Advertiser* Will Find Oar Col
umns a Latchkey to Over 1600
Homes of Martin County.
VOLUME XXIX—NUMBER 84
Start This Week on
New Phone System
More Than Two-Thirds Christmas Shopping
Subscribers in Town i Causes Heaw Traffic
Sign Petition
That Willfamston will have new and
modem telephone equipment was
made' certain last week when the
number signing the petition asking
for better equipment amounted to
more than two-thirds of the town's
telephone subscribers.
For the past several weeks the in
stallation of the common battery e
quipment was in doubt, but it is now
a certainty that the town will have a
modern telephone exchange by the
16th of next month, the time set for
the cutting over from the old system
to the new.
Western Electric in. tellers will ar
rive this week to begin the work,
and about twenty days will be re
quired to prepare for the change.
Service will be carried on practical
ly as usual durin'g the transfer, ac
cording to those familiar with the
work. Once the installers get the new
switchboard in and ready for con
nections a large number of men will
be sent here to install the new sta
tions. While this is going on there
will be two switchboards in operation,
one in the old building and the new
one. Trunk lines will ife run from the
old office to the new to take care of
of the old stations until they can be
connected to the new board.
The common battery system does
away with the crank on the tele
phone and makes operating rpuch
more efficient since there are electric
signals where there were none in the
old system.
The rural telephones will remain
the same since the common battery
system cannot be used on party lines,
ftural telephone subscribers will get
* lit of the new equipment,
however, nn that signals • will be of
a more distinctive nature than they
wrr- tm--the--pre»civi -board.
A new directory is being prepared,
and practically every number on the
system will be changed. To make the
new directory as complete as possible
all subscribers anticipating a change
in their residence chould notify the
manager at one*. The directory will
be issued by the Carolina Telephone
mid Telegraph company and will
carry both the town and rural sub
scribers.
Memorial Proposed
to Wright Brothers
Washington, Dec. 18.—(Special to
The Enterprise).—Congressman Lind
say C. Warren yesterday introduced
a bill in the House providing for the
erection of a memorial on the sand
dunes of Kill Devil Hill, Ki ty Hawjc,
Dure County, where—just 23 years
ago—on December 17, 1903, Orvllle
otinu Wilbur Wright made the first sue
cefsfu! airplane flight in the world.
It was on the wind-swept banks of
North Carolina that aviation was
born. Since then Wilbur Wright has
died, but his brother, Orville Wright,
OJ.C of the outstanding men in Ameri
(n. livos in Dayton, Ohio.
Congressman Warren in the very
beginning, has secured help from an
unexpected quarter. On Yesterday
Sc nator Hiram Bingham, of Connecti
cut, a noted aviator in the world war
and former professor at YaleXniver
sity arose in th« Senate
a lengthy speech on the the
Wright brothers. He concluded by
introducing a bill almost identical
vith Mr. Warren's for the erection of
a memorial at Kitty Hawk. The War
ren-Bingham bill attracted much at
tention yesterday, and all of the pa
pers carried long accounts of it.
STRANrv
THEATMI f
WEDNESDAY
Marie Prevost in
"Almost a Lady"
Also 2 Reel Comedy
And
a Free Ticket to Fri
day Night's Show
Always a Good Show
THE ENTERPRISE
A decided increase was noticed
here yesterday afternoon in the
traffic on the Main Street here.
Before the week is over, this in
crease will be added to, and, judg
ing from the trend of business of
the pant few days, this season will
be one of the busiest here in some
years and traffic will necessarily
be heavy. To help this situation
local cur owners should be mind
ful and leave their cars at home
when possible, and should they
find it necesHary to take their
cars out, the side streets should
be used for parking purposes.
Large Quantity
of Fruits Here
Two Carloads Each of
Oranges and Apples
Beside Store Stocks
With two solid car-- of oranges anil
two soild cars of apples, besides that
carried b* the stores, there is' more
fruit here than has ever Itew-known
at one time before, l'rice cutting has
been indulged in by many of the
dialer as u way out of the siiuu
tion. This method has about reached
a limitp since the actual cost price
I with freight has been reached.
