T.
own
opics
Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Lowry and
family plan to leave Thursday
of this week for Daytona Beach,
Fla., where Mr. Lowry will at
tend the 1955 Southern States
Work Conference June 6-11. Con
ference headquarters will be the
Daytona Plaza Hotel. The Low
rys expect to return to Plymouth
June 13.
On a week-end fishing trip to
Oregon Inlet P. W. Brown, War
nie Gurkin and W. A. Roebuck,
of Plymouth, and James Wilson,
of Scotland Neck, caught 89 blues.
^ Roebuck reportedly had the best
luck of any member of the party.
The group fished from Gurkin’s
yacht and reported that from 1
p. m. on Sunday the water was
really rough. The party left
Plymouth Saturday and returned
Sunday night.
Jimmy Kitchengs and his dad,
James E. Kitchengs, sr., of Char
leston, S. C., report a nice catch
of sea mullets on a fishing trip to
Hatteras Tuesday and Wednesday
of last week. The elder Mr. Kit
chengs spent the week with his
son, returning to his home Mon
day of this week.
Friends of Clarence O. Kelly,
jr., will be pleased to learn that
he was recently promoted from
second to first lieutenant in the
U. S. Air Force. Lieutenant and
Mrs. Kelly, the former Miss
Joanne Trowbridge, are now liv
ing in the Netherlands, where he
is stationed with a fighter-inter
ceptor group. He graduated from
the University of North Carolina
and received his Air Force com
mission in June, 1953. Called into
active 'service the following No
vember, he was stationed at San
Antonio, Texas, and Cheyenne,
Wyo., before going overseas last
spring.
Miss Evelyn Chesson, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Chesson,
of Roper, left last Friday to ac
cept a secretarial position at Duke
Hospital in Durham. Valedictor
ian of the 1954 graduating class
at Roper High School, Miss Ches
son recently completed a business
course at Pfeiffer Junior College,
Misenheimer, where she made the
dean’s list for three out of the
four quarters. She had a four
year high-school average of 95.58
in all subjects and has a host of
friends who are proud of her
scholastic record and wish her
every success in the future.
Jack W. Strader, of Greens
boro ,who has been in Plymouth
since taking over the Western
Auto Store business from Otto
Wells recently, moved his family
here from Greensboro Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Strader and baby
daughter are making their home
in the Willoughby apartment on
Washington Street.
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Funeral Saturday
i For John B. Allen
Funeral services were held Sat
urday at 3 p. m. from the Trinity 1
Free Will Baptist Church for
John Burley Allen, 79, of Wenona.
Mr. Allen died Friday afternoon
at 3:30 o’clock at his home in the
Wenona section. He was the son (
of the late George Thomas and j
Armetta Allen and spent his en- ]
tire lifetime in the Wenona-Pun- <
go section. He was a member of ]
Trinity Free Will Baptist Church. |
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Iola Allen; a daughter, Mrs. Bes- j
sie Mann, of Wenona; three i
W grandchildren; and one great ,
grandchild, .
Rev. Ralph Osborne officiated
at <the services and interment took i
place in Davis Cemetery. j
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Dr. A. L. Whitehurst To
Attend Chiropractic Meet !
Dr. A. L. Whitehurst will leave
Thursday of this week for Win- c
ston-Salem where he will attend t
sessions of the Parker Chiroprac- ^
tic Research Seminar beginning £
at 7 p. m. Thursday and ending j
at 1 p. m. Sunday. Dr. Whitehurst a
expects to return to Plymouth ‘
late Sunday.
Observer F
Scheduled
Ground Observer Corps posts
at Plymouth and Roper will take
part in a 12-hour alert Saturday
of this week, along with some
250 posts in 57 counties of the
state.
The alert will be from 9 a. m.
to 9 p. m., Dr. A. L. Whitehurst
and Jesse Rawls, supervisors of
the Plymouth and Roper posts,
respectively, report.
Both supervisors said they ex
pected about 24 observers to take
part, two each hour. The alert is
officially styled “Operation Sky
train IV.”
The Plymouth post has 77 mem
bers, including 55 regular mem
bers, 10 ladies and 22 volunteers
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The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 22 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, June 2, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1889
i PLYMOUTH COUPLE TO GRADUATE AT U. N. C.
;---—*
James Harry Barnhill and Betty Riddle Barnhill, both of
whom have made outstanding scholastic records in high school
and college, will graduate together next Monday at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jimmy will receive the degree
of B. S. in mathematics while Betty will get an A. B. in education.
