North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 13 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, February 14,1936 ESTABLISHED 1899 SLOW IN FINDING KEY TO SMOKE HOUSETfflSYEAR Fishermen Have Failed So Far To Dip First Herring From Roanoke In 1936 The boyi down Jamesville way are alow opening Martin County's smokehouse this year. On Janu ary 11. last year, U. S. Hassell dip ped the first herring, usually called "the key to the smokehouse door,*' from the Roanoke there to start one of the earliest seasons in years. There has been too much rust on the key so far this year in the form of bad weather and floating ice for the boys to open the door to the smoke house, which rates right next to the one housing pork and hams. Several attempts to pick the first herring from the stream have been made during the past few days, but the fishermen are said to have called off the attempts after one or two dips with their nets. Arrangements for the coming sea son are going forward rapidly at Jamesville and Camp Point, where two large seines are operated, and it is possible thst the large scale fishing will be started some time about the middle of next month. Last year, it will be recalled, was not a very successful one for the seine operators as the waters flood ed the fisheries for several weeks during the best part of the fishing Not a single prediction has been advanced as to what kind of a sea son will be experienced by the fish ermen this year, and while the size of the runs are of much concern, greater interest centers around the, hope that those herrings of the "Hoover'' type will not return this spring or next fall, to be sure. Three or four years ago the size of the herring was so small that hands at the fisheries called them "Hoover" herring. Masons End Attendance Contest Tuesday Night The attendance contest in progress at the local Masonic lodge for the past three months came to a close Tuesday night, with the "Blues,'' under the leadership of R H. Smith, winning 6ver the "Whites," cap tained by W. J. Hoggard, by a mar gin of 2. The losers are to enter tain the winners at a oanquet, ar rangements for which were left up to the respective leaden of lie two teams. The contest proved of much interest to die members cf the or der and was so close that the win ners remained in doubt right up to the final roll call last Tuesday night. To Meet Tuesday To Form Organization For Baseball Here Quick Action Necessary To Sign Able Manager Coming Season A meeting will be held in Leslie Fowden's office next Tuesday night at 7:30 to perfect a baseball organi zation for the coming season. At a gathering of some 10 or 12 fans held last night, Leslie T. Fowden was named temporary chairman, with a request that he and W. E. Dunn present nominations for the various club offices to the meeting next Tuesday night. R. H. Goodmon, pres ident of the club for the past two years, explained that he would be unable to continue in that capacity due to other duties, and his resigna tion was accepted with an expres sion of thanks for his work in the Some of the other clubs in the Costal Plain League have already selected their managers for the coming season. Unofficial negotia tions have been entered into with a well-known figure in state base ball circles, relative to serving as manager of the local club, and it is likely that this will be discussed at length at the meeting next Tues day. It was explained that some organization must be set up so that definite arrangement can be made to secure a manager immediately, in oeder that he may begin looking out for players for this year's team. Should the matter be delayed, the better players will have been se cured by the other clubs, and the local team will be forced to take what is left All who are interested in having baseball here this year are urged to attend the meeting Tuesday. The Woman's Missionary Union at the local Baptist church will hold a in eating in the church next Mon day afternoon at S JO o'clock, it was today. All members are Peanut Market "Easy" With Best Grades Bringing 3 Cents While described today as "a bit easier,?* the peanut market was still handling peanuts at 3 cents a pound, one firm in the market explaining that the purchases are being made with more care. Consequently, the term "easier" was applied when the buyers gave more attention to the grade of goobers. Peanuts started moving again this week after the markets had re mained all but closed during the past few weeks on account of bad weather and impassible roads. Large trucks were reported making daily trips into the rural section this week for the first time in a number of days. Of course, the market is not rushed, and many of those peanuts that are moving now were pur chased some time ago, the farmers finding it impossible to make de livery before now. Hardly more than two-thirds of the crop has been marketed in this