T'own
opics
:S
The Bosie Bateman Post No.
4023, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
rece’ived publicity in the June issue
of The VFW Leader, official publi
cation of the North Carolina En
campment, Veterans of Foreign
Wars of the United States. The pa
per carried a Weaver Studio photo
of Melvin Boyd and Dr. Claudius
McGowan standing behind the in
cubator which the post gave to the
Washington County Hospital some
time ago. Funds with which to pur
chase the incubator were raised
with a bread sale and $61.50 on
4 hand from the project was subse
■V quently donated to the Washington
County Empty Stocking Fund.
2/Lt. Lawrence D. Jones, jr., is
spending a few weeks here with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Jones,
after receiving his wings and com
mission upon graduating from an
Air Force flight school at Webb
AFB, Big Spring, Texas, on June
15. He arrived Wednesday of last
week and will be home until July
20, when he is to report to Gary
AFB, San Marcos, Texas, for train
ing with a helicopter squadron.
Upon completion of an 11-week
course there, he expects to receive
an assignment as helicopter pilot
with an operational outfit. Young
Jones graduated from Plymouth
High School and attended State
College for two years before enter
ing the Air Force in March of last
year as a cadet.
Chief of Police P. W. Brown re
turned to a Rocky Mount hospital
yesterday morning for a check-up
and expected to remain there for
several days. He had not been feel
ing well for several days and de
cided to go back and let the doc
tors there try to find out if any
thing is wrong. The chief was sup
posed to take things easy when he
returned to his duties here several
months ago, after suffering a ser
ious attack last December, but he
has been gradually stepping up the
pace, and many of his friends think
he has been working too hard. He
was accompanied to Rocky Mount
yesterday by C. M. Beasley, who
was to return later in the day.
Mr. and Mrs. Omega Rogers and
children, Marvin, Martha Louise
and Allen, returned Tuesday after
spending two weeks visiting rela
tives and friends in Orlando, Jack
sonville and Panama City, Fla.
Omega and his son, Marvin, played
a number of the Florida golf
cour > .v^ile they were down
there, and the youngster came
home one-up on his dad for the
entire series of matches.
2/Lt. David T. Read, jr., son of
Mr. and Mrs. D. Tayloe Read, of
Plymouth, has been assigned to the
U. S. Air Force Supply School at
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base
in Cheyenne, Wyo., according to a
letter received by his parents this
week. Young Read, an AFROTC
graduate of East Carolina College,
Greenville, reported for active duty
with the Air Force in April and
has been stationed at Texas bases
> since that time.
-*
nevised School
Code Discussed
«
Four members of the Washing
ton County Board of Education and
County Superintendent of Schools
R. F. Lowry attended a special
conference Monday of this week at
West Greenville Elementary School
to discuss the revised public school
code.
The meeting was one of four held
in North Carolina and served the
^ area east of Raleigh. Other meet
ings were held at Salisbury June
24; Asheville June 25; and Raleigh
June 28.
Advance copies of the new school
code furnished by the printer were
used in a discussion concerning
changes in the law and its interpre
tation.
Dr. Charles F. Carroll, state sup
erintentent of public instruction,
presided. Representatives from the
attorney general’s office, control
ler’s staff and department of pub
lic instruction assisted in the dis
cussion.
h The public school laws were
■ completely rewritten by the last
general assembly, it was explained,
and the revised code is soon to be
released.
Board of education members
from this county attending were
Chairman L. E. Hassell, sr., and J.
Whitford Swain, both of Roper;
J. W. Norman and Mrs. K. S.
Trowbridge, both of Plymouth. The
other member, P. B. Belanga, of
Creswell, was unable to be present.
Crop Measuring Finished in County
Field work was completed in
this county Friday of last week on
the measurement of crop plantings
under acreage control, the local
ASC office reported. There will be
some remeasurement work in all
likelihood, however.
