davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
Along The Cape Fear

"IRON UCAL) HORSE" 1 When
we we're in our early teens one
of the popular songs of the day
was, called "Shoo, fly, don't both
err me-"
We have sung this old song all
week long until we are hoarse, but
it hasn't done a bit of good. The
''Shoo-Fly' refuses to be shooed.
So it looks as though there's not a
thing we can do but tell you what
We do know about it and let the
swatter fall where it may in all
likelihood on our own head.
1t seems just a bit iroaical that
we have to write about a 40-year-
old train when the biggest railroad
strike in history is crowding the
headlines up there at the top of
the page.
But that's what is known as the
newspaper business.
ely" VS.. FIDDLER" - The
big dispute about the "Shoo-Fly",
you know, revolves around it's
name Half of the Cape Fear pop
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25

ulation favors this name, and the
other half champions "Sand-Fid-
der"
Among those who lean toward
the latter are Mr.. Burke H. Bridg-
ers, a lady closely related to Cap
tain Harper Ghe man who owned
the train, and numerous other
folks whose, names we have lost
and whose names are not to be
published by special request.
The "Shoo-Fly' fans are Mrs. J..
S. S%ingletary, Mr.. Carl Render,
and some more of the folks whose
names we have lost, etc. 5
Now, we believe the dispute
arises from the same sort of sit
uation we had with the Lille and
the Sylvan Grove" We believe
there was not one, but two trains
one named ''Shoo-Fly" and one
named "Sand-Fiddler."
DILEMMA CRUX - One of these
trains, you already know, ran to
See CAPE FEAR ON Page Two
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
ROTARY CHOOSES
BUTLER GOVERNOR
First Annual 188th District
Conference OF Clubs
A d ourns

The nomination of James Butler,
Goldsboro, as district governor of
the 18TH district of Rotary In
ternational highlighted the closing
session of the three-day Rotary
conference at the Ocean Terrace
hotel, Wrightsville Beach, yester-
day afternoon.
Butler was the only candidate
nominated and will automatically
become district governor when con-
firmed by the national convention.
Upon confirmation, Butler will
appoint officers to serve with him
during 1946-47.
The nomination was made as
the conference came to a close at
a l o'clock luncheon at the beach.
Walter Head, Montclair, N. j.,
and DR.. Ralph W. Wellons, Penn
broke, delivered the final ad-
dresses.
Using the theme Rotary and
You," Head, one-time president
of Rotary International, stressed
that you can get out of the or
ganization only what you put into
it."
Head has been instrumental in
re-establishing Rotary clubs which
were disbanded all over the world
during the war.
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
TO ST/1ART TRAINS RUNNING BY4PM TODAY;
HC/EG77ZES WORK HERE TO EASE PARALYSIS
GOVERNMENT ACTS
TO HANDLE MAIL
All Long Distance First
Class Mail To Be Flown;
Partial Embargo

WASHINGTON, May 24-P-
The government strove Friday to
hold the freyed threads of national
communications together by:
l. Flying a 1ong-distance first
class mail; and
2. Placing a partial embargo on
less urgent mail matter.
The ban on second, third and
fourth class notwithstanding news
papers and magazines-applies
only to mail ordinarily routed over
railroads now blocked by strike &C
ton. A 16-ounce limit was ordered
on first class and airmail by the
Post Office department.
F~renzeedly Busy
A frenziedly busy Office of De-
tense Transportation took drastic
measures, simultaneously, to make
way for the mails on such trains
as still are running.
The ODT ordered the railroads,
like the airlines, to refuse space
to passengers whenever this proves
necessary to make room for mail.
Previously the rail carriers were
required only to displace non-es-
sential commodity cargoes in or
der to carry food, medicines, mail
and other priority shipments.
Planes Share Burdens
Army and Navy planes and civil
ian airlines will share the burden
of flying the first-class mails, re-
ported Robert Ramspeck, ODT air
transport director.
Trucks will continue to handle
shorter mail hauls, he told report
ers, a. they already are doing in
many ases The commercial air.
lines will handle all e%ight-cent air
mail as in the past, Ramspeck said.
While the military and civilian air
See MAIL on Page Three
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
NATIONS INDUSTRY
GRINDING TO HALT
United States Split Into
Isolated Communities
By Rail Strike
Nv The Associated Press

