North Carolina Newspapers

IBB ENTERPRISE IS READ BI OVER S,000 MARTIN COUNTT FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ VS OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTS FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEKH VOLUME LI—NUMBER 57 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, July 20, 1917 ESTABLISHED 1899 Georgia Tobacco * Markets To Open Season Thursday — ♦ Price Average Expected To Exceed $38.06 Figure Of Last Year The Georgia-Florida flue-cured tobacco markets are opening the season on Thursday of this week with higher prices predicted de spite spotty quality. Last year 'the belt sold 156,190,825 pounds for an average price of $38.06. The loan price has been increased to $39.90 per hundred, but some observers are of the opinion that the price Will hold to a figure well above tfle stabilization point since the crop this year is estimated to be about 53,000,000 pounds under the 1947 production. The Georgia-Florida crop was produced mostly under adverse growing conditions. In the begin ning there was an abundance of healthy plants and a large num ber of farmers set out tobacco ear lier than usual. The crop was off to a good start, but early in the growing stage a prolonged period of dry weather set in. This result ed in many of the plantings not being able to fully utilize their fertilizer and also caused the to bacco to ripen prematurely. The overall picture, judging from leaf already harvested and cured, por trays a spotty crop. The tobacco in some sections is not up to ex pectations, notwithstanding large proportions of good qualities. Primings and lugs are cleaner, be ing somewhat freer of sand than usual. There is still a large amount of tobacco in the fields. At the present time heavy harvesting and curing is in progress and this will continue well into next month. Regular showers will help these remaining crops, but heavy rains would be more detri mental than beneficial. Commodity Credit Corporation loans for grades'advanced through the Flue-Cured Tobacco Coopera tive Stabilization Corporation have been increased from $1.00 to *'*■+*>■ oatmmi»— i nstam?5^dTOoug!wi7amd^h?r?e number of loan rates remain un changed. The grade price Joan rates for flue-cured tobacco aver age 43.9 cents per pound, which is 90 percent of the June 15th parity price. For “untied” offerings the rate for each grade is 4 cents per pound below the rate for “tied tobacco of the same grade. Geor gia and Florida tobacco is market ed "untied.” The loan rates range from $5.00 for best nondescript to $66.00 for choice lemon wrappers. Last season receipts of the Stabili zation Corporation for the type (Continued on page eight) Local Boy Gets j Place In College Joseph (Jo Jo) Thigpen, local young man, was recently named sports publicity director for Dav idson College to succeed Lacy Me- . Lean. The young man, son of Mrs. J. F. Thigpen and the late Dr. Thig pen of Williamston, is receiving * his degree in joui^ialism at the t University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in a short time and will enter upon his new duties in t early September. Jo Jo, an army veteran, served as athletic director of the Para chute School at Fort Benmng, Ga., and coached a service boxing team in the Pacific Theater during the war. SUBSIDING Although they have been '( reported in several districts in I this county, army worms are s believed to be withdrawing F from their lines of attack on i pastures, peanuts, soy beans v and corn. The pest was at- 1 tacked with poison in several « sections, and in others the > worm is disappearing into the ground. \ Farm Agent T. ti. Brandon i said this week that another i attack is to be expected in t about three weeks unless t weather conditions are un- t favorable to the worm. r Board Accepts Deep Well At Meeting Last Thursday -- » ■ Although it does not corhe up to i expectations, a new deep well was ' accepted by the town commission ers in special session here lust Thursday evening. Appearing before the meeting, Engineer Henry Rovers and Re presentative Butler of the drilling company, explained that a flow of 150 gallons per minute is cer tain, with the possibility that the flow will be increased to 200 or more within six or eight -months. When drilling operations were first started, many feet of fine water-bearing sand were found and approved by federal-state ge ologists. The drilling went down to about 4§0 feet and a potential flow of between 400 and 500 gal lons was predicted. The water was tested