North Carolina Newspapers

) The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** HI A home newspaper dedicated ill to the service of Washington HI County and its 13,000 people. VOLUME LIX—NUMBER 10 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, March 4, 1948 ESTABLISHED 1889 |BBBatmn;;KB;::mn^B5nnnnnnnnnS!a!n3r:< T’ownll opic§ 1 Miss Eloise Camp, State super visor of school libraries, was here Tuesday to aid the Beta Club in the local high school with the re arrangement and classification of the books in the school’s library. The club undertook the re-ar rangement of the books as their project for the year. According to an estimate made by Police Chief P. W. Brown, around $1,000 was spent by the town in the past few weeks for repairing broken-down sewers which suffered badly from the heavy weather experienced dur ing February. On the Washing ton Street collapses $750 were spent and on the Brinkley Ave nue breaks $250 were laid out. With the ’.eturn of agreeable weather, grading operations on the athletic field in the Stillacres section of Plymouth have been resumed, the workmen reporting for duty on Tuesday of this week, officials in charge of operations have reported. They added that it is hoped to have the field com pleted by this week-end, if the weather continues to be in a good humor, of course. Rayford Elks, seven-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Elks, who suffered a dislocated neck recently is steadily improving in a Norfolk, Va., hospital. At tending physicians say he may be able to return home in sev eral weeks if he continues to improve. Disaster struck the section of Washington Street between Water and Main Streets again on Tues day night only this time it was a water main that collapsed in stead of a sewer. Repair work was begun at once but will not necessitate closing the street to through traffic, P. W. Brown, supervising the work, has report ed. J. S. Fleming, principal of the Plymouth High School and mem ber of the local Rotary Club, has been nominated by the club as the club’s candidate for a Plym outh Man-of-the-Year contest be ing sponsored by the young wo men’s organization of a local church. The meeting of the American Legion post here, scheduled to have been held last Friday, was postponed so that the legionnaires could attend the VFW home tal ent show being presented at the same time. The legionnaires will assemble again on Friday night of next week at 8 o’clock. Select Joyner as Rotary President W. H. Joyner was elected presi dent of the Plymouth Rotary Club in election of club officials for 1948 held at the club’s regular meeting on Tuesday night of this week. Other oficials selected to serve during the forthcoming term are Moye W. Spruill, vice -president, and the Rev. Edward Vm. Spruill, secretary-treasurer. In addition to the three officers, two other club members were named to serve on the organiza tion’s board of directors. They were J. Shepherd Brinkley and J. S. Fleming. All will take of fice on July 1. Rotarians W. R. Hampton and Roy F. Lowry were appointed to represent the Plymouth Rotary organization at the district con ference to be held in Raleigh MarcR 28 through 30. Featured speaker of the evening was Ro tarian Sherwood Roberson of Robersonville, candidate for gov ernor of the one-hundred eighty ninth district of Rotary Interna tional. He spoke on the subject “Rotary International, It’s Mean ing and Ideals.” Other guests in cluded Nun Everett of Roberson ville, and Jerry B. Vaden of Ra leigh. VFW Meeting Is Slated At Courthouse Tonight The Plymouth post of the Vet erans of Foreign Wars will con vene in the courtroom of the county courthouse tonight at 8 1 o’clock, Post Commander W. S. Davenport has announced. He added that all VFW members are being urged to be present at the meeting. $1,500 Allocated By County Board To Spray Program -1 Provide for Further Funds if Needed; Mosquito Control Drive to Begin in April Washington County Commiss ioners, meeting in regular ses sion in the courthouse on Mon day, voted to appropriate a sum of $1,500 to be used to defray the county’s portion of expense in the annual Mosquito Control pro gram, slated to get underway in this section in April, making further provision that if more money is needed to complete the DDT spraying used to combat mosquitoes, the county will pro vide it. Dr. Claudius McGowan, acting health officer for the Washing ton-Tyrrell district, made the re quest for funds, informing the county board that the federal government will provide two trucks, supply them with gas and oil, as well as furnish spray guns and the necessary amounts of DDT. Money given by the