North Carolina Newspapers

4 The Roanoke Beacon l * * * * * * * and Washington County News ******* - VOLUME LI—NUMBER 14 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday April 4, 1940 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics Deputy District Governor and Mrs. N. A Taylor represented the Plym outh Lions Club at a banquet given by the Hertford C’.ub Monday night celebrating their charter and ladies' night. L M. Mooney, an employee of the North Carolina Pulp Company, who was injured several weeks ago, was out Wednesday riding in a car. It was reported that he was improving rapidly. His body has been in a cast since he left the hospital. The Plymouth High School Band under the direction of Instructor I.. \V. Zeigler, yesterday earned a small fee for participating in a celebration in Kinston, where the band came in for very favorable comment on its appearance and performance. J H. Odom, employee of the North Carolina Pulp Company, who sus tained a serious injury to his back in a fall at the plant several days ago. returned Wednesday from a Rocky Mount hospital, where he was taken for treatment. He is reported to be improving rapidly. Operation of the Texaco Serv ice Station, formerly managed by Henry S. Midgett, will be taken over next Monday by E. Durand Keel, who moved from here to Williamston several months ago. Mr. and Mrs. Keel and their baby will return here to live as soon as a house is available, he said yesterday. Jack Wardlaw and his C. B. S. or chestra, featuring Buddy Dunn and Joan Lee, will play for a dance spon sored by P. M. (Pap) Arps in the gymnasium here Wednesday. April 17 and will also appear at the Plymouth theatre matinee and night shows. Dunn is an impersonator and Miss Lee is the vocalist with the band. Mrs. W. V. Hays, vice president of the parent-teacher association, said today that anyone interest ed in the organization of a group of Girl Scouts should see her, as she would cooperate in the effort to bring such an organization to Plymouth. Representative W. M. Darden at tended a meeting of the Rotary Club in Elizabeth City Monday night, when J. L. Horne, jr., of Rocky Mount, member of the Board of Conservation and Development, explained where the $200,000 for two years advertising of the state was going. Because Scoutmaster N. A. Taylor was planning a practice camporee for B Scouts in the Plymouth troop very shortly in order to have them at their best at the Kinston camporee on April 19, the local scouts did not at tend the camporee in Williamston last Saturday. Mrs. Elizabeth Lilley King, of New York, came back to Washington County this week to visit relatives near Roper, where she atended high school. Mrs. King has been in New York for several years where she is employed as a nurse. A grass fire destroyed the fall fish nets and damaged a skiff on the prem ises of Ben Twiddy in the Pea Ridge section last Wednesday, doing dam age estimated at $200. For a time the fire threatened the fishing equipment owned by W. S. Barber. Eight Days Left for Candidates To File I f MEET POSTPONED j Postponement of the regular monthly meeting of the Plym outh Merchants Association from Monday night. April 8, to Mon day night, April 15, was announc ed here today by President VV. F. Winslow, who said the change was made necessary by the fact that many of the members had other engagements next Monday night and the meeting place at the municipal building will be in use by the Town Council at a continued session. Mr. Winslow urges members to arrange their affairs so they can be present at the meeting April 15, as several matters of im portance to the merchants and business men will be discussed. Funeral Held Last Friday at Cherry for Mrs. H. P. Barnes Wife of Well-Known Mer chant Died Wednesday After Short Illness Funeral services were conducted Friday at Philippi Christian church, Cherry, for Mrs. Delia Spruill Barnes, 41. prominent resident of that sec tion, who died Wednesday night at her home following a short illness. The Rev. M. L. Ambrose, of Roper, Christian minister, conducted the last rites, assisted by Dr. G. A. Martin, Cresweli Baptist minister, and the Rev. T. F. Davenport, Free Will Bap tist minister. During the service, the church choir sang “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Whis pering Hope,” “Some Day We’ll Un derstand," “Land Where We’ll Never Grow Old," and "Till We Meet Again." A large crowd attended and a profuse and beautiful floral otter ing was contributed by friends. Burial took place in the family cemetery. Pall bearers were Dewey Spruill. W. A. Davenport, Steve Dav enport, Earl Davenport, Raymond Gibbs, and Woodley Ambrose. Mem bers of the