The Very First
Status Symbol
tty TH AI) STEM, JK.
brolhcr Vernon and I were downtown
during the hroadcsisi. and joined the
crowd to see how people were doing.
We became aware that the money had
accumulated until 20 silver dollars
were in "the pot."
With a little scientific pushing and
shoving, aided by Vernon. I managed
to get near the microphone and at¬
tracted Carl Gocrch’s eye. "And now.
for 21 silver dollars, let's see if this
young fellow can answer the ques¬
tion." he said, after determining my
name and where I was from.
I can't remember the question, but I
do remember that it was a "tough
one." Just ;is Carl was saying "thirty
seconds." meaning that if I didn’t
know I should make my best guess. I
heard myself giving the absolutely cor¬
rect answer.
The next thing I knew both hands
were loaded with those silver dollars,
and a new contestant was on the air
with Carl — starting over at a measly
SI level.
In those days wc didn't carry on like
contestants do on these TV shows,
where you win a new house or
Mediterranean cruise or something. I
don't even think I thanked Carl, hut
my profound gratitude must have
shown. In the 1930's you could really
do something with $21.
In fact our first purchase (Vernon
and I were partners in this) was a fish¬
ing rod and reel for Vernon purchased
from Lewis Sporting Goods, then a
leading emporium in downtown Ra¬
leigh. And we went on home with
pockets clanking with that treasure
trove.
The show was so popular that it
continued after Carl Goerch gave it up:
among others, the late Jim Reid — a
broadcaster who became a hanking of¬
ficial and Mayor of Raleigh — did it in
fine style.
But no one had more fun with it than
Carl Goerch. who started it all. Except
me. on the day I won the big pri/e. —
By Frank Jetf.r. Jk.
Puzzler
_ By l>an B. Wkhcr _
An explorer walked one mile due
north. then one mile due cast, and then
one mile due south back to the point
where he started. There he found that a
bear was making off with his supplies.
What color was the bear? White, of
course. Any questions?
ISoliiiion on
рицс
.M)
THE STATE. FFBnUAnv 1980
Beyond peradventure the umbrella
was the original status symbol. The
original fan. intermittently a comfort
or a woman's necessity, was con¬
structed to fold, and when expanded it
took the shape of a section of the an¬
cient magic circle. Almost immedi¬
ately the fan became vital in woman's
sham-retreat from men. Primitive
women learned that precipitate llight.
and easy capture, accelerated passion
and desire. The woman learned to use
her fan as a shield, as she hid her face in
fraudulent modesty: but all the time
her eyes operated as magnetic radar,
just across the tip of the fan.
The umbrella, long an essential ac¬
coutrement. comes from the Latin
iimhra. meaning shade. The parasol
had originated in France, in reference
to the sun. when called a "para sol"
and nptirapluic in reference to the rain.
But long before the age of sporadic
do-dads, the umbrella had been intro¬
duced in China. Hgypt. and Mesopo¬
tamia as early as the 1 2lh century B.C.
Too expensive and rarefied for com¬
moners. virtually all of the early um¬
brellas belonged to nobility. The main
chamber of the palace of the emperor
of Siam contained three umbrellas and
no other embellishments.
The monarch Ava proudly billed
himself as "The King of the White
Elephants and the l ord of 24 Umbrel¬
las." One of the early legends tells of
King Solomon's magic carpet, on
which he carried his entire entourage.
To protect the ladies of his court from
sun and rain. Solomon commanded
twenty-four blackbirds to form a Hying
roof. Then, shortly, he commanded
the twenty-four blackbirds to solidify
into a black, singing umbrella for his
court.
Apparently, the canopy of black¬
birds came at mid-point in Solomon's
life. He had not attained the age cele¬
brated in the old song that virtually
every Tar Heel used to be able to sing,
but which is never heard today:
"King David and King Solomon
Led merry, merry lives.
With many, many concubines.
And many, many wives.
But when old age o'er look them.
With its many, many qualms.
King Solomon wrote the Proverbs.
King David wrote the Psalms."
In the years that followed the era
when Ava was Lord of twenty-four
umbrellas, the big ones that required at
least four carriers, umbrellas vanished
from history for a while. A variety of
make-shift, jerry-built umbrellas
opened up like black tulips, here and
there. Then in the 17th century when
materials were cheaper, the umbrella
achieved a tenuous sort of popularity
in Europe and in the British Isles. The
traditional leather was replaced by
lighter cloths such as silk, and whale¬
bones were used loi the umbrella’s
ribs.
Tremendous enhancement came
during the 1 7th century because the
owner was spared the extra expense of
having a resident umbrella-bearer.
But even in Europe and in the British
Isles the umbrella was called a "child’s
toy." and the men who carried them
were effete. But of the men w ho were
impervious to taunts, James Hanway
(1712-17X6) is more pertinent to the
development and daily use of the um¬
brella. Hanway. a man who merited
admiration for Ins all-around manners,
industry, and ingenuity, carried an
umbrella everywhere he went. It was
as if Hanway had an extra appendage.
(There is this story, and although it
sounds apocryphal. I can swear it is the
gospel truth. A local man carried an
umbrella before the umbrella attained
national popularity via college boys.
As Mr. Heggie lumbered along a boy
loafing, sitting, on a pile of lumber,
yelled: "Hey. Mr. Heggie whatchu
doing carrying an umbrella when the
sun is shining?"
Mr. Heggie’s reply was : "Young
man. any damned fool can carry an
umbrella when rain is falling.")
In addition to the bully-ragging
Hanway got from mcinbei s of his I on-
don Club, he may have been the first
27