North Carolina Newspapers

T'ownJI o pies | At the meeting of the Wash ingtton County Triple-A commit tee held in the Agricultural Build ing here recently, it was revealed that the committee members had a record for 100 per cent attend ance during the past year which, according to the secretary, Miss Miriam Ausbon, is the first per fect meeting attendance for the group in the past several years. - Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Liverman, who have been visiting relatives in Florida, returned tc their home in Plymouth Sunday night. ” v. in Florida, they visited with their daughter, Mrs. Elsie Callis and Captain Callis at Drew Field near Tampa. Mr. and Mrs. Liverman also flew from Tampa to Havana, Cuba, for a two-day tour. Two county buildings in Plymouth, the courthouse and the Agricultural Building, are sporting new water coolers which have at long last been installed. The old “jug-on-the top” type have been retired from Service and the new streamlined ones were install ed last week after waiting several months for proper pip ing. One is in the “Ag” build ing while the other two are in the court room and in Mrs. Annie Myrtle Bateman’s of fice. Plymouth firemen received an alert-call from Columbia last Sat urday around 5 a. m. with all members reporting to the local station, and remaining on call for several hours. No trip was made however since the Columbia fire men controlled the blaze there which, despite their efforts, des troyed one building containing a retraurant and a dry cleaning establishment. W. Roy Hampton, director with the State Board of Conservation and Development, has pointed out that the extension on the shad and herring fishing season applies to inland waters only and not to commercial areas outside those designated districts. Reports from the Jamesville Fishery indicate that the herring at that point are few and far between, the report ading that on 7l'onday of this week, the big sein was County Principal Resigns Position -- H. V. Chappell, principal of the Creswell White Schools has re signed his postion there, effective at the termination of the present school year, after serving in the capacity of principal for two years, W. F. Veasey, county schools superintendent, has an nounced. To date, he said, no successor has been located to fill the vacancy. Mr. Chappell will be located in the central part of the State next fall serving as principal of a school in that section, it is under stood. He served three years with the American armed forces during the recent war and prior to his induction was principal of the Oxford School in Catawba County. He is a native of Per quimans County. Mr. Veasey stated that he re Wfl'rets Mr. Chappell’s resignation and praised him for his coopera tion with the county board of edu cation and with the county office. -> Lions Club Admits Towo New Members Thursday ■-♦ Two new members were ad mitted into the Plymouth Lions Club at its meeting last Thurs day night. They are Ken Trow bridge and Paul Mueler. Mr. Trowbridge is head of the wood and land department at the pulp mill while Mr. Mueler, who is also employed by the mill, is prominent in local Boy Scout work.' Darden Says Custom JHouse Farther Down Last week’s issue of the Roa noke Beacon carried a statement from E. E. Harrell stating that the new Plymouth Furniture store would be located on the site of the old customs house on the upper end of Water Street where excavation of the foundations an 1 basement is currently being car ried out. John W. Darden county repre sentative to the legislature, has asserted that this is an error since the customs house was lo cated farther down the street where the Browning and Gander son stores now stand. Mr. Darden says that the building was con structed around 18oo and used as a customs house from 1830 until 1866, after which, since the Plymouth port of entry and em barcation was abandoned shortly thereafter, it was used as a court house until destroyed by fire around 1881| The building, Mr. Darden state ed, was of brick and three stories high. His information is drawn from records and deeds of the period. Just what was located where the new furniture store is to be erected, no one knows ex actly. Some say that it was a boarding house, while others state that it was a saloon of wide re pute. All agree that it was an eyesore and that the new building will do much to improve the ap pearance of the street. The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** BUY YOUR NOW VOLUME LVIII—NUMBER 18 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 1, 1947 ESTABLISHED 1889 4 oiinlv aiifl iomi Official Hoard« Will liol«l HcgiilarMcctsMonday Town and county boards? will conduct their regularly sche duled monthly meetings on Monday of next week, which is first Monday. The town board meeting in the Municipal Build ing at 8 p. m., will probably settle contracts for the laying of sewer and water mains on Wilson Street extended, the Red Hill section and portion of Stillacres now within the city limits. Bids for the work were considered at a special session of the council on Thursday. Other business will be routine. The county commissioners, meeting in the courthhouse at 10 a. m„ having nothing more scheduled than routine work, which, it is reported, will be quite a relief after the past few months which have