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A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE UPBUILDING QF HERTFORD AND PERQUIMANS COUNTY,
Volume V Number 35.
HertfordPerquimans County, North Carolina, Friday, September 2, 1938.
$1.25 Per Year.
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Local Telephone System
ikely To Be
Modern Dial
Company Ordered to
Replace Manuel Ex
change System
219 CUSTOMERS
Supposition That Tele
phone Building Will
Be Erected
Action by Utilities Commissioner
Stanley Winbome, Monday confirmed
rumors here that a modern dial tele
phone system to about to replace the
manual . exchange system in use in
Hertford foi the past several years.
The Commissioner Monday issued
an order directing the Norfolk and
Carolina Telephone and Telegraph
Company to replace its manual ex
change system in Hertford with a
modern dial exchange.
Mr. Winborne told the News and
Observer he had assurance that the
change would be made "immediately."
The firm serves 219 subscribers in
Hertford.
Just what other changes, if any,
will accompany the advent of tha
new dial system in Hertford has not
been made public. H. W. Dewey,
general manager of the firm, reached
by telephone Tuesday afternoon, was
not prepared to furnish further in
formation at that time.
Telephone company officials and
employees, observed by local people
at various times taking measurements
on different pieces of land, in the
town, lend support to rumors that
the new setup Will involve the erec
b tion of a telephone building. None
of the rumors, however, are substan
tiated. W. M. Morgan Visits
Home At Belhayen
W. M. Morgan, the furniture man,
used to live in Belhaven. With the
exception of one brief visit to that
section which he made some twenty
years ago, Mr. Morgan has not been
back to the old home in something
more than twenty-five years.
With the opening of the new Albe
marle Sound bridge, all that country
is brought much nearer to Hertford,
and last Sunday Mr. Morgan, accom
panied by his family, took a trip
through Beaufort and Hyde counties,
visiting various points. Mr. Morgan
says he saw many old friends and
enjoyed reminiscences with many he
had not seen since he left Belhaven.
The party, which included, in addi
tion to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and
Miss Helen Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. B.
C. Berry and their two children, trav
eled about two hundred miles, visit
ing numerous old familiar scences, in
cluding Swan Quarter, which point
Mr. Morgan says, is some 60 miles
nearer Hertford by way of the new
bridge.
MISSIONARY SOCIETY MEETS
The Woman's Missionary Society of
Oak Grove Church met on Wednes
day, August 24th, at the home of
Mrs. W. W. Lewis. The meeting was
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opened oy singing worn. ior w
L"HJsComing," Mrs. W. H. Over-
.yer, and Mrs. Addie
,d the Scripture lesson.
Others on the program were Mrs.
George Jackson, Mrs. C. P. Quincy,
Mrs. Emmett Starlings, Misses Mattie.
Grade and Addie Mae Ferrell. Mrs.
Addie Bright led a Spiritual Life
program, followed by the hymn
"Take Time to be Holy."
Mrs. Addie Bright dismissed the
meeting with prayer,
f The hostess served lemonade and
cookies.
Those present were Mrs. H. G.
Bakery Mrs. Addie Bright, Mrs. Geo.
Jackson, Mrs. Claude Feilda, Mrs.
W. W. Lewis; Mrs. W. T. Lewis, Mrs.
Walton Lane, Mrs. W. H. Overman,
Mrs Daisy Perry, Mrs. C P. Quincy,
Mrs. Emmett Stallinga, Mrs. John
SymonB, Mrs. Gerald Wood, Misses
Hazel Bright, Doris Baker, Doris
Lewis, Gracie, Mattie and Addie Mae
Ferrell. .
CIRCLE THREE TO MEET
Circle Ntanber Three of the Wom
an's Missionary Society of the Hert
ford Baptist Church .will meet on
Monday night with Mrs. L. N. Hollo
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TO PREACH AT BAGLEY SWAMP
The Ker. W. h Smith will preach t
Bagley Swamp ' Pilgrim Church ' on
' '-y afternoon. ;
Replaced By
Arrangement
Perquimans Plays
Prominent Part In
Bridge Celebration
Finances Lacking, Sev
eral Join In Furnish
ing Attractive Float
It has been suggested that those
who were instrumental in financing,
designing and constructing this
county's attractive float in the Sound
bridge celebration parade, should
stand and be recognized publicly for
their splendid work when it appear
ed that the county could not afford
the additional cost of a f oat made by
professional decortors.
