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VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 36 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, May S, 1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
BOARD PLANS TO
REFUND $84,500.00
OF TOWN'S BONDS
Authorities In Meet Last
Night Sympathsize with
Bootblack Waifs
Meeting in regular session here
last evening, Williamston'i commis
aioners completed arrangements to
refund approximately $84,500 of its
bonded debt, the bonds maturing
between now and the year 1038
Carrying a clause making it possible
for the authorities to call them in
at any time, the bonds will be of
fered tor sale probably within the
next 30 days, (he commissioners ex
plaining in their discussion of the
refunding action that the debW of
the town will not be increased. It
is generally believed that the bonds
can be handled to a decided advan
tage to the town; that is, it is pos
sible that through the refunding
program a lower interest rate can
be had.
Approximately two-thirds of the
bonds to be tefunded were issued
in 1020 or years prior to that time,
about $45,000 having been floated
in 1010 to finance the town's water,
sewer and light program. A very
small percentage of the debt to be
handled in the refunding program
was contracted after 1023. Com
plete facts in the financing program
and the several issues will be made
public in accordance with law the
latter part of this week, it was stat
ed by Robert L. Coburn, town at
torney.
Aside from the refunding pro
gram, they discussed the vexing
problem created by small colored
boys who block, or partially block,
the sidewalks on Saturdays with
their shoe shine outfits. The com
missioners reckoned in sympathy
with the waifs, and passed the com
plaints by without action.
The proposed location here of a
large industry was discussed at
length, the commissioners going on
record to do everything in their
power to promote the project.
? i?
Postal Receipts at
Local Office Show
Drop Last Quarter
Unfavorable Weather And
Bad Road Conditions
Cause for Loss
For the flrtt time in a number of
yean, the local post office reported
a decrease in its revenue. During
the first quarter of this year stamp
sales decreased from $4,069.81 in
1938 to $3,970.90. The slight de
crease, $98.91, was readily explained
by Postmaster Pete Fowden, when
he said that everybody remembers
the weather conditions and bad
roads during that period. "Why,
some business Arms reported de
creases as great as 80 per cent of
normal business, and when we lost
no more than about $33 monthly
on an average during the Arst quar
ter, we think we are doing mighty,
mighty well," the postmaster said.
Hie Arst quarter money orders
this year were $38,438.08, or about
$1,803.49 leas than they were in the
Arst quarter of 1938. Probably the
money order business decrease
would have been much larger had
people In the rural centers been
able to travel to and from town.
Present indications point to an
increase this month over April a
year ago.
?
Farm Life Honor
Roll, Sixth Month
Thirty-Ave names appear on the
Farm Life honor roll for the sixth
month recently ended, as follows:
First grade: Oeorge Griffin, Jr.,
Nathan Roberton, Mary Dean Har
dison, Melba Manning, Lorraine
Smithwick, Susie Griffin Manning.
Second grade: Margaret Manning,
Margaret Roberson, Dorothy Rae
Corey, Mary Louise Gurkin, Trulah
Roberson, Elgarie Mannfiig, Ken
neth Glass, Henry Roberson, A. L.
Whitley.
Third grade: TiUie Gray Griffin,
Thelma Hardiaon, Cairo Lilley.
Fourth grade: Noah Roberson,
Hazel Hardiaon, Georgie Dean Rob
erson, Dorothy Roberson, Elsie B.
Lilley*
Fifth grade. Delia Lee Lilley,
Martha Atha Roberson, B. F. Lilley.
Sith grade: Lata Smithwick.
Seventh grade: Ida Mae Corey.
Eighth grade: Evan Griffin, Bet
tie Louise Lilley.
Ninth grade: Ruth Lilley, Sarah
Gotsingar.
Tenth grade: Annie Getsinger,
Thennon Griffin, Daniel Taylor
Lilley.
Half County Farmers Sign
Up With New Soil Program
With approximately SO per cent
of the farmers already pledgeu in
this ccunty to pariicipn'e in the
government's soil conservation pro
gram, the sign-up campaign was
shifted from the several districts to
the county courthouse today, where
it is believed that at least 20 or 2S
per cent more of the growers will
execute work sheets.
