JLTO 1 '' '
VOLUME 74 Subscription: $3.00 A Year; $4.00 Out Of State, 10* Per Copy WARRENTON, COUNTY OF WARREN, N. C. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1970 NUMBER 11
Officials At Historical
Society Meeting
OFFICERS OF THE REACTIVATED WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY present for
the Friday night dinner meeting included (left to right) Mrs. James Beckwith, president;
Mrs. Horace Robinson, program chairman and Matt R. Johnston, vice-president both of Lit
tleton. Second from left is Dr. H. G. Jones, director of the State Department of Archives and
History, who gave an interesting talk to the group. Officers not present were Mrs. Leonard
Daniel, secretary and John Mitchell, treasurer. Mrs. Robinson has been appointed by the War
ren County Board of Commissioners to advise them on the best way to obtain authentic restor
ation to the historic Nathaniel Macon homeplace. (Photo by Gene Pierce, Vaughan, N. C.)
Foundation Makes Provisional Grant
For Restoration Of Nat Macon Home
By RUTH MINCHER
The Smith Richardson Foun
dation, Inc., has approved a
$7,500 challenge grant to the
Warren County Historical So
ciety through the Department of
Archives and History for the
purpose of assisting in the
restoration of the Nathaniel Ma
con complex known as "Buck
Springs."
Announcement of the grant
was made on Friday night by
Dr. H. G. Jones director of
Stale Department of Archives
and History In Raleigh when
he was speaking at a meet
ing to the Warren County His
torical Society.
The meeting, the first since
the Historical Society was re
activated, was held at the
Warren Plaza Inn with 23 mem
bers and Interested citizens
present for the dinner meeting.
Dr. Jones was present to dls
cuss the project which is
being undertaken by the society,
that of completely restoringthe
Nathaniel Macon Homeplace
and buildings near Vaughan.
The grant is made with the
provision that the Historical So
ciety can collect from other
acceptable sources between
Jan. 1, 1970 and Dec. 31, 1970
the amount of $2500.
"We should point out," Dr.
Jones said, "that the grant to
Norlina Voters To Decide Fate
Of Water Bond Issue Saturday
The Town of Norlina will hold
a spe clal bond election on Satur
day, March 14 between the
hours of 6:30 a. m. and 6:30
p. m.
The purpose of the election
Is to determine whether the
town shall be permitted to issue
water bonds in an aggregate'
principal amount not to exceed
$45,000 for the purpose of
providing funds, with any other
available funds, for extending
and enlarging the waterworks
system of said town.
The voting place will be the
Town Office. Mrs. A. J. Bob
bit is registrar, and Mrs.
Lucille Lewis and Clayton
D. Taylor are judges of elec
tion.
Mayor Leon Knight said yes
terday that passage of the
bond issue is not expected to
cause any Increase In the town's
tax rate, as in reality the vote
is to authorize the transfer of
funds now on hand for this pur
pose.
Knight said that the town offi
cials and others have been ne
gotiating with a. northern in
dustry to establish a plant In
Norllna and that while there is
no guarantee that the plant will
be located at Norllna,pros
Citizens Petition For
Sunday Sale Of Beer
The sale of beer in Macon
and Norlina on Sunday has
raised a problem for other
stores and filling stations in
-Warren County TtK) JMBttn
open on Sundqr,
TommJe Blanks, Warrenion
merchant, again appeared be
fore the Board of County Com
missioners at their regular
meeting last Thursday to ask
the commissioners to permit
Sunday off-pw>itife ?la at
beer on Sunday.
Blanks brought with him a
petition signed by nearly 800
citizens asking that i
of beer be permitted in Warren
County. Blanks said that mo con*
oerted effort had been made
to obtain signatures to the peti
tion, which had been left at a
few business places lathe area.
It la not so muck the sale of
beer on Sunday in two nearby
towns
other MltlMi, Blanks said.
?M la the 1
Of beer.
StODS t
-jr.
asks where <,he can find it.
Directed to Norllna, Blanks
said, the would-be customer
not only boy* hi# beer than but
other Items, including gasoline.
Blanks told the commlssion
tfl that " he did not believe
that forbidding the sale of beer
on Sunday reduced consumption
? bit. B?t its sale, U per
mitted by the county, would be
legal and above-board. For
bidding Us sale, ha said, works
a hardship on tba law abiding
merchants of Warren County
and U unfair.
