Advertiser* Will Find Our Col
umn* a Latchkey to over 1,600
Home* of Martin County.
THE ENTERPRISE
Watch the Label on Your
Paper, As It Carries the Date
Your Subscription E a p i r e a
VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 25 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina. Tuesday. March 28. 1939. ESTABLISHED 1899
Civil Court Nears
End Of Term Here
Just Before Noon
> -
Number of Cases Cleared
Fium Docket By Con
sentJudgment
Clearing a large number of cases
from the docket either by jury trial
or consent judgment, the regulai
two weeks term of Martin County
Superior court was working toward
adjournment shortly before noon to
day. Spectators had just about de
serted the courtroom as Judge C. E.
Thompson worked to clear the
schedule of activities.
As a whole, the trial of civil cases
has attracted very little attention
from the general public. Monday
morning, quite a Jew witnesses and
spectators were present to paruci
pate in or hear the case brought by
Mrs. Sarah Taylor against T. Jones
Taylor for alimony. The case waa
settled by a consent judgment.
Attorney Carter Studdert was ap
pointed referee to hear the case of
Bennett against Keel and report the
findings to the court.
The case of R. L?. Whitfield against
r A. Taylor was settled by agree
ment, the plaintiff being declared
owner of a certain lot" in Williams
ton and the defendant being allowed
possession of the property until
April 30.
Augustus?Jurnes?m?hrs?'' """
against Lucy William was granted a
valid lein on certain lands, the court
appointing Attorneys Peel and llor
ton commissioners to sell the land in
question and satisfy the lien
Settled by agreement, the case ol
J. G. Staton against W 1 Skinner
and Company was removed from the
docket with the plaintiff recovering
nothing but the cost
The Standard Fertilizer Company
was granted a judgment in the sum
of $137 83 in its case against H
Wmn.
In the cast* of Bessie Mitchell
against J S. Rhodes, the jury ruled
that $5,853 was due and constituted
liens against certain lands, the court
appointing commissioners to sell, the
property in question to satisfy the.
liens.
Suing for $2,000 for damages sus
tained in an automobile accidimt m
inmcu in
the "poor house road" last January.
Earl Bowen, by his next friend, was
awarded $500 against Maggie Nich
ols and the Singer Sewing Machine
Company.
Judge Thompson withheld his
signature in the case of John F Alls
brook against George Harris when
it was evident that a Norfolk attor
ney was practicing in this state, il
was unofficially learned The plain
tiff, the young son of Officer J H.
AUsbrooks, was injured last Decern
ber when he crashed with his bicy
cle into a car driven by the defen
dant Reput Is statr 11,si the uuur
ance company had agreed to pay
$275 in full settlement of the case.
Several more cases were virtually
settled by consent judgment as the
court made ready do adjourn for the
term.
Musical Program
Thursday Night
???
Paul Black and Hi* Carolina Ram
blema, a group of well known mu
sicians will present a program in
the Williamston high school auditor
ium next Thursday night at eight
o'clock for the benefit of the high
school baseball team.
Among tne players who will t>e
featured in the program are: Stub
by and Bobby, sons of the west;
Suit Case Simpson and His Wash
board; Frankie Murden, wizard of
the banjo.
The Ramblers have played in a
number of theatres and schools
throughout the state and are now
playing daily over tpe Rocky Mount
broadcasting station.
A fine evening of musical enter
tainment is guaranteed A small ad
mission fee will be charged
Discontinue Story Hour
At Library For A While
?
Because few children have found
time to attend, the regular story
hour at the public library each Sat
urday morning will be discontinued
until after the current school is end
ed in May. A definite date for in
cluding the story hour period in the
library schedule again will be an
nounced later, Mrs. James C. Cooke
said today.
Resigns As Justice Of
The Peace In Griffins
Pleny Peel tendered his resigna
tion to Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne
last Saturday as justice of the peace
for Orifflns Township, the resigna
tion becoming effective as of that
proposal to Kejuna Money
For Roads Faces Opposition
A proposal to appoint a commis
sion for a study of claims advanced
by several counties in the State to
money expanded by them for?the
-V
by the governor toward the appoint
ment of a commissioner.
