A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 12,000 people.
The Roanoke Beacon
******* and Washington County News *******
Advertisers will find Beacon
and News columns a latch-key to
1,100 Washington County homes.
VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 28
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, July 10, 1936
ESTABLISHED 1889
ABUSE ABSENTEE
BALLOT LAW MAY
EFFECT REPEAL
-ijp.
Number Inequalities Cited
As Recommendation for
Its Abolition
Evils of absentee voting as dem
onstrated in primaries were made
known today by a poll holder who
has served a number of times in
this county.
Washington County was allotted
500 absentee ballots for the second
Democratic primary Saturday. A
long with this number there were
applications and certificates and en
velopes to match. More than 80 of
these were used last Saturday in
Plymouth precinct alone.
Two absentee voters live in Wash
ington, D. C., and work with the
Federal government. They taught
school here three months, moving
away close to two years ago and
through political aid secured a gov
ernment job. They have no hold
ings here and pay no taxes. These
two have as much right by law to
vote in this county to help in the
election of officers to govern people
here as the wealthiest taxpayers and
most helpful citizens, as they do not
vote in the National Capital and re
tain their residences where they
wish.
Several school teachers whose
homes are not here but who teach
here during the term have a right
to vote here. They not only vote
for state officers, but have a voice
in a county government under
which they do not live but two
thirds of their time and to which
they pay no taxes.
Another couple moved to a dis
tant state. They claimed they have
not been away long enough to have
their residences elsewhere. So they
send their ballots back here to elect
officers who they do not have to
live with nor help pay their sal
aries.
Then tne oiner Kina oi aDseniee
voter is the person who has no in
terest in the election. They are the
stay-at-homes. Under a little pre
tense they sign the affidavit that
they are unable to attend the elec
tion, and with no interest are easily
persuaded to favor a certain candi
date who brings in their ballot.
If all of the absentee votes allot
ted to this county were used, and
probably 350 were, then basing the
figures on the more than 2,000 bal
lots cast last Saturday, then this
would show that probably more than
20 per cent of the electorate here
never goes to the polls to show their
colors and to publicly proclaim their
interest in availing themselves of |
this privilege of citizenship.
Basing the number on the ones
cast in the Plymouth precinct, 90
per cent of these absent voters who
live away but retain a residence
here, pay no taxes to the upkeep of
a government that they help con
trol. However, there may be some
few physically unable to attend the
polls who own property and live
here.
Summing up, this absentee vot
ing stirs up more strife than any
other form of voting. Out of the
more than 900 votes cast in Plym
outh only one person was challenged
and that was on whether he was to
vote in this precinct or another. Out
of the 80 absentees 10 were ineligi
ble, and 10 were challenged.
However, after wrangling and ar
guing about the law, all but about
10 were counted. It is interesting
to note that more unqualified per
sons endeavor to vote by absentee
than there are among those who
present themselves in person at the
precinct and ask for a ballot that
they may signify their choice by
law of their candidates.
Recorder Sends
Four To Roads
Forty-two months services on the
roads were imposed upon four de
fendants in recorder’s court here on
Tuesday, when Recorder John W.
Darden meted out justice.
Alustus Towe, 23, colored, and
Tom Merrell, 30, colored, were giv
en 18 months each on the roads for
the theft of six bags of nitrate of
soda from E. G. Harrison’s ware
house on Water Street in Plymouth.
Jack Midgett, 26, colored, and
Collie Simpson, IT, colored, were
sentenced to the roads, Midgett for
two months and Simpson for four,
on a charge of assaulting Walter
Howard and for disturbing services
at Bethel church.
The case of Mike Atamanchuk, 20,
white, charged with assaulting his
father, John Atamanchuk, with a
bottle, was non-suited.
Eddie Jennette, 21, colored, was
given one month on the roads for
assaulting Lucy Green, his wife,
with an ice pick.
Field Day To Be Held
At Wenona July 16th
About Town
Quartermaster Sergeant and Mrs.
J. E. Thrailkill and children, of
Norfolk, were here during the week
end visiting Mr. and Mrs. P. W.
