The
Roanoke Beacon
★and Washington County News ★ ******
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina. Thursday, April 9, 1942_ EaTABLISHED_lS89
a^FOR VICTORY
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UNITED STATES DEFENSE
BONDS • STAMPS
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 15
Town
opics
C. E. Ayers saw Jimmy Brown, of
Jamesville, third baseman for the St.
Louis Cardinals get a triple and a
single in the exhibition baseball game
in Durham Tuesday afternoon, when
the Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers
6 to 0. He said Brown was a fine
ballplayer.
The Branch Banking & Trust
Company will he closed next
Monday. April 13, in observance
of “Halifax Day,” a state holiday
which falls on Sunday, April 12.
Those who will need change Mon
day are asked to get it Saturday,
as the time lock on the safe will
be set for Tuesday morning when
the bank closes Saturday.
Principals of high schools in Wash
ington County have been invited to
attend a meeting Monday at Pullen
Hall. State College. Raleigh where
Navy officials will explain the plan
for the Navy's vast officer procure
ment program.
Washington county commis
sioners and the Town of Ply
mouth Town Council will meet
Monday for their monthly meet
ings. Regular scheduled meetings
on the first Monday were post
poned a week to observe Easter
Monday as a holiday. The board
of Education will meet later.
Easter Sunday was one of the most
beautiful days for the fashion parade
that has been enjoyed in many years.
Easter in 1940 saw a snow falling
and Easter last year was a cool day.
The paraders enjoyed themselves here
as elsewhere with men and women
both donning their new spring finery.
It is reported here that the VVe
laska Fish and Produce Com
pany's canning plant at Mackeys
is now canning herring and shad
fish in addition to roe. The com
pany also is anxious to can to
matoes during the season. It al
ready has contracts for almost
200 .acres .of .tomatoes .to .be
grown.
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Miss Ruth Patten, of Columbia, has
succeeded Mrs. George A. Peele as
junior clerk-typist in the Farm Se
curity Administration office here.
Mrs. Peele was employed at the FSA
office here for a number of years.
She resigned several days ago but her
successor has just arrived.
II. E. Beam, cashier of the
Branch Banking and Trust Com
pany here, has been named chair
man of the Washington County
committee to stage a campaign
for the s .’e of v ..*> savings
stamps and bonds. He tvas un
able to go to Greensboro Tuesday
when a state-wide meeting was
held.
With a 11 percent increase in the
white population of Washington coun
ty during the last 10 years, there were
reported to be 6,857 white persons in
tlie county in 1940, and a 5 percent
increase in number of colored per
sons over the same period the total
to 5.466 for that race.
Brinson Cox, son of Mr. and Mrs.
W. B. Cox, has gone to Roxbury,
Mass., to visit his brother, Bryan
Cox who is serving in the Navy and
is assigned to the Atlantic fleet. An
other brother, is also in the Navy.
15 Cases On Civil
Calendar For Court
Beginning Monday
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Judge J. P. Frazelle to Pre
side Over One-Week
Civil Term
There are 15 cases on the civil cal
endar for the April term of Washing
ton County Superior Court which
convenes here Monday for a one-week
term with Judge J. Paul Frazelle, of
Snow Hill, scheduled to preside.
Included on the motion calendar
are the following cases: John Towe
et al vs. W. B. Watts: S. D. Davis vs,
W. H. Clark et al: H. E. Spruill, W.
D. Davis, T. W. Tarkenton.and W. A.
Knowles, all vs. W. H. Clark et al;
W. M. Darden, administrator vs. Wil
lie J. Sutton et al.
Uncontested divorce cases will be
tried at the will of the court.
Monday, J. J. Johnson vs. Foreman
Blades Lumber Company; M. T. Ell
iott et al vs. John Halsey.
Tuesday, Annie and Mae Spruill vs.
W. J- Bell; J. J. Johnson vs. Taswell
Wlieelock; L. Shugar vs. Caleb Gibbs.
