T'OWll
opics
*
Miss Nelda Carol Norris, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Norris
of Plymouth, represented Bosie
Bateman Post No. 4023, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, as one of the
princesses who reigned over the
North Carolina marbles tourna
ment held at Elizabeth City last
week-end. Eighteen VFW posts
were represented by princesses at
the event which is sponsored by
the VFW each year. It was the
first year that the local post had
been represented. Gary Jenkins,
12, of Lincolnton emerged as mar
bles champion, while Vicki Miller
of Elkin was crowned queen of the
tournament Saturday night. Mr.
and Mrs. Norris accompanied Nel
da to Elizabeth City.
Among those receiving degrees
at East Carolina College, Green
ville, Monday morning were sever
al students from Washington Coun
ty. The finals speaker at exercises
held in Wright auditorium on the
college campus was Dr. D. Hiden
Ramsey of Asheville, chairman of
the North Carolina Board of High
er Education, whose topic was,
Speak a Good Word for Educa
tion.” Washington County students
receiving degrees were listed as
follows: M. A.-—Booster Tex Lind
sey, Plymouth; B. S.—Lee Victor
Landing, Albert Louis Singleton,
Donald Basnight Freeman and
Alice Harris Pierce, all of Plym
outh; Jean Davenport Alexander
and Helen Alexander Ambrose,
both of Creswell; and Francis Ray
Spencer, Roper.
Mrs. L. B. Doodbury, the former
9 Miss Matilda Swain of Mackeys, has
returned to Washington, D. C.,
after visiting a number of relatives
in the county, including Mrs. N. G.
Chesson and Mrs. O. A. Chesson of
Roper, and J. L. Swain, fo Plym
outh. Mrs. Woodbury is joining her
husband, Colonel Woodbury, who
will leave Washington around June
1 for a two-year assignment as
military attache to Viet Nam,
with headquarters in Saigon.
Carl L. Bailey, sr., Plymouth at
torney, was elcted president of the
Second Judicial District Bar at the
meeting of the group held Friday
evening at Roanoke Country Club,
Williamston. Other officers include
Charles H. Manning, Williamston,
vice president; John A. Wilkinson,
Washington, secretary - treasurer;
and Paul R. Waters, Washington,
Ned P. Everett, Robersonville, W.
M. Darden, Plymouth, W. S.'Wood
ley, Columbia, and George M. Davis
of Swanquarter, members of the
executive committee. Attorney
General W. B. Rodman addressed
the meeting. Resolutions honoring
the memory of the late Hallet S.
Ward of Washington were adopted.
Patrons of the county ABC stores
at Plymouth and Creswell will
have to do their week-end stocking
up before Saturday. The Demo
cratic Primary is slated Saturday
and the law requires that ABC
stores be closed on all election
days. Patrons of the two stores are
asked to please note.
W. D. (Sonny) Walker, son of
Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Walker of
Plymouth, returned to Greenville
to serve as a marshal at the gradu
ation exercises of the college, held
Monday of this week in Wright
auditorium. Sonny recently com
pleted his third year at the Green
ville school.
Relief Program Is |
Terminated Here!
The Surplus Commodity program
for relief of distressed persons has
been discontinued in this county.
A joint meeting of local screen
ing committees, the board of coun
ty commissioners, welfare board1
and county agent was held here ]
Tuesday night at which time it was
decided to terminate the program. |
The program, it was explained,!
was a temporary measure designed -
to relieve distress through the i
winter months brought on by the
hurricanes of last fall. Surplus food
items were distributed at regular
intervals to needy families, the
peak number on the rolls being
248.
It was felt that since the farm
ing season has opened more work j
is available and that the program
has served its purpose.
Vehicle Safety Check
Set Here Next Week
The block on East Water Strcc
from Adams to Madison Street wil
be used as lane for the vehicle
safety check to be conducted Mon
day and Tuesday of next week, J
D. Mallory announced today.
Mallory and H. N. Stcphensoi
will be in charge of the projecl
which will be on an entirely volun
tary basis. The safety lane will be
in operation from 9 a. m. to £
p. m. both days, it was said.
