North Carolina Newspapers

booster Days In Williatnston — Thursday, Friday and Saturday—June 23rd, 24th, And 25th THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ EY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK > ULUJMK L1I—NUMBER 19 Williamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, June 21, 1949 ESTABLISHED 1899 No Change Anticipated In Tax Rate For County In New Year Officials Studied | Budget Until Late Friday Afternoon - —» .i .1 Minor Adjustments Are To Be Made Before Budget Is Formally Adopted Fully determined to hold the county tax rate to the current fig ure of $1.20 per $100 assessed pro perty valuation, the Martin Com missioners wrestled with figures in an all-dav meeting last Friday, unofficial reports stating that the estimates and requests were whit tled down to hold the rate for the fiscal year of 1949-50 in line with the old listing. It was estimated that $240,462.61 will be required to finance gener al county operations, including all departments and bonded debt re quirements, that a rate of sixty five and two-tenths cents would be necessary. The commissioners sliced some of the estimates to bring the rate down to sixty cents. Preliminary estimates offered by the superintendent of public in struction called for a rate of 65 cents to finance the school system. No official figures have been re leased, but there is a possibility that the school figure will be cut back to sixty cents, giving the county an over-all rate of $1.20 per $100 assessed property valua tion. Based on a valuation of $21,200, 000, the preliminary budget calls for the following appropriations, bv departments: General Fund, $121,265; Poor Fund, $15,700; Health Fund, $15,390.41; Welfare Fund, $15,289.20; Old Age Assist ance Fund, $15,300; Aid To De pendent Children Fund, $8,505; Aid to Blind Fund, $1,848; Bond Fund, $47,165. It is estimated that $91,650.00 can be raised from sources other than general taxation. Anticipat ed revenue from the sale of legal alcoholic beverages is figured at $52,000 as one of the main sources of income other than that from general taxation. Court fees and fines will amount to an estimated $9,000. Beer taxes will produce another $9,000, it is estimated. Fees from the register of deeds and other offices and tax collec tor’s fees will add about $13,500 to the revenue. While the tax rate is virtually notched at $1.20, it cannot be for mally adopted until final adjust ments are made and it is offered in review for public considera tion. Most of the budget figures -o Outdoor Concert By Local Band ■. ♦— The Williamston High Sehoo Green Wave Band will present ar outdoor concert Wednesday, June 29, 8:30 p, in., in front of the gram mar school building. The band has been working to ot' school. This will be the second annua! summer concert by the band as i part of its summer work. The program is made up oi numbers to suit all tastes Then will be an overture, waltzes, selec tions, serenades, novelties and sev eral good rousing marcher. A stage for the band will be made up through the courtesy ot the Manning truck line and light ing for the concert will be set uj under the direction of Mr. Bil Glover. Further details of the prograrr will be released the 'last of thi: week. Professor Jack Butler who ii taking summer school work a Greenville and some special mush work along with members of hi: band, said yesterday that he wai issuing “a cordial invitation to th< public to attend this old-fashionec ‘concert in the park.’ ” Rehearsals for the senior anc junior bands are being held eacl week and section rehearsals a: often as possible. 1 Court Strikes ‘Jack Pot’In Periurv Case Here Monday - .-♦ The Martin County Superior \ Court hit the “jack pot’ in a big t way in a perjury case Monday, the 1 pay-off coming either in the form < of a $500 fine for the county j school fund or a sentence of not i less than eighteen and not more < than twenty-four months. i The case had its beginning some . weeks ago in the county court ! when Roy Boston and his wife, ' Virginia, were fined $200 each for i violating the liquor laws. Boston I accepted the judgment but his i wife appealed. In court this week, Boston was I testifying for his wife and he made a good witness for her but a ! poor one for himself. His evi- : dence cleared her, but when Sol- t icitor Geo. Fountain asked Boston I vhere he got the several gallons if illicit liquor, the witness said he lought it but did not know the eller’s name. Defense counsel ob ected, and Judge Chester Morris, •residing over the term, then [uestioned the witness. Boston inswered that he made it himself. Fudge Morris immediately in truded the solicitor to draw a variant charging Boston with nanufacturing illicit liquor. Bos on, making the next move with >ut delay, insisted he bought the iquor from a white man unknown o him. The court then instructed the idicitor to draw a warrant charg ng Boston with perjury. Up until his morning Boston had not paid he $500 fine and costs. r--—\ i FIRST BARNS I v_ . J The first of the current to bacco crop in this county is being harvested this week. Farmer Sidney Beacham, picking