North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon ******* and Washington County News ******* VOLUME LV—NUMBER 42 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, October 19, 1944 KEEP rv.i]ri i \ with us— \ \bjfbtymg\ WAR BONDS ESTABLISHED 1889 '4Y, Give” t Least a Half Day's Pay To the United War Fund—-They Are Giving Their All! T \VN! OPICS! ■ Jack" Harrison, electrician's mate, third-class, of the Seabees, his wife and baby son are visiting his parents, Mr and Mrs. E. G. Harrison here. Mr. Harrison has just returned after 26 months' service in the South Pa cific. He is wearing the American Theatre. Asiatic-Pacific, and a battal ion unit citation ribbons, with two battle stars, denoting action at Ta rawa and Canton Island in the Cen tra! Pacific. He enlisted in May. 1942. Mrs. A. D. Hanes has accepted a stenographic position in the law of fices of Z. V. Norman here. She en tered upon her new duties the first of this week. East Carolina tobacco markets will return to a schedule of four selling days each week after this week. A special holiday was or dered Tuesday, which left only three days in which tobacco could be sold during the current week. There will continue to be no sales on Mondays in the future. Second-Class Petty Officer William Henry Gurganus. of the Navy Sea-1 bees, is spending a 30-day furlough with his wife, the former Miss Cot tie Mae Price, of Plymouth, after 25 month's service in the Pacific war j zone. He enlisted in the Seabees on July 1, 1942. and went overseas on September 14. the same year. Ray H. Goodmon and C. G. Crock ett, of Williamston, were among the visitors to the Democratic rally here Monday. What is really news in this item is the fact that they spent a half day in Plymouth and did not play golf. Maybe this column ought to be headed “Believe It or Not” anyway. The town council will hold its regular October meeting tonight in the municipal building. A re port on the recent town audit will be presented and routine matters disposed of. The meeting was postponed from its regular time on account of the absence of sev eral councilmen. H. Marion Ramsey returned this week to the employ of the Manning Motor Company, after an absence of about three years. With the Ford agency as mechanic for a number of years, he had a turn in the Army and worked at the pulp mill here during the intervening three years. Mrs. J. K. Reid returned to her duties as chief clerk in the office of the Washington County War Price and Rationing Board the first of this week after spending her vacation with relatives and friends in Alabama. Motorists are again reminded to file application for a new basic A gasoline rationing book just as soon as they use all the A-11 cou pons in their present book. Blanks are to be found at all tire inspection and many gasoline stations. Be sure to attach the old A book to the application blank. City Clerk M. W. Spruill is hobbling about with the assistance of a cane as the result of a sprained ankle suf fered yesterday. He was standing on a chair putting some books on a high shelf in the clerk’s office when the chair turned over, twisting his ankle. Suspend 23 Students For Insubordination x w “lil.il cc x i,yiuuuin u ‘ g n School boys were suspended Monday afternoon for the remainder of this week as the outgrowth of a "strike” against the unheated building. Prin cipal Roy I. Boyd, in announcing the suspensions—which were concurred in by the county board of education— said he wished to make it clear that ihe students were not suspended be cause of their refusal to reenter the building after the noon recess, but because they disobeyed orders to leave the vicinity of the school after they remained out. It was impossible to heat the building Monday on account of re pairs being made to the furnace. Parts have been ordered and shipped, but have not been received here and installed yet. Temperatures in some of the classrooms were said to have been below 50 degrees Monday morn ing. and many of the high school stu dents decided not to return to school after lunch. Mr. Boyd said that after the tardy bell rang, he talked with the stu dents, telling them they could either go home or come into the classrooms. A large portion decided to return to classes, but 24 remained out. Of this number one went directly home, and he was not included in the suspen sion order. The other 23 remained in the vicinity of the school after they were ordered to leave by the princi pal, and it was against these the suspension order was directed. Members of the board of education happened to be in session at the time, and Mr. Boyd reported to them. They concurred in the suspension order, but recommended it be limited until next Monday; and further recom mended automatic expulsion of any student in this group if he is sent to the principal for any disciplinary ac tion during the remainder of the cur rent term. Good Progress Being Made Over County in War Fund Campaign I Local Han Gets | I Jerry Prisoners | By PVT. MARK PORTER With the 3rd Infantry Division of the 7th Army. France.