T'own
opics
Horace G. Ange, son of Mr. and
Mrs. James W. Ange, of Plymouth,
received the degree of bachelor of
arts in the School of Religion at
Bob Jones University, Greenville,
S. C., at graduation exercises there
Wednesday, May 30. There were
more than 40 graduates at the in
stitution, the degrees being con
ferred by Dr. Bob Jones, jr., presi
dent of the university. Young Ange
was a member of the Pi Gamma
Delta Literary Society.
Howard Jerome Walker, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Howard T. Walker
of Plymouth, will take part in the
state finals of the Teen-Age Road
e-o Saturday and Sunday at Green
ville. The event is sponsored by
the Junior Chamber of Commerce
and Walker will represent the
Plymouth Jaycees, having won the
event here over 77 county entrants.
The road-e-o was held here Wed
nesday, April 25 and 28 finalists
took part in the driving tests. Win
ner at Greenville will get a $500
prize and the right to represent
the state in the national finals.
Rev. and Mrs. Jesse H. Lanning
will be in Greensboro this week
end attending the graduation of
their daughter, Lucinda Lanning,
at Woman’s College of the Univer
sity of North Carolina. In the ab
sence of Mr. Lanning, Rev. W. S.
Davenport, pastor of Jamesville
Methodist Charge, will preach at
Plymouth Methodist Church. Mr.
Davenport is a resident of Plym
outh and a former member of the
Plymouth Church. This will be a
regular service and not a Com
| munion Service.
A two-day meeting of officers
and directors of Area 4 of the
Southern Pulpwood Conservation
Association was held Tuesday and
Wednesday of this week at Nags
Head with about 75 delegates at;
tending. Included was K. S. Trow
bridge of North Carolina Pulp
Company who said the purpose of
the organization is to encourage
wise use of Southern forest re
sources as well as their immediate
replacement after cutting. A busi
ness session was held Tuesday and '
the meeting closed with a banquet
Wednesday night.
Roy F. Lowry, county superin
tendent of schools, will leave Sat
urday for Daytona Beach, Florida,
where he will attend the Southern
States Work Conference June 4-9
at the Daytona Plaza Hotel. Mr.
Lowry is a member of the finance
committee. Purpose ci the meeting
is “to study problems of education
al interest in the Southern region,”
it was said. Mr. Lowry expects to
return to Plymouth June 11.
Mrs. J. Robert Campbell of Plym
outh will attend a reunion of the
Class of 1911 at Greensboro Wo
man’s College Saturday of this
week. Mrs. Campbell will be ac
companied by a classmate, Mrs.
S. L. Cloyd of Raleigh.
J. B. McNair of Plymouth has a
young granddaughter who is just
about ready for solid food. The
young lady, Beverly Jean Chapman,
was born May 11 with a lower front
tooth already in place. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. K.
Chapman of Norfolk, Va. Mother
and daughter are doing fine, ac
cording to reports.
A few persons from this county
attended the peanut field day held
at the Lewiston Experiment Station
Wednesday of this week. A tour
~See"TOPICsT'Page~7
About 200 Attend
Field Day Event
A crowd estimated at about 200
persons attended the Forage and
Livestock Field Day at Tidewater
Research Station near here last
Thursday, it is reported.
The event was in charge of Sam
Dobson, extension agronomy spec
ialist.
Taking part on the program
which began at 9:30 a. m. and con
tinuing into the afternoon were Dr.
R. L. Lovvorn, director of agricul
tural research at State College, J.
L. Rea, station superintendent, and
Cecil Thomas, director of the Di
vision of Research Stations, State i
Department of Agriculture.
Farmers participating in a gen
eral discussion program included :
two from this county—Bill Thomp
son and Sid Hassell of Roper.
A barbecue lunch was served at
the farm.
The Roanoke Beacon
****** and Washington County News ******
A h«Me newspaper MiaM
to the serriee ef WasMaftoa
County and its 13,N« people.
