North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon »»»»»»» and Washington County News ******* VOLUME LI—NUMBER 19 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 9, 1940 Advertisers will And Beacon and News Columns a lat< hkey to 1,500 Washington County homes ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics W. R. Hampton, member of the State Board of Conservation and De velopment, said last week that the board met in Winston-Salem to con sider the selection of a geologist tc succeed H. J. Bryson, but the succes sor was not named at that meeting Churches in Washington Coun ty today were preparing for serv ices centering about the theme of Mother's Day on Sunday. There will be special exercises in the Sunday schools, special music and sermons will be delivered by the ministers in the morning and eve ning. H. E. Harrison, owner of the H. E. Harrison Wholesale Company and the Harrison Auto Supply store here, said today lie was well satisfied with the business his newly opened auto acces sories store was doing. Straw hats have made their appearance on the streets already as residents resorted to them for head comfort on the warm days this week. Official straw hat day comes on Sunday of next week. Mrs. A. Edison Davenport has re considered her decision against serv ing on the Washington County Board of Public Welfare representing the Lees Mill section and has accepted appointment for a new three-year term. The Oxford Orphanage Sing ing Class will give a concert in the Plymouth High Schol audi torium Monday night. May 13, at 8 o'clock. As usual, these boys and girls will give an entertaining performance and members of the local Masonic lodge urge a large attendance. Miss Barbara Norman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Z. V. Norman here, is serving on the costume committee for the May Day pageant to be presented Saturday afternoon on the Salem Col lege campus in Winston-Salem. Miss Norman, majoring in home econom ics, assisted in designing and mak ing the costumes for the event. Sea Scouts from Plymouth expect ing to attend the Sea Scout rendez vous at Southmont, near Lexington this week-end are Dr. A. Papineau, skipper; W. S. Moore, mate; Asa Rog ers, coxswain; Roy Manning and Phil Liverman, seamen. Mrs. J. A. Bratten Dies Here Friday -$ Funeral services were held here on Saturday morning at the home of a daughter, Mrs. T. A. Stubbs, on Washington Street, for Mrs. Comfort Jane Bratten, 80, who died last Fri day morning. The Rev. Paul B. Nickens, of the Baptist church, conducted the serv ice and interment was made in the Windley cemetery near here. The widow of John A. Bratten, who died about 20 years ago, she was a native of Washington County, the daughter of the late Alfred Leggett and Mrs. Sarah Jane Leggett, and for the last few years she nad resid ed here with her daughter, Mrs. Stubbs. Surviving are the following chil dren: Mesdames C. D. Webb and W. A. Munden, of Edenton; Mrs. T. A. Stubbs, of Plymouth; Charlie and Al bert Bratten, of Plymouth. Community Building at Roper Is Made WPA Project With Allotment oi $2,608 The efforts of members of the Roper Woman's Club to secure a community building there were rewarded this week with an an nouncement being received from Representative LinjRsay Warren stating that President Roosevelt had approved a WPA project for a community building in Roper, with a Federal allotment of $2, <>08. Mrs. Ardie Blount, president of the club, was highly elated over the announcement, which comes as a climax to the efforts of the women to provide a building on Boush Street there for holding community gatherings. Hereto ( fore, practically all public activi ties were held in the school building. Several months ago, the ladies there acquired a lot and then they purchased the old Norfolk Southern railroad station build ing to serve as the nucleus for a community building, but they were handicapped by lack of funds in making improvements to the structure. Under the arrangement by which the Federal allotment was obtained, it is understood that a beautiful community building will be constructed, with only the best materials from the old rail road station being used in the new structure. Plan Big Day Near Creswell May 30th Harmony Reigns at Precinct Meetings in County Last Week --$ Precinct Committeemen Are Elected; Name County Chairman This Week -1 Harmony reigned in the five pre cinct meetings held in Washington County Saturday when Democrats met to select delegates for the coun ty convention, to be held in the court house here Saturday morning at 11 o’clock, and to name the precinct committeemen. Resolutions were passed at all of the meetings naming those attending to vote the full