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Volume XXXIV.—No. 20.
CL he public parade
For A Better Balance
Smokestacks are rapidly replacing the
mule as the economic symbol in Eastern
North Carolina. If the present trend
continues it will be only a few years
before industrial payrolls along The
Public Parade equal our farm income.
In some areas of the country too much
dependence is placed on a single source
of income. Rarely do you see a balance
of economy which is beginning to be
enjoyed in Northeastern North Carolina.
This just didn’t happen. Aggressive
leadership and sincere proposals have
been the rule rather than the exception.
Those who have told the story of Eden
.on and Chowan County have been ex
amples of our citizenry. Corporate of
ficials have been impressed to the ex
tent of investing millions of dollars in
the area.
Too, those who look around for a
site for another plant take a long, hard
appraisal at what manufacturing firms
who have been here over the years have
done and are doing. It is at times like
this that such operations as Edenton
Cotton Mills stand tall.
P. S. McMullan could more easily
operate his mill if there was not keen
competition for labor which is brought
about by new industries. However, he
believes in this community and wants
to.see it grow and prosper. His company
didn’t get to be a leader in the indus
try and the backbone of this area’s econ
omy by being little. This impresses
those who look at the local situation.
In the past two years we have seen
United Piece Dye Works open on the
Chowan River, north of Edenton; George
C. Moore Company build on U. S. 17
North, and The Carter’s Ink Company
begin operations on Highway 32, east
of Edenton. Another nationally-known
firm is ready to announce location of a
spacious, new operation in our area.
This has helped everyone in the com
munity. It has been a big factor in in
creased income from manufacturing—
from $1.7-million in 1960 to $3.5-mlilion
in 1966.
There are nearly 30 manufacturing
firms in Chowan County today, while
in 1955 there were only 13.
So, it is fitting that Edenton Cham
ber of Commerce, representing the en
tire community, pay tribute to those who
have contributed to our development
with an Industry Appreciation Week.
In today’s Chowan Herald, we print
ads, stories and pictures about this event.
Our only regret is that time and man
power did not permit a more compre
hensive report. like a lot of our col
leagues in the manufacturing field, we
are small, but growing. The challenge
of the future is tremendous but we pledge
our best efforts to meet it in a manner
which will do credit to all who meander
along The Public Parade.
Not Looking At Us
At the request of Principal J. P.
Snipes of Chowan High School we are
printing the following item from North
Carolina Education:
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Dr. Harold Spears, superintendent of
San Francisco schools, had some good
advice recently for those public officials
Continued on Pare 4
Graduation Slated
Commencement activities for the Class
of 1967 at John A. Holmes High School
begin June 2 with Senior Day, according
to Principal Cecil W. Fry.
The principal said the 1:30 P. M.,
program in the auditorium at the school
will replace the usual Class Night.
The Baccalaureate and Graduation
exercises are being combined this year
and will be held at 4 P. M., June 4 at
Ernest A. Swain Elementary School Au
ditorium.
Chowan High Finals Begin May 26
Belinda Perry has been named vale
dictorian, and Charles Asbell, saluta
torian, of the Class of 1967 at Chowan
High School.
These students will play major roles
in the commencement exercises at 8
P. M., June 2. Seth Henderson, super
intendent of Dare County Schools, will
be the speaker.
Asbell will bring greetings and Miss
Perry will give the farewell address. J,
P. Snipes, principal, will introduce the
speaker and present the diplomas.
Emily Peele has been selected as chief
marshal. Others gaining the scholastic
honor are: Brenda Hollo well, Harolyn
THE CHOWAN HERALD
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MR. CHAlßMAN—Highways play an important role in the development of any area
and Edenton Chamber of Commerce is active in the discussion of roads in Northeastern
North Carolina. J. Gilliam Wood, former State Highway Commissioner, is chairman of
the Highway Committee of the chamber. Os primary concern to this group is im
provement of U. S. 17 and securing more tourist traffic along this highway.
Payrolls Show Big Gains
The average weekly wage paid by
firms in Chowan County has increased
$32 in the past decade.
R. E. Cheek, manager of the Edenton
office of Employment Security Com
mission of North Carolina, said employ
ment has increased and annual payrolls
20 Area Industries
Will Be Honored
The 20 Edenton and Chowan County
industries will be honored Friday night
at a banquet which climaxes Industry
Appreciation Week in this area.
