North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B¥ OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT* FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRIS VOLUME L—NUMBER 94 WiUiamtton. Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, November 2J, 1947 THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1 OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK ESTABLISHED 1899 Draw Rri d ge Opened To Traffic Yesterdays Project Costing Half Million Not ~~ “^ilifeCornpieteM’’ —•— No Formal Openiiijt Marks Opening of MtHlorn High way Structure Under construction since March 15. 1946. the newly improved high way causeway and a new draw span across Roanoke River here were opened to traffic yesterday afternoon. The event unlike the one marking the opening of the first bridge a quarter century ago when six thousand persons were present for a formal progam, was without fanfare. Chief Highway Engineer J. C. Parkin and Superintendent F. W. Dickinson along with Assistant Superintendent Wiley Goodrich, other engineers and workmen, and Bridgekeeper Hugh Spruill stood by when traffic wTas routed from the temporary bridge to the modern structure all of them ex pressing great relief. At 4:09 o’clock yesterday after noon, Chief Engineer J. C Parkin w aved a white signal for the open ing and Cpl. T. Fearing of the N. C. Highway Patrol moved on to the bridge. W F. Ehale of Nor folk, accompanied by E. G. Bed dingfield, also of Norfolk, moved on the east end of the bridge and traveled across, completing the first trip over the structure fol lowing its official opening. Dur ing the meantime. Johnson's Wholesale meat truck of Pantego was the last vehicle to travel across the old detour bridge. Traffic, scheduled to move slowly over the structure until minor construction is completed, was darting across the draw span soon thereafter in an almost steady flow. Final adju trnents were made to the drawspan over the week-end, and the preliminary tests of the machinery and intricate wiring system were successful. While the new bridge is open to traffic, the project construction is not quite complete. The tempor ary bridge is to be moved out of the way before several spans can be added but traffic will have to move one way at a time over a short course for only a limited time. Surfacing of the new bridge was completed last week-end. Representing the contractors, Bowers Construction Company. Mr. Dickinson said that it will take a month or six weeks under favorable weather conditions to complete the project, including the construction and surfacing of several spans where the detour bridge connected with the old bridge, the removal of the old de tour bridge and draw span, and the widening of the causeway just this side of the concrete bridge. Dirt will be moved from the de tour to the fill on the curve at the western end of the bridge. The new project, costing close ! to half million dollars, is one of the most pretentious of its kind in the east. The draw, representing a radical departure in bridge con struction in this part of the coun (Continued from page five) Auto And School Bus In Accident No one is reported to have been injured but right much damage was done when a school bus and an automobile crashed just west of Everetts last week. Patrolman B. W. Parker estimating the dam age at $150 to each vehicle follow ing the investigation. The bus, driven by Leon Wil liams, colored, had stopped to dis Smith of Newport News approach- ! cd. Smith applied brakes on his Pontiac and the machine skidded into the bus. damaging the front part of both vehicles and break ing the bus body frame. Charged with operating a motor vehicle on the wrong side of me road, Smith was fined $10 and re quired to pay the costs in Justice j. L- Hassell’s court Monday eve ning. I__ TRAFFIC V_Z The old Roanoke River 1922 until October, 1946, car ried 8,500,000 vehicles, ac cording to estimates furnish ed recently by Mrs. James S. Burch, engineer of statistics and planning for the North Carolina Highway and Public 1 Works Commission. Traffic i over the Roanoke at this point increased down through the ! years, and during the thirteen months and three weeks the detour bridge was in use, it | is estimated that 644,000 ve hicles crossed over it. The temporary structure vi brated and its rattlings and poundings could be heard a mile away, but it held up and served well its purpose. Notables Inspect Huge Pulp Plant In Martin County —•— Governor Suggests Timber Am Crop To Offset Cut In Other Crops At a speechmaking interval of the North Carolina Pulp Com pany's initial “open house” tour held at its Plymouth plant last Thursday, Governor of North Carolina R. Gregg Cherry, prin cipal guest of the mill at that time, said that the development of the State's naural resources, as de monsrated through operations of the Plymouth mill shown him I that day, was a great step in North Carolina progress and greater economic stability. The governor said that since the farm program had been reduced, farmers in the State should turn j to other means of inn easing their I incomes and suggested the grow : ing of pulpwood as an example. He pointed