strength of their re spective precincts at the county con vention. Precinct committeemen were elect ed as follows, with the chairman of each automatically becoming a mem ber of the county executive commit tee, which will name the county chair man at the county convention Sat u*'tav: Plymouth: W. Blount Rodman, chairman; W. R. Gaylord, W. H. Paramore, Mrs. Mary S. Cahoon, vice chairman: and Dr. Claudius Mc Gowan. Lees Mills: J. A. Chesson, chair man; Mrs. Eva Harrell, vice chair man; J. C. Knowles, E. L. Davis, H. R. Chesson. H. W. Tarkenton called the meeting to order and R. C. Pea-j cock was named temporary chairman at the meetsing last Saturday. Wenona: W. J. Vaughan, chairman; T. L. Williams, W. E. Allen, H. J. Furbee and Staton Harris. Skinnersville: W. W. White, chair man: H. L. Davenport. Whitford Swain, J. B. White, and M. F. Daven port. Scupernong: C. N. Davenport, jr„ chairman; Mrs. Clyde Smithson, vice chairman; W. T. Alexander, Alexan der Davenport, H. A. Norman. i Zoning Ordinance Is Adopted by Council Several Appear for Hearing at Meeting Last Monday Night Several Changes Adopted With Final Vote Set For Tonight -c With two persons opposing and sev eral approving the proposed zoning ordinance, the Town Council of Plym outh Monday night heard a lengthy discussion regarding the ordinance and then unaimously passed it with a few changes which will be present ed and ratified at a special meeting to be held tonight. W. L. Whitley and G. K. Harris op posed the ordinance in detail, while J. R. Campbell, H. H. McLean, C. E. Blount, S. A. Ward, Colon Gurkin and others spoke in favor of the ad vertised ordinance but objected to the exceptions which permitted erection of service stations at five intersec tions in the residential area. One of the changes made in the ordinance was to make the center of Main Street the dividing line between the business and residential sections, with business establishments permit ted on the north side of the street, while the south side is restricted to residences and places of human hab itation. rt was also decided to change the western boundaries of the residential area to Monroe Street and the cor porate limits the eastern boundary. It was also decided to permit G. K. Harris to continue with the con struction of a store in yard on Jef ferson Street, since he had already begun work on it, but it was also re quired by the town that he observe the law already in effect requiring buildings to be not less than 5 feet from the property line. Wm. Luiher Davis Dies in Washington Funeral services were held at the home in Washington, N. C„ Wednes day afternoon for Dr. William Luther Davis, 72, who died Tuesday at 1 p. m., after an illness of several months. For six years, from 1919 to 1925, Dr. Davis was a resident of Plymouth. The funeral was conducted by the Rev. J. R. Everett, pastor of the first Baptist church in Washington, as sisted by Dr. J. W. Spillman, of Kin ston, and Dr. Peabody, of Tarboro. Interment was made in Oakdale cem etery in Washington. Married three times, both Dr. Da vis and his surviving widow, Mrs. Al lie Peele Davis, were born in Bertie County. While here Dr. Davis was an optometrist. For years he was a Baptist minister, serving churches at Mildred and Speed, near Tarboro. Besides his widow he is survived by the following children: Mrs. Belva Terry, Windsor; Mrs. Corbitt Hay den, Richmond, Va.; Miss Sally Mae Davis, Greenville; G. T. Davis, Wind sor; D. G. Davis, Plymouth; W. L. Davis, Herman Wilson Davis, and Gilbert P. Davis, of Washington. He also leaves one sister, Mrs. J. T. Mi zelle, of Richmond. Services Sunday at Zions Chapel Christian Church -- Regular services will be held at Zions Chapel Church of Christ Sun day, May 12, it was announced today. Sunday school will be held at 10 in the morning, with preaching services at 11 a. m. and 7:45 p. m. The pas tor, Rev. M. L. Ambrose will preach and there will be special music. Everyone is invited to attend by church officials. ) .-* Hold Exercises at Pettigrew and St. David's Cemeteries U. D. C. Chapters of District Expected To Participate In Program Plans for the observance of Mem orial Day at historic old St. David’s Episcopal Church Cemetery and the Pettigrew cemtery on the old Bo narva Plantation near Creswell, are nearing completion today, with C. C. Crittendon. of Raleigh, secretary of the State Historical Commission, in visited to make the principal address. Graves in the 100-year-old ceme teries around Creswell, where Bishop Charles Pettigrew, first Episcopal church bishop of North Carolina, and his worthy brother. General J. John ston Pettigrew, of Confederate Army fame, will be decorated at that time. Mrs. W. C. Jones, president of