The
* * * * * *
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 4
Roanoke Beacon
and Washington County News ★★★★★★★
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 22, 1942_
'H A home newspaper dedicated
H to the service of Washington
i§ County and its 12,000 people.
Igagiraaaaajr.i'i'm 11 ■ i ■ j yi4*&SB
ESTABLISHED 1889
-
Town
opics
W. H. Clark found an uncashed
check made out to Lyman K. Pink
ham, route 2, Washington, by the
Washigton Production Credit Asso
ciation. in some paper that had been
brought to him for baling and sel.ing
in connection with the waste paper
* collection drive for national defense.
The check v/as for the sum of $100.
He returned it to its owner.
W. A. Capehart, of Windsor, has
become connected with the Manning
Motor Company here as parts mana
ger, succeeding J. B. Willoughby,
who resigned to enter the laundry
business in Plymouth. Mr. Cape
hart worked with the Ford agency
in Windsor for about eight years.
William Arthur iBilly) David
son, jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. W.
A. Davidson, st\, of Plymouth, is
one of the four additional fledg
lings in the Navy’s rapidly grow
ing air force who last week earn-,
ed their title of aviation cadets
in the United States Naval Re
serves. He will continue training
at Navy Flight Training Centers
and on completion of the course
will be commissioned ensign in
the U. S. N. R.
Mrs. Lula Jackson, librarian at the
Washington County Public Library
on the second floor of the courthouse
said that three new books had been
added to the pay shelf at the library.
The titles are ‘ Windswept,” by Chase
"Genesee Fever,” by Carmen; and
"Spring Magic,” by Stevenson.
Allen’s Store here started using
young lady clerks when Miss Bernice
Case entered employ of the grocery.
H. H. Allen owns the business. Other
clerks include Fletcher Harris and
Herman Owens. Mrs. Lewis Price
is cashier.
Dr. S. V. Lewis, district health of
ficer. sustained a broken bone in an
ankle last week when he slipped from
the steps at his home on Main Street
with a bucket of ashes in his hand.
He has been using crutches.
The increased number of bi
cycles in this county is causing
concern among officers, who
urge the boys and girls to be
careful while riding. P. W.
Brown, cheif of police, and Corp.
T. B. Brown, of the State High
way Patrol, urge all bicycle rid
ers to be careful to avoid acci
dents.
W. H. Gurktn and others have been
talking of the scarcity of farm labor
in the county. Many young men
from the farms .have been called into
the military seryice for their country
and others have gone to the factories
where the wages are higher.
James C. Stewart, retired president
of James Stewart and Co., engineers
and contractors, died at his New
York home recently at the age of 81.
This company built the plant of the
North Carolina Pulp Company here.
He was regarded as one of the great
est construction engineers of modern
times.
Local Legionnaires
Meei Friday Night
A large attendance at the meeting
of the James E. Jethro post of the
American Legion Friday night at 7:30
is urged by officials, according to
Adjutant James E. Westray, who said
that special invitations were extend
ed to persons from out of town. The
meeting will be held in the legion
hall.
The adjutant said the local post!
now has 76 paid-up members, which
Is 12 above the 64 who paid dues last
year in this county.
The community service report of
the legion post shows the following
contributions: Red Cross. $5; Boy
Scouts, $25: Christmas Joy Fund,
$25; child welfare, one boy in sani
torium, $206; Americanism, $5; and
other contributions, $25.
Program of Services at
Local Methodist Church
--
Rev. O. L. HARDWICK, Pastor
The Rev. O. L. Hardwick, pastor
of the local Methodist church, will
preach Sunday morning on the topic
“Four Hundred To One,” and again
in the evening at 7:30 on “The Chris
tian’s Freedom.”
Church school is at 9:45 and Ep
worth League at 6:30. The public is
invited to worship with us at all
times.
Plymouth Post Oliice Begins Sale oi
Stamos as Use Tax ior Motor Vehicles
V
Collection of the Federal use
tax on motor vehicles began here
this week, when about 100 mo
tor ear owners purchased stamps
showing that they had paid the
tax on their automobiles for the
next five months, it was learned
from Postmaster John W. Dar
den. The local post office is
handling the stamps locally.
