*
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME LI—NUMBER 64
THE ENTERPRISE
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 12, 19-18
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI
OVER 3.000 MARTEN COCNT1
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEH
ESTABLISHED 1899
. Operators Ready For Williamston Market Opening August 19
Operating the Roanoke-Dixie and Planters Warehouses,
left to right, are Carlyle Langley, Urbin and Rossell Rogers
and Johnny Gurkin, and operating the Farmers and Caro
%
lina Warehouses, S. Claude Griffin, Elmo Lilley, Leman
Barnhill and Jimmy Taylor, are all set and ready for the
opening of the Williamston Tobacco Market next Thurs
IB
______L._
day, August It). These two big four groups broke all pound
age records for the market last season, and they'll be in
there pitching and working to make the season at hand a
suceessf ul oni’ lor the market and its patrons They extend
cordial welcome to all to visit them often this season with
the assurance that it will be profitable.
Declares lobacco
Outlook Not Very
Bright In Europe
Tohaceoiiist Says General
Conditions Improved
In Some Sections
Returning a short time ago from
his second trip to Europe in the
interest of his company, a promi
nent independent tobacconist de
clares that the foreign tobacco
market outlook is not very en
couraging, as a whole. However,
the tobacconist pointed out that he
was convinced general conditions
I in England were better on his sec
ond trip than a year ago when he
made a similar trip.
The dollar situation still re
mains "tight,” the tobacconist
said, adding that the tobacco situ
ation had been described to him
as "being very uncomfortable,”
^^Urat there wa^ome^doubt if Sir
in the British government, would
use the Marshall plan for the pur
chase of tobacco. One source, it
was pointed out, explained that it
had been proposed to allow the
purchase of 240 million pounds of
American tobacco, that 00 million
had been bought from the Stabili
zation Cooperative Corporation.
About the only way England can
I get tobacco is by grant, the tobac
conist said it was explained to
him.
"In addition to the limited dol
lar exchange available to the
British, inflationary prices present
another problem,” it was pointed
out.
While he explained that he had
only a few weeks to observe gen
eral conditions, the tobacconist
said he was convinced that there
1^ had bpen some improvement in
the living standard for all the
people. Britain’s health plan, pro
viding care from the cradle to the
grave, :s favored overwhelmingly
by the public, but a majority of
the doctors opposed the plan when
it went into effect July 5. The La
bour government apparently con
tinues strong, the people pointing
out that Churchill has attacked
W about everything but offered no
plan of his own. The Labour gov
^ eminent has offered a plan, it was
* pointed out to him.
The tobacconist advanced the
firm opinion that Britain is about
the only western power that could
or would have accepted the hard
ships of the past ..se.VSKP
rather than turn to the isms.
The Dutch pointed out to the to
bacconist that conditions with
§ them were quite uncertain. The
East Indies trouble is literally
squeezing the Dutch almost to
death. While there may be a mar
xet for tobacco there, it is certain
to be limited.
Tobacco trade prospects with
Belgium and Switzerland are con
sidered far better than those in
any other European nation, but
the tobacconist pointed out that
Switzerland buys comparatively
little tobacco.
France presents a pathetic pic
ture. The average wage there is
$42.50 per month and consumer
buying power is indeed limited.
Those with plenty of money can
get what they want and all they
(Continued on page six)
Able Corps of Buyers Will
Be On Market This Season
With most of the old buyers re
turning and with several recog
nized tobacconists stepping in to
take over the duties of others who
have been transferred, the Wil
liamston Tobacco Market is open
ing the 1948 marketing season on
Thursday of next week with the
strongest buying corps in its his
tory. "We are indeed fortunate
in having the buyers who have
been assigned to us this year,”
warehousemen said yesterday.
Five of the old buyers of last
I year are returning, includin'?;
| Gene Avery for Reynolds, Mack
I Lamb for the American, Archie
Ellis for the Export, Howard Cone
for the Fields Company, and Nor
wood Thomas for J. P. Taylor.