been con sumed with tax revaluation business. The board of educa tion, meeting in the court house at the same time, may consider plans for the new col ored high school at Creswell if full information on the pro posed job is received by the board at that time. Details of the Plymouth School construc tion and insurance on the new class rooms will be discussed by the board, who will also con sider the county garage situa tion. Rent Control Office Here Will Be Closed Withdrawal Is Made by Price Lewis E. Price of Plymouth has announced his withdrawal from candidacy for councilman from the third ward in Plym outh which he had announced last week. Mr. Price, who is connected in a business capacity with the local 356 of the pulp, sulphite, and paper mill workers, stated that due to the nature of his employment as representative of the organization, he would be required to attend to out of-town business frequently and if elected, would not be able to spare the amount of time required by the office for which he had been a candidate. School Teachers Rehired in Roper By Committeemen ■-♦ Nipe White, 14 Colored Instructors Reelected; R. B. Forbes, Wilkins Renamed Principals -4 Nine white teachers and 14 colored teachers in the schools in the Roper district were re-elected for employment by the Roper School committee at a meeting held there on Tuesday night of this week. Those renamed to positions in the Roper district are as follows: White: R. B. Forbes, principal; Mrs. Annie Lou Gurkin, home economics; T. R. Spruill, history and mathematics; J. E. Mullen, agriculture; Mrs. J. E. Mullen, english and french; Grammar School: Mrs. W. F. Veasey, first; Mrs. Laura Keyes, second; Mrs. Neva Liverman, third; Mrs. T. R. Jenkins, fifth. Mrs. Mattie Swain, fourth grade teacher, and Mrs. Annie S. Dav enport, sixth and seventh grade (See~ TEACHERsT~Page 10) To Hold Clinics In Roper Schools -4 Pre-school clinics will be con ducted in Roper on Friday and next Monday, health department officials have announced. The colored clinic will be held from 10 a. m. until noon in the Colored School building on Fri day, while the white clinic will be conducted on Monday in the White School at the same hours. Parents of children who will start school next fall have been requested to bring the children to the clinic so that the necessary physical examinations and vac cinations can be made. RegulationsStillinEffect; County Area To Be Served From Another Branch The Plymouth Rent Control Of fice will be abolished and will end its services to Washington County on Wednesday, May 16, Mrs. Sabrie Reid, chief clerk of the local office, has announced. She added that rent control would still be in effect, however, with the citizens of the county being served by another office which will be designated at a lat ter date. Mrs. Reid remarked that all landlords and tenants who have rent control problems pend ing, and those who are renting properties that have not been registered with the rent control program should appear at the Plymouth office immediately and have their affairs settled, in or der to avoid inconvienence of hav ing to travel to the new office which will be located in another county. Mrs. Reid has been chief clerk of the Plymouth office since Oc tober of 1946 when a full-time Washington County branch of the service was instituted. Prior to that time, the county had been served from the Elizabeth City office. All Farm People Inviled to Meet -« J. C. Tarkington, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau, has stated that although that organization, joint meeting with the Women's Auxiliary, be ing held in the Agricultural Building in Plymouth on Friday at 8 p. in., is being conducted by the Bureau, all farm men and women in the county are urged to attend as matters of import ance will be discussed at that time. He stated that all aspects of the rural hospital insurance program will be discussed at that time and will be of vital importance to all rural families in the county. Dr. L. M. Massey of Zebulon, chair man of the program, and Mrs. B. B. Everette, of Palmyra, State women’s chairman, will be the principal speakers. Episcopal Bishop To Visit Parish -* The Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Wright, D. D., bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, will visit the Parish of Parson Petti grew on Sunday, May 4, deliver ing sermons and administering the apostolic rite of confirmation. Bishop Wright's schedule will be as follows: Christ Church at Creswell, 11 a. m.; Galilee Mission at Lake Phelps, 3 p. m.; Saint Andrew’s Church at Columbia, 8 p. m. The general public has been extended an invitation to attend all ser vices at these churches. Council Opens Bids Tonight The Plymouth town council will conduct a special meeting in the Municipal Building to night (Thursday) at 8 o’clock for the purpose of opening bids on the water main project plan ned for the Red Hill and Wilson and Washington Street exten sions program. Councilmen will consider all bids and make their choice of contractors at the meeting. So far, only one bid has been recived by W. A. Roebuck, town clerk, with whom all bids must be filed, although it is understood that several other companies are planning to try for the job. Henry Evereli Is Only Contestant For Town Office ♦ Unofficial Reports Indi cate