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VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 5 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 17. 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899
Meat Market Grade
Average Is Very Low
In Martin County
Ratings of Half of the Mar
kets Are Below Sev
enty Per Cent
Completing recently a survey of
the meat markets in this county, A.
W. Petty, District State Sanitarian,
and Charles A. Leonard, Martin
Sanitary Officer, found half of the
establishments with sanitary ratings
ranging below the State minimum
requirements However, in the fol
lowing report, Sanitarian Leonard
points out that the general rating
average of the twelve markets in
the county has been raised by 20
par cant since a preliminary survey
was made several months ago.
The report just filed in the office
of the county health department is
as follows:
As a result of a complete survey
by the State Board of Health and the
Martin County Health Department,
the first official meat market grades
in the county have been posted un
der the state meat market law. A
preliminary survey was made dur
ing the early fall at which time the
necessary improvements were dis
cussed with each market operator.
The present average of the twelye
grades posted is 69.5 per cent or
about 20 points higher than the pre
liminary average of the same mar
kets. Each market will be required
to meet all the requirements and
make at least 70 per cent.
The present grades are as follows:
City Market, Williamston, 94 0;
Everetts Grocery, Robersonville,
83.5; Robersonville-Mercantile, Rob
ersonville, 82; Johnson-Matthews,
Hamilton, 80; Johnson's, Hamilton,
74 Q.,...,...;.!. tsr;Hj n , ? 74. I I ? _
ft, aunnysiae, wiuiunsvon, /*, nir*
dy's, Everetts, 68; Cash Grocery, Ev
eretts, 64; W. V. Daniels, Oak City,
57; Sanitary, Robersonville, 54; Sex
ton's, Jamesville, 54; Yellow Front,
Parmele, 44
Markets making above 90 per
cent are given a blue Grade A cer
tificate, 80 per cent to 90 per cent
green B, and 70 to 80 per cent a red
grade C. Houiewives should always
patronize the higher grade markets
since the grade is derived from the
type of building and equipment and
the degree of sanitation or insanita
tion.
Markets rating in the sixties on
this inspection upon recognition of
Iheir efforts were given a short ex
tension of time in which to comply
after which they must make seven
ty or be closed as were the markets
making below sixty on this inspec
tion. Any person operating after be
ing closed without first meeting all
requirements and being approved,
is subject to prosecution, fine or im
priwwimamt
Most of the markets are making
?n earnest effort and all were to
better shape than before except the
Yellow Front Market in Parmele
which not only made no effort but
actually lowered its grade by 3 1-2
points. One of the closed markets
has already begun the necessary im
provements, hoping to be re-opened
next week.
In the future all markets will be
graded at least annually by the state
and monthly by the county sanitar
ian. ? -
Local Church To
Hold Institute
A "Learning (or Life Institute,"
the first to be held in the North
Carolina conference, will open Sun
day night at the Methodist church
under the leadership of Dr. S. A.
Maxwell. It will continue through
Wednesday night and close with the
special theme of this institute,
"Building Our Church in the Com
munity" is one of genuine interest
to our town. After the presentation
of the subject each night an open
forum period will give opportunity
for questions and discussion from
the floor.
Hie public is invited to all ses
sions of the institute. Its purpose is
to enable the church to fearlessly,
frankly, face its task through creat
ing a genuine democracy of infor
mation, obligation, inspiration, and
participation in the life of the
churches of our town.
?
Parents-Teachers Will
Hold Bridge Tourney
Plans have been perfected for the
holding of the annual parents-teach
ers bridge tournament in the Wo
man's Club tomorrow afternoon and
evening. The hours of play will be
three and eight o'clock. It is hoped
that a large number of persons in
terested in bridge will assist in the
association's work by participating
Limited Number Individual
Maps Available To Farmers
A limited number of individual
farm maps will be made available
without charge to Martin County
farmers by the office of the farm
agent during the next few days, ? it
was learned today from Chief
Clerk T. B. Slade. Any farmer in
terested in procuring a complete
map of his farm is directed to file
his request in the office of the agant.
as soon as possible.
