North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon ******* and Washington County News ★*★★*★* A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and Its 12,000 people. VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 2B Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, I riday, July 15, IVdH ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics Miss Catherine Newkirk has been employed as bookkeeper at the Plym outh Motor Company. W. A. (Bill) Roebuck has become parts manager and is devoting his time exclusively to this department since Miss New kirk has assumed part of his duties. United States Commissioner J. H. Leggett has a novel method of railing his hogs. Some years ago he acquired a horn of the type used on small boats to keep oth er vessels from crashing into them during a fog, and when feeding time arrives he uses the horn to call his hogs. Introductions, from Judge Walter J. Bone on down, were in order Mon day when Attorney H. S. Ward, sr., of Washington, brought his young son over with him for a visit and to ob serve the proceedings in Washington County Superior Court. The young ster was greeting the adults smilingly but in a very dignified manner. Overheard by Policeman Paul Basnight, as he passed a group of convicts on a hot day, when a few big drops of rain were begin ning to fall: "Deal it, Merciful Master, deal it in big drops and plenty of them.” When it rains the prisoners have a day of rest. In the absence of Joe Reid, small son of Sheriff and Mrs. J. K. Reid, Charles Brown drew the names of the grand jurors from the hat. This lad is the son of Chief of Police and Mrs. P. W. Brown. The law requires that a youth below the age of 12 do the drawing. The following members of the Plymouth lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose attended a meeting of the Washington lodge last Thursday night, when an interesting program was presented and refreshments served: R. R. Alexander, A. W. Alex ander, T. P. Sanderson, Paul Gur ganus, L. T. Harrison, E. R. Chesson and Clarence Kelly. J. N. Adams, field representa tive and office manager of the Social Security Administration in Rocky Mount, was in Plymouth Tuesday, making a check of bus iness establishments to determine if every employee had an account number, as required by the So cial Security act. Rev. N. A. Taylor, Scoutmaster of the Plymouth troop, and Dr. Alban Papineau, district chairman of Wash ington County, will attend a council meeting at Camp Charles Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. -<s> uarnp Fire Meeting And Court of Honor For Scouts Tuesday —♦— Three Troops of County To Have Joint Session; Sig wald Will Attend Boy Scouts from the three troops in Washington County will gather on the Hampton lot next Tuesday eve ning for a camp-fire meeting, at which time Scout Executive J. J. Sig wald, of Wilson, will be present, Representatives from the troops at Creswell, Roper and Plymouth are ex pected to attend. During the ceremonies a court of honor will be held, and then there will be games, contests, story-telling and other enjoyable events for boys, as well as their parents. The monthly district meeting of the scout officials will be held at the Plymouth Country Club at 6:30, at which time Mr. Sigwald will meet with officials to discuss plans for con tinuing and enlarging the scout pro gram here. District Chairman A. Papineau urges all the parents who can to at tend this meeting with the boys and enjoy a night’s fellowship with their children. City Council Holds Meeting Monday The City Council, in session Mon day night, asked P. W. Brown, chief of police, to investigate the possibility of applying to the PWA for funds with which to clear the river front at the rear of Water Street stores. It was also decided that the firm of Williams and Wall be given a con tract to audit the books of the town at a total cost of $125. Town officials decided to ask the county commissioners to pay the en tire amount of $321.75, set as this county’s quota of the $2,000 expense fund for staging the Albemarle Sound bridge celebration, W. B. Rodman appeared before the board in the interest of the bridge celebration money. Filling Station Lot Sold To McCallum Purchase of the filling station prop erty occupied by H. S. Midgette at the corner of Water and Madison Streets, by Clyde McCallum, Texaco distributor here, from Dr. L. W. White, of Suffolk, was made known this week. The amount involved was not dis closed, but it is known that Mr. Mc Callum made several previous efforts to buy the property, after having leased it for a long period, and when it appeared that the deal was not going through lie bought the Ange property on the opposite comer. Mr. McCallum has R. L. Tetterton and a crew of men working on the station now to remodel it, add anoth er tank, enlarge the concrete drive ways, and to