—Pfc. Victor H. Humphreys, of Plym outh, N. C., wishes he could con tinue capturing Germans as co operative as one he recently took prisoner. Walking his prisoner in front of him they rounded the comer of a building. Immediately the prisoner in his best imitiation of Humphrey’s style shouted, “Hanz oop.” The pair had accidentally bumped into another Jerry, un til then uncaptured, and the pris oner had seen him first. Humphreys, who soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Humph reys, 407 Washington street, Plymouth. Paris for Furnace at High School Here Shipped This Week “Short” Schedule Will Be Followed Until Repairs Are Completed -® Repair parts for the furnace at the high school building here were ship ped the first of this week, the county board of education was advised by telephone Monday afternoon. The manufacturers were asked to put a tracer behind the shipment to ex pedite its arival here as much as pos sible. Order for the parts was placed about a month ago, it was stated by the county superintendent, following a trip here by a heating engineer to determine what was needed. Prior to that time no appropriation was available for the parts, it was stat ed. It was necessary to make spe cial casts of some of the parts, which is the reason for delay in shipment. In the meantime, the high school here is opening its sessions one hour later than usual each morning and teaching through on a “short” or rainy day schedule. This will be con tinued as long as the weather remains cool until the furnace is repaired and put into operation, it was stated. In the meantime, it was stated that if any student became too cold, he or she would be excused to return home; and if written excuse is pro vided by parents, the absence will be counted as “excused” and opportun ity given to make up classes. If the absences become too frequent, it probably will become necessary to close the school until the furnace is repaired. A member of the county board of iseTFURNACE, Page 4) Building and Loan Stockholders Meet ■-® Same Board of Directors Re elected; Association Had Good Year -S) The annual meeting of stockhold ers of the Plymouth Building and Loan Association was held in the municipal building last Thursday night. After hearing the annual re port of the secretary-treasurer, the same directors who served during the past year were reelected. At the con clusion of the stockholders’ meeting, the directors met briefly and defer red election of officers to an ad journed meeting to be held sometime next week. The annual report showed that as sets of the association had increased from $95,738.82 to $103,319.37 during the past 12 months. In that period the first and second series of install ment stock have been matured, with earnings of 4.8 and 5 per cent, re spectively. The report for the year was considered exceptionally good, in view of existing conditions. Due to the war, the association has been able to make very few loans for building purposes; and it has put $40,000 of its funds into War Bonds. However, as soon as building restric tions are lifted, it is believed earn ings will mount rapidly with the re sulting increase in home loans. The association had its largest stock sale following maturity of the first series, 284 shares of Installment stock having been issued in the 27th series, dated July 1st. About 40 shares of stock were sold in the 28th series, which opened October X. Hard Work Called For by Canvassers To Surpass Quota Favorable Reports Made to Chairman From All Parts County First reports indicate that Wash ington Countv will probably reach its goal in the United War Campaign this year. County Chairman P. Bruce Bateman said yesterday that early reports were very encouraging; and he was especially enthusiastic about the manner in which the local labor unions have rallied to the sup port of the movement. He said he knew the task would require much hard work on the part of canvassers, but he felt certain county people would remember their boys in the service and support the other humane causes which benefit from the Unit ed War Fund. No definite reports were available yesterday. Mr. Bateman said, as the campaign was really just beginning to gather momentum. It is hardly possible that the drive will be com pleted this week in all sections, but some communities are working hard to reach their goals as soon as pos sible. Some fair-sized contributions have been reported, but if the challenge is to be met, more individuals will have to share in the great opportun ity to do good by helping others. The chairman said he was pleased with reports from the individual com munity workers whom he had called on to help in the work. Most of them are very busy at this time, but almost without exception they are contributing freely of their time and means to help put over this phase of the war effort. Washington County’s goal is $5, 000, most of which will go directly to the men in the service through the USO and similar related organiza tions, A portion is also retained in the county for Boy Scout and benevo lent work, and another portion goes for the relief of war refugees in al lied nations. It is the only drive, except that of the Red Cross in the spring, in which county people are asked to make an outright donation to further the war effort. Be liberal when the solicitor calls! -$ John T. Liverman Seriously Wounded Injured October 2 in Italy, Parents Advised Last Saturday Pfc, John Thomas Liverman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Liverman, of the Scuppernong section of Wash ington County, was seriously wound ed in action somewhere