m
OUR NINETEENTH ANNUAL TOBACCO EDITION
DRIVE SAFELY!
The Life You
Save—May Be
Your Own.
The Wallace Enterprise £&.
™ Bright Leaf Tobacco Mart
A Duplin County Institution
VOLUME XXXIV—Number 43
WALLACE. NORTH CAROLINA
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1955
PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY
PRICE 5 CENTS
COUNTY ASC COMMITTEE IS SUSPENDED
• * • *r • ★
Wallace Market Opens Tuesday;
No Racial Integration In Schools
Of Duplin County When They Open
Tuesday Says Board Of Education
Board Authorized Members
Of School Improvement
Committee To Study Segre
gation Problem And Advise
It; In Meantime Schools
Will Be Operated This Year
, As In The Past
BOARD IS COMPLETING
SriUALIZATION PROGRAM
Future Of Program Rests
With Parents Of
Children
There will be no racial integra
tion in the schools of Duplin Co
unty when they open next Tues
day, August 23rd, under the policy
established by the Board of Edu
cation. Following the advice of
Governor Hodges, the Attorney
General and the Special Advisory
Committee on Education, the Board
authorized members of the School
Improvement Committee to study
the problem and advise it regard
ing the question of integration.
Meanwhile the schools will be op
erated this year as in the past.
The School Improvement Com
mittee, which is representative of
all school districts in the county,
has been in existence for four years
and has co-operated with the Uni
versity of North Carolina and the
Kellogg Foundation in a program
of School improvement in the co
un/'\
ii.nce this committee has spent
four years in studying school prob
lems, it was felt by the board that
embers would be able to ren
der valuable assistance in meeting
the problems raised by the Su
preme Court decision of May 17,
1954.
Superintendent O. P. Johnson, in
commenting on the plans for this
year, pointed out that the county
has spent a large amount of money
in recent years in building con
solidated schools for the Negro
children of the county. The most
recent is the school at Kenans
ville, which is by far the most mod
ern in the county. Charity school
and Douglass school at Warsaw are
the other two Negro high schools
and they are also modern in ev
ery respect.
Among the new elementary Ne
gro schools are Faison, which has
recently been enlarged to provide
for the Calypso Negro children and
Branch, which is in the northeast
ern section of the county. They
are also of modern design.
When the Supreme Court ruling
was handed down the board of edu
cation had under consideration the
_ld.ans for completing its equaliza
tion program. These plans include
provision for the Negro children at
CMnquapin, Rose Hill and Wallace
elementary schools and renova
tion of Negro elementary buildings
at Teachey and Magnolia. When
this program is finished facilities
provided the Negro children of
Duplin county will be far superior
to that offered white children at
this time.
The opinion has been expressed
that Governor Hodges’ “voluntary
separation” program should meet
with acceptance in Duplin more
readily than in some other school
districts because of the existence
of modern facilities which the
board has been providing at a ra
(Continued On Page Five)
Miss Hunt Back
After Attending
Week’s Course
Miss Helen Hunt has returned af
ter spending last week attending
tfate, Tax Collector’s School at Cha
pZl Hill.
The special one week course
was( sponsored by the Institute of
Government. Those attending stu
died new laws of the legislature
in connection with taxes. There
was a period of license study for
two days. Property taxes and list
ing of taxes came in for a goodly
amount of discussion.
Miss Hunt said today that tax
statements for the Town of Wal
lace will be in the mail on Sept
ember 1st
Five Duplin
4-H’ers Attend
4-H Club Week
! On July 25, 1955, at 8:30 a.m.
the Duplin County delegation left
iKenansville to attend the 30th An
nual 4-H Club Week.
The delegation consisted of Jane
Wilkins. Mary Vann Wilkins. Bar
bara Heir. Douglas Turner of Rose
Hill and Freddie Revelle of War
saw.
| We arrived at N. C. State Col
lege Campus in Raleigh about 10:30
a.m. We registered at the Wil
liam-Neil-Reynolds Coliseum and
prepared for a busy week.
