«
T'own
opics
w. Willis Bowen, Washington
County FHA supervisor and act
ing supervisor for Hyde County,
was master of ceremonies at the
special “Open House” program at
Mattamuskeet Lodge recently in
honor of visiting agricultural ex
perts from 10 foreign countries.
t ^ P. D. Midgett, jr., of Engelhard,
president of Pamlico Power and
Light Company, made the princi
pal address.
Patrolman Carl Gilchrist, of
Plymouth, will leave Sunday for
Chapel Hill where he plans to
attend the patrol school sponsored
by the Institute of Government
Monday and Tuesday.
Recently promoted from pri
vate to corporal, Dillon S. (Jap)
Harris arrived in Plymouth yes
terday from Fort J-.ewis, Wash.,
to spend a couple of weeks at
home. Jap and four other boys
from the eastern part of the Unit
ed States, all presently assigned
to the 44th Infantry Division at
Fort Lewis, bought a second-hand
ear for $600 when they got then
annual leave recently and pro
ceeded to drive the more than
3,000 miles home in a little over
3% days. Outside of using 17
quarts of oil, the trip was made
without incident and Jap says
the group had a really enjoyable
trip home. He dropped the last of
f'y his friends in Nashville, Tenn.,
Tuesday afternoon and came right
on through to Plymouth. He will
leave in about two weeks for the
trip back, picking up the boys en
route.
2nd Lt. and Mrs. James Polk
Spruill left Tuesday morning for
Fort Benning, Ga., after spending
several weeks here with his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Nobles.
Lieutenant Spruill graduated
from the United States Military
Academy at West Point in June
and has been assigned to the In
fantry School at Fort Benning for
ranger training before he gets his
permanent assignment in the
Army.
Plymouth Band Director Ed
Taylor has announced that band
practice will begin Monday night
of next week in the high school
band room. Time is 7 o'clock and
all members of the Senior Band
are requested to be present.
" Dardes Family To
Hold Annual Meet
Near Here Sunday
■■■■ t
David Darden Descendants
Association Will Convene
At Late D. G. Darden
Homestead
The David Darden Descendants
Association will meet Sunday at
the plantation home of Mr. and
Mrs. R. L. Bateman, the home
stead of the late D. G. Darden,
five miles south of Plymouth.
The association was formed
several years ago for the purpose
of keeping alive fraternal con
tacts and to learn something of
the family genealogy,
jgg A formal program has been
' ” announced for the occasion as
follows:
Call to order by the president,
11 a. m.; song, “America;” invo
cation, Rev. T. F. Davenport; wel
come, Mrs. R. L. Bateman; re
spon .e, Mrs.- R. M. Porter; read
ing of minutes by secretary, mo
tions and resolutions, election of
officers and selection of place
for 1955 meeting.
Darden genealogy and David
Darden Descendants by Mrs. W.
J. Highsmith; address, “Families
and What They Have Meant to
This Section,” Hon. Raymond A.
Stone, of Charlotte, speaker to be
introduced by Alphonso D. Hall;
Memorial Service, Resolution:
Martha Hornthal, Mrs. W. M.
Darden; Resolution: Joseph P.
(Buck) Darden, Mrs. Raymond
Riddick; prayer, the Rev. J. D.
Waters; song, “Blest Be the Tie;”
recognition of members and visi
tors, president; thanks expressed
to host and hostess, president;
song, “God Be With You;” closing
.^prayer, M. G. Darden; picnic
■ lunch and social hour to follow.
Officers of the association are
John W. Darden, president; Al
phonso D. Hall, vice president; M.
G. Darden, historian; Mrs. Wil
liam J. Grimes, secretary; Mrs.
Charles E. Davis, treasurer.
The finance committee is com
posed of Mrs. Richard Thompson
and Mrs. Woodrow Dixon.
-4
Regular VFW Meeting
Tonight at Vets Club
Commander Melvin Boyd an
nounces that the regular meeting
of Bosie Bateman Post No. 4023,
Veterans of Foreign Wars, will
be held at the Veterans Club here
Thursday night of this week.
