The Roanoke Beacon
****** * and Washington County News * * * * ***
MAKE EVERT PAT DAT
BOND DAY
M1HNMDU
rum
VOLUME LII—NUMBER 52
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, For Thursday, December 24, 1942
ESTABLISHED 1889
Town
opics
The annual Christmas party for
children of the Methodist Sunday
school will be held at the church
Wednesday night at 7:30 p. m. It
is announced that there will be gifts
for all children in the Sunday school,
and it is hoped that Santa Claus will
be present in person.
It was announced this week that
Lansing Carroll Peacock, son of Mr.
and Mi's. Richard C. Peacock, of Ro
per, had graduated recently from the
officer candidates’ school at Camp
Lee. Va., and received his commis
sion as second lieutenant in the Ar
my Quartermaster Corps.
Attention is again called by
the local rationing board to the
hours the office is open to the
public, as follows: From 10 to 12
a. m. and from 1 to 3 p. m. For
the benefit of workmen in local
plants only, the office is also
open from 5 to 5:30 p. m. While
employees are on duty all day,
the office is open to the public
only during the hours stated
above.
When gasoline sales were halted to
owners of A. B and C books last
Friday at noon, the local rationing
board office was kept busy explain
ing to stranded motorists that it had
no authority to issue “emergency”
allotments. A great many people
were inconvenienced by the order, but
it was ail straightened out Monday,
when sales were resumed, although B
and C coupons are now good for only
3 gallons each, the same as A cou
pons, insead of 4 gallons, as former
ly.
Frederick R. Smith, first-class elec
trician’s mate, of the United States
Navy, and Mrs. Smith spent last
week-end here with his brother,
Maurice Smith, and family. Mr.
Smith, now serving on a battleship,
has been in the service for about
three years.
James E. Mizelle, who suffered a
slight skull fracture last Wednesday
when he rode his bicycle into the
car door of Chief of Police P. W.
Brown, was taken to a Washigton
hospital Sunday and is reported to
be getting along very well today.
The police chief had just stopped his
car and opened the door to get out,
when Mr. Mizelle. riding with his
head down, on account of the rain,
ran into it.
Registration of 18-year-olds
for selective service showed a de
cided pick-up at the office of the
local board here during the past
week. Up to Tu- day, 17 young
rich had ret'steied- Tins i-r-s
not take into account any who
may have registered in Creswell
and Roper.
More than thirty regular and tem
porary employees of Rose’s 5 and 10
cent store here were guests at a tur
key supper given by the company at
the Plymouth Country Club Friday
night of last week. L. H. Lowe, man
ager of the local store, was in charge
of arrangements. A special Christ
mas bonus was also given employees
by the company this week.
Charles B. Craddock, machinist’s
mate, second class, with the Coast
Guard, is now stationed at Ports
mouth, Va„ according to word re
ceived here this week. He writes
that he is getting along fine and likes
the service he is in. He is the son
of Mrs. Tillie Craddock, of Creswell.
County Way Ahead
Of War Bond Quota,
For Month and Year
Local Sales Total $31,225 in
December, Against Goal
Of $21,000
-<*>
Washington County is already well
over its December quota of War
Bond sales, reports today show. The
local bank has sold $17,725 worth of
the bonds so far this month, and the
post office sold $13,500 worth, for a
total of $31,225 against a quota of
$21,000 for December. This does not
take into account the amount of
bonds sold at the post offices at Ro
per and Creswell, reports on which
will not be received until the end of
the month, according to H. E. Beam,
county chairman of bond sales.
Mr. Beam recently worked up the
total amount of bonds sold in Plym
outh during the first year of the war.
From December 7, 1941, to Decem
ber 7, 1942, the total was $330,350,
which is considerably above the quo
tas assigned to the county as a
whole. The $330,350 total does not
include sales at Roper and Creswell.
During the first year, the bank here
issued 930 bonds for a total of $204,
850, maturity value. The post office
sold considerably more bonds, al
though the average value was not as
much; the figures being 2,030 bonds
for a total of $125,500.
