North Carolina Newspapers

s — 5 A home newspaper dedicated = = to the service of Washington if | County and its 12,000 people. = fiilUIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlliillHIIIIllllllllllilllllllUIIIIIIIHIIIli^ The Roanoke Beacon + * * * * * * and Washington County News ******* 3MMiiiiiiii!!MiiimimiiiiiiiMimiiiiiiiiiiimi> .imiimimi' = Advertisers will find Beacon f = and News columns a latch-key to = 5 1,100 Washington County homes. - niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiitiiitiHiiiiiti. VOLUME XLVI—NUMBER 27 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, July 5, 1935 ESTABLISHED 1889 About Town H. H. McLean, new superintendent of public instruction of Washington County, arrived here Monday and was sworn in by Clerk of Court C, V. W. Ausbon. “Most friendly and pleasant people,” said Mr. McLean of the many who dropped into his office to greet him. -<s> Tomato season is on in Plymouth full blast. Number of carloads and truckloads have been sent to the north ern markets. The price now is around $175 a basket but changes so rapidly that no figure can be printed accur ately. Close to 100 people are em ployed in the industry in Plymouth. -S W. E. (Bill) Waters and L. D. Jones are now employees of the post office here since it was returned to second-class rating on July 1. This is a temporary arrangement whereby Mr. Waters works half of the time and Mr. Jones the other half. Each will draw a salary of about $60 per month. -® Beaches hereabouts jyill call the pleasure seekers July 4. Rea’s Beach will be the ntecca for the white folk who like to dance, swim, canoe and water sports. Aiken and his orches tral will hold sway here. The Albe marle Beach beyond Roper will call t+!e colored people, who will dance, dine and ride on the old Albemarle Sound. Levi Johnston is in charge there. -a, Stores here will be closed all day Thursday, July 4. Independence day will be enjoyed and celebrated by the shopkeepers and their help. Many will spend their time on the Albe marle Sound; others may go to near by resorts. Some will stay home. There will be no buying and selling except at drug stores, cafe, etc. -® Next thing that will be sought after in Plymouth is a new post office build ing. This task will be undertaken at a suggestion from Z. V. Norman, the president of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, who is informed that the receipts at the post office make it eligible for a new building. -<t> The Washington County Board of Education was scheduled to meet and greet their new superintendent of pub lic instruction, H. H. McLean, Wed nesday. For some reason the usual meeting of the board was not held on Monday. No startling changes are contemplated by Mr. McLean. Courthouse visitors will miss James W. Norman, for 30 or more years identified with the school system in Washington County. Mr. Norman has not definitely decided on what work he will take up. He accompa nied his successor, Mr. McLean, to Mr. Ausbon’s office when he was sworn in. Bishop Paul B. Kern, of Greens boro, in charge of the four conferences of North and South Carolina Metho dist Episcopal Church, South, will visit Washington County for the first time when he dedicates the Methodist church at Crcswell on Friday morn ing, July 12, at 11 o’clock. -» Improvements have been made to the following buildings in Plymouth: L. W. Gurkin's h'ome, Washington Streqf, new front; New Theatre, new front; L. S. Thompson's store, inter ior and exterior painting and improv ing; E. H. Liverman and George W. Hardison, screens in front porches. Ask Council To Give Funds for Library • The city council of the Town of Plymouth has been asked to continue ffiis year their annual contribution of $100 to the public library in the court house basement here. "A hundred books for children, 50 for adults and $30 worth of books at the club expense were added to the library last year with the aid of the donation by the town,” according to Mrs. H. A. Blount, chairman of the library committee of the Thursday Afternoin Literary Club. Chapel Hill Farmer Sends Cotton Bloom -® George Chesson, of the Chapel Hill section of Washington County, sent the first red and white cotton blos soms to the office of the Roanoke Beacon this season. They were plucked and brought to the office on the morning of July 1. Gilber Ayers, who lives near Mr. Chesson, delivered the blossoms, two white and one red one. VACCINATION OF COUNTY DOGS TO BE UNDERTAKEN -• W. V. Hays Put in Charge Of Work by County Board Plans for the vaccination of all dogs for rabies in Washington County were made by the commissioners Monday. This was done in accordance with an act passed by the last legislature which says that all dogs in the state must be vaccinated within a period of 90 days from the date set in any county. This has been held up on ac count of a shortage in rabies vaccine. There will be a rabies inspector in each township for administering this vaccine, says W. V. Hays, county a gent, who was placed in charge of the work. The owner of the dog will be required to bring the animal to an appointed place on a given date, which will be made public in various public places. Those appointed to do the vaccinating arc Henry Midgette for Plymouth Township; B. G. O'Brien, Roper, for Lees Mill and Skinners ville Townships; and Henderson Nor man for Scuppernong Township. There will be a charge made of 50 cents for each dog vaccinated. This 50 cents will be refunded or credited on county dog taxes when the certifi cate of vaccination is presented to the tax collector. The dog will be re quired to wear at all times a metal tag indicating that he has been vac cinated. Those failing to produce dogs for vaccination are subject to a fine or imprisonment, also the dogs not wearing an identification tag shall be destroyed. War Department Is Asked To Improve Roanoke River Bed _- fa -» ■ Joint Resolution Passed by Number of Towns and Counties -* A joint resolution has been passed by the officials of Plymouth, Williant ston, Jamesville, Scotland Neck, and Washington, Halifax, Martin, and Ber tie Counties asking the U. S. War De partment improve the Roanoke River bed so that navigation will be pos sible and less hazardous. Bars, shallows, snags, shoals, and sucji obstructions make traffic a haz ard at medium water and almost im possible at low water. The resolution asks that the improvements be made that there will be no backwash to re peat these troubles. This is especially dangerous from Plymouth to Hamilton, where traffic on this waterway is more than at other places. LEAF GROWERS TO TAKE PART IN REFERENDUM Question Is Whether Ad justment Program Is To Continued in Future Ballots on which growers may cast their votes in the flue-cured tobacco referendum are being distributed to farm agents in the tobacco counties. The question at issue is whether the growers wish to have the tobacco ad justment program continued in the fu ture. The present program is due to txpire with the 1935 crop. E. Y. Floyd, of State College, an nounced that all share-tenants, share croppers, renters, and lanwowners who are actually engaged in the produc tion of flue-cured tobacco are eligi ble to vote in the referendum, regard less of whether they have signed ad justment contracts. When the county agents have re ceived the ballots, they will distribute them among the growers, Floyd said. The growers may sign the ballots and return them to the county agent's of fice any time before 7 p. m., on June 29th. Or if a grower wishes to vote an unsigned ballot, he may do so by de livering it to the county agent in per son on June 29. If the program is continued, a few minor changes may be made, but it will be essentially the same as at pres ent, Floyd pointed out. The future program contemplates the adjustment of production to con sumption, with benefit payments that would end to er talize any difference there might be between the market price ami a fair parity price. Claude T, Hall, of Woodsdale, chair man of the tobacco growers' state ad visory committee, has predicted that the referendum will roll up a heav> vote for continuance of the control program. PI C. C. GRADUATE I vJ Miss Neva Liverman, of Ply mouth, who was graduated from Atlantic Christian Colelge last month along with 40 other young Eastern North Carolina men and women, played an outstanding part in the life of the College while a student here. She was a member of the Ale thian Literary Society and of the College Glee Club, and played a leading part in both organizations. Miss Liverman has a brother, Benton Liverman, who is now a student at A. C. C. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Liverman. Community House Being Considered By Roper Citizens <s Hoped Building Can Be Put Up With Aid of FERA Labor Roper.