» T'owjn opies Dr. Robert L. Mohn, witso was called into the Armed Fo ‘ces in January of 1952, recently ed to Plymouth and has ed his offices in the Pit Clinic for the practice of/ dentis try. / eturn eopen mouth Manning Motor Ctvmpany here recently received a /plaque certi fying that the firm'has qualified as a “Four-LetterDealer.” The citation was for “finances—sound, management — efficient; spirit— competitive; facilities—complete ly modern.” Assistant Manager Ford Worthy explained that the award is “like bping on the honor roll.” W. F. Sf>orleder, head of the business management depart ment of the Virginia District, Ford Motor Company. Richmond, Va., came to Plymouth to person ally make the presentation. New Year’s Day Jimmy Kitch engs and helpers were extreme ly busy making deliveries of deep-freeze units, television sets and one thing or another and so Jimmy was not around his place of business long at the time. How ever. a few local football fans gathered in the Television Cen ter and just helped themselves to not one but two of the television sets on display to view one of the bowl games of the day. Jimmy later pressed a few of the heftier ones into service to help load some of the heavy hardware be ing moved out to buyers. Reci procity was the order of the day. Wednesday morning at the Mayflower Maurice Smith was marveling at the wonderful trans portation of the twentieth cen tury. His longtime friend from Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Marion Goodson—spent six days visiting Plymouth and enjoying the good hunting hereabouts. Maurice said they went goose-hunting in the Pungo section early Tuesday, got three geese, took Marion to Nor folk, Va., where he emplaned in time to get home to Milwaukee for supper that evening. Power of suggestion? One of the attorneys in the Lucas trial Tuesday asked a witness to de scribe how the body of the vic tim was lying. In answering, the witness used the word “laying,” and after that the attorney re peatedly resorted to the same term. I -f I Last Rites Held For Mrs. Phelps Last rites for Mrs. Sarah Jane Phelps, 78, of Roper, were held at Holly Neck Church Sunday afternoon at 3 p. m. by the Rev. R. L. Gardiner. Interment follow ed in the church cemetery. Mrs. Phelps died at her home at 11 a. m. last Friday after a lingering illness. She had been in declining health for about a year and1 sick in bed for six months. She was a native of Martin County, born February 16, 1875, to the late J. B. Jones and Sarah Davis Jones, of that county. She came here from Martin County 55 years ago. She was married at Jamesville December 17, 1899, to ft Jim Phelps, of Roper, who sur m vives. Mrs. Phelps was a mem ber of Zion’s Chapel Church of Christ, near Roper. She leaves, besides her hus band, three daughters, Mrs. Essie Gardner and Mrs. Alline Marri ner, both of Roper, and Mrs. Nath Hassell, of Edenton; 13 grand children and seven great grand children. -♦ Whiskey Sales Figures For December Released -♦ Legal sales of whiskey in Wash ington County in December amounted to $22,323.05, according , to figures for the two county re tail outlets released by Manager W. C. Styons, of the Plymouth ' ABC Store. Sales during the month at the Plymouth outlet totaled $19,735.35 ' while sales at the Creswell store amounted to $2,587.70. ^ Sales for the four days immedi- , ^ ately preceding Christmas Day at Plymouth amounted to $6,922.95 and at Creswell, $864.70. The Roanoke Beacon **★★★* and Washington County News Join The MARCH OF DIMES . lanuary 2 to 31 ' VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 1 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 7, 1954 ESTABLISHED 1889 WORK PROGRESSING ON NEW HOME FOR PLYMOUTH FIRE DEPARTMENT I_1 Plymouth volunteer firemen didn’t set int> their new home by the first of the year, as they hoped, but work is goins forward and at least it won’t be as long as it has been. The new build ing will have room for three pieces of equipmen’.ment at the front, with a club room, showers, lockers and a work room for the firemen at th ■ back. It is 40 by 90 feet overall and is built of concrete blocks with a brick veneer. Robert L. T-tterton is contractor for labor on the building, with the town furnishing all materials. Jack Liverman is the supervising architect.