Advertiser* Will Find Our Col umn* a Latchkey to over 1,600 Home* of Martin County. THE ENTERPRISE Watch the Label on Your Paper, As It Carries the Date Your Subscription E a p i r e a VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 25 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina. Tuesday. March 28. 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899 Civil Court Nears End Of Term Here Just Before Noon > - Number of Cases Cleared Fium Docket By Con sentJudgment Clearing a large number of cases from the docket either by jury trial or consent judgment, the regulai two weeks term of Martin County Superior court was working toward adjournment shortly before noon to day. Spectators had just about de serted the courtroom as Judge C. E. Thompson worked to clear the schedule of activities. As a whole, the trial of civil cases has attracted very little attention from the general public. Monday morning, quite a Jew witnesses and spectators were present to paruci pate in or hear the case brought by Mrs. Sarah Taylor against T. Jones Taylor for alimony. The case waa settled by a consent judgment. Attorney Carter Studdert was ap pointed referee to hear the case of Bennett against Keel and report the findings to the court. The case of R. L?. Whitfield against r A. Taylor was settled by agree ment, the plaintiff being declared owner of a certain lot" in Williams ton and the defendant being allowed possession of the property until April 30. Augustus?Jurnes?m?hrs?'' """ against Lucy William was granted a valid lein on certain lands, the court appointing Attorneys Peel and llor ton commissioners to sell the land in question and satisfy the lien Settled by agreement, the case ol J. G. Staton against W 1 Skinner and Company was removed from the docket with the plaintiff recovering nothing but the cost The Standard Fertilizer Company was granted a judgment in the sum of $137 83 in its case against H Wmn. In the cast* of Bessie Mitchell against J S. Rhodes, the jury ruled that $5,853 was due and constituted liens against certain lands, the court appointing commissioners to sell, the property in question to satisfy the. liens. Suing for $2,000 for damages sus tained in an automobile accidimt m inmcu in the "poor house road" last January. Earl Bowen, by his next friend, was awarded $500 against Maggie Nich ols and the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Judge Thompson withheld his signature in the case of John F Alls brook against George Harris when it was evident that a Norfolk attor ney was practicing in this state, il was unofficially learned The plain tiff, the young son of Officer J H. AUsbrooks, was injured last Decern ber when he crashed with his bicy cle into a car driven by the defen dant Reput Is statr 11,si the uuur ance company had agreed to pay $275 in full settlement of the case. Several more cases were virtually settled by consent judgment as the court made ready do adjourn for the term. Musical Program Thursday Night ??? Paul Black and Hi* Carolina Ram blema, a group of well known mu sicians will present a program in the Williamston high school auditor ium next Thursday night at eight o'clock for the benefit of the high school baseball team. Among tne players who will t>e featured in the program are: Stub by and Bobby, sons of the west; Suit Case Simpson and His Wash board; Frankie Murden, wizard of the banjo. The Ramblers have played in a number of theatres and schools throughout the state and are now playing daily over tpe Rocky Mount broadcasting station. A fine evening of musical enter tainment is guaranteed A small ad mission fee will be charged Discontinue Story Hour At Library For A While ? Because few children have found time to attend, the regular story hour at the public library each Sat urday morning will be discontinued until after the current school is end ed in May. A definite date for in cluding the story hour period in the library schedule again will be an nounced later, Mrs. James C. Cooke said today. Resigns As Justice Of The Peace In Griffins Pleny Peel tendered his resigna tion to Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne last Saturday as justice of the peace for Orifflns Township, the resigna tion becoming effective as of that proposal to Kejuna Money For Roads Faces Opposition A proposal to appoint a commis sion for a study of claims advanced by several counties in the State to money expanded by them for?the -V by the governor toward the appoint ment of a commissioner. The bill is slated for con.sidcra tion by the appropriations group to construction of roads is meeting some strong opposition in the legis lature, Representative H. G. Horton explained during his week-end at home. Battered and kicked around in Raleigh, the proposal t6 have the governor appoint a disinterested party to make a study of the claims and report to the 1941 legislature gained a favorable vote at the hands of the judiciary committee. But the proposal received a hard slap when it was referred to the appropriations committee where ap proval for the survey cost is neces sary before any action can be taken day, and its success rests with TTTC members of that committee Repre sentative Horton explained that the bill had been written >and rewritten that there was an apparent opposi tion to its passage, but that as long as there was life there's hope