Your Cooperation Is Needed To Make Clean-Up Week a Success in Plymouth — March 19th To 24th
______T • _ _
T'own
opics
Herman B. Riggles, a representa
tive from the state Farmers Home
Administration office at Raleigh,
is spending Wednesday and Thurs
day of this week in the county, it
was announced by the local FHA
office.
Ten trash containers are being
placed today on downtown streets
of Plymouth, P. W. Brown, chief
fit police, states. Ten more eon
diners are to be ordered, the chief
added. The cans are being supplied
on a 50-50 basis by the Town and
the Plymouth Junior Chamber of
Commerce. Brown points out that
it is in violation of a town ordi
nance to throw paper or other
trash on the streets and sidewalks
and he asks the cooperation of
everyone to maintain sanitary con
ditions and good appearance by
making full use of the containers.
Noble Bill Roebuck, of Plym
outh, is the recipient of a high
honor from Clarence H. Parker, of
Belcross, potentate of Sudan Tem
ple, New Bern. Roebuck has been
notified of his appointment by
Parker as Potentate's Ambassador
of Sudan Temple for the year 1956.
His duties will consist mainly of
securing petitions and keeping in
constant touch with the Blue
Lodge, York and Scottish Rite can
didates. The local man also will be
called upon to assist Noble Tom
Hood, the chairman of the Crip
pled Children’s Activities commit
tee in keeping the Crippled Chil
flp’n’s Hospital before the Shrine
Club and Nobles. “Your assistance
in promoting the annual Orphanage
Bowl Game at Charlotte will also
be needed,” Potentate Parker
wrote. Incidentally, the Shriners’
Spring Ceremonial will be held at
Elizabeth City May 23-24, Bill says,
in urging all Shriners to make
plans to attend.
Among those attending the fune
ral of Mrs. Baker Boyce Wood in
Hertford Thursday of last week
were the following local persons: :
Mrs. Walton Swain, Mrs. E. J. i
Spruill, Mrs. Tex Lindsey, Mrs. C. j
L. Blount and Delbert D. Allen. i
Foy Davenport, who with Paul ■
Basnight is in charge of dog vacci- .1
nations against rabies in Plymouth
Township, Mackeys and Roper,
said today that the program is be
ing held up by lack of serum. Hil
ton Chesson, of Creswell, will
handle the program in the other
end of the county, it was said.
Davenport said the serum supply
is expected this week-end.
Jimmy Mobley, of Plymouth,
escaped injury Tuesday night when
his 1952 Chevrolet struck and
killed somebody’s cow on a high
way in Martin County. However,
Us machine was not so fortunate,
▼ne car was pulled into town Wed
nesday morning by a wrecker sent
out by a local garage and estimates
of damage to the front end of the
vehicle were placed at between
$200 and $300.
Dallas Waters, chairman of Se
lective Service Board No. 95 here,
W. C. Spruill, of Roper, a board
member, and Mrs. Lorraine Hunter,
board clerk, attended a regional
conference of Selective Service
personnel at Elizabeth City Tues
day afternoon. The other board
member, Jennings Davenport, of
Creswell, did not attend. The con
ference was conducted by Col.
Thos. H. Upton, of Raleigh, state
director of Selective Service.
— - »-■
Clean-Up Drive in
% Roper Next Week
The Town of Roper will launch
a clean-up drive next week, to co
incide with Clean-Up Wepjc in
Plymouth.
The matter was decided by the
Roper Town Council at its meeting
Monday night of this week, it was
announced by Mayor T. R. Spruill.
Members of the body are J. L.
McAllister, Howard Davenport and
W. Barton Swain. Aubrey Phelps
is town clerk.
The special clean-up week will
extend from Monday through Sat
urtray, it was announced. All prop
erty owners are urged to cooperate
by cleaning up their premises. The
town truck will be hauling all day
on Wednesday of that week,
THE ROANOKE BEACON
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington ijj
County and its 13,000 people. |j
VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 11
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, March 15, 1956
ESTABLISHED 1889
B M~P _ Shown here are choir, director and organist of First Christian Church. A
niflll, special program of sacred music will be presented by the group Sunday after
noon at 4 o’clock at the church. Some of the choir members were not present
when the photo was made but those shown above are, front row, left to right: Charles B. Hutchins, di
rector; Mrs. Sadie Ange, Mary Louise Cratch, Agnes Davis, Mrs. Jean Turner Beasley, Corinne Ange,
Mrs. Peggy Joyce Modlin and Beulah A. Cratch, organist; second row, same order: Mrs. Beulah H.
