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K"T i'ii;
Old Glory continued to wave
from the flagpole atop the post of
fice here yesterday but one thing
is certain—the various and sundry
hurricanes and assorted high winds
have done that particular flag abso
lutely no good whatsoever. In fact,
the flag is pretty well tattered
what with all that flapping in the
breeze. A new one is definitely
indicated.
No trains have crossed the rail
road bridge over Albemarle Sound
near here since last Thursday, a
spokesman at the Norfolk South
ern Station here stated late yester
day. The water is too high to per
mit testing the pilings, it was said.
Everything has been checked above
the water level, however. The water
level must drop before the pilings
supporting the structure can be
tested and no trains will attempt
to cross before that time, it was
stated.
Ken Trowbridge has been secur
ed to fill the vacancy as lifeguard
at the Country Club swimming
pool here caused by the resignation
of Ed Taylor, who has accepted
a faculty position at Clinton. Ken,
former Plymouth High football
star who later starred in frosh foot
ball at N. C. State and who is
counted on for considerable back
field duty on the Wolfpack varsity
this coming season, will serve as
lifeguard at the pool
Friends of Roy Manning will be
glad to know that he is doing very
well at Washington County Hos
pital where he has been since Sat
urday of last week. Roy is getting
a sort of “enforced vacation” but
is doubtless anxious to get back to
his business and he expects to be
“out-talking them” again soon.
Damage estimated at $50,000 re
sulted to 34 cottages at Atlantic
Beach during the recent big blow
and additional damage was done to
piers but a local man who owns a
motel there escaped serious
damage. R. L. Hollowell, manager
of the Belk-Tyler store here, said
this morning that the chief damage
to his property was to a large neon
sign.
Elvin Adams, tenant on the A. J.
Riddle farm, estimates his tobacco
loss from the effects of the hurri
cane at 200 sticks an acre. Others
have estimated such damage as
high as 100 sticks.
Market Volume
Ahead oi 1954
Volume on the Plymouth Pro
duce Auction Market this season
is running ahead of last year—the
first year the market operated here
—although due to lower prices for
most commodities the amount of
money paid out to growers is less.
W. T. Freeman, market manager,
stated today that patronage has
come from a much wider area this
year, showing the growth of the
market and the confidence in which
it is held by growers from many
counties in this part of the state.
Mr. Freeman said patrons have
come from such communities as
Bethel, Grimesland and Pactolus in
Pitt County; Vanceboro in Craven
County; Bayboro in Pamlico Coun
ty; Hamilton, Jainesville, Farm
Life and Bear Grass in Martin
County; Aurora and Chocowinity in
Beaufort County; and from Tyrrell,
Chowan, Hyde and Perquimans in
addition to Washington County.
The market is still receiving pep
pers on order. Peppers will be so
received Tuesday and Wednesday
of next week, Mr. Freeman stated.
Good volume is expected on those
days.
Every grower who wants to pick
peppers for the market here should
contact either Mr. Freeman or
James H. Ward, of Plymouth, a
partner in the firm, it was said.
GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONIES FOR CHURCH BUILDING HELD RECENTLY
Ground-breaking ceremonies for the new auditorium of the Zion’s Chapel Church of Christ near
Roper were held Sunday, August 7, heralding the beginning of an expansion program greatly needed by
the congregation. Sufficient classroom space for the Bible School is the chief need. Upon the completion
of the new block-and-brick structure, the present building will be divided into classrooms and there will
be a connecting classroom between the two buildings. Currently three classes are meeting together in
the auditorium, and the crowded condition in the children’s rooms tells the story of the doubled at
tendance since the days of construction of the present classrooms. In the foreground left to right:
Richard Gardiner, minister, and Mrs. Gardiner, Mrs. Milton Chesson, R. W. Lewis, chairman of the
Board, turning the first spade of dirt, H. C. Harrison, Building Fund Treasurer, and L. E. Hassell,
neighbor who gave land on which to move the Hortontown Road to provide enough space for the new
building. Back row: P. A. Otts, Mayo Modlin, W. J. Skiles, Cecil Styons, Walter Grimes, John Spruill,
and Richard Davenport. Some of the choir is seen in the background.
