4
T'oun
opics
Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, of Plym
outh, attended the Parker chiro
practic research seminar held in
Atlanta, Ga., last week. Dr.
Whitehurst devoted four days to
the study of the latest develop
ments in chiropractic technique
and x-ray diagnosis. The seminar
was conducted by Dr. James W.
Parker, founder and developer of
the Parker Research Foundation,
a Texas organization which ope
rates 18 chiropractic clinics.
Charles T. Robbins, sr., return
ed to Plymouth this week after
being engaged in a construction
project at Pensacola, Fla., for
more than a year and a half. He
was a foreman on the $90,000,000
nylon plant built there by the
Dupont Corporation, work on
which has been completed. He
said yesterday he was glad to get
back home and hopes his next job
with the Dupont organization
will be closer to Plymouth.
Mrs. Dwight L. Fouts will leave
Friday for Milwaukee, Wise., to
attend the assembly of the Wo
men’s Society of Christian Serv
ice of the Methodist Church. The
assembly, which is held every
four years, will be in session
from May 25 through the 28th.
Mrs. Fouts expects to return to
Plymouth on June 1.
A number of Washington Coun
ty Democrats are in Raleigh to
day for the biennial state con
vention. Fourteen delegates and
an equal number of alternates
were elected delegates last Sat
urday at the county convention,
but not all of them are attending.
Carl L .Bailey, chairman of the
county executive committee, and
Ben A. Sumner, candidate for
representative, each planned to
drive up yesterday in time for
caucuses last night.
Mrs. Frances M. Darden, home
demonstration agent, and W. H.
Pruden, farm agent, are attend
ing a conference of State Exten
sion Service agents in Winston
Salem this week. They left Tues
day and expect to return after
Friday’s session.
-4
I
\
Local Band Has
Two More Trips
The Plymouth High School
Band has two more parades on
its program before the end of the
school term, Principal J. S. Flem
ing said yesterday afternoon. It
also has several invitations 'for
events during the summer, but
will be unable to accept them, Mr.
Fleming stated.
Friday afternoon of this week
at 4 o’clock, the Band will go to
Washington to take part in the
Jaycee Festival parade. Then on
Wednesday of next week, May
26, the band is to be in the Shrine
Ceremonial parade in Greenville,
starting at 12 noon. Busses are
being provided as transportation
to both events, according to Mr.
Fleming.
Despite a drizzling rain that
fell intermittently last Saturday,
the band took part in the Potato
Festival parade at Elizabeth City
making quite a good showing ac
cording to those who went over.
The parade started at 11 a. m.
and lasted about an hour and a
half, with several showers pretty
thoroughly wetting the paraders
and onlookers.
Legion Auxiliary Meet
Will Be Held Tuesday
— ♦
The American Legion Auxili
ary will hold its monthly meeting
next Tuesday, May 25 at 8
o’clock in the home of Mrs. Gol
den Simpson. Plans for Poppy
Day to be held on Saturday, May
29, will be discussed and new of
ficers for the coming year are to
be elected. Mrs. Dallas Waters,
president, urges all members to
be present.
-*
Market Experts
To Hold Meeting
Grading and packaging vege
table crops for the auotion market
here May 31st will be discussed
at length at a meeting of vege
table growers to be held here
next Tuesday night, May 25, at
8 o'clock, according to County
Agent W. H. Pruden.
A. A. Banadyga, extension hor
ticulture specialist, and George
Abshire, extension vegetable mar
keting specialist, both of Raleigh,
will be in charge of the meeting,
to which all vegetable growers
are invited. They will discuss ex
pecially snap beans and squash,
as those will be the first of the
crop to be handled by the local
market, Mr. Pruden stated.
The information will be pre
sented in a practical manner and
will actually show how the job
should be done. The two special
ists will also be aavilable to an
swer any questions about vege
table production that may be
raised. Growers are urged to at
tend by the county agent.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 20, 1954
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washinjrton
County and its 13,000 people.
VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 20
ESTABLISHED 1889
ROPER VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN |
Valedictorian of the Roper High School graduating class this
year is Miss Evelyn Chesson (left), who has a four-year average
of 95.58 for all subjects. She was given a close race for top honors
by Miss Carole Chesson (right), whose four-year average was
95.32. Evelyn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Chesson, of Roper,
plans to attend business school after graduating on May 31; while
Carole, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Chesson, of Cross Roads,
plans to enter East Carolina College next fall.—Polaroid 1-Minute
staff photo.
