North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY .OVER 5,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 101 Williamuton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, December 31, 1946 ESTABLISHED 1899 j Business Volume In ! County Sligtill) Less LBuyera Were SaidL! To Have Been Bit Cautious In Acts .— Liquor Sales Broke Record During the Pre-Holiday Period In County While business houses handled k one of the largest volumes of sales I on record, buyers were said to have been a bit more cautious in making their purchases during the recent holiday period in this county, according to an incom plete survey of activities just re ported. In some merchandising fields, sales set new records, but in others the total did not match that reported for the 1945 holiday period. “We have large inventories, but in so many instances we just did not seem to have exactly what the shoppers wanted,” several business operators explained. Others pointed out that war prices were being questioned for certain types of goods. However, the main gift or novelty counters re ported sales comparable to those made at any previous time. The weakening peanut market possibly made many buyers a bit more cautious when they went to make purchases, but, at the same time, record sales were reported by the county’s alcoholoic bever ! age control system. Complete figures could not be had imme diately, but the Williamston store in the eight davs before Christ mas handled sales in the amount of $27,828.05. It is conservatively estimated that legal liquor store sales in the county for the eight days exceeded $50,000, that sales for December will break all re cords. The Williamston store had its record day on Christmas eve day when the sales amounted to $5,454.50. Sales for any one day prior to that time seldom reached $5,000. It was pointed out that stocks were low during the period, that sales possibly would have t>een even larger had the stocks been more plentiful. While business in this section held its own fairly well, the food markets started breaking rapidly in the North, Turkeys, offered in record volume, dropped in price from 65 to 35 cents a pound in New York. Butter prices fell from one to ten cents below the record. In Richmond, cured hams ■were offered for 49 cents a pound. Stock pepper was on the market at 12 cents per can, and soap was said to have been plentiful in the larger stores at reduced prices. No marked change in prices was noted locally, however, the deal ers explaining that they were handling many items at a loss. Williamston’s post office broke all records when it handled dur ing the ten days before Christmas ^ (Continued on page eight) -1 Lions Maintain Cheer Program ——•— The local Lions Club conduclec its annual program of Christina: cheer for the less fortunate of the community during the holidays distributing forty-eight baskets tc needy cases. The baskets consist ed largely of fruits, nuts- cardie; and some groceries, and were dc livered Christmas morning by s committee of about twelve mem hers of the club. Lions W. Clydi Griffin and W. Clyde Manning served as co-chairmen of the com mittee. The baskets were assembled b> the committee members Sundaj afternoon before Christmas, anc were well received by the re cipients. --o Returns Home After Long Stay In Hospita • » Garland Barnhill returned ti his home here last Saturday fron Raleigh where he spent six week in a hospital receiving treatmen foj a broken hip. lie will havi little use of himself for anothe six weeks, doctors staie. He wa accompanied home by Messrs Henry D. Harrison and Lemai Barnhill. V. HOLIDAY With a few exceptions, Wil liamston stores and offices will observe Wednesday, New Year's Day, as a holiday. No mail deliveries will be effect ed and all government of fices, including the farm and home agents’, will close for the day. County offices will be open on a part-time basis, according to one report. A few stores, their owners explaining that deliveries had been scheduled for the day, and heavy industry will not close. Farmer Of County Passes Following A Year’s Illness Funeral Held December 22 In Church Near Here Fur Henry Gardner -* Funeral services were conduct ed at 2:30 o’clock on Sunday, De cember 22, for J. Henry Gardner, retired Martin County farmer who died at live home of his daughter, Mrs. Warren Leggett, in Bear Grass‘Township early in the evening of December 20. The services, held in