I’own f
opic§ I
The Plymouth Lions Club meet
.. ing scheduled for tonight has
been called off, Vice President L.
N. Womble announced this morn
ing. Quite a number of club mem
bers are on vacation, and the lo
cal baseball team has a double
f3) header scheduled in the local park
tonight, so club officials got to
gether late yesterday and decided
not to attempt the meeting to
night.
Walter F. Williams, Washing
ton County Sesqui-Centennial
Celebration spectacle director
promotion manager, from the
John B. Rodgers Producing Com
pany, of Fostoria, O.. producers
of the spectacle and originators
of celebration idea, has taken up
his duties in the celebration head
quarters in the Leggett Building.
F. R. Hartley, of New Bern, is
managing the local A. and P.
Tea Co. Store while Howard Carr
is taking a three-weeks vacation.
Mr. Hartley is known in his com
pany as a “relief man,'” substi
tuting for regular managers who
are on vacation. He has four more
stores to manage, before he re
turns to New Bern.
It was announced last Fri
day that the September meet
ing of the Washington County
Board of Commissioners will
be postponed for one weeit,
from September 5 to Septem
ber 12. on account of the Labor
Day holiday on the first Mon
day. All meetings of the county
board are scheduled to begin
at 10:30 a. m., in the commis
sioners' room at the courthouse.
Roy F. Lowry, superintendent
of county sechools, left yesterday
morning for Mars Hill College,
Mars Hill to attend a three-day
meeting of county school super
intendents. He expects to return
to Plymouth Friday evening.
_ #
- Nearly a dozen members of the
Plymouth local unions attended
sessions of the North Carolina
Federation of Labor, which held
it? annua! convention in Charlotte
on August 8, 9 and 10. Among
those attending were Lewis E.
Price, representative of the In
ternational Brotherhood of Pulp.
Sulphite & Paper Mill Workers:
Max Willette, Ludford McNair,
G. W. Ange and Nathan W. Spru
ill. cf Local No. 356, IBPS&PMW;
^ouglas Gurkin, Newman * Allen
and George Waters, of Local No.
415. International Union of Oper
ating Engineers; Alton Baker and
Dan McCray, of Local No. 605,
. IBPS&PMW.
G. W. Hardison and G. A.
Peele are the new agents in
Plymouth for the Home Security
Life Insurance Company, A. W.
Liverman, district manager, an
nounced last week. Phil G. Liver
man, who formerly represented
the company in Plymouth, was
transferred to Beaufort several
w/eks ago.
Mrs. Sabrie W. Reid, assistant
state supervisor of public school
lunch room workers in area 7,
expects to return to Plymouth
Friday afternoon, after spending
five days in Elizabeth City in
structing classes in the colored
school lunch room workshop held
at Elizabeth City State Teachers
College.
Plymouth Fire Chief Miller
Warren and Mrs. Warren, fire
men Durant Keel and Mrs. Keel,
Earl Bowen and Mrs. Bowen and
Aarry Barnhill plan to return
Plymouth this afternoon after
attending the annual state fire
men’s convention at Carolina
Beach, which began last Monday.
---
Celebration Headquarters
To Be in Leggett Building
Washington County Sesqui
Centennial Celebration headquar
ters is upstairs above O. R. Leg
gett’s Sons Jewelry Store in the
lobby between Weaver’s Studios
and the Ward-Ashby Insurance
Agency office on East Water
Street in Plymouth.
Plymouth Colerainin
Double-Header Here
^Plymouth will have its first
double-header of the current sea
son tonight, when the Colerain
Trappfcrs play two games with
the-'Rams in the local park, the
iirst game, a seven-inning affair,
| to start at 6:30. The second game
will be for the regulation nine
innings, weather permitting. Fri
day night, Hertford plays here,
and Saturday night the Rams go
to Hertford.
