The Roanoke Beacon * * * * * * * and Washington County News ******* A home newspaper dedicated | to the service of Washington | County and its 12,000 people. VOLUME LII—NUMBER 45 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, November 6, 1941 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics E. G. Arps. P. M Arps. Victor Ev erett, Lloyd Owens and Dr. W. H. Johnson went goose and duck hunt ing Monday at Lake Mattamuskeet and brought back three geese. They said they saw plenty of wildfowl, but most of them were flying too high for shooting. The Local Government Commission at Raleigh Monday sold a $5,000 Washington County revenue antici pation note to the First National Bank of Henderson for a premium of $11 and an interest rate of 2 per cent. A. J. Riddle, town councilman and business man here, lost part of the index finger on his right hand Tuesday afternoon after it was crushed by a sledge hammer in the hands of an employee. They were cutting an oil drum, when the employee slipped and stuck the sledge down to catch his balance. It struck Mr. Rid dle’s finger, necessitating ampu tation below the first joint. A branch conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormoni will be held at Louis Bateman's Filling Station in this County Monday, November 24. Church folk from Utah, Idaho, Ari zona. California, and Wyoming are expected to be present. A gift of 24 samples of miner als found in North Carolina was made to the Plymouth High School Wednesday by W. R. Hampton, member of the State Board of Conservation and De velopment. The samples includ ed mica, agate, asbestos, soap stone, and others. Paul Harrison recently killed a rat tlesnake with 16 rattles and a but ton on No. 11 Canal in the Turnpike Road section. He said it was one of the largest rattlers he had ever seen. Richard A. Tewkebury, teach er and explorer, of Charlotte, will be the speaker at the meet ing of the Thursday Afternoon Literary Club to be held Satur day afternoon with Mrs. J. Rob ert Campbell. Shep Brinkley, manager of the Plymouth Theatre, has provided a bicycle rack for boys and girls who attend the show. The rack is in sight of the ticket-seller and will be watched at all times. Max W. Rote, field representative of the American Red Cross, is in structing teachers and others in first aid and health co >=es nightly be tween 7 and 10 at the Plymouth school. The course will continue for about another week. Anyone wish ing may take the course. -3 County Board Holds) Its Regular Meeting -$ The Washington County commis sioners, in regular session Monday, prepared to secure the money needed for immediate repair of the roof of the Plymouth High School building, which has been leaking and is badly in need of repairs. They also agreed to sell to Colon Bowen all the pine timber on the Roper Lumber Company tracts dam aged by fire at $2 per 1,000 feet stumpage. Twenty-five dollars were donated to the Creswell school lunch room. The valuation of swamp land of the E. R. Jackson estate in Lees Mill township was reduced from $1,440 to $440. An error was made in the list ing. Last year the same property was listed at $288. County Agent W. V. Hays and Mrs. Frances M. Darden, home demonstra tion agent, made their reports to the commissioners. -® Levy H. Davis Dies Sunday At His Home in Jamesville Funeral services were held at the late home in Jamesville Tuesday for Levy H. Davis, 49. who died there Sunday night. Well known here, Mr. Davis had been in declining health for about three years. He was a na tive of Martin County and lived there all his life. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mattie Gurkin Davis, of Jamesvlle, and the following children: Mrs. Wil liam Hopkins, of Jamesville; Mrs. Horace Kendrick, of Birmingham, Ala.; Levy Davis, jr., Fort Jackson, S. C.; Mrs. Alexander Daniels, Nor folk; Durham and Belva Rae Davis, of Jamesville. STAFF OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PAPER Photo above shows members of the staff of the “Plymouth Echo,' newspaper published by the elementary grades of the Plymouth school: left to right (front row): Maydell Hardison, Constance Williford, Jane Polk, Ann Tetterton, David Read; second row: Ann House, Betty Hays, Elva Harris, Fay Asby, Jerry Polk, Lucille Allen, Anne Cahoon, Shirley Sexton, Marie Ayers; third row: Horace Ange, Sylvester Harrison, Ray mond Sawyer, Walter Paramore, James Hooker, John Outten, Robert Darden Swain, Bill Robbins. Not in the picture: Bossie Owens, Marie Davenport, Phil Ayers and Sam Carlisle. ____ ^ Trachoma Symptoms In School Pupils Here Quiz and Answers On Defense Bonds Q. When will the “drive” to sell Defense Savings Bonds be gin? A. There will be no “drive.” Many people think o' e De fense Savings Program like the Liberty Loan campa t s of the first World War, which were conducted for stated pe« ds to raise specific quotas. The De fense Savings Program is a long range continuing efforts to stim ulate the public to buy more and more Defense Bonds and Stamps month by month, and is essent ially a program to promote mass saving, as well as to provide mo ney for defense. Q. Are the Defense Savings Stamps sold at retail stores ex changeable for Defense Savings Bonds? A. Yes. They are the same as Stamps on sale at postoffices and elsewhere. Increased Acreage Cucumbers To Be Sought in County Contracts for 800 Acres Are Sought by Lang Firm; To Enlarge Plant Contract forms were awaited today by W. A. Respass, a representative of C. C. Lang & Son, Baltimore pickle manufacturers, who within the next two months hopes to contract with growers for about 800 acres of cu cumbers in this county and as many acres as can be secured in Tyrrell County. Mr. Respass said that good news to farmers would be that there would be six grades of cucumbers contract ed for next season, and every grade would bring an increased price over that paid during the past spring. Mr. Respass also said that vats had already been bought and would soon be installed at the plant here to double the capacity of the local receiving and processing station. At the present time there are 48 vats at the local plant, and it is hoped to erect about 50 more within the next few weeks. Low prices paid during past sea sons have caused many farmers to abandon the crop, but Mr. Respass said this week that he believed the new prices would bring about a big increase in the acreage to cucum bers next year. An excellent grade of cucumbers for pickling purposes can be pro duced in this section, and it is hoped the "food for defense” program will result in prices that will allow the producer a profit on the crop next season. New Local Union Organized Here by American Fork & Hoe Co. Employees A charter has been granted to 25 members of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers, Local No. 2986 organized here recently under the auspices of the United Brother hood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, an organization af filiated with the American Fed eration of Labor. Officers of the organization are as follows: H. C. Jackson, president; J. O. Rath, vice pres ident; J. C. Jones, financial sec retary; A. L. Styons, recording secretary and M. G. Waters, treasurer. The members of the new organization are employees of the local plant of the Ameri can Fork and Hoe Company. The new union was organized largely through the efforts of W. L. Garrison, secretary of Local No. 356, International Brother hood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers, and vice president of the North Carolina Federation of Labor, representing the Plym outh district. It was pointed out by Mr. Gar rison that the new local would need the support of the Ameri can Federation of Labor affili ates here and elsewhere, and that members of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union will be proud of their local and their affiliation with the state and national labor organisations. Precautions Being Taken by Officials To Prevent Spread -» All Children Being Exam ined by District Health Department Officials -9 Discovery that about 35 children in the elementary grades of the Plymouth school have symptoms of trachoma, a dreaded eye disease, has resulted in special precautions being taken by school authorities and of ficials of the district health depart ment to prevent the spread of the malady. Seven members of the group of 35 discovered to have symptoms were sent an eye specialist in Washington, and it was learned Tuesday that five of them were found definitely to be affected by the disease, which, if not promptly and properly treated may cause blindness. Trachoma is con tagious, and Dr. S. V. Lewis, district health officer, has advised school au thorities to exclude children suspect ed of having the disease from school and have them quarantined, at least until a complete examination has been made and treatment begun. Officials of the district health de partment are engaged in examining all the local school children today, and it was said that every effort is being made to isolate those suspected of having symptoms and prevent any alarming condition from developing. The Washington specialist who examined the seven children sent to him after the symptoms were dis covered told Miss Ursula Bateman, county