nntnnnHnnnnrnnnsusniv * T'OWll opies niEni A motorist drove up in front of one of the local stores yester day, got out and reached in his pocket for a nickel to put in the parking meter. The only one he had was a "wooden nickel” ad vertising the Sesqui-Centennial iCelebration, so the man went into the store, borrowed q piece of scotch tape, stuck the wooden cer tificate to the parking slot and went off about his business. The Hudson Fireworks Com pany, of Hudson, O., has been contracted to set up and display a 20-minute show of fireworks aft er each night’s performance of the historical drama, “Carolina Cavalcade,” during the Washing ton County Sesqui-Centennial Celebration here September 18-22, Thomas F. Hopkins, executive chairman of the celebration com mittee, announced yesterday. The fireworks company will send one of their professional men to work the display. Margaret Bickel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bradley, of Plymouth, left this week to join the faculty of Mayodan High Schopl. She will teach first and second year Spanish, twelth grade history and coach the girl's bask etball team. Miss Bickel graduat ed from East Carolina Teachers College, Greenville, last May. Luther A. Armstrong, of Ply ijKiuth, was graduated from Tu Wie University, New Orleans, La., last Saturday with a bachelor of science degree. Son of Mr. and Mrs. O. S. Armstrong, 510 Mon roe Street, young Armstrong was among the 220 graduates who re ceived diplomas at the annual graduating exercises of the sum mer school students at the Uni versity. All young men are required to register for selective service with in five days after their eighteenth birthday and former service men are required to register within 30 days after receiving their dis charge, with W. Ronald Gaylord, county selective service registrar, in the clerk of court's office in the courthouse here. Mr. Gaylord is in the office from 9 a. m. to 12 noon on Saturday. Contrary to all rumors, there will be a meeting of Plymouth Boy Scout Troop 84 next Monday Kfcht at 7:30 o’clock lit the scout Wit, scout officials •- yeti -rday All boys are urged to wear their ■complete uniform as there will be an inspection and marching practice to prepare for the coming Sesqui-Centennial Celebration. Winslow Returns From Art Studies W. Frith Winslow and Mrs. Winslow returned to Plymouth last week after spending two months in Nowank, Conn., seven miles east of New London on Block Sound, where Mr. Winslow resumed art studies under noted painters. Mr. Winslow studied portrait, I still-life and figure painting un der the tutelage of Robert Black man, ranked as one of the 10 best artists in the United States. This is the third summer that the Winslows have vacationed in the NeSv England states, where Mr. Winslow lakes art lessons. I Last summer they were in Cape I Anne, Mass., and summer before at Cape Cod, Mass. In each Ice Mr. Winslow studied under I prominent artists. | County Schools Get Shipment of Apples Washington County schools re ceived 301 boxes of apples for (lunch room use from the market ling division of the North Caro lina Department of Agriculture, (last week, according to inforroa :ion from the office of the county Superintendent of schools. The boxes of apples were ship to the various schools as fol lows: Creswell white and J. J. Clemmons colored, 71 boxes each; “lymouth and Roper white Schools, 50 each; Creswell color d, 49; and Macedonia, 10. The Roanoke Beacon ***★★★ and Washington County News ★★★*★* A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washingrton County and its 13,000 people. Ill VOLUME LX—NUMBER 36 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, September 8, 1949 ESTABLISHED 1889 Harry Barnes, of Creswell, tickles Henry Hardison, of Plym outh, with a feather while the latter is serving a sentence in the “kangaroo stocks” in Plymouth recently. Frank Sawyer, a “kan garoo cop” stands by. Judge W. J. “Eager Beaver” Weaver said he was pleased that Mr. Hardison was wearing a beard for the Sesqui-Centennial, but sentenced him for not wearing a Robin Hood hat.