I CARTERET COUNTY NfWS-TIMES Carteret County*? Nawspapar EDITORIALS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1959 The 9th Street Blues One of the most distressing traffic problems in Morehead City, so far as the motorist is concerned, is 9th Street, from Shepard north to Fisher. The street is afflicted with a patch work of problems: the hospital at the south end, a blind intersection at Evans, and churches north of Arendell. The Btreet is narrow and now with construc tion work under way at the First Meth odist Church, the problem is worse than usual. The churches are no problem traffic .vi.se, unless something is going on there, and then, of course, there aren't enough parking spaces anywhere. Ten years ago, sitting in the old newspaper office oil Evans Street, we wrote an editorial about the 9th Street problem. It's 1959, almost 1960, and we're sorry to say, the problem is still here. No parking allowed on the west side has been a slight help. A step farther might be one-way only, probably from north to south. But that is something the police department would have to figure out. It's surprising that numerous acci dents do not happen at 9th and Evans. The only way to find out whether any thing is coming on Evans, if going north on 9th, is to stick the nose of the car out into Evans and if it isn't hit, it's probably safe to keep going. Cars parked smang-bang up to the corners on Evans make visibility non existent for the northbound traveler on 9th. The wise driver goes out of his way to avoid that corner. Trucks have to use 9th Street be tween Arendell and Bridges while con struction on the Methodist educational building is under way. And motorists are willing to put up with some incon venience for a while. But the whole street is a hodge-podge of one problem aggravating the other, with evidently no effort by anyone to try to bring some order out of the chaos. This reminds us, however, that two major traffic problems in Morehead City HAVE been tackled this year. Even though there are still accidents at 24th and Arendell, that intersection is much safer, engineering-wise, than it has been. The merging of west-bound Arendell Street traffic into a narrower lane at 11th Street is less hazardous since the state made improvements there. There still remains that problem in front of the yacht basin where Aren dell splita into two lanes . . . but maybe (dare we hope?) 1960 will bring a so lution to that. And 9th Street? That's the town's problem, and no problem was ever elim inated by ignoring it. A Fitting Beginning . . . As we near the climax of the Christ mas season, it's hard to believe that the fine parades which opened it occurred three weeks ago. It seems like yester day. Perhaps that is because the pa rades, in both Beaufort and Morehead City, were so good that we still vividly remember them. Particular tribute should be paid to the civic organizations, churches, schools and businesses which had floats iA the parades. Building of a float takes a tremen dous amount of work. For example, 45 persons worked for a week on the float entered by Ann Street Methodist Church in the Beaufort parade. Giric organizations, some of . them, were building their floats over a period of weeks. There is a special art to building a float. But perhaps one of the basic rules to remember is this: It's not as easy as you think. And the corollary to that: it takes twice as long as you expect it will ! But all those who had a part in building floats for the Christmas pa rades should feel amply rewarded. The floats brought pleasure to the thousands who saw them and provided a spec tacle for these parts that has not been equalled since the Morehead City water parade of 1957. As more of our people become ex perienced in making floats, we can ex pect more and better ones in the pa rades of the future. Mrs. Wiley Lewis of Beaufort and Charles Willis of Morehead City, chair men of the parades in their respective towns, rate a special Christmas star for helping to open this season in a way that will be long remembered. Fiddler Crabs, Let s Go! (The Raleigh Times) Word comes that a University of Maryland graduate student working at the Duke University Marine Labora tory in Beaufort has been able to put on recording tape the mating calls of a Tar Heel fiddler crab. The story did not state whether the tape was just plain old hi-fi tape or brand-new stereo tape, but there seems to be no doubt but that mankind has at last managed to invade virtually any privacy the fiddler crab may have been able to retain up until this summer of 1959. There must be in this some deep and real significance for somebody other than the Maryland crab expert and the crabs themselves. Research is the real basis of mankind's progress, and we all have fine hopes for the future of our own Research Tiangle, of which Duke University in Durham is a corner. Per haps we could make that the Research Quadrangle, with Duke University in Beaufort as the fourth earner. Just imagine being known far and wide as the Fiddler 'Crab State. The ? athletic teams from Chapel Hill could be known in the future not as the Tar Heels, but as the Fiddler Crabs. It is possible that further research on fiddler crabs could turn out a spe cies big enough to be used as mascots at football games, thus replacing the Carolina ram, which after all now has no real connection with the present nickname of Tar Heel. Imagine the space we could get in the papers and magazines and over the tv with pic tures of some pretty Carolina coeds leading oversize fiddler crabs around on leashes at the football games. This just proves that research indeed is wonderful. And, sometime^, sort of baffling, too. Celebrating Forbidden Back in 1659 the colony of Massa chusetts passed a law that read, "Who soever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or in any other way, shall be fined five shillings." This law remained in force for over twenty years, and early American his tory records that numerous persons who refused to work on Christmas, either went to jail or paid fines. It wasn't until late in the first half of the nineteenth century that Christmas was established as a legal