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VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 16 Williamston, Martin County. North Carolina, Tuesday. February 25. 1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
DATES OF SERIES
FARM MEETINGS
ARE ANNOUNCED
Interesting Information To
Be Made Available To
Farmers by Agents
A series of farm educational meet
ingi has been scheduled in this
county, beginning with one in the
county courthouse for farmers of
Williams, Poplar Point, and Wil
liamston Townships Friday after
noon of this week at 2:30 o'clock, it
was announced by the county
agent's office this week. Tentative
dates for other meetings are: March
3, grammar schodl building in Rob
ersonville for Robersonville and
Cross Roads Township farmers:
March 4, Oak City school building,
for farmers of Goose Nest and Ham
ilton Townships: March 6, James
ville school building, for Jamesville
Township farmers; March 10, Bear
Grass school, for Bear Grass farm
ers; and March 11, Farm Life school,
for Griffins farmers. All the meet
ings, with the exception of the one
at Williamston, will be held at 7:30
p. m.
An interesting and beneficial pro
gram is being planned for these
meetings, the assistant county agent,
M. L. Barnes, announced. The pro
gram, briefly stated, will inform the
farmers of the situation as it now
exists and affects agriculture. One
topic will deal with the farm bureau
federation; another will deal with
national and state farm legislation
and how it affects agriculture; still
another topic will deal with credit
organizations, the Farmers Cooper
ative Exchange, home and farm
agent activities, and so on. Activi
ties of vocational agriculture will be
reviewed by the two teachers of
that subject in this county.
The meetings will not last over
one hour and a half, and farmers
will find attendance upon them high
ly beneficial, it is believed. Farm
ers are being notified direct of the
several meetings, and the general
public is invited and urged to at
tend the most convenient points.
Between 8 and 9 Inches Snow
Is Reported Here Last Friday
This section this winter has been
snowed under and has felt the cold
est and longest cold spell in years;
in fact, the old-timers have to
scratch their heads long and hard
to remember a season that will
compare to this 1935-36 weather or
deal.
Well, there is one thing about it
and that is we are eight snows near
er spring now than we were a few
weeks ago. So far this season, and
aL are hopeful the snow season is
over, there have fallen about 34
incres of snow here, starting with a
small flurry on November 23 with
others following on December 22
and 28, January 26, 30 and 31, Feb
ruary 6 and the big climax of be
tween eight and nine inches one day I
last Friday. Starting about 9:30
Friday morning, the snow, describ
ed as the prettiest and largest of
the season, fell until about 10 o'
clock that night. To the south of
here it measured 12 to 14 inches,
but very little was reported as close
as Garysburg to the north.
The snow is said to have result
ed in the worst roads in years, and
delayed indefinitely the reopening
oi the county white schools.
But there is something good in
most every thing And if the old
saying is true that snows make for
good crop years, then this section is
in for one of those bumper seasons,
or one to talk about.
Few Developments
In Murder Mvsterv
Willie Melton, 15-year-old colored
boy, told a different story yesterday
in connection with the murder of
Henry Lanier, aged colored man,
here a week ago yesterday. The boy
now claims he carried a shotgun
from the home of his father, Dave
Melton, and handed it to Ben Scott.
The boy, first claiming that he
placed the gun in the front hall of
the home where Scott could get it,
told officers yesterday that he was
on the outside and saw Scott level
the gun on the water shelf and shoot
Lanier. Scott maintains his inno
cence, but the facts uncovered by
^officers apparently places one of the
two on the spot, so to speak.
The investigation of the case was
interrupted yesterday, when Scott
fbl victim to pneumonia and was
removed, under guard, to a Wash
ington hospital by order of health
officials.
Enters Tournament
At College in Wilson
Wilson.?Jamesville High School,
one of the entrants in last year's
first annual eastern North Carolina
basketball tournament, sponsored
by Atlantic Christian College, is
expected to be represented at the
cage meet to be held February 27,
29 and 29.
Last year Jamesville won two
contests in the tourney to be defeat
ed by Lafayette in the semi-finals.
In their first game the Jamesville
team defeated Seven Springs by a
27 to 31 score. They nevt defeated
Franklinton 27 to 13, but lost to La
fayette 37 to 24.
The college will again be the host
to the the high schools entering the
second annual cage tournament.
Plans are already under way for
making the meet one of the most
successful ever attempted in this
part of the State before. Thirty a
wards are to be given and the
schools represented are to be taken
from those having the most out
standing record of the past season.
