<
T'own
opics
Draft board registrants might
complain about business connected
with the board, but no complaints
about the appearance of the office
itself are expected. The interior
has been newly painted and now
' the walls are light green while the
floor is battleship grey. The work
was completed Saturday, Mrs. Lor
raine Hunter, board clerk, said.
Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Lowry and
Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Whitehurst
were among those from here who
attended the banquet and annual
meeting of the East Carolina Coun
cil, Boy Scouts of America, in
Jamesville Monday night. The
meeting was held in the Jamesville
School cafeteria.
Assistant County Agent J. L. Out
law will attend the beef cattle con
ference to be held at State College
Wednesday and Thursday of this
week. He will be glad to have any
beef cattle producer in the county
desiring to attend the event to
ride with him. The latest informa
tion on breeding, feeding, use of
stilbesterol in feeding, etc., will be
presented at the conference, it was
said.
Joe Overby, of Smithfield, visited
the Washington County Shrine Club
in his official capacity with the
Supez Club at the meeting of the
JT Shrine Club Monday night at the
Lodge Hall here.
Among persons who will doubt
less be glad when the holiday sea
son is over could be listed the post
office personnel. The rush is al
ways terrific at Christmastime and
this year was no exception, accord
ing to Postmaster J. C. Swain.
Scout Fund Drive
Here Stands $230
Below Set Quota
Total of $1,020 Now in Hand
Chairman Reports; Contri
butions Should Be Mailed
In
0>
*
The annual Boy Scout fund drive
in this county has realized $1,020.
chairman Morris Brobst announced
this week. R. M. Bruce is special
gifts chairman.
The chairman stated that the
Roper community came through in
fine style, raising $133 in just two
weeks under the chairmanship of
Mrs. Beulah Gaylord.
The fund is still open for dona
tions, it was stressed, and those
who have not contributed who de
sire to do so, should mail their con
tributions to Dr. A. L. Whitehurst,
Plymouth. Checks should be made
payable to the East Carolina Coun
cil, BSA, it was explained.
The amount already raised is
some $200 above the amount real
ized in last year’s drive but is short
of the announced quota of $1,250.
Local leaders are anxious that
the goal be met since it could mean
that the county would share a field
representative with two other coun
ties rather than with four other
counties as under the present ar
rangement.
Mr. Brobst, Mr. Bruce and Dr.
A. L. Whitehurst join in thanking
everyone who has supported the
annual campaign for the fine spirit
of cooperation manifested.
-$
Superior Court Term Set
To Open Here January 16
Washington County Superior
, Court is scheduled to open here
Monday, January 16, for a one-week
criminal term, with Judge Chester
^ Morris, of Coinjock, slated to pre
side.
The Washington Count bar is ex
pected to meet within the next
several days for the purpose of
making up the court calendar.
Thanks by Chairman
Empty Stocking Fund
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■a •■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
The heaviest cash contributor
ever to the annual Empty Stockin
Fund here had been made throug
Saturday of last week and the ove:
all finance chairman of the pri
ject, Carl L. Bailey, sr., of Plyn
outh, issued the following stati
ment in appreciation of the splei
did response:
“Thank you! You are the fines
people on earth. When the Empt
Stocking Fund drive began it wa
known that adverse conditions ha
caused the need to be greater, an
a goal of $2,500.00 was set. Tha
s was one fourth greater than ever
a before. The ability of many, and
ij particularly our farmers, to con
' tribute was less. You have respond
ed as God has been good to you,
and as of this morning—Saturday—
contributions exceed $2,250.00. I
believe the goal of $2,500.00 will
i- be reached by Monday. In the spirit
of Christmas I thank every one of
t you. May your Christmas be mer
y rier for having helped to make it
s merrier for those less fortunate!
1 “Carl L. Bailey, Chairman Fin
i ance Committee, Empty Stocking
t Fund.”
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News
★ ★★★★★
HI I
A home newspaper dedicated jjj
to the service of Washington iil
County and its 13,MO people. |[j
ESTABLISHED 1S89
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 51
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 22, 1955
OVER 2,500 HERE FOR ANNUAL SANTA CLAUS VISIT FRIDAY AFTERNOONJ
Stocking Fund Boxes
Are Being Delivered
I Risky To Leave
! Money in Store
Police Chief P. W. Brown to
day issued a reminder to all
merchants to take their receipts
to the bank and not risk leaving
money in the store over the holi
day season.