Wednesday, In re: will of Charlie
de Shields; N. H. Harrison vs. Ger
trude A. Darden et al; N. H. Harri
son vs. Neva G. Darden et al; Indus
trial Bank. Inc., vs. W. T. Freeman;
Industrial Bank vs. Joe Nowarah.
Thursday: Farmville - Woodward
Lumber Company vs. H. W. Bowen;
W. D. Phelps vs. Herbert Brewer;
Herbert Spencer vs. Fennison C.
Meades; Ben A. Davenport vs. Jessie
E. Davenport; Maggie Swain vs. Clau
dia Beasley et al.
Merchants Association To
Elect Officers Monday
An important meeting of the Plym
outh Merchants Association will be
held Monday night at 8 o’clock, and
a large attendance is urged by James
W. Norman, president of the organi
zation.
Among the items of business to be
transacted is the election of officers.
Mi-. Norman is now president and H.
II. Allen is secretary of the organi
zation.
j FOR COURT CLERK
Wilbur M. Darden, who has
been clerk of the superior court
since C. V. W. Ausbon's resigna
tion became effective March 1,
announced his candidacy to suc
ceed himself this week.
SEEKS REELECTION
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Sheriff J. K. Reid announced
yesterday that lie would he a can
didate for reelection, subject to
the Democratic primary on Sat
urday, May 30. He has been
sheriff since 1923.
Last Registrants Soon
To Get Questionnaires
On Their Occupations
FOR SHERIFF
Edw. S. (Ted) Blount, chair
man of the local selective service
board, and local hardware dealer,
announced Tuesday that he was
a candidate for sheriff, subject to
the primary May 30th.
34 Men Leave Next
Week for Induction
Into Armed Forces
Increased Number Calls Ex
pected as Army Grows
Steadily Larger
Thirty-four white men of Wash
ington County are preparing to leave
next Tuesday for Fort Bragg, near
Fayetteville, where they will be in
ducted into service in the United
States Army under the provisions of
the Selective Service Act.
The call came for 35 white men,
but through enlistments in the Navy,
and for other seasons, there have
been several changes in the names of
those who leave next week. The
county quota for next Tuesday is 35,
but only 34 are being sent, which
means that an additional man will
likely be sent to camp with the next
quota from this county.
The men called to go next week
have already received their physical
examination here. Calls for increas
ingly large numbers of men are ex
pected in the next few months, as
Army officials are planning to add
2,000,000 men to the armed forces
during the current year.
1 The revised list of those who will
leave next Tuesday is as follows:
From Plymouth: John Albert Wur
ster, James Seaton Marriner, Hilton
Harris, James Shelton Ange, Delmer
Winstead Wallace, Herbert Ford Wa
ters, Albert Duran Williams, Thomas
Braswell Jeffries, Max Aubrey Dar
den, John Alton Tetterton, Raymond
Boyd Smith, John Edward Willough
by, Hubert Leslie Britton, and Wil
liam Worthing Dixon.
From Roper: Charlie Eli Mizell,
John Shelton Chambers, Hilton Com
stock, Roscoe Jackson Browning, L.
A. Phelps, Johnny Alfred Everette,
William Herman Swain, Joseph Wil
liam Patrick, John Wilbur Sawyer,
Willie Junior Patrick, and Harry Lee
Boomer.
From Creswell: Joseph Clyde Dav
enport, Ervin Washington Ambrose,
Alley Preston Phelps, and Grady
Jones.
From Westover: Edison Woodrow
Spruill.
From Mackeys: Erie Wilbur Spruill
and Harold Lee Swain.
From Plymouth, now living in Nor
folk: William Harold Ebron.
From Plymouth, now living in
Jamesvllle: Charles Edward Hassell.
Will Be Mailed Out
Soon as Received by
County Draft Board
Must Be Filled Out and Re
turned Within 10 Days
After Received
Occupational questionnaires have
been delayed in being mailed to the
local Selective Service Board, but
they are expected to arrive within the
next two or three weeks, according to
Clerk S. A. Ward, who said that the
blanks must be filled out and return
ed within 10 days after they are re
ceived by the registrant.