superintendent of public wel fare that he had previously treated a number of children for trachoma from the Plymouth, Roper and Cres well sections. Principal K. b. rrotman said to day that in many cases where chil dren were affected by “red eyes,” the condition had been caused by dust and smoke, especially those living in sections where forest fires have been burning steadily for some time. How ever, local school officials said they were taking no chances, and that every precaution would be taken to prevent any spread of the trachoma symptoms among the children. It was said that most of the children suspected of having the disease are believed to have a very mild type of the malady. Health Officer Here Says Trachoma Is Easily Cured Early Danger Lies in Neglect To Begin Prompt Treatment, Dr. Lewis Writes - Victims of Charlie Agnew’s Wrath Are Expected To Recover Three negroes were wounded, one seriously, last Sunday about 11 o’clock when Charlie Agnew, 48, colored la borer, became enraged over the loss of a chicken from his yard, and be gan firing No. 4 shot into the house on West Main Street Extended where the fom- negroes were living. William Spencer, young colored man, was the most seriously injured. He is still in a Washington hospital, and it was said that unless complica tions developed he would recover from wounds in the chest and face. Martha Hedgebeth, colored cook, re ceived scattered shots in the face and breast, but was not as seriously in jured as Spencer. Martha Ward, who also lived in the house, was struck by a few random shots but was not seriously injured. Policemen Paul Ba night and G. R. Coburn arrested Agnew on the near by railroad track shortly after the shooting occurred. He was not car rying a weapon, and offered no re sistance to the officers. Policeman Basnight said that Agnew was under the influence of intoxicants at the time. Sheriff J. K. Reid said that he found a single-barrel shotgun, be lieved to have been used by Agnew, in the swamp just back of the house where the shooting took place. It was reported that Agnew had threatened the negroes, especially James Ward, if any more of his chickens were found dead. When he found a dead chicken in the yard Sunday night he became enraged and fired into the house where the other negroes were at the time, shooting five times through the door and once through each of the two windows in the house. The he was reported to have concluded that those |n the house were lying down to escape his shots so he called to them to stay in the house until he returned with more shells for his gun. Those inside ran, and Agnew took one more shot at them from a distance. The officers helped get the injured to doctors and then went to look for Agnew, arresting him a few minutes later. Agnew was tried in recorder's court Tuesday morning on a charge of be ing drunk and sent to the roads for two months, where he will be kept until superior court conevenes in Jan uary, when lie will be tried on chargee of assaulting the three victims with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. R. Gregg Cherry to Speak at Armistice Day Program Here Few Business Places in County Will Observe Armistice Holiday Tuesday Armistice Day, next Tuesday, November 11, wil lbe observed as a holiday in Washington Coun ty by the Branch Banking & Trust Company, the ABC stores, and the courthouse offices, all of which will be closed for the en tire day, with post offices oper ating on a reduced schedule of hours. Students in the schools of Plymouth will be let out about 10:30 for participation in the parade and exercises sponsored by the American Legion post, but they will be required to return to their classrooms at 1 o'clock, the usual time for resuming sessions after lunch. Postmaster John W. Darden said the post office here would receive and dispatch mail as usu al. but that the stamp and gen eral delivery windows would be open only during the following hours: 8 to 10 a. m.; 12 to 2 p. m., and 4:30 to 5:30 p. m. There will be no rural or city deliveries, but Mr. Darden said that if patrons who usually received their mail by these services will present themselves at the office while the windows are open they will be served. H. E. Beam, cashier of the lo cal bank, reminds local merchants to get their change needs and make their deposits before the bank closes Monday, as the time lock on the vault will be set for Wednesday morning, and it will be impossible to serve anyone Tuesday. Red Cross Campaign Begins Next Tuesday Drive Will Continue Until Thanksgiving In All Parts County Canvassers Named and Sup plies Received; Hope To Get 