North Carolina Newspapers

T own opics isissSSsHisisiHsisS T. C. Culbreth has resigned ; Republican judge of election i Plymouth Precinct No. 1, it was ai nounced this week by W. T. Frei man, chairman of the county boar of elections. Mr. Culbreth served a a pollholder in the primary la: May and also at the extra gener; election on constitutional amen: ments recently. His successor wi be named by the county board i time for the November goner: election. James H. Ward was in Greenvill this week where he attended on of a series of quarterly insuranc meetings being held current! throughout the stale. The purpos of such meetings, Mr. Ward statec is to keep insurance men abreas of changes which are constant! taking place in this field. It’s really hard to get details o an automobile accident when th accident involves a highway patro car, it seems. But if you wonderei why genial “Red’’ Walters wa walking with a slight limp thi week, here’s the story briefly: l Williamston man by the name o Reason began a left turn off U! 64 between Plymouth and William ston at about 10 p. m. Monda; night and the man’s old mode Dodge truck was struck by a patfc car being operated by Patrolmai Walters. Reason's injuries have no been disclosed here, but “Red came off with leg bruises ant abrasions. Both cars were consider ably damaged, according to unoffi cial reports. Walters had not turn ed in his report to troop headquar ters when this scribe talked to hin (•Tuesday. Henry Oatjen, of Norfolk, nev president of the Norfolk Southerr Railroad Company, was in Plym outh Tuesday of this week to make a tour of the North Carolina Pulp Company plant here. He was ac companied by Marshall C. Jean nette, vice president of the com pany, also of the Norfolk office Mrs. Louise Allen, the efficien! deputy clerk of superior court for this county, has been appointed as assistant clerk of superior court— a promotion. The appointment is approved by the resident superior court judge for this judicial dis trict. Mrs. Allen, wife of Newman Allen of near Plymouth, has served as deputy clerk in the office here for more than 12 years. Mrs. Allen substituted for Clerk W. T. Still man at the regular term of super ior court here earlier this month and gave a good account of herself, according to all reports. The an nouncements of her appointment was made public by Mr. Stillman. Mrs. W. A. Davidson has just re turned from Chattanooga, Tenn., where she attended the funeral of her sister, Mrs. Blanche Williams Hamm who died unexpectedly in — Miami, Fla. Survivors include her "husband, H. M. Hamm; a daughter in Tampa, Fla.; two sons, one in Kingston, Tenn., the other in Col lingswood, N. J.; and three sisters. Last rites were conducted by Dr. Raymond Shearer and the Rev. Winston Wright, with interment in Forest Hill Cemetery, Chattanooga. -@ Combs To Speak Sunday At Cooperative Service -® The Rev. Robert L. Combs, min ister of Plymouth Presbyterian Church, will be the speaker at the quarterly cooperative service to be held here Sunday evening, it was announced today. The meeting, participated in by local Christian, Methodist, Episco pal, Presbyterian and Baptist Churches, will be held in the Lud ford Memorial Baptist Church, be ginning at 7:30 o’clock, the an nouncement from the Rev. Paul B. “ Nickens, minister at the host church, stated. A highlight of the service will be an anthem by the choir of the Baptist Church. The public is cordially invited Lake Phelps Post Will Meet Next Monday at 8 -» . - H. S. Woodley, adjutant of Lake Phelps Post No. 391, American Legion, announces that there will be a regular meeting of the post Monday night of next week. The meeting is scheduled to be gin at 8 o’clock and all members are rcsepctfully urged to attend, the announcement states. The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** A home newspaper dedicated || to the service of Washington County and its 13,000 people. iij „s VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 39 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina. Thursday, September 27, 1956 ESTABLISHED 1889 Bloodmobile Gets 78 Pints Here This Week Farm Bureau Sign Members Representatives of Washington County Farm Bureau in each community are busy this week signing up members for the com ing year. Collecting the yearly dues is part of this happy task. Quota for the annual member ship is 305 members, five above last year’s quota, it