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Paper, Aa It Carriea the Date
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Home* of Martin County.
VOLUME XLIII?NUMBER 15 ? Killiamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, February 20, 19 W. ESTABLISHED 1899
Lives Of Several
Are Threatened
By Drunken Negro
Danger Averted When Mother
Of Man Grabs Gun from
His Hands
The lives of several persons includ
ing that of Sheriff C B. Roebuck
???<? ife'eatened last Friday after
noon when Isaac Willis, colored man
trcs^assee on the premises of Mr. and
Mrs. Philmore Modlin, near James
ville. No shots were fired, but Wil
lis, said to have been in a drunken
condition, displayed his gun to mem
bers of the Modlin family and ac
tually raised it to firing position
when Sheriff C. B. Roebuck went to
arrest him.
Heavine a big sigh of relief after
jailing Willis, the officer recounted
his narrowing experience between
strokes of a barber in a barbershop
here that afternoon.
Willis, it seems has had a habit
of getting drunk, taking his gun and
crawling under homes in that sec
tion. He has been in the courts for
aAeged trespassing on other peo
ple's piopcity under similar condi
tions, and it is understood the recent
visit was the second made to the
Modlin home. Charged with tres
passing, Willis was found not guilty
in the county court on September
10, 1935. Two years later he was
again in court and was found not
guilty in a case charging him with an
assault with a deadly weapon.
1 -est Friday he stmfgcr?.a ..p to the
Modlin home, and crawled under the
house after he had shown members
of the family the loaded gun, and
told them he would kill every mem
ber of the family if the officers were
notified. Mrs. Modlin and her chil
dren left home, after passing motor
ists had notified the sheriff.
Going to the Modlin home. Sheriff
C. B Roebuck found Willis sitting
on a ditch bank, just a few feet from
the house. As the officer stopped his
car, Willis started to raise his gun
"I put the car in gear and drove
away," Sheriff Roebuck said. Stop
ping out of gun-shot range, the of
ficer got out of his car, and Willis
started hnme, walking part of?the
time, and crawling at times, dragging
his gun with him. When Willis went
the officer went around the home and
started in the back door. Willis walk
ed into the front door and continued
to his room
The officer explained to Willis'
mother that unless he surrendered
the gun and submitted to arrest, he
would have to possibly shoot up the
house. After several attempts, the
man's mother finally snatched the
gun from Willis' hands, and the of
ficer effected the arrest immediate
ly without injury to anyone
"It was a setting similar to the one
near Windsor several years ago
when a colored man barricaded him
self in his home and shot it out with
officers during a long siege," the of
firer explained
In court yesterday, Willis was sen
tenced to the roads for a term of two
years.
Three Badly Cut In
Beer Garden Brawl
Three colored men were badly cut
in a beer garden brawl here late
laat Saturday night, members of the
police force stating that Johnnie
Powell, Sampson Roberson and An
drew Brown were naturally-born
carving artists.
A short time prior to the main
bout, a man whose identity could not
be established immediately, whip
ped Carrie Bell Ward near the beer
garden operated by Andrew Brown
and his brother on Washington
Street. The parties to the first dis
turbance disappeared before officers
could reach there.
Its cause not definitely determin
ed, the second fight reached serious
proportions in a brief period of sec
onds. Roberson and Powell were out
to scalp each other when Brown
moved in to separate them. A flying
knife caught him on the arm and rip
ped a long gash. A neat gash which
required about 14 stitches to close,
? was made m Powell's face Roberson
was cut on the head, the doctors clos
ing the wound with nine stitches.
At a preliminary hearing last eve
ning, the defendants were bound ov
er to the county court by Justice J.
L. Hassell for trial next Monday
Predicting Unusual
Line-up Of Planets
A rare and apectacular celestial
"line-up" of the brightest five plan
eta in the solar system will begin to
take shape in the western sky about
February 23, and will continue
through the first week in March.
