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VOLUME 66 Subscription Price $3.00 a Year 10c Per Copy WARRENTON, COUNTY OF WARREN, N. C. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1962 NUMBER 29
Ministers Disagree
On Court Ruling
Seaver Says Court
Wrong In School
Prayer Case
A retired Methodist miniate
currently conducting a tern
perance survey in Warrei
County has called on a num
ber of area citizens to suppor
a Constitutional amendmen
which embodies the principli
of religious freedom, bu
which does not force any re
Iigious practice upon anyone.
Jesse Seaver, president O!
the Carolina Christian Union
told members of the Men'i
Sunday School Classes of thi
Wesley Memorial Method is
Church on Sunday that "th<
enemies of our Christian cus
? toms have apparently overplay
ed their hand."
He said that the patriotisn
of Christian citizens in thii
country had been aroused ant
that the proposed Christlai
Amendment is "practically 01
Its way Into the Federal Con
stitution."
Seaver told the men's classei
that since the Christian Unioi
was founded, it had had as it!
s>*- goal such a constitutions
amendment and a crusadi
against intoxicating beverages
% Seaver read numerous cor
respondences from a host o
government officials, includin)
Tar Heel Congressmen ant
Senators thanking him for hi
interest in behalf of rellgioui
freedom.
He said he was concurrently
preparing an article on th<
subject of non-sectarian re
Iigious devotion and Biblt
f reading in our public schools
which will be sent to all mem
ber* of Congress, the N. C
General Assembly, all state
governors and many public of
t ficials.
Davis MP
The annual Davis Reun'c'
will be held this year on Sim
<iav July 22, at the home of
Link Says Court
Rendered Right
Decision
A Warrenton minister has
endorsed a recent Supreme
Court decision removing for
mal state-sponsored prayer in
public schools.
The Rev. John Link, pastoi
of the Warrenton Baptist
Church, said Sunday that "it
ih no part of the business of
government to compose official
prayers for any group of the
American ' people to recite as
a part of a religious program
carried on by the government."
In a sermon to his congre
gation here, the Rev. Mr. Link
said "required prayer becomes
an absurdity." He said requir
ed prayer differed completely
from "people praying in free
dom under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit and the church
of their own choice."
He said the teaching of re
ligion and prayer is the re
sponsibility and privilege of
the home and the church. He
warned parents who would like
j j for the school to assume the
11 responsibility of the home and
j church to give greater atten
1.1 tion to the teaching of relig
.. mn in the home,
rj "One of the wholesome ef
j fects of this Supreme Court
decision would be to make
parents and churches more
aware of their responsibilities,"
he said.
Mrs. Burwell To
Give Organ Recital
Mrs. John C. Burwell, organ
ist at Wesley Memorial Church
for over thirty years, will pre
sent a program of organ music
on the evening of July 22 at
8:00 o'clock.
This will be a part of the
seeqalcentenntal celebration of
the church and Methodism tn
Warren County.
m mnHsHt * In*
Robinsons Awarded $190,000.0C
Board Adopts Sewer Tax For Water Users
Funds To Be Used For Award Is Made In Condemnation
Sewage Treatment Plant Suit Brought Bv Power Comnanv
ABOVE GROUND, BE
NEATH GROUND?Workmen
are shown this week as two
new structures begin to take
shape in the Warrenton area.
At left, the wells of a new
Catholic church being erected
on the Warrenton-Norlina high
way arc almost ready to sup
port the roof of the structure.
I At top, workmen pour concrete
foundations for expansion of
I the Banzet & Banzet law of
fices on Front Srteet. Also
| undcrs construction here is a
i new warehouse for C. E.
Thompson on West Franklin
Street. Workmen are also
putting the finishing touches
on a warehouse on the War
! renton-Norlina highway.
(Staff Photos)
Local Firemen
Elected To State
Offices At Meet
Two Warrenton men have
been named to posts in the
N. C. Colored Volunteer Fire
men's Association.
Cleveland Anderson was
! elected financial seen tary and
McCarroll Alston was named
assistant treasurer, member of
the auditing committee and
dean of instruction, during the
72nd annual convention of the
association held in Greenville
last week.
In addition to having two of
its members named as offi
cers, the Warrenton Volunteer
Fire Department won more
than $75 in prize money dur
ing competition with other fire
companies. The local depart
ment won second prize in the
100-yard hose and reel race,
the 50-yard grab hose and reel
race, and in the fire truck
race. Alfred Davis, represent
ing the local company, took
third place honors in the foot
race.