the Riddick’s Grove Baptist Church, were con ducted by Dr. Ira D. S. Knight, local minister, in the absence of the regular pastor, Rev. W. B. Harrington. Interment was in the Riddicks Grove Churchyard cem etery. He was a member of the Baptist church for eighteen years. Mr. Gardner, a well-known far mer and citizen, was 56 years old and had been a hard worker up until about a year ago when he was tagen ill. His condition had been serious for some time. Tin i son of the late James Thomas j Gardner and Polly Ann Griffin Gardner, he spent his entire life in this county, mostly near Wil liamston. Surviving are his widow, the former Miss Lillian Wiggins; i*vt sons, James Thomas Gardner and Willie Jesse Gardner, and two daughters, Mrs. Warren Leggct! nnd Miss Millie Ann Gardner, and two sisters, Mrs. Archie Council and Mrs. Van Council, both ol near Williamston. |Two Minor Auto Wrecks Reported —»— While at least fifteen person; had their lives snuffed out in fata accidents on North Carolina high ways at Christmas time, only tw< minor road accidents were report ed in this county. No one wa; hurt and property damage wa; limited, according to reports re leased by members of the high way patrol. The first of the two accident; reported in this county took pluci a few miles west of Williamstor on Highway 64 at 12:30 o’clocl Christmas morning. Mildred Ma rie Mann, colored of Norfolk, wa; driving EarJ M,u<klin’s Chevrole sedan west on the highway whei the left rear door on Spence Eason's 1936 Plymouth flew opei and hooked the Norfolk car. / ‘trailer, leaded with ChrisUnw packages and attached to tin Macklin car. was wrecked anc parcels were scattered over thi highway. Damage to each of th< machines was estimated at ubou $100 by Patrolman W. E. Saund ers who made he investigation Eason, colored of near Williams ton, was booked for operating ; 1 motor vehicle without a driver’ license. Later that morning Patrolmai J. E. Warren, stationed in Eliza both City, was driving south oi f the Robersonville-Stokes High wav when his car was struck by i colored man alleged to have bee i under the influence of intoxi i cants. No one was hurt, and th . property damage was estimate : at $150 by Cpl. W. T. Simptso • who investigated. > If all the Sunday traffic gc . home without an accident, the; i there should be none at any timi because thousands were traveling A Happy New Year As the New Year Cupid gaily rings in 1017, let ns pause a moment ami resolve to make this year one of fulness and happiness in our relations to each other. Let us help each other achieve love, happiness, peace and prosperity this year and every year to follow. Peanut Prices Hold After Reopening Of The Markets -. —<*> Peanut prices were reported to day to be holding their own after the markets had reopened follow ing the Christmas holidays. It was intimated that grading was possibly a bit more liberal, that prices ranged as high as $lU.Ut> per hundred pounds. It was point ed out, however, that the market ranged down to around 8 1-2 cents per pound with most of the offerings going for about 9 1-4 to 9 1-2 cents. Tire reopening of the markets found the crop just about gone from the farms, one buyer stating ! that he was of the opinion that less than five percent of the 1946 production remained on the farms at the present time. Deliveries were comparatively light just be fore the markets closed for the holidays, and few lots were offer ed at the reopening, it was learn ed. Up until the holidays, an esti mated half million bags of pea nuts had been handled by the lo cal market from the 1946 crop. Hardly more than 1,500 or 2,000 have moved since the reopining. Apparently uncertain about the economic trend, the cleaned goods market, while holding its own, is acting with much caution, it was learned. Purchases are being made in very small quantities and the market was said to be dull. Two Fire Calls During Holiday »-— Local volunteer firemen were called out only twice during the I holiday season, but neither of the alarms was of any great conse | quence. Some children, playing at the Sam Andrews home just across Sweet Water Creek in Williams Township, threw a fire cracker on the porch roof and fired the building. Before the fire was dis covered, it had burned a hole in the roof and filled most of the up per story with smoke. Neighbors and other friends, gathered there for Christmas Day dinner, went into action and put the fire out