THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
V OLUME LI—NUMBER 67
WilliamUon, Marlin County, North Carolina, Tarsi lay, August 21, 1918
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
ESTABLISHED 1899
I). R. Chandler
Passes At Home
In Robersonville
p
Funeral Tuesday Aflernoou
For Proiuiuenl Citizen
Of This Section
Mr. D. R. Chandler, prominent
Martin County citizen, died at his
home in Robersonville Sunday
night at 11:40 o'clock. Seventy
five- years old, Mr. Chandler be
came ill last January and the sick
ness compelled him to retire from
bis business, the Robersonville
Furniture Company. He became
critically ill early last week.
Mr. Chandler was born in Ran
dolph County, this state, and in
1902 he moved to Robersonville
where he was employed as a rural
mail carrier for eighteen years.
Following his resignation as a
<|tfull-time mail carrier, he and Mr.
A. R. Osborne formed a partner
ship which operated as the Rob
ersonville Furniture Company.
After several years of successful
operation the partnership was dis
solved owning to the ill health of
Mr. Osborne, and Mr Chandler
continued to operate the business
until his death.
* , In the furniture business here
for thirty years, Mr. Chandler
continued to serve as a substitute
mail carrier until he became ill
last January.
He affiliated with the Christian
Church here in 1912 and continu
ed to serve the church faithfully
with both his time and money un
til ill health forced his retirement.
He was also a charter member of
* the local Rotary Club and the lo
cal chapter of United American
Mechanics.
“Doc,” as he was known to his
many friends and associates, de
voted much of his time and tal
ents to everything that was good
and worth while for the town and
I community in which he lived,
j • Courteous and affable he enjoy
ed the friendship of a large num
ber of Robersonville and Martin
County citizens. Mr. Chandler
was held in high esteem and every
one recognized him as an honest
and noble citizen.
, He was first married to Eliza
beth Peele of Williamston who
#died in 1938. Surviving this union
are two sons. Wilmer of Philadel
phia, Randolph of New York
City, and one daughter, Kathryn
Chandler of the home. He was
later married to Mrs. Betty Pe ry
Morris who also survives.
(Continued on page eight)
-o
• Uncover Copy 01
Old Newspaper
Old records show that the late
Howard J. Herrick was one of the
leading pioneer editors in this sec
tion, but a sample of his work was
not brought to light in this section
until last week-end when Mrs. J.
J. Cherry of Route 2, Williams
£ ton, presented The Enterprise
with the September 7, 1894, edi
tion of the "Martin County Sun.”
It is not known how long Mr.
Herrick published the paper, but
it was an eight-column, neatly
printed paper of four pages, car
rying national and local news.
Mr. Herrick, who was later to
attain fame in the theatrical
world, is remembered here by
^.jnany of the older people. He mar
ried here and his daughter, Miss
Virginia, and his son, Howard, Jr.,
V made their home here until about
twenty years ago.
The Enterprise would like very
much to get additional copies of
the Sun or any other papers prior
to the turn of the century.
V
ERROR
Reporting the payment of
town taxes last week. The En
terprise stated that two per
cent discount was being al
lowed. The statement was
made in error, the clerk, Dan
Sharpe, explaining that the
law allowed only one percent
discount on the payment of
taxes during August and one
half percent in September.
^ The county tax office was
said 10 have allowed two per
cent discount, but- only in
those cases where payments j
were tendered in June.
CITIZENS OF TOMORROW
The Enterprise takes much pieasure in presently another
in a picture series of this section's “citizens of tomorrow”. So
far none hag 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 better 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, Louise, six, daugther, of Mr. and Mrs. G.
D Grinvs, Williamston; Robert, ten, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jinnie
Goddard, Williamston; Nancy, eight, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T.
M. Britton. Williamston; Bottom row, Blanche, nine, daughter of
Mr. and Mis. A. J. Manning, Jr., Williamston; Tommy, eleven,
son of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Harris, Williamston; and Priscilla, nine,
diu.ie.tder of ,M: and Mis. W W. Gurganus, Williamston.