"We will be able to prepare be
tween three and four hundred maps
for individual farmers during the
next few days," Mr. Slade said, and
those who file their requests im
mediately will be given first con
siderations.
The individual maps are betng
prepared from pictures taken in
an aerial survey made in most of
the county last year and year before
last. The maps show the individual
farm divisions, including exact acre
ages in feild crops and timber lands.
Field acreages for 1938 as reported
by the supervisors will be shown in
the maps which will prove of much
value to the farm owners.
The aerial survey for the entire
county has not been completed and
the individual maps are not yet
available to farmers in Griffins, Wil
liams and Jamesville Townships.
Farmers in other townships can
get a complete map merely for the
asking. As rapidly as the requests
are received, the maps will be drawn
and then sent to Washington for
printing. Some little time will be
required to handle the work which1
will be carried on as long as possi
ble. Those fanners intei rated in
getting maps of their farms are urg
ed to file their requests with the
county agent's office at once, for the
work will be limited this year.
Plans Completed For
President's Ball Here
CONTEST
Entering its second week, the
campaign for Farm Bureau
members in this county is gain
ing momentum. Unofficial re
ports indicate that the mem
bership team of Van G. Taylor
is forging ahead of Charlie Dan
iel's team, and that nearly three
hundred farmers have Joined
the organisation since the drive
got underway last Saturday a
week ago.
Members of the two teams are
to compare notes shortly and
make plans for a whirlwind
windup neat week. The winners
of the contest will be guests of
the losers at a big supper.
Mrs. IN. L. Hvinan
Dies In Sanatorium
Yesterday Morning
Funeral Service Will Be in
Oak City This
Afternoon
?
Mrs. Pauline Davenport Hyman,
greatly beloved young woman _oL
Oak City, died at Sanatorium yes
terday morning following an illness
of several months' duration. She
had been in ill health for some time
but her condition was much im
proved until last summer when shej
suffered a relapse and returned to i
the sanatorium for treatment.
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs Lu-|
ther J. Davenport, Mrs. Hyman was'
born in Hamilton about 20 years
ago. After spending her early child
hood there she moved with her par
ents to Oak City. About seven years
ago she was married to Mr. N Law
rence Hyman, of Oak City, and he,
with one son, Sidney Carrol Hy
man, four yean old, survives. She
also leaves three sisters, Misse Ma
deline Davenport, a teacher in the
Powellsville schools, and Irene
Davenport, of Oak City, and Mrs
Fred Barrett, also of Oak City, and
three brothers. Messn. Norman
Earl, William Luther and Ottis Dav
enport, and one half-brother, Mr.
Rudolph Whitley, of Roseboro.
Mrs. Hyman was greatly beloved
by a host of friends in this county.
She was a devoted wife and mother,
was a faithful religious worker in
Funeral services are being held at
the home in Oak City this afternoon
by Rev. J. M. Perry, Robersonville
minister. Interment will follow in
the new cemetery at Oak City.
State Council 01 Churches
Hold Annual Meeting
???
The annual meeting of the North
Carolina Council of Churchea will
convene in the Firat Presbyterian
church, of Durham, on January 17
19. Many of the outstanding relig
ious authorities of America will have
places on the program. North Caro
olina has a right to be proud that
it has such a council since it leads
most of the states in the nation in
the perfection of such a council.
Such a state set-up is recommend
ed from the last Edinburg confer
ence for it will function with the
World Council of Churches which is
being worked out in the greet coun
cil convening at Madras, India.