Monthly quotas of bonds have been
assigned only since April. The first
quota, for May, was $9,500. This was
easily more than doubled. The Jul>
quota was the largest, $37,603, and
was the only one assigned which was
not topped. However, bond sales the
following month, August, more than
made up for the one month in which
the county fell down on its quota
Altogether, the quotas for the eight
months since April have totaled
$160,500, while the actual sales have
topped these figures by some $50,
000 to $60,000 or about 30 per cent.
Business Houses
Extend Greetings
As an expression of their ap
preciation for the friendship and
patronage accorded them in the
past, Plymouth Merchants and
other business men pause at this
Christmas time to extend their
sincere greetings to all the peo
ple of this section through the
columns of this paper today.
A new hope and a greater un
derstanding are created at
Christmas time, and to enhance
the value of these, the business
forces of the town express, in a
most sincere way, their wishes
for a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year to all.
Read the little messages, with
out which Christmas would be
little more than just another
day in the year, and know that
these firms are interested in your
happiness at all times, and es
pecially at this glad season.
Ice and Snow Come
Ahead of Winter in
Section This Year
Blizzard Sunday Made OPA
Piker at This Freezing
Business
-«
According to the World Almanac,
winter did not officially begin until
6:40 a. m., Tuesday, December 22,
but as far as Washington County
folks are concerned, they hope that
the worst of it was over before it was
even supposed to start. Sunday af
ternoon, sleet and snow started fall
ing and by nightfall a regular bliz
zard was underway. The following
morning, practically everything Le
on Henderson had missed was frozen
up tight. The thermometer descend
ed to an estimated 10 degrees, which
is plenty cold in this section, and
some people even reported lower
temperatures.
Garage men and filling station
operators were busy all day Monday
thawing out and starting cars. Fro
zen and burst water pipes were re
ported all over town, and there was
a big demand for plumbers. Traffic
j moved a*- a snail's pec.". doe to the
sheets of ice on the highways. Most
of the ice remained Monday and
Monday night, but higher tempera
tures Tuesday—the first day of win
ter, officially—melted practically all
the ice and by nightfall Tuesday
there was little trace of snow left.
Tire extreme cold was aggravated
to a large measure by a shortage of
several types of fuel. Oil of course,
is being rationed, and few consumers
have any surplus to burn. Wood has
been difficult to secure; and, while
there has been an ample suplpy of
coal so far, there is a shortage of
coal-burning heaters.
The snowfall Sunday was the
second of the season, following about
a 3-inch fall Wednesday of last week.
Anyway, winter came in this year
with a full-scale overture, and most
folks are hoping that the main event
will be on a much higher plane—so
far as the thermometer is con
cerned.
-<$>
War Stamp Sales
Here on Decrease
War stamp sales at the local post
office have shown a decrease since
the merchants association campaign
ended last week, Postmaster John W.
Darden said this week. Although no
figures are available, the postmaster
said it was very noticeable that sales
had fallen off.
Another angle which the postmas
ter commented on was the unusually
heavy redemption of war stamps for
cash during the past few days. In
fact, last week the amount of
stamps turned back into the post of
fice was actually in excess of the
amount sold, he said. A great many
people are running short of Christ
mas cash, it is believed, which may
account for the increased amount of
stamps being turned in, and the post
master said he believed sales would
probably return to normal after the
holidays. Nearly $1,000 worth of
stamps have been "cashed in” this
week. Sales have been running from
$8,000 to $12,000 per month, in ad
*r* wrn v
Few Farmers Able
To Qualify for New
Draft Classification
--s
Local Board Asks Reduc
tion From 16 To 10 War
Units for Deferment
-®
The 'ocal draft board is receiving
many statements from county farm
ers subject to the selective service
act concerning their farming acti
vities. These statements will be
considered at meetings of the board
to be held after the first of January
in considering the reclassification
of all registrants who list farming as
their occupation.
Information received by the board
here indicates that comparatively few
farmers in this county can qualify
for the 2-C and 3-C classification re
cently set up by the national selec
tive service director. Under present
regulations, a farmer should be en
gaged in agricultural activities to
talling 16 war units in order to be
eligible for the “C” classification.
