North Carolina Newspapers

the enterprise is read by OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI OVER 3.00* MARTIN COL’NTl FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES VOLUME L—DUMBER 93 —-WAHmmuton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, November 28, 1947 ESTABLISHED 1899 Big Damage Suit Settled In Court For Nominal Sum Widow ami Six Small Chil-j . j. uilhwWi/V^l^ 1U I vitr.-“ iVunilesH A widow, her five children and I four other plaintiffs were, by a technicality in the law. literally forced to accept a meager insur ance company settlement in their $30,300 damage suits against L. W. Hardison and Frank Green in the Martin County Superior Court late Tuesday afternoon, the action leaving doubt in the minds of more than one person as to the meaning of justice and as to the purpose of insurance. No judgment was entered in the court records immediately but it was reported that the insurance company offered the combined plaintiffs a total of $5,000, an f amount that is certain to be whit tled down to a frazzle by hospital and doctors' bills, costs and fees, leaving two widows and six small children virtually penniless. The court after continuing just about everything on the calendar, dragged through two days with a record of two cases settled by agreement and then quit for the term at 4:00 o’clock Tuesday aft ernoon. On Monday an agreement was leached soon after court was opened with Judge Paul Edmond son on the bench in the damage suit of E K. Stewart against Ben j Biggs. The action was settled for $50. Tuesday morning, goodly num bers of citizens from Jamesville and Bear Grass reported, and aft- j er considerable delay the court started working on the damage suits against Hardison and Green 1 with two insurance company re- j presentatives remaining out of the spot light. More than an hour was spent: selecting a jury, the action on ; that Score indicating that an all out fight could be expected in the | trial. Two witnesses. Patrolman W. E. Saunders and Clarence Wallace. 1 were called by the plaintiffs be- I fore the noon recess. The officer 1 said he investigated the accident ' on the evening of January 18 at 1 the intersection of Highway 17 and the Bear Grass Road, and said ■ that the defendant Green, driver of Defendant Hardison's truck, was under the influence of liquor.1 Wallace said that while he was Jamesville constable he had warn- 1 ed Green about alleged reckless driving on at least three occasions but hud never arrested him. Wal-1 lace also said that lie had seen ! Green in Defendant Hardison’s' store while he (Green) was drink ing. and "in others too.” Tuesday afternoon Johnnie Wynne, one of the plaintiffs and a victim of the accident, took the stand. He told how W. A. Bailey had driven up to the Washington highway and stopped on the right side of the load and how Green, driving at a fast rate of speed, pos SIFly between So end oU miles an hour, turned into the Bear Grass Road and plowed into the left front of the car driven by W. A. Bailey. The witness said 46 (Continued on page eight) W ar Hero’s Body On Its Way Home The body of Pfc. Onward L. Gardner along with those of 4.211 other comrades who made the su preme sacrifice in the European theater during World War II ar rived in New York last Tuesday on the U. S. Army Transport Rob ert F. Burns. The young soldier, son of Mrs. Emma Gardner and the late Lloyd Gardner of Jamesville, was killed in action in Belgium on January 16. 1945. He had previously been reported missing. j The body, the third of a young Martin County man to be return ed for burial in native soil, is be «* jng transferred front New York j by special train to the djstribu- j lion center in Charlotte. Ordi- ! narily it required from two to three weeks to deliver a body to the home address. Tentative ar rangements have been made with a local undertaker to handle the funeral, the date and other details for the service to be announced later. Tobacco And Peanuts Cut By Nearly 11,000 Acres [ A total of 10.927 acres will go , | out of production in this county! I next year, 4,001 in tobacco and 6, ■ n^fi '"i Jf1’'''1 according to. or, official report coming from the offices of the county agent. Figured at about 33 1-3 percent, the peanut reduction will leave an allotment of 19430 acres, agri culture officials pointing out that the acreage is sightly larger than it was in 1942. During the past several years Martin County far mers planted an average of 20.365 acres to peanuts each year. When compared with the acreage plant ed to the crop in 1942, the reduc tion proposed for peanuts in 1948 is not so bad, but it offers a pretty big shock to be absorbed when compared with the average olant ings since 1942. The tobacco acreage in the county this year was 14.861 acres.1 the 28 percent reduction leaving] 10.860 acres, a figure slightly bc ievr* the -ptentMgs-iri 1!W2. Peanut allotments, now going to Martin County farmers, worked out much better than many ex pected, leaving very few farmers with acreages below their 1942 plantings. The 1948. 