just before the fire fighting equipment reached the home. The alarm was sounded here at 1:40 o clock. Thursday afternoon at 4:15 o’clock the firemen were called to a grass fire just off West ; Church Street. A few'fence posts ' were bul lied, but me damage was I negligible. -o Local Attorney Much Improved i Suffering a relapse last Wed j nesday, Mr. Wheeler Martin, well-known eastern Carolina at i torney and civic leader, was re • moved to a Rocky Mount hospital i the following afternoon. He was - quite ill for several days, but late i reports from his bedside state 1 that his condition is much im - proved. It was explained that, he 2 had had no severe pain since early 1 Sunday and that he was getting i along very well. Mr. Martin was in the institu t tion some weeks ago for treat l ment, and was thought to be get , ting along very well until the re . lapse. Season Near End For Some Came —•— The season for taking deer and squirrel ends at the close of the day, January 1 in this section, ac cording to schedules fixed by the N. C. Department of Conservation and Development. It will be lawful to hunt quail land wild turkeys through Jan uary 1, and raccoon may be taker tivrough February 15, it was an nounced. -o Dogs Kill Number of Chickens On a Farm -♦ Stray dogs attacked and killec a goodly number of chickens oi the form of Mrs. Mamie Rober son in the county a few days ago The widow took action and killec one of the dogs, and Sheriff C-.- E Roebuck ordered another one i killed. "I shot one of the dog; Itwice after I killed him, I was sc Irrvad.” Mrs Roberson said. TAX LISTING v. Meeting in the courthouse Monday, the ten township tax list-takers completed plans for placing all property in the county on the books for 1947 tax assessments. Schedules of values for listing personal property were not immedi ately announced by Supervis or M. L. Peel who explained that the new 1946 auto guide books would be used in list ing motor vehicles for the new year. The listing work is schedul ed to get underway in several townships this week, and in others later in the month, ac cording to announced sched ules. Property will be listed as to its owners and values as of January 1. SPECIAL SERVICE There will be a union New Year’s Eve Service at the Methodist Church Tuesday, beginning at 11:30 p. in. and closing as the New Year comes in. A short appropriate service is planned for this im portant occasion. The public is invited to attend. Native Of County Died Last Week Milton E, Bennett, native of this county, died in a Roanoke Rapids hospital last Wednesday after a short illness. The last riles were conducted in a Roanoke Rapids funeral home last Friday morning at 11 o’clock by Rev. Ed mond Berkley, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church. Inter ment was in the family cemetery on the old home farm between Hamilton and Oak City. Mr. Ben nett was 63 years of age. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Bessie A. Bennett of Roanoke Ra pids; four sons, Milton O., of Ar lington, Va., John E., of Pullman, Ore., Gordon D., of Arlington, Va., Charles of Corpus Christi, Texas, and three grandchildren. The son of the late John Ben nett and wife, Mr. Bennett had lived in Roanoke Rapids for a number of years. Besides his im mediate family he is survived by two brothers, John and Bryant Bennett of Oak City, and three sisters, Mrs. Virginia Stinnette of Williamston, Mrs. N. Bellamy of Raleigh and Mrs. Manning of Oak City. Mr. Bennett was held in high l esteem in both his native and 'uuoplcd counties.’ -o-— State College Club In Meeting —» ■ 1 The Martin County State Col lege Club held its regular meeting Friday evening, December 13, at the George Reynolds Hotel. A movie of the State-Duke game was shown by Babe Wood, line coach at State. Members and guests present were: Mr. and Mis, C. B- Ander son, Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Brandon, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Eubanks, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Goodman, Mr. and Mrs. 11. T. Highsmith, Mr. and Mrs. R. E- Kimball, Mr. and Mrs. If. P. Mobley, Mr and Mrs. D. G. Modlin, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Park er, Mr. and Mrs. 11. H. Pope, Mr. and Mrs. C. N- Rogers, Mr. and Mrs J, G. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. II, G. Horton, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Martin, L. W. Cone, W. T. Craw ford, V. B. Hairr, J. L. Haskell, C. W. Perl, Frank Weaver, 1L. W, (Pep) Taylor and Coudi Wood. Stranger Wanders Aimlessly On The Highways Friday —-*—•— ||»*r Identity Kstaldiwlied, Colored Girl Returned To Fremont Home -m — Apparently unbalanced mental ly, a young colored woman whose I name is believed to bo Christine I Armstrong and who is about 21 years of age, was found wander ing on the highways of this sec ttion early last Friday evening When taken into custody about 8:00 o’clock that evening by Pa trolman Whit E. Saunders, the young woman, well dressed, and of nice appearance, was standing in the middle of U. S. Highway No. 17 near the Old Mill Inn. Traffic was moving around her, and one report staled that she was barely missed by several ears. Unable to give her name, ad dress or tell who were her peo ple, the girl muttered incoherent words to Jailer Roy Peel and Mrs. Peel. After humble questioning for quite a while, the jader and his wife pieced together bits of information about the stranger, but it was not until a broadcast was made over the highway pa trol radio that a lead was establ ished in the case Sunday. Few details could be learned even then, but it is believed that the girl was on her way from the Fremont or Goldsboro section to visit relatives in Norfolk, that she lost her way here and turned to the highways. One report stated that she never knew her father, that she did not live with her mother, but that she was making her home with relatives or friends in the Fremont section, While officers tried vainly , ti locate her people, the girl’s con dition became worse rapidly. By early Sunday she was tearing at her clothing and crawling around on her hands and knees in the tiny cell. Sunday night she apparently chose to sleep on the cement floor When taken into custody fm her own protection, the girl, ac companied by officers and leading colored citizens of the town, car ried the girl to several homes ir an effort to have her identity de termined. She hud never beer (Continued on page eight) -o County Youiik Man Home From Ucmuurh - »■ ■■ William K- Lilley, stationer, with the U. S Information Serv ice at the American Legation ir Copenhagen, Denmark, spent the holidays in the county with hit parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kader Lit ley. The young man, in foreiigr service for several years, leaves shortly to continue work at lilt station. Holiday Observance J Very Quiet-in-County It- - RK PKllL. w^\ Post-holiday traffic is be lieved to hare set a,n all-time record on the highways of this section last Sunday when thousands of visitors traveled through here en route to their homes in various states. In addition to the large holiday traffic that day, hundreds of northerners drove through here en route to Florida just ahead of the cold wave prom ised by the weather men. Members of the highway patrol, covering several hun dred miles of highway, de clared they did not see the first violation, that travel was orderly. Prominent County Farmer Died In Hospital Monday — -.— Funeral At Home Near Oak City Tuesday For Les ter L. Keel -- Lester L. Keel, prominent far mer and highly respected1 citizen ol' the Oak City section, died early on Monday of last week in a Rocky Mount hospital following an illness of only a few days. The victim of a heart attack, Mr Keel was removed to the hospital soon after he was taken ill a few days before. A native of Pitt County, Mr. Keel was 55 years of age and had lived near Oak City most of his life. He was a son of Mr. W Gray Keel, also of near Oak City and the late Mrs. Keel. He was a member ot the Christian church in Oak City where he was held in high esteem as a citizen and neighbor. In early manhood lie was mar lied to Miss Marie Lanier of Bel haven and she survives with twe children, a son, Francis Keel ol the home, and a daughter, Misi Dorothy Keel, student at Easl Carolina Teachers’ College Greenville. Also surviving art his father, and one brother, Mr Howard S. Keel, of near Oak City Funeral services were conduct ed from the home Tuesday after noon, December 24, at 3:tX) o’clock and interment was m the Bethel Cemetery, lie, pastor, tin: Kev Mr. Thomas, assisted by Rev James M. Perry, Christian minis ter of Robersonvilie, eonducteo the lart rites -,*> Vandals Wreck Store Windows Going on a wild, drunker rampage, live young colored met were charged in court Mondaj with wrecking several store win dows and damaging