Reports from the courthouse in
dicate that some districts are well
advanced in the work, while the
lowest is around 30 per cent, giving
an average participation by about
one-half the farmers in the county.
No date for closing the campaign
has been mentioned, but there is
some doubt as to whether farmers
will be allowed to participate should
they learn late in the season that
blue mold or other causes have de
creased their plantings.
The work sheets are being han
dled in the office of the county
agent, and this morning farmers
were reporting in fairly large num
bers to participate in the soil con
servation program, it was stated.
Saturday Is Last Day
To File for Primary
BLUE MOLD
The wholesale transplanting
of the tobacco crop planned in
Nthii county this week has been
delayed, fanners explaining
that blue mold Is wrecking
their plant beds and slowing
up the work. While many far
mers believe the blue mold will
only delay transplanting, others
questioned later, are beginning
to fear that there will be a
shortage of plants In some sec
tions of this county. A few beds
have been killed in their en
tirety, It was learned, and It Is
feared that the possible spread
of the disease will prove more
disastrous than many first ex
pected.
Farmers are said to be push
ing the transplanting work in
those sections where the blue
mold damage b'not yet serious.
Local Colored Man
Gets Two Years lor
Hit and Run Driving
Walter. Fisher Sentenced in
Bertie Superior Court
This Morning
Walter Fisher, young Williamston
negro, was sentenced to two years
in prison this morning in Bertie
County Superior Court following
his conviction yesterday afternoon
in the case charging him with hit
and-run driving and an assault with
a deadly weapon. Driving a truck
and trailer, Fisher crashed into a
Ford car from Norfolk, seriously in
juring Howard Stone, young Nor
folk man, between here and Wind
sor the first of last March. Stone
lost the sight of his right eye and
hearing in his left ear. His face
was badly mangled.
Following the wreck, Fisher con-|
tinued on to Williamston and was
arrested a short while later by Pa
trolman Hunt.
The case charging Elisha Rascoe,
Bertie negro, with manslaughter, as
a result of the death of Vance Bry
ant, Williamston colored man, had
not been called in the Bertei court
at noon today. Bryant was thrown
from a truck and fatally injured on
the river fill the 18th of last month. I
Small Catches at
County Fisheries
After reporting large catches dur
ing most of last week, fisheries on
the Roanoke were said to be meet
ting with only fair success in their
operations today. The plants at
Plymouth were said to be closed
temporarily, and the Camp Point
fishery caught less thsn 10,000 fish
yesterday. The seine at Jamesville
reported fair catches yesterday, but
they were considerably below the
average, it was said. Rock are be
ing taken in large numbers,, how
ever, according to information re
ceived hire.
No date for closing the fisheries
has been announced, but operations
are likely to continue only a short
time unless the catches increase in
size, it is believed.
Locals Divide Two-game
Schedule Here Last Week
Williamston's high acljool baseball
team divided a two-game schedule
last week, losing to Greenville, 7 to
0, on Tuesday and defeating Wil
son, 5 to 1, on Friday.
In the first game, Summerlin held
the visitors to ? hits, but his team
mates overflowed with errors to aid
the littlb Oreeniee. Friday, the lo
cals hit Smith for 10 safe blows,
while Cooke allowed the Wilson
lads ( hits. Cone caught both games
Only One Contest in
County Assured So
Far; Expect Others
C. Abram Robersjpn Files |
For Commissioner; V. G.
Taylor Not To Run
With candidates enough to go
around and one extra, the political
situation in this county is now fast
lining up for the June 6 primary
and a _few days in advance of the
closing' time for filing with the
county board of elections next Sat
urday. Candidates for the major
offices .in the county had already
filed prior to this week, and yester
day the Robersonville-Cross Roads
district advanced its man. The only
contest now assured is in the Wil
liamston-Jamesville district, where
Messrs. Joshua L. Coltrain, of Wil
liams, and C. C. Fleming, of James
ville, are in the race for reelection,
giving the people of that district
quite a task in the selection of a
commissioner, for both men have
splendid records as members of the
board and each is popular in the
two townships.