Rev. John L. Goff, of Williamston,
a member of the executive commit
tee from the Christian church, plans
to attend. 1
Ten-Cent Drive To
Get Underway The
List uf This Week
Nation To Support Drive
Against Infantile
Paralysis
?Plana?were?announced complete
today by Chairman Leslie T. Fow
den for advancing in this county the
nation-wide drive against infantile
paralysis. Extensive plans are being
formulated throughout the country
for raising hundreds of thousands
I of dollars to combat the dreaded
disease and bring succor to victims
in local communities everywhere.
While the main drive for funds
will center around the president's
birthday ball in the Wilhamsion
High School gymnasium on Friday,
January 27, the general public will
be asked to cooperate in the cam
paign by buying small buttons at
10 cents each. This county has been
given a quota of two thousand but
tons for sale> Chairman Fowden
stating today trjgt the various school
principals in the county had been
asked to sponsor the sale in their
respective localities.
In announcing tiie arrangements
for the birthday ball, Mr Fowden,
who is being assisted by Messrs. Asa
Crawford and J. Paul Simpson, said
that Paul Jones had been booked to
plav for the event, that tickets would
go on sale the latter part of this
week under the direction of the lo
cal Junior Woman's Club. The pres
ident's birthday anniversary falls
on January 31. but Mr. Fowden ex
plained that it would be impossible
to get an orchestra on that date, and
that he believed Friday, January 27,
would prove even more convenient
for the people of this county.
Last year, the committee for the
drive against infantile paralysis,
raised approximately $150 for the
fund. Half of the proceeds are held
at home for use in the fight against
I infantile paralysis or allied emer
gencies. Last year, most of the fund
was spent for the purchase of ser
um for several orphan children who
were bitten by a mad dog.
The presidential ball is not con
I fined to any one community, and
| people from all over this county and
adjoining territory are invited and
urged to participate in the drive
against ihlanllle paralysis. Most oL
the funds raised throughout the na
tion are used in advancing research
work and in maintaining the Roose
velt foundation in Georgia.
Work On Postoffice
Progresses Rapidly
With favorable weather prevail
ing during the past few weeks, work
on Williamston's new postoffice
building has progressed rapidly, Su
perintendent C. H. Riddle stating to
day that workmen are scheduled to
start laying brick next week. "If
favorable weather continues, we
plan to have a roof on the structure
within the next sixty days," Mr. Rid
dle was quoted as saying.
Working between thirty and forty
men at times during the past two
weeks, the contractors have com
pleted one of the most substantial
foundations ever laid for a structure
in this section. Hundreds of bags of
cement have been used in pouring
'the foundation wells and floor*.
First Snow In Two
Years Falls Here
Early Yesterday
Thunder and Lightning Ac
companies Three-inch
Snowfall
This section's first snow since
I January, 1937, fell here early yes
I terday morning. Measuring three
inches, the snow came as a surprise
"TO people thiuughout this section.
At ten o'clock Sunday night, rain,
hominy now, and a few flakes fell,
but about midnight the mixture
gave way to a light rain. Soon after
two o'clock yesterday morning an
electrical storm of short duration
was heard, and a short time later
the snow started falling thick and
fast. It was the first time since Feb
ruary, 1915, that an electrical storm
accompanied a snow, Mayor John L.
Hassell said yesterday. At daybreak
the snow had covered the ground
and during the next two hours a
heavy fall was reported.
Snowfalls have been reported in
adjoining territories in recent weeks
and while a few flakes fell here
during last month, the fall yester
day was the first to cover the ground
. since early in 1937.
The mercury, doing about face,
dropped from 70 degrees last Tues
day to 36 Sunday night. The drop
was gradual, however, and when lo
cal people retired Sunday night
they had no idea they would find
the earth covered by a white blan
ket the following morning.
After hanging in the lower forties
during much of yesterday, the mer
cury started climbing in the after
noon and today there is little sign ol
the snow left.
Following the fall, old-time resi
dents started offering their predic
tions, some stating that a good crop
year is in prospect for this section.