Directory Of The
Buying Personnel
For Local Market
List Inrlmlrs NiiiuImt of
Now Fares This Year, Ae
cording To Supervisor
Compiling a directory of the
buying personnel and assistants,
on the local market, Sales Super
visor Edward Corey said the list
this year includes several new
comers. and added that all had
found living quarters. The group
has already developed a smooth
working organization, cooperating
splendidly in the interest of the
market and its patrons.
A list of the personnel and the
addresses:
For the American: J. M. Lamb
at Mrs. J W. Manning's, W. Y.
Moore at the Murray Holloman’s
on Marshall Avenue, Jack Haynes
and Kirkwood Snyder at the P. H.
Browns.
For Liggett-Myers: A. B. Avers
at home, W, D. Dills, Mr. Wenzler
and Thad Harrison.
For the Export: Archie Ellis and
Joe Green at the Joel Muses’,
Hugh Heath, commuting from
Kinston.
For R. J. Reynolds: Gene Aver
ette at the Abernathy's on Mar
shall Avenue, D. L. Corbitt.
For J. P. Taylor: Norwood
Thomas at the J. D. Woolards’, W.
R. Westbrook at the P. H.
Brown's.
For the Imperial: Fred Jones at
Mrs. J. W. Manning's, Gene Gur
ganus at Mrs. W. F. Warren s,
James Harrington at home.
For the Washington Tobacco
Co.: Arthur Beale and Gabe Rob
erson at home.
For W. I. Skinner Co.: W. I.
Skinner, at home.
In addition to the buyers who
are listed first in each group,
there are three government grad
ers. W. D. Morrow and R. C.
Cone are stopping with the H. L.
Swains’, and W. L. Rawls is stop
ping with the W. C. Windleys'.
Farm Paekhouse
Burns In County
—»_—
Fire of unknown origin destroy
ed a paekhouse, about $1,000
worth of tobacco and about twen
ty barrels of corn on the Slade
White farm in P-iplar Point Town
ship about 7:00 o'clock last even
ing.
Mr. White went to the barn
about the time the fire bi uke out.
According to a report reaching
here he found the fire burning in
a pile of tobacco on the second
floor. He ran for some water and
almost extinguished the fire but
while he was away getting a sec
ond supply the fire went out of
control.
The barn, constructed of tim
bers hewn from the hearts of logs,
was placed together with pegs
years ago. it held two acres of to
bacco except for the lugs which
had been marketed and file tips
which were still in the curing
barn.
BOOSTERS
/■
N
Vi
✓
With more than $5,000
pledged, local business firms,
including merchants, ware
houses and professional men,
are launching an extensive
advertising program for Wil
liamston. Lynn Taylor has
been employed to handle the
campaign which is scheduled
to run for ten weeks and
which is to feature radio pro
grams over Washington and
Tarhoro stations each morn
ing from 11 to 11:30 and each
afternoon from 3 to 3:30
o'clock.
The booster program was
discussed at a meeting of busi
ness men last Friday evening
, and iinal plans were advanc
I ed the following morning.
] Forty-seven merchants have
subscribed near $2,500 and the
warehousemen $3,000
| Mrs. Cad Gardner
Dies In Hospital
—«—
Mrs. Bettie Gardner, a native of
this county but for many years a
resident of the BJack Creek sec
tion of Wilson County, died in the
hospital he’“ vesterdav morning
at 11:00 o’clock, the victim of a
heart attack. She had been ill for
about five weeks but her condi
tion was not considered critical
until lust Thursday when she was
removed to the hospital from the
home of her niece, Mrs. Dancy
Taylor in Bear Grass.
The daughter of the late Willie
and Peggy Williams Knox, she
was born in the Robersonville
Community eighty years ago on
May 2, 18(10 She spent her early
life there and later lived in Bear
Grass. Following her marriage to
Cad Gardner about 1895 she mov
ed to Wilson County where she
made ht r home except for visits of
several months’ duration with her
nieces and nephews in this county.
Mrs. Gardner was the last mem
| ber of her immediate family. She
leaves no children by her marri
age, but surviving are three step
children, Jim Gardner, Mrs. Wade
Lucas and Mrs. G. C. Bearden,
all of Black Creek, RFD 1.
She was a member of the Primi
tive Baptist Church and Elder Jos.
