SHE ENTERPRISE IS READ BI
0 OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME LI—NUMBER 66
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 79, 1048
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ W
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTS
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
ESTABLISHED 1899
*
>
Judge J. C. Smith
V~'
Handles Eighteen
Cases Oil Monday
—*,—_—~ ,
Filler In Comity Court At
Session Amounted To
More Than $500
• —
Handling eighteen eases before
a fair-sized number of spectators
in less than three hours, Judge J.
C. Smith in the Martin County
Recorder's Court last Monday im
posed fines amounting to more
than $500. Two or three cases
were continued:
Proceedings:
In the case in which Major Pi
erce was charged with an assault,
it appeared to the court that the
prosecution was “frivolous and
not required by the public inter
est" and the witness, Earl Jones,
was taxed with the cost, the de
fendant going free.
Operating a motor vehicle with
out a driver’s license, Herman
Whitfield pleaded guilty and was
sentenced to the roads for ninety
days. i nc vGo'cl’* tct'iti v*. n.i sus
pended upon the payment of a $50
fine and the court costs. The court
recommended that no license be
issued the defendant for one year.
The case charging Raymond D.
Davis with drunken driving was
continued fbr final verdict next
Monday.
Chester Mooring pleaded guilty
and the case charging him with
larceny was continued under
prayer for judgment until August
30.
Pleading guilt.' of an assault
with a deadly weapon. Walter
Jones was sentenced to the roads
for sixty days, the court suspend
ing the road term upon the pay
ment ot a $20 fine and costs.
Hardy Williams was sentenced
to the ’oads for sixty days when
he pleaded guilty of an assault
with a deadly weapon. The road
term was suspended upon the pay
ment of a $25 fine and costs.
Charged with an assault, Wal
ter Wilkins pleaded guilty of sim
ple assault and the plea was ac
cepted by Solicitor Paul D. Rober
son. The defendant was sentenc
ed to the roads for thirty days, the
court suspending the term upon
the payment of the costs and a $15
fine.
Pleading guilty of operating a
motor vehicle without a license,
Adrian L. Cobb was fined $25 and
taxed with the costs.
Charged with operating a motor
vehicle without a driver’s license,
Sarah Jean Getsinger was fined
$25 and required to pay the costs.
Fred M. Harwood and Malcolm
Herbert McWhorter, both charged
with allowing unlicensed drivers
to operate motor vehicles, were
each lined $25 and required to
pay the costs.
George Wynne pleading guilty
of disorderly conduct and resist
ing arrest, was sentenced to the
roads lor six months.
Probable cause of guilt appear
ing in the case charging him with
larceny, Ananias Thompson was
bound over to the county superior
court lor trial in September. Bond
in the sum of $200 was required.
Charged with larceny, George
Green was bound over to the su
perior court for trial when pro
bable cause of guilty was found
(Continued on page eight)
* Band Parents Club
Meets on Monday
--o
The first meeting for the coming
school year of the Band Parents
Club will . he. beid,. -v,t—Ibe -fe-vgh
school building Monday night at
8:30 for the purpose of electing
^ officers and discussing plans for
the year.
A rehearsal of the band is to be
held during Monday evening and
the meeting is to follow this re
hearsal.
Among the major items of busi
ness to be taken up will be the
matter of plans for a trip to a
nearby town which the band has
been invited to make. The invita
tion has been tentatively accepted
4 and definite decision is to be made
at the club meeting.
The rehearsal Monday will con
sist of both marching and playing,
the musical part to be held in the
auditorium after darkness ends;
the outdoor drills.
I
CITIZENS OF TOMORROW
The Enterprise takes much pleasure in presenuni another
in a picture series of this section's “citizens of tomorrow”. So
far none has figured prominently in public affairs, t it as fu
ture citizens they have a tremendous assignment to handle in a
muddled world. Certain they'll do a belter job than has been
done or is being done. The Enterprise presents the youngsters
as the one great hope for the future.
