^yVWWWWWWWWWWWVMWWWMWMi b kb k _ __ 1930 CENSUS I ■ ■» W A ■ wwvwwvwvwwwvywwvwywwwvtv«; Roanoke Rapids Township i I H h H h K A| I 1 i 31 PER CENT I 16,612 * A AAj A AJLjI VAjL J^r !; Of Halifax County Population j; 1 __ --J. OF THE TWIN CITIES-ROAN OKE RAPIDS-ROSEMARY i i VOLUME 17.___ __ ROANOKE RAPIPS-ROSEMART, N. C„ THURSDAY, MAY 28th, 193L NUMBErT COMMENCEMENT WEEK STARTS SUNDAY WITH UNION SERVICE 36 SENIORS GRADUATE NEXTWEEK All Twin City Churches Join For Baccalaure ate Sermon This Sunday A. M. FINALS NEXT FRI. Thirty-six Seniors of the Roanoke Rapids High School will receive their diplomas at the graduation exercises to be held in the High School Audi torium on Friday night, June 5th. Al though details of the extensive pro gram have not been completed, ac cording to word coming from Supt. C. W. Davis late this morning, the pro gram for the annual Baccalaureate sermon to be given next Sunday morning is completed, the Reverend Francis Craighill. pastor of the Epis copal Church, Rocky Mount, deliver ing the sermon. A full week of social activites will be egaged in by the graduating Seniors the coming week, climaxing with the presentation of the “sheep skins’ ’to the local boys and girls on Friday evening at the commence ment exercises at which Hon. W. A. Harper, president of Elon College, will officiate. ine annual Baccalaureate Sermon will be given at the High School Au ditorium Sunday morning May 31st, !.t 11 a. m. It will be a union meeting . f all Twin City Churches. The program is as follows: Prelude “Faith,” Mendelssohn — Miss Gladys Cox. Processional, “God of Our Fathers,” Community Choir. Hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” con gregation. Invocation, Rev. A. P. Mustnm. Anthem, ‘God So Loved The World,’ Stainer— Community choir. Responsive Scripture reading led by Hr. P. M. Sharpe. Prayer led by Rev. J. W. Harrell. "Father In Heaven,” Doun—Mixed quartet. Announcements, Supt. C. W. Davis. Introduction of speaker by Rev. Hugh Bradley. Baccalaureate Sermon, Rev. Fran ks Craighill. Hymn, “Faith of Our Fathers,” con gregation. Benediction, Rev. V. H. Grantham. Postlude, Tschaiskowsky—Miss Cox Following is the 1931 Graduating Class, comprising thirty-six boys and girls of this community: Mary Allen. Constance Barrow, Au drey Byrd, Ruth Baird, Margaret Cranwell, Margie Collier, E u 1 a Crumpler, Lucille Hodges, Blonnie Hodges, Crichton Harris, Pauline Kendrick, Daisy McCommons, Etta Mincher, Annie Mae Odell, Joanna Rook, Lucy Shearin, Ruby Shell, Sy bil Simms, Edna Smith, Ruby Tickle, Elizabeth Wilson, Mary Zeiler, Mark Allen, Marvin Anderton, Jimmie Beckwith, Roger Cullom, Charles Pickens, Marvin Floyd, Calvin Kenne mur, James Lynch), Aven Moody, Charles Ogletree, Uriel Powell, Fran cis Starke, Dallas Shearin, Colon M'omble. The class of ’31 is one of the largest in history. A large attendance of the Bacca laureate Sermon is expected for next ‘ Unday morning. Kill Mad Dog A dog, which from its actions, was supposedly mad, was shot and killed ednesday morning near the ice P ant. Three men, whose names could Pot.be learned today, saw the dog coming from the direction of the Ave nue and travel down Madison Street. staggered and frothed and they ollowed the dog, warning several Persons to get out of the way. Bor rowing a gun from a nearby house, 7ey caught up with and killed the dog. INFANT daughter dies rne infant daughter ,f Mr. anJ J1”* Sam Sledge died Sunday, May ^ • Funeral sreyices were held Moi* J with interment at Roanoke Ka Ms cemetery. C™«CH SUPPER SATURDAY Ihe Ladies Aid Circle No. 2 of the tti^urch w>H serve supper in i * C"urch basement Saturday even v *’ june ««». from 8 to 8 o’clock, "befit of the Church indebtodnoaa. It’s All Over Now The 1931 General Assembly of North Carolina adjourned last night at 9:49 at the end of the 141st day, the longest session in history. Reduction of land taxes by State maintenance of schools, ex cept for a 15 cent ad valorem tax, and by State maintenance of county road systems by means of extra gasoline tax, were the main features of the session. Governor Gardner spoke for a few minutes at the close of the session, which ended with cheers and singing “Until We Meet Again." Senator Allen C. Zollicoffer and Representative T. W. M. Long wi!l return home today. 