<
T'own
opics
::-a
City Clerk W. A. Roebuck re
ported yesterday that sales of
1951 town license tags for motor
vehicles had reached 594. The
deadline for displaying old tags
was midnight Wednesday. Around
700 or more tags were sold here
last year.
w' Ernest Etheridge, proprietor of
the garage and car dealership
here that bears his name, has
been confined to his home with a
bad case of mumps for over a
week now. Mr. Etheridge has the
mumps on both sides.
The good-natured jests and
hearty laughter of “Bill" Hays
have been missing in the county
agent’s office for some time now.
Mr. Hays has been in Arizona for
about two weeks or more, and it
is not known when he will return
to Plymouth.
The recent warm days brought
an increase of "business” to the
Plymouth Fire Department as
persons took advantage of the
pretty weather to set grass fires.
Such fires can really be hazard
ous, though, especially when the
wind is high or blowing in the
direction of nearby buildings.
Precipitation plus freezing
temperatures brought icy roads
to the county again Tuesday.
However, highway workmen
£ were quick to spread sand on
W bridges and other danger spots
and motorists may have profited
also, from the recent string of
wrecks in the county during just
such weather.
*
Face-Lifting Job
Now Being Given
Local Gymnasium
-4
Interior Painted, New Fan
Shaped Backboards In
stalled; Electric Score
board Being Used
-4
Appearance of the Plymouth
High School gymnasium has been
u greatly improved during the past
^ week by painting, erecting new
basketball backboards, and other
work. It was learned from school
officials that the outside of the
building also is to be painted.
The interior has been given a
two-tone paint job, the bottom
part being painted a dark green,
with the upper part is a light
green pastel shade. The ceiling
was painted white. Fan-shaped
backboards have been installed,
and cracks in the old wooden
building have been puttied to
hold the heat. The exterior of the
structure is be given two coats
of white paint.
The class of 1950 presented the
school with an electric score
board, and this has been installed
in the gymnasium. It not only
shows the score and quarter be
ing played, but the clock carries
official time, showing time elaps
ed and remaining in each per
iod. The board is operated by
^ push buttons from the scorer’s
W table at the center of the gym.
Two gas heaters were installed
earlier in the year, and the build
ing is much more comfortable in
bad weather than it has ever
been. Local school officials are
confident that the improved ap
pearance and comfort of the
building will result in much
larger crowds attending home
basketball games.
Should Give Fire
Truck Clear Path
-*
Plymouth Police Chief P. W.
Brown has issued a sharp warn
ing to motorists who pull out
ahead of the fire trucks when go
ing to a fire. This practice is
against the law and is extremely
dangerous, the chief pointed out.
Only this week, there were
some persons in cars parked on
the street who attempted to pull
out ahead of the truck which was
answering an alarm. The police
chief was on hand to avert a
possible serious wreck, but he
warns the public that occurences
of this may mean that someone
will be killed or seriously hurt.
When the fire siren sounds, mo
torists should pull over to the
curb and give way to the fire
trucks. They are also cautioned
against following too closely be
hind the truck or parking too
near the scene of a fire.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A borne newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
VOLUME LXII—NUMBER 5
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 1, 1951
ESTABLISHED 1889
EVACUATING WOUNDED BY AIR FROM KOREAN WAR ZONE
J
SAFE AT T-AST ON HOSPITAL AIR STRIP —The final stage in the grim drama against hordes
of Chinese Communists and subzero weather of the North Korean winter was set by this transport
plane of the U. S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command loading wounded for air evacuation to
Japan.
26 Youths To Leave
Friday for Physicals
Still Seized by j
Roper Firemenj
Roper volunteer firemen were
cast in a new role Monday,
when they found an illicit
liquor still while fighting a
small forest fire in the Pea
Ridge section. They were call
ed to help extinquish a woods
fire on property back of Bunk
Long’s service station, near the
summer cabin of Dr. A. Papi
nau of Albemarle Sound.
They ran across the still and
seized it, along with five gal
lons of moonshine whiskey.
Some of the boys had visions of
a big "party,” but Robert Saw
yer, of Roper, an ABC enforce
ment officer, happened to be
along and took charge of the
spirits, still and equipment. It
could not be learned whether
or not the fire originated at the
still.