Top Row, left to right, E. T., four, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. G.
Taylor, Williamston; Tommy, two, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. W.
Manning, Williamston; Chloe Ann, three, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. J. W. Gurkin, Williamston; Bottom row, R. J . eight, son of
Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Hardison, Williamston; Lina, nine, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Kirkman, Jari'ies'viue, and Alex if, nine, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Junes, Williamston.
DRAFT MEKTING |
v-✓
Tentatively scheduled to
meet in Davis' Pharmacy this
evening at 8:00 o'clock, mem
bers oi' the newly created
Martin County Draft Board—
—Eugene Rice, L. R. Everett
and Chas. Gray—will discuss
plans for a registration of 18
25 young men and name a
board secretary.
Offices have been taken on
the third floor of the City
Hall, hut they have not been
occupied as yet. The board
will decide whether to hold
the registration i:. one center
or handle it in various parts
of the county.
1948 Town Taxes
Are !Now Payable
The.nearly 1,500 Williamston
town taxpayers will receive no
tices of their 1948 tax accounts the
latter part of this week. Treasur
er Dan Sharpe said today. The
last of the notices are being pre
pared today and will be placed in
the mails just as soon as envelopes
are available.
The levy this year is approxi
mately $63,500 as compared with
$01,999 last year.
Accounts may be paid now at
the treasurer’s office and carry a
two percent discount through Sep
tember 1.
Examination For
County Teachers
In accordance with state law,
all school teachers must have
health certificates before starting
work week after next. The coun
ty health office will handle the
examinations between 9:00 a. m.
and 12:00 o'clock noon any day in
the week except Sunday.
While the department is only
interested in examining for com
municable diseases, more thor
ough examinations can be arrang
ed. T< achers, coming into the
county for the first time, will be
X-rayed, but those returning need
not have X-rays made for tuber
culosis.
All teachers residing in the
county are asked to report for ex
amination-. as so' n as possible.
1-H Dress Revue
In Hut Saturday
The annual 4-H Dress Revue
will be held on Saturday, August
21st, at 10:00 a. m. in the Ameri
can Legion hut. There will be ten
girls participating in this event.
They are: Mary Ola Lilley, Lena
Bennett, Edith Rogergon, Grace
Rogerson, Peggy Joyce Coltrain,
Evelyn Cowan, Margaret An
drews, Jean Coltrain, Dorothy
Biggs, Mamie Clyde Knox, and
possibly others. This revue will
climax many hours of planning
and hard work for each girl. The
public is cordially invited to at
tend.
Army Asks Draft
Of Doctors For
Armed Services
Nei*«l 6,(KM) Medics In Ail<li>
lion To 3,000 Already
In Tin* Service
The Army will ask Congress in
January for authority to draft
doctors, it was disclosed this week.
Informed Army sources said
about liOOO would be needed, in
addition to the 3000 now in serv
| ice, to give proper care to youths
| called up under the draft law.
I The act does not call for special
' registration of dgctors as origin
ally proposed, although all, those
25 or under must register. There
are few, however, who have com
pleted their formal education and
internship at 25.
Subject to the approval of Con
gress, the Army wants to call up
first the men who received their
medical training during World
War II at government expense
and then did not see service.
The Journal of the American
Medical Association said recently
that thousands of doctors educat
ed under the wartime ASTP and
Navy V-12 programs were “obli
gated" to the government and the
people to volunteer now.
But an Army source estimated
that even if all the men who were
educated at government expense
should volunteer, the service still
would need 3000 to 4000 more.
The House draft bill originally
proposed that graduates of the
ASTP and V-12 programs be call
ed up first. This provision was
i knocked out after AMA members
promised to do all they could to
: get enough volunteers.
But Army officials now are con
vinced that a draft is needed and
have called in AMA representa
tives to look at Army records.
These representatives reportedly
! are convinced that a doctor draft
1 is inevitable.
