North Carolina Newspapers

Town upies Lsssssa Esnss-ssni: The Roanoke Beacon 1 A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 13,006 people. and Washington County News ****** ★ ★★★★★ VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 27 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, July 8, 1954 ESTABLISHED 1889 Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Whitley, jr., and children, Wilford III and Ronald, will return to their home in Haddonfield, N. J., Sunday af ter a brief visit here with Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Whitley. Young Whit ley is now serving at the Phil adelphia branch of the Anti-Tr»«+ Division of the Department of Justice. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert R. Har tung and children. Linda and David, of Plymouth, Ind., are visiting Mr. Hartung's uncle, F. I. Hartung, and Mrs. Hartung in Wenona. This is the Indiana Har tung's second visit to this section and he said while here Tuesday that he would move to the We nona section if he could arrange to dispose of his property in the Hoosier state. He is a rural mail carrier and also operates a shoe repair and shoe store in Plym outh, Ind. T. H. Rosenthal, of Wenona, and his son-in-law, Sgt. Denny Jackson, who is stationed at Don aldson Air Force Base, Green ville. S. C., recently made a trip to Chanute Air Force Base, Ran toul, 111., to visit Mr. Rosenthal's son, Airman Third Class T. H. Rosenthal, jr. They carried young Rosenthal's car to him and then visited friends for a few days in Chicago before returning h»ra*, driving some 2,600 miles on the *./ trip. Johnny Marrow is attending the Christian Adventure Camp at Camp Don-Lee this week. Four Plymouth girls, Mary Stuart Joy ner, Kathryn Keel, Wynne Lind sa and Brenda Warren, spent last week at the camp. Ten weeks of camping are being held at Camp Don-Lee this summer. Liaht Volume on Market R snorted * The Plymouth Produce Market reported receipts this week of cukes, tomatoes and peppers, with volume light on cukes, fair on tomatoes and light on peppers. The cuke season is about over and the crop was a big disappoint ment due to weather conditions. Although the volume of green packing tomatoes was reported as fair it was said that the quality was not so good, prices ranging from $1 to $2.90. Pepper prices ranged from $1 to $2.50 with most of the offer ings picked prematurely and too small in size. Baskets were not full, it was stated. Market operators are urging that if growers want to receive top prices for their peppers they include nothing but sound, firm, mature peppers, dark green in color and measuring three inches or so in length and about three inches across. Baskets should be well-filled. “The low prices are partially due to dry weather,” W. T. Free man, one of the owners and ope rators of the market stated Wed nesday, “but more due to sorry packing — not separating good from poor quality.” -« Softball League y Opens Next Week Play in the newly-formed soft ball league is slated to begin Monday night of next week, ac cording to Hugh Midyette. There will be four teams com peting, three sponsored by or ganizations and one independent. Roper Firemen, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce will have teams while Walt Hur ry has organized an independent club, expected to be managed by Richard Ayers. It is thought that Melvin Boyd will manage the VFW entry but it is not known at this time who will manage the other entries. A schedule will be drawn up by Joe Foster and Hugh Midyette in time for play to begin Monday. Games will be played Monday and Tuesday night of each week with a twi-night doubleheader each night, all teams participating it was stated. Each team is requested to sub ^mit a player roster to Midyette ^by Monday, No umpires have been secured yet. I AMONG dignitaries attending ordination service atgrace church The above photo was made just prior to the ordination service in Grace Episcopal Church Tuesday of last week at which John Crisp Owens, of Plymouth, was ordained to the sacred order of deacons, the first order of the apostolic ministry of the church. The service was largely attend ed including a number of clergymen, among them a former rector of the church, the Rev. william B.' Daniels, jr„ of Wyoming, Ohio. Two members of the clergy who were present, took part in ttie procession but were not in the picture, were the Rev. Gordon D. Bennett, of Edenton, and the Rev. Guthrie Brown, of Morehead City. Those in the picture, left to right, are: the Rev. Sutaey Matthews, Winton; L. W. Hewett, Bath; the Rev. Douglas E. Wolfe, Portsmouth, Va ; the Rev. George F. Hill, Elizabeth City; the Rev. Gardner D. Underhill, Windsor; the Rev. Mr. Daniels, the Rev. Charles F. Wulf, Hertford; the Rev. Fred E E. Ferris, Chocowmity; the Rev. Stanleigh Jenkins. Wilmington; the Rev. E. M. Spruill, Plymouth: John Crisp Owens; the Rev. WiUbubL. Hicks, Southport; the Rev. Wallace I. Wolverton, Greenville; the Rev. Daniel W. Allen, Wilmington, the Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Wright, Wilmington; the Rev. Edwin F. Moseley, Kinston; and the Kev. James P. Dees, Beaufort.