out that the growing of trees brought in a good profit. Governor Cherry remarked 'further that he was much im ■ pressed with the size and effici ency of The Kraftsman, new pap iermaking machine recently in I stalled by the plant and focal , point of the tour which was at j tended by about 100 State and | local governmental officials as | well as high-ranking plant offic ers. The dinner at which the gover nor spoke was held in the Coun try Club of Plymouth and climax ed the tour of the mill. Other speakers heard during the dinner included H. M. Kieckhefer, com pany president, who gave a brief resume of the history of the Plym outh plant since its foundation in 1937. and J. A. Auchter. resident plant manager, who acted as toast Tiiaoier and introduced both the governor and Mr. Kieckhefer. The visitors went to Plymouth by special buses, arriving around 11 a. nr. and making the return trip around 8 o’clock. The tour ; began immediately after a buffet i luncheon at the Country Club at ! noon and lasted until 4:30 p. m. | when the official party returned to the club fpr a reception and the dinner at 6 o’clock. Other outstanding guests of the mil! at the Thursday afternoon [tour included Lieutenant-gover nor L. Y. Ballentine Secretary of State Thad Eure State Forester W. K. Biechler. State Motor Ve hicles Commissioner Col. L. C. Rosser, Attorney General Harry McMuilan, and Chairman T. A. Wilson of the Industrial Commis sion. ^ — " . A SCHEDULE „ Uand'in^ jsijJv a sroall^nym-. her of photographs 'for its Hies last week, The Enterprise is again making arrangements with Mr. Chas. D’Amours to take pictures in its office on Friday of tills week. The paper is anxious to get pic tures of as many of the sec tion’s business, professional men and others as possible. The picture is made without cost to the subject. 6.000 At Bridge j 0petv\jjjj^u|irt;er ! Of a Century Ago • Event Attracted Notables And Many 0'liersJFrom I^jirge Terri tory While the opening of the new 11 ■ -40B m t* . draw bridge across the Roanoke ' here yesterday morning attracted no official attention and little ' from anyone else, it was a big time for eastern North Carolina when the first bridge was opened to traffic a quarter century ago on September 7. 1922. The following story as it ap peared in The Enterprise the day after the bridge opening reviews the program held to mark the gala event of a quarter century ago: Thursday morning (September 7. 1922) dawned calm and fair. But soon the town was about with the pouring in of streams of visitors and neighbors from our own coun ty and the counties of Beaufort, Washington, Lenoir, Bertie, Pitt, Halifax. Edgecombe, Pasquotank, and Tyrrell, and in fact from all over the eastern part of the state. On Wednesday evening, Col Fred Olds, that Prince of Good Fellows, came in and began to re cord our history, also Mr. J. B. Williams of Raleigh, representing the State Board of Education ar rived to make suitable photo graphs of the bridge as a link in the development of the State in road building, this project being one of the most outstanding fig ures in the progress of our State along this line and Mr. Williamson will use the picture as an educa tional feature. He took a moving (picture of the bridge and the ap proaches which will be seen on the screen later on. When the Atlantic Coast Line train came in at six thirty, off stepped our old friend, Colunel Beneham Cameron and later on! in the evening Honorable Jo-1 sephus Daniels and Mr. Ben Dixon McNeil arrived via automobile. While here Mr. Daniels was the guest of Elder Sylvester Hassell, a much beloved school teacher of | hi-, Hon. O. M: x Gardner and 1 | Mr. George White, the American j i Cement man, also came in Wed nesdav evening. ! Then Pete Murphy, that distm- i guished legislator from Salisbury | and the coiner ot more really i great descriptive phrases than any | other man in all the State with his I son, Spencer Murphy and Hon. W. C. Coughenour also of Salisbury were here. On Thursday morning the first arrivals’ were those whom Jesus i iassured us would be with us a 1 -1 | ways, the halt, the maimed and l the blind, and they had become [comfortably fixed when the crowds began opuring in from |every direction and this time a new direction for very few had [ever come from the northerly di I rection before, being hindered by [the swift and deep Roanoke. ■Among the crowds we noted pro jminent citizens from New Bern, [Ayden, Greenville, Farmvilie, Wnson, Goldsboro, Freemorit 1 Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Scotland jNeck, Roper. Plymouth and many [other placer. The town of Wash ington was represented by many ! beautiful young ladies, however ! most of the men were here, among them those who were most'instru [mental in helping us to get the .bridge, Hon. Lindsay Warren, A. M. Dumuy and Frank Kugler. Senator W. H. Burgwyn of North Hampton led the hosts from i that good old county. , One of the most distinguished .visitors was Honorable Heriot Clarkeson of Charlotte who was Governor Morrison’s campaign 'manager and the lawyer who de-j ! signed the general outline of the (present road law now known as (the Doughton-Conner-Buie Road Law. There was another distin (guished visitor from Charlotte, I Col. W. H. Harris whom every body knows as the Charlotte Ob server man and whom everyone (likes and says he is a good fellow r V aCcC! p V ■ .'