* THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEE
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ R1
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTS
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEB
VOLUME LI—NUMBER 14
Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, February 17. 1948
ESTABLISHED 1899
Victim Of Accident
Died Here Saturday
Other Victims Of
Highway Wreck
t Still In Hospital
♦
Body of Mrs. Edgar Taylor,
57, Moved to Cape May
For Burial
Fatally injured in a highway
accident in which six other per
sons were badly hurt at Skewar
key near here last Thursday aft
F ernoon, Mrs. Carla Ida Taylor died
in the local hospital last Saturday
morning at 12:45 o'clock. Mrs.
Taylor suffered a fracture of the
skull, a broken right wrist, a brok
en nose, compound fractures of
both legs and possibly internal in
juries. Her condition was consid
ered grave upon her arrival at the
^ hospital, and virtually all hope of
her recovery was abandoned at
that time. *
Mrs. Taylor was born in Copen
hagen, Denmark, 57 years ago, but
had spent most of her life in this
country. The Taylors, including
the husband, Edgar Garrison Tay
lor, and a son, Jules Taylor, 17,
was returning to Cape May Court
house, New Jersey, after spend
g ing several months near Velrieo,
Florida, when their car, a 1937
Pontiac, crashed head-on with a
North Carolina Highway and Pub
lic Works Chevrolet tudor sedan
driven by Martin Luther White,
formerly of Hamilton but now of
Washington.
Three of the wreck victims, Mil
ton Ryder, George Jenkins and
y Charles Soufter, are World War II
veterans and they were transfer
rid by Biggs ambulance to a gov
ernment hospital in Fayetteville
yesterday.
Recovered from a head injury,
Luther White, driver of one of the
cars figuring in the wreck, was
discharged from the hospital yes
terday.
^ Two other victims, Edgar Tay
lor and his 17-year-old son, Jules
Taylor, continue in the hospital
here. Reports state that the two
Taylors, Ryder, Jenkins and Sout
ter are expected to recover.
Besides her husband and son ac
companying her, Mrs. Taylor is
survived by four sons, Carl Tay
lor of West Wildwood, New Jer
sey, Edgar Taylor, Jr , of Velrico,
p Florida, Elmer Taylor of St. Pet
ersburg. Florida, and Henry Tay
lor, 315 W. 17th Street. North
Wildwood, New Jersey; a daugh
ter, Mrs. Ednia Gerhard of Park
Boulevard, Wildwood, New Jer
sey; a brother, Harry Hanston, of
Cape May Courthouse, New Jer
sey.
Just how the accident happened
cannot be learned as yet. Patrol
man W. E. Saunders, investigat
f ing the wreck with Cpl. T. Fear
ing and Patrolmen B. W. Parker,
J. T. Rowe and R. P. Narron and ,
town and county officers, said ■
that the cars crashed on White’s 1
right side of the road. White was
traveling south and was met by
the Taylor car. Patrolman Saun
ders quoted Jules Taylor, driver!
of the Pontiac, as saying, "It look- !
ed as if the other car (White’s) j
£ was going to turn left and I pull
ed to the left to try to go around I
him when we crashed.” White
said that he could recall very few j
of the details of the accident, that'
he remembered getting out of his
car, that the next thing he knew
he was in the hospital.
The body of Mrs. Taylor has
been moved to Cape May Court
house for burial, but funeral ar- j
rangements could not be learned 1
I here immediately.
\ SPECIAL MEET
v.-/
|
Meeting: in special session
here next Thursday morning
at 11:00 o'clock, the town
board of commissioners will
canvass bids for digging a
new well for the town’s water
supply.
Mayor Eobi. C ovWff" said
yesterday that one bid had
been submitted up until that
time, that several others are
expected between now and
Thursday. j
PACKING
j
Sponsoring the collection of
serviceable clothing for the ill
clad in Europe, the local Wo
man's Club members will
start packing the bundles in
the club hall Wednesday aft
ernoon for shipment to New
Windsor, Maryland, Mrs. R.