"I am not quite sure, hut it seems
as if the old folks used to look for
ward to a favorable crop season
when a snow was accompanied by
lightning and thunder," Mayor John
L. llassell said.
While general business was slow
ed down to some extent, the schools
of the county opened rm scheduie
yesterday morning. Road conditions
were not at all good following the
snow, but reports from the office
of the county board of education re
ported that all school busses made
their trips.
Breaking numbers fo wires down,
the snow storm interrupted the
communication systems of both the
telephone and telegraph during the
greater t>?ft of yesterday, and com
plete repairs had not been made to
the systems today.
Reports state that other sections
had a- larger snow than the one
here. Bethel reported a six-inch fall,
and at Rocky Mount there were ten
inchesT - ?
Third Of Million
For Roanoke River
The expenditure of a ?rd of a
million dollars for improving the
Roanoke River has been recom
mended by engineers to the Con
gress In their report, the engineers
claimed that approximately $351,
255,700 could be profitably expend
ed in tlie next- twelve months?on
rivers and harbors improvements
and for flood control throughout the
nation. The president's budget for
such work was placed at $72,000,000.
The report was sent to the rivers
and harbors committee for its use
in drafting the annual legislation
authorizing expenditures for water
way projects. Funds for carrying
out the work must be made avail
able T5y~arruppiupiialiun aeL
Proposed work on the Roanoke
includes a $323,000 project for dredg
ing channels between the Albemarle
Sound and the North Carolina Pulp
Mill in the lower part of this county
and between Hamilton" and Palmyra
landing, and the dredging of a cut
off channel two miles above Hamil
ton. The few remaining hundred dol
lars would be spent for clearing trees
and logs from the stream.
Another third of a million dollars
has been asked for dredging a chan
nel in the Tar River from Washing
ton to Hardee's Landing, near Green
ville.
The ever-present task of keeping
the Cape Fear dredged at and below
Wilmington is slated to get approx
imately $215,000.
School Masters' Club
To Entertain Teachers
?
The Martin County School Mas
ters' club will entertain the teach
ers of the county at an oyster roast
in the gymnasium here tomorrow
evening.
Martin County Farmers Applying
For Benefit Payments Under The
Soil Coservation Plan For 1938
Northerners Move Southward
To Spend the Winter Months
The flow of vacation traffic de
layed by the holidays and then by
the warm season during the early
part of\this month, is beginning to
increase southward as the winter
season begins to assert itself in the
North. Representing Massachusetts
possibly more than any other state,
autoists are moving through ' here
in large numbers daily, the estimates
ranging as high as 175 to 200.
A few of the travelers stop over
for lunch?a sandwich and a drink
hurriedly consumed ?- and several
gallons of gasoline for their mo
tors.
A sure harbinger of genuine busi
ness recovery is an improvement in
vacation traffic There's an old eco
nomic adage that when Mr and
i Mrs. America begin to spend vac a
| tion money, prosperity cannot be
I far behind. j
Such a trend has been reported]
j from Miami, Fla., where reports on|
! early season arrival of visitor* indi
cates a 10 per cent increase over last
year The visitor* will sumi
$27,000,000, it is estimated, compar-1
ed with $25,000,000 in the 1937-38
season, the previous peak. To pre
pare for this onrush Miami and the
metropolitan area spent $21,500,000
last year for building, including the
erection of 11 new hotels, 2,000 pri
vate homes, 46 apartment houses, a
huge ice skating rink, a midget auto
racing track, the metropolitan area's
third horse racing track and its ninth
golf course.
Local Boy Participates
In Air
Earns Small (lash
Prize, Free (>as
And Oil On Trip
Averages 110 Miles an Hour
On Homeward Run Last
Thursday
Driving his 40-horse power Tuy
lor Craft plane, Tennyson Ayers,
young man of this county, partiei
pa ted in the Miami air races last
week, earning a small cash award
and free gas and oil on the two-way
trip.
