< T'ownj «pic§ p. W. Brown, Plymouth's vet eran chief of pplice, is reported “getting along much better” at a Rocky Mount hospital where he was rushed last Wednesday. Chief Brown suffered a heart attack and was carried to the Plymouth clinic suffering severe pain. He received treatment and was sent on to Rocky Mount. He will re main in bed for about a month and it will be about 10 weeks be fore he can get out and around, reports stated. Mrs. Myrtle Westmoreland, of Statesville, spent the recent holi days with her father. T. R. Hop kins, and sister, Miss Dossie Hop kins, of near Plymouth. Mrs. Westmoreland, a graduate of East Carolina College, Greenville, is Southwest District Agent with the North Carolina Extension Service and has the responsibili ty of supervising* home agents personnel in the counties of Alex ander, Burke, Cabarrus, Cataw ba, Caldwell, Cleveland, Davie, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDow ell, Mecklenburg, Pclk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly and Union. Mrs. Westmoreland previously was a vocational teacher in Dur ham County Schools, home agent at Statesville, home supervisor of Farmers Home Administration and has served in various other capacities. Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Kitchengs and family, of Plymouth, spent the Thanksgiving holidays with Mr. iKtchengs’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Kitchengs, of Charle ston, S. C. While there, Mr. Kit chengs joined hia father and sev eral friends on a fishing trip to Isle of Palms. Jimmy reports the party made a nice catch of sea bass, something like 35, but Jim my’s luck was as usual. ‘Nuff sed! The all-Albemarle Conference football team selected at a meet ing of conference coaches in Ahoskie last night includes five players from Edenton, two each from Tarboro and Hertford, and one each from Plymouth, Ahos kie and Williamston. The extra man was chosen as the result of a tie between Odom of Ahoskie and Carver of Hertford for an end position, Mike Estep was the only Plymouth playetr on the first team, making one of the half back spots; but the Panthers placed three, George Paint©1-, Le roy Simpson and Raymond'Styons on the second team. First-team selections, in addition to F'ten, were Riggs of Tarboro, Holland and Stilley of Edenton in the backfield; Rogerson of Edenton at end, with Odom of Ahoskie and Carver of Hertford tied for the other end position; Proctor of Tarboro and Williams of Hert frd, tackles; Bond of Edenton and Chesson, of Williamston, guards; and Hardison of Edenton, center. James Harry Barnhill, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Barnhill, of Plymouth, has won the dis tinction of being included in the list to be intitiated into Phi Beta Kappa on Dec. 3, 1954, at the Uni versity of North' Carolina. This is th^ highest scholastic honor that can come to an undergradu ate. Young Barnhill is majoring in mathematics. -1 Good Crowd Here For Bank Parly A good-sized chowd attended the Christmas party at Planters National Bank and Trust Com pany here Friday night from 7 to 9:30 o’clock. About 50 persons joined the bank’s 1955 Christmas Club during the evening, Man ager D. Marvin Weaver reports. The bank interior was decorat ed in the 'Christmas motif and elicited much admiration and comment. Lime punch, mints and nuts were served by Mrs. Frances Ange, assisted by several direct ors’ wives, Meadames H. E. Har rison, A. J. Riddle, L. N. Wom ble and R. M. Bruce, Out-of-town, guests included A. W. McLean, Planters president, Wiley W. Meares, executive vice president, Richard S. Atkinson, jr., cashier and W. Carlyle Gay, public relations officer, all of Rocky Mount, and C. W. Parker Pj and Joel Lee, manager and assist ant manager, respectively, of the Ahoskie branch. The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington 0; County and its 13,000 people. VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 48 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 2, 1954 ESTABLISHED 1889 | Stores Will Stay Open ilntil 9 lor SIiog»|»ers A majority of Plymouth Busi ness houses will begin keeping late hours for the convenience of Christmas shoppers Friday of this week. The stores generally will re main open until 9 p. m. Friday of this week and next, then on Friday, December 17, will put the 9 p. m. closing into effect for the remainder of the pre Christmas shopping period. That will mean that shoppers will have an extra three hours each tlay during Christmas week. This should prove espec ially popular to those who have to work during the day and who are unaj>le to get their shopping done within regular daytime hours. There will be a few depart ures from the general rule. At least one business firm has an nounced it will observe the 9 p. m. closing each Thursday and Friday, effective tonight, until Christmas. 