The meeting will open prompt
ly at 8 o’clock, Commander Boyd
stated, and he urges a full at
tendance of the post member
ship.
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 31
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 5, 1954
ESTABLISHED 1889
Announce Hike in
Support Price of
Peanuts, Cotton
-*
Department of Agriculture
Makes Adjustment Due to
Rise in Parity Price ot
Commodities
-«
An announcement affecting
Washington County farmers was
made over the week-end by the
United States Department of Ag
riculture. Support prices for both
peanuts and upland cotton were
adjusted upward from supports
previously announced. The ad
justments were made because of
a rise in parity price of the two
commodities.
The support level on the 1954
crop of peanuts was raised $1.80
per ton to a national average of
$244.80.
The minimum national support
level announced by the depart
ment April 7 was on the basis of
parity at that time before plant
ing. Since then the parity price
has increased and the new nation
al average minimum support is
based on July 15 parity prices.
At the same time the average
loan rate for 1954 upland cotton
grading middling 7-8th inch
staple was raised from 31.25 cents
a pound to 31.58 cents. This is
based on a July 15 parity price of
35.09 cents per pound in contrast
to the preplanting parity of 34.72
cents per pound. Department of
ficials said the 33/100ths cents a
pound could men “several mil
lion dollars” additional to the cot
ton farmer.
Support price for extra long
staple cotton remains at the 65.53
cents a pound rate announced in
March because of a decline in
parity price for this staple.
The average rate for middling
15/16ths inch cotton will be 1.65
cents a pound above the average
rate for middling 7-8 inch of 33.33
cents a pound, the department
said. The rate for middling 15/16
inch will vary from 34.26 cents
a pound in the concentrated mill
area of the Carolinas to a low
of 32.48 cents a pound in Califor
nia and Arizona.
Seven Stills Fall
To County Raiders
Seven illicit whiskey stills fell
to raiding officers in the county
during July, according to a re
port submitted by Chief ABC Of
ficer Robert Sawyer, of Roper.
Three men, Johnnie Johnson,
Ted Austin and Wiley Moore,
were caught at a still during a
raid staged July 22, the report
shows, and the men were sub
sequently given a hearing be
fore a United States Commission
er and bond set at $300 each.
The largest still taken during
the period was of 150 gallon ca
pacity, there were two of 100 gal
lon capacity and two 60, two 50
and one 10.
Included in confiscated mater
ials and equipment were 1,550
gallons of mash, 26 gallons of
whiskey, eight worms, seven 50
gallon coolers and 31 50-gallon
barrels.
*
Miss Jane Crofton Queen
Ai East Carolina College
-*
Miss Jane Crofton, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Crofton, a
library science major at East
Carolina College, Greenville, has
been chosen Miss East Carolina
College Summer School of 1954.
Voted the campus queen by the
student body, Miss Crofton was
crowned at ceremonies during the
Summer School Dance, with Kit
ty Brison, East Carolina’s 1954
May Queen and Miss Summer
School of 1953, handling the cor
onation program.
The new summer school cam
pus queen was presented by Pres
ident Louis Singleton, also of
Plymouth, of the ECC Summer
School Student Government As
sociation. Miss Crofton entered
summer school, following her
graduation from Plymouth High
School, in May 1954. Miss Crof
ton is taking a course leading to
a career as a librarian.
1
Several hundred persons attended the annual Sunday School
picnic of Ludford Memorial Baptist Church at Albemarle Beach
last Thursday, but none enjoyed it more than this group of young
sters, pictured in front of the church just before leaving. A large
part of the fun on any picnic is getting a crowd together for
singing, laughing and shouting on a truck trip to the beach.
Raymond Smith, on the right, was the driver; and the pastor, the
Rev. P. B. Nickens, is in the group somewhere. Others are Frede
rick Allen Hill, Stevie Walker, Wingate Kinbrough, Burl Walker,
John Wayne Walker, Claudia Walker, Jean Walker, Doris Price,
Jimmy Swain, Sandra McNair, Brenda Walker and Judy Walker.
—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
Employ Supervisor
For County Schools
: :
| Name Principal j
j At Roper School !
