Roanoke
Ramblings
By MILTON WICK |
' *A**0mt*m0***a*e&*i&&&+f*'
%keptid«&i i
I have a life-long friend, Jerome
Joachim, publiahtr of an excellent
newspaper in Berwyn, Illinois. He
and I were room-mates at college
We were associates in the news
paper burtness at Niles, Ohio, un
til he bought his newspaper at
Berwyn. And no finer, better, or
more interesting companion ever
lived than Joe, as we always call
jhim.
When I was contemplating the
purchase of this newspaper, I call
ed him by long distance phone to
tell him of the proposed venture.
“What?” he said, “Buy a news
paper in North Carolina? Are you
crazy? Have you lost your mind?”
In spite of what I told him of
the glories of this state, he still
ridiculed my opinions and propos
al.
t After this newspaper was pur
chased I sent him a letter telling
him what I had done.
He became so curious to find
out just what kind of judgment J
had that he sent me a wire last
Tuesday saying he was coming to
check up on me.
Conversion:
Toe arrived about right o’clock
/Tnursday evening. We drove down
"toanoke and other nearby streets.
His eyes opened as he saw the
beautiful store window fronts, the
lovely homes, the colorful
nwa — uugvcwua, teu uana, uiatn
pines, bushes and flowers and
blossoms of brilliant hue such as
only the comfortable and slightly
warm climate of North Carolina
can produce — many new stores,
countless new homes In construc
tion, new baseball stadium, acti
vity in all directions.
We came to the Herald office,
and there in utter humility he
said, ”1 guess you are still sane,
Milt. You are now in a very won
derful city. I wish I were here,
too.”
The next morning we met the
office force and other individuals
around town. That was enough, for
he then knew, what I had learned
^and what Eric Rodgers, editor of
rthe Scotland Neck Progress, so
aptly stated—here live the “most
gracious and kind-hearted” peo
ple in the world.
By noon Joe wanted to see more.
He wanted to go to Manteo for he
is deeply interested in history. He
wanted to see the coast. He want
ed to see the rural sections.
On to Manteo:
9 Driving east of Jackson we saw
a negro plowing. Joe Instantly got
an inspiration. He wanted to in
terview this negro and learn some
thing about the economic condi
tions of North Carolina negroes.
We came to ^ halt and called
the negro. "Wtlgt crops did he
plant? What kind of a share ileal
' did he have with the landlord?
What was his income? Was he
happy?”
* The negro said he had a very
kind landlord who had loaned him
some money with which he had
started farming. His income last
year was over $1,500, and he had
a free home and barns. He own
ed two mules, a horse, and a pony
for his children. He had just pur
chased and completely paid for a
35 acre farm, and in addition to
farming his land, was also farm
ing a 31 acre tract for his land
9 lord. He raised peanuts, tobacco,
cotton and corn, and he cut tim
ber during his spare time. He had
four children and was very happy.
He said that living on the land
and being close to God had made
him as happy as anyone in the
world.
Joe’s eyes popped! He compared
this negro with the many unfor
tunate negroes who work in the
» Chicago area and expressed the
f conviction that the North had
much to learn from the South as
to Interracial affairs.
We went through Elizabeth City,
later crossed the three-mile long
bridge, saw the soft sandy shores
—where Joe took off his shoes
and socks, so he could wade in the
salty waters of this Carolina beach
—climbed the amazing mountains
of sand, viewed the spot at Man
| teo where Sir Walter Raleigh
planted the “Lost Colony” over
three hundred years 'ago.
The trip home was most en
joyable .... for he was a convert
ed man! His skepticism had
turned to appreciation and appre
ciation to desire to live and work
in the progressive state of North
rnroliniL
William James, world-famed
phsychologist of Harvard Univer
L slty, once said, "The human mind
resists that which It does not
know,"
Joe was living proof of that
statement. What he did not know,
he disbelieved.
And may we add: when one has
disbelieved and then is converted,
bis faith Is as strong as the moun
tains of the earth.
Needless to say Joe will be com
ing back to North Carolina!
Peter Want* a Watch t
Peter Luter, son of Mr. and Mrs
P. C. Luter, Jr„ will celebrate hi:
Sixth birthday Friday, April 25th
Peter has his heart set on ■
Mickey Mouse watch, “one tha
really ticks."
