tory class. My teacher was professor
Woodrow Wilson.”
Recommended reading: “The Innocents
Abroad” by Mark Twain.
Hurricane
Warnings!
Hurricane warnings!
Hurricane warnings! The
news sent a chill down the
spines of us boys. It meant
that the waves at Wrightsville Beach
would be the best of the year, and we all
loved body surfing. Surfboards were not
well invented yet. The weather reporting
was not nearly so good as it is now. Most
hurricanes passed off the mainland and
only caused big waves in the ocean and, if
they did hit the beach, the damage was for
our parents and the insurance companies
to worry about. We were going to have
fun surfing and having a party.
In a day or two, the reports became
ominous and all of a sudden we became
electrified, hurrying to get our boats out of
the water. As we hurried, an old man from
down the street approached us and said,
“Would you bully boys help me get my
boat out of the water?” We thought how
irresponsible it was for him to wait until the
last minute, when we were completely busy.
Now a flashback of about 15 years hit
me. At that time my father was recovering
from tuberculosis and was not much
help in coaching me in sports. This old
neighbor realized all of this and suggested
that I enter the junior casting contest. Not
having a conventional reel and rod, he said
that he would help.
“Go to Canady’s and buy, for about
$1.50, a 12-foot Calcutta cane pole and
get a reel with light line.”
He then showed me how to set the
ferrules on the pole; how to seat the reel;
how to taper a four-ounce lead bank sinker
to streamline it; how to hold my arms;
place the sinker on the sand; and throw
the sinker. The best men could cast over
400 feet and, after coaching for several
weeks, I could cast about 325 feet. Finally,
I came in second in the tournament and it
made me feel very good in sports for the
first time in my life. My confidence was
built high, all due to the old man’s help
and coaching. I never felt better.
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “Mr. Burke, we will
get your boat out of the water right away.”
Martins and
martins
Years ago my older brother
Kenneth married a city girl
who did not know much about
nature. When they moved
to our country place, Orton, many new
friends enjoyed visiting to see the flowers,
landscape and maybe have a cup of tea.
Since wildlife abounded, it was a frequent
topic of conversation.
One day, the head of the birdwatchers
club called my sister-in-law Betsy and
asked, “Have the martins arrived yet?”
40
WBM april 2012
Betsy was concerned, as she was not
expecting a large number of Martins to
come for tea. As she scurried around trying
to prepare for a lot of visitors, a friend
happened to look up and saw a huge
migration of martins heading north.
Betsy soon learned the difference
between Martins and martins.
Old Folks’ Lack
of Memory
Much has been written
about failing memory
as we grow older, and
the alleged cure is a big
field in the expensive medical profession.
I propose a preventive: DO NOT GET
EDUCATED. Yes, do not learn to read
and write.
In my youth, there were many elderly
Laurence Gray Sprunt at
Orton Plantation.