The Roanoke Beacon
******* AND W^ASHINGTON COUNTY NEWS ★★★★★★★
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and News Columns a latchkey to
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, .
VOLUME L— NUMBER 50
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 14, 1939
ESTABLISHED 1889
Town
opics
Approximately $100 in damage was
done, but no one was hurt when the
car operated by Billy Fagan, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Fagan, of Dar
dens. turned over on a road near here
Sunday night. It was said the road
came to a dead end.
W. Blount Rodman, president
of the Washington County Cham
ber of Commerce said traffic was
gradually increasing on the road
from here to Washington, as more
motorists learn that a saving in
mileage can be effected by travel
ing the new route.
Mrs. Fred J. Knight, former school
teacher and descendant of one of the
oldest families in America, has been
sick at her home here since October
1. Her condition, though not re
garded as serious, keeps her confined
to her home.
W. R. Hampton, member of the
State Board of Conservation and De
velopment, said this week that there
•were 26 persons, from eight states,
here last week enjoying the bear
hunting that is gradually taking the
lead as a sport in this country.
Washington County school chil
dren arc this week in the midst
of their mid-term examinations
as they finish the first semester’s
work before Christmas for the
first time in a number of years.
The public is cordially invited to
attend a Christmas candlelight serv
ice in Grace Episcopal church here
Sunday, December 24, Christmas
Eve, at 5 o’clock, according to an of
ficial of the church. Music will be
provided by the combined choirs of
local churches, and there will be a
number of organ solos.
J. Roy Manning, in particular,
and the rest of the building and
loan association directors in gen
eral, are getting set to call on a
lot of Plymouth folks in the next
couple of weeks to boost sales of
stock in the ninth series, which
on"' s January 1st. It is hoped
at least 300 to 500 shares will be
sold in the new series, details of
the campaign to be announced
next week.
Miss Theda Hopkins, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Hopkins, of Cres
well, was a first soprano in the Mer
edith College choir of 82 voices, which
gave a concert of Christmas music
in the college auditorium last Sun
day under the direction of Miss Hel
en Sharp, director.
W. R. Gaylord, chairman of the
Democratic Executive Commi'tee and
of the Jackson Day Dinner activities
j, ai'j count;,.' <'«nd today he uii .not
have the first person to purchase a
$25 ticket for the diner that is to be
held in Raleigh January 8.
Funeral Being Held
This Afternoon for
Wilbur CJipruill, 46
Died Tuesday in Roanoke,
Va., Hospital, Result of
Auto Accident
Funeral services were held at the ,
Methodist church here Thursday
afternoon for Wilbur C. Spruill. 46,
who died in a Roanoke. Va., hospital
Tuesday morning as a result of in
juries sustained when a car he was
driving crashed into an underpass
near Burkeville, Va., about three
weeks ago.
Officiating was the Rev. O. L. Hard
wick, pastor of the church. The fin
al rites were in charge of the James
E. Jethro Post, No. 164, of the Amer
ican Legion, of which he was a mem
ber. Interment took place in the
Methodist cemetery.
Mr. Spruill was manager of the So
cial Security Administration office in
Salisbury at the time of his death.
For years he was connceted with the
state department of revenue.
Surviving, besides his mother, Mrs.
A. G. Spruill, is his former wife, Mrs.
Kathleen Spruill Nobles; three chil
dren, Bill, Virginia and James, all of
Plymouth; four sisters, Mrs. C. W.
Dinkins, High Point: Mrs. C. M. Hill,
Newport; Mrs. J. A. Griffin, Norfolk;
Mrs. M. D. Gilliam, Windsor; three
brothers, Frank Spruill, Plymouth;
Earl Spruill, Portsmouth; Henry
Spruill, Windsor; and two half broth
ers, Raymond Spruill, of Norfolk, and
Clarence Spruill, of Plymouth.
Firemen Urge Donations of Old Toys
For Distribution To Needy Children
Some toys have been brought
fire department headquarters
1st enougli to keep the firemen
. jsy repairing and repainting
them, but it is feared not enough
articles will be available for the
actual need when time for deliv
ery comes, so Fire Chief L. W.
