North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,800 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK \ ■* -- SSBBHaBB THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 67 Williamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, August 20, 1946 ESTABLISHED 1899 Faculty Positions Just About Filled In Local Schools -<*——„ Seeking Teachers For Fourth Grade and High School Science With one or two exceptions all positions in the local school facul ty have been filled, Principal B. G. Stewart announced last week end. The resignation tendered recently by Miss Margaret Elliott left a position vacant in the fourth grade. A music teacher has not been placed under con tract and acceptance is pending for a science teacher in the high school, Professor Stewart said. Quite a few new teachers will appear in the faculty this year, several of the former teachers quitting their posts to enter the matrimonial field or to enjoy re tirement. Miss Alice Hardy of Richmond, Miss Lamina Baker of Greenville and Williamston, and Miss Ada Morris of Edenton are returning to the first grade teacher posi tions. Mrs. Mary Benson Car starphen and Miss Estelle Craw ford will continue in the second grade posts, and Miss Ruth Man ning and Mrs. Rosalie I. Frone berger will again be in the third grade rooms. Miss Josephine Everett of Rob ersonville is succeeding Miss Geraldine Glover of Wilson who recently relinquished one of the fourth grade positions. Miss Frances Jenkins of Robersonville is returning to the fourth grade, leaving to be filled a fourth grade position made vacant by Miss Margaret Elliott’s recent re signation. Miss Dora Bailey of Everetts is succeeding Miss Lucille Bell as fifth grade teacher. Miss Bell was recently married. Mrs. Vel ma H. Coburn is returning to the other fifth gi ack pasition. Miss Mary Ross of Washington apd a former teacher in the Lil lington schools, is succeeding Mrs. Ruby Malone Rejuncy as one of Mildred Byrum of Edenton is re turning to the other sixth grade position. Mrs. Mary Lee Hassell of Wil liamston and Miss NJary Whitley of Murfreesboro will resume their work as seventh grade teachers. ^Two new faculty members, Mrs. I f.^WH#l!WWTrg <andWnihjmsJnn. and Miss Hestiio. ' JajTieb ei«/?, vWil teaer! the eighth grade. Three new members, exclusive of the principal, have been added to the high school faculty, and ac ceptance is pending under a fourth contract. Hubert Sherill of Statesville has been elected to teach science, but his acceptance is still pend ing, Principal Stewart said last week-end. Mr. Ralph Gorham, formerly of Stantonsburg but now of Wil liamston, will teach social sci ences. Miss Annabelle Privott of Edenton, a former teacher in the Whiteville schools, will teach (Continued on page seven) Funeral On Friday For Edmond Slade Funeral services were conduct ed in the Primitive Baptist Church on Riddick Street here last Friday afternoon for Edmond Slade, respected colored citizen, who died at his home here on Elm Street last Monday. A faithful worker and a devot ed friend, he was held in high es teem by members of both races with whom he lived at peace. Eighty-six years of age, he had been in declining health for sev eral years, spending the last eighteen months or more in bed. He was employed by the old Anderson and Crawford firm for a long time, and then he went with the Biggs Iron Works and later with the tobacco industry here, holding the respect of his employers and his fellow work ers. He had an earnest desire to give full measure for every dollar received. Born in slavery, he climbed in his humble way to rear a fine family of two sons and six daugh ters, to meet his every obligation and live at peace with his fellow, man. Interment was ii} the Odd Fel lows Cemetery. Accident Death Toll Mounts On Highways in The State While this county was virtually | free of accidents last week-end, ! other sections of North Carolina ! reported a mounting death and ! accident toll on its highways dur- 1 ing the period. Four deaths were j reported in as many counties sur- j rounding Martin last Saturday | and Sunday. Complete reports, are not available just now for the entire state, but preliminary re leases show that possibly fifteen or more were killed on the high ways last week, seven of them in a single accident between Dur- ! ham and Oxford. Cpl. W. T. Simpson of the high way patrol reported Monday that | only one minor accident was re- j ported to him during the past week, that as far as he could learn no one was hurt and dam- 1 age hardly exceeded $10 or $15 or not enough to have accident re ported officially. An oid oar was ditched and abandoned about one-half mile west of Parmele last week-end. One or two minor fender smashing jobs were reported dur ing the big tobacco opening rush on the main streets here yester day, but the damage was slight and no official entries were made in the accident records. Possibly the heaviest volume of traffice ever reported in this sec tion moved over the streets here and on the highways in this sec tion over the week-end and yes terday. During the early tobacco mar keting period last year, two per sons lost their lives on the high ways in this county. NO WORMS After growing tobacco for many years, Farmer Gilbert Rogerson had his most unus ual experience with his 1946 crop. “I was badly fooled but not at all disappointed,” the farmer