improve the place in general. Jury Recommends Farm Work by County Stopped Discontinuance of county farm op erations, removal of inmates from other counties from the county home, and discontinuing rental of apart ments to individuals were the main recommendations contained in the grand jury’s report handed in Tues day at the July term of superior court, with Judge Walter J. Bone, of Nashville, presiding. f The report stated that Keeper L. L. Basnight and his wife were taking excellent care of the inmates but that an aged person from another county whose mental condition is low was becoming offensive to the other per sons living at the home. When rooms were hard to get in Plymouth, space in the county home was rented to individuals, but the grand jury . recommended that this practice be discontinued. It was also suggested that the base ment of the clerk's office be put in better shape. Serving on this body were W. B. Davenport, foreman; W. C. Styon, R. R. Alexander, R, W. Tetterton, W. E. Knowles, Sylvester Twiddy, E. R. Jackson, N. Warren Spruill, W. H. Riddick, A. R. Latham, R. L. Still man, G. R. Cameron, E. L. Ayers, Z. T. Tarkington, C. T. Cofleld, J. W. Rath, and A. Phelps. Plan To Open Bridge For Traffic August 1 ' SUNSHINE OR RAIN j _/ Some people were rather skep tical about the report that the pastor of the Methodist Church, Rev. C. T. Thrift, prayed for sun shine two weeks ago and the fol lowing week was all sunshine. Someone called Mr. Thrift’s at tention to the fact that the dry weather was getting to be serious, whether his prayer had anything to do with it or not, so last Sun day morning the minister prayed for rain. It rained Sunday afternoon and Monday night. "That ought to convert some of these doubting Thomases," Mr. Thrift said this week. State Board Orders Probe of Claim That Mills Pollute Rivers —$— Edenton Delegation Contends Waste From Pulp Plants Destroying Fish An investigation of the alleged pol lution of the waters of the Albemarle Sound, Roanoke and Chowan Rivers by pulp mills in Plymouth and Prank lin, Va., was ordered by the State Board of Conservation and Develop ment, meeting at Morehead City this week. The board also made several changes in the hunting seasons, most important being quail and turkey season from December 15 until Feb ruary 20, instead of November 20 to February 25, as formerly. A delegation of 34 men from Eden ton, with J. G. Small as spokesman, appeared before the board and con tended that waste from the pulp plants, including certain chemicals, was being emptied into the rivers. There were some complaints made here last spring by fishermen, alleg ing that the waste from the pulp plant was destroying fish and greatly reducing their catches. However, analyses made of the river water by chemists were said to have disproved these allegations. Another factor which indicated there was little or no pollution was the report of W. C. Bunch, of the Edenton fish hatchery, that last sea son was an exceptionally successful one so far as shad were concerned, the catches of this particular species being larger than for several years. He asked that the shad fishing sea son next spring extend from April 25 to May 10, but action on this re quest was deferred by the board. Shortening the quail and turkey season will affect a majority of the sportsmen in this area. Sundays are the only closed days, but the new dates, December 15 to February 20, will shorten the season by 30 days, compared to last year. The season for hunting opossum and raccoon with dog and gun was fixed from October 15 to February 15. W. R. Hampton, local member of the Board of Conservation and De velopment, left here last Sunday to be in attendance on the meetings of the board. Hold Revival Meeting in Tent Near Lake Phelps Miss Anna Beriont, a musician, singer and evangelist of Linden, N. J., is assisting the Rev. and Mrs. Jesse McCloud, of Roper, in an evangelistic meeting being held in a tent between Cherry and Lake Phelps. The Rev. and Mrs. McCloud are Pentecostal Holiness evangelists. -—$ All Peanut Pickers Must Secure Thresher's License -® “It seems to me to be a bit early to mention this, but the state offic ials have called for it now so that those who operate peanut pickers, wheat barley and other grain thresh ers may know that they must have a thresher's license,” Mrs. Mary S. Cahoon, register of deeds, said this wek. Usually the licenses are purchased in this county begining in September for the fall harvest of crops, but the state officials want this information to get before the people at this time. Last year there were 51 licenses is sued in the county, indicating that th'ere were a lot of peanuts to be picked. South End Complete, Work on North Side Approaches Delayed Highway Officials Expected to Accept Work on This End Friday or Saturday -$ Indications now are that the Albe marle Sound