Negro Arrested Here
For Murder Last July
Jimmie Battle, colored man, was
arrested here last Saturday after
noon by Sheriff C. B. Roebuck for
an alleged murder in Edgecombe
County last July. Battle was taken
into custody by the officer as he
quit the picture show here. He was
later sailed for by Edgecombe au
thorities.
Condition of Roads Is
Aggravated by Snow
Three Cars Wrecked By
Fire In Section Recently
The Chevrolet car belonging to
Clark Mobley was destroyed by Are
at his home near here last night.
An Oldsmobile, registered in the
name of a man named Powell, was
burned qn Highway 125 near the
old Mobley Mill last Saturday aft
ernoon. Patrolmen investigating
the fire, were unable to find the driv*
er or owner of the machine
First Lenten Service
Wednesday at 10:30
Wednesday, February 26, is Ash
Wednesday and the beginning of
Lent. On that day at 10:30 a. m.
there will be a service in the
Church of the Advent. Also on
Thursday and Friday of this week
there will be services at 4:30 p. m.
After this week, the services on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
will all be held at 4:30 p. m. The
Wednesday service will be a de
votional service entirely; on Thurs
day, there will be Bible study, and
on Friday there will be a talk on
missions.
If the weather is very cold these
Lenten services will be held in the
old church! otherwise they will be
held in the new.
The public is cordially invited
Baseball Meeting
Here Is Postponed
The meeting scheduled in Pete
Fowden's office last Friday eve
ning when the baseball situation
was to have received official con
sideration, was snowed under, the
leaders in the movement announc
ing yesterday that a meeting would
probably be held in Mr. Fowden's
office tomorrow night at 7:30 o'
clock.
Mr. C. A. Harrison, mentioned
for president of the club here this
coming season, explained yesterday
that he would not be able to serve
in that position on account of other
duties and the general state of his
health. No other name has been
mentioned for the post as far as it
could be learned today.
Local Men Born on 29th
Postpone Birthday Ball
Messrs. W. H. Gurkin said James
Herbert Ward, two local men who
are among the few having a birth
day aniversary only every four
years, stated today that their party
planned on the 29th of this month
had been postponed on account of
the bad condition of the roads that
would make is impossible for many
of their friends to attend the event
this week. While no definite date
has been considered, Mr Gurkin,
whose fourteenth birthday anniver
sary falls on next Saturday, said
that the big birthday bill would be
pulled off the middle or latter part
of next month.
The two men are planning a com
bination square and round dance lr
one of the warehouses here.
Meeting ol Masonic
Lodge Here Tonight
There will be a regular meeting
of the local Masonic lodge tonight
at the usual time in the lodge hall
In addition to the regular business,
there will be work in the third de
gree. Visiting Masons and mem ben
of the lodge are cordially invited
and urged to attend.
The beginning of the industry ol
crushing soybeans for their oil wai
begun at Elizabeth City on Decem
ber IS, 1911.
No Great Change Is
Looked For Before
First of Next Month
March Winds Expected To
Bring Relief; Many
Cars "Stuck"
The road situation in this coun
ty, described as the worst on rec
ord, was further aggravated last
Friday when an eight-inch snow
fell and just about snowed under
all traffic on the dirt routes. A
number of farmers traveled in
horse-drawn vehicles, and a few
ventured forth in cars and trucks,
but in the later cases the traveling
attempts were anything but suc
cessful.
Reports, while appearing to be a
gross exaggeration of the facts but
which are recognized as authentic,
maintain that hubs of high wheel
carts drag in the mud, that a man
riding straddle of a mule down one
country road had to hold his feet
up to keep them from dragging the
ground on each side of the animal,
and the man was not a long-legged
one either. Still other reports main
tain that some motor vehicles have
been stuck in the middle of the
roads for nearly a month, the own
ers having found it impossible to
get them out so far.
Most of the automobile traffic off
the hard-surfaced roads has been
made possible by frozen ground,
farmers making a hurried trip to
town in the early morning and re
turning before the ground started to
thaw out later in the day But the
warm weather of the past two or
three days has taken away about
the last foundation traffic had to
run on or will have until the March
winds comes this way.
Despite the terrible condition of
the roads, rural letter carriers in
this section have not failed so far
to attempt their daily trips, and
tney have experienced the greatest
hardships of any this winter. In an
effort to maintain the efficient serv
ice enjoyed without little interrup
tion by rural postal patrons in this
community, the mail men have
traveled extra miles daily running
around the wrost places in the roads
and they they are not allowed any
pay for the extra mileages, and de
ductions in their salaries are, made
for all those portions of the routes
they mill. In some cases, the car
riers have walked across Aelds.
hired mules and employed the
services of patrons along the way
to effect mail deliveries, including
medicines for the sick. Late sched
ules have been maintained, some of
the carriers completing their trips
almost after dark. Several of the
men in this county have bought
old-model cars with running gears
and bodies high off the ground in
an effort to better serve the rural
patrons. It has been and still is a
difficult task, tut the carriers en
tered upon the work with a determ
ination that has enable many people
in the rural sections to hear from
the outside world during the past
several weeks where otherwise
they would have been completely
isolated.' ,
County doctors have also establ
ished an unsual record, one that
has been marked by hardships, ex
posure and even danger to their
own health in their efforts to re
lieve suffering humanity in remote
sections.
