THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 6 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 21,1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
4 CAR ACCIDENTS
REPORTED HERE
LAST SATURDAY
Log Truck Plunges Into
Sweet Water Creek But
No One Badly Hurt
Four automobile accidents were
reported in this county last Satur
day resulting in a considerable prop
erty damage loss, but no one was
dangerously hurt. Merton TeUord
Cope land, operator of a log truck for
a local lumber mill, had a narrow
escape when his machine plunged
into Sweet Water Creek, stopping
with only a small portion of the ca
cu< of the water. He received only
a slight scratch on his arm. but much
of his body was drenched by the icy
waters.
The first of the four accidents oc
curred on the Washington road a
bout six miles from here early that
morning. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Elks
and Bruce Boyd, of Grimesland, and
Attorney J. D. Paul, of Washington,
were traveling toward Williamston
when a rear tire blew out on the
Elks car, causing the machine to
swerve and turn over down an em
bankment on the left side of the
road. The car came to a stop against
a tree with the front end on the
ground and the rear resting 13 or H
feet in the air against the tree. Mr.
Paul suffered a broken arm. Mrs^
Elks and Mr. Boyd were badly cut
about the face and arms, but not
seriously. Mr Elks escaped with a
few minor Injuries. The car was
demolished. .
About noon, the log truck driven
by Copeland, crashed into a car driv
en by Mrs. D. P. Pharr, of Roper,
and an oil truck driven by Thomas
Brantley at the Sweet Water Creek
bridge Mrs. Pharr suffered only a
slight injury to one of her wns s,
but her companions, Mrs. Leon L.
Spruill and Miss Ruth Perkins, were
not hurt. The oil-truck driver and
Copeland also escaped without in
jury of any consequence. Reports
stated that the car, traveling tow art
Williamston, was forced to stop be
hind a horse-drawn vehicle while
the oil truck, going out of William
.ton, passed. The log truck travel
ing in the same direction of the car
rounded the curve and could not
stop to avoid a crash. The driver
pulled to the middle of the road,
striking the car and knocking it on
the bridge and almost into the creek
on the right side of the road, and
at the same time stripping the left
Side from the oil truck. The oil
truck continued on by, while the log
truck swerved to tfie left and wen
down the embankment and on into
the creek. Considerable damage was
done to the car, and the log truck
was a complete wreck.
Willie Roebuck, accompanied t>y
hi. young son and George Roberson
crashed his car into an embankmen
on North Haughton Street Saturday
evening, causing injury to Mr Rob
erson and the boy A small hole
was knocked in Roberson's head, and
the boy had bad cuts on his nose and
forehead Roebuck was not >nJure*
but his arrest was made by P?tro1"
man Hunt. One wheel on the car
was torn down.
Late that night Herman Everett
turned his car over when he drove
off the end of the hard-surfaced road
onto soft ground near Hassell, doing
considerable damage to the bod3; ?'
the car Everett, young HamiUon
man, and his companion, H. B. Peel,
also of Hamilton, were not injured,
reports stated.
H. T. Edmondson, 52,
Dies at Home Near
Here This Morning
Funeral for County Farmer
To Be Held Tomorrow
Afternoon at Home
Henry Thomas Edmondson, 53
years old, died at his home on the
Joe Leggett farm, near here, thU
morning at 5:20 o'clock from a com
plication of diseases. He had beer
in failing health for more than i
year, but was confined to his bed
during the past two weeks only
Mr. Edmondson, a native of this
county, had farmed all his life. Ir
early manhood he was married U
Miss Lizzie Taylor, who, with flv<
children, Robert, James Thomas
Evelyn Doris, Arthur Augustus Ed
mondson, and Mrs. Daisy Whitley
all of Williamston R. F. D. 1, sur
vivas. He also leaves one brother
Arthur Edmondson, of Hopewell
Va., and two sisters, Mrs. Willian
Henry Lynch, of Hamilton, and Mrs
Herbert Edmondson, of Gold Point
Mr. Edmondson was a member o
the Free Will Baptist church and i
minister of that faith will conduc
the funeral services tomorrow aft
ernoon. Interment will follow in tlx
Spring Green church cemetery.
MuchDamage in ThisSection
From Heavy Winds Sunday
Considerable property damage re
sulted but no personal injury was
reported when a wind storm swept
over this section last Sunday. Power
transmission and telephone lines
were grounded for miles, and shel
'ters and fences were blown down in
fairly large fiumbers, while a few
roofs were taken from business
houses in one or two places ia the
county. ?
