THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
* FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Bl
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME L—NUMBER 46
Williamalon, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday. June 10. 1017
ESTABLISHED 1899
Introduction Of
liial Telephones
A Attracts Crowds
—«—.
Event Tops List in Town's
Fortv-S jvent Years Of
"Phone History
Not since the la«° Kader Lilley
constructed a telephone line from
his rural home to the Coast Line
telegraph office here about half
a century ago has a milestone in
this section’s telephone history at
tracted more attention than Hid
the switch from the manual to the
dial system by the Carolina Tele
phone and Telegraph Company at
its exchange here last Thursday
night. Nearly 100 persons, in
cluding top ranking company of
ficials, employes and special
guests, crowded into the offices
to witness the history-making
event.
T e 1 e^p hone communications
have traveled a long way since
fif the old Willianiston Telephone
y Company was organized on July
27, 1900, with $800 capital stock.
Improvements were made at,
more or less, regular intervals
down through the years, but all
tne past progress was eclipsed
when the Carolina Company re
cently spent more than a quarter
million dollars—$275,000, accord
ing to official estimates—to give
Williamston one of the most mo
dern exchanges in the entire na
tion.
While the conversion to the dial
system last Thursday night held
the spotlight, the company, dur
ing the meantime, moved to give
this section extensive long dis
tance service by installing an ,
eight-position switchboard and
adding to its toll circuits. The
.....Jural system,. ..serving .approxi
mately 220 subscribers, is possibly
one of the most extensive in the
State. At the present time the
company is maintaining fifty toll
circuits directly from its local of
fice. including foui to Norfolk,
three to Raleigh, three to Rocky
Mount, three to Tarboro, three to
Robersonville, one to Greenville,
four to Washington, one to New
Bern, two to Elizabeth City, three
to Edenton, four to Ahoskie, two
to Hamilton, six to Plymouth, sev
en to Windsor and four to Colum
bia.
Williamston, recognized as one
of the main communications cen
ters in this section of the State, is
indeed fortunate in getting one of
the most modern exchanges in the
nation. Officials of the company
are pleased with the progress the :
exchange has made, and it was j
mutual pride that they, the em
ployees and special friends as
sembled for the history-making
• event last Thursday.
Among the company officials
and' employes attending the in
formal program were, J. R. Por
ter, board chairman; E. W. Olsch
ner, vice president and chief en
gineer; H. Dail Holderness, vice
president and secretary-treasurer;
J. T- Sadler, auditor; W. C. Dar
row, commercial and traffic man
ager; C. R. Jones, assistant chief
engineer, E. M. Friar, plant man
ager; W. W. Barrett, co-ordinator;
E. P. Kittinger, traffic engineer;
C. J. Logan, commercial engineer;
E. B. Fowlkes, purchasing agent;
W. B. Smith, engineer; Aaron
Smith, engineer; C. M. Burns and
A. N. Mason, maintenance; L. E.
Thompson, district plant manag
er; Biscoe Howell, Geo. Remmer,
J. S. Dorp, Leonard Raby, M. P.
(Continued on page three)
-»
Firemen Get Two
Calls Saturday
■ —»—
Following a fairly long period
of little activity, local volunteer
firemen were called out twice last
Saturday. .
The firemen were called to
Barney's Grill on Washington
Street at 12:15 that afternoon
when grease, spilled on the stove,,
caught fire. Very little damage
resulted and business operations
there were interrupted only for
a short time .
Believed to have been starter! ■
by prowlers, fire destroyed a
small tenant house just back of
the Dixie Peanut Company plant
y on Washington Street at 10:15 o’
clock last Saturday night. The '
house w'as not occupied and ihe j
fire gained much headway before
jt we* discovered. :
Promptly at 10:00 o’clock last Thursday evening, operators deserted the old switch
board in the local telephone exchange ancf took their seats at the new board where they
are pictured handling their first long distance calls following the conversion from the
manual to the dial system. Pictured above are (seated) Mrs. Thelma Caruso, Miss Dora
Twiddy, Mrs. Anna Elizabeth Perry, Misses Dorothy Umphlett and B. Cherry; (stand
ing) Miss Helen Stapleford and Mrs. Margaret Cone, supervisors.