All motorists of this vicinity arc
urged to take advantage of the op
portunity to have vehicles checked
for various mechanical defects.
Included in the check will be
brakes, front and rear lights, steer
t ing, tires, exhaust system, glass,
1 windshield wipers, rear view mir
c ror and horn.
The project here is part of a
. nationwide program being sponsor
ed jointly by three agencies—In
1 ter-Industry Highway Safety Com
t mittee, Look Magazine and the Na
- tional Safety Council.
3 The program is designed to help
> to reduce the heavy toll of acci
dents on the nation’s highways and
; streets. Safety checks, it is believ
- ed, should help materially to re
1 duce accidents since about 10 per
cent of the total stems from me
: chanical failures of one kind or ■
- another. i
The Roanoke Beacon
★ ★★★★★
and Washington County News
A heme newspaper dedicated
to the service of Washington
County and its 13,900 people.
★ ★★★★★
VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 21
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 24, 1956
ESTABLISHED 1889
Five County Races To Be Decided Saturday
CANDIDATES:
Main interest of Washington County Democrats in Sat
urday’s primary seems to be centered in the three
cornered race for representative. Dr. J. M. Phelps (left),
Creswell physician, is the incumbent and both of his opponents are former county representative. W. J.
([5ilD Wooiard (center), Plymouth furniture man, served in the 1951 and 1953 legislatures; while E. O.
Arnold (right), Skinnersville farmer, served at the 1949 session.
Finals Start Tonight
At High School Here
j Polls Will Openj
| At 6:30 Saturday j
I Voters in the primary Satur
day of this week will have exact
ly 12 hours in which to cast their
ballots. The polls open at 6:30
in the morning and close at 6:30
that evening. Registrars and
judges of election are required
to report to polling places at 6
a. m., in order to prepare the
booths and arrange the voting
space.
Remember: Polls close prompt
ly at 6:30 p. m. Polling places
in the county are as follows:
Plymouth No. 1, courthouse;
Plymouth No. 2, high school
building; Lees Mill, community
building in Roper; Skinnersville,
Goodman's store at the ' V ;
Scuppernong, tax collector's of
fice in Creswell; Wenona, resi
dence of H. J. Furbee.
Closing Program
Ai Roper School
Set for Friday
Dr. Leon W. Jenkins of East
Carolina College, Green
ville, To Give Commence
ment Address
The commencement program at
Roper High School will be con
cluded Friday night of this week.
Dr. Leo W. Jenkins of East Caro
lina College, Greenville, will give
the commencement address, spec
ial awards will be presented by
Principal T. A. Hood, and R. F.
Lowry, superintendent of Wash
ington County Schools, will present
diplomas to the graduates.
Dr. Jenkins will be presented by
Mr. Hood. The program will open
with the processional, “Pomp and
Circumstance,” by Elgar. The Rev.
Edward M. Spruill, minister of
Grace Episcopal Church, Plymouth,
will pronounce the invocation, and!
Elfreth Alexander will give (he sa
lutatory. The program will be in
terspersed with two numbers by
the glee club and a piano solo by
Elfreth Alexander. Dian Spruill
will give the valedictory. “Grand
March” by Verdi will be used as
recessional.
The commencement program
opened at the school Sunday night
with the commencement sermon by
the Rev. Paul Wesley Aitkin, min
ister of Hebron Methodist Church,
See Roper, Page 8
Class Night Exercises Set
At Plymouth High School
With Sermon Sunday and
Graduation Monday
Closing exercises at Plymouth
High School begin Thursday night
of this week when Class Night
exercises will be held, followed by
the commencement sermon Sunday
night and the graduation exercises
Monday night. AH programs will
be presented in the school auditor
ium and begin at 8 o'clock.