—Polaroid 1 Minute staff photo. Tax Listing Is Off To1 Slow Start in County February Draft Call for 3 Men Selective Service Board No. 95 here has received a call to send three registrants for in duction on Wednesday, Febru ary 24, Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, board clerk, reported this week. Five men were inducted from this board during the same per iod last year, Mrs. Huntei fair imprisonment for not. more han 30 days for each offense. The proclamation, signed by A. F. Riddle, mayor, and Counfdl nen E. D. Keel, J. F. Davenport, F. D. Cruickshank, Jack B. La ham, W. C. Hall and George W. darrison. is addressed to all citi :cns of Plymouth and read® as 'ollows: “Whereas, the protection of our lird life has become the interest ind duty of every farmer and ■onservationist and should be the ■oncern of every person, young >r old, in our town, because birds lo more for us in the protection of Tops, food stuffs, plants, trees md flowers than we actually do !or ourselves, saving millions of lollars each year; and “Whereas, birds are man’s best *~See~SANCTlTARY, Page 7 Old School Property Is Sold Here Monday Results of the public auction ' sale of obsolete county school pro- 1 perty held here Saturday noon 1 were announced this week by i County Superintendent of Schools ' R. F. Lowry, acting for the county ; board of education. The property had gone into dis- i use upon consolidation of colored < elementary schools of the county at Plymouth and the high school consolidation at Washington 1 County Union School, Roper. The Macedonia School property vas sold to W. T. Freeman, of loper and Plymouth, for $1,500; he Morrattock School property o Edgar Taylor, for $800; the books School property to M. E. ind M. T. Sitterson, of Plymouth, or $675; and' the Soundside school property to L. S. Bateman, >f Roper, for $775. The bids will be held open for ;en days, however, subject to ipset bids. By raising the success^ ul bid figures by ten per cent, rids may be upset, it was said. Only 100 Persons List in Plymouth Township Up To Tuesday, List Taker Reports The annual job of listing prop erly for taxes, begun in Washing ton County last Saturday, is off to a rather slow start, according to present, indications. Reports from various listers were not available and County Tax Supervisor Hubert L. Dav enport >ould not be contacted Wfci yesterday, but it wJl believ ed that the report from Plymouth Township List Taker Clarence L. Blount reflected the general trend. Mr. Blount reported that about 100 persons had listed as of Tues day. Town Tax Lister W. A. Roe buck, who is working in conjunc tion with Mr. Blount in the com missioners' room on the first floor of the courthouse, was of the opinion that listing was somewhat below the pace of a year ago. According to a story carried in The Beacon last January, some 200 persons had listed here dur ing the first four working days. Both men joined with the coun ty tax supervisor, Mr. Davenport, in urging citizens to act early in the month to get this important and essential job done and fore stall any last minute rush, if possible. They pointed out that the list ing activity is usually heaviest on the first and last of the week and that a good time to come in to list is right in the middle of the week during the slack per iod. Listing must be done during the month of January, one day in February being allowed this year to compensate for January 1, a holiday. Failure to list makes one liable to the penalties provided by law, it has been emphasized. Hearings Set in Case of Millers -V d Hearings in the case involving I 17 peanut millers in North Caro- t lina and Virginia (including ( Farmers Cotton & Peanut Com pany here), charged by the Fed eral Trade Commission with com- . bining unlawfully to keep down 3 prices paid to peanut growers, • have been set for January 17 in • Suffolk, Va., the commission has ■ announced in Washington. ' A closed, pre-trial conference was set for Wednesday of this week. John L. Lewis, FTC examiner, will conduct the Suffolk hearings, and P. R. Dixon has been named attorney for the commission. The Virginia-Carolina Peanut Association, Inc., of Suffolk, was cited by FTC, along with peanut millers, as having been instru mental in the alleged price-fixing combination. Millers are firms which clean and shell peanuts. The peanut companies