P? interest. |
Volume IV—Number 29
Government Aid For Edenton School
Improvement Now Seems As Assured
Every Report Points to!
Quick Action By Last
Os This Month
S74,SOOTOTAL
Congressman Warren
Writes Hopefully; In
spector Here
Edenton school officials felt more
.confident than ever this week that
their hope for federal aid in furth
ering the project for town school im
, provements would go through, when
word came from Congressman Lind
say Warren that Edenton was on the
preferred compromise list, restric
tions against which have been lifted
by Presidential mandate, and if any
PWA allotments are made Edenton
may depend Absolutely upon getting
its request showed.
And as evidence that Mr. Warren
is correct in his surmise that action
can be expected quickly was the ap
pearance here on Tuesday of G. S.
Brown, traveling inspector for the
Works Progress Administration at
Raleigh. Mr. Brown was volumi
nously equipped with documents from
Washington calling for a quick sur
vey of the local situation, especially
with a view of reporting if the new
improvement plans have provided for
all fire hazard elimination.
Mr. Brown came here in the ab
sence of School Principal John A.
Holmes, who is visiting his family in
Graham this week. He saw W. D.
Pruden, of the local school board, and
President Thomas S. Chears and
later made an effort to catch up with
Frank Bpnton, the architect, of Wil
son. Later, he also, visited the
school and made an examination of
the premises and of the proposed
fhavg-a' while more or less non
igmnjltsl Mr. Brown did say he
unommtogi that Edenton’s grant was
'srweiiiuttrtyphw ■*-* o.,
Edenton in canoots with a Chowan
cohnty anticapatory- bond sale has I
actually bound the government to a
part in the proposed project by lay
ing something like $41,000 on the
line as its 55 per cent share in a
grant of which the federal authori
ties would advance around $33,500 on
the customary 65-45 per cent PWA
basis, making a total soon to be
available, for the Edenton school
work of about $74,500.
And it is in this connection that
;Mr. Warren has written in to Supe
jijmtendent John A. Holmes, who has
! been fighting from the start for the
• federal grant, as follows:
: i “I a> in receipt of your letter of
' July 9 in reference to the PWA appli
‘ cation for Chowan county school.
’ tou referred to an item, in an Eliza
j beth City paper statin£"th»t ajstreet
F project there had been approved-tor^.
• that town by the PWA. I did not.
; See the article in question, but if it
Said that it is entirely incorrect,
-tlizabeih City had a WPA applica
i tion for streets and that was approv-.
j ed but has nothing whatever to do
yrith the PWA.
“If I .can it say it very modestly I
i think I had a great deal to do with
working out' the PWA compromise.
. Chowan county’s school application
is included in that. The President
has already lifted his executive order
but he has not called for the projects
from the PWA. We are hoping that
within the next week or ten days he
Will release these projects that have
been approved and come within the
compromise. Until he does we can
only patiently wait.”
To get the full trend of Mr. War
ren’s letter a word of explanation
may be in order. The PWA has been
a great functioning government
agency under Secretary Ickes. It
has made grants unrestricted as to
the type of labor employed. Direc
tor Harry Hopkins, of the Works
Progress Administration, has fought
it, however, on the ground that all
labor on work projects should be
taken from welfare channels. Ickes
has been unsuccessful in this fight
and Hopkins prevailed upon the pre
sident to issue an order winding up
the PWA and transferring its func-j
tions tq the WPA. Ickes, however,
convinced the president that there
were a number of PWA projects in
the countfy totaling many millions
where communities and common
wealths had pledged their share of
the 55-45 basis of grants, and that
ment in what has been called “a
‘Srfth its 55 per cent pledged money
lying idle hens is clearly within that
THE CHOWAN HERALD
A HOME NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF CHOWAN COUNTY
♦ ■
Improvements Under
Way In Many Places
Town Building Changes Total High Cost; Dr. J.
A. Powell to Move Into New- Quarters In
Citizens Bank This Month
Building improvements that may
run well up into the SIOO,OOO figure
before the summer is over, are al
ready under way in Edenton, and in
addition to the work will ultimately
provide for several changes in the
location of some professional firms.
