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The Roanoke Beacon
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
and Washington County News ******
VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 51
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, For Thursday, December 23, 1954
ESTABLISHED 1889
There will be no Christmas
week lay-off for recorder’s court
personnel, according to Judge W.
Ronald Gaylord. However, a com
paratively light sesion was in
prospect for Tuesday of this week.
Court will be screduled as Usual
for the next two weeks but will
be suspended January 11, since
Superior Court will be in session
here for a two-week mixed term,
opening Monday, January 10.
Among persons who will
doubtless be glad when the holi
day season is over could be listed
the post office personnel. The
rush is always terrific at Christ
mastime and this year was no ex
ception, according to Postmaster
J. C. Swain.
Sales of motor vehicles license
plates at the local office of the I
Carolina Motor Club on Wash- I
ington Street continue rather
slow, accordin gto the latest re
port from Manager James H.
Ward. Deadline for displaying the
new state tags is January 31.
Jack M. Frank, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Jack D. Frank of Plymouth,
was on the dean’s list at East
Carolina College for the fall quar
ter, which ended November 24th.
Young Frank is a sophomore at
East Carolina, having graduated
from Plymouth High School with
the class of 1953. An average
grade of 90 or better is required
for students to appear on the
dean’s list.
Air Cadet Lawrence D. Jones,
jr., arrived last week to spend
the Chirstmas holidays with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Jones.
Young Jones entered the Air
Force in March and recently com
pleted his primary flight training
at Marana Air Base, near Tucson, '
Ariz. He will report to Webb Air
X Force Base, Big Spring, Texas,
on January 3rd to begin basic
flight training. His class is sche
duled to graduate and receive
commissions as second lieutenants
in June of next year, after which
they will be assigned to advanced
flight training. (
Local merchants reported1 gen
erally that for the first two Fri
days during the pre-Christmas
shopping season when stores re
mained open until 9 p. m. there
was comparatively little traffic
after 7 o’clock. However, such
was not the case last Fridoy
i^ropicrKiTs™
-1
Need a License Now?
If So, Belter Hurry
♦
If Cupid has any unfinished j
business to get off before the holi- ,
days, then he had better hurry. ,
* The place to which young couples
^ with marriage in mind go to get
the necessary license will be (
closed after Thursday of this |
week and will not reopen until
Tuesday, December 28. 1
So, if you want to obtain a (
license before Christmas you’d ,
better hurry down to the register j
of deeds office in the courthouse (
here right away, advises J. Rob- ]
ert Campbell, register of deeds
who issues the permits.
Stocking F und Boxes
Are Being Delivered
Special Services
Announced For
County Churches
-+
Programs Range From Sin
gle Service io Full Week
Schedule; Cantatas Pre
sented Sunday
According to reports received
iy The Beacon, several county
hurches will hold special Christ
nas services.
The Plymouth Methodist and
ombined choirs presented a can
ata, “The Story of Christmas,”
iy Alexander Matthews Sunday
fternoon at 4 o’clock at the
/lethodist Church. The event was
lireoted by J. Shepherd Brinkley,
vho also served as organist. Solo
iarts were taken by Miss Myrtle
J-ray Jackson, Mesdames W. H.
>eele and E. W. Furgurson, and
See SERVICES, Page 8
| LEGION AUXILIARIES SFONSOR VETS' GIFT SHOP
Mrs. W. S. Carawan, of Columbia (extreme right), president
of the North Carolina Department of the American Legion Auxili
ary, attended the official opening of the gift shop at the veterans'
hospital in Fayetteville earlier this month. Similar shops have
been set up at the other four veterans’ hospitals in the state to en
able patients to secure gifts for members of their families at
Christmas time. Others in the photo above include J. S. Pittman,
manager of the hospital; Mrs. A. F. Bailey, department auxiliary
hospital representative; and a number of patients at the Fayette
ville hospital.
Food Items, Fruit, Candy,
Etc., Boxed by Volunteer
Workers for Distribution
To Needy Families
Deliveries of Empty Stocking
F'und Chirstmas packages of food,
toys and miscellaneous items to
needy families throughout the
county were scheduled to begin
Tuesday and be completed by
Wednesday, Carl L. Bailey, jr.,
county chairman of the projects,
reports.
Items of clothing and shoes
will have to be given out by ap
pointment and this will be done
after the first of the year, it was
said. Needy families will be fitted
with clothes and shoes after the
Christmas rush is over. But the
boxes packed here by volunteer
workers and containing fruits,
candy, toys, etc., were to be dis
tributed in time for Christmas.
