Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / May 5, 1949, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
•SniHn-nnnnHinnnninnnnnni!^^ jjpnnn-nn-ni-r T'OWIlI opic§ | James Boyce, local driver's license examiner, says that per sons with last names beginning with H. I. J or K have only two more months to renew their licenses before the June 30th ^deadline. In the four months ▼ that have passed with this series of letters in effect, not nearly enough Washington County citi zens had applied for license re newals. There are many coun ty persons in this bracket and he urges application now, to avoid the congestion of the probable last minute rush. The regular meeting of the Plymouth Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star will be held in the Masonic Hall here Friday night at 8 o'clock. Members are urged to attend. Mrs. Naomi W. Peele is worthy matron of the chapter. Plymouth High School officials I yesterday called off the school dance scheduled next Monday night in the gymnasium to help finance band uniforms. School officials stated that the two band trips scheduled next week are enough butside activities for one week. Julius J. Segerman, manager of the Leder Brothers Department Store in Plymouth, left last Sat urday for Augusta, Ga., where he ^tended an advance fall showing *f Southeastern Shoe Travelers, Ii.s., an organization of some 400 . shoe manufacturers and distribu tors. Mr. Segerman was expect ed back yesterday. PTA Gets $50 At Bridge Games An evening of bridge games sponsored by the Plymouth Par ent-Teacher Association in the high school lunch room last Thursday night netted the as sociation over $50 for the com pletion of sidewalks on the school grounds. Players at 20 tables competed for prizes. The lunch room was arranged and decorated with spring flowers. Tallies and score pads with umbrellas and flow ers pictured on them were made by Miss Nellie Tarkington's fifth |^;rade class. Refreshments were served after the awarding of prizes. H. W. Spruill, 58, Dies at Creswell Haywood Warren Spruill, 58, of Creswell Route One, husband of Ella Estelle Ainsley Spruill, died of a heart attack Monday at 5 p. m. at home. Mr. Spruill was a prominent member of the Missionary Bap tist Church of Creswell, as he was senior deacon, treasurer and superintendent of the Sunday School. He was a farmer by oc cupation. Funeral ser-ices were held yesterday from the church at 4 p. m. In ter,.lent was in the St. David’s Cemetery. The services were conducted by his pastor, the Rev. J. L. Stevens, assisted by the Rev. R. E. Wall, of Elizabeth City. Mr. Spruill was the son of the late David and Arcenith Frances Riverton Spruill, of Washington Rounty. He was born in the county and lived here all his life. Besides his wife, he is survived by four daughters, Dorothy and Betty Jean Spruill, of Creswell, Mrs. Kathrine Gardner, of New port News, Va„ and Majorie i Spruill, of Norfolk, Va.; two sons, Darrell and Haywood Spruill, jr., i of Crtswell; three ’sisters, Mrs. D. i and Haywood Spruill, jr., of < Creswell; three sisters, Mrs. D. 1 Tellia Craddock, Mrs. H. H. < Phelps and Mrs. S. D. Phelps, all 1 of Creswell; and three brothers, 1 Samuel D. Spruill, of Creswell; 1 H. Cicero Spruill, of Roper and ■ Ernest R. Spruill, of Edenton. The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** A home newspaper dedicated III to the service of Washington i’ll County and its 13.000 people. VOLUME LX—NUMBER 18 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 5, 1949 ESTABLISHED 1889 iltoper Voters Choose [Complete New Hoard T. Reynold Spruill was reelect ed mayor, without opposition, and a complete new slate of town commissioners were chosen at the bi-ennial municipal election in Roper Tuesday. Jasper R. Swain, W. Barton Swain and Wade S. Hardison comprise the new town board of commissioners, defeat ing an opposing slate composed of Henry S. Everett, Aubrey Dix on. jr., and Dan I. Marrow. The vote was as follows: For mayor: T. Reynold Spruill, 49; for commissioners: Jasper R. Swain, 45; W. Barton Swain, 40; Wade S. Hardison, 38; Flenry S. Everett, 31; Aubrey Dixon, jr., 31; and Dan I. Marrow, 18. Total vote in the election was 69. Henry S. Everett was the only member of the old board to run for re election. Very little interest was shown in the election until the final day for filing, last Thursday. Up to that time only two men had an nounced for the three positions on the board of commissioners, but last-minute filings brought the number up to six, and there was considerable politicking during the time remaining. It is under stood that the principal issue