The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 47

I i It Ml it'lM dffc fV II tV MA ill Jr II i St ctr? IU fl4 IJ fn i 1 rMiiflff mm cl lie is miu rauve urn fLJ it if jpfc 2 1 I'll in nr rr i it mn -nirtfn Tr -rn 'iftffW TTTT '-t 0 Itrt a 1 jwt; j1 a it a I wwjr 9 Oft" CD 4fj 0 0 I film exposure of 10 seconds. The photograph was made at about 9 p. m. Friday, Dec. 11.

Main St. at Christmastime is a spectacular concentration of decorative lights, neon signs, regular street lights, Above telescopic view lighted store windows, by Staff Photographer James G. Wilson shows Main St. along virtually the whole downtown portion, during a total Two Women Made It; But They re Known Of The However Her Story No 'Gift Long Hair Native Of 'Whisky Run' To Tiryon Draws Sign Of Woman's Pride, Denmark Now Here Says crutiny Of State Tax Agents night when I would let it down," she laughed. It now hangs about five inches below the waist and is silky brunette.

The former Birthe (that's Beatrice) Sparre-Rorbech, she came to this country in 1957 and married Sgt. Turner whom she met and fell in love with In Frankfurt, Germany. He is a native of Startex and is-with the 63rd Flight Line Maintenance Sqdn. at the base. The couple, and 14-month-old Linda, live at 2 Pine-; crest Dr.

"There is only one reason in the world I'd give up my family, my home and my country and he's sitting right there," she said thoughtfully and motioned to the sergeant. He sat very quietly. If hair sold for $50,000 a head, he would be broke. He wears his slightly reddish hair close cropped. It takes a lot to give up all that, Mrs.

Turner explained, but it has been (See "LONG P. 8-D, C. 1) If a Minneapolis woman can sell her floor-length tresses for $50,000 as she hopes, then a Greenville woman believes she is walking around with a few hundred dollars on her head at the very least. She is Mrs. Thomas A.

Turner, wife of a Donaldson Air Force Base staff, sergeant, who came to this country three years ago. Coming at this time of the year It sounds like a modern-day version of the "Gift of Magi." But it Isn't that way. Mrs. Turner just had her Scandinavian pride upset when The News printed the picture of the Minneapolis woman about two weeks ago. "Long hair is a tradition in my country," said the petite Mrs.

Turner, formerly of Copenhagen, Denmark. "A woman's long hair is a mark of pride. She never cuts It." Well, almost never. Mrs. Turner had to cut hers on orders from Sgt.

Turner. "He always got tangled'up In It at spacious home in one of Greenville's finer residential areas. Whoever was inside was warm. We were cold and hungry. The two Greenville residents had made what is popularly known as a "whisky run" to the Tryon store, an ABC unit, to escape what many term high prices and high taxes in South Some get away.

Others don't. Recently a prominent resident of Holly Hill came barreling down the mountain. He had four fifths, three quarts of champagne, two quarts of wine. The agents got him. "And I don't drink," he wailed as he watched officers seize the liquor.

"I was taking it back for friends who wanted it." He pleaded guilty before Magistrate Bobo Burnett in Spartanburg and was fined $100, suspended -on payment of $50. He also got a receipt to show his friends he did buy the booze but he Just couldn't bring It home. At first Spartanburg County residents were the ones most fre quently caught. Lately the dubious honors go to Greenville County, according to arrest records. And it also appears that women lead the list.

Since the enforcement unit of the tax commision went into operation in 1955, they have made believers out of many people. Prior to that time South Carolina had been losing a fantastic amount of tax money to the North Carolina ABC stores. "They had almost dried up Spartanburg County," Agent Kiddle explained in pointing out that South Carolina licensed dealers In that area were almost going broke. "The first year we were in operation we brought back to the state some $1,000,000 in taxes," he added. And among the first persons caught was a member of the Spartanburg Grand Jury and a Spartanburg minister.

It is mostly the "so-called high class" people who get caught in the commission's "hit and run" operation at the state line. By TED SHELT0N Two women bought two sacks of whisky in Tryon, N-. recently. They made it back to their homes in Greenville by giving agents of the South Carolina Tax Commission the slip. They can laugh about it now and enjoy what they think is cheaper whisky from North Carolina.