coun ty will pay salaries of crewmen operating the two spraying units. Dr. McGowan added that the Town of Plymouth will also be asked to aid in the campaign to destroy the mosquito pest. The county board approved a request by W. E. Allen that a stretch of road leading from High way 99 to the Old Test Farm be scraped, graded, and sanded by the State Highway Commission. Also approved were a petition presented by A. J. Furlough, signed by 53 persons, that a sec (See COUNTY BOARD, Page 12) Vet Talent Show Nets About $100 For Organization -f Cecil Craft, A. J. Ange, George Peele Winners; Event Presented to Ca pacity Audience The home talent show present ed to a capacity audience under the sponsorship of the Plymouth post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars is considered by the local VFW members a complete suc vess, the net intake being esti mated at approximately $100. Attendance at the show was so heavy that about 40 or 50 had to be turned away at the door. The show, which featured a series of variety acts, ranging from vocal solos to tapdancing, was given in the auditorium of the Plymouth High School with 19 persons vying for the $25 first prize, $15 second prize, and $10 third prize. First winner was Cecil Craft of Roper who played a harmonica solo, “Foxchase;” second prize was taken by A. J. Ange of Long Ridge for guitar solos “Smoke That Cigarette,” and “I’m My Own Granpaw;” third place was awarded George Peele of Plymouth for his tenor solo, “My Desire.” Winners were se lected on a basis of the amount of applause earned from the au dience by each contestant. Other contestants in the show were Joyce Marie and William McKeel, vocalists; Eugene Ange, guitarist; Asa Johnson, jr., Roper, cornetist; Tom W. Norman, Roper, tapdancer, Russell Chesson, Rop er, inpersonator and trombonist; Roger Davenport, Creswell, vo calist: Millie Woodley, Creswell, vocalist: Mrs. C. L. Walker, Plym outh, piano soloist: Billie Leary nnd Billie Gaylord, impersona tors; William Edwards and Gord on Sexton, guitar and vocal duetists: Bcttie Jean Jackson, Plymouth, vocalist; and James Buford, Acre Station, accordion ist. Williford Whitley and Miss Eva Woodley acted as accom panists for the vocalists. Next spectacle to be put on in Plymouth under the VFW spon sorship will be a boxing tourney in the school gymnasium on March 15. Equalization Board Will Meet Monday, March 15 The Washington County Board of Commissioners and the county tax supervisor will meet in the commissioners’ room in the county courthouse in Plymouth on Mon day, March 5, as a board of equali zation and review. At that time the board will hear complaints on property tax ations listed in the county and make whatever corrections and adjustments they deem to be justifiable. Persons desiring to make com plaints about their county taxes are urged to see the review board on the day that the board sits as it will be difficult to secure corrections after that time. Since this is an off-year, that is not a year of revaluation of taxable properties in the county, comparatively little business is expected to be brought before the group when it meets. 700 Register Here for Special Election; Interest Low in Other Parts of County According to reports from J. T. McNair, Plymouth precinct registrar in the special registra tion of voters for the coming $50,000 hospital bond election, the number of persons having their names on the books in this pre cinct has reached the 700 mark, almost twice the number having registered one week ago when 429 were recorded. The election will be held on March 26. Other sections of the county have been reported as not doing so well, although the reports are not official. One well-informed resident of the Creswell section said that approximately 40 to 50 persons had registered there by last Saturday, and indications are that the situation is pretty much the same in other precincts of the county. Meanwhile only eight days re main in which voters may regis ter for the election, books being closed after Saturday, March 13. Those voters, old and new, who fail to have their names entered on the books cannot legally vote in the election. It was especially emphasized that those who regis ter and then do not vote actually cast a ballot against the measure since a majority of those register ed is1 needed to pass the bond .issue. 