The bill is slated for con.sidcra
tion by the appropriations group to
construction of roads is meeting
some strong opposition in the legis
lature, Representative H. G. Horton
explained during his week-end at
home.
Battered and kicked around in
Raleigh, the proposal t6 have the
governor appoint a disinterested
party to make a study of the claims
and report to the 1941 legislature
gained a favorable vote at the
hands of the judiciary committee.
But the proposal received a hard
slap when it was referred to the
appropriations committee where ap
proval for the survey cost is neces
sary before any action can be taken
day, and its success rests with TTTC
members of that committee Repre
sentative Horton explained that the
bill had been written >and rewritten
that there was an apparent opposi
tion to its passage, but that as long
as there was life there's hope
Struggling to get through on Sat
urday of this week, the legislature
is undoing quite a few things in the
last minute rush, reports declaring
the current session is the most un
usual and uneventful one htld in
many years Very few bills affecting
this county have been passed with
the one empowering the county
commissioners to call special school
? * ** pnnrlinQ in o??nntl'
Construction Activity
9/
Reaches New Record
MORE CHECKS
The payments of soil conser
vation contracts are now reach
ing fairly aUwble proportions In
the county, the offices of the
farm agent announcing today
that nearly $15,000 was receiv
ed in the county during the past
week-end, swelling the total re
ceived to date to $07,195.78. This
amount represents between one
third and one-half of the total
benefits expected by Martin
farmers under the 1938 soil pro
gram.
Approximately 1,000 checks
have been received for delivery
to Martin farmers to date. Near
ly 250 farmers are being advised
by the mails today to call for
their checks.
Local Man Notes
The building, savings and loan as
sociations of North Carolina have)
played a major part in the outstand
ing record made by North Carolina I
in the construction of homes during I
1938 as shown in the official figure^ |
issued by the North Carolina Build
ing and Loan league.
During 1938, 5,400 construction
loans were made to the amount of
$9,611,000 which represented 42 1-2
per cent of the total of $22,500,000,
mill'h was loaned by the building,
savings and loan associations. It was I
estimated by Wheeler Martiny?qL]
Williamston, vice president of the
league, that o?er $15,000,000 was
added during 1938 to the taxable
values of the local government units
of North Carolina through the con
struction, repair- and renovation of
homes and buildings financed by'
these institutions. Thousands of
workers were employed and hun |
dreds of business firms benefitted
through the purchase of materials
used in this new construction and
repairs.
The building, savings and loan
associations have ample funds avail
able for the annual spring repair
and modernization drive. They are
anticipating a building activity any
where from ten to twenty-five per
cent greater than last year, accord
ing to Mr Martin.
In addition to these activities in
new construction, in repair and
modernization, he stated, the build
ing, savings and loan associations
aided 2,812 persons to purchase their
homes to the value of $4,445,000; and
helped finance 2,452 other home
purchases to the amount of $3,859,
000 through the recognized amorti
zation lending plans of these home
financing institutions.
ABANDONED
A proposed PWA project to
release approximately 1124,000
for a general improvement pro
gram here has been abandoned,
an official of the regional office
of the PWA organization at At
lanta notifying local authorities
a few days ago that it had been
impomible to have the project
included in the 1031 porgram.
Given approval by the PWA
authorities, the project now
awaits action by congress. If ad
ditional TWA funds are created
by the national body then it is
highly probable that the im
provemeut program here will
(St early recognition.
Lain Is Reported In
|Building Values For
The Last F our \ ears
-\5
Seventeen New Homes Built
During Period At Cost
Of Nearly $90,000
The march of progress in home
and commercial construction here
continued unabated during the past
year, building reports released this
week for the period by Building In
spector G. P Hall showing a mark
ed gain in values over those of a
year ago.
