Volume XXXVI—No. 8.
tlhc public :)J ar;>dc I
Making The Sale
Washington County commissioners
jumped into the brine recently when they
approved employment of a professional
promoter to sell a bond issue. The fact
that they recovered without being pickled
is a direct result of citizen involvement.
News accounts of the incident said a
$13,000 fee was approved by a firm to
put the hard sell on county taxpayers.
Tax money could not be spent for such
a promotion so it was found elsewhere.
Then comes groups of interested citi
zens who felt it would be a waste of
money. They said the job could be
done locally if the cause was justified.
This is a healthy sign. Citizens who
are willing to get involved in contro
versial matters in Washington county
have saved more than the $13,000 fee.
Right here along The Public Parade,
there are many worthy causes which
would best serve the citizenry if more
people were willing to get involved.
Many of the pits into which our munici
pals have fallen could have been covered
prior to the fatal step had more concern
been expressed by the general public.
If people other than members of tht
press would attend public meetings it
would help. They could learn first hand
the what’s and why’s about government
and administration. Their presence
would demonstrate their interest.
These are critical times everywhere.
In order to come out on top it is going
to take courage and cooperation. It is
going to take the masses working to
gether for the common good, not just a
handfull of people who are willing to
let their opinions be known.
It saved Washington County the
$13,000 fee. But more than that, it
showed somewhere out there there were
those who are concerned. And that’s
a good day’s work by any standards.
Three Sentenced
Three local men charged with perjury*
entered pleas to a lesser offense Tues
day in Chowan County District Court
and received suspended prison sentences.
Sentenced for forcible trespass were:
Edward Dalmond Byrum, Jerry Wallace
Jones and Harry Bussick.
Judge Fentress Horner gave the de
fendants identical sentences of two years,
suspended for three years and placed on
probation for the same period of time.
They were ordered to pay fines of S2OO
each and not drive for 12 months.
The perjury charges grew out of an
earlier trial in district court in which
one of the defendants was charged with
a traffic violation.
Solicitor Wilton Walker prosecuted the
docket and the following other action
was taken:
Robert Alle'n McLamb, speeding,
prayer for judgment continued upon pay
ment of costs and condition that the
motorist not drive for 30 days except
in line of work.
Henry G. Hollowell, worthless check,
costs.
York Odell Hayes, drunk driving, six
months, suspended upon payment of
S2OO fine and costs.
Robert Hunter Mathes, two charges
of speeding, $25 fine and costs in each
case.
Ruth W. Miller, worthless check, $lO
fine and costs.
George Brinkley, non-support, 12
months, suspended upon payment of s4l
in doctor bills and $lO per week for
support of illegitimate child.
Kenneth Earl Watson, improper muff-
ConHnu*d on Poe* 4
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DAMAGED AT IKTEMECTIOH-Two vehicle, were heavily damaged at 1:30 A. M.
Sunday when they collided a* the intersection of King end Court Streets. Sgt. Melvin
Griffin was driving the police cruiser end Mrs. Linda Askew of Perquimans County was
*ehWes w*f*t>laced^at^LlOCl** 9 *** d “ r#s * rdir ‘ 3 * * top ,ls,n *
THE CHOWAN HERALD
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PilgrfJ lage
Is Sell I
For Spring
The tenth biennial Pilgrimage of
Colonial Edenton and Countryside, a
tour of outstanding private homes and
historic buildings, will be held April
18-20.
The event sponsored by the Edenton
Woman’s Club, has over the years be
:ome “one of the most popular home
tours,” Mrs. Warren Twiddy, chairman,
said. “Visitors,” she said, “have been
impressed with the fine state of preser
vation rather than restoration of historic
buildings and houses.
Some of the buildings are nationally
known for their distinctive Colonial
architecture. In addition, the public
will view fine period furnishings and
historic relics.
Most buildings included in the tour
date in the’ 18th Century, but opening
for the first time will be the ante-bellum
home of Mr. and Mrs. T. B. H. Wood,
named Wood Hall, which they are in
the process of restoring. The 1853
house has double galleries front and
rear.
Two houses that ha%’e not been open
for some years are the pre-Revolutionary
Mulberry Hill and the Booth House.
Mulberry, a four story brick house lo
cated on Albemarle Sound is noterl for
its excellent woodwork. The house is
Continued on Page 4
Gilbert Promoted
Donald Gilbert, plant manager at
Chris-Craft Corporation’s fiberglass boat
manufacturing facility here, has been
promoted to head the firm’s plant in
Salisbury, Md. Gilbert has already as
sumed his new assignment.
