:30 a.m.
Mr. Fleming said that the tackle
shop will be rebuilt. Construction
will start after the first of the year.
Woman Found
Dead in Beaufort
Annie Lee Crooms, 41, Beaufort,
was found dead at about 6 o'clock
yesterday morning, on the stoop
by a trailer on Queen Street.
Coroner Leslie D. Springlc said
that death was due to overindul
gence in alcohol and exposure. He
said there was no evidence of foul
play.
The woman's body was found by
Eddie (Tib) Collins, who lives near
the corner of Pine and Queen
Street.
The body was removed to the
Barrow funeral home. Morchead
City. Burial is scheduled for to
morrow. Annie Lee lived at 806
Pine St., and frequently visited one
of her relatives who lived in the
trailer.
Lettie's Place
Burns Tuesday
Lettie's Place, formerly the Air
port Grill, burned early Tuesday
morning. The well-known night
spot on the Morchead City-New
port highway was destroyed.
Vernon Smith* owner, had $10,000
insurance on the building but none
on the fixtures, according to his
wife.
Mrs. Smith says that the place
had closed at midnight and she
and her husband had gone home
after turning the heating system
to low. She says she woke up
about 1:30 a.m. to discover the
building already beyond the point
where firemen could* save it.
Since all the telephones in the
area were on the same line as
the one burned in the grill, there
was no way to contact a fire de
partment. anyway, she pointed out.
Mrs. Smith says that she and
her husband have not decided whe
ther they will rebuild.
Merchandise is Taken
From Drive-In Theatre
Cigars. candy and gum were |
stolen from the Ocean Park Drive
in Theatre concession stand be-1
tween 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. Satur
day afternoon.
Deputy Sheriff Bobby Bell said
he was notified of the theft by
Kemp Bonner, theatre manager.
The thieves broke into the stand
by prying the hasp off the door.
The theft is under investigation.
An estimated crowd of 3,500 turn
ed out Wednesday afternoon to
watch the Beaufort Christmas pa
rade. Many of the spectators saw
Santa land at Halscy Paul's private
dock cast of town and then ran
down the sidewalks to watch the
parade from downtown.
As soon as Santa Claus was es
corted to his fire engine, the pa
rade started. The first clement of
the parade was the 150-piccc
Craven County band.
The float representing the most
work was the Ann Street Methodist
Church entry. Church members
had built an elaborate maAger
scene on the bed of a flat truck.
Artificial grass carpets covered the
cab of the truck. Young people of
the church represented Mary,
Joseph, shepherds and the wise
men.
Other religious floats were en
tered by the Free Will Baptist
Church and the First Baptist
Church. Several commercial floats
were also in the parade.
The Beaufort band preceded San
ta, who was mobbed by youngsters
reaching up the sides of the fire
truck to hand him letters. The
Queen Street band was the last
musical group in the parade.
. Mrs. fat Russell, chamber secre
tary, was parade marshal. Yhe pa
rade is an annual affair, tradition
ally opening the Christmas shop
ping season at Beaufort stores.
Soil Conservationist
Speaks to Rotary Club
David Jones, county soil conser
vationist, spoke on soil and water
conservation Tuesday night at the
Beaufort Rotary Club meeting. The
program was in charge of Ralph
Thomas. All club members were
present.
Following the meeting, Stanley
Potter, Holden Ballou, J. P. Har
ris and Glenn Adair, the club
Christmas committee, met. The
Rotarians will entertain their wives
at a Christmas party Tuesday,
Dec. 17. A turkey dinner will be
served.
Allen Godbee Posts $150
Bond on Assault Count
Allen Ciodbcc, Beaufort, has been
released under $150 bond on a
charge of assaulting 15-ycar-old
Fred Guthrie, Morehead City, on
Arcndell Street Sunday.
Godbee's case was continued in
Morehead City court Monday. Ac
cording to police, Godbee struck
the boy in the face with his fist.
town Commissioner William Roy Hamilton helps Santa Ciaus
ashore. Santa arrived on the USS Mistletoe, courtesy of the U. S.
Coast Guard.
Public Fails to Understand
Scientist, Speaker Says
Dr. William E. Fahy of the Uni
versity of North Carolina Institute
of Fisheries Research spoke to the
Holy Name Society of St. Egbert's
Church, Morchead City, Wednes
day night at the school. In his
topic, What a Scientist Is, Dr. Fahy
discussed the significance of the
launching of the satellite Sputnik,
and the appraisal of America's
scientific effort that this event has
forced upon the American public.
The layman often confuses the
identity of the scientist, engineer
and technologist, Dr. Fahy said.
The technologist is a specialist in
the application of theoretical know
ledge of industry and the industrial
arts; the engineer designs, builds
and uses engines and machines to
convert natural products or energy
into useful products for man. Most
of the conveniences and glittering
appliances of modern living are
the immediate result of the efforts
of engineers and technologists.