Believing the task of drying out
the roads and land in a hurry is too
great for the sun, most everyone
is betting and betting strong or
March winds to relieve the situa
tion. And no great change is ex
pected before the winds start the
latter part of this or early next
(Continued oa beck page)
SPECIAL GROUP
TO INVESTIGATE
COUNTY CLAIMS
Commission To Be Named
By Governor Sometime
In Near Future
A fact-finding commission to de
termine the amounts, if any, due
those counties advancing money for
the construction of highways about
the time the N. C. Highway Com
mission was created, will be appoint
ed in ample time to have the report
ready for th& next General As
sembly in accordance with a 1935
State law. Governor Ehringhaus
assured a delegation sent to his of
fice by the East Carolina Chamber
of Commerce last Friday, No reas
on for the delay in making the ap
pointments could be learned, but it
is understood the governor will
take action not later than the early
part of next June, giving the com
mission of nine members sufficient
time to investigate the claims of the
counties and report to the execu
tive their findings by the first of
next November, in accordance with
the legislative act_
There are 44 counties claiming
they are entitled to refunds of cer
tain money advanced the commis
sion for the construction of roads
some years ago. The total tentative
ly claimed by the counties is about
$8,451,180. Martin County claims
it is due around $404,907.88, that
amount having been spent on the
construction of the main highways
and Roanoke River bridge. The
roads are those leading to the Hali
fax County line and to the Beau
fort County border.
Senator Robt. L. Coburn repre
sented this county along with the
delegation headed by N. G. Bartlett,
secretary of the East Carolina Com
merce organization.
Governor Ehringhaus assured the
representatives that he had not for
gotten the appointments, that he
would handle the matter in ample
time for the report to reach him
and the next legislature. He did
not commit himself in connection
with the merits of the claims, but
it is doubtful if he or the highway
commission authorities think much
of the claims.
It is generally'agreed that an im
partial commission will find that
the claims, most of them at least,
are justified and that the counties
aiding in the early road construc
tion should be refunded most if not
all the money advanced by them.
Mrs. Eli Edmondson
Died Near Hassells
Early Last Saturday
Funeral Held at Home Sun
day Afternoon; Burial
In Robersonville
?????
Mrs. Eli R Edmondson, highly
respected citizen of this county,
died at her home near Hassell last
Saturday morning from an attack
of pneumonia. She had been ill for
only a_ short time.
Mrs. Edmondson, daughter of the
late Samuel and Maniza Powell,
was born in this county 67 years
ago. She was married to Mr. Ed
mondson 42 years ago, and he with
five sons, Messrs. P. C , D R., E. R.,
Jr., and E. K. Edmondson, all of
Hassell, and E. C. Edmondson, of
Hamilton, survives. She also leaves
three grandchildren.
Mrs. Edmondson had been a
member of the Hassell Christian
Church for 49 years, and was a
loyal supporter of all religious ac
tivities in her community for many
years. Her life was a quiet and
godly one, and was devoted to the
welfare and happiness of her fam
ily and neighbors. a She was held in
high esteem by all who knew her,
and her daily walk in life was an
ideal for one to follow.
Funeral services were conducted
from the late home Sunday after
noon by her pastor, Rev. R. A.
Phillips, of Macclesfield, assisted
b> Rev. J. M_ Perry, local Christian
minister. Interment was in the
New Cemetery, Robersonville.
Mrs. Mary Scott Dies At
Home Near Hamilton
Mrs. Mary Scott, wife of James
Scott, died at her home near Ham
ilton last Saturday of pneumonia
and otner complications
Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John
Brown, of Pitt County, Mrs. Scott
was 22 years old. Besides her par
ents and husband, she is survived
by four brothers and sisters, Vera,
Ella Mae, Stewart and David
Brown.
Funeral services were conducted
Sunday afternoon by Elder Wm. E.
Grimes and interment was in the
family cemetery, near Hassell.