a real weather scorch er, harvested the first barn on his farm in Bear Grass Mon day, and is harvesting either one or two more barns today. Paul Barber and Georgie Martin are pulling the lugs from three and one-half acres on their farms near James ville today, and Farmer Dock Hardison is harvesting a barn in Griffins. Except on the Hardison farm where the tobacco but toned low, the first harvests were reported to be of very good quality. County Native Dies In Kenly ■■ ♦ — Mrs. A. H. Hardison, a native of this county, died at her home in Kenly early last Thursday morn ing after a long illness. Funeral services were held at the home Friday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock by Rev. G. B. Starling and inter ment was in the Kenly cemetery. The daughter of the late Henry and Victoria Peel, she wuis born in Griffins Township, near the Beau fort County line", 74 years ago. The former Miss Addie Peel, she was married.in early life to Mr. Hardi son and located in Jamesville J where he was employed by the 'Dennis Simmons Lumber Com pany and where she affiliated iwith the Christian Church. About 45 years ago the family moved to Kenly where she had since made her home. She is well remem : bered in her adopted communi ! ties. Mrs. Hardison was a niece of the late R. J. Peel of Williamston. Surviving are Mr. Hardison; two daughters, Mrs. Frazier McDevitt of Washington, N. C., and Mrs. Jack Parkerson of Richmond; four sons, DeWitt and Justice Hardison ±JMh.'*-JS£Dh\ U’.y,.v.. son of Enfield, and Harry Blake Hardison of Rocky Mount; two brothers, John G. and Vance Peel, both of this county; eight grand children; two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Bible School In | Colored Churches — •— Sponsored by the several color : eol churches, a union daily vaca j tion Bible school was opened in the Williams Chapel, A. M. E. Zion : Church on Rhodes Street here yes terday morning with 135 children : | enrolled. The churches were re ; presented, as follows: Corner stone, 45; Williams Chapel, 43; i Shiloh, 42; and Riverhill, 5. Geo. T. Hyman is serving as principal, and Rev. Franklin Gre gory with the assistance of Rev. JV. V. Ormond and Mrs. Mary S. Gray, is directing the school. There is a teaching staff of twelve. The school will run for two j weeks. Native Of County Died at Plymouth Thursday Night —•— F uneral Is Conducted in the Biggs Funeral Home Here Sunday Afternoon Funeral services were conduct ed in the Biggs Funeral Horne here on West Main Street Sunday afternoon for Mrs. Z. N. Roberson, who died at the' home of a step son, Walter Roberson, in Wash ington County near Plymouth last Thursday night at 11:30 o’clock. Her pastor, Elder P. E. Qetslnger, conducted the last*rites and burial was in the family cemetery in Williams Township. A native of this county, Mrs. Roberson had been in declining health for almost three years, and her condition had been serious for more than two months, she having spent that time in bed. She was a daughter of the late John Dempsey Williams and Pol ly Williams, and was born in Wil liams Township 68 years ago on ... 36 1981 Following, the death of her husband last Novem ber she had made her home with the step-children in this county, going to Washington County only last April. The former Miss Florence Jane Williams, she was a rdember of the Primitive Baptist Church at Smithwicks Creek for many years, and was faithful in attendance upon its services as long as her health permitted. She was the last member of her immediate family, and no children were born to the union. Surviv ing are four step-sons, Will Rober son of near Hamilton, Lcland Ro (Continued on page six) Name Principal For Jamesville Professor G. H. Baker, Jr., has accepted the principal's position in the- Jamesvifi^flfJ!traWoBPT^vEs learned here last Friday. He suc ceeds Professor Woodrow Suggs who is leaving for Gastonia. Professor Baker is coming tc this county from Pantego High School. A graduate of Wake For est College, he has had seventeen years in the profession. The new school man, his wife and two chil dren, plan to locate in Jamesville later in the summer. GOOD READING vJ There’s more good reading in the advertisements in this issue of The Enterprise than in any other one in years and years. Stocks are plentiful in just about every line, and the prices are strictly on the low er side. The attention of every reader is directed to the advertisements with the knowledge that a cordial wel come awaits everyone in any I and all business houses. Finish Trial Of Criminal Cases In Court Today One-Week Term Opened on Monday, Attracts Few Spectators -$ Convened prompt!;’ at . 