T’own
opics
P. W. Brown, who has been
hospitalized at Rocky Mount
since he was stricken ill here sev
eral weeks ago, was brought home
by ambulance Thursday of last
week and is reported to be get
ting on nicely, although confined
to his room for the present. He
will gradually be allowed to come
downstairs, then out in the yard
and later may be able to ride
around town, according to present
indications, it is reported.
Mr. and Mrs. Ludford McNair
and family, of Acme, arrived in
Plymouth Monday of this week to
spend several days with his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. McNair.
The latter had just observed their
57th wedding anniversary the
previous day. They were married
at the Baptist parsonage in Plym
outh Sunday, December 26, 1897,
by the late Rev. Frank T. Wooten.
Incidentally, Mr. McNair, a jus
tice of the peace of long stand
ing, observed the day by tying
the knot for a young couple from
Pamlico County. This was the
176th wedding that Mr. McNair
has performed during his 44-year
career as a magistrate.
Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Newland
will leave Thursday of this week
for Mitchell, Indiana, where they
will spend several days with Mrs.
Newland's parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Herbert Conley. While away the
Newlands will also visit in India
napolis, Louisville. Kentucky, and
other points. They plan to return
to Plymouth January 10.
Harvie Hill, 12-year-old Plym
outh golfing whiz, posted a blist
ering 78 good for second prize in
his age group in the Donald A.
Ross Junior Golf Tournament at
Pinehurst the first of this week.
It was the fourth year in the
event for Harvie, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ed Hill, and the second time
he has come in a prize winner.
Harvie won first prize in the 8-10
■ year age bracket in 1952. This
year he competed against nearly
a hundred ypungsters from sev
eral states in the 11-14 year group
W and was runner-up to a 14-year
old Norfolk lad who shot a 75.
Marvin Rodgers, »on oi Mr. and
Mrs. Omega Rodgers, of Plym
outh, also took part in the tour
ney, competing in the 15-year
group and winding up with an
'~^5ee~TOPICsT~Pag(r~7
Seeking Teachers
For 2 Vacancies
Two Washington County teach
ers, Mrs. Irene H. Rainey, the
English teacher at the Creswell 1
School, and Mrs. Marina J. Baum,
the sixth grade teacher at the
Roper School, have tendered their i
resignations.
Mrs. Rainey’s husband, the
Rev. L. J. Rainey, who is at pres
ent pastor of the Creswell, Roper, ■
Mt. Pleasant and Oak Grove Bap- (
tist Churches, has accepted the
& call to become pastor of the Bap
tist Church at Saluda, North Car
olina. Mrs. Rainey plans to ac- ]
company her husband when he
accepts this position.
Mrs. Baum agreed to stay only
until Christmas when she accept
ed last September.
x Teachers to replace Mrs. Baum
and Mrs. Rainey are being sought. 1
T. A. Hood is principal of the
Roper school and R. B. Cobb is
principal of the Creswell school.
--•- 1
Am ol Local Man
Dies in Accident
William Douglas Lovic of
Sharpsburg and Rocky Mount,
brother to Henry O, Lovic of
Plymouth, was killed Christmas
morning in an airplane crash at
■' his home near Sharpsburg. Lovic
had rented the airplane in Rocky
Mount for a flight to Greenville
and apparently was “bussing” his
(T home, about'200 feet from where
^ the plane fell, when it nosed into
the ground and burned with the
pilot trapped inside.
Lovic, a native of Pitt County,
was an employee of Carolina
Construction Company of Rocky
Mount. He was 30 years old.
Funeral services were held
Sunday afternoo nat the grave
side in Forest Hills Cemetery in
Farmville. The Rev. Z. B. T. Cox,
of the Farmville Christian
Church, conducted tihe last rites.
In addition to his widow, the
former Mamie Allen of Farmville,
Mr. Lovic is survived by three
sons, Billy, Bobby and Mitchell;
his mother, Mrs. Van Little, of
Monroe; four brothers, Harry L.
