T'OWIl
opics
Alice Harris, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Bryan Harris, of Roper,
made the dean’s list for the fall
quarter just ended at East Caro
lina College, Greenville, her mo
ther has been informed. Miss Har
ris, a graduate of Roper High
School, is a sophomore at the
Greenville school.
“Miss Grey” is dead. And a
vacant spot which cannot be filled
now exists in the C. E. Ayers
household. Everyone who has
visited the Ayers’ during the past
14 years knew “Miss Grey.” When
Mr. and Mrs. Ayers and family
moved to the house they now oc
cupy in Country Club Village the
former occupants, a Mr. and Mrs.
Grey who now live in another
state, willed to the Ayers family
a cat and asked that it be given
the best of treatment. It was. And
now that “Miss. Grey” is no more,
there is genuine sorrow in the
Ayers household.
J. C. and Maurice Smith ran
into some good goose hunting in
the Engelhard section near Lake
Mattamuskeet early Monday
morning. Maurice said they
bagged their limit, of Canadian
geese before eight o’clock.
W. Willis Bowen, Washington
County FHA supervisor, is in
Washington today where he is at
tending a meeting of supervisors
from Hertford, Swan Quarter,
Williamston, Trenton, New Bern,
Washington and Plymouth. The
meeting, being held in the Beau
fort County FHA office, is in
charge of Marion C. Holland, of
Gelds boro, state FHA field repre
sentative.
James Hardison, who has been
quite ill for some time and who
was just recently released from
the hospital here, stated this week
that he is now able to sit up in
• doors and is getting along nicely.
It will be sometime before he will
be able to be out and still longer
before he regains his strength
sufficiently to allow him to again
take up the active management
of his business here.
Last Friday afternoon it was
interesting to watch the various
reactions of the small fry as they
beheld St. Nick. One tiny miss,
apparently frightened by Santa’s
whiskers, wouldn’t get within six
feet of him despite parental urg
ing and the fact that she held a
letter addressed to him. She fin
ally tossed the epistle down at his
feet and took refuge in her mo
ther’s arms.
-*
Large Majority
County Farmers
Favor Controls
- ■ 4
Controls Voted On Cotton
And Peanut Crops by 8
To 1 and 25 to 1, Respect
ively, Tuesday
Washington County farmers
voted overwhelmingly Tuesday
along with the rest of the country
for production and marketing
controls to remain on peanuts for
the next three years and to be
invoked on the cotton crop next
year.
With a two-thirds majority vote
necessary to carry the referendum
on the two cash crops, the total
returns from 201 of the 1,056 cot
ton growing counties showed a
solid 103,861 for controls as
against 3,875 voting “no.”
In the peanut referendum re
turns from 41 of 563 couuties
showed 6,317 for controls to 101
against.
Farmers in some 20 states took
part in separate cotton and pea
nut referendums.
The vote for control meant
favoring limited production with
a specific acreage allotment in
dividually, by counties, states and
country as a whole in return for
high support prices, government
supported at 90 per cent of parity.
Farmers have never rejected
controls in a referendum vote.
The 90 per cent parity figure
would amount to about 31 cents a
pound for cotton and $237.60 a
ton for peanuts, it was said.
Stronger support was shown in
this county for the continued con
trols on the peanut crop than on
imposition of controls on cotton.
The total county vote for pea
nut controls was 265, 255 for and
only 10 against. For cotton it was
134 for and 17 against.
There were three pollings
places, in Plymouth at the Agri
culture Building, in Roper at
Knowles Grocery and in Creswell
at Mike Davenport's garage.
The vote, broken down to poll
ing places, was given by the
county ASC office as follows:
Plymouth iCotton, 34 for, none
against; Peanuts, 103 for, none
against.
Creswell: Cotton, 71 for, 14
against; Peanuts, 69 for, 8 against.
Roper: Cotton, 29 for, three
against; Peanuts. 83 for, 2 against.
Very few votes were challeng
ed anywhere in the county.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
fes::=!=:=
VOLUME LXIV—NUMBER 51 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 17, 1953
ESTABLISHED 1889
HAPPY IN THE FACE OF SERIOUS HANDICAPS |
That one can be happy with little in the way of material
possessions is amply proved in the case of Johnny Harris, 21, and
his grandmother, 78-year-old Mrs. Georgie Annie Belch, pictured
here in their humble rented home on the Mackeys Road near
Albemarle Beach. The two were visited recently by a Beacon re
porter and photographer who found the young man—deformed
from birth—bright and cheerful and his grandmother who reared
him from infancy content in the knowledge that she has done a
good job in bringing him up and teaching him to read, write and
figure. He plays the guitar and harmonica, sings and composes
ballads as a hobby. Mrs. Belch has been ailing lately and needs
money with which to pay bills.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
Handicapped Youth
Has Plenty of Pluck
{Holiday Closing!