Cratch, Mrs. Mary Wood Cutler, Mrs. Ruby Porter, Nyal Womble, Mrs. Frances A. Lucas, and Emily
Waters; back row: Julian H. Clark, Dr. B. W. Cutler, A. T. Darden and R. E. Whitley. Not present
when the picture was taken were Alva Rose Hardison, Sandra Bateman, Mary Alice Beasley, Mrs. Mil
dred Clark, E. H. Livennan and Phillip G. Liverman.—Photo by Weaver Studib.
Begin Making Plans
For Produce Market
Receive Notice j
For April Call j
The local draft board has re
ceived notice from state Selective
Service headquarters that a call
for nine men for pre-induction
examination will be made upon
the board in April.
The registrants will be sent by
special bus to the Raleigh re
ception center Tuesday morning,
April 17, Mrs. Hunter said. In
keeping with present policy, no
men over the age of 26 years
will be sent, it was added.
Plymouth Man Is
Named Delegate
For Convention
First District Republicans
Choose J. R. Carr as One;
Of Two Delegates at Meet
In Washington Friday
J. R. Carr, of Plymouth, has
been named along with Zeno Rat
eliffe, of Terra Ceia, as delegates
from the First District to the Re
publican National Convention.
The national gathering will con
vene in San Francisco, Calif., on
August 20th. Mr. Carr said this
week he planned to attend and
probably would take his family
with him, as they have relatives
on the West Coast they wish to
visit at the same time.
The action came at the First
District Republican Congressional
convention held Friday of last
week at Washington. Mr. Ratcliff
is Republican candidate for Con
gress from the district, also.
Named as alternates were Jake '
Stafford, of Rt. 3, Elizabeth City,
and Grover Cleveland Tetterton, of
Washington. Clarence Allen, of
Aurora, was elected as president
ial elector.
T. D. Somerville, Washington
County Republican chairman, was 1
elected to the state executive com
See DELEGATE, Page 10 i
Several New Buyers Se
cured for Coming Season;
Prospecls Declared Good
For 1956
Plans have been completed for
the operation this season of the
Plymouth Produce Market. More
facilities will be added for proper
grading and packing of the crops
to be grown this year. Several new
buyers have been secured for the
various crops.
The owners and operators be
lieve this will be the best year yet
to plant truck crops. The earnings
of the people who consume these
crops are higher than ever before,
which should mean higher con
sumption and higher prices, it was
said.
The crops to be handled by the
market this year will begin with
cabbage, next string beans, then
cucumbers and peppers. Arrange
ments have been made for pepper
plants. Anyone desiring plants is
advised to contact the operators of
the market and make arrange
ments for plants early. See your
county agent for ^needed informa
tion regarding cultivation and fer
tilization of these crops, the mar
ket operators advise.
-®
Schoolmasters in
Meet on Monday
The Albemarle Schoolmasters
Club, meeting at Plymouth High
School Monday of this week, heard
an address by Dr. D. B. Bryan,
Jean of the School of Education,
Wake Forest College. The speaker
vas presented by R. F. Lowry,
superintendent of Washington
County Schools.
The invocation was pronounced
ay T. A. Hood, principal of Roper
digh School, and J. S. Fleming,
arincipal of the host school, wel
comed guests.
Following presentation of spec
si guests, a solo by Mrs. S. L.
-ucas was enjoyed, with Miss Beu
ah Cratch accompanying at the
aiano.
J. T. Biggers was in charge of
he business session.
A barbecued chicken dinner was
enjoyed by about 100 persons pres
et for the occasion.
•Rat Poison Put Out Here This Week
The campaign against rats in
Plymouth began in earnest Mon
day of this week when quite a bit
of bait was put out by members
of the Plymouth High School health
classes.
The drive brought immediate re
action from some citizens, princi
pally in the Golf Road area, Coun
ty Sanitarian D. D. Allen and Po
lice Chief P. W. Brown said.