The breakdown in railroad trans
p~ortation threw Americas highly
industrialized economy completely
out of gear yesterday.
AS the government sought to rus.a
substitute forms of transportation
into the breech, the nation was, in
effect, split into thousands of iso-
lated communicated largely
dependent on supplies on hand.
This was true of food, fuel and
commodities.
Little actual hardship was felt the
first "a hours of the railroad strike,
a survey showed, but housewives
in some areas were faced with the
prospect of little or no meat or
p~erishables in a matter of days,
even if the strike is settled.
Troops On Move
Prospects for an early settle
ment of the rail dispute were re-
ported dark as leaders of the
$50, 900 striking engineers and train
men continued negotiations with
the railroad arrangements III Wash
ington.
Meanwhile, a War department
spokesman disclosed that troops
were being moved to strategic
locations" in anticipation of a re-
quest for protection of the rail-
ways. The Marines opened the way
for all the men they have discharg-
ed and for men OF inactive re-
serve to volunteer for temporary
active duty during the emergency.
They we're told to report to the
nearest recruiting station for pos
sible use as guards and other du-
ties.
The Navy told commanding Off
GERS to find out how many officers
and enlisted men had experience in
railroad work. Commandments at
several East coast Naval stations
said they had been empowered to
recall reserve officers for emer-
gency duty.
summary OF EIIectS
The strike caused these effects
during the first "a hours Of the
tieup:
Mail: out of town postal service
was limited to first class and air.
mail and plans were made for al
rying all long-haul letters by Army,
Navy and commercial planes. A
weight limitation of Is unces was
placed on first class mail and air
mail.
Steel: a spokesman for the U. S.
Steel corporation said operations
swiftly were coming to a complete
halt and that all but maintenance
crews of the 275, 900 persons en-
ployed in various operations would
be idle by Monday if the strike
continues. The Bethlehem Steel
corporation halted operations at its
SparroWs Point plant.
Fruit and vegetables: Farmers in
the South and West expressed fear
the fruit and vegetable crops
normally shipped at this time would
be lost. Officials of western rail
lines said the daily movement OF
See INDUSTRY on Page Two
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
SOAP BOX DERBY
PULLING ENTRIES
More Than A Score OF
Bows In The Area Have
Signed Up For Race

Although the first trials for the
wilmington All-American Soap Box
nerbv will not be held until late
in ,Julv, over a score of Whining
ion and Carolina Beach boys are
already at work on their cars for
HE biz event. First completed en-
trv blanks to be turned in to the
S+ar-News office late Thursday aft
ernoon we're signed by two youth
full Derby enthusiasts from Caro-
lima Beach.
One Of them Immediately
negotiated the purchase of a set of
wheels and axles, while the other
boy expected to get his before store
closing time yesterday.
Over 20 EMered
A partial check at the Raney
Chevrolet company, co-sponsors
with the Star-News- in the forth
coming Derby, and the Brigade
Bows club revealed that some 20
odd boys have already officially
entered the race and are already
building or plan to start construc-
ton on their racing cars. Appli-
cants continued to call for blanks
and rules sheets at all three places
yesterday, while Adam Smith, ply
steal director of the Wilmington
Y. NJ. C. A., notified Derby head
quarters yesterday that interest in
the race among young members
of the ''Y" was grower keener with
each passing hour.
A new slant on Soap Box Derby
activity came to light yesterday
wnen a number Of Wilmington mer-
chants inquired as to the POSSIBLE
ity of sponsoring a boy for the
Derby here. Each inquirer was in
formed that the Star-News and
Raney Chevrolet company would
welcome any sponsorship of boys
by merchants, firms or corpora
tons, provided rules of the CON-
petition were strictly adhered to.
Under National Soap Box Derby
rules, no car entered for competi-
ton may cast any more to con-
s-ruct than $40. This rule has been
in force ever since the National
Soap Box Derby was first in
augurated by the Chevrolet Motors
division Of the General Motors
Corporation many years ago.
Barrel of Fun
] Sponsoring by merchants may be
me means of many worthy boys
receiving a chance to compete
1or the pig Derby prizes, who 9th.
er"lse might find it impossible te
enter. Merchants who came forth
with the idea of sponsorship yes
seTday said that they thought i
should prove a barrel of fun watch
ing Pearls Pickles" car running
neck and neck or nose to nos,
See SOAP BOX on Page Three
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
CARC0ES AWAIT
METEOR'S PLANE
Castle Hayne Flowers To
Be Flown On Inaugural
Freight Flight

