T The Roanoke Beacon ****** *and Washington County News ***** * SAVING IN WAR BONDS EVERYBODY EVERY PAYDAY VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 36 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, September 3 1942 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics Many Plymouth folks witnessed and enjoyed the total eclipse of the moon last week. It came at the full of the moon on an almost cloud less night with the moon about half way to overhead. Beginning about 10 o’clock, the eclipse was full with in the hour, taking an equally long time to clear away. James L. Rea, jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Rea, of Wenona was re cently assigned to a Navy trade school at Newport, R. I. where it is understood he is receiving training as a torpedo specialist. He entered the Naval service last July 29. Sergeant Tom Brown left Tuesday for New Bern, his new post after five years in Plym outh, the transfer also bringing him promotion from corporal to sergeant in the highway patrol. Mrs. Brown and their son will remin in Plymouth for the pres ent. Up to today, no patrolman has yet been assigned to take Sergeant Brown’s place here. Mrs. Joseph Thrailkill and two sons left Monday for San Diego. Calif., after spending about two months here with her brothers, P. W., J. W. and David Bown. Her husband is a captain in the Marine Corps and is stationed at San Diego. P. W. Brown accompanied them as far as Raleigh Monday. Robert J. Sydenstricker, well known local man who entered th" Army a few weeks ago, is now sta tioned at Camp Edwards. Mass., where he is to begin training with a combat unit of the amphibian en gineers corps. S. E. Nestor, purchasing agent for the North Carolina Pulp Company since it was first lo cated here five years ago, has received a commission as captain in the V. S. Army and leaves to morrow morning for Miami, Fla., where he will receive an indoc trination course before beginning active service. Mrs Nestor and other members of his family will continue to reside here for the present. Private Raymond B. Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland Smith, of Plymouth, was recently transferred from Fort Francis D. Warren, Chey enne, Wyo., to Camp Gruber, Okla. He entered the service last April and is in the quartermaster corps. Chief of Police P. W. Brown this week issued his final warn ing to local dog owners to pay the special $1 town tax on each dog at once. Warrants will be issued within the next week for those who have failed to pay the tax by that time. James E. Mizelle, secretary of Local 356 of the Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers, will leave early Sun day morning for Salisbury, N. C., to attend a meeting of the Executive Board of the North Carolina Federa tion of Labor, of which he is a mem ber. He will not be able to return until Monday night, so will miss the Labor Day celebration here. Reuben Mayo, who volunteered in the Naval Air Corps last June, left yesterday to begin his ground-school trailring at Chapel Hill. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Mayo, of Plymouth. - Revival Services at Siloam M.E. Church The Rev. R. N. Fitts, of Creswell, will be guest preacher at the revival services to be held each night next week, beginning next Monday, in the Siloan Methodist Church, near Gard ner’s Creek, of which the Rev. G. C. Wood is pastor. Each service will begin at 8 p. m. and they will end Saturday night, September 12. -® Teachers of County Hold Meeting Here Yesterday Teachers who will instruct the youth of Washington County in the county schools this year met in the high school here yesterday afternoon with H. H. McLean, county super intendent of education. Matters re lating to the several schools, the text books, busses and school hours were discussed and disposed of satisfac torily. About 50 teachers were in at tendance. Blackout Test Here Last Friday Night Declared Very Successful by Officers The black-out last Friday night when for 30 minutes Plym outh was in darkness, was a very successful tryout. So said Chief Air Raid Warden Brown and so agreed citizens generally. All lights were doused—street lights, car lights, house lights, and even tiny candle lights which some may have used in the homes to keep from colliding with chairs and tables were effectually con cealed behind heavy curtains. The people of Plymouth eo operated splendidly, according to Chief P. W. Brown. Air wardens and auxiliary police fluttered through the town, some on their two legs and some on bicycles, and nowhere was a forbidden light found. The town of Plym outh rested in a pool of dark ness. If any air raiders sought to find Plymouth during the black out they must have lost their way, for no planes were heard over or near the town. Labor Day Program Here Being Sponsored By Five Local Unions 1 IN ACTIVE SERVICE ( I ■■■ __— ■ -1 William A. Davidson, jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Davidson, of Plymouth, is now in active service with the Naval Air Forces after receiving his “wings of gold” and commission as ensign early last month. He made an excep tional record in aerial gunnery while in training and was gradu ated as a pursuit