Woodmen of the World were honorary pall-bearers. Mrs. Barnes was a lifelong resident of Washington County. Before her marriage she was a teacher in the Cherry schools and was well known and very popular in the section. Surviving is her husband, Harry P. Barnes, prominent Cherry merchant; one daughter, Miss Barbara Barnes; and a son, Harry Barnes, jr. Mrs. Barnes also leaves two sisters, Mrs. Grady Hopkins and Mrs. Henry Bate man, of Columbia; three brothers, J. K. Spruill, of Colerain; Clyde Spruill and Phillip Spruill, both of Cresweli; and her mother, Mrs. Janie Spruill, of Cresweli. County Entrants Win At Greenville Meeting Local Band Will Go To Slate Contest at Greensboro April 17 -— Other Roper and Plymouth Contestants Winners At District Meet _$ A number of Washington County entrants were successful in the 16 county district music elimination con tests held at East Carolina Teacher’s College in Greenville Friday and Sat urday, according to H. H. McLean, county superintendent of public in struction, who attended the event. The Plymouth and Robersonville High School Bands made grade two, and they will go to Greensboro this month to compete in the State finals. With four of its best players out, the Creswell band was handicapped and made grade three. The Roper band did not enter the contest. The state contests are to be held in Greensboro from April 17 through the 19th, but it is not yet definitely known exactly which day the local contestants will be called. Miss Mae Jo Walker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Walker, of Roper, made grade two in class C senior high schools, at the piano, and will also go to Greensboro. The Plymouth High School Glee club of mixed voices failed to make the grade, finishing with grade three, but a chorus of 24 girls received the grade of two and will go to Greens boro for the finals. Miss Mary Charlotte Jones, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Jones, of Plymouth, in a vocal solo, registered grade two and will go to the state finals. Miss Lorraine Jackson, of Plymouth, and Miss Leary, of Royer, made grade three. f BOARD MEETING \_ / The Washington County Com missioners will hold their April meeting next Wednesday morn ing, April 10, at 10 o’clock, in the courthouse. All those who have business with the county commis sioners are requested to be pres ent at that time. The regular April meeting, due to have been held Monday of this week, was postponed on account of Commissioner E. F. Swain hav ing to be in Federal Court at Washington this week. j Rev. W. R. Noe Will Speak Here Monday The Rev. W. R. Noe, of Wilmington, executive secretary of the Diocese of East Carolina and well-known speak er, will make the principal address at a meeting of the Men’s Club of the Grace Episcopal church Monday night at 7 o’clock in the community hall. Ladies’ night will be observed also, with many o fthe church women ex pected to attend. It was estimated today that a total of 50 persons were expected to attend. A program will be arranged for the event that is ex pected to last an hour and a half. Supper will be served by a church auxiliary. The visiting minister will likely dis cuss a plan to get a student minister for the parish here this summer and possibly a permanent minister to be located here within a year. It was announced by church offic ials that Sunday school would be held at the church as usual at 10 o’clock Sunday morning, with lay services at 11. Names Must Be in And Fees Paid by Saturday, April 13 Not Single Candidate for County Office Had Offic ially Filed up to Today Only eight days remain in which candidates for county and township offices may file with Paul W. Brink ley, chairman of the board of elec tions. for the Democratic primary to be held on May 25 to determine the party nominees for the general elec tion in November. The final time for filing for the local offices is 6 p. m., Saturday, April 13, Mr. Brinkley points out, and he urges those who plan to enter for any office to see him as soon as possible. Candidates are faced with increas ed filing fees this year. For a num ber of years the fees have been V2 of 1 per cent of the annual salary of the office, but under the law passed by the 1939 legislature the filing fee is fixed at 1 per cent of the salary, with a minimum fee of $5. Candidates for county commission erships and membership on the board of education will be required to pay $5, or about one-tenth of the annual salary of the office, to get their names on the ballots. Hereto fore they paid only $1. Tire filing fee increase is applicable to all politi cal offices, meaning that away down the Une the candidate for township constable will have to fork over' a five-spot before his name goes on the ballot. Blanks for filing can only be se cured from the chairman of the board of elections, Mr. Brinkley, and while interest has been at low ebb so far in the county offices to be filled this year, it is expected there will be a last-minute rush next week when the candidates begin making efforts to get in under the wire before the deadline. Not a single candidate for county office had officially filed witli the chairman Thursday morning. 