The storm is believed to have cen
tered around Parmele and Rober
sonville, but much damage is said to
have resulted in the Dardens sec
tion of the county and around Has
sell in the supper part of the county.
Robersonville and Parmele were
in darkness until early Monday
morning, and telephone service was
interrupted there. Line forces of the
V. E. & P. Co. started work Sunday
morning repairing damage and con
tinued without sleep or rest until
late Monday night. Extra forces
were brought to this section from
the Petersburg division of the V. E.
& P. Co., and service was back to
normal today, but considerable more
work will be necessary to complete
peimanent repairs. Highways were
blocked, and patrolmen were called
out to warn traffic. Several groups
of prisoners were called from the
camp near here to help clear the
roads.
All kinds of weather, including
cloudy, rainy, fair, warm, and cold,
were experienced that day, the
marked changes probably being the
result of a bad storm that swept over
parts of Alabama and took a num
ber of lives there.
Finds Majority Here
Is Against Stop Lights
ANNOUNCES
Macon Rush (Mike) Dunna
(an, newspaper man and candi
date (or Secretary of State, U
opposing Stacey W. Wade, in
cumbent, and Thad A. Eure (or
the Democratic nomination next
June.
CHANGE IN DATES
FOR DRIVERS TO
APPLY FOR EX 4MS
Many Blanks Have Been
Improperly filled Out;
Begin Check-Up Soon
A change in days for giving ap
plicant! examinations for automo
bile drivers' licenses was announced
this week by Patrolman W. S. Hunt,
as follows:
Martin County courthouse every
Tuesday at 2 p. m.
Washington County courthouse
every second and fourth Saturday at
2 p. m.
Tyrrell County Courthouse each
Arst and third Saturday at 2 o'clock.
Bertie County courthouse every
Friday at 2 o'clock.
Examinations will be given at the
speciAed places and on the designat
ed days only, Patrolman Hunt said.
The patrolman also pointed out
that there were nearly 50,000 appli
cations in Raleigh improperly Ailed
out, and those applicants who have
not received their driving permits
are advised to write a letter to the
Motor Vehicle Bureau, Raleigh, giv
ing necessary facts in straightening
out the tangle. It is not known just
now when the patrol will start call
ing upon motorists to display their
drivers' permits, but it is likely that
a check-up will be instituted within
the next few weeks, making it ad
visable for all who plan to drive to
get their licenses immediately.
In those cases where permits have
been lost, the drivers are directed to
a notary public to prepare an affi
davit and forward it with 50 cents to
Raleigh, where a duplicate permit
will be issued.
Very little has been done to en
force the drivers' license law so far,
but when all the applications are
handled, a strict inspection can be
inspected, it is believed.
Yadkin Farmer Sells Sixty
Pounds Walnuts at Profit
Oscar Caudle, of Fall Creek, Yad
kin County, sold 50 pounds of wal
nut kernels from one tree at 30 cents
a pounds ^pd says he will crack
walnuts from all the trees on his
farm next fall.
Survey Conducted
Bv Official Shows
8 To 1 Against Plan
Captain of Highway Patrol
Maintains There Are
Too Many Lights
The action of the local town com
missioners in ordering the installa
tion of four stop-lights on William
ston's main street started a little
storm of argument among many lo
cal people, but now that two weeks
have passed since the action was
taken by the authorities, the smoke
has cleared, and it is found that the
majority of the people do not want
the lights.
Anxious to learn the opinion of the
people, one official conducted an in
formal inquiry of his own and found
about 8 to 1 against the installation
01 the lights. Traffic experts be
lieve that the lights would increase
the danger of accidents instead of
diminishing it. They are of the opin
ion that the main thoroughfare
should be kept open, that stop signs
should be placed on all those streets
crossing Main and that double park
ing or stopping of cars and trucks
in the middle of streets should be
outlawed.
j Now that the opposition apparent
ly appears much stronger than many
I first believed, the action of the au
thorities at their next meeting
should prove interesting, for they
have the citizenship committee of
the local Woman's Club calling for
the installation of lights on one side,
and an opposition, while indifferent
tc a great extent, on the other hand.
Asked for his opinion, Patrolman
W. S. Hunt explained that every ef
fort should be made to keep traffic
moving on the main street, not at an
unreasonable speed, of course, but
fast enough -to prevent blocked traf
fic
The commissioners of Tarboro re
cently turned down a proposal to
install seven lights on the main
street there, Captain Charles Farm
er, head of the State Highway Pa
trol, commenting favorably on the
commissioners* action as follows:
"There are far too many stop
lights in many towns in the State,
and on the whole I think Tarboro is
right. The only place 1 can think of
where a stop light would be justi
fied in Tarboro is at the courthouse
square. There are many towns in
the State which have stop lights
where there is no reason in the
world for them. A beacon or a flash
er light, slowing up through traffic
and causing cross traffic to stop be
fore entering the through street, is
everything that is needed Stop
lights frequently knot up traffic, for
no reason at all, and the result is
that they increase the danger of ac
cidents instead of diminish it.
