1'own
opic§
Miss Elizabeth Wood, county
health nurse, Mrs. Ed Craft, Mrs.
Durant Keel and" Mrs. Harry
Browning attended a meeting
conducted by State Cancer cam
paign officials in Rocky Mount
Tuesday of this week. The meet
ing was designed to give ideas on
carrying out the annual cancer
fund and educational drive in the
various counties. Mrs. Craft has
been appointed chairman of the
drive for Washington County,
while Mrs. Browning is com
mander of the local chapter. Mrs.
v Keel is president of the Plym
outh Woman’s Club which has
promised strong support to the
campaign.
J. W. Allen, assistant cashier of
the Branch Banking & Trust
Company here, and Marvin Wea
ver, manager of the Plymouth
branch of the Planters National
Bank & Trust Company, attended
a district meeting of the Associ
ation of Bank Auditors and
Comptrollers in Goldsboro last
Thursday night. The session was
held at the Goldsboro Country
Club and featured a panel dis
cussion dealing with banking
operations.
The annual Red-White intra
squad game marking the end of
spring football at State College
will be played in Riddick Stad
ium at the Raleigh School Sat
■ urday afternoon. Two Plymouth
boys are members of the squad,
Hugh Pierce, jr., and Ken Trow
bridge, and both are expected to
see action in the game Saturday.
Pierce is one of 10 lettermen
available to Coach Earle Ed
wards next fall and is a leading
’candidate for a starting guard
post, according to Raleigh news
papers. He lettered at center as
a sophomore in 1952 before en
tering the Army and returned to
school last month. Trowbridge is
a halfback and was a member of
the State freshmen squad which
was defeated only once during
the past season.
Jesse Lloyd Horton, jr., son of
Mrs. J. L. Horton, of Plymouth,
was on the honor roll for the
scholastic month recently ended
at Virginia Episcopal School,
Lynchburg, Va., it was announced
last Friday by Dr. George L.
Barton, jr., headmaster. A general
average of 90 per cent or over on
all subjects is required for the
honor roll, anfl Lloyd was one of
a dozen boys in the school on the
select list.
An overflow crowd heard the
Wake Forest College Choir at
Ludford Memorial Baptist Church
Sunday night. The church was
half filled with people almost an
hour prior to the start of the pro
gram, it was said. The audience
gave the most rapt attention and
the performance was described
as wonderful.
I
It's a great day for the Irish!
Yep, today is St. Patrick's Day
and you can tell the real sons of
the ould sod by the wearing o’
the green. Not much to mark the
oay around here but in New York
the sons of the Emerald Isle will
really come into their own today.
-1
Bills Introduced
By Phelps, Owens
♦
A bill was introduced in the
House this week by Dr. J. M.
Phelps, county representative,
that would allow payments for
dog vaccinations to be credited
on county dog taxes in Washing
ton County when proof of the
vaccination is supplied to the tax
collector. The bill, kinow as House
Bill 601, was referred1 to the Com
mittee on Finance.
Phelps was co-sponsor with
Representative Sawyer of Tyrrell
County of House Bill 602, which
would allow the Department of
Conservation and Development to
spend up to $25,000, to be match
ed by landowners, in improving
the drainage of Lake Phelps in
Tyrrell and Washington Coun
ties. The bill was referred to the
Committee on Drainage.
Senator Edward L. Owens in
troduced a bill in the Senate
Tuesday night which would au
thorize the Plymouth Town
Council to make blanket adoption
of real estate valuation as certi
fied by the county. It was refer
red to committee.
-3>- ■
Local Veterans Plan To
Hold Dance on April 2
The local posts of the Ameri
can Legion and Veterans of For
eign Wars are perfecting plans for
a dance at the Veterans Building
here Saturday, April 2, spokes
men said this week.
Music will be furnished by
Raymond Taylor and his orches
tra of Roanoke Rapids and danc
ing will be from 9 to 1 o’clock.
A 714 horsepower outboard
motor will be offered as a door
prize.
Proceeds will be used to re
duce the indebtedness on the
building, it was said.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people, jj
VOLUME LXVI_NUMBER 11 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, March 17, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1889
Two Children Died
In Fire Near Roper
Flames which destroyed the
home of Fred and Maggie Sim
mons, colored tenant farmers of
near Roper, claimed the lives of
two members of the family.