—Photo by Weaver’s Studio. Carolyn Ayers Leads In Contest for Queen i Don't Forget to j | Dim Headlights j Orders coming to local high way patrolmen from troop headquarters in the past few days require them to issue ci tations to motorist who fail to dim their headlights when meeting other cars or trucks at night. Arrests can be expected, and violators will be prosecut ed in the courts, it was pointed out. Until recently, the patrolmen have been stopping motorists who failed to use their dimmers and warning them. However, the period of grace has expired and has had little effect in some cases. It is pointed out that a large percentage of night acci dents are attributable to glar ing headlights. , L"'~ ' " Bush Growers and Band Paraded in Section Saturday -« Advertise Celebration in Washington, William ston, Windsor, Edenton and Plymouth Members of the Bush Growers League, the kangaroo court, and the Plymouth High School Band paraded before large crowds in Washington, Williamston, Wind sor, Edenton and Plymouth last Saturday to advertise the Sesqui Centennial Celebration of the county to be held in Plymouth on September 18-22, The venture was declared a suc cess by Thomas F. Hopkins, exe cutive chairman of the celebration committee, both from the stand point of advertising the event before so many people and also for the amount of money receiv ed for shaving permits, cos metic permits and celebration hats. The parades consisted of the high school band, three converti bles with bush growers as pas sengers, a truck hauling the kan garoo court, jail, stocks and per sonnel, an old high-wheeled bi cycle, and an auto with a public address system. The paraders fell behind sche dule at Washington, where a hea vy downpour just about disrupted proceedings, and a truck carrying band members developed motor trouble. - While waiting for the band truck to arrive in William ston, the kangaroo court set up (See PARADES, Page Seven) me Class Officers t School This Week >/Plymouth High School class of ficers were elected for the 1949 |0 school term in meeting of sen 3,. junior, sophomore and fresh ban classes Monday. Bobby West was named presi lent of the senior class. Other of kcers are: Dennis Davis, vice [resident; Betty Hudson, secre ry; and Dorothy Ange, treas er! Mrs. Ethel Gurkin is the faculty advisor. | Junior class officers are: Jimmy iarnhill, president; Alvin Tuten, lice president; John Bowen, sec retary and F.onnie Owens, treas urer. The faculty advisor is Iola Hofler. Sophomore class officers are: Hardee Cobb, president; Peggy Darden, vice president; Peggy Styons, secretary; and Homer Styons, treasurer. Mrs. Irma K. Hough is the faculty advisor. Mrs. Ruth K. Norman’s section of the freshman class elected Bob by Davenport, president; Ann Mae Packham, vice president; Maxine Baypor, secretary and Lorraine Ragland, treasurer. Joe Foster’s section of the freshman class has yet to elect their offic ers. Contest Ends Monday; Winner to Reign Over Celebration Festivities and Get Free Trip Carolyn Ayers, of Plymouth, this week took over the lead from Betty Riddle, also of Plymouth, in the “Miss Washington County" contest, according to an official count of votes at the close of the second period of the contest Tues day evening. Miss Ayers had 102, 749 votes to 99.919 votes for Miss Riddle at that time. Other contestants and their standings follow: Peggy Darden, Plymouth, 61,350; Anita Nooney, Plymouth, 61,297; Elsie Sawyer, Plymouth, 46,275; Betty Jo Da venport, Creswell, 38,750; Sarah Jackson, Plymouth, 35,872; Betty Walker, Plymouth, 30,389; Fran ces Bickel, Plymouth, 29,900; Lil lian Watson, Plymouth, 26,252; Millie Woodley, Creswell, 1,216; and Mary Lou Voirol, Plymouth, 1,048. All other contestants have 1,00ft votes each. The contest closes at 5 p. m. next Monday. No votes will be counted after that time. All votes in the ballot box in celebration I headquarters at the close of the j I contest or mailed and postmarked not later than 5 p. m. Monday will receive a 10 per cent bonus. All votes must be brought in or mail ed to the “Miss Washington Coun ty" contest, Sesqui-Centennial Celebration headquarters, Ply mouth, N. C. “Miss Washington County” will be the contestant who receives the greatest number of votes. She will reign as queen during all festivi ties of the celebration. The next 10 contestants receiving the most votes will serve as princesses in the court of "Miss Washington County.” All 11 winners will have a prominent part in the historical spectacle, “Carolina Cavalcade,” presented four nights of the cele bration. The girl who is named “Miss Washington County” will also re ceive