and the salt content ran over 100 parts per million. While the salt content was hardly one-fourth the amount reported in water pumped from the court house well, it was rejected, and about 100 feet were filled in, lowf ering the quantity? The drilling company repre sentative explained that he was willing to move to another site, possibly a mile or a mile and one half out on the Washington Road I and sink another well in accord ance with the terms of the con tract. It was agreed that the town should pay $6.50 for a well sup plying 250 gallons of water per minute. Engineer Rivers explain ed that the town could accept the well on the basis of $26 per gallon flow or about $3,900, or direct the company to start a new well. In vestigating other factors, the board learned that it would cost more than $15,000 to connect a well a mile or more from town with the present water system, that the present well could be placed in operation for possibly $7,500. At the present time, the town is pimping 125 gallons of water from each of the two wells at Ske warkey. The new well at the municipal water plant will in crease the supply to 400 gallons. The old wells at the water plant are about shot, but it is still pos sible to get about 80 gallons from each of the three. With the new well, it will be possible to meet current needs without using salt water from the courthouse well. During recent days, as many as sixty and seventy-five thousand gallons of water have been used daily from the courthouse well. Prominent Woman Died Early Friday | DRAFT BOARD V_J Meeting in the courthouse' here this morning, the chair man of the Martin County Board of Election, the clerk of the superior court and super intendent of schools are try ing to select a draft board for the county. First reports from the meeting indicated that the ••Ate*- ^iir wiiiTr Rsc'.... ning—were finding the selec tion task a difficult one, that no one named-seemed to want the task. Lists Steps For Polio Prevention —•— Precautionary measures against he possible prevention of the spread of polio have been printed md issued in a bulletin by Dr. O. David Garvin, District Health Of :ieer at Chapel Hill, as a result of Drange county’s only case of polio n the current outbreak. Dr. Garvin, who took a refresh er course in the diagnosis and reatment of polio last spring at he Knickerbocker Hospital in 'few York, drew up the following ist of precautions: 1. Avoid unnecessary contacts vith groups and crowds, especial y indoors. 2. There is no advantage in go ng away, chance of exposure is ;reater if you travel. 3. Continue your normal activi ies. 4. Treat every fever not readilj xplamed as poliomylitis and gc o bed. 5. Don’t take medicine for pro eetion. Do not use gargles oi ose drops. 6. Avoid fatigue. • Avoid Use of contaiiiinatec uter. , - 8. Avoid insult to mouth, nose nd throat. . , 9. Kill flies. 1.0. Don’t get panicky. Dr. Garvin pointed out that Di 'harles Armstrong of the U. S 'ublic Health Service has demon trated that "approximately 7 ercent of the adult populatioi ave had poliomylitis ‘experienci /ithout having known about it his means that 71 percent o dults have developed some iin utility to1 the disease. M 14 "Dr. Philip Stimpson", specialist it!i tile National Foundation,”! h. Garvin went on, "states that! ur every 1000 persons exposed to he disease, 45 will have the dis use in such rmld form that it will e disregarded or» passed by as a unor illness. Held Funeral For | Mrs. Myrtle Brown •> Saturday At 4:00 —■> *— Beloved Neiftlihor Had Been In Declining Health For Alioiit a Year -, I Mrs. Myrtle Woolard Brown, member of a family that pioneer ed the early manufacture of farm implements, died at the home of | her niece, Mi s. Robert L. Coburn, | on South Biggs Street here last , Friday morning at 9:05 o’clock, I the end corning peacefully in her I sleep after intense suffering over i a period of almost a year. Mrs. | Brown underwent an operation in !a Richmond hospital about three i months ago, and her condition had been serious since that time. How j ever, with a determined spirit and a will to live she continued to visit briefly with her neighbors and other friends until just a short time ago. Mrs. Brown was born near Wil I liamston 54 years ago on Septem j her 28, 1894, the daughter of the ; late Joseph L. and Augusta Leg i gett Woolard. When a young girl \ she located with her family in Williamston where she attended school and quickly took an active part in the civic affairs of the community. She was one