North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE JUhrerttMT* WU1 fM Ou Cal UUI a Latchkey to Oree MM mt Martto VOLUME XXXIX?NUMBER 29 Williamston. Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, April 10, 1936 ESTABLISHED 1899 DOZEN CASES ARE TRIED TUESDAY INCOUNTYCOURT No Cases of Unusual Inter-| est, but Fair Crowd of Spectators Attend An even dozen cases were han dled by Judfe H. O. Peel in the Martin County recorder's court at the session last Tuesday, the docket carrying no unusual cases but at tracting fairly large numbers. An attack on gambling was made in the case charging Paul Holliday and Sam Henry Holliday with op erating a gambling house. They pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court, finding them guilty of gambling, fined them $10 each and taxed them with the cost. In a second case, Paul Holliday was adjudged guilty of an assault with a deadly weapon, and the court fined him $50 and costs and gave him a 80-day road sentence, to be gin at the direction of the court. Appeal was noted, and bond in the sum of $150 was required. Gus White, charged with larceny and receiving, and James Brown, charged, with an assault with a dead ly weapon, were found not guilty. The case charging Harry Barak ney with bastardy was continued I until September 1 with the defend-1 ant under an $800 bond. The case charging Roxwell Park er with operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license was re manded to a justice of the peace court for trial. Parker is said to have appealed from the judgment of a justice of the peace court to the county tribunal. Jonas Horton failed to answer when called in the case charging him with operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license. Ellsworth Andrews was sentenced to the roads for 60 days on a dis orderly conduct and assault charge. Charged with drunken automo bile driving, William Dirkerson was found not guilty. Judgment was suspended upon I the payment of the cost and 75 cents | for stolen gasoline in the case charg ing Walter Freeman with larceny. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the cost in the cases charging Floyd Spruill with operat ing a car with improper brakes and Jerry Bennett with an assault. Contracting Firm Begins Work on Warehouse Here I Jones Brothers, Wilson contract ing Arm, started repairing this week the damage done to the Planters Warehouse by a heavy snow here last December. N. N. McDaniel. foreman for the construction Arm, is directing the removal of the fall en timbers, including the roof, trusses and a part of the Aooring. About six to eight weeks will bel required to handle the repairs, it | was stated. The contract for the repairs calls I for $2,380, the contractors agreeing | to keep a cost estimate on the proj ect with the understanding that thel job will be handled for less if pos-1 sible. Special Meet of Board Of Education Monday I A special session of the Martin County Board of Education will be held here next Mdnday morning, it was announced yesterday by Board Chairman W. O. Griffin. Routine matters will be handled, and later the members will inspect the sever al new buildings now being con structed, it was stated. Tobacco Control Bill Passed By House of Representatives While machinery is being set in motion to handle the soil conserva tion program, late reports from Washington indicate that some form of control might take shape to effect tobacco curtailment this season. The details of the program have not been made public, but a bill calling for cohtrol has already passed the National House of Representatives end is now before the Senate. Con gressmen Warren and Kerr, who have taken an active lead for the measure, believe a special session of the North Carolina General As sembly will be in order if and when the compact law is passed by the national body. Reports from the Martin court house indicate machinery for han dling the soil conservation program will probably start moving some time next week over the county. Data for the work are being pre pared in the office of the county agent at the present time, and work1 sheets will be available for farmers in the near future, it is understood. These work sheets can be prepared by the farmer caring to participate in the program, and he can make application for benefits later. County Is Trailing in Red Cross Donations Only $89.93 of $430 Quota Raised; Need Greater Than Ever Tornadic Winds in South ern States Makes Quick Response Necessary Facing the task of aiding thous ands who were made homeless by tornadoes in Southern States, the American Red Cross has issued a second call for help. The call fol lows closely the one made a few weeks ago, when floods swept parts of 12 states. Last reports from Harry A. Biggs state that the Martin County chap