was said. Will Rogers, N. C. Farm Bureau representative from Greensboro headquarters, addressed the kick meeting held Friday night in the Agriculture Building here. First check-up meeting is set for Mon day night of next week, same place, 8 o’clock. It is hoped to wind up the drive the following week. Services Tuesday For Mrs. Holloman -♦ Funeral services for Mrs. Carrie Gurkin Holloman, 72, of Plymouth were conducted from Ludford Me morial Baptist Church Tuesday af ternoon at 3:30 o’clock by the Rev Paul B. Nickens, minister of the church. Burial was in Windlej Cemetery. Mrs. Holloman, a native of Mar tin County, died at her home at 11 o’clock Sunday morning following a long period of declining health She was born September 13, 1884 in Jamesville Township, daughter of the late Harmon and Annie Douglas Gurkin, and she spent her early life there. She was married first to Alfred S. Moore and her second marriage was to Robert L Holloman who survives. Mrs. Holloman had lived here most of her life and was an active member of the Baptist Church for many years. She leaves, other than her hus band, three brothers, Colon L. Gur kin and William H. Gurkin, both of Plymouth, and Charles G. Gur kin of Jamesville Township, Mar tin County; two sisters, Mrs. Henry R. Lassiter of Portsmouth, Va., and Mrs. Mattie Davis of near James ville; a foster son, Donald Moore and a foster daughter, Mrs. Glenr Settlemyer, both of Texas. ♦Floodlights Installed By Ruritans at Roper Roper Ruritans recently installed floodlights at the parking areas and entrances-exits on the‘grounds ad jacent to Roper High School, it is reported. The club project is designated to provide needed outside light for the benefit of patrons attending bas ketball games and other night ac tivities at the school, it was ex t plained. The work was done by a Plym outh electrician. At the last meeting of the Ruri tan Club a nominating committee was appointed to prepare an offi cer slate for the coming year. Oc tober 4 will be election night anc) those voted into office in the clut will be installed at the regulai meeting for December. Next meeting night will be ob served as annual Faculty Nigh1 with Roper High School principal and faculty as special guests at the banquet meeting. A promineni speaker for the occasion is to b< secured and announcement will b< made later, it was said. T. R. Spruill is president of th« club and there are now about 31 members. ’ Blood Bank Program Lead ers Here Express Pleas ure At Good Response of Colored Citizens The Red Cross bloodmobile col lected 78 pints of blood here Tues day of this week. There were 95 respondees, with 17 being rejected for one reason or another. Thus, the community failed by 32 pints to meet the quota of 110 pints which had been established for the regular quarterly visit, third of 1956. Tuesday’s figure brought the total amount of blood donated here this year to 323 pints, only seven pints below the cumulative quota. This means that should the final visit to Plymouth in 1956 col lect as much as 117 pints the cumu lative quota for the year would be attained (provided, of course, that the quarterly quota remains un changed at 110 pints). ■ The total Tuesday was one pint above that for the first visit this year—March 14, when 77 pints were obtained. On June 20 the ' quota was surpassed by 58 pints, the total being 168. This was the third highest amount collected here in the nearly six-year history of the Washington County Blood Bank program. The final visit of the year is now set for Friday, December 7. Local blood bank leaders were pleased with the response here this week—even though it fell short of the announced quota—and espec ially so in view of the fine response by colored citizens. There were 28 Negro donors. Doctors who donated time and service were listed as follows: Doc tors R. Vernon Jeter, E. W. Fur gurson, A. Papineau and T. L. Bray. Volunteer workers, including clerical, canteen and nurses’ aide, were Mcsdames Durand Keel, W. R. Klass, Harold Nelson, John Wil liams, George Barden, H. F. Per kins, J. W. Marrow, J. S. Fleming, John R. Soloky, W. F. Sessoms and W. R. Collins. All refreshments were donated by the Wesleyan Service Guild of Plymouth Methodist Church, under direction of Mrs. Miller Warren. St^BLOODMOBILlC Page~iT~ -» — Masons Need Help On Building Work Additional volunteer workmen are needed to help finish the in terior of the New