jg■“==-===**
T'own
opicis
Hiss Alva Rose Hardison, who
was atteding a state C. Y. F. exe
cutive meeting in Wilson during
the week-end, was involved in her
second auto crash within eight
months (the first was near Toron
to, Canada, last August). The crash
in Wilson Friday night was the re
sult of failing brakes, which caused
another car to strike the rear of
George E. Downey’s station wagon,
in which Miss Hardison was riding.
The station wagon had slowed down
to make a right angle turn when
it was struck in the rear, and again
on the side, giving the occupants
a terrific jolt. No one was seriously
hurt. Total damages were estimat
ed at around $300.
The Rev. and Mrs. E. M. Spruill
and Mrs. John T. Henderson at
tended the annual meeting of the
Woman’s Auxiliary of the Diocese
of East Carolina held at Fayette
ville last week-end.
Windsor golfers had a rough
time in the 32 sand traps on the
Plymouth golf course Sunday after
noon, when they played a team
match with members of the local
club. Tuesday afternoon one of the
Plymouth players received a pack
age containing about 15 pounds of
sand from his Sunday opponent,
Duke Spruill, Windsor post office
employee. An accompanying note
read: “I am returning your sand
to you that I got out of my pants
cuffs when I got back to Windsor.”
There was 63 cents worth of post
age stamps on the package, too.
J. W. Allen, jr., and D. Marvin
Weaver have been designated by
the North Carolina Bankers Associ
ation to represent the Young Bank
ers Division of the association in a
series of visits to the high schools
of Washington County, it was learn
ed this week. The two young Plym
outh bankers will take part in a
statewide visitation program de
signed to explain the functions of
banking and to show how banks
contribute to the economic welfare.
About 300 young N. C. bankers will
take part. Allen, who is cashier
of Branch Banking and Trust Com
pany here, visited Plymouth High
School last Wednesday and went
to Roper High School Tuesday of
this week. It is expected that Mr.
Weaver, a vice president of Plant
ers National Bank and Trust Com
pany, will visit the other two high
schools, Creswell and Washington
County Union School.
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Stillman,
who have made their home at
Washington for the past eight
years, moved this week to Plym
outh. Mrs. Stillman was recently
retired as chief operator at the
Washington Exchange of Carolina
Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany. At the time of her retire
ment she was honored with an in
formal party by company person
nel. Her years with the company
were spent in various cities in east
ern North Carolina. Mr. Stillman,
a native of Washington County and
well-known throughout this section,
has farming interests here.
Observers completing training
last week at Roper Ground Observ
er Corps post to qualify for wings
and training certificates were list
ed by Supervisor Jesse E. Rawls
as follows: T. G. Sexton, Billy
Oliver, Eugene Basnight, Edward
Craft, Pete Oliver, William Swain
Davenport, Henry L. Asbell, J. C.
Knowles and Florence Vanhorn.
Baby Contest To
§e Held May 2nd
A Baby Contest is to be held in
L conjunction with the annual May
V Day Festival at Plymouth High
School, Mrs. Thos. F. Hopkins,
chairman of the project, announced
this week.
The contest is scheduled for 4:30
p. m. May 2 and boy and girl win
ners will be selected in two age
groups, one to three years and
four to six years, Mrs. Hopkins
stated.
Other members of the project
committee are Mrs. H. II. Allen and
Mrs. J. L. Horner.
The contest is being sponsored
by the Plymouth Band Boosters
and it is hoped that a large num
ber of entries will be made. Al
ready, about 50 names have been
entered, it was said.
Anyone having children in either
age group and who has not been
called on to enter, is asked to con
l tact Mrs. Hopkins or other mem
bers of the committee if it is de
sired to enter children in the con
test.
17 Local Scouts at Windsor Camp
The Plymouth Boy Scout troop
received one blue certificate and
two white certificates at the pre
camporec held at Windsor last
week-end, Scoutmaster Foster Per
kins reports.
The event was attended by about
400 scouts from this section, it was
stated. Among them were 17 scouts
from the local troop. Scouters Ly
man Mayo and Jimmy Kitchengs
were with the local scouts full time
while Scoutmaster Perkins was
there Friday and Saturday, return
ing to Plymouth at night.
Scouts who attended from the
Plymouth troop, by patrols, with
patrol leader listed first in each
instance:
Fox Patrol—Joe Ezell, Joe Fos
ter, Gene Waters, Charles Walker
and Tommy Hopkins;
Flying Eagle Patrol—Joe Early,
Larry Browning, Steve Walker,
Charles Gurkin, Larry Mizelle,
Frank Lowry, Lyman Mayo, jr.,
and John Wayne Walker;
Beaver Patrol — Richard Kelly,
Tommy Gurganus, Richard Fur
lough and Sandy Williams.
