Smallwood Recalls
Boyhood Days Here
(Continued from page one)
liamston* days, and afforded occupa
tion to quite a number of what was
termed "river men." They made them
"dug-outs" by hewing off one side of
a huge cyprus tree-truck, sometimes
the cut being near forty feet long, or
shorter as need be; then sharpening
prow and siern alike, and burning I
out the bulk of the interior while |
carefully tending the blaze, finally
chiseling the sides and bottom to a
desired thinness, and putting in cross
boards for seats.
The cargo capacity of these dug
outs was enormous. The motive pow-1
er was paddles, not oars: the pad- i
dlers sitting astern and facing the
bow. The dug-out's bottom being
round and roily, made them as "tick
lish" as an Indian's. birch-*bark; but
the river-man "knew his equilibrum"
^ind seldom upset the cargo Bui "Mi 1
all of whom had been visiting my I
sister Portia, plus two Negro pad
dlers and a two-horse "* wagon load
of freight, all being stowed into one
of these dug-outs. After the passen
gers had "gingerly" taken their
places, and the paddlers a half-doz
en strokes by that strong, deft ac
non of no movement ol the body ex
cept the ^arms, that dug-out raced
up the rushing waters towards Spell
er's Ferry, like a herring skimming
the foam.
Roanoke swamp through Martin
County, averages something like two
Novice"?look out
Fishing and trapping, ahd wwip
times logging, occupied their full
time. There were the herrings and
the sturgeons in the spring, too num
erous to mention. There were the
iaccoon and the weasel; the muskrat
and the mink; with otter and beaver
occasionally; and bear not a few. The
pelts were cleaned, stretched, cured
and marketed by the trnpp' p;?; and
big money ensued when catches were
good
Among the river-men I recall wen
Mr Aaron Roberson, Jim Bonds,
Cliff Bland and Jack Gurkins Tin
last named I can mentally see today.
Red hair, red face, red whiskers, hip
high rubber-boots, oilskin coat, and
southwester; the whole making as
awesome an appearance as would an
ocean pirate of old. But so far as my
knowledge went, he may have had
a heart as big as his head There were
many others that I do not recall.
As stated, tin- carrying capacity of
tehse dug outs was astounding. 1
recall, upon one occasion. Sheriff
Bond, of Bertie; his wife, cousin Min
nie, daughter of my father's first
cousin. Robert Smallwo<>d. of Bertie's
"Indian woods"; their-two daughters,
miles wide, creating a vast region
of silence and solitude (except for
sounds of its swamp life) amidst the
business and bustle of a busy world
Those who follow'' the river: live next
to nature and self reliance, as did
Daniel Boone of the nation's early
days. Most often alone, and out in -
ly dependent upon their own caution
and ability, they attain a quiet, sub
dued mannerism.-dominated by self
reliance and precision. No doubt
these conditions arc much tin- same
now, as in tin- days of which I write,
for the river is still there, with its
"guts" and its .pools, and the "var
mints" still thrive in the still vast
swamp; With pelts'even more valu
able today than then; therefore the
incentive for river-men to still be.
As the swamp nears the high lands
it is be-sprinkled with .elevated spots
of varying acres which are not over
flown by ordinary "freshets" and
which are called "islands". These an
often cleared and cultivated, produc
ing enormous yields, when the snows
of the mountains are not so rapidly
melted in the spring-time as to cause
abnormally heavy freshets, which
wrap up and destroy the island crops
?but in doing so. these overflows leave
a new coating of fertile sediment for
the benefit of future crops.
One seldom hears a Martin Coun
ty man speak of "the -swamp,"
he terms it "down in the islands."
and everybody knows, likewise, a
steam boater may say "Williamston
Wharf." but Williamston says "riv
There was one incident emenating
from the "big fire" which gave me
an insight of Mr. Biggs which I had
Judge R. L. Coburn
Working Over Time
In Recorder's Court
(Continued from page one)
deadly weapon. Jodie Haislip entered
no plea. He was adjudged guilty and
sentenced to- the roads for a period ,
of sixty days The sentence was sus- 1
pended upon payment of the cost
and a $50 fine.
Mahssie Purvis, charged with vi
olating the liquor laws, pleaded guil
ty and was sentenced to jail for thir
ty days, the court suspending the
sentence upon payment of the costs.
