North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE ■1—55 !ii=L«5B» TI1E ENTERPRISE IS READ BI OVER 3.0)0 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 102 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, December 20, 1946 ESTABLISHED 1899 Health Meeting Held In Local Club Room! Leader Discusses Health Needs In Address Tuesday j - ■ ■■ ♦— Dr. Maynard Fletcher Sug gests Committee Make County Survey ——* Dr. Maynard Fletcher, vice chairman of the northeastern re gion for the North Carolina Good Health Association, in an address before the Woman's Club and re presentative citizens from various parts of the county briefly dis cussed the health needs, reviewed existing conditions and predicted that North Carolina would launch and support a program that would rank this state along with others at the top in hospital and medical care facilities. “When we started our road pro gram a quarter century ago, some said we were too poor to build. We built one of the greatest road systems in the country and we paid for it,” Dr. Fletcher said, making personal references at times to point out the shameful conditions and to plead with the approximately 50 hearers to get busy and help do something to re lieve those conditions. Introduced by J. C. Manning, superintendent of schools, Dr. ] Fletcher briefly reviewed the movement to meet North Caro lina’s No. 1 need—good health. “It was started buck in 1943 and fortunately by the president-elect1 and three past presidents of the ' North Carolina Medical Society ! who went to J. M. Broughton, j then governor of the State, and said that something should be done about health conditions in ' North Carolina. “The governor appointed a 50 member committee with Dr. Clar ence Poe as chairman. The com mittee was charged with the task of making a health survey and in structed to report its findings to the 1945 Legislature. The com mittee made an exhaustive sur- I vey. It went into other states and checked conditions there, and cx- ' perts were invited to this state to assist the survey. ‘'Many startling facts and fig ures were uncovered by the com mittee since 1934," Dr. Fletcher said, explaining that he is taking part in the movement now be cause he had seen with his own eyes many of the conditions re vealed by the committee. “Forty-one states have more hospital beds per thousand popu lation than North Carolina. "Thirty-four counties in this State have no hospital beds at all, and thirteen of those counties are in this region. “Forty-two percent of our hos pital beds are in six large urban areas, Winston-Salem, Greens boro, Asheville, Charlotte, Dur ham and Raleigh. “Forty-four states have more doctors per 100,000 population than North Carolina. We have only one doctor for each 3,600 per sons in the rural areas, and one Negro doctor for each 6,900 Ne groes. "Seventy-three percent of our people live in rural areas but have only 31 percent of the phy sicians. “North Carolina is 41st in ma (Continued on page six) worker On rrench Leave From Farm —»- ■— An earnest worker uri the farm and making his home with the John D. Lilley family near here for about ten days, Claude Branch, about 23 years old, took French leave early last Tuesday night, allegedly carrying with him an overcoat and other wear ing apparel belonging to members of the family. Accompanied by his wife and one-year-old daugh ter, the young man moved by taxi to Elizabeth City, but no report on his activities there had been received here late Thursday. Coming here from Shelby some weeks ago, the young man was employed in construction work until he decided to go to the Lil ley farm where he planned to cultivate 2 crop next year. WITH INTEREST \ \* Forty-three years ago, a thief whose identity has nev er been established, entered the Pope home on West Main Street here and stole ten cents from the then Little Johnnie Pope. Last week, robbers broke into Mr. Pope's insurance of fice on Washington Street and while searching there they lost a dime and a penny, Mr. Pope explaining that his loss of forty-three years ago had been made good with in terest. Third Victim Of Sunday Accident Dies In Hospital —«— Charges of Reckless Driv ing and Manslaughter Are Pending Mary Brown, 12-year-old color ed girl of RFD 4, Greenville, died early this week in Pitt General