Meteor Air Transports inaugu-
raj daily freight in and out of
Wilmington on Monday will be a
two-way proposition
The giant Douglas DC-s cargo
plane will bring merchandise
from northern cities to Whining
ton merchants, and it will carry
Wilmington products back to the
cities of the north.
L. M. Todd, owner of Todd Fur
niture company, has directed
Meteor to pick up articles of mer-
chandise, including brass andiron
fireplace sets, in New York and
deliver them here Monday.
Dress Deliveries
Mrs. Julia Seigler, of the La
Mode shop, has also taken ad-
vantage of the new daily air
flight service and instructed the
airline to deliver dresses, hats,
coats, furs, etc, which the shop
has on order in New York.
Both Mrs. Selgler and Todd sale
they think the new daily COM
mercial air schedule should grow
into a big thing" for Wilmington
merchants.
Although: the plane may not be
full when it reaches Wilmington
on its first flight Monday, if
should be loaded to capacity
when it leaves on it's return trip
to the north, according to John
Nuckton and c. Heide Trask, Cas-
tie Hayne flower-growers.
"Fill Him Up"
We'll fill him up" Trask sale
yesterday. 1.-THE gladiolas are
coming into bloom, and all the
Castle Hayne growers I know Of
are planning to use the service
See CARGOEs on Page Three
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
nal PLANES AID
IN STRIKE JAMS
Airline Carrying Volumi-
nous Quantities OF
First Class Mail

Operating through Wilmington
twice daily, National Airlines yes
terday swung into action to meet
emergency conditions arising from
the nationwide railroad strike, it
was announced last night by the
company's New York offices.
All available equipment is being
used in the company's "all-out"
attempt to add its bit to help keep
the nations vitality essential cargo
on the move. All along It's 5000
miles of airways, between New
York and Miami, and New Orleans,
and on branch lines, came reports
of capacity loads of passengers, air
mail, first class mail, and emer-
gency cargo and express being car
ried by the company's fleet of four
engined, 46~-passenger transport
planes.
Carrying The Mail
In addition to a full load OF
passengers and priority cargoes
of air mail and express, n Ma
tional DC4 in top speed, one-stc
service between New York and
New Orleans via Jacksonville,
carried over one-half ton of first
class mail. On a southbound
flight National reported carrying
the largest air mail load in history,
for Florida West Coast cities.
NAL President G. T. Baker said
yesterday that every effort will be
made to carry all mail to Southern
cities, particularly those cities on
Nationals route which have no
other air connections.
Passengers Served
up to the present time" Mr..
Baker declared. NAL has been
See NAL On Page Two
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
Text OF Truman's
Speech On Page 3

Two Democratic senators who
cannot be named, reported that
a drastic act empowering the
government to penalize any who
strike against facilities under fed
eral control is under considera-
ton.
The President told the workers
in his broadcast that he would
call troops to help u the trains
If necessary to meet the chal-
lenge" to the government.
But he urged each striker to
"face his conscience and consid-
er the spectre of starvation and
death that will result from fol-
lowing their union heads.
In the grimmest and most mill
tant speech of his troubled ad-
mlnistration to date, he disclosed
no details but he vowed that "ev-
cry means within my power Will
be used to stop the strike.
Il shall call upon the Armv 10
assist the Office of Defense Trans
p%ortatlon in operating the trains"
ne declared, land I shall ask u
armed forces to furnish protec-
ton to every man who needs the
call of his country In this hour
of need"
Eisenhower Called In
Apparently in this connection
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was
hurriedly recalled from a Georgia
vacation and flew into the CAPT
tai, Fastening to a conference with
Secretary of War Patterson and
generals. American soldiers 3D.
Grated trains throughout Europe
under EisenhoWer's command dur
ing the a
Still another last minute move
sent SO United States attorneys
hurrying home to their districts
from a conference here, to be on
hand to institute any prosecutions
of present laws or new ones which
might be- pushed through.
Earlier in the night the frenzied
negotiations which federal media
tors have been conducting collap-
sed, Notwithstanding a new White
House proposal, and the President
castigated A. F. Whitney and Al
vanley Johnston, leaders Of the
striking Trainmen's and Engineers
brotherhoods, in language seldom
See TRUMAN on Page 1--WE
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
And So To Bed