The Salisbury plant is much larger
than the Edenton operation which has
been building boats for nearly one year.
W. M. Sanford, general manager of
the local plant, said the re-assignment
of Gilbert to Salisbury is a nice promo
tion. “We were glad to have him here
and wish him well in his new position,”
Sanford said.
Gilbert and Sanford were the first
Chris-Craft personnel to arrive in Eden
ton. They organized a training program
for employees and directed construction
of a modern new boat-manufacturing fa
cility on Albemarle Sound near Edenton
Municipal Airport.
Gilbert, who came here from a Chris-
Craft plant in Canada, hopes to move his
family to Salisbury in the near future.
Police Car Involved In Local Wreck
A new police cruiser was heavily dam
aged early Sunday morning in a two
car collision on East King Street at its
intersection with Court Street.
Sgt. Melvin Griffin was driving the
1969 Ford vehicle east on King Street
when it was struck in the left side by a
Mercury Cougar operated by Mrs. Linda
Askew of Perquimans County.
State Trooper C. H. Thomas investi
gated the 1:30 A. M., wreck and charg
es Mrs. Askew with failing to stop for
the stop sign on Court Street.
Damage to the police vehicle was es
timated at SBOO while Mrs. Askew’s car
was damaged S3OO. There were no in
juries.
At 1:50 A. M., Sunday, Trooper
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 20, 1969.
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BANQUET SPEAKER—LIoyd E. GriHin.
107 North Granville Street, will be keynote
speaker at the annual BPW Bosses' Night
banquet February 27 at Rocky Hock. The
theme of the meeting, which begins at 7
o'clock, is patriotism. Griffin, one of
Edenion's outstanding cit ; *ens, is retired
after 26 vears as executive vice president
of the North Carolina Citisens Association.
Chowan Academy
Plans Expansion
A 5,000-square-foot permanent addi
tion to Chowan Academy at Rocky Hock
will house six modern classrooms when
the private institution opens in Septem
ber with grades one through seven.
Carroll Evans, chairman of the board,
said an open house will be held at the
academy at 7:30 P. M., February 28 to
discuss the expanded facilities to those
interested in private education.
Evans, at the same time, announced
that E. L. Hollowell of Edenton has been
named finance committee chaitman.
Hollowell will launch a funds campaign
shortly after Mafch 1.
The building prpgram will begin in
the near future. The six modern class
rooms will have central heat. This sys
tem will be extended to the existing
building where four grades are now
housed.
Chowan Academy, Inc., has obtained a
long-term lease on the property now be
ing used.
The open house will be held to deter
mine interest in the academy as well as
to show what has been accomplished dur
ing the past few months. Members of
the board of directors and teachers will
be available at this time to discuss the
program.
Registration for grades one through
seven will be held March 15 through
April 15. Classes at the academy are
Continued on Peg* 4
Thomas investigated a wreck just west
of the town limits on Highway 32. Jack
Hardy l)ail, 28, Route 2, Tyner, was
operating a 1967 Ford on the highway
when it went out of control and into a
ditch, just west of Filbert’s Creek
Bridge. Damage to the car was set at
S4OO. f
The officer charged Dail with reck
less driving.
The motorist said he had entered
Highway 32 from Granville Street when
he lost control of the car and went into
the ditch. No one was hurt.
Edenton Police investigated a mishap
at 7:15 P. M., Sunday at the intersec
tion of Coke Avenue and U. S. 17. A
1962 Ford being operated by Daniel E.
Earnhardt, 18, 100 West Gale Street,
was involved in an accident with a 1963
Pontiac, driven by James Blount, 22-
-year-old Negro, 500 North Oakum
Street.
Patrolman W. A. Satterfield estimated
damage to the two cars at $350. No
citations were given.
Benefit Scheduled
A Heart Fund benefit show, held at
Swain Auditorium February 8, will be
repeated Friday night at Chowan High
School. The show begins at 7:30
o’clock.
Clarence Shackelford, benefit chair
man, said the country and westren mu
sic show will feature most of the bands
who thrilled the audience on the earlier
date.
Many in the rural area had expressed
a wish to have the show repeated and
Heart Fund officials secared the services
of the bands, for Friday’s performance.
$B.l-Million Farm
Income Is Record
The 1968 gross farm income in Cho
wan County exceeded $B.l-million. This
is $1.6-million more than the gross in
come in 1967 and is $762,000 greater
than 1965 the previous high in this
county.
C. W. Overman, county extension
Holmes Addition
Bids Are $252,000
Bids for additions to John A. Holmes
High School Thursday came in at
$252,767, well within the money avail
able for this project.