In the free time we had Mon
day afternoon we could swim or
play basketball in the Thompson
Gym.
The week officially begun at 7:15
Monday evening with G. K. Davis,
State 4-H Presiding presiding. At
6:30 a.m. Tuesday reveile was
blown to mark the beginning of a
busy day which included four spe
cial interest groups: “IVs ^'ce to
know” by Mrs. Corinno G: imsley,
Extension Specialist in Family Re
lations. “There’s music in air”
by N. C. Lindsey, “Drive with care
everywhere” by E. W. Jones,
State Highway Patrol. Recreation
Leadership by Mrs. Anne Livings
ton, National Recreation Expert.
We were divided in four groups:
Head, Heart, Hands and Health, so
each group saw one special inter
est progra meach day until every
one had seen all four programs.
There were also demonstrations
given by the district winners which
were very interesting.
Throughout the week, at night we
saw “The State 4-H Dress Revue,”
“The Health Pageant,” and the
“4-H Parade of Talent.”
The week was officially over af
ter taps Friday night. We left for
home about 10:00 a.m. We all en
joyed a very inspiring week.
Funeral Services
Held For William
Edson Bowden
Graveside services were held for
William Edson Bowden, 48, of Fai
son, who died of a heart attack on
Monday, August 8th, at the Faison
I Cemetery at five o’clock with the
Rev. T. O. Bird officiating.
Mr. Bowden was a member of
the Faison Presbyterian Church
and was a retired produce buyer.
Surviving are his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J. M. Bowden; a sister,
Mrs. W. M. Baugham of Faison;
two brothers, M. C. Bowden of Fai
son and Dr, Beals Bowden of Jack
sonville.
Summary Shows
No Traffic Deaths
In District Five
No traffic deaths were reporged
in District Five, Troop B, for the
period of August 8th through Au
gust 14th, it was learned today
from an accident summary recei
ved from Cpl. T. G. Brooks of the
State Highway Patrol. Duplin,
Sampson, and Wayne Counties are
included in Troop B.
A total of 27 accidents, eight in
juries and $6,990.00 in property da
mage was reported for the three
county' district. A breakdown by
Counties follows:
,Wayne County was the scene of
the greatest number of traffic ac
cidents, 7, with two injuries and
$2,065.00 in property damage.
Both Duplin and Sampson Coun
ties had the same number of ac
cidenti, 5, as well as the same
number of injuries, 3. A total of
$2,300.00 in property damage was
reported in Duplin, while Sampson
reported property damage amount
ing to 552,625.00.
The arrest summary \showed a
total of 76 traffic violations in the
district ;with speeding and driving
violations the cause of the most
arrests, 19 each.
Wallace Market Looks Toward Best
Year In History As Sales Of Flue
Cured Tobacco Begin On August 23rd
Sales To Begin At 9 A. M.
On Largest One-Sale Bright
Leaf Tobacco Market In
The Whole World
ALMOST MILLION FEET
OF FLOOR SPACE HERE
Warehousemen Will Work
Hard Getting High
Prices
The prevailing spirit in Wallace
now is optimism.
This optimism, shared by the
growers, warehousemen and mer
chants of the tow’n alike, has to
do with the opening of tobacco sales
here on Tuesday.
Opening sales have a great in
fluence on the lives of people in
the community since anyone liv
ing in the heart of the tobacco belt
feels some direct or indirect in
fluence from tobacco sales.
Here in Wallace, opening sales
have particular significance. Wal
lace has, through the years, ac
quired the title: “The World’s Lar
gest One-Sale Bright Leaf Tobacco
Market.” This impressive, though
a bit cumbersome, title means sim
ply that with one set of buyers
Wallace managers each year to
chalk up more tobacco sales than
any other market similarly equip
ped.
Gaining this prominence did not
come easy to the local market. It
has resulted only from hard work
on the part of individuals and
groups of individuals.
