T'own
opics
The high winds of Wednesday
did considerable damage to the
Plymouth Drive - In Theatre,
blowing down the screen, it is re
ported. The screen had recently
been erected and other repairs
made following the damage
wreaked by Hurricane Hazel last
October. Owner J. Shepherd
Brinkley said yesterday that it
had been planned to open the
drive-in next week. Repairs will
be made just as quickly as pos
sible, he stated.
Director Ed Taylor said yes
terday that plans are going for
fard rapidly for the band trip to
Wilmington Saturday of next
week to take part in the annual
Azalea Festival parade and fes
tivities in the port city. Taylor
said he expected about 74 to
make the trip in two chartered
busses. Details will be available
next week, he said. The Plymouth
High School band did not enter
the Northeastern District Music
Contest-Festival held last week
at East Carolina College, Green
ville.
The scouts who braved the ele
ments to stick out the full sche
dule of the camporee held in Still
acres last week-end were a pluc
ky lot. The weather was cold
and rainy and temperatures drop
ped to within a few degrees of
the freezing point Saturday. A
local scout official said he heard
one of the more experienced
scouts remark that the weather
was a good test for the boys since
"anybody can camp in pretty
weather.”
Miss Helene Duvall, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Duvall, of
Plymouth, is featured in an arti
cle which appeared in the issue
of March 18 of “The Gator,” pub
lication of the Amphibious Force
of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet. Miss
Duvall, a Red Cross representa
tive at the NavPhiBase Field Of
fice, Norfolk, Va., is shown in a
photo with a Navy man’s family
and the article shows how the
Red Cross provides help in emer
gency cases such as that of a nevy
wife who found herself and four
small children stranded in a
strange city through no fault of
her own when her husband's ship,
slated for transfer to the area,
was delayed.
-
Little Damage Results
From Wednesday Blaze
— ~i
Little damage resulted from a
fire at Toodle’s Funeral Home on
Wilson Street here Wednesday
morning of this week, it is^re
ported.
Local firemen answered the
alarm at 11:05 o’clock and soon
had the blaze extinguished. A
desk in the front room caught
fire and was brought out of the
house, it was said.
A window sash was broken out
before firemen arrived.
It is believed that the fire start
ed in a waste basket in a room of
the house.
The Roanoke Beacon
*★*★★★ and Washington County News ★★***★
A home newspaper dedicated j;l
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 12
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, March 24, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1889
!Schedule Is Arranged
j For Pre-School Cli nics
The schedule of pre-school clin
ics for Washington County chil
dren who expect to enter school
next Fall was released this week
by Miss Elizabeth Wood, county
health nurse. The schedule calls
for Clinics beginning Friday of
this week and continuing through
April 15.
All children who will be six
years of age on or before October
16, 1955, should attend the near
est clinic. Children are required
to be vaccinated for smallpox,
whooping cough and diphtheria
before they enter school. Chil
dren should also bring their birth
certificate, it was emphasized.
The clinic will be held at
Plymouth Colored School Friday
of this week beginning at 9 a. m.
The remainder of the schedule
is as follows:
Monday, March 28 at Creswell
Colored School beginning at 9
a. m.; Creswell White School, Fri
day, April 1, beginning at 9 a. m.:
Roper Colored School April 4 at
9 a. m.; Roper White School April
8 at 9 a. m.; Children who ex
pect to enter Plymouth White
School at Health Department
April 15 at 9 a. m.
Few Tax Protests
At Meet Monday
Rain and Cold
Last Week-End
Temperatures a few degrees
above the freezing point and a
cold drizzle made the past
week-end a rather dreary one
weather-wise and served to re
mind that March is more of a
winter month than a spring
one.
Temperatures which had been
rather balmy dropped last
Thursday and reached a low
reading of 40 degrees Saturday,
according to information fur
nished by the weather station
at Tide Water Test Farm near
here. The high reading last
Wednesday was 82 degrees and
the low 57, but the temperature
never hit 80 degrees again un
til Tuesday of this week. The
low reading was 43 degrees
Thursday, 44 Friday, 41 Sunday
and 47 Monday. Precipitation
recorded since Monday of last
week total 1.98 inches with the
heaviest rain, .70, falling on
Saturday. Rainfall was record
ed on five other days during
the period.
