Sintrle Copy 6 Cent*
EntablishfHl l8sM)
NO. 21
Tobaccomen Here See
Million-Pound First
Week Leaf Auctions
Dark-Fired Leaf
Average Holds
At About S3!)
The heaviest opening week of
auctions on the Farmville Tobacco
Market in recent years is expected
to be established when poundage
totals for Thursday's sales are re
ported. Warehous estimates fore
see the first week sales near or
exceeding a million pounds.
Monday's opening day auctions
totaled 314.034 pounds, a good
100.000 pounds in excess of the
first week of 1956
The first day's auction of dark
hrecl tobacco was 258.813 pounds
averaging $39.34, and exceeding
tliat for last season by 40 cents.
Sun-cured sales added 55,222
pounds to the Monday total, bring
ing' an average of $33.06. or 18
cents more than ,for opening day
a year ago.
Averages Holding
The first week's average is ex
pected to hold at approximately
that of the first day, Monday or
about $39. with sun-cured also
also holding up well, near Mon
day's figure.
The genera! floor average here,
compared to the $38 average of
support prices, indicates that the
majority of leaf is selling at $1
above the peg prices, but choice
quality tobacco is selling at $3 to
$7 higher
Dark heavy leaf shortei and
narrower than many buyers indi
cate they need has brought some
grade declines over a year ago,
even though the peg prices on top
quality leaf and thin leaf and
wrappers are on to -five veins
higher than 1956.
Belt-Wide Report
1- rst auctions of the 1957 Vie
nna 1 ue-curod tobacco crop Mon
day showed little over-all change
tram opening sales a year ago.
H.iv.vu’t. qua lit v of the tobacco
was better It was estimated tlii.it
around HV of gross sales was de
livered to the associations under
the Government loan program.
The Virginia Department- . of
Agriculture report- gross salts to
taled 722.852 pounds and aver
aged $39.30 per hundred. This
average was an increase of $1.18
over the first day in 1956 The
poundage was almost double that
of last ye. s opening.
Prices averaged lower than las!
>ear lor most heavy leaf grades.
Declines amounted to $1.00 to
s4.00 per hundred with the $4.00
decreases occurring for mixed
tolor. The remaining groups were
firm to $2.00 higher. As a whole,
the number of gains and losses
was about the same. Bulk of the
.saies rang 'd from $29.00 to $57 00
Highest price was $70.00 for a few
baskets nt choice qualities. Most
grades averaged $100 to $3.00
above then loan rates.
The tobacco consisted ot larger
percentages of fair to choice quali
i Continued on page 5)
Firemen Given -S200
The Pi nice Edward .count'
board of supervisors appropriated
5.200 to tlic Farmville Fire De
partment tins month, not $500 as
reported in Tlic Herald last Fri
day
Through the appropriation, the
board acknowledged the service of
the department, firemen and
equipment, in fire-fishting work
in the county.
Initia.1 Sign-Up
Begins For 1958
ACP Practices
Virginia farmers will be eligible
for $4,558,000 in 1058 under the
Federal Agricultural Conservation
program iACP
Virginia Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation < ASC- officials
estimate some 25,000 to 30.003
farmers will take part in the 1958
ACP program. Under the program,
the Federal government pays from
50 to 80 per cent of the cost of
specified soil and water conserving
practices.
Exactly how much each county
will be allotted has not been de
ietmined. However, the various
county ASC cpmmittees in the
Herald area have designated the
practices which will be authorized
the county ASC offices are tak
ing applications this month.
Farmers interested m getting fi
nancial assistance in improving soil
and water conditions can check with
their county ASC office for details.
In so far as possible, letters will
be mailed lo farmers in the counties
by the ASC offices.
The initial sign-up period m each
county is different. For instance.
,n Prince Edward county, the .sign
'll starts Monday and ends Jan 8
in Cumberland. Dec. 31 is the dead
line: in Buckingham Dee 27 is the
leadline: in Powhatan. Dec. 20 is
.ie deadline: and in Amelia, the last
.eek in December is the final
•nod in the initial sign-up
After the initial sign-up period, the
muy committees will meet to con
sider requests.
One of the most popular practices
n this area is the A 2 practice, or
,-tablishment of permanent grass
ud legume on land not intended
m crop rotation. The rate of fed
,al participation oil this practice
_s $9.(io per acr: for preparing a
.-red bed plus not over 80 per cent
_f the cost of lime, fertilizer and
jeed. It averages $35 to $40 per
acre.
Another popular practice is B-l.
mproving permanent cover This
.ays a rate of one-half the cost of
me and fertilizer to improve per
manent cover.
