T'own
opics
Miss Jane Crofton was selected
as Miss Washington County in a
contest held at the Veterans Club
here Wednesday night during
Teen-Age Open House. Miss Crof
ton will represent the county in
the beauty contest at Elizabeeth
City May 15 to select the annual
"f Albemarle Potato Festival queen.
Miss Betty Ann Burnham, Miss
Washington County of 1953, won
the Elizabeth City contest last
year.
Methodist church services have
been held in the courthouse here
for the past several weeks while
the interior of th church was be
ing painted, The Rev. Dwight L.
Fouts, pastor, said Tuesday it was
doubtful that the church would
be ready for use by this week
end, so the morning service will
be held in the courthouse again,
while there will be no evening
service. He said regular services
would be resumed in the church
on Easter Sunday.
Mrs. Ted Blount has returned
home from Philadelphia, Pa.,
where she attended the flower
. show at Convention Hall last
week. Mrs. Blount says she was
surprised to find an exhibit from
Plymouth at the show. It was the
exhibit of Soil-Tone Corporation.
When she inquired about the
booth she was told that Dr. Eys
ter, manager of the corporation
plant here, would) be in Philadel
phia Thursday.
Seaman J. T. Terry, jr., left
Korea Sunday on the USS Wis
consin and is due to arrive in
Norfolk, Va., May 4, his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Terry, of
Plymouth, have learned. The
Terrys expect their son home for
a brief visit after his arrival in
Norfolk but he will not get an ex
tended leave until June 22.
Richard M. Joyner, who has
been a teller at Planters National
Bank & Trust Company here
since its opening last December,
has been transferred to the Ahos
kie branch office and promoted
to head teller. Prior to coming
here, Mr. Joyner worked in the
parent bank at Rocky Mount for
sometime. He assumed his new
duties at the Ahoskie bank Mon
day of this week.
Charlie I. Holmes, who has
^ been in the U. S. Navy for several
9 years, is expected home very soon
according to hi9 mother, Mrs. W.
T. Holmes, of Creswell. The
young man is just completing a
round-the-world cruise aboard
the “Fighting Jimmy C.” Owens—
a destroyer reported sunk by the
Communists once in 1952. Crew
men claim the Owens is the only
Atlantic Fleet destroyer to make
a round-the-world cruise going
both ways.
Camporee Here Is
Success in Spite
Of Weather, Said
About 130 Scouts Repre
senting 18 Patrols in
Wasmarly District Here
For Week-End Event
€ —♦—
Despite raw weather which
made comfortable sleeping in
tents difficult* some 130 scouts
representing 18 patrols from six
communities in the three-county
Wasmarty District held a success
ful camporee here near the Plym
outh Scout Hut the past week
end.
No accidents were reported and
all events went off as scheduled.
A disappointingly small number
of adults and parents of scouts
turned out for such events as the
campfire Friday and Saturday
nights, but there were a few visi
tors from time to time.
The scouts began arriving from
Williamston, Bear Grass, Colum
bia, Jamesville, Creswell, and, of
course, the local troop, at about
4 p. m. Friday and by 5:00 o’clock
the campsites were arranged.
The Creswell troop, which was
attending its first camporee, came
without tents as the ones they
ordered had not arrived and they
had to send a truck to Norfolk,
Va., for them. The tents were de
livered to the campsite by the
truck and soon everything was
in order.
The camporee was held for the
purpose of preparing scouts from
Washington, Martin and Tyrrell
Counties^—comprising the Was
marty District—for the coming
East Carolina Council Camporee
to be held at Rocky Mount April
30, May 1-2.
Jerry Ashwill, of Williamston,
district field representative, was
in charge of events.
Religious services were con
ducted for the scouts at the camp
site Sunday morning at 8 o’clock
by the Rev. D. L. Fouts, minister
of the Plymouth Methodist
Church here.