The commissioners, appear
ing reluctant to b*e any atUu
on the highly controversial mil
ter, ordered that the matter be
tabled until the board's next
meeting. The commissioners,
however, are disturbed over tbe
pects are exceedingly bright
provided ample water can be
assured.
Officials of the parent plant
have visited Norllna and the
town officials have been Im
pressed with the company and
the company has seemingly
been Impressed with Norllna,
Knight said.
Not only Is an Improved water
system needed If Norllna Is to
attract this fine Industry, Mayor
Knight continued, but It Is need
ed by present local Industry.
B Norllna Is to grow and to
attract Industry to provide good
Jobs for persons In the area It
must have an ample water sup
ply, he said.
Mayor Knight said that he
feels that the water bond Issue
will pass as there Is too much
at stake for Its failure, but
a large vote Is desired for
Its effect on the proposed
industry and other industries
that may be attracted to Nor
llna. *1# we are going to at
tract industry," he concluded,
"we must show through our
actions that w? welcome lndus
try."??
Board Authorized To
Sign Water Contract
The Board of Totn Com
missioners on Monday night
authorized Mayor W. A. Miles
and town Clerk j, Ed aoofcer
to 8t?n a contract with John A. .
Edward* and Oonpanr. En
gineers, lor the construction
of Water lines to and the
building of a water tank In
Warrantor's industrial Park.
The signed contract will be
forwarded to the Ottlos of Boo
SSm
if -- r
Development
towards
to lay
your project Is quite unusual
In terms of the size of the
challenge grant and the small
amount of required matching
funds.
"This generosity on the part
of the Foundation was encour
aged by our department on the
grounds that an emergency sit
uation existed In regard to
"Buck Springs."
A motion was made by Matt
Johnson to accept this challenge
grant with gratltu<V and to
make every effort to begin rais
ing the matching funds. It was
seconded and unanimously
accepted.
Dr. Jones was presented by
Mrs. Robinson. Mrs. James
Beckwlth, president, presided,
at the business meeting.
Other officers of the Warren
County Historical Society in
addition to Mrs. Beckwlth and
Mrs . Robinson, who also ser
(See GRANT, page 7)
Case Worker Resigns
Mrs. Estella Simmons, case
worker with the Warren Coun
ty Department of Social Ser
vices has resigned and moved
to California with her hus
band, the Department of Social
Services announced this week.
Her position has not been fill
ed and the department 1s cur
rently recruiting for this posi
tion which requires a college
degree and completion of the
State Personnel exam.
Persons meeting the qualifi
cations and Interested in infor
mation on the position are in
vited to contact the Department
of Social Services office.
CONSTABLE RESIGNS
Robert J. Shepherd this week
tendered his resignation as
War rent on Township Constable
to the Warren County Board
of Commissioners, effective as
at March ft.
4-Inch water main alone Bote
Street to Increase water pres
sure to inhabitants living atong
that street and to prepare lor
the installation at hydrants
the need arise in the
of the time of the board
a*
future.
i qp with i
of the Water Company, over
water problems and his differ
encea with the boaiC VMls
was told that his rsM)
a MM)
Dr. Jones Says
Buck Springs Too Important
To Be Neglected Any Longer
The Future of Buck Springs,
home of Nathaniel Macon, still
needs to be planned, Dr. H. G.
Jones, director of the North
Carolina Department of
Archives and History, told the
Warren County Board of Com
missioners here on last Thurs
day.
Buck Springs is too import
ant to be longer neglected, he
said.
Appearing before the com
missioners with Mrs. Horace
P. Robinson of Littleton, ap
pointed by the board at Its
February meeting to head a
group to restore the Macon
homeplace, Dr. Jones urged
the commissioners to work on
a holding operation for the
Macon home place until it can be
properly restored. Pointingout
that Nathaniel Macon was not
Timber Not To Be Cut
Many Bills Unpaid At
Warren General Hospital
Many Warren County citizens
have not paid their bills at
Warren General Hospital, sev
eral of whom are able to do
so, and as a result the hos
pital has $185,000 worth of un
paid accounts on its books,
Bernard Thompson told the
board of county commlssione rs
last Thursday.
Thompson, administrator for
the local hospital, asks for the
county's assistance in collect
ing these bills. He suggested
that the county take a lien on
property for these bills. In
formed that the county has no
authority to do this, Thomp
son suggested that maybe the
county attorney could assist In
these collections, since the hos
pital is county owned.
