THE ENTERPRISE
MtwIIimi WU1 Find Out C?i
?uu a Latchkey U Oyer 1,*M
??Ma ?* Martin County,
VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 25 Williamston. Martin County. North Carolina. Friday, March 27.1936 ESTABLISHED 1899
MARTIN COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT
ADJOURNSTODAY
Fdw Cases Cleared From
Calendar During Last
Week of Session
The March term of Martin Coun
ty Superior court was adjourned to
day after clearing just a few cases
from a crowded docket since Wed
nesday of last week. Apparently
the court just could not get going
for one reason or another. Two or
three important cases were contin
ued for plaintiff counsel, and con
siderable time was given to the trial
of one case.
Only four cases have been re
moved from the docket since Mon
day, and the court continued until
late yesterday completing the last
one.
Resuming its work Monday aft
ernoon. the court handled two cases
before ordering a recess Tuesday
afternoon, much time having been
spent handling the case of the At
lantic Joint Stock Land Bank and
H. C. Roberson against L. D. Hardi
son and others. The contraversy
centered around the location of a'
boundary laid along a swamp, and
the defendants claimed the swamp
extended to that point where the
high waters redched. There was a
difference of 11 or more acres, the
court deciding in favor of the plain
tiffs.
Calling the ease of T. W. Holliday
against George W. Mizelle, the court
listened to the evidence for about
three hours and called a halt. The
differences were settled amicably
out of court. Neighbor Holliday
asked damages claimed to have re
sulted when the defendant's stock
ran at large.
Proceedings not previously re
ported are:
The case of R. E. Williams against
J. W. Eubanks was ordered off the
docket when it vyas shown a settle
ment had been reached outside the
court. Plaintiff Williams was di
rected to pay the cost of the action.
Calling the case of C. M. Minton,
Bertie County man, against the
Farmville-Woodward Lumber Com
pany Wednesday morning, the court
worked on the case until yesterday
afternoon about IT o'clock, when it
was turned over to the jury. With
the exception of about an hour for
supper, the jury argued the case
until nearly 10 o'clock before find
ing a verdict favoring the plaintiff.
The controversy started when Min
ton took an option on timber rights
belonging to Frank Barber and the
timber was later sold to the Farm
ville-Woodward company.
Counsel for the defense asked the
right to argue that the verdict be
dismissed or set aside this morning
at 10 o'clock.
County Red Cross
Chapter Raises $45
For Flood Victims
No Drive for Donations To
Be Made Chairman H. A.
Biggs Said Today
The crying appeals of thousands
of flood sufferers in twelve or more
states have been heard by compara
tively few people in this section,
according to Harry A. Biggs, chair
man of the Martin County chapter
of the Red Cross. Twelve contri
butor* had responded to the pitiful
call up "until this morning, donat
ing $45.25. No doubt, other con
tributions will follow shortly, but
right now it is apparent that this
chapter is not measuring up to the
situation both as to the needs of
the sufferers and the ability to give.
No drive for donations has been
mad* and none will be considered,
Mr. Biggs said today
Donations are acknowledged, as
follows:
Albert Perry, W. C. Manning,
Mrs. Erah Cobb, Mrs. J. G. Staton,
Mrs. A. R. Dunning and C. O.
Moore, $5 each; B. S. Courtney, $3;
Mrs E. P. Cunningham, $1; Mrs.
Fannie S. Biggs, $1; Methodist Sun
day School, $?; Leman Bamhili, $1;
others, 25 cents.
Rehabilitation work in the flood
swept areas will continue for sev
eral months, and late reports indi
cate that a greater damage than
was first estimated has been found.
Machine Shop Opens for
Business Here This Week
The Williamston Machine Works,
Williamston's newest enterprise,
opened for business in its new build
lng on Haughton Street, extended,
just in front of the Planters Ware
house this week. The shop, equip
ped with modern machinery and
employing experienced mechanics,
is prepared to handle all classes of
repair work for farm or factory.
Early Morning Fire Damages
Robersonville Business Places
Fire of undetermined origin swept
the David Grimes Drug Store in
Robersonville this morning about
3:30 o'clock, causoing a damage of
several thousand dollars. A few
minutes after the alarm was sound-'
ed calling Roberaonville's volun
teer firemen, to the Grimes' store.
Are was discovered in the general
mercantile store of C. T. Smith just
a few doors away.
The Smith Are was brought un
der control by the use of chemicals,
but it was reported hose lines con
nected with the town's water sys
tem were necessary to check the
Grime* Are. While the origin of
the Ares could not be deAnitely de
termined, it is possible that spon
taneous combustion was the cause.