Bailey Again Heads
Democrats of County
Street Surfacing
Projects Finished
In East Few Days
Iotal of 18 Blocks or More
Here Improved by Use of
Powell Bill Funds; Work
Done by Slate
Street surfacing projects in
Plymouth contracted with the
State Highway & Public Works
Commission earlier this year have
been completed within the past
few days. In all about 18 blocks
were either surfaced or resurfac
ed by state highway crews, at a
:ost of approximately $14,200,
which w'as the town’s share of
Powell Bill Funds for last year.
There were six surfacing pro
jects and resurfacing jobs com
pleted. The surfacing included
one block of Logan Avenue in
Stillacres, 3 blocks on Adams
Street, between Fourth and Sev
enth Streets; all of Brinkley For
est, about 2blocks; all of Wine
sett Circle, about 3 blocks; all of
Darby Circle, about 2 blocks; and
Oakford Avenue in Little Rich
wood from Pine Street to the old
railroad right of way, about 3
blocks. Resurfacing included one
block on Madison Street, between
Water and Main; and about 3
blocks on Golf Road in the Coun
try Club Village.
Town officials are pleased with
the amount of work secured for
the funds available. They stated
the cost was much less than simi
lar work performed by a private
contracting firm here about a
year ago. Mayor Riddle believes
the town’s share of Powell Bill
funds for this year will enable
the town to get practically all its
streets surfaced
Convention Held Here Sat
urday; 14 Delegates and
Alternates Are Elected to
State Meet This Week
With a relatively small number
}f the party "faithful” on hand,
Washington County Democrats
gathered in the courthouse here
.ast Saturday morning for their
biennial convention. Carl L. Bai
ley, chairman of the county exe
cutive committee, called the con
vention to order and was elected
temporary chairman, with W.
Blount Rodman as secretary.
Reports were received and read
from all the precinct meetings
aeld the preceding Saturday
morning with the exception of
Wenona, which was not repre
sented. Following this members
af the executive committee re
tired and elected Carl L. Bailey
chairman, with Mrs. C. N. Daven
port vice chairman.
Members of the county execu
tive committee, who are also
chairmen of their respective pre
cinct committees, are as follows:
Plymouth No. 1, J. Robert Camp
bell; Plymouth No. 2, S. F. Dar
den; Lees Mill, L. E. Hassell, sr.;
Skinnersville, Roy V. Patrick;
and Scuppernong, T. F. Daven
port.
Fourteen delegates and 14 al
ternates to the state convention
in Raleigh on May 20 were elect
ed as follows: Delegates: H. S.
Everett and W. T. Freeman, Lees
Mill; E. O. Arnold and Brownie
Goodman, Skinnersville; T. F.
Davenport and Dr. J. M. Phelps,
Scuppernong; W. M. Darden, C.
L. Bailey, sr., M. W. Marrow and
J. R. Campbell, Plymouth No. 1;
S. F. Darden, W. Blount Rodman,
W. R. Gaylord and B. A. Sumner,
Plymouth No. 2; alternates: L. C.
Snell and T. W. Norman, Lees
Mill; Delbert Patrick and Mrs.
See DEMOCRATS, Page 5
Over 130 Register
For May Primary
While Books Open
Registration Period Ended
Saturday; Scuppernong
Leads With 74 New Vot
ers, 14 Party Changes
-1
Interest in the Democratic
primary on May 29 is evidently
running higher than generally
supposed, judging from the num
ber of persons registered during
the last week of the registration
period, which ended at sundown
Saturday. More than 130 new
voters had their names added to
the books, a summary shows,
with quite a number transferring
their voting place from one pre
cinct to another ,and some 20 or
more changing their party affili
ation.
There was a big rush to regis
ter in Scuppernong Township last
Saturday, according to the regis
ter there. New registrations total
ed 74 for the two-week period,
most of them coming the last day,
and 14 persons changed their
party affiliation from Republican
to Democratic as well as 2 Dem
ocrats changing to the Republican
party. Scuppernong has a three
way battle for county commis
sioner and one of the three can
didates for county representative
is from that precinct, probably
accounting for the interest being
shown there.
Registration at other precincts
in the county have been reported
as follows:
Plymouth No. 1: 17 new regis
trations, several transfers and 2
changes of party affiliation.
Plymouth No. 2: Mrs. C. A.