SH3U!!2!S*i:.!Hn3
VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 22
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 31, 1956
ESTABLISH*!) **Ȥ
The new home of the Washing
ton County Public Library is
pictured here shortly after its
formal opening recently. Above
is a portion of the interior, while
the small photo gives an exter
ior view of the library, located
at the intersection of Third and
Adams Streets. Seated at the
desk in the top photo is Mrs. C.
E. Ayers, librarian; others, left
to right, are Mrs. Eugenia Baby
lon, director of the Pettigrew
Library Region, who has an of
fice in the new building; Mrs.
J. Robert Campbell, chairman of
the Washington County Library
Board; Town Councilman C. B.
Holliday, the Rev. Jesse H. Lan
t ning and Mrs. Sabra Reid.—
l Staff photos.
34b Autos txamined
At Safety Lane Here
Raise $74 in j
Sale of Bread {
Dr. A. L. Whitehurst, chair
man of the Jaycees’ bread sale
project, calls attention to the
fact that the Roper Fire Depart
ment participated in the sale held
recently and the bread sale con
ducted by members of the de
partment there realised $74.
This amount, Dr. Whitehurst
said, brought the total raised in
the Roper area toward the Red
Cross fund quota to $288. The
aid of the Roper firemen is
greatly appreciated, Dr. White
hurst declared.
Large Crowds at
Finals Programs
At Local School
Overflow Crowd Said Larg
est in History of School
Hears Commencement
Address Monday Night
What was described as the
largest audience in the history of
the Plymouth schools overflowed
the auditorium at the high school
Monday night to hear the com
mencement address by a former
;raduate of the school, Lt. Col.
Hugh F. Jordan of the United
states Air Force, and to witness
:he graduation of 46 seniors, be
ieved to be the largest graduating
:lass in the school’s history.
Capacity crowds were on hand
sunday night for the annual com
mencement sermon delivered by
lev. Archie G. McKee, minister of
he First Presbyterian Church, Le
loir, and for the Class Night pro
;ram, “Footprints and Time,” ’
Thursday night of last week.
Graduation exercises Monday ]
light opened with the Processional, ;
‘Pomp and Circumstance," and was
ollowed by the invocation by the ^
Se^PLYMOlJTIC~Page^l2 ■
i
Bloodmobile Returns j
Next on 20th of June i
The regular quarterly visit of the
Red Cross bloodmobile to Plym
outh is scheduled for Wednesday,
June 20, local blood bank leaders
have announced.
It will be the second visit of the
year to Plymouth by the unit. On
the first visit March 14, 77 pints of
blood were secured, bringing the
total donated in Washington Coun
ty since inauguration of the blood
bank program here in December,
1950, to 2,469 pints.
The visit June 20 will be the
22nd to the county.
The quota will be 100 pints, it
was stated. Also, it has been point- .
ed out that the local blood bank
owes 100 pints to the Tidewater ;
Regional Blood Bank and it is
hoped that a strong showing can be
made June 20 in order to instore
retaining the program in the
county.
Details of the visit will be an
nounced later.
Total of 91 Vehicles Reject
ed But Many Correc
Faults and Come Back
Project Successful
A total of 546 vehicles wen
through the safety check lane se
up on East Water Street Monda:
and Tuesday of this week, accord
ing to a report released by J. E
Mallory and H. N. Stephenson, wh.
were in cha/ge.
The two men expressed them
selves as highly pleased at result
of the voluntary project which wa:
sponsored locally by the Town o
Plymouth and the various garages
It is part of a nation-wide progran
sponsored jointly by Inter-Indus
try Highway Safety Committee
Look Magazine and the Nationa
Safety Council.
The lane here was operated fron
9 a. m. to 5 p. m. each day. Thos<
who assisted in its operation wer«
Stephenson and Mallory, Georg<
Bagley, Edward Ray Clifton anc
Ralph Hunter.
Rejects included 82 cars and 24
trucks. Of these, however, about 3E
corrected their troubles and came
back through the lane, it was said
Every vehicle was checked foi
brakes, front lights, rear lights,
steering, tires, exhaust, glass, rear
view mirror, windshield wipers and
horn.
