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THE ENTERPRISE
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VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 98 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, December 9, 1938. ' ESTABLISHED 1899
Fire District And
Restricted Areas
Created By Board
Prohibits Construction o f
Wooden Buildings On
Washington Street
The construction of wooden build
ings on Washington Street is prohib
ited and building on Watts, Smith
wick, Church, Pearl and Elm Streets
is restricted under ordinances pass
ed by the local town commissioners
this week. A description Of the ex
tended fire district and restricted
areas is embraced in the ordinances
appearing in this paper.
In accordance with the ordinance,
the first district of the town now be
gins uu Main Street at the eernet of
Watts and runs west to Haughton,
taking 200 feet on either side of the
street. The district leaves the Main
Street at two intersections, Wash
ington and North Haughton, the
Washington Street extension stop
ping at Pearl Street, whde the Jen
kins garage is now under construc
tion. The Haughton Street fire dis
trict runs to the railroad and thence
up the ruilroad to Elm and continues
on South Elm to Washington Street
In addition to the fire district, the
authorities established a restricted
building area, meaning that any
business houses constructed therein
must be of brick construction. The
restricted area leads off Main Street
-to Church Street on the north, out
East Church Street to Elm and then
down South Elm to Railroad Street,
up West Railroad Street to Pearl and
on South Pearl to Warren Street.
From that point the restricted area
continues to Haughton and from
there to Marshall Avenue, the line
continuing to Watts Street and from
there to the beginning.
By establishing the fire district,
the authorities limited all construc
tion therein to that of brick, cement
or stone. No more shacks can be
built on Washington Street between
the warehouse district and Pearl
Street. The ordinance does not af
fect the present buildings in the fire
district.
In the restricted areas, it is per
missable to build homes of wooden
construction and wooden outhouses
up to a certain size, but any busi
ness house must conform to fire reg
ulations.
State Fire Marshal Brockwell, of
Raleigh, assisted Fire Chief G. P.
Hall in making a survey of the town
and in establishing the extending
fire district and restricted building
areas.
December Term Ot
Superior Court Will
Convene On Monday
Judge Walter to Preside;
Few Civil Cases on
Docket
The Martin County Superior court
will convene a one-week term next
Monday for the trial of both crimi
nal and civil cages. Judge Walter J.
Bone, of Nashville, will preside.
Comparatively few criminal cases
are slated for trial, but the court is
expected to run longer than it did a
year ago when Judge Clawson Wil
liams convened the court late Mon
day morning, cleared the docket and
adjourned the tribunal before the
day was spent.
With two exceptions, the criminal
docket is considered of minor im
portance. Tom Williams, county col
ored man, is booked for trial in a
case charging him with fatally stab
bing Eli Evans, colored, in a Wil
liamston beer garden the early part
Of fast month Stabbed following tha
exchange of a few words, Evans is
said to have walked out of the beer
joint and fell dead on the street.
Williams was arrested at the home
of his girl friend in the Beaver Dam
section of Williamston Township on
the night of November 5, and he has
been in jail since that time.
Homer Glosson, white man, faces
a charge of manslaughter. Glosson
is alleged to have run over and fa
tally injured Isaiah Hardison, col
ored man, between Jametville and
(Continued on page four)
Colored Man, Victim Of
Pistol Shot, Improved
Daniel Ryan, colored man who
had his right lung punctured by a
bullet fired from a pistol in the
hands qt Raleigh Rascoe, was report
ed to be getting along fairly well in
a Washington hospital early today.
"The man will recover if no compli
cations develop," one report from
the hospital stated.
Town to Receive Bids Soon
For Construction of Prvjects
Bids for the construction of side
walks, streets, water facilities and
sewer line extensions will be receiv
ed by local town authorities on
Thursday, December 22. according tp
unofficial information gained this
morning.
Plans were announced virtually
complete yesterday for floating a
$72,000 bond issue for financing the
improvement program, the authori
ties explaining that a $52,200 grant
from the Public Works Administra
llon will supplement the $72,000 to
be raised by the bond issue. The
program was delayed several weeks
ago when a misunderstanding arose
in connection with the proposed sale
of the $72,000 bond issue. "Every
the bonds will be sold on the 20th
of this month," a town official said
| this morning.
In accordance with the terms un
der which the PWA grant was ad
vanced. actual work on the several
improvement projects is to get un
derway not later than January. The
bids will be let on the 22nd with
that understanding.