holiday through out the country. ? Sunshine Magazine Carteret County News-Times WINNER OF NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION AND NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARDS A Merger of The Beaufort News (Est. 1912) and The Twin City Times (Est. 1938) Published Tuesdays and Fridays by the Carteret Publishing Company, Inc. 504 Arendell St., Morehead City. N. C. LOCKWOOD PHILLIPS - PUBLISHER ELEANORE DEAR PHILLIPS _ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER RUTH L. PEELING - EDITOR Mail Rates: In Carteret County and adjoining counties, $8.00 one year, $6.25 nine months, <4.50 six months, $3.00 three months, $1.50 one month; elsewhere $9.50 one year, $7.25 nine months, $5.25 six months, $4.00 three months, $1.50 one month. Member of Associated Press ? N. C. Press Association National Editorial Association ? Audit Bureau of Circulation* National Advertising Representative Weekly Major Markets, Inc. 10 Eaat 40th Street, New York 18. N. Y. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to use for republication tt local new* printed in this newspaper, as well as all AP new* dispatches ldtered a* Second Class Matter at Morehead City, N. C., Under Act of March 3, 1*79 WILL THEY MAKE IT AROUND IN 80 DAYS ? Ruth P? ling Wanted: One Scare-Cat for Carport Anybody know where I can get a staffed cat? I want to put it up in the rafters of my carport to scare the spar rows away. Owls are supposed to scare birds, too. Now if I could just get an owl to fly in there ev ery night and nonchalantly sit there and wait for the sparrows to arrive, I think the problem would be solved. Those sparrows are smart. When it's warm, they stay out and sleep in the trees. When it's cold, they head for the carport. I stand down below and look at them and they sit up there and look at me with their intent, tiny eyes, and their chests puffed out. Nothing scares them ? lights switched on, Indian war dances, shouting . . . they just sit up there and watch the show. An extra fea ture thrown in, they suppose, along with the warmth, comfort and shelter. It was so warm last week, that the crickets were chirping. My bridal wreath has been blooming the past two months and I was picking violets in November. It looks as though it will be a warm Christmas? Old Man Winter will probably get his innings in during January and February. It used to be that Bob Simpson's wife and his boat had first place in his heart, but no more. It's a , ?UHHT duck. Well, DUKW, then. If you see three guys huddled on the ground in the lee of an olive drab monster at the Morehead City yacht basin, they're not shooting dice, they're struggling with a weird part of an amphibian truck that was once part of Uncle Sam's stalwart fighting forces. Owners of the duck (that's so much easier than "DUKW") are Bob, Ken Newsome and Owen Dail. They seem to think that this new possession is exactly what they need for excursions to the outer banks and little camping trips up and down the inland waterway. Some fellows tinker with electric trains. But these boys don't go for miniature stuff, no sir. Mary Simpson, who sees her husband. Bob, only when he isn't tinkering with the duck, says he hasn't been so fascinated by a project in years. And what of the Silver Spray, their lovely little home afloat? Well, the Silver Spray doesn't see much of Bob, either. She's w&n dering, at this point, if 1960 will sec her shelved, and the Simpsons moving aboard the duck! The Simpsons will soon be tak ing off for Florida, though, and I believe the Silver Spray will carry them there. Bob regretfully says he'll have to leave the duck, this winter, to its other two owners. And here is the Silver Spray, before the duck muzzled in on Bob's affections: From the Pulpit Over 1900 years ago a decree went from Caesar Augustus that all people would place their names on roll and pay a tax. This Caesar was one of the mightiest men who ever lived. It was said of him that when he became emperor of Rome, it was a city of brick and he rebuilt it of marble. One night, in a far off province of his, a baby was born in a poor family. Doubtless the emperor never knew about it, nor would he have cared had he known; for who cared what happened in far-off Palestine? This was just one among several thousand born that night in his kingdom. In com parison to this child born in Beth lehem, who would have any ques tion as to who was the significant figure? Surely Caesar Augustus would tower above the horizons of history. But phenomenal things were tak ing place that night that Caesar never dreamed of. Three men be gan following an unusual star that appeared in the heavens. This star was to them a sign and it led them in I search that ended at the foot of the Christ child. The search of the wise men following the star and their finding the baby Jesus is the real story of mankind. Just as the wise men followed the star in the East, so there is a longing in every human heart? and this prime need is not for the gro cer, or for finer automobiles and clothes. It is for the same thing that drew the wise men to Beth lehem that night. Our need it for a Saviour. Shortly after World War I, in Melbourne, Australia, A Shrine of Remembrance was built on a hill near the city. It was a magnificent building and inside was a great empty room with marble pillars. There was only one object in the room? one sheer sheet of marble with words inscribed telling about the power of love. The architect had so designed the building that a small opening was left in the dome overhead. This opening was so located that at exactly 11 o'clock on the morn ing of Nov. 11, for a period of 1,000 years to come, the sunshine would pour down and illume the one word ?LOVE. Now this ia a noble ges ture on the part of man to show his regard for love and his belief that it is one of the greatest forccs of life. But all this is cold and cheerless compared with the ever-living monument arranged by our Heav enly Father that holy night in Bethlehem. This season is to re mind us of this love and that through it, and it alone, can man find peace in the world. "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host l