Damage to the Grimes building
was estimated at ) 1,000, and the
loss to the stock, mostly in the drug
department at the rear of the store,
was believed to be in excess of
$3,000. Damage to the Smith build
ing will hardly exceed $30, but the
stock was considerably damaged by
smoke, it was said.
Robersonville's Aremen were re
ported to have handled well the as
signment given them at the early
morning hour.
Voluntary Control for
Tobacco Is Abandoned
?
SEED LOANS
-
Around 75 applications for seed
and feed loans have been filed
by farmers In this county at the
office here so far, It was learned
yesterday. The applications ask
for an averafe of $103 each.
Many applications havp been
approved by the county commit
tee, and the papers have been
forwarded to Washington, but
no checks have been received
and none Is likely to reach here
within a week or more.
No closing dale, after which
applications for will not be ac
ceptable by the county office,
has been mentioned. It Is be
lieved, however, that most of
the applications will have been
filed before April 15.
Plans Go Forward
For Union Church
Meeting In April
Week-day Services Will Be
Held In Watts Theatre
Week After Next
Plans for the union church meet
ing to be held in the Roanoke
Dixie Warehouse here are going
forward rapidly, it was announced
today, and large crowds ure expect
ed for the services beginning Sun
day night, April 6.
The old question as to whether
or not we have enough preaching
is still open to debate in some
Btinds, yet there are many people
who do not attend church. The
churches of Williamston feel it their
duty to extend their friendship to
all people whether they are affiliat
ed with any denomination or not,
and they have arranged to hold
these special spiritual, friendly and
good will services during the East
er season. On each week day and
in .add-on to t^e regular program
at the tabernacle, brief services
will be held in the Watts theatre
during the first week. The general
program for the second week fol
lowing Easter Sunday will be an
nounced later.
There will be no high-powered
evangelist in the meeting. The
preachers of the town, those who
visit yoO when you are sick, pray
for you at all times and sympathize
with you at death, will do the
preaching. An urgent invitation
goes out to everyone to attend the
services and reap the benefits that
true Christian cooperation brings
to a town and community and the
people therein.
Annual Senior Class Play
Here Friday Next Week
Memberi of the (enior class of the
local high school have begun night
ly practices on their annual play,
which ia scheduled for presentation
Friday, April 3, at 8 p. m. The play
chosen for this year is a comedy
entitled, "For Pete's Sake," and in
cludes a cast of twelve characters,
rfiss Annie S. VanDyke and Miss
Imogene Riddick are directing the
rehearsals.
TV A Phosphate Being
Used in Alamance
Thoee using the TV A phosphate
in Alamance County for demon
stration purposes are adding from
two to Ave pounds of lime with each
pound of the phosphate.
e
There are 58 selected farms in
Buncombe County under the new
farm management demonstrations
being conducted cooperatively by
the Extension Service and the TV A.
South Carolina and
Virginia Refuse To
Cooj>erate in Plan
House Committee Agrees
Agrees on Measure To
Provide Compacts
While the plan for a voluntary
control program for tobacco was
abandoned yesterday, there is still
some hope of handling the situation,
according to reports coming from
Washington today. Governor Eh
ringhaus' voluntary plan petered
out yesterday when Virginia and
South Carolina failed to send rep
resentatives to Raleigh to start the
movement. Apparently the two
states refused to play ball with this
state because North Carolina failed
to play ball with them several weeks
ago.
Decision to abandon, temporarly
at least, the voluntary sign-up cam
paign begun in the state this week
came after a long conference of the
growers' central steering committee
with Governor Ehringhaus and Com
misaioner of Agriculture William A.
Graham in Raleigh Thursday.
As the committee turned to the
soil conservation program hope was
held out that state compucts would
be obtained to further the acreage
reduction program.
The House of Representatives
committee on agriculture yesterday
agreed on a tobacco compact bill in
a form which, in the opinion of the
members of the North Carolina del
egation, other interested Congress
men and officials of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, will permit ef
fective control of the 1936 flue-cured
tobacco crop.
While threshing out all differences
the committee did not report the bill
Although prepared to do so, at the
request of Representative Harold D.
Cooley, a member of the committee,
another meeting of the committee
was called for this morning.
Peanut Market Is
Unusually Weak
With the market unusually wealk,
peanuts are reported to be moving
very slowly in this county at the
present time, despite the fact that
about 18 or 20 per cent of the crop
remains unsold in the country. The
average price is ranging around
2 3-4 cents, with the very best grades
commanding barely 2 7-8 cents a
pound.