pilot. Merchants Banquet Here Being Planned For September 14th Discussion Will Center On Stimulating Trading In Plymouth - J. R. Campbell and J. R. Manning, named at the last meeting of the Plymouth Merchants Association to make arrangements for a Merchants Banquet the second Monday night in September, which will be September 14, will be ready soon to announce their plans. Selection of a place to hold the banquet and who will serve it is about all the committee will have to do, according to Mr, Camp bell; further than that no plans are necessary. It is to be an informal af fair, all local merchants being in vited whether or not they are mem bers of the association, and no fixed program will be prepared. Speeches will be barred and talks will be im promptu. Local affairs are to be dis cussed. In fact, the banquet is to be a merchants’ get-together affair to make plans to stimulate trading in Plymouth. Definite suggestions for such a campaign will be presented by a committee named for that pur pose, H. H. Allen, J. W. Norman and H. A. Williford being on that com mittee. It is expected they will make a worthwhile report, which will then be discussed. The country is at war, but busi ness must go on, and those who can not join the nation's fighting for ces at the front feel they must do their part to the best of their ability behind the lines. Labor Day To Be Observed as Holiday Generally by Local Business Houses Labor Day, Monday, Septem ber 7, will be a real holiday in Plymouth. Windows in the post office will be closed and there will be no local or rural mail de liveries. The bank will close, all business houses will be closed, except possibly the drug stores and filling stations will be open part of the day. The ABC store will also be closed. Offices at the courthouse, with the exception of the rationing board, will be closed. Bill Roe buck, who is in charge, said that lie had been informed by Raleigh headquarters that holidays are not being observed in rationing board offices. Mayor B. G, Campbell said this morning it was likely that the Town Council will not meet Mon day evening, as scheduled. “Sev eral councilmen will out of town, so the council will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday night at 8 o’clock,” he said. The coun ty commissioners will meet at 10 o’clock Tuesday morning, instead of on the first Monday, according to Ernest G. Arps, chairman of the board. It is doubtful if the county board of education will meet on Monday, but not certain. H. H. McLean, county superintend ent, said he had not been advised. Sheriff J. K. Reid said he under stood the school board would meet Tuesday morning, but It was not authoritative. Parade in Morning; Other Features Held At Albemarle Beach -® Prominent Labor Leaders To Speak; Free Barbecue Is Also Planned -® Union workers at the mill of the North Carolina Pulp Company, some 800 or 900 of them, since all cannot get away from work for a holiday in this war time, and union workers of the American Fork and Hoe Com pany, numbering between 40 and 50, will participate in a Labor Day pa rade in Plymouth next Monday, it has been announced by James E. Mi zelle, secretary of Local No. 356, In ternational Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers. Tire exact route of the parade is not determined, but it will form at Washington and Water Streets and move through the principal business streets. Tire high school band will march and play if possible, but hav ing lost 12 members by graduation last May it may not be able to ap pear until new members have been trained. Immediately after the parade the union workers and their guests will proceed to Albemarle Beach. Guests will include their families and all the business people of Plymouth and their families also. All who have cars are expected to take their friends who lack transportation and some ad ditional transportation will also be provided. First on the program at the beach will be an informative session, at which J. H. Newkirk, president of the pulp workers local union, will pre side, assisted by John W. Darden, Plymouth postmaster. Speeches will be made by an international repre sentative of the Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers and Joe Boyd, of High Point, interna tional representative of the carpen ters’ union. Following the speaking a barbe cue will be served. Respass, of Greenville, widely known as a bar (See LABOR DAY, Page 4) -<3> Ceiling on Prices Has Little Effect On Leaf Averages Prices Generally Averaging Around 35'Cent Mark on Most Markets -® Tobacco sales on the Bright Belt markets are reported steady this week, apparently undisturbed by the price ceiling which says "the weighed average price per pound paid by any person for flue-cured tobacco shall not exceed the average price per pound paid by such person for flue cured tobacco during the period from August 24, 1942, to August 28, 1942.” On markets in general this week, many piles of tobacco sold up to 47 and 48 cents, the average sales being steady and much in accord with the prices paid last week. The poundage was light, but quality was reported somewhat better. The price ceiling announced indi cates no effort is being made to