Your Old, Broken, Discarded Toys Will Help Bring Christmas To the Poor ? Call 46 for a Messenger
Watch
tho Label on Your
Paver,
as It Carries the Date
Your
Subscription Expires
THE ENTERPRISE
Advertisers Will Plod Oar Col
umill a Latchkey to Oyer l.M*
Homes of Martin Canity.
VOLUME XXXVIII?NUMBER 100 V/illiamston, Martin County. North Carolina. Friday, December 13, 1935 ESTABLISHED 1899
Boy Scouts Get Fair Response To
Second Canvass for Old Toys Here
Need Still Great and
Bundles Will Be Sent
For on Notification
Voluntary Cash Donations
Will Be Necessary To
Care for the Needy
A second canvass for old toys and 1
other articles to be used in bright
ening poverty-stricken homes in the
town this Christmas season was giv
en a fair response last Wednesday
afternoon when Professor D. N. Hix
and several Boy Scouts handled the
work. A fairly large collection of
toys has been assembled, but it is ]
certain just now that the supply will
be exhausted long before all the
needy little children are reached.
Realizing that the toy supply will
not be sufficient to meet the needs,
the sponsors of the movement again
call attention of local citizens to the 1
opportunity of sharing a part in the |
undertaking by making cash contri
butions to the Christmas Cheer fund, j
Participants in the-undertaking arc
assured that every effort will be
made to effect a proper distribution
of every article collected and every
penny contributed. The extent of
the movement's success will be meas
ured by the final response made, and
the people of Williamston have the
power to determine just how valu
able and successful will be the mis
sion of cheer and happiness.
If you have not participated al
ready, plan now to have a part in
making this Christmas a bright one
for the less fortunate by making
some contribution today. All con
tributions will be received and ac
knowledged by The Enterprise- j
In making the hurried canvasses,
the Scouts might have missed some
homes where toys are available In
those cases a direct call to The En
terprise will bring a special messen
ger. Just call telephone No. 46.
Oak City Parent-Teacher
Group Have Big Meeting
The Oak City Parent-Teacher as
sociation, the largest in the county,
held a very successful meeting and
enjoyed an unusually entertaining
Christmas program in the audtiori
um there last Tuesday evening. The
entertainment, portraying the birth
of Christ, was preesnted by the
program committee of the organiza
A report by the membership com
mittee featured the business session,
the roll now carrying the names of
109 active members. It was also
pointed out that this figure would
be increased by the next meeting
The attendance prize went to the
seventh grade for having the largest
parent representation at the meeting.
Club Women Conducting
Special Sale This Week
A Christmas sale, sponsored by
home demonstration club women of
this county, was opened in the store
just recently occupied by Gander
son's, Thursday afternoon. The sale
will be held through Saturday of
this week. All money taken In at
this sale goes to the Jane S. Mc
Kimmon Loan Fund, created some
*6? lor the higher education
of girls living in the country All
articles for sale were donated by
the club women for this purpose.
The agent is dependent upon home
demonstration club women for as
sistance at this sale. It is hoped those
who failed to contribute an article
for sale will lend assistance at the
store during the short time the sale
is underway.
Williamston Stores Will Be
Open Nights All Next Week
With Christinas a little more
than one week away, local mer
cantile establishments will re
main open evenings. beginning
next Monday, for Ihe conveni
ence of shoppers over this sec
tion. The shopping season is
short, and as is always the cus
tom. local merchants are doing
all in their power to make the
trading period pleasant and prof
itable to their patrons. Visit
Williamston merchants today or
any time, and be assured that
your visit will be both profitable
and appreciated.
The Christmas season is upon
us. Decorations, already exten
live in their scope, are being
added to dally. Lighted Christ
mas trees dot the night here and
there over town, giving evidence
that WilUamston is anticipating
a cheerful time this Yulrtide
season.
Sheriff Roebuck and his assist
ants are still in the dark with
their decorations at the court
house. compared with those of
Mayor Haasrll and Officer Alls
brook on the Town Hall. The
sheriff avers, however, that a
special decorator will he in here
from Richmond to help the court
house push tne town group into
the dark.
County WP A Workers
Still Waitingfor Pay
\ LICENSES ON SALE
I:
Slate automobile license laes
go on sale at the motor club bu
reau in thp Williamston Motor
Company building on Washing
ton Street here tomorrow morn
ing, N. C. tlreen, manager of the
bureau announced today Prices
are considerably lower than,.they
were a year ago, and a record
sale is expected at the local bu
reau.
