North Carolina Newspapers

T^owm opics •::==I=3 The Christmas and New Year seasons have a special significance *9 for W. H. Clark of Plymouth. On December 28th, he will have been married 52 years, and then the next day, December 29th, he will cele brate his 82nd birthday. Coupled with Christmas day, December 25th, and New Year’s on January 1st, that gives him a pretty full schedule for the week. He and Mrs. Clark are planning to go to Flori da for a visit shortly after the first of the New Year. One of the main items of con versation in this section recently has been the summer weather that has prevailed for several weeks. Topping it all, an apple tree on the farm of Mrs. Joyce Chesson on the “Dismal Road’’ near here became so confused that it broke out in full bloom one day last week. George Chesson, her husband, brought in a branch full of blos soms last Friday and had it on dis play at Junior Hopkins’ Red Front Grocery here to prove that he didn't make up the story. Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Darden plan *to leave either Sunday or Monday for Richfield in Stanly County where they will be the holiday guests of Mrs. Darden’s parents, I Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Meisenheimer. They expect to return to Plymouth Friday after Christmas. E. J. (Jack) Spruill, popular county auditor and tax collector, is not expected to be home for Christ mas, according to word received here Friday. Mr. Spruill has been in a Rocky Mount hospital for the past two weeks and Mrs. Spruill is in Rocky Mount in order to be near her husband. It was reported that Mr. Spruill is showing some im provement but will not be able to return home for some time. While he is ill, the tax office in the court-! house is in charge of his assistant, i Mrs. Roscoe Gaylord. Hubert E. May of Nashville, the new solicitor in this district, was in Plymouth Thursday and visited the office of the_cle*-k of. court in connection with the setting of the calendar for the criminal term of superior court which is scheduled ~Sce TOPICsT~Pag<r'5~ Five Firms Bid 3- Water Softener -* Five bids on installation of the water softening system for the Town of Plymouth were opened here this week, with confirmation scheduled for Monday, January 7. City Clerk W. A. Roebuck re ported that bids were from the following firms, with amount of bid listed: Consolidated Construction Com pany of Lumberton, $28,750; Has sell Construction Company of Eliza beth City, $29,000; A. P. White and Associates of Charlotte, $33, 000; Glenn Construction Company of Charlotte, $35,100; and T. A. Loving Company of Goldsboro, $36,800. The Lumberton iirm had the low bid but will not necessarily get the contract when bids are confirmed, it was pointed out, since there could be some differences in speci fy fications. Opposition Develops To Removal of Buses Determined opposition is de veloping in this section to the ap plication of Carolina Coach Com pany to abandon bus service in Washington and Tyrrell Counties. Local business firms, civic clubs and many individuals have written to the State Utilities Commission asking that the application not be granted and it is believed a num ber of delegations will oppose the application if a public hearing is held by the commission before act f ing on the matter. Early this month the Carolina Coach Company applied to the state commission for authority to aban don 15 routes in the State. Three of the routes affect this section, as follows: No. 13, the route from Edenton to NC 32 over US 64 be tween Roper and Scuppernong; No. 14, from US 17 near Edenton to 32 over NC 37; No. 15, from Wil liamston to Columbia over US 64 via Plymouth, Roper, Scuppernong and Creswell. If these routes are eliminated, it means that Washington and Tyr rell Counties, with a combined population of more than 18,000, will have no means of public trans portation whatever, except taxicabs. Passenger train service to the region was abandoned by railroads some years ago, and there are no other bus lines serving this area. The Plymouth Rotary and Lions Clubs have gone on record as op posing the application and both clubs have appointed committees to coordinate their efforts with other organizations in fighting the proposal. Mayor A. J. Riddle is seeking the support of other muni cipalities affected by the proposal, and it is believed all town and county governing bodies in the sec tion will also join in the fight. Quite a number of local individ ual firms have written the com mission asking that the petition be denied. Gordon Chesson, traffic manager of the North Carolina Pulp Company here, has conferred with officials of the commission about the matter, and he