T'own I
opicsl
A group of fishermen from
Plymouth had very good luck at
Bluff Shoals in Pamlico County
last Saturday and Sunday. They
caught from 50 to 60 trout, ac
cording to Harry W. Gurkin, and
many of them weighed 3 to 4
oounds. The group included, be
« Aides Mr. Gurkin, Jim Etheridge,
Bill Leary, Colon Bowen and L.
W. Gurkin, sr. They fished from
Harry Gurkin's cruiser, leaving
here Friday night and returning
Sunday. They also visited Ocra
coke while they were gone.
Mr. and Mrs. F. I. Hartung, of
Wenona, were in Plymouth Fri
day. It was learned that they
were observing their 52nd wed
ding anniversary that day, and
they had dinner at the Mayflower
Restaurant to mark the occasion.
While they did not divulge their
age, both are very active. Mr.
Hartung is an avid hunter and
fisherman and loves to yarn with
the best of ’em. They called on
a number of their many friends
in the community while they
were in town.
Frank C. Bickerstaff, sr., who
was injured in a fall at the pulp
mill here Tuesday of last week,
was reported to be improving
steadily at a Raleigh hospital yes
terday. He was taken to Raleigh
last Thursday and operated on
^Sunday to drain congealed blood
tTrom his badly injured left knee.
His attending physician said yes
terday he should be able to re
turn to Plymouth by the first of
next week.
Chief of Police and Mrs. P. W.
Brown returned Tuesday night
after spending a few days with
their son Charles D. Brown, and
family in Salisbury, Md. They
left Friday and, for a wonder, the
chief says he didn't get to see a
single baseball game while he
was up there. Usually he magaes
to see the Washington Senators
in action whenever he visits his
son.
A. K. Spencer, instructor in in
dustrial arts at Plymouth High
School, has been out of school this
week as the result of an unusual
accident. Barefooted, he was
mowing grass in the yard of his
home near Columbia last week
end when he got a foot caught in
the mower. He suffered a bad
cut and a broken toe. It is thought
^ will be back in school by next
Monday.
4
Plymouth Juniors
Hosts To Seniors
Last Friday Night
-+
Annual Banquet in School
Lunch Room Followed
By Prom in Gymnasium;
"Paris" Theme of Setting
-♦
Plymouth High School Juniors
entertained the seniors, faculty
members and several invited
guests at the annual junior-senior
banquet and dance here last Fri
day night. The banquet was held
in the school cafeteria starting
at 7 p. m., and was followed by
the prom in the gymnasium at 9
A'clock.
“Paris” was the motif carried
out in the program, decorations
and costumes of waiters and
waitresses at the banquet and
dance. Harriet Keyes, president
of the junior class, presided at
the banquet and made the ad
dress of welcome. Dwight Kelly,
senior class president, made the
response.
Other items on the program
were: Toast to the school by Jim
my Jackson, vice president of the
juniors, with the response by
Principal J. S. Fleming. Vocal
solo by Mrs. J. B. Carr. Toast to
the faculty, Mary Johnson: and
response by J. B. Carr; saxo
phone solo by Edward Taylor;
toast to the school board by Ray
Lilley and response by C. W. Din
kins. A song in French by the 12
sophomore waiters and waitress
es, closed the program.
The gym was beautifully deco
rated and arranged with side
walk tables for the Parisain set
ting. The young people in their
/Jfening gowns and dinner coats
provided a colorful scene for the
parents and visitors who had a
space reserved for them along
one side of the biulding. Dick
Levin and his State College or
chestro provided music
Bid for Old Macedonia
School Is Again Raised
»
The bid for the Macedonia
coolred school building and lot
was raised again last week, it was
learned yesterday from County
School Superintendent R. • F.
Lowry. A. M. Kochelis submitted
a bid of $3,090 for the property,
which has been offered at auc
tion some four or five times re
cently.
At the first sale of the property
several months ago, the top bid
was $1,500. Each time it has been
sold the bid has been raised until
it now stands at $3,u90.
The Roanoke B
and Washington County News
CON
★ ★★★★★
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington [jj
County and its 13,000 people. I!;
VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 18
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 6, 1954
ESTABLISHED 1889
2nd District Lawyers To Meet Here
Lawyers of the second judicial
district will meet in Plymouth at
the country club on Thursday,
May 13, starting at 5:30 p. m., it
was announced this week by W. j
L. Whitley, local attorney and
president of the Second District
Bar. Dinner will be served to the
visiting lawyers following a busi
ness meeting.