The stamps, expiring on June
30, 1942, cost every motor ve
hicle owner the same price,
S2.09. Small and large auto
mobiles and trucks all cost the
same price. The law requires
the stamps to be purchased by
February 1, otherwise the motor
vehicle owner is subject to pen
alties.
As the stamp is an evidence
of the payment of the motor ve
hide use tax. they must be af
fixed to the instrument panel,
windshield or other conspicuous
place on the vehicle.
When the stamp is purchased,
the motor vehicle owner is pro
vided with a blank card for the
date value of the stamp, make of
vehicle, body type and year and
engine number, so that he can
notify the collector of Internal
i Revenue at Greensboro and el
iminate the possibility of being
recorded as a delinquent in the
payment of this tax.
The next payment of the Fed
eral tax on use of motor vehicles
becomes due July 1, 1942, at the
rate of $5 for the full fiscal
year.
The stamp is transferrable
with the vehicle.
Estimated 960 Men to
Register February 16
Judge Holds Up
Appointing Clerk
Representative W. M. Darden
said today he did not know what
steps he would take it resident
Judge Walter J. Bone, of Nash
ville, tendered him the appoint
ment as clerk of the Washing
ton County Superior Court to
succeed C. V. W. Ausbon, who has
resigned, effective March 1, on
account of bad health.
Mr. Darden said he was out of
town tiie day the bar association
met and unanimously endorsed
him for the clerkship. He said
he would have no statement to
make until he was offered the
place. So far as can be learned,
there is no other candidate for
the place.
The appointment to complete
Mr. Ausbon's unexpired term will
have only until the first Monday
in December to run.
Hope To Raise $165
Infantile Paralysis
Quota This Month
Chairman for County Says
Campaign Is Off To
Good Start
Hopes were entertained here this
week that the $165 quota for Wash
ington County could be raised be
tween now and January 30, when
the celebration of the president’s
diamond jubilee birthday takes place
with the money raised going to the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis, according to John W.
Darden, county chaiman.
Children in both white and col
ored schools are canvassing for con
tributions through the ‘‘March of
Dimes” program under the leader
ship of H. H. McLean, county super
intendent of public instruction, who
has asked the teachers to help him
in the raising of the fund.
A subscription dance will be given
at the Country Club of Plymouth on
Saturday night, January 31, start
ing about 9 p. m„ the proceeds of
which will go to the fund. A Lloyd
Owens, chairman of the Country
Club’s entertainment committee, is
in charge of arrangements for the
dance, and music will be furnished
by Henry Williams and his orchestra.
Mrs. J. M. Phelps, instead of Mrs.
B. W. Gaither, will be associated
with Mrs. E. S. Phelps in handling
the campaign at Creswell to raise
$41.50; Mrs. Isa Johnston will be in
charge of the campaign for $41.50
in Roper; while Mr. Darden said that
$82.50 was to be raised in Plymouth.
A perecentage of the amount rais
ed in each community will be re
tained in the county for local infan
tile paralysis work, the remainder
going to the national organization
Rocky Mount Firm Given Contract for
New Roof on Plymouth White School
Waters Brothers, contracting
firm of Rocky Mount, was award
ed the contract for reroofing the
white high school building in
Plymouth at a special meeting
of the Washington County Board
of Education in the courthouse
here Wednesday morning. The
contract price was $1,430.
Several other firms bid on the
roofing project, but the Rocky
Mount firm was lowest. The bids
ranged upward to $1,598. The
Waters Brothers firm indicated
it had the material and men
available and that work would
begin Immediately.
The contractor will remove the
present roof and will roof, flash
an caulk copings on the parapet
walls, in accordance with plans
and specifications prepared by
Frank YV. Benton, Wilson archi
tect.
Since school is in progress,
the contractor was requested to
remove the roof only from as
much as can be repaired in a
few hours at a time, in order to
prevent a sudden rain from
catching a substantial portion of
the roof off the building. The
contractor is to provide a bond
to guarantee the roof for about
20 years.