are charged with failure to comply with a new marketing plan an nounced by the Department of Agriculture in 1952, designed to encourage a competitive market in the peanut industry. bounty Director Urges Volunteer Help for Drive rhomas F. Hopkins To Head March of Dimes in County For 1954; Need Greater Than Ever Thomas F. Hopkins, of Plym uth, director of the annual Jarch of Dimes in Washington lounty, says that “Two for One” rill be the slogan of the drive to nlist volunteer workers for the 954 campaign being carried on lere th :s it'nth. the c-.id"' of he month, Mr, Hopkins said, ■very effort will be made to sign ip two workers for every one cho served on the polio fund aising campaign last January. “It’s a sort of bring-a-friend cal.” the director explained. “Of ourse. we expect everyone who mi ked to make last year’s March f Dimes a success will serve gain this time. "We know we’re going to need t least $7,500,000 in the country nr the double V—that’s vaccine alidity—tests this winter alone, additionally, the March of Dimes lready has committed to the urchase of at least twice as much amma globulin for 1954 as in 953 at a total cost of $19,000,000. ramrna globulin is the only stop ap holding action there is gainst polio paralysis until a vac ine is tested ond found effective, re are* told.” Hopkins emphasized that this ntal of $26,500,000 for the new olio prevention program was in ddition to the always stagger lg costs of giving financial as istance to polio patients who eed help and to continue the larch of Dimes programs of pr< - ;ssional training, epedemic serv ■es arid laboratory research. “If we’re going to raise this ind of money—-and we must— re’ll need at least twice as many olunteer workers this year as we ad last January,” the director ;ated. “We haven’t any idea how many atienfs are going to need help ext year,” he pointed out. “All re know is that never has a ngle Washington County resi ent suffered for lack of March of imes aid and we don’t propose tat a single one ever shall.” Hopkins’ son was stricken some Sce FUND DRIVE, Page 12 ...j Residents Urged! Pay Taxes Early I Plymouth residents have reen reminded by P. W. Brown, local police chief, that their town taxes are now payable at par and will be until February 1, after which 1 per cent inter sst will be charged to delin luent payers. March 1 another L per cent interest accrues and !4 of 1 per cent interest will be added for each additional month thereafter. This sched ule of interest is charged by law and applies as well to state ind county taxes. Mr. Brown has urged all citi tens to appear at the office of the town clerk and pay their taxes as soon as possible and thus avoid the interest. Action on Minor Mailers Monday By Commissioners County Board in Regular | Monthly Session Hears Routine Reports, Road Pe tition; Approves Market I nregular monthly session here Monday the board of county com missioners heard routine reports and took action in a few matters of a minor nature. The meeting convened at 11 a. m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse with all board members present as follows: Frank L. Brinkley, chairman, and A. R. Latham, of Plymouth: J. C. Knowles, of Roper: H. L. Daven port, of Skinnersville: and H. W. Pritchett, of Creswell. The board decided that certain county-owned lands in the We nona section would be sold at public auction February 8 and notice is being published to that effect. W. M. Darden, of Plymouth, appeared before the board re garding a movement to organize a public auction market for vege tables in this county and asked the moral support of the board. Mr. Darden suggested that per haps 200 acres of cucumbers. 400 acres of snap beans, 50 acres of squasty, 200 acres of tomatoes, peppers, etc., would be required to established the market here. The board members Stated that the idea sounded good and they end'orSed the program and voted 1 to take a half-page ad in the local newspaper to assist in bringing the matter before the farmers Routine monthly reports of work done in December were sub mitted by W. H. Pruden. county agent, and Mrs. Frances M. Dar den, h ime agent. County Tax Collector E. J. Spruil* reported that $19,197.66 had been collected by his depart ment luring December. A p dition was received and ac cepter to be forwarded to the highway