ter is trailing far behind in raising its quota, Mr. Biggs still maintain ing that he wil lsponsor no direct solicitations. At the same time, he realizes tornado victims are sorely in need of aid, and he will be glad to forward to the Red Cross head quarters any donations reaching him. With an assigned quota of $450, the Martin chapter has turned in so far $89.93, a comparatively small sum when the needs of the victims are considered. An appeal for aid still exists, and those wishing to have a part in the great humanitarian task may leave their donations at either of the banks in Williamston or forward them direct to Mr. Biggs. Red Cross officials are uiging Mr. Biggs to do all he can to help relieve the situa tion, and donations are forwarded to headquarters as rapidly as they are received. Last Tuesday $75.93 had been acknowledged, the following con tributors increasing the sum to $89.93: Warren H. Biggs, $5; Rev. and Mrs. E. F. Moseley; Miss Lora E. Sleeper, $2; J. T. Barnhill, $2; W M. Hardison, $2; J. E. Pope, $1; and W. O. Griffin, $1. Despite the loss of near 500 lives and the loss of property valued in the millions of dollars, probably the most pathetic story coming from the whole tragedy was told in Gaines ville day before yesterday. Thirty children, all too young to tell their names, and with their parents and older brothers and sisters injured or killed, could not be identified. They were huddled together by the Red Cross, waiting and hoping against hope that their fate mi^ht be deter mined as the Georgia town digs out from under the catastrophe. T. S. Royster, of Gaston County, lost only seven chicks during the first week out of 500 Reds brooded with a brick brooder. First of Liquor Profits Paid Over To County Total Sales for First 8 Months $83,500; 21 Per Cent Profit Made The Ant turnover of profits from the aale of legal liquor in thia coun ty reached the county's general fund thia week, the Alcoholic Beverage* Control Board, at ita meeting laat Monday night, having ordered a check for $1,M1.44 be handed the county treaaurer. Thia amount, however, doee not repreaent the to tal proflta made aince the atorea were established a few daya over eight montha ago, V. J. Splvey, the chairman of the board, explained. The remainder of the proflta la be ing uaed aa working capital, the li quor board chairman explaining that with the exception of a few ?office supplies the capital, or inven tory, can be recognized readily as "liquid" assets. Starting in the legal liquor busi ness the 10th of last July, the coun ty up to the first of April had sold $83,510.18 worth of liquors. The net profit for the period, not includ ing the 5 per cent set aside for law enforcement, was $18,081.44, or a fraction over 20 per cent. Of the $16,081.44, the control board, with the permission of the county com missioners, are using $15,000 for working capital, or to pay off all its outstanding bills and pay for all liquors now on hand. The board has been discounting its bills' for some time, and while proflta have been made regularly they have been turned back into the business, and it was this week that the turnover of more than $2,000 was made to the county general fund. Of the > [ SMOKE?NO FIRE ] Local volunteer Bremen had a puxile all their own wnen they were called to the Wafner home on Smlthwlck Street yes terday morning shortly before 11 o'clock and found the house filled with smoke, but no fire. There were no fires In the stoves in that part of the house where the smoke was heavy, and an examination of an electric cook stove showed no signs of a burning dinner. No damage to the home was caused by the smoke. Firemen made a thorough search for the fire, but, unable to find it, left the home with the puizle unsolved. 11 LICENSES TO MARRY ISSUED IN PAST MONTH Number for Month Smaller Than In Any March During Six Years Eleven marriage licenses were is sued in this county last month, the number being the smallest since February, 1933. Six of the licenses were issued to white couples. Licenses were issued to the fol lowing couples: White Richard D. Woodward and Myrnie W. Brown, both of Williamston. tloorge Pugh Roberson and Lil lian Coltrain, both of this county. Jesse P. Dudley and Stella Mix on, both of Washington. Johnnie Johnson and Ida Brown, both of Martin County. Benjamin Cutler Peel and Eunice Moore, both of this county. Charles S. Sanford and Evelyn Tetterton, both of Washington. Colored LeRoy Daniel and Helen Little, both of Robersonville. Roosevelt Thorne and Mary Lizzie Ridley, both of Martin County. Charlie Moore and Alice Gray Harris, both of this county. Bruce Burch, of Charlotte, and Angie Latham, of Williamston. Richard Vines and Carrie May Williams, both of this county. R. E. Hodges Dies In Beaufort County R. E. Hodges, well-known