Programs in the finals series
are announced as follows:
Class Night exercises, “Foot
prints and Time.” Laura Jo Quinn,
class president; Mable Hardison,
historian; Billy Waters, statistic
ian; Lynda Harrell, poetess, Kath
leen Somerville, prophetess; Lynn
Magee, giftorian; Phil Ange, tes
tator; Carol June Windom, lyric
composer; all other seniors. Pianist,
B. W. Ham.
Commencement sermon: Proces
sional, “God of Our Father”; Doxo
logy, congregation; Invocation, the
Rev. J. R. Soloky; Hymn, “Come,
Thou Almighty King,” congrega
tion; Scripture reading, the Rev.
Paul B. Nickens; Anthems, glee
club; Prayer, the Rev. C. N. Bar
nette; introduction of minister, the
Rev. R. L. Combs; sermon, the Rev.
Archie G. McKee, minister, First
Presbyterian Church, of Lenoir;
Hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” congre
gation; Benediction, the Rev. J. H.
Lanning; Recessional, “Largo”;
music director, B. W. Ham; pian
ist, Beulah Cratch.
Graduation exercises: Procession
al, “Pomp and Circumstance”; In
vocation, the Rev. E. M. Spruill;
choral selections, glee club; Salu
tatory, Jessie Harrison; introduct
ion of speaker, J. S. Fleming, prin
cipal; Address, Lt. Col. Hugh F.
Jordan, U. S. Air Force; Presenta
tion of diplomas, A. L. Owens,
chairman of school committee;
Present Awards; Valedictory, Beu
lah Cratch; Benediction, the Rev.
E. M. Spruill; Recessional, “Pomp
and Circumstance.”
There are 46 members of the
graduating class who will receive
diplomas Monday night.
Sale of Poppies
Here on Saturday
Plans have been announced here
for sale of poppies Saturday of
this week, sponsored by the Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary.
The little red artificial flowers,
made by disabled veterans of
World Wars I and II, will be worn
in honor of the nation’s war dead.
1 he poppies will be on sale here
all day Saturday with unpaid vol
unteers in charge of sales. They
will receive contributions for the
auxiliary's work for disabled vet
erans and needy children. No set
price is charged for the poppies,
and all contributions will be cheer
fully received.
The poppies will be the crepe
paper replicas of the wild poppies
which grow “between the crosses,
row on row” in the World War I
battle cemeteries of France and
Belgium.
Millions of the little flowers are
expected to be worn by Americans
on Poppy Day this year, it was said.
■-®--—
Dr. McAndrew Visits Here
Dr. Helton McAndrew, clinical
psychologist with the State Board
of Public Welfare, visited the coun
ty welfare office here Wednesday
morning where she gave examina
tions to two children, Mrs. Ursula
Spruill, county welfare superin
tend, reports.
Crop Measuring Is
To Start in County
This Week, Stated
-*
Two Reporters at Work,
Full Force To Consist oi
15 Reporters and Three
Spot-Checkers
Crop acreage measurement work
in this county had a small-scale
beginning this week when two re
porters, Joseph Collins and Sher
wood Chesson, both of Roper, be
gan work. Both have had past ex
perience.
The huge task is expected to be
tackled full-scale by the first of
June. Deadline for completion of
all measurement of allotment crop
acreage in the county is June 30.
Miss Miriam Ausbon, county
ASC office manager, stated Wed
nesday that 15 reporters and three
spot-checkers will be employed to
get the job done.
Spot-checkers will be J. Whit
lord Swain, county compliance su
pervisor, Fred Davenport of Plym
outh and Frank Spencer of Roper.
Each spot-checker will have super
vision of five reporters, it was said.
Reporters this year will be re
quired to visit every field, regard
less of whether it is planted to a
crop under acreage allotment con
trol or not, Miss Ausbon explained,
and must designate what crop is
growing on the land.
Mrs. Carlton Phelps is in charge
of rotometer operators. Other oper
ators are Carol Chesson and Teresa
Peele, of Roper, and Betty Ann
Burnham and Emily Waters of
Plymouth.