For nearly two months, many
farmers were unable to move their
crops over the bad roads and the
price ranged around 3 cents during
that time. Now that traffic on the
secondary roads is beginning to
move with some ease the market
shows weakness.
Reports from local buyers yester
day indicated that very few pea
nuts were being offered for sale at
the present price.
Three Carloads Soy Beans
Shipped Here This Week
Three carloads of soybeans are
moving this week from this point to
markets In the Midwest, the beans
selling for about 75 cents a bushel,
f. o. b. Williamston. The shipments
this week constitute a greater por
tion of the large-scale sales, a few
fanners selling a truckload now and
then for seed.
It wasn't so long sgo that this
county found It necessary to Im
port seed for its bean crop, and,
while its commercial production is
somewhat limited, the trend is for
larger surpluses annually.
JOS. B. CHERRY IS
STRUCK BY AUTO;
SERIOUSLY HURT
72-Year-Old Business Man
And Farmer Expected
To Recover
Joseph B. Cherry, 72-year-old
farmer and business man, was bad
ly injured when struck by a car in
front of his home a short distance
from here on the Hamilton road at
7:45 o'clock Wednesday evening. He
suffered a broken arm just above
the left wrist, a possible concussion
of the brain and severe bruises on
other parts of his body. Following
an examination and Arst-aid treat
ment of his injuries by Dr. W. F.
Evans here. Mr. Cherry was re
moved to a Washington hospital,
where he is expected to recover if
complications do not develop.
He was reported to be getting a
long very well today.
Herbert Purvis, colored man liv
ing on Robert Everett's farm, about
6 miles from here, was driving the
Ford car that struck Mr. Cherry.
Following an investigation by Pa
trolman Hunt and other officers,
Purvis was exonerated of blame for
the near tragedy.
Mr. Cherry was said to have been
going from his home to that of a
neighbor acros sthe road. He was
almost across the road, it is be
lieved, before he saw the car and
started to turn back. Purvis, who
was coming into Williamston, pulled
to his left in an effort to run around
the man, but Mr. Cherry continued
uncertain of his direction and kept
directly in the path of the car, it
was said. Purvis Anally stopped his
car in a ditch on the left side of
the road, but he was not hurt and
the car wus not damaged very much.
FORMER CITIZEN!
OF TOWN DIES IN
FENDER COUNTY
WrJ DWard Passcs at Home|
Of Brother; Death Was
Unexpected
town J' ? resident this
own for a number of years, died
hist Saturday at. the home of his
brother, A. D Ward, in Pender
County. Apoplexy was given as the
cause of his death. Funeral services
were held in Rocky Mount Sunday
afternoon by Rev. J. M. Kincheloe
pastor of the Baptist church there
Interment was in the Rocky Mount
cemetery beside his wife.
Mr. Ward was born in Gates Coun
ly 74 years ago. About 1890 he lo
bar H Wll''amstoh, operating a
bar, drug store, and later a horse
land mule exchange Soon after the
World War he sold his business and
rny ?id,ngs here ?"d -?d
Rocky Mount, where he lived
While he Un,i' his deat"
While he had been in failing health
for some time, Mr. Ward was very
active, and had visited here only a
few weeks ago, y
-BW.
Surviving are one sister, Mrs S.
B Taylor, of Ocean View, Va. five
brothers, Hallett S. Ward, of Wash
ington, A. E Ward, o, iunaluska
James Ward, of Wallace; Z. L Ward'
M Peterstown, W. Va.; A. D Ward
of Pender; three daughters, Mrs'
James R Davis, of Belhaven; Mrs
George V. Wilson, of New York
City; and Mrs Albert B. Lisle, of,
Dr?rN b'm""1 "nd ?"e StepS?n'
r N B Marriner, of Belhaven.
Baseball Directors
To Meet Tonight
Directors of the local baseball
meet fan* "re ?fbeduled to
meet this evening at 7:30 o'clock in
the office of President L. T. Fowden
to discuss important business in con
nection with operating the Martins!
this coming season. Committee as
foments wiUbem.de at the meet
ing, and several other matters will
? -i
Arrangements are going forward
for signing players, but no contracts
have been officially announced
Manager Walker, now busy with
coaching duties at Elon College is
expected to round up his players
within the next week or two, how
ever. w
Truck Load of Flour
Scattered 'Over Road
A considerable amount of flour
was lost last Tuesday evening, when
a large truck turned over between
Everetta and Robersonville. No one
was hurt, and the truck was not
damaged very much, reports reach
ing here stated.