Board Is Gwen
Facts on Growth
Of Library Here
In Eight Years, Total Vol
umes Have Increased
from Less than 2,500 to
Over 7,500
-4
The Washington County Li
brary Board held its regular
meeting Tuesday, January 23, in
the courthouse. Miss Evelyn Day
Muller, state supervisor of rural
libraries of North Carolina, met
with the group and gave
many valuable suggestions on the
work.
In 1941-42 the Washington
County Library had 2,418 books
with a circulation of 10,090. In
1949-50, the total number of
books had increased to 7,564 with
a circulation of 39,168.
In the public libraries of North
Carolina today there is half a
book per person; in Washington
County there is a little over a
half book per person. The goal
for adequate book and informa
tional service is two books per
person.
Since 1941 the per capita sup
port of the local library has in
creased from two cents to eleven
cents, this being one cent more
than the state average—ten cents.
Mrs. Bryan Harris, bookmobile
driver, reported a circulation of
5,682 books for the last quarter.
Mrs. C. E. Ayers, librarian, re
ported 427 new books added this
quarter, making a total of 7.991
with a circulation of 1,681. The
circulation at Creswell as report
ed by Miss Weatherly for the
last quarter was 1,647.
The library board is composed
of Mrs. J. R. Campbell, chairman,
Plymouth; Miss Lorna Weather
ly, secretary, Creswell; Mrs. W.
A. Blount, treasurer, Roper; Mrs.
A. E. Davenport, Mackeys; Rey
nolds Spruill, Roper; Messrs. J.
Shepherd Brinkley, R. F. Lowrv,
E. E. Harrell and E. M. Leavitt
and Mrs. L. S. Thompson, Plym
outh.
17 While and 9 Colored in
Pre-Induclion Call; Many
High School or College
Sludenls
-♦
Twenty-six young Washington
County men are scheduled to
leave here Friday morning for
Raleigh to take their pre-induc
tion physical examinations. Prac
tically all of them are in the 19
year-old group, and several are
high school or college students,
it was learned at the office of the
local selective service board.
Even if they pass the physical
examination, those who are in
school and making satisfactory
grades will be eligible to have
their induction postponed until
the end of the current school
year if they request it.
Seventeen of those called to re
port tomorrow are white and nine
colored. Included in the latter
group is Isaac Wilkins, of Roper,
heretofore carried on the delin
quent list, but whose status was
cleared up last week when he re
ported to the draft beard after
returning to uort or. a co . 'icrrV
fishing boat, where he had been
employed for some time.
Ten of the number being call
ed from the Plymouth area, six
white and four colored. Roper is
next with eight, four white and
four colored. Creswell is called to
furnish five white and one color
ed; Mackeys and Powells Point,
one white each.
Subjects to last-minute changes
in classification, the list of those
receiving notices to report for ex
amination tomorrow was as fol
lows:
White—Plymouth: Albert Louis
Singleton, Hugh B. Pierce, jr.,
Matthew White Norman, Clar
ence W. Alexander, jr., Charles
Jackson Smith, jr., and Reynald
Wayne Browning; Creswell: John
Wesley Sexton, James Harold
Phelps, Everett Earl Davenport,
Dallas Harold Davenport, and
Avery Alden Phelps; Roper:
Louis Warren Skiles, jr.; Eugene
Speight Gray; Jennings Cicero
Spruill, and James Kennieth
Comer; Mackeys: Sylvester Sim
mon Twiddy, jr.; and Powells
Point: Norris Ray Marriner.
Colored—Plymouth: Alexander
James, Fred J. Downing, Free
man M. Hyman, and Willie Ro
bert Norman; Roper: Isaac R.
Wilkins, Ananias Buck Spruill,
Nathaniel Downing and Willie
Marshall Downing; Creswell:
Robert Lee Lewis.
Firs! Herring of Season
Reported at Williamston
-4
The first herring to be taken
from Roanoke River this year was
reported from Williamston the
first of this week. George Hardi
son is said to have caught one in
a wire net. It was about normal
in size, the report stated.
Reports of the first Roanoke
herring each season usually come
from Jamesville, as a rule,
around Groundhog day. Called
the “key to the smokehouse,"
fishermen once vied for the hon
or of bringing it in. However, the
herring has lost a lot of its econo
mic importance in this section in
later years, and relatively few
are caught now.
