<*
T'own
opics
KlUU:a!iH::»H3
Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, of Plym
outh, and Mayor Bob Cowen, of
Williamston, attended the district
ilcouncil meeting, East Carolina
^Council, Boy Scouts of America,
held at East Carolina College,
Greenville, Tuesday of this week.
The meeting was presided over by
Dr. J. D. Messick, president of the
college, who is council head. Mr.
Cowen is district chairman and Dr.
Whitehurst is district vice-chair
man.
It will be back to the classroom
for some 3,500 students Monday
morning of next week as all schools
in the county resume the regular
schedules following Christmas holi
days which began Tuesday, Decem
ber 20.
The Rev. R. H. Lucas, of Plym
outh, is conducting funeral serv
ices at the chapel of Oden Funeral
Home in Washington this morning
at 11 o’clock for Mrs. Laura Keaton
Hodges, wife of Alva Clifton
Hodges. Burial is to be in Oakdale
Cemetery there.
Fred Davenport, son of Mr. and
Mrs. E. L. Davenport of Rt. 1,
Plymouth, is one of two students at
East Carolina College, Greenville,
representing the YMCA at the 17th
Quadrennial Conference of the
*Student Volunteer Movement for
Christian Missions at Ohio Univer
sity, Athens, Ohio. The conference
opened Tuesday and continues
through Sunday. Seven other stu
dents at the college are attending
the conference, theme of which is
“Revolution and Reconciliation.”
About half of the 3,000 students
attending are overseas students
studying in the United States.
John W. Darden reports that his
seven living brothers and sisters
were all together to visit with him
Monday of this week. There have
bgen many such get-togethers in
the past but usually one or more
would be absent from the group for
one reason or another. This time
they were all there, aggregating
567 years in age and ranging in
See~TOPICS, Page 12
Tax Listers and
Supervisor Take
Oaths of Office
Sworn in at Adjourned Meet
, Of County Commissioners;
List Prices for Livestock
* Set
The county tax supervisor and
township list takers were sworn
in and prices for listing livestock
and other items of personal prop
erty were established at an ad
journed meeting of the Washington
County Board of Commissioners
held at the courthouse here Mon
day night, December 19.
Members of the board present
were Frank L. Brinkley, chairman,
and A. R. Latham, both of Plym
outh; J. C. Knowles, Roper; H. L.
- ^ftavenport, Skinnersville; and Phil
ip M. Spruill, Creswell.
The oath of office was adminis
tered to the county tax supervisor,
Hubert L. Davenport, and to the
tax listers, W. A. Roebuck, Plym
outh Township; Dewey S. Spruill,
Scuppernong Township; Wade S.
Hardison, Lees Mill Township; and
W. W. White, Skinnersville Town
ship.
Prices were fixed as follows for
uniform personal property listing:
Sheep, $4 and up; goats, $2 and
up; milk cows, $60 to $100; beef
i cattle, 10c a pound; other cattle, 6c
I a pound; poultry, 10c a pound;
■■torses no. 1, $35 and up; horses
^^So*2, $25 and up; mules no. 1, $60
and up; mules no. 2, $25 and up;
meats, 12c a pound; hogs, 8c a
pound; lard, 10c a'pound.
A letter was also received by the
chairman of the board from R. M.
Byrd, jr., in which Mr. Byrd ten
dered his resignation as county tax
assessor with the request that the
resignation become effective Jan
uary 13.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
sasaraHBnassaaHfflarara^BfflBM
A home newspaper dedicated S
to the service of Washington *
County and its 13,M0 people, Ej
ill
VOLUME LXVI—NUMBER 52
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, December 29, 1955
ESTABLISHED 1880
Fail To Obtain Blood
Quota December 21st
i :
j Farm Census Is j
! 01 Great Value !
■.. .
Many farmers seem to think
that the farm census which is
taken each year by tax list
takers has some direct connect
tion with taxes, County Agent
W. H. Prudcn pointed out this
week.
The inventory of crops by
townships is valuable to all agri
cultural agencies in helping to
map a sound and progressive
farm program and actually bene
fits the farmer who gives in the
correct information, the county
agent emphasized. It should be
remembered that the informa
tion is strictly confidential and
in no way has any bearing on
taxes.
Break-in Reported
At Creswell Store
The Creswell ABC Store was
entered sometime last Thursday
night and several cases of whiskey
removed.