It is not surprising then, that the
Wallace market has become known
to growers in still another way too,
as a farmer’s market. In no oth
er market in the Eastern Belt is
there to be found a better spirit
of cooperation between the tobacco
men and the farmers. The tobac
co men work hard to try to get
the best price for the farmer and
the farmer expresses his confidence
in the local market by bringing in
more tobacco to the local mar
ket.
This situation has the fortunate
effect of adding to the success of
the town itself. It is small won
der, then, that Wallace has gained
the reputation of being a friendly
town for tobacco growers.
The men who operate these ware
houses have impressive records of
many years of service and success
in getting the highest prices for
growers who sell here. They know
that the farmer can not be paid
too much for his months of hard
work readying his tobacco crop for
the market.
wiui me sales run yei open, u is
a bit early to attempt predictions
concerning the results of sales to
be here this year. Wallace ware
housemen and growers alike feel
that prices will be about the same
as last year and the bumper crop
harvested this year will make the
total amount in the pocket con
siderably more than last year.
“We have an excellent buying
staff assigned here by the ten
major companies, all the major
companies I might add, and also
a capable and experienced staff of
government graders,” a warehou
seman said today.
Sales this year will be conduct
ed at Blanchard and Farrior’s
Warehouse No. 1, Sheffield’s Ware
house No. 1, and Hussey’s Ware
house No. 1. Sheffield’s is a new
house opening this year for the
first time although the owners,
John and Granville, have much ex
perience in growing and handling
tobacco and know their product
well.
Bill Hussey, Sr., Bill Hussey, Jr.,
George D. Bennett and Gib Buck
of Warsaw are partners in the op
eration of Hussey’s. All have much
experience in the warehouse busi
ness. The firm has four ware
houses and is leasing the Joe Bry
ant Warehouse although all sales
will be conducted at Hussey’s No.
1 on Highway 117. All three sell
ing houses this year, incidentally,
are located on the west side of 117
north of town. The house Hussey’s
will sell in is the second largest
warehouse in North Carolina and
possibly the world. It contains
250,000 square feet of floor space.
Hussey’s No. 1, it will be remem
bered, was destroyed by Hurricane
Hazel last fall. It has been built
back bigger and more modern than
ever.
Blanchard and Farrior’s Ware
house will be operated by O. C.
Blanchard, Sr., O. C. Blanchard,
Jr., William H. Farrior, Tyson La
nier and R. H. Lanier. The firm
iias another house immediately to
the rear of No. 1. A modern build
ing with concrete walls was built
back within two months after the
passage of Hurricane Hazel throu
gh these parts last October 15.
All of the warehouses to be op
erated this year are brand new
and in addition there are two oth
ers which will be used for storage.
Wallace offers growers a total
of just short of one million square
feet of floor space. This gives the
growers plenty of room to unload
and sell and each house provides
the best in service and help to
make farmers who sell here com
fortable and their trip pleasur
able.
While it is too early to conjecture
as to the volume of sales here this
year it appears altogether likely
that despite acreage cuts in to
bacco allotments production has
been better than in many years and
the total will well exceed last
year’s operation.
At any rate, one thing is certain
and that is that the spirit of co
operation among the citizens of
Wallace, which has led to such
fame for the town as a market
tow'n, will be present this year as
in years past to insure that Wal
lace will retain her title of which
her citizens are justifiably proud:
“The World’s Largest 0.;r Sale
Bright Leaf Tobacco Market.”
For the absolutely highest prices
farmers are this year urged more
than ever to place their offerings
in big piles. “These sell better
because it costs as much for a
buying company to buy a small
pile as a large one," a spokesman
for the local market pointed out.
V’Bookkeeping, handling and all
factors remain constant. Most buy
ers want large piles and appear to
pay slightly more per pound for
them, ft costs the farmer less in
charges, too. Figure it out for
yourself and make your piles as
large as possible this year,” lie
concluded.
Little Damage
Results From
Hurricane Diane
Farmers who had already finish
ed harvesting green tobacco for
this season probably breathed a
sigh of relief as they viewed their
fields following the downpour ac
companying Hurricane Diane this
week.
