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 L—NUMBER 27 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, July 7, 1939 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics A successor to J. A. Ferree, sani tary officer for tire district health department, has not been obtained as yet. and it is not sure when one can be obtained. Mr. Ferree will report to Pittsboro, in Chatham County, either on July 15 or August 1 to take up his new work there. Recorder John W. Darden said that he had seen in person Helen Keller, internationally famed blind and deaf lecturer, and that when she makes her famous "lectures" with her hands you can almost understand what she is "saying." Miss Keller is the au thor of a number of books and sev eral hymns. “One of the principal tasks of an orphanage is preparing chil dren for adaptation to the out side world after they leave the protective walls of the institu tion," said Miss Velma Daughtry, class manager of the Free Will Baptist orphanage of Middlesex, who was here Thursday morning after her 10 children had appear ed at a meeting near Cresweli. One way of estimating the size of the crowd at the Albemarle Beach In dependence Day celebration was by the number of soft drinks and bath ing admissions sold, according to Mrs. L. W. Gurkin. wife of the owner of the beach. She said that Tuesday’s crowd was probably the largest ever to gather there, although she didn’t disclose the number. A heavy freight boat passed the trim little speedboat of R. S. (Bobby) Martin on the river here last Satur day afternoon, and the swell caused the swiftly moving outboard-motor craft to capsize. Bobby got a thor ough wetting but held on to his boat until Hubert Britton and others who witnessed the accident from shore raced to his assistance in another boat. H. H. McLean, superintendent of schools and advisor on adult education in this district, was scheduled to attend a district meeting of WPA adult education workers in Manteo Thursday aft ernoon at 3 o’clock. After the business session, those attending were to see “The Lost Colony” pageant and enjoy an organ re cital. James Shepard, of Washington, N. C.. has been employed by the Plym outh bowling alleys. Heis an experi enced bowler,, and is planning to organize a team here to have matches with bowlers from other towns in the section. T’he interior of the Woma"1' Shop is being repaired and painted. Mrs. Blanche Swain, owner, said that she hoped to have the improvements planned completed by the latter part of next week. A fire caused by an over-heated iron damaged some of ^the partitions about two weeks ago. -® Begin Work on Old Moratlock Church Building Monday -$ Those Who Promised To Help Asked To See Chairman -- Work on the restoration of the 150 year-old historic Morattock church will be started Monday morning, it was announced today by John W. Darden, chairman and secretary of the restoration committee, who stat ed that it would require about 30 days to complete the repairing necessary. Restoration of the church is being done in order to hold a homecoming celebration there on the third Sun day in August, when several thous and persons are expected to attend. Mr. Darden urged those who had promised or who wished to contribute labor on the building in lieu of finan cial assistance to see him at once so that a program of work could be ar ranged and assigned the voluntary workmen. Some of the materials are on the ground at the present, and the re mainder will be there by the week end. Everything will be in readiness for actual starting of the work on Monday, according to Mr. Darden. In connection with the plant to restore the historic old church, which was organized in 1785, Governor Clyde R. Hoey recently wrote the committee as follows: “I think this is a most worthy undertaking and it should be the source of great in terest to all the people of that entire section. This church has a remark able history, and it would be unfor tunate not to restore it and hav this historic spot preserved, and this work of restoration is a most worth-while endeavor.” -<S> Fidelity Insurance Agency Moves To New Location The Fidelity Insurance Agency of fice has been moved to the Midgett Service Station building on Water Street, where the owner, Miss Emily K. Waters, will assist Clyde McCal lum, Texaco products distributor, in his bookkeeping, as well as look after her insurance affairs. Miss Waters says her insurance business comes first, and that the new location makes her office more ac cessible to her patrons. Mr. McCallum has been in ill health for sometime, necessitating the serv ices of an office assistant. Tobacco Markets in This Belt to Open 1939 Season on Tuesday, August 22nd Eastern North Carolina tobac co warehouses