► NEARLY 4,000 COPIES Or THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY "•AND"TO COUNTY SF.YY'SCSMEN NEARLY 4.000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 73 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, September 14, 1945. ESTABLISHED 1899 Consolidation Of Schools In County • <*** Virtually Complete WliH«iw||. k,, To Robersonville Next + Monday Morning The school consolidation program launched in this county a quarter of a century ago is now virtually com plete. the board of education an nouncing this week that the planned removal of the approximately 43 pupils in the Gold Point. School to the plant at Robersonville next Mon day morning leaves only one white two-teacher school operating in the V county. There is no action pending, and none is expected in the near fu ture to merge the Hassell School, the authorities explaining that pos sibly a third teacher will be added there in the course of time. A consolidation of the Gold Point School with the one at Robersonville has been pending for some time. The authorities hesitated in ordering the change, but when attendance figures continued to decline, some ^ action was considered necessary, hjo disi# issued, but tfi£^PP moval of one of the two teachers in the school to the plant in Roberson ville was considered necessary and the patrons were then reported to favor consolidation. Transportation for the Gold Point pupils has been arranged and they will be absorbed by the Robersonville school next Monday. The small plant at Gold Point has - been ordered sold, the action mark * ing the virtual completion of a con solidation program that has during a period of about a quarter of cen tury reduced the number of white schools from fifty-one to nine in this county. Consolidation has been a long and tedious task, one that has created disturbances of a sort, yet, one that is recognized as being in step with progressive education. The first direct consolidation step j was taken just about twenty-five ^ > ears ago when a consolidated plant was established at Sandy Ridge in j Williams Township, the plant later1 bowing to a more concentrated con solidation program. A contract for the transportation of the children to the Sandy Ridge School was let to George Coltrain and he used a cover ed wagon to haul the pupils. According to the records, the fol lowing schools were either abolish ed or consolidated with the nine re m maining white plants down through ™ the years: Dardens, Poplar Run, Cooper, Smithwick, Riddick, Manning, Hardi son, Poplar Point, Hurst, Burroughs, Turkey Swamp, Cross Roads, Leg gett, Woolard, Biggs, Smith, Page, Gold point, Goose Nest, Bowers, Whichard, Jones, Ward, Ange, Keel, Roebuck, Corey, Sherrod, Wynne, Harris, Roanoke, Lilley, Getsinger, - Waldo, Whitley, Outterbridge, Eborn, * Parmele, Mobley, Maple Swamp, Brooksville and Brown. Daniel L Pritchett Dies Near Hamilton Daniel L. Pritchett retired mech g anic-farmer, died at the home of * Johnnie Wynne near Hamilton last Tuesday morning at 2 o’clock follow ing about five years of declining health. The son of the late John T. Pritch ett of Brunswick County, New Jer sey. and the late Mrs. Mary Haislip Pritchett of Hamilton, he was born in this county on February 27, 1883. He worked in a blacksmith shop for a number of years, but more recently and until his health failed he was en • gaged in farming and general work. He is survived by his widow', the former Miss Hettie Moore, and two brothers, I. B. Pritchett of Hamilton and Tom Pritchett of near James ville. He was a member of the Baptist church. Funeral services were con ducted at his late home Wednesday morning at 11 o’clock by Rev. John Goff, pastor of the local Christian g church, and interment was in the Hamilton cemetery. Officers Raid Still And Arrest Couple Raiding in Griffins Township last | m Sunday morning, ABC Officer J. H. j w Roebuck and assistants captured a 40-gallon capacity copper still, ar rested John Manning, colored man, and poured out a gallon of white liquor and three barrels of beer. One of the operators escaped. Manning was placed under bond in the sum of $100 and is scheduled for trial in the county court on October 8. Jesse Matthews, operator of a park near Robersonville, was arrested this week for possession of illicit liquor. He is slated for trial in the county court on October 8. ABC Officer J. H. Roebuck and others entered the place of business Wednesday and asked the man if he had anything to drink. Before he recognized the of ficers, he lifted a gallon of white liquor from under the counter