“Hot” Soft Ball
i (iaine Scheduled
Advance reports declare it'll be
j a hot time on the local high school
' d'iarKv.rjd'firAt-AV^-fTftr, mgt<t at
j 11:00 o’clock when the law enforce
j rnent group in Beaufort County
1 invades this territory to meet the
Martin County gang in a soft ball
game.
| The line-up is to include just
; about all the officers in this coun
: ty except Sheriff Charlie Roebuck
I who will lend his moral support
j to the Martins while keeping the
| rooters’ bench warm.
There'll be no arguing among
! the umpires, players and fans
j since both umps, who hold ratings
\ as experts, are deaf and dumb.
The Beaufort County team is
j well organized, while the officers
: in this county have had little
1 practice. However, the Martin
1 group is right good in making
j "catches.”
Price Average Is
Upward For Most
Types of Tobacco
Support Prioip Higher By As
Much As Eight Cents
On Some Grades
Although the Stabilization Co
operative Corporation support
prices moved up by as much as
eight cents a pound above 1947
figures for some grades, the open
market recorded generally higher
prices and on opening sales early
today the cooperative got very lit
tle tobacco here.
Below is a comparison of the
support prices, by grades, for 1947
and for this year:
Grade
AIL
A2L
A3L
A1F
A2F
A3F
AIR
A2R
A3R
B1L
B2L
B3L
B4L
B5L
B6L
B1F
B2F
B3F
B4F
B5F
B6F
B1R
B2R
B3R
B4R
B5R
BCR
B3D
B4D
B5D
BCD
B3LV
B4LV
B5LV
B3FV
B4FV
B5FV
B3FM
B4FM
B5FM
B4FK
B5FK
B4GL
B5GL
BCGL
B4GF
B5GF
BGGF
B4GR
B5GR
B6GR
H1L
H2L
H3L
H4L
H5L
H6L
H1F
H2F
H3F
H4F
H5F
H6F
H1R
H2R
H3R
H4R
H5R
H6R
C1L
C2L
C3L
1947
68
64
60
68
62
56
58
54
58
54
48
44
38
28
54
48
44
38
30
22
50
42
36
28
22
16
32
24
18
14
46
40
34
42
34
26
40
34
26
28
22
32
24
1
28
22
16
22
16
12
60
56
58
46
40
30
56
52
48
42
36
26
50
46
40
34
28
24
62
62
60
1948
70
68
66
68
66
60
62
56
62
58
52
48
42
32
60
54
48
42
32
24
52
44
36
28
22
16
32
24
18
14
48
42
36
44
36
28
40
34
26
30
24
36
28
22
30
24
18
22
16
12
66
64
60
52
48
38
02
60
54
48
42
32
54
50
44
38
32
24
68
68
66
(Continued on page eight)
THE RECORD
SPEAKS . . .
After holding to a count of
one or tv. a each .wjjjjjj . {or
months, the number of auto
mobile accidents on Martin
County highways are begin
ning to increase. However,
the figures this year are not
near as bad as they were for
the corresponding week in
last year when eight accidents
were reported.
The following tabulation*
offer a comparison of the ac
cident trend: first, by corres
ponding weeks in this year
and last and for each year tc
the present time.
33rd Week
Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge
1948 3 2 0 $ 825
1947 8 4 0 1,310
Comparisons To Date
1948 85 43 2 18,850
1947 81 37 3 18,045
Price Average Of $54.24 Per
Hundred Pounds Sets All-Time
Record On Market Here Today!
w
Over Half-Million
Pounds On Floors
For the First Sales
(Quality of Offering* Spoi
led Hill Heller Than It
Was A Year Ago
-*
All opening-day price figures
recorded since the market was es
tablished forty-six years ago were
toppled early this morning as tin
first tobacco sales got underway
here. An early average, conser
vatively estimated on the basis of
100,000 pounds sold, stood above
$55.00 per hundred pounds, or
$55 24. to be exact. And the price
trend accrued to be strengthening
shortly before the noon hour. The
record average this morning is
more than $10 per hundred
pounds higher than the one re
corded a year ago, but hardly a
dollar per hundred pounds higher
than the $54.2(i reported on the
opening day in 1946.