! For Draii Board!
Registrants and other persons
who might have business at the
local selective service board
no. 95, located in the basement
of the courthouse here, are
asked to please note that the
office will be closed after
Thursday of this week and will
remain closed throughout the
week of December 20.
The announcement was made
by Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, board
clerk, who stated that the of
fice would reopen on Monday,
December 28, at the usual hour.
No Bookmobile Schedule
During Christmas Week
-♦
The Washington County Book
mobile will not make its regular
run next week because of the
Christmas holidays, Mrs. C. E.
Ayers, county librarian, announc
ed this week.
The following week the book
mobile will make the same run
which was postponed in obser
vance of the Christmas holidays,
it was said.
This schedule will be published
in the next issue of The Beacon.
Despile Deformity, Lack ol
Formal Schooling, John
ny Harris Presents Cheer
ful Personality
Bv JAMES I,. BOND
Probably one of the most re
markable persons in Washington
County is a 21-year-old boy
whose physical stature must be
less than four feet and who looks
to weigh hardly 75 pounds. He is
Johnny Harris and he lives with
his 78-year-old grandmother in a
small, drab rented house on the
Mackeys Road within sight of the
turn-off leading to Albemarle
Beach.
The grandmother, Mrs. Georgie
Annie Belch, has really been a
mother to the boy all his life as
well as the only schoolteacher he
has ever known. Johnny's mother,
who now lives in Chowan County,
gave the boy to her mother to
rear and the latter has had him
from tiny infancy.
Deformed from birth, the boy
has never gone to school, but to
talk to him you’d never guess it.
One reason, perhaps, is a natural
ly alert mind; another is the ex
cellent care and training he has
received over the years from his
doting grandmother. She taught
him to read, to write and to
figure. His love of reading and
See HARRIS, Page 8
Tax Supervisor,
Listers To Meet
With Board Here
Oaths To Be Administered
At Monday Night Meet
ing; Uniform Listing
Prices To Be Set
The county tax supervisor,
town tax listers and members of
the board of county commission
ers are scheduled to meet at the
courthouse Monday night of next
week, Clerk to the Board J. Rob
ert Campbell has announced.
Purpose of the meeting will be
to administer the oath of office to
the supervisor and list takers and
to establish uniform prices for
listing livestock and other items
of property in the annual proper
ty listing which begins in Jan
uary, Mr. Campbell said.
Hubert L. Davenport, of Skin
nersville, was reappointed coun
ty tax supervisor by the board of
commissioner at the December
1st session. The commissioners
met here Monday night of this
week and appointed list takers.
Named as list takers for the var
ious township were:
Paul B. Belanga, Scuppernong
Township; W. W. White, Skin
nersville Township; R. W. Lewis,
Lees Mill Township; and Clar
ence L. Blount, Plymouth Town
ship.
At the meeting this week the
commissioners also decided to ad
vertise the sale of certain coun
ty-owned lands in the Wenona
section. The land will be sold at
public auction at the courthouse
January 18 at 11 a. m. ,it was said.
A total of 988 acres will be placed
on the block.
The board asked Tax foreclos
ure attorneys Norman and Rod
man to foreclose on two tracts in
Lees Mill Township on which
taxes are unpaid for several
years.
The meeting next Monday
night is slated to begin at 7:30.
Local Negro Boy
To Face Charges
Willie Lee Barron, 18-year-old
Plymouth Negro, is in jail here
awaiting trial next Tuesday in
Washington County Recorder’s
Court on a shoplifting charge.
Barron was arrested at 7 a. m.
Wednesday at the home of Willie
Lee Moore, on Adams Street, by
Police Chief P. W. Brown and
jailed. A watchband allegedly
taken from Western Auto Store
here Tuesday before noon was re
covered, it was said.
