The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, January 02, 1964, Image 1
*
If you don't believe that success
is merely a matter of luclc ask any
failure*
L
i*v41
till
When a man is always late for
dinner, either his wife is a poor
cook or his secretary is mighty good
looking.
VOLUME 27: NUMBER 37.
NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1964
♦ $2.00 Per Year
By-The'Way . . . By DORIS A. SANDERS
“UNC LE EHNE"
“I knew it wa- <_''<• im’ t" h.'.i'p' i..
but I still couMn t it.
That was the way many "f u-
felt about the Honorahie Huyem-
S. Bieast—retired Chief Justi.e <.f
the South C’arolina Supr.-me
Court—a man highly esteemed h>
legions of friends and associate-;.
To us, ne was just ‘T nele Cene.
our “backyard” neighbor -and 1
rather think he liked it that v-'ay,
because there was no preten-e
alK)ut him.
When I first knew I nele (lene
well, he had been retired from tin-
bench some five or six yam. (>:
course I knew he was reyarded a>
the foremost attorney in town, but
most of all I knew him tis the man
who enjoyed spending his eveninys
playing 1 Chinese checkers with the
kid next door—teasing her merci
lessly the whole time.
Uncle Gene and 1 often passed
long evenings away back in thos“
days playing checkers—and often
as not, w'e’d end up in an argu
ment and wouldn’t speak to each
other, but the next night, I d climb
the fence and be right back at the
checkerboard, having as much fun
as ever. I often wondt*red how
Aunt Ban put up with us and our
arguments.
This was just before World War
2, and with all the changes that
were wrought with the beginning
of a new T decade, our paths led in
different directions, and the night
ly checker sessions ended.
* W T e kept in touch, though, and
there are few who know how
deeply Uncle Gene and Aunt Ban
grieved when their grandson. Jack,
was imprisoned in a Nazi war
camp. This was perhaps the great
est of the many burdens which
weighed on Uncle Gene’s heart and
mind throughout his long years.
But they carried their grief cour
ageously, and “kept the faith,
and the day Jack w r as released
from prison was probably the hap
piest day in their lives.
In the pre-vear years, 1 nele
Gene loved fishing more than any
one else ever did, and he spent
many a sunnny afternoon on Lake
Murray enjoying this pastime. «.ne
burden of the war years began to
tell on him, however, and he sel
dom went fishing after that.
For many years, Uncle Gene
has lived in pain, but he refused
to give up. It w r as this quality
which was shown by him for so
long, that, made it seem that he
was almost indestructible — and
which made many of us exclaim I
knew it was going to happen, but
I still couldn’t believe it.”
Uncle Gene Icved children and
just before he died, he had the
pleasure of seeing the baby
daughters of his two young law
partners, Steve and Gene Griffith,
who, as babies themselves, spent
many an hour with Uncle Gene
and Aunt Ban. He had a deep de
votion to all of his family and es
pecially enjoyed the younger
ones, just as he enjoyed all the
children who called him “Uncle
Gene”, whether they were rela
tives or not.
Uncle Gene was a man whose
highly intelligent mind held a vast
store of knowledge, and that mind
remained keenly alert, through all
his suffering, until his last hours.
He would have been 87 years of
age on January 28.
It would take a book to contain
all there is to say about Uncle
Gene, because his life was a full
one, with many facets, although
he was always known as “the
Judge.” A fitting tribute came j
from the State’s highest court on
the day of his funeral. Atop a
beautiful wreath of red roses, em
bedded in a red satin ribbon, was
a gavel, the symbol of his position
and authority on the Supreme
Court. And from his associates in
Newberry County, the County Ear
Association, there was a beautiful
wreath at the top of which was a
white orchid. These were but two
of the hundreds of beautiful floral
tributes offered to his memory.
I hope that someday, someone
will write a book about Uncle
Gene. But until then, I know of
no one who could better sum up
his life in a few words than Dr.
K
I he rich lit < el 1 h i- l>eio\ rd
husband am! dear friend turn a!
read\ written it'- own cuioKs. a
record > hat i- touchinu!\ elo
quent in iK reverent humilit>.
Mjrpassmuh In-aut ifu I in its im
measurable worth.
lie regarded his chosen pro
fessjon which he practiced with
'-uch high distinction as an ave
nue of service to his fellow men.
With undaunted courage and at
whatever cost to himself he eon
sistentlv upheld the principles of
justice, truth, honor and right.
