North Carolina Newspapers

Be Sure To Vote in the Special Election Next Tuesday on the Question of Extending^ the City Limits T'OWItj opics E-ni" The old fire siren will continue to be blown at 9 a. m. and 6 p. m. during each work day in Plym outh, signalling the hours at which business houses in town will open and close, Carlyle Hall, president of the local Merchant’s «;sociation, has stated. It was ought at one time that the siren might be stopped as the new alarm system will go into use on Sunday, but since most Plymouth residents are so used to the sign als, the practice will be kept up. W. F. Veasey, superintendent of schools, has reported that the State Board of Education will al low the maintenance of a colored high school in Creswell. County Education Board members, he said, may now complete plans for the construction of a new build ing for the school, hindered here tofore by reports that the State might consolidate the school with J. J. Clemmons School in Roper. Federal and county offices in Plymouth as well as the local bank will observe a holiday this Friday which is Memorial Day. Federal offices to be closed here are the rent control, con- ; servation service, post office, i ABC Store, Triple-A office, and Farmers Home Administration. At one time, it was thought that the bank would not close since the holiday came so close .to the end of the month, but jpto the relief of its employees, the day will be observed. Stor es in town will not close. Although several resignations have been received in the office of the superintendent of county schools, W. F. Veasey, he reports that so far all replies to re election notices sent to teachers in the Plymouth district have been acceptances with one ex ception, Mrs. H. D. Lassiter, sixth grade acher in the Plymouth white elementary school. Several electricians are expect ed to appear before the county board of education at its meeting here on Monday and submit bids for the wiring installation in the Plymouth High School addition and renovation. Materials for the job have been on hand for sever al weeks but so far little success had been encountered in obtain ing workers for thg the $1: poppy sored by the Plymouth Ameri can Legion Auxiliary. Miss Clark took in a total of $20 dur ing the all-day sale. The f award was made at the fried " chicken supper given the Girl Scouts by Auxiliary members in the Legion Hall on Satur day night. Due to a sharp increase in busi ness and a shortage of helpers in the Elizabeth City Rent Control Office, Mrs. Sabrie Reid, chief clerk in the Washington County office in Plymouth, was called to assist the Elizabeth City unit on Tuesday of this week. The local office has been reopened since Mrs. Reid’s services were required for only one day. Delbert D. Allen, sanitarian for the Washington-Tyrrell Health Department, has been granted a 3-months leave of absence from his duties with the department order to attend the School of •public Health of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mr. Allen will leave for Chapel Hill on June 9. -« Grace Church Purchases New Rectory in Village Vestrymen of Grace Episcopal Church have purchased the home of R. H. Reynolds at 68 Golf Road in Country Club Village to be used as a Rectory for the new minister, the Rev. Edward M. Spruill, who takes up his duties here on Sunday, church officials have announced. The house, they said, will be repainted on the out side and otherwise made ready for occupancy as soon as the Rev. Mr. Spruill and Mrs. Spruill ar rive. Freed on C Setting Fir Sonny Moore, 55 - year - old Plymouth negro charged with arson in the burning of the home of Joe and Minnie Garrett, col ored, in Plymouth last Sunday, was allowed nol pros with leave in county recorder’s court here this week. Inhabitants of the Garrett home stated that Moore had on one or two occasions previously threatened to “burn them out,” and on this basis brought the charge. Court decisions indicated that this was insufficient evidence for finding' probable cause of guilt of arson, conviction on which The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News ★★*★★★ VOLUME LVIII—NUMBER 22 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 29, 1947 ESTABLISHED 1889 Another Cannonball Dug Up Here Recently During the process of excava tion on the site of the Plym outh Furniture Company’s new store building, last week-end, workmen discovered a 35-pound cannonball embedded in the clay near the rear wall of the foundation of a previous build ing on that spot, E. E. Harrell, store official, has reported. Mr. Harrell stated that the ball was badly corroded and not in so good condition as that uncovered by Mrs. C. E. Jones in her back yard last week, but that he hopes to clean it up a bit and put it on display short ly. He added that when work men struck the object with their shovels they thought they had come upon a treasure chest and became quite excited at the prospect. All Auto Drivers To Be Examined 748 Register For Election Total registrations for the special election on the Plym outh City limits extension now stands at 748, according to re ports from Mrs. Hermine Ram sey, registrar, who added that the number of Plymouth regis trations had risen sharply dur ing the latter part of last week. Qualified