A breakdown of defects among
:ars and trucks was listed as fol
lows:
Cars—brakes, 1; front lights, 6;
■ear lights, 38; steering, 1; tires,
11; exhaust, 7; glass, 1; windshield
.vipers, 9; horn, 2;
Trucks—brakes, 1; front lights,
l; rear lights, 6; tires, 2; exhaust,
l; glass, 2; windshield wipers, 2.
It is believed much good has
>een accomplished by the project,
he sponsors stated.
Ullen Family Reunion
Held in County Sunday
The annual Allen family reunion
vas held Sunday at the Joseph
Ulen home-place on NC 32 eight
niles south of Plymouth with about
!00 persons from this state and
/irginia attending.
Gleason Allen, Wilmington at
orney who is president of the as
ociation, presided. Songs and
irief remarks by various members
if the clan were included in the
irogram.
A bounteous picnic dinner was
injoyed.
-®
’ounty Man Is Hospitalized
Is Truck Overturns Sunday
George Askew of Plymouth Rt.
: was hospitalized here with in
uries suffered when the pickup
ruck he was operating on N. C.
12 overturned about five miles
iouth of Plymouth at 8:30 Sunday
light.
The accident was investigated by
-pl M. C. Byrum of the State
iighway Patrol, stationed at Wil
iamston, and details were not
ivailable.
Teacher Total In
County Announced
For 1956-57 Term
. Number of Teachers for
County Schools Remains,
Unchanged; Gain of One
[ White, Lose One Colored
’ Total number of teachers in the
schools of Washington County will
' be the same for the 1956-57 term as
for the 1955-56 school year, R. F.
Lowry, county superintendent, re
’ ports.
. The teacher allotment announ
s ced last week by the State Board
of Education shows 113 teachers
| for the county, 62 in the white
schools and 51 in the colored. This
is a gain of one white teacher and
a loss of one colored teacher. There
is a total of 86 elementary teachers
and 27 high school teachers.
Among the white schools, Plym
outh gains two teachers, Roper
loses one and Creswell’s allotment
remains the same. In the colored
schools the only change is a loss of
one teacher at Creswell Elemen
tary School.
Plymouth White gains one teach
er each in elementary and high
school, Roper loses one in high j
school.
The allotment, by schools, is as
follows:
Plymouth—elementary, 25; high
school, 9; total, 34; Roper—ele
mentary, 8; high school, 3; total,
11; Creswell—elementary 12; high
school, 5; total, 17;
Plymouth Colored Elementary,
18; Washington County Union
School, Roper — elementary, 17;
high school, 10; total, 27; Creswell
Elementary, 6.
-♦
File Damage Suit
Here Last Week
-#
A $25,000 damage suit, arising
out of an automobile accident last
December, was filed here last
week.
Anna M. Mitchell, wife of Dr.
L. S. Mitchell of Plymouth, by her
attorneys, W. L. Whitley and P. H.
Bell, filed complaint May 22 with
the clerk of superior court seeking
to recover $25,000 damages alleged
suffered as a result of the wreck
December 2, 1955, in the Sand
Hills section of Plymouth.
The suit is against Tom Cunning
ham and wife, Dovie Cunningham.
Mrs. Cunningham was the driver of
the car in collision with the Mit
chell car, in which Dr. Mitchell’s
wife was a passenger.
The complaint charges negli
gence in failing to stop at an in
tersection and excessive speed. It
also charges that the plaintiff was
permanently injured in the wreck.
She suffered a broken right leg,
bruises and internal injuries and
was confined in hospitals here and
at Norfolk, Va., from the date of
the accident until March 22. The
complaint alleges she is still un
able to get around or do any
work.
Education Board
Purchases Five
Lois From Still
-•
Former Plymouth Mayo:
Also Donates Approxi
mately Eight Acres; Silc
Totals About 19 Acres
The Washington County Board oi
Education has increased its hold
ings for a possible new school site
in Still Acres to about 19 acres
of land, County Superintendent oi
Schools Roy F. Lowry stated Wed
nesday.