commission to black top a road running from the Beasley Roadiat Highway 64 up Holly Neeft^Sb&d 2.5 -miles through Mid dle Neck -Road 2.1 miles and back to the highway. It was brought to the attention of the board that the road gets slick and rough in bad weather and that the county school busses have a hard time travelling the road. The clerk was requested to solicit the support of the high way chairman in having the road fixed. Harry D. McNair Buried Yesterday -♦ Funeral services were conduct ed from Ludford Memorial Bap tist Church here Wednesday af ternoon at 3:30 o’clock for Harry D. McNair, 39, of Plymouth. Mr. McNair died at his home here at 8:30 p. m. Monday. He had not been ill. Ke was a native and lifelong resident of the county, born June 21, 1914, the son of Mrs. Jessie D. McNair and the late Carl W. Mc Nair, of this place. He was en gaged in farming. Mr. McNair was married at Windsor Septem ber 28, 1934, to Miss Laura Bowen, of Plymouth, who sur vives. He was a member of Lud ford Memorial Church. Surviving besides the widow are two daughters, Barbara and Louise McNair of the home; his mother: and a sister, Mrs. John nie C. Pridgen, of Plymouth. Services were conducted by his pastor, the Rev. P. B. Nickens, assisted by the Rev. E. M. Spruill, local Episcopal rector, and burial was in Windley Cemetery. -♦ First Baby Born at Local Hospital This Year Girl -1 First baby of the new year at the Washington Cdunty Hospital was a girl born at 1:30 p. m. Jan uary 1, hospital records show. The little lady is Sheila Denise, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil liam David Scott, of Jamesville. Both baby and mother are report ed to be doing fine. Few Cases Tried In Superior Court Mary Adams, Negress of [ Plymouth, Acquitted of Attempted Arson Charge; Murder Case Being Tried' The case went to the jury shortly before five o'clock Wed nesday afternoon in the Lucas murder trial and the jury re turned a verdict of not guilty less than two hours later. The Kulow manslaughter case is ex pected to begin this morning. Held up by lengthy trials at the outset, progress was rather slow in Superior Court here this week. Judge Chester Morris, of Curri tuck, is on the bench. Evidence was still being offered Wednes day in the trial of Vernon Lucas, Mackeys Negro, charged with the fatal shooting of Henry Joe Louis | Wilkins, jr., another young Mac- | keys Negro on the night of De cember 12, 1953. The trial was begun about mid day Tuesday, after completion of the case against Mary Adams, Plymouth Negress, charged with attempted arson. Defense counsel in the murder trial are W. L. Whitley, of Plymouth, and J. A. Pritchett, Windsor attorney. The Plymouth law firm of Bailey and Bailey is aiding Solicitor Elbert Peel in the prosecution. Lucas was being tried for sec ond degree murder or man slaughter. Lucas is alleged to have fired on Wilkins from the front porch of his home and Wil kins was found lying on his back between the house and the road, according to testimony of Sheriff J. K. Reid and State Highway Patrolman Carl Gilchrist, the in- , vestigating officers. The slaying was said to have been the result of a grudge of some months’ . standing. The trial of Mary Adams was begun Monday and the case went to the jury at about 11 o’clock Tuesday morning, following argu ment of counsel and the judge’s charge to the jury. The jury was , i u‘ only a short while before re turning a verdict of not guilty. The preliminary hearing was held before Judge W. Ronald ! Gaylord here Tuesday, Novem ber 10. and probable cause was found, with the defendant being bound over to the higher court ■ under $500 bond. ( Tlie prosecuting witness, Rosie . Lee Barnes, testified that a hole ' was burned in the floor of a bed- , room in her house here, the fire | being smothered out by a mat- J tress which was folded on the floor under the bed. Testimony 11 was offered that the Adams wo man was seen in a crouching po sition outside the house shortlv before the fire was discovered and that she had been heard to [ make threats about “burning every house on the block.” The case aroused considerable l interest among the local colored I citizens, as has the murder trial which was in progress Wednes 3ay. Lions Club in Supper Meeting Here Tonight l -»-.