North Carolina Newspapers

flllln. 111 T’onn opics Jack House, jr., chairman of the Jayeees’ Turkey Shoot committee, reports a successful event here last Friday and Saturday, with 23 tur keys won during the two days. Wea ther was good, crowds were fine and safety was practiced with no body getting hurt, Jack reports. Two ladies joined the competition for the birds. The event came to a close with two bursts from a muz zle-loading flintlock thought to be over a 100 years old, young House said. Its owner was from out of town. City Councilman C. B. Holliday and mmebers of his family got a real scare late Sunday night when a deer jumped into the side of their car near Mobley’s Mill, be tween Williamston and Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Holliday were ac companied by their daughter, Mrs. Holliday’s mother and John Swin son, jr., of Dardens, who was driv ing at the time. They were return ing from a week-end visit in Balti more, Md. The car was damaged about $50 worth by the impact but the deer escaped, or at least could not be found by the party after the car was stopped. Mrs. Jim Porter, Mrs. Henry Spencer and little Susan Spencer were special guests at an informal tea given Thursday of last week by the third-year home economics class at Plymouth High School, Miss Esther Lee Hickman reports. Ann Taft greeted the guests and tea was served by the hostess, Dot tie Thompson. Other guests were class members and the home econo mics teachers. The tea was given in d£?»ection with the class study of special problems in foods. Misses Esther Lee Hickman and Hilda Gray Apple, students at East Carolina College, Greenville, left Wednesday of this week to resume their studies there after having completed their practice teaching in home economics under the super vision of Miss Carolyn Brinkley at Plymouth High School. The two girls are seniors at East Carolina and expect to be graduated next spring. Before leaving Plymouth they expressed appreciation for the welcome and kindnesses shown them in their three-month stay in Plymouth and said that their ex periences here will be long re membered. Misses Sue Underhill, Carolyn Brinkley, Esther Lee. Hickman and Hilda Gray Apple and Roy F. Low ry, all of Plymouth, attended the meeting of the Albemarle School masters Club held last Monday night at Perquimans High School, Hertford. Speaker of the evening was C. R. Holmes, Perquimans County representative, who used the subject, “Schools for a Stronger America.” A business session fol lowed a turkey supper which was enjoyed by all. £0 far as could be learned here yesterday no one from this county is attending the State Farm Bureau Convention being held in Charlotte this week. Reports from Charlotte See TOPICS, Page 12 -- Prominent Cilizen OfMackeys Passes At Local Hospital Funeral Services Held Wed nesday From Mackeys Methodist Church for Will Davenport Funeral services for W. B. (Bill) Davenport, prominent Mackeys «^jzen, were held from Mackeys ethodist Church, of which he was a member, Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Mr. Davenport, son of the late William S. and Henrietta Blount Davenport of this county, died at 11:30 o’clock Monday morning at | Washington County Hospital after' a brief illness. He was 71 years of | age. Mr. Davenport served some I years ago as freight agent here for i the Norfolk-Southern Kailway. He | was also prominent in the political1 life of the county, having served on the county board of education and also on the Roper local school board. He was a staunch member and supporter of Mackeys Metho dist Church where he served for 32 years as superintendent of the Sunday School. He also served the cl*;rch on the board of stewards. Be was a native of the county, born March 30, 1885. In April of 1913 he was married in Camden County to Miss Sophia Forbes of that place, who survives. He leaves, other than his widow, three sons, John Forbes Davenport, af Plymouth, Fred Davenport of Mackeys, and Reynold Davenport af Jacksonville; two brothers, J. E. Davenport of Plymouth and Dr. C. A. Davenport of Hertford; a sister, Mrs. Alma Chesson of Mackeys; ind six grandchildren. Officiating at the final rites were :he Rev. Leon Ross, minister of ;he church, assisted by the Rev. W. S. Davenport and the Rev. Jesse EL Lanning, Methodist ministers af Plymouth. Interment was in Dav jnport Cemetery at Mackeys. <> The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** jg A home newspaper dedicated to the serriee e( Washington County and its 13,000 people. VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 47 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, November 22, 1956 ESTABLISHED 1889 LIMIT: These three sportsmen came up with their ’limit of six geese, plus a pair of ducks, on a ’hunt at Wenona Wednesday of last week. Varying degrees of success are being reported by other hunters in the section. Thos° pictured here are Morris Hufton and Hermit Lyle, employees of the local A&P store, and A. W. Peacock, Plymouth night policeman.