Hospital, her passing boosting the death toll in a highway accident on the Robcrsonville-Stokes high way late last Sunday afternoon to three. Henry Ward, 69-year-old color ed man of Pitt County, and Gladys Mac Reddick, 17-year-old colored girl of 206 W 14th Street, Greenville, were killed instantly when the two cars in which they were riding crashed head on about one mile from Roberson ville. The third victim of the wreck to die was said to have suffered a broken leg and internal injuries. Described as one of the worst of the year on the highways in this county so far in, 1946, the ac cident almost baffled members of the highway patrol and Rober sonvillc officers who made the in vestigation. The autos, one a new 1946 Studebaker, caught fire and burned. The dead, dying and injured were scattered over a fairly wide area, and to aggravate the tragedy John H. Rogers plow ed into the debris with his car. The Rogers car was pulled from the wreckage before it caught fire. Robersonville’s fire truck was sent to the scene, but reached there too late to save the two cars. Continuing the investigation on Tuesday of this week Cpl. W. T. Simpson of the highway patrol said that a 24-ycar-old colored man, John David Wooten, RFD 4, Greenville, owned the Chevrolet figuring in the triple death acci dent. that Wooten was driving at the time the cars crashed. Woot en suffered a fractured hip and face injuiies. Stephen Little, 52, of RFD 1, Stokes, a passenger in the car with Wooten,, the two girls who lost their lives, and Jesse Spain, received leg injuries and was bruised and battered about the face. Webb Ward, accompanied in his new Studebaker by Henry Ward who lost his lite, was removed to Duke Hospital in Durham Tues day for treatment, Cpl. Simpson said. , Wooten and Ward are being charged with reckless and care less driving and manslaughter, and Woolen also stands charged with operating a motor vehicle while his driver’s license was re voked. -o Conduit Laid For Telephone Cables Preliminary work was complet ed this week for placing tele phone wires under ground in the main business sesetions here, but the ruts and bumps are still much in evidence in the main traffic lanes. Individual citizens are planning to appeal to the authori ties, urging them to see that the ditches are well kept until the paving work is handled. It is understood that the present ditches will be widened at the surface before any concrete is poured. No date for completing [the work has been mentioned. Collect $420 In Fines On Monday In County Court Next Session of Tribunal ToBe Held Monday, December 30 Impressed by the maiming and slaughter of human beings when he visited a wreck on the Rober sonville-Stokes Highway last Sunday evening. Judge J. Calvin Smith frowned down on drunken driving when he took the bench in the county recorder’s court last Monday. Jail and road sentences were meted out and fines ranging up to $150 were imposed in drunken driving cases. Fines amounting to $420 were collected during the session w'hich lasted until 1:00 o’clock Monday afternoon and which was attend ed by a goodly number of specta tors from nearly every section ol the county. The uncertain trend many mod ern youth are unfortunately trav eling was offered in bold relief during the session when three young men. their ages ranging from 21 to 26 years, appeared as witnesses and defendant in a case charging drunken driving. It was brought out that the three men supplied with two quarts of li quor, were entertaining three girls whose ages ranged from 14 to 17 years. Their car was wreck ed1 and most of them were hurt No evidence was offered on the stand, but reports maintain thal the teen-age girls were drinking along with the men. Proceedings: Drunk in Winiamstons bus sta tion, Johnnie White, of Bertie County, was sentenced to serve 3C days on the roads. When arrest ed,, White had an ice pick on hit pcson. Charged with speeding pasl Robersonville’s grammar school at about 5b miles an hour, Mayc Briley was sentenced to jail foi five days, fined $25 and taxed with the cost. His license to op erate a motor vehicle was revok ed for ninety days. McBonald Dixon, young Whit akers white man, was adjudgec guilty of drunken driving, anc was fined $50. taxed with the cos' and had his driver's license re voked for one year. Dixon