said the first of the week that if determ ined opposition develops, it is be lieved the bus company will with draw its application. Mayor Riddle and Mr. Chesson have been informed by commission officials that a public hearing pro bably will be called after settle ment of the bus drivers’ strike, which had been in effect since No vmber 8. The strike was settled last Friday, and it is likely the hearing will be ordered early in January unless the application is withdrawn. The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 13,000 people. ★ ★★★★★ VOLUME LXVII—NUMBER 52 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina. For Thursday, December 27, 1956 ESTABLISHED 1889 Beacon Office Closed Until December 31st The Roanoke Beacon office will be closed after Saturday, De cember 30, reopening for busi ness Monday morning, December 31, at the usual hour. This is one of the few holidays observed by the newspaper and staff mem bers will vacation and observe the Christmas holidays at the same time. This issue of The Beacon was printed and mailed ahead of the regular schedule in order to make possible the week of closing. Every effort will be made to get out the following issue on sche dule—that will mean getting it printed and in the post office sometime Thursday, January 3. The Beacon staff wishes to every reader and advertiser a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosper ous New Year. Holiday Periods For Local Firms Few To Observe New Years Day Comparatively few places of business in Plymouth are observ ing New Year’s Day, as a holi day. Most local stores, including furniture, hardware, grocery, ap pliance and clothing establish ments, restaurants, filling sta tions and drug stores will be open for business as usual. The A&P store will be closed all day along with federal, state and county offices. The local banks, ABC store and post office also are observing the holiday. There will be no rural or city mail deliveries but dispatches will be made as usual. Stale Tags on Sale Here Next Month The 1957 North Carolina license plates will go on sale at the office located at James H. Ward Insur ance Agency on Washington Street here January 2, it is announced. These licenses must be display ed on all motor vehicles not later than midnight, February 15. No special license plate numbers for 1957 will be reserved for any one, according to a ruling of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The 1957 plates are black, with yellow numbers, and bear the slo gan, “Drive Safely.” The new tags are the standard 6 by 12 inches. As in 1956, the numbering sys tem includes one or two letters of the alphabet as pre-fixes for pas senger cars and suffixes for com mercial vehicles. CORRECTION In reporting the Christmas pa rade here Monday night, the article in The Beacon of December 20 in advertently omitted the Methodist Church float in the list. The Metho dist Men put in many long hours of work on the float and the omission is deeply regretted. + -♦ Most Business Houses Clos ing Tuesday and Wednes day; Some Offices Observ ing Monday, Tuesday -*— As usual the holiday schedule will be varied among Plymouth’s industrial, institutional and busi ness establishments this season, with closings ranging generally from two to 13 days, the latter per iod being that to be enjoyed by faculties and student bodies at the schools of the county. Classes were dismissed at 12:30 p. m. Wednesday, December 19, at all schools and the regular sche dule will be resumed Wednesday, January 2. The majority of stores and other business establishments in town, other than restaurants, drug stores and service stations, will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Decem ber 25 and 26. The banks will also be closed both days. Among the industrial plants the holiday period will be from two to five days, according to a check made Thursday. True Temper Cor-: poration will be shut down Monday, December 24, and Tuesday, Decern-, ber 25 (Christmas Day). j Atlas Plywood Corporation plant1 closed Thursday and will reopen Wednesday morning, December 26. The office force at North Caro lina Pulp Company will have off Monday and Tuesday, December 24 and 25. No. 2 machine closing is set for 8 a. m. Sunday, December 23 and No. 1 and No. 3 at 8 a. m. Monday, Deecmber 24 to resume Friday, December 28. County offices at the courthouse 22, and reopen Thursday morning, 22, and reopen Thursday mornnig, December 27. The county agent's office will also follow this sche dule. Federal offices such as the Farm ers Home Administration will be closed Monday and Tuesday, De cember 24 and 25. Postmaster J. C. Swain stated that at the Plymouth Post Office there will