section, according to reports from some buyers. Others believe that fully 75 per cent of the crop has been sold, and that taom 5 to 8 per cent of the remaining 25 per cent is still unpicked in the fields and will hardly reach the markets. Farm Organization Is Planned by Producers AGAIN PUT OFF Closed since the fourth of this month the schools in this coun ty will not open before next Wednesday, according to an of ficial announcement coming from the office of the county superintendent this morning. Continued bad roads and uncer tain weather made the further delay in reopening the schools necessary, it was pointed out. When asked If it were certain that the schools would be re opened next Wednesday, the of ficials explained that the con dition of the roads and weather at that time would have to be considered. If the roads are no better next Wednesday morn ing than they are now, it is cer tain that the reopening will be again delayed. Two Prisoners Held For Federal Court Moved To Raleigh Additional Complains Are | Heard from Buyers of Special Course W. A. Braden and Frank Cava naugh, two men arrested here last week for alleged misrepresentation of facts in selling a correspondence course offered by the Federal Serv ice Training Corporation, of Detroit, were removed to the Raleigh jail this week by Deputy Marshall Ben Buck. No explanation for the trans fer was given. The new Oldamobile car used by Braden was turned over to a friend who carried it away Tuesday, it was said. Mr. W. D. Gurganus, the father of the boy who contracted for the particular course, started to bring proceedings to have the car attached, but decided to drop the action and accept the $40 loss, if the company fails to refund it. There has been no evidence to show that the courses contracted will not be given; in fact, several people in this section are said to have already taken similar courses or are taking them now. It was pointed out in one case that the stu dent, a Miss Leggett, of this coun ty, had complete a course similar to the one Braden offered and had re ceived no job. Several complaints have been heard from other sec tions of the state, and it is pos sible that others will be heard. While the men are now booked for trial in Federal court convening in Washington next April, it is like ly that the case will be handled by Judge Meekins in Raleigh. Braden and Cavanaugh are said to have found the food served in the jail here not quite fancy enough for their palates and ordered their meals from a hotel. No objection was entered, since the two men paid for the ordered food and service. They stated that the action in or dering food was not a reflection on the fare made available in Martin's jail, explaining that they found it a bit too heavy for them. Just be fore leaving for Raleigh, the two men told county officers that they hated to be transferred, as they had received courteous treatment from everyone here. Legion Auxiliary To Meet Saturday! The regular meeting of the Wom an's Auxiliary of the American Leg ion will meet Saturday, February li, at S p. m., at the home of Mrs. L. D. Roberson in Robersonville. All members are requested to attend. I Pledge Cooperation' With Any Program Government Offers Martin To Be R*Pr?en"d At Committee Meeting Next Monday Apparently believing that the sue cess of farming activities during this and next year depends large y P on voluntary cooperation on the part of the farmers themselves, farm leaders in a mass meeting held at Greenville last Monday adva,i?d resolutions to promote an imiMd ate organization of producers of all basic farm commodities. The action of the committee is ex piessed in the following: "Realizing the necessity for the growers to make up their minds definitely with respect to our 19 acreage in tobacco, coUO"'^^e and all other basic commodities, we the growers here assemim meet ,ng on this, 10th day of February. 1936, do make the following reso 1U"1. To cooperate fully with any Federal program that is offered o 1936 "2 To restrict our acreage in to bacco to 70 per cent of our bases as represented in the new contract Which is approximately the same as presented in 1936 contracts, in pea nuts to 80 per cent of our base a represented in 1935 contracts. "3. That it is necessary contact be made with all a*<acies credit to farmers in the State u g ing them to hold their credit agree ment with growers to the above in d'"*teRealizing that to maintain? satisfactory price will mean that farmers must take an active path we propose that the farmers form whatever organization may . necessary in order that perfec^.ub stitute legislation on planswWch will fully control surplus in all basic crops being produced in 1938 and from that date on will be en^ BC'^ And be it further resolved that the meeting here assembled go on record as urging that the prea ent committee of each cou"ty *^k iwas invited to attend the 11 ?clock