The Waters Brothers firm put
the roof on the new Creswell
school building, and it is report
ed to be a splendid piece of work.
Expect Three Calls
To Make 2,628 Men
Subject'To Service
County-Wide Registration
Plans Being Made by
Local Board
It was estimated today that there
would be 960 young men in Wash
ington County to register in the third
registration ordered under the am
ended selective service act on Mon
day, February 16, of all men who at
tained their twentieth birthday on or
before December 31, 1941, and who
have not attained their forty-fifth
birthday on February 16, 1942, and
who have not registered heretofore.
Clerk S. A. Ward of the selective
service board said that the estimate
of 960 men was made on the basis
of the general rule that the third
registration would be 60 per cent of
the registration of the county in the
first registration October 16, 1940.
This genreal rule is being followed
by the national headquarters of the
Selective Service Act.
Those between the ages mentioned
are required to register on Monday,
February 16 between 8 a. m. and 9:30
p. m. These hours make it possible
for persons at work to register with
out losing time or money.
At the first registration on Octo
ber 16, 1940. there were 1,600 young
men registered; while in the second
registration, held on July 1, 1941,
there were 67 registered. If 960 per
sons register in the third registra
tion on February 16, a total of 2,628
persons in this county will be regis
tered with the selective service board.
The county now has about 250 men
in the various military services.
Some believe that the estimate of
960 to be registered in the third reg
istration is too high. But the Se
lective Service organization figures
the number will be about 60 per cent
of the first registration.
Mrs. Della Frances
Chesson Dies After
Illness of Few Days
Highly Respected Woman
Of Pleasant Grove Sec
tion Died Sunday
Funeral services were held Monday
afternoon at St. Luke’s Episcopal
Church in Roper for Mrs Della Fran
ces Chesson, 38, who died Sunday
morning in a Washington hospital
after a week's illness with pneu
monia. The Re . Sidney E. Mat
thews, of Washington, rector of the
church, officiated. Interment took
place in the Windley cemetery near
Plymouth.
Born in Washington County, May
13, 1903, she had resided in this
county all her life. Her parents were
the late Wilson and Ida Hodges. She
was married to Dennis W. Chesson,
well known farmer of the Pleasant
Grove neighborhood, on December
20, 1928. She was a member of the
St’. Luke’s Episcopal Church and was
active in the Woman’s Auxiliary. She
also found much time to devote to
the Methodist Church, of which her
husband is a member, being teacher
of the junior class, secretary of the
Sunday School and member of the
Woman's Society of Christian Serv
ice.
Mrs. Chesson was well known and
held in high esteem in her communi
ty.
Surviving is her husband, Dennis
W. Chesson. prominent fanner of
Roper, RFD. and two children: Mur
lin, age 3, anti Marion, age 5. She
is also survived by two sisters: Mrs.
Minnie Davenport, of Columbia: and
Miss Christine Hodges, of Roper: one
half-sister, Mrs. Mary Warren Hol
land,of Baltimore, Md.; and two
brothers: Adrian and Bunt Hodges,
both of Baltimore, Md,
Final Approval for
Addition to School
Here Given by WPA
Work May Be Held Up by
Shortage of WPA Labor
In This County
Congressan Herbert C. Bonner said
this week he had been advised by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt that
the Work Projects Administration
had approved a project for the con
struction of an addition and altera
tions to the white high school in
Plymouth, with WPA allotment of
$13,987.
Tlie contemplated improvements
at the local white school call for an
expenditure of $32,137 with the WPA
bearing about 42 per cent of the cost
of the project and Washington
County, as the sponsor of the under
taking, paying $18,150.
Improvements to the present high
school building include the installa
tion of a complete new heating plant,
placing a new roof on the building
and the addition of four rooms above
the ground floor, two of which will be
50 feet long.
