1'onn
opies
EliisuIHusKS
Miss Viola Scott, of Raleigh,
who is child welfare consultant
with the North Carolina Depart
ment of Public Welfare, visited the
county welfare office here Wed
nesday of this week. Miss Scott,
one of three case consultants with
the board, has 40 eastern counties
in her assignment.
Aaron Conn, of Greenville, was
in the county last Thursday and
Friday. Mr. Conn, from the district
office in Greenville of the Voca
tional and Rehabilitation Depart
ment of the North Carolina Board
W of Education, interviewed 10 per
sons in the county whose cases are
being handled through his depart
ment. He also worked on cases of
other persons who were not pres
ent here for interview and went
Friday to Columbia to interview a
county person who is a patient in
a Columbia hospital.
Friends of Clyde Hardison, local
businessman, were glad to see him
out again this week following sur
gery at a Durham hospital. Tues
day Clyde came down to the furni
ture store operated by him and
Tom Hopkins and remained awhile,
going back home to rest later in
the day. Wednesday morning h«
was back again, feeling pretty
good, he said. He is being treated
by Dr. T. L. Bray and must take
it easy until he regains his
strength. He hopes to be back at
the old grind in the near future.
Clyde returned home from Dur
ham by automobile Wednesday of
last week following his release. He
underwent surgery the previous
tWednesday. Mrs. Hardison, who al
o has been ill, is reported much
improved. Meantime, the couple’s
young son—the other member of
the family—is reported to be hale
and hearty.
Former Plymouth Mayor and
Mrs. Eugene F. Still returned to
their home in Blytheville, Ark.,
last week after spending about 10
days here with Mr. and Mrs. A. V.
Edens and other friends in the
community. They were joined here
during the previous week-end by
their son, Eugene, jr., who is a
student at Duke University in Dur
ham.
Miss Iris A. Turlington, publicity
clerk with the Tuberculosis Sec
tion, State Board of Health, is in
Plymouth to assist in making ar
rangements for the mobile chest
x-ray units which are to visit this
county and Tyrrell County, under
sponsorship of the Washington
Tyrrell Board of Health. The cam
paign is scheduled for March 3-17
in the two counties. Three units
will be sent here, one to remain at
Plymouth, one in Tyrrell County,
and the other to alternate between
Creswell and Roper, it was said.
•Annual Seal Sale
Now Nearing $1300
Drive in Counly
Mrs. Durand Keel, of Plym
oulh, Washington County
Chairman, Releases Pre
liminary Report
Mrs. Durand Keel, of Plymouth,
chairman of the Washington Coun
ty Tuberculosis Seal Sale, reported
this week that the preliminary re
port submitted to state headquar
ters this month showed $1,295.90
collected here.
The annual year-end report is to
he sent in to headquarters April
1, Mrs. Keel said.
^ It is believed that considerable
more contributions will be in be
tween now and the time the final
report is made up. Mrs. Keel urges
everyone who has not made his
contribution to this cause mail it to
her at Plymouth as soon as possi
ble. Special envelopes for this pur
pose were mailed to many county
citizens sometime ago, it was said.
The county chairman also wish
es to express her thanks to all
volunteer workers who contributed
to the success of the drive for
funds with which to combat tuber
culosis, and to every individual
and group giving financial or oth
er support.
The amount raised in the coun
ty is believed the highest in the
recent history of the annual cam
paign. However, there is a definite
and continuing need for funds for
education, research, x-ray work,
treatment, etc., it was emphasized.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
Fiykt Toko Eputmiu!
: VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 7
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 16, 1956
ESTABLISHED 1M9
Reach $3,000 Quota
In County Polio Drive
] Local Observers'
i Effort Thwarted
The Plymouth Ground Observ
ers Corps has run into extreme
difficulty because of lack of re
sponse, it was reported her to
day.
Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, post
supervisor, stated that it has
been practically impossible to
get anything done in regard to
the 24-hbur alert because of fail
ure of local citizens to support
the effort. The supervisor term
ed the situation here “disap
pointing.”
Roper Observers
Report for Week
-*
Roper Ground Observers put in
345 man-hours during the past
week, sighted 357 planes and made
265 calls, Post Supervisor Jesse
Rawls reports.
