THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ 1
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUN
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WLi
VOLUME L—NUMBER 7
Williamttoa, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, January 21. 1947
ESTABLISHED 18<
Bookmobile Makes
Regu i
Beginning Friday
— ’ 9. ■ ■"
Several Late Books Added
To Lis! For Free
Distribution
The Bookmobile will arrive in
Williamston on Friday, January
24, and will start out immediately
on its monthly run. The Williams
ton public schools will be serviced
as usual on Friday morning and
during the five days of the follow
ing week the county will be pret
ty thoroughly covered by this
traveling library. Do the readers
of Martin County appreciate this
service?
The service is made possible
through a legislative grant of
State Aid to Public libraries sup
plemented by a county appropri
ation. This year the legislature
has been asked for an appropria
tion of $350,000 to continue and
improve this service. The Advis
ory Budget Commission has re
commended less than one third of
the amount needed. If you appre
ciate the books which the BHM
Bookmobile provides for your
pleasure and information and if
you realize what this rural lib
rary service is doing to promote
enlightened citizenship and to en
rich personal life write to your
representatives and ask their sup
port in securing the amount re
quested by the State Library
Commission.
Among the outstanding new
books which the Bookmobile will
bring to Martin County readers
on this trip will be:
Barabbas: A novel of the time
of Jesus by Emery Bekessy and
Andreas Hemberger. This is a
reverent and inspiring novel of
the time of Christ focussed upon
Barabbas, who stood beside Jesus
when the people chose their vic
tim.
Frontier on the Potomac by
Jonathan Daniels, a book on the
Nation’s capital and its inhab
itants produced by an astute ob
server of the Washington scene.
The Roosevelt I Knew by Fran
ces Perkins. A warm and affec
tionate memoir written by an in
timate family friend and close
political associate.
Keller’s Continental Revue by
Winifred Bambriek. A novel
about the carefree, improvident
performers in Europe’s most lav
ish revue, and particularly of Pet
er, who falls in love with Kathie.
New Orleans Woman by Har
nett Kane, a novel based on one
of the most sensational episodes
in the history of American courts,
(Continued on page six)
-o
Officers Destroy
Three Distilleries
Raiding in two townships this
week, ABC Officer J. H. Roebuck
and Deputies Roy Peel and Mur
ray Holloman wrecked three illi
'•t liquor plants.
The first of the plants, equip
i with an oil drum, large keg
a cap, doubler and cooler, six
menters and 250 gallons of
er, was found and wrecked in
le Brown’s Springs section of
Villiamston Township Tuesday
afternoon.
Wednesday, the officers raided
in the Free Union section of
Jamesville Township and wreck
ed two plants. Each of the plants
was equipped with doublers and
coolers. At the first plant the of
ficers poured out 150 gallons of
beer and 300 gallons at the zee
onT. ~
CERTIFICATION }
World War 11 veterans are
again reminded that two rep
resentatives of the Veterans
Division, War Assets Admin
istration, will be in the em
ployment office, town hall,
Willlamston, next Monday
morning at 9:M o’clock to
confer with and arrange cer
tification of those who are
eligible to purchase surplus
government property,
The representatives will
explain certain requirements,
rules and regulations govern
ing the purchase of surplus
property. Any veteran in
terested in making such pur
chases and who is eligible is
directed to meet the repre
sentatives Monday morning.
EVERYBODY'S HAPPY AS. MARSHALL TAKES OVER
RETIRING SECRETARY OF STATE James F. Byrnes (right) beams happily as he gives a hearty greeting to his
successor, Gen. George C. Marshall, shortly alter the latter had taken the oath ot office. President Truman,
in whose office the ceremony was staged, also is in high good humor. Byrnes and Marshall later went Into
conference to consider matters ot major importance lacing State Department. (International Soundphoto)
Kivvanians Allot
Additional $2,000
To Boy Scout Hut
Ollier Progressive Moves
Taken By The (llnli At
Recent Meeting
The Kiwanis Club of Williams
ton held its regular meeting
Thursday night, January 16, in
the Woman’s Club building. The
club welcomed into its member
ship, Mr. Tom Parker, recently
moved to Williamston and associ
ated as a partner in the Moore
Grocery Co.
In the business session which
followed the evening meal, the
club voted to appropriate an ad
ditional two thousand dollars of
its funds to the Boy Scout Hut
project. This project was begun
about a year ago and is a joint ef
fort of the Kiwanis and Lion’s
Club. The membership also vot
ed to earmark one hundred seven
ty-five dollars for the 1947 Fat
Stock Show and to begin a pro
ject among the rural young boys
which will consist of the club giv
ing to some Four-H youth a pig
with the understanding that one
pig from its^tter will be returned
to the club and in turn that one
given to some youth.