Brown, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Brown,
and Mr. and Mrs. Walter H. Para
more. Sergeant Thrailkill has been
in the Marine Corps for nearly 19
years. He must serve 20 before re
tirement. He has done close to 8
years foreign duty, including per
iods at Haiti. Santo Domingo, and
other places. He is also one of the
bonus recipients.
Lem Winesett, of Loris, S. C., pub
lisher of the Horry County News,
was here this week visiting his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. G. Winesett, new
residents who are occupying the T.
S. Lucas home on Third Street. His
paper, judging from a copy, is small
er in size than the Beacon, but his
paper boasts a circulation of 1,500,
while the Beacon counts only 1,100.
He founded the newspaper himself
some time ago. With him were his
wife and child.
Virginia Ayers, Ada W'eede, Mrs.
Francis Nurney, Delbert Allen, Mrs.
Rosalie Sallinger, Mildred Robbins,
Martha Hopkins, Myrtle Hopkins,
Mildred Tetterton, and Clair Wilson
are troupers now. They carried two
of their Federal Theatre project
plays to the CCC camp near Swan
Quarter last Friday night. A truck
was sent for them and returned
them home. Hubert Cox, an enrol
lee, returned with them to see his
parents.
G. Winesett, a new resident, has
been operating an apiary for years.
At one time he had 3,000 colonies
if bees from which he sold honey.
Now his holdings are greatly re
duced. He is a former president of
;he North Carolina Beekeepeers’ As
sociation.
Clyde Robbins, manager of a large
farm out Westover way, reported
today that he had lost 170 hogs from
lis large swine herd so far this sum
ner. They died with cholera. The
sstimated value of these hogs was
from $5 to $50 each, aggregating
iver $2,500. This farm is one of
.lie largest in this section, and last
year Mr. Robbins cleared several
housands of dollars for the owners.
Gray Willis, manager of Pender’s
store here, who went to his home in
VIorehead City during the week-end
returned with a tale of the multi
ude that flocked into the resort
own for the holidays. Next neigh
bors to his parents received $7 from
three people for the privilege of
sleeping on the floor. Hotels, board
ng houses, and private homes were
riled to capacity. Floors were so
rrowded dancing was not pleasant.
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Newberry,
if Washington, D. C., were here this
week. Mr. Newberry is a drafts
nan for the government, and in his
iivision they spend most of their
;ime on guns and optical aids. He
ras been in the service for 27 years
ind only has three more before re
siring. He was born and reared
lear Plymouth.
Jim Staton, of Williamston, one
if the largest farmers in this sec
ion of the state, was here this week
ooking after one of his farms. He
was also talking of the good tobacco
shat was grown in Washington
Jounty and remarked that most of
t was sold in Williamston last year,
rhe death of “Uncle Buck” Mead
iws, prominent tobacconist, was la
mented by the group of conversa
sionalists.
Miss Pauline Davenport, of the
Holly Neck section, was in Plym
luth Tuesday. She sends news to
she Beacon and will be glad to ac
cept subscriptions or to serve the
lommunity in any way for the Bea
;on.
Hugh Brown and Paul Swain, of
New York City, were here during
the week-end. Both of the boys
work in a cellophane bag plant.
Peanut bags, pop-corn bags, and all
such bags are made in this plant.
Fliey are even printed there. Many
if the cellophane bags purchased
nere containing commodities are
made in this plant.
There was no scheduled meeting
of physicians here yesterday, but
there happened to be the following
here visiting relatives and friends:
Dr. L. W. White, Suffolk; Dr. Ben
nett Stephens, Weldon; Dr. J. Ry
land White, Atlanta, Ga.; and Dr.
Col. J. W. Harrelson
Will Be Principal
Large Number Farm People
Expected To Attend;
Program Prepared
Farm folk from miles around will
gather at the Blackland Experiment
Station at Wenona near here Thurs
day, July 16, for the tenth annual
farmers’ field day, when Colonel J.
W. Harrellson, dean of administra
tion at State College in Raleigh, will
make the principal address.
This yearly event is sponsored
jointly by the North Carolina De
partment of Agriculture, the North
Carolina Experiment Station, and
the United States Department of
Agriculture and hundreds of farm
folk gather around for the day,
which is filled with sports, farm in
formation and dinner.