declared in relating the story. “Last spring when we were chopping out our tobacco I found 35 worms on one small stalk and 40 on another,” the farmer explained. Plans were made in a big way to start poisoning the worms. After completing all preparations, Mr. Rogerson declares that the worms cleared out, that there were never enough worms to require the first poison application. jOak City Faculty j Nearly Completed -- With two exceptions the 1946 4^facu^ foi^thf^CiakC'Hv M. Ainsley announced last week- ! end Late resignations left the first and eighth grade positions vacant, the school man said. Names of the faculty members, their assigned grades and home add ... Second grade, Mrs J, C. John Third grade, Miss Madeline Davenport of Oak City. Fourth grade, Mrs. Frank Stoke" of Hamilton. | Fifth grade, Mrs. Z T. Harris of i Bethel. Sixth grade, Mrs. C. B. Roebuck of Hamilton. Seventh grade, Mrs. Hackney High of Oak City. Eighth grade, Miss Katie Speer of Glade Spring, Va. Ninth grade, Isaac Griffin of Williamsburg, Va. Tenth grade, H. J. McCracken of Oak City. Eleventh grade, Miss Beatrice Davis of Wanchese. Twelfth grade, J. L. Hassell of Oak City. Home economics, Miss Frances Eakes of Stokes. Commercial subjects, Mrs. J. L. Hassell of Oak City. Music, Mrs. Bowers of Bethel and Oak City. Three Called For Preinduction Test Thiee Martin County young white men were called this week to report for preinduction physi cal examinations at Fort Bragg. Most of them had made the trip previously. Two of three come from the farm and all are nineteen years of age. Two others were called, but one was ruled out on account of phy sical disability and a fifth one proved fatherhood to escape the draft. The names of those called and their registration and last-given addresses: Claude Vick, Jr., RFD 2, Wil liamston and RFD 1, Hobgood. Jesse Elwood Everett, Hamil ton. Dixie Elliott Green, Roberson ville. A call has been received for five colored men to report for preinduction tests on September Predict Decrease In Number Polio Cases In Country ♦ ■ ■ Precautions Outlined By The National Paralysis Foundation ♦' — Infantile paralysis still stalks the country in epidemic propor tion, hut latest figures in Wash ington last week hopefully indi cated a turn for the better. The U. S. Public Health Service reported the national total of new cases for the week ended Aug. 10 —except for Rhode Island, Geor gia and New Jersey which have not yet reported—was 1543, a per centage increase of 30 over the preceding week. The 1263 cases reported for the week ended Aug. 3 was an increase of 373, or 41 percent over the week before. Infantile has now been report ed in every state, but is most se vere in the North Central area, in the South, and in California and Colorado in the West. To date some 7000 cases have been reported, against 5000 for the same period in 1944. Worst epidemic hit the country in 1916. While no definite cure has been advanced, the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation offers the folio win !<&,* r*S$**«#*?*!*e¥ use the purest possible milk and water. 2. Pay strictest attention to per sonal cleanliness and hygiene, es pecially washing hands before eating and after toilet. 3. Postpone tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies and tooth ex tractions until after polio sub sides. The evidence is plain that these operations offer inviting portals of infection for deadly bulbar poliomyelitis, affecting the respiratory organs. Cavities in teeth should be filled. 4. Do not swim in stagnant or polluted water. 5. Avoid contact with people who have colds, coughs, sore throats, fever or other suspicious symtoms. Many people who are infected with the polio virus nev er have the acute symptoms such as pain, muscle spasm and paraly sis, but may nevertheless trans mit the disease to others. How ever, unless health officers decide to close schools, movies and pub lic meeting places, it is not neces sary to avoid all public contacts. 6. Get plenty of rest and sleep; avoid chilling, as from a plunge into icy water on a hot day. Fatigue and chilling probably cannot cause a person to contract polio, but by lowering the body’s resistance they may make the dis ease much more serious. Hold Eye Clinic Here Next Friday The county welfare department with the cooperation of other agencies is holding an eye clinic in the Woman’s Club here on Fri day of this week, beginning at 9:00 o’clock. Dr. Hale Thornhill of Raleigh will be in charge of the examinations. Limited to dependent cases, the clinic has already signed twenty nine for examinations, it was learned. The clinic is open to other dependents and those inter ested are directed to contact the welfare department at once. Greatest Toll By TB Among People 13-33 Years Old ——<t— Good Health Habits Offer Best Insurance Against The Disease (The following is one in a series of articles prepared by the North Carolina Tuberculosis Association and sponsored by civic organiza tions.