the local chapter of United Daughters of the Confederacy, and Mrs. Claudius McGowan, a state officer of the U. D. C., will invite chapters through out the twelfth district to partici pate in the event. The celebration will open with services at St. David’s cemetery at 10 o’clock, the featured part of the day’s progiam being scheduled for 11 o'clock. The Rev. John W. Hardy, of Williamston, will make the invoca tion; the creed and psalter will be read by the Rev. C. E. Williams, of New Bern, and prayer will be offered by the Rev. John Armfield, of Ahos kie. A welcome address to the crowd will be made by the present rector of the church, the Rev. W. B. Gaither. The principal speech of tlie morning session will be made by C. W. Tatem, of Columbia, former representative of Tyrrell County in the legislature and well-known civic worker in the Sou thern Albemarle section. The Rev. C. A. Ashby, of Edenton. will also make a speech. The presentation of alms and the benediction will be made by the Rev. Sidney E. Matthews, of Washington. Basket Picnic Following a basket picnic, the throng will go to the community house on Lake Phelps at Pettigrew Park, where the afternoon exercises will begin at 3 p. m. W. L. Whitley will serve as master of ceremonies and deliver a speech in the form of an eulogy of General Pettigrew. Dur ing this service the high school bands from Plymouth, Creswell, Columbia and Edenton will play the national anthem, a southern song, and “Caro lina," during which pledges will be made to the flags of the three do minions. In addition to Dr. Crtitendon. other speakers at the afternoon ses sion will be T. W. Armstrong, man ager of the Farm Security Admin istration Scuppernong Farms Project, of which Pettigrew Park and Bo narva Plantation were once a part; and a speaker from the University of North Carolina, which has the Pettigrew cemetery in charge. Following these exercises, the gath ering will move in a body to the graves of the Pettigrew, with the Boy Scouts, bands, clergy, choir, firing squads, buglers, and U. D. C. chap ter members in the lint of march. The ladies of the U. D. C. will con duct the closing services, after placing wreaths on the graves. The Rev. W. B. Gaither, of Cres well, rector of the church; the Rev. C. A. Ashby, of Edenton; John W. Darden, of Plymouth; and C. W. Tatem, of Columbia, are the persons behind the movement to have the celebration staged on national Mem orial Day, May 30. -4 Woman s Club Sponsors Supper Next Tuesday * ■ — The Senior Woman's Club of Plym outh will serve a supper at the Legion Hall next Tuesday. May 14, begin ning at 6 p. m and continuing Until 9 p. m. A choice of three menus will be available at 25 cents each, as fol lows: chicken salad plate with hot biscuits, ham and potato salad with hot biscuits, or hot waffles with sau sage. The public is cordially invited to attend. Family parties are espec ially welcome. Vaccination of Dogs Is Urged 'by County Health1 Department County Will Enforce State Law Requiring All Dogs To Be Treated Bv S. V. LEWIS. M. D. County Health Officer Rabies, the disease caused by the bite of a -mad dog," is one of our most serious diseases, and no person or animal has ever recovered from it, which of course makes the disease hopeless except from the point of preventing the disease. As a protective measure against ra bies the Washington County commis sioners on the first Monday of May, 1940. adopted the state law, requir ing all dogs over six months of age to be vaccinated against the disease. They also appointed rabies inspectors whose duty it is to visit various local ities in the county for the purpose of vaccinating dogs against the disease. It is not known whether all of the appointment have been accepted, but the following is a list of appointed inspectors: i Paul Basnight, for Plymouth Town ship and the neighborhood of Wenona and Westover. Mr. Basnight has ac cepted the appointment and fixed the following schedule to vaccinate dogs: One visit only to “Uncle Tom Bate man's’’ place on Highway 64, Mon day, May 13: Skyles store at West over, each Tuesday from 1 to 5 p. m. until June 30; Williams' service sta tion at Wenona eacii Wednesday from 12 to 6 p. m. until June 30; and at the office of the Plymouth police department on all other week days. Henderson Norman was appointed for Skinnersville and Scuppernong Townships, but this department has not been advised whether or not he accepted the appointment, nor do we have a schedule of his appointments for the purpose of vaccinating dogs. C E. Swain, of Roper, was appoint ed inspector for Lees Mill Township, but his acceptance and scheduled visits for vaccinating dogs has not been received by this office. The cost