Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-06-26
Some Impressions of the
New York Worlds Fair
BY ONE WHO SAW 1T


Henderson high school bands trip
10 the New York Worlds Fair for
North Carolina Day have returned
home, ana the trip and what they
saw has since been the main topic
ot discussion for the young people
and good many of the ~lder ones
rs well
For many of those who made the
Journey, ii was their first visit to
New York, and, of course, for near
ly all of them, to the fair There
was much-Very, very much-to be
seen, and all in all it was an eX-
pcrience that will never be forgot
ten by those whose good fortune
carried them to the big city and the
big show.
Good Publicity
For Henderson as a community,
probably never before has it had
quite so much widespread favorable
publicity and notoriety as the bands
trip furnished. Business people, or
ganization and individuals financed
the trip for the band and did It
gladly. 1t was not a particularly
hard task. But those who contribut-
ed could not have realized the full
measure of recognition the town re-
ceived
Pictures of band members appear
er in New York papers, and most of
them carried references to the Hen
derson group being on hand and
taking part in the North Carolina
Day program-which was good pub
licity and of kind that money
could not buy
Thousands who lined the streets
of the fair grounds and heard the
band play knew that North Carolina
was there, and that Henderson was
part in the events of that notable
day.
AS Good as the Best
Our band was as good as the best
of them, in its way. The rhythm
and harmony of its music compared
favorably with the large Charlotte
and Lenoir organizations. But there
is one thing the band lacks, and
that is volume 1t simply couldn't
make as much noise as the others,
because we had only 50-odd pieces,
by comparison with the rs to 100 in
struments in the other two high
school bands.
| don't know what can be done
about this. 1t is a matter of getting
more boys and girls into the band.
That means some one will have to
buy instruments and pay for lessons.
There may be many young people in
the high school who would like to be
part Of the band, but for finan-
cial reasons are prevented. This is
not saying that the community
should go in for that, too, but mere
ly pointing out the only noticeable
defect that has retarded the band, as
re/arkable as has been its improve
ment and achievements in the past
two years under the able direction
OF Tom Hearn. All glory to him.
And all praise to the boys and girls
who make up the personnel. But
the fact remains that there ought to
be more of them to make a bigger
band, which would make a still bet
ter impression everywhere the or
ganiZation appears.
There and Back Safely
AS for the New York trip, how
ever, it was really something to be
proud of that 13O children and adults
made that journey without any one
of them getting seriously sick, be-.
ing injured in any way or lost in
the big city-nor even kidnapped. The
fact that SO many of the young peo-.
pie rambled about singly or in twos
and never lost their way is an in
dication of the simplicity of the great
metropolis. Even the stranger can
not but be impressed with the ease
in finding ones way about. There
are few cities in America, big or
little, and certainly large, ones,
that are better planned than is New
York.
Some few of the boys, firing of
the fair in the evening before the
others were ready to return to the
hotel, NEGOTIATED the Long Island
railroad trains and then the sub
way to the hotel without chaperoneS
and did it speedily and safely. An
other testimonial to GOtham's SIM
plicity.
Youths Viewpoint
Though not entirely grown up,
these youngsters took serious view
of the big city. Fatty Adcock is an
example. I asked him what he
thought of New York "Ah, it's too
big" was the quick reaction. AS We
stood at night IS stories above. the
pavement on the observation roof of
Radio City, 1 asked Fat again how
he liked that. "Its too high, Pm go
ing down." was the reply AS. we
sat together in the bus returning the
ten miles from the fair grounds to
the hotel that Monday night, he
surveyed the great city underneath
as we sped along over the mighty
tri-borough bridge. "Just look at all
those houses all jammed together
down there. How do all those peo-
pie make a living?" he observed
Well, he had me there. How do
they make a living? Just like we do
here in Henderson, except in a diff
ferent way. It's different life and
different world from that we are
accustomed to- AS matter of fact,
Mr.. Roosevelt's bounties of the past
six years have encouraged them
not to do a lot of worrying about
where tomorrow's loaf of bread is
coming from. After all, doesn't
Santa Claus still live? And how! !,