<•
T'own
opics
According to reports the Plym
outh High School band made a
good impression ait Wilmington
last Saturday in the annual Aza
lea Festival parade which is said
to have drawn a crowd of about
275,000 persons. Between 150 and
200 units took part in the giant
parade. Weather was good for the
event and there were quite a few
Plymouth people on hand' for the
parade.
The condition of Brinson Cox,
of Plymouth, who was seriously
injured in an automobile accident
here some weeks ago, continues
to improve, it was reported Wed
nesday. Mr. Cox, a patient ait the
Washington County Hospital
here, was able to receive com
pany Wednesday.
It didn’t look like Wednesday
afternoon here Wednesday of this
week. There were far too many
oars parked on the business
streets for a normal Wednesday
afternoon. Reason was, of course,
that the stores decided to remain
open all day since it was so close
to Easter. The old, deserted Look
will be back in vogue next Wed
nesday, however.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clarence
Everett, of near Plymouth, were
injured1 in a two-car accident on
US 64 near Wiliiamston Monday
afternoon. Mr. Everett was dan
gerously cut on the face, requir
ing about 25 stitches, and Mrs.
Everett suffered a bruised left
leg. Mrs. Neva Bell Tetiter.ton, of
Washington, driver of the other
car, suffered shock, reports from
Wiliiamston said. Mrs. Tetterrton
reportedly got something in her
eye and the car veered1 to the left
of the highway. Mr. Everett
swerving sharply, according to
reports, to avoid a head-on col
lision. Mr. Everett, seeing the
crash coming, jumped' in front of
his wife to shield her and his
head crashed through the wind
shield, it was said.
James H, Ward, cne of the ope
rators of the Plymouth Produce
Auction Market, and County
Agent W. H. Pruden will appear
on a television program at Green
ville Thursday night of this week.
They will appear on the Farm
Facts program ait 6:45 and will
discuss vegetable production and
■the local produce market which
began operations last year.
Mis. Frank Askew, of Plym
outh Route 1, re- jntljv spent sev
eral day? iln Charleston, S. C.,
with a group of 22 home demon
stration Club women of Beaufort
County. While there members of
the party visited the famous gar
dens, art galleries, military in
stallations and several places of
historic interest. Mis. Askew re
turned to her home last Friday.
Mrs. Francos M. Darden, of
Plymouth, and Mrs. H. L. Harris,
of Creswell, spent Tuesday and
Wednesday of last week in Ra
leigh. Mrs. Darden attended the
meeting of the State Home
Agents Association at State Col
lege. Mrs. Darden is treasurer of
the organization. Mrs. Harris, who
ScTtOPICS, Pago 10
Valuation Bill
Passes Senate
On March 30 an amendment
was adopted to completely re
write Senate Bill 287 which was
introduced by Senator Edward L.
Owens, of Plymouth, on March
15 and which is in regard to
Plymouth property valuations.
The bill would authorize the
town to reassess all taxable prop
erty within the town for ad fi
lorem taxes. The governing board
is to be governed by General Sta
tute, chapter 105, subchapter II.
The town clerk or some other
person designated by the town
board is to perform the duties of
tax supervisor, and the town
board is to act as a board of
equalization and review.
Reassessment is authorized as
of January 1, 1955, or in any quad
rennia' reassessment year fixed
by Section 300 of the Machinery
Act. The town board may con
tinue taking the town tax lists
and valuations from the county
records, and may determine whe
ther realty is to be revalued hor
izontally (using county values),
by appraisal or both. If reassess
ed, valuations would apply to the
town tax only.
The bill passed the Senate last
Friday night.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
. ~§
A home newspaper dedicated Hj
to the service of Washington II;
County and its 13,000 people. jij
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 14
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, April 7, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1889
LOCAL FIREMEN HOLD "OPEN HOUSE" IN NEW QUARTERS LAST FRIDAY
Nearly 600 S a 1 k
Vaccine Requests
From This County
t if tv*
Parents of 584 County Chil
dren, White and Colored,
Ask for Use of New Polio
myelitis Vaccine
Parents of 584 first and second
grade children in this county have
requested use of the new Salk
vaccine for poliomyelitis, Miss
Elizabeth Wood, county health
nurse, reported this week.
Use of the new vaccine is con
tingent upon its being licensed
for administration by the Nation
al Institute of Health, it was ex
plained. If approved, the vaccine
is expected to be available for
distribution during the month of
April.
