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VOLUME XXXV—NUMBER 60
LARGE QUANTITY
SHELLS DUG UP
AT FORT BRANCH
Were Buried There During
Civil War By The
Confederates
The importance of Fort Branch, one
of the strongholds of the Confederacy
in this section during the Civil War,
was called' to the attention of a new
generation this week when John W.
Hines, \county game warden, exca
vated a part of the old fort and found
hundreds of shells. Weighing from
3 1-2 ounces to 54 pounds each, the
shells and shot were in 14 sizes and
types.
Forced to abandon the fort, com
monly known as Rainbow Banks, the
Confederates buried the unused shells
to keep them out of the hands of the
Federals. Guided by information giv
en him by his uncles, who served at
the fort during the war, and by Noah
Thompson* Mr. Hines started the ex
cavation Wveral days ago, and is now
Ittempting to recover several cannon
believed to have been bureid or thrown
down the high banks into the Roan
oke River.
The shells, now on display in The
Enterprise window, are of peculiar
size and make. One of them contain
ed 239 canister shots weighing about
an ounce each, one pound of powder
and a number of grape shot. Lying
in the ground all these years, the
shells have rusted a bit, but the pow
der it well preserved and will readily
burn when lighted.
"Located on the Roanoke River a
few miles below Hamilton, the old
fort is one of the interesting spots in
the county, few people know that
at that site a strong defense was ar
ranged to protect towns upstream and
mainly the. railroad bridge at Weldon.
No Federal gunboats ever attempted
to paas the stronghold, and no fight
placo there, as far as it can be learned.
WOMANS CLUB IN
MEET THURSDAY
School Man Urges Welfare
Work Be Continued for
Needy Children
Speaking before the Woman's Club
here yesterday afternoon, Principal
William R. Watson, of the local
schools, stressed the importance of
continued welfare work among needy
children of school age. There are
many children out of school at the
present time who are unable to at
tend because they haven't the nece£
sary clothes, food, and books, it is
understood. Mr. Watson called upon
the club members to continue their
work of last year and assist in return
ing the children to school.
The meeting was the first held by
the club this season, and was well
attended, the entire school faculty be
ing present. Following a piano se
lection played by Mrs. F.. A. Green,
the social committee served refresh
ment*.
Rev. Mr. Mclnnis Will
Preach Here Sunday
Sunday, September 25, 1932:
Church school at 9:45 a. m.
Worship service and sermon at 11
a. m.
Rev. W. D. Mclnnis, of Washing
ton, N. C., wilt bring the message of
the morning. Our church is indeed
fortunate in having him with us. The
public is invited to avail themselves
of the opportunity of hearing him.
Bear Grass
Church school at 9:30 a. m.
Worship service and sermoit at 7:45
p. w.
Roberaon'a Chapel
Church school at 4 p. m.
On Thursday night a series of serv
ices were begun at this point. A full
house greeted the speaker, Rev. M.
O. Sommers, of Clinton. Dr. E. C.
Gillespie Will bring the messages on
Friday and Saturday nights. The Rev.
M..0. Sommers will return Monday
night and continue with us through
Saturday. The public it cordially in
vited to make these services theirs.
Two Arrested lor Stealing
Tobacco Monday Night
Several hundred pounds of tobacco
belonging to F. U. Barnes and Wheel
er Gardner were stolen from a pack
house on the Mary Cherry farm near
here one night early this week. The
tobacco had been graded and was
ready for market when the thieves
hauled it away.
Charlie Ben McKeel and Lee Gard
ner, young white boyi, were arrest
ed yesterday and formally charged
with the theft at a hearing held by
Justice J. L. Hassell this morning.
if« Keel is said to have admitted his
part in the theft and implicated the
young Gardner boy. They were re
leased under S3OO bonds. The trials
will be held in the next term of court.