In Prince Edward county last
year. 20t; farms were represented in
practices that brought $34,321 in
federal assistance. A limit of $500
was placed on the amount of aid
going lo a single farm m the county
iast year. The rules and practices
are established by the county ASC
committee s.
projects are completed before
payment is nude and in some cases
Soil Const-i ration personnel or For
estry Division personnel have to
supervise practices.
In general, practices approved in
this area are: permanent vege
tative cover,, additional rotation
cover, liming farmland, contour
st.npcropping, forest establishment,
controlling erosion with trees and
(Continued on page 5)
Post office Opens
Longer Hours
Iarmville Postotiice. stamp and
parcel post windows will open at
8:00 a .in. and close at 6:0(1 p. n>.
daily until Christmas. Postmaster
I». \V. Paulette announced.
"Mail parcels and cards early
for Christinas delivery." he urges
Dear Santa:
Herewith Are
Directions For
1957 Letters
Dear Santa Claus: We hope our
frozen turkey reached you in time
for Thanksgiving and in good con
dition after the long trip to the
North Pole. Just wanted you to
know we remembered how impos
sible it is for you to get your own
turkey way up there where every
thing is covered with ice and
snow. Tlie oyster stuffing recipe
was suggested by one of our lady
readers.
With this issue we begin print
ing the ‘Santa Claus' letters from
our little readers. We are putting
you on our mailing list again so
that you can clip each issue to
make up packages for me children
from their letters.
We would like to emphasize that
they have been good this year . . .
or most of the time, at least, help
ing with the supper dishes, keep
ing their toys off the floor and
preparing home work carefully!
We do have one question,
though. How is the re-tooling
coming along in your toy shops?
It must be pretty difficult to jump
from Buck Rodgers to sputnik
bells, from Elvis Presley guitars
to satellite shot-guns, all within
a year, isn't, it?
Good luck. Santa, and we’ll
leave some hot tea under the lino
type machine in the back shop so
you can stop by the Herald office
and warm yourself Christmas eve.
Love you. Santa1
P. S. The letters will appear on
the inside pages of each issue.
All The Herald Staff
VMl And Lonuwond
Singers Join For
Christmas Concert
Longwood Coll;;"’ and Virginia
Military Institute will combine
choruses for the annual Christmas
concert of Mu Lon a wood College
music department, Sunday. Dec
15, in Jarman Auditorium at 4 p.
m.
The VMI Glee Club and Lite
Longwood Choir will present sev
eral groups of numbers individual
ly. and combine for several seiec
Dr. John W. Molnar, chairman
of the department ol music of
Longwood College will conduct the
combined numbers. Gregory Tay
lor. VMI director, will conduct the
numbers of the Glee Club
The Longwood Madrigal Sing
ers. directed by James L. Mc
Combs, of Longwood College, will
sing a group of numbers also.
Precautions Taken
Against Shoplifting
Several persons were arrested
last week in Farmville on shop
lifting charges. Police Chief Otto
S. Overton noted that an increase
in this offense usually comes dur
ing the pre-Christmas buying
rush.
To combat this trouble. Chief
Overton said he has placed two
plain clothes policemen on duty to
patrol the downtown arpa H“ said
ihat all violations would be pros
ecuted.
Chief Overton aho issued a
warning to shoppers not to leave
packages in their car while the
tar is unlocked. He said it is too
much temptation to passersby to
simply reach in and take the
packages. "The way to prevent
this petty drime.” Overton pointed
out. “is to lock your car when you
leave packages in it."
Mid-Town Peacefulness Amid Hustle-Bustle
H LDM SDAV's IMI F-IVCII SNOW at Farm .ille painted this serene view of nature's winter
artistry. On four sides, sireeis. shops and people hustled, but within the garden at I’rincc Edward Hotel
llie t> trik-i-dav orlij v as transformed into one of u idle-tin ted, unhurried bein':.
State Supreme
Court Upholds
Placement Act
Rules State Has
Right To Require
Admission Form
The legality of ’he Pupil Place
ment Act. by which enrollment of
nbblic school pupils VC's vested in a
•♦ale boa’•cl. was upheld by the Vir
ginia Supreme Cou’-t Tuesday.
The court's ru'ing came at con
"l”Ricn of the case of Mrs. Theo P
DeFebio. who had sought an order
"'impelling Fairfax county school
authorities to reinstate her two
grade school sons.
The boys wei'e dismissed last
.April when their mother refused to
s’gn application forms on their be
half under the requirement by the
Pupil Placement Board.
Court’s Views
The court-ruled, in an opinion pre
pared by Chief Justice Edward W
Hudgins, that the General Assembly
has full authority to vest the power
of enrollment or placement of
pupils in an authority other than
the local school boards.