The same scouts and Scoutmas
ter Perkins plan to attend the
District Camporee to be held this
week-end at Jacksonville. Some 3,
000 scouts and scouters are expect
ed, it is said.
SAFETY
- BOXSCORE •••
Starting over on March 24,
after an accident occurred the
previous day, employees of the
North Carolina Pulp Company
here, up to Monday of this week,
had worked the following num
ber of manhours without a lost
time accident:
169,115
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A home newspaper
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,900 pnnple.
iWHHHWIH
VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 16
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, April 19, 1956
ESTABLISHED 1889
mTMlHT TEf.M'W't Mfimil At the April meeting of the Washington County
MJj J ItB mK Bm2 Board of Education last week, Sidney J. Hassell
of Roper, second from left, was sworn in as a
member by Superior Court Clerk W. T. Stillman, lefeet. The young man succeeds his father, L. E. Has
sell, sr., who resigned last month due to ill health after serving as chairman of the group for 12
years. Other members of the county board of education, seated around the table are, left to right:
Paul B. Belanga, sr., of Scuppernong; James W. Norman, the new chairman, of Plymouth; Mrs. K. S.
Trowbridge, of Plymouth; J. Whitford Swain, of Skinnersville; and County Superintendent R. F. Lowry,
secretary.—Staff photo.
Roper Group Studies
Prospects for School
Urges Treating
Of Plant Beds
No blue mold has been report
ed in tobacco plant beds of this
county, it was stated yesterday
by County Agent W. H. Pruden.
However, the disease has been
found in beds in Martin County
in the Farm Life and Roberson
ville areas.
Noting that the weather con
tinues ideal for development of
the dread plant disease, Mr. Pru
den urges that all county grow
ers continue to treat beds as
recommended. Two treatments a
week or oftener in case of rain
should be followed, it was said.
Brennan Stresses
Importance of Air
Watch in Section
Chief Air Defense Coordi
nator Praises Efforts oi
Roper Post; 53 Get Wings
As Observers
“F.ffective air defense in North
Carolina could make all the differ
cnee in case of an enemy attack on
vital industrial centers in the Unit
sd States,” Lieut. Col. James F
Brennan told the Roper Parent
readier Association recently. Col
Brennan is chief coordinator of air
defense for North Carolina.
Intelligence studies show that a
surprise air attack on the centers
af America’s industrial strength
might well be directed through the
central seaboard because of the
jet stream, the colonel explained
The jet stream blows a strong
current of air at high altitudes
always from west to east. Bombers
striking at the U. S. from Soviel
Russia could gain a tremendous ad
vantage in speed by riding jel
stream which would probably take
them across our borders in this
area, the speaker said. His remarks
indicated that the fate of the entire
country might well depend, one
day, on the alertness of sky watch
ers in eastern North Carolina.
Col. Brennan complimented the
Roper group on its record in main
taining a 24-hour watch since the
vital defense area was enlarged te
include this section.
“The larger communities are
finding it very difficult to implc
ment this program,” Brennan stat
cd, “but some of the smaller coni
Sec AIR WATCH, Page 10
i Meeting of Interested Per
sons Held Tuesday; Re
port by Chairman of Spec
ial Committee
A group of Roper citizens inter
ested in promoting the educational
opportunities of present and future
I students met Tuesday night to con
sider the overall condition of the
Roper school and the problems
facing it, it is reported.
A committee, headed by the Rev.
P. W. Aitken, had previously been
appointed to study the situation
and report at the meeting.
The report, submitted by Mr.
Aitken, read as follows:
“In light of the proposals and
recommendations made by the
county school board in relation to
the forthcoming bond issue, to be
voted on in November, it was be
lieved that Roper school would
have to establish an active and
progressive program in order to as
sure the constructing of the build
ings proposed. The fact was ac
knowledged that the high school
would be losing a teacher this fall
because of a dwindling daily at
tendance in the high school. The
lack of interest and support of the
adults of the community as well as
a lack of interest on the part of
the students was considered. How
ever, the greatest point of concern
of these attending the meeting was
the rumored possibility of the con
solidation of the high school with
Plymouth. The committee report
ed that no official action had been
considered along these lines.
“The following conclusions were
reached. It would be necessary for
See SCHOOL, Page 10
Report Bloat in
Herds of County
Some cases of bloat among cat
tle have been reported in the coun
ty, it was learned this week.