will begin the 1939 selling season on Tuesday, Au gust 22, about a week ahead of the starting date last season, ac cording to dates fixed by the To bacco Association of the United States in session last Thursday at White Sulphur Springs, YV. Va. Dates for tobacco warehouse openings in other belts were set as follows: Georgia, July 25; border belt, August 3; new bright belt, August 22; middle belt, Sep tember 7; old belt, September 11 (with restricted sales, if neces sary); dark-fired Virginia belt. November 27; burley, December 1st. It was also recommended by the association that all ware houses be closed on November 11, in observance of the Armistice Day holiday. When the markets open this year, it is understood government grading service will be offered on the Greenville market, in an ef fort to effect uniform grading. Farmers of this section are now busily engaged in curing the crop, and by the time the ware house doors are open will likely be ready to begin marketing in quantity. The crop, as a whole, is considered one of the best ever raised throughout the belt. Delair Unions Vote To Continue Strike Governing Boards Will Neei Monday All scheduled Hrst-Monday meetings of governing boards of public affairs in Washington County were postponed this week until next Monday, when officials gather to consider the business of their respective groups. The Washington County Com missioner^, the Washington Coun ty Board of Education, and the Washington County Board of Public Welfare will meet in the courthouse Monday morning. The Town of Plymouth Councilmen will meet Monday evening for the first session of the new fiscal year and several matters of import ance are scheduled for consider ation. The meetings were postponed last Monday because of Inde pendence Day observance, the governor having declared both Monday and Tuesday legal holi days. Group Is Seeking To Locale Tubercular Hospital in County Suggest Meeting of Inter ested Citizens Next Monday Night -3> An intensive effort will be made to get the tubercular hospital that is to be erected in eastern North Carolina located in. the Pea Ridge section of Washington County near the southern end of the new Albemarle Sound bridge according to John W. Darden, secretary of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Darden pointed out that plenty of land was available in the Pea Ridge section similar to that where other hospitals are now located forthe treat ment of this dread disease. The site proposed would be accessible by vari ous paved roads. It was suggested by the chamber of commerce secretary that Mayor B. G. Campbell, Z. V. Norman, presi dent of the Lions Club, and other organization leaders should call a mass meeting of interested citizens in an effort to formulate definite pro posals to present in the effort to se cure the institution for this county. The hospital to be erected in east ern North Carolina was authorized by the 1939 session of the legislature. O. M. Mull, of Shelby, is chairman of the committee named to designate the location. Infant Injured in Fall Near Here Thursday -<•> Nine-month-old Bobby Mizelle, son of Mr. and Mrs. O. J. Mizelle, of the Long Ridge section, was brought to the office of local physicians Thurs day morning with an injured lip and head, sustained when the child fell from a bed. It was necessary to take three stitches in the lower lip and two stitches in a gash on the side of his head. Get Applications For Tenant Loans Tenant purchase applications are still being received at the of fice of R. E. Dunning, county Rural Rehabilitation supervisor, who says those who wish to ap ply are urged to do so by Au gust 1. The Rural Resettlement Administration makes loans to worthy tenants who wish to buy family-sized farms of their own. Between 10 and 15 applications are being received weekly, the supervisor said. Eight loans have already been approved, the farms purchased, and families are now living on them. f -^ Proposal Submitted By Firm Is Rejected At Meet Saturday -$ Statement Issued by Union Committee Says “Union Shop’ Not Sole Issue -$ The strike situation at the Delair, <N. J.,) plant of the Kieckhefer Con tainer Company remains substantially unchanged, according to advices from there Thursday morning, which stated that another conference be tween representatives of the com pany and unions Wednesday after noon failed to see an agreement reached. The strike, which brought I about the closing of the local pulp plant, is now in its ninth week. it was reported nere last inursaay night that an agreement had been reached to postpone the “closed-shop” issue, the principal point of disagree ment, until January 1, 1940. and that work would be resumed in the Delair plant on July 5, the plant here to open