conference this morning, and such 'additional members as they may elect be constituted a committee to serve fully the American Farm Bu reau in comparison with such farm organization as exists within their respective counties, with a vie determine which is the most act able organization throng farmers may secure the necesssi y farm aid, said committee, to meet at 11 o'clock on February 17, 1936, * Greenville. N. C? with Mr. J. E. Winslow as chairman, Distribute Food To Needy Of Section The dUtribution of food commod ities and clothing by the Martin County welfare department readily brought forth honest-to-goodness smiles to the facet of the needy in this section during the past few days. Much food and clothing have already been distributed by the of fice in the town hall here, but many of the needy have been unable to travel the bad roads and their sup plies are being held Intact for them, a member of the department said this morning. Additional requests for aid are being received daily, and the lass fortunate are hopeful that another and larger distribution of food and clothing will be available shortly. The activities, now carried on by the welfare department, are sched uled to end the latter part of June, if not before. , ONLY TWO CASES TRIED TUESDAY INCOUNTYCOURT Continue Several Cases As Witnesses Coult Not Reach Court One of the shortest sessions of the ccunty court so far this year was held Tuesday, when Judge Peel dis posed of only two cases, the State failing to prove guilt in either of the two. Several cases were con tinued, however, when it was point ed out that witnesses, and one or two defendants, were unable to reach the hall of justice over the bad roads. Continuances were granted without question in those rases, it was said. None of the cases tiied or continued was of any great importance. Interest probably centered around the trial of S. W. Todd, Bertie Coun ty man, charged with driving an au tomobile while intoxicated. It was said that Todd ran his car off the Sweet Water Creek fill, near the Bowen farm ,on Highway 64, about one week ago. He was said to have left the car and when found a few hours later by patrolmen he was under the influence of liquor. The State failed to prove that the man was under the influence of liquor when he was driving the car. How ever, while Todd was wrangling himself free in that case, he trapped himself and fell into another. So licitor Coburn asked him his occu pation, and the man explained that he peddled candy. Before he could gel out of the courtroom, Sheriff C. B. Roebuck had a warrant drawn against him charging peddling with out a license. The license to peddle in the county is $25. The other case was that of Lector Hussell, charged with larceny. The defendant was found not guilty. FIRE DESTROYS MANNING HOME AT JAMESVILLE Members of Family Almost Choked by Smoke; Little Furniture Is Saved Fire, believed to have started from an overheated flue, destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. Raleigh Manning in Jamesville shortly after midnight Wednesday. Asleep at the time, members of the family were almost choked by smoke before they discovered the fire, and they had very little time to summon aid and remove any of the furnishing to safety. Most of the beds, clothing and bedroom furniture were burned, the family with the aid of neighbors only having time to remove the fur niture from the front part of the seven-room two-story house. After completing the evening meal, the family remained the din ing room until bed time, and had a hot fire in there at one time. How ever, before retiring, members of the family looked after the fire and found it almost burned out.* When discovered, the fire was burning rapidly a large area in one part of the house. The house was valued at about $2,500 and was partially covered by insurance, it was stated. It was the second time that the family had been burned out, the first home, believed to have been fired by enemies, burning several years ago at the old Hardison Mill in Griffins Township. To Resume Mailing Of Benefit Checks Washington.?The flow of AAA benefit checks to farmers may be started again this week. Anticipating an early signature by President Rbosevelt of the defic iency appropriations bill, including $296,189,000 to complete payment to farmers for compliance with adjust ment contracts up to the Supreme Court's invalidation of AAA, the farm administration prepared orders for field officers to proceed with mailing checks to contract signers. The orders, which will put in mo tion once more the check machinery stiled by the high court January 0, arc to be sent immediately after Mr. Roosevelt signs the appropriation bill. In addition to the rental and ben efit payments under 1935 adjust ment contracts, officials said cotton farmers will receive the price ad jut tment payments of not more than 2 cents a pound on cotton