Soil Conservation Program Will
Be Outlined To County Farmers
At Meeting Tomorrow Afternoon
All Dogs in County Must Be
Vaccinated Against Rabies
Arrangements are under way to
vaccinate between four and five
thousand dogs in this county during
the early part of next month. Sher
iff C. B. Roebuck, who heads the
work, said this morning. The cam
paign is the second planned under
a state-wide law to control the
spread of rabies. The vaccinations
will be handled after the same fash
ion followed last year, with pos-.
sibly a few minor changes.
Since the vaccinations were giv
en last June and July, no mad dogs
have been reported in this county.
Sheriff C. B. Roebuck said. Very
little trouble was experienced in
handing the huge task last summer,
and it is likely the campaign will
btj carried to completion this year
with even greater ease. The sher
iff had difficulty in getting sufficient
serum to complete the vaccinations
in 1935, but orders are already pend
ing for an adequate supply to meet
the needs this year.
Dog owners are required to pay
50 cents for the vaccinations, but
they are given credit for that
amount on county taxes. Last year
several hundred dogs were added
to the property lists, but a complete
financial report on the vaccination
activities has not been made avail
able.
Commissioners Favor
Present Liquor Set-Up
Wet Counties Will'
Fight Any Effort To
Have Law Changed
Formation of Bloc Favored
At Meeting Held in
Greenville
Meeting in Greenville last Wednes
day, commissioners from a number
of the 17 wet counties trained their
guns against any change in the.
present set-up under which legal
liquor is handled. While the au- j
thorities from these counties are not
taking the part of the aggressor in
bringing the matter before the law
makers, it is understood they are
preparing a strong front to defend
the present system and head off any
attempt to switch revenue from the
several counties to the state treas
ury. Should a special session of the
General Assembly be called by the
governor, and an attempt is made
to alter the liquor laws, the 17 coun
ties, or most of them, will form a
bloc and be in readiness to oppose
a change in the laws.
Details and plans of the organi
zation formed to oppose a change
in the laws could not be learned
here.
There is a general movement to j
wipe out the present control sys
tem and substitute for it one of a
state-wide nature, still leaving the
liquor question for the voters of the
several counties to decide. The
change, proposed by some, would
bring the liquor problem under
stale control and divide the profits
among the state, counties and towns
where stores are operated.
It is possible that the liquor ques
tion would not be brought to the
front if a special session of the as
sembly is called, but it is certain
there will be a showdown sooner or
later.
Commissioners R. L. Perry and V.
G. Taylor attended the meeting
from this county.
More Peanut Benefit
Cheeks Arrive Here
Another batch of peanut benefit
rhecki are ready for distribution
mong Martin County farmers, the
office of the county agent starting
326 notices out to the owners di
rect. So far, 506 checks, amounting
to $37,241.88, have been received for
distribution in this county to those
farmers participating in the peanut
control movement last year.
It is estimated that 90 checks rep
resenting an unpaid total of about
$4,670.37, are due farmers in this
county. These payments this week
had not been approved in Wash
ington, but action is expected short
ly.
a
Farm Bureau Membership
Running Into Thousands
On March 0, 1,443 farmers of 17
eastern Carolina counties had of
ficially Joined the Farm Bureau
Federation; 4,169 others had been
enrolled but not reported officially
to the headquarters at Qreenville,
and; 17,207 men in 28 counties were
listed as possible members.
POULTRY CAR
The third and last poultry
shipment of th eseason will be
made cooperatively by farmers
in this county next week. While
no record shipment is expected,
County Agent Hrandon believes
the farmers will load one car.
Prices for the mosb part are
equally as high as they were
two or three weeks ago, despite
a weakening market.
The car will make its first
stop in Jamesville next Wednes
day, and will be in Wllllamston
Thursday, April 2; Kobersonville
April 3, and flak City on April
4th.
Roanoke Receding
After Reaching 14
Feet Mark Here
Not Expected To Be Back
Within Banks Before
Next Week
Reaching a crest of 14 feet here
Wednesday, the Roanoke River start
ed falling late that afternoon at this
point, but the stream is receding
very slowly, according to Hugh
Spruill, keeper of the weather sta
tion. During the first eighteen hours
after the crest was reached the riv
er fell only 3 inches. Mr. Spruill
believes that it will be the middle
or latter part of next week before
the stream returns to within its
banks. Up until this morning, the
water had fallen about 12 inches.
