North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT* FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLiX—NUMBER 89 Williams ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday. November 5, 1946 ESTABLISHED 1899 Big Car Plunges Through Detour Bridge Railing itWSFBelieved Seriously Hurt In Last Saturday Night Accident :-<*» Four persons miraculously es caped death last Saturday even ing about 8:45 o’clock when their large Buick sedan plunged through the guard rail on the Roanoke River detour bridge here and1 landed bottom side up in the swamp twelve or fifteeen feet be low. One person, Miss Charlotte McNair of Plymouth was badly hurt, but her injuries are not be lieved serious. George Hill Mc Nair, 6020 Sewell’s Point Road, Norfolk, suffered back injuries and shock and was bruised and (scratched, but he was able to con tinue his trip after receiving first aid treatment in the local hos pital. Miss Rebecca Armstrong and John Shytle, both of Ply mouth, were bruised and scratch ed, but they, too, were able to continue to their homes after re ceiving examinations and treat ment in the hospital here. Miss McNair was later removed to a Rocky Mount hospital, but no direct report on her condition has been received since she went there. Driving the large car in the di rection of Windsor, McNair said he saw all the signs, including the 15-mile speed limit warning. A torch light was burning within ten feet of the spot where the car plunged through the railing, A blinker light was operating fif teen or twenty feet away, and a short distance beyond that was a stop light. McNair, apparently running thirty miles or more an hour, declared that he applied his car brakes after crossing the riv er span, that the machine skidded on the wet boards and tore through the railing. The bridge guard rail in the curve was torn out for a distance of about twelve or fifteen feet and the car went through, landing on its nosq and coming to a stop with all four wheels in the air. The victims were brought up a ladder and removed by car to the hospital. Wrecked beyond repair, the car was lifted out of the swamp early Sunday morning by special sal vage equipment. The accident was the first one on the detour bridge. Patrolmen declare that the detour is one of the best, that every safety precau tion is provided and that it is dif ficult to assign reason for acci dents there. Only two motor vehicle acci dents were reported in the county last week and both of them were right in Robersonville, including a minor one at the stop light. -.. .Q Local Jaycees Hold Meeting —•— Three new members were in ducted into the local chapter of the Junior Chamber of Commerce at'its regular rntchng .YiUktr night, held at the Woman's Club. The new members are Messrs. John C. White, James Collins and Walter Hamilton, and the induc tion ceremony was handled by the chair.man of the membership com mittee, J. Paul Simpson. Among those present at the meeting, as special guests of the club, were those local people who had contributed of their time and talent to help give the recent home talent comedy, Pep Parade. These guests included Mrs. Mary B. Gurganus and Mrs. Sallie Hal berstadt, Misses Angela McLaw horn, Ethel Taylor, Gertrude Mc Lawhorn, Burnell White, Dorothy Leggett, Alice Wynne, Marilyn Fussell and Wilbur Jackson. Jaycee John H. Gurganus read the petition that will be presented to the citizens of the community in regard to changing the present convention election of municipal officers to a primary typp, and members of the organization sign ed it. The club’s Civic Improve ment committee members started its circulation throughout the community immediately. President Clears made several announcements of interest to the club. The attendance prize was won by Jack Manning. Bud Crockett led in the singing and invocation was offered by E. L. Ward, Jr. The ladies of the Methodist church served the din ner. Circulating Petition For Election Change f --3S Names Of Several Hundred Citizens Placed On Paper Few ('lioose Not lo Sijjn llie Petition But No Official Opposition Expressed -<t Sponsored by the local Junior Chamber of Commerce and pro posing the elimination of the old convention plan and the adoption of a regular primary system for the election of town officials, a petition circulated by members of the organization is gaining wide support here. Over fifty signa tures were added to the petition within an lour after it was drawn following a meeting of the Jay cees last Friday evening, and sev eral hundred had placed their names on it by late Monday after noon. While a few citizens withheld their names from the petition no formal opposition to the proposed change in the town’s election ma chinery