Both are members of Phi Beta Kappa, national honorary society,
signifying attainment of the highest academic honors possible for
an undergraduate. They graduated together at Plymouth High
School in May, 1951, Betty as valedictorian and Jimmy as saluta
torian of their class, representing first and second honors. Sweet
hearts from their high school days, they were married in August of
last year, prior to entering upon their senior year at the university.
Betty w'as at Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem before
transferring to the university in 1953, while Jimmy was at UNC all
four years. Jimmy is the son of Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Barnhill and
Betty is the daughter of Mayor and Mrs. A. J. Riddle, all of
Plymouth.
Local School Finals
Draw Large Crowds
PASSES SUDDENLY
K 4
Joseph D. Cruickshank, re
tired pulp mill worker and
former member of he Plymouth
City Council, died at the Wash
ington County Hospital here
last Saturday, following a sud
den heart attack less than an
hour earlier.
Joe Cruickshank
Services Monday
Last rites for Joe Cruickshank,
8, of Plymouth, were conducted
rom Plymouth Methodist Church
Jonday at 3 p. m. by the Rev.
1. N, Barnette, assisted by the
lev, W. S. Davenport. Interment
ollowed in the church cemetery.
Mr. Cruickshank was stricken
11 suddenly and rushed to the
Vashington County Hospital
rhere he died at 2:30 p. m. Sat
irday.
The deceased was a native of
Vest Virginia but had made his
Lome here for the past 15 years,
oming here from Richwood, W.
ra. He served a term on the
’lymouth Town Council and un
uccessfully sought reelection at
he last election.
Mr. Cruickshank was the son
f the late William and Sarah
irmentants Cruickshank of West
'irginia, and was born at Per
inger, West Virginia, September
7, 1886. He was married Febru
ry 14, 1915, at Richwood, W. Va.,
See CRUICKSHANKrPage~r
osts Alert
Saturday
■cm the junior and senior classes
t Plymouth High School. The
oper post lists 69 members. Both
osts urgently need more volun
:ers, it was said.
Mr. Rawls said 46 volunteer
bservers were used at the Roper
ost on the last previous alert
ad that “we got splendid co
oeration.” With 24 to be used
aturday it will mean that all 69
lembers of the post will have had
>me experience following the
aturday alert.
Although not completely finish
i the observation post back of
le Fire House at Roper is in use,
lr. Rawls said. More observers
ill be needed for continuous
uty later, he said.
Diplomas Presented To 36
Graduates in Final Exer
cises Tuesday Night at
High School
A large audience at Plymouth
High School Tuesday night
watched presentation of diplomas
to 36 graduates by A. Lloyd
Owens, chairman of the school
committee, after having heard an
inspiring commencement address
by Dr. J. Glenn Blackburn, pas
tor of Wake Forest Baptist
Church and chaplain of Wake
Forest College. Dr. Blackburn
was presented by the Rev. P. B.
Nickens, pastor of Ludford Me
morial Baptist Church here.
The salutatory address was
given by Harriet Keyes and Mavis
Boyd was the valedictory speaker,
The high school glee club, under
direction of Edward Taylor, ren
dered several selections.
The commencement sermon was
given at the school Sunday night
at 8 o’clock by the Rev. Robert
W. Bradshaw, pastor of the First
Methodist Church, Wilson. His
sermon posed the question, “Does
God Know Your Name?” The
speaker was introduced by the
Rev. Jesse H. Lanning, minister
of Plymouth Methodist Church.
The sermon was well received by
a large and appreciative audience.
Other ministers who took part
were the Rev. E. H. Carter, invo
cation; the Rev. C. N. Barnette,
scripture reading; and the Rev.
E. M. Spruill, benediction.
Edward Taylor was music di
rector and pianist was Alva Rose
Hardison.
A large audience was on hand
last Friday night for the annual
Class Night exercises, “Seniorel
la.” All seniors took part and
Beulah Cratch served as pianist.
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Vacation Schools
Slated Here Soon
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Daily Vacation Bible School
will begin Monday, June 13, at
Ludford Memorial Baptist Church
it was announced this week by
the pastor, the Rev. P. B. Nickens,
who will serve as superintendent
of the school.
The school will be open to chil
dren between the ages of 3 and
13 years, it was said. Classes will
be held daily during the week,
from 9 to 11:30 a. m. Further de
tails will be published next week.
It is understood that Plymouth
Hethodist Church will hold1 its
Vacation Church School the same
week, but details could not be
learned late yesterday.