Fly will conduct the last rites in
the church at Black Creek Wed
nesday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock.
Interment will be in tiic cifinetei y’
the>e.
Her nieces and nephews in this
county arc, Mrs. Dancy Taylor,
Mrs. Wheeler Rogerson and Mrs,
Jesse Rawls, and Mrs. V/. M., Co
mer and Kneezer Harrison.
She had made her home in this
county with nieces and nephews
since last April.
Freakish Fan Found
In County Recently
The unusual in eggs was found
by Mrs. Torn Roberson in her
hen house in the Farm Life sec
tion a few days ago. Two eggs,
both very small, are joined to
gether to form twins. I
Quartet Arrested
For Violations By
Various Officers
-+.
Bound Over To tlu Super
ior Court for Breaking
Into Parniele Store
- - »
Bill Mozingo, J. R., Wilmor and
W. C. Whitehurst, Jr., young
write men of the Robersonville
and Bethel sections, were bound
over to the superior court for trial
next month whtu. Justice R. T.
Johnson found probable cause of
guilt last Saturday in the case
charging them with breaking and
entering and larceny and receiv
ing. Bond was required in the
sum of $100 each except for the
youngest of the Whitehurst boys
who was recognized by the trial
Justice.
The boys allegedly broke into
Tom Clay's place of business in
Parmcle sometime during last
Thursday night or early Friday
morning, taking cigars, sugar and
other groceries and some money
out of a piccolo, valued in excess
of $50.
Leaving the scene of the-crime,
three of the youths traveled to
Everetts where they picked up the
third Whitehurst boy and continu
ed to Williamston where they
were detained a short while when
police became suspicious of their
actions.
At least two of the boys admit
ted they had driven the car and
all of them were found without
drivers' licenses, Mozingo having
lost his reportedly for drunken
driving. Two of the four were
said to have been "drunk.” The
youths were formally charged
with operating a motor vehicle
without a driver’s license and
were booked for trial in the coun
ty court.
The quartet picked up Elbert
Whitehurst in Everetts and gave
him a ride to Willian ston. lie
was booked for operating a motor
vehicle without a license, but in
open court he was adjudged guil
ty of public drunkenness, and
drew sixty days on the roads. W.
C. Whitehurst, Jr., and Melvin
(Bill) Mozingo charged with oper
ating a car without a driver’s li
cense, were fined $25 each, plus
(Continued on page eight)
-o
Fire Threatens
Windsor Suburb
Starting from a spark in the
pumphouse, fire damaged the
storage tanks of the Harrison Oil
Company and threatened Bertie,
Windsor suburb, late last night.
John Langsdale, driver of a trans
port for the Reliable Transport
Service, was severely burned
when he tried to keep the fire
from spreading. One report said
that his fingernails were burned
away, that he was badly burned
about the face and arms.
Persons, living in the little set
tlement, took their children and
moved out as fire-fighting equip
ment moved in from Windsor,
Williamston and Edenton. Equip
ment was l olling to the scene from
Elizabeth City when the fire was
brought under control and the
truck was turned back.
Using special chemicals, the
Edenton firemen had the fire out
a few minutes alter their arrival
while Windsor and Williamston
firemen laid approximately 2,000
feet of hose from the river.
Other than the personal damage
and that done to the transport
truck, the loss to the Harrison Oil
Company property was estimated
at about $10,000. None of the big
tanks exploded, but fire burned
lapidiy through the vents and the
tanks were warped by the ex
treme heat.
o
Suffer* Broken Wri*t
While Suininiinti in Surf
— ♦
Miss Dorothy Mizelle of James'
ville and an employe at the North
Carolina Pulp Company plant,
broke her right wrist while swim
ming in the surf at Virginia Beach
last Saturday.
Treated in a hospital there, she
was able to return home Sunday,
bgt doctors state it will be six
weeks before she'll be able to re
turn, to her ivork. She was accom
panied there by Misses Grace1
Brewer and Mary Perry.