Masonic Lodge building here, according to W. A. Roebuck, chairman of the building committee. He is issuing a call for more members of the lodge to come out and help with the work, which it is hoped will be completed by December 1st. Roebuck said yesterday that only about six lodge members, usually the same six, have been working on the project. They usually show up about 7 o’clock each night except when a high school football game is scheduled here. The lodge’s lease on its present quarters expires next January 7, and officials hope the interior of the new building can be finished I in time to occupy it before then. Top photo in this arrangement shows a view of a collection or re servoir ditch, dam, tidegate and pump outlets on the farm of D. Reuben Paul in the Wennna sec tion of Washington County. Bot tom photo is a close-up of the dam, showing culvert leading to gate. Construction of a drainage system for Paul's 180-acre farm followed the drawing up of a Soil Conservation Service plan in December of 1954. The drainage system, consisting of 13 lateral ditches, collection ditches and reservoir ditch, was completed last year. Although Mr. Paul had had a part of the land in pasture before, the entire block of land drained by the new system was put under cultivation for the first ^ time last year. Half was planted to corn, the other half to soy beans. The crop was saved until the final hurricane of the season but after that little was salvaged. This year Mr. Paul has had bet ter luck and reports a fine crop of soybeans and corn on the land. The pump, which moves the water steadily and at a pace that just about matches the rate of seepage from the land, is power ed by a farm tractor but it is planned to use diesel power later. If and when the Albemarle Drainage Canal—Cuckolds Creek project of the Army Engineer 1 Corps is completed, Mr. Paul will be enabled to get natural drainage and will then, of course, take out the present tidegate dam and pumps. “It will be one of the happiest days of my Ilf-' when that is done,” Mr. Paul commented.—Photos courtesy of Pamlico Soil Conservation Serv ice. Senior Dance Sei Saturday Night At Plymouth Gym Number of Princesses Vying For Titles This Week; To Be Crowned at Intermis sion Time The Plymouth High School Sen ior Dance, certainly a very import ant occasion in the eyes of mem bers of the senior class, is slated for Saturday night of this week. The gala affair will feature the music of Bobby Green’s orchestra of Ahoskie, and will begin at 8 o’clock and end at 11:30 or there about. The school gymnasium has been selected for the annual event and high school and elementary students will be admitted, as well as other individuals who care to attend, for a nominal admission price. An added attraction will be the crowning at intermission of Miss Grammar Grades and Miss Plym outh High School. Entries for these two contests are seeking votes from the public at a penny a vote to de cide the titlists. Voting containers are to be found in several business houses in the city. A list of students competing for the respective titles was released this week as follows: Sixth Grade — Brenda Respass, Davenport room; Robin Horner, Dunbar room; Mary Alice Barden, Topping room; Seventh Grade—Jean De BruU, Beasley room; Doris Jackson, Gur kin room; Judy Mobley, Hough room; Sighth grade—Lois Swain, Dav enport room; Patty Johnson, Holli day room; Lynn Hardison, Martus room; Ninth Grade — Catherine Keel, Foster; Linda Papineau, Wood; Tenth Grade — Sarah Bateman, Finch; Jackie Polk, Liverman; Eleventh Grade — Lois Mobley, Gurkin; Gayle Skiles, Lucas; Twelfth Grade—Betsy Barnhill, Hough; Rosalie Brown, Long. -* For Greater Safety Make Trip Tuesday, Wednesday Chicago. — Driving somewhere? Then take advantage of reduced ac cident rates by traveling on Tues day or Wednesday. To Open Bids on Hospital Project Here on Monday Frank Moore Weber, Archi tect and Representative Medical Care Commission To Be Here ——« Scaled bids on a 10-bed addition to Washington County Hospital are scheduled to be opened here Mon day of next week. Architect William Moore Weber of Raleigh is due to be here and open the bids during the regular monthly meeting of the Washing ton County Board of Commission ers. The meeting will be held in the commissioners' room at the courthouse, beginning at 1 p. ni. ! The Beacon is in receipt of a let ter from Congressman Herbert C. Bonner, under