10:«C o’clock yesterday morning with Judge Chester Morris of Currituck on the bench, the Martin County Superior Court this morning was rapidly nearing the end of its criminal docket. Divorces are or the schedule for this afternoor and the remainder of the week will be given over to the trial ol civil actions. The session is attracting very little attention and when the court recessed at 4:30 yesterday after noon there were hardly a dozer spectators in the courtroom. Proceedings: Virginia Boston, charged with violating the liquor laws, was found not guilty. Charged with assaulting anc robbing Henry Harris, aged filling station operator near Williamstor several weeks ago, William (Bill! Williams pleaded guilty and Sladi Henry Butler pleaded not guilty During the course of the trial But ler pleaded guilty and each of th( defendants was sentenced t< State's Prison for not less thar three and not more than fivi years. Willie Moore, charged witl stabbing Alex Bunch, pleadec guilty and was sentenced to thi roads for not less than twelve am not more than fifteen months. Lollie Williams, charged witl drunken driving, failed to appea in court and Judge Morris orderec his $20 bond forfeited The case charging James Wes ley Ormond with carnal knowl edge of a girl of 16 years of age was continued until the Scptem ber term. It was pointed out tha the defendant was in German; that he had made provisions fo the prosecuting witness. In tht case in which Charli Bell stands charged with an as sault with a deadly weapon, Kad er Brown, Jr., and Ida Brown, pro secuting witnesses failed to ap pear and Judge Morris orderei papers issued for their arrests an< announced fines in the sum of $1 each. The case charging Raymond 1 ■‘Pt1T'Ips'wrth''afunken driving wa continued until the Septembe term. In the case in which Clove James was charged with an a: sault with a deadly weapon, th court, at the conclusion of th state’s evidence, directed a verdii (Continued on page six) 1 ROUND-UP v Officers, rounding up and detaining seven alleged law violators, reported a fairly busy week-end on the crime front in this county. Two were booked for public drunkenness, and one each for violating the liquor la s, as sault, drunken driving, issu ing a bad check and being drunk and disorder!1?. One !n ! the group was white, and the ages of the seven ranged from Local Man Badly ! Hurt In Highway ! Accident Monday; Only One Highway Acei-j <h*nt Reported in Conn* ly Last Week-end Dick Miller, local man associat ed in the operation of the Home Laundry here, was badly hurt and Woodrow Beaird, also of Wil liamston, was cut and bruised in an automobile accident a short dis tance east of Tarboro at 2:00 o’clock yesterday morning. Re moved to a Rocky Mount hospital. Miller was said to have had his left arm mangled, reports reach ing here that there was a possi bility that he would lose the limb. The report added that if the arm is saved, there is a possibility that it will be stiff. He also suffered se vere shock, bruises and cuts on other parts of the body. It was said that the victim was detained several hours in the hospital oper ating room, and that his transfer to a Durham hospital was being j considered. j Suffering cuts and bruises, Mr. Beaird was treated in the hospital, but was discharged a short time , later. Dr. J. A. Edens, local optome ( trist and driver of the second car , figuring in the accident, suffered only minor shock and bruises and [ was able to return home later in i, the morning. , Few details of the accident 11 could be learned here immediate ly. One report stated that Mr. ( Miller, driving his Jeep station , wagon, was taking Mr. Beaird to I Rocky Mount to catch a train for Washington, D. C., and that Dr. Edens was driving his new Plym outh toward Williamston when the vehicles crashed. The jeep was ’ demolished. t While local people figured in the serious accident, only one higli ! way wreck was reported on the highways in this county over the week-end, according to a report coming from the highway patrol office. Two cars, a 1935 Ford driven by Harry Roberson of Everetts and j the other, a 1936 Ford driven by j Julius James Shepard, sideswiped j each other a short distance out of Bear Grass toward Highway 17 | about 6:00 o’clock last Saturday i evening. Sheppard’s wife suf fering minor cuts and bruises, was I treated in the hospital and riis ,J charged a short time later. No |one else was hurt. Investigating the accident, Patrolman J T Rowe estimated the damage at $75 to ■ each vehicle. „ The only other incident on the highways in this county during the week-end was reported by Pa ’S trolman B. W. Parker last Satur I day evening. A young colored ' man, ridirlg an almost new girl’s bicycle, was pedaling nis way intc Robersonville when the officer accompanied by Patrolman R. P Narron, met him. The officer? stopped to question the man about riding a bike on the highway without a light. The rider broke his gallon jug of liquor on the handle bars, deserted the wheel and fled into a tobacco field. "1 fired into the air two or three times with a pistol, and each time the fellow would jump an extra Predicting Radical Change In ’Phone Communications By C. W. Peele In a demonstrative lecture, Mr. Russell, engineer with the South ern Bell Telephone laboratories of Atlanta, made it clear to the local Kiwanis club in its regular meet ing last Thursday night, that tele phonic communications within the near future may present as radi cal a departure from the present day system, as the layman knows it, as was true when the dial phone made its appearance. Mr. Rus