Make Switch To Dial
Here Without Hitch
KOI MI-UP
j
Local and county officers
had a busy period last week
end when they rounded up
and jailed fourteen alleged
violators of law and order.
Eight of the fourteen were
placr n fhe jail on Satur
day.
Ten of the fourteen were
booked for public drunken
ness, and one each for lar
ceny, forgery, investigation
and the fourteenth was taken
in(o custody to serve on old
sentence.
Four of the ten were white
and the ages of the group
ranged from lfi to 35 years.
No Developments
In Attack Case
—\—
After extending their search
over a fairly wide section, and
after questioning scores of per
sons. officers are believed to have
made very little progress in solv
ing the case growing out of the
attacks on Miss Louise Corey, lo
cal young girl, on South Hough
ton Street here on the night of
Saturday, May 31.
Several additional suspects
have been detained and question
ed during the past several days,
but nothing tangible has been
learned from any of them, it was
skid.
Special Agent Guy Scott, cf the
State Bureau of Investigation,
who has been here for almost a
week at the request of the attack
victim's father and who was as
signed to the case at the direction
of Governor R. G. Cherry, con
tinues at work, and local and
county officers are assisting him
in every way possible. It could
not bo learned how much longer
the agent would work on the as
signment, but he plans to be here
as long us he thinks it necessary.
It is possible that he will with
draw from the case shortly but
for a short time only.
-*
Local Young Man Gets
His Degree At Slule
T. Stuart Cr tcher, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Titus Critcher of Wil
liamston, was graduated with
honors at State College, Raleigh
yesterday.
During the year just ended,1
the graduate, a student in Wjld- j
life Conservation and Manage-;
ment, was president of the Wild
life Club, a, member of the Ag
Club, the Zoology Honor Com
mittee, Alpha Zeta, and Alpha
Gamma Rho, and an honorary
member of the Forestry Club.
With the old sheepskin ready
for the frame, the young n^ar.
reported today to White Lake
where he will w'ork with the
Wildlife and Conservation Serv-!
ice in making a survey of streams j
in that section.
Operators Desert
Manual Board At
Designated Hour
—®—
l*ortt*r In Talk (omnicmor
«iti 11*4 Historic Kvcut In
Fiiii’ii! System
-*d—
A new chapter in this section's
communications system was re
corded in the local offices of the
Carolina Telephone and Tele
graph Company here last Thurs
day evening when a switch from
the manual to the automatic sys
I tem was effected, an informal but
very fitting program marking the
history making event.
Mr, Carter Durrow, traffic man
ager for the company, was in
charge of the brief ceremony, and
| he introduced Mr. J. H Porter,
chairman of the company’s board
of directors, who briefly address
ed company employees, officials
and a few special guests.
•Vi art here to cut over from
the manual to the dial system.”
Mr. Porter said after a casual
fashion, explaining that it had
b< en his pleasure to officiate at
an informal program marking the
switch from the old magneto to
the common battery system fol
lowing the purchase of the old
Williamston Telephone Company
in January, 1926, from the late W.
C. Manning. Pausing briefly, Mr.
Porter paid tribute to the former
owner-operator of the system
here, referring to him as one of
the finest men he ever did busi
ness with. "He lived right, and
he did right in h'is business deal
ings. and I enjoyed my relations
with him before and after the
purchase of the local system,” the
official said.
The speaker then paid fitting
tribute to the personnel annexed
with the purchase of the loga] ex
change, referring mainly to Miss
Clyde Hassell, now retired, and to
Mrs. Lucy Mobley, and Mrs. J. A.
Leggett, present employees of the
company. "1 have said that the
personnel of the old company was
worth every cent we paid for the |
property. They have stayed by
their jobs all these years, and we
appreciate it,” he told the group
gathered in the new long distance
operating room.