Manager Clyde Smithson discov
ered Friday morning that the store
had been entered during the night
and reported the matter to Sheriff
J. K. Reid who hurried to Creswell
to begin an investigation.
Fingerprints weer obtained from
the front door which had been
pried open by the thieves to gain
entry into the store, but the sheriff
said they were not expected to be
of value since the store manager
had handled the door when he
came to work Friday morning.
It is definitely known that eight
cases of whiskey were removed
from the store and possibly 10
cases, it was said.
Cold Spell Hampers
Community Singing
The series of community sings
held here last week as part of the
first annual Community Christmas
Festival proved quite popular, ac
cording to reports.
Carols by a massed choir from
various church choirs in the county
and special solo numbers were pre
sented Monday, Wednesday and
Friday nights.
The weather was quite cold Mon
day and Wednesday nights but wds
much warmer Friday night when
the largest crowd of the series
turned out. The attendance Friday
night was estimated at about 500
persons.
Many compliments were received
by the festival committee on the
decorations, the program and the
staging of the event.
Only 49 Pinls Given Here
As Unit Makes Regular
Quarterly Visit; Next Visit
In March
Only 49 pints of blood were
given here Wednesday of last week
as the Red Cross bloodmobile from
Tidewater Regional Blood Center,
Norfolk, Va., made its regular
quarterly visit to Plymouth. The
total was the lowest in the history
of the program here, possibly due
to the nearness of the date to
Christmas. The quota was 110 pints.
The visit, again jointly sponsor
ed by the local veterans organiza
tions and auxiliaries, was the 20th
to this county. It brought the total
number of pints of blood donated
to the program here to 2,392.
The bloodmobile was located at
the veterans building and donor
hours were from 10:30 a. m. to 4:30
p. m.
Dr. R. Vernon Jeter was doctor
in charge with the following volun
teer workers assisting:
Mesdames W. R. Klass, H. N.
Stephenson, Paul Nickens, Harold
Nelson, John W.ood, Mary Warring
ton, J. S. Fleming, Durand Keel
and W. R. Collins.
Food served as refreshments for
blood donors was given by the
Plymouth Woman’s Club of which
Mrs. Charlie Roberson is president.
The following list of blood don
ors was released:
Herbert V. Sawyer, James D.
Mallory, Dr. R. Vernon Jeter,
George B. Peele, Mrs. Woodrow
Collins, Mrs. Nell Stevenson, Cleve
land A. Cratch, Mrs. Melissa Saun
ders, Mrs. Mabel McCloud;
Mrs. Hattie King, Mrs. Arlease
Jones, Mrs. Julia Gray, Murray
Oliver, Walter Fields, Joe L. Green,
Thomas Ballance, James Roberson,
Robert L. Roberson, William Hoyle,
Paul B. Nickens;
T. P. Sanderson, Jasper Rollins
Swain, Charlie Benson Barnes, Wil
liam Aubrey Dixon, Mrs. Ruth
] Smith, Robert Ange, L. L. Sawyers,
Mrs. Elba M. Clifton, Ronald Wat
ers, Woodrow R. Collins;
Bill Waters, A. L. Whitehurst,
Jack Willoughby, Marion Ramsey,
Fred Davenport, Edward F. Swain,
Merrit D. Browning, Carlyle Hall,
H. E. Newberry, Joe Hedgebeth,
James Lhtham Rea;
Frank C. Bickerstaff, jr., P. G
Liverman, Norman White, Hallet
S. Davis, Julian Brinkley, C. S.
Gardner, Beulah A. Cratch, Jasper
Turner and Dr. Ernest W. Furgur
son.
The next visit to Plymouth by
the bloodmobile is scheduled for
next March.
Polio Fund Drive
To Open Tuesday,
Set $3,000 Quota
Washington County To Join
10,000 Communities in
Launching Annual Fund
Raising Campaign
The annual Washington County
March of Dimes is slated to begin
Tuesday of next week and continue
through the month of January,
Thos. F. Hopkins, director, has an
nounced.
The campaign will be based on
the theme, “Polio Isn’t Licked
Yet.”
The launching of the drive here
will coincide with that in 10,000
communities across the nation.
Millions of dollars in March of
Dimes funds are needed, it is said,
to aid thousands of polio patients
for whom the Salk vaccine came
too late.
