The Roanoke Beacon i
444^444 and Washington Gounty News ★★★★★★★ ”“~~~~~
VOLUME LI—NUMBER 3
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 18, 1940
ESTABLISHED 1889
<
Town
opics
P. M. Arps and C. C. Craft each
killed four rabbits and a ninth was
found dead from burns, as the re
sult of a “rabbit killing'- on the farm
of W. T. Freeman near here Wednes
day afternon, when brush was set
afire to burn oft a field, forcing the
rabbits out into the open. Mr. Arps
also killed a large owl.
Miss Elizabeth Campbell, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Campbell, has
been added to the staff of Mrs. Mary
F. Darden, home demonstration
agent, as office assistant, through an
arrangement with the National Youth
Administration.
Auditor E. J. Spruill thumbed
through the election laws passed
by the last session of the North
Carolina General Assembly and
found where the pay for judges
of election had been increased
from S3 to S4 Per day and that
of registrars from S3 to S5 per
day.
Mrs. Bill Flythe. field representa
tive of the North Carolina Highway
Safety Division, while here Tuesday,
lavished praise for the band, glee
club and general activities of the lo
cal school following a visit to the in
stitution in connection with her work.
It’s a little early to start wor
rying about it right now. but a
representative of the Internal
Revenue Service of the Treasury
Department of the United States
will be at the post office here on
Tuesday, February 27, to assist
taxpayers in filing their income
tax returns.
Dr. Bennett Stephenson, of Roan
oke Rapids, a former resident of
Plymouth, was here this week with
his wife attending to some business
matters. Dr. Stephenson, who at
tended the local school, has been a
practicing physician in Roanoke Rap
ids for three years.
J. E. Davenport, tax collector
of Washington County, today re
minds delinquent taxpayers that
penalties on unpaid 1939 taxes
would start on February 1. He
urges all those who have failed to
pay their taxes so far to see him
at once and arrange to take care
of their accounts so as to avoid
the penalties, which are manda
tory under the state law.
About 70 automobile plates for the
Town of Plymouth have been sold so
far by Chief of Police P. W. Brown,
Rev. N. A. Taylor, J. R. Manning and
others, but there are still the re
mainder of .e 250 originally bought
left. The mone., >. vised is to be used
for the band. -
Firemen answered an alarm from
the home of Paul Fauste Wednesday
afternoon. A small fire in a rear
room of the house was quickly ex
tinguished. Little or no damage was
done.
Two Members Local
Band Are Chosen for
Concert by All-Stars
To Play in Greenville Fri
day Night; Other News
Of Band Activities
Two members of the Plymouth
High School Band,, Mary Lillian
Campbell, clarinetist, and Brinson
Cox, sousaphonist, will be included in
the 65-piece Eastern Carolina All
Star Band which will give a concert
at Greenville Friday night.
Participation in this concert will
be of great value to the two local
representatives, as the band will play
all of the state contest numbers in
classes C and D, Director L. W. Zeig
ler said.
Mr. Zeigler is now arranging two
selections to play at the district con
test, which is to be held at Green
ville on March 29.
New students who are taking les
sons preparing to enter the band
during the second semester include
Eunice Gray Holliday, alto saxo
phone; Marvin Browning, bass; Ma
rie Davenport, clarinet; Roy Man
ning, trombone: Fannie Lou Winslow,
bell lyre; and Walter Paramore, cor
net.
The band members and Director L.
W. Zeigler express their appreciation
to the following for contributions to
ward the purchase of a new bass
horn: American Legion, $25; Town
of Plymouth $25; Lions Club, $15;
Young Woman’s Club, $5; Senior
Woman’s Club, $5; and Mrs. B. G.
Campbell, $3. A total of $100 is need
ed for the down payment on the horn,
and it is hoped the amount can be
raised shortly.
Resources of Local Building and Loan
Association Doubled During Past Year
The assets and liabilities of the
Plymouth Building and Loan Associa
tion for the year ending December
31, 1939, were double those of the
preceding year, according to figures
contained in the sworn statement of
conditoins prepared by Secretary and
Treasurer M. W. Spruill for the State
Insurance Commissioner.
