*******•■■■■■■■
kt then columns will Bo
frwni § fair presentation
*( I tool and county nows
* iwwral interest.
Volume X.—Number 28.
County Tax Rale Remains 80 Cents
®«n Council SelsTax Rale
At SI.OO For 1943-1944
i
At Meeting Tuesday Night
Town Councilmen juggled figures
until a late hour Tuesday night, and
unanimously agreed that the Towns
affairs could be handled again this
year by a SI.OO tax rate as of last
year. All members of Town Council
were present at the meeting, except
J. Edwin Bufflap, who is a patient
in Duke Hospital. Many other mat
ters were brought to the attention of
the Councilmen and were acted upon
before the Board went into executive
session to study the budget. The
budget, as adopted, is now on file in
the office of R. E. Leary, town clerk,
for public inspection and, as required
by law, will be published in The
Herald next week.
Petitions coming up before the
Councilmen were presented by S. N.
Griffith, who urged the paving pro
ject on Freemason, Oakum and
Church Streets. This project was
tabled until further investigations
can be made.
Capt. Dick Hail appeared in tlie
meeting and urged the necessity of
fire escapes on all two-story busi
ness buildings in town where families
or office help stay upstairs. He also
urged the buying of fire nets to be |
used in emergencies.
Council unanimously adopted the
motion made prohibiting the sale of!
Wine from 11:30 Saturday night, un
til 7 Monday morning.
The North Edenton paving project!
is being studied and re-investigated,
and will be acted upon shortly. W. D. )
Pruden, city attorney, is now nego-{
tiating with the State Highway De
partment concerning the matter.
% ifonal Officers
Attend ODC Meet
At Court House
E. W. Spires, civilian defense chair
man of Chowan County, held a meet
ing of all key men and women of the
local Civilian Defense Organization,
in the Court House Thursday after
noon, at 3:30 o’clock, at which time
Mrs. Walter Craven, State Director
of the Citizens Service Corps, was
present. Miss Mary Elizabeth Judy
and Harold Rogers, both representing
the regional office in Atlanta, were
also present.
Mrs. Craven highly commended
Spires on his present set-up and his
co-operative staff of workers, who J
made such splendid reports as to j
what they were doing for defense.
The representatives turned the j
meeting into a round-table discussion,
asking and answering timely ques
tions fired at them by the audience 1
who had gathered for more enlighten
ment concerning their particular du
ties in the Defense program.
Rogers, in speaking of the com
munity’s needs, talked on wholesome
recreational activities for the younger j
set. “At this particular time,” said'
the speaker, “when we are doing so
much for our service men and women,
there is a tendency to become negli
gent of our duties toward our young
people of the teen-age. They are not
unaware of this situation, and they
need recreational provisions made for
them to keep them out of mischief,
morally and spiritually.”
Edenton’s housing shortage was
discussed by J. G. Campen, and the
representatives from Atlanta. Rog
ers agreed to take up the situation
with the Atlanta office, and to use
his influence in hurrying up this fed
eral project which has already been
practically assured through John R.
Ruggles, who was in Edenton last
week, making surveys and gathering
facts and figures concerning such a
project.
Miss Judy cited many cases which
have come under her observation of
such housing projects. She also
stressed the fact that she, too, would
use her influence in hurrying the
Atlanta office.
Those attending the meeting were
or Leroy Haskett, Chief of Po
» i J. R. Tanner, W. W. Byrum,
s. W. Overman, J. G. Campen,
„ohn J. Ross, Dick Hall, H. A. Cam
pen, Will Harrell, E. W. Spires, J. A.
Price, Mrs. J. A. Moore, Mrs. Elliott
Belch, Miss Rebecca Colwell, Mtss
Gladysteen Hester and Miss Lena
Jones.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
A HOME NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF CHOWAN COUNTY
; Chief J. R. Tanner
Proving Vagrancy
Law Does Have Teeth
Edenton’s Chief of Police, J. R.
Tanner, and his officers are defin
itely on the trail of vagrants in and
about town.
This week, five vagrants were ap
prehended and told to go to worK
immediately. All promised they
would find jobs, but two soon forgot
that the law had such strong teeth,
and were found idle and drunk by
officers this week.