1,000 Members Canvassers have been selected and supplies received for the annual roll call campaign of the Washington County chapter of the American Red Cross, which will get underway next Tuesday, November 11, and continue through Thanksgiving Day, it was announced today by John W. Darden, chairman of the county unit. Mrs. Frances M. Darden, home dem onstration agent, has be->n named chairman of the annual roll call cam paign for adults; and H. H. McLean, superintendent of schools, will head the Junior Red Cross work. Shirley Young, an employee of the North Carolina Pulp Company, will also as sist in the roll call drive. It is planned that a thorough can vass for members of the Junior Red Cross will be made in both white and colored schools under the direction of Mr. McLean. The following workers have been appointed: Plymouth: Mesdames A. Lloyd Owens, W. W. Earle, Joe Arps, Eddie Getsinger, Bill Darden, W. H. Johnson, A. J. Riddle, Hilda Gur ganus, D. A. Hurley, B. G. Campbell, W. A. Davidson, and M. J. Cary, jr.; Wenona, Mrs. J. L. Rea; and Roper, Mrs. D. E. Poole and Mrs. Roger Chesson. The Creswell unit will be handled by Mrs. E. S. Woodley and others in that area. The annual membership fee is $1, but contributions of greater and less er amounts will be grateful received, it was said. One-half of the money raised during the campaign will re main in the county for local disaster or relief work in emergencies. Last year, about 360 adult mem bers were secured for the Red Cross in the county, and it is stated that the need is so great at this time that Red Cross officials urge tripling the quota if at all possible -<5> Rev. Eugene Taylor Enters Upon Duties At Christian Church Preached First Sermon at New Post Here Last Sunday Morning The Rev. Eugene B Taylor, of Sumter, S. C., has been obtained as pastor of the Plymouth Christian church, the new minister preaching his first sermon here last Sunday, with large congregations hearing him at both the morning and evening hours. A graduate of Atlantic Christian College at Wilson, Mr. Taylor has been preaching for five years, three years of this time as pastor of the church in Sumter, S. C„ before ac cepting the call to the local church. The minister is about 28 years of age, is married and has one child. A native North Carolinian, Mr. Taylor is originally from near Kinston in Lenoir County. Church officials are endeavoring to help the new pastor get located here. They ask that anyone who has an apartment or house to rent to get in touch with an official of the church, as the minister is finding it difficult to obtain living quarters here Mr. Taylor has been away much of ths week attending conferences and denominational meetings. He will be at home Sunday for the usual serv ices. Fall Federation At Creswell 12th The annual fall meeting of the Federation of Washington Coun ty Home Demonstration Clubs will be held Wednesday, Novem ber 12, at the Creswell High School building, with the Creswell club as hostess, it was announced this week by Mrs. W. M. Darden, home demonstration agent. Miss Pauline Smith, district agent, will be the principal speaker, and special music will be a feature of the meeting. Un usual reports are to be made by the clubs, and each club is to dis play some gift that can be grown on the farm. Mrs. Darden sUtt the public is invited to attend and club mem bers are especially urged to be present to compare the work of their club with others. Prizes will be awarded at the session. Town License Tags To Be Required on Local 'Autos in 1942 -* Old Ordinance Is Revived; Licenses On Sale After December 15 Plans for enforcement of an old ordinance requiring the registration of motor vehicles and purchase of city license plates were made by the Town of Plymouth council in session last Monday night. The tags will go on sale December 15, and the price will be $1 for each automobile or truck. A committee from the council re ported it had purchased 500 feet of hose for the fire department equip ment. Mayor B. G. Campbell and Chief of Police P. W. Brown were delegated to confer with Dr. S. V. Lewis, dis trict liealth officer, relative to the sanitary regulations governing use of the swamp owned by the A. C. L. Railroad Company east of the station here as a city dump. The council passed a motion au thorizing erection of 26 new street lights in the area recently added to the city limits. The location was to be left to V. E. P. Co. engineers, who are to erect the lights when the ma terial is available. City Attorney W. L. Whitley was delegated to get in touch with of ficials of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company