Rain has just about wrecked
the league schedule, which was
carded to end Saturday night of
this week. At a directors’ meet
ing several weeks ago, it was de
cided to add four days to the sea
son to take care of July 13, 14, 15
and 16 games, all of which were
rained out. This means that Plym
outh will play in Colerain Sun
day afternoon, and the Trappers
will come here Monday night.
Tuesday night the Rams go to
Hertford, and the season will
close with Hertford here Wed
nesday night of next week.
It is not known when the Rams
will play off Monday’s rained-out
game with Elizabeth City. How
ard B. Gaylord, league president,
said yesterday that a meeting of
the league directors would be
held the first of the week to de
cide on any unplayed games. As
things now stand, the post-sea
son series is scheduled to begin
Thursday of next week, with the
team which finishes first in the
league drawing from the No. 3
and 4 teams. The No. 2 team will
meet the No. 3 or 4 team which
doesn’t meet the league leader.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
ill
A home newspaper dedicated Hi
ip to the service of Washington jij
Hi County and its 13,000 people, jij
:::::::::::::
VOLUME LX—NUMBER 33
Plymouth, Washington County, North Caiolina, Thursday, August 18, 1949
ESTABLISHED 1889
| BACK-SLIDING BUSH-GROWER LITERALLY OVER A BARREL :
I --------*
if f
That old expression “over a barrel” has literal meaning to L. Nyal Womble, local druggist,
who shaved off his chin whiskers a week or s> ago and is shown here getting his just deserts.
The avenging bush growers applying the shaving lotion are, left to right. Dick Mallory, Tom
Gardner (who, incidentally, is due the same medicine for shaving since this photo was made),
Nick Ange, Perry Turner and John Forbes Davenport. Other non-patriotic males in Washington
County can expect the same medicine as soon as the kangaroo court gets into action within the
next few days. It’s all part of the attendant publicity for the Washington County Sesqui-Centen
nial Celebration to be held here September 18-52.—Photo by Weaver Studio.
Highway Needs
In County Topic
At Meeting Here
; Electric Storm j
) Blows High Line i
A severe wind and electrical
storm hit parts of Northeastern
North Carolina Monday after
noon, doing considerable dam
age to electric power lines.
Lightning blew out everything
at the 110,000-volt sub-station
in Tarboro, causing power to be
off in all towns in the section
for nearly an hour. Service was
restored, after the plant was re
fused shortly after 6 p. m.
W. H. Joyner received a slight
shock from a lightning bolt
shortly after noon, just as he
was entering his office on Wa
ter Street. The shock caused
his arm to draw up for a few
minutes, but he was not hurt
nearly as badly as he was
scared.
Leder Bros. Open
Williamslon Store
-1
Leder Brothers are opening a
new department store in William
ston Thursday night of this week.
William S. McCombs, formerly
assistant manager of the Plym
outh store, is manager of the new
store in Williamston, which is lo
cated on Main Street next to
Darden’s Department Store.
J. J. Segerman, manager of
the local store, has been in charge
of arrangements for opening the
new unit in the Leder Brothers’
system, and a number of local
people are planning to attend the
formal opening of the store in
Williamston tonight.
Members of County Board
Confer With District
Commissioner and En
gineers Last Friday
Members of the Washington
County Board of Commissioners
and district and division high
way officials met at the court
house here last Friday afternoon
for a preliminary discussion of
the county's road needs and pro
spects under the secondary road
building program to be launched
by the state as a result of ratifi
cation of the $200,000,000 bond
issue by state voters early in
June.
W. Guy Hargett, of Richlands,
second district highway commis
sioner; R. Markham, of Green
ville, division engineer; and J. J.
Gilbert, of Washington, district
engineer, were the highway of
ficials present. Frank L. Brinkley,
chairman of the board of county
commissioners, presided over the
meeting, which was also attended
by Commissioners Jesse L. Know
les, of Roper, and A. R. Latham,
of Plymouth. Commissioners Hu
bert L. Davenport, of Skinners
ville, and Harry W. Pritchett, of
Creswell were unable to be pre
sent.