C. Abram Roberson, prominent
county citizen and successful farmer
living near Robersonville, an
nounced his candidacy yesterday,
Commissioner V. C. Taylor, of Cross
Roads, withdrawing from the race
to forestall a contest in the Rober
sonville-Cross Roads contest.
Opposition has been unofficially
mentioned for at least one of the
other offices in the county, but no
developments have materialized so
far, it was reliably learned today.
Activities in other political fields
are continuing to run hot, with Mc
Donald apparently still in the lead
for guvernor and Josiah William
Bailey still cocksure of his renomi
nation to the United States Senate
As the primary date approaches, the
candidates are seen in greater num
bers and more frequently. Only
yesterday, Messrs. Clyde Hoey was
here a few minutes and Dick Foun
tain, candidate for the U. S. Senate
against Bailey, stopped by to greet
informally people he chanced to
iseet. Mr. Fountain stated he was
very well pleased with his campaign
so far, and up Raleigh way the fore
casters say he will make a good
race. Mr. Hoey continued to Wind
sor, where he made a speech last
ing an hour and 45 minutes and
which is claimed to have annexed
new followers.
Last week David L. Strain, of
Durham, and William H. Griffin, of
Chapel Hill, were here in the in
terest of thiir candidacies for a seat
in the U. S Senate, but they made
no public addresses, and they are
| little known to the people of this
immediate section.
I Probation Officer To Start
Work in County Monday
Miss Margaret Owens, recently
appointed probation officer for this
county, is expected to report here
for work next Monday from her
ptome in Charlotte, it was learned
today. Miss Owens has had several
years experience in handling delin
quent youths, and comes her^at the
expense of the Federal government.
This county is one of a few in the
state to get this service, and with
few exceptions is one where the
work la most needed.
The new officer will have her
headquarters in the City Hall, it is
planned.
j ?
Revival Underway Near
Here at Bethany Church
Rev. R. L. Lawrence, of Elizabeth
I City, la conducting a seriaa of re
vival services In the Bethany Pen
I tecoetal Holiness church near here
this weak. The public la cordially
| Invited to hear him.
/
BEAR GRASS TO
GIVE FRANCHISE
TO POWER FIRM
Definite Route Line Will
Follow Has Not Been
Definitely Decided
Plans tor electrifiying the town
of Bear Grass and homes along a
route for the line to be determined
later are going forward steadily but
slowly. The project will be neces
sarily delayed until some time in
June or until the town of Bear
Grass grants the power company
a franchies. The law requires that
the franchise be granted only at a
regular meeting of the town of
ficials and not until it has been
passed on a second reading. The
bill will pass, no doubt, on its first
reading next Monday night when
the officials are to meet. Further
action on granting the franchise un
til June when the board plans to
meet in regular session and pass
the bill on its second reading. Un
til then no action will be taken to
construct the line, delaying service
until the first or early part of July,
it is understood.
During the meantime, property
owners in that section are planning
to hold a meeting to promote an ex
tension of the line from Bear Grass
to Corey's Cross Roads, and prob
ably to other sections. The meet
ing will be held some time next
week.
At a meeting in Bear Grass last
evening, property owners in the
town signed contracts guaranteeing
the power company a certain a
mount of revenue each month.
Easement have been procured
from a majority of the property
owners for the line from a point
near Everetts to Bear Grass over
what is known as the Bailey road
Home owners along that route are
said to be more interested in the
project, and it is believed that that
route will be used for the line.
However, definite plans have not
been completed for the construction
of the line, but it is certain that
the town of Bear Grass will have
available light and power by the
early part of July over one route or
the other.
Seniors Take Trip
To Nation (Capital
Twenty-seven members of the
graduating class of the Williamston
High School left by bus early this
morning for a three-days vocational
tour of the nation's capital. They
will return Thursday night. The
party will visit points of interest in
and around Washington under the
direction of Paul T. Ricks, of East
ern Carolina Teachers' Colelge. Miss
Imogene Kiddick, teacher, and Rev.