His parents think he is a llttli
too young for a watch but hi
has tried so hard to learn to tel
. time they feel he should be re
1 warded for his efforts.
As his birthday approaches, Pet
er Is constantly and dlltgentl;
studying the clock as a reminds
to them that he's "smart” enoug!
for a watch. And he has Informs
these Oat Instead of a party wit
lee cream and cake which is “bah
stuff* he wants a wetnle roast an
(Bm MJaamtfW, tm». wi a
i - \
j * * * THE ROANOKE RAPIDS * * *
What Roanoke Rapids Makes Herald Classified Advertising
—Makes Roanoke Rapids Gets Quick Results
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
VOLUME XXXII ~ ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1947 NUMBER26
STREETS, SIDEWALKS WILL BE PAVED
Roanoke Rapids To Have Huge
Semi- Centennial Celebration
Elaborate plans are now being made by the Roa
noke Rapids Lions Club for the staging of a gala
three-day celebration — July 2, 3 and 4 — com
memorating the fiftieth anniversary of Roanoke
Rapids, “North Carolina’s fastest growing city.”
Much work has already been done by the Lions
and some of the plans are in definite shape.
Cooperating with the Lions in arranging for
this mammoth semi-centennial are the City com
missioners, the Merchants Association and civic
clubs, and it is expected that the
affair w’lll be of such magnitude
it will draw thousands of visitors
to the city and will be an event
of which all of Roanoke Rapids
will be proud.
Some of the arrangements al
ready completed call for parades,
nationally known speakers, vaude
ville shows, street dances, hill
billy shows and dances,, boxing and
wrestling matches, a beauty con
test and baseball game.
The celebration will not go lack
ing for entertainment and excite
ment. There will be many priz-as
given away each n'lght and a big
semi-centennial prize will be
awarded at the conclusion of the
festivities.
The Herald and Radio Station
WCBT wMl carry further an
nouncements" of the details and
plans as they are developed.
Radio Time
Change Next
Sunday A. M.
Radio fans were advised today
to remember the time change
when they start dialing in their
favorite programs Sunday morn
The local radio station said that
aii'programs of national origin will
be carried one hour earlier begin
ning Sunday morning and continu
ing throughout the latter part of
September.
However, the local station has
arranged to do a great amount of
transcription work, thus maintain
ing some semblance of order. Ful
ton Lewis, Jr., will continue to be
carried locally at 7 p. m., as will
the Burl Ives show, Henry J. Tay
lor. and True Detective Mysteries.
Eagle Stores
Opening Next
Wednesday
Eagle Stores, Inc., a 5c-to-$1.0C
organization, with home offices in
Charlotte, will open a new store in
Roanoke Rapids next Wednesday
morning next to the Rosemary
branch of the Roanoke Bank and
Trust Company. This is part of an
expansion program being inaugu
rated by the corporation which
now operates 43 stores in North
and South Carolina, Virginia and
Tennessee.
F. H. Shook, district superin
tendent, of Gastonia, has been
here for several days assisting in
the arrangement for the opening,
R. E. Palmer, of Reidsville, will
be manager of the Roanoke Rap
ids store.
president of the corporation and
C. R. Delk is vice-president.
Silver Wedding
Anniversary to
Be Celebrated
Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Gantt, ol
1308 Washington street, will cele
brate their silver wedding anni
versary by renewing their matri
monial vows in St. John’s Catholic
Church at the 7:30 Holy Mass next
Saturday morning. The jubilists
with their family and friehds will
receive “our dear Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament and unite theii
voices in solemn thanksgiving tc
the Almighty for all His benefits.’
St. John’s Junior Choir will ren
der the music under the dlrectior
of Miss Doris Fahey, organist.
The celebrant of the Jubllei
Mass will be Rev. Father Petei
M. Denges, and Ben Stadler am
Jack Stadler will be the acolytes
Mr. and Mrs. Gantt and thei:
family will entertain at their hom<
during this eventful day.
Books Will Close
Friday Afternoon
The registration book, for th
r city election May 6, will cloae ■
. 5 o’clock Friday afternoon. All pei
i aona not reglatered on the clt
I regiatratlon booka will not be en
i titled to vote. Any prior reglatri
i non for county or other election
I will not entitle pervona to vote I
I th* city alcotlon.