Leaving here about noon on Jan
uary 2 the young pilot picked up a
passenger in Washington and hop
ped to Jacksonville that afternoon
and continued to Miami the follow
ing day. Two other brief stops were
made for refueling the little ship.
Driving along the shoreline, Ay
era, the-son of Mr. and Mrs . Calvin
Ayers, of Hear Grass, flew low most
of the way to get the advantage of
a favorable tail wind. Fishermen
along the way toirk no chances when
they saw his ship coming and dart
ed for cover. The young man was a
little late in getting off and did not
join the fleet that converged on
Miami until he reached the Florida
lesort. There was little competition
in his plune class, but he was recog
nized and rated with star pilots from
all parts of the nation.
Starting off with the fleet on the
return trip, Ayers soon took the
lead away from the fifty-horse pow
er craft and sailed into Goldsboro
Wednesday for an overnight stop
He averaged 110 miles an hour with
the light ship and made about 25
miles to the gallon of gasoline.
The trip, greatly enjnyi'H i?y tho
young pilot, was without the slight
est accident.
Taking an examination by a gov
ernment inspector in Charlotte last
month, young Ayers now holds a
commercial license and one of the
highest ratings in the State. He took
his examination under J. G. Nolls,
government inspector who gave
Doug Corngan, the wrong-way flier,
his licpnse ??
Near Record Is Set
For Rainfall In '38
With one exception, the rainfall
in 1938 was the heaviest on record
at the weather station on Roanoke
River here, a review of the readings
by Hugh Spruill, bridge keeper, this
week shows.
Starting off with medium read
ings in the first three months, the
weather station reported an Increase
from two to seven inches in April.
Heavy rains continued through May,
June and July, reaching a top of al
most ten inches in July. Farmers re
call the wet season, well remember
ing how their crops drowned in
the deluge of rains that fell day af
ter day and week after week. Un
usually favorable at the beginning
the season later proved to be the
most disastrous in years.
Slightly over one inch of rain was
recorded along with the snow yes
terday.
FEW CASES
Five cases have been placed
on the civil docket for trial in
the superior court so far this
year as compared with thirteen
cases placed there during the
corresponding period in 1938.
All the cases are of minor im
portance, Clerk L. B. Wynne
said.
Three claim and delivery pa
pers were filed along with one
for a division in a land suit and
one for divorce.
4-11 (Hubs Of County
Effect ()r?i aiiization
For Current Year
Much Interest Is Shown in
Election of Club
Officers
The organization of the 4 11 clubs
in this county was perfected in
series of meetings held recently, J
]'. Woodard, assistant county agent,
stating that the boys and girls show
officers for the new year. *i think
they elected a very rapflhle group
as officers, and it is an honor for any
boy or girl to be elected ttrhead his
or her club," the assistant agent
added.
For the first time, the club boys
and girls elected historians tins
year to record and maintain records
of the activities of the various units
in the county.
Names of the new officers who
will serve until next year are, as
follows;
?Everetts: president, Mary Alice
' Cherry, vice president, Billie Clark;
! historian, Irene Williams; boys' sec
retary, Russell Wynne; girls' secre
i tary, Melvin McGowan.
I Robersonville high school, presi
dent, Krvin Dixon; vice president,
| Luc lie Cox; historian, Wilbur Ger
ald James; girls' secretary, Nellie
I Johnson, boys' secretary, Herbert
I Cullipher.
Robersonville elementary: presi
dent, Edith Roebuck; vice president,
Henry Winston; historian, Bobby
Watson, girls' secretary, Mattie
Whichard; boys' secretary, Dick
Green.
Williumston high: president, Bil
lie Clark; vice president, Reg Grif
fin; historian, Fabian Barnhill; girls'
secretary, Nina Bennett; boys' sec
retary, George W. Corey.
Williamston elementary: presi
dent, Slade Peele Revels; vice pres
ident, Millie Coltrain; girls' secre
tary, Lillian Maxwell, boys' secre
tary, David Perry.