of the early presidents of the Williams ton Woman’s Club, doing a noble work for society as a neighbor and friend of all. She patiently nurs ed the sick, cared for the helpless and devoted her life in unselfish service for others. Her thought fulness of others and her deeds of mercy and kindness were extend ed into the homes of both the humble and the well-to-do and exemplified a true Christian char acter. In her great devotion and in her untiring work in the ser vice cf family and many friends, she found peace and contentment. Hers was a noble life well lived. She enjoyed life because she put much into life, asking little for herself and giving freely to others. Her father manufactured the first tobacco barn flues ever made in this county, and pioneered the manufacture of the then revolu tionary harrow bearing his name. The manufacturing plant was op erated at the old country home in Bear Grass Township for a num ber of years and later in Wil liamston. She was married in 1914 to David Brown of Jamesville and Williamston. He died during the first influenza epidemic in De cember, 1918. (Continued on page eight) Two Minor Road Wrecks Reported j In County Friday Two Persons Painfully Cut j But Not Seriously Hurt j Near Town Limits I Two persons were painfully cut j but believed not seriously hurt in , one of two motor vehicle accidents reported on the highways in this county last Friday. Incidentally, I the second highway fatality in the ] county this year was recorded | earlier in the week when Isaac I Nichols, aged Williams Township j colored citizen, died of injuries received in a bicycle-auto acci dent between Williamston and Jamesville on July 5. The lirst of the two Friday ac cidents was reported by Patrol man Mike Powers that morning about 7:45 o'clock when a pick up truck driven by Warren B. Cherry of Plymouth and an oil truck driven by Seth Bailey of Bear Grass figured in a collision on the Williamston-Jamesville highway just beyond Gardner's Creek, causing about $125 dam age. Patrolman Powers, making the investigation, said that both vehicles were traveling toward Jamesville, that Bailey gave a sig nal for a left turn. Thinking Bail ey was going to stop on the left shoulder, Cherry started to pass on the right. It soon developed that Bailey gave the signal for a left turn so he could swing around and (urn off the highway to the right. Just as Cherry was off against the Bailey vehicle, his pick-up truck was struck in the side. No one was hurt and the patrolman said that Bailey accept ed the damages. Driving his pick-up truck out on the Washington highway about 6:30 o’clock Friday evening, G. T. Gardner declared to Officer Chas, R. Moore that someone forced him off the road and into a transform er light pole just this side of Sun ny Side Inn. The driver was painfully cut on the knee and face and Mrs. Gardner, riding with him, receveid an eiglit-stitch gash nospmiitntyweS*?RrT?Tmr tinue to their home on the rail road just off South Smith wick Street. Damage to the truck was estimated at $50 and it was esti mated that $100 damage was done to the pole and electric system. Lights in that section, including power for the town’s two Skewar key water pumps, were out for more than one and one-half hours or until power company forces were able to plant a new pole and put the wires and transformer on it. -----U-- —— Swimming Fool Support Lagging Despite the hot weather of re cent davs, patronage of the Muni cipal Swimming pool has lagged to the point where a new and lim ited schedule may have to be ar ranged by the latter part of the week, it was announced yester day by Recreational Director Stuart Maynard. Mr. Maynard said that for the past ten days the pool has been operating at a loss and in view of the fact that the town no longer underwrites the deficiency in re ceipts expenses will have to be reduced The new schedule will likely leave the pool open only an Mondays, Wednesdays, Satur days and Sundays. Manager Ernest Meats of the Belk Tyltr Company, bar mafVWH the management of the pool his "pick-up” and loudspeaker to pro vide music for the swimmers as ' an added attraction. There is as ’ yet no indication that the grown ups are going to take advantage of ' the swimming opportunities. Sleeping Sickness ' Among Work stuck'j The first cases of sleeping sick- i ness among work stock were re- 1 ported in this section over the I week-end, Dr. W. F. Coppage stat- , iltg that the disease had made its appearance in Williams, Griffins 1 and Cross Roads