Naturally the largest prospective
item will have to do with work on the
Edenton High School, told of in
another column.
Os the other improvements, that
being made on the ground floor at
the Citizens Bank Building is, per
haps, attracting the most interest.
This site is being entirely changed
and made over to accommodate Dr.
Jesse A. Powell and his recently ac
quired associate, Dr. Martin R.
Wisely, of Waynesboro, Va., who will
move from the present Powell office
on East King Street before the
month is out.
While no details are being an
nounced as to this change it is un
derstood Dr. Powell is making it be
cause of crowded conditions where
he is which make it impossible for
him to give emergency aid treat
ments to his liking. Dr. Wisely has
specialized in surgical work before
coming here, and is said to be espec
ially able in the removal of tonsil
cases. It is understood to be Dr.
Powell’s plan to establish facilities
in the bank building for such work,
such as the placement of beds for
temporary rest after operations—a
sort of emergency hospital on a
snaall soak*, <K*fc*Wng Edenton has
long nebded. The two. physicians
and surgeons will utilize the entire
first floor at the bank, which will give
them plenty of space.
APPROPRIATIONS
ASKED jOF TOWN
Council Asked to Ap
prove Requests; More
Boosts In Salary
Quite a lengthy session of Town
Council was held Tuesday night
which' in pprt was caused by an exe
cutive session called for the purpose
of, further considering salaries for
Town employees. This session result
ed in -a few more slight boosts in
ipay which were overlooked at *
former meeting held for setting sal
aries and appointing employees.
. jy Owens’ salary was raised from
SBS per' month to S9O as full-time
fireman, while Miss Louise Coke,
tax collector and R. E. Leary, town
clerk, also were given a $5 per
month increase. William Riddick and
Louis Harrell, colored employees on
the city trash truck, both of whom
have been faithful and efficient
workmen for a number of years,
were raised to 20 cents per hour from
17 & cents, the usual hourly rate for
ordinary labor.
In the absence from the city of
John A. Holmes, J. H. Conger ap
peared before the Council urging an
appropriation of SSOO as was done
last year to supplement the salary of
the high school coach and assist in
carrying on athletic activities at the
school. Mr. Conger emphasized the
fact that when the Armory is com
pleted athletics will be expanded at
the school in that the new Armory
will permit playing of basketball by
both girls and boys as well as other
phases of sports. Another appro
priation of S2OO was asked for the
Edenton High School Band, which has
now grown to a 30-piece organization
with every reason to believe that it
will be a credit to the town whose
services can be secured for almost
any occasion requiring band music.
Mrs. H. C. Wozelka also made a re
quest for a $l5O appropriation for
Hie N. C. Employment Service, du
plicating last year’s amount.
All requests for appropriations
were referred to the finance commit
tes, ’who will meet some time during
the month to prepare the year’s
budget. The books are now being
audited by A. T. Allen and very
; shortly after completion the budget
ary meeting will be held.
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, July 15,1937.
Dr. L. P. Williams will in turn
take over the entire building which
he and Dr. Powell have occupied
jointly since its erection.
At the bank the changes underway
will necessitate the removal of Wood
and Berryman, who have occupied'
the front offices on the first floor, and
'the social security welfare organiza
tion. The latter body has tempor
arily adjusted itself and intends to
take over the rooms heretofore oc
cupied by the welfare sewing rooms
elsewhere in the building. W. J.
Berryman said yesterday he had no
idea, however, where he and Mr.
Wood would .go.
Across the street from the bank
Liles five and ten cent store has been
under extensive repair and improve
ment in the rear. The work wilij
provide added enlargement to the,
place, furnishing more floor space
on the first floor and storage room
on the second floor. The office will j
be located in the rear of the building.
A still further bit of building al-!
teration will have to do with the j
renovation of the old Moore house J
soon to be taken in tow by Mr. and
Mrs. Cad Capehart, of Merry Hill, as
“Capehart’s Inn.” In connection with ,
this acquistion came the announce- '
ment yesterday that Mrs. Lillie V.