110 Pints Blood Goal Of Bloodmobile Unit TO SPEAK HERE Lewis S. Styons, jr., county native and Roanoke Rapids minister, will speak at the first installation and ordinatioit service of the Plymouth Church of Christ Sunday night in the A F of L Union Hall here. Three elders and six deacons will be installed for the new congregation. Two Board Meets Set for Monday -1 Its first Monday again next week and the county commis sioners and Plymouth Town Council will hold regular month ly sessions here. The county ooard of education held two meetings during November, how ever, and late Wednesday was not expected to meet next Mon Jay. A strictly routine session is ex pected Monday night at 8 o’clock , it the Municipal Building when .he city fathers gather for the usual confab. Phillip M. Spruill, Creswell farmers who ousted H. W. Prit rhett from his seat as county rommissioner from Scuppemong rownship, will take the oath of >ffice Monday and sit with the poaird for the first time. The oath will be administered by W. T iti Liman, clerk of Washington bounty Superior Court. County Attorney W. L. Whit- i ey, of Plymouth, whose two year lpointive term has expired, will i x>me up for rcapointment dur- i ng the commissioners’ meeting. 'J'o other special business could re foreseen late Wednesday, ac- < ■ording to Board Clerk J. Robert : Campbell. PRUDEN ON TELEVISION County Agent W. H. Pruden will have charge of the program i rn the Farm Facts time over UreenVrlle Television Station 1 WNCT at 6:45 o’clock tonight [Thursday). The program is con- ( iucted by Eck Wall, program di rector of the station. i Red Cross Unit From Reg ional Blood Center To Make Last Appearance Of 1954 Here A minimum of 110 pints of blood will be sought here Wed nesday of next week when the Red Cross blood mobile from the ridewafer Regional Blood Cen ;er, Norfolk, Va„ makes its last juarterly visit of 1954 to Plym jut’h and Washington County. The bloodmobile will set up for operations at the Veterans Club near the Washington Coun ty Hospital and donors will be received from 10:30 a. m. to 4:30 ?. m., it has been announced. The visit of the unit is again oeing sponsored jointly by James E. Jethro Post, No. 164, of the \ meric am Legion and Bosie Bate nan Post, No. 4023, Veterans of foreign Ware. Refreshments will >e furnished the blood donors by .he auxiliary of the local Ameri :an Legion post. Attention has been called to he continued need for whole hood plasma for the gamma glo oulin program and for the use rf civilians. Part of the blood collected during the visit here iext Wednesday will go into the oral blood bank. Blood donations Wednesday should put the total given in this xmnty since inauguration of the program here in December, 1950, well past the 2,000 pint mark. In ;he 12 unit visits prior to this mar a total of 1,549 pints was collected. The three visits this mar have added 382 pints, with 174 pints given March 12, 112 hnts June 23 and 96 pints Sep ember 8. The total for the pro gram now stands at 1,931. It is hoped that a large num >er of persons, both white and colored, who 'have not given blood .ime after time, will respond with hood on this visit in order to •elieve those who have borne the >runt on past occasions. A $10 prize ia being offered to he grade in Plymouth School which turns in the most blood hanks. The contest will work the same as that last year when trades 1 through 12 were sup hied slips and the parents or hher adults were requested to >ring these slips to the door when jiving blood in order that the jupil’s room might receive the :redit. Darden Grocery Gulled In Sunday Morning Fire The P. H. Darden grocery store in Jefferson Street was gutted by ire which broke out in the back if the store sometime Saturday light. The blaze was discovered and ■he alarm sounded at 6 a. m. Sun iay and firemen sped to the ,cene and soon brought the fire mder control. Mir. Darden estimated that the ire burned for at least three lours. He said damage