THE ENTERPRISE
This Year's Cotton Crop
One of Earliest
And now come* another crop
record for this county. Tobacco
is late this year, but it has been
late in past years. But cotton,
why that crop is reliably report
ed to be the earliest this year
than it has been at any time since
the crop was first produced in the'
county years and years ago. Pres
ent indications are that at least 90
per cent of die crop will have been
picked before the first of neat
month. December and even Jan
uary are known to have passed
before all the crop war picked in
the county during certain years
gone by,
And while the acreage planted
Caring for Needy
Tremendous Task
[ TO ADVERTISE ~^j
The time for advertising delin
quent tax liata in county and town
ia fast approaching, and Saturday
of next week the office of the col
lector will start preparing the lists
for publication.
Property owners are rapidly set
tling their acoovnta, and it ia be
lieved the delinquent liat will hard
ly be aa large aa they were last
falL
Pinal noticea have been for
warded to all property owners
who have failed to pay their 1931
taxes warning them that action
would be atarted the first of Oc
tober. No further postponement
of the tax sale ia poaaible under
the law.
JUDGE MIDYETTE
DIES SUDDENLY
Attend Local Schools and
Worked Here During
Early Manhood
Garland E. Midyette, superior
court judge of Jackson, Northampton
County, died suddenly in an Eliza
beth City hotel Tuesday afternoon
from an acute dilation of the heart.
Judge Midyette, presiding over a
term of civil court in Pasquotank
County, ordered a recess shortly after
4 p. m. Court ordinarily does not re
cess until 6 p. m., and Judge Midyette
told attorneys he was "not feeling
well."
He retired to his hotel room and
telephoned his. brother-iiklaw, Dr. C.
B. Williams, of Elizabeth City, to
come to see him.
Dr. Williams went and the two
sat down for a chat together
"I have been holding court for
eight years now," Judge Midyette
said to his brother-in-law, "and this
is the first time I have ever had to]
order adjournment on account j
of not feeling well."
They were the last words he spoke.
Hardly had he finished the sentence
before he toppled over dead. It waa
5:30 p. m.
When only 14 years of age, Judge
Midyette and his sister came to Wil
liamston to live with their brother,
the late D. D. Simmons. He attend
ed school here and later kept books
for Gurganus and Staton for several
years. He left here for college where
he studied law. After completing
his course and successfully passing
the State bar examination, he located
in Jackson.
The jurist is well remembered here
by many of the older residents both
as industrious- citizen and an able
judge.
Funeral service, were conducted in'
Jackson yesterday afternoon.
♦
Schedule of Services at
Local Methodist Church
C. T. Rogers, pastor.
Sunday school, 9:45 a. m.
Preaching, 11 a. m.
No services at night.
Epworth league, Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Good attendance helps both the
preacher and people. , It will help
you physically and spiritually to at
tend church regularly.
Come and worship with us Sunday
morning.
•
To Start Series of Services
at Piney Grove this Sunday
Beginning Sunday night, Rev. W.
A. Windham, of Greenville, will con
duct a series of services in the Piney
Grove Free Will Baptist church, it
was announced this week by J. E.
Ingalls, clerk. The public is invited.
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, September 23, 1932
to the crop has been materially
decreased because of the boll
weevil, Martin farmers still have
faith in old king cotton. Nearly
all the growers in this county are
said to be holding the crop for
higher prices, one of the several
ginners reporting in the county
estimating that 90 per cent of the
farmers are holding on to their
staple in his immediate section.
And there ii: surely an under
lying cause f'r withholding the
crop The e >rly season has made
it possible for farmers to rush
crops to the gins, reflecting errors
in the estimates offered in con
nection with the sise of the crop.
ESTIMATED THIS
COUNTY TO NEED
AROUND $60,000.00
Local Relief Agencies File
Reports Covering Work
For the Past Year
The serious situation surrounding
the needy or unfortunate in this coun
ty was well borne out in recent reports
received here from the various charity
and relief organizations functioning
at Oak City, Robersonville, Everetts,
Williamston, and Jamesville. The re
ports, based on accurate records, in
dicate that there will be around 771
families dependent upon the county
or welfare organizations by next De
cember, that the combined efforts of
the county and several welfare agen
cies will fall far. short in meeting the
demands of the needy.