Former Plymouth Mayor Eugene
F. Still of BlythevUle, Arkansas,
met with the board here Tuesday
of this week and an agreement was
reached for the board to purchase
from Still for $2,000 five lots ad
joining land previously acquired
by the board. Still also agreed to
donate another parcel estimated
at approximately eight acres.
The board agreed to purchase
Lots No. 4, 115, 117, 119 and 121
in Block 31 of Still Acres. Negotia
tions are also continuing for ad
ditional acreages, Lowry said.
The board also adopted certain
rules and regulations pertaining to
assignment or change of assign
ment of pupils, and assigned pupils
to the various schools for the 1956
57 school yeaf.
The contracts of Teachers Don
ald Edward Phelps and Alton K.
Spencer were approved during the
meeting Tuesday.
-1
Realize Over $180
Poppy Sales Here
The annual Poppy Day sale held
Saturday amounted to $183, Mrs,
Lillie Ambrose, chairman, reports,
Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts aided
in the event which is sponsored
by the American Legion Auxiliary
The sale was completed by noon,
it was said.
Members of the Auxiliary ex
pressed thanks for the response
and for the cooperation of the
grouts.
The poppies sold here were r.i, d,.
by disabled veterans at the veter
ans’ hospitals.
Poppy Day contributions are the
principal financial support for the
Auxiliary’s rehabilitation and child
welfare activities.
-®
To Consider Budget at
Board Meetings Monday
Approval of budgets is expected
to be the major item of business
for both the Plymouth City Council
and the Washington County Board
of Commissioners when those bod
ies hold regular monthly meetings
here next Monday.
The commissioners will convene
at the courthouse at 1 p. m. while
the council will hold its session at
the Municipal Building at 8 p. m.
The county board of education,
svhich normally meets the first
Monday, held its session Tuesday
af this week and will not meet on
Monday.
Total Vote Last Saturday
Less Than 1,500 in County
| E. O. Arnold Will Not j
j Call Second Primary j
E. 0. Arnold of Skinnersville,
who finished second to Dr. J. M.
Phelps in the three-cornered race
for county representative in last
Saturday’s Democratic Primary,
has decided not to call for a run
off.
Mr. Arnold stated Wednesday
that he had proposed to Dr. Phelps
and to W. J. Woolard, the other
candidate, during the campaign
that they agreed to concede to the
high man in any event. Arnold said
his opponents did not agree to the
proposal, but that in order to re
lieve Washington County of the ex
pense of a second primary he had
decided not to call for a run-off.
“I, as a Good Democrat, will
most certainly vote for Dr. Phelps
and other candidates of the party,
both state and national,” Mr. Arn
old declared, “and I hope that my
friends who stood by me so loyal
ly will understand why I have done
this, and that they, too, will be
good Demcorats and vote for the
party.”
Big Crowds at Finals
For Roper, Creswell
Graduation Exercises Held
At Roper High School Fri
day Night, at Creswell
Monday Night
Interesting programs and good
attendance marked school closings
at county schools, with Roper High
School finals being concluded Fri
day and Plymouth and Creswell
Monday night of this week.
The commencement address was
delivered at Roper High School
Friday night by Dr. Leo W. Jen
kins, dean of East Carolina College,
Greenville. Diplomas were pre
sented to the graduates by R. F.
Lowry, superintendent of Wash
ington County Schools. Elfreth
Alexander gave the salutatory ad
dress and Dian Spruill gave the
valedictory.
Final exercises at Creswell High
School began Friday night with
the annual Class Night program
by the seniors. The annual com
•neiwsni « sermon was preached
Sunday night by the Rev. James
A. Evans, minister of the Free Will
Baptist Church, Wilson. A large
crowd was on hand each night and
the programs were well received.
The graduation program was
held Monday night of this week
with the commencement address
by Dr. Charles F. Carroll, state
superintendent of public instruct
ion, and presentation of diplomas
as highlights. Charles Davenport
gave the salutatory address and
Pinner Smithson delivered the val
edictory.