The tremendous task of pack
aging was to begin Monday after
noon, according to the schedule
announced by the chairman, and
continue Monday night, Tuesday
and Tuesday night, if necessary.
The auditorium of the Agricul
ture Building is where packag
ing was to be done.
The project is sponsored in the
county each year by the Plym
outh Rotary Club in an effort to
bring holiday cheer to needy fam
ilies.' Mrs. Ursula Spruill, county
welfare department superinten
dent, states that over 700 persons
were materially helped by the
project last year.
Assisting the Rotarians in the
project arc a number of clubs,
churches and individuals. The
welfare department has also
given strong support and each
year furnishes a list of needy
cases which list is added top by
suggestions from individuals.
It was said that acknowledge
lients would be made next week
'.o those who helped in the pro
ject in one way or another, those
who donated the use of trucks to
nake deliveries and the individ
uals who worked in getting the
gift boxes to the homes
Christmas Shower At
Creswell High School
The home economics deport
ment of Creswell High School is
holding "Home Ec. Time” Mon
lay of this week for parents and
Friends to visit the classroom and
see for themselves what is being
accomplished.
Time is from 7 to 9 p. m. A
Christmas shower is to be had
with gifts brought during the
evening.
Stop Sewer Work;
True Temper Mill
Lodges Objection
-♦
Claims Dumping Sewage
Near Plant Would Be De
trimental to Log Pound;
Riddle Sees Long Wait
Work was stopped Monday of
last week on the sewer lire being
laid by the Town of Plymouth
near True Temper Corporation
plant, Mayor A. J. Riddle re
ported.
Pumips and equipment were
hauled in and stored, the mayor
said, after the True Temper man
agement had raised objections to
the town dumping sewage in the
creek south of the Norfolk
Southern Railroad on the grounds
that such would be detrimental
to the plant's log pound.
The Town has already spent
$14,000 for cast iron pipe and for
labor in laying the line, the mayor
added.
The State Health Department
had previously sent a representa
tive to Plymouth to examine the
situation, Riddle continued, and
he said the state board subse
quently gave its permission for
the sewage to be dumped ac
cording to the plan being follow
ed by the Town when the ob
jection was raised.
Riddle stated that he and Po
lice Officer Paul Br.snight at
tended an hour and a half meet
ing here Monday, December 13,
with Manager Morris Brobst, of
the local True Temper plant, an
engineer of True Temper Corpo
ration from its Cleveland offices,
and M. O. Cayton, sanitary en
gineer with the State Health Dc- '
partment.
Riddle said that on Monday
night Brobst and the Cleveland
representative met with Attorney ,
Z. V. Norman, local counsel for ,
the corporation, and that the de- ,
See SEWER, Page 4 :
Chairman Urges
County Support
Christmas Fund
Fo Dale Over $1,400 Cash
In Hand; Original Goal
Set at $2,000, Plus Com
modity Donations
By Carl L. Bailey, Jr., Chairman
Empty Stocking Fund
The finance committee of the
Empty Stocking Fund met on
fhursday night and canvassed the
financial situation. Originally a
goal had been set to raise $2,
300.00 in cash, plus toys, clothes,
and other commodities for the
1954 Christmas operations. To this
fate the cash on hand amounts
to only $1,435. In 1953 the Empty
Stocking Fund served 224 fam
ilies in the county, comprising
?1G people. The indications are
that the families needing aid
from the Empty Stocking Fund
this year will be 63 more than
last year, or a total of 287 fam
ilies. Of these 125 are in Plym
outh Township, 86 in Lees Mill
Township, and 76 are in Skinners
yille and Scuppernong Townships.
Unless further contributions
are received, amounting to at
least $500.00 to $600.00, the opera
tions of the Empty Stocking Fund
will have to be drastically cut.
Even if this sum is raised, it may
be necessary to strike from the
list some marginal cases. It is cer
tain that unless further material
contributions of money are re
ceived, the number of persons re
ceiving Christmas cheer from the
Empty Stocking Fund will be
much smaller than last year. This
is true even though the number
needing it is greater than last
year.
Rather full reports have been
received from Plymouth with col
lections of more than $1,000.00 of
the total. Among new contribut
ions turned in at the meeting
were those by the Plymouth and
Creswell Colored Schools, and
collections made by Luretha
Cooper at the time of the com
mittee meeting. No reports had
been received from any part of
the county outside the Plymouth
area except from the colored
schools and from those soliciting
:ontributions from the colored
people.