-/'i'i l.i •_: S ? 1 ‘" *11 ,-i i- ' Si Cl-.y I is a little overbearing and we'are sure that was caused by the dif ference of the point of view. | Other distinguished newspaper | men present were: Mr. ,1. H Mat j thews of the Windsor Ledger, who I is also the man who introduced i the bill in the legislature authoriz jing the bridge; Mr. J. A. Osborne, ! editor of the Washington Daily Start Christmas Seal Sale \ In This County On Friday \ The annual sale of Christmas seals, advanced as a part of a re lentless fight against tuberculosis. get under way m this county on Friday of this week, it was an nounced by Chas^ H. V^pja'ny-ni seal sale chairman. Approximate ly 2.000 letters, carrying a direct appeal for support of the seal sale, will oe p’accd in the mails that day. and tnev will be followed by TB bond sales, and bangle days. The colored schools in the county have pledged their cooperation in supporting the seal sale, and the white schools will support the pro gram by handling the bangle sales. The following district chairmen have been named, Frosty Martin. Jamesville; W. B. Harrington, Griffins; Chas. L. Daniel, Wil liams; A. B. Ayers, Sr., Bear Grass; Mrs. A. P. Barnhill, Cross Roads; Mrs. Bon James Poplar Point; Craven B Roebuck, Ham jlfo.n Nat • The Jaycees with Philip Keel as chairman will sponsor the sale in jjalayjstaati! jning will chairman the drive lo yally in addition to his work as county chairman. Martin County is being asked to | raise $2,500 during the sale which |continues until Christmas. The i quota is $500 larger than last , year, but the chairman explains | that much of the money raised last I year and most of this year will be needed to finance a county-wide x-ray tuberculosis survey earlv next year. Trucks to take the thousands of pictures have been scheduled already, and the money will be needed to finance the sur vey. Plan Abandoned For Election To Decide Extension Of Limits I Future Action Is Left Up To Those Outside the Town liiror|»oratioii Drluvrd For Imlcfiiiilr Timr Vi lien INotier Is (laurelled | Plans to extend Williamston’s down limits and formulate a pro jgressive program after a mutual fashion have been abandoned, un officially at least. After surviving the drubbing given them in a pub lic meeting held in the courthouse last Wednesday night, loca' offi jeials. speaking as individuals, said .they would hesitate to push the iplan any further. After hearing I individual appeals to have the imallei reconsidered, the officials | explained that they would be glad ‘to go over the proposal with in iterested parties and do what a ma jority wanted, but that any future 'action would have to be initiated by those citizens living in the af fected areas outside the town. “We hesitate to do more after j being called names and accused of trying to ‘suck’ somebody in when j we earnestly tried to do what we considered right and fair to every body, both inside and outside our town,” two officials said. Incorporation of the two areas known as West End and “Doodle Hill” as parts of Williamston was delayed, either by official or un official act. for an indefinite period when egal advertisements providing for an extension of the present town limits were ordered cangsMsd Mo.mgfikj^meeting o* the boaid was called to take the action, but the order was given individual approval by a majority of the officials as individuals. No meeting of the board is plan ned before the regular time next Monday and what action will he taken at that time is hard to pre dict. Problems have already been presented to some of the town de partments, but individual mem bers of the boaid said they thought it advisable not to discuss (Continued on page five) jLions Club Aids Friendship Train —«— The It>caI Lions Club recently contributed $50.00 towards the purchase of a carload of flour to be aded to the Friendship Train /for the starving Europeans. The local club, in cooperation uh t ti^. J he ,ntj ie.r_X.1.0-b«„i;!jt ,. JQj=U'jjCt. 31-C 'Liors 'THCeFnanoSaC .'ifiick. comprises all the Lions Clubs in eastern North Carolina, donated this sum to be added to the amounts contributed by the other clubs, it is understood that a firm in Morehead City provided the flour at cost. As far as it is known, this is the only contribution that any local ‘civic club has made towards this j great cause. HOLIDAY /■ ■> V. Thanksgiving I)a.v will be observed as a general holiday here, reports stating that heavy industry, including pea nut and lumber mills, will close along with business houses and offices. The schools will close Wed nesday afternoon at the usual hour and reopen the following Monday morning. Some of the heavy industry is planning to suspend activities at noon Wednesday and reopen next ' Monday, but most of the mills will limit the holiday to the one day Thursday. Traffic Safety Show Ends Tour —»— Completing a tour of most of the schools in this county last Friday, Officer Ernest Pressley and his