The report made shortly after the
conclusion of the first year’s opera
tions, prepared December 31, 1938,
showed total assets and liabilities of
$11,461.70; while the statement of
condition on December 31, 1939,
shows total assets and liabilities of
$22,805.29.
A striking feature of the report
this year is the growth of undivided
profits from $147.70 on December 31,
1938. to $852.27 a year later.
Officers of the organization are es
pecially proud of the mortgage loans
made by the association, totaling
$21,997.72, on which shareholders are
paying installments. These loans are
secured by first mortgages on the lo
cal improved real estate, and in no
case does the amount of the loan ex
ceed 70 per cent of the appraised
value of the property. The loans
have made it possible for a number
of borrowers to build or buy their
own homes, while others have made
extensive repairs to their old homes
through the aid furnished by the as
sociation.
The organization now has $18,253
in installment stock outstanding in
addition to paid-up stock of $3,700.
Only 10 Days Remain for
County Property Owners
7o Complete lax Listing
Forestry Meeting
At Pungo Friday
A forestry meeting will be held
at the Pungo school building on
Friday night, January 19, It was
announced today by Forest War
den S. F. Darden, who urges a
large crowd to attend.
The principal purpose of the
meeting is to discuss early burn
ing methods and the issuance of
permits for burning over ground
in an effort to prevent the peat
like soil in the Wenona and Pun
go areas from catching fire, caus
ing it to spread over large areas.
W. S. Moore, vocational agri
culture teacher of the Plymouth
High School, will attend the
meeting and show a motion pic
ture dealing with forest protec
tion and fire protection.
Recalls Time When
River Froze Over
During 1894 Winter
Mrs. M. E. Fagan, of Dar
dens, Writes of Inter
esting Occurrence
-eft
The article in the Beacon last week
about the number of times the Roan
oke River has frozen over moved Mrs.
M. E. Fagan, of Dardens, to write
about the time back in 1894 when the
river froze over solidly.
"The first and only time I ever
saw it was in January or February,
1894,” writes Mrs. Fagan.
"My husband’s nephew had a sleigh
and a neighbor, the late Mrs. Will
Cobum, and I asked him to take us
down to Dailey’s Hill Landing, about
two miles from Dardens, to see it.
"On Sunday people drove horses
hitched to carts and buggies on the
ice from Dailey’s Hill Landing to
Plymouth. It was on a Wednesday
when we visited the scene, and the
ice was cracking in some places.
"The nephew walked across the
river to the other shore, and after
he got across I asked Mrs. Cobum
if she wanted to go over, too, but, as
she wasn’t well, she was afraid to go,
so I walked over alone, passing sev
eral holes on the way. I should have
accompanied the young nephew, as he
might have rendered me help if I had
fallen through the ice.
"It surely was worth the trip to
see the solid ice film over the Ro
anoke River.
“They say ’There’s one more river
to cross.’ The others have crossed it,
and I hope to be ready when called."
Roper Mission Society To
Sponsor Entertainment
-$
The Missionary Society of the Rop
er Methodist church is sponsoring the
appearance of “The Georgia Wild
cats,” of Rchmond, Va„ at the high
school auditorium there Thursday
night of next week, January 25, at
8 p. m.
Officers of the sponsoring group
urge a large atendance
Sweet Potatoes Nay Bring Farmers
More Money Than Tobacco This Year
There Is a possibility that sweet
potatoes may produce a better
income for the farmer this year
than tobacco, according to Coun
ty Agent W. V. Hays, who heard
specialists at State College say
last week that half a yield from
the allotted tobacco acreage
would still be too much tobacco.
Among those in the county who
are considering the production of
■sweet potatoes for commercial
purposes are W. H. Gurkln, A. J.
Riddle and Ira J. Alligood. Thru
the cooperation of these men Mr.
Hays has been working to se
cure more convenient markets
where top prices are paid.
A number of tobacco farmers
have found it profitable to pro
duce sweet potatoes in connection
with tobacco on a crop-rotation
basis. They use the tobacco barns
to cure the potatoes.
More than 600 bushels of sweet
potatoes were shipped from the
county during: one week last year,
and the price they brought was
reported to be very satisfactory.