her choice of a week-end in Washington, D. C. with all expen ses paid or $50 in cash. The run ner-up in the contest will receive $35 in cash; third place, $25; fourth, $20; fifth, $15; and sixth, $5. Purpose of the contest is to promote ticket sales for the spec tacle given at the baseball park in Plymouth as part of the cele bration. Tickets are now being (See CONTEST, Page Seven) -»- - . B. W. Tarkenton Buried Saturday -♦ Funeral services were held for Benton Warren Tarkenton, of the Pleasant Grove section, at 3 p. m. Saturday in the family plot of the Methodist Church cepietery there. Services were conducted by the pastor, the Rev. B. E. Bing ham. Mr. Tarkenton died last Thurs day morning at 11:35 o’clock in a hospital in Edenton. He had been in declining health for six years and was confined to bed only one day before his death. He was 57 years of age. Son of the late Thomas L. and Mary Wynne Tarkenton, of Wash ington County, he was born in the county on January 9, 1892, and worked as a farmer. He was a member of the Pleasant Grove Methodist church. He is survived by three sisters, Mrs. N. M. Spruill, Myrtle Tar kenton and Nellie Tarkenton, all of Plymouth; and two brothers, T. W. Tarkenton, of Roper, and J. W. Tarkenton, of Newport News, Va. Highway Meeting To Be Held Here Saturday Morning -4 Hope To Set Up Organi zation for Promotion of U. S. 64 as “History’s Highway” -♦ Formation of an association to advertise U. S. No. 64 as “His tory’s Highway,” connecting Man teo and Murphy under a continu ous route number is the object of a meeting that has been called at Plymouth at 10:30 Saturday morn ing of this week, September 10. R. Mayne Albright, of Raleigh, will preside at the meeting, to be held at the country club here, at the insistance of a number of pub lic officials and business men of Washington. Martin, Tyrrell and Dare Counties. The meeting will be followed by a “dutch” luncheon in the country club dining room. Letters have been mailed to a number of officials of Nash, Edgecombe, Martin. Washington, Tyrrell and Dare Counties calling attention to the meeting, but any others in terested are urged to attend, and arrangements may be made for the luncheon by notifying Roy Manning, jr., of the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce, be fore Saturday. Rep. D. L. Hayman, of Dare County, said yesterday that there would be more than a dozen peo ple from his county, which is interested in the Manteo-Murphy route and seeks to have it extend ed to Cape Hatteras. Rep. E. O. Arnold, of Washington County, will head a delegation from the east end of the county; and Rep resentative C. W. Tatem, of Tyr rell, is rounding up delegates from Columbia and vicinity. Miss Natalie Gould, of Manteo, is act ing secretary of the group plan ning the meeting. Immediate objective of the TsetTlHGHWAYrPagc"Seven) Need Mere Blanks On Flood Control . Twenty questionnaires contain ing information about the need for flood control, filled in by land owners living in the southeastern section of the county have been forwarded to U. S. Army engine ers in Wilmington, it was learned yesterday from W. M. Darden, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau. Mr. Darden says there are a few more land owners in that section, where work is considered most urgent, who have not filled in questionnaires, and he urges them to do so at once. He or W. V. Hays, county agent, will send them to Wilmington. Representative Herbert C. Bon ner, of the first congressional dis trict, recently secured authoriza tion for Army engineers to invest igate the need for flood control and drainage in the Pantego and Cuckold Creek basins. ! 42 New Houses i Are Being Built! Work is underway at present on three housing developments in Plymouth, with a total of 42 new homes under construction. Good progress is being report ed, and a good many of the new homes have already been con tracted for by purchasers. Work is nearing completion on most of the 16 houses being built at the site of the old base ball park by the Plymouth Housing Corporation, headed by Reynolds May, of Greenville. Construction of six houses got underway last week in the “Brinkley Woods” development by David L. Strain, of Raleigh, who is said to be planning 16 other homes in that section. Moore & Johnson have 20 hous es under construction in the Winesett development, with a