Vol. XXXII.—No. 29.
Peaches In Chowan:
The Fuzzy Truth
TYNCHTOWN—There’s a
lot of activity in a 12-acre
field just off the main drag
of this rural Chowan County
metropolis.
Cars and trucks keep hot
the well worn road connect
ing Tynchtown with Chowan
sandhills. The only differ
ence in this winding path
back into the woods and a
logging road leading straight
to a liquor distillery is that
this one is traveled only in
the daytime.
What’s happening? The
undisputed peach king of
Northeastern North Carolina
is at work —or has others
working. And just when he
could claim the title he lab
ored long hours to attain, he
ha? retired.
Travel that path just a
few hundred yards into the
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*
(Uhe parade
FORUM NEEDED—A lot
of questions are left .unan
swered in a piece of infor
mation on merger of the two
local -school units being cir
culated by Edenton city
schools.
If we interpret the release
from Supt. Hiram Mayo’s of
fice correctly, the city’s ap
pointed board is against any
change. This is the first of
ficial indication as to how
this board feels about having
a single administrative unit
in Chowan County.
The Chowan County Board
of Education, seeing the need
for providing equal education
for all the children, both
rural and urban, are unani
mous in their efforts to seek
one unit.
Included in the informa
tion mailed by Supt. Mayo
following the city board’s
meeting July 15 is a letter
from Dr. Charles F. Carroll,
state superintendent of pub
lic instruction. This letter
is printed elsewhere in The
Chowan Herald.
A portion of Dr. Carroll’s
letter is included in a sheet
headed: “Information Con
cerning The Edenton City
Schools, July, 1965.” This
deals with costs involved in
operating a consolidated unit.
It is pointed out that
there are 100 county admini
strative units and 70 city
administrative units in North
Carolina. Twenty-two of the
city units have a smaller
school enrollment than Eden
ton City Schools.
The size of the Edenton
City Schools should not be
a question for debate in this
discussion. Every school of
ficial argues that the bigger
the school the better the op
portunities for the students.
But the questions which
come to.mind as a result of
a look at the list of 22 city
units smaller than Edenton
are many. Like:
What is the county popu
lation?
How big is the city school
district?
How much does the city
involved levy in taxes for
schools, over and above what
What are the other schools
in the area? 7
We are familiar with at
tahat three of these small
THE CHOWAN HERALD
bi
midst of 1,200 “thrifty”
peach trees. From some
where will appear a familiar
figure wearing a white shirt,
black bow tie, and last
year’s straw hat.
He’s John F. White, who
in about four more weeks
will have harvested his third
peach crop and turned his
attention to other interests.
John F. White is known
for a lot of things. He is a
capable attorney, was an
able legislator, neighborly to
friend and foe, and down
right unreasonable when
someone tells him he can’t
do something.
The latter is what got him
in the peach business in the
first place. Someone told
him disease would prohibit
the profitable growing of
Continued on Page Two
city units. One is Elkin, in
Surry County. There were
48,205 people counted in Sur
ry County in 1960. Mt. Airy
has a nice city school sys
tem and the county has
within the past few years
consolidated rural high
schools in order to have a
student body big enough to
allow for a decent curricu
lum. Chatham Manufactur
ing Company, the world’s
largest blanket manufactur
er, is located in Elkin and
pays a tremendous amount
of taxes. Included in this is
a healthy special tax for
schools.
In neighboring Wilkes
County where the popula
tion was 45,269 in 1960—in
cluding the moonshiners who
could be found by the cen
sus takers North Wilkes
boro has a city unit smaller
than Edenton. The county
schools are consolidated and
residents of North Wilkes
boro pay a special school
tax.
Iredell County is more
densely populated, 62,526.
Statesville has a city unit,
so does Mooresville, which is
smaller than Edenton. The
county schools have just
been consolidated into two
senior high schools. Both
Statesville and Mooresville
have a handsome school tax
in their respective budgets—
and the residents of these
two cities also pay a county
tax for schools which is one
half the county budget.
In each case—Elkin, North
Wilkesboro and Mooresville
—if the city administrative
unit cut a wide swath
through the county, as does
Edenton, the school popula
tion would be much in ex
cess of what Supt. Mayo has
dominion over.
But we are far afield.
Chowan County is different
from the other 99 in North
Carolina. Our problems are
particular and can not be
dissolved by comparison with
others. *’
Dr. Carroll made a state
ment in his letter to the ef
fect that while savings can
be realized in some areas by
conscdidatiion of administra
tive units the overall costs
are greater because _tet-
% f::'" ■ .v
Chadfrell, Left, and White with Pickings
Work On Mill
Moving Ahead
Tlie construction phase of
a big expansion and modern
ization program at Albe
marle Peanut Company has
been completed.
A company spokesman said
this phase of the overall
plan was completed ahead
of schedule. Edenton Con
struction Company had the
contract for this work.