There were 14 crop reporters
who worked during the month of
June to measure the acres and
acres planted to control crops such
as tobacco, peanuts and cotton in
the county. There were two spot
checkers who reviewed the worl
of the reporters for accuracy. Thi;
work was under the immediate su
pervision of J. Whitford Swain
county compliance supervisor.
Notices of excess tobacco acre
age have been mailed to all coun
ty growers whose crops measurec
in excess of their allotment, Coun
ty ASC Office Manager Mirian
Ausbon stated Wednesday.
Miss Ausbon said quite a fev
growers had overplanted on tobac
co, peanuts or cotton but that most
expected to get within the pre
scribed acreage. She estimated that
roughly 30 per cent of those plant
ing any of the above-listed three
acreage-control crops in the coun
ty were over their allotments.
Growers having any doubt as tc
the accuracy of crop measurement
may request remeasurement by de
positing the minimum rate at the
county office, it was said.
The Roanoke Beacon
and Washington County News ★★★★★★
*★★★★★
Bareag8aaBai|iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiimi.uiiiii.!u.iii]Jnijiig
A borne newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,000 people.
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 26
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, June 30, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1889
| PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
■ -
CLASS OF 1930 AT REUNION HERE RECENTLY
Pictured here are 19 of the 21 living members of the 1930 graduating class ot riymoum nigh
School. The photo was made Saturday, June 18, at the reunion held at the high school cafeteria. It
was the first get-together for the group. The class numbered 22 but one member, Elsie Lane, died short
ly after finishing school. Two were unable to be present for the occasion—Tony Holton, of Fayetteville,
Tenn., and Wallace Conklin, who lives in California. Shown above, left to right, front row: Mrs. W. J.
Highsmith, Hamilton; Mrs. Irving Linebaugh, and Mrs. W. II. Bowers, both of Hagerstown, Md.; Mrs.
James Williamson, Norfolk, Va.; Mrs. R. S. Childrey, Columbus, Ga. class prophet; Mrs. Tom Brown,
Greenville, valedictorian; Mrs. Clyde Revels, Williamston, salutatorian; Mrs. Ivan Brown, Durham, his
torian; Mrs. Roy Davenport, Plymouth; second row, same order: Burl Gurganus, Plymouth; Mrs. Bur
ton Sellers, Norfolk, Va.; Lewis Edward Davenport, Winston-Salem; Mrs. Linwood Brown, Plymouth;
Mrs. Roger Le Tendrc, Miami, Fla.; Edison Allen, Durham RFD; Mrs. L. L. Sawyers, Plymouth; Miller
Warren, Plymouth; Mrs. L. C. Gilliam, Knoxville, Tenn., president; Miss Modic E. Cooper, Norfolk, Va.
L. II. Hubble, now of Marion, Va., was principal of the school in 1930. Other guests included husbands
and wives of class members, J. W. Norman, former county superintendent, several 1930 faculty mem
bers and present principle and Mrs. J. S. Fleming.—Weaver Studio photo.
For Holiday Monday
Full Addresses
Important/Said
It is important that registrants
communicating with the local
draft board give their complete
address, Mrs. Lorraine Hunter,
board clerk, emphasized this
week.
Mrs. Hunter said cousiderable
trouble has arisen where hegis
trants i?ting in Plymouth fail to
give street address. The name of
registrant and town is not suf
fient, she said. Registrants should
remember that it will be easier
on them and the post office de
partment if full addresses are
used, since it will insure better
delivery of mail, the clerk added.
Sign - Up Period
For Cost - Share
Set for County
-+
Period To Run From July 1
To July 29; Eight Prac
tices Approved by County
ASC Committee
A period from July 1 to July 29
has been established by the county
ASC committee as “Fall Sign-Up
Time” for requesting federal cost
sharing in carrying out soil or wat
er conservation practices on farms
in the county, it was announced
this week.
However, the announcement add
ed, so long as funds are available
in the county pool requests will
continue to be accepted after July
29.