—Staff photo. Water-Softener Bids Are Called For Here j Splits Head in j I Splitting Wood j While splitting wood in his backyard Saturday morning Wil liam Ross Chesson of Pleasant Grove suffered an accident, the ax knocking him unconscious and leaving a gash wound requiring five sutures to close, it is re ported. Mr. Chesson's little son, Billy, ran for help across the road and Bill Phelps rushed the injured man to Dr. McGowan’s office at Plymouth where he was treated. It was reported that Mr. Chesson had returned to work, although his head continued sore for sev eral days. Meeting Monday To Plan Details Holiday Parade To Seek Floats of Religious Nature From Churches, Civic Organizations; Jay cees Sponsor Event A non-commercial Christmas pa rade with a purely religious theme is being planned for Plymouth. Charles Hutchins, committee chairman for the event to be spon sored by the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce, stated this week that it is hoped to have a number of floats entered in the pa rade by various local civic organi zations and churches. Hutchins said the various groups are being notified this week of the general plan and a meeting is sche duled to be held at the Mayflower Restaurant here Monday of next week at 7:30 p. m. at which time it is hoped that all details of the event can be worked out. Clubs and churches who desire to have part in the parade are requested to have representatives at the Mon day night meeting, the committee chairman stated. It is planned, Hutchins said, to pattern the parade after that held last year in Washington when quite a number of Washington and Beau fort County churches entered floats of a religious nature. That event is being repeated this year. It is also hoped to again have here the community sings which were held Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights before Christmas last year. Although the weather was; quite cold, large crowds attended the sings, held outdoors on Water Street at a specially-constructed stand. Already, a community canta ta is slated for December 16, Hut chins said, and it is hoped to stage cantata, sings and parade at about the same period of time. Will Be Opened and Consid ered on December 18; En gineering Firm Estimates Cost at $23,903 The Town of Plymouth this week advertised for bids on the proposed Zeolite water-softening system as tentatively approved by the city council at its meeting on Monday, November 12. The bids will be re ceived until Tuesday, December 18, at 2 p. m., when they will be pub licly opened and considered, ac cording to the advertisement. Mayor A. J. Riddle said yesterday that the proposed plans and speci fications, as tentatively approved by the council last week, have since been submitted to the State Board of Health and approved by that body. This procedure was neces sary before calling for bids on the water-softening system and con crete block building to house it. Plans and specifications for the system and building were prepared by the engineering firm of Henry L. Rivers, Thomas W. Rivers and Associates, of Greenville, which will supervise the building and in stallation for the town. Estimated cost of the projects is $23,903, in cluding an 18x36 concrete block building, installation of Zeolite water-softening system, all pip ing, grading and a heavy duty fence around the plot on which the build ing and the new water tank are to be located. Contracts have already been let for the new water tank and its foundations, to be located adjacent to the new well drilled a year or two ago on Washington Street Ex tended, next to the Tetterton Dairy Bar, Contract price of the tank and foundations totaled $58,668.46, in cluding engineering fee. If bids for the water-softening system and building are in line with estimates this will make the total cost of the entire project around $82,500. When the new water tank and the water-softening system are completed, Plymouth will have an entirely new water supply. Water in this section is notorious for its hardness, and the softening system to be installed here is designed to reduce the degree of hardness from 214 to 72 parts per million. While the cost of the entire project is more than originally contemplated by