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo._ _ _ Few Changes Shown In New Town Budget August Calls by j Board -15 Men j Pre-induction and induction calls have been received by the local draft board and were an nounced this week by Mrs. Lor raine Hunter, board clerk. On Thursday, August 26, 10 registrants will be sent for pre induction and five for induction all by chartered bus, Mrs. Hunt er stated. She said that these registrants will be ordered to report to the board on that morning at 7:45 o’clock and she asks that none be late since the bus will leave at the appointed time regardless. Farm Safety Will Be Stressed Soon -1 Farmers of this county are ask ed to note that the week of July 25 has been proclaimed as Nat ional Farm Safety Week by Presi dent Eisenhower. The president states that three major reasons for observing this week are that there are more accidental deaths occurring in farming than in any other indus try in the nation, a disabling in jury strikes some farm person in America every 26 seconds on an average, as the result of an avoidable accident, and this ap palling loss can be greatly reduc ed by the exercise of care and caution on the part of farm peo ple. It is not known whether any special program will be observed in the county during the week as no announcement has yet been made concerning it. However, the subject of Farm Safety will be used in a 4-H speaking contest at Washington Thursday of this week in which at least one coun ty 4-H Club member will take part. -» Attendance Figures For Pettigrew Park Released —. ♦ — Park Hanger Paul E. Banner man, of Pettigrew State Park, re ports that during the week end ing July 4 a total of 358 persons visited the area. The number included 54 pic nickers, 98 visitors to the museum, 93 fishing, 42 hikers and 19 boat ers, Bannerman said. Holiday Observance Reported Quiet Here The holiday period was mark ed quietly in the county, officers declaring it to be one of the quietest in memory. No violence of any kind was reported and no injuries or fatali ties, although there was consid erable damage as the result of two highway accidents, each in volving just one vehicle. Also, Dick Mallory, of Plymouth, lost his car when it caught fire and burned while he was driving alone on N. C. 32 near Plymouth Sunday morning. Mallory said a cigarette could possibly have started the blaze. For the most part it was observ ed that people were “driving like civilized folks.” No drownings were reported in the county over the long week end holiday period although large numbers are reported to have flocked to the beaches to seek some relief from the oppressive temperatures which have pre vailed in this section for some time now. Figures for 1954-55 Fiscal Year Higher by Nearly $5,000; Slight Property Valuation Hike There is less than $5,000 differ ence in the Town of Plymouth budget estimate for the fiscal year 1954-55, beginning July 1, and that of the preceding year, a review of the figures shows. The budget was approved ex actly as submitted by the city council at its regular monthly conclave last week, with the tax rate again tentatively set at $2 on each $100 worth of property valu ation. The rate has remained con stant for several years. Both budget and tax rate are subject to review by the Local Government Commission. The amount of revenue to be raised by property taxes next fis cal year is somewhat higher than it was for the current fiscal year, due to a hike in valuation from $4,036,116 to $4,177,392. During the current year property and poll taxes amounted to $76,648.21, while for the coming year it is estimated at $79,370.45. There is a difference of exactly $4,847.23 in total budget require ments for the two years ,with the coming year's figures higher. The sum of $125,910.45 is the estimat ed requirement for 1954-55 while for the present fiscal year the figure was given as $121,063.21. The revenue estimates show changes for eight items, with gains in six of these and losses in the other two. The town gains $75 on auto tags, up to $758 from $675; net sale of water, $1,000, up to $22,000 from $21,000; $250 on intangible tax, up to $1,500 from $1,250; $750 on the beer and wine ™See~BUDGET^~Pag*~12 ■ ■ — ♦ Compete Todav in Washington Event -1 A group of