voters from Coun try Club Village were report ed as being slightly lax while almost the whole of Little Rich wood turned out to register. The books closed on Saturday while next Saturday will be challenge day. Only those who have been registered in the past 2 weeks will be allowed to vote next Tuesday. Railroad Effects Complete Change o S«t Up' Program of Improved Service, Main taining Old Schedule; to Install Diesels A complete change of policy af fecting the passenger train ser vice of the Norfolk Southern Rail road for Washington County and other communities served by the company has been announced fol lowing a re-organization of the board of directors in Norfolk last Thursday. Immediately following the re organization, the new chairman, Patrick B. McGinnis, of New York, announce that the Nor folk Southern would inaugurate a program of improved passenger and express service, forestalling the proposed discontinuance of passenger service between Nor folk and Raleigh which the form er officials had stated would be necessary for the company to con (See RAILROAD, Page 10) Joyce Allen Has Left Leg Broken Joyce Allen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton E. Allen, of Plymouth, suffered a broken left leg shortly after noon on Tues day of this week when she slip ped and fell while standing on the front steps of her home here. Miss Allen was holding her sister’s 6-months-old child in her arms at the time but the infant was, fortunately, unhurt. Treat ment was given to the injured girl at the Plymouth Clinic and she was removed to her home. Reports state that her condition is satisfactory. Charges of e to House charge may bring the death penalty in North Carolina. The Garrett house was totally destroyed by the blaze which oc curred in the early hours of last Sunday morning with damage be ing to the extent that cause of the fire has not yet been de termined. Garrett and his wife and their 7-year-old grandchild were asleep at the time the fire started but escaped injury, although all their possessions were lost. Moore, who is employed by the town sanitation department, was held without bond until Tuesday. Reexaminations for Motor Vehicle Permits to Be Held by Boyce Begin ning July 1 -* In accordance with the law passed by the 1947 General As sembly of North Carolina requir ing the re-issuance of motor ve hicle driver licenses, the follow ing schedule has been made: the period beginning July 1, 1947. and ending on December 31, 1947, is the time for all driver license holders, whose sur-name begin with the letters A or B to apply for new licenses. Persons whose names do not begin with one of the above letters cannot apply for re-issuance of license in this period, James T. Boyce, license examiner for the State Highway Patrol, has announced. The period beginning January 1, 1948 and ending on June 30, 1948, will be the time for all operators whose sur-names begin with either of the letters C or D to apply for re-issuance of licen ses. All motor vehicle drivers whose sur-names begin with a letter other than A. B, C or D will be notified by press releases at the proper time as to when they should appear for the re examination. The operator’s license issued under the 1947 Safety Act shall automatically expire on the birth day of the licensee in the fourth year following the year of is suance, and no license shall be issued to any operator after the expiration of his license until such operator has again passed the required examination. Everyone will get a complete examination. The examination is made up of four parts. These parts are an eye test, highway sign test, driving rules test, road test. Previous practices governing the issuance and use of Learners Permits will not be changed. The only change that will occur with respect to fees charged will be the increase in the cost of an opera tor's license from $1 to $2. City Approved by CAA for Airport -• Plymouth has been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Adminis tration as the site of one of the new muicipal airports being spon sored by the federal government under its $500,000,000 municipal airport appropriation. Local groups who are interest ed in seeing the town secure what has been termed by them “an un deniable advantage” plan to ap proach town and county govern ing boards at the scheduled meet ings of these groups in Plymouth on Monday. Provision in the federal act would provide funds for 25 per cent of the purchase price of a suitable tract of land and 50 per j cent of construction costs of all other necessary facilities exclud ing a hangar which would be built by the field operator and leased. The remainder of the funds would be provided by the town and area serviced. -« Iris White Graduating From ECTC Monday Miss Iris Elaine White, daugh ter of Mrs. M. H. Boyd of Plym outh will be among the 135 stu dents being graduated at Eastern Carolina Teachers College in CIreenville on June 2, it has been announced. Miss White entered ECTC in 1945 after studying at Anderson College in South Caro lina for 2 years. At ECTC, she was prominent in many student organizations, serving this year as president of the Canterbury Club, Episcopal student society. I Iown and County Boards to Meet Here ou Monday Board of Education Has Extra Heavy