The occupational registration is be
ing conducted jointly by the Selective
Service System and the United States
Employment Service. Every man be
tween 20 and 44 years of age who re
gistered for Selective Service on Feb
ruary 16 will receive an ‘‘occupation
al questionnaire” from the local se
lective service board. Each question
naire is in two identical parts—one
for the selective service system and
one for the United States Employ
ment Service.
Employment offices will examine
the occupational questionnaires which
it receives to determine which men
are already qualified or can be quick
ly trained for work in essential war
industries. These men will then be
asked to come to the local United
States Employment office for a fact
find interview. Workers possessing
skills important to war production,
but who are not working in war in
dustry or in essential civilian activi
ties, but who are willing to be train
ed and transferred to such work, will
be given an opportunity to do so.
Mr. Ward stated that the United
States Employment Service will work
with the Selective Service System and
provide the service with current in
formation on the need for workers
for war production so that these
needs may be taken into account in
classifying registrants for deferment
or induction into military service. In
any individual case, the United States
Employment Service will be in a posi
tion to provide the Selective Service
System with factual information as
to whether or not the individaul pos
sess a skill urgently needed by the war
industries. The Selective Service Sys
tem will be guided by this informa
tion on war production labor needs in
making its decision as to the way in
which each individual can best con
tribute to the war effort.
These questionnaires will be mailed
to registrants as soon as they are re
TseiTREGISTRANTS Page 4)
Election Board
Meets Saturday
The Washington County Board
of Elections, composed of Walter
W\ White, W. J. Marrow, Sr., and
J. Richard Carr, will meet Satur
day to name precinct registrars
and judges of elections for the
primary that is to be held on
May 30 and the general election
in November.
Mr. White said that so far as
he had learned Republicans
would not have candidates filing
for nomination to county offices
in the primary. He was of the
opinion that they would certify
only one candidate for each of
fice.
It is pointed out by Mr. White
that the period for candidates fil
ing for county offices expires
April 18, Saturday of next week.
Registration books, he said, will
open with a few days fer tha re
gistration of new vetsn.
Forest Fires Raged;
Over Large Area of
County in Week-End
Christian Hope Church and
Much Valuable Timber
Destroyed
A forest fire, reported to have orig
inated near Dymond City, in Martin
County, Friday afternoon, burned
over woodland in Griffins and James
ville township into Washington Coun
ty Sunday, damaging thousands of
acres of land, destroying a church
and threatening the homes of a num
ber of persons living in an area along
Long Ridge Road and highway No.
32.
A large crew of men, including em
ployees of the forestry division of the
North Carolina Pulp Company, was
engaged in fighting the fire. Martin
County Forest Warden Marvin Leg
gett used 50 men in his county and
Washington County Warden S. F.
Darden had a large number on duty
in this county.
Christian Hope enurch was ournea
to the ground, causing a loss esti
mated at about $2,000. Sunday about
2 o’clock. It is reported that a piano
and one chair were the only articles
saved from the burning building.
Those who attended the church are
reported to have used some precau
tions to protect the church and then
returned to their homes to protect
them.
J. W. Jackson, well-known local
citizen, said that he helped build the
burned church structure about 45
years ago. He said that when the
building was erected an old church
building over 100 years old was torn
down.
It is reported that a bam on the
premises of Jim Ellis was set afire
by the forest fire, but enough help
was summoned to put it out before
much damage was done. A building
on the farm of H. T. Gurganus was
also said to have been fired, but the
blaze was extinguished. Twelve years
ago Mr. Gurganus lost his home and
farm buildings as the result of a for
est fire.
Members of the Plymouth Fire De
partment helped keep the blaze away
from the homes of S. F. Darden, Mrs.