Littleton Lions
Sponsoring Show
In an effort to raise funds with
which to build a Boy Scout hut
at Littleton The Lions Club of that
town is sponsoring a comedy play,
“Woraanless Wedding," at the Lit
tleton High School auditorium Fri
day (tomorrow) night at 8 o’clock.
After the show a drawing for a
new electric refrigerator will be
held. The wedding party Will in
clude: Bride, D. W. McPherson;
groom, G. A. Threewitts; bride’s
father, E. L. Crawley; best man,
Hal Northington; matron of hon
or, W. W. Johnston; minister, D.
A Rose.
The public is urged to attend
this show. All proceeds will go
to the Scouts to bu'ild their hut.
Stores Start Wednesday
Afternoon Closing May 7
as nas Deen me custom ior
many years the stores in Roanoke
Rapids will begin their annual
Wednesday afternoon holidays on
May 7—first Wednesday in the
me .Kb — a»*d coins m through the
month of August. This action Vas
taken at membership meeting held
last week by the Roanoke Rapids
Merchants Association.
The question of increasing the
holidays during the year which
consist now of only Independence
Day, Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas Day, was brought up.
Some members had previously ex
pressed views as being in favor of
Easter Monday and Labor Day
being added as holidays. After
some discussion the association
voted to let the holidays stand as
they have been.
New members added to the asso
ciation included Tar Heel Sporting
Goods Company and Roanoke Mot
or Sales.
Guests at the meeting were
Frank Neal of the Jaycees, Har
vey Woodruff of the Lions Club,
William Swafford, assistant man
ager of J. C. Penney’s and Milton
Wick, new owner of The Herald.
Rev. Waters
To Administer
Sacrament of
Confirmation
The Mast Rev. Vincent S. Wat
ers, D. D., bishop of Raleigh, will
administer the Sacrament of Con
firmation in St. John’s Catholic
Church next Sunday morning at 10
o’clock. The chaplains to the bish
op will be the Rev. Francis K.
O'Brien, chancellor of the Diocese
cf Raleigh, and the Rev. Peter M.
Penges, pastor of the local Cath
olic Church. The sponsor for the
boys and men will be George W.
Fisher, the first Catholic of Roa
noke Rapids, and the sponsor for
the girls and ladies will be Miss
Nannie M. Gary, of Halifax, a
prominent Catholic of the mis
sions. Roy Gantt, Jr., and Donald
MacKenzie, Jr., will act as the
bishop’s acolytes.
Ministers of County Express
Views on "Sunday Practices"
Ministers of Halifax county have
requested that their stand on
‘Sunday Practices” be made known
to the public. The following is the
expression of the Interracial Min
isterial Association of Halifax
County:
We, the ministers of Halifax
County, representing both
races, believing that the
churches are charged with the
responsibility of the welfare
of the community, and believ
ing further that man’s wel
fare is dependent upon his
worship of God, find it neces
sary to speak a public word
of caution about tendencies
that are threatening.
Worship is primarily put
ting first things first. That in
cludes, among other things, a
Day set apart as the Lord’s
Day. The right use of this Day
is menaced by an increasing
commercialization of recrea
tion which siezes on Sunday
as the best day for the box
office.
Consequently, many are be
ing drawn from the orderly
and quiet enjoyment of the
public and private worship of
Almighty God, And it is this
use of Sunday which keeps our
life wholesome and cleanses
our motives for the common
daily activities.
Therefore we appeal to those
who, for whatever reason, are
conducting any commercializ
ed recreation on Sunday, such
as horse racing, carnivals, pro
fessional baseball, moving pic
tures, etc., to remember their
professed regard for the pub
lic welfare. The attraction of
these Sunday activities is based
on popular support; that is,
they are open for the public,
because the public expresses its
desire for them by attending
them. The problem, thus, ad
mits of no solution apart from
the withdrawal of this Sun
day support At least let this
be done by those who hold the
Christian view of Sunday.
Women On
Landscaping
Committee
Okey Plans
At a recent meeting of the Board
of City Commissioners Mayor
Kelly Jenkins appointed Mrs. C. A.