It is predicted the acreage in the
county will be greatly increased
this year.
I
Supervisor Warns Delin
quents of Penalties Im
posed by Law
Big Rush Expected
Only 10 more days remains in
which property owners of Washington
County may list their holdings for
taxation to escape the penalties im
posed by law upon those who fail to
list their property during the month
of January.
Supervisor E. F. Swain said that the
listing was taking place more rapid
ly in each township this year than
was the case last April and property
owners are making an effort to avoid
the last minute rush as well as avoid
the penalties imposed.
Mr. Swain declined to estimate the
percentage of those listed in the four
townships which he has visited, but
it is understood and hoped that more
than 50 per cent would be reached by
the week-end with a rush expected
for the next 10 days.
Mr. Swam said tnac special enoris
would be made to get all personal pro
perty in the county on the books,
with automobiles and dogs as special
items that will be specifically sought
for listing.
It is believed that by the week-end
S. A. Ward, for the county, and Mrs.
M. W. Spruill, for the town of Plym
outh, will have about 50 per cent of
all holdings in Plymouth township
listed; while P. B. Belanga, in Scup
pemong, E. M. Cheson, for Lee.; Mills,
and W. W. White, of Skinnersvile, are
rapidly catching up with the work
in their townships.
Special efforts will be made, em
phasized Mr. Swain, to get every per
sonal or real estate property owner’s
name on the tax books for taxing
purposes during 1940.
Short Schedule on
Bad Days Favored
By School Patrons
Parents Vote 4 To 1 in Fav
or of Short Session on
Rainy Days
Results tabulated in response to a
questionnaire distributed to parents
of children who attend the Plymouth
schools indicate that short schedules
on rainy days are favored by a ma
jority of four to one.
There were two groups of sched
ules in the questionnaire submitted
to patrons of the school, but officials
have deemed they woum prepare ana
[adopt a schedule designed to "keep
the children out of the weather,” as
several of the parents expressed it.
Principal R. B, Trotman said today
he believed a schedule for rainy days
would be adopted whereby school
sessions would begin at 8:25, with a
15-minute "break in recitations,” and
the children being sent home at 12:50.
Under this arrangement there will
be no chapel exercises on rainy days,
and there will be six 40-minute reci
tation periods. Usually the periods
are 60 minutes in length on the reg
ular 6-hour teaching days.
The questionnaire was sent to 520
patrons of the school by the chil
dren last Friday, and 221 had been
returned yesterday in favor of a short
schedule of some kind. On this ba
sis the school board will work out a
schedule.
H. H. McLean, county superintend
ent of schools, and Walter H. Para
more, member of the board of edu
cation, conferred with Clyde Erwin,
state superintendent, at Raleigh last
Friday, when a decision was reached
to arrange for a permanent reduced
schedule for rainy days to be fol
lowed.
DIFFERENCE
Although he applied calcium me
taphosphate on his clover in the late
spring, C. D. Baldwin of the Lansing
community in Ashe County reoprts
he could tell a marked difference
when the clover was cut for hay.
Superior Court May
End Term Today;
List of Proceedings
Only Two Cases Remain on
Calendar; Several Are
Continued
Only two ca es remained this morn
ing on the civil calendar for trial at
the January term of Washington
County Superior Court, which re
sumed its work Monday, with Judge
Q K. Nimocks. of Fayetteville, pre
siding. It was not known whether
the court would be in session tomor
row or not, as it was possible the two
cases remaining might be continued,
tried or settled by Thursday night.
Proceedings in the court since it be
gan consideration of tiie civil calen
dar last Friday follow:
A jury awarded Minnie Pearl Win
slow, administratrix of the estate of
Earl Wilson, $15,000 against Nick R.
Daniels and George Leavette. Mr.
Wilson was killed in 1938 while load
ing piling for the defendants. How
much of the judgment the widow can
collect is not known here.
Dr. A. Papineau vs. J. O. Everett.
A consent judgment was entered,
wherein Mr. Everett agreed to vacate
the A. W. Swain property by March 1.
Annie and Mae Spruill vs. W. J.
'Jolley) Bell. Continued.
J. O. Everett vs. Western Union
Telegraph Co. Continued on account
of the illness of Mr. Everett.