Although very little wind dama
ge by Tuesday's storm was re
ported in this area, the wind-flat
tened tobacco and corn fields left
by "Diane’s” big sister “Connie”
weren’t in any better condition af
ter the soaking rains, makin it
very difficult to harvest the tobac
co, especially with tobacco har
vesters. Most farmers over the co
unty are through gathering or only
have one or two more croppings
of the bright leaf before calling it
quits in the tobacco fields for this
year.
“There wasn't much to it, but
I was a little scared at first”, was
the usual comment heard follow
ing the hurricane, classed by most
folks as about like a “Northeast
ern”. The absence of high winds
brought relief to local citizens, re
membering Hazel and Connie’s ex
ploits. Another relieving fact was
that there was no long waiting per
iod before the storm hit as pre
(Continued On Page Five)
State Official
Of Eastern Stars
To Visit Area
The new Worthy Grand Matron
of the Grand Chapter of North Ca
rolina, Mrs. Hilda S. Halliburton,
will pay Pat McGowen Eastern
Star members an official visit on
Friday night, August 19th, it was
announced today by Mrs. Helen
J. Sumner, Secretary.
Mrs. Halliburton will arrive in
Garland, N. C., at eight p.m.
All local Eastern Star members
of Pat McGowan Chapter are in
vited and urged to attend. Those
who are planning to attend are
asked to please meet at the Wal
lace Masonic Lodge at seven p.m.
Mrs. Sumner concluded.
• ★ • ★ • ★
All Three County ASC Committeemen, Two Alternates
Receive Registered Letters From State Committee Saying
Are Suspended From Duty; Local Committee Protest
Funeral Services
For Vann Norris
Held Friday
Vann Norris, age 77, of Bowden
died early Thursday morning in
Duplin Memorial Hospital at Ken
ansville after several months of
declining health.
Funeral services were conducted
front Northeast Free Will Baptist
Church near Wallace at 3:00 o’
clock Friday afternoon by Rev.
Vann Rich, pastor, assisted by Rev.
H. N. Baker of the Warsaw Bap
tist Church. Burial followed in
the Cavenaugh Family Cemetery.
The body was carried to the church
one hour prior to funeral service.
He is survived by four daugh
ters, Mrs. H. B. Carter, of Wash
ington, D. C\, Mrs. W. C. Eng
lish and Mrs. R. E. Henderson,
both of Bowden and Mrs. Ross Tea
chey of Rose Hill; four foster chil
dren, Willie Norris and Horace Nor
ris of Wilmington, Kenneth Norris
of Wallace and Jack Norris of An
derson, Ala.; one brother, Ira Nor
ris of Wallace; fourteen grandchil
dren; eight great-grandchildren.
Beulaville Man
Kills Wife In
Sunday Incident
A Beulaville man silently went
about the business of murder yes
terday morning as he killed his
wife, the mother of their seven
children, the youngest still on a
bottle.
Being held without bond pending
an inquest tomorrow night at 7:30
at Gordon Muldrow’s office is Sta
cy Edwards.
The couple lived across the high
way from Penney’s Store, two mi
les west of Beulaville.
According to witnesses Minnie W.
Edwards, 40, was in the store to
get something for Sunday dinner
and was seated on a bottle crate
waiting for service when her hus
band came to the door.
He allegedly looked in, saw his
wife, said nothing but went back
to his car, got out a single barrel
shotgun and returned to the door.
Still without murmuring a word,
lie threw the weapon to his shoul
der. The first shell tore into Mrs.
Edwards’ buttocks. The second en
tered her back between the shoul
ders. She died instantly.
The incident happened about 10
a.m. Sunday morning. Coroner
Garland Kennedy said shw still had
$1.15 clutched in her hand to get
her groceries.
The coroner's jury will consist
of R. W. Kennedy, It. S. Basden,
Bailie Thigpen, Jessie Brinson* Lis
ton Maready and George C. Lanier
when the hearing is held tomorrow
night.