In the early purchase of li
censes, car owners wil avoid a
last-inute rush that has for years
marked the plate sale, and they
will eliminate all possibility of
embarrassment when patrolmen
start making arrests of those
who operate caryVrith old plates
on and after January 1.
Two Fires at Oak'
City Friday Provide|
Plenty Excitement
Homes of T. H. Johnson and
Louis Johnson Are But
Slightly Damaged
The progressive and peaceful town
of Oak City in the upper part of the
i county had an exciting day in its
history last Friday, when two fires
broke out, one in the morning and
one in the early evening.
Starting from sparks out of a chim
ney, the first fire damaged the roof
of the T. H Johnson home, but the
loss was not great, reports stated.
Church bells were used to summon
the aid of neighbors, and the bucket
! brigade, although unorganized, had
the fire under control in a short
while.
That evening about 6:30 o'clock,
the home of Louis Johnson was fired
by an oil stove, causing a damage
amounting to several hundred dol
lars. it was reported. The fire spread
rapidly, flllirtg the house with smoke,
but a general alarm brought hun
i dreds of volunteers to the scene, and
with buckets and what little other
Are-fighting equipment they could
lay their hands on, soon had the
Are out. While the Are and water
caused a considerable loaa, the main
damage was done by smoke, it was
: reported.
Hog Killings in County Are
Later Than Usual This Tear
Following a late peanut harveating
season as a result of rainy weather,
farmers are expected to be late with
their hog killings in the county this
season, reports stating that very few '
have killed any meat so far. While
the main packing season falls in Jan- 1
uary and early February, a goodly
number of farmers ordinarily kill'
and pack their meat before the hol
idays. A few will continue the prac
tice this year, but for the most part
the killings wil lbe delayed for sev
eral weeks.
Farmers were unable to get their'
peanuts out of the fields early this
year, and the practice of fattening
hogs on the peanuts left on and in
the ground was necessarily delayed.
Reports state that some farmers have
not been able to get their hogs in
the fields even up to the present
time.
Reports vary as to the quantity of
meat that will be killed and packed
in the county this year, but the gen
eral belief Is that a majority of farm
ers will have supplies sufficient to
meet their own demands. No sur
plus of any size is expected. The
local demand for pigs has far exceed
ed the supply available here during
the past several weeks, and fatten
ing hogs have been sold at a premi
um.
Some, Checks Long'
Overdue, Forced to
on Streets
Begging
Relief Discontinued. Many
Families Experiencing
Serious Hardships
Following I he closing th, Emel.
fndCyi|R,1,e' Adm,n,!"ratio? off ice
"id the unaccountable delay
Works Progress Administrai io? wage
payments. the Fedeial rehef pro
gram in this county has reached an
uncertain stage, apparently proving
.,nre^ " We"k ",,k 'he wh.te
lief^'o ' POlt,lcaHjr maneu\ ered re
u. administration somewhere Jus*
where the trouble is. no one seen, I
know Reports, reports, and
tr i" r?P"rts are ?oing into the dis
trict office daily. ,( understood
but until ,?day nu ,.heck; rsUaa';
approximately 175 WPA J L
a
<.^r:s;:r;Lrs'r
beg on the streets And while their
as that of th "0I n<ar *? h,,pelos
s; that of the approximately 91 fan,
, 'y heads dismissed from tl,c PR \
and few prospects for aid from oth
er sources Just how the anor Li
ma'ely 9, family heads whT^e
thrown on their own when the KRA
office suspended operations. haVe
tared, could not be learned w
,oMhem has been ,0 ^
tztl r
h.nvenoet,rbcLMrLy ^ d?"L
I*1 face hunger and rZZ
I Christmas time.