and displayed it and reached for a glass ^ with whcih he measured out 50-cent drinks. The raid followed closely a big round-up of alleged bootleggers in the county a short time before. Thirty Cases for Trial ml In the Superior Court PROMOTED Don E Johnson, son of Mr. an Airs. Don Johnson of this county, was recently promoted to the rank of full lieutenant in the U. S. Naval Reserve. After a Ion# period of service in Africa, Lt. Johnson, former Martin County solicitor, is now stationed in Florida. He recently advised his father to oil the run for some hunting at home this fall. Aged Resident Of County Died Last Wednesday Evening Fathrr IWijrratrd To the Stairs From Scotland ami Lost Life In Civil War Mrs. Susan C. Taylor, one of the : county’s oldtet and highly respected • citizens, died at her heme in Poplar h Point Township last Wednesday eve- | ning at 9:10 o’clock, the victim of paralysis. Mrs. Taylor, widow of Rev. Robert Lanier Taylor, was de- j spite her advanced age unusually ac- | tive up until the first of this month when she suffered a stroke following ! a visit with relatives in Everetts. Her condition had been critical since ( that time. The daughter of the late Isaac | Goodtimes and Emily Edmondson Coodtimes, Mrs. Tayler v/ns born in the Robersonville Community on November 27, 1856. Her father, a( native of Germany, came to this country from Scotland when a youth. He traveled out of New York, deal- . ing in special goods shipped to him ; by his father, a big merchant in Ger many at the time, He met and mar- j tied Miss Edmondson while on a business trip in this county and made his headquarters here until he an swered the call of the Confederacy at the outbreak of the Civil war and was killed in action. When quite young, she was mar ried to Mr. Taylor and later located in Poplar Point where she spent most of her life. She was the last member of her immediate family, and is sur vived by four children, George Tay lor of Norfolk. Mrs. Lizzie Owens of Williamston, Mrs. John Coker An derson of Norfolk and Miami, and Mrs. Lester Keel of the home; twen ty grandchildren and nineteen great ! grandchildren. Funeral services are being con (Continued on page six) Farmers In (bounty Start Digging Nuts A few Martin County farmers darted harvesting the 1945 peanut crop this week, but the work will hardly get under way on any appre ciable scale before week after next or in the early days of October, Farmer Charlie Lloyd on the Wynne farm in Cross Roads Town ship started digging several acres of the goobers this week. No report on the quantity and quality could be had immediately. Testing a field of early planted peanuts, Farmer Joe Winslow stated he was very much pleased with his findings. According to his survey, approximately twenty bags can be expected from each of a fairly large number of acres. Mr. Winslow is not so certain about his late crop. General reports point to a smaller crop this year than the one harvest ed last season. Heavy rains are be lieved to have prevented the pea nuts from “pegging” down, and ir some cases the early goobers hav« rotted off the vines. Infant Dias At Home Of Parents Ir Bear <>ra**t Margaret Anne Whitaker, eight months old, died at the home of her parents, C. D. Whitaker and Irene Bailey Whitaker, in Bear Grass Township last Wednesday evening at 7:30 o’clock. Funeral services were conducted at the home yesterday afternoon at 13:30 o’clock, and interment was in |the Baiiey Cemetery near the home. Manslaughter Cases And Murder Charge Feature The Docket Fifteen Different Crimes Are Included In List For Trial Next Week One of the largest criminal dockets repared in this county in some time .'ill be aired in the superior court pining a two weeks mixed term ere next Monday. Around thirty ases have been booked for trial, four f them involving manslaughter and he others running the crime scale all he way down from first degree mur cr to the disposal of mortgaged lorperty. Judge John J. Burney, re timing from Wilmington for the irst time in about five years, will ireside over the sessions. „ r",g.yery, false pretense and one peace warrant. N. S. Godard is charged with an tssault upon Manuel M. Schwartz on ■’ebruary 14. Henry Paul is charged with rock ess driving resulting in the death if Jeremiah Brown near Everetts on ast March 14. Prince White stands charged with lisposing of mortgaged property, lamely, hogs and a cow. The case charging Herman Man ling and Joe Martin with aiding and ibetting an illegal operation is sehed iled for final disposition, action hav ng been delayed since