The Chapel Hill weekly., 1958-10-20
| Like Chapel Hill
By Billy Arthur

liked Bob CAN'T. The late Durham attorney sat
right in front Of me-and beside Jack LeGrand-in the
1945 session of the General Assembly
That was the first time | knew Bob personally,
but long before had heard of his frebalng prowess
on the baseball diamond of his social charm and of
his legal abilities. From and through Bob was to
learn and hear lot
All of US in the eight seats to the right of the
Speakers chair got to know each other quite well and
quite quickly Not because seated so close in
the crowded corner of the House Rather the person
alities did it,, -
On the back row were Frank Taylor from Wayne
Wayland Spruill from BERTHE, Bob Bender from Jones
and me from Onslow. In front of Frank Taylor and
Nayand Spruil sat Shelly Caveness and Walter Criss
man OF Guiford, in front of Bob Bender was Jack
LeGrand, and in front of me was Bob Can't
There was always something going on in that cor
ner We had our opinions of the legislation at hand
and even If the House didn't want to hear them we
shared them with each other. Further, because Bob
CAN'T Wayland Spruil Shelly Cayeness and couldn't
whisper, Speaker Frank Richardson frequently looked
IN our direction Certainly he Of all people was interest
ed, but more ne wanted US to get quiet.
Of course there good deal of banter And
Jack LeGrand took much of it. Jack deeply interest
ed IN his Port of Wilmington. We pretended that Dur
ham and Onslow and Bertie and Wayne and Jones and
Guilford were't interested
The greatest thing-I learned from Bob CAN'T was
not to be conformist because almost everyone else
seems to be one because few people expect you
to be yourself
And because Bob Can't was such straight wah
ing, towering well as being mentally big u
guess respected and liked him the more
But most remember Bob CAN'T for our daily late
afternoon sessions with Walter Pete) Murphy of Ro-
Bob and Pete had been close friends for years Why
they invited to their daily gatherings don't re-
member. Certainly added nothing. just sat and list
ened Bob and Pete reeed off stories about Trinity
College and the University here, about Tom Daniels
Dr. n NJ Gibbs Pete himself and their football abi-
ties and liabilities their recolectons of North Caro-
lima, currently and historically
Bob and | discussed often how much North Caro-
lima needed Pete Murphy's view Of its times and its
history Because Pete and remembered North Caro-
INA anecdotally, Bob and | wanter Pete to talk for
publication. Or to write his memoirs But he wouldn't
Bob and even thought of "bugging" his room with
concealed wire recorder to steal Pete's words for
posterty. We serious We never did it. but we
should have. There would have been lot of wasted
wire but there would have been lot Of interesting and
entertaining information
Neither Bob nor made it back to the LegislatuY
And when moved to Chapel Hil ! went by his Dur
ham law office. He was then sick at home phoned
and ne generously invited out to see him promised
I'd 90. | was serious. should have.
Now it's too late.
Wake Forest College may disapprove Of dancing,
but it says Amen to football
Over in Raleigh Lynn Nisbit was talking about
the beautiful weather "Some folks say it's tough
to have to work days like these but it would be
tougher not to have job"
Politicians have started out again TO the coun-
try IN November We're getting so accustomed to be-
ing saved that we don't much mind it anymore N