The fire, Thursday of last
week, burned to death six-month
old Linwood Earl Wiikins. Of
four other members of the family
rushed to the Washington County
Hospital here one other, Rosalie
Simmons, died later. Another,
Vallette Simmons, was discharg
ed from the hospital but Eliza
beth Wilkins, the baby's mother,
and Maggie Simmons, its grand
mother, remained patients late
yesterday.
Reports state that Maggie
Simmons rescued Rasolie and
Vallette —■ her daughters — from
the flaming house and rolled them
in the mud in the yard to ex
tinguish fire in their clothing.
She was not able to save the baby
who was in a crib in a burning
room. Simmons said the fire
started in the kitchen and rapid
ly spread throughout the house.
300 Scouts Expected
For Camporee Here
j 's Not Funny
j To This Byrd __
The situation which has
arisen here over the new tax
valuations in the county has its
humorous side. However, there
is nothing funny about it to
A. 3. Byrd.
Mr. Byrd, erstwhile Plymouth
merchant, came into The Bea
con office Tuesday afternoon a
bit perturbed. He said he is
planning to open a new seafood
market here soon and that if a
case of mistaken identity is not
cleared up in the minds of the
people “I won’t have any cus
tomers at all.” It seems that
several disturbed taxpayers
have confused Mr. Byrd with
R. M. Byrd, head of the tax re
valuation project in the county.
“I came out of the house the
other day and there was a ear
ful of men waiting for me,”
A. J. Byrd said. “I have been
accosted on the street by folks
who wanted to know all about
the revaluation. I want to get it
across to people that I am the
Byrd who used to be in the
clothing business here and not
the Byrd in charge of the re
valuation work!”
Cancer Campaign
Plans Completed
At a meeting in the home ol
Mrs. Edward Craft the following
persons from Washington County
made plans for this year’s Ameri
can Cancer Society’s annual edu
cation and fund raising crusade
Mrs. Craft’s appointment as
chairman has been confirmed by
Dr. John R. Kernodle, State cam
paign chairman. Mrs. Durant
Keel, president of the Plymouth
Woman’s Club, the local sponsor
ing organization, assured the
group of the whole hearted sup
port of the organization she rep
resented.
Miss Elizabeth Wood, chairman
of the Cancer Societies local exe
cutive committee, along with Mrs
Harry Browning, local command
er, and Mrs. Nyal Womfole, added
their experiences f past years
to the meeting.
Aubrey Liverman, treasurer
and Harry E. Newland, vice
chairman in charge of Education
and Pubilicity completed the
group.
An outline of the duties of each
followed and plans were outlined
Also others who might help in
the campaign were discussed.
About 300 Scouts From Five
Counties Expected To At
tend Event at Slillacres
This Week-End
About 300 scouts from the Was
matry and Beaufort-Hyde Dis
tricts are expected to attend the
Pre-Camporee here this week
end, Cari I. Bailey, jr., member
of the district scout committee
and former Plymouth scoutmas
ter, said yesterday.
Bailey said all scout troops in
Washington, Martin, Hyde, Tyr
rell, and Beaufort Counties are
expected to be represented here.
The event will be held in Still
acres, adjoining the ball park.
The scouts will begin arriving
in .mid-afternoon Friday and will
be assigned to camp sites. Patrols
will pitch tents and set up camp
sites following registration.
A general campfire and get-to
gether for all scouts will follow
supper Friday night. Then on Sat
urday t'he boys will participate in
various contests such as a race
over an obstacle course, string
burning contest, first aid contest,
etc.
Sunday morning before the
scouts break camp religious serv
ices will be conducted, beginning
at 9 o’clock, by the Rev. Paul B.
Nickens, pastor of Ludford Me
morial Baptist Church.
The public is invited to the
general campfire either Friday
night or Saturday night and also
at any other time, Mr. Bailey
said.
The camporee is expected to be
about twice as large as any ever
held here previously. Its purpose
SeeT'sCOUTsT^Page 8
Mrs. Harrison To
Head Local PTA
Mrs. H. E. Harrison was elected
to head the Plymouth Parent
Teacher Association for the com
ing year at the regular meeting
of the organization held at Plym
outh High School Tuesday after
noon of this week. Mrs. Harrison
succeeds Mrs. Ben Ganderson who
has served for the past two years
as president of the PTA.