Lovic, of Durham, Ralph Lovic in
the Navy and stationed in Flori
da, Henry O. Lovic of Plymouth,
and Walter R. Lovic of Farmville;
two sisters, Mrs. H. O. Baldree of
Farmville and Mrs. Austin Rigs
bee of Durham. ■>
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The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated HI
to the service of Washington Hi
County and its 13,000 people, iil
VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 52
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 30, 1954
ESTABLISHED 1889
SOME OF THE TOYS COLLECTED IN EMPTY STOCKING FUND DRIVE
IM
k.
James T. Boyce, chairman of toy collection for the Empty Stocking Fund Committee, is pictured
above with some ot the more than 400 toys distributed to the needy in the county before Christmas.
The photo was made Tuesday of last week on the steps at the Agriculture Building here. Most of
the toys were new and were contributed by local merchants and business firms. More than 400
children in nearly 300 families shared in the distribution.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
z»z r amilies Aided
By Christmas Fund
Farm Census Is
Of Great Value
Many fanners seem to think
that the farm census which in
taken each year by tax list
takers has some direct connect
ion with taxes, County Agent
W. H. Pruden pointed out this
week.
The inventory of crops by
townships is valuable to all
agricultural agencies in helping
to map a sound and progressive
farm program and actually
benefits the farmer who gives
in the correct information, the
county agent emphasized. It
should be remembered that the
information is strictly confiden
ial and in no way has any bear
ing on taxes.
ihanks Expressed
By Fund Chairman
fo All Who Helped
Effort Termed Most Success
ful Ever With Value of
Food, Clothing, Toys Dis
tributed Estimated $4,000
ly Car! L. Bailey, Jr., Chairman,
Washington County Empty
Stocking Fund
The 1954 Washington County
Impty Stocking Fund program
as been successfully completed,
t proved to be the largest and
lost comprehensive program of
:s kind ever conducted here,
'his was true both from the
tandpoint of the number of peo
le for whom Christmas cheer!
fas provided, and also from that
f the quantity c»f fdod, clothing |
nd toys which were distributed.
The people of the county were .
lost generous. Liberal contribut
es of money, food, and clothing
ere received from people in all
■alks of life throughout the
iunty. At one stage,during the j
impaign, and after it had been i
;certained that a much larger i
umber of people was in need
lan in 1953, a question arose as
i whether it would be possible
> serve them all. It was deter- '•
lined to make plans to serve all
le needy, and the necessary com
odities were purchased based
?on faith that the funds would
i provided. The campaign for
mtributions was intensified, and
le faith of the committee proved
be well-founded. Quantities of
othing, food and toys poured in,
gether with cash contributions
nounting to $1,941.83. Approv
1 for payment are bills totalling
,918.95, all but $1.60 of which
as for the purchase of food. The
immittee is confident that the
oney in hand will be sufficient
provide payment for any other
aall bills. Should there be any
See THANKS, Page 12
Whirlwind Finish Swells
Cash Donations To Near
$2,000 Mark, Insuring
Success of Fund
Carl L. Bailey, jr., chairman
of the Washington County Empty
Stocking Fund, this week express
ed profound thanks to all the
organizations and individuals
having a part in the successful
fund drive concluded recently.
The program for 1954 proved
the largest and most comprehen
sive ever conducted in the long
series of annual Empty Stocking
campaigns, Mr. Bailey declared.
Nearly $2,000 in cash contri
butions were handled and the
money was used for the purchase
of food with which to *augment
donations of commodities. The
number of persons receiving
Christmas parcels was 965, mak
ing up 292 families in all parts
of the county.
Nearly 1,100 items of toys were
collected from merchants and in
dividuals and the fund chairman
reported that James Boyce, toy
collection chairman, and his as
sistants did a “wonderful job” of
collecting, sorting, mending anc
packaging. Working with the aid
of information supplied by the
county welfare department,
Boyce and his committee were
able to individually package the
toys for distribution so that when
the packaging of food and other
items began Monday, December
10, much time and effort were
saved in that regard.
