North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 47 Williamaton, Martin County. North Carolina, Tuesday, June 11, 1916 TIIE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY ' — FAMILIES'TWICE' EACH WEEK ESTABLISHED 1899 Damage Suit Asks $50,000 Result Of Highway Accident ——«—^ Kited In Beaufort County By Administrator of Late Clyde T. Paul A $50,000 damage suit was tiled in the Beaufort County Superior Court last week as a result of the motorcycle - automobile accident on the Washington Highway near here on June 1 which cost Clyde T. Paul, young merchant seaman, his life. Brought by William Haulsey Snell, administrator, against Dal las Taylor, driver, and L. G. Leg geti, owner of the car figuring in the fatal accident, the damage suit, alleged, in part: “• • • That on the night of June 1, 1946, at about the hours be tween 8 p. m. and 8:30 p. m. plaintiff intestate, who was a member of the Merchant Marine, and had recently returned to the United States from Foreign Ser vice, was traveling toward his home in South Creek, N. C., on a motorcycle, and was riding on Highway No. 17, between Wil liamston and Washington, going fn a direction of Washington, and that at said time plaintiff intes tate was riding said motorcycle in a careful and prudent manner, and at a lawful rate of speed not exceeding 50 miles per hour, and was keeping a proper lookout, and was operating said motorcy cle on his, the right side of the road, with proper brakes and lights, and at a point 2 1-2 miles south of Williamston, on said highway, plaintiff intestate collid ed with an automobile being driv en by the defendants, at which time plaintiff intestate was killed. That at the time of the accident, the defendant Dallas Taylor was operating the automobile of L. G. Leggett, it being a Plymouth 2 door sedan, and the said L. G. Leggett was riding as a passeng er. . . j nr complaint iurincr reads: “That immediately preceding the accident, the defendants were op erating said automobile in a northern direction and were op erating said automobile in an un lawful manner, at a greater rate of speed than allowed by law, in a reckless and caresless manner, and without keeping a proper lookout, the defendants operating said automobile, with improper brakes and improper lights, all of which were known to both de fendants, and that a short time before the accident, the highway patrolman signalled the defend ants to stop due to improper lights, at which time the defend ants applied brakes and due to negligence in the operation of said ear which was gross and du.‘ to defaulty brakes, the defendants swerved to the left of the center of the highway about two feet, and came to a stop choking the motor, and thereupon extinguish ed the lights and attempted to start the car, at which time, the motorcycle of plaintiff intestate struck the left front fender of the car. That said accident was due in no way to any carelessness or recklessness on the part of plain (Continued on page six) -- Water Tank Blows Up In Oak City —•— A small water tank blew up at Jimmy Council’s barbershop in Oak City last week-end, injuring no one and causing only limited property damage. Hooked to a small cold water system, the tank apparently got too much air in it, tearing from its three-pipe connection mooring and landing on a roof eighteen or twenty feet high, reports reaching here declared. Many hot water tanks are known to have biowm up hut the one in Oak City is the first cold waten tank to go on a rampage in this section, as far as it could be learned. Jamesville Girl Gets Diploma At Meredith Miss Frances Wallace, daughter of Mr. and Mrs Clarence Wallace of Jamesville, was graduated w'ith the 194(3 Meredith College Class, the Raleigh institution announc ing that Miss Wallace received the cum laude along with thir teen of the other ninety gradu ates. Victim of an Unusual Disease Died Sunday ! , J | PRESIDENT 1 V-- — / Ernest Mears, popular man ager of the Belk-Tyler store here, was recently installed as president of the Williamston Junion Chamber of Commerce, succeeding Attorney Clarence W. Griffin. Critically Injured In Mill Accident Here Early Today —«— I Hcniicc (!rnwfor«l I.ospn Mis Ki^lii Leg uiul Suf fers < HIht Iiijuries Bernice Crawford, 28 year-old | white employe of the Wells-Oates Lumber Company on East Main i Street, was critically injured at !7:t)0 o’clock this morning wVien I his right leg was caught between | two belt pulleys at the company’s plant. An oiler in the engine room, Crawford