Total funds available for carry
ing out fall practices are $6,701.40
so county ASC officials urge that
farmers who wish to cooperate in
the program come to the county
office and make request as early as
possible.
In order to receive cost-sharing,
a request must be made and ap
proval given before beginning per
formance of the practice. All re
quests will be considered by the
county committee and approvals
given according to need and funds
available, it was stated.
The following fall practices have
been approved by the committee
1. Additional vegetative cover in
crop rotation; 2. Forest tree plant
ing; 3. farm ponds for livestock; 4.
forest improvement; 5. open ditch
drainage; 6. tile drainage! 7. win
ter cover crop; 8. year-round cover.
With Exception of Pulp Mill,
Practically All Business
Here Will Halt for Inde
pendence Day
With the Fourth (Independence
Day) falling on Monday a long
week-end is coming up and will be
a general holiday in Plymouth.
Practically all business houses
will be closed all day Monday and
the regular half-holiday closing
will also be observed next Wed
nesday, it is understood.
About the only places of business
to remain open for Monday will
be the restaurants, drug stores and
service stations, it was said, with
some of these places maintaining
regular Sunday hours during the
day.
Two local industrial plants, Atlas
Plywood Corporation and True
Temper Corporation will be virtu
ally shut down for the week of the
Fourth, and in the case of the lat
ter firm, the following week as well
as employees will be on their an
nual vacation.
Office personnel at North Caro
lina Pulp Company will have Mon
day off, resuming work Tuesday at
the usual hour. However, shift
workers will be on duty, enjoying
a paid holiday which calls for time
and a half overtime pay.
There will be no mail deliveries
from post offices on Monday and
no rural service although mail will
be put in lock boxes.
Included in businesses taking the
holiday next Monday are the gar
ages. Patrons are asked to please
note.
Board Meetings
Postponed Here
Since Independence Day falls on
Monday this year all regular
monthly board meetings for town
and county governing bodies will
be postponed, it was learned this
week.
The regular meeting of the
Plymouth Town Council will be
held, instead, Tuesday night of next
week at 8 o’clock. Town Clerk W.
A. Roebuck said the town budget
must be acted upon at the meeting
since the budget must be sent to
the Local Government Commission
at Raleigh next week.
The budget committee composed
of Councilmen Jack Latham, E. D
Keel and J. D. Mallory has already
reviewed the budget estimate, Roe
buck stated.
The county board of education
and the county commissioners have
set their regular July meetings for
Monday, July 11.
Month Is Marked
By Good Rainfall;
Total 5.39 Inches
-» —
Saturday Night Rain Heav
iest of Month; Rain Re
corded on 14 Days of Per
iod at Weather Station
Boosted by almost two inches
of rain last Saturday, June pre
cipitation recorded in this county
stood at 5.39 inches as of Sunday, a
check of records at the weather
station at Tide Water Test Farm
near here showed.
In sharp contrast, June of - >'-54
was dry in this county with total
precipitation for the first 19 days
of the month showing .92 of an
inch.
Besides Saturday’s big rain only
one other day of the month during
which rain fell showed a total
above an inch. That was Saturday,
June 11, when 1.54 inches were
recorded.
Some precipitation was recorded
on 14 days in June through Sun
day as follows:
June 7, .25; 8, .05; 9, .14; 11, 1.54;
12, .05; 14, .05; 18, .11; 19, .6?; 20,
.24; 21, .02; 22, .16; 24, .23; 25, 1.88.
There was a light rain during
the day last Saturday totalin; .20
of an inch, but the real rain uame
just after dark when it came down
in sheets, 1.68 being recorded in a
short while. Small hail fell for
about a minute or so but no dam
age was reported.
The mercury climed to a hi»h of
96 degrees on Tuesday, Ju le 7.
Four other days during the period
it hovered at 90 degrees or ; bove.
High readings on the 21, 22, 23 and
25 showed 90, 92, 91 and 90, re
spectively.