in Italy on October 2. according to a telegram from the War Department received last Saturday by his parents. The na ture and extent of his injuries could not be learned. Private Liverman was about 20 years years of age. He went into the Army in February, 1942, and arrived overseas in December of last year. A former student in the Creswell High School, he was sent to Camp Howze, Texas, for his training after enter ing the service. -* Homecoming Day Sunday At Zion’s Chapel Church -® Homecoming Day will be held at Mt. Zion's Chapel Church near Roper on Sunday, October 22. Services will be at 11 a.m. and at 3 p.m. A picnic dinner will be served on the grounds. Everyone is invited to attend. More Than 1,000 at Democratic District Rally Here Monday Herbert Bonner and Gregg Cherry Made Principal Addresses -$ It is estimated that more than 1,000 Democrats were in Plymouth Monday for the district rally, which was described as one of the largest and most successful ever held in the district. Principal speakers were Representative Herbert Bonner and R. Gregg Cherry, Democratic nominee ! for governor, who were greeted with tumultous applause by the big crowd that overflowed the courthouse here, where the rally was 'taged. Follow ing the speaking, a free barbecue din ner was served to over 900 in the agriculture building adjoining the courthouse. The Washington High School Band paraded and gave a concert on the streets here before the meeting got underway at the courthouse They also added greatly to the success of the program for the afternoon by playing several selections in the courtroom just prior to the speaking. W. Roy Hampton, of Plymouth, nominee for state senator from the second district, opened the meeting in the courthouse and presented Z. V. Norman, who made the address of welcome. The meeting was then turn welcome. Mr. Hampton then turned the meeting over to William B. Um stead, chairman of the state execu tive committee, who presided over the proceedings. Starting at 3 o'clock, the roll of counties was begun, sus pended at 3:30, When the program went "on the air” over Station WRRF of Washington, and resumed after the main addresses were completed at In addition to the main speakers, several state officers who are candi dates for reelection were presented to the crowd, and Secretary of State Thad Eure made a brief talk to the people of his home district. Insur ance Commissioner William P. Hodg es of Williamston ,and Attorney Gen eral Harry McMullan. of Washington were the other first district state of ficials presented. State Treasurer Charles M. Johnson, Auditor George Ross Pou. and N. Y. Ballentine, can didate for lieutenant governor, were also present. Mrs. B. B. Everett, of Palmyra, vice chairman of the state executive com mittee, made an appeal for “getting out the vote,” directed especially to the women. i See DEMOCRATS. Page 4i Brother of Dr. Johnson Dies in Dunn Hospital James C. Johnson, brother to Dr. Wade H. Johnson, of Plymouth, died in a hospital at Dunn last Thursday morning. Sixty years of age. Mr. Johnson, a prominent farmer of the Angier section, had been ill only a few days, suffering a series of heart attacks that resulted in his death. Mr. Johnson, who was never mar ried, lived at the old Johnson home place near Angier with an older bro ther J. Robert Johnson. Final rites were held from his late home Friday afternoon. Dr. Johnson was called to the bed side of his brother last Wednesday and returned Friday night, after the funeral services that afternoon. -$ Former Student Here Dies In Recent Plane Accident News was received in Plymouth yesterday of the death of 2nd Lt. Edward Stokley, of the Army Air Corps, in an aircraft accident near Casper, Wyo., recently. Lieutenant Stokley was the nephew of Mrs. G. R. Leggett and attended the high school here several years ago. after the death of his mother. His widow and a 14-month-old son, of Elizabeth City, survive him. Lieutenant Stokley had been in the Army Air Corps for about one and a half years. Plan To Repair and Reopen Hampton School by Monday 25 White Men Called For Draft Induction Will Leave Tuesday Is First Group Called Intc Service From County Since August Twentv-six white men will leave here next Tuesday morning to enter the military services in answer to the first induction call made on Wash ington County since August. There are several farmers in the group, and 11 of them are over 26 years of age. it was stated. Most of the remaind er are young men who have only re cently reached the age of 18 Includ ed in older age group are several whc are more than 30 years of age. During the period from April to August, no men were called for in duction who were over 26 years of age. However, as soon as the 18 to 26 age group was exhausted, the boards were instructed to resume calling those over 26 and in some cases men over 30. Calls are now made in order-number sequence, with non-fathers coming ahead of fa thers. as far as possible. The local board has no other induc tinon calls on hand at this time, but has received small pre-induction calls for both white and colored men for November. Following is the list of those who have been mailed orders to report for induction next Tuesday: Ira Stanley Sawyer. Thomas Abram Terry. Thomas J. Freeman, Freder ick G. Simpson, Roland A. Alligood, Charles