T'own
opics
T/Sgt. R. E. “Bobby” Dunning,
jr., and Mrs. Dunning expect to
leave Tuesday or Wednesday of
next week for Topeka, Kansas,
where he is stationed at Forbes
Air Force Base. The Dunnings
have been visiting his parents
here and the parents of Mrs. Dun
ning at Pantego since their ar
rival here from Topeka January
22. The sergeant has been in the
Air Force for six years and re
cently reenlisted for another six
years, definitely deciding to make
a career of it. He expects to be
sent overseas to Morocca, North
Africa, sometime in the spring.
Jimmy Carpenter, young son of
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Carpenter, dis
covered Monday afternoon that
‘possum meat has no ready mar
ket on Water Street. Jimmy had
three fat ’possums in a basket
on his bicycle and was trying to
sell them. He was told by Edlow
Harrison that the hides had no
market value. Then, offering them
for fresh meat, he found no
takers and decided to carry them
back home. The boy caught the
animals in separate steel traps
Sunday. He has eight traps back
of his home on Washington Street
Ext. which have yielded 13 ’pos
sums, a coon and five rabbits.
A Plymouth man will head the
Southern Pulpwood Conservation
Association this year. He is K. S.
Trowbridge, of the Wood and
Land Department of North Caro
lina Pulp Company. Trowbridge
was elected president of the as
sociation during the recent meet
ing held at the Biltmore Hotel,
Atlanta, Ga. R. V. Miles, jr., of
Gulf States Paper Corp., Tusca
loosa, Ala., the retiring president,
was named the new director at
large. Miles told the group that
to meet the demands for pulp
wood 20 years hence will not only
involve the world's best forestry
program but “a great deal of
sheer magic, too.”
Saturday of this week is Abra
ham Lincoln’s birthday but no
holiday will be observed in Con
federate Plymouth. It is a
“Yankee holiday.” However, on
Tuesday, February 22, will be ob
served here with banks and post
office closing for the day, along
with federal offices. That is the
anniversary of George Washing
ton’s birthday and Washington
was a Virginian, suh, which makes
it a lot different.
Among those from this county
who attended the funeral of Dr.
L. W. White in Suffolk, Va.,
Tuesday were Tom Hampton, of
'~See~TOPICS, Page 4
Tickets On Sale
For Musical Here
Rehearsals are continuing for
presentation of the musical show,
“Club Top Hat,” slated for Ply
mouth High School auditorium
Thursday and Friday nights of
next week.
The production is being spon
sored by Plymouth Band Boosters
and tickets for the entertainment
are now on sale. Curtain time
has been set for 8 p. m. each
night.
Mrs. W. D. Walker is chairpian
of the show committee, Band Di
rector Ed Taylor is working with
the high school dance band which
will furnish music for the event,
and Mrs. Iris Etheridge is train
ing the dance chorus.
The local talent show is dated
in the early ’30’s, with costumes
and music popular in that era
being used.
Jack Horner is president of the
sponsoring organiza'ion. One of
the best musicals ever presented
here is promised, he said.
Auio Overlurns Several
Times and Is Total Loss
A 1949 Mercury operated by
Hughey Brown, Macedonia Neg
ro, overturned several times and
was demolished on NC 32 two and
a half miles south of Plymouth
Friday at 11:30 p. m., according
to State Highway Patrolman Carl
Gilchrist, of Plymouth.
Gilchrist investigated the ac
cident and charged Brown with
careless and reckless driving.