Small farmers will find it particularly
hard to qualify under present regu
lations .and the local board has ap
plied to the state director for author
ity to place men in this class whose
farming work is equal to 10 war
units. So far no answer has been re
ceived to the local request.
A war unit is defined by selective
service officials to be the care of the
following number of animals or acres
by an individual farmer: Beef cattle,
farm herds, 12; feedlot, 20; range,
(See FARMERS, Page 4)
No Applications for
Fuel Oil Considered
If Not Filed by 26th
Saturday Night Is Deadline
For Po*stmark on Fuel
Oil Requests
Announcing that most of the ap
plications for fuel oil for heating
purposes had been acted on by the
rationing board office here. Mrs. J.
K. Reid, secretary to the board, said
Monday that positively no applica
tions postmarked after Saturday, De
cember 26. would be considered by
the board. In other words, if any
person wishes to apply for a fuel-oil
allotment from the local board, he
1 must bring or mail the application to
the board by Saturday of this week.
After that, it wil be too late—and
possibly too bad.
Mrs. Reid also asks all those filling
out application blanks for anything
rationed by the board to be very care
ful to furnish all the information re
quired. as it is impossible to act on
requests unless the application is
properly executed. This has been
one of the worst problems faced by
! the rationing authorities, since many
applicants neglect to study the
blanks carefully, which cause delay
and frequently rejection of the
request. This applies to oil, kerosene,
tires, bicycles, sugar and coffee and
all other items now on the rationed
list.
The secretary to the board also
said that no provision or instruc
'See FUEL OIL, Page 4>
^ w k.1 vj w « v.; vs ^ x*s vn vj w ^
OUR CHRISTMAS WISH \
FOR ALL OUR READERS ;
I
May everybody this Christmas get back the faith and trust i
of a little child. The faith tha moves mountains and fills stock- ^
ings! i
May all those who have grown up regain the illusions they
may have lost, and face the world with renewed trust and good i
fellowship. ' j
That is the Christmas' wish we make for you and the nope
we cherish for ourselves.
i
THE ROANOKE BEACON;
Permit Hunting of
Quail on Holidays
-<s>
County Game Protector J. T. Ter
ry has been advised by Hinton James,
game and fish commissioner, that
the Board of Conservation and De
velopment has decided to permit the
shooting of quail on Friday, Decem
ber 25, and Friday, January 31, these
dates ordinarily Toeing lay days in
this and a number of adjoining coun
ties. It was stated that this action
was taken for the benefit of sports
men who are confined to their of
fices most of the year and who desire
to hunt on these holidays.
Opening of Christmas and New
Year’s day for quail hunters provides
three straight days for shooting this
week and next, Thursday Friday and
Saturday of each week. During the
remainder of the open season, quail
may be hunted only on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays.
36 Colored Selectees
Go to Camp Monday
Thirty-six colored men reported to
the Washington County Selective
Service Board Monday morning and
finally left for Port Bragg about 11
o’clock, two hours late* as a result of
the weather. Icy roads delayed ar
rival of the special bus on which the
men were to leave. No report had
been received up to the time the
Beacon went to press Tuesday as to
the number accepted or rejected by
the examining authorities at Port
Bragg.
Originally 50 men were suposed to
leave for camp Monday. However,
last-minute changes, including trans
fers to other sections, reduced the
number until only 36 were on hand
The local board is now preparing
to send another contingent of 50
colored selectees to camp on Friday,
January 8.
Workers of Section to
Get From 1 to 4 Days
Holiday for Christmas
Beacon Office To
Be Closed 4 Days
The office of The Roanoke
Beacon will be closed after Tues
day night until next Monday
morning, in order to give mem
bers of the “force” their annual
Christmas vacation. This is one
of the few holiday occasions ob
served by this newspaper during
the year, hence the reason for
being closed several days. The
office will be closed Wednesday
Thursday. Friday and Saturday
of this week.
Everybody will be back on the
job and ready for “business as
usual" next Monday morning;
and, in the meantime, every
member of the crew hopes every
reader of the Beacon has the
best, happiest and merriest
Christmas ever.