J. L. Rea, jr., manager of the test
farm, will introduce F. E. Miller, of
Raleigh, director of all of the state
test farms, who will serve as chair
man of the event. James Ambrose’s
string band of Belhaven will pro
vide the music. Central committee
members are F. E. Miller, Mr. Rea,
and Farm Agent W. V. Hays, with
Mary Frances Misenheimer, county
home demonstration agent.
Marshalls headed by J. K. Reid,
sheriff, include: A. P. Lefever, Her
bert Allen, Bryan Harris, Holland
Allen, and Carlos Manning. Tables
will be provided for those bringing
lunch. Barbecue and cold drinks
may be purchased on the grounds.
Other State College speakers on
the program are Earl H. Hostetler,
head of the department of animal
husbandry, L. G. Willis, soil chem
ist; J. E. Foster, animal industry de
partment; Dr. R. W. Leiby, entomol
agist; W. H. Rankin, R. L. Lovvorn,
A. D. Stuart, agronomists; L. I. Case,
animal husbandry.
The afternoon will be devoted to
amusement, with prizes for contests,
including nail driving for ladies,
supervised by W. V. Hays, farm a
gent of Washington County; soil and
fertilizer; crops; horse weight judg
ing; horse-shoe pitching; and oth
ers.
lhere will be exhibits of beef cat
tle, sheep, hogs, horses, entomology,
agronomy, and trips of inspection
can be made to plats that will show:
quality meat studies beef cattle; im
provement of native cattle by use of
pure-bred sire; value of native reeds
as a pasture for beef cattle; glean
ing studies in beef cattle; cost of
raising pigs to weaning age; cost of
carrying breeding herd of hogs; pea
nut meal as a supplement to corn
for fattening hogs; improvement of
family cow; farm flock of sheep; fer
tilizer and crop rotation studies;
lime tests; manganese and copper
sulphate studies; pasture grass fer
tilizer test; corn variety; seed corn
selections; small grain test; flax.
Farm machinery exhibits will be
supervised by G. V. Holmes and
Frank Jones. C. Y. Tilson, farm a
gent of Hyde County, will also par
ticipate, as well as agriculture teach
ers in the high schools in this sec
tion.
-®
Commissioners in
Meeting Monday
—i—
The Washington County commis
sioners will advise Sheriff J. K. Reid
the activities that he should take
in regard to slot machines in this
county. Zeb Vance Norman, attor
ney, will give the officials the ben
efit of his legal counsel in the mat
ter.
. Miss Sybil Bowen, for years a wel
fare worker here and assistant to
Miss Florence Ledbetter, who left
July 1, has been named an assistant
to H. H. McLean, superintendent of
schools, who, with Miss Bowen’s
help, will handle the welfare work.
The commissioners also contribut
ed $5 monthly to the national reem
ployment office that is to be located
here soon.
will not be connected with any re
Norman Harney, New York City.
Clarence L. Blount, of Plymouth,
who has been in Elizabeth City as
an assistant to E. S. Askew, district
administrator of the WPA, is now
located in the office here as area
timekeeper of the WPA,
It is his duty to keep the time of
the employees of 35 projects locat
ed in Chowan, Bertie, Martin, Tyr
rell, and Washington Counties. He
(Continued on page four)
EXPECT TO RID
COUNTY OF ALL
SLOT MACHINES
-*
Town of Plymouth Refuses
To Renew Licenses for
Ten Machines
Ere the arrival of October, law
enforcers are expected to take some
action against the operation of “pin
machines’’ and other coin-inserted
chance devices that are now being
operated in Washingtpn County.
Already the town of Plymouth
has refused to license the devices
for operation again. This means
that the town’s revenue will be re
duced about $50 for the year. There
are about 10 machines in the town
limits and the license fee for each
is $5.
It is not known what attitude the
county commissioners will take in
the matter, but it is expected that
they will be faced with the neces
sity of some kind of action in the
matter. Town officials think it is
folly to force the machines out of
the limits with renewed business to
be done by non-town taxpayers in
the suburbs.
Zeb Vance Norman will render
some kind of decision or legal opin
ion on the matter to Chief P. W.