The
★ ★★★★★
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 33
Roanoke Beacon
and Washington County News *★*★★★
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 18, 1955 ESTABLISHED 1889
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,004 people.
IF THIS LOOKS LIKE THE VENICE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY JUST BLAME CONNIE
The above photos were made Friday afternoon right here in
Plymouth and judging by what they show the town could at least
for a while have laid claim to being the Venice of Washington
County, or something. It was Connie’s fault, of course. River
water backed up and inundated the yard at True Temper Corpora
tion plant, the level being almost up to the porch at the office.
The other scene shows water from the canal at the foot of West
Main Street covering a low place in the street.—Staff photo.
Heavy Damage To
Crops by Hurricane
{SumsUp Story
! Wind and Water
Hazel was long on wind
damage; and Connie on water
damage. That about sums it up.
A check of weather station fig
ures at Tidewater Research Sta
tion near here shows that a total
of 1.10 inches of rainfall accom
panied Hazel here last October
15, and, incidentally, that was
the only precipitation here for
that month.
What Washington County felt
of Hurricane Connie was accom
panied by heap much water, on
the other hand. Last Friday’s
precipitation alone totaled 5.04
inches, while for a six-day period
starting last Wednesday and end
ing Monday of this week, the
total stood at 8.55 inches.
Creswell Cannery
To Close Tuesday
A. K. Spencer, jr., vocationa
agriculture teacher on the Cres
well High School faculty, wishei
to remind that the Creswell can
nery will close ,for the season a
the end of the day Tuesday of nex
week.
The cannery was operated foi
the most part on Tuesdays am
Thursdays of each week during th<
current season, but in later week;
reduced patronage resulted in one
day-a-week operations.
Mr. Spencer urged that all per
sons who desire to use the can
nery prepare to do so next Tues
day and to remember that it wil
be the last day of operations foi
the year.
Water Damage Greatest As
Some Crops Are Inun
dated; Piers at Albemarle
Beach Swept Away
Although Plymouth and Wash
ington County were "by-passed” by
the main force of Hurricane Con
nie late last week, considerable
damage from wind and water was
reported.
Much of the damage, practically
impossible to estimate, was done to
fieid crops. Corn in the Wenona
section was reported to be under
water and extremely hard hit.
Some very late tobacco was report
ed damaged to a great extent also,
one unofficial report stating that a
field from which only one pulling
had been made was damaged to a
great extent. Soybeans and peanuts
are reported to have withstood the
storm well and in some instances
pastures may have benefitted, ac
cording to farm observers.
Quite a bit of damage was done
at Albemarle Beach where bulk
heads were undermined and piers
swept away.
The family of Paul King escaped
injury when a pine tree measuring
12 inches in diameter was blown
across the roof of the house in
. which they were sleeping Friday
i at 2:30 a. m. near The Pines. The
house is the second on the left from
the store, The Pines, on the way to
Roper on US 64. Considerable
damage was done to the roof of the
, building as well as to plaster in
some of the rooms, it was reported.
Water covered all low places in
the streets and highways and water
' from the Roanoke backed up in
several places and inched toward
the streets.
As in other places, people in this
county had been given ample
warning of the storm’s approach
and were much better prepared
See HURRICANE, Page 7
Special Meeting
Of Commissioners
Here on Tuesday
-»
Resolutions Passed Dedi
cating Site To Public for
Health Center and Nam
ing E. J. Spruill Treasurer
At a called meeting held here
Tuesday night of this week the
Washington County Board of Com
missioners adopted two resolutions
formally dedicating for the public
use the site for the proposed coun
ty health center here, and naming
E. J. Spruill, county
tax collector, treasurer
all funds in connection
health center project.
With the action Tuesday night
the way is now cleared for con
tracting with an architect and the
setting of a date for bids, it was
said. The necessary steps on the
county’s part have been taken and
approval by the state agencies is
expected to be a mere formality.
