T’ownf opic§( W. T. Freeman of Plymouth, State Farm Bureau director from this district, will attend a direc tors meeting in Raleigh on Fri day. A letter to Mr. Freeman indicated that the major topics for discussion at that time are current farm economy problems and the organizations 1947 mem bership drive plans. W. Roy Hampton, member of ■* the state board of conservation and development will attend the regular spring meeting of the Board of Conservation and Development at Elizabeth City next Monday and Tuesday. At that time, the board will hear petitions from commercial fish eries, and will discuss the cur rent regulations pertaining to the fishing industry, particular ly laws passed during the re cent session of the legislature. Representing Plymouth and Washington County at the annual Jefferson Day dinner given by the North Carolina Democratic Party in Raleigh last week-end were Ed Owens, Carl L. Bailey, and W. Roy Hampton, all of Plymouth. About 500 dogs in Plymouth itself have recived anti rabies treatment during the current dog vaccination cam paign, according to Police Chief P. W. Brown, who added that the remaining 200 dogs, all living in Plymouth township will be vaccinated sometime this week by Officers Paul Bas . night and Foy Davenport. Re * ports on the progress of the drive in other sections of the county were not available. Karen Kay Pickett with 2,365, votes, Walter B. King with 1,822 votes and the Hardison twins with 661 votes are the leaders in the three divisions of the baby popularity contest being featured as one of the outstanding events of the Plymouth May Day cele bration. Final results will be an nounced next Thursday at which time prizes will be awarded win ners. School Buses’ Drivers Attend Dinner in Roper •-♦—— Dr vers and substitute drivers of the county's school buses were enter aired at the Roper School at a dinner last Monday night g'ven by county school officials,. C. C. Brown, director of school 1 'rtatk>4|p Board ot Education and Mr». El lis Futrell, district supervisor of the training schools for bus driv ers wei e among those present. -> ^Officers Con duct Automobile Check Up Station Here --f To Hold Other Check Ups in Future: Discover Over 100 Faulty Autos on Friday Night -4 Betwe n 100 and 125 automo biles wi h faulty lights or muf flers or both were apprehended by the Washington and Martin County Highway patrolmen and the Plymouth police at an auto equipment check-up station held in Plymouth last Friday night as a part o'" the state-wide car check ing program aimed at reducing ^he number of unfit automobiles operating on the state highways. Patrolman R. W. Young, of Plymouth has disclosed that simi lar check-ups will be held in and around Plymouth at unannounced periods in the future and that drivers who wish to save them selves the embarrassment of be ing hauled in should have their car checked immediately. He ad ded that if conditions warranted, penalties would be imposed on the drivers. Drivers of faulty automobiles found by the oficers are required to have their cars repaired im mediately. If garage service is needed, the driver is given a tick et specifying the repairs neces sary and stipulating that the card be mailed back to the of fice within 48 hours and that it be signed by a garageman indicat ing that all required repairs to ^Jhe automobile have been made. Councilmen Call for Bids on Sewer Lines The town council of Plymouth has given notice that the town will receive bids for the laying of about 5,500 feet of 6-inch water mains and about 2,800 feet of 8-inch sewer pipes in the Wil son Street extension and Red Hill sections of Plymouth, with all bids to be considered at a special meeting of the town coun cil in the Municipal Building here next Thursday at 8 p. m. The bids, it was stated, must be made in writing to the Plym outh Town Clerk, W. A. Roe buck, and must be accompanied by a certified check in the amount of 5 per cent of the bid, made payable to the Town of Plymouth. Councilmen will open and dis cuss all bids at the special session next Thursday, reserving the right to reject any and all bids which do not meet with their approval. No bids have been re ceived to date. The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** BUY YOUR VOLUME LVIII—NUMBER 17 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, April 24, 1947 ESTABLISHED 1889 Wednesday Closing To Begin Next Week All business establishments in Plymouth, with the exception of filling stations, garages, and some drug stores, will