During 1938, seventeen new homes
were constructed at a cost of $89,
700, and contracts were let for sev
eral commercial buildings costing
approximately $96,650 The largest
single cuntract calling for an ex
penditure of around $45,000 was let
to Jones Brothers for the construe |
Hon of the?town's new?|-"',-ffnc
Even after deducting the postoffice
contract from the list of new build
ings, the town's building progrma
shows a material gain over the con
struct ion outlay for the year of
1937 Home construction during the
last year period shows a slight de
crease? $10,000? but the total out
lay for commercial buildings was
greatly increased over the 1937 fig
ures.
The total cost of new construction
last year, according to the inspec
tor's records, totaled $188,350. In ad
dition to that amount, aiim-int im:>ie
ly $12,385 was spent for repairs to
tiomes and commercial structures
The Tnspectoi s l epu11 -is- marked ?
by the absence of a permit for the
construction of a new filling station
within the town limits It is about
the first time that a new filling sta,
tion was not constructed during the*
course of a year since the horse and
buggy left the streets and roads 20
years or more ago
In 1937, twenty new homes were!
constructed here at a cost of- ap
proximately $100,000 Commercial
building construction amounted to
around $30,895, making a total of
$130,895 spent for net construction
during that year. In addition to
that amount, nearly $19,000 was
spent for repairs.
In 1936, building contracGTTiere
amounted to $125,150 New home
construction during that period was
valued at $58,000. During 1936 the
average cost per home unit was 3,
200 as compared with an average of
$4,800 last year
The year ]935 was quite a busy
one for new building,UkT?But Ing
w. ,,,?
that period 52 building permits were
issued, quite a few of them being
for the construction of tenant homes
on East Main Street. The total build
ing cost that year was plto-nd ^1
$117,090
Despite the heavy building pro
gram during the past three years
there continues a scarcity of homes
and commercial buildings Rents
continue at a fairly high level, and
new enterprises desiring to locate
here are unable to rent buildings at
any figure
No one can predict just what the
future holds, but it is fairly certain
that present conditions warrant a
continued expansion in Williams
ton's building program A goodly
number of people think so anyway,
and if present plans develop the
vatur of building contracts m in-ia
should equal that of 1938 Plans are
already underway for the construe
tion of several new homes, and con
tracts are pending for the construc
tion of several commercial buildings
and ? hospital.
Plan Completion
Of Swimming Pool
By First Of June
Commissioners, in Special
Meeting. Buy Lot
Addition
Mooting in special session last
Saturday afternoon, the local town
commissioners formulated plans for
the completion of the municipal
swimming pool on or about the first
of next Juno Work on the project
is being stopped up by the WPA
forces, and the town authorities plan
to supplement the work with the ail
d it ion of private contractors and two
or three skilled workmen
The pool proper will be complet
ed this week, and the plant for fil
tering the water ls being shipped
from Pennsylvania this week for in
siallation?within the next two?nr
three weeks WPA forces have the
forms ready for pouring concrete
for the filtering plant, and comple
(ion of the project is now in sight.
During their special session last
Saturday, the commissioners pur
chased a 13-foot addition from the
owners of the property facing Watts
j Street and a small plot of land lying
just back of the county agricultur
j al building The authorities plan to
j sink a deep well on the plot addi
1 tion, but no contract for the well
I has been lot A deed to the proper
| ty was transferred yesterday for a
j eonsiilerauon ol $750
To finance the sinking of a new
well, the authorities propose to of
fer approximately $15,000 in bonds
on the open market A contract call
ing for an expenditure of a little
more than $14,000 for the deep well
is pending with a Virginia machin
ery firm, but there is some doubt if
construction work will get under
way before the middle or late sum
mer. During the meantime, pumping
operations will proceed on a day
and night schedule during a great
er part of each week
Upon completion of the swimming
pool, private contractors will coop
t rate with the WPA forces to eon
struct the bathhouses and showers
at the pool No contract figures
were advanced at the meeting Sat
unlay
ttospilal Suit Will
Be Tried In County
A $10,000 damage suit brought by
Annie Mae Harris by her next j
friend, II P. Williams, against the
Tayloe Hospital, has been transfer
red to this county for trial, the at
torneys in the case having consent
ed to allow the defense until April j
1 to complete its answer in the case
The plaintiff, a resident of Pes
quotank County, alleges the defen
dants left a i lu cue cloth npnnge m un
opening made for the removal oi |
her appendix in May, that she
continued' ill for about Hi months m l
until action to recover damages was |
started by her?