Arthur Beale, popular buyer for
the Washington Tobacco Com
pany, is returning after a year's
absence anti will be welcomed
along with the others by all.
A. B. Ayers, Jr., well-known
young county man, is succeeding
Mr. Fuller for Liggett-Myers. Iv
erson Skinner and Fred Taylor
have been tentatively assigned to
the market for the Skinner Com
pany. Timbo JeI frees is not re
turning for the Imperial and while
a buyer has already been assign
ed to the market for that company
his name could not be learned im
mediately.
"There isn’t a better set of buy
ers to be found in all creation,” a
warehouseman said in announcing
the list. “And we are looking for
ward to a successful season with
them, for we are certain the far
mers will be pleased with their
work,” he added.
Regulations governing
warehouse sales as recently
adopted by the trade will
vary only slightly from last
season. The speed of auction
ing will be 400 baskets per
hour per set of buyers and
each market will sell 5 hours
each sales day. The only
change will be a tolerance in
the case of weight limitations
for basket contents. While j
the limitation continues at 250
pounds per basket, a tolerance
of 50 pounds will he permitt- 1
ed. This will help eliminate
from sales floors large num
bers of small baskets, oftimes
necessary as “carryovers” j
when the farmer presents his
offerings.
Report No Polio
Cases In County i
While there have been several j
i
suspicious cases, polio has not yet
made its appearance In the county
so far this year, it was learned :
from the county health depart- !
ment this morning.
There was a suspicious case
near Oak City but it was later j
found not to be polio. A 6-month j
old colored child, thought to have i
had the symptoms uf the disease,
was removed to a Greenville hos
"p. A'lieic it was found hot To’
have polio. m
The number of cases in the state
continues tc climb, passing the 2,
000 mark today. Health officials !
are of the opinfon the total will
approximate 2,000 cases before the 1
epidemic spends itself.
-«>- .
Call Hreman To Ham At
5 .O'clock Thin Morning
Volunteer firemen were called;
out this morning at 5:00 o'clock
when an oil turner went out of
control and threatened a curing
barn on David Moore's farm on
Rhodes Street just outside the
town limits.
Although the fire blazed away 1
when the oil supply went out of ■
control the tobacco did'not catch
and very little if any damage re
sulted.
On River Bridge
No one was hurt but the driver
and his three passengers had a
narrow escape when their ear, a
1941 Model Ford, blew a tire and
went wild on the curve just this
side of the river bridge late last
Monday night.
Charles Andrew Brown, young
Plymouth white man, said he was
driving about .'10 miles an hour
when the right rear tire blew out
on the curve, throwing the mach
ine into the guard rail on the right
side ol the road. The car literally
bounced across the road to the left
guard rail and bounced back to
the right, going almost to the
draw bridge before it was finally
stopped, During the wild drive,
the car blew out a front tire, scar
red and smashed fenders. Inves
tigating the accident at 11:15
o’clock Patrolman M. F. Powers
estimated the damage at about
$125.
Brown was accompanied by Ro
bert Aman and Bertjia Ange of
Plymouth and Christine Hardison
of Williamston.
—o
Dozen Baras Burn
In County'So Far
—♦ ~—
Two tobacco curing barns were!
WdW!7J5^f-9?"iirt* jn tins county
over tne week-end, boosting the1
total loss count to twelve for the !
season to date.
Farmer L. N. Vick lost a 20x20!
log bam on the Crowfoot farm in *
Robersonville Township last Sun-1
day afternoon. Robersonville1
firemen were called there, but the i
fire was too far advanced to be
checked. The barn was equipped
with a wood-burning furnace.
Mrs. Emma L. Everett lost a
barn on the Andrews farm, also in
the Robersonville area, shortly
before midnight last Saturday.
The barn was equipped with a
stoker.
Limited insurance was carried
on both barns.
So far this season no packhouse
fires have been reported in this
county, but several have been re-,
ported in adjoining counties. i
Jud^e J. C. Smith
Has Twenty Cases
In County’s Court
Fin«*s Imposnl In Three
Hour Session Monday
Total Over $400
-<*.