bridge will be opened for traffic on August 1, according to information received by E. F. Blank enship, superintendent of construc tion on the south end of the project for T. A. Loving and Company. Officials of the State Highway and Public Works Commission, including J. B. Broach, assistant bridge engi neer, and Mr. Craven, another engi neer, will be here this week-end to inspect the bridge and prepare to re ceive this end for the state. B. G. Carroll, superintendent for the Tide water Construction Company, which constructed the north end of the bridge, is also ready with his end, and the bridge itself is ready for use at this time, but the contractors on the north side are being delayed in completing the approaches. Also expected to be here Thursday or Friday of this week was T. A. Loving, of Goldsboro, the contractor for the southern half of the project. Mr. Blankenship, Mr. Munch, as sistant superintendent for the Tide water firm, Mr. Carroll, and a group of state engineers made the first trip by automobile across the structure on Monday of this week. The southern approach needs only a few more finishing touches, while the northern approach builders are having trouble with the sub-grading on a portion of the road. The draw span and bridge have been completed, and it is believed the entire project, including the ap proaches, will be finished and turned over to the state within the next 10 days. Must Raise $321.75 in County for Bridge Opening Celebration —®— Total of $2,000 To Be Spent In Staging Big Day on August 25 Of the $2,000 to be raised to de fray expenses of the celebration of the Albemarle Sound bridge formal opening on August 25, Washington County has been given a quota of $321.75 as its part in helping to put the program over in a big way. The above expense does not include the $150 which will be needed to pay for building the float depicting the ram Albemarle. The Merchants As sociation has given $50 toward this fund, the Masons $15 and other or ganizations will be called on to help contribute the $150 needed. James W. Norman, chairman of the float committee, has called a meeting for Monday night o frepresentatives from the Loyal Order of Moose, Masons, Lions Club, the several women’s or ganizations and similar civic organi zations to make plans for raising the balance of the money needed. Of the $321.75 to be raised as the county’s share in the general ex pense, the Town of Plymouth may donate $71 if Creswell and Roper, between them, will provide an addit ional $50, leaving $200 for the county to take care of. The $2,000 general fund has been budgeted as follows: Eight hundred dollars for public ity, to advertise the historical, nat ural and developed resources in the seven Albemarle counties, as well as to play up the opening celebration in newspapers and other periodicals in the State and elsewhere. Three hundreds dollars has been set aside for erection of a stage for the celebration at the south end of the bridge, where an easement has ben secured on 17 acres of ground. Two hundred dollars will be used in the payment of postage and for office supplies. Another $300 will be used to pay for the decorations that are to be placed on the stage, about the grounds, and on the bridge to en hance the beauty of the floats that will move across the bridge. Incidentals will necessitate the ex penditure of about $400. Westerling Case Is Now Being Fried In Superior Court Expected To Be Concluded Friday Morning; Other Proceedings -® It appeared Thursday at noon that the July term of Washington County Superior Court would probably end some time Friday. The court was trying the case of Earl Westerling, charged with hit-and-run driving in connection with the death in April of Minnie Spencer, negress, and it was considered likely this case would be concluded during the afternoon, leaving only one other action on the docket. Trial of the Westerling case was begun Wednesday. Taking of evi dence was completed Thursday morn ing and Attorney W. L. Whitley, for tiie defendant, made his address to the jury, finishing about noon. So licitor Donnell Gilliam's speech and the judge's charge were all that re mained before the case went to the jury. Other proceedings of the court fol low: Clyde Patrick, who appealed from judgment in recorder's court on a charge of being drunk on the high way, was given 30 days in jail, sus pended upon payment of the costs and good behavior for 12 months. Joe Manley was given 12 months on the roads for carrying a concealed weapon and for assaulting another negro with a deadly weapon. William Fenistemcker and W. A. Kerney were found not guilty of re moving crops. Errors were noted in the cases of Tom Van Horn, charged with lar ceny, and Russell Hawkins, charged with assault. The ease of Roy Lucas, Creswell merchant, charged with possession of illegal liquor, was taken off