Volume of Mail at
Post Office Here at
New Record Level
-<§>-•
Added Space in Office Has
Reduced Congestion,
Darden Says
The Plymouth post office is now
right in the midst of its banner
Christmas mailing season. Postmas
ter John W. Darden said Monday.
The volume of mail is greater than
it has ever been before, both incom
ing and outgoing, and employees hope
that the peak was reached Monday,
although there is always a consider
able last-minute rush which con
tinues right up to Christmas Day.
me postmaster saia tnat stamp
sales Monday were expected to total
around $500, a new rocerd. More
than 10,000 l'/2-cent stamps the
kind usually used on ■■ ,cards,
were sold, with other den Animations
in proportion. Although the office
here has handled a record-breaking
volume of parcel post and mail, Mr.
Darden said the congestion had not
been nearly as bad as in former years,
due to enlargement of the building
about a month ago. The larger quar
ters made it possible to handle the
Increased mail with much greater
efficiency than heretofore, he said.
The posf office will continue to
provide a large measure of service
throughout the Christmas holidays, it
was said, although it means that em
ployees will have but little time off
for themselves. There will be no
rural or city carrier deliveries Christ
mas Day. but all special delivery and
Christmas packages will be delivered.
The mail will be dispatched as usual
Friday, and it will also be put up for
patrons with lock boxes, but there
will be no window service, it was said.
Tire office will return to its regular
schedule Saturday morning, and the
windows will be open as usual
until 1 p. m., the regular time for
Saturday closing.
-®
Fire Monday Afternoon
Destroys Residence Here
-®
The one-story frame dwelling oc
cupied by Willie McNair, colored, was
almost completely destroyed by fire
Tuesday afternoon. Very few of the
family’s belongings were saved, and
the house is almost a total loss. Bob
Taylor, also colored, was owner of
the house, located near the Metho
dist church here. The fire is believed
to have started from a defective flue.
No estimate of the damage was avail
able Tuesday afternoon.
-§
No Session of Recorder's
Court Held This Week
"People in Washington County
have been either mighty good or
mighty careful during the past week."
said Acting Superior Court Clerk W.
B. Cox this week, in reporting that
there was no session of recorder's
court Tuesday. There was not a sin
gle case on the docket, and the ses
sion was called off.
a?t|rcByi wts-wca essspcji'.
• u »- -v4 ••'.•■'A* ” -V ” /V* ■ vv" ■ • ‘ • ^ •
CHRISTMAS PEACE IN A
WORLD AT WAR
A Message By The Rev. II. St. George Tucker. D. D.
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will toward men.” Those words express the Divine purpose
of the event which we celebrate on Christinas day. Nearly
twenty centuries after this purpose was proclaimed, war
of the most dreadful kind Is being waged in practically ev
ery section of the earth. Shall we say then, that the task
of bringing peace on earth was too great even for God?.
That question might be answered by saying that the
peace conferred through Christ is an inward state of mind
which enables one to remain calm and undisturbed amid
the external tempests and conflicts that bring distress and
agony to the outer man. Christ recognized the importance
of being able to face calmly the dangers »nd the turmoil of
earthly experience because of the assurance that “under
neath are the everlasting arms.”
We cannot, however, assume that when our Lord said,
"Blessed arc the peacemakers,” He had in mind only the
C ■■>■& »■» ^ *■*>aa
inner peace of His individual followers. -He bade us pray
for the coming of God's Kingdom on earth. Peace in the
soul of the individual is to be transmitted to the outer en
vironment.
The mission of Christ who was born on Christmas was
not to provide an escape from earth’s turmoil and tragedy.
He came to transform the kingdoms of this world; kingdoms
Where sin and selfishness lead to conflict and agony, into
the Kingdom of God. He came to bring that peace which
is the fruit of righteousness.
The Christmas promise was not simply peace. Peace in
a world of sin would indeed have been a task beyond the
power, and contrary to the wisdom of God. The assurance
contained in the song of the heavenly Host is ‘‘On earth
peace, good will,” or a better translation perhaps, “Peacf to
men of good will.” Christmas means the coming into our
human life of One who purposes to fulfill the conditions
upon which alone a righteous and beneficial peace is pos
sible. No true peace is possible for those who are slaves of
sin. Christ is the Prince of Peace because first of all He
is our Savior, or Redeemer. He does not force His gifts
upon us. His method of saving is beautifully described in
the Book of the Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door
and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him. and he with
me.” To those who respond to His offer and open the door
of their hearts of Him, He gives power to become sons of
God.