Washington County 4-H Club members are competing Thursday of this week at Wash ington in various contests with 4-H’ers from 16 counties of the district. Mary Lou Davenport, of the Roper club, will take part in the speaking contest, using the sub ject, “Making the Farm and Home Safe.” Margie Brown and Mary Vir ginia Dixon, of the Plymouth club, will give a dairy foods dem onstration, “Lemon Milk Sher bet.” Daphne Snell, of the Roper club, will sing a popular number in the vocal music contest, while Linda Lou Norman, also of the Roper club, will do a tap dance number. Mrs. Dan Marrow, of Roper, will accompany both girls at the piano. Johnny Clifton, of Creswell club, and Ted Simpson, Plymouth club, each will present a guitar team. Possibly other boys will be entered in the various contests to be held at Washington High School, according to County Agent W. H. Pruden who with Mrs. Frances M. Darden, home agent, supervises the county 4-H program. Mrs. Darden and Mr. Pruden will accompany the club members to Washington. Tobacco Markets Of Belt Expected To Open August 1) Tentative Date, Subject It Future Crop Conditions Announced by Bright Bel: V/arehouse Association -1 Unless future crop condition warrant a change, tobacco auctioi markets of the Eastern Belt wil open for the 1954 season on Tues day, August 17, three days ear lier than the 1953 opening. The announcement came fron the Board of Governors of th Bright Belt Warehouse Associa tion, Inc., after dates were set a a meeting in Raleigh Friday. Th group at the same time announce that it would again meet on Aug ust 7 and set dates for the Middl and Old Belts and make an; necessary changes in announcei dates. The auction season will ope: in the Georgia-FIorida Belt o: July 15. South Carolina-Nort Carolina Border Belt markets wil begin selling on August 2. Fred S. Royster, of Hendersor president of the Bright Belt As sociation, stated that “this is th most unusual year we have see on July 1 and the most difficul year we have seen to set openin dates, due to the unusual weathe conditions.” The crop in th Georgia-FIorida areas was repor! ed somewhat later than usuj while in the Middle and Old Bell tobacco is said to be more ad vanced than normal. Independent markets in Sout Carolina and the North Carolin Sandhills group set their openin dates as August 2 and 25, respect ively. Opening dates in 1953 by belt were Georgia-Florida, July It South Carolina, July 30; Bordei August 3; Eastern North Cardins August 20; Middle, September t Old Belt, September 21. Meanwhile, barning of tobacc is underway in Washington Coun ty, although County Agent W. F Pruden stated Wednesday that h would not term it general jus yet. The crop is quite spotty wit: some sections, notably aroun Roper, hard hit by the dry wea , ther and most all crops reporte* (suffering badly. Some spots where rain ha been more plentiful boast jus about a normal crop. —-f Subdistricl Meet I: ScheduledMondaj The Washington-Tyrrell Coun ty Methodist Youth Fellowshi subdistrict meeting is schedule to be held Monday of next wee! at a private beach near Colonia Beach, between Creswell and Co lumbia. Guides will be posted at th turn that leads to Colonial Bead and also at the beach to direc traffic to the private beach. Arrival is set for 3:30 am swimming will be enjoyed unti 4:30. The next hour will be re served for dressing and picni lunch. From 5:30 to 6:30 will b devoted to games and folk songs At 6:30 there will be an inspir ing worship service in which boat rounds a bend in the moon lit water with a lighted cross am the program will be given fror the boat, Galilean style. .Small Irowd Here Friday for Ground Corps'Discussion Only 25 Persons Attend Meeting at Veterans Club; Film, 'One Bomb,' Shown By Lt. Gordon Jackie -< A disappointing crowd was on hand at the Veterans Club here last Friday night for the pro gram to discuss formation of an air spotter group in Plymouth. There were about 25 persons present, most of them members of the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce. Lt. Gordon Jackie, of Durham, represented the Durham Air De fense Filter Center of the Ground Observer Corps. He showed the group a film, “One Bomb,” which showed a bomb brought from ,a foreign nation and dropped on a major U. S. city. The Air Defense filter Center, it was explained, is a vital part of the Air Defense program. Re ports of aircraft activity are re ceived, consolidated, and relayed to the Air Force for necessary action. These calls originate from volunteer Ground Observers who visually detect aircraft of all type and by means of telephone report the activity to the local Filter i Center. Filter Centers are located in strategic communication cen ters throughout