Dr. Walter Thomas, who is doing
research work on bloat, was in the
county Tusday of this week and
spent the day observing the herd
of A. J. Riddle, County Agent W.
H. Pruden reports.
| Herds grazing on pasture which
is predominantly of clover are li
able to suffer from bloat, Pruden
said. He encourages farmers with
herds to see that the cattle are
given dry hay or some form of I
, roughage when they are grazed on)
, clover. If the pasture contains fes
' cue or other grass the danger of
bloat is removed, it was added.
In case of bloat cattle should be
given ‘soapsuds, soap powder or
kerosene and milk mixed half and
’ half in order to reduce froth in
the stomach.
May Day Festival
Plans Announced
At Roper School
Proceeds To Be Used Tc
Purchase Blackoul Cur
iains for School Auditor
ium, Sponsors Say
To raise money to purchase
blackout curtains for the auditor
ium, the Roper P. T. A. and the
Roper Athletic Association are
sponsoring the annual May Day or
Wednesday, May 2, at Roper High
School.
Features for fun include a one
act play by members of the ninth
grade, jeep rides, movies, cake
walks, hot dogs, chicken salad and
barbecue luncheon and dinner in
the lunchroom, crowning of the
May Queen and King by the win
ning crown bearers, a Maypole
dance, and the Coronation Ball.
May King and Queen candidates
are Buck Davenport, jr., and To
ledo Cammon, Willie Furlough and
Peggy Knowles, Billy Spruill and
Mary Lucille Chappell, Roger Ches
son, jr., and Daphne Snell, Billy
Ray Knowles and Francis Everett,
Phillip Spruill and Meretta Rid
dick, and Robby Tarkeiiton and
Margaret Davenport.
Crown bearers contestants are
Henry Tarkington and Joyce Dav
enport, Ronnie Hassell and Rita
Hassell, Tommy Adams and Shar
on Swain, Sherman Lowe and Es
ther M. Phelps, Bill Robertson and
Geraldine Gaylord, Joseph Rath
and Emily Banks, Ruth Nowarah
and Janice Hollis, Johnny Mizell
and Donna Pierce, Steve Leary and
Ellen Biggs, Steve Basnight and
Nancy Carol Freeman, Sunny Free
man and Hester Carol Marrincr,
Tex Barnes and Roberta Ilood,
Phillip Davis and Mary Edna Daw
son, Mike Trueblood and Karen
Trueblood and Boone Chcsson and
Wandra Stallings.
The public is cordially invited to
attend.
-®
County Library Board To
Meet Tonight, Courthouse
The Washington County Library
Board will meet at the courthouse
at 8 p. m. Thursday of this week,
Mrs. J. Robert Campbell, chairman,
announces.
Laymen of St. Luke's
To Serve Turkey Supper
-♦
The laymen of St. Luke’s Episcu
pal Church, Roper, will serve a tur
key supper in the Roper Com
munity House Tuesday evening
April 24th, beginning at 5:30. The
public is invited to patronize. Tic
kets may be secured in atlvance bj
communicating with Murril B. Wal
lace, telephone 504-5, Roper.
Youth Convention
Set for Creswell;
Program Released
Third Annual Meeting of
Albemarle and Beaufort
Youth Rallies Scheduled
For April 28-29
♦
The third annual Eastern Youth
Convention, sponsored by the
Churches of Christ of the Albe
marle and Beaufort Youth Rallies,
will be held at the auditorium of
the Creswel! High School. Satur
day and Sunday, April 28-29, with
the theme of the convention being
"What Does God Require?”
Robert Johnson of Clinton, Ohio,
a sophomore student at Roanoke
Bible College and minister of the
St. Delight Church of Christ, will
lead the singing, and the male
quartet of Roanoke Bible College
and several youth choirs from the
area will provide special music for
all sessions of the convention.
The Saturday session will begin
at 6:00 p. m. with a banquet for
the Christian youth and their lead
ers. The call to worship will be at
7:30 p. m. Ted Davenport, presi
dent of the Albemarle Youth Rally
will preside. Harry W. Pritchett of
Creswell will give the welcome.
The sermon will be by Homer
Styons, minister of the Colonial
Heights Church of Christ, Norfolk,
Va. His topic will be ‘‘God Re
quires a Willing Mind.” At 9:00
p. m. there will be a basketball
game in the Creswell gymnasium.
The Washington County Christian
boys’ team will play the Beaufort
County Christian boys’ team.