Peace on earth is possible only where earth's children
have been born again as God's children.
The significance of Christmas in wartime is therefore
an invitation to listen amidst the world’s clamors for the
Savior's knock upon the doors of our hearts with the as
surance that if we open them to Him, He will qualify us to
receive the citation: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called the children of God.”
Stores and Business
Houses Here Close
Friday & Saturday
Industrial Plants Also To
Provide Time Off for
Employees
-$
Employees of the various industrial
plants, stores, offices and business es
tablishments in and around Plymouth
will have rest and recreation periods
ranging from one to three or four
days during the Christmas season, a
check-up here the first of the week
indicated.
AH the stores and business houses,
with the possible exception of drug
stores and filling stations, will be
closed Friday and Saturday, which,
with the regular Sunday holiday, will
give them three days. The bank and
ABC stores in the county will like
wise be closed Friday and Saturday.
Offices at the courthouse will ob
serve the same holiday granted state
employees, which although not yet
definite, is expected to include.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The office of the draft board will
be closed only one day. Christmas,
reopening Saturday morning. It is
not known exactly what holiday will
be observed by the rationing board,
but it is expected to be closed Friday
and Saturday. The peanut storage
warehouse operated here will be
closed until Monday January 4th.
The Plymouth Box and Panel Com
pany will close down Thursday after
noon for the remainder of the week,
according to E. F. Still, president.
Miss Ethel Arps, manager of the local
plant of the American Fork & Hoe
Company, said that unit would close
at 5:30 Wendesday for the remain
rlpr nf t.hp WPPk
The plant of the North Carolina
Pulp Company will shut down for
the periodic overhaul of machinery
and equipment at 4 p. m. Thursday,
and the shutdown will continue un
til s^Uir^y of the follov ring week.
2, although it was Explained
that all the personnel of the plant
would be engaged in repair work,
beginning Saturday morning of this
week. Only the minimum skeleton
crew will be kept on duty Christmas
Day. Although repair work will be
gin Saturday morning, production
will not be resumed until the follow
ing Saturday, January 2. Each em
ployee of the plant will be given a
Christmas present consisting of a
safety calendar, box of Whitman’s
candy and a fruit cake. These will
be distributed as each employee
works his last shift before the
shutdown.
-«
Urge All Savers of
Pennies To Return
Them to Circulation
Shortage of 1-Cent Pieces
Reported by Banks in
This Section
The much-maligned but often ne
cessary penny is now coming into its
own, as the result of a shortage
which has developed in recent weeks.
The bank here was short of the cop
per changemakers early this week,
and was “rationing” them out to
merchants only 50 to 100 at a time.
H. E. Beam, cashier, said he was un
able to obtain pennies from the Fe
deral reserve banks, as they were not
being made at this time, although it
was said a newly designed penny
would be put into production at the
mints within 30 to 60 days.
Sales and war taxes have made the
penny a necessary part of almost ev
ery transaction in retail establish
ments, and the shortage may reach
serious proportions unless those
available are kept in circulation.
Many persons have ‘'hoards" of the
coppers, as they are favorites for
piggy banks and other savings con
tainers. Too, a great many find
their way into slot machines of the
chewing gum and weighing varie
ties.
Banks in some of the near-by
towns have been running advertise
ments asking people who have been
saving pennies to turn them back in
to circulation. Mr. Beam said he
would appreciate it if those who have
pennies in this section would bring
them to the bank and exchange them
for currency of larger denomination.
! There are said to be plenty of the
pennies, but a great many of them
have been taken out of circulation for
one reason or another, hence the
sudden shortage.
It is understood that the new pen
ny will be made of different material,
possibly steel with a thin coating of
copper. It is noticeable that recent
ly minted nickles have a “ring” which
was not present in the old nickels,
and it now seems likely the penny,
too, will undergo a change as a result
of the copper chortage caused by the
war.