The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-01
RAL E II
B R E FS
Star-NeWs Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel
BY HENRY AVERILL

Sir Walter Hotel
BY HENRY AVERILL
RALEIGH, May 31.-It's an old
trick on the part of columnists when
material is scarce and news dull
to turn their chores over to a guest
journalist.
Material isn't so very scarce here.
about, in view of the still-poppins
political situation; but your Raleigh
reporter waas so struck by Tom
Bost's sturdy defense Of himself,
this corner and other journalistic
prognositactors, that for today your
reporter passes the job along to Mr.
Bost.
"Richard D. Dixon, of Edenton,
clerk of superior and recorders
a circular which was freely distrib.
uted in our section on May %, 1910.
"In big black type the voters are
asked not to let Henry Averill, Stan
ley Wohl and Tom Bost, Raleigh
correspondents, cast your vote for
governor. Stop and think for your.
self. Consider the qualifications of
Wilkins P. Horton They are given,
along with Lieutenant Governor
Horizons picture, many and good
ones on which the scribes gave no
guess. They predicted that Brough.
ton would lead, Maxwell come sec
ond and Horton third. Averill sug'
gested it might be a photo finish
between Horton and Maxwell. The
lieutenant governor is still second
high with about 100 precincts tc
report. So generally is his position
accepted that his call for a seconc
primary is only a formality to be
observed. Until there is official de
termination of the vote there car
be no call.
"Of course it is pretty bad or
the paper boys. They had been re-
peatedly asked to give their guesses
| solely because they had talked with
a great many people and had at
tended not a few meetings.
"Their judgment was that Brough
ton would lead and that Maxwell
would be second, but all of then
agreed that this second and thirt
place would be determined by small
margin. Mr.. Maxwell's illness, new!
Of which went all over the state
and to the effect that he was sc
riouslv sick, hurt him in many cou
ties. But he did not stay secont
high.
However, the scribes have tt
hand it to themselves. None o
them touched more than 10 coun
ties in the campaign. Governor Hor
ton visited 100 in person or hat
organizations in them. Their uni
versal judgment was that he Woult
be high. Even as late as 2 o'cloci
Igood morning Sunday, Governor Hor
ton, then $4,000 to $1,000 behind
was expecting the lead to chang
and luxuriating in the rope tina
Broughton would have the disagree
able duty of asking the state to dt
it again.
'Tn a modest word, the spin
which animates thse circular freely
| circulated and extolling Governol
Horizons ability, courage. sanity
| service and progressiveness, tn
| newspaper amateur scavengers VINO
went no places and saw nothlns
| beat the professionals who went al
places and saw everything.
Indeed, they guessed a week be
fore the primary better than Gov
ernor Horton and the co-Hortons
did eight hours after the polls CLOSED
and half the votes had been count
ed"
Tom headed the above piece, winch
appeared in his Thursday morning
column in the Greensboro News,
mot So Bad After ALL" Which is
about the way this reporter nae
already summed UP his W e11orts
at telling in advance what was 60
ing to happen last Saturday.