w as expressed, one report slating that officials would sup port the proposal. His election certain at the polls today, C. B. Martin will be asked to have a law passed in the next | North Carolina General Assem bly, abolishing the convention and substituting for it a regular pri mary plan. Addressed to Mr. Martin, the petition reads: “The undersigned citizens and residents of Williumston, N. C., respectfully request of you, as representative from Martin Coun ty in the next General Assembly, that you have a local law passed i by the State Legislature dividing j the Town of Williumston, N. C., | into wards and providing for the | nomination of the officers of the town of Williumston, N. C., the same being the Board of Commis sioners and the Mayor, by a pri jmary with secret ballots as the j county officers are now nominat ! ed. The Town of Williumston has ! outgrown the convention system 1 of nominating officers and we feel j that this is a progressive step in I the forward march of Williams ton. N. C.” According to the plan proposed by the Jaycees, zones will be es tablished, possibly five with nominations being limited one to the zone. At the present time, commissioneis ate nominated ami elected on a town-wide basis. The petition provides for no de finite primary and election plans, other than the abolishment of the convention or mass meeting. It is possible to set up the two-party plan or provide for the election of officials in a single contest. It has been pointed out that the movement to create a primary is not directed against any indi vidual or group, that the propos I'dchcmgew'iJl make it possible toT^fnmeT^nl people to partici pate in tlie nomination and elec tion of their town officials. It has also been pointed out that unless Candidates offer themselves or are drafted, the proposed change will make little difference. NURSES Its services greatly limited by a personnel shortage for several weeks, the Martin County Health Department is resuming a full schedule of activities following the em ployment of two nurses. Mrs. Edna Ballard Roth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ballard, who served nineteen months in the Nurse Corps, U. S. Navy, and Mrs. W. E. Deeato, a nurse in the Plymouth clinic until she and Mr. Deeato moved here to make their home, are now with the county department. Dr. John VV. Williams, health officer, announced. Attendance Holds To A High Figure In Local Schools Out of Nearly 900 Pupils Enrolled, 426 Were In Perfeel Attendance -» Out of a total of approximately 1000 pupils enrolled In the local white schools just about one out ^ of every two or 426. to be exact, ' attended school regularly during the first six weeks of the current term, according to a report re leased a few days ago by Prin cipal G. B. Stewart. While attendance figures lag ged considerably during the pea I nut harvest, they have held to a higher level than in other recent years. School officials, are point ing out the necessity of regular attendance, and the parents and other patrons have been cooperat ing splendidly, the principal de clared. A list of names of those pupils attending regular during the first six weeks of the current term follows: Miss Baker’s first grade: Jimmy Batey, Billy Ray Bowen, Dorothy Jean Bowen, Carlyle Brown, Billy Carstarp'hen, Dianne Cherry, Ra chel Cherry, Rosa Lee Cherry, Leamon Whitaker, Frosty Hardi son. Miss Hardy’s first grade: Grady Coltrain, Sandra Modlin. Dorothy Moore, Larry Pate, Ray Pate, Gaynelle Pate, Mary Esther Pat terson, Bobby Perry, Beth Spivey, Peggy Stevenson, Guy Thomas Jr., Paran Wheeler, Ora Dallas Whitaker, Jessie Williams, Jean Woolard,. Miss Morris’s first grade: Sue Eubanks, Hughie Council, Eu genia Glover, Gene Goff, Sally G. Griffin, Kenneth Gurganus, Rod erick J. Hardison Roberta Har rison, Carolyn Holliday, Dorothy Leggett, Lillian Manning, Betty Modlin, Alton Ray Nicholson, Ronnie Reese, Morgan Vick, Bud Whichard. Mrs. Carstai phtii's second grade: Carolyn Beauehemin, Rob ert Bowen, Jerry Bellflower, Jas H. Cherry, Nancy Britton, Gene Copeland, Evelyn Council, Chas. Lee Edwards, Milton Goff, Jr., Tommy Gurganus. Janice Hardi son, David Howard, Charles Hud son, Geogia Jones, Jeanette Leg gett, Ann Lilley, Esther Lilley, Blanche Manning, Jimmy Mizelle, Donald Peaks, Dorothy Roberson, Melba Rogers, Elsie Grey Scott, Edna Taylor, Kay Taylor, Clay ton Weston, Mary Lee White. Miss Crawford's second grade: Sherwood Coltrain, Mary Lou Cox, Priscilla Gurganus, Henry Handy, Ann Hardison, Pattie Lee Hardison, John Lark, Mray F. Martin, Allan Modlin, Alice Ruth Price, Ben Roberson, Nancy Rob erson, Wayne Rogers, Gene Sil verthorne, Billy Britton Thpmas, Floyd Thomas, Billy Thornton, Ann