Schedule; County Commissioners to Draw July Jurymen -♦ County and town governing todies will conduct their regular monthly meetings here next Mon lay, with the County Board of Education having the heaviest Dusiness schedule of the three groups meeting at that time. They will consider the board's oudget and discuss means and methods of financing the con duction of the county school bus garage as well as deciding the date for beginning construc tion of the new colored high school at Creswell. A full esti mate of the coast of the school is expected to be reported by contractors at that time. Other business includes minor adminis trative details. The county commissioners, will draw the jury for the July term of superior court and consider several small matters, while the Plymouth town council will study problems connected with the city improvements program now un derway. The board of education and the county commissioners will meet in the courthouse at 10 a. m. while the town council will confer in the Municipal Building at 8 p. m. Hold Last Rites For Mrs. Barber -♦ Last rites were held from the Piney Grove Baptist Church last Thursday afternoon for Mrs. W. B. Barber, 59, of the Pea Ridge section, who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Paul Gurgan us, in Plymouth on Wednesday of last week, at 6:15 p. m., follow ing an illness of two weeks. Rev. Joe Miller of New Bern, m- | sisted by the Rev. G. C. Bland and the Rev. T. F. Davenport, of ficiated at the funeral services. Interment was made in the Piney Grove Cemetery. Mrs. Barber who is a native of Washington County, was a mem ber of the Scuppernong Christian Church. She was married first to Claude Spruill who died in 1919 and was married again to W. B. Barber, of Roper, in 1921. Survivors include her husband, W. B. Barber; two sons, Gilbert Spruill and Clarence Barber, both of Great Bridge, Va.; four daughters, Mrs. Paul Gurganus, of Plymouth, Mrs. R. B. Cooke, Mrs. Caleb Wilson, and Mrs. A. L. Daughtrey, all of Great Bridge; one brother, Joe Wynn, of Roper; one half-brother, Warren Daven port of Portsmouth, Va.; five sisters. Mrs. Dora Hardison and Mrs. Elsie Norman, both of Plym outh, Mrs. Myrtle Hettrick, of Elizabeth City, Mrs. Sadie Miller, of Great Bridge, and Mrs. Lillian Morris, of Norfolk, Va. * Area Commission To Be Appointed -- Notice has been given by W. M. Darden, clerk of superior court, that three commissioners for the new Scuppernong Drainage Dis trict in Washington County will be appointed by him at the coun ty courthouse on Monday. The notice requested that all persons interested appear there at that time. Mr. Darden stated that the ap aoiniment is being made on peti tion of several landowners in the irainage district. The area which lies between -reswell and the eastern shore of Lake Phelps is composed of some 19,540 acres of land and with nrovisions for a drainage district neing set up there by a measure jassed in the General Assembly neld this spring. Following their appointment, the three-man commission will liscuss source of funds for the making of an engineer’s survey >f the district. -♦ Creswell Legion Given Square Dance on Friday -4 A square and round dance will ie held at the Community Build ng at Lake Phelps on Friday light of this week. The dance is sponsored by the Lake Phelps Post of the American Legion. Music will be provided by a local string band. Proceeds netted will x- for the benefit of the Legion 'ost. .t.s Thresh Permits j Now Available j All operators of peanut pick ers, threshing machines, and combines in Washington Coun ty are required to secure op eration permits before the new threshing season begins, J. Robert Campbell, county regis ter of deeds, has announced. Mr. Campbell stated that prompt action is advisable in obtaining the permits and re cords which are now available in the register of deeds office in the county courthouse in Plymouth. He stated further that no charge is made for the service. County Triple-A Office to Cancel Material Orders -♦ Wire to County Secretary Gives Stop Action on Basis of Threatened AAA Funds Cut Washington County Triple-A officials have received notice to issue no more purchase orders for conservation material and services until further notice and to cancel purchase orders in the hands of farmers on work which has not been begun and on which delivery has not been made, Miss Miriam Ausbon, county AAA sec retary, has announced. Miss Ausbon stated that the order was given on the basis of reports from Washington, D. C., where the Department of Agri culture Appropriation Bill was re ported as reducing AAA funds by almost half. Text of the telegram received by Miss Ausbon is as follows: “Department-of agriculture ap propdttktn bill reported today by hqogM|pr<Kapriati"n > ■ • I n m 111• • I V^ra^^^kom $301,720^000 to $165,614,290. Consolidated ac count for Washington and state office for all appropriations re duced from $12,855,607 to $4,037, 779. For county offices from $23,129,152 to $14,608,620 until further notice issue no purchase orders for conservation material and services. Cancel purchase orders in hands of farmers and vendors on which work has not been started in the case of ser vices and on which delivery has not been made in the case of ma terial and seed. Until