Benefit Basketball Game
Slated at Roper Friday
Roper All-Stars will play Cres
well All-Stars in a basketball
game at Roper Friday night of
this week, it has been announced.
The game will begin at 8 o'clock.
Proceeds will be used by the
Roper High School home eco
nomics departments, Mrs. W. V.
Gaylord, home economics teach
er at the Roper school, said.
Boy Scout Camporee
Affected by Weather
The cold, rainy weather of last
week-end held down attendance
and caused cancellation of some
of the events at the district scout
pre-camporee here.
Registration Friday at the Still
acres site totaled 140 scouts, it
was said, with troops from Co
lumbia, Creswell, Williamston,
Free Union, Washington, Swan
Quarter, Bear Grass, Roberson
ville and Plymouth represented.
Several other towns which were
expected to send scouts failed to
be represented.
Saturday morning the scouts
ran the obstacle course and sig
nalling events were run off. How
ever, rain which started falling
during the day forced cancella
tion of events planned for Satur
day afternoon.
A short general campfire was
held Friday night but the weather
caused cancellation of the main
campfire Saturday night.
Saturday night some of the
boys slept in the Scout Hut while
others who were better prepared
to face the weather spent the
night in their tents. Most of the
number who registered Friday
afternoon left sometime Satur
day and only about 50 scouts stay
ed through Sunday morning, it
was said. These were mostly ex
perienced campers who could
take care of themselves.
The Rev. P. B. Nickens, pastor
of Ludford Memorial Baptist
Church, conducted a brief relig
ious service for the scouts Sun
day morning from 9 to 9:30
o’clock.
Purpose of the camporee was
to provide training and exper
ience for the scouts in preparation
for the East Carolina Council
camporee to be held in Washing
ton in April.
The event here was sponsored
by the Plymouth Junior Chamber
of Commerce with the cooperat
ion of local citizens. The Jaycees
operated a canteen on the grounds
for the benefit of scouts in at
tendance.
About 75 Negro scouts are ex
pected for a camporee on the
same site this week-end, it was
said.
Between 30 and 40 Com
plaints Received at First
Session of Equalization
And Review Board
Revaluation of real estate in
Washington County has not cre
ated nearly as much furore as
was generally expected. This was
shown Monday, when less than 40
property owners showed up for
the first meeting of the county
commissioners as a board of
equalization and review.
Metween 30 and 40 appeals
from valuations assessed were
recorded at the Monday meeting.
Members of the board listened to
the complaints and requests for
readjustments, advising all those
who appeared that their requests
would be given consideration and
they would be advised later as to
the action taken.
Some of the complaints were
discussed informally and tenta
tive decisions reached by mem
bers of the board at an executive
session Tuesday night, but none
of the details were announced.
The board will meet again Thurs
day night of this week in closed
session, and at that time a date
for another public session will
be agreed upon. Taxpayers who
were unable to be present last
Monday for the initial meeting of
the board will be given an op
portunity to be heard, it was
stated.
It was explained that the com
missioners, acting in their capa
city as a board of equalization
and review, will continue their
work throughout the remainder
of this month and up to Monday,
April 11, when it is planned that
all matters relating to the revalu
ation will be completed and final
decisions announced on com
plaints.
Property owners who feel they
have cause for complaints are
advised that they can go to the
office of the tax department in
the courthouse at any time and
go over their property listings.
However, all requests for adjust
ments or revisions must be made
in person to *he board of equali
zation and review prior to April
11, when assessments are to be
come final. Since real estate is
revalued only once every four
IteTcOMPLAINTS, Page 10
FIRST BREATH OF SPRING |
_ 1
I
Joyce Hardison, Plymouth High School lass, was caught
in the act of ushering in the first day of spring by inhaling the
sweet freshness of a flowering peach bloom.—Polaroid 1-Minute
Photo by Jewel Hardison.
Here Next Week;
Dog Vaccinations
To Begin Tuesday
Paul Basnighl and Foy Dav
enport To Vaccinate Dogs
In Three Townships, Hil
ton Chesson Others
-1
Paul Basnight and Foy Daven
port, Plymouth police officers,
have been appointed by the board
of commissioners of Washington
County to vaccinate dogs against
rabies in Plymouth and Lees Mill
Townships, while Hilton Chesson,
of Creswell, has been named to
vaccinate dogs in Skinnersville
and Scuppernong Townships.