produced under 1939 Bankhead allotments. These subsidy payments are to be made from 30 per cent of gross cus toms receipts set aside for the AAA. Farmers Are Further Behind in Tobacco Plant-Bed Preparations Than at Any Other Time in Years Planning To Run Another Poultry Car in Few Weeks Martin County farmers last week1 cooperatively shipped 18,444 pounds of live poultry, County Agent T. B. Brandon reporting that the ship ment brought the farmers $3,272.15. or an average of around 17 cents a pound. Jamesville loaded around 2,600 pounds. Williamston and Roberson ville loaded about 7,000 pounds each. Despite the snow, cold weath er and bad roads, farmers in the Oak City community delivered and sold around 1,100 pounds to the car. Agent Brandon said this week that plans are being considered for the operation of another cooperative poultry car within the next two or three weeks, or just as soon as the weather moderates and the condi tion of the roads improve. Despite competition at three of the four loading points, the cooper ative loading last week was consid ered very successful \>y County Agent T. B. Brandon. Weather Has Brought] Business To Standstill Signs of Return To Normal Activity Are Starting To Develop Fertilizer Starts Moving To Farms But By Horse Drawn Vehicles After remaining inactive for the most part since the Christmas holi days, on account of freezing weather and bad roads, business in some fields started tluiwing out this week, but indications just now still point to activities far below normal for a week or longer. Operating only about one week since the first of the year, the plant of the Farmville-Woodward Lum ber Company here plans to start operations again next Monday. However, a return to steady work was doubtful since the condition of the roads will not permit normal operation of trucks feeding the big ' lumber concern with logs. It could not be learned, but it is! doubtful if the large lumber plant of Saunders and Cox on Roanoke i River will start operations next Monday, or even the latter part of the week. Fertilizer plants have been inac tive much of the time so far this year in their deliveries to farmers, but distribution was said to have started yesterday on a small scale. The deliveries were made for the most part to operators of mule drawn vehicles. Merchants state that buying ac1 tivities have been unusually dull during the past week or more, but increased buying is predicted for the future. Filling station operators explain that gas sales are off more than half, and that the greasing and car washington business had been 'shot' for weeks. With about one exception?the dealers?business in this section during the past several weeks has been "rotten.'' No Estimate on Fire Loss Yet Available Insurance company . representa tives, adjusting the losses resulting from the Are that swept the Culpep per Hardware Company store and smoked the stock of Barnhill Bros, here last Monday evening, had not advanced far enough in their work today to offer any definite estimate of the damage, it was stated. The representative working in the hardware store stated that he had seen worse fires, but that was his only comment. The representa tive of the company insuring the Barnhill stock is reported to have said that the damage there would amount to several thousand dollars Preliminary and official estimates placed the damage to the hardware stock at $7,500, the building at $2, 000 or more, and the Barnhill Bros stock at about $5,000. It could not be learned today just what arrangements would be made for reopening the hardware store or when Barnhill Brothers planned to reopen. ? Mr. C. J. Maupin, extension poul try man, was in the county Thurs day and made visits to those inter ested in improving conditions for their poultry raising. { SEASON ENDS ] Sportsmen in this section, aft er tomorrow, will exchange, in accordance with law, their guns for fishing poles. The hunting season ends tomorrow, and the fishing season is at hand, Coun ty (lame Warden Abbltt stating today that it would be unlawful to hunt game after tomorrow. Fishing licenses are now on sale in this county at the stores of Culpepper Hardware Co., Wllllamston, and Claude Smith, Kobersonville. The hunting season, closing tomorrow, has been only fairly successful, hunters explaining that quail were rather scarce in numbers, and the weather dur ing much of the time was not favorable for the out-door sport. Plaits Approved for Farm Buildings In Number of Counties Representatives from This County Before W. P. A. Authorities Today Plans for the construction of an agricultural building in this county have been approved by authorities both in this State and in Washing ton, but no action on starting the proposed project has been tuken, according to information gained here this morning Messrs. T. B Brandon, county farm agent; V. G. Taylor, county commissioner, and Judge