begin their an nual summer Wednesday after noon closings next Wednesday, April 30, instead of the follow ing week, it has been announced by Carlyle Hall, president of the Plymouth Merchants Association, who added that the Wednesday half-holidays would continue through August as originally scheduled. This change was made by the Association in compliance with a petition to that effect signed by some 18 of the business hous es in town. The petition request ed the date of the afternoon clos ures be advanced one week since the last day of April will fall on Wednesday. The previous ar rangement would have had the closing begin on the first Wed nesday in May. County, state and federal of fices, according to current plans, will maintain their regular sche dules, taking their half-holiday on Saturday afternoons instead of on Wednesdays. Outline Plans for May Day Event I Farm Bureau | To Hold Meet A joint, meeting of the men and women of the county Farm Bureau will be conducted in the Agricultural Building in Plymouth on Friday night, May 2, at 8 o'clock, according to an announcement from W. V. Hays, county farm agent. Mr. Hays has stated that the meeting is important to the farm men and women through out Washington County and has requested that as many attend as possible. It is understood that a hospital savings insur ance plan will be discussed. Dr. L. M. Massey of Zebu Ion and Mrs. B. B. EvereUe of Palmyra will be guest speakers. Construction on Furniture Store To Start Shortly Be Erected on Site Old Customs House; Contracts to Be Let Next Week -4 Construction on the new three floor Plymouth Furniture Com pany building will begin within the next two weeks on the site of the old Customs House on upper Water Street, the store manage ment has announced. Contract for the building will be let sometime next week, probably to a local firm, the announcement added. According to present plans, the structure will be of brick with a concrete foundation, one of the three floors being incorporated into basement storage and ware house space. The front of the building will be faced with black carrara structural glass. Two en trances will be used, both doors being plate glass. The first floor of the building will be used for general display, with office space at the rear, while the top floor will be arranged in the “model room" type of furniture display. The company also plans to in stall an elevator, although this point has not been settled as yet. Lighting will be flourescent while the floors will be covered with felt and linoleum. The walls will be plaster and the ceilings of celotex tiles. The management stated that the building will pro bably be completed by the latter part of August. Piercy Store in Roper Now Selling New Lines -4 W. N. Piercy, retailer in Roper, has recently opened new lines of electric appliances in his store there, it has been announced. In cluded among the items offered are radios, radio batteries, elec tric stoves and fans. Mr. Piercy also features auto parts and ac cessories of all kinds. Baby Parade to Open Plymouth Fete; Crown ing of May Queen to Climax Festival -4 Schedules for the featured events of the Plymouth Woman’s Club May Day celebration, which will be held next Thursday, May l, have been completed, events, according to statements from club officials, taking place as follows: Baby parade, 11 a. m.; special announcements by Mrs. Edison Davenport. 11:45 a. m: dinner at the Christian Church Annex, 12 noon: Maypole Dance in front of Plymouth Theatre, 1 p. m.; pet parade and bicycle parade. 1:30 p. m.: flower show, Christian Church Annex, 2 p. m.; miscel-! laneous contests, 2:30 p. m.: awarding of prize in baby con test, 3:30 p. m.; crowning of Health Queen in front of theater, 4 p. m.: womanless wedding and home talent show at county courthouse. 7:30 p. m.: crowning of May Queen and square dan~e at Plymouth School gymnasium, 9 p. m. Leading off the May Day fes tival, the baby parade, composed of all children entered in the baby popularity contest, will form in front of the funeral home on Washington Street at 10:45 a. m. with the procession begin ning at 11 o’clock. The course I of the parade will be from the funeral home to the corner of Main Street, turning left down Main to Adams Street, turning (See MAY DAY, Page 12) " To Hold Carnival Here Nexi Week —>— The James M. Raftery’s Shows, featuring carnival concessions, rides and shows, will be in Plym outh under the auspices of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars from Monday, April 28 to Saturday, May 3, it has been announced. Money cleared by the veterans organization from the carnival will be placed in the fund for a veterans memorial center which project is currently being spon sored by the two groups. The carnival will be held at the old Brinkley ball park on the Wil liamston highway. Funeral Is Held For Mrs. Arnold -4 Funeral services were held from Concord Primitive Baptist Church last Wednesday at 3 p. m. for Mrs. Bettie Arnold, 81, of Creswell who died at her home at Cherry on Tuesday of last week at 10:15 a. m. after a long illness. Elder S. Grey of Kinston, assisted by the Rev. G. C. Bland of Philippi Church, officiated at the services. Interment was made in the Philippi Cemetery. Mrs. Arnold, who was a native of Creswell, was a member of the Concord Church. She is survived by three sons, Andrew and E. O. Arnold of Roper, and Jim Arnold of Edenton; three daughters, Mrs. Claud Watson and Mrs. Henry Hassell, both of Edenton, and Mrs. Allison Swain, of Creswell, The pallbearers were grandchildren of Mrs. Arnold. Returned Vet and Bride To Make Home in Roper -4 Roper.—Pfc. Joseph Harrell Phelps and Mrs. Phelps, the former Miss Marie Helene Mc chali of Casablanca, North Africa, have arrived here to make their home. The couple were married in February of this year. Private Phelps served several months with the armed forces in North Africa. May Discontinue Local Passenger Train Schedules Norfolk Southern to Ask State Authority for Ac tion Monday; Would Be Effective June 1 -♦ According to a notice received on Wednesday by A. J. Riddle, Mayor of Plymouth, the Norfolk Southern Railway Company will apply to the North Carolina Pub lic Utilities Commission in Ra leigh on Monday for authority to discontinue the operation of pas senger trains One and Two now traveling between Norfolk and Raleigh, requesting that this run be stopped on and after June 1. The two trains are, at present, the only passenger trains oper ating in this area. This would have direct effect on Plymouth and Washington County since both the trains carry much of the incoming and out-going mails and express in this section and, if the petition is granted, it is assumed, would cause considerable inconvienence to local businessmen and private individuals. The railway com pany will also make application to the Virginia commission for cessation of the part of the run going through territory of that state. Mayor Riddle is now making investigations as to when the public hearing on the matter will be held by the commission in Ra leigh and is planning to head a delegation of local citizens to register protest at the proposed discontinuance of the two trains. At previous hearings, the rail road has been able to prove that the trains are operating at a loss, and if allowed to discontinue the runs will be required to work out some compensatory service Colored Student Slabbed lo Death AlRoperTuesday Alleged 14-Year-OldSlay er Placed in County Jail Pending Court Hearing Next Week Floyd Douglas, 17-year-old Roper colored boy, student at the J. J. Clemmons School there, died while en route to the Plvriruth Clinic of wounds sustained : i a school-yard fight during the r. ion recess on Tuesday, J. K. Id -id, sheriff of Washington County, has reported. Douglas was stabbed in the chest with a large pocket knift by Rupert Cox, 14, also a student at the Clemmons School, the sheriff said. According to the Cox boy, several of the students were play ing baseball on the school grounds when he (Cox) threw a bail which struck Douglass’ younger brother who began to cry. Doug las, Cox claimed, came up to him and slapped him in the face and then reached for a knife. Cox drew his own knife and struck the first blow. Douglas, Cox stated, stood a few seconds and then fell to the ground. He was taken to the clinic by E. V. Wil kins, principal of the school. Sheriff Reid declared that the Cox boy was at home when the arrest was made and freely ad mitted cutting Douglas, although he apparently did not know the seriousness of the wound he had inflicted. Cox is being held in the county jail in Plymouth pend ing a hearing in county recorders court next Tuesday. Cox lived with his parents David and Christabel Cox in Rop Cj while dead boy had resided there with his grandmother, Iram Lee Howard. Local Itccorils Office; To (Jose on May lOili j —.............—....... —A—.’ The Washington County 0?