special traffic safety show ad vanced what was described as the most effective safety drive ever conducted in this section. The. series of shows, featuring educat ed dogs and a trainer sincerely in terested in the safety of children and others, was brought to a close in the county at Farm Life last Friday noon Preliminary reports from the schools where the show was first staged declare that the pupils are working to earn special traffic safety club certificates. It will be interesting to study the number earned in each school. Large numbers of pupils have already mastered the question-answer sheet, it was learned. Sponsored by the N. C. State Automobile Association, the unique traffic safety show is ap pearing in the schools of Bertie County. r LocaLJaycees To ! Support Holiday Lighting Scheme To Reconstruct Nativity And Hold Party Friday evening the local Jaycees really got into the swing of Christ mas spirit. President Wheeler Manning opened the meeting by calling on Jaycee Charles Manning to lead the group in singing America, fol lowed by the invocation from Jay cec Mayor Robert Cowen. After the appetizing dinner served by the ladies of Cross Roads Church a lengthy business meeting got under way. Vice President Exum Ward in stalled a new member, Rudolph Saunders, salesman for Charles H. Jenkins Motor Company, point ing out "we are pleased to have you in the Junior Chamber of Commerce, an organization you will be proud to serve.” After a discussion by President Manning, the club unanimously adopted a plan to reconstruct the Nativity Scene which gained no toriety through its display last year. Jaycees Wheeler Manning, Carroll Coltrain and Bernard Har rison formed the committee in charge of reconstruction. At this time Mayor Robert Co |Wen was recognized to discuss the Christmas Festoon Lighting. He pionted out that in the past the Virginia Electric Power Company had generously furnished without cost to the town the installation and maintenance of the Christ mas lighting, but that he had been informed that this obligation would fall upon the town this year. He pointed out that the Town would be more than glad to furnish the costs of installing and ] maintaining the lights, had it been known at the time of adopt ing the Town budget, that this ex pense was going to fall on the town to pay, but that since his was not known he had no other choice than to call on the town’s most ac ive organization with hopes of some help) from it. With a quick Show of hands in favor of the club raising the funds for this Christ 'mas Festoon lighting, Jaycees Ed gar J. Gurganus, Thad Harrison, Jack Edmondson, Ernest Mears, and Lawrence Lindsley were ap pointed as a committee for this purpose. On behalf of a committee of iJaycees T. F. Davenport, Carroll Jones and Jesse Sumner organiz ed for the purpose of soliciting (Continued on page five) HUNTING Limping: along with squir rel and deer on the available list, Martin County hunters are planning to branch out in a fairly big way, weather per mitting, on Thursday of this week when to take quail and rabbits. The season for taking wild turkeys opened in this and a few other counties on Monday of this week. Hunters are again urged to exercise every possible care in avoiding accidents. Thanksgiving Proclamation We are reaping another annual harvest, estimated to be the greatest in the history of America. While many people in other lands live almost an animal existence on a starvation diet we have sufficient for ourselves and can provide help to many millions of others: For these opportunities we should be truly thankful foi our heritage of good is greater than ever. Let us be thankful not for just what we have but for the privilege of having enough so that we can extend our aid and comfort to others whom the world as not treated so well. Let us b< thankful for the good of the past and for the opporum ties of the future. Now. ' he) efnro. J. .U— If. M-u-,f Vriftnar,:<nto.‘Tfi—^ ""aecoi H "w,iffi' nH-..[£r<K-lantation,-: at the President of the United States and the Governor of North Carolina, and following a custom inaugurated by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1621, do here by proclaim Thursday, November 28th, 1046, as Thanksgiv ing Day in Williamston and call upon all business activities to cease on that day and may all our people repair to their various places of worship and render therms to the Almighty for the wonderful blessings we have received. R. H. Coven, Mayor Williamston, N. C. Hold Funeral Here For Former Sheriff HIES HERE i 1 I J H. Thad Roberson, former Margin County sheriff and a well known citizen-farmer, died at his home here last Saturday night. Funeral ser vices, attracting hundreds of friends and acquaintances, were conducted yesterday aft ernoou. Thanksgiving Day Services —~-+— Special services will be held in a number of churches in the coun ty on Thursday of this week, ob serving after a strict fashion Thanksgiving. Williamston will center its re ligious observance of the day in a service at the Methodist Church that morning at 10:00 o’clock when Rev. John W. Hardy, Episcopal minister, delivers the sermon. The host ch"' h for