of vaccinating dogs is re funded when taxes are paid, provided such dogs are listed on the tax books. It is commonly believed that rabies is more common and more deadly dur ing the summer months, but, as a matter of fact, it is more virulent during the colder months, and the reason we have more rabies during the summer months is because dogs and other animals that carry the dis ease have a tendency to roam around more during the warm weather months. As a protection against rabies, dog owners are urged to have their dogs vaccinated. This is an effort on the part of the health department to protect the population as well as the dogs against the disease. It must be remembered that one of the first symptoms of rabies in a dog is his tendency to stray away from home and perhaps not return again, be cause rabies is a disease of the brain and nervous system, which causes the dog to roam around without knowing where his home is. Roper Delegations Seeks Supplement Members of the Washington Coun ty Board of Education, in session here Monday, heard a delegation of 42 women from Roper ask that school officials include in their budget a sum of $150 to supplement the earn ings of Miss Lucy McDonald as piano teacher there. Miss McDonald has been giving piano lessons and instructing the glee club in the school, with her only in come coming through the fees for piano lessons. The delegation was told that no money could be appropriated for such a supplement and was also advised that the qualifications of Miss Mc Donald as a public-school music teacher would not meet state re quirements. Miss McDonald is an accomplished piano instructor, but she lacks a few hours of study in public schol music to meet state re quirements in this respect. No successor to Frank L. Brinkley as a member of the Plymouth school committee was appointed at the meeting Monday, due to the pressure of other matters. Mr. Brinkley re signed to become chairman of the board of elections. Local Bank Will Be Closed Friday lor First of Three Holidays During Month The Branch Banking and Trust Company will be closed on Friday for the first of three hol idays scheduled this month, the others falling on May 20 and 30. Friday. May 10, is a slate legal holiday, observed only in North Carolina, as Confederate Memor when the graves of Confederate when flags or flowers are placed on the graves of former Confed erate soldiers. Many people here will attend the first showing of “Gone With the Wind” at the Plymouth Theatre that day, with its vivid portrayal of the South's battle lor a lost cause. Monday. May 20, will be Meck lenburg Day, another holiday ob served only in North Carolina, memorializing the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of In dependence in Charlotte on May 20. 1775. Thursday, May 30, is national Memorial Day, and as such a leg al holiday for not only the banks but also all federal employees, including postal workers. There will be no mail deliveries on that day. Saturday Last Day to Register for Primary New and Old Voters Must Be Registered Before Closing Time Reported Only 1,100 of More Than 2,500 Eligible Have Put Names on Books Approximately 1.100 persons have entered their names on the election books in Washington in the new reg istration in progress, and with only two days more, there are still about half the number of eligible voters who have not had their names en rolled. Chairman Frank L. Brinkley, of the board of elections, said today that the books would close Saturday, May 11, at 6 p. m„ and after that time it will be impossible for those not registered to qualify to vote in the primaries May 25, regardless of their party affiliations. everyone wno wisnes to vote in the primaries must be registered be fore Saturday night, regardless of how many times he may have voted in prior years. The old books will be destroyed, and only the new books used in future elections. Election re turns in 1936 and 1938 indicate that there are about 1,700 Democrats and 800 Republicans eligible to vote, pro vided they register in time. Three new books are provided for each precinct. One is for registration of Democrats and one for Republi cans for used in the primaries; while the third will include all names and be used only at the general election in November. Unofficial but reliable reports had it that there are about 400 registered in Plymouth; 300 in Lees Mills; 60 in Skinnersville, and 260 in Scupper - nong. Only a small percentage of the Republicans had registered ac cording to the reports. It is understod that the number of registered voters will be greatly in creased Thursday, Friday and Sat urday, as party workers have begun to haul the voters in to register, and in some