W. Spruill, William H. Phelps, Edison W. Patrick. Freeman G. Allen, Clinton Respass. Curtis Ange. William H. Baines. John S. Lilley, Chester Furlough, Sam Reason, Edward A Westray. Thomas F. Davenport. Murray H. Askew. Howard M. Res pass. Marshall L. Moore. Joseph H. Woodley, William W. Spruill, Joseph E. Barber, A. Eli Caswell Spruill, Wil liam R. Tetterton. and Charlie E. Harris. Parents-Teachers School Here 25th Officials of National and State Congress Will Be on Program A school of instruction for members and officers of local parent-teacher associations in the western part of the ninth district will be held at the Plymouth High School Wednesday of next week. The meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the high school audi torium. with a number of national and state officials of the Congress of Parents and Teachers on the pro gram. The principal talks will be made by Mrs. Charles R. Roe, of Chicago, field representative of the National Con gress of Parents and Teachers: C. W. Phillips, of Greensboro, president, and J. W. Burke, executive secretary, of the state congress. Mrs. J. Emmet Winslow, of Hertford, district chair man, will preside over the sessions. Registration will be in the prin cipal's office, and a luncheon will be served at 1:30 p.m. in the school lunch room. At least 25 officers of parent-teacher groups in the district are expected to attend and take part in an informal discussion about the duties of afficers and chairmen. Mrs. Winslow announced yester day that the regular district meet ing would be held in South Mills on the following day. Thursday, October 26. Officers and members of asso ciations in the county are invited and urged to attend. Local Grocery Establishments Can Make Deliveries Only Two Days of Each Week Informed by officials of the , state Office of Defense Trans portation that deliveries of gro ceries must be limited to twice a week, representatives of three lo cal grocery firms who attended a special meeting here Tuesday night decided to make deliveries only on Fridays and Saturdays of each week in the future, starting imediately. John R. Ingram, pri vate carrier specialist, and Har vey R. Roseman, district director, attended the meeting and ex plained the regulations. All other grocery stores which have delivery service are affected by the order; and while they were not represented at the meeting Tuesday, it is expected that they will fall into line and make de liveries on the days outlined above. An agreement is to be worked out. signed and sent to the Raleigh ODT headquarters for approval. It was first propos ed that zones be set up in town and deliveries limited in each to twice a week. However, this proved to be too cumbersome, and it was decided to make all the Plymouth area one zone and limit deliveries to Fridays and Satur days, when most heavy groceries are bought. Curtailment of deliveries is made necessary by the truck situ ation, which has entered a new and more serious stage. - Handi capped almost since war began, truck owners are beset by a num ber of major problems—growing shortages of vehicles, repair parts, manpower, and in some areas motor fuel. Production of trucks has been resumed on a limited basis, but there will be very few for civilian use. until af ter the war, and the life of those now in use must he stretched to the limit. All other types of retailers and wholesalers are affected by the delivery curtailment order, but only a few were at the meeting Tuesday, and it will be up to them to work out a program to comply with the law in the im mediate future. TO SPEAK HERE U-—-1 C. \V. Phillips, director of pub lic relations at Woman's College, and state president of the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers, will be main speaker at a district meeting of the Con gress to be held in Plymouth, on October 25. Speaking on the same program will be Mrs. Charles E. Roe. field representative of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, and J. W. Burke, exec utive secretary of the state con j gress. Work Is Progressing On Housing Project Foundations Being Laid for 40 Houses in Spite of Labor Shortage Rapid progress is being made on the housing development recently au thorized for Plymouth, despite a shortage of labor, it was learned this week. Twenty-five of the houses are being built on East Third Street Ex tended. and fifteen others are under construction at the country club vil lage. The work is being handled by two contracting firms, the Player Con struction Company, of Fayetteville: and the Weaver Construction Com pany' of Greensboro. Each has a contract for 20 houses; and in addi tion the Weaver firm is building a two-story parsonage for the Metho dist church on Latham Lane, a part of the Burgess subdivision. .foundations nave been laid for a number of the houses in the village, and most of the standing timber has been erected for the parsonage build ing. It is understood that both Arms are seeking additional labor, but they are going ahead with the work as best they can despite the shortage. The town lias had a road machine lay off streets and get everything ready to run the sewer and water lines for the houses to be built on Third Street. A fire hydrant had to be moved at the intersection of An drew Jackson Avenue and Third Streets, due to an error in locating one of the