The reason the county as sponsor
is required to pay such a large por
tion of the expense in because skill
ed labor will be used to put on the
new roof and to install the new heat
ing plant. The WPA bases its contri
butions to projects on the man-hours
of unskilled labor, and it pays no
part of skilled labor work.
The work includes performing car
pentry. masonry, roofing, iron and
steel work, plastering removing furn
ace and heating ducts, and perform
ing appurtenant and incidental work
including grading and landscaping
the grounds.
It is not known when work will
be started on the project, due to the
scarcity of WPA labor in the county,
as well as to the difficulty usually
encountered by the county in obtain
ing materials that must be used in
the project.
The county is understood to be
ready to secure its share of the mon
ey when arrangements are made to
start construction. The war is mak
ing it difficult to secure materials
which are subject to priorities.
Tire Board Issues
Seven Permiis at
Meet Wednesday
All Were for Truck Tires
And Tubes; Half Quota
Now Exhausted
Permits for the purchase of seven
truck tires and tubes were issued by
the Wasihngton County rationing
board in session here Wednesday
afternoon, according to W. L. Whit
ley, chaiman, who said that with only
one week to go the board still had
some of the January quota to ration
out at its meeting next Wednesday
afternoon.
McCallum and Winslow, Plymouth
Texaco dealers, were granted permits
to buy four truck tires and four
truck tubes under the classification
of a fuel truck. It was pointed out
that under classification (E), owners
of vehicles used for transportation
of ice and fuel could lawfully be per
mitted to buy new tires.
Edward Patrick, of Creswell, was
given permission to purchase two
truck tires and two truck tubes. He
claimed his truck was also used for
the transportation of fuel, but haul
ed wood instead of oil.
P. H. Darden was given a certifi
cate to purchase one tire and one
tube for a farm truck. He said his
truck hauled farm products but did
not transport commodities to the ul
timate consumers for personal, fam
ily or household uses.
The January quota is 7 tires and 6
tubes for passenger cars and 16 tires
and 13 tubes to trucks and buses.
At the meeting last week, certificates
were given Dr. J. M. Phelps for the
purchase of two tires and two tubes;
Dr. C. McGowan for one tire and
tube; and J. E. Davenport for one
truck tire. There are still 8 casings
and 5 tubes for trucks on the Janu
ary quota.
Daylight Saving
Time for Nation
At 2 a. m. on the morning of
Monday, February 9, all time in
the United States will be ad
vanced one hour, when daylight
saving time becomes effective un
der the terms of an act passed
by Congress and signed by Pres
ident Roosevelt Tuesday. All in
dustry, including railroads, mail
schedules, and radio programs,
and every state will be affected
by the new time.
. The plan will be nation-wide
in scope, eliminating much of the
confusion experienced last sum
mer, when only certain parts of
the country observed daylight
saving time. It will be continued
throughout summer and winter,
i ending six months after the close
I of the war, under the terms of
the act.
Possible De velopm en t ofNe w
Industry in Section Proposed
KEY FIGURES IN PROPOSED NEW INDUSTRY
Former Senator Carl L. Bailey, left, and W. II. Hampton are key
figures in the possible development of ilmenite ore deposits in Albe
marle Sound by the Dupont Company. >Ir. Bailey was largely re
instrumental in securing the interest of the company, while Mr. Hamp
ton heads a Department of Conservation and Development committee
which will draw up a contract for the state permitting further ex
periments by the firm.
FSA Clients Prepared
To Do Bit in Defense
Farm Plan Stresses
Added Production
Goals During Year
“Food for Freedom” Units
Increased at Scupper
nong Farms
Every resident on the Scuppernong
Farms Project will do his bit in the
'Food for Victory” campaign by
writing into his 1942 farm plans ad
ditional production goals in keeping
with the capacity of his farm and
the needs of the hour, according to
W. D. Moore, jr., manager of the
project, who has just returned from
a regional conference in Raleigh.
“In line with the Farm Security
Administration’s ’live-at-home’ pro
gram for all borrowers, on individ
ual farms as well as projects, the
production of food and feed for home
use has been a first requirement all
along of all facilies at Scuppernong
Farms," Mr. Moore pointed out.