— The Plymouth Lions Club will j rold its regular meeting Thurs- t lay night of this week at the „ VTayflower Restaurant, President j Lubert M. Ange announces. Time j. s 7 o’clock. v . c I Not To Contract ] \ \ For Cukes Here I * i C. W. Dinkins, manager of c the C. C. Lang & Son plant [ here, stated yesterday after- 1 noon that he had just learned 1 that the concern would not do i any contracting for cucumbers C or peppers in this area during i 1954. ] Mr. Dinkins stated that he ; was already in touch with sev- ( eral concerns that deal in cu- : cumbers and that he hoped to t have some definite word by ( next week. ( Tag Sales Near ! Thousand Narkj ■■■•■■■■■■■•■■■I ..JMMItlllftIM Sales of license plates at the local branch office of the Caro lina Motor Club neared the thousand mark early this week. Figures were released showing sales in the various categories through Tuesday’s business by Manager James H. VV’ard and showed a total of 985 tags sold. Sales of auto tags led the list with 695; next in number were private truck plates. 167; utili ty trailers, 74; farm trucks, 31; commercial trailers, 16; and motorcycles, 2. Council Disposes Of Routine Items At Regular Meet Mayor Reports Street Sur facing Work Is Dependent On Weather; Other Mat ters Considered ♦ The Plymouth city council icted on several matters of •outine importance and endorsed t proclamation by Mayor A. J. riddle designating Plymouth as i bird sanctuary at its monthly nee.ting held1 in the municipal ruilding Monday night. Mayor fiddle presided and all six coun :ilmen were present. Extension of water and sewer ines on West Avenue to a site vhere Paul Sexton plans to build it least four new houses was dis :ussed. There was some question is to whether or not the land was ugh enough to provide the neces ;ary fall for a sewer line, and the natter was left up to Mayor Rid ile and Chief of Police P. W. 3rowm ' -final decision. Representatives of three Still icres business firms asked that he town pay a portion of the cost >f surfacing in front of their daces of business. The three irms, Waters & Kelly Grocery, V. J. Woolard Furniture Co., and he Etheridge Company, had spent i total of $1,302.32 for black top >ing between East Main Street ind their stores. Part of the area urfaced was the street right of vay, and members of the council greed .to pay one-half the cost of urfacing the area not actually iwncd by the three firms. A contract , was entered into rith H. O. Lovic for installation f electric wiring in the new fire See COUNCII^~Pagc~7 -*Iay To Be Given At Roper School The play, “What Would Jesus >o,” given last Sunday night at lion’s Chapel Church of Christ, let with such popular approval hat it will be presented again, his time at Roper High School uditprium next Monday night, ar benefit of the school’s activity us fund. Curtain time is 7:30, nth an admission charge of 40 ents for adults and 25 cents for hildren, all proceeds going to the us fund. The public is urged to ttend. The play is a drama of Christ in action centered about the life nd work of a modern-day metro olitan church. The minister be omes discouraged trying to lease the members of his church y preaching what they would ike to hear, excusing their sins, nd so decides to do the will of Ihrist as near as he can find it, egardless of loss to personal mpularity. As he says, “it is a lorious madness,” and all kinds if things happen to insure “never dull moment.” Truth triumphs, hough tragedy strikes, but the rusade for Christian action goes in! Judge Cites Importance of Jurors “No complaint can be hurled at our forefathers for the heritage they left us,” Judge Chester Mor ris remarked during the course of his charge to the grand jury at the opening of Superior Court here Monday. “The question is ringing in my mind, Will the generation that follows us be able to say as much?” The jurist emphasized the im portant duty of every member of the grand) jury in the matter of presentments. “Just as much as my arm is a part of my body, you are members of a body, the importance of which cannot be overemphasized.” Judge Morris briefly reviewed the duties of grand jurors, enum erated the capital offenses in the state—those of first degree mur der, first degree burglary, arson and rape, and charged them to make the customary inspections into the public affairs of the county, the condition of its build ings and