About 30 volunteer workers,
many of them colored, began the
lask late Monday of Christmas
week of packaging food and other
terns stored at the Agriculture
Building. This work was com
pleted Tuesday afternoon in ree
led time and distribution of the ,
tift packages was virtually com- i
Jletcd the following day. Some
leliveries were made in Plym
>uth late Monday afternoon of ;
ast week and the remainder in ,
he town Tuesday and Wednes- ,
lay. • 1
SeTTlHRISTMA sTPagel 2 ’
1
Fire Not From i
H o 1 Politics !,
Fireman Bud Lovic mounted
a ladder and beat out a small |
blaze atop the City Hall build
ing Wednesday night. The
alarm was turned in by Colon
Bowen who noticed smoke from
the Christmas decorations
strung from the building. A £
wreath had been wrapped \
around a connection, it was c
said. No damage resulted. r
A false alarm was turned in
Tuesday at 4 p. m. and firemen c
sped to the scene only to find t
that grass was been burned off J
down the railroad tracks. It has s
not been determined who turn- I
ed in the alarm, firemen re- 1
ported.
lax Lislers and
Supervisor Take
Oaths of Office
-»
Sworn In al Adjourned
Meeiing of County Com
missioners; Lisf Prices for
Livestock Fixed
The county tax supervisor and
township tax listers were sworn
in and prices for listing livestock,
tractors, trucks, automobiles, etc.,
were fixed at an adjourned meet
ing of the Washington County
Board of Commissioners at the
courthouse here Monday night,
December 20, at 7:30 o’clock.
Members of the board present
were Frank L. Brinkley, chair
man: J. C. Knowles, H. L. Dav
enport, A. R. Latham and Philip
M. Spruill.
The chairman of the board ad
ministered the oath of office to
H. L. Davenport, county tax sup
ervisor, and to Tax Listers R. W.
Lewis, of Lees Mill Township; P.
B. Belanga, of Scuppernong
Township; Paul Swain, Plym
outh Township; and W. W. White,
of Skinnersville Township.
Prices were fixed for listing
livestock, etc., for 1955 as follows:
Sheep, $4 and up; goats, $2 and
up; milch cows, $60 to $100; other
cattle, 7c to 10c a pound; poultry,
12c a pound; horses, no. 1, $35
and up; horses,‘no. 2, $25 and up;
mules, no. 1, $60 and up; mules,
no 2, $25 and up; meats,-15c a
pound; hogs, 12c a pound; and
lard, 10c a pound.
Special Service
Ai Grace Church.
-•
A special service in Grace !
Episcopal Church, Plymouth,
Thursday night of next week was ,
announced this week by the rec- j
tor, the Rev. E. M. Spruill.
The service, set for 8 o’clock, t
will be the annual Feast of Lights
service for the Epiphany* season j
of the Christian year, it is ex- j
plained.
There will be Evening Prayer t
with brief meditation by the rec- I
tor. Every person attending the i
service will be given a candle j
lighted from the Christ candle on ;
the altar, showing that Christ is |
“the Light of the world.” j
The public is cordially invited 1
to attend this service with the I
local Episcopalians. I r
Town, County Boards Meet Monday
-♦- -♦- -«
More or less routine sessions
are expected here Monday of next
week when various town and
county governing bodies meet in
regular monthly sessions.
The Washington County Board
af Commissioners will meet in
their room at the courthouse
Monday mornig. A routine ses
sion is anticipated, Clerk to the
Board J. Robert Campbell stated
late Wednesday.
Superintendent of Schools Roy
F. Lowry, of Plymouth, stated
yesterday afternoon that a dele
gation from the Church of God in
Christ is expected to appear be
fore the county board of educa
tion Monday. The board will con
vene ,at 10:30 a. m. at the court
house.
Mr. Lowry said it is hoped that
a written agreement will be con
cluded for the board to move the
church building from its present
site to a new one in order to
make use of the present lot for
expanding the school campus
here. He said that should the
agreement be concluded the board
will doubtless consider at the
meeting the bids on moving the
building.