further notice suspend 1947 ACP sign-up, suspend substitution of practices on farm plans, and issue no fur ther notice of minimum assistance for farm allowances. Farmers should be notified of these facts immediately. “Signed: G. T. Scott State Di rector Production and Marketing Administration.” Miss Ausbon stated that coun ty farmers should be informed of the cut in 1947 payments and the elimination of the 1948 pro gram. The report of the House Agricultural Committee is up for discussion, she said, and suggest ed that all county farm operators communicate with their Congres sional representative, Herbert Bonner, in regard to their at titude toward the measure. Negro Child Hit By Auto Tuesday -* A small colored girl, about 4 and one-half years old, suffered a severe cut on the right leg and minor head injuries when she ran into the path of the 1939 Chevrolet coach driven by Mrs. Fenerell Waters of Plymouth near the Plymouth Re-capping place an Highway 64 around 7:15 Tues iay evening. The child was taken to the Plymouth Clinic and given treat ment and then carried to her home by Police Officer Foy Davenport. Reports indicate that the little girl is not in a serious condition. Officer Davenport stated that no charges had been preferred. » Girl Scouts Assist in Poppy Sale Saturday Troop No. 1 Plymouth Girl Scouts, was entertained at a banquet on Poppy Day, by the American Legion Auxiliary. The Girl Scouts helped with the sale of Poppies and did every thing they could to make the day a success and the Auxiliary gave the banquet as an expression of its appreciation. More Than 700 Registered For Election Tuesday on Extension of City Limits Firemen Put Out Fire Ati ityOnm|i.)tliTime Plymouth’s city dump-pile caught fire again last Wednes day, much to the disgust of the local fire department who state that they have had to put it out four or five times in the past few months and the mo notony is getting them down. Wednesday’s blaze was a bit worse than usual, Chief Miller Warren stated, since a saw-dust pile had been ignited and the flames were dangerously close to a building. Firemen arrived in time to put out the fire, how ever, so no damage resulted. The dump-pile still continues to smoulder ,the chief said, and will probably always do so since “disintegrating material generates heat and causes spon taneous combustion.” Start Use of New Fire Alarm System June 1 Home Owners Not Noti fied Are Requested to Get in Touch With De partment Chief -♦ Cards giving designated fire zone numbers of individual home owners are being delivered to all residents of Plymouth by mem bers of the city fire department, Fire Chief Miller Warren has an nounced. He added that home owners who do not receive notification of their zone numbers by Sunday should contact him is soon as pos sible in order that the number may be given them. The coopera tion of all residents of the town has been requested in this mat ter. Beginning this Sunday, June 1, all calls to the Plymouth Fire De partment will be given over the new horn alarm system. Warren stated. The alarm system, he said, is considered by safety ex perts to be one of the most ef ficient and fool-proof yet design ed. The chief pointed out that the mechanism is constructed so that it is almost impossible to turn in false alarms. Auxiliary Makes $198 on Poppies -♦ Money taken in by the mem bers of the Plymouth American Legion Auxiliary who conducted the Memorial Day Poppy Sale in Plymouth last Saturday totaled $198.18, according to a statement from Mrs. W. C. Jones, president of the local organization. Mrs. J. B. Carlisle, sales chair man, remarked that the poppy distributors had met with gene rous cooperation from all persons and expressed appreciation on be half of the Auxiliary for all con tributions made toward the poppy fund. Mrs. Carisle stated that the largest donation was made by Mayor A. J. Riddle who gave $20 to the cause. Money taken in from the sale, she said, would be spent for the Auxiliary's child welfare work and for the relief of permanently disabled veterans of both World Wars. The poppies were made by disabled veterans in hospitals i and convalescents’ homes. Church Vacation . School Scheduled: -» The Methodist Church of Plym outh will conduct a one-week vacation church school beginning on Friday of next week, June 9, and concluding on the following Friday, June 13, the Rev. T. R. Jenkins, pastor of the church, has announced. Hours v 11 be from 9:30 a. m. until 11:30 a. m. with each day’s ( schedule being divided into ac tivity, recreational, and worship ' periods, he said. All children be- I tween the ages of 2 and 15 have ■ been invited to attend. I School personnel will be as fol- , lows: Mrs. Harry Garrett, nur- ( sery department: Mrs. Cecil Car ter, kindergarten; Mrs. J. R. ' Johnston, primary: Mrs. E. M. Leavitt, junior section; and Mrs. : Harry Barnhill, intermediate de- i partment. Directors of music for ' the school will be Mrs. T. R. Jenkins and Mrs. Woodrow Col lins. Administration Office Moves Office headquarters of the Washington-Tyrrell district of the Farmers Home Administra tion will be moved Monday from its present location to the space in the county courthouse basement, formerly occupied by the Plymouth branch of the State Employment Service. Wil lis