Mercury will be near the western
horizon shortly after sunset, follow
ed in order by; Jupiter, Venus, Sa
turn and Mars. 'They will be almost
evenly spaced, "hanging one above
the other in the twilight glow like
a necklace of colorful jewels," ac
cording to William H, Barton, Jr.,
of the Hayden Panetarium. Mr. Bar
ton added that the spectacle would
be so unusual that even eclipses
would seem commonplace by com
parison. No one now living, he said,
will see a repetition of the phenotn
Preparations A re Being Made
For Fishing in the Roanoke
A catch of tour herrings in the
Roanoke River at Jamesville last
Friday attracted attention of numer
ous fishermen who are now busying
themselves in preparation for an
other season. Small nets are all ready
for operation, and they will be dip
oed into the stream just as soon as
the weather moderates.
Mr. C. C. Fleming, operator of the
Jamesville and Camp Point fisher
ies for the past 22 years, is having
his nets tarred and made ready for
use He explained yesterday that he
had ordered several hundred feet of
new netting, and that he had already
spent more than $1,000 in preparing
for the 1M0 fishing season.
No definite date ran be fixed for
opening the season with seines, biat
if the weather is favorable and oth
er factors are encouraging. Mr
Fleming plans to start fishing about
the middle of March. Ordinarily, the
seines are operated until about May
10th.
The herring season on the Roan
oke is of far greater importance
than many realize. To thousands, the
stream offers one of their principal
sources of food. The first herrings
dipped from the river are ordinarily
reserved for the table of the man
who catches them. As the small-scale
fishermen begm to dot the stream
with their drift and dip nets, the
fish are offered for sale at five cents
straight. As the fish begin to run in
greater numbers, the price drops to
six for a quarter, and then when the
season reaches its peak, sales are
made on the basis of about $10 a
thousand.
The past several seasons have not
been very favorable for successful
fishing Operators of the commercial
plants are" looking and hopuig for a
better one this year.
Negro Man Murdered
In Jamesville Sunday
DOLLAR DAYS
One of the greatest bargain
feasts in the history of local
merchandising will be advanced
67 WlllhnndlSB merchants on
March 7, 8 and 9, it was announc
ed this week by a special com
mittee through Billie Clark,
chamber of commerce secretary.
With a 100 per cent coopera
tion virtually assured, the feast
will be centered around three
dollar days and plans call for
the greatest dbilar-day bargains
ever offered in a store in this sec
tion.
Noah Thos. Leggett
Died At His Home
In Hassell Sunday
Funeral Services Are Heltl
Monday in the HuhmcII
Christian Church
Noah Thomas Leggett. respected
county citiren and retired farmer,
died at his home in Hassell Sunday
morning about 9 30 o'clock follow
ing an illness of only a few days'
duration. Suffering an heart at
tack last Tuesday, he was stricken
with pneumonia Saturday, death fol
lowing a few hours later.
Mr. Leggett was born in Cross
Rbadt Township nearly 73 years ago,
the son of the late John "Warren and"
Bernice Bowen Leggett. He spent his
early life there and married Miss
Fannie Biggs nearly half a century
ago. Disposing of his property in
that district, he bought a farm and
moved to the Gold Point section, lo
cating in Hassell about fifteen years
ago. He joined the church in Cross
Roads and the last rites were con
ducted Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock
in the Hassell Christian church by
his pastor, Rev. J. M. Perry. Inter
ment was in the Mobley Cemetery,
Bear Grass Township.
Mr. Leggett was a reliable and
hard-working farmer, and was held
in high esteem by all who knew
him.
Besides his wife he leaves four
sons, Messrs. J. E. Leggett, of Cross
Roads; C. H., A. S. and M. W Leg
gett, all of Hassell, and two daugh
ters, Mrs Annie Bland and Mrs. Vir
ginia Williams, both of Hassell. He
also leaves two sisters, Mrs. Nicey
Wynne apd Miss Sallie Jane Leg
gett, both of Cross Roads, and a
brother, Mr. Asa Leggett, of Roan
oke Rapids.
THE RECORD
SPEAKS . . .