H. Goodmon, chairman of the
movement in the county, an
nounced this morning. A call
to club members to help with
the packing has been extend
ed- ' j
Scheduled to have ended
two weeks ago, the collection
was delayed by weather con
ditions. Virginia Electric and
Power Company and Martin
Elliott trucks are picking up
the collection over the county
and they will deliver the
goods to the club hall for
packing and shipment to
Maryland where it will be re
packed for shipment overseas.
It isn't too late to contribute
some serviceable clothing.
Just leave it at the VEP office
between now and Thursday.
]
Two Robberies
In The County
♦
Two robberies were reported in
this county over the week-end,
one in Oak City and one on the
outskirts of Williamston.
Breaking a window light, a rob
ber reached inside and forced
loose an iron bar to 'gain an en
trance into Joe Bunting's store in
Oak City some time during last
Friday night The robber walked
off with a cigar box filled with
pennies, the owner estimating
there were between 800 and 1,000
coppers in the container. Nothing
else was missed from the store.
Gaining an entrance through
the oyster bar two robbers enter
ed Sunny Side Inn just outside of
Williamston shortly after mid
night Monday. Returning to the
boiler room at the oyster bar to
check the fire, Nelson Mason, an
employee, heard some one mumb
ling inside the building. He went
to the front to investigate and the
robbers saw him and ran out the
back and into the woods a short
distance away. They had grabbed
a carton of cigarettes, but in their
haste the robbers dropped seven
packages before reaching the
woods.
Officers are continuing their
investigations.
Cur Damaged In Wreck
At Carmclc On Friday
No one was hurt but consider
able damage was done to a ear
when it crashed into a truck at
Parmele last Friday. The truck
was traveling west and started to
make a left turn when the car,
traveling east, crashed into it.
Schools Reopened Monday;
A ttendance Figures Normal
--—
Closed for two weeks on ac
count of -bad road conditions and
' unafavorable weather, all Martin
' County schools w'ere reopened
i Monday morning, early reports
i reaching the office of the superin
tendent indicating that attendance
figures were near normal. Some
I of the trucks were diverted
1 around bad spots and those places
j where water had flooded the
roads. Traffic was blocked at j
Foan’s Bridge in Williams Town
| ship where the fill was partially
washed away. There was no pass
| ing over Yarrell’s Bridge in Grif
j fins Township. High water block
i ed traffic at Johnson’s Bridge be
tween Hassell and Hamilton and
at the old Daniel and Staten Mill I
in Williams Township. Traffic1
j moved over the Hardison Milli
Bridge but travel was dangerous. j
I An but Uuee sellout ousnes
| made their runs Monday morning
| about on schedule. One bus at
! Farm Life broke down, and two
■ got stuck, one serving Williams
| ton and the other serving Rober- j
Augustus L. Keel
Died Saturday At
Home in Everetts
■■■ ■ ■ .
Well Known County Citizen
Had Been In 111 Health
For Several Years
——
Augustus Lafayette Keel, well
known county citizen and retired
farmer, died at his home in Ever
etts last Saturday afternoon at
12:40 o'clock. He had been in
declining health for several years
and his condition had been critical
since last September.
Mr. Keel was forced to retire
about six years ago when he suf
fered an attack and -was left al
, most blind. Stricken with some
I ailment like phlebitis and result
I ing complications, he was hospit
I alized for weeks in two hospitals,
i but his condition gradually be
came worse and little hope was
held for his recovery. His suffer
ing was intense.
The son of the late James L. and
! Elizabeth Bowen Keel, he was
| born in this county seventy years
ago on February 12, 1878. He
farmed pll his life or until he was
forced to retire and had made his
home in Everetts for a number of
| years.