The market opened today wntli
more than one-half million
pounds of leaf on three warehouse
floors, and it is likely that the
block will be cleared by late to
morrow. However, comparative
ly light sales arc predicted for
next week since quite a few farm
ers are still harvesting the crop
and others are just finishing the
curing work, leaving little time so
far for marketing preparations.
Sales were under way shortly
after 9:00 o'clock this morning
when Mayor Robt. Cowen wel
comed the patrons and a record
number of visitors. All buyers,
including several new ones, were
at their posts. Selling activities
were stalled at times by the huge
throngs milling in and out of the
warehouse, but the organization
started clicking and the sales were
running smoothly in a matter of a
tew minutes.
The Stabilization Cooperative
flag was flying at full mast early
this morning, and had it not been
there the early story from the
market would have been of a dif
ferent color. Buyers were hesi
tant at first and the government
stepped in to claim many of the
first piles offered for sale. Pur
chases by the Stabilization unit
I ran as high as 75 percent on the
first several rows, but by 11:00
o’clock the regular companies, led
possibly by Reynolds and Liggett,
were bidding strongly and pur
chasing most of the offerings. The
independents were in there bid
ding and they were getting some
tobacco.
No sales were rejected, but ob
serving the first several rows sold,
some farmers advanced the opin
ion that the prices were not up to
those reported on the border op
ening earlier this month. The
first 6.316 pounds sold on the mar
ket here, including two or three
piles of damaged leaf and several
other piles of inferior quality, av
eraged slightly more than 51
cents. The next 5,382 pounds sold
for an average of $53.10. A tem
porary peak was icached when
the next 4,866 pounds on the floor
were sold for an average of $56.2(1.
In the next poundage there were
several piles of last year's tobac
co, and the average tumbled con
siderably, the 5,376 pounds selling
1 oi an average of $49,50, Sn-ange,
as it may seem, more farmers de
clared that the tobacco in that row
sold better than any other up un
til that tmie. The prices were
ranging well above the Stabilize
tion support figures for most
piles in that row.
The next several rows pulled
back well into the fifties, and
shortly before noon was booming
('"ontinued on page eight)
Smlrncrd To Knuds
By Jiisliru Johnson
Pleading guilty of being drunk
on two different counts, L. J. Britt
was sentenced to the roads for 30
days on each count by Justice K.
T. Johnson in his court here Tues
day evening.
Parking Meters Work Very
Successfully, Officer Says
Williamston's 150 parking met-1
era are working very successfully,
according to Chief of Police W. E.
Saunders who pointed out today
that the public is cooperating1
splendidly. There have been very
few violations and the citations
have been recognized with some
few exceptions. Taking 7,100 j
coins from the meter boxes dur
ing the week ending last Tuesday
morning, the officer found only
one slug, “and that’s mighty near
perfect," he declared.
In addition to the nearly 5,400
pennies and 1.780 nickels and the
one slug, the officer found almost
twenty dimes. The ten-cenl
pieces do not register, the officer
explained, and the depositors pos
sibly lost the dimes. Others are
asked to remember that dimes do
not register, that if two hours of
parking are wanted, twq nickels i
or ten pennies will do the trick
During the first week the meters
were in operation, $144.83 was de
posited in them. During the time
the meters were not in operation,
$47.30 was deposited in the boxes,
mostly by strangers.
Contrary to predictions that far
mers and other out-of-town pa
trons would resent the meters. 95
percent of those questioned de
clared they were glad to see the
meters. “We can park close to
the places where we want to
shop,” a dozen or more farmers
said, adding that they had been
parking beyond the railroad or on
Haughton Street near Church be
fore the meters were installed.
Several business firm operators
stated that their sales had increas
ed, that where one car used to
park all day in front of a place of
business, eight or ten are parked
there during the course of a day.