He filled the highest legal
position in the state when he be
came Chief Justice of the Su
preme Court. With hG character
istic limitless energy and far-
seeing vision he instituted pro
cedures which then and since
have facilitated the administra
tion of justice.
He walked as happily with the
lowliest of the humble as with
the highest of the great. Within
the vast circle of his friends
were men and women in all
walks of life. They came to him
for counsel, comfort, courage and
inspiration. They were never
disappointed.
Nobody will ever know how
much good he did. There is no
way to tell how many people he
helped to find wavs to better
and happier living. He never
talked about it. With his patient,
understanding and sympathetic
heart he helped to mend broken
lives, to restore s h a t t e r e d
homes, to bring the light of hope
into the shadows of suffering
and sorrow.
To those of us who were for
tunate enough to be close to h m
in moments of quiet meditation
he showed his unswerving devo
tion to God. He never paraded
his Christian faith to be seen of
men. He lived it quietly in his
heart to be evidenced in the
beneficence of his brilliant mind
and in the ministrations of his
unselfish hand.
As Joshua resnonded to the
call of God so did our friend:
“Be strong and of good cour
age; for the Lord thy God is
with thee withersoever thou go
es*.” The Lord is with him now.
As did the devout Simeon,
Judge Blease, as we shall al
ways affectionately know him,
has seen the Ivord because he
walked faithfully with Him. His
triumphant soul, speeding into
the realms of eternal light, sings
joyfully with Simeon: “Lord,
now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace, according to Thy
word; for mine eyes have seen
Thy salvation, which Thou hast
prepared before the face of all
people; a light to lighten the
Gentiles and the j. T ory of Thy
people Israel.” In the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
County Native
Dies In Laurens
LAURENS. — Mrs. Annie Pearl
Wallace Wharton, 78, died early
Tuesday morning at a local hos
pital after a day of illness.
A native of Newberry County,
daughter of the late R. G. r )
Lucy Spearman Wallace, slu liw
in the Waterloo communiiiy many
years. She was a member of Wa
terloo Methodist Church.
Her husband, John H. Wharton,
died in 1956.
Surviving are a son, J. H. Whar
ton of Laurens; a daughter, Mrs.
Lucy \7. Neil of Laurens; two
brothers, J. W. Wallace of Kings-
tree and Charles J. Wallace of
Asheville, N. C.; three sisters,
Mrs. Ed N. Butler of Live Oak,
Fla., Mrs. J. K. Nelson of Colum
bia and Mrs. Somers S. Smith of
California; three grandchildren;
and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Water
loo Methodist Church by Rev.
Floyd V. Chandler and Rev. J. H.
Martin. Burial was in Waterloo
Cemetery.
Funeral Saturday For
Former Chief Justice
A blanket of flowers, sent by
friends, associates and admirers
ifrom his community and state,
| marks the final resting place 'of
I Eugene Satterwhite Blease, who
| died Friday morning at Newberry
County Memorial hospital at the
age of 86. He would have been 87
years of age on January 28. 1964.
Judge Blease had been in ill
health for a number of years, but
with the exception of short inter
vals, he went to his law office
daily until three weeks before his
death. He was taken to the hos
pital on Sunday, December 22.
Judge Blease was a native of
Newberry County, attended New
berry coilege and was a teacher.
After reading law, he was admit
ted to the l>ar of South Carolina m
1898 and practiced law for more
than 65 years. He was elected an
associate Justice of the South
Carolina Supremo Court in 1926
and was elevated to the position
of Chief Justice in 1931. He had
the distinction of l>eing the only
Chief Justice to serve the highest
court of his state who had not
graduated from law school. He re
tired from the bench in 1934 be
cause of his health.
After being admitted to the bar
Judge Blease practiced lav.' in
Saluda and was a member of the
State House of Representatives
from Saluda county in 1901 and
1902. He was the county’s State
Senator in 1905 and 1906. After
moving to Newberry, he served
this county in the House from
1922 until 1924. Prior to that, in
1920 and 1921, he served as mayor
of Newberry. His service to the
city was recognized and remem
bered as the bell of the town
! clock tolled during funeral services
^ for him Saturday afternoon.
For many years, Judge Blease
was associated in law practice with
; Steve C. Griffith, Sr., until Judge
I Griffith was elected to + he circuit
i court. For the past few years,
j Judge Griffith’s sons, Steve C., Jr.
! and Eugene C. Griffith, have been
[ associated with him in the prac-
! tice of law in the firm of Blease
| and Griffith.
| In his only venture into state
wide politics as a candidate, Judge
Blease came so close to winning
election as U.S. Senator in 1942
that some news reports declared
him the winner in a nip-and-tuck
contest with the late Burbet R.