A grim companion creeps in
to the record -tor?the seventh?
week as the happenings on Mar
tin County highways are review
ed for the period, 1939 and 1940.
On February 18, Last year, the
life of a young man. Coy Van
Horn, was snuffed out on a curve
near Williamston. So far this
year there hasn't been a single
highway fatality. And now the
big question is: How long can
motorists in Martin County hold
the Grim Reaper in check?
Possibly for the first time this
year, Martin motorists last week
bettered their comparative rec
ord. So far this year the number
of accidents lead three to one
over those for the first seven
weeks in February, 1939 Tlie
property damage is higher than
it was a year ago, but the notice
able gain is in human life.
The following tabulations of
fer a comparison of the accident
trend: first, by corresponding
weeks in this year and last and
for each year to the present time.
Seventh Week Comparison
Accidents InJ'd Killed Dan'ge
1940 1 0 0 $ 10
1988 1 1 1 800
Comparison To Dale
1940 ?It 13 0 $1339
1938 t 4 1 180
Goes To Rescue Of
White Man And Is
Killed By !Ne?ro
Jcm* William Moore l? Jailed
For Fatal Attack On
(liratiim Rav
Martin County's first tragic death
of the new year was reported in
Jamesville early Suivduy afternoon
when Joe William Moore, 18-year
old colored boy. shot and fatally in
jured Cheatam Ray, 22-year-old half
breed. Ray was said to have surren
dered his life when he intervened
for Bob Moon, white man and an
nounced victim of Moore's. His in
testines almost torn from their sock
et by a load of buckshot fired from
a gun Ray died on his
way to a Washington hospital
Moore, arrested immediately af
ter the shooting, offered a weak ali
bi when questioned by officers and
it is apparent that he will be formal
ly charged with first-degree murder
when he is given a preliminary hear
ing before Justice J L Hassell here
next Saturday.
Liquor was at the bottom of the
trouble, according to an account of
the tragedy released by the sheriff's
office here. Employees of a saw mill
and occupants of camps on the mill
premises, Ray and several friends
boughi a gallon of liquor frorfi a man
named Gilmore. They carried it to
their camp and left it wftile jhey
went for some beer Moore, who
lived on the other side of the mill,
was accused of stealing part of the
liquor while they were away. A
quarrel followed and Mr. Moon,
white sawyer for the mill, went to
the camp and asked the men to be
quiet and urged Moore to leave. No
threat was made by Moore against
the'lives of Ray and his friends.
Moore finally left and broke into
the home of Joe Bell and stole a shot
gun. Unable to find a shell there, he
then went to Griffin's store and
bought four No. 4 shells and return
ed to the camp. Ray, realizing that
the man intended to kill Moon, in
tervened and without any provoca
tion Moore fired on him at close
range, the entire load of shot taking
effect in the man's abdomen.
Moore, with gun in hand, ran from
the scene and hurried down the
river bank. He threw the gun under
a warehouse and hid along the river
bank just a few hundred yards from
the scene of the shooting. He was ar
rested a few minutes later by Offi
cer Paul Holliday and turned over
to Sheriff C. B. Rofebuck.
Moore, who has been in the courts
of the county on previous occasions,
claimed that Ray and others in the
camp had threatened his life, that
they had gotten after him with axes
and knives.
Officers stated that Moore was not
drinking at the time.
Ray's body was turned over to a
local undertaker and rftaite ready for
shipment to his home near Fayette
ville in Cumberland County. He had
b^n working in this county for
about two years
?
Kiwanians Enjoy
Musical Program
Trained by Turner Slade, former
teacher in the county's colored school
system, a double quartet gave sev
eral musical numbers at the meeting
of the Kiwanis club last Thursday
night.