Hooker and others on Highway 32
Sunday. It is reported that the fire
has done immense damage to barns,
log camps and ,. iH.or buildings on
the property of various people. No
loss of life or injury to anyone has
been reported.
Committees Named
To Administer Farm
Program in County
-$
Local Groups Elected at
Township Meetings
This Week
A committee composed of W. D.
Phelps, of Creswell, chairman; R. L.
Stillman, of Roper, vice chairman
and C. W. Bowen, of Plymouth, mem
ber, was chosen to administer the soil
conservation program of the Agricul
tural Adjustment Administration in
Washington County for a year, at a
meeting held last night in the agri
culture building.
R. C. Jackson, of Plymouth, and
Roy C. Chesson were elected alternate
committeemen, in the order given, if
there should be a vacancy created on
the county committee. County Agent
W. V. Hays was named secretary and
Mrs. Fiances B. Brown treasurer.
The esteem in which these men are
held by their farmer friends is re
flected in their re-election to admin
ister this program year after year.
There have been some changes in the
offices they hold, but the three men
continue to serve. Last year, Mr.
Stillman was chairman while this
year he is vice chairman.
Community committeemen for Ply
mouth township, which were elected
last night prior to the county con
vention, follow:
Plymouth: H. (J. simpson, cnair
man; P. H. Darden, vice chairman:
H. J. Sawyer, member; J. E. Nooney
and Harry McNair, alternates; H. G.
Simpson, delegate to county conven
tion, and P. H. Darden, alternate.
Long Acre: Raleigh C. Jackson,
chairman; Preston Nobles, vice chair
man; W. S. Bowen, member, E. L.
Respass and L. T. Weede, alternates.
R. C. Jackson, delegate to county con
vention and C. W. Bowen, alternate.
At a meeting held Tuesday night
the following community committee
men were elected In Lees Mill town
ship: Roper: R. W. Lewis, chairman:
Herbert R. Chesson, vice chairman;
J. E. Phelps, member; Wendell C.
Spruill and Morton Marriner, alter
nates; R. R. Stillman, delegate to
county convention and Roy C. Ches
son, alternate.
Pleasant Grove: Willie C. Spruill,
chairman; Clinton L. Everett, vice
chairman: Sam L. Davenport, mem
ber. Dennis Chesson and Henderson
Davenport, alternates; Willie C.
Spruill, delegate to county conven
tion; and John W. Swain, alternate.
Monday night a meeting was held
in Scuppernon Township, with the
following committeemen elected:
Mount Pleasant: H. L. Davenport,
chairman; W. A. Spruill, vice chair
man; P. B. Belanga, member; John
'’"Tsee C'OMM!TTEB8 Page 4)
Political Interest Increases With
Five Candidates for Offices in
County Announcing This Week
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FIRST CANDIDATE
t - -»
Edward L. Owens, Plymouth
attorney, last week became the
first candidate for any county
office when he announced he
would seek the Democratic nom
ination as representative to the
next session ot' the General As
sembly.
Building and Loan
Directors End Sale
17th Series of Stock
Do Not Want To Accumu
late More Money Than
Can Be Loaned Out
The officers and directors of the
Plymouth Building and Loan Associ
ation, in their monthly meeting here
last night, decided to close the sale
of their 17 th series of stock which
opened April 1st. No more stock will
be sold except to persons who are in
terested in obtaining a loan for build
ing immediately.
Officials stated that they were
closing sale of stock in the present
series, as they do not want to ac
cumulate too much money without
being able to lend it as the interest
■paid by the association becomes a
burden when the money is idle.
Letters were read from the State
Insurance Commission and the Fed
eral Savings Loan and Insurance Cor
poration praising the standing of the
association, as shown by audits made
by representatives of the two super
' visory organizations recently.
Since the organization has grown
so large, it has become necessary to
increase the bond of the secretary
from $5,000 to $10,000, and the presi
dent and vice president will also be
required to have bonds of $2,500 each.
The organization now has about
$54,000 in loans outstanding and the
assets of the association are growing
each month.