J. H. Smith accompanied the Wil
liamston party.
Seniors making the trip are: Ed
na Ballard, Thelma Burroughs, Bol
ton Cowen, Frances ? Cox, Marie
Griffin, Ruby Harrison, Allie Har
rison, Jessie Mae Holloman, Chris
tine Jankins, Marjorie Lindsley,
Kathleen Price, Mamie C. Taylor,
Jean Watts, Ixrrene Weaver, Carrie
Williams, Tom Barnhill, Howard
Cone, Lois Cullipher, Milton James,
Ben Manning, J. L. Mobley, Clay
ton Moore, John Pope, Clayton Rev
els, Oswald Stalls, Harry Taylor,
James Williams.
o
Skewarkee Masons To Hold
Meeting at 7:30 Tonight
S. H. Grimes, master, this morn
ing announced there would be a
special meeting of the local Masonic
lodge tonight (Tuesday) in the lodge
hall tonight at 7:80. Work in the
first degree. All members and vis
iting Masons are invited and urged
to attend.
HEALTH REPORT
Despite a slight flare up of
pneumonia during the period,
Martin County's health record
for the past month was consid
ered unusually good. Only three
contagious diseases?diphtheria,
chlckenpos, and whooping cough
?were reported to the county
health office. Five cases of diph
theria and one whooping cough
ease were reported In William
ston Township, and one chicken
pox case in Robersonvllle.
The health office Is making
plans for a county-wide anti
typhoid campaign some time
next month. Complete details
will be announced later. A very
successful campaign against ty
phoid was conducted in this
county three years ago this sum
mer. Slate health records show
that Martin was ana of few
counties In the state last year
having no typhoid deaths and
very few eases of the fever.
County Board Decides To Use
Liquor Profit To Reduce Rate;
Vote for Agriculture Building
FLORIDA EINROLLEES IN CCC MAKE
UP COMPANY NOW AT WORK ON BIG
TIMBER TRACT IN THIS SECTION
Believe 10 Per Cent
Reduction Can Be
Effected in Tax Rate
Building 2 Fire Towers, lit'
Miles Telephone Lines,
86 Miles of Trails
At work in a 50,000-acre tract of
pocosinal timberland in northeast
ern Beaufort County and southeast
ern Martin County, the Florida en
rollees who man CCC Camp P-67
company 3403, should feel very'
much at home. The area is not un
like many sections of their native
state.
Full schedule of operations for
fjSJp ? began on Au*ust
if,, fhe assignment sponsored
jointly by the North Carolina De
partment of Conservation and De
velopment and the U. S. Forest
Service consisted of the construc
tion of two fire towers and two
trailer sheds, 11 miles of telephone
lines and 86 miles of truck trails
At the present time all work is pro
gressing at the scheduled rate of
speed.
The 50,00 acre J. & W. tract of
'"'laVi lles as an unbroken whole
In 1921 an attempt was made lo con
vert some of the land into farms by
digging drainage canals. The effort
was abandoned, however, and at
present there are no cultivated sec
tions within the area.