was ex remely heavy in the rear of the luilding and that the front was >adly amoked up. The cause of the blaze is un letermined and no estimate of he damage was available Wed lesday. Santa Claus To Be Here Next Week _ —i— —i— Santa Claus has scheduled his Plymouth visit for December 11 again this year, but this time the date falls on Saturday. Also, he will appear a bit earlier in the day than on. previous annual visits. The jolly old gentleman will be downtown from 2 to 3 p. m., according to information receiv ed from North Pole headquarters by Thos. F. Hopkins, spokesman for the Plymouth merchants sponsoring the visit. Arrangements have been made for white and colored) school bands in the county to take part in a parade in Santa’s honor which wi'lil form ait ithe high school aind maroh downtown where a position will be taken up in front of the Legion Hall. As usual on ruch accasions, free candy will be given out to the kiddies. Plans are being worked out to control the crowd so that the children can go up to Santa in a single file and receive their gift of candy in an orderly fash' ion. This method was used last year and proved much better than passing out the candy among chil dren in the crowd in the manner of previous occasions. It will be appreciated by the sponsors and by Saint Nick him self if parents will instruct their children on the necessity of or derly conduct in order to give all present an equal opportunity. Also, all children are urged to bring their letters to Santa re questing toys they desire for Christinas. Due to the large crowd anticipated, it will be impossible for the children to talk to the old gentleman about what they want him to bring them so they are asked to please bring their letters. The kiddies won’t forget—its Saturday of next week, 2 to 3. 143rd Anniversary Of Local Masonic Lodge Is Observed -♦ Lester H. Gilliken, of Golds boro, Principal Speaker; 16 Receive 25-Year Cer tificates There was a record crowd in attendance Tuesday night at a banquet marking the 143rd an niversary of Perseverance Lodge No. 59, A.F. & A.M., and the 35th annual pastmasters' and ladies night. Held, in the Painsi'h House of Grace Episcopal Church, there were approximately 160 Masons, their wives and guests present Lester H. Gilliken, of Golds boro, past potentate of Sudan Temple, was the principal speak er. His subject was "Freemason ry Has Justified Its Right To Live Through the Years,” and he de scribed in detail some of the charitable undertakings of the various branches of Masonry Prior to Mr. Giiliken’s address, 16 certificates denoting 25 years' membership in the order were presented by Z. V. Norman, local attorney and a past master of the lodge. Mr. Norman also pre sented a 50-year pin to John J. Hassell, of Roper, oldest member of the local lodge. Those receiv ing 25-year certificates were S. F. Garrett, R. E. Bentham, F. M. Bowers, A. A. Bryant, W. L. Dan iels, W. M. Darden, R. L. Ed wards. J. W. Francis, W. V. Hays, H. J. Furbee, W. H. Johnson, E. L. Owens, C. S. Smithson, B. A, Sumner, Q. C. Upton and H. W. Ward. Harry Garrett, master of the lodge, presided over the program which included a song, the invo cation by Grand Chaplain R. H. Lucas, welcome address by Hilton Dunbar, senior warden, prior to the delicious turkey dinner, pre pared and served by ladies of the Episcopal Churc’h. Following the banquet, present officers of Perseverance Lodge were recognized by the Master; with H. H. Allen calling the roll of past masters and recognizing those who were present. Mr. Gil liken was introduced by the Rev. R. H. Lucas, and several visitors node brief remarks, followed by I the benediction by W. C. Ches son. Construction Dispute at Pulp Mill Nearly Forces Shutdown of Plant Farm Conference Here Nexi Week, Agent Announces Third Annual Oullook Meet ing To Discuss Price Pros pects for Next Year's Farm Operations The third annual Outlook con ference, where latest information on next year’s prices foT farming and family living will be given, will be held at 9:30 a. m., Wednes day of next week, at the Agri culture Building in Plymouth, announces County Agent W. H. Pruden. Attending the meeting will be representatives of local farm and home organizations, businessmen and agricultural workers and farm people interested in a “look into the future.” “We believe this conference will be of benefit to all Washington County People,” Mr. Pruden