The list of observers qualifying
for wings and training certificates:
Howard W. Davenport, Lyle Ray
Woodley, Ronald Craft, R. S. Saw
yer, Ralph E. Harrell, L. V. Ches
son (assistant chief), C. E. Mizelle,
H. S. Everett, Jimmy Brown and
Betty (Mrs. J. E.) Rawls.
Post strength now stands at 156
persons, Mr. Rawls said.
The day-to-day report:
First day, 56 man-hours, 20 calls,
20 planes sighted; second day, 58
man-hours, 72 calls, 110 planes
sighted; third day, 49 man-hours,
56 calls, 75 planes sighted; fourth
day, 46 man-hours, 39 calls, 52
planes sighted; fifth day, 48 man
hours, 43 calls, 62 planes sighted;
sixth day, 53 man-hours, 14 calls,
14 planes sighted; seventh day, 55
man-hours, 21 calls, 24 planes
sighted.
-♦ -♦
Direclor Lauds Fine Effort
Al Plymouth High School
And Local Police Depart
ment
Climaxed by the most successful
March of Dimes Queen's Ball ever
held here, the 1956 Washington
County March of Dimes fund cam
paign went over the top with some
to spare.
Thomas F. Hopkins, of Plym
outh, director who has held the
post here for some years with sig
nal success, reported Wednesday
morning that the $3,000 county
quota had been attained and that
the incomplete drive was well on
the way to the $3,500 mark.
The ball was held last Friday
night at the Veterans Building
here with one of hte largest turn
outs ever seen at a dance in Plym
outh, observers said. Music was by
Stewart Smithson and his orches
tra from Suffolk, Va. Many good
things were said about the band.
At intermission Miss Patsy Hol
liday, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.
B. Holliday, of Plymouth, was
crowned 1956 Washington County
March of Dimes Queen. Princesses
included Ann Roberson, Mary Alice
Kelly, Gloria Roberson, Ronnie
Willingham, Joyce Hardison, Betsy
Lowry, Sandra Leggett (last year’s
queen), Ann Hardison, Flossie
Nooney, Lois Mobley, Rachel Peele,
Linda Styons, Helen Manning and
Phyllis Spruill.
The dance grossed $653.15, ac
1 cording to Mr. Hopkins. This was
the chief item in the total amount
raised by Plymouth School, given
in the report as $1,205.11. This
was the greatest amount ever rais
ed by the school for the March of
Dimes, the county director stated.
Principal J. S. Fleming, the
faculty members and students are
deserving of much praise the di
rector stated.
Se^POLIO^DRIVErPageT^
New Sanctuary Used for First Time
Good attendance at both morning
and evening worship services was
reported as the congregation of
First Christian Church here used
the sanctuary of the new church
plant Sunday for the first time.
The attendance at the 11 a. m.
service was approximately 400, ac
cording to the minister, the Rev.
C. N. Barnette.
The sanctuary is of modern
Gothic design with divided chancel,
art glass windows, laminated
arches of Oregon fir with the ceil
ing paneled in cypress. The furni
ture is maple.
The sanctuary will seat more
than 400.
The floor is covered with tile
under the pews, with the rest cov
ered in red carpet.
The handsome brick church
plant will be completed in every
detail within the next several
months, it is understood, accord
ing to present plans.
Services will continue to be held
in the sanctuary each Sunday, Mr.
Barnette reports.
Since moving out of the old
church building on the corner of
Main and Washington Streets the
congregation had been using the
social hall at .the new plant for
services. The old building has been
completely torn down and removed
to make way for erection of a serv
ice station, the former church site
having been sold to an oil company.
Fifteen participants in the
March of Dimes Queen’s Contest
who raised a total of $604 for the
March of Dimes are pictured
above at the Queen’s Ball held
at the Veterans’ Club here last
Friday night. They are, front
row, left to right: Ann Roberson,
Mary Alice Kelly, Gloria Rober
son, Patsy Holliday, Bonnie Wil
lingham, Joyce Hardison, Betsy
Lowry; back row: Sandra Leg
gett, Ann Hardison, Flossie
Nooney, Lois Mobley, Rachel
Peele, Linda Styons, Helen
Manning and Phyllis Spruill. Be
low, left, are Miss Bonnie Wil
lingham, runner-up; Thomas F.