Most of the numbers were confin
ed to Negro spirituals. They were"
sung only as the Negro can sing them
and the program, from beginning to
end, was enjoyed by the Kiwanians
In addition to Turner Slade, the
following participated in the pro
gram: Lela Chambers, E. V. Me
Cloud, Vera Coleman, Eurie An
drews, James Holly, Hezekiah
Spruill, Wesley Ormand and Ethel
Simmons,
County Of Martin
Has No CotmerttMl
History On Record
Would K?u|iiir?' \eur? To Gel
Faelx Together, Kaleigh
Historian Say*
While its origin has boon definite
ly traced and a few pertinent facts
have been firmly established. Martin
County is without a single page of
recorded history, a member of the
North Carolina Historical Commis
sion staff explained to Mr. W. H
Biggs an4 a representative of The
Enterprise last Saturday when they
spent several hours in Raleigh look
ing up old records surrounding the
early history of the county.
"Many of your records were lost
to posterity forever back in the last
century when the Martin County
courthouse was burned." Historian
D L. Corbitt explained "But there
is a world of material from which a
fairly complete history can be pre
pared of the county and its people."
the historian added According to
Mr Corbitt, it will take a man at
least four years to search the rec
ords and letters,^gather the mater
ial and prepare it for publication.
"It can be done and should be
done," the historian said
The historian has just completed
an authentic and complete study of
the formation of the 100 counties.
The work, soon to be published, was
handled over a fairly long period
and represents n siudy cenlcivd~TTT
hundreds of books and old records
Th,e brief sketch on Martin County
points out that the name of the coun
ty probably would have been chang
ed had it not been for a popular gov
ernorTrf the samaoame of the mail
for whom the county was named in
1774
Spending some time with the local
representatives Saturday morning,
Mr Corbitt explained that the His
torical Commission had been suc
cessful in gathering tens of thous
ands of volumes and hundreds of
thousands of old letters relating to
the history of the counties. He is do
Ihg much to uniavil tin complicated
facts and present them to the peo
pie in concise form, but individual
histories of the counties are out of
the question unless local people urn"
derwrite and promote the task.
Some idea of the task was gained
Saturday when the historian refer
red to Civil War records which fill
ed 130 volumes, each of which was
almost"H5~" thick- as- Webster's un
abridged dictionary. But right in
those volumes ?'as a complete re
view of Foster's raid in Martin Coun
ty Mention of the capture of Ham
ilton on July 9, 1862, was made.
There was a story about Colonel A.
B. Andrews' attack on the Yankee
gunboats as they traveled up and
down the Roanoke Rivers. A descrip
tion of a battle at Gardner's Bridge
is to be found in the volume, but the
facts, gathered and written by Fed_
eral officers, are scattered through
most of the volumes, and consider
able time will have to be spent if
they are to be picked out und record
ed in proper form
The State Library has little ma
terial that will be of volume in dig
ging opt Martin County history. No
copies of early newspapers in the
county are on file, the oldest being
plaeed there by The Enterprise Pub
lishing Company back in January,
1UU1 However, there are many inter
esting facts recorded in the old
books and papers found in the His
torical Commission that could be
used advantageously in the prepara
tion of a Martin County history. Sev
eral counties, including Egdecombe
and Halifax in this section have his
tories, and no doubt, material of in
terest to this county could be found
in them.
Enca/te Injury In Auto
Accident Early Monday
No one was hurt and very little
damage resulted when the cars of
Willie Lassiter, local man, and N. Y.
Allen, New York tourist, crashed on
the Washington Road not far from
Corey's Cross Roads early yesterday
morning. ,
?Allt'rt malted tu pass a liuek and
headed in a bad fog right into the
front of the Lassiter car. Lassiter
pulled to the right shoulder and
avoided a head-on crash, the fen
ders on both cars being damaged. Pa
trolman Saunders estimated the
damage to both cars at about $50.
BANQUET
Martin County Boy Scouts,
their fathers and special frienda
are expected to march 200
strong on Everetts tomorrow
night when the first annual fa
ther and son banquet will be
held in connection with the
scouting movement. The ban
quet will be held in the school
auditorium there, and Everetts
Is making extensive prepara
tions for entertaining the prom
ising youths and their fathers.
Scouts from Jamesvllle, William
ston, Everetts and Robersonvllle
will attend the special event.