Wyche, Mrs. A. Meikle and Mrs.
W. P. Taylor on a committee to
examine the landscaping plan for
the new cemetery prepared by Mr.
Gillette, landscape architect, of
Richmond.
Mrs. Wyche appeared before the
board and favorably commented
on the la<yout and suggested a few
changes agreed upon by the com
mittee.
All curb and gutter work has
been completed, streets have been
opened up, the service area ’s
practically finished and the seed
ing will begin next week. Street
paving in the cemetery will start
during the summer. Landscaping
will begin ‘in the fajl.
Members of the Garden Club of
Roanoke Rapids assisted in plan
ning the landscaping of the new
cemetery.
City Swimming Pool
May Become Reality!
.. -i- . - i «I
A city-owned and operated swim
ming pool for the children and
adults in Roanoke Rapids may ]
! become a reality if suggestions I
and plans are carried out, How
ard Pruden, city commissioner
said today.
Sometime ago Commissioner
Pruden. knowing thal the Health
Department was going to condemn
the Rosemary swimming pool this
year, suggested to the City Board
of Commissioners that the city
build a pool and other recreational
facilities for the children. Pru
den told the board that he was
sure the piece of land located be
tween Sixth and Seventh streets
and Monroe and Madison, owned
by the Rosemary Manufacturing
Company, could be obtained in a
satisfactory manner.
After considering his suggestion,
Pruden asked the commissioners j
for a tentative approval of the
project so negotiations could be
gin for the site. The board named
Pruden and Commissioner F. C.
Williams as a committee to inves
tigate the matter.
Mr. Pruden today said that he
had a talk with William Manning,
president of Rosemary Manufac
turing Company, and that Mr.
Manning took the matter up witn
Simmons & Company officials in
New York and those officials, said
Pruden, agreed to deed to the
city of Roanoke Rapids the land
sought for the swimming pool,
free of charge.
The next move made in the
matter was last Tuesday night
v/hen Mr. Pruden gave the infor
mation to the Recreation Commit
tee at its meeting. The committee,
it is said* plans to take the mat
ter up with each participating
iu lie - cei cauuuai jji u
gra^i here from there it is
expected the^project will be placed
before the city commissioners and
an estimate of the cost obtained.
“Roanoke Rapids certainly needs
a swimming pool and recreation
hall for its children," said Mr.
Pruden, “and this is an opportun
ity to have it for them, provided,
of course, the cost isn’t prohibi
tive.”
However, the matter is going to
be pushed to a final conclusion
and it may be that the kiddies
will have a pool and other re
creational facilities where they can
play and enjoy themselves during
the hot summer months.
Officials of
Organizat'ns
Are Delegates
Three officials of two organi
zations which are most active in
promoting the development and
contral of the Roanoke River and
its tributaries will be delegates to
the 37th annual convention of the
National Rivers and Harbors Con
gress in Washington, D. C., on Fri
day and Saturday, May 2 and 3.
The Roanoke River Flood Con
trol Committee and the Roanoke
River Basin Association have been
invited to send delegates. Judge
W. H. S. Burgwyn of Woodland,,
chairman of the Roanoke River
Flood Control Committee, will rep
resent that organization at the
Congress if his Superior Court
duties in North Carolina will per
mit. Bolling Lambeth of Bedford,
Va., chairman of the Roanoke Riv
er Basin Association, will repre
sent that group at the Congress.
Eric W. Rodgers of Scotland
Neck, secretary of both the Roa
noke River Flood Control Com
mittee and the Roanoke River
Basin Association, has been ap
pointed by Governor R. Gregg
Cherry of North Carolina as one
of the official delegates to the
Congress representing the State
of North Carolina.
Recreation
Committee
Holds Meet
Tin* recreation committee, made
up from agencies contributing to
tiie operation of school play
grounds for the children in the
city during the hot summer
months, which has functioned for
the past year, met Tuesday night
in the office of Superintendent of
City Schools, I. E. Ready.
Present at the meeting and
agencies represented were:
George Taylor, chairman, School
Board; J. C. Hoyle, secretary tc
the committee; Joe Talley and
Supt. Ready, schools; Howard
Pruden. Board of City Commis
sioners William Hodges, Commun
ity Chest; Ben Lancaster, Rotary
Club; George Hayes, Kiwanis,
treasurer of the committee; Dot
Bennett, Lions Club; Jerry Brown,
Exchange Club.