,rTha' there might be aid for -hose
iwere^ot T 'he ERA r",ls a,,d who
(Were not absorbed by the WP \
likely bu, no. certoto Jux, Z A
distribution agent has bee, named
by the county, and clothing and olh
er article, have been turned over
to the agent by the WPA. but d.siri
' received'f'trUCt'0nS h'VF ?>een
Reived from somewheer up the re
administration line The sue
">r of.ercd in the future will be a
mere pitUnce compared with the
in * ? ?? - ?
derstood. Word will reach the lex.
ortunate in a hurry, no doubt when
the organization, probablv the ois
g^min^^^t.
wo^LLL' ,h'rne-ntim' Patient WPA
worker, continue at their assigned
eTofhrUUy #Wa",n< ^liv
ery of their pay check, long over
PaperAdvances Schedule
During Christmas Season
Beginning next week. The Enter
vL!!LT""^ f'bRshed on an ad
? Kuuii.Mira on an ad
vanced schedule, the Tuesday edi
fon leaving the pre? early Tuetoay
ntorninff an/1 4L. ; >
? p.c? t any Tuesday
morning and the rrid.y edition go
Tbucaday The edition
for the following Tuiday will*Z
??d over the week-end. according
to Pt^r,,hPUn; P"t?' ?k,ci
ml^T s advanced schedule in
mind when offering material re
publication. . ,or
TEACHERAGE AT
BEAR GRASS IS
DAMAGED BY FIRE
Overheated Fireplace First
Day of Occupancy Is
Given as Cause
recently completed at a cost of ap
proximately $4,500. was threatened I
by fire early Tuesday evening, when i
a sill and other floor timbers were i
fired by an overheated fireplace. A
portion of the sill and room partition |
base next to the back of the chim- I
ney were burned, and a fairly large
area under the floor was charred, |
| but damage caused by the fire was .
I considered small. The main loss re- |
suited when a hole was cut in the ;
I floor to get to the fire, but repair j
costs will not exceed $30 or $40, it is j
estimated.
An alarm was directed to the Wil- |
liamston fire department, and a call
was made of its volunteers, but be
fore the firemen reached there the
five was out. Neighbors rushed to
the home and assisted in bringing
the fire under control.
Principal Hickman grd family and
teachers in the school had just
moved into their new home that a<i.
ernoon. When the fire was discov
ered neighbors moved them out. and
later in the night another move was
completed. A medium size fire was
!burning in the fireplace, and one that
could hardly have caught the wood
work under normal conditions, but
(apparently there was some defective
construction somewhere about the
chimney.
Head of Notorious
County Family Dies
??
I ou Manning Sawyer, head of a
notorious roving elan in this county,
died in Murfreesboro last Monday,
according to reports reaching here
this week Said to have been brut
ally beaten by her estranged hus
tiand. Ed Sawyer, some time ago, the
woman was believed to have re
ceived injuries that resulted in her
death. Arangements for the funer
al and burial could not be learned
here, county welfare authorities and
the sheriff's office explaining they
had not been notified of the reported
death.
According to the woman's daugh
ter who lives in this township near
Mobley's Mill. Sawyer disappeared
some time ago with his youngest
daughter-in-law.
Jamesville Victorious Over
Plymouth in Double Bill
The Jamesville High School bas
ketball teams won two games from
Plymouth here last Wednesday eve
ning Coach Satterwhite's sextet
showed considerable improvement.
! since the last game, and registered
a 23 to 8 win over the Washington I
| County girls. Hardison led in scor-j
ing and Miss Jackson was runner .
j up. Misses Brown and Gardner also
? featured for Jamesville Miss Hop-,
' kins was high scorer for Plymouth,
and Miss Clagon was next best Miss
! Gurkin also featured the play for
Plymouth. In the boys' end of the
double-header, Ange was high scor
er for the winners with 16 points.
Hassell was next with 6 points. As
kew and Mayo featured for Plym
outh with 4 points each. ^
Jamesville meets Rocky Mount
in a double header at Rocky Mount
next Tuesday night
Minister Stresses Value of
Scholarship in Talk to Club i
The real value of a scholarship!
club in the high school was pointed
out by Rev. Z. T. Piephoff, Presby-|
terian minister, in an address before 1
the Jamesville chapter of the Nation ]
1 Honorary Beta Club in the school'
auditorium there last Monday eve-^
ning. Following the address, the
minister awarded certificates to the]
club members, the program in its
entirety being regarded as a valuable
boost for scholastic activities
All members of the club and a
few special guests were present for
the meeting.
Several Hunters Fined for
Violations of Game Laws
Seven alleged violators of the
game laws were earned before a
justice of the peace in Gooae Nest
Township recently, the court find
ing all of them guilty. Fines were
imposed in all but two cases, and
in those the defendants drew short
Jail sentences, it eras reported.
