dropped in the wood, but that wasn’t
unusual.
The snow was coming down in
earnest now. and ma's face got real
sober as she glanced out of the window.
She said she hoped the winter would
end soon, for she hadn’t been off the
farm for nigh onto seven weeks.
And then without a bit of warning the
old stove let loose!
Bang. bang, bang!
It sounded much like the popcorn
popper, only much louder.
All eyes turned to the stove, and pop’s
face grew puzzled. The bang-banging
grew louder, and suddenly the hinged
lid on top of the stove danced up and
down, and finally popped open, with
flames belching into the room. The
stovepipe came tumbling down as well
and suddenly the room was filled with
smoke.
Red usually was soft-spoken but now
he raised his voice. "Get out of the
room, all of you!"
We streaked for the protection of the
kitchen, but pop stuck it out with Red.
moved closer to the stove. The bang¬
banging quieted down now. and Red put
on a pair of gloves and got the hot
stovepipe back in the flue. Pop opened
an outside door, and pretty soon the air
cleared and the household got back to
normal.
Red stood there, his face as red as his
carrot hair. And suddenly pop was
laughing and the contagion spread, and
even Red’s face cracked in a smile.
"The next time you lose a box of rifle
bullets." pop said, "you’d better tell us
about it. It could be a mite dangerous,
dumping .22s into a hot stove like that!"
I remembered the hollow log then.
I'd been mistaken about a mouse nest
as I dropped it into the stove.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
(Published on page 8)
I. Fourteen points. Wilson. 2. Nash¬
ville. Jackson. 3. John Quincy Adams.
(Not John Adams.) 4. Wakefield.
Washington. 5. Mecklenburg. Polk.
6. Springfield. Lincoln. 7. Killed in
Buffalo. McKinley. 8. Tippecanoe and
Tyler too. 9. Raleigh. Andrew Johnson.
10. Grandson. Benjamin Harrison.
11. Independence. Truman. 12. Fat boy.
Taft. 13. Four freedoms. Franklin D.
Roosevelt. 14. Heavy beard and cigar.
Grant. 15. Dolley’s husband. Madison.
16. Doctrine. Monroe. 17. Two words
in last name. Van Buren. 18. Engineer.
Hoover. 19. Kermit and Quentin. Teddy
Roosevelt. 20. University of Virginia.
Jefferson.
The Oe Laurentiis Corporellon was llrst atirecled
«о
Wilmington by a magazine picture ol lamed Orton Plan¬
tation (above), where they later filmed scenes In the movie ‘ Fireslarter:' Below, craftsmen are creating
a full-size replica of Orton House and stable to be burned for the film, (photo courtesy of Mr. and Mrs.
Kenneth M. Sprunt)
All The City's
A Stage
Wilmington's non movie-making giant
may take some getting used to, but
there are great rewards and some
pleasant surprises.
Bu SI SAY TAYLOR GERDES
Like a girl who had always thought
she was somewhat attractive and sud¬
denly finds herself wearing the Miss
America crown. Wilmington is
blushing with pride at being chosen as
the home for Dino De Laurcntiis’
colossal new motion picture studio
complex. De Laurcntiis, the Italian ex¬
ecutive producer of over five hundred
movies including such diverse celluloid
works as La Sirada. The Bible. Wirand
Peace, Serpico, Ragtime, King Kong,
and Conan the Barbarian, first heard
of Wilmington through Frank Capra. Jr.
While searching for a site for the
filming of De Laurentiis’ movie
Firestarter. associate producer Capra
ran across a picture of Orton Plantation
on the cover of a Southern Accents
magazine and kept it in his pocket as
he surveyed sites in Italy. Mexico, and
Texas. Finding nothing that he liked as
much as the now crumpled picture, he
arranged a meeting with Kenneth
Sprunt. who with his brothers is co¬
owner of Orton, the eighteenth-century
rice plantation fifteen miles south of
Wilmington. The first meeting went
well and De Laurcntiis himself showed
up for the second- one.
“Firestarter” Started It
It was a case of mutual infatuation.
De Laurentiis and his associates were
impressed with the welcome they
12
THE STATE. NOVtMBtR 1984