227 WILL START IN SCHOOL Pre-School Clinics Show Large Number of Be ginners For Next Year Pre-school clinics were held at Rosemary School and Central School a few days ago. The uumher of chil dren examined was 187, the largest number to be examined in any clinic held here so far. In addi tion to this number there were about '0 children whose names were sent in to he enrolled in September but for various reasons couli not attend the clinic. This indicates that there will be 227 beginnners to enter school in September. This is a slight increase over the number planned for last fall. Ibis number will probably reach 250 by the end of the first month. The majority of the prospective pu pils are in very good physical condi tion. Some, however, need the atten tion of a doctor to get them in shape for school life. In such cases the par ent was advised to see the family physician. About ninety per cent of the mothers came with the chidlren. In several cases the father came in stead of the mother. This cooperation from the parents was indeed gratify ing. The children of the primary grades had made favors for all the little tots who came. The favors consisted of May-baskets, Japanese lanterns, card ooard animals, horns, etc. As the (hild’s examination was finished he vent away with a very good impress ion of his first day at school.* The clinics were directed by Dr. Mitchell, the county physician, who v as assisted by Miss Dickens, the county nurse; Miss Rook, the local school nurse and Miss Hearne, the elementary supervisor of the city schools. LOWER TAX IN HALIFAX Under New Revenue Act, Hali fax Land Tax Cut $133,673 Raleigh, May 28.—Tax redaction )f nearly "$10,000,000, or to be exact, $9,667,186, will result to the property owners of North Carolina for each of the next two years under the Revenue Bill which is about through the Gen eral Assembly, according to a table of figures prepared by the State Tax C ommission. This table shows that on the as sessed valuation of $2,978,710,228 for The year 1930 in the whole State, • he 100 counties had a total tax levy1 of $14,135,244 for current expenses of the six months school term. On the same assesed valuation at the proposed 15-cent tax rate the total levy will be $4,469,058, by which it is seen that the levy for the next two years will be $9,667,186 less than in 1930. Halifax County, the report shows, had an assessed valuation in 1930 of $39,085,476, on which the tax rate was 49.2 cents for current expenses of the six months school term, which made the total tax levy for this county $192,301. The proposed 15 cent levy on the same valuation bas is will mean $58,628 in taxes in 1931 and 1932, or a reduction in the coun ty of $133,673. This amount it is pointed out, will ASKS FOR MONTHLY PLEDGES Associated Charities Works Out Easy Pay Plan For Annual Campaign DRIVE STARTS 11TH Quiet times mean nothing to As sociated Charities, local organization which has just finished its first year of regulating the charity work in the community. They refuse to be inti midated and are planning an ambiti ous campaign for funds here on June 11, 12 and 13. Another nfeeting of the finance committee was held last night at which definite plans for attack were adopted. Too many people were con tent last year to give a quarter or half dollar just as they would to any one begging for a hand-out. And a lot of those people used Associated Charities as an excuse for a whole year not to give to anyone else or else continued their old policy of giv ing to anybody who asked if they couldn’t get out of it. What Associated Charities wants the people of this community to do is to give to Associated Charities all the money they would ordinarily give away to local charity in a years time. in order not to make it too hard on anyone, they plan to go to each citi zen and have him sign a pledge card, puyin.c a monthly stipend, the first month cash with the pledge, the bal ance in monthly installments to be drafted each month by the treasurer of Associated Charities. It is understood that there are some \*ho cannot afford to do this. Those un .'mployed or on short time are ask ed to give only what they can afford to at the time of the drive. The entire community is being di vided into sections for the drive. S. 1). Brown has charge of the Rosemary Mfg. Co. and the mill village. J. H. Hines has charge of Roanoke Mills No. 1 and village. Guy Murray is in charge of the drive for Roanoke Mills No. 2. E. A. Tellaga will be captain of the force at the Halifax Paper Corporutio.n A. Meikle will lead the forces at Patterson Mills Co. The Womans Club will be asked to get special pledges from their mem bers and other women of the com munity, while the Kiwanis Club has agreed to take charge of the drive in the business section. A. N.’Martin and George N. Taylor rre captains of t^o teams in the Ki wanis Club which will visit every ■store and office in the business sec tion for a pledge from corporations, crompanys and individuals. Special announcements o i tne drive and the need of the work will be continued thru the church pulpits, the pYess and the schools until the drive on June 11, 12 and 13. Next week we hope to have the his tory of some of the cases as report ed by Rev. J. N. Bynum, president of Associated Charities, and this paper would appreciate testimonials from any persons who have been helped during the past year, so the public may know just what good has been accomplished. REGISTER Registrars Jeff Welch and John Clark report a fair registration of voters in the two prceinets here on the opening day last Saturday. Some 260 voters came