Award Contracts for Five
School-Building Projects
Postal Facilities Here Taxed
To TakeCare of Heavy Mai Is
Handling already one of the larg
est seasonal mail volumes in its his
tory, the local post office is facing
what has the prospects of being the
largest holiday business in years. De
cember activities iu the office art
pushing toward a new record in
come, while the incoming mails are J
causing postal employees strenuous j
schedules.
The holiday rush has hardly been
felt so far. and with the facilities of
the office already heavily taxed, it is
believed the Christmas mails will
literally swamp the office here. Real
izing the heavy demands on the
postal department at Christmas time,
officials are urging early mailing of
packages ard cards this year more
than ever. Probably additional help
will be made available, but even
then delayed mailing is likely to re
sult in late deliveries
Patrons of the local office are
urged to bear the circumstances in
mind, and cooperate in the efficient ;
I handling of the mails by properly I
[addressing letters, cards and pack
ages and mailing all articles early
County's Last Veteran
Of Confederacy Passes
David F. Roberson,
Age 87, Passes at His
RobersonvilleHomt
Saw Action In Lee's Army
Around Richmond When
Only a Young Boy
David F. Roberson. 87-year-old
Confederate veteran, died at his
home in Robersonville early Thurs
day morning, his passing leaving on
ly memories of those brave young
men from Martin County who so
nobly defended the cause of the
South in the early sixties For sev
eral years, Mr. Roberson was the
lone standard bearer of the Line of
Gray in this county, but the infirmi
ties of age and a complication of ail
ments sapped his strength, and jus',
as he laid aside his plowshares to
answer the call of Lee more than 70
years ago, he laid aside the battles
of life to answer the call of his
Maker just after midnight yester
day morning.
The son of the late H. Baker Rob
erson, the veteran lived nearly all
his life in the Robersonville section
Except for that brief but hectic per- 1
lod when he laid aside his plow
handles to shoulder a gun in behalf ;
of the Southland, Mr Roberson
farmed until his health begaj& to fail
him several years ago. lie was a
strong member of the Primitive Bap- ,
tist church, and leaders of that de- ,
nomination are conducting the last I
rites this afternoon.
He is survived by one daughter, I
Mrs. Annie Riddick, and three sons.
Willie, Thomas, and Leland Rober-'
son, all of Robersonville. He also
leaves four brothers, T. W., Ed, and
A S. Roberson, all of Robersonville,
and James Roberson, of Stokes.
Seventy-two years ugo this fall,
Mr. Roberson, then only 15 years of
age, entered the service as courier
between Hamilton and Greenville A
few months later he was moved to
Wilmington, and from there he
joined the forces of General Hoke
and saw the town of Plymouth re
captured from the Federals. Things
were fairly quiet until he went to
Berumda Hundreds, near Peters
burg, to join the forces of General
Lee. There he saw the first blood
shed in the struggle, Col. John C.
Lamb, brother to the late Wilson G.
Lamb, of this county, losing his life
in action just a few hours after Mr.
Roberson reached the scene of con
flict in that sector.
During the spring and summer of
1864, Mr. Roberson and his regiment
continued with Lee in all his maneuv
ers around Richmond and Peters
burg, and after a short stay on Mor-.
tar Hill, near Petersburg, Mr. Rob-i
erson and his regiment left to de
fend Fort Fisher. Reaching there on
Christmas Day, the Federals gave
them a warm reception with shell |
fire, but the attack failed. Three
weeks later the Unionists were suc
cessful, and Mr. Roberson and his
regiment evacuated the section and
followed a trail to Goldsboro and
Kinston. At the latter place they
fought the Yankees under General
Burnside. Lieutenant Theodore
Hassell, son of the late Elder C. B.
Hassell, was killed in this battle.
Leaving the Kinston section, Mr.
(Continued on page four)
OLD SOLDIER DIES I
*
David F. Robrrson, Martin
bounty's last Confederate vet
earn died at his home in Rober
sonville early yesterday morn
in* at the a#e of 87 years.
County (lotion drop
Is One of Smallest
Reported for Years
Ginnings To December 1st
Are 800 Bales Behind
Those Last Season
As the cotton harvesting season
nears a close, the production de
crease this year compared with that
of last season becomes larger, a re
port released a day 01 two ago by
Mrs. Luther Hardison, collector of
cotton ginning reports for this coun
ty, shows. Up to the first of this |
month farmers in this county had
ginned 3,015 hales, or 802 less than
the ginnings up to the first of De
cember last year.