"This year every family is asked to
make definite increases over and
above subsistence neew to help fur
nish supplies of food products, fats
and o;’s for market.
"FSA credit is available, where
needed, to finance their stepped-up
food program," Mr. Moore said.
In addition to minimum produc
tion re. uired in the past for subsist
ence needs, each homesteader with
sufficient available land and pasture
is asked to increase his production
by at least two “Food for Freedom”
units.
Each of the following items will
(See FSA CLIENTS, page 4)
funeral hues Held
Wednesday for Mrs.
Lillie L. Everett, 79
--
Well - Known Washington
County Woman Dies in
Norfolk Hospital
Funeral services were held Wed
nesday afternoon for Mrs. Lillie L.
Everett, 79, who died in a Norfolk
hospital Tuesday as the result of a
cerebral hemorrhage. Interment was
made in the the Rehoboth Methodist
Church cemetery. The Rev. R N
Fitts officiated.
Mrs. Everett had been in declining
health for several years. She made
her home in the Skinnersville sec
tion of th county with her son and
daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. C L
Everett, until last November, when
she was taken to the Norfolk hospital
Born in Washington County Sep
tember 10. 1862, she was the daugh
ter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
White. In 1878 she was married to
the late William Thomas Everett.
They lived for several years in Bel
haven and Norfolk.
Mrs. Everett was well known and
well liked by all who knew her. and
she was descended from one of the
most prominent families in the sec
tion
Surviving are five sons Percy Ev
erett, of Belhaven; Oscar and Bill
Everett, of Norfolk: Clin ion'and Ver
non Everett, of the Skinnersville sec
tion: two daughters: Mrs. William
Quigley, of Philadelphia: and Mrs.
William Snellings, of California. She
also leaves one brother, C. V. White,
of Skinnersville. who will be 87 years
of age in March.
Tax Listing Still
Lags in County
Tax listing in Washington
County speeded up a little this
week, but only about 40 per cent
of the poll, personal and real
property have been listed so far,
according to E. F. Swain, county
tax supervisor.
Mr. Swain warns that those
who fail to list during the. few
days remaining in January will
be subject to penaltjips !'.• i-ieir
delinquency, ar.d he urges all
who possibly can to list their
holdings immediately so as to
avoid the rush which is expected
to develop during the last few
days.
So far about 750 of the 2,100
taxpayers in Plymouth Township
have listed. The supervisor said
the ratio of about 40 per cent
who have listed in this township
holds good for the remainder of
the county.
Funeral Riles for
Mrs. Jodie King
Funeral services were held at the
home near Cresweil Thursday after
noon for Mrs. Jodie King. 50, who
died Wednesday morning at her
home as the result of a stroke of
paralysis. The Rev. R. N. Fitts of
ficiated. Interment took place in the
family cemetery near Cherry.
Mrs. King was born in Tyrrell
County, the daughter of the late Mr.
and Mrs. W. H. Woodley. She was
married twice, first to the late J. F.
Phelps, who died 17 years ago. and
then she was married to N. J. King
about 13 years ago.
Mrs. King was a member for many
years of the Woodley Chapel Metho
dist church and was highly regarded
by all who knew her.
She is survived by her husband,
N. J. King; two daughters. Miss Eiiz
beth Phelps, of Norfolk; Mrs. Mon
roe Cliesson. of Roper; an adopted
daughter, Miss Mary King Phelps;
and two sons. McCoy Phelps and
Richard Phelps, of Cresweil. She
also leaves two sisters, Mrs. J. E.
Haire and Mrs. Ralph Sexton, of
Cresweil; and a brother, C. H. Wood
icy. of P.j mouth.
Dupont To Attempt
Extracting Mineral
From Sand in Sound
Agreement Reached With
State Officials to Extend
Experimentation
Carl L. Bailey’s persistence in pro
moting an idea, despite a number of
disheartening rebuffs yesterday came
a great deal closer to fulfillment
when the State Board of Conserva
tion and Development approved in
principle a proposal that may result
in developing the "black sands” of
Albemarle Sound into a million-dol
lar industry for this immediate sec
tion.