At Roper High School, diplomas
were presented to Pat Trueblood,
Theresa Peele, Jackie Skiles, Lea
nora Taylor, Catherine Bunch, Pa
tricia Hassell, Elfreth Alexander,
Lois Tetterton, Billy Ray Knowles,
Roger Chesson, jr., Buck Daven
port, Merlin Chesson, Dian Spruill,
Jean Oliver and J. M. Chesson, jr.
Creswell students receiving di
™See^FINALs7^Page~12
■ ■MIIIINMIlllllimmmilMiiiKNHNIlIM
I Principal Will |
j Stay On Only j
School is out for a summer
respite but there’s at least one
worker who is not quite ready
to “take off.’’
Principal J. S. Fleming has an
noced that his office at the high
school will be open as usual each
day through June 11 and that he
will be glad to render every
possible service. After June 11
the office will be open “as neces
sary,” Mr. Fleming stated.
Governor Given
Total 1,089 Votes
County Saturday
Hodges Leads Stale Ticket;
County With Winners in
All But Lieutenant Gov
ernor's Race
— »
Governor Luther H. Hodges led
the state ticket in Washington
County last Saturday, getting 1,089
votes for governor compared with
a combined vote of 238 for three
opponents. Tom Sawyer of Char
lotte received 94 votes in the coun
ty, C. E. Earle, jr., of Belmont got
89 votes, and Harry P. Stokely of
Charlotte, 55. The total vote cast in
the primary was slightly more than
1,400.
In the state as a whole, Hodges
won an overwhelming vote of con
fidence, said to be the largest ever
cast for governor in a North Caro
lina primary. The official vote was
expected to approximate 380,000.
^~See^GOVERNORTPageT2
C«um VOTE, BY PRECINCTS
Following is the official tabulation of votes, by precincts, cast in the Democratic Primary
in Washington County last Saturday, as certified to the county board of elections at the official
canvass of returns in Plymouth Tuesday morning:
COUNTY BALLOT
For Member, Board of Education
Paul B. Belanga, sr___
Tom F. Davenport....
For Solicitor, Recorder’s Court
W. Blount Rodman_
W. M. Darden....
For County Commissioner
A. R. Latham___
Jack Williams....
Ply. 1
.. 165
.. 127
.. 249
.. 70
Ply. 2
215
153
341
68
L.M.
126
64
130
81
Skin.
63
44
81
36
Scup.
175
114
145
117
229
88
235
172
Wen.
10
11
20
2
Totals
754
513
976
374
464
260
For State Senators; 2nd District
Edward L. Owens__
Robert H. Cowen....
A. Corey
274
117
40
315
156
79
135
90
86
64
33
41
158
75
133
17
4
6
963
475
385
For County Representative
E. O. Arnold___
J. M. Phelps..
W. J. Woolard..
62
150
104
114
139
151
84
120
16
81
50
4
96
199
9
STATE BALLOT
For Governor
Luther H. Hodges.... 281
Tom Sawyer.. 12
Harry P. Stokely. 13
C. E, Earle, jr.. 8
For Lieutenant Governor
Luther E. Barnhardt ..
J. V. Whitfield.....
Alonzo C. Edwards..
Kidd Brewer___
Gurney P. Hood -.-...
343
34
14
10
164
11
3
40
78
11
11
11
201
25
14
20
66
20
146
19
43
72
33
171
38
46
24
22
87
9
68
21
6
42
4
19
50
18
100
11
36
For Commissioner of Agriculture
L. Y. Ballentine..
Kermit U. Gray___
For Insurance Commissioner
Charles F. Gold ..
John N. Frederick..
For Commissioner of Labor
Frank Crane__
James A. Farlow
H. D. Lambeth, jr
248
47
305
63
166
33
68
26
152
62
222
63
284
72
166
36
68
25
137
62
149
45
65
166
55
118
81
64
37
27
43
15
105
42
39
For United States Senator
Sam Ervin, jr...
Marshall C. Kurfees_
252
36
318
57
146
53
67.
27
164
49
TOTAL VOTE..