Jasper S. Leggett
Hangs Himself At
Home Last Friday
linila(iiiK V “\\ ild Wcsl"
Stunt, Boy Strangles
Himself to Heath
Imitating “Wild West" stunts,
Jasper Stuart Leggett, nine-year
old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh
Leggett, hanged himself accident
ally at his home just across Beav
I or Dam bridge near Everetts on U
S. Highway (i-t lest Friday after
I noon about -Lot) o'clock. The
crudely made noose strangled the
little fellow to death.
At home with his sister, Peggy
Jean, youngster Was playing alone
in the back yard. Taking a rape
he fastened one end to a frame
supporting a home-made shower
bath in the back yard. He placed
the noose around his neck and was
standing on a cross member of the
frame when he fell off, leaving
him hanging about two and one
half feet from the ground.
Peggy Jean, who is older, hap
pened to go into the back yard
and saw him hanging and she im
mediately cut him loose. Mr. and
Mrs. Leggett who had been away
from home only a short time re
turned a few minutes later and
they picked him up and carried
him to Brown’s hospital whtire he
was pronounced dead.
No formal inquest was consid
ered necessary by Coroner S. R.
Biggs who said the youngster was
reported to have imitated stunts
handled by cowboys and those ap
pearing in cheap comic strips as a
means of entertaining himself.
The victim of the accident mov
ed to this county from ^Beaufort
County about two years ago. He
attended school in Everetts where
he was a promising young stud
ent.
(Continued on page eight)
Band Club Maim's
Executive Group
Deferring the election of offic
ers until the next regular meeting,
the Band Parents Club of Wil
liamston High School last night
named an executive committee to
handle various phases of the
club's work and complete plans
for a Band Day or Tag Day in
late September or early October.
The meeting followed a rehears
al by the band in the high school
auditorium which many of the
parents attended and enjoyed. A
marked improvement over the
first fulj rehearsal the parents lis
tenet] to about a year ago was not
ed and Professor Jack Butler ex
plained that the band was reach
ing the point where it could be ex
peeled to givp a good account of
itself with hard work and dili
gent study.
An invitation to take part in a
V-J day celebration at Elizabeth
City has been declined, Director
Butlei said because the day set
apart for that event is the same
as the organization day for the
new school year at the high school
and the band could not get away
in time to make the event away
from home. However, the band
is tentatively scheduled to make a
trip out of town on October 2 to
play for one of the big football
games in the state. Definite word
on that will probably be released
later this week.
Report cards on band work are
to be issued this year right along
with the scholastic reports and the
various items to be touched upon
in this report were explained by
the director.
The Tag Day or Band Day this
year will be to raise funds for
tianspoi lation, lb, music ‘supplies,
to supplement the uniform fund,
and possibly to supply a state and
national 1 lag foi the band which
is receiving school colors from the
Williarnston Junior Chamber of
Commerce.
Appointed to the executive com
mittee to vork on various depart
ments were: Julian Harrell, trans
portation; M. M. Levin, finance;
Mrs. B. G. Stewart, attendance;
Mrs. R. L. Carver, handicraft
(looking after uniform repairs,
attaching letters to pennants for
parades, etc.); and Lee Reynolds,
publicity. Each of these is to have
help in handling their work as
they may need it from other mem
bers of the club.
I Registration For Draft To
I Be Handled At One Center
Meeting last Thursday evening
in Williamston. Martin County's
newly appointed draft board ad
vatUeu tefiiaiiVt plans for luuiu
ling the 1948 model draft registra
tion which is slated to get under
way next Tuesday Convinced it
would be next to impossible to get
a sufficient number of volunteers
to handle the task in all parts of
the county, the board members
agreed to set up and maintain one
registration center. Registrations
will ire handled in the American
Legion Hut of the John Walton
Hassell Post in Williamston for
about fifteen days, at the end of
which time the registration cen
ter will be transferred to the draft
board offices on the third floor of
the town hall.
Personnel for handling the reg
istrations has not been named, but
. the board members are search ini; j
for helpers, and any one who can j
| anil will participate m the task is
I iisKixi to contact imard v iruil'nrart
j Eugene Rice at Davis' Pharmacy
j in Williamston,
Miss Mildred Everett, for sever
al years employed in the Martin
County Triple A office, lias been
| named as clerk to the draft board
j and she is entering upon her mm
! duties immediately. However, no
| furniture has been received and it
I could not be learned when the
| draft board offices would be open
I ed to the public During the
meantime, business of the board
is handled by the chairman at his
place of employment.