The committee on Support of
Churches in their Spiritual Aims
recommended that the Kiwanis
club underwrite the initial cost of
music for the recently • formed !
Community Choir which is direct
ed by Kiwanian Russell T. Roe
buck. This recommendation was
accepted.
This year marks the celebration
of Kiwanis’ 32nd birthday anni
(Continued on page six)
-g
Aged Resident
Dies Suddenly
—. .
Mis. Emma Griffin Jones died
suddenly at her home litre on
Simmons Avenue last Wednesday
morning at 11:50 o’clock. She had
been in declining health for sev
eral years, spending about the last
two as a semi-invalid. She was
able to sit up in bed and haye
her breakfast that morning and
was thought to be getting along
as weii as usual. Suffciiug the
attack she died a few minutes lat
er before medical aid could reach
her.
The daughter of the late Hum
phrey Griffin and wife, she was
born in Williams Township 85
years ago last September and
spent most of her early life there.
She was married to William Jones
who died in 1914. One child born
to the union died in infancy, and
following her husband’s death she
went to make her home with the
A. J. Mannings, living as a mem
ber of the family.
She was a life-long member of
the church at Fairview near her
old home.
Surviving are two sisters, Mrs.
Mollie Modlin of Janesville and
Mrs. Susan Lilley of Raleigh.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the Biggs Funeral Home
Thursday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock
and interment, was in Woodlawn
Cemetery here.
THREE-FOURTHS '
Property listing for 1947
taxation continues to advance
rapidly in nearly every one of
the ten townships, Martin
County Tax Supervisor M.
Luther Peel announced yes
terday. With possibly one or
two exceptions, the work is at
least three-fourths complete
in several townships and in
others it is nearing comple
tion.
Even though the listing
work is progressing rapidly,
no definite trend on values
has yet been advanced. How
ever, listings are expected to
exceed those for 1946, it was
pointed out.
AMVETS Met In
County Monday
(By Ernest Capps)
Meeting in the county court
house last Monday night, the
Martin County AM VETS Post No.
12fi completed their organization
and launched what promises to
| be a successful “recruiting” pro
gram. Stating the need for vet
j erans of World War II to become
better organized, Commander
George Corey pointed out that
veterans as individuals can hope
to accomplish little.
Brought before the group by
Thurman Matthews, the question
of assisting the American legion
Post here- in its drive to build a
memorial was discussed at length
and it was decided that AMVETS
would support the project.
In an open discussion, it was
decided that in order to make
the veterans aware of the func
tions of AMVETS, the next series
of meetings would be held in dif
ferent parts of the county. Since
it is a county-wide organization,
it is hoped that veterans from
all sections wiil take part in the
programs in the future.
A call to the public to send in
names of any persons killed in
World War II is being made. Any
one knowing names of such per
sons is requested to forward this
information to W. T- Owens, Wil
liamston. These names are to be
included in “General Marshall’s
Victory Report” which is being
sponsored by the local organiza
tion.
' Iiwr"ifc-xV AMVETS' meeting
wiil be held in Robersonville
within the next two weeks. The
programs are being planned to
appeal to the War II veterans and
it is believed that they will be
found interesting as well as bene
ficial.
Slightly Hurt In
Skating Accident
Fletcher Thomas, young son of
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Thomas,
was slightly hurt in a skating
automobile accident on Williams
Street here last Tuesday after
noon. Skating into the street, the
lad is believed to have brushed
against the car driven by Lee
Thomas, lost his balance and fell
to the concrete.
He suffered a minor head in
jury and was discharged after re
ceiving medical treatment.
Victims Of Auto
Wrecks Improving
In Hospital Here
— - <»>
Two of PatioiitM Regained
CoiiHoioutmesK Only
This Week
--
hncouraging reports were re
leased by the local hospital on
Thursday of this week on the con
dition of five patients confined
there for treatment of serious in
juries received in automobile ac
cidents last Saturday evening. A
sixth wreck victim, Mr. J. B. Sul
livan, was also said to be recov
ering rapidly at his Ijome here on
West Main Street. Mr. Sullivan
suffered 30-stitch cuts in his face
when his autb struck a truck
parked on the Bethel-Greenville
Highway last Saturday evening.
Suffering a severe concussion and
terrible shock, Mrs. Sullivan was
reported greatly improved Thurs
day, she having regain conscious
ness the day before.
His skull fractured when a
truck driven by Frank Green
struck the car in which he was
riding at the intersection of U. S.