About 70 Farmers in Meeting
Held Monday Favor Forming
County Unit of Farm Bureau
Seed and Feed Loan Proposal
Still Awaits Executive Action
The seed-feed loan measure,
scheduled lo make available $50,
000,000 to dependent farmers for
financing their farming activities
this year, continues to await Presi
dential action. The bill was pass
ed by Congress week before last,
and Thursday of this week is the
last day the chief executive has to
consider the proposed bill before
it automatically becomes law, it is
understood.
Last year the President stated
that he hoped another seed and
fted loan measure would not be
necessary, but thousands of farmers
are understood to be looking to the
fund again this year for their fi
nancing, and it is hoped by them
the bill will receive favorable ac
tion this year.
It is rumored that the seed and
feed loan measure eliminated, to a
great extent, exhorbitant financing
costs for those farmers unable to
borrow through regular credit chan
nels.
More than 200 farmers participat
ed in the fund in this county last
year, and it is believed that almost
that number will find it impossible
to finance their operations this year
through4 regular credit sources.
County Schools Are To
Reopen Next Monday
Six-Day Schedule Is4
Likely ^ lien School
Work Starts Again
Decreased Attendance Now
Expected As Result of
Long Delays
No definite re-opening date for
the Martin County white schools,
closed since the fourth of this
month, has been determined by the
authorities, as far as it could be
lcared here today. Officials who
have mentioned several dates for
the schools to reopen during the
past three weeks, are said to have
about abandoned all hope of de
termining a definite date for open
ing the plants. The only official
announcement that could be gain
ed from the school heads stated
that the schools would reopen just
as soon as the weather and condi
tion of the rttads impioved to per
mit the operation of the busses.
While the date has not been set,
it is believed the authorities are
contemplating re-opening the sev
ei a I schools next Monday and hard
ly before that time With a break
in the weather and hope for a
stiong March wind, it is generally
believed that most if not all the
schools can resume operations that
aay. It might be possible that one
01 two of them might re-open the
letter part of this week.
The suggestion that patrons liv
ing on dirt roads transport their
children to the hard surface where
they could meet the trucks was
ruled out by the officials after a
brief survey. Few parents were
willing to place their little ones on
open vehicles to ride unprotected
fiom the weather over miles of mud
covered roads, and they cannot be
censored for that
The delay is developing a rather
serious situation for the schools, not
only for this term, but for the next
term also. Before the term is com
pleted, it is certain that many pu
pils will be forced to remain at
home and help with the farming
The lowered* attendance records are
certain to cause a reduction in the
session unless the all-powerful corn
session unless the al-powerful com
mission exercises some good ole
common horse sense and 'recognizes
the causes for the situation. Work
in the schools has been interrupted,
lowering efficiency, no doubt.
Unofficial reports indicate that
the school commitees, or most of
them, are considering a six-day
schedule for the schools in an effort
to make up some of the time lost.
It has been suggested that the
schools, if they started next week,
hold Saturday sessions for about 11
weeks, making possible the com
pletion of the term the last of May
The schedule rests with the com
mittees, but it is understood the
county board will approve the Sat
urday sessions, but will not con
sider a daU* schedule longer than
the one now in effect.
1 Several of the teachers in the lo
cal schools, failing to receive no
tice of the delayed re-opening, re
ported over the week-end for duty
here yesterday.
Madison County growers have the
poultry fever, reports the farm
agent, after a survey of new poul
try houses built and baby chicks
ordered this winter.
Fire Damages Automobile
Here Early This Morning
?
Fire, starting from an over-heat
ed brake band, damaged the Chev
rolet tudor sedan belonging to the
Better Chevrolet company and driv
en by Rev. J. H. Smith at his home
on Church Street this morning at
1:30 o'clock. The left rear tire and
the upholstering in the back seat
were burned.
The local fire company was call
ed and checked the fire with a hose
connection direct from the truck.
# 1
Mrs. Clias Beacham
Died Friday Night
Mrs. Alice Gould Beacham, wife
oi Charlie Beacham, died at the
home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
John 1). Bond, near Skewarkey
Church, last Friday night from
pneumonia. She was taken ill sev
eral days before with influenza
which developed into double-pneu
monia.
Mrs. Beacham, unconscious for a
number of hours -before death, was
reliably reported to have run fever
of 109 degrees, one of the highest
readings for a person ever reported
here, it is understood.
Only 16 years old, Mrs. Beacham
is survived by her husband, par
ents and six brothers and six sis
ters.
Funeral services were conducted
Saturday afternoon by Elder W. E.
Grimes, and she was buried with
her one-day old child that afternoon
in the Skewarkey Cemetery, near
here.