possibility that 8 others may be built later. Full Schedule at Local Schools on Term's First Day - ♦ Walter F. Williams Spoke To Students; Schedule and Fees Outlined By Principal The new school year began in the Plymouth white schools last Thursday with a full day’s sche dule being followed and an in creased enrollment reported over the opening day for the past two years in both elementary and high school departments. Walter F. Williams, director of the historical spectacle to be pre sented during the county's sesqui centennial celebration, talked to members of the student body dur ing chapel in the morning. A schedule card was handed to each student who registered last spring when he reported to school. The card listed subjects and hours of each class. New-com ers were the only ones to register opening day. Books were distributed and les son assignments given out. The year’s work began with hardly any delay. The lunch room was j open for students. ' The daily schedule in effect calls for classes to begin at 8:30 a.m.; activity period from 10:30 to 11:25 a.m.; lunch period from 11:15 to 1:05, which is divided in to four sections and staggered; and the school closes at 3 p.m. for the day. The same schedule is in effect at the Hampton Building and the Hampton Annex, which houses two grade sections, although primary students who live in town and do not have to wait for the school busses are dismissed a lit tle earlier. The schedule of book fees an nounced by Principal J. S. Flem (See SCHEDULE, Page Seven) Enrollment Figures For County Schools The following table of figures, from the office of the county sup erintendent of schools, shows the enrollment in all Washington Coun ty school units on the third day of the 1949-50 term, in comparison with the terms of 1947-48 and 1948-49 for the same relative day: 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 Plymouth White Elementary grades High School rotals - Roper White Elementary grades High School - rotals Creowell White Elementary grades — High School rotals Plymouth Colored Elementary grades High School rotals J. J. Clemmons Colored (Roper) Elementary grades —. High School .... rotals ------ Creswell Colored Elementary grades -- High School -- Totals Other Colored Elementary Schools Brooks _— Deep Bottom _ Morrattock _ Back Woods --— Macedonia Mount Delane Sound Side Summaries Total white elementary grades Total white high schools - Total, all white schools Total colored elementary grades Total colored high schools Total, all colored schools - Grand totals, all elementary grades Grand totals, all high schools - Grand totals, all schools 562 156 718 203 74 277 403 123 526 338 92 430 183 76 259 202 38 240 57 52 62 63 49 56 83* 1,168 353 1,521 1,145 206 1,351 2,313 _ 559 . 2,872 603 163 766 226 76 302 424 108 532 363 83 446 194 66 260 252 50 302 56 46 55 60 52 74 41 1,253 347 1,600 1,193 199 1,392 637 184 821 229 74 303 423 122 545 355 102 457 197 69 266 234 55 289 39 47 63 51 64 30 1,289 380 1,669 1,132 226 1,358 2,446 2,421 546 606 2,992 3,027 * Portion of Sound Side students sent to other schools after 1947-48. Schools in County Open With Record Enrollment I Town. Tounlv Boards Are to Meet Manilas Governing boards of the town and county will hold their regu lar September meetings, postpon ed Monday on account of the La bor Day holiday, next Monday, September 12. The county board of commissioners and board of education will meet in the court house at 10:30 a.m., and the city council will meet in the municipal building at 8 o’clock Monday night. Routine business matters are scheduled for attention by the several boards, it is understood. The city council is to take up the proposed purchase of the country club village water and sewer sy stems with J A. Auchter, general manager of the North Carolina Pulp Company; and it is possible further attention will be given to the new trash and garbage pick up service being inaugurated in the town. General of Marines Celebration Speaker Acceptance of General Meger Completes List; Graham, Hoey, Bonner And Goerch Others General Vernon E. Meger, of the division of U. S. Marine Corps Aviation, Washington, D. C„ has accepted an invitation to speak here on September 22. “Veterans and Patriotic Day” of the Sesqui Centennial Celebration, according to W. R. Hampton, chairman of the speaker's committee. His accept ance completes