ad mitted that he had had three drinks of liquor, but maintainec that his ability to operate a motoi vehicle was not impaired wher he wrecked his car and injurec several persons, including two oi three teerj-age girls, near Oat City on the night of Nov. 23. Saic to have considered appealing hi; case to the higher court, the young fellow brought the wratl of Judge Smith down upon him self when he asked for possessior of what was left of two quarts o: liquor. ‘I ought to put you on the county roads," Judge Smith re plied in answer to the defendant’i claim to the liquor. Jailer Roj Peel was directed to pour the liquor into the gutter. Charged with drunken driving John Nicholson was sentenced t( jail for two days, fined $125, re quired to pay the costand had hi: operator’s license revoked for om year. David Gurkin and Ernest God aid, charged with reckless driv ing, were adjudged not guilty. Booked for a simple assault oi his wife, Roosevelt Hassell wa; fined $20 and taxed with thi costs. John 11. Rogers, colored mat (Continued on page eight) -« Fire Wrecks Home Thursday Morninj! J_ c Starting in a Christmas tree fire badly damaged the home o Mr. and Mrs. (Slim) Davis oi North Haughton Street Thurs day morning at 0:45 o’clock. Man; of the furnishings and severa pieces of furniture were ulsi badly damaged. The tree, its branches burnei away, was equipped with electri' lights and the exact origin of thi fire was not immediately deter mined. The heated bulbs broke giving otf reports similar to thos< of a shot gun. Neighbors rushei to the home and helped hold th fire under control until fire fight ing equipment reached there. No estimate on the loss couli be had immediately, but it wil ( approximate $1.0b0 or $1,500, ac cording to unofficial reports. m THIS WAS A 1946 AUTOMOBILE JUMILID JUNK Is all that remains of a new 1948 car after It smashed ; Into a concrete abutment in Queens, N. Y., taking the life of Elizabeth Long, 23, and critically injuring Marie Tracy, 23, and Alvin Telishia. ■ The dead girl’s body is under a cushion in foreground, (international) Healthy Diet Is Not Always Found In Food Quantity —» .... Question Is Whether Meals Offer Right Quality Of Food ——s At u timi* when families arc making plans for huge holiday dinners, it may seem out of place to warn against anemia and poor nutrition. But a meal of six courses is no guarantee of a healthy diet. In this country, where food is relatively plentiful, the question of nutrition is usual ly one of the kind of food eaten and whether or not it can be ab sorbed by the body, rather than mon among children, too. Anemia is a condition in which the blood is deficient in quality or quantity. There are several kinds of anemia. Most people have heard of pernicious anemia, 'p chronic disease which is danger bus and frequently fatal. It oc curs chiefly in middle life and is 'caused by inability of the body to absorb the food eaten. However, some forms of anemia are com mon amnog children, too. Anemia among children is often caused by the absence from the diet of the iron, protein and vita mins the body needs to build good red blood. All these materials can be obtained in the well bal anced normal diet. Such a diet also prevents other nutritional diseases and keeps the body in good operating condition. Parents should always know vthat their children are eating If schools provide hot lunches, ; children should take full advan tage of them. If children do not have a hot lunch, particular care should be taken to make up the , lack by careful meal planning in i the home. Especially good sources of iron ; are red meat, liver, kidneys, ■ heart, egg yolk, green leafy vege tables, whole grain cereals and breads, molasses and dried) apri cots and raisins. Add milk and other fruits and vegetables, and i the diet will contain all the neces i sary materials to maintain good ; health and prevent anemia. The onset of anemia is usually i slow and insidious. It may begin (Conunuea on page eight) —. ■» County Teachers ; Resign Positions • , At least three teachers in the ? schools of this county are quitting i the profession this week, it was ■ learned today from the office of ■ the superintendent of schools. I None of the teachers announced i plans for the future, and as far as it could be learned only one I of the three positions made va : cant has been filled. Mrs. Chas. Davenport, third • grade teacher in the local schools, , tendered' her resignation a few : days ago. She is 1o be succeeded l by Mrs. Gene Kimball who lias ; substituted for others during the ■ past several years. Mrs. Raymond Cherry, Jr., and 1 Miss Naomi Brown, teachers in 1 the Bear Grass School, resigned ■ some time ago, the superintendent said. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Two mot sudden death, a third died later, four others were injured and maimed and a property loss of nearly $3, 000 resulted in four highway accident in this county last week to help record one of the most tragic road accident records in the history of Mar tin County. While the record is enough to Shock a travel ing public out of its lethargy, the slaughtering and maim ing business is accepted as a matter of course. The following tabulations offer a comparison of the ac cident trend: first, by corres ponding weeks in this year and lust and for each year to the present time. 50th Week Accidents Inj'd Killed Dam'gc 1946 4 C 3 $ 2,670 1945 5 4 0 1,725 Comparisons To Date 1946 123 104 7 26,975 1945 85 47 6 17,475 County AMVETS Receive Charter At the AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II) meet ing held Monday night in the I Williamslon High school auditor ium, the state commander, Wil liam E. Williams, addressed the group and presented the county chapter with its charter. Mi-, Williams spoke briefly tc the gioup, reporting on some ot the highlight of the past activities of the AMVETS and on the Na tional convention held last month in St. Louis. He also stated some of the future aims of the national organization. At the conclusion of his address, George Corey chapter commander, accepted tlu charter on behalf on the mem bers of the organization. During the business session h was decided that the name of the organization will be- Martin Coun ty AMVETS post No. 2ti. In cooperation with other AM VET posts the chapter decided te adopt a resolution supporting the slate good health campaign HW percent anel send this resolutioi to the governor’s office as well a: to the county representative ini mediately. Hiss E. Fronebergei and Hack Gaylord- were appoint cd to draw up and submit such ; resolution. In closing the meeting, Mr Corey reminded the group tha the AMVETS has no fight will other organizations but only ; duty to all Americans, in peac< as well as they had in the pas war. The next meeting of the AM VETS will be held the third Mon day night in January, the 20th. -o hitcanian* Spoilxorinu Dance Friday Evening -* Sponsored by the local Kiwani; Club, a dance will be held in tin high rchool gym Friday night, Dc ceinber 20th. The dance will be gin promptly at 9:30 o’clock aru the drawing for the Ford cur 1 3endix washing machine and tin Bcndix radio will be held at 1. j o’clock Numerous Hoi ida) Programs Planned By Various Groups ! * I i Cantata** ami Pageant* \\ ill Be Given I it Several Churches -s With most of the service men I home from war and others having | returned from manufacturing l centers, this community has al ready entered into the observance of the Christmas period with numerous parties and events which will he climaxed by can tatas, pageants and special ser vices in the various churches the early part of next week. The local schools are holding just about as many parties as there arc rooms, reports from the first in the series Thursday stat ing that they are being greatly enjoyed by the young people. A high spot in the Christmas tree programs was reported at the party arrangement for the less fortunate by the Jaycecs in the Woman's Club Wednesday evening. i ii' 111 .'