Beau fort County man and brother to Mrs. Blanche Manning, of William ston, died at his home near Wash ington yesterday afternoon from pneumonia. He had been in failing health for two years. Son of the late James Wilson and Amanda Stanctll Hodges, he was born in the Old Ford section of Beaufort Coun ty 69 years ago and had farmed a greater part of his life. Besides his sister here, he leaves three children, one sister sod two brothers. Funeral services are being con ducted this afternoon at the late home by Rev. Richard Bagby and Rev. Stephen Gardner, Washington ministers. Burial will follow in Oakdale cemetery. ? Regular Services at Piney Grove Church Sunday Rev. W. B. Harrington will con duct the regular services in the Piney Orove Baptist church in Grif fins Township Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. The Maple Grove quartet has been invited to sing at that time It was announced. The public is cordially Invited to attend the East er day service. RURAL ROADS LN BAD SHAPE SINCE RECENT STORMS New Record for Rainfall Is Expected This Month; 4 Inches Already With more than three inches re-' corded during Monday and Tuesday i of this week, the rainfall at this point is likely to set a new record for April Up to today, 3 93 inches of rain had fallen in this communi ty, as compared with 4.70 inches during all of last April and 4.02 inches reported in April,* 1934. Back in 1932 the rainfall in April was less than one 1 3-4 inches at this point, weather records show. The heavy rain falling last Mon day and Tuesday measured 3.16 inches at the official weather station on the river here. Reports from the country maintain the rainfall in some sections was more than S inches. Regarded as the heaviest in many months, the rains the early part of this week closed many of the class B and class D roads in some sec tions. Nearly half the population in Griffins Township had only one sure outlet at one time, and in oth er sections traffic was interrupted when small bridges were washed away. Except for low and clay places, the rains bettered the con dition of many roads in the couflty, it was said. Reports from those people living on the lower class roads are not very encouraging; in fact, the con dition of the roads continues criti cal with many of them. They main tain that the state has just about ignored those routes, one report claiming that the state had not had one of its machines on a certain road since the state took over the routes. Travelers, going into all parts of the county, state that the people living on the class C roads are not getting a square deal, and that some thing should be done about the sit uation. I Expect Roanoke Crest Next Week The old Roanoke, in flood stage much of the time since the first of the year, is expected to reach a crest o fabout 12 feet at this point on its sixth rampage of the year next Tuesday or Wednesday. The stream, rising very slowly now, is expected to flood its banks by about two feet, the water standing about 13 inches over the banks now. Seine fishing continues at a stand still at Jamesville, with the possi bility that the fisheries might be able to start operations week after next. Small-scale fishermen report ed slightly better catches last night and early today here, but the fish are not running in large numbers, it was said. | Colored Boys Arrested On Theft Charges Here Tom Ryan, jr., and Joe Razor, both colored, were arrested Wednes day afternoon for the alleged theft of two bushels of stock peas from Harrison Brothers' warehouse. The boys Were caught when they tried to sell them to another merchant, it was said. The two were given a hearing, and in default of >60 bonds, they were ordered placed in jail to await trial in the county court the 26th of this month. ? | Local Peanut Market Is Stronger This Week Arrangements recently complet ed by the government to divert an additional part of the peanut crop into oil brought strength to prices on the farmers' market this week. While the market is not showing any great strength, prices have re turned to the 3-cent level, with some purchases reported as high as 3 1-8 to 3 1-4 centa a pound. The crop is not moving in any great quantity, but there is more life in the market than there was a few days ago. Pastors' Conference To Be Held Here Monday The northeastern North Carolina pastors' conference will be held in the local Baptist church here next Monday, Rev. J. H. Smith, pastor, announced this morning. Ministers from the district are urged to attend the morning session beginning at 10 o'clock. The afternoon session con venes at 1:30 o'clock. Rev. Mr. Smith slates an inter ssting program has been arranged, and that a goodly number of min isters are expected. Martin County Farmers Having Little Difficulty This Season in Financing Farming