North Carolina Newspapers

lx own opics Lt. Tom Brown, of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, was a visitor in Plymouth Monday aft ernoon. Recently promoted to lieutenant, he is now stationed at II Greenville as assistant troop commander, moving there last week. Lieutenant Brown was stationed in Plymouth for five years, leaving here in 1942, when he was promoted to sergeant and transferred to New Bern. He is married to the former Miss Fran ces Beasley, of Plymouth. A Plymouth man saw the group of farmers assembled at the agri culture building here Tuesday for the annual Farm Bureau meet ing and wanted to know “What's the matter—farmers on a strike?” Sudden changes often don’t break habits for a long time. For example, the front door of the Plymouth Drug Company used to open to the right as one enter ed. Then Joe David, proprietor got the idea to change a counter from one side of the store to the other. This necessitated changing the hinges on the door, and now the door opens to the left as one enters. There are a lot of snickers, when a person reaches for the handle of the door on the wrong s;Je, going in or coming out. Just an old habit. The crowd attending the an nual Farm Bureau meeting here Tuesday had quite a laugh out of awarding the prizes to winers in ,the 1949 corn contest in the coun ty—especially in the case of the top winner, Ervin Ambrose, of Creswell. who is a single man? One of the first-prize items was the offer by Dr. C. McGowan to give his services free in the de livery of a baby, boy or girl, as long as it was only one, together with service of a nurse and all other necessities including dia pers. Now Ambrose can go about • the business of getting married with his mind free of at least one . worry. m M. W. Spruill, of Plymouth, chairman of the county board of elections, has received the new registration book from the state board of elections, which recent ly sent them to all counties in the state. The new single vol ume replaces the old system, un der which registrars kept separate books for each party. Knowing that one of the corn contest winners is very much in the courting stage, it seems that possibly there was collaboration between County Agent Hays, who presented the awards, and Shep Brinkley, owner of Plymouth’s theatres. Brinkley donated 12 passes to the movies for this young winner. They figured, no doubt, that the passes would last for at least six shows. Aged Resident of Plymouth Passes Funeral services were held Sundry afternoon at 3:30 o’clock at Long Acre Chapel Christian Church for Mrs. Annie Esther Bowen, of Plymouth, who died at 1 o’clock Saturday afternoon at her home here after one day’s ill ness. ^Phe services were conduct, ed by the Rev. Harold Tyner, of Bath, assisted by the Rev. J. D. a Waters, of Plymouth. Burial was * in the Bowen family cemetery on Plymouth Route 1. Mrs. Bowen was 81 years of age.. Daughter of the late Cleophas Latham and Cornelia Bowen La tham, of Beaufort County, she was born November 23, 1868, and lived in Plymouth all her life. She was married to J. R. M. Bow en in Beaufort on March 13, 1884. The deceased was a member of the Long Acre Chapel Christian Church and was active for 30 years in the ladies’ aid society of that church. •- Surviving are one son, Clar ence Bowen, of Plymouth; three daughters, Mrs. Frank Askew, Mrs. George Askew and Mrs. A. H. Harris, all of Plymouth Route 1; one brother, John W. Latham, of Los Angeles, Calif.; several grandchildren and great-grand • children. County Seal Sale Is Away to Good Start The annual Tuberculosis Seal Sale for Washington county is off to a splendid start, according to a report from the county chair man, Mrs. W. R. Klass, jr., of Plymouth. Receipts totalling $152.50 were turned in for the county during the first week of the drive. Solici tation this year is entirely by mail and there are no community chairmen as in the past. Mrs. Klass declared the first week’s receipts to be “most grati fying,” and added, “Considering how well the recent bond drive conducted among business and professional men went over, to gether with the fine showing of the first week’s seal sale drive, X feel that the 1949 drive should be a definite success.” The drive began for all resi dents of the county on Monday, November 21 and letters contain ing Christmas seals were mailed to many white and colored citi zens of Washington county. Re cipients of these letters were in structed to send in contributions for the seals or to return them, as they chose. I The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News ★ ★★★★★ A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 13,000 people. VOLUME LX—NUMBER 48 Plymouth, Washington County, North Caiolina, Thursday, December 1 