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.
-<S>
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.
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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
-<s>
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
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Prominent Labor Leaders
To Speak; Free Barbecue
Is Also Planned
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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
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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.