Bond, who has been operating a suc
cessful high class home for friends
and boarders at Broad and Gale
Streets, has decided to abandon this j
work. A number of school teachers
have made Mrs. Bond’s home their
own for years.
At St. Paul’s Church a new furnace
andt heating equipment is also to be
established this summer. .
Edenton - Gatesville
Girls’ Soft Bailers
Play Game Tonight
.
• A treat is in store tonight for soft:
ball fans when the girls’ soft ball!
team from Gatesville will play the
girls’ soft ball team of Edenton, the
game being scheduled to be played at
8 o’clock under the flood lights at
Hicks Field. W. Jim Daniels has
been coaching the local girls and ap
pears very optimistic over the splen
did showing made during recent prac
tices. It will be the first game play
ed by the local aggregation and con
siderable interest has been created
overihe game.
'Manager Dajryels reports no dearth
of applicants for berths on the Eden
ton team, al®oay' t w ° dozen having
reported at for prac
tice. For the /inline tonight
Daniels expects to use, at one time
or another, thfi> following: Eva By
rum, Juanita White, Lena Leary,
Goldie Layton, Ruth Privott, Dolly
Spencer, Gene Bunch, Elizabeth
Hurdle, Adelaide Tuttle, Brownie
Cox, Hazel Goodwin, Helen Swanner,
Margaret Swanner, Helen Byrum and
Ethel Haskett.
Basement Citizens
Bank Filled With
Nine Feet Os Water
A rather unusual accident occurr
ed in the Citizens Bank building Mon-!
day when a main line water pipe j
burst and before it was known the ,
basement of the building was filled
with nine feet of water approximate
ing almost 100,000 gallons.
Workmen for T. W. Jones, plumber
were making alternations on the first ■
floor which is being fitted up for of
fices for Drs. J. A. Powell and Mar
tin R. Wisely when they discovered
what was thought to be a small leak !
in a water pipe. However, as pump- 1
ing was resumed and the supply 1
failed to diminish an investigation J
was made which revealed that the <
basement was filled with water. i
The town’s pumping machine was ;
put to work, pumping all afternoon ]
and until after iO o’clock at night 1
before the cause of the trouble was i
discovered and necessary repairs
made. ]
- I
As a rule, old age instead of ]
charcater should get the credit for i
the decision to “eut it out.” <
COMING TO U. S. j
jpg^H
tlllll|a«G
General Evangeline Booth
Ernest I. Pugmire, of Atlanta,
Territorial Commander of the Salva
tidft Army in the South, announces
that General Evangeline Booth of
London, world leader of the Salvation
Army, yvill come to Atlanta, October
1 for a four day visit, during which
she will deliver a public address at
the new City Auditorium.
General Booth will speak in only
three cities during her stay in the
United States, Atlanta, New York
! and Chicago, and two cities in Can-
I ada, Winnipeg and Toronto, Com
! mander Pugmire states.'
Igeddes potter
PICKED AS HEAD
OF LOCALLEGION
Named Commander to
Succeed John Holmes;
Other Officers
ELECT DELEGATES
Selections Develop at
Enticing: Fish Fry
And Ball Game
Abandoning a hot and stuffy room,
j Ed Bond Post of the American Legion
i took to the outdoors last Thursday
night and held their meeting under
the flood lights at Hicks field. The
meeting was in the form of a fish
fry, with members of the auxiliary
as special guests. After a general
getjjtogether and up-to-the-minute
meal the Legionniaires held a busi
ness meeting, the principal item of
business being of new
officers.
In connection with the' meeting and
adding to the pleasure of the affair
a number of selections were played
by the Edenton High School Band
and the evening was climaxed by a
soft ball game by two picked teams
from Edenton’s soft ball league.