Robbers Enter Warehouse
At River Sunday Night
George Henry Rogers and Calvin
Hill, colored, are in the county Jail
here charged with the robbery of
the Norfolk, Baltimore and Carolina
Warehouse on Roanoke River some
time last Sunday night. The two
men denied the charge when ques
tioned in jail thia morning A hear
ing is being delayed until officeri
complete investigations.
One of the five stands of lard and
one or two quarts of liquor stolen
from the warehouse had been re
covered by Officer Allsbrooks, as
sisted by "Fatty" Knox today. Th?
robbers are said to have stolen only
one case of liquor and that was s
cheap brand. ? I
NAME GROUP TO
PUN LONG-TIME
FARM PROGRAM
I Movement Is Designed To|
Promote Agriculaural
Adjustments
Planning a long-time program for
the advancement of agriculture
throughout the State and Nation,
committees in thousands of units
are meeting to perfect an organiza
tion for promoting the work. De
signed to promote education in farm
ing and agricultural adjustment to
meet the needs of the individual sec
tions, the program is already meet
ing with success over the country,
reports indicate.
The Martin committee, composed
of Messrs. H. S. Everett, H. H. Cow
en. J. Daniel Biggs, J. F. Crisp, and
F. C. Stallings, met last week and
discussed various organization plans
and problems that are expected to
ct me before the group. Community
members will be named shortly, As
sistant Agent M. L. Barnes said yes
terday.
The program has great possibili
ties. Mr Barnes said, and is expect
ed to eliminate to a great extent the
old trial and error method of farm
ing that has proved so costly in past
years. In addition to collecting ag
ricultural problems directly from the
individual centers, the program will
make it possible to determine the
trend of operation, it was pointed
out. According to reports from a
near-by county, where the commit
tees have held two or more meetings,
it was estimated that the farmers
would increase their tobacco and cot
ton crops and decrease their corn,
potato and cover crops. The new
program is expected to remedy such
conditions, in so far as possible,
bringing production in line with de
mand.
Another meeting of the Martin
committee will be held within the
next few days, Mr. Barnes said.
James R. Knowles,
Prominent Dardens
Man, Died Sunday
Last Rites Are Being Held
In Church at Plymouth
This Afternoon
James R. Knowles, substantial
farmer and prominent county citi
zen, died in Duke hospital from
meningitis Sunday morning at 10
o'clock, following a mastoid opera
tion a short while before. Mr.
Knowles, 65 years of age, had been
in only fair health for some time,
but was very active until a short
time before his death.
Born and reared near Roper, in
Washington County, Mr. Knowles
was a member of the old school in
that he valued his word, looked with
compassion upon the less fortunate
and held his trust high. He was
married when a young man, ahd
moved to the Dardens community of
this county more than 15 years ago.
readily gaining the confidence of his
new neighbors and becoming num
bered among the leading citizens of
that section and county. He worked
hard and every obligation was given
careful consideration. No special
favors were asked, but he was ready
and willing to favor his fellowman.
Mrs. Knowles, with four children,
Mrs. Charles Hough, of Dardens;
Mrs. Kenneth Hopkins, of Plymouth;
Mrs. J. H. Riddick and J. Linwood
Knowles, of Plymouth; survives. He
also leaves two brothers, Messrs.
Jesse Knowles, of Roper, and Den
nis Knowles, of Baltimore, and two
sisters, Mrs. Sadie Poyner, of Balti
more; and Mrs. Haywood Chetson,
of Roper.
Funeral services are being con
ducted this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock
from the Christian church in Ply
mouth by Rev. Nixon Taylor, the
pastor. Interment will follow in the
Mizelle burial plot, near Roper.
County Ministers Perfect
Organization Here Monday
The organization of a Martin
County Ministerial Association was
perfected by ministers from all over
the county in a meeting held here
yesterday. Rev. Z. T. PiephofT, Wil
liamston Presbyterian minister, was
made president of the association;
Rev. J. M. Perry, of Robersonville,
vice president; and Rev. J. H. Smith,
pastor of the Willlamston Baptist
church, secretary and treasurer.
Corn Liquor Used As An
Anti-freeze In Tractors
Moonshine corn liquor used in
radiators of the terracing tractors in
Orange County served as an ade
Iquate anti-freeze mixture durlng|
| the recent severe weather.