This was the second time Edenton
Chowan Board of Education had taken
bids on construction projects. The first
—for work at Holmes and Walker
schools —was some $55,000 more than
the $289,000 in state bond funds avail
able.
When Chowan County commissioners
refused to make up the difference the
board placed priority on the Holmes
project, deleting the cafeteria Walker.
Two classrooms were added to the
Holmes plan.
Charles W. Haskett of Elizabeth City
submitted a low base bid for the general
contract at $159,128. He was one of six
contractors bidding on the project. The
high bid was $179,000.
Edenton Construction Company was
low on the plumbing bid at $9,667. The
mechanical low bid was offered by
Pemberton, Inc., of Rocky Mount at
$43,679. Milon 1.. Stilley of Edenton
was low electrical bidder with a bid of
$29,423.
There were $10,870 in alternates which
are included in the $252,767 figure.
Haskett said it would take 210 calen
dar days to complete the project.
INTRODUCED TO NFO—Sherlon Layton, left. Chowan County farmer and tax roper
▼isor, is shown here with two representatives of the National Farmers Organisation prior
to a meeting at Rocky Hock Monday night. Discussing a NFO publication with Layton
are: Deri Walker of Wayne County, center, and NoweU Sugg of Greene County. Ap
proximately 20 farmers attended the meeting and agreed to form a NFO chapter in
Chowan.
Farmers Hear Os Marketing Group
l
An organization dedicated to doing
something about “cheap farm prices” is
establishing a chapter in Chowan Coun
ty. A majority of the 20 local farmers
attending a meeting at Rocky Hock
Community Center Monday night joined
the National Farmers Organization.
A second information meeting has
been set for 7:30 P. M., March 3 at
Chowan Community Building. It is ‘
hoped that by this time the member
ship here will be near the 75 number
needed to charter a chapter.
Deri Walker of Wayne County, NFO
regional supervisor for North Carolina,
told his audience they must organize in
order to stay in business. By banning
together, Walker said, farmers can do
something about cheap farm prices.
“We should be interested as business
people, farmers and rural Americans in
doing something for each other,” he
stated.
During his presentation he said the
farmer is entitled to get his fair share of
the American dollar, as others are get*
Single Copy 10 Cents
chairman, said it is estimated that at
least 75 per cent of the gross is expense.
Based on this estimate the net income
of farmers in Chowan last year was little
more than $2-million.
Citing these figures, Overman said:
“Farmers handle a lot of money but
they don’t get to keep a great deal of
it.” He said increased production has
greatly aided farmers since there has
been little increase in prices.
Overman said peanuts, cotton and
watermelons made the big difference here
last/year.
What was expected to be a bad crop
of peanuts turned out to be one of the
best in recent years. Farmers produced
some 4-million more pounds and realized
more than $750,000 more for those sold
than they did in 1967. The gross peanut
income last year was set at $2,056,955.
Only 300 acres of cotton was saved
in 1967 and the income from 55,500
pounds sold was a mere $14,985. The
1968 picture was much brighter. There
were 1.772 acres of cotton which yielded
903,720 pounds. The income from this
was $198,815.
Income from watermelons last year
was $422,074, as compared to the 1967
figure of $145,040.
There was also a healthy increase in
income from livestock. Turkeys raised
in the county increased in sales by more
than $200,000 to a new high of $972,425.
Hogs for the first time exceeded the sl,-
million mark with an income of $1,032,-
000, as compared to $960,000 in 1967.
A breakdown of gross income from
food fiber and related raw products and
government payment shows:
1968 1967
Crop $5,514,844 $4,174,823
Livestock .. 2,212,565 1,984.680
Forestry . . 90,000 90,200
Govt Paym’t 330,889 314.000
$8,148,298 $6,563,705
ting. “The farmer buys at retail, sells
at wholesale and pays the freight both
ways,” he told those in attendance.
He said NFO is out to correct this
through collective bargaining.
Walker added that farmers need to
be organized like labor and industry if
“we are going to survive.” He said col
lective bargaining is legal, fair and ef
fective. “Saying ‘What will you give me’
is a poor way to sell,” he pointed out.
Food, he added, is the most important
product in the nation. It is the basis
to everything else. “We have always
had the key in our hand but have fail
ed to use it.” He said this is the season
the farmer is “being taken in” in the
market place.
The speaker charged that low farm
prices just didn’t happen but were plan
ned. “People have been stealing from
us all these years .kicking us in the
face and beating us about,” Walker said.
He described NFO as a “working or
ganization,” saying “you can’t get some-