22,000 Feet of Water And Sewage Lines Said Needed Here -$ Committee Is Appointed by Council Monday To Have Complete Survey Made The Plymouth Town Council in ses sion Monday night appointed Mayor B. G. Campbell, A. J. Riddle and W. J. Mayo a committee to employ a sur veyor to map the needed 22,000 feet of water and sewer lines needed to have the town served 100 per cent, At present, the water and sewer lines cover only about half of the town. Some streets have water lines and no sewer lines, and some have sewage without water lines. Facilities are available for a number of homes which are not served to connect with the present lines, but on some of the other streets there are no lines avail able for connection. It is proposed that the extension of the lines be done as a WPA project, and a plan will be submited to the governmental agency for approval. it tne plan is carried out, water ana sewer lines will be made available for all residences, and citizens will be compelled by special ordinance to use the town’s water and sewer system. In addition to the council members and town officials those present at the meeting Monday night were Dr. S. V. Lewis, district health officer; W. J. Highsmith, sanitary engineer, and D. S. Abell, principal assistant engineer for the State Board of Health. Attorney Z. V. Norman was in structed by the councilmen to pre pare an ordinance for zoning the town which will be ratified by the council at a special meeting to be held next Monday night. A delegation from the Junior Wo man’s Club, headed by Miss Leslie Darden, met with the councilmen and asked them to sponsor the construc tion and maintenance of a swimming pool here. Mayor Campbell asked the ladies to appear before them again after they had secured an estimate on the probable cost of a swimming pool with WPA aid and figures as to the expense of maintenance and opera tion of such pools. Other towns which operate swimming pools will be asked about the general success of such undertakings. Mr. Abell said the WPA was very favorable to these kind of projects. -$ Scout Executive Observes Aniversary Here Today Scout Executive John J. Sigwald, of Wilson, celebrated his anniversary with the East Carolina Council as its Scout Executive here today in the Al bemarle District of the council. He came to eastern North Carolina on April 4, 1934. Since that time the Scout membership has grown from 538 to 2,541. This figure does not include Cubbing or Sea Scouting membership. 15 To 20 Persons Are Planning To Build Homes This Spring Will Help Some in Reliev ing Acute Shortage of Housing Facilities The acute housing shortage in Plymouth caused by the influx of people moving here from various Places is partially offset by a survey made this week which reveals that approximately 15 to 20 new houses are planned here this spring by vari ous individuals. However, the situation is somewhat complicated by reliable reports that about 60 families will come to Plym outh by the first of next year as a result of the expansion program at the plant of the North Carolina Pulp Company, which is now progressing rapidly. Many of the expected resi dents will be skilled workmen who will be .employed in the bleaching and finishing departments of the plant. There are other families, the heads of which will engage in other lines of endeavor, however, who will move here from various places to which they are now commuting as soon as apartments or houses become avail able. it was learned. It is understood that Dr. A. Papi neau will soon start the construction of a home; E. F. Still is reported ready to begin construction of an apartment house at the corner of Jef ferson and Main Streets; George Bowen is said to be interested in the construction of a house next to his residence on Jefferson Street: and a firm known as Davenport and Blahd is reported planning to build three houses on Jefferson Street next to the residence of Mrs. Griffin Norman. Warner Gurkin, son of Mr. and Mrs L. W. Gurkin, is planning to erect a dwelling on the premises of hif? parents at the corner of Washing ton and Fort Williams Streets; D. O. Patrick, of near Roper, is reported interested in building a house