North Carolina Newspapers

The * * * * * ¥ VOLUME LV—NUMBER 41 Roanoke Beacon # and Washington County News ******* Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, October 12, 1944 £C1”~KEEP FASI'H i with us—; ™_™.„.WAR BONDS ESTABLISHED 1889 Give at Least a Hall Day's Pay To the United War Fund—They Are Giving Their All! r Town opics Silas S. Rasmusson. son of Mr. and Mrs. S. R. Rasmusson. of Plymouth, was recently promoted to the rank of captain in the United States Army. Captain Rasmusson volunteered at Chicago on October 14, 1940, and he has been overseas for about 14 months. His wife and young son, of Haddonfield. N. J.. are visiting his parents here. Miss Ada Virginia Hopkins, of Plymouth, is one of the 67 new mem bers accepted for the vested choir of Woman's College at Greensboro out of 175 students who tried out. The choir sings for university sermons, commencement exercises and other epecial events, and gives annual Christmas and Easter concerts. S Sergeant Hubert Britton. AAF. of Plymouth, who is now serving as a gunnery instructor at El Paso, Texas, is spending a furluogh here with his wife. Sergeant Britton served as an air gunner on a Libera tor on New Guinea for about a year and participated in the battle of Bis marck Sea. He has been awarded the DI>ftinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and several Oak Leaf Clus ters. Highway Patrolman E. B. Stewart will not be in town next week, and no driver’s license ex aminations will be given again until Monday. October 23. Pvt. P. H. Modlin, formerly man ager of the M. H. Mitchell Furniture Store here for a number of years, is visiting his wife and children this week. This is his first furlough home since he was inducted into the Army last April. He is stationed at Camp Shelby, Miss., with a quartermaster outfit. Incidentally, Mr. Modlin was one of the 13 registrants who passed their physical examinations on March 13th. He was inducted into the Army on April 13th. and was assigned to K-P duty for the first time on May 13th. Staff Sergeant Williams E. Waters is visiting Mrs. Waters here this week. Bill is now stationed at Camp Shanks, N. Y.. a port of embarkation, where men are processed for overseas duty. He was promoted to the grade of staff sergeant about two months ago. Private Junior Rath is home for 10 days from his station in Florida. He has been assigned to the Army Transportation Corps, and is in the engine room of a Liberty ship oper ated by the Army. Tobacco farmers are still hav ing a time getting their tobacco sold on the markets of the east ern belt. All markets are crowd ed and tobacco must be put on the floors well in advance of the sale date. Last week, the U. S. Tobacco Association ordered a one-day holiday on sales each week, and no sales are being held on Mondays in the belt. Ensign Jack Stubbs is visiting his family here for a few days before re porting for duty at Camp Bradford, Va. He has just returned from a Diesel engineering school at Flint. Mich., where he received his com mission as ensign. He has been in the Navy since May 19, 1942, when he entered the service as a fireman 1/c. He had a tour of duty over seas before he went to the school at Flint. Joseph C. Snell, boatswain's mate 2/c, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Snell, is spending 30 days at home here with his family. In service with Navy amphibious forces, Mr. Snell had an active part in the invasions of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Elba and south ern France. After 18 months over seas, he was returned to the United States for rehabilitation leave and reassignment to duty. Roper Parents-Teachers To Meet Next Tuesday The Roper Parent-Teacher Asso ciation will hold its regular monthly meeting Tuesday evening, October 17, at 8 o’clock, in the school auditorium. An award will be given to the grade having the most parents present. Pa trons of the school are cordially in vited and urged to attend. Little Change in Local School Situation During Past Week; Few Repairs Made There is very little new in the school situation here this week. The Hampton Academy building is still closed; 212 children en rolled there the first week of the new term are still out of school; and, so far as could be learned yesterday, nobody in authority knows when anything definite will be done about it. H. H. McLean, county superin tendent of public instruction, said yesterday that repairs suggested by the state authorities had been made. He also said that he had been instructed by the county board of education to resume school as soon as the condemna tion notice placed on the door nearly three weeks ago by Fire Chief Miller Warren was remov ed. Mr. McLean said state school authorities had informed him they were not willing to give him written authority to use the building or remove the notice placed there by the fire chief. Mr. Warren, the fire chief, says the matter is out of his hands and up to the State Fire Marshal, Sher wood Brockweli, to say whether or not the building is safe. And Mr. Brockweli is standing by the report of his inspection, made in March, 1941, following which the insurance department declared the entire building subject to condemnation. It was learned yesterday that an electric extension cord has been removed