the court records after he had complied with the recorder’s court judgment of $100 fine and costs. Divorces were granted to Oliver W. Davenport from Madeline P. Daven port and to Kathleen Spruill from W. C. Spruill, on grounds of separa tion. Mr. Spruill was required to pay $50 monthly for the support of three children. Charlie Swain was found not guilty of resisting an officer, but a compan ion, Hilliary Daniels, was found guil ty on that count and of carrying a concealed weapon and was given 30 days on the roads. A directed verdict of not guilty was ordered by Judge Bone in the case of Nathan Curlin and Robert Tarkenton, young white boys, charged with theft. Isaiah Hill, who was charged with resisting an officer and assault with a deadly weapon, was found guilty but sentence had not been passed at noon Thursday. -$ Students at Wenona Assigned To Local Transportation Area —«— No Explanation Given in Let ter From Secretary of State School Commission -$, Public school pupils in Wenona have been assigned to the Plymouth school transportation area, according to a letter received by H. H. McLean, superintendent of schools, from Lloyd Griffin, secretary of the State School Commission at Raleigh. This letter indicates a definite de cision by that organization, which handles thfe routing of school buses, to settle the controversy which has arisen about whether Wenona chil dren should attend school in Plym outh or Pantego. There was no explanation in the letter, but it is believed the assign ment to the Plymouth transportation area means the children will attend school in Plymouth, as was contem plated when the program of consoli dated schools was put into operation. Some of the students and some of the patrons have been partial to the Pantego school because of the better road conditions of the Pantego route, but with better roads assured to Plymouth, it is believed to be more advantageous for these students to attend a Washington County school. Forty-two children live in the We nona section, about 12 of whom have been attending the Pantego school. The letter did not so state, but it is believed the Pantego school buses will be so routed that they will not enter the territory covered by the Plymouth transportation area, pre venting further controversy. It was reported here that a Pantego bus had been making rounds in the We nona section, but this statement was disputed by others. Young People To Conduct Service The Young People’s League of the Methodist Church will have charge of the Sunday evening service, using as their theme, “Christian Church.” Songs, poems, talks, and special hymns will be used in featuring the theme. A series of Sunday evening serv ices during the month of July is be ing considered now. Rev. C. T. Thrift, the pastor, has turned this hour over to the young people. 1,000 People Gather at Wenona For Annual Field Day Program; Lieutenant Governor Is Speaker Yoke of Oxen Entered in Wenona Pulling Contest The team-pulling contest being conducted at Wenona during the field-day program Thursday aft ernoon, is presenting a feature within a feature. This event al ways attracts capacity crowds wherever it is put on, and it was not expected to be any different at Wenona in this respect. But the big feature of this event will be a yoke of oxen, pit ting their strength against the horses and mules entered in the event’. The oxen were entered by W. W. Griffin, who lives near Jamesville in Martin County, and Mr. Hays, in charge of the event, said yesterday that this would be the first oxen ever entered in a contest of this kind in the United States. The pulling test of animals en tered will be clocked on the De partment of Agriculture’s dyna mometer. There are classes for single hitch, double hitch; and, it is presumed, for the oxen. Oxen are used extensively in some sections for logging in swamp areas. While slow, their cloven hooves do not sink in the muck and mire as do those of horses and mules, and they can be used in places where the more popular work animals are worth less. Mr. Hays was looking for ward with interest to determin ing j'ust how the oxen will stack up with horses and mules in a straight-out pulling contest, such as the event at Wenona. Merchant Association Headed by Liverman lie view of Activities Shows Organization Had Very Good Year —$— Annual Meeting Held Last Thursday; Will Protest Removal of Train The Plymouth Merchants Associa tion held its annual meeting at the community building last Thursday night, reviewed activities of the or ganization during its most successful year, elected new officers, discussed a number of current problems, made a $50 donation to the fund for build ing a float for the bridge celebration, and thoroughly enjoyed the fried chicken supper served by members of the Senior Woman's Club, Secretary-Treasurer T. C. Burgess made a brief report, reviewing