Cratch, registrar, was out of town
yesterday and could not be reach
ed, but prior to last week-end, 8
persons had registered, several
others had transferred from other
precincts and one person changed
his party affiliation.
Lees Mill: Mrs. T. W. Norman,
registrar, said yesterday that she
had 11 new registrations, 5 trans
fer and one change of party af
filiation.
Skinnersville: Registrar J. A.
Goodman reports 15 new registra
tions, a few transfers and 3
changes in party affiliation.
Wenona: H. J. Furbee reported
2 new registrations, 2 transferred
out of the precinct and a total
registration of 57 in that precinct
at the time the books closed Sat
urday.
-I
Bids Announced
For Wool Sale
■ ♦
A top price of nearly 60 cents
per pound was bid last Saturday
for wool to be offered at the
wool pool to be held in Wash
ington on Monday and Tuesday,
June 21 and 22, County Agent
W. H. Pruden was advised this
week. Since independent buyers
have been paying only 45 to 50
cents per pound, county agents
cooperating in the pool feel that
it will pay producers to deliver
their wool at the Washington
pool.
Bids were received last Satur
day, National Spinning Company,
of Washington, submitting high
est bids as follows: Clear wool
.5930, light burry .5230, medium
burry, 4730, heavy burry, 4330,
stained, 5230, coarse, 5230, rejects
and black, 4230, lambs, 4330 and
tags .0900. Producers will receive
on the day their wool is delivered
the above prices, less 2 cents per
pound for handling.
MEMBERS OF THE GRADUATING CLASS AT ROPER HIGH SCHOOL
... .
Thirteen of the fifteen members of the graduating class at Roper High School were present
last Thursday, when the above photo was made. They will receive their diplomas Friday night ol
next week at graduation exercises in the high school auditorium. Misses Terry Lewis and Peggy
Gray were absent when the photo was made. Left to right in the front row are: Sterling Daven
port, Anson Knowles, Lloyd Jones jr., Benny Harrison, Donald Davenport, Horace Edwards and A. J.
Edwards, jr.; back row: Misses Carole Chesson, Rebecca Gaylord, Iris Jean Davenport, Evelyn Ches
son, Mary Elizabeth Hassell and Rebecca Riddick.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
! Two Doe Deer j
I Come To Town ]
Two doe deer, heavy with
fawn, came across the Roanoke
River and literally “took over”
the west end of the Water
Street business district about
6 o'clock Friday morning. They
were observed playing around
Allen's Service Station, House
Chevrolet Company and the
Roanoke Beacon office and
County Game Protector J. T.
Terry was called.
He ran one of them back
across the river. The other got
tangled up in a wire fence and
was captured by the game war
den and a couple of helpers.
Mr. Terry put the captured doe
in his car and carried her up
toward the Warren Neck
swamp, where she was releas
ed. It is believed the deer were
driven from their habitat by
the high northeast winds which
started backing the water up
in the swamp.
Produce Auction
Market Here To
Open on May 31st
+
Snap Beans, Some Cabbage
And Potatoes Expected
First; Joe Moye Employ
ed as Auctioneer
The Plymouth Produce Auction
Market will open for business on
Monday, May 31, it was announc
ed this week by W. T. Freeman,
one of the operators. The open
ing date was definitely set after
a survey of the district to be
served indicated that snap beans,
some cabbage and irish potatoes |
could be expected to be ready
for marketing by that time.
The three operators ol the mar
ket, James H. Ward, W. M. Dar
den and Mr. Freeman, have
worked out plans for handling
the sa'f'.s. Mr. Ward will be n
charge " the office, Mr. Dardei. [
will see chat marketing rules are
observed by sellers and buyers,
and Mr. Freeman will be in
charge of the container ware
house, located across Brinkley
Avenue from the C. C. Lang
plant.
Two government inspectors and
graders will be on hand opening
day, and additional graders will
be secured later as they are
needed as the season progresses,
it was stated. A number of buy
ers are expected to be here on
opening day, and about 40 to 50
firms have indicated they will be
represented on the market dur
ing the season.
Signs are to be erected on all
highways leading into Plymouth
directnig produce sellers to fol
low a definite route to the mar
ket. Produce carriers will use the
truck lane, leaving Highway 64
at the end of Monroe Street. They
will proceed north to Brinkley
Avenue, turning left on that
See MARKET, Page 5
-4
Father of Roper
Patrolman Dies
-1
Irving L. Morton, retired hor
ticulturist and resident of Wil
liamston for the past three years,
died suddenly from a heart attack
at the Roper home of his son,
Patrolman Earl Morton, Sunday
morning. Although he had been
in poor health for some time, he
was fairly active until last Sat
urday, when a heart condition
from which he suffered was ag
gravated by the injury of a 5
year-old grandchild in an acci
dent in Williamston.