The project to build a county
health center with the aid of the
federal government and the state
was approved by the commission
ers at a called meeting here June
28th of this year. At that time the
approximate cost for a building to
comprise 2,000 feet of floor space
was given as $33,350. The sum of
$7,970.60 was appropriated by the
county board from the general
county fund as the county's ap
proximate part of the total cost
of the structure.
Several sites available to the
county and deemed suitable for the
purpose and with water, sewer and
street facilities conveniently avail
able were offered for the approval
of representatives of the Medical
Care Commission and the State
Board of Health, approved site to
be furnished by the county to
gether with water and sewer. The
site chosen is a part of the old
county home property and was ex
cepted when that property was sold
by the county to J. L. Horner of
Plymouth sometime ago.
Commissioner H. L. Davenport
moved for the adoption of the first
resolution and Commissioner A. R.
Latham seconded the motion. Text
of the resolution follows:
“Be it resolved, That this board
does hereby dedicate to the public
that part of the old county home
site approved by the North Caro
lina Medical Care Cmmission as the
same was surveyed and platted by
D. J. Brinkley, registered surveyor,
on May 24, 1955, the same being
a parcel of land fronting 95.5 feet
and lying between the lands of
See^COMMISSIONERS, Page 7
-®
Education Board
To Meet Monday
-1
The Washington County Board
of Education will hold its regular
monthly meeting for August on
Monday of next week, it is an
nounced by R. F. Lowry, superin
tend of county schools who serves
as secretary to the board.
Normally the board meets on the
first Monday of each month but
such meetings are often postponed
to a more favorable time in order
to transact special matters without
the necessity for a special called
meeting, it is explained.
The chief item of business on the
agenda Monday is expected to be
the formal approval of some new
teacher contracts, it was said.
12 Sheltered
Here in Storm
Red Cross shelters were again
opened here Wednesday morn
ing of this week, according to
Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, chairman
of the county chapter of the
American Red Cross. However,
Dr. Whitehurst stated early Wed
nesday afternoon that no one had
made use of the shelters to that
time.
Five white and seven colored
persons were sheltered Thursday
night of last week at the veterans
building and the Plymouth
Colored School, respectively, Dr.
Whitehurst reported. “I wish to
take thd nportunitr *o thank
everyone fo. ,'hr .endid co' pe
ratiou in setting up the t.ed
Cross shelters for the first time
ever in this county,” Whitehurst
said.
House Numbering
Project Off to Good
Start in Plymouth
Six Teams of Two Workers
Each Make Good Progress
In Door-lo-Door Calls Dur
ing Lasl Week-End
V
First report on the house-num
bering project currently being
carried on here by the Plymouth
Junior Chamber of Commerce will
be made at the regular supper
meeting of the Jayeees at the May
flower Restaurant Friday night.
Walton Swain, who heads the
special Jaycee committee in charge
of the project, stated late yesterday
afternoon that good progress has
been made on the actual door-to
door contact work, begun last
week-end.
See l<UMBERINGrPage*7
FARMERS OF SECTION NEARING END OF TOBACCO CURING OPERATIONS
A big majority of Washington County fanners are winding up their curing operations for the
current tobacco season, but a week or so ago the above scene was being repeated over and over again
on county farms. In it John H. Jethro (right), assisted by Larry Marslender, 14, and J. C. Styons were
“putting in” a barn of Jethro’s tobacco, produced on E. H. Liverman’s Johnson farm near Plymouth.
In ail, Jethro tended about 7 acres of tobacco this year, and he said his crop appeared to be one of
the best he ever had. In addition to harvesting the remnants of their present crop, farmers of this
section are now busy grading and preparing tobacco for the markets, which open for the 1955 sell
ing season neat Tuesday.—Staff photo.
County Field Crops Good;
Leaf Valued Over Million
Tobacco Markets
Of Belt To Open
SeasonTuesday
-1
County Leaf Expected on
Floors in Several Towns
Of Eastern Belt as New
Selling Season Begins
-i——
Tobacco markets of the eastern
belt will open the 1955 auction
selling season Tuesday of next
week.