The Hon. Ralph Moody, of Ra
leigh, assistant attorney general
of North Carolina, will be the
principal speaker. A number of
prominent lawyers and state of
ficials are expected to attend, in
eluding M. V. Barnhill, chief jus
tice of the North Carolina Su
preme Court; Federal Judge Don
Gilliam, of Tarboro; Walter J.
Bone, of Nashville, resident judge
of the second district; George M.
Fountain, of Tarboro, special su
perior court judge; Second Dis
trict Solicitor Elbert S. Peele, of
Williamston; Z. V. Norman, of
Plymouth, president of the North
Carolina State Bar; and William
L. Thorpe, of Rocky Mount, presi
dent of the North Carolina Bar
Association.
This will be the annual district
I meeting, and a number of busi
ness matters are to be consider
ed, including election of officers
for the coming year. About 50 to
60 attorneys are expected to at
tend the sessions.
The Second District Bar is com
posed of lawyers from Washing
ton, Martin, Edgecombe, Nash and
Wilson Counties. Present officers
are W. L. Whitley, of Plymouth,
president: Vinson Bridges, of
Tarboro, vice president; and Carl
L. Bailey, jr., of Plymouth, secre
tary-treasurer.
► --———
Survey Panel’s Plans
Adopted for Schools
| PRESS MEET SINGER (
f 'J!!.!'" .. I !■ .U. .7,T^i
Miss Nancy Rainey, daugh
ter of the Rev. and Mrs. L. J.
Rainey, of Creswell, is on the
entertainment program for the
spring meeting of the Eastern
North Carolina Press Associa
tion at Murfreesboro Friday
and Saturday of this week.
Miss RainCy, a Chowan College
student with a fine soprano
voice, will sing at the Friday
evening banquet.
Ageni Says Malathion
Sure Killer of Beetles
County Agent W. H. Pruden re
ports that malathion really does
the work in killing bean leaf
beetles and Mexican bean beetles,
lie said ho tried out. the prepara
tion in his garden here Monday
afternoon, dusting his bean plants
liberally. The next morning he
was unable to find a live beetle
anywhere, although there were
as many as five dead beetles un
der some plants.
lie again warns gardeners,
however, not to use this insecti
cide after the bean pods start
forming, as it is poisonous to
humans.
-♦
Small Firs al Allas
Plaul Here Yesterday
Plymouth firemen were called
out yesterday morning about 9:30
by a fire at the Atlas Plywood
Corporation plant. The old- office
building there, now used for stor
age, was damaged some by hav
ing a hole burned in the roof, but
the fire was quickly extinguished.
Origin of the blaze was not de
termined. Damage was not be
lieved to exceed $75 to $100.
Architect Tells Board of
Education Total Cost of
All Buildings Suggested
Would Be About $525,000
-*
Recommendations of the sur
vey panel on school-building
needs in Washington County were
discussed and adopted in general
by the county board of education
at its regular meeting here Mon
day. Board members directed that
the report be filed with the build
ing panel of the state board of
education as this county’s long
range “plan of organization and
proposed expenditures of local
and state funds for building
needs.”
The county board also present
ed its budget estimate to the
county board of commissioners,
but no action was taken there,
pending receipt of budget esti
mates from other county govern
mental departments. Chairman L.
E. Hassell, of Roper, presided
over the meeting, with all mem
bers of the board in attendance:
J. W. Norman and Mrs. K. S.
Trowbridge, Plymouth; J. Whit
ford Swain, Skinnersville; and P.
B. Belanga, Creswell.
Seven recommendations were
made by the panel appointed by
the state department of public
instruction. They followed a one
day survey trip to the county by
the panel to study building needs
in the school system. No order ol
priority was given to the con
struction of any projects, as they
were all reported of equal im
portance by the panel.
The report was discussed Mon
day by the board of education
members with L. N. Boney, jr.,
See SURVEY^ Page 7
-♦
Fertilizing Corn
With New Method
W. H. Thompson, of Roper, is
fertilizing his corn in a different
manner this year. He is using an
hydrous ammonia to obtain all
the nitrogen for his crop.
Super phosphate and sulphate
of potash were applied in a con
ventional fertilizer distributer.
The rows were made and after
this operation anhydrous am
monia was applied in the land at
60 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
Mr. Thompson will again use
anhydrous ammonia as a side
dresser when the corn is knee
high. He estimates that he will
save the price of the equipment
which was approximately $000 on
ITS acres of corn which he is
planting this year.
Inadequate Sewer
System in Village
Talked by Council
Delegation Told Action Not
Likely Until New Budget
Is Set Up: Other Matters
Considered Monday
A group of irate citizens from
the country club village descend
ed on the Plymouth City Council
at its Monday night meeting, de
mandng that something be done
about inadequate cess pools and
spetic tanks serving the area.