Brown, who is expected to do some
thing within the next few weeks. It
is predicted that the county commis
sioners will not take action until
they get some kind of opinion from
their counsellor.
July term of superior court will
not be held, but Judge M. V. Barn
hill, resident judge of this district,
whose home is in Rocky Mount, will
preside over the October term of
court, and he is known by all to be
a bitter foe of the chance machines
and in many places charges the of
ficers to “shut down” on them.
In an effort to save embarrass
ment that the law enforcers know
will be their lot, it is expected that
some action will be taken in the
matter before the jurist delivers his
charge to the grand jury in Oc
tober.
-»
List of Nominees for
Offices in County
Here are the nominees for the two
parties that are to be elected to of
fices in Washington County in the
general election in November of this
year:
Representative: Harry Stell, Dem
ocrat; J. Richard Carr, Republican.
Sheriff: J. K. Reid, Democrat; and
J. Dewey Phelps, Republican.
Register of Deeds: Mrs. Mary
Smith Cahoon, Democrat; and Au
brey Ange, Republican.
Treasurer: Stuart D. Davis, Demo
crat; and H. A. (Chubby) Liverman,
Republican.
Recorder Judge: John W. Darden,
Democrat; and T. W. Snell, Repub
lican.
Coroner: W. H. (Jack) Peele,
Democrat; and W. W. Robertson,
Republican.
Commissioners: District No. 1:
Frank L. Brinkley, Democrat; and
Deorge W. Sitterson, Republican;
District No. 2: J. M. Clagon, Demo
crat; and Arthur Phelps, Republi
can; District No. 3: E. F. Swain,
Democrat; and Jennings D. Daven
port, Republican.
--— --
Funeral Sunday for
Vlrs.Hannah Latham
-6
Funeral services were held Sun
fay afternoon for Mrs. Hannah La
ham, 65, widow of the late Whit
hatham, who succumbed Saturday
lfter an illness of a short time. She
lived on the Long Acre road near
Plymouth.
Rev. N. A. Taylor, pastor of the
Christian church, officiated. Inter
nent took place in the family ceme
;ery.
Surviving are the following chil
fren: Jack Latham and (Rabbit!
batham, of Plymouth; Tom Latham,
cf Raeford; E. W. and A. R. Latham,
Plymouth; Mrs. J. W. Darden, Plym
outh; and Mrs. Woodson Stubbs,
Richmond.
Divorce Suit Is
Entered This Week
-a
A suit for divorce was started in
Washington County Superior Court
by Claire Ray Wilson against Anne
Elizabeth Wilson. The couple was
married on October 29, 1932, and
lived together until July 14, 1933.
Mr. Wilson alleges that his wife a
bandoned him without cause.
Mr. Wilson is well known here,
as he is manager of Rea’s Beach, a
resort on the Albemarle Sound near
Plymouth, and stays while in town
with Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Rath.
Clyde R. Hoey Gets Democratic
Nomination for Governor; Thad
Eure Is Ticket Leader in County
County Vote Last Saturday
Following is the tabulation, by precincts, of the vote cast in
Washington County last Saturday:
GOVERNOR Plym
Dr. R. W. .McDonald 558
Clyde R. Hoey 339
LIEUT. GOVERNOR:
Paul B. Grady 511
W. P. Horton 280
SEC. OF STATE:
rhad Eure 656
Stacey Wade 173
COUNTY COM.—Dist. No. 1
P. M. Arps 365
Frank L. Brinkley 519
TREASURER:
Stuart D. Davis 432
Robert Campbell 444
CORONER:
lack Peele . 543
W. S. Nurney 328
Le’s M
315
193
219
222
379
83
201
310
277
230
233
270
Skin
86
120
87
85
153
29
121
91
132
71
125
66
Scup.
219
205
225
122
257
102
144
294
170
230
332
60
Wen
22
4
13
9
16
8
9
17
18
7
14
11
Total
1,198
861
1,055
718
1,461
395
840
1,231
1,035
982
1,247
735
PARTIAL LIST OF
COUNTY SCHOOL
TEACHING STAFF
-•
No Principal Yet Named
To Succeed Anderson in
Local Schools
-»
An incomplete list of the teaching
staff of the Washington County
schools has been released for publi
cation by H. H. McLean, superin
tendent of public instruction.