on east Main Street near the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Smith; J. O. Everett and his son, Victor E. Everett, are planning to build a home on East Main Stret next to the residence of Dr. S. V. Lewis; Zeno Lyon. Rasser Edwards and Henry Everett are plan ning homes on East Main Street be tween the residences of R. E. Dun ning and J. B. Edmundson; B. G. Campbell is interested in erecting a dwelling on his premises at the cor ner of Jefferson and Third Streets; and Dewey Ange is also said to be considering the building of a home. If the plans of those interested ma terialize, coupled with the comple tion of a number of residences now under construction, some progress will have been made in alleviating the present shortage, although it is believed there is still need for some 25 or 30 additional houses in the town. Arrange Program For Band Concert A program of nine numbers is be ing rehearsed this week by the high school bands of Plymouth, Roper and Creswell for the presentation of a combined Washington County High School band concert in the Roper school auditorium next Thursday, April 11. Band instructors of the three schools will conduct, including Bob Merritt, Creswell: Tom Furness, of Roper; L. W. Zeigler, Plymouth: and the following student conductors: Frank Winesett, Plymouth; Ada Vir ginia Hopkins, Creswell. Selections will include the “Wash ington Post March,” Strausiana,” “Military Escort.” “Lake Hamilton,” “Best-Loved Southern Melodies,” “Hail Hornets,” "Tune in Overture,” and “Valse Triest.” House Chevrolet Co. Has New Salesman The employment of Theodore Reynolds, formerly of Wilson, as a salesman for the House Chevrolet Company, was announced this week by Clayton House, owner of the au tomobile firm, which handles Olds mobile and Chevrolet cars. Mr. Rey nolds has already arrived in Plym outh and taken up his duties with the company. A native of Tyrrell County, Mr. Reynolds has lived in Wilson for a bout 15 years, where he made an out standing record with the Chevrolet Motor Company. While employed by the Planters Chevrolet Company there, he became a member of the General Motors 100-Car Club, an or ganization composed of salesmen who sold 100 cars or more during a year. Mr. Reynolds is married and has two children. He plans to move his family here within the next few days, or just as soon as he can secure a house. Home of Mrs. Claudia Read Entered Today Lue Read said today that an in truder entered his home on Madison Street this morning. Cigarettes and $7.50 in cash were missed. Mrs. Claudia Read was away at the time, returning to find the house had been ransacked. Census of County Is Underway This Week Six Enumerators at Work; Wide Variety Questions Presented People in General Said To Be Very Obliging With Information Cooperation of citizens was asked this week, when six census enumera tors began their task of counting the people in Washington County, ac cording to Delbert Allen, county sup ervisor of the work, who said that to date nothing unusual had happened in connection with the questionining and that he found people in general very obliging with their information. The complete list of census takers for the county follow: Plymouth: Del bert Allen, Miss Evelyn M. Arps and Mrs. Corinne Smith Austin; Roper: Thomas W. Davis, jr., and Mrs. Myrla C. Marrow; Creswell: Mrs. W. W. (Jean) Bateman. The forms used by the census tak ers are about the size of a newspaper page, and the enumerators experi enced some delay at the start. How every. as they visited more and more homes and began to memorize the questions they were able to fire away about as fast as answers could be given. While the forms appear a bit com plicated. it was said today by Mr. Al len that with the training the enum erators had been given they would soon master the questions and han dle the job efficiently and with dis patch. . me population schedule will dom inate the census in towns, along with a housing survey, but in the rural communities the agricultural census is proving quite a task for the enum erators. The population census asks: Address, number in family, value of home, names, ages, color, sex, mari tal status, education, place of birth, place of residence on April 1, 1935: employment status, occupation and allied questions. The housing survey calls for a de scription of tlie home, number of rooms, baths, facilities and allied questions. The agricultural census is all-in clusive, and the farmer will save much time if he counts his chickens, places a value on them along with all livestock. In fact the agricultural census wants to know everything about the farm, its value, number of acres cultivated, acres lying