the town, Mayor A. J. Riddle has expressed the opinion that it can be handled over a two-year period without having to borrow any money. Smoke Damage From Fire In Nanning Shop Monday Some smoke damage resulted from a fire in the body shop at Manning Motor Company here Mon day afternoon, it is reported. Local firemen answered the alarm at 2:30 p. m., sped to the blaze and ex tinguished it. An acetylene welding rig caught fire from a leak, firemen said. Merchants Here Agree j On Hours Next Month j Plymouth merchants this week got together on store hours dur ing the month of Deecmber. All the stores will remain open until 9 p. m., each Friday before Christmas during the month, starting with Friday, Decem ber 7. The stores will also be open until 9 o’clock each night the en tire week before Christmas, start ing Monday, December 17, and continuing through Christmas Eve, December 24th. They will be closed two days for Christ mas, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 25 and 26, reopening on Thursday, December 27, and resuming their regular schedule of closing hours after that date. Very few stores will close for New Year’s Day, Tuesday, Jan uary 1, so far as can be learned now. Practically all stores in the downtown area agreed to the schedule of hours outlined above following circulation of a petition this week. Remaining open until 9 p. m. the first two Fridays in December represents a depart ure from past custom, while the remainder of the schedule is about the same as that followed in previous years. Commissioners in SpeeialMeeiing Here on Friday Adopt Resolution Releasing Government From Any Claims Which May Arise From Drainage Work Threatened with the loss of $10, 400 in federal funds for drainage work in this county, the county commissioners got busy in a special session here last Friday night and passed a resolution to protect the federal government from loss in connection with any damages that might arise out of the drainage work in this county. The resolution had been request ed earlier in the year but the com missioners never got around to passing it, maintaining that they had no authority so to do, it was explained by J. Robert Campbell, clerk to the board. Mr. Campbell said that in a tele phone conversation with Col. H. C. Howland, jr., of the U. S. Corps of Engineers district office at Wil mington last week, Colonel Row land stated that if the resolution were not forthcoming the money allotted this county would be with drawn and allotted to some other county. It was following the conversation with Rowland that Campbell got in touch with Frank L. Brinkley of Plymouth, chairman of the board of Commissioners, and the special meeting was called Friday night. A contract has already been awarded to Dickinson, Inc., to do the drainage work on projects in volving Conaby Creek near Plym outh and Kendricks Creek at Roper. At the meeting here Friday night Commissioner Hubert L. Daven port of Skinnersville presented the resolution and moved for its adoption. Commissioner Phillip M. Spruill of Creswell seconded the motion and it was unanimously adopted as follows: “Resolved, that whereas the United States of America, consist ent with the policies and principals of Public Law 875, 81st Congress, 2nd Session, approved recommen dation made by a Special Board of Investigation on Federal Disaster Assistance in the Carolinas agricul Sec COMMISSIONERS, Page 12 Special Services ai Local Churches for ThanksgivingDay -» Few Churches of Town and County Announce Special Services for Thursday of This Week —« A few churches in this county have anonunced special services for Thursday of this week in ob servance of Thanksgiving Day. Among those heard from as to arrangements for the added serv ices were Grace Episcopal Church, Plymouth, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Roper, and Plymouth Presbyterian Church. Perhaps oth er churches which have not an nounced such a service may also have such planned. Morning Prayer and sermon at St. Luke's Episcopal Church at Roper are announced by the rector, the Rev. Edward M. Spruill of Plymouth, for 9 o’clock. At 11 o’clock Morning Prayer and sermon will be given at Grace cnurcn, i ymoum, ot wnicn Mr. Spruill is also rector. It is announced that at both these services the churches will be adorned with the fruits of the earth which later will be distributed to needy families in the community. The Thanksgiving offering at each service will go to the Thomp son Orphanage at Charlotte, it was stated. The Plymouth Presbyterian Church held its special Thanksgiv ing service on Wednesday night of this week, beginning at 