the Monday following. How ever, this proposal, made by the cor poration, was rejected on Saturday morning at a meeting of all the un ions held in the Delaview Fire Com pany Hail, and the strike returned to its former status. Meeting Attended by 400 Advices from Delair stated that the meeting last Saturday was attended by 400 of the striking employees of the company, and that all of them except one voted to “continue the strike until they had won their de mands.” In a statement issued to the press after the meeting Saturday, a committee representing the strikers, said that the "closed-shop” issue was not the only one involved at present. It was said, however, that "progress is being made, and the workers hope for a satisfactory solution in the near future.” Concerning reports of untoward in cidents reported last week, the union committee stated there had been no violence in the past conduct of the strike, and there would be none in the future. J. Norman Ludwick, chairman of the Pensauken Town ship Corpmittee, to whom report was made of the scattering of staples in a road leading to the plant, causing several flat tires, said later that "We are informed the union sanctioned no such action and believe it was done by an irresponsible individual.” Company Proposals The proposals made by representa tives of the Kieckhefer Container Cor poration at the conference Thursday of last week, when the union leaders agreed to submit them to the em ployees for consideration—and upon which the premature reports of set tlement were based—read as follows: "The company recommends that any present or future member of the union maintain his or her member ship. "All employees who have not joined their respective unions may do within a 30-day period, by the payment of the same dues paid by other em ployees, and such new members shall not be penalized any other way. "The company recommends that any employee who is now a member in good standing, or who, after this date, becomes, rejoins or is reinstated as a member of his or her unions maintain such membership in good standing. "The question of the advisability of making this a 'union shop’ shall be brought up for idscussion on January 1, 1940, and if the parties hereto are in agreement that a ‘union shop’ will be advantageous both to the em ployees and the company, a suitable clause so binding shall become a part of this agreement.” Union Committee’s Statement The text of the statement issued to the press by a committee of three men, representing the three unions involved in the strike, following pub lication of the company’s letter to employees in which it was said the major obstacle in the way of effect ing a settlement was the “union shop” issue, follows: “The refusal of the company to recognize the bargaining units chosen by the employees of the Kieckhefer plant, brought to a head the unrest and dissatisfaction felt by them for several years. This dissatisfaction, occasioned by such things as reduc tion in pay, shorter hours owing to (Continued on page six) Few Miss Passenger Service Abandoned By A. C. L. Saturday Provision Is Made for Ex press and Mail Service; Transfer Employees Discontinuance of passenger service on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, between Plymouth and Tarboro. last Saturday, after more than half a century of such service, caused very little concern among people here, who realized that motored vehicle service is being improved to take care of the passengers as the railroad failed to maintain its service and schedules to conform with modern demands. J. B. Edmundson. for years station agent for the line here, reported that express would be caried on a car at tached to the daily freight, which operates between here and Rocky Mount, affording as good express facilities and service as heretofore. The train will leave here about noon. At the same hour another train will leave Rocky Mount for Plymouth, the two usually meeting in Williamston. In addition to providing express serv ice. this train may carry a coach for passengers if there is any demand for it. Conductor G. C. Sanders who was in charge of the passenger train tak en off last Saturday, has been trans ferred to the main line and has a run between Norfolk and Wilmington. Brakeman L. T. Rose will continue to live here, having been assigned to the freight train operating between Plymouth and Rocky Mount. Engineer P. G. Savage has been transferred to Rocky Mount and will be included in the crew on a train operating between Wilmington and Rocky Mount. Express and baggage clerk C. E. Esteridge has also been transferred to another run. It is not known where the mail clerk will land. The mail service usually handled by the passenger train was taken over by George