Township. Two 1 cases were reported just across ' the river in Bertie. In all there < ivere five cases, the doctor ex plaining that four of the attacks < ptoved fatal. t Johnnie Bryant Seriously Shot Sunday Morning -o Two Loads of Cun Shot Fir ed Into Mis Bark By Bill Winbitsh, Colored Johnnie Bryant, colored tenant on the Everett farn. in Poplar Point Township, was seriously shot by Bill Winbush, another col ored tenant on the same farm, about 1:00 o’clock iast Sunday morning, the shooting climaxing an argument over a 20-cent debt created in a "friendly’’ card game. Both of the men were keeping watch at a tobacco barn, and en gaged in a card game to pass the time. Winbush got into debt to Bryant in the sum of 20 cents, it was reported, and a rather heated argument followed. Winbush left the barn and went to hks home about one-half mile away and re turned with his single barrel shot gun and a pocketful of-shells Just what happened immediately upon his return could not be learned, but Bryant elected to desert the bai n. He had traveled only about twenty-live yards when Winbush cracked down on him, sending the greater part of a load of shot into Bryant's neck. Bryant continued to move away but he was not fast enough to escape a second blast. The victim was removed to the local hospital where his condition was described as serious. How ever, he is expected to recover if there are no complications. While other tenants were get ting Bryant to the hospital, Win bush started walking to town to surrender. He had walked hard ly a mile before he called some one to bring him to town. Local police started to draw their arms when Winbush got out of the car with the gun in one hand and sev eral shells in the other. Bryant, who was the target of a load of gun shot about a year ago as a result of a family quar rel, was said to have been drink ing, that possibly he and Winbush had had some trouble under simi were said to have worked side b side in the fields and were con sidered to be veiy good friends. Winbush is being held in th county jail pending the outeom of Bryant’s condition. Justice Jolmsou Hears Five Cases —•— Justice R. T. Johnson handled live cases in his court during the past lew days, several of them be ing of the complicated domestic type. Counter warrants were drawn by R. B. Speller and his wife, Lu rindy Speller, the court finding the husband not guilty and the wife guilty of disorderly conduct. While it was apparent the wife provoked the attack, there was enough evidence offered to sup port a second woman angle. The justice first decided to send the -ase against the wife to the coun ty court for a final decision, but he altered his decision and impos 'd a $10 fine on the defendant when it was pointed out the wo man had three small children at home. The wife defendant was with out witnesses. The case in which Willie Wilson was charged with an assault when the prosecution witness turned md supported the defendant in ipen court. Wilson was adjudged lot guilty and Eunice Oden, book-7 -'d as the prosecuting witness, was equired to pay the $6.50 costs. I she turned to the defendant and le advanced the money to pay the •osts. Charged with being chunk and iisorderly, Dora Williams, young ■olored girl, was sentenced to jail or JO days, the court suspending he jail term ori condition that she emain away from the home of -aims Willoughby and stay off he Wells-Oates premises where j cveral families arc housed. Pleading guilty of giving an un iroper hand signal while operat ing a motor vehicle, Seth Bailey vas fined $5 and taxed with the, osts. Essie Wilson, charged with dis rderly conduct, was fined $5 and axed with $6.50 costs. Town Board Retains Old $2.00 Tax Rate I Proposed Budget ( alls tor Revenue i In Sum of $133 953 Kill*' Is I tast'd On \sst*sst‘tl Property Valuation Of $3,240.243.00 Meeting in special session last Thursday evening, Williamston's commissioners tentatively adopt ed a budget for the.current fiscal year, cal'ing fur retention of the old $1! per $100 valuation tax rati and expenditures in the sum ol $133,953.46. The budget is based mainly oi the general tax levy which is ex pected to raise $04,000.00 on an as sessed property valuation of $3, 240,243.00. Last year the valua tion was $3,039,229.00, the tota this year showing an increase ol slightly more than $200,000. The next big source of income is watei sales which are estimated to bring in to the treasury approximately $31,000. The third biggest income item is anticipated profits fron legal liquor