Groundhog Due to Come Out Friduy
A ▲_ _4
Those who pul their faith in
the weather proknostications of
the lowly groundhog will pro
bably be busy at noon tomor
row (Friday) checking up on
whether nr not the little ani
mal sees his shadow. Accord
ing to legend, if the sun is
shining at the time and the
groundhog sees his shadow on
February 2nd. when he alleged
ly ends his winter hibernation,
then he returns to his lair and
winter will continue to reign
for forty more days. On the
other hand, if he fails to see his
shadow, then he remains out
and spring is not far away.
However, regardless of the
groundhog’s predictions and the
state of the weather for the
next 40 days, Tilks in this part
of the world figure they are
ahead of old man winter thus
far, even though not nearly so
much as a year ago, when about
the mildest January in recent
memory was enjoyed.
The month just past did not
bring too heavy a toll of bad
weather and there were many
bright, sunny days during
which the temperature really
soared. In fact, Sunday and
Monday of this week were
balmy and springlike.
Some people arc optimistical
ly predicting an early spring
while others insist that the
worst of the winter weather is
yet to come.
General Assembly
Has Settled Down
To Routine Work
-♦
Woolard Will Allend Board
Meetings Monday; No
Local Legislation Pro
posed Thus Far
-♦
Washington County Represent
ative W. J. Woolard, while at
home last week-end, stated that
he planned to attend the first
Monday meetings of the county
board of education and commis
sioners here next Monday to as
certain if any local legislation is
desired by either group during
the present session of the General
Assembly. He said he would re
main over as long as necessary to
take up any possible legislation
that the county governing bodies
may consider advisable or neces
sary.
The representative said he had
been approached by several in
dividuals about legislative action
during the present session of the
legislature. He stated, however,
that he wished to work closely
with county officials and that he
H ■ not i"t n to sponsor any meu-,
ures until public notice had keen
given. His actions at Raleigh will
largely be governed by the wish
es of the local boards, he indi
cated.
Mr. Woolard said that the as
sembly was settling down to the
routine business of the session,
and numerous matters of state
wide importance are being con
sidered by several committees of
which he is a member. Many bills
are being introduced in both
houses, but formal sessions of the
assembly will continue to be
short until some of the more con
troversial matters, now being
considered by committees, reach
the floor. Few measurers, except
those of a purely local nature,
have been enacted thus far.
Veterans Change
Time of Meeting
-♦
Commander W. J. Weaver of
the Plymouth Post, Veterans of
Foreign Wars, has announced a
change in plans for the meeting
to be held Thursday night. It was
first announced that this meeting
would be held in the basement
at the new veterans’ building
here. It was since learned that
construction is not sufficiently
progressed to warrant meeting
there as planned. The place has
been changed to the courthouse.
The time of the meeting has been
announcd as 8:30 o'clock.
Commander Weaver stated that
reports from all workers on tic
ket sales for the coming dance
will be requested at the meeting.
Also final details on plans for the
dance are to be worked out. All
members of the post are urged to
attend.
-4
Play Casting to
Begin Next Week
->
Casting will begin next week
for a play, “Simon the -Leper,” to
be presented in Plymouth some
time around Easter, it was an
nounced today by Mrs. W. J.
Weaver, of Plymouth, who will
direct the play.
The sponsoring group is the
Woman’s Missionary Society of
the First Christian Church, it
was announced. There are four
male and four female roles in the
play, which is on a religious sub
ject. Anyone interesting in act
ing in the play, or in subsequent
plays which it is planned to pre
sent, are asked to communicate
with Mrs. Weaver early next
week, or before.
Mrs. Weaver directed the play,
“Into Thy Kingdom,” which was
successfully presented at Plym
outh and at Jamesville some time
ago.
Local Post Office
Narrowly Misses
On Higher Rating
-♦
Total Receipts for 1950 Fail
By Less Than $8 of Lift
ing Office Into the Next
Higher Bracket
-♦
By the scant margin of only
$7.75, the Plymouth post office j
failed to reach a higher bracket
for total receipts during 1950.