Tourists and others who would
slow down and then speed on
through after finding no parking
place available are now. stopping
for a meal, a purchase or to trans
act some other business.
There was some opposition ex
pressed about the time the meters
were installed, but apparently the
opponents are good enough sports
to cooperate in giving the gadgets
a fair trial.
Fire Threatens
Ham Near Here
A freakish fire threatened a to
bacco barn and almost unnerved
the owner, ,1. Frank Weaver, at
Skewarkev near here yesterday
shortly after the noon hour. Other
than the severe shock suffered by
the owner, the fire did little or no
damage
The town's fire department was
called out by those living near the
barn when they saw smoke pour
ing out of a ventilator on the roof.
Reaching the barn, firemen cut off
the oil supply to the burners and
knocked down the blaze with a
small hose line. One of the burn
ers went out of control and the
flame, sending black smoke up
through the tobacco and out the
ventilator, was licking at the dried
leaves on the second tier poles
when the firemen reached there.
The owner said that he had had
trouble with one of the burners
earlier in the day, that the tobacco
in otic corner had wet stems and
he had moved it to another part
of the barn. Had any tobacco
been on the bottom tier poles in
thi' corner where the burner went
out of control, the fire would
have caught it almost immediate
ly
-«,— ■
Lewis H. Baggett
Died On T uesday
Lewis Harvey Baggett, a native
! of Windsor, died at the home of
his son, Harvey Baggett, in West
End near Wiliiamston last Tues
day morning at 11:00 o’clock. He
had been in declining health fin a
long number of years and was
confined to his bed for more than
five years.
Born in Windsor on January 24,
18S3, Mr. Baggett spent all bis life
there until he came to this coun
ty to make ins home with his son
live years ago. He was engaged
in farming until ill health forced
his retirement.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Willie Elizabeth Baggett; a son,
Harvey Baggett, a daughter, Mrs.
Walter Speller, all of Wiliiamston;
oni sister, Miss Maggie Baggett;
one brother, Allen E. Baggett,
both of Windsor; and two grand
children, Jane Speller and Diane
Baggett, both of Wiliiamston.
He was a member ol the Baptist
church and Rev. Stewart B.
Simms, pastor of Memorial Bap
tist Church, and Rev. Tiiad Ash
ley, pastor of West End Baptist
Church, conducted the last rites
j in Biggs Funeral Home Wednes
day afternoon at 3:00 o'clock. In
| torment was in Woodlawn Ceme
tery here.
DECREASE
v
s
-N
12 mblk
J
Intangible taxes, assessed,
collceled and liimed into the
county and various town
treasuries, are somewhat less
than those reported a year
ago. The county’s share was
almost $2,000 less while the
amount received by the local
town treasury dropped from
$2,7111.22 last year to $2,490.78
this year, a reduction of
$231.44.
No reason was assigned for
the decrease, as far as it
could be learned.
Property Owners,
Pay Count \ Faxes
The payment of county taxes is
off to a good start, according to
Mrs. Cecil Brown, clerk in Tax
Collector M. L. Peel’s office. Up
until this morning, $85,843.43 had
been paid in,' mostly by corpora
tions and individual owners of
large blocks of property. Less
than 100 of the approximately H,
000 tax accounts had been paid,
Mrs Brown pointed out.
| The Atlantic Coast Line Rail
road Co. continues to hold first
I place in the amount of taxes paid
| to the county. That company’s
1 taxes amount to approximate!\
j $24,000 with the North Carolina
1 Pulp Company holding a close sc
| eond place with an account of
more than $23,000.
Taxes are payable at two per
cent discount until the close of
| business on September I, and
payments are expected to eon
' tinue in fairly large amount; dur
ing the next few days
Hardlv more than 1,000 tax no
tices have been placed in the mails
on account of an envelope short
age, but accounts may be paid by
property owners who find it eon
; venient to visit the colleetoi s of
flee.