Clayton Moore are in Eliza beth City today conferring with Works Progress Administration au thorities in connection with the pro posed project. The Elizabeth City office of the WPA stated this week that the plans had just recently been ap proved, but that the shortage of skilled labor on relief rolls in this county might delay action on the actual construction of the building. The plans, submitted to the Mar tin County Board of Commission ers, were approved some time ago, and call for the construction of a brick building next to the county courthouse with a separate entrance but connecting doors to the court house. Similar buildings have been pro |M>sed in several counties in this section, and it is understood that construction work will probably be started shortly on one in Northamp ton County. Leaders,' School Held In County Last Wednesday The second leader's school (or heme demonstration club women was held in the office of the home agent Wednesday at 2 p. m. Miss Pauline Gordon, new specialist in home management and home fur nishings, had charge of the demon stration for the afternoon. A most interesting demonstration on refln ishing furniture was given. Three clubs were present to receive the work, bad weather, illness of lead ers, and bad roads decreased the at tendance of the women at this meet ing. Miss Gordon will return in April for a third leaders' training meeting and at that time "The Mak ing of Slip Covers" will be present ed ?Home Agent. Delay Not Expected To Have Anv Effect On Outcome of Crop Few County Farmers Start Preparing Tobacco Beds This Week Delayed a greater part of the time .since the first of January by bad v. rather and frozen ground, farmers started preparing and planting their tobacco beds in this county this week. Ordinarily a majority of the beds would have been prepared by this time if the weather had permit ted. but up to Wednesday it is be lieved that not more than a single dozen plant beds had been sown in the county. Farmer Harry Waldo, of Hamil ton, was said to be among the first to sow tobacco seed in that section. Reports from around Oak City stat ed that two or three farmers had completed the preparation of plant beds prior to this week Ben R. Manning. Griffins Township farm er. started the work in that section this week when he found a com paratively dry spot on a hillside near a creek. Very little advantage is to be had in the early planting of the tobac co seed, many farmers claim They explain that the seed do not germi nate during cold and freezing weath er, and that sometimes a cold sea son kills the early plant. The early preparation of the plant bed just places that much work behind the farmer, giving him more time for other duties on the farm. With a break in the weather, to bacco bed preparation is expected to get underway on a large scale within the next few days. In clear ing their ground for the plant beds, farmers ?are urged by forest-fire wardens to exercise care in burning oft the plots to prevent the fires from spreading. Probably at no time in many years have farmers in this county been so late in starting their work for the 1936 crops, but it is not be lieved that the delay w ill have any serious effects. Nature generally unlocks the spring cabinet in ample time for the preparation of a crop for harvesting in the fall. Justice Hassell Sends Man To Roads for Thirty Days ? James Jones, colored, was sen tenced to the roads for 30 days by Justice John L Hassell here yester day. Jones was arrested earlier in the week for being drunk and dis orderly. Make Arrangements To Open Machine Shop in Few Weeks G. P. Hughes, of Windsor, Installing Equipment itt Shop This Week Arrangements for opening a mod ern machine shop here have beer completed, and the owner, G. P. Hughes, of Windsor, is having the machinery installed this week in the recently completed building on Haughton Street Extended, just across the street from the Planters Warehouse The new business, to be known as the Williamston Ma chine Works, is installing two lathes drilling and shaping machines and much other equipment, and will be prepared to handle all types of ma chine, sheet metal work and later woodwork, the owner stated. Mr. Hughes stated yesterday that it would require from two to three weeks to complete the installation of the machinery, which will be powered by electric motors. Mr J. J. Street, of Edenton, a trained machinist of more than 20 years' experience, will be associated with Mr. Hughes in the operation 01 the shop, it was announced. When completed, the machine works will be one of the most com plete in this secUon, the operators explaining that all work will be guaranteed and handled quickly. The need far a machine shop has been felt here tor some time, and the new business operators slate that they will be in a position to meet those needs as soon as they start operations, about two weeks from now.