Following the service, break
fast was served and the camp
site was cleaned and' inspected
prior to breaking camp at 10:30
o’clock.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 14
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, April 8, 1954
ESTABLISHED 1889
j Regional Legion Meet
I Set Here Fritlay Night
James E. Jethro Post No. 164
of the American Legion will be
host to the third district at a
barbecue supper meeting at the
Veterans Club here Friday night
of this week, Post Commander A.
L. Whitehurst has announced.
Braxton Voliva, third district
vice president, of Columbia, will
preside over the business session.
The program for the evening will
feature a film, “Cross Roads
U. S. A.”
The supper will be served at
7:30 o'clock. Approximately 75
persons are expected, Commander
Whitehurst said. Posts at Wil
liamston, Windsor, Creswell, Co
lumbia, Edenton and Plymouth
are expected to be represented.
It will be the first time in sev
eral years that the district meet
ing has been held in Plymouth.
Commander Whitehurst is urg
ing that as many members of the
local post as possible attend the
meeting.
Firemen of East Meet
In Roper Next Week
I Court Term To ]
i Open on Monday]
The regular one-week April
civil term of Washington Coun
ty Superior Court will open
here Monday morning of next
week, with Judge Chester Mor
ris, of Coinjock, presiding.
The docket will be prosecuted
by District* Solicitor Elbert
Peel, of Williamston. The Wash
ington County Bar recently met
and set the calendar but it was
not available ,late yesterday.
It is understood, however, that
the calendar is rather light.
Great Need for
Crop Reporters
In This County
Courses of Training in Crop
Measurement Work Now
Available at All Stale
Colleges, Said
High School and college toys
who would like to engage in ASC
compliance work on farms of
Washington County this summer
are urged to see ASC County Of
fice Manager Miriam Ausbon at
the Agriculture Building here.
With acreage allotments and
marketing quotas on tobacco, pea
nuts, cotton and wheat, and with
acreage allotments on corn in
some areas, there will be much
more work in measuring these al
lotment crops than can be done
by ASC community committee
men, it is explained.
The work includes determina
tion of land areas on farms in the
county by use of aerial photo
graphs. All persons doing this
work must have transportation
available for travel between the
county office and farms in the
county. Instruction in this type
of work is being made available
at all colleges and may be avail
able at other schools on request
to the ASC county office.
Measuring of the various crops
under, acreage control must be
gin after the last planting date
and be completed prior to any
harvest. The bulk of the help will
be needed as early as possible in
May and continuing through
June.
Miss Ausbon estimated this
week that between 15 and 20
crop measurement reporters
would be needed for the work.
Preparations Going Forward
For Entertaining About
225 Visiting Firemen at
Quarterly Event
For the first time in history,
the Roper Fire Department will
entertain a meeting of the East
Carolina Fireman’s Association
when the quarterly meeting of
that body convenes at Roper High
School Tuesday night of next
week. Miller Warren, Plymouth
Fire Chief, is president of the as
sociation, and Ed Kinsey, of La
Grange, is secretary.
A barbecue and brunswick
stew will be served by the Roper
firemen in the school auditorium
at 7 p. m.
Roper Fire Chief Henry S.
Everett will call the meeting to
order and the Rev. Edward M,
Spruill, of Plymouth, rector of
Grace Episcopal Church, Plym
outh, and St. Luke’s Church,
Roper, will pronounce the invo
cation.
The address of welcome will be
brought by Roper Mayor T. R.
Spruill and response will be given
by Fireman Bud Lovic, of Plym
outh.
Chief Everett will recognize all
special guests and then the speak
er of the evning, North Carolina
Insuranc Commissioners Charles
F. Gold, of Raleigh, will be pre
sented.
Roper firemen stated late Tues
day that cards had been received
from about 115 firemen in the
association and that expectations
are for about 225 to attend the
meeting.
Preparations for the big gath
ering have been going forward
in earnest at Roper for the past
several weeks ,it is reported.