sell stated that these changes, which are proposed to improve the nation’s telephone service, involve the interconnecting of vital points \>y coaxial cable, and the utiliza tion of the micro-wave system which, in effect, is directional ra dio waves beamed from, and to, towers spaced at intervals of up to fifty miles. Preceding Mr. Russell’s progrurt a brief business session was cal! ed by club President S. P. Wool ford. In this session, Meyer Lev in proposed by motion that tht club donate $30.00 for the pur chase of 10 season tickets to the local swimming pool for use by under-privlogocf children. This motion was referred to the board of directors for consideration. The dinner for the evening was prepared and served under the supervision of Mrs. Effie Sparrow operator of Roberson's Cafe, and consisted of delicious barbecued chicken which every member and guest present seemed to thorough ly enjoy. The next regular meeting of the club is scheduled for Thursday evening, July 7, at its regulai meeting p ace, the Woman's Club Expansion Program Proposed For Schools In Martin County Booster Days Offer Specia l Shopping Advantage Here The doors of Williamston’s stores will open Thursday morn- ^ ing on one of the greatest trade events ever to be held in the city’s history, Williamston Booster Days. The merchants have been plan ning this promotion for some time and the tremendous bargains tc) be offered by many of the participat ing firms will be something to take advantage of while they last, j Some of the bargains to be feat ured are listed in the advertise ments that appear on the pages of this edition; but because of space limitations, all of them cannot be carried. Therefore, every person jwi.hin traveling distance of Wil liamston is urged to come into town on one of the three Booster Days, Thursday, Friday or Satur day, June 22, 24 or 25 and boost their dollar-values with the many items and services being offered at specially reduced prices. Free parking on the streets for I all shoppers during the three days is being offered and the personnel of the stores have been instructed to extend their best services and every courtesy to everyone. Hearing In Assault Case Next Tuesday r SECOND MISS _j A patient in a Washington hospital since May 2l>, Sheriff It. Koch tick this week miss ed his second term of superior court in the county since he entered office about twenty years ago. While it was evident that someone was missing, depu ties ably carried on the work with reports coining from Washington describing the sheriff’s condition as being much improved. He is able to sit up some now, but visita tions are limited. Officers Baffled By Wild Report Deputy Buck Holloman and members of the highway patrol, including Cpl. Fearing and Pa trolman John Rowe and F,d Him mons, arc baffled by a fantastic report coming from near Rverotb I Sunday afternoon. After investi | gating the report from every ! angle, the officers withdrew fron I the ease, thinking but no officially branding the report as a hoax. | Junior Whitfield, 15-year-oh | colored boy, declared he had beer attacked by two masked eolorec men, and offered an old hat witl I numerous gun shot holes in it t< I substantiate his claim. It wu. | first rumored that posibly Outlaw J Diggs, the colored man who killer members of his family in Norfoll |and later critically shot a polici j officer pt Hamlet, was in the sec II ion. Officers answered the call abou 3:00 o’clock. The attack allegedly took place in a field near a tobacci 'barn and while some of the crop: I there had been trampled then | was no sign of tracks except tin youngster’s. It was also reasonet i that the boy had placed his hat nr | a tobacco stick and peppered i | with shot himself. | Entvrs l.mul llos/tiia! Monday for Trrainn‘ M; Sylvester 1 *< 1 Mil' County’s grand old man and chr man of the board of election nearly a quarter of a century, < tered the hospital here yestorc: for treatment, lie was reported be renting well this morning. He made the trip to the hospi in a Biggs ambulance. FREE PARKING To accommodate visitors and other friends on “Booster Days” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week, the parking meters will lie covered and local people are being asked to reserve the spaces for out-of-town guests. The action, covering the meters during the three-day special event, was taken of ficially at a recent meeting of the town officials. Bertie Policeman Resigns Fol lowing Alienation Here Lover of Kslranpu'd VS if* And IliislKind Stand C.liarf'ed witli Assaults •MI. .1, Lupton, former Windsor police chief, and Lee Overton, for mer Windsor merchant, will be given a preliminary hearing be lore Justice K. T. Johnson in tin courthouse here next. Tuesdav evening at 8:00 o’clock for alleged ly assaulting each other wit) deadly weapons with intent to kil on the main street here last Satin .day night shortly after 10:01 | o’clock. j Three warrants have beer I drawn in (lie case which alleged ly climaxes a love triangle. Lup ton is at liberty under a $1,001 1 bond for allegedly assaulting Ov | erton with a deadly weapon wit! | intent