declared, “and any one interested is cordially invited to meet with us.” State College agricultural spec ialists and home economists will be on hand to present the most up-to-date information available on the factors expected to effect prices and outlook for the year ahead. A discussion of the gen eral economic outloojc for 1955 will be followed by more specific information relating to Washing ton County farm product prices and anticipated prices for family living items. One of the features of the con ference will be an opportunity for those in attendance to make their best guess of price trends expect ed for each farm commodity n oxt year. The material available a: the iv icing ijill.be helpful in allow ing more intelligent planning o: individual farm or business activ ities for the coming year. Pric< expectations are important tc farmers in deciding what to pro duce, and how much to produce Ruritans of District Will Meet in Roper Roper Club To Be Host To Roanoke District Conven tion Wednesday of Next Week -* Some 125 delegates from 15 clubs are expected to attend the Roanoke District Ruritan Con vention to be held at Roper Wed nesday of next week. The meeting will be held in the high school auditorium with the Roper club as ho6t. Afternoon and evening sessions will be held. Registration of delegates, at 3:30 o’clock, will be in charge of T. C. Martus, of the Roper club. The convention will be called to order at 4 o’clock by Ken Stokes, district governor. The afternoon session will fea ture a message from Ruritan Na tional, brought by National Pres ident William H. (Bill Brake, of Rocky Mount. Club and commit tee reports will also be made at the opening session and at 5 o’clock individual officers’ school will be held as follows: Presidents, V. B. Hairr, James ville; Vice-Presidents, Ken Stokes of Severn; Secretaries, H. M. Ainsley, Oak City; and Treasur ers, O. W. Hamilton, Farm Life. The session will recess at 6 o’clock and the evening session and banquet will begin at 6:30 with Fulton Stokes, of White Oak serving as toastmaster, Elfreth Alexander and Worth Chesson, of Roper, pianist and song leader, respectively. The invocation will be pro nounced by T. R. Spruill, presi dent of the horit club, and Mr. Martus will deliver the address of welcome. Response will be made by M. L. Basnight, of the Gum Neck club. The guest speaker of the even ing, E. Y. Floyd, director of the Plaint Food Institute, Raleigh, will be presented by Mr. Brake. An address by the district governor elect is also slated for the session. Recognition of gueats and na tional officers by Mr. Stokes, and presentation of awards by Ed ward V. Blanchard will be in terspersed with a piano solo by Miss Alexander. Other entertain ment features of the program will include songs by the well known Bear Grass Trio, a dance See RURITANS, Paige 10 AT CONVENTION "'■sMsSWi'' w '"!■ vya William H. Brake, president of Ruritan National, will ad dress the Roanoke District con vention at Roper next Wednes day. Mr. Brake, a 45-year-old Rocky Mount dairy farmer, will discuss Ruritan National affairs. He is the second North Carolinian to head the national organization. Brake is a mem ber of the West Edgecombe club and has a perfect attend ance record for the past six years. lie has served his club as president and the Rocky Mount-Durham district as lieu tenant governor and governor. At the 1953 Richmond conven tion he was named national vice president. An alumnus of N. C. State, Brake is active in farm and dairy circles. Furniture Firm Reports Heavy Contest Response Thos. F. Hopkins, of Norman Furniture Company, stated this week that registrations in the prize contests being conducted by the firm have been the heav iest ever. A drawing will be held Friday DecembeT 24, to determine the lucky winner of an automatic dishwasher-sink. The other con test offers a 1956 Ford as prize. Mr. Hopkins said six or seven such contests have been sponsor ed by .the firm in the past and response has always been heavy, but this event tops them all. | BOY AND GIRL WINNERS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS J. R. Respass, jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Respass, of Wenona. and Barbara Spruill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Spruill, of Roper, won 4-11 club achievement awards in county competition this year. Young Respass completed projects in corn, oats, soy