Hopkins, county March of Dimes
chairman; and Miss Patsy Holli
day, winner of the queen’s con
test.—Weaver Studio photos.
Herman Webb, 37,
Vi dim of Knifing
Battle in County
Young Negro of Skinners
ville Waives Preliminary
Hearing; Jailed for Super
ior Court Trial Here
-♦
The second death from a knife
wound during the young calendar
year was chalked up in this coun
ty over the last week-end.
Herman Webb, 37-year-old Skin
nersville man, is dead and his al
leged assailant, 17-year-old Wil
liam Isaac Palin, jr., also of Skin
nersville, is in Washington County
jail to await trial at the next crimi
nal term of superior court here.
Palin was arrested at his home
at about 1:30 a. m. Sunday morn
ing by Sheriff J. K. Reid and
brought to Plymouth where he was
jailed to await a hearing before
W. Ronald Gaylord, county record
er, Tuesday morning.
Sheriff Reid said he received
word from Skinnersville that there
had been a knife battle between
Webb and Palin over some argu
ment arising out of a gambling
game and that he immediately
went to Skinnersville, took Palin
into custody and returned the
young Negro to Plymouth.
The fight took place just out
side the Elmer Camp place of busi
ness in the Skinnersville area, the
sheriff said he was told. Webb was
stabbed in the left chest and an
artery was severed. This was at
11:30 p. m. Saturday or thereabouts
according to the report. Palin, it
was stated, went home and to bed,
while Camp took the wounded man
in his car and headed post-haste
for the Washington County Hos
pital at Plymouth, but Sheriff Reid
said he was informed the man died
in Camp’s truck somewhere be
tween the scene of the fight and
Roper.
Palin has a prison camp record
and so did Webb, the sheriff stated.
See KNIFING, Page 12
Clean-Up Drive
Topic of Lions
-1
The clean-up campaign in Plym
outh, the mat and broom sale and
other routine reports were heard
and discussed at the regular meet
ing of the Plymouth Lions Club
Thursday night at the First Christ
ian Church.
A report on the clean-up drive
here was given by the Lions com
mittee which met with the Plym
outh Garden Club, sponsor of the
project.
The broom sale committee also
i reported, as did the club treasurer
on collections and expenditures to
date for the year. Club signs for
.roads leading into town and the
annual ladies’ night were other
topics coming in for discussion by
the group.
The secretary reported that let
ters have been sent by the club to
all other civic organizations in
Washington Coupty regarding the
current educational improvement
program.
Supper was served by ladies of
the church circle.
(Dates Given for
X-Ray Program
In Health District
Three Mobile Units To Be
Located in Washington
And Tyrrell Counties An
nounced tor March 3-17
The mass chest x-ray campaign,
to be put on in March in Wash
ington and Tyrrell Counties, will
continues for two weeks, it was
learned here yesterday.
Miss Iris A. Turlington, of Ra
leigh, who is publicity clerk with
the Tuberculosis Section of the
State Board of Health, stated that
three mobile x-ray units will be
sent to the two counties and will
remain from March 3 to 17.
One unit will locate near the
Plymouth Post Office and one in
■Tyrrell County, both for the en
tire period, while a third unit will
alternate between Creswell and
Roper.
It is emphasized that no x-ray
work will be done on Mondays.
The unit to be used in the other
end of this county will be located
at the Creswell Prison Camp on
Friday, March 3 only, and will be
used only by prison personnel,
Miss Turlington stated. The unit
will be at Creswell at Tom Wood
ley’s store March 6-10, and at
Roper, across the street from the
post office, March 13th through
the 17th.
The campaign, offering free
chest x-rays to all persons 15 years
of age and older, is sponsored
jointly by the Tyrrell-Washington
District Tuberculosis Christmas
Seal Sale fund, the Tyrrell-Wash
ington District Health Department
and the N. C. State Board of
Health.
The unit in Tyrrell County will
locate at the Agriculture Building.
Hours at all places are 11 a. m.
to 5 p. m., Tuesday through Satur
days.
“It takes only a minute,” it was
pointed out “to get an x-ray made
which will let the person x-rayed
know the condition of his chest.