As far as it could be learned to
day, there are no prospects for an
other freshet to follow immediately
this, the fourth one so far this year.
The river fell short by almost a
foot the high point reached during
the freshet of a few weeks back. No
great property loss has resulted in
this territory, but lumbering activi
ties and mills have been forced to
close down much of the time this
year.
Peanut Picking About
Over for Last Season
Expericing an interruption caused
by snow and rain during January,
February and a part of March, farm
ers in this county a few days ago
finally finished picking their pea
nuts. The late pickifigs established
records never before equalled in
this section.
Those peanuts placed in large
stacks are said to have weathered
the severe winter unusually well,
but those in small stacks were dam
aged considerably, reports state.
Lose Interest in Raiding
Stills Alter Seeing Bear
Raiding a liquor manufacturing
plant along the border of Jamesville
and Griffins Township Wednesday,
Officers J. H. Roebuck and Roy Peel
saw an unusually large bear, the
animal going one way and Joe and
Roy going the other. They got the
still, a small steam outfit, and two
barrels of beers, but that was before
they saw the bear.
The plant was cold and no arrests
were made.
Speaker From State
Extension Division
To Address Meeting
Probable Rate of Benefit
To Be Paid for Soil
Conservation
The Federal government's soil
conservation program will be ex
plained in detail at a mass meeting
of farmers to be held in the court
house here tomorrow afternoon at
2 30 o'clock. County Agent T. B.
Brandon announced this morning.
Voluntary control plans for the 1930
tobacco acreage and production will
hardly be considered, as the pro
gram was abandoned yesterday.
There is nothing compulsory at
all about either the soil conserva
tion program or the tobacco control
plans, it was explained. The meet
ing will deal with the plans formu
lated by the government to aid ag
riculture, and will leave the fate
of the farmers to their own volun
tary action. A special representative?
of the North Carolina extension di
vision will explain the programs,
.and the meeting affords splendid op
portunity for all farmers to get ac
quainted with the plans designed to
aid agriculture.
Returning lute Tuesday from Ra
leigh, Messrs. T. 13. Slade and Tom
Brandon unhesitatingly stated that
the individual farmer will no doubt
find participation in the soil con
servation program very profitable.
It was their belief that every farm
er, regard ess of the action of others,
would do well to participate in the
soil conservation program.
While the rate of benefits has not
been officially announced, it is gen
erally understood that farmers par
lieiputing in the program will re
ceive not less than 5 cents a pound
on tobacco, 5 or (> cents a pound on
cotton and about 1 1-4 or 1 12 cents
a pound on peanuts taken out of
production. For instance, a farmer
who has nine acres of tobacco as
his base will probably curtail his
production one-third. If his base
poundage is 900 pounds to the acre,
then he will receive $45 an acre, or
$135 for the three acres taken out
of tobacco production. To qualify
for the payment, the farmer must
plant ut least 20 per cent, or 1.8
acres of the three taken out of pro
duction to soil-conserving or soil
building crops.
The main feature of the program
is that the farmer will get that
amount, whether tobacco sells for
5 cents or 10 cents a pound.
Now, as for market prices next
fall, the control feature enters into
the picture i na large-way. An 80
per cent control, be it voluntary or
compulsory, is expected to hold up
prices. If the control feature is
adopted, and there certainly is need
for such a step, regardless of what
Henry Ford and some other great
industrialists say, then there is some
real hope for the tobacoc farmer.
And in addition to that, the farmers
will?qualify for the payments un
der the soil conservation plan. Aside
from the cash income feature, the
farmers will be building up their
land, a much needed project on a
large number of farms in this coun
ty at the present time.
Several Cases Tried
Bv Mavor This Week
Several criminal cases were dis
posed of in Mayor J. L. Hassell's
court here this, week, the business
before the trial justice being of lit
tle consequence.
William Brown, colored, was sen
tenced to the roads for thirty days
on a trespass charge. Brown, 17
years old, was seen on the prem
ises of Mrs. Myrtle Harris on Haugh
ton Street, and a ham was missed
from the pantry. Proof that Brown
stole the ham could not be estab
lished, however.
James S. Barnes and Phillip
Barnes, both colored, were before
the court on disorderly charges.
James was released upon payment
of the cost, and the other one was
Oned $2 50 and taxed with the cost.
Robert Edmondson and Henry
Thomas, young white boys, pleaded
guilty of stealing two hams and a
shoulder from Farmer William Whit
ley, near here, and the case was
sent to the county court. Unable to
raise bond in the sum of )50 the
two boya went to jail.