Mr. Keel was married three
times, one daughter, Mrs. Ellic
Jackson of Norfolk surviving his
marriage to Miss Mandy Peel. His
second marriage was to Miss Eliz
abeth Bailey. Surviving that un-1
ion are four sons, Lester Keel of
Williamston, James Keel of Ever
etts, Henry Keel of Robersonville
and Sam Keel of Portsmouth; and
four daughters, Mrs. Hubert Rob
erson of Robersonville, Mrs. John
D. Williams of Greenville, Mrs. J.
B. Rogerson of Bear Grass and
Miss Lillian Keel of Everetts. His
third marriage was to Miss Pearl
Mallory who survives with one
daughter, Mrs. Albert Roberson of
the home. He also leaves two sis
ters, Mrs. N. S. Bullock of Ever
etts and Mrs. S. R Bullock of Wil
liamston, and a brother, William
J Keel, of Williamston.
He was a member of the Ever- 1
etts Baptist Church and his pus- ]
tor, Rev. E R Stewart, assisted by
Rev J. M. Perry, Robersonville
minister, conducted the last rites
in the church there Monday after
noon at 3:00 o’clock. Interment
was in the Everetts Cemtery.
j Firemen Called
| To Mickey’s Inn
—.—
i Wiliiamston’s volunteer fire
j men were called out last Satur
I day evening shortly before 7:00
; o’clock to the James Robert Bul
i lock home just beyond Mickey’s
| Inn when an oil heater went out
of control and threatened the
I small house.
The owner had installed a new
J burner that afternoon and it over
flowed, the oil catching fire and
: spreading on the floor. When the
| firemen reached there the oil was
| burning on the water and other
| than that caused by smoke there
was very little damage.
sonville.
The emergency closing unoffic
ially points to a Saturday sched
ule, but no action to adopt the six
day week will be taken until the
board of education holds a meet
ing on the first Monday in March.
Board members, it is understood,
think little of a Saturday school
schedule, but since the delay will
throw the closing of schools al
most into the middle of June, it is
likely that the authorities will
choose the lesser of the two
“evils.” If the Saturday schedule
is adopted, it will likely go into
effect for the first time on March
6 with the possibility that school
will be held two Saturdays, fol
lowed by a rest day on Saturday,
March 20 and school on the fol
lowing two Saturdays. Such a
schedule is to be maintained un
til the time la made up, provided
the board favors the Saturday
schedule. If the lest time is made
up and there are no more inter- \
ruptions the current term will
dose on May 28.
FAMILY of NINE LIVING “OUT of DOORS’’
Savings For Repairs
Stolen In November
Propose Fund To
Help Relieve the
Family’s Plight
- *»
Grandmother, Mother ami
Seven Small Children
Brave The Elements
——•
Pietuted above is a four-room
shack where an aged colored wo
man, her daughter and seven
small grandchildren are existing,
braving the elements and fighting
off hunger after a fashion more
common to war-torn Europe or
even to darkest Africa than to a
land of reported plenty. The fact
that such a deplorable condition
can exist in an enlightened civili
zation with all its boastful charity
and organized relief agencies is
enough to cause one to shudder. I
It is a condition so low down the
scale of civilization that it would
have to be improved greatly be- !
fore even one ol the fright!ul isms
would consider it a fit breeding
place.
Located about three miles from
Williamston on the old Everetts
Road, the shack is without a foun
dation, the little chimney has
been all but deserted by the
house, boards are missing from
the walls, the floor rests at vari
ous angles and the roof has more
holes than shingles. The picture
above presents hardly half of the
deploraBle condition existingl
there.
The nine persons, Ainmie Am- j
brose, nearly 70 years old, her;
daughter and seven grandchild
ren, existing there are victims oi l
circumstances beyond their con-1
trol. The father deserted his wife j
when their daughter was a small I
child. The daughter, in time, mar
ried and her husband died, leav
ing the grandmother, her daugh
ter and seven grandchildren, their
ages ranging from 3 to 15 years, to
shift for themselves.
| Working earnestly, all members
of the family large enough to
leave home, had, after buying
clothes and rations, saved almost
$300 from their labors in tobacco
fields and in private homes. The
savings, kept under the grand
mother’s pillow by night, were
stolen last November 25, admitt
edly by Neal Coburn, young color
ed man, who squandered every |
penny of the savings ^before he
was apprehended.