“A lot of robberies are taking
place around here,” the chief
commented. What is that old say
ing about an ounce of prevention,
or something?
Lake Phelps Legion Post
Sponsors Dance on 23rd
Creswell. — A Christmas dance
will be held on Friday night oi
this week, sponsored by the Lake
Phelps Post No. 391, of the Ameri
can Legion. The dance will being
at 9 p. m. and music will be fur
nished by Homer Zirkle and the
former Earle Zirkle Orchestra, of
Rocky Mount.
Food Hems, Fruit, Candy,
Etc., Boxed by Volunteer
Workers for Distribution
To Needy Families
Deliveries of Empty Stocking
Fund Christmas packages of food,
toys and miscellaneous items to
needy families throughout the
county were scheduled to begin
Tuesday and be completed the fol
lowing day, James H. Ward, chair
man of the project, reports.
Tuesday was listed for deliveries
in Plymouth Township, with Wed
nesday morning set aside for de
liveries in Lees Mill Township and
Wednesday afternoon for deliver
ies in Skinnersville and Scupper
nong Townships.
Items of clothing and shoes will
have to be given out by appoint
ment and this will be done after
Christmas. Needy families will be
fitted with clothes and shoes after
the Christmas rush is over. But
the boxes packed here by volun
teer workers and containing fruit,
candy, toys, etc., were to be dis
tributed in time for Christmas.
The tremendous task of packag
ing was slated to begin Tuesday
morning, according to the schedule
announced by the chairman, and
to continue until completed. The
auditorium of the county Agricul
ture Building is again being used
for this work.
The project is sponsored in the
county each year by the Plymouth
Rotary Club in an effort to bring
holiday cheer to the needy. Last
year about 300 families were ma
I terially helped by the project.
Assisting the Rotarians are other
groups and individuals who volun
teer a great deal of time to the
undertaking. The welfare depart
ment has always given strong sup
port and each year furnished a list
of needy cases which is added to by
suggestions from individuals.
More than 700 persons in the
county have been helped the past
several years. The need is perhaps
greater than ever this year.
“I'll be seeing you,” Santa
Claus above is telling the chil
dren in a crowd of more than
2,500 at the conclusion of his an
nual visit here last Friday after
noon, during which he received
several hundred letters and dis
tributed more than 1,100 bags of
candy to the youngsters. The
kids are depending on him to
keep his word this week-end,
too. Despite the bitterly cold
weather last Friday, the crowd
was almost as large as last year’s
record-breaker, and Santa was
given a tremendous ovation when
he mounted the platform in front
of the city market building, fol
lowing a parade by high school
bands and drills by Washington,
Plymouth and Union High School
majofettes. That’s Tom Hopkins,
master of ceremonies, at the
microphone, while W. J. Weaver,
back to camera, was one of a
large number of men required
to man ropes preventing the
children from literally “mob
bing” old Santa. The small photo
below shows a portion of the
line of children extending down
east Water Street as they march
ed by to greet Santa and receive
their bags of candy. — Staff
photos.
Pinetown Woman
Fatally Burned
Early Saturday
-4
Mrs. Levin Wallace Over
come by Smoke anc
Fumes After Returning
Inside To Seek Husband
Mrs. Levin Wallace was fatallj
burned in a fire which destroyec
her home two miles west of Pine
town early last Saturday.
The 27-year-old Mrs. Wallace, the
former Miss Evelyn Alligood, wa:
said burned beyond recognitior
when she went back into the blaz
ing house to sec about her hus
band. Reports stated Mrs. Wallace
had helped her two children anc
a nephew from the house before
going back to seek her husband
The latter, a veteran who has beer
taking medical treatment since
World War II, made his way tc
safety.
Mrs. Wallace, reports stated, wai
overcome with smoke and fumes
and could not get out.
The home was burned to the
ground, the loss estimated at $8,
000.
The children, two girls aged six
and nine, and the nephew of Mr
Wallace, aged 15, escaped injury
Reports said the family had beer
engaged in painting inside the
house and had worked until about
midnight Friday. It is believed that
the fire broke out between 1 and
2 a. m., the result of a faulty flue.