According to the patrolman’s
report, Brown’s car ran off the
left side of the road, went out of
control and overturned. The ve
hicle was headed north.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated |l
to the service of Washington fS
County and its 13,000 people. Ilj
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 6
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 10, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1889
MEMBERS OF LOCAL SCHOOL'S SAFETY PATROL AND FACULTY ADVISORS
Sponsored by the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce, the safety patrol made up of
Plymouth school students began its work this week. Eight street crossings are guarded by mem
bers of the patrol during hours when students are going to and from school. Eleven of the thirteen
patrolmen and the two faculty advisors are pictured above as follows: Front row, left to right:
David Culoreth, Phillip Jethro, Bruce Wright (captain), Eugene Brown (lieutenant), Owen Bishop,
Edward Taylor, faculty advisor; second row: Charles Inabinett, faculty advisor; Tommy Culbreth,
Charles Harris, G. C. Richards, Neal Carter, Larry Watson, Jimmy Sitterson. Absent when the
photo was made were Ralph Gurganus (lieutenant) and Frank Dew.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
More Land Secured
For School Campus
♦
Lodge To Honor ]
Grand Chaplain j
■■■■■■■aas■■■■■■'
Perseverance Lodge No. 59,
A. F. & A. M., will hold Its
Ladies Night meeting and also
honor R. H. Lucas, grand chap
lain of the grand lodge of North
Carolina, Friday night of this
week at the Methodist Fellow
ship Hall. Time has been an
nounced as 7:30 o’clock.
The featured speaker of the
evening will be Plymouth At
torney Z. V. Norman. H. H.
Allen will act as toastmaster.
Vocal solos will be rendered
by Mrs. Frances Lucas. All Ma
sons are urged to attend.
Alert Set Sunday
For Plymouth and
Roper Observers
Three-Hour Exercise To Be
gin at 2 P. M. Will Be
Known as "Operation Val
entine"
—»
“Operation Valentine,” a three
hour alert, will be observed by
ground observer corps posts at
Plymouth and Roper Sunday, it
is announced.
The period of alert will be from
l to 5 p. m., according to Dr. A.
L. Whitehurst, director of the lo
jal post.
The stated purpose of the ex
ercises is “to gain and/or main
tain proficiency in the speed and
accuracy in reporting aircraft by
Ground Observer Posts volunteers
as well as to develop an increased
nterest in this phase of civil de
fense.”
During the alert, which will in
clude approximately 220 observa
tion posts in 57 North Carolina
counties, volunteers will be ask
ad report all aircraft that may
fly over or near the observation
oost.
Should the test be canceled be
muse of inclement weather, the
posts will be notified, it was
dated.
Dr. Whitehurst said that there
is a strong possibility that the
post here may go on a 24-hour
basis in the spring. If that should
materialize, he said, about 100
more volunteers will be needed.
Anyone interested in becoming
r member of the post is asked to
•ontact either one of the follow
ng: Dr. Whitehurst, Carl L. Bai
ey, jr., or Charles Gardner.
County Board of Educaiion
Reaches Agreement for
Moving Colored Home To
New Lot
—«
The county board of education,
in regular monthly session here
Monday, negotiated with Remus
Junius Brown and wife an agree
ment for the board to move the
Brown dwelling house from its
present location on Adams Street
to any one of Lots 2-7 in Block
F of the Woodlawn sub-division
on Brinkley Avenue.
The board has been trying for
some time to reach such an agree
ment as one of a series of moves
designed to obtain needed play
ground space -for the Plymouth
High School campus.
Brown had expressed a desire
to move to the Brinkley Avenue
locality and E. L. and A. L.
Owens, owners of the lots in
question, agreed to sell a lot in
the area to the board so that it
could be transferred to Brown.
H. D. Craddock,' Creswell house
mover, has agreed to move the
house, it was said.
The board agreed to have the
house moved and placed on the
new site within a period of 60
days and in as good condition as
the house is in at present.
The board also formally ap
proved the low bid of H. D. Crad
dock in the amount of $800 to
move the Church of God in Christ
building from the corner of Madi
son and Sixth Streets to the cor
ner of Adams and Sixth.
The exchange of Lot 6, Block
B of the Marcia Latham sub
division which was recently pur
chased by the board from King
Robbins, jr., and wife, for Lot
11 in Block C of the same sub
division, was approved. The
Church of God in Christ building
das been moved from the latter
lot to the former, and the latter
will be added to the high school
campus.