W. P. (Spec) Jones, chairman, Indus
trial Committee, Edenton Chamber of
Commerce, has announced that Dr. Leo
W. Jenkins, president of East Carolina
College, will be principal speaker.
The banquet begins at 6 P. M., at
Chowan Golf & Country Club. Of
ficials of the area’s industries will be
guests at the meeting and indications
are that a number of executives from
out-of-town will be on hand.
W. B. Gardner, chamber president,
said this is the first time the area has
recognized the industry which has con
tributed to the healthy economic condi
tion which exists here. He said it is the
desire of the chamber to make this an
annual affair.
Those being honored include:
Albemarle Peanut Company, Ashley
Welding & Machine Company, Richard
P. Baer & Company, M, G. Brown Com
pany, The Carter’s Ink Company, Cho
wan Veneer Company, Darf Corpora
tion, Edenton Cotton Mills, Home Feed
& Fertilizeer Company, and Jimbo’s
Jumbos, Inc.
Also, George C. Moore Company, J.
D. Peele & Brothers Fishery, R. J. Rey
nolds Tobacco Company, Seabrook
Blanching Corporation, Tee-Lok Cor
poration, Townson Lumber Company,
M. J. Tynch & Company Fish House,
Union Bag Camp Paper Corporation,
United Piece Dye Works and Perry-
Wynns Fish Company.
Leake, Sheryl Chappell and Linda Berry
man.
The annual commencement activities
get underway at Chowan May 26 when
the seniors have Class Night. At this
exercise the class will present a short
play, “The Magnolia Blossom.” The
event begins at 8 P. M.
Rev. Rufus Smithson, Jr., of Pilmoor
Memorial Methodist Church, Currituck,
will deliver the baccalaureate sermon at
8:30 P. M., May 28. The speaker grad
uated from Chowan High School in 1953
and attended High Point College. He
has served pastorates at Creswell, Eliza
beth City and Stumpy Point.
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina 27932 Thursday, May 18, 1967
are showing an impressive jump.
Cheek said the average weekly wage
for persons covered by unemployment
insurance was $41.99 in 1955. The aver
age for the third quarter of 1966, the
last period complete figures are avail
able, was $73.93.
Manufacturing jobs have shown a
most impressive gain in the past 10
- ymisr- according to figures, available.
The 1966 payroll for industry here last
year was in excess of $3.5-million, or
more than $500,000 more than 19*5.
In 1965 there were 26 manu'. ; uring
firms in Chowan County who employed
830 people. The payroll was $3,0c4,739
with an average weekly wage of $67.33.
Cheek’s records show that in 1960
there were 24 employers who worked a
total of 642. The total wages paid
amounted to $1,728,636 and the average
weekly check was $50.82.
But in 1955, there were 13 employers
who had 535 people at work. The aver
age weekly wage was $41.99 with total
wages being paid amounting to
$1,211,877.
Wages made in manufacturing for the
first three quarters of 1966 totaled $2,-
658,000. If the fourth quarter averaged
as much as the previous three then 1966
was a year in which the industrial pay
roll in Chowan County was more than
double that of 1960.
Creek attributed the availability of
good labor as well as the location of
plants in the area and the expansion of
existing industry with providing a good
labor-wage record here.
The manager pointed out that the
available figures do not reflect em
ployees working for The Carter’s Ink
Company. The firm had a pilot project
here late in 1966 but actual production
and increased employment did not begin
until February, 1967. The company
now has nearly 100 people at work.
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PRINCIPALS AT HUMAN RELATIONS SEMINAR—PeopIe
from Chowan, Gates and Perquimans counties Tuesday morning
filled the Fellowship Hat of Eden ton Methodist Church for a
Human Relations Seminar. The seminar, sponsored by the Tri-
County Ministerial Association, included the film: “A Time For
Burning” and a panel dlscumhm Principals In the program are
abewnhere, (oft to rifitf: Rev. E. C, Sheet, moderator; Rev. Cor-
Merger Approved;
Vote Is Very Light
School Board Merger Vote
Precinct For Against
West Edenton 361 56
East Edenton 247 48
Center Hill 97 27
Wardville 51 59
Rocky Hock 68 47
Yeopim 62 6
Total 886 243
Holmes Students
Get Scholarships
Nine members of the Class of 1967 at
John A. Holmes High School have re
ceived scholarships from various insti
tutions.
Mrs. James Kinion, guidance counsel
or, listed the students and the grants as
fellows.
Larry Parks—A North Carolina Teach
ers’ Scholarship and an East Carolina
College Scholarship. He plans to enter
East Carolina in the fall of 1967 and
major in history. He is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Luther Parks, Edenton.