Some 68,000 patients all over the
country are now on the rolls of
the National Foundation for Infan
tile Paralysis and it is pointed out
that many more will be stricken
with the dread malady before the
Salk vaccine is administered to all.
Funds are also needed to con
tinue work in scientific research.
That program has already produced
the Salk vaccine which is 60 to 90
per cent effective against the three
types of virus known to cause
polio. Additional research, it is
hoped, will turn up still better
medical weapons.
Rehabilitation also requires a
heavy outlay in order to search out
new methods for care and treat
ment and to provide training for
doctors, nurses and other specia
lists. The minimum need for the
1956 March of Dimes has been set
at $47,600,000.
The goal for Washington Coun
ty has been set at $3,000, Mr. Hop
kins said.
“More than 55 cents of each dol
lar of these funds will go directly
into financing of the medical and
other care essential to those who
have been stricken by polio,” the
director stated. “This includes cost
of maintaining the 14 respirator
centers which the National Founda
tion operates throughout the coun
try for research and demonstration
of new techniques
“By steadily improving the meth
ods of coping medically with polio,
scientists whose work is financed
by the March of Dimes have been
instrumental not only in cutting
down the death rate by more than
half since the National Foundation
was established in 1938, but also
greatly extending the degree of
recovery from crippling disease.”
The local organization of volun
teer workers is expected to be per
fected and announced soon.
Quiet Observance
Of Holidays Here
Marred by Wrecks
Mo Violence Reported But
Several Arrests for Minor
Offenses Are Made Here
During Period
For the most part the Christmas
holiday season was quietly observ
ed in this county, law enforcement
officers report.
Plymouth Police Chief P. W.
Brown said about a dozen arrests
were .made here during the per
iod, all for minor offenses such as
drunkenness, crashing stop lights
and such.
Joe Willie Norman, Skinnersville
Negro about 50 years of age, was
still being treated Wednesday in
an Edenton hospital for injuries
he received when struck by a car
owned by Elton Ainsley.
The accident happened at 3 a. m.
Monday near Elmer Camp’s store
at Skinnersville. The investigation
was made by Patrolraaa L. N
“Red” Walters, of Columbia, and
a detailed report was not available.
Another accident investigated by
Walters happened near Zion’s
Chapel Church at 5 a. m. Sunday
morning when a 1950 Plymouth re
portedly operated by Samuel Biggs,
of Bowling Green, Va., turned over
twice. J. E. Morton, of Roper, a
former highway patrolman who
was a passenger in the car, re
portedly suffered a broken nose
and other injuries requiring hos
pitalization.
Pa.rolman Carl Gilchrist inves
til lt d two accidents, one which
happened at 11:30 p. m. last Thurs
dan_nd the other at 6 p. m. Sat
urttf,.
A 1952 Pontiac operated by Jes
se Linwood Hardison, of Plymouth,
ran off the roadway and overturn
ed on a side road about three miles
fron Plymouth Thursday night.
The iccident was reported the next
morning and investigated by Gil
chris . Hardison was not hurt but
damages to the car were estimated
at $5(10. He was charged with ope
rating a motor vehicle on the wrong
side of the highway.
Saturday at 6 p. m. while stop
ped a the intersection of NC 32
and US 64 a 1949 Buick owned and
operated by David Earl Webb, col
ored of Rt. 1 Roper, was struck in
the rear by a 1953 Chevrolet pick
up truck owned and operated by
Edgar Joseph Barber, of Rt. 1
Roper.
Bari er suffered abrasions and
was admitted as a patient at a Co
lumbii hospital. He was charged
with drunken driving. Webb was
chargi 1 with driving without ope
rator’s license.
The Buick was demolished, ac
cording to the patrolman’s report,
while damage to the truck was
placet at $800.
One grass fire was reported in
Plymouth during the holidays with
no damage resulting.
-®
Riles on Tuesday
For County Native
Funeral services were held from
Zion’s Chapel Church of Christ
Tuesday at 2 p. m. for William
Hance Cooper, 71, of Phillis, Va.
Officiating was the minister of the
church, R. L. Gardiner. Burial fol
lowed in the church cemetery.
Mr. Cooper died at his home in
Phillis Sunday at 8:30 p. m. after
an illness of 10 weeks. He had been
in declining health for the past 16
months.