7:30 o’clock. The Rev. R. L. Combs is minister of the church. Season Opening On Upland Game The hunting season that many sportsmen have been awaiting— that on upland game—opens Thurs day of this week—Thanksgiving Day. Included are rabbits, quail and wild turkeys (gobblers or toms on ly). The season in each instance will continue through January 31. Bag limits are listed as: Rabbits—daily, 5; possession, 10; season, 75. Quail—daily, 8; possession, 16; season, 100. Wild Turkey—daily, 1; posses sion, 2; season, 2. Hoke First Entry in County Contest Hoke community has officially entered the Washington County Community Improvement contest for 1957, County Agent Guy M. Wfhitford reported today. Although other communities have shown interest, Hoke is the first one to enter the contest which is cosponsored by the county’s agricultural workers and some of the local business establishments, W’hitford said. Communities interested in the improvement contest may enter by December 31. Any agricultural worker in the county will accept an entry, it was pointed out. It was recently voted by the group to include home gardening in the contest. Other projects which may be selected by a community include improvements made on the home, farm building, churches, home grounds, schools, roadside beautification and cemeteries. The contest will begin January 1 and will come to an end December 31. 1957. Awards are to be made on the basis of improvements on projects selected by communities from the project list mentioned above. The contest is to better rural life and to make farm people more concerned with improving their surroundings and in general en hancing the way of life on the farms of the county. Christmas Checks Going To Members Of Savings Clubs Total of Nearly $40,000 Be ing Distributed To About 475 Members of Clubs by Two Banks Here Chirstmas business, said to have started off rather slowly in this section, should receive a big boost in the next few weeks from Christ mas savings funds being distributed by the two banks here. According to H. E. Beam and Marvin Weaver, executive heads of the two institu tions, upwards of $40,000 have been saved by nearly 475 persons through the Christmas savings ac counts. Checks were mailed last week end to members of the club at the Branch Banking & Trust Company here. The Christmas savings checks from the Planters Bank & Trust Company are to be distributed starting Friday of this week. It is expected that the savings accounts will be decided stimulant to busi ness in general in the locality. Savings clubs at the two local banks have grown at a rapid rate during the past four years here. In 1952, when the plan was first tried out, there was only one bank here, and less than 200 received checks totaling about $18,000. In 1953, the number increased to more than 300. and this went to more than 400 in 1954, when the Plant ers Ban ■ i.me into the picture This year the number is well up toward 500, and it is expected the 1957 savings clubs will attract more man auu. New clubs are being formed at both banks at this time for next year. There are clubs of several denominations, calling for weekly payments from 50 cents to $5. The 50 cents per week club returns a check for $25 next November; $1 per week brings a check for $50; and so on up to checks for $250 for those who deposit $5 per week. -«. Number of Cases Carried Over as Court Adjourns Complaint Ordered Amend ed in Part in Slander Suit Here; Verdict Set Aside in Arnold Case The November civil term of Washington Superior Court, which opened here Monday of last week, adjourned Thursday after contin uing several cases for the term. Disposition of other cases before Judge J. Paul Frizzelle of Snow Hill, not reported last week, in cluded: Celeste Hardison Harrison vs. Mildred Gurkin Sexton, the court ordered Section Seven stricken from the complaint for the reason that it “is not a proper part of a pleading in this action. The court ruled on a motion of defendant to require an amendment to the com plaint and a bill of particulars thereupon that motion should be allowed in part and denied in part, and ordered that the complaint be amended so as to state particular ly whether it is alleged that plain tiff’s children were in the immedi ate presence and hearing of the de fendant at the time of the making of the allegedly slanderous re marks concerning plaintiff to her husband, and be further amended by setting out the times and places at which it is alleged and intended to be proven that plaintiff made other and similar slanderous re marks concerning plaintiff, and stating what said remarks were. To this