Vanderford, Robert Wil liams, Thomas Wynne. Mrs. Davenport’s third grade: Ronald Bennett, Frankie Bonds, Albert Cherry, Eddie Daniels, Lexine Davenport, Angeline Dickerson, Lee Glenn, Ann Hol liday, John C. House, Alex Jones, Mary Lou Modlin, Alice F. Nich olson, Vivian Pate, Melvin Price, Janice Roberson, Iverson Skin ner, Lloyd Vick Maeana Willard, Ju Ann Williams. Miss Manning’s third grade. (Continued on page eight) Commodity Prices Years ——«— A Baltimore firm, circularizing its stock items, explained that prices had advanced, but added that its quotations were as low as any. The best granulated sugar was $4.40 per hundred pounds. Cof fee was selling for ten and one half cents a pound. Sugar syrup was 24 cents a gallon. A barrel of flour cost from $3.75 to $4.95. Choice extra Virginia hand-pick ed peanuts were selling for three and three-eights cents a pound, and choice roasted peanuts were 85 cents a bushel. Sweet cider sold for fourteen cents a gallon. Corned beef sold for seven and one-half cents per pound can, and chipped beef sold for about eleven cents a pound Pure lard was list ed at eight cents a pound, and butter sold for twenty-three cents a pound. Cheese was marked twelve and three-quarter cents a pound. And chocolate candy drops sold for about eight cents a pound. Doctor Questions Recent Criticism Of Medical Plans CopprMlfte~Sayir^pponenls Should Have A Belter Plan To Offer ——® Recent criticism of the Medical Care Commission’s Health Plan for North Carolina by Dr. W. S. Rankin of the Duke Endowment and Dr. W. C. Davison, Dean of the Duke University Medical School, was sharply questioned last week by Dr. W. M. Coppridge, president of the State Medical So ciety, in an address before an or ganizational meeting of the Good Health Association at Durham. After paying high personal tri bute to Dr. Rankin and Dr. Davi son for their respective accom plishments in the fields of hos pitalization and medical educa tion Dr. Coppridge stated that “it is of more than passing interest to the people of North Carolina that both of these gentlemen should find themselves in opposition to the plan recommended by a com mittee of national experts, by the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina and by the North Carolina Medical Care Commis sion. “Why should representatives of the Duke Endowment and Duke University find fault with a plan designed to spread better medical care over this state? Is their op position to this program motivat ed by a sincere desire to promote better medical care among the people of North Carolina?” Dr. Coppridge questioned. “Do they have within them that inner knowledge and honest belief that 20 years from now North Caro linians will have better health facilities without this program than they might have with it?” Dr. Coppridge declared that only when “these distinguished physicians can impress the people of this state that it is their hon est belief, that by opposing this medical care program, they and the institutions they represent be lieve that they are contributing to the future health and happi ness of the average North Caro linian, then, and then only will our people consider seriously their opposition.” Doctors and others who oppose the program, Dr. Coppridge con cluded, “should have a better one to offer, because the health and well being of the people of North Carolina is the matter of prime consideration.” The program offered by the Medical Care Commission was de scribed by Dr. Coppridge as “a program of cooperation and co ordination of all the medical facilities of the State, one seeking to give the average citizen better medical attention. The program, he asserted, proposes to interfere with the prestige and influence of no existing medical institution. Coiiniy Itoy Cruduutcil lly Army Finance School Pfc. Ellis G. Keel of Everetts and Pfc. Johnnie A. Manning of Robersonvillo were graduated hist week from the Ann^j'inance School at St. Loun^une two' young men have been together since they entered the service VOTING SLOW -•— Voting in the general election was off to a slow start in this - county early today, and observers expressed the opinion that not more than 1,200 and 1,500 would participate in the off-year con i tests. Less than a dozen votes were cast the first two hours the polls were open in the two pre cincts here. | NO ROUND-UP v—-- -* For the first time in months no alleged law violators were rounded up and placed in the county jaii last week-end. In fact, there was only one ar rest during the entire week, the law having taken one man Into its clutches last Monday for alleged larceny and receiving. The ole town was fairly quiet Saturday night when rain ran the firecracker shooters in doors. A