One case has left town, and two
out of the five have been arrested
| and dealt With. From now on, there
[is to be no loafing tolerated in these
1 parts.
| :
Inglis Fletcher
i Gives Portrait Os
, Duke of Albemarle
j Inglis Fletcher, aithor of “Ra
[ leigh’s Eden” and “Men of the A!be- (
I marie,” whose gifted pen has done so
j much to bring Edenton and the Albe
[ marie to the attention of the reading
j public and has carried its name and
fame to the far reaches of the eontl
| *>an't and beyond, has added yet
j another item to the score of our in
debtedness to her, this time a warmly
j personal act of generosity in the pre-
I sentation by Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher
!to the town and county of a hand
j some portrait of the Duke of Albe
| marie to be hUng in the Assembly
Room of the Court House.
During her stay in Edenton where
! she made her home for more than a
i year while doing research and work
ing on her “best seller” novels, Mrs.
Fletcher took a deep interest in the
historic shrines of the Albemarle,
and with a keen appreciation of the
beauty and value of the Assembly-
Room she greatly stimulated local in
terest in repairing and furnishing
this architectural treasure. With this
in mind and as a nucleus towards In
creasing a sense of pride in preserv
ing the room as one of the outstand- 1
ing show places she commissioned
Miss Anne Fletcher of Virginia, sis
ter of Mr. Fletcher, and a portrait
painter of note, to paint the portray
of the Duke of Albemarle which has
j just arrived and will be hung in the
[ Assembly Room and presented at a
later date. Upon learning of tue
| proposed gift the County CominTs
! sioners appointed a committee to take
! charge of the restoration and work
1 has been authorized at the present
time to re-condition the ceiling and
floor and an appropriation made
therefor, so that the room will pre
sent an appearance somewhat in
keeping with such a handsome gift.
Edenton is more than fortunate to
j be the recipient of a portrait by Miss
Fletcher who is an artist of recog
nized ability. She has made numer
ous portraits for public buildings in
Virginia, four for the Governor’s
Mansion, several judges of the Fed
eral District Court, three judges of
the Supreme Court of Virginia, as
well as others for the State Capitol,
the University of Virginia, and for
“Virginia House,” home of Hon.
Alexander Weddell, former U. S.
Ambassador to Argentina and more
recently to Spain.
We are deeply indebted to Mr.
Preston Davis of New York, owner
of the portrait of the Duke of Albe
marle by Sir Peter Lely which he
has loaned to Colonial Williamsburg
and which hangs in the Capitol there,
for his courtesy and gracious per
mission to have the portrait copied,
and also to Dr. Hunter D. Farish,
Director, Department of Research,
and to Mr. James L. Cogar, both as
sociated with Colonial Williamsburg,
Inc., for their fine cooperation and
assistance in the matter.
It is eminently fitting that the
portrait of the Duke whose name is
preserved in the entire eastern area
of North Carolina, should adorn the
walls of the Assembly Room. First
of the Lords Proprietors, born
Monch and christened George he was
created Duke of Albemarle by King
Charles II in grateful recognition of
(Continued on Page Five)
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, July 15, 1943
Contracts At Local
Base Will Be Let
During This Month
“Plans for letting contracts for
the erection of barracks and other
accommodations for 440 Lady Ma
rines and 32 officers have been badly
hampered and postponed, because of
1 the shortage of engineers,” stated
Commander Chas. G. Prahl, officer
. in charge of construction at the U.
• S. Marine Air Corps Base, “but we
| plan to be able to make awards of
contracts now approved between
. the 20th and 24th of this month.”
The cost of barracks and other
’ necessary accommodations in order to
: take care of the incoming Lady Ma
, rines, who will be here to be trained
for the various branches of service,
calls for an expenditure of $270,000,
> as has been previously stated, and
i these funds have been appropriated,
s Contracts for the $185,000 swim
-1 ming poo! which was last week ap
propriated and allotted for the local
Air Base, will also be let as early as
possible. .This pool is a necessity to
further the training of those at the
Base in order to carry out the full
physical and recreational program
necessary to their development and
skill.