Plymouth: No principal has been
elected to succeed L. W. Anderson,
who has secured a job in Lee Coun
ty, and a combination fourth and
fifth grade teacher is yet to be
named: J. O. Cooper, vocational ag
riculture teacher, will return.
High school: Eugene Powell, Flat
Rock (new, science); Thelma Get
singer, Louise Brinkley (reinstated)
Katherine Lyon, Charlotte (new,
French); Nevie Pickett, Ruth Mod
lina, Nellie Tarkenton, Selma Brax
ton.
Hampton Academy: Katherine
Brandon, Mrs. Kathleen Harrison,
Gladys Bonner, Edna Glover, Ethel
Perry and Blanche Mosely.
Roper: D. E. Poole, principal; R.
B. Forbes, Cordelia Lanier, Hickory
(new); Edwin Burche, C. II. Floyd,
Mrs. Eloise McArthur Owens, A. C.
Carstarphen, Margaret Davenport,
Naomi Gibson, Laurinburg (new);
Carolyn Brooks, Ayeris Gene Willis.
Stockville (new); second-grade
teacher not secured.
Creswell: C. H. Aderholdt, princi
pal; W. S. Riddick, Mrs. A. S. Holmes
A. H. Tucker, O. O. Rudisill, Mrs.
O. R. Armstrong, Grace Stillman,
Ruth Miller, Gladys Rountree, Mary
K. Davenport, Creswell (new); Mary
A. Clark. Mathematics and history
teachers for high school and third
grade teacher to be secured.
Cherry: Rupert Ainsley and Mrs.
C. N. Davenport, jr., are the only
ones elected here. Three more are
(o be chosen. A. W. Davenport, who
lias been a principal a long time will
not return to this elementary school.
District Masons To
Meet Tuesday, 14th
The annual meeting of the third
district officers of the Masonic
lodge will be held in Swan Quarter
Tuesday, July 14, with an address
featured by Rev. R. H. Lucas, of
Plymouth, pastor of the First Bap
tist church, and district deputy
grand master of the order.
Mr. Lucas has secured national
publicity as a blind dairy operator,
minister and farmer. He continues
to get letters from well-wishers from
Chicago, California, Washington, D.
C., and Canada, who admire his ac
tivities despite his loss of eyesight.
The welcome address will be made
by Rev. W. C. Lowe, pastor of the
Swan Quarter Methodist church.
Response will be made by John W.
Darden, of Plymouth. Greetings
will be heard from John A. Ander
son, of Raleigh, state grand secre
tary. Also an address will be made
by J. Giles Hudson, of Salisbury,
state grand master of masonry.
->
Get Fine Crop of Hay
From 20 Acres Alfalfa
—-—•
The Asheville Farm School in
Buncombe County cut and stored a
fine crop of hay from 20 acres of
alfalfa last week and will top-dress
the land with superphosphate.
I PARTY NOMINEE
\
Cyde Roark Hoey who -was
nominated for Governor of
North Carolina by more than
a 50,000 majority by the Demo
cratic Party last Saturday.
Board Education
Holds Its Regular
Meet This Week
-•
Abolish Services of Part
Time Bookeeper, Saving
$50 Monthly
-*
A saving of $50 monthly will be
effected after August 1, when the
services of a part-time bookeeper
is discontinued by the Washington
County Board of Education, it was
decided at a meeting Tuesday.
W. E. Waters, who has been fill
ing this job for the last year or more
since he was relieved as auditor, has
been given his notice that his serv
ices will be required no longer after
the first of next month. This action
was brought about when the county
commissioners decided to discon
tinue the appropriation.
The work will be divided among
the regular employees of the coun
ty at a saving to the county and
taxpayers.
Sidney A. Ward, sr., was named
a member of the Plymouth school
board to succeed E. F. Still, who re
signed. The board is now composed
of J. Robert Campbell, chairman;
Walter H. Paramore, secretary and
treasurer; and Mr. Ward.