4 Registration books are open from 9 a. m. until 6 p. m. daily except Sundays. Registrars for the five county precincts are Mr. McNair. Plymouth; Wade Hardi son, Lees Mill; H. J. Furbee, Wi nona; Mrs. W. W. White, Skin nersville; J. A. Combs, Scupper nong. Advise Opening All Lake Phelps Canals Jones Says Closed Flood gates Are Source of Periodic Rise of Surface of Waters Donald B. Jones, Washington County soil conservationist, and George N, Renfro, district en gineer with the Soil Conservation Service, investigating the flood ed conditions around Lake Phelps at the request of W. Roy Hamp ton, member of the board of di rectors of the State Department of Conservation and Develop ment, have recommended that all floodgates in canals leading into the lake be opened to fullest ca pacity in order to drain excess water from the area. In this manner the land may be cleared of water so that Spring planting may not be delayed too long by the high water. Jones pointed out that at pres ent, floodgates have been kept closed until a head of water has been built up on the lake some 29 to 38 inches beyond the capa city allowed as safe by bulkheads installed by the State and federal governments. Due to these clos ures, Jones said, water nas been coming out of the northern lake shore and flooding the Newlands section periodically since last summer. Heavy moisture per cipitates in the past month have caused critical conditions in the section, he added. Opening the gates now will cause flooded con ditions in some sectors, the con servationist said, but added that a flood now is better than one later when crops would be in the fields. Only a few inches of rain could cause this, he said. Copies of the recommendation, Jones stated, are being forwarded to T. W. Morse, superintendent of State Parks. The investigation was made last Saturday, the recommendations anounced on Monday. -1 Slate Officer Is Speaker at Club -* North Carolina Secretary of State, Thad Eure, featured speak er at last Thursday’s meeting of the Plymouth Lions Club, in formed the club members that only one out of six North Caro lina voters are taking part in elections held in this State today. Comparing the situation with that of 80 years ago, Mr. Eure said that the mere 750,000 quali fied voters of that day took a much more active part in ballot ings held in the State than do the better than 3,000,000 voters of the present time. Following the regular meeting of the club, which was held in the Plymouth High School lunch room, a meeting of the organiza tion’s board of directors was held at which three new members were accepted in the club. Presi dent C. W. Dinkins presided at both meetings. Dodge Fish Truck1 Is Wrecked Here -♦ Although considerable damage was done the vehicle involved, its driver escaped with only minor cuts when a 1946 one and one half ton Dodge fish truck, driven by Gordon Webster Zipperer, white, age 23, of Norfolk, Va., ran off the road, did a fancy somer sault, landed on its nose and strewed fish all over everything Tuesday at 3 p. m. The truck, which met its accident about three miles from Plymouth on the Washington Road, was owned by G. V. Bradshaw, Old Dominion Fish Company, Norfolk. State Highway Patrolmen R. W. Young and John Sanderson, who witnessed the accident, made in vestigation of the afair. No charges have been brought against the driver. Farm Group to Convene Here The Washington County Farm Bureau will conduct a regular meeting at the Agriculture Building tomorrow, Friday, at 7:30 p. m., W. T. Freeman, president of the organization, has announced. A film on farm safety meas ures will be shown, he said, and arrangments are now underway to secure a speaker for the meeting. J. C. Swain is pro gram chairman for the session. All Bureau members, Presi dent Freeman added, are being urged to attend the meeting. Weekly Half-Day Closing to Start Here Next Mo^th Annual Wednesday Hatf Holidays to Begin in April; Stores to Shut Doors at 1 p. m. All Plymouth business houses, with the exception of filling sta tions, garages, restaurants, and some drug stores, will begin the traditional Wednesday afternoon closing on the first Wednesday in next month, April 7, one month earlier than in 1947, according to plans made at a meeting of the Plymouth Merchants Association on Tuesday. Closing hours will begin at 1 p. m. instead of at 12 noon as has been the custom heretofore. No date was set for the discontinu ance of the mid-week half-holi days, but they are generally ter minated about the time the to bacco markets in this belt begin their annual sales in the latter part of August or early Septem ber. At the same time all county, State and federal agencies in Plymouth will continue their cus tom of taking a half-holiday on Saturdays instead of in the mid dle of the week. No business other than setting the beginning date of the annual Wednesday afternoon holidays was enacted by the merchants of the town at the meeting this