—A committee composed of Miss Eugenia Patterson, home agent, Mrs. F. I). Wilson, Mrs. J. J. Hassell, Dr. W. T. Gibson, L. E. Hassell and F. D. Wilson are studying plans for purchasing a lot and the construction of a community house at Roper. Three lots are under consideration: two on Main Street and the third near ffie Baptist Church. It is hoped that the house can he erected under the Federal Housing Administration plan or either by the community providing the material with FERA labor doing the work. The house would he 40 by 60 feet. It would include a kitchen. It might he of logs, lumber of maybe brick. It would cost approximately $4,000. Rev. E. L. Stack, Methodist minister, is contributing valuable aid to the com mittee. -® To Dedicate Church At Creswell July 12 —®— Creswell.—The Creswell Metho dist Episcopal Church will be dedi cated in a special sermon Friday morning, July 12 at II o'clock by Bishop Paul B. Kern, of Greensboro. In addition to the sermon, a spec ial musical program has been plan ned. Dinner will be served on the grounds. “Every one is urged to at tend and enjoy the day,” said Rev. E. 1.. Stack, of Roper, pastor of the Roper-Creswell charge. WATER SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED BY TOWN CRESWELL -- High Point Engineer Will Confer With Officials There This Week -* Creswell.—Plans will be formulated the last of this week with the arrival of Mr. Freeman, of High Point, an engineer, to confer with town offic ials for a loan front the PVVA for con struction of a water system here. O. D. Hatfield, a member of the Town Board of Aldermen, is of the opinion that the estimated c^st of the system will be around $25,000 to $30, 000. It is the purpose of the town to lay pipes for about eight blocks in the jtovvn with the disposal system run ning a short ways out .of town. Mr. Freeman will discuss further plans that he has drawn of the pro posed system and will likely submit an estimate of the cost. The system will start at the entrance of the street from he highway beyond J. \V. Starr's home, thence down Main Street to j outskirts of town and down two or three side streets. Mr. Hatfield was not certain which method of repaying the PVVA loan would he used, should he town he for tunate enough to secure the money. Either it will be accepted on a reve nue-producing system, which means that bonds issued must be paid for from receipts from the water revenue and not through taxes, or some other method. The Federal Government, through its huge building program, will grant amunicipality as a gift 45 per cent of any money that they wish to borrow for improvements in this way. The remaining 55 per cent will he paid back over a long period of years at a low interest rate. --- Contract Is Let for Audit Town Books By Council Monday —$>— [Work Will Be Done This Year by Greathouse & Greathouse <3 Town of Plymouth’s books will be audited this year by Mr. Greathouse, of the Greathouse and Butler firm, in Rocky Mount, it was decided by the city officials in session here last Mon day night. The bid by the Rocky Mount firm was $125 while the lowest price offer td by Williams and Wall, of Raleigh, who have been doing the work for the town for a number of years, was $200. The officials also reappointed P. W. Brown, chief of police, at a salary of $150 a month; G. R. Coburn, night officer at $75 a month; Z. V. Nor man, city attorney, at $100 a year and special fees for extra work; Al bert Bratten, $75 a month (increased from $60) as utility night man; other employees to be hired and fired by Chief P. W. Brown. 85- Year-Old County Woman Is Boss of Two County Farms “Make no mistake about it: I am boss of my two farms,’ said Mrs. M. J. (Jane) Eliott, 85 years of age, who makes her regular rounds on foot to oversee workers who are cultivating 150 acres of land in the Skinnersville section of Washington County. Assuming the duties of supervisor over a score of years ago, when her sea-loving husband died, Mrs. Elliott lias been on the job ever since. Lit tle or no alternative has been offered the aging lady but to care for her property and see that matters progress, as none of her three children live wit^i her. Mornings she arises at 4 o’clock to I see that the sevtn team are fed and i then taken to the field for work. Then I she busies herself with housework a id plans for the next meal. Afternoons she plods across the tilled soil to witness the progress of the workers and the growth of the plants. Nestled among a grove of large oaks on the Rhodes farm is the stately old home of Mrs. Elliott, to which she was brought as a bride "nigh on to 60 