from the hall on the first floor and minor repairs made to the outside wooden stair ways leading to the second floor. The county superintendent says this constituted all the repairs recommended by Mr. Credle for reopening the building tempor arily. However, neither Mr. Cre dle nor Clyde Edwin, state super intendent of public instruction, seems willing to accept responsi bility for reopening the building since these changes were made. The county board of education is likewise unwilling to assume responsibility for reopening the Hampton Building and has given up efforts to find another loca tion. Thus the matter stands. Clarence E. Ayers, Jr. Is Reported Killed in Action in Pacific Area KILLED IN ACTION | Pfc. Clarence E. Ayers, jr„ one of Plymouth’s most popular young men, was killed in action in the Pacific area recently, ac cording to a telegram from the commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Ayers, last Thursday. Saturday Last Day To Mail Packages -$ After Then Written Request Necessary To Send Parcels Overseas -<s> Saturday of this week, October 14. is the last day for mailing Christmas parcels to men in the armed forces overseas, it is announced at the post office here. Mailings of packages have increased steadily and yester day upwards of 75 were handled for one mail through the local office. The total number of packages sent from the county during the mailing period probably approaches 2,000. After Saturday, a written request from the addressee must be present ed in order to mail packages to men in the Army overseas. However, packages may be sent to men in the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard at any time without requests, al though they will not be handled as Christmas mail after Saturday. The only exception for Christmas mailings to men in the Army over seas after Saturday is in the case of soldiers who are being sent overseas after October 15. Packages may be sent to them without written request up to December 15th. I Registration Books To Open Saturday j | Throughout County; Close October 28 I Registration books for the No vember 7th general election will be open for the next two weeks, beginning Saturday of this week, October 14, and remaining open through Saturday, October 28th, it was announced this week by Walter W. White, chairman of the Washington County Board of Elections. The Saturday before the election, November 4, will be challenge day. One change in registrars has been made since the registration period before the primary in May; John S. Brown succeeding Mrs. Hermine A. Ramsey as reg istrar for the Plymouth precinct. Mrs. Ramsey tendered her resig nation recently. It is not necessary for citizens who have registered and voted in recent elections or primaries to register again, but those who have moved from one precinct to another or who have become of age since the last election will find it necessary to register in order to be eligible to vote next month. Following are the registrars and registration places for the five precincts in the county: Plymouth, John S. Brown, at his establishment on Washington Street; Lees Mill, R. W. Lewis, at Barton’s Soda Shop, Roper; Skinnersville, Mrs. M. A. White at her residence; Scuppernong: John A. Combs at Phelps’ Shoe Shop; and Wenona, W. L. Furbee, at his home. With First Marine Division in Palaus Popular Local Young Man Had Been in Service Little Over Year -$ Private First Class Clarence Ed ward Ayers, jr„ 18-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Ayers, of Plym outh. was killed in action somewhere in the central Pacific war zone re cently, his parents were informed last Thursday in a telegram from the commandant of the United States Marine Corps. No details have been received by the family about the ac tion in which the young man lost his life, but he was serving with the fam ed First Marine Division, which has borne the brunt of recent battles for Peleliu, one of the Palau group of is lands approximately 600 miles east of the Philippines. "Skinner." as the young man was popularly known to local people, was a leader in all phases of activity at the Plymouth High School before volunteering for service in the Ma rines. especially active in athletics, and one of the best-liked boys ever reared here. News of his death was a stunning blow to the entire com munity; and the high esteem in which he was held is attested by the hundreds of people who have called on his parents to express condolence and sympthy during the past few days. Son of Clarence Edward Ayers, sr„ and Eleanor Chesson Ayers, he was born in Plymouth on January 7, 1926, and lived here all of his life until he enlisted in the Marine Corps on March 15, 1943, shortly after reach ing the age of 17. His father is a i See C. E. AYERS, JR„ Page 4> --s: W. J. Manning Dies Suddenly ai Bethel Final Rites Held Yesterday For Father of J. R. Man ning, of Plymouth -* William J. Manning, of Bethel, fa ther of J. Roy Manning, of Plymouth, died at his home at 1:30 Tuesday morning, following a brief illness. He was stricken suddenly Sunday after noon about 5 o'clock with a cerebral hemorrhage, which was the cause of his death. Mr. Manning had extensive farm ing operations near Bethel and would have been 74 years of age on Novem ber 4th this