week. Woman's Club Bridge to Be Held Tuesday Night -• Holder of tickets to a pay bridge party scheduled to have been held in February, but post poned because of bad weather, are being advised that the party will be given at the Legion Hall next Tuesday beginning at 8 p, m. In addition to bridge, bingo and rummy will also be played by those attending. Veferans Aid Officers Named W. Ronald Gaylord, com mander and service officer of the local American Legion Post, W. H. Dunn and W. L. Tucker, assistant State service officers, have been named Veterans’ Reemployment Rights Commit teemen for Washington Coun ty, Hugh W. Bradley, VRRD field representative, has report ed. Certificates of Appointment are being issued to these com mitteemen and they will aid county veterans in obtaining re employment and seniority rights to which they are en titled under the Selective Ser vice Act. Managers' Board Favors Setting Up 20-Bed Unit Here -♦ Smaller Hospital Plan Would Include Possi bility for Expansion When Necessary Discussing tentative plans for the proposed Washington Countv hospital to be built with State federal aid, the county hospital board of managers, meeting here Monday afternoon, voted that a 20-bed unit with room for ex pansion when needed would more exactly suit the demands of the county at this point and might possibly provide extra money for the maintenance of the institu tion in its early years. The next step, it was pointed out, would be expansion to a 30 bed unit. Frank L. Brinkley and C. E. Ayers, members of the managerial board reported that investigation of construction costs had revealed that a 20-bed unit would be constructed at a cost of $8,000 per bed or a total cost of around $160,000, whereas a Pr* I 2,000 per jUipment essitat The managers were informed that other counties who are put ting in 20-bed units have agree ments with other larger nearby hospitals to care for the more difficult cases until the 20-bed unit is expanded to the point where it can handle them. In discussing the progress of registration for the $50,000 hos pital bond election to be held in the county on March 26, the managers voted to have a meet ing of the board at the court house at 7:30 p. m. on March 17 to examine registration books and to form some organization to get registrants to the polls on elec tion day. The board also received re ports on the inspection of pos sible sites for the proposed hos pital which was made by a group of representatives from the State and federal medical care pro grams last week. It was pointed out that no official approval could be given any site until formal application for State-fed eral aid in building the medical unit is made by the county. -«-1 Funeral Held for Newman H.Dotson Funeral services were con ducted from the Dotson home in Plymouth on Monday at 2 p. m. and from the Richwood Baptist Church in Richwood, W. Va., on Wednesday at 2:30 p. m. for New man H. Dotson, 63, of Plymouth, who died at his home here on Sunday after an illness of only one day. The Rev. Paul B. Nick ens, pastor of Ludford Memorial Baptist Church, officiated at the Plymouth rites and the Rev. M. Powers, pastor of the Richwood Church, was in charge of the services held in West Virginia. Interment was made in the Rich wood Cemetery. Mr. Dotson was the son of the | late William and Rebecca H. Bay Dotson of Summersville, W. Va,, j and was employed as a mill wright at the North Carolina j Pulp Company’s plant here. He I left work at the mill around 5 p. m. last Friday and was found in his automobile the next day about 11 a. m. an apparent vic tim of a paralytic stroke. Ho died on Sunday at 9:40 a. m. Mr. Dotson had been a resident of Plymouth for the past eight years, coming here from Richwood. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Ettie M. Dotson; three sons, James Dotson and Thomas Dot- ] son, both of Plymouth, and Wil liam Dotson of Richwood: one | daughter, Mrs. L. A. Boothe of Akron, Ohio; two stepsons, Ora O. Collins and Ordie L. Collins, tioth of Richwood; and one broth er, W. E. Dotson of Summersville. Jaycee Group Set Up Last Night at Organizing Meet Nyal Womble Elected President; Other Of ficials Named; Wil liamston JC’s Present Plymouth’s newest civic or ganization, the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Plymouth, hold ing its second organizational meeting here last night elected Nyal Womblc as first president of the group. Other officers chosen at the session are Wood row R. Collins, first vice-presi dent: Felton Magee, second vice president; J. J. Segerman. secre tary; and J. W. Allen, treasurer. A sergeant-at-arms and other members of the board of