THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE
| OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME L—INUMBER CO
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, August 19, 1947
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT1
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
ESTABLISHED 1899
Williamston Tobacco Market Ready For Opening August 25th
Several Highway
Wrecks Reported
In Martin County
Several Persons Have Very
Narrow Escapes: l)ani- _
age Reasonably Light
One person was badly hurt and
several others remarkably escap
ed with their lives in a series of
automobile accidents reported on
the highways in this county last
week-end. P. operty damage was
described by Patrolman W. E.
Saunders as reasonably light.
The first in the series of wrecks
was reported on the Bear Grass
Greenville road last Saturday
morning when Jimmy Mitchell
lost contre if his 1940 Mercury
tp a cun n the first road and
Ipped away about twenty feet of
wire fenci..g. No one was hurt
and dame"" was slight, according
to Patrol”- i Saunders who made
the investigation.
Driving l>etween Everetts and
Roberso le during the heavy
rain last Sunday evening at 8:30
o’clock. Raymond Purvis of Has
seir lost '-ntifrol (if h>s 1938 Chev
r ..I and the rep- —J -'-^ded and
crashed into a 1947 Buick being
driven by Ernest R. Swain. 508
Milton Avenue. Durham. Purvis
rgn oil tne road and wm.. ....
i Swam.
i' Km wc».
continue Monday morning after
cryprt'linrr p;r»W. * i o \|f. 1 1 - w>.
ton hotel. Damage to the Buick
was estimated at $150 and that iu
the Chevrolet at $50.
L,asl Sunday morning at 2:0u
in wao uriving
home on the Washington highway
when his car was sideswiped by
another driven by Jesse Blan 1 of
nr;. RobersonvilU- T .• Bland < ar
’did not stop and Griffin turned
around and trailed it for about
three miles before overtaking
Bland and his companion, S. T.
Brown. The two men stopped, got
'mi ripped off the state license
tag, got back into the car and con
tinued. Griffin continued to fol
low them until they reached Ply
mouth where Bland was reported
to have been arrested and charg
ed with drunken driving.
Investgiating the minor acci
dent about five miles out on the
Washington highway, Patrolman
W. E. Saunders yesterday lodged
a hit-and-run charge against
(Continued on page eight)
Bijr Rain Falls
In Area Sunday
n
One of the largest rains falling
in this section in several months
was reported last Sunday evening.
Hugh Spruill, keeper of the of
ficial gauge at the river here, said
that 262 inches of rain fell In a
little over two hours. The rain
was nine-hundredths of an inch
greater than the fall reported last
July 8 and boosted the total pre
cipitation for the first eighteen
days of August to 4.32 inches.
Traffic was blocked on the
highways by the heavy downpour
and water covered the highways
in places. About twelve inches of
water stood on Church Street
here for an hour or more and of
fices back of the Davis Pharmacy
were flooded.
ROUND-UP
v_. .
j Even though there were
eleven persons arrested and
placed in the county jail, of
ficers declared that last week
end was an unusually quiet
one. Peace and quiet, for the
most part, accompanied a de
crease in liquor sales, the lo
cal store reporting a fairly
sizable reduction in sales last
Friday afternoon.
Eight of the eleven persons
*4 jailed were charged with pub
lic drunkenness, one each
with larceny, assault and for-,
gery. Two were white and
(he ages of the eleven ranged
from a low of 18 to 51 years.
Operators Of 1 he PIcinters A nd Roanoke - Dix ie Warehouses
Adding two new and hustling members to the operating person
nel, the Planters and Roaoke-Dixie Warehouses here are in perfect line
for a great marketing season beginning next Monday. Pictured above,
left to right, are the operators of the two large warehouses: J. Edward
Corey, Carlyle Langley, Urbin and J. Rossell Rogers, the new firm mem
bers, and John Gurkin. These men have enlarged the Roanoke-Dixie
Warehouse this year and are ready ^ind prepared to serve an ever-in
creasing patronage.
Operators Of The Carolina
And Farmers Warehouses
Kelurning to the helm at their same old stands,
operators of the Carolina and Farmers Warehouses are all
set for the opening of the 1947 tobacco marketing season
next Monday. Pictured above are Hit
'•!' the two large house Jett right, S. Cke(L Griffin
Leman Barnhill, Elmo Lilley and Jimmy Taylor.
opera tors-ow tiers
Officers Raid
County Stills
——
Assisted by federal agents
working out of Elizabeth City,
County ABC Officer J. H. Roe
buck and Deputy Roy Peel wreck
ed two stills last Friday.