Scouts Here Vf ill
Tour Marine Ease
■■ ■ —
Plymouth Boy Scouts have re
ceived an invitation to visit the
Edenton Marine Air Base Tuesday
of next week, it was learned yes
terday.
Those who plan to make the trip
will assemble at ihe Scout Hut
here at 9 a. m. Upon arrival at the
base they will be conducted on a
tour of the installation and will
enjoy a swim in the Base pool.
Boys making the trip and adults
who accompany them are requested
to bring their own lunch. Also,
more transportation is needed, it
was said. Anyone having transpor
tation to offer should call 206-1,
city. Adults who furnish transpor
tation arc also mviiecl to use tne
swimming pool and make the tour
of the base with the boys.
During the scout meeting at the
hut here Tuesday night a patrol
sign was presented to the Flying
Eagle patrol by Sgt. Frank C.
Baker, of the Edenton Base. The
gift was accepted for the patrol by
the patrol leader.
-®
Wedding Anniversary This
Week for Plymouth Couple
Wednesday of this week marked
the silver wedding anniversary of
Mr. and Mrs. W. Ronald Gaylord
but no particular ceremony was
observed by the couple except to
duplicate a short trip taken by the
newlyweds 25 years ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord were mar
ried at Swan Quarter, June 29,
1930.
i Bloodmobile Unit
Falls Under Goal
Here Lasl Week
Total of 82 Pints Is Second
Lowest Since Program
Was Inaugurated Here in
December, 1950
The Red Cross bloodmobile unit,
on its 18th visit to Washington
County Wednesday of last week,
received 82 pints of blood, the sec
ond lowest total here since inau
guration of the blood bank program
in December 1950 and only the
fourth time that the total has fallen
below 100 pints.
Total number responding was 98
but of these two were too young
and 14 were rejects for one reason
or another.
The only other trip to this county
on which the unit received a small
er total was the third trip, July
zu, 1951, when the set-up was made
at Creswell and the total was 61
pints. Visits December 12, 1952,
and September 8, 1954, the total
also fell under 100 pints—91 and
96 pints, respectively. Highest total,
significantly, followed the lowest.
On the fourth visit, December 13,
1951, 189 pints were donated. Sec
ond high was the 174 pint total
March 12 of last year. The grand
total for the 18 trips to the county
stands at 2,232 pints.
Refreshments were donated and
prepared for the bloodmobile visit
last week by the Plymouth Junior
Woman’s Club of which Mrs. Bor
den Kornegay is president,
i Nurses and other volunteer
i workers were listed as follows:
Misses Elizabeth Wood, Dorothy
Sutton and Blanche Davis; and
Mesdames Lillian Shugar, Harold
- Nelson, Joe Arps, Durand Keel,
W. F. Sessoms, Grace Melton, J. S.
Fleming and E. H. Lloyd.
The list of those responding to
donate blood follows:
i Mrs. Shirley Shelton, Mrs. Lu
. ther Jett, Charlie B. Barnes, Jas
- per P. Turner, Jack Peele, Mrs.
i Thomas C. Culbreth, Mrs. Andrew
• J. Ange, sr., Miss Blanche Davis,
[ Mrs. Jean Doxey, William E. San
dy, Robert Gardner, Hugh F. Per
i kins, Garland Gardner, Nal!,.i.>
[ Phelps, Robert G. West, Miss bor
i othy J. Sutton, Jesse F. Cox;
Jean T. Ambrose, Mrs. Burma
Brown, Frank Bickerstaff, Mrs.
Beulah Bickerstaff, Cecil Styons,
James Riddick, Leslie Darby, Ed
ward W. Stewart, Phil Liverman,
Edward Ach, Lester Norris, Mrs.
"^SeelBLOODMOBli^ErPage 10
- -
Wenona Youth Is
Back From Tokyo
-♦
Airman Second Class Theodore
H. Rosenthal, jr., son of Mr. and
Mrs. T. H. Rosenthal, of Wenona,
arrived home on June 20 after a
ronifl fi'in f rnin Tnlrt;rt Tartan 1
where he has been stationed. He
received a special 60-day furlough,
due to the illness of his father and
mother.