Joseph Hextall vs. Kieckhefer Con
tainer Co. Set for trial as first case
at April term.
Beulah Bland vs. David Dudley.
Continued for motion.
J. J. Johnson against Tazewell
Wheelock. Continued.
Town of Plymouth vs. Nancy Coffee
This tax-suit case was continued so
that new parties may be included as
defendants.
S. F. Bowser was awarded $200
judgment against Mrs. Helen Peele,
trading as Economy Cleaners.
Edward L. Owens and Warren
Brooks vs. Tim Waters. A settle
men was reached in this case involv
ing the boundaries and ownership of
certain land.
George Patrick setilcd his case out
if court against K. S. Mitchell. This
was for damages resulting from an
automobile accident. It was report
ed that Patrick settled for $500.
The jury was withdrawn and a new
trial ordered in the case of L. Shu
gar vs. E. W. No", ->n.
G. S. Respass was given $100 dam
ages against P. H. Darden as the re
sult of an automobile accident.
Charlie M. Allen was granted a di
vorce from Ferrell I. Allen. Theo
dosius Fagan was granted a divorce
from Edith Fagan. Two other di
vorce actions were not complete and
the decree not granted.
The two cases remaining for trial
were those of Edenton Ice Company
vs. A. J. Riddle and Herr and Kline
vs. Don G. Davis. The latter may
be continued and the other tried to
day.
Tomato Growers To
Meet Friday, Jan. 26
__a,
Farmers who wish to sign contracts
with the Neuse Packing Company, of
Wilmington, for the production of
tomatoes this season may see W. D.
Peal, Creswell; E. G. Harrison, Plym
outh; Aubrey R. Phelps, Roper; or
A, L. Alexander, the local represen
tative, at any time, it was announced
this week.
Mr. Alexander said a meeting would
be held in Chief of Police L. C. Snell’s
office in Roper at 11 a. m., Friday
January 26, for those in the county
January 26, to discuss growing to
matoes and present contracts to those
who wished them.
Another meeting for the same pur
pose will be held in Columbia at 2
p. m., Saturday, January 27.
Mr. Alexander, who represents the
packing company here, said he was
fairly certain that contracts would
be signed for the number of acres
required for operation in this section
this year by the packers.
Mr. Alexander pointed out that
production of tomatoes provides a
cash crop during a season when mon
ey is needed by the farmers, partic
ularly for paying any extra help that
may be needed to harvest later crops.
Highway Office
Here Is Closed
Their work completed in Wash
ington and Tyrrell Counties, the
personnel of the State Highway
and Public Works Commission of
fice here left Monday for Kin
ston, and the office in the Har
ney Building here was closed.
E. P. Koonce, resident engineer,
was in charge of the local office,
and he had H. it- Gaddy, A. R.
Hooker, H. F. I.ucas, and H. P.
Morris working with him. Jim
Leary, of Roper, who also work
ed under the supervision of the
local office, was transferred to
Washington.
Here for about three years,
many of the men had become at
tached to the town and were re
luctant to leave, but since their
work had been completed In this
section they were transferred to
other offices.
FIRST FATAL ACCIDENT OF 1940
j he above photograph snows me .Mercury coaen in wmen itoy Alex
ander was fataily injured last week when it left the highway near Roper
and struck a tree. Alexander, 33 years of age. died about 20 minutes
after the accident, before a wrecker could be secured to aid in removing
him from the wrecked car.— (Photo by Beck.)
County Politics Probably
Quiet This Year Account
ISational-State Situation
Few Local Offices Certain
To Be at Stake and No
Candidates Yet
Primary on May 25
Although 1940 is expected to pro
vide some of the “hottest" politics
seen or heard about in recent years,
so far not a ripple of interest has
been detected in county politics, and
prospective candidates for local of
fices do not show any great concern
about the coming Democratic pri
mary, to be held this year on Satur
day, May 25.
Heretofore the primary elections in
this state have always been held on
the first Saturday in June, but the
last session of the General Assembly
moved the date ahead about one
week. The only reason assigned for
this action was that when the first
primary was held on the first Satur
day in June and a second primary
became necessary, it usually fell on
or around the July 4th national holi
day.