A good crop year would lAive re
sulted in a production in excess of
the county allotment, hut unfavor
able weather during the growing
season reversed the situation, and
now many Martin farmers have ex-,
cess allotments for sale. A few grow
ers in some sections of the county
exce??ded their allotments, however,
and are buying extra marketing cer
tificates, it is understood. H
Prices So High Two
Other Projects Are
Discarded Entirely
Contracts Are Now Before
P. W. A. Authorities
For Final Approval
Thrown upon the mercy of build
ing contractors last Wednesday aft
ernono, Martin County's $100,000
school expansion program was bad
ly battered and disfigured, and fin
ally gained approval of local authori_
ties but not until two projects had
been eliminated in their entirety and
other short-cuts had been made to
hold the total expenditure down.
The bids using the lowest for com
parisons, averaged around 20 per
cent above the estimates, and after
two projects . had been eliminate*!
entirely they were larger by slight
ly more than $1,000 than the origi
nal estimates. County officials, com
missioners and members of the board
of educatn^i, were bitterly disap
pointed, and at one time they con
sidered junking the whole program,
but urgent expansion needs called
for reconsideration, and contracts
I were let for an addition at Farm
Life, a new high school building at
| Jamesville, a primary' unit at Wil
jliamston, an eight-roonT colored
? school building with an auditorium
at Kobersonville, and a primary unit
[at Oak City.
Construction of gymnasiums at
Oak City and Jamesville were forced
out of the program when it was fig
ured their costs would carry the ex
penditures. over the appropriations
? by around $20,000. The board, fully
? realizing the need for the buildings,
delayed the elimination process un
itil late in the evening, but when the
cold money facts were considered
they shifted their attention to save
|the remainder of the program.
i More contractors entered bids than
I were expected, but they were all
J considered high. Variations were
! little less than 'astounding, one con
tractor bidding double the amount of
another on one project, and a differ
ential of $5,000 or more was common
from one end of the program to the
other. Perspiration started rolling
down the faces of the county author
ities, they pulled their hair and al
most sighed as the war-time prices
were called out. Late in the eve
ning thcrvontracts awards were an
nounced us follows:
Jamesville High School, eight
room unit, A L. Goode, of Charlotte,
$21,950.
Williamston, four-room primary
unit A. L Goode, Charlotte, $12,
800 The highest bid on this par
ticular project was $24,400.
Farm Life, addition and altera
tions to old building A L. Goode,
Charlotte, $13,200
Kobersonville, eight-room colored
school with auditorium, W. L. Jewell
of Sanford, $22,750
Oak City, four-room primary unit
and sewage disposal plant, A. L.
Goode, Charlotte, $15,600.
Plumbing and heating increased
the proposed expenditures by $16,
400, the Williamston. project going to
W K. Dunn, of Williamston; Oak
City, to Home Equipment Company,
of Koanoke Rapids; Farm Life, to
Harris Hardware Company, Wash
ington; Kobersonville, to C. L. Kuss,
of Greenville; and Jamesville, to
W M Wiggins, of Wilson.
The general contract figures, in
cluding plumbing and heating and
furniture and fixtures and architect
fees call for a total expenditure of
(Continued on page four)
Joe Lawson Gets New Trial
On Error in Judge's Charge
Joe Lawson, Bethel white man,
adjudged guilty of manslaughter by
a Martin County Superior Court jury
last June, was granted a new trial
this week by the State Supreme
Court on an appeal entered through
his attorney, Elbert S Peel.
The ease will probably be ached-'
tiled for trial again next March,
when the killing of little Peggy Har-1
diaon and serioua Injury to Mra. C.
O. Godard on the Jameaville high
way the Ulh of November, 1934. will
be reviewed once more.
A new trial was granted when the
court found that Judge R. Hunt'
Parker, in his hasty charge, had not
properly instructed the jury,
Johnnie Williams, defendant in the
same case, did not enter an appeal
and is now servjng a sentence of not
less than 18 months and not more
than three years. Lawson was sen
tenced to prison for not less than
two and not more than four years.
The little Hardison child was
killed when the Lawson truck, driv
en by Williams, darted off the road
and crashed into the carriage be
ing pushed well to the aide of the
road by Mrs. C. O. Godard, the
baby's grandmother.