idle, size of pastures, woodlands, value of tools and machinery, debt status, num ber of days farmer worked off farm for income, farm expenditures, num ber of workers, crops harvested in 1939, garden, fruits and so on. Farm ers will aid the enumerators by study ing their farming operations and be ing prepared to answer such ques tions relating to the above topics, and others, too. In this connection, it may be men tioned that all enumerators are sworn to secrecy and that the information given cannot be used in connection with any taxing purpose, the act spe cifially setting out these provisions. Briefly stated, the government is seeking to learn all it can about the country, the status of conditions based on actual facts and not on es timates. The census is the most com prehensive ever undertaken, and the people are urged to cooperate with the enumerators. Jamesville Man Arrested Following Auto Accident Z. Vance Price, white, of Jamesville route one, was arrested Saturday night by Corporal T. B. Brown, of the State Highway Patrol, on a charge of operating an automobile while un der the influence of intoxicants fol lowing an automobile collision which resulted in serious injuries to Walter Johnson, colored, of this county, whose head crashed through the windshield of the pick-up truck oc cupied by Price and Johnson. Tire light truck collided with a car operated by Worley James, Martin County negro, in front of the home of John Stillman about 3 miles west of Plymouth on Highway 64 John son was reported today to be improv ing. Services for Roper Methodist Charge The following Sunday sen ices for churches in the Roper Methodist charge are announced by the pastor, Rev. M. R. Gardner: 10 a. m., Sunday school in Roper, Mackeys, Pleasant Grove and Reho both churches. 11 a. m., preaching service, Pleas ant Grove. 4:30 p. m.. young peoples’ service in Roper. 8 p. m., Roper Methodist church, the Easter cantata, "The Thorn Crowned King,” will be repeated by the community choir. This service was given Easter Sunday night and will be repeated in response to num erous requests from those who were kept away at the time on account of the snow. Everyone is cordially invited to all services. CANDIDATE / J. H. Gaylord, sr„ of Roper, this week announced his candi dacy for the office of Washing ton County Commissioner from the second district, Lees Mill Township. 1500 People Attend District 'Meeting at ZionsChapelSunday Next Quarterly Gathering To Be Held At Saints Delight in June Selection of Saints Delight Chris tian Church near here as the place of the June meeting and a sermon on "The Bible School Teacher,” by D. W. Arnold, of Washington, brought to a close the Roanoke district con vention of the Disciples of Christ at Zions Chapel Church near Roper last Sunday afternoon. Practically all of the 20 ministers, who serve the 54 churches in the dis trict, attended along with a crowd of delegates from the churches that was estimated to total 1,500 people. A dinner was served picnic style Speakers during the Saturday and Sunday sessions were the Rev. P. E. Cayton, Edenton; E. H. Eppling, Bel haven; W. O. Henderson, Elizabeth City; Clarence Gurkin, Williamston; Rev. L. B. Bennett, Creswell; Rev. Nixon A. Taylor, Plymouth; R. W. Lewis, Roper; D. W. Davis, Wash ington; and W. A. Swain, Roper. Special music was rendered by a group representing the Philippi Chris tian church near Cherry, with Mrs. Stewart Woodley as accompanist and director. B. F. Leggett, of Washington, edi tor of “The Gospel Messenger,” a church magazine, is president of tire association and presided over the five sessions during the two days. W. O. Ellis, of Washington, is secretary and treasurer; Clarence Gurkin, of Wil liamston, is vice president; and R. W. Lewis, of Roper, assisted with the record keeping. Says School Plant And Facilities Must Be Expanded Here At Least 112 Additional Students Expected Be fore January, 1941 -s Faced with the prospect that the school population of the Plymouth school district will be increased by families with 112 school children prior to January 1, 1941, educational officials here are confronted with the necessity of planning a building pro gram to provide additional classroom space in a building which is already congested. The 112 added children will entitle the local school to three extra teachers, it was said by H. H. McLean, county superintendent of schools, in a talk before 75 members of the parent-teacher association at a meting last night in the local high school auditorium. Mr. McLean said that an authori tative survey of prospects for the in creased school population had been made at his suggestion by the man agement of the