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.