Funeral services were held Sun
day at 2:30 p. m. from Rosemary
Church of Christ by George W,
BonDurant, of Elizabeth City. Bur
ial was in the Alligood Cemetery,
Community Sing
Monday Night Is
Well Attended
-•
Large, Enthusiastic Crowd
At First in Series of
Events; Other Programs
Wednesday and Friday
A large and enthusiastic crowd
attended the first of a series of
three community Christmas sings
here Monday night.
The event is being held in front
of the City Market Building on
Water Street with massed choirs
offering carols and special num
bers.
The Rev. P. B. Nickens, pastor of
Ludford Memorial Baptist Church,
served as master of ceremonies
Monday night. The event opened
at 7 o’clock with the carol, “The
First Noel.” Prayer was offered
by the Rev. J. H. Lanning, local
Methodist minister. A solo by
Charles Hutchins, “The Holy City,”
with Beulah Cratch as pianist, was
featured. Other numbers by the
choir included “It Came Upon a
Midnight Clear,” “O Little Town
of Bethlehem,” “White Christmas”
and the ever popular “Jingle
Bells.”
Programs are to be given again
Wednesday night and Friday night
at the same time and place. The
Rev. E. M. Spruill is listed as mas
ter of ceremonies Wednesday night
and the Rev. C. N. Barnette on
Friday night.
The Wednesday night program
features a solo number by Myrtle
Gray Jackson, with Shep Brinkley
as pianist, while on Friday night
Mrs. Darrel Cahoon will render the
solo number with Mrs. W. D. Wal
ke- a* -he mar"
-» -
Tax Supervisors,
Listers in Meet
A special meeting of the Wash
ington County Board of Commis
sioners, the county tax supe, visor
and the tax listers of the various
townships is being held Monday
night of this week at the court
house here.
Purpose of the meeting is to ad
minister the oath of office to the
supervisor and list takers and to
establish uniform prices for listing
livestock, poultry and other such
items of property in the annual
listing which is held during the
month of January.
Hubert L. Davenport, of Skin
nersville, is county tax supervisor,
and list takers, by townships, are:
Dewey S. Spruill, Scuppernong
Township; Wade S. Hardison, Lees
Mill Township; W. W. White, Skin
nersville Township; and W. A. Roe
buck, Plymouth Township.
Beacon Office C losed j
Until December *27th \
The Roanoke Beacon office will
be closed after Tuesday, Decem
ber 20, through Monday, Decem
ber 26, reopening for busienss
Tuesday morning, December 27,
at the usual hour. This is one of
the few holiday occasions observ
ed by the newspaper and staff
members will vacation and ob
serve the Chirstmas holidays at
the same time.
This issue of The Beacon was
printed and mailed ahead of the
regular schedule in order to
make the week of closing possi
ble. The following issue of the
paper may possibly be a bit late
but every effort will be made
to get it printed and in the post
office sometime Thursday of that
week.
The Beacon staff wishes to
every reader and advertiser a
Merry Christmas and a Happy,
Prosperous New Year.
Holiday Periods
For Local Firms
Most Business Houses Clos
ing Monday and Tuesday;
County Offices To Reopen
Wednesday Morning
Varied Christmas holiday sched
ules will prevail among Plymouth’s
industrial, institutional and busi
ness establishments this season,
with the closing ranging all the
way to 12 days, the length of the
holiday period to be enjoyed by
faculties and student bodies of the
various county schools.
Classes were dismissed at noon
Tuesday at all schools and the regu
lar schedule will be resumed Mon
day, J’fiuary 2, 1956.
Tb . majority of stores and other
businesi establishments in town,
other than restaurants, drug stores
and service stations, will be closed
from Saturday night of this week
..until Wednesday morning. Decem
UMial opi ung hour,
giving erltyloyees Chri-nnias Day,
Monday and Tuesday off.
However, there are some places
of business that will reopen Tues
day morning, among them chain
stores such as Belk-Tyler’s, A&P,
Rose’s, Leder Bros., and possibly
others.
The banks will close Saturday
and reopen Tuesday morning at
the usual hour.
The garages, it is reported, will
be closed Monday after Christmas
and reopen Tuesday morning at the
usual hour.
The plant of True Temper Cor
poration here will close Monday
after Christmas and also Monday
after Now Year’s.
Friday, Saturday and Monday
will be observed as holidays by
state offices and federal offices are
expected to observe about the same
schedule. County offices will be
closed beginning Saturday and re
open Wednesday morning after
Christmas, it was said.
