THE
Roanoke Beacon
and
Washington County News
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
In Plymouth. Washington County.
North Carolina
The Roanoke Beacon is Wash- I
ington County's only newspaper.
It was established in 1889, consoli
dated with the Washington County
News in 1929 and with The Sunil
in 1937.
Subscription Rates
Payable in Advance)
One year.. $1.50
Six months _ __ .75 j
Advertising Rates Furnished
Upon Request
Entered as second-class matter
.it the post office in Plymouth.
N C.. under the act of Congress
1 March 3. 1879.
I
North Carolina :
PPFSS ASSOCIATICV ,
© --
December 14, 1939
i
..-■■■ .. - 1 --'i
Needy Children Will
Not Be Forgotten
It is indeed gratifying to know that
the unfortunate children of Washing
ton County are not to be forgotten
this Christmas—not that we ever
thought they would be. The local tire
department and the American l egion
post are due the thanks of the com
munity for their unselfish decision to
sponsor the work again this year, as
they have in the past. The placing
of barrels in the schools here by the
Beta Club, which is sponsoring the
collection of old clothing and canned
goods for distribution by the wel
fare committee of the parent-teacher
association, is another commendable
-tep in carrying out the spirit of the
Christmas season.
When you come right down to it,
these orgnizations deserve a lot more
than the thanks of the community—
they are due whole-hearted coopera
tion and support in the undertaking.
N'ot only in providing second-hand
toys and clothing, either, because
some money will be required to carry
out the distribution of these things in
the maner they should be, and cer
tainly all of us should respond lib
erally in this respect.
If there is a man who can cold
lloodedly turn down an appeal to |
help provide a measure of happiness i
for these unfortunate little children :
it Chistmas time, then that ntan is'
to be pitied: there is something lack
ins; in his make-up: and he is totally i
jut of step with the true meaning of
the Christmas season
The Biblical admonition that it is
more blessed to .stive than to receive
never has more meaning than at |
Christmas time, especially where
needy poor children are concerned,!
and we not only believe, we know our
kind of people will not be found,
wanting
Failures in Schools
Are Real Problem
It is indeed a serious problem
which engages the consideration of
our count> school authorities at this
time, that of seeking the cause and
a reined) for the alarming number
of failures recorded by school pupils
each year True, the number of fail
ures in this county is not alarming
when compared with the number in
other counties, but. even so, it is still i
too great far too great, in all of
them.
Reports for the past term show
there were 285 failures out of a total
enrollment of 1.458 children in coun
ty schools, or 17 per cent. Aside
from the fact that it means the pu
pils who failed have wasted a whole
year's work, because they must re
peat the same work again this term,
there i> a sizeable loss in dollars and
cents from an instruction standpoint
alone.
In effect, it means that 17 per cent
of the tobacco school budget is going
to repeat lessons that should have
been learned last year. It is natur
ally impossible to entirely eliminate
failures, but it certainly should not
be impossible to reduce the percent
age and by a substantial amount—
if prn[->er remedial measures can be
taken.
This problem is not one which con
cerns the school authorities alone,
because parents have a duty to per
form in connection with their chil
dren's education as well. The teach
ers are required to attain and main
tain certain professional standards in
order to hold their jobs. Parents, on
the other hand, have no requirements
1 in this respect to uphold, under the
Hubby Crabby When You
Drive? Show Him This
Are women worse drivers than'
men? That question was bom
with the automobile, and for lack
of conclusive data, no answer
other than that of opinion has
ever been given.
According to the figures in “Lest
We Regret,” the ninth annual high
way safety booklet published by
the Travelers Insurance Company,
there were 36,950 automobile driv
ers involved in fatal accidents in
1938. Of that number, 34,700 or
93.9% were men and only 2.250 or
6.1% women.
This seems to indicate that on
the highways the female of the
species is not more deadly than
the male. There are, however, no
data on the relative number of
male and female drivers; nor does
anyone know how many more
miles are driven by men than by
women. Without such data no de
finite conclusions can be drawn.
law; ;md there is more than a sus
picion that a majority of the blame
for failures can lie laid at their door.
The least school patrons can do is
to work with school officials in seek
ing the cause of these failures and
then to lend a very real help in elim
inating such causes. Some coopera
tion here may mean a sizeable savins’
to the taxpayers' ]K>cketbooks, as well
as a more intelligent citizenship in
later years.
Increased Demand
Expected in 1940
According to the U. S. Bureau of
Agricultural Economics, prospects for
an increased consumer demand for
farm products next year are indi
cated. However, prospects for foreign
demand are uncertain because of the
war. In general, agriculture is finish
ing 1939 in better condition that it
began. Prices of many farm pro
ducts and total cash income are high
er than in 1938.
HIGHER
Farmers cash income from mar
i ketings and Government payments
in October 1939 totaled $894,000,000,
larger by $20,000,000 than the income
received in the same month a year
ago.
Rambling
...About
By THE RAMBLER
From our Old Friend, D. O. Patrick.
Roper, comes this communication
that was handed to us after last
week’s column had been written:
I have been balled out, balled up.
held up. held down, hung up. bull
dozed, black balled, walked on. cheat
ed, squeezed, mocked, hit for tax and
red cross, green cross and double
cross, asked to help the society, the
women's relief, the men's relief, the
stomach relief.