Gene Armentrout, operator of
the Western Auto store, was told
by clerks shortly before noon
Tuesday that a colored boy just
leaving the store had taken a
watchband. Armentrout hurried
out and accosted the youth on
the ridewalk and asked that he
return the band. The Negro de
nied having the band whereupon
Armentrout took him by the arm
and said they would go to the
police station. But the boy pulled
free, started to run, stumbled and
fell, with Armentrout tripping
over him. The boy fled, reported
ly at a high rate of speed, but
Armentrout had struck the con
crete face first and was tempora
rily stunned. He suffered a
broken tooth and a badly bruised
lip.
GROUP AT OPENING OF NEW BANK THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK
I -- '■ ■ ■■■■- ■■
1
Despite a drizzling rain, more than 50 persons were on hand at 9 o’clock last Thursday
morning, when the Plymouth unit of the Planter! National Bank & Trust Company opened for
business. This photo shows a portion of the cro-vd, headed by Mayor A. J. Riddle (extreme right),
who cut the ribbon in front of the doors and wa; given the honor of becoming the first depositor
of the new bank. Archie W. McLean, president of the Rocky Mount institution, is back of Mayor
Riddle. D. Marvin Weaver, manager of the local branch, is third from the right and just in front
of him is Wiley W. Meares, executive vice president and cashier of the Planters National.—Pola
roid 1-Minute staff photo.
County Churches Outline
Christmas Program Plans
Special Services Include
Sermon Topics, Appro
priate Christmas Music
Programs
-♦
Special Christmas programs
have been announced for many
of the Plymouth and county
churches during the holiday sea
son, including special music, fitt
ing sermon topics, cantatas, spec
ial children’s programs, and so
forth.
The choir of the First Christian
Church, Plymouth, presented a
cantata, “King of Kings,” last
Sunday evening before an ap
preciative audience. Soloists were
Mrs. Frances Lucas, Misses Myrtle
and Betty Jean Jackson and
Charles Hutchins. Mrs. Harry
Newland served as organist and
director.
Sunday morning at the 11
o’clock worship hour at Ludford
Memorial Baptist Church here the
pastor, the Rev. P. B. Nickens,
will use the subject, “The Manger
in Your Heart.” The senior choir
will render an anthem and Mrs.
Darrell Cahoon, of Columbia, will
be guest soloist.
At the evening hour service,
the annual program of Christmas
music will be presented by the
choir.
A brief Christmas program will
follow the Christian Endeavor
meeting Sunday night at Saints
Delight Church of Christ, accord
ing to an announcement issued
by the pastor, Walker Perry.
Grace Episcopal Church here
will hold Christmas Midnight
celebration of the Holy Commun
ion Thursday of next week at
11:30 p. m., the rector, the Rev.
E. M. Spruill, has announced. The
public is cordially invited to at
ten this service.
At Zion’s Chapel Church of
Christ the children will have
the: ■ Christmas program during
the pening of Bible School Sun
day. v.c is 9 *5.a. m. Ric ard
Ga^^er, t'tnwtert the vi
noiv.ijKgp0«j * ■
Sunday morning at 11 o'clock
at Plymouth Methodist Church
the cantata, “The Christmas
Story,” by Matthews, will be ren-l
dered by the choir, with Shepherd
Brinkley at the organ. Soloists
have been announced as Myrtle
Gray Jackson, Betty Jean Jack
son, Mrs. E. W. Furgurson and
Zcb Norman, jr.
A special Christmas worship
service will be held at the Roper
See CHURCHES, Page~5
-*
Mackeys Men in
Fatal Shooting
-♦
Sheriff J. K. Reid and State
Highway Patrolman Carl Gil
christ, of Plymouth, arrested Ver
non Lucas, young Mackeys color
ed man, at his home Saturday
night shortly after he allegedly
shot another Negro to death.
The shooting happened at 9
o’clock and the victim was Henry
Joe Louis Wilkins, jr., 18, also of
Mackeys. He reportedly was shot
as he walked the highway op
posite the Lucas home. Vernon
Lucas is said to have fired on him
from the front porch. Officers
stated that Lucas, when arrested,
readily admitted the shooting.
The affair is thought to have
been the result of a grudge of
three-month’s standing. The Lucas
house is near the Jack Pierce
place of business.
A preliminary hearing was held
here Tuesday before Judge W.
Ronald Gaylord and after six
witnesses, including both the
sheriff and Patrolman Gilchrist,
had testified, Gaylord found
probable cause and ordered that
Lucas be held in jail without
privilege of bond to await trial
at the January term of Washing
ton County Superior Court. The
court term will open here on
Monday, January 4 and is sche
duled for two weeks duration.