ESTABLISHED 1889 Minstrel To Be Staged j Thursday and Friday j Public presentations of the Plymouth High School Band’s sec ond annual “Merrie Minstrels” will be ^iven in the high school auditorium here tonight and to morrow night. The performances are scheduled to begin each night at 8 o’clock. A special matinee is being given this afternoon at 1 o’clock for the benefit of the school children. The black-face show is an orig inal script written and directed by Mrs. Ethel G. Hopkins, direc tor of the high school band. Pro ceeds of the show will be used for the benefit of the band. Dur ing the intermission each night a turkey will be raffled off. Put on the for the first time here last year, the minstrel show was a pronounced success and is reported to have drawn the largest crowd ever to witness a program at the local school. Prizes Are Awarded To Corn Contestants Schools Close on 20th lor Holidays Monday of this week found school children back at their desks following the brief Thanksgiving holiday period. Now’ a longer and more keenly anticipated holiday looms ahead. According to informa tion received from the office of the county superintendent of schools, all Washington county schools wil close at the end of the day’s classes Tuesday, De cember 20 and reopen Monday morning, January 2, 1950. There is no doubt but that this news will meet with the hearty approval of the hun dreds of children of school age in the county. Raleigh Hearing Held on Bridges For This Section Committee Frtaa SoufheX' Albemarle Association in Conference With High way Commission Monday A bridge committee composed of men from four counties in this section of the state and repre senting the Southern Albemarle Association conferred in Raleigh Monday with the State Highway & Public Works Commission and asked the latter body to think more favorably about building two bridges in this section, one over the Croatan Sound and the other over the Alligator River. The bridge committee was nam ed at a special meeting of the exe cutive committee of the South ern Albemarle group held in Plymouth last Wednesday. Mem bers of the bridge committee are W. L. Whitley, Washington coun ty; C. W. Tatum, Tyrrell county; P. D. Midgette, Hyde county; and D. V. Meekins, Dare county. E. IO. Arnold of Skinnersville sub | stituted on the committee for W. L. Whitley, who was unable to attend the Raleigh meeting due to press of private business. Although the bridge committee got no promise and no definite commitment, the Commission did listen “sympathetically” and agree to talk in definite terms sometime in the future. A spokesman for the committee gave the Highway Commission three choices; It could build two free bridges; it could build two toll bridges; or it could help the Albemarle get funds or aid from some other source, namely, the federal government. Although the mission to Ral eigh was sponsored by the South ern Albemarle Association, Har ry McMullan, jr„ of Washington, N. C., attorney for the Virginia Carolina Coastal Highway Cor poration—a municipal authority— (See BRIDGES, Page Eight) Prizes Donaied by Local Business Firms; Certifi cates Awarded at Farm Bureau Meeting Winners in the 1949 Washing ton county corn contest received certificates and notification of prizes during the annual Farm Bureau meeting in the courthouse here *Tuesday. County agent W. V. Hays presented the awards. Theorizes were donated by Plym outh business firms and in each case the winner was notified of the prizes and told that they could be obtained by caUing at the place of business of the don or. Mr. Hays remarked that excel lent cooperation had been ex tended by Plymouth merchants and businessmen and pointed out that when it is considered that the prizes given by them in this contest exceeded the dues paid by farmers for membership in the Washington county Farm Bu reau. it is surprising that so many farmers of the county lack the interest to join and support the farm organization. The first place winner, Ervin Ambrose of Creswell, produced {M4.T8 bushels per acre anvfaMj ■NMird a 100-bushel club cc:Hj£ bate. Prizes were a $10 weldilig job from Pete Price; a bag of hog supplement and a bale of hay from Plymouth FCX; 1 bed lamp, East Carolina Supply Co.: 1 pair overalls, Browning’s: $5 in merchandise, Womble Drug Store; shave, haircut, massage, tonic and shoe shine, Peoples Bar ber Shop; Free Baby, boy or girl option 1, with nurse and all ac cessories, birdseye food, etc., Dr. McGowan. J. N. Davenport of Creswell placed second with an average yield of $122.76 bushels. Prizes were 1 table lamp from W. J. Woolard Furniture Co.; electric door chimes, East Carolina Sup ply Co.; 1 case motor oil, Econo my Auto Supply. Third nlace. Herbert R. Ch»« son, Mackeys, 1 bed lamp. East Carolina Supply Co.: door chimes, same firn.; 25 lbs. alemite, Plym outh Oil Co. W. C. Stephenson, Roper, fourth, (See CORN CONTEST, Page 5) Aged Resident of Near Roper Dies -* Funeral services for Mrs. Sallie Ann Bateman who died Wednes day, November 23 at the home of a granddaughter in the Pea Ridge section near Roper, were conducted at Holly Neck Dis ciples church at 3 p.m. Friday, Noveipber 25 by Rev. Will Stev enson. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Born in Tyrrell county, April 1, 1870, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tate Daniel Bateman, Mrs. Bateman had been a resident of Washington county for the past 70 years. She was 79 years of age at the time of her death. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. C. T. Riddick of Roper and Mrs. J. A. Walton of Fernandina, Florida; one son, C. A. Warriner of Portsmouth, Virginia; 9 grand children and 11 great-grandchild ren. Mrs. Bateman was a member of Holly Neck Disciples church. Roper Rurilan Club Meets Tonight; To Elect Officers The Roper Ruritan Club will hold its regular banquet meet ing in the lunchroom at Roper high school tonight at 7:30 o’clock. The program committee for the meeting is composed of Aubrey Dixon, chairman, Henry Everett and James Rea. Among the principal business will be the annual election of of ficers for the coming year and all members are urged to be present. A guest speaker will be pre sent for the occasion. CROP Leaders in County Hoping to | Fill Boxcar Here ♦ I County Being Canvassed for, Donations of Shelled Corn' Or Cash to Buy Corn for Friendship Train Canvassers for contributions of shelled corn or cash with which to buy corn are busy in Wash ington county in an effort to col lect sufficient corn to fill a freight car in Plymouth Saturday morn ing of this week. This is the county’s part in a nationwide drive for corn with which to alle viate the suffering overseas. The national organization known gen erally as CROP or Christian Rur al Overseas Program is sponsor ing a “Friendship Train” which will be loaded with corn and ship ped overseas for relief of the needy. L. E. Hassell of Roper, county chairman of the CROP drive, was in Raleigh yesterday and could not be reached for comment but E. H. Liverman, the Plymouth chairman, stated that a truck is available to pick up corn at the farms of all those unable to bring it to Plymouth but wishing to have a part in filling the freight car. The capacity of the car is estimated at around 750 bushels or more. Mr. Liverman said that it is hoped to fill the railroad car Sat urday morning and if this is not done, those in charge of the pro gram in the county will strive to have it loaded Monday morning. It is emphasized that the corn should be shelled and that burlap or cotton bags should be used. However, the leaders of the pro gram do not intend to let lack of shcllmg or sacking of the corn hold back the donation of corn by anyone who can not shell or bag it but is willing to donate the Edwards Speaker At Farm Bureau Meeting Tuesday Head of Slate Organization Emphasizes Benefits of Federation in Talk at An nual Session Here “Farmers, start thinking more for yourselves,” exhorted A. C. Edwards, of Hookerton. president of the North Carolina Farm Bu reau, as he addressed the annual Washington County Farm Bureau meeting held in the courthouse here Tuesday. “We have a duty to perform, to look after our own affairs,” the speaker continued. “83 per cent of the population of this nation is saying that they want cheap food and fibers from the other 17 per cent of the population.” Edwards went on to point out that right now in Watauga County farmers are selling Irish potatoes at $1 per hundredweight, while the stores everywhere are retailing the same commodity at around $8. “We just want the record kgpt straight,” he emphasized. The State Farm Bureau presi dent drew a hypothetical figure of the farmer’s family car and likened soil conservation to the paint on that car. The PMA he classified as the ruber tires, the extension service as the ignition and the Farm Bureau as the en gine or propelling force. “Let’s keep this family car moving,” he added. Edwards declared that the “par ity principle is the soundest basis we can have for fair exchange of farm commodities. Somebody has been at work in Washington City, but not enough have been at work there.” The speaker credited the Feder ated Farm Bureaus and the Na tional Grange as being responsi ble for the strong national farm program and urged the crowd of around 100 Washington County (See FARM BUREAU, Page 5) Rules Are Explained Four Types of Displays To Be Considered in Award ing Prizes for Most At tractive Arrangements The Plymouth Junior Chamber of Comemrce