directors will be elected at a later meeting of the organization. A constitu tion and by-laws, modelled on that governing the Williamston club was read and, with pro vision for several minor changes made, adopted by the young busi ness men’s group at last night's session. A membership commit tee, consisting of Thomas Hop kins, J. W. Allen, and Howard Carr, was appointed to contact other young men in Plymouth be tween the ages of 21 and 35 who would be considered good mem bership prospects for the organi zation. Also present at the meeting were 10 members of the William ston Jaycee group, including President Wheeler Manning, and William Harrison of Rocky Mount, national director of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Mr. Harrison, who is also candidate for the of fice of State Jaycee president, ad dressed the 15 members of the new Plymouth group on the ideals and aims of the organiza tion, outlined the machinery and functioning of the Jaycees, and offered his services in helping get the local organization started. Prime aim of the ^arr. , s. he said, is to promote weTia'n? of the town and to raise funds for civic and charitable projects. Presi dent Wheeler Manning of the Williamston group pledged $50 from that organization toward helping with the Plymouth Chart er Night dinner and invited the local Jaycees to be present at the next Williamston meeting to morrow night. Next meeting of the Plymouth organization will be conducted on Wednesday, March 17. A total of 28 persons attended last night’s session. Four Breakdowns In Sewer Mended Four more sewer breakdowns have occurred in Plymouth, these latest pipe breaks being located on Brinkley Avenue near the L. V. Landing and Miller Warren homes. P. W. Brown, local police chief, in charge of repair opera tions, has announced that two of the pipes were mended by Sat urday and the other two fixed up by Wednesday of this week. The Brinkley avenue break downs, he said, were not as seri ous or as extensive as those re cently occurring on Washington Street and required much less time, effort and money to re pair. During the repairing process, a portion of Brinkley Avenue in the blocks where the breaks oc curred, was blocked off to through traffic. The street. Brown said, has now been re opened. Total cost of fixing the Brinkley Avenue pipes, he added, was approximately $2f>0. County ABC Men j Take Five Stillsl -« County law enforcement of ficials, headed by L. L. Basnight, county ABC officer took and de stroyed a total of five illicit whiskey stills in this section last I week, four of them being found jand broken up in one day. The four stills smashed by the | officers were taken last Wednes day two of them, two-barrel | units, being found within one ‘mile of each other near Creswell. Wednesday night, the officers captured a three-barrel business between Creswell and Cherry and found another two-barrel setup in the Backwoods section a little later. On Sunday morning, a fourth two-barrel still was found and smashed by the men close to the Mackeys Road. A total of 1,100 gallons of mash was poured out by the officers. Taking part in the raids were Deputy Sheriff W. D. Peal, W. S. Ainsley, L. C. Snell, and Mr. Basnight. Red Cross Drive Off to Slow Start HERE TUESDAY J Campaign Leaders Hope to Achieve $1,650 Coun ty Quota by End of Drive Next Week -* Nelson Sabin, distinguished American baritone, will appear in a concert at the. Plymouth High School next Tuesday, March S, at 1:45 p. m. The concert is being presented under the auspices of the school’s music department. Council Voles lo Donate $800 Fund For DDT Program -+ Town Board Also Sets Up Ordinance to Make All Shows Remove Adver tising Placards The Plymouth town council voted to allocate a sum of $800 a| its part in helping defray expense in the annual mosquito control program sponsored by the district health department and slated to begin early in April, the measure being passed upon the request of Dr. Claudius McGowan, acting district health officer, at the council’s regular meeting held on Monday night. In making his request. Dr. Mc Gowan pointed out that there are 1,167 homes in Plymouth which will be offered the DDT treat ment. Th^work, he said is done at a cost of about 75 cents per home. The council also pased an or dinance to the effect that all traveling shows exhibiting in Plymouth must post a $50 bond at the time the exhibit permit is granted, to guarantee that they will remove all advertisements posted by them on public proper ty within 24 hours after the show completes its local run. Fail ure to comply would result in forfeiture of the $50. Motion was passed that a water