No definite decisions were made
about allocation of the road funds
or specific projects, but the high
way officials indicated they
would be governed largely by the
desires expressed by the county
board of commissioners. The
whole road situation in the coun
ty was discussed, including the
status of projects presently un
derway.
Mr. Hargett asked for expres
sions by the board members as
to the secondary roads consider
ed most necessary, and County
School Superintendent R. F. Low
ry was called in to give some in
formation about school bus routes
and the population served by sev
eral roads. The commissioners
made no specific requests, and
said they wished to have the ad
vice of the two absent members
(See HIGHWAYS, Page 5)
Workshop Here
For Lunch Room
Workers of Area
-4
Three-Day Session To Be
Held at High School,
Starting Monday of
Next Week
Preparations are just about
complete to hold a workshop for
white school lunch room person
nel, principals and other interest
ed persons from the 21 counties
in area 7 of eastern North Caro
lina in the Plymouth High School
building next Monday through
Wednesday, according to an an
nouncement made Tuesday by
Mrs. Sabrie W. Reid, resident as
sistant state supervisor of lunch
room workers.
The three-day schedule of the
workshop is as follows:
Monday, August 22—Registra
tion is planned from 9 a. m. to
9:30 a. m. From 9:30 a. m. to
10 a. m. Roy F. Lowry, county
school superintendent, and J. S.
Fleming, Plymouth High School
principal, plan to extend greet
ings to those attending. Mrs. Reid
plans to review last year’s lunch
room program from 10 a. m. to 12
noon. Lunch is planned from noon
to 1:15 p. m. At 1:15 p. m. to 3
p. m. Mrs. Elsie McCormick, of
(See WORKSHO.P, Page 5)
BLOODSHED !
BOX SCORE j
From midnight Monday of
last week through midnight
Monday of this week, 10 per
sons were killed in North Car
olina highway accidents and
199 were injured, the State
Highway Patrol has reported.
Following is the box score for
this year, as compared with the
same period last year:
Killed August 9 through
August 15- 10
Injured August 9 through
August 15_ 199
Killed through August 15,
this year 470
Killed through August 15,
1948 . 409
Injured through August
15, this year 5,519
Injured through August
15, 1948 4,383
Second District Bar
Will Meet in County
The Bar Association of the Se
cond Judicial District will hold
its annual meeting at Albemarle
Beach Saturday of this week, be
ginning at 10:30 a. m. The district
is composed of Washington, Mar
tin, Edgecombe, Nash and Wil
son Counties and comprises about
100 lawyers.
Charles McLean, of Wilson, is
president of the association and
will preside at the meeting. An
interesting program has been pre
pared, including a guest speaker,
according to Z. V. Norman, of
Plymouth, in charge of local ar
rangements. Officers will be
elected for the coming year, and
a dinner will be served at the
beach.
The seven justices of the Su
preme Court of North Carolina
and the Hon. Walter J. Bone, of
N? shville, resident judge of the
second district, have been invited
to attend, and a large attendance
is expected.
Local Draft Board
Office Will Close
Friday, August 26
Youths Reaching Age of
18 Must Continue To
Register; Regional Of
fice To Be Set Up
The office of the Washington
County Selective Service Board
No. 95. located in the courthouse,
will close Friday, August 26, ac
cording to word received from
Col. Thomas H. Upton, deputy
state director of selective service.
The office records will be mov
ed to a sub-depot for maintenance
and servicing. The local board is
to remain intact, with Robert L.
Tetterton. of Plymouth, as chair
man: Otis A. Chesson, of Roper,
A. W. Davenport, of Cherry, as
members: and Zeb V. Norman,
of Plymouth, as appeal agent.
A full-time clerk is to be on
duty at the sub-depot to keep the
records of all boards filed in that
office up to date. The clerk will
work under close direction of a
clerical audit supervisor. When
the supervisor feels that there
are enough cases in the local
board requiring consideration of
the members of the board, she
will notify the local board to ar
range for a meeting at a time,
date and place in the county
agreed upon by the members. The
j clerical audit supervisor will be
: present at such meetings as the
local board clerk and have with
! her the files of those cases that
require the attention of the board.