few re ports were heard late into the night Sunday, however. Big news in the crime world came, however, late Sunday night when eight con victs broke out of the prison camp near here. Town Authorities Outlaw Fireworks Here Last Night —«,— ° Delegations Ask For Better Lighting Near School ami Cleaner Town -# The use of fireworks inside the town limits was outlawed by a special ordinance passed by the town commissioners in regular session here last evening, the ac tion coming as a result of numer ous complaints and aftei members of a special delegation supported a personal plea for relief. The in discriminate and prolonged use of fireworks made it almost manda tory for the commissioners to take the drastic action which provides a fine of $5 for the first offense and $10 for the second. Parents are likely to be held responsible when minors are overtaken by the law which goes into effect im mediately. It was pointed out by a mem ber of a Woman’s Club delega tion that thoughtless persons had opened front doors and had thrown firecrackers into homes, and that some had been Jhrown into groups of children. Headed by Mrs. M. M. Levin, Mrs. P. B. Cone, Mrs. A. R. Dun ning and Mrs. A. J. Manning, Jr., the club delegation pleaded for warning signs at street crossings used by school children, the rep resentatives pointing out that teen-age youths were driving recklessly on the streets used by school children. “A deplorable situation exists around our high school at night,” one of the club representatives declared and the group pleaded for .more lighting in that area and urged that the officers patrol the section. The delegation also called attention to the trash piles and waste paper in the back lots and on the streets. The ladies also asked that some thing be done to relieve the park ing congestion. Street signs are to be installed as soon as possible, the board go ing on to order the installation of at least two additional lights in the high school area and one on New Street just off West Main. Store owners and others will be asked to cooperate in handling waste paper and trash, the authorities pointing out that an ordinance was already in the books, directing the proper dis posal of trash and waste paper. Realizing that the volume of traffic had increased in recent months, the board agreed that a stop light was necessary at the corner of Main and Haughton Streets. Purchase and installa tion costs are to be investigated. Represented by counsel, Joe Mike Mitchell asked the removal of a private garage from town property back of his store on Washington Street. A beer license was grunted to (Continued on page six) Oak City Seniors To Issue Annual —— ______ ' Reporting on thecaei7v7fTe?*T? the Oak City High School, Alton Whitehurst, secretary, reveals that the senior class is working on an annual which will be the first the school has ever had. The staff elected so far: Editor, Emma House and assistant editor, Con nor Lee. The class held a meeting last Thursday and decided on “Ser vice, lo>alty, and integrity” as its motto. The class officers are: Presi dent, Connor Lee; vice president, Emma House; secretary, Alton Whitehurst, and treasurer, Murry Thompson. Children Improving After Attacks Of Pneumonia -» Stricken suddenly with a throat ailment and pneumonia attacks the early part of last week, the young sons of Mr. and Mrs. Dal ton Carraway, of Everetts, Jimmy and Dalton, Jr., are getting along all right at the home of their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Pal mer White, here on Beech Street. They were brought here after re ceiving treatment in a Greenville hospital. During the meantime, Mr. and Mrs. White’s son, Wayne, became ill, but his condition is also much improved. Archie Ray Caraway, six month-old brotner of Jimmy and Dalton, Jr., died suddenly on Sun day, October 27. Long-Term Convicts Break Out Of Camp Believed To Have Left Section In A j Stolen Automobile Two Out of Ki^lil Karapet's Found So Far, Prison Officials Say Eight Negro prisoners, their terms ranging from seven to thirty years, sawed their way out of the State Highway Prison Camp near here late last Sunday night, officials staling this morn ing that two had been recaptured, and others would be taken in a matter of hours by a posse. The break, yet unexplained by the two guards on duty at the time, was the largest reported since the camp has been in operation here. George Baldwin was recaptur ed in Edenton late Monday when he dared walk the main street in his prison overalls. Three others are believed to be in that section, and between twenty and thirty armed guards and officers comb ed that area. Baldwin has been returned to the camp here, Charlie Campbell was arrested this