The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 13, 1959, Page Page Three, Image 3
Finds Cubans Friendl;
USC St
BY BUNKY JOYE
Special Writer
While attending the 12th An
nual National Student Association
Congress at the end of the Sum
mer, I was selected as one of 190
students to represent the American
Colleges and Universities in Cuba
on "Operation Friendship." The
Cuban Government and the Fed
eration of University Students of
Cuba jointly sponsored this all-ex
pense paid, one-week tour of parts
of Cuba.
All 190 of us, including my com
panion and fellow Student As
sociation delegate from USC, Buzz
Hoagland, assembled at the Inter
national Airport In New York
immediately after the Congress.
We left on a Saturday afternoon
at 5:15 on a Cubana Airlines turbo
prop Constellation and arrived in
Havana around 8:00 p.m.
Biggest Scare
I imagine that was when I got
r the biggest scare of my life. We
stepped off the plane and re
ceived a royal welcome from some
members of. the Cuban Revolution
ary Government. These men and
WiLDRO TI
KEEPS HAIR GRC
MAKES HAIR F1
"Surface"
Hair Tonics
"Suirface" hair tonics mere
hair. Wheni they dry off, yo
ouit. But the exclusive WV41dro
formula penetrates your haii
groomed longer... makes hait
than hair groomed an or<
- There's no other hair tonic fc
MAKE HAIR OBEY AL
WITH WILDROOT CRE
Have a
v, Happy
udent
boys looked dirty and hot with
extremely long hair and beards.
The main thing was that they
were all carrying rifles and sub
machine guns, and we had been
kidding each other about never re
turning to the U. S. A. the whole
trip. Seeirg this the first thing
did not help matters.
We went immediately on an old
bus to a reception at the'Public
Building. Everyone was tired and
the food was-well- Spanish! After
this we were taken to the Havana
Hilton Hotel, one of the most
fabulous buildings I have ever
seen. Can you imagine having four
or five night clubs, a swimming
pool, a casino, and several bars
all under one roof? We were given
four floors.
Sunday morning we got aboard
an old school bus at 6:30 'p.m. for
a little trip. I was enjoying the
scenery when suddenly we came to
.a bridge ~which the bus driver was
afraid would not hold so we had
to get out and walk across it.
Diamond In Floor
Later the same day as the bus
trip we ate dinner at a rum factory
Afterwards we went by a cemetery
where the former President of the
MEAML
OMED LGER
EL STRONGER!
Penetrating
Wildroot Cream-Oil
ly coat your
ur hair dries
ot Cream-Oil
-. Keeps hair
feel stronger
linary way. ------
rmula like it.
.L DAY
AM-OLI
lcigareti
_ The best tol
Isits Cu
student body at the University of
Havana was buried. He had been
one of the leaders of the revolution.
The next day we visited Morro
Castle and the Capital, where per
haps the roost striking thing -we
saw was the 14-carat diamond
sealed in the floor. This jewel
serves as the mileage stone of
Cuba ,and sets the starting point of
all the highways in the country.
That night we visitdd U. S. Am
bassador Phillipe Bonsal's home
for a reception and w e r e all
greeted by the American Ambas
sador to Cuba. Later the same
night we heard speeches about the
students' part in the recent revolu
tion.
Farm Co-Op Visited
The next day, Tuesday, we visi
t9d a co-operative farm on the Rio
Del Pinar province about 100 miles
northwest of Havana and returned
by Vinales Valley. The huge, rock
like mountains of the area, which
appeared to have just sprung up
out of the flat land were really
beautiful.
The next day we all had a party
out at a beach club owned by the
doctors of Havana, and that night
we all went to the "Tropicana"
night club, which is ahiost com
pletely under the stars. This in it
self was one event I'll never for
get.
Thursday we had a free day in
order that we might get out and
look around HaVana for ourselves.
We welcomed t h i a because we
Try Our Nati
3-D SAI
A Giant Sesame Seed Ba
Patties, Melted Cheese,
Special Dressing.
ONL)
Mci
Corner State &
Ca
'-have a
sacco makes the b4
iba -
wanted a chance to get out and
ask the people quetions to make
sure we weeen't just being fed
propaganda.
Castro Speaks
Thursday night. when Fidel Cas
tro himself addressed us, was per
haps the highlight of the trip. He
talked to us at the Hotel in broken
English which was sometimes hard
to understand. .
The next morning we left for the
good ol' USA. I thoroughly en
joyed my tour and I hope to return
to' Cuba someday. Some of the
things that I observed which stand
out in my -mind are: We saw no
signs of Communism; when I was
t h e r e the Cubans seemed the
friendliest, happiest group of peo
ple that I have ever seen, and they
seem to think of Castro as their
friend and leader, not as a ruler
or dictator.
Another thing that stands out in
my mind is the tremendous amount
of construction that is going on in
Cuba. There was more construc
tion going on in Havana and its
surroundings than I have ever
seen. Everyone was working
around the clock, seven days a
week. I don't know who was pay
ing them but everyone was doing
something.
I have no comments to make on
the present situation in Cuba be
cause I do not understand what is
going on. It was definitely not the
way it seems to be now when I
was there this summer.
nally Famous
DWICH
in and Two Choice Beef
Chopped Lettuce and a
65c
Blossom Strets,
ree
IAMEL
WMAN *~
stsakl.
../... ... .
N:.
x,7.
........
THIS PAINTING of the famnom
by a man named Phippeny is o
It im the only authentic picture
the intrigue, drama, and expend
by Staff Photographer.)