A reorganization meeting of the
committee will be held in May at
which time the Junior Chamber
of Commerce and the Business &
Professional Women's Club will
be invited to have a representa
tive on the committee.
The committee approved a rec
reation program to be carried out
grounds, which includes Rosemary.
Clara Hearne and Central, and
the John Armstrong Chaloner col
ored school playground. A budget
or $3,000 will be required to
finance the program and the par
ticipating agencies will be asked
t> contribute this sum.
The Rosemary swimming pool
which has been operated for sev
eral years in connection with the
recreation program will not open
this season. Dr. Robert Young,
district health officer, has refused
permission for the opening of the
pool, having condemned it be
cause "it is a menace to the
health of the children.”
The program this season at the
playgrounds calls for games of all
kinds. The local post of the Ame
rican Legion will sponsor a junior
baseball team under the direction
ot Cranford Hoyle. Other recrea
tion features will be provided for
the kiddies and it is expected each
playground will have a man and
woman supervisor.
Coach Hoyle, who last year was
supervisor of the playgrounds, will
again take over the work this sea
son. His assistants will be an
nounced at a later date.
Cancer Fund Campaign Will
Continue Several More Days
i ne campaign tor tunas to ngnt
the dreaded disease of cancer,
which has been going on for some
time will continue until May 1 or
possibly longer* said Mrs. Gordon
A. Berkstresser, local chairman.
Contribution boxes have been
placed in stores and other public
places for the convenience of the
public, she said.
The campaign is going along
nicely, stated Mrs. Berkstresser,
but we will have to get many more
contributions in order to attain
thn quota set for Roanoke Rapids.
In making an appeal for funds
Mrs. Berkstresser issued the fol
lowing statement:
"Unless we act, one in every
eight of us now living in America
will die of cancer.
"That means 184,000 persons this
year -one every three minutes of
every hour of the night and day.
"Cancer is the chief cause of
death among women between the
ages 35 and 55. It is the second
largest cause of death among men.
"No age is safe from cancer, in
cluding the years of childhood. The
most vulnerable years, however,
are those of middle and later life.
These age groups form an ever
increasing proportion of our popu
lation. Consequently, fax greatex*
numbers of people are falling vic
tim to cancer. This ‘is resulting in
.1 large number of deaths, despite
an increasing proportion of cured
cases.
“The American Cancer Society
is working to count cancer out m
these three ways:
“1. By educating people to seek
medical aid at the first indication
of cancer.
“2. By providing the earliest pos
sible and most competent diagnos
is and treatment.
“3. By research seeking better
knowledge of the cause and more
effective methods for cure of can
cer.
“Right now, through early recog
nition and effective treatment
there is hope of saving more that
a third of cancer's victims. This
proportion may constantly be in
creased through medical research.’
Majority Property Owners
Have Signed Petition Calling
For Improvements; Work To
Get Under Way in Summer
Mayor Jenkins announced today that a majority
of the property owners had signed a necessary
petition requesting the City to improve certain
city streets in Roanoke Rapids known as Street
Improvement Project No. 1.
The Mayor stated that the Board of Commis
sioners would call a special election so that the
people in Roanoke Rapids could approve or disap
prove a bond issue for this proposed work. The
streets proposed to be paved, curbed, etc., in Pro
Youth Week
Begins Next
Sunday Night
Rev. B. Marshall White-Hurst
will speak at a consecration ser
vice next Sunday evening at 7:30
o’clock, at the Rosemary Baptist
Church, opening the fourth an
nual Youth Week in the church.
Ir» this service, adult leaders will
turn symbols of their various offic
es over to the youth officers.
A cross will be presented to
James Bridgman and Earl Bry
ant, Youth Week preachers, by
Rev. Whitehurst. Frank Kendrick,
chairman of the board of dea
cons, Will give a key to Bobby
George, chairman of the youth
deacons: Mrs. Paul Overton, direc
tor of the B. T. U., will present
the youngest church member to
Thomas Clark, youth director;
Mrs. George F. Pappendick, presi
dent of the W. M. U., will hand
to Flora Ann Davenport, youth
president, a lighted candle; and |
George F. Pappendick, superin
tendent of the Sunday School, Will
present the Bible to Dwight Dob
bins, superintendent for Youth
Week.