be box service Christ mas Day and delivery of packages and special delivery made. There will be no city or rural delivery, of course, and no window service. Sees Added Farm Income From Feeding Out Hogs According to Assistant County Agent Joe Outlaw, Carlton Phelps of Roper is trying to increase his farm income by feeding out more hogs on his farm. Carlton has been carrying four brood sows this year but plans to buy some more feeder pigs, Outlaw states. He has selected some good gilts to keep for replacements and to increase the number of sows on his farm. Carlton feels that this will help make up for the loss from the re duction of acreages on allotted row crops, the assistant county agent added. Phelps plans to feed all of the grain he produces on his farm. Special Services Here Held Sunday At Many Churches -+ Include Special Christmas Sermons, Cantatas, Spec ial Offerings and Church School Programs Several churches had special programs of one sort or another Sunday in keeping with the holi day season. These included special sermons, cantatas, church school programs and other features for the Christmas season. At the Sunday evening worship service at Ludford Memorial Bap tist Church the Senior choir pre sented the annual Christmas Can tata. It was reported well attend ed. The choir of First Christian Church, under the directions of Charles Hutchins, presented a Christmas Cantata, “King of Kings,” by Daniel Protheroe, Sun day evening. The Plymouth Presbyterian Church had a religious program, Christmas tree and party especial ly for the children of the church Sunday evening. This program was said to be a grand success. Grace Episcopal Church held a special program for the Church School in the William H. Ward Memorial Parish House Sunday af ternoon. The Junior choir sang and the children presented their Christ mas offering for the Parish House Building Fund. There was also a Christmas tree with gifts for all the pupils. The Plymouth Church of the Nazarenc held its annual Sunday School Chirstmas program Sunday evening at the church with a larg' attendancc reported. Recitation*, exercises and songs were present ed by the children under the di rection of Mrs. Ray Brown. Christ mas gifts were also exchanged by members of the Sunday School. At the morning worship service at the Church of the Nazarene the minister, the Rev. John Soloky, preached on the text: “They Fol lowed a Star.” Mrs. Soloky sang “Star of the East” as a solo at the service. -$ New Bridge Over Croaian Sound Is Open For Traffic Will Be on Limited Basis For Several Weeks; Fer ry Service Over Alligator To Be Improved According to a story from the State Highway and Public Works Commission in Iialcigh last week, traffic was to start moving over the new Croatan Sound bridge by last Friday or Saturday on a limit ed basis. No truck whose top is more than 10 feet above the pave ment was allowed to use the bridge at first. This restriction, which will bar many large trucks, will re main in effect until a painter’s Scaffold, still being used, is re moved. All traffic will be held to re duced speed over the new structure for several weeks. This restriction will remain in effect until all work on the bridge and its approaches is completed and all workmen have left the scene, it was stated. The commission also announced that three new ferries will be put Into operation next summer, and four old ferry boats are to be over hauled. It is expected that all three of the new ferries will be used at Oregon Inlet, plus one of the reno vated boats, while three ferries will '~Ser'NEWnBRlbGE, Page 8 Tax Listing To Begin January 2nd —.•»- -♦- - --4 Tax listing will get underway in Washington County Wednesday, January 2, and continue through Wednesday, February 2. Dates were fixed at a special meeting of the Washington County board of Commissioners at which final instructions and supplies were furnished the list takers. The coun ty tax supervisor, Hubert L. Dav enport of Skinnersville, and the list takers for the four townships were given the oath of office and arrangements were completed for uniform listing of personal proper ty throughout the county. New Year’s is a legal holiday so the big listing job will start the following day and run into Febru ary to make up a full-month listing period. Property owners are urged to list as soon in January as possi ble to avoid the last-minute stam pede which invariably develops as the deadline approaches. Warning is being given that no extension of time will be allowed for listing, and those who do not get their property on the books during the allotted period will be subject to a penalty of 10 per cent which is provided by law. The following are the list takers for the year, appointed by the com missioners at a meeting held here sometime ago: W. A. Roebuck, Plymouth Town ship; Wade S. Hardison, Lees Mill Township; W. W. White, Skinners ville Township; and Dewey S. Spruill of Scuppernong Township. The listers remain unchanged from last year. Complete schedules for each list taker are expected to be an nounced in the next issue of this paper. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM THE PUBLISHER Local Masons Plan initial Meeting in New Building 25th Officers for New Year To Be Installed Following Week On January 1; Also Bar becue Supper Perseverance Lodge of Masons will celebrate Christmas this year by holding its first meeting in the lodge’s own home, the new Mason ic Temple at the corner of Third Street and Andrew Jackson Ave nue. While the inside of the build ing has not been finished, it has progressed to the point where it will be used for meetings, starting with the regular communication set for Christmas night, December 25, at 8 o’clock. Officers for the new year will be installed the following Tuesday, January 1, at 8 p. m., preceded by a barbecue supper given by the in coming station officers at 7 p. m. This also will be held at the new Temple. There will be barbecued chicken for those who cannot eat barbecued pig, it was announced. All members are invited and urged to attend. Officers to be installed at the January 1 meeting were elected at the regular meting on Decem ber 11, as follows: James M. Gil reath, master; G. R. Leggett, jr., senior warden; Jack B. Latham, Junior warden; B. G. Campbell, treasurer; and G. R. Leggett, sr., secretary. Other officers, appointed by the incoming master, J. M. Gilreath, are as follows: Dan Pittman, senior deacon; Hilliary Tetterton, junior deacon; Wendell Ange, senior ste ward; Dennis Snow, junior steward; and W. C. Che .son, tiler. Mr. Ches son who will oecome tiler on Jan uary 1, is the outgoing master of the lodge. Local Masons started raising the money for a home of their own about five years ago, and actual ~ See~MASONS,~Page 8 275 Families Aided By Christmas Fund Deliveries Completed Fri day of Food Boxes; Cloth ing Items To Be Distribut ed Later Distribution of Christmas boxes of food to about 275 needy Wash ington County families was com pleted Friday, Jack House, jr., in charge of distribution, reported. The number of families served this year was somewhat less than a year ago, it was explained, because the need was greater due to hurri cane losses a year ago. Trucks were loaned by Tom Free man, Newman Allen, Walton Swain and House Chevrolet Company, all of Plymouth, and by C. K. Stokes, vocational agriculture teacher at Washington County Union School at Roper. Drivers who volunteered their services were Bobby Nooney, Jer ry Nash, Newman Allen and Bob Ayers, all of Plymouth, and Stokes who made distributions at Roper. Mr. House said that this year for the first time Creswell area pack ages were delivered to a central point there, with individual distri bution to be handled at Creswell.' Packaging of food items was done in the auditorium of the Agricul ture Building under the supervis ion of Mrs. Sybil Bowen, Mrs. Roger Hopkins and Miss Peggy Darden of the county welfare de partment. There were 10 volunteer helpers, the majority of whom had previous experience. Mrs. Bowen said the job went “quite smoothly” this year. , A box for an eight-member fami ly contained the following: 10 pounds of flour, five pounds of meal, five pounds of sugar, one pound of coffee, three pounds of lard, five pounds of potatoes, four cans of tomatoes, three cans of corn, three cans of fish, six cans of milk, two cans of corned beef hash, three cans of sausage, four cans of pork and beans, two cans of peaches, two bottles of syrup, two packages of pancake flour, one pound of dried peaches, two pounds of prunes, one pound of dried ap ples, three pounds of rice, one box of oatmeal, one box of table salt, i one pound of raisins, one pound' of nuts, one pound of candy, a box of margarine, two pounds of dried pinto beans, two pounds of great northern beans, two pounds of large limas, two pounds of black eyed peas, four cans of green peas, 18 oranges and 18 apples. Some very nice toys were donat ed and distributed also, Mrs. Bow en reported. She said clothing items will be delivered after Christ mas and that applications for the clothing will be taken at the wel fare office located in the basement of the county courthouse. j Draft Board's j | Yule Schedule | Persons having business at the local draft board during the next two weeks arc going to have to pick their time. The board office will close Monday and Tuesday of