But they won't laugh next time. The agents know who they are. "Some days you flush 'em right quick," said Chief In-vestigator S. J. Pratt, as we wheeled over the mountainous road.

"Other days you just have to sit and wait." And that's the hardest part. We waited four and a half hours at a Greenville "stake-out" for the car to appear. Those were long hours. "Bet her husband is worried," commented Agent W. E.

Riddle as the clock hands hugged 7:30 p.m. a good bit past the usual dinner hour. We drove past the house again. A fire burned cozy in an open fireplace of the beautiful and They are the ones who "load up" for parties or for their own use to escape the state taxes. "We're not interested in the guy who just maybe drops by the store and picks up a pint or maybe a fifth and comes into the state," Mr.

Pratt explained." It's the ones who load up with several quarts or a case or two." lie further explained the operation of the agency which has 13 men functioning under the directorship of II. C. Lewis of Columbia. "We don't want to make cases. We just don't want people to violate the law.

"Word gets around that we are in the area," he continued "and then they stop going up for awhile." But later and no one but the agents know when they are back in the area. North Carolina people take a dim view of these activities and so do a number of persons in this state. It is not only great sport to make a run and get away, but residents of Tryon seem to take delight in spotting the agents and tipping off other people. The result is devious routes out of Tryon all known to the agents, who know which roads are deadends and which ones lead back to South Carolina. i Tryon residents have reason not to like the activities.

In the first three months' operation of the ABC store there in 1955, they took in $350,000 a good portion of that was South Carolina money. And all revenue from the store goes back to that North Carolina County. But if it's any consolation, Pratt says, "Georgia Is doing the same thing to us that we are doing to North Carolina." High prices in "wet" counties of that state prompt those residents to do the same things. It isn't a penny-ante operation and responsibility faced by the State Tax Commission. Revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages brings this state about $15 million annually in taxes.

And it was a good bit higher when North Carolina border counties were "dry." The enforcement squad deals directly with the licensed liquor, beer and wine dealers in the state in all matters pertaining to the business. Their job is to enforce the laws dealing with the legal sales of alcoholic beverages. North Carolina whisky "runs" are not as much of a problem today as they were when the unit first started. But there will always be some one who thinks he can save money by making the Tryon run and the agents will be in and out of the area working their "hit-and-run" routine. Some get away.

Some don't. And according to agents' figures, you can't save too much money, since whisky prices in many South Carolina stores are just as cheap as those in North Carolina. "The risk just Isn't worth it," said Chief Pratt with a shake of the head. "And besides the bulk of the revenue In this, state goes to education." Moral of the story: Buy your booze in South Carolina the school you support may be your alma mater. 1 MRS.

TURNER I Xd Durable Tradition 7-Century Tradition For Carols The joyful strains of "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen," "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" and other carols renew a durable tradition as they fill the Christmas air. Carols have flourished for about seven centuries, the National Geographic Society says. Scholars praise them as "masterpieces of tantalizing singers delight in their buoyant themes. All Christian nations have carols, which are religious seasonal songs, usually happy In spirit. The singing of spring and Easter carols has declined, but Christmas carols have survived and grown in popularity.

Carols originally were sung to accompany a ring dance, in which dancers joined hands and circled around. Many of the tunes retain a dance lilt. About the 13tH century, traditional dance melodies were adapted to religious texts. Worshipers welcomed something less severe than the old Latin hymns and (See Page 8-D, C. 2) 1 mMmpmm'mmma: i Ik (j oJ 17 in i tB LINDA Linda, 14 months old, tickles the tresses of her mother, Mrs.

Thomas A. Turner, and giggles In glee. Long hair is a mark of pride In Denmark, Mrs. Turner's former home, but she had cut off some of hers to comply with orders from her ki Force sergeant husband. (Greenville News photo by Ted Shelton).

Patience I a first requirement for the agents of the enforcement unit of the South Carolina Tax Commission when they "stake out" to catch South Carolinians buying and transporting whisky from North Carolina. At left, Chief Investigator S. J. Pratt keeps a watch for a particular car at Tryon location. At right, on the road to Greenville, he stopped two servicemen for their answer to bis friendly question: "Have you got any North Carolina whisky in Actually Mr.

Pratt doesn't have to ask the question be always knows the answer, (Greenville News photos by Ted Shclton). A.