A scientist is devoted to the ga
thering of knowledge concerning
phenomena, laws and their causes,
and facts gained and verified
through exact observation, dc
signed experiments and correct
thinking, the speaker continued.
America has an atmosphere that
is extremely healthy for engineers
and technologists, but this same
atmosphere is very unhealthy for
scientists, Dr. Fahy added.
"The efforts of technologists and
engineers arc readily translatable
into dollars, but the fruits of the
labor of the scientist arc not so
tangible and thus scientific efforts
in basic research fail to receive
sufficient support.
"A failure on the part of the
public to realize that most new
concepts, new ideas and new
dreams originate with scientists
doing basic research penalizes
America.
"The confusion in the layman's
mind concerning science and scien
tists is partly due to misrepresen
tations of science by mass com
munication media and partly due
to scientists' failure to communi
cate their problems to the public,"
the speaker said.
Dr. Fahy emphasized the need
for each citizen to learn to think
correctly and independently.
Carolers Herald Morehead City Parade
A community choir under Urn direction of Mrs. Austin Williams,
rl*ht, sand Christmas carols far a half-hew before the Marohasd Cky
ChritUaas parade. The chair la aa the atepa ol the Wallace
EUhih and Areodell filneta.
Morehead City Delegation
To Meet SPA Group Today
Joe Fulcher,
Morehead City,
Chosen Fire Chief
Joe Fulcher Jr. was elected
chief of the Morehead City fire
department Monday night. He suc
ceeds Vernon Guthrie, who de
clined rcnomination.
Other new officers are Lindsey
Guthrie, assistant chief; Nolan
McCabe. captain; Fdward McLaw
horn, lieutenant; Dan Swindell,
secretary, and John Baker, treas
urer.
After officers are approved by
the town board, they will begin
their duties in January.
Lindsey Guthrie succeeds Joe
Fulcher; Daniel Lee Willis served
as captain last year; Mr. McLaw
horn succeeds Sammy llughes; Mr.
Swindell replaces John Pavone.
who died in office; and John Baker
succeeds Lindsey Guthrie, who
was treasurer.
The department commended out
going officers and the chief re
quested the men to give the new
chief the support they gave him.
George Stovall, acting secretary,
in a brief talk, stressed the im
portance of cooperation in func
tioning of a successful fire depart
ment.
To show its appreciation to Chief
Guthrie, the department voted to
present him with a plaque as a
memento of his leadership during
19r>7. During the chief's term of
office the West Knd fire station
was conceived, built and turned
over to the town.
El Nelson was named chairman
of a committee to obtain names
of deceased fire department mem
bers. These names are to be placed
on a plaque.
Lieutenant McLawhorn was
named chairman of the fire sta
tion decorating committee. Mack
Edwards was put in charge of
packing Christmas boxes. Auditing
committers were named and the
department voted to pay Capt. Otis
Dowdy, Chai lotte, for his services
at the county firemen's school.
Kenneth Putnam was voted in
as a new member of the depart
ment. The meeting opened with
a minute of silent prayer in mem
ory of Mr. Pavone. The meeting
closed with a prayer by the sec
retary, Mr. Swindell.
Officers Blow Up
Still Yesterday
County and federal officers blew
up a six-box still yesterday. The
still was discovered Wednesday off
Highway 70, near the river between
Morehcad City and Newport. It
was on the old Farrior farm.
Deputy Sheriff Bobby Bell said
that the six boxes were full of
mash, but it looked old. As a mat
ter of fact, a couple of dead rats
were floating in one box.
A box of mash is 4 feet square.
The officer said the operators
probably had been planning on
moving the still to a new location
when it was discovered.
To Get Eagle Award
Leon K. Thomas Jr., Marshall
berg, will become an Eagle Scout
during ceremonies Sunday in the
Marshallberg Baptist Church.
J. D. Holt
. . . victim of politics?
Dr. B. F. Royal
Recalls'39 Bill
l)r. B. F. Royal. Morchead City,
who has promoted the Morchead
City port for years, said yesterday
that legislation was passed in 19.19
which would enable the Morchead
City port to apply for designation
as "free trade zone".
Members of the State Ports Au
thority have been invited to attend
a meeting at Wilmington today
relative to establishing such a zone
at Wilmington.
The invitation was extended by |
representatives from Wilmington
who attended the SPA meeting at
Pinehurst Tuesday. The SPA. as a
group, does not expect to attend
the "free trade" meeting.
J. D, Holt, former Morchead City
ports manager, explains a free
trade zone as a certain area with
in a port where commodities could
be imported, processed, or manu
factured and exported duty free.