The first cf the two illicit dis
tilleries, a 200-gallon capacity
submarine type still, was wrecked
along the Griffins Tuwnshiy
Beaufort County boundary. The
officers poured out 500 gallons of
sugar beer.
The second plant, a 250-gallon
capacity copper kettle and three
fermenters, was torn down in
Bear Grass Township where the
officers poured out 100 gallons of
sugar beer.
---
Mr. I\. T. Tier Continues
Quite III At His Home
Suffering a relapse last Satur
day, Mr. N. T. Tice, well-known
farmer and citizen of Griffins
Township, continues quite ill at
his home there, according to last
reports reaching here. His condi -
tion, serious for some time, was
said to be gradually weakening.
Principals Hold
County Meeting
•
Principals oi Martin County
Elementary and High Schools
j met in the commissioners' room
in the courthouse on Wednesday,
August 13, to discusse and plan
for the administration of tin.' j
I schools during the 1947-1948
school term. Superintendent J.
C. Manning presided.
The morning session included
informal discussions of state re
gulations regarding textbooks,
transportation, attendance, in
structional suplies, statistical re
ports. health, state and local bud
gets, the status of teachers, and
the instructional program of the
elementary school.
During the afternoon session
principals of the high school.-; dis
cussed problems more directly af
fecting the high schools. Uniform
ity of policies and practices and
the raising of standards in the in
strutcional program in both ele
mentary and high schools were
named us outstanding needs. |
Plans for attempting to meet I
(Continued on page eight)
Hog Thieves Strike Again
In County Friday Evening
' *
Striking for the sixth or sev
enth time in this county during
recent weeks, hog thieves killed
and carried away several pigs
from Farmer A. Z. Clark's pas
ture just off U. S. Highway 64 j
near Robersonville sometime dur
ing last Friday night.
Employing unusually brutal 1
tactics, the thieves an believed to
have killed and carried away four' j
pigs, each weighing around 125
pounds. -Another pig was attack
ed and left half alive with his *
back split open. The raid, hand
led in about the same fashion
other recent raids were handled,
was the sixth reported along U. S.
Highway 64. officers stating that j
one or two other hog thefts had I
been repot ted in other sections of i
the county in the past two weeks.
Operating with a car or pick-up
tiuck, the thieves apparently
knock the pigs in the head with
an axe, load them on their vehicle
and carry them to a secret place
where they are prepared either
for market or home consumption.
Usually selecting hogs of a certain
size, the thieves are believed to
be making barbecue out of them.
Officers have spent consider
able time working on the thefts,
but they admitted this week that
they have been unable so far to
establish a definite lead in any of
them. During the meantime more
farmers are moving their hogs
from roadside pastures, but quite
a few do not find moving prac
ticable. t
To Discuss Diulgei
At Public* Hearing
SUPKRVISOR
John A. Manning, well- |
known to thousands of farm- |
ers in this and adjoining
counties, is supervising sales
on the Williamston Tobacco
Market this season. A farm- 1
er and a man who has proven i
in past years that he is a far
mer’s friend, Mr. Manning is
certain to play a big part in 1
building up the market and
working for the advantage of
its patrons. J
Tobacco Horn limns
In Hriffins Toun shift ,
-*- l
A log tobacco barn, belonging
to Lula Corey, burned in Grif
fins Township last week.
Equipped with regular furnaces
and fired by wood, the barn is the |
tenth to burn in this county so far j
during the current season. It was j
the fii'st barn loss reported in
Griffins this season.
Farmers are asked to report |
barn losses to the office ol the!
county agent.
Conditions (all
For An Increase
In Tax Revenues
—•—
Culilir Invilnl To Discim*
Various Clans fur \<l«l
iiijg lo Income
A $32,000 rush balance mat
u dally reduced by costs for two
lew wells and with an urgent
ieiH foi a new and larger water
storage tank, Williamston’s town
juthorities in special meeting last
rhursday night discussed every
ivailable revenue source, but de
aycd final rate action pending the
folding of a public heat mg for a
iiscussion of the various plans
imposed foi raising badly needed
evenue
The hearing will be held at a
ipecial meeting ol the commis
uoners on Wednesday evening,
\ugusl 27, at H:00 o'clock, and the
lublic is invited to attend and dis
•uss the problem and offer sug
jestions.