The improvement program in
cludes a fourth deep well for the
town's water supply, the paving of
sidewalks on Williams, Warren and
Grace Streets and Marshall Avenue,
the ~ paving of Warren, ~Smithwick
and Grace Streets and Marshall,
Avenue, and the extension of water
and sewer lines in several sections
of the town. Options have been tak
en on several sites for the location
of the?fourth?Hf-p wnll present
plans calling for the sinking of a
well just off East Main Street.
Prominent Physician
Died Today in Norfolk
I DIES IN HOSPITAL
v
Dr. Joseph A. Eason, well
known Williamston physician
and a leading citizen of this
community, died unexpectedly
in a Norfolk hospital eariy this
morning.
Transfer Of Pupils
To Hobgood Causes
Official Protest
Martin School Men Appear
Before Commission
In Raleigh
Martin County school authorities
and members of the Oak City School
committee appeared before the State
School Commission in Raleigh yes
terday and protested the transfer a
few weeks ago of twenty-three pu
pils from the Oak City district to
the school in Hobgood. The commis
sion has not yet ruled on the appeal,
unofficial reports coming from pa
trons of the Oak City school indi
cating that there is too much politi
cal pressure behind the recent ac
tion for the state authorities to al
ter the present set-up and return the
twenty-three children tp the Mar
tin school.
While nearly all the 23 pupils live
nearer Hobgood than Oak City, they
are being transferred by the State
school authorities from a standard
elementary school to one of lower
rank, a practice that has been ruled
against many times by educational
leaders. The committee, composed of
Messrs. B M_ Worsley, H. M. Ains
ley and Dr. E E. Pittman, represent
ing the Oak City school, and J. C
Manning, superintendent of the
county schools, pointed out that fact
to the State commission yesterday
at the hearing, and expressed their
belief that a dangerous precedent in
the transportation of school children
was being established.
Early in the fall, a move was
started to have the children living
in Martin County along the Halifax
boundary transferred to Hobgood.
State school authorities advised the
Martin County board of education to
decide the matter, and transporta
tion was denied the groupihut. the
children continued to Hobgood, un
official reports stating that Hobgood
citizens accepted the transportation
costs. About a month ago, a lawyer
entered the case and appealed to
the State authorities for free trans
portation to Hobgood for the chil
dren. No deciiion was reached im
mediately, but later the authorities
(Continued on Page Four)
Funeral Services
For Dr. J. A. Eason
Here Sunday 2 P.M.
9 I ?
News of Beloved Doctor's
Death Brings Sorrow
To Friends Here
?
Dr. Josrph Allen Eason. prominent
citizen and greatly beloved physi
cian of this community, died at 7:30
o'clock this morning in a Norfolk
hospital following an illness of less
than three weeks' duration. Pneu
monia was given as the immediate
cause of his death which came af
ter he was reported to have shown
marked improvement during the
past two days. Removed to the hos
pital last Saturday, he was thought
to have been improving rapidly un
til he suffered a relapse during last
night, the end coming peaceably a
few hours later.
News, carrying the announcement
of his death, was received at eight
o'clock here this morning and
brought sorrow to his numerous
friends almost immediately through
out the town and community where
he had become known as an able
doctor and an upstanding citizen.
The son of Mr. Jerome B. Eason
and the late Mary Eliza Munden Ea
son, he was born in Hickory, Va,
thirty-five years ago last Wednes
day After attending schools of his
community, he entered the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg,
and was graduated with honors there
College of Virginia. Richmond, and
received his degree there in 1932.
After a year of interne work in the
Retreat for the Sick, Richmond, Dr.
Eason located here in July, 1933 as
a member of the firm of Rhodes and
Eason
His quiet demeanor and knowl
edge of medicine immediately gain
ed for him a warm pla z in the
hearts of all the people here and
throughout the community. The in
terested watch over the sick during
the long hours of the day and night
endeared him to the hundreds whom
he faithfully served during the
more than five years he labored here
as a practicing physician and as a
citizen interested in the welfare of
his adopted community. He was held
in high esteem by everyone in all
walks of life, and his friendliness,
marked by an ever-present smile
and kind, thoughtful words, was
(Continued on page -four)
Scout Council Will
Meet Here Tuesday
The annual meeting of the Mar
tin County Council of the Eastern
Carolina Boy Scout organization will
meet in the Woman's Club here next
Tuesday night when Ben Eagles,
of Wilson, will address the
members of the group and other
citizens interested in Boy Scout ac
tHHtUs
. A fnwmiHw composed of Moots
I Paul D Roberson, of Robersonville,
D. V. Clayton and J. D. Woolard, is
inviting everyone interested in scout
activities to attend the meeting and
hear Judge Harding. County Boy
Scout officials and prominent State
leaders are expected here for the
meeting. Ben Eagles' address is
looked forward to as he is very much
interested in Boy Scout work and he
is an able speaker.