Mrs. H. C. Carter was elected
vice president, succeeding Mrs.
P. B. Nickens. Other officers are
appointive and will be filled and
announced later by the president.
Mrs. L. S. Thompson gave an
interesting and inspirational talk
on “Spiritual and Religious
Training in the Home and
School.” Mrs. Nickens, the vice
president, presided in the absence
of Mrs. Ganderson.
Fire School Will
Be Held Plymouth
Early Next Month
Official From Charlotte Fire
Department To Conduct
Nightly Classes Beginning
April 4 at Fire House
A fire school will be conducted
at Plymouth Fire Department the
week of April 3rd by Capt. Wal
ter Black, drill and personnel di
rector of the Charlotte Fire De
partment, Plymouth Fire Chief I.
Miller Warren has announced.
Chief Warren said classes will
be held nightly Monday through
Friday of that week from 7 to 10
o’clock and that draughting of
water, hose laying and handling,
ladder work, public relations, etc.,
will be taken up. The program,
he stated, will consist of drills,
demonstrations, lectures and
films.
Fire Departments in towns
within a radius of 35 miles or so
are being invited to send repre
sentatives to the school. The dis
tance is being held down in order
that those who wish to attend
will be able to commute daily.
Towns expected to have repre
sentatives at the school were list
ed as Jamesville, Williamston,
Hamilton, Robersonville, Windsor,
Edenton, Columbia, Creswell, Ro
per, Belhaven and Plymouth.
Verbal commitments that they
will have men here have been re
ceived from most of the towns
listed, Warren said.
-4
Tobacco Growers
Program Tonight
County Agent W. H. Pruden
calls attention of tobacco grow
ers of this county to a program
to appear Thursday night of this
week over a Greenville television
station which should be otf inter
est to them.
Mr. Pruden said F. A. Todd,
Extension plant pathologist in to
bacco, will give a demonstration
which will show the corre' ;
method of fumigating tobacct
soil for nematode control. The
demonstration will show equip
ment for putting out soil fumi
gant, depth to place and other
important factors. “It Should be
a good 15 minute show to watch,”
the county agent declared.
The program will begin at 6:45
o'clock.
! -®
Demonstration Is
Set Near Mackeys
4
A sweet potato treating and
bedding demonstration will be
held on the Herbert Chesson farm
near Mackeys Friday morning of
this week, County Agent W. H,
Pruden has announced. Mr. Pru
den said the demonstration would
start promptly at 9:30 o’clock.
H. M. Covington, Extension
sweet potato specialist, will be
present to show the proper
method of selecting seed, treating
seed and putting potatoes into
the ground. This is the first step
in producing a high dollars acre
sweet potato crop, Mr. Pruden
states.
“If this job is done right,” the
county agent continued, “a larger
yield of number one potatoes will
be produced on your farm. It
would be helpful if you could get
your labor that will bed your
sweet potatoes to attend this
demonstration. I hope all will
be able to attend.”
STAFF OF "ROANOKE LOG," PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL
Above are pictured members of the staff of “The Roanoke Log,” annual yearbook of Plym
outh High School. Left to right in the front row are: Ray Lilley, photographic editor; Jane Keel,
business manager; Harriett Keyes, editor-in-chief; Sue Riddle, advertising manager; Lynette Mod
lin, art editor; Leroy Simpson, sports editor; second row: Raymond Styons, senior class poet; Betsy
Brinkley, senior class historian; Bobby Beasley, senior class prophet; Linda Floyd, senior class testa
tor; Shelby Peyton, lyric composer; George Painter, senior class editor; third row: Marguerite
Arnold and Nareissa Harrison, freshmen reporters; Betty Ann Burnham and Mable Hardison, junior
class reporters; Jean Bennett and Nancy Jackson, sophomore reporters.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR NEW CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The Rev. C. N. Barnette, minister of the First Christian -Church of Plymouth, turns the first
spade full of dirt at the ground-breaking ceremony for a new church building here on Sunday,
March 6, following the regular morning service at the church. Officials in the left foreground in
clude C. O. Kelly, building fund treasurer; Russell Owens, member of the building committee; W.