sales and beer-wine taxes which are estimated at $15, 000. Other income, running aboul $1,000 or less, is anticipated fron paving assessments, mayor’i court rentals, penalties and sol vent credits. Last year these sources of income raised a total ol approximately $115,135. A general increase in expendi tures is noted in most of the de partments. While the items in the general administration fund re main virtually the- same, new se-r vices have been added. The ap propriation for badly needed re pairs to the city hall - ,s inereas ed from $' 000 to $2,0„ -e item including supplies. A .er $1, 200 was appropriated finance a rat control program. This ye-at ^ in-leu uumuiibiiiiiiun is fsiiniat t drrD ■wv.v ■j.w»3 ,V a.wwt1 ...^ -$ mm for the* past fiscal year. Appropriations for the mainten ance and expansion of the ceme tery were increased from $0,500 to $7,000, the additional amount hav ing been appropriated to finance a contemplated expansion there. Turning the swimming pool op elation over to the recreational committee, the board is reducing the appropriation there from $2, 200 to $1100. The fire department appropria tions were reduced from $8,015 to $3,850. The appropriation for the police department was increased irom $18,065 to $19,300, most of the in crease to go for the purchase of uniforms and equipment. •Street department appropria tions jumped from $22,655 to $33, 493.46 The increase is traceable to the proposed purchase of $9,000 worth of new equipment and a gain of about $3,000 in labor costs. A similar increase is noted in the water department appropria tions, the estimated expenditures jumping from $17,700.17 last year to $28,920.00 this year. Most of the increase is to go for the new well now being developed on the municipal water plant property. "Ill-' board also included a $6,000 appropriation for new pipe to con tinue as rapidly as possible the extension of water lines to every nook and corner m the town Debt s«rvice—ia-—gradually dwindling, but ^tfflconsti tutes a major item in the budget, The board is appropriating $14,500 for principal on bonds and $10,815.00 interest, a total of $25,315.00. Last year, debt service costs amounted to $28,195.00. , —-o lunrnil I liis Morning for (,itrganns Inf uni Funeral services were conduct ed in the Holiness church here this morning at 10:30 o'clock for Dannie Hay Gurganus, one-day olti son of Dan and Frances Wlnt aker Gurganus, who died in the local hospital yesterday. Rev. N. J. Ward conducted the service and interment was in Wuudlawn Cem etery. Besides the parents, a brother and sister survive. POSTPONED | v The United Nations Appeal for t'nildren has been post poned in Martin County for several weeks, it was an nounced a few days ago. Call ing for $2,500 as this county's share in a nation-wide drive to keep thousands of little children from starving, the organization was advised that every effort would be made to have this county go over the top. Making splendid progress in every state in the nation, the drive was given initial support by contributions from members of the Kiwanis club a few weeks ago. The amount raised at that time will be added to the amount to be raised later. Colonial. Opening Brand New Store Colonial is opening a strictly modern and extensively equipped store and supper market in the Tar Heel building next to the bus station here Thursday morning at 8:30 o'clock. Elaborately planned, the open ing will bring here officials of the company, including Messrs. II W. McCullough, district manager of the North Carolina Division, and Carlton Mercer, produce mer chandiser of Norfolk; C. F. Can \ nada, grocery superintendent; and W. J. Cartner, meat superintend ent. Assistant superintendent in charge of store openings, W. D, Harton, and his assistants have done an able job in placing the equipment arid stocking the store. ! Truckloads of merchandise have I been moved into the store during ! loaded lute tomorrow and before - opening time Thursday morning. I The store, completely renovated j and modernized, is fitted with | brand new equipment of the lat I est type, including an open top j self-service dairy ease, sell serv j ice frozen food case, a sparkling produce rack with the mirror back. The grocery and package lacks, heavily stocked, are neatly arranged with prices plainly marked. The store offers just about the latest in modern and convenient merchandising, mclud ing a 28-foot meat case and large refrigerated storage rooms for meats and produce. Special prices are being adver