Last year the county and welfare
organizations spent approximately
$14,930 to relieve actual suffering and
aid the unfortunate. 'And it is be
lieved that this county and its citi
zens through the relief organizations
did more to aid the unfortunates than
many other sections did during the
period.
While there was a marked cooper
ation in handling the work, a few were
responsible for the burden, and it is
believed that these few will be unable
to cope with the serious situation con
fronting th~e unfortunate of the coun
ty this winter.
In an effort to aid those who need
aid, Superintendent of Welfare J. C.
Manning this week appealed to the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
for funds. Basing his, requests upon
the reports received from the several
welfare agencies, the welfare head
estimates that $59,895 will be required
to care for the needy in the county
during the remainder of September
and during the next three months. Of
this amount, it is believed that coun
ty, Red . Cross and volunteer relief
agencies will raised approximately
$8,815. The request fot' the Remain
der has been directed 1 Jo th£ Recon
struction Finance Corporation, but it
is not known what proportion, if any,
of the amount asked for will be grant
ed.
Requests for aid are going to the
corporation from all parts of the state,
but it is not known just how much
aid will be offered in meeting the
needs of school children, jobless, and
the unfortunates in general.
Relief work in this county h4s been
virtually ignored by tome, but even
then valuable assistance has been ren
dered, and without hope for aid from
the finance corporation the relief
worlftrs believe it will be impossible
to handle the situation this fall and
winter.
The report from this county was
forwarded to the authorities in Ra
leigh Tuesday of this week, and in
£he meantime 'welfare workers are
continuing doing everything they can
to meet the demands of the unfortu
nate.
Five thousand yards of cloth have
been shipped to the Red Cross chap
ter at Jlobersonville for distribution
there. Approximately 12,000 addi
tional yards have been ordered by
welfare heads here for distribution in
all those centers not cared for by the
Robersonville chapter. The Rober
sonville shipment is due there any day,
but it will be several days, or prob
ably two weeks, before any cloth
reaches here, it is believed.
Assistance will be restricted, and
those who fail to help themselves
■when it is possible for them to do so,
will find it difficult to share in wel
fare aid in the county this fall and
winter.
Just how long it will take the au
thorities to pass upon the merits of
the requests is not known.
PROCEEDINGS IN
MARTIN COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT
$25,000 Damage Suit Will
Reach Jury Sometime
This Afternoon
Completing'' the criminal docket
Wednesday afternoon, the Martin
County Superior Court started work
on the criminal issues yesterday morn
ing. There were comparatively few
criminal cases handled Tuesday after
noon and Wednesday, the court spend
ing a greater part of Wednesday hear
ing the case against three young
boys said to have attempted to steal
gasoline from the Salsbury Supply
Company some time ago. _
Criminal proceedings entered on the
docket Tuesday afternoon and Wed
nesday include the following:
Dave Melton was found not guilty
in the case charging him with reck
less driving.
Dennis Barber, charged with secret
assault, was found not guilty.
A verdict of not guilty was returned
by jury in the case charging Boyd
Hight with operating an automobile
while under the influence of whisky.
Raleigh Roebuck pleaded guilty and
J. D. Britton and Nathan Wynn were
sfound guilty by jury in the case charg
ing them with larceny and receiving.
Judge Daniels had not passed sen
tence at noon today, stating that he
would withhold the judgment until
he was ready to adjourn court for
the week.
The cases charging T. E. Hines and
William Sutton with operating trucks
with improper licenses and B. G.
Hines with permitting the operation
of trucks with improper licenses were
nol prossed with leave.
The case charging Leland Roberson
and John E. Wells with arson was
continued for a bill.
Two judgments were granted in
faVor of General Talking Pictures Cor
poration against H. T. Highsmith in
the sjim of $3,980.55, and one in the
sum of $390.67 in favor of Archer
Knitwear Company against Mrs, N.
J. Rhodes.
Starting the Edgar Johnson $25,000
damage suit against the lloffler-Boney
Transfer Company, of Wallace, the
court heard the first evidence at 10:30
yesterday morning after a jury was
selected from a special venire. The
case progressed slowly during the day
and at noon today it was believed the
case would reach the jury about 4 o'-
clock this afternoon, there being
some doubt expressed as to how long
it would requir the body to return a
verdict.