date of Septem ber 21, which was accompanied by enclosed information from W. P. Dcaring, acting surgeon general, relative to the proposed hospital project here. The letter advised that initial application for the project has been .approved by the Public Health 'Service following approval by the N. C. State Medical Care Commis sion. Plans were also approved by the county commissioners. Total estimated cost of the pro ject was listed as $60,000, half of which is to be borne by the federal government. The county's share will be 23.6 per cent of the total costs, with the state supplying the remaining cost. A representative of the State Medical Care Commission is ex pected to attend the meeting Mon day, stated Board Clerk J. Robert Campbell. Daniels' Address At Creswell Asks Concerted Effort Manieo Man, Long a Leader In Southern Albemarle Association, Talks T o Ruritans, Guests i In addressing the annual Ladies Night meeting of Creswell Ruritan Club Monday, Melvin R. Daniels of Manteo urged a calm approach to the grave problems of our time and a concerted effort by the citizens of the Albemarle to see Alligator River and Croatan Sound Bridge projects through to a successful conclusion. Mr. Daniels, long-time leader and worker in the bridge associations of this section, spoke on the sub ject, “Facing the Issues Which Face Us Today.” He touched upon the grave problems before this state and the South today concern ing public school segregation and declared 'that North Carolinians must work to solve the serious problems arising from the May, ( 1954, decision of the U. S. Su- : preme Court. The speaker related to his audi ence the progress made toward construction of the Alligator River 1 and Croatan Sound Bridges, two ' projects for which Mr. Daniels has ' exerted his efforts for years. He has been identified with the South- ' ern Albemarle Association — a J group outspoken for the opening up and developing of the Albe marle region—since its inception in 1935. H. W. Pritchett, entertainment committee chairman, presented Mr. Daniels. The meeting was held in the Creswell High School auditorium, with some 60 Ruritans, their ladies and special guests, present. The latter included, besides Mr. and Mrs. Daniels, Mr. and Mrs. Tillett of Wanchese, and Ronnie Pritchett . Also, a new member — Lloyd Barnes — was welcomed into the ■ club. Roger A. Davenport, Ruritan president, made the address of wel come, with response by Mrs. A. K. Spencer, jr. A delicious meal was served by ( members of the Home Economics department at the school. Mrs. Mark Woolard, vocalist, pre sented several numbers, accompan ied at the piano by Ronnie Prit chett. -« Grand Opening Friday and Saturday for New Station —®— Official grand opening of a new Plymouth business which has been in operation for the past few weeks is set for Friday and Saturday of this week. Modlin’s Gulf Service, Carl M. Modlin, proprietor, announces in an advertisement in this issue of Tfee Beacon, special prizes and favors for all the family. Grand prize of a barbecue grill, picnic table and benches will be awarded to some lucky winner at 9 p. m. Saturday. Everybody is welcome, Modlin stated. County Group Organized To Boost School Bond Vote H<*gin Hot Sroni S is ml Drive* Fridav Monaing Friday of this week will be “Kick-off Day’' here for the annual Boy Scout Fund drive. “We plan to use the Early Bird Breakfast idea to launch our part of the East Carolina Council’s $112,000 campaign,” stated Billy Blackburn, town chairman, in an nouncing plans for the annual event. The breakfast — Friday at 7 o’clock—will be held at the May flower Restaurant and will be Jutch, Mr. Blackburn stated. Idea of the breakfast was decid ed upon after various plans were reviewed, it being decided that the “Early Bird'' combines the best features of several ideas which were advanced. “We feel that everything usual ly accomplished at a long evening meeting can be done quickly at the breakfast,” the town chairman said. “We have planned an interesting session designated to provide each worker the necessary information and materials.” All members of the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce, oth j cr civic organizations, and parents of scouts are strongly urged to at tend this meeting, it was empha ' sized. Council Accepts Bid On New Water Tank Atlanta Firm Gets Contract For Tank at $46,400; Ad ditional $8,947.60 Cost for Foundation