He was born in Newport, Car
teret County, 81 years ago on
February 18, 1873. He lived in
Wilson for about 45 years before
locating in Williamston with ano
ther son, W. Edward Morton,
about three years ago. His wife,
the former Miss Ellen Johnson,
died in 1949.
He was a member of the First
Christian Church in Wilson for
many years. Funeral services
were conducted in Wilson Tues
day afternoon at 3 o’clock by Dr.
Cecil Jarman, pastor of the
Christian Church, and interment
followed in Maplewood Cemtery
there.
Mr. Morton is survived by eight
sons, Charles Morton, of Raleigh,
Luther Morton of Greenville I. L.
Morton of Washington, D. C..
“Red” Mrton of Florence, S. C.,
Otis Morton of Fort Lauderdale,
Fla., Earl Morton, of Roper, Ver
non Morton of Wilson, and Ed
ward Morton of Williamston; one
daughter, Miss Louise Morton of
Wilson; a brother, Clim Manly
Morton of Fort Lauderdale; a sis
ter, Mrs. Annie Tugwell of Char
lotte; 16 grandchildren and 8
great-grandchildren.
County Schools To Close
Current Term on May 31st
SECTION OF SCHOOL ART EXHIBIT HERE
J
This shows the Wildlife section of the Washington County
Schools art exhibition held in the Plymouth High School gym
nasium Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Hundreds of
drawings, paintings, articles of cutwork, sculpture, carvings, model
ing and handicraft were displayed and viewed by students, par
ents and other friends of the schools. There were a number of
exhibits showing exceptional ability, and several of the better
ones were selected to remain in the office of the county superin
tendent.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
Court Decision Halts
Planning for Schools
No New Buildings in Coun
ty Likely Until Full Im
port of Supreme Court's
Decision Is Assessed
So far as Washington County
school officials are concerned, the
principal immediate effect of the
U. S. Supreme Court's mometous
decision Monday in ruling out
segregation will be to suspend all
plans for construction of addition
al school buildings in the coun
tv Coui ty officials are waiting
ror state ct..o ! au. ..urines to out
line policies to be follwed, it was
stated here early this week, and
it is dubtful that any changes
will be made in plans for the
school term beginning next fall.
Principals and teachers have
already been elected for the next
term in most schools, it was ex
plained; and unless they are oth
erwise notified county officials
will go ahead with plans for ope
rating the school the same as in
the past. Formal decrees for put
ting into effect the supreme
court's ruling will not even be
argued until next October, and
opinion generally is that a per
iod of years will be required to
make adjustments, reorganize
districts and remodel the school
system to conform to any orders
that may be enforced.
Washington County has made
considerable progress in the past
few years in its aim to provide
“separate but equal” facilities for
the two races. County colored
high schools were consolidated
only at the start of the present
term, when the new union school
at Roper was used for the first
time. This plant is the most mod
ern in the county, and colored
"see^SEGREGATioN, Page 10
First Lamb Sale
To Be Held Here
Tuesday, May 25
Grading and Weighing Will
Start at 7 A. M.; County
Agent Should Be Notified
By Friday
The first coe■ - M' * lamb pool
of the season will be held here
next Tuesday, May 25, at the At
lantic Coast Line pens on East
Water Street. Grading and weigh
ing of Iambs will begin at 7
o’clock that morning, under sup
ervision of specialists from the
extension service and state de
partment of agriculture.
Lambs are expected to be
brought here from Tyrrell, Cho
wan, Washington, Martin, Beau
fort, Bertie, Pamlico and possibly
some others. County Agent W. H.
Pruden is in charge of arrange
ments for the sale, and those who
intend to offer lambs for sale
must advise him by tomorrow,
May 21, in order that cars may
be ordered for shipping the ani
mals.
Last year 634 lambs were sold
at the first sale held here, and
the agent says he has already
been advised that the offerings
this year should be about equally
as large. Top price last year was
$29 per 100 pounds.