In case there is an induction
call, the supervisor will give the
list of names of the registrants
available for call in sequence of
selective service number, to ob
tain the local board members’ au
thority to issue the order to re
port for induction. The clerical
details will be handled from the
sub-depot and the supervisor will
be present on the day of depar
ture to attend to all the details
A selective service registrar,
not yet named, will handle the
continuing registration of new re
gistrants in the county.
The location of the sub-depot
and the name of the supervisor
will be made known soon, accord
ing to selective service officials.
County boys who reach the age
of 18 on or before August 26th
are reminded to continue regis
tering in the office in the court
house until that time.
__
W. Rex Harrison
Dies in Hospital
Members of the local Veterans
of Foreign Wars post will hold a
military burial in the Vail Ceme
tery near Plymouth Friday after
noon at 4:30 o’clock for W. Rex
Harrison, a former resident, who
died at 12:20 a. m. after an illness
of three weeks. Services will be
held in the Ludford Memorial
Baptist Church. The Rev. W. B.
Harrington, of Williamston will
conduct the services.
Mr. Harrison was the son of
Mrs. Sadie Vail Harrison and the
late Luther D. Harrison, of Wash
ington County. He was born in
the county on October 29. 1909.
He lived in the county until nine
years ago, when he moved to Nor
folk, Va. Mr. Harrison was a fire
man in the shipyard there. He
married Clara Martin, of James
ville, in South Mills on March 22,
1941. He served in the U. S. Navy
during World War II for 3H years
as a Machinist Mate First Class.
For the most part he was in the
Pacific Theatre of operations.
Mr. Harrison is survived by his
mother, wife, one son, W. Rex
Harrison, jr., of Norfolk, Va.;
three brothers, Tom Harrison, of
Plymouth; Roddy Harrison, of
Norfolk, Va.; and Earl Harrison,
of Hampton, Va.; two sisters, Mrs.
Ethel Cockrel, of Norfolk, Va.,
and Mrs. Hazel Miers, of Ply
mouth.
Tobacco Markets in This
Section Opening Friday
Insurance Rebates
Due Most Veterans
Local Officer Says
Arrangements Are Being
Made by Service Offi
cer of County To Aid in
Filing Claims
-»
Arrangements are being made
to aid the 1.500 veterans in Wash
ington County by two methods
about September 1st, according
to information from W. Ronald
Gaylord, county veteran’s service
officer.
First, National Service Life In
surance is planning to give a divi
dend to veterans who held any
amount of insurance with them
at any time. Practically every
veteran is entitled to a rebate,
Mr. Gaylord said. Secondly, the
Veteran’s Survey Service is in
terested in learning whether any
claim filed by a veteran hasn’t
been received, and if not, fulfill
the veterans desire by making the
claim good.
Both of these methods of aid
ing the veteran are to be operat
ed concurrently. Plans are being
formulated to have the local wo
men’s service organizations in
terview the veteran for insurance
rebates and claims in a mass ope
ration at the Plymouth High
School buildings. County white
veterans will be taken care of at
Plymouth White High School and
colored veterans will be assisted
at the Plymouth Colored School.
The schedule for reporting to
the schools will be set up when
the questionnaires arrive from
the two aid services, Mr. Gaylord
said.
To apply for the insurance re
bate and claims, veterans will
I need to give their full name, per
manent address, service serial
number, branch of service, date
of birth, insurance policy number
and discharge papers.
No Home Club Meetings
Scheduled This Month
Mrs. Frances M. Darden’s
"Home Club News” does not ap
pear in the Beacon this week as
their will be no home demonstra
tion club meetings until Septem
ber.
♦
Local Rotarians See
Movie About Louisiana
P. Bruce Bateman presented a
movie in color of the state of
Louisiana to members of the
Plymouth Rotary Club at their
regular meeting Tuesday night.