the union service is arranging a special program Following a custom of long standing, a Thanksgiving service will be held at Smithwicks Creek Thursday morning at 11:00 o’clock for the entire community. A sunrise Thanksgiving service will ht' held in the Hamilton Bap tist Church at 7:00 o’clock Thurs day morning. That evening at 7:30 o’clock, the pastor, Rev. E. K Stewau, will conduct a special service in the Everetts Baptist Church. o Handle One Case In Court Monday *— After continuing just about everything on the calendar except the big damage suits against 1,. W. Hardison and Frank Green the Martin County Superior Court opening a second wr t k */. a two week term Monday handled a lone case. Judge Paul Edmondson an nounced early in the day that the court would recess as a mark of respect to the memory of Mr. II Thud Roberson, former sheriff. In the damage suit of E. R. Str wart, against Hen D. Biggs, an agreement was reached without the ease going to the jury. One report stated that the plaintiff ac copied $50 as a settlement fee. The court is working on the damage suits against Hardison and Green todav and will adjourn for the term following their com pletion. Judge Edmondson is to hold a custody hearing Wednes day afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Funeral Tuesday For Infant Son —».— Funeral services ar (_hrungj<’gn ii'i ' Cj!i;ve Buplnl Church Tuesday sin i noon at T:(I0 o’clock lor Woodrow Perry, six week-cld son of Mr. and Mrs. Col on Perry of near Williamstoo. Hev. W. B. Harrington, the pas tor, will officiate and burial will be in the churchyard there. Sickly for some weeks, the child was removed to the hospital about two days ago for treatment. Surviving besides ins parents are six brothers and sisters. RThad Roberson Dies At His Horne Saturday Evening Was Prominent Figure In Masonry Ami Politics For Many Years Funeral services were conduct ed at the home on Park Street here yesteday aftenoon at 2:30 o'clock fo Harmon Thaddeus Rob erson. former sheriff, who died at 9:30 o’clock last Saturday after noon following a heart attack. El der P. E. Getsinger, pastor of the Smithwicks’ Creek Primitive Bap tist Church where Mr. Roberson faithfully worshipped for many years, conducted the service, as sisted by Elder S. B. Denny, Prim itive Baptist minister of Wilson, and Rev. W B. Harrington and Dr. Ira D. S. Knight, graveside and members of the lodge served as pallbearers. Mr. Roberson had been in de clining health for nearly three i years. During that, time he had suffered several light heart at tacks, but possessed of an almost unconquerable determination he wuuld regain his health and con tinue his work. On November 2 he suffered a severe attack and his condition had been critical since that time. He was conscious almost to the last and the end came peacefully with members of the family at his bedside. The son of the late Harmon Thomas Roberson and Clementine Coltrain Roberson, he was born in .Griffins Township, this county, 77 j years ago on November 15. 1870. I He spent hi.s early life on the farm |there and was married to Miss ! Della Brown of Jamesville on Feb jruary 19, 1896. Appointed to fill I the position of sheriff made va ' cant by the death of James Page, he moved to Williamston in Nov ! ember. '1)19 and had made his Diorne here ..ince that time. He was j elected to the office for three suc jcessive terms, retiring in 1920 to 'devote all his time to extensive I farming interests which he super ! vised right up to his last illness. Mr. Roberson, a recognized 'leader, was prominent in politics and Masonry for more than a quarter of a century, and they were the main topics discussed during his last illness when he ap pealed to others to take the torch and carry on. ''I'll not be able to climb the lodge steps any more, but the young men can and they must take over and carry on,” he pleaded with friends who visited him a few days before the end. Mr. Roberson figured prominent ly m any number of political cam paigns, going all out to support the Democratic ticket from town ship office to the Presidency. He served as county campaign man age! foi several successful candi j dates. 1 A good neighbor and a tnought lul friend, he had a good word for everyone he met, extending a meaningful handshake to numer ous acquaintances throughout the county and section. A devoted husband and father few could have been more considerate and helpful in and around the home than he was. (Continued on page six) -j End Farm Bureau Drive This Week ■■ Extended when the response did not come up to expectations, the annual Farm Bureau member ship drive will be brought to a definite close in this county on Friday evening of this week, President Chas. L,. Daniel an nounced last week-end. \ little over *m cbor*..-tJu. 2.324 Kiiariast Saturday night, the ' drive is getting some late support this week but leaders are frank to admit that the county is very likely to measure up short in its support for the organization this year. The canvassers and other mem bers of the organization are to meet in the courthouse on Friday of this week for a final member .ship accounting and handle other business.