Formal approval was also made
cf the recent sale of the site on
which the old Kelly School was
located 10 miles from Plymouth
cn the Pinetown Road. The pro
perty was sold to W. H. Mizelle,
cf near. Plymouth.
All members of the board were
present for the meeting which
was presided over by Chairman
L. E. Hassell, sr., of Roper.
-$
Services Next Sunday
At Morrattock Church
-*
Services will be held at Mor
■attock Primitive Baptist Church
Sunday afternoon, February 13, at
3 o'clock by Elder R. B. Denson,
the minister. The public is cor
dially invited to attend.
Boy Scout Week Is Observed Here
■ t —♦— —♦—
A proclamation, signed by
Mayor A. J. Riddle and with the
official seal of the Town of Plym
outh affixed, was issued this week
proclaiming this week as “Boy
Scout Week.”
The proclamation by the mayor
urges “our citizens to recognize
the patriotic service being ren
dered in our community by the
volunteer scout leaders and to
express,their appreciation to the
religious bodies, school organiza
tions, veterans’ associations, fra
ternol groups and service clubs
which sponsor our Cub Packs,
Boy Scout Trops and Explorer
Units.”
Tuesday of this week was the
45th anniversary of the founding
of the Boy Scouts of America,
chartered by the Congress of the
United States as a program for
all the boys of America. There is
now an active enrollment in the
nation of 3,660,000 scouts.
All Sea Scouts will attend
;hurch services at Plymouth
Christian Church Sunday morn
ng in a body as a part of the
icout week activities, Skipper Al
lan Papineau has announced. Of
ficers of the ship—Skipper Papi
leau, and Mates Billy Hopkins,
d. O. Lovic and Ray Hollowell—
vill attend with the boys.
Other Scout units also plan to
attend services in groups, it is
mderstood.
No other special activities have
oeen announced.
Football Banquet
Is Held Monday;
TrophiesAwarded
Conference Trophy Present
ed to Local Team; George
Painter and Mike Estep
Get Special Awards
Local football fans honored
members of the Plymouth High
School coaching staff, football
squad and cheerleaders at a ban
quet Monday night in the high
school lunchroom. There weie
about 100 persons present, with
P. B. Bateman serving as toast
master.
Following a delicious turkey
dinner, several trophies and
awards were presented, with
Coaoh Jee Foster introducing
members of the coaching staff,
football squad and cheerleaders.
The dinner was prepared by the
lunch room staff under the super
vision of Miss Blanche Davis and
was served by members of Miss
Carolyn Brinkley’s home econo
mics department.
The principal talk was made by
Coach Pepler of the North Caro
lina State College coaching staff.
He brought with him two former
High School football players,
Hugh “Junior” Pierce and Ken
Trowbridge, jr., who are members
of the State squad this year. In
presenting the two local boys,
Coach Pepler said that both
would probably play a lot of foot
ball for State during the com
ing season and he was most com
plimentary about their ability.
Pierce was captain of the State
freshman team and a defensive
center on the varsity some years
ago before he entered the service.
H has just returned to State,
where he has two years of eligi
bility loft, and Pepler said he
probably would be used as a
guard and linebacker during the
coming season. Trowbridge was
an the freshman team last season
and is one of the leading half
back contenders for the varsity
this year. Both were unanimous
all-conference selections for their
respective positions while in high
school here.
J. S. Fleming, principal of the
local school and president of the
Albemarle Conference, presented
”'~See~BANQlJETr'page~To
Council Voles To
Outlaw Bees Here
«
The Plymouth Town Council
met Monday night in regular
monthly session and passed an
nrdinance against the keeping of
bees within the city limits. The
motion was made by Councilman
Ralph Hunter and seconded by
Councilman J. D. Cruickshank.
The ordinance has already been
drawn up by the town attorney,
it was said.
It was also voted to give the
local Jayxees authority to re
number the houses in Plymouth.