year. Long active in Re publican politics in the first Con gressional district, and a frequent visi tor in this section, he was well known and had many friends throughout the county. Mr. Manning was delegate from the First District to the Repub lican National convention in Chicago a few months ago. He was also an active member of the Methodist church at Bethel. Funeral services were held from the late home Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock and interment was made in the Bethel cemetery. A number of people from this section attended the final rites yesterday afternoon. Besides his widow, Mrs. Anna E. Manning, he is survived by two daughters, Mrs. J. B. Robertson, of Clayton; Mrs. H. J. Stephens, of Wil low Springs; four sons, J. Roy Man ning, of Plymouth; E. X. Manning and W. H. Manning, of Bethel; and G. D. Manning, of Durham. He also leaves one sister. Mrs. Getrude M. Jones; one half- brother. R. W. Bul lock; two half-sisters, Mrs Lula Whitehurst and Mrs. Minnie Man ning, of Bethel; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson. Plan Reissuance of Basic A Gas Books Motorists Urged To Make Application Soon as All A-ll Coupons Used -* Arrangements are being made, for reissuing basic A gasoline allotojfehts to all Washington motorists;*-th the next few weeks before thfjj^re'sent A-ll coupons become invalid after November 7th. Application blanks are being placed at all tire inspec tion stations and a good many fill ing stations throughout the county for this purpose. Motorists are advised, as soon as they use all of their A-ll coupons, to apply for a blank and attach their present A book to it. After the ap plication has been filled out, it should be mailed or sent to the local war price and rationing board, which will issue a new A allotment and mail it to the applicant. The A-12 stamp in current A books has been invalidated and will not be used. Three A-13 stamps in the new books will becom° valid for four gal lons of gasoline each on November 8th, and will continue good until De cember 21. when A-14 stamps be come good. Although the value of each coupon in the new book will be good for four gallons of gas. the allotment is the same as at present, since there are six stamps of each numerical series, instead of eight worth three gallons each as in the present book. The change in validation periods is be ing made so that stamps of the same number will be good both in the eastern and western parts of the United States. At present there is a difference on account of the more liberal allotments allowed those in the west. Motorists are urged to apply for the new basic A books as soon as they use their last A-ll coupons so that the board may get the new ones is sued without delay. Remember to attach the old A-book to application for the new book. L. L. Brinson Dies At New Bern Home -<s> Leonidas Lafayette Brinson, 75, fa ther of Mrs. Mary Horton, of Plym outh, died suddenly in his sleep Mon day night at his home in New Bern. Mr. Brinson, prominent hardware merchant in New Bern for many years, was a frequent visitor at the home of his daughter here and had a number of friends in the section. Funeral services were held Wednes day afternoon at Centenary Metho dist church in New Bern by the Rev. Leon Russell, followed by interment in Cedar Grove Cemetery with Ma sonic rites. Mr. Brinson was a lead er in the Masonic fraternity and a steward in the Methodist church Besides his widow. Mrs. Lizzie Bar rington Brinson, he is survived by one daughter, Mrs. L. O. Horton, of Plymouth and Norfolk; and two sons, Leslie L. Brinson and Albert W. Brin son. both of New Bern. -<S> Building and Loan Stockholders Meet -$ Stockholders of the Plymouth j Building and Loan Association will' hold their annual meeting in the mu-; nicipal building tonight at 8 o'clock. ’ immediately after the Lions Club meeting. A board of directors will be elected by the stockholders, and the directors, in turn, will elect officers of the association for the ensuing fiscal year. -® VISIT IN CRESWELL Creswell.—John and Grayson Col lins, both of the United States Navy, visited their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Collins, here recently. John has been with the Pacific fleet for three years, while Grayson only re cently completed his basic training at the San Diego, Calif., Naval Base. lsi District Rally of Democrats Will Be Held Here Monday Practically All Nominees on State and District Tickets Expected To Be Here Washington County Democrats wil be hosts to the First Congressiona District party rally in Plymouth next Monday. The program will be pre sented in the courtroom here, be ginning at 3 p.m.. and a barbecue dinner will be served on the grounds at 6 p.m. In addition to the party leaders of the state and 14 counties in the congressional district, every Democrat in Washington County is invited and urged to attend, as the event will be a county as well as a district rally. Nominees for national, state, dis trict and county offices will be pre sented to the 500 to 600 expected to attend, with the principal speech tc be made bv either R. Gregg Cherry nominee for governor, or Clyde R Hoey. nominee for United States Senator. The Elizabeth City High School band has been invited to at tend and provide