Fifth Sunday Sing
In Baptist Church
——
The next fifth Sunday Sing will
be held at the Williamston Mem
orial Jlaptist Church on August 29
at 2:30 p. in. A splendid program
is being arranged. Special num
bers in silos, duets, trios, quar
| tets, choruses, choir numbers and
musical numbers will be present
ed as a part of the program,
i Any church having special num
j tiers will please notify Rev. E. R.
I Stewart, Hamilton. The public is
! invited to attend and enjoy the
j specials and take part in the con
[ gregaf .'.oiial numbers.
Greek Bov W rites
His Appreciation
For Old Clothing
(Jot hi1* \\ < rr ( oiicrleil By
Bo\ Seimis Here AImhiI
Hirer ^ cars Ago
A letter, expressing thunks for
clothing sent to him, w as received
by Julian Mason last. Tuesday
from a seventh grade boy in Alex
andria, Greece The clothing was
part of that collected by the local
Boy Scouts about three years ago.
The letter was written entirely
in Greek and Mason was not able
to read it. nor did he know who
the letter was from until it was
translated for him by Mrs. Philip
Tonis The boy’s name is Jimmy
and hi' addressed the salutation
of his letter to the local boy with
"Brother Scout.” He went on to
explain that lie got a pair of long
pants and a shirt with a name and
address on them from America
and so was writing to that address
to expres ■ thanks for the much
needed garments.
He stated that there was much
war |n Greece now and that the
Communists forced them to do
many things that they did not
want to do. He told how the
Communist guerrillas had taken
all the games and equipment front
their Scout Hall and left it bare
except for a few pictures. The
Creek youth said that they had
no place to hold Scout meetings
now because the Greek Scouts had
gone out and gathered all the or
phans of ages from about three to
Idteen years from the surround
ing smell towns and taken them
to the Scout Hall in Alexandria
to teach them.
He told of the great need of food
ana equipment to work with, and
staled that n was very encourag
ing to know that they had friends
who were fortunate enough to live
m the richest country in the
world ir.e Utided States of Anier
The young First Class Greek
Hoy Scout told how he lost a wrist
watch, and of the grief that the
loss brought to him since good
watches are valued very highly in
his country today. He closed Ids
letter bv again thanking Mason
lot the clothes and adding his ad
dress in hope that someone would
write to him. He said that he
would appreciate it very much.
The VVilliamston address on the
I rent ot the envelope was in Eng
lish, and Mrs. Toms stated that the
hoy could probably use English as
well as Greek and perhaps an
other language, as the school chil
dren in Greece learn a variety of
languages as compared to those
learned by American children.
For that reason the letter was
written all in Greek in the belief
that it could be easily read by an
American.
u
School Loaders
Meet In Tarboro
Thu home economies teachers of
Edgecombe and Martin Counties
and the superintendents and prin
cipals oi the schools represented,
met in the Tarboro Home Eco
nomies cottage on August 17.
At this meeting plans were
made for the 1948 '49 workshop
program for the home economics
teuehejs to help them in carrying
out the school and community
program.
Officers for the year were elect
ed as follows:
Chairman, Emily Burt Person,
, Tarboro; vice chairman, Eleanor
' 1 h'lri Jamesvili. ; . etai\ and
j treasurer, Queeme Warren, Rob
ersonville; reporter, Elsie Seago,
Rocky Mount RED 2.
Hurt' (Inuiifd fi fth
Otrnints I Writ Still
Charged with owning an illicit
liquor : till. Char Williams, I. J.
Riddick and Fawn Little, all col
ored, were placed under bonds in
tlie sum of $300 each when they
j appeared before lh S. Coinnns
j stoner Buck Tayloi at a prelinun- 5
ary hearing held m Washington
yesterday afternoon.
Guilford Brown, arrested last
I week for having one-half gallon 4
, of illicit liquor in his possession,
said that Williams gave him the
j liquor, tiu.t he had been told that a
[the three men owned the still.