—ed.) Of all the diseases which afflict man, tuberculosis takes the great est toll of lives among young peo ple between 15 and 35 years of age. Tuberculosis is no respecter of persons—it strikes young and old, rich and poor. No race is immune to it. Wherever it strikes, it brings suffering. No one can say who suffers most from tubercu losis. It is always tragic for the individual to learn that he has the disease, and it is tragic for his family, whether he is young or whether he has passed the bloom of youth and is approach ing middle age. Certainly it is tragic for a young man or woman about to begin a business career or about to be married to be stricken with tuberculosis. The years between 15 and 35 are the years of promise and the years which see the be ginning of the fulfillment of the promises of youth. While more people 40 years of age and over die from tubercu losis than young people, just as deaths are more common in the older age group, tuberculosis is I the most deadly of all the diseas es which attack young people from 15 to 35. Tuberculosis at that age is by no means a death sentence. It can be cured at any age. But the treatment for the disease means an interrupt:on of normal activi ties for months The risk of catching tubercu losis would be greatly reduced if young people early formed good health habits and adhered to them Afaj^’g'v-'ut their Of course, the surest way of never getting tuberculosis is nev er to come in contact with tu bercle bacilli, the germs which cause the disease. But we can never be sure we shall not come in contact with the disease—in fact, we can be certain we shall. We can arm ourselves in advance, |however, so that when wc- meet b®* •mmmm victors. Young people should build up resistance to the disease by get ting a good night’s rest every night—from fi to 1ft hours—by eating nourishing meals which in clude meat, greens, fruits ana cereals, not to mention the all important milk, by remembering to wash the hands always before eating, by having periodic physi cal examinations which include a chest X-ray. An X-ray of the lungs will reveal the presence, or absence, of tuberculosis. If one does get the disease, it is far bet ter to know it at once so that treatment can be begun without delay. The earlier the treatment is begun, the better for the pa tient. If young people get in the habit of having a complete physical ex amination, with chest X-ray, at regular intervals, they stand the best chance of never losing their health. Jewelry Store Window Broken Using half a brick, a vandal and a potential thief broke the plate glass window in the H. D. Peele Jewelry Company store on Main Street here about 4:00 o’clock last Friday morning. When the burglar alarm in the store sounded it is believed the vandal ran. Police, stationed hardly more than a block away on either side of the store, rush ed there but saw no one. R. E. Peele, owner of the store, said that he missed nothing from the window. The brick was thrown with such force that it tore open the latch on the window door and knocked glass almost to the rear of the store. The window was the second one in a jewelry store broken here in recent weeks, vandals having knocked a hole in one of J. Law rence Peele's store windows not so long ago on Wa$JwtgtoR Street. Military Draft Is Now Subject To More Changes —.♦—• New Plan Will Result In Decrease In Number Of Men Drafted -+ — A new plant based on liberaliz ed deferment policies is in the making Selective Service officials disclosed last week-end. One of them told a reporter that latest estimates indicate that the draft can produce only 155, 000 men 19-29 years of age by next March 31, “even if the bot tom of the barrel is scraped.’’ Maj. Gen. Willard S. Paul, director of personnel, has said that the army needs 185,000. Liberalized rules would make even fewer man 155,000 men available. About the only way to increase thfe number substan tially would be to raise the age limit above 29 years, one Selec tive Service official said. He added, however, that this is for the army to decide. The War Department specified a few weeks ago that it wanted its men under 29. The law permits the drafting of men up to 44. In addition, 18 year olds must register, but are not subject to call. Some announcement concern ign new deferment policies is ex pected this week, one official said. Nothing is expected to be done for some time to increase the number of men subject to call, as the present supply is sufficient for months. 1 The recalculations of manpow er, based on liberalized draft rules, were ordered on the heels of protests from educational and scientific organizations that the proposed rules will permit the | drafting of some of the “most pro mising’’ young scientists of the country. In addition, the American Council of Education estimated recently that 8,000 professors could be drafted if present rules are enforced ragidly. This, the council estimated, would elimin lor HliUfoo war veterans. This estimate is known to have had considerable weight among government officials because Dr. Francis J. Brown, who made it for the council, is a member of the President’s Commission on High er Education. President Truman appointed the commission to help hncn^ast^edueatiunal opportune Only men "irreplaceable in ar.d indispensable to an activity essen tial to the national existence” are granted deferment for occupa tional reasons under the present rules. It is up to local boards to decide who are “irreplaceable” and “indispensable.” The Selective Service law and amendments themselves provide exemption for fathers and agri cultural workers, ministers and students of theology. Students of medicine, veterinary medicine, osteopathy and dentistry also are eligible for deferment. Selective Service officials also announced