cen tered around banning sale of beer inside the city limits, and it is reported that the anti-beer group won out in the balloting Tues day. Arrangements Made For Special Election In County on June 4 ♦ | Farm Bureau to | Meet Tomorrow The regular meeting of the Washington County Farm Bu reau will be held at the agri culture building in Plymouth Friday night of this week at 7:30 o’clock, according to an nouncement yesterday by W. M. Darden, president of the or ganization. Jim Conner, of Aberdeen, widely known throughout the slate for his work in entomo logy, will be the principal speaker. His talk will deal with farm insects and their con trol, one of the main problems facing county farmers this year as a result of the mild winter. Mr. Darden says this should be M|S m«st interesting and helpful discussion, and he urges all members to attend and bring their neighbors. Postmaster Urges Improvements To Rural Mail Boxes Safety and Convenience Stressed in Observance Of “Rural Mail Box Im provement Week” In connection with “National Rural .Mail Box Improvement Week,” Plymouth Postmaster J. C. Swain, Monday, issued an ap peal to all rural patrons of the local office to join in the move ment for better and more attrac tive mail boxes. At the present time Zeno G. Lyon, carrier on the only rural route from the local office, travels 66.97 miles daily on his route, serving 390 boxes and 2,950 pa trons. Improperly placed boxes tend to slow down the service and constitute an unnecessary burden on the carrier. The local ropte is the longest in the county and serves by far the most people. On main highways it is recom mended that boxes be placed on the right side of the road the carrier travels, but on little-used roads the boxes may be placed on the left, although they should be conveniently installed in either case. Carriers will be glad to advise and help patrons place the boxes at.the most convenient locations and also to help main (See MAIL BOXES, Page 7) County Club Women Put on Flower Show Washington County Home Dem onstration Club members observ ed National Home Demonstration Week'" here Tuesday by holding an annual flower show in the agriculture building. Mrs. A. R. Latham, of the Chapel Hill Club won the first prize for having the best single speciman of a flower. Mrs. Ida Davis, of the Cherry Club placed second. Mrs. Otis Chesson, of the Swain Club, won the prize for the best arrangement of flowers. Mrs. Edison Davenport gave a history of county home demon stration work since its beginning in 1917. Ten of the original members of the organization were honored. They were: Mrs. Ren nie Alexander, of the Creswell Club, oldest member at the age of 89; Mrs. Will Swain, of the Pleasant Grove Club; Mrs. A. M. Chesson and Mrs. Eloise Still man, of the Piney Grove Club; Mrs. W. A. Mizelle and Mrs. R. C. Jackson, of the Hoke Club; Mrs. R. E. Davenport, of the Cherry Club; Mrs. Mattie Swain, of the Swain Club; Mrs. Prank Wilson, of the Roper Club and Mrs. Julie Singleton, of the Beech Grove Club. W. L. Whitley, local attorney, spoke to club members about citizenship. Songs and tea com pleted the program in the agri culture building. Club members then visited the local gardens of Mrs. Addie Brinkley, Mrs. Louise McGowan, Clarence Blount and Shep Brinkley. Called by Governor Scott To Pass on Issuance of Bonds for Schools and Roads of State -» Arrangements for the special election, to be held on Saturday, June 4th, to pass on issuance of state bonds for construction of roads and schools, were complet ed at a special meeting of the Washington County Board of Elections held here Monday night. Registrars, poll holders and judges of elections were appoint ed, polling places designated, and the registration period designat ed by the board, composed of M. W. Spruill, of Plymouth, chair man; L. S. Bray, of Roper; and J. R. Carr, of Plymouth, The special election has been called by Governor Kerr Scott to determine two propositions. One is issuance by the state of $25,OGp,000 for construction of school buildings in various coun ties of the state. The other is the proposal to issue $200,000,000 worth of state bonds for paving and repairing secondary roads in the state. Governor Scott spon sored both proposals, which were submitted to the people by action of the recent General Assembly. Registration books for the special election will open Satur day of this week, May 7, and re mam open through Saturday Hay 23, with registrars required to have the registration books at the various polling places on all Sat urdays during that period. This is not a special or new registra tion, and all