You don’t have to undress.”
About two or three weeks after
beingf x-rayed the individual will
get a written report by mail. There
is nothing compulsory about being
x-rayed, or about where or when.
License Tag Sale
Reported To Date.
Through Wednesday morning of j
this week 781 Town of Plymouth
motor vehicle license plates had
been sold, reports Police Chief
P. W. Brown. The usual total per
year is about 850, it was said.
The local office of the Carolina
Motor Club, on Washington Street,
reported Wednesday that sales
through Tuesday of this week
totaled 3,176, as follows:
Auto plates, 2,262; motorcycle
plates, 2; truck plates, 517; farm
truck, 107; small trailer, 252; and
commercial trailer, 36.
Those who haven’t got and dis
played plates should do so at once
if they continue to drive, it was
pointed out at both local offices.
Deadline was yesterday, February
15.
ATTENDS MEETING
The Rev. and Mrs. C. N. Bar
nette were in Wilson Tuesday
evening and Wednesday of this
week attending the annual Insti-1 j
tute for ministers and their wives.
The Institute is sponsored jointly |
by Atlantic Christian College and
the North Carolina Christian Mis
sionary Society.
County, District and State
Offices at Stake This Year
TREES:
Chief of Police P. W. Brown and Mrs.
W. R. Hampton are shown above checking
. ... some of the 100 dogwood seedlings set out
along Plymouth streets last week as a preliminary to the clean up
campaign to be waged here next month. The Plymouth Garden Club,
ot Which Mrs. Hampton is a leading member, bought the first 100
seedings set out by town workmen last week under supervision
J■ "'■ightson, right, and since then the town has bought an
additional 200 to be set out on the principal streets here.—Staff
photo.
Board Meet Monday
To Study Bond Issue
County Governing Body Is
Scheduled To Hold Spec
ial Session at Courthouse
Monday Night
The Washington County Board
of Commissioners is slated for a
special session here Monday night
of next week.
Time of the meeting has been
announced as 7 o’clock. Place of
meeting—commissioners’ room on
the first floor of the county court
house.
Purpose of the meeting, as an
nounced when the date was set
Monday, February 6, is to fully
consider a resolution adopted that
[day by the county board of edu
cation.
The resolution asks that the
commissioners call a special elect
ion to allow a vote of the people
on the question of issuing $500,000
in school bonds to be used for
school purposes.
The resolution, passed by the
board of education in regular
monthly session here, reads as fol
lows:
“Whereas, in the judgment of
the Washington County Board of
Education, it is necessary to con
struct additional school buildings,
purchase land on which to locate
such buildings, buy needed equip
ment and busses, and to remodel,
renovate, recondition and add to
the existing buildings which are
used in the operation of the public'
schools of said County is required
by the Constitution of North Caro
lina, and it is necessary to expand
not less than $500,000 for such pur
poses, and no provision has been!
made either by the levy of local
tax or otherwise to raise said sum,
“Now Therefore, Be it resolved
by the Washington County Board
of Education that the Board of
See BOND ISSUE, Page 12
Next Wednesday
Is Legal Holiday
Washington's birthday, a na
tional legal holiday, will not be
pener!»lly ^••**rved here Wednes
■ ay of nexi February 22.
Post offices, banks, federal and
state offices will be closed, and
schools generally mark the day
with special programs and
events, but for local stores and
business houses it will be “busi
ness as usual.”
Windows will be closed at the
local post office, and there will
be no rural or city deliveries
that day. Dispatches will be made
as usual, however, and mail will
be placed in lock boxes for the
convenience of patrons.
Start Work Soon
On Gulf Station
Work on the new Gulf Service
Station to be located on the old
Christian Church lot here Is ex
pected to be started right away,
according to John W. Graham, of
Edenton, who was in Plymouth
yesterday making arrangements to
begin construction, lie and R. D.
Dixon, jr., are principal officers
of the Coastland Oil Company,
which bought the Christian church
property, located on the northwest
corner of Main and Washington
Streets, last year.
Mr. Graham said the new station
would be complete and modern in
every detail. He expects actual
construction to begin around
March 1st, with the station sched
uled to open about 90 days later.