The Jaycees desire to sponsor
such a project here, it was ex
plained.
About the only other matter on
which action was taken at the
meeting was the renting of the
>ld gin house on the river near
the Municipal Building. It was
rented to Davenport Hardware
Company for an annual rental of
$75.
The session was presided over
by Mayor A. J. Riddle.
Action Deferred
On Fund Request
For Library Here
♦
Board of Commissioners Fa
vors Mailer Presented by
Delegation For Library
Building
-«
The first step to secure a need
ed library building for Plymouth
was taken here Monday when a
good-size\;l delegation appeared
before the county commissioners
with a request for funds for a
modest structure.
The Washington County Pub
lic Library is now housed upstairs
in the county courthouse, adjoin
ing the courtroom. The space is
admittedly inadequate and the lo
cation inconvenient. With proper
facilities, it is believed that a pro
fessional librarian to oversee the
libraries in Washington, Tyrrell
and Chowan Counties would be
available through state funds. Lo
cal personnel would not be af
fected.
Members of the county library
board and reprfesentatives of var
ious town and county organiza
tions made up the delegation
with E. M. Leavitt, of the library
board, acting as spokesman.
Mr. Leavitt pointed out to the
commissioners that space is total
ly inadequate, citing the growth
of the library in the past several
years. He also mentioned the dis
advantageous location and stated
that a suitable lot is now avail
able at the corner of Third anc
Adams Streets. The lot may nol
be available later, he pointed out
stating that he knew of no othei
suitable site. He said a 30 by 00
foot structure of concrete bloc!
and brick veneer would be ample
to take care of the library anc
provide a reading room and tha
the -cost should not exceed $10,000
Z. V. Norman, local attorney
who owns the property in quest
ion, also spoke, stating that h<
and his wife had discussed the
matter and had agreed to donate
the lot provided funds are made
available with which to erect «
library building. Several othei
members of the delegation made
brief remarks, all in favor of the
propose. #
Members of the board appearec
favorable to the matter but de
ferred any action, stating thai
they wanted to get the revalu
ation business out oef the way
first.
Organizaions other than the li
brary board represented includ
ed the Creswell Woman’s Club,
Roper Ruritan Club, Thursday
Afternoon Literary Club of Plym
outh, Augustin Daly Book Club of
Plymouth, Plymouth Woman’s
Club, Plymouth Junior Woman's
Club, Plymouth Lions Club, Rot
ary Club, Jaycees, Plymouth
PTA, James E. Jethro Post of the
American Legion, and Bosie Bate
man Post, VFW.
Fathers Night Set Tuesday
Of Next Week By PTA Here
— ♦—
The annual Fathers Night will
be observed next Tuesday night
at the meeting of Plymouth Par
ent-Teacher Association, it is an
nounced.
The meeting is slated for the
high school auditorium at 8
o’clock.
A prize will go to the room
having the most fathers present,
it was said.
The Boy Sco-uts will have
charge of the program
Revaluing Topic
For Special Meet
By County Board
R. M. Byrd, Head of County
Revaluation Project, To
Meet With Board; Routine
Monday
-♦
The county commissioners met
Monday in regular monthly ses
sion and after hearing a delega
tion asking a library building for
Plymouth and attending to rou
tine matters adjourned to meet
again Thursday night of this
week at the courthouse. At the
Thursday meeting R. M. Byrd
will meet with the board and
discuss the revaluation project
which is about complete. It is ex
pected that notices of revaluation
will go out to property owners
soon.
The cleric to the board was in
structed to write to Dr. J. M.
Phelps, Washington County Rep
resentative, requesting that he
meet with the board Monday of
next week at 1 p. m.; also, to ask
that the representative not sup
port any legislation that would
affect the present law in this
county pertaining to liens regard
ing old age assistance payments.
A petition was approved and
forwarded to the highway de
partment asking that certain road
in Lees Mill Township, running
from Wenona Fire Tower north
to the southern tip of the Mill
Pond Road be taken over and
maintained.