persons who are now registered on the general election registration books will not have to register again. However, those who have come of age since the last election, or who have changed their residence since then, will be required to register ' to be eligible to vote in the special election. Those who are not . certain whether they are proper- ' Iy registered are advised to check 1 with their precinct registrars. Precinct voting places and of- ' ficials were appointed Monday by the county board as follows: Plymouth No. 1: Polling place ■ at Washington County Court house; C. L. Blount, registrar; J. R. Manning, jr„ and L. E. Doxey, judges of election; H. C. Jackson 1 (See BOND ELECTION, Page 7) 1 All Beer Licenses < Expired April 30! -*- i All county and town beer li- i censes expired April 30, and 1 places which sell the beverage c are warned to apply for renewal r immediately. In addition to hav- t ing licenses renewed, applicants t must also secure a permit from I the State ABC Board by June 30, \ or the licenses are voided. o Applications for county licenses should be made to E. J. Spruill, s county auditor and tax collector, i) while Chief of Police P. W. Brown 1 can issue Town of Plymouth li- t censes. a Commissioners of County Discuss Numerous Topics -»— ... Endorse Idea of School Building Construction and Secondary Road Improvement A number of topics were talk ed about and approved in the regular monthly meeting of mem bers of the board of county com missioners in the courthouse Mon day. Mrs. Roy Hopkins, Mrs. Mat thew P. Swain, Mrs. Ruth K. Nor man and Miss Gracelyn Reid were appointed as tax compilers for the county this year. Board members endorsed the proposed bond issues for the con struction of school buildings and improvements of secondary roads, the election of which was provid ed by the last General Assembly. The commissioners approved the old-age assistance budget pre sented by Mrs. Ursula Spruill, county superintendent of wel fare. The county’s part is $7,500 and the state and federal govern ment's part bring it up to $60,000. A contract was signed with Frank E. Greathouse and Com pany of Rocky Mount to audit county books for the fiscal year 1949-50. The price covering this work was fixed at $500. Members of the board approved the sale of $50,000 worth of public hospital bonds at the following rates of interest: $2,000 worth of bonds maturing February 1, 1951, to 1953, and $5,000 worth of bonds on February 1, 1954, 2% per cent per annum: $2,000 on February 1, 1955 to 1959, and $4,000 on Feb ruary 1, 1960. 6 per cent per an num; $5,000 on February 1. 1961 to 1965, 114 per cent per annum. A beer license was approved for the Honey Dripper Club. E. J. Spruill, tax collector, reported $10,525.72 received during the month. Mrs. Frances M. Darden, county home agent, and W. V. Hays, county farm agent, tendered their respective reports for the month of April. Begin DDT Spray Near Roper Next Delbert Allen, sanitation of ficer, of the Washington-Tyrrell District Health Department, ex pects to complete DDT spraying operations in the town limits of Plymouth this week and begin in the rural area surrounding Roper about Monday. In Plymouth last week, 121 houses were sprayed, 33 refused to have houses sprayed, one was found vacant, and 24 houses were locked. For the three weeks that the health department has been spraying DDT in Plymouth, 376 houses have been sprayed, 86 re fused spraying, 2 were vacant, and 79 houses were found locked. Thus far in the county, 690 houses have been sprayed with DDT, 152 persons refused to have their houses sprayed, 4 were found vacant, and 106 were lock sd. » Banks Gel Three Holidays in May Way is the jack-pot month for aank holidays, three of them com ng at 10-day intervals. The first s May 10, observed as Confed erate Memorial or Decoration Jay in North Carolina. Then, on Way 20, the banks will be closed n observance of Mecklenburg ndependence Day, commemorat ng the promulgation of the Meck enburg Declaration of Indepen lence in 1775, which preceded the lational declaration by more than wo months. The final holiday in he month comes on May 30th, Jational Memorial Day, which fill also be observed by federal ffices throughout the county. Business in general does not uspend for any of these holidays a this section. However, most acal establishments, including the ank, are taking Wednesday fternoons off. Six Stills Raided By Local Officers During Past Week -f AF1 Equipment Seized and About 2,000 Gallons of |flash Poured Out; Get 8 Gallons Liquor --- "Hie illicit whiskey business in Washington County has been dealt a steries