Speaker Declares
Section Is Facing
Serious Situation
Bruce Suggs Recalls the
Gloomy Picture Paint
ed in 1932-33
"This section is facing a serious
situation, one that threatens the
schools, business, homes and the en
tire economic structure of eastern
North Carolina," Bruce Suggs.
Greenville man, said in an appeal
ing address before a large gathering
of county farmers in the courthouse
here Wednesday night.
After paying his respects to Mar
tin County as one of the best, if not
the best balanced counties in the na
tion, Mr. Suggs recalled conditions -
as they existed just a few short years
ago.
"In 1930, tobacco prices averaged
11 cents The next year the average
was down to 8.4 cents. In 1933, after
the markets were open two days, a
marketing holiday was declared and
we went to Washington pleading and
begging. We invited the government
in then, and I hope we won't invite
the government out Saturday, for if
we do somebody will want to go to
Washington next fall, and what can
they say then?"
"Before any government program,
tax sales at the courthouse door
were increasing, the mortgage ham
mer-was falling rapidly and throw -
ing people off their farms and out of
their homes. There was gloom and
despair on every doorstep. In 1932, 1
met a man on the streets of Green
ville the evening before Christmas
and he told me that Santa Claus
would fail to visit that night more
homes than he would visit in Pitt
County."
The speaker warmed up to his
subject in painting the picture of
that dark period, and added, "We
are headed back for just such B time
if we vote down control, raise a
world of tobacco and beat the price
down for years to come.
"I know there is some dissatisfac
tion with the quotas. I know there
have been mistakes in administer
ing the program, but men, it is a
tremendous task to handle the hun
dreds of thousands of rases in a short
time. I-know the government is an
xious to wipe out any and all in
equalities, and I sincerely believe
that the program, however imper
fect it may be, is to be desired over
no program at all."
Credit conditions were reviewed
as they exist today on the eve of the
program, the speaker predicting that
extensions would be drawn tight if
the program fails. He went on to
predict that the warehouse will be
closed by demand next fall if the
program is cast aside.
"4f I dui nut have hope and faith
in the program, I would not be here
advocating it," Mr. Sugg said, add
ing that it was up to the farmers to
vote their own convictions on Satur
day
To Open Livestock
Auction Mart Here
Wednesday Morning
???
Mobley and Johnson Launch
New Venture In
Williamston
?
Arrangements were announced
complete today for opening a live
stock auction market on Washington
Street here next Wednesday, the op
erators, Messrs. Sid Mobley and
Henry Johnson, stating that the first
.tales .would be.held.ftt.. 10:30 each
Wednesday morning.
Known as the Williamston Stock
Yards, the auction market will han
dle all kinds of stock, including
horses and mules, cattle, hogs and
other farm animals.
Pens are being opened on the
Mobley lots near the new Carokna
warehouse on Washington Street, the
owners-operators announcing that
plans were complete for holding the
initial sales.
Similar markets in bther sections
of the State are meeting with mark
ed success, and the operators of the
new vtnturt bto antw,|pa*|n? &
large business.
Mr. Mobley is an experienced
stock man, and the?new firm is in a
position to offer a valuable service
to the farmers of this section.
Many Martin County farmers are
well acquainted with the operation
of livestock auction markets, and
they are of the opinion that the one
here will prove a valuable asset and
/meet with success.
Martin County Tobacco Farmers
Hear Stirring Appeal To Support
Farm Program at Polls Saturday
V~"
Christmas Cheer Campaign
Progresses Very Slowly Here
Early reports from the sponsors
today indicated that the Christmas
Cheer movement for the less fortu
nate in the community would be
quite limited this year. Hope for a
successful mission in sharing a bit
o' cheer and spreading happiness
among the poor has not been aban
dcned by the sponsors by any means
but early responses to calls for aid
in supporting the movement have
been disheartening
Up until this morning a lone dol
lar hdd been contributed to the cheer
fund Others are said to be planning
to participate in the movement, but
they are slow to respond, the spon
sors pointing out again that they
were hopeful no personal solicitation
would be necessary in advancing,
the drive to bring happiness to the
underprivileged tots here.