It was agreed that all county
offices not now on a five-day
week begin observing the Wed
nesday half-holiday closing this
week and continue through Sep
tember.
Routine reports were submitted
by County Agent W. H. Pruden
and Mrs. Frances M. Darden,
home agent. E. J. Spruill, county
tax collector, reported $34,389.60
collected in January.
Polio Drive Now
$700 Under Goal
-1
The Washington County March
of Dimes was $700 short of the
,VTsdnesday of this
week, with a few community "re
ports remaining to be made.
Thos. F. Hopkins, county direc
tor, reported Wednesday morning
that about $300 was raised by the
Plymouth business and profess
ional solicitation committee com
posed of D. Marvin Weaver, Mel
vin Boyd, Robert Howell and
Ronald Waters.
Reports have not been received
from the Roper colored and Cres
well white and colored commit
tees, Mr. Hopkins said. Other
sources of additional funds to
boost the total include the park
ing meter receipts here, receipts
from :the containers in stores
throughout the county, the an
nual March of Dimes Ball, and
the sale of polio fighter balloons.
It is now thought that the park
ing meter receipts next week-end
will be donated by the Town, al
though no definite announcement
concerning this has been made.
The county director said the
Boy Scouts here will sell polio
fighter ballons Saturday of next
week.
s
Polie Ball Here j
Saturday Night j
It is anticipated that many
will dance in order that others
may \VaIk when the annual
March of Dimes Ball is held at
the local Veterans Club Satur
day night of this week. Music
for the affair will be furnished
by the Plymouth High School
dance band.
A feature of the evening’s en
tertainment will be the crown
ing of the 1955 March of Dimes
queen, Miss Sandra Leggett, at
intermission. The crowning will
be done by last year's queen,
Miss Jo Hobbs. Dancing will be
from 9 to 12 p. m. with inter
mission at 11 o’clock.
Religious Census
To Be Sponsored
Here This Month
Plymouth Ministerial Asso
ciation Will Conduct Cen
sus of Town Sunday
Afternoon, February 20
—♦
Plymouth will get its first re
ligious census in two years this
month.
The Plymouth Ministerial As
sociation will sponsor a house-to
house canvass in the town be
tween the hours of 2 and 4 p. m.,
it was said.
Volunteer workers from the
several churches taking part are
to assemble at Plymouth Metho
dist Church at 1:30 p. m. that
day for instructions, groupings
and assignments.
ThW work wi'U<£. directed by
the Key. Jesse fc. Hanning, min
ister at Plymouth Methodist
Church.
Residents of Plymouth will be
visited and interviewed concern
ing church membership and other
pertinent information from which
statistics Valuable in Church work
will be formulated.
The information, on cards, will
be filed and will bring the statis
tics up to date. The last census
was conducted here February 22,
1953.
The cooperation of local resi
dents is urged. Some of the out
lying territory beyond the city
limits may also be canvassed, it
was stated.
Mt. Delane Obsolete School
Properly Bid Off at $900
■■ *
A. M. and M. H. Kochelis, of
Plymouth, were again the suc
ce.,»ful bidders when the Mt. De
lane obsolete school property was
resold at public auction at the
county courthouse here Saturday.
The high bid was $900.
The bid will remain open for a
10-day period during which it
will be subject to upset bid, R. F.
Lowry, county superintendent of
schools, stated.