,the that the timber
ha.i been largely cut over, there is
M ?ia"Uble Value the
and today. Forest fires that began
n this vast tract were allowed to
burn themselves out because of the
fact that it was impossible to get
men and equipment to the scene of
file. An almost impenetrable
mass in many sections has been
made by burned and fallen timber
Investigations have revealed that
the interior of the timber tract is
from 10 to 15 feet higher than the
edge, making it possible to drain
some of the pocosin. One of the
projects included in the work pro
gram of Camp P-67 consists of build
ng nine miles of truck trails from
the spoil wasjed on the bank of the
canal excavated in 1921
This tract will offer an excellent
location for timber growth, once the
menace of Are eliminated The
soil IS suitable for rapid growth, and
in every part of the entire urea
where there has been no Are for
several years there is growing at the
t~,t'Tb,,r,,auii ~
trees. In the barren areas wl.ere
all trees have been destroyed by
fires the ground surface is covered
with fallen trees-evidence of the
fact thai these areas have in the
past sustained tree growth. With
a well designed and constructed
system of truck trails to prove easy
loZI a"' "gh,i"g and strolling
forest Ares, this entire tract should
completely reforested within a
very short span of years
The people of Beaufort County
especially realize the value of the
work being done by Camp P-67 for
DhsM6,' T " haS been
plight to have to watch Ares run
unchecked through these forests due
to the inability to reach the con
flagrations. Only recently a call
was received for men to assist in
fighting a Are in an adjoining and
cooperating county. It was neces
sary for the men to walk a distance
of four miles after leaving the
trucks in order to reach the Are
The Using Service of Camp P-67
has received exceptionally Ane co
operation from the army officer, in
charge of the homing, health, rec
reation, clothing and discipline of
the men; and from the enrollees
There is little doubt in the mind,
of the people living in Beaufort and
Martin Counties that the work be
ing carried on by this camp will re
sult in great good to the people as
a whole. The beneAts that will come
to the timberland by reforestation
and protection will at some future
date come to the citizens of this
area.
Volunteer Firemen Called
To Critcher Home Monday
?
Fire, starting from an oil stove,
burned a small place in the kitchen
Aoor and smoked the home of Mr
and Mrs. Titus Critcher on Smith
wick Street here yesterday at 1.35.
Volunteer Aremen called to the
scene smothered the Are with wet
towels and no connections with the
water lines were necessary
No estimate of the damage could
be had, but it'Is almost certain that
the inside of the home will have to
be repainted in its entirety.
DOG CLINICS
*
Martin County's scheduled
anti-rabies campaign was
brought to a close last Saturday,
Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, heading
the movement, stating today
that there were a few dogs yet
to be rounded up and vaccinat
ed. No effort will be made to
round up the dogs, however, the
officer explaining that warrants
will be issued (or the owners'
arrests. Several of the warrants
are being served today, it was
learned.
While no owners are said to
have refused to have their dogs
vaccinated, about SO or 75 have
Ignored the law requiring the
vaccination or destruction of
dogs.
No record of the number vac
cinated is available Just now,
but it is believed more than
2,000 dogs have been immun
ised.
Jamesville Boys Win
In Stock Judging
Contest Last Week
Three Out of Five Contests
Won by Members Of
Jamesville Class
In the eastern North Carolina
livestock judging contest held at
Washington, N. C. last Saturday,
with 47 boys participating from a
bout 20 F. F. A. chapters, the James
ville trio of Future Farmer judges
did a very creditable job. Out of
the first five places, the Jamesville
judges were awarded second, fourth
and fifth places.
The standing of the first five con
testants follows: First place, Edward
Pritchard, of the Central chapter in
Pasquotank County, 275.8 points
second place: Joseph Holliday, o!
the Jamesville chapter in Martin
County, 274 5 points; third, Lloyii
Nixon, of the Perquimans Count>
High School chapter, 270 points
fourth, Edward Lee Martin, of the
Jamesville chapter in Martin Coun
ty, 261.5 points; fifth place?, Thomas
Holliday, of Jamesville, with a score
of 260.6 points.
The three highest scorers in this
contest will go to the state contest
to be held in Kaleigh at State Col
lege during the first week of July
The fourth highest scorer will serve
as alternate.
At the Washington contest, dairj
cows, dairy heifers and Uuroc-Jer
sey hogs were judged. The contesi
was held on the Mayo dairy farm
located on the Washington-Aurora
highway and was conducted by Mr
N. B. Chestnutt, district supervisor
The Jamesville F. F. A. judge:
were accompanied by their coach
Mr. K. C. Jordan, who is teacher oi
vocational agriculture in the James
ville school.