Numerous papers have been filed j
in the case which lias not yet b'ei
scheduled for trial
Personnel For Listing
Taxes In County Named
With the appointment of Gordon
G Bailey, of Everetts, the person
pel for listing taxes in the county
next month was announced com
plete today by S. 11. Grimes, county
tax supervisor. Not certain that his
health would permit him to handle
the task, appointment of Mr. Bailey
was delayed until last week-end?
All the list-takers were reappoint
ed and they are to meet with the
county supervisor and other county
authorities on April 5 to establish a
list of values for entering personal
property on the tax books.
REQUEST
Just before startinic an eight
year prison sentence, Kandall
llolloman, 35-year old Klizabeth
City man, made an unusual re
guest of .Sheriff ('. H. Koeburk
here last week-end. The officer
sent word to llolloman who was
still in jail, asking if there was
anything he could do or get for
him before he (llolloman i left,
and the prisoner scribbled the
following request:
One pair bold clippers, two
12-Inch hack saw blades, three
sticks of 60-40 dynamite, one
percussion cap, twelve inches of
fuse and two 32-20 pistols.
llolloman, convicted in the
|?Beaufort Cpuoty cptirta for the
theft of a large quantity of cig
arettes, was caught in the storm
stricken area the night a torna
do ftruck in Bertie County. He
was held in the eounty Jail for
the Beaufort authorities.
Construction Work Started on
New $15,000 Hospital For The
Town and Countv Here Yeslerdav
TVgro School (?irl
Is Fatally Injured
In \uto Accident
??_
Rulet Lanier, T7 Years Old,
Dies in Hospital
Early Today
?
Rulet Lanier, 17 year-old student
in the Jural colored high school, died
early today from injuries received in
> automobile .undent aliout seven
miles from here on the Jamesville
Road last Friday afternoon Her
right leg almost torn off. the girTT
was said to have died of gas gan
grene. When brought to the offices
of Drs. Saunders and Brown here
toi first-aid treatment, the girl was
regarded in a critical condition and
it was almost certain that she would
lose the leg and possibly her life
Returning home on one of the two
school busses operating in the coun
ty for colored high school pupils,
the girl started across the road ami
was struck by a car driven by John
Madson, Lexington?man. who ~
brought her here for first-aid treat
ment and had her removed to a
Washington hospital a short time
later The bumper of the car innngl
ed the gu l's right leg and threw her
to the top of the hood and later to
the ground beside the road
Investigating the accident. Pa
trolman W S Hunt stated that the
girl got off the bus and waited un
til it moved down the road about
fifty feet or more toward Jamesville
before starting across the road. Two
large trucks, traveling behind the
bus, came to a stop and waited, but"
the bus appaently blocked her sight
m the other direction and she walk
ed into the path of the car and was
struck possibly before she saw it
Mad son, rounding a curve, mam
tains that he saw the school bus
parked on the highway and started
I hi ll' ' his en'- to :i stop, hilt that
he sav. the bus moving otf and he
increased his speed to about 40 miles
an hour as the girl darted into the
read and into the path of his ma
chine The car driver was release I
without bond, but Patrolman Hunt
said at noon today that lie would b
called back here the la.ttei part of
this week for a formal hearing No
charges have been brought against
him at this time, however.