tised in the various departments and a number ot valuable food baskets will be given away at the opening. Manager It. L. Bowling, twelve years with the company, is looking for a large crowd and a successful opening. In addition to the manager, Col onial will continue the following personnel, most of whom have been with the firm for years: Ed Morton, manager of the meat de partment, Durward Johnson, pro duce superintendent; Ben Peel, Archie Coltrain and Whit Mallory, stockrhen; and John VanLanding ham, assistant butcher. Miss Bcs sic Griffin and Mrs. Belva Daven port, two of the company’s best cashiers, will continue at then posts. Victim' 'Of KliilV Lafayette Pearsall, young col ored man, was attacked and badly cut on his neck and arm by J. T Perry, also colored, on Washing ton Street near the Cotton Club here about 10:00 o’clock Saturday night. Pearsall was charged with Irv ing to break into the home ot his estranged wife and police were I looking for him when Perry launched the attack. It. could not! be learned definitely, but one re port claimed that Pcarsal had mo lested Perry’s wife at the club. His wounds closed with eight stitches, Pearsall was moved to 1 the county jail. ■o •o Funeral Services For Levi H. Davis j Tomorrow at 4:00 —»— ' ^ omij* IVIun Made Supreme Sarrifice In Fra nee On June 19, 1911 -». Funeral services will be eoft | ducted Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 o’clock from the home of his mother, Mrs. Mattie Uurkin Dav is, near Jamesville for Pfe. Levie Horace Davis, Jr., who made the supreme sacrifice for his country in France on June 19, 1944. Par ticipating in the Normandy invas ion, the young man was among the first, if not the first, from this county to fall in action in France during World War II. Answering the call of his coun try, the young man volunteered for service ,n the army on Janu ary 2H, 1941, about ten months be fore Pearl Harbor. He was trans ferred to the European theater in February, 1944, and moved with his company into Normandy, re ports received at the time stating that his outfit was among the first to set foot on French soil during the invasion. A member of the Free Will Bap tist Church at Corinth near Jamesville, the young man spent all his life on the farm until htt entered the service. His pastor, Rev. W L. Moretz, assisted by Rev. O. B. Niekens, Plymouth Baptist minister, will conduct the last rites, and a military detail from the John Walton Hassell Post of the American Legion in Williamston will have charge of the rites at the graveside in the family cemetery near his old home. He was born near Jamesville on November 14, 1919, the son of Mrs. Mattie Lurking Davis and her late husband, Levie H. Davis. He was a promising young man and had , many friends in the lower part of j the county where he was well known. Surviving besides his mother arc one brother, Durham Davis; four tasters, Mrs. William Hop iibjum n M . .A-IV— :.o . _ ,0* n MtfMMMWWMNPn.lii.il II N ui ick of Gadsden, Alabama, and Mrs, Wilbur Davenport, Jr., of Plymouth. riie body, just returned from a military cemetery in France, is scheduled to reach Tarboro this afternoon at 3:21 o'clock, and will (Continued on page eight) I SES Reports Job ‘Bonanza’ Washington. -The U. S. Em j. I. , y 11 S'T Vic-.- :-;.vi1 rj hist Week the manpower supply is almost us tight a. at* the wartime peak. The erviee said in its monthly publication that “this peacetime job bonanza" was created by the unusually high level of industrial activity. il listed these lour important changes in the character of the labor market since the end of the war: Demand lor skilled workers is now greatest in construction in stead of metalworking, and the demand for trained scientific spe cialists has created a “manpower famine” in science fields. C oncentration ol labor has shift ed from the coastal shipbuilding centers to tile Great Takes, New England and Middle Atlantic re gions. Apprentice and seniority stand arm. have been re-established and —1 -■ - > . ■i i g i 1 cilfi a'CT*',.'-.—* - Men are replacing the women who held many skilled and semi-* skilled jobs. HOI Mi l l* Although there was a Hare lip on the crime front in this county last week-eiul, only si\ persons were arrested ami temporarily detained in the county jail. One each was charged with drunkenness, drunken driv ing, assault, alternated break ing and entering, assault with a deadly w eapon and rape. Three of the group detain ed w ere white, including a fe male. The ages rouged from 25 to 50 years.