Budget figures, amounting to
ipproximately $115,000 for the
:urrent fiscal year, have been
rimmed “to the bone,” Mayor
tobcrt (.’owen explains. The e.sti
nate, as it now stands will wipe
mt a $0,000 casji balance and does
lot take into consideration any
xpansion projects of the cost of a
lew and larger watei tank now
>adly needed.
The officials discussed several
darn- for raising the badly needed
cvenue, but decided to hear fiom
my citizens who desire to be
leard before taking final action,
ooking to the adoption of the new
ludget.
One of the plans calls for the
ntroduction of schedule B licens
es or privilege taxes on a town- ]
(Continued on page eight) |
David Etheridge
Died At Home In
County Sunday
-» . .
■ ’ i f • r> i . » I
lUikiuliiv r<u* Ih'Miuineiit I
Farmer-Citizen i
Martin County
died :it Ins h"niP
day morning at
lowing months
citizen-farmer,
noar Sinn
35 -./clock fol
of declining |
health Vi'ff'-ring a stroke of i
Pciiui.yais uouui a year ago, Mr. |
PthiTutar had Ih'imi mi invanrl l
IB—W—. JK ‘ ,
he VIIi fl>i short Until !
about ten days ago when he was J
stricken with pneumonia. His ]
condition had been critical since
that time and the end was not un
A native of Mai tin County, Mr.
Etheridge v.C2 y— «Jd. lie
was born near Hassell and lived
and farmed in that section all his
lit*. He was a successful farmer
and a leading citizen in his com
munity, liberally supporting !
worthy ideals and undertakings.
He was first married to Miss
Lucy Rawls, and four sons, J. D.,
T E., J. C. and W. J. Etheridge,
all of Hassell, and three daugh
ters, Mrs. I. W. Woolard of Wil
son, Mrs. L. A. McLawhorn of
Bethel, and Miss Hazel Steen
Etheridge of Hassell, survive the
union. Alsq surviving are three
sisters, Mrs, J. T. Savage of Col
umbia, S. C., Mrs. Earl D. Wil
liams of Palmyra and Mrs. Lewis
Strickland, Sr., of Scotland Neck,
anti one brother, K. B. Etheridge
of Hamilton and eleven grand
children. llis second marriage
W'as to Mis. Hattie Bailey of Rob
ei sonville.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the home Monday afternoon
at 3:30 o’clock by Rev. Jas. M
Perry, Robersonville minister, and
Rev. E. A. Purvis, Gold Point
pastor. Interment was in the
Hamilton Cemetery.
Changes Announced
In Market Personnel
vm.coMi:
V---*
Extending a welcome to the
farmers r>f this section to
market their tobacco in YVil
tiamston, Mayor Hobcrt Cow
en said today:
"Once again the combined
citizenry of YVilliamston takes
great pleasure in welcoming
farmers. tobacconists and
other friends to the town.
“For 15 consecutive years,
our tobacco market has serv
ed the farmers of this section,
and it is with pleasure that I
point out that at no time has
more been done by the mar
ket operators to prepare for
a great marketing season.
“With the knowledge that
YVilliamston has comparable
advantages to offer, I earnest
ly solicit, on behalf of ware
housemen and all the citizens,
the continued patronage of
the farmers, not only during
the approaching tobacco seas
on, biu in all seasons for years
1
misneLs lit Lorn
A huge storage house and ion
tents, value:! at more than $25.
000, were destroyed by fire at
AbbOt’:; Mill on the Hamilton
afternoon at 2:30 o’clock.
Believed to have by
spontaneous combustion, the fire
had gained consldoiable headway
before it was discovered and an
alarm could be sounded. Answer
ing the call, Williamston volun
teer firemen pumped water from
the millpond for about two hours
trying to save 6,000 bushels ot
corn, approximately 4,000 sticks
of cured tobacco, several new ma
chines, feed and fertilizer. At
one time the fire was so hot that
it was dangerous for traffic to
pass on the highway. Fire-fight
ing was interrupted several times
when the hose lines were dragged
across the highway to permit tral
lie, lined up for considerable dis
tances each way, to pass.