Struggling to get through on Sat urday of this week, the legislature is undoing quite a few things in the last minute rush, reports declaring the current session is the most un usual and uneventful one htld in many years Very few bills affecting this county have been passed with the one empowering the county commissioners to call special school ? * ** pnnrlinQ in o??nntl' Construction Activity 9/ Reaches New Record MORE CHECKS The payments of soil conser vation contracts are now reach ing fairly aUwble proportions In the county, the offices of the farm agent announcing today that nearly $15,000 was receiv ed in the county during the past week-end, swelling the total re ceived to date to $07,195.78. This amount represents between one third and one-half of the total benefits expected by Martin farmers under the 1938 soil pro gram. Approximately 1,000 checks have been received for delivery to Martin farmers to date. Near ly 250 farmers are being advised by the mails today to call for their checks. Local Man Notes The building, savings and loan as sociations of North Carolina have) played a major part in the outstand ing record made by North Carolina I in the construction of homes during I 1938 as shown in the official figure^ | issued by the North Carolina Build ing and Loan league. During 1938, 5,400 construction loans were made to the amount of $9,611,000 which represented 42 1-2 per cent of the total of $22,500,000, mill'h was loaned by the building, savings and loan associations. It was I estimated by Wheeler Martiny?qL] Williamston, vice president of the league, that o?er $15,000,000 was added during 1938 to the taxable values of the local government units of North Carolina through the con struction, repair- and renovation of homes and buildings financed by' these institutions. Thousands of workers were employed and hun | dreds of business firms benefitted through the purchase of materials used in this new construction and repairs. The building, savings and loan associations have ample funds avail able for the annual spring repair and modernization drive. They are anticipating a building activity any where from ten to twenty-five per cent greater than last year, accord ing to Mr Martin. In addition to these activities in new construction, in repair and modernization, he stated, the build ing, savings and loan associations aided 2,812 persons to purchase their homes to the value of $4,445,000; and helped finance 2,452 other home purchases to the amount of $3,859, 000 through the recognized amorti zation lending plans of these home financing institutions. ABANDONED A proposed PWA project to release approximately 1124,000 for a general improvement pro gram here has been abandoned, an official of the regional office of the PWA organization at At lanta notifying local authorities a few days ago that it had been impomible to have the project included in the 1031 porgram. Given approval by the PWA authorities, the project now awaits action by congress. If ad ditional TWA funds are created by the national body then it is highly probable that the im provemeut program here will (St early recognition. Lain Is Reported In |Building Values For The Last F our \ ears -\5 Seventeen New Homes Built During Period At Cost Of Nearly $90,000 The march of progress in home and commercial construction here continued unabated during the past year, building reports released this week for the period by Building In spector G. P Hall showing a mark ed gain in values over those of a year ago. During 1938, seventeen new homes were constructed at a cost of $89, 700, and contracts were let for sev eral commercial buildings costing approximately $96,650 The largest single cuntract calling for an ex penditure of around $45,000 was let to Jones Brothers for the construe | Hon of the?town's new?|-"',-ffnc Even after deducting the postoffice contract from the list of new build ings, the town's building progrma shows a material gain over the con struct ion outlay for the year of 1937 Home construction during the last year period shows a slight de crease? $10,000? but the total out lay for commercial buildings was greatly increased over the 1937 fig ures. The total cost of new construction last year, according to the inspec tor's records, totaled $188,350. In ad dition to that amount, aiim-int im:>ie ly $12,385 was spent for repairs to tiomes and commercial structures The Tnspectoi s l epu11 -is- marked ? by the absence of a permit for the construction of a new filling station within the town limits It is about the first time that a new filling sta, tion was not constructed during the* course of a year since the horse and buggy left the streets and roads 20 years or more ago In 1937, twenty new homes were! constructed here at a cost of- ap proximately $100,000 Commercial building construction amounted to around $30,895, making a total of $130,895 spent for net construction during that year. In addition to that amount, nearly $19,000 was spent for repairs. In 1936, building contracGTTiere amounted to $125,150 New home construction during that period was valued at $58,000. During 1936 the average cost per home unit was 3, 200 as compared with an average of $4,800 last year The year ]935 was quite a busy one for new building,UkT?But Ing w. ,,,? that period 52 building permits were issued, quite a few of them being for