Enough, vaccine -to imnoculate
9 million first and second grade
children in the nation is being
manufactured toy the National
Foundation and will be distribut
ed without cost for use through
state and local health agencies.
If the vaccine becomes avail
able, each unit must furnish its
own equipment and personnel,
for administering, it was saiid.
To complete vaccinations, each
child is to receive three innocu
latioms of the vaccine over a per
iod of five weeks.
Requests were broken down
among white and colored by com
munities as follows:
Plymouth white, 174; Plymouth
colored', 118; Roper white, 55;
Roper colored, 95; Creswell white,
104; Creswell colored, 39.
Slate Tax Deputy Here
On Thursday and Friday
E. R. Fnoneberger, of William
ston, deputy collector, will be in
the courtrom at the county court
house here Thursday and Friday
of this week to assist taxpayers in
filing their state income tax re
turns. There is no charge for the
service.
The deadline for filing was
changed from March 15 to April
15 this year to conform with the
new federal deadline date for
filing.
300 Visit Fire j
House Friday j
About 300 perrons visited the
local Volunteer Fire Itepart
ment Friday night between the
hours of 7 and 10 o’clock. The
occasion was “Open House,”
and the firemen were proudly
showing off their modern
building, recently completed in
side.
Many favorable comments
were heard on every side and
firemen said a number of per
sons here expressed amazement
at the well-appointed lounge,
locker room, shower room and
basement work - shop. Free
drinks were furnished through
the courtesy of the local bot
tling plant.
Cooking School
Here Next Week
Miss Doiris Leggett, home eco
nomist with the Virginia Electric
and Power Company, will be in
charge of a cooking school to be
held ait Plymouth Television Cen
ter Thursday and Friday of next
week in connection with the
firm’s second anniversary cele
bration, Owner Jimmy Kitchengs
announced today.
Miss Leggett will be assisted
by the power company’s home
economist from Elizabeth City.
Also, Parker Peele, VEPCO rep
resentative from Williiamstom, and
appliance factory representatives
will be present.
Thursday morning a cooking
demonstration will be given for
Roper and Plymouth students and
other communities, Kitdhengs
said. A cooking school for the
general public will be held on
Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 p. m.
and Friday from 2 to 3 p. m.
Meals to be cooked will be
given away as door prizes. Other
prizes will also be offered and the
drawing will be held1 at 8 p. m.
Friday. The store will be open
until 9 o’clock each night.
Refreshments will be served
and measuring glasses will be
given to the ladies and souvenirs
for the children.
Joint Service Here on Good Friday
-«
The public is invited to attend
a special service of meditation
and devotion in Grace Episcopal
Church here Friday of this week,
■the rector, the Rev. E. M. Spruill,
has announced.
The service, in its sixth con
secutive year, will begin at 12
o’clock noon and end at 3 p. m.
It is sponsored by the Plymouth
Ministerial Association and will
-♦
commemorate the crucifixion and
passion of Jesus Christ.
Ministers taking part in the
service will be Mir. Spruiill, the
Rev. Jesse H. Lamming, pastor of
Plymouth Methodist Church, the
Rev. Paul B. Nickens, pastor of
the Ludford Memorial Baptist
Church, the Rev. C. Neil Bar
nette, pastor of Plymouth Christ
ian Church and the Rev. Ernest
H. Carter, pastor of the Plymouth
Church of the Nazarene.
Persons unable to remain for
the entire service may enter and
leave the church during the sing
ing of the hymns. “The participat
ing ministers urge a large re
sponse of the Christian people of
the community in this special
way of seriously considering our
Lord and Saviour’s seven last
words from the cross.”
Plymouth firemen celebrated
completion of their new quar
ters recently with “open house”
last Friday night, attended by
approximately 250 to 300 peo
ple. Members of the volunteer
department finished the inter
ior themselves, including wir
ing, installation of lockers,
showers and paneling the club
room. The picture above shows
the front of the building with
the two main pieces of equip
ment, while a portion of the
clubroom is shown at left. The
building also housed a workshop
at the rear, where the firemen
have a number of power tools
used for work on their hobbies
and repairing equipment of var
ious kinds.—Polaroid 1-Minute
staff photo.
Huge Foresl Fire
Is Under Control
After Long Fighj
Rains of Wednesday Aid in
Bringing Huge Blaze Un
der Control; Damage Said
In Millions
A forest fire which started in
Washington County on the eastern
side of Lake Phelps and swept
into Tyrrell and Hyde Counties
was said laite Wednesday to be
“under control for the time be
ing.’’ Rains that day helped to
contain the blaze.