The six thousand bushels of
corn were valued at $2.35 a
bushel, or $14,100. No definite
value could lie placed on the ap
proximately 4,000 sticks of tobac
co, but the owner said that it was
of good quality and possibly was
worth $2,000. Several machines,
including a corn shelter used in
the storage house, and several
new feed mill machines bought
(Continued on page eight)
To Adopt New System For
Marketing Tobacco Here
■ — ■ *
Acting to offer the farmer a bet
ter plan for marketing his tobac
co, Williamston warehousemen
have completed arrangements for
“booking” tobacco this season.
Heretofore, the farmer found it
necessary to place his tobacco on
the floor us the space was made
available, and there were periods
during the peak of the marketing
season that the leaf remained on
the warehouse floors as long us a
week or more. Much tobacco was
damaged during the long wait, it
was pointed out The plan of first
come, first served aggravated ex
isting confusion and the farmer,
felt that he must go ahead and
place las tobacco on the floor even
though he knew it would be sev
eral days or a week before it!
could be sold.
Under the new plan, the ware
housemen will book space in old
er applications arc received. The
farmer contacts the warehouse
man and advises him that lit has
so many piles of tobacco for sale.
The space is allotted and a dead
line will be set with the farmer.
ft is possible that the new plan
has its drawbacks, but it will cer
tainly work to the advantage of
the farmer, eliminating the possi
bility that the tobacco will dam
age.
The warehousemen are plan
ning to start today booking to
bacco for the early sales next
week, and they earnestly solicit
the cooperation of the farmers in
making the plan work and work
to the mutual advantage of all.
Tobacco may be booked by tele
phone or directly with the ware
housemen, reports today stating
that a fairly sizable amount had
already been booked for the open
ing sales ue.\t Monday.
<9 -«
'Additional Floor
! Spare Available
On Local Market
I Itrollw-rs Succeed
ilia KiIiiioikIsoii at Plant
ers, Koanoke-Dixie
Irrespective of factors outside
their domain, operators of Wil
liamston’s Tobacco Market have
completed all arrangements and
are ready for a successful market
ing season, beginning next Mon
day. Considerable floor space has
been added to the facilities and
two hustling young men have
joined the operating personnel,
giving the market the strongest
I leadership it has ever had. The
two firms, operating four of the
largest houses in this section,
have been unusually busy for
weeks, handling every detail look
ing forward to the successful op
eration of the market and to the
advantage of its oatrnm- a
|corps of buyers is coming to the
iu.hu m nandic the dC‘
An important change in the op
erating personnel was announced
ahui i time ago vtutii ,.tes. v-,
uii'i tl 1*1 si i- kiss ■■■“i '
,uiu weii-kiU'wn larmeis anti citi
i/.ens in this section, purchased the
mti'imt ,,f n,.K r,n,:.„:i,.un in the
i , ;
i a l, .1 . • - same hum ago
Ion account of declining health.
The firm Messrs Johnny Gur
! kin, Carlyle Langley, J Edward
Corey and the lingers Hrothers
| ji.ot i iXt.' 11.. ac'di -i ’ J.UOO - e
| feet to the Roanoke-Dixie house,
making it one of the largest here.
Taking their saw and hammers,
the owners have worked long
I hours for weeks to get the addi
! tion completed and other arrange
ments handled for the opening.
These men need no introduction
to the farmers of this section of
the State. They are not content
to rest upon their past laurels, but
pledge their renewed efforts in
providing a good market for the
I farmers.
(Continued on page three)
-&
No Developments
On Labor Front
—•—
A work stoppage, climaxing a
j union organization drive here, en
f tered its second week today at the
plant of the Williamston Package
Manufacturing Company. All has
been quiet in and around the
plant with only a few employees
reporting for work each day.
No new developments on the
labor front here have been re
ported. The organizers, headed
hy Win. IV Thomason, were out
of town ovei the week-end, re
turning here Monday.
Forrest Shuford, State Labor
Commissioner, was here last
Thursday afternoon from Raleigh.
While taking a neutral position in
the labor movement, he expressed
the hope that plants could con
tinue operations and that there
would be no serious unemploy
ment.
MARKETING CARDS I
' v/
Approximately l.tiOO tobac
co marketing cards were
mailed this week to Martin
County farmers for use be
ginning with tlie opening of
the markets next Monday.
Cards were mailed to all to
hucco farmers except twenty
Six who planted in excess of
their allotments. In those
cases, the farmers are to con
tact their committeemen and
have them estimate the yields
and report direct to the farm
agent’s office for red market
ing cards.