Charged with obtaining money un
der fa 1st? pretense, Charlie Mabry
pleaded not guilty. He was adjudg
ed guilty of a simple assault and was
cr.tenced to the roads for a thirty
lav period.
uid no occasion to observe before.
As far as I recall there kwas no
?esident insurance agent in William
toh at that time I think all insur
ance was procured by correspond
?rif . ?<r through visiting agents. I
do not recall-how many policies Mr.
liggs had on his property burned,
>r with what companies. Quito like
ly one on the store, and another on
he stock. It is my impression that
insurance carried was slight, and
that he lost heavily by the fire.
In the course of a week or so af
ter the burning, an "adjuster" called
ufxiii him in reference to his claim,
and he came to the home, where
'were the salvaged diugs. and when
we were filling, as best we could,
prescriptions for the ailing. Sister
Sal lie used her bedroom as a family
it ting room, having a company room
across tin hall, and to which the "ad
juster" had been invited All man
tels in the house were a(/?ut shoul
der high, and Mr. Biggs raised a fam
ily uf I111 lithe n with a loaded pistol
lying constantly >?n the bedroom
mantel, and not once did one of
them ever bother that pistol. Upon
the occasion which I mention, Mr
Biggs was in the company room with
?he "adjuster", and I was in the bed
room. After some time Mr Biggs
aime in the bedroom, walked to the
mantel, took the pistol, put it in his
pocket, and went back to the com
pany room; saying nothing to me I
immediately followed him, finding
the "adjuster" seated at a table, and
Mr Biggs standing opposite, saying
Yes I did give you that policy for
vou to look over, but you mixed it
m with your other papers and you
?ire going to find it or you do not
Va\ > this room. Now get busy." I
ould see that the "adjuster" had la
?nii a little nervous, by the way he
handled his papers, and judged he
ad presumed Mr Biggs had not
"one out of the room for nothing.
Pu tty soon lie found the policy. Af
tor Mi Biggs got possession of it.
he told the "adjuster" "Now I'm not
going to dillydally with you any
longer 1 have uikeji occasion to as
certain that your company has no le
gal right to do business iji North Car
"lina. That places you here on an
ill* gal., mission, and the whole of
you subject to both state and federal
laws including using tin- mails for
fraudulent purposes, and if you don't
get things straight to my satisfaction
I will hold you in jail here until your
j company does.
I do hot recall if the ."adjuster"
1 had the authority to pay up that *juy.
hut all was satisfactory when he left
'the house, and 1 know Mr. Biggs got
his insurance money without further
trouble
There is an episode relative to
Mr Biggs which occurred during the
. days when lie was coming over
"sparking" Sister Sallie. which
would have fitted in with my earlier
narrative of how Mr John Hatton
? li- 1; ,out the castor oil glass,
and call it "sweet ars?honey," but it
(did not occur to me at that time,
j Once, when 1 was in the parlor
with him and Sister Sallie. he said
?Charles, one of tliese days I'm go ?
ing to take this sister of yours over
to Williamston and forget to bring
her back; what wifl you do then?
And I replied (with a kind of re
don't care, cause then she can't make
me take no more castor oil," which
left me master of the conversation.
ANOTHER
Carload
Fine
Mules
NOW IN
STOCK
The mule* Mere pernonully M'leeted hy
our Mr. Evant from the bent mule* in the
West. Every mule puraVrnl to lie ju?t
a? represented. Don't buy u mule un
til you mm* our fine M>leetion. Remem
ber, the best in always the cheapest.
HOLT EVANS
WILUAMSTON, N. C.
Local Happenings
In The Enterprise
Forty Years Ago
JANUARY 3. 19H2.
Then will be another wedding in
town soon.
A young lady arrived at Prof. Hud
gen's home last night. We extend
congratulations.
The delay ir^etting out the paper
this week is due to not getting our
papers in time.
There will be several new firms
in town in the near future.
The handle factory is shipping a
great many handles now.
Our lawyers have been extreme
ly busy for the past few days.
A great deal of building is expect
ed to be done this Spring
Some of the lumber for the tobac
co warehouses lias arrived.
The Williamston Land and Inv'
provi rrvent company have disposetf of
several lots recently.
There have been many changes in
the business circle here this week
and several more are expected.