morning about 3:00 o'clock as he slept in a home in Plymouth. Campbell continued in the Wash ington County jail early this morning. Several men were reported in the Norfolk area where officers stopped the ear stolen from Jes sup Harrison here. The occupants snatched the keys from the igni tion, jumped and ran. While the investigating officer telephoned to check the car and before he could learn the details of the theft and prison break, the escapees returned, jumped into the ear and drove away. Nothing has been heard from that group since lalt evening. Another one of the men, believ ed to be Horace Platts, was seen near Parmele late last night. The last report heard from him stated i that he boarded a Chevrolet, I bearing license No. (112,188, and traveled in the direction of Greenville about 5:00, o’clock this morning. After he was seen near Parmele a posse tracked him with I dogs tor several miles hut lost his track whim lie reentered the high way between Parmele and Bethel. One report stated that three men, believed to be escapees, were fired upon in the Edenton area where the main hunt con tinues today. Reporting the prison break, Superintendent J. E. Elbridgc stated that the men sawed out a bar in a side window and escaped through a hole measuring twelve by about nine inches between II o’clock and midnight. Henry Cop pedge, 57 year-old guard was sta tioned inside the building and he was quoted as saying that he heard no unusual noise. The pris oners used a hack saw blade and a bar of soap to cut an opening. , Coppi' tye an old guard wh W! experience in guarding prisoners at the old Caledon1 ■ camp during many of the past fifteen years, was given his release by District Superintendent Jas. Thompson of Roanoke Rapids, early Monday morning or a short time after the break was discovered when the men checked short at the H:30 breakfast. W 11 Perry, recently employed as an outside building guaref, did not discover Hie break even though he passed the win dow eve y half hour during the (Continued on page six) Peanuts Enter Bullish Market Although heavy rains last Sat urday interrupted the peanut har vest, the goober market was de scribed here yesterday as being bullish. However, sales lor the day were fairly light. Unofficial reports state that ap proximately 3,000 bugs moved in the Hamilton and Oak City a ac tionals of this county last week mainly to one company at a price ranging from ten to ten and three quarter cents a pound. Weather permitting, the crop is expected to start moving to mar kets in this county in large vol ume within the next week or tea days. MARKET I v. With an estimated 70.000 pounds on the floor yester day, the local tobacco market reported little or no change in prices for the day. Observ ers were of the opinion they were certainly no stronger than those paid last Friday when the market handled 110,914 pounds for an aver age of $48.43 per hundred pounds. The sales yesterday were the smallest for any Monday since the market opened in August, and entire communi ties have seen the last of the crop move, farmers said to day. To date, the market here has sold 10,017,012 pounds for an average of $50.93 per hun dred pounds. District Office Of OPA Suspends Activities Here ... —.»> Any Falun' |{usiu«‘ss W ill lt«> llaii<ll»il 111 ron i'll Ollier In E{nlrig;li -C® Known for a lung time us the rationing board, the OPA (Office of Price Administration) sus pended its activities rather abruptly in this district on Mon day of this week when the doors of the office in the agricultural building were ordered closed to the public. During the next twen ty or thirty days, local personnel will assemble the various records and pack them for delivery either to the state office in Raleigh or to some storage for posterity, The closing here of the office j which lias served this and several j surrounding counties during the ■ past twelve months is another big step in the liquidation of the OPA. Many items are til ing decontroll ed day by day, and in a short time those few items left under con trol, including rents in certain do signaled areas, will be transferred possibly to other federal agencies. Few details of the OPA liquida tion could be learned here, but now that the local office is closed any future business related to the OPA will be handled directly With the state office m Raleigh. There lias been very little ac tivity in the local office for some time other than the issuance of sugar ration books to a fairly large crop of newly born babies. In that connection, few ration books have been turned in for those persons who went on to their reward. Possibly one out of thirty ration books owned by per sons who later died were ever surrender! d to the