-*
Local Lions Sponsoring
Turkey Shoot This Week
The Plymouth Lions Club is
sponsoring a turkey shoot Friday
and Saturday of this week, it is
announced.
The site is near the Atlantic
Coast Line freight station and the
hours will be from 2 p. m. on
Friday and from 0 a. m. on Sat
urday until patrons have had
their fill.
Those shooting will have
chances on a number of live tur
keys, weighing about 20 pounds
each. Ammunition will be fur
nished and there will be guns for
use of those who do not bring
their own.
A nominal per-shot charge will
be made.
C °py for Next llcaeoit
Mu§( lie In Saturday
In order to give employees a
longer holiday The Beacon’s
Christmas issue will be printed
Monday of next week. The of
fice will then be closed until
the following Tuesday morn
ing, December 29.
Since the paper is to be print
ed three days early, it will he
necessary for all copy to be in
the office not later than Sat
urday. The cooperation of all
advertisers and correspondents
is requested. Church notices
and related items should be in
the office just as early as pos
sible, and no copy can be ac
cepted for publication in the
next issue later than Saturday.
The Christmas issue, as usual,
will carry the greetings of our
advertisers to their patrons.
For a cheery message that will
mean more than just a couple
of days off from work, read
these greetings ads.
Although members of the
Beacon staff will not come back
to work after the holidays until
Tuesday morning, December 29,
every effort will be made to
get the issue of that week on
time. However, there is a pos
sibility that it may be a bit
late.
Fail To Reach Quota
On Bloodmobile Visit
Total 106 Pints on 13th
Visit of Red Cross Unit;
30 Many - Time Donors
Respond
On its 13th visit to Washington
County, tho bloodmobile from the
Tidewater Regional Blood Center,
Norfolk, Va., secured 106 pints
of blood. The one-day setup was
at the Veterans Building here
last Friday, sponsored jointly by
the American Legion and VFW
posts here.
There were nine rejects during
the day, it was said. The quota
had been established at 150 pints.
Refreshments were furnished
for blood donors by the auxiliary
of Bosie Bateman Post, Veterans
of Foreign Wars. H°!ping as nur
ses were M-T W. Tarkenton. of
k * ove, amt i*-.*. W.
-Men. *
Other volunteer workers in
cluded Mesdames Lillian Shugar,
W. R. Klass, jr„ Joe Arps, W. D.
Walker, Perry Turner, John L.
Lilly, J. S. Fleming and W. D.
Collins.
There were 30 persons — 29
white and one colored—who gave
blood for the eighth time or more.
These were listed by Mrs. Collins
as follows:
Eleven-time donors — Clayton
Ragland, Robert Johnson, Ralph
Hunter, Dick Mallory and Irving
Hassell;
Ten-time donors — W. T. Hop
kins, H. B. Gaylord, Merritt
Browning, Cleveland Cratch and
Jack Pierce;
Nine-time donors — E. E. Har
rell, Rankin Ambrose, Thurlow
Spruill, Thomas Gardner, Bill
Booth. Aubrey Dixon, Bill Dav
enport, Gary Campbell, Thomas
Carter and W. J. Weaver;
Eight-time donors—C. S. Gard
ner, Charles T. Sawyer, L. J.
Darby, Stuart West, Marvin
Hardison, Lawrence Jones, W. E. ]
Waters, Thomas Cunningham and
Clarence Bond.
One Nan Sent By
Board, Induction
One registrant from Selective
Service Board No. 95 here was
sent for induction Wednesday
of last week, the board clerk,
Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, reports.
Another registrant failed to re
port for the reason that he was
at sea with the merchant
marine, the clerk stated.
There will be no regular calls
on the local board during the
month of January, Mrs. Hunter
said, but any delinquents who
arc located will '-e forwarded
for induction.
Christ* tat gftce Beauty I
CaiwiPrtx tor Chany
’Wednesday night of next week
the Lake Phelps Post No. 391 of
the American Legion is sponsor
ing a combination Christmas
dance and beauty contest, it is
announced.
There are already entered 26
contestants in the beauty contest
which is attracting considerable
interest. There will be several
door prizes given.
Music for the dance will be
furnished by Earl Zirkle and his
orchestra of Rocky Mount. The
dance will be held at the Legion
building at Cherry and will begin
at 9 o’clock.