In addition to the approved allot
ment for constructions to be made
at the local Air Base, an allotment
of $1,135,000 was approved for the
construction of a 6,000-foot runway,
taxiway, airplane area, boresight fir
ming range, two 81-B barracks build
-1 ings, a synthetic training building
and an aviation storage building.
On the Air Base reservation there I
are already 30 completed buildings, l
which have been erected since the j
work began one year ago. Six I
of these buildings are of brick, and
the others are of frame—-temporary
construction. This, reservation cov
ers an area of 3,500 acres of land,
lying two miles east of Edenton, and
this land has been regarded as of
high historic interest since the days
of the Revolution.
“The Base will be finished by early
September, or by the middle of tnat
month, anyway, has been stated By
officials and officers in charge. Be
cause of labor shortage, and absen
teeisms, the progress of construction
at the Air Base was slowed up con
siderably. Otherwise, we would have
finished this job in March, as it was
scheduled,” stated Commander
Prahl.
As the Base nears completion, the
I personnel of employees has been cut
down from 1,500 to 600.
The Air Base is to be used for
practically all phases of Marine
training, however, it was first plan
ned as a special glider training base.
Chowan’s War Bond
Quota Increased For
Month July, $44,794
J. G. Campen, chairman of the
War Finance Committee for Chowan
County, urges people of the town and
county to buy more and more war
bonds and stamps during July. The
government must have funds to car
ry on an offensive war, and the saiu
of bonds and stamps is one way in
which these funds can be raised.
Chowan’s quota for July has been
increased, and Mr. Campen urges
every one in the county to increase
the purchase of L’nited States n,
Bonds and stamps during the month,
in order to maintain Chowan’s re
putation for being 100 per cent when
ever called on.
The County fell a little short in
the July quota of last year, but Mr. I
Campen says he feels confident that
the people of the county will not
fall short this year. The government
needs the money to help finance this
war, which we are all sure of win
ning, and apart from that, money In
vested in United States war bonds
will bring peace, happiness and lib
erty to our country and to the world
when the war is won.
The Chowan quota for July is
$44,794. Remember—“ They Give
Their Lives—You Lend Your Money. ’
Surely the people on the home front
can do no less than buy bonds ana
stamps with every available dollar,
when the boys in the armed forces
are willing to give their all that we
may enjoy America as it has always
been.
D. M. Warren
Gives Rotarians
Splendid Address
Speakin* co the Rotarians, at their
luncheon and business session last
Thursday noon, D. M. Warren talked
on a most timely and 1 up to the min
ute subject. Namely, “Victory Re
services and Planning for Peace.”
For a long time, corporations here
and elsewhere have been setting
aside increased funds, as a reserve
to be used in rebuilding, remodeling,
enlarging, and for replacements of
certain types and kinds of machinery
that will be well worn, and below
standard, after such continuous use,
and at the present rate of 24-hour
production,” stated Warren. He
used as an example of 24-hour ser
vice the Edenton Cotton Mill, which
has operated on such a scale for a
very long time.
Warren also stated that individuals,
too, are putting aside Victory Re
serves, with a thought toward the
future and peace. “These reserves,”
explained Warren, “are in stocks,
bonds, savings accounts, and various
other methods of future financial |
preparations. Such farsightedness is
to be highly commended.”
Warren pointed out the fact that
Edenton will be in line for industries
and new enterprises with the present
transition of the times, and hinted
that there might be something of a
news break in the near future, Con
cerning the enlargement and the
opening up of more wheels of indus
try, in connection with the Edenton
j Peanut Mills.
Another speech of highly aeceferat-!
ed interest was made at Thursday’s)
j luncheon by young Roger Haskett,
Ison of Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Haskett.)
Young Haskett spoke in behalf of his)
Scout Club, and in behalf of the mul
tiplied dozens of others in town, who
are highly iinterested in having a j
city swimming pool. Such a project |
has already been brought up before
the Lions Club by Haskett. The
Lions pledged Haskett their interest
end cooperation, with the other civic
clubs, and corporations about town,
in helping to carry out such a pro
ject, which has been in popular de
mand here for a long time.
Chief of Police J. R. Tanner and
Roger Haskett were both guests at
the Rotary Club meeting last Thurs.
day.
Lions Club President
i
Names Committees!