Mr. Holt said that the New York
port's free zone is Staten Island.
Thai, he believes, is the only one
on the cast coast. There is also
one at New Orleans.
Tide Table
Tides at the Beaufort Bar
HIGH LOW
Friday, Dec. 6
7:21 a.m. 1:14 a.m.
7:46 p.m. 1:39 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7
7:59 a.m. 1:55 a.m.
8:26 p.m. 2:41 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 8
8:37 a.m. 2:36 a.m.
9:10 p.m. 3:21 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 9
9:21 a.m. 3:18 a.m.
10:00 p.m. 4:01 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
10:12 a.m. 3:59 a.m.
10:57 p.m. 4:43 p.m.
? Dr. B. F. Royal, D. G. Bell and Dr. John Morris, More-<
head City, will meet with the executive committee of the
State Ports Authority at 10:30 this; morning at Raleigh.
The conference was requested by Morehead City citizens
interested in placing "information on Morehead City port"
before the SPA.
In a fast shuffle at I'inehurst
Tuesday, the State Ports Authority |
1. Fired J. D. (Jack) Holt, man
ager of the Morehead City port
2. Placed Morehead City's assist
ant port manager, Walter Fried
erichs, in charge of the Morehead 1
City port temporarily
3. Made Kdward E. Lee, who was
Col. H. S. Marr's assistant, acting
ports director
4. Asked Colonel Marr to remain
in an advisory capacity until his
resignation becomes effective Dec.
31
5 Ordered transfer of the ports
director's office from Wilmington
to Raleigh
People Surprised
When announcement of Mr.
Holt's dismissal reached Morehead
City Tuesday night, people, to put
it mildly, were "surprised".
D. G. Bell, Carteret's legislator,
said he was "very disappointed".
He said that the state as a whole
might view the ports authority's
Tuesday action as a victory for
Morehead City, in that the ports
office has been moved and that
Colonel Marr is no longer in office.
"But the state does not realize
how important Jack Holt is to the
Morehead City operation," Mr. Bell
said.
Mr. Holt, who attended the SPA
meeting Tuesday at Pinchurst, said
his dismissal came as a "shock".
He said he had no plans for the
immediate future but he would
hate to leave Morehead City.
John Reeves, chairman of the
SPA, said that Mr. Holt's dismissal
was carried out on the "advice and
recommendation" of the ports of
ficials who were ousted by Gov
ernor Hodges.
Mr. Holt has been manager of
the Morehead City port since Feb
ruary 1952. Mr. Fricdcrichs came
to Morehead City in 1954 and Mr.
Lee joined the ports authority staff
as traffic manager in 1953.
Reason Advanced
The SPA claimed that Holt's dis
missal was necessary to permit
unbiased, objective ports operation.
It has been reported that Mr. Holt
and Colonel Marr did not get
along. Since Colonel Marr has
been dismissed. Morehead Citians
wonder how Mr. Holt's dismis
sal is going to make things
"smoother".
They interpret Mr. Holt's dis
missal as a tit-for-tat move ? if
Wilmington lost its colonel, some
body out of revenge was deter
mined that Morehead City would
lose its Mr. Holt.
Phillip L. Sullivan, who holds the
same job in Wilmington as Mr.
Holt did in Morehead City, is the
only one to remain in the same
spot he held before the SPA went
into its checker game Tuesday.
Dr. Royal said that Morehead
City is interested in learning ex
actly why the SPA dismissed Mr.
Holt.
Mr. Bell said yesterday that
Morehead City had assured the
SPA last night it would cooperate
with new ports officials to the
See SHUFFLE, Page 4
Beaufort Board
Receives Audit
Monday Night
J The Beaufort town commission
ers received copies of the results
of the audit of town books by Wil
liams and Wall, auditors, at their
meeting Monday night at the town
j hall. The accountants cheeked
town books through the last fiscal
year, ending June 30, 1957.
At the beginning of the year,
July 1, 1956, the total assets of the
town amounted to $647,044.39. At
the end of the year they totaled
$591,285.27.
The drop in total assets was due
to the discontinuance of hurricane
funds and writing off street assess
ments. both in the funds receivable
account.
Total liabilities at the end of the
year totaled *128,923 11. Subtract
ing the liabilities from the assets
gave the town a net worth of $162 -
362.16. '
The town collected $58,693.78 or
89.56 per cent of its potential rev
enue during the year. Clifton E.
Smith, representative of the ac
counting firm, said that this per
centage was in line with the per
centage usually collected by other
towns.
The town retired twenty-seven
$1.000 bonds at a cost of $25 785
Town manager Dan Walker point
ed out that by buying the bonds
before they matured, the town had
saved $1,215.
Beaufort has retired $151,082 01
worth of bonds since July 1, 1949
when a concerted effort was begun
to put the town on a businesslike
basis. There arc still $361,000 worth
of bonds outstanding, but Mr.