The First Christian Church will
hold its vacation school for chil
dren between the ages of 4 and
14 years Monday through Friday,
June 20-24, with the final pro
gram Sunday night following.
The school will be directed by
Mrs. W. J. Weaver. Details will
be published later.
V F W Meeting Slated at
Veterans Building Tonight
A regular meeting of Bosie
Bateman Post No. 4023, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, will be held
Thursday night of this week at
the veterans building,
Post Commander Walter Swain
urges that all members attend
the meeting which is scheduled to
begin at 8 o’clock.
Plans for Library ]
Building Will Be
Shown Next Week
E. M. Leavitt, Member of
Library Board Committee,
To Present Plans for New
Structure To Board
Another step toward securing
a new building to house the Wash
ington County Public Library
will be taken Monday of next
w'eek when plans for the struct
ure will be persented to the coun
ty commissioners for approval at
their regular monthly session
here by E. M. Leavitt, a mem
ber of the library board commit
tee.
Mr. Leavitt presented the plans
to fellow members of the county
library board at a special meet
ing for that purpose held here
Tuesday of last week.
The plans call for a building of
cement block and brick veneer to
be erected on a lot at the corner
of Third and Adams Streets. The
lot was donated for the purpose
sometime ago by Attorney and
Mrs. Z. V. Norman.
Early in April the county com
missioners voted to allocate $10,
000 to provide a building to house
the library on the lot. The libra
ry is presently housed on the
second floor of the county court
house here and is quite crowded.
It has also been pointed out that -
a library on the ground floor
would be much more convenient 1
for the public. I
Mrs. J. Robert Campbell, chair
man of the county library board.
stated that the board hopes to be
gin construction of the building
at an early date. The board will
oversee the work.
The history of the library dates
back to the days immediately fol
lowing the close of World Warf I.
It was first located in a room in
the basement of the courthouse,
later being moved upstairs to its
present location adjoining the
courtroom jMrs. Campbell says
“We desperately need a library
See LIBRARY, Page 12
! Delinquents Up
I For Induction
An induction call for all de
linquents of Selective Service
Board No. 95 here has been is
sued for Thursday of this week,
Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, board
clerk, reports. If all delinquents
show up, five men will be sent
by bus to the Raleigh induction
center.
The names of those who fail
to show up will be turned over
to the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation, it was said. The
delinquents were listed as Eu
gene Baker, Linwood Earl Dail,
Gurtha Bower, Roger Clifton
and Wayne Nobles.
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| SCUPPERNONG FARMERS 0
John W. Spruill and his son, Al
of the Scuppernong section near C
that gave birth to 17 pigs on Fridi
more than could be cared for by 1
elder Mr. Spruill thereupon built h
a wooden box, a 75-watt light bulb
drink bottles. He installed the lip:!
warmth, arranged a rack for the li
five pigs. He is pictured above bo
pigs, while a portion of his “pig nun
The Spruills own a total of eight so
was made a week or so ago six of
pigs, with the other two precincts :
photo.
CRESWELL HIGH SCHOOL MEMBERS OF NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
I
Above are pictured the faculty sponsor and members of the “Miss Jo” Holmes chapter of
the National Honor Society, organized at Creswell High School during the school year which end
ed this week. They are as follows, front row (left to right): Faye Ambrose, president; Barbara
Datenport, vice president; Pinner Smithson, secretary; Loretta Snell, treasurer; second row: Marina
Ciummy, Margaret Ann Snell, Pat Swain, GeraUine Davenport, Gloria Patrick; third row: Ted
Davenport, Glenda Godwin, Donald E. Phelps, faculty sponsor, Polly Howerton and Charles Daven
port. Composed of students who maintain a scholarship average of 90 or more, the National Honor
Society is a national organization to encourage a id recognize qualities of leadership, outstanding
xchievemcnt and conscientious endeavor in American youth, with the objective of raising secondary
ichuols to a higher plane.—Staff photo.
Expect To Open
Produce Market
Around June 15
I. T. Freeman To Manage
Enierprise in Its Second
Season; Bulk of Offerings
F'om Six Counties Seen
W T. Freeman, one of the own
ers of the Plymouth Produce
uct on Market, stated recently
iat! :t is tentatively planned to
>e^^ie market for its
:as§n around1 June 15. * *
Mr. Freeman '■will have Wiarfe
' the market this year. Other
irtners in the enterprise are W.
. Darden, local attorney and
altor, and James H. Ward, in
irance man and farmer, also of
lymouth.