Highway 17 and the Bear Grass
Road last Saturday night, Master
Vernon Lee Harrison was report
ed much improved Thursday, the
little fellow, still weak and with
a taint smile, stating that he did
not hurt.
Mr. Johnnie Wynne, a second
victim in the intersection acci
dent which cc^t James Garland
Bailey his life, is still seeing the
world out of one eye, forty-seven
stitches and bandages over the re
mainder of his face and head
blocking his vision. He was sitting
up in bed Thursday noon and
plans to return to his home in
Bear Grass soon.
Suffering chest injuries, Mr.
Roland Harrison was also much
improved Thursday. It could not
be learned when he would be able
to return home.
Mrs. W. A. Bailey, driver of the
car struck by the truck and who
suffered painful back injuries, is
able to be up during brief periods,
Open Bank In Oak
City In Few Days
u ranted a charter early last
fall, the Kdgecomue Bang and
Trust Company of Tarboro will
open a branch in Oak City with
in the next few days, posisbly the
early part of next week, accord
ing to information received here
yesterday.
Alterations are being made to
the old Bank of Oak City build
ing, but there was some delay in
completing the work on account
of cold weather.
No cashier has been named for
the new branch, but the home in
stitution w ill, no doubt, send a re
presentative to handle the work
Continues To Improve In
Rocky Mount Hoapitul
Late reports state that Mr.
Wheeler Martin is recovering rap
idly from a heart attack suffered
in a Rocky Mount hospital last
Friday. The popular local citizen
was said to be unusually bright
and most cheerful.
Judge .Ml. Smith
Handles Only Six'
Cases This Week
—.—$
Fines Collected Amount To
Only $100 At Recent
Session
After establishing all-time
records in number of cases hand
led and in fines imposed, the Mar
tin County Recorder’s Court un
expectedly ran into a regular
summer slump right in January
last Monday. No definite explan
ation could be offered for the
drop in business, but it is possible
that crime activities were rained
out in the county during recent
days. Reports from county offic
ers, state patrol and local police
state that few persons were atv
rested in recent days, that the
crime front was unusually quiet
with one or two exceptions where
drunks with knives and steering
wheels in their hands set out to
commit murder and succeeded in
one case.
Only one case was continued at
the session this week, and few or
no cases were pending considera
tion in Judge Smith’s court.
Only two or three white spec
tators were in the court room and
very few colored citizens were
Present. Judge J. C. Smith
handled only six cases and com
pleted work for the day in a little
more than one hour. The number
of cases scheduled for trial was
the smallest since last summer.
Despite the few cases handled
during the day, the court impos
ed fines amounting to $100. Sev
eral road sentences were meted
out, the court suspending them on
certain conditions.
Proceedings:
Charged with assaulting a fe
male, Ed Burrington pleaded
guilty. He was fined $25 and re
quired to pay the court costs.
Facing a non-support charge,
Horace Latham tendered no plea.
Adjudged guilty he was sentenc
(Continued on page six)
Bishop Wright To
Visit In County
j The Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Wright,
DD., Bishop of the Diocese of East
Carolina, will make his annual
visitation to the parishes of Mar
tin County on Sunday, January
26, it was announced this week by
Rev. John W Hardy, local rector.
Bishop Wright will preach and
administrate the rite of confir
mation at the Church of the Ad
vent here at 11 o’clock that morn
ing and at 7:30 that evening in St.
Martin’s, Hamilton.
Bishop Wtight was elected in
May, 1045, to succeed the Rt. Rev.
Thomas C. Darst, retired. He was
consecrated in October of that
year in James Church, Wilming
ton, his home parish where he was
baptized, confirmed and ordained.
When he was elected bishop he
was rector at San Antonio, Texas.
The people of the two com
munities are invited to hear and
meet Bishop Wright during his
stay in the county.
THE RECORD
SPEAKS . . .
If the present trend is
maintained, 1947, will be the
bloodiest on Martin County
highways in the history of
modern transportation. An
other person was killed last
week and four were huit, one
of them critically. The pub
lic, while declaring that some
thing must be done about it,
has taken no definite action.
Safety leaders are looking to
the State Legislature to out
law rattletraps from the high
ways, invoke stringent driv
ers’ examinations, add to the
number of patrolmen and de
mand greater punishment of
traffic violations.
The following tabulations
offer a comparison of the ac
cident trend: first, by corres
ponding weeks in this year
and last and for each year to
the present time.
Third Week
Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge
1947 1 4 1 $ 259
194(1 2 1 0 475
Comparisons To Date
1947 8 8 2 1,675
1946 531 875
And Loan
1 “ *""i
Has Successful Year!