Holding the Martin County Re
corder's Court in session three
hours last Monday, Judge J. C.
Smith called twenty cases and im
posed lines amounting to $-415.
The session attracted compara
tively few spectators.
So far the court has not ex
perienced any prolonged summer
slump, the record showing that
quite a few persons continue to
dare to operate motor vehicles
without drivers’ licenses and to
exceed the state speed limits.
Proceedings:
Pleading guilty of having no
chauffeur’s license, LeRoy Long
was^.sentenced to the mads Jor
J' V twit, -*.v
suspended upon the payment of a
$25 fine and costs. The court re
commended that no license be is
sued tiie defendant for ninety
days.
Charged with non-support, Wil
liam D. Leggett pleaded not guil
ty and he was found not guilty of
abandoning his wife or providing
support for her. He was adjudged
guilty of failing to provide for his
six-month-old child. The case was
continued under prayer for judg
ment until November 29 when a
final hearing is to be held. Dur
ing the meantime he is to pay $30
a month for the support of his
child.
LeRoy Coffield, alias Albert
Joseph Carr, Jr., was sentenced to
the roads for ninety days for op
erating a motor vehicle without a
driver’s license. The term was
suspended upon the payment of a
$35 fine and costs.
The case charging Raymond D.
Davis with drunken driving was
continued until next Monday. The
defendant had called for a jury
trial, but the jurymen were dis
missed when a defense witness
could not be present, the defend
ant ag eeing to go to trial without
a jury.
William "Boy" Jordan, charged
with larceny and an assault,
Pleaded not guilty. He was ad
judged guilty of an assault with
a deadly weapon and he was fin
ed $20 and required to pay the
costs.
Chargat*g a worth
less check, Ernest Rogers was ad
judged not guilty.
Lorenzo Bryant was sentenced
to the roads for sixty days for op
erating a piccolo without a license.
The road term was suspended
upon the payment of a $20 fine
and costs, and the defendant was
instructed to have the machine
moved within two days.
John Ashley Lanier, charged
with careless and reckless driving
and fading to stop at a road inter
section, was fined $25 and taxed
with the costs.
Aubiey Butler was fined $25
and require^ to pay the court
cost for operating a motor vehicle
without a driver’s license.
Charged with operating a mot
or vehicle without a driver’s li
cense, Mrs Geo Esa Roberson was
(Continued on page six) 1
Local Justices
Of Peace Handle
Number of Cases
- ■■ • «■
Sevrnil Defendants Are
Sent To Higher Courts
For Trial
Justices John L. Hassell and R.
1'. Johnson worked almost two
hours this week handling a good
ly number of eases scheduled for
consideration in their courts here.
A few road sentences were meted
out and several defendants were
bound over to the higher courts
for trial but most of the alleged
violators were fined and taxed
with the costs.
Charged with assaulting his
I wife, Maggie Thompson, the bus
band, Russell Thompson, told Jus
tier Hassell, "I hit her all right."
offering no explanation. The pro
secuting witness said he hit her
were married seven years ago.
She declared that the blows were
light. "That’s not such a bad re
cord,” the trial .justice said, chang
ing the warrant to charge disurd- I
erly conduct and slapping a $5 j
fine and $6.50 costs on the hus- !
band.
Walter Lee Wilkins, charged 1
with being di link and assaulting
Dallas Whitley with a stick, was!
bound over to the county corn t by i
Justice Hassell. Bond in the sum1
of $100 was required.
Although his wife, Hattie Wil-|
liams, had appealed to the law, j
she said she wanted to withdraw
the warrant charging her hus
band, James Williams, with an as
sault with a deadly weapon. She
said the knife wound in her arm
was net very bad. Defendant Wil
liams said he cut his wife acci
dentally, but according to the
gill’s stepfather, John Whitley,
the cutting climaxed a quarrel on
the streets which he was unable
to stop. Williams was bound over
by Justice Hassell to the higher
courts under bond in the sum of
$50.