Opening day always brings forth
a carnival air as farm families and
other interested spectators flock to
the large warehouses where pile
after pile of golden leaf, row on
row, awaits the inimitable chant
of the auctioneer and the furtive
bids of buyers.
Much of the tobacco crop in
Washington County remains to be
graded for market and some is still
unpulled in the field, but quite a
bit of tobacco grown in the coun
ty is expected to be on the floors
of warehouses at Williamston, Rob
ersonville and Washington, as well
as some at other markets of the
belt.
Some county leaf has found its
way to border markets. Several
county growers have come togeth
ed to send large truckloads to mar
ket on the border and report aver
ages up to about 60 cents.
The crop in the county is ex
pected to be somewhat better than
that of 1954, a recent estimate by
the county agent placing the total
value in excess of a million dol
lars.
Williamston, Robersonville and
Washington annually get the bulk
of the county’s crop, although more
and more growers have been trying
the Windsor market, and a num
ber o' others sell a; such large
mark' ts as Greenville Wilson and
Upo*} Mount.
l/^jflthough some . . rly farm in
come results from tnc sale of truck
crops, the opening of the tobacco
markets of the belt is looked for
ward to eagerly by growers and
businessmen alike as the real start
of the harvest season—when re
wards for capital outlay, toil and
sweat begin to come in. Money al
ways begins to circulate faster and
stepped-up business activity is
seen. Traditionally, tobacco money
is used by the farmer to rid off
debts, but even so it puts fresh
money into the channels of trade.
-•
Revival Meeting Series
To Open at Mt. Hermon
Revival services are slated to be
gin Wednesday night of next week
at Mt. Hermon Methodist Church,
it is announced. The church is in
the Creswell Methodist Circuit and
the pastor is W. Everette Eason.
The announcement stated that
the special services will continue
through Sunday, September 4.
Homecoming will be abserved that
day and dinner will be served on
the grounds.
The Rev. Dewy Tyson, of Fair
field, will be the visiting evange
list.
All persons are cordially invited
to attend.
I Added Grace
I Period Cited
County cotton fanners who
have received notice of over
planted acreage from the county
ASC office and who failed to
make disposition of excess with
in the specified 20-day period im
mediately following receipt of
such notice, may obtain an ex
tension of time.
Mrs. Florence Oliver, perform
ance clerk in the local ASC of
fice, wishes to make it clear to
growers that they may get a 10
day extension in which to dis
pose of excess cotton acreage by
making request in writing to the
county office. The extension does
not have to immediately follow
the original period, it was stated.
Regional Library
Plan for County
Announced Here
Mrs. J. Robert Campbell, ol
Plymouth, Named Chair
man of Three - County
Board of Trustees
Washington County has entered
into a regional library plan with
Tyrrell and Chowan Counties.
The regional plan was perfected
jointly by local library boards rep
resenting the three counties. The
governing body is made Up of three
members from each of the three
counties and is known as the re
gional board.
The following were elected:
Irs. M. S. McMullan, Mrs,
Go ~ge Mack and Thomas Sheppard
of denton, reprt siting Chowan
Cou; v;
KTs. Clali %;K?orris, Mrs. C. Earl
Cahoon and Paul Liverman, of Co
lumbia, representing Tyrrell Coun
ty;
E. E. Harreil and Mrs. J. Roberl
Campbell, of Plymouth, and T. Rey
nold Spruill, of Roper, representing
Washington County.
Mrs. Campbell was elected chair
man of the group.
Mrs. Eugenia Babylon, of Chapel
Hill, was elected and has accepted
the job of regional librarian and
will assume her duties Septem
ber 1. •
Both Mrs. Babylon and Mrs. Eliz
abeth H. Hughey, secretary and di
rector of the North Carolina Li
brary Commission, were present al
a recent meeting of the regional
board held in Edenton.