VV. Hardison, Sunday School superintendent; R. E. Bowen, chairman of the building committee; and
E. H. Liverman, chairman of the official board. Several hundred members of the church congrega
tion and friends attended the ceremony. The new church is to be erected in the 300 block of East
Main Street on a lot that extends through to Third Street.—Weaver Studio photo.
Look for Number Protests
At Review Meet Monday
a.
Approximately 50 Owners
Of Real Property Have Al
ready Registered Com
plaints Over Valuations
-•
Notices or new tax valuations
recently mailed to property own
ers in this county, have broughl
immediate and definite reactions
and have caused as much talk
probably as anything to happen
here for many a day. According
ly, it is expected that quite i
number of citizens will eppeei
Y ,nday of next week wh'm th*
: county commissioners sit a^th«
courthouse a6 a board of equali
zation and review.
Since the notices were mailed
approximately fifty persons have
appeared to make complaints to
the Washington County Tax De
partment, it was said Wednesday,
Incomplete figures on the new
valuation on real estate in the
county indicate an increased val
uation of $468,140 in Plymouth
Township and decreases in the
other three townships aggregat
ing $321,394, for an overall in
crease in real estate valuation of
$146,846. However, $433,290 in
valuation to be listed to Roper
Lumber Company in Lees Mill
Township would make the total
in that township reflect an in
crease rather than a decrease and
would change the county-wide in
crease to $580,136. No figures
were available this week on per
sonal property valuations.
It was also pointed out that
5,000 acres of land listed to Rich
mond Cedar Works is to be added
to the total valuation in Skin
nersville Township.
The incomplete figures on the
1955 real estate valuations avail
able this week compare with the
1954 listings as follows: Plym
outh Township, 1954-—$3,773,588,
1955—$4,241,728, increase of $468,
140; Lees Mill Township, 1954—
$1,718,510, 1955—$1,550,653, de
crease of $167,857; Skinnersville
Township, 1954—$548,882, 1955—
$472,854, decrease of $76,028; and
Scuppernong Township, 1954—
$1,332,194, 1955—$1,254,685, de
crease of $77,509. The 1955 valu
ation in Scuppernong Township
does not include any new build
ings within the last year.
A Washington County Tax De
partment official explained that
there are several reasons why
the new total valuation in Plym
outh Township is higher. For one
thing, it has been pointed out that
the work is really more of an
equalization than revaluation pro
ject. And admittedly more and
greater inequalities existed in the
old listings on buildings than on
land. Plymouth Township with
over half the total county popu
lation has far more buildings
than any other township in the
county. The percentage of build
ings in relation to land acreage
is also much higher. There is
much more newly cleared land
in the township than in the oth
ers, also more new construction
and a far greater concentration
of industries. It was also pointed
out that there were differences
among townships in the way
property was put on the books
and that in Lees Mill and Skin
nersville Townships some prop
erty was listed which actually
did not exist.
Land had previously been list
ed on the tax books without re
See VALUATION, Page 8
| Firemen Busy
| Last Friday
Last Friday, a real March
day, was a busy one for Plym
outh firemen. The local smoke
chasers answered three alarms
within the space of an hour or
less.
The first call was to the
North Carolina Pulp Company
plant where a trash ‘ire cot out
hand. i'vouick succession the
4her'caV . were to Atlas Ply
wood Company and to East
Haven back of W. S. Daven
port’s residence to a crass fire.
Practically no damage resulted
in either case but it was said
that prompt action by the fire
men probably averted rather
serious damage at the Atlas
Plywood plant.
Hope To Complete
Drive This Week
«
Although no actual financia
reports have been turned in th<
annual Red Cross drive which go
underway here this week is pro
gressing well according to all in
dications, Dr. A, L. Whitehurst
chapter chairman, reports.
Dr. Whitehurst said Co-Chair
man Henry Everett at Roper re
ported that workers there ar<
“doing all right" and that thej
expect to finish this week-enc
according to schedule.
Plymouth Rotary Club has as
sumed responsibility for the busi
ness and professional solicitation:
here and members plans to star
the canvass sometime todaj
(Thursday), Dr. Whitehurst saic
he understood.