The post's new officers, who will
prior to the state c'On
vlK. in Durham, follows
Holmes; adjtrtaiit and finaiMse*af?:
ficer, 0. H. Brown; guardianship of-t
ficer, M. L. Bunch; sergeant-at-arms,
W. H. Parker; chaplain, F. I. White;
historian, C. D. Stewart; athletic of
ficer, J. A. Bunch; child welfare of
ficer, 0. E. Duncan; Americanism of
ficer, C. E. Kramer; employment of
ficer, W. E. Baker; membership
chairman, J. W. White; publicity of
ficer, R. L. Pratt; service officer, W.
W. Byrum; graves registration, M.
! P. Whichard; chairman Sons of Le
| gion, R. D. Dixon.
R. L. Pratt and J. A. Bunch were
elected as delegates to the state con
vention, with N. Bunch and E. L.
White acting as alternates.
Methodists Called
To Assist Collegre
A meeting in connection with the
SIOO,OOO Louisburg College Forward
Movement was held in the Edenton
Methodist Church Monday when Dr.
D. E. Earnhardt, president of the
college, presented the purpose of the
movement. J. W. Foreman, of Eli
zabeth City, district chairman, and
Rev. D. M. Sharpe, of Hertford, dis
trict director, also emphasized the
need for helping the college.
Sponsor for the movement * in
Edenton is John A. Holmes, who to
gether with Dr. W. A. Leggett,
Mis. J. W. Cates and Mrs. John G.
Small, will present the Louisburg
cause to the local church. .
Police Force Supervision
Hereafter By Commission
NEW GUARD GATES
ON CHOWAN BRIDGE
Practically Same Type of Protection,
But Placed Back 180 Feet
From Draw
What may at least afford better
protection for careless motorists on
the Chpwan River bridge was pro
vided last week when the State
Highway Commission changed the
location of the guarding gates on
both sides of the bridge draw. Practi
cally the same type of one arm gates
as before, although strengthened in
several ways, have been erected 180
feet east and west of the draw, which
will undoubtedly make it possible for
anyone who may crash them to stop
before sliding through to death in
the open draw.
Heretofore the gates were but 40
feet each side of the draw. The num
ber of fatalities during the past few
years have all proved they were of
small protection at this short dis
tance. Last year four young folks
in two automobiles crashed through
them to a drowning death, one of the
victims being Essie Bunch, a local
high school girl.
The highway commission made no
move to change the gates until last
week, however, when the new ones
were put up. Captain Pat Bell,
bridge tender, believes their purpose
will now prove effective.
Three Local Lawyers
Attend Bar Meeting
John W. Graham, J. N. Pruden and
William S. Privott composed the
group of Edenton barristers to at
tend a meeting of the State Bar for
the First District held in Washing
ton, N. C., Friday. The principal
speaker at the meeting was Judge I.
M. Meekins of Elizabeth City.
Mr. Graham was re-elected as sec
retary for the district and Mr. Pru
den was made a member of the exe
cutive committee. Vu
SI,OOO FINE FOR
OSCAR IUSONCH
Bootlegging Conviction
Brings No Judicial
Leniency
A full session of Recorder’s Court
was held Tuesday morning, extending
over into early afternoon, in the
course of which Judge J. N. Pruden
imposed the heaviest fine during his
tenure of office and probably the big
gest fine ever handled out in Chow
an’s Recorder Court. The victim of
the fine was Oscar Bunch, who faced
two charges, possession of intoxi
cating liquor for the purpose of sale
and aiding and abetting Johnnie Bell
Smithwick in the sale of whiskey to
one Alberta Anthony. Bunch was
found guilty on both counts drawing
a sentence of six months on the roads
.on each charge, which was reduced
months on each count upon
I each of
suspended sentelriSi
since April 9, which wars Suw nHHI
sarily revoked, making his sentence"
stand 21 months on the roads or pay
ment of SI,OOO fine and costs and
serving 15 months on the roads. He
took an appeal with bond being set at
$1,500.
John Privott plead guilty to driv
ing an automobile while under the
influence of liquor and being his sec
ond offense Judge Pruden imposed a
fine of SIOO and costs and his driv
ing license was revoked for 12
months.