The main force behind Perquim
ans' elaborate entry in the colorful
dedication parade was L. W. Ander
son, county farm agent and a mem
ber of the committee on arrangements
for this county's participation. He
designed the float and its effective
display of characters with the approv
al of a group of women who gracious
ly served on a hastily appointed com
mittee to select the county's queens,
pages, float characters and arrange
other pressing details. These women,
who enthusiastically joined in when
called upon to help were: Mrs.
Charles Whedbee, Miss Kate Blanch
ard, Mrs. H. C. Stokes, Mrs. W. E.
White, Mrs. J. G. Campbell, Mrs. C.
A. Davenport and Mrs. S. P. Jessup.
So far as could be learned, Per
quimans entered the only home-made
float, which is even more to the
county's credit, showing that "the
spirit was willing though finances
lacked." The entire cost of the float
amounted to $90, including costumes
for the ten characters. Mrs. Daven
port, Mrs. Jessup and Miss Gladys
Hamrick made a special trip to Nor
folk, Va , in order to secure appro
priate attire for "George Durant,"
"Kilcocanen" and the rest of the
cast.
J. E. Winslow and Charles Whed
bee gathered together the necessary
funds and turned them over to Mr.
Anderson. Perquimans' entry was a
truck and trailer float, and prepared
(Continued on Page Two)
Students Plan To
Leave For College
Perquimans Represent
ed In About Dozen
Institutions
With the advent of September, Per
quimans County's young people,
along with the young people all over
the country, are going away to
school, a few leaving within the next
few days and others going later in
the month. There are probably a
dozen colleges represented among
those which Perquimans young people
are attending this year.
Elon College has the distinction of
numbering among its students three
members of one Hertford family, Lila
Budd, Ona Mary and ?XJreighton,
children of Capt. and Mrs. G. C.
Stephens. Incidentally, a fourth
child, Elizabeth, was graduated from
the college three years ago.
Among those who were graduated
from the Perquimans High School last
niiw anil wtui am rnin .voir
the first time are Alice Roberson,
who will attend Peace Junior Col
lege! Charles E. White, who goes to
the University of North"' Carolina;
Blanche Moore 'ferry, who goes to
the Woman's' College of the Univer
sity of North Carolina; Mary Thad
Chappell and Mae Edla Asbell, who
go to East Carolina Teachers Col
lege; Ellie Mae White, who will go
to Mars Hill; lila Budd Stephens,
who goes to Elon; Charles Harrell,
who will attend Oak Ridge Military
Academy; Julia Broughton, who goes
to Meredith; Zach White,' who will
attend Duke University; Jarvis Ward
and Fred Campen, who will attend
Wake Forest, and Marie Anderson,
who will go to Flora MacDonald. .
Sarah Ward will return to the
Woman' Cbllege of the itiiversity of
North Carolina; Roy bled, Eldon
Winslow and Dick Payne-twill return
to State College; Tim BrUn and Dan
(Continued oa PatTw)
OUTSTANDING HERTFORD SCENES
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The top view left shows the Edmundson-Fox Memorial dedicated
several years ago to commemorate the first religious service held in
North Carolina. The tablet, mounted on granite, stands very near
the roadway of Church Street U. S. 17. The first service was
conducted by William Edmundson on a spot nearby. Fox was the
founder of the Society of Friends and joined Edmundson here in the
year following the first service.
The right top view is of the Confederate Monument on the
Court House Green facing Church Street V. S. 17. Erected by the
United Daughters of the Confederacy. The memorial bears the in
scription. "They fought for what they believed to be right, and
sealed their faith in blood." The inscription was originated by the
late W. T. McMullan, himself wounded in thenar. v...
Below Lotus blossoms on the Perquimans River, easily visible
from the State highway bridge. Those pictured here cover more
than an acre off the viuseway, planted by J. S. Vick Other lotus
gardens fringe the river at the beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde
McCallum on Front Street.
Human Signpost Points Way
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When State Highway employees
twice removed Hertford marker signs
at the bridge road U. S. 17 intersec
tion on the day before the day of the
Albemarle bound Bridge opening, j
several local business men worked!
out an idea that resulted in the sign-
post pictured above.
J. G. Roberson, Vivian Matthews,
Rosser Brinn, V. N. Darden and B.