C. James, jr., Saturday morning. He will handle the run be tween here and Parmele by motor car. He leaves here each morning at 9, returning about 7 in the evening. The Norfolk Southern Bus Corpor ation is providing an adequate pas senger service, and from this stand point it is doubtful that the train will be missed, as the bus schedule and facilties are superior to that of the discontinued train. Back in 1883, the old Albemarle and Raleigh railroad was built from Tarboro into Williamston. Five years later the line was extended to Plym outh. On January 10, 1894, the line was consolidated with the Wilming ton and Weldon Railroad; and on May 1, 1900, it became a part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad system. Four passenger trains were operated daily for a number of years, but as highway traffic increased with im proved roads, schedules on the rails were reduced, and the final withdraw al took place last Saturday, when the train made its last run from Plym outh to the yards of the Coast Line shops in Rocky Mount. -e> County's Share of Expense for Health Service Is $3,750.81 -« Suggestion Is Made That District Office Be Moved To Downtown Area Washington County’s part of the expense of the district health depart ment for the next year is $3,752.81, with $600 of the amount recognized as an unpaid balance from this year, Dr. S. V. Lewis lias been informed by the county board of health and the county commissioners. When the district health officer made his report to the health board, a suggestion was made that the of fices of the health department be moved from the county home to the down-town section of Plymouth in order to make it more available. The health officer made the fol lowing report of six months’ work: Admissions to service, 115; field visits: measles 5. whooping cough 116, chicken pox 41: immunizations: smallpox 237, diphtheria 80, typhoid fever 225; infant and pre-school hy giene: individuals admitted to health service 89, admitted to nursing serv ice 49, field nursing visits 211, office nursing visits 225; school hygiene, in spections by physician or nurse 373, inspections by dentist 533, total den tal operations 2,226. General sanitation: new privies in stalled 219. new septic tanks 3; field visits: private premises 354, camp sites 1, swimming pools 3, schools 1. Communicable disease control: syphilis treatment 1,439, gonorrhea treatments 8. Young Boxers Have First Bouts Wednesday Night Tom Brown and Joe Nobles are helping local youngsters get a box ing team started. The first bouts were held Wednesday night, with Asa Rogers matched against Jimmy Hays and Roy Manning, jr„ against Jack Swain. The bouts were reported thor oughly enjoyed by the boys, although most of them have sore noses, evi dently the principal targets of the fighters. Arrangements Complete for Field Day at Wenona Next Thursday; Interesting Program Is Prepared Two Additional Teachers Assigned to County Result o! Attendance Increase Increased average daily attend ance last year was sufficient to provide for the allotment of two additional teachers, one white and one colored, for the Wash ington County school next term by the State School Commission, it was announced this week by H. H. McLean, county superintend ent of public instruction. The additional teachers brought the total faculty membership from 92 last year to 94 for the coming term. One of the new added to the high school depart ment in the Plymouth white school, and one to the high school department of the Plymouth col ored school. White schools: Plymouth, 6 in high school, 12 in elementary: Roper, 4 in high school and 9 el ementary; Creswell, 5 high school, 9 elementary; Cherry, elementary 4. Colored schools: Plymouth, 5 high school, 13 elementary; Mor attock 2; Brooks, 1; Deep Bot tom, 2; Roper, high school 3, el ementary 6; Macedonia. 2: Mt. Delane, 2; Backwoods, 2; Sound Side, 3; Cherry, 1; Pritchards, 1. No official allotments can be made for Creswell Colored High School, as it is non-standard, but it is expected that 2 high school teachers will be placed there and 4 elementary. July Fourth Holiday Very Quiet in County Large Crowds Go To Beaches; Report No Arrests or Disorder -® Day Marked by Absence of Serious Automobile Accidents Celebration of the 163rd anniver sary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence passed very quietly in Washington County, acording to reports from all sections received here Wednesday. There were no serious traffic accidents, and no disorders of any kind, so far as could be learned. Chief of Police P. W. Brown said no arrests were made in the Plym outh area. Many of the residents remained at home with their fam ilies, others visited relatives or near by beaches, and the day was one of