One reason for the dearth of po
litical interest at this particular time
is doubtless due to the fact that state
and national politics will undoubted
ly overshadow the county situation
this year. There is still some uncer
tainty as to whether sheriffs and cor
oners will be up for election this year,
with the state supreme court expect
ed to hand dowm a decision early in
February clearing the matter up. At
the last general election, North Car
olina voters approved a constitutional
amendment providing four-year
terms of office for these officials, who
had been elected for two-year terms
prior to that time. The supreme
court has the last say as to whether
the four-year terms of office apply
to the sheriffs and coroners elected
at the same time the amendments
were ratified.
There will be no contest for the
register of deeds’ office this year,
as the legislature provided four-year
terms for this office prior to the last
primary. This was made possible by
the fact that registers of deeds are
not constitutional officers, while sher
.ffs and coroners are.
About the only county omces ai
stake in the county this year are
those of the three county commis
sioners, judge of recorder’s court,
treasurer, and representative in the
General Assembly. The term of one
member of the board of education,
C. N. Davenport, of Creswell, expires
next year, and this office will also
be Riled at the primary, the nominee
usually being confirmed by the fol
lowing session of the legislature.
There are many district offices to
be filled, including state senator and
Representative in Congress, as well
as a complete slate of state officials,
from the governor down. So far, only
five have announced for governor,
the largest number in many years,
and the prospects are that there will
be at least three others, possibly even
more than that, so a hot time can be
expected when they all take to the
stump.
In addition to these, the national
political situation has promise of live
ly doings before the summer is over,
with speculation still rife as to wheth
er President Roosevelt will seek or
accept a third-term nomination. In
side "dope” at this particular time is
that he wishes to step down and will
probably issue a statement to this ef
fect either on January 20 or March
4, although he has left prognostica
tors out on a limb so many times in
the past that few are willing to pre
dict just what he will do.
Women's Auxiliaries To
Sponsor Leap Year Dance
The junior and senior women's aux
iliaries of the Grace Episcopal church
will sponsor a Leap Year dance at
the community building here on Feb
ruary 2, with music to be provided
by a radio-phonograph.
Tickets are now on sale and can be
purchased from members of the aux
iliaries. The admission charge will be
50 cents for couples and 25 cents for
stags. Refreshments will be served
Cholera Spread by
Wandering Swine
By W. V. HAYS County Agent
Hogs should not run at large,
especially with the general epi
demic of hog cholera now prev
alent in this county.
Wandering nogs not only run
a greater chance of contracting
the disease, but spread it once
they contract cholera. The most
contagious period is in the early
stages, when temperatures are
nighest. Then the hog is rest
less and wanders around looking
for water and is not satisfied with
any variety of feed.
Keeping hogs confined will help
with control and is the duty ot
every farmer. Certainly this con
sideration would be appreciated,
and is due one’s neighbor.
Highway Safety Is
Subject of Speaker
Here Monday Night
Mrs. Bill Flythe Praises
Work Being Carried on
At School Here
Education, engineering and en
forcement were designated as the
three main factors being utilized to
make the highways of North Caro
lina the safest in the nation, Mrs.
Bill Flythe, field representative of the
State Highway Safety Division, told
the members of the Lions Club, Par
ent-Teacher Association, and others
who heard her talk at the school au
ditorium Monday night.
Approximately 90 per cent of the
motor mishaps in the state are due
to carelessness and recklessness, Mrs.
Flythe told those present, in point
ing out that safety campaigns are
being waged in the school and other
organizations in an effort to teach
motorists to be careful while on the
highways.
There were only two fatalities in
Washington County last year, but
Mrs. Flythe reminded her hearers
that there had already been one in
the new year and that motorists
ihould redouble their efforts to main
tain the record of low fatalities and
property damage set in this county
in 1939.
The engineers have made the roads
is safe as they can from their stand
point, Mrs. Flythe said, but all of the
skill in this endeavor is worthless un
less motorists are careful in driving,
dimming their lights when approach
ing other cars, manifesting a proper
attitude and cooperation with other
motorists and pedestrians.