Low bids for the new 250,000 gallon water tank were accepted at a special meeting of the Plym outh City Council last Thursday night. Contracts are now being pre pared by the town’s engineering firm, Rivers & Rivers, of Greeri ville, and will be signed by repre sentatives of the town and contract ing firms as soon as completed. Contract for the tank was award ed to Chicago Bridge & Iron Com pany, of Atlanta, Ga., while the foundation contract went to Con solidated Construction Company, of Lumberton. Low bid on the tank was $46,400, while the foundation low bid was $8,947.60, making a total of $55,347.60. The engineering U *v» 6 pc cent, or $3,320.86. mak ing total C 'St of the tank tc the town $58,666.46. Town officials say bids for the water softening equipment will be received later. They estimate this will add about $8,000 to the cost, which will bring the total up to iround $65,000. Bids for the tank and foundation were opened 'hicsday of last week, but there were' some little differ ences in the specifications, and the engineering firm asked that award ing of the contracts be deferred un til Thursday night, when a com parison of the bids was submitted :o the council. The Pittsburg-Des Moines Steel Company, of Pitts burg, Pa., actually submitted the owest bid at the Tuesday meeting, jut an overflow was not included n their bid of $44,865, and when his cost was added their bid was >100 higher than the Chicago firm’s >id of $46,400, which did include he overflow. There was also a dif erence of 1-16 of an inch in thick less of some of the plates to be ised in the tank in favor of the Chicago firm. It is not known how soon work rill be started on the project, but nore than a year will be required o complete the tank. The Consoli dated Construction Company estl nates 110 working days will be be luired to complete the foundations, nd Chicago Bridge & Iron Com ■any estimates 225 days will be re luired to construct the tank. In ddition, it is usually necessary to How quite a bit of time for the oundation to “cure” before start ng construction of the tank. S^WAT ErTFaNkT PagtTliT ~ -<$> Brother of Local ManDiesFridayj John Leonard Waters, 73, died n Washington County Hospital Fri lay morning. He was a native of his county, son of the late William 3. and femily Baynor Waters, blit spent the greater part of his life n the Angetown community of Martin County, where he farmed. He was married in 1905 to Sarah Ange who survives. Other survi vors include a brother, L. C. Wat ers, of Plymouth; three half-broth ers, Monie, Louis and Rudolph Waters, all of Roanoke Rapids; five half-sisters, Mrs. Bennie Modlin of Jamesville, Mrs. Gladys Gale of Chicago and Mrs. Mellisa Strick land, Mrs. Della Williams, and Mrs. Alice Williams, all of Roanoke Rapids. Last rites were conducted at 3 o’clock Saturday afternoon from Mount Olive Free Will Baptist Church in Washington County by the Rev. D. W. Alexander of Bethel. Interment was in the Ange family cemetery in Jamesville Township, Martin County. GETS M.A. DEGREE j J lies Re- Pritchett, MB of Mr .fnd Mrs. Marry W. Pritchett, of fcreswell, Deceived the master of (irts degree in political science at the University of North Caro lina, Chapel Hill, commencement last month, lie received his A. B. degree in history at the universi ty in June, 1954. While a student at Carolina, young Pritchett was a member of Pi Delta Phi, honor ary French society; Phi Alpha Theta, honorary history fraterni ty; and Pi Sigma Alpha, honorary political science fraternity. Hodges Appoints May As Solicitor Appointment of Hubert E. May of Nashville to fill the vacancy which resulted from the recently announced resignation of Elbert S, Peel of Williamston as solicitor of the second district was made public last week-end by Governor Hodges Mr. May will assume the duties of the office Monday of next week. Two Plymouth men, Z. V. Nor man and W. Ronald Gaylord, are members of the solicitorial commit tee and are serving on the commit tee to select a Democratic nominee to replace Mr. Peel on the Novem ber election slate. Messrs. Norman and Gaylord went to Tarboro Wed nesday of this week for a meeting of the committee. -« Two From Plymouth Sign For Three - Year 'Hitch' Two Plymouth young men, Sam uel Gibbs and Bonnie R. Lilley, have enlisted for a three-year hitch in the U. S. Army Transportation Corps. The announcement this week came from the office of the local