$1?* fflarrrn firrord
Published Every Thursday By
Rtcord Printing Compony
P. 0. Bo* 70 - Warrenton, N. C. 27589
BIGNALL JONES. Editor
Member North Carolina Press Association
ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS MATTER AT THE POST OFFICE
IN WARRENTON. NORTH CAROLINA. UNDER THE LAWS OF CONGRESS
Second Class Postage Paid At Warrenton, N. C.
e. » 1 0NE YEAR' 55 °°' S,X MONTHS. $3 00
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: OUT-OF STATE: ONE YEAR. $7.00
SIX MONTHS. $4.00
Move The Field
In the early part of the century
many neighborhood schools
were built and in after years as
schools were consolidated these
schools were leased or sold by
the Board of Education. In many
cases the deeds called for one
acre of land donated by some
interested citizen.
For many years the old John
Graham Academy was operated
where the John Graham High
School now stands. It occupied
between one and two acres of
land. The Academy boys played
both football and baseball on a
lot back of the John Graham
residence, now owned by Mr.
and Mrs. Sol Fleming.
In 1923 the Warrenton School
district passed a bond issue and
built the present John Graham
School on the site of the old John
Graham Academy. Incidentally,
the school was built and paid for
by the citizens of the Warrenton
School District. As other schools
were consolidated with John
Graham, they assumed no
responsibility for the bond issue,
and when the state took over the
schools, it did not assume the
payment of the outstanding
bonds.
The lot upon which John
Graham was built was bounded
on the west by the home of the
late John Ellis, and on the north
by the home of the late J. J.
Tarwater. There was no room
for baseball or football and these
sports were played at the
Hawkins field in South Warrenton.
During these years Mr. and
Mrs. A. D. Harris built their
home on a small lot on Wilcox
Avenue, about 200 yards from
the school. Some years ago the
school trustees bought the land,
on which the athletic field is now
situated from Miss Amma
Graham which extended to
Wilcox Avenue next to the lot of
Mr. and Mrs. Harris. On this
field an athletic field was built
upon which the children of Mr.
and Mrs. Harris played both
football and baseball.
When the Harris boys played
on this field the home plate was
where the gym now stands.
Later the field was enlarged and
part of the bank cut down, and
the home plate fixed at about 20
yards from Mrs. Harris'
bedroom.
Realizing that Warren County's
recreational facilities are
extremely limited and feeling
that schools should be used more
fully for the community, the
Board of Education recently
went on record as making the
school athletic fields available
to the public under school
supervision. There can be little
doubt that the use of the John
Graham High school is beneficial
to the county and to the
school.
There can be no doubt that
Mrs. Harris has a justifiable
complaint (See her Letter to the
Editor, page 2). There can be no
doubt that she has suffered
financial damage as the value of
her home has been decreased on
account of the action of the
•CfcMlilfik mr *
Any compromise is not going
to be satisfactory to the school,
to Mrs. Harris or anyone who
may possibly buy the Harris
home.
There is one solution that
should be satisfactory to all
concerned. That is to move the
athletic field to the site of the
proposed consolidated school off
the Norlina By-Pass as quickly
as possession can be obtained.
Patrick and Elizabeth Ralford of Rocky Mtnnt enjoy
wading in waters of Kerr Lake.
Mostly Personal
Taking To The 'Siesta'
With Another Generation
By BIGNALL JONES
It seems but yesterday
that I was writing about my
children in this column but
that yesterday was a
quarter of a century ago,
and now I write about my
grandchildren, Pat and
Elizabeth Raiford, children
of my daughter, Mary
Brodie, who with her
husband, Pat Raiford live in
Rocky Mount. The grandchildren
spent a recent
weekend with us and that
Saturday Grace and Ann
took them to Kerr Lake for a
picnic.
I am not much of a man
for a picnic, or for outdoor
eating, for that matter, as I
prefer to eat from a table,
comfortably seated, and
shielded from flies and
gnats, but I decided to go
along with the group.