A schedule has been worked
out to cover all sections of the
county, beginning Tuesday of
next week and continuing at in
tervals through May 14.
All dogs are required by law to
be vaccinated against rabies and
the cost covers the county tax on
dogs, it is explained.
The schedule released this week
is as follows:
Plymouth: Tuesday, March 29
and Friday, April 1, at Police
Station. Also at Police Station
Friday, March 25 and April 1,
from 7 to 9 p. m.
Westover: Wednesday, March
30, 8 to 9 a. m. at Chesson's Store.
Mackeys: Wednesday, March
30, 9:15 to 11:15 a. m. at Daven
port’s Store.
Pleasant Grove: Wednesday,
March 30, 11:30 a. m. to 1 p. m. at
Tommy Tarkington's Filling Sta
tion.
Roper: Wednesday, March 30,
1:15 to 3:45 p. m. at Chesson’s
Texaco Service Station.
Macedonia: Wednesday, March
30, 4 to 5 p. m. at Henry Daven
port’s Store.
Long Ridge Road: Thursday,
March 31, 8 to 9 a. m. at Stillmans
Store. Same date, 9:15 to 10:15 a.
m. at Simpson's Store. Same date,
10:30 to 11:30 a. m. at James Bed
dard’s Store.
Long Acre Road: Service Sta
tion, Thursday, March 31, 12 a. m.
to 1:30 p. m. ^
Holly Neck Church of Christ:
April 4 and May 2 from 2:15 to
3:15 p. m.
Skinnersville: Brownie’s Store
at the Y, April 6 and May 6, 8 to
9:15 a. m.
Pea Ridge: April 6 and May 4
at Hugh Patrick’s Store, 9:30 to
10:45 a. m. Theadie Alexander’s
Store .same dates, 11 to 12 a. m.
Scuppernong: April 6 and May
4, 12:30 to 1:45 p. m. at Ernest
Phelps’ Store, 2 to 3 p. m. at Liz
zie Cooper’s.
Cherry: April 13 and May 11,
8 to 9 a. m. at H. P. Barnes’ Store.
Newland: April 13 and May 11,
9:15 to 10:45 a. m. at Johnson
Spruill’s Store.
Lake Phelps: April 13 and May
11, 11 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. at Sea
ton Davenport's Place.
Mt. Tabor (Backwoods Section)
April 13 and May 11, 1:30 to 3 p.
m. at Loomis Furlough’s.
Creswell: April 9, 16, 23, 30 and
May 7 and 14, 1 to 3 p. m. at H. O.
Chesson Store.
-$
Broom-Mat Sale
Slated by Lions
— -
The Plymouth Lions Club will
sponsor a mat and broom sale
Thursday of next week, offering
products made by a non-profit
firm which provides year-round
employment to 40 blind persons.
Lion Carl Hackfoarth is chair
man of the project. It was said
that the town would be divided
into several territories and teams
seelcted to canvass them with
house brooms, mill brooms, whisk
brooms and door mats.
It is expected that most of the
canvassing, except in the business
section, will be done at night.
More than $530 worth of
brooms and mats were sold by
members of the club here last
year, with canvassing being done
by teams of three members each.
The broom-mat sale is an an
nual Lions Club project here.
New Owner of Local Store
Moves Family To Plymouth
Otto Wells, the new owner and
operator of Western Auto Associ
ate Store here, has moved his
family to Plymouth from Greens
boro. Mr. and Mrs. Wells and
their two daughters, Linda, 7,
and Martha, 4, are at home at 310
Winesett Circle. Linda is a first
grade student.
Mr. Wells is a native of Iredell
County but for many years has
called Greensboro home, while
Mrs. Wells is a native of Baden.
Mr. Wells is a former member of
the State Highway Patrol, hav
ing resigned in 1949 to enter pri
vate business .Before coming here
he operated a service station in
Greensboro.
DISTRICT SCOUTS HAD ROUGH WEEK-END FOR CAMPOREE HERE
L
J
Boy Scouts of the Wasmarty
ancl Beaufort-Hyde districts had
a windy, cold, wet week-end for
their annual camporee here last
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Top photo shows a group of Cres
well Scouts gathered around their
camp fire Saturday morning,
when it was really cold; while the
one at the right shows members
of Plymouth’s Flying Eagle Pa
trol huddled back of the entrance
to their camp site. Members of
Troop 274, Crcswell, in top photo
are: Standing, left to right: Mike
Davenport, Steve Mason, Ruby
Patrick, Jerry Altigood, Lr<rry
Davenport, Scoutmaster Mark
Woolard and Webbie Davenport;
squatting in front of the fire is
Jimmy Goodman, while others
huddled around the fire are Hay
wood Ba.vnor, Dan Goodman, Ot
tis Chesson, Bobby Alexander,
Eddie Godwin and Billy Eason.