Della Brickhouse, white woman,
was cleared of the charges of posses
ing intoxicating liquor for the pur
pose of sale and transporting liquor
on the streets of Edenton. The case
was dismissed on the grounds that
the warrant for her arrest was ille
gally served.
Judge Pruden was lenient with
Johnny Bell Smithwick, charged with
possession of intoxicating liquor and
selling liquor, giving him a six
months’ road sentence, suspended up
on payment of a fine of SSO and costs
and showing good behavior for 12
months.
, Consuming a considerable amount
of. .the court session was the case
against Alec Long, Perquimans Coun
ty Negro, who was charged with
altering a check from S. Hobowsky.
(Continued on Page Five)
This newspaper is circu
lated in the territory
where Advertisers will
realise good results.
$1.25 Per Year
<*
Perry, Bond and Bufflap
Selected as Members
Os Commission
MEET SHORTLY
Department Most Like
ly Enlarged By New
Patrolman
Convinced that there had long been
a need for some sort of active regu
latory supervision of the Edenton
police department, the Town Council
Tuesday night went on record as
favoring a police commission to act
in this capacity, and . immediately
afterward Mayor McMullan named
Councilmen O. B. Perry, J. Edwin
Bufflap and W. E. Bond as such com
missioners. This step, somewhat
revolutionary in away but incited
by much recent criticism, is an initial
one for the community and much
good is expected to result from it.
Coincident with the new commis
sion’s selection came the determina
tion that the present permanent po
lice force of two officers was inade
quate and that a third patrolman
should be appointed. At the moment
no one has been named for the job,
the question being left entirely with
the commissioners for consideration
after the regular town audit, now
under way, is completed and the
town’s budgeting for the ensuing
year has been cleared up.
The purpose of the new commision
will be manifold. It will not be a
gum-shoe body to spy on the force
and see that activity takes the place
of somnolence. Rather it will be a
modern commission with up-to-date
ideas for police improvement. The
various functions of the police, such
as traffic observations and the en
forcement of motor violations, will
be under the direct control of the
commissioners, but in no other sense,
of course, than supervisory.
It was brought’'' out that the n n
mission would not be expected to
usurp the duties of Chief Helms or
his force but would have full power
and liberty to note and correct any
shortcomings that might be hereafter
apparent in the operation of the de
partment.
One thing in particular that was
discussed had to do with a frequent
ly officerless police headquarters, due
largely to a minimized force of but
two men save on Saturday nights
when an additional officer does spec
ial work. Citizens have complained
that they have often gone to head
quarters and found no one there, in
stead locating the officiating officer
in-a barber shop or at a drug store
or restaurant recreating and cooling
off.
Reference to the recent motor
theft almost next door to police
headquarters was made, and Fermor
Hobbs appeared to say that at the
present time Night Patrolman Bob
Pratt goes off duty at 5 A. M. aiid
that Chief Helms does not go on un
til two hours later, leaving the town
unpoliced in that interval. This, he
thought, emphasized the need for
another member of the force.
The entire council seemed in sym-
I pa thy with this idea and the matter
commission
: * work. The
third selec
tion.""WlmHiMpr *ew appointee
should be what is "known as a plain
clothes man or a regular uniformed
patrolman was not settled upon. Nor
have the commissioners decided who
the appointee may be nor what salary
should be recommended for him.
As the town knows the present
force is made up of Chief Helms,
Night Patrolman Bob Pratt with
young Carroll Boyce serving as a
special officer week-ends. Wayland
Moore has also officiated in the latter
capacity often.
The new commissioners will meet
later this month and give a consider
ation to what recommendations they
may wish to make. In the meantime
they will use their eyes and see what
improvements they can suggest to
Chief Helms should be made.
Masons Call Off
Meeting Tonight
The usual Masonic meeting tonight
has been called off by W. M. Wilkins,
master of the lodge. Mr. Wilkins
took this action in order to allow
those who so desired to attend the
soft ball game between the Edenton
and Gatesville girls’ teams which be
gins the same time as the lodge
meeting.