1949 and 1950 quotas are contingent upon the outcome of the referendum to be held on Tuesday, December 9. If quotas are defeated, farmers may plant all the peanuts they want to, but there’ll be no gov ernment support price. The tobacco reduction will be applied, more or less, straight across the board at the rate of about one-fourth or 28 percent be low the 1947 allotments. Officers Destroy Stills In County Raiding in the Free Union sec tion of Janusville Township and along N. C. Highway No. 11 in Hamilton Township, ABC Offic er Joe H. Roebuck and Deputy Roy Peel wrecked three illicit distilleries lust week. The catch in the Free Union area included a 100-gallon capaci | ty copper kettle, three barrels of | sugar beer and twelve gallons of white liquor The officers picked up three different trails, finding several gallons of liquor at the end of each, the search terminat ing mighty close to a home. Two plants, equipped with ■ crude oil drums, were wrecked 'along Highway No. 11 and the of jlicers poured out three barrels of sugar beer. j Up until last week-end, the of ficers had wrecked six illicit ; manufacturing plants in the coun ty. Toe officers, Roebuck and Peel, idealt the illicit business a right heavy blow last week-end when 'they wrecked three plants in Bra: |Grass Township within a one and jone-half mile radius. The first plant was equipped with a 100 gallon capacity oil drum and four 50-gallon capacity fermenters. No ; beer was found. A 50-gallon oil drum and five 50 gallon capacity fermenters were found at the sec 1 ond plant. The third plant was the payoff, the officers capturing |a fairly new 100-gallon capacity (copper kettle. They poured out j 1,000 gallons of sugar beei from t wo containers. The plant was equipped with an oil burner. o j Town Board Meets | Tuesday Evening The regular meeting postponed because some of the officials are to be out of town on Monday night, the local board of commis Tuesday night at 8:00 o’clock, Mayor Robt. Cowen announced yesterday. Town Engineer Henry Rivers is being called to meet with the commissioners and discuss the acute water problem and possibly draft preliminary plans for ex tending sewer lines within tire town limits and the installation of an elevated water storage tank. It could not be learned immedi ately if the engineer could meet with the board at that time, and in the event he can’t no action on the pressing problem is expected before the regular meeting in January. Farms In County Sold At Auction Two farms, both located in the JOak City area, were sold at pub lic auction in front of the county] courthouse this week. Doth farms belonged to the Tom Savage es tate. One of the farms, located right near Oak City and having about 05 cleared acres, sold for $ 1 fj. 10U and was bought by Maekie Sav age. The second farm, located near ! Conoho Church and having about kj or 30 cleared acres sold for $5,900 and was purchased by S. V. Sills. * PKANUTS ' Idle for ten days or more, peanut piekers were put back in operation Wednesday in a few instances, but farmers de clare that the fields are so soft they could not carry on the work even if the peanuts were dry. Weather predictions in dicated rain in some sections Wednesday night but skies were clearing Thursday. It is estimated that less than ten percent of the crop has moved to market in the ('aun ty so far, the harvest setting a new record for lateness. Soil Conservation Election Planned I i Five county farmers recently nominated for places on the Mar ; tin County Soi! Conservation | Committee will be voted on in u i special election next week, it was announced by C. U. Rogers, super j visor of the Coastal Plain Soil > Conseivation District, i A ballot box will be open in the county agricultural building all ! next week and special ballot box es will be open on Saturday, De cember (i. in Sexton’s store at Jamesville, Aqers’ store in Oak 1 City, Rogers Store in Bear Grass and David Grimes’ drug store in I Robersonvilie. Farmers are ask ed to visit their nearest polling place and participate in the elec jtion The nominees are, J. L. Knowels, C U. Rogers, J. 11. Lii lard, E. V. Smith and C. L. Green. | These men are being