precincts the registrars have been taken to the voters in an effort to get as many as possible on the books. Most of the registrars can be found at their homes or places of business at any time during the day to regis ter, as follows: Plymouth: Mrs. Ad die L. Brinkley, courthouse or home across the street: Lees Mill: A. R. Phelps, home or filling station; Skin nersville: W. W. White, at his home or store; Scuppernong: Thomas F. Davenport, at his home or somewhere in Creswell; Wenona: W. L. Furbee, at his home or somewhere in We nona. Chairman Brinkley said this was the last call, and that he hoped all voters would register during the legal period, because it would be disap pointing to them to be unable to vote in the primary, but he said this would be the case unless they register be fore Saturday night. Mother's Day Service at Methodist Sunday School -$ Special Mother’s Day services will be held at the Methodist Sunday school Sunday morning at 9:45, it was announced by Superintendent J. W. Norman, who says the young peo ple will provide the program. Mr. Norman urges a large attendance. Blue Mold Present in Practically All Tobacco Beds of County, Farmers Say Blue mold is reported to be causing serious damage to tobac co plant beds throughout the county. The late spring with its cool damp weather has been al most ideal for widespread infes tation, in addition to causing practically all types of farm work to be delayed later than for a number of years past. County Agent W. V. Hays this week issued the following state ment relative to controlling the disease: “Inquiries are coming in practically every day for some simple and inexpensive control method. We do not know of any control using the ofd bed and doth and equipment ordinarily found around on the farm. We do know that there a few reme dies which will control blue mold, but they require a hea\> cover so as to hold gas fumes on the bed. "Sprays made by copper oxide, which can be obtained locally, are helpful. A little application of nitrate of soda properly ap plied will help diseased plants to recover. This must be handled very carefully, however. All t0" bacco plant bed covers should be permanently removed at this time. Detailed instructions tor blue mold control are available at the county office." J. N. Broughton In County Today J. M. Broughton, of Raleigh, candidate for the Democratic gu bernatorial nomination in the pri mary May 25, is expected to ar rive in Plymouth Thursday morn ing at 10 o'clock to spend the day in Washington County greeting and shaking hands with the vot ers. No speaking program has ben arranged for Mr. Broughton, according to his county manager, Representative W. M. Darden. Mrs. Broughton is expected to accompany her husband on the trip, and Mrs. Claudius McGowan will entertain her at luncheon at her home on Main Street. It is understood that Mr. Broughton will visit every pre cinct in the county in an effort to meet and greet as many vot ers as possible in seeking support of his platform of “A sound pro gram of progress for North Car olina.” WPA Planning for Open House Week Plans for “open house week” for Works Progress Administration work ers during the period between May 20 and 25 were completed at a meeting of the committees in the county held in the office of Mrs. Kathleen S. No bles at the school here Wednesday Members of the various committees were instructed as to their duties on the occasion in welcoming and ar ranging for visits of the public to projects that have been concluded or are now under progress. A feature of the occasion will be dinners at Plymouth, Roper and Creswell Monday evening, May 20. for colored and white workers, with a speech to be made over a nation wide radio hook-up by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of tlie President, re garding WPA work. County Convention Of Democrats Will Be Held Saturday To Elect Delegates To State Convention in Raleigh Friday, May 17 Selection of delegates to the state convention in Raleigh Friday of next week. May 17. recommendations for a platform for the party, considera tion of the Roosevelt third-term movement, and completion of the county organization are the principal items of business scheduled to come before the Democrats of Washington County at the courthouse here Satur day morning at 11 o’clock. Chairman W. Ronald Gaylord said that delegates to the state conven tion would be elected on a basis of 12 votes representing the county at the meeting. In 1938, there were 24 delegates elected to attend the con vention. with the power to cast a half vote each. It is expected that all those wishing to go to the state con vention will be named by the county meeting to represent the county and