music for the oc casion. From**5 to 20 pigs will be barbe cuect'bv some of the county's lead in? exponents of culinary art. which means there will be plenty to eat. A meeting was held last Monday night, when various committees were named to handle all phases of the program, and everything is in readiness for a big day next Monday, according to W Roy Hampton, chairman of the com mittee on arrangements. More than $500 has been raised to take care of the expense of the meeting, and a number of pigs were donated for the barbecue. E. G. Arps is vice chair man of the committee on arange ments; L. E. Hassell, of Roper, is treasurer; and J. R. Campbell is sec retary. The program has not been com pleted. Mr. Hampton said yesterday, as it is subject to approval by William B. Umstead, chairman of the Demo cratic state executive committee. However, it will include recognition of party leaders of the state, district, and various counties in the district, in addition to several addresses. The list of distinguished guests ex pected to be here includes the follow ing; Wilkins P. Horton, national committeeman, who will represent the national ticket: Mr. Umstead. chairman of the state executive com mittee: Clyde R. Hoey. nominee for U. S. Senator; R. Gregg Cherry, nominee for governor; L. Y. Ballen tin, nominee for lieutenant governor; Thad Eure, secretary of state: George Ross Pou, state auditor; Charles M. Johnson, state treasurer: Harry Mc Mullan. attorney general; Clyde Er win, superintendent of public in struction; W. Kerr Scott, commis sioner of agriculture; William P. Hidges, insurance commissioner; Her bert Bonner, First District represen tative; senatorial district and county nominees and officers from the 14 counties in the first congresisonal dis trict. Individual invitations will not be sent out locally and all county Demo crats are urged by Mr. Hampton and Mr. Arps to accept this notice as a personal invitation at attend both the speaking and the barbecue din ner. Otis H. Cox Dies at New Jersey Home Former Manager of Pulp Plant Here Was 111 for Only Few Days Otis H. Cox, manager of the local slant of the North Carolina Pulp Company from 1938 to 1940. died last Saturday at his home in Had ionfield. N, J.. after an illness of on ly a few days, it was learned here this week. At the time of his death, Mr. Cox was manager of the Delair, N. J„ plant of the Kieckhefer Con tainer Company. It is understood that Anal rites took place at his former home in Anderson. Ind. Mr. Cox was very popular with lo ’ai people and had many friends here. He left here in April. 1940. to take over management of one of the Kieckhefer plants in Three Rivers, Mich., and shortly afterwards spent some time in a hospital on account of ill health. He had fully recovered, however, and his death last week end was said to have been entirely unexpected. ---- - - Republican Candidate for Senate Will Speak Here The Hon. A. I. Ferree. Republican candidate for United States Senator, will speak in the courthouse here tomorrow ‘ Friday i afternoon at 2 o’clock, according to J. C. Tarken ton, chairman of the Washington County Republican Executive Com mittee. The general public is cordially in vited and urged to hear Mr. Ferree. War Fund Camgaign Will Get Underway in County Next Monday ! r>..................................... | Parent - Teacher j fleeting Tonight The regular meeting of the Plymouth Parent-Teaeher Asso eiation will be held in the high school auditorium here Thursday night of this week at 8 o'elock, it yeas announced yesterday by Mrs. YV. A. Smith, president. All parents and patrons of the school, as well as teachers, are invited and urged to attend. Mrs. Smith said that 37 mem bers were enrolled at the first meeting of the PTA held last month, and she hopes this num ber will be substantially increas ed at the meeting tonight. Mrs. A. R. Patrick, Jr., Fatally Hurt inj Crash Sunday Night jFive Other Less Seriously Hurt in Accident Near Roper on Route 64 -<» Mrs. Betty Gertrude Patrick. 18. wife of T/Sgt. Augustus R. Patrick, jr., was fatally injured and five other persons less seriously hurt shortly af ter midnight Sunday in an automo bile accident that occurred about a mile and a half east of Roper on Highway 64. According to Highway Patrolman M. B. Steward, who in vestigated the accident. Sergeant Patrick, driver of the car. stated that he dozed off and the car failed to make a curve, running off the road into a grove of trees. Mrs. Patrick suffered head injur ies and was brought to Plymouth for first aid. Later she was taken to the home of Sergeant Patrick's parents in the Skinnersville section, and when she failed to rally as expected, was removed to the hospital at the Marine Base in Edenton. She died about the time of her arrival there without regaining consciousness. Sergeant Patrick escaped with slight injuries. His sister. Isabelle, suffered injuries to her back; and a cousin, Anne Finnegan, had two ribs broken. They were taken to a hos pital in Elizabeth City. The other two passengers, Sergeant Baines and Cor poral Grover, were able to return to their station at the Marine Corps Air Base in Edenton. although suffering from head and leg lacerations and bruises. The car, a 1941 Pontiac se dan. was completely demolished. According