next week in observance of Christmas, Mrs. Lorraine Hunter, board clerk, reports. Then December 31, January 1, 2, 3 and 4 the of fice will again be closed while the clerk is on leave. Hopes for More Profits With Earlier Calves Joe Outlaw, assistant county agent, says Leon Dunbar of Weno na has a herd of grade beef cows but uses a good purebred bull and practices control breeding. Leon’s cows have already started drop ping calves and he hopes to have an earlier calf crop this year. Leon has sold his calves at the feeder calf sale at Rocky Mount for the past three years and has been well-pleased with his sales, states Outlaw. By having earlier calves this year he hopes to get more for them than in the past. Tax Listers and Supervisors Take Oaths of Office Sworn in ai Adjourned Meet Of Counly Commissioners; List Prices for Livestock Set -♦ The county tax supervisor and town ship list takers were sworn in and uniform prices for listing livestock and other items of person al property were established at an adjourned meeting of the Wash ington County Board of Commis ioners held at the courthouse here Thursday night. All members of the board were present as follows: Frank L. Brink ley of Plymouth, chairman; A. R. Latham of Plymouth; J. C. Knowles of Roper; Hubert L. Davenport of Skinnersville; and Phillip M. Spruill of Creswell. The oath of office was adminis tered to the county tax supervisor, Hubert L. Davenport, and to the list takers, W. A. Roebuck of Plym outh Township, Dewey S. Spruill of Scuppernong Township, Wade S. Hardison of Lees Mill Township, and W. W. White of Skinnersville Township. Prices were fixed as follows for uniform personal property listing: Sheep, $4 and up; goats, $1 and up; milk cows, $100; beef catUe, 10 cents a pound; other cattle, six cents a pound; poultry, 10 cents a pound; no. 1 horses, $35 and up; no. 2 horses, $25 and up; no. 1 mules, $60 and up; no. 2 mules, $25 and up; meats, 12 cents a pound; hogs, eight cents a pound; lard, 10 cents a pound. It was also decided at the meet ing that servicemen will be requir ed to list their poll; previously they have been exempted fre u such in this county. Thanks Expressed For Contributions To Slocking Fund Finance Committee Chair man Carl L. Bailey, Sr., Reports Su mof $2,452.78 Collected -► The Empty Stocking Fund drive was less than $48 short of its $2,000 goal Friday morning, according to figures released for publication by Carl L. Bailey, sr., chairman of the Fund's Finance committee. The amount collected, Mr. Bailey said, was $2,452.78. Purchases have been made, packaged and distribut ed to approximately 275 families in the county whose need was cer tified by the county welfare depart ment. Many persons and firms raUied to the support of the 1956 Fund, Mr. Bailey stated, and to all who had a hand in the great effort— an annual project here of the Ro tary Club aided by many other or ganizations and individuals — the profound thanks of the committee chairman and other leaders of the project are herewith expressed. D. Marvia Weaver served as overall chairman of the 1956 drive. Manslaughter Count Against Truck Driver Probable cause of involuntary manslaughter was found at a pre liminary hearing here Wednesday before Washington County Record er’s Court Judge W. Ronald Gay lord for Clinton Vance Willis, 40, of Morehead City. Willis was bound over to super ior court with bond set at $1,000. The case grew out of a tragic accident on the old Chapel Hill Road near Plymouth Tuesday after noon, November 20, that claimed the lives of two Negro children, Hyman Lee Lucas, 8, and James Henry Lucas, 15. Jerry Lee Lucas, 16, suffered rather severe injuries in the mishap. A tractor-trailer owned by Lloyd Fry Roofing Company of Morehead City and operated by Willis, hit a peanut picker drawn by a tractor at about 5:15 on the day. Testimony tended to show that the driver of the tractor-trailer was operating at a fairly low rate of speed. Accord ing to his word, he was traveling at the rate of about 40 miles an hour. The three children were all bro thers, sons of Jerry Lucas, who lives near the grape farm on the Mackeys Road. All three of the children were riding on the tractor, which was being driven by Jerry Lee Lucas, the eldest. Jerry Lucas testified that it was not dark at the time of the acci dent and that the tractor-peanut picker was being operated on the right side of the road. State Highway Patrolman Carl Gilchrist of Plymouth 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, it was said. The accident happened at the swamp near the old county farm, and all the vehicles were traveling south. It was about dusk and visi bility was rather poor, it was stated.