the construction of tenant homes on East Main Street. The total build ing cost that year was plto-nd ^1 $117,090 Despite the heavy building pro gram during the past three years there continues a scarcity of homes and commercial buildings Rents continue at a fairly high level, and new enterprises desiring to locate here are unable to rent buildings at any figure No one can predict just what the future holds, but it is fairly certain that present conditions warrant a continued expansion in Williams ton's building program A goodly number of people think so anyway, and if present plans develop the vatur of building contracts m in-ia should equal that of 1938 Plans are already underway for the construe tion of several new homes, and con tracts are pending for the construc tion of several commercial buildings and ? hospital. Plan Completion Of Swimming Pool By First Of June Commissioners, in Special Meeting. Buy Lot Addition Mooting in special session last Saturday afternoon, the local town commissioners formulated plans for the completion of the municipal swimming pool on or about the first of next Juno Work on the project is being stopped up by the WPA forces, and the town authorities plan to supplement the work with the ail d it ion of private contractors and two or three skilled workmen The pool proper will be complet ed this week, and the plant for fil tering the water ls being shipped from Pennsylvania this week for in siallation?within the next two?nr three weeks WPA forces have the forms ready for pouring concrete for the filtering plant, and comple (ion of the project is now in sight. During their special session last Saturday, the commissioners pur chased a 13-foot addition from the owners of the property facing Watts j Street and a small plot of land lying just back of the county agricultur j al building The authorities plan to j sink a deep well on the plot addi 1 tion, but no contract for the well I has been lot A deed to the proper | ty was transferred yesterday for a j eonsiilerauon ol $750 To finance the sinking of a new well, the authorities propose to of fer approximately $15,000 in bonds on the open market A contract call ing for an expenditure of a little more than $14,000 for the deep well is pending with a Virginia machin ery firm, but there is some doubt if construction work will get under way before the middle or late sum mer. During the meantime, pumping operations will proceed on a day and night schedule during a great er part of each week Upon completion of the swimming pool, private contractors will coop t rate with the WPA forces to eon struct the bathhouses and showers at the pool No contract figures were advanced at the meeting Sat unlay ttospilal Suit Will Be Tried In County A $10,000 damage suit brought by Annie Mae Harris by her next j friend, II P. Williams, against the Tayloe Hospital, has been transfer red to this county for trial, the at torneys in the case having consent ed to allow the defense until April j 1 to complete its answer in the case The plaintiff, a resident of Pes quotank County, alleges the defen dants left a i lu cue cloth npnnge m un opening made for the removal oi | her appendix in May, that she continued' ill for about Hi months m l until action to recover damages was | started by her? Numerous papers have been filed j in the case which lias not yet b'ei scheduled for trial Personnel For Listing Taxes In County Named With the appointment of Gordon G Bailey, of Everetts, the person pel for listing taxes in the county next month was announced com plete today by S. 11. Grimes, county tax supervisor. Not certain that his health would permit him to handle the task, appointment of Mr. Bailey was delayed until last week-end? All the list-takers were reappoint ed and they are to meet with the county supervisor and other county authorities on April 5 to establish a list of values for entering personal property on the tax books. REQUEST Just before startinic an eight year prison sentence, Kandall llolloman, 35-year old Klizabeth City man, made an unusual re guest of .Sheriff ('. H. Koeburk here last week-end. The officer sent word to llolloman who was still in jail, asking if there was anything he could do or get for him before he (llolloman i left, and the prisoner scribbled the following request: One pair bold clippers, two 12-Inch hack saw blades, three sticks of 60-40 dynamite, one percussion cap, twelve inches of fuse and two 32-20 pistols. llolloman, convicted in the |?Beaufort Cpuoty cptirta for the theft of a large quantity of cig arettes, was caught in the storm stricken area the night a torna do ftruck in Bertie County. He was held in the eounty Jail for the Beaufort authorities. Construction Work Started on New $15,000 Hospital For The Town and Countv Here Yeslerdav TVgro School (?irl Is Fatally Injured In \uto Accident ??