They calmed down a lot after
Mayor Riddle and the council
members agreed they had a legi
timate gripe and promised to do
what they could to remedy con
ditions when the next budget is
set up.
The council also acted on sev
eral other matters, including ban
ning future carnival visits here,
appointment of a budget commit
tee and placing drip barrels in
near-by swamps to help control
mosquitoes. Mayor A. J. Riddle
presided, and all six members of
the council were present: E. D.
Keel and W. C. Hall, first ward;
J. B. Latham and George W. Har
rison, second ward; J. F. Daven
port and J. D. Cruickshank, third
ward.
There were seven members in
the delegation from the country
club village: M. J. Polk, Willian'
Ruffin, R. M. Allen, C. S. Brewer
Wesley Ange. Carl Roberson and
Charles Gardner. They presented
a petition bearing 89 signatures
all residents of the area, asking
that something be done to im
prove sewage disposal in the area.
The sewer system in the village
has been a headache for several
years, both before and after the
area was taken into the corporate
limits. Many of the complaints
center about the three cess pools
serving houses on the north side
of Golf Road. Inadequate to serve
the volume of sewage material,
they overflow and in dry weather
create an offensive odor through
out the village.
State health authorities have
ruled they are inadequate and in
sanitary. M. O. Caton, sanitary
engineer for the state board of
health, made a survey within the
past few weeks, and town offic
ials have been advised by the
state board that some action to
alleviate the situation should be
taken immediately.
After hearing the delegation
Monday night, councilmen agreed
to do whatever possible to reme
dy conditions. It is believed by
most of them that an entire new
sewer line may have to be con
structed, with pumps necessary
to lift the sewage at certain point.
See~SE\VER, Page 12
LOCAL JUNIORS AND SENIORS GATHER FOR ANNUAL RANQUET
Typical of activities underway as county schools near the end of another term is this photo
of local high school students gathering for the annual junior-senior banquet and prom here last
Friday evening. The girls are decked out in orchids and evening dresses of all hues, while the
boys, many of them for the first time, are sporting boutonnieres on their white dinner jackets
with dark trousers. No attempt was made to identify those in the picture above, as many of thim
were too excited to correctly name even themselves right then.—Polaroid 1-Minutc staff photo.
VaccinaiionsLaw
Ordered Enforced
By Commissioners
Board Also Acts To Keep
Carnivals Out of County;
Other Matters Considered
At Meeting Monday
Washington County commis
sioners, at their monthly meeting
Monday, decided to “get tough”
with dog owners who fail to have
their aniitials vaccinated as re
quired by law and also ruled that
carnivals < and traveling shows
should be taxed the maximum
amount allowed by state law, re
gardless of the sponsoring agency.
They also received the budget es
timate fop operation of county
schools during the coming year,
but postppned action until bud
gets for other county departments
are prepared.
John J. Gilbert, district high
way engineer who is stationed in
Plymouth, appeared before the
board with a special invitation
from J. Emmett Winslow, of
Hertford, first division highway
commissioner, for all board mem
bers and county officers to at
tend dedication of the new high
way commission shops Friday of
next week at 4 p. m. The cere
mony will be held at the site of
the new shops, about three miles
north of Hertford, and Governor
William B. Umstead is to be the
principal speaker. The commis
sioners extended their thanks for
the invitation, and it was indi
cated some of the county officials
would be present.
The problem of unvaccinated
dogs has become more acute each
year. After discussing the matter
at some length, the commissioners
directed that owners of all dogs
not vaccinated by May 31 be
prosecuted after that date. It was
also ordered that an advertise
ment be inserted in the local
paper next week notifying dog
owners that they can expect to be
prosecuted if the law requiring
vaccination of all dogs is not
obeyed, i
The mit’on that, in effect, bars
carnivals' om the county .-as
made by J. C. Knowles and Sec
ond by H. L. Davenport. It di
rects that the tax collector be
instructed to collect the maxi
mum tax allowed by state law
from any carnival or other tra
veling show operating in the
county, regardless of who the
sponsor may be. In the past, the
county tax has not been charged
when carnivals appeared under
the sponsorship of local civic, vet
erans and similar organizations.
The county board of education
presented its budget for the 1954
SetTvACC INATIONS, Page 7
-♦
Miss Jane Crofton
Is One of Finalists
.In Queens Contest
-♦
Made Several Appearances
On Television Shows at
Norfolk Station Last Fri
day and Saturday
Washington County was well
represented by Miss June Crofton
of Plymouth, in the queen’s con
test sponsored by a Norfolk tele
vision station last Friday and Sat
urady. Although Miss Crofton
didn't win, she was one of three
finalists out of 39 entrants repre
senting various towns and coun
ties in the North Carolina and
Virginia tide-water area.
