The Wilmington morning star., 1947-11-21

race type of control, or a spill
way or some arrangement that
will keep the Waccamaw river
within its banks all the time
and protect all farm acreage
from the effects Of an overflow.
If this be done, the farmers be-
lieve that with supplementary
drainage bitches on the individ-
ual farm, the agricultural in
come and the prosperity of Ash
can be increased. They want
the Southeastern North Carolina
Civic Congress, if it is organ
lied, to adopt this as an ac-
tivity.
Two highway paving projects
come next on the Ash program.
These are the paving of about
eleven miles from the Shallotte-
Whiteville highway to Hick-
mans and the paving of the
road from the Shallotte-White-
vile Highway to Grossett Town
on U. S. II. These are not tour
ist highways but they are roads
the paving of which would be
of great value to Ash.
You find at Ash some start,
not so much as yet, towards
crops and products, other than
tobacco, for sale. The Ash
farmers are selling sweet pota-
toes at Tabor City; Irish pota-
toes at Tabor City and White
vile; some wheat at Whiteville;
a few strawberries; some chick
ems and eggs; and in larger
quantities hogs and cattle to the
Whiteville Livestock Auction
Market. The chickens and eggs
are sold in Wilmington.
For example. While we were
in Ash M. D. Smith came by
with nine hogs he was taking
to the Whiteville Livestock Auc-
ton Market. He said he had IS
head Of hogs at home and Is
head of cattle. He also was con-
ducting an oyster roast and kept
oysters for sale. He obtains his
oysters mainly at Village Point
and Sea Side. Smith said not a
word about a tobacco crop. Ap-
parently he is Independent of to-
bacco.
In discussing diversification
Ash had three suggestions.
First, keep the Waccamaw riv-
er within it's banks and grow
corn in commercial quantities.
Second, utilize the Whiteville
Livestock Auction Market for
further increase in livestock
production. Third, get the White
Dairy Company in Wilmington
to establish pickup stations and
thus permit milk production in
commercial quantities.
In another move towards di-
versification Ash has several
small sawmills. Among the
sawnill owners are W. R. Bab-
son, G. V. Smith, E. G. Smith,
Oakland Smith, F. D. Inman,
Burns Babson, Y. H. Gore and
Baxter Morton. Among. the
farmers at Ash are D. B. Sim
mons, H. V. Britt, R. I. Long,
10. L. Evans, S. K. Babson, Lis
ton Babson, j. C. Babson, W.
M. Matthews, J. A. Purvis, J.
H. Milligan and j. B. Ward.
We had a very pleasant and
Informative conversation with
]. r. Simmons, who has been
the postmaster at Ash for Six
teen years. He is as public
spirited a citizen as one can
find anywhere. He believes in
Ash and works hard for a more
prosperous community. Ash has
very attractive church in the
Soldier Bay Baptist Church.
The children attend the Lake
Waccamaw school. There is
quite a bit of interest in an
election of directors for Soil
Conservation district.
!
Ash is in the Brunswick
R.E.A. territory and most of its
farm homes are electrified.
Many of them have electric
washing machines and refriger-
ators. It is pointed out also that
keeping the Waccamaw river
within bounds would improve
health conditions inasmuch as
mosquitoes do not breed in run
ming water.