The state official was lavish in her
praise of the school band,, glee club,
and other activities of the local
school, which has a special safety ed
ucational program in progress at
present. She also favorably com
mented on the school boy safety pa
trol and school-bus safety measures
used now by schools in the county.
Work Is Speeded Up
At Pulp Plant Here
With Better Weather
Reported 150 Employees on
Payrolls of Contracting
Companies
Work on the building' program in
progress at the plant of the North
Carolina Pulp Company here was
moving along rapidly today, the re
turn of favorable weather speeding
up activities in all lines. There were
about 150 men on the construction
company's payroll, about equally di
vided between skilled workmen and
laborers.
Thirty bricklayers, truck drivers,
and laborers were added to the pay
roll this week as weather conditions
enabled full crews to work on all the
jobs underway.
Seventy of the 100 concrete foot
ing for the machine building have
been poured, and erection of struc
tural steel will start as soon as this
work is completed, probably within
the next few days. Holes are being
chipped in the walls of the present
wet-room building so that the ma
chine building may be connected with
it at certain points.
The brick work on the bleach-liquor
building has been completed. It is
expected that the brick masons will
conclude their work on the bleach
building sometime this week.
Footings for the boiler buildings
have been poured, and officials hope
to start the steel and brick work on
this building soon. Eight of the 15
large steel tanks scheduled for the
job have already been erected.
The Muirhead Construction Com
pany, with R. D. Lambert as construc
tion foreman, is rushing its part of
the job, with 100 men employed.
Baubs and Lipman, paint contractors,
of Newport News, Va„ are expected
to being their part of the work this
week, with Frank Freeman to be con
nected with them. They plan to have
10 or 15 men at work soon.
The Rohleder Construction Com
pany, which is erecting the filtering
plant, is nearing completion of its
part of the contract. They hope to
have this unit ready for operation
very soon. The number of employees
working for this firm has been cur
tailed to about 20.
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation
workers are waiting for the machine
building to be made ready for the
structural steel work.
Attend Wedding
Despite N. C. Law
Relatives of Roden Swain, 63. and
Margaret Puckett, 67, of the Mace
donia section of Washington County,
who were here to attend their mar
riage this week, did not have time to
wait for the report on the Wasser
man blood test required by North
Carolina law of contracting parties
to a marriage, so the entire wedding
party went to Norfolk Tuesday for
the ceremony.
Several days are required to make
a blood test and get the results back
from Raleigh. Relatives were here
from Philadelphia and other places
for the wedding this week, so they
went to the Virginia city for the cere
mony, which was performed by Ernest
C. Wilson, a marriage commissioner.
As one relative put it: “They want
ed to marry, and we had no objec
tions: we came down for a wedding
and we wanted to see one.” It is be
lieved this is one of the oldest couples
in the county to be married in re
cent years.
Program of Services
At Episcopal Church
There will be no lay service held
at Grace Episcopal church Sunday
morning, due to the fact that the
Rev. Sidney E. Matthews, rector, will
preach at the evening service at 7:30.
Sunday school will be held at the
usual time. 10 o'clock. Sunday morn
ing.
Immediately after the evening serv
ing, at which the choir will render
special music, a meeting of the ves
try and the woman's auxiliary will
be held.
Church officials urge a large at
tendance at the night service. Last
Sunday morning, when Mr. Matthews
preached here, one of the largest con
gregations ever to attend a regular
service was present.
Fiiiy Thousand Dollars' Worth Bonds
01 Gonnlv Retired During Past Year
Fifty thousand dollars worth
of interest-funding bonds held
against Washington County were
redeemed during the year 1939,
it was learned today from Auditor
E. J. Spruill, who added that in
terest on these bonds was also
paid.
There are a few more thousand
dollars worth of bonds which
came due on July 1, 1939, that
have not been paid, but this is
because that they have not been
presented for payment, accord
ing to Mr. Spruill.
Thus the county is in fairly
good financial condition, as no
bonds have been presented for
payment that have not been
paid.
Refinancing of the bonded in
debtedness of the county during
1936 has resulted in the county
being able to retire its bonds
when they came due. There Is
still an outstanding bonded In
debtedness of the county total
ling about $700,000.