I Sales have been reported an being
f fair by the venders, hut they will
I have to show a mai;ked increase t>
i handle the amount on hand and the
two extra cari- that are billed to
reach here today or tomorrow. It L
t-afe to say that more fruit will be
consumed this week in this section
than there was once used in an en
tire year, and one will not have to go
-+•»- -la* -baek~t» H*4 M -yew-when-Wiis"
was true. Home-grown fruit-- are
not to be taken into consideration,
pi nee they are absent at this time of
the year.
The storekeeper is lost, as far as
making a profit is He
tands an excellent chance to lose,
Tor if he is heavily stocked, he, will
certainly have some to go bad on his
bands. Of course, should there be a
larger demand for fruit than is ex
pected, this will not be true. He will
handle part of the business, it being
in the form of small sales.
Sheriff Itoberson
Turns Coupe Over
When he was going ta hii farm on
the Hamilton Itoad Saturday morning
'ex-Sheriff Itoberson-. turned his coupe
over and- completely wrecked the top
and body—She sheriff stated he' Auras
going a' bit too fast and when his car
I.it a small rut he turned too (juickly
to the other side of the road. When
he reached the other side of the road,
the car appeared to be clipping on
the frozen ground toward the ditch
and sheriff applied the brakes. The
suddenness of the act caused the car
to turn over. Just how many turns
the car made the sheriff was unable
to say, for it was not long in going,
and he did not have time to think
about the car and its foolishness
With the car on its side, Mr. Rob
erson crawled out, and was unhurt
except for a small cut on his fore
head. A new body will be required
to put the machine in shape. Other
parts were uninjured.
Enterprise Ahead of •
Schedule This Week
-The Enterprise goes to press a few
hours earlier than the usual time to
day. While this it sue leaves the
press a few hours earlier than_the
scheduled time, the next issue will
go out a full day ahead, or that is
the hope of the force.
SifTce the force only has one holi
day a year'arid that is during Christ
mas, they are anxious to make as
much cf it as possible. - -
This issue goes its course today;
the next will go Thursday morning.
t.: ■
Negro Escapes After
Assaulting White Man
A. Sanford Roberon and a colored
man named William Bond had a dis
pute at a peanut picker, following
v.'hich Bond struck Roberson a blow
with a stick of wood. The wood
glanced from the side of his head to
his shoulder, stunning him, although
he wa. not seriously hurt.
Bond, thinking the case more seri
ous than it actually was, skipped out
and has not yet been apprehended by
the county officers.
William.Hton. Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday,
Noted Diva to
Sing at Peanut
Shpw Monday
Kathryn Meisle, Chicago
Opera Contralto, to
Give Recital
Local managers and music lovers
in cities where Kathrjn Me isle, the
Chicago Opera contralto, is scheduled
to appear, will no doubt be interested
in knowing that Miss Mtusle has on
several occasions beet) likened to the
great diva, Ernestine Schbmann-
Ht-ink, to whom they have doubtless
1 tened oh many occasions.
After Mis Meisle's singing at the
Newark, N. J., Music Festival In May
ISJ2S, the critic of the Sta?- Eagle
wrote: "It seemed as. if Schumann
Meink at her greatest never equaled
tin eloquent singing of Hie Iharming
contralto in the immortal Schubert
tone-poem (I>er Erlkoenig)."
The critic of the New Orleans Morn
t'tg Tribune commented on Miss Mei.--
' le' recital there on March 5, 11125,
is follows, - "Miss Meisle's voice has
tht depth and tonal feeling of the
type of Schumann-Heink, something
ei the pristine depths hidden in it,, a
connotation carried over from living
and from watching the spectacle of
life move in and out of crises."
The first comparison in the voices
v.a- made on the occasion of Miss
Aleisle' operatic debut with the Chi
vatrtt O |f T -- Krda in u Sieg>*
fried," 111 November, 192:f, at which
time the eminent ChfPago critic, Her
man Ik-Mies wrote in the Chicago I
American: ''lf I am not mistaken, it |
v,*as In IXUH that Ernestine Schumann
iloiitk ma .* her first appearance ai
the Metropolitan Opera House in New
\ ork as Erda and created an im
nmrtal standard for (hi role, one
which has never been surpassed. I
ti-'Hrve 1 rHTrjay"no better compli
ment to Kathryn MeiVle than compar
ison with her great compear." Later
in that Reason, when reviewing an - -
wJilu;../. performance, Mr. Devriefc re
iterated hi former statement by re
marklng, "Oiue atTain the timbre of 1
th» contralto reminded us of Schu
mann lleink's grandiose organ in its
priftie."