announces that its 1949 Christmas Decoration Con test is open to everyone except members of the sponsoring or ganization and that to enter the contest it is necessary only to mail a postal card to Box 554, City, giving name and street ad dress and stating which type of decoration the entrant plans to use. The four types of decora tion are tree display, lawn dis play, window display and door way or entrance display. Notices of entry must be post marked not later than midnight, December 15, and decoration by contestants must be completed and ready to be turned on by the night of December 15. Entries must be lighted nightly from that date until January 1, 1950. They will be judged several times dur ing this period by members of the Jaycees acting as judges of the contest. Only one type of display will be accepted for each home. How ever, competing homes may have other decorations in addition to the entry, but any such other dec orations will not enter into de termination of winners. Types of displays to be judged and prizes | to be given winners in each type follow: Best decorated tree on lawn (no light limit), $20. Best decorated lawn and house (no light limit), $20. Best dressed window (no light limit if tree is used, otherwise 16-light limit), $20. Best decorated entrance (16 light limit), $20. All entry cards will be placed together in a box and one card drawn, the person whose card is drawn winning a grand prize of $20. The time of drawing and awarding of prizes is to be an nounced later. In order to win, contestants do not have to be present at the drawing. However, to be eligible for a prize, contest ants must have had at least some type of lighted display. Judges will be guided by gen eral artistic effect, originality, in genuity in utilizing surroundings and conformity to the Christmas spirit in decorations. It is hoped by the Jaycees that every home in Plymouth will par ticipate in the Christmas decora tions contest. i Town Tags Have! I Not Yet Arrived i The 1950 Plymouth city au tomobile license plates have not arrived yet, it was reported by City Clerk W. A. Roebuck late yesterday. State license tags went on sale today at the re cently established branch of fice at the Etheridge Company, located on the edge of Plym outh on U. S. 64 toward Roper. Town tags may be obtained and displayed as soon as they arrive and notification will be made in this newspaper. Tags will he on sale at the office of the City Clerk in the municipal building on Water Street. About 100 Attend Banquet Tuesday Staged by Masons New Bern Man Is Principal Speaker at 138lh Anni versary and Past Mas ters' Night Plymouth Masons, their ladies and a number of invited guests had a big night Tuesday of this week, when the local lodge, Per severance, No. 59, A. F. & A. M., held its annual Past Masters’ banquet in celebration of the 138th year since issuance of the lodge charter. The master of the lodge, L. E. Doxey, served as toastmaster for the banquet, which was served in the annex of the Plymouth Chris tian Church by the ladies of the church. A three-course turkey dinner was enjoyed by the gather ing, numbering around 100. Invocation was pronounced by the chaplain, the Rev. R. H. Lu cas. The address of welcome was given by W. A. Roebuck, senioi warden. Mr. Lucas then intro duced the speaker of the evening Robert Pugh, of the New Berr lodge, a 33rd degree Mason. Mr Pugh’s address was informal anc interspersed with wit and deal with interesting aspects of ma sonry. Certificates of 25-year member ship were presented to T. C. Bur gess, D. A. Hurley and C. T. Rob bins. Missing Man Is Believed to Have Drowned in River Ralph Armstrong, Army Man Home on Leave, Missing After Hunting Trip; Boat Found Grappling hooks were still be ing used yesterday afternoon in the Roanoke River near the pulp mill here in an effort to recover the body of Ralph M. Armstrong, 31, of Plymouth, missing since late Monday afternoon. An en listed man in the U. S. Army, Armstrong is believed to have fallen out of an outboard-powered boat and drowned. The young man left the home of his parents on Monroe Street here around 2 o’clock Monday afternoon and told his mother that he was borrowing his father’s gun and motorboat to go up the river to hunt squirrels. He said he expected to return home about 5:30 o’clock that afternoon. Armstrong failed to return, and after waiting until 7 o’clock that night the family became alarmed and sent Rebecca Armstrong, sis ter of the missing man, to notify the police. Alvin Allen, local po liceman, received the report and went with the girl to the docks where the Armstrong boat is usu ally kept. When they failed to find the boat, Allen got Jack Williams, local logger who has a good-sized boat, to go up the river in