the schedule of nationally known speakers. He joins United States Senators Frank P. Graham and Clyde R. Hoey; Representative Herbert C. Bonner; Dr. Sankey L. Blanton, dean of the school of religion at Wake Forest College; and Carl Goerch, editor of the State Maga zine, Raleigh, who previously ac cepted invitations to speak on se parate days of the founding of the county to be held in Plymouth, September 18-22. General Meger is scheduled to speak at noon Thursday, Septem ber 22, from the reviewing stand at the conclusion of that day’s parade. Dr. Blanton is to speak Sunday night, September 18 at 8 p. m. in the baseball park here during a union service of all the churches in the county. Senator Hoey is scheduled to speak at the opening exercises of the celebration at noon, Monday, September 19, from the reviewing stand immediately after the pa rade. Plans call for Mr. Goerch to speak Monday night, September 19, at 7:30 o’clock, prior to the raising of the curtain on the pre miere performance of the histori cal spectacle, “Carolina Caval cade.” He will crown “Miss Wash ington County,” queen of the cele bration, during the coronation ceremonies. Senator Graham will be the speaker on the “Youth Day,” pro gram, Tuesday, September 20, at noon from the reviewing stand after the parade. Representative Bonner will give the main address an “Homecoming Day,” Wednes day, September 21, at 11:30 a.m., from the reviewing stand, imme diately after the parade. « Distribute Wooden Nickels in County Wooden nickels have been dis tributed to merchants in Washing ton County as souvenirs to ad vertise the Sesqui-Centennial Celebration to be held September 18-22 in Plymouth. The souvenir nickels are being accepted by the merchants in making purchases and being giv en in change to people making purchases. Persons desiring to exchange the wooden variety for the con ventional United States nickel can do so by taking them to the bank here until 1 p. m. September 20th. However, the sesqui-centennial committee hopes that most people will keep the wooden nickel as a souvenir of the county's big birthday party of 1949. Revival Begins Monday At Oak Grove Church A series of revival services will begin Monday night, at 7:30 o’ clock. at the Oak Grove Baptist Church. The Rev. W. R. Stephens, pastor, will do the preaching, with services being held each evening at 7:30 through Friday, Septem ber 16. All members of the church are urged to attend, and visitors are cordially invited. Executive Board Of PTA to Meet Members of the executive board of the Plymouth Parent Teacher Association are sche duled to meet next Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock in the of fice of the Plymouth High School principal, according to an announcement yesterday by Mrs. K. S. Trowbridge, presi dent of the organization. The date of the first parent teacher association meeting will be decided upon at that time. Plans for the coming year are to be under discussion too. All members of the executive board are urged to make arrange ments to attend the meeting. Trash Collection Schedule Will Be Ready Next Week -♦ Chief Says Putting New System Into Effect Un avoidably Delayed for Few More Days Chief of Police P. W. Brown said yesterday that he had not been able to work out a schedule for the trash and garbage trucks so far, but that he would have it ready for publication next week. Days and approximate hours the trucks will be in sections of the town will be designated, and all householders will be expected to have their garbage cans within 50 feet of the street at that time. The police chief warns that the new pick-up system will go into effect next week. Covered gar bage cans of not more than 30 gallons capacity are required, and the trash crews will not handle barrels or other similar contain ers used in the past. The new sy stem is expected to be in full ef fect by September 15, according to the chief. Garbage should be placed in the covered containers and left within 50 feet of the street. Trash, limbs and other such refuse mat ter must be cut so that it can be bandied without difficulty and placed between the curb and side walk on the days the trash crew ,s due. ■ ■ ♦ Want Members for Baptist Junior Choir ——« The Ludford Memorial Baptist Church junior choir is seeking more members, according to an nouncement by Mrs. R. L. Mohn, :hoir director. Any