the country so ■ that Ground Observer reports are I received rapidly and passed on to the Combat Operations Center, Headquarters 35th Air Division (Defense) Dobbins Air Force I Base, Marietta, Georgia. One thousand volunteer men and women are urgently needed , to provide teams of trained peo ple ready to operate local Filter Centers 24 hours a day and to se’ve as Ground Observers at 1 this time, it was said. L The so-canea raaar screen does not completely encompass our shores. Our economy would be bankrupted by an attempt tc have it do so. Further, radar does | nr . penetrate mountains 'md - ! rlfcar set is a hundred'' time j more ^subject to maintenanci a troubles than a television s* ' which works on the same prin clple. ’ It was pointed out that we ari in a dangerous position. Even I would-be agressor knows he can' get by unless he defeats us first for already in two world war»— 1 the tide of aggression has beer 1 turned by the weight of our in 1 dustrial production. The nex * time an aggressor will try to eli minate us first by striking at ou: , production plants and the peopli - who man them. Today the Rus J sians possess long range bomber; i capable of striking anywhere ib t the United States. A single plani 1 carrying an atomic bomb can nov r wipe out an entire city. b Lt. Jackie will return to Plym - outh Friday of next week to givi 1 training and get the program or s ganized. The meeting is slated fo - the Veterans Club at 8:30 p. m -1 1 Penally For Excess Flue-Cured Tobacci The penalty which will appl; s on the marketing of excess flue . cured tobacco during the 195 marketing year is 21 cents pe ’ pound, tobacco farmers are re .’ minded. Docket for Superior Court Has Three Murder Cases | EVERYBODY WORKS DURING TOBACCO HARVEST j The above scene is typical of that taking place about this time of year on practically all Washington County farms where tobacco is grown. It was taken on one of the Owens Brothers farms near here Monday of last week, when the first barn of tobacco was being “put in.” Tobacco harvesting is one job in which everybody on the farm takes part. The menfolks usually do the priming or “breaking" and hauling the green tobacco leaves to the looping shed, where the womenfolk and children tic the “hands” of tobacco on sticks for hanging in the curing barn. It is back-breaking, dirty work and everybody heaves a sigh of relief when the last ham is “put in” and the job is com plete for another year.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo. Town, County Board Meetings Next Week Town Council Meets Mon day Night, County Com missioners Thursday; Ed ucation Board Indefinite ♦ The Plymouth Town Council will hold its regular monthly m tint: Monday night ot next ; week at & o’clock at the Munici 1 pal Building on East Water Street, : Mayor A. J. Riddle has announ • ced. The meeting, ordinarily held the first Monday of each month, ’ was postponed due to the Fourth of July holiday. The mayor said the matters of a contract with the State High way Department for more street paving in the town and the sewer problem in the Village are ex ; pected to be major items on the agenda. The mayor said he could ’ not list the streets to be paved. ' The county governing bodies ■ also postponed their respeJtive > regular monthly sessions. The 1 county commissioners will hold ■ their meeting at 10 a. m. Thurs ' day of next week in the usual meeting place at the courthouse. J. Robert Campbell, clerk to the ‘ board of commissioners, stated ■ that he knew of no special mat ters to come before the board • other than finally approving the budget. This is expected to be a mere formality as the budget has been tentatively approved al * ready by the county governing body. ' The county education board ' has been advised by the firm of * architects, Boney and Boney, of Wilmington, that preliminary See BOARDS, Page 12 Washington County farmers are reminded that now is a good time * 'i -«i soil sam ples in order to be lined up for ACP assistance on fall prac tices. Boxes to contain the soil and information sheets may be ob tained at the county ASC office located in the Agriculture Building on Adams Street., Plymouth. Duties Assumed By New Engineer Francis Sessoms, of Elizabeth City, has assumed his duties as district highway engineer here, replacing J. J. Gilbert who has been promoted to assistant div ision engineer, with offices at Ahoskie. Mr. Gilbert will remain here a few days before assum ing his new duties. Mr. Sessoms, a native of Wind sor, has been resident engineer at Elizabeth City for the past five years. He and Mrs. Sessoms mov ed to Plymouth this week and are at home at 209 East Main Street. They have no children. Mrs. Sessoms has been quite active in civic, church and music circles in Elizabeth City and was named “Woman of the Year” by civic clubs there this year. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PLACES IN TOWN THESE HOT DAYS The new swimming pool at the Plymouth Country Club is one of the most popular place in town during the hot weather that has been prevailing recently. It was especially popular dur ing the hot July Fourth week-end, when the above photo was taken. It shows the pool, with one ' corner of the kiddie wading pool in the foreground. Miss Cornelia Edmondson started giving swim 1 ming lessons for both children and adults this week. With the exception of Friday, when the pool i is closed for cleaning, it is open each week-day from 2 to 8 p. m. Edward W. Taytpr is in charge of the pool.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo. Murder, Manslaughter and Kidnapping Cases Top Criminal Calendar; Judge Leo Carr To Preside -• Considerable interest is certain to be shown at the regular July mixed term of Washington Coun ty Superior Court which opens here Monday morning of next week with Judge Leo Carr, of Eurlington, presiding. The criminal calendar includes three murder cases, two of them against a single defendant; a manslaughter case; kidnapping; seduction; embezzlement; besides a number of other cases of lesser importance. The civil calendar consists en tirely of divorce cases, there be ing nine, and these are all sche duled to be heard Monday. Probably the case that will at tract the greatest interest among white spectators is that charging Charles Craddock and Irving Am brose with kidnapping H. R. Still man, middle-aged former Cres well merchant. The alleged of fense occurred Friday, May 28, when Stillman was accosted on the streets of Creswell as he was heading toward his residence, he allegedly was forced into a wait ing car and driven around to sev eral places against his will and humiliated on at least one oc casion. It is also alleged that Stillman’s life was threatened by one of the two defendants the folowing night in Deputy Sheriff Peal’s place of business at Cres well. At a preliminary hearing given Craddock and Ambrose before Judge W. Ronald Gaylord at Plymouth Tuesday, June 1, prob able cause on a charge of “kid napping one H. R. Stillman” was found. Appearance bond for each of the two young white men was set at $4,000 and in addition each was placed under a $1,000 peace 1 bond. Appeal bond for each was fixed at £100, making the total amount under bond for each de fendant $5,100. George Skinner, colored, is charged with the fatal beating of Calvin Wynne, 37-year-old white logwoods worker, at a colored place of business in Skinnersville Saturday night, April 10. Wynne’s death was attributed to a ruptur ed spleen, it was said. Nathan Thomas, colored, faces two counts of murder in the pistol slayings of Aline Moore and Vio let Chesson, Mackeys Negresses, Saturday night, April 3. Thomas fled the scene of the killings and was captured in Philadelphia, Pa., the following Monday. He did not fight extradition and was re turned to the county the week after the shooting. At the subsequent hearing be fore Recorder’s Court Judge W. Ronald Gaylord it was directed that Thomas be held for first de gree murder without privilege of bond. In the preliminary hearing for Skinner the State presented evi dence that Skinner and Wynne engaged in an affray outside a colored store in Skinnersville April 10, during which Wynne was knocked to the ground and allegedly kicked by Skinner. Wynne went to his home where he died early the following morn ing. See COURT, Page 12 -1 Rites for Mother Of Plymouth Man -t Funeral services were conduct ed Saturday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock form the home for Mrs. Sarah Louise (Lula) Hardison, 72, mother of Bennie Hardison, of Plymouth, who died in a William ston hospital at 7:30 p. m. Friday. She had been in declining health for a long period and had been in the hospital for a week. Mrs. Hardison was born in Jamesville Township November 8, 1881, the daughter of the late Theodore and Annie Elizabeth Roberson. She was marired to J. Leonard Hardison November 15, 1903. He died in 1935. Mrs. Hardison was a member of Cedar Branch Baptist Church. She spent her life in her native township. Surviving, besides the son in Plymouth, are five other sons, Otis, Humbert and Robert Har dison, all of Jamesville, Archie Hardison, of Williamston, and Everett Hardison, of Hampton, Va.; a daughter, Mrs. Rufus Col train, of Oak City; one brother, Andrew Long, of Jamesville; and 15 grandchildren. Services were conducted by her pastor, the Rev. W. B. Harrington. Interment was in the family cemetery near the home.