Johnny Allsbrook will preside
over the Sunday morning session
which will begin at 9:45 a. m. with
the Bible School. Lamar Tillman,
minister of the Jarvisburg Church
of Christ, will preach the Bible
School sermon, "God Requires an
Obedient Heart.” The sermon for
See~CONVENTION, Page 5
-$
Seoul Court of
Honor on May 5
At least three members of the
Plymouth Boy Scout troop will be
among Scouts of the Wasmarty
District to receive awards at the
Court of Honor scheduled to be
held Saturday, May 5, at Plymouth
Presbyterian Church, Scoutmaster
Foster Perkins announced today.
The court of honor will be con
ducted by the local Masonic Lodge,
Mr. Perkins said. It will begin at
7:30 p. m.
The members of the local troop,
all advancing from Tenderfoot
Scout to Second Class Scout, are
Charles Walker, Frank Lowry and
Joe Early. Mr. Perkins stated that
possibly others may be included at
that time.
The Wasmarty District embraces
all troops in the counties of Wash
ington, Martin and Tyrrell.
|To Begin Vaccinating!
jConniy Do^§ April 2<i!
The dog vaccination program in
Washington County will begin next
week, it was announced here today.
The program, usually completed
during April, has been delayed be
cause of difficulty in obtaining
serum, it was explained.
Paul Basnight, Plymouth police
officer, is in charge of the vacci
nations in Plymouth and vicinity
while Hilton Chesson, of Crcswell,
has charge of vaccinations in the
other end of the county.
Chcsson will begin his schedule [
Thursday of next week, while Bas
night will begin his work on Mon
day, April 30.
Sheriff J. K. Reid warns that the
vaccinations are required by law
and all owners are expected to
have dogs vaccinated against rabies J
during the scheduled period.
The complete schedule is pub
lished elsewhere in this issue of
The Beacon.
MOI
The I’lymouth Boy Scout hut now noasis new wall and ceiling
paneling, contributed by Atlas I’iywood Corporation and installed
in recent weeks by members of the troop committee and parents
of some of the Scouts. The above group was caught as they finished up the work there last Thurs
day night. Left to right, they are: Robert Howell, chairman of the troop committee; Joseph Mizelle,
Lyman Mayo, C. A. Walker, William B. Blackburn and Borden Kornegay.—Staff photo.
County Voters To Decide
Five Contests in Primary
| THREE ROPER FHA GIRLS TAKE STATE AWARDS
Three members of the Roper
Future Homemakers of America
chapter recently won awards in
the state FHA convention at
Raleigh. Also, Mitchiner Banks
of Roper became the only man in
the state to receive an honorary
award at the meeting. The girls
are, left to right above, Patricia
Hassell and Jackie Skiles, and
to the right, Theresa Peele. Mrs.
W. V. Gaylord is chapter spon
sor.
Three From Here
Gel ECC Offices
Plymouth High School graduates j
won a major share of offices of the
YMCA and YWCA at East Carolina
College at Greenville in recent
elections held by the organizations.
Of the eight major officers elected,
three are from Plymouth.
Fred A. Davenport, son of Mr.
and Mrs. E. L. Davenport of Plym
outh, was elected president of the
YMCA. Miss Ann Elizabeth Lassi
ter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 0. Q.
Lassiter, of Plymouth, was elected
vice president of the YWCA; and
Miss Ann Lei^'Vyo. daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. v\ ^ Mayo of • lym
outh, was elected secretary of the
YWCA Davenport and Miss Mayo
the juniors at East Carolina, while
Miss Lassiter is a sophomore.
Others ofifeers elected by the
YMCA are Gus M. Manos, of Fay
etteville, vice president; Jesse W.
Vick, of Conway, secretary; and
Thomas M. Ruffin, jr., of Ahoskie,
treasurer. Miss Neel Dupree, of
Greenville, is president of the
YWCA; and Miss Lillian Griffin,
Df Louisburg, is treasurer.
It is very unusual for one locali
ly to furnish more than one officer
for any campus organization; and
the fact that three were chosen
from Plymouth attests their popu
larity among the student body
Gross Earnings
Up ai Plymouth
Office, Staled
Downward Trend in Man
hours Shown Since Hiqh
Point of 1953 Lot;1
Post Office
Gross earnings at the Plymouth
Post Office in 1955 were $8,500
greater than in 1945, figures re
cently released by Postmaster J.
Corbett Swain show.