Dr. M. O. Fletcher, president
of the Eastern North Carolina
Council, Boy Seouts of America,
will deliver the principal ad
dress.
Committee Maps Plan
To Aid Leaf Farmers
barren And Cooley
Lead Move To Urge
Long-Term Program
Group Slum* Any Attempt To
Push Over Plan for More
Thau Three Years
Farmers are turning their eyes
toward Washington today as a spec
ial Congressional group, led by Lind
say Warren and Harold Coo ley, at
tacks the tobacco problem Several
amendments are being proposed by
the group, and it is quite apparent
that the tobacco farmers' plight will
be carried to the halls of Congress
backed by a determined group
Three amendments have been pro
posed, and it is understood that the
committee will map plans for han
dling the battle on the debate floors.
One of the amendments calls for -
long-term tobacco program, but it is
apparent that the special group will
not seek a program of more than
three years' duration. Tobacco far
mers in this section have placed
themselves on record as favoring a
five-year program. But if they can't
get that they will take the three
year program. When the act was first
established, congressmen shunned
any plan that called for a program
'Uf muic than one-year
ing the issue before a vote of the far
mers.
The discussion in Washington to
day is centering around the three
following amendments:
?Tho first, is the proposa 1 to pro
vide for longer periods of quota con
trol than one year. Some farm groups
want the periods of control increas
ed to us much as three or five years
At the close of the meeting, Cooley
reported that there is no sentiment
among House members to extend the
period any more than three y?*ars;
and then there is some question as
to how it should be done Some main
tain that farmers should vote fun.
three years or nothing, while others
believe that the secretary of agricul-!
ture should be given the power to
ilitirminc from the supplies iind
stocks on hand prior to issuing a
proclamation, how long the control
program on which the vote is held
will last
The second major amendment pro
posed for dtseu&uun is one thafwoqld
permit the secretory to exclude from
Consideration the tobacco purchased
by Great Britain and other countries
which, although stored in this coun
try, would have been shipped had it
not been for the war.
Cooley explained that if this is not
done, the secretary will have to con
sider these stocks in determining the
necessity tif^ssuing a proclamation
and the establishment of quotas,
which will tend to make the cuts
more drastic than they should
Thirdly, the meeting is considering
amendments which might be of ad
ministrative assistance, as for ex
ample, an amendment regarding the
collection of penalties on over-quota
tobacco.
Damage To Local
Mill Is Repaired
*
Closed down by storm damage
since last Wednesday, the local plant
of the Farmville-Woodward Lumber
Company resumed Operations yes
terday morning, reports today stat
ing that the mill is now maintaining
a normal operating schedule.
The mill was forced to close last
Wednesday when winds of near gale
force felled the two smokestacks. No
other damage was done to the plant
and no one was hurt, but consider
able expense was incurred by the
owners in repairing and replacing
the two large smokestacks.
Late reports state that the high
winds exacted a greater damage
here than was first realized. A por
tion. of the roof on the old Martin
County Bank building was blown
off, and heavy rains Sunday eve
ning flooded severol rooms in?the
building, including the liquor store.
"We mopped a quart of water out
of the cash register," Mr. Charles
Mob ley, manager of the A.B.C. store.
said in commenting on the damage.
Repairs were made immediately and
sales were not interrupted.
* l
Dare Working For
Improved Highway
???
Bogged down in mud and cut off
by water, Dare County citizens last
week directed a strong appeal tn
the powers for better roads. Com
menting on the deplorable situation,
the Dare County Times said,
If one Governor of North Carolina
could successfully demand his High
way Commission to spend nearly
two millions of dollars on a bridge
that nobody needed, and a half
million dollars on an Elizabeth City
flWrt-CUt that nobody wanted, w
cannot for the life of us, understand
why another governor couldn't as
easily demand his highway commis
sion to build bridges across Alliga
tor river and Croatan Sound, and to
build the necessary connecting roads
between county seats.