that teachers in the physical sciences and certain pro fessional courses, and people en Native Dies In Scotland Neck Newsome A. Riddick, a native of Williamston, died at his home in Scotland Neck early last Sat urday morning following several years of declining health. Funeral services, held in the Scotland Neck Episcopal Church Sunday afternoon, were attend ed by a throng of friends and rela tives from several counties. Fol lowing the service conducted by Rev. R. Lansing Hicks, burial was in Trinity Cemetery. Born in Williamston on May 15, 1888, Mr. Riddick moved when quite young to Scotland Neck with his parents, Albert M. and Willie Allsbrook Riddick. He or ganized N. A. Riddick Motor Company there in 1912, operating it until 1980. Later he was con nected with the Atlantic Joint Stock Land Bank and held that position until declining health forced his retirement in 1942. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Louise Josey Riddick, and two daughters, Mrs. Fletcher H- Greg ory, Jr., of Weldon, and Willie Marjorie Riddick of Scotland Keck. Tobacco Prices Reach All Time High Figure On First Day Sales Here Yesterday Eastern Tobacco Markets Average Around 53 Cents No Marked Variation In Prices Reported By Individual Marts Opening the 1946 season, East ern North Carolina tobacco mar kets during the early sales Mon day averaged between fifty and fifty-five cents a pound, accord ing to press reports reaching here in the afternoon. No record-breaking deliveries were reported, but all the mar kets indicated in their first re ports that the growers were ap parently well! satisfied. With between two and two and one-half million pounds on the floors in Greenville, the Green ville Daily Reflector said that the better grades were selling for from twelve to fifteen cents a pound higher than they did last year, that prices were ranging up to 70 cents. The spokesman point ed out that the top range was no common thing. Tobacco with any color was selling from 60 to 65 cents. It was estimated following a check of three rows sold in one house that the average would range between 51 and 55 cents on the market there. Kinston, with an estimated two and one-half million pounds on the floors, reported an average of 54 cents early Monda^^Q^inain price range was 67 cents there. Goldsboro reported an average in "excess of 55 cents" with lugs and tips predominating. About UeK TxuUMMite".'-' .. .-tMM cm. this- fitHirs there. Rocky Mount reported an aver age of 55 cents with an estimated one and one-half million pounds on the floors. Wendell claimed a 55-cent av erage, the report being based on the first two hours of sales. The first 163 piles sold on the Wilson market averaged $53.17, a.iging Ahoskie released an average of $57,05 Washington, located in the cen ter of the “rain belt” reported an average of around 50 cents. De spite the damage caused by heavy rams during the main growing season, the market refer red to the offerings Monday as being of good quality. No official report could be had from Windsor where marketing activities were resumed for the first time since 1932. Independent buyers were active and prices were holding up there very well, one report stating that the sales were in line with those on other markets. Not ail the companies were represented on the first sales but it was reported that the companies had wired the board of trade that buyers would be made available later in the week or just as soon as the Blackshear market closed and released buyers. There was little doubt at noon Monday that a record amount of money would be released in this tobacco belt before the banking institutions closed. ----A Drives Pick Into Spouse’s Stomach Said to have been jealous of her husband, Mildred Daniel, young colored woman, chased him down near the railroad station here last Saturday afternoon and drove an ice pick deep into his stomach. The victim, Octavious Daniel, was removed to a Washington hospital for treatment. He was able to re turn home Sunday. Called to the scene of the at tack, Officers Roebuck and Moore could not find the attacker or the victim. They set a trap for the wife and arrested her later when she started to board a bus to go to Washington to visit her hus band. She was placed in the coun ty jail, and bond was later fixed in the sum of $200. The case is tentatively scheduled for trial in the county court h«Xt Monday. j ROUND-UP 1 v...✓ Following the delivery and distribution of an unusually large shipment of liquor here, local and county law enforce ment officers went into ac tion and by late Sunday they had rounded up and jailed eighteen persons, including ten white men. Eleven of the eighteen were booked for public drunkenness, drunken driv ing. Six were charged with assaults of varying degrees, and one stands charged with operating a motor vehicle while his driver's license was revoked. The ages of the group rang ed from a low of 18 to 46 years. Plan Drive For Aid To The Blind -<•> Seeking to raise a total of $18, 000, the North Carolina State As sociation for the Blind, through the cooperation of the 144 Lions Cluhs in this state, will conduct a “white cane” sale in this state from August 26 through 29th. Every member of each Lions Club is being urged to buy a member ship in the State Association, which amounts to one dollar per year, and every member of each club is expected to sell at least