That fact was revealed yesterday .
by Postmaster J. C. Swain, who 1
commented that he could have;
purchased “$8 worth of postage
stamps and thrown them in a
waste basket and made money.”
In explaining, the postmaster
stated that second class offices
are divided into 7 classifications,
depending on their receipts dur
ing the year. The local office,
a second class one, has been in
the third highest classification for
the papt five years.
All receipts, such as stamps
sales, stamp paper sales, second
class postage and box rents,
which are accredited to the local1
office go toward determining the
classification. The first bracket
is for yearly receipts of from $8,
000 to $12,000; the second, $12,
000 to $15,000; the third, $15,000
$18,000; the fourth, $18,000 - $22,
000; the fifth, $22,000 - $27,000;
the sixth, $27,000 - $33,000; and
the seventh, $33,000-$40,000. Re
ceipts of over $40,000 per year
entitle an office to first class rat
ing.
Total receipts for the year were
$26,992.25 at the Plymouth post
office, the biggest single item be
ing the sale of stamps which
totaled $24,898.04. This was di
vided into quarterly sales as fol
lows, (first quarter through
fourth); $5,538.46; $5,750.10; $4,
821.80; and $8,787.68..
-4
Draft Regulations
Affecting College
Students Changed
New Program Permits Re
opening Classification to
Permit Volunteering Be
fore End of Term
-♦
New regulations received yes
terday by the office of the Wash
ington County Selective Service
Board will enable college stu
dents to remain in school until
the end of the current term and
still enlist in the service of their
choice. The new program is de
signed to halt a rush by stu
dents to drop out of school in or
der to enlist in the air force or
navy.
Heretofore, after college stu
dents received orders to report
for their pre-induction examina
tion they were not permitted to
volunteer, although their actual
induction might be deferred un
til the end of the school year.
The same thing applies to stu
dents in high schools, but no
mention was made of them in the
new regulations received this
week by the local board.
The Defense Department an
nounced the new plan about two
weeks ago, but some features of
it were found to conflict with ex
isting regulations. There also was
considerable confusion among
students and draft board officials
as to how the plan would operate.
To eliminate the conflicts and
clear up the confusion, the De
fense Department and Selective
Service got together last Thurs
day and made additional changes
in draft rules to legalize the pro
gram.
Selective Service Director
Lewis B. Hershey announced that
See DRAFT, Page 12
--♦
Sale of Licenses
Near 2000 Mark
■—<—
Slightly less than 400 sets of
state license plates for motor ve
hicles were reported sold at the
branch office of the Carolina Mo
tor Club at The Etheridge Com
pany here from late last Wednes
day through Monday of this week.
The total sales through Monday
stand at 1,923 sets. Sets have been
sold in the various categories
as follows:
Automobiles, 1,446: motorcy
cles, 10; private trucks, 266: farm
i trucks, 42: small trailers, 113; and
commercial trailers, 46.
Every motor vehicle must car
ry new license plates from now
on or be subject to prosecution
if caught driving without them.
All persons living within the city
limits of Plymouth must display
city tags from now on or be sub
ject to prosecution. The deadline
for displaying old license tags
was midnight, Wednesday, Jan
uary 31.
Extend County Drive for
Infantile Paralysis Funds
Sfonls Here Id (<» I !«><-(j
C'lolliing IVbniarv ill
..... •
As part of a national drive, the
Plymouth troops of Boy Scouts
will canvass the town Sunday,
February 11 to collect old cloth
ing which will be shipped over
seas for the relief of unfortunate
persons, local scouting officials
have announced.
A program to stimulate inter
est in the drive has been an
nounced. A parade of various lo
cal scouting units, including Boy i
Scouts, Sea Scouts, Cub Scouts I
and the local colored troop of
Boy Scouts will be staged Thurs- !
day, February 8.
Friday, February 9, there will
be held a Father-Son banquet.
Sunday evening, February 11, a I
court of honor for local scouts
will be held at Ludford Memor
ial Baptist Church. Further de-1
tails of this program will be an-1
nounced next week.