COMPLETE REVIEW
In a meeting here last week,
a special committee made up of
Beaufort County farmers re
viewed complaints filed by Mar
tin County farmers in connection
with their tobacco allotments.
The appeals were heard accord
ing to schedule, but what action,
if any. the committee took could
not be learned. It was unofficial
ly learned that no radical
changes were made by the com
mittee.
The report committee has been
forwarded to Raleigh where the
appeals will be examined and
reviewed again, the farmers to
learn the action of the commit
tee within the next fifteen days.
Mrs. M. G. Taylor
Dies I^ast Evening
After Long Illness
Ij?h| Riles Will Be Conducted
At Alain Street Home Here
Tomorrow Afternoon
I Mrs. Chloo ftehnett Taylor du?d in
|fl Washington hiwpital last even mg
at 6:30 o'clock following a long per
iod of illness and patient suffering
In failing health for a number of
years, Mrs. Taylor had been confin
ed to her bed for nearly eighteen
| montlis.- A- -patient -in two hospitals
at intervals, during the past two
years, she had spent the greater part
of the time since last October in a
Washington hospital. Her condition
regarded as serious for months, be
came worse last Friday when she
lapsed into unconsciousness, the end
coming peaceably three days later
The daughter of the late John A
and Martha Jones Bennett, Mrs Tay
lor was oorn near Williarnston 63"
years ago On December 16. 1919,
she was married to Mr Mc. G Tay
lor, well-known county citizen who
died ten years ago TrTthe latter part
of 1924 Mr. and Mrs. Taylor moved
to Williarnston and made their home
on West Main Street.
No children were born to the un
ion She leaves three sisters, Mrs.
i-Or?W. Manning, t>f-Ouk City; Mrs. -
M L Bellamy, of Raleigh, and Mrs
W. T. Stinnette, of Williarnston; and
three brothers, Messrs. W B. Ben
nett and J T Bennett, both of Oak
City, and Milton K Bennett, of Ro
anoke Rapids.
Funeral services will be conduct
ed from the Main Street home Wed
nesdtiy-afternoon at 2 o clock by El
der B. S Cowin and A B. Ayers. In
terment will follow in the family
Township where her mother was
born and reared and where Mr Tay
lor was buried.
A member of the Primitive Bap
tist church at Bear Grass for a num
ber of years, Mrs. Taylor walked
humbly in the sight of the Creator,
and her life was marked by its true
Christian character She was a
thoughtful neighbor, and lived quiet
ly and peaceably among her fellow
man. Despite her untold suffering,
she never murmured but bore her
affliction without complaint and
with as little trouble as possible to
others. She was an ideal patient dur
ing her long stay in the hospital, her
thoughtfulness of others even in
times of her own distress gained the
sympathy of all the members of the
hospital medical and nursing staffs
who did everything humanly possi
ble to lessen her suffering and
brighten the closing days of a good
and noble Christian life.
Record Traffic Is
Reported by Coast
Line on Local Run
A ireigm iramc boom sur
passing anything thr World War
period had to offer la being re
ported these days bp the Atlan
tic Coast Line Railroad Com
pany on Its branch from Rocky
Mount through here. During re
cent weeks, the two regular
freight train* have had more
than they could handle, and ex
tra trains were operated on Sun
day to maintain freight deliver
ies. Ob several occasions, the
trains doubled back to pick up
can they could not handle at
one time.
The climax was reached last
Sunday when the company in
augurated a special schedule to
be maintained on the Rocky
Mount-Plymouth branch until
further notice. On its flnt run
that day, the train pulled out
of Rocky Mount with 65 car
loads of freight. It Is the flral
time on record, ax far as It could
be learned, that a train with as
many as 80 can was ever oper
ated en the company's tracks In
this section.
At the present time, the com
pany la maintaining four sched
ules dally and two on Sunday
over the branch line.
Health Department
\h>rk Ls Centered In
Schools This Week
?