low er prices from last week's levels, but the purpose is to check an unreason able price advance to prevent any in flationary movement. The definite effect of the ceiling price order is not yet apparent, but apparently the ceiling will prevent the overall average from going much above 35 cents a pound. It may tend to hold down prices for the better quality grades while boosting the price of inferior grades, observers be lieve. The ceiling order may be made permanent, it is said, or it may be changed in part to meet any in equalities that may arise. In general, it is claimed that the prices have not been materially af fected by the price ceiling order, that the markets had virtually been sta bilized and current prices will con tinue to prevail without much varia tion for the remainder of the season. Another Group of County Selectees to Leave Next Week -- Total of 26 White Men in Group Going To Fort Bragg Tuesday -® White selectees to the number of 23 and 3 volunteers will leave here next Tuesday, September 8, for Fort Bragg, where they will undergo physical and mental examinations prior to induction in the army. Those who are accepted will be given 14-day furloughs to return home and wind up their affairs before beginning training. Four men left Plymouth last week to volunteer in other branches of the military forces, and others may go soon, it'was said. Two of the volunteers who will leave next Tuesday are from Plym outh. James Hardison and James Robert Marriner; while the third one, Walter Lee Skittletharpe, is from Roper. The selectees are: From Plymouth: William Ronald Gaylord. Rasser Lee Edwards, Alfred Stuart Johnston, William Earl Craddock. James Seaton Marriner, Church Warren Styons, Harry Lee Arnold, Bill William Hall. Vester Valentine Estep, Mervyn Thomas Carrow and Carl Raymond Fisher. From Roper: William Grover Bell, Albert Ross Holton, Duard Ellsburg Craddock, George Edison Biggs, Er nest Leon Hassell, Floyd McConnell. Claud Leon Morris, and Phillip Jack son Edwards. From Creswell: Theodore Roose velt Haire, William Henry Davenport. From Mackeys: George Grady Phil lips. From Wenona: Hoyt Thomas Le Fever. The four who volunteered in other branches of the service last week are: Claude Edward Jones, jr., Navy; Brown Dee Shearer, Coast Guard; and John William Womble, Air Corps, all from Plymouth; and Louis Leroy Sitterson, Navy, from Roper. Resume Operation By October 1st at Peanut Plant Here -- B. W. Evans, J. E. Daven port, E. J. Broughton In New Firm -® Taking over the old plant of the Clark Peanut Company in Plymouth and merging it with Evans Mills, Inc., of Edenton, the Farmers Cotton and Peanut Company was recently or ganized with the following officers: B. W. Evans, president: J. E. Dav enport, of Mackeys and Plymouth, vice president: and E. J-. Broughton, manager. The Clark peanut plant in Plym outh, which has not been operated in recent years, is being overhauled, machinery cleaned, new equipment added and the building renovated. The new owners hope to have it ready for operation by October 1, before the new crop comes onto the market in quantity. The plant here has storage space for 20,000 bags of peanuts, and there is additional stor age space in Edenton for 25,000 bags. Under the new management, the company will buy cotton and cotton seed, cotton in the bale, peanuts, soy beans and corn, and will also do custom ginning and exchange cotton seed for cotton seed meal. No gin ning will be done at Plymouth, but at the Evans gin in North Edenton the latest approved type of drying and cleaning equipment has been in stalled and W. L. Langdale will con tinue to have charge of this phase of the business there. Cash market prices will be paid tor products purchased, it is stated, and the trio of well-known business men solicit the business of their many friends throughout this section. Mr. Broughton has had consider able experience in the cotton, pea nut and soy bean business. For 25 years he was connected with the Eastern Cotton Oil Company in Hert ford, after which he was located in Norfolk, Va., for 10 years. He re cently bought the Plymouth peanut cleaning and shelling plant from the Bain Peanut Company, of Suffolk, and then with Evans and Davenport organized the Farmers Cotton and Peanut Company. The new company has no connec tion with the B. W. Evans’ business at Tyner, where Mr. Evans will con tinue his cotton gin and dealings in cotton seed, peanuts, soy beans and corn. Was It Accident or Bit Of “Darn Carelessness” Alexander Davenport was loading a hog last week and punched it with the handle of an axe he was holding to induce it to go forward. Tire hog objected, kicked at Mr. Davenport with both feet and hit the handle, which in turn struck Mr. Davenport in an eye. In consequence, the eye is very, very black. Quincy Sawyer, who was looking on, commented: "That was not an accident; it was just darn careless ness.” Over $140,000 Worth War Bonds Sold in County in 4 Months Total Is 79 Per Cent More Than Composite Quotas For Same Period War bond sales in Washington County reached a total of $77,975 during the month of August. This is $61,575 in excess of the quota of $16,500 for the month. In Plym outh alone bond