Neighbors have helped some
and the welfare department is al
lowing the group $15 a month or
less than $2 per person. There has
been little work available in re
cent weeks, and then the big snow
fell and aggravated the deplorable
condition. Snow and rain forced
all nine into one small room
where they huddled together to
keep from freezing, the grand
mother and mother placing tubs
and pans on top of the little tots
to keep them from getting wet.
All the furniture about ruined in
other parts of the house, the fam
ily is confined to one room now.
Admitting that it was tough
during the snowstorm, the mother
said last Saturday afternoon that
they were getting along as well as
could be expected. There i.-, a
(Continued on page eight)
EXTENDED
Martin County farmers,
participating in the 1947 soil
conservation or soil building
practices program, have until
Saturday of next week to file
performance reports and pre
sent claims for soil conserva
tion payments, it has been
announced by 'the office of
the farmagent. The time for
filing the reports was extend
ed on account of the had
weather of last week.
Most farmers in this county
have already filed the reports.
Those who have not entered
their claims for the payments
are directed to present their
claims to the agent's office
without further delay.
Nativ e Of County
Died on Saturday
Cofe R. Swain, 'a native of this
county, died last Saturday night
in Eastern Carolina Sanatorium,
Wilson, where he had been a pa
tient for about six months.
The son of the late John Swain
and wife, he was born in Cross
Roads Township 58 years ago,
farming ip this county most of his
life. For tlie past several years
he had made his home in Wil
liamston, working at the pulp mill
until ill health forced his retire
ment.
His wife, the former Miss Myr
tle f’arnsher, died on September
22, 1941.
Surviving are three sons, Elmer
Swain of Bethel, Norman Swain
of Union City, N. J., and Robert
Swain of Williamston; five daugh
ters, Mrs. James Bowen of Wil
liamston, Mrs. Robert Williams of
Merry Hill and Mrs. Robert Ed
mondson, Mrs. Paul Nelson and
Cleo Swain of Stokes; a brother,
John Ed Swain of Washington;
five sisters, Mrs. Joe Whitaker,
Mrs. James E. Harrison, Si., Mrs.
Hoyt Holliday, all of or near Wil
liamston, and Mrs. Buck Clark of
Cross Roads, and Mrs. Buck Terry
of Belle Glade, Fla., and twenty
two grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at
the home of his sister, Mi Joe
Whitaker on the Slaughter House
Road near here yesterday after
noon at 2:00 o’clock by Rev. N. J.
Ward, local Holiness minister. In
terment was in the Bowen Ceme
tery near Williamston.
Officers Destroy
Still In County
Raiding in the Hams Mill Pond
section of Bear Grass Township
last Sunday morning, ABC Officer
J. H. Roebuck and Deputy Roy
Peel wrecked a 40-gallon capacity
copper kettle and five fermenters.
The plant was epuipped with an
oil burner, but the worm was
missing.
There >.vu.. no beer at the plant,
indicating that weather conditions
had forced the plant out of opera
tion for a few days.
The raid was the first in tins
county in several days.
Baby Found Dead
In Bed Here Last
Thursday Morning!
n i
——*—
Poverty Holds l.illlt- Body |
Out Of Kurth I util
Last Saturday
-•
Navin Bradley, three -and-one- |
half-month-old colored child, was
accidentally smothered to death in
the bed with his parents here
some time during last Wednesday
night Investigating the untimely
death, Coroner S. R. Biggs ruled
that no formal inquest was neces
sary.
The little body was removed to
a colored undertaker’s establish
ment, but poverty blocked a de
cent burial.