C. Berry felt that Hertford had been
discriminated against in the matter
of highway signs when distance mark
ers and directions mentioning Hert
ford were left off the marker posts,
giving mileages entirely to Edenton
and Elizabeth City from the bridge
road and at the principal intersection.
Oldest In The Albemarle ?
Just what the inscription is to be
on the bronze tablet shortly to be
placed in Perquimans County's an
cien,t courthouse has as yet not been
made public. Charles Whedbee, who
has the matter in charge, is non
committal when approached on the
subject, and there is some conjecture
as to whether or not the tablet, which
is to be a memorial to the late Clin
ton W. Toms, of Durham and New
York, swill. contain the date of the
erection of the building.
The attractive old courthouse, be
lieved by those versed in local history
to be the oldest in the Albemarle, is
These men twice placed distance
and direction signs at tha intersec
tion on August 24, day before the
celebration, and when highway sign
crews removed them both times, Mr.
Roberson and the other men prevail
ed upon Mayor S. M. Whedbee to ap
peal to Frank Dunlap, chairman of
the State Highway Commission. Mr.
Dunlay replied that he was instruct
ing the district engineer to make an
investigation.
But an investigation could not be!
made before the celebration date, so
in order to let the holiday crowds!
know in which direction Hertford lay,
the human signpost was installed
there for a five-hour stand at the
height of the day's traffic.
old, nobody knows exactly how old,
but it dates back to the early days
of the eighteenth century, and was
built to replace one which in the sev
enteenth century stood in Little Riv
er, that section now called Durants'
Neck, where the first clearing in the
State was made, where lived William',
Drummond, first Governor of Albe-
marie, where also lived George Dur-
ant, where was located the stocks
and the pilory.
This building was burned, some
time after October 1701, when a court
record reads "At a court holde'n at
(Continued on Page Two)
Elimination Of Dangerous
School Fire Hazard Urged
By Insurance Department
September Club
Meeting Scnetiui
Placing Shrubbery Prin
cipal Topic During
Month
Miss Gladys Hamrick, vacationing
at the home of her parents in Kings
Mountain, has released the schedule!
for Perquimans County Home Demon
stration meetings during the month
of September.
Placing Shrubbery will be the
demonstration for the month, but a
great part of the different meetings
will be given over to the annual Kerr
and Hall Canning contests.
The schedule of meetings follows.
Chapanoke, Tuesday, Sept. 6, meet
ing with Mrs. Emmett Stallirigs.
Winfall, Wednesday, Sept. 7,
meeting with Miss Frances Roberson.
Whiteston, Thursday, Sept. 8,
meeting with Mrs. Mary D. Winslow.
Home and Garden, Friday, Sept. 9,
meeting with Mrs. G. E. Feilds.
Southeastern Conference, Sept. 12,
13, 14, held in Elizabeth City.
Helen Gaither, Thursday, Sept. 15,
meeting at the Agricultural Building.
Bethel, Friday, Sept. 16, meeting
at the school house.
Ballahack, Monday, Sept. 19, meet
ing with Mrs. C. A. Perry.
Snow Hill-White Hat, Tuesday,
Sept. 20, meeting with Mrs. Elmer
Wood.
Belvidere, Wednesday, Sept. 21,
meeting at the Community House.
Beech Spring, Thursday, Sept. 22,
meeting at the school house.
New Hope, Friday, Sept. 23, meet
ing at the Community House.
At each club meeting a canning
contest will be held, and Miss Ham
rick is anxious for all those entering
the contests to have their jars labeled ior stairways, hut only one direct ex
and ready to exhibit before the meet-! it from the auditorium to the corn
ing. To enter both contests the fol
lowing are required: Ball Contest,
one quart of fruit (any kind) and
one quart of vegetable (any kind).
Kerr Contest, one quart fruit (any
kind), one quart vegetable (any
kind), and one quart meat (any kind).
At the roll call each memhr will
answer by telling how many jars of
different fiuits, vegetables, meats,
etc., have been canned this season.
Post Office Ready
By September 15
Everything Is New Ex
cept the Building
Itself
The new post office quarters are 1
taking definite shape. The fixtures j
are all on hand and Fostmaster J.
Edgar Morris expects his force will
move into the remodeled building
around September 15th.