sales amounted to $76,000 last month. For the past four months, sales of bonds in series “E,” "F,” and "G” in Washington County, and the quo ta for each month, were as follows: In May, $9,500 quota: maturing value of sales, $23,625: In June, $14,900 quota: maturing value of sales, $21,576; In July, $37,600 quota; maturing value of sales, $17,150; In August, $16,500 quota: maturing value of sales. $77,975. Tire total of quotas for the foul months was $78,500; total sales were $140,325. or 179 per cent of the quo tas. The sales in excess of the quo tas amounted to $61,825. H. E. Beam, chairman of War Bond sales for the county, said today that he had received a letter from the Treasury Department, informing him that it was probable sales in ex cess of quotas -would be credited to future quotas. Likewise, sales less than quotas will necessitate the de ficiency being added to future quo tas. Approximately $9,000 worth of war stamps were sold at the post office here during August, but these are not credited to the month’s quota, Posmaster John W. Darden said. An unusually large number of war stamp buyers have been "cashing them in” again during the past few weeks, he said, $500 having been paid out in a single day recently. The postmas ter hopes these requests will mater ially lessen in the future. Seek'More Members For Farm Bureau J. Roy Manning, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau, said this v, eek that an intensive drive to seeur»: more members of the bu reau among farmers of the county was now in progress. The bureau is seeking 10.000 new members before October 10th to back the leaders of the organization in their fight to se cure parity principles for agriculture. Members are being sought among business men as well as farmers, since everyone in rural sections is di rectly concerned with the effort to secure a square deal for agriculture, Mr. Manning said. The Farm Bu reau Federation has taken the lead in seeking legislation favorable to the farmer, and Mr. Manning hopes to secure at least 50 new members in the county before the present cam paign closes. -S Textbooks Free for Younger, Rented To High School Pupils Superintendent McLean Ex plains System in Use This Term Piee basal textbooks are provided in the schools for elementary chil dren in grades one through seven, as they were last year; textbooks for the eighth grade and all high school grades are not free, but are rented to the pupils, the general plan being the same as last year. So stated H. H. McLean .county superintendent of instruction, this week. For the elementary children, and in each grade from the second through the seventh, reading books are provided as follows: two books to the first grade and one book in each of the others. Each child is en titled to one copy of the basal texts for his or her grade. Two years ago new adoptions were made in reading, health and art, and these will re place the old books in all the schools this year. Supplementary readers will be rented to pupils in grades one through seven along the plan pur sued last year. These readers should not be confused with the regular textbooks, which are not furnished free. Following the "flat-fee system," the same as last year, all high school books will be rented at the stated fee, $2.40 for the year. Tire pupil must rent all books. Tire full fee must be paid whether a pupil carries three, four or five subjects. This fee entitles the pupil to all his or her regular basal books, but does not include workbooks, laboratory man uals, classics or any miscellaneous materials, but does include high school spellers and dictionaries. Enough spelling books for the eighth grade enrollment are supplied each school with the understanding they may be used in any and all the grades. One dictionary for each four pupils in high school is also sup plied each school. (See TEXTBOOKS Page 4) New Term Begins at Local Schools Today; Schedule Announced GOING TO ARMY ,___J W. Ronald Gaylord, judge of the Washington County Record er’s Court since August of last year, is Included in the Septem ber quota of selectees who leave next Tuesday for Fort Bragg. ■Judge ol Recorder's Court Leaves Next Tuesday tor Army Is Fourth Official of Court To Enter Service in Past Three Months No session of the recorder’s court will be held next Tuesday, but the court will sit instead on Thursday, September 10, according to announce ment by Judge W. R. Gaylord today. Any who have been summoned to ap pear next Tuesday will take note that they are expected to be present Thursday instead. s rRec ' Jer •i.a.Gord till go to Fort Bragg next Tuesday for physical ex amination preliminary to induction in the army. If accepted, he will have a furlough of two weeks and will be back in Plymouth in time to hold court Thursday. Incidentally, when he announced as a candidate for the Democratic nomination as judge of the recorder’s court last May, Mr. Gaylord stated that he would not claim deferment by reason of occupying the office, al though he is entitled to it. He was nominated without opposition in the primary and he is also unopposed in the coming general election. It is believed the county commissioners will grant him leave of absence from the