J. Baker Plummer of War
renton was presented as the
oldest member of the associa
tion during a public program
attended by Mayor Charles M.
King of Greenville and Elwood
Inscoe, state fire service in
structor.
Training classes were held
and a rescue demonstration
was given by the Greenville
Rescue Squad, United States
champions. The champion
ship Silver Belt was won by
the Wilsonr. Fire Department.
The convention ended with a
fireman's dance and barbecue
dinner.
Response Good
Response to a request that
surplus vegetables be donated
to Warren General Hospital
has been excellent, F. P. Whit
ley, hospital administrator,
said yesterday.
Whitley asked that those
who have thus aided the hos
pital be publicly thanked. He
said that he would not try to
list the donors as there were
so many.
The vegetables are being put
to good use and Whitley said
that the hospiUl wiU welcome
further contributions.
At the suggestion of J. B.
Boyce, Warrenton druatfirt ">n
article was printed in the it
week's edition of this *
paper asking that eitiwi* Jo
nate surplus vegetables to dtp
hospital and the public's re
sponse has been gratifying.
The Town commissioners on
Monday night ordered that a
sewer tax be imposed upon
Warrenton water customers
and that the tax be added. to
their water bills.
,The purpose of the tax is to
accumulate a fund towards the
payment of the costs of con
structing a sewage treatment
plant here as required by law
W'thin the next three or four
years.
The amount of the sewer tax
imposed in an ordinance adopt
ed by the commissioners will
be 25% of the amount of the
water bill, with exceptions in
a few cases. These are where
town water is not dumped into
the town sewers', as is the case
of service stations ' washing
cars; and where water is not
furnished by the town, as is
the case of Peck Manufactur
ing Co., which uses the town
sewage system. Special rates
will be provided in these cases,
but for the great majority of
customers, the action of the
board will in reality mean a
25% increase in their water
bills.
The ordinance will go into
effect on August 1 and cus
tomers will pay the increase
upon receipt of their water
bills in September.
Commissioner Hugh W. Holt
chairman of the water commit
tee, which recommended the
sewer tax. said that the tax is
I expected to bring in $9,000 or
I $10,000 each year.
In the discussion preceeding
i the adoption of the ordinance,
? Commissioner Holt said that
! the people have no choice
1 about building the sewage
; treatment plant. The state
law, he said, has teeth in it
and if the citizens should turn
down a bond issue when it is
presented the town would be
forced to borrow the money
on tax anticipation ne'es at a
rate in excess of that neces
sary for a bond issue.
Holt said that it is hoped
that the town may receive a
i grant from the Government
j for some 30 per cent of the
\ cost of the project. This
grant, he said, plus funds ac
cumulated over the next twe
or three years should provide
enough funds to make the
bond issue more easily paid
for by the town.
The town plan for the ac
cumulation of a fund by the
imposition of a sewer tax has
been endorsed by representa
tives of the State Water Re
sources Commission. Holt told
the commissioners that each ol
the four consultant engineers
who have appeared before the
board had stated that the
building of a reserve was i
wise move.
No objection was raised bi
, the commissioners to thi
(Spa TAY nni^p 1 ft \
Couple Told Not
To Run Business
A man and woman appear
ing in Warren County Record-(
er's Court on Friday may find
themselves back in court if
they operate a Norlina busi
ness firm during the next two
years.
Judge Julius Banzet continu
ed prayer for judgment in a
case involving possession of
whiskey for purpose of sale
provided the two defendants
ended their operation of the
Norlina Drive-Inn.
James and Josephine Minor
were told that the judgment
of the court would be postpon
ed if they refrained from
operating their place of busi
ness.
A man sentenced to two
years on thg road for assault
with a deadly weapon took an
appeal to Superior Court.
John Henry Alston, found guil
ty on the charge Friday, was
placed under a $500 appear
ance bond by Judge Banzet.
Also on Friday, a six-month
road sentence was given Rob
ert Lee Mills, tried on a
charge of assault with a dead
ly weapon.
The State took a nol pros
in the case of Claude Edward
Mabrey, charged with no oper
ator's license, but Mabry was
fined $100 and costs on a
drunk driving charge.
Harvey Tunstall, charged
with drunk driving, pleaded
guilty to reckless driving and
was fined $100 and costs.
Other cases on Friday's
docket included:
Arthur Brewer, reckless driv
ing, $50 and costs.
Isaac Samuel Edwards, reck
less driving, $25 and costs.
Theodore Lee Davis, reckless
driving, costs.
Bruce Silver, speeding, costs.
Samuel Jones, possession of
home brew, $10 and costs.