‘‘For the past several years we
have operated under difficulties, i
(Continued on page five) I
-*
Holding Bible School
In Cedar Branch Church
-*
The Cedar Branch Baptist !
daily vacation Bible, school was
opened yesterday afternoon >t
2:00 o’clock with Mrs. Wendell
Modlin in charge. A goodly num
ber of co-workers are assisting
Mrs. Modlin in conducting the
classes which are being held each
afternoon this week from 2:00 to
4:00 o'clock. Plans for the com
mencement Sunday will be an
nounced later, the pastor, Rev.
W. B. Harrington, said.
Leamon Hopkins
Dies In County
Joseph Lramon Hopkins, retir
ed farmer, died at his home near
Everetts last Saturday evening at
6:45 o’clock. Suffering a stroke
some years ago, he had been in
declining health, but his condition
was not considered serious until
about two weeks ago.
A native of Washington County,
he moved with his parents to
Griffins Township when quite
voung. Following his marriage in
1013 to Miss Nora Bennett he had
! made his home near Williamstoii
up until about two yeai s ago when
he located on a farm near Ever
etts.
He was a member of the Rid
dick's Grove Baptist Church and
| his pastor. Rev. W. B. Harringtjpn
I conducted the last rites at the
home Monday afternoon at 3:00
I o’clock. Interment was in Wil
liamston’s Wood lawn Cemetery.
Surviving are his widow; three
daughters, Mrs. Lester T. Cherry
of Albany, N. Y., Mrs. J. R. Law
rence of Supply, and Mrs. Hansel
Lower of Phoebus, Va.; two sis
ters, Mrs. Wilson Holliday of \
Roanoke Rapids, and Mrs. Wilson
Rogerson of An lander, and sever
al grandchildren.
Principal Named
For Bear Grass
—■»—
H. V. Parker, Jr., of Murfrees
boro, has been elected to the prin
cipalship of the Bear Gl ass School
to succeed Professor Chas. A.
Hough, resigned, it was announc
ed by Mr. E. C. Harrison, chair
man of the loqal committee, last
week-end.
Mr. Parker, a World War II vet
eran, has had two years’ experi
ence in the teaching profession,
one at Ahoskie and one at Mars
Hill in Bertie County, lie plans
to move bis family, wife and two
children, to Bear Grass later in
the summer.
Reports state that there are
several openings in the elemen- 1
tary department of the school, and
that all the teachers in the high i
school had resigned. Applications
are be ing considered, but. no elec- 1
tions have been effected, it was
explained.
Fire Department
■' ricmm's hesi^n
o
Effective June 30
Not (.eilain of Thrir Stains
As Km ploy rs. Firenien
Comply W itli Order
Not certain of their status as
employees of the town and in
keeping with a recent order of the
local board of commissioners,
calling for the resignation of all
town employees, members of the
local fire department last evening
tendered their resignations as of
June 30.
In submitting their resigna
tions the firemen explained that j
they were not certain if they were j
recognized as paid employees, or
were overpaid or underpaid, that
to eliminate any doubt they were
complying with the board order
calling for wholesale resignations
in all town departments. The
firemen, signing the formal resig
nation in a block, said they were
tendering their resignations with
the assurance that they would be
glad to abide by the wishes of th ■
board. In other words, the fire
men said they were willing to
step out lor replacements or con
tinue at their posts if they could
be of further service.
Individually, several officials
have expressed the opinion that
the order was not applicable to
the firemen, and it isn’t consider- I
ed likely that the resignations j
will be accepted. It was pointed)
out at the meeting last evening, j
however, that by taking the at- j
lion the firemen would give the!
otlicials an Opportunity to accept
or reject any or all applications. j
It could not he learned how [
many of the various department j
employees had , Icndei ed their i
resignations, but il Ik mg Mi*"'
mured that seme changes in per
sonnel could be expected. How
ever, no wholesale changes are
anticipated in any of the depart
ments. A meeting of the town
board will be held next Monday
evening at 8:00 o’clock and it is
likely that some changes in the
personnel will be announced soon
thereafter.