the school buses. The judge pointed fo statistics showing an increase in crime in Eastern North Carolina which he called “the best part of North Carolina—and I’ve been all over the state.” He deplored the in crease in juvenile delinquency and laid the responsibility in the laps of the older generation. W. W. Mizell, of Roper, was named foreman of the grand jury. Program Released For Farm Classes Starling Tuesday County Agent Issues Invita tion To Attend Meetings Set for Agriculture Build ing Here “The application of recent agri cultural research results here would mean a vast improvement in the income of individual farm ers and would bring a great con tribution to the economy of the entire county,” Farm Agent W. H. Pruden declared today. Pruden said this is the think ing back of a three-day series of classes designed to acquaint Washington County farmers with the practical application of recent research results affecting major farming enterprises that could be conducted in this county. The classes will be held in the auditorium of the Agriculture Building here Tuesday, Wednes day and Thursday of next week. Specialists from the State Col lege Agricultural Extension Serv ice will bring the latest recom mendations in many different phases of agriculture. Farmers may attend any of these classes, but Pruden is urging that they attend the complete series. He termed the meetings, “Tire most important schedule for the coun ty in a long, long while.” “Maybe you aren’t interested in a particular enterprise that will be discussed, but it may be that this enterprise can fit in very profitably with your farming pro gram,” the agent declared. Among the recent research re sults to be presented will be a system of growing out hogs on Ladino clover, corn, water and minerals at a cost of only $11 per hundredweight. “Most of us have been spending about 50 per cent more than that,” according to Pruden. New fertilization recommenda tions and new, inexpensive sources of nitrogen will be brought to the attention of those who avail themselves of the op portunity to attend the classes. Pruden stated th' the average farmer now uses only 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre on corn, but research revealed that corn pro fits increase with eveTy pound of fertilizer up to 100 pounds. Vegetable farmers who attend the classes will learn of a new cucumber and a new snap bean variety that are destined to re place older varieties in this area. The cucumber is resistant to downy mildew, is a higher yield c-r, and its goodi, dark color gives it top market appeal. The new bean has commanded a premium on the market since its introduct ion. Letters have been sent out to county farmers inviting them to the series of meetings and other interested persons are also urged to attend. “I would1 like to call your at tention to the Tuesday morning session,” Pruden said, “as a new organization in town plans to See” PROGRAIVL^Page Board Decides on Few Mailers Here The Washington County Board of Education, in regular monthly session here Monday, approved the appointment of Mrs. Shirley Pinner, of Plymouth, as Property and Cost clerk in the office of the superintendent of schools. The position is a part-time one and became open when the cost and inventory system in trans portation recently went into ef fect in the office. Mrs. Pinner has begun her duties which consist chiefly of checking pants in and out and keeping cost records on various school busses. The board agreed1 that some change be made in the garage which formerly was used to house the old bookmobile here, if prac ticable, and if not, that a new garage be constructed to house the new, larger bookmobile, pro vided the county library board agrees to bear the expense. It was pointed out that the new bookmobile, recently put into service in the county, is higher and cannot be accomodated by the garage without lowering the floor. The sale of certain outdoor pri vies at the old J. J. Clemmons School at Roper to E. L. Owens, of Plymouth, was approved. The.meeting convened at 10 a. m. in the offices of the county superintendent of schools at the courthouse. All members of the board were present, including L. E. Hassell, of Roper, chairman; J. W. Norman and Mrs. K. S. Trowbridge, Plymouth; P. B. Belanga, Creswell; and J. Whit ford Swain, Roper.