Representatives of the Dupont
company, which uses large quantities
of ilmenite. the ore of titanium, for
merly imported from India, told the
board that the black sand may yield
ilmenite in sufficient quantity to
justify large-scale development. It
was the persistence of Mr. Bailey
which had a large measure to do with
the firm's preliminary experiments,
since after cursory examination of
the possibilities Dupont engineers
I said they were not interested in car
rying their tests any further. The
local attorney carried a number of
samples of the sand to the company’s
Wilmington, Del., plant early in De
cember, and finally prevailed on
them to send a geologist here to go
further into the matter.
Mr. Bailey became interested in
the sand some years ago, and finally
learned that it contained traces of
ilmenite in J.y36. At that time he
contacted all known users of the ore,
but received little encouragement as
to possibilities of commercial exploit
ation of the deposits. Early in 1937
he succeeded in getting a mining en
gineer to go over the prospects here.
The engineer’s company was not
interested since the percentage of
the minteral present was so low as to
m ike its recovery impracticable at
th it time.
Imports Cut < f By War
However, due to ^he war imports
of, ilmenite from India Tia.i been
cut off, and its users are now faced
with the immediate necessity of se
curing new sources of supply. The
Dupont company has conducted in
vestigations throughout the length
and breadth of the land in search of
a n »w supply, and it is said they
are now more favorably impressed
with prospects in the Albemarle area.
Thei ■ search has carried them all
along the Atlantic coast, around the
Gulf of Mexico, and up the Pacific
coast
At the hearing before the Board
of C mservation of Development in
Raleith yesterday, the company was
repre;ented by Mr. Bailey; Henry E.
Ford, head of the development de
partment; and Harry Miller, of the
Dupe it legal staff. W. R. Hampton,
of F.ymouth, is a member of the
boart. and heads a committee ap
point ed to draw a proposal to permit
the Duponts to begin experiments
whic 1 may lead to development of
[the t.eposits in the sound.
It is emphasized that the work
now contemplated is only experi
mental in nature; and the methods
[ to be used in recovering ilmenite
mus; be worked out in their entirety,
since the process which will be used
has never been attempted before
anywhere in the world. However, the
Dupont company is faced with the
problem of finding new deposits
somewhere in the immediate future,
since they are now using their re
serve stocks, and it was said that
September of this year was the dead
line for securing new supplies. This
will undoubtdly result in the experi
mental work in this section being
rushed as rapidly as possible.
This Side of Sound Favored
Plans now in progress include the
gathering of larger quantities of
samples to be taken to the labora
tories for more extensive tests.
If these are successful, a 'pilot plant”
(See NEW INDUSTRY, page 4)
Board Education Advised Not To Sign
Contract for Hauling Colored Children
County Attorney W. L. Whit
ley has advised the Washington
County Board of Education that
it would be illegal for that body
to enter into a contract with the
Weston Mutual Association for
hauling colored children from the
ESA Scuppernong Farms project
to school at Cherry. State School
Commission and Weston Mutual
officials had presented a contract
for transporting the children to
the county board for its signa
tures, but Mr. Whitley declared
the county board had no author -
it\ to enter into such a contract.
The county attorney also stat
ed that the shortage of tires and
heavy taxes in prospect, coupled
with financial difficulties faced
by the county, called for curtail
ing expenses rather than increas
ins them. He said that any funds
available should be spent on the
school buildings rather than for
new trucks, and he predicted
that unless the rubber situation
improved, existing transportation
t'aeilties would be handicapped.
The board of education will
make some disposition of the mat
ter at its February meeting. The
Weston farms group wants the
State School Commission to pay
. 80 per cent of the transportation
\ costs and the local board 20 per
i cent, the local board to be reim
bursed by the Weston Associa
tion. By the terms of the con
tract, 17 colored children were to
be transported to and from the
Cherry school daily in a Weston
Association truck, a distance of
i seven miles.