Maybank. The final official count
gave Maybink the victory by a
i margin of 6000 votes out of 235,-
000 cast.
I
Judge Blease played a leading
' role in the fight of the State’s
| Rights Democrats to elect then
Governor Strom Thurmond presi
dent in 1948, and was a presiden
tial elector on the Thurmond tick
et which carried South Carolina.
He was highly critical of the
U. S. Supreme Court’s school de
segregation decision in 1954. The
following year, he was among the
“Committee of 52” prominent
South Carlinians who made a pub
lic declaration of their intention
to support “the principles of con
stitutional government, racial in
tegrity and State sovereignty.”
Even though he was a staunch be
liever in racial segregation, a
number of Negroes were among
the sorrowful mourners at his
funeral, one even having come
from Columbia to attend the last
rites.
Judge Blease was the son of the
late Henry Horatio and Elizabeth
Satterwhite Blease, and was a
member of Central Methodist
church.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ur-
bana Neel Blease; a grandson,
Jack Blease Workman, a retired
Air Force Lt. Col., now of St. Pet
ersburg Beach, Fla.; and a great-
granddaughter, Miss Carol Blease
Workman of St. Petersburg Beach.
Last rites were conducted at his
home on Boundary street Satur
day afternoon at 3:30, attended by
several hundred friends and for
mer associates. Services were con
ducted by his pastor, Rev. T. H.
Vickery of Central Methodist
Church; and Rev. J. Anderson
Bass, pastor of the First Baptist
Church. The eulogy was delivered
by a close friend, Dr. James C.
Kinard, former president of New
berry College. Interment was in
Rosemont Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Eugene Sligh
Blease, Jo^n G. Ross, Circuit
Judge Steve C. Griffith Sr., Steve
C. Griffith Jr., Eugene C. Grif
fith, Richard L. Baker and Dr.
Sydney Carter.
Many dignitaries attended the
funeral. They included Associate
Justice Joseph R. Moss and James
M. Brailsford of the State Su
preme Court and the court’s clerk,
Miss Frances Smith; Circuit
Judges Louis Rosen, Julius B.
Ness, James Hugh McFadden and
George T. Gregory Jr., U. S. Sen
ator Strom Thurmond and U. S.
Rep. and Mrs. W. J. Bryan Dorn.
H. B. Kirkegard
To Head Girl
Scout Campaign
Howard B. Kirkegard, owner
and manager of Kirk Ponliac-Cad
illac company, has been named
chairman of the G’rl Scout Fund
drive scheduled to open Friday of
this week throughout Newberry
County.
Volunteer workers, under the
leadership of Mr. Kirkegard, will
seek $3173 to continue and expand
Scout activities for girls from sev
en to 17 years old in this area.
“I have accepted the chairman
ship of this campaign,” Mr. Kirke
gard said, “because I believe that
the Girl Scout program provides
the best opportunity for girls of
our Council area to acquire the
fundamentals of Amer ; can citizen
ship.”
He called attention to the in
creasing need for youth programs
today when young people are
spending so much of their time
away from home and when they
have so much more leisure time on
their hands.
“Through Girl Scouting,” Mr.
Kirkegard said, “girls enjoy whole
some recreation, form rewarding
friendships, develon practical
skills and healthy attitudes that
may well determine the direction
their lives will take.”
The mon'-y being sought in the
current drive will be used for up
keep of property owned by Scouts,
to secure needed equipment for
Scouting, and to pay salaries for
professional helpers, the chairmen
said.
Outlining the campaign pro
gram, Mr. Kirkegard announced
that Keitt Purcell will serve as
chairman for solicitation of busi
ness and professional people and
that Mr. and Mrs. L. Hart Jordan
and R. Ed Beck will be in charge
of industry solicitation. Mrs. Clara
Wertz will serve as treasurer, and
Mrs. Frasier Sanders as publicity
chairman.
Mr. Kirkegard announced that
Whitmire has promised a donation
through its Community Chest, and
parents of Girl Scouts are being
asked individually by letter to do
nate to the drive.
Mrs. Edna Kirkegard is New
berry neighborhood chairman of
the Girl Scouts and N. Kibler Wil
liamson serves as finance chair
r*
&
pf:
f>•
k,
if Xj
m
f.