Chosen as Miss WTAR-TV was
Miss Peggy Harvin, of Woodland,
representing Northampton Coun
ty. Miss Crofton, a diminutive
brunette, and Miss Hampton
Slingluff, of Virginia Beach, a
striking blonde, were the other
two finalists from which the
queen was selected. Both Miss
Crifton and Miss Slingluff were
Miss Harvin’s attendants in the
May Day festivities marking dedi
cation of the Norfolk station’s
new Channel 3 Tower.
Miss Crofton, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Lester Crofton of Plym
outh, made several television ap
pearances Friday and Saturday,
before and after the judging. She
\was chosen several weeks ago to
represent the county at the Potato
Festival in Elizabeth City on May
14 and 15.
Washington County veterans’
clubs are sponscfing Miss Crof
ton in the queen’s contest at the
potato festival next week, and
she wil be crowned "Miss Wash
ington County” at the Queen’s
Ball to be held at the veterans
building here Saturday night,
building here Saturday night. She
will be crowned by Miss Betty
Ann Burnham, "Miss Washington
County” of 1953 and also winner
of the queen’s contest at the po
tato festival last year.
Precinct Meetings To Be
Held Saturday Morning
Miss Jane Crofton, representing Washington County in the
queen's contest of a Norfolk television station last week-end, was
one of three finalists out of 39 entrants from eastern North Car
olina and Virginia. A senior in Plymouth High School, she was
also one cf the busiest persons in both states as she made several
television appearances in Norfolk Friday and Saturday, rushing
back to Plymouth between times to take part in the junior-senior
1 banquet and prom Friday night, when the above photo was
I made.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
Boards Take Action
To Outlaw Carnivals
Counly Commissioners and
City Council Direct Levy
Of Full Tax, Regardless
Of Sponsorship
_i—»——
Traveling carnivals of the type
with which Plymouth has been
cursed for many years were, for
all practical purposes, outlawed
in Washington County by separ
ate actions of the county commis
sioners and Plymouth City Coun
cil Monday.
On motion of J. C. Knowles,
seconded by H. L. Davenport, and
carried without a dissenting vote,
the county commissioners decided
Monday morning to direct the tax
collector to collect the maximum
amount of tax allowed by state
law for all carnivals and travel
ing shows operating in this coun
ty, regardless of sponsorship by
my local organization. Hereto
fore. carnivals sponsored by civic
or veterans organizations have
not charged any tax.
Monday night, the matter was
brought to the attention of the
Plymouth city council by Mayor
A.'J. Riddle," and by unanimous
vote a previous order allowing
two carnivals a year here was
rescinded, and it was ordered that
no carnivals be allowed here
Carnivals operating here have
been the subject of considerable
criticism and controversy in re
cent years. Gambling joints and
lewd shows have dominated most
of the traveling aggregations,
which pay sponsoring organiza
tions several hundred dollars in
order to escape the high tax lev
ied and to give the shows some
semblance of respectability.
Matters reached a climax here
recently, when one of the carni
vals put up here during Holy
Week, causing concern to many
individuals and religious organi
zations. Mayor Riddle said Mon
day night he had received a num
ber of letters about the matter,
and it was decided to eliminate
them altogether.
The state taxes carnivals and
traveling shows from $100 to $300
per week, denpending on size of
the locality where they show or
number of vehicles in the aggre
gation. State law provides that
counties and towns may tax such
shows and carnivals one-half the
amount of the state tax. Local
taxes have been waived in the
past due to pressure by local
sponsoring organizations.
Plan Sunday Services
At Morrattock Church
Services will be held Sunday
afternoon at 3:30 at Morrattock
Church, near Plymouth, by Elder
R. B. Denson, the minister, it was
announced yesterday. The public
is invited to attend.
Both Banks Here
To Close Monday
May is a banner month for
employees of banking institu
tions in this state, as they get
three holidays, spaced exactly
10 days apart. Next Monday,
May 10, is Confederate “Deco
ration Day"; Thursday, May 20,
is Mecklenburg Declaration of
Independence Day; and since
National Memorial Day, May
30, falls on Sunday, banks will
observe the following Monday,
May 31, as a holiday.
Both the Planters National
Rank & Trust Company and the
Branch Banking & Trust Com
pany here will he closed next
Monday. II. E. Beam, vice presi
dent and cashier of the Branch,
and Marvin Weaver, local man
ager for the Planters, will be
in Pinehurst at the annual con
vention of the North Carolina
Bankers Association.