Mr A. A Coburn has sold out his
interest in business here and left for
Rocky Mount Wednesday morning.
We wish him much success
How many of our business men
are willing to contribute to the much
talked of ferry We need it badly. It
is one of the essentials toward mak
ing a permanent tobacco market in
Williamston.
S. F. Williams is in the city.
Miss Annie Peel is visiting in
Rocky Mount.
George Knox, of Norfolk, is visit
ing his parents on Church Street.
Rev. J W Guthrie, bf Raleigh, was
here Sunday.
Hurras Critcher returned to Wake
Forest Tuesday morning.
Mr IVrly Brown, of Jamesville, is
clerking for Eli Gurganus.
Miss Ifattie Thrower spent Sunday
111 Mildred visiting friends.
Miss Emma Pultz left for Balti
more Wednesday morning.
S. R. Biggs, Jr., and J. E. Moore
left W? dnesday morning for A and
M
Mr. K. U. Crawford is quite sick
at his home this week.
Mr. T. J Latham is now Consta
ble, Mr. S. W. Harrell having resign
ed to go into business.
Automotive Taxes
Reach A New High
Figure in Past Year
(Continued from page one)
years automobile .owners have in
creased their annual mileage by ap
proximately one third Thus, in
creased average use of automobiles
i as important in pushing up the
stale's gasoline lax receipts as is ine
gain in motor vehicle registrations.
Warning that the present high
level of automobile taxes will not
continue indefinitely was sounded
by Mr Sparger "A few years hence
when tin post-war re-adjustment'
comes, there may be a sharp drop in
highway user taxes," he said. "For
example, 111 the years 1930 to 1933,
when incomes of millions of families
in the United States declined, one
out of every lCcaVs in this country
was forced off the roads because
! owners could not afford to operate
| their cars In some states automo
bile registrations dropped a third.
Because car ownership among the
i lower income families is far more
j?xtensive than it-was in 1930, a
| sharp decline in employment dur
ing the |x)st-war readjustment per
iod may bring a reduction in automo
bile registrations of 25 per cent or
moie This should be kept in mind
by state highway officials in plan
ning road improvements over a per
iod of years.
"The great expansion in automo
bile ownership and use in this state
shows the growing importance of
highway transportation to the wel
fare of the people irt this emergen
4 v pi'i-inH fliwid* needed by indtis
tries producing war materials are
moving in large quantities from
plant to plant over the highways.
Workers in plants the country over
get to and from their jobs by cars.
Soldiers, equipment and supplies for
military operations are transported
by motor vehicle over the roads, for
which motorists of the nation have
paid $18,000,000,000 and now are
paying $1,500,000,000 annually in
special taxes to the states.
"Highway transportation is a vi
tal and an integral part of the activ
ities of a democratic people ? in
peace, in preparedness ,or in war,"
said Mr Sparger "For that reason
it is in the public interest to encour
age highway transportation so that
flft, times it will serve adequately
the hasic needs of the people inT the"
movement of persons and goods. Fair
principles of automotive taxation,
recognition of the ability to pay as
a basic factor in determining tax
rates, reasonable rules for the use
of the highways, wise planning of
road improvements, and sound ?
of the revenues accruing from hig
way users should be followed in th
state. Only in this way can tl
greatest good be given to the gres
est number at the lowest possib
cost, thereby assisting to maintain
high national morale which if viti
ly necessary in assuring success
the government's and the people
i war efforts."
During those days, gold coins we
pretty frequent among pocket chani
and on one occasion Mr. Biggs "ti
pod" one of the colored boys with
five dollar gold piece, for caring f
his horse while he made his vis
The boy showed it to us later, ai
Father took charge of it, giving tl
boy a quarter, and had Sister Sail
return it to Mr. Biggs his next tri
(To be continued)
CCC Cam|)s To Be
Evacuee Centers
Red CroHH and CCC Agree
ment Signed by Davis
And McEntee
Washington, D. C.?Civilian Con
servation Corps camps across the na
tion have been designated for use as
emergency refugee centers in the
event of mass evacuation caused by
enemy action in any part of the
country, it was disclosed here in a
joint agreement between the Ameri
can Red Cross and the CCC.
Tiie agreement, bearing the signa
tures of Chairman Norman H. Davis,
of the Red Cross, and Director Jas.