Staff ami V i*itiu# Dor torn Are
Hugging Away for Bet
ter Child Health
Aided by two State dentists and
a special dental show cast the entire
staff of the Martin County Health
Department is advancing a far-reach
ing health program in the schools this
week. The regular forces, their work
supplemented by that of the den
tists ant^ the little puppet show, are
effectively battling those physical
defects that have had a tendency to
make many children repeat their
grades.
Opening in Williamston yesterday
morning, the puppet show played
three schools during the day. Show
ings are underway in the schools in
the upper part of the county today,
and tomorrow the players, headed
by Mr. Morgan, will appear in the
schools at Hobersonville and Par
mele Thursday morning the puppet
show will be staged at Farm Life at
9 o'clock, at Jamesville two hours la
ter, and at Gold Point at 1:30. The
last appearances will be made in Ev
eretts on Friday at 9 o'clock and the
Oak City colored school two hours
later. The show was well received by
school children here yesterday morn
ing
Dr. Marvin Evans, returning to
this county for the second time since
the health department was estab
lished some over two years ago, has
examined^thc"VhMh nf whildren?
tn the whttr schools. He has treated
483 in 2.185 operations. More than
150 of the little patients were grade
repeaters. Dr. Brandon, colored den
tist who has just started an eight
weeks program in the colored schools
?htttt-trlready -treated the teeth of Hi
children in 304 operations. Seventeen
of his patients were grade repeat
ers.
The service rendered by the den
tal forces is easily worth the amount
Martin County is appropriating for
Its entire health program, it has been
pointed out.
Other health work underway in
the schools this week includes visual
tests by IMufse L'hfiSlihe High;?S~
detailed survey of sanitation in the
schools by Sanitarian Charles Leon
ard, and a survey by Dr John Wil
son for physical defects among the
white pupils.
Commenting on the work, the
health officer said, "All this adds up
to education for all, correcting den
tal defects in all that can be done
and finding other remedial defects
with the hope that the parents will
help in correcting them. Repetition
of grades is costly and some of it
can be saved by ridding children of
their physical handicaps."
Native Of County
Dies In Norfolk
Mrs. Hannah Hay. widow of Wil
liam Ray, died at the home of her
daughter in Norfolk last Friday fol
lowing a long period of declining
health Funeral services were con
ducted there Sunday, and interment
was in the family plot in the ceme
tery here that afternoon with Rev.
James H Smith, pastor of the Wil
liamston Memorial Baptist church,
officiating at the grave.
The daughter of the late Dr. John
Sam Cooper Benjamin and Mary
Reeves Benjamin, she was born m
this county 87 years ago. She spent
her early life near Robersonville
and moved to Williamston following
her marriage to Mr. Ray about 65
years ago. Following his death she
moved to Norfolk where she lived for
the past thirty years. Her parental
ancestors were prominent in Louis
iana for u number of generations and
she was related to the late Judah P.
Benjamin, a member of Jefferson
Davis' cabinet during the Confeder
acy. Her father located in the coun
ty a few years before the Civil War
and practiced medicine for a num
ber of years.
Two daughters, Mrs. John Buch
er, of Norfolk, and Mrs. Essie Ray
Wilson, of Washington City, survive.
A son, Augustus Ray, died in Bir
mmgham last year.
Car Operators Pay
$83,837,794 For Gas
Raleigh?Increased travel in North
Carolina during 1939 is shown by
the large increase in gasoline used,
the total amounting to 419.1M.971
gallons, it was pointed out today by
officials of the state advertising di
vision of the Department of Conser
vation and Development This is an
increase of 23,363.299 gallons over
the amount used in 1938 and an in
crease of more than 37,000,000 gal
lons over the amount used in 1937.
According to figures obtained from
the gasoline tax division of the De
partment of Revenue motorists paid
$83,837,794 for this gasoline at an av
erage of 30 cents a g*11""
On tne basis of figures worked out
by the American Automobile Asso
ciation, 68 per cent of this gns-'tnr
was used by passenger cars and 38
per cent by trucks. The AAA also
has worked out figures showing that
passenger cars now average 14 milsa
to the gallon and trucks 10 miles to
the gallon.