-4
Take Five Stills
In County Raids
-*
Five stills, 2,150 gallons of
mash, 18'/2 gallons of whiskey
and a quantity of equipment were
seized in 10 raids in this county
during Mardh, County ABC Of
ficer Robert S. Sawyer, of Roper,
reports.
One man—Henry C. Bateman—
was caught and given a hearing
at Elizabeth City and bond set at
$300.
Sawyer’s report shows that six
coolers, 22 barrels, four vats and
eight worms were also confiscat
ed.
Assisting Sawyer in the raids
were Sheriff J. K. Reid, of Plym
outh, federal ATU and State ABC
officers.
Local Man Dies
Two Hours After
Plant Accident
-«
Tom Dunbar Succumbs ai
Washington County Hos
pital to Injuries Received
In Fall; Funeral Today
Funeral services will be held
Thursday afternoon of this week
at 2 p. m. at the chapel of Hor
ner's Funeral Home here for Tom
Dunbar, 47, of Plymouth. Offici
ating will be the Rev. L. A. Am
brose, of Creswell, assisted by the
Rev. Billie Twiddy, of Elizabeth
City. Interment will follow in
Piney Grove Church Cemetery,
near Roper.
Mr. Dunbar died at 11:45 a. m.
Tuesday at the Washington Coun
ty Hospital where he had been
rushed following an accident at
North Carolina Pulp Company
plant here. Mr. Dunbar suffered
a fall from a ladder while paint
ing at the plant earlier Tuesday
morning and suffered a head in
jury. He was at first believed not
seriously hurt, it was said. He
lived for about two hours after
the fall.
Mr. Dunbar was a native and
lifelong resident of Washington
County where he was born Feb
ruary 27, 1907, the son of the late
Henry W. and Minnie Collins
Dunbar. He was a member of the
Plymouth Free Will Baptist
Church.
He leaves his widow, Geneva
Hill Dunbar; a son, Forest Car
rol Dunbar, of Plymouth; one sis
ter, Mrs. Mary Ethel Tarkington,
of Roper; and two brothers, Lloyd
and Irvin Dunbar, both of Roper.
Red Cross Drive
Collects $1,712
-»
County Fund Chairman D. Mar
vin Weaver, of Plymouth, an
nounced late Wednesday that $1,
712.49 had been raised in the an
nual county Red, Cross fund
drive, with several report* still
incomplete.
Striving for a county quota of
$2,750, the local organization
seems doomed to come up con
siderably short of the goal, Wea
ver said.
However, he stated, every ef
fort will be made to make up the
deficit.
Complete reports were turned
in since the last published list as
follows:
Roper, $125; Cherry, $26.64;
Creswell, $89.85; Country Club
Village, $95.25; County Negro
overall, $213.91, including Plym
outh, $50.77, Roper $105.12 and
Creswell, $57.62.
Incomplete reports: Plymouth
business and professional, $400.70;
Plymouth residential, $214.50;
Plymouth industrial $198.85.
April Meeting oi PTA
Set for Next Tuesday
-♦
Members of the Plymouth Par
ent-Teacher Association are be
ing reminded that the April
meeting will be held one week
earlier than usual. It will be held
on next Tuesday afternoon at 3:30
o’clock, in the high school audi
torium.
Mrs. K. S. Trowbridge, mem
ber of the Washington County
Board of Education, will give a
report on the survey of county
schools which was made recently
by the county commissioners and
the county board of education.