The training schools for report
ers and operators began Monday
and are being held every day this
week. They will be completed Fri
day,
There will be approximately 7,
500 acres of aloltment crops to be
measured—241 acres of wheat (al
ready measured), 1,186.93 acres of
tobacco, 3336.4 acres of peanuts,
730.1 acres of cotton and around
2,000 acres of corn under price
support.
"We believe this year we will do
the best job that has ever been
done in the county on perform
ance,” Miss Ausbon declared, “due
to our new photographs which
were flown March 3, 1955.
PLYMOUTH:
The senior class at Plymouth High School this year is the largest in recent years, number
lngft5.1- f“r,ty(s®ven of them are pictured above on the steps of the high school building
„ , . .... . ... . , Left to right, they are as follows: Kathleen Somerville, Lynn Magee. Laura Jo
Carol June YVindom, Shirley Tyree, Selena Wrightson, Mary Eleanor Sanderson, Mable Hardison, Jacque House Rettv^ Ann
Burnham, Marguerite Latham, Betty Jane Leary; second row: Gail Lewis, Jolene Hollowell, Beulah Cratch, Nellie Stotesburc a™
Peed> Helen Manning, Faye Phelps, Joyce Baker, Lynda Harrell, Sue Lassiter, Emily Waters, Alva Rose Hardiso?’third
Ryayrftt «ar a&KJstrBflntfsMas assA aJraHSS »
Expect Hundreds
Of Farmers Here
Field Day Today
All-Day Program at Tide
water Research Station
To Open at 9:30 A. M.;
Sam Dobson in Charge
Several hundred eastern North
Carolina farmers are expected
here Thursday of this week to at
tend the Forage and Livestock
Field Day at nearby Tidewater Re
search Station, according to Sam
Dobson, extension agronomy spec
ialist, who is in charge of the pro
gram.
Successful livestock farmers and
experiment station scientists will
share the job of reporting new re
search results and how they have
been applied, Dobson said.
The program will begin at 9:30
a. m. and with a break for lunch
will continue well into the after
noon. Lunch will be available on
the grounds at a reasonable price,
it was announced.
Dr. R. L. Lovvorn, director of
agricultural research at State Col
lege, J. L. Rea, superintendent of
the Plymouth research operation,
• and Cecil Thomas, director of the
Division of Research Stations
State Department of Agriculture,
will launch the program with short
talks at 9:30 a. m.
Field trips conducted by exten
sion and Experiment Station work
ers will begin at 10 o'clock. Dur
ing the morning farmers will see
the results of variety tests of for
age at different drainage depths,
and observe the results of using
different rates of lime, phosphate
and potash (and different sources
of potash) on Ladino clover and
f. ass. They will also see band
vedings of Ladino and tall fescue.
During the afternoon, they will
ob.-erve loose housing of dairy cat
tie and a hay making and silo
filin g demonstration, and hem dis
Ja1": ions of winter feJcnng, pas
c production, grain f'eding or
grass, cutting pasture for silage,
and swine management.
The final portion of the pro
gram will be devoted to a general
discussion by “those doing the job
—the farmers.” Bill Thompson of
Washington County will tell of his
results with feeding grain on grass;
Sid Hassell, also of Washington
County will explain, “why I
Bought Another Silo;” Warren
Watson of Hyde will tell how he
fits grass into his farm; R. L.
Swain of Tyrrell, will report on
what clover will do for hogs; and
E. L. Slack of Beaufort County
will answer the question, “Will
Dairy and Beef Pay in Tidewater
North Carolina?”
House Trailer, Fruit Stand
Burns Friday Near Sound
— «
A house trailer and a vacant
fruit stand near Albemarle Sound
Bridge were destroyed by fire Fri
day morning at about 8 o’clock, ac
cording to reports reaching here.
The trailer was the property of
Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Livingston and
was located near NC 32 about a
mile south of the bridge, it was
said.
A washing machine was the only
item saved, according to the re
port.