Stockholders Own
More Than 7,000
Shares Of Stock
-
Board Of Director* and Of
ficers Reelected at Meet
ing This Week
———«
Holding their annual meeting
in the courthouse here last Wed
nesday morning aU 11 o'clock,
stockholders of the Martin County
Building and Loan Association re
elected the old board of directors
and added an eleventh one and
praised the annual report filed by
the officers for the past year. Im
mediately following the stock
holders’ meeting, the board of di
rectors reelected the organiza
tion’s officers for another year
and named a special appraisal or
inspection committee.
The board of directors, includ
ing the newly elected member,
Mrs. Vella Andrews Wynne, is
composed of C. D. Carstarphen, C.
B. Clark, K. B. Crawford, N. C.
Green, J. E. King. W. C. Manning,
F. J. Mar.golis, Wheeler Martin,
Herbert Whitley and Jesse Whit
ley. No salaries are paid the di
rectors, but they are allowed $1
for each meeting. The officers
succeeding themselves are, C. D.
Carstprphen, president; N. C.
Green, vice president; Wheeler
Martin, secretary-attorney, and
Mrs. Vella A. Wynne, treasurer.
The salaries of the secretary and
treasurer were unchanged at $1,
200 and $1,800 respectively.
It was pointed out that the as
sociation had one of its most suc
cessful years In 1*146 when 1,375
shares of stock were issued. Six
ty-seven loans were advanced, in
cluding 42 for new construction
in the amount of $125,000, and 43
loans for additions, improvements !
and the purchase of homes in the
amount of $100,000.
At tlie close of business last
December 31, the association re
ported 7,260 shares of stock in
force, and reported net earnings
for the period in the sum of $22,
774.70. Undivided profits were
listed at $35,100.46, about $5,000
having been added to the amount
during 1046.
The association has 150 first
mortgage loans totaling $364,
086.73. There are 545 stockhold
ers, including 128 colored invest
ors. Of the 1,375 shares of stock
issued last year, 905 were of the
installment type.
In recognition of his .interest
and work in the association last
year, Mr. Wheeler Martin, the
secretary and attorney, was ex
tended by resolution unanimously
passed expressions of apprecia
tion. The resolution reads, in
part:
“Whereas, our Secretary,
Wheeler Martin, has been sick for
several weeks and is now in the
Park View Hospital in Rocky
Mount;
(Continued on page six)
-«
Father Of Local
Resident Passes
Mr. Dcrus Willium Knight, fa
ther of Mrs. C. G. Crockett, Jr.,
of Williamston, died last Monday
afternoon at his home in Rocky
Mount following a long period of
declining health. Mr. Knight, h7
years of age, was superintendent
of the Rocky Mount Mills for a
long number of years and vfas
prominent in manufacturing cir
cles in the South.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the home Wednesday aft
ernoon by Rev. J. K. Bostick,
Methodist minister, and inter
ment was in the Pineview Cem
etery, Rocky Mount.
Besides his daughter here he
is survived by ^Jrs. Knigiit; two
son, T. H. Knight of Miami, and
Braxton E. Knight of Atlanta; six
daughters, Misses Elizabeth and
Jessie Knight of Rocky Mount,
Mrs. Paul C. Dillon of Greens
boro, Mrs. R. F. Taft and Mrs. W.
L. Biggs of Miami, Mrs. F. M.
Harper of Rocky Mount; two
brothers, P. E. Knight of Rocky
Mount and R. H. Knight of Dur
ham, and a sister, Mrs. William
Honeycutt of Clinton.
I COMING TO COUNTY
V__ J
Rev. E. R. Stewart, promi
nent Baptist minister in the
Bertie field, recently accepted
a call from the Hamilton and
Everetts Baptist Churches in
this countv, and will enter
upon his new assignments the
first of next month.
Minister Accepts
Call To Churches j
In Martin County'
Rrv. K. K. Slrwarl Itr^ins
Pastorale* At Hamilton
Ami Everetts Soon
Ht'v. E. R. Stewart, concluding
a five-year pferiod of effective
work as pastor of the Green’s
Cross and Capehart Baptist
Churches in this county and plans
to enter upon his duties in the
'new field the first of next month.
Alterations are being made to
the home formerly occupied by
the Matthews on Main Street in
Hamilton and the minister will
move his family there just as soon
as the parsonage is made ready.
The dual pastorate was arrang
ed by the Hamilton and Everetts
congregations when the Rober
sonville church adopted a fu 11
tiem schedule for its pastor, a
short time ago.