Young Rosenthal left Japan on
June 15th and arrived in Wash
ington, D. C., on the 19th, reaching
his home at Wenona during the
early morning hours of the next
day. He had the unusual exper
ience of observing his birthday
twice en route. It fell on the 16th,
the same day he crossed the in
ternational date line, which turn
ed the calendar back one day and
gave him an extra birthday. He is
due to report to Travis Air Force
Base, Fairfield, Calif., on August
17 for his return trip to Tokyo.
NEW OFFICERS OF JAMES E. JETHRO POST OF AMERICAN LEGION
I
f
1
New officers of the James E. Jethro Post, No. Ifi4, of the American Legion were installed last
Friday night at the Veterans’ Building here. The installation followed a banquet presided over by the
retiring commander, L. Ronald Waters and served by members of the VFW woman’s auxiliary. New of
ficers, "seated around the desk above, are: Hugh Swindell, sergeant-at-arms; J. B. McNair, adjutant; Hu
bert M. Ange, first vice commander; Jim Porter, commander; A. Benton Tetterton, second vice com
mander; W. Ronald Gaylord, service officer; and Dallas Waters, chaplain. Standing are L. R. Waters,
retiring commander, and Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, past commander and installing officer.—Staff photo.
Board Approves Budget,
Health Center, Tax Rate
TRANQUIL SCENE AT PETTIGREW STATE PARK
This photo was made from the head of the old Transportation
Canal leading from Lake Phelps just in front of the Collins House
at Pettigrew State Park, near Creswell. Part of the fence surround
ing the Collins plantation buildings are at the left. The canal is also
the dividing line between Washington and Tyrrell counties, with
Washington on the left and Tyrrell on the right.—Staff photo.
Methodists From
Here Attending
Church Meeting
— —’
Annual Conference of Meth
odists Being Held in Hay
Street Church at Fayette
ville Through Tonight
-4
L. S. Thompson, official dele
gate from Plymouth Methodist
Church, and the Rev. and Mrs.
Jesse H. Lanning left Monday for
Fayetteville where they are attend
ing the general conference of the
first summer meeting of the North
Carolina Methodist Conference.
Some 800 clerical and lay dele
gates were on hand for the four
day meeting at Hay Street Metho
dist Church which opened Monday
afternoon with Bishop Paul N. Gar
ber, of Richmond, Va., presiding.
Governor Luther Hodges ad
dressed the Monday night session,
telling his audience of the hun
dreds of letters he has received
as governor in which he was told
that the writer was praying for
him. Governor Hodges said he was
encouraged by the growth of the
church and the present evangelistic
successes enjoyed by Billy Graham.
A highlight of the conference
will be the reading of ministerial
appointments Thursday night.
Several persons from Plymouth
were expected to attend one or
more of the sessions.
Holding the conference in June
is a departure, from precedent, it
having being held previously in the
late fall.
Leal Market To j
Open August 23 j
Barring changes, Eastern Caro
lina ‘.nbar.so warehouses will
open tiij> 1955 auction selling
season on Tuesday, August 23.
The date, along with opening
dates for various other flue-cured
belts, was approved by the mem
bership of the Bright Belt Ware
house Association which closed
its 11th annual convention at Vir
ginia Beach, Va., yesterday.
Although the association issued
a statement to the effect that
the dates left much to be desired
as far as the organization and
farmers are concerned, it said
“They are the best we can do un
der the circumstances.” Other
openings: Georgia-Florida Belt,
July 21; S. C.-N. C. Border, Aug
ust 3; Middle Belt, Sept. 6, Old
Belt, Sept. 23.
HolidayShutdown
For Local Market
♦
The Plymouth Produce Auction
Market closed Wednesday of this
week for the July 4th holiday, to
reopen for business at 10 a. m.