Gurkin this week urged citizens
to send or bring their toys imme
diately, as the firemen have only
a few days in which to accom
plish their task of “renewing"
them in time for the Christmas
The firemen will have very lit
tle time to call for the old toys
this year, as they must spend ev
ery leisure moment preparing
them for delivery, and donors are
urged by the chief to send or
bring their toys as a convenience
to the firemen.
The firemen have only their
spare time to devote to this work,
and as many of them have ex
tra work during the holiday sea
son, promptness Is urgent If the
needs of the community’s indig
ent children are to be taken care
of Christmas.
For the last two years scores of
little tots’ hearts were made glad
by the thoughtfulness of the
firemen, who hope no worthy
child will bo forgotten this year.
Many have been aded to the list,
as parents who provided for them
last year and years before, are
unable to do so now.
The chief urges you to do your
part to make this a merry Christ
mas for all children in the com
munity. To bring or send toys
to the firemen requires but little
sacrifice or effort on the citizen’s
part, and the need is great.
Turnpike Road Now
Included in System
Of Stale Highways
-O
Regarded as First Step in
Securing Eventual Pav
ing of Route
-o
Successful in their efforts to get the
Turnpike road designated as N. C.
Highway No. 99 by the State High
way and Public Works Commission
and placed on the primary road sys
tem. John W. Darden, secretary of
the Washington County Chamber of
Commerce, said today that the first
step had been taken in getting a
hardsurfaced road over this route.
The comission announced Saturday
that they had transferred N. C. No. 99
between Pantego and the intersection
of N. C. 97 to the county system and
had added the county road between
Pantego and its junction with N. C.
97 (approximately seven miles south
of Plymouth) to the State primary
load system and assigned it route
N. C. 99.
This is exactly what those desiring
a dependable all-weather road over
the Turnpike wished, as it will give
then an arguing point for their stand
that this road through Wenona, Pun
go and Pantego should be hardsur
faced.
Proponents of the road say that
with this road recognized as a pri
mary route in the system that it
should be mvxn c surfacing treatment
beiause it connects the capital of
Washington County with the capital
of Hyde county.
It was the policy of the road au
thorities when they started building
the highways in North Carolina al
most a score of years ago to construct
dependable roads between county
seats .and while E. P. Huger, of Wash
ington, was on the commission he
had the route number changed, send
ing No. 99 through Terra Ceia to
Pungo. As originally drawn by the
commission the Turnpike road was
designated as No. 99, but Mr. Kugler
had this changed. >
Only One Case Disposed of
In County Court Tuesday
-0
Two cases were scheduled for trial
in recorder’s court here Tuesday
morning, but one of them failed to
reach the trial stage when the prose
cuting witness decided not to press
the charges involved.
William (Snooks) Phelps, 18, col
ored, charged with seducing Odessa
Cooper, 16, was given 16 months on
the roads.
-—$>
Creswell Baptist Church
Has Chistmas Cantata
-<$>
Creswell.—A large crowd gathered
in the Creswell Baptist church Sun
day morning for the presentation of
the Christmas cantata, “Star of the
Christ Child.”
Beautiful wreaths, holly, pine and
cedar were used in decorating the
church, with the arch back of the
pulpit festooned with cedar and holly
and a frame of blue lights.
In addition to several choruses,
solo parts were rendered by Mrs. J.
M. Phelps and Mrs. O. Q. Lassiter,
sopranos; Mrs. A. C. Harris, alto; Ray
Cox, tenor; Bob Merritt, baritone;
and Lloyd Norman, bass.
D. W. Luplon, of Pantego. Favored by
Warren as Census Director in District
Representative Lindsay War
ren stated this week that he had
recommended the appointment of
D. W. Lupton, of Pantego, as di
rector of the census in the First
District and W. A. Everett, of
Edenton, as assistant director.
Both men are now attending a
census school in Raleigh. Mr.
Lupton had charge of the busi
ness and agricultural census in
1934 and 1935. Mr. Everett is a
prominent business man of Eden
ton.