There were complaints that the
bait was being placed with little
consideration for children, dogs
and cats, but both Brown and Al
len insisted that dogs would not
eat the poison. Brown said the
work was immediately discontin
ued in the Country Club Village
ind Golf Road area but that bait
would be available at the police
station for any citizen who would
like to put it out.
Allen said thanks are due the
Plymouth Garden Club, the Plym
outh High School health classes,
1'own of Plymouth workers, Town
of Roper, Prof. E. V. Wilkins, prin
cipal of Washington County Union
School, Prof. Stokes and his Agri
culture class boys who built 40
permanent rat bait stations to be
put at strategic places in Plym
outh. “We hope it is to be a per
manent project,” the sanitarian
1
stated, pointing out that the rat
bait stations have. three-inch holes
at each end to accomodate rats.
They will not admit dogs and cats,
he stated.
Hamburger containers were used ],
in some sections of the town for j ]
placing the bait.
Fresh bait was put out Monday I
and Wednesday, Allen added, and
will be placed again Friday. Thjs ,
routine will be followed for three j
weeks during the current cam- (
paign, it was said.
The poison, when taken by rats, ;
dries up the blood cells, it was ex- .
plained. I
Special Program
Of Sacred Music
Here on Sunday
Program Announced by Di
rector Charles B. Hutch
ins; To Be Held ai Local
Church ai 4 P. M.
A special program of music will
be given Sunday afternoon at 4
o’clock at First Christian Church,
it is announced.
The choir of the church, under
the direction of Charles B. Hut
chins, will present a program of
sacred music. Many well-loved se
lections are listed in the program
which is arranged as follows:
Selected, by the organist, Miss
Beaulah A. Cratch; “Search Me, O
God,” Woodman, full choir; “Turn
Thy Face From My Sins,” Sulli
van, full choir; Selected, soloist,
Mrs. Mary W. Cutler; “Beautiful
Savior,” trio, Mrs. Frances Lucas,
Miss Nyal Womble, Mrs. Mary W.
Cutler; Selected, soloist, Miss Ja
net Styons; “0 Thou Whose Sweet
Compassion,” Maunder, mixed
quartet, Mrs. Mary W. Cutler, Mrs.
Frances Lucas, E. H. Liverman and
Dr. B. W. Cutler; Selected, soloist,
Miss Nyal Womble; "God So Loved
the World,” Stainer, a capella
choir; “Thou Knowest, Lord,” Pur
cell, a capella choir;
Offering; offertory prayer, Rev.
C. N. Barnette; offertory solo,
“Come Ye Blessed,” Scott, Charles
Hutchins; “Rock of Ages,” men’s
choir; “0 Divine Redeemer,”
Gounod, Mrs. Frances A. Lucas;
“O Savior of the World,” Goss,
full choir; “Build Thee More State
ly Mansions,” full choir; “A Mighty
Fortress Is Our God,” Luther, ar- .
ranged by Cain; Benediction, the ,
Rev. C. N. Barnette; Response, i
‘The Lord Bless You and Keep i
Sfou,” full choir. i
The offering will be applied to 1
:he purchase of new robes for the
:hoir, the director said. ;
-<$>- i
Broom Sale To Be :
Held Here Today;
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The Lions Club of Plymouth will
conduct its annual broom sale for 1
>enefit of the blind Thursday of 1
his week. Lion Walter Oakes is £
chairman of the project. <
Brooms made by blind workers *
n the factory at Greensboro will 1
>e offered throughout Plymouth \
msiness and residential areas, *
lakes^ said.
James E. Westray and f. Miller ,
Warren are other members of the !
iroject committee.
Chief P. W. Brown, in charge of
msiness solicitations, said the can
ass of the business district will
ie made Thursday afternoon,
lakes will supervise the residential
anvass. He stated that club mem
lers have been divided into teams
if two each and assigned territory
o work.
The residential solicitations will
tart at 6:30 p. m. and continue un
il 9 p. m., it was added. All resi
lents who would like to buy
irooms and support the project
re asked to leave porch lights
m during the hours of the house
o-house canvass.