The accident victim, one of a"
number of colored children in the
Jamesville Williams Township sec
i tion attending the local high school. ,
j was the daughter of Octavious and j
I Emma Lanier She was making her !
in Williams Township
It could not In- learned definitely.
but it is believed she is the frist col
ored school child in the State to lose
her life while going from a school
bus to her home
Farmers To Meet
Here On April 7
1 1
Patrons of the Martin FCX Ser-j i
vice, along with Martin County i
members of the North Carolina Cot (
ton Growers Cooperative Associa
tion will gather in the high school j t
auditorium here Friday evening, I
April 7 at seven o clock lor then j ;
annual meeting, F H Stephenson, i
manager of the Martin FCX Ser (
viie, announced today
The principal speaker of the meet
ing will be M G. Mann, general
manager of the cotton association
and the State-wide FCX, who will
glV'e a l'epon on ihe past year s ac
tivities of both organizations Mr
Mann will also discuss the outlook
for cotton prices and vital legisla
tion now pending in congress.
One of the highlights of the meet J
ing will be the entertainment to be
provided by Martin County 4 II
club boys and girls and Young Tar
Heel farmers. This entertainment
will consist of music, playlets, skits,
and demonstrations, and valuable
prizes will be awarded to the stu
dents putting on the best entertain
ment The audience will serve as
judge
??
New Books Available
At Library On Friday
Everyone who is interested in
leading new books is cordially in
vited to be present at a short mect
ing to be held in the public library,
Friday evening, March 31, at eight
o'clock.
The major purpose of the session
will be to organize a book club for
the library.
WARRANTS
Orders were issued by the
county health department
through the office of the sher
iff here yesterday directing at
Least seven persons to report ei
ther to private physicians or the
county health authorities for
treatment in the venereal dis
ease clinics. Most of the war
rants were drawn against peo
pie residing in Williamston, but
orders are being prepared for
quiie a number in other sections.
County health authorities
have exercised every means pos
sible to have victims of social
diseases to report to the clinics
without compulsion, but it is
now apparent that the success
of the drive to bring the disease
curse under control will depend
to a large extent upon the coop
eration of the sheriff and the
courts in accordance with State
laws.
Native (M Berlie
Passes In ('omitv
Charlie Million, aged farmer and
i native of Bertie, died in the Par
nele.community of this county last
Friday evening at H 30 o'clock fol
owing a stroke of paralysis Almost
7t> years of age, Mr Minton, a re
lired farmer, had been in declining
iealth for three years and was eon
''mod to Ins bed during three weeks
rrior to his death
The son of the lute James and
Margaret Modhn Mmton, lie was
>nin in Bgrtie, moving to this ebun
y and locating in the Parmele sec
ion when a young boy A hard
Anikitig man, Mr Minton pure has
i'tj ?md operated his small farm
nostly through his own efforts He
was a loyal member of the Metho
? lunch?tn Pai nn It;?rmTt had
many friends in hi adopted eom-j
n unity.
Beside: Ins widow, he is survived
y two children, Mrs Minnie White
urst, of Parmele. and J W Mmton
if Bethel, and a half sister, Mrs
lame Lynch; of Petersburg He al
(i leaves nine grandchildren am
luce great:grandchildren
Funeral services wore conductc
n the Parmele Methodist churcl
u'st Saturday afternoon at 3:3(
?'( lock by Di Maynard Fletcher, o
Washington, assisted by Rev. M Y
x lf, Bethel Methodist minister. In
< rment was in the Bethel cemetery
Debaters To Meet
Wind sor Tlnirsd av
As a preliminary to the triungu
ar debates which will be held in
Scotland Neck, Washington and
Villiamston on Friday morning of
bis week, affirmative and negativ*
earns of Williamston high school |
vi 11 go to Windsor Thursday after
ioou at 3:30 t<i engage the Bertie
aiunty school in dual debate.