Young Boy Holds
Up Station Owne
Bill Baker, operator of a filling
station between Everetts and Wil
liamston, was robbed of ten gal
lons of gasoline and two packages
of cigarettes yesterday by a young
boy named White. The lad, using
a small flashlight led the station
operator to believe it was a pistol
and made his getaway without pay
ing for the purchases.
The boy, out of a reformatory on
probation for the theft of a Buick
car in Bethel several months ago,
stole a car in Robersonville early
yesterday. After driving off with
the ten gallons of gasoline and cig
arettes from the Baker station, the
15-year-old youth, got more gas
free from Roberson's station here,
and continued on to Washington
where he was arrested for drunken
driving. He is being returned to
the reformatory today.
?
Jamesville-Bear Grass To
Play Here Wednesday
A spirited basketball doublehead
ei ii expected here Wedneaday
night whe nthe strong Jamesville
and Dear Grass teams meet In the
night when the strong Jamesville
encounter this . season. The teams,
rated as the strongest in the coun
ty this year, are all primed for the
meet, and interesting games are
predicted. The first game will start
at 7:30 o'clock, provided the Bear
Grass players can plow through the
mud by that time
Representatives Are
Chosen from Each
Township of County
Plan County Mass Meeting
On Saturday, March 7
In Courthouse
Seventy or more farmers meeting
in the courthouse Monday unani
mously voted to form a County
Farm Bureau and set up the ma
chinery for perfecting a permanent
organization at a county mass meet
ing to be held in the courthouse on
Saturday afternon, March 7 To be
formed as a unit of the North Caro
lina State Farm Bureau and the
American Farm Bureau Federation,
the organization in this county was
assured the support of all those at
tending the meeting Monday. The
time was considered ripe for action,
and the farmers expressed them
selves as ready and willing to co
operate with other farmers in the
state and nation to make certain
that agriculture will receive parity
prices and economic equality.
Mr. Holstun, representative of the
Alabama Farm Bureau, outlined the
purpose and objectives of the or
ganization. appealing briefly and in
a sound and sane way for action on
the part of Martin farmers. Sever
al representative farmers also made
timely remarks, all favoring a
strong organization to represent
their interests.
While the organization is separate
and distinct from any federal acts,
it serves its members by influenc
ing legislation just as the other great
interests are represented in legisla
tive halls.
The resolution unanimously adopt
ed the Monday meeting reads as fol
lows: "Be it resolved that we, the
farmers of Martin County desire to
organize a county farm bureau, and
to work in cooperation with the N
C. State Farm Bureau, American
Farm Bureau Federation and the
N C. Extension Service to security
or economic equality for agricul
ture."
Temporary plans were then ad
vanced for perfecting a permanent
organization with the appointment
of Mr. H. S. Everett as acting chair
man and M. L Barnes as secretary
treasurer. Representatives for the
various districts were named as fol
lows: C. Abram Roberson, Roberson
ville; J. F. Crisp, Goose Nest; F. L.
Haislip, Hamilton; V. G. Taylor,
Poplar Point; J. S. Ayers, Cross
Roads; Luther Peel, Williamston; F.
C. Stallings, Jamesville; Geo. C.
Griffin, Griffins Township; A. B.
Ayers, Bear Grass; and C. L. Dan
iel, Williams Township.
This temporary organization is
scheduled to make a canvass of the
several districts and urge attend
ance upon the mass meeting to be
held March 7 in the county court
house. Memberships will be accept
ed, and it is believed that several
hundred farmers will join the bu
reau unit before Saturday of next
week. Twenty farmers, led by
Mesrs. J. S. Ayers, of Everetts, and
Calvin Ayers, of Bear Grass, joined
the organization at the Monday
meeting, clearly indicating that the
people of this county really mean
business.
At county educational meetings to
be held in several districts between
now and March 7, the farm bureau
will be considered by special repre
sentatives, the work being recog
nized as a preliminary aid in pro
moting a permanent farm organiza
tion.
It is expected that more than
1,000 farmers will be here for the
mass meeting on March 7, when a
farm leader will discuss the organi
zation and its possibilities toward
aiding the farmer.
Local Young Man Injured
In Accident Sunday Night
e
Suffering one or two bad scars
on the head and bruited about the
shoulders in an automobile wreck
near Windsor last Sunday night,
Bruce Whitley, local young man, is
slowly improving at his home here.
His car, said to haVe turned over
three times, was''damaged consider
ably.
Whitley was returning her* from
Aulander and apparently dozed off
to sleep for a second causing him to
run off the pavement. He turned
the car back hurriedly causing it
to go into a spin. He was brought
here by Cyrus Bazemore, Bertie
Ledger editor, and given first aid
treatment by Dr. J. H. Saunders.