search of the missing man and boat. Wil liams said that he had seen a hoat near the pulp mill. When they returned they found that the boat had drifted over to Tallow Island, opposite the mill. The gun was in the boat, but the paddle was missing and the motor had a sheared pin. The paddle was found near the island Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard Air Base at Elizabeth City was called for help Monday night, but since Plym outh is not in the same district it was necessary to contact Con gressman Bonner at Washington. The Coast Guard station later sent a boat by truck with three men as a crew. They arrived Tuesday afternoon around 2 o’clock and began to drag for the body. Friends ar.d relatives of the missing man had searched the river in boats Monday night un til 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. County Game Protcetor J. T. Terry reported that he saw Arm strong in his boat and talked to him between 4:30 and 5 o’clock Monday afternoon. A watchman at the pulp plant reported seeing a man in a boat off against the mill near sundown Monday. He stated that the man was stand ing by the motor as if working on it. Armstrong was wearing heavy rubber hip boots and a hunting jacket with considerable ammuni tion. He is said to have been a good swimmer, but even the best swimmer would be severely han dicapped if dressed in like man ner. The missing man was home on leave after spending the past 18 months in Alaska, and he was to report for duty at Fort Riley, Kans., December 13th He had been at home for two weeks Mon day. Local Officers Make Raids In Skinnersville Township -« Sheriff J. K. Reid, Deputy W. D. Peal and W. S. Ainsley, of Creswell, and Foy Davenport, Plymouth policeman, raided two illicit stills in Skinnersville Town ship last week, and although no one was caught at either still the officers destroyed 600 gallons of mash and 10 gallons of whiskey, in addition to confiscating the stills. The first still was located with in 100 yards of U. S. Highway 64 and was a big copper outfit, 500 gallons of beer being destroyed. The second still was found about 300 yards from the old Plymouth Columbia road and officers found and destroyed 100 gallons of beer and 10 gallons of whiskey. Both stills were oil-burning outfits. ■-♦ V. F. W. To Meet Tonight At Courthouse, 8 o'clock Memebrs of the Bosie Batemar Post No. 4023, Veterans of For eign Wars, will meet tonight a 8 o’clock in the courthouse. Ralpl Hunter, post commander, urge: all members to be present as then are some important matters to bi brought before the group. New Aulo Tags On Sale Today The 1950 state license plates for motor vehicles go on sale today at the recently establish ed license branch office at the Etheridge Company here. Color scheme of the tags is just the reverse of the 1949 tags. The new licenses have yellow let ters and numerals on a black background. Motorists may obtain and dis play the license plates at any time from today onward. Old licenses must be replaced with new ones in order for motorist to drive their cars legally after the deadline next February 1. Establishment of the new branch office here should prove popular with Washington coun ty motor vehicle owners as they formerly had to obtain their tags from offices in William ston, Washington or Edenton. Increased Peanut Allotments Hoped For Coming Year 1950 Crop Goals Likely To Be Announced by Secre tary of Agriculture Bran nan Today Having enjoyed this fall the nicest weather in years for har vesting peanuts—many of which were in the fields in January last year before being picked—farm ers of this section are now think ing of next year’s peanut crop allotments. Announcement from Secretary of Agriculture Brannan of the 1950 state acreage allotments for peanuts is expected today. This announcement by the national ag ricultural head will serve as a guide for farmers throughout the section in arriving at their own estimates of what their acreage will be in 1950. County Production Marketing Administration Secretary Miriam Ausbon stated this week that no information has been received here on the allotments or on the procedure to be used next year. In 1949, peanut acreages were reduced by 22 per cent on a na tional basis with varying adjust ments by states and counties. I Those adjustments were made in accordance with acreage history for the three-year period from 1946 through 1948, and limitations of the law, which retains a mini mum acreage for certain states. This reduction brought the acreage down in Washington County from 5,925 acres planted in 1948 to an allotment of 5, 012.7 acres for the county in 1949. The average number of acres planted to peanuts in the county over the 1946-48 period was 6, 614.8 acres. In addition to