Zeb Ransom Denny, reckless
driving, not guilty.
Ronald Junior Spry, speed
ing, costs.
Clarence Seward, Jr., allow
ing an unlicensed person to
operate motor vehicle, costs.
Bessie Williams Seward, no
operator's license, $25 and
costs.
Lester Charles Crane, speed
ing, $10 and costs.
Herbert Gerald Evans, Jr.,
speeding, $10 and costs.
Christine Lenora McSwain,
speeding, $15 and costs.
Charles David Looney,
speeding, $15 and costs.
Clarence Arthur Barbour,
charged with speeding, found
guilty of following too closely,
costs.
? Floyd Franklin Fowler,
speeding, $10 and costs.
Roy Lee Bobbitt, non-sup
nnrf nnaia
Warren Girls To
Attend 4-H Week
Four Warren County girls
will attend the entire week's
activities and several boys will
go for special events of the
State 4-H Club Week to be
held at State College in Ral
eigh next week, July 23-28,
Mrs. Ann R. Killan, assistant
home agent, said yesterday.
Karney Faulk, Anne Hicks
and Margaret Ann Paachall
from the Norlina Senior 4-H
Club and Sandra Walker from
the Littleton Senior Club will
attend for the full week.
On Wednesday, William Par
kinson and Ronnie King will
participate in the Dairy Dem
onstration Contest
Invited to present talent at
the Wednesday adult
luncheon we the Four Stars,
blue ribbon talent group from
the Norlina Senior Club: Wil
liam Perkinson. Arthur Holt
King, Kenneth Frank* and
Paul Lancaster.
Wade Schuster, also a blue
ribbon winner, will participate
in the annual State Talent
Show which will be a feature
of Friday night.
Sandra Walker will take part
in the State Dress Revue
which will be Wednesday
night
Representing Warren County
in the State Health Pageant
will be the County King and
of Health, George Holts
and Margaret Am
A Warren County jury may
decide whether a sum of $190,
000 is just compensation for a
considerable amount of timber
and 533 acres of land to be
j flooded by the Gaston reser
1 voir.
| The huge sum?representing
the largest figure ever award
ed in a Warren County con
demnation suit ? has been
awarded Nannie P. Robinson
and heirs of the late J. R. Rob
inson by three Warren Coun
ty court-appointed commission
ers.
Virginia Electric and Power,
Company, plaintiff in a con
demnation suit heard here last
week, noted an exception and
appealed the case to Warren
County Superior Court. The
power company which is con
structing a mammoth hydro
electric dam on the Roanoke
River, brought the condemna
tion proceedings to acquire the
533 acres to be covered by
waters of Gaston Reservoir.
The earliest that the Super
ior Court jury could hear the
case would be at the October
Budget Is Adopted
Town Tax Rate To
Remain At $1.15
The Board of Town Com
missioners on Monday night
adopted the tentative budget
for the fiscal year 1962-63 and
made it the official budget of
the town with no change in
the tax rate.
The tax rate will remain at
$1.15 on the $100 valuation. Of
this rate 70c will be for the
general operation of the town
Board Accepts
Resignation Of
David Dirkersnn
David Dickerson, former
manager of the Warrenton of
fice of Home Security Life
Insurance Company who was
transferred to Rockingham, on
Monday night tendered his
resignation as a town commis
sion to the Board of Town
Commissioners.
The resignation was read by
Mayor W. A. Miles and accept
ed by the board "with regrets,"
and expressions of sorrow that
Dickerson was to leave War
renton.
Mayor Miles said: "I hate to
see David leave Warrenton. He
was a good commissioner and
a good citizen."
No action on the election cf
a successor to Dickerson was
taken by the board.
Thurston Brown appeared
before the board relative to
permission to operate an addi
tional taxicab in Warrenton,
but the board took no action
on the request.
Ernest Turner and Mrs. Rob
ert Ransom appeared before
the board with a request that
the commissioners increase the
town's annual donation to the
Warren County Negro Library.
They pointed out the needs
for more money with which to
pay the librarian and for other
library purposes. Commission
er H. W. Holt pointed out that
while the board waa sympa
thetic to both the value of the
work of the library and its
needs, the donations of the
town to both the colored lib
rary and the Warren Memorial
Library are "only token dona
tions. T.ieir operation is a
county responsibility, he said.
The board deferred any action
upon the request pending far
ther study.