Testimony in the rase was com
pleted at 11 o'clock this morning, and
the attorneys were given three hours
to argue the case.
The case is being hard fought by
both sides. Rivers D. Johnson, state
senator, is leading the defense action.
Bishop Darst To Preach
Here Sunday Morning
i The Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Darst, bish
op of the East Carolina Diocese, will
preach in the Church of the Advent
here Sunday morning at the 11 o'-
clock hour, it was announced Ithis
morning;
The minister's talks are well re.
ceived here, and it is expected that a
goodly number of people in the com
munity will attend-the service Sun
day morning. The public is cordially
invited to attend. There will be no
evening service.
Brief Report Is Made by
Grand Jury This Week
After completing its duties this
week, the grand jury offered one of
the shortest reports filed in court here
in some time. But it was to the point.
Foreman Green, representing the body
saying, "We have examined the coun
ty home, county jail, and offices and
find them in excellent condition and
also find the inmates in the county
home and jail being well cared for."
No recommendations were made by
the jury, declared one of the youngest
ever to serve in this county.
HAS BEEN WORSE
i /
"We are having good time* now
—compared with the times dur
ing and immediately after the Civ
il War," Mr. Mack Gurganua, 81-
year-old Roberaonville Townahip
resident, said while attending
court here this week. "Our fath
er and a brother were killed and
a second brother lost an arm in
the war, and we had it mighty
hard back then," Mr. Gurganus
said, declaring that even during
this depression we are living far
better than they did in the 1860*8.
Mr. Gurganus, a native of Pitt
County, is very active for his ad
vanced afp, apparently en
joyfd listening in on the proceed
ings in die court here this wvek.
1,000 Applications for Work
Will Be Given To Contractor
J. R. ROBERTSON
DIED AT HOME
HERE THURSDAY
Funeral This Afternoon at
Late Home On West
Main Street
James R. Robertson, 72 years old,
died at his home on East Main Street
here yesterday afternoon at 1 :J0 o'-
clock. For nearly seven years he was
confined to his. bed, suffering greatly
from rheumatism during all of that
time. On his birthday, March 17, six
years ago, he suffered an attack of
double pneumonia, and time
his condition gradually grew worse,
the rheumatism and a complication of
other diseases resulting in his death.
The son of William H. and Mary
Waters Roberson, he was born in
Washington County on the Albemarle
Sound, where he spent his childhood
days. When a young man he moved
here to make his home. He had suf
fered with rheumatism for nearly 20
years, but was able to be up until he
was stricken with pneumonia.
•During his long illness, his cousin,
Miss Nina Robertson, nursed him
night and day. One brother, L. C.
Robertson, and one sister, Mrs. R. P.
Hawes, of Lanham, Md.; one nephew,
James Upton, of California; and three
nieces, Mrs. N. C. Green and Mrs.
Charlie "James, of Williamston, and
Mrs. H. C. James, of Fredericksburg,
| Vlk, survive.-
Funeral services are being conduct
ed by Rev. C. T. Rogers at the home
this afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. Inter
ment will follow in the local ceme
COUNTY MEDICAL
MEN MEET HERE
Elect New Officers For the
Coming Year at Meet
Held Wednesday
A reorganization of the Martin
County Medical Society was perfect
ed here last Wednesday evening when
all the doctors in the county met and
elected officers and discussed various
subjects in connection with the pro
fession.
Dr. J. E. Smithwick, of Jamesville,
was made the society's new president,
and Dr. Jesse Ward, of Robcrson
ville, was named vice president of the
organization. Dr. J. S. Rhodes was
elected secretary and treasurer.
An invitation wis extended the doc
tors of Washington County to join
the Martin County Society at the next
meeting to be held here in December.
Professor Hickman Will
Preach for Baptists Here
Prof. Hickman, principal of the
Bear Grass School, will occupy the
pulpit of the Baptist church Sunday
morning. Professor Hickman is well
known in this county and has spoken
in this church before. The people are
invited to the service.