Regular company employes
are now engaged in making
mill repairs and installing
new machinery as it arrives.
The new machinery is re
ported to be arrived about
on schedule, therefore, the
company expects to have the
entire project completed by
the time peanut harvest be
gins.
Little more than two
months ago—May 13—Con
tinental Baking Company,
the parent firm, announced
plans to construct a new
bulk warehouse at Albe
marle Peanut Company as
well as make mill and
equipment changes designed
to boost the capacity of the
mill by over one-fourth.
At that time it was said
the changes would make
Continental’s Edenton opera
tion one of the largest and
most modern peanut mills in
North Carolina.
A. B. Harless, manager,
said the anticipated volume
would “approximate $3 mil
lion per year for farmers
stock peanuts, payrolls and
miscellaneous supplies with
expenditures largely in Cho
wan and nearby counties.”
This would make Albemarle
Peanut Company one of the
largest contributors to the
economy of Chowan County.
Harless said the null will
have a daily capacity of 200,-
000 pounds of peanuts in
eight hours. In season, Al
bemarle Peanut Company
will employ about 100 peo
ple.
VACATION NOTICE
Edenton Cotton Mills will
be closed for vacation from
July 24 to August 1. Al
though the plant will be
closed during this time, the
office will remain open.
;nton, Chowan County, North Carolina 27932 Thursday, July 22, 1965.
Tourism In State Tops
$1 Billion During 1964
Tourism in the state dur
ing 1964 reached the billion
dollar mark for the first
time, according to the sev
enth annual survey of North
Carolina’s travel industry.
The report, just released,
was compiled by Dr. Lewis
Copeland of the University
of Tennessee. It reveals that
total receipts from firms en
gaged in serving and trans
porting travelers were sl.l
billion, up nine per cent
from the $968 million in
1963.
The report, sponsored by
the Travel Council of North
Carolina and the state’s
Travel Information Division,
indicated that the state has
1.8 per cent of the nation's
S6O billion travel business.
The industry has been grow
ing at an average of 7.7 per
cent annually since 1948, well
above the 5.5 national aver
age.
The survey also shows
that travel, the state’s third
Bertram Byrum
Takes New Post
Bertram Byrum, veteran
Chowan County deputy sher
iff and jailer, has resigned
to accept a position with
Edenton Fire Department.
His resignation is effective
September 1.
Sheriff Earl Goodwin said
Deputy Byrum has not only
been a good jailer and of
ficer, but also a close per
sonal friend. “He has per
formed a great service and I
will miss him greatly,” the
sheriff said. “His resigna
tion was accepted with deep
regret.”
Deputy Byrum assumed
his duties on December 1,
1957, and was retained as
jailer when Sheriff Goodwin
was elected the following
year.
W. B. Gardner, town ad
ministrator, said Byrum will
replace Ralph Williams, who
resigned July 15. He said
he feels the town ,is fortun
ate to be able to secure By
rum as a full-time fireman.
Byrum has been a volun
teer fireman for several
years.
largest industry, is growing
faster than the 5.7 per cent
growth of all retail busi
nesses in North Carolina.
Highlights from the report:
—Tourists from out-of
state spent $315 million, a 10
per cent increase over last
year.
—All travellers, including
Tar Heels, spent $512 million.
—The $315 million spent
by non-residents came from
29 million persons who trav
elled more than five billion
passenger miles on highways,
railways and airways.
—Out-of-state tourists ac
count for one-fifth of the 25
billion miles of intercity
traffic by private and public
transport.
—Travellers are served by
19,890 business concerns,
Continued on Page Two
| jLp
iilMI 1 — |a
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING—Parson Barrs Scboolhouse, located on Hie James Iredell
House property on East Church Street, was struck by lightning during: a storm last
Thursday evening. Mrs. Wood Prtvott, president ol the Janes Iredell Association, said
estimates at the damage ran as high as fI,OW, ~,,,.
Chowan Farmers Enjoy
Good Cash Crop Yield;
Disease Hits Cantaloupes
Edenton Agrees
To School Plan
Only In 1965 66
At the request of Chowan
County Board of Education,
the Edenton city administra
tive unit has taken steps to
accept rural Negro high
school students for the 1965-
66 term.
This action was taken July
15 when the city board
adopted a resolution request
ing the U. S. Office of Edu
cation to further amend
Edenton's plan for compli
ance with the Civil Rights
of 1964.
Earlier the city unit had
advised the Chowan County
board that Negro students
residing outside the city ad
ministrative unit’s boundar
ies would not be accepted
this coming fall. Under the
new plan this would become
effective for the school year
Continued on Page Four
Town To Wage
War On Stumps
The Town of Edenton will
soon wage a war on stumps.
This was the word this
week from Town Admini
strator W. B. Gardner fol
lowing the demonstration of
an automatic stump cutter.