The act vesting the state board
w’th such a"tho"ity was passed bv
be Legislature as part of the Com
nvmwealth's plan to maintain sep
arate public schools. Formerly the
authority of enrollment was in the
Lands of local school boards.
Chief Justice Hudgins wrote that
the legislature "may do so without
Driving such local school boards
of any expressed or implied consti
’"tional powers of supervision."
The court also said the operation
of the placement act does not viol
late the U. S. Constitution in any
way.
M s. DeFebio's Views
T wo chief contentions were made
bv attorneys preparing Mrs. De
Febio's case: h that the act vio
’ntes Section 133 of the Virginia con
stitution by taking away the power
cf enrollment f’om local boards'
"nd i2> that, the act violates the
Fourteenth Amendment to the fed
eral constitution by seeking to per
petuate an unlawful system of
racially segregated public schools.
On those points the court held,
for the first., that Section 133. while
resting 'supervision in local hoards,
does no; define the powers an 1
duties in that supervision.
On the second point, it held that
the case did not involve broad ques
tions of racial discrimination: that
the immediate issue was whether
as a prerequisite to admission of
her sons. Mrs. DeFebio may be re
quired to execute the application
form.
The court said:
"There is nothing in such require
ment that violates any of the pe
titioner's -Mrs. DeFebioi constitu
tional or other legal rights. Indeed,
the information sought could have
been required by the school authori
ties without a specific act by the
General Assembly."
Company ‘G* Rated
Superior By IG;
Drill Awards Made
Company 'O'. National Guard
unit at Fanny tile. was rated su
perior, h i g h e s t Army valuation
given, during its recent annual
Federal Inspection, according to tlio
written report from Second Army
headquarters today.
The report detailed the findings
cf Lt. Co!, Kerniit R. Mason, Second
Army Inspector General's staff, who
conducted the inspection last month.
During the company's annual
competitive drill Tuesday night. Sgt.
Elwood C. Cox. of Farmville. won 1
the individual proficiency award.
Sgt. William J. Parham's squad was
chosen the best-performing drill
team.
In the Wylliesbuvg sergeant's!
squad were Specialists -John N.
Harrington, Jr., and Robert J.
Oertel and PFCs Clvde E Mahan
and Edward C. Parker.
Marksmanship badges for weap
ons firing last sum nor were also
awarded Tuesday. Eight Guardsmen
received 'expert' badges. These
were M Sgt. Lee O. Let)hart and
PEC Leroy F. Palmier. M-l rifle;
Sgt. Mac B. Seamans, pistol, and
Lenhart. M. Sgt. James B. Clark.
Sgt. Charles C. Rosser. Specialists
Thomas J. Metcalf, Robert S
Chaney and Henry C. Latham and
PIC Charles Womack, III. Brown
ing automatic rifle.
FHS P-TA To Med
Thursday Night
The Farmville High School P
TA meets tonight (Thursday ut
8 o'clock in the school auditorium.
Members of the school Senior Tix
Hi-V will present a Christmas
program under direction, of Mrs.
Hoiiie Fleetwood, group sponsor,
Tire association will have its
quarterly business meeting preced
ing tiie Christ mat program.
Split Rail Tumbles 39 Freight Cars Over
106-Foot Trestle; Damage Over A Million
»
A DANGLING RAIL. BROKEN TIES AND DEBRIS mark the
gr£ve of a 59-car freight (rain that derailed over the Cub Creek
bridge west of I’heitix at 1:25 a.m. Monday. The Norfolk-bound
lr;|in hit a split rail 10t» feet above Cub Creek, plunging 39 cars
into the creek. The biggest pileup was in the center, where tKe
trestle broke and where freight ears were telescoped together. In
the foreground is one of 13 corn ears which spilled over.
A DERRICK HIGH ABOVE BEGINS SALVAGE WORK from
(he west end of the trestle. Wheels plunged through the boxcar at
the right, which rested against the trestle. Cnderneath were more
piles of coal, more wheels and more wreckage. The million-dollar
wreck was the second for Virginian Railway in a year. In April, a
train hit a rock slide beyond Huddleston. The line’s eight-to-ten
trains a day are being re-routed over Norfolk and Western lines
from Abilene to Roanoke.
Christmas For Those Who Might Not
Have Any Is Holiday Plan Of Moose
Christmas for those who mishit
not otherwise have any Christmas
that, will be the aim of mem
bers of tiie Farmville Moose lodge
and th<' Women of the Moose
when they conduct their annual
Moosethon December If? (torn 12
noon to 5 p. m
On that date local entertainers
will donate their time foi a con
tinuous talent broadcast, and per
son- who wish to contribute that
day may call the radio station to
make arrangements to have their
contributions picked up by Moose
members.