to the polling places to register on that day. About 175 of these were in the North end. The books will be open all day this Saturday and all qualified voters are urged to register at once. It was pointed out that husbands could not register for their wives. This is a new registration, not only but for the election of city officials but for the election fo city officials on July 7th and for all subsequent city elections. Everybody must re gister to vote. Mr. Welch will be at the polling place, the old Methodist Church on 2nd and Jackson Streets all day Sat urday and Mr. Clark will be at the warehouse on Eleventh Street back of the old Patterson Store building. be felt appreciably in the tax bill of the individual taxpayers in every county in the State. BAD STORM Most Baygerous Electrical Storm of Years Here Tues day Night The worst electrical storm in years struck here Tuesday night and did considerable damage in addition to frightening most people out of their wits. It seemed that every flash of light ning struck something nearby and for a half hour the storm raged. The narrowest escape reported was that of Mrs. Cleophus Bray, who had been taking a nap before going down to hey husbands cafe. She had been up a mattter of two minutes and had left the bedroom when lightning struck the iron bed on which she had been lying and burned the metal as if a blowtorch had been applied Elec tricians say she would have been kill ed if she had been on the bed. Thirty street lights in the city were biown out by the lightning. In front of the Peoples Theatre, one blinding flash crashed down a brass rail and knocked a boy down who was leaning against the rail, inside the theatre, a bolt struck the equipment putting one of the loud speakers out of com mission. A switch in No. 2 Roanoke Mill was burned out when lightning struck there. All over town, radios, floor lamps and every kind of electrical equipment, popped and sparkled with every flash of lightning. FIRE AT BELMONT Jim Thomason Home Partially Destroyed By Mean Fire Saturday Night A disastrous fire which did a to tal damage estimated at $2,500 gut ted part of the Jim Thomason resi dence in the Belmont section Sat urday night. The fire was discovered at nine i clock by J. R. Myrick who lives two doors from Mr. Thomason. The fa mily was down town and Mr. Myrick turned in the alarm. The distance from town, coupled with the fact that there arc no fire plugs in that section, gave the fire a good headway. The Fire Department answered the call quickly but was forced to use a bucket brigade and chemicals. The fire was exceptionally diffi cult to fight because it had worked its way up from the bathroom where it seemed to have started and had gotten under the roof by the time the Depiatment reached there. It w as necessary to chop up portions of the roof to get to the fire. Part of the furniture was carried to the front yard by volunteers but the bulk of it suffered from either fire or water. An estimate put the damage to the house at $1,500 and to the furniture at $1,000, both par tially covered by insurance. The Thomason family was located downtown and returned home to find the place just about in ruins. Only the quick work of the firefighters saved a total loss. LAST MEET Parent - Teachers Association Re-Elects Mrs. Kirk Presi dent for Next Year The Roanoke Rapids Parent-Teach er Association held their last meeting of the year for the High School on Thursday afternoon in the Vocation il building. Mr«. J. E Kirk, who has served as president fer the past year was reelected. Mrs. T. O. Wilson was chosen vice president, Miss Aline Cannon, secretary, and Mrs. Clar ence Grimmer, treasurer. The various committees made their annual reports. C. W. Davis, chair man of the school grounds stated J>at much work had been done tn the grounds and that the new tennis courts were almosc completed, and hoped that members of the associn :on would use them during the sum mer. Mrs. r. u. Jarman, library chairman, made a splendid report and Mrs. J. N .Bynum has been quite ac tive as chairman of the Social Service ork. The president accepted the presi dency for the next year and thanked all members of the association for tboir cooperation during the past year. Misses Gertrude Bray and Lillian Williams spent Sunday in Fitzhugh, Va., visiting friends and relatives. Joe Pearce of Hopewell, Va., is spending some time in town. QUEEN OF COTTON FESTIVAL Miss Ruth Transou I s Crowned Queen In Ceremony Friday Night MODELS PARADE As a climax to celebration of Cotton Week by the clubs of Roanoke Ra oids-Rosemary. Miss Ruth Transou was crowned Queen of Cotton by Her man Tickle, as King Cotton, Friday night, May 22nd, in the Roanoke Ra pids High School Auditorium.. The prgoram began by the Rose mary Band playing “The King Cot ton March,” and Southern Melodies. Graham Poyner with sixteen girls dressed up in unique cotton costumes sang “Come On Down South.” The speech of the evening