started to replace a belt that had run off a pulley. He kicked at the belt and missed, h’;s leg jamming between two pulleys j with a clearance of hardly two I inches. The limb was fed in be tween the pulleys up to the body and before the engine could be stopped, the pu 1 It?y wore its way to the hollow of his stomach, ac cording to information coming from one of the man’s fellow workers. The leg was crushed and badly mangled. Mill workers found it necessary to dismantle part of the machin ery to release the man. Doctors were called and they gave him an injection while he was held fast in the machine. He was removed to a Washington hospital where late reports described his condi tion as grave. Crawford, formerly of Green ville, came to the plant here about a month ago. Formerly known as the Saunders and Cox mil., the plant was recently bought by the Wells-Oates Lumber Company. Operations were interrupted fore more than an hour while workers replaced the dismantled machinery. The accident was the first seri ous one reported at the mill in many months, and the first since the new owners took over opera tions. -» Two Cars Crash On U. S. Highway 64 —«—.— No one was hurt but consider able property damage resulted when two cars crashed on U. S. Highway 64 at Ilnlly Springs Church in Williams Township at 12:25 o’clock Monday morning. Damage to the two cars figuring in the accident was estimated at $350 by Patrolman W. E. Saun ders who made the investigation. Driving a 1939 Chevrolet James Harrell Ellis, RFD 1, Williamstnn, started to make a left-hand turn at the church when James LeRoy Williames of Jamesville started to pass and crashed into the side of the Chevrolet with his 1940 Buick roadster. After a wild rampage on the highways tiie week before when one person Inst his life and sev eral others were injured, some seriously, motorists on the coun ty highways slowed down a bit, and only one accident was re ported last week-end. Last Rites Today In Bear Grass Peggy L Harrison Little Girl Had Received 153 Transfusions In Past Six Years -® Little Miss Peggy Harrison, vic | tim of a rare disease, died in Duke | Hospital last Sunday morning at I 10:30 o’clock after bravely fight ing for life over a period of six years. Faithfully maintaining a watch over her daughter, Mrs. Harrison said that she was rub bing the little girl’s head, that two minutes before the end Peg gy said she was sleepy. Little Peggy closed her eyes and death, after threatening so many times, came peacefully. Suffering from some type of anemia which doctors never de finitely diagnosed, the little girl made one of the greatest fights for life possibly ever recorded in the annals of medicine in this section. Despite her frail little body, she willed to live and more than once it was her indomitable j spirit that delayed the end. Time I and the ravages of disease proved I too great, however, and death I moved in while she slept, ending j a long period of suffering. Apparently enjoying normal health through her third year, | the little girl appeared not to be I getting along very well in the | spring of 1940. In September of that year she was removed to I Duke Hospital and during the course of two weeks she received ' seven blood transfusions. Her condition was greatly improved, i but by the following February ! one of the two types of corpuscles I apparently had destroyed the other type anu she entered j Brown’s Community Hospital here for treatment. From that time up until a little over seven weeks ago she received at more or less regular intervals 135 blood transfusions. A source of blood j was made available by neighbors and other friends, including Wil liamston’s volunteer fire depart ment, the Lions club and others. Following each transfusion, Little Peggy would show greater inter est in life, and w'hen she entered school she was bright as she could be until almost time for an other transf . ■ ’on. Desoite her physical handicy she made her grade each year in the Bear Grass School until this year when she was forced out of school for months. She had spent seven weeks in Duke on her last visit there. In addition to the blood trans fusions, Peggy received at regu lar intervals doses of insulin. In all her trials and suffering she never complained, her bright eyes humbly expressing sincere appre ciation for the opportunity to live in the face of handicaps. Her quiet disposition made her a wel come patient in the hospital, and she made many friends during her visits there. In