| "RATTLESNAKE PATROL" AT SCOUT CAMPOREE HERE LAST WEEK-END
Probably nobody ever heard of such a thing before, but that’s a good bunch of “rattlesnakes” (
in the photo above. Members of the Rattlesnake Patrol, Troop No. 184, of Plymouth, they had -]
just been cited for having one of the best arranged campsites and hobby displays at the Boy Scout f
camporee held here last week-end, and they were pretty happy about the whole thing. Reading
from left to right above are Robert Lovic, Russell Bland, Warnie Gurkin, Patrol Leader Henry c
Turner, Billy Bowen, Assistant Patrol Leader Larry Allen, Sonny Hardison and Jack Homer. r
John Andrews, another member of the patrol, couldn’t be found when the picture was made last
Saturday morning.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo. c
RETIRING COMMANDER AND NEW OFFICERS OF LOCAL VFW POST
______I
New officers of the Bosie Bateman Post, No. 4023, Veterans of Foreign Wars, were installed
at the Veterans Building last Thursday night, following a ladies’ night banquet. Immediate Past
Commander Jack Weaver is shown turning over the gavel to the incoming commander, Melvin Boyd,
as ether officers look on. Left to right above are Shelton McNair, judge advocate; Carl Roberson,
senior vice commander; Past Commander Weaver; Commander Boyd; Walter Swain, junior vice
commander; and Norman White, quartermaster. W. S. Davenport was installing officer.—Polaroid
1-Minute staff photo.
Alleged Slayer
To Be Returned
Here on Friday
Nalhaniel Thomas Waives
Extradition From Penn
sylvania; To Be Held in
Mackeys Killings
It was reported here late yes
terday that Nathaniel Thomas,
Mackeys Negro, had waived ex
tradition from Pennsylvania, and
be was expected to be returned
V /Washington County Friday of
•i.iiy week by Deputy Sheriff
D. Peal, of Creswell, and Plym
outh Police Officer Paul Bas
night, who left here Wednesday
morning to go to Philadelphia
and get the Negro.
Thomas is wanted here in con
nection with the pistol slaying at
Mackeys Saturday night of Aline
Moore and Violet Chesson, both
Negroes of Mackeys.
The shooting took place at
arund 10 o’clock in the yard of
the home of Gus Moore, step
father of Aline Moore, according
to Sheriff J. K. Reid. An argu
ment is said to have started when
Aline Moore refused to accom
pany Thomas to a movie. In a
rage, he is said to have whipped
out the pistol and fired, killing
both women.
Thomas fled the scene and was
located in Philadelphia Monday
by Pennsylvania officers whom
the sheriff got in touch with, act
ing on his knowledge that the
alleged killer had a half-brother
living in the Pennsylvania city.
The Negro will be brought back
here, jailed and held without
privilege of bond to await trial
at the July criminal term of
Washington County Superior
Court on a murder charge, the
sheriff stated.
♦
Easter Seal Sale
Starts in County
The annual Washington County
Easter Seal campaign, an appeal
tor contributions for crippled
children, is now in progress with
Mrs. Mayme W. Davenport, of
Creswell, serving in the capacity
of county chairman.
Mrs. Davenport reported this
week that seals have been mailed
and are now in the hands of the
public. Also, a campaign is under
lay among students in the coun
:y schools and prizes will be given
'or the rooms collecting the
rreatest amount of money in the
irive.
Co cal committees have been
announced as follows:
pme uosfjjBH 'a -h 'S-ipj;
3en Ganderson, Plymouth;
Mrs. Beulah Gaylord and Mrs.
l.eon Bray, Roper;
Mrs. C. N .Davenport, jr., and
tfrs. J. M. Davenport, Creswell.
The campaign will close the
veek following Easter, Mrs. Dav
mport has announced.
-1
Plymouth Women's Church
Council Meets Thursday
The Plymouth Women’s Church
Council will meet at 3:30 p. m.
rhursday of this week at Lud
’ord Memorial Baptist Church,
officials of the group have an
lounced.
Mrs. L. S. Thompson will be in
charge of the program
Little Political Action
As Deadline Nearing
Commissioner J. C. Knowles
Of Roper, Officially Files
For Race Monday; Sheriff
Reid Announces
With the filing deadline for
candidates in the coming Demo
cratic primary only a little more
than a week off, county politics
continued listless here this week.