■i 111 111 v omiuti v oi i urn i programs was scheduled Thurs day evening when the Presby terians distributed gifts to the members. From 7:00 to 8:00 Friday night Santa Claus will be at the Bap tist Church to give presents to the nursery, beginner and pri mary age children in the base ment. There will be a Christmas tree and a program of singing and stories directed by Mrs. H. P. Mobley will be presented. Par ents of these young folk are in vite d to also attend. The Sunday School of the local Methodist Church will hold its annual Christmas tree program at the church on Friday evening at 7:00 p. m. Arrangements are be ing completed to have Santa Claus there to distribute gifts to the children, and a special pro gram is also planned. The public is invited. The Sunday school is also plan ning a White Christmas gilt pro gram to aid the needy, and all members of the school are re quested to bring some gift next Sunday morning and place on the altar. Afterwards these gifts will be distributed to some needy families. Sunday evening at 7:30. the choir w’ill present a Christmas cantata, “Carols of Christmas.” The choir is composed of eighteen voices. The B e t h a n y Pentecostal Church will present a Christmas pageant Sunday evening at 7:30 o'clock near here. In the Christian Church Sun day evening at 8.00 o’clock, the choir, under the direction of Mis. W. C. Manning and Mr. Russell T. Roebuck will present “The Star of the East,” a cantata written by Louis E. Holcomb and the music by J. S. Fearis. There are eight solos and several anthems among its many parts, the dire c tors pointing out that much time has been spent in preparing for the cantata presentation. The Church of the Advent Sun day School is holding its annual Christmas tree program next Monday afternoon at 4:00 o’clock. The Christian Sunday School is holding a series of parties' for its pupils. The first was held at the parsonage last Monday evening for the juniors. There was a tree (Continued on page six) Splendid P.-T. Program Tuesday Holding the last meeting of the calendar year, members and quite a few special visitors of the local parent-teacher association enjoy ed a splendid program in the grammar school auditorium last : Tuesday evening. The first graders presented a Christmas pageant, “The Nativ ity” and1 sung several Christmas ’ songs. Under the direction of Miss Hester Jayn s, eighth grade teacher, about fifty gill., and boss in the high school glee club rend r ered several selections. Following the entertainment ; program which was witnessed by : more than 200 parents and pe • trons, the organization held a short business meeting with Pres 1 ident H. G. Horton presiding. , Open house was held and after ■ visiting the various class rooms . the members were rei ved refresh ments in the lunch room. ?>penci I iuvr Million In County for Liquor i tlKADliV SOI'TII I v___/ With (he possible exception c;f the South Pole, Martin County men have traveled to just about every part of the globe from Greenland's icey mountains to the steaming jungles of the South Pacific. And now James futon, chief petty officer and a Wiliiams ton boy, is headin’ south with the Navy's South Pole expe dition. Volunteering for the cold assignment. Chief Upton is stationed on the I . S. s. Cur rituck, relatives were advised here a few days ago. Justice Hassell Hears Ten Cases In Past Few Days Fin«'s ami Hosts \inoimtiii<i To $90.00 < ollerled In His Court Charged with violating various laws, but booked mostly on dis orderly conduct counts, ten de fendants were carried before .1 us tice John I,. Hassell in his court here during the past few days. Fines and costs, amounting to $96. were collected, and one or tw o do fendants were given road terms. Proceedings: Alexander I.ippen, a New Yorker, was charged with im proper parking on the main stroot and lie was taxed with $0.50 costs. Charged with an affray, Fred J. Calloway was fined $5 and re quired to pay $1) 50 costs. William Gorham, charged with disorderly conduct, was required to pay $8.50 costs. Fred Highsmilh, drunk on a highway, was taxed with $9.50 costs. Mareclus Jacobs, construction worki r employed on the project which just about wrecked the town's main drag for submai me cables, was fined $5 and taxed with $8.50 cost.-, on a disorderly conduct count. Charged with disorderly con duct, Eli Raynor was sentenced to the roads for thirty' days, the court suspending the sentence upon the payment of $8.50 costs and guaranteed good behavior for one year. William Jordan and Elliott Jor dan, both charged with disorder ly conduct, were each fined $5 and required to pay $8.50 costs Charged with parking on a highway, John Robert Bullock was fined $5 and taxed with $8 costs. (Continued on page eight) -», Distilleries In County Wrecked Raiding in two townships in the county this week, ABC Oft'ieei J. H. Roebuck. Deputy Roy Peel and Special Assistant Edmond Early wrecked several