of severe blows during the} past week or so by county and! local officers. Six complete distilling outfits have been cap turad and nearly 2,000 gallons of mash or “beer” have been poured out, but not a single operator was caught, although one crowd bare ly escaped due to a warning signal being fired 'as the officers started the raid. Deputies L. L. Bas»ight and L. C. Snell were “in”; on all six raids, but had the assistance of local policeman and federal men in several of them. THe first raid occurred Mon day iof last week, when Officer Snell and Basnight seized a 200 galldn copper still and outfit back of the “Sand Hill’ on the Waters property near the country club here, The entire outfit was cap turecf and about 150 gallons of mash destroyed. Raid No. 2 took place in Plym outh Township Wednesday of last week, when the same officers seized a steel-drum boiler and out fit on the Dismal road back of Roland Spruill’s farm. About 300 gallons of mash were poured out and the remainder of the outfit seized. Officers Basnight and Snell continued their activities last Thursday, again in Plymouth Township, getting another steel drum rig back of the Henry Gay lord field near the creek. About 300 gallons of mash were poured out, the cap and worm, buckets, jugs, cans and other miscellaneous equipment being brought in. (See^S~STnXSr~Page^l2) TwoTripsPlanned For Local Band Preparations are about com- : plete for the Plymouth High '■ School Band to take its second and third trips out-of-town next week. The band made its first : out-of-town appearance at Pante- : go High School homecoming day several months ago. 1 Wednesday morning at 10:30 ; o’clock members of the 67-piece ! band will leave Plymouth aboard two busses for Tarboro, where ' they will participate in a Hospi- : tality Day parade with 14 other : bands. The local high school band will be the youngest or- 1 ganization in the parade, as it has 1 only been re-organized for eight 1 months. Tarboro officials are 1 furnishing the two busses for the ’ transportation ot the band. Next Friday, the band will go to Elizabeth City to take part in the city’s Invitational Musical Festival. ■ ■ ♦ Norman lo Build Store for A & P -1 James W. Norman announced this week that plans and specifi cations had been prepared for a new store building on East Water Street and that bids for its con struction would be received and the contract let on Thursday, May 12. Mr. Norman is building the store for the Great Atlantic ; & Pacific Tea Company, which plans to put in modern super market at the location. ! Plans call for a 40 by 110 foot : one-story brick building with a : plate-glass front. It will be lo cated on Mr. Norman’s lot, ad- 1 joining the Coca-Cola Battling ' Works. Mr. Norman said that construe- 1 tion would be started just as soon as possible, and the specifications ' call for completion of the build ing by August 31st this year. It ! is expected that the Belk-Tyler ; Company building in the same j block will be completed and ready for occupancy about the same 1 time. 1 Local Voters Choose Four New Members of Council | Organization Set ( p | By Hoard Education J. W. Norman, of Plymouth; L. E. Hassell, of Roper; and P. B. Belanga, of Creswell, were sworn in as members of the Washington County Board of Education for a term of four more years Monday by W. W. Darden, clerk of courts. Mr. Hassell was re-elected chairman of the board. Members of the board re-elected R. F. Lowry, superintendent of Wash ington County Schools for a term of two years. All the members of the present school committees in the county were re-elected. They are: Plym outh: A. L. Owens, chairman; R. J. Frymeir and C. W. Dinkins: Roper: W. B. Davenport, chair man; F. C. Tarkenton, and A. R. Phelps: Creswell: H. R. Stillman, H. P. Barnes and Harold Patrick. Members of the board accept ed the House Chevrolet Company bid of $945 for the 1946 Chevrolet Sedan that was for sale in the county garage. Observance Planned Of Sesqui-Centennial Here Early Next Fall Jaycees Contract With Rogers Producing Com pany for County-Wide Celebration Members of the Plymouth Jun ior Chamber of Commerce voted in their meeting last Friday night to sponsor in September or Oc tober a Washington County Ses qui-cenlennial Celebration, that is the 150th anniversary of the founding of this county in 1799. The proposal for the celebra tion was submitted by C. W. Fessenden, of the John B. Rogers Producing Company, of Fostoria, Ohio, producers, managers and di rectors of more than 1,500 na tional, state and civic celebra tions. The local Jaycees plan to form a corporation, under the laws of North