It was so cold the Plymouth
group got away before they 4.
were identified, except for (
James Boyce, standing at rear,
who helped operate the Jaycee- (
sponsored canteen at the camp
oree.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff
Seniors To Leave
Sunday for Trip
To New York Ciiy
Thirty - Five Members of
Plymouth High School
Senior Class, Chaperon
And Director Make Trip
-1
Thirty - five Plymouth High
School seniors with Mrs. Lucia
Long, chaperon, and Principal J.
S. Fleming, director, will leave at
5:30 o’clock Sunday morning by
chartered bus for a trip to New
York City.
The group will have accomo
dations at the Shelton Hotel, Lex
ington Avenue and 49th Street.
While in the big city the seniors
will take tours of upper and lower
New York, a boat trip around
Manhattan Island, special con
ducted tour of the United Nations
headquarters. Free time will be
used for attending shows and TV
programs, visiting stores and oth
er places of interest.
The group plans to return to
Plymouth next Wednesday. Sen
iors making the trip were listed
as follows: Jimmy Allen, Bobby
Beasley, Billy Browning, Marvin
Gurganus, Jimmy Jackson, Peter
Leavitt, Ray Lilley, Larry Lyle,
Herman Newberry, Ronald Noo
ney, George Painter, Hilton Rea
son, Eddie Ricks, jr., Leroy Simp
SeT'sENIORS^Page 10
Report About $1,100
In Red Gross Drive
'*• «» ? ■ k < _a ....if_1_
I Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, Chap
ter Chairman, Expresses
Belief That County Goal
Will Be Attained
—*—
The annual Washington County
Red Cross fund drive, which be
gan Monday of last week, now
stands at $1,100, Dr. A. L. White
hurst, chapter chairman, report
ed yesterday.
Dr. Whitehurst said that only
about half the reports were in.
He stated that the Plymouth Jay
cees, the American Legion and
the Veterans of Foreign Wars ex
pect to complete their solicita
tions by Friday night of this
Only three teams have report
ed in Roper, it was said, and the
Creswell report is incomplete.
Nothing has been reported by the
colored committees in the coun
ty, the chairman said. Also, re
ports are yet to be received from
the Plymouth industrial and resi
dential solicitors.
The Plymouth Rotary Club has
completed the business and pro
fessional solicitations and has re
ported over $500, Dr. Whitehurst
said, with one solicitor to report.
It is hoped that a complete re
port can be made next week, the
chapter ehairman said.
Dr. Whitehurst expressed an
optimistic view of the campaign.
“I believe that we will come up
to our goal,” he declared, adding
that Creswell had turned in more
for the white alone than was
turned in in last year’s drive by
white and colored, and that Roper
is expected to reach its goal.
j Spotter Posts Go
] On 56-Hour Alert
Plymouth and Roper Ground
Observer Corps posts began a
56-hour continuous alert, along
with 260 posts in the State, at
8 o'clock Wednesday morning
of this week. Order for the
alert came through the Durham
Filter Cener. The alert will
continue through Friday after
noon at 5 o'clock.
Observers are working in
two-hour shifts on a 24-hour
basis, Dr. A. I. Whitehurst, su
pervisor of the Plymouth post,
said. Jesse Rawls is supervisor
of the Roper post. Dr. White
hurst said there are now about
50 members of the Plymouth
post but that 200 are needed
The supervisor said that just as
soon as the alert is over a con
certed drive will be made here
to bring post strength up to 200.
Counly Fee Bill Is
Ratified; Others
By Phelps, Owens
Phelps' Bill To Credii Vac
cination Fee on Dog Tax
Passes House; Three Bills
By Owens
A bill introduced by County
Representative Dr. J. M. Phelps
February 16 has passed House
and Senate and was ratified Tues
day of last week. Known as House
Bill 253 it establishes the price
for certain fees of the register of
deeds and clerk of court in hand
ling chattel mortgage forms,
maps, etc.