The child’s parents just recently ;
moved here from the Roberson |
ville section, and he has not been
employed steady on account of :
I bad roads and unfavorable weath |
or. Unable to get his employers
j to stand for a $35 funeral bill or
obtain credit from the undertak
I or, the father turned to the coun
' ty welfare department. He was
i ruled out there. During the mean
j time liit- little body remained un
touched. The father turned to his
new acquaintances, but still he
! was unable to finance the funeral.
He was referred to Sanitarian W.
B. Gaylord of the county health
(Continued on page eight)
Baptists Calling
Texas Minister
I A call, said to have been sup
i ported l>y a unanimous vote of the
'membership, was extended Rev.
■ Stewart B. Simms by the Wil
iiamston Memorial Baptist Church
' following the last Sunday morn
iing church service. Rev. II. F.
! Jones, supply minister, served as
I moderator.
i Rev. Simms, a native of Raleigh,
was graduated from Southwestern
Seminary Fort Worth, Texas, and
for the past three years he has
been serving Ridglea Baptist
Church there. A comparatively
i young man, the minister is mar
! lied and they have a young son.
The minister appeared in the
| local church pulpit on Sunday,
' February 8.
All Kinds Of Weather Felt
Here During Past Few Days
Aftci going »n a rampage on
I Monday and Tuesday of last
week, the weather could chart no!
definite course during the next
several days, and all kinds of cli
matic conditions prevailed here.
To start off, the mercury sunk
to the middle teens. Sleet and
ice covered the highways and
tourists were stalled here the lat j
ter part of the month. Then the
big 15-inch snow fell on the 2nd j
and 3rd of this month. Highways
were blocked, and between three
and four hundred tourists were j
stalled here the greater part of!
two day.;. Traffic was hardly re
umcd after the snow before
heavy fogs, possibly a bit like!
1 those in London, descended on tin j
j section. Traffic was reduced to a j
minimum and tourists were again i
stalled in such numbers that that
Mass X-ray Survey In
County Ends Friday
J
| SMOKbllni SK KKV
Herring have been taken
from the Roanoke anil spring
can’t be far behind. Sam Hen
ry Holliday and Lee Moore,
Jr., making four trips down
the stream at Jamesville. net
ted l!) nice herring yesterday
morning. The young men
caught 4 the first trip. 8 the
next, 4 the next and 3 on the
last. Virtually stalled lor
several days, business perked
up its ears in the county's
fishing capital and prepara
tions were started almost im
mediately for the 1!I48 season
which is scheduled (o get un
derway on an extensive scale
within the next few weeks.
The catch this year is al
most three weeks behind the
one reported by Mr. Ira t’ol
train last year. Mr. t'ollrain,
on account of failing health,
has turned the business over
to younger hands after break
ing many records with his
early catches.
Home and $1,800.
In Current*,y Burn
Starting in an upstairs room i
aiul its origin yet undetermined,
fire destroyed the home of Stal l
ing Bell, respceted eolored farmer
of Goose Nest Township, last
Wednesday afternoon. In addi
tion to losing his home and just
about all the furnishings, Bell lost
$l.dOO in cash.
Bell, listening to the radio,
downstairs, did not hear the fire ,
until his wife came in from the ■
kitchen and asked him to go up
and investigate a noise there. By j
the time he reached the head of
the stairs, the roof was just before
falling in. The fire blocked his
way to the money, and in the ex
citement, he and his wife saved
only one bed sheet, a blanket and
a daybed.
The loss was estimated at $11,000,
Bell stating that only $700 insur
ance was carried on the property.
It was the old Bell family home
place and he had lived there 42
years.
Selling sonie farm produce a
short time ago, he kept the $1,800
at home with the intention of
paying some debt this week. He
was planing to bank the remain
der after settling his accounts.
Explaining his plight to ac
quaintanees and friends in Tai
boro, Hell was given approximate
ly $100 in cash there, and he was
given a fairly suable amount of
money by people here and in
other parts of this county ,
Minor icritlvnt In
Jmnrsrillr Moinluy
Minor damage resulted but no
one was hurt when a motorist
swerved his car to miss two chil
dren and struck another ear in
Jamesville Monday afternoon.