Said to be the largest forest
fire in the history of this state and
perhaps the entire south, it has
swept over an estimated 203,000
acres of woodland, swamps and
scrub growth in the three coun
ties. Most of the timber' land
burned over is said to be that of
West Virginia Pulp and Paper
Company, very little of it being
owned by the Jclhn L. Roper
Lumber Company.
K. S. Trowbridge, woods and
land manager for 'the North Caro
lina Pulp Company here, has esti
mated the damage art from three
to four million dollars. Trow
bridge, who has about 18 years’
experience in forestry in this
area, figures an average value of
$10 to $15 an acre on the burned
over land.
Paul W. Tillman, assistant state
forester, said1 there is no question
but that the fire was deliberately
set and an investigation is already
underway.
Military personnel from Camp
Lejeume, Fort Bragg, nearby
Coast Guard installations, as well
as National Guard units have aid
ed in fighting the fire. The
guardsmen, from Washington,
were relieved and returned to
their homes Tuesday midnight.
They had been called out by
Governor Hodges.
Broom-Mat Sale
Amounts to $550
-».—
The Plymouth Lions Club sold
about $550 worth of brooms and
mats in, Plymouth Thursday of
last week, C. W. Dinkins, project
chairman, reported. Mr. Dinkins
said Stillacres and Pulp Mill Vil
lage were not covered and will
be worked this week.
Response was termed “mighty
good,” both in the business and
residential areas. Participation by
members of the club was said to
be excellent.
The sale, an annual Lions Club
project here, offered products of
a non-profit firm which provides
year-round employment to 40
blind persons.
Workers in Drive
For Cancer Funds
In Couniy Listed
Campaign To Continue Dur
ing Month of April; Coun
ty Organization Named
By Mrs. Craft
The organization of volunteer
workers, still incomplete, was an
nounced this week by Mrs. Ed
Craft, county campaign chairman,
for the 1955 Washington County
Cancer campaign.
The Washington County unit of
the American Cancer Society in
cludes Dr. Alban Papineau, con
sulting physician; Miss Elizabeth
Wood, chairman of the executive
committee; Mrs. Harry Drowning,
county commander; Mrs. Craft;
H. E. Newtland, publicity chair
man; Aubrey Liverman, treasur
er; Mrs. Woodrow Collins, coun
ty treasurer; Mrs. Nyal Womble
and Mrs. Duranit Keel, trades and
industry.
Workers were listed as follows:
Mesdames Jce Arps, A. J. Riddle,
Ed Jackson, Homer Naylor, E. G.
Arps, Tavas Ivachiew, Elizabeth
Williams, Seaton Overton, C. A.
Cratch, Louise Swain, Gladys
Bratten, Mary Grady Barnhill, J.
F. Keys, R. M. Allen, Gilbert
Nobles, C. R. Bowen, C. E. Jones,
W. R. McCombs, Steriling Mc
Combs, Joe Early, Robert John
son, Louis Price, Roy Cutler, Nor
ma Chesson, Bill Manning, Bill
Gurganus, Burma Brown, Mel
vin Stalls, James Boyce, Maurice
Smith, Tom Cole, Pauline Wynn,
L. Simpson, Audrey Everett, Mil
dred Pairoff, Helen Watson, Rich
ard West, Gilbert Mobley, G. L.
Jackson, Mildred Clark, Brownie
Goodman, Janie Dunning, Harold
Nelson, Olga Furbee, Belva Dav
enport, Walter Barnes, and Har
vey Hobbs, Letha Staton, Undine
Coudon, Elsie Hyman, Ruth Pugih,
Luther Williams, Lonnie Young,
Fona Hines, Clara Halsey, Gladys
Hasseli, Lueaithai Cooper and
Prof. A. R. Lord.
Plymouth business district:
Mrs. Elmer Browning;
Roper: Mrs. Beulalh Gaylord,
J^ier High School biology rVss,
Mrs. Tom Norman, Prof. WitT.ins,
Hubert Downing;
Mapheys: Mrs. Johnnie Dawson,
Mrs. Hterbent Cbesson;
Creswell and Cherry: Woman’s
Club, chairman, Mrs. Mina Hamp
ton.
The campaign will continue
throughout the month of April.