Bibles will be gfven ISy Rev.
White-Hurst to the youth preach
ers as a token of appreciation
from the church.
Theme of the week \yill be "My
heart, my life . . . Wherever he
leads I'll follow."
Miss Christine Bush will be n
charge of the service, and Donald
Moye, Bill Pair, Gary Taylor, Don
ald Gray ,Tommie Pappendick,
Wrayne King, Gerald Lynch, Don
ald Bush, and Cemon Britton, Jr.,
will usher.
Jax vs. Tarboro
The Roanoke Rapids High
School baseball team will meet
Tarboro High in a conference
game at Simmons Park next Mon
day night, it was announced today.
The game will start at 7:45.
ject No. 1 are as follows:
Washington Street — First to
Fourteenth Streets.
Jefferson Street — Seventh to
Ninth Streets.
Madison Street — First to Fifth
Streets.
Monroe Street — Second to Fifth
Streets and Seventh to Tenth
Streets.
Henry Street — Eighth to Elev
enth Streets.
First Street — Hamilton to
Washington Streets and Jackson
to Madison Streets.
Seventh Street — Hamilton to
Jefferson Streets.
Ninth Street — Hamilton to
Jefferson Streets and Jackson to
Rapids Streets.
Eleventh Street — Jackson to
Madison Streets.
Fourteenth Street — Hamilton to
Washington Streets.
The Mayor stated that the Board
of Commissioners has designated
the above improvements as Pro
ject No. 1. He further stated that
the next project, known as Street
Improvement Project No. 2, which
was passed by the City Council
on October 1, 1946, will consist of
paving, curb and gutter on Wil
liams, Charlotte, Jefferson, Madi
son, Henry, Franklin, Vance,
Cedar, Rapids and Preston Streets
end practically all cross streets in
the city. •
Philip D. Freeman, of Norfolk,
consulting engineer, has completed
plans and specifications for both
projects. The mayor said that if
the majority of voters in Roanoke
Rapids approved this work con
struction should begin this summer
on the above streets in Project
No. l, together with construction
of new sidewalks.
Definite plans have already been
completed to start the paving of
sidewalks in the city in connection
or along with the first paving
project, the mayor announced.
The street committee, composed
ot Virgil McDowell and M. D.
Collier, has exerted every effort
to get both of these projects under
way, both members spending con
siderable time in getting signatures
to the necessary petition.
Three Negroes
Victims of Blaze
Three negroes, George Alex
ander, 30; his wife, Ernestine Bar
field, 22, and Sara Elizabeth Bar
fiend, 14 months old, were burned
to death early last Saturday morn
ing when their sawmill shanty
three miles west of Enfield caught
on fire. A coroner’s jury gave suf
focation as the cause of death,
evidence showing the negro man
and woman were drunk. This
makes a total of 13 negroes to
lose their lives by fire in Halifax
county in the past 60 days.
Parkers Here For
An Overnight Visit
ivoy runter, pnnesaor Qt journ
alism at the University of North
Carolina, publisher of several
weekly newspapers, and Mrs. Par
ker were guests last night of Dr.
and Mrs. W. E. Murphrey. They
were on their way to Richmond to
visit John J. Buffaloe, Mrs. Mur
phrey’s and Mrs, Parker’s father,
who is a patient at Medical Col
lege of Virginia. After undergoing
a major operation last week Mr.
Buffaloe’s condition is still unfav
orable, according to his physicians.
Lions Contest
In connection with the semi
centennial celebration the Lion,
arc offering a prise of 123.00 for
the best authentic story about '
! the development and growth of
the elty of Roanoke Rapids. The
stories will be used in a souvenir
booklet to b. distributed to the
patrons of the various functions
staged during the celebration.
These storlea must be la the
< hands of the historical oommlt
| tea of the Uotii dub not later
1 then June 1, 1M7. Contributions
I should b. nulled to Bob Denny,
II chairman, ban an, Raanaka Mia.
II Ids. M. C,