* ♦ ♦ ”
Interest Is Reported at Low Ebb;
Vote of 2,000 or Less Predicted
Total of 18 Candidates in
Running of Six Offices on
State Ballot; Four Seek
To Be Governor
Although there are 18 candi
dates for six offices on the state
! ballot to be voted on by county
1 Democrats in the primary Satur
day, there is very little visible in
terest so far in this section. There
: are four candidates for governor,
five for lieutenant governor, two
for commissioner of agriculture,
two for commissioner of insurance,
three for commissioner of labor
and two for United States Senator.
Governor Luther H. Hodges has
three opponents for the office he
now holds. All three of them from
the Charlotte region. Harry P.
Stokely and Tom Sawyer are food
dealers in Charlotte, while the oth
er candidate, C. E. Earle, jr., is
; from Belmont, just outside of
| Charlotte. It is generally believed
that Hodges will run far ahead of
j the others combined- in this section,
although it is understood Sawyer
is originally from Elizabeth City.
The race for lieutenant governor
is wide open, and there is a good
possibility that a second primary
will be required to name the nomi
nee. In this section, Alonzo C. Ed
wards, of Hookerton, a former
Farm Bureau official, is best
. known and is regarded as likely to
be the leader. Luther E. Barn
hardt, of Concord, is expected to
be top man in the Piedmont
region. Kidd Brewer, of Raleigh,
former secretary to (J. S. Senators
Josiah W. Bailey and William B.
Umstead, has gained a lot of
I ground among younger political
I leaders in recent weeks and may
j be a contender. Gurney P. Hood,
I former commissioner of banks for
! the state, has a lot of strength in
! the west. J. V. Wtitfield. a former
I -‘ate senator from the southeast
st tinn d L.a ?. . .. mav come up
with some solid support there.
In the race for commissioner of
agriculture, L. Y. “Stag" Ballen
tine of Raleigh, is considered well
See STATE BALLOT, Page 8
-«
Creswell Finals
Start on Friday
»
Final exercises at Creswell High
! School open Friday night of this
I week with presentation by the sen
iors of the annual Class night
program in the school auditorium
at 8 o’clock.
The second in the series of finals
events will take place Sunday at 8
p. m. when the annual commence
ment sermon will be preached by
the Kev. James A. Evans, minister
of the Free Will Baptist Church,
Wilson.
The graduation program will be
held next Monday night, beginning
at 8 o’clock, with the commence
ment address to be made by Dr.
Charles F. Carroll, state superin
tendent of public instruction.
The salutatory address will be
given by Charles Davenport, while
Pinner Smithson will give the vale
dictory.
Diplomas will go to 30 seniors.
STATE SENATOR
State Senator Edward L.
Owens, Plymouth lawyer and
farm operator, is seeking renomi
nation in Saturday's primary as
one of two senators from the
second district. Both the other
candidates, Williamston Mayor
Robert II. Cowen and A. Corey,
of Jamesville, arc from Martin
County.
Lamb Sale Totals
Over $12,000 Here;
913 Animals Sold
Number of Animals Offered
and Total Receipts Some
what Below Those of
Last Year's Sale
Total receipts fell somewhat be
low those of last year at the lamb
pod he!<! i.i P'vT iOuth Tuesday of
jth; , wcal /: ic; ing to figures re
leased by the county agent’s office
here. The event was held at the
ACL pens on East Water Street.
A total of 913 animals was of
fered, as compared with 989 a year
ago, while receipts totaled $12,
614.81 as against $13,991.01 at last
year’s sale.
, Bright side of the picture was
the top price of $26.50 per hund
redweight for choice lambs, which
topped last year’s high of $24.50.
Prices ranged as low at $2.40 for
rams, which also was above the low
price posted at the 1955 sale—$1.
Bulk of offerings graded med
ium, with 294; choice, 181; and
good, 180. There were 134 animals
grading common, 90 culls, 12 year
lings, 11 ewes, 5 shorn lambs, 4
old crop and 2 rams.
Animals were graded by H. D.