The total for 1955 was $34,500
(in round figures) while for 1945
it was $26,000. Gross earnings, as
interpreted by the department, in
clude seven categories, Mr. Swain
explained. They are: excess on sale .
of envelopes, second class postage,
metered postage, non-metered post
age, applications for meters, bulk
mailing and box rents. A good bit
of the increased business in recent
years is attributed to bulk mail
ing, it was said.
While gross earnings have shown
a healthy increase, total manhours
at the office have held fairly
steady and for 1954 and 1955 the
total was less than for the high
point reached in 1953.
From 1945 through 1955 total
annual manhours worked at the
iff ice (again, round figures) look
ed like this:
1945, 10,250; 1946, 10,800; 1947,
11,200; 1948, 11,500; 1949, 11,250;
1950, 10,700; 1951, 10,200; 1952,
11,200; 1953, 12,150; 1954, 11,400;
1955, 11,200.
Comparatively little gain was
shown in gross earnings from 1945
Se'c EARNINGsT Page '10 ~
ff
Opposition for State Senator,
Recorder's Court Solicitor,
Representative and Two
Board Members
Last-minute filings last Saturday
assured five contests on the coun
ty ticket in the Democratic pri
mary Saturday, May 26. In ad
dition, there are six candidates
without opposition, and their nomi
nations were certified by the board
af elections after the deadline for
filing was reached at noon Satur
day.
No Republicans filed for any of
:he county offices prior to Satur
day’s deadline, which means the
Democratic nominees will not have
any opposition in the November
jeneral election. Up to relatively
i few years ago, the Republicans
would file a full slate of county of
fices, but for the past two general
Sections they have failed to do so.
Last-minute Democratic entries
during the final few days before
the deadline included Former
Representative E. O. Arnold for
representative and Wilbur M. Dar
den for solicitor of the county r«
corder's court. Arnold’s entry made
the race for representative a three
cornered affair, Dr. J. M. Phelps,
the incumbent, and Former Repre
sentative W. J. Woolard having
previously filed for the office. W.
Pdount Rodman, present recorder’s
court solicitor, had also previously
filed, and Darden’s entry assured
a contest for this office.
Another late development last
week was the filing of A. Corey
of Jamesville for one of the two
positions as state senator from the
Second Senatorial District. Edward
L. Owens of Plymouth, incumbent,
and Robert H. Cowen, mayor of
Williamston, had filed previously,
so a three-way contest for two
places has developed there.
L. H. Ross of Washington, who
was the other senator from the
second district at the last session
of the legislature, is not a candi
date this year, so it is expected
that the. main race for this office
will be between the two Martin
County men, Cowen and Corey. It
is +bes>sual custom in the district
Kor ,■ cnator to serve two terms,
and it is felt that Owens is entitled
to the office again on this basis
Other contests in the county will
Itn f nr pnnntv pnmmiccinnnr f rnm
Plymouth Township, where there
See PRIMARY, Page 10™"
————<s
About 60 Growers
Hear Specialists
About 60 county peanut growers
attended the special meeting at
the Agriculture Building Friday
night, County Agent W. H. Pruden
reports.
Dr. R. P. Moore, with the Experi
ment Station, emphasized the ad
vantages in good seed. He said
seed should be treated and shelled
properly for best results. Injured
seed will not produce the best
plants, the speaker stated. Also, he
reminded, storage has a good deal
:o do with seed. Seed should be
stored in a place which is neither
too moist nor too dry, Moore de
ruared.
Dr. A. D. Stuart, peanut specia
list with the Extension Service, em
phasized proper spacing, fertiliza
tion and dusting for leaf spot. Two
root rows are recommended and
rows should not be more than 30
inches apart, it was said. County
Agent Pruden said most growers in
this county do not space peanuts
close enough.
Also, planting in the row should
be about six-inch intervals for
bunch peanuts and eight-inch in
tervals for runners, it was brought
out.
-$
Precinct Officials
Changes Effected
Thg. Washington County Board
of Elections has had a couple of
meetings during the past week, the
first one Saturday at noon to cer
tify candidates for county, district
and township offices, and other
one Tuesday night to fill some
places in the primary election set
up. *'<i
At the meeting Tuesday night,
the resignation of Brownie Good
man as registrar for Skinnersville
precinct was accepted. Delbert Pat
rick was appointed to succeed him
as registrar, and Mrs. Grady Alex
ander was named a judge of elec
tion to succeed Mr. Patrick in that
capacity.
Dallas Waters also resigned as
Republican judge of election for
Plymouth precinct No. 1. T. C.
Culbreth of East Main Street,
Plymouth, was named to succeed
him.