Miss Meisle, aside from her oper
atic activities, has given recitals the
length and breadth of this country
with remarkable success, and her
peated engagements with the lead
ing symphony orchestras all over the
Inited States, are the most potent
proof of her eminent standing in the
concert world today.
Mis.; Meisle will be heard at the
Eastern Carolina and Tidewater Vir
ginia Peanut Exposition at Windsor
next Monday, December 27, at 8.15
p m. '
Bird Thieves Busy
In This Section
tir.'F. I'. Barnes will have to look t
el ewhere for a Christinas turkey,!
for some hungry thief swiped the*one!
"frrrhad engaged from Mr. John ClTer-T
vy last Sunday night off the roost all
Mr. Cherry's home near here. To!
nuike the feat a big one, the' thief
or thieves took two more iurkeys
from Mr. Cherry's roost at the some
time.
Mr. Joe Leggett missed two of his
thickens yesterday morning from his
root. Joe immediately bought him a
f;un and several shells loaded with
blrti shot. He states he has fed chic
ken thieves all the yeas up until now,
■but they will be obliged to eat off
someone else these remaining few
days. «
Coal Miners Suffer 20
Per cent Cut in Wages
A large number of West Virginia
coal miners suffered a wage cut of
20 per cent yesterday. The cut came
because a heavy drop in the price of
ml took place.
Thfe miners affected by the de
crease in wages were,recently grant
ed a substantial raise when coal
wtjit up in price; so the fcut is part
ly cared for by the recent advance
in their wages.
Mr. Sherwood (irockwell, who is
chief assistant to Stacey W. Wade,
inwurance commissioner of North
Carolina, was in town yesterday en
route from Windsor, where he, had
been attending to matters of Are pro
tection.
Mr. Boyd Hight,-of Henderson, is
spending the holidays here with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. J, W. Hight.
4, . ' Ir_ * . • •
Judge J. C. Smith, of Roberson
ville, was a business visitor here yes
terday. *•' , • •
Mr. S. C. Collins leaves tomorrow
for his home in Wilson to spend the
holidays with his family*
Hy DR. FRANK I KANE
The Christmas '.a on is the season of~t%; horizon line.
The earth and the sky, the clouds ami the land, meet at the horizon
line, " r • .
- And so Hi .ChriMma.\ time the practical and the ideal meet; what
is, for the day, up and joins hands with What Ought To Be,
lalk that is dubbed airy idealism during other sea ons H-,-the guid-
plan of( action hen Christmas comes around.
On thy. day me|i think of others a weir as themselves,) they feast
I TlTeir-tTOTHcs, hut abfcrthrir hnirt?. "' : f \ 7
Thoughts concri® juicy brown drum sticks and heaped white moun
tains of mashed potatoes, but the} also'concern'the welfare of the un
fortunate and the relieving of want
tine deals with the so-called "practical" part of life, the other with
the "ideal." They both have part on Christinas Day.
No other seasoi? monies nearer humanity. It deals with the needs
iff the present. It takes nun as they are and tries to bring the best in
them to the top.
It is the mo t kindly, human season. It doesn't censure or lecture
It doesn t attack or berate. It nieltbUje ice from the spring* of human
kindness and the world. ......
The significance of Christina i.-. apparent to all. Its rites are simple
'here is nothing of the mystic ritual which is comprehended by only a
%w initiated. It is for all, understood hy all.
It comes down to earth and deals with practical things, translating
Kindly imputes into kindly MPIV
It touches life UP we live It and foi one day lifts the world nsarer
what it should be. I,ke the parables el llu' Master, Christmas infuses
UTphljmii into the 11 ~ acts of i>ur everyday existence.
Those who look only at (h *stoy, fail to see the earth, unt those
who gaze only H| tlte earth do not see the ;.ky. Only those who look at
the horizon line appreciate-them both and see them joined together.