Incumbents to File for Re-Election With Roper Clerk -♦ So far as could be learned by Wednesday of this week, Henry Everett is the sole candidate for political office who has filed with Aubrey Phelps, Roper town clerk, for candidacy in the Roper town elections being conducted there next Tuesday. Mr. Everett has given himself as candidate for member of the Roper town coun cil. , Unofficial reports indicated that the incumbent councilmen and Mayor John Hassell would file for re-election as well as one or two other citizens who were ex pected to file for council mem ber. So far as could be learned on Wednesday none has appear ed before the clerk and officially announced his candidacy. It is expected that those who file will do so at the last minute, Thursday having been set as the unofficial deadline for filing fbr election. Present Roper town offici*ll**fa .I* wtm Mr. Hassell, mayor; l.otti* ' T. R. Spruill, and J. R. Swain, councilmen. -* Veterans Housing Finance Aired by VFW at Meeting -4 Several Applicants for Homes Plan Buying Ar rangements; 8 or 9 Homes Still Available -4 Financial arrangements for the purchase of prefabricated houses, made available to county veterans through the Plymouth post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, were discussed with 6 or 7 applicants at a called meeting of the VFW held in the county courthouse here on Monday night, with most of the applicants indicating that they will be able to meet the $2,000 purchase, transportation, and assemblage cost, Blount Rod man, post adjutant, has report ed. It was also stated that around 8 or 9 houses are left in the al lotment made by the government to the local organization and that these will bo made available to veterans in the county who can provide adequate financing for the homes. It was pointed out that such arrangements may be made through GI loans, although it might prove difficult if the homes are to be located in rural sections. Other means of financing the purchase of the houses discussed, Rodman stated, are through banks, loan associations, or or private individuals. The houses, which are at pres ent located at Alexander Park in Portsmouth, Va., contain four rooms and bath and are equipped with all essential plumbing fa-1 cilities. -4 Man Injured at Mill Last Week -1 James Green, young colored employee at the pulp mill, sus tained a crushed left leg in an accident occurring at the plant Tuesday of last week which re-! suited in the amputation of the in jured lirnb in a Rocky Mount hospital to which he had been taken for treatment. According to Green, he and a companion were opening a truck door when a piece of wood, pro jected from a conveyer, pinned him against the side of the truck, inflicting the injury to his leg. First aid was rendered Green by Dr. T. L. Bray. No Petitions Are Filed in Raleigh On Train Problem State Commission Will Notify W. R. Hampton on Date of Public Hear ing About Trains According to a letter received by W. Roy Hampton, of Plymouth, on Monday from the secretary of the State Public Utilities Com mission in Raleigh, Norfolk Southern Railroad Company has not yet filed its reported request to the commission for authority to discontinue passenger trains One and Two traveling through Plymouth from Norfolk to Ra leigh, Mr. Hampton has reported. It was previously announced that the hearing would be last Mon day, but such was not the case. The letter, he said, stated furth er that when the petition was filed with the commission, he would be notified of the action and of the date of the public hearing to be conducted by the commission on the matter. Mr. Hampton stated that when the hearing is held, he plans to join a delegation of Plymouth citizens, which will be headed by Mayor Archie J. Riddle, who will protest against the proposed mea sure on grounds that it will dis rupt express service to Plymouth and the county. It is also under stood that the railway company’s proposition is being opposed by business and civic groups in Edenton and Elizabeth City who would also be affected by the abandoment of the present sche dule. -4 Local Young Man Admitted to Bar -♦ On Thursday of last week, at the regular April term of the luperior 'nurt of Tyrrell County, Cr,tSi.er Morris, presiding, WWford L. Whitley, jr., son of Attorney and Mrs. W. L. Whitley, of Plymouth, presented his license to practice law in the State of North Carolina, duly issued by the board of law examiners of the State, and, having taken and sub scribed the oaths prescribed bv law in open court, was duly ad mitted to the practice of the pro fession in the State. Young Whitley successfully passed the Bar examination given by the law examiners board in Raleigh on March 25 through 27 of this year and received his li cense at that time. He is a graduate of Plymouth High School, Fishburne Military Aca demy, Waynesboro, Va., and Davidson College, Davidson, hav ing been awarded a bachlor of science degree from the latter in stitution. Whitley is also a graduate of the Duke University law school, receiving the degree of bachelor of laws upon his graduation from there in Janu ary of this year. He is also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha fraternity, and Phi Alpha Delta franternity. -4 Schedule of Dog Treatment Listed -1 Sheriff J. K. Reid has announc ed that Officers Foy Davenport and Paul Basnight will be at specific stations in the county next week for the purpose of completing the dog vaccination program now underway in this area. He added that owners are required by law to have their dogs given the anti-rabies treat ment. No special charge is being made for the vaccination although own ers are required to pay the regu lar tax of $1 for males and $2 for females. The vaccination schedule will be as follows: Monday, May 4: Mackeys, 10 a. m. to 12 noon: Tommie Tarkenton's store, 12:30 to 2 p. m.; Roper, 2:30 to 4:30 p. m.; Tuesday: A. R. Patricks store, 9 a. m. to 12 noon: Juston Daven port filling station, 12:30 to 2:30 p. m.; Creswell, 2: 30 to 5 p. m.; Wednesday: Harry Barnes store at Cherry, 9 a. m. to 2 p. m. —-« Lieut.