J. McEntee, of the CCC, calls for im
mediate training of key CCC per
sonnel in Red Cross disaster-fighting
techniques. In time of need, neces
sary equipment belonging to the
CCC would be made available.
All rolling equipment and trained
personnel of the CCC shall be made
available to the Red Cross for res
cue of evacuees and their transpor
tation with their personal belongings
to concentration points; for trans
portation of medical personnel and
medical supplies; for distribution of
relief rations; for transfer of cots,
blankets, kitchen and feeding equip
ment; for service in preparation of
food, either in CCC camps or on oth
er premises operated as mass shel
ters: for emergency and housing fa
cilities on CCC premises; for assist
ance in carrying out fire, sanitary
and police regulations for mass
shelters; supplying storage space for
Red 'Cross or other snnnlies and*
equipment, the agreement states.
Farmers Assured
Of Price Floor For
All Basic Crops
(Continued from page one)
message to Congress, said he had
signed the continuing legislation "in
I view of the urgency of the need for
extending" both programs and the
| "desirability of giving assurances at
this time to producers of basic agri
cultural commodities."
Then he protested addtion of pea
nuts to the 85 per cent parity loan
list that included cotton, wheat, corn,
rice and tobacco. He said there had
been substantial changes in the pro
duction and consumption of peanuts
since the base period of 1909-14 and
therefore the loan rate on this prod
uct would be "excessive in relation
to the loan on other commodities."
The President suggested that the
peanut loan provision be modified
before government loans are made
on the peanut crop next fall.
Senator George said this matter
would be considered by the Senate
agriculture committee before then,
while Senator Russell said that the
mandatory loan would apply "only
to edible peanuts and not to peanuts
grown and processed for oil."
"I anticipated some objection from
Agriculture Department officials
who believed the loan on peanuts
would be too high," Kussell added.
"I believe they are misinformed."
Radical Upsets Are
"Expected to Follow
Rationing System
(Continued from page one)
than that number he would have to
search out his customers. When one I
stops and thinks there are several i
thousand cars in the county and that
the several dealers could fill all their
orders if they had an average of ten
[cars each, the automobile shortage
cannot be classed as serious In fact
curtailed production has not even
slowed us down one bit as yet. Of
course, if the war lasts ten years it
may be the horse will come back and
that people will run to the doors and
strain their eyes to see an occasion
al motor vehicle, run by. It'll be just
a rough duplicate of those days when
Rome Biggs and Harry Biggs and the
late J. Paul Simpson drove through ,
town in their motorized innovations
at the record speeds of 10 and 15
miles per hour.
Some one is going to entertain the
idea that he should have a tire or a
tin roof and that soma one else does
not need either. Some o'ne who needs
one or both will- be unable to get
either, and some one who needs
neither will get one or both. Mistakes
were made in the rationing system
in the last war, and it is fairly cer
tain that mistakes will be made in
this war, but one thing is fairly cer
tain and that is that there will be lit
tle mumbling and grumbling and
that little in none will be tolerated.
Martin County's rationing boards,
officially appointed this week, are in
a group meeting at Windsor today
receiving instructions for handling
the work. Plans for rationing will be
announced very shortly
Firemen Are Called Out
Here New Year'* Eve
Local volunteer firemen answer
ed their last call of the year at
U:S7 o'clock New Year's Eve when
fir* threatened the home of Mr. and
Mrs. A. R White on Simmons Ave
nue. Sparks falling from a blazing
chimney fired a few shingles, but
the damage was slight.
ONE SPAYED MALE 8HOAT,
weight ITS pounds, has been in my
field for three weeks. Mark in left
ear, square 8. Owner can get him by
paying for this ad and cost of feed
ing. C. C. Jones. Williamston. Jl-tt
TWO MULES AND TWO PUSH
I milch cows for sale. See It L. Co
burn, WlQiamston. jJ-Jt
This Week In
Defense
Labor
The President's industry-labor con
ference to plan uninterrupted war
production agreed: (1) There shall
be no strikes or lockouts; (2) all dis
putes shall be settled by peaceful
means; (3) the President shall set
up a proper War Labor board to han
dle these disputes. The President ac
cepted the plan without reservations
and said he would act at once.