the reduced acre age, yields have been cut greatly in this section by unfavorable weather conditions augmented perhaps by drainage problems which exist in places. Reports from British peanut-growing areas in Africa indicate that yields have been below expectations there, which also affects the world market. The resultant demand for peanuts for both the edible trade and for oil could possibly mean acreage increases Creswell Liquor Siore Is Entered, Robbed Saturday -♦ Sixth Break-in in Last Sev eral Years; 25 Cases of Whiskey Missing; Car Is Stolen Also -« For the sixth time in the last three or four years the ABC store at Creswell was broken into Sat urday night of last week, and 25 cases of whiskey are missing from the stock Sheriff J. K. Reid, who was summoned Sunday morning at 9:30 o’clock, investi gated the break-in and reports that he has a strong opinion as to who robbed the store and that it was the work of non-county resi dents. The sheriff found that the front door lock had been cut, apparent ly with heavy clippers, and that the store had been entered and the 25 cases of whiskey taken. Nothing other than the whiskey was disturbed in the store, how ever, Efforts by the sheriff to obtain fingerprints failed. A 1947 Chevrolet club coupe was stolen the same night, sup posedly by the robbers, from in front of the home of P. W. Little john. principal of the colored school at Creswell. The car be longed to Littlejohn, whose home is within 200 yards of the ABC sUtfb. The car probably was stfrted by crossing the ignition Wires, and the Vehicle was found tlti^ned Monday between CThoco winity and Vanceboro on a side road leading off U. S. 17. The back seat of the car was found at the edge of a swamp 500 yards from the ABC store, together with books and papers belonging to Littlejohn. One book was found in the street in front of the store. The sheriff surmises that the robbers drove into Creswell on one car and stole Littlejohn’s be cause it would require more than one vehicle to haul the 25 cases of 'whiske-'’. Sheriff Reid is now working in conjunction with the chief of po lice at New Bern and states he hopes soon to pick up the persons who committed the robbery. An out-of-town automobile was seen parked in front of the store on the Wednesday before the break in, and a man was seen to get out of the car and try the knob on the front door of the store about 8 o’clock at night. A by stander on the street took the li cense number of the car and later turned it in to the sheriff’s de partment. The number was traced and proved to be that of a New Bern car. | Creswell Senior | Play December 6 The senior class of Creswell high school is rehearsing a my stery play, “Hobgoblin House,” which will be presented in the school auditorium Tuesday, De cember 6. The cast of characters follows: Darius Krupp, the old caretaker of Hobgoblin House.Ronnie Prit chett; Miss Priscilla Carter, the present owner, Esther Mae Huf ton; Marian Carter, her niece, Joyce Snell: Jill Carter, Marian’s younger sister, Joyce Davenport; Frank Harlow Marian’s fiance, Eugene Davenport; Jack Loring, Jill’s fiance, Wade Hufton: Susan Parkins, the “Henglish ’ousekeep er”, Iva Mae Bateman; Henry Goober, the darky gardener, Cur tis Armstrong; Delilah Worts, the darky cook, Betty Jo Davenport; Bluebeard Bronson, an escaped maniac, Palmer Lee Stillman; Bill Kilkins, his keeper. Bill Wil kins; and Patricia, Maude Grace Davenport. Christmas Cheer for Poor Being Planned Roy Hampton, chairman of the Christmas Welfare Drive for Washington County states that all persons will be provided the I opportunity this year to conveni ently contribute to a corporate Christmas cheer effort, It is hoped that an early wave of giving will make possible early assimilation and accurate distri bution of the gifts. Mr. Hamp ton explained that this is a pub lic drive and the the case his tories of the needy as furnished by the welfare officer would de termine the distribution of the , provisions. Labeled barrels are to be placed I at stores and business houses in | Plymouth to receive contributions from shoppers. Receptacles for | cash donations also will be made available. Persons wishing to ; give clothing, food or any other type of donation from their homes I may leave the parcels at Mr. j Hampton’s office. Those who de I sire to independently take care of one or more of the needy cases : will be furnished a cr.se history upon request. In the past, the lack of coordi nated effort on the part of various religious and civic organizations in the county has been felt in re gard to the Christmas welfare ! program. With better organiza I tion, it is hoped this year to make the campaign one of real cheer ' for the needy and a success from ! every standpoint.