-1
Prayer Meeting at Roper
Community Building Set
The “People’s Prayer Meeting”
will be held Thursday night of
this week at the Roper Community
Building, it is announced. Non
denominational, the meeting is
open to all and will begin
promptly at 7:30 o’clock. A cor
dial invitation is extended.
| HAPPY DAY! CHRISTMAS PARADE, SANTA CLAUS
\ ■ ■■ . - ■■ ■■■..
No one has to tell you that these children were happy when
the picture was taken. It shows plainly enough on their faces.
Santa Claus looks rather pleased with the whole thing, as well.
The photo was snapped on Water Street last Friday afternoon as a
flock of merry youngsters gathered around the distinguished visitor
from the North Pole. The event drew to Plymouth the largest
crowd seen here in many years. Well over 2,000 bags of Christmas
candy were given out to the hundreds of children in the huge
throng.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
Stocking Fund Is
Short by $300 as
Parcel Time Nears
Many Volunteer Workers
Said Needed When Pack
ing Work Begins Friday
Night; 220 Cases Reported
About $300 in cash is needed to
meet the needs of the Empty
Stocking Fund for 1953, Chairman
James Boyce reported late yester
day.
So far, donations of toys, food
and clothing is coming along well,
it was said, and the drive for cash
with which to augment other do
nations was said to be “fair.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ursula Spruill,
head of the county welfare de
partment, stated that to date there
are reported 220 needy families
including an approximate 550
people. Twenty-five names or
more have been added since Mon
day, and there is a strong possi
bility that many more will be re
ported before the delivery date
for Christmas parcels through
the annual Empty Stocking pro
ject sponsored by the Plymouth
Rotary Club.
Last year in the most success
ful campaign ever conducted
here for Christmas cheer to the
reedy, 250 families were reported
as needy cases, Mrs. Spruill said.
Two county schools, Plymouth
High School and the Creswell
Colored School, have turned in
donations of clothing and shoes.
These items are being received
at the welfare office in the court
house here. Mrs. Spruill said the
articles received thus far have
been in remarkably good condit
ion. Many toys have also come
in, as well as canned foods, both
of the home-canned variety and
“store-bought.” More is needed,
however.
Some things are being stored at
the Agriculture Building and in
the FIIA office in the courthouse,
aiso. Packaging will begin Friday
night, Chairman Boyce stated1,
and many volunteer workers are
needed for the huge task.
Boyce said it would take “about
$300 more than what we now
have in hand to purchase the 350
cases of merchandise which will
be distributed at Christmastime
throughout the county to the
needy families.
All leaders of the project are
optimistic of the success again
this year of Washington County’s
own “Operation Christmas.”
Largest Crowd in
Years Gathers at
Christmas Parade
Nearly 2,500 Bags of Candy
Passed Out To Youngsters
During Annual Visit of
Santa
Young and old saw Santa here
last Friday afternoon, the young
er ones got free gifts of Christ
mas candy personally delivered
by the merry gentleman in the
red coat and white whiskers, and
everyone enjoyed the cavortings
of the majorettes and the carol
playing bands.
From the standpoint of num
bers certainly it was the most
successful Christmas parade ever
staged here. Estimates of the
huge throngs ranged up to 3.000
or more persons. The queue of
youngsters standing about ten
abreast to pass by Santa for the
Candy and to deposit letters ad
dressed to him reached all the
way to Belk-Tyler’s. And nearly
2,500 bags of candy were given
out to eager, outstretched hands
during the short interval of an
hour from the time the jeep bear
ing Santa was sighted heading
rorth up Washington Street until
the large crowd dispersed,
Thos. F. Hopkins acted as mas
ter of ceremonies and a number
of volunteers aided police officers
in holding back the crowd to al
low an orderly procession by the
platform to see Santa.
The Plymuth High School band
and the Washington County
Union School band, of Roper,
played such well-known carols as
‘‘Noel. ’ “Hark the Herald Angels
Sing,” “Jingle Bells,” etc.
Santa was chauffercd and es
corted into town by the Bavnor
twins. A happy shout went up
from the hundreds and hundreds
of children present when the jeep
bearing the honored guest of the
town was first sighted.
Many persons were heard to
observe that the crowd was easily
the largest seen here in many
years. One wag remarked after
it was all over that the street
level was noticeably lower by
at least half an inch.