Endowment Share
To Hospital Here
-«
Tuesday of this week the board
of trustees of the Duke Endow
ment appropriated $732,217 to 111
hospitals and child-caring insti
tutions in the Carolinas on the
basis of their 1954 work. The
Washington County Hospital here
will receive as its share the sum
of $278.
This marks the 30th year of
assistance to hospitals and child
caring institutions since estab
lishment of the endowment by
heirs of the Duke tobacco fort
unes.
At the same time the board an
nounced that additional institus
tions whose applications have not
been completed will be consider
ed for appropriations at the April
meeting of the trustees.
Under the endowment, hospi
tals are aided at the rate of $1
for each free day of care render
ed, and child-caring institutions
receive aid at the rate of about
22 cents per day for each day of
care to orphans or half orphans
during the past year.
Allocate $10,000 for New
County Library Building
| Easter Monday To lie j
[ General Holiday Here j
Easter Monday, April 11, will
be observed as a general holi
day by most business establish
ments in Plymouth. The post I
office and restaurants will be
open, but stores, county, town
and federal offices, both banks,
garages, and most other busi
ness places will be closed for
the day. Drug stores and filling
stations are expected to observe
Sunday hours.
The North Carolina Pulp
Company will continue opera
. tions as usual, but the True
Temper Corporation plant here
will be closed for the day. R. M.
Bruce, menager, of Atlas Ply
wood Corporation plant was out
of town and could not be con
tacted, but Atlas closed for the
holiday last year. School stud
ents throughout the county will
also have the holiday off, re
turning to classes at the regular
time Tuesday morning.
Stores here remained open
all day yesterday, but will re
sume their regular weekly
half-holidays next Wednesday.
Three File for Offices
In Next City Election
Mayor Riddle Announces
For Reeleciion; C. B. Hol
liday Seeks Third Ward
Post as Councilman
Town politics continue at a very
low ebb for the municipal elect
ion, which is scheduled for Tues
day, May 3, a little over three
weeks away. Mayor A. J. Kiddle
announced Monday night that he
would be a candidate for reelect
ion, and one more candidate for
councilman from the third ward
was filed; but so far no opposition
has developed for any of the
seven positions to be filled.
C. B. Holliday, of Little Rich
wood announced this week that he
would be a candid ate for coucil
man flora, the third ward. Harvey
H. Hobbt also of little Richwood,
filed fc, „ne of lie two positions
from tr' tfrtrd ward last week.
WMV £ • w -#.me talk of pros
per ■ actually only
tliL.ro three paid their filing
fee and filled formal notice of
their caedidaelAA with Town
Clerk W. A. Roebuck.
A mayor and Abe coumoilmen
are to be elected on May 3, two
of the latter from each of the
town’s three wards. Ail terms are
for two years. The deadline for
filing of candidanicies is Saturday,
April 23, at 6 p. m.
Mr. Holliday, a native of Mar
tin County, is an employee of the
North Carolina Pulp Company
and has been living in Little
SeTELECTIONrPage5~~
Hear Complaints
AtTnesdayMeet
About 25 property owners,
practically all from Plymouth,
appeared before the board of
equlization and review at the
courthouse Tuesday to register
complaints about the property
revaluation for taxes.
The complainants thought the
valuation too high and wanted
to compare the valuation of
their property with that of
other property owners, Clerk
J. Robert Campbell reported.
The board scheduled night
meetings for Thursday of this
week and Monday of next, at
which time consideration will
be given to the complaints, it
was said. Both meetings have
been set for 7:30 o’clock.
MAYOR ANNOUNCES j
Mayor A. J. Riddle filed for
| tvi’ection -allowing the city
council meeting Monday night.
He has been mayor of Plym
outh for a little over eight
years, having been first ap
pointed to the office in Jan
uary, 1947, and reelected in
1947, 1949, 1951 and 1953.
Gardner Funeral
At Roper Friday
-► —
Funeral rites for Herbert S.
Gardner, 71, of Roper, RFD, will
be 'held from, the Roper Pente
costal Holiness Church Friday at
2 p. m. by the pastor, the Rev.
J. D. Jayroe. Burial will be in
Holly Neck Church Cemetery,
near Roper.
Mr. Gardner, a retired farmer,
died at noon Wednesday a't Wash
ington County Hospital after a
short illness. He had been in de
clining health for three years and
was confined to has bed for four
days.