_ Rulet Lanier, T7 Years Old, Dies in Hospital Early Today ? Rulet Lanier, 17 year-old student in the Jural colored high school, died early today from injuries received in > automobile .undent aliout seven miles from here on the Jamesville Road last Friday afternoon Her right leg almost torn off. the girTT was said to have died of gas gan grene. When brought to the offices of Drs. Saunders and Brown here toi first-aid treatment, the girl was regarded in a critical condition and it was almost certain that she would lose the leg and possibly her life Returning home on one of the two school busses operating in the coun ty for colored high school pupils, the girl started across the road ami was struck by a car driven by John Madson, Lexington?man. who ~ brought her here for first-aid treat ment and had her removed to a Washington hospital a short time later The bumper of the car innngl ed the gu l's right leg and threw her to the top of the hood and later to the ground beside the road Investigating the accident. Pa trolman W S Hunt stated that the girl got off the bus and waited un til it moved down the road about fifty feet or more toward Jamesville before starting across the road. Two large trucks, traveling behind the bus, came to a stop and waited, but" the bus appaently blocked her sight m the other direction and she walk ed into the path of the car and was struck possibly before she saw it Mad son, rounding a curve, mam tains that he saw the school bus parked on the highway and started I hi ll' ' his en'- to :i stop, hilt that he sav. the bus moving otf and he increased his speed to about 40 miles an hour as the girl darted into the read and into the path of his ma chine The car driver was release I without bond, but Patrolman Hunt said at noon today that lie would b called back here the la.ttei part of this week for a formal hearing No charges have been brought against him at this time, however. The accident victim, one of a" number of colored children in the Jamesville Williams Township sec i tion attending the local high school. , j was the daughter of Octavious and j I Emma Lanier She was making her ! in Williams Township It could not In- learned definitely. but it is believed she is the frist col ored school child in the State to lose her life while going from a school bus to her home Farmers To Meet Here On April 7 1 1 Patrons of the Martin FCX Ser-j i vice, along with Martin County i members of the North Carolina Cot ( ton Growers Cooperative Associa tion will gather in the high school j t auditorium here Friday evening, I April 7 at seven o clock lor then j ; annual meeting, F H Stephenson, i manager of the Martin FCX Ser ( viie, announced today The principal speaker of the meet ing will be M G. Mann, general manager of the cotton association and the State-wide FCX, who will glV'e a l'epon on ihe past year s ac tivities of both organizations Mr Mann will also discuss the outlook for cotton prices and vital legisla tion now pending in congress. One of the highlights of the meet J ing will be the entertainment to be provided by Martin County 4 II club boys and girls and Young Tar Heel farmers. This entertainment will consist of music, playlets, skits, and demonstrations, and valuable prizes will be awarded to the stu dents putting on the best entertain ment The audience will serve as judge ?? New Books Available At Library On Friday Everyone who is interested in leading new books is cordially in vited to be present at a short mect ing to be held in the public library, Friday evening, March 31, at eight o'clock. The major purpose of the session will be to organize a book club for the library. WARRANTS Orders were issued by the county health department through the office of the sher iff here yesterday directing at Least seven persons to report ei ther to private physicians or the county health authorities for treatment in the venereal dis ease clinics. Most of the war rants were drawn against peo pie residing in Williamston, but orders are being prepared for quiie a number in other sections. County health authorities have exercised every means pos sible to have victims of social diseases to report to the clinics without compulsion, but it is now apparent that the success of the drive to bring the disease curse under control will depend to a large extent upon the coop eration of the sheriff and the courts in accordance with State laws. Native (M Berlie Passes In ('omitv Charlie Million, aged farmer and i native of Bertie, died in the Par nele.community of this county last Friday evening at H 30 o'clock fol owing a stroke of paralysis Almost 7t> years of age, Mr Minton, a re lired farmer, had been in declining iealth for three years and was eon ''mod to Ins bed during three weeks rrior to his death The son of the lute James and Margaret Modhn Mmton, lie was >nin in Bgrtie, moving to this ebun y and locating in the Parmele sec ion when a young boy A hard Anikitig man, Mr Minton pure has i'tj ?md operated his small farm nostly through his own efforts He was a loyal member of the Metho ? lunch?tn Pai nn It;?rmTt had many friends in hi adopted eom-j n unity. Beside: Ins widow, he is survived y two children, Mrs Minnie White urst, of Parmele. and J W Mmton if Bethel, and a half sister, Mrs lame Lynch; of Petersburg He al (i leaves nine grandchildren am luce great:grandchildren Funeral services wore conductc n the Parmele Methodist churcl u'st Saturday afternoon at 3:3( ?'( lock by Di Maynard Fletcher, o Washington, assisted by Rev. M Y x lf, Bethel Methodist minister. In < rment was in the Bethel cemetery Debaters To Meet Wind sor Tlnirsd av As a preliminary to the triungu ar debates which will be held in Scotland Neck, Washington and Villiamston on Friday morning of bis week, affirmative and negativ* earns of Williamston high school | vi 11 go to Windsor Thursday after ioou at 3:30 t