Moils Consider
Carnival Offers;
—«—
The regular monthly meeting of 1
the Board of Directors of the lead !
Dions Club war. held at “The
Switch last 'Thursday evening,
when Lions K. D. Worrell and
Claude ,1. Goodman entertained
the group with a steak .supper.
Following the meal, the busi
ness session was held, with Presi
dent H. P. Mobley presiding.
Among the items of business dis
cussed were the reports on the
cost of construction of the grand
stand at tiic1 local ball park. It
was reported that a total of
$1368.04 had been spent for this
structure, and this figure does not
include the work done by the
Lions themselves.
Also discussed were offers from
three carnivals Ihat want to bring
their shows here this fall for the
Lion's third annual Harvest Fes
tival. Action was delayed on this
matter. ^
'1 hose attending the meeting
were Lions II. P. Mobley, K. D.
Worrell, C. .1. Goodman, W. C.
Griffin, W M. Baker, I) V. Clay
ton, Homer Barnhill, K. M. Tra
Tey. Geo. II. Guiganus and John 1
H. Edwards.
Seventy- Year-Old Farmer
Has Unique Health Record
It. C. Brown, Martin County
farmer observing his seventieth
birthday last Sunday, pointed out
to friends one of the most unusual
health records in tins county’s
medical annals.
Married fifty years ago, the
30th of this month, Mr. Brown
said that he and Mrs. Brown had
reared eight children, that he
never had the first doctor’s bill.
Wlule lie explained that there had
been tome illness such as the
minor contagious diseases and
Limes when he did not feel so
well, lie had never found it neces
sary to summon a physician to
render medical aid.
Commenting briefly on other
aUbjccU, the builder of tilt unique
I health record said that lie raised
no tobacco on his farm in Goose
Nest Township and declared that
he was never broke during the
| depression when tobacco formers
j were losing their shirts back in
I 102<J and again in the early thir
ties. "Jt ju-l goes to show that
| a farmer can live without raising
tobacco,” a friend added,
j Purchasing Hay’s Camp at
I Gardner’s Creek sorin' time ago
j from Mr. ,J D. Ray, the farmer
I went there Sunday to spend the
i day and observe his birthday an
niversary after a quiet fashion.
| He talked with many friends and
j acquaintances during the day and
jail nf them wished him many
lhappy re.tuiria ot tile day.
1
I'lV
• •
l ax Rate At $1.05
$83,325 Exclusive
Of County Schools
Income Ollier Than From
(General Taxation To Fi
nanee General Fund
Martin County's 1947-48 tax
rate was tentatively fixed at $1.05
by the board of commissioners in
special session here last Friday
morning. While the rate remains
unchanged, there is a general in
crease in departmental costs
which are being offset by a fairly
large gain in taxable property
volues and estimated gains in rev
enues other than that raised by
general taxation.
Discussing the budget until the
noon hour, the commissioners lop
ped seven cents off the over-all
rate when they estimated that
outside revenue—income from
sources other than general taxa
tion— would finance the general
county operations,- including ad
ministration and current operat
ing costs. The authorities estimate
that $101 240 will be required to
finance the general county fund,
that ordinarily a rate of seven
cents on the $100 property valua
tion would be necessary to fi
nance it. But, according to esti
mates, "outside” revenue will
amount to $108,525.00, leaving
over $5,000 to apply to costs in
other departments. This outside
revenue, it was pointed out, in
erndes t he fdvkrwing- rtcre.chy.t
ole B licenses, $500; beer licenses,
$1,500; piccolo licenses, $125;
superior Court costs, $1,000; re
corder's court costs, $7,000; clerk
fees. $2,300; sheriff’s fees, $1,800;
register of deeds lees, $4,800; tax
collector's fees, $5,800; tax penal
ties, $500; board of elections $150;
board, jail prisoners, $150; in
tangible taxes, $1,000; alcoholic
beverages board profits, $80,000,
and miscellaneous, $200, a total of
$106,525.00.
The iatc for tin poor fund was
decreased one tenth ot one cent to
three cents, the commissioners es
timating that $6,204 would be
needed to finance operations for
the poor.