All other positions in connec
tion with the census will be enu
merators. No information has
vet been received as to how many
enumerators will be allotted to
each county. The business census
will be taken in January and the
population and farm census in
April and enumerators will work
for about 30 days.
Mr. Warren stated that all en
umerators will work for about 30
days.
Mr. Warren stated that all en
umerators would be appointed by
Mr. Lupton after they had stood
a test prescribed by the Bureau
of Census. He further stated that
he had turned over to Mr. Lup
ton all letters written to him on
the subject and has advised par
ties to communicate about the
matter with Mr. Lupton.
Tax Listers To
Meet Wednesday
Tax listers of Washington
County will meet with the com
missioners next Wednesday night
to receive final instructions as
they prepare for the annual list
ing of personal property and real
estate which is to be done in
January instead of April in com
pliance with a law enacted by the
recent legislature.
Commissioners J. R. Campbell,
E. F. Swain and J. C. Knowles
will meet with the following list
ers: H. C. Spruill, Plymouth: P.
B. Belanga, Scuppernong; E. M.
Chesson, Lees Mills: Walter Wr.
White, Skinnersvllle.
A schedule of visits by the tax
listers to various communities
will be made and also a schedule
of values to be placed on personal
property will be adopted.
Glee Club To Sing
Christmas Music
At School Sunday
Will Be in Nature of Union
Community Service; Pro
gram Outlined
Following a custom instituted by
Principal R. B. Trotman two years
ago a community Christmas service
will be held in the high school audi
torium Sunday evening, at 7:30. All
the churches in Plymouth have been
invited to participate in the service.
At the service Sunday night, the
Rev. O. L. Hardwick, pastor of the
Plymouth Methodist church, will read
the lesson and the vested glee club
of the high school, under the direc
tion of Miss Clara Louise Jones will
sing the following program:
1. Chorus: “O Little Town of Beth
lehem."
2. Chorus: “Christmas BeUs."
3. Chorus: “O Come, O Come Im
manuel” (ancionet plainsong, 13th
century).
4. Chorus: “It Came Upon the Mid
night Clear.”
1. Chorus and soprano solo: “Hark,
What Mean Those Heavenly Voices.”
2. Chorus: “Slumber Song.”
3. Chorus: “The First Noel.”
4. Solo, Matt White Norman: “Ave
Maria."
1. Chorus: “While Shepherds
Watched Their Flocks.”
2. Chorus: “O Bone Jesu.”
3. Chorus: “O Come, All Ye Faith
ful.”
4. Chorus: "Silent Night."
Benediction.
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New Motor Fuel Is
Put on Sale Today
-0
An improved motor fuel perfected
after months of research by engineers
of the Standard Oil Company went
on sale in Washington County today,
according to C. E. Ayers, distributor.
The new Esso, at the regular price,
has been “stepped up’’ for premium
anti-knock performance and the new
Esso Extra, at premium price, is a
new all-time high in extra quality,
Mr. Ayers said.
Newspapers and radios of 17 states
carried the announcement of the new
motor fuel Tuesday, and Mr. Ayers
attended a district meeting of dealers
in Rocky Mount that night.
Others who attended the Rocky
Mount meeting from here were Clay
ton House, V. E. Everett, Joe Arps
Ed Jackson, Floyd Asby, Bill Bailey
and T. A. Stubbs.
-$
Town License Plates On
Sale by Chief of Polict
-o
A total of 250 automobile licensi
plates for the town of Plymouth ar<
on sale here for 1940 by Chief of Po
lice P. W. Brown, who says he has al
ready sold a number of them. Pro
ceeds from the sale of the tags wil
go to the Plymouth High Schoo
Band.
Like the state license tags for 1940
the town plates have maroon letter
and figures on an aluminum back
ground.
P.T. A. To Head Up
Christmas Drive for
Community's Needy
American Legion, Firemen
And School Children To
Help in Work
Indigent families in the Plymouth
section will be taken care of this
Christmas, but the fund this time
will not be operated on as large a
scale as heretofore, according to P.
W. Brown, who will help in the work.
A meeting of all the presidents of
civic organizations in Plymouth was
scheduled for Tuesday night at the
community hall, but was poorly at
tended.