the work of the association during the year, during which membership fluc tuated from a high of 46 to a low of 32. A report was also made by Miss Emily Waters, secretary and manager of the credit association, which is an outgrowth of the merchants' associa tion. President Leland S. Thompson, thanking the body for the cooperation it had extended him during his year of service, called for nominations for a new president, after declining to serve again, and E. H. Liverman was unanimously elected to the post. James W. Norman was elected vice president by acclamation, and T. C. Burgess was named temporary secre tary, election of this officer being postponed until after a report is made by a committee delegated to determine the practicability of hav ing one secretary and treasurer serve both the merchants’ and credit asso ciations. The 19 members present discussed; at some length the advisability of send representatives to Raleigh to protest against removal of the At lantic Coast Line passenger train, hearing on which will be held August 2. Jack Peele presented some figures in opposition to the proposal, and it was decided to designate Mr. Peele and Mr. John W. Darden as spokes men for the association in opposition to the railroad’s petition. After a $50 donation was voted for the fund to build a float for the Albemarle Bridge opening celebration, the question of advertising in special editions dealing with the formal opening was referred to the adver tising committee of the association. A committee, composed of T. C. Burgess, James W. Norman, and W. F, Winslow, was appointed to draw up and present a constitution and by laws for the association at its next meeting. -® Attend 4Lost Colony Showing Last Week ~—«— A group from this section, includ ing H. H. McLean, superintendent of Public Instruction of Washington County and chairman of the advisory council of adult education teachers, and Mrs. Louise Forehand, supervisor of Hyde, Washington and Tyrrell Counties in adult education work, and others, attended adult education day at Fort Raleigh last Friday. They remained over at night to see the symphonic drama of “The Lost Colony,” which was written by Paul Green and which is being showed on Roanoke Island again this summer. Besides Mrs. Forehand, Frank Bur gess is a teacher in adult education in this county and was also in the group that attended the event. Others going along were the fam ily of Mr. McLean, Mrs. Sarah Holmes, Mrs. Z. H. Phelps, Mrs. E. J. Haire, Howard Ambrose, Berry Am brose, J. H. Craddock, Stanley Oliver, Marvin Davenport, and Linwood Davenport. CARELESS WITH RIFLES | Officers Thursday called on the persons who have been recklessly discharging rifles to be careful, as the shots have been found in the rear of a store here and in a dwelling at the pulp mill village. A .30-.30 bullet was found in the rear door of the Arps Phar macy last week and Wednesday a .22-caliber bullet penetrated a screen and broke a window in the home of S. E. Nestor at the vil lage. So far no one has been hurt, but officers are warning those engaging in target practice to be careful. W. L. Whitley Elected President of District Bar at Annual Meet Sidney A. Ward, Jr., Named To Executive Committee From This County Naming of W. L. Whitley as pres ident of the Second Judicial District Bar Association in the annual meet ing held at Rocky Mount last Satur day, placed at the head of the law yers' organization a widely known and prominent attorney of Plymouth. Mr. Whitley is the second barirster from the Washington County group to be named to this distinctive posi tion in recent years, as Carl L. Bailey at one time held this post. Mr. Whitley succeeds R. B. Peters, of Tarboro, as president. Mr. Peters was elected at a meeting held at Al bemarle Beach, near here, last sum mer, serving for a year. Sidney A. Ward, jr„ young local at torney, was named a member of the executive committee from Washing ton County. At the bar meeting, the lawyers considered a departure from their established policy of prohibiting ad vertising by members of the profes sion. Some of the spokesmen favored granting permission to advertise by competent lawyers as a matter of public welfare, stating that such a course would remove popular miscon ceptions about legal practice and would enable the lawyers to meet the competition .of individuals and cor porations of no training and ethics. A committee was delegated to inves tigate the mater of advertising, which has been denied attorneys un der penalty of disbarment. One lawyer said that publicity and streamlining of court procedure were badly needed remedies during this time when the law business is so slow. -® Scouts To Collect Jars for Canning Boy Scouts will visit homes in Plymouth Monday to collect jars to be used in the canning project, sup ervised by Mrs. Kathleen Spruill for the WPA, and