During mo-.t of the year, iii many minds the idealbm of the Golden
l.tule an J Mlndaili .'icliiiih- and the practical actions of everyday "fife"
seem to stand far apart.
't is at the horizon line of the Christmas season ttrat_they are uni
versally. Been to draw together. •
Uailly Burned Filling
Lamp Near a Stove
Mm. W. -C. >Kllla, of Hoar Grass,
was badly burned Saturday night
wlien she filled a gasoline lamp near
a stove. The fumes of the pa* were
ignited by the stove and Mrs. Kill*
Wiii- seriously burnotL about her arms
and face.
She had made a mi-take and |Rit
gasoline in the wrong lamp and was
transferring it to. another when the
—W4w+e—the Wrrr*
arr exceedingly painful, it is hoped
that Mrs. Kllis will not losp her eye
sight nor be seriously carred by the
burns.
We can never be too careful with
gasoline and Are.
f. H. Spruill Practicing
Law in Windsor Now
Mr. J. H. Spruill, of Windsor, was I
a visitor in town Monday. Mr. Spruill f
has a sociated himself in the practice
of law with Moses (4illam, of Windsor, j
under the firm name of Gillam &
•Spruill, succeeding Gillam & Daven-1
port. ■ - .-T~~
Mr. Spruill was in William ton for
several months some years ago with
the Farmers & Merchants Hank, go
itik with the State department of rev
enue later. He has since procured his
law license.
New Store to Open
Here in January
While no definite' plans have been
announced, it is. understood that Wil
-1 Lima ton will ave a new store the
early part of next year. Mr. J. T.
Ilamhill, the owner of the store, Is
planning to , operate the store'wluch
will carry a general stock of mechan
dise.
The furniture store of Mr. B. S.
Courtney will move to its new home
below-the town hall the first week In
January at whklitimo , preparations
for the new store will begin.
Messrs. J. T. ilarnhill and .Garland
Uurnliill and Miss Nellie Kae Barnhill
of Everetts were here ye terday.
Mr. Norman Harriron left this
morning for Cleveland, Ohio, where
he will visit his brother, Mr. Chester
Harrison, for three weeks,
A- ' ■'
Baptist White (*ift
Christmas Service
The Haptist Gburch wits the scene
of a white gift Christmas service
. liiiday afternoon at 5 o'clock.
The program consisted of songs and
recitations, all beautiful and suited to
the occasion. The Christmas poem of
Van Dyke, recited by Mrs. John D.
Tfiggn, was especially fine, as well as
'.hu quartets. The emblems of white,
end the advent of the star gave a real
I'he best of all came when the classes
were called, one by one, and headed
by their teachers they marched, out
I'ml laid their gifts upon the altar;
sume to go to needy families, ;ome
to orphanages, i.&Bie t» the old and
worn-out preachers, and some to other
worthy and needy causes—ail gifts in
the name of Him who said, "I.ove
t ,y neighbor as thy.-elf."
Almost Runs Ford
Under Man's House
While no explanation could be got
ten, it must have been, that Jule El
liott was playing hide and ;eek when
ho tried to run under J. 11. Ileech'a
kitchen with l)r. J.„ H. Saunder's
Ford coupt; Sunday night Klliott was
evidently off in his Jhinking when he
mistook the small path leading to Mr.
1 eech's wood pile for a street, and
he. pushel the front end of the coupe
well under the kitchen.
Elliott was alone and e.'raped in
juiy when the car hit a pillar sup
porting the house and hid its bursted
radiator and broken lights under the
house. Damage to thq car amounted
to around $26. The car had been bor-
rowed only a few minutes when El
liott took the path for a street and
run the car into the\house
Colored Quartet in
Contest Here Tonight
The famous colored quartet of
Norfolk wttt sillg Whtght at the court
hou.se in a contest with the famous
Alfour Quartet of Edenton. It is
claimed that the Kdenton four out
rlu Norfolk singers, but those
'who have heard the Norfolk quartet
are unwilling to believe it. ,
There is a treat in store for all who
enjoy real old Southern melody at
courthoue tonight at 8 o'clock
HopetoFinish Absence Traffic -
Work on Jail Wrecks Marks
in February Past Week End
To Be Modern in Every Smallest* Number of Ac-
Respect; Also Offices cidents in C ounty in
V- in Building Many Weeks
Martin County's now jail will be
I r-ady for use the early part of Feb
rupary, according to information
tiorh those acquainted with the work.