Occupying the bench, Justice
Johnson sentenced Dora McNeil
to jail for thirty days for being
diunk. It was the defendant's se
cond offense in just a short time.
The jail term was; suspended upon
the payment of a $5 fine and $6.50
costs.
C haiged with opt rating a bail
er without proper licet):,i Zeb V.
*’• V.m ■ HI taxed!
with the costs.
Charged with disorderly eon- i
duet and attempted assault, Dave!
Melton was fined $5 and required
to pay the costs. Roy Boston, pro
secuting witness, said that he went
to get his wheel in front of the
cotton club, that Dave had his
hand iri his bosom, "and he said 1
be was going to shout me.” Dave
said he was walking out of the
club, that he thought the radio
Boston had was a picture mach
ine, that he asked Boston if he was
laking pictures "Boston opened
Ins knife and said he would take
my picture. ’ Dave was advised
to go home and he said, "I went
without further trouble.”
Chained with beating a $25
board bill at the Cowen home,
Howard CbeVry failed to answer
(Continued on page six)
Two Firms Will Operate Four
Large Warehouses This Season
Post Office Here
Serving; Half Of
People In County
Williunietoii !\ol ;i ('ilv Hut
Is Kcuchiii^ “llif' Town”
Proportions
In connection with the program
calling for an extended city deliv
ery service, Postmaster W. R.
Dunn recently completed a detail
ed study of the local post office
operations. While tlv figures are
not official, they can be used in
estimating the population of the
■ ivvn, as he points out
■11 ■ -•’ *
pulation was 28.111 and it is con
servatively estimated that the lo- j
cal office is serving 12,4(111 per- j
sons, or just about one half the
county population.
In his study review, Postmaster
Dunn offers some timely sugges
tions, pointing out that it is im
possible for any small group of
postal workers to know all of the
nearly 13,000 patrons, that prop
erly addressed mail will expedite
delivery.
Mr Dunn's story reads:
"While Williamston probably i
| cannot be classed as a city it has:
| definitely reached Big Town pro- j
| ortions. This fact can be proven!
by a study of the following fig- |
ores recently c ompiled by the |
Post Office incident to the cstub- j
lishmenl of a third carrier route {
and the extension of city delivery
service to some 208 families with
an average of slightly more than
four persons or family or exactly I
I 1.83 persons added to the eit.y de- j
livery service. Add to this figure I
675 families previously in the eit.y !
delivery, allowing four to the fum- ;
ily, and we have a total of 3772
persons to whom we make door
deliveries of mail twice daily. 1
Now add to this figure the 800 i
persons receiving mail through
post office boxes and we have a ;
total of 4572 persons receiving.
mail in Mie town of Williamston. '
“To give an idea of the area of I
Williamston, it is .7 miles to the!
eastern end of eit.y delivery set'- j
viw»»a#x5»M v thj western!
mils of tins service. To the north ■
delivery service extends 1.3 miles j
and to the south we go 1.1 miles.
These distances are from the Post
Office. The three carriers travel i
a total distance ol 18.5 miles twice !
(Continued on page six)
I rani, Belcher l‘ande<l
By Commission Today ^
After serving less than two of a I
11ve-tu-seven-year term for man j1
slaughter, Frank Belc her, local |
colored man, was paroled by the ,
paroles commissioner today.
Charged with di unken and i
reckless driving, Belcher ran an I
automobile into another, killing I
Lioyd Cowan and critically in- j :
juring Marceilus Newsome of near|
Ahoskie at Sweet Water Creek on <
U. S. 04 on February 17, 1940. h
INCKI.ASi:
Anticipating a continued
consumption record and im
provement in foreign markets
another year, the t'nited
States Department of Agri
culture this week announced
a five percent increase in to
bacco acreage allotments for
next year. The new allotment
calls for approximately 900,
000 acres, as compared with
908,000 planted to the flue
cured crop this year.
While it is possible that the
increase will affect prices
next year, market observers
are of the opinion that the
high average reported on the
^^111' FIT
will maintain itself this mr.