other prop erty in Everetts late last Satur day night. Walking along th( town's mam street, William J Keel, 20, Henry Godard, 21, Janie. Godard, 20, Jake Spruill, 22, am Lloyd Bonner, 18, were charger with breaking a crate of mill bottles in a store doorway. Tin sound of breaking glass ran a least one of the group wild, ap parently. They were charged witl breaking out a window in tin John Cherry store, with knuckinj a hole in J. S. Ayers’ $150 stun .window. Turning off the man streets, the vandals were said h have moved over to John Mob ley’s filling station and damag ing the gas pumps. Moving oi Bill Bullock’s filling station, tin group was interrupted and tin vandals fled down the highway. By 1:30 o’clock Sunday morn ing they had been rounded up b; Sheriff C. B. Roebuck and plan td in the county jail along wit James Brown who allegedly in terfered with the officer’s work Several of those arrested am jailed are said to have belongc to the 52-20 club. They wer booked for trial in Judge J. C Smith’s county court fer trial c Monday. Spruill, saddled wit. the vandalism charged, drew 1 months on the roads, and Brow was sentenced to the roads for si. months for interfering with ai officer No Bad Accidents Reported During Christmas Period -9 Goinhined Church Choirs Give Holiday Program Climax Christinas Eve -* There were no bad1 accidents and us fur as it could be ascer tained no one was hurt in any way in the county during the holiday season which old-tuners described as one of the quietest seen in many years. Recognized as the first real post war holiday season, the period was marked tor its good cheer. There was more visiting among neighbors this year than possibly in any other period since the outbreak of war, and everyone seemed to enjoy himself. Sorrow crept into several homes in the county when loved ones passed away, and sickness altered schedules and plans for others. Williamston reported two fire calls during the period, and they were of little or no consequence. There were only two minor highway accidents and no one was hurt in either of them. Traffic, while very light on Christmas day, moved without incident in fairly large volume on the other days in the week. Following the various school and church programs, the com bined church choirs of Williams ton rendered a special program on the lawn of the Presbyterian .church Christmas eve night at ! 8:30 o’clock. The program, di rected by Russell T. Roebuck and lasting just half an hour, attract ed several hundred spectators, in j eluding quite a few from other towns and communities. One | block of the main street was rop ed off from Smitliwick to Watts Street for the duration of the program. Special programs and services in the several churches were well attended, and there were very i few disorders of any kind report ed. The shooting of fireworks ! was possibly more limited than at | any other time in years, except ing the war period when powder could be had only at a premium. Reports declare that possibly there never was a time in history when more people in this county got so much. There were the less fortunate, of course, but there was enough and more to care for j their needs during the holiday | period. New bicycles were on the 1 streets and highways in greater (Continued on page eight) -* Mayor Hassell III In Hospital Taken suddenly ill Christmas morning, Mayor John L. Hassell was removed to a Washington hospital the following morning. A victim of high blood pressure, I Mr. Hassell had dressed and was I making ready to leave for Oxford to spend the day with friends ’ l when he was forced to retire. Apparently getting along very ’ well, the mayor is able to sit up i and receive company. He had a similar attack sonic months ago, , and had been getting along very re*. II up until just a snoi t tune ' before he was stricken a second ( time. Young Child Dies i r> Near Jamesville —— Richard Allen Modlin, 10 days ' old, died at the home of his par ents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Modlin, i near Jamesville lad Friday, the - victim of a pneumonia attack. Funeral services were conduct 1 eil at. the home Saturday morning 1 at 11:00 o'clock by Daniel Hardi 2 son, and burial was in the family • cemetery, near ti e home. i Surviving besides the parents, i are five biutheis, Raymond, 1 James, Jahugh, Paul and Mitchell, i and four sisters, Margaret, i Yvonne, Mittie and Vata Modlin, l all of the home.