However, the American Legion, the
parent-teacher association and one or
two more organizations were repre
sented and the group decided that it
would work through the parent
teacher association.
The firemen have started to re
pairing toys; the legionnaires will
raise the money required; the school
children will bring clothing; and Mrs.
W. V. Hays, president of the parent
teacher association, said an effort
was being made to take care of the
more needy cases.
It could not be learned what would
be done by the Roper and Creswell
people to take care of worthy but
needy families in those communities.
-•)
Furniture Store To
Open Here Friday
-0
A new furniture store will open here
Friday morning, when the M. H.
Mitchell Furniture Company will be
ready for business in the building at
the comer of Water and Jefferson
Streets formerly occupied by the
Plymouth Motor Company.
Manager of the new store is F. H.
Modlin, who has been connected with
the Ahoskie store of the firm for
several years and who comes to
Plymouth with many years of experi
ence in the furniture business.
The store opens here at the height
of the Christmas season, with a large
line of toys in addition to the mer
chandise generally handled by up-to
date furniture establishments.
The building has been leased for
two years, and Mr. Mitchell, who was
here Tuesday, said he hoped that Mr.
Modlin would soon find suitable
housing accommodations so that he
could move his family here.
-c*
I Take Applications
For Soil Payments
Applications are being signed for
farmers who are eligible for parity
payments under the soil conserva
tion program, it was announced this
week by County Agent W. V. Hays,
who pointed out that practically ev
ery farmer in the county would ben
efit in some way through these pay
ments.
Farmers in Lees Mill Township are
having their aplications signed on
Thursday and Friday of this week,
and those down the county will be
seen next week.
Farmers in the Plymouth section
may visit the county office in the ag
riculture building at any time to sign
their applications, Mr. Hays said.
It is hoped that the vouchers will
be returned for the payments within
60 days after the applications have
been Hied with the state office.
i early paper |
V---/
In order that the personnel of
the office may have a few days
off for Christmas, the Beacon will
be placed in the mails on Thurs
day morning next week instead
of in the afternoon.
Correspondents must have their
copy in the office by Monday
l night to insure publication next
I week, and advertisers are urged
to have their copy ready as early
, i as possible, as the early issue will
i give them an opportunity to get
their last-minute specials to the
shoppers before the holidays.
J. L. Rea, Jr., To Be
Named Member oi
Local School Board
Name Will Be Presented To
County Board at Meet
ing in January
The nomination of J. L. Rea. jr.,
of Wenona, as a member of the
Plymouth school board will be made
at the January meeting of the Wash
ington County Board of Education, it
was said today by Walter H. Para
more. member of the county board.
Mr. Rea will be named to succeed
P. Bruce Bateman, who was placed
on the board with Frank L. Brinkley
and Dr. E. A. Harper when the school
board was reorganized last Aprli. Mr.
Bateman resigned when he moved to
Fayetteville in October.
According to the usual procedure.
Mr. Rea's nomination is tantamount
to election.
As assistant manager of the Black
land Test Farms, and having served
on the board several years ago, Mr.
Paramore said he was sure Mr. Rea
would make a valuable member, be
ing qualified both by experience and
interest in school work
The nomination of Mr. Rea is in
keeping with the custom of placing
one person on the local board from
the rural section. Mr. Brinkley rep
resents the town area and Dr. Harper
the pulp mill village.
$30 in Cash Awarded
To Four Winners at
Drawing This Week
Final Mid-Week Drawing
Next Wednesday; Grand
Awards on 27th
Under heavy dark clouds which
threatened rain every minute, sev
eral hundred persons attended the!
mid-week drawing sponsored by the
Plymouth Merchants Association
here Wednesday, when four more
persons were given $30 in cash prizes
for trading with the local merchants.
Four persons won prizes and four
others were engaged in the drawing
ceremonies, including G. Sam Res
pass, of the Long Acre section, and
three boys, two of them sons of Mr.
and M-s. Francis Hohl. and the thiri
Alvin Owens, son of Mr, and Mrs,
H. C .Owens.
The first prize of $10 was won by
C. A. Lumpkin, with a ticket from
R. S. Browning’s store, and the sec
ond $10 was taken with a ticket from
Pender's, held by John Furlough, of
the Scuppernong section.