The U. S. Conciliation Service re
ported settlement of 28 labor dis
putes. Labor Secretary Perkins an
nounced that during the past year
hourly earnings of factory wage
earners increased 14.7 per cent; av
erage hours rose 4.8 per cent; and
average weekly earnings of both full
and part time employment rose 20.6
per cent.
Agriculture
The Agriculture Department an
nounced a favorable economic out
look for agriculture in 1942 despite
entry of the U. S. into war, due to
the expanding war effort and pros
pective accompanying rise in-indus
trial activity, employment and
wages. Agriculture Secretary Wick
ard said 1942 production goals-caiT
for more milk, eggs, pork, beef, can
ned vegetables, peanuts and soy
beans, and a cut in production of
wheat, cotton and tobacco. Mr. Wick
ard also said the millionth ton of
American food shipped to Great Brit
ain under the lend-lease system has
arrived safely.
Civilian Defense
OCD announced Youth Auxiliary
Committees will be put in operation
about January 1 for participation in
the work of local and state defense
councils. OCD Director LaGuardia
said he may ask Congress to approve
funds for 50,000.000 gas masks for
civilians in tin- three coastal areas.
He reported some manufacturers
were selling World War I masks no
longer approved by the Army. The
FBI announced civilian defense
courses will be conducted for police
on the West coast and later will be
expanded to include 260 cities and
30,000 regular law enforcement of
ficers in rural and metropolitan
areas. .
Janlesville All Stars
Defeat Martins 47-27
The Jamcsville All Star basketball
team made it two in a row over Wil
liamston teams by defeating the
Martins 47 to 27 in a game there last
Tuesday night.
Jamcsville Jed 24 to 10 at half
time. Ange with 12 points, was high
scorer for the All Stars. Winter was
tops for the Martins with nine points.
The fast and furious attack of the
All Stars proved to be too much for
the Martina.?? ~
The lineups and points scored:
All Stars?J. Holliday. f, 5; E.
Martin, f, 4, Ange, f, 12; T Martin,
c, 10; Walters, "g, 9; D Holliday, g,
7.
Martins Winters, f, 9; Wallace,
f, 6; Corey, c, 3; Diem, g, 6; Manning,
3.
Official Notice Of
Ten Percent Boost
In Crop Is Awaited
(Continued from page one)
cured tobacco used in the United
States, was said to be running 18 per
cent higher than for the same period
last yqar.
The department said consumption
was at a new record level.
Officials estimated that more than
750,000,000 pounds of flue-cured to
bacco would be needed from the 1942
crop to supply domestic demands and
exports
No official word of the proposed
increase has been filed with the of
-fice of the farm agent in this ooun
ty, and no details or comment could
be had from that quarter. It is gen
erally believed, however, that the in
crease will be effected on a hori
zontal basis, the farmer with ten
acres bein gallowed to increase his
plantings to 11 acres and so on.
Strangely enough the North Caro
lina Farm Bureau, apparently re
membering the huge surplus that
was piled up to become so burden
some at the close of the last war, has
directly or indirectly advised against
quota allotment increases. But just
a short time ago, leaders of the State
Grange went on record asking or de
manding an increase in the 1942
plantings.
Granted a ten per cent increase, it
is fairly reasonable to expect all la
bacco farmers to plant to the limit.
ADMINISTRATRIX' NOTICE
North Carolina, Martin County
Velma H. Coburn, having quali
fied as Administratrix of the Estate
of W. H. Coburn, deceased, this is to
notify all persons having claims
against the said Estate to exhibit
them to the undersigned within
twelve months from the date of this
notice or this notice will be plead in
bar of any recovery. All persons in
debted to the said Estate will please
make immediate payment to the un
dersigned.
This the 2nd day of Jam, 1942.
MRS VELMA H. COBURN,
Administratrix of the Estate of
W. H. Coburn, deceased.
R. L. Coburn, Atty.
Williamston, N. C. j2-6t
Fountain To Oppose
Bailey For Senate
Unless some other strong liberal
enters the race against Josiah W.
Bailey for the United States Senate,
Richard T. Fountain will enter the |
race in the forthcoming primary, ac- \
cording to an announcement made \
by the Rocky Mount man this week.
While Bailey by his stand on the
defense and war possibly has im
proved his position in the eyes of the
people, there are many who still re
member his ul^ra-conservative posi
tion and big business leanings in the
past.