*;1 fice of Selective Service R® cords will definitely close on' Saturday, May 10, at 5 p. in. according to an official order from State selective service headquarters, Mrs. Mildred Col lins, chief clerk in the local of fice has announced. The clerk added that all re cords in the county office will be forwarded to the State Se lective Service Records Depot in Raleigh where they will be rs|m* ^ Par- ■ poses. The Washington County office, operating as registration headquarters for selective ser vice, opened in Plymouth in the fall of 1940 and under that name continued until March 31 of this year when it was chang ed to its present status of draft records office for the county. Mrs. Collins, formerly with the Orange County office has been in the Washington County office since January, 1946. County Is Given Quota of $500 in CancerCampaign -4 Plymouth, Creswell Wo men’s Clubs to Canvass Those Areas; Other Plans Not Complete Washington County has been assigned a $500 quota for the na tion-wide Cancer Society drive, Jack Pecle. county commander of the organization, has announced. He added that the Plymouth Wo man’s Club, under the leadership of Mrs. W. H. Joyner, and the Creswell Woman's Club, led by Mrs. O, D. Hatfield will act as canvassers lor the campaign in those two sections of the county. So far as could be learned by Wednesday of this week, no ar rangements had been made to cover other parts of the county. The money raised by the cam paign, which is being conducted through the month of April, will be used for scientific research in the causes and possible cures for cancerous diseases. Mesdames Joyner and Hatfield were ap pointed chairmen of the drive in the Plymouth and Creswell areas by their respective clubs. Collec tions will start immediately. New Flower Shop Is Opened Here -♦ “Katie’s Florist Shop,” new Plymouth flower business, has opened at its location here on West Third Street, Mrs. A. R. Modlin, manager of the enter prise, has announced. The shop will specialize in cor sages and wedding flowers, Mrs. Modlin stated, adding that cater ing to funerals and the execution of funeral designs is also given careful attention. She stated fur ther that the shop will sell all types of flowers and potted plants. The shop will be open at all times. Committee Named To Nominate List Of Commissioners Farmers to Vote Prefer ence on 3 Men for Ap pointment As Scupper nong District Officials -♦ A group of 7 farmers, all land owners in the newly formed Scuppernong Drainage District, have been appointed as a nomi nating committee for the purpose of selecting a list of potential commissioners for the new dis trict. The 7 men were chosen at a meeting of the farmers in that area held in the Creswell school on Wednesday night. Committee memebers are Jen nings Davenport, J. R. Daven port, William Gibbs, W. P. Dav enport, L. E. Ambrose, Mitchell Edwards, and Woodley Ambrose. The committee, after making its selections, will submit the list of candidates to the people of the district for a vote on the three (See DRAINAGET'Page 12) Clean-Up Day Is Proclaimed Mayor A. J. Riddle has pro claimed May 5 as “Clean Up Plymouth Day,” requesting that all citizens of the town clear away trash, weeds, and ash heaps from all back lots as well as frontages in both the business and residential sec tions of Plymouth. Mayor Riddle also suggested that since the garbage trucks will be angaged all day in re moving the debris deposited by owners, property holders would probably find it more convien ent to complete the clean-up job early and avoid having unsightly piles of trash around their homes all day. Two More Candidates in Contest for Town Council Creswell to Hold Annual Festival On May Seventh Yearly Celebration Being Sponsored by PTA for Benefit Memorial Gym nasium Project -♦ The seventh consecutive Cres well May Day Festival, sponsor ed by the local Parent-Teachers Association, will be held there on Wednesday, May 7, featuring a May Queen contest, flower show. May Pole dance, pageant, and a baseball game. Money realized from the cele bration will be donated to the Creswell Memorial Gymnasium fund, the completion of which is the current project of the local PTA and Woman's Club. The May Day program will begin at 9:30 a. m. and will last all day. Entries for the May Queen con test are now being chosen from the grades in the Creswell High School with names of the entries to be announced later. Judging in the contest will be on the basis of the number of votes received with the winning contestant be ing crowned Queen of the festi val. A page contest for the selec tion of the queen's attendants