■■■■■•■■■■■■■a ■■■■■■■■■aaaaii
T. A. Hood, a native of
Wayne County, will be llie new
principal at Roper High School,
filling the vacancy caused by
the resignation of H. F. Brown
recently, it was learned this
week.
Mr. Hood holds an AB de
gree from Wake Forest College
and an MA degree from East
Carolina College. For the past
three years he has served as
principal at Walstonburg and at
one time was principal at Swan
Quarter High School.
Average Lower on
Border Marts for
Opening of Sales
Quality of Offerings Lower
Than for 1953 Opening
But Belter Grade - for
Grade Prices
An average slightly lower than
last year but somewhat better
grade-for-grade prices marked
the opening Monday of tobacco
markets on the Border Belt.
The average for the first day
of sales was announced as $52 per
hundred pounds (estimated). Of
ferings were of somewhat lower
quality generally than at the
opening a year ago.
Increases in grades were re
ported to range mostly from $1
to $6.50 per hundred pounds.
The drop in quality of offerings
was attributed to the hot, dry
weather during the growing sea
son. Although recent rains have
brought the crop out consider
ably, it was pointed out that most
of the tobacco on the floor had
been pulled during the hot, dry
weather.
Most grades were reported
selling above their respective
loan rates and deliveries to the
Flue-Cured Tobacco Csoperative
Stabilization Corporation were
estimated to range from four to
10 per cent of offerings, consid
erably less than the 16 per cent
of gross sales which went to Sta
bilization on opening day in 1953.
Observers commented that oi
ferings showed farmers to be do
ing a better job of sorting and
preparing leaf for market this
year, probably due to efforts of
several agencies including To
See TOBACCO, Page 12
| Market Still Handles
| Some Green Peppers
Althugh there are now no buy
ers on the market, the Plymouth
Produce Auction Market here is
still handling some green pep
pers on order, James H. Ward,
one of the owners and operators,
reports.
About 500 bushels of peppers
were handled on the local mar
ket this week, Ward stated late
Wednesday. Prices, he said, have
ranged from 75 cents to $1.25
Mr. Ward stated that the mar
ket expects to continue handling
green peppers as long as demand
and price holds up sufficiently
to make it worth the growers
while to continue harvesting ope
rations.
Efforts are still continuing here
to set up the market for handling
red peppers, it was stated by the
| owners.
Miss Sue Underhill, of Roa
noke Rapids, Employed
To Fill Vacancy for Tyr
rell-Washinglon Post
Miss Sue H. Underhill, of Roan
oke Rapids, has been employed as
Washington-Tyrrell school super
visor, it was announced this
week. Employment of Miss Un
derhill fills the vacancy caused
by the resignation of Mrs. Geor
gie Frost Barnes last spring. Mrs.
Barnes resigned to return to her
home in Lucama because of ill
ness in the family.
Miss Underhill is well quali
fied to fill her new position. She
is a graduate of Asheville High
School and Woman's College,
Greensboro, and holds an MA de
gree from George Peabody Col
lege, Nashville, Tenn. In addition
Miss Underhill has had courses
in high school administration and
in educational sociology at Wo
man’s College and in audio-vis
ual aids at the University of Vir
ginia.
Teaching experience enjoyed by
Miss Underhill includes tenures
at Asheville, Lumberton and Mia
mi, Florida. She has served as
student counsellor at Woman’s
College, as Tri-City supervisor
for Lumberton, Fairmont and
Red Springs and instructed
teachers this summer at the Uni
versity of Virginia in how to
teach reading, working in the ex
tension department of the Char
lottesville school.
-»
Dr. Mohn Moving
To Fayetteville
Dr. Robert L. Mohn and family
are planning to move to Fayette
ville on September 1, it was
learned here last week-end. He
is giving up his practice here to
become associated with two
prominent Fayetteville dentists,
Drs. Robert and Clarence Olive.
Dr. Mohn located in Plymouth
for the practice of dentistry
shortly after graduating from the
University of Maryland Dental
College in 1947. Prior to his en
try into the dental college he had
taught school for several years
after graduating from Wake For
est College in 1940.