The day proved enjoyable,
the children waded in the
water and played in the sand
and we older ones watched
the children having fun, and
the boats passing, and the
sky blue water, and I took a
few pictures and taught my
wife to use my camera.
For some reason I was
absent from the scene for a
short while and when I
returned my wife informed
me that the houseboat,
"Siesta" had passed. Last
summer I commented'about
meeting P. C. Yeatts of
South Hill, Va., and the
following week ran a
picture of the "Siesta" to
head this column.
My wife informed the
grandchildren of this fact
and they both wanted to
know if they could go to ride
on the houseboat. She told
them that she did not know if
Mr. Yeatts would come
back or if he did whether he
would invite us to ride. It
was a very doubtful situation,
but the grandchildren
did not give up hope.
Later I went around a
cove to take a picture of a
sailboat, and from there
walked to a small store to
buy some cookies, returned
and we were packing up
from the picnic, when the
houseboat entered the nearby
cove and went to its end.
Leaving my camera with
my wife, I hurried down to
the boat and asked to speak
to . the owner. He came
around the boat and we
exchanged greetings. We
received an invitation to
come aboard and to meet
the party, which consisted of
a few students from a
Richmond, Va., high school,
whose names I can not
recall. Among the group
was a pretty young exchange
student from Brazil,
who was standing on the
front of the boat with Mr.
Yeatts, and a girl of about
the same age, a classmate
of the exchange student.
When we came on board we
learned that the girl
standing with the boat
owner was Miss Monica A.
Aran jo of Victoria. E. Santa,
Brazil.
Mr. Yeatts ran his boat
shoreward but missed land
by several feet. Getting on
board offered no problem to
Ann, who rolled up her jeans
and put each of the children
on board before crawling on.
Grace and I were the big
problem. Mr. Yeatts ran the
boat to the other side of the
cove and waited while
Grace and I walked around.
Still there was open water
between us and the boat. We
took off our shoes and waded
to the boat where we were
helped aboard.
The girl from Richmond
was lying on the front deck
sunbathing, and I congratulated
the exchange student
on her pretty tan, only to
learn that was the natural
color of her skin. I knew that
Brazil was settled by the
Portugese and when I
asked her if she spoke
Spanish or Portugese, I did
not feel too foolish. She said
she spoke a little Spanish
but Portugese was her
native language.
When Mr. Yeatts told her I
was a newspaperman, she
wanted to know was I going
to put her picture in the
paper, I told her probably,
and she wanted a copy of the
paper, which I shall send
her. My wife asked her for
the proper spelling of her
name and her address. She
told us that her father was a
farmer who grew coffee,
cattle and some rice. Mr.
Yeatts later told me that her
father was a wealthy coffee
planter.
Grace, Ann and I sat on a
bench seat in the front of the
board, while Patrick and
Elizabeth stood near the
railing in the front of the
boat where they were
sunburned. Mr. Yeatts was
in the cabin, and the other
passengers were on the rear
deck, except for the two
girls. The Richmond girl
was lying on her stomach on
the deck sunbathing but
from what I could see
appeared to be very pretty.
There is no doubt that
Miss Aran jo is pretty. As
she talked to Grace and me
we found her to be a well
poised, well mannered,
intelligent and friendly
young girl who added much
to the pleasure of the ride.
Letters To The Editor
EXPRESSES CONCERN
In ar«wer to the letter to
you U the June • Warren
Record.
It is unfortuante the
wrfter does not know that
thi accused has never
complained about John
draham activities on John
Graham Ball Field now or
ever. That the accused is
also fond of athletics. That
the accused has never
complained to the principal,
police, or school board about
noise made by the school.
Yes, I have grown boys
who were active in athletics
at John Graham in past
years. At this time I have
two grandchildren who each
have received a trophy this
year in college basketball
and high school golf. I was
unable to attend either due
to the fact that at my age I
cannot take the noise
involved.