In connection with his possible
candidacy, Mr. Fountain, former
lieutenant governor and speaker of
the State House of Representatives,
made the following statement:
"I think the people of North Car
jolina should have jm opportunity to
say whether or not they endorse
Senator Bailey's record.
"Unless Senator Bailey has opposi
tion, the people won't have an op
portunity to express themselves at
the ballot box.
"In my opinion the people of
North Carolina would
better off for the-last 12 years if Mr.
Bailey's seat in the Senate had been
vacant.
"North Carolina suffered worse
from the depression than any other
State. Through the liberal policies of
the Democratic administration un
der the leadership of President
R^sryrlt, this State mnrlr Hir In11;!
comeback from the depression.
"Yet Senator Bailey has had no
part in these liberal policies, except
to hinder and delay them.
"He has opposed all progressive
labor and agricultural legislation
and fought the amendments to the
neutrality act.
"I am willing to support an out
standing liberal candidate, and I
think that candidate should be the
Hon. Josephus Daniels, of Raleigh.
I am willing to go into every county
in the State and work among my
| friends for his election.
"But if Ambassador Daniels can
not be induced to run, then I will be
la candidate."
HOG LOST ? MALE. 75 POUNDS.
Red and black spotted. Left home
Dec. 27th. Mrs. Lewis Peel
WANTED: FAMILY TO WORK ON
farm. Can have small crop. J. W.
Green, Williamston.
35-ACRE FARM FOR RENT, OR
good man on farm. L Thompson.
Pinetown, N. C. j2-2t
BAGS WANTED ? ONLY GOOD
clean bags desired. Abbitt's Mill.
d30-4t
TENANT WANTED: FOR ONE- OR
two-horse crop. Good tobacco and
peanut allotments. T. W. Holliday,
Jamesville, N. C. d30-2t
FOR RENT ? 3 ROOM AFART
ment, West Main Street, first floor.
Also for sale, light trailer. J. W.
Green. d30-2t
WE PAY CASH FOR CORN. HIGfl
est market prices paid. Manning
and Gurkin Peanut Company at the
New Carolina Warehouse, Williams
ton. dl9-6t
WE PAY CASH FOR CORN. WIL
liamston Hardware Co. dl2-tf
SOLID CARLOAD LION SALT AR
rived. Get our prices before you
buy. Lion salt Is known for its fine ? <
quality. Farmers Supply Company, y
Mrs. Robert Harrell. Modern Beauty >
-Shop. Williams Lull.
dl2-at
ADMINISTRATRIX1 NOTICE
Having qualified as administra
trix of the estate of A E. Downs, de
ceased, late of Martin County,
North Carolina, this is to notify all
persons having claims against the
-estate of said deceased to exhibit
them to the undersigned at Oak
City, N. C., R.F.D., on or before the
29th day of December, 1942, or this
notice will be pleaded in bar of their
recovery. All persons indebted to
said estate will please make immed
iate payment.
This 29th day of Dec., 1941.
MRS. SARA DOWNS,
Administratrix of A E. Downs.
B A Critcher, Atty. j2-flt
Jo Rtlievt
MUtry
rtV?s
(RTui
^^UQUAUaUlS. ULVl. NOS4 MOfS
Friends of Miss Marie Peele will
regret to learn that she is ill in a
Raleigh hospital. Miss Peele had her
appendix removed Thursday night.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar
Peele, have gone to Raleigh to be
with her.
Wants
OPEN TOP REFRIGERATOR FOR
sale. Electric and good as new. Will
sell cheap. See Mr. Phelps at Hall's
Barber Shop.
RADIO
REPAIRING
llriug us your Radio
for Repairs. All work
guaranteed. Reason
able Charges.
Western Auto Store
W. J. Miller, Owner
COLD
wigElia
WMe
CarloadChanneldraln
?JUST ARRIVED?
LAST CAR WE WILL BE ABLE TO BUY!
Limited Amount To Each C.iittomer
Williamston Supply Co.
Plant Bed
rraa
fimxfco
IFOR
QUALITY
TOBACCO^
Armour's & V-C
t
FERTILIZERS
SEE US FOR YOUR 1942 FERTILIZER
? NEEDS ? ARMOUR'S OR V-C FER
TILIZERS WILL CROW THEM BET
TER AND LARGER.
Martin Supply Co.