beans, health and tractor maintenance. He represented the county clubs at 4-H Club Week and made an outstanding record in local club activities. Miss Spruill is president of Roper Senior Club, county dress revue winner, attended State 4-H Club Week and had a part on the program when 4-H Club Sunday was observed. Christmas Stocking Fund Meet Tonight Representatives of Various Town and County Organi zations Asked To Be Present -* Members of the Washington County Stocking commit tee will ^Thursday night of this weeBjj^^^erfect plans for the annual, The project is again bein^iPbinsored by the Plymouth Rotary Club, with the assistance (S other groups and a«civi«**ak * - ■ The meatinig Is set for the coun : ty courthouse, beginning at 8 o'clock. Spokesmen for the Rotary Club have expressed the opinion that every one in the community be lieves in the importance of the project which attempts to bring Christmas cheer to those persons in Washington County who need assistance. Through the Empty Stocking Fund, it was explained, all agencies and individuals have an opportunity- to participate in a most worthy and gratifying undertaking during the Christ mas season. The Thursday night meeting will officially launch the drive to collect funds, clothing and toys for distribution on or before Christmas Day. Last Christmas, about 300 needy families were given packages of food, clothing and toys by volunteer workers. Mrs. Ursula Spruill, county wel fare superintendent, stated at the time that 735 persons were ma terially aided by the fund. The Empty Stocking project is of long standing in this com munity and has been sponsored for the past several years by the Rotarians with the active assist ance of the county welfare de partment and various other local organizations and individuals. See FUND, Page 10 Funeral Services Set for Joe Ange ♦ Funeral services will be held from the chapel of Homers Funeral Home here Thursday afternoon (today) at 3 o’clock for Joe Ange, 55, of Plymouth. Mr. Ange was stricken While at Golf Road Service Station at 5 p. m. Tuesday and was rushed to the Plymouth Clinic where he was pronounced dead immediately af ter arrival. Mr. Ange was born in Martin County September 8, 1899, the son of the late John T. and Betty Bland Ange, and moved to Plym outh about 32 years ago. He was a sawyer at the local True Tem per Corporation plant and a mem ber of Mt. Olive Free Will Bap tist Church, near here. Mr. Ange was married at Plymouth April 23, 1922, to Miss Clara Ange, of Plymouth, who survives. The deceased also leaves a daughter, Mrs. Nellie Bostick, of Venice, California; a son, John Wayne Ange, of the home; and three brothers, Elmer Ange, of Decatur, Ala., Carllie Ange, of Washington ,and Julius Ange, of Norfolk, Va. Last rites will be conducted by the Rev. J. D. Waters, assisted1 by the Rev.J. L. Furgurson. Inter ment will be in Windley Ceme tery. Holiday Lighls j Going Up Here j Town workmen under the supervision of Officer Paul Bas night started putting up Christ mas lights and decorations on Water and Washington Streets Monday of this week. The worl^ had not be? completed Wednes ipected to be fin ! Friday, of evergreen wrapping for light wires is be ing pnt up this season, with Town and Junior Chamber of Commerce footing the bill 50 50. The merchants' association and the town are dividing the cost of installation and current equally. The lights will remain up until after New Year’s. New Wide Screen To Be Installed — ■ J. Shepherd Brinkley, local theatre owner and manager, has announced that a new 15 by 31 foot Cinemascope screen will be installed at the Plymouth Thea tre in time for the December 12 shows. Mr. Brinkley said the new, wide screen would give local theatre patrons a service unsur passed in this part of the state, with the possible exception of Greenville. He said the Plymouth, due to its width, is ideally suited for use of new screen which is being installed by a Charlotte theatre supply firm. The best lens obtainable, made by the in ternationally known Bausch and Lornb, have been secured. Installation of the new screen will necessitate some rearrange ment of theatre seats, the owner said. Several rows of seats near est the stage will be removed. -1 Christmas Program Set For Roper PTA Meeting A Christmas program will be presented ait the regular meeting of the Roper Parent-Teacher As sociation Tuesday of next week, it is announced. The