The minister, the first resident
pastor for the Hamilton church
since the Rev. Mi-. West was there
about twenty years ago, is deliv
ering his la.,t sermons in the Ber
tie field next Sunday.
bi.a story announcing his resig
nation, the Bertie Windsor Ledg
er reviewed the minister’s record,
as follows:
“. . . He has served the four
churches, which have an aggre
gate membership of 1,320, for five
(Continued on page six)
Fix Bond
For Manslaughter
John Frank Green, colored man
charged with drunken and reck
less driving and manslaughter,
was released under bond in the
sum of $3,000 at a preliminary
hearing held before Justice of the
Peace Henry S. Everett in Hob
ersonville late Wednesday after
noon. Green is slated to face
trial in the Martin Superior Court
next March.
Operating a truck figuring in
an accident that cost James Gar
land Bailey, young Bear Grass
white man, his life early last Sat
urday evening, Green had been
ncld in the county jail since that
time.
Bond was denied Green for sev
eral days pending the outcome of
.eight-year-old Vernon Lee Har
rison's condition. Suffering a
fractured skull in Ihe accident
that coat Bailey- his life, the Har
rison lad is much improved in
the local hospital and his recov
ery is now expected, provided no
complications develop.
Action to release Green was
taken after a representative of
an insurance company came here
and made a preliminary investi
gation. No report on the insur
ance man’s findings could be had
and as far as it could bp learned
no settlements were mentioned or
effected.
W oeklv Smuihih^
1 H^\d tVities In
The Legislatun
Karly indications for i$rie
Session Said To Be
Fading Rapidly
Not.- This is the first of a seri(
of weekly summaries of the wor
o fthe 1947 Session of the Gener;
Assembly of North Carolina, th
first summary covering the fir:
ten days of the session. The:
summaries, prepared and release
by the Institute of Governmen
Chapel Hill, are not intended ;
a report upon all legislation, bt
are confined to discussions <
matters of general interest or i
major importance.
The speed with which the 19'
session of the General Asscmb
apparently organized itself ar
got ready to do business gave rii
to some faint hope that the obje'
tive of Senate Resolution 2 intr.
duced on the first day of the se
sion, “Providing for adjournmei
on Monday, March tenth, or
thousand nine hundred and fort
seven” (which would mean a r
markably short session of 53 lei
islative days as against 67 legisli
tive days in 1945), might be rea
ized or at least approached. Th
faint hope received a slight boo
when both House and Sena
committees were named on tl
second day, as against the sixt
and fifth days respectively j
j 1945, and when the major mont
: bills—the biennial appropriatioi
bill and the budget revenue bill
were introduced on the fifth di
as against the seventh day
1945. Also, the speed with whi<
other measures were being pr
sen ted lent some encouragemen
at the close of business on tl
ninth day, the Senate was exact
even with the last Senate on tl
I corresponding day of the last se
sion with 34 bills in the hoppe
while the house had outstrippf
its predecessor’s record by 50 bil
to the 1945 House’s 30.
The faint hope raised by the,
evidences of a business-like att
tude was quickly dispelled by tl
happenings .of the first few day
It soon became clear that the A
sembiy’s organization was a tecl
nical rather than a smooth
working on.', and that, while tl
seriousness of purpose of the ii
dividual members could not 1
doubted, the purposes being pu
sued so seriously were by i
(Continued on page six)
No One Injured
In Hoad Aecidei
MAR( II OF DIMES
Nil one WiiS inn 1 null luiiaiiiii
utile property damage result
about 7:00 o’clock Wednesd
evening when a 1037 model c
and a pick-up truck sideswip
each other on the Bear Gra
Bead near the Sam Mobley fan
Driving toward Bear Grai
Jack Williamson, 14, said he di'
mod the lights on the pick-t
truck twice, that Earl Rogei
driver of the car, did not dim h
and that lie was partly blind®
The front tire was torn from tl
truck, causing the youthful dri
cr to lose control of the machil
which swerved to the left ai
plowed into a barn. Damage
the truck was estimated at
Rogers also lost control of l
car and it plunged into a dit
and turned ovi : Damage to tl
car ti a/ estimated at about fjg
by Cpl. W T. Simpson who iml
the investigation.
The case is io be ailed in ti
courts next Monday.
The March of Dimes
in this county was
ed just about
plete on Thursday of
week by Chairman L.
Wynne. It was pointed
that 126 of the 404
contacted by direct
responded to the
contributed $643.
ceived from the
where the drive is
to receive a liberal
With all the
operating in the county*
in them this week,
man Wynne is
$2,120 goal will be