Walker says they will be paid off
by 1974.
Budget appropriations for tha
past year were $83,044.89, while
actual expenditures Were $21,041.40
more than that amount ($104,
086.29). Major items of expendi
ture not forsecn when the budget
was drawn up were street paving
and construction of the new town
garage.
Cash receipts during the year
came to $108,693 84 and cash dis
bursements totaled $143,855.52 The
disbursements in excess of re
ceipts totaled $35,161.68. This was
accounted for by cash on hand at
the beginning of the year ($32,
912.07) and a bank overdraft of
$2,249.61.
Mr. Walker explains the over
draft as follows: "I wrote the
checks knowing that money would
be deposited in the bank before
the checks could get back. They
were written to close out accounts
that should not be carried over
into this year and to take advan
tage of discounts for early Dav
mcnt."
The auditors made special men
tion of Mr. Walker, commending
him for the manner in which fi
nancial records were maintained
despite the upheaval caused by in
stituting a new tax accounting sys
tem. '
Owners of Yankee Girl Plan to Stay
Here While Schooner Gets Repairs
Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Hinchman,
Washington, N. J., owners of the
storm - lashed sehooner, Yankee
Girl II. now tied up at the state
port, plan to stay in Morehead City
until repairs arc made to the
schooner.
Five other members of their
party left Morehead City Tuesday
for their homes in New Jersey.
The Yankee Girl was rescued
by th^ Chilula late Saturday night
about 45 miles southeast of Cape
Lookout. The schooner was bound
for southern waters.
Mrs. Hinchman said Tuesday
that when the boat is seaworthy
again, she and her husband expect
to go to Florida where they will
build a home.
The Hiuchmans, and other mem
bers of their party. Mr. and Mrs.
Bruce Nord, Dr. John Powers, all
of Fair Haven, N. J.; John Plenge.
Belleville. N. J., and Brycc Smith,
Upper Montclair, N. J., left More
head City in the schooner Friday.
* Clearance Given
The weather was fine. Mrs.
Hinchman said a weather report
supplied them by the Coast Guard
predicted fair weather for several
days.
A storm blew up, however, Fri
day night.
"The seas were tremendous,"
Mrs. Hinchman said. "Waves were
30 feet high." The wind shredded
the sails and the bilge pump
I Mrs. Hinchman and Mrs. Nord
I bailed by hand while the men tried
to keep the Yankee Girl headed
into the wind.
"I never saw four men with
more courage,". Mrs. Hinchman
declared. "They did a tremendous
job of holding the boat."
Men Exhausted
She said they were terribly e\
hausted by the time the Chilula
reached them. The first radioed
message for help was sent from
the schooner Saturday morning at
8:37 a.m. The Chilula, which was
at Frying Pan, rushed to their aid.
Radio contact with the Chilula was
maintained by Mr. Nord and Mrs.
Hinchman.
The Coast Guard cutter reached
the Yankee Girl at 6:30 p.m. Sat
urday. The first attempt to put a
line aboard the distressed vessel
met with failure. The line was cut
by the propeller.
The second attempt also failed,
mainly. Mrs. Hinchman said, be
cause the men aboard the schooner
were so close to exhaustion they
couldn't secure the line.
The third attempt was success
ful. On the way into Morehcad
City the Yankee Girl was running
her engine, and the folks aboard
were under the impression that
they were taking some of the bur
den off the Chilula.
Schooner Tries Alone
At the bar, the Chilula, thinking
the schooner was okay, cut her
Out the Yankee Girl went
nowhere. It started to wallow. The
propeller was doing no good bc
eausc a line was fouled in it. The
schooner piled up on a jetty, de
spite efforts to anchor and hold
her off.
Two of the men came ashore in
the dinghy to get help. Meanwhile,
from the deck of the schooner a
signal was flashed to the Chilola
and it. in turn, sent Fort Macon's
30 footer to help the schooner
again.
Says Thank Yo:i
Mrs. llinchman made a special
trip to the newspaper office to ex
press thanks to all the persons who
have helped them.
"Everyone has been so anxious
to case our burden and help The
Coast Guard was unbelievably
kind. We showered and were fed
there?we hadn't eaten in three
days. Mr. Dixon at the motel has
been wonderful. Someone has lent
us a car we are driving. Every
one has been so nice."
She said that some of the week
end reports on their distress were
inaccurate, especially reports to
the effect that the men aboard
were inexperienced seamen.
She said two were graduates of
maritime academics, one was a
seasoned sailboat expert, and ano
ther had Navy experience. She also
stated that her name, by a former
marriage, Mrs. Murial Cook, was
in error since she and Mr. Hineh
man have baaa married more
than a year.