At the morning hour the pastor will
ibe supplying for a Greenville pastor
[who is ill, but will be back in the pul
pit Sunday night for the 7:30 o'clock
service.
Kiwanians To Hold Guest
Meeting Tuesday Night
The members of the*local Kiwanis
Club will please take notice that the
next meeting of the club will be held
next Tuesday night at 7 o'clock, in
stad of the regular ..hour on Wednes
day.
This tenw>orary change in the time
of mci ting\s announced because thi*
will be a meeting, and will make
it possible for more people to attend,
and will give more time for the de
liberations.
'''Building Community Good Will'"
will be the subject and each member
is supposed to bring a guest.
Former Local Minister
To Locate at Biltmore
Dr. William R. Burrell, formerly
pastor of the Williamston Memorial
Baptist church but for the past several
years pastor of the Murfreesboro
Baptist church and Bible teacher in
Chowan College, has resigned his
duties there and will move to Bilt
more the first of next month, it was
learned here this week.
The minister is well and favorably
remembered here, and« his mai)y
friends wish him success in his new
work.
MILLION MARK
With approximately 125,000
pounda of tobacco on the three
warehouse floors here today, the
market will have sold at the close
of aales thia afternoon approxi
mately one million pounds of the
golden weed, it was unofficially
learned at noon today. The aver
age price so far is around 11
centa.
Black tipa are dominating the
sales today and are holding the
price average down to around 10
cents and probably lower for the
sales today. However, the prices
remain about the same for the
better grades. Very little die
satisfaction has been reported on
the market, and hundreds of far
mers are being well pleased with
their sales here daily. »
TWO YOUNG MEN
CHARGED WITH
TOBACCO THEFT
A. Hardison and Ellsworth
Holliday Will Be Tried
At Next Court Term
A. J. Hardison and Ellsworth Hoi*
lidays, two younir white boys, of
Janiesvillc Township, were arrested
this week and formally charged with
the larceny of several hundred pounds
of tobacco last Slinday night from
Henry Modlin and George Cordon,
farmers in that section. A hearing
will be given the two young men be
fore Justice of the Peace J. L. Has
sell. Hardison, a young man of rec
ognised good character, was released
under a S2OO bond Wednesday after
noOn for his appearance before the jus
tice tomorrow. Holiiday, indirectly
connected with the. alleged theft, is
also out under bond.
Starting work on the case shortly
after the theft was reported, Sheriff
Roebuck visited nearly every tobacco
in the belt before he located
the stolen weed in Washington, where
it was sold for around SSO. Gradu
ally he closed in tin the boys with his
evidence, picking up young Hardison
dbout 2 o'clock Tuesday morning as
he was starting to for parts un
known, Ol
It is generally believed that bonds
will be furnished tomorrow and that
the case will be called at the Decem
ber term of Martin Superior Court.
Two Men Held for Forging
Check on Local Warehouse
Robert l.amb and Jesse Heavers,
white men \VUson and I'itt Coun
ties, are being n£ld iu-the Hertford
County jail to await trial in the case
charging them with.forging checks on
the Roanoke-Dixie Warehouse here.
They passed several of the checks on
Ahoskie merchants, but were trapped
by police there before any great losses
developed.
Large Crowds Attending
Meeting at Rose of Sharon
According to information received
here this week, large crowds are at
tending the series of services that are
being conducted each night this week
at th Rose of Sharon church, near
Bear Grass. Rev. Willie Hart, of
Snow Hill, is conducting the services,
and there is a marked interest shown
in the worship by the people of that
section, it was stated.
Gasoline Prices Undergo
Marked Decrease Today
"Gasoline prices dropped three and
two-tenths cents on the gallon here
this morning, the decrease being one
of the largest known in years, C. A.
Harrison, of the Harrison Oil Com-,
pany, said this morning. The retail
price stands now at 19.7 cents a gal
lon.
No cause supporting the sudden
and sizeable decrease could *e learn
ed here today* and it is thought the
low price is only temporary.