school she was a favorite among her playmates. The daughter of Ephraim C. and Mrs. Maggie Wynne Harri son, she was born in Bear Grass Township on January 22, 1937. Surviving besides her parents are four brothers, Sgt. Levi Harrison who is now with the Army in France; Eli D. Harrison, just re cently out of the U. S. Navy; Al fred and Billy Harrison, and two sisters, Nancy and Diana, all of the home. Funeral services are being con ducted in the Primitive Baptist Church in Bear Grass Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 o’clock by Eld ers B. S. Cowin and A B. Ayers. Interment will follow in the fam ily cemetery near the home. -a Return From 4-H C um ft In Virginia Sulurday -* Ninety-one Martin County 4-H club members and their leaders returned last Saturday from an encampment at Jamestown, Vir ginia, the group reporting a very enjoyable trip. They were accom panied by Misses Garnette Crock er and Elizabeth Parker, Mr. L. W. Cone of the extension service in this county, and Mrs. R. C. Pearce, of Greenville, former Martin home agent, Hamilton Theater To Have Elaborate Event Wednesday —$— Big Baroecuc To Be Serv ed; Modern Theater Built At Cost of $36,000 —* new and ultra mod ern theater costing approximately $36,000 will have its formal open ing Wednesday morning at 10:00 o'clock, the program for the day including a free barbecue at 1:00 o'clock and a baseball game that afternoon. Construction work on the theater is being rushed to completion and installation of the latest projection and sound equip ment is being handled by special ists, Mr, Henry S. Johnson, Sr., speaking for the owners, explain ing that everything will be made ready for the gala opening at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning. Designed to meet a great need in that section’s entertainment field, the theater was planned and financed by seventeen stockhold ers, Messrs. Roy and W. J. Beach, Geo. Haislip, George Oglesby, William H. Peel, F. L Haislip, Jr., W. C. Haislip, W, H. Foreman, D. G. Matthews, H. S. Johnson, I senior and junior, R. A. Haislip, ' W. C House, L. D. Roebuck, P. E. Manning, L. R. Everett and Steve Scott. Construction work, hand led by Contractors Gurkin and Brock, was started last March and rushed to completion. Mr. D. G. 1 Matthews heads the new enter- ! prise as president; Henry S. Johnson, Jr., as treasurer, and Clayton House, manager. C. B. J Roebuck, war veteran, who has taken special training, will oper ate the theater and assist in its management. Of brick construction, the building has a seating capacity of 433, including 175 seats in the bal- j cony. The projection and sound equipment, made by RCA, is the j most modern to be had, the own- j ers sparing no expense in provid- i ing the theater’s patrons the greatest comfort and best in equipment < and pictures. The building is equipped with an air conditioning system. Assured the support and good will of the entire community, the theater will hold its formal open ing with the people there partici pating in the elaborate program. Twenty-two pigs, many of them donated, are being prepared by Mr. R. A. Edmondson for the big free barbecue dinner which will be served at 1:00 o’clock. The ladies of the town are preparing approximately 400 pounds of slaw and several bushels of meal, mak ing the event a cooperative af fair. Special and genet invita tions have been issued, and the town is expecting guests by the tens of hundreds during the day. A schedule of operations has not been released, but according to present plans, matinees will be held at least twice each week with shows every night, including Sunday. In addition to the theater build ing itself, the stockholders pro vided for a doctor’s office on the ground floor and a three-room apartment upstairs which will serve either as living quarters or as a beauty parlor. The project is recognized us a timely advance in the town’s (Continued on page six) -» Undergoing Operation Result Of Aceident -<» Injured in a wagon-automobile accident near Dardens on Easter Monday, Mr. Mack Davis is in a Durham hospital this week for an eye operation. VACCINATIONS | -j After vaccinating approxi mately 6,800 persons or about one out of every four in the county in the drive against typhoid fever, the county health department personnel is now in the last week of its annual campaign. After this week there will be no special appointments and immunization will be of fered at the established clin ics in Robersonville