Carolina, without capital and for charity. This will re lieve all individuals and organi zations of any finiancial respon sibility. The producing company is confident enough of their plans and methods that they have signed contracts with such cor porations before. Tentative plans call for the celebration to begin on a Sunday and end on a Thursday night. The program will begin Sunday even ing with a united inter-denomina tional church service on a 200 foot stage in the baseball park in Plymouth. Monday, Tuesday or Wednes da will be designated Dignitary Day, Farmer’s Day, Homecoming Day, Youth Day, Fraternal Day, Industrial Day, or National Ad vertising Day, or include special (See JAYCEES, Page 12) — ♦ Quota Is Raised In Cancer Drive “Saving the best for last,” Washington County cancer dona tions "poured in” over the week end, according to Mrs. W. J. Woolard, county commander, put ting the county over the top of its $800 quota by totaling $842. Just three days before the cam paign closed on Saturday, only $335 had been collected. This was the county’s first or ganized cancer fund drive under the American Cancer Society. Of the $842 collected, Plymouth ionated $574; Creswell $127; Roper over $100 and Wenona $5. Mrs. Woolard wishes to express ler appreciation for the work ione by all the canvassers and especially the persons who con ;ributed to put the county over ts goal. Members of the Creswell wo men's club, who canvassed that vicinity and were not mentioned n previous articles were Mrs. Hal Furr, Mrs. Douglas Starr, Mrs. Leroy Stillman, Mrs. C. N. Davenport, jr„ Mrs. O. D. Hat ield, Mrs. Troy Snell and Mrs. 3. S. Woodley. Many Get Write-in Votes for Mayor Tuesday —i— ♦ ——*— —*— Mayor A. J. Riddle was not supposed to have any opposi tion in the town election Tues day, but before all the returns were tabulated in the three wards, it began to look as if about half the town had entered against him. The names of three extra-curricular candi dates were written in on ballots in the first ward, three more in the second ward, and a grand total of ten in the third ward. Ralph S. Browning, local merchant, led all the “unoffi cial” candidates, gathering two votes in the first ward and four each in the second and third for atotal of 10. Nyal Womblo,drug gist, picked up one vote’in the second and three in the third to run second with four. M. J. Jack, John Brown and J. A. Holbrook were each given two votes in the third ward for a third-place tie. B. G. Camp bell, former mayor, and W. H. Booker, local question-mark, received one vote apiece in the first ward; Willie Dail received one vote in the second ward; and Bill Arran ts, E. L. McNair, David Jones, Eugene Jones, and C. B. Holliday received one each in the third ward. Mayor Riddle accused Jack Booker of voting for himself, but the latter pointed out that his lone vote was cast in the first ward, home of the mayor, while Booker lives in the second ward. He blames someone with a perverted sense of humor, possibly the mayor himself, for the more or less honorable mention. Typhoid Clinics Planned In June Plans are underway at the Washington-Tyrrell District Health Department to hold clinics for typhoid vaccinations sometime in June for all per sons in the county. A schedule of dates will be released later, according to Miss Elizabeth Wood, district health nurse. All county children of pre school age, who missed attend ing the pre-school clinics in April, can get vaccinations for the pievention of diphtheria, small pox and whooping cough, when they appear for their ty phoid vaccination. Minstrel Show Is Planned by Lions Here Last of May To Be Presented 30th and 31st for Benefit of Rec reational Fund; First Rehearsal Next Week A committee of the Plymouth Lions Club is making prepara tions to stage an all-made min strel show, except the director, on Monday and Tuesday nights. May 30 and 31 for the benefit of the club’s recreation fund, which is a fund to help the recreational activities of Plymouth young peo ple. E. M. Leavitt is chairman of the minstrel committee and his as sociates are L. J. Darby, Vance Norman, James Norman, Wesley Marrow and Juluis Segerman. Mrs. W. J. Weaver has been chosen as the director of the show. Members of the minstrel committee are "putting their best foot forward” in rounding up top talent for the show which will include old-time minstrel music, jokes, skits, dancing, group sing ing and solos. According to Mr. Leavitt, the members of the cast will be well costumed. The time and place the min strel will be presented hasn’t been determined yet, but an announce ment of these details is expected