sponsored by the Par ent-Teacher Association. The food canned will be used by the school lunch room during the coming term. Those having jars suitable for pre serving food for the lunch room are requested to leave them on their front porches, where they will be picked up by the Scouts. A large number of jars were col lected by the Scouts in a canvass of the town several weeks ago, but the supply is about exhausted, and a new supply is needed. Since May 16 a total of 775 quarts of soup mixture, squash, snap beans, beets, chow-chow, pickled onions, corn, bread-and-butter pickles, cu cumber pickles and green peas have been canned and will be ready for use during the school year. Commissioner Scott Ami Specialists from College on Program -$ Horton Promises To Use His Influence in Promoting Farm Progress -$—— “The man who comes to the Sen ate who does not sympathize with the farmers will have no more chance to get on an important committee that deals with agriculture than the man in the moon," Lieutenant Governor Wilkins P. Horton told slightly less than 1,000 people who gathered at the Blanckland Experiment Station in Wenona Thursday for the thir teenth annual farmers field day, ■ Being lieutenant governor there is very little than I can do for the farm ers except use the authority in ap pointing committees in the senate to the best advantage of the farmers and to use my influence in the legis lature in helping them secure ade quate funds to carry on the work among the farmers of this state. “I am of the farm myself. We are made of the dirt of the earth and have plenty left on us, and I am in terested in the soil to the extent that I worked on the farm for 20 years. “Boys and girls who now leave the high schools and do not go to col lege are estimated at 75 per cent. So it is an urgent call to the leaders to day to give them every advantage in making their farm life interesting, attractive and happy, and that is the aim of all who know and understand the farmers as I do,” the speaker concluded. commissioner 01 Agriculture w. Kerr Scott told the farmers in his speech that they had cooperated and had succeeded in getting their road through the Turnpike and now they should go to work to get the Rural Electrification Commission to run electric lines in that section. Dr. W. T. Ralph, of Belhaven, pre sided over the morning program, and there was music by the string band from Belhaven and the colored Sil ver Star Quartet of Plymouth. Immediately before adjournment of the morning session Professor Weav er announced that a yoke of oxen had been secured to engage with 14 horses and mules in the pulling con test, in which a dynamometer will be used to determine the pulling strength of the animals. Farm specialists spoke at the open ing of the program from a platform erected in an implement bam, which was decorated with flowers, flags, corn and plants secured on the farm. Seats were provided for the listeners. Among the guests recognized were Guy Hargett and W. I. Bissett, mem bers of the State Board of Agricul ture. The crowd had a big cheer for Fred P. Latham, of Belhaven, former member of the State Board, when he was introduced as one of the men to whom credit was due for securing the test farm at Wenona. -® Funeral Service Held Here This Week for Mrs. W. T. Robbius --- Highly Respected Local Resi dent Died Monday After Illness of Some Time Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the home for Mrs. W. T. Robbins, 69, who died early Monday morning after an illness lasting for some time, although she had been confined to her bed for only about two weeks. Mrs. Robbins was a life-long resi dent of the county and was well known and liked by all who knew her. The Rev. N. A. Taylor, pastor of the Christian church, conducted the final rites, assisted by the Rev. P. B. Nickens, pastor of the Baptist church. Interment was made in the Methodist Episcopal Church cemetery at Dar dens. A large crowd attended the services, and a large and beautiful floral offering was contributed. Surviving Mrs. Robbins is her hus band and the following children: Mrs. Lucy Biggs, Roper; Mrs. J. W. Grimes Robersonville; Miss Anita Ayers, Ra leigh: Mrs. Edward Long, Miss Blanche Robbins, Charles Robbins, all of Plymouth; and Clyde M. Rob bins, of Westover, this county. -$ Becomes Associated With Brother in Cleaning Firm -$ Maurice Smith has become asso ciated with his brother, Joe, in the operation of the cleaning and press ing busines here formerly known as Gilbert’s. The firm’s new name is Smith Brothers, Cleaners. Maurice came home recently from Milwaukee, Wis., where he was in the cleaning and pressing business for six years. Joe also worked there for some time before coming home last summer and later taking over the plant of Lloyd Gilbert. Maurice is in charge of the clean ing and Joe the pressing. They lutve three employees.