person between 10 and 20 years of age is welcome to try ->ut for the choir at the Baptist Church here Friday at 5:30 p.m. High Schools Show Larg est Gain, With Plym outh Leading Way; To tal Enrolled 3,027 -* Total enrollment in Washing ton County schools three days af ter opening of the term this year was the highest of any year on record at that time, it was learned yesterday from a study of figures from the office of the county su perintendent. Third-Bay enroll ment in all schools totaled 3,027, as compared with 2,992 a year ago and 2.872 three days after the opening of the 1947-48 term. The increase seems to be cen tered in the three white schools of the county, with Plymouth leading the way. Colored schools as a whole showed a small de cline in number enrolled. This may be due to crop conditions, which usually affect colored en rollment and attendance more than in the white schools. Color ed elementary schools showed a drop of 61 students, as compar ed with last year, while colored high schools gained 27, leaving a net loss of 34 in the colored school system. In the white schools, the total enrollment gain over last year was 69, 36 in the elementary grades and 33 in the high schools. The Plymouth white schools showed a gain of 55. 21 in the high school and 34 in the ele mentary department. The Roper school had a net gain of 1, in creasing 3 in the elementary de partment and losing 1 in the high school. Creswell had a gain of 13, losing 1 in the elementary grades and gaining 14 in the high school. The colored high schools show ed a total gain of 27, 19 in Plym outh. 3 in the J. J. Clemmons school at Roper, and 5 at Cres well. The Plymouth colored ele mentary department lost 8 and Creswell lost 18, while the Clem mons school gained 3 in the low er grades, for a total net loss in the three larger colored schools of 23 students. The seven small colored schools showea the biggest loss from last year’s total. Only one of the sev en, Backweeds, had a gain, and that was but 3 pupils; while the other six lost from 1 to 10 pupils each, or a total of 39, leaving the smaller schools with a net deficit in enrollment of 36. Many farmers keep their children at home during the early days of the school term in order to com plete work on certain crops, and it is believed most of the smaller schools, which serve strictly rural areas, will show an increase in enrollment later after the farm work is caught up. If the attendance holds up at the Plymouth schools, there is a possibility that two additional teachers may be earned. While there are no iron-clad rules about allotment of extra teachers, the increase of 34 in the elementary (See SCHOOLS, Page Seven) Kangaroo Court in Creswell Saturday The kangaroo court is on the move again. The judge, police men, deputies, jail house, stocks and barrel will be transported to Creswell to hold court there Sat urday afternoon. The court con venes about 2 p. m. Creswell was to have its own kangaroo jail and othdr necessary paraphernalia, but Harry Barnes, instigator of the plan, has been ill since last Friday and he called on his Plymouth friends to-help. Several weeks ago when Har ry Barnes and other Creswell citizens were hauled into kanga roo court here, they had so much fun, despite the fact that they were fined for not possessing shaver’s permits, cosmetic permits or celebration hats, that they de cided to have a court of their own. 800County Veterans Apply for Dividends More than 800 o! tne county's 1,500 veterans, white and colored, have applied for rebates from national service life insurance and 500 former servicemen have applied for claims on the veterans service survey, according to W. Ronald Gaylord, county veterans’ service officer. Members of the local post of the American Legion helped pre pare questionnaires every night in their hall last week, but this has been discontinued because not enougn servicemen snowed up 10 warrant the legionnaires to keep a staff there, officials of the local post aaid. However members of the post plan to be of service to veterans from 7 p.m. to 8p.m. Friday night in their hall before the post’s regular meeting. The insurance and survey forms may be obtained from the local post office, veteran’s organization or from Mr. Gaylord in the clerk of court’s office in the courthouse here.

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