voted on in accordance with a law passed by the last N C. legislature, and the three receiving the greatest num ber of votes will be declared elect ! ed. Prepared ballot will be made j available at the polls in Williams jton all week and at the four other ; points all day on Saturday, De ft* mijci 6'. ■ . The Soil Conservation Commit tee will have the responsibility of representing the people of this county and developing and direct ing a soil conservation program in the county. The chairman of this committee will represent the county on the Coastal Plain Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors. The election next week is not to be confused w th ihe referendum on peanuts and Triple A commit tee elections on December 9. Unusual Accident Reported Tuesday A most unusual highway acci dent was reported near the plant of the Wiliiamston Lumber Com pany early last Tuesday evening. James Moore, driving a lumber ^company truck, and pulling an j other truck owned by the same ' firm and steered by Walter Hog- j icrs. came out of the mill yard and | jhaa Cleared tne highway with the tow truck. The other truck had not entered the highway but the 1ov. chain was across the road, and J. T. Edmondson, driving a 1939 Ford, crashed into the chain. The j grill, one head light and the ra j diator were damaged, local police officers, investigating the acci dent. estimating the damage el 1 about $25. No Revaluation 01 Property Planned For Year 01 1948 Board Kxperted to Appoint i iiw ■ m hum——WHIflftflBUiWy . — >np<c\ i»or ami iuuinlani Usual Procedure With a revaluation of property j virtually ruled out for 1948, the : Martin County Commissioners in their regular meeting next Mon day are slated to appoint a super visor and advance plans for listing real and personal property hold ings as usual, according to reports coming from the courthouse this week. While a revaluation is slightly overdue according to the quadrennial schedule, the authori ties are of the opinion that pos sibly the year 1949 would offer a ■.■otter opportunity to make changes if any. During the several years of in flated values, the county and towns therein have held, for the most part, to the pre-boom values, the authorities thinking it better tq hold to those figures rather than go up and then be forced to come down as was the case during and following World War I when values flutcuated by more than several million dollars almost over night. As fat as it could be learned this week only one person has ap plied for the job of county tax supervisor, and it is quite likely that Mr M. L. Peel, the applicant, again will be chosen to head up the work. The supervisor with the recommendations of the officials is to name list-takers for the ten townships and meet sometime during December to study the personal property value list and make preparations for starting the work early in January. Other than a reorganization of its group, the commissioners have I very little new business on their schedule for next Monday. The reorganization is almost i certain to leave the county’s of ! ficial family unchanged. It is ex i pected that Chairman John H. Ed i wards will continue in that posi tion.. The re-election of John Bland as superintendent of the county home is freely predicted, and the services of Peel and Man ning as county attorneys are like ly to be retained. Bonds of the various officers of the county, including the treas urer, sheriff tax collector, auditor and others are to be renewed and approved. Continue Hearing n For Non-supporter -® The case in which Junius Rap pold, Newport News man, is charged with non-support of this two small children, was continu ed in Richmond this week when it was reported that the defendant’s lawyer had suffered a broken back in an accident while on his way to the hearing. It could not be learned when the hearing , ernor’s office exolained that the defendant would be allowed a few days, but that if the wreck vic tim could not appear within a reasonable time other arrange ments should be made. Arrested in Virginia several weeks ago, Rappold was to have been given a hearing in chambers on November 8. He either waived the hearing or got an unfavorable decision and he appealed directly to Governor Tuck in his effort to fight extradition. Sheriff C. B. Roebuck and Mrs. | Junius Cherry Rappold went to i Richmond for the hearing this week, leaving here just about an hour before they were advised the defense attorney had been injur ed in an accident. Goes On Rampage, j Woman Is Jailed Said to have gone on a drunken rampage, Sa Hie Mae Brown, 18, of j near Ry£>en.