No Extension of Time
For Listing Property
! Number of Property Owners
in County Subject to 10
Per Cent Penalty for Fail
ure to List
-♦
The period for listing 1951
cthtnty and city taxes expired
yesterday at the close of the list
ing day and, according to avail
able reports, found a good many
tax payers in the position of not
having listed. This is an unen
viable position as no extension
of the normal listing period has
been provided, and it is under
stood that delinquents will be
penalized 10 per cent for late
listing, as provided by law.
The expected last minute rush
had failed to materialize in the
office of the city clerk here by
late afternoon. Perhaps the wea
ther had something to do with
the situation. List Taker Clarence
L. Blount announced that some
thing over two thirds of the ap
proximately 2,200 property own
ers in Plymouth Township had
listed.
H. L. Davenport, county tax
supervisor, could not be contact
ed here yesterday for informa
tion on the progress of listing in
the other three townships of the
county. However, it is thought
that the general trend was about
the same throughout the county
and that there will be a good
many taxpayers to suffer the
penalty for failure to list within
the prescribed time.
City List Taker W. A. Roebuck
reported yesterday that there
were very few persons who fail
ed to list their 1951 holdings with
him, especially among the white
property owners.
List takers who served in the
three townships other than Plym
outh Township are: R. W. Lewis,
Lees Mill Township; W. W.
White, Skinnersville Township;
and P. B. Belanga, Scuppernong
Township.
Four Fire Calls
Past Three Days
-1
Four fire alarms this week
swelled the total for the past two
weeks to seven, as local firemen
were called out Sunday, twice
Monday and again Tuesday. But
none of the fires was of a serious
nature and very little damage
was reported.
Sunday at noon the firemen
were called to Stillacres where
a grass fire was burning on a va-;
cant lot. There was no damage.
Monday afternoon about 1 1
o’clock the firemen were sum
moned to a grass fire back of the j
Etheridge Company. No damage
was reported. Later in the after- j
noon, the busy firemen answered
an alarm on Wilson Street ex-'
tended which proved to be a roof
fire at the Arnold residence. This
blaze is said to have started from
sparks from a nearby grass fire.
The damage to the roof was re
ported as slight.
At 4:30 o’clock Tuesday after
noon, the firemen were again
called out, this time to extinguish
a stove fire at the Dutch Grill.
Very little damage resulted from
the blaze.
Leaf Allotments
Already Nailed
Tobacco allotments for indi
vidual farmers in Washington
County have been worked out
and mailed, it was announced
at the PMA office here.
There are 291 farms in the
county on Which tobacco is
grown and the allotments total
1,861.1 acres, which represents
an increase over last year when
the allotment was 1,408.7 acres,
j The average allotment per farm
| in the county is now 6.4 acres.
; The allotment for the county in
! 1949 was 1,320 acres, and that
of 1948, 1,256.2 acres.
Four new grower allotments
have been sent in to Raleigh
for approval, it was said.
Newland Named
To H*§d USDA
County Council
-♦
Information Given Concern
ing Function of Council
Regarding Farm Regis
trants Activities
-♦
Harry E. Newland, county soil
conservationist, was elected as
chairman of the Washington
County USDA Council at an or
ganizational meeting of the group
held in the Agriculture Building
here Thursday evening. Mrs.
Frances M. Darden, Washington
County home agent, was elected
secretary.
Information was submitted to
the council concerning an agri
culture deferment for a young
farmer in the Creswell communi
ty. The council wishes to make it
perfectly clear that it has no au
thority to recommend anyone for
deferment. The sole function of
the council in regard to selective
service is to supply the local
board, at the board’s request, with
accurate information concerning
farming activities of registrants.
If any young farmer in the
county or his parents feel that
he is more needed on the farm
than in the armed forces the reg
istrant should see his local se
lective service board to learn
whether they need additional in
formation concerning his case.
Chairman Newland has an
nounced that the March meeting
of the council will be held on the
afternoon of the first in the agri
I culture building. The meeting
| will begin at 4:30 o’clock.
Attending last week’s meeting
here were the following: C. W.
Bowen, Heber Rcspass and Mir
iam Ausbon, of the County PMA;
Vocational teachers Banks and
Tucker; Nathaniel Holton, vete
rans instructor at Belhaven; Miss
Carolyn Brinkley, of the Plym
outh High School faculty; Mrs.
Darden; J. L. Rea, of the Experi
ment Station; Mr. Newland and
Ed Craft, of the Soil Conserva
tion Service.