North Carolina Pulp Company, who are expecting 70 or more families to come here, princi pally from Richwood, W. Va. Tire heads of these families will be em ployed in operation of the paper making machinery and equipment now being installed in the local plant. Present congested conditions show there are 604 children enrolled in the Plymouth white schools. There are 11 class rooms and 12 teachers in tire elementary department, and 5 teachers and as many classrooms in the high school division, according to the superintendent. Twenty-seven of the new school pupils are expected to arrive here by July to be ready for entering the school next fall. a plan was suggested oy Mr. Mc Lean that new classrooms and an auditorium be constructed at the rear of the present high school building. The present auditorium on the sec ond floor could be divided into class rooms, and the entire second floor de voted to the high school department. Tentative estimates placed the cost of the alterations and additions at about $30,000. Mr. McLean said. Following the business session, at which Mr. McLean spoke, Jack Cris well, state recreational leader, led the parents and teachers, as well as chool board officials in singing, plow ing games and otherwise having a good time. Six-Week Summer School For Band Is Announced A summer band school will be con ducted for six weeks, beginning April 27 and continuing through June 7, by Director L. W. Zeigler, of the lo cal high school faculty. Classes will be provided for both beginners and advanced students at a reasonable tuition charge. The classes will be held in the school auditorium. Mr. Zeigler said those successfully completing the course in fundament als will be eligible for entrance into the band, and he hopes membership will be increased to 50 through the summer course of instruction. He said the following instruments are nedeed in the band: four clari nets, two cornets, 1 alto, 1 bass, 1 trombone, 2 flutes, 1 saxophone, 1 cymbols, and 1 baritone horn. State Highway Group Will Hear Delegation Drainage of 12,000 Acres in Newlands Section Is Planned [Meeting of Landowners Is Held Here Yesterday To Consider Matter Reclamation of about 12,000 acres of swamp land in the Newlands sec tion of Washington County appeared to be assured following a meeting held here yesterday, with information that C. L. White, chief engineer and as sistant director of malaria-mosquito control of the State Board of Health, would submit a plan for draining the land to WPA officials. The meeting of a group represent ing about 100 land owner of the sec tion involved was held Wednesday with John W. Darden, secretary of the county chamber of commerce, and Mr. White. Plans were discussed for bearing the landowners' share of the sponsorship money. Under the plan for drainage of the area, a ditch 4 feet deep and 12 feet wide will be dug to permit drainage of a four-mile area, clearing a streak through the swamp 100 feet wide. The land is located on the Newlands to Roper road and the ditch will be cut from Cherry to the Bull Pond. The area is submerged under water most of the year, making it of no value either as farm or timber land, and it is a breeding place for myriads of mosquitoes which torture people living in the section. It is believed drainage of the sur face water will control the mosqui toes. reclaim and increase the value of the land, . Improved Turnpike Road To Be Sought At Meeting Friday Proposed Improvement Has Backing of Number of State Officials Supporters of the movement to get an all-weather dependable surface on the Turnpike road are expected to have a delegation appear before the State Highway and Public Works Commission in Raleigh tomorrow, to take up the matter with the whole commission after repeated trips to Kinston to interview Highway Com missioner E. V. Webb had failed to produce tangible results. In the meantime, a number of im portant state officials and personages have expressed their interest in the matter, accompanied by suggestions as to methods of getting something started on this badly needed road: Expressions include the following: State Senator W. B. Rodman, of Washington: "It would seem that the road ought to have peculiar Federal approval because it furnishes access to a station in which substantial funds are expected to be spent (re ferring to the bill introduced by Rep resentative Lindsay C. Warren which recently passed in the house author izing an appropriation of $50,000 to be spent at Blackland Experiment Station for livestock research). Good material to be used on the road as a base is the ballast used on the old railroad track between Pantego and Mackeys." (Continued on page four)