each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 3 o’clock, in Hamilton each Friday afternoon from 1 to 3 o'clock and each Saturday morning in the department headquarters in the town hall, Williamston. Town Switching To New Water Supply At Skewarkey Stations Ca l Is for A m bu la nee, R kies To Jail In Patrolman’s Car -- Alter making arrests for vari ous types of drunken driving, Cpl. W. T. Simpson of the State High way Patrol branched out a bit last Friday evening when he arrested and jailed a man for allegedly driving while in an intoxicated condition a motor scooter. But that was not all there was to it. The man, John Mitchell Bell, 26, of Washington, was scooting along toward home when he lost control of the contraption and fell off at Corey’s Cross Roads on Highway N. 17. Finding him in a limp condition and apparently unconscious, residents there thought he was badly hurt and they called a Biggs ambulance. Before the ambulance could be driven to the scene, Bell recover ed, partially at least, and a trip to the hospital was ruled out, leaving S. Romulus Biggs hold ing again the proverbial bag. During the meantime, the high Issue Twenty-Four I Marriage Licenses In County In May IsMiiincc K«|iiiilti llir Itrconl For Tin* Sanir Ylnuili Four Years Ago -« Twenty-four marriage licenses were issued in this county lust month, the issuance equalling the record number reported in the month of May, 1942. So far this | year 159 marriage licenses have been issued in tins county as compared with 89 issued in the first five months of 1945. Licenses were issued by Regis ter of Deeds J. Sam Getsinger in this county last month, ten to white and fourteen to colored couples, as follows: White Robert Franklin Gurganus of WiNiamston and Dorothy Mae Haislip of Everetts. Clyde A. Glass of Jamesville and Evelyn R. Wynn of Williams ton. Sherri L. Lewis of Bethel and Corinne E. Link of Aurora. Johnnie Wilson Rogerson and Mary Elizabeth Ausbon, both of Wiiiiamston. Kader E. Gardner and Mina Lendoru Gibson, both of Wiiiiams ton. Reuben Leland Bailey, Jr., of Rocky Mount and Alma Louise Jones of Wiiiiamston. Zeno H. Rose, Jr., of Wiiiiams ton and Nolie Keel Highsmith of Robersonville. George W. Revels and Ruby Dell Beach, both of Wiiiiamston. Francis R. Bourque and Fa reuse , Manning, both of Newport News. , Clarence Hunt of Plymouth and t Mary Louise Cherry of Williams- ( ton. Colored W1111e E. Bunn and Vernell An- ( [hews, both of Robersonville. James Russell Clemmons and , Lcadie Mae Brady, both of Rob- ( srsonville, . John W. Andrews and Essie j Doggert, both of Robersonville. ( James Lee Perkins and Eliza* Deth Wiggins, both of RFD 1, Oak , City. , Charles Hill and Martha Gee, Doth of Jarriesvilii . James R Biggs and Lizzie Mae 1 Zarrell, both of Wiiiiamston. John Edwards, . Jr., and Mary Lou Wilkins, both of Wiiiiamston. . Rufus Lynch, Jr., of Oak City and Lorene Jolly of Parroele. Herman Frederick Slade and F’lonnie Bell Lee, both of Wil- 1 liamston. J John Henry Sanders and Joan- ( (Continued on page six) -- . Two Marriage Licenneii Are I mated In County 1 -• Two marriage licenses were is lued by Register of Deeds J. Sam I Getsinger in this county last A'eek-end to: Aaion Brown of Greenville and Dilly Biggs, RFD 5, Greenville. i Paul Winfred Melson of Wil- i liamston and Muigie Ellen Wayne i af New Bern. i way patrol picked up the call and Cpl. Simpson reported. After questioning Bell, the patrolman explained that he would take him to the “hospital”, and after mak ing certain the man was not hurt the officer placed him in jail. Appraising Bell's condition ear lier that day, a friend whose name 1 L'ould not be learned, insisted on taking Bell to his home. Bell was said to have insisted on making the trip himself with the friend :is a passenger. The friend fell ;>ff, jumped off or was knocked off the scooter near the Sunny Side Inn, suffering a few minor bruises. Bell made it as far as the Cross Roads. It was reported that Bell was to report to Fort Bragg this week for his fifth pre-induction exam ination. He left instruction with ] his bondsman that in case he pass ed, to plead him guilty and pay I the fine and costs. ROUND-UP Six persons were rounded up by local, county and state law enforcement officers and jailed here last week-end. Al though the number of arrests held to about a normal figure, officers declared that the period was fairly quiet. Two of the six arrested were white. Ages of the group, including a young col ored woman, ranged from IX to 4!) years. Three were detained for public drunkenness, two for drunken driving and one for larceny and receiving. Freak Hail Storm Reported Sunday —«,— Limited damage was done to ■nips, especially tobacco, in seat ered sections of the county late ast Sunday evening by a freak \ail storm. Farmer Henry Early ind the Smith brothers in Goose Most Township reported hail dam ige, and several farmers in the Mo. !)