Members of the Jaycees, VFW
and American Legion will con
duct the house-to-house solicita
tions in Plymouth residential
areas and plan to work tonight
Friday night and Saturday.
Workers in other sections oi
the county are expected to can
vass tonight or Friday night, ot
both.
Dr. Whitehurst said reports are
expected in this week-end or the
first of next week. It is hoped to
complete the drive this week.
Mrs. Claudia Read
BuriedWednesday
Mrs. Claudia Read, widow of
the late Jack W. Read, of Plym
outh, died at 8 o’clock Monday
night at the Washington County
Hospital after a long illness. She
was 85.
Mrs. Read had been in declin
ing health for the past 10 years
and )i«d been confined to her
bed for a year. She had suffered
falls lately \ -hich aggjw vated her
condiF-K a
She a natiM of Tyrrell
County, horn July fo 1969, the
daughter, of the late Benjamin
and An*ie Latham Owens. She
moved wit/h her family to Plym
uoth in her young girlhood and
had lived here since that time.
Mrs. Read was a member and
as long as health permitted a
regular attendant of Grace Epis
copal Church. She leaves four
sons, Jack W. Read, Tayloe Read
and Lue Read, all of Plymouth,
and Brooke Read, of Lakeland,
Florida; a sister, Mrs. A. R. Du
pree, sr., of Plymouth; four
grandchildren and seven great
grandchildren.
Last rites were conducted Wed
nesday afternoon at 3 o’clock at
Grace Church, with the rector,
the Rev. E. M. Spruill, officiating,
assisted by the Rev. C. N. Bar
nette, minister of First Christian
Church, and the Rev. John C.
Owens, of Ahoskie.
Interment was in the church
cemetery.
New Building for Seafood
Market Nears Completion
-♦
A. J. Byrd said yesterday that
he expects construction of his new
seafood market to be completed
this week and hopes to open for
business within the next two
weeks.
Mr. Byrd, who has been in the
seafood business before as a re
tailer and also had a clothing
store here several years ago, is
building a concrete block struct
ure near the river back of the
town water tank. Overall the
building will measure 18 by 28
feet.
The new market will handle all
kinds of seafood.
Public Invited to See
Timber Exhibit Here
The public is invited ito view
an exhibit in the corridor of the
Agriculture Building here which
emphasizes the need to plant more
trees and to protect and encour
age the growth of the present
crop.
The exhibit, which is attractive
ly arranged and lighted, was put
up by North Carolina Pulp Com
pany in cooperation with South
ern Pulpwood Conservation As
sociation and the county agent’s
office here.
The exhibit urges “Plant More
Trees” and “Stop Wood Fires.”
It also shows two methods of fos
tering growth of pine seedlings
where they are overtbpped by
undesirable hardwood growth.
One method is girdling the hard
woods with an axe and the other
is frill cutting with chemicals.
A cross section of a 14-year-old
loblolly pine is displayed with the
information that it is from a
planting in 1940 which was har
vested in 1954 with a yield of 38
cords per acre, or 2.71 cords aver
age per acre per year.
Free booklets on “Improving
the Timber Stand” and “How Pa
per Comes From Trees” are avail
able at the exhibit.
It is expected that the exhibit
will remain up until Monday or
Tuesday of next week.
Leaders Pleased
With Response To
Bloodmobile Here
-f
Effort of School on Behalf of
Blood Program Praised;
113 Pints Secured on
Quarterly Visit
Leaders of the local blood bank
program were pleased with the
response to the quarterly visit of
the Red Cross bloodmobile here
Wednesday of last week. A total
of 113 pints was donated, exceed
ing the quota of 110 pints.
Much of the credit for the suc
cess was given to the schools. It
was said that Principal J. S.
Fleming and the faculty at Plym
outh High School worked hard
to help the cause along and that
every classroom was reipresent
ed by parents who gave blood.
Mrs. Eloise Owens’ sixth grade
was winner of the $5 prize given
to the room having greatest rep
resentation of parent - donors.
There were 10 donoTS credited
to the winning grade.
Volunteer nurses who helped
during the day were listed as fol
lows: Mrs. T. W. Tarkenton, of
Pleasant Grove, and Mrs. Victor
Alexander and Miss Dorothy Sut
ton, of Plymouth.