-Col. Tarkenton Visits Relatives Here -4 Lieut.-Colonel J. C. Tarkenton, jr., Mrs. Tarkenton and son, Clin ton III arived in Pleasant Grove for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Tarkenton, sr., on Monday. Lieut.-Colonel Tarken ton is reported greatly improved following his recent illness. He is stationed at Fort Monroe, Va. | Interest Is Said Mounting In Election Next Tuesday Negro Boy Bound To Higher Court On Killing Count -+ Rupert Cox, 14, to Be Tried on Second Degree Murder Charge in July Criminal Term Probable cause of guilt was found in Washington County re corders court on Tuesday in the case of Rupert Cox, 14-year-old negro schoolboy of Roper, ac cused of killing Floyd Dudley, 16, also colored of Roper, in a school yard fight during the noon recess of J. J. Clemmons School there on Tuesday of last week. Cox was bound over to superior court under $500 bond and will be tried in the July criminal term of court on a charge of second degree murder. It is understood that the defense will plead for ac quittal on grounds of justifiable homicide involving self defense. Evidence given by schoolboy witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing agreed on all points- except that of whether or not Dudley was also armed with a knife. All maintained, however, that the fight arose when Cox struck Overton Howard (Dudley), Floyd’s 10-year-old brother, with a broom-handle which he had been using as a baseball bat. Overton was said to have begun crying and to have reported the incident to his brother who ac costed Cox with the matter, the fight ensuing. Overton maintain ed that Floyd was unarmed but other witnesses did not agree with him on this point. The weapon used in the stab bing was a heavy 3-bladed pock et- knife, the blade used being about two and one-half inches long. Dudley was stabbed near the heart and died, apparently, of internal bleeding. -♦ Group Names List Possible Officers -♦ Members of the nominating committee of the Scuppernong Drainage district met in Creswell on Monday night and selected a list of possible commissioners to be submitted to W. M. Darden, clerk of superior court, who will appoint three out of the group to serve on the district’s board. Those recommended for the positions are as follows: Mt. Tab or section: A. W. Furlough and L. E. Ambrose; Ambrose Road section: W. A. Gibbs and W. P. Davenport; Newlands section: J. M. Davenport and Douglas Dav enport; Creek section: Mitchell Edwards and Phillip Spruill. No decision was made by the nominating committee as to whether a recommended three commissioners would be chosen by ballot of the landowners in the district or whether the entire list would be turned over to Mr. Darden to make the selection. No plans were made for a future meeting. Ralph Hunter Initiated Into Honorary Siciety -* Ralph Hunter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Hunter, of Plymouth was recently initiated into the Tau chapter of Phi Sigma Pi, na tional education fraternity, lo cated at East Carolina Teachers College in Greenville. Eighteen other pledges were initiated at the same ceremony which was held last Thursday. Legionnaires Neel Friday American Legionnaires from Washington, Martin, and Tyr rell Counties will meet in the Legion Hall in Plymouth on Friday at 8 p. m. for the pur pose of electing officers of the newly formed Legion district which includes those three coun ties, Blount Hodman, command er of the James Jethro Post in Plymouth, has announced. Formerly. Washington Coun ty had been included in the second district which was com posed of Beaufort, Hyde. Tyr rell, Martin, and Washington Counties with Floyd Cohoon of Columbia as district command er. The change was effected last week. NEW ATTORNEY .J Wilford L. Whitley, jr„ above, was recently admitted to the practice of the profession of law in Tyrrell County superior court. He is the son of Attorney and Mrs. W. L. Whitley, sr., of Plymouth. Third Ward Has Two io One Lead In Registrations --♦ First and Second Areas Also Record Sharp In creases; Most New Vot ers Booked Saturday Topping the other two wards almost two to one, Plymouth’s third ward registered a total of 63 new voters in the two-week pre-election period which ter minated last Saturday. Mrs. C. A. Cratch, registrar for the Third district, stated that the majority of the registration were made bv her last Saturday, attributing the large number of names to the fact that the political contest in that area was more intense due to its greater number of candi dates for town council. Wards one and two also record