I have worked like hell, and because
I won't spend, and lend, all the little
I can earn, and go beg. borrow or
steal. I have been cussed, discussed,
boycotted, talked to. talked about,
lied to and lied about, held up, hung
up. robbed and damn near ruined,
and the only reason I am sticking
around now is to see what is going to
hapen next.
Death—when I die. don’t change
my clothes, or my looks, just bury me
deep, put to my head a little light
wood knot for a stone, and upon my
grave, just a wreath of thorns, with
a little message—"dead and forgotten,
gone and don’t know where."
For the younger people to see what
they may have to contend with before
they part from this old world. Sample.
D. O. Patrick. Roper
From An Old Roper Friend
The jitterbug falls for fashion's
whims,
She'll bare her arms, she'll bare her
limbs.
She'll bare her shoulders and alack.
The poor dear girl will bare her back.
Thermometer means naught to her
On red-hot days, she'll wear her fur:
When wintry's icy blast's are blowing.
You'll find a sheer silk stocking
showing.
She curls her hair and bares her
head—
I wonder all our girls aren't dead.
From a Clerk
So she squeezed on her shoe
With an old shoe horn.
Then on each little toe
Grew one little corn.
From a Creswell Girl
In 1885
Sitting iri the firelight.,
While everything was hush:
My eyes upon my lady.
You ought to see her blush!
In 1939:
Sitting upon the sofa.
My feet upon the rug:
My arms around my darling.
You ought to see me hug!
With the approach of the Christ
mas holidays the mails will be heavy
but then a person should write a let
ter or send a Christmas card to
friends and Postmaster George W.
Hardison handed to the Rambler a
treatise on letters written bv David
Manly as follows:
I am the letter you MEANT to
write.
But you were too busy, or you kept
putting it off. or you excused yourself
by claiming you "didn't know what
to say.”
So I never was written.
And because I never was written
there is a question in the mind of one
of your friends: or a pleasant bond
with some one has been broken: or
there is loneliness in the heart of one
who thinks of you.
It was such an easy thing to have
done—that letter which should have
been written. But you let the time
pass, and somewhere a friend, or a
family, or even an acquaintance, is
'he poorer.
The world that would have brought
cheer to the sick one was not written:
the gracious thank you for a favor
done or a gift exchanged was never
mailed: the happiness; and the un
happy ones who so craved a word of
sympathy are wondering at your si
lence.
I am just a phantom letter.
I am the letter you DID write.
Joyfully, cheerily, I sped on my
way, expectant, for the warm welcome
1 know awaited me wherever my des
tination.
I went into the eager hands of a
mother or a father, and I watched
old eyes grow bright as my message
of love and remembrance was read
and re-read.
I went to the absent friend of yours
and brought to him or her the news
of early intimates: I renewed to them
the picture of their home circle, and
with them I relieved hours of friend
ly and warm-hearted activities.
I went to the newlyweds and in
your name rejoiced in their delight;
I went to the breaved and your sin
cere words brought them a comfort
ing ease.
To a birthday I added the joy of
your good wishes; I refreshed a shut
in with your newsy chat; to a young
person on the threshold of a career I
brought your words of courage.
Everywhere I went I spread the
warmth of your personality, and I
brought back to you an over flowing
wealth of friendship and affection;
your name was loved and remember
ed.
It's so easy to write a letter, be
cause a letter is just yourself. Fancy
phrases aren't necessary. The best
letter is the one that makes the read
f-r say happily. II just sounds like
Take your pen now. Write across
the surface of that blank sheet merely
what you would say in person. The
simple words of Lincoln's letters are
great literature because the words
were just his own voice speaking.
Write your thoughts .just as they come
to you. Then your letter will be a
part of you and doubly precious to
those you have remembered’.
But above all. don't let your letters
be phantoms. Bring them to life by
writing them.
Choose Timber for
Pulpwood Carefully
-0
In cutting timber for pulpwood say
State College experts, remember that
you can get from two to four times
more money for saw timber than for
pulpwood. So select for pulp the
crooked or poorly .formed trees, the
weaker-crowned trees in dense stands,
heavy-crowned “wolf" trees overtop
ping young growth, and overmatured,
diseased, and fire-scared trees. It is
unwise to riear-cut stands when they
are growing at their fastest rate.
CpAfSE MORE CH/CKS
wwTVXEPO
SrAurm £ Growing
ail mash!
You’ll raise more chick* at
less cost, if their feed con
tain* all the vitamins that
are essential to health and
fast growth. You can pro
tect your chicks against “vi
tamin starvation” by feeding
them Tuxedo Starting &
Growing Allmash—guaran
teed for vitamin potency.
Ex perienced poultrymen
have found that Tuxedo-fed
chicks grow faster, have
greater resistance to disease.
v m *>' r
Come in tomorrow. We will
gladly explain how Tuxedo
Starting & Growing Allmash
can help increase your profits.
W. H. Basnight & Co., Inc.
Wholesale Dealers Only
AHOSKIE, N. C.
TUXIDOSS3
GMXAMrttP ro/r
j-s
CALL 918-1
For Prompt
i Delivery of
| Nos. 1,2 and 3
FUEL OIL
*v
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I
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