Farm Life: president, Howell
Peele; vice president, Mary Man
ning; historian, Lola Smithwlck;
boys' secretary, Carlyle Manning.
Gainesville: president, El wood
Brown; vice president, Merced:
Ange; historian, Pearl Ange; boys'
secretary, Andrew Long; girls' sec
retary, Faye Swinson.
Bear Grass: president, Charlie
Harrison; vice president, Luther
Cratt; historian, Lester Ward; girls'
secretary, Elva Leggett; boys' secre
tary, Rufus Gurganus.
Indications Point To
$100,000 Payment In
Count\ This Year
Between 1,200 and 1,400 To
Participate in Benefit
Program
Machinery fur receiving applica
tions for benefit payments under
the 1938 soil conservation program
is being completed this week. T. B.
Slade, assistant to the county farm
agent, announcing today that the
first requests for the benefits would
be taken m Bear Grass and Cross
Roads Townships tomorrow.
Farmers are being notified when
to apply for the payments, Mr.
Slade stating that all applications
should be in the office of the agent
as soon as possible "The earlier the
applications are received, the earl
ier the payments can be expected,"
Mr. Slade explained. Applications
will be received in other townships
iho county -the luHor- pari of this
week, and the work will likely bfc
completed during the ^arly part ot
next week. All farmers, complying
with the soil conservation, program
in 1938 and who fail or find it in
convenient to ftpply- direct to the lo
cal committee when t^ey sit in the
various districts on specified?dates
will find iL necessary to file thcir
apphcation in the office of the coun
ty agent
Accurate figures are nut available
just now, but it is estimated that
had all Martin County farmers com
plied with the program in its en
tirety they would have received ap
proximately $240,000. An incom
plete survey indicates that the far
mers earned last year possibly a lit
tle in excess of $100,000
liusy making out the application
forms, the office of the agent has
not had time to make a study of the
figures, but it is generally believed
that at least 200 farmers forfeited
all claims to payments under the
benefit program When they planted
in excess of their 1038 quotas, leav
ing between 1,200 and 1,400 others
who will share to some extent in the
program benefits. Possibly us many
as 000 funnels complied with?rtTt?
program in its entirety and those
tanners are almost certain to re
ceive the bulk of the total payments
in the county.
Most farmers surrendered large
portions of their benefit payments
when l/icy planted tobacco-and pea
nuts in excess of their allotments.
The penalty for excess tobacco
plantings runs up to $85 an acre,
and although a. iar.mer planted only
one half acre of tobacco in excess
??f his allotments he will lose $42.50.
There is some talk in Congress now
about lowering this penalty, but li
isn't likely that any action toward
this end will be taken in time to af
fect the penalty schedule for the
1038 crop. A farmer planting pea
nuts in excess of his allotment will
be penalized at the rate of $12.50
ers planted in excess of their cotton
(Continued on page" six)
Warren Griffin In
Jail For Forgery
W:iiiiii f-r.ffi.. young CiIiff>n:l
Township negro, was juiled here on
Sunday for the alleged forgery of
two checks on January 7 Forging
the name of farmer John A. Hardi
son, of the Farm Life community,
Griffin is alleged to have cashed a
check for $11 95 at Perry's store and
one for $8 60 at Moore's grocery.
Griffin was recognized as a Farm
Life negro, but his name was not
known. Supplied with a description
of the man and the goods he bought,
Sheriff C. B. Roebuck picked up
the man's trail in Griffins Township
Sunday afternoon. Griffin's home
was searched and a pair of shoes
and a hat purchased from Mr. Per
ry's store were found hidden behind
the kitchen stove.
Griffin claimed he bought the
shoes from another store, but the
arresting officer learned -that that
store did not carry the brand of
shoes found hidden in Griffin's
kitchen.
Strongly denying the forgery,
Griffin will be given a preliminary
hearing here today, and the caaa
will be carried over to the superior
court for trial In March.