will be conducted in a similar manner. Votes will be one cent each. Other attractions offered in the all-day celebration are a motion picture show and a concert by the Creswell Glee Club. Lunch will be servide in the school lunch room. Hot-dogs, hamburgers, and cold drinks will also be sold. Committees in charge of the program arrangements are as fol lows: May Queen contest: Mrs. T. D. Woodley, chairman: Page contest: Mrs. O. R. Armstrong, chairman; Glee Club: Miss Millie Woodley, Mrs. Jennings Daven port*. . fay fdlfctfe: Mrs. W. B. Gaither, Miss Lois Norman; Pageant: Mrs. O. O. Lassiter. Miss Hazel Craddock; Motion picture: H. V. Chappell; Flower show: Mrs. A. H. Tucker: Baseball game: Ray Cox, manager; Lunch eon: Mrs. Jennings Davenport, chairman: Refreshments: Mrs. Chester Hopkins, chairman; Mrs. Lloyd Norman. Jewelry Store to Build New Front, Construction on an all-glass front for O. R. Leggett’s Son jewelry store was begun last Fri day with present plans placing [completion of the job at some time within the next 30 days. According to blue-print eleva tions, the entrance will be a door of solid plate glass with side panels, flanked by “picture" dis play windows. The lower two thirds of the store front will be faced with black glass and topped with a wide panel of ivory glass containing an incrustation of the store name in black. All glass facing are now being shipped to the store, the manage ment stated, and are expected to arrive here within the next few days. The design used in the reconstruction of the store front is modern. Renovation of the interior of the store was complet ed some time ago. Browning Funeral Conducted Sunday Funeral services were conduct ed from Ludford Memorial Church in Plymouth last Sundav at 3 p. m. for Mrs. Jessie Cunn ingham Browning, fi8, of Plym outh who died at her home here on Saturday at 3:30 p. m. fol lowing a long period of declining health. The Rev. R. Ii. Lucas, assisted by the Rev. E. B. Quick, officiated at the services. In terment was made in the Baptist Cemetery. Mrs. Browning, wife of the late Frederick deFuniak Browning of Brownsville, Pa., had lived in Plymouth for the past five years, coming here from her former home in Brownsville where she was a member of the First Pres byterian Church and the Browns ville Woman’s Christian Temper ance Union. She is survived by one sister, Miss Mary S. Cunningham of Plymouth: one grandson, Fred erick Allen Hill, also of Plym outh; and a niece and nephew. Reporters Are Named by AAA Meeting in the Agricultural Building in Plymouth last Fri day, The Washington County AAA Committee appointed R. C. Jackson of Plymouth and VV. P. Davenport of Creswell po tato acreage reporters for the county. Mr. Jackson will work in the Plymouth-Roper section while Mr. Davenport will op erate in the Creswell area. Acreage measuring will be gin May 15. The reason given for the unusually late date of the procedure is that bad weath er earlier in the year had kill ed the first planting of the po tato crop, necessitating replant ing. There are 14 growers in the Plymouth - Roper section and 15 in the Creswell area. Saturday Is Last Day to Register For City Election Thirteen More Names Listed in Each of Second and Third Districts; First has “4 or 5” Second and third wards in Plymouth both recorded 13 new registrations of voters for the municipal elections in May, Reg istrars Roy Cutler and Mrs. C. A. Cratch have reported. Last week. Mr. Cutler had placed only 8 new names on the books of the second ward, while Mrs. Cratch had re ported 14 for the third area. The total now stands at 21 for the second ward and 27 for the third. Mr. Cutler stated that he ex pected a few more registrants op the week-end. Mrs. Cratch said that there are still quite a few qualified voters in her district but that she expected to have the majority of them registered by the end of the week. The books will be closed on Saturday of this week which leaves two days for the unregis tered voters to be placed on the books. Challenge day will be on the following Saturday, May 3. Lacking official information, it is understood that 4 or 5 persons have been placed on the books in the first ward. -4 Colored Home Is Burned Thursday -♦ Starting apparently from faul ty wiring, fire swept through the home of Willie B. Lloyd, colored, in Plymouth about 5 p. m. last Thursday, destroying the entire contents of the house, leaving only the walls standing. Lloyd’s family, his wife and two children, ages 1 and 3 years, were visiting