Whips Aged Mother for
Not Preparing His Lunch
Angered because bis 85-year-old
mother had failed to prepare dinner
for him, an up-county farmer is said
to have beat her, leaving a few bruises
on the aged woman's body. _ 4 lt was
also learned that the woman had been
standing at a tub all the morning han
dling the family wash.
The dastardly act has not been in
troduced to the courts, it was said.
Advertisers Will Pnd Our Cot
urns a Latchkey to Over Sixteen
Hundred Martin County Homes
ESTABLISHED 1898
PREFERENCE TO
BE GIVEN VETS,
HEADS FAMILIES
Labor for Highway Will
*Be Furnished by Martin
and Halifax Counties
Nearly 1,000 applications for work
will be turned over to the Gregory-
Chandler Company, contractors, when
they start surfacing Hi K lnv ay Na 125..
it was learned here this week. World
War veterans anil heads of large
families will be given preference, ac
cording to information coming from
the State welfare department, Kalcigh.
Approximately 500 of the applications
forwarded here from Halifax
County, the work on the road to be
done .by labor from Halifax and Mar
tin Counties.
It was stated that the contractors
would establish and maintain head
quarters here, but it could not be
learned when work on the road would
be started.
Ihe long list of applications filed
with the superintendent of county
welfare at his office here is being pre
pared in alphabetical form and will be
turned over to the contractors along
with the list from Halifax County in
accordance with instructions received
from the State Welfare Department.
Vccording to plans formulated by
the State Highway Department and
I'cderal Authorities, one* group of
workers will be offered only three
days employment each week and an
other group will be on the job the
other three days of the week. The
wage scale, it i. understood, is 15 and
20 cents an hour.
It is not known just how many men
ilio comrsctorg will employ, but it is
believed that after the work is started,
nearly WO of the approximately 1,000
applicants will still be without jobs
unless they get work elsewhere.
Former Loci Boy Writes
On Deep Sea Trawling
The September issue of "The fish
ing Gazette," the national news journ
al of the commercial fisheries, pub
lished in New York City, carried the
announcement of the resumption of
the scries of article written by Wil
liam A. F.llisoir, jr., formerly of Wil
lianiston, on deep sea trawling. A
number of articles by the same au
thor have appeared in previous edi
tions. The announcement appeared
under & picture of Mr. Fllison taken
aboard "The Kingfisher," a large
trawler operating in the north Atlan
tic. The Atlantic ('oast Fisheries Co.
for whom he has done biological work
since leaving Yale University several
years ago, has had him searching rec
ords in the Patent Office at Washing
ton City this summer drying to estab
lish the infringement of rights to a
patent by another company. For the
past year he and Mrs. Ellison have
made their, home in New York City,
but recently returned to New London,
Conn., where he has a laboratory. His
duties take him to sea for two weeks
of each month.
Regular Services at The
Local Christian Church
.The following services will be held
in , the local > Christian church Sun
day: '■ ' ,
Sunday school at 9:45 a 111.
Preaching at 11 a. m. 9ndT:3o p. m
by tjie pastor.
A hearty welcome awaits you and
an invitation is extended to all who
will to attend these services.
Announce Curb Market
Prices' For Tomorrow
A partial list of prices for the curl)
market follows for this vveke:
Eggs, 23c doz.; string beans, 3c lb.;
cfirn, 13c doz.; cucumbers, 3c each;
tomatoes, 3c lb.; salad, 5c lb.; cab
bage, 2c lb.; peppers, 7c doz.; sweet
potatoes, 2c lb.; onions, 3c lb.; peaches
Sc lb.; apples, 3c lb.; grapes, 2c lb.;
carrots, 3c bunch; turnips, 3c bunch;
and irish potatoes, 1 i-2c lb..
Caswell Sheriff's Office
Raided; Liquor Is St6len
•.
Danville, Va.—Sheriff Yancey
wood, of Casewll County, is looking
for a thief >vho broke into his office
at Yanceyville, N. C. f the other night,
stole his best-looking pistol and S gal
lons of liquor.
The liquor was evidence which was
being held pending disposition of a
seizure case.
The thief used a crow-bar on the
window and did not molest the cash
register in which was a small sum of
money nor the small iron safe.