Jim Llmer, county attorney,
said that he would assist in
the collection of the bills If
the county Instructed him to do
so, but legally any such request
should come to the board from
the board of trustees of the
hospital. Lawyers, Llmer said,
are reluctant to take on such
collections as they have found It
to be a losing proposition.
Thompson said that with the
exception of too many unpaid
bills, the hospital is getting
along extremely well, with an
increased bed load which has
resulted In the hospital being
able to substantially reduce its
own obligations.
The commissioners agreed
not to cut the timber on the Na
thaniel Macon homeplace fol
lowing the appearance of Dr.
H. G. Jones, Director of the
State Department of Archives
and History and Mrs. Horace
P. Robinson of Littleton before
the board when Dr. Jones
outlined plans for the restora
tion of the Macon home
place and requested that the
timber not be cut,.
The commissioners showed
much interest in the plan
as outlined by Dr. Jones and
promised their cooperation.
They also expressed interest
in a future plan whereby the
state would be requested to
take over the maintenance of
the home place.
Chairman Amos Capps said
during the discussion with Dr.
Jones that W. S. Williams, Jr.,
District Highway Commission
er, told him recently that if
the county would restore the
Macon homeplace that the state
would build a hardsurface road
to the site. This, Capps said, is
Indicative of public Interest
in the restoration.
Marvin Aycock appeared be
fore the board to discuss an
addition to the salary of the
Supt. of Social Services.
The matter was tabled for later
action.
Marvin Aycock appeared be
fore the board to discuss an
addition to the salary of the
Supt. of Social Services. The
matter was tabled for later ac
tion.
It was ordered that the board
would sit as a Board of Equali
zation and Review on Tues
day, April 21.
ft was ordered that a beer
license be Issued to Earl Bryant
upon receipt of a state permit.
Claude J. Fleming, Dog War
den, reported thai he trav
eled 1034 miles during Feb
ruary and picked up 37 dogs.
He turned $8.50 Into the general
fund for money collected for
sale of dogs.
A. P. Rod we 11, Jr., Tax' Col
lector, reported 1969 taxes col
lected during February In the
amount of $48,371.88, making a
total collection of 1969 taxes
collected to date In the amount
of $480,758.04. The percentage
of collections is 84.01%.
Four Hen File
Three men filed notice of
their candidacy for Warren
County Commissioners on Mon
day and one man filed for Town
ship Constable, subject to the
Democratic Primary of May 4,
Clarence Brltton, secretary of
the Warren County Board of
Elections, said yesterday.
Filing for county com
mlssloners warn Pete Jones at
Elberon, Clyde R. Edwards
of Norllna, and Claud* T.
Bowers of Warreaton, who an
nounced his candidacy last
week. Pete Jones, a farmer, 1*
seeking the Mai being held by
Richard R Davis. Bowers la
seeking Alfred J. Ellington's
Mat, and Clyde Edwards is
seeking the Mat held by John
Wilson.
Clyde Edwards, a retired
service station operator who la
now engaged in the cattle busi
ness m a minor scale baa been
a resident of Morllna for the
past 40 years. He la a mem
ber of the Methodist Church
where he baa been on the ad
ministrative board for num
ber of years, and is a char
Teenagers Came To
Wed; Landed In Jail
A teenage couple from
Youngstown, Ohio, who came to
Warrenton to be married and
their teenage companion were
arrested at Warren General
Hospital around 10:30 Saturday
morning where the two boys
were charged with robbing a
store at Liberia around 6
o'clock that morning.
Found In the teenagers' car
pllla which were sent to the
State Laboratory for Identifi
cation by Warren Sheriff Clar
enc? A. Davis.
Being held In Jail under $600
bond are Louis J. Fekety, 17,
of 146 MUter Street, Youngs
town, Ohio, and Michael Paul
Clka, 18, ot 2709 ,
Barbara A. Strickland, 11,
of 2708 Eddie Street, Youags
town, Ohio, ?m released into
the caatody of bar parents.
Sheriff Davis said that there
was no evidence that the girl
was involved In the robbery.
The arreat of the trio at War- ,
COta and Mis* Strlcklaad had
only North Carolina's leading
statesman but one of Ameri
can's, Dr. Jones said that the
Macon homeplace is considered
to be one of seven of the most
important historical sites in the
st ate.