William E. Waters, vice president
of the local club, presided over
the meeting.
PRESIDENT
E. O. Arnold, of Washington
County, was elected president
of the Southern Albemarle As
sociation at its annual session
in Manns Harbor Wednesday of
last week. He will take office
in October.
Arnold President
South Albemarle
Group Next Year
—♦—
Elected at Business Ses
sion in Manns Harbor
Last Week; Jack W.
House Vice President
E. O. Arnold, Washington
County Representative to the
General Assembly, was elected
president of the Southern Albe
marle Association for the «,egrlim
year at the annual busiieii meet
ing of the association, held in
Manns Harbor Wednesday after-'
noon of last week. J. W. House,
of Plymouth, was named Wash
ington County vice president of
the organization; and Wade Hard
ison, of Roper, was chosen record
ing secretary.
Mr. Arnold succeeds D. Victor
Meekins. of Manteo; while Mr.
House's predecessor as Washing
ton County vice president was
Harry W. Pritchett, of Creswell.
Other officers elected last week
were: Paul Liverman, of Colum
bia, Tyrrell County vice presi
dent; E. A. Williams, of Swan
Quarter, Hyde County vice presi
dent. M. A. Matthews, of Engel
hard, was reelected treasurer. All
the new officers will take office
at a meeting of the executive
committee of the association at
Columbia on October 2.
Members of the executive com
(See ARNOLD, Page 5)
County Has Poor Crop,
Due to Heavy Rains;
First Sales Delayed for
One Day
Eastern North Carolina tobac
co markets will begin their 1949
sales Friday morning of this
week, instead of Thursday, as a
result of a decision by the Bright
Leaf Warehouse Association to
invoke a one-day delay in the
opening, in order to give the
Georgia-Florida markets an extra
day.
The association's board of gov
ernors met in Florence, S. C.,
last Friday night and extended
the Georgia-Florida auction sea
son one day, automatically defer
ring the beginning of sales in
Eastern North Carolina.
Washington County does not
have an auction market, but coun
ty growers will be fairly well re
presented at the near-by mark
ets, according to reports here this
week. Although much of the
county crop has been harvested,
few growers appear to be in a
big rush to get their tobacco on
the first sales, and weather con
ditions have not been too favor
able for the last day or two to
get the leaf ready for selling.
It is certain that a great many
farmers will take the day off and
visit the opening sales to see for
themselves just how the prices
are stacking up. Reports from the
border markets have led most of
the county growers to expect an
opening average of slightly better
than 50 cents, or slightly less than
the first day figures of a year ago.
The Washington County crop
has been hit hard by adverse
weather this year, and the yield
will be the lowest in several sea
sons, according to reports from
over the county. Some farmers
lost a big majority of their leaf in
the mid-June rainy spell, and
others suffered losses in both
quantity arfd quality Cnun'y
Agent *▼. V. HH*«tf§fc»>fited abou.
v.eflfc* Mfc best producers
in this : wtion would harvest
about two-thirds of a normal crop.
Most of this county’s tobacco
crop is marketed on the markets
near by, Williamston, Roberson
ville and Washington getting the
bulk of it, with smaller quantities
being carried as far away as
Greenville, Rocky Mount and
Wilson.
The loan rate of the Commodi
ty Credit Corporation for the 1949
(See TOBACCO, Pagfi<f5)
Funeral for Mrs.
Alice S. Barnes
-♦
Funeral services will be held
for Mrs. Alice Spruill Barnes, of
the Pleasant Grove Section, in the
Methodist Church there Friday
afternoon at 2 p. m. The services
wall Dc conducted by her pastor
the Rev. B. E. Bingham, assisted
by the Rev. Will Stevens, of Cres
well. Interment will be made in
the church cemetery.
Mrs. Barnes died at 6:20 p. m.
Wednesday at her home. She had
been in declining health for five
years and was confined to the
bed the last five days.