;
Oscar Duncan, newly-elected presi
dent of the Lions Club, succeeding J 1
Clarence Leary, with the other new- ‘
ly installed officers of the club, 1
namely: W. E. Malone, first vice
president; Kenneth Floars, second ‘
vice-president; John Mitchener, Jr., '
third vice-president; W. J. Taylor, J
secretary and treasurer; Earl Har- ‘
rell, assistant secretary; Sidney
Campen, tail twister; Leroy Haskett,
Lion tamer; Earl Harrell, pianist,
with A. E. Jenkins and J. A, Curran,
as directors, have taken over their
offices and duties, at the club, and
Monday night’s meeting and dinner
was a session of outstanding busi
ness activities, and line-ups for the
coming year,
The Hub is actively engaged in
the consideration, and in lending,
their cooperation in getting a swim
ming pool for the city in the nesi
future. This project was brought
to their attention recently by young
Roger Haskett, who also made a piea
for such in behalf of the town’s teen
age, at tlie Rotary Club last wees
Dr. Wallace Griffin and John Mitch
ener, Jr., are collaborating with other
civjc clubs in this matter of a re
) creational project for Edenton.
The Lions new president fs a
! graduate of A. & M. Miss. State
College, a former teacher in the
Edenton High School, and has been
employed at the Edenton Post Office
for the past six years.
The following committees were ap
pointed at Monday night’s meeting.
They will serve for the next twelve
months.
Attendance —Hector Lupton, L. H.
Haskett and John Mitchener.
Safety—G. C. Hobbs, V. J. Odes
ky, V. C. Tripp.
Community Betterment —Leroy H.
Haskett, Francis Hicks, C. E. Byrum.
Constitution and By-Laws —W. S.
Griffin, R. C. Holland, Nathan D.
Dail.
(Continued on Page Five)
Chowan County Will Again
Enjoy One Os The Lowest
Tax Rates In Recent Years
Draft Board Warns
Teen-Age Boys To
Register Promptly
The local Draft Board has issued
a statement saying that the number
of registrants of 18-year-old boys fs
much lower at the present time, and
this may be due to boys failing to
register as they should. Therefore,
the Draft Board is making this ur
gent reminder, and asking all boys to
contact their local Draft Board im
mediately on reaching their 18th
birthday, unless said birthday falls
on Sunday. In that case, contact the
Draft Board on Monday.
“Spotters” Meeting
Friday Night Filled
With Information
A goodly crowd of volunteer spot
ters from about town gathered at the
Court House Friday night, at the re
quest of Chief D. C, Crawford, Jr.,
who is in charge of the local Obser
vation Post, and who hud arranged
to have Staff Sgt. .1. R. Brand arm
Staff Sgt. I. Levitsky, of the Nor
folk Area for Air Defense, present
to conduct an information class, tell
ing in plain and understandable lan
guage how to be an airplane spotter,
how to judge the distance of plane*,
and other important facts that one
must be fully alert on, in older lo
make the right calls in to the Nor
folk officers.
This meeting was well worth while
and was informative from every
standpoint. The details of intercept
ing planes, following calls that go in
front Observation Posts, were fully
and most ably explained by Staff Sgt.
Brand, who also cautioned the vol
unteer spotters of the importance of
taking good care of the Post head
quarters, explaining that any defac
ing or destruction of such places
would bring about government inves
tigations and punishments.
Staff Sgt. Levitsky showed a 20-
minute film of pictures taken from'
action, depicting army alertness m;
the training rooms of radio actfvi-;
ties both from air service and ground
service.
Chief Crawford complimented nis
volunteer spotters for their very fine:
co-operation in carrying out this'
necessary war-time project.
An appeal was made for more men)
about town to lend their aid at the
local post. With more men on the
job, the watches could be shortened,
and everybody would thereby be
benefited.
. _■ . -.j
Architect Inspects
Edenton USO Center
Albert C. Wood roof,, of Greensboro,)
was in town during the week-end. to)
check up on the local I’SO quarters,
which are under construction, and of
which Wopdroof is the architect. j
Wood roof found the work going a
great deal slower than he barf antici- j
pated yet he was well pleased with
the progress being made, under the j
present manpower shortage, which
has caused the contractors no little
headache.