Agricultural Authorities Advising
Farmers To Decrease Acreage in
Tobacco and Cotton This Season
County Unemployed Urged
To Reregister With Bureau
In an effort to determine the true
status of the unemployment situa
tion and to place as many of the un
employed as possible on jobs now un
airway, the branch bureau of the
North Carolina Employment Serv
ice, located in the Martin County
courthouse, is urging all unemployed
to register or reregister at the office
in Williamston during the next week
Mr. Gilliam, in charge of the county
bureau, states that there are several
hundred incomplete records on the
Hies in this county, that it is neces
sarry to bring the information up to
date before few, if any, job assign
ments could be made from that list.
The unemployed person who reg
istered prior to the opening of the
branch bureau in this county the
latter part of December should make
a strong effort to visit the employ
ment office during next week and
bring their registration cards up to
date, Mr. Gilliam said.
Nearly all those who have regis
tered since December have ^been
placed by the bureau, it was pointed
out, and there is still a demand for
more workers, it was stated.
Child Lost in Woods
Is Dead When Found
Died of Exhaustion
After 36 Hours of
Frantie Wanderings
Tom Williams' Death First
Tragedy Of the New
Year In This County
A 36-hour search for Tom Wil
liams, jr., 4 years old, who lost his
way in a woods the other side of
Hamilton last Wednesday, came to a
tragic end when the child's lifeless
body was found more than three
miles from his home. The little fel
low is believed to have died of ex
haustion following his frantic wan
dering through swamp areas alone
during the great part of the day
Wednesday, all thut night and much
of Thursday, the searchers stating
that the boy had been dead a very
short while when his body was
found.
Following members of his family
into the woods Wednesday morning,
the colored boy was told to return
to the house. The boy turned back
but soon lost his way after taking
a wrong path and, apparently fright
ened half to death, continued his
wanderings. He blazed a new trail
through the woods and swamp lands
and carrse to a public road that, no
doubt, was strange to him. How
ever, he did not alter his course and
entered the woods on the other side.
Nothing short of death apparently
could stop him, for, deep in the
woods, the four-year-old tot waded
through water nearly to his shoul
ders, but that ordeal apparently
taxed his little remaining energy,
and once on the other side he stum
bled over a pine limb hardly larg
er than a man's arm and fell. His
body was found there, its condition
showing that he hardly wiggled aft
er he fell.
The little boy's death comes as the
first tragedy of the new year in this
county. The past year brought forth
its tragedies, some horrible to the
nth degree, but the one last week,
pitiful as could be, climaxed them
all in this section in recent years, it
is believed.
England's King Died
Late Monday Night
Sandringham, Eng., Jan. 21.?
Great Britian's beloved King George
Fifth died peacefully last night just
before midnight.
The Pirtce of Wales, his 41-year
old bachelor son, automatically be
came king of the world's largest
empire.
The kindly, 70-year-old George V
was unconscious at the end. Queen
Mary, the Prince of Wales and other
members of the royal family and tho
archbishop of Canterbury were at
the bedside when he died at 11:55
p. m. (6:55 p. m. Eastern Standard
Time.)
A sudden, four-day illness caused
his majesty's death. He suffered an
attack of bronchial catarrh, accom
panied by heart weakness.
Weeping, the queen was led away
supported by her eldest son?the
new king?and the chamber was
darkened. Later today the monarch's
body will be taken to Sandringham
church and then removed to London
tn lie in state in Westminister Abbey
for final tribute from the public
which loved him so well.
HIGH WATER
Another marked rise in the
Roanoke at this point was pre
dicted today by weather bu
reaus, the local station unoffic
ially reporting a rise of 45 feet
for Weldon tomorrow. With
the water already over the
banks by about one foot here, It
Is believed the new rise will be
slightly higher than the one
that reached a crest of slightly
over fourteen feet here last
Sunday a week ago.
Official reports are not avail
able just at this time, but it Is
figured the stream will reach a
crest at this point the early part
of next week.
PROCEEDINGS IN
MARTIN COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT
Several Cases Cleared From
Docket During First
Day Session
With Judge Clayton Moore on the
bench, the special term of Martin
County Superior Court started clear*
ing cases from a crowded docket at
a rapid pace yesterday. The calen
dar for the day was complete at 4:30
afler seven cases were heard and
settlements effected in most of them
In the case of J. S. Peel against
A. E Taylor and wife, a judgment
was given in the sum of $288.28 for
the plaintiff.
Proving two years of separation,
Mary Rogers Williams was given
divorce from Isom Williams.