Boating Club Members
To Meet Friday Night
-♦
Members of the "Plymouth
Boat Club,” an informal organi
zation of local boating enthusiasts,
will meet Friday, May 7, at 7:30
p. m. at the clubhouse of the Al
bemarle Hunting Club, it was an
nounced this week by Leroy Sit
terson, secretary.
W. Blount Rodman, local at
torney, will be present to disrr.ss
the legal procedure for obtaining
a formal charter for the organi
zation and to furnish other infor
mation along that line. All mem
bers are requested to be present
and anyone interested is invited
to attend.
Chairman Issues Call for
Sessions To Star! at 11
A.M. at Six Polling Places
In County
-«
Democratic party precinct
meetings will be held in the six
Washington County precincts
Saturday morning of this week,
May 8tti, at 11 a, m. Official call
for the meetings was issued Mon
day by Carl L. Bailey, chairman
of the county Democratic execu
tive committee, who urges as
large an attendance as possible.
Precinct meetings usually do
not receive the attention they
should from people in the coun
ty. The party set-up for county,
state and nation originate at the
precinct meetings in this state,
and the only way a citizen can
have any voice in party councils
is by attendance at the precinct
sessions.
The county convention will be
held on the following Saturday,
May 15, with district and state
conventions on Thursday, May 20,
in Raleigh. The count ^-convention
will be held in the courthouse
here at 11 a. m. May 15. Precinct
meetings this week will be held
at the polling place in each re
spective precinct. Delegates to
county conventions are elected at
precinct meetings; and delegates
to district and state conventions
are chosen at the county meet
ing.
Principal business at the pre
cinct meetings, in addition to
election of delegates to the coun
ty convention, is selection of exe
cutive committees, chairman of
which automatically become
members of the county executive
committee. Instead of electing
delegates to the county conven
tion, the usual practice is to name
“all Democrats in good standing”
as delegates.
Precinct polling places where
the meetings are to be held Sat
urday are as follows; Plymouth
Precinct No. 1, courthouse; Plym
outh No. 2, high schol building;
Lees Mill, community building;
’ Skinnersville, J..A. Goodman’s
store; Scuppernong, tax collectors
office in Creswell; arjd Wenona,
residence of H. J. Furbee.
Under the Democratic party
plan of organization, each pre
cinct shall elect an executive
committee consisting of five act
ive Democrat?, at least two of
which shall be women. The com
mittee so elected shall choose
from its membership a chairman
and vice chairman, one of whom
shall be a woman. The chairman
serves as a member of the county
executive committee.
Each precinct is entitled to cast
in the county convention one vote
for every 25 Democratic votes
cast at the last gubernatorial
election. Under this plan, the six
precincts have the following num
ber of votes in the county conven
tion: Plymouth No. 1, 22; Plym
outh No. 2, 34; Lees Mill, 16; Skin
See PRECINCTS, Page 12
Home-Club Week
Being Observed
This week, from Sunday, May
2, through Saturday, May 8, is
i being observed as National Home
Demonstration Week in Washing
ton County, according to Mrs.
Frances M. Darden, county home
demonstration agent.
County home demonstration
club women are holding a county
council meeting, flower show and
tea Thursday afternoon in the
Agriculture Building. The county
council meeting is starting at 2
o’clock this afternoon. Each club
member has been invited to at
tend and bring her best arrange
ments of flowers or potted plants.
Mrs. Darden said each club is
being urged to work toward in
creasing its membership during
the present week. Hoke Club is
at the head of the list in securing
new memberships so far this year.
District Methodists
Hold Meeting Here
Approximately 175 Methodists
attended the Elizabeth City Dis
trict Conterenoe hold with the
Plymouth church Tuesday of this
week. Sessions were held in the
new educational building of the
local church, completion of which
has been rushed in the past few
weeks for the meetings.
The morning, session began at
9:30, with the devotional service
conducted by W. S. Davenport of
Plymouth, minister for the James
ville Methodist charge. Z. V. Nor
man gave the welcome for the
host church. Following the morn
ing program, including worship
service and sermon by Waiter
Anderson, luncheon was seized
by women of the local church.
The afternoon session began at
2 o’clock, with prayer by the Rev.
D. L. Fouts of the Plymouth
church. Mr. Fouts, as dristrict
chairman of Christian Education,
also spoke briefly during the
morning session. A number of
prominent lay leaders and min
isters of the district took part in
the programs. The Rev. C. Free
man Heath, of Elizabeth City, is
district superintendent.