years ago” by her husband, who was an egineer on vessels that plied between here and Norfolk and on some trips to New York City. Inasmuch as her husband was on the water (where she first met him. was courted, and eventually married him) much of the time, she was left with the responsibility of the farm, and in those young days she learned much. Now she settles with tenants, looks alter her own taxes, attends to the legal and busines sniatters that come up. Next to the Rhodes farm, on which she lives, is the Norman farm, which she “money rents” but which to be looked after to some extent. “And if you don't think that she can nearly walk you down, just follow her a round those fields looking at those crops,” says Recorder John \\ . Dar den. This year there are 24 acres of cot ton, 2h acres of peanuts, 40 acres of corn, and other kindred crops being tended on the "woman-supervised" farm. Adjoining the spacious front yard is a beautiful garden of vegetables that will be used on the tables of Mrs. Elliott and her helpers. In the smokehouse is plenty of meat until the hogs are killed next fall. Now she is at work canning and pre serving fruits and vegetables for the next year. Back of the stately old home are two grape vines, the James and Scuppernong varieties, the latter being over a century old. Yes, womanlike, she has hobbies. Before her eyes were dimmed she en joyed knitting, tatting, crocheting ^and sewing. She doesn t do this work now, as it requires too much strain on her eyes. She does not use glasses except when reading or doing diffi cult or tedious work. Like many of the aged men and women who have lived most of their lives she enjoys talking oi lur chil dren and the exploits and accomplish ments of her grandchildren. Also she likes to recall her parents, especially her father, Joshua B. Davenport, a wealthy landowner, from whom she inherited her business acumen and the farm. Five years of depression has made | her only a little poorer, if any at all. She comes front the old stock who believed in church, hard work, thrift, honesty, and common business sense to help them over the road. People who know her an drecognize the pe cularities of the aged overlook any eccentricity on her part. Years ago her own son ended his life and only a few months ago, a tenant shot himself to death in her home. But these tragedies have served to harden the woman, who has little time for grief -o that she can stand the next easier. She has seen another son lose all in the depression only to rise again a better business man. One of her sons, M. T. (Pete) El liott, is now manager of an ABC store in Suffolk, Ya.: another, J. 1- (Jack) Elliott, lives within a mile of Flem ington, X. J., a farmer and business man who never went to the court house when Bruno Richard Haupt mann was tried for the murder of the Lindbergh baby; a daughter, Mrs. C. \Y. Mitchell, lives in Richmond, where for academic supremacy, her daughter won scholarships to Wcsthampton College. New Deep Water Well Recommended For Plymouth by Sanitary Engineer Recommendation of a new deep well to replace the present source of water for the Town of Plymouth was made by A. B. Freeman, of Morehead City, district sanitary' engineer of the North Carolina State Board of Health. The present well is 165 feet deep, but pollution enters the water supply at some level bringing into the fresh vvater surface or river water thus re vealing nitrites and other impurities. However, test- in 1935 are much bet ter than those in months past. Mr. Freeman did not recommend choloronation which is the insertion of certain chemical substances for purification of the water. A plant for this purpose would he expensive and if clone by persotis, if possible to be done thi> way, there would be lit tle assurance that it would be done regularly and properly. A representative of VV. C. Olsen, engineer, was here this week to make a survey of the proposal to extend the water system from Mary Rhodes' corner on Madison Street across Brinkley Avenue to the highway, thence to R. S. Browning's store and also the tiling of the town ditch. He will include in his survey an estimate of the cost of the two proj ects which will cost upwards to $20, 000 with 45 percent contributed by the Federal Government and the other 55 percent loaned on long term at a low rate of interest. REJECT SCHEME TO ALLOW 15 PER CENT OFF TAXES -® Proposal of Florida Man Is Turned Down by City Council -® Rejection of a scheme for a tax