Besides the chairman, Messrs.
Chas, Gray of Robersonville, and
L. R Everett of Hamilton attend
ed the last week meeting.
Mill Workers Vole
Against Union Here
MISSION
■N
I
County C o m miss ioners
John llcnry Edwards, W. M.
Harrison and C. A. Roberson
and County Attorney E. S.
Peel are to confer with Hr.
Ferrell in Raleigh Wednes
day morning at 10:30 o'clock
as a preliminary step in sub
mitting to a vote of the peo
ple the question of a hospital
for the county.
The group was named some
time ago to investigate the
matter, looking forward to a
vote on the proposal.
Griffins District
Road Project Is
Near Completion
IMiiii To Slnrl Shi-faring
Farm-lo-Markrl Koatl
In Short I iim
Undi r construction for about a
year, the Griffins Township farm
to marKet road is nearing contplc
tion, Highway Engineer Asa
Moore stating last week-end that
the contractor planned to com
plete covering the road with three
inches of rock and sand the latter
part o! lids week. The road then
| will be machined and shaped for
a sealer of tar. Fine rock will
then be placed on the route to be
The contract calls for the com
pletion of the road by October, If
it can not be completed by that
time the surfacing must be delay
ed unto next spring.
Approximately three miles of
surfacing has been placed on
Highway 171, connecting the road
leading into Jamesville and run
ning toward Washington. The
addition gives that section ap
proximately torn- and one-halt
miles on that route, leaving a gap
of several miles between that
point and the Beaufort County
line. The work on 171 was handled
by highway forces,
followed by a top surface of tar.
Unfavorable weather last fall
and winter delayed work on the
project for weeks, and the con
tractor has experienced many
other handicaps. The latest difl'i
cutty was presented by a shortage
of gondola train ears. To speed
up the work, the contractor agreed
to accept stone in coal cars. The
arrangement did not work very
I satisfactorily, hut more recently
the other type ear was made
available and the workers are now
near Piney Grove Church, leaving
only a small portion of the road to
be covered with the three-inch
deep rock base, a task that can be
completed possibly by the end of
this week
More than two hundred car
loads or appro uin; tely 10,000 tons
of rock will have been placed on
the road when the base is com
pleted, Engineer Moore .said.
IMPROVING
A patient in a Rocky Mount
hospital for about ten days, Mrs.
C. D. Caistaiphon, Sr., continues
to improve and expects to return
home soon.
'Two Unions Fail
I To Cot Majority
Voir In Flection
I . —
No Move For I iiioni/.alion
Vl NN illianisloii I iimlic i
<!o. for War. al I ra>l
In ;i three way election, work
its nl' tin' Williamston Lumber
Company voted against unmni/a
tion yesterday when lneal; of the
American Federation of Labor
and the Congress ol tndu trial Or
ganizations failed to poll a tna
jority. While there are eighty
three workers on the payroll, only
seventy-two participated in the
election. Thirty-six voted for no
union. Twenty-six voted for the
International Union of Operating
Kngmei rs of tin- American Fed
oration of Labor, and only five
voted fm International Wood
worker of America of the Con
gress of Industrial Organizations.
Five votes were challenged, but
since the five would not have giv
i'ii the combined unions a clear
mapority, the five votes were not
opened and counted.
The action eliminates the union
movement at the lumber com
pany plant for at least one year,
the iaw ruling that no application
to the labor relations board for
another election will be recogniz
ed for at least one year. It is pos
sible, however, that discrepancies
could cause earlier action, but un
ion representatives, when ques
tinned after the voting late yc.xti r
day afternoon, stated that they
saw no discrepancy in the elec
tion, that there was nothing else
to do but withdraw.
I The election was held under the
I direction of Harry Margolis, rep
! resentative of the National Labor
j Relations Board. Chas. (). Kd
| wards ol Goldsboro, represented
i the A F. of L and Maurice J. Di
neen, of Charlotte and Washing
I ton, N. C., represented the C. 1
O. group.
Both of the union groups elaim
1 ed a majority before the election.