In the case of J. H. Roberson, sr.,
against C. Arthur Roberson, the
plaintiff received $48, the court or
dering certain lands be sold as a
single unit for division.
The case of Howell against Leg
gett was non-suited.
William K. Roebuck, asking $50
disability monthly of the Jefferson
Standard Life Insurance Company,
settled for $2,500, the defendant com
pany to cancel a loan of about $500.
The plaintiff surrendered his insur
ance policy.
The case of Tom Harrell against
J. Henry Harrell and the National
Lead Company was setlted out of
court, the plaintiff receiving $4,750.
This case was scheduled for trial
next month, and was recognized as
one of the most important, on the
calendar.
Directors of the Planters
Warehouse Meet Tonight
Directors of the Planters Ware
house Company here will meet in
Uif company offices this evening to
discuss plans for repairing damage
done to the building by snow last
month, It was learned today. Just
what action the officials plan to
take could not be learned.
A large portion of the floor and
roof gave way when a deep snow
fell on the house that was said to
have been heavily loaded with pea
nuts at the time.
Craven Exchange Makes
Profit of $3J218 in 1935
?*
The Craven County Farmers Mu
tual Exchange made a net profit of
$3,218.14 last season, out of which a
4 per cent patronage dividend was
distributed to members.
I
Officials Continuing
Efforts To Find Plan
For Control of Crops
One-Third Decrease In the
Tobacco Crop Needed To
Hold Up 1936 Prices
While many farmers are said to be
considering increases for their to
bacco and cotton crops, especially to
bacco, warnings are coming from
recognized agricultural authorities
o limit tobacco acreage to two-thirds
c. the 1936 base acreage and cotton
to 55 or 60 per cent of the 1936 base
production The advice was based
en two principles, one of which will
experienced at marketing time
next fall and the other when and if
the government effects a substitute
for the AAA.
If farmers would maintain satis
factory prices for their 1936 crops,
they will find it advisable to hold
their tobacco and cotton acreages
well in line with their contract
terms. Strict adherence to their
contracts will also be necessary if
the farmer wishes to make himself
eligible to participate in any govern
ment benefits that might be created.
Many farmers in this county are
said to be giving the situation seri
ous thought, and it is believed that
a decreased production would be al
most unanimously subscribed to if
the control measures continued in
operation.
In a letter just released to county
agents, Dean I. O. Schaub, of State
College, said: "Since the Supreme
Court s decision, neither the Wash
ington office nor the State office has
known the exact procedure to fol
low with reference to a new pro
gram, but we all know that every
effort is being made by the Wash
ington office to put into effect a pro
gram that will insure agricultural
adjustment and yet meet with the
objections to the AAA brought by
tht Supreme Court."
Hie State College man referred to
J- B Hutson's remark, as follows
' ! I were a landlord. I would not
allow my tenants to plant more than
193?6 virdS ?f my 6aSe acreage ln
The authorities in Washington, ex
cept for a Senator or two who ap
parently find it troublesome to give
up traveling long enough to attend
to the things that are of vital im
portance to the people of this State,
are doing all in their power to effect
a substitute program for the old
AAA. In the meantime the Southern
farmer is at a greater loss to know
what to do and what not to do than
the colored slaves were back in the
sixties.
Child, Hurt By Automobile,
Recovering Rapidly Here
Guthrie Strawbridge, 4 years old,
is rapidly recovering at his home
bere from injuries received last
Thursday afternoon, when he was
(struck by a car driven by Mrs. Wil
led Harris, on North Haughton
Street At the hospital, where he
was removed for an examination, it
was learned that his injury was con
fined to one ankle and a few
scratches on his head and body. It
was first thought he suffered a brain
| injury, but a complete examination
revealed that his head had not been
badly hurt.
He returned home from the hos
pital Friday and continues in bed at
his home.
Aged Woman Hurt When
Struck by an Automobile
Emma Salsbury, aged colored wo
man, >ulTered a broken hip and
ankle laat Sunday night, when ihe
was struck by an automobile driven
by Arthur Dail, Hassell man, near
Haasell. The woman, said to be
about 70 years old, and almost blind,
stepped into the path of the car,
making the accident almost, if not
wholly, unavoidable on the part of
the car driver. She was given medi
cal attention, and it la likely she will
be removed to the county home.
Average Production Per
Hen Is 60 Eggs Yearly
>
The average production per hen
for the State of North Carfolina la
SO eggs a year, while demonstration
flocks on which records are kept hy
the State Collage poultry depart
ment produce from IBS in the east
ern part of the State to 170 in the
western area.