People of all sections of the
:ounty are urged to make contri
butions quickly, or they will be
too late. If no one calls for con
ributions, individuals are urged
o bring or mail them to James
1. Ward, treasurer, Empty Stock
ng Fund, Plymouth.
-r
Tax Supervisors,
Listers To Meet
A special meeting of the Wash-'
ngton County Board of Commis
;ioners, the county tax supervisor
ind tax listers of the several
ownships, is being held Monday
light of this week, beginning at
':30 o’clock. The meeting is be
r.g held at the courthouse here.
Purpose of the meeting is to
idminister the oath of office to
he supervisor and list takers and
:o establish uniform prices for
idling livestock and other items
>f property in the annual listing
vhich is held during the month
>f January.
Hubert L. Davenport, of Skin
lersville, is county trx supervisor
ind listers, by townships, are:
Paul B. Belanga, Scuppernong
rownship; R. W. Lewis, Lees Mill
rownship; Paul Swain, Plymouth
rownship: and W. W. White,
jkinnersvillc Township.
Ilcaron Officer Closed
l ulil December 23tlh
The Roanoke Beacon office
will be closed after Monday,
December 20, through Monday,
December 27, reopening for
business Tuesday morning, De
cember 28. This is one of the
few holiday occasions observed
by the newspaper and staff
members will vacation and ob
serve the Christmas holidays at
the same time.
This issue of the Beacon was
printed and mailed ahead of
the regular schedule in order
to make the week of closing
possible. The following issue of
the paper may possibly be a
bit late but every effort will be
made to get it printed and in
the post office sometime Thurs
day of that week.
The Beacon staff wishes to
every reader and advertiser a
Merry Christmas and a Happy,
Prosperous New Year.
Local Business Houses
Send Annual Greetings
The business firms and mer
chants of Plymouth arc again
extending holiday greetings to
their patrons in the county
through the columns of The
Roanoke Beacon as an expres
sion of their sincere apprecia
tion for the business given them
during the year now drawing to
a close, and as a token of
friendship.
To embrace the Yulctide
spirit of comradeship and good
will to all, these business firms
of Plymouth extend their
wishes to everyone everywhere
for “A Merry Christmas and a
Happy, Prosperous New year.”
The greeting pages and adver
tisements in the Beacon have
become a Washington County
institution at Christmas every
year. Read the little messages,
which help the season to be a
lot more than just merely a I
few days off from the old grind.
Majority Firms Here
Will Close Two Days
Some Chain Stores Reopen [
Monday, Most Businesses
Tuesday Afier Christmas;
Schools Get 16 Days
—4
Varied Christmas holiday sche
dules will prevail among Plym
outh’s industrial and business
establishments this season, with
the closing ranging all the way to
1G days, the length holiday per
iod to be enjoyed by faculties and
student bodies of the various
county schools.
Classes were dismissed early
Friday at all schools and the
regular schedule will be resumed
Monday, January 3.
Tire majority of stored and
business establishments in town,
other than ,resttwants. d jg
stores and. stations, will
be closed front nigvi. of
this week until Tuesday morning
at the usual opening hour, giving
employees Christmas Day, Sun
day and Monday off.
However, it is understood that
some of the chain stores will open
for business next Monday. Belk
Tyler’s, A&P and Leder Brothers
will be open that day.
The banks will close Friday
and reopen Tuesday at the usual
hour. Both banks will render a
special service to merchants who
patronize the institutions by re
maining open from 4 to 5 p. m.
Christmas Eve, it has been an
nounced.
It could not be learned at press
time just what holiday schedules
the local garages will observe. It
is thought, however, that some
or all may reopen Monday after
Christmas.
The North Carolina Pulp Com
pany has announced that its plant
will be shut down Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day and will re
open Monday following.
The Atlas Plywood Corporation
will cease operations Friday and
will resume the following Mon
day, it is understood.
See HOLIDAYS, Page 8
Faiher of Local
Man Died Friday
Lester House, 74-year-old farm
er of near Robersonville and fa
ther of Jasper W. Home of Plym
outh, died suddenly at his home
Friday afternoon at 5:15, follow
ing a brief illness that lasted only
a day.
Born on November 24, 1880, Mr.
House was the son of the late Ber
ry A. House and Acca House, of
near Robersonville. He lived all
his life in the same general neigh
borhood and was considered to
be a very successful farmer. He
was also active in affairs of the
Primitive Baptist Church and
.served as a deacon of the church
at Flat Swamp for many years.
Funeral services were held at
the home Sunday afternoon at 3
o’clock, with Elder W. E. Grimes
of Greenville and Elder A. B.