Miss Violet Simpson, with a ticket
from Rose's store, won the first $5
prize, and C. C. Waters, of near here,
won the second $5 award with a tick
et from the Plymouth Motor Com
pany.
Only one more mid-week drawing
will be held before the grand prize of
$100 and four $25 prizes will be
awarded on Wednesday, December 27.
E. H. Liverman, W. F. Winslow, and
J. R. Manning, who conduct the week
ly drawings, urge all who shop here
between now and Christmas to ask
for their tickets with each $1 spent
or paid on account at local stores.
Mail Carrier Runs
Over Colored Child
-O
Two-year-old John Norman, col
ored, was seriously injured in the
Skinnersville section Wednesday aft
ernoon when an automobile operated
by Jack McAllister, of Roper, ran over
the child’s body.
The child was with his mother
when Mr. McAllister, rural mail car
rier, stopped to sell the parent some
stamps. The child went to the front
of the car, unseen by either of the
adults, and was there when Mr. Mc
Allister started his car to pull away,
according to Corporal Tom Brown, of
the highway patrol, who investigated
the accident.
Medical attention was rendered,
and it was feared the child might de
velop pneumonia or other complica
tions which might cause his death.
It was reported two of the car wheels
ran over the child.
Playlet Presented Thursday
At Creswell P.T.A. Meeting
-o
Creswell.—A playlet entitled “'When
the Toys Talk” was presented by the
first and second grades under the di
rection of Misses Julia VanLanding
ham, Kate Ogilvie, and Mary Poy
j Peterson last Thursday, at the meet
ing of the parent-teacher association.
Mrs. E. S. Wodley, president, called
the meeting to order and Mrs. Jose
phine Homles read ' The President’s
Message.” Reports of work done in
the various departments were made
by the chairmen.
Mrs. C. L. Barnes read a very in
teresting article on "Do Home Tasks
Build Character?” Announcements
of future events at. the school were
J made by Principal A T. Brooks.
Variety of Christmas
Merchandise Attracts
Many to Local Stores
No Fireworks in
Business Section
Shooting of fireworks will not
be allowed in the downtown sec
tion nor around churches during
the Christmas season. Chief of
Police P. W. Brown warned to
day.
However, the chief explained
that regulations prohibiting the
shooting of fireworks throughout
the town would be suspended
during the holiday period except
as to the business district on Wa
ter and Washington streets and
around the churches.
The officer warned further that
he wasn't fouling, either, about
this; and those who just must
have their pyrotechnics would do
well to keep them out of the pro
hibited areas unless they want to
spend some Christmas money
paying finec.
Farmers of County
For Cotton Control
By Vote of 112 To 0
--
Washington One of Five
Counties To Cast Unani
mous Vote Saturday
By a vote of 112 to 0. farmers in
Washington County followed the
trend of cotton growers throughout
the nation, who voted overwhelming
ly for continuance of the cotton crop
control program and marketing quo
tas for 1940 in the referendum held
last Saturday.
Camden, Currituck, Tyrrell, Wash
ington and Wilson counties were the
only counties in North Carolina to
vote solidly for the program, farmers
over the entire state casting 49,542
votes for and 5.513 against.
In the nation, there were 640,815
voting “yes" and 58,515 “no" in the
election, which occasioned but lit
tle interest in this county. There
were 210 eligible to vote, but only 112
cast their ballots, and all of them
favored the program.
Every county in the state except
Sampson returned the needed two
thirds majority in favor of the plan.
Last year Washington County vot
•■d 326 for and 53 against, while the
vote in the state as a whole was 75,
957 to 40,853 in favor of the program.
Reopening Handle
Plant Is Delayed
Delay in the resumption of opera
tions at the local plant of the Ameri
can Pork & Hoe Company, which was
scheduled for Friday, was attributed
by Miss Ethel Arps, manager, to need
of an extension of time for complet
ing repairs.
If the repairs underway cannot be
completed in time for the mill to be
gin work by next week. Miss Arps
said she was reasonably sure that op
erations would be resumed on Janu
ary 2.