Bowen, Supervisor of the district, has announced. The employment office will be closed out in Washington County on Saturday while the FHA will take over its office space immediately. Hour* far the FHA will remain I a. m. to 5 p. m. Mondays tKfrpiii Fridays. Laying of Sewer Pipe Lines Begun Here on Tuesday -4 Contractors Expect to Complete Water-Sewer Project in Plymouth by Middle of June -4 All water mains in the Red Hill, Wilson Street extension and Stillacres-in-Ply mouth districts have been installed and the water turned on, and considerable pro gress made in the laying of sewer pipes in the Red Hill and Still acres section of Plymouth, ac cording to reports from town of ficials. Around 550 feet of sewer pipe have been laid in the Red Hill section but a slight delay has been encountered since the pre sent ditching machine is not large enough to cut through the hill. Another machine, which is now m its way here, has been ordered aut to work by engineers. Work on sewer lines in Still icres-in-Plymouth w'as begun on ruesday of this week at which ime around 300 feet of pipe was aid, it was stated. By Wednes lay about 800 feet had been laid n that area. The outlet for the stillacres sewer will be run to he Roanoke River since engi leers have reported to the town •ouncil that such a course is the \ >nly one v^hich will give an | idequate drop to the pipe, insur ng proper drainage. Additional leacner Alloted Local School Another teacher, the seventeen h, has been alloted to the white ■lementary school in Plymouth >y the State Board of Education, vhile one colored teacher has >een lost by each of the three ichool districts in Washington bounty, W. F. Veasey, superin endent, has revealed. An increase in the number of itudents in the local grammar Irades has earned the additional eacher, Mr. Veasey said, adding hat a public school music in ;tructor may be engaged al hough the type of teacher to be employed is up to the county aoard of education. Colored schools losing one ;eacher each, he said, are the Morattock School in Plymouth listrict, Macedonia School in the Roper district, and the Cherry school in the Creswell district, -ause of the loss, the supermten ient stated, was a drop in the at :endance in those schools. Teacher allotment for the Rop ;r and Creswell white schools remains the same as in 1946, he pointed out. Notification of the allotment of instructors in the rounty schools was received from Raleigh on Monday, he stated. [f Election Carried, Town Would Include 2 Mill Villages, 2 Factories, and Stillacres All qualified voters in Plym juth, Little Richwood and Coun try Club Villages, and Stillacres who have registered for the special election being held in the :ounty courthouse here next Tuesday will choose at that time whether or not the corporate limits of the Town of Plymouth shall be extended to include the two villages, Stillacres and sever al other small portions of terri tory. Courthouse polls will open at 6:30 a. m. and close at 6:30 p. m. while only those registering for the election will be allowed to vite. No absentee ballots will be permitted. Judges of election are W. L. Hassell and W. R. Manning, sr., Mrs. Hermine Ramsey is registrar. Ballots will have two spaces, one marked “for election” and the other marked “against election.” If the ballot is torn, defaced, or wrongly marked, vot ers are to turn in the damaged ticket and will be given another. Books for the special registra tion were opened by Mrs. Ram sey on May 5 and closed on May 24. A total of 748 qualified vot ers registered in that period. Saturday of this week has been aesignaiea cnanenge uay. If the election is carried, the city limits of Plymouth will ex tend beyond their present bounds on Highway 64, in the west, to Welch Creek and to the Roanoke River, running down the river to a point on the northern corner of the Old Hampton Farm, bend ing southward and continuing to creek back to tbT^nt, an ex tension'which win include two factory plants, Atlas Plywood Corporation and the American Fork and Hoe Company. Town officials who are sponsor ing the election state that the purpose of the proposed extension would be to secure a higher tax value on the town enabling the floating of a bond issue and there by providing funds for a program of city service improvements, such as sewer and water mains, so that new homes, which are actually needed by the town may be built. Election on the bond issue would be held 4 months after the city limits election if it is carried. When the proposition of an ex (See ELECTION, Page 10) Wenona Dwelling Burned Thursday -♦ Fire originating from an ex ploding oil-stove totally destroy ed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar B. Carter at the Carolina Farm in Wenona this morning around 6:15 o’clock. The Plymouth Fire Department was summoned, but the house was almost destroyed when they arrived. The family lost all their possessions with the exception of a new stove which was sitting on their front porch. Several other homes, including the residence of the farm’s manager, were located dangerously near the burning home but flames were prevented from reaching the other dwellings The Carters have three child ren. No one was injured in the fire. Estimate of the damage done was not available.