Tony Webb—A North Carolina State
University Scholarship. He plans to en
ter N. C. State University at Raleigh,
in the fall of 1967 and major in forestry.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A.
Webb, Jr., Route 2, Edenton.
Ann Jordan —East Carolina College
Scholarship. She plans to enter East
Carolina College in the fall of 1967 and
major in science. She hopes to become
a lab technologist and continue her edu
cation at the University of North Caro
lina at Chapel Hill. She is the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Jordan, Rt.
2, Edenton.
Emily Powell—East Carolina College
Scholarship. She plans to major in Art
at East Carolina College. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Pow
ell of Edenton.
Wesley Chesson—Duke University
Athletic Scholarship. He will enter
Duke in the fall of 1967. He is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Chesson, Jr.,
Continued on Page 4
Funds Sought For Alcoholic Center
Chowan County is being asked to con
tribute $2,250 towards a local budget of
$11,023 for the establishment in 'Eliza
beth City of an Alcoholic Contror cen
ter to serve six counties.
Chairman W. E. Bond presented the
proposal from Dr. Isa Grant, district
health director, at a recent meeting and
commissioners questioned where the
money would come from for Chowan to
participate. Dr. Grant had suggested
that profits from ABC store sales go to
support the program.
Local commissioners said non-tax
funds are committed here for several
years in the future.
Dr. Grant said in Elizabeth City Mon
day that the center’s budget would be
$33,023 of which state funds would pay
bin Cooper, panelist; Rev. K. L. MiteheH, president; Fletcher F.
Lassiter, panelist; Rev. David L. Harris, program chairman; D. S.
Coltrane, panelist and chairman, The North Carolina Good Neigh
bor Council; Rev. Robert Borne, vice president; Rev. Robert Har
rell, panelist and Coltrane’s assistant, and Rev. Rafph FBcnaing,
Mein nil fcd
Single Copy 10 Cents
Another chapter in Chowan County’s
history will be written June 5 when
Edenton City and Chowan County boards
of education become one. Merger of
the two into the Edenton-Chowan Board
of Education was approved Tuesday in
a referendum which saw less than one
fourth of the registered voters cast their
ballot.
The vote was 886 for the merger and
243 against.
In addition to the merger of the two
administrative units, voters approved ex
tension of the 15-cent per SIOO valuation
supplemental tax to Second and Third
Townships. The tax, while never levied,
has been on the books for First and
Fourth Townships since 1941. Now it
is county-wide.
Wardville, Chowan’s northern most
precinct, was the only box in which a
favorable vote was not recorded. The
opposition carried this precinct 59-51.
While there was no organized opposi
tion to the merger, many felt those living
in Chowan County, outside the Edenton
administrative boundary, would vote
heavily against the issue. However, the
vote in Center Hill was 97-27 in favor
of merger and in Rocky Hock it was
68-47.
The two Edenton boxes went heavily
for the merger with West Edenton re
cording 361-56 and East Edenton fol
lowing with 247-48. In Yeopim, the
smallest precinct, only six persons voted
against the issue while 62 were casting
their ballots in favor of merger.
In anticipation of a favorable vote,
the two boards of education have been
meeting jointly periodically to discuss
items of general interest. While they
will not officially become one board un
til June 5, according to the legislation,
the boards are expected to iron out some
problems between now and then.
Supt. Hiram J. Mayo, who has served
both boards since January, 1966, has re
signed and will move to Craven County
July 1. The boards have jointly inter
viewed applicants for the superintend
ent’s position but no decision on hiring
a replacement for Supt. Mayo has been
made, pending the outcome of Tuesday’s
vote.
Chowan County Board of Education
has submitted a plan for desegregation
of the two schools under ns control to
Federal Judge John Larkins of Trenton.
Continued on Page 4
two-thirds.
The local funds would come from
four counties with ABC operations—
Chowan, Perquimans, Dare and Pasquo
tank. Currituck has just opened an
ABC store but is not listed as a con
tributor in the initial budget. Camden,
the sixth county to be served, does not
have ABC stores and will not contribute
to the budget.
Dr. Grant said most of the budget
would be used for staff salaries. The
staff would include a full-time public
health nurse, a clinical aid or health
field vLStor and a clerk receptionist.
Chowan would have two representa
tives on the 12-member board establish
ed to operate the center. This is based
on one member for each 5,000 popula
tion.