Funeral Rites
For Mrs. Lee
Held Sunday
Funeral rites for Mrs. Julia Fair
cloth Lee, 76, were held from the
Faison Methodist Church on Sun
day at three p.m. with the Rev.
Stills, Methodist minister of Rocky
Mount, officiating. Mrs. Lee died
at 1:10 p.m. in a Nursing Home
in Rocky Mount following an ill
ness of three months.
She was a daughter of the late
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Faircloth of Dup
lin County but had lived in Rocky
Mount for the past eight years. In
terment followed at the Faison Ce
metery.
Surviving are six daughters, Mrs.
B. E. Ingram, Mrs. J. J. Andrews,
and Mrs. W. F. Mason of Rocky
Mount; Mrs. C. W. Wynn and Mrs.
D. C. Bass of Clinton; Mrs. H. V.
Brewar of Faison: four sons, Lem
mie Lee, Jr., of Rocky Mount, L.
C. Lee of Mount Olive, H. D. Lee
of Warsaw, and W. M. Lee of Vir
ginia; one sister, Mrs. Ozzie Whee
ler of Cary; 30 grandchildren; 15
great-grandchildren, and one great
great- grandchild.
Autopsy records of the Poultry
Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at
State College show that Erysipilas
has been occurring more frequent
ly in recent years.
Harvey Arnold And Committee Instantly Return Letter Re
jecting The Suspension And “Requesting And Urging”
An “Investigation Of The ENTIRE Duplin County;
Arnold Claims A Number Of Fields Of Hidden Tobacco,
Particularly Among Large Growers Found This Year,
Thinks One Put Pressure On State Committee For Sus
pension, Terms The Action “Political Subterfuge”
“V7E WANT HEARING BEFORE ELECTION TIME SO
TEAT OUR NAMES CAN BE CLEARED,” SAYS ARNOLD
Chair: . 'n Says Committee Not Eligible For Re-Election
As Things Now Stand, Thinks Political
Angles Involved
The three county ASC Commit
teemen and two alternates have
leceived registered letters from
the State Committee announcing
their suspension from duty.
Most of tile letters were receiv
ed Saturday or Monday from the
Raleigh office. Suspended are
Harvey Arnold of Rose Hill, chair
man, Coy Hall of Beulaville, vice
chairman and J. C. Blanchard of
Warsaw, regular member a < well
as alternates D. N. Brins> i of
Kenansville and Henry Carter of
Wallace.
The suspension notice advisr 1
that a hearing would be given if
requested. The entire Caplin Co
unty Committee instantly return
ed a registered letter rejecting the
suspension and “requesting and ur
ging” an “investigation of the en
tire Duplin County” and underlined
the word "entire.”
"We don't know' what all this is
about,” Arnold, the chairman, told
this newspaper today. “However,
1 think it is because we caught the
wrong man.”
Without being specific Arnold
pointed out that a number of hid
den fields of tobacco have been
found this year, particularly among
several large growers. He said
some were in well enough placed
positions to bring pressure on the
State Committee resulting in the
suspension action.
“We will stick with this thing,"
Arnold declared. "Those in Dup
lin County and elsew'here who
would destroy our tobacco program
for politics or personal animosity
have created a lot of hullabaloo
about nothing. If it continues it
will wreck the program in Dup
lin County."
“The action of the state com
mittee is in reverse of rights grant
ed all citizens by the Constitution.
This says a man is innocent un
til proven guilty. Under the reg
ulations of the Secretary of Agri
culture the opposite is true. A man
is guilty until proven innocent.”
In requesting an immediate hear
ing Arnold said, “if the state of
fice has anything justifying this
outrageous action which could de
ist roy our program in Duplin we
w'ant to know about it and that
right early.”
Commenting on rumors about the
county Arnold said that he and
every member of the committee
would like for any and everybody
to visit and check on their farms.
I have no hidden tobacco and
none of the committeemen have.”