The - Pauly Iron Works Co.. of St.
Louis, Mo., will finish its work the
latter part pf next week, and the
building contractors will complete
their work in January.
While the contract called for the
completion of the building the first
.01' this, month, the final limit-U
March 1, when a fine for each day 1
thereafter will be charged against the)
contractors.
With ten cells, eijcht for men and!
two tor women, an insane room, a
'detention room, another for fumiga
tion purposes and a kitchin, Martins'
jail, when completed, will be moat
Modern Ihe l'auly Jail Works will
have their part of the job completed,
the latter part of next week.
To escape from the jail is just an
in,possibility, for there are levers to
control the doors of the cells, and |
tbe-ie levers are'found in the passage- 1
'way. The levers are well cared for,
flnee they are in a steel box with a
I i)ibinatiaiL-as ,well as a key lock on
i'i. These levers are so arranged
| that as many as four doors can be
J iiened at one time. The insane room
► wl!l be equipped in the same manner
as tho e found, in the State asylums.
!n fiict, Sheriff loebuck's jail will
care for all classes; Ki«ht of the
cells are found on the top floor while
the two for women are located on the
third floor. The kitchen occupies a
large corner in the —
Besides caring for the jail the build
nig will house the register of_ deeds
I'lid the clerks offices. New e|uip
fflent has been bought for the two of
fices, and the filing and finding of
records will be made easier once the
change to the new building is made.
I Doutiii) in Morih
Carolina Last Year
The year 1925 brought 35.52
in North Carolina. For every 1,000
persons, there were 11.86 deaths.
Nephritis, or Ilright's Disease, was
tin? cause of more deaths than any
-flther cause, taking a toll of 2,91 f>;
licart"~'(Hs»mjje caused the death of
8.638; tube rc iltosfftV '2;7"WV' apoplexy,
2,02k; cancer, 1201; pneumonia and in
fluenza, 2,660; violence 2,094; typhoid
feVer 277; malaria fever I2jt; small
poxr-7-j measles 12; scarlet fever 31;
whooping cough 160; diphtheria 310;
,n:ump 0; rabies 7; «tetnnu 25; syh
phillis 166; gonococcus 8;- pellagra
:»»8; alcoholism 40; meningitis 143;
epilepsy 79; pleurisy 29; asthma 60;
appendicitis 309; hernia 249; cirrhosis
ol liver 8N; childbirth i>88; prema
(tire birth and birth Injuries 1,745.
Variou forms of violence resulted
iii the following deaths: Suicide 1,338;
poison 66; burns suffocation 81;
drowning 97; fireat'ms accidents 112;
j other accidents except railroad and
j automobile 314; railroad and street
car accidents 368; grade crossing ac
clilent 33; injuries by animals 18
starvation 2; cold 3; heat 11; light
r.ing 31; electricity 18; and homi
cides 374. i
A. Corey May Again
He Enrolling Clerk
, Lieutenant Governor Elmer Long
held a council in his oilier in Durham
last week, at which A. Corey, of Mar
tin, with several other senatorial
clerks who served in the last session
were present.
Lieutenant (iovernor I>o.riK says he
Will run things ort a cheaper scale
than at the last session, and expects
to—save-in the clerical work about
SIO,OOO.
Mr. Corey, who is a candidate to
succeed himself aa enrolling clerk,
expects to perform his work with
Much .less help than he'had 2 years
ago. ko far, we have heard of no
complaint about a little saying. The
folks will be iflatl of another cut.
Claims to be Champion
Kaiser of State
Mr. J. M. Tharington, of West Dur
ham, is claiming the hog-raising
championship of the State. He re
cently killed a hog that weighed
1,035 pounds after being dressed and
cut up. The hog was nine years old
tlie day killed.