Change Schedule of
Sweeping Streets
Streets in the residential section of
Plymouth will be swept on Wednes
day and Saturday mornings in the
future in order that they may pre
sent an attractive appearance dur
ing week-ends, according to Chief of
Police P. W. Brown, who urges citi
zens not to place trash or garbage
on the streets after Saturday morn
lings, as it will not be removed and
it makes an unsightly scene on Sun
day.
Mr. Brown said the trash trucks
would continue to call at residences
for trash and garbage on Tuesdays
and Fridays every week, and it is
hoped householders will have such
waste material ready when the trucks
call.
Complete cooperation of citizens
with this schedule is urged by the
officer.
i FOR COUNTY JUDGE |
W. Ronald Gavlord this week
announced his candidacy to suc
ceed himself as judge of the re
corder's court. At the same time
he announced he would not claim
deferment from the draft by vir
tue of this office, if nominated
and elected.
Expect 300 Firemen
At Quarterly Meet
Here Next Tuesday
Is First Session To Be Held
Here in 10 Years; Brock
well To Speak
($>
More than 300 members of the Eas
tern Carolina Fireman’s Association
are expected to attend the quarterly
meeting here next Tuesday, April 14,
either in the Owens building on
Washington street across from the
Plymouth theatre o" the Plymouth
High School gymnasium.
Sherwood Brockwell, state fire mar
shall, will be the principal speaker
for the occasion, with probably an in
troductory or welcome speech from
I either a town official or member of
the local fire department.
Fire Chief Miller Warren said to
day that about 500 pounds of fish
would be cooked to serve the firemen,
who usually have a banquet at their
meetings which start at 7 o'clock in
the evening. Rock muddle and perch
will be the featured dishes for the
visiting firemen.
This will be the first meeting that
firemen of this section have held here
since 1932, when the firemen enjoy
ed themselves fully, as evidenced by
the loud applause that greeted Fire
Chief Warren's invitation to the fire
men to come here at a quarterly
gathering held in Farmville about
three months ago.
Various firemen’s committees have
been preparing for the event for sev
eral weeks and all of the plans have
been worked out for an enjoyable
meeting here next Tuesday, when
Fire Chief George Gardiner, of
Greenville, president of the associa
tion, will preside.
Seed Peanuts Obtainable
Through County Agent
Virginia bunch seed peanuts can
be secured from the Williamston
Storage Warehouse and from the
New Carolina Warehouse at William
ston at $6.48 per 100-lb. bag for cash,
according to Mrs. Tom B. Brown,
chief clerk in the office of County
Agent W. V. Hays.
Peanut growers who need seed
stock for oil can get Wilmington type
peanuts here at the peanut ware
house at about 6‘2 cents per pound.
Persons wanting to obtain peanuts
should first go to the office of the
county agent for a certificate.
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U. S. Marines, supervised by Ma
rine Corps engineers, helped build the
Sino-American highway near Tient
sin, China.
Expect 1,050 Men in County Between
45 and 65 to Register Monday, April 27
Basin? his calculations on esti
mates prepared for the entire na
tion by selective service officials.
Clerk S. A. Ward, of the local
draft board said today that there
would be about 1,050 men be
tween the ages of 45 and 64, in
clusive, to list tl ir names in
Washington County in the fourth
registration, to be held on Mon
day. April 27.
When this age group is regis
tered, selective service officials
will have a list of all the men in
the nation between the ages of
20 and 65 years. Those who reg
ister April 27 are expected to be
classified for possible noncom
batant service to the nation. It
is planned to use some of them
in home guard units, while oth
ers may be placed in industry and
agriculture to help the war effort
at home.
It is expected that the fourth
registration will bring the total
number of men in the nation
registered for possible service to
45,000.000.
Mr. Ward said that prelimi
nary estimates of the number of
men to register February 16 were
considerably over the number ac
tually registered. It was expect
ed that about 960 would be af
fected, while only 700 actually
were registered. It is possible
that the estimate of 1,050 for the
fourth registration is also too
large.