they were ried, adjudged guilty and sentenced n June of last year to serve two real’s in prison. Reporst state that i petition for parole had been de lied the two men. Facing a first-degree murder charge, Lee Goss, young colored man, was jailed last July 1 for fatally at tacking perlie Coffield, colored wo man, with a picket knife on Hill Street hetyc. He was denied bond. William E James, Camden, N. J., man is at librety under $1,000 bond for his appearance in the court Mon day to answer a manslaughter charge growing out of the hit-and-run kill ing of Jeff T. Matthews, aged coun ty resident, near Oak City on Sep tember 2. John Biggs, colored, is charged with reckless driving -esulting in the death of Lewis Sheppard and Wil liam Godard, near Boar Grass, last April 20. He is at liberty under $500 bond. Charged with running down and fatally injuring Lindsley White, col ored man, on East Main Street here last month, Sanford Gilliam is at liberty under bond in the sum of $1,000. Gilliam is also charged with operating a motor vehicle with im proper brakes. Kader Brown is at liberty under a $500 bond in the case charging him with reckless driving resulting in serious injury to Elizabeth Holliday near Dardens last May 31. Robert Bunn is charged with hit and-run driving resulting in painful injury to Jesse Bullock near Parmele last August 25. Bunn was placed under bond in the sum of $1,000. Charged with seduction under pro mise of marriage, William Lilley was released under $200 bond. R. Cornelius Kirkland, charged with bigamy, is at liberty under bond in the sum of $1,000. Tom Dew, charged with the thefl of O. G. Woolard’s Plymouth car ir Robersonvilie on July 4, 1944, is | under $500 bond. Frank Beach, Frank Harrell, Wool (Continued on page six) Twenty Tons Of Elephants Coming Twenty tons of elephant is consid ered a lot of elephant flesh to the circus going public but to the cricus manager it means thousands of dol lars, hours of worriment and never rest, since the skeptical demanding public gauge the merits of a circus by the number of elephants that the circus brings to town. Under the auspices of the Wil liamston Junior Chamber of Com merce the Famous Bailey Bros, Big Three Ring Circus which comes to Williamston Saturday, Sept. 15, on the Williamston Lumber Co., Show Grounds on Highway No. 17 for an j afternoon and night performance, not only brings its thirty tons of elephants, but its 300 performers, a J conclave of beautiful horses and a veritable city of canvas with its bie top seating 5.500 people. Three rings, two stages and a mam moth Hippodrome track are neces sary to present this net streamlined circus performance with ali its stel lar features. The ^ailey Bros., pres ents such acts as the Miller Troupe of world renowned aerialists, head to head balancers, tumblers and acro bats, who this season are presenting the smallest child acrobat, Margaret. Schedule Fourteen Divorces For Trial In Sunerrfir^oirrt i'.. All Two \re iSseiinOn Tv. o Years of Separation; Divorce Ratio Given Convening a two weeks’ term next Monday, the Martin County Superior Court is scheduled to hear fourteen applications for divorce on Wednes day. Court officers are of the opin ion that the trial of the criminal docket will last through Wednesday, that the divorce mill hardly can be cranked up ui.til later in the week. The number seeking divorce dur ing the term is smaller than the count was at the last March and June terms. All but two of the divorce pleadings are based on two years of Separation. A hurried review of the complaints reveals that some of the litigants were married more than a quarter of a century ago, while in other cases the parties lived together only a month or two before parting of the way resulted. Some of the litigants separated as long ago as 1923 but are iust going into—Ujr courts asking that their matfTif^WT, bonds be shattered. Last year tht re were 45 divorces I granted in the county as against 190 marriages, the ratio of absolute sep arations standing almost at one to every four marriages. A general compilation of divorces in various countries, according to the latest re ports, gives the following figures: In France, one divorce to twenty-one marriages; Denmark, one to twenty - two marriages; Germany, one to twenty-four marriages; Norway, one to thirty marriages, Sweden, one to thirty-three marriages; Great Brit ain, one to ninety-six marriages; Canada, one to 161 marriages; Japan, one to eight marriages; United States, one to seven marriages—putting the United States at the bottom of the list. The following