collection campaign which involved the use of local bonds with a discount to the payers of delinquent taxes was made today to R. P. Hammon, of St. Augustine, Fla., by Mayor Gilbert Da vis and the City Council of Plymouth. Mr. Hammond’s idea was that he would purchase outstanding bonds of Plymouth that come due serially in 1945 and 1946 and would deposit them with the cleric of the Town of Ply mouth. Then the campaign would start with an offer of 15 per cent dis count to the payers of delinquent taxes as an inducement to get them started paying. As tlu- taxpayers came in to pay their taxes he would issue instructions t" the city clerk to credit his bond ac count with the amoun of the taxes paid and then when a block of bonds or an entire bond was paid the bund would be retired. Mr. Hammond could purchase the bonds at 75 cents on the dollar. When the person paid the taxes with the 15 per cent discount this would allow him a margin of about 15 cents on the dollar as his profit for conducting the clerical work and directing the cam paign. Of course, this i> with the under standing that the bonds were to be returned to the city, with them pay ing par value for the securities. Tt was said that including paving as sessments. Plymouth had about $40, 000 in delinquent taxes over a long period of years. This year there lias been a marked improvement. Plymouth today is in default about $12,000 in bonds and about the same | amount in interest. The total bond ed indebtedness of the Town of Ply mouth today is $295,OftO. This pro posed campaign would only be allowed to run for a month or six weeks. Farm .J\otes By W. V. HAYS, County Agent The infantile paralysis situation has become so serious that all 4-H club meetings, the Wenona Field Day picnic and the Farmers' short course at State College. Raleigh, have been postponed. Notices will be given in this paper at a later date for these meetings. -9 — A few persons growing cotton have not made application for Bankhead ex emption. The time limit is up on these cases, but we will make every effort to get these ginning certificates for growers if you will come down to the county office and sign the application. Please ask your neighbor if he has |done this. It might help him. It now appears that most of the farmers in this county will be selling surplus gin ning certificates to sections having a good cotton crop. This will help pay the fertilizer bill and other expenses where cotton has been plowed up, or where a poor stand resulted from un favorable weather conditions. - -® Any sheep growers having wool on hand may consign their wool to the United Wool Growers Association in care of the Roanoke Public Ware house, Roanoke, Va., by freight. There the wool will be graded by an associa tion man and advances will be made on wool according to grade. This will be, for clear wool, 24 cents pound, light burry 16 cents, medium burry 12 cents, and heavy burry 7 cents pound. When the wool iS sold you will re ceive any -difference, depending upon the advantage that the association has made in marketing the wool crop. -« The measuring of tobacco lias been completed, and notices sent to any growers who had overplanted. This [amounted to less than a dozen for the icounty. Cotton has been completed 'and notices are being sent to any growers who have overplauted. After a week from the time the notices have been sent the supervisor will visit the cotton producer to determine if suf ficient cotton has been destroyed. If destroyed, the supervisor will certify to this, and the producer will get his rental money along with other con tract signers. A producer who fails to plow up within the specified time will not receive his money as early as oik who complies. The county of fice will put forth every effort to get for cooperators their rental payment as early a- possible. There is very lit tie we can do to hurry up a check where there is some delay in compli ance on a contract. -« Rabon Resigns As Creswell Teacher —» Creswell.