It was explained that it was felt
See CLOSINGS, Page 8
I City Tags Go On j
! Sale January 2 j
Plymouth city motor vehicle
license plates will go on sale
Monday, January 2, City Cle.lk
W. A. (Bill) Roebuck announced
this week.
The plates are black on orange
to match the state license plates
for 1956 and were made at Cen
tral Prison, Raleigh, this year.
The city has been getting its tags
from Baltimore, Md., in the past.
Estimated 2,500
Or So. See Santa
Ilf|e riday
Large Crowd Braves Cold
Weather, Bitter Wind for
Event; About 1,700 Bags
Candy Given Out
A crowd estimated at between
2,500 and 3,000 persons including
children of all ages ringed in the
platform in front of the City Mar
ket Building last Friday afternoon
for the parade and Santa's annual
visit to Plymouth.
A special contingent of majo
rettes from Washington and bands
from Plymouth High School and
Washington County Union School
at Itoper drew great ovations for
their performances.
It was a cold afternoon with a
bitter wind but many both young
and old braved the weather to
watch the parade, listen to the
Christmas music and watch Santa
as he received letters from the
See SANTA, Page 5
Special Services
At Many Churches
County This Week
Good Attendance Reported
Sunday Night at Churches
Holding Christmas Pro
grams
-♦
Special Christmas programs were
given at several churches here and
in the county Sunday night, but at
some of the other churches the
Christmas programs are scheduled
for later in the week.
Among these is Plymouth Pres
byterion Church wheer a panto
mime of the first Christmas was
scheduled for presentation Tues
day at 7 p. m,, under the direction
of Mesdames Robert Combs, R.
Vernon Jeter and K. S. Trowbridge.
A part for church members and
their friends was slated to follow
the pantomime.
Members of church and Sunday
School at Roper Pentcostal Holi
ness Church were scheduled to
present the pageant, “The Holy Na
tivity,” Tuesday at 7:30 p. m. A
cordial invitation to the public was
extended by the pastor, the Rev.
Raymond Potter.
The special service at Trinity
Free Will Baptist Church, located
on Highway NC 99 near Pungo,
was set for Wednesday night, be
ginning at 7 o’clock. The program
as announced by the Rev. Hubert
Burress, of Saratoga, features a
pageant. “Why the Chimes Rang.”
A cordial invitation has been ex
tended to the public to attend this
service.
The adult choir at Zion’s Chapel
Church of Christ, near Roper, will
give the cantata, “The Music of
Christmas,” Christmas Sunday
inght, the minister, R. L. Gardiner,
has announced. This program will
be dramatied zby beautiful colored
pictures of the even* surrounding
the birth of Christ, the announce
ment stated. The public is wel
come.
The programs already presented
went off well, it is understood, and
were enjoyed by large crowds.
Banks Here Will
Give Scholarship
To Short Course
-- f
Award Open lo Outstanding
Young Farmer of County
To Be Selected by Special
Committee
Planters National Bank and Trust
Company and Branch Banking and
Trust Company here will again
sponsor a young county farmer at
the annual short course in modern
farming to be held at N. C. State
College February 6-17, 1956.
The two banks are jointly offer
ing a scholarship to cover the ex
penses of attending the short
course to an eligible farmer to be
selected. Expenses, including regis
tration fee, room, board, insurance,
basketball ticket and banquet,
amount to $64.70.
The program is conducted by the
School of Agriculture at the West
Raleigh college and covers poultry,
marketing, field crops, farm plan
ning, soils and fertilizers, farm
mechanization, horticulture, live
stock and forestry.
The two-week intensive course
consists of lectures, discussions and
tours. The course is open to a se
lect group of young farmers of the
state who, because of their interest
in better agriculture, are chosen
from their respective counties.
Those who desire to attend
should request an application from
county agent or banker, fill out
and return to the county agent. All
applications must be received by
the county committee by Saturday,
January 14, 1956. County selections
will be made not later than Janu
ary 21.
To be eligible the young farmer
must intend to farm and not plan
to go to college, have an outstand
ing 4-H Club or FFA record, and
must not have attended previous
short courses in modern farming.
The selectee will be expected to
bring with him an outline map of
his farm showing acreages in each
field and inventory information re
lating to the farm. A long-range
plan for the farm will be worked
out during the course, it was said.
150 boys from the state will attend.
Recipent of the scholarship
award in this county for the past
year was Leon Dunbar, of Wenona.