office, anil in rynuu* of those cmes all valid stamps were used. The order coming out of Wash ington last week closes 1,642 price rationing boards in the nation and releases 6.613 paid workers, including four in the district of fice here. Administrator Paul Porter esti mated that the OPA had whittled about eighty-live billion dollars off inflation and saved about 117 billion dollars in war costs alone. Comparatively few items re main under price control which was just about wrecked by con gressional acts under pressure from special groups earlier m the year and was further weakened when meat prices were decon trolled just a few weeks ago. Ilasie clothing and automobiles are just about all that now re main under price control in this area. Has Ia'h Ampatatad la Uuliv Hospital Saturday -* Ilii> left ley amputated a few inches above the knee last Satur day morning, Mi Claudius Rob erson was reported Monday to be getting along very well. In the operating room nearly three hours, he was said to have stood the ordeal all right and asked for a radio to hear the football game that afternoon. \ blood clot forin I ed in the lowei leg. making the amputation necessary. County Board In Regular Session Monday Morning -- lav Collector Settles 191*6 Vrroiint; Insolvent List Amounts to $4,028 Meeting in regular session Mon day morning, the Martin County Commissioners did not discuss carnivals, but confined their at tention matters to complete the work schedule before lunch time. The high cost of food finally broke into jail and $1 per day will be allowed for each prisoner’s board. Tax Collector M L. Peel sub mitted his 1945 county tax ac count, and it was accepted by the commissioners. According to Mr. Peel, he started out in the fall of 1945 with $189,388.52 on the books. Since that time he collect ed $182,394.90 in 1945 taxes. Dis counts amounted to $1.682 45 and relief orders were granted in the sum of $152.74. Land sales repre sented $702.06. Collections pend ing amount te $420.15, leaving an insolvent list of $4,028.64 on per sonal property holdings. The ac count was only $7.52 out of bal ance. The collector stated also that of the $206,118.84 levy for 1946, all but $98,033.47 had bt en collected already. Tax relief orders were allowed the following: Hoyt Cowan, $2 listed in error in Bear Grass Township for the year 1945. and J. Wesley Chesson, i $2 in Williamslon Township be | cause he was in the Army. Relief j in the same amount was allowed Chesson lor 1946. I Albemarle l umber Company, ' $25 listed in error in Williams : Township in 1546. i W. P. Hadley, $9.15 listed in cr I ror in Bear Grass Township for I 1946. Katie Brown, 94 cents listed in error in Williamslon Township for 1946. The personal bond offered in the sum of $500 by J. Paul Holli day, Jamesville Township con stable. was accepted over the sig nature of tin' officer’s father. Making his monthly report, Treasurer Dick Smith stated that the county had $202,713.07 on de posit, $118,461.36 in government bond and $66,491.56 in sinking and capital reserve funds, a total of $387,835.10. Jurymen were drawn for the regular one-week term of sup erior court convening in Decem ber. Bomb (bikini By Radar For Navy A radar-guided glider bomb which was used successfully in combat dining the war will be come an important, permanent part of the peacetime Navy. Hav ing perfected the “Bat'' as a full fledged service weapon, the Navy has launched a program to train I llet aircraft personnel the tech ' ; t i ' 1 ' * i ' * * ■ •. t* * V-\ | weapon. I The Bat was operated entirely j by specially trained Bureau of I Ordnance teams in the war, and its use is being taught to pilots and aircrewmen at the Naval Avi ' ation Ordnance Test Station, Chincoteague, Va Two Privateer patrol bomber squadrons are be ing organized for service use of the missile. Used against Japanese combat ant and meichant shipping dur ing the lust year of World War II, the Bat proved to be the lust suc cessful fully automatic guided ni issile. A lovv-angk-of-flight, self-con trolled airborne missile, the Bat is eapable of carrying a 1.000-pound bomb load, and has a range of 10 miles. The bomb is mounted in a glider type airframe and is equip ped with a gyroscopic stabilizing .unit and a servo system. The air frame was a radar transmitter and receiver to provide direction al correction The servo system moves the control surfaces of the air stabilizer. Suspended under a wing or be low the fuselage of an airplane, flu Bat is about 12 feet, long and lias a 10-foot wing span. Its speed is comparable to that of high speed aircraft, and its range is great enough to allow the mother plane to operate well out of the enemy's longest iange antisux* craft fire.