"That’s a hungry machine,”
the administrator said as the
whirling blade made shav
ings of an unsightly stump
next to Bunch Auto Parts on
North Broad Street.
As the machine chewed up
the stump in a relative
short time, J. C. Parks, su
perintendent of the street
department, commented that
it would have taken work
men three days to remove
the stump.
The purchase of such a
piece of equipment was au
thorized by the town council
and provisions for the pur
chase was made in the new
budget.
Councilman David White,
street commissioner, and
Mayor Pro Tern J. Edwin
Bufflap were among the city
officials who witnessed the
demonstration.
The stump cutter can be
pulled by a ear or truck. It
is backed up to the stub and
requires only one man to op
erate it. “This is a real la
bor saver as well as the
cleanest way to get rid of
of the stumps,” Gardner said.
J. GILLIAM WOOD
J. Gilliam Wood
To Be Honored
North Carolina political
figures are expected to gath
er here next Wednesday for
a banquet to honor J. Gilliam
Wood of Hayes.
Wood will be honored at
an appreciation banquet be
ing sponsored by Edenton
and Chowan County officials.
W. E. Bond, chairman of the
county commissioners, and
Mayor John A. Mitchener,
Jr., are co-chairmen of the
event.
The Gilliam Wood Appre
ciation Banquet will be held
at Chowan Golf and Coun
try Club beginning at 7
P. M. Approximately- 250
people are expected to at
tend.
Wood just completed a
four-year term on the State
Highway Commission, having
received an appointment
from ex-Gov. Terry Sanford.
Sanford has been invited
to attend the local function
and expected to be in at
tendance.
Invitations have gone out
to other political figures
throughout Tar Heelia. Mer
rill Evans of Ahoskie, who
served as chairman of the
commission, has already in-
that he and Mrs. Ev
ans will attend.
Rep. Herbert Bonner has
been ill but has notified the
sponsors that if it is at all
possible he will attend.
Those who desire to pur
chase tickets for the banquet
can contact Robert Moore at
the Chamber of Commerce.
VFW MEETS TUESDAY
William H. Coffield, Jr.,
Post No. 9280, Veterans of
Foreign Wars, will meet
Tuesday night. July 27. at 8
o'clock. Commander Mack
Rogerson urges a large at
tendance.
Single Copy 10 Cents
Overman Sees
‘Bumper’ Crop
In County Corn
Chowan County farmers
are in the midst of harvest
ing summer crops and while
disease has cut the yield in
cantaloupes and watermelons
the overall outlook is said to
be “very good”.
Farm Agent C. W. Over
man said cantaloupe yields
will be 50 to 60 per cent
less than last year, as a re
sult of a lot of disease prob
lems. He said some entire
fields died.
But farmers who were
able to grow quality canta
loupes are now enjoying a
good market.
Overman said harvesting
of watermelons is just begin
ning with the size being -t
little smaller this year. “We
had some disease problems
early in the season but in
general we have a pretty
good crop on," the county
agent said.
Farmers w-ho are picking
lima beans and sweet corn
are also enjoying a good
market. Quality of both
these vegetables arc reported
as good.
The entire farm outlook in
Chowan County is very
good, Overman said. While
the county has had a lot of
rain there have been few
downpours. Therefore, such
staple crops as corn, peanuts,
cotton and soy- beans are in
good shape. Overman pre
dicts a bumper coin crop
this fall.
The rainy weather has
caused grass to grow but
Overman points out that
most fields are clean.
Returning to his discussion
of the cantaloupe problem,
the county agent said experts
from North Carolina State
University have spent con
siderable time in the county
assisting in efforts being
made to head off disease and
the almost yearly decrease
in the acreage.
“There is going to have
to be some changes made
if we are to stay in tlife
cantaloupe business,” Over
man said, “and we can and
definitely should stick in
there.”
Chowan County- farmers
have been producing canta
loupes commercially for
more than 40 years, but dur
ing the past four or five
years disease has moved' in.
In 1959 there were approxi
mately 500 acres of canta
loupes and 2,000 acres of
watermelons which produced
a gross income of over
$500,000. This year the can
taloupe acreage is but half
the 1959 figure while water
melons are planted on 1,400
to 1,500 acres.
Only One Case
Tried In Court
It is either feast or fam
ine in Chowan County Re
corders Court.
Just two weeks ago Judge
W. S. Privott held forth
until after 6 P. M., as So
licitor Thomas Chears Jr.,
called the lengthy docket.
Then Tuesday the court
was faced with only one
case.
In that case James C. Bar
row was found guilty of non
support and prayer for judg
ment was continued upon
payment of S2O per week to
his wife. He was also taxed
court costs for which the
county is liable.
Records also show six
motorists, all charged with
moving traffic violations,
signed waivers. They in
clude Ray Jones Jordan.
E. JMejjh < Twine