—C. H. Rabon, instructor in vocational agriculture in the Cres well High School for five years, left I Monday for Conway, where he accept ed a similar position in the high school, replacing B. G. O’Brien, of Roper, who taught there last year. Mr. Rahon was one of the best ag riculture teachers in Eastern North (. arolina schools, and following his origination of this course in this I school he placed his organization third in this district last year in rank. It is not known where Mr. O'Brien will be placed, hut it is thought he might get a job in this county. E. N. Riddle, for nine years principal at Roper, who went to Conway last year, has resigned his school work and is now practicing law in Jackson. -<*, Services at Chapel Hill Schoolhouse --® Rev. J. H. Poteat is preaching ev <- ry Sunday evening at 8 o’clock at the C hapel Hill schoolhouse near here C. ordial invitation i> issued to every one to attend the preaching services LESS THAN THIRD OF COUNTY LAND USED AT PRESENT And Only About Half of That Is Crop Land, Survey Shows -® Of the 209,280 acre- that Washing ton County claims, the farmer uses 32.3 per cent, or 67.557 acres of it, a bout half of this being in crop land. Since, as these figures indicate, about one-sixth of the county land is in till able soil, the low, sandy, fertile black land is used to a large extent, whether to good advantage or not. This very productive soil in 1930 was divided into 2,889 farms, which is 280 less than the number 10 years agu. The average size of \\ ashington County farms is 61.9 acres, which is 4.6 acres smaller than farms were 15 years ago. But in 1925, figures show that the farm was smaller, while to tal land in farms was greater. harm operators numbered 1,091 when the last census was taken. There were 353 white maintaining full own ership over 29,257 acres, with 61 ne groes controlling 2,790 acres. Oper ating as tenants, 357 negroes farm ing about 18,000 acres in 1925 great ly reduced their number to 186 on 6, 859 acres in 1930, where 354 whites tenanting 15,435 acres jumped to 363 on 19,221 acres in 1930. Although the average size of the farm was 61.9 acres, there are 28 farms of front' 3 to 9 acres, and 2 of from 1,000 to 4,999 acres. The most numerous are those containing from 20 to 49 acres, 499 belonging in that category. Next in rank are 269 of from 50 to 99 acres. Nine are of from 500 to 999 acres. A constant decline in the total value of land and buildings is to be noticed. In 1930 the total was $2,884,312; in 1925, $3,578,783; in 1920, $4,467,327. Even at that, these figures seem huge if compared with the total taxes paid to the state in 1840. 3 hev were 1 344 from this county. There are 1,388 mules on Washing ton County farms, leading the horses about four times. Only 357 horses are reported. These together will av erage about one to a farm. There are 1,136 cattle. expectpassage IFLANNAGAN BILL IN HOUSE SOON Bill Provides Free Grading of Tobacco When Asked For By the Growers Washington.—Early passage of the I'lannagan tobacco grading bill in the house was predicted yesterday by its proponents, after the bureau of the budget approved the $200.00 appro priation it carries. Previously the bureau had denied the appropriation, but with its ap proval today, Chairman Smith, of the senate agricultural committee, reiter ated his own belief in the bill’s sound ness, and prt mised to expedite its passage in the higher body as soon as the measure, comes over front the house. The bill, as it now stands, provides for free government grading of tobac co on markets .where a majority of the growers request it through a ref erendum. The agriculture depart ment believes about a third of the markets will ask for the grading the first year, at a cost to the govern ment of about $200,00(1. Budget bureau action followed a conference this week participated in by Acting Director Bell, Represen tative Hannagan, of Virginia, author of the bill; Representative Vinson, of Kentucky, and Representative Cooley, of North Carolina. The bill originally provided for compulsory federal grading on all markets, at the expense of the buy ers. It was praised and condemned by many witnesses when hearings were held before the house agricul ture committee. The bill's supporters believe that within a few years a strong and efficient system of federal grading will be developed which will prove of benefit to the growers ot flue cured, hurley and all types of to bacco sold at auction. -- Control Cabbage Worms By Dusting with Roteone -® Cabbage ami collard worms can be easily controlled by dusting with roteone. The material may also be used as a spray but dusting gives bet ter results. Apply from 15 to do pounds of the chemical to an acre, depending upon the size of the plant and the rate of infestation. Rotenone is non poisonous and may be used at any time during the growing season. Sec ond and third applications are some times necessary for complete control of the worms.