Counly Quota of $3,COO Less
Than Two-Thirds Reach
ed; Bake Sale, Birthday
Ball Here Saturday
-♦
The March of Dimes campaign
period has been extended indefi
nitely in Washington County, it
was announced today by Thomas
F. Hopkins, of Plymouth, county
director of the drive.
With the regular period of the
annual polio fund-raising cam
paign closing yesterday, it was
said that around $1,800 had been
reported collected thus far,
against a county quota of $3,000.
The quota set for the county was
the highest in the history of the
yearly campaigns, the quota for
last year having been $2,500. It
was realized following a short
extension of the time.
Hopkins was confident yester
day that collections through next
Monday will swell the county
total to $2,500. He pointed out
that the contributions which have
been placed in lapel receptacles
which the business men of Plym
outh have been wearing, have
been placed in paper lung con
tainers and these are to be pick
ed up Monday. It was believed
that they would augment the
fund total by about $300.
Money reported to date in
cludes $37 donated by the Town
of Plymouth from parking meter
receipts of last Friday and Sat
urday; $60 realized from a bene
fit basketball double-header re
cently staged at Roper between
the high school teams and All
Star cagers; and $30 contributed
by fans who attended the recent
Plymouth-Belhaven high school
basketball twin bill in the local
school gymnasium.
Hopkins stated that a bake sale
has been planned for Friday and
Saturday of this week at the Nor
man Furniture Company store on
Fast Water Street. Cakes, other
pastries, candies and possibly
some canned fruits or vegetables,
made by local ladies Will be of
fered for sale apd tue proceeds
donated to Ole Mafefi'of Dimes.
On Saturday night, beginning
at 9 o’clock, in the high school
gymnasium here the President’s
Birthday Ball will be held, with
all proceeds going into the polio
fund. The J. J. Clemmons High
School orchestra of Roper will
furnish the music for the ball. A
queen, to be selected from among
several high school contestants,
will be crowned during the ball
and other contestants will attend
; her as princesses in her court.
Tickets for the ball are on sale
in Creswell, Roper and Plymouth,
1 the county director said.
Another source of funds for the
polio campaign is the animal ex
1 hibit which is showing in Plym
outh throughout this week. Hop
kins stated that 25 per cent of the
i proceeds are being given to the
polio fund. With these added
; sources, and with the continued
cooperation of persons through
out the county, the director is
hopeful that Washington County
will again go over the top in this
annual drive. The need is great,
it was pointed out, as National
Foundation funds were exhaust
ed in 1950 by the second greatest
epidemic of polio ever. More than
33,000 cases were reported
throughout the nation in 1950, it
was said.
*_
County and Town
Board Meetings
The county board of commis
sioners, board of education and
the Plymouth town council will
hold their regular meetings next
Monday, with routine business
scheduled for consideration in
each case. The county boards will
hold their first Monday meetings
in the courthouse, convening as
usual at 10 o’clock, The cit'- eoun
cil will meet at the municipal
building on Water Street Mon
1 day night at 8 o’clock.
So far as could be learned late
I yesterday, only routine matters
are on the agenda, although it
is quite possible that something
out of the ordinary may develop
at each of the meetings.
Price Freeze Has Little Effect Here
The price and wage freeze or
dered last Friday by the Office
of Price Stabilization has had lit
tle or no effect on the local front,
so far as could be learned here
this week. The price freeze limit
ed prices on many items to the
highest levels they had attained
in the period between December
19 and January 25; but so many
other items are not included in
the order that local retailers arc
waiting for further explanation
before making any price changes,
either up or down.
The price freeze had been an
ticipated for so long that it came
as no surprise to most local busi
ness men, except that its provis
ions were not nearly as stringent
as had been expected. There is
considerable uncertainty as to
how the terms of the order are
to be administered, and a large
majority of people are reserving
their opinion as to its merits or
demerits until they find out just
-4
how they are affected individu
ally.
Principal complaints heard
thus far is by wage earners, who
claim the order was so long de
layed that the prices of many
commodities had already reached
record high levels, and they feel
that a rollback is in order. There
have been hints by some of the
government’s policy makers that
such a course is under considera
tion.