Producers have been advised to
sell all the lambs possible at the
first sale. Animals held over us
ually do not thrive after the first
of June, and later prices general
See LAMB SALE, Page 10
I WASHINGTON COUNTY QUEEN AND RUNNERS-UP |
-- ■ ■■-»
Miss Jane Crofton, who came in second in the queen's con
test at the Potato Festival in Elizabeth City last Friday and Sat
urday, is shown above flanked by runners-up in the contest for
Washington County queen, Miss Marguerite Latham (left) and
Miss Mary Eleanor Sanderson (right). Miss Crofton is wearing
the potato-sack gown with the official emblem of the festival.
Miss Betty Ann Burnham, who won the festival queen’s contest
last year, reigned over the festivities Friday until the new queen
Miss Peggy Harrell of Hertford, was selected.—Weaver Studio
photo.
Programs and Speakers for
Closing Exercises An
nounced for Both While
and Colored Schools
Washington County school chil
dren and teachers are in the midst
of preparations lor commence
ment exercises at the four county
high schools. Monday, May 31, is
the final day of the current school
term, and more than 3,200 chil
dren, white and colored, are look
ing forward to the start of their
summer vacation period after
that date.
First of the commencement
programs will be held at Roper
High School Sunday, May 23,
when the Rev. James L. McAllis
ter, jr., a Roper native will preach
the annual sermon for the grad
uating class in the school audi
torium at 11 a .m. They continue
through May 31 when all the
schools except Roper will hold
their graduating exercises. Diplo
mas will be awarded Roper grad
uates on Friday night. May 28.
Briefly outlined, commence
ment programs as announced by
principals at the various schools
this week are as follows:
Plymouth High School: Class
night exercises, Friday, May 28,
high school auditorium, 8 p. m.,
presented in form of a play, “Be
tween the Bookends”; commence
ment sermon, Sunday, May 30,
8 p. m., high school auditorium,
by the Rev. Ross J. Allen, secre
tary of the North Carolina
Christian Missionary Society, of
Wilson; graduation exercises,
Monday, May 31, 8 p. m., in school
auditorium.
Roper High School: Commence
ment sermon, Sunday, May 23,
high school auditorium. 11 a. m.,
by the Rev. James L .McAllister,
jr., graduate student in the De
partment of Religion of Duke
University; senior class night
program, “A Southern Rosary,”
Thursday, May 27, 8:15 p. m.,
school auditorium; graduation
exercises and commencement ad
dress by the Rev. John Goff, min
ister of tile Williamston Christ
ian Church, Friday, May 28, 8
p. m., in the high school auditor
ium.
Creswell High School: May
Day program and exercises all
day Friday, May 28, at high
school building; senior class night
exercises, Friday, May 28, 8 p. m.,
in the high school auditorium;
annual sermon, Sunday May 30,
8 p. m., in school auditorium, by
the Rev. Lewis Styons, pastor of
the Roanoke Rapids First Christ
ian Church; graduating exercises
and commencement address by
Dr. F. Orion Mixon, president of
SeTsCHOOLsTPagTlo”
-*
neunion Sunday
Of Allen Family
The descendants cf Thomas
Respass Allen will hold their an
nual family reunion at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Ottie Allen, 8
miles from Plymouth on Highway
32, next Sunday. The meeting
will convene promptly at 11a. m.
There will be plenty of food, a
short speech and a general renew
ing of fellowship and family ties.
All relatives and descendants of
Thomas Respass Allen are invited
to attend.
Leon Whitehurst, of Smithfield,
is president of the Allen Reunion.
Driver Is Killed
In Auto Accident
Bernice Columbus Halsey, 31
year-old Creswell colored man,
was killed in an automobile ac
cident just over the Tyrrell coun
ty line early last Saturday morn
ing. Henry Edward Halsey, his
cousin and a passenger in the
car, was hospitalized with bruises
and contusions, but was not ser
iously hurt, according to Carl
Gilchrist, of the State Highway
Patrol, who investigated the ac
cident.
According to the patrolman,
Columbus Halsey was driver of
the car. which ran off the high
way into a tree and ricocheted
into a canal. The accident hap
pened about 12:30 Saturday
morning, one-half mile east of
the Tyrreil-Washington County
line. The driver died about two
hours later in the hospital at Co
lumbia. Henry Halsey, the pas
senger, said he was asleep on the
back seat and could give no de
tails as to the cause.
A coroner's inquest is to be
held as soon as Henry Halsey is
able to attend and testify. Patrol
man Gilchrist said. It was the
first traffic fatality in Tyrrell
County in three years.