He practiced here from 1947
until January, 1952, when he en
tered military service for a two
year tour of duty. He returned
around the first of this year after
completing his military service.
Dr. and Mrs. Mohn have two
daughters, Linda Gay and Betty
Carole. They have many friends
in the community who will re
gret to learn of their leaving
Plymouth.
-4
Revival Meetings Open
At Scuppernong Church
-»
A special series of revival
meetings has been announced for
Scuppernong Church of Christ by
the pastor, the Rev. Mark Wool
ard.
The series will open on Wed
nesday of next week and continue
through Sunday, August 22. The
evangelist will be the Rev. Wal
ker Perry, of Elizabeth City.
Plenty of old-time singing and
preaching is - promised and the
public is cordially invited.
The church is located near
Creswell.
Group of Negroes
Again Ask Council
For Improvements
-f
Told Some of Street Surfac
ing Projects Requested
Are Already Being Given
Consideration
-»
A delegation of Negro citizens
returned to the Plymouth City
Council meeting Monday night to
again ask for consideration is se
curing street surfacing and water
and sewer extensions in colored
section^ of the town. The group,
headed by the Rev. J. T, Win
gate, was substantially the same
as the one which presented a
similar petition to the council
last month.
Wingate read an open letter
Monday night, stating that the
group, representing several civic
and fraternal organizations, were
not satisfied with the response at
the first meeting. After listening
to the letter, members of the
council entered into a discussion
with the delegation, during which
it was brought out that some of
the things requested were being
considered by the council.
The delegation asked that
streets leading to the colored
school be surfaced. They were
told the council was considering
surfacing one black of Andrew'
Jackson Avenue, between Third
and Fourth Streets, and one block
of Fourth Street, between Madi
son and Andrew Jackson, which
would take care of this request.
Another project being considered
is surfacing Madison Street from
the Fagan store corner out to the
ACL Railroad, and Seventh
Stree- from Madison to Adams.
It was emphasized there was
nothing definite about the street
surfacing projects as yet, as they
are dependent upon the amount
of m mey received by the town
from Powell Bill Funds, and also
upon satisfactory arrangements
being made with state highway
officials to have the work done.
So ar as extending water and
sewer lines in colored residential
section, members of the council
indicated this was not under con
sideration at this time. It was
pointed out there were few color
ed customers in sections which
already had access to sewer lines.
Members of the colored delega
tion then said the ordinance re
quiring connection with sewer
lines should be enforced in those
sections, but members of the
council declared they had receiv
ed many protests from colored
citizens when enforcement was
tried in the past.
It was brought out that few, if
any, of the delegation present
owned any real estate in the
town. One of the councilmen told
the group that he would not vote
for any water-sewer extensions
until he was assured more of the
“substantial” colored people were
ready to cooperate in such an
undertaking. The discussion end
See COUNCIL, Page 12
->
Creswell Cannery Open
Tuesday of Each Week
The Creswell Community Can
nery will be open each Tuesday
until the end of the vegetable
and fruit season, or as long as
necessary, it was announced this
week.
Mr. Wilson, manager of the
cannery, said this week he would
appreciate it if all fruits and
vegetables for canning were
brought to the cannery 'by 12
o’clock each Tuesday, in order
that the work may be finished
before nightfall.
Commissioners Hold
Quiet Meet Monday
Very little business was trans
acted at the regular monthly ses
sion of the Washington County
Board of Commissioners here
Monday.
The meeting was held in the
commissioners’ room at the court
house and opened at 10:45 a. m.
with the following members pres
ent: Frank L. Brinkley, of Plym
outh, chairman; H. L. Davenport,
Skinnersville; J. C. Knowles,
Roper; and H. W. Pritchett, Cres
well.
R. M. Byrd, jr., met with the
board and discussed some matters
pertaining to the revaluation pro
ject which he is carrying out in
the county. Mr. Byrd reported
that good progress is being made
in the work, that work in Plym
outh Township is practically
complete but that some work re
mains to be done in Lees Mill
and Scuppernong Townships.