Only ripple reported on the
political waters locally was the
.Kpndgy filing of prev
icSflyaifcounced candidate J. C
Knowles, of Roper, who will seek
another term on the board coun
ty commissioners from Lees Mill
Township, and the announcement
last Friday by Sheriff J. K. Reid
that he would be a candidate to
succeed himself. Sheriff Reid had
not filed late yesterday, however.
Speculation and street talk con
tinued in the quiet pattern of the
political season so far, but the
proximity of the April 17 filing
deadline is expected to flush out
at least one or two more candi
dates next week.
Members of the county board
of elections will hold their or
ganizational meeting Saturday of
this week at which time it is ex
pected that W. T. Freeman will
be renamed chairman of the body.
W. M. Spruill is Democratic
member and J. Richard Carr is
Republican member. All are from
Plymouth.
Precinct officials — registrars
and judges of elections—will also
be appointed by the board at the
Saturday meeting. Any other
steps necessary in preparing for
■the May 29 Democratic primary
will be taken at that time, it was
said.
Precinct meeting dates have
been announced as May 8. The
county convention will be held
the followig Saturday, May 15,
and the state convention will be
held May 20.
-*
Local Firemen Answer
Alarms Friday, Tuesday
Plymouth volunteer firemen ,
answered alarms here Friday \
noon of last week and again Tues- ,
day at 6 p. m., but there was little ]
damage done in either instance, t
Last Friday the firemen rushed ,
to tlie residence of Charlie Agney, t
colored, near the True Temper ,
plant to quell a blaze, while Tues- ^
day’s fire was a chimney blaze
at the home of Kadie Moore on -
Chestnut Street.
I Stores to Remain j
| Open Wednesday ]
Plymouth stores will forego
the usual Wednesday afternoon
closing next week in lieu of
closing Easter Monday, it has
been announced.
The stores here will observe
a fu'l holiday Easter Monday,
Aprii 19. W duesdly, April 21,
the* half-holiday Closings will
be resumed. It has been the cus
tom here for the stores to re
main open all day Wednesday
before Easter for the conven
ience of late shoppers.
Roper Ruriians
Set Civic Goals
For Improvement
-» ■ ■■■■■■
Vole as Objectives Improve
ment Community Build
ing, Recreational Facili
li*s, Raise Funds for Bus
-1
The board of directors and the
objectives committee of Roper
Ruritan Club held a joint meet
ing at Roper High School recent
ly with lfl persons in attendance.
J. R. Swain, chairman of the
Industries committee, reported on
the North Carolina Conservation
and Development Board survey
for future industry for Washing
ton County.
A report was made by the sec
retai-y of communications with
the Public Utilities Commission
and the Carolina Telephone and
Telegraph Company.
It was voted to send a letter
of thanks to Carolina Trailways
for prompt action in establishing
a bus depot at Roper.
The dangerous curve on High
way 64 was brought to the at
tention of the board and it was
voted to take steps to reduce the
hazard. W. J. Starr, chairman of
the committee on public high
ways, streets and buildings, vol
unteered to notify the State High
way Department of the club’s
wishes.
The objectives committee voted
See RUR1TANS, Page 10
Street Work and Parking
Topics at Co uncilMeeting
Street work and parking were
chief topics at the April meeting
of the Plymouth City Council,
heldi Monday night in the Munici
pal Building. Four council mem
bers were present, W. C. Hall of
the first ward, Jack Latham and
George Harrison of the second
ward; and J. D. Cruickshank of
the thircT~ward. E. D. Keel and
John F. Davenport were absent.
Mayor A. J. Riddle presided.
Parking problems generally
came in for discussion, but no
specific action was taken after
it was learned from W. L. Whit
ley, city attorney, that a general
ordinance empowered city offic
ials to make and change parking
regulations at any time. The
question was raised by lack of a
special ordinance against U-tums
at the intersections of Water
Street with Jefferson, Washing
ton and Adams Streets.