House Bill 601, also introduced
by Phelps last Wednesday, pass
ed the House Saturday. It would
amend General Statute 106-372
so as to credit the vaccination fee
on dog tax when paid to the tax
collector of Washington County,
and upon presentation of certifi
cate of vaccination.
Three bills were introduced by
Senator Edward L. Owens last
week. Owens introduced Senate
Bill 277 Monday of last week
“amending G. S. 7-134 and Chap
ter 1173 of the Session Laws of
1953 relating to fees of justices of
the peace in Washington County.”
The bill makes JP fees prescrib
ed in the second paragraph of
GS 7-134 applicable to Washing
ton County and adds 50 cents JP
fee for each defendant for issu
ance of warrants in. criminal
cases. This bill was referred to
the committee on Salaries and
Fees.
Two other bills, introduced by
Senator Owens Tuesday of last
week, have been referred to the
Judiciary 1 committee. Senate Bill
287 would provide a method for
determining property valuations
for town ad valorem tax purposes
in Plymouth .It would amend GS
105-53 to authorize the Town
Council to adopt uniform percen
tage of county valuations of town
property for town tax purposes,
applying to taxes levied in 1955
and thereafter.
Senate Bill 288 would amend
GS 20-176 relating to the penalty
for violation of motor vehicio
laws in Washington County. It
would make such violations cov
ered by section punishable by
fine up to $100 and/or imprison
ment up to 60 days. The present
section provides lesser penalties
for some listed offenses.
-»
Reckless Driving Charged
In Accident on Wednesday
-■ ♦
A Norfolk, Va., man, James
Gordon Hufton, was charged with
reckless driving as the result of
an accident on US 64 seven miles
east of Roper Wednesday morn
ing of this week.
Hufton, drivng a 1947 Plym
outh, was traveling west on the
highway when he met a school
bus which he told Patrolman
Carl Gilchrist he thought was go
ing to stop. Hufton applied his
brakes and his car swerved to the
left in front of the bus and
knocked down a mailbox belong
ing to W. B. Chesson. Damage to
the car was estimated at $300.
Hufton was not hurt.
Plan District Classes
For Methodists Here
Members of Methodist Churches
in the Tyrrell-Washington Sub
district of the Elizabeth City Dis
trict are expecting to take part
in the Christian Workers’ School
to be held in Plymouth Methodist
LEADERS IN METHODIST SUBDISTRICT CHRISTIAN WORKERS SCHOOL
1
Shown above, left to right, are the Rev. W. K. Babington, Mrs. B. B. Slaughter and the Rev.
Jesse H. Lanning, three leaders of the Tyrrell-Washington Subdistrict Christian Workers School
to be held Plymouth Methodist Church, beginning Sunday night and continuing through next
Thursday night. Mr. Babington, minister of Swepsonville Methodist Church, will teach a class for
officers, teachers and counselors in Youth Work. He is Burlington District Director of Youth
Work. Mrs. Slaughter, wife of a former Elizabeth City District superintendent, will teach a class
for workers and potential workers in the children’s division. Mr. Lanning, minister of the host
church, Elizabeth City District adult leader, N. C. Conference chairman of Family Life and N. C.
Council of Churches chairman of Family Life, will teach the adult class.
Church starting Sunday night.
There are fourteen churches on
five charges who will participate,
and any interested adults are in
vited to join with these in at
tending this school. The last
Christian Workers’ School was
held in 1950.
This school will be held five
nights from 7:30 to 9:30 beginning
on Sunday night. It will conclude
Thursday night at which time the
course cards of recognition earn
ed by the students will be given
to the churches participating so
that they may be presented at a
suitable occasion of honor.
There will be three classes in
which all adults of the churches
as well as all teachers and offi
cers in the Church Schools and
parents of Church School chil
dren and young people may en
roll.
The class for workers and po
tential workers in the Children’s
Division is "Teaching Children”
which will be taught by Mrs. B.
B. Slaughter, wife of a former
Elizabeth City district superin
tendent, and now living in Dur
ham. She is a resognized teacher
of leaders in children’s work.
The class for every officer and
teacher and counselor in youth
work and all potential officers is
"The Methodist Youth Fellow
ship” which will be taught by
Rev. W. K. Babington, minister
See METHODISTS, Page 10