was made by a former representative of Halifax Count, W. J. Norwood, and if every cne doesn’t wear cotton after hear ing that speech they will at least have a guilty conscience. Robert Lowe, Goby Williams, Edgar Kirk, Francis Starke, Norman Speight, James Lynch, John Glover and Otis Rey nolds dressed as darkies sang “Sou thern Melodies, which were much en joyed. The Fashion Show was a lovely dis play of cotton dresses, sports, even ing, afternoon and morning, modeled hy many pretty girls of the Twin Ci ties. The pages were Harry Hunt ington Weathers and Elizabeth Cald well Beckwith. A Minuet by six dainty misses, dressed in pastel shades of organdy was most attractive. It was composed of Mildred Blow, Merle Cole, Emily, Dunning ,Marie Cates, Elizabeth j Ward and Mary Louise Wells. Miss * Gladys Steinberg, emerging from a huge cotton bole, gave a solo dance. Misses Mable Johnson, Ella Lee Tay lor and Evelyn Johnson, representing darkies, sang “When A Black Man is Blue.” The final program of a week of celebration was staged by Mrs. Lyle Wilson assisted by Misses Traynham Wyche, Virginia Smith and Mr. Gra ham Poyner, with Mrs. R. P. Beck with, general chairman of cotton week. The High School Auditorium was well filled for the occasion in spite of the rain. The following stores had models in • he Fashion Show: Crowders Dept. Store Rosemary Dress Shop, The Quality Shop, B. Marks, Fligels Style Shoppe, Mrs. K. Jenkins and Chesson's Miss Transou was elected Cotton Quee when last minute voting put her far ahead of her rivals. Miss Pau line Brewer received the second high rst number of votes. CLOSE TIGHT WEDNESDAY All Stores in Twin Cities Will Close Wednesday Afternoons During Summer Months All stores in Roanoke Rapids and Rosemary will close Wednesday af ternoon of next week and will con tinue to close every Wednesday af ternoon in June, July and August. A.N. Martin, president of Rosemary Merchants Association announces 100 per cent cooperation in the South end, while W. C. Allsbrook, in charge of the closing in the North end states that he didn’t miss a door and the town will be closed like Sunday every Wednesday afternoon. This is done in order to give the owners and clerks a little rest during the hot summer months, due to the fact they must stay open so late each evening. This is the first time there has been such hearty response on the part of the merchants. ine public is requested to coope rate by getting orders for delivery in early Wednesday morning of each week, so all stores will be ready to close their doors at one o'clock. Baseball, golf, picnics with the fa mily and short trips will be indulged in by store owners and clerks on Wednesdays. The banks, Power Co. office and other offices will be dosed. Drug stores \yill alternate in closing each week as will hardware stores for the benefit of farmers who must have certain articles on short notice. Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Smith and chil dren, Bobby and Louis, spent Sun day in Lasker visiting relatives. Saturday Poppy Day This Saturday, May 30th, is Poppy Day and poppies will be sold here by the Damask Post of the American Legion. Wives, sisters and sweethearts of the local Legion members will be among those enlisted to pin a poppy on every citizen. Contri butions are voluntary. The proceeds will be used in part for the dependents of wound ed veterans at Oteen and for Le gion work among the underpri vileged children of the State. Wear a poppy Saturday. TOURISTS PASS 100 PER DAY New Bridge Will Prob ably Increase Atlan tic Coastal Hiway Traffic DeLYSLE REGRETS The following telegram was receiv ed by the Kiwanis Club from Capt. Jack DeLysle, executive vice presi dent of the Atlantic Coastal Highway Association at Norfolk: My sincere regrets last moment convention meet ing here made impossible my attend ing your bridge opening Drove down last, night hoping to find opening scheduled for Monday morning. Con gratulations and best wishes to > >ur city for your official opening. On be half of our Association assure you of our contiued cooperation.” It will be remembered that Capt. DeLysle was responsible for this highway and bridge to retain the Federal Highway markings as a part of the Atlantic Coastal High way. He made a trip to Washington and went before the Bureau of Roads, where he told of the Federal highway being taken from this community and moved to another road. He obtained orders to have the road returned to Federal government aid. Thousands of maps have been dis tributed over the country by the At lantic Coastal Highway Association, especially to traffic traveling be tween Maine and Florida. The result has been a steady stream of tourists thru here for the past few months, most of them coming from Florida and other Southern points and going to their homes in the East. On soma days more than 100 cars passed thru here going North. There have been more foreign cars thru here these past few months than