The commissioners will meet
at the courthouse again Thurs
day night of this week at which
time Mr. Byrd will discuss the
progress of the revaluation o‘
county property further with the
board.
There was no further business
at the session except routine re
ports. County Tax Collector E. J.
Spruill reported that the sum of
$1,980.38 had been collected by
his department during the month
of July.
W. H. Pruden, county agent,
read a report of work done by his
department during July.
Local Postal Service
Is Ordered Curtailed
Four of Present Seven Daily
Dispatches Slated To Be
Cut Out Effective Monday,
August 16
-♦
Sharply curtailed mail service
is in immediate prospect for pat
rons of the Plymouth Post Office,
it was learned this week.
Postmaster J. C. Swain said
Wednesday that according to his
best information there will be
only three dispatches per day
from the local office effective
Monday, August 16. There now
are seven dispatches daily from
the office, Swain stated.
The postmaster added, how
ever, that he had been promised
by the chief clerk of the Railway
Mail Service out of Greensboro
that if the new schedule proves
unsatisfactory every effort will
be made to secure better service
here.
Stating that he expected more
defmite information concerning
the change neit Postmaster
Swain said that under the new
arrangements the first mail daily
at the local office would be the
Highway Post Office at 6 a. m.,
bringing first class mail and par
cel post. The present star route
out of Plymouth to Rocky Mount
at 8 a. m. will continue as at pres
ent, he said. The next outgoing
mail will be the return of the
Highway Post Office going west
at 5:45 p. m.
Mr. Swain listed the four dis
patches to be omitted from the
schedule as the Highway Post Of
fice going west at 10 a. m., the
star route going north and west
at 1:40 p. m., the Highway Post
Office going north at 2 p. m. and
the star route going west at 2:40
p. m.
The large Highway Post Office
mail trucks which have been
government-operated ever since
their establishment will be pri
vately operated under contract
with the government beginning
August 16, Mr. Swain stated. The
trucks will carry a postal clerk
besides the drivers.
-1
New Hunting, Fishing
Licenses Now On Sale
-1
All new hunting, fishing and
combination licenses are now on
sale in the county, Game Pro
tector J. T. Terry, of Plymouth,
reports.
Licenses may be secured at ad
vertised places in each communi
ty through the county or from
the game protector, it was stated.
aaaaaaaaa
I No Drali Calls
| For Next Month
Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, clerk
to Selective Service Board No.
95 here, announced this week
that she has been notified that
there will be no induction and
pre-induction calls made upon
the board during the month of
September.
The board office will be
closed all next week while the
clerk is on vacation. The office
will be reopened Monday morn
ing, August 16, at the regular
hour.
Town Officials
To Have Pari in
ChnscM’rowam
■ ♦ ■ —
Old-Fashioned Town Meet
ing Idea Being Used in
Contest To Promote At
tendance at Church
-♦
Roper town officials will be
featured in a demonstration meet
ing at 'the Zion’si Chapel Bible
School Sunday morning at 9:45
o’clock, church officials have an
nounced. The church is located a
mile west of Roper.
The Zion's Chapel School is
competing with other schools in
its division in a nationwide “Beat
the Heat” attendance contest. All
schools enrolled in the contest
east of the Mississippi River are
using the old-fashioned New Eng
land states “town meeting” idea
as an impetus to increased at
tendance, since it was the duty
and privilege of every colonial
citizen to meet in the town square
to decide on and promote the af
fairs of his community.
In the west, western - style
“round-ups” are being employed
for the same purpose with the
result that more people are real
izing they can go to church in
hot weather, it is reported.
The Roper officials will be
seated around a table on the plat
form of the church. Old-fashion
ed stovepipe hats will be avail
able to give a flavor of the origi
nal town meeting. A brief his
tory of the town meeting will be
given by one of the officials.