votes its full strength. John W. Darden, a member of the state advisory committee, who is in charge of the activities of the Roose velt-Third-Term movement in this county, is expected to introduce a resolution in the county convention Saturday favorable to the third-term movement, but it is not expected that he will seek a delegation to the state convention instructed to support only Roosevelt as the party's choice for the Democratic nomination. Immediately after the county con vention, or during a lull in its busi ness, the precinct chairmen—who comprise the county Democratic ex ecutive committee—will gather for a short meeting and name the chair man of the county executive com mittee. Mr. Gaylord was named to ;his post in 1938. ine precinct delegates and offic ials named last Saturday will gather for the county convention Saturday, with voting strength based on the vote cast for governor in the last general election, the distribution be ing as follows: Plymouth 31, Lees Mills 17, Scuppernong 12, Skinners ville 5, and Wenona 1. The delegates attending will vote the full strength of the precincts they represent. -® Regular Sunday Services • At Episcopal Church The Rev. Sidney E. Matthews, of Washington, N. C., rector, will con duct services at Grace Episcopal church here Sunday morning. Holy Communion will be celebrated also ind there will be special music. Sunday school will be held at 10 I'clock as usual. Several From Here Attend Funeral for Mrs. Morgan Mi-s. J. S. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hardison, Mis. W. P. Ausbon, Mrs. 2. T. Robbins, Mrs. H. M. Ramsey, ind Mrs. and Mrs. C. V. W. Ausbon attended the recent funeral of Mrs. W. P. Morgan in Winfall. Mrs. Morgan was Mrs. Brown’s sis jer. Final Exercises Held At Roper Last Night Arrest 'Negro Here Tor Forging Check Prank Chism's check-writing pro [ clivities here last Saturday caused him to wind up before the bar of jus tice in recorder’s court Tuesday morn ing, when he was assessed with the costs after forging the name of R. A. Wilson to a check and attempting to cash it at E, H. Liverman’s store. It was reported also that Chism was successful in getting another mer chant to cash a check with a name purporting to be that of R. A. Wil son, paymaster of the William Muir head Construction Company. Each time the would-be forger missed the middle initial of the paymaster. It was revealed that the matter between the victimized merchant was settled before the warrant was issued, while Mr. Liverman pushed his charge. Chism is colored. W. S. Blount, white, was found guil ty of driving a car after his driver’s license had been revoked for one year, and so his driver's license was re voked for an additional year. Zeb V. Price, white, was fined $50 and the costs on a charge of operat ing an automobile while drunk. County Commissioners Consider Routine Matters The Washington County commis sioners in session Monday attended to matters of routine interest, including the employment of Greathouse and Butler, of Rocky Mount, to make the annual audit starting on June 30. To prevent the spread of rabies the following persons were appointed to administer vaccinations t o dogs in their respective sections. Paul Bas night, Plymouth; C E. Swain, Lees Mills: H. A. Norman, Skinnersville and Scuppernong. W. B. Rodman Main Speaker; 12 Seniors Are Given Diplomas Program of Commencement Exercises Began Last Friday Night -^ A speech by Senator W. B. Rod man, of Washington, N. C„ who serv ed as chairman of the senate appro priations committee at the last ses sion of the legislature and who was a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve with the American fleet in the World War 22 years ago, was the principal speaker at the graduation exercises in the Roper High School Wednesday night. Prayer was offered by Rev. M. L. Ambrose, Christian minister. Walter H. Paramore. member of the county school board, introduced Mr. Rodman and Miss May Jo Walker played a piano solo. Awards were presented to those making special accomplish ments during the year, and H. H. McLean, county superintendent of schools, presented the diplomas to the graduating class. The closing exercises for the school began last Friday night, with the pre sentation of ' Masquerade,” by the senior class to a large and apprecia tive audience. The cast included Earl Spruill, Joe Cox. Wesley Everett, Eva Chesson. Julian Davenport, Her man Myers, Jane Windley, Elsie Knowles, Virginia Spruill. Ruth Has sell, Herbert Curies, Marvin Spencer, and Doris Chesson. Marshalls were Sidney Hassell, chief, Hattie Marie Brey. James McAllister and Margi nette Furlough. Carol Chesson and "Pinkie” Marrow were class mascots. (Continued on page six)