streets some years ago when the water mains were laid. According to the terms of the con tract. the 40 houses allocated by the WPB are to be finished within 90 days after construction began. The houses can be occupied only by em ployees of the North Carolina Pulp Company who do not now live in Plymouth. As soon as the first 40 houses are completed and occupied, the company has been prom ised priorities for an additional 50 or more Two Fire Calls in Past Few Days $500 Damage To Colored Home on Water Street Tuesday Afternoon Plymouth’s volunteer firemen have answered two alarms within the city limits this week. One of them, how- ; ever, was a chimney fire and did no I damage, but an estimated $500 worth j was done to a home uptown Tuesday i before firemen were able to extin guish the blaze. On Sunday night the firemen were caled out at about 9:30 to the home1 of A. R. Dupree to extinguish a chim- 1 ney fire. It was soon under control and no damage resulted The home of Walter McCoy, on j West Water Street, caught afire j Tuesday afternoon around 5:30. The; origin was unknown, but fire was first discovered in a bedroom on the sec- j ond floor. When firemen arrived the j house was blazing, but it was put out shoi tly. The damage was estimated : at around $500 by Chief Miller War- I ren. Steps Being Rebuilt And Number Other Changes To Be Made ! -• Action Grew Out of Meeting Of County Officials and Local Group Tuesday It is now planned to resume schooi sessions for the six local primary classes in the Hampton Academy building next Monday morning, pro vided a program of repairs and alter ations are completed by that time. Officials of the county board of edu cation have a)so written W. F. Credle. state director of sehoolhouse plan ning, asking him to come to the eoun j ty to assist in working out plans to ; take care of future sehoolhouse needs, which will include replacing the Hampton building, it is stated. Decision to reopen the building was reached at a meeting Tuesday night attended by members of the board of education, board of county commis sioners, several parents of children who attended school in the academy building here, and a number of other interested citizens. Repairs and changes to be made include those suggested to T. W Earle, one of the parents, in a recent conference held in Raleigh with officials of the state departments of education and insur ance. Carpenters are already at work, and County Superintendent H. H McLean expressed the belief today that the work would be advanced far enough by Monday to reopen. The meeting Tuesday night was called by L. E. Hassell, chairman of the county board of education, who presided. He explained that the ! board had tried every method to ' reach a solution to the problem posed i three weeks ago, when the Hampton i Building was condemned by the chief of the local fire department. He then outlined the alternatives offered, and asked for the group to assist in ar riving at the best solution of the problem. First, the following: letter was read ! from Clyde A. Erwin, state superin tendent of public instruction: “I have examined the complete file in our office with reference to the Plym outh school building, and have also discussed the whole matter carefully with our Mr. W. F. Credle. In view of the information which I have and the further fact that you have made changes and improvements in the building, I am approving its use educationally for the period of the emergency. This would be the only I phase of the matter over which I have jurisdiction." Mr. Hassell then stated the situ ation as follows: Repairs could be made and the entire Hampton build ing used until a new building can be secured: or the three rooms on the lower floor of the Hampton building could be used, together with one room at the high-school building—made available by moving the lunch room to the agriculture workshop—and two additional rooms secured either at Roper or the old Chapel Hill school house about 1 >2 miles from Plymouth. In the latter event, arrangements ' See SCHOOL REOPENING~'page~4~ Mrs.E.H.Davenpori Dies Near Plymouth Was 83 Years Old; Funeral Services Held Last Sat urday Afternoon Mrs. Fannie M. Davenport, widow of the late E. H Davenport, and one of the county's oldest citizens, died at her home in the Long Acre section last Friday morning at 8:40, after an illness of two weeks. Although she had been sick for only two weeks, Mrs. Davenport, who was 83 years of age. had been in declining health for the past two years. Daughter of the late John Bowen and Lucretia Baynor Bowen, Mrs. Davenport was born in Beaufort County on August 11, 1861. She mov ed to this section after her marriage to Mr. Davenport about 65 years ago and has since lived at Long Acre. For about 53 years she was an ac tive member of the Union Chapel Free Will Baptist church near her home. Mrs. Davenport is survived by five daughters. Mrs. Lizzie Darden. Mrs. Lula Spruill, of Plymouth; Mrs. Maude Harrison, of Elizabeth City; Mrs. Pearl Mizelle. of Newport; and Mrs. Mamie Wiggs, of New Bern; two sons, E. L. and M. H. Davenport, of Plymouth. She also leaves 23 grandchildren and 8 great-grand children. Funeral services were held from the late home at 3:30 Saturday after noon by the Rev. D W. Alexander, of Bethel, and interment was made in the Allen cemetery’ near the home.