cases are based on two years of separation: Annie E. Williams against John Williams, Mary Eliza Pippens against Cecil Pippins, James Arthur Adams, of the U. S. Navy, against Sylvia Rosa Adams of the Canal Zone; Mary B. Selleck against Jack Wilbur Selleck, Gary Bunting against Reba Pridgen Bunting, George Taylor against Mer tie Little Taylor, Viola Mooring Chance against Walter Raleigh Chance, David Archie against AUie Archie, T. F. Dawson against Mary L. Dawson, Christine Gale against John L. Gale, Bettie Gorham James against Essie James, Pete Marshal Williams against Annie Lee Wil liams. In the case of Lee Manuel Rawl ings again ;*. Loaaic Lee Page Raw! j ings, the plaintiff charges the d<-> jfendant with adultery and names Le |roy Perkins as correspondent, alleg ing further that a child was born and that Perkins was the father. The case of W. E. Williams against Lue Villie Williams is also based on adultery, the plaintiff naming no cor respondent. Pastor Returns To His Local Charge Returned to his charge here fol lowing a recent conference of the Holiness Church, Rev. H. M. Pope will hold his first service in the new church year Saturday evening at 8 o’clock when his congregation will extend him a renewed welcome. The pastor will be glad to see all his members and friends at the service. The Sunday school will convene at the usual hour, 9:45 o’clock Sunday morning, and the election of officers will follow the preaching service that morning. Young people will meet Sunday evening at 6:30 o’clock and preaching services will be held at 8:00 o’clock P. M. Vandals Knock Out Jamesville Lights Going on a wild rampage in the early hours of last Sunday morning, vandals tore down several street and highway signs and knocked out about half a dozen street lights in Jamesville. Four of the young white men were seen, and bricks used in knocking out the street lights were recovered and turned over to the authorities in an effort to establish finger prints. No report has been received from the prints, it was learned from Mr. Garland Anderson, and action against the group is being delayed. ,r V LEGION FAIR | j Announcing the 1945 Martin County fair, the management this week addressed a special no tice to farmers and other ex hibitors to save their best pro ducts for display at the show during the week ol October 8-13. Several thousand dollars are be ing offered in prizes, the man agement stating that premium lists would be made available within the ne%t few days. Sponsored by the American Legion, the fair will bring the Central Amusement Company’s greater rides and shows to the midway. Tobacco Sales Nearing Four And One-Ha If Million Figure of ,abacco aa. the -siu-4«u.< i«.-. mV&'Hmitpwstbly-h quarter a million pounds on all types of vehicles park ed in the streets waiting to he un loaded, there possibly never was a time when the lc-cal market experi enced a greater glut. Despite the record-breaking deliveries, ware housemen are doing all in their pow er to handle the task in the most ad vantageous way possible, and consid ering al! factors, they are doing a pretty good job. Growers are hav mg long waits, to be sure, but the to bacco is being placed on the floors in orderly fashion. Iverson Skinner, bis factory pack ed to the ceiling and bulging the doors, said late yesterday that he had never seen such a glut before. At that time bis company had been unable to clear their purchases from the warehouse floors, and several big trucks were waiting at the factory to be unloaded. The plant is running i-wfAie- .£«!.•* kwe* a ' ■ ijf* ‘ .yd (k— c-es^i-vi-ag I rooms, Possibly !he long v\-. * t< -• -»irJ : will off. r Mime relief, but there is \ some doubt if the present selling schedule can be maintained. Despite heavy deliveries and much damaged tobacco, price averages con tinue to hold up unusually well on i he local market. Averages for the first three selling days of this week were slgihtly above 44 cents a pound. The 4.121,522 pounds sold on the market this season up until this morning brought $1,810,354.28. While nothing like a week’s holi d ly has been ordered, one is possible, • •••i.l farmers, it is sincerely believed, v. ill do well io anticipate such an order and do everything possible to keep their tobacco in good condition, I aving it ungraded for a while, if necessary. During the meantime, special peas are being made, urg it g the farmers to deliver their to bacco in dry and good condition. Alleged Bootleggers In Big “‘Convention” Thirty People Are Called In County’s Court Last Monday Fines Ami (lost Kxeee Youths \u