plaintiff objected and except ed. The court denied the portion of defendant’s motion that plaintiff i be required to provide bill of par ticulars stating names of the per sons to whom slanderous state ments concerning plaintiff are al leged to have been made. To this defendant objected and exc\>ted. J. E. Turner et al vs. Andrew M. Arnold et al, issue as to whether Mary M. Arnold had sufficient mental capacity to execute deed offered in evidence from her to See COVET, Page 12 Two Killed as Truck Rams Peanut Picker Colored Children Victims; Accident Occurred on Old Chapel Hill Road Near Here Tuesday Afternoon Two colored children were killed and another injured seriously late Tuesday afternoon when a tractor trailer truck hit a peanut picker drawn by a tractor on the old Chapel Hill Road near here. Hyman Lee Lucas, 8, and James Henry Lucas, 15, died almost instantly and Jerry Lee Lucas, 16, suffered a possible fractured pelvis, leg in jury and abrasions. The tractor-peanut picker was struck by a tractor-trailer truck driven by Clinton Vance Willis, 48, of Morehead City. The accident oc curred just about dusk, at 5:15 p. m., when visibility was poor, and the truck driver told Highway Patrolman Carl Gilchrist, who in vestigated, that he was running about 40 miles per hour. The truck-trailer was owned by Lloyd Fry Roofing Company of Morehead City and was empty at the time of the accident. The three colored children were brothers, sons of Jerry Lucas, who lives near the grape farm on the Mackeys road. All three of them were riding on the tractor, which was being driven by Jerry Lee Lucas, the eldest. The accident oc curred at the swamp near the old coorjv farm, and a'’ the ••"hicles I were traveling souui. ,J The youngest child was pinned between the peanut picker and the tractor and more than an hour’s work by a wrecker was required to free him. His body was badly mangled. Patrolman Gilchrist said there was no light on the peanut picker, but it did have a reflector. The tractor-peanut picker traveled 95 feet after the impact, while the tractor-trailer skidded some 90 feet. Willis will be given a hearing in recorder's court here next Tues day, according to the patrolman. The accident brings the highway death toll in Washington County this year to 13, eight of them in the county outside Plymouth and five in Plymouth, according to local police. This is by far the highest rate in the history of the county and probably one of the highest per capita rates in the state. Band Will Not Play at All-Star Game Friday It had been hoped that the Plymouth High School band would be able to perform at the football game here Friday night between Plymouth All-Stars and College All Stars but the band will not play, it was stated Wednesday morning. Ain't Hay But Real Peanuts! If you want to grow a crop of peanuts, says County Agent Guy M. Whitford, just stop by most any peanut farmer’s home in the county. He can tell you how it’s done. But if you want to grow a good crop of heavy yield and good quality, there are a few less stops to make for expert advice. The farm of A. J. Riddle and tenant Elvin Adams would be a good place to inquire, thinks Whitford. Mr. Adams knows how it’s done and can prove it. Even though recent rains took a toll of peanuts, Adams harvested 30 bags per acre. States the agent succinctly, “In my book this ‘ain’t hay,’ but real peanuts.” Peanut Mill Here Receiving 'Fair' Deliveries, Said -« Manager of Local Plant Terms Qua);,.y of Crop as Good; Per *.cre Awards Said 15 to 25 Bags ■—♦ Receipts of peanuts at Farmers Cotton and Peanut Company here this week were termed “fair by Manager E. J. Broughton. The company began operations November 7th but ran out of pea nuts after three days. Operations were resumed on the 14th and again in three days the supply was exhausted. The mill opened again Monday of this week and deliveries of good quality peanuts were reported. Mr. Broughton said indications from sellers was that yields were good, ranging from 15 to about 25 bags per acre. In a few instances yields even higher have been reported. It was said here this week that Elvin Adams, tenant on the A. J. Riddle farm near here, got an average of about 30 bags an acre. Reports have been heard of prices varying from between 11 and 12 cents a pound to more than 13 cents. Average price was said to be about 12 or 12J cents a pound. Peanut pickers were busy trying to lake full advantage of the favor able weather, following the long < wet spell. “The Bootleggers,” which recently won the League A championship in intra mural six-man football at East Carolina College at Greenville, is composed