Everything is new except Ihe build
ing itself, which formerly housed the
Carolina Banking Company, and more
recently, the medical offices of Dr. I.
A. Ward. The lock boxes and draw
ers are new ... so are the parcel
post.stamp and general delivery win
dows. -The new boxes will present
something of a problem for the first
few days, the method of locking and
opening is different from the old
style. The new boxes and drawers
have only one dial, but when one
catches on to the secret, they should
prove more popular than the old ones,
which had two number combinations
to remember.
The place is well-lighted, with 12
chandeliers over the public lobby and
office work space. An. arch separ
ates the post office proper from the
loading platform.
Revival Starts At
Bethlehem Church
Revival services at Bethlehem
Christian Church will begin Tuesday
evening, September 6th, at 7:45.
The Rev. Roscoe Bennett, of Cres
well, will conduct the revival services
to which the public is cordially invit
ed. BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Linwood
Winslow, of Belvidere, on Thursday,
August 18th, a daughter.
Present Conditions In
Direct Violation of
State Laws
LIVES IN DANGER
Commissioner Suggests
Several Changes to
Remedy Situation
i Below is a copy of a letter from
the State Insurance Department, re-
porting on an investigation of the fire
habards at the Hertford Grammar
School. The Perquimans Weekly pub
lishes the contents of this report, be
lieving that it is of vital interest to
every parent in the town of Hert
ford and to other parents whose chil
dren attend the grammar school. The
department deputy was accompanied
on his tour of inspection by several
Hertford citizens, members of the
Town Criers, Woman's Club, and
Parent-Teachers Association. It is
not possible, of course, to publish the
diagram referred to in the report, but
the fact that the building is subject to
condemnation on two counts, is made
clear.
June 1st, 1938.
Hon. T. S. White, Chairman,
Perquimans County Board of Educa
tion, Hertford, N. C.
Dear Sir:
I have before me a copy of a re
port made by a deputy of this De
partment, who, with School authori
ties at Hertford, recently inspected
the Grammar School Building at
Hertford, N. C.
This report, with diagram, (copy
attached) shows the building to be of
ordinary construction, brick outside
walls and wooden interior, two stor
ies in 'height with auditorium with
seating capacity of from 275 to 30tt
and four class rooms on the second
floor. The diagram shows two niter-
dor leading to the
This condition
stairways,
s in violation of
existing North Carolina Laws and
the use of the auditorium under these
conditions subjerts all occupants to
exceedingly grave lire and panic dan
gers. This Department recommends that
the present auditorium space in this
building be changed and used for
other school purposes ami that the
corresponding space on the first floor
be changed and used as an auditor
ium or that a new auditorium be
erected, as an auditorium on the sec
ond floor of this type building, even
under the best conditions, affords firo
and panic danger to the occupants.
This recommendation is not a law.
To meet the mini num requirements
of exisiting North Carolina Laws
and relieve conditions which subject
the auditorium section of this build
ing to condemnation procedure under
the provisions of Section 2773, ECCS.,
the following changes and additions
are imperative:
Cut doorways at least .'J feet and
6 inches wide and at least C feet and
8 inches high at point marked "A"
and at point marked "B" or "C",
"B" preferred, and erect from both
these doorways outside iron fire es
capes, each of the two fire-escapes to
consist of an iron balcony at least 4
feet wide and 6 feet long with floor
level the same as the floor level of
the auditorium at point served and an
iron stairway at least 3 feet and 6
incres wide, extending, at an angle of
not more than 45 degrees slant, from
the balcony to the ground, with land
ing at least 3 feet, 8 inches by 3 feet,
6 inches for each 14 steps.
Steps to be of such dimensions as
to afford easy travel at a reasonable
rate of speed for children of school
age and risers not to be of more than
8 inches. Balconies, stairways and
landings to be equipped with sufficient
and safely constructed handrails and
guides to assure safe travel at rea
sonable rate of speed and constructed
and erected and attached to the build
ing in a manner to safely withstand
a live-load of 90 pounds per square
foot. Doors leading to the two fire
escapes to be hung so as to open out
and afford full width of the stairway
when open.
The report also shows a furnace
and fuel room area (shown approxi
mately on diagram) not separated
from the remainder of the building
and so located that a fire in this area
could easily jeopardize the lives of all
occupants of the building. This con
dition subjects the whole building to
condemnation " procedure under the
(Continued en Page Two)
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