() community of Williams rownship suffered loses to their obacco in the storm, it was learn ed here. Small hail stones fell in several other areas but the dam ige was only minor, according to eports reaching here. Up until late Monday, approxi mately one dozen claims for in iurance had been filed with in surance agents here as a result of he storm. Less than one-half inch of rain vas reported locally, but in some sections farmers said the land was oo wet for plowing yesterday norning. In other areas no rain ell at all, and the land is drying apidly in Griffins and pajds of 3ear Grass and one or two other listricts in the county. Rainfall in this area last month vas the second largest reported or any May in this section in fif een years, the precipitation—5.82 riches—failing 1.16 inches below he record reported in May, 1088. So far this month 1.37 inches of ain has been recorded in this ounty. 'll At Home Of Her Daughter In Durham Taken ill while visiting in Dur lam, Mrs. Hattie Harrison, is con ined to her bed in the home of it r daguhter, Miss Evelyn Harri ;on, there. Her condition was re ported slightly improved over the veek end and she hopes to return o her home here in the near fu ure. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Harrison vere in Durham Sunday and ound her resting very comfort ibly at that time. -». Continues III At The Home Of Her Son Here -« Mrs. Aruh Cobb, experiencing leclining health for some time, ■ontinues quite feeble at the home if her son, Dillon Cobb, on Mar ihall Avenue here. Plan To Virtually Close Courthouse Pumping Station —♦ Engineers Fairly Certain That Town’s Source of Water To Meet Needs -9 Writing off its courthouse pumping station at a virtual loss of approximately $13,000, the town this week is switching to a new water supply at Skewarkey where the salt content, according to repeated chemical tests, is right next to zero. Under construction since last fall, the new pumping stations are gradually being hooked into the town’s water system, R. E. Manning, superintendent of the water department, stating that the first pumping unit is being placed in operation today. The second will be placed in operation possibly by the latter part of this week when automatic pumping controls are to !«■ installed. Constructed at a cost of $13,990. plus one-quarter of one percent for each gallon the wells produce per minute in excess of 300 and up to 400, the two wells are each 300 feet deep and approximately 800 feet apart. They are located just off Highway 17, northwest of Ske warkey church. After the white settlers came, the town was mov ed from Skewarkey neater the river. Now the town is going back to the former site for its water. The contractors, the Layne-At lantic Company, are guarantee ing 300 gallons per minute, but the first tests place production right at 350. Repeated chemical tests place the salt content at sev en parts in a million as compared with 370 to 420 parts per milllion pumped from the well near the county courthouse. The increas ing salt content found in the water pumped from the court house well made a change im perative. Unable to supply the town from the original wells at the old plant on Sycamore Street, new wells were considered sever al years ago, but no contracts could be let until after the war. Very little change in the client ical analysis will be noted in the new water supply other than the reduction in the salt content. Tests show that the water is equally as soft as that being used now, and that the other chemical properties are about the same. Calling m state and federal ge ologists before locating the new wells at Skewarkey, town auth orities were advised that the well at the courthouse finally sucked a vein into a salt supply trapped there when the sea covered this part of the earth in some prehis toric age. While the courthouse well will be virtually abandoned, it will bo held in reserve to meet any emergency. With the problem surrounding the water supply solved, the town authorities are expected to con sider plans for increasing the storage capacity. The present tower is in bad