One of the ears was operated by
Clarence Taylor of Plymouth, and
reports reaching here stated that
only a fender was -lightly batter
ed.
hotel and tourist homes were fill- (
ed to overflowing, some finding
refuge in private homes Thursday i
night. Tin fog held even by day
from Thursday through part of
Friday night. And then the
weather cut a real caper. The,
mercury pulled up to tiH degrees I
and just about all of tlyr snow dis-1
appeared before daybreak Satur
day morning. Rain fell at inter
vals Saturday and Sunday the
mercury started lulling, climaxing
a hectic period in the weather for!
this section. There was little sun
shine during the week.
The older heads said they could
net recall a time when ;. large
snow dis-appeured s • rapid!v in
the month of February The big
snow ol March, 1927, went away,
in a hurry, but the spring season j
was near at hand at that tune,!
it was explained. I
X-Ray More Than
Ten Thousand In
Past Three Weeks
-^
Lu»l of Special Dinics To
li«“ ll. l/l All Day Here
>ie\t \loiiday
-o
More than ten thousand people
fifteen years old or older have
been X rayed in the mass TB
survey now drawing to a close
in tins county, health officials
said yesterday, expressing the
hope that the figure would ap
proximate 13,000 or more by Fri
day of tins week.
Extended into the fourth week
on account of adverse weather
and bad road conditions during
most of the time since it was start
ed on January 27, the survey so
far has met with success consider
ing interrruptions and other fac
tors beyond human control.
In a preliminary report issued
this week Dr. R. F. Bell, head of
of the survey, explained that sus
picious cases were running about
one percent so far. The doctor
pointed out that a suspicious case
it not necessarily a tuberculosis
case It was explained that there i
could have been a defect in the
film or some metal object could
have been in the subject’s pocket
causing the X ray to misrepresent
the true condition. Those persons ■
called for further examination
reported in larger numbers this
week, and the health officials are
anxious that all such cases be re
i becked before the last clinic is
closed next Monday. The last
X-rays will be made on Friday of
this week. Dr. Bell will read the
X-rays Saturday and remain in
the county to conduct the special
clinic all days next Monday. The
regularly scheduled clinics are to
be held on Wednesday and Friday
of this week.
Reopening trie morale A-ray
units last Friday following the big
snow, the survey handled 927 X
rays before closing Saturday aft
ernoon, boosting the total to 9,
477 Approximately 500 X-rays
were made in Hamilton, Rober
sonville and Williamston Monday,
and this morning the count went
over the ten-thousand mark,
Today, the survey is under way
in Rubersonville for the last time.
In addition to the unit there and
the one on Williamston’s main
street, a third unit is operating at
the Standard Fertilizer plant for
today only.
On Wednesday the survey will
go forward at Godard's No, 90
filling station in Williams Town
ship from 10 to 4, and at the pulp
mill from 10 to 5. The unit here
will still be in operation.
On Thursday the survey will
be extended into the lower part of
the county with units operating
from 10 to 4 o’clock at Dardens
and Jamesville. The unit on the
main street here will continue
that day and the following day.
Other than the unit here, only
one truck will take X-rays on
Friday, February 20, and that one
will be in Jamesville from 10 to
5 o’clock.
Those persons who have not had
their chests X-rayed are asked by
the health authorities to try and
make it to one of the mubile units
at any of the designated places
and have it clone on or before
Friday of this week. Friday is
the lust day of the survey.
KOI ND-Ul*
There was very little activ
ity on the crime trout in this
county last tueek-end, the
sehriff’s office reporting: that
only two persons were detain
ed iti the county jail.
\ lti-year-oid colored girl
was detained a short time tor
an assault with a deadly
weapon, and a young: white
man was jailed for altered
breaking and entering.
Business was at a standstill
during most of last week
the big sitow even snowed t
der a crime threat.