The public is cordially invited
PARTICIPANTS IN RECENT SWIMMING MEET AT LOCAL POOL
Above are pictured most of the contestants in the swimming meet held in the Plymouth
Country Club pool recently. There were individual and team diving and swimming events for
both boys and girls in various age groups under the supervision of Miss Cornelia Edmundson, swim
ming instructor, and Ed. Taylor, manager of the pool; and all the young people had a wonderful
time. Those in the photo above are, left to right, front row: Doris Jackson, Bobby Ladd, Charles
Bowen, Ed Womble, Gene Hollowell, Bubba Hopkins, Bobby Ange and Lloyd Owens; second row:
Billy Bowen, Betty Ladd, Buddy Harrison, Billy Hall, Suzanne Owens, Kathy Keel, Mary Stuart
Joyner, Gloria Roberson, Sandy Williams; back row: Colon Bowen, jr., and Harvey Hill—Photo by
Jewel Hardison.
Select 8 Polling
Places for 'Know
How' Referendum
-»
Aclion Comes at Meeting
Of County Agricultural
Workers Here Wednesday
Afternoon
-*
Eight polling places in Wash
ington County for the "Nickels
for Know-How” referendum to be
held October 15 were selected at
a meeting of county agricultural
workers in the auditorium of the
Agricultural Building here Wed
nesday afternoon .
Polling places named were Ag
riculture Building Plymouth,
Wade Hardison Store, Roper,
Mike Davenport Garage, Cres
well, J. C. Tarkington Store,
Pleasant Grove, Harry Barnes
Store, Cherry, Wiley Ratcliff
Store, Wenona, Cedric Davenport
Store, Mackeys Road, and Jack
son Store, Long Ridge Road.
These are subject, of course, to
final approval.
W. H. Pruden presided over
the meeting and explained that it
was necessary to notify the pub
lic of the polling places at least
60 days before the date of the
referendum. The farmers will
vote whether or not to tax them
selves five cents a ton on all feed
and fertilizer they buy, the ac
cruing funds to be used to fur
ther research and education in
agriculture in North Carolina.
The program was first voted on
in 1951 when farmers overwhem
ingly voted the program in for
a three-year period. During that
time about $140,000 a year has
been raised and has enabled the
extension program to be greatly
strengthened and the people made
more conscious of the program.
Every county has a director
who serves on the committee to
decide how the money shall be
spent. J. L. Rea, superintendent
of Tide Water Test Farm near
here, is Washington County di
rector.
It was explained that anyone
who buys feed or fertilizer will
be eligible to vote October 15.
During the meeting Mr. Pruden
read a letter from E. Y. Floyd,
secretary of the Nickels for
Know-How Committee, setting
forth the importance of the pro
gram.
-1
Diseases Playing
Havoc in Tobacco
♦
Nematodes together with black
shank are playing havoc with sev
eral tobacco fields in this county,
W. H. Pruden, county farm agent,
reported this week. Pruden said
that several farms in the Mill
pond section near Roper are par
ticularly hard hit.
The county agent stated that it
will pay tobacco growers with
disease in their fields to find out
just what the trouble is in order
to know what steps to take for
another season.
Another Man Arrested
In Robbery Case Here
*
Walter McCoy, young Negro
apprehended at Norfolk, Va., was
brought to Plymouth Friday of
last week and jailed in connec
tion with the recent robbery of
H. E. Harrison Wholesale Com
pany here.
McCoy’s arrest brought to four
the number of apprehended in
connection with the case and
numerous other 'break-ins in sev
eral Northeastern North Carolina
counties.
Previously arrested at Norfolk
were James MoGlone, Bemie
Frank Tyson and Harry Barry
Whitaker. Local police reported
that the three men were jailed
tlsewhere, two of them at Jack
son and one at Norfolk. All are
Negroes.
No Emergency
Drive in Comity
Tbos. F. Hopkins, who has
managed the March of Dimes
campaign in this county for the
past several years, stated Wed
nesday that he had received no
notification from headquarters
concerning an emergency drive
for funds to be held this month.
National Headquarters of the
Polio Fund have announced
that a serious shortage exists of
funds with which to combat
the disease and several counties
in tills section have been asked
to conduct an emergency drive.
However, Mr. Hopkins said he
was of the opinion that this is
being done only in the coun
ties which made a poor show
ing in the regular March of
Dimes drive earlier in the year.