Reid and Blount in
Race tor Sheriff Is
Only Contest So Far
Politics Likely To Supplant
War as Topic for Next
Few Months
Politics finally came out into the
open here this week and bids fair
to supersede interest in the war for
the next two months. Several per
sons have publicly announced their
candidacies for offices subject to the
Democratic primary Saturday, May
30. but so far only one contest has
developed, that being for the office
of sheriff, for which Sheriff J. K.
Reid and Edw. S. 'Ted) Blount are
announced candidates.
A brief resume of the candidacies
announced this week, in the order in
which they were received by this
newspaper, follows:
Blount for Sheriff
Edw. S. 'Ted) Blount announced
Tuesday that he W'ould be a candi
date for the office of sheriff. Mr.
Blount, a native of this county, has
been in politics on one occasion be
I fore. He served one term as treasur
er a few years ago. He did not of
fer for reelection, as he pledged him
self not to ask for a second term
when he was first elected. During the
first World War, Mr. Blount was a
second lieutenant in the Regular
Army, and he was later captain of
Company I, North Carolina National
Guard, when that unit was located
in Plymouth. He has served as chair
man of the Washington County Se
lective Service Board since it was or
ganized over a year ago, and he is
also a director of the local building
and loan association.
Gaylord for Recorder Judge
W. Ronald Gaylord. In announc
ing his candidacy to succeed himself
as judge of the recorder’s court, stat
ed that he had informed the local
draft board that he was relinquish
ing all claim to deferment from mil
itary service by reason of the office.
Judges of all courts of record are
exempted from military service un
der the selective service law. but Mr.
Gaylord said he was not claiming de
ferment for this reason; and if he is
called to service will apply for leave
of absence from his court duties, as
provided by a law passed by the last
legislature. He has served as judge
of the recorder's court for the past
eight months, after serving one term
as solicitor of the court and two terms
as assistant solicitor. At the present
time he is chairman of the county
Democratic Executive Committee.
Rodman for Solicitor
W. Blount Rodman, solicitor of the
recorder’s court since last August,
yesterday announced his candidacy
to return to the office. This office
was made elective at the last session
of the General Assembly. Mr. Rod
man has been associated with Zeb
Vance Norman in the practice of law
here for a number of^ears.
Darden for Clerk of Court
W. M. Darden, who was county rep
resentative at the 1941 session of the
General Assembly, and who was re
cently named cleric of the superior
court, announced yesterday that he
would be a candidate to succeed him
self for this office. Mr. Darden is a
lawyer, and his legal training espec
ially fits him for the office he holds.
Reid for Sheriff
Another Wednesday entry into the
primary field was Sheriff J. K. Reid,
who announced that he would be a
candidate to succeed himself in the
office he now holds. Sheriff Reid is
a native of the county and a veteran
of the last World War. He has held
the office of sheriff for the past 19
years having been appointed in 1923
to fill the unexpired term of his fath
er, the late Sheriff J. E. Reid, who
served in that capacity for 14 yeras
prior to his death. This Is the only
county office for which a contest has
developed so far.
Owens for Representative
In addition to the announcements
made this week, Edwerd L. Owens
last week announced his candidacy
for the office of representative to the
1943 session of the General Assembly.
Postal Receipts of
Quarter Increase
Total receipts for the Plymouth
post office for the quarter ending
March 31 amounted to $91,888.82,
according to Postmaster John W.
Darden, who said that business at the
office was increasing continually, and
the report reflects a large increase
over the same period for 1941.
Stamp sales and like receipts were
$4,534.33 and War Saving Stamps
and bonds sales amounted to $30,
138.39. making a total of $34,672.72
for the quarter. During the same
period last year, stamp sales and
like receipts were $4,347.75 and sales
of war saving stamps and bonds
$3,055.75; making a total of $7,403.06.
Money-order receipts for the first
quarter amounted to $57,216.10,