The board confirmed the sale of
the Wenona school property for $400
to the North Carolina Blandland Ex
periment Station. It was also de
cided to employ custodians of the
schools in the various places at a
salary of $5 monthly, their duties
to include looking after the proper
ty. _
Marriage Licenses
Issued Last Month
-9
Marriage license were issued dur
ing the month of June as follows:
White: Ercel Wynne, Creswell, to
Selma Ambrose, Creswell; F. B.
Davenport, Columbia, to Elizabeth
Owens, Columbia; S. E. Getsinger,
Dardens, to Louise Layton Blount,
Plymouth.
Colored: Perlie Phelps, Roper, to
Relucia Chance, Plymouth; John L.
Rowsom, Columbia, to Pearlie
Spruill, Roper; Hyman Lucas, Roper
to Elicer Chancery, Washington;
William J. Whitley, Williamston, to
Ella Wilder. Washington.
Brinkley, Davis and
Peele Are \\ inners
In County (Contests
—t—
McDonald Leads Hoey in
Washington County by
337 Majority
Carrying about 63 out of the 100
counties, Clyde Roark Hoey was
nominated for Governor of North
Carolina last Saturday by one of the
largest votes ever accorded a candi
date for any office in the state. Un
official and incomplete returns to
day gave Hoey a lead of more than
50,000 votes over Dr. Ralph W. Mc
Donald, the count standing at 266,
813 for Hoey and 212,879 for Mc
Donald, with all of the 1,858 pre
cincts heard from. With the excep
tion of a number of counties in the
east and one or two in the west,
Hoey made a clean sweep in the
State.
Administration candidate Frank
L. Brinkley was renominated in last
Saturday’s second Democratic pri
mary with a majority of 391 votes
aver his opponent, Percy M. Arps.
Robert Campbell, a newcomer in
the political game here, was beaten
by only 53 votes by the veteran
campaigner, Stuart D. Davis, in the
race for treasurer. W. H. (Jack)
Peele beat W. S. Nurney almost 2
to 1 to win the nomination as cor
oner.
The upset in the day’s voting was
in the fact that Dr. Ralph W. Mc
Donald carried the county by a ma
jority of 337 over the successful
candidate, Clyde R. Hoey, for nom
ination as governor of North Caro
lina. Thad Eure, successful in his
efforts to beat Secretary of State
Stacey Wade, led the ticket with
1,461, with Peele second with 1,247.
The campaign this year was
waged between a successful group
of insurgents who bolted the lead
ership of the old established Demo
cratic leaders and the old-line vet
eran campaigners. The fight was
litter and hotly contested in every
way.
It is the duty now of the two fac
ions to decide upon some person to
cave the leadership of- the Demo
cratic party who will be mutually
satisfactory and who will have in
luence enough and is competent
enough to begin to heal the sores
if division that have been brought
lbout.
There is no doubt but that the
Republicans will wage a hard cam
paign, both nationally and locally,
his year, and leaders here predict
.hat the Democratic cause should be
itrengthened by party harmony.
SIDELIGHTS ON
SECOND PRIMARY
-®
A dead man was voted. To the
polls came a man claiming his name
was M. Leary. Registrar J. T. Mc
Nair found the name D. M. Leary
m the books. He passed the man.
Later it was found that D. M. Leary
was dead._ Another mistake.
H. J. Furbee, registrar at Wenona,
said Tuesday morning they had the
leaviest primary vote in years. Fact
if it, the vote Saturday was larger
than the first primary tabulation,
rwenty-six votes were cast. Dr.
Ralph McDonald carried this pre
cinct with 22 votes.
It was reported that Dr. C. Mc
Uowan and John W. Darden were
■he leaders in bringing in voters.
3etween the two they brought into
■he Plymouth precinct polls almost
lalf of the voters that came from
he rural sections. They worked
rard and fast.
Something unusual around the
polls in the last two or three elec
lions have been, the hard-working,
vote-getting women. These ladies
were driving cars, canvassing on
Ihe street and helping in marking
the ballots. It is estimated that
there w'ere 25 in Plymouth and oth
ers elsewhere in the county. Old
timers marveled at this sight.
Eli Mizelle, Republican judge in
the Plymouth precinct, remarked
that lie was glad his party did not
have these hard-fought primaries in
its organization. Like others, he ob
served the bitterness in this and in
□thers in which he has served.