The writer does not know.
I am only complaining about
the outside baseball games
and practice. This is not
connected in anyway with
John Graham school athletics.
I wish I were your age.
Unfortunately, I am older. I
am 76 years old. I need my
rest and sleep. Old people
cannot take noise, such as I
have under my bedroom
windows. The baseball diamond
has been moved since
my boys attended John
Graham school. In those
days it was back where the
gym is now. Not under my
bedroom windows. The only
distance between me and
the home base and bleachers
is the width of my driveway.
There is no place in my
house that I can go to get
away from the noise. Could
your grandmother, if she is
76 take loud constant noise,
no rest and no sleep?
Most days there is
practice. Weekends start at
8 a. m. and go till 10:30 p.
m., lights out but still
talking and cars on parking
lot until midnight.
The only time I have
called the police is to have
cars moved from a no-parking
zone so I could get out of
my driveway. These cars
were not school connected.
I suffer with arthritis in
my neck, with inner-ear and
a hiatus hernia. The above
condition is aggravated by
nerves. Nerves which are
caused by constant and long
hour* of ball playing to close
to my house.
Last summer my doctor
had to put me on a
tranquilizer, which I am still
on to try to help my nerves. I
was so bad I could not talk
without tears.
I have always heard that
work never hurt anyone, but
that nerves would kill you. I
believe that. I just want to
live as long as I can.
I want it understood, I am
not against ball playing. I
think its great. I am only
against it being played
under my bedroom windows.
This softball club, I am
told, can play in a large
field, which is lighted, not
close to anyone's home,
located in Afton. It's there
for them although they have
to pay for the lights and
clean up.
Thank you for t inging
this out in the open. I never
would have. I am sure there
are others who did not
understand any more than
you. Thus this letter.
Thanks.
MRS. A. D.HARRIS
PRAISES STITH
To The Editor:
It is my opinion that a
certain member of The
Warren Record staff deserves
a word of praise for
his work. Don Stith is
certainly asset to your
paper and to Warren
County.
Whether you attend a ball
game or an important
meeting, you can depend on
Don being there. When Don
takes his pictures, he is
always as quiet and lnconspicious
as possible. He is
careful not to block other
people's views.
In two recent issues of the
paper Don wrote an article
about Moses Davis and
another about W. Harvey
Richardson. I read both of
these articles and found
them both interesting and
informative. Neither of
these articles just happened.
They were the result of
much hard work on Don's
part.
Don has become very well
known throughout the county.
He is a good photographer
and also an excellent
reporter. I feel that The
Warren Record and Warren
County should stand up and
take notice of this fine man.
JAY JOHNSON
220 North Bragg Street
Warrenton, N. C.
The National Garden
Bureau has suggested that
rose growers bury banana
peels around bushes to
produce bigger blooms
because the skins are rich in
phosphorus and potash.
The World Of Books ,
In The Warren County Memorial Library *
American Flag
A thoughtful mind, when it sees its nations flag, sees
not the flag only, but the nation itself; and...he reads
chiefly in the flag the government, the principles, the
truths, the history which belongs to the nation that
set it forth....Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887
To go along with our Chinese Art Exhibit we have on
display books on Chinese Art, cooking, love poems,
history, travel, oriental rugs, etc.
We have numerous craft books for Bible School
leaders. Going along with conservation of gas, we
advocate, "See North Carolina First," special display
about our wonderful state.
Make plans for STORYTIME to be held last two weeks
in July and first two weeks in August. It will be held
Tuesday and Thursday a. m. of the above noted weeks.
More later on ages and time. We have had one father to <
volunteer. Let's show children that daddy can read as .
well as make money.
NEW BOOKS—"America's Forgotten Architecture"
(paperback); "Oliver's Story," Segal. t J »
1 OVBHDWPfldfcO ■ PliS»f ttfWrn all overdOflflblll, }
so that others may enjoy reading them.