Parent-Teacher Group Is
Sponsoring Bridge Partie>
The Woman's Club is sponsoring
two benefit bridge parties for tin
Williamston Parent-Teacher Asso
ciation on Wednesday, May 6. Th<
parties will be held in the Woman':
Club building at 3:30 in the after
noon and at 8:30 in the evening
Those interested in bridge are urgec
to attend either of these parties
Players are being asked to make u|
their tables and bring their cards
since progressive bridge will not bi
played Three prizes will be awari
ed at each party. Proceeds from thi
sale of tickets will be used to pur
chase books for the school libraries
Bitten By Snake, Young
Man Recovering Nov
Harry Marjin, young Jamesvilli
man, bitten by a snake while pad
dling a boat in the Roanoke a
Jamesville last Thursday, is report
ed much better today in a Wash
ington hospital, where he was car
ried soon after he was attacked
Two of his Angers were operates
on, and he Is expected to recove
and return home shortly.
The poison caused the youni
man's hand to swell badly, .
County Tax Sales Deferred
By Board In Regular
Session Monday
The Martin County Commission
ers, in session Monday, decided two
problems, heard appeals for relief,
and listened to discussions on other
subjects that lasted well into the
evening.
The first action of the board was
to direct the use of profits from the
sale of legal liquor. Commissioner
Coltrain made a motion directing
the profits be used to curtail the tax
rate, the motion receiving the sup
port of the four commissioners pres
ent. Approximately $2,000 has
been turned over to the county gen
eral fund in liquor profit^ the con
trol board reserving about $15,000
to pay for liquor stocks and for use
in discounting bills. It was not es
timated just how much the liquor
income will decrease taxes, but it is
believed by some that a reduction
of about 10 per cent, or probably
more, can be effected in the rate.
After a hectic period in which
the proposed agricultural building
project hung in the balance, the
commissioners late in the evening
finally favored the building The
project had been turned down twice
but each time the action was recon
sidered and by the "skin of its
teeth" the measure received support
of three commissioners at the last
moment.
Last Thursday a week ago, the
WPA authorities rejected the proj
ect because the building was to be
an addition to the courthouse. Un
able to get a lot for less than $2,000,
the county commissioners consid
ered the matter closed. A few hours
later, a site was offered for $1,800,
and the project was reconsidered,
the W^A authorities giving its ap
proval ami started arrangements for
constructing the building. At their
regular meeting Monday, the com
missioners put their heads together
and decided to throw the whole mat
ter out the window. They did. Lat
er in the day, they were asked to
reconsider the project, and, after de
liberating at length the four com
missioners present voted two for
and two against the project, with
Commissioners Taylor and Perry
against and Pope and Coltrain for
the building. Automatically the
question was saddled on Commis
sioner Fleming, who was detained
at his home by business. Messrs.
Pope, Perry and Coltrain, at the di
rection of the board, carried the
matter in person to Mr. Fleming,
who said, "Gentlemen, you have
just about knocked me olf rpy
when they explained their mission.
Asked for a little-time to consid
er the matter, the committee re
turned to Williamston and Mr.
Fleming called about an hour later
and explained that since they had
gone as far as they had he was in
favor uf going the rest of the way.
Contracts were formally signed and
the last obstacle in the way of the
$10,000 building was removed.
The site costs $1,800, and the coun
ty will be expected to pay the
skilled labor cost of about $1,200,
with the possibility that it might
, have to hire semi-skilled labor if
* none is available on the relief rolls
at the time. The county may also
find it necessary to install a heat
ing system, if the present one will
not handle the added requirements,
pushing the cost to approximately
$4,500 Arguments for the building
were based on the fact that an ex
tensive agricultural program is cer
tain to continue, that additional of
fice space is necessary if the vari
ous federal agencies are to continue
their operations in the county.
Tax sales, scheduled the first
Monday in next month, were de
ferred.
Handling appeals for relief, the
commissioners relieved D. E. Bunt
ing, war veteran, of poll tax and
granted Frank Jenkins $4 and Mary
Williams $2 a month.
?
Liquor Control Board In
Q&feting Monday Night
Martin County's liquor control
board met Monday evening in the
office of Chairman V. J. Spivey,
Williamston, with Messn. Spivey,
Jesse F. Crisp and Irving Smith
present.
Current matters were discussed,
and monthly bills were inspected
for payment