316
504
220
135
304
22
1
6
12
2
19
4
19
1
446
665
291
1089
94
55
89
239
99
558
81
214
968
235
887
262
537
250
276
966
223
23 1402
Tolal Smallest in Recent
Years; Rodman Leads
Ticket; Phelps High in
Representative Race
E. 0. Arnold of Skinnersville
announced Wednesday that he had
decided not to call for a run-off
to settle the race for county repre
' sentative.
Arnold, who was runner-up to
Incumbent Dr. J. M. Phelps of Cres
well in last Saturday’s balloting,
said he was waiving his right to a
second primary in order to save the
county the cost of a run-off vote.
Dr. Phelps lacked 73 votes of win
ning outright over the combined
vote of his two opponents in the
primary Saturday.
The lack of interest in politics
in the county this year was reflect
ed in the total vote of about 1,425,
one of the ‘lightest cast here in
years. It was even smaller than the
light vote cast in the 1948 primary
when about 1,600 persons went to
the polls. Noting the general
apathy, observers here had pre
dicted between 1,600 and 2,000
votes in the primary Saturday and
there was surprise when the total
fell below the low figure predicted.
W. Blount Rodman of Plymouth
led the county ticket in last Satur
day’s voting, winning by a sub
stantial margin over his opponent,
W. M. Darden, also of Plymouth,
in the race for solicitor of the re
corder’s court. Rodman, the incum
bent, polled 976 votes to 374 for
Darden, leading in all six pre
cincts.
State Senator Edward L. Owens
of Plymouth got the second highest
vote on the county ticket with
963. Owens finished as high man
in the seven-county second sena
torial district, with Mayor Robert
H. Cowen of Williamston second,
and A. Corey of Jamesville trail
ing. Cowen thus won the other dis
trict seat in the state senate.
Dr. J. M. Phelps, Creswell in
cumbent, finished as high man in
the three-cornered race for county
representative, polling 665 votes.
E. 0. Arnold of Skinnersville came
in second with 446 votes, and W. J.
Woolard of Plymouth trailed with
291. Both Arnold and Woolard are
former representatives, Arnold hav
ing represented the county in the
1949 legislature, while Woolard
served in the 1951 and 1953 ses
sions.
Dr. Phelps carried three of the
precincts, Plymouth No. 1, Lees
Mill and his home precinct of Scup
pernong. Arnold carried his home
precinct of Skinnersville and also
led in Wenona, while Woolard
carried the remaining precinct,
Plymouth No. 2.
In the solicitor's race Mr. Dar
den made his strongest showing in
See~C0uSnnrV0TEs7Page'l2~
- •
Edward L. Owens
And R. H. Cowen
Win Senate Race
Owens Is High Man, Lead
ing Every County in Dis
trict But Martin; Cowen
Leads Corey by 946 Votes
Edward L. Owens of Plymouth
and Robert H. Cowen of William
ston will represent the second sen
atorial district in the state senate
next year.
Owens, local attorney and land
pwner, seeking reelection to the
post, led his opponents in every
county in the district except Mar
tin, home county of the other two
candidates.
Cowen, mayor of Williamston
making his first venture into dis
trict politics, led A. Corey of
Jamesville by a margin of 946 votes
to get the other district senate
seat.
Mr. Owens, according to unoffic
ial figures, polled 5,875 votes in
the seven counties of the district
to lead the ticket. Cowen’s total
was 5,492, while Corey trailed with
4,546 votes.
Since there is no Republican op
position for state senators in the
second district this year, Saturday’s
primary vote was tantamount to
election. Reports from Williamston
stated that Cowen plans to continue
as mayor of Williamston until he
enters the state senate next Janu
ary.
An unofficial tabulation of the
vote by counties in the district fol
lows:
County Corey Cowen Owens
Martin _908
Dare
Tyrrell_
Hyde _
Wash’ton ..
Beaufort ..
Pamlico_
.. 509
. 245
.. 519
385
.1342
638
1466
552
130
486
475
1833
550
542
603
273
623
962
2217
659
Totals
..4546 5492
5879