meter be installed at the local laundry and E. D. Keel and George Harrison were appointed a committee to contact laundry officials and settle on a satisfac tory amount of rent to be charg ed them for town property they now occupy. W. H. Joyner acted as clerk to the council in the place of City Clerk W. A. Roebuck who is on sick leave. Mayor A. J. Riddle presided over the meeting. Youth for Christ Rally To Be Held on Saturday — -♦— - Another Youth for Christ Ral ly will be conducted at Phillippi Church of Christ, near Creswell, this Saturday, March 6, at 7:30 p. in., church officials have an nounced. Thome of the meeting will be “Christian Leadership." The Rev. L. D. Thomas, pastor of Zion’s Chapel, Church of Christ, near Roper, will be the principal speaker of the evening. According to reports from J. Shepherd Brinkley, county chair man of the Washington County Red Cross campaign, currently underway, about $250 has been collected so far toward the coun ty’s alloted quota of $1,650. This report, Mr. Brinkley nointed out, is not exact since full reports from community chairmen have not -been made as yet. More definite information on the pro gress of the drive will be avail able this week-end, he said. The drive, which began in ‘.he county on Monday of this week, will end next Wednesday, Mar~h 10, and all county residents are being requested to give to the canvassers as generously as pos sible. One half of the money, or $825, wall remain in Washington County to take care of any emer gency situation which may de mand the attention of the Red Cross in this section, officers in the campaign hove pointed out. The remainder of the money col lected will be sent to the Red Cross national organization to be used in its work of a national and international nature. Although no official report has been heard from E. V. Wilkins and the Rev. A. R. Winborne, county co-chairman of the color ed campaign, it is understood that progress toward achieving the $500 goal alloted the colored drive is coming along satisfac torily. Washington County has been divided into canvass communi ties. urban centers into neighbor hoods, and chairmen have been appointed to supervise collections made in each. The district and Roper PTA Plans To Aid Lunchroom According to measures taken at a meeting of the Roper unit of the Parent-Teacher Association, plans are now being formulated for the sponsorship by the Roper PTA of a program which would further aid the school’s lunch room project. The lunchroom project was undertaken by the organization as its project for the year. A program presented to the at tending PTA members at the meeting consisted of a Peter Rabit drama enacted by the first grade, a Founder’s Day acrostic by the fourth grade, and a talk on "The Community’s Place in a Peaceful World,” by the Rev. Hudnell of Roper. No Students Hurt By Bus Accident ♦ Although all but two of the windows were shattered, none of the 32 school children were in jured when Washington County School Bus, No. 4, operating out of Creswell, ran off the road and turned over in a ditch on the Scuppernong Road Tuesday around 3:30 p. m., county school officials have reported. Investigation of the accident re vealed, they said, that muddy conditions of the road was the direct cause of the upset. Name of the boy driving the vehicle could not be learned, but it is understood that he was substi tuting for the regular driver who was ill. Patrolman Leonard N. Walters of Columbia investigated the ac cident. The bus was taken to the county garage in Plymouth for repairs. Schools Will Have Class Schedules on Saturdays Since the schools in Washing ton County were closed for eight full school days due to adverse weather conditions in February, the county board of education, meeting in regular session in Plymouth on Monday, has ruled that five Saturday schools days will be held by the county’s edu cation system in order to prevent a delayal of the schools’ May 31 closing date. The schools will convene on Saturday at the regular hours and will dismiss classes around 1 p. m. Saturdays on which class es will be held, according to plans made by the board, are as fol lows: March 6 and 20; April 3, 110, and 24. It was pointed out that the step, a necessary one. is not as stringent as Saturday class rul ings adopted by some counties in the State where school were clos ,:d as long as 16 days and more and where the number of Satur day school days will be corres Jpondingly higher. The board of education also au thorized Roy F. Lowry, county superintendent of schools, to em ploy a man to do maintenance and repair work in and around the schools during the summer mon ths.