-or>ville. in I the county jail Wednesday morn ing to serve a ten-day sentence imposed by Mayor H S, Everett at a hearing held in Robersonville a short time before. Reports reaching here stated the woman got mad with her mother and bit her badly on the ( arm and then attacked tier brother when he tried to protect their mother. Pareiits-Teaehcrs Hold Discussions At-Ree;«]ap-Mcct r -- ground Equipment Meeting in regular session last Monday evening, members of the local parent-teacher association in a lengthy program, including discussions of various topics, and heard Mrs. Irving Margolis in an address on the “Home and Its Re lationship To the School.” The speaker said that it is the home’s responsibility to develop a happy and well adjusted child who has faith in his home and his school. Addressing the meeting briefly, Health Officer John W. Williams said that Martin County has one of the highest TB death rates of any county in the State. His de partment showed a picture, “Be hind the Shadow" telling how tu berculosis spreads and how it can be prevented. Following the opening of the meeting by President H. P. Mob ley, Rev. E. R. Shuler offered the invocation and the minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. President Mobley, slating that the membership report had to be in the state office by next Mon day, said that the organization's enrollment this year was much less than it was a year ago, that the association apparently was falling down on the job. A spec ial appeal netted fourteen or fif teen new members Wednesday. Discussing the purchase of a steam table, the- meeting was ad vised that one could be installed for $110. and the committee was instructed to determine the finan cial angle of the proposed pur chase. The purchase of play ground equipment and the expenditure of $200 for material last year were discussed, the president asking the members to think over the possi bility of providing either light or heavy equipment this year. Play grounds will be discussed further at the next meeting to be held on Monday, December 15 in the high school. Large Docket For The Countv Court A large docket is in the making for the regular session of the county court here next Monday. Cases have been accumulating for two weeks while the superior court was supposed to have been in session, late reports stating that others are finding their way on the docket after a rapid fash ion. Up until Wednesday noon ap proximately thirty cases had been placed on the docket for trial next Monday and several others were placed there and scheduled for trial on December 15. Judging from the docket a little ,w?m d^iered ip WvMva-rf.rten a short time ago, the officers rounding up an even dozen for al leged assaults.. Three others stand charged with drunken driv ing, and still three others with non-support. Two each are charg ed with drunkenness, larceny and receiving and speeding. Recovering From Skull Fracture -<*> His skull i fractured in an auto mobile-bicycle accident at the Haughton-Main Street stoplight late last Saturday night, Branch Marslander, 18. is recovering rap idly in the local hospital and plans to return to his home in West End the latter part of this week. The young man was riding west on the main street when Eh David Harrison of Bear Grass started to turn into the street, the boy's wheel striking the right front fender between the front of the car an 1 the door. Neither veh c o was traveling very fast. The "voting trim was unconscious for a short time and remembers few detail.-, of tlu accident. /Vo Mcclinf’ Of (bounty Education Itoard Monday No meeting of the Martin Coun ty Board of Education lias been scheduled foi next Monday, it was announced this week by the office of the superintendent Hog Thieves Strike Again In The County This Week Idle since aooui the middle of! last September, hog thieves re- j 'I'TC'l.ty.ffclf la>' night and pulled a flash" theft in a pen on Bill Abbitt’s farm near! Williamston. Approximately 20 hogs were stolen in previous raids centered in the Robersonville Everetts-Gold Point area during several weeks the latter part of ! the summer. For some unexplain ed reason, the thieves, after re peating the raids almost weekly, withdrew from the county and farmers were given an opportuni ty to fatten up their swine. The raid last Tuesday was timed for Thanksgiving. Placing over $500 worth of feed er pigs weighing around 100 pounds each in the pen just a few days ago. the owner had placed a self-feeder there and did not visit the pen only about once a day. Wednesday morning when an em ployee went to the pen he saw whereiwo or three of the pigs I’ ,d