"We believe," he said. "The
most important building in
terms of architecture ?the corn
crib-can be restored, and that
the Macon house and smoke
Only Six Days
Only six more days re
main for farmers to sign
up in the 1970 cotton, feed
grain and wheat programs,
T. E. Watson, Warren Coun
ty ASCS Executive Director,
announced yesterday. Friday,
March 20, is the last day to
sign up.
Watson said that to avoid
losing cotton allotment and
program payments, all cotton
farmers must visit the ASCS
office and declare their inten
tions for the 1970 crop year.
frad*
Added At Hawkins
Junior High School
The Warren County Board
of Education at Its regular
meeting on Monday night decid
ed to add . the 9th grade to
Hawkins Elementary School at
Warrenton for the 1970-71
school year, making it a true
Junior high school with grades
7, 8 and 9.
The transfer of the ninth
grade from John Graham to
Hawkins will make of John
Graham a senior high school
with grades 10, 11 and 12.
The board also heard a dele
gation of some 40 colored
school patrons, headed by
Ernest Turner, request that
the board of education rescind
its policy of no social activities
and that the school buildings be
made available for school re
lated activities.
The board rescinded its
policy to the extent that it
will permit schools to have
Monogram, FFA and FHA ban
quets. Junior - Senior proms
will not be permitted, the board
held.
The Warrenton Woman's
Club will sponsor a bake sale
at the AAA office on Main Street
on Friday, March 13, at 10
a. m.
members of the War rent on Po
lice Department and Sheriff's
Department.
Sheriff Davis said yesterday
the Harry Hawkins, who oper
ates ? grocery store at Liberia,
came to his home about' 6:30
a. m. Saturday and raBmHWfj
that his store had been robbed.
He MM that as ha wproached
the store he saw two boys run
store to an automobile. He
gave the license at?tilr and
description of the car to
Sheriff Davis, who notified the
Highway Patrol and" towir *nd
county officers.
Sheriff Davis said that a
suspicion that the young people
might be la the county to b?
married led officers to the hos
pital tat their search.
A cash register,
attar goods t
store, valued at $150,
near the War;
plant.
' " the baya
house can be stabilized forfur
ther work later on. The roofs
must be replaced with either a
new or temporary roof. Our
staff will work with the restor
ation committee and the archi
tect in drawing up plans.
Dr. Jones urged the com
missioners to reconsider their
decision to cut the timber on
the old Macon property. "For
a moment," he said, "let us
forget the money involved and
think of why we preserve his
toric sites. We preserve them
so that they may be living evi
dences of our past. If they are
to be living evidences, they
must remain as nearly as pos
sible in their original con
dition and original setting. I
fear that if you cut the trees
at Buck Springs you will remove
much of the atmosphere which
tells a visitor that this little
house has set here for nearly
200 years ? that you will de
stroy the woods through which
young Nat Macon roamed, In
which an older Nat Macon
hunted and hiked."
The future of Buck Springs
needs to be planned, Dr. Jones
alternatives:
(1) "Find the funds within
your county and your friends
with which to restore the com
plex completely and authen
tically. I should think that this
will require from $50,000 to
$60,000. But the cost does not
end there. Any restored site
must be open to the public
on regular hours; and there
must be a custodian. This means
that you will have an annual
continuing budget need for staff
and maintenance?I would esti
mate a minimum of $10,000 to
$15,000 per year.
"H Warren County is able
and willing to meet these needs,
then that certainly is how Buck
Springs ought to be maintain
ed.
(2). "The other alternative
is one which you may wish to
consider. If the county does not
feel that it can afford to re
store and maintain Buck
Springs, and if the General As
(See IMPORTANT, page 7)
Rescue Squad To
Hold Auction Sale
Here On Saturday
The Warren County Rescue
Squad will hold Its second big
auction sale at Thompson's
Warehouse in Warrenton on
Saturday, March 14, beginning
at 0:30 a. m.
The sale will be conducted
by the R. B. Butler Auction
Company, with Col. R. B. Bat
ter as auctione?r, as * public
service.
A member of the Re scut
Squad &*ld yesterday that
present indications are that
the sale Saturday will be eve*
bigger than the stKOWMMtyalfe,
of last year.
All proebeds will be for the
of the Warren County
Girl Scoits Asked
To Meet On Sunday
All member a at tte
era on I
It, Mrs. Ada 8. ,