Tuesday of next week,
This was made necessary by the
general shutdown of produce chan
nels, Mr. Freeman explained. He
said that the local market has been
receiving peppers this week and
termed the quality excellent. Pep
pers have been bringing $1.50 per
nushel, it was stated.
Final Aclion Taken al Spec
ial Meeting of County Of
ficials Tuesday Night;
Rate Again $1.70
-♦
An important called meeting of
the Washington County Board of
Commissioners was held here Tues
day night of this week at which
action was taken relating to the
-ounty budget and tax rate, the
proposed new public library build
ng here, and the proposed Wash
ington County Health Center.
The general county budget, ten
tatively approved recently, and the
:ounty tax rate tentatively set at
fl.70 on the $100 valuation were
ldopted by the board. Total budget
requirements for the new fiscal
/ear are listed at $268,226.90,
smaller by $3,154.66 than that for
the fiscal year ending Thursday
af this week. Total property valu
ation, on the other hand, shows a
?500,000 hike from $10,500,000 to
511,000,000.
Plans for the new library build
ing to be constructed on the corner
af Third and Adams Streets here
were shown to the board by E. M.
Leavitt, a member of the library
board. After considering the plans
the commissioners voted that they
be adopted as presented and that
proper advertisement be made as
required by law for bids toward the
lUIIOtl UV.UUII Ul III V. UUUUUig. i lie
date July 11 was set for receiving
and considering bids.
Earlier this year the commis
sioners allocated $10,000 toward
construction of the new library
building and a lot for the purpose
was given by Mr. and Mrs. Z. V.
Norman. The great need of such a
structure here has repeatedly been
emphasized, it having been pointed
out that the library has grown
tremendously in circulation of
books throughout the county in re
cent years and that it is badly
crowded in its present makeshift
quarters on the second floor of the
county courthouse.
A set of three resolutions relat
ing to the health center project
were adopted by the board Tuesday
night as follows:
“That the board does hereby ap
prove the proposed project to build
a Washington County Health Cen
ter, with the aid of the Federal
Government and the State of North
Carolina, said project to comprise
2,000 feet and to cost approximate
ly $33,350 and the board does here
by appropriate $7,970.60 from the
general fund of this county as the
county’s approximate part of the
total cost;
“That the board does hereby ten
tatively offer to the North Caro
lina Medical Care Commission sev
eral sites that are available to the
county, each comprising not less
than one acre and to which water,
sewer and street facilities are con
veniently available, subject to in
spection and approval of repre
sentatives of the Medical Care
Commission and the State Board
of Health, which site after inspect
ion and approval will be furnished
by this county together with water
and sewer;
“That this board does hereby ap
point Frank L. Brinkley to serve
as official spokesman for the pro
posed Washington County Health
Center and does hereby authorize
and clothe him with the power and
authority to conduct all the neces
See BOARD, Page 10
-$
Truck Overturns,
Avoids Collision
Quick thinking on the part of a
young bread truck driver from
wmiamston averted a collision
here Wednesday morning which
could have been quite serious. As
it was, the truck overturned in the
yard of Mrs. Joe Arps, but the
driver, Lonnie Haislip, came out of
it unscratched, though shaken.
Haislip had completed his rounds
and was en route to Williamston
from Columbia when his brakes
failed at the intersection of US 64
by-pass and NC 32. An unidentified
woman driving a 1954 Chevrolet
north on Highway 32 was entering
the intersection and had the green
light at the time, Haislip related.
In order to avoid a collision Haislip
swerved out and sped across Wash
ington Street, overturning the
truck at the edge of the yard. The
vehicle landed bottom side up and
was later righted by a wrecker.
Some damage resulted to the ve
hicle but there was very little bak
ery products in the truck at the
time. The master brake cylinder
was loose, making the braking sys
tem on the vehicle ineffective. It
was the second time the brakes
had failed on the truck recently,
the driver said.
Officer Foye Davenport investi
gated the accident, terming it un
avoidable.