Clerical and canteen workers
were Mrs. Frances Sessoms, Mrs.
W. R. Klass, Mrs. Lillian Shugar,
Mrs. Durant Keel, Mrs. Perry
Turner, Mrs. J. S. Fleming, Mrs.
L. D Jones and Mrs W. R Collins.
Those who responded during
the visit were listed as follows:
Perry Turner, Mrs. Darlene
Buck, Julius Bauler, Fred Daven
port, Roy Manning, jr., Ray Sloan,
A. J. Ange, jr., J. F. Cox, Clar
ence Barnes, W. E. Lilley, Wil
liam Sawyer;
H. E. Newberry, H. S. Tetter
ton, Nathan C. Phelps, Philip Liv
erman, E. E. Harrell, J. R. Lank
ford, Atwood B. Davenport, jr.,
Frank Bickerstaff, Mrs. Frank
Bickerstaff, Leslie Darby, Ran
kin Ambrose, Mrs. W. L. Riddick,
Mrs. Edwin Long, Mrs. James
Modlin, Mrs. Lloyd Owens, Law
rence D. Jones, Mrs. W. R. Col
lins, Carolyn Brinkley;
T W N^Arman Mne M ori
Hacklbarth, J. R. Swain, C. A.
Cratch, H. B. Gaylord, MM* K'J.
Brinkley, J. E. Batema^ H. B.
Pierce, Ed Stewart, L. Ronald
Waters, Dorothy Sutton, H. C.
Carter, Mrs. Burma L. -Brown,
Mrs. Luther C. Jett, Luther Jett,
Clayton Ragland, T. P. Sander
son, John Forbes Davenport;
Fred S. Small, Alfonzo Cox,
Dan Pittman, Joseph L. Ange,
Charles Gussler, Douglas Gurkin,
Mrs. Rachel Baker, Mrs. Carrie
Dell Corey, Thomas L. Cunning
ham, Joe Tetterton, Nicholas
Ange, Jack Willoughby, William
A. Porter, D. C. Cunningham,
Mrs. J. T. Bateman, Carl L. Hack
barth, Ervin Hassell, Norman
White, Marion Ramsey, Aubrey
Dixon.
William E. Waters, Dallas Wat
ers, L. L. Sawyer, Mrs. L. L. Saw
yer, Mrs. Estelle Spruill, Mrs.
Harry Barnhill, H. F. Perkins,
Luke Daniels, Jean Doxey, Ben
Ganderson, Arthur R. Spruill, C.
A. Hough, Mrs. Irma Hough, Mer
See BLOODMOMlSirPagrir*
-<$
Services Monday
For Ernes! Jones
Funeral services were held
Monday at 2:30 p. m. from Roper
Pentecostal Holiness Church for
Ernest Jones, 44, of Norfolk, Va.,
Mr. Jones, a native of Washing
ton County and a member of the
Roper church, died Saturday at
2:30 p. m. in a Norfolk hospital
after an illness of one week. He
had been in declining health for
the past five months.
He was born June 7, 1910, the
son of Gabe and lone Peacock
Jones, of Roper, who survive. He
moved from Roper to Norfolk two
years ago and had made his home
in the Virginia city since that
time.
Surviving besides his parents
are his widow, Mary Ambrose
Jones, of Norfolk; three daugh
ters, Evelyn Marie, Earnestine
and Louise Fay Jones, all of Nor
folk; a son, Homer Leroy Jones,
of Norfolk; three sisters, Mrs. Ida
Oliver, Mrs. Ella Mae Phelps, and
Mrs. Maude Miller Peele, all of
Roper; four brothers, Dallas
Jones, Newport News, Va., Ray
mond Jones, Newport News, Ron
ald Jones, Elizabeth City, Lloyd
Jones, Roper.
Services were conducted by the
Rev. J. D. Jay roe, pastor of the
church, assisted by the Rev. T. H.
Godwin, of Aulander, a former
pastor, and the Rev. L. E Cyrus,
of Virginia Beach, Va. Burial was
in Jones Cemetery, near Roper.
The body remained at Homer’s
Funeral Home until one hour
prior to the service when it was
carried to the church.