NEW SHIP:
. ■ . - x * **?.<*&
Plymouth Sea Scouts are now the proud possessors of a 63-foot
cruiser, pictured above at the Scout dock, which will replace the
old S. E. S. Albemarle, a 55-foot boat used here for a number of
years. Declared surplus by the Navy and turned over to the Sea Scouts here last week, the former
air rescue boat has a hull of double-planked mahogany and cost the government more than $100,000
when it was new back in the early forties. Scout officials hope to get a couple of diesel engines for the
twin-screw job and after they are installed and the hull i»Ay)e^n^aLy^|^^mw ship will take
over for the old Albemarle, which is to be
Liltle Interest Has Been
Seen Thus Far, None on
County Level; Primaries
Scheduled May 26th
With the Democratic primary
only about 14 weeks away, there
have been few indications of any
interest in politics here this year,
although there are a number of
county, district and state offices to
be filled. At least seven county
officers are to be chosen, plus two
state senators, a Congressman, and
numerous offices on the state level.
Thus far, on the state level, Gov
ernor Luther Hodges has announ
ced he will be a candidate, and
Alonza Edwards, of Hookerton, has
filed for lieutenant governor, which
about takes the crop. There are a
number of other state officers to
be chosen, and it is expected there
will be plenty of candidates except
possibly for governor.
On the more local scene, Ed
ward L. Owens has announced he
will be a candidate for reelection
as state senator, and Robert H.
Cowen, Williamston mayor and at
torney, has also filed for one of the
senatorial offices to be filled. In
the second district, composed of
Washington, Martin, Beaufort, Tyr
rell, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico, two
senators are to be selected. Mr.
Owens and L. H. Ross, of Wash
ington, served two years ago. Mr.
Ross has announced he will not be
a candidate this year, and so far
Messrs. Owens and Cowen are with
out opposition, although some may
develop later.
Representative Herbert C. Bon
ner has not made formal announce
ment of his candidacy thus far, but
is expected to do so shortly, and
there has been no inkling of any
opposition for him in the primary
this year.
In the county, officers to be
nominated include that c.f -.pre
sentative in the General Assembly,
register of deeds, judge of record
ers court, two county commission
ers, and tv. > v rr. *rrs jfVJie coun
ty board ol education. VJuile no
definite statements have been
forthcoming to date, it is expected
that the incumbents in each in
stance will be candidates for re
election. Dr. J. Mayland Phelps,
of Creswell, is the representative;
J. Robert Campbell, of Plymouth,
is the present register of deds; A.
'^etToEFicES,Page 12
Allow Nel Fishing
Sundays on Lake
Canals This Year
. t
Applies Only to Non-Game
Fish, Warden Explains;
Good Catches Reported
There During Past Week
Sunday fishing with nets and
seines for non-game fish will be
permitted this year in the canals
in Washington and Tyrrell Coun
ties which drain Lake Phelps, it
was announced this week by J. T.
Terry, county game protector. A
special act to this effect was passed
by the last legislature, principally
for the benefit of herring fisher
men on the Lake Phelps canals
during the early spring. It also
permits such fishing on the Tar
River in Edgecombe and Pitt Coun
ty, Mr. Terry said.
Hundreds of fishermen, many of
them from, up-state points, have
been getting good catches of her
ring in the canals leading to Lake
Phelps during the past week or so,
according to Mr. Terry. He said
he saw a Robersonville man catch
as high as 50 at one swipe with
a dip net early this week.
The warmer weather of the past
week has brought out many fish
ermen of the rod-and-reel type as
well as those who use dip nets. The
game protector said he checked
more than a dozen boats in Conaby
Creek near here last Sunday. Most
of them had a few crappie or
“speckled perch,” but they were
running small, he said. No bass
or bream catches were reported.
Mr. Terry warns that Sunday
fishing with dip nets or seines is
permitted only on the Lake Phelps
drainage canals and for non-game
fish only.
-®
Lake Phelps Legion Post
Will Sponsor Barbecue
Creswell.—Lake Phelps Post, No.
391, American Legion, will spon
sor a barbecue supper at the
Legion Building next Wednesday,
February 22, it was announced
Tuesday by H. S. Woodley, post
adjutant. Serving will start about
5 p. m., and the public is urged to
patronize the event.