Yesterday afternoon, a toy show,
given by Mr J W Watts, in coop- i
oration with the Christmas Cheer
-with lair success. "We rcceived-ap?
proximately 100 good tuys^" Profes
sor D. N IIix, chairman of the com
mittee, said.
This afternoon ;? canvass for old
toys and other articles is being madei
throughout the town under the di j
lection of Scoutmaster Horace . Ray I
and Professor Hix. Early reports in-1
dicated that the prospects for a suc
cessful canvass were not encourag-i
ing. A second canvass will likely be|
scheduled next week
Success of the cheer movement
will be measured in exact proportion
to the response given by the people
of the town. Surely, the good people
of WiUiamston witt not stand idly
by in a crisis when the happiness of
little ones is al stake Lend your
support today by leaving a donation
either with Rev John Hardy, Pro
I lessor Hix or any inbmbet of the Ki
wan is club. Don't wait to be solicit
I ed-fer fNMmwemeut is one of giviniL
| and not one of personal solicitation
Peanut Prices Holding
Firm on Local Market
Number Of Sales Are
Made At Four Outs
Early Part Of Week
Peanut Stabilization Unit
Maintains Floor Under
The Market
?
Peanut prices continue to hold
firm oh the local market llus week,
reports from the field stating that
quite a few sales have been made
at four cents with good bunch bring
ing 3 3 4 cents right along
Farmers of Martin County are re
ceiving higher prices this year for
peanuts than were received last
year. Peanuts, at the present tune
are reported to be bringing in from
3 1-2 cents to four cents per pound.
This reattributed to the Peanut Sta
bilization Cooperative of which K. I
C-r Holland; of- Edentoft, is- president,
which has set a floor of 3 1-2 cents
per pound on the best grade of pea
nuts and farmers are using this as a
basis for bargaining wtih the clean
ers for better prices
The Peanut Stabilization Coopera
live was set up by the North Caro
lina Farm Bureau and the United
States Department of Agriculture
for the purpose of protecting the far
mers from disastrous prices on pea
nuts.
"It is conservatively estimated
that this arrangement means that
the farmers of Martin County are
receiving this year $2 more per
bag for peanuts than they would
have received had this program not
been in effect for this year and last
year," says J. T. Cooper, field repre
sentative for the Farm Bureau, who
addressed 160 Martin County farm
ers in the courthouse here Wednes
day night. "Therefore, all farmers in
the county who have peanuts for
sale are receiving indirect benefits
from the work of the North Caro
lina Farm Bureau of $2 per bag for
these peanuts more than the price
they would have received had not
the Farm Bureau taken the step it
has to secure better prices for the
peanut farmers A program such as
this merits the support of each far
mer who grows peanuts. At the pres
ent time only about 20 per cent of
the farmers of this county are mem
bers of the Farm Bureau organiza
tion, and the other 80 per cent are
securing the benefits of the 20 per
rent without doing anything in en
title them to these benefits.
"It is believed that when farmers
realize this as a fact they will be
glad to cooperate with their neigh
bors in the organization that is re
sponsible for them getting around
four cents per pound for peanuts
when were it not for this organiza
tion they would probably be getting
1 1-2 cents to two cents for pea
nuts."
L
LIGHTS
The ole holiday spirit, creep
iug over this town and commun
ity during recent days, was giv
en a decided b?H>st last night
when hundreds of vari colored
lights were turned on in the
business districts. As workmen
installed the mass of lights, lo
cal business operators and quite
a few home owners turned to
individual decorations, and in a
short time now, the town will be
gaily attired in its full Christmas
dregs.
The City Hall boys and the
courthouse gang have been
eyeing one another, but neither
of the groups have made a move,
as yet, to decorate the county
hall of justice or the town clock
tower.
Solicitor Johnson
Loses Only One Of
Larjje Mum her Cases
Young Man Prosecutes Hisj
First Case in Court
Last Monday
Receiving his appointment at the J
hands of the county commissiopersi
just a few minutes before the coun
ty recorder's court was convened for
its regular session last Monday j
morning, Solicitor D. Elphonsa John
son marked up a high score in pros-!
ecuting hia first docket before the
tribunal. The young man, a bit ner-j
vous, held his own in the face o^a
large docket and well demonstrat-j
ed that he will conscientiously pros
ecute violators of the law in this
county.