Saturday December 14. there
will be a special show for young
sters at the Slate theater, begin
ning at 10 a m. Admission "ill be
one new toy or a used toy in good
condition The toys will gi) mto
ha kets for need.' ! ilu.be.. in (in;,
area
I a f year VO nr Pa) families "tar
recipients of the Christmas bos*;,
m the third year ol the program
Lodge members would like to
have nam ■ ■ or needy families for
this Christm is. Information show
ing the name of the family, ad
dress. number of children, their
ages and whether they are boys
or - iris, ane if .possible their sizes.
may.be s'-;it, to the Moose Lodge.
FanmTne Instructions should j>e
mciU'iec} ca tiie addfesij dSd how
to roar]]
Boxes will bo plan'd at Farm
villo Ilian School and Rico school
lor contributions of toys, clothinp
and food. Contributions i^lso may
be left at the Moose lodge on
I,o:lywood avenue.
Santa Claus will make a special
trip Christmas eve to deliver the
boxes from a shiny red fire truck.
5 Crewmen Narrowly Escape Death
A sjdit rail and a firt* 'U’.'t of T’henix this week caused
over a million dollars worth of damage to the Virginian
Railway line in Charlotte county.
Early Monday morning, an east hound freight train
struck a split mil on the Cub creek trestle, derailing 51
cars.
Tuesday, a fire caused by cutting torches broke out in
one of the damaged cars and spread through the wreck
age, consuming two cars and their contents before the fire
Santa Will Visit j
Farmville Friday j
Afternoon, Dec. 13
"It's official! Santa Claus will
be in Farntville FYiday after
noon. December 13.” said J M.
Watson early this morning. Wat
son. who is chairman of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce. Bring-Santa
to-Farmville committee, talked to
; Santa Claus late last night by long I
distance.
Santa said he had been as busy
as could be. getting ready for a big
Christmas this year. ''Tel! all of my
m.tie friends I will be in Farmville
next Friday. I'll arrive at the air
port a little after 3 p.m.
Santa continued, saying, "I hope
all the boys and girls enjoyed the
fme snow you had this week We.
of course, have had lots of snow
here at the North Pole and the
weather is just perfect.”
Stores mi Main Street will be open
until 'I a on. Friday night for the
convenience of Christmas shoppers.
Beginning next F'riday with the visit
of Santa Claus, stores will be open
until t* every night until Christmas.
The Farmville Javcees were de
lighted to hear that jolly old Saint
Nick would come to Farmville this
year. The Farmville FTre Depart
ment said their new aerial fire
uuck would meet Stanta at. the air
port to bring him to town. The
Farmville police immediately
offered to give him a police escort
.and said the downtown area in front
Gu tne court house would bo roped
off to accommodate the crowd.
Watson said he hoped to get a
band to play some music lor Santa,
wmle he passed out bags of goodies
to all the children and listened to
their requests for Christmas.
Dr. R. B. Hargrove, Jaycee Presi
dent. will be master of ceremonies
and Mayor W. C. Fitzpatrick will
(Continued on page 5)
Community Chest
Still $3,500
Short Of Goal
Community Chest contributions
ate still about $3,500 short of the
$16,500 goal according to the lat
est tabulations at. the Chest head
quarters.
Only two divisions have gone
over their goal. They are me town
residential division with Mrs. L E.
Andrews, chairman, which has
turned in $355 with a goal of
$525, and the colored division
with Mrs. Maida V. McKnight
chairman, which has contributed
$663.25 with p. goal of $600.
The special gift.-, section has
turned in $9,189.50 with its goal
$10 400
Mrs. B. S. Hamer.sly. executive
secretary, said she expected to re
ceive additional reports Friday
morning when she will be in the
office front 9-12.
Two county districts have not yet
reported. They are Buffalo dis
met with a goal of $350 and Leigh
district with a goal of $275. Lock
out and Hampden districts has
come close to their goals with
$296 out of $500 and $347 out of
$550 respectively.
Prospect district has turned m
$292 out of a goal ot $400. and
Farmville district has turned in
$14 L with a $300 goal
The employees division has con
tributed $1,616.64 which is about
si.000 short of its $2,600 goal.
Month's Estimate $20,650
Five Building Permits For November
Five permits for building con
struction and one for a house
moving operation comprise the
total of new work authorizations
secured here during November.
Tie- work was estimated in value
at $20,850
All of the construction »ill he
n Prince Edward county, the
town of Farmville having a blank
month so far as building {termite
are concerned.