Three crops will constitute the
ilk of produce handled on the
arket this year, Mr. Freeman
id. These were listed as cucum
;rs, peppers and tomatoes.
Medium acreages in this coun
are devoted to cucumbers and
matoes and a sizeable acreage
peppers, it was said. Mr. Free
an estimated that about 100
res in the county are planted
cucumbers, from 75 to 100
■res in tomatoes and about 500
res of peppers.
See MARKET, Page 12
PERATE 'PIG NURSERY'
< W. Spruill, leading farmers
reswell, have a “soo-ey sow”
y, May 13th, which was five
er standard equipment. The
imself a “pig nursery” out of <
and five nipple-capped soft- !
t bulb in the box to provide j
ottles, and saved four of the ;
ttle-feeding one of the little
tery” can be seen at the right. .
ivs; and at the time the photo
them had farrowed 64 living 1
still to be heard from.—Staff 1
t
Monday Tough Day
For Pedestrians Here
Four Accidents Reported in
And Near Plymouth; One
Injured Critically, An
other Seriously
Monday of this week was a ter
rible day for pedestrians in Plym
outh and environs.
No less than four accidents
were reported Monday and Mon
da? night in and near here in
twfrfiWMNf.s wh were in
jured to some extent—one criti
cally.
Suffering the most severe in
juries was Essie Ford Horton,
29-year-old colored woman of
Plymouth Rt. 1 who was hit at
2:45 p. m. Monday on the White
Oak Neck Road five miles south
of Plymouth, by a 1956 Ford ope
rated by Mrs. Gene Turner Beas
ley, of Plymouth.
According to the report of State
Highway Patrolman Carl Gil
christ, of Plymouth, who inves
tigated the accident, the woman
was struck, knocked down and
dragged approximately 20 feet.
One of her arms was wrapped
around an axle of the machine, it
was said, and it took four men
to get her out from under the
car.
The Horton woman was said to
have been on her way to the
mailbox at the time she was
struck. She was rushed to the
Washington County Hospital,
treated, and Wednesday morning
was transferred by ambulance to
3 Raleigh hospital. Dr. E. W. Fur
jurson said the woman suffered
i fracture of the upper left arm,
fractures of both bones of the
left forearm, fractures of seven
'ibs in the left chest, contusions
ind lacerations of the head1 and
eft knee where about 30 stitches
were taken. She also suffered
hock and was administered glu
:ose and blood.
About 15 minutes later the sec
>nd in the series of accidents
lappened on Brinkley Avenue
vhere Dick Engelhardt, young
'randson of the Rev. and Mrs.
If. N. Barnette, was playing with
lis toy boats when a 1949 Chrys
er operated by Mrs. I. Miller
V a iron backed out and struck a
ricycle near the youth, knocking
t on the boy. Dr. T. L. Bray
reated the boy for a badly
iruised back.
Then at about 4:30 o’clock the
ame afternoon a 1955 Chevrolet
[riven by Billy Hamilton, of
Plymouth, struck Jim Matchen,
tbout six, son of Mr. and Mrs.
lames Matchen, of Plymouth, as
he boy darted from behind an
ipproaching ear on Wilson Street
lear Golf Road. Dr. Bray said the
>oy received a badly broken left
high bone and minor chest
>ruises. He was sent to a Rocky
(fount hospital.
To make the day’s events even
nore incredible, Harold Johnson
vas hit and bruised! by a 1955
Plymouth driven by Douglas
Browning Monday night at the
:orner of Water and Jefferson
streets. A fogged up windshield
s said to have obscured Brown
ng’s vision.
Investigations of the accidents
n Plymouth were made by Offi
er Paul Basnight. No charges
lave been preferred as yet, it is
nderstood.
TO BE HERE SUNDAY j
The Rt. Rev. Thomas H.
Wright, I). D., Bishop of the
Diocese of East Carolina, will
make his official Episcopal visit
to Grace Church, Plymouth and
St. Luke’s Church, Roper, Sun
day, June 5th. He will be at the
Plymouth church for the 11
o'clock service Sunday morning
and at the Roper church at 8
o'clock in the evening. At both
services he will administer the
Apostolic Rite of Confirmation
and will preach. The public is
cordially invited to attend each
service.
Explains Observer Corps
Program lo Juniors, Seniors
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Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, supervisor
of the Plymouth Ground Observ
er Corps post, spoke to the juniors
and seniors of Plymouth High
School in the school auditorium
Friday of last week.
Dr. Whitehurst thoroughly ex
plained the ground observer
corps program, cited its vital im
portance in civil defense, and
showed the urgent need for more
volunteer observers at the local ,
post.