meeting will be held in the high school auditorium, begin ning at 7:30 p. m. All members are urged to be present. | Picket Lines Set Up Yes ! terday by Construction Workers Move to Special Gate in Time for After noon Shift Change A complete shutdown of the North Carolina Pulp Company plant was narrowly averted here yesterday afternoon as the result of a complex labor dispute. Pic kets representing construction workers formerly employed at the plant were removed from the two main gates shortly after 3 o'clock, and production workers began streaming into the mill immediately afterwards to relieve other shift workers, some ocf whom had been on duty contin uously for 16 hours. Although production workers and the company itself were claimed not to be directly involv ed in the dispute, several hun dred members of production workers’ unions hesitated to cross the picket lines as time for the shift change neared between 3 and 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon The picket lines had been set up early Wednesday, turning back an undetermined number of workmen when the day shift re ported between 7 and 8 o’clock yesterday morning. Workmen in the plant not relieved at that time, including most or all mem bers of the operating engineers ana erecmcnans unions men on duty, were required to remain on the job for an extra shift while efforts were being made to work out a solution. A company offic ial said at noon yesterday that unless engineers reported for duty on the 4 o'clock shrift it would be necensary to shut down the plant, throwing more than 11,000 people out of work. As the result of a series of conferences held during the day, the company agreed to admit construction workers only at a special gate, and shortly after 3 o’clock the pickets were moved from the two main gates to the special gate several hundred yards west of the main employ ees’ entrance. The pickets bore signs reading “Construction Dis pute Is Over Wages and Work ing Conditions.” The labor dispute originated about two weeks ago, following attempts to organize construction workers engaged in building some additions to the local plant. Al though no official announcement has been made by the company, it is generally understood than an extensive expansion program is being started here, with sev eral firms of cctitractoife and sub-contractors engaged for the actual construction work. Paul Askew, of Norfolk, Va., ohairma nof an American Feder ation of Labor organizing com mittee, representing 10 building trade craft unions, said yesterday that approximately 70 men were employed in construction work at the plant here prior to November 17. Following notice that a meet ing to discuss organizing would bo held on Tuesday, November 16, Askew said tthe men were warned not to attend the mee .ing and that about 68 of them were firedi the next day after they had attended. No official statement could be secured yesterday from the gen eral contracting firm, S. S. Ja cobs Company, of Jacksonville, Fla., but it is understood the con tractors claim that construction work was discontinued on No vember 17 and the men were laid! off for that reason. The pulp company’s attitude is that the dis pute is between the contracting firms and the construction work ers and that the company is not directly involved. However, it has been learned that charges of “unfair labor practices” have been lodged against the pulp company, as well as the contracting firms. Two representatives of the National See DISPUTE, Page 10 Turkey Shoots To Be Staged by Lions Club The turkey shoot which was to have been held here Saturday, November 20, was postponed due to inclement weather but has been rescheduled, Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, chairman of the Lions Club-sponsored project, an nounced this week. The shoot will be held on three successive Saturdays, December 4, 11 and 18, Dr. Whitehurst an nounced. The event will begin at about noon and continue until dark if interest justify it was stated. Ammunition and guns will be on hand for those who do not bring their own guns and am munition to fit most types oi shotguns will be available for those who bring guns. No rifles will be used. A turkey will be given to each winner and the birds range from 10 to 12 pounde in weight, the announcement stated. The fee will be $1 per shot and • proceeds will go to the club ac tivity fund, Dr. Whitehurst said.