The opportunity to savt
funds for the town taxpayer)
caused the commissioner* tt
change their minds about pay
ins for parking mater
inns at the rata of a
down and a dollar a month
Instead they voted to accept i
5% discount for payment ol
s (See BO/UtD, page 18)
"Open
"Open Rouse" will be held
st the Wsrrao Methodist
Charge Parsonage on Eaton
Avenue in Wairenton on Son
day. July SS, from S to 4
o'clock. All members and
friends are invited to attend
tion to the parson ago, which
hao recently
and 45c will be used for bbnd
purposes.
The rate is based on 90 per
cent collections on an estimat
ed total assessed valuation of
property for purpose of taxa
tion of $2,640,670.
A poll tax was adopted call
ing for payment of $1.00 by
all males between the ages of
21 and 50.
The privilege tax Is the
maximum amount permitted
under Schedule B of the Rev
enue Act.
A tax of $10.00 was levied
on all dealers of wine, whether
fortified or unfortified.
The commissioners ordered
that the tax of $1.00 upon all
motor vehicles resident in the
Town of Warrenton be con
tinued.
ROBERT V. ALLEN
Allen Promoted
To Head Local
Insurance Office
DURHAM ? Robert Vincent
Allen of Warrenton has been
appointed by Home Security
Life Insurance Company of
Durham to the position of
Staff Manager in charge of
the Warrenton Office. He will
supervise operations In por
tions of Warren, 4**h, Hali
fax and Franklin Counties, a
territory which is part of the
Roanoke Rapids District with
headquarters in Roanoke Rap
Ida.
Since joining Home Security
Life Insurance Company as an
Insurance agent in MOT, Allen
has regularly been one of the
Company's leading insurance
?genu and has qualified aa a
National Quality Award Win
ner. m? achievements include
participation in the life Un
ierwriter'a Training Course
?nd publication of his article
m Insurance in a national
magazine, "The
Alien la married to the for
mer Peggy Faine Carroll of
Wm
in
term of Superior Court How
ever. a number of older civil
eases crowding ;he docket
makes it doubtful Mat the case
will be heard then.
VEPCO, which is reportedly
planning to close the flood
gates of tne Gastcn dam on
October 1, has given the War
ren County Clerk of Court a
check for $190,000, payable to
the defendants in the suit
This allows them to flood the
property prior to the airing
of the case in Superior Court.
The award of $190,000 was
made by Hugh W. Holt, M. P.
Hurwell, Jr., and W. B. Elling
ton, commissioners appointed
by the court for the purpose
of appraising the 533 acres
tunber which ?s part of a
1500-acre tract owned by the
defendants. ?
In a judgment addressed to
the clerk of Court, the com
missioners held that the just
compensation and damages
should be $190,000 and that
the defendants will receive no
benefits from the construction
of the Gaston Dam.
Before making the award,
the three commissioners spent
three days touring the lands,
hearing witnesses and listening
to arguments by attorneys.
The award was made on last
Wednesday night.
VEPCO, in its appeal, claim
ed that "the award is grossly
excessive, not justified by the
facts and considerably mere
than the real damages incurr
ed by the defendants."
Attorneys for the power
company also based their ap
peal on their contention that
the award is speculative, bas
ed upon conjecture, and so
far exceeds the present fair
inK VK?Ue o? ^ land ^ to
indicate bias or prejudice.
d..ewD? '.h,e proceed'ngs con
VEp? courtroom here,
VEPCO presented five wit
nesses who testified concern
value of the timber
and land The defendants_
fwL "n N?annie p Robinson,
George C. Robinson, Virgie H
Robinson Willie T. Robinson.'
J- a. Robinson and all heirs
divisecs and successors in title
*? Robinson?offered
ir ,rs in rebuttal.
^Jrlier this year, another
coinmisst* n SUit ended when
FuSSST. a,2rded ? mm
i*-, ?*.?00 to Mr. and Mrs.
This . ' of Warrenton.
This sum, which at the time
constituted the 1^ J?
"Ward ever made
commie jaunty, represented die
srssr? .?"ss-.s
?hS"lLp"!t "?a* ????><*?
School District
Program Ends
The John Graham High
School District Recreation Pro
gram ended on last Friday af
ter four weeka of operation.
Coach "Preacher" Parker, di
rector, this week said he con
sidered it very successful.
Parker said that a total of
1132 attended the program
during the four weeks it was
fa operation. Att"
first week was 305 and
tat week, 263. He said
feels that this indicates a
tinued interest
During the day tiaoe
grams of recreation and
were directed far boys
girls attending, and twice 4
week square dancing and
hope were held tor the
school and
The 18th annual
Reunion will bo held at
Old WMrt Haithcock
stead near Liberia on
July 29. All