I Program of Safety
At Pulp Mill Here
Is Getting Results
Three-Quarter Mark Passed
Last Week-End Toward
Goal of Two Million Acci
dent-Free Manhours
Employees at the North Carolina
Pulp Company here last week-end
reached the three-quarter mark in
their immediate obective of work
ing 2.000.000 hanhours without a
lost-time accident. The number of
accident-free hours now stands at
well over a million and a half.
Target date for reaching the
2,000,000 manhours of labor with
outa lost-time accident is around
Tune 1st. and if this is accomplish
ed it will mean 10 months’ straight
running time without such an acci
dent. Company officials believe
that with the major part of con
struction in connection with the
expansion program almost ovqr,
there is a good possibility that the
objective can be reached.
Because of major departmental
shutdowns in recent weeks, while
some of the present machinery and
equipment was moved and set up
again in making way for the ex
pansion program, many paper apd
pulp mill workers were given the
opportunity of working in the me
chanical department. Additional
crews of mechanics were neces
sary, working under the supervis
ion of mechanics foremen William
Stotesbury, Clayton Allen, Robert
Armstrong and others. This work,
although new to many of the men,
was completed without a lost-time
accident.
Paper makers are now returning ■
to their assigned jobs on the paper
machines but, because the crews
have been rearranged, more train
ing will be necessary in order to
get the required teamwork smooth-'
ness that is necessary in the opera
tions of a paper machine, it was
explained.
Commenting on the record of a
million and a half manhours of
lal> without a lost-time accidei .,
H. C. Carter, plant engineer, said
See SAFETY, Page 10
-$
Area Meetings To
Discuss Farmers'
Problems Slated
-»
Spruill, County Farm Bu
reau Reporter and Form
er Head, Says Bureau
Holds for Law Change
Reynold Spruill, reporter and
former president of the Washing
ton County Farm Bureau, stated
this week that the Farm Bureau
is opposing a bill before Congress
now providing for liberalization of
the Social Security law.
Mr. Spruill says the Farm Bureau
is asking that Social Security be
put on an optional basis for farm
jrs in lieu of the compulsory basis
is it now stands.
Also, Farm Bureau, through
Hatt Triggs, its legislative ro re
icntative, asked the committee
■onsidering the bill in question to
change the law so as to apply only
o hired farm workers who are
employed on the farm for at least
iO days in a year or who earn at
east $200. |
At present, a farmer must report
ind pay social security on a work
■r earning as much as $100 in a
alendar year. Farm Bureau, Mr.
ipruill points out, is not opposing
iocial Security coverage for farm
workers, but is asking only that
he temporary and casual types of
mployee be excluded.
Farm Bureau area meetings on
lolicy execution are now being
ilanned at which times such items
s Social Security will be discuss
d, it was stated. It is the aim of
he Farm Bureau to keep the farm
rs informed on what their organi
ation is doing. Individual farmers
re invited to make suggestions
nd it is promised an effort to
arry these suggestions out at the
rea meetings will be made.
safety!
.BOXSCORE.j
Continuing a record that start
ed August 1, 1955, employees of
the North Carolina Pulp Com
pany, Plymouth, as of Monday,
March 12, 1956, had completed
the following number of man
hours of work without a lost
time accident:
1,504,968
Drive for Red Cross Starts
In County; $2,330 Is Goal
Hoard off Equalization
To Meet Here Monday
The Washington County Board
of Commissioners will meet as a
board of equalization and review
Monday of next week, March 1!),
for the purpose of examining and
reviewing tax listings for the
current year. The meeting will
be held in the commissioners’ ]
room at the courthouse here and
is scheduled to begin at 10:30
a. m.
Those who have complaints
about tax valuations are invited
to present them at this meeting.
However, it is pointed out that
since this is not a revaluation
year, valuation changes can be
made only in cases of listing er
rors, additions or where actual
losses have been sustained.
While the board can hear com
plaints about property brine list
ed too high or too low, the Ma
chinery Act of 1919 provides
that such adjustments are to be
made only in revaluation years.
County real property was re
valued last year, and it is not
expected that many changes will
be made at the board meeting
next Monday. If errors in listing
can be shown, if new buildings
or additions have been construct
ed. or if actual losses by fire or
similar causes can be shown,
valuations will be adjusted ac
cordingly.