Operations Dog Vaccinations Get Under Wayin3 Townships Saturday Martin County's anti-rabies cam paign gets underway tomorrow when clinics will be held in Goose Nest, Hamilton and Poplar Point Townships. Sheriff C. B. Roebuck, in charge of the work, estimates that more than 1,000 dogs will be vac cinated during the day at Oak City. Hassell, Hamilton, Hamilton, and at Roebuck's Filling Station, the latter place being in Poplar Point Town ship. Dates for clinics in other dis tricts will be announced shortly. Completing arrangements for the clinics this week. Sheriff Roebuck said that he had found numbers who believed the vaccination last year would last indefinitely. The serum is good for one year oYily. and failure to have a dog vaccinated subjects the owner to prosecution in the courts. A fee ot 50 cents is charged, but this amount is refund ed to the owner of the dog upon the payment of taxes. Revival To Continue Through Next Week HOLIDAY MONDAY 1 *. * Easter Monday will be ob served by few Hmis here this year. The schools, already far behind in their schedule (or the term, will continue their activi ties, although many of them al ways observed the day as a hol iday in past years. The day is not a legal holiday and mail de liveries will go forward as usu al. The two banks will be closed all day, and the offices of the Virginia Electric and Power Company will close for the aft ernoon. County ABC stores will be closed all day. Other busi ness houses will carry on their regular schedules. Two Men Arrested Here Will Be Tried For False Pretense True Bill Returned Against Braden and Kavanagh in Federal Court ? A true bill was returned in the Federal court at Washington this week in the case chargeing William A. Braden and Frank Kavanagh with false pretense in selling cer tain correspondence courses, accord ing to information reaching here. They will be tried in Federal court at Kaleigh the second Monday of next month, it is understood. The two men were arrested here several weeks ago, when they are alleged to have guaranteed govern ment jobs to those buying certain courses of instruction from a school they represented. It is understood the two men have been unable to raise the required bonds and that they continue in jail at Kaleigh. There were very few cases from this county for trial in the court, Judge Meekins suspending sentence in those upon good behavior of the defendants for two years, it was stated Lewis Parker, colored preacher of Lenoir County, who is alleged to have fraudulently solicited money to advance some pension scheme a mong his colored brethren of the Parmele section in this county, was found guilty. Judge Meekins sen tenced him to prison for a year and a day, but recommended that he be paroled after serving one-third of the term. Parker, collecting fees which he claimed entitled the ap plicant to a $200 a month pension, handled hi^ own defense and caused much laughter during the one hour his case was in progress, reports reaching here stated. Home of Colored Man Burns Near Jamesville e A. Cooper, colored man living near Jameaville, lost his home and nearly all hia earthly belongings by Are laat Wednesday evening. Cooper who waa left almoat penniless, stat ed he believed the houae caught Are from a lighted cigarette, but he was not sure. It is though1! that his brother, William, went to bed with a lighted cigarette and the bed cloth ing caught Are from that. William, 28 years old, waa not burned, how ever. Cooper waa away from home at the time, Ashing in the Roanoke at Jameaville, and none of the con tents waa saved. Meeting With Fair Success; Many From Distance Attending Expect Crowds To Increase Despite Local Attitude Of Indifference A coperative religious movement here continues to meet with fair success as the first week of the two weeks meeting draws to a close to morrow in the Roanoke-Dixie Ware house. The size of the crowds is increasing as the meeting progresses but the seating capacity of the tab ernacle has not been taxed as yet. It is believed the religious move ment will continue to attract more attention, with much interest being developed outside of Williamston's corporate limits. Trucks are bring ing large numbers from the Poplar Point sedtion, andyvisitors are com ing here in their own cars from miles around, but there continues an indifferent attitude among many local people toward the undertak ing. Criticized several months ago for bringing here high-powered evan gelists, local religious leaders re versed their order and are conduct ing a sane religious movement now, but apparently their efforts are not being heeded as much as they should be. Rev. R. R. Grant, pastor of the Methodist church, opened the meet ing last Sunday evening and occu pied the pulpit the next evening. He was followed in the pulpit