"THIS OLD HOUSE" CAN'T STAND MANY MORE MOVES LIKE THIS
-
Being moved for the third time in its 85-to-90 year history, this church building was pictured
last Friday on Sixth Street on its way from Adams Street to a new location at the corner of Sixth
and Madison. The lot on which it was formerly located, across Adams Street from the high school
gymnasium, was purchased recently by the board of education to provide additional playground
space for the school here. Originally built to house the Plymouth Missionary Baptist Church, the
building was sold in 1919 to a colored group known as the Church of God in Christ, and has’con
tinued to house that congregation since. Contractor H. D. Craddock, of Creswell, and his crew
pictured above, handled the moving job with a modemly equipped winch truck in a few hours Fri
day of last week.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
Variaiion of Chain
LefierPlan Brings
'Run' on$25 Bonds
Two Local Banks Sold Over
$2,000 Worth in Past Few
Days; New Version of Old
Scheme Is Cause
Plymouth banks have had a
‘run" on $25 savings bonds since
a chain-bond scheme hit this sec
tion about the middle of last
week. Up to yesterday, the two
local banks had issued approxi
mately 115 bonds of the $25 de
nomination, representing a cash
outlay of some S2,156.25 at the
selling price of $18.75 each with
a maturity value totalling $2,875
in 10 years. One of the banks
rompletely sold out of $25 bonds
Friday and had to order a new
supply.
The plan apparently came into
this area from Norfolk and Eliza
beth City, and quite a number of
the $25 bonds sold here were
made out to persons with address
es in those two cities. There were
widespread reports about the suc
cess of the scheme, and it was
talked here yesterday that one
of the Eliazbeth City promoters
had already received $800 to $2,
000 worth of bonds from an origi
nal investment of $37.50. None
of the local sponsors have made
any profit yet, so far as could be
learned.
There is considerable doubt
about the legality of the scheme,
according to bankers and law en
forcement officials. The United
States District Attorney in Nor
folk issued a warning Monday
about the plan, intimating that an
investigation might be forthcom
ing. In this connection, a local
citizen who is well versed in legal
knowledge issued the following
statement yesterday:
“Public attention is increasing
ly being directed to the recent
appearance of the old chain let
ter gag in new clothing. It now
involves the buying of United
States bonds to be presented to
the person whose name is at the
top of a list of eleven names on
the letter. This letter is trans
mitted by hand, but the bonds
are mailed.
“The letter promises that if the
chain is not broken all partici
pants will soon get rich, or will
** **. «>—
-*
Funeral
Held Tuesday for m
fir. L. W. White
Prominent Suffolk Physic
ian Was Well-Known in
Plymouth and Washing
ton County
Dr. Landon Wilmer White, 74
year-old Suffolk, Va., physician,
died at about 2 p. m. Sunday at
a Suffolk hospital following a
brief illness. He was married to
the former Clara Hampton ,of
Plymouth, and was well-known
here where he was a frequent
visitor, owning business property
here.
Dr. White received his degree
from the Medical College of Vir
ginia in 1906 and set up practice
at Suffolk after having served
for a time as resident physician
at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Norfolk.
He helped to establish the Vir
ginia Hospital at Suffolk in 1915.
He was a member of the Tri
County Medical Society, a direc
tor of the Farmers Bank of Nan
semond, and a member of St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church, Suffolk. •
He had served his church as ves
try member, senior warden and
teacher of the Men’s Bible Class.
Dr. White served during World
War I in the Navy Medical Corps.
He was a native of Charlotte
County, son of Joshua Warren
White and Elizabeth Morton
White. He received his early edu
cation in Georgia, took his B. A.
degree from the College of Wil
liam and Mary, where he was a
member of Pi Mu Medical Frater
nity and Kappa Sigma social fra
ternity.
He leaves, other than his
widow, a daughter, Mrs. Mary W.
Hollander, of Pawling, N. Y.; a
sister, Miss Mary Coleman White,
of Gloucester, Va.; and two
grandsons, Preston Hollander, jr.,
and Landon White Hollander, of
Pawling.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Tuesday at 11 a. m. at St.
Paul’s Church by the Rev. John
A. Winslow, rector, and the Right
Rev. William A. Brown, of Ports
mouth, retired bishop of South
ern Virginia. Burial was in Cedar
•Hill Cemetery.
The body was taken from the
Baker Funeral Home to the fam
ily residence at 620 Washington
Street Tuesday at 9 a at