BjmIIv Hurl In
Road Widnil
Sammy Taylor, young son of1
Mr. and Mrs. J. I!. Taylor, was
badly but believed not seriously
hurt when he was thrown from
his motorcycle on a Washington
Road curve near the R. L Terry
tarrn late Tuesday evening.
He was unconscious for several
hours, suffering a brain concur,
sion and extensive bruises on Ins
face, shoulder and right leg The
motorcycle was wrecked when it
left the highway and plowed
across an embankment into the
woods.
The voung man, traveling to
ward Williamston, said the nia-,
ehine hit a ridge in the road and
that he blacked out then, not
knowing if he had struck another
vehicle. He said he was running
between 50 and 55 miles an hour j
at the time. Apparently he land
ed on the hardsm fare and skid
ded into the dirt of the shoulder
of the road.
Removed to the local hospital
he . was reported to he getting
along very well this morning.
-o_
llitjiorl lltnliirliini In
Inluniiihlr 7 a x <•
After "durwm^^
iu:ns over a per inn
of xcvviaij
rears, intangible taxes dropped i
.'onsiderably this year, as compar I
.-d with income from that
source i
last year.
County Auditor J. Sum Getsing
;r said that the intangible tax
lubmitted through the State |
treasury amounted to $7,658.72 !
.his year as compared with $8,
H5.96 last year.
No report on the intangible lax !
returns for the town has been le j
eived.
Sails
I'or l)i voters
I ilrtl In (,ourI lia r
Suits for absolute divorces were
iled in the Martin County Super
or Court recently, as follows:
Lourundia Howard against
Charlie Howard, and Puttie Whit
iker against Hubert Whitaker,
Il<HHt\s An*Being
Vi\[ In Shape For
Big Opening Here
\\ ai-rliousrinrn Optimistic
()\ »'r t Hillonk < >ii Eve
Ol' Mticketin” Season
-»
The two Ilig Four firms, operat
ing Williamston's four warehous
es. are applying the finishing
touches in preparation for the
opening of the tobacco market
here o \t Thursday. August 19.
While no space is being added to
the market this year, the operat
01 arc adding to the facilities for
uoos. rtireauj tne mai ins TiTs
trict i taking on new life, and
buyers, clerks, factory men and
othei are expected to start arriv
ing over the week-end for the
opening next Thursday. Incident
ally, the market has been assured
one of the strongest corps of buy
ers in its history.
Very few changes have been
made in the market operating per
sonnel this year. Edward Corey
will not lie with the Roanoke
Dixie and Planters, but Carlyle
Langley, Johnny Gurkm ami the
Rogers boys, Urbin and Russell,
will continue at the helm for the
two houses.
S. ( i mile Griffin Leman Barn
hill, Elmo Lilley and Jimmy Tay
lor will again be at the Farmers
and Carolina houses as proprie
tors.
These men are well known to
the ho inns of this section and
need no introduction. And it is
enough said to announce they’ll
again lie at their old stands, ready,
tide and willing to serve the far
mers ol tins section in the mar
keting of the current crop.
Although the crop has been cut
almost a third in this county and
the growing season was not very
favorable in parts of the county,
wan housemen are expecting a
very successful season for the Wil
liainston market. "We feel cer
tain tlicit the market will hold its
>wn,” a spokesman said yester
day.
The price outlook, as a whole, is
n t < in ourugirig Si the liiaikvt
is in line to break all records for
price averages. However, some
individuals have poor crops and in
those instances the outlook, while
possibly better than in some years
past, is not overly encouraging.
Tile Wilhamstun market is bet
ter prepared than ever before tu
handle the crop this year. The W.
1. Skinner Company lias just
about doubled its handling capac
ity vvitn the install ttiun of a large
and modern redlying machine.
■Sales, slated to get under way
promptly at 9:00 o’clock next;
riiursday morning, arc tu last five
It'iUi.- with ,.n hour tor lunch.
Warehousemen are not predict-*
ing a record poundage that day,
but the first salt
- will very likely
fill the Farmers Warehouse
vail to We ll. Tobacco. wijl
(Continued on page mg}