He was a native of Washington
County and a member of Zion’s
Chapel Church. He was the son of
the late William D. and Lizzie
Poyner Cooper, of this county, and
was born May 4, 1884.
Mr. Cooper was married Febru
ary 22, 1905, at Roper to Miss
Josephine Marriner of that place.
He was a retired railroad worker
and had lived in Virginia for 48
years, moving there from this'
county.
He leaves, besides his widow, one
daughter, Mrs. Esta Mae True
blood, of Great Bridge, Va.; three
sons, George G. Cooper, of Wash
ington, D. C., Raymond H. Cooper,
of Phillis, and Lelan E. Cooper, of
Grimesland; two sisters, Mrs. Beu
lah Elliott, of Norfolk, Va., and
Mrs. Violet Attwood, of Princess
Anne, Va.; two brothers, Lelan An
tone Cooper, of Alexanderia, Va.,
and Adrian Cooper, of Norfolk,
Va.; 13 grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
Tax Listing for New Year
Starts Tuesday in County
Lodge Here To Install j
New Officers Tuesday j
Wilmer C. Chesson will be in
stalled as master of Perseverance
Lodge No. 59, A. F. & A. F., Tues
day night of next week when the
lodge holds its annual banquet and
installation night here. H. H. Allen
and W. A. Roebuck, both past mas
ters of the lodge, will serve as in
stalling officer and marshal, re
spectively.
Other officers to be installed at
the service include J. M. Gilreath,
senior warden; G. R. Leggett, jr.,
junior warden; B. G. Campbell,
treasurer; G. R. Leggett, sr., secre
tary; Jack B. Latham, senior dea
con; Dan K. Pittman, junior dea
con; W. C. Styons and James Hardi
son, stewards; tlilton Dunbar, tyl'er;
and the Rev. R. H. Lucas, chaplain.
The banquet will be held in the
lodge hall, beginning at 7 o’clock,
and all masons are invited. A
Greenville caterer will serve the
meal.
The installation service is sched
uled to begin promptly at 8 o’clock.
306 Families Aided
By Christmas Fund
Cash Donations, Heaviest
Ever, Go Over $2,500 Goal;
Total ol 1,124 Persons
Get Food Boxes
Deliveries of gift boxes to needy
families were completed Wednes
day night of last week to wind up
the most successful in the long
series of annual Empty Stocking1
Fund campaigns in Washington
County.
James H. Ward, fund chairman,
this week expressed profound
i thanks to all the organizations and
individuals who hads a part in the
successful project.
Mr. Ward said food boxes were
distributed to 306 families in the I
county, or a total of 1,124 persons.
Last year food boxes went to 291
families and 965 persons.
Also, 91 families received boxes
containing toys. There were 423
children who received at least one
toy each. This compares with 87
families and 359 children a year
ago.
Mr. Ward said special thanks
were due Mrs. Ursula Spruill and
her staff at the county welfare de
partment for administering the pro
gram.
It was noted that the Rev. R. L.
Combs, pastor of Plymouth Pres
byterian Church, used his station
wagon and worked throughout the
two-day delivery period; A. R. La
tham used his truck and helped to
make deliveries; House Chevrolet
Company donated the use of a
truck and Skeeter .Lilley donated
his services as driver; Tom Free
man donated the use of his truck
and Bob Ayers gave his services as
driver in making deliveries.
SeeT’AiviILIES~Pagei2
Few To Observe
New Years Day
Comparatively few places of
business in Plymouth are observ
ing New Year’s Day, as a holiday.
Most local stores, including furni
ture, hardware, grocery, clothing
and appliance establishments,
restaurants, filling stations and
drug stores will be open for busi
ness as. usual.
The store will be closed
all day aloqg with federal, state
and county offices. The local
banks, ABC store and post office
also are observing the holiday.
There will be no rural or city
mail deliveries but dispatches
will be made as usual.
Hobbs New Head
Of Papermakers
Harvey Hobbs will head Cherry
River Local No. 423, International
Brotherhood of Paper Makers for
the coming year.
Mr. Hobbs was recently elected
president of the union here and in
stalled along with other officers as
follows:
Wilbur Davenport, vice presi
dent; G. L. Skidmore, financial
secretary; James Humphreys, treas
urer; Charles Windom, recording
secretary; Ed Wheeler, Keith Hack
ney and Howard Estep, trustees.