Parade Saturday To
Start Clean-Up Drive
Procession To March From
High School al 11 A. M.,
Chief and Sanitarian
Final arrangements had not been
completed late Wednesday for the
Saturday parade here to promote
Clean-Up Week which is March
19-24, but it was stated definitely
that two high school bands and
, floats representing the Plymouth
i Garden Club and the Plymouth
Merchants Association will form a
neucleus.
The local Boy Scout troop is ex
pected to be in the parade and it
was said that possibly other Scout
unite here vou. d take part, also.
Any civic group interested in being
represented is asked to please
meet at 10 a. m. Saturday behind
the high school where the parade
will form.
The march downtown will begin
promptly at 11 a. m., it was stated.
At the head of the procession will
be Mayor A. J. Riddle, Chief of
Police P. W. Brown, Sanitarian
D. D. Allen and possibly other dig
nitaries, according to Mrs. R. Ver
non Jeter, project chairman.
An all-out effort will be made
the following week — Clean-Up
Week in Plymouth — to improve
the appearance of the community,
it has been stated. The parade is
designed to stimulate interest in
the worthy undertaking which is
an idea of the Plymouth Garden
Club.
Several other local organizations
are actively backing the effort. The
Town of Plymouth and the Jaycees
are supplying needed street trash
containers for use in the business
section and steps are being taken
to provide incinerators for use in
each business block in order that
individual merchants can take care
of trash disposal to a large degree.
Led
Police
Meet Next Week ;
To Fill Vacancy;
Carl L. Bailey, sr., chairman; said ,
yesterday that a meeting of the ,
Democratic Executive Committee
of Washington County probably ‘
would be held next week to ap- 1
point a successor to L. E. Hassell, !
sr., of Roper, as a member of the !
county board of education.
Mr. Hassell last week tendered ■
his resignation to become effective |
at the April meeting of the board.
He was a member of the education
board for 19 years, serving as
chairman since January, 1944.
State law provides that vacan
cies on boards of education shall
be filled by appointment made by
the county executive committee of
the party to which the retiring t
member belonged. Since Mr. Has- (
sell is a Democrat, his successor
will be named by the Democratic *
executive committee. It is pre
sumed the appointment will be for 1
the unexpired portion of Mr. Has- £
sell's term of office, or until April, (
1959. I
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Creswell Clean-Up Week \
Will Begin March 25lh
Creswell.—The week beginning c
March 25th has been designated as i
“Clean-Up Week” in Creswell by s
the town commissioners. All resi- t
dents are requested to cooperate t
by cleaning up their premises and
help make the town more attrac
tive.
c
>
j To Reorganize
j Observer Post
Dr. A. t. Whitehurst, super
visor of the Plymouth Ground
Observer Corps post which has
been inactive lately, stated this
week that a reorganization meet
ing is to be held within the next
two weeks.
Dr. Whitehurst said the post
here has been plagued with lack
of sufficient numbers and that
volunteers are still needed. He
|said about 75 volunteers are
now on the post roll. Anyone de
siring to eiui'505'. the effort
actively is invited to contact
either Dr. Whitehurst, Carl
Bailey, jr„ or Charles Gardner.
Will Sponsor Red
Cross Fund Drive
In Roper Section
Jesse Rawls, Chairman of
Rurilan Club's Red Cross
Commillee, Makes An
nouncement of Plans
The Roper Ruritan Club is spon
soring the annual Red Cross fund
irive in Lee’s Mill Township, it
was announced this week.
The Red Cross committee, com
posed of Jesse Rawls, chairman,
r. A. Chesson and Giles Stallings,
issigned each Ruritan member a
iefinite area to work, most of the
issignment being given to teams.
The members of the club will so
icit contributions in the near fut
ire and the cooperation of all citi
:ens will be greatly appreciated. A
luota of $400 for the area has
icen set by the county Red Cross
hapter, it was said. The drive will
nd March 31.