by Rev. James H. Smith, pastor of the Baptist church, on Tuesday and Wednesday evening s Rev. J M. Perry preached last night, but no pulpit assignments have been an nounced for any of the evenings during the remainder of the two weeks meeting. Mid-day prayer meetings in the local theater have been fairly well attended, and they have occasioned much interest. The last of these meetings was held yesterday, since all ministers of the town and mem bers of the various denominations are worshiping with the Episcopal ians in a three-hour service in the Church of the Advent today. Banks and Federal Lending Croups Are Doing Big Business At Least 416 Applications Approved by Three Fed eral Agencies With throe government sanctioned organizations advancing money in addition to that lent by the several banks, Martin County farmers are finding a ready credit for financing their 1936 activities, reports stat ing that there has been very little difficulty in procuring credit this year Of course, there are some farmers who could not qualify for loans, and there are a few others who could get no credit simply be cause they were not entitled to it. The borrowing business is fast drawing to a close, the several or ganizations now receiving compara tively few applications for loans. The applications, for the most part, have been considered, and checks are being received by the applicants daily. An unofficial review of the activ dies carried on by the Washington Production Credit Association, the Resettlement Administration, and the seed-feed loan group shows that more than 416 applications have been filed for loans which have been favorably considered Those appli cations request approximately $156, 500. No estimates on the number and amount of loans advanced by the several banks in the county could be had. but it is believed the figure will run well into the thous ands of dollars. Other than those farmers borrow ing direct from the banks, the bor rowers fall into three classes. The production credit corporation has served the more or less independent large scale farmers, as a rule, but it has advanced many ? small loans, some as low us $50 Mr W H Car sturphen, of the county office, states that 200 applications have been re ceived from Martin farmers, and that approximately $90,000 has been advanced by the corporation, the amount being *equal to the total lent all last season. About 175 of the 200 applications have been ap proved. some for as much us $3,000 with the average standing at about $500. Next in line with loans is the Re settlement Administration with Its 250 applications Approximately one half of that number has been ap proved, and nearly $53,000 is being distributed to the borrowers. Mr. David Modhn, field supervisor, for the resettlement group, states that the loans will average $375, and that most of the borrowers are mak ing improvements to their farms or paying for mules. The value of the resettlement activates can easily be recognized since many of the bor rowers could not easily qualify for loans through the production as sociation The third organization, the seed feed loan group which plays the role more like that of a read-head ed step-child, has cleaned up the field, applicants who, for one reas on or another, could not get loans from the other two associations, (Continued an page six) Agency Helping Many To Secure Education 25 Boys and Cirls inj County Profit by Aid From Federal NYA Of all the Federal aid advanced through the several agencies, that coming through the National Youth Administration possibly is accom plishing more lasting results than any, it is believed by many of those acquainted with the national gov ernment's vast relief program. There are 2d young girls and boys both white and colored, in this county who ore participating in an educational program made poslsble by the National Youth Administra tion. Nearly every one of the num ber would And it impossible to at tend school were it not for the $4 to *6 they receive monthly from the administration. Weekly reports clearly indicate that these pupils, many of whom have had little or no chance at even an elementary education, are doing as well, if not better, than the average pupils. Reporting directly to the county superintendent's office a few days ago, an old woman explained that she really believed now that one of her worst sons was going to make a man all because of the few dollars made available to him through the youth educational fund. The 25 pupils participating in the fund in this county are receiving altogether $114, and it is believed that this small sum will enable ev ery one of the number to continue to the end of the current school term. The terms of the fund are that the pupil must first purchase tha re quired books, the reminder going for clothing.