1 The vote was very peaceful and
| was without incident It could not
(Continued on page eight)
Sillier- Rroken
Elbow in Fall
| Mrs. Aim,i HuTi v • • T! i. ii a
! broken elbow Monday, August l(i,
| in a fall on the stairs of the hotel
1 where she was . laying while ya
■ eationing in New York City.
1 Following her release from a
New York hospital Thursday she
I returned to Tarboro to the home
i of her sister, Mrs. A. 1). Mizelle.
Doctors in Tarboro, after cheek
ing X-rays taken of her arm,
lound the bones to have been set
I incorrectly and Mrs Harrison was
I taken to a bone specialist at Duke
j Hospital the latter part of last
; week. The specialist was unable
j to break the elbow to reset it and
Mrs. Harrison will undergo an op
eration today to straighten her
arm.
Price Uerage Of
Tobacco Is Down
In Pa^t Few Days
S.ih-' l.alr Yolonliiy An«l
I ti l\ I imI;i\ l{( |xirl< (l
Much Stronger
Alter .starting oil' at an all-time
high i ec ol d on the opening last
Thursday, tobacco prices started
leveling oil later in the day and
followed what was recognised by
farmers as a downward trend un
til late yesterday afternoon. At
that time the market appeared to
hi' stronger and today the sales
were more encouraging. Farmers
were of the opinion that the price
was off, but they were agreed that
quality of the offerings was not
any too good; in fact, it is now
agreed that the quality of open
ing-dav "break” was not as good
as many first thought it was.
The early sales last Thursday
pointed to a price average of
around $>.> per hundred pounds,
but as the day progressed the
price trend darted downward,
i he market sold 284,404 pounds
for $151,145.08, an average price
complaint, but it was fairly evi
dent that they were disappointed.
The Flue Cured Tobacco Stabili
zation Cooperative Corporation
was a big buyer during „he day,
but its purchases dw indled before
the day was spent and it is taking
comparatively little tobacco on
the current sales.
Cast Friday, the market handled
258,520 pounds at an average of
$48.58, and yesterday 223,634
pounds were ..old for an average
of $47.36.
Today, the market has an esti
mated I,>0,000 pounds on the floors
with prices stronger, but not up to
opening day figures.
Fair)' light sales are to be ex
pected for a day or two, but heavy
offerings are in prospect for file
latter part of this and next.
Wliile most of tiie eri p has been
harvested, most tanners have had
little time to switch to the pack
housi and prepare for the mar
ket A lew fanners are not ex
ported to complete tiie liar vest un
til next week.
individual farmers with good
tobacco said this morning that
they could see little or no differ
ence in pnres. "I sold over 900
pounds opening day for a little
better than a 60 cent average, and
between 700 and 800 pounds yes
terday for a 64 cent average,” a
Cross Roads farmer said.
Through yesterday the market
had sold 761,564 pounds for an
average of about $4!) per hundred
as compared witl 455,860 pounds
sold in tiie lust three days of last
season ior an average of about $45
per hundred pounds.
Boily 01 County
!»o\ ()»} \\ a\ Home
Tin1 body "I Alton Wesley Gur
ganus, former Janesville young
man, is on its way home from
Italy whore he made the supreme
sacrifice on Sunday, November
14, 11)44. relatives were advised
last week end by the distribution
center at Philadelphia. It will bo
possibly three weeks or more be
fore the body will reach the coun
ty The family plans to bury the
fallen hero in Williamston’s
Woodlaw n Cemetery.
He was among the first if not
the first man drafted from this
county to lose his life m action in
World War II.
He was a son of Mis. Vera Gur
panus. formerly of Jamesville and
now of Norfolk. A brother, Roy
all Gurganus, is making his home
in Jatnesville now.'
HOI MM I*
V-,
Nine persons were arrested
anil temporarily detained in
the county jail over the week
end, most of the arrests com
ing on Saturday following the
opening of the tobacco mar
ket on Thursday.
Five, including a colored
woman, were booked for pub
lic drunkenness, and one each
for larceny, assault with a
deadly weapon, larceny and
drunken driving.
Three were white and six
colored, their ages ranging
from '!"» to 55 years.