The necessary materials and the
furniture and equipment for this job
have been available and on hand for
some time. Director Abe Martin
and his secretary and aide have
been continuously on the job at the
U'SO quarters, and are carrying on as
well as possible under the stress and
strain of the work in progress’ there.
Martin has set the official opening
date of the club to take place on or
before August 1. This is approxi
mately two months later than he had
hoped to open the club.
JAILER’S REPORT FOR JUNE
Jailer Shelton W. Moore reported
to the County Commissioners, at their
meeting on Monday, that 43 persons
were jailed during June. This en
tailed an expenditure of $138.60.
This newspaper is ekow
lated im the territory
where Advertisers will
rteUue good results.
$1.50 P r ear.
’ * ***
Taxpayers in Chowan County will
) again during the 1943-1944 fiscal year
j enjoy the s-ame low county tax rate
as of last year. County Commisslon
j ers, in a long session on Monday,
(. i devoted principally to matters of
' budgeting, were able to continue the
l j county tax rate at 80 cents per SIOO
’ ( property valuation, which compared
’[to the tax rate of 1941-42 which was
$1.02, makes the present rate appear
I low, being reduced 22 points from
i | that time of levying.
No special levy was made for the
| general County funds, since it was
not necessary. There was a cash
i balance of approximately $50,000, as
• profits from the County ABC store,
but since the treasurer M. F. Bond,
j was out of town, and since there was
Ino speaker present for him, the
| Commissioners tabled the report
from such funds, until Bond could
|be present and have some voice in
the motions made concerning its use
I : in the county.
' i The school budget was set at
I $27,384.27. The tax levy for schools
j was 11 Cents, and for social security,
, .09 was levied as of last year.
Each appropriation and expendi
ture for the year was carefully
’ weighed arid scrutinized by the Com-
I i missioners, and wherever possible,
J reductions were made in keeping with
j the proper functions of the county
.) government.
The school budget took up a good
~ part of the day. By cutting expen
ditures to the bone, and by making
out on less this year in the way of
.; repairs and what-not, Superintendent
, of City Schools John A. Holmes was
willing to deduct SI,OOO from the
i school budget. A deduction of S3OO
, | was made from the school bdcfget of
, Chowan High School. This money
was taken from the library fund,
j The Commissioners adjourned at
. 3:30 o’clock after a lengthy day de
) voted to budgetary and other impor
tant matters.
Gregg Cherry To
Speak To Legion
! Members July 27
Gregg Cherry, gubernatorial can
didate for the 1944 Democratic pri-
I rnary, has accepted an invitation,
j which was extended to him by the
| Ed Bond Post of the American Legion
and the Legion Auxiliary: to speak In
the Court House on Tuesday night,
July 27, at 8:30 o’clock. Mr. Cherry
Will officiate at the installation of
new officers in both the Legion Post
and the Auxiiiarry.
Cherry is well-known throughout
the State for his political and civic
activities. He served as a major in
World War I, and has been Past De
partment Commander of the Ameri
| can Legion. He is well remembered
i in Edenton. when on March 16, 1937,
t he presided over a joint session of the
Legislature, which met here to do
; honor to the townf"”"!® eommenlora
) tion of the historical fact that Eden
| ton was the first State capital.
I The public is most cordially urged
to attend this meeting.
14 Negro Selectees
Leave For Fort Bragg
The following colored inductees left
from the National Guard Armory oa
Wednesday morning to take their fin
al physical examinations prior to in
duction into the armed forces. Ts
these examinations are passed, the
selectees will be granted a 21-day
furlough before being called into ac
tive service.
William A. Valentine, Roosevelt
Palmer, Thomas C. Boyce, James Rid
dick, Jr., Wm. Robt. Teasley, James
A. Armistead, Isiah Ricks, Jr., Roy
E. Evans, Russell Cox, Jr., James
Ricks, John W. Beasley, Jr., Matthew
Perry, Willie P. Jones, transfer from
South Carolina, and John W. Beas
ley, transfer from Virginia.
Also going to Fort Bragg on Wed
nesday were four reservists, who re
turned for active duty. David Blount,
George E. Johnson, Geo. W. Blount
and W. L. Tyner.