almost entirely of former Plymouth High School students. The squad, pictured here, is com posed of, left to right, Tront row: Sonny Walker, Ralph Luke, Leroy Singleton, Billy Stjons, Harry Stallings; back row: Eddie Ricks, Bob Pinner, George Jackson, Paul Singleton and Tex Benton. All are from Plymouth except Pinner of Columbia and Stallings of Eliza beth City. “The Bootleggers” had a 5-0 record this season, scoring 131 points to 8 points by all opponents. Singleton, Styow and Walker “Ptolns. The group will also participate in intra-mural basketball, softball and baseball during the college year. Most of them will also be seen in action here Friday night in Hie benefit footbS game between the College All-Stars and the High School All-Stars, with proceeds to go to the local high school athletic fund. Quiet Observance Of Holiday Seen; General Closing -f Business To Shut Down Thursday With Exception Of Eating Places, Drug Stores, Stations A quiet observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, marked by a general business shut-down, is on tap for Plymouth, according to a check made here this week. As usual, however, there will be some exceptions to the closing. The one-day closing Thursday will include banks and all offices —county, state, federal, profession al offices and the post offices of the county. Exceptions will be the various public eating places, drug stores and service stations. Restaurants will remain open for the day while drug stores will probably observe the usual Sunday hours for the holiday. Most of the service sta tions here are expected to remain open to business, though in some instances such business places may close for a short time around noon or in the early afternoon for the day. Local industrial plants will ob serve the holiday, at least partly. Atlas Plywood Corporation’s plant here will, be shut down for Thurs day but will resume operations Friday. True Temper Corporation, which is at present on a four-day week, will be closed Thursday for the remainder of the week, reopen ing Monday of the week following at the usual hour, it was said. As is customary, the office force at North Carolina Pulp Company plant will get the day off but plant opera tions will continue. All county schools will close for the holiday Thursday and Friday and it will mean a nice, long week end for teachers and students. The schools will reopen next Monday morning at the usual time. The holiday will be the last for facul ties and student bodies until the big one at Christmas season when the schools will close December 20 and be out until January 1, 1957. Lodge To Observe 145th Anniversary With Banquet 27th Also Marks 37th Annual Past Masters and Ladies Night for Perseverance Lodge Here Members of Perseverance Lodge No. 59, A. F. & A. M., are looking ahead to Tuesday night of next week when the 145th anniversary of the lodge and the 37th annual past masters and ladies night will be observed. A banquet and program have been planned to take place in the social hall of the First Christian Church on East Main Street. Mem bers of the lodge will meet at the lodge hall promptly at 7 p. m. to begin the session and at 7:30 o'clock will adjourn to the social hall of the church to join the ladies and special guests. Wilmer C. Ches son, master of the lodge, is expect ed to preside. Other officers of the lodge arc lames M. Gilreath, senior warden; it. i^eggett, jr., junior warden; Jack B. Latham, senior deacon; Dan K. Pittman, junior deacon; W. C. Styons, senior steward; James E. Hardison, junior steward; Hil ton Dunbar, tiler; the Rev. R. H. Lucas, chaplain; G. R. Leggett, sr., secretary; and B. G. Campbell, treasurer. --f Rule Suicide in Creswell Death Suicide was ruled in the death of Joseph Abraham Phelps, 58 year-old man of the Creswell sec tion, who died at 1 p. m. Thurs day at the home of his sisier, Mrs. Thelma Patrick of Creswell Rt. 1. Sheriff J. K. Reid said no in quest would be necessary. He said the butt of a double-barreled shot gun had been placed against a wall with the barrel against the man’s temple as he lay on a bed beside the wall. Poor health was advanced as the reason for the act. Phelps was a native and lifelong resident of the county. He was a son of the late Henry C. and Lillie Mae Davenport Phelps, and was a member of Creswell Missionary Baptist Church. He leaves a brother, L. D. Phelps of Norfolk, Va.; two sisters, Mrs. Dennis L. Hufton of Roper Rt. 1, and Mrs. Patrick. , Funeral services were held Sat jurday afternoon at 2 o’clock from Creswell Missionary Baptist Church I by the Rev. T. F. Davenport. Burial was in St. David's Cemetery.