to the highway patrol man, Sergeant Patrick told him he | had been up all night the night be I fore and that he dozed off while run ning about 35 miles an hour. He i awoke when the car ran off the left j side of the pavement at a right-hand | curve, but was unable to pull it back into the road. Patrick has been cit- I 1 Sec AUTO CRASH. Page 4* Dr. Phelps Relurns To Creswell Home -« Captain John M. Phelps, of the U. j S. Army Air Forces. Medical Corps, I was 15laced on the reserve list last week and has returned to his home in Creswell to resume the practice, of medicine. Dr. Phelps had 29 months’ service in the AAF, includ- ' ing seven months overseas during the African and Sicilian campaigns. Here on a visit Monday, Dr. Phelps said that he might be called back into the service if the war takes a turn for the worse, but that he did not think this was probable. He and Mrs. Phelps returned to Creswell Sun-; day. Lately he has been stationed at a field near Coral Gables, Fla, Plan Quick Drive To Realize $5,000 USO Is Principal Benefic iary; Local Agencies Share in Proceeds Washington County's campaign to raise $5,000 for the United War Fund will get underway next Monday morning. While no definite time lim it has been set for the drive. County Chairman P. Bruce Bateman is hope ful that the entire quota can be realized and the campaign officially closed within a week or so. Community meetings to perfect the canvassing groups have been held this week, and a general county-wide rally of workers met in the Agricul ture Building here last night to get a better understanding of the type of work made possible by the fund. James T. Little, of Greenville, dis trict chairman of the United War Fund, spoke briefly and showed a moving picture to those who attend ed Attendance was not as large as expected, and a good many persons who should have been there were ab sent. Mr. Bateman said all sections were fairly well organized except Roper, and that the Roper Ruritan Club will be asked to handle the drive in that community. Although the general campaign does not officially begin until next Monday, the special gifts committee began work sometime ago. and local business and industrial firms, stores, and various other organizations are being solicited this week. It is un derstood that the response is con sidered uniformly satisfactorily. Local labor organizations are plan ning to take a leading part in the campaign Every man on salary or wages is being asked to donate a half day s pay. and comparab’e amounts are requested from those whose in come is derived from other sources. If this goal is achieved, the county quota should be realized before the end of next week. Since this campaign is made but once a year and embraces 17 na See WAR FUND DRIVE, Page 4) Mrs. Edgar Harris Passes in Raleigh Funeral Service Will Be Held Here Friday Af ternoon at 2 o’Clock Mrs. Iva Harris. 42. wife of E. H. Harris, of Plymouth, died at a Raleigh hospital Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 o'clock after an illness of three years. She had been confined to the Raleigh hospital during that time. Daughter of the late Frank Mc Aulay and Pattie Ingram McAulay. she was born in Mount Gilead on September 28. 1902. Married in 1930 at Albemarle to E. H. Harris, they came to Plymouth and have since made their home here. She was a member of the local Methodist church. Funeral services will be held from the Horner Funeral Home here Fri day afternoon at 2 p.m.. with the Rev. T. R. Jenkins, pastor of the Methodist church, in charge of the last rites. Interment will be made in the Harris family' cemetery near Pinetown. Pall-bearers will be John W. Dar ien. J. K. Reid, E. H. Hill. Frank Brinkley, Ed Ricks and Bill Clifton. Besides her husband. E. H. Harris, die is survived by three children, Mc Aulay Harris, of Plymouth; Edgar Harris. jr„ of Pinetown; and Jane Harris, of Winston-Salem. She also eaves two sisters, Mrs. Margaret Whitley, of Morehead City; Mrs. Ethel Harris, of Charlotte; one bro ther. Frank McAulay, of Columbia, 3. C.. and several uncles and aunts. r Delivery Zones To Be Set Up Here ai Meeting To Be Held Tuesday Night Local wholesale and retail merchants of all kinds who main tain delivery services will meet at the municipal building here next Tuesday night at 8 p.m., to disduss and work out delivery zones in this section. John R. Ingram, private carrier special- j ist with the Office of Defense Transportation, of Raleigh, will explain how directives issued during the past year affect de liveries. Harvey R. Roseman. district director of the ODT, also of Raleigh, may also be present. About a year ago an order was j issued by the ODT limiting the I frequency of deliveries by mer- ] chants as a means of conserving motor equipment. This order has not been generally obeyed in this section, principally because it was not understood. Mr. In gTam was here this week and sug gested a meeting be held to discuss the order and possibly to work out a joint-action plan, as well as a zoning arrangement for deliveries. All wholesalers and retailers who have delivery services are urged to attend the meeting next Tuesday. Every type of business is affected, grocery, hardware, furniture, dry cleaners, milk, ice, coal, soft drink dealers, etc.