One new home and a combina
tion store-dwelling are included in
the permits. The home permit for
construction in Prospect district
was secured by Flossie S. White.
The combination home-store work
nas authorized for Dorothea B
Black in Hampden District.
Farmville district waa involved
in two permits, one issued to Rob
ert, A. Smith Co., Inc., for a ware
house, the second to Janet K.
Vaughan for construction of a
bam.
E. W Karlov secured .1 permit *
for an addition in Lockett district-,
while the house-moving permit
was taken by Julian H Pric* for
work in Leigh District
While construction totals are
lagging over the record pace of
1956, the number of such permits
will exceed the total secured a
year ago. Prince Edward county
has already issued 82 permits,
higher thah any time in reccjit
years.
New construction for the year.!
through November, now totals
$S23,57a ,
men and five engines and other
apparatus from the Brooknenl and
Charlotte C. H. fire departments
brough the fire under control
seven hours later.
Tire firemen had to use bull
dozers and cutting torches to force
their way into burning cars The
fire started in a carload of !.>■
feed.
39 Cars Dunged Over
The 59-car train, en route to
Norfolk, passed through Brook
neal at 1:04 a m Monday. With
in 45 minutes, it had derailed,
plunged 39 cars into the Cub creek
bed. and denicks and other sal
vage equipment were oil their way
from Roanoke and Victoria.
Five men narrowly escaped
death in the smasliup. B E. Lov
em. of Roanoke, the engineer:
Dave Mattox. Jr., of Victoria, the
fir man. and W. C. Tucker, of
Victoria, the brakeman. were nd
in in the cab of the engine. In
h: caboose were conductor Alex
Munford and flagman Fd Daniels,
both of Victoria.
Lovern felt the split rail as the
■ nwine crossed it on the trestle,
and applied all emergency brak
n_ power. The train's speed ear
ned the two-diesel locomotive
units on across the trestle and
around a bend.
Head tars. Left on Truck
Six head cars were left standing
on the track, and the next 11 cars
derailed east of the trestle. Two
rear cars and the caboose stopped
an the west end of the torn tr estle.
The plunging freight cars rip
ped up the roils and ties, and two
spans of the bridge, one 60 feet,
lor.g, the other 90 feet lone, were
completely destroyed Approxi
mately 25 car lengths of track
were also a total loss.
Cars of salt, paint, motor oil.
Naval machinery, refrigerators,
auto parts, ammonia, meal, lum
ber. grading, butter, car wheels
and beer were among the lot
I’p To Knees In Corn
Thirteen cars of corn left up
to-knees-walking piles alongside
the embankments.
Twelve carloads of coal dyed the'
creek a murky black. A carload of
butter. 1 no.000 pounds of it. \al
u' d at $50,000. rested its end in
the cold water keeping Us ice froz
en. The butter car was one of
those destroyed in the fire.
Individual packages of coni
flakes were flung hundreds of feet,
from the trestle. A little rain, and
they were soggier than yesterday's
half finished breakfast.
Two cars loaded with cases of
beer were focal points for the
thousands of sightseers who in
vaded the area. One Charlotte
county youth was apprehended by
railroad detectives after he tried
to make off with a case. He was
lodged in the Charlotte C. H. jail,
l ie wreckage was closly guarded:
removal of any of the load is a
federal offense, since it comes un
der interstate-commerce jurisdic
tion.
Hamages Ink now n
No estimates were available of
the damage, but is is expected to
b<- well over a million dollars, in
cluding about. $250,000 to t
tr estle, and sizeable sums m cm -
zees and equipment.
Steel bridgemen. carpenters,
w Peking crews - 100 men in all
—' were rushed in from Roanoke,
and Victoria Monday to begin the
m'vaco and • repair operations,
Monday night, a road was bull -
dozed through the wreckage under
r! e tresfjr so that salvage trucks
could reach the freight cat
The lino carries no mail or pa -
mongers, and makes few stops be
tween Norfolk and Roanoki V.r
ainian district superintendent J.
P Strickland, of Victoria, estimat
ed that it well take at least a week
to clear the main line and put ;t
back in operation.
K. H. Paulett, 1*7,
Breaks Hip In Fall
H II Pauli'M i,s resting com
lo. tabi.v at fjouthsidc Community
Hospital!, where iti' was admitted
Tuesday after sustaining a brok« n
hip ill a. tall
With the 97-.vear-old retired
Parnaville business and civic leader
presently are his daughter. Mrs.
CKoffrey Creyke. and Mr. Crcyke.
if Washington. Mr. Paulett has
been making lie, homo witli them
iU tfeo capital city.