The next regular meeting of the
group is scheduled to be held Tues
day night of next week.
1 PETTIGREW REGIONAL LIBRARY STAFF FETED
Members of the Pettigrew Regional Library staff were enter
tained at a Christmas dinner party at the Hotel Joseph Hewes in
Edenton Friday night, December 16, by Mrs. Eugenia R. Babylon,
regional director. The picture shows the group at the home of Mrs.
Babylon on East King Street, where gifts were exchanged and games
played following the dinner. They are, seated, left to right, Mrs.
Babylon, Mrs. Verdie Alexander of Columbia, librarian for the colored
bookmobile; Mrs. W. V. Reynolds of Columbia, Tyrrell County librar
ian. Standing, left to right, Mrs. €. E. Ayers of Plymouth, librar
ian of Washington County Public Library; Miss Harriet B. Leary of
Edenton, librarian at Edenton Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library
and Mrs. Bryan Harris of Roper, librarian of the white bookmobile.
The Pettigrew Regional Library is North Carolina’s newest library,
being formed October 1, 1955, and comprising Chowan, Tyrrell and
Washington Connties.—Evetyn Leary Photo.
Task To Continue Through
Friday, February 3; To
Avoid Late Rush Early
Listing Is Urged
Tax listing will get underway in
this county Tuesday of next week
when the four township list takers
start their annual task under super
vision of Hubert L. Davenport, of
Skinnersville, veteran county tax
supervisor.
Final instructions and supplies
were furnished the list takers at
an adjourned meeting of the coun
ty commissioners Monday night of
last week when the supervisor and
list takers were given the oath of
office and arrangements completed
to secure uniform listing of per
sonal property throughout the
county.
New Year’s, a legal holiday, falls
on Sunday so Monday Will be ob
served instead, with the listing job
to start Tuesday and continue
through Friday, February 3. Prop
erty owners are urged to list as
soon as possible to avoid a last
minute rush which invariably de
velops during the final few days
of the month.
Warning is being given that no
extension of time will be allowed
for listing, and those who do not
get their property on the books
during the allotted period will be
subject to a penalty of 10 per cent
provided by law, it was stated.
The following are Jist takers for
the year, appointed by the commis
sioners at a special meeting held
here sometime ago:
W. A. Roebuck. Plymouth Town
ship; Waue S. hm lisdn, Lees Mill
Township; W. W. White, Skinners
ville Township; and Dewey S.
Spruill, Scuppernong Township.
The Plymouth Township list
taker will sit at the courthouse and
will follow the usual schedule be
ginning January 3 and continuing
through February 3.
Other township schedules have
been released as follows:
Lees Mill: at T. W. Tarkenton
Store, Pleasant Grove, January 17
( and 27;
See LISTING, Page 12
■ ♦
Resigns Posts as
County Assessor,
Hospital Manager
R. M. Byrd, Jr., Tenders
Resignation Effective on
January 13; Plans To
Enter New Field
R. M. Byrd, jr., has submitted
his resignation as county tax as
sessor and as business manager of
the Washington County Hospital.
It is understood that Mr. Byrd will
enter the insurance field at Macon.
Ga.
Mr. Byrd tendered his resigna
tion in letters addressed to Frank
L. Brinkley, chairman of the Wash
ington County Board of Commis
sioners, and E. H. Liverman, chair
man of the hospital board.
The letter to Mr. Brinkley, made
public this week, said in part:
“After giving much thought and
consideration, I feel that I am act
ing for the best interest of my
family’s security and future. I re
quest this resignation to become
effective January 13, 1955. My re
lationship with the county has
been very enjoyable these past two
and a half years.”
Mr. Byrd was not available Wed
nesday for comment.
He did the major part of the
work of property revaluation in the
county which was completed early
this year. He also assumed his
duties as business manager of the
hospital, succeeding Mrs. Ted Lind
sey, February 15.
He was retained by the county
following completion of the reval
uation project to keep the new tax
system installed here up to date
and since that time has worked
part time in this capacity, devoting
the remainder of his time to the
business administration of the hos
pital.
The hospital board is expected to
call a meeting in the near future
to act upon the resignation.
The letter to Mr. Brinkley was
read at the meeting of the com
missioners here recently but no
comment was made at that time.