three dollars worth of “white canes". Of Uu money received from the sale of the canes, two thirds will go to the state associa tion, with the remaining third being retained by the local club ioi- », - ■■ ami.tu1 tin- 1 > 1,1,1 Daily handicapped in this com munity. The sale and membership drive in this locality will be handled by the Sight Conservation and Blind Committee of the local Lions Club, with the aid of the' other Lions and Lionesses. Lion C. 1). Pittman is chairman of this com mittee. - ed unanimously by the recent state convention of Lions held in Kaleigh in June. The association, now ten years old, aids in provid ing eye operations and hospital care for the needy in sight, con servation cases, in providing ex aminations and eye glasses for underprivileged school children, in purchasing supplies for de serving blind persons taking vo cational and home handieralt training, and in otherwise lending every aid possible to the more than 7,000 blind persons in North Carolina. Local Merchant On Detour -Trip Returning from the northern markets las' Saturday morning, Merchant Samuel Zemon boarded a bus in Rocky Mount at an early hour and slept right on through Tarboro. Learning he was trav eling toward Scotland Neck, the merchant got off the bus and oil ed up his thumb. The first Good Samaritan was going in the right direction and Sam crawled in. “I am going to Speed,” the ac commodating one told Sam. “That’s all right with me,” Sam declared, adding, “I like to speed.” “We did not run very fast and then we drove into Speed. You can imagine how I felt when we entered the village. I had never heard of it before.” After stopping to check several water pumps, the accommodating mechanic delivered Sam to Bethel where transportation was ari anged for the remainder of the trip. -* Attend Farm-Home Week In Raleigh - ■■■ ♦ ■ Accompanied by the home agent, Miss Elizabeth F'arkei Mrs. Lester Bryant and her mother of Bear Grass, left Monday for Ral eigh to attend the farm and home ■week at State College. General Average Of Nearly $55.00 Reported Monday First Sales I’riees Handed From About Fight To Seventy-eight Cents Opening the new marketing season, the Williamston Tobacco Market set an all-time price re cord during the early hours of the first sale Monday morning when 38,550 pounds of the golden leaf sold for $21,116.92 or an average of $54.77 per 100 pounds. The opening-day price figures are a good ten cents above those re ported for the first sales last seas on, and a few cents higher than the record established more than a quarter century ago. While the price average for the first sales stands at a new high peak in the history of the mar ket, it is quite evident that some grades are not selling for as much I money as they sold for last year, i On the other hand, prices for the better grades have jumped from i the forty-cent range to sixty cents i and above. However, no ex [ tremely low prices were noted during the first two hours of sell ing Monday morning when a low of eight and one-half cents was i reported along with a high of | sixty-eight cents. It was fairly ! apparent that the company had a 65 cent top, but real often the warehouse would go above that i r'.' o with the Imperial stepping | in, every now and then to peg one i at 66 cents a pound. Few piles sold below the 30-ccnt level, the 1 majority of the individual offer in the fifties. There Tasraffi^xi.v-irni tobaVo man was expected. The quality of the leaf does not compare with that reported on opening day last year, but despite quality prices held to the high side and there were no complaints heard. Every now and then a crop could he traced to the “rain /.belt." and in.,those.,cases the. indi ■ wpi'.W t n n n O' hmt tin' owners < xpressed the opinion that their offerings sold for just about as much as they were worth. “Tobacco that J should have left at home toi stable bedding sold for twelve cents a pound,” one farmer explained, declaring that while liis average was a bit low, he had received what he consider ed a good price. With approximately 600,000 pounds on the warehouse floors, the market sold the first day right at 300,000 pounds. No official fig ures could be had late Monday afternoon, but observers declared that the price trend continued firm and added that they believed the average for the day would | possibly exceed the averages re ported earlier in the day. No such glut was on the mar ket for the current opening as was reported last season, and it is now considered likely that floors will be cle ared of the block some time this week. There was little (Continued on page six) Moonshiner Buys Salt For Sugar Raleigh.—One Southern moon shiner. dreaming of unlimited production, recently wakened to a tearful discovery—and found his tears extremely saline in nature. The story was related by North Carolina OPA Director Theodore S. Johnson, who told of the (South Georgia) moonshiner's de. light at making a deal with a \ black market operator for 8,000 pounds of seal.e sugar at a price of 30c per pound. According to the tale reaching the OPA official, delivery of the purchase was under cover of darkness. It wasn’t until the fol lowing morning that the gleeful buyer opened his first sack, to beam at the crystalline whitness. Unfortunately for his illicit dis tilling plans, he found himself th« sad possessor of 8.000 pounds of very fine table salt.