duties of the office "for the du ration.” Judge Gaylord is the fourth man to be called from the recorder’s court to the army. Solicitor W. Blount Rodman was first to go, leaving in June. Sidney A. Ward then served in his place until he was called into service last month. Clerk of Court W. M. Darden also went off during August, and now the judge is being called into the service. Eastern Star Chapter To Meet Tomorrow Night Plymouth Chapter, No. 95, Order of the Eastern Star, will hold a reg ular meeting Friday evening at 8 o' clock in the New Masonic Temple Building. All members have been urged to be present, and Eastern Stars who are living in Plymouth or near by but are not members of the local chapter are cordially invited to attend this meeting. An interesting and impressive program has been planned. Refreshments will be served. This being the first meeting of the chapter since June and also the first one to be held in the new “home” a large attendance is ex pected. Lesson Assignments Are To Be Given at Session Tomorrow Larger Enrollment Than Last Year Anticipated By Principal The school year in Plymouth for 1942-43 began today without any for mal opening exercises, assembled in their rooms at 8:25 o’ received their daily and were assigned textbooks were given who were not provided for supplied tomorrow, when will meet for further and nite assignments. All the fourth to the twelfth, are in the high school In the Hampton Building the first, second and third have their classrooms, the tine was carried out, the books provided by the distributed and lessons For the present the at each school will be 8:25 a recess of 55 minutes, from 1 o'clock, will be taken for and classes will be dismissed p. m. Dismissal for the day Hampton Building will be probably the same hour as fore. in event the tuel shortage makes it impossible to keep the buildings sufficiently warm during school hours, it may be necessary to change the daily schedule, Mr. Trotman said. Educational departments of both Federal and State governmens have been urging more general physical work in the schools, Principal Rob ert B. Trotman has planned a pro gram along this line which is ex pected to reach every boy and girl according to their needs. Mrs. Ben ton Liverman will direct the physi cal education program for girls. Efforts to provide an athletics coach and ir. tractor in agriculture for the 1942-43 school year have not succeeded thus far. but Mr. Trotman continues to hope the vacancies will be filled. Young men usually fill these position, and most young men are in the army now. There may be less need for an athletic coacli this year, since athletic contests will be curtailed close to the vanishing point. Only intramural games, foot ball, basketball and baseball, are planned for the school year. Trans portation difficulties, caused by the 'See SCHOOL BEGINS, Page 4> Young Musicians May Progress as ' Fast as They Will -@ High School Band Needs Number of New Players This Year With the allocation of four periods for the teaching of instrumental mu sic in the Plymouth High School this year, more emphasis will be placed on individual instruction and each student will be able to make as much progress as his or her talent and ef - forts will permit. There are at present several school-owned instruments available for rental for the school year. Any one interested in beginning on these should see the Director. L. W. Zeig ler, at the beginning of school. The band lost 12 members by grad uation last May. This will naturally affect the appearance and playing of the whole band until the replace ments for the vacancies have been [rained. A public appearance will be made just as soon as the whole group is ready. Mr. Zeigler said. Pick-Up Trucks, Otherwise Qualified, Nay Gel Recaps From Ration Board Kecapping of pick-up truck tiros is available when the ap plications meet all other require ments. according to W. L. Whit ley, chairman of the local ration ing board, who announced last week that new tires would not be available in the future for such trucks. Mr. Whitley gave con siderable study to rationing rules sent out by the state headquar ters before making his decision. The local board has received from F.. 11. Schellenberg. at Ra leigh, tire rationing specialist, the tire quota for September, showing a material reduction un der the August quota, accompa nied by the following memoran dum: "With no relief in sight, it means more than ever that tires should go to ‘Top Essentials' on ly. We will experience difficulty, in my opinion, taking care of tlu> most essential. Your limited quotas give you very few tires to be allotted to eligibles in tin* ‘B‘ classifications. "It might be well to acquaint the people in your community of this acute situation. This will, in a way. give those in the ‘B' classification an opportunity to make other arrangements. If we are to win this war. we must be gin now to make some real sac rifices." The September allotments for Washington County are: For pas senger cars: new tires, 2; recap tires, 12: tubes 9; for trucks: new tires, 27; recap tires, 29; tubes, 29. One new automobile and four new bicycles were also allotted to Washington County in Sep tember.