At the close of the program 22
juniors and seniors volunteered -
for service with the post, bring- '
ing post strength to 77, 10 of
which are ladies.
Bloodmobi
June 22 on
The regular quarterly visit of
the Red Cross bloodmobile to
Plymouth is scheduled for Wed
nesday, June 22, it was announced
this week by local blood bank
leaders.
It will be the second visit of the
year to Plymouth by the unit. On
the first visit March 9, 113 pints
of blood were secured, bringing
the total donated in Washington
County since inauguration of the
blood bank program here in De
cember of 1950 to 2,150 pints.
The visit June 22 will be the
18th to the county.
Dr. E. W. Furgurson, a local
blood bank leader, stated yester
day that he had been notified
Large Crowds al
Finals ai Roper,
Creswell Schools
♦
Diplomas, Special Awards
Presented at Final Exer
cises at County Schools
Monday, Tuesday
Programs of interest and good
attendance marked school clos
ings at county schools, with Roper
High School finals being conclud
ed Monday night of this week,
and Plymouth and Creswell Tues
day of this week.
The commencement sermon was
preached at Roper High School
Sunday morning at 11 o’clock by
the Rev. William F. Ambrose, ol
Pleasant Hill Christian Church,
Gasburg, Va. The three concepts
of vision, passion and action were
stressed.
The commencement address
was delivered at the school Mon
day night by the Rev. Robert
Bradshaw, pastor of the First
Methodist Church, Wilson. Diplo
mas were presented to the grad
uatees by L. E. Hassell, sr., Chair
man of the county board of edu
cation. The salutatory address
was made by Barbara Spruill and
the valedictory by Margaret Ann
Mizelle. Mascots were Linda Tess
and Tex Barnes.
Awards went to Peggy Mizelle,
music and home economics; Marry
Jean Phelps, commercial and
scholarship; Frances Marriner,
citizenship; Avner Sa/wyer, dra
matics; Dian Spruill, activities;
Juanita Hassell and Buck Daven
port, typing; Jackie Skiles, book
keeping; Elfreth Alexander, soc
ial science; Annette Nicholson,
school spirit; Jenny Lamm, spell
ing.
Sunday at 8 p. m. the Rev.
Kelly Ingraham, pastor of the
First Methodist Church of Eliza
beth City, give the commence
ment sermon at Creswell High
School.
The commencement address
was delivered at the school Tues
day night by Dr. J. K. Long, head
of the department of education at
Bast Carolina College, Greenville.
Diplomas were presented to the
graduates toy Roy F, L* wry, sup
erintendent oft county schools.
The salutatory address was
given by Loreta Ann Snell, and
the valedictory by Geraldine
Davenport.
The Ruritan Club High School
Citizenship awards went to Paul
Bolanga and Gloria Patrick.
Seniors receiving diplomas
numbered/ 25 at Creswell and 17
at Roper.
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Rainfall Sunday Is
Quarter-Inch Here
Crops and gardens in the coun
ty were helped additionally dur
ing the past week-end by a total
precipitation of .24 of an inch,
according to figures released at
the weather station, Tide Water
Test Farm, near here.
Rain which fell Sunday night
contributed the bulk of total pre
cipitation for the period, but the
rain was not so heavy as that
ivhich fell in some nearby areas,
rhe reading for the 24-hour per
ior ending at 6 p. m. Sunday
showed .07 of an inch, while the
■eadings ending at the same hour
Monday and Tuesday showed .15
ind .02, respectively.
The low temperature reading
ruesday was recorded at 50 de
frees, though there were reports
hat temperatures in some parts
>f the state fell as low as the
ipper 30’s during the night.
The lowest reading during May
zame on the 16th with a reading
>f 45 degrees, contrasted with the
ligh of 78 degrees for that day.
digh readings ranged in the 80’s
m many days during the period,
rhe first week of May was hot
ind after the middle of the
nonth temperatures again soared.
:le Returns
that the quota to be sought June
12 would be 100 pints. However,
Dr. Furgurson said, it is expect
ed that the quota will be in
creased since more than 80 pints
>f blood have been used at the
Washington County Hospital in
:he past month. There have been
several emergencies, it was said,
md Dr. Furgurson declared, “At
east six lives have been saved
n the past three months through
jse of blood made available here
ay the blood bank program.”
Local leaders of the program
ire hoping for a strong response
vhen the bloodmobile calls June
12. Details of the visit will be
mnounced later.