At a special meeting of the club
’uesday night at the high school
’• ,W. Norman asked that all work
rs for the G. G. Gaylord Fund
nake an effort to complete their
eports and turn them in. This fund
s to help the family of Mr. Gay
See ROPKiTdRIVE, Page 10
Organization Perfected and
Announced This Week;
Dr. Whitehurst Stresses
Great Need
With the announcement this
week of a perfected organization
the annual Red Cross fund drive
got into swing in this county. A
total minimum goal of $2,330 is
being sought. Dr A. I. Whitehurst,
chairman of the county Red Cross
chapter, said.
Solicitations are being handled
as follows:
Plymouth Business—Rotary club;
Plymouth Residential — Junior
Woman's Club, part of VFW Auxi
liary,^Methodist Woman's Society
for Christian Service, and the Aux
iliaries of First Christian Church
and Plymouth Presbyterian church:
Pike Road and NC 32—Mrs. Per
ry Turner, chairman;
Plymouth Industrial — Plymouth
Lions Club;
Labor Unions — Leroy Ange,
chairman;
Creswell White—Creswell Ruri
tan Club;
Creswell Colored—Prof. P. W.
Littlejohn, chairman;
Roper White — Roper Ruritan
Club;
Roper Colored — Prof. E. V.
Wilkins, chairman;
Plymouth Colored — Prof. A. R.
Lord, chairman.
Dr. Whitehurst calls attention to
the fact that the county Red Cross
chapter supports the local blood
bank program financially, in ad
dition to given aid to those hit by
disaster of various kinds.
The need remains great, parti
I cularly in view of heavy losses
from “The Furies” which made
1955 one of the worst disaster
years in history.
To show graphically what the
Red Cross is doing to relieve suf
fering incident to these catastro
phes the following summary of ex
penditures by the Red Cross for
the period from July 1, 1950
through December 31, 1955, is
given:
1950-51—$3,946,000 including 315
operations, among them the Rich
mond, Va., tornado which brought
a Red Cross expenditure of $69,
820;
1951 52 — $19,152,500 including
300 operations, among them the
Southern tornadoes relief effort
totaling $1,511,600;
1952 53 — $5,610,400 including
319 operations, among them over
•$400,000 spent in relief of suffer
ing incident to the Central Georgia
and Alabama-Georgia tornadoes;
1953 54 — $2,124,800 including
See RED CROSS, Page 10
Bloodmobile Unit
Fails Get Quota
— ♦—
The quarterly Red Cross blood
mobile failed of the minimum
quota by 33 pints, Dr. R. Vernon
Jeter reported. The quota was an
nounced as 110 pints and 77 pints
were given, 51 by white donors and
26 by colored.
A total of 95 persons responded
and there were 18 rejects, 12 color
ed and six white, it was reported.
There were 27 new donors.
Dr. Jeter, blood program chair
man here, expressed pleasure at
the response of colored citizens,
said the best since the program
began here in December, 1950. He
declared thanks due Gladys Petti
ford Hassell and Lonnie Young, of
Plymouth, and Melvin Cordon, of
Dardens, who took their cars and
brought in many colored citizens
during the day.
rwo More Days for
Free Chest X-Rays
For the first six working days I
he two mobile chest x-ray units in
he county reported a total of 2,178
ersons x-rayed.
The figures were through Sat
irday of last week. No figures were
vailable on this week’s activity but
fficials of the free program ex
iressed the belief that expecta
ions would be reached by the final
ay of the campaign, Saturday of
his week.
The two x-ray units in the coun
v will remain here through Satur
ay of this week, one at Plymouth
ear the post office and the other
t Roper across the street from
he post office. Hours are 11 a. m.
a 5 p. m. each day.
All persons 15 years of age and
lder who have not yet had chest
-rays are urged to take advantage
of the opportunity Friday and Sat
urday of this week, the final days.
About 2,200 was the figure an
ticipated for the unit stationed at
Plymouth, it was said. The total
here through last Saturday stood at
1,496.
The unit alternated betwe* n
Creswell and Roper showed a total
as of Saturday of 682.
Day-by-day figures were released
as follows:
Unit 2 at Plymouth—March 2,
215; March 6, 300; March 7, 283;
March 8, 241; March 9, 238, and
March 10, 219;
Unit 5 at Creswell-Roper—March
3, 80; March 6, 117; March 7, 206;
March 8, 66; March 9, 113; March
10, 100.
The total of the unit at Colum
bia as of March 9 was 916, it was
said.