Idle during tin past two weeks
while the superior court was in ses
rofr>rrW< mint li;.H an
accumulation of nineteen cases on
the docket, Judge Peel continuing
quite a number of them until the
19th of this month.
In the case charging Simon J
Ward with drunken driving, the fol
lowing record was entered in the
minutes: Cause having been contin
ued under prayer for judgment, it
is now ordered and adjudged by the
court that judgment be now suspend
ed."
The case charging LeRoy Coffield
with larceny was nolprossed with
leave.
?In the case charging Hoyt l.illey
with drunken driving, the court rec
orded the following: "This cause
having been continued, it is now or
dered that the defendant give a jus
tified bond due October, 1939, to pay
fine and costs."
When witnesses failed to appear
in the case charging James Curtis
Hoberson, J. D. and Benson Swan
(Continued on Page Four)
Broome And Su^gs
Speak To Nearly
200 Farmers Here
a ???
Others Speak As Climax To
Drive For Control Is
Reached
A stirring appeal for support of
the agricultural adjustment admin
istration program at the polls to
morrow was heard by nearly 200
farmers at a county-wide meeting
held in the county courthouse here
Wednesday evening, the event com
ing as a climax in the campaign that
got underway the 18th of last month
when J. E. Winslow, head of the
Slate Farm Bureau Bureau Federa
tion addressed a group of farmers
here.
Opening the meeting. C. Abram
Roberson, county commissioner and
head of the county farm bureau,
said before introducing John C.
Broome. Aurora farmer and mem
nuttee from this section, control of
fers life, hope and cheer; and with
out control, there'll be poverty, de
spair and. bankruptcy."
"We are going to complain if we
have control and 22-cent tobacco, for
we will want to plant more We are
going to complain and get uiad with
the companies if there is no control,"
Mr Broome said, and he told a story
to illustrate his point. His story, "A
fanner, talking to a friend, said, 'I
am going home to dinner, and if my
wife doesn't have beans and corn
hiead. I'm going to raise the devil,
and if she has beans and cornbread,
I'm not going to eat a bite.' "
"At one time about a hundred
years ago," Mr Broome continued,
it required nineteen farmers to
produce enough to feed one indus
trial worker. Now. one farmer can
produce enough to feed 87 industrial
workers," the speaker pointing out
that it 1-, necessary to establish some
kind of balance.
He compared prices without a pro
gram with those received under a
program, and said that we are going
to have control whether we want it
or not "Shall we have orderly con
trol through the establishment of
quotas, or will we have control by
falling prices?" he asked, recalling
conditions existing m 1032. Without
[control, he pointed out, we can well
expect a hill ion-pound tobacco crop
next fall
Continuing he said, "in 1932 far
i'ra of North '
million dollars _
they received 297 million dollars.
We hung ourselves with surplus
production, are we going to hang
ourselves Saturday?" he asked.
The danger of losing flue-cured to
bacco to eastern Nroth Carolina was
pointed out, Mr Broome stating that
during the two years after control
was invalidated by the Supreme
(Continued on page four)
Christinas Savings
Club Pays 87.1)0(1.0(1
Mailing out checks amounting to
more than $7,000 over the week-end,
D. V Clayton, cashier of the Guar
anty Bank and Trust Company said
this ye ar's Christmas club was quite
successful, having exceeded 1937.
Christmas savings by two or three
thousand dollars.
S number of local people have
come in this week and joined our
1939 club, said Mr. Clayton. We
hope to increase our club members
to the extent that when we mail out
checks next year the total amount
will exceed $10,000.
Arrest Young Man For
Maryland Auto Theft
Wilson Reynolds, 22-year-old
white man, was arrested and jailed
here Tuesday night by Patrolman
W S. Hunt (or the alleged theft of
an automobile trom Joseph Black in
Eilstan, Maryland^ early that morn
ing.
Traveling south, Reynolds is said
to have held up a man near Eliza
bet City.
Given a preliminary hearing here
Wednesday afternoon, Reynolds was
placed under a $1,000 bond by Unit
ed States Commissioner Walter Hal
berstadt and transferred to Eliza
beth City for trial.