Quesenbcrry of the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture, of
Raleigh. Two shipments were
made, one to the New England
Dressed Meat and Wool Company,
Somerville, Mass., and the other
to the United Dressed Beef Com
pany of Brooklyn, N. Y. All of the
good and choice lambs were ship
ped to the Brooklyn firm. The ship
ment to the New England firm was
loaded with 206 head from Swan
quarter.
County* agents in surrounding
counties cooperated
Couniy Ballot Lisft 12 Can
didates tor Five Offices;
Three in Contest For Rep
resentative
A light vote is expected to be
cast in Washington County Satur
day, when Democrats go to the
polls to choose nominees for town
ship, county, district and state of
fices. While there are five contests
on the county ballot, one of them
applies only to Plymouth Township
and another is for district Senator,
so there are really only three coun
ty-wide races to be decided.
There are also six contests for
state officers, with a total of 18
candidates involved; but despite all
this, inteerst has been remarkably
low in politics this year in this
section, although the vote may be
surprising in view of the little talk
heard so far. Observers generally
believe that not more than 2,000
votes will be cast, and some predict
no more than 1,600. .
There are no Republican candi
dates for any of the county offices,
and no contests among Republi
cans for state and district offices,
so Republicans will have no part
in the primary in this county this
year. This also means that Demo
cratic nominees for county offices
will have no opposition from the
Republicans in the general election
next fall.
In all, there are 12 candidates
for five offices on the county bal
lot. There are three candidates for
twa places as state senator; three
candidates for county representa
tive; two for solicitor of the county
recorder’s court; two for member
of the board of education from
Seuppernong Township; and two
candidates for county commission
er from Plymouth Township. Only
citizens of Plymouth Township
will vote in the last-named contest,
while voters all over the county
ballot on the other four.
Probably the contest that has
drawn most attention is that for
representative, with three candi
dates in the field. Dr. J. M. Phelps,
Creswell physician, is the incum
bent and is seeking renomination.
He is opposed by two former rep
resentatives, E. O. Arnold of Skin
nersville, who represented the
county in the 1949 legislature, and
W. J. Woolard, Plymouth furniture
man, who was representative at *he
1951 and 1953 sessions.
AH three of the candidates have
been active in the past week or so,
after a slow start, and it is possi
See CANDIDATES,^ Page 8 ”
-#---r
Bread Sale Here
Nets Over $400;
Deficil Overcome
ned Cross Blood Program
Saved Financially Bui Is
Indebted Regional Bank
By 100 Pints
—♦
The Jaycees’ bread sale, conduct
ed Thursday night for the benefit
,^'<l. V’ross funti- nettet*
officials report.
Average contribution per loaf for
the various solicitors ranged from
59.b cents to $1.09. The list of
Solicitors, total loa es sold and
amount of money collected by each
was released as follows:
James Boyce, 56 loaves, $61;
ltalph Hunter, 48 loaves, $40: Ralph
Basnight, 75 loaves, $81.25; Carl
Bailey, jr., 65 loaves, $48.54; Jack
House, jr., 55 loaves, 62.88; Joe
Peele, 73 loaves, $65.33; Walton
owain, 54 loaves, $32.11; Billy
Blackburn, 61 loaves, $55.57.
Sufficient money was realized
from the sale to wipe out the Red
Cross fund deficit and protect the
local blood bank program insofar
as the financial side of the picture
is concerned, Dr. A. L. Whitehurst,
bread sale chairman, stated. The
remaining problem, he said, is to
clear up a blood deficit.
Dr. Whitehurst, who is also
county Red Cross chapter chair
man, said the local blood bank is
indebted to the Tidewater Region
al Blood Bank in the amount of
100 pints of blood. The quota for
the next quarterly visit of the
bloodmobile to Plymouth June 20
is 100 pints, so 200 donors are
needed to put the local program
on an even footing, it was explain
ed.
Dr. Whitehurst expressed deep
appreciation to all who helped
make the bread sale a success,
workers and contributors, as well
as the various church groups who
contributed to help relieve the Red
Cross fund deficit.