regarding a con tract for a right of way and easement for running a sewer line under the railroads tracks below the station here on Wate Street. Observance Is Being Sponsored by Local Members of Legion -*. Parade, Memorial Service, Speaking and Dinner for Ex-Service Men State Senator R. Gregg Cherry, of Gastonia, former state commander of the American Legion, will be the prin cipal speaker at the Armistice Day celebration to be held here next Tuesday under the sponsorship of the James E. Jethro Post of the Legion. The day will not be observed as a general holiday, although a few bus iness establishments in the county will be closed in observance of the occasion. "We are expecting every ex-service man in this vicinity, whether or not he belongs to the post, to attend and take part in the program," said Com mander R. L. Tetterton. The program for the day begins at 10 a. m.. when the legionnaires will gather at the Legion Hall and pro ceed to the Plymouth High School building. They will lead a parade, including the band, school children, and fire trucks, in a march to the Legion headquarters for the 11 o' clock ceremony. The entire group will stand at attention at 11 o'clock, when the fire siren will sound, com memorating the time when the arm istice became effective on November 11. 1918, bringing to an end World War I. The roll call of the dead will be made, and patriotic music will be played by the band. “Taps” will be sounded for former soldiers who have passed on. After breaking ranks, the legion naires will go to the Plymouth The atre. where Senator Cherry will speak. Commander Tetterton will preside over the meeting. So far, about 50 former service men have reserved places for the turkey dinner at the Legion Hall, which will follow the program in the theatre. There the ex-service men will sing and recall experiences as they eat the turkey dinner and “trimmings." Mrs. J. ^Helps' Died Last Friday -® Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Snell Phelps, 51, who died in a Co lumbia hospital Friday, were conduct ed at her late home near Cresweil Saturday afternoon. The Rev. L. B. Bennett was in charge of the services and interment was made in the Dav enport cemetery, near Cherry. Mrs. Phelps was a member of Phil ippi Christian church. Ill health had prevented her from taking an active part in church work in recent years, but she remained a faithful mem ber during her illness. Besides her husband, J. W. Phelps, she is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Paul Clifton, Mrs. Mitchell Spear and Mrs. M. Manning, of Cres well; and one son, Kelly Phelps, also of Cresweil. She also leaves one sis ter, Miss Pauline Snell; a brother, Lindsey Snell; and 14 grandchildren, all of Cresweil. Pall bearers were J. T. Davis, Les ter Cobb, Leslie Davenport, Hilton Comstock, Richard Overton, and W. T. Alexander. Thank Fire Warden For Quick Response The home of several persons in the Skinnersville section escaped destruction or serious damage by fire on a recent Sunday due to the prompt and efficient work of Fire Warden S. F. Darden, according to Mrs. D. P. Pharr, who said that a forest Are there had gotten out of hand and would have destroyed at least six houses if it had not been checked. Mr. Darden was called at Plymouth and advised of the fire. Mrs. Pharr said that he was at the scene within half an hour and directed a group of residents of that section in check ing the blaze. About 800 acres of timberland were also threatened. Mr. Pharr said the people of that section were very grateful to Mr. Dar den for his prompt and efficient work Expect Few Peanuts To Be Delivered To Cooperative Warehouse This Year So far only about 200 bags of peanuts have been delivered to the Plymouth warehouses of the Peanut Growers Stabilization Co operative, aceording to YV. H. Clark, who, with J. E. Davenport, is operating the warehouses here to assist in the surplus removal program. Mr. Clark said that sinee the cleaners were paying a little over the S4.45 per 100 pounds price offered by the cooperative, most of the fat Vers are selling their peanuts through regular market ing channels, Unless the prices paid by cleaners drops, it is ex pected that the cooperative ware houses will get only the peanuts produced on acreage planted In excess of allotments. These may be sold for oil-crushing pur poses without penalty. Farmers were crowding the of fices of County Agent W. V. Hays here this week to get their mar keting cards in order to sell their crops produced on allotted acres to the cleaners. Most of the ex cess peanuts will go to the co operative warehouses.