Ayers' of Williamston conducting
the last rites. Interment was made
in the Robersonville cemetery.
Mr. House is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Ludie Williams House,
of the home place; two daughters,
Mrs. E. L. Etheridge of Plym
outh and Mrs. H. S. Johnson, jr.,
of Hamilton; five sons, Jasper W.
House of Plymouth; Clayton
House, former Plymouth resident
who now lives at Hamilton; Ber
ry and Howell House, of Rober
sonville; and G^j-ner House, of
Virginia Beach, Va. He also
leaves one brother, Thomas L.
House, of Robersonville.
Court Term To j
0pn lan. lOfh j
A two-week mixed term of
Washington County Superior
Court will open here Monday,
January 10, with Judge Mal
colm C. Paul, of Washington,
scheduled to preside over the
first week of court and Judge Q.
K. Nimocks, jr, of Fayetteville,
the second.
The county bar has not held
its meeting to set the calendar
of eases to be heard at the term
but it is expected that the civil
and criminal term calendars
will be released in time for
publication
this paper.
Billy Wesl Hit
Thursday Night
By Hit-Run Car
--4
Carolina Freshman Enroule
Home Was Badly Injured
While Helping Change
Flat on Shoulder of US 64
Officers in this area are seeking
a hit-and-run driver whose ve
hicle struck and injured Billy
West, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom
West, of near Plymouth, last
Thursday at 6:30 p. m. on US 64
about two miles east of James
ville as the youth was changing a
flat on a car parked on the road
shoulder.
Young West had caught a ride
at Williamston with Ed Taylor,
See HIT-RUN, Page 5
Tragic Accident;
Young Child, 2i,
Shotgun Victim
-4
Brenda Ambrose Dies In
stantly in Blast From Gun
In Hands of Her Eight
Year-Old Uncle
A tragic accident in the Pea
Ridge section of this county late
Friday afternoon of last week
claimed the life of two-and-a
half-year-old Brenda Ambrose,
daughter of Roy H. and Mary
Bagley Ambrose, of Roper RFD.
The child was hit in her lower
face by the shot from a 20-guage
double-barreled shotgun in the
hands of eight-year-old David
Bagley, uncle of the little girl.
The shooting took place in a
small bedroom of the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Alton Bagley, par
ents of David and grandparents
of Brenda Ambrose.
Coroner J. L. Horner, of Plym
outh, who with Sheriff J. K. Reid
went to the home at about 6
o’clock Friday night to investi
gate the shooting, deemed an in
quest unnecessary.
Horner said the shooting took
place at 5 p. m. and that Mrs.
Bagley had gone out of the house
to feed the chickens and was in
the yard when she saw David
run out of the house crying im
mediately after she heard the gun
report. The gun had “kicked,”
the recoil knocking out one of the
boy’s front te. it was stated.
The boy had taken the gun
from a bedroom closet, and Hor
ner said it had one shell in it.
T;je little girl's mouth was evi
*t the time the shot
xook^TrettTit was said. Only two
i shot were found in her upper lip
and the lower part of her mouth
and her chin were torn away and
teeth were found across the room.
A young baby was in a crib
in the room where the shooting
took place, the coroner reported,
but was in the apposite end of the
room from the line of fire.
The shot was obviously fired at
rather close range, the coroner
continued, but not close enough
to leave powder burns on the
victim.
Brenda Ambrose was born in
Tyrrell County, July 9, 1952.
The little girl is survived by
her parents; both sets of-gr»nd
parents, the Bagleys, and Mr. and
Mrs. Herbert E. Ambrose, of
Roper RFD; a sister, Mary Fay
Ambrose, and a brother, Roy H.
Ambrose, both of the home.
Services were conducted Satur
day afternoon at 3 o’clock from
Scuppernong Church of Christ,
Creswell, by the Rev. Mark A.
Woolard, pastor. Burial was in
the church cemetery.
| RETIRING PLYMOUTH SOLDIER HONORED AT POST |
__ '■ — i J
. ^effeaSi ^lrs^ Class Benjamin F. Bowen, retiring from the
Army after 20 years of service, is congratulated by Major General
K. F. Ennis, Fort Jackson and 101st Airborne Division Commander,
at Escort of Honor ceremonies held for the retiring personnel at
Fort Jackson recently. Sfc. Bowen is shown receiving a Third
Army certificate of achievement. The honor went to one officer
and eight enlisted men at the ceremony. Sfc. Bowen's bonne
is near Plymouth, and he is brother to Gordon Bowen.