Born in Washington County
August 16, 1883, son of the late
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Gardner,
he was a lifelong resident. Mr.
Gardner married Miss Essie
Phelps of Roper at Ropier Octo
ber 14, 1923. He was a member
of the Roper Pentecostal Holiness
Church.
Surviving are his widow; one
daughter, Mrs. Agnes Wade, of
Kinston, a son, Herbert A. Gard
ner, of Roper; one brother, Na
than Gardner, of iKnston; and
five grandehildre*.
TRUCK ROLLS OVER FOUR TIMES - BARELY MISSES RESIDENCE
_ ■
William C. Gibbs, colored truck driver of Pantego, was seriously injured when thrown from
the above truck in an accident on the Long Ridge Road seven miles south of Plymouth last Friday
morning. The truck failed to make a curve and rolled over four times before stopping only a
few feet from the home of Leslie Cole, as shown here. Warren Waters, of Pinetown, was owner
of the truck. Gibbs was charged with reckless driving by Patrolman Carl Gilchrist, who investi
gated.—Polaroid 1-Minute staff photo.
E. M. Leavitt Tells Commis
sioners Plymouth Civic
Clubs Will Foot Any Cost
Above That Figure
A new building to house the
Washington County Public Libra
ry was a step nearer to reality
this week.
Monday the Washington. Coun
ty Board of Commissioners Voted
unanimously to appropriate $10,
000 fcT erection of a county libra
ry building here, provided' it can
be done without the use of ad
valorem tax funds.
The motion was maide by Com
missioner A. R. Latham, of Plym
outh, and seconded by Commis
sioner J. C. Knowles, of Roper.
E. M. Leavitt and E. E. Harrell,
a committee from the library
board, appeared before the com
missioners and again stressed the
need for more space to house the
library and for the convenience
of ground floor space.
Chairman Frank L. Brinkley
asked the committee who would
be responsible for building the
library if the money were appro
priated. He was informed that the
library committee would secure
plans and oversee the work, and
that the plans selected would be
presented to the commissioners
for their approval.
Leavitt said the request for
$10,000 with which to erect the
library building, made February
7 by a delegation which appeared
before the board, would not take
care of the expenses. However,
he stated, various Plymouth civic
organizations had informed him
that they would provide what
ever amount above the $10,000 is
needed.
A suitable lot for the structure
has already been donated by Mr.
and' Mrs. Z. V. Norman, of Plym
outh. The lot is located on the
corner of Adams amdi Third
Streets.
Other action taken by the com
missioners ,in regular monthly
session, included requests to the
state highway department for
three additions to the state-main
tained county road system, a re
quest to Representative Phelps
for the introduction of certain
legislation, and the hearing of
routine reports.
The new road maintenance re
quests included a quarter-mile
length on the Folly Road begin
ning .8 of a mile from the Mac
keys Road and running south; a
See LIBRARY, Page 10™
-«
Air Spoiler Unit
At Roper Making
Splendid Record
New Observalion Post Built
By Community Volun
teers; Response Good on
Recent Alert, Said
The Roper Ground Observer
Corps post is making good pro
gess, it is repented. A new obser
vation post has been built and
nearly completed. Considerable
funds have come from Washing
ton County.
The construction work is being
done by volunteers under the
supervision of Jack Leary and
Mitchiner Banks. The building
was designed by Jesse Rawls who
is the post supervisor. The project
is sponsored by the Roper Volun
teer Fire Department. Equipment
necessary to this type of project
is beinb sought by a local com
mittee from the Air Defense
Command.
The Roper post took part in the
recent “Operation Eat Iv Spring,”
a statewide 56-hour alert. The
post was fully manned for the en
tire period, town and nearby com
munity people standing watch.
No one failed to respond when
called and 143 calls were handled
during the operation. The number
of planes sighted” and identified
was quite large, it was said. High
School students played a big part
in the success of the post operat
ion, according to officiafs.
The organization set-up is as
follows:
Jesse Rawls, chief supervisor;
T. W. Norman, chief observer;
Jack Leary, J. D. Jayroe, Worth
Chesson, Jake Swain, Wade Har
dison, Mitchiner Banks and Au
brey Dixon, assistant chief ob
servers.
These officers are responsible
for instructing new observers,
scheduling duty shifts, keeping
required post records, notifying
observers of coming shafts, daily
records of poet individual data.
Officials stated that the post
hopes eventually to become one
of the strongest units in the state.