'he declared. “This is a vicious lie
and we will fight the charges,
whenever the state committee is
I courteous enough to tell us w hat
iwe have done wrong, IF ANY
THING.”
! Arnold went on to quote J. C.
Blanchard as saying a rumor had
Jit that he, Blanchard, had six
acres of hidden tobacco on his farm.
”1 would like the state to spot
check this to prove to themselves
I have no excess acreage," he
said.
The action this week followed
hearings in the agriculture build
ing last week and also three weeks
ago.
The county committee chairman
said there were 40 applications for
new growers allotments this year.
Of these 23 were checked and rec
ommended by the county commit
tee. Three others were later ap
proved by a Review Committee,
making a total of 26. 51 acres
W'ere applied for on these 26 ap
plications. All were approved by
the state committee. Three weeks
ago as the growers neared the
harvest conclusion the state com
mittee suddenly cancelled out all
but four of the original 26 applica
tions, including the three of the
Review Committee. This resulted
in the July hearing and last week’s
hearings.
Nineteen of the twenty-two made
appeals and were heard during the
two separate hearings. As a result
of the hearings eight got their al
lotment back. Those who failed
have the right to ■ appeal further
and some may do so.
(). C. Burton of Bolivia has been
ordered to Duplin and is on the
scene. The county office manager,
Mrs. Dora Betty Bell, is in charge
of the program temporarily, it is
understood. Burton is a state spot
checker and has worked in Duplin
before, including this year.
Regarding another rumor about
the $96,000 alloted Duplin for farm
improvement under the AC pro
gram (a subsidiary program of the
ASC office )the exact figure re
quested and granted for one of
the committee, Blanchard, is $30.
None of the other five have ap
plied for or received any. The
committee can grant up to $1500
p ■ farm for improvements such as
tih laying, pasture seeding, ditch
ing, free planting, irrigation ponds,
watering holes for stock, and for
estry improvement as well as oth
ers.” Ai the time of the last ap
provals there was still more than
$60,000 of the $96,000 remaining.
"The county committee has the
right to approve improvements on
their own farms and I would like
to point out that so far, with the
exception of the $30, none has been
spent on the property of any co
unty committeeman, or applied
for,” Arnold said.
"We want the state committee to
give us a hearing as soon as pos
sible, and inform us speeiafically
why this suspension took place,”
Arnold declared. "If we have been
doing anything unworthy of our
position we should be kicked out,”
he said, “but if not we want our
names cleared and the whole mess:
straightened out so that the to
bacco program in Duplin will not
I suffer further hurt.”
Arnold pointed out that the an
'nual election of committeemen
comes up in October.
“We are not eligible for re-elec
jtion as things now stand,” he said •
i"We want our names cleared and
the program in Duplin slraighten
led out well in advance of the el
ections. Otherwise, we shall be
:forced to conclude that the sus
pension is political subterfuge only
and has nothing to do with any
'irregularities of the county com
mittee as such.”
"Fraud is on the part of the ap
plicant and not the county commit
tee. Our findings in January will
'show for themselves were meeting
| regulations. Our spot-checks re
vealed the applicants living on the
farm at the time of approval and
expecting to derive 50 per cent of
his income from tobacco and hav
ing no tobacco on any other farms.
Spot checks in June and July show
that some of the regulations may
have been broken SINCE the ap
plication was approved. Over this
I we have no control and we resent
j implications that we do.”
Arnold concluded his statement
with a word of thanks to his far
mer friends. “I, and the rest
of the committee, have always done
(Continued On Page Five)
Citizens Thanked
For Aid Given
During Hurricane
When a job is well done, ex
pressed appreciation is in order.
During the passing of the two
hurricanes of the last two days, a
number of our local citizens have
gone all-out for us. They have
stayed up at night, using their time
and cars and phones and safety
shelters in our behalf. To those
officially connected with our
town’s administration, and to the
Volunteer Units, we thank you.
And I am personally grateful to
Claude Hepler, Captain of our Aux
iliary Police, who has taken over
for me in my absence.
William Hood, Director
Wallace Civil Defense.