Work is going forward rapidly on j
be debates, and it is believed that j
he local students will make a good
howing t he Windsoi .trip was ar-'
afiged to give the debaters added!
orripctition The query, Resolved!
hat the United States should estab
nh an alliance with Great Britain,
vi11 be argued by Gordon Manning
rid Susie Whitley, affirmative, and
riaigaret Jones ar"iTl Virgil Ward,
icgcillVC
The debates are being coached by |
'rank Neely and David Hix
SEINE FISHING
I'lans are nearing completion
today to start seine fishing oper
ations at Jamesville on Thurs
day of this week and possibly at
Camp Point, a few miles from
Jamesville, tomorrow. Delayed
by high waters during the past
ten days or more, the activities
may he postponed a day or two
longer pending the making of
repairs to the fishing plant at
Jamesville. I'nofficial reports
stated today that operations are
underway at the Hampton fish
eries in the lower part of the
couniyi
Large catches are being re
ported today by fishermen using
dip and drift nets.
Increased herring catches are
noted locally.
Plan Completion Oi
Building During the
Early Part Of July
Contract Awarded To Local
Builder Over the
Week-end
Construction work on a $15,000
hospital for Williamston and Martin
County wa.. itnihd licit' yesterday
afternoon on West Main Street on a
sizeable lot between the I M Mar
golin and L). M. Rnbeisnfi homes.-.A
contract for the construct'on work
was let during the week-end to F
W Birmingham, local builder, and
plans for the building foundation
were virtually completed yesterday
afternoon when the first materials
were placed tin the lot.
The building, measuring 78 by 34
feet, is to be ready for occupancy
in early July. Dr. Victor F. Brown,
who has charge of the cooperative
project, announced this morning
-Housing teh private rooms, an op
erating room, kitchen and nursery
and several baths, the hospital will
be one story and of brick construc
tion
Advanced on a cooperative basis
the hospital will be open to doctors
of the county for use, and it will
meet a need that has long existed
m this community and county Plan
ned on a comparatively small scale,
Di Brown explains that the build
mg can be enlarged to meet ex:
panding needs Interior construe
lion will conform strictly to that
used for general hospitals with tile
lloors and walls. The structure will
face the main street and'have a
spacious yardage in front and the
back
The personnel for the hospital is
1 pot yet complete. Dr. Brown ex
.plaining that those arrangements
1 would cot attentmn willin. -j?-hoi't
t line after c<instructor^' worW gets
lully underway.
Coming here from a Washington
I hospital a year ago last month. Dr.
Brown will continue hi* partnership
in the professional firm of Drs
Saunders and Brown and carry on
a general practice from the offices
on South Snuthwick Street.
News of the hospital venture was
well received throughout this sec
tion after a permit was issued last
week end for the construction of
the modern building. Local citizens
as well as others in nearby centers
have long expressed a desire for
more convenient hospital facilities,
and while tip' proposed plant ir. not -
designed on an extensive scale it
well marks the starting point in a
worthy undortaking, ah undertak
ing that is certain to receive the
moral and financial support of the
people of the town and surrounding
territory.
Planning Series
Of Farm Meetings
A series of farm meetings will be
held in the county during the next
week or ten days in connection with
the soil conservation program and
land use planning, the office of
Farm Agent Brandon announced to
day
Tim land-use planning is a fea
ture that fits in with a nation-wide
farm program that is being advanc
ed in an effort to solve many of the
problems facing aimeultu"* tnday
Agricultural authorities hope,
through this program, to formulate
an improved program for tackling
farm problems.
The first meeting in the series is
scheduled to beheld in the James
ville school auditorium on Thursday
evening of this week with represen
tatives of the agent in charge. On
Friday evening, a meeting will be
held in Robersonville. Next Mon
day, the agents will go to Hassell
and to Williams Township the fol
lowing evening. The meetings will
be held at 7:30 p. m., and farmers
are urged to attend.
Organ Concert In Local
Church Tonight At 7:45
a
A cordial invitation is extended
too general public to att?"?t ??
gan recital by Carl Hinnant, wall
known organist, in the Presbyterian
church here this evening at 7:45
o'clock. Mr. Hinnant is demonstrat
ing the use of the latest innovation
In organs.