The Plymouth Town Council
will meet Monday night at 8
o’clock at the. Municipal Building
on Water Street and a routine
meeting is in prospect, Mayor A.
J. Riddle reported late yesterday.
Series Important
Farm Meetings in
CouniyAnnounced
— +
County Agent Issues Invi
tation To Attend Meetings
Set for Agriculture Build
ing Early Next Year
A series of important farm
meetings to be held at the county
Agriculture Building here early
next year was announced this
sveejk by County Agent W. H.
Prdden.
Tiie series will include a to
aacco meeting Thursday, January
1, a livestock school Wednesday,
January 19, a commercial vege
table school Wednesday, Janu
ary 26, and a sweet potato school
Thursday, February 24. Also, a
poultry school will be held at
Edenton March 7 with persons
from this county invited to attend.
One or more specialists from
State College will attend each, of
the meetings and all should prove
profitable to those who attend,
Mr. Pruden stated.
Ned Hawks, extension tobacco
specialist, will conduct the tobac
co meeting to be held at 7:30
Thursday night of next week. All
county growers are urged to at
tend.
Interesting and important dis
cussions will deal with such
things as irrigation, new tobacco
varieties, disease and insect con
trol, harvesting and curing, fer
tilization. nematode control, etc.
Pruden points out that irriga
tion has meant from $300 to $500
more money per acre for those
who have used it and he stated
thfat the number of farmers using
irrigation methods doubled this
year over 1953.
pew varieties of tobacco have
a$o meant from $200 to $300 an
acre more in some cases, it was
r„ ’ied out.
The livestock school is slated
for 10 a. m. January 19. Beef cat
tle, sheep and swine will be dis
cussed.
Time of the commercial vege
table production school has been
set at 7:30 p. m. January 26.
The Sweet Potato School will
begin at 2 p. m. February 24, and
the Poultry School (at Edenton at
the Agriculture Building) will
open at 10 a. m. Turkeys will be
discussed at length at the latter
meeting.
All phases of production in each
of these divisions will be thor
oughly discussed by competent
leaders, Pruden stated, and many
new devlopments in production
practices extremely helpful to the
progressive farmer, will be taken
up at the meetings.
Rites Set Friday
For F. C. Ausbon
Last rites for Frank Cowell
Ausbon, 46, of Hampton, Va., will
ae conducted from Grace Episco
sal Church here at 3 p. m. Fri
lay by the rector, the Rev. E. M.
Spruill, assisted by the Rev. P. B.
4ickens, pastor of Ludford Ma
norial Baptist Church. Burial
vill be in the family plot in the
'hurch cemetery.
Mr. Ausbon died at 4 a. m. Wed
lesday at his home following a
leart attack. He was the son of
he late Fletcher Ausbon and
flattie J. Ausbon, of Plymouth,
le was employed as foreman of
he ground forces for the gov
rnment at Langley Field, Va.
He leaves his widow, Mr=
ouise Weatherly Everton Aus
■on; two stepsons, Jay and Lloyd
Iverton, of the home; seven sis
ers, Mrs. W. A. Crockett, Mrs.
latie Caton and Mrs. Claudia
livers, all of Hampton, Mrs.
fazel Salyer, Washington, D. C.,
flrs. Hermine Ausbon Ramsay,
flrs. Mattie Arps and Miss Mir
im Ausbon, all of Plymouth; a
rother, Hampton Ausbon, of
Lichmond, Va.; several nieces and
ephews.
Tax Listing for New Year
Starts Monday in County
Holiday Observance
Said Quiet in (1ounty
The Christmas holiday season
was quietly observed in this
county, law enforcements officers
report.
No serious accident or violence
was reported in the county and
only one fire alarm was reported
during the period—that a grass
fire in Plymouth with no damage
being done, according to the re
port.
Local police officers reportec
that law offenders were scarce
during the holidays with practi
cally nothing happening to dis
turb the status quo.
Mayor A. J. Riddle’s Cadillac
was damaged slightly on the righ
rear door when struck by a ma
chine operated by a colored man
The accident happened in the
city limits.