The length of the mammoth porker
when hung up was 12 feet and it was
44 inches high. The 'untrimmed
bains weighed 150 pounds. The hog
,trade 142 pounds of sausage and 220
pounds of lard.
Watch the L*BC» OB Your
Paper; It Carrie the Date
Your .Subscription Expire*.
ESTABLISHED 1898
3 The absence of wrecks was the no
- j table feature here over the past
i week end. Only two wreck- in as
. j ni;.ny days were heard from, and
. tliey were of little note.
■ I Fot some time it has been almost
- i an impossibility for a week end to
> pass here without an auto wreck
| happening.
A careful estimate places the* num
:j In r-of wrii'k. during the year at 221
•| Ihu number includes -only those
'I wrecks where the cars were carried
ij'tajrarngea for repairs, and does not
take into consideration the niinur
tunes. To offer an estimate an|y
worth for all wrecks', that is the most
"minor ones as well as the major ones,
1 j is impossible.*
I ' Ihe Ford was the main sufferer,
: and approximately I>o per cent of that
nrnke went into the list of accidents,
j Only one big car is known to have
hail 'a part, and that was when a
Ford was knocked off the Jamesville
! road about five miles from here.
Ice wagons,- fish wagons," trucks,
| coupes and all the yther types of
j cars have been to the garages this
' year as a result of carelets driving.
Liquor was on the job, for it more
than sent its quota of cars to the
j garage, and many patients to the hos
■ p'itals, Thwr there were some- -that
were just unavoidable. -
Two deaths" have resulted from the
wrecks' happening in the county; one
taking place when the Coast Line train
hit and killed a colored man at the
Standard Oil tanks here, and the
other occurring just the otlrer side oi
Robersohville when another colored
man was thrown from a ear to the
pavement. Several people are wear
ing permanent scars I and at lea. t
three have been crippled in some or
other for life.
lake Martin County as an example
then picture (he deaths at id destruc
tion wrought by automobile wrecks
tnrougnoui me i niten Mates '
Senator King Attacks
North Carolina Projects
, Senator King, of Utah, in his at
tack on the rivers inuj Jiniihnrr*TuTl
now beingijgbirtffft fn the . Senate,
jmwliiil" n~i several North * Carolina
projects and attacked them with great
Klee. Most of the projects he men
tioned were fostered by Uepre .enta
tive Lindsay C Warren, of this .dis
tiict, and have already passed the
House.
This is a typical paragraph from
o.i.ator Kings' speech: "North Car
olina ba for many year occupied a
favored position in river anil harbor
bills. Provision is made in this bill
for various channels and for .an in
tereoastal waterway, for I >oUk'lass
Hay, for Far Creidt and Devil ; Cut
and Gardner Creek. If it were not
deemed improper, 1 might observe
that perhaps" there are o her cliah
iif Is and rivulets and microscopic
creeks that are so small as to be de
nominated" intestinal. Nor h Carolina
has Kunyon Creek, which i cared for
as well as Smiths Creek and Deep
Creek."
In spite of the attack ion the bill,
iiH passage .is soon expected with all
of the North Carolina projects in
ch) (led.
Several (Gallons liquor
Captured by Officers
Deputy Sheriff Grimes anil a help
iec-captured several Kallpns of liquor,
: a number of ken-, jugs, and bottles
at. the home of Sylvester Coffield Sat
| iiiiiay night. Coffield was arrested
; i.ml furnished-proper recognizance for
In ■ appearance.before -the recorder trf
| eay, Jjt is thought that Coffield's son
| was the business man in the case, as
! the reports reaching officers implicat
-1 ed him.
After this capture the officers went
to the home of John Stuart Slade,
where they found, a gallon of li
quor. This liquor was claimed by
Slades' si.-ter, who was held under
bond to reveal her Christmas story
to Judge ltailey.
Survivor of Ironclads'
First Battle Is Dead
Colonel Wiley 11. Fort was buried
•it Pikeville, Wayne county, last Sun
duy. He was 85 years old before his
death.,- ~
Colonel Fort had the distinction of
engaging in one of the world's moat
famous battles, that of the Merrl
nac and the Monitor ind the Chesa
peake bay. Up to that time there had
been no dream of such destruction.