the quitest on record here. Baseball games drew their share of spectators, while the golf course at the country club had its biggest day in recent months. Only the pool parlors, bowling alleys, drug stores, cafes and moving picture show were open in the downtown section. Mayor C. N. Davenport, of Creswell, said the holiday was one of the quiet est Fourths lie had observed in this section in years, as about the only noise heard was that from firecrack ers set off by young boys. Chief of Police L. C. Snell, of Rop er, also reported a very quiet day. No disorders were reported to him and no arrests were made. While it was comparatively quiet in the various towns, with only a few residents at home, Albemarle Beach had the largest crowd present that ever thronged the popular resort. Cars were there from as far away as Chi cago and Panama Canal Zone, in ad dition to those from Robersonville, Edenton, Scotland Neck, and all the other towns nearby. The large crowd was reported very orderly, as was also the smaller crowds attending the two baseball games here, when the Rocks lost to Edenton. 6-5. in tire morning and played to a 6-6 tie with the Pine town team for 13 innings in the aft ernoon. It was reported that 520 persons lost their lives in the nation, 4 in this state, during the long July Fourth ■week-end,” beginning Saturday and ending Tuesday night. Last year there were 11 deaths in the state. Reorganization oi W. O. W. Camp Here Soon Is Planned A meeting will be held in about two weeks to revive the old Camp, No. 36. of the Woodmen of the World, which has not had a meeting in 30 years, it was announced today by Lloyd Owens, financial secretary, who suc ceeded his father in this office. There are eight old members here who joined years ago, and who have continued their affiliation with the state organization, with about nine prospective new members who are ready to enroll when the local camp Is reestablished. The time, date and place of the re organization meeting will be an nounced later, according to Mr. Owens. Announcements Made By Methodist Minister Rev. WADE JOHNSON, Pastor "Opportunities of Old Age” will be the theme by the Rev. Wade Johnson in the Plymouth Methodist church at 11 a. m. Mr. J. Shepherd Brink ley will be in charge of the program of appropriate music. Mr. Johnson will fill his pulpits in Jamesville at 10 a. m. and 8 p. m. and in Siloam church at 3:30 p. m. FIRST BLOSSOM I v-j While there are plenty of cot ton blossoms in the county this week, last week they were not so prevalent, the first bloom report ed this season having: been brought in by Hilton Chesson last Friday morning, June 30. The first blossom came from a field on the farm of D E. Spruill in the Pea Ridge section. It was pink, denoting that the bloom was at least one day old. Over 26,000 Bushels Cucumbers Brought To Lang Plant Here -® Payments Next Monday To Bring Total for Crop So Far To $19,500 Recent rains have caused the cu cumber vines in Washington County to bear rapidly, and 4,300 bushels were received Monday at the plant of C. C. Lang & Son here, with 3,500 additional bushels coming in Tues day. Deliveries the first two days of the week pushed the total number of bushels delivered at the plant here this season to approximately 26,000 according to P. H. Roberts, manager. Checks are now being made out for the deliveries made this week, with about $11,500 to be distributed to the farmers next Monday. This added to the $8,000 previously paid out, brings the total to $19,500, which has been paid to cucumbers producers in this section since the plant began receiv ing the crop about three weks ago. Manager Roberts said today that indications were about 36,000 bushels would be received this season, which has about three weeks to go, with the peak being reached this week. Last year 39,000 bushels were delivered at the plant. A number of the storage tanks at the plant have been filled with cu cumbers, and it is possible that part of the local crop may be carried to Washington. N. C.. or more tanks will have to be brought here and erected to care for the crop. $2,000 Paid To Unemployed Local Workmen Thursday The Unemployment Compensation distributed about the same amount of checks as last week to idle em ployees of the North Carolina Pulp Company and a few other unemploy ed men here Thursday. It was re ported about $2,000 was the total of the checks given the jobless. Dean Schaub To Speak Here 12th Dean I. O. Schaub, of State College, Raleigh, will be the prin cipal speaker at a meeting of the directors and special guests of the Plymouth Mutual Livestock Mar keting Association, to be held in the agriculture building here on Wednesday, July 12. Following the meeting of the directors, who will hear a report