Schedule 35 Cases
For Superior Court
Judge Paul To Preside at
First Week Which Opens
Here January 10; Judge
Nimocks at Second Week
A two-week mixed term of
Washington County Superior
Court will open here Monday,
January 10, with Judge Malcolm
C. Paul, of Washington, scheduled
to preside over the first week of
court and Judge Q. K. Nimocks,
jr.. of Fayetteville, the second.
There are 35 cases listed on the
court calendar, 19 criminal and
16 civil. Five divorce actions are
listed to be tried during the first
week along with the criminal
cases. The remainder of the civil
actions are scheduled to be heard
the second week.
1 e cr: i cl ,-iocket ./ill be
prosecuted by Solicitor Elbert
Peel, of Williamston.
Among criminal cases expected
to attract more than usual inter
est is that of Jack and Ira Patrick,
young white men of the Creswell
section who are charged with as
sault with a deadly weapon and
secret assault.
In a preliminary hearing before
Judge W. Ronald Gaylord here
'^SeT^OURTTPagrTi
Riddle Seeks To
End Line Holdup
♦
Mayor A. J. Riddle said Wed
nesday that he plans to try to
arrange a meeting here with an
engineer of the True Temper Cor
poration from its Cleveland of
fices, and M. O. Cayton, sanitary
engineer with the State Health
Department, in the near future
in an attempt to reach an un
derstanding whereby work can
proceed on the sewer line near
the True Temper plant.
Work was halted on the line
Monday, December 13, after the
True Temper management had
lodged a complaint 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 sewer line,
Riddle stated.
Previous to the action by the
IVue Temper management the
State Health Department had sent
a representative to Plymouth to
examine the situation and the
permission of the State Board
ivas granted for the sewage to be
dumped according to the plan
seing followed by the Town
ivhen the objection was raised,
:he mayor explained.
Riddle expressed the desire to
•each an amicable understanding
n the matter in order to allow
•esumption of the work or else
bandon the project altogether.
j Few To Observe
| New Years Day
Comparatively few places of
business in Plymouth are ob
serving New Year's Day, as a
holiday. Most local stores, in
cluding furniture, hardware,
grocery, clothing and appliance
establishments, restaurants, fill
ing stations and drug stores will
| be open for business as usual.
, The A&P store will be closed
t all day along with federal, state
I and county offices. The local
[ banks, ABC store and post of
I fice also are observing the holi
day. There will be no rural oi
cit'r ™ :1 ilppy.ries but dis
t patches wn* J nuule as usual
■ Masons To Install
New Officers at
| Meeting Tuesday
— ♦
Hillon Chesson To Be Ie
stalled as master of Pei
severance Lodge at Tues
day Night Service
Hilton Chesson will be install©
as master of Perseverance Lodg
No. 59, A.F. & A. M., Tuesda
night of next week when th
lodge holds its annual banque
and installation night here. C. C
Jordan, of Washington, wil
serve as installing officer.
Other officers to be lnstallei
at the service include W. C. Ches
son, senior warden; J. M. Gil
reath, junior warden; B. G
Campbell, treasurer; W. C
Styons, secretary; G. R. Leggetl
jr., senior deacon; M. F. Ange
junior deacon; D. K. Pittman
senior steward; J. B. Latham, jun
ior steward; C. W. Dinkins, tyler
and the Rev. R. H. Lucas, chap
lain.
The banquet will be held in thi
lodge hall, beginning at 7 o’clock
A Greenville caterer will serVe i
barbecue plate. The installatior
service is scheduled to begir
promptly at 8 o'clock.
Last Rites for
William Phelps
Funeral services were helc
Sunday at 2 p. m. from Hollj
Neck Church of Ghrist, neai
Roper, for William D. (Bill)
Phelps, of Roper. Mr. Phelps was
86. He died. Friday at 3:30 a. m
at his home.
He was a native of Washington
County and spent his life in the
county. He was born Novembei
30, 1868, the son of the late Wil
son and Nellie Arnold Phelps. His
wife was the late Julia Phelps
The deceased was a member ol
Holly Neck Church.