The local librarians, who arc
paid from local funds, will be re
tained in each of the counties.
Mrs. Babylon will be paid from
state funds and she will serve
each of the three counties in the
region equally.
Bookmobile service will be ex
tended to all residents, white and
colored, in the three-county area,
it was said.
Many details will have to be
worked out, however, before book
See LIBRARYrPage~12 ~
Estimate by County Agent
Places Sources of All
Farm Income at Total of
$3,710,000 1 w
As the annual harvest season ap
proaches in this county prospects
for a better all-round return to the
farmer for his expenditure of
money, time, energy and just plain
sweat are good, according to a
rough estimate made by County
Agent W. H. Pruden.
Figuring on the conservative
side, Mr. Pruden came up with an
estimate which is near the three
and three-quarter million dollar
mark. This compares with his esti
mate of last year of two and three
quarter million (which was actual
ly surpassed) and an estimate in
1953 of $3,557,891.
Based on an actual or estimated
acreage of each crop and estimated
yields and price, the county agent’s
figures showed $3,710,000, with
probably enough unlisted items of
a miscellaneous nature to swell the
total appreciably nearer the 3 3-4
million dollar level.
Topping the list as usual, al
though a poor fourth in regard to
acreage planted, is the tobacco crop
which county growers have already
begun to market in a limited way.
Much leaf is expected to be on
warehouse floors of the Eastern
Belt when the auction sales for the
current year begin Tuesday of next
week. Figuring 1,347.8 acres plant
ed in this county at an average
yield of 1,500 pounds an acre and
at an average prize of 50 cents a
pound, Mr. Pruden calculated the
golden weed grown in Washington
County to be worth $1,010,850. This
compares with an estimated $750,
000 last year and $845,000 in 1953.
Next in value is the corn crop
with a planting of 12,000 acres.
Figuring the average yield in the
county at 45 bushels per acre and
an estimated price average of $1.35
a bushel, the total value arrived at
is $729,000. This compares with an
estimate of only $225,000 last
year, but the latter figure was low
mostly because of wind damage. In
1953 the total figure fo>- the corn
crop was placed at $545,398 in the
estimate of that year.
Peanuts stand third in value at
$612,794. This is much better than
the $387,243 total shown in the
1954 estimate. Acreage was placed
this year at 3,367 and average yield
and price figured respectively at
1,400 pounds an acre and 13 cents
a pound.
Soybeans, with a total planting
of 13,000 acres top the list in that
SeeTTELD*C?ROPs7Page~12~*
4
Collon Growers
Gel Information
On Pesl Control
Weevil and Boll worm Infes
tation Indicates Contin
ued Dusting and Spraying
To Save Lint
Information of value to the cot
ton farmer was released this week,
particularly to those with late cot
ton of rank growth.
It will pay to protect half-grown
bolls for a week or 10 days (2 to 3
applications of an insecticide) since
migrating weevils will attack im
mature bolls, it was pointed out.
Each field should be judged ac
cording to the conditions present.
If the cotton is rank, fieids wet
and the crop blown over with the
crop only half made, an airplane
would be the only equipment for
getting into the fields in time to do
much good.
Where bollworms are a problem
alng with weevils, toxaphene, al
drin, DDT or endrin may be used
as a spray or dust. Endrin is a
very poisonous material but will
control weevils and bollworms.
recommendations should be care
fully followed.
Where the bolls are practically
mature but bollworms are present
a 10 per cent DDT dust may be
used. Ground equipment should be
used as long as possible. The dos
age if the cotton is rank should be
increased to from 15 to 20 pounds
an acre.
If an airplane is used growers
should provide a flag man to mark
treated areas. It is difficult, how
ever, to get good applications with
such equipment under present con
ditions due to high winds, trees,
small fields, etc., it was said.
Information on square infesta
tion given in the latest Cotton
News Letter showed average per
centage of punctured squares rang
ed from six per cent in Northamp
ton County to 69 per cent in Bertie
County. Washington County was not
listed but the percentage in neigh
boring Tyrrell was listed as 34.