The great railroad strike, de-
plored and condemned through
out the nation, Is a blessing
in disguise to at least one man
"a mail carrier in Whining
ton.
B. B. Sunofsky, the carrier,
handles a large city beat. He
goes around to all the mail
boxes In his area, takes the
mail out of them, and carries
the letters and packages to
the post office for sorting and
delivery.
Normally he handles hundreds
and hundreds of letters and
packages every day.
Yesterday afternoon he
brought his sack into the mail
room and said, "Here's my
days work"
He turned the sack upside
down.
One letter fIuttered to the
floor.
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
GOOD AIR NEWS
P BOLSTERED
FOR OCEAN ROUTE

Wilmington's hope to get a
clipper route to Bermuda and
the Caribbean was strongly boil
stored yesterday when Presi-
dent Truman recommended
that Colonial Airlines, Inc,
make a new application for per-
mission to include Wilmington
and Charleston, S. c., on its
Bemuda flights, according to
dispatch received last night
from The Stars Washington, D..
C., correspondent.
New Application
Colonial's application for the
southern route was turned down
Wednesday by President Tru-
man and the Civil Aeronautics
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
VOTE TODAY
IS Offices At Stake
In Primaries In Area

Polling places, all % of them in
New Hanover county, win open
promptly at $50 a. M, this morn
ing and close at $50 p. m.
Democratic and Republican pri-
maries today, are definitely sepa-
rate from the city bond election
which will not be held until next
Wednesday, May 20. A total Of T.
27O city residents are registered
for the bond vote.
Two Ballots
Each registered Democratic vot-
err who goes to the polls today will
receive two ballots, n for coun-
See PRIMARIES ON Page Two
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
Written exclusively for
The Morning Star
By C. w. (WILLIE) w

A tour of the Caribbean area
comprising Haiti, Santo Domingo,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the
British, French, and Dutch Anti
lies, including Trinidad, British,
French and Dutch Guiana, Vene-
zuela, Colombia and Panama brings
to light a unique assortment of
postwar problems which beset
some of our near neighbors.
The economic and social predica-
ment of the Puerto Ricans is such
that i must be seen to be believed.
The United States has been trying
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25

Winding up one of the quletest
election campaigns in recent years.
candidates for nomination by the
Democratic and Republican parties
for congressional, state and county
offices, fired their final cleo
pioneering salvos shortly before
midnight last night and today WILL
be making every effort to get a
majority of the 1857 registered
voters in the county out to the
polls.
Offices at Stake
One congressional, two state leg
islative, and 10 county offices are
at stake in the first postwar Demo-
cratic and Republican primaries.
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
Plant.<
Buses, Taxiis
Fight Clamp
Transport Services Team
Up To Break Through
Isolation Wall
EMERGENCY TRAINS
Naval Officers And Men
Alerted For Recall To
Active Duty
ACL PRESIDENT DAVIS
REVIEWS PLEA TO WORKERS

ACL PRESIDENT DAVIS
REVIEWS PLEA TO WORKER
After hearing President Tru-
mans appeal on the radio last
evening, G. Med. Davis, Presi-
dent, Atlantic Coast Line rail-
road and Charleston G. West
ern Carolina railway, prompt
Iy dispatched to employees of
those two railroads who are
members of Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers and
Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men who have thus far not re-
turned to work the following
message:
"This is the second appeal I
have made to you within the
week.
81 heard over the radio this
evening, as ] feel sure you
did also, the earnest appeal
made to you by the President
Of the United States to consider
first your duty as a loyal
American citizen and return
TO your work.
Gas President of the Atlantic
Coast Line railroad, or Charles
ton & Western Carolina railway
by which you are employed, I
join in that request.
"Many. many of You I know
personally and have known
for years because of my own
long service with the railroad,
and that fact warrants this my
personal appeal. As you know,
our train service since Thurs
day afternoon, twenty-third, has
been operated on a skeleton
basis only. But as emphasized
by President Truman we plan
to augment that service as
rapidly as possible and I hope
We may do it with your assist
ance by your immediate return
to duty.
beginning tomorrow you
will be called again for your
run or regular assignment of
duty and l hope you will
promptly respond by returning
to the service.
Sincerely,
Champion Med. Davis"
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
REPORT TO THE STAR
Post War Problems Beset
Countries OF Caribbean

for f~orty-eight years to improve
conditions but after an expenditure
of millions of dollars there is little
to show for it. New buildings,
roads, harbors, air fields and the
like the profuse but the Puerto
Rican is still i'll fed, i'll housed and
socially insecure. They want free
dom but at the same time say that
the United States must subsidize
them with large yearly grants of
money even if freedom is granted.
Feeling against the Americans is
bitter. Governor Rexford Tugwell
who is about to retire has said that
See CARIBBEAN on Page Two
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
Truman
Highlights