Mayor Riddle reported that
street surfacing projects now un
derway were all that could be
done by highway workers until
after the start of a new fiscal
year July 1. It is possible that
additional work will be contract
ed for after July 1 so that prac
tically all surfacing work can be
completed before next winter.
Several Matters
Transacted Here
By Commissioners
-+
Board Holds Regular Month
ly Meeting Monday, Ad
journed Session Tuesday;
Visit Schools
-♦
The county commissioners met
briefly here Monday morning in
regular monthly sessions, then
adjourned to accompany mem
bers of the county board; of edu
cation on a tour of county schools.
The touring party enjoyed lunch
at the Roper school. All members
of the board were present for
the meeting as follows:
Chairman Frank L. Brinkley
and' Commissioner A. R. Latham,
both of Plymouth; Commission
ers J. C. Knowles, Roper, H. W.
Pritchett, Creswell, and H. L.
Davenport, Skinnersville.
The clerk, J. Robert Campbell,
was instructed to write to J. J.
Gilbert, district highway engin
eer in the local district office,
asking that a certain road in
Scuppernong Township be graded
and sand hauled into low places.
The road starts at a point two
miles south of Cherry off the
Creek bridge and runs between
the homes of Milton Phelps and
Ernest Davenport leading to the
residence of Steve Davenport.
Two petitions were received and
accepted to be forwarded to the
highway department to take over
and maintain certain roads in
Plymouth and Scuppernong
Townships.
The Plymouth Township road
in question runs from Highway
04 near Juniper Lodge through
the Jackson Heights subdivision
to the Plymouth-Mackeys Road,
while the road in Scuppernong
Township is three tenths of a mile
from the Ambrose Road to a dead
end.
Mrs. Frances M. Darden, home
agent for Washington County,
submitted a report of work done
during the month oi March.
The board adjourned to meet
Tuesday oi this week at 7:30 p. m.
a brief report of which meeting*
is as follows:
The clerk informed the board
that the Washington law firm of
MdMullan and MdMullan is in
terested in buying some county
owned lands in Lees Mill Town
ship and would like to have the
board quote prices.
The board decided to offer for
sale to the highest bidder at the
courthouse at noon May 10, 1954,
Registered Estate No. 113 in Lees
Mill Township, containing a 160
See CoivSnSSIONERsTPag^T
-4
Education Board
Acts on Several
Matters Monday
-1
Ronald L. Davenport Elect
ed To Succeed W. B. Dav
enport on Roper School
Committee
- «
The Washington County Board
of Education, at its April meet
ing here Monday, elected Ronald
L. Davenport to the Roper School
Committee to succeed W. B. Dav
enport who had asked to be re
lieved of his duties as a member
of the committee after many
years of service to his community
and county in this capacity.
The contracts of Mrs. Georgie
Frost Barnes, supervisor of white
schools, and Mrs. Addie Beattie
Boyd, supervisor of Negro schools
were continued for the 1954-1955
school term. Mrs. Ollie E. Keaton,
the librarian at the Washington
County Union School at Roper,
was granted permission to be ab
sent because of illness until the
end of the eighth school month.
The board authorized the sale
of the Brooks School to Mrs. Ma
bel E. Griffin for $1,110.00 and
the sale of the Sound Side School
to Mr. and Mrs. Otis Norman for
$1,467.50. Mrs. Griffin and Mr.
and Mrs. Norman were the high
bidders at public auction. The
board was also informed that the
high bidders for the Macedonia
School were A. M. and M. H.
Kochelis for $2,800.00 on April 2.
The State Highway and Public
Works Commission was granted
the right of way to construct a
hard surfaced road at the rear
of the Roper School campus. The
commission was also granted per
mission to move the agricultural
building at the Roper school, pro
viding desires to do so.
The survey report which was
recently made by a committee
appointed by the Division of
School House Planning of the
State Board of Education was pre
sented to the board. Because of a
planned visit to all the schools
in the county, no action was
taken on the report.
i