next week. Casting is well underway and the first rehearsal has been sched uled immediately after the Lions Club meeting next Thursday. Mayor Riddle. Council men Keel and Joyner, Of First Ward, Are Re elected Mayor A. J. Riddle and two councilmen from the first ward were reelected and four new councilmen were elected from the other two wards in the municipal election Tuesday. E, D. Keel and W. H. Joyner, present members, were reelected from the first ward; Robert E. Bowen and H. H. Allen received bare pluralities in the second ward; and J. A. Hol brook and Max Willette had ma jorities in the third ward. Size of the vote was disappoint ing, although larger than in any previous town election. A total of 677 votes were cast in the three wards; the second ward leading with nearly half of them, or 324. out of a total registration of 554. In the first ward, the total vote was 188 against a regis tration of 390: and in the third ward, 165 voted out of a registra tion of 264. In the town as a whole 1.208 persons registered during the past month, but only a little more than half of them bothered to vote. The closest race was in the second ward, which had seven candidates for two places on the council. The top vote was divid ed almost equally'between three candidates, Robert E. Bowen lead ing with 133; H. H. Allen was second with 125; and George W. Harrison, incumbent, lost out by only four votes, polling 121. Other second ward candidates received the following vote: Wesley W. Hardison, 89; G. Raymond Leg gett, 67; Henry T. Hardison, 49; and John E. West, 27. The vote in the first ward was as follows: E. Durand Keel. 170; W. H. Joyner, 136; and E. Lud ford McNair, 53. * The third ward vote tallied lik^ tbit. J. Arden Holbrook, 135: Max Willette, 102; and Woodrow R. Collins, 63. Mayor Riddle, who had no op position, polled a total of 491 votes in the three wards. He re ceived 162 in the first ward, 218 in the second and 11 in the third. A great many people did not trouble to mark the ticket for mayor, while 28 others wrote in the names of 13 different persons, who received from 1 to 10 votes each. R. S. Browning, Wilson (See TOWN~VOTETPage~12p ♦ W. L. Phelps Buys Alexander Agency William L. Phelps last month purchased the general insurance business formerly operated here by the late A. L. Alexander and began operations Monday under the firm name of the W. L. Phelps Insurance Agency. He is occupying the old Alexander of fice building at 124 Washington Street. Mr. Phelps, who has been in the air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration business in Norfolk for a number of years, is not a stranger in Plymouth. Son of the late John L. Phelps, and brother to Dr. J. M. Phelps, of Creswell, he was born here and is well known throughout the county as “Bill.” The Jefferson Standard Life In surance Company, of Greensboro, this week announced Mr. Phelps’ appointment as their representa tive in this section. He also will conduct a general agency, repre senting a number of old-line companies in all phases of in surance. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps have an apartment in the Layton Owens home. Higher Phone Rates Granted This Week Telephone rates in Plymouth, and other towns in this section served by the Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Company, of Tar boro, are on their way up, as the result of an increase granted Tuesday by the State Utilities Commission. This is the second time in five months that the Carolina company has been grant ed rate increases by the commis sion, Last November 30th an order was signed providing for raising the rates on rural tele phones of the company. The rate increases are to take effect immediately. The new schedule of monthly charges al lowed for telephones in Plymouth is as follows: One-party business telephones, $5; two-party busi ness, $4.25: four-party business, $3.50; one party residential. $3.25; two-party residential, $2.50; and four-party residential, $2. Xhe rates for telephones in the Creswell area are somewhat cheaper, since they are considered a part of the Columbia exchange. There the new rate is as follows: One-party business, $4.25: two party business, $3.50; one-party residential, $2.75; and two-party residential, $2. In its order the commission stated that the Carolina company “has shown a definite need for additional gross revenue, but not in the aggregate amount request ed. The increase granted is roughly two-thirds of the amount asked for by the Carolina.
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 5, 1949, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75