WASHINGTON, May "a up -
Highlights of President rruman's
radio address on the railroad strike
situation:
eff sufficient workers to operate
the trains have not returned by 4
pm. tomorrow Saturday as head
of your government I have no al
tentative but to operate the trains
by using every means within my
power"
81 shall call upon the Army to
assist the Office of Defense trans
p~ortation in operating the trains
and l shall ask our armed forces
to furnish protection to every man
who needs the call of his country
in this hour of need"
"To each man now out on strike,
I say that the duty to your coun-
try goes beyond any desire for per-
sonal gain"
"This is no contest between labor
and management. This is a con-
test between a small gruop of men
and their government"
1.-THE railroads are now being op-
Grated b your government and the
strike of these men is a strike
against their government"
THE government is challenged az
seldom before in our history. L
must meet the challenge or con.
fess its impotence"
1.-The crisis tonight friday Is
caused by a group of men within
our own country who place theil
private interests above the wei
fare of the nation"
This offer of an increase of Il
IL cents per hour was imminent.
ly fair. 1t would have resulted ir
actually increasing the take-home
pay of the union members above
the greatest take-home pay which
they enjoyed during the war"
II assume that these two mel
(Alvanley Johnston and A. F. Whit.
ney, Railroad Brotherhood offlcials)
know the terrible havoc that their
decision has caused in the even
more extreme suffering that will
result in the future"
1T is inconceivable that the rank
and file of these two unions realize
See HIGH.IGHTS on Page Three
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
President Flags Union
Leaders In Radio Speech
Truman Appeals To Engineers And Train
men Over The Heads Of Their Union
Leaders To Return To Work
BY LILA r. SPEAR

WASHINGTON, May 24-AP)-President Truman
told the nation in an emergency broadcast Friday night
that he would use the Army to get railroad trains running
if sufficient workers do not appear on the job at 4 o. M,
EST, Saturday.
Speaking from the White House in the gravest strike
crisis of the nations history, the President appealed to
the engineers and trainnen, over the heads of their lead
ers, to resume work.
Then he went to work drafting an extraordinary
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25

Board. Colonial officials i'm
mediately said they would
make a new application.
Congressman j. Bayard
Clark, a close friend of Har-
lice Branch, vice = chairman of
CAB; Senator Clyde R. Hoey;
and Senator Olin D. Johnston,
of South Carolina, pledged
themselves to do 'everything
within our power to get CAB
to approve the new application.
The Wilmington-New Hanover
Airport authority also pledged
it's support to the airline.
See AIR NEWS on Page Chre
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25
By PHIL WRIGHT

Gripped by the strangle-
hold of the great rail strike.
Wilmington has gone all
|out" to circumvent complete
The Atlantic Coast Lines
emergency" trains, the buses
at Union bus terminal, the planes
at Bluethenthal airport, and the
city's taxicabs all teamed together
yesterday to help break through
the wall of isolation which the
strike has buttressed around the
city.
And the U. S. Marines had the
See FACILITIES on Page Two
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25

speech 70 De delivered to a joint
session of Congress at 4 P. M,
Saturday. Democratic Leader
Barley of Kentucky informed the
Senate that the President will have
definite and specific" recommen-
dations to make, If they are needed
when the deadline the President
set arrives.
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25

From the Halls of Montezuma, etc., to the mail rooms of
the nation you'll find the Marines, as of yesterday. AS shown
above, the Marines have been pressed into postal service by
arrangement between Postmaster Wilbur Dosher and Mai. Gen.
John w. Marston, Camp Lejeune commandant, to ensure that a
portion of Wilmingtons first class mail moves in and out of the
local postoffce. The Marines-three trucks and six armed men-
began regular mail runs between Wilmington and Rocky Mount
as the rail strike gripped the country. JMore pictures n Pages
Four and Three)-STAR STAFF PHOTO BY PETE KNIGHT.
The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-25

Wilmington and vicinity:
cloudy and warm Saturday.