distilleries and poured out several hundred gal lons of beer and “slops.” Information coining from child ren who hacl gone into the woods back of the Rear Gi a school, Of ficers Roebuck and Early found and pound out two hundred gal lons ol beei about six hundred yard;, from the school Tuesday afternoon. Working a greater part of Wed in: day in the Flee Union section of Jamesville Township, tin three Officer:; found three plants. Only part of the operating equipment was found at two of the plants. At one they poured out 150 gal lons of molasses beer flavored with bananas and oranges. A! the second plant the officers wrecked a tiO-gallon capacity oil drum used as a kettle, a cooler and doubler and ten fermenter: and poured out about 1100 gallon., of', lops.” The raider., pouted out two barrels of cheap beer and wrecked a fifty-gallon capacity fermenter and a ten-gallon capac ity doubler. During the Wednes day raids, the officers found a lard stand partly filled wifli fresh meat, believed to have been part of wto pigs stolen from a farm er there a few days ago. Sales l or Third Quarter In 1946 Nearly $21)0.000 Increase of 83 (..>75.20 In Sal«‘s (Her Those Of \ \ ear V*»o - —* Boosted by an income of $181, 380.15 reported for the third quar ter of this year, legal store liquor sales went over the three million dollar figure in this county dur ing the period, according to an of ficial audit released a short time ago on the alcoholic beverage con trol board's operations for the months of July, August and Sep tember, 1946. Profits for the eleven years the stores have been in operation climbed to almost three-quarters of a million dol lars. Sales last quarter, falling slightly under $200,009, were $34. 575.20 greater than they were in the corresponding period, 1945, and $159,140.80 larger than they were in the corresponding months, eleven years ago. Only in two ether periods, those end ing in December. 1945. and in March of this year, have sales In c n hu ger than those reported for the third quarter in 1946. Un official reports indicate that cur rent. quarter sale are breaking all n cords, approximately $81, Ot'O.OO having been spent for le gal liquor in the county during the month of November. I up.nr prices advanced, hut the ini reared gross income is trace til le not to price increases but mainly to increased consumption. The audit recently released for the third quarter of this year shows that of the $181,380.15 spent for liquor during the period, $135,261.11 went to the distillers. Operating expenses were placed tit $5,829.91, leaving a net income of $41,301.41, including cash dis i mints on purchast s. As of last September 30, the board had $75,011.02 in cash and $50,253,22 in inventories. Liabili ties were represented as being $125,264.24, including $16,485.08 due distillers, $5,684.95 in accrued t xi : and i xpi ns s, $70,270.33 due the county and store towns, $20, 817.2H reserve for law enforce ment, and $12 000 sin plus. Profits for the quarter were di vided as follow.,: Martin County, $19,671.93; State of North Caro lina, $15,417.32; Town of Wil liam, ton, $2,647.43; Town of Rob ii . iii.i i!!' . SI 312.65, Town oi oak City, $530.59; Town of Jumes-ville, $427.19. and reserve for law en forcement, $1,294.20. A comparison of profits for the third quarters, 1945 and 1946, fol lows. by stores: 1945 1946 Williamston $18,246.40 $21,899.00 R'b’rs'nville 9,518.76 11,107.99 Oak City 3,567.71 4.557.47 Janiesvillc 3,112.88 3,736.95 $34,445.75 $41,301.41 Total sales lor the two quarters under comparison, follow, by stores: 1945 1916 W'mstun $ 76,402.20 $ 94,016.80 R'villc 40,738.10 49,313.90 Oak City 15,778.15 20,670.10 J’villc 13,886.50 17,379.35 ' : : ,380,1 j A 11 view of legal hquoi sales and profits by quarters, from the (i.oniiniu'a nn page aixj -o Farm Home Hums In County Sunday Its origin unknown, tire de stroyed a tenant house occupied by the Jeff Parker family on the 1 . K. Beach farm bt tween Oak City and Hamilton in Hamilton Town, tup hut Sunday afternoon. Few details of the fire could be learned here, but one report stat ed that the member;, of the family lost, all the furniture and all the clothes c.vctpl those they were wearing at the time. The size of the loss or if insur ance' was cairied on the property could not be learned immediate ly. *