The health levy, calling for $1 f,
100, was increased two-tenths of
a cent and now stands at $.067.
Debt service, costing $50,406 for
the new fiscal year, calls for a
rate of 26 cents, a figure four and
five-tenths cents below the old
levy. Old age pensions, costing
thi' county $11,700, call for a 7
rent rate compared with a 5-eent
rate levied in 1046-47. A three
rent rate is to be levied to raise
$4,860 for aid to dependent chil
iren, the figure jumping from one
ind five-tenths cents. Welfare
idministration, costing right at
$ 1.000 per month, calls for a rate
if four and four-tenths cents, an
ncreuse of nine-tenths of one cent
>ver the current figure. The
■ounty is to be refunded- a por
ion of the administration cost.
Other than the schools which
■all for a 55-cent rate, the county
s to operate on a 50-eent levy
luring the new fiscal year. The
'igurcs are based on an estimated
iroperty valuation of $17,500,000.
(Continued on page eight)
Four Marriage
Licenses Issued
—«.—
Paying little more than casual
attention in recent years to June
as a month for operations, Cupid
got down to business in this coun
ty last month and indications now
point to a record number of June
brides.
Four licenses were issued to
white couples by Register J. Sam
Clelsinger last week-end. the av
erage holding to almost two a day j
so far. Licenses were issued last!
week-end to, Robert Worsley
James and Mamie Elizabeth Keel,1
both of Roberson ville; Francis,
Biggs Howard and Bettie Zereela
Liggett, both of Wiiliamston; Ed- ;
ward Ashley Roberson and Joyce ;
Gained’ Keel, both of Roberson- i
ville; Leroy Mobley of Williams- i
Lon and ELio Lpeiler of Windsor, i
CLINICS
Vi
More than 5,000 persons
have been given protection
against typhoid fever in the
county during the past few
weeks, and an additional !{,
000 or more are expected to
get the protection before the
special dispensaries are clos
ed, the health officer said.
A clinic will be held in
Hamilton on Friday morning
of this week and on Friday
morning of next week. A
clinic also will be held in
Hassell Friday morning of
this week at 11 o'clock, and
at Jamesville next Monday
morning. After that time,
the protection will be offer
ed at the established clinics,
including the one at Kober
sonville each Wednesday and
at Williamston each Saturday
morning.
Layman Talks To
Prisoners In Jail
Making his annual visit in this
section last week, John W. Bar
tram, Episcopal layman of Fitz
gerald Georgia, "broke'' into the
county jail and propounded the
principles of religion. Only a few
prisoners were there to greet the
religious leader who has visited
jails and prisons all the way from
Florida to Virginia for the past
thirty-two years.
Foiced olt tir»v"fitgjr*rfrr~M^fV
his old ear and trailer by gas and
lire shortages during the war, he
continues to travel by bus. and de
spite his 72 years he is holding up
well.
Depending on voluntary; contri
butions to finance his missions,
Mr. Bartram says the going is
tough at times, but he believes he
j is accomplishing something, and
declares that much work needs to
be done. He lias pleaded with
| youth in jail, pointing out that
tens of thousands of them are be
ing held and that their parents
don't seem to care. ‘‘We must
wake up and change our ways or
we are all going to hell,” the lay
had two converts in this State
who are carrying on the work.
Both of them were drunk and
! down and out when he helped
i pick them up in jail and .started
them on the road in the service of
the Master.
To Retain County
In a recent meeting, the Martin
County Health Department pass
ed a resolution calling for the
continuance of a county milk or
dinance requiring all milk sold
commercially be of Grade A. Con
siderable trouble has been had
with milk regulations in some sec- !
tions of the State, hut wholesal
ers are cooperating with the
health department in this county,
it was pointed out.
The department also passed a
resolution requiring all teachers
in this county, both white and col
ored, to submit a film of their
chests before the opening of
school next fall. The film will be
handled without cost to the teach
ers in cooperation with the TB
Association and the Health De
partment.