Surviving are two daughters
Mrs. Vera Phelps, of Norfolk, Va.
and Mrs. Lula Davenport, ol
Plymouth; two brothers, Alberl
Phelps and ^Arthur Phelps, both
of Roper; a half-brother, Seaton
Woodley, of Norfolk; 13 grand
children and 12 great-grandchil
dren.
Last rites were conducted by
the pastor, the Rev. Walter Arm
strong and burial was in the
church cemetery.
Month of January Allotted
For Listing Properly; To
Avoid Late Rush Early
Listing Is Urged
Tax listing will get underway
, in this county Monday of next
week when the four township list
takers start their annual task un
der supervision of Hubert L. Dav
enport, of Skinnersville, veteran
county tax supervisor.
Final instructions and supplies
were furnished the listers at an
adjourned meeting of the county
commissioners Monday night of
last week when the supervisor
and listers were sworn in and
arrangements completed to secure
uniform listing of personal pro
perty throughout the county.
New Year’s, a legal holiday,
will be observed and it was de
cided to begin the listing job next
Monday and terminate it on the
last day of the month. Property
owners are urged to list as soon
as possible to avoid a last-minute
rush which invariably develops
during the final few days of the
I month. ,
Warning is being given that no
extension of time will be allow
ed for listing, and those who do
not get their property listed on
the books during the allotted per
iod will be' subject to a penalty of
10 per cent, it was stated.
The following are list takers for
the year, appointed by the com
missioners at the meeting here
Monday of last week:
Paul Swain, Plymouth Town
ship; R. W. Lewis, Lees Mill; P. B.
Belanga, Scuppernong; and W. W.
White, Skinnersville.
Mr. Swain will list at the court
house and it is expected that the
. usual schedule will , be followed,
Monday through Saturday from
9 a. m. to 5 p. m. throughout the
month of January.
Only one schedule was re
ported turned in this week but it
is expected that all will be avail
. Mrs. Robinson Is
; Buried in County
Graveside rites for Mrs. Della
Robinson, 79, of Mears, Va., were
1 conducted at Hassell Cemetery
2 near Roper at 2 p. m. Friday at
/ last week by the Rev. C. N. Bar
; nette, minister of First Christian
t Church, Plymouth.
Mrs. Robinson, who made her
1 home at Roper until 18 years ago
when she moved to Mears, died in
I the latter place last Wednesday.
She was a member of Pleasant
Grove Methodist Church near
Roper. Her husband was the late
Walter Robinson, of Roper.
She leaves two daughters, Mrs.
Blanche Ainsworth, of Mears, and
Mrs. Lillian Craddock, of Suf
folk, Va.; a son, Elmer, of Plym
outh; two sisters, Mrs. Lena Ayers
. of Rocky Mount, and Mrs. Janie
Holt, of Sanford; two brothers,
, Walter Mobley, of Rocky Mount,
and Thomas Mobley, of Green
ville; and seven grandchildren.
-----
Service Saturday
For W. A; Mizelle
William A. Mizelle, 78-year-old
i retired farmer of near Plymouth,
died at his home Wednesday
morning at 7:15 o’clock after an
illness of three weeks. He had
been in declining health for the
.past 10 years.
j Mr. Mizelle was born in Wash
ington County February 28, 1876
the son of the late William R. and
Caroline Jackson Mizelle. He was
a lifelong resident of the county,
a member of Christian Hope
Church of Christ where he taught
a Sunday School class for 50
years, and was at one time a dea
con of the church.
He was married at Plymouth
February 21, 1904, to Miss Adell
Gurganus, of Plymouth, who sur
vives. Besides his widow, he
leaves two sons, William H. Mi
zelle, of Plymouth, and Oscar Mi
zelle, of Greensboro; and 11
grandchildren.
Funeral services will be con
ducted from Christian Hope
Church Saturday at 3 p. m. iby
the Rev. Frank Butler, of Wash
ington, and interment will be in
the Mizelle Cemetery near the
home.