She was the daughter of the
late Jessie and Annie Spruill, of
Washington County. She was born
in the county on February 21, 18
76. She married Arthur J. Barnes,
of Roper, there on January 3,
1903.
Mrs. Barnes was a member of
the Pleasant Grove Methodist
Church for 50 years and was a
regular attendant.
She is survived by her husband,
one daughter, Mrs. Mable Barnes
White, of Roper; one son, Roy H.
Barnes, of Raleigh; a brother,
Clyde Spruill, of Norfolk, Va.;
and two grandchildren.
Bush Growers Ready
For Kangaroo Court
Several Washington County
bush growers spent their Wed
nesday afternoon holiday yester
day in getting paraphernalia and
equipment together, and they
will soon be “ready for business”
on a wholesale scale. They built
a jail, set up stocks, placed the
barrel and paddle and cleaned off
a space for holding “kangaroo
court” on the vacant lot between
Margolis Brothers and the A&P
store on Water Street.
Now they are waiting for cus
tomers. A committee has been
named to call on men who start
ed out to grow whiskers, beards,
mustaches, and the like, and then
shaved them off. Women who use
cosmetics without purchasing per
mits are also lawful prey for the
bush growers and sisters of the
swish. A shaving permit may or
may not excuse a man for not
growing a beard, depending upon
the mood of the court.
It was noticeable that business
picked up as soon as the bush
growers started work on the jail,
etc. Several clean-shaven men in
the B-l class slipped up and
bought permits. In another week
or so, if a county man appears
on the streets here with a smooth
face, he is very likely to wind
up with some ridges elsewhere
on his anatomy.
Crops in County Worth $2,949,000 This Year
-4
County crops and livestock are
estimated to bring a total of $2,
949.000 this year, according to W.
V. Hays, Washington County
Farm Agent, which would top
last year's record figure since the
war, by $349,000.
County crops are valued at $2,
390.000 by Mr. Hays’ fact and fig
ure report.
The big-three of the county
crops in 1948, tobacco, peanuts
and corn, are on top again, but
present indications are that pea
nuts and corn will be ahead of
tobacco.
The peanut crop is exceptional
ly good with a valuation of an
estimated $700,000 to come from
it. An average of 12 bags per acre
is expected to come from the 6,000
acres planted.
Corn again has the largest ac
reage planted, 13,000 acres, which
is mostly kept on the farm for '
feed. The estimated value of the
crop is $650,000, some $50,000 less
than peanuts. Better fertilization
and the “corn war" between
North Carolina and Virginia are
factors that encourage farmers to
produce more valuable corn.
Tobacco, the county's usual big
money crop, will have to “play
second fiddle” to peanuts this
year. About one-third of a good
tobacco crop was beat down by
rain during June throughout the
county. Despite the heavy loss,
$350,000 is expected from tobacco
sales.
The soy bean crop is improving
over previous years. $200,000 is
expected to be realized from the
6,000 acres planted. The success
of the soy bean crop is attributed
to better, more stable bins, good
control of insect pests by dusting
and better seeds to start with.
Cotton, once king of all crops
in this section, is making a better
showing this year with the 250
acres planted expected to total
$30,000.
Fruit, grapes and melons are
valued at $90,000. An excellent
peach crop throughout the county
raised the valuation. Flowers and
bulbs have the value of $70,000
and the potato crops $50,000 to
the grand total.
Livestock in the county is valu
cd at an estimated $559,000, ac
cording to Mr. Hays.
Lambs shipped through coop
erative sales throughout the coun
ty are expected to bring $24,000.
Figures are not available for live
stock which was sold privately at
markets in places outside the
county.
Returns from hogs is expected
to be about $375,000. Beef cattle
is expected to sell for around $75,
000 and that is cattle grown only
on individual farms. Poultry and
eggs should gross about $85,000.
They were also bred on the farm
from wastes and feed.
Timber and its products are
expected to add $250,000 to the
total valuation of the county’s
farm products.