condition and its capacity is far from adequate to meet the growing demands. The old system even with the pump ing stations tunning full blast could barely support the demand (Continued on page six) Shortens Vacation For Jury Service —*■ — The victim of mediocre if no a low-down, common hoax, Roy Ward, local business jnan, hasten ed back home last week-end from a most enjoyable vacation in and around Asheville to serve as a juryman in a court that was not in session. Picking up a jury summons somewhere in his travels, a ‘friend” mailed it to Mr. Ward, instructing him to report for jury duty on June 10. Reporting for duty as instruct ed by the unofficial card, Mr. Ward said a joke is a joke, but that deal was ordinary, uncouth, mean, lowdown, rotten, common, unorthodox and ill advanced. The victim was advised that by waiting around a week he could possibly serve as a juryman. Several Hundred Dol lars Added To Fund For Hunarv p j Tr> fYimpFrH* («n*a«t In Hu- Bibine^ Area This Week, Chairman Says -■* R WO. 11 1st w( ':k-cnd, the Food Collection Drive now stands at $857.12, H. P. Mobley, [chairman of the special Lions Club Committee handling the canvass in the name of starving humanity overseas, announced Monday afternoon. No goal has been set l'or the drive, the chair man explaining that the need was so great that extensive efforts would be made to raise every pos sible penny to help relieve the starving men, women arid little children in foreign lands. It is earnestly hoped that our people will continue to liberally support the movement and that well over $1,000 can be raised locally. No late reports have been received from other areas in the county, but the appeal is being advanced in most of the townships, it was learned. A few from outside this immediate area have contributed to the drive here, it was pointed out. Chairman Mobley said Monday that the committee planned to complete the canvass in the local business section this week, that all member of the Lions Club would carry the appeal into the residential areas Sunday after noon between the hours of 2:00 and A:0U o'clock. The drive was originally sched uled for tin entire month of June, but the special Lions committee hopes to complete the task within the next week or ten days. The help of our people is cordially urged. Donations received and not pre viously reported: 11 T. Taylor $2; A Friend, $100; . Dixie Motor Company. $50; E. and i W. Grocery, $5: Pioneer Shoppe, I $5; Proctor Shoppe. $10; Peele Jewelry, $5; Dardens, $5; Eagles j Store, $5; Bclk-Tyler, $25; S. H. i Grimes, $5; Dr M . ,-er, $5; Frank [ Weston, $10; Basket Factory, $10; Raymond Roberson, Garage and Store, $5; George Harris’ Station, $1; Cherry Furniture Company, $5; Harrison Shoppe, $5; Garland Whitley, $1; J. C. Norris, $5; R. L. Coburn, $2; B A. Critcher, $5; Peel and Manning, $10; Dr. and Mrs. J. T. Llewellyn. $5; Margolis Brothers, $25: George Sfetsos, $25; F. A. Clark, $4; Mrs. W. L. How ell, $3; Mamie Clyde Taylor, $3; R. W. Bondurant, $5; E. L. Eth eridge, $5; J. Sam Getsinger, $a; J, C. Manning, $2; Plenny Peele, $2; W. S. Faulk, $1; C C. Sexton, 50c Mrs. L. P. Holliday, $1; Rog er Critcher, Jr., $1; Mrs. Ethel Anderson, $1; M. M. Levin, $1; Wilber Edwards, 10c; Elmer Dav enport, 5c; A Ei lend, :0c; Joseph Roberson, 25c: Hilton Peele, 10c; Mrs. Lemon Beach, 15c; Charlie Bullock. 10c; James E. Moore, 60c; Jessup Harrison, 25c; Tommie Bland, 50e: Paul Harrington. 50c; K. C). Rogers, 50c; Marian Lrlley, 5Uc, Ricardo Carson, 5c; Kenneth (Continued on page six) -& jaycees Install Ol'lleers Friday Meeting last Friday evening in the Woman’s Club hall, the Wil liamston Jaycees installed their new officers for the coming year. Ei nest Meats.is succeeding Clar en> <• W. Clril'!'in us president of the organization. During Mr. C5nffm ■ trim which began vvhep the club was organized less than a year ago, the organization has grown from eighteen members to one oi' forty-six members, it was pointed out. Exum Ward is the new vice president, Marion Cobb, secretary, and James Bullock, treasurer. Three new directors, J. Paul Simpson, Wallace Tarkington and Dan Peel, were elected. --- Continuos tiravely III In tt ashington Hospital -* N. S. Riddick, local young man, continues gravely ill in a Wash ington hospital, reports reaching here late Monday stating that he was conscious only part of the time, that his condition is gradu ally weakening. A patient in the Ijospitai for several weeks, he has been seriously ill during that time.