Miss Arps said it was necessary to
organize the forest department fully
before the plant opened so that
enough timber would be available for
continuous operation when work is
resumed after a lapse of several
years.
Rhythm Band Program
Being Presented Tonight
The program which was announced
for the rhythm band for Friday eve
ning has been changed and is being
presented at the school building to
night. This is the first appearance
of the rhythm band before the pub
lic, under the direction of Miss Clara
Louise Jones and Miss Ethel Perry.
Local Merchants To Keep
Places Open Evenings
All Next Week
Offer Many Values
Business is reported to be picking
up steadily in the downtown area, as
shoppers began to unload the heavily
laden shelves of Plymouth merchants,
with only eight more shopping days
left before Christmas.
The large and complete stocks of
holiday merchandise are beginning to
move briskly, and customers viewing
the large displays are beginning to
shop in earnest to take advantage of
the bargains offered and the wide va
riety of merchandise affording a wide
choice of Christmas items.
It is too late now for shopping to
be done early, it is true; but the long
er the shoppers wait the greater the
last-minute rush will be. Customers
are advised that if they do their buy
ing during the morning hours the
stores will not be so crowded as they
will be in the afternoons and even
ings.
Starting Monday all stores will re
main open until 9 o’clock each even
ing for the accomodation of those
who are unable to buy during the
daylight hours.
In these crowded shopping days,
the careful buyer can’t go wrong by
patronizing merchants who have ad
vertised in this newspaper. They
have something to offer and have
bought space to tell their customers
about it.
Shoppers can do better at home,
where the merchant depend on their
good will the year around, than they
can any where else, and all Plymouth
merchants ask is a chance to prove
this statement.
Read the ads and buy at home.
Number Employed
On Plant Additions
Is Being Increased
Crew of Brick Masons and
Helpers Expected To Be
gin Work Monday
A crew of brick masons and help
ers are to be added to the 100 con
struction workers already employed
in erecting the group of new build
ings at the North Carolina Pulp
Company here, as the expansion pro
gram continues to go forward.
The concrete footing on the foun
dation for the beater room was com
pleted this week, and the structural
steel work is nearly finished on the
bleacher building, with the riveting
being done now.
Steel work has been erected for
the bleach-liquor building and the
roof is to be put on very shortly.
Masons are expected to begin build
ing a brick wall around the struc
tural steel frame on the bleaching
building and the bleach-liquor budd
ing Monday.
It was learned today that the Wil
liam Muirhead Construction Com
of Durham, has also been awarded
the contract for the construction of
a power building, and work will be
gin on this as soon as possible in con
nection with their other activities.
The Rohleder company has the
concretes sides almost up around the
filtering plant, for which they have
the contract, and are rushing their
work to completion.
Parent-Teacher Meeting
Is Postponed This Week
Mrs. W. V. Hays, president of the
local parent-teacher association, this
week announced that the meeting set
for this evening, December 14, has
been postponed until after the Christ
mas holidays. The change was made
because of the rush of school activi
ties before the holidays and the fact
that it is impossible for the speaker
to be here tonight.
Merchants and Police Secure Vacant
Lots ior Parking Cars Until Christmas
Ample free parking space will
be provided on Hampton Lot and
in the space beside the firemen’s
headquarters on Water Street for
shoppers who trade with local
merchants from now until Christ
was, it was announced today by
Chief of Police P. W. Brown.
Addition of this parking space
will solve one of the problems
which confronts out-of-town peo- *
pie who come here to shop on
week days during the Christmas
season.
The merchants have agreed to
pay for the expense of employ
ing an additional officer, who
will direct the parking and watch
the cars when the shoppers leave
them to visit local stores. The
police department will be in
charge of the work of the spec
ial officer.
So, between the hours of 4 and
10 p. m.. starting on Saturday and
continuing through the holiday
shopping season, visitors to Plym
outh will have no difficulty In
finding a convenient parking
place, and the special officer will
be there to render them every
assistance possible.
^UkTnr Tickets With Each $1.00 Purchase When Buying in Plymouth and Attend Weekly Drawings