The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1954-10-22
Bicentennial,
Hazel Leave
Staff Wondering
Reporter Civ IS
Details Missing
In First Edition
BY JOHN STICK

Newspapering is frustrating
experience at times. A reporter,
more often than not, works
against time, and in his own opin-
ion his stories often fall little
flat" He reads them and finds
that he didn't catch the true
spirit of an occasion. OF didn't
describe the real feel Of a stu
alton.
Such was the case last Friday
On that day, both Hurricane
Hazel and the Bicentennia) wind
up provided grist for the writer
mill. Neither, we feel, reached the
readers in true proportions
Seldom has one eight-hour span
provided as much excitement.
glamor pathos, humof and
anxiety as did that whirlwind
period celebration of 200 years of
history.
Impossible Task
Write that all up in a couple
Of terse news stories! Impossible
III earlier editions, the Herald
carried matter-of fact accounts
as best the staff could prepare
But what of the reporters I'M
written about nose for news feel
ings of that day? The following
paragraphs attempt to pick UP
some of the experiences" that
couldn't fit into d straight news
account
VIII those Of you who attended
ever forget the scholarly calmness
of Clarence Bradshaw Friday
afternoon speaking in competi-
ton with banging windows and
skylights as 10 mlle-per- hour
winds hoWled outside? Wasn't the
attentive reaction Of visiting
dignatarieS, who must have been
wondering how things were back
home in the hurricane. worthy
There was an exciting moment.
for small town reporter. as to
posing protocol during picture
taking Of the visiting dlgnltaries.
Should former governor be ii
the middle? Does a u S. Senator
come before state attorney
general? Well the bigger they
come the easier they are moved
about To these real news makers
it didn't make a bit of difference,
really. Mayor Fitzpatrick finally
made the protocol decision aecu-
rately, but it didn't matter a whit
to the visitors
Wasn't j ack Bruce treated
meanly by the clements All that
work on the parade and no
honor IN actual accomplishment
for what would undoubtedly have
been fine spectacle
Human Fraility
Who could escape from the
feeling Of helplessness as the 3 to
p. m fury Of the storm reached
It's height? The complete mastery
Of nature, the unrelenting power
of the elements squeezed lis all
briefly into the petty human
personalities we are And yet,
when it passed there was a sense
of lesson learned. deep inside
Who could pass through the
streets without a sense Of Sor-
row at the destruction of the
great trees? Yet who could escape
noticing the number OF giant
trees and limbs that crashed
harmlessIy away from buildings.
The loss of life might have been
severe here With less fortunate
circumstances
How to describe the pride and
cooperation with which the magis-
terial district workers prepared
their floats Here was encouraging
solidarity between urban and
rural acres as both worked side
by side for a spectacle in the
common good.
We wish all Of our yeaders
could have studied the judges
closely How much they desired tc
render a good, a just decision
How well they succeeded, 100, If
finding verdict that each of four
was worthy of top honor. but for
different reasons