Conquered Bahamas
Famous
BY BILL LUMPKIN
Feature Editor
Editor's Note: Last week's
issue of the "Gamecock" carried
a story about the bell of the
Revolutionary W a r f r i g a t e
"South Carolina." The emphasis
of that story was on the bell,
rather than the ship itself. This
vessel seemed to this editor to
deserve a separate story.
According to Louis F. Middle
brook's history of it, construction
of the vessel later known as the
frigate "South Carolina" began
in a shipyard at Amsterdam,
Holland in 1777 when the keel of
what was intended to be a large
mechantnan for the French trad
ing fleet was laid. The name "L'
Indien" had aheady been selected
for it.
1I the meantime sa rebellion
%en. Ntesr. Spoke
ON CAMPUS
Upon being asked what his
p,abrents Raid when he brought
home a "D," studenat replying,
"They~ re'joiced."
Student overheard saying he is
dropping all the courses he is
taking this semester except P. T.
wehich is his lone good subject.
Aule student letting out a yell
when a bug lit on his face.
Students who wanted free cust
asking p)rofessor if they dould
vote on it democratically and be
ing told that they could, but the
p)rofessor was5 rese'r'ing the veto
power?.
RuRsell Ilouse custodian seen
leaning preca riousty over center
stairw'ell on, first floor to polish
loner inside railing.
Due to your w
ance of the Comi
we have increi
lowance.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Effective Monday, 1P
who wish to save .
gate the Contract M
quarterly instailmnn
i Revolutionary War frigate "South(
i di&play at the Pealbody Muoeum of S
of an Amerkean Revolutionary warahl,
le for whMe this frigate i6 known, so
<
Ships Hist(
had broken out in the British
colonies of North America, and
the revolutionaries were in ur
gent need of ships. So the Conti
nental Congress and the various
colonies h a d sent purchasing
agents to the neutral powers of
Europe to buy all available ships.
One of these agents was Cap
tain Alexander Gillon of South
Carolina who had been author
ized to purchase from France the
unfinished hulls of two ships the
French were having built in Hol
land. "L' Indien" was one of
these vessels he was sent in 1779
to purchase for the state of
South Carolina's navy.
Gillon's Purchase
All Gillon's negotiations were
unsuccessful at first. Then he
became acquainted w i t h the
C o u n t de Luxembourg, who
claimed that he would obtain the
"L' Indien" for him through his
influence with the French king
if Gillon would agree to certain
terms.
True to his word, the Count
managed to obtain a three-year
lease on the ship, but he made
Gillon sign a paper which com
mitted the State of Sot- ao
liaadGlo t h amn
oflagesus orit ue
AfeVa 0 70teln
dipue vesl esd ob
Raevo thear Frigt f"Sot Cao
linpa." Unde the e rymseuof h
ase imposedn Reoluionary Lvu-i
efourg,c the fwasat riv w,ec
qarke ou pine moey Brits
cooe s of North0 Aleivre, and
whc revolutionaris toee inr
spentiee f ship. Soere ntif
nely Cogrness nthe year.oIn
addion Gdlo wsen t hn
argnts touth neuralc pwersi of
Eupefie buymber availbleths.
Thnew fteseaet was Caip
tan Aoldcrr aicrew of Sout
Carin. whlo had been ahor- o
izdeto pucas frc Fnep the
lrad. ML en" Pwane o
theste slmewal setl- 77
tov purcse for Sthdentat o
AllnGey nshol neitin-wr
CaouPtan, avaxeabore who
iaroina" dated 1794 and signed
alem, Mass., in its Marine library.
p known to exist. For the story of
e the story on this page. (Photo
>ry Told
paying off the debts incurred in
obtaining her with prize money.
Knowing that the ship was as
strong as a castle, with a keel
length of 160 feet and of 1350
tonnage, he felt sure she would
give a good account of herself in
battle.
The "South Carolina" how
ever did not leave France for
eleven months due to her com
mander's financial difficulties
and the fact that her draft was
such as to prevent her crossing
the shoals between her and the
open sea until the season was
m o r e favorable. The frigate
finally sailed August 12, 1781
and immediately ran into fog
and stormy seas.
Enroute to Vera Cruz the
"South Carolina" captured her
first prize, the English brig
"Venus." The prize ship and her
cargo were sold at Santa Cruz
for $15,000, the profit being
made payable to the province of
South Carolina.
Bahamas Captured
Enjoying the most glorious
and successful part of her brief
career as a warship, Gillon's
vessel took two brigs and three
ships w h ile on the way to
Havana which netted her $91,500
more in prize money.
The "South Carolina's" great
est moment, however, came on
May 8 of the same year when the
frigate led a fleet of 60 smaller
Spanish vessels and 15 other
American ships in an attack on
the British in the Bahama Is
lands. British Governor John
M a x w e I I capitulated to the
American forces led by Gillon
and surrendered "90 sail of ship
ping of different sizes, a town,
and a garrison of 800 troops,"
without resistence according to
a contemporary account. T h e
British re-captured the Islands
in 1783.
Losing Fight
June 1, when the "South Caro
lina" reached its next port of call
at Philadelphia, Gillon found the
French minister there to arrest
him in connection with claims
brought by the Chevalier Luxem
bourg. To avoid confiscation of
the ship, Gillon yielded command
of It to Captain Joyner who
immediately put to sea again.
On December 20, 1782 the
frigate's war career came to an
end off the Delaware Capes when
three British warships captured
the "South Carolina." After an
18-hour chase and a four-hour
running fight In w h i e h the
"South Carolina" had six of her
crew killed and wounded. Cap
tain Joyner struck his colors to
auperior force.
731
SMNCOATS
by BSrbery fr.m $8y.50
by Febini from. $19.98
"Saund.., e&wg .ceuma.
samrows
1t3 Mel. Si