Army recruiter, M/Sgt. Sher man D. Owen. All Sections of County Rep resented at Meet Monday; James H. Ward Chairman Of Committee Tentative plans were made to wage an intensive campaign in favor of the $500,000 school bond issue prior to the November 6 gen eral election and organization of the Washington County School Im provement Committee was perfect ed at a meeting Monday night in (he courthouse here. It was attend ed by 83 persons, and there was an extended discussion of school needs and the bond issue to be voted on by citizens of the county at (he election on Tuesday, No vember 6. James H. Ward, of Plymouth, was elected chairman of the group; and three vice chairmen were named, representing all sections of the county, as follows: Tom Hamp ton, Creswcll; Jesse Rawls, Roper; and (he Rev. Paul B. Nickens, Plymouth. Various other commit tees were appointed to take care of various details of the campaign to secure a favorable vote, with re ports to be heard from them at the j next meeting, set for Monday, Oc j fober 8, at 8 p m., in the court ! house here. Imperative need of the bond is sue to finance additional school facilities in the county was em phasized by several speakers dur ing the session. R. F. Lowry, coun ty school superintendent, reviewed statistics on the growth of county schools and crowded conditions ex isting, also making a number of suggestions about waging a success ful campaign to put the bond issue over. Mr. Lowry also outlined the pro gram approved by the county board of education for additional buildings, based on the recommen dations of a survey committee ap pointed by the state board of edu cation. This group made a study of enrollment and attendance in the various schools of the county last March, suggesting that a bond issue was the only method of obtaining sufficient funds with which to fin ance the projects recommended as follows: 1. Creswell: A new lunchroom; a new agriculture building; 2. Roper: A new physical educa tion building; a new agriculture building; 3. Plymouth Negro School; Two additional classrooms; additional See BOND ISSUE, Page 5 Riles Sel Friday For Mrs. Harris ♦ Funeral services for Mrs. Martha Ann Harris, 88, of Plymouth, will be conducted from Plymouth Meth odist Church at 3 o’clock Friday afternoon by the Rev. Jesse H. Canning, church minister, assisted by the Rev. Paul B. Nickens, min ister of Ludford Memorial Baptist Church here. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Mrs. Harris, mother of Dr. Claud ius McGowan with whom she made her home, died at 7:30 o’clock Thursday morning. She suffered a stroke at 5 p. m. Wednesday and never regained consciousness. She was born in Pitt County Feb ruary 11, 1864, and was first mar ried to Lemon McGowan of Green ville. Her second husband was the late James Harris of Greenville. Mrs. Harris had been a resident of Plymouth since 1920. She was a member of Parker’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, near Green ville. She leaves, other than her son here, three brothers, H. B. Harris, sr., Robert Harris and Hendrix Harris, all of Pitt County; a sister, Mrs. Jane L. Whitehurst of Wil liamston; two granddaughters, Mrs. Eric Metzenthin of Charlotte and Mrs. James P. Dillon of Okinawa; three great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. Republicans To Hold Rally Here October 3 Wednesday of next week is ex pected to be a big day for count; Republicans, according to plan announced here this week by 1 Donald Somerville, county chaii man of the party. Somerville stated that a motoi cade will meet at 7:30 p. m. at th county courthouse, with a numbe of prominent Republican leader and state candidates expected to b on hand for the get-together. Included among dignitaries c the GOP on state and local level listed as expected to take part wer the following: Kyle Hayes of North WUkesbor* - candidate for governor of North r Carolina in the coming general i election; Joe A. Johnson of Four . Oaks, candidate for the United - States Senate; Joseph A. Dunn of Clinton, candidate for lieutenant - governor of the state; Zeno Ratcliff 3 of Pantego, who is seeking » seat r in the United States House of Rep s resentatives; John A. Wilkinson, t Washington attorney and “i/tr. Re publican” in this immediate sec f tion; and Somerville, a The county chairman stated that e Wilkinson and Ratcliff will appear on television during the afternoon i, of that day.