to kill. The warrant wa; I signed by Overton. A war rant signed hi Lupton, charges Over ‘ton with assaulting Lupton with . I deadly weapon with intent to kill Me is at liberty under bond in tin sum of $200. The two men alsi stand charged with disorder^ conduct and an affray in a war rant signed bv Officer Clras R Moore of the local police for ce. 1 was rumored that other warrant; 1 would bo issued in the case, bu ; the repor ts could not be confirm ed immediately. Carter Overton of Ahoskie Ira been employed to defend Over ton 1 and Lupton has employed Attor m v J. A. CritctK tt of Windsor a his counsel. Details leading up to the as saults have not been disclosed ol 1 fieially, but according to reports ’ Overton and his wife .separ ated ; ' short time ago, allegedly beeausi ' of Lupton’s attentiveness to Mr; l Overton. The wife came here b 1 word, in a d" about ten days ; s 1 and the husband reportedly I'ouiu her and Lupton in a taxi on th * main street, from the local main business dis fjtrict. A fight folowed, one repor I stating that Overton's head wa j gushed by the ollicet s blackjack Lupton returned to Windsor am tendered his resignation tha night, and the wife quit her jol the following day. ’ It was reported that one of th Overton's is suing for divorce. ^ It was also reported that th mechanisms of the pistols wet e n firing position when the light wa j interrupted. Six Million In P-T Association* Parent - Teacher Association now have a total membership c 5,774,358, according to figure made public a few days ago. Th figure represents u gain of 64(1,46 over membership of the year be fore. In the past three years th i organization has added 1,864,25 j members. No Cost Figures | Yet Available On Proposed Projects Plan To llxpaml Facilities 111 Williumstnn. Oak Pity Aiwl Kohroom illc An expansion 'program for the schools in this county and to be financed mainly from State funds, was tentatively advanced by the Martin Counts- Board of Education in a meeting held last Thursday. In addition to a small home for the principal at Oak City, the £>oard proposes expanded facilities for the white and Negro schools in Williamston, and the Roberson ville white school. No cost figures on any of the projects are avail able at this time, the superintend ent explaining that rough drafts land estimates would have to be j studied and prepared by the ar chitects. The program, tentatively ap proved by the board at its recent meeting, calls for: A Negro elementary school in Williamston to relieve what have been described as the most crowd ed conditiorfs in the county. While no site has been selected, it is pos sible that the structure will be lo cated near Woodlawn Cemetery. The next project calls for a sec ond story on the new one story building at the Williamston high school, and the construction of an I addition to house a cafeteria, music and vocational depart ments. At Robursonvillc the construc tion of a brick physical education building is proposed to house a gymnasium cafeteria and music ! department. Stressing the need j for such a project, a delegation I headed by Messrs II. ('. Norman, N. C. Everett, Vance Roberson, J ; M. Dixon, Herbert Roebuck and | Mesdames M. M. Everett and Her bert Highsmith, appeared before the meeting. Explaining that two school men had refused the principal’s posi ! tion a the Oak City High School | because of inadequate living quar . tors, a delegation composed' of' Lc-' Roy Everett, Grover Worsley, J. j A. Everett, K. R. Edmondson, Jr., ; and Henry Early, asked that a six | room home be built. The request j was approved and a site is avail | able. Bids for the construction j work are to be called for as soon as possible. A sizable delegation, numbering possibly Jf) colored citizens and headed by Rev. S. G. Burnett, re newed their request for a Negro ' high school in Oak City. Such a 1 project had been tentatively ap proved about four years ago, and the county board advised the dele gation that it would recommend it, but that final approval was sub ject to action by the State Board. ■ At the present time the Oak City (Continued on page six) To Offer Life i Saving Course Commencing next Tuesday a Red Cross junior and senior life saving and water safety course will be started at the local pool under the mstruetion of .John Watts, local young man who has just returned from successfully qualifying as a water safety in structor at Brevard Red Cross Aquatic School. The courses will ■ | be offered three days a week, i Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday si between the hours of 10:00 a. in. 'and 12.00 noon, and will take ap proximately three weeks tor com pletion. Successful candidates will be awarded Red Cross certificates at the completion of the courses. The junior course is open to onyone, boy or girl, at least twelvfc years of age and the senior course to anyone at least sixteen years old. Tlie only costs entailed will be the regular pool admission price plus sixty cents for a life saving manual. All interested in taking the course contact the in structor or Dr. J. A. Edens, or re port at the pool on opening day.