mg' T-fffff crude tactics, the thieves appar el;. . ...d knocked the hogs in the head with some blunt instrument and bled them on the spot, drag ging them to a waiting automo-, bile on the highway about thirty : or forty yards away. An old automobile was seen parked along the highway near the Abbitt. mill, but it was thought the machine had broken down and little attention was paid to it at the time. The sheriff’s office was contact ed and officers and the owner started work on the ease immedi ately. During the meantime it was learned that thieves, employ ing similar tactics, had been oper ating in Pitt County on a fairly extensive scale for several weeks. V APPEAL v. Explaining that one of the most extensive drives ever launched in this county against tuberculosis is slated to get under way next Janu ary, (’has. H. Manning, chair man of Hie Christmas Seal Sale in' ibis county, today ap pealed to everv person in the county to support the fund campaign. Letters asking sup port for the drive arc being placed in the mail this week end, and the sale chairman is hopeful that the response will be immediate and liberal. Auxiliary Plans Drive lor Gilts •o Cooperating with other units, the local auxiliary of the John Walton Hassell Post of the Ameri can Legion is launching a drive for war veterans who will spend Christmas in hospitals in North Carolina. Among the things the auxiliary asks for are cigarettes, books of stamps, postal cards, cash, toilet articles, snapshot albums, small mirrors, wallets, military brush sets, white handkerchiefs and socks, size 10 1-2, 11 and 12, to bacco pouches, pipes and pipe to bacco, pencils, puzzles, diction aries, Bibles (small size) and small size magazines. If a member of the appointed commit* e fails to contact anyone who desires to remember these hospitalized boys, please forward your gift to either Mesdames James E. Bullock, Arthur White, Roy T. Griffin or John A. Ward. The request for help with this j ;project for comfort articles is the I only outside help asked for dur ing the year by the auxiliary. It is sincerely hoped the people of Wiiliamston and Martin County i will l't,iTjo|n|M|ifi- gj^ rou.sly this^ year to this call as they have ii the past. -n Two Arc Fined In Justice’s Court Two persons were fined iri Jus lice John L. Hassell's court this week for violating the motor ve hicle laws. Theodore Ituta of Norwalk, Connecticut, was fined $5 and re quired to pay $8 costs for passing a school hue while passengers were being discharged. Operating a motor vehicle with improper equipment, Reuben Lee Godfrey v. as frned $5 and taxed with $7 costs. -o-— Loral Hoy Included In H int's Who In College \ i -• • John Thigpen, local young man, has been selected at Last Carolina Teachers College, Greenville, to repr esent the college in the annu ally puhiy.hr i wot ?-; "W:, ' m&mm Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” Chosen by u committee made up of both students and faculty members, those chosen for inclus ion in the work are students who have outstanding records in schol arship, leadership, and participa tion in extra-curricula activities! and who give indication ef future; usefulness to business and society, j Motor Vehicle Licenses To Go On Sale Monday Minor Prire Changes; Two lugs To Bo Displayed On Kuril Vehicle When car-owners go to buy their 1948 license plates, they will find that “there’ve been some changes made.” For the first time since 1942, next year's motorist will be able to sport two license tags—one on the front and one on the rear of his vehicle. He will also find that there has been a change in license plate rates. Instead of a different rate for every passenger car of different weight as in the past, the new li cense fee law, passed by the 1947 Geneal Assembly, fixes three basic figures—$10, $12 and $ld for pri vate passenger vehicles—and a flat $80 fee for taxicabs and other •service and “for hire” passenger veh icles. These new rates mean that the plates for many light or low-pric ed automobiles will cost a few cents more than in the past, while those for the heavier, higher pric ed vehicles in most instances will be slightly less. In the the $15 bracket fall Cadi lacs, Lincolns, and buses and hearses of all makes. Also includ ed are Checker Cab, Dusenbcrg, Pierce Arrow, Hells lioyce, Stev ens Duy.ca, and Yellow Cab, all of which are no longer manufac tured. In the $12 fee bracket are the Buick, Chrysler, Lincoln Zephyr. Packard and several makes which are no longer manufactured, chief of which are LaSalle, Graham Paige, Franklin, Hupmobile and Reo. Into the $10 bracket fall all other makes—the