on the organization and other matters of associational concern, a barbecue luncheon with all the trimmings will be served to the 50 persons expected to be pres ent. County Agent W. V. Hays said that in addition to the directors, some of the largest shippers, county commissioners and busi ness men of the counties who have aided the association had been invited. W. B. Rodman To Be Principal Speaker; Coburn Will Preside Trips To Field Tests and Team Pulling Contest Are Features Thousands of farm folk from this section are expected to converge on the Blackland Experiment Station at Wenona near here next Thursday, July 13, for the 14th annual farmers’ field day of the test farm, with Sen ator W. B. Rodman, of Washington, N. C., as the principal speaker. The annual event is sponsored by the State Department of Agriculture, cooperating with the State Agricul ture Experiment Station and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, featur ing diversification in farming and agriculture research. There are a number of other speakers on the program, including Commissioner of Agriculture W. Kerr Scott, who will introduce Mr. Rod man. Presiding will be Robert L. Co bum, Williamston attorney and form er state senator. Prof. R. H. Ruff ner, of the animal industry division of State College, will speak on the production of work stock; D. S. Col trane, assistant to Commissioner Kerr Scott, will talk on the soil-testing service; and Dr. E. R. Collins, of the agronomy division of State College, is to point out the factors involved in selecting a balanced fertilizer for con tinued crop production. Dr. P. E. Miller, state director of test farms, will also be present. J. L. Rea, jr., assistant director in charge of the farm, is making arrangements for the event. Miss Sallie Brooks, of Raleigh, as sistant extension nutritionist at State College, will speak to the women in the afternoon at 2 o’clock on outdoor entertaining. Mrs. Prances M. Dar den. home agent of Washington Coun ty, is in charge of the women’s di vision. For the men, the afternoon pro gram will Include a pulling contest between teams of horses, oxen and mules, with County Agent W. V. Hays, of Plymouth, and E. P. Welche, man ager of Scuppemong Farms, FSA project near Creswell, in charge of the event. Paul Fletcher, livestock marketing specialist, of Raleigh, will have charge of the dynamometer, to be used in measuring Ithe pulling strength of the workstock entered in the pulling contest. Dr. John E. Foster, Earl H. Hos tetler, and Bryan Harris, of the ani mal industry division of State Col lege and Department of Agriculture, will accompany the farmers on a tour of the livestock exhibits, which will consist of beef cattle, sheep, hogs, and percheron horses. Drs. P. H. Harvey, E. R. Collins and L. Burk hart, of the diifision of agronomy, will supervise the tour of the agronomy test plats. Music will be provided by the Bel haven Brass Band, C. W. Jacobson directing. A. P. LeFever, Herbert Al len, Bryan Harris, Holland Allen and Carlos Manning will serve as mar shals. In the field trips, exhibits under the following headings will be on dis play: Percheron horses: quality of meat studies in beef cattle; improve ment of native cattle by use of pure bred sire; value of native reeds as a pasture for beef cattle; gleaning stud ies with beef cattle; cost of raising pigs to weaning age; cost of carrying breeding herd of hogs; peanut meal as a supplement to com for fatten ing hogs: improvement of the fam ily cow; the farm flock of sheep; fer tilizer and crop rotation studies; lime tests; manganese and coppel sulphate studies: pasture grass fertilizer tests; seed corn selections, soybean variety test, hybrid corn test, effects of shear ing on summering lambs. May Change Lunch Period at Schools -9 A suggestion has been made that the noon lunch period at county schools be shortened next term, with all of the children in the four white schools getting their lunches on the grounds, those able to pay being re quired to contribute a small sum daily for their food. It was pointed out that if this was done the children would have more time in the after noon after classes had been conclud ed, to enjoy athletics, the band, and other extra-curricular activities. Mrs. Kathleen Spruill Nobles, in charge of lunch rooms at schools in the county, says enough food can be preserved from summer and fall gar dens to provide lunches at a nominal charge for those able to pay. the profit being used to defray the cost of the free lunches given those who are not able to pay for them. While the plan is not definite, Mrs. Nobles is having WPA workmen at tend gardens at, various points In the county for the purpose of supplying food to be canned for use next school term.