Miss Mary L. Taylor, former
nurse with the department, will
resume her old duties some time
in August after a leave of absence j
spent in the LI. S. Army Nurse
Corps in Germany.
Mrs. Sarah DeCato, department
nurse, is spending a month in a
nurse’s training school in Golds-j i
boro.
Describes Comliliou
Of Ilia Tobacco Crop i
Describing the condition of his ;
obacco crop, Farmer Don John- t
;un of Poplar Point said this j
norning, "We have about two- \
birds of a stand, and it ranges ;1
n height from a doole bug hill J t
o al)i u! two indies it louliu bud." 11
. *
Friday Evening:
I ^ o
Committer To Name Chair*
iiini For Various Posi
tions; Reports Hi uril
Meeting in the courthouse last
Friday evening, members of the
Martin County Red Cross Chap
ter executive committee and sev
eral fund drive leaders reviewed
the work handled by the organi
zation during the past year and
heard various departmental
heads submit their reports.
Recognizing the need for work
in water safety and production,
for the world’s needy and pre
paredness for the proper hand
ling of emergencies in case of dis
aster. the group named Mesdames
l). V. Brown and S. H. Grimes
and Mr C. B. Clark, Jr., to get
chairmen for the three depart
ments. The chapter organization
hopes to be able to offer courses
in life saving, to maintain an ac
tive production unit for the
needy, and Rave u chairman ready
to act in case of tornado, flood
or other disasters.
Reviewing the work handled by
the Junior Red Cross. Mrs. D. V.
Biown, who organized the work
and who made splendid progress
with the young people during the
first year of organization, stated
that 2,191 children were enrolled
that they had made and shipped
41) gift boxes containing 940 ar
ticles to needy children in war
torn countries. An additional
fifty gift boxes arc to be shipped,
Mrs. Brown said. The chairman
of the Junior organization stated
that the treasu.v had a balance of
$256.43 and planned to send two
'iKfcfttfccrs-to : t jri
Covington. Ga.
Although the organization is in
its first year, the juniors showed
much interest in its activities.
Farm Life led the chapter ill
membership and proportionately
prepared more of the gift boxes
than those of any other school.
Bear Grass was second, while lit
tel interest was shown by the
young people in Williamston.
Treasurer Herman Bowen stat
ed that the Red Cross, exclusive
of the Junior organization, rais
ed $3,2('ti.03 in the last fund drive,
that aproximately 4U percent of
that amount got-to th«~RSticr.al
Ui MUili z'.mtil mV.
, head of home service work, re
viewed the work ol her depart
ment, explaining that approxi
mately 70 eases were being
handled each month, most of them
for war veterans. Nearly $400
had been contributed to worthy
cases and quite a few veterans,
experiencing adverse conditions,
had been aided with transporta
tion and similar expenses. Miss
Chloi is Kellum, home service
field worker who attended the
meeting with Miss Janet Cox,
field representative, explained
that the funds were held in trust
for the public, that while the or
ganization was ready and willing
to help in any emergency, its
leaders must be certain that the
professional beggar and unworthy
eases do not share in the funds
contributed by a generous public.
Mrs. Joint W. Hardy, chairman
of the local chapter, presided over
the meeting.
Fund Drive Chairman C. B.
Cl.uk, Ji , briefly discussed tho
last drive and expressed his ap
preciation to all those who made
the canvass and those who sup
ported it. Bear Grass was repre
sented along with Williamston,
but no other districts sent dele
gates to the meeting.
Crowds Attend
(Jiureh Meeting
Opening a series of rev ival sor«
vices in the West End Baptist
Church last Sunday morning.
Rev. C W. Bur emot e. home mis
don director for tire Roanoke Dis«
rut, is being heard by large eon.
^legations. Services are being
teld each evening at 8:00 o'clock
tnd tIk? meeting will be brought
u a dose next Sunday evening.
The new church at West End
vas just recently completed and
he pastor. Rev. W. B. Harrington,
mid the first preaching sen tee
here ju the attvruogu of Juiic i.