ed a sharp increase in new names on Saturday with ward two mak ing 13 new registrations, totaling 34 in all, and ward one report ing, unofficially, about 35 in all. Most of the new registrations in all sections were made in a last minute rush to registration places before the books were closed. The final total of new voters in Plym outh, according to the registra tion records, stands at about 132. Many of these names, of course, represent persons who have mov ed from one ward to another, al though a good percentage are new residents of the town who will vote here for the first time next Tuesday. This Saturday, May 3, has been designated challenge day. New Dragline Is Secured Monday -4 Another dragline has been se cured for ditching projects in Washington County and was set in operation on the Wade Thomp son farm, near Roper, on Monday, Donald B. Jones, county soil con servationist, has reported. Jones stated that about four miles of ditches, including the East-West Canal would be cleared by this machine which is the third now in operation dn the county. Mr. Jones requested that farm ers in the Roper section who wish ditching work done on their pro perties get in touch with him at his office in the Agricultural Building in Plymouth as soon as possible. Contest for Councilmen in First and Third Wards; Two Aspirants for Mayor —-4 Interest in Plymouth’s munici pal elections set for next Tuesday took a sharp increase in the past few days, judging from the great upswing in registrations of new voters in the town's three wards. With each of the first two areas more than doubling the number of new names and the third ward equalling the others combined. Although Lewis E. Price, who had previously announced his candidacy for councilman from third ward, withdrew' his name from the ballot, reports indicate that the campaign for the posi tion, with incumbents J W. Mar row and A. J. Byrd opposed by George W. Harrison, is still warm, with no accurate forecast ing of who will oust whom. W. H. Joyner who had declared his candidacy for the council as one member from first ward, op posing incumbents E. D. Keel and Henry Harrison, is still in the running with interest among voters in the biennial race on the increase in that area as evidenc ed by the more than 100 per cent rise in registrations. So far, no other candidate has declared against Mayor A. J. Rid dle. running for re-election, ex cept J. T. McNair who, to date, has not campaigned much be yond his announcement and his declaration of supporting a pro gressive administration if elect ed. Some political interest has been evidenced in second ward although it runs a poor third compared with the other two sec tions of Plymouth. Polling places and officials in the election on Tuesday will be as follows: ballots to be cast at j£ courthouse, poll-holders E. A. Harrison and R. W. Johnson, ri.'g* istrar, Mrs. Hermine Ramsey; j second ward: ballots to be cast 1 at Cherry and Cutler shop OB «j Water Street: C. E. Jones and Tex Edens, poll-holders: W. Roy Cutler, registrar: third ward: bal- y,, lots to be cast at Dardens storo ^ on Jefferson Street: poll-holders, C. W. Dinkins and Benton Liver man: registrar Mrs. C. A. Cratch. Voters who mis-mark their bal lots or otherwise disfigure them have been requested to turn the damaged ticket in to the poll holders who will issue fresh ones. Polls will open at 6:30 a. m. on Tuesday and will close at 6:30 p. m. On Thursday of this week, the list of candidates for political posts in Plymouth read as fol lows: for mayor, Mr. Riddle and Mr. McNair: for councilman from first ward, Henry Harrison and E. D. Keel running for re-election and W. H. Joyner opposing: for councilman from second ward, Harold Whitley and J. S. Brink ley, for re-election, none oppos ing; and for councilman from third ward, A. J. Byrd and J. W. Marrow running for reelection, George W. Harrison opposing. Negro Loses Fool In Accident Here -4 George Marriner, young color ed man of Roper, suffered the complete amputation of his left foot in an accident at the Atlas Plywood plant near Plymouth last Friday around 7 a. m.. it has been reported. Marriner was said to have been changing his position on a lumber carriage when his foot slipped and fell against a saw blade which was in motion at the time. He was given emergency treat ment in the offices of Dr. T. L. Bray in Plymouth and removed to a Rocky Mount hospital for further treatment. Ten Candidates for I Offices at Creswell Two candidates have filed for mayor of Creswell and eight can didates are seeking a place on the town’s board of aldermen in the coming municipal elections there on Tuesday, it has been report ed. W. T. Alexander, who has serv ed in the capacity of mayor for the past two consecutive terms, is seeking re-election and is oppos ed by J. A. Combs, a former mayor. In the race for the board of I aldermen, the incumbent mem bers, H. R. Stillman, C. N. Daven port, jr., H. W. Norman, and O. D. Hatfield, are candidates for re election. They are opposed by four new candidates, Dr. J. M. Phelps, J. B. Davenport, and Thomas H. Smith, all veterans of World War II. and E. C Crad dock. Deadline for the filing of can didates had been placed at last Saturday. Local observers state that the campaign is going hot and heavy and that political in terest in the town is increasing.