relatives in Martin County at the time the fire oc curred. Firemen stated that when the fire engines arrived at the house flames were pouring from the windows and roof. The fami ly is living with Lloyd’s mother until another house can be se cured. -4 Legion Auxiliary Will Meet on Monday Night The members of the American Legion Auxiliary will conduct a meeting in the Legion Hall here next Monday at 8 p. m., according to an announcement from Mrs. W. C. Jones, president of the organi zation, who stated that plans for the American Legion's Poppy Day will be made at that time. Mrs. Jones urged all members of the group to be present. Joyner and Price File for Town Council; Allen Denies Plans to Run for Mayor’s Post The total number of new can didates for office in Plymouth’s municipal election being held on May 6 has risen to four with the filing of W. H. Joyner for council man from the first ward and Louise E. Price, filing for the same position from third ward. Mr. Joyner, well-known local businessman, is opposing E. D. Keel and Henry Harrison who are running for re-election, while Mr. Price, ex-president of local 356 of the pulp, sulphite, and paper mill workers, is running against A. J. Byrd and J. W. Marrow, who are candidates for re-election. Also running for councilman from the third ward is George W. Harrison who filed for the post last week. The sole candidate opposing Mayor Archie J. Riddle, candi date for re-election, is J. T. Mc Nair. Reports had been circulat ed around town that H. H. Allen was planning to file for candidate for mayor, but Mr. Allen denied this on Wednesday stating that he had no intention of following such a course. Despite the increase of the number of candidates, political interest is still lagging, if regis trations of new voters are any indication. Most of the political activity in Plymouth seems to be concentrated in the third ward where it is reported that the new candidates are waging a lively campaign. Donald Phelps Pledged To College Fraternity -4 Donald E. Phelps of Creswell, freshman at Wtke Forest College, became a pledge of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity on April 1, it has been announced. The social organization was founded in Richmond and the Wake Forest chapter was inst-clled in 1940. Applications for Houses Will Be Studied by Group -« Final Decision on Allot ment of New Homes to Be Based on Urgency of Individual Needs Meeting in the county court house last Thursday night, the Plymouth post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars delivered informa tional questionnaires to some 30 applicants for the 15 pre-fabricat ed homes being made available to Washington County veterans through the local VFW organiza tion. The VFW finance committee will study the applications and, using the information contained in them, will make their decisions as to which applicants will be given opportunities to purchase the homes, basing the allotments on the urgency of individual needs. The committee’s decisions will be announced at a later date. The houses, which contain four rooms and bath, are at present located at Alexander Park in Portsmouth, Va.. and will be sold to the veterans at approximately $2,000 each. The houses them selves. which contain all essential plumbing facilities, are priced at around $920 while transportation and assemblage would cost about $600. It is understood that many of the 30 applicants are now mak ing arrangements to finance pur chase of the homes. Members of the VFW commit tee in charge of studying the ap plications are Blount Rodman, chairman; Ray Kimbrough and Bill Davenport. The homes are a part of a veterans housing pro ject being sponsored in the coun ty by the Plymouth VFW. Require Teachers To Renew Certificates Approximately 50 per cent of the teachers in the Washington County schools system will have to renew their teaching certifi cates through summer schools either this summer or in the sum mer of 1948 or else disqualify for employment in the state educa tion set up. W. F. Veasey, county school superintendent, has an nounced. The superintendent stated that the General Assembly had ex tended the expiration of teach ers certificates every year since 1931 and this year had left the matter to the State Board of Edu cation who had given only a one year period of grace. This means, he explained, that certificates which will have expired by the summer of 1948 must be renewed by a six-weeks course at an ac credited college in order to be valid for the 1948 fall term.