Fords, Chevro let^ j>lymoulhs._ nodi," s.. r ..and. Sfudebakers. The new rates tend to put all makes of cars on a flat fee basis, and will greatly simplify licensing procedures for both motorists and licensing officials. Here arc a few examples of how the rates w ill work: A motorist who owns a 1942 Ford weighing 2.800 pounds, paid $9.80 cents for his 1947 license plates. However, when he buys his 1948 tags he will pay a flat $10 fee, thereby paying 20 cents more. (Continued on page eight! Special Sin« In County Sunday ■ •— There will be a big Fifth Sun day sing in the Robersonville Bap tist, Church on Sunday, November 30, at 2:30 o'clock p. rn.. it was an nounced this week by Rev. E. R. Stewart, -aunty Baptist minister. The program, featuring congre choruses, quartets, trios, ducts and solos. Those planning to have numbcis on the program are asked to noti fy Rev. Stewart, Hamilton. The public is cordially invited to attend and participate in the program and enjoy the old hymns and special numbers. A large crowd is expected for the event, the minister said. Makr NomiiiatioTis For Positions On Farm €t>i fiin ittees hr < anility Tuesilav. UimtiiiImt Mill Meeting in their respective com munities throughout the county, comparatively small numbers of farmers named their nominees for places on the Triple A com munity committees for the coming year. The nominations, meeting a bare need in some communities, were made subject to an election to be held on the same day farm ers vote on peanut quotas on Tuesday, December 9. The nominations have not been officially announced, but accord ing to the best information pos sible some of the communities named new men for the posts, while several districts retained all their old committeemen. Goose Nest Districts one and two recommended the re-election of J. T. Moore to the county com mittee at the county convention tentatively scheduled to be held here on Wednesday. December 10. An unofficial list of the nomi nees named at the last Friday night nominating conventions fol lows: Jamesville, No. 1: For commit teemen, George Martin, Howard Hardison, Charlie Russell, George j Barber. Sam Godard, Arthur jModlin, Clarence Barber, H. A. |Sexton and Carl Griffin; for dele gate and alternate to the county convention, 11. A. Sexton and Howard Hardison. Jamesville No. 2: For commit teemen, Arthur Ange, David Ange, Grover Lille,v. Edward Ange, ^ Grady Davenport. Herman Red dick, Clarence Sexton and Lin wood Knowles: for delegate and alternate to county convention, Elmer Modlin and R. G. Coburn. Williams: For community com mitteemen, Chas. L. Daniel, Paul Harrington, W. J. Gardner, R. J. i Hardison, Marvin Hardison, How lard Tyre and O. S. Green, for I delegate and alternates to eoun |ty convention, L. J. Hardison, C. 1 L. Daniel and Joe I,. Coltrain. Griffins: For committeemen, Oscar B. Roberson, J. R. P. Grif fin, Jas. B. Harrington, John A. Griffin and J. M. Peel; for alter nate and delegate to county con vention. P. E Getsinger and W. A. Manning. Bear Grass: For committeemen, T. 1. Roberson, Wheeler Rodgers, H. U Peel, Luther Harris, E. C. Harrison L. J Peel, W C. Jonesa and Opheus Bailey; for delegate and alternate to county conven tion, II. G. Harrison, L. J Peel, J. D. Wynne and Wheeler Rodgers. Williamston-Poplat Point: For committeemen, J. E. Corey, J. Rossell Rogers. U. V. Bunting, C. F. Harris and Luther Peel; foi delegate and alternate to county convention, Johnnie Gurkin and Mayo Hardison. Cross Roads: For comnuttce | men. G. II Forbes. Tom Barnhilh Geo. W. Taylor. Oscar Ayers, Hu bert Clark, H. M. Ayers, C. C. Bailey, W L. Ausbon and Marion Griffin; for county delegate and alternate. H. L Roebuck and J. F. Bailey. (Continued on page eight) ! Hamilton Church Burns Mortgage r> r -o The Hamilton Church of Christ observed its first anniversary last junday by burning the mortgage held against its $11,000 brick building. Quite a large congrega tion was present for the event. The church was organized by Harvey C. Bream, Roanoke Dis trict Evangelist. Starting out with sixteen members supported by twenty-three members of the Bible s< 'Ool, the church now has sixty-two members and the Bible school has 89 with an average at tendance for the first year of 84 D. A. ibmson___ !,hP ',«• ’linanoJie Rapids, and the nwin j bet ship c. tended a vote of thanks to the district convention and others who supported the build ing program. The official church board in cludes C. H. Gardner, T. F. Res pass, G. W. Ayers, Sr., elders; Wil liam S Fdm.onds.Qn,. T.. C. Wil liams. Bruce Stalls and George Ayers, **., deacons; and Mis. C. iH- Gardner, clerk, i