4*:?* ; *
w
MEMBERS OF THE NEW CITY COUNCIL took their oaths of office at a special meeting Tuesday
night, December 31. The oath was administered by R. Aubrey Harley, city attorney. From left are
Councilmen Gerald B. Taylor, Ward 5; C. A. Shealy Jr., Ward 3; E. F. McCutcheon, Ward 6; Mayor
Ernest Layton; Councilmen C. A. Dufford Sr., Ward 2, and James M. Longshore, Ward 1; Jack Senn,
W"ard 4 and Mr. Harley. At the desk is retiring city clerk and treasurer Clarence Wallace. (Sunphoto)
New Council Members Take
Oath; Mrs. Culdasure Be Clerk
Mayor Ernest H. Layton and
the city’s six councilmen were in
stalled at a special meeting here
Tuesday night by city attorney R.
Aubrey Harley.
Mayor Layton, beginning his
fourth term, will serve with aider-
men J. M. Longshore, C. A. Duf
ford, Sr., C. A. Shealy Jr., Jack
j Senn, Geiald Taylor and E. F.
■ McCutcheon, from Wards 1 to 6
! respectively.
As the first official business of
the new council, Mayor J .ayton
appointed Councilmen SI ealy and
McCutcheon to serve on the Clin-
ton-Newberry Natural Gas Auth
ority in 1964.
The chief executive told of the
city’s accomplishments during
1963 and read a resolution com
mending Clarence Wallace, retir
ing city clerk and treasurer.
Before the installation service
man.
SCN Opens New
Loan Building
j
i The Installment Loan Depart
ment of the Newberry Branch of
South Carolina National Bank
moved last weekend to its new,
modern building at the corner of
Harrington and Caldwell streets.
Lewis J. Shealy, Assistant vice
president, is in charge of the in
stallment loan department.
and meting, councilmen and their
wives attended a dinner given by
the city at the home of Mrs. Ida
Summer in honor of Mr. and Mrs
Wallace.
At a special meeting Monday
night, the retiring council elected
Mrs. Winifred Culclasure as city
clerk and treasurer to replace Mr.
Wallace. Mrs. Culclasure has
been employed in the city office
since 1948, has been assistant
clerk and treasurer several years,
and when Mr. Wallace filled in as
city manager several years ago,
she filled in as clerk and treasurer
for a nine-month period.
Also as one of its last acts, the
old council approved a budget
which gives a 10 percent overall
salary increase for city employees;
an increase in the mayor’s salary
from $75 to $100 a month; increase
in counciimen’s pay from $35 to
$50 a month, increase in the city
manager’s salary from $8280 to
$9,000 a year.
The budget report, submitted by
the budget committee of Frank
Armfield, chairman, C. A. Shealy
Jr. and Cecil Merchant, showed
anticipated revenues of $953,684.83
and expenditures of $913,587.07 for
the new fiscal year. This would
leave a balance of $40,097.76 for
emergency expenditures or to be
carried over into 1965. The coun
cil recently changed the city’s fis
cal year to a calendar year basis.
The salary total for the 98 em
ployes was set at $344,982.52, an
increase of $32,779.27 over the 1963
figure. The city planning com
mission, composed of a group of
citizens of which R. B. Ba 1 '©^ j g
chairman, recommended thr.t the
mayor and council receive a sal
ary boost.
Loud Noise Was Neel To Head
Test Alarm
Feagle Dies At
Lowman Home
John Arthur Feagle, 66, died on
Tuesday, December 24 at the Low-
man home at White Rock.
Bom in Little Mountain, son of
the late John M. and Frances
Sease Feagle, he was a member
of Holy Trinity Lutheran church.
Surviving are a brother, Robert
Feagle of Little Mountain and a
sister, Mrs. E. E. Fellers, of Col
umbia.
Funeral services were conducted
at 3 P. M. Wednesday at Holy
Trinity by Rev. Garth Hill, and
Rev. Kenneth Webb. Burial was in
the church cemetery.
Pallbearers were George Betsill,
Edwin Betsill, Charles Cousins,
Thad H. Eller, William Miller and ^
W. J. Chastain.
A test throughout the county
of the rural fire sirens was held
Wednesday, January 1 at 1 p.m.
on both the “alert” which lasted
three minutes and the “take-cov
er” which also lasted three min
utes. It is necessary to check out
these systems to see if they are
working properly with both sys
tems of radio communications and
sirens, according to Civil Defense
Officials, who say the sirens will
be tested the first Wednesday in
every quarter at 1 o’clock.
“We deeply appreciate your pat
ience with us on these tests and
sincerely , ipe that it will never
have to fcx used for the real
thing,” CD officials said.
Col. and Mrs. Harry Buzhardt
and two children, Harry Jr., and
Ruth, spent Christmas holidays
with Colonel Buzhardt’s mother,
Mrs. Epsie Buzhardt, on Boundary
street.
Bank To Remit
Checks At Par
The Bank of Commerce at Pros
perity will begin on January 2,
1964 remitting checks at par
through the Federal Reserve Sys
tem, according to Jacob Bowers,
president.
There will be no exchange
charge for any check sent through
the Federal Reserve System, he
stated.
“This is just another step for
ward in our continuing program
to provide the best of service to
our customers,” Mr. Bowers said.
“We realize that in the long run,
it is our customers who are re
sponsible for what success we may
have, and we will continue to do
everything we can to assure the
best service possible.”
March of Dimes
Dick Neel will serve as general
chairman for the 1964 ifrareh of
Dimes in the county, according to
Mack Fennell, president of the
Newberry Junior Chamber of
Commerce which is sponsoring
the drive.
Mr. Fennell also stated that
Mrs. Billy Senn will serve as
chairman of the Mothers March,
and Mrs. Billy Odell will be coffee
chairman.
The goal for 1964, Mr. Fennell
said, is $6500. Funds for National
Foundation work in Newberry
county are just about depleted, he
said, and Newberry county will
need to meet the goal to keep up
work in the county.
In addition to the Mothers’
March and Coffees, there will be
a number of other special events
during the month-long drive.
These will include a wheelbarrow
race and road block. A thermome
ter will be erected on the square
to inform citizens as to the pro
gress of the drive. A banner to be
stretched across Main street will
also remind Newberrians to con
tribute to the March of Dimes.
BIRTHDAY
GREETINGS
Friends of E. E. Cox of Clinton
will be glad to learn that he is at
home and recuperating nicely af
ter having undergone surgery at
Greenville General hospital.
Mrs. Dawkins’
Father Dies
John S. Frierson, 83, retired
farmer of near Kingstree, died on
Sunday in Clarendon Memorial
Hospital after a lengthy illness.
He was the father of Mrs. Chas.
B. Dawkins of Kumamoto, Japan.
Mrs. Dawkins is the daughter-in-
law of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dawkins
of this city.
Funeral services were conducted
Tuesday from Mt. Vernon Metho
dist church. Interment followed in
the church cemetery.
Jan. 5: Miss Juanita Hitt,
Johnson Hagood Clary, Christ
ine Livingston, William K. Lath-
rop, Dianne Livingston, Jimmie
Bowers, Horace Lee Boozer Jr.,
Mrs. Pauline L. Shealy, J. J. En
nis, D. L. Ruff.
Jan. 6; Henry Edward Cous
ins, R. T. Feagle, Mrs. Arthur
Ballentine, Mrs. Grady Ringer,
M. O. Fulmer, Branders Shealy,
Dessie K. Kesler, Evelyn D
Davis, Sally Berry.
Jan. 7: J. D. French, John Rex
North III, Mrs. J. R. North, Jer
ry Richardson Virginia Jones,
Ervin D. Richardson, Mrs. James
D. Crooks, W. L. Shealy, Mrs.
David Luther Ruff, Robert S.
Forbis.
Jan. 8: Emory H. Bowman,
Mrs. D. L. Andrews, D. EL
Schumpert, Mrs. D. EL Halfacre,
P. D. Holloway, John Davis,
Glenn L. Hamm, Nellie Wicker,
Mrs. Audrey Rowe, Mrs. D. F.
Senn, William Leitzsey, Mrs. H.
M. Harman, Mrs. J. W. Fuller,
Miss Louise D. Suber, Claude
Counts, Vickie Koon, Pat Shealy,
J. Robert Wilson.
Jan. 9: Edward Oswald, Mild
red Boinest, Mrs. B. H. Hamm,
Virginia Rose Franklin, Elarl
Worthy, J. D. Berley, Susan
Cousins, Harold Stockman.
Jan. 10: Mrs. Lucy McCartha,
Mrs. H. R. Brooks, Clara